What's Your Agenda?

I help out with several organizations with a strong social media presence. They include Barn Cats Rock - a resource page for people who own and appreciate barn, outdoor and working cats; Lost Dogs of Wisconsin, a group of volunteers helping reunite owners and their lost dogs; and Wisconsin Voters for Companion Animals - a grassroots political advocacy group to encourage voters to participate in the lawmaking process and achieve better laws for companion animals.

I am often asked if I have a "hidden" No Kill agenda, because as most people know; I'm a pretty vocal No Kill Advocate. Well, I'm here to tell you - YES! Of course! It's kind of a silly question if you ask me.

I am seriously skeptical of animal welfare groups and shelters that don't have a No Kill agenda. If their goal isn't to eliminate the needless killing of shelter animals  in this country, then what is it? Makes me wonder....

I have only so many hours in a day and days in a week. I have no interest in participating in anything that isn't working towards No Kill.

That's my agenda. What's yours?

Thumper's Rule

One of my most vivid memories from childhood is my mother's constant reminders of Thumper's rule (from the Bambi movie). Thumper was the little rabbit that said "If you can't say something nice, don't say nothin' at all." When my mother sensed I was about to say something bad  she would give me a stern look and warn me saying "Thumper, Thumper.." as a reminder that I should hold my tongue and be silent.

It took many years to shake that off and I still believe it's good advice when an aunt gives you an ugly sweater for Christmas; or you are eating a not-so-tasty dinner at the neighbors. But I don't think that it applies to our work as animal advocates.  We would still be wallowing in the mire of the status quo if it hadn't been for the courage of those who have led the No Kill movement. Those few who bravely spoke out about atrocities and mis-management at animal shelters when nobody else was doing it.

Thanks to their efforts,  shelter deaths have been reduced from about 17 million in the 1970's to where it stands today; estimated to be somewhere between 3 and 4 million. That being said,  I personally draw the line at character assassination. Not my style, and I'm not sure it is helpful.

Nowadays,  I've come to believe that a better rule to live by is one that my friend's husband suggests. He says: "Don't point out a problem, unless you can also offer a solution." And solutions are eveywhere! There are now 27 No Kill communities in the United States that are serving as a blueprint to stop the killing. There are  more seminars, webinars,  articles, and conferences, than ever before; and with a click of a button, we can share the information where it is needed.

When more people speak out, more progress is made. We can reduce the number of shelter deaths to zero. Please, get involved, speak up when you see something wrong, and offer the solutions that can help end the needless killing of shelter animals.

Sorry Mom, I've broken Thumper's rule a few times!

To solve any problem, here are three questions to ask yourself: First, what could I do? 
Second, what could I read? And third, who could I ask? - Jim Rohn

Lowering Stress Saves Lives

I wrote this last week while on vacation.

Stress.  I don't have any right now. My husband and I are on vacation, a Caribbean cruise on board the Celebrity Solstice, the best stress relief I can imagine. I blogged about the cruise ship experience last year and I am equally impressed this year.

No Internet, no telephone, no traffic. The hardest decision we have is what time to eat, and whether to sit by the pool with a book or go ashore for a walk.

Unfortunately for shelter animals, stress is common. Stress causes death. Stress-related problems becomes the excuse that shelter directors use to kill.

Stress in cats cause a weakened immune system and vulnerability to upper respiratory diseases that make cats sick. Sick cats are usually the first to be killed because they will be deemed "unhealthy" and many shelters still hide behind the phrase "we adopt out all healthy and adoptable animals". 

Stress in dogs also causes health problems. But worse than that, stress causes behavior issues that make otherwise calm, happy dogs exhibit behaviors that deem them "unadoptable".  Sort of like road rage, in people. But we don't kill people with road rage, do we? Some shelters call it "cage or kennel crazy". But it is just stress. 

Stress then builds up in animal shelter volunteers and staff that see perfectly adoptable, treatable animals get killed. Their stress causes them to quit out of frustration and despair. The very thing that brought them to an animal shelter to begin with - a love of animals, drives them away. They become overcome with frustration because they aren't able to help the animals they love.

