~Dogs Need to Walk~

Dogs don't need narcotics, or a nice cold beer to take the edge off,
Dogs don't need to lay on a therapist's chair to vent,
Dogs don't need to sit in a jacuzzi or sauna to bring on relaxation,
Dogs don't need a private retreat to some far off place to disconnect,
Dogs don't need to meditate or pray or do yoga to feel zen,
Dogs don't need an enormous network of support to not feel lonely,
Dogs don't need to have a buzzing social network or to be constantly on the go to not feel bored-

What dogs need is a nice, long walk.

The End.

Baby Sam, Cheech, Bella, Llorón and me on our daily walk.

Modern Shelter Design- why it may not be better for the dogs

Kennels constructed of wire fencing from the ground up, hard concrete floors, drafty, noisy, hot in the summer, cold in the winter, smelly... could there be a less appealing environment for shelter dogs?
If we use our imaginations of course we can come up with potentially worse environments for shelter dogs.
However I'd be willing to bet that most of us wouldn't envision glassed-in private dog 'suites' as being a worse option for them.
That couldn't possibly be worse than the smelly, dilapidated place the shelter dogs are in now.
Or could it?
6 months ago I wouldn't have given much thought to this subject, mainly because I had never spent time in a 'new age design' shelter.
A few months ago that changed; once settled in after moving back to Louisville, Ky from Miami, Fl I began volunteering at my local municipal shelter, which happens to be a shelter I worked and volunteered at years ago.
Rumor had traveled all the way down to Miami years prior about how Louisville was constructing a new, state of the art adoption center. I felt hopeful for Louisville dogs upon hearing the news yet also a twinge of concern. My concern was for the dogs at the 'old location.' What about all the dogs there? Would anyone go to the old shelter or would they only visit the new, fancy, publicized one? The new facility design was never a concern for me. I didn't think much of it. I knew about the glassed in rooms for dogs; this was the way most new shelters were being designed and I had only heard praise regarding the construction.
After spending a little time each week socializing dogs at the new shelter I've concluded that I cannot offer much praise for this new design concept.
The shelter is more human-friendly for sure- it doesn't smell, it's not noisy, you can walk through and browse at the dogs, seeing them in a home-like environment.
I'm not so sure it's shelter-dog-friendly though. If you're a dog is there anything worse than not being exposed to fresh air on a regular basis? The dogs in these rooms are isolated.
This is my opinion and only my opinion: after working and volunteering for years in shelters I believe that dogs begin suffering the effects of constant confinement more quickly when housed in these glassed-in rooms than when housed in kennel runs that allow them constant access to fresh air.
In the few months I've been volunteering at the new shelter here I've seen dogs showing signs of severe emotional distress and going 'kennel crazy' after only a couple of weeks in their glassed in enclosures whereas the emotional and mental deterioration time for dogs in traditional kennels was typically around 4-8 weeks (large degree of variance depending on dog's disposition, breed, etc.).
Again, this is based only on my personal experience and is my opinion, nothing more, nothing less.
Another bothersome factor about this design is: these glassed in rooms mimic traditional pet store settings.
"How much is that doggie in the window, woof-woof?" -Remember that little tune about a dog in a pet shop window?
Pet stores have always used that glass front to lure in 'customers' to 'buy' their 'product-' dogs.
Could designers and architects really not come up with anything better than over-sized, pet store replicas?
I'll share a quick story:
Stacy, we'll call her, is a dog I met and took out to socialize 2 weeks ago. 2 weeks ago she walked very well on her lead to the play yard, she was playfully and sweetly interactive with the dogs on the other side of the play yard, she was highly affectionate, docile and loving with me, grateful to be out, just had an overall delightful disposition.
Yesterday, 2 weeks later, I visited Stacy anew. She was lunging/throwing herself at her glass door to get out of the room, once I maneuvered into her room it took quite an effort to leash her (she was overly exited and hyperactive), once outside she ran up and down the fence repetitively and interacted negatively with another friendly dog on the other side of the play yard fence. -She calmed down after 20 minutes or so but was still highly anxious; it made me feel very, very sad for her. She is not the first dog I've seen with these extreme signs of severe emotional distress and, again, the deterioration seems to occur much more quickly for dogs being housed in these little glassed in rooms.
Bottom Line: if you're able to assure your shelter dogs are being walked/socialized at least 2 times a day (this can be challenging for shelters to guarantee due to lack of volunteer help at times) and that they're being adopted/leaving the building and their glassed-in rooms for good within a few weeks, then go ahead with this modern shelter design; it is better for the dogs and guests under these circumstances but if you cannot guarantee this for your shelter dogs then they're better off in the old, dilapidated, fenced in runs most of us are familiar with.
Lastly,I am fully aware that most likely no vet would agree with me on this because of the disease factor, I get that. But... emotional and mental disease can be just as horrific as physical disease... for humans and dogs. But again, that's just my opinion.

