We have 23 large dogs at our Vetport shelter right now not including Sadies’s five puppies. Our Vetport shelter is actually a small room in a boarding facility. It isnt really equipped to handle so many dogs. However with more people surrendering their animals recently and Animal Care and Control being grossly overcrowded and pleading with rescues to help, we are trying to do our part to help as many as we can. Sometimes that means stretching yourself a little bit thin.
The staff works tirelessly day and night to keep the shelter clean and the animals exercised and well fed. All of our animals have beds and toys and go out for walks at least four times a day. But no matter how hard to you try to make a dog comfortable and happy in a shelter, its still a shelter. To reduce stress and help keep the dogs socialized and balanced we try to take them off site as much as possible. One of our favorite places to take the dogs is hiking in Alley Pond Park early in the mornings.
We get to the shelter at 7am. Usually its me and a couple of dedicated volunteers who often give up sleeping in on the weekends to help out a shelter dog and bring him or her to the park. All of the dogs go crazy with excitment when we walk in the room. And when we take our dogs and walk them out the front door they know they are going somewhere special. The only hard part is deciding which dog to take. We never have enough volunteers to take all the dogs (though I dream of that happening one day!) I usually end up taking the dog that is the most frustrated at the shelter or the most depressed. There is nothing like a morning hike through the woods to lift your spirits!
We caravan to the Alley Pond Park and meet up with Bill Bokowski, the dog trainer from Pawsative and Kristie, a Bobbi and the Strays volunteer and trainer-in-training. Bill always has a pack of dogs and people with him who help socialize our shelter dogs. Before 9am is off leash hours. Most of the dogs who go to the park everyday are off leash and travel through the trails as a pack. Bill evaluates each shelter dog individually to see if they are ready to go off leash. They must be pack oriented and come back to you when called. We usually put a dog on a long leash before they go off leash and test how they will be.
This particular time the dogs we brought were Lennox, Bella and Penny. All dogs that would stay on leash though Lennox is working his way towards being off leash. It was his second or third time to the park. Lennox is a 10 month old puppy who is very frustrated at the shelter. Puppies are supposed to run and play and have fun. Its understandable why Lennox is unhappy spending time in a cage. Bella is a one year old Weimeraner/Pit mix who has tons of energy. I took Bella and Lennox in my car with one other volunteer. Penny is a two year old Staffie mix who is very timid. We rescued her from ACC awhile back. They put out a special plea for Penny because her former owner was arrested and put in jail for animal cruelty. Though there are no physical scars on Penny, she is afraid of new people and new things. She is never aggressive, just scared. This Saturday her Buddies, Alex and Jenna brought her to the park.
As the early morning sun filters through the late summer leaves, the dogs parade, run, hop and play through the trails along with their human friends. Its such a great feeling to see the dogs relaxed, playing with other dogs, running through the woods, sniffing all the smells and exploring new things! This is what the dogs really need! And to be honest, though I loathe waking up early, the hike through the park is thereputic for me too! There is a freshness to the morning air, a tranquilty in the woods… it gives me good energy for the rest of the day.
Penny didn’t seem afraid at all at the park. Perhaps being with the other relaxed and well socialized doggies put her at ease. Also going out with her Buddies weekly has really helped Penny come out of her shell. (to read more about our Buddy Program please see go to our volunteer page our our website) Lennox and Bella wanted to just play. They were so ecstatic to be away from the shelter. There was no frustration or stress. All three of the dogs met many new people and other dogs. We had a chance to spread the word about shelter dogs and how great dogs like these end up in shelters for no fault of their own. People were amazed that such beautiful animals could have been discarded and end up in the shelter system.
After they hike we end up in a big field where there are even more dogs running around and playing. Our shelter dogs are relaxed and happy! It was so rewarding to see Lennox and Bella stretched out on the cool grass.
On the ride back to the shelter, Lennox and Bella took a nap curled up together in the back seat. Awwwwwww! Bringing them back to the shelter is always hard. But they return in much more balanced state of mind. They are a good tired. The volunteers also feel good. You can see the difference it makes right away.
Bella and Lennox at Alley Pond Park
Bella and Lennox stretch out on the grass after the hike
Last week thanks to three great volunteers (Brian, Deanna and Audrey) we were able to take four shelter dogs to the park. Lennox and Bella went again and this time brought along a 7 month old puppy, Bamboo and Mia, a white bulldog/boxer mix. All four dogs were excellent with canines and people alike. You can see from their faces that they are just happy to be out at the park!
Laura and Lennox, Deanna with Bamboo and Mia, Audrey and Bella
If you are interested in volunteering for a morning hike with the dogs please email Laura@bobbicares.org for more info. Hikes are planned a couple of times a week (weekdays and weekends.) You can sign up for as many or as little as you like, but even if you can only do it one time, it makes a huge difference for our dogs =)
