HoundsGood: Chronicles of a Virtual Volunteer

Recently, this post was featured as a “Best of Craigslist” at  http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/bos/762808006.html.  The author is not listed, but I would like to thank them.  All I know is that they are somewhere in the Boston area.  If everyone would read this when considering giving up a dog or a cat, there would be a lot of less heartache at the shelters

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I have a great dog. He’s a little on the fat side, but he’s really active. He’s great with kids, unless they try to pull his nubby tail. He’s really friendly to people who have food. He loves to have his teeth brushed, but is resistant to having his feet touched. He can smell a little doggy, and the tooth brushing does not appear to improve his breath, but I’ve smelled worse. When I read some of the things on this board, I wonder about other dogs out there and how they fare in the world. I’d just like to say the following:

* I recently moved. I found an apartment that was in a great neighborhood in a building with other dogs and dog friendly folks…..this was because did a little work and looked for a place that was right for me and the dog, and stumbled over this fantastic place where I now live.

* I recently got a new job that requires that I spend more time at work. I was worried that this would negatively affect my little pup, so I make an effort to get up earlier so that we can go for a good walk before I leave, and I arranged for someone to spend time with the little guy for a while during the day while I’m at work. My career chugs along and my little guy is still happy.

* I live in a tiny, tiny apartment, but this does not negatively affect the dog in any way. Granted, he is a little guy, but the fact is that between walks before and after work, and extended play time outdoors in the evening, the size of the apartment doesn’t hurt my pup’s quality of life (or mine, for that matter). He has never chewed up anything I own, broken anything in the house, or done any damage to any structure that I have lived in. He does bark a bit when people walk by my kitchen window, but mostly that’s because he’s crazy. Or maybe because he thinks that everyone loves him and maybe that person wants to come in and pet him or give him a treat. I don’t speak any dog, so I can’t ask him.

* I don’t have a high paying job (or career, for that matter), so I don’t have a lot of disposable cash, but I do have money saved in case the dog has a minor medical emergency, and the information for Care Credit in case he has a major medical emergency.

* Admittedly, I don’t have any kids (I am both unpleasant and squishy, which makes finding a baby daddy trialsome), but I distinctly remember having pets when I was a kid, and I have six brothers and sisters that my mom had to watch over. She seemed to do OK with seven kids and a dog, and while I find her an extraordinary human being, I don’t think that she has any kind of pet-care superpowers.

My dog makes me laugh and he cuddles up against me and he provides me with an opening to meet some very nice (and some very interesting) people when we’re out walking and he hides under the blankets when it thunders and lets me feel like I’m soothing him and he brings me toys to play with when he gets bored and he rolls over in the grass and reminds me how much fun it is to be alive. He gives me all of this and more, and all I do is walk him, feed him, and play with him.

I hope that all the people who post their dogs for adoption on this list have done every possible thing that they can do in order to keep it before they give up on themselves. I just want to say to all of you who think that it’s too hard to take care of you pet: YOU CAN DO IT! Your pet believes in you, and I believe in you, too!

This is the first in a series addressing the top reasons why individuals give up a dog. Sometimes a dog is just behaving like a dog and it is us who are not fufilling our role as caretakers of our pets. There are little things we can do that make a big difference.

There are a lot of situations where a dog has bitten a repairperson, a landlord, or anyone else who could unexpected come into an apartment or home.

You might be expecting them, but your dog isn’t. Remember, to your dog this is like a “break in.” Sometimes, even if you are are present, the dog reacts very differently than if you were receiving a “guest”. Part of it may be your body language. Usually, even though you don’t feel threatened in any way, you are not 100% “at ease.” One also doesn’t go through the same ritual as when greeting someone known to you, so your dog might not get the “all safe” signal. Thirdly, the repair person, technician, or inspector might be walking into and touching areas of the house a regular guest wouldn’t…crawling on the floor, ducking behind a desk, etc.

What is often NOT talked about is not the danger that your dog can be to a person coming into your home, but also vice versa. Some dogs are less dominant and would kiss a burglar rather than defend your home, but they are still at risk. Some repair folks carry a can of dog spray, and do not let their hand stray from it.   I am not saying ALL folks do but enough. If your dog went toward them quickly, even if it was in a friendly way, they could potentially squirt them and ask questions later. We had a repair person come recently, and even though I was holding a dog in my arms, he still had his finger on it. Sprays can cause great discomfort to a dogs eyes and nose and can potentially burn or blind in some cases.

There are several ways to avoid a potential situation, from preventing a normally well behaved dog from having to spend time at the pound on bite hold, to preventing a dog from harm from a spray can or a foot.

The first is, arrange for you or someone who knows the dog(s) well to be present during repairs. Otherwise, the apartment or home is off limits.

If you have an apartment, a landlord does NOT have the right to come in at any time without proper notice. Even if they are selling the building and bringing someone through to see it, they must tell you ahead of time. The exceptions are in the case of fire, roof leak, or other major safety situations. Being as it may, when you are not home it is best to get a baby gate and keep your pet restricted to a particular area of the apartment or home when you are not home.

Whether you own a home or rent, crate training is also an excellent idea. This way, when you are home with the dog, he/she feels “safe” when put inside his/her carrier or crate when an expected stranger comes to your home. Or when you are not home for a little while, your dog is protected from a potential situation.