Note: Since writing this post I'm pleased to say- the shelter where I volunteer has obtained a lot more volunteer support. The dogs are enjoying ample time outdoors now, being loved on and socialized. The dogs seem content and happy since they're getting out often enough! Shelters across the country always need volunteer help- do your part! :)

Humane Euthanasia of an Aged or Sick Pet

The decision to euthanize a pet is extremely personal and difficult.
When contemplating euthanasia of a beloved pet, you may feel the urge to discuss it with a few trusted individuals. Discuss if you wish but do so with caution.
When my dog of 9 years recently fell very ill I discussed my pet's condition and possible euthanasia with a few individuals, one, a veterinarian friend.
One person actually questioned my decision to euthanize (once I had decided to take my pet, Thalia, to be put to sleep that following day). He immediately caught himself saying, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to question your judgement on this."
But that brief lapse of judgement on this person's part made this terribly challenging situation and day even more challenging and painful for me, even if it was just for a minute. I immediately felt compelled to justify why I was electing to have my pet put to sleep... mentioning the fact that she had stopped eating, was off balance, was having trouble breathing, could barely walk, had begun having accidents in the home. This was expending unnecessary energy on my part and energy was something I had very little of, the process of losing a pet is exhausting, among other things.
Electing humane euthanasia for a pet is so personal that you need tell no one. It's ultimately between you and your pet and your choice to keep it that way.
Another challenge I faced regarding pet euthanasia was: denial.
My girl, Thalia, had been on prednisone, an excellent drug for inflammation, (she had a large mass on her throat) for a month and a half. At first the drug worked wonders for her.
Upon taking the first dosage the difference was like night and day; she went from barely being able to breathe and refusing to eat anything to breathing comfortably and having her old appetite back! I deemed it a miracle drug and felt relief and gratitude.
After a few weeks she began labored breathing once again and she was becoming more of a finicky eater. It was a downward spiral from there.
The day prior to having my pet put to sleep I texted my vet friend saying, "I'm not so sure about keeping Thalia on prednisone. Don't you think being on a steroid long-term could be having a negative effect? She's off balance, isn't breathing well and doesn't want to eat again."
He replied saying this, "Steroids at low doses are pretty benign and dogs usually tolerate them well. I would suspect that whatever disease your dog has is getting worse and the problem is not the pred."
We texted back and forth a bit more but, for me, that was pretty much all it took to realize I had been in complete denial for those past couple of days. Here I was trying to blame Thalia's deterioration on the drug rather than the disease.
"Sounds like you should start considering euthanasia. It doesn't sound promising," were the words that delivered the final necessary blow. Hearing that from a vet was important for me.
Anyone considering euthanasia for a pet should be so fortunate as to have a vet that they trust completely. Another positive aspect of discussing euthanasia with a veterinarian is that: they're basing their opinion on knowledge of the pet's condition and their medical expertise oppose to an emotional aspect of attachment to the animal, provided it's a trustworthy vet.
Although I suspect many vets prefer not to direct their clients on how to proceed in regards to pet euthanasia. You make their job easier if you're certain in your decision to either: keep fighting for your pet til the very end or to elect to end its life of suffering and sickness.
Some individuals even choose to perform surgery on pets that are very old and/or sick. I've known a few. That decision is between them and their pet. For the record, I've seen surgeries or treatments work wonders and give the dying pet a new lease on life and I've seen these options fail, only causing more anguish at the very end of a pet's life. It's a gamble, like anything in life; the good must be weighed against the bad.
For me I asked myself, "Jessica, how would you feel if you were struggling to breathe, couldn't bear to eat, were nearly too weak to stand, much less walk, choosing to isolate yourself from your family and stay alone because you felt so terrible? And... if you could go peacefully and painlessly without losing the very little dignity you've got left, would you want to do that?"
"Yes," was my answer and I knew Thalia's answer would be yes too.
Fortunately my girl only endured a couple of days 'at her worst.'
Was the process very painful? -Yes.
Do I feel a sense of peace knowing I did what's right for my pet? -Absolutely.
Do I miss her like crazy and feel a big, gaping hole in my heart? -Yes.
Will it heal and become bearable with time? -Yes.
Bless you should you find yourself in this situation. It's not easy.
It has helped a little to remind myself repetitively that my pet had a good life and was loved.
I've seen so many pets succumb to the animal shelter euthanasia needle over the years... when they're far too young, far too healthy, far too energetic and ready to give someone a thousand kisses, but instead they're killed because no one wants them and there's not room to keep all of them.
I've known so many delightful, young, healthy pets that have been senselessly sacrificed that it's disgusting and horrific. I will carry that with me to my own death bed.
So, this time I experienced euthanasia on a whole different level, a level of allowing my pet freedom from her earthly bondage.
This time, as heartbreaking and sorrowful as it was, euthanasia lived up to its definition: the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful condition.

