It takes a village

to save a dog. Animal rescue definitely is not a one-person, or even a two- or three-person, job. It takes people with big picture perspectives and close-to-the ground perspectives, and people with money, people with time, people with space, people with the skills to evaluate, train, and care for animals, and more.

Even a village doesn't always succeed, because the supply of homeless and neglected animals is presently much greater than the supply of good permanent homes for them. This means that spay/neuter programs are and will continue to be the most important component of rescue.

This long-term, structural change is happening, in the U.S. overall and in Alachua County, due to the increase in low-cost spay/neuter programs and education. The result is that presently millions fewer animals are euthanized in shelters than twenty or even ten years ago, and there is good reason to hope that the numbers will continue to drop. A few communities have come close to ending euthanasia of healthy, adoptable animals, showing that this is not an impossible goal.

For the present, though, millions of dogs and cats are already here and in need. Shelter volunteers come to love these animals and celebrate when they are adopted into loving permanent homes. On a regular basis, however, perfectly healthy, friendly, sane animals run out of time and are placed on the euthanasia list at our county shelter and at almost every public shelter in the country. When that happens, shelter staff and volunteers often advocate for the animals, looking for private rescues to take them into their adoption programs, where they will have more time to find the perfect match.

Sometimes these efforts work miracles. Parker got one this week. He and four other dogs were placed on the euthanasia list for Tuesday, and on that day, volunteers were able to find foster homes and rescues to take in Parker and Nadine.

That still left three dogs on the list, all healthy, sweet, even-tempered, perfectly adoptable young adults who had simply been at the shelter too long. (Three of the five were pit bull type dogs, mirroring the overall proportion of pit bulls among dogs in the shelter.) The shelter is required by law to take in all animals turned in by owners or brought in as strays. This means that the shelter is usually at capacity or close to it. When that happens, animals die -- not because anyone wants them too (certainly not shelter staff!) but because there is no place for them to go.

After Parker and Nadine were placed, several dogs were still on the list, but more miracles happened. Emily, a goofy lovebug who won volunteers' hearts, was supposed to be euthanized on Thursday morning, but instead she was pulled by the same rescue that took in Parker. This was made possible because fans of Emily committed funds for medical care and food as well as identifying a foster home.

Another dog on the list was adopted by an acquaintance of another volunteer. The hours of networking and shaking the trees for potential foster homes and adopters worked this time -- but not without heroic effort by a whole village of people.

Sometimes heroic efforts can't save the situation, because rescue groups just cannot take all the animals in need, and in particular, they cannot take too many animals who are difficult to place -- including kittens in kitten season, certain types of adult animals (black cats, pit bulls, seniors), animals in need of medical treatment or training, and so forth. This limitation is not because rescue administrators don't care -- they wouldn't do this for a living if they didn't care desperately. However, they have to take a big picture, in which taking in an adorable litter of kittens might turn into years of care for the adult cats those kittens become. Saying no to an animal in need breaks hearts all around.

We have a whole village of smart, compassionate, creative people working miracles daily. Every miracle has many different pieces -- volunteers who socialize animals in the shelter, vets who perform low-cost spay and neuter surgeries, foster homes, and people who advocate for shelter animals in various settings. We all need each other. We're pretty effective already. Maybe more conversations -- about what we want to achieve, how we think we can achieve it, how our work relates to the other pieces of the rescue puzzle -- can make us even more effective.

Volunteer favorites

The adoptathon this weekend was a big success, and hopefully many rescues have some space to take in dogs from the shelter now. There are many criteria that go into how rescues choose the animals they pull from the shelter, including availability of particular kinds of foster homes, the need to have a diverse pool of adoptable animals, and resources to deal with medical problems, among other factors.

Often rescue groups do not have a chance to get to know animals at the shelter until they receive a euthanasia list and head to Animal Services to pull as many as they can take at that time. The dedicated volunteers at the shelter spend a lot of time with individual animals and get to know them well. Their experiences and perspectives are an invaluable resource for rescue groups seeking to pull the right dog or cat. We'd love to provide a way for rescue groups to make use of the local knowledge of shelter volunteers. This is a win-win situation, in which rescue groups can know more about the animals they bring into their programs, on the one hand, and shelter volunteers can advocate for the animals they have come to love.

A few long-time volunteer favorites are still waiting at the shelter and will probably run out of time very soon. Please take a look at these wonderful dogs:

Parker A452566

Parker is a young adult American Bulldog mix. He is a happy, playful, easy-going boy who would make a great running partner as well as a wonderful all-around family companion.

Emily A452881

Emily is a sweet, affectionate, and playful young adult female pit bull mix. She has beautiful markings and loves to cuddle, dig in the dirt, and most of all be with people.

