My brain is on overload with all the things I want to be able to say in this post, including my response to questions and issues raised in the comments yesterday about Hailey, a long term shelter dog.
First of all, when I read the article about Hailey in my newsletter from Dogwood Animal Shelter, I immediately wanted to know more. I clicked to their website and read more about her. Then I surfed to Petfinder only to discover no photos of Hailey and another reference to Black Dog Syndrome.
What stunned me about Hailey was that she's spent all but 2 months of her eight years of life in a shelter.
She's not alone. Over the years I've read about other dogs who have spent years in various animal shelters waiting for a forever home. I'm aware of some shelters and rescues that even waive adoption fees after an animal has been with them for over a year.
I'm well aware that if Hailey had originally been taken to a "kill" shelter, she may have been euthanized long ago.
Could Dogwood have done (and still do) more for Hailey in terms of getting her adopted. Sure. Of course. For starters, they could get that Petfinder photo uploaded. They could do a youtube video of Hailey. They could network with Labrador Retriever rescue groups to place her.
They could re-word Hailey's description. "She is particular about what dogs will be her friends." is a yellow warning light blinking in my head. What exactly does that mean?
What I know for sure is that Hailey is one of 250-300 dogs and cats living at Dogwood. In 2011 this "no kill" animal shelter took in 664 pets and adopted out 651. They have an army of volunteers who raised the funds to build a state-of-the-art animal shelter and offer low cost spay/neuter clinics, obedience classes, elementary school education curriculum and much more. Dogwood is funded solely on donations and funds raised by volunteers at events and their thrift store. They hold adoption events on site and at nearby shopping locations.
Are they perfect? Heck, no. Every day they are faced with difficult decisions regarding keeping their facility operating, how to adopt more dogs and cats to good, loving homes and which ones to feature in their adoption marketing efforts.
They are not alone. Every animal shelter and every pet rescue group needs more resources, more volunteers, better marketing, more networking... It's a long list.
Thoughts of Hailey consume me. Yes, she's never known life outside a shelter, so she doesn't know what life could be like. However, how many other dogs like Hailey are out there? Dogs that have spent months, or even years, in a shelter.
Why has Hailey not been adopted? What more could have been done for her? Good questions.
For me, though, the real question remains: how long is too long? Is there a "too long?" Is life in a shelter better than no life at all?
My answer is yes, life in a shelter is better than no life. However, as I watch my own dogs roust at play, patrol their yard, lounge on the sofa... I am haunted by Hailey and the other dogs like her who have been overlooked.
First of all, when I read the article about Hailey in my newsletter from Dogwood Animal Shelter, I immediately wanted to know more. I clicked to their website and read more about her. Then I surfed to Petfinder only to discover no photos of Hailey and another reference to Black Dog Syndrome.
What stunned me about Hailey was that she's spent all but 2 months of her eight years of life in a shelter.
She's not alone. Over the years I've read about other dogs who have spent years in various animal shelters waiting for a forever home. I'm aware of some shelters and rescues that even waive adoption fees after an animal has been with them for over a year.
I'm well aware that if Hailey had originally been taken to a "kill" shelter, she may have been euthanized long ago.
Could Dogwood have done (and still do) more for Hailey in terms of getting her adopted. Sure. Of course. For starters, they could get that Petfinder photo uploaded. They could do a youtube video of Hailey. They could network with Labrador Retriever rescue groups to place her.
They could re-word Hailey's description. "She is particular about what dogs will be her friends." is a yellow warning light blinking in my head. What exactly does that mean?
What I know for sure is that Hailey is one of 250-300 dogs and cats living at Dogwood. In 2011 this "no kill" animal shelter took in 664 pets and adopted out 651. They have an army of volunteers who raised the funds to build a state-of-the-art animal shelter and offer low cost spay/neuter clinics, obedience classes, elementary school education curriculum and much more. Dogwood is funded solely on donations and funds raised by volunteers at events and their thrift store. They hold adoption events on site and at nearby shopping locations.
Are they perfect? Heck, no. Every day they are faced with difficult decisions regarding keeping their facility operating, how to adopt more dogs and cats to good, loving homes and which ones to feature in their adoption marketing efforts.
They are not alone. Every animal shelter and every pet rescue group needs more resources, more volunteers, better marketing, more networking... It's a long list.
Thoughts of Hailey consume me. Yes, she's never known life outside a shelter, so she doesn't know what life could be like. However, how many other dogs like Hailey are out there? Dogs that have spent months, or even years, in a shelter.
Why has Hailey not been adopted? What more could have been done for her? Good questions.
For me, though, the real question remains: how long is too long? Is there a "too long?" Is life in a shelter better than no life at all?
My answer is yes, life in a shelter is better than no life. However, as I watch my own dogs roust at play, patrol their yard, lounge on the sofa... I am haunted by Hailey and the other dogs like her who have been overlooked.
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