The Shelter Chronicles: What a Friday!

Thank You Oprah!

Wow, I don't even know where to begin! First I want to comment on the Oprah show on Puppy mills, shelters, euthanasia and the spay/neuter issue. I must admit I was impressed overall in that Oprah brought these three issues together showing the connection of puppy mills to over population and the sad results of these irresponsible practices. The puppy mill segment was not as gruesome as I thought it would be (although it was bad enough). I was ready to fast forward as soon as it got too graphic. Poor kids.

What really caught me off guard though was the part on the Fort Worth shelter where they are forced to euthanize an insane number of beautiful adoptable dogs every single day. I was really disturbed by what I saw, not so much by the way they kill the dogs, but by the shear number of dogs! I felt sick by this grim reality. I must say, very brave of Fort Worth to show this process; but people need to see what is going on!

Of course the show made me think about our own situation at the shelter and the dogs who have been euthanized who may have been able to find a home. I do realize that we are fortunate at West LA and that the other shelters have much higher numbers. Whenever I think of one of our beautiful dogs being led to the euthanasia table, I just want to scream! We have so many wonderful animals as do ALL the shelters, city and county alike! Where are the people who are looking for a wonderful animal with whom to share their life? Hello! Are you out there???!!! Go to your local shelter, PLEASE!

Actually, on Friday, prior to Oprah, I was lucky enough to experience the wonderful adoption of two mostly white with black pitbulls who had been picked up on the street together. They had been deemed "best buddies" even though they weren't being housed together. They were the coolest dogs! The female was a friendly wiggle butt and the male was a bit more timid but you could see in his eyes that he was a loving boy. The people who adopted them were also really cool because they wanted two dogs, preferably two Pitbulls! OMG, I love you people! I guess their previous dog was a Pit and he had recently passed. They really seemed like nice folks who loved dogs.

So, Deb and I took the dogs out so the nice people could meet them in the yard. The dogs were so happy to see each other! They may have been related as they shared many physical traits. It didn't take long for the people to fall in love. Just after a few minutes of admiring their beauty and calm yet playful behavior the deal was sealed. Yay! The dogs were already spayed and neutered so off they went sitting in the back of their new guardian's car looking as hopeful as Deb and I were feeling. Good luck doggies! (sorry, I don't have pix)

In addition to that adoption, I worked with Princess (the Shepherd) and Sadie (the Bulldog mix), both of whom are coming along nicely. I'm seeing a lot more of Sadie's personality now and she definitely has a goofy side! She is very sweet and very good on leash. Plus she knows "sit" although she is a little picky about treats. I'm still working on finding her motivator. Sometimes she likes to run into me which is really funny. She also loves a belly rub with a BIG smile on her pretty little face.

Sadie A902312 (approx 3 years)

As for Princess, I feel that she needs a lot of love and human contact. She's extremely stressed at the shelter which manifests itself with her spinning in the kennel. People think she's too energetic or just crazy. However, I feel she is acting out due to the stress of her situation. This behavior is wearing her out which would also explain her weight loss. Poor baby. She is such a love and actually quite calm when out of her kennel. So keep that in mind when you go to the shelter that some dogs may seem super hyper and crazy, but often times they are only reacting to the stress of the their environment. Take them out of that environment and you have a very different dog. That's why you need to meet dogs outside of their kennel after they have relaxed a bit. Patience is key to choosing the right dog.

Princess A914086 (approx 5 years)

In the yard, I also observed two dogs who are kenneled together, Sara and Iyame. Sara is a Greyhound mix and Iyame is a gorgeous GSD. I would love to see these two go together as they really enjoy each others company. They play like crazy!! So happy, romping around, it's the cutest thing. A person with a yard would get so much pleasure out of just watching these two. You just can't help but smile the entire time watching them run around after and into each other. Both of these dogs are very sweet and mild mannered. They are young dogs too, probably around 1 1/2 or 2 years old. They are very special indeed! Come check them out at WLA.

Sara A905194 and Iyame A925520

This Sunday, 4/6/08 there are two adoption events. One is on the Venice Boardwalk and the other is on San Vicente in Brentwood (Bow Wow Meow). Take this opportunity to go meet some of the shelter dogs and you will see what I have been talking about. You'll fall in love for sure!