Stress in shelter management erupts because the revolving door of staff and volunteers and animals causes more stress, more turnover and more death.

What's the answer? Other than sending the whole works out to sea on a cruise? Common sense. Empower the volunteers and staff to research and implement easy stress reduction methods for the animals. Don't kill the animals because they are stressed; instead figure out ways to reduce the stress. 

Cats need to be able to hide, perch and scratch. These are feline needs; that when met, will lower the stress in a shelter cat's life and keep their immune systems strong. Appeasing pheromones like Feliway will reduce anxiety in cats. Products like the Stretch and Scratch and the Hide, Perch and Go cat carrier have been developed specifically for shelters. Shelter supporters can be asked to donate these products. 

Here is a link to an excellent webinar by Sue Cosby. It is full of easy suggestions to help save the lives of shelter cats. The title of the presentation is "Saving Cats in Busy Shelters Through Better Handling" and it is down towards the bottom of the page. Why not have a lunchtime get together of volunteers and staff at the shelter to watch the webinar and discuss these cheap and easy techniques to save lives?

Dogs need exercise, companionship, playtime, and mental stimulation. Throw a little bit of doggie massage into your toolbox too. Diet also has an influence on stress in shelter animals, but I am not a nutritionist so I don't want to get into that here. 

Aimee Sadler of the Longmont Humane Society is helping shelters around the country  use playgroups to reduce stress in shelter dogs to great success. Most report improved save rates for dogs, including large dogs and pit bull type dogs.  For those shelter managers who still shudder in horror at the thought of having pit bull type dogs in play groups, I really encourage you to do try to get to one of Aimee's speaking engagements or contact a shelter that she has worked with and listen and see the results first hand.

Animal Farm Foundation has a whole section devoted to kennel enrichment ideas for dogs. 

Volunteers can be an invaluable asset in the whole process. If a shelter empowers volunteers to research and implement stress-reducing techniques for shelter animals; they are in effect, empowering the volunteers to save lives. Volunteers that are saving lives will feel like they are making a difference. They will be inspired to stay on and do more. There isn't any greater motivational tool than positive results.

That's all for now.... my deck chair is waiting. 

Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one.
Hans Selye

Angels? Or Agendas?

Christmastime - that magical time of the year when sleigh bells ring and every charitable organization in the world is trying to convince you that THEY are the place you should donate your hard earned money to.

There have been some interesting ads in major publications. Last week there was a full page anti-HSUS ad in USA Today. I think it's content was factual but the underlying agenda of the source was  questionable. 

Yesterday there was a half page full color ad for PETA in the Wall Street Journal. I just about choked on my coffee when I saw it. It featured a celebrity who had sprouted wings to look like a Victoria's Secret Angel holding a chihuahua. The text reads "Kara DioGuardi and Tikki for PETA. Be an Angel for Animals. Walk your dogs every day. Don't ever crate or chain them."

  

That was it. There was no explanation for their statement, no qualifications. Just "Don't ever crate or chain them." 

Really? I guess as far as PETA is concerned, they're better off dead than in a crate or on a chain.

Here's a picture of our dog Pixie in the backyard. We don't have a fence and she is a high flight risk, so she gets tied out. Is this chaining? Is this cruel? She looks kind of happy to me.  Lots of times she is tied to a piece of firewood - just heavy enough for her to drag and explore the yard, but too heavy for her to escape (with any speed, anyways).  I call it the "dog on a log" technique. Works for us and also supports the "A Tired Dog is a Good Dog" theory. 

Is it horribly cruel if a person leaves a dog in crate when they can't supervise them? I put my dogs in crates when we are at flyball tournaments. Is this cruel? Is this what PETA means? 

If you disagree with chaining - instead of giving your money to PETA why don't you approach your city council to get an ordinance passed that limits the amount of time a dog can be tied out.

Someone told me once that they thought that dogs that spend more than seven days in a kennel are better off dead. We're going on vacation soon and we leave our dogs at a kennel. Should we kill them before we go and get new ones when we come back? 

I am getting so tired of these "better off dead" cliches that result in guilty consciences, surrenders and shelter deaths. 

