Thanks for reading the EBHS Insider! This column will be updated frequently with news and stories about the shelter, our staff, Well-Bred Bargains, and interesting and important animal related information from our community and beyond. If you have any comments or questions for the Insider, send them to ebhsinsider@ebhs.org. 

Thursday, July 3, 2009

 I am very sorry for not posting to this blog for a long time. We had a large event to put on late last month, and things have been increasingly busy as the number of surrenders to the shelter has increased, the number of incoming cats and kittens has skyrocketed, and the adoption rate has slowed a bit. We have a massive amount of animals here. Our staff is working like crazy, our volunteers have been here non-stop making sure the animals are being exercised and socialized, and there is no end in sight.

Lots of other things have happened, some good, some not so good, but that is always how it is when you work in animal welfare. Lots of people want to work in our industry. There are so many people starting up their own animal rescue organizations. They have great intentions, big hearts, and unfortunately are not always successful. I want to talk about a recent experience we had in order to hopefully educate others and prevent this from happening again.

We had a program (which ended because of this situation) called RAIN – Rehoming Animals In Need. This was a service for individuals who did not want to bring their animal into the shelter that allowed them to post their companion on our website in order to help find them a new home. It was seldom used, mostly it was used by rescue groups and friends of the shelter, but this incident involved a private person.

This couple decided they wanted to help animals. Not sure of how to start, they looked on the internet and stumbled upon one of several sites that advertise animals “in danger”, animals that were going to be put down tomorrow if someone did not pull them into a rescue or adopt them. They saw a dog that was supposed to be a Mastiff/Dane mix, felt compassion for it, and drove to Ohio to adopt the dog, and then brought it here to Wisconsin to adopt out to someone else. They filled out our paperwork and posted the dog on our website, and ultimately adopted her out. End of story? Hardly.

The person who adopted this dog after three weeks decided it was too big, and wanted to return the animal. He called this couple, who were now fostering a mom and puppies for a large rescue group, and they told him that they could not take the dog back. Since the adopter saw the dog on our website, he decided we should take the dog. I pulled the paperwork and saw that this dog was brought into the state from Ohio, and I got really angry. I was upset that this “rescue” was not going to be responsible for an animal that they adopted out by taking it back – which EVERY legitimate rescue will do. I was upset that they had the adopter contact the shelter, instead of calling me directly. I was upset that this animal was now going to take up a space in my shelter and might cause an animal from Wisconsin to die because I had no room to take it in.

I called this rescuer and confronted him concerning his irresponsibility, telling him that it is unfair to rescue a dog and then dump it on a shelter, that I am not to be used as a customer service department for his rescue, and pointing out that he is bringing in an animal from hundreds of miles away when thousands of ADOPTABLE animals in Wisconsin are euthanized every year.

Of course, we took the dog in. She will be adopted out once there is room to move her up to the adoption floor. The rescuer came in later in the day to meet with me to apologize and ask how he could make things right. I took the opportunity to read him a portion of an email that I had just received minutes earlier from a friend at a local animal control facility:

“We are FULL, FULL, FULL right now...13 pit bulls came in on Saturday night from a drug bust, last week we had a cat house with 40+ cats, five dogs and four birds, and last night we had 13 exotics and 2 pit bulls come in from one location.  Plus we have all these safekeep cases of people in hospitals, house fires, etc.  Today we were forced to euthanize a bunch of animals just to make room...”

This is right here in Wisconsin. There are dogs in danger right in our own backyard – adoptable dogs, and cats, that need help. Yet so many people feel that because they are seeing a website with photos of animals in “high kill” facilities that they have to rescue those animals, completely overlooking what is going on right here. I guarantee that there are people in those states that are just like them that will rescue the ones they can. We need people in Wisconsin to focus on animals in our own state. Why are we trying to clean up Ohio, Tennessee and Kentucky when animals HERE are dying? Think globally, act locally, right?

Another thing that bothers me is that there are some all-breed rescues that will only pull purebreds, toy mixes, especially the small, white and fluffy kind, or puppies from other states. I have perfectly wonderful adult animals here that will not get a second look because adopters can rescue a puppy shipped up from Tennessee instead. I realize that many people want a puppy, but there is a saying that some groups are “Finding dogs for homes, instead of finding homes for dogs”. Animal welfare is not supposed to be about supply and demand. I know of two rescue groups right off the top of my head that have over 50 dogs each – more dogs than I have in my own shelter! Most of these dogs are from out of state, most are puppies or desirable purebreds or mixes, and why, when we already have the same problems, and the same animals, in the more rural shelters north and west of this area.

Shelters down south are often paid a “pull fee” to fully vet these puppies and dogs, who are then adopted out for two and three times the price to people up here. I am sure we could make the same arrangements here in our state with rural shelters. I get calls frequently from shelters down south trying to make a deal with us to essentially buy these animals from them. It sounds too much like being a pet store for us to do anything like that.

I urge all kind-hearted animal lovers to get into animal rescue – but not by starting a brand new rescue, or doing freelance rescuing. Find an established group and go and help them. There are MANY to choose from. We all need volunteers, foster homes, financial support, and even a shoulder to cry on. Once you have walked in our shoes, you will see it is not as easy as you think to be in this business. We are trying our best to save them all, and with your help we just might.

Friday, June 5, 2009

Couple of updates from this week...

The dog that was attacked yesterday did make it after surgery, which is great news.

The person who owns the dog that did the attacking has still not come forward or been identified, so we are hoping that we can still find this person so they can take responsibility for what happened.

Blossom is now doing GREAT in her new foster home. She is fine in a crate, she is not marking in her house, and she will be ready to be made available for adoption soon.

We had our first Thursday with limited hours for the public and there was very little confusion or problems. Remember, we are open on Sundays now!

The shelter is super busy today which is great since we have lots of great animals that need a home.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Today we received a terribly upsetting and infuriating phone call from a woman who was in the aftermath of tragedy right here in Brookfield at our beloved Mitchell Park Dog Exercise Area.

This woman's was walking in Fox Brook Park while two of her older children had taken their dog to the dog park and it was running around having fun when a Rottweiler attacked it so viciously that as of this writing, it was not likely that the dog would make it.

Apparently the owner of the Rottweiler ran back to his car with his dog to get a cell phone and call for help and to get their information, and instead drove away, leaving these kids with a severely injured dog that badly bit one of them while they were trying to break up the fight.

Dog park incidents like this are rare, but they do happen. No one should bring an animal to a dog park to run off leash if they are not absolutely certain that their dog will behave and get along with other animals and people. Your dog should not be at the dog park if it needs a muzzle, or it cannot be let off leash with other dogs. These restraints increase any aggressive behavior a dog may already exhibit.

What makes this tragedy even more heartbreaking is that this dog just attacked another dog earlier this week, so the owner knew that the dog should not be there (unfortunately, this incident was not reported to us). Lots of people do not want to believe that their dog is the aggressor, or feel it was a one time thing, or that another dog was to blame. If you have a big, powerful dog that has already had an incident, no matter what you believe is the cause, please see a trainer or behaviorist for an assessment. No one should have to lose a pet in this manner. No animal should have to suffer because you are unable or unwilling to control your dog.

Some good guidelines for dog park dogs (from Pat Miller, CPDT, Whole Dog Journal Training Editor):

• Dog-park dogs should be friendly and outgoing, without being overbearing, obnoxious, or bullying.

• Your dog should be reasonably confident and social. Those who are fearful, aggressive, or reactive are not appropriate for dog parks.

• Basic good manners are a park prerequisite. Your dog should not body-slam, mouth, jump on kids, or mark (leg-lift) humans in the park, nor should he jump into laps of random sitting humans without invitation.

 Humans have a lot of responsibility at a dog park as well (from Pat Miller, CPDT, Whole Dog Journal Training Editor):

• Be realistic about your dog’s potential as a park playmate. The dog park is not the appropriate place to work on fixing your dog’s behavior problems.

• Watch park play for several minutes before you take your dog in to be sure there are no dogs present who are inappropriate play partners for your dog.

• Remove your dog’s leash as soon as you enter the off-leash area. Mixing on-leash and off-leash dogs can cause stress in the leashed dogs, which may lead to aggression.

•  Supervise your dog’s play. This is not the time to bury your nose in your favorite novel. Be prepared to interrupt inappropriate play whether your dog is the perpetrator or the victim.

•  If someone complains about your dog’s behavior, be prepared to consider his perspective before defending your dog or just blowing off the complaint. Apologize if your dog has been inappropriate, and be willing to leave the park if your dog is being too rough. If you really disagree with the person’s assessment of your dog’s behavior, ask someone you respect for her honest and frank opinion.

•  Be polite, even if someone else’s dog is inappropriate and the owner isn’t controlling her dog or is unwilling to take her own dog out of the park.

•  Keep the dog-human ratio manageable. A standard recommendation is no more than two or three dogs per human assuming those two to three dogs can be reasonably managed by one human!

People must remember that they are responsible for any damage or injury caused by their dog at the dog park!

I hope that the owner of this Rottweiler either gets an attack of conscience, or otherwise has their identity made known so that we can make sure that this does not happen again, and that they know the pain that they have caused another family, as well as to take responsibility for what has happened. If you have any information about the owner of this dog, or see this dog and handler at Mitchell Park Dog Exercise area again, please call EBHS at 262-782-9261 or call our after hours Humane Officer at 262-893-8189.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Foster homes are critical to any shelter program. Shelter animals often need to be fostered to recover from illness or surgery, and sometimes for behavior modification. It is hard to find a good foster home, and even harder to keep one, as many fosters adopt the animal they are fostering. Fostering is not always easy, and it is not for everyone, as today's story will illustrate.

Many people are unaware of how much work it takes to make an animal available for adoption. At the very minimum, animals that come in need vaccinations, temperament testing, and often spay or neuter surgery.

