I try to stay up to date with what’s going on in the field of animal welfare. I read articles, watch webinars, and follow a million organizations on social media. The other day I came across a quote from Janice Bradley, Director of Science and Behavior at the National Canine Research Council. She said, “Please evacuate the dogs. That’s not going to happen. They’re just dogs between homes living in shelters.”
I sat and stared at this quote for a while. Sometimes we come across something so obvious that it’s startling in its simplicity. Of course, I know that shelters are just a way station for the pets that come to us as they move from home to home, but I’ve known for many years that people refer to “shelter dogs” as some sort of I’ve heard people argue as if they were animals. A separate category of dogs has sunk into my subconscious.
Here at Midcoast Humane, we often talk about how every dog is an individual, and we never judge a dog based on appearance or presumed breed. We match the dog in front of us with the adopter based on the criteria, but it is clear from the name “protection dog” that classification and prejudice begin even before we reach that point.
So let’s take a look at some of the dogs currently in our shelter. Franklin, a 60-pound spaniel, came to us as a stray dog through a Brunswick animal control officer at the end of the day. He was found loose on Route 1. I was there when the police brought him in, and my heart immediately felt for him. He looked sad and confused, and when I crouched down to greet him, he immediately moved to my hands and feet, shaking and accepting any port in the storm. I did. He was wearing a coat that had been recently taken care of, so the marks from his shave guard were still visible. He was very clean and clearly well cared for. We were surprised that he didn’t have a collar, tags or microchip, but fully expected a voicemail from his frantic owner to be waiting for us in the morning. There wasn’t.
He spent the next day in our foster care staff’s office. His demeanor was so kind and gentle that he made a great office mate and was perfectly home-schooled. On the third day, I connected with Mr. Franklin. He was caring for Franklin’s elderly mother, who had undergone foot surgery and was unable to perform the surgery herself. Mr. Franklin had a hard time dealing with the unneutered male dog in the house, sometimes jumping over the fence to escape, but on the day the ACO came to pick him up, the children at home had left the gate open. There is a possibility. His caregivers have chosen to leave Franklin with us to find him a new home where he will be happier.
Trixie is a gentle giant who weighs 85 pounds of love. She was adopted as a puppy but was returned to us because her family was no longer allowed to keep her where they lived. They gave her 45 days’ notice to return home. They tried all their relatives and friends but couldn’t find anyone who would take a dog her size. According to the profile they gave us, she is crate trained, does well with the small children she lived with, loves car rides, and is a “big, loving dog.” It is written that. I could have continued, but these two dogs are the only ones with row space. One day, Trixie and Franklin were dogs living in a neighbor’s house. Next, they became “protection dogs.”
Nothing was different from the previous dogs except that they and their families needed our help. For many people, there is a stigma attached to being a “shelter dog.” Some people say, “There’s a reason they’re in the shelter.” That is, there are reasons related to the dog, not the family they lived with, and “you never know what you’re going to get.” ” In the case of shelter dogs, the implication is that you know the dog from a breeder rather than a shelter. Franklin originally came from a Brittany Spaniel breeder. He is with us because he did not adjust to unmodified dogs in his new home. I think that’s understandable. Not all dogs get along well with all other dogs. This is the perfect dog for those who have a gentle dog or no other dog, and is very easy to find a home for. Trixie isn’t here because of herself or her family. Some situations are unsolvable, and her family’s housing situation is not something she can change.
Sometimes people get a dog for reasons related to the dog itself. My wall-eating dog, Daphne, might have been taken to a shelter for her behavior if she had gone to another family who wasn’t as concerned about regularly repairing the walls. yeah. But she’s a “protection dog” so she won’t eat the corners of the wall even if it’s disgusting. More specifically, she is a purposefully bred purebred Redbone Coonhound. The fact that she ended up being rescued in Georgia and transported to Maine, rather than being sold at a swap meet where she was found by a shelter volunteer in Georgia, was due to the kind heart of that volunteer. is. She could only pay for one puppy and chose Daphne, who was in the saddest condition. I am grateful every day that she chose Daphne. Even if it’s the day I have to muddy the walls again.
My point is that Mr. Bradley is right. Franklin and Trixie are just dogs living in a shelter between homes, just like all the other dogs here and in every shelter. Not every dog is suitable for every household, and that’s okay. Many people wouldn’t want to live with Daphne, but she’s perfect for our family. I would trade eating her walls for kindness to the cats any day. The trick when visiting a shelter is to keep an open mind. Ask staff about the dog’s background, how they have interacted with staff and volunteers, what the dog’s positive traits and challenges are, and be honest about what they expect from the dog and how it lives. Let’s talk. They are all just dogs between the houses.
Jess Townsend is the director of Midcoast Humane.
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