When I settled in North Carolina this past summer, my first order of business was adopting a shelter dog. My husband and I found this gorgeous Lab mix at a no-kill shelter. He had spent most of his nearly three-year life after being found as a stray near a river. You needn't spend much time in this part of the country before you become aware of the extensive networks of dogfighting, supported by backyard puppy mills where dogs are churned out as quickly as biology allows.
The result: a massive oversupply of dogs, far exceeding society's demand.
Not a day goes by that I don't feel an enormous debt of gratitude for the folks who found my dog and brought him to the shelter, then nurtured him, taught him to walk on the leash, sit, take food gently and countless other far-from-stupid pet tricks. These kindly people - most of them volunteers - prepared him for adoption and optimized his chances for a good life.
Debts of gratitude are best repaid in kind. With this in mind, I'm now volunteering at our local county shelter which is run by our Sheriff's department under the umbrella of "Animal Protective Services". Their mission has become skewed towards protecting animals from people, more so than protecting people from animals. Their paid staff respond to cases of abuse, abandonment, dogfighting, puppy mills, strays, and other problems created by humans. Hundreds of volunteers do the rest of the work, supplemented by inmates performing community service.
It's a massive operation. Last year, they took in about 6,000 animals (primarily dogs, cats and livestock); of these, about 1,900 were adopted or placed with private no-kill shelters or breed rescues. This leaves about 4,100 euthanized, an average of 11 per day.
Pretty depressing, right? Well, not if you're one of the ones rescued from cold, hunger, overbreeding, dogfighting, disease, abuse, or abandonment. For these dogs, the new "leash" on life is just terrific.
The secret to this successful adoption rate? Close involvement with the community. In addition to adoption fairs, social media mobilization, and an extensive network of volunteers, the Sheriff's department sponsors educational events for kids and adults. Here's a mural that the elementary school kids created to be auctioned off for "the animals":
Spaying and neutering - vital to stemming the tide of the canine population boom - is provided at no cost, even for animals already owned by county residents. Sadly, many of the young female dogs at the shelter have already had a litter while they themselves were barely older than puppies. Shelter volunteers step forward to foster puppies found abandoned and too young for shelter life.
My "job" as a volunteer involves walking and socializing dogs at the shelter. It's the greatest unpaid job in the world. When I see that one of "my" dogs has been adopted, it's just awesome.
Most of the dogs love to get outdoors and, to varying degrees, they can walk on a leash. With some dogs, this is an aerobic event, pulling and jumping; with others, a relaxing chance to snuffle along in the woods around the shelter away from the antiseptic smells of the shelter.
Interestingly, many of these dogs are not all that interested in food as a motivator. They love to be petted, stroked, brushed, and massaged. They love to hear praise, to evoke a smile, to make us laugh at their antics.
The dogs can also romp around off-leash in an enclosure with agility features and a big basket of toys. We're not just exercising them; we're also reminding them - or teaching them for the first time - what it is to lead a "normal" dog life.
It may surprise some folks to find out that the shelter takes in a lot of "purebred" dogs. They work closely with legitimate breed rescues who can find suitable homes for these dogs, many of which would benefit from an "experienced' owner.
Even our North Carolina state dog, the Plott Hound, can be found in the shelter, a sad commentary indeed:
Follow along below (and watch where you step...)
Working at the shelter offers a sometimes disturbing window into the local economy, which has had a profound effect on the dog population. On a daily basis, owners come to the shelter to surrender cats and dogs. Many of these folks have their young children in tow. The reasons given for surrendering what should be a beloved family pet are varied, many of them arising from economic strain:
"I can't afford to feed him. I can barely afford to feed my kids"
"I can't afford the extra amount that my landlord charges for the dog"
"My dog has a lot of medical problems and I just can't afford the vet bills"
"My husband lost his job and we're moving in with my parents. We can't bring the dog"
When our witless political "leaders" shred our safety nets, it's not only the human families who suffer. In many cases, pets go from being a "necessity" to a "luxury". When you can't feed your kids or your elderly parents (or yourself), or you're eating dog food yourself, sacrifices need to be made.
Job loss, relocation, foreclosure, divorce - any difficulty that befalls our citizens imperils the animals in their care. While some of us might swear that we'd go without food, heat, or healthcare before we'd ever THINK of giving up our pets, for some folks, the days of such "hypotheticals" are long past.
The only positive from these sad situations is that more and more people are bringing their pets to the shelter for surrender, rather than simply abandoning them. Unfortunately, for most surrendered dogs, a happy ending is not in the cards. When the shelter receives an animal, they assess it for adoption potential. Dogs that are seriously diseased, completely untrained, aggressive, or otherwise unlikely to be adoptable are euthanized.
This means that a dog surrendered will most likely be "gone" one way or the other - euthanized or adopted - in the even that the person who surrendered it returns to reclaim it if their situation changes.
Some reasons for surrendering dogs aren't quite as compelling:
"My girlfriend has cats. She said the dog has to go"
"My dog is going blind/diabetic/arthritic..."
"We got the dog for the kids, but they're not taking care of her"
"This dog won't hunt"
"She's not housebroken. I'm tired of cleaning up after her"
"He barks all day long (usually said of a dog left out on a chain)"
It's not too difficult to sort these folks out from the "economic" surrender cases. Indeed, there have been several cases of a person surrendering a dog, then saying "Let me see what other dogs you guys have available for adoption." Seriously.
When humans cannot or will not maintain their end of the "bargain", the dogs pay the price. Dogs are treated as expendable objects rather than easily traumatized sentient beings. Dogs who deserve love and proper medical care, or at least a dignified end to their lives, are thrust into unfamiliar surroundings with strangers.
To their enormous credit, the shelter staff are fully committed to doing their very best for the animals in life and at the end of life. These folks are the best that humanity has to offer, but they see the worst that "humans" can dish out, on a daily basis. Rather than lamenting the futility of tackling "everything", they work hard to find homes for the adoptable dogs, to educate the public, to work with legislators on puppy mill legislation, and to work with breed rescues, no-kill shelters, spay and neuter facilities, veterinarians, and the media.
It takes a village to solve the problems of pet overpopulation, but it only takes one person - maybe one of YOU - to make a difference. If you're in the market for a dog, please adopt from a shelter! Boycott pet stores selling puppy mill dogs. If you're not in a position to adopt, consider fostering a dog, volunteering at the shelter, or donating to those who work to rescue dogs. Even something as simple as sharing a listing on available dogs over social media can help to connect a dog with a loving home.
Adopting from a shelter will save a dog's life and transform your life. You'll have a true friend who loves you unconditionally and delights in sharing your home and your heart.
There is no greater joy than seeing my wonderful rescue dog sleeping, safe and sound, home at last.