Well, the babies are 1 week and a day old. They are all still doing great! The black and white girl is by far the biggest, but the others are all comparable in size to one another. The runt is still the smallest, but not by much at this point. He's catching up :-) Babs is doing well--she is an eating, sleeping, baby feeding machine! I check on her food and water 3-4 times a day and give her some love. I tried to determine their sex today and so far I am fairly positive black & white is a girl, brown tabby is a boy, little black runt is a boy, and one of the grays is a boy. But we will see---things are really tiny down there! Ha.
Picture update!
Black and white girl is big! Her eyes are almost open too.
Little Runt, how I love you! His eyes haven't even started to crack open yet.
(If you aren't familiar, the eye opening is a process.)
Brown Tabby! He might be my front runner in the cuteness department.
Shy, timid dogs can be among the hardest to adopt. We often get shy dogs in at BCAS and if they don't readily interact with people voluntarily, people often overlook them because they want a dog who is playful, attentive and people-loving. Most of the time the shyness is a product of the dog's history--abandonment, being dumped because they are unwanted, etc. We try to put time into these dogs and teach them that humans can be loving and that it is okay to trust them.
A couple of weeks ago I was walking through an area of the shelter known as "Receiving." This is where we keep stray dogs during their mandatory holding period, aggressive dogs, etc. Usually, this kennel is merely a stopover for dogs who will soon be up for adoption. As I walked down the row of kennels I was greeted enthusiastically by most of the dogs there. I got to the end of the row and was about to leave when I noticed Tanner, huddled in the floor as far away from the front of the kennel (and me) as he could get. I checked the card on the front of his kennel and saw that he had just come in. This timid reaction isn't abnormal when a dog first arrives and I will usually give them a little time to settle down and realize that they aren't in any danger before I start to be concerned about their temperament.
Over the course of the next few days I realized that Tanner wasn't warming up to any of us. When I opened the door to the outdoor part of his kennel I couldn't even coax him back in. All of our dogs get thick blankets to lay on, but Tanner wouldn't lay on his. He chose to lay on the cold floor of his kennel because he was so frightened. I decided that I needed to take action if Tanner was to have a chance at getting adopted. I began trying to teach Tanner that people=good things. I worked to teach Tanner that people are good by giving him good things, like treats. I didn't press the issue and tried to make sure that Tanner never felt pressure or anxiety due to my presence. When I had a little extra time, I would give him his food personally...at first rolling bits of kibble toward him and eventually hand feeding him once he felt more comfortable with me. He soon began to wag his tail when he saw me, though it was a few more days before he would actively come to the front of his kennel to greet me.
This past Friday my coworker Kelly and I discovered that we each had an interest in helping Tanner in any way we could. We decided to try to get him out of the kennel because we wanted to get him out onto the adoption floor. At first, he was very scared so we took it slow, stopping often as we walked down the hall for treats and affection. Loud noises were scary for Tanner so we gave him plenty of time to adjust to the hustle and bustle of the shelter.
I'm pleased to say that in a very short time, Tanner is like a totally different dog. He is responsive, affectionate, attentive and happy. We actually got him to play with a toy on Friday night as well! This guy is going to be wonderful in a home and I hope that someone might read this and decide to give Tanner a second chance. He seems so grateful to those who help him, and I still can't believe that the happy, playful boy is the same scared dog huddled in the back of his kennel. We think Tanner is around a year old, definitely a shepherd mix, but he is a smaller boy. He needs to put a little weight on but other than that, this guy is perfect! Come check him out!
Also, I am pleased to announce that Bosco went to a Rescue on Friday! Adore-A-Bull Rescue is currently fostering the Bosco Boy and I couldn't be happier! Check out Adore-A-Bull here!
Update: Bosco has found his furever home thru the wonderful efforts of Adore-A-Bull rescue! Tanner is also doing well in his new home, according to his mom.
My job is filled with high points and low points. The highs can be very high (like adopting out an animal who has been waiting a long time in our shelter) and the lows can be very low (like finding out that an animal is not adoptable because a former owner didn't do basic needed preventative care to keep the animal healthy.) This post is about two of the highest and lowest points of the week.
