I Beg to Differ

This post is in response to a blog post by Shannon Hill, which you should read first here.

These are my opinions, but I hope they will stimulate a unified response.

Regardless of the individual opinions of the “inactive” volunteers, it is childish to keep pointing fingers and playing one-upmanship games that make one group of volunteers look “better” than another. We should fling off our martyrdom cloaks and work together.







Shannon:

As one of your so-called “inactive” volunteers, I submit that one doesn’t have to be “at the shelter” every minute of every day in order to address the needs of homeless animals in Montgomery County.

I’d like to share my thoughts with you and your blog readers about this.

Many people, including the “inactive” volunteers, are out working within the community to prevent animals from coming into the shelter.

If the intake numbers are reduced, I think we can all agree that would be good for the animals already in the shelter. To this end, I (along with others) have been working in a different set of “trenches”.

Please do not assume that we hesitate to spend countless hours and our own money to rescue, vet, foster and place homeless animals. Just like the shelter volunteers you describe in the list below, we:

• Foster animals
• Clean cages
• Take photos of animals
• Bathe animals
• Walk animals
• Run adoption events
• Deal with the public
• Organize donations
• Spend our own money to donate supplies.

Specifically, here’s what we, those supposedly “inactive” volunteers, are doing.

• We’re working with another animal welfare group to sign up pet owners in the East County/New Caney for extremely low-cost or free spay/neuters using both the services of Spay Houston and the MCAS. In many cases, we have helped out with transportation for those who need it. We have assisted with more than 200 spay/neuter voucher redemptions in the past 9 months. These programs currently target larger dogs (30 to 60 pound or more), dogs who typically have large litters (8-12 puppies). In reviewing the animals-received lists produced by MCAS, and available to everyone (“inactive” or not) I have seen the tubs, boxes and crates filled with large-breed puppies that arrive at the shelter on a disturbingly regular basis. I hope that the shelter staff and “active” volunteers appreciate and see the value in reducing the number of unaltered dogs. Our typical voucher user is a pet-owner, often with multiple dogs, who cannot afford to shoulder the typical vet’s cost of $300 or so for a large-dog spay. Many of these dogs have already had litters, and our clients are relieved that they don’t have to deal with any more “oopsie” litters.
  

• We have conducted trap-neuter-release of feral cats in the south county, dealing with several colonies, and placing dozens of kittens that have been socialized by our fosters. As we all know, kittens have a much better chance at survival if they never set paw into the shelter. TNR keeps cats out of the shelter and reduces the need to kill feral adult cats.

• We have established a "Flight for Life" program. Our “inactive” volunteers have worked with “active” volunteers to take long-term dogs (many in the Diamonds in the Ruff) program out of the shelter and put them in foster homes, were they are vet- and temperament-checked (paid for by use) and then into our “Flight for Life” program. The Flight for Life program sends qualified animals (via cash donations) by small plane transport to a shelter in New Hampshire for placement. While this program is small, the novelty of transporting by plane has raised public awareness about the needs of long-term dogs in the shelter.

• We have picketed and talked with roadside breeders, who market dogs with little legal oversight. We are working to address Texas laws that affect the welfare of all animals both in and out of the Shelter.

• We have had several long-term dogs from the shelter enter our foster system. The balance of animals in our program come from county citizens who otherwise would take these animals to shelter, thus adding to the intake numbers.

As for me, I’ve spent a lot of times working in the “trenches” of the civic-government end to encourage public-funded entities to improve their animal sheltering programs.

In my experience, politicians are overjoyed when volunteers bicker among themselves because then the politicians don’t have to make any changes. Plus, our civic processes allow for expression in public forums whether we agree with everything that is said or not.

Furthermore, privatization of public entities is often a good thing.

However, the process needs to be transparent, and we need to know with some certainty just how the potential bidders plan to improve the shelter.

Certainly, the shelter has improved, and kill rates have gone from 80% or more to about 49%, based on the public numbers on the County website.

However, when my college-age boy insists that a “C” (a 50% save rate) is a lot better than a “D-" (a 20% save rate), like most parents, I’m not satisfied. I'm not paying hard-earned cash for C performance. A 50% is not a "good grade”. In fact, at the The Woodlands High School, a 50% is a failing grade. Likewise, I'm sure that the animals on the losing end of the 50% rate don't represent a successful outcome.

It is not an unreasonable to or hostile request to ask the shelter operations bidders to demonstrate publicly how to improve the statistics for dogs and cats at the shelter. It’s simply prudent.

There are multiple ways to improve the lives of our homeless animals. Working in “the trenches” at the shelter is not enough.

All our efforts are necessary. We can keep fighting amongst ourselves, about “active” and “inactive” or we can take responsibility to address the broader spectrum of factors that affect our shelter and the animals inside.

Like you, I want to improve the lives of animals in our shelter and in our community. I am proud that I'm actively involved in doing so.

Just because I'm not at the shelter, don't discount my efforts.

Will Shame Work?

This photo by M. Harris of Montgomery County, Texas, Animal Shelter is new this week. I don't know whether to cry or use inappropriate adult language.

This was posted on Harris's Facebook page (here) and has already garnered more than a dozen comments. Some people suggested putting up a second sign showing adoptions. Harris's response to that was, "Then they'd only see the adoption number and [think] this would be a great place to 'rehome' their pet." Unfortunately, I agree with her.

While this sign offers a dose of reality, the fact is that the ones most emotionally moved by the number will be those who are already struggling to reduce the intake through fostering and rescuing. The Pollyana part of me begs to differ, but the cynical side of me doubts seriously that the average client who wants to surrender (or turn in) a pet will be moved to reconsider things. What do you think?

Back on Track

I have been away from my blog for three reasons:
1. My 16-year-old daughter had Marching Band Competitions from early October through the first week of November.
2. My Off-Site Coordinator and dear friend, Ms. M. stepped down from volunteer Team Lead for the Montgomery County Animal Shelter at the end of September.
3. The Shelter has undergone many shifts and changes, and I've been completely out of the loop.

