Be The Change - Pet Relinquishment

Oct 15: Be, Blog, Read, Share the Change for Animals!

Today is a special post, "Blog the Change for Animals!". I am participating in a blog hop along with other pet bloggers that are also writing in support of various causes and coming together to share information and ideas :)

Fun Fact: October is Adopt a Shelter Pet Month !!! WOO HOO!!! My next topic will be on that :) 

The topic I wanted to touch on today was pet relinquishment; the reason why SO many shelters have SO many animals. Have you ever wondered how we receive all the pets at the shelter? Where do they come from? Why did people give them up? Many come in thinking that most of our pets were lost or stray animals and are always shocked to find out that NONE of them are lost or stray animals...but pets from previous homes that someone just didn't want anymore.

The non-profit shelter I work at only takes in owner relinquished pets, while Animal Services (county funded) takes in all animals, especially lost or stray animals. So why do people bring them in? I found an interesting study done by the National Council on Pet Population that shows the top 10 reasons for cats and dog:

"We're moving...we just can't take him with us." OH man, if I had a dollar for every time I have heard that statement, I'd be RICH! That is by far the most common reason people bring in their dogs, with finances and time commitment coming in second and third. Allergies is a big one with cats and people also find themselves with litters of kittens...and by the time they know it, they have 6 cats. Spaying and neutering IS SO IMPORTANT! And then of course we always hear the craziest stories or the ones that want to make you cry...every day is a new day.

What can we do to stop people from bringing their pets to the shelter? In truth, EDUCATION IS KEY. People need to realize that owning a pet is a long term commitment and not short term. Also, early obedience training can help avoid future behavioral issues. There are so many resources in your community that can help with training and in all other aspects of your pets life.

Somehow these resilient pets seem to have this amazing ability to move on and move forward with their lives and always are willing to forgive. They always live in the moment and it always makes me wonder...why can't we be more like that? Letting go of resentment and angry feelings will ultimately make us happier people. So how about we learn some life lessons from our pets and have a more positive outlook in life :)

Zeus the Cane Corso

Meet the very amazing and sweet big boy named Zeus, the Cane Corso. I have seen many Mastiff breed dogs come into the shelter and many more mixed breeds, but never a Cane Corso! The Cane Corso is an Italian Mastiff that was bred to hunt and act as a guard dog. They are powerful big dogs that require an experienced owner and plenty of socialization and training. The Corso is known to be very headstrong and intelligent, which can be both a good and bad thing. Zeus is quite a special dog with plenty of personality; he absolutely LOVES human interaction and giving affection. He really thinks he is a lapdog too because every time we take him out to the rec yard and one of us sits down on a bench, he tries to lay down on your lap (even if half of his body is dangling off). Zeus is truly the definition of a "gentle giant".

Now here are some pictures of Jax and Edward, my ex-foster/new kitty, enjoying a nap in the middle of the day. If you didn't see my last blog post, Edward is a cat that I took in to foster for sometime while he healed from his neutering procedure. He was in a cage for the past 7 months and was unable to go into a free roam room with other cats because he wasn't neutered...so he had no idea how to live outside of a cage until just recently. Every noise made him run the other way and all the smells were new to him. Watching him experience everything for the first time was incredible and it has been so rewarding to see him grow and be more comfortable at home :)

Edward took over Jax's bed and at first Jax didn't know where to go. So I found him sleeping on the floor, then right next to the bed playing with Edward...and then he eventually decided to just share and sleep right on top of poor Edward...and Edward didn't seem to mind at all! He seems so at peace in the house and has slowly become more active, curious, and playful with us and with Jax.

I think this is exactly what Jax needed, a friend to keep him company and play with...especially when I'm not home. I catch them chasing each other around the house all the time and even better, snuggling and taking naps together. They are the cutest thing and have become instant brothers! :)

Foster #2: Awkward Edward

Working 6 days in a row is EXHAUSTING! I finally have a day off today and can semi-relax at home and cross of some things on my to-do list. So much to do so little time!

Let me start by introducing you to my foster for a week and half: Edward.

