Letter to Lisa

Lisa,
So here it is 2 weeks later and I'm still thinking about you.
It all started in recovery, that's where we first met.
It was hectically busy for me that day, as always. I hustled into the recovery room to retrieve a recently sterilized dog for an adopter or a foster, the particular dog or person it was for I cannot recall, only that I was in recovery to get someone's dog.
Partially laying on your side, partially sitting upright, in a bottom corner cage with big doe eyes, and an even bigger belly, you caught my eye. Then I took a quick moment to consciously focus my attention on you.
You looked like a deer caught in the headlights, almost frozen, nearly expressionless. The fact that you looked and acted a lot like a dog I had fostered months ago and seeing your big, protruding belly brought on an instant surge of nearly-overwhelming empathy.
"I'll be back to see you. Tomorrow I'll get you out, I promise. Hang in there," I said to you, almost sternly. I needed you to be strong... for your own good.
At home that night you crossed my mind a couple of times. -Interacting with you as I had promised gave me something great to look forward to for the following day.
It's always that way for me; the animals make me want to, need to, get to work day after day.
The promise of the possibility to save a life, the sense of obligation I feel towards all of you pets is immensely powerful.
And committing to working on a particular dog is something I take very seriously... it's something I 'take on.'
There are interludes in which I try not to become personally involved with particular dogs in this manner. The deep level of involvement, the intensely emotional liability of it all can be nearly too much to handle. Knowing how devastating it is to lose one of you that I've been working with personally can make me shy away from this level of personal involvement but... it never lasts.
These anti-personal-involvement-interludes typically have a 3-5 day duration before I'm 'on to the the next one;' my love for you is simply so much greater than my fear of being burned by your loss.
With you Lisa, I had made a verbal commitment to get you out of your cage, but an even greater, unspoken commitment to get you out of the shelter.
"DOES NOT WALK ON LEASH" was written in red sharpie on your kennel card.
OK, I thought, let's see how well pregnant me can coerce pregnant you to walk- not very well.
But with some pulling, gentle insisting and positive vibration (forget your positive reinforcement with a dog that's this fearful) we did manage our way out of recover, down the short hallway and out the door to... freedom. -Sort of like freedom, the little fenced in play area, it was the most free you'd been since arriving at Animal Services anyhow.
For you Lis, the positive effect of being outside was immediate and tangible. You softened.
Your body relaxed a bit.Your mouth opened, as you breathed rapidly but easily. This is how you needed to be breathing, you would be birthing pups soon.
You took cover in a corner facing real freedom behind a plastic garbage can. You felt safe there and I let you be.
15 minutes or so passed. A lovely retired married couple of shelter volunteers were there with us in the yard, socializing other dogs. The other dogs' presence only put you more at ease. After all, you had been 'found' running free with a pack of feral dogs. You and those dogs were caught and brought to Animal Services.
You, Lisa, were a dogs' dog, oppose to a mans' dog. You preferred the company of your own kind and I can't say I blame you.
Not wanting to rush you but not wanting to neglect my other work duties, I asked the couple if you could stay out with them for a while. They kindly obliged and you were out 45 minutes or so before we had to put you up.
Another day, similar scenario. A different shelter volunteer (one that loves mommy dogs so much) and I took you out. You were once again content just to be outside. That day you even had a bath by two mommy-loving volunteers/fosters.
I had sent an email plea to shelter fosters on your behalf; you along with a couple of other nursing mommies were featured in the email. You were the only one still pregnant of the group. You seemed to be in the earliest stages of labor and just a day or so from birthing your puppies.
I felt hope for you Lisa. There was talk that you could go to one foster's home as soon as she could place her other foster.
Then, on Friday morning (my mom and grandma would be coming in town that Friday night) I received a text stating, "they killed the white, pregnant mommy."
The volunteer/foster that had met, loved and wanted to help you too sent me the text. She was at the shelter before me.
"No," I said aloud as my stomach sank, my shoulders following.
My boyfriend said, "What?"
I told him about you, while crying.
"That job is too much on you, you get so upset. it's not good for you," he said.
He didn't understand how I felt. How could he? How could I?
This all happened in the span of a week and I did not see it coming, at all.
My grandmother and mom were here for 3 days. I didn't mention you to them. What would I say? But I assure you Lis, you were on my mind that whole time.
It was strange. I felt like you weren't really gone, probably because I didn't take or have time to mourn you.
I looked up the person that put you to sleep. I looked at the dosage you were given.
I asked the clinic supervisor, "Shouldn't she have been given extra dosage since she was extremely pregnant and had fetuses inside of her?"
She said no, that your babies died quickly once you stopped breathing.
That's hard for me to comprehend.
 I imagined your babies inside of you, breathing amniotic fluid, alive and well, moving around.. .alive, only to suffocate inside of your deceased body.
 I couldn't help but seeing you in my mind's horrified eye, being eased into a bio-hazard garbage bag, tossed onto a truck with other bodies.
I'm sorry Lisa. It does you no justice to speak of such horror.
You were an inspiration to me.
You touched my heart.
Seeing how naturally and beautifully you breathed, labor-type of breathing, seeing how at ease you were in nature, how at ease you were with your big belly, how in tune you were with nature, how gentle you were, how much you wanted to trust, how you just needed time... you inspired me.
You are one of my pregnancy role models girl. I still think of you.
Though it may sound corny, though no one may believe me- I will think of you, and will do my best to birth my baby naturally and with dignity as you would have birthed yours. I'm sorry you didn't have the chance to birth yours Lis but I promise I will do my very best birthing mine in your honor and memory. -Promise.