-*-
On November 9th, I found a home for the wonderful Mrs. Puff. A fellow Band Mom adopted her, and Mrs. Puff has already been Vet-checked and had treatment for her teeth. Mrs. Puff had 7 teeth pulled and is on a KD Diet and has trimmed down almost a pound since her arrival at the Shelter in late July. My friend is going to start PetsMart training with Mrs. Puff at the end of the month. Like many Chihuahuas, Mrs. Puff didn't know anything about leashes and had no real obedience skills. So this spry, 10-year-old girl will soon learn how to sit and heel! And since it is an "open adoption", Mrs. Puff may visit our house for dog-sitting when my friend is traveling.


I have a new foster--a very bouncy, cute-as-can-be black-and-tan Miniature Pinscher puppy. "Desiree" came to my house the day after Mrs. Puff left. She is about 4.5 months old and weighs 5.2 pounds with the cast on her broken right front leg. She arrived at the Shelter with the injury, along with dark blue paint on her toenails. She was someone's pet but wasn't claimed. Our Shelter has a less-than-stellar return-to-owner rate. Desiree has to wear the cast (and the Cone of Shame) for about 8 weeks. She'll visit the Vet who did the surgery, which included a pin to hold the bones in her leg in place, next week for a check-up.

My own dogs are doing well--Chopper had his two heartworm shots and is at the end of his one-month of rest. And Cross is still a sweetie, although she needs an appointment at the groomer's to trim off her shaggies.

-*-
I have removed this blog from my Facebook account via Networked Blogs. I made the decision after receiving a message from the acting Shelter Director regarding some numbers I quoted about the euthanizations of cats over the summer. I made it clear in the post (see September 16th) where I got the information: "Meanwhile, the Shelter is overrun with kittens and cats. I heard, unofficially, that approximately 1,000 cats and kittens have made the trip to the EU room in the past few weeks."

The response from the Shelter Director was first posted on my Facebook wall, then later removed and sent to me via a Facebook message:

"Your 'unofficial' information about 1000 dogs/cats going to the EU room was very, very inaccurate. Since I know you care about the dogs who may not realize when people who don't know us read those things and may think we're a high kill shelter and we are NOT..and may choose not the help us. As you know, community support is vital to saving animals."

The number of EUs per month is listed on the County's website under Archives. I checked the numbers here: http://www.co.montgomery.tx.us/animal/search/reportarchive.htm. Unless the County's own numbers are inaccurate, my qualified statement (regarding cats only, since that is what I was writing about in the two sentences I devoted to the subject) was not overstated. According to the County, 600 cats were euthanized in July 2010, while in August, 233 cats were euthanized due to space/behavior issues (the County is instituting new, more specific labeling criteria). An additional 207 cats were euthanized in August due to sickness or injury. These numbers match closely with the numbers from my "unofficial" sources.

At the time Shelter Director's response arrived in my email, things were up in the air at the Shelter and rumors were flying loose and fast. Two months later, things have settled down and Constable Tim Holifield, the public official in charge of the Shelter (in theory, the buck stops with him), has made some changes and put some positive spin on things. I'm not criticizing, just stating my opinion, based on the communications sent out to volunteers.

Meanwhile, my friend, Ms. M., has been on an information-gathering safari, rounding up no-kill sheltering models, including the benchmarks used by Austin Pets Alive. It is Ms. M's opinion that actual progress toward becoming a "No-Kill" Shelter is minimal at best.

The Constable wrote in a volunteer newsletter circulated in mid-October:

• "WE ARE COMMITTED TO BECOMING A 'NO-KILL SHELTER'!
• As we progress to the status of 'No Kill', we must first successfully pass a multitude of milestones, each having their important place in every 'No Kill' Shelter. To my knowledge, in the State of Texas there are none that are government owned. The difficulty with a government owned facility is the lack of ability to decide which animals will be accepted or refused.
• It is the position of staff, volunteers and animal lovers alike of moving Montgomery County Animal Shelter closer and closer until we reach the ultimate goal of a 'No Kill Shelter'. We believe there are several components to reaching this goal and simply overcrowding a kennels with 3+ animals and watching them get sick, while claiming to be 'No Kill' except for sick animals is not the answer."

I'm clueless as to whether these statements represent true commitment or the usual political blather. We'll have to wait and see.

Meanwhile, I'm fostering the Miniature Pinscher for the Friends of the Montgomery County Animal Shelter (FMCTAS), a fund-raising non-profit group that provides money for medical expenses and other needs that fall through the cracks at the Shelter. Although Desiree is an adorable dog, I'm not sure why she wasn't placed with a rescue, in particular, with the Texas Chapter of Internet Miniature Pinscher Service (IMPS) which does fabulous work foster, re-habbing and placing Min-Pins. The FMCTAS has spent a lot on this sweet girl (and we can only keep praying she doesn't get distemper) but if she is placed as an MCAS pet, she'll be adopted out for $75.00 at best.

While there have been days I've stood in the Adoption Rooms and wished we had some purebred dogs instead of 80 pit-lab mixes and hyper Cattle Dogs, I know we probably need to focus on moving as many animals out of the Shelter as possible. Getting dogs (and cats) into rescue is vital.

-*-

So, faithful readers, I'm back on track, even if I don't know where I will be serving as a volunteer. For now, fostering is fine. Ms M. is working on some new directions and I plan to be involved with that, too, even if I'm not able to help with the ground-floor planning due to some other personal commitments. Please bear with me and stay tuned!

