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Columbia-Greene Humane Society
125 Humane-Society Road
Soft Paws By Aaron Clause They Don’t Deserve It!! I thought I’d share an unusual and unfortunate surrender story with you this week – one that our own shelter would have pulled out all the guns (follow-ups, referrals, adoption counseling and surrender counseling) to prevent. The story shows how insufficient thought and commitment before an adoption can do a companion animal more harm than good. The tale begins typically: your average family – Mom, Dad, two children ages 6 years and 9 months – with the 6-year-old watching Disney-type movies and begging for a dog. Mom sends Dad to a shelter to “rescue” a good dog for a family pet. Mom expects a little pup; Dad brings home a nice, 90-pound oaf. Within 24-48 hours (well within the 6-8 week adjustment period), the parents, not realizing that “child training” is as important as “dog training,” allow the 6-year-old to yank the dog by the collar, and the 9-month-old to latch onto his tail. The dog responds more intelligently and less threateningly than most dogs would, only twitching its head back at the tail pull, and giving a little warning snip (not touching the 6-year-old) over the collar yank. After a call to a “trainer,” the parents were advised to surrender the dog to the shelter. It didn’t even have a name yet. Upon bringing the now confused and distraught dog back, the family put their name on the waiting list for the next available Chihuahua. How awfully, terribly tragic! No, this surrender did not occur at our own Humane Society – I assure you, events would not have fallen as they did if it happened here. Let’s take a look at all the spots where this dog was failed: 1) Parents giving in to child begging for dog. When we counsel adopters that intend to get a pet for a small child, we strive to be honest – children typically lose interest in their desperately-wanted “toys” within a couple of weeks. The possible 20-year commitment to the pet then falls on the shoulders of the parents. A child’s whims are hardly a reason to traumatize a dog by placing it in, then out, then back into a shelter, keeping it in a constant state of adjustment, or “limbo.” 2) Mom and Dad don’t both meet the new dog. Adopters, in general, are required to meet the dog they intend on adopting before approval. Especially children, so we can visualize how the dog will treat the child AND how the child will treat the dog. If we aren’t 100% sure the relationship between dog and new family will be positive for both, then we will supply counseling, suggest a different dog, or deny the adopters if we feel the situation is too risky. 3) Surprise! Surprise pets are BAD ideas. A pet adoption should be a careful decision, made by the person (or, in this case, ALL the people) intending to own the pet. There are too many unknowns to just “take a guess,” and too much at stake for the animal. 4) Parents not aware of “adjustment period” for children and dogs. Dogs thrive on familiarity. When they are deprived of it (for instance, moving into a new household), a number of temporary and strange behaviors could be observed, including but not limited to depression, lack of appetite, timidity, defensiveness, and indoor urination and defecation. Children thrive on curiosity. The two may not blend well at first, which is why we give adopters a 6-8 week guideline over which the dog can settle in to the household without an overabundance of child terrorism. 5) Parents permit children to abuse dog. Not only that, right when the dog is feeling highly insecure about its new surroundings! The behavior shown in response was mild; many children would be in danger of a dog biting over the same abusive activities under the same conditions. This is awareness that should be built BEFORE adoption and MAINTAINED through a routine follow-up policy like the one we have in place at CGHS. 6) No research done on “trainer.” No, there is no “degree” for dog training – anyone can claim to be a trainer. Therefore, you must do all the appropriate research (via shelters, veterinarians, breeders, clientele, etc) to confirm that you are speaking with a REPUTABLE trainer. And no REPUTABLE trainer would have condoned either this adoption or this surrender. A reputable trainer would have put forth a genuine effort to counsel and correct the activities in this household. Even after the incidents with the children, the relationship between this family and their dog could have been salvaged with the aid of a REPUTABLE (yes, I keep repeating it!) trainer. 7) Guess who pays?! The dog, who, as described above, is in limbo after a whirlwind return to the shelter (in-out-in). Not only that, the dog may now be worse off, with a possible child-aggression trigger after the traumatic experience, increasing his chances for euthanasia. A word to those of you who would do this: We don’t need your business at our shelter. You won’t get a dog – not even a Chihuahua (so you can traumatize him, too?).
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