Sometimes, animals need more than the basics. Especially when it comes to behavior and training. It is very common for someone to surrender, abandon, and even abuse an animal that is not properly trained. Most of the time, people work to get a dog housebroken, and then end training. This is especially common in small dogs. People do not train dogs and then once they are too much of a nuisance, they drop them off here at our shelter.

If one person cannot live with a bad behavior problem, we do not want to send the animal out with the same problem, so they go into foster care to unlearn bad behaviors, or get some badly needed training which helps to ensure that when they get adopted they will not be returned for the same reason.

We have a little Pomeranian here named Blossom that came from a puppy mill. While she is pretty social for a puppy mill dog, she did have an issue with marking. She was adopted and the new home was aware of this issue and worked on it with her. Unfortunately, the people that adopted her were unable to keep either of their animals, a dog and a cat that they had adopted here and had to return them both, because they had to move somewhere where they could not have pets.

The adopter did say that she still had some trouble with Blossom marking in the house, so we wanted to send her to foster care to get this behavior under control. It was not going to be easy, but it can be overcome with consistent training and vigilance. Blossom also had some resource guarding that needed to be worked with, so we would need just the right situation for Blossom to come around and be adopted out again.

Our volunteer coordinator sent out a message to our available foster homes advising them of the animal that was in need and what the special circumstances were. We had a first time family volunteer, and they came up to pick her up this morning before we even had a chance to call them back.

The staff spent a long time with this family, going over the training that they would have to give the dog. We gathered all the supplies necessary, filled out a schedule for them to contact us each week to go over the progress, explained in detail what should and should not be done with the dog. We expect that fosters will ease a dog into their home, not rushing things, giving the dog some time to settle and working with the dog in an appropriate manner per the instructions given.

The foster family called us about 20 minutes after they left to tell us that she marked in the house, and that she cried in her crate. Of course, we told them about the marking, and how to work with it, and the dog just got there and needed time to relax and get used to the crate for housebreaking purposes. The foster kept saying "My family has to come first" which we really did not understand. She also said that she had dog-sat before and that this was not the same. We did not need her to dog-sit. This dog needs therapy!

The dog was returned back to the shelter in less time than it took this family to get oriented with what this foster care experience was going to entail and get the dog home. The dog was back within an hour of the foster family picking her up.

We feel really bad that this foster had such a bad experience. But sometimes, no matter how much explaining you do, and stressing how hard it is going to be, people simply do not understand what is expected of them in a foster situation.

Sure, there are dogs at the shelter that are perfect once you get them home. Then you get the dogs that mark in the house, will not let you take a toy away from them, are hard to housetrain, and various other problems. Those are the ones that will never find a forever home if we do not intervene. I have fostered literally hundreds of dogs, and sometimes there are dogs that you just think you will never get to a place where they can be adopted. Sometimes the behavior was more than I could handle, but I worked with them until a more experienced home could take over.

The bottom line is, if we give up on animals, especially the adoptable ones that just have a couple of bad habits, we cannot call ourselves an animal shelter. These are the animals that really need to be saved, and we will never give up on them.

If you think that you are able to help us, and really can commit to helping an animal by becoming a foster family, contact Carol Sumbry at our shelter at carol@ebhs.org. We really need you, and the animals really need you. I can tell you from personal experience that there are few things more rewarding than a successful foster experience.

Friday, May 22, 2009

I have done something so contrary to my personality. So unexpected that people who know me are wondering if I have lost my mind. I have adopted a Pug.

I fostered this Pug overnight until another foster family could take it in. I had picked her up from an animal control facility, got her back to the shelter, thinking she was a male, and took her home in the dark. I walked "Fred" near all of my trees hoping that he would go potty like a good boy to no avail. It was early the next day when I realized that Fred was actually a female. Hey, it was dark and late!

The night that Fred spent with us was awesome. I have to say that I am not a fan of small dogs, in fact, the bigger the better. I would have a Newfie if I could fit one in my car. But Fred fit in with my family wonderfully, played nice with my dogs, had a really loving and affectionate personality, and I was really smitten.

When I got to work the next day, Fred became Lulu, and I kept her in my office with me the next day until her foster family arrived. She sat on my lap while I was typing, she followed me around, she loved meeting everyone at the shelter. When she left, I was really sad to see her go. I have fostered hundreds of dogs in my lifetime, and what I felt when she left was different. 

There was an interested party on this dog, which means that the facility that I pulled it from already had a potential adopter for the dog, who I contacted and let them know how great a dog she was, and how lucky they were. I filled out an application on the dog and put myself in as a back up applicant, just in case they changed their mind. Two and a half weeks later, an upper respiratory infection, and a spay later, Lulu was ready to go home, the interested party was no longer interested, and she was mine!

After all the years of laughing at my co-workers with their dog clothing, carriers, bling collars, strollers and other accessories, I found myself looking at backpacks I could use to ride my bike to work with Lulu on my back. I went to Pug Fest and felt like I belonged there. I now stand on my front lawn as I potty train her talking really loud baby-talk while my children are doubled over in fits of laughter. "Does Woo Woo have to go potty?" This is so not me.

I guess the moral to my story was that I found love with an animal that I would never have considered adopting if I did not get the opportunity to meet, ever so briefly, and I am glad that I did. Hopefully someone else will read this and give a chance to a dog that they would not otherwise consider because of perceived behavior, temperament, or size.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

The other day I was driving down North Avenue when I saw a woman walking a beautiful German Shepherd. Readers will recall how much I love the breed, so I watched them walking while I was driving by, admiring this beautiful dog when all of the sudden the lady kicked the dog.

I have seen this same kick administered on the controversial show "Dog Whisperer". Seeing Caesar Milan kick a dog on TV, and seeing a lady in Brookfield kick a dog is two entirely different experiences. Whether I agree with Caesar or his training techniques is not at issue here. It is just jarring to watch someone kick a dog and to not know why. At least you know why Mr. Milan is doing it, as he explains why he does what he does. I do not know what the dog did to deserve this kick, as I had been watching it before the kick, but for someone to kick their dog on a busy street is really hard to watch or understand. I would also like to point out that his show recommends not trying his techniques on your own. Especially on North Avenue.

Which brings me to the subject of my blog today. It is National Dog Bite Prevention Week, and I have just read an article about how dominance-based training techniques increase the incidence of dog bites and aggression. I am hypothesizing that many of these bites occur during these training sessions. Is that the reason for the increase?

My own personal opinion is that dogs react the way they are treated, and violence begets violence. Sure, you can beat a dog into not doing something wrong, but in another situation with another person, the dog still may do the unwanted behavior because they are not afraid of the person who did not beat them. Dogs are still animals with instincts, including self preservation, and if they are threatened with harm, they will protect themselves. Either by retreating, becoming submissive, or retaliating. You teach them by your own behavior appropriate responses. From the article:

A 2008 American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) position statement on the use of dominance in animal training. The AVSAB recommends veterinarians not refer patients to trainers who adhere to dominance hierarchy theory and the confrontational training that typically results. The society went on to recommend the use of positive reinforcement to safely train animals.

There is a temperament test done with puppies where you can roll them onto their back and see how they react which is supposed to give you an idea of their future behavior. This test is not recommended for adult dogs, and if given to the wrong dog you will be bitten. I even have family members that think when a dog does something bad they should hold the dog down to make them submissive, or roll them over to show who is boss. The understanding of companion animal behavior, especially in dogs, has really grown and there are many resources out there to help you. You just have to ask.

We recently had a family adopt a puppy that was in foster care for a few weeks, was well-adjusted, stayed with it's littermates for the recommended amount of time and left our shelter a happy little dog. This dog was returned a month later and the surrender profile read like this was a vicious, food aggressive dog, and should be euthanized immediately. We were stunned and found out that in this home the dog was exhibiting normal puppy behavior of chasing kids, and play nipping, but the parents let this escalate and the kids would take things away from the dog without giving the dog something in trade (i.e. do not chew my shoe - take this bone) which encouraged resource guarding.

This puppy will need behavior modification, and will only be able to live in an adult home for now. It is young, and otherwise has no other temperament issues, so we should be able to rehabilitate it. But why did this happen? These people never called for help or training, and in fact, totally skipped training class.

People just do not understand how important the proper training and socialization is to all dogs. Dogs cannot train themselves. They rely on us for everything, including on learning how to live in our home (or pack, as Mr. Milan would say). When we fail them, they are the ones that pay the price.

If you do not understand dog behavior, please find a trainer that is experienced with your dog's breed, behavior issue, and has a training style that makes you feel comfortable.

Five million people will be bitten by dogs this year, with 1,000 needing emergency medical attention each day. Please train your dog. Please teach your children to be respectful of animals and involve them in the training process so they understand why they should not do certain things that encourage rough play. Please as an adult use your judgment when training your own dog, or handling someone else's dog.  

If you would like to watch a great positive based trainer on TV, check out "It's Me or the Dog" starring Victoria Stillwell on Animal Planet. She has great techniques for training, and while she does not have the warm fuzzy personality of Mr. Milan with people, she is great with animals and really helps people understand the training process from the animal's perspective.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Spring has officially arrived at EBHS! The wild residents in the area are keeping us busy by losing their parents, wandering into homes, getting stuck in sewer grates, flying into windows, and nesting in unwelcome places (like the wrens nesting in my bike helmet!).

Wild animals are so fun to watch, even for an adult like me. 

I had the occasion to sit by a window for several hours on Saturday afternoon, and I learned so much about animals that lived in my yard. Armed with my laptop, every bird I did not recognize was easily researched, every animal I saw was investigated, and I have to say, it was the best Saturday afternoon I have had in a long time.

I grew up in suburbia, but there were not a lot of trees where I lived. Lots of shrubs, but not old growth trees. I was unaware that squirrels live in nests like a bird. I saw a squirrel running around with a mouthful of leaves and wondered what the heck that was about, and then I saw him climb up a tree and climb onto a clump of leaves and I was stunned. I always thought that squirrels either lived in a nice hole in a tree, or underground in a den. I guess I watched too many cartoons as a kid - the squirrel always had a tree full of nuts to throw at invading animated threats. Google directed me to www.squirrels.org where I learned a lot about our friend, the squirrel. Did you know that squirrels have been around for over fifty-million years? That website is geared toward kids, but on a lazy Saturday, it was as involved as I wanted to be.