No-Kill Austin & More

It's been busy around here--last week I spent a whole day in Austin, TX (a three-hour hike from my house) attending the "No-Kill Austin" conference, which promised appearances by Nathan Winograd and other big names in the "No-Kill Community".  Winograd couldn't attend, but the roster of speakers offered several hands-on topics by folks from various Shelters, including The Animal Ark, of Hastings, MN.  I had to find pet-sitting for my two dogs and one foster (thanks so much, Ms. Anne, a wonderful animal advocate!) and arrange for my 16-year-old daughter to pick my dogs up in the evening.  I rode up with two volunteers from the Shelter, including my dear friend, Ms. M., who has been the Off-Site Team Coordinator for the Shelter volunteers.


Ms. M. has, after a great deal of thought and with sadness, decided to step down as Coordinator, a volunteer position she's held (actually, more like has "lived") for two years.  Ms. M. has spent more than four years dedicated to the animals of the Montgomery County Animal Shelter.  It's better to let her explain things herself, as written in her formal resignation letter to the volunteers:

For four years, I have been working to lower the killing at this facility by volunteering.  For the last two years, I have been supporting the shelter’s stated goal of becoming a no-kill* facility by leading a team of volunteers working to establish a key component, a Comprehensive Adoption Program.   Let me stop here and say thank you to all of you that have worked along side toward this goal.  We would not have been successful without you.

September ended my second year in this team lead role.  The team has accomplished much in the last two years

-- We have built a team of 300+ adoption volunteers and 53 trained off-site adoption coordinators.
-- Over 2700 animals are now “out-of-shelter” from off-site venues due to our efforts.
-- More than $20,000 in donations and merchandise has been raised for MCAS animals. 
-- We have held over 1000 adoption events throughout Montgomery County. 
-- Our adoption coordinators have contributed over 2 man-years of service to the County (just physically sitting at adoption events).
-- We have worked with over 80 businesses and agencies in Montgomery County. 
-- Our second year we have increased performance in each of the above categories over first year results. 
--We have planned events, arranged animal transport, solicited donations of all equipment, tracked our results, participated in marketing, and maintained websites to communicate event schedules to fosters and volunteers
-- We have, as a team, made a concerted effort to help MCAS staff with adoption support functions like help with kennel cards, animal inventories, tracking long-term animals, heartworm and FeLuk testing, on-line inquiries and data input for off-site adoptions.

However, I cannot support the current change in direction to a “low-kill” goal.  We can do better and the animals depend on us to do so.   A no-kill goal is non-negotiable.  Our resources are too valuable to expend on a lesser goal. 

We need: 

--Leadership that believes it is possible to save all savable animals while maintaining quality of life for each and is dedicated to achieving this goal. 

--Full implementation all of the programs as identified in the No-Kill Equation (http://www.nokilladvocacycenter.org/pdf/Equation_000.pdf). 

--A means by which volunteers can participate in the development of policies and programs for their shelter. 

--An adoption program that is a primary shelter program with substantive shelter support. 

Animal inventories that are accurate (including fail-proof identification of animals) and used as the basis for formulating needed programs & marketing strategies. 

--Kennel cards that are complete, informative (including owner turn-in information) and accurate.

--Promised adoption services provided in an efficient manner so that animals can be competitively marketed to the public. 

--A fail-proof system to assure Spay/Neuter compliance. 

-- Appropriate goals set and progress toward them measured and communicated publicly.

It is time to get serious about implementing the only programs shown to be effective in saving all savable animals while maintaining quality of life.  Shelters that have accomplished this say that it does not take four years or five years nor does it does require privatization.  It does require the right goals, a determined, accountable management & staff and an engaged public, working diligently, and with integrity, to organize this shelter to support all necessary programs.  I’m sure that this is possible for MCAS.

-*-

The selfish part of me wants her to continue.  But Ms. M. is adamant that the management of the MC Animal Shelter has reneged on promises to dedicate resources toward making the Shelter no-kill.  I understand her concerns, and hope that I'll be able to work with her in her next endeavor.  For the moment, she plans to take a well-deserved sabbatical and spend time with her family.

I have had the honor of working with Ms. M. for almost two years, and her dedication and energy has always amazed me.  I will miss doing Off-Sites with her.  It won't be the same.

At any rate, I'm not exactly sure what my future with the Shelter will be--right now I am in a "hold" pattern due to High School Band commitments through the end of October.

I have one foster dog, the awesome Chihuahua senior, Mrs. Puff.  I'm working to find her a home.  She is a great dog who deserves her own home.  Of course, she thinks she already has a home.  Here she is scratching a food dish to let me know that a treat might be appropriate.


My other Chihuahua foster, the incorrigible but cute "L'il Dude" is now with Dakota Rescue.  He'll get neutered then he'll be put up for adoption.  I delivered him to his new foster mom in late September.  I'll post an update when I have one.

Meanwhile, my own dog, Chopper, recently adopted from the Shelter, came inside one day with a severe squint in his left eye.  I figured he'd poked himself on the shrubbery while trying to get at the neighbor's Labradoodle on the other side of the fence.  When the squint didn't ease up, I decided to take him to my Vet.  Dr. Williams did a stain and we saw a 2mm "hole" in the cornea.  I had to administered antibiotic eye drops and tablets, but the hole has healed quickly and Chopper is back to his normal self.

No Kill vs Train-Wreck Dogs

 This dog is probably a great dog.

Photo and caption by Angela Palance,a tireless advocate for the dogs at the Montgomery County Texas Animal Shelter.

I'll be honest:  I'm not a total convert to Nathan Winograd's vision of a No-Kill Nation.  It's not that I don't want all Shelters to be "no-kill", but it's that I'm not convinced it is an achievable goal.  Or even the right goal.  But Winograd and his supporters brand folks like me as "part of the problem."  We're the "nay-sayers,"  blocking the path to a swoony no-kill paradise where puppies and kittens are loved forever and ever in homes that make PetsMart managers giddy with joy.

Just because I have some reservations, doubts or unanswered questions shouldn't make me the enemy.  I've put a lot of sweat and tears in animal rescue work.  I look at what flows through the doors of the Shelter and wonder what compels us to insist that dogs like the ones below are "adoptable."