Nadine A452736
Nadine is a young adult female pit bull mix. She is a beautiful, mellow, well-behaved girl who likes to cuddle and to play fetch. She is friendly with other dogs and non-reactive with cats.

A Penny for your thoughts

Penny is a gorgeous chocolatey brown girl who is new to the shelter. Beth has a lot to say about this lovely girl, and it's all good: Penny is the sweetest dog you will find! She loves people and will gently kiss your face if you let her. She is a calm girl that doesn't get overly excited, like some dogs do, when she comes out of her kennel. She walks nicely on her leash and comes into the yard at a leisurely pace. She had a bath at the shelter today and sat perfectly still. Penny actually seemed to enjoy the nice spa-like treatment. For a second, she almost even closed her eyes while she was in there. You're gonna love Ms. Penny!







However, we think that a warning is due: Penny is a bit of, well, a goober face. At least I think so.

Lannie, Albert, Gabby, and many more

These are the faces of adult dogs waiting at the shelter.


Lannie and Albert are both adults, and both are the kind of dogs that abound in our area -- brindle dogs and brown dogs, on the biggish size of medium sized, easy going, waiting more or less patiently to be part of a family.

Gabby is a little flashier, with her blue and white markings.

Madonna is an American Bulldog mix, like Albert, a dog that looks a lot like a pit bull (whatever that is), American Bulldogs are not terriers, however, but were bred for "baiting" and holding bulls, boars, and other large prey. It's another very common type of dog in the South.

Just a dog

Yesterday I got a message asking if I could help transport a dog from the shelter to Florida Cocker Spaniel Rescue. Yes, a Cocker Spaniel -- one of those small dogs with long ears and silky hair that don't scare anyone. Why would a crazy pit bull lady be called about a Cocker Spaniel?

There was actually a good reason. A few months ago, there was another Cocker in the shelter, an older female who was not doing well at all. The amazing Carol from Florida Cocker Rescue offered to take her, but wondered if someone could take the dog to meet her partway. I offered to do it, partly because that would open up a spot in the crowded shelter but mostly because the dog was suffering in the shelter and had a chance to get out sooner rather than later. For dog lovers, even crazy pit bull ladies, a dog in need is just a dog.

That first Cocker turned out to be a complete sweetheart. She perked up the minute she got out of the shelter, thoroughly enjoyed the ride to Ocala, and wagged her tail like crazy the minute she met Carol and her van full of silky, long-eared dogs. I had never really spent time with a Cocker Spaniel before, and if I thought of them at all, it was to remember an old study that showed that they bit more per capita than any other breed. (A more recent study shows that Dachshunds bite most often, followed by Chihuahuas and Jack Russell Terriers.) This dog was friendly, affectionate, and easy going. Hmm, I thought, maybe little silky eared dogs aren't so bad.

Carol told me that she had rescued a pit bull once. She fell so in love with him, she said, she had to ask a friend to foster him, because "If he stays in my house one more day, I won't be able to give him up." He was adopted by a family who loves him very much and still sends holiday cards to the rescuers. Carol doesn't say no to a dog in need, and she loves them for their dogginess, not their long silky ears.

And the most recent Cocker Spaniel at Alachua County Animal Services? I could not do the transport him this time, but asked around, and a generous volunteer named Paul offered to meet Carol south of Ocala this morning. He usually does Boxer rescue, but he didn't hesitate to spend half his Saturday helping a little long-haired dog in need.

What we want for pit bulls is the big-hearted love that Carol and Paul show to all dogs in need, regardless of breed or appearance.

Train your dog!

Actually, you're already doing it. Dogs are amazingly tuned in not just to our movements and words but to our intentions, desires, and feelings. They turn to look at what we are looking at, they anticipate future actions based on past experience, and they put cause and effect together brilliantly. Dogs are always asking what happens when they do a particular action, and the answers they get are what "trains" them. Every time you say "wait" before you let your dog out the door, and then open the door when she sits or moves away, you're teaching a positive behavior. Every time you get up and feed your dog because he is barking in your face, you're teaching a less positive behavior. (In both cases, the dog is also training you, of course.)

Because dogs are so interested in people and our reactions to them, training most dogs is easy. It is also amazingly rewarding and fun. You'll enjoy walks, playing in the yard, and meal time much more with a trained dog, and nothing strengthens your bond with your dog like training. The most effective training emphasizes positive reinforcement, not punishment: teach your dog that good things (treats, affection, forward motion) happen when she does what you're asking. In the picture on the left, Boomer is learning to walk nicely on a loose leash. He is very interested in the treat the handler is holding, and he is learning that when he walks calmly, without pulling or lunging ahead, he gets frequent rewards.

If you have a pit bull type dog, training is especially important. People are often scared of our dogs, and a dog who looks out of control reinforces their negative image. Chihuahas can get away with pulling on the leash; pit bulls can't. Our dogs don't get the benefit of the doubt, even when their misbehavior is minor.