I also saw so many birds that I had never seen before. I guess I am too busy with people things to notice pretty birds like a Scarlet Tanager in my yard. I have some pretty fearsome owls flying around as well. I was unable to identify the owl because I had a bad view as it flew over, but it was pretty big, and I was glad not to be a rodent when I saw that one. It was neat to see that dark shadow glide over the yard, though. You can learn a lot about the local resident birds at http://www.wisconsinbirds.com .

I saw a female turkey, and remembered last year when she had a whole bunch of little turkeys with her in the fall. Well, I am not sure it was her, but was curious to learn more about this bird. Sadly, for wild turkeys, most websites only have "after the hunt recipies". I am all about a good Butterball at Thanksgiving, but hoped wild turkeys would have better PR. I did find a great website to learn more about them, even to hear their call http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Wild_Turkey/id and was fascinated to learn that wild turkey are omnivores! Who knew?

Taking time to appreciate animals that we see every day and never think about is an activity that I highly recommend. Even grownups who think they know everything about animals will be surprised to learn a few new things!

Monday, May 4, 2009

Canine gender bias has always fascinated me. We had 7 lab puppies come into the shelter recently. I cannot tell you how many potential applicants said "I want a female". They did not meet the dogs, see them, or have any interaction with them at all. But said "I NEED a female". All of the puppies look exactly the same. All act essentially the same. But they were ALL wanting the females. Why is this?

Should we not pick a dog out by their personality and temperament?

All of the people have reasons for their gender bias:

"I had females growing up"

"Females are more loving"

"Females are easier to train"

Oddly, for the few interested in males, they have exactly the same reasoning behind their preference.

Most people say that they heard that males or females are a certain way. From who? There are no scientific studies as to what kind of dog is more loving or easier to train. Could it be that we have our own inherent biases that are really what makes us preferential toward one sex or the other? 

There are certainly differences in the canine sexes when it comes to size. But most dogs are mostly different in personality and I am not sure that has any bearing on their gender.

Human babies are treated differently based on gender. Little girls tend to be doted on, dressed up, and be given more physical affection. Little boys tend to be played with in a more physical way, promoted to play sports, and they seem to be expected to be more self reliant. Are we just projecting our expectations of human gender roles onto dog personality?

I have 3 boy dogs at home, one is smart, one is loving, one is sassy. They are all affectionate, good with kids, and good natured. None of them are leg lifters - which is a common concern among potential adopters - not all male dogs lift their legs. In fact, I have seen female dogs lift their legs and mark all over my kitchen (a Corgi foster I had).

I hope people will try and put gender bias aside and try to understand more about the personality of a dog instead of just making a decision based on what the gender of a dog is. 

Friday, May 1, 2009

WOW! This week has flown by! I kept wanting to post but the shelter has been such a flurry of activity that I have been again unable to find time to post.

One question we have been getting is from people wondering if their companion animals can contract swine flu. There is no evidence, thus far, that furry friends can contract this disease, so at the moment risk is very low. Should you have a porcine pal - there is an influenza A vaccine that can be effective in protecting them from illness, though respiratory illness caused fatalities in pigs is apparently uncommon.

It was also interesting to see an article today where Michelle Obama said that she is the one that gets up at 5:15am with the new first dog, not the children who we all know promised to take care of their new dog. This is heartening in the fact that even the President's daughters are like the rest of our children who will say anything to add a puppy or kitten to their family, but rarely step up to the plate once they get their wish. I guess I was also pleased to read that Mrs. Obama said that she does not mind because she really wanted the dog, and loves him. so we know that Bo will never be re-homed.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and I look forward to posting more next week.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

I was given a paper that claims dogs are more like humans that chimpanzees. I am not talking genetically. The study says that dogs have been around humans for so long that they are starting to be just like us (the old married couple theory?) and can help us understand human behavior.

The fact that dogs can cooperate with humans, are attached to humans, seem to understand verbal and non-verbal communications and have the ability to imitate us demonstrates the shared social behaviors between us.

Studies further support the notion that dogs exhibit the three primary social behaviors that chimps do - sociality (organize into groups where the members are loyal to each other), synchronization (sharing social rules that help strengthen group unity) and constructive activity (individuals within a group cooperate to achieve goals).

No one knows how dogs became domesticated. The two leading theories are that man took pups from the wild to tame, and that dogs scavenged off of our scraps and eventually became tame towards humans. Either way, once man and dog became best friends we started breeding them to suit our needs, and as a result have created one of the most diverse species on earth! They have been spending time with us for thousands of years and this familiarity has manifested itself in human-like behavior.

The study says that dogs can yawn when a human does, the way that your friend will yawn when you do. Scientists even suggest that dogs have a sense of fairness, where when a dog does a trick and does not get a treat and then when it sees another dog do the same trick and get a treat it will refuse to do the trick again, or turn away from you.

I guess this is something that many of us feel already. My dogs seem to know a lot more about me, what I am feeling, and what I need from them than a non-animal lover would ever give them credit for. I know I am not alone in this perception, as I hear people share these stories with us every single day.

No one that has ever loved a dog needed to read this paper to confirm what we already know. 

I guess that is why animal abuse and neglect hurts us so much, because there is no such thing as just a dog or just a cat. They are not just animals. 

Monday, April 20, 2009

Well, I am back from Florida, and have traded in my flip flops and shorts for my sweaters and toasty shoes again. It has to get warm here, eventually, right?

So here are a few observations from my trip, relative only to animals of course.

If people in Wisconsin think that we have a bad coyote problem, you best not move to north Georgia. If the road kill is indicative of a wild animal population, there must be hundreds of thousands of coyotes there. There were dead coyotes everywhere along I-75. It got my kids upset, because they kept thinking that the coyotes were people's dogs, and it is always upsetting to see any dead animal, so I was happy when the kids finally slipped back into their road-trip comas and did not see as much carnage as I did.

I have never been a hunter or an angler, but since the weather was so nice outside, I wanted to be outside as much as possible. My stepdad is an avid outdoorsman, so we did what all the people seem to do in Florida. Crab in the morning and fish in the afternoon.

Crabbing is done the way that Fred Flintstone would have done it. We took a chicken leg, tied a long twine around it, threw it out in the water, and slowly pulled it in trying to lure crabs to the shore. I am sure that the Flintstones were much better at it than myself and my two daughters. We only managed to lure the tiniest crabs to shore, and my youngest named them all, and they were released to feast on chicken legs again. It is slightly humorous to me that we spent more on chicken and would have had more to eat if we just cooked that instead of using them to catch crabs. The yields were so small by the other crabbers it hardly seemed worth it. But, there do seem to be a lot of people supplementing their diets by living off of the fish and crabs in the area.

We fished a lot, too. I have never seen fish like these, since I grew up in the Northeast, and rarely if ever fished. I learned how to bait, cast, and un-stick my line from the bottom of the river. I did catch a fish that I threw back, it was called a Sheepshead, and it was black and white striped. I fed a lot of fish shrimp, as I have not exactly perfected the yanking back of my line when I get a strike. My 9 year old caught 4 fish in a row, but they were all catfish, and we threw them back, too.

We went to visit the local animal shelter, where my mom volunteers. The Halifax Humane Society is a cheery, large building. It is not new, but it is nicely appointed. It is staffed by super friendly people, and it did not have tons of animals in it. I was surprised by that, but it was on a Monday, and they do a lot of adoptions on the weekends.

The large dogs get partial outdoor accommodations, and since it is so hot out, they are all really quiet and sleepy. Not surprisingly, there were tons of pits, and pit mixes, hounds and Beagles. There were a few puppies, and small dogs. There was a heartworm positive 8 year old female poodle, that I wanted to adopt to bring home to treat, but I heard that since heartworm is so prevalent down there, it is less expensive to treat and would not hinder her adoption chances.

HHS requires home visits for all pit-bull adoptions, which I found interesting. They also had quite a few birds available, but only two hamsters.

They also have an outdoor drop-off area, where if for some reason you need to surrender your animal in the middle of the night, you can bring it there, lock it up, and fill out a form giving information about the animal. I wonder how that works out. I imagined putting one outside our door and trying to think about what we would find out there every morning. Sick animals? Aggressive animals? I do not think we would go that route. Especially with the weather around here, in the winter, the poor animals could freeze to death.

We drove through a National Forest in Ocala. I got a laugh because there were all these campgrounds and then a sign for bear crossings. I drive up to Iron Mountain all the time, and I have never seen a bear crossing sign, and I have seen bears a few times. If there are enough bears someplace that would necessitate a bear crossing sign, it would be the last place I would pitch a tent! 

They also had squirrel crossing signs there, which really made me laugh. Those signs were in a retirement community, so maybe if you were driving in your golf cart, a squirrel could cause you to tip over if you ran it over. But, I thought squirrels could easily dodge a golf cart. Maybe the heat makes them move slower, too. One of the residents told my daughter there were monkey squirrels that were squirrels with a monkey head. She loves monkeys so she tried desperately to find one. I have heard of monkey squirrels, but not squirrel monkeys, so maybe they were just playing a joke on us. I tried to look them up to no avail...

The highlight of the trip was riding down the inter-coastal in a boat. We saw dolphin swimming and jumping, all kinds of cool birds, and pelicans, but we did not see any manatee. Of course, that is for the best, because I would hate to bother them, but I really wanted to see one.

All in all, it was a fun trip, and we loved seeing animals that are not native to Wisconsin. We loved getting to see the local shelter, and we did enjoy the weather immensely. Now, it is back to work, and back to the blog.

Wednesday, April 8th, 2009

I am getting ready to drive to Florida for a family trip to visit my mother so I have been very busy and neglecting my blog. Rest assured, I will be checking out the local shelter in Florida, where my mom is a volunteer, and I will provide you with a full report on what is going on down there. 