Lisa, enjoying time outside.

Originally written a couple of weeks ago, on paper.

Posted 28th November by Jessica Pita

Labels: animal services animal welfare ASPCA feral dogs Humane Society of the USpregnancy pregnant dog sheltering spaying

Considering Fostering: What to Consider

    So you're an animal lover, and feel you could do more to help homeless pets, and want to do more. Then fostering pets could be for you but I must warn you my friend, the sense of pride you'll get in  knowing you're saving a life and fulfilling a deep-seated philanthropic calling, can become addictive!

    Before you know it you may eagerly be taking on a litter of puppies or kittens, or a hard-to-place pet, or once your 1st foster is gone you'll feel the nagging urge to 'do it again,' despite the promise you made to yourself to take a break in between foster pets. Reason being, simple: doing something good feels good and good feelings are ones we want to experience over and over. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with this, it's far better than say, wanting to having another 1 or 2 or 3 glasses of wine or wanting to fall in love over and over and over again since it feels good too. So, off the bat, let's get that straight- fostering pets is a good thing, a rewarding and positive life activity... even if you do become addicted to it! -And with shelters across the country bursting at the seams, over-crowded with unwanted pets and most still euthanizing for space, there's clearly far more demand than supply when it comes to qualified foster parents.

    There are, however, some critical considerations to keep in mind when considering fostering:

Do you have room for a foster pet? 

This question is relative since everyone has a different perception of how much space is enough. I have a foster parent now that shares her Miami Beach 1 bedroom with her own small-breed dog, along with a nursing litter of 4 pups, the mommy dog and another foster puppy- and she's comfortable and happy with that arrangement. Get this... she even manages to transport her fosters to and from the shelter on a scooter since she doesn't have a car! It may sound crazy but, for this fearless foster mom, it works. Another full time foster mom that has fostered well over 450 dogs over the years has 3 different rooms strategically set up in her home to have multiple litters in her care at any given time. She's willing and able to 'foster in volume' and has her game so organized it'd make the finest of assembly lines envious! Myself on the other, I prefer to foster one dog at a time and always have. On the rare occasion you could catch me with 2. Since we have 4 dogs of our own (before I was 'married' I just had my 2) and live in a 1 bdrm that's what's feasible for us. I also personally prefer fostering adult, medium-sized dogs. They're typically house-broken and far lower maintenance than puppies. They pull at my heartstrings more since I know they 'had a life' before being abandoned. That's just such a sad thought and I want to give them a chance to start a new life through fostering.

