Why I don't go to shelters

I always prefer to take a foster that someone else has found and I really prefer it if someone else pulls the dog from the shelter and either brings it to me or meets me somewhere. Going to a shelter is tricky business for me because I rarely leave without "extra" dogs. Yesterday I got a call from the new director of the Fluvanna SPCA. That's my local county's shelter and I know they've had some tough times lately even though a dedicated core group of volunteers has been struggling for years to do their best to keep the shelter going and to avoid unnecessary euthanization. It is difficult in rural counties where the shelter is underfunded and the population has more than its share of low class, no class, inbred, mouth breathing, knuckledragging, cousin-marrying rednecks.

Anyway, the new director called me yesterday to ask if I'd come in to help them evaluate two rottweilers. I did so today. The rotties were fine and I agreed to take one in a week. Not bad so far.

Then I saw Jake. He was huddled in the back of his run, obviously scared to death, and apparently he had been that way ever since he came in to the shelter. He had virtually no chance of getting out of there and because of his level of fear, there was a very legitimate concern about whether or not he could safely be placed. I went in, dropped a slip lead over his head and pretty much dragged him out to an outdoor fenced area. He was terrified, but eventually decompressed a bit. When we left him alone, we went exploring the area and even had his tail up. I brought him home as an Animal Connections dog. He's still terrified, but he is securely ensconced in a large kennel of his own and has hunkered down in a straw-filled igloo doghouse for the night.

I fed him some canned food and made a point of loving on Teddy and Brady in the adjacent kennel while he was watching. We will see, but I'm hopeful that he will come around. He looks like a golden mix of some sort and should be quite adoptable once he comes out of his shell.

Then they told me about a shepherd mix named Friskie. She's got the body, coat, and coloring of a shepherd, but the head of lab or hound. Great looking dog, nice as can be. I had seen her several months ago when I was in there about another dog, but she looked so bad then I would never have guessed that this was the same dog. She was thin, full of worms, heartworm positive, and just looked sad, pathetic, and beaten down. It's a tribute to the staff and management at the Fluvanna SPCA that they saw her potential and saved her. The shelter staff loves her, said she was the best dog in there--housetrained totally, good with other dogs (but not cats), good with kids. She was their longest term resident. She came home with me as a VGSR dog.

She reminds me a lot of Destiny (that same wrinkled brow)and I imagine that this is what Destiny might have looked like with good care earlier in her life. (See Destiny in the 12/9/08 posting, "Tragedy's Silver Lining"). Although her inclusion in the German Shepherd rescue group might offend some purists, both inside and outside the organization, no one who's opinion matters will care one whit that she's less than "pure bred." She moved right in with Chance and Samson and I think she will be a good addition to that unruly crew.

There's a few more incoming dogs on the horizon, so I hope to move some out soon to make room. One recent arrival I expected to move quickly was Tippy. She got vaccinated and spayed today and I probably could have placed her this weekend or next, but, she tested positive for heartworms so she will be with me for a couple of months unless I can find an adopter who is prepared to see her through it.