I have gotten a few emails from people in regard to my previous post asking what they can do to help pitbulls, and pitbull mixes. In answer to that I have to say LEAD BY EXAMPLE! If you have room in your home, and your life for another dog, adopt a pit or pit mix. Sure, they might not have the look you wanted, or be the size you wanted, but you will be showing people that these dogs are worth adopting - and they are! I have a senior dog at my house, and when he is no longer with me, I will be adopting a pit or mix in need at my shelter. My sister in NY just adopted a pit mix from a shelter there, a Lab-pit mix named Dagny - and my sister is just in love with her.

If you adopt or otherwise get a pit or pit mix into your home - please spay or neuter if it is not already done. Then make sure that you train, properly socialize and give lots of exercise to this dog. Understand the needs, they are giant terriers and need a lot of exercise, and they need to be physically and mentally stimulated to be happy. Your dog will be an ambassador to everyone else, and it is your responsibility to meet this dog's needs.

If you have adopted a pitbull or pit mix, go to our home page, click on the Facebook link, and write about why you adopted your dog, and why this has been a positive experience for you (no bad comments, or promoting trainers or other groups please - those comments will be deleted). The stories are to be about you and your dog and why you decided to give a pitbull a chance. Hopefully others will read and consider helping one of these animals from a terrible fate.

Also wanted to let people know that in Wisconsin, the animals that spend the most time in shelters are adult pitbulls (which you already know), any kind of hound or hound mix, and Beagles. We have already covered the pits, and the reasons why they are here. But the hounds, and Beagles are also needing homes and we need people to open up their hearts and minds and consider those breeds as well.

Hounds and Beagles are often stray, because people tend to not keep them on leash, or in the case of hounds, just let them run with a pack, especially up North. Both types of dogs have special personalities, and needs, but can also be excellent companions for families. They can bark, they love to chase animals, but they also love to be loved by people. So, if maybe a pitbull is just a breed you cannot consider, please help the shelters of Wisconsin find homes for the Beagles and hound dogs. 

Have a wonderful weekend, and spring break - especially all the kids off from school next week! I will post again on the 21st! See you then!

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

I have been thinking a lot about a problem that will have a huge impact on our area shelters in the future (though MADACC is already experiencing this and has been for a couple years). The problem has to do with pitbulls.

Now, contrary to what you might think, the problem is not with the dogs. My worry stems from the fact that shelters are starting to see more and more pitbulls and pitbull mixes, and most people will not adopt these dogs. I can have a pitbull that is perfectly obedience trained, great with kids, great with other dogs, housebroken, and can even do light housework, and people will not adopt it. I hear the reasons like "My neighbors will be afraid to come over" and "My children's lives are at stake".

Unfortunately, society has created very real reasons for people not to adopt pitbulls. Many homeowners insurance policies will not cover you if you own a dog that is a pitbull or pitbull mix. Many landlords will not rent to people that own a pitbull or pitbull mix.

Years ago, most dogs in a shelter were Shepherd mixes, and more recently Lab mixes were the norm, but today most large dogs we see are now pit mixes, and pitbulls. Currently available shelter statistics say that shelters can have 30% of their population compromised of pits and mixes, and in some inner city shelters that number can go up to 85%! 

Pitbulls also face the highest euthanasia rates in shelters across the country. One one end of the spectrum, there are some shelters that will pick and choose the dogs they take in and will simply not take in pits and pit mixes, thus avoiding high euthanasia rates. Then on the other end, there are some shelters that will simply have a rule that all unclaimed pits and pit mixes will be euthanized and never made available for adoption, no matter how nice they are. The U.S. has become the killing fields for pitbulls, and the problem is only getting worse.

EBHS does not euthanize for time or space. We have adopted out several pitbulls lately. We have one on the floor. Because of the social stigma of owning a pitbull, they often spend the most time on the floor here. What happens when one day we come in and see that every animal on our floor is a pit or pit mix and no one is coming in to adopt? That is a very real problem, and one other shelters are already facing.

How can we fix this? I do not believe in Breed Specific Legislation. But perhaps, we need breed specific spay and neuter rules. I know that pitbulls are being bred to make money. I see so many ads for them, especially on Craigslist. Young people love them. They make the guys look tough, the young girls love them, too. But young owners with apartments also have a tremendously high rate of surrendering animals to a shelter. They often move a lot, or have to move back home with parents, who do not want a pitbull in their house.

I am not sure what the solution is. What I do know is that there are way more pitbulls in the world than there are homes for. I know that pitbulls in most shelters have little if any chance of getting out alive. I know that we have to stop breeding these dogs in order to save them.

We also have to start changing attitudes toward these dogs. Many people I know engage in far riskier behavior than owning a pitbull. I know people that get behind the wheel of a car, who could not pass a breathalyzer test after a Brewers game, and drive the family home, but tell me they do not want to risk the lives of their children with a pitbull in the house. If we cannot educate people to understand these dogs and open their minds in regard to adoption, I do not know what is going to happen. I do not think that I could work in a shelter that had to euthanize a dog simply because it was here too long. Especially if people would not consider it because of its breed.

But it may be the way of the future if we do not do something NOW!

Friday, March 27, 2009

There will be another expose' tonight on Nightline (check your ABC affiliate - it should be on 10:35pm tonight in Central Time) on puppy mills. I will urge you all to watch it. We will see, again, how terrible puppy mills are. We will be up in arms. Then on Saturday, most people will be watching March Madness and checking their brackets, getting kids off to soccer games, and life will go on as normal.

When the videos came out of that slaughter house showing the cattle falling to the ground, being abused, and suffering on their way to becoming our dinner people got upset because we were going to ingest them and it might make us sick. Fines were given, rules were tightened, and the people all felt better despite all of us knowing deep down that these things are still happening. But we can try and reconcile our fears by feeling the problem was addressed, it is a lot easier than facing the truth and having to personally roll up our sleeves and do something about it.

I have seen hundreds - and I mean hundreds - of videos of puppy mills showing conditions that sometimes literally made me wretch just thinking about what they must smell like. Seeing animals who need one on one attention from people to survive being kept like prisoners in a labor camp causes an animal lover like me hurt that defies description. Yet, I meet people every day who purchased a puppy in a pet store, or from a breeder online in a puppy mill state who feel that puppy mills have nothing to do with them.

I think that society has become so desensitized to violence, horror, and injustice that until it shows up on our doorstep we can look at the TV, see something horrible, and then change the channel to find something more entertaining. We tend to take the path of least resistance.

That is why puppy mills work. You wake up one day and decide you would like a French Bulldog. Well, how do you find one? Search the internet. You find a breeder locally who wants to meet you in person, come see your home, meet your family and wants to interview you to make sure you understand the breed, know that it has special needs, and then tells you that you will have to be on a waiting list, and the puppy will cost about $2,000 and it might take you a year or two before you get one. 

So then you decide to go online, and you can find all kinds of websites selling French Bulldogs and the prices are all over the place, there are all kinds of letters like AKC, CKC, APR and you have no idea what anything means. They want you to pay up front, pay extra for shipping, and you think, well, let me think about it before I use PayPal and buy this dog. Let me go try and find one another way.

You say, there has to be a cheaper way to find a French Bulldog. Let me call my local shelters because I am sure there are a few there. You call and say, you would like a female French Bulldog, puppy to about two years old, housebroken, trained, and can you come buy it today. They tell you that they rarely if ever see that breed, even a mix of that breed, that maybe you should call breed rescue and they give you the web address for that.

Now you go to the breed rescue site and see lots of French Bulldogs. You start reading the bios for the dogs. Many have medical conditions, from being bred at puppy mills. Cleft palates, breathing difficulties, some are in doggy wheelchairs, some need medications for chronic illnesses. Then you see some that look great and their bio says NO CATS! NO DOGS! NO CHILDREN! These are dogs that were usually purchased on a whim, not socialized properly, and now need very special homes to live in where they will not bite, run away, or cause problems with other behaviors that caused them to have to go into rescue as their owner could not try to sell them to make their investment back. On top of all of this, the breed rescue wants you to fill out an application, have a home visit, and pay for a dog with problems! The nerve! Never mind the time and expense they put into these dogs. Never mind they never want this dog to be homeless again. You decide these people are fanatics and forget the whole rescue idea.

You start thinking that you should just buy a puppy, because this way you can train it yourself and have it trained to behave the way you want them to. By chance, you and a friend visit a pet store that sells puppies and find a French Bulldog! The pet store tells you the puppy came from a local breeder. In your mind you picture a nice retired couple in Kenosha that hugged and handled the puppy from birth. People that put time and effort into a breeding program to produce healthy, well adjusted dogs. Because those are the kind of people that will just sell the puppy to a pet store and not care where this puppy goes to live. Those people care so much about pet stores that they think "Sure, this litter of puppies cost us thousands to produce, finding good foundation dogs, testing them, paying for a c-section, let's sell them to a pet store for $200 so the pet store can charge $2,000 - they deserve the money more than we do".

You look at the puppy in the cage, decide you have to save it from this pet store, so you whip out the charge card and go home with your puppy. The staff do not ask if you know if this breed is right for you, if your landlord will allow you to have a dog, if you have the time to train and raise this puppy, if the dog gets sick will you have enough money to treat it. They will only ask if you need food and accessories so they can get more money out of you. Once you get it home, you think, well, it does not look exactly like the pictures of French Bulldogs or the dogs the breeder had, but what the heck, it is a "purebred" Frenchie. It is like buying a fake Fendi purse. People will think it is the real deal, because they look the same, and all that matters is what is on the outside anyway. 

You could be one of the lucky people who buy a pet store puppy and have an uneventful life with your dog, it will train easily, have no major health problems, and live a long life. But more often than not, your puppy will be at risk of developing health problems from poor breeding, will be unsocialized and develop problems with people, other dogs, or both. Worst of all, this dogs parents will be already producing another litter, living in a doggy labor camp, and dying young. But at least you are happy, the hit of the dog park, love taking walks where people run from cars and buildings to stop and see your puppy, and when they ask where you got it you will tell them a pet store and the cycle will start again.