Thalia, left, with Cheech

When Someone You Know and Love Buys from a Breeder

If you're not involved in pet rescue you may not understand the title of this blog.
So read it, so you can understand.
Over the years I've heard about friends of rescue friends buying a dog from a breeder oppose to adopting. Over the years I've heard about this action breaking up friendships or driving a wedge between people.
I've also experienced this on a personal level and it has converted once-lovely-friendships into an abyss of separation a time or two.
A few years ago while working at Animal Services I had a girlfriend that wanted a dog, a puppy.
On various occasions I showed her pictures of adoptable pets, I spoke to her about how rewarding adoption was, how she had the power to save a life and asked her regularly, "When are you going to adopt?!"
The next thing I know she's posting pictures on facebook of a french bulldog puppy.
I was horrified.
We discussed her purchase briefly and she said the typical things breeder-buyers say: we wanted this certain breed, we wanted it to be a puppy, it was a sporadic decision, etc.
To make matters worse this 'friend' opted not to neuter her new frenchie (doesn't every other person on the block have one of these breeds now?).
Immediately our friendship changed. We lost touch.
I felt angry and disappointed on behalf of all the dogs that had missed out on a loving home due to my friend's decision.
And that's the issue- when an animal-loving-pet-owner to-be chooses to buy oppose to adoptthis person is inevitably choosing not to save a shelter pet's life. This person is choosing to be an onlooker, a bystander, a spectator- seeing, hearing of the shelter pets waiting for loving homes, knowing the shelter pets are being put to sleep daily, but choosing to do nothing about it. These bystanders are choosing not to be part of the solution, choosing not to help end euthanasia by their decision to buy rather than adopt. It's just that simple.
And something so strange to me is, the grand majority of people that buy from breeders are big-time animal lovers and are generally great pet owners. You'd think they'd make the connection on their own-
adoption = saving a pet's life, I want to save a pet's life because I love pets!
Now 15-20 years ago it was a different story. Some of you, my animal-rescue-friends, bought a pet from a breeder yourselves, some of you were even involved in breeding, but you didn't know about the plight of our shelter pets then. "You don't know what you don't know," as the saying goes.
We cannot really blame people for not knowing something, but nowadays, let's be honest- how many people are truly unaware of their local animal shelters? Hasn't just about everyone seen the ASPCA commercials featuring sorry-looking abandoned animals? Isn't the 'Humane Society' an organization that pretty much everyone has at least heard of? There are huge billboards up about pet rescue for God's sake.
And getting back to the title of this blog, "When someone you know and love buys from a breeder," we're talking specifically about people that are aware of shelter pets' plight... through me, through you, the animal activist people!
They know all too well about shelter pets, they see their pictures that you send out and everything, then they choose to buy from a breeder... ouch. That hurts. Really bad.
This is a wound that has recently been ripped open, by someone in my family.
Friends you can disassociate with if need be, if their breeder-buying-behavior perturbs you so, but when it's someone in your own family, it becomes stickier.
My aunt is a big-time dog lover. She loves all animals and is one of the sweetest people I know. She's gentle, kind, always eager to help anyone in need, a hard worker and active in her church.
She visited me years ago at Animal Services in Louisville when I worked there in the kennels. We took out dogs to play. She loved all of them so much. I made her promise me that, 'next time she would adopt.'
At the time she had a wonderful Golden Retriever named Duke that her and her husband had bought from a breeder. She said, "next time we will probably adopt, I know there are so many," or something along those lines.