[HIGH POINT] My week started off with a (short) road trip like no other. I was browsing my Facebook feed on Sunday night when this popped up on my screen. For those who want the short version, there was a female Pit Bull being driven from New Orleans (!) to a Cleveland Pittie rescue, and she needed a ride from Florence to Columbus. I was off on Monday for MLK Jr. day, so I decided to give them some help. I read up on "Mama" after I actually dropped her off near Columbus on Monday. A post from The Sula Foundation regarding the dogs can be found here. I encourage you to read the whole thing, but here are some excerpts:
"For the past month, The Sula Foundation has been working (at no fee) with authorities in Biloxi, Mississippi, in response to a recent case in which twenty-five dogs were seized after being found tethered on a rural property, covered in wounds..."
The article goes on to discuss the general condition of the dogs:
"Several had to be euthanized due to gangrene. Others were so traumatized that they would only crawl along the ground in our presence, never rising up onto their feet."
I can't imagine dealing with a situation like this. The sad part is, it is happening all around us, every day. We have an incredible overpopulation problem with dogs in this country, and no other purebred dog bears the brunt of that more than the "Bully" breeds (Pit Bulls, Staffordshire Terriers, American Bulldogs, etc.) I was recently browsing the Facebook page of a local Pit rescue, Adore-A-Bull Rescue. They often post pictures of their dogs who are seeking new homes. A person expressed interest on the post regarding a female dog who is currently in foster care, expressing an interest to adopt her if she could "request" that she not be spayed. She wanted to breed a female with her intact male. [LOW POINT]
Wait. Really? Surely I read her post wrong. But no, she actually did go to a rescue group who pulls an unwanted, overbred, chronically euthanized breed from shelters and ask to create more puppies. This mindset, the person who thinks that one more litter of puppies can't do that much harm is the reason we are in the predicament we are in! Purchasing an animal from a pet store or a "backyard breeder" causes just as much detriment to canines as going to a puppy mill and people don't or won't try to understand that.
ASPCA.org states that "Approximately 5 million to 7 million companion animals enter animal shelters nationwide every year, and approximately 3 million to 4 million are euthanized (60 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats). Shelter intakes are about evenly divided between those animals relinquished by owners and those picked up by animal control. These are national estimates; the percentage of euthanasia may vary from state tostate."
I work at Boone County Animal Shelter, and I know that these statistics are not accurate regarding our save rates vs. euthanasia rates. This problem goes far beyond the Bully breeds, and though I do have a soft spot in my heart for them, I hope that every dog has a fair shake in the shelter system. I am so fortunate to work in a shelter who gives every adoptable animal a chance to find their forever home.
Sorry about that rant. To lighten things up, here are some pictures of Mama (now named Sweet Pea) and I.
Mama was a total sweetheart!
Scars on her nose from a hard life, but she can look forward to much
happier times now.
This is what she during the majority of our time on the road.
The eyes really say it all. I see hope and a loving, forgiving soul.
So first off, I want to end the suspense over Archie. The woman who came to see him (who happens to be my neighbor) fell in love with the little old guy! I have been getting periodic status updates from her via text. As of last night, Archie had really shown himself to be a connoisseur of cuddling, blankets, and warm sunny spots. I am so happy for him! He is currently in a foster-to-adopt situation, which basically means that if all goes well in the household over the course of the next few days, ol' Archie should get to stay in his new home!
I got Archie dressed up for the brisk day in a little sweater.
Archie & his new Mom!
Archie and his new brother, DJ.
DJ happens to be missing the same eye that Archie is blind out of and he
has dry skin issues, just like Arch. Coincidence? :-)
This is the face of VERY lucky boy!
All in all, I am very pleased at Archie's prospects. Several of our staff members looked at his teeth on Friday (one of the major ways to tell a dog's age) and everyone agreed that it is possible he isn't even that old! His blind eye might be a result of injury, in all actuality. Regardless, I couldn't be happier for this little guy. My coworker Kelly and I got really invested in and attached to this little guy while he was staying with us.
The sunset behind the shelter on Friday, the day I found out that Archie was
finally going home. It was a good day.