Honestly his name is just Edward, my boyfriend and I gave him the nickname "Awkward Edward". Edward came into the shelter in mid April and is now approximately a year old. We have four free roam rooms in our cat building where our kitties have the ability to be out of a cage and live a more comfortable life until they are adopted. Unfortunately, unuttered male cats can't be in the rooms for a couple of reasons. Intact male cats are more likely to be territorial and fight as well as mark their territory, which is called spraying or marking. Unspayed female cats are known to do it as well, but it is more common in males than with females. Urine is what's sprayed out onto walls and furniture, and it   is usually a stress reliever for the cats. It's their way of coping with dealing with stress...and at the same time it's telling you something is going on! Young male cats exhibit the behavior more and it can usually be avoided by neutering them early. We attempted making a room that had some intact males with spayed females and it was a DISASTER! The stink from the spraying was extremely difficult to get rid of and many of them would try to dart out of the door whenever they had a chance (searching a mate).

So poor Awkward Edward came into the shelter with two things against him: young male and intact. This meant that he had to stay in a cage until he got adopted. He's been at the shelter since mid-April, which means he's been living in a cage for almost 7 months! A little more than half of his life has been spent in a cage with little human interaction and outside enrichment. It's been tough getting him adopted because anytime someone visits with him in a meet and greet room, he's nervous and uncomfortable. And can you blame him? So we decided to get him neutered, I would foster him until he heals, and then return him to the shelter. Now he gets to be in a free roam room with more space and no more cage life! :)

Here he is exploring at my house and experiencing a bunch of new smells and objects. When I first opened the carrier, he ran right under the bed and didn't come out for a while. Slowly he's been creeping around and learning how to be more comfortable in his new surroundings. What I found funny is how he would bump his nose on things around the house then run away, it was his way of testing things out. Hence the name "Awkward Edward"! He was fidgety, skittish, nervous, and awkward and is still slowly transitioning into a more confident kitty.

Jax has been a wonderful foster brother to Edward :) I let them socialize whenever I'm home and they have become buddies. I've noticed Jax is friends with anybody (human and animal) that I bring home...so he's a great first friend for Edward. He's gentle enough so as not to scare him with rough play, but friendly enough that I find Edward roaming around the house looking for him. I hope that this will help Edward show his sweet personality more at the shelter and helps him find a permanent home.

How Could You? - A Dog's Letter

My friend showed me this letter she found online. It's a letter written from a dog's perspective...this made me tear up and cry, so I'm warning you now! It's the sad truth that many dogs and cats face when they are brought in to shelters across the nation, and I see it everyday. This is the toughest part of my job hands down; witnessing pets be brought in to the shelter and having their whole world turn upside down. It's the reality of what happens to numerous pets, and some don't get that "second chance". I always hope that the person taking their dog out of the car in the parking lot is just walking to the clinic...and then I see them turn towards our dog receiving door and my heart sinks a little. I know what their excuses will be..."we're moving", "we don't have time", "just can't afford him", or "I know he'll find a better home here". And somehow they expect me to smile back and tell them "everything will be ok", when in reality I know that that's a lie. I wish for a second that they would stop and put themselves in their dog's "shoes"...

How Could You?
by Jim Willis

When I was a puppy, I entertained you with my antics and made you laugh. You called me your child, and despite a number of chewed shoes and a couple of murdered throw pillows, I became your best friend. Whenever I was "bad," you'd shake your finger at me and ask, "How could you?" -- but then you'd relent and roll me over for a belly rub.

My housebreaking took a little longer than expected, because you were terribly busy, but we worked on that together. I remember those nights of nuzzling you in bed and listening to your confidences and secret dreams, and I believed that life could not be any more perfect.

We went for long walks and runs in the park, car rides, stops for ice cream (I only got the cone because "ice cream is bad for dogs" you said), and I took long naps in the sun waiting for you to come home at the end of the day. Gradually, you began spending more time at work and on your career, and more time searching for a human mate. I waited for you patiently, comforted you through heartbreaks and disappointments, never chided you about bad decisions, and romped with glee at your homecomings, and when you fell in love.

She, now your wife, is not a "dog person" -- still I welcomed her into our home, tried to show her affection, and obeyed her. I was happy because you were happy. Then the human babies came along and I shared your excitement. I was fascinated by their pinkness, how they smelled, and I wanted to mother them, too. Only she and you worried that I might hurt them, and I spent most of my time banished to another room, or to a dog crate.

Oh, how I wanted to love them, but I became a "prisoner of love." As they began to grow, I became their friend. They clung to my fur and pulled themselves up on wobbly legs, poked fingers in my eyes, investigated my ears, and gave me kisses on my nose. I loved everything about them and their touch -- because your touch was now so infrequent -- and I would've defended them with my life if need be. I would sneak into their beds and listen to their worries and secret dreams, and together we waited for the sound of your car in the driveway.