Here is a sample of what you'll find in the Adoption Rooms this week:

• Pit Bull mixes with heavy heartworm.
• Untrained, barely socialized young Lab mixes who will yank your arms from the sockets.
• Elderly Labs who aren't housebroken.
• Anxiety-riddled Rat Terriers.
• Chihuahuas that look like genetic mish-mashes.

Checkers  is falling apart in the Shelter. I can't foster him until my husband leaves for his next business trip because this poor little guy is so anxious he just can't stop barking.  It's Shelter stress.

Most of our dogs have at least one and often more health conditions, including (but not limited to) mange, flea dermatitis, giardia, worms, or bad teeth.  And almost all of our dogs come with unknown (and unknowable) health and behavioral histories.

Who in their right mind wants these dogs?  Who on earth can afford to treat and care for these dogs?

And don't think I'm just a heartless cynic.  I know what these dogs cost because I just adopted one, my Miniature Pinscher, Chopper, who joined our pack this summer.  Chopper was an ideal adoptable candidate from our Shelter.  He was already neutered when he arrived, and he received a rabies booster, a heartworm test, microchip, and the Parvo-Distemper shot, plus Strongid for worms.

Chopper, my own personal (and much-loved) train-wreck dog.

However, Chopper is heartworm positive--so I need $400 to $600 to treat that.  He's got one rotten tooth that needs to be pulled at some point (say, $300 or so if I get the tartar scraped while he's under), plus he was positive for giardia.  Once my adoption was final, I spent $300 getting Chopper Vet-checked, including a leptospirosis vaccine, fecal smear, urine culture and a blood work panel to make sure he can handle the heartworm treatment and the tooth-removal.  I bought two antibiotics, heartworm prevention tabs, flea meds and a round of de-wormer.  These were not out-of-the-ordinary expenses.

Nathan Winograd can talk all he wants about "no-kill" policies, but the one hitch in his giddy-up, the thing that he doesn't address in his best-seller "Redemption," is whether all those wonderful Americans who would love to add a pet to their household are actually willing to put in the financial and physical work it takes to bring a Shelter dog around.  At the rate people keep bringing dogs in for owner-surrender, I don't think the American public is near as dog-friendly as Winograd paints it to be.

Li'l Dude, an un-altered Chihuahua boy is my latest foster.  He weighs all of six pounds.  He is anxious and very needy.  While crated for four hours, he managed to bend the wires on this crate with his teeth, and he chewed up the bed into 2-inch pieces of foam, plus, he got the plastic tray scooted part-way out so he could "push" the crate across the room.  He got hold of a cord to a foot control to the sewing machine (after "pushing" the crate) and chewed that up ($89--and I can't tell my husband), then he somehow finagled the door open and left poop surprises upstairs.  He was a very naughty boy.
To top it all off, he's not yet housebroken.  And he's a pushy little guy 'cause he's hung like a Clydesdale and has enough testosterone to equip a baseball team.  Since Li'l Dude needs to gain weight before he can be neutered, it's going to be awhile before he loses his family jewels.  I'm in conversation with a rescue group who might be able to take him.

 Shelter dogs are no bargain.  In fact, they are a gamble. And the Shelter doesn't offer guarantees.

Consider the heartworm issue.  Our Shelter was offering the heartworm treatment vaccine for heartworm positive dogs, but that program has been tabled due to the expense to the County. Most likely, I'll be paying for the treatment at retail prices.  Meanwhile, at the Shelter, our current dog population is running about 40 percent heartworm positive.  So step right up and get yourself a dog, but be prepared to spend some serious money--and shoulder the risks that come with heartworm treatment. At least the dog will love you back.

And just so you don't think I'm totally against the good news as preached by Winograd, I'm signed up to go to the No-Kill Austin conference at the end of September. I'm willing to listen and be convinced.

Shelter Update

We're working hard at the Shelter to get dogs and cats into fur-ever homes.  However, sometimes it feels like an uphill  battle.

Little Pic-a-Pepper

On Labor Day, I adopted "Pepper", my spunky little tri-color Chihuahua foster boy.  He's going to a home with a puppy mill-Papillon for a friend, and at-home owner who wanted a Chihuahua best friend.  Pepper hardly gave me a second glance as he left!

Then, yesterday, I was waiting to see the Shelter Vet, Dr. D.  He was conferring with a new adopter who had brought in a sweet Lab-mix puppy named Maya.  The dog was lethargic, shut down, feverish and wouldn't do much more than sleep, plus was suffering from loose stools and poor appetite.  When the pup's eyes began oozing green goop, the owner brought the dog in to try and figure out the problem.  The prognosis wasn't good--most likely distemper (Even I could tell--the dog's nose was runnning, and the pup had that stunned, woozy-eyed "Big D" look).  Dr. D. recommended euthanization, which at that point, was wise.  The owner agreed, on the condition (of course) that he could come back in a week or so to choose another dog.

Meanwhile, the Shelter is overrun with kittens and cats.  I heard, unofficially, that approximately 1,000 cats and kittens have made the trip to the EU room in the past few weeks.

We're running a big Off-Site push at four different PetsMart locations this week, as part of PetsMart's "Second Chance at Love" promotion.  The PetsMart Charities are giving larger donations to the Shelter for each pet adopted from September 6th through the 12th.  We're struggling with getting volunteers to work the weekday Off-sites--most have day jobs.  I've been hauling dogs and working Off-sites all week and am exhausted. My house is a wreck, and my husband is ready to throw a big ol' hissy fit.  Rain from Hurricane/Tropical Storm Hermione has slowed everything down.  Today, the storms have departed Houston, but the humidity and mosquitoes are back.

I brought home a tiny, russet-red boy Chihuahua last night. I took him to Off-site, then realized too late that he was ill.  He is very underweight, has upper respitory and God knows what else.  Plus he's un-altered.  He did eat last night, and has eaten this morning.  I don't know whether he'll make it or not.

