The Shelter Chronicles: Dogs Bite
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Friday, February 27, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
The Shelter Chronicles: Love dogs
Valentine's day at the shelter was nice. I don't think we had the turn out that we hoped for, but it was a good day overall.
Unfortunately, there was a horrible mishap that occurred at the end of the day where a volunteer was bitten by a dog. The dog showed no aggression prior to the bite, however, the dog did have a history of being abused. No one knew the dog's back story as he was a stray, but his past was evident by the marks around his neck. This dog had been tethered for a very long time, to the point where the collar was embedded in his neck.
One of the important lessons to be learned by this incident is that even though we want to love the dogs unconditionally, we have to be highly aware that we don't really know these animals! Since no temperament testing is not done, we don't know what the dog's triggers may be. In this particular case, even though the dog was behaving in a friendly way, you can't hug a dog or put your face in his face safely. Remember, you can't let your guard down to the point where you don't use good judgment. This incident could have been avoided.
McKenzie - Pit Bull - Medium - Adult
McKenzie has definitely blossomed during her time at the shelter. She was pretty withdrawn and depressed initially. She had just had puppies when she came to the shelter and she had killed one of them. We don't know why but it's not unheard of in the animal world for a mother to kill a puppy that is sick or weak.
Now that McKenzie has put all that behind her, she is a much happier girl. She really doesn't like being in the shelter and hates going back to her kennel after an outing. She loves to be with people. She's such a cutie and lots of fun. She has that Pittie energy and is really delightful to play with. McKenzie is a wonderful dog and deserves a stable home where she can really be happy. She hasn't been tested with kids and cats. She seems fine around other dogs and is not reactive. She hasn't shown any aggression so chances are she's a good family dog.
Shadow - female - Rottweiler mix - small/med - young
This gorgeous girl is full of fun! She would be great with a family or person who likes to play with and train their dog. She's got lots of energy. In fact, she was brought to the shelter for being "hyper." We haven't seen any unusual hyper behavior, just a dog who wants to have some fun. Shadow is very responsive and knows some obedience commands. She's food motivated which is always good for training. What a cute kid she is! She definitely has a confident personality, she's not shy at all. This indicates to me that she'd be great in a family if they trained her otherwise, I bet she'd get into some trouble! She's also a great size and very sweet.
Becerra - Pit Bull - male - Med/large - young
This picture doesn't do this guy any justice. He is a really pretty dog with a gorgeous tan coat. Becerra is super playful and active. He is BALL CRAZY and nothing makes him happier! He loves to run around chasing the ball with his tail wagging like mad the whole time. Becerra is another dog who would be great with an active family or person who would play with him and run him on a regular basis. One volunteer told me that when she takes him for a walk, he can't wait to get back to the shelter to play in the yard. He is a really cool guy. I could see him running around the beach chasing a ball and enjoying life to the max!
Alex - Lab mix - Med - Adult
This girl is a real sweetheart. No one has a bad word to say about her. She's been at the shelter for a while now and it seems to be another case of black dog syndrome. There really is no reason that she's not in a home yet. She's easy to walk on leash and very obedient. I bet she would a perfect girl with some gentle guidance. The one thing that her previous owner had to say about her is that she doesn't like kids. We don't know what happened or why she doesn't like kids. We haven't tested her for this so it remains to be an unknown. Why chance it though? I recommend she be in an adult only home where she can receive lots of love!
All these doggies are at the WLA Animal Shelter! www.laanimalservices.com
Unfortunately, there was a horrible mishap that occurred at the end of the day where a volunteer was bitten by a dog. The dog showed no aggression prior to the bite, however, the dog did have a history of being abused. No one knew the dog's back story as he was a stray, but his past was evident by the marks around his neck. This dog had been tethered for a very long time, to the point where the collar was embedded in his neck.
One of the important lessons to be learned by this incident is that even though we want to love the dogs unconditionally, we have to be highly aware that we don't really know these animals! Since no temperament testing is not done, we don't know what the dog's triggers may be. In this particular case, even though the dog was behaving in a friendly way, you can't hug a dog or put your face in his face safely. Remember, you can't let your guard down to the point where you don't use good judgment. This incident could have been avoided.
McKenzie - Pit Bull - Medium - Adult
McKenzie has definitely blossomed during her time at the shelter. She was pretty withdrawn and depressed initially. She had just had puppies when she came to the shelter and she had killed one of them. We don't know why but it's not unheard of in the animal world for a mother to kill a puppy that is sick or weak.
Now that McKenzie has put all that behind her, she is a much happier girl. She really doesn't like being in the shelter and hates going back to her kennel after an outing. She loves to be with people. She's such a cutie and lots of fun. She has that Pittie energy and is really delightful to play with. McKenzie is a wonderful dog and deserves a stable home where she can really be happy. She hasn't been tested with kids and cats. She seems fine around other dogs and is not reactive. She hasn't shown any aggression so chances are she's a good family dog.
Shadow - female - Rottweiler mix - small/med - young
This gorgeous girl is full of fun! She would be great with a family or person who likes to play with and train their dog. She's got lots of energy. In fact, she was brought to the shelter for being "hyper." We haven't seen any unusual hyper behavior, just a dog who wants to have some fun. Shadow is very responsive and knows some obedience commands. She's food motivated which is always good for training. What a cute kid she is! She definitely has a confident personality, she's not shy at all. This indicates to me that she'd be great in a family if they trained her otherwise, I bet she'd get into some trouble! She's also a great size and very sweet.