So, just a word of warning. Before you open up your checkbook, check out the true agenda of the organizations you donate to. Better yet, volunteer at your local shelter or rescue and if you decide they are following the mission you believe in, make your holiday donation to them.  

The Pendulum Swing

This fall, the two organizations I am involved with, Lost Dogs of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Voters for Companion Animals have been attending several pet-related events around the state.

On one such occasion,  I took the back roads and thoroughly enjoyed the drive:  through scenic farmland and rolling hills. Most of Wisconsin is like this and I was travelling only a very small portion. We are the nation's largest producers of cheese, cranberries, oats and snap beans. Wisconsin ranks second (only behind California) in the number of organic farms and the value of organic sales. There are 78,000 farms in Wisconsin totalling more than fifteen million acres.  Agriculture is second only to manufacturing, as the driving force behind Wisconsin's economy. This doesn't include the thousands of hobby farms and acreage dwellers.

I started to think about  how much of our animal welfare community has lost touch with reality and the rest of Wisconsin. The pendulum of animal welfare has swung so far past the middle ground - into the realm of unrealistic expectations of "perfect" inside homes.

One of my good friends has spent most of her adult life working in animal welfare. She used to manage a small rural shelter in Wisconsin eighteen years ago. They adopted out barn cats then. Not so anymore. It saddens me to think of the lives lost because one small shelter changed a policy. Then multiply that by the hundreds of shelters and rescues  in Wisconsin, many who have implemented increasingly restrictive adoption policies in a misguided attempt to save lives. Thankfully, some shelters are reversing the trend,  to more open adoption policies that actually DO save lives.

Restrictive adoption practices: no farm dogs, no barn cats, no children, must have fenced yards. The KC Dog Blog wrote an excellent piece on this a couple of weeks ago " Loving Homeless Pets to Death"

I recently received this email from a rural Wisconsinite who had stumbled across my blog about barn cats:

 "I just read this blog of yours and am contacting you about the same situation with dogs. Specifically, since you are in favor of Barn Cats, are you also in favor of "Barn Dogs'? I want to adopt a dog (not a puppy) that will be kept outside, but obviously there is no shelter or rescue group that would ever let this happen. I am tired of being judged on how it is better to kill a dog than let it enjoy a yard with a family, food, and shelter."

Unfortunately, I didn't have a good answer for her.

Small,  rural shelters will suffer the most from these bad policies. If you aren't a welcoming place for your whole community you are doomed. If you deny adoptions and make judgmental decisions about the people who walk through your door, then don't expect donations to come flooding in when you ask for them. At a small shelter, the pool of available donors is pretty small - so you better not have turned them away or turned them off  when they came to you to adopt, surrender or find their lost pet.

When will the pendulum swing back to  the middle ground of common sense? When shelter and rescue staff , volunteers and management realize that their misguided philosophies are killing animals, instead of saving them.

Teamwork + the Internet = Lives Saved

Annabelle - lost in Wisconsin in September

Annabelle, recovered  safely (but stinky) 24 hours later. 

Lost Dogs Illinois and Lost Dogs of Wisconsin crossed the 700 lost dogs recovery mark in September. We have a grand year-to-date total of 730 lost dog recoveries (679 safely, 51 deceased).  The bottom line?
679 dogs did not take up space in shelters and/or rescues meant for homeless dogs.

What we have learned?
1. Most dogs don't want a new home. They just want to go home.  Most owners are desperately searching for their dogs. They just need some help, advice and encouragement.

2. There is a confusing array of shelters, animal control agencies, rescues, town offices and police departments that hold lost dogs. They generally don't communicate with each other. Some don't have microchip scanners or websites. Many don't post "stray" photos on line.

Finding your dog can become a full time endeavour and is like looking for a needle in a haystack. And you'd better hurry - because there is a good chance that your dog may be adopted out or killed before you get there. The majority of dogs in our animal shelters have ended up there because they are "strays" - lost pets. They committed no bigger sin than to have escaped the custody of their caregivers.

What are our biggest challenges?

1. The mindset and misperceptions of  ill-informed people: Good Samaritans, rescuers or shelter staff who feel that people that have lost their dog don't deserve them back and rush to keep or rehome them instead.  Also, the common misperception that found dogs have been dumped, abandoned or abused doesn't help. Lost dogs are usually just lost, confused and scared.