Do you have the time for a foster pet? 

Time is not as relative a concept as is space. Foster pets will require time invested. That being said, I work and have pretty much always worked full time (40 hrs./week) when fostering and have never felt my foster pets were neglected due to my work schedule. Many of our foster families work full time. You will need to get your foster pet on a schedule, your schedule, as soon as you bring it home. It's a good idea to bring a foster home when you're getting ready to have a day or two off (weekends) so you can get the pet adjusted to your home schedule before heading right back to work. When speaking of time for your foster you also must consider the time it will take you to get the pet adopted (unless you're fostering a pet slated for transport or an organized adoption). After-all the pet can't get online and post its own depiction or go out for a walk and find its own new owner... it needs your help! You must plan on being able to attend adoption events (most orgs have regular adoption events you'll be invited to attend with your foster), post a nice depiction with pictures on sites like petfinder.com, rescueme.org. etc. Worth mentioning too- if you're very busy or very cramped for space felines can be a great option to foster, we all know cats are less demanding than dogs!

Are you emotionally prepared to foster (and let the foster go)? 

This is a hard one. I never want to discourage people from fostering but sometimes I have to simply say, "No, you cannot foster this pet becasue I know you really want to adopt this pet." I can spot the foster failures a mile away now... of course sometimes I'm wrong but, typically, once I explain how I know prospective fosters are really prospective adopters they admit I'm right and go ahead and adopt the pet on the spot. Foster failures are not necessarily a bad thing. As an Adoption Counselor I'm never going to be mad or upset when a foster decides to adopt. But, it's not ideal for the following reasons: when a pet is being fostered it's basically in 'limbo,' not fully 'outcome' from the system, lingering somewhere in the middle of being homed and homeless, it's a nightmare for record-keeping and creating accurate shelter statistics when pets are in long-term foster care (more than 3 months), it's not fair to the foster coordinators since 'on the fence' fosters can lead to a large backlog of work, it's really not fair to the pet to go into a fostering scenario with the idea of  "I might keep you." Again, it happens, and I'd rather someone take a pet under these circumstances than not take one at all but- if you're considering adopting the pet before you even get it into your car... make it easier on all of us and go ahead and adopt! -Enough with the mind games, you're the only playing.

Do you have the money to foster?

Unless you're taking on a pet with serious medical issues or taking on many at once, fostering really doesn't require much money. I for one make $14.00/hr. and have never felt strapped to pay the rent due to a foster pet. Now if you're taking home an entire litter or something with a skin condition for example, you'll be spending some money. If you're not willing or able to invest much in a foster take only one at a time and choose a pet without (serious) medical issues. Some shelters or rescues can even lend you a crate, provide food, etc., however it's more common for foster parents to provide food and toys on their own. Regarding 'chip ins' for foster pets, I'm personally not a fan. I wouldn't feel right asking for donations for something that I willingly took on. If you want to raise money for rescued pets then do the grit work- start a 501-C3 to make it all legit. That being said, I do not judge anyone that feels comfortable requesting donations to cover the care of foster pets, every situation is unique and, 'to each his own'. 

Are you putting your own pet's health at risk by fostering? 

If a yes or no answer must be given here then I'd have to say yes, technically you are. However, over the 7 years I've been fostering I've cared for dozens of dogs with upper respiratory, a.k.a., kennel cough, and mine have never caught it (most dogs leaving traditional shelters do have kennel cough). I've also had a foster puppy break with parvo (heartbreaking) and my dogs never caught it, as was the case with a distemper puppy. I would never knowingly take home a dog with distemper or parvo, nor should any dog owner, unless you have a serious isolation area and extensive knowledge on these diseases. General rules on health risks: the younger the pet the more likely it could be incubating a serious illness, the longer it has spent in the shelter the more likely it's sickly, if it's a pet that has been in the shelter system before and was returned to shelter (for whatever reason) it should have better immunity to common shelter diseases (unless it's still very young), if your own pet is from a shelter or adoption center it should have better immunity to disease common in shelters, and regular, annual vaccinations increase your pet's odds of staying healthy though they don't offer a guarantee. You could compare the risks to that of babysitting a child that goes to daycare every day with your baby at home... sure there's a chance your child will catch that 'daycare icky cold,' but he or she will survive.  I am not a veterinarian and these opinions are based on my own extensive experience fostering, that of other fosters and years spent working and volunteering in high-volume shelters.

