As the Christmas holiday is upon us, across the world there are special people who are working in animal shelters and rescues caring for homeless dogs. Let’s be thankful that these folks exist. If you are considering adding a dog to your pack, please think adoption first!
This quilt hangs in the kennels at Dogtown in the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, Kanab, Utah
Posted in animal welfare, dog quotes, Dogs
Tagged a special place in heaven, adoption, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, caregivers, Christmas, Dogtown, heaven, Old Friends
Christchurch based animal welfare charity K9 Rescue and Rehoming has paired well-muscled men with dogs available for adoption in their 2014 calendar.
Entitled Dogs and Dudes, this fundraising calendar includes photographs of New Zealand actors and other local celebrities who were willing to bare their bodies to support dog adoption.
The best way to organise a purchase is to contact Trisha through the organisation’s Facebook page. Calendars cost NZ$25
And dog owners get to enjoy a little beefcake all year long, combined with some really beautiful dog photos, too!
Posted in animal welfare
Tagged 2014, adoption, beefcake, calendar, celebrities, Christchurch, Dog, dogs, fundraising, fundraising campaigns, K9 Rescue and Rehoming, photography
One of the great things about visiting and working at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary is the range of dogs available for sleepovers. Since I am on my final night of sleepovers, it is time to pay tribute to all four of my sleepover dogs…
Timothy, a one-year old American Stafordshire Terrier. Beautiful boy with good manners. I’m sorry we fed you so many treats in training class that we caused your diarrhea! Timothy’s underbite makes this wee boy adorable.
Chester, a Boxer cross (I think Boxer/Mastiff cross because of his wrinkles and large head size), age 7. Chester is very bright and we practiced ‘sit’ during his stay. A snuggly boy who snores, I took Chester because he hadn’t been on a sleepover or outing for almost 2 months.
Madison, a young pit mix. A fairly new arrival at Best Friends, she’s not even on the website yet. Really intelligent, and happily slept the night through. Only drawback – she’s a covers hog who enjoys the middle of the bed.
Clover, another fairly new arrival from Texas and her photo isn’t on the website yet. A cattle dog mix, this young girl has good manners on leash and loves to disembowel toys. A rubber chicken and a small squeaky sheep were victims during our evening together. She also adores tummy rubs.
These dogs and many others can be viewed through the Best Friends website and so if you are thinking about adoption, this website is well worth a look.
Posted in animal welfare, dog adoption
Tagged adoption, Best Friends, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, bull terrier, cattle dog, Chester, Clover, dog adoption, Madison, Pit Bull, sleepover, Timothy
A common challenge in the adoption business is finding homes for black dogs. For many years, shelter workers worldwide have reported that black dogs (and cats) are less likely to be adopted than others and more likely to be euthanized.
It’s a case of judging a book by its cover – or is it?
In films, if there is an evil or menacing guard dog, it’s usually black or dark coloured (e.g. Rottweiler, Doberman). Black cats are notoriously associated with the devil or witches, as well.
However, research published in early 2012 suggested that the issue isn’t colour – it’s breed. And no one appears to be gathering statistics on the adoption of black dogs vs other dogs. Plus there’s the fact that the Labrador (including black Labs) is routinely the top of the list when it comes to popular breeds. This means that someone isn’t afraid of black dogs!
Practically speaking, however, it is usually more difficult to photograph a black dog. Many shelters find that they can’t do a black dog justice in the photos that are mounted on the internet on shelter web pages and Facebook sites. Rescue organisations are encouraged to place additional overhead lighting in the kennels of black dogs to make them more appealing to visitors. Another suggestion is to take a black dog for a run or brisk walk before photographing him/her – thus photographing them when they are panting which is more likely to look like a smile in their photograph.
Patricia McConnell has commented on Black Dog Syndrome (fact or fiction) on her website.
Meanwhile, rescue organisations often hold special events for the adoption of black-coated animals. These are photos I took last year at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary during their May appeal – Back in Black… The adoption fee was waived for all black animals during the month. Very creative!
Do you think Black Dog Syndrome is real? What does your rescue organisation do to support the adoption of black dogs?