Becerra - Pit Bull - male - Med/large - young
This picture doesn't do this guy any justice. He is a really pretty dog with a gorgeous tan coat. Becerra is super playful and active. He is BALL CRAZY and nothing makes him happier! He loves to run around chasing the ball with his tail wagging like mad the whole time. Becerra is another dog who would be great with an active family or person who would play with him and run him on a regular basis. One volunteer told me that when she takes him for a walk, he can't wait to get back to the shelter to play in the yard. He is a really cool guy. I could see him running around the beach chasing a ball and enjoying life to the max!
Alex - Lab mix - Med - Adult
This girl is a real sweetheart. No one has a bad word to say about her. She's been at the shelter for a while now and it seems to be another case of black dog syndrome. There really is no reason that she's not in a home yet. She's easy to walk on leash and very obedient. I bet she would a perfect girl with some gentle guidance. The one thing that her previous owner had to say about her is that she doesn't like kids. We don't know what happened or why she doesn't like kids. We haven't tested her for this so it remains to be an unknown. Why chance it though? I recommend she be in an adult only home where she can receive lots of love!
All these doggies are at the WLA Animal Shelter! www.laanimalservices.com
Sunday, February 8, 2009
The Shelter Chronicles: My Doggone Heart
West LA City Shelter Valentine's Day event on 2/14
11361 West Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90064
First off, let me just say that everyone who is reading this blog should immediately throw away any retractable leashes they may have. This product is the single worst invention that I have ever run across in regard to dogs.
Yesterday while walking my Rottie Ace, we came upon two people walking their dogs both on retractable leashes. One of the dogs was small and the other was medium large. The bigger dog went nuts when he saw Ace displaying what I would call fairly severe leash aggression.
Well, needless to say, the retractable leash was no match for an aggravated dog who wanted a piece of my dog. He pulled his leash to it's full 20 feet or so and nearly got Ace. Meanwhile the man holding him had NO CONTROL whatsoever and ended up with a rope burn from trying to grab that lame string they call a leash!
Wow, what foolishness! People, buy a real leash! Retractables are dangerous and unrealiable, especially with a dog larger than 5 lbs. They just suck!
Okay, I feel a little better now...
FYI, the West LA Shelter is having a Valentine's day event called "My Furry Valentine" this coming Saturday 2/14 starting at 10am. All the animals will be available for discount prices! Woo Hoo! Plus there will be other fun stuff going on over there like face painting, food and of course all of us wonderful volunteers. Lot's of fun and lot's of adoptions we hope!
The other little piece of info is that I have started an Animal Welfare Committee in Mar Vista. If you are a stakeholder in the Mar Vista district and want to participate in the Animal Welfare Committee, please contact me at lola4dogs@gmail.com. The Committee will be dedicated to educating the public on all matters concerning our companion animal friends. Yay!
On to the doggies!
Yesterday while walking my Rottie Ace, we came upon two people walking their dogs both on retractable leashes. One of the dogs was small and the other was medium large. The bigger dog went nuts when he saw Ace displaying what I would call fairly severe leash aggression.
Well, needless to say, the retractable leash was no match for an aggravated dog who wanted a piece of my dog. He pulled his leash to it's full 20 feet or so and nearly got Ace. Meanwhile the man holding him had NO CONTROL whatsoever and ended up with a rope burn from trying to grab that lame string they call a leash!
Wow, what foolishness! People, buy a real leash! Retractables are dangerous and unrealiable, especially with a dog larger than 5 lbs. They just suck!
Okay, I feel a little better now...
FYI, the West LA Shelter is having a Valentine's day event called "My Furry Valentine" this coming Saturday 2/14 starting at 10am. All the animals will be available for discount prices! Woo Hoo! Plus there will be other fun stuff going on over there like face painting, food and of course all of us wonderful volunteers. Lot's of fun and lot's of adoptions we hope!
The other little piece of info is that I have started an Animal Welfare Committee in Mar Vista. If you are a stakeholder in the Mar Vista district and want to participate in the Animal Welfare Committee, please contact me at lola4dogs@gmail.com. The Committee will be dedicated to educating the public on all matters concerning our companion animal friends. Yay!
On to the doggies!
A0804874
Tigger * Pit Bull * Youngish * Large
Look how happy this fella is! What a goofball! Tigger is playful and full of fun. He definitely could use some training but he so cute and funny, people just love him. Apparently he was brought up with children so he's kid friendly. Of course, I always suggest that careful supervision and training is necessary no matter what things appear to be on the surface. Tigger would be better with older kids, mostly due to his rambunctious nature. This guy is super cute and has a huge head! Too funny. Come meet this sweetheart!
A0973202
Kenga * Pit Bull * Senior * Med/Lg
Kenga is a doll of a dog. She is the best pal of China A0973208 the other gorgeous and sweet pittie girl that I've featured on the site. Kenga is a bit more chill and not as playful as Kenga. She's super sweet though and cute as a monkey! She would thrive in a mellow environment where she wasn't expect to be a "watch dog" or something. She is just a mellow older lady looking for a loving home. She and China would love to stay together...
A0981260
Gulliver aka Bear * Mountain dog/Rottie mix* Adult * Giant
Gulliver is BIG. He's a big furry monster. This guy is actually a big sweetie as you can see below. He a darling boy in fact. Here is his story: "Gulliver was found on the freeway along with his friend, a white shepherd, who has already been adopted. Gulliver is a big dog, very people friendly with some dog aggression (we think) that requires training. But really, just great with people. He'll run around for a few minutes then wear himself out and want to roll around with a person. The WLA volunteer thinks he'd be great for a family or older couple."
He really is a cutie. However he's very big and a puller on leash. He should be the only dog and he will need some training to get the leash aggression under control. Btw, DEFINITELY NO RETRACTABLE LEASH with this guy! Ahem...
Loving the belly rubs!
Passing the cuddle test! What a good boy!
All of these dogs are at the WLA Shelter,
11361 West Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90064.
See you there!
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