Here is a video that was made, using footage shot in our Shelter a few weeks ago.

Since the beginning of summer, we have seen an increase in owner-surrenders and adoption-returns on dogs.  The owner-surrender dogs tend to fall apart in the Shelter encvironment.  I have been taking Checkers, a five or six year old Rat Terrier to Off-sites.  He thinks I'm his savior and he shrieks in his kennel if I walk out of sight, which annoys the PetsMart manager.  The store manager is not happy to have us there, but we help increase sales--one of my adopters yesterday spent $96 buying supplies, including a dog crate.  I spent $40 both this week and last week buying supplies for my dogs and fosters.  It irks me when we can't have what should be a win-win relationship with PetsMart.

Once this PetsMart deal is done this weekend, we'll be back to our regular schedule--primarily weekend events.  I just wish the stream of dogs and cats arriving at the Shelter would ease up.

Don't Pity the Shelter Dog

Okay, it's an advertising line for Pedigree Dog Food, but it's true--don't pity the Shelter dog.
Pity never helped anyone, dog or person.  Pity is easy, cheap and pointless.  The key is to do something.  I always have to tamp down the inclination to get hacked off when people come up to our Off-Site animals and say, "Oh, I could never do you what you are doing."

It's not rocket science, folks.  It's not a 26-mile foot race.  It's not a solo piano concert at Carnegie hall.  It's just taking some sort of action.  I know there are many reasons why some animal lovers can't do some aspects of the sort of volunteer work I do--allergies, parental responsibilities, incompatible work schedules, a reluctant spouse.  You know, life stuff.

But don't give me lame excuses and expect me to absolve you of your pity.  I don't have the time.  It's hot out right now.  The dogs are arriving in greater numbers at the Shelter.  Those in charge of the County coffers are having second thoughts about taking the Shelter to a No-Kill position.  Fosters are in short supply.  Things are tough all over, and pity doesn't help.

So, here's what you can do next time you see me at an Off-Site event:  Put some money in the damn donation jar.  Or offer to walk a dog.  Buy a box of dog biscuits or a leash or a collar, and donate them to the cause so I don't have to buy these things each week.  If I'm by myself at the Off-site,  offer to sit and just watch the animals so I can go take a bathroom break.  These are the easy things, things you can do anytime you see animal rescue volunteers with adoptable dogs and cats at PetsMart, Petco, or other public places.  These things are helpful.

Of course, you could volunteer your time to foster an animal.  "Oh, I'd never be able to give them up if I fostered one," I hear people say.  Nonsense.  You're not taking the animal to keep.  You are providing a crate, a bed, good food, a bath, a routine, some basic training, and some love.  It's not that complicated. Okay, it's a lot more complicated if you take a sick, injured animal, or a litter of puppies, or a clutch of tiny kittens that need to be bottle-fed, but we have so many animals in need that you have your pick.  You don't have to take on the worst case right out the chutes.

Foster homes improve a dog's chances of being adopted.  A clean, exercised, well-fed dog is much more likely to find a home.  A dog with any kind of a "history"--information a foster learns about the dog's temperament and needs--is much more adoptable.  Sure, you take the risk of having a "foster fail" (when you end up keeping the foster animal), but there are folks who can help you avoid that if you feel so tempted.  Besides, we all have foster fails.

If you can't do any the things I've suggested, at least do these things:

1.)  Spay or neuter all your pets.  The world does not need another litter of puppies or kittens.
2.)  Don't buy from roadside breeders or "puppy stores."
3.)  Make sure your dog is taking monthly heartworm prevention.
4.)  Microchip your pet and register the number.
5.)  Don't let your dog run loose.  Don't keep your dog all day long in a backyard unless you have a properly constructed kennel with shade, shelter and fresh water and food.
6.)  Don't chain your dog.
7.)  Train your dog so he or she can be a good member of your family.

Above all, don't ever pity the Shelter dog.  Adopt one.  Foster one.  Or donate your time and money.  It's not hard to help.

Doing it for the Dogs, Not for the Rush

Today’s post on Dogs Deserve Freedom made me want to commit to print a theory I’ve long held about the nature of animal-rescue volunteers.  People who are attracted to animal rescue are passionate, committed, prone to seeking justice and, above all, they are addicted to the rush.  Yes, the rush.  The high.   We’re in for the dogs, but the rush is exhilarating.  It’s really what drives us.
 

Animal rescue is as exciting and unpredictable as car racing (Yes, I’m reading “The Art of Racing in the Rain.”). When I get a dog out of the kill room, or pull a sick animal through a deadly illness, or place a dog with a good family, I feel the rush.  The adrenaline kicks in when we walk into the Shelter, and it ratchets upward when we are confronted with the evidence of a throw-away society.  I feel like a superhero—although it pains me to admit it—when I pull a dog from a kennel.  And the dogs worship me.  I bask in their neediness.  In some ways, I can’t help it—I’m a long-time volunteer, a parent and a recovering co-dependent.

Working a good 12-step program and maturity have helped me to identify my danger zones—the times when I’m too close, too enmeshed, and too focused.  That’s when I have learned to draw back and take deep breath and remember why I am doing animal rescue:  I’m doing it for the dog.  One dog at a time.  Okay, maybe two or three at a time.  I have done it for Queenie, JoJo, Aribella (those are the ones who died).  I have done it for Dancer, Snowy, Rusty, Riley, Chloe, and countless others.  But if I’m honest, it always comes back to the rush.  That rush just feels so good.  It makes me feel so alive.

The urge to seek the rush is why I think that animal rescue groups have such difficulty working together.  Each person firmly, passionately believes that his or her way of doing animal rescue is the best way to “save” dogs.  I call it the “Most-est Right-est” Syndrome.  In short, MY way is the RIGHT way to save the animal.  The rush is calling us.