There had been a time, when others asked you if you had a dog, that you produced a photo of me from your wallet and told them stories about me. These past few years, you just answered "yes" and changed the subject. I had gone from being "your dog" to "just a dog," and you resented every expenditure on my behalf.

Now, you have a new career opportunity in another city, and you and they will be moving to an apartment that does not allow pets. You've made the right decision for your "family," but there was a time when I was your only family.

I was excited about the car ride until we arrived at the animal shelter. It smelled of dogs and cats, of fear, of hopelessness. You filled out the paperwork and said, "I know you will find a good home for her." They shrugged and gave you a pained look. They understand the realities facing a middle-aged dog, even one with "papers." You had to pry your son's fingers loose from my collar, as he screamed, "No, Daddy! Please don't let them take my dog!" And I worried for him, and what lessons you had just taught him about friendship and loyalty, about love and responsibility, and about respect for all life.
You gave me a good-bye pat on the head, avoided my eyes, and politely refused to take my collar and leash with you. You had a deadline to meet and now I have one, too. After you left, the two nice ladies said you probably knew about your upcoming move months ago and made no attempt to find me another good home. They shook their heads and asked, "How could you?"

They are as attentive to us here in the shelter as their busy schedules allow. They feed us, of course, but I lost my appetite days ago. At first, whenever anyone passed my pen, I rushed to the front, hoping it was you that you had changed your mind -- that this was all a bad dream... or I hoped it would at least be someone who cared, anyone who might save me. When I realized I could not compete with the frolicking for attention of happy puppies, oblivious to their own fate, I retreated to a far corner and waited.

I heard her footsteps as she came for me at the end of the day, and I padded along the aisle after her to a separate room. A blissfully quiet room. She placed me on the table and rubbed my ears, and told me not to worry. My heart pounded in anticipation of what was to come, but there was also a sense of relief. The prisoner of love had run out of days. As is my nature, I was more concerned about her. The burden which she bears weighs heavily on her, and I know that, the same way I knew your every mood. She gently placed a tourniquet around my foreleg as a tear ran down her cheek. I licked her hand in the same way I used to comfort you so many years ago. She expertly slid the hypodermic needle into my vein. As I felt the sting and the cool liquid coursing through my body, I lay down sleepily, looked into her kind eyes and murmured, "How could you?"

Perhaps because she understood my dog speak, she said, "I'm so sorry." She hugged me, and hurriedly explained it was her job to make sure I went to a better place, where I wouldn't be ignored or abused or abandoned, or have to fend for myself -- a place of love and light so very different from this earthly place. And with my last bit of energy, I tried to convey to her with a thump of my tail that my "How could you?" was not directed at her.

It was directed at you, My Beloved Master, I was thinking of you. I will think of you and wait for you forever. May everyone in your life continue to show you so much loyalty.

A Note from the Author: If "How Could You?" brought tears to your eyes as You read it, as it did to mine as I wrote it, it is because it is the composite story of the millions of formerly "owned" pets who die each year in American & Canadian animal shelters.

Anyone is welcome to distribute the essay for a noncommercial purpose, as long as it is properly attributed with the copyright notice. Please use it to help educate, on your websites, in newsletters, on animal shelter and vet office bulletin boards. Tell the public that the decision to add a pet to the family is an important one for life, that animals deserve our love and sensible care, that finding another appropriate home for your animal is your responsibility and any local humane society or animal welfare league can offer you good advice, and that all life is precious. Please do your part to stop the killing, and encourage all spay & neuter campaigns in order to prevent unwanted animals.

Sleeping Beauties

The shelter has been SOOOO busy lately it's overwhelming! We have been receiving an alarming amount of pets from the community, and our manager has decided to reduce the adoption prices for cats and dogs over a year of age. It's THAT full! Our kennels are practically full, with the max amount of two dogs to a cage and the cat building is almost there as well. On a better note, the weather has been getting gradually cooler, and we're all starting to feel even the sligthest difference...and I'm so excited! I'm so over the summer heat and I'm sure all of the dogs are as well. Bring on the cold fronts please.

I've also been very busy with a class I'm taking this semester to fulfill the requirement to start applying to vet school. With that, my time spent in Crossfit after work, and other things...I haven't had any personal time, including my blog :( So I thought I'd make a picture post today. I wanted to share an accumulation of pictures I've taken of some of the cats and dogs I've caught sleeping. Enjoy :)

 And then some of my lazy cat Jax :)