The first thing to do is throw out those images on television of suffering dogs looking pathetically at you through the chain link gate of a shelter.  Yes, there are certainly animals at the shelter who are suffering, but those animals who are in bad shape are not "out front" waiting to greet you.  Fear not!

Shelter animals are so happy to see you that some try to jump higher or bark louder so that you are sure to see them.

So yes.  You must go to the shelter to sponsor a pet - especially if you want the adoption to "stick".  It is impossible to write honestly about an animal that you have never seen or ever spent time with. 

The animals that I have had the hardest time placing are the ones that someone else begs me to sponsor. I can put my finger exactly on the problem by saying that I simply didn't see what they saw in that pet.  So it wasn't truly an honest promotion. It was not the special heart that I was supposed to be helping.  Don't fall in to that pit.  Fall in love with who you are supposed to.  You'll know them when you see them.  It's the right spirit if you feel in your heart it is.  It's just that easy.

And if you have a real fear of that first time you go to a shelter, remember 3 things:  you can bring a friend, the people at the shelter don't bite, and say a prayer for strength and guidance.  What you are about to do is life saving and honorable.

But we're getting ahead of ourselves.  How do we describe the three categories of shelter animals we are trying to help?

OLDER

Older animals, for dogs and/or cats is anywhere from 7 years and up.  I advocated for Shultz who was 13 and deaf!  These animals are most often very well trained and gentle.  Most of the puppy or kitten has grown out of them.  They make wonderful pets for older citizens or single people who want a companion but perhaps don't have the time to devote to training a puppy or kitten.  This does not mean that we exclude ferrets - I just don't know what to call a baby ferret.  And are baby turtles called turtlets?  Just the same, if any shelter animal is older and you wish to advocate for them we will help you get them seen and their stories told.

SPECIAL NEEDS

Some animals need a few eye drops and they're done for the day, others may have to take a pill or two for arthritis - just like us.  Perhaps one has a condition that needs a bandage change for a while, or tending to every now and then.  I know of a couple who adopted a dog with cancer.  They believed that his last days should be spent in the comfort of a warm and loving home.  It is unimaginable the appreciation that dog must have had and the warmth in the hearts he left with the caretakers.

But these are expenses that most animal shelters cannot afford.  So these precious spirits head to the front of the euthanasia line.  They are deemed unadoptable. But it simply is not true. 

There are many pet lovers who have the money and the time to devote to a special needs animal and want to give them the most comfort they can have for the rest of their lives.  This has been proven over and over again by the special needs pets who have found loving homes through the publication of their photo and their story in my town of Lake Havasu City, AZ., and it is the reason why I believe this can be successful nationwide. I'm certain that there are rescue groups nationwide who care for these animals - but "Lets get them home together."

AT-RISK

An at-risk animal can be one you know is on the euthanasia list, or one whom you have visited and can tell that they are losing hope.  Some times it's just that two animals arrive together and can not be separated.  They take up too much space or are difficult to place together and are very much at risk to be euthanized.

Other times it can be a younger animal who has been returned several times.  That is tragic because the adopters expected a perfect pet.  Find me a perfect human then we can search out that perfect pet!

The very saddest of cases is when a dog or cat begins to go kennel crazy.  It happens when a shelter animal is cooped up too long, sometimes from puppy/kitty-hood to perhaps 2 years old.  They simply start to lose it.  They may start to snap at their handlers or jump in circles uncontrollably or hiss at anyone who comes near their kennel.

It is my belief that if these special ones, if caught right away, can be saved by getting a good, loving home with someone who is aware of the behavior issues but is looking for just that kind of challenge.

Yes!  There are many, many animal lovers who are looking for specific challenges with a shelter animal.  They want to help a pet become a more calm animal and a true companion who finally understands who they are and what their purpose is on this earth.

Nitro was at-risk.  He had been at the shelter since he was a puppy.  By the time he was a year and a half old, he went to an 8 week obedience training course, where he thought he found his home.  He was active with commands and playtime all day long and never left his handlers' side.  His reward for graduating was to return to the same old kennel for adoption.

That's when I was told that he developed aggression issues. I never believed it and when he was placed on the euthanasia list, I knew in my heart it was wrong.  He was a noble spirit who did everything he was asked and euthanasia was not going to be his "reward" if I had any say about it. 

I placed an ad in the paper and Nitro went home within an hour of the shelter opening the day the ad appeared!  I'm told he is still a handful but his new companions are devoted to him and he is living a very happy life.

But this issue in particular leads to a very hard lesson I had to learn. PLEASE PAY ATTENTION!

Informing the public that an animal needs to be adopted immediately or he will be put down, can result in what is referred to as a "panic adoption", meaning that someone, anyone would adopt that animal just to keep them from being euthanized.

The only problems I see with that is that they could very easily be returned, which, on the positive side,  buys the pet a few more days of life.  But it usually means immediate euthanasia. The other problem is that it could be given to someone else from the original adopter who does not have the same kind heart or devotion ready to give to such a special shelter animal.

Sprocket

Bandit

Please feel free to contact me if I can help you make a determination if you get to a place of uncertainty at lisa@heavenlybuddies.org.