Call to action:

Tell friends and family.
Send a link to this article to a friend or post a link on a bulletin board.
Print up a flier about the benefits of crate training and post it in your apartment building and vet office.

I know this is someone’s cat. She is not a feral or a wild cat. Feral cats just don’t tend to wear pink flea collars.

She was at a lady’s house, scratching at the screen. The woman’s instinct was not to check her neighbors to see if their girl had gotten out somehow. Her immediate instinct was to call someone to come get her and take her to the pound because she might rip her screen. If only had she bothered to make a phone call or two. It would not have cost anything to make a few local calls.

Now, this pretty kitty sits at the shelter, hoping her people think of coming to the county pound to look for her.

It is both the mindsets of the owner and of the finders, if only shifted, would save many, cats, from being stuck in this predicament.

Of course, the obvious response is to blame the finder of the cat. Personally, it would cost her little to nothing as far as time and money to simply call her neighbors to find out if any of them were missing a kitty. It could have been a quick reunion.

The other side of this is the owner. I have covered the benefits of your cat being an indoor cat, of course. What disturbs me in this case is the assumption many people have that the “cats always come back.” Panic or even mild concern doesn’t seem to set in, if it does, until the cat is gone for a few days. There is an even an old folk song called “The Cat Came Back.”

Unfortunately, waiting a few days may be way too late, being that in some counties, they are only obligated to hold strays 2-3 days. If your cat shows up at someone else’s house, they are likely to be seen as a nuisance and it is likely animal control will be called. Some facilities hold a cat or dog as long as they have room, some don’t. What that means is that your cat could be long gone by the time you think to mobilize a search for them. Either they have a new home or they are euthanized. Or, it is possible your cat could have been at the wrong place at the wrong time and could have been attacked by a coyote, other cats, or could have been hit by a car.

I am not trying to scare you, but it is unfortunately true.

For cat owners or those considering a cat:
Spay or neuter your cat. It removes the extra motivation to wander.
Consider making your cat an indoor cat.
Put a tag and collar on your cat, so if God forbid they get out, it clues someone in to the fact that someone would want them back.
Microchip your cat. Not everyone checks, but shelters are likely to.

For those that find a cat, before you call animal control:
If they approach you, they are probably someone’s cat rather than feral.
Check for tags.
Call neighbors. Remember those behind you, not just on your block. Give people a reasonable time to respond. Some people are not home during the day.
Pay attention to lost cat ads.

The tone of this message was not to “place blame,” but to make it clear that we are ALL in this together, whether we own a pet or not.   By doing something very small, we can all prevent one more life from being ended, one more from being lost.

One of the top questions I receive from potential adopters of shelter dogs is “Is he/she housebroken?”

My answer to that is “Maybe.” More likely this is my answer:

A shelter is a very stressful or a very foreign environment for a dog. Dogs that are reliably housebroken often have accidents there because they are out of their element. Or their domain is a kennel and not a regular house. A dog that has never been house trained could “hold it” at the shelter because they are equally as stressed. When you take a dog home, for the first week or several weeks, they may not have any accidents even though they are NOT house trained. Or, they could have accidents even though they are normally reliable. They do not know your house and the smells. Most of all, they may not know where the door actually is, or who they should “tell.”

The good news is that dogs aim for approval. Treat a dog that is new as if they have never been trained. Crate train from square one and be absolutely consistent. If the dog sits by the door when they need to go out, don’t just let them out. Praise them highly so they know it is what you expect of them.

At left:  She had a home with a family once, but needs to learn the “ropes” at her new home.  She is a sweet, 40 lb mixed breed dog who is very affectionate.  She has  few wrinkles that leads the shelter to believe that she has some Shar Pei in her.

Please consider adopting her today! Dog number #13008

Heard County Animal Control Center
11818 Ga Hwy 100
Franklin, GA 30217
Phone: 706-675-3570

The commitment you make to a pet when you bring them home is for the rest of their life. I don’t mean to lump everyone who must give up a pet into a category of “evil, senseless people.” There are a few legitimate reasons why someone has to give up their canine, feline, avian, aquatic or…what is a similar word for rabbits? I can’t remember.  Of course, sometimes people die, and the family needs to look for a rescue or a new home for the person’s pet.  Or they have a huge heart and take in all the animals that are dumped in their neighborhood and at a certain point must find good homes for some so they can take care of the rest in a much more thorough, financially feasible, and fair way.

One of the most common reasons why people give up a pet is because they are moving. I find this reason 98% of the time wildly unjustified as there are more and more landlords who accept pets, and pets travel with you on that long trek across the country much easier than you think.  Often, these poor animals end up at the shelter or get passed to someone in great haste at the last minute due to the pet owner not thinking about their pets until the last minute.

There are many ways to insure, through proper foresight that you and your pets are never homeless.

One that you may have thought about is budgeting for emergencies or not purchasing a home that is way beyond your monthly means. One other way that you may not have thought about is finding a title insurance company when you purchase a home, farm, or condo. In most states, you are required to if you have a mortgage. However, if you inherit a relative’s house, buy a house cash, or if the owner holds financing for you, you may not and should consider the help of a title insurance company .

It does not protect you from losing your home if you cannot make payments, but it protects you from any “surprises.” Although title officers at the title company are knowledgeable and acting in good faith, it insures that when the property has changed hands years ago, there is nothing from the past that prevents you from the uncontested enjoyment of your home.