No matter how many times there is news or coverage about puppy mills people will still buy puppies from a pet store. Even people that just saw a video on a puppy mill or saw the Oprah story still prefer the ease of getting what they want when they want it. At a breeder, rescue or shelter, there is usually no instant gratification. Animals suffer because we want it now. People get rich off of us wanting it now. It is like the Wii, or the Cabbage Patch doll when I was a kid, or the latest fad technology. We want it now, we will pay a premium and we do not care if kids in China built it at a sweatshop, or other human suffering was involved. We will pay double the cost if necessary for it to be under the tree at Christmas.

So, while I will urge you all to watch the coverage, contact local officials, and to stop patronizing any store that sells dogs or cats. I know I am fighting a losing battle. People will always do something bad, unless it is completely banned. People will buy diet drugs that can kill them to get skinny fast, so I cannot expect people to stop buying animals in stores that fuels an entire industry of mass breeding of these animals unless someday the retail sale of dogs and cats is banned in our country.

The chance of that happening, as my dad would say, is not bloody likely. Not likely unless YOU do something about it.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Rain, rain go away! I am happy that spring is coming, and that it continues to get incrementally warmer each day, but for those of us with furry dogs this kind of weather means only one thing.

MUD.

People learn to live different lives in order to live with certain animals. There is a very noticeable difference in the lives of people that own a pet, and people who have an animal companion. I have met people with birds have really warm homes, and the utility bills to prove it, in order to keep their feathered friend comfortable. Some people have special furniture like a chair or a couch that no one can sit on because that belongs to the cat, or dog. 

I used to be a neat freak until furry dogs became mud mops each spring and winter.

I used to try and catch them when they came in to dry their feet, but this wrestling match became un-winnable when the second mop on 4 feet came to live with us. My dogs learned to jump over me if I am kneeling inside the door with a towel, causing way more destruction to my house, and my head. I was quickly trained out of this technique.

I tried boots, which was hilarious to watch as every step was an effort to shake them off. Eventually when they would not come near me when I called them over to put the boots on, I knew they were on to me and I gave up on that fairly quickly. Easier to run upstairs and poop in the hallway than put on boots, they decided. 

I lost the battle with them. I had bottles of every liquid known to modern man to clean carpeting, upholstery, and other fabrics under my sink. Eventually, I had to move my cleaning arsenal to a full closet. None of these cleaners could keep up with the mud trails of my dogs. I had mud everywhere - bedspreads, living room furniture, clothes, walls, cabinets. I decided that in order to keep my sanity, and my happy relationship with my dogs, I had to admit defeat.

My light colored living room furniture is now covered by blankets as wet and muddy dogs tend to go right from my muddy front garden to the couch to dry off and wipe their feet. My living room now looks like I am going away for an extended period of time with covers on everything. It used to be my showplace. Now, it is a battlefield where mud wins every time. But, now, I do not care if they muddy up my blankets. Quick washing machine and dryer and we are ready for the next battle.

My previously immaculate kitchen floors go un-mopped until bedtime, only to be muddied up after the dogs have had their breakfast. Long gone are the days I followed the dogs around with a Wet-Jet until they had dry feet. Now, as I plan for someday when I can get my kitchen redone to go with a "dirt" color scheme. It will make me much happier to know that it is there and not have to see it.

When our addition is built, we are going to have a special "mud-room" in order to have a place to contain really bad problems before they have a chance to get too far into the house. Martha Stewart has a whole shower set up in hers for her dogs. I doubt my husband or budget will allow for that. But again, to live happily for whatever will come my way in life, I want to be prepared.

Some people get rid of animals because they are messy, make mistakes, poop in the living room despite being outside for 5 hours, chew on things, claim things as their own like comfy chairs, or beds, shed on things, require attention at the end of a long day, or have special needs. Those are people that have bought a pet.

For those of us that consider these high maintenance creatures family, you understand. Mud is just mud. Family is forever.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Received a forwarded email with a question about tail docking. It read something like this:

"Do Cock-a-poos need their tails docked? I am not sure of the breed standard, and my puppy is now 3 months old. I know dogs can get health problems from tails if they are not supposed to have one. Any advice appreciated"

First, I had to make sure that someone was not sending me that as a joke.

Ear cropping and tail docking are very controversial procedures, which are banned in many European countries. If you watch a dog show, like Crufts, you will see Dobermans, Boxers, Great Danes, Schnauzers and other dogs that we see here in the USA docked and/or cropped with long ears and tails wagging.

Ear cropping is done anywhere from 6 weeks to 12 weeks of age. It can require an overnight stay at a veterinary hospital, it is painful, it has follow-up care that you would have to do at home (not for the squeamish). Some people like the look it gives their dog. Other people do not really mind. I know some show breeders that will only crop ears on show prospects and leave the other dogs natural. I have seen the procedure done a few times, a clamp is placed on the ear, that has the contour of the shape desired. The ear is then cut along the line of the contour, stitched and bandaged up. The dog then wears tape for at least a month - and can be much longer depending on the dog. It is not an instant gratification process, and I have seen many dogs go through a crop only to have their ears facing all different directions because their human gave up on the taping - thus making the surgery and pain all for nothing.

Tail docking is done on puppies usually at 2 - 5 days old. Rarely at that age is anesthesia used, and only recommended for puppies over 8 days. Usually, this procedure is done by the breeder, or a vet, and at the same time dew claws are usually removed. Procedures to remove a tail after about 14 days are considered to be amputation surgeries, and most vets will not perform them for simply cosmetic reasons. Do puppies feel pain at just a few days old? Well, they do have a fully formed nervous system at birth, so I imagine they do. Will it have lasting effects? That, I cannot say.

Getting back to the question at hand, my reply went something like this:

"Thanks for forwarding that question to me. Please inform your friend that since a Cock-a-poo is not an AKC breed, it does not have a breed standard, and therefore, will not need to have the tail docked to comply to a breed standard. While your friend may argue that a Cock-a-poo is a breed, the name alone suggests the dog is a Cocker/Poodle cross. I have seen many, some with naturally bobbed tails, some with long wagging tails. The Cock-a-poo with a tail will not have any health issues due to having a tail. 

A three-month-old dog would require a tail amputation. As this area is now well developed and vascular, this will be a costly procedure, and will not be of any benefit to the dog. A better idea would be to make sure that your friend spays or neuters their dog as that will have lifelong benefits and will prevent illnesses that will shorten the life of the dog."

I hope that this dog has a tail to wag for the rest of its life.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

I always get questions from people along the lines of "How can you work there? I could never do it, I would want to take all of the animals home." There are a lot of people either that work in or volunteer at shelters that definitely try to take every animal home. I do not have that in me. First of all, my husband would leave me, Secondly, I know that I am not the perfect home for every animal that comes in here, no matter how much I may want to be.

I do foster a lot of animals though. This is almost as good as getting to take them all home. I get to spend a little more time with them and get to know them. Then I get to bring them back where they can find a great home. There was only one dog that I ever wanted to take home before this past week, but today I had to give back a great foster that I would have kept in a heart beat if I could have one more dog.

Leeroy was adopted here as a puppy, and recently returned because his family was having difficulty housebreaking him. He is a AmStaff, more commonly known as a pitbull. He was my first experience in living with the breed, and I have to say, I loved every minute of having him with me.

Now, I have housebroken hundreds of dogs. It is not always easy, and it can sometimes feel like it will never happen. Leeroy was crated, and put on a strict feeding and potty schedule. I gave him more and more time outside of his crate until he was free running with my dogs and pottying on their schedule. I really did not do anything extraordinary with him. It could have just been the change of scenery and environment. 

Why did his previous family have trouble with him? Who knows? I am certainly not blaming them. There have been dogs in my life that I have not had great experiences with, but went to forever homes where everything was perfect. For whatever reason, this was just not the right dog for them. I felt so bad when they surrendered him back to us. They were very upset, so I know they did not bring him back until they tried everything that they could.

This past weekend, I spend a ton of time with Leeroy. I brought him everywhere, to PetSmart, to a neighbors house, and just riding around in the car. He sat in the passenger seat, just like a person, looking straight ahead. I typically sing in the car, the only time I ever sing, and he sang along with me. Have to love any dog or human that can appreciate my singing.

I have to let him stay at the shelter now. He needs to find his new family. He was getting so comfortable at my house, so attached to me, and my family and my other dogs. I hope that someone out there is looking for the most loving, good-natured dog, because he is here at my shelter waiting for you. He loves to ride shot-gun and sing. He loves his chin scratched. He loves to be around people.

Being a foster is such a wonderful experience, even now when it really hurts to let go. 

Thursday, March 5, 2009

I have been busy preparing for Wine & Whiskers, so I have not blogged as much as I would like to. I am pretty excited about this event, and I am really looking forward to meeting so many of you in person at the event this year! Do not hesitate to come up and say hello, I really love to meet EBHS supporters.

One thing that has cast a pall for me at this otherwise exciting time was a recent incident involving a dog that we adopted out, named Violet. The person who adopted this dog called us and told us that they needed to return Violet (a toy poodle from a puppy mill) because she was aggressive toward the pitbull that this person had. Now, I know this dog from when this person came in because the dog had skin allergies, and it was not a people friendly dog, but did seem to want to play with Violet. Violet was a happy little dog while she was here, we all liked her, and while we were a little concerned about this match, on paper everything looked good, the dogs got along with each other at the shelter, and we sent Violet home.

Violet was found loose two days later - a friend had been watching her, and did not realize that puppy mill dogs are flight risks and Violet got away. We found the owner, who did not pick Violet up for a few hours, but they were reunited. We hoped that there would be no more problems for Violet. 