Because it is so difficult for the animal rescue volunteer to compromise, or even to entertain the idea that there may be more than one “right” way to do things, groups view each other as the “enemy.”  Shelter staff people are “evil”—callous, uncaring, curt and harsh.  Breed Rescue groups are “greedy”, cherry-picking the “best” dogs and leaving the train wrecks in the Shelter.  Shelter volunteers are “lone wolf” types, preferring to run their own Off-Sites their own ways.  The fund-raising group feels that the Off-site volunteers are “cheating” them of donations.  The person who is “Most-est Right-est” generally sets the agenda, and sometimes that agenda isn’t all that good for the animals.  However, the moment an agenda is set, the in-fighting begins again.  It’s all about the rush.

People bristle if any sort of structure or cooperation is suggested.  I have watched volunteers accuse other volunteers of “animal cruelty”.  In the Shelter or at an Off-site, you can come home feeling like you’ve run a marathon.  You feel vindicated, victorious.  The rush is so addictive.

I watch as our groups, splinter and re-splinter, fracturing like cracks in ice floes, cleaving off and creating new groups that will crack, fracture and cleave yet again.  What is my defense?  Well, I try to keep to the focus on the animal, the individual dog.  I remind myself by keeping a collar filled with tags and bells from animals I’ve helped.  I take photos, most of which are never posted on-line, to help me remember the dogs.

My goal is to keep my focus where it should be, which is on what's best for each dog.  By doing animal rescue volunteer work, I can make  life better, even if just for a brief moment, for one dog.

I wish our groups could cooperate more.  I try to keep an open mind.  I try to work for the greater good, even when inside, I feel my own way is “Most-est Right-est.”  I try to remember that isn’t about me.  It isn’t about the rush, it’s about the dogs.

Saturday Shelter Snapshots

Time for another round-up of Shelter snapshots:

1.      Hawt Dogs & Hot Dogs.  Dedicated volunteers donated money, PR and time to help mount the “Hawt Dogs & Hot Dogs” mega-adoption event on July 24^th.  Sleek, pointy-topped white catering tents sprang up in front of the Shelter, while café umbrellas sprouted in the fenced-in play area. Balloons and banners announced the event and a full complement of volunteers and Shelter employees flung up the Shelter to highlight the dogs and cats needing new homes. 

Long-term dogs, our “Diamonds in the Ruff” were available at special adoption rates, and hot dogs donated by our local James Coney Island franchise were available (donations encouraged) as snacks.  Sixty-nine animals left the Shelter on Saturday, including 14 foster animal placements and three animals transferred to rescues.  About 10 of our long-term animals found new homes.

2.      Overheard at the Shelter.  A college-age girl, with her parents in tow, was looking for a dog—preferably a Chihuahua.  The dog had to be under 5 pounds.  When I asked about the severe weight restriction (a necessity since our average Chihuahua weighs in around 8 pounds), the girl said that her Sorority in Austin didn’t allow any dog over 5 pounds. 

A vision of Paris Hilton and her little Chi flashed through my head, and I couldn’t stop myself from asking if the girl realized how challenging it would be to care for a dog while she’s in college.  “We’ve got four dogs!” the girl replied.  When I asked if she realized that Chihuahuas are prone to house-breaking difficulties, her mother snapped, “We’ve got a 21-year-old Chihuahua and he never has accidents.”  In my experience, it’s the rare Chi that is truly, fully housebroken.  We didn’t have anything that small (fortunately) and so I turned the family over to a different volunteer before I really said something snarky.  The last thing a college-age kid in a Sorority house needs is a dog.  As I passed by the girl’s father, he said, “Thank you,” in a low, grateful voice that let me know he and I were in agreement.

3.      Pyrenees-Anatolian Shepherd Mixes.  Both the Great Pyrenees and the Antolian Shepherd are common big dog breeds in our part of Texas, used primarily to guard goats and sheep.  Our local Craigslist generally has at least one listing for “Great Pyrenees-Anatolian Shepherd mixes".  Recently, a young Anatolian mix came in as a stray at the Shelter.  You could tell from the dome of his head and the fluffy coat that Rufus (his kennel name) was a Pyrenees mix. 

Great Pyrs and Anatolians are just too damn smart, and they do poorly in the Shelter, quickly becoming despondent.  This big, young guy had closed down with depression.  He had lost weight and was suffering from abscessed areas near his dewclaws.  Two volunteers gave him a much-needed bath and spent an hour combing out his tangles.  Although Rufus perked up, he wouldn’t eat any canned food.  I was transporting for an Off-Site, so the Coordinator decided to take Rufus with us.  Our goal was to find him a foster home.  We had to drag him into PetsMart and I was concerned the managers would think we were bringing a sick dog to an Off-Site.  The dog flopped down into his crate, and stared dimly out into space. 

However, a couple came by and were immediately smitten.  They offered to foster him, and after filling out the paperwork , the husband had to pick up the dog and carry him to the parking lot.  He spread his army fatigues across the back cargo area of his SUV, explaining he was a former Green Beret.  Then he hefted the dog into the rear cargo space, patted him softly and said, “Now we we’re off to Best Friends [a local Veternarian’s office] before they close.  Thank goodness for those who step up to help dogs like Rufus.

-*-

Photos courtesy of the MCAS Facebook page, located here

It's Raining Chihuahuas

We're not quite in a drought here in North Houston, but it's been raining Chihuahuas at the Montgomery County Animal Shelter where I volunteer.  Here are three owner-surrender Chi's, reluctantly turned in by an elderly man who could no longer afford to keep them.  They were very sweet, so once they are checked over (and spayed/neutered if needed) I'm sure they will find homes.  We've had Chihuahua puppies and assortment of adult Chihuahuas, along with Teencie, my tiny little foster Chi.

 I don't know if our Chihuahua frenzy is due to fall-out from the popularity of these dogs in the media as "purse dogs" and movie stars (Beverly Hills Chihuahua), but one thing for sure is that these cute little dogs come with their own special needs.

