Lessons of March

Posted on 16. Apr, 2010 by Annvi in Barkin' Doggie Bloggie, Interesting Dog Tidbits, Lessons, Rescue Dogs

“The road to wisdom?-Well, it’s plain
and simple to express:
Err
and err
and err again
but less
and less
and less. ”
~ Piet Hein

Well, I should say March 2010 equaled absolutely miserable for me.  I have totally been down in the dumps, which may have resulted in no blog postings. Sorry to those of you who missed me, if anyone did. 

Now that it is April, a time of spring, a time for growth- looking back, I realized that I actually learned a lot in March and thought it was worth sharing.

First of all, Luke came to us at the end of January, our second foster pup.  Luke was a complete street dog.  I am not sure if he had ever even lived with a family.  We didn’t realize this until after we agreed to foster him.  Mistake #1 on our part.  We should have met him to see how he would interact with our two pups and whether we could handle a temporary third dog.  Lucky for us, he got along great with Rocky and Zeus; however, he played very rough and required a lot of rehabilitation.  We weren’t sure if he was dog aggressive because he got overly excited when he met other dogs on our walks.  We got a trainer involved, who introduced me to clicker training.  I had never even heard of this.  Basically, it is a click sound.  You use it when your dog does something right and then you reward the dog with a treat.  The clicker is helpful because it allows you to pinpoint the exact point of time when your dog does something correctly.  When you just use praise or a treat, you may miss that moment and the dog may not recognize what action he did that he is being rewarded for doing.

If you are interested in clicker training, check this site out.  It has a lot of helpful information.

I also grew very frustrated with myself.  Luke did not understand what I wanted him to do.  I did not know how to communicate with him.  I couldn’t get him to sit, stay, etc.  I was completely confused and I am sure he was confused too.  This led me to Patricia McConnell.  She is AWESOME!  She has studied animals for decades and compares primates to canines.  She explains how we are different and how we are alike to our canine companions.  For example, I never paid attention to how my dogs socialize with other dogs.  If you pay attention, they always go for the side, they don’t meet other dogs head on (unless they know the dog or feel safe).  We, humans, interact with dogs head on- patting on the head, eye contact, etc.  This is almost instinctual for us because that is how we greet other humans.  We say hello, do a handshake, eye contact, etc.  Dogs do not introduce themselves to other dogs like this.   When I meet a new dog, I now go for the side.  It is crazy how much of a difference this makes in terms of putting the dog at ease.  Most well-socialized dogs tolerate the head on interaction, but when you go for the side- it definitely makes a world of difference.  I highly recommend her books if you are interested in learning more about dogs.

Luke was definitely getting better, but I was exhausted and got sick.  I wasn’t getting anything else done besides working with Luke and my dogs seemed stressed out.  Zeus had been acting up-  he had become totally destructive.  He even got into a 1,000 page accounting book that he tore to shreds.  Luke also went for Rocky’s legs and hurt him.  Tobiah and I had to make the decision to give Luke back to the rescue organization so that they could find another foster home for him.  I felt horrible because we had committed to Luke, but at the same time we were not equipped to handle him.  However, just like we must understand our own dogs limitations and not put them in situations that are harmful for them or other dogs, we must also know our own limitations.  The rescue was able to find another foster home for Luke, thankfully.

When you make a decision to volunteer or help unwanted animals, you must know what your limitations are.  I realize now that I am not a very good foster parent, but I am good at promoting adopting dogs, walking dogs at our local shelter, etc.

Another lesson I have learned is to stay focused on what I can do and the positive aspects of working with abused, neglected, and/or unwanted animals.  There are so many horrible stories of what people do to animals and it is easy to get consumed by these to the point of becoming angry and unable to act.  I had become so depressed that I haven’t gone to BARC in at least a month.  I had forgotten all the good people are doing to help save and protect these animals.  Working with homeless animals can leave you feeling hopeless because there are so many dogs that need our help, but you have to focus on all the good you are doing and all the good those around you are doing.

