Celebrate Shelter Pet Day: helping shelter dogs in need

It’s Celebrate Shelter Pet Day. Every Thursday after Thanksgiving we celebrate the dogs, cats and other animals that are in the shelter and put them in the spotlight. And people that know me, know I’m going to the shelter in Kaplan almost every weekend to take pictures of the dogs that are available, so Animal Aid for Vermilion Area can promote shelter dogs and help get them out. You can ask yourself why it’s necessary to do this. That is what this week’s blogpost is all about.

Some statistics about shelters

More and more shelters are overflowing. Each year approximately 6.3 million animals enter the shelters nationwide according to the ASPCA. Around 3.1 millions of those pets are dogs. This is not even counting the dogs and cats that get thrown out of their homes or being left behind and no one even notices. Out of the 6.3 million pets that enter the shelter, around 920.000 of them will be euthanized due to various reasons. Think about illness, old age, aggression issues and long term residents of the shelter. Nationwide around 4.1 million animals are adopted each year. The other animals stay in the shelter for the rest of their lives, as long as it is a no kill shelter.

The environment shelter dogs live in

Shelters come in different forms and sizes. Some are better than others. But there are a few things that most shelters have in common. All dogs are in an environment where it’s loud and not as clean as in a home. Shelter workers must deal with multiple dogs a day, sometimes going in 100s. During the day they are letting the dogs pee, clean the kennels and have to be ready for when someone is coming to the shelter to surrender the dog or for when animal control arrives to drop off more animals. This results in a mess sometimes. Shelters are understaffed and can’t keep up with everything anymore.

When it comes to noises, it’s terrible. Think about standing in a crowded room for a few hours. How do you feel at the end of the day? Dogs are barking nonstop, because they have no idea why they are locked up and not getting the attention they need. A lot of dogs develop anxieties because of this. Something that’s not helping them getting adopted either, because a lot of people don’t want a dog that’s already afraid from the beginning. Thankfully there are also a lot of people that are willing to help the dog getting better and give them the loving home they need!

The demeanor of dogs in shelters

Every dog is different. Not only with the dogs that are already in a home, but also in the shelters. Every shelter dog can have other behaviors that are showing. Some are really scared from the moment they end up in that environment. This can be because of coming from a cruelty case, but also because of not knowing what is going on. These dogs need some extra TLC from rescue volunteers and when they get adopted.

There are also shelter dogs that keep the friendly demeanor from the moment they end up in the shelter till the moment they leave. Those dogs want nothing else than cuddles, play time and just a normal walk. You also notice that a lot of dogs already have some basic obedience in. Some dogs know ‘sit’, others know a little more already. And last but not least, you have the dogs that have some issues. Sometimes these behavior issues are the result of where the dog is coming from, but a lot of times it’s the result of fear. This makes it harder to adopt the dog but can also be one of the reasons why the dog will end up on a euthanasia list in the long run.

What a rescue can do

For a lot of shelters, a rescue is a big help. Rescue organizations not only go to the shelter to check out the dogs and find out more about their behavior, but also promote dogs with pictures and information on social media. Those same dogs are also networked with other rescues in the country, to help them get out and find their forever homes. Every day of the week the volunteers are doing whatever they can to help the dogs. Sharing posts, updating information and asking for donations are only a few examples of what volunteers are doing.

Just like other volunteers, I’m helping to promote dogs too. Therefore, I’m going to the shelter in Kaplan in the weekends, to take pictures that will be used for the social media posts. During the hours I’m at the shelter, I don’t only take pictures but also give the dogs that attention they need. And also testing with other dogs and when needed with cats, how the dogs are with people and if they are good with handling. It is necessary to keep the dogs socialized and to see who would be a perfect match to be their forever home.

This is what we can do

But think about all the messages on social media about people wanting to rehome their dogs or cats. There are more and more posts on our feed. Not only do people want to rehome due to not being able to take care of them anymore, but also due to behavior issues as a result as not enough training or enrichment. Because most dogs can live perfectly fine in an apartment or without a big yard, as long as you spend the time that’s needed to enrich your dog and give him what he or she really needs: your love, attention and some games that are suitable for the breed (or mixes of breeds).

So what can we really do? Not everyone is capable of adopting a dog. Long days at work is, for example, not the best start for a new puppy. You can make it work, as long as you spend that time when you’re home. Instead of buying all the puppies for Christmas and then realizing it’s not a good match or doesn’t fit our busy lifestyles, why don’t we just foster all the dogs for rescues? You have a temporary companion, without all the extra long term responsibilities. Or donate some stuff to rescues that need it, so fosters and shelter dogs can be more comfortable! That’s why we made a Wishlist on Amazon, with some things that are always needed. This will help our fosters be more comfortable and safer, but also the shelter dogs since we donate what we have as overflow!

Having a foster

Of course having a foster in our home is not always easy. Especially when the dog is in your house for a longer time, you’re starting to build a bond. It can be hard to let the dog go to a new home, but it also gives opportunities for training, walks and adventures. And the more we’re able to do with the dog, the better we know how the dog is around people, animals and in different situations. So even though we love our fosters and are starting to have a hard time letting them go, we love to see them go to their forever home and have the life they deserve.

Smokey (through us) and Sophie (through Animal Aid for Vermilion Area) are still waiting for their homes. If you’d like to know more about them, send us a message!