2. Rescue groups who do not hold the official stray contract for an area but who accept lost dogs in a misguided attempt to "rescue" them.  They seem to think it is their inherent right to rehome somebody's dog whom they've deemed are unworthy owners.

 Interestingly enough, dogs are also being lost from shelters, rescues, transports and foster homes in record numbers. Rarely a week goes by when we don't have at least a couple of these. We would love to train more shelters and rescue groups in effective search methods so that they can form their own teams of volunteers.

3. There is also a whole boatload of bad advice that is dished out to the owners of lost dogs.  This is often shared and blogged about and yet has very little basis in fact. Rumors that dogs are being stolen for dog fighting bait, research, or have been eaten by coyotes or hawks. This gloom and doom (which in reality, rarely happens) cause people to stop searching far too early.

When the four of us began this venture,  I think we envisioned having four or five dogs a month go missing who would need our help. Instead it is more like four or five a day. On certain days (those with fireworks, thunderstorms, blizzards or long holiday weekends) we've learned that we can expect even more.

Our public Facebook pages are pretty straight forward. We post lost dogs for owners, and found dogs that are missing their owners. We also post educational tips daily and we have resource tabs on the left hand side of the page.

But in addition to the main Facebook pages; I wish the public could sneak a peek at the behind the scenes action on our closed Facebook volunteer groups. To watch these volunteers in action is amazing. Posting, emailing, checking shelter websites, Craigslist,  - at the speed of light because of the power of the computer and the internet.

Keeping hundreds of dogs straight - remembering details, remembering circumstances. I am in awe of our volunteers and their talents and abilities. Most of us have never met face to face, but we've built this incredible team via Facebook and the internet. Facebook fans are getting in on the action also by checking local newspapers, internet sites, cross-referencing and posting.

So, to the 48 volunteers and the 8927 Facebook fans of Lost Dogs Illinois and Lost Dogs of Wisconsin - a huge thank you from Susan Taney, Jodi Hunter, Kathie Dowe and myself, Kathy Pobloskie.

YOU are saving lives.

Teamwork divides the task and multiplies the success.  
- Author Unknown

Ask Your Shelter Director - Part 3

I hope over the last few weeks that you've had the courage to ask about your shelter's intake reduction policies and their outdoor cat policies, the two topics I blogged on previously. Shelters can dramatically decrease their kill rates by focusing on returning lost pets back home; providing animal help desks and low/cost spay neuter;  and supporting TNR and barn buddy programs for cats. This gives them more "breathing room" on the health and behavior issues. Less animals in the shelter means they have more time and resources to spend on the animals that truly do need rehabilitation and new homes.


It is important that your shelter uses some type of a matrix to evaluate animals. Here is a copy of the No Kill Advocacy Center's Life Saving Matrix.  Your shelter should also have a document called their Euthanasia Policy. Both of these documents should be available for donors to see (preferably on the shelter website). If it isn't - it certainly brings up concerns about what is going on behind closed doors. This is called a lack of transparency. 


 If you can't find your shelter's matrix or euthanasia policies; either on the website or in print, then your shelter director should be willing to sit down with you and explain their policies and philosophy. If they aren't, I'd suggest closing up your checkbook and running the other way as fast as possible to a shelter that DOES value its donors enough to let them know what is going on.


Remember - a shelter that says they are saving all "healthy and adoptable" animals could be playing the smoke and mirrors game. Shelters are creating their own definitions of "healthy and adoptable" to defend their killing.
A shelter doesn't have to perfect. But it does have to be transparent. Then you have a baseline to work from.


The biggest "gray area" is in the definition of healthy and adoptable. That's why the 90% save rate bar has been set for No Kill status. The remaining 10% gives plenty of leeway for those dogs and cats that are truly unhealthy or dangerous. And in reality, this number should probably be more like 95 %. (but more on that in a future blog).