Meanwhile, Little Teencie has come a long ways.  She is still very skittish and will dodge and nip if she feels threatened, and she has a typical, sharp Chihuahua bark, but she has been sleeping with my daughter or with me (she started howling at night when crated) and this has helped her warm up considerably.

My what big eyes you have, Tucker!

Both Teencie and Tucker are going to spend the next four days with a different foster volunteer--I'm leaving tomorrow for an Art Retreat in Waxahachie, and these two dogs are more work than my family is willing to provide.  Tucker has already had one stint at a foster's house and it was very good for his confidence.  Tucker still has issues with men.  He gets panicky when my big college-age son is around, so I have to crate him to keep him from barking fearfully.  If my son would work with me, I could get Tucker to settle down, but my son takes it personally--he's still missing our dog, Taco, and thinks Tucker is just stupid.

Tucker is doing good with his heartworm treatment and will start going to off-sites soon.  BTW, the Shelter lists him as a Chihuahua mix, but at 15 pounds and with his long Whippet-like legs and Beagle-bugle bark, I don't think there's much Chihuahua in him!

-*- Top photo by T.H.

Ashes, OTIs, and Pit Bulls: Saturday at the Shelter

I hauled dogs for transport to off-sites today.  The dedicated young woman who coordinates the off-sites at PetsMart Portifino was fuming about kittens.  Right now, about 40-50 kittens (most too young to be weaned) arrive at the Shelter each day.  We do not have enough space or care available at the Shelter for this many babies and ourdedicated fosters are juggling anywhere from eight (a couple of litters) to 30 kittens in a last-ditch effort to save as many as possible.

The Shelter was in full swing for euthanizations this week and the young woman was there when the staff was emptying the incinerator used to consume the bodies.  The young woman gave me a hard look as we were going off her transport list.  "I have a new idea for publicity," she said.  "We should bundle the ashes from the incinerator into little baggies and hand them to each person who comes to turn in kittens."  I had to agree it would be an eye-opener for our clients.  "And it is recycling, too," the volunteer added grimly.

-*-
The Shelter Rescue Coordinator has been valiantly trying to place the uptick in OTI (Owner-Turn-In) animals.  We're getting an inordinately high number of healthy, middle-aged, well-socialized pets coming in as surrenders.  The major reason?  People are moving and say they can't take their dogs.  The Rescue Coordinator has a name for it:  "They're moving to the State of No Dogs."

-*-
We've got a new Pit Bull Rescue Group to help us deal with our wonderful Staffies and Pibbles!  Guardian Pit Bull Rescue may not be the biggest outfit in Rescue, but they are heroes to the dogs they pull from the Montgomery County Animal Shelter.  The big Staffie pictured above is a perfect example of the kind of dog our volunteers would like to save, but the kind that are harder to place under the County guidelines.  Guardian Pit Bull had a comprehensive application form for interested prospects to fill out--one more suited to the needs of these dogs than the Shelter's boilerplate form.

-*- Photo courtesy of M.H.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

 Time for more "Shelter Snapshots".


The Good

I went to the Shelter today to straighten out paperwork for my teeny-tiny Chihuahua foster and things were crazy.  This GSD, a small, but very typey female, came in as a stray.  The woman who brought her in thinks she may have jumped out of a truck.  She was in good shape, just frightened.  No microchip.  We'll be lucky if anyone claims her.  If not, though, she'll be put into rescue or adopted quickly.


The Bad

No, this isn't "bad" because she is a pit bull.  It's bad because she came in as a stray, super skinny, obviously bred-to-bits, and bearing scars on her ribcage and ears.  This is our typical pit bull mama dog--a marshmallow personality condemned in a fighting body.  This girl probably has heartworms, along with at least one badly infected dug.  Her fate is uncertain.


The Ugly--WARNING:  THE FOLLOWING IMAGES ARE GRAPHIC

This train wreck of a dog was scooped up from the roadside by a good Samaritan.  He is a tiny boy Chihuahua who--more than likely--has spent his entire life being a stud dog.  He is not blind, but close to it, has no teeth, no lower jaw, and was covered with fleas and nearly bald, with exceedingly long, jagged toenails.

We thought at first that this would be an immediate euthanization case--he lay listless in an old towel.  But once he was on the floor, the little booger lapped up some food (we made it soupy) his tongue darting like a hummingbird's, then we we put him in a crate with an another dog (a Yorkie about twice the Chi's size), the little old man puffed up like a Rottie and dominated that poor Yorkie, standing with his studly equipment on full alert, and growling (although it sounded like snufffling).  The Yorkie cowered in the corner, terrified of this little banshee.

This guy's fate after the end of his stray-hold period is most likely euthanization--he has visible tumors, an abnormally swollen prostrate, a bellyful of worms and most likely is heartworm positive.  How someone can permit an animal to decline into such a horrible state is hard to fathom.  This dog's problems were almost all preventable with decent care, but clearly, his owner didn't consider them to be issues worth treating.

We've had a run lately with stray old dogs arriving in horrible shape--a blind, incontinent Pomeranian, an old Yorkie with half his coat gone due to mange, and a blind Cocker Spaniel with a coat matted to a dense carpet of flea-dandered fur.  We end up giving these weary seniors the pink injection, but the volunteers and Shelter staff would sure like to give a swift boot in the rear to the owners who abandoned these elders in their last days.

The Cost of Compassion

"Arabella" (aka "Princess"), the little Distemper Dog, is back at the Vet's, on IVs since yesterday.  She has had the three serum injections that might defeat the distemper, but her physical state was sliding.  Her sponsor opted to pay out of her own pocket for this final effort.  Arabella has a lot of heart and hasn't given up, but the money spent so far to fight her illness is more than $1,000, and that's at steeply discounted (thanks to two very generous Veterinary practices, and two non-profits) rescue rates.  If she is not significantly improved after three days, then we need to face the fact that euthanization is necessary.  I don't want Arabella to die.  Nor does her sponsor and others who have met her.  Yet, money may not save her life.