    In a country that still euthanizes an estimated 3.4 million shelter pets per year, an average of 1 every 11 seconds (humanesociety.org), much room for improvement remains. Pet overpopulation and unwanted pets are community problems that require community solutions. 

By fostering you can become an immediate and intricate part of the solution. 

    Hopefully this information has been helpful to those of you considering fostering, and prompted others that weren't considering it to do just that! 

One of Jeanne Dykstra's foster pups being bottle fed. Check out Jeanne's facebook page, fostering dogs in Miami

Posted 22nd August by Jessica Pita

Labels: animal welfare ASPCA Cesar Millan fostering humane society Humane Society of the US metro animal services miami dade animal services SHARE rescue shelter petsSOS 4 Paws rescue

JUL

30

Ode to Hilary 

Hilary,
   You were my 'happy ending story,' a superb example of the dog that beats the odds.
   There are unexpected, delightful twists of fate in the shelter world, these cherished times when pets you don't think will make it out alive do.
   You were one of those pets Hilary, one of those dogs I didn't want to interact with too much  for fear of getting too emotionally involved only to be heartbroken upon your demise.
   But all it took to turn that self preservation mechanism around was someone, anyone, to show a hint of interest in you.
   That's all it ever takes, that shimmer of hope to make the possibility of rescue come to life (naturally I fall in love with dogs every day that no one is considering as well but one mustkeep that in check).
   When I met your daddy strolling through the big dog runs and he stopped at you Hilary, my heart practically stopped too. It was one of those 'don't hold your breath too long' moments, I played it calm and cool with the interested adopter to avoid making him feel pressured or pushed into choosing you. After all no one likes to feel pressured, even when adopting a dog.
   Hilary, it made my entire week to see an adopter fall in love with a hard to place dog without much coaxing or convincing... he knew you were the one. Though I did everything in my power to see the adoption through, to see you walking out the front door with your new doting owner. And, you did.
   I saw you weeks later when you returned to the shelter for your spay appointment- you looked magnificent, your owner, not so much. His arm was in a cast and he seemed to be very down on his luck. I wished you both well and saw you out the door, once again... shaking off an uneasy feeling.
   Hilary, you can't know (or maybe you can) the dismay it delivered, the immediate shadow it cast over me, this past Friday when you came back to MDAS for what would be the last time.
   I was busy with a customer, naturally, when Judy interrupted me to report you were in the lobby with your daddy, Alejandro. You had been hit by a car, your hip was shattered. Surgery for the invasive injury would run in the thousands... which your owner couldn't afford.
   I couldn't go to you, not because I was too busy, but rather because I didn't trust my raw emotions. I told Judy to tell your owner where to take you, the dog receiving dept. He was there to surrender you.
   Minutes later, once I'd collected my thoughts a bit I walked briskly to receiving, requesting your whereabouts.
   You had already been taken to the euthanasia room, I rushed, needing to see you.
   As I knocked, the euthanasia tech came around the corner, he hadn't even been in the room yet. He unlocked and opened the door and there you were- laying on the floor, beautiful and completely hopeless. You didn't so much as wag your tail or perk up at all when I said your name and went to you... perhaps that was for the better, why bother feeling a false sense of hope at this point.
   I petted your head and cried. You had given up. You knew. I commented on how nice your coat looked, saying that Alejandro must have really been taking good care of you.
   You were then muzzled, which I found offensive and said so, but, was told that it's standard procedure in euth. Then, just like that, with the intravenous injection, you were gone.
   I had to leave the room and go on with my day. There was still plenty of work to be done, like always.
   You were my 'happy ending story' Hilary. Damn it.