Fox Valley Humane Society in Appleton, Wisconsin has their criteria for "adoptable" on their website. Click this link to see their criteria for adoptable dogs and cats.  Note that it says a dog must be reasonably housebroken to be adoptable.  So when this shelter proudly announced that they placed 100% of "adoptable" dogs, there is a lot of room for interpretation.


"Adoptability" is highly subjective, but it shouldn't be. That is why it is important for your shelter to use a matrix to help. Here are some questions to ask your shelter director about their adoption criteria for behavior issues:


1) May I see your Euthanasia Policy or Matrix that you use to determine which animals are going to be determined adoptable? The answer should be yes. Anything else is a fail.


2) Do you have programs in place to help shy dogs and cats and resource-guarding in dogs? The answer should be yes. There is a wealth of good information out on these subjects now.  These are no longer acceptable reasons for killing. Volunteers can be trained to read to shy dogs, socialize shy cats, and hand-feed resource guarders. 


3) Do you have a sufficient network of trained foster families that can accommodate animals that need extra time, care or an environment away from the stress of the shelter? The answer should be yes. Developing a sound foster home program should be a major priority of any shelter.


4) When and how do you temperament test? Temperament tests should not be a pass or fail, black and white evaluation. They should be used as an assessment of what a dog needs to get him onto the adoption floor and into a home. Here is an excellent article on the shortcomings of temperament testing.  http://www.nokillnow.com/TemperamentTestingDirtyLittleSecret.pdf


Ask the tough questions. Remember, No Kill advocates don't want their local shelters to fail. We want them to succeed.  Success will come when shelters become transparent, implement all eleven components of the No Kill Equation, and regain the public's trust and support. Donations will improve and animals' lives will be saved.
Isn't that what we all want?

The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.  

-  Alan Watts 

Aspen's Story: Unadoptable? Says Who?

This is Aspen. He was one of the last remaining Bichon Frises from the Puppy Haven buyout by Wisconsin Humane Society in 2008. As controversial as this was,  it did result in the closure of this breeding facility and you can read more about it here in the Milwaukee Magazine article entitled  Puppy Hell.

Aspen didn't meet the criteria for adoptability at a local shelter. He was too shy. He was not fear aggressive and would never have bitten anyone.  He was just incredibly shy and shut down. He was transferred to Bichon and Little Buddies Rescue in Mukwonago to have another chance at life.

Aspen just needed some time and some understanding. Car rides were first because he had no idea how to walk on a leash.  He would sit in his little seat belt and we'd go to the McDonald's drive thru for a coffee. Then I'd park and hold him in my lap so that he could watch the people coming and going from McDonalds and the grocery store. It was the first time I ever saw any life in his eyes. One of my friends said - "It's like he has no soul. There is nothing when you look into his eyes."

I used to take him back and forth from the rescue but pretty soon I was taking him home for sleepovers. He enjoyed those a lot. He also loved the dog park and it was the first time I ever saw him run. It was also the first time the other dog park patrons saw me run (not a pretty sight). I would run across the open field yelling "Run, Aspen Run!" trying to encourage his little stiff legs to go faster than a trot.

His eyes started to light up for meals and treats and pretty soon he was jumping through a hula hoop and running through an agility tunnel in our backyard.

I remember telling prospective adopters "Aspen is really, really shy, but he knows how to jump through a hoop!'' in my best salespitch-type voice. A useful life skill, indeed.

By this time Aspen was living full-time at our house. We needed to make arrangements for our dogs while we went on our fall vacation to Best Friends and the No More Homeless Pets conference. An interested family said they would try him at their home while I was gone.

Aspen struck it rich. The wonderful, caring family decided he was a perfect fit for their quiet household and lifestyle.  Although I miss him tremendously, he is living the life he deserves. Something to erase those first five or so years of his life that must have been so horrible. The years that removed any expression, any "soul" from his eyes.

So here are some pictures of Aspen with his new family who don't think of him as unadoptable, just adorable.

Aspen's first Halloween

Chillin' out.

Aspen waiting for his dinner in a motel room while on vacation.

Aspen's first camping trip!

And here is a picture of an aspen tree taken at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in the fall. It stood out glowing yellow on the hillside,  a reminder to me that a dog that was once "unadoptable" is now the shining light of a family's life.