This line of work is difficult and emotional; however, I have never done anything in my life that has such a huge impact on the life of another being.  If you cannot bear to see so many animals in your local shelter or do not have the time/resources to foster, consider volunteering at an adoption drive.  There are events almost every weekend and rescue organizations are always looking for volunteers!

Cheers and Happy Barkin’!

Annvi and Tobiah

Don’t Breed and Don’t Buy!

Posted on 01. Mar, 2010 by Annvi in Barkin' Doggie Bloggie, Rescue Dogs

Ever wondered what a high-kill shelter is like from someone who works there?

Here is the truth.  From what I see at our Houston shelter, BARC- I think it is pretty accurate.

Letter from a Shelter Manager

I think our society needs a huge “Wake-up” call. As a shelter manager, I am going to share a little insight with you all…a view from the inside if you will.

First off, all of you breeders/sellers should be made to work in the “back” of an animal shelter for just one day. Maybe if you saw the life drain from a few sad, lost, confused eyes, you would change your mind about breeding and selling to people you don’t even know.

That puppy you just sold will most likely end up in my shelter when it’s not a cute little puppy anymore. So how would you feel if you knew that there’s about a 90% chance that dog will never walk out of the shelter it is going to be dumped at? Purebred or not! About 50% of all of the dogs that are “owner surrenders” or “strays”, that come into my shelter are purebred dogs.

The most common excuses I hear are; “We are moving and we can’t take our dog (or cat).” Really? Where are you moving too that doesn’t allow pets? Or they say “The dog got bigger than we thought it would”. How big did you think a German Shepherd would get? “We don’t have time for her”. Really? I work a 10-12 hour day and still have time for my 6 dogs! “She’s tearing up our yard”. How about making her a part of your family? They always tell me “We just don’t want to have to stress about finding a place for her we know she’ll get adopted, she’s a good dog”.

Odds are your pet won’t get adopted & how stressful do you think being in a shelter is? Well, let me tell you, your pet has 72 hours to find a new family from the moment you drop it off. Sometimes a little longer if the shelter isn’t full and your dog manages to stay completely healthy. If it sniffles, it dies. Your pet will be confined to a small run/kennel in a room with about 25 other barking or crying animals. It will have to relieve itself where it eats and sleeps. It will be depressed and it will cry constantly for the family that abandoned it. If your pet is lucky, I will have enough volunteers in that day to take him/her for a walk. If I don’t, your pet won’t get any attention besides having a bowl of food slid under the kennel door and the waste sprayed out of its pen with a high-powered hose. If your dog is big, black or any of the “Bully” breeds (pit bull, rottie, mastiff, etc) it was pretty much dead when you walked it through the front door.

Those dogs just don’t get adopted. It doesn’t matter how ’sweet’ or ‘well behaved’ they are.

If your dog doesn’t get adopted within its 72 hours and the shelter is full, it will be destroyed. If the shelter isn’t full and your dog is good enough, and of a desirable enough breed it may get a stay of execution, but not for long . Most dogs get very kennel protective after about a week and are destroyed for showing aggression. Even the sweetest dogs will turn in this environment. If your pet makes it over all of those hurdles chances are it will get kennel cough or an upper respiratory infection and will be destroyed because shelters just don’t have the funds to pay for even a $100 treatment.

Here’s a little euthanasia 101 for those of you that have never witnessed a perfectly healthy, scared animal being “put-down”.

First, your pet will be taken from its kennel on a leash. They always look like they think they are going for a walk happy, wagging their tails. Until they get to “The Room”, every one of them freaks out and puts on the brakes when we get to the door. It must smell like death or they can feel the sad souls that are left in there, it’s strange, but it happens with every one of them. Your dog or cat will be restrained, held down by 1 or 2 vet techs depending on the size and how freaked out they are. Then a euthanasia tech or a vet will start the process. They will find a vein in the front leg and inject a lethal dose of the “pink stuff”. Hopefully your pet doesn’t panic from being restrained and jerk. I’ve seen the needles tear out of a leg and been covered with the resulting blood and been deafened by the yelps and screams. They all don’t just “go to sleep”, sometimes they spasm for a while, gasp for air and defecate on themselves.