Over the past couple of years as I worked as Adoption Counselor/Foster Care Coordinator for MDAS I would include her on email blasts about dogs in desperate need of rescue. She received emails about puppies, nursing litters, adults... you name it. I included her to keep rescue top of mind, even though she was in Kentucky and I was in Florida. She would even forward my emails to friends she has in the Fl area!
Some months ago her beloved Duke passed away after a long, good fight against cancer. My aunt arranged for weekly acupuncture treatments for Duke while he was alive, this helped prolong his life and the quality of it for a very long time; my aunt was and is a superb pet owner.
Some time passed and I began nudging her to consider adopting another dog; I knew they were going to get another dog.
When I was home during the summer I told my aunt's husband in a low tone, just between the two of us, "Don't you dare buy from a breeder. I mean it. There are too many at the shelter. It would tear me up if you all did that."
He seemed to feel a bit uneasy and moved off. For the record, my aunt's husband is a great guy and a huge dog lover too. But he had always bought his dogs from breeders.
And that's the thing here, old habits die hard.
About a week ago my dad asked me, over the phone, "Did you hear your aunt and _________ bought a new Golden puppy?"
My heart sunk. I quickly retorted, "I don't want to hear about it."
He said, "Oh that puppy needed a home too now," so, wow, even my own father doesn't 'get it.' -Scary and sad.
Analogy intermission: if your last 5 cars have been Hondas and you've had great luck with all of them... you love the way they drive, the way they handle, the way the engine sounds when you start it up (very 'honda'), the reliability of the car... and someone tries to convince you to get a Toyota, you're not going be very likely to go, "Oh OK, why not give Toyota a try sinceyou think they're just as good."
In essence me insisting on my aunt adopting a dog, likely a mixed breed, rather than her buying a Golden Retriever, a breed she had grown to trust and love dearly through her own life's experience, was a threat.
It does feel threatening and uneasy to go outside of one's comfort one. -You know what you love and are comfortable with by God.
My aunt knew what a great experience she had with Duke for all of those years. She wanted to have an equally gratifying experience with her new dog and apparently just didn't have faith enough to go out of her comfort one and adopt (perhaps a different breed or rescue an older Golden) rather than buy.
That's extremely sad to me. I know so many excellent shelter dogs waiting for loving homes.
There are great ones on any given day being put to sleep because of wonderful pet-owners like my aunt and her husband that can't make that jump from buying to adopting (I know this is only one aspect of why pets are put down), they must not have enough faith in the dog, the shelter dog, that it will be as faithful, well-mannered, good-tempered and as overall wonderful as their pure bred Golden or whatever the breed may be. If that sounds extreme, I'm sorry, but it's true. Remember, if one chooses to buy, one chooses not to save the life of a pet in desperate need. Period.
These spectators must feel there's something 'special about the breed,' they like and they're right, there's something special about every breed, about every pet, about every living being for that matter.
As a shepherd mix owner/lover I have a soft spot for any brown dog with some black on its face that I see.
It is just as easy to form a beautiful bond with a mixed breed as with a pure breed.
Our spectators need to choose to take that leap of faith and find this out for themselves. One day I hope they will.
Who knows, maybe my aunt will adopt a 2nd dog just for the heck of it... just to save a life. Would that be such an outrageous thing to do? -I don't think so.
I do know she'll neuter her new Golden puppy so that's one positive aspect of the entire situation.
-All the best.