StubbyDog recently published a nice story making the point that training your pit bull will not only help you avoid bad experiences but also can change people's opinions about our dogs. There are many great trainers in our area who offer a variety of classes, from basic manners and puppy kindergarten to advanced obedience, rally, agility, nose work, and more.

Puppies!

That's right, this is the most adorable puppy nose in the history of puppies. This is Kent, who almost ran out of time at the shelter today. Lucky for Kent, shelter staff and volunteers advocated for him, as they do for so many great dogs and cats, and a private rescue group was able to pull him. Kent's time was almost up because he got the sniffles. For many shelter dogs, a minor illness or injury -- one that would cause no worry for a dog with a secure family -- can be a death sentence. Most public shelters, including ours, are almost always at capacity, and they do not have room to move an animal into the sick bay for long. Kent was one of the lucky ones, and no doubt he'll have a delighted family to ooh and ah over his super cute nose and every other delectable part of his furry little body.




Tiger wins the asymmetrical ear contest today. She is just another little brindle dog, not a particularly flashy or desirable color, and she may be overlooked because of that. Studies show that appearance is the main factor determining people's choices about animals to adopt. Brindle and black dogs, and medium sized ones, do not do as well as flashier looking dogs or very small or very large ones.












But wait, there are more puppies. Here are Zeke and Harvey, brothers who came in together but don't need to be adopted together. Blazes, white toes, even a little white tip on Harvey's tail... they are good-looking and awfully laid back for seven-month old puppies.









Sometimes people think that the shelter has only adult dogs, but Kent, Tiger, Zeke, and Harvey are only a few of the cuddly, playful, exceptionally cute puppies available for adoption at Alachua County Animal Services.

It's not how they're raised.

This is Hector, one of the approximately 50 dogs seized from Michael Vick's dog fighting ring in 2007. Hector and the other Vick dogs were the first fight bust dogs who were evaluated individually for temperament, rather than being automatically killed. To the surprise even of the people who had fought to have them evaluated, almost all the Vick dogs turned out to be non-aggressive, despite the terrible abuse they had suffered. Most of those dogs are now living with families and several, including Hector, are certified therapy dogs.

The Vick case made it clear not only that pit bulls, even ones who have fought, are not vicious monsters. It also made the even broader point that even dogs who have been abused and neglected are remarkably resilient. This is an answer to the people who say "It's all how they're raised," implying that if you don't get a dog as a puppy, you are likely to end up with a problem dog. In fact, just as many dogs adopted as adults can be loving, trustworthy, and even-tempered, there are a few dogs raised from puppyhood by loving and well-intentioned people who turn out to be unstable and aggressive. This is especially true of some purebred dogs purchased from unscrupulous breeders or puppy mill operations. Even many of these dogs, however, can be good family companions with proper management. In fact, many dog trainers and advocates now stress "management" rather than "raising." This emphasizes first, that all is not lost if a dog has a bad start in life, and second, that even dogs who spend their puppyhood in good homes need careful training and ongoing socialization and attention to manners.

This is Libby, one of our family's four dogs. She grew up on the end of a tether, so neglected that her "owners" didn't notice that her skin was growing over her harness. Or maybe their didn't care. She was rescued as an adult, with the harness so deeply embedded that it required surgical removal. She still has scars on her back and chest. She is also exceptionally affectionate, even-tempered, and outgoing, and she lives for human attention. Like Hector, Libby has passed both the Canine Good Citizen and American Temperament Testing Society tests. She visits the library to read with kids and is completely trustworthy even with screaming toddlers and timid kids who pat her and run away. She loves them all. Like Hector, she got the second chance she deserved.

If you know people who think they can only trust a dog they raised from a puppy, let them know that there are no guarantees in life, but that their chance of having a good family companion is high with an adult shelter dog who is friendly, affectionate, and responsive.

So what is a pit bull, anyway?

Good question. The short answer is that a pit bull is what someone with power says is a pit bull. This matters because in many places, dogs called pit bulls are subject to special restrictions (like having to wear a muzzle in public) or even banned. They are forbidden in Denver, Miami, and a number of other cities, counties, and towns in the U.S. and Canada, as well as in several European countries. A number of places have repealed their breed-specific legislation (BSL) because it turns out not to accomplish its supposed goals: reducing dog bites and attacks. Turns out that breed is a pretty insignificant factor in dog bites; the things that matter are how people treat the dog. Dogs who are not neutered or spayed, who are neglected or abused, and who are not treated as members of the family (e.g., who are kept penned or chained outside) are many times more likely to attack a person than dogs who live in the home and are well-socialized and cared for.