When it all ends, your pets corpse will be stacked like firewood in a large freezer in the back with all of the other animals that were killed waiting to be picked up like garbage. What happens next? Cremated? Taken to the dump? Rendered into pet food? You’ll never know and it probably won’t even cross your mind. It was just an animal and you can always buy another one, right?

I hope that those of you that have read this are bawling your eyes out and can’t get the pictures out of your head I deal with everyday on the way home from work.

I hate my job, I hate that it exists & I hate that it will always be there unless you people make some changes and realize that the lives you are affecting go much farther than the pets you dump at a shelter.

Between 9 and 11 MILLION animals die every year in shelters and only you can stop it. I do my best to save every life I can but rescues are always full, and there are more animals coming in everyday than there are homes.

My point to all of this DON’T BREED OR BUY WHILE SHELTER PETS DIE!

Hate me if you want to. The truth hurts and reality is what it is. I just hope I maybe changed one persons mind about breeding their dog, taking their loving pet to a shelter, or buying a dog. I hope that someone will walk into my shelter and say “I saw this and it made me want to adopt”. THAT WOULD MAKE IT WORTH IT

For those of you that care— please repost this to at least one other craiglist in another city/state. Let’s see if we can get this all around the US and have an impact.

Cheers and Happy Barkin’!

Annvi and Tobiah

I don’t want my dog anymore.

Posted on 25. Feb, 2010 by Annvi in Barkin' Doggie Bloggie, Rescue Dogs

“In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” ~ Martin Luther King Jr.

A few months ago, I read a story about a family that dropped off their yellow lab to a shelter because they didn’t want him anymore.  The two-year-old lab was so confused that he somehow broke loose and chased his owner’s car for 3-4 miles.  When the shelter caught the dog, his paws were rubbed raw and very bloody from the running.  Thankfully, the rescue world heard of his plight and I believe someone rescued him.  Not that this is always the case for dogs in shelters (See this post for information on euthanization rates).  Percentages of dogs being put down are very high.  Hundreds of dogs a day depending on the city.

The number one reason dogs are brought to shelters?  Their owners don’t want them.  Not strays- but UNWANTED pets.  In fact, today, I just read about a dog being fostered because the family wanted a new dog.  Apparently, their seven-year-old dog was too old for them.  Hmm… teaching our children that life is disposable.  great.  Think twice before you get a dog.  They are huge responsibilities.  Once you get a dog- that dog should be your dog for life.  Your dog would never give up on you- how can you give up on her?

This three minute video pretty much sums it up.  Please share with your friends and family.

Cheers and Happy Barkin’!

Annvi and Tobiah

How many homeless dogs are euthanized every year?

Posted on 09. Feb, 2010 by Annvi in Barkin' Doggie Bloggie, Rescue Dogs

“Dogs are miracles with paws”~ Susan Kennedy

It has been a very busy few weeks, which has made it difficult for me to find time to write!  Barkin’ Doggie Biscuits has gained a bit of momentum! YAY!  We are now in two places in Houston: Heights Urban Dog and Cooper Animal Clinic.  And, a Washington DC store, Dog Shop DC is featuring us by the end of the week!  We have been spreading the word!  Hopefully, we will be in a store near you really soon!  On that note, please let us know if you know of a good place to sell our biscuits.  We cannot make a difference in the dog community without you guys!

Back to my topic of today, have you ever wondered how many sweet, lovable pups get put down each year?  In our city of Houston alone, it has been estimated that BARC has to put to sleep 1,500-2,000 each month.  This doesn’t even include all the surrounding shelters in our area.  Can you believe this?  It is hard for me to even imagine this many animals, who were borne at no fault of their own.  If only we could all spay/neuter our pets, stop the backyard breeding, end the puppy mills…I wonder how much money each of our cities would actually save from the resources that all city shelters need to keep unwanted pets off the streets?