If you buy from a breeder you're choosing not to save my life!

you're ignoring that I'm here in danger of being put to sleep when you buy from a breeder!

You're telling yourself someone else will take me and my sister but they might not!

Buy from a breeder and I'm forgotten by one more person- you.

Get your dog from a breeder while I sit in a cage getting more depressed by the day.

Posted 21 hours ago by Jessica Pita

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

Brownie, a pup

Brownie,
You were just a baby, not even 6 months old.
You had gorgeous hazel eyes with a great chocolate-colored coat and nice caramel-colored markings.
You never really barked much, even though you were in a teeny tiny, bottom cage, shadowed there, likely bored and stir crazy out of your little mind!
You were always just grateful for anyone that would pay attention to you; even better, get you out to play.
On Saturday it seemed your puppy dog prayers had been answered: a nice, vivacious man with 3 friendly kids chose you.
They got you out, played with you, loved you and placed an adoption hold.
You had surgery (neuter) and your new family was scheduled to pick you up the day after your nice meet and greet, Sunday.
2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m.... still no family... where were they?!

Then Monday rolled around.
That's when I saw you still at the shelter and I was perplexed; your family had seemed so nice, so sincere, surely they didn't bail on you... but they did.

Monday afternoon rolls around and a seemingly nice young lady inquired about you, wanting to adopt.
Unfortunately I had already seen a note on your file- a manager had 'extended your hold' one extra day to give your original adopter a chance to get you (bad move!!!!). This made it impossible for someone else to be able to adopt you that Monday, so the young lady chose a different pet.
Brownie, I called your original adopter/owner, leaving him a message saying, "You were there, freshly neutered, ready and waiting for him."

I even called from my personal cell to see if he'd answer, he didn't.
I couldn't help but wonder what lie he and his wife had told his kids to justify not getting you- they had all been so excited about bringing you home.

Tuesday I was off, you were adopted, 2 days after you should have been.

Wednesday I received the dreaded email from clinic staff-
you had been returned after only 24 hours and were among 5 puppies that had contracted parvo.
You were given until noon the following day to either leave or die.
The email said you were in good spirits for having parvo so your chances of survival would be good, for me honestly, that made the blow even harder. -I knew you likely would not make it out.
I couldn't go visit you, you were behind "A-ward" (euth room) and parvo is simply too contagious, I couldn't risk visiting with you only to potentially infect other shelter dogs. But I thought about you all day... promise. I felt very badly that you were alone, in a secluded area, witnessing the sad fate of many of your fellow canines first-hand while you waited.
Just shy of noon on Thursday you were put to sleep, 'humanely euthanized.'
Perhaps euthanasia was the only humane part of your sad story in a municipal shelter, your suffering was over. The rest of your shelter story and short life had been so heartbreaking, but unfortunately not uncommon.

Above all though, you should have lived... a long, happy, healthy life. You did not have to die like this.
Brownie, in your short little life, you were abandoned over and over again... once at the shelter by whomever dumped (I mean 'surrendered') you there, next by your 'perfect family' that didn't show up, and last but not least, by your owner that had taken you home only to bring you back in 24 hours.
It took everything within me to not call your original 'adopter,' telling him you had succumbed to parvo.
But I knew I couldn't.
I've seen this happen before, when puppies enter and then re-enter the shelter system they're often doomed to this sad fate.
All sickness is related to stress and the stress of being left, again and again, proves too much for many of our canine friends, especially the young ones.
-Jessica

This isn't Brownie but has the same coloring as Brownie, I'd have to search for his intake pic when at work

                                                     Posted 3rd October by Jessica Pita

Labels: animal shelters animal welfare dogs municipal shelters parvo pet adoption pet lovers puppies sheltering

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