I hate seeing ads like this one, which appeared on the intranet site of a local (major) employer:
| My 11 month old Bull Mastiff / Husky Cross needs a new home. You would have to be a special owner to take him on – last night on our walk he killed a sheep and I cannot trust him now around my children and others.If you have the time and inclination (and love) to rehouse him, I would be very happy as my only other option is to put him down (as recommended by the Council).He is a lovely looking dog, tan coloured and handsome as and generally playful and kind and reasonably obedient – he is a puppy after all and still learning. |
To me, it reads:
“I’ve taken responsibility for a puppy but last night he made a mistake and I don’t want to deal with it. Therefore, I’m looking for a kind-hearted person to take pity on the dog because if you don’t, I’m going to kill it.”
(P.S. I’ll probably get another dog after this one is gone and if it isn’t perfect, the same thing will happen to him.)
This is NOT responsible dog ownership. A puppy is a life commitment and dedication and training are needed.
Posted in dog ownership
Tagged adoption, free to a good home, responsible dog owner, responsible dog ownership
Happy Valentine’s Day! Have you hugged your dog today? If not, now would be a good time.
And good luck to all animals up for adoption this weekend at My Furry Valentine 2013, an adoption event across Greater Cincinnati.
Posted in dogs and holidays
Tagged adoption, Cincinnati, dogs, hug, My furry valentine, Valentine's Day
Daniel looks like an ordinary beagle. But he isn’t. He’s a survivor – quite literally.
In October 2011, Daniel was placed in a gas chamber in Alabama to die with three other unwanted/unclaimed dogs. The miracle is that Daniel survived the gassing (by carbon monoxide). The folks at Eleventh Hour Rescue, a rescue organisation that aims to save dogs from high-kill shelters, heard about Daniel and took him to New Jersey to find a forever home.
After fostering, Daniel was re-homed with Joe and Geralynn Dwyer. Mr Dwyer now is a guest speaker around the country to encourage the banning of gas chambers in the United States and Mr Dwyer is happy to promote Daniel as the face of the anti-gassing law. The law has been called “Daniel’s Law” in honor of Daniel. Pennsylvania is the most recent state to enact it.
Only 19 states in the USA have banned the use of gassing as a means of euthanising unwanted dogs and over 4 million animals are euthanised each year in the country.
Here are a couple of video clips of Daniel’s story, starting with his original fostering arrangement:
And on Anderson Cooper:
Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, adopted a Jack Russell from the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home earlier this week.
According to the media statement released by Battersea, the puppy is named Beth and she is a tri-colour Jack Russell Terrier who is 3 months old. She was one of more than 100 stray dogs that the Home took in during the month of July.
Beth, the latest edition to The Royal Family (photo courtesy of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home)
The Duchess is familiar with the breed; she owned a much-loved Jack Russell named Freddy.
Whenever I travel, I like to do research on dogs and dog welfare issues. I was on Maui last week and took a trip out to visit the Maui Humane Society. I’m very glad I did.
The Humane Society is a very busy place set on beautiful grounds adorned by tropical flowers. In the reception area is a notice board complete with photos and details of animals that have successfully found their forever homes after a stay at the shelter.
Jocelyn Bouchard, who is the Chief Executive Officer of the Society, told me that the Society employs two full time adoption counselors who promote adoptions, provide counseling and support to potential adopters before, during and after adoption, and coordinate transfers.
The Society transports pets off island, out of state and internationally and works with adopters and transport agencies to make this happen. For the ten months of this financial year (July through to end of April), 832 dogs have been adopted and another 63 have been transferred. In the fiscal year the ended June 30 2010, the Society adopted a total of 911 dogs, transferring a total of 33.
Holiday makers often visit the Society’s shelter, and adoptions to California and other west coast (USA) locations are fairly common. The most common international designation for pets is Canada. Pets have been transferred as far as Indonesia and Germany, too!
The Society spends an average of $255 on every animal in its care.
The kennel area was full on the day of my visit. Dogs are photographed with flower leis around their neck to add a unique Hawaiian touch.
The Society is a no-kill shelter and has no time limit for keeping animals. Adoption information on the kennel signs tell you how long the animal has been in the Society’s care. Adoption fees range from a high of $125 for puppies under the age of 6 months, $100 for dogs over the age of 6 months, and $55 for dogs over the age of 7 years.
You can find the Society’s headquarters at 1350 Mehameha Loop in Pu’unene. Visiting hours are 10 am -4 pm, Monday through Saturday, and 12 to 4 on Sundays.
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The Maui Humane Society is committed to building lifelong bonds between people and animals through education, community outreach and the prevention of cruelty. Kathleen Crisley, specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, The Balanced Dog, Christchurch, New Zealand |
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