Do you have a friend who hasn’t neutered/spayed his or her pets?  Or know someone that thinks breeding his or her cutie pet is a good idea? Send them here.   I get so frustrated…adoption event after adoption event.  I am a board member of Homeless Animal Partnership Initiative (HAPI), we have an adoption event the first Saturday of every month in the Heights.  We had this super cute 2 year old lab mix.  I thought for sure we’d find her a home.  Check Panda out:

At the end of day, she didn’t get adopted this time.  It brought tears to my eyes to see her get loaded back into the truck to be taken back to BARC.  She didn’t want to get into the truck.  There was also a 6 year old German Shepherd/Husky mix.  Beautiful dog that didn’t get adopted either.  6 years old.  Can you imagine the stress of being in a shelter?  Sigh.

Apparently, Petsmart Charities conducted a study that found 76% of Americans acquire their pets in places other than shelters.  A few of the reasons that people do not adopt is because they are unaware of the adoption process or of the unwanted pet problem.  Let me explain the adoption process:  Search websites (petfinder, rescue specific breeds, shelters, etc), find a pet you may be interested or go to an adoption event in your area (if you are unsure where one is held, go to your local Petco or Petsmart and ask someone- they usually have adoption events every weekend at these stores),  after you find your new best friend- the application process includes, name, address, why you want a pet, where you will keep the pet, etc, pay the adoption fee (usually between $50-$350).  What will your adoption fee include: a spay/neutered pet, current on all vaccinations, and sometimes already microchipped.

Most Americans underestimate the numbers of pets that are euthanized every year. 4 million pets are put down each year.  There are 4 million unwanted pets that deserve homes.  4 MILLION.  4 million have to suffer shelters, some gas chambers, some abuse….shutter.

We just got a new foster pup.  Meet Luke.  He came to us from the Corridor of Cruelty. The Corridor of Cruelty is an area where dogs  from dog fights or unwanted dogs are just dumped to die.  Luke ended up there somehow and was getting beat up by another dog.  It broke Tobiah’s heart- so now we have three dogs and no yard.    Luke has been transitioning well.  He is a lab mix, about 2 years old, surprisingly already housebroken, and not dog aggressive.  YAY.  Fostering is hard and can be frustrating, but it is so rewarding.  With every new pup comes new beginnings, I like to say.  Luke has already taught me so much…like PATIENCE.

He is a bit camera shy- hard to capture him outside of his crate!

Cheers and Happy Barkin’!

Annvi and Tobiah

Rescue Dog plus Rescue Human equals PERFECTION.

Posted on 11. Jan, 2010 by Annvi in Barkin' Doggie Bloggie, Community Efforts, Companies doin' cool things, Rescue Dogs

“It’s impossible to be around them and stay in a bad mood.” ~ John Grogan

I just found this blog post.  I had to immediately share it.  It made me cry.  Goodness.  I LOVE RESCUE DOGS.  Go out and get you one.  You will never regret it.

Cheers and Happy Barkin’!

Annvi and Tobiah

I RESCUED A HUMAN TODAY by Janine Allen

Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her.

I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn’t be afraid. As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage. I didn’t want her to know that I hadn’t been walked today. Sometimes the overworked shelter keepers get too busy and I didn’t want her to think poorly of them.

As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn’t feel sad about my past. I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone’s life.

She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me. I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her. Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship. A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well.

Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms.

I would promise to keep her safe.
I would promise to always be by her side.
I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes.

I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So many more are out there who haven’t walked the corridors. So many more to be saved. At least I could save one.

