To every story there is a beginning, a middle, and an end.  It's the same with writing for these very special shelter animals

I found that separating my article in to three parts works best for me.  It is a type of dialogue.  I give the critical information and then ask the shelter pet if they have something to say.  Of course they do!  And when they are finished, I bring things to a close.

The beginning is what I call the "meat and bones".  They are the statements of facts that any reporter generally must answer in any writing, "who, what, where when and why". 

But above all of those reign HONESTY.  This beyond anything is what will help you find a lasting match for the animal you are sponsoring.

Helping to disguise a condition or behavior problem may get the pet a new home for a day or two but then they will be found out and returned.

It is a tragic situation for the animal and also perhaps children whom have become attached to their pet only to have it be taken from their arms.

Your best friend at your shelter can be an adoption counselor or kennel technician who spends quite a bit of time with each animal on a care-giving level.  Ask them if they have a pet who is old or one who is having trouble adjusting. 

With our economy, many pets have gone from the comfortable laps of their companions, to a concrete slab with brick walls and a chain-link gate.  Some are terribly frightened and others fall in to depression.

Others who might be of help are the people at the front desk. They often have the details right at their fingertips.

WHO AND WHAT

When dealing with shelter animals there are often times when no information is available and you are left with very little.  Write down the name of the pet,  age if known, the date they came to the shelter, if they have been spayed or neutered and most importantly their breed or breed mix and disposition.  If you are lucky - you've gotten pretty far.  But your eyes and personal observance is what is invaluable in choosing an animal as well.  Pay attention to what they are telling you. 

Is there an extremely happy dog who has deformed ankles like Echo?  I kept "seeing" him and telling him that I would be sponsoring him as soon as the current one was adopted.  He "saw" me too and waited patiently with a smile on his face every day.  It was as if Echo knew that he was going home pretty soon.  He found a great home with a Veteran who had his own leg problems.  They made a great match and neither could be happier.

When referring to "seeing" a special shelter animal, I am referring to an eye to eye connection with an unspoken message behind it.  I realize that sounds lofty, but it really isn't.  It's usually the pet you decide to stop and visit, with business on your mind.  Or it may be the eyes that draw you back and say:  "Wait!  You were right the first time.  It's me!"  Echo was in no way going to let me miss him.  And I didn't.

Where

This is a very tough one.  Sometimes animals are found wandering loose around town, along a highway or left in a shelter's night drop kennel.

If you are lucky enough to find out where they came from, it is an excellent chance to tell the public their tale.  But often times they are dropped off with no information at all.  That's when their body language takes over to tell you about themselves.

This puppy was born after his pregnant mother was found wandering loose along a road.  A fabulous woman took the mother to her local shelter where she was told that the dog would be put down almost immediately because she was pregnant and they could not take on both mother and puppies.  This wonderful woman brought her to our shelter.  Mom gave birth to her puppies and she and her kids were all adopted.

There is a reason this little guy's mother was saved and her puppies lives were spared.  They each have a special purpose to fulfill here and I am certain that they are doing their jobs.

 WHEN

This can be a double edge sword.  "When" can answer the question of how long a pet has been at the shelter.  If it is months, they could be at-risk to be euthanized 

"When" can also answer the difficult question of when they will be euthanized.  If you are told that it will be soon, and you want to give this pet a chance for life, you must advocate for this one who can't do it themselves, and ask for a stay of euthanasia so that you have time enough to place your ad in the paper and for people to see it and get a chance to visit with your chosen one.  But please remember, no panic, no mention of time ticking toward euthanasia.  They're ways around that.  Heavenly Buddies is able to assist you with this request if needed.

We are very sensitive to the fact that even with our financial contribution, you will be spending much of your personal funds and you don't want to do that only to find out that the plans have been for euthanasia all along.  It is a very important question to ask.

Sweet Pea

That is the meat and bones of the general information of any shelter animal.  But in our case there is an enormous elephant in the room that no one is addressing.  Would you guess that this beautiful cat had dental problems and needed a few teeth pulled? 

HONESTY

This is where it is so emphatically important that you be 100% honest in your writings of your animal.  You won't know of special conditions until you ask and you must do that. The shelter employees are most often cooperative.

You will never do a shelter animal a favor by not exposing every "wart" that they have.  If it is a behavior issue, there are people who want to work with that.  If there is a health issue, people want to be needed and give an animal a comfortable life. 

By attempting to hide any problem from the public, our special shelter animal could be returned and, might be sent directly to euthanasia. There are simply too many animals waiting for good homes. It may make the difficult choice a little easier for the shelter personnel who form the decision between life or death of a special spirit.  But every shelter is different. 

It may be hard to see here on Zephyr that he has hygromas on both elbows.  They looked to me like tumors and I asked about them and did a lot of research. He would never get adopted without an explanation of his condition.  I had to put him in the paper.  He was otherwise a beautiful, healthy dog.  

Hygromas are common with short haired, thin skinned dogs who continually sleep on hard surfaces or manage to slightly injure the same joint repeatedly. They develop a type of water blister.  It's nothing life-threatening but indeed is something that needs looked after. 

My first impression was that  it could look like cancer to anyone else, as it first did to me, and Zephyr's chances would be little to none to become adopted.

Once I learned the true issue, I was able to explain in my ad what a hygroma is. A gentleman who had a Doberman previously, adopted Zephyr saying that it just comes with the territory. Another happy ending!

HONESTY BREEDS SUCCESSFUL ADOPTIONS!