EDITION OF TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY JULY 30/31 2024 [PetPowellPress] Is it possible that one of the big problems in large animal shelters is “marketing.”
Click on a big city shelter link and get a "fateful" of dogs and cats on death row. It’s consistently depressing. How do you get a shelter to put on a happy face? No way, eh? Come on. Be positive about this!
Would it help if people knew that there are happy canine and feline alumni of your city’s shelter? A couple of paragraphs of after-adoption love testimony from the adoptors and a picture of the happy animal and the day it was adopted. Not just photos of animals on the clock at Dallas Animal Services, for example. Inspire adoptions with evidence of love and not declarations of “soon to be dead.” [LARRY ASIDE: That's Enzo of Dallas Animal Services -- at last check, he's up for the needle on August 1. Read on.]
Heck, car companies sell additional cares based on testimony of previous customers. And dogs and cats have more personality and love than a whole lot of modern cars!
Dedicated animal rescuers reach “burn-out” pretty quickly in a big kill shelter, I’ve heard — and you probably have, too.
Is it possible there is a positive way, not a threaten-the-animals way, to get dogs and cats into happy homes? Is there some hot-shot public relations outfit than can pro bono take up the cause of "Save 'em All" at a city shelter?
We’ll have some Contemplations today. And, yes, that dog Enzo in Dallas and his supporters inspired my concern about marketing a shelter full of animals positively rather than “soon to get the needle.” Read about Enzo in our previous edition. It’ll boost your spirits to think about how he’s inspired people — particularly the heart of a woman named Katrina.
MEANWHILE, POSITIVE BIOS
ABOUT MESQUITE ADOPTABLES
For years now we’ve enjoyed reading the biographies of animals awaiting a good home as they're "socialized" and "cuddled" in the Mesquite Animal Services Shelter. Mesquite has a team of volunteers who write dog-biographies in an attempt to give these animals a better chance by telling about their personalities and attitudes. Cats get a mention, too. [LARRY ASIDE: It’s simply not enough to run a mugshot, and ID number and notice of “euthanasia date” on pages of shelter animals. Personality matters when you’re lookin’ for a companion. Click on this ANIMALS-IN-THE-SHELTER LINK to see the dogs and cats who may be
waiting for you or one of your friends.
That first little fellow (bio by Debra Chisholm) is Truffle, a 5-month-old, 16-pound mixed breed who came into the shelter on July 22 as a stray. “He seems skin-and-bones to me and needs to put on a few more pounds with a healthy diet," Debra writes and adds, "Of course, it's the chocolate-colored coat and my love for chocolate that convinced me Truffle would be an appropriate name for sweet boy. He does walk well on a leash. Though frisky and perky, he is on the calm side with his energy level. He loves treats and takes them gently and therefore I have no doubt that he would be fairly easy to teach some commands. He had no interest in playing with toys or balls. Truffle needs out asap as we all know that a city shelter is a less than ideal place for such a young pup.” See his full boat that ANIMALS IN THE SHELTER LINK. He’s #56412465 at the shelter. Cite the ID when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].
[THAT’S THE PROCEDURE to follow for all these animals.]
This little guy is Billy — “they don’t come any cuter than Billy,” Debra wrote. He’s #56422601, a 9 pound, 3-month-old stray brought in by a an animal control officer on July 23. His full mix is several breeds “Lab, Patterdale Terrier and Chesapeake Bay Retriever,” Debra reported. His evaluation revealed him to be a “playful little boy” who is “crazy about toys and balls.” His online shelter bio report, “He was so thrilled to be out of his crate and playing with toys that he wasn’t too interested in snuggling and being loved on. But,” Debra reports, “When I picked him up and cuddled with him, he was happy to relax and receive the attention.”
OH, my, what a cuddler! Debra also wrote the bio of Baxter. He too arrived on the 213rd. Stray, of course. He’s about 3 months old, weighs 9 pounds and “has the most interesting brindle coat. He is one enthusiastic, spunky puppy that loves treats and will pester you for as long as you are willing to dispense of them.”