I rescued a human today.

http://rescuemedog.org/dog-blog/i-rescued-a-human-today-by-janine-allen/

Written by Janine Allen CPDT, Rescue Me Dog’s professional dog trainer. Janine’s passion is working with people and their dogs. She provides demonstrations for those who have adopted shelter dogs, lends email support to adopted dog owners that need information beyond our Training Support Pages, and aids shelter staff and volunteers in understanding dog behavior to increase their adoptability. Copyright 2010 Rescue Me Dog; www.rescuemedog.org

Treats for Senior Dogs

Posted on 11. Jan, 2010 by Annvi in Barkin' Doggie Bloggie, Interesting Dog Tidbits, Rescue Dogs

“Dogs are, after all, man’s best friends.  The least we can do is try to understand them a little better.” ~ Nicholas Dodman

Around the age of seven or eight, depending on size and breed, a dog’s needs tend to change, just like ours do.  Older dogs muscle mass begins to decrease so their caloric intake must be adjusted because they may gain weight faster.  This does not mean you should stop giving your senior dog some delicious gourmet dog biscuits though.  Keep those coming.  Barkin’ Doggie Biscuits to be exact.  Our treats are made by hand and baked to perfection.  They aren’t too hard like the ones you can buy in the store.  They were created in such a way so that older and younger pups alike can enjoy them.  Besides, sometimes, a dog should not have to work too hard to enjoy his treat, right?

Ok, enough with the self promotion.  But really, if you are looking for a treat good enough for your wise partner- in-crime, look no further, Barkin’ Doggie Biscuits to the rescue!

And now, here are some tips to help you be the best parent you can be to your senior dog.  After all, your cutie definitely deserves it.  And, some reasons why you should consider adopting that gorgeous senior dog.

Cheers and Happy Barkin’!

Annvi and Tobiah

How to get through the recession? GET A DOG.

Posted on 01. Dec, 2009 by Annvi in Barkin' Doggie Bloggie, Interesting Dog Tidbits, Rescue Dogs

“Take the first step to recovery, get a dog” ~ Ben Stein

I don’t think I could say it better.  “Divorce, lonely, ill?  The best medicine is the love of a dog.”  The last two minutes of the Sunday show on CBS always tugs on my heart strings, this one really does it.  I love how he ends it with a look at dogs in a shelter.  Kudos to you, Ben Stein.  Seriously, take two minutes to watch this.  Will definitely make you appreciate your doggie more.

Cheers and Happy Barkin’!

Annvi and Tobiah

Facebook & Fostering…

Posted on 18. Nov, 2009 by Annvi in Barkin' Doggie Bloggie, Rescue Dogs

My First Foster

The month of October has been a busy one!  Social media has definitely made it easier to spread information about pets that need homes.  I discovered Snowball via Facebook.  Snowball, part Dane and part Pit, was surrendered at BARC by his owner.  Snowball could not see out of one his eye.  It was bulging out of his eye socket.  The owner wasn’t sure how that happened and could not afford the surgery to remove it; and so, Snowball was turned over to the City of Houston Pound.  Lucky for him Friends of Barc, a non-profit whose mission is to facilitate more adoptions, fostering, and better treatment for BARC animals, was at Barc when he was dropped off.  As a result of the overpopulation of pets at BARC, it is difficult for the city workers to give each of the animals the care they need.  With one eye bulging out of his eye socket, Friends of Barc volunteers were worried whether this sweet pup would survive Barc.  I forgot to mention, Snowball was only about 6 months old.

Friends of Barc convinced Barc to remove his bad eye and to neuter him (a double whammy for Snowball).  In the meantime, Friends of Barc had to find someone to foster Snowball for at least a week so that he could heal from the surgery.  I read the story and the pleas… we just need a foster for one week…just a week! I scroll down all the comments, has anyone volunteered to take this little guy in yet?  hmm…I wait a few more hours…still no one.  I start typing…if you can’t find anyone, I’ll do it.  Does anyone have a crate I can borrow? It is only a week, I think to myself.  Who cares that I have two very big dogs, a small space, and no yard…or that I am running around like a mad woman trying to tie up lose ends for BDB.  I make a promise to myself that I have seven days to find him a home.  I can do it, I remember thinking.  He is so cute, someone will want him!

