Rowdy

The snow started earlier than they had forecasted.  It was supposed to start between 5 and 6 but had started snowing around 2:30.  We were supposed to get around 6 inches.  So far this year we had gotten a lot less than they had promised for every snowfall, so I didn’t expect this to be any different.  However when it started so early in the day and was so heavy I was concerned they might be on the conservative side this time.  (we ended up with about 8 inches)

I picked up fellow dog walker Mary as she does NOT have Blizzaks on her car (the BEST snow tires!) and we didn’t want to take a chance of her getting stuck or stranded.  We got there around 4:30 and there was only one other walker around.  I figured there would only be a few of us walking in that weather and we had close to 30 dogs.  As always we started with the dogs that had not been out for a while and work our way to the ones who had been out the latest. 

As the night wore on it was snowing harder and harder and started to really pile up on the sidewalks.  Dogs with thick fur coats did not mind the weather at all but the others needed the man-made variety and were generally not too keen on the outside environment.  Many of those dogs we take out for a potty break and then walk them through the halls of the Humane Society so they get some different sights, smells and exercise.  Of course trudging through the snow and going in and out of the cold we were wearing down a bit.

I looked at the board and saw that it was Rowdy’s turn to go outside.  Well, when you see a name like that and you are already tired, you generally get a picture in your mind of a giant black lab with an ENORMOUS amount of energy.  You envision yourself trying multiple times to get the collar and leash on and once you do being pulled down the hallway trying not to break into a sprint just to keep up.  So I mustered up as much energy as I could and went to see ROWDY!

When I looked in the kennel I saw a very happy black and white border collie mix with a denim bandana. (quite appropriate I thoughtJ)  He was very accommodating when I went in to put on his collar and leash and walked fairly controlled out the door.  On our way out we saw Mary and Diamond.  Diamond is a chocolate brown Australian cattle dog mix that loves the snow and has a lot of energy.  We decided we would go to the big adjacent yards and I would have Rowdy on one side and Mary would have Diamond on the other.

They LOVED racing up and down the fence over and over and over again.  Neither one wanted to show the other they might be getting the least bit tired.  Rowdy would bark 3 times and then run down the hill.  At the bottom he would bark 3 times and then run up the hill.  As the game went on, the distance from the top of the hill to the bottom of the hill kept getting shorter and shorter.  This went on for about 15 minutes in the ever-deepening snow.

Then Diamond decided she needed a break and left the game.  Well, Rowdy was okay with that and decided to explore more of the yard and the new blanket of snow.  He took off running to the south and leaped through the snow with beautiful form like a Lipizzaner stallion.  It truly was amazing to see.  He ran for another 10 minutes just frolicking through the snow. 

When we walked back into the shelter he walked on the leash beautifully.  We stopped in the cabinet to get him a nice big cookie and went back to his kennel.  I thought he would go in and curl up on his blanket because he was worn out, but the couple of times I walked by after that he would come to the back of the kennel with a look of “Can we go again?  That was FUN!”

He’s one of those dogs that you just know will find a great home and make someone smile even on a bad day.

Ducky Dog

There is a lot of controversy regarding the ownership of pitbulls.  In our city we have very strict regulations surrounding the ownership of majority pitbulls.  These include walking the dogs on a harness while being muzzled.  The owner must carry an extra liability insurance policy among other regulations.

I understand the concern on both sides of this issue and I believe a compromise needed to be made so we didn’t face a total ban.  I must confess that my perception of this breed has also changed.  I took the time to study the breed and understand some of the problems.  I got to know the ones that have come through our shelter.  Some of the most submissive dogs we see are pitbulls.  They LOVE people and love attention.  Even when an inexperienced walker is trying to figure out how the harness works or how to put a muzzle on so the dog can go for a walk they are incredibly patient.  It is like they know the person has no clue what they are doing and the only way they are going to get to go on that cherished walk is to sit still.  I have even had one who would lift her paws in order for me to put her harness on.