That photo of Cuddling Baxter? Debra explains, “An other volunteer came into the room while I was doing his eval and he was all over her, wanting to be in her lap cuddling and does he ever gives kisses!!! She suggested that we were to set up a dog kissing booth, this would be the guy to install in the booth! $1 a lick!” Baxter is #56419469 at the shelter. “He would not be suited for a home in which he is stuck in the backyard (alone!).”
Debra’s dog-writing colleague Judi Brown provided the bio of Randy (#56414893), a year-old, 69-pound Appenzeller Sennehund/Mountain Dog mix who came in as a stray on July 22. She writes that his apparent smiling demonstrates that “he’s got a sweet disposition.” Still, her bio of this boy reads, “He is very timid and unsure of the shelter environment. He spent a lot of time going behind the bench for security.”
Judi also wrote, “When I took him out in the yard, he casually strolled around. He doesn’t seem to know the sit command and was not interested in treats. That may be because he’s not comfortable. I’m not sure he’s had much socialization. However, he does walk very well on a leash and seems to be housebroken. He was so shy he was not interested in meeting other dogs. He is extremely sweet and calm. With TLC he will thrive. As big as he is, he still wants to be in the loving comfort of your home. He doesn’t have the disposition to be an outside dog. He would love to lay at your feet while you’re watching TV.”
Judi also provided the bios for Wonka and Evy.
WONKA #56422032? He's a mixed breed 3 or 4 year-old, 45-pound stray with a great set of ears when he’s looking at what’s on the counter.Evy is #56341938, a 2-year-old, 69-pound American Pittie who came in as a stray on July 11.
Like these other dogs, the full bio can bee seen on the “Animals In The Shelter Link” at Mesquite.
Yes, as that photo shows, Evy loves to be the recipient of human affection.See Mesquite's animals -- dogs and cats and sometimes "other" --- by clicking on this Mesquite Shelter LINK.
CONTEMPLATIONS
PLIGHT OF DALLAS SHELTER ANIMALS?
OK, I’m at a loss.
A shelter website with scores and scores of dogs and cats on the clocks seems to indicate a town that has more animals than it can handle — not just a shelter with too many animals, but a whole big town. Still, there are 8 million-plus people in this area of North Texas and they can't ALL be at their limit for dogs and cats.
How do you reach into their hearts and remind them how people in big cities can always use a dependable companion?
Here’s a question: Are there more veterinarians or more divorce lawyers in Dallas/Fort Worth?
What inspired my odd thinking about somehow making contact with all the people who live in Dallas/Fort Worth on behalf of animals was the late night news yesterday about Enzo. Suddenly, from a dog being treated for heartworm and due to be neutered, Enzo went to a dog on “the list” for Thursday at Dallas Animal Services. Are we avoiding medical bills via the needle? Will the shelter will be saving money on medical procedures and checks as the countdown proceeds for a dog who did nothing but show up in custody in a big city shelter that keeps its needle busy.
Pass the word along that Enzo needs a human to save his life. He’s A1220423 at the shelter. Listed as a 3-year-old “large” 58-pound dog. He’s in the DAS Shelter at 1818 North Westmoreland Road at I-30 W, just minutes from Downtown Dallas. Call 214-670-6800.
And THIS IS THE LINK to Enzo’s shelter listing. Unless something has changed.
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LARRY NOTE: We’re not interested in saving JUST THIS ONE DOG Enzo from the human/perhaps not humane solution to the crush of unwanted animals. We’re interested in saving ‘em all. Pass it on. Ask people to help by adopting. Ask other people to help by spaying and neutering and by keeping their dogs and cats safe at home. Stray and Death have the same number of letters in Dallas. So does the word “idiot.” Not that there are any free-roaming boneheads in Big D and the surrounding Metrodimplex.
— Offer baseless objections or rock solid amens by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and tell us about your Dallas dog and/or cat! —-