But like I said, we got the call. Violet had to come back. She was aggressive toward the pit, and it was possible that she just did not like the play that the larger dog wanted to engage in. We were not sure, but we did want Violet to come back so we could evaluate her and find a better home. Unfortunately, call after call to the owner went unanswered and messages were unreturned. Then yesterday, a gentleman called and wanted to know if Violet was stolen, as he had been given the dog by the owner and was not sure what the deal was. He did not know she came from us, but he found her EBHS tag and called us with the number.

We explained that Violet was supposed to be returned to us, and asked him to come in so that we could change all of the paperwork over to him, and re-register Violet's microchip to him. We would not charge him a fee, as he was not the person in the wrong here, we just wanted to make sure that Violet was OK and talk to him about her needs as a puppy mill survivor. Here is the horrible part.

When Violet came in we were shocked that the once happy little dog now appeared to be beaten down and have no spirit. She came in with her head down, and had none of the tail wagging that we remembered. Then to our horror we discovered that her previous owner had taken her to a vet and had her canine teeth removed so that she would not hurt her other dog if she bit him. I could not even imagine that a vet would do such a thing, or even where the idea came from to do something like that. Removing a dog's teeth is not going to stop what is perceived to be aggressive behavior. 

Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do to the former owner, except put them on a list where they will never be able to adopt from another shelter or rescue in Wisconsin ever again. The thing that really bothers me is that we saved this poor little thing from one bad situation and put her into another. Despite all of our hard work, we can never really know what a new home is going to be like for an animal. We get lots of happy ending stories, but no one ever calls to tell us they are going to give a dog away, or sell it, or have unnecessary and cruel surgery performed on it.

The good news is that Violet's new family seems really committed to making sure that she now has a happy and loved existence. We are fortunate that this person was concerned enough to make sure he did right by her, and for that I am so thankful. However, I will feel guilty for what happened to Violet for the rest of my days.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

First of all, have you gotten your tickets to Wine & Whiskers yet? This is our annual wine tasting event and this year it is bigger and better than ever! Have I already told you this? We are having an incredible selection of wines to taste and evaluate, which is of course, the big draw for wine drinkers. But this year, we are having an amazing buffet which is my favorite part of any event - FOOD! The Western Racquet Club is pulling out all the stops to make sure that everyone has the best night ever. I hope you can come, and support the animals, because they really need you!

OK - so I never watch John and Kate plus 8 - but my 9 year old does. She was all excited because John and Kate and the kids were getting a puppy and she asked if she could watch it with me on the big TV in the living room. So, we start watching, and I will apologize in advance if there are John and Kate fans out there. I do give them credit for raising a whole lot of kids, that seem to be doing very well. But I am going to be a little critical of their decision to bring 2 puppies home at the same time, especially littermates.

Most experts say that bringing one puppy home at a time is the best way to ensure that your dog will be well adjusted, socialized, and most of all, properly trained. Now, I am not sure what the logic was to bring home two dogs. Was it because there were so many kids that they would have to share? I would think that someone who already went through twins and then sextuplets would think twice about multiple babies - especially the furry kind. John and Kate did not seem to be experts at all about puppies, and then to bring home two?

Secondly, I was surprised that the breeder would let them take littermates home like that. Now, I am sure that there are plenty of people that have successfully raised littermates, because no matter what you say when it comes to animals, someone has done the complete opposite of what experts say and it was a total success. However, littermates are often more focused on each other, and less likely to focus on the family. You are supposed to train them separately, you are supposed to do everything with them separately. Littermates are also prone to adulthood aggressiveness with each other. Sometimes one become so dependent on the other that they fail to develop socially, and have lifelong issues.

The experts say that if you want a multiple dog household, wait at least 6 months between bringing home the next dog. This allows the first dog to bond and get through critical training, and then the next dog can receive the attention it needs when the first dog is not as dependant and better trained. Now this applies only to dogs, we adopt out kitten littermates all the time. 

I feel like maybe the breeder just got all wrapped up in the cameras, and celebrity, or maybe he really does not think it will be a problem. Maybe he has not heard this before. EBHS will not adopt out 2 puppies from the same litter to the same family. Many people get annoyed, but it is a common practice for shelters, at least. 

Well, the whole rest of the show was a disaster, with puppies and kids running everywhere. There were no crates (though they did put up a play pen for the puppies). I am not sure if this breeder gave them advice on housebreaking, training, etc. I guess they cannot put everything on TV. John seemed pretty excited about the puppies, but Kate complained that the puppies were chasing the kids, nipping at their heels and putting holes in their shirts. These are German Shepherd puppies - a herding breed, and prone to doing just that.

Well, I guess I will be checking in on John and Kate to make sure that they do the right thing with these puppies. Many long time readers will know that I am a big fan of German Shepherds, but because I work so much, I cannot have one. I am going to wait until I have the time to put into properly training a GSD before I adopt one from rescue. I only have two kids, and I don't have that kind of time right now. 

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Recently, I had a complaint from a stranger I started speaking to that shelters (all of them, this was not directed solely at EBHS) were out to make money off of the adoption and surrender fees for animals. If we were truly a not for profit business, then why would we charge money for such things? This immediately got my Irish up, but then I took a step back and tried to cogently and calmly explain a few things about shelters.

I explained that Humane Societies are businesses in the sense that we provide many services to people, and that money did change hands. However, shelters are not for profit establishments and I assure you that there are no profits to be made. If there were, there would be a shelter on every street corner.

First of all, it takes $300 to save the life of one animal in a shelter. That is a healthy, adoptable animal from the time it comes in, until the time it goes home. Should an animal have any behavior issues or medical problems the costs go up from there. 

We ask for a surrender donation from everyone that surrenders an animal here. Most of the time, people will willingly give what they can afford. Other times, people get angry saying that we are going to make money on the adoption, so why should they give us anything. Even worse is when someone says "If you expect me to give you money, then I will leave this d*$% cat on the side of the road". 

Our highest adoption fee helps defray the medical costs associated with puppies ($200). They require more shots, will never have already been spayed or neutered, and require special care so that they remain healthy while in the shelter. To buy a puppy from even a backyard breeder and have it spayed or neutered will cost you well over that amount. We also get in many purebred puppies, such as Daphne the 12 week old Weimaraner that was just adopted, so $200 is well worth the price. Kittens are our most expensive feline adoption fee, at $100. This fee helps defray the costs for the shots that they receive while here and other medical costs such as sterilization surgery. Again, that adoption fee is far less than vet care after buying a cat, even for $25 or $50. We do not cover the costs of the care of our animals by these charging these fees. 

If we charged $300 or more as an adoption fee for every animal in the shelter, I would be up to my armpits in animals. It is far more important to us for the animals to get permanent homes that to make back our investment in them. 

The reason EBHS survives is because of the happiness adopters feel when they get their new companion home. We are able to be open every day because happy adopters, animal lovers, and generous individuals donate to our shelter. Because people believe in what we do. Because an adopter wants to ensure another animal gets a home and another family gets to be as happy as they were when they adopted.

Finding new homes for animals is not the only thing we do here. We are called upon to pick up stray and injured animals all times of the day and night, 365 days a year. We are called upon to investigate cruelty and neglect cases. We are invited to talk and work with many school groups, scout troops, and participate in many community events. We do not charge for any of these services. We are here for people as much as we are here for animals.

No one questions the integrity of a pet store selling a puppy for $500 or more. No one says a word when they walk into a pet store that has a sign up that says "We Buy Kittens" that they will then mark up and sell to people. No one gets disgusted when reading the classified ads where even puppy mill operators sell dogs raised in terrible conditions. But people criticize shelters of trying to make money when they charge nominal fees for adoptions and ask for a donation for a surrendered animal.

I did invite this person to come spend the day with me at my shelter to see how hard the staff works each day. I got here at 8am, and I will not be home until after 7pm. I miss my family. I wish I could find the time to go to a doctor, or get a haircut. But we are so busy every day the entire staff here leaves exhausted, and tries to get enough rest to do it again tomorrow.

This person said they did not have the time to come. Yet, they did have time to put down shelters without seeing from the inside what we do for the community. I suppose this person has not lived in a community without a shelter. I assure you, that would be an eye opening experience. 

You cannot educate everyone, I guess.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

I first wanted to congratulate Stump the Sussex Spaniel, who at 70 years old in dog years was selected as Best in Show at Westminster last night. My husband was watching some boring news show he taped and would not let me change the channel to watch the final judging so I had to get my laptop and keep hitting refresh to finally find out who the winner was. I am a big Herding Group fan, so once my beloved German Shepherd did not make the cut, I was not that wound up in the winner. It was a fun show, and I already cannot wait for next year.

One thing I am curious about in dog shows is the women's attire. All the men seem to dress alike, but the women have such a wide range of outfits that I wonder what goes into selecting the outfit. Some wear ball gowns, some pant-suits, some business casual - it just makes no sense! I thought maybe they picked an outfit based on the color of the animal they are showing, or if they have a toy dog, maybe it is easier to walk up and down the aisle in a gown as opposed to someone with a large dog who has to sprint to do the walk around. I recall one year when some poor woman wiped out in a beige ball gown. I especially love the gals who wear a ball gown with tennis shoes. That is a look you do not forget.

The Labrador Retriever was the most popular dog in America, according to the AKC. What that really means is that the Lab had the most registered litters at the AKC in 2008. This is no surprise to someone that works in a shelter. The higher a dog breed is in the AKC rankings of registered litters, the more scrutiny you should place on the puppy your are buying, because the more litters that are registered, the more likely puppy mills or novice breeders breeding for money are selling and the less likely you are getting what you think you are paying for. Here are the top 20 dogs registered:

Monday, February 9, 2009

I have gotten several emails to remind me to mention this, but I already knew to send out my alert to the best show on TV each February. The Westminster Kennel Club show is on tonight. I love that show. It is so nice to see what puppy mill dogs are supposed to look like! I see so many dogs that are supposed to be Chihuahuas, or Bichons, or Poodles, and they look NOTHING like they are supposed to. The show is a great way for people to see what a breed looks like, and each breed gets a moment in the spotlight and you get to hear what they were bred for and what kind of companion that they will make. It is a very informative show, and I strongly encourage all animal lovers to check it out. Also, there are three new breeds this year, so that is always interesting.