The longer answer to the question of what is a pit bull is that these dogs are the descendants of "bull and terrier dogs" who were crosses between, well, bulldogs and terriers. They were working dogs and family dogs, who were also often used to bait large animals like bulls, to fight other dogs, or to kill rats in pits. Bull and terrier was a type of dog, not a specific breed. It included some specific breeds, like the American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, and Bull Terrier, as well as many mixes. They varied widely in appearance, size, and temperament. What they had in common was short hair, strong jaws, and, often, a "game" attitude that included courage, persistence, and a certain joi de vivre that makes these dogs so special and lovable to many folks today.

Today the category of "pit bull" is just as varied as bull and terrier. Because there is so much variation and so little consistency or rigor in the "official" definitions, many kinds of dogs fall into this category and thus may be banned by an apartment complex or even a whole city, or euthanized upon intake into a county shelter. So don't take your short-haired, muscular, medium to large sized dogs to Miami, just in case. But do learn more about what breed advocates are doing to correct bad PR and help make these dogs into "cherished family companions," as BAD RAP puts it. Other great groups working on these issues are the Sula Foundation in New Orleans, Pit Bull Rescue Central, Game Dog Guardian, and the Animal Farm Foundation, among many others.

Timberrrr!

Nope, that's not a falling tree. Just a little brown dog who is cute and smart as can be and just a little bit sassy. Timber is another pit bull type dog who was pulled from Animal Services by a private rescue. Timber is living in a foster home and available for adoption from Phoenix Animal Rescue. Like many dogs available from Phoenix and other rescues, Timber is receiving training and socialization while in foster care. Dogs at the shelter usually don't come with any information, but once they are in foster care, potential adopters can learn a lot about their personalities and behavior. We know that Timber, for example, is full of beans and totally irresistible. But you could also find out how she does with other dogs, cats, kids, falling trees, and a lot of other stuff. If you're looking for a special kind of dog --one that will live in peace with your pet bunny, or bring in the morning paper, get in touch with rescues that keep their animals in foster homes. You may find just the friend you were looking for.

Coco is beautiful

Coco was at the shelter for a very long time. When that time was about up, she was pulled by the Alachua County Humane Society. Alachua Humane has a great new facility with room for many more dogs and cats than their old place. They are committed to ending euthanasia in our county. We've come a long way towards that goal in the past decade, but still about 40% of the dogs who enter the shelter, and an even higher percentage of cats, are euthanized. If you adopt Coco or another dog from the Humane Society or one of the other private, no-kill rescues in town, you make it possible for that rescue to pull another dog from the euthanasia list at the county shelter. Often the private rescues will give a chance to a dog that the shelter cannot care for, because of health or behavior problems. Coco doesn't have any problems like that -- she is sweet, gentle, healthy, and ready to go.

Give Peace a chance

Peace may look like just another brindle pit bull mix, but like all these dogs, he is very special. One thing that's special about Peace is that he is part of the current Paws on Parole academy. Paws on Parole dogs receive 8 weeks of training at the Gainesville work camp, by inmates supervised and instructed by professional trainers. The dogs take the Canine Good Citizen test at the end of their training period. These guys show us that even young and unruly shelter dogs just need some attention and training to become nearly perfect companions.

Parker has soul

Parker is such a gentle guy. His petfinder link is here, and he really needs a foster home or rescue soon. He has been at the shelter for a long time. He's just another white American bulldog mix, a dime a dozen around here. He has it in him to be someone's dog of a lifetime.

Emily is still a goober face.

How much do we love this girl?

Emily is a goober face

We love Emily, also known as A452881. She is as cute and sweet as pie but she is, well, a goober face. See more about Emily at petfinder. She's been at the shelter a long time, so if she looks like the perfect dog to brighten your life, hurry to Alachua County Animal Services.

Nadine

This is Nadine, also known as A452736 at Alachua County Animal Services. She is a darling girl, as you can see in her petfinder profile. She came so close to being adopted about a week ago -- a great woman came to the shelter on a Saturday afternoon, specifically looking for a dog who did not have much time left. Most of those dogs were pit bulls, so I asked the adopter whether her landlord had breed restrictions. She said she had checked and there were none. She saw several dogs, but fell in love with Nadine. When I left, she was filling out the paperwork. But it turned out her apartment had just added a ban on pit bulls, so she could not take Nadine home. Nadine is still a darling girl, still at the shelter, still waiting, and still without much time left.

Rango

Last week, some kind people found a young dog in a rural area and took him to the county shelter, hoping he would be cared for. However, an emaciated, intact male pit bull, who also turned out to be heartworm positive, did not have a good chance of even making it into the "adoptable" section of the shelter, let alone finding someone to take him in. However, the heartbreaking picture of Rango made it onto facebook and Rango found friends. Within a couple of days, people had volunteered to pay his pull fee and neuter, get him from the shelter, fundraise for additional medical costs and, most important, foster him. By Saturday, when his 3-day stray hold was up Rango was on his way.