In the summer 2011 issue of Our Four-Footed Friends we brought you the adoption story of Dennis and Vinny. Dennis, a first-time dog owner wanted a moderately active dog with a mellow personality that he could take for jaunts around the Back Bay with his wheelchair.
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The landscape of humane sheltering is pretty diverse. Organizations can range from very small, volunteer-based groups focused on a specific animals (like guinea pigs) to large, high-volume organizations employing 50 or more employees that may take in all animals presented to it. This diversity is a strength because it enables our industry to care for animals of all types, ages, personalities, etc. But this diversity also makes it difficult to develop programs, services, and tools that are useful to a large number of sheltering organizations.
What works in a three person, all-volunteer group that is focused on rescuing cats from foster homes doesn’t always work for a high-volume shelter taking in 30 cats a day, as well as dogs, ferrets, birds, etc.
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Most shelter dogs spend many hours by themselves in their kennel. Due to anxiety, lack of exercise, and boredom, the dogs may become destructive and develop unruly or repetitive behaviors.
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Despite the great number of shelter dogs who become excellent companions for their new owners every year, the stereotypes and prejudices about kenneled dogs still exist. People are sometimes concerned that shelter dogs have more behavioral problems than owned dogs. Yet, there is little quantitative research exploring this issue.
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When I first met Noel I knew she was a special girl. The only word I can think of to describe her personality is ‘spunky’! She is full of life with her cute white line on her black face and floppy ears. Very sweet eyes but behind that sweetness there was some major ‘spunk’!
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Although I remember hearing the news of the tornadoes that hit Joplin, MO in May, I didn’t realize the extent of the devastation until I arrived on Thursday, June 23rd. The Joplin, Missouri tornado arrived on May 22, 2011; it was the deadliest tornado in the united states since 1950 and claimed the lives of over 140 people.
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The Center for Shelter Dogs held their 3rd Summer Institute on June 6-10, 2011 at the Animal Rescue League of Boston. The Summer Institute provides unique and valuable dog-focused hands-on training for animal care professionals involved in dog intake, behavior evaluation, training, behavior modification, enrichment and adoption.
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Around Christmas of 2010, the animal control officer from Hull called us about Lucy, a 7 year old spayed female boxer. She saw the CSD as Lucy’s only hope. Although Lucy lived amicably with a dog she was severely aggressive to other dogs, especially small ones. The episode that led her owners to consider giving her up was when Lucy escaped from their yard and attacked a small dog that was being walked.
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Jade is a beautiful 2 year old Rottweiler who captured our hearts with her boundless energy and enthusiasm. Her friendly personality has been both a blessing and a curse – although she is an extremely loveable dog, her previous owner was not able to provide her with the time or patience she needed so they surrendered her to the Animal Rescue League of Boston.
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The Center for Shelter Dogs recently used Kinesis Survey™ to develop and pilot a new project, The Match-Up II Shelter Dog Rehoming Program, which is a multi-part system designed to help shelters learn about the personality and needs of each dog so that behavioral interventions can be implemented as necessary and successful adoption matches can be made.
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