A friend sent me over a note asking me to remind people about the toxicity of xylitol. Xylitol is a sugar substitute that is great for your teeth, but toxic for your dog. Should your dog ever rifle around your purse and start eating your Trident - your dog could suffer fatal consequences.

My dogs ALWAYS help themselves to things in my purse. One time I looked down to find my dog with a lipstick smile from ear to ear. He decided to eat a tube of lipstick and a few other things including a check my bank sent to pay my property taxes. Of course, my husband wanted to kill him for eating that check, but I usually have something minty in my purse and I would never be able to live with myself if one of my dogs got sick from a grazing expedition into my purse. How many things do we never think about until it is too late?

Dogs can be as bad as kids when it comes to being naughty. At Christmas when I was wrapping gifts my dog picked up the scissors and ran away with it, and I could not stop laughing while I was chasing after him telling him not to run in the house with scissors.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Do you remember Princeton? Princeton is a cat that was adopted as a kitten, and then returned when he did not get along with the new cat in the household. He then lingered here for a year. Well, thanks to our PetSmart adoption center in Greenfield, he has found a forever home and went home with his new family last night. He was a sweet kitty, and I am so glad that he finally got lucky.

Tomorrow morning I am going to bring Devo onto the Morning Blend show on WTMJ4 to talk about medical care and how important it is for people to be really aware and sure that they can take care of an adopted animal for life. No one ever thinks about paying for an injured or seriously ill animal until it happens, and it is very costly - no two ways about it.

I recently found out that Walgreens will allow you to fill prescriptions for your animals through their pharmacy (as will all pharmacies, actually) but if you join their pharmacy club, you can get the same discount as people. That is a great savings! Especially for animals that are on people medication for seizures or diabetes. 

Our Wine & Whiskers invitations are in the mail, and hopefully you will be receiving one and will be able to attend. This is a great event, and this year it is going to be even more special as it is going to be held at the Western Racquet Club. It is the one night I will get to feel like I belong to a Country Club! The invitations are adorable, but there is one error on it, that I have to take responsibility for. We had 10 people proof read it and we forgot one important item on the invite - the time! The event will be held from 7pm - 10pm. Tell your friends! 

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Today I went to my first animal eye doctor appointment with Devo. Devo is a 7 month old Great Dane and Mastiff mix who has what we have been calling a "dead eye". A vet took a look at him at the Pet Expo on Sunday and told us that the eye would need to be removed, but we decided to take him to the Animal Eye Care Center on Capitol Drive in Pewaukee to find out from a specialist to see what was going on (and a big shout out to the Doctor and staff there who were super nice).

It seems Devo has a birth defect that is common in large breed dogs, the doctor had a name for it, which escapes me. Fortunately for Devo, he will not have to have the eye removed - now. Though he cannot say that he might not need it in the future. The pressure is fine now, but it could get high and need to be removed when he is older. Or, he can go through life with a big, blind, white eye. It does not bother him, but it looks kind of weird. He would look awesome with an eye patch, though.

We get many animals turned in here because the owner cannot afford medical treatment for an acute illness or injury. Sometimes, they have a chronic illness like diabetes, and the owner no longer cares to treat the animal or cannot afford to treat the animal. This is one of those chicken and egg arguments. There is no answer that we can ALL agree on when it comes to being responsible for an animal's life.

People will say that dogs and cats are "just animals" when it suits them. When they first get an animal they are part of the family, then when things change - having a baby, getting married, moving, losing a job, suddenly their family member is just an animal. The thing is, even if you feel an animal is an animal - it is still YOUR animal. It is alive, and you are responsible for it. 

Devo is going to be made available for adoption in a week or two, and people are going to fall in love with this big lug, and want to adopt him. What is going to happen if he needs to have that eye out in a week, a month, a year or five years from now? Will his new owners still feel the way they feel when they adopt him - that nothing will be too good for him - or will he suddenly be a liability and return him here to the shelter.

I am the type of person who tends to worry about things that I cannot control, like the Mets, the weather, and the fate of all the animals who leave here. I am far enough removed from the Mets that I can ignore them if I try. I try not to worry about the bill from the snowplow company every time I hear about snow because this is Wisconsin and that is something that will not change. 

The welfare of the animals once they leave here is the one worry that I cannot reconcile. People have no idea how much of each one of us at EBHS goes into the animals while they are here. Once an animal leaves, especially ones like Devo, we wait for a visit, or an email or letter for an update. Sometimes we never hear, and that is probably good news. The people are happy, and the dog is fine. But I do lie awake at night thinking about many of them. When Devo leaves I will worry about him too. Hoping that he will get the care he needs and that we did find his forever family. Not his until the going gets rough family.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Many of you may know that I am from NY, and I wanted to give a shout-out to Staten Island Chuck, the groundhog oracle of the Tri-State area where I am from. When they reached in to yank Chuck out of bed this morning to find out if he could predict an early end to winter, he turned on NYC Mayor Bloomberg. Obviously, Chuck is not a morning groundhog, and he is as sick of the winter as the rest of us. Fortunately, Chuck was too busy attacking the Mayor to see his shadow, so there will be an early spring according to him. I am going to roll with that groundhog as Puxatawney Phil was not as accommodating and predicted 6 more weeks of winter. Of course, we are in Wisconsin, and there will still be piles of snow in the back of places like the mall parking lot well into June no matter when winter is officially over.

The Pet Expo is finally over! That is the reason I have been a remiss blogger the past couple of weeks. I was not only neglecting this blog, but my husband and children as well. I have been very bad, but I am back now. Man! That event is a lot of work, but well worth it. We have found some adopters for our dogs, made some new friends, and had a great day with the rest of the western Great Lakes area animal rescue/welfare groups. I am already looking forward to next year!

Some other good news for readers of The Insider - The Dude (Duke) and Boggle were adopted! They were two long term animals here at the shelter, and they both found WONDERFUL new homes! We have already followed up on The Dude and his new family said he is absolutely wonderful and he fit into their family so nicely. Nothing is better than when there are happy endings for animals that have been here for awhile. It is hard on the staff and volunteers seeing them here so long, and hoping that today will be their lucky day.

Well, here is to hoping for an early spring!

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

The other day, I received a call asking how cold was too cold to leave an animal outside. This particular person had an indoor dog that wrecked the house when he was not home, so he wanted to leave the dog outside when he was not there. He would provide an igloo, and food/water on a screened in porch.

I told him that personally, if it was too cold for a person to sit outside for a few hours, he should not let his dog sit outside that long either. Especially if the water in the water dish froze. The gentleman was a little angry and said "Are you saying a dog is like a person?". Well, no I was not. I was saying that if your dog is an indoor dog, they do not build up the resources to weather the elements like an outdoor dog.

When I was a kid, lots of people had outdoor dogs. These were the dogs that shed big time each spring in huge tufts like sheep. These dogs were tough, and did not care how cold it was - though it was rarely ever Wisconsin cold where I lived. Most dogs shed in smaller amounts all year round now, because they do not build up the coat they would need for winter as they do not need it.

Hypothermia is a very real hazard for all warm-blooded animals. Dogs have a body temperature of 101 - 102 degrees normally (cats are about a degree higher). Humans are able to hold in heat by wearing thermal attire, but dogs can only seek shelter from the elements. The stages of hypothermia in dogs and cats are as follows:

1) Mild: 96-99 degrees F. Your dog will shiver uncontrollably and/or act lethargic or tired. Get your dog out of the cold now.

2) Moderate: 90-95 degree F. Shivering is no longer possible. Your dog will lose coordination, appear clumsy, and may lose consciousness. Your dog life’s is in serious danger.

3) Severe: 82-90 degrees F. Your dog will have troubled breathing, dilated pupils, and will most likely be unresponsive. Immediate veterinary care is necessary!

Tonight I will keep a warm thought for the MANY cats and dogs that are going to be left out in the yard tonight across Wisconsin.

Monday, January 12, 2009

Anyone who works in animal rescue can tell you that not all stories are happy endings. There are many adoptions that do not work out. Nobody likes to talk about those, because having to return an animal is very emotional. People are upset, children are upset, blame is thrown around. I love my job when everyone is happy and things work out wonderfully, but when things go bad, and it is impossible to make things right I wish I went into to something easier, like being an Ice Road Trucker or something. I hate being helpless in trying to make things right. It is not like returning a shirt to a store and getting the right size, or a different color. Living things do not always behave the way we would like, that goes for both animals and people.

There are people that come in and fall in love with a dog that will not work for them. The breed, the temperament, the size might be all wrong but for whatever reason they feel such a strong connection with an animal that no matter what we tell them they are hell-bent on taking that animal home. If they own their home or have landlord approval, have an excellent vet record, and are otherwise good adopters, and we cannot talk them out of it, we usually have to approve the adoption. Then the people come back a few days later, angry with us for sending them home with an active dog, or a dog with a temperament they do not like. We tried!

Then there are people who expect a dog to be trained, perfectly behaved, housebroken, great on a leash - the whole nine yards. Things that most of us work for years to get our dog to do. But we make no guarantees on behavior. We can say how an animal is while they are here, but we do not know what they will be like when they get home. We especially never say that a dog is housebroken. Dogs can lose their manners in a shelter if they are here long enough. When you have to go you have to go! Adopters like these are the people that return in a day or two because the dog has mistakes in the house. One told us the dog was not good with their baby - which of course had us upset until they further explained that it chewed on the baby's toys. After 2 days, the dog did not know the difference between dog toys and baby toys. That is a lot different than how they made it sound on the phone.

No matter where you get a dog (or cat), you have to work with the animal. You can find your best friend by spending thousands with a breeder, you can get it for free from a friend, or it can find you by showing up in your backyard someday.  Dogs are individuals, they are usually pretty smart and trainable, and they cannot be perfect in one day. In fact, dogs have fear hormones that take about 3 days to wear off, so you have to give them some time to adjust. We usually say it takes about 30 days for a dog to be fully integrated into your "pack".

