Shelters

DOGS SHOULDN’T LIVE ON A CHAIN!  AND NOW THEY DON’T HAVE TO.  AN OREGON-BASED CHARITY – FENCES FOR FIDO – HAS GIVEN OVER 2200 DOGS THE CHANCE TO LIVE A CHAIN-FREE LIFE

Chained dogs.  We all know that dogs shouldn’t live on a chain.  Ideally, they should live in the home with us.  Still, for some people, an outside dog is the norm – it’s a mindset they grew up with.  Try as we might to change opinions in that regard, it is often a hopeless task.  So, one group decided not to try.  Instead, without judgement, they offered an alternative to the chain. Fences for Fido, an Oregon-based charity is making a real difference here.  Fences for Fido has a virtual army of volunteers who spend days building fences around people’s yards, so that their dogs can finally experience a life that doesn’t stop at the end of a 20-foot chain.   A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A CHAINED DOG Imagine you’re a dog tied to a 20-foot chain.  That small circumference defines your life.  Once or, if you’re lucky, twice a day your owner comes out with food.  He may, or may not, spend a few minutes with you.  Other than that, you’re alone.  You can’t get to the grass…

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Continue ReadingDOGS SHOULDN’T LIVE ON A CHAIN!  AND NOW THEY DON’T HAVE TO.  AN OREGON-BASED CHARITY – FENCES FOR FIDO – HAS GIVEN OVER 2200 DOGS THE CHANCE TO LIVE A CHAIN-FREE LIFE

VOLUNTEERING AT AN ANIMAL SHELTER – 14 THINGS I WISH I’D KNOWN BEFORE I STARTED

There's nothing more enjoyable to a person who loves animals than volunteering at an animal shelter.  You get to meet lots of different cats and dogs and watch them settle into the shelter.  Then you get the joy of seeing them find their forever humans.  There can also be heartbreak along the way - the kitten who doesn't make it, the dog who turns out to have a terminal illness.  But for the most part, being a volunteer at an animal shelter is something you look forward to each week.  It's still the highlight of my week when I can get a dog out of the kennel and take it for a walk.  You care about each and every one of their stories and cheer when they go home. Below are fourteen things I wish I'd known before I started volunteering at the animal shelter.  If you're already a volunteer, is there anything you would add? THE SHELTER STAFF ISN’T BEING RUDE OR IGNORING YOU. It takes quite a while for you to become a regular in the eyes of the…

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FOSTERING KITTENS – HELPING OUT AT THE SHELTER

You've read about fostering kittens on Facebook.  Maybe your local shelter has asked for volunteers to foster.  Perhaps you have a friend who has fostered multiple litters.  It's that time of year again - kitten season!  Every shelter and rescue in the country is desperately hunting for people who are willing to foster these little ones, or "bottle babies".  And every rescue has had the heart-rending task of turning down abandoned kittens because of a lack of fosters. As an Etsy Affiliate, I earn from qualified purchases WHAT IS KITTEN SEASON? Because female cats go into heat according to the amount of daylight, fertility increases by mid-January.  The gestation period of cats is 58 to 67 days, and kitten season stretches from early spring until late fall.  Although the words “kitten season” can conjure up visions of happy little fur balls, the reality is often quite different.  There are feral colonies of cats throughout the United States.  Estimates of the number of ferals in the United States are upwards of 50 million.  Figuring a 50% mix of males and females, and…

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ADOPTION APPLICATIONS – WHY ARE THERE SO MANY QUESTIONS? ENSURING THEIR CATS AND DOGS WILL END UP IN LOVING, CARING HOMES IS A SHELTER’S MAIN PRIORITY

NAVIGATING THE ANIMAL ADOPTION APPLICATION The adoption application comes in many forms, and the questions can feel overwhelming for many.  Generally, a euthanizing shelter will have fewer questions, private rescues (especially breed-specific rescues) may have several pages. Here are the most common, and why they are asked: VETERINARIAN REFERENCE AND IMMUNIZATION RECORDS This is the most common question asked on adoption applications.  No shelter wants to send an animal to a home where basic medical treatment is not offered or where regular vaccination does not take place.  You will face a whole range of judgement about this question depending on which organization you are trying to adopt from.  Some rescues ask only about the major vaccines – rabies, DHLPP, etc.  Others extend this to include canine influenza, and Bordetella (kennel cough). Neither canine influenza nor Bordetella are considered core inoculations.  And, although kennel cough is certainly something you want to protect against if you ever board your dogs or if you take your pets to a dog park, if you do neither it’s not an absolute necessity.  Just be aware that…

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ADOPTION EVENTS – HELPING AT THE SHELTER

Adoption events are held by most animal shelters and rescue organizations at local businesses.  Most often at pet supply stores, other shops have started offering their spaces for these events as well.  Our local Tractor Supply store is very receptive to this, and is best for taking large dogs or dogs who don’t necessarily do well with other dogs.  I’ve also attended events outside of grocery stores, and one at a local WalMart. Foster-based rescues, in particular, need to hold these regular events to get their adoptable animals out to the public.  Without a physical shelter, animals can remain in foster care for far longer than necessary if they do not hold meet and greets.  And one of the biggest problems facing these foster-based organizations is finding enough volunteers able and willing to spend a few hours of their weekend helping out. Helping at one of these adoption events can be a fun and rewarding volunteer activity – plus you get the added benefit of playing or cuddling with one or more adoptable animals for an afternoon. You shouldn’t be asked…

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HELPING OUT AT THE SHELTER – POSTING ON FACEBOOK

    With the right slant, posting homeless animals on Facebook can help find any adoptable animal their forever home.  Most shelters and rescues have a Facebook page in which they publicize their events, make it easy for people to donate, and showcase their adoptable dogs and cats.  If you can write well, posting on Facebook is your opportunity to help find a pet a home. HOW TO START POSTING ON FACEBOOK If your organization has no presence on Facebook, offer to start a page for them. If one already exists, let someone on the Board know that you’re willing and available to help. Shelters will often have assigned someone to perform this function, but that person may be overwhelmed with other commitments.  Having a second or third person working on the Facebook page may make the task much more manageable for everyone. Choose what each person will post. If you’d like to publicize events, then volunteer for that – if your interest is in posting personality profiles for the animal, let them know.  If everyone has an assigned role, there…

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