-written a couple of weeks ago on paper, the post "So Then Why" portrayed Hilary's story of when she was adopted.

Hilary and Alejandro, the day Hilary was adopted. 

Posted 30th July by Jessica Pita
Labels: coping dogs hit by car pet adoption pet overpopulation sheltering work stress

What UnAltered Dogs and Addicts w/o their Fix Share in Common

Miami is a city where many residents oppose spaying and neutering their dogs. Trust me, I know. I worked at the municipal shelter here for nearly a year and still volunteer there. During my tenure at the shelter I conducted Volunteer Orientation weekly. I had to get across to new volunteers (and customers) what an unaltered pet goes through. The best analogy I came up with was- what a drug addict goes though.
The intact male dog... let's make it a well-trained, loving, family pet for example's sake: This is a dog that plays fetch with the kids, sits and shakes on command, is docile, kind with everyone, even strangers. This is a great dog, that still has his balls. This dog, Fido, we'll say, stays in the yard while his family is at work, around 8 hrs/day. That's a normal scenario for many American dogs right?
Most days Fido sleeps, marks the fence, does typical dog stuff around the yard. However one day, a female dog in heat is a couple of blocks away (remember- dogs can smell up to miles away). Fido goes crazy- he has to get to that female dog! All is forgotten- his commands, tricks, loving family that has housed and adored him for years- out the window. NOTHING matters to Fido in this moment except for reaching the female. The 4 ft. fence that usually is a sufficient barrier becomes surmountable in an instant. Fido attempts to jump the fence- Scenario 1: His collar gets caught on the fence and he hangs himself there, dying slowly. Scenario 2: He clears the fence with no problem, runs down the road and is hit by a car, and hurt (or killed). Scenario 3: He's street smart, finds the female, along with 3 other male dogs who have picked up on the scent and proceeds to fight and engage in wild pack behavior. Scenario 4: He impregnates the female dog, finds his way home and no one ever knows it even happened. The female is alone, stray and will have a litter of unwanted pups. -And Fido's not paying child support. None of these are positive outcomes are they?
And this is very similar to what a drug addict goes through on a binge: A loving father, devoted husband and hard worker can transform in an instant- should he have a problem with a drug that suddenly becomes available to him. He may go missing for days, blow his entire pay check, lose his wallet, phone, end up in the ghetto... you name it, right?
If you're someone thinking my unaltered dog example is 'extreme,' please consider this one true story:
It was nearly closing time at Miami Dade Animal Services. I was behind the front counter taking care of the last customer or two when in walks a man in his early 40s, sobbing hysterically, holding a limp, wiry haired, 30- something pound, little gray dog in his arms. A woman was with him. He was screaming, "¡Este es mi hijo, mi único hijo, Dios!" (this is my son, my only son, my God!). It was horrendous. My stomach sank, as I quickly assessed by the dog's posture- it was gone. However the man could not accept that. He cried out for a vet. I ran to get the vet on duty; I was not going to deny him that. I explained as the Dr. and I walked that the dog was dead, but that the man was in a shocked state of denial. She hurried the man and woman into a small examining room, laid the dog on the metal table, searched for a heartbeat which could not be found and declared the dog was dead. The man sobbed loudly, almost ghostly, stating he had never had kids, that this dog was his baby, his only baby.
The woman with him explained: they had been out on his small deck, three stories up, cooking out, when his dog ran out, barking at a stray female dog passing by below. He jumped. He didn't fall, according to her, but jumped. He was suddenly frantic to get to the dog below. He was not neutered.
I could share other similar stories but won't, not now. It's too sad. If you have a dog, go hug it. And if it's not yet altered, please consider taking care ofthat. Peace.

Posted 5th February 2012 by Jessica Pita