Which brings up the question:  How much should be spent trying to save a Shelter dog?

Vast amounts of money, much from non-profit fund-raising, much from individuals' own pockets, is spent on individual Shelter dogs whose plights spur people into last-ditch, major efforts.  Many of these cases involve unique situations that arouse fierce sympathy.  Just recently at our Shelter, major effort and expense has been spent treating a dog hit by a car (the dog is recovering) and a mature Chocolate lab whose owner dumped him with an old badly healed broken leg, which has now been amputated (this guy is recovering as well).

The latest extreme example is a GSD mix dog found along the I-45 and brought into the Shelter with bowed front legs, due to carpal flexural deformity, along with severely atrophied back legs.  This dog appears otherwise healthy in spite of his condition, and he has learned to "scoot" along using his belly.  Currently, the Shelter Director (who is a notoriously soft-hearted person) is investigating treatment options.  Most likely, appeals will be made for outside donations.  Plans include high-lighting this dog in the paper to arouse public interest.  Not to suggest that it is wrong to consider treating this dog, but I still wonder if the thousands of dollars that corrective surgery will require could be better spent elsewhere within the Shelter.

Dogs tug at peoples' heartstrings and consequently their wallets--Arabella's sponsor has spent close to $800 of her own money.  The sponsor has a huge emotional (not to mention financial) investment in this dog.  Yet Arabella is property of Montgomery County, Texas.  Without the volunteers (and I count myself in this group because I've put $150 or so toward her treatment), Arabella would already be dead.

Still, with 40 percent of all incoming dogs testing positive for heartworms, and the fact that the Shelter opts to treat these dogs at the rate of about 8 animals per week and a cost of $25,000 per year (much donated), we need to ponder the difficult issue of resource allocation.  It's tough to choose.  People will be upset.  Some dogs will not get treated.  But perhaps it would be better to affect the outcome for the greatest number of dogs.

We're not only faced with choices regarding the extreme cases, we need to develop a better approach to handling distemper cases.

Many distemper dogs are given treatments, and most, especially the puppies, die.  The preventive vaccine series costs about $40-$160, depending on where the owner takes the puppy.  In our area, many people don't vaccinate their puppies.  Whether it is out of ignorance or lack of money is unknown.  But the $1,000 spent so far on Arabella would buy a lot of distemper vaccine.

It's a thorny issue with no easy answers.  What do you think?  What is the best way to compassionately spend limited funds?

Weekend Shelter Snapshots

 My dog Cross

Snapshot 1: Kitten season is in full swing at the Shelter.  Tiny, mewling felines are arriving by the basket-load.  People find kittens and don't see the mom (who is probably hiding nearby), so assume the babies have been abandoned and bring them in.  We're out of kitten fosters (I am not one of those special people who can deal with tiny kittens).  The kittens have no defenses, so they get sick. On Saturday, I saw staff people cradling three different dead or dying kittens. I asked one of the Shelter staffers on Sunday how her day was going.  She smiled wanly and said, "Well, at least I haven't had any dead kittens today."

 Snapshot 2:  A five-and-one-half black shepherd mix puppy is tied with a slip-leash to a door-jamb.  He bats at passersby with his paws and twinkles happily.  He was adopted on Saturday afternoon and brought on Sunday at noon. Supposedly he has diarrhea (what young dog in the Shelter doesn't have loose stools?).  But the client told the intake staffer at the front desk, "The dog is going to be too big for my house."  This begs the question:  Why the hell didn't she think about size BEFORE adopting a young dog?  Geez, people put more thought and planning into selecting the right computer than they do in choosing to take home a pet.

Snapshot 3:  I was at the Shelter loading dogs for an off-site.  I have never been able to develop the steely resolve to simply not make eye contact with any client who might have a question.  Our customer-service is so bad that I can't keep from trying to answer questions.  So the guy asks, "Do you have any English Bulldogs?"  English Bulldogs are the big status dog around town and the breeders charge outrageous prices for them, and puppies are scarcer than quick solutions to the Gulf Oil Spill.  We rarely get English Bulldogs.  I had to bite my tongue to keep from asking the guy if he had researched the breed.  He really needs to be asking, "Do you have any cute, squishy-faced dogs who can't breathe, suffer from countless joint and intestinal problems, and who get all sorts of challenging skin infections, many of which will be made much worse by the humidity of a Houston summer?  I've got a raft-load of money I don't know how to spend so I think I'll get an English Bulldog."

Snapshot 4:  We can only take strays from our own county.  But our client base comes from three counties.  It's always fun to explain to the man with the mange-ridden box of feral puppies that we can't take them because he found them in Harris County and not Montgomery County.

Snapshot 5:  Please, please be honest with your children.  Bringing that little kitten you found to the Shelter does not guarantee that it will live happily ever after.  Especially when its eyes and nose are cemented with gunk and it's already limp in your hands. Don't tell them that the nice Shelter people will give it the loving care it needs--neatly avoiding the obvious fact that the kitten is nearly dead.   At least inform your kids (and no, I don't think nine or ten is too young to be upfront about death and the irresponsibility that encourages it) that the kitten will be put out of its suffering and misery, and will be going over the Rainbow Bridge.

Snapshot 6:  I have two fosters, including a cute Chihuahua mix who crashed on Sunday morning, one week after I got her.  We finagled a Vet exam paid for by a donor, but that was cursory.  I have meds from the Shelter, so my BFF who is a Vet Tech and I spent almost two hours trying to get sub-cu fluids into the dog to combat a 104.5 degree fever.  Last night, the dog's temperature was down and she ate a bit this morning.  It could be distemper (although she is an adult dog) or giardia or coccidia.  Time will tell.