I really wish that people understood that they have to give all companion animals a chance. You were not housetrained in a day - why do you expect your dog to be? It took me a good 2 years or so to be toilet trained according to my mother. I am still working with my husband (the whole seat thing)!

My 14 year old daughter does not listen to me, my 9 year old vacillates between clingy and sassy. My husband is as messy as they come. But I love them all, and they are my family, and I would not give them up for being imperfect. No matter how many times in the middle of the night I fall into the toilet from the seat being up, or how many times I clean up their messes, fix their mistakes, worry, holler, and get upset, I would never give them up. I guess there is a difference because when you marry or give birth to someone, it is a little harder to just decide this is not working out and drop them off somewhere, like an orphanage or your in-laws house. But with a shelter animal, you can just bring them back and act like it never happened.

It took years for my family to all learn to live together in harmony, and the same goes for the relationships between humans and animals. When you bring a new animal into your life, if you understand up front that there is a lot of work involved, training, time, disappointments, victories, and you will be much happier. The guy who wrote Marley & Me is filthy rich because of the problems he had with his dog. Talk about making lemonade out of lemons! You are not alone with your naughty dog, and you will never be alone at a training class either. 

Work on your relationships! You and your companion will be happy that you did. Your shelter staff will also thank you for taking the time to do something that the former owner could not do for the animal you are taking home. Animals do not want to misbehave, they want to make you happy, but you need to take the time to help them learn how to do so. 

Friday, January 9, 2009

This morning I saw a story on TV, about a poor stray dog that was tasered in Phoenix.

It seems a black Lab wandered onto a busy highway during rush hour, and was of course scared and running from the police who were trying to get the poor thing off to safety. Since they could not easily capture him, they tasered the poor thing into submission. He was then so agitated that he had to be tranquilized to be transported to the animal control facility where he will be held for 3 days in hopes of an owner reclaim, and then evaluated for adoption. The dog is a 5 year old, seems to be in good health, and has no collar or microchip. I am hoping the owner comes to find him. Heck of a way to start the day! I touched a hot wire for horses when I was a kid and that was painful enough. I cannot imagine being tasered. "Agitated" would be an understatement describing my mood should I ever be tasered. 

Moral of the story? Please make sure your dog or cat is microchipped, and has identification if they get lost. You never think you will need a collar or microchip until your animal goes missing, and if you think you animal will never be missing, think again. Every animal can slip away at some point. 

I wanted today to talk to everyone about "The Dude". TD, as I will refer to him, was adopted from EBHS two times, and returned for reasons that had nothing to do with him. His first owner adopted him as a puppy here from Elmbrook. He returned him 2 years later saying he did not have time to be an adequate owner. He did add that TD was jealous of his girlfriend, so I hope they are still together since it looks like TD lost out on a home for love.

The second owner had TD for three months. They returned TD because they said their family was too busy for TD. Neither of these homes said TD did anything bad, or had bad habits, but here he is. He has been here at the shelter for a long time, since the end of October. So many other dogs have come and gone, and I do not know why TD is still here.

He is a smart, handsome, and biddable dog. He has high energy, but any dog like that can be an excellent running partner, agility prospect, flyball champ, or long walk friend. He is a great dog, who is young, and has a lot of love to give. I am bringing him up today, because I would really like him to finally find a forever home. They say that the third time is the charm, and I really hope it is for TD. Look at that face! He needs a home! If you know anyone with older kids, and/or an active lifestyle - tell them about "The Dude"!

Thursday, January 8, 2009

I came across an interesting article today that asked the question "What is the most disloyal breed of dog?"

Short answer - nobody knows.

The slightly longer answer is that it depends of what your definition of loyal is. Is a dog that will be equally as friendly to anyone (including their immediate family) less loyal than a dog breed that might rank low in "territorial defense" but  high in "aggression toward owner"? Who wanted to know this, anyway?

It seems that since most dogs are now bred for conformation and not for what they were originally intended (like terriers being vermin hunters) it is impossible to really say what a dog of a certain breed will be like anymore.

You can find in any one breed of dog social animals, anti-social animals, friendly ones, aloof ones, playful ones and couch potato ones. You cannot really generalize about breeds anymore. Surely, they look the same, or pretty close to it. Saying that all Labs make great family dogs is not true. In fact, the only dog that has been in the shelter here over the past 3 years that made me fear for my life was a yellow Lab that I am sure would have taken me out if it had the chance.

My black lab, Murphy, is a loyal dog. Loyal to anyone that has food. He would forsake my husband, whom he prefers over all others, to get a treat from a stranger, and then follow them home without so much as a look back.

My dog Baxter, a Tibetan Terrier, is loyal to me. He follows me everywhere, cries until I get home, sleeps by my side, gets jealous if I pay attention to any other dogs and usually listens to every command I give him. Does this make him a good dog? Baxter is a textbook Tibetan - couch potato, mellow, affable personality, likes walks, loves everyone, warms up to strange dogs. If he spends time at the neighbor's house while we are away he cries and acts the fool until I get home. Is it healthy for him to be like this? Am I in denial that he might really just have an unhealthy attachment to me that is compounded by separation anxiety? Like any good mom - I can only see his good side, so I do not ponder these questions too much.

In contrast, our baby Tibetan Terrier, Rocco, is completely different from Baxter. For some reason he is hand shy, and runs from all of us, but will come on his own to snuggle next to me on the couch. If I call him, he flips me "the paw" and runs off to do his own thing. Which is usually hiding under the deck out of reach (I will be closing off the deck with lattice in the spring), or rolling in deer poop. We have to let him run in the yard with a long line on him so when we call him we can make him come. I work with enough trainers to know that you should not call a dog unless he is going to come or he will never come when you call. He was housebroken much faster than Baxter, but otherwise, slower to learn everything else. He is everything a Tibetan is not supposed to be. Which makes me think that my decision to love a breed based on looks and the general description of the breed temperament is a bit of a folly. 

In a shelter, people look and judge most dogs on their appearance just like I did. Sometimes people will look at a dog that is active and acting badly in the kennel and think that the dog would not make a great companion because it is not sitting there nicely and quietly waiting for adopters to come into the kennel. I think what this study tells us most of all is that each dog is an individual, and even though you may have a stereotype in mind such as a terrier being super active, or a Border Collie being super smart, you have to spend some time with each dog to really make a decision on whether it will be a great fit for you and your family. I have seen a few Border Collies that were not terribly bright, but that does not mean they would not be a great friend. I have also met some Terriers that were so mellow they only got up to eat or snuggle.

There are over 200 dog breeds with millions of members (including ones not acknowledged by the AKC) and I suppose that there are many more millions of mixed breed dogs as well. They are all unique in personality and temperament, just like we are. The same is true for cats. There are probably a billion cats in the world, and anyone that loves more than one cat can tell you a million ways that their cats are different.

The only thing that the dogs and cats in the world all have in common with each other is that through their eyes, we are the ones that need the training.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Happy new year everyone! While I was away I took a road trip to Houston, Texas to visit family. You never know how lucky you are until you see how the grass is not always greener. 

Whenever I travel, I always make a point of doing two things. First to visit the local graveyard. This is usually far more interesting in older locals, or in Europe. Then I visit the local humane society, or whatever is passing as one in that area. I think it tells you a lot about a community by seeing how they treat their departed loved ones, and by how they treat their animals.

In Houston, I did not get to visit a cemetery. But I did get to see first hand the problems that they have with stray animals, and their local Humane Society. I noticed so many stray animals on the sides of the road there. Texas is odd in that you can have a city and then nothing for miles. There are stray dogs everywhere, and I suspect many stray cats which are better at hiding and blending in with the environment. I could have filled my car up 10 times over with strays.

The local humane society, Houston Humane Society , was a beautiful brand new building, the kind I wish we had. They had so many animals there, but there were lots of adoptions going on. They told me that they get so many surrenders each day it is hard to keep up, but they are always available for people because they cannot bear to see the animals let loose somewhere.

They have a vet clinic on site, and they do not do spays and neuters until after an adoption gets approved, far longer than the day or two that it takes here, as our animals are sterilized before they are made available for adoption. Unfortunately, they do have time and space constraints, and they will not make an animal over 5 years old available for adoption. This is because the public will not adopt them, and then they will take up badly needed kennel space for the many animals coming in behind them. This is sad, and I am glad that we are able to adopt out animals of all ages, and that we do not have any time or space constraints. As well, they will declaw cats - even all 4 paws - right there at the time of spay or neuter. We have a very strict no 4 paw declaw policy, and to know that a shelter is declawing cats is pretty hard for me to accept. They did say they do it because they know people will do it anyway and at least the cat is going to only have surgery once. It is still pretty creepy to me.

As well, if you are a pitbull or bully mix of any kind, you best stay out of Houston. They will euthanize all pits and pit mixes as they have terrible fighting problems, and people will not adopt pitbulls. Of course, this is a too horrible for me to comprehend. While I realize that bullies have a social stigma, they do not deserve that. I rarely see bully breeds here at EBHS that cannot be made available for adoption. I cannot remember the last one that we could not adopt out for behavior issues, in fact.

I met some staff members there who gave me a short tour of the facility, and I was impressed with the new building, the vet care they offer the public, and the entire group of staff and volunteers that were on duty while I was there. They were so nice, and helpful, and willing to answer all of my questions. I know they wish they could do more for the animals, but they are overwhelmed in a way that even I cannot comprehend. I am glad that I do not have to! 

The people of Wisconsin will never know how good they have it compared to the residents of Houston when it comes to animal welfare. The animals of Wisconsin are pretty lucky too!

I am glad to be back, and I will need some time to recover before my next road trip. I am so happy to be back at the shelter, and finally able to start blogging again. I am looking forward to a wonderful year, and hope to be able to share many more stories from the shelter and beyond.

go to www.brookfieldnow.com to read previous posts of the Insider at the EBHS Unleashed blog courtesy of the Community News.