Fast forward a few days, I have never had a puppy.  THEY ARE EXHAUSTING.  Peeing all over the place.  YIKES.  I still  find Snowball to be absolutely precious.  I can’t help but fall in love with him.  He feels like velvet and he has that puppy breath going on.  Three dogs and no yard.  I have to walk Rocky and Zeus together and then come back for Snowball.  Snowball just wants to play with the other two, but he can’t yet because his eye has to heal. Keeping all three dogs apart is quite a challenge.  So, I post him all over facebook and twitter, talk him up to the neighbors, send pictures of him to everyone I know.  He has such a big fan base, but no takers.  The week is coming to an end….what am I going to do?  Can I just take him back to BARC?  Will he be okay there?

Luckily, one of Tobiah’s co-workers wants to try him out. I couldn’t believe it.  She grew up with dogs so I thought she knew what she was getting into…fast forward two weeks, Snowball, now Pirate, was back with me.  She was allergic to him and realized she did not have time for him.  Sigh. Fostering is a lot harder than I thought.  It really ain’t over til the fat lady sings.  Pirate jumps into my arms as soon as he sees me.  What am I going to do now? I begin to realize how when you foster, you really take full ownership of the dog.  I couldn’t just drop him off to Barc.  I had to find him a home.

Fast forward two more weeks, a friend of mine who had been following Snowball’s entire plight on Facebook had always wanted a Great Dane mix.  The only problem was that she lives in Alabama.  She is a huge rescue advocate and even volunteers at shelters.  So, Snowball takes a roadtrip to Alabama to be with his new family.  So big hip, hip, hooray for social media!  I would have never been able to find this little guy a home without Facebook!

Although I had not planned on fostering, Tobiah and I certainly learned a lot from Snowball.  Snowball had been tossed around and may have been abused, regardless of this, he still had a carefree and loving attitude towards dogs and humans.  Fostering was also beneficial for our pups.  Snowball taught Rocky how to be social and play with other dogs.  Snowball showed us that Zeus is very attuned to other dogs.  When we first got Snowball, Rocky was not a fan.  Zeus warned me quite a few times by digging his nose into my leg that a fight between Rocky and Snowball was imminent.  We are thinking about enrolling Zeus in the Caring Critters Program, a program that trains therapy dogs!

And apparently, the University of Missouri is studying whether fostering pets is beneficial to older adults.  “Studies show that people of all ages who own pets are more likely to exercise and to be more involved socially,” said Rebecca Johnson, PhD, RN, FAAN, director of ReCHAI and associate professor for the MU Sinclair School of Nursing and College of Veterinary Medicine. “However, older adults often are hesitant to adopt dogs because they travel too much, don’t want the commitment or responsibility, or they are afraid the pets will outlive them. In this study, we will partner these older adults with shelter dogs and determine if the foster owners receive the same benefits as those who own dogs.”

Bottom line, I would definitely foster again.  Let’s just hope BDB takes off so that we can get ourselves a big yard! 

Cheers and Happy Barkin’!

Annvi and Tobiah

Rescue Dogs & Separation Anxiety

Posted on 20. Sep, 2009 by Annvi in Barkin' Doggie Bloggie, Rescue Dogs

I have been fortunate enough that neither of my doggies have separation anxiety to the point where they are tearing up furniture, walls, or barking until they lose their voice. Zeus whined for a few days when we first got him, but he now seems to have adapted. A rescue dog may be more prone to this anxiety than a dog that comes from a breeder because shelter dogs are rarely left alone (they can hear/smell/see the other shelter dogs at all times) and there is always a kennel attendant on duty. When you remove a shelter dog from this environment and bring him home, he may feel that he has once again lost his pack. Don’t lose hope! Separation anxiety can be handled!

I thought this article does an excellent job of explaining how to deal with separation anxiety. Please do not let a bit of anxiety deter you from rescuing your best friend. Your dog will adapt! Just takes a bit of patience!

Tips on Separation Anxiety

Cheers and Happy Barkin’!

Annvi and Tobiah