Last week I walked past the back of the kennels to get one of the dogs that needed to go out.  I peeked into the kennels as I walked by and there sat Ducky.  She is a brown majority pitbull who had recently had puppies.  There she sat on her bed watching as I walked by with a HOHOHO ball in her mouth.  She wasn’t playing with it but just holding it.  I took the other dog out and came back for Ducky.  (about 15 minutes later)  There she sat, still with the ball in her mouth.  I read her paperwork to make sure she needed a muzzle and to make sure there were no special instructions.  There was one.  The paperwork said, “Please make sure you do not leave her HOHOHO ball in her kennel.  Please put it in her bag so it will go home with her when she is adopted”  UH OH!

I asked a fellow walker if she would take the ball out of her kennel and put it in her bag while we were out on our walk.  When we came back in, Ducky and I went right to the toy box.  We searched and searched for a toy that was similar in size and texture to the HOHOHO ball.  She finally settled on a little stuffed squirrel.  If she didn’t look ADORABLE with that squirrel in her mouth!!!!  Every time I walked by her kennel after that she had that squirrel in her mouth.  I offered her a treat and she didn’t want to set her squirrel down even for the treat!  If I dropped the treat on the floor, she would carefully set the squirrel down just long enough to pick up and eat the treat and then pick the squirrel back up.

Unfortunately I didn’t get a picture of Ducky with the squirrel in her mouth and I just looked and she has found her forever home!!!  Maybe her new family will take that picture for me. …If only ALL the pitties were just like Ducky!

Greyhound puppies!!!

One of the neat things about volunteering for the local Humane Society is that sometimes you get to see things you wouldn’t normally.  One of those things came along just the other day.  We have a relationship with the nearby greyhound race track that when a dog is no longer needed at the track (for whatever reason) they will be placed with us to find their forever home.  Normally the dogs that come in are at least 4 years old, but once in a while we get one that is a little over 1 year.  It is a special treat when they are still puppies at 8 or 9 months old.  Greyhounds younger than that are extremely rare.  Typically they are held at the ‘farm’ until the time they start training to race.  If they are too small or too slow or for some other reason undesirable for racing they will be surrendered.

The other day we were notified by “The Greyhound Lady” that we were getting 4 10 week old puppies!  The notice went out to the Greyhound Group (those people who own or have owned greyhounds) that they had first dibs.  All of them were spoken for immediately.  Prior to them going to their new homes, they needed to go through our normal processing of vet checks and spaying or neutering.  I had a small window of opportunity to see an actual greyhound puppy!

I loaded up my husband and my son and we went on a field trip to the Humane Society.  OH MY GOSH!!!  They were absolutely adorable!!!  They looked like little fawns….one was even fawn color, two were black and brown brindle and the other was white with a red mask! 

They were definitely the talk of the Humane Society.  Employees were coming in early just to see them, dog walkers were making sure to stop by their kennels to take a peek…

For those of you that think a Humane Society or Animal Shelter is filled with sadness…I hope to help change your mind.  There are so many GREAT things that happen there that it helps when something sad does happen.

In the beginning...

Volunteering for my hometown Humane Society (HS) is not merely showing up one day and declaring that you are a volunteer.  There is a 2 hour intro to volunteering class you must attend.  If after you hear what it entails you still want to volunteer, you need to attend a 6 hour training class the next week.  After deciding what you want to volunteer for you may need to attend more training.  Once you complete the training you need to interview with the Volunteer Coordinator.  The Humane Society realizes they could not operate  successfully without hundreds of dedicated volunteers.

I have been a dog walker since May of 2010.  I have volunteered over 100 hours since then and wish I could do more.  I understand if I don't walk on my chosen night, it may mean a dog doesn't get to go out to potty until the next morning.  Or it could mean the walkers that are there don't get to spend any quality time with the dogs because they are too busy trying to get all the dogs out.  Our doors lock at 8:00pm so we do have a time limit.

I have had a lot of great experiences and met a lot of great people because I walk dogs.  This diary will attempt to convey some of those experiences.