Cats finding homes left and right

Today I got in a little early to make sure that I didn't have to clean up after all the new dog arrivals, call it lazy sure, but I also wanted to clean the cats so I could get to know all of the new guys, after all it has been about ten days since I even stepped into the cattery.

In the cattery I noticed the extremely large number of black and white cats. In fact I would say a good fifty percent were tuxedoes. Don't get me wrong, I don't think that there is anything wrong with having a certain type of cat in our care I just thought it was kind of funny to see so many that look so similar to each other. It was nice to be in there to get to know the little guys though because they all have such different personalities and of course it's some good info to know for potential adopters when they come in looking for a particular cat.

Once all of the cats were done I headed over to the rabbitat where I made quick work of changing out their bedding and feeding them some fresh hay and water. I was surprised to see how quickly it goes when you have a few less rabbits and your trying to speed through so your allergies don't get to you. Surprise surprise, after not doing this for a few weeks it seems my sneezes have returned.

After the cleaning it was time to give all of the mange puppies their weekly medicated baths. I figured why not since I hadn't really spent much time with them lately. Each bath consisted of putting some medication in their eyes so they would stay lubricated because you are bathing their entire head and bodies. Once that was done it was a good ten minute lather on each of them to make sure the medicated shampoo did it's job. It was a nice break from the rush of the shelter, not to mention I got all of these great pics out of it. My favorite is the one up top.

Later I got called to my first showing, it was with a bonded pair of kitties named Rabbit and Robin, could you guess that they were from the "R" litter? Now this pair is a special case that has needed that perfect home form quite some time now. Both initially were completely anti social and wouldn't allow anyone to touch them, in fact I have a nice scar from one of them. Anyways, we had moved the cats into our in and out room with several other animals and they seemed to come out to of their shell. They still are going to need a lot of work I told the couple and they could digress but after a good long time the cat lovers decided to adopt. It was a great feeling to know that these two were going to a home where the family's last cat lived to twenty. It was also nice to hear that they will be very patient with them.

While all of this was going on, three other cats were getting adopted at the same time. Another bonded pair which blew my mind and another cat that was housed with Rabbit and Robin. Not sure if it's something in the water but I am amazed at how many cat adoptions there have been lately. Hopefully we will have a run on some black and white ones now.

Closing out the day I went back to medical to see how the intake was going on the new arrivals. When I went in I thought they were shearing a sheep, it turns out it was just one of the little matted guys that had come in yesterday. The poor little guys had such bad mats that his ear was literally connected to his neck. Thank goodness our medical staff knows what they are doing because after they were done the little guy had the closest thing to a smile a dog could have.

Thanks for reading everyone and I look forward to you comments.

Getting back in the swing of things

Starting off the day today I felt a little more comfortable in what I was actually doing after having so many days off. I began by once again taking care of the dogs which need a little extra attention today. The reason we needed to spend a little extra time with them was because we had the new "second chance" batch coming in later in the afternoon and we had to shuffle around a few dogs to make sure that we had room on our West side kennels to accommodate the new guys. The reason why we need an entire side of the kennels for these guys is to keep them almost quarantined away from the others because typically when they come from another shelter they have ether kennel cough or giardia, or all of the above.

Once everything was organized and clean it was time to hit the ground running. Mind you we didn't finish all of our morning duties until well after we had already opened our doors to the public. I never like it when I keep hearing the staff called over the P.A. system to help out a guest when we still are lugging garbage out. Luckily our front desk staff is pretty good at explaining a wait time for our customers.

After I finally got caught up it was already time to feed the puppies and kittens again. This was a surprise to me because it felt like I had just fed them minutes before. I have to say it's nice when your busy and the day seems to fly by. Once that was done it was time to help out in setting up the kennels for some new arrivals, ten of them to be exact. Initially there were only nine but when our behaviorist was leaving the other shelter a shepherd mix came in and she had to get him too.

In addition to setting up the kennels another staff member disinfected the fake grass yards that these dogs would be using for their breaks. I have to say thank you to them because I really was tired of walking around in wet socks so I was glad mine actually had a chance to dry today.

On top of all of this we were trying to play catch up with laundry. For some reason I didn't think that there was that much until I noticed one of the ISO kennels that was full to the ceiling with dirty blankets. Now I know what a postal worker feels like, it just never does end.

After all of this I can finally say I did poop buckets for the last time. Woohoooo! Since I am switching my schedule Monday's daily dues are no longer an issue, thank goodness. That is all I will ever say of the subject again...hopefully.

Closing out the day I helped with a few intakes of the silky terriers that were adopted out yesterday. I was able to talk to their adopter, in my horrible Spanglish, and explained that they would most like be able to go home on Thursday. The reason being is their teeth are horrible. So bad in fact that one will most likely need some extractions. The woman was very understanding and looking forward to bringing home her new additions. It really does put a smile on my face to hear the joy in people's voices.

I couldn't forget the new arrivals. They came in late and of course had their usually air of stinkiness to them. One was so bad that as soon as we get a chance he is going to have to be shaved down because he is completely matted. Overall though the group looks like a winning one and hopefully they all adjust well and make their way into their new forever homes sooner than later. The picture up top is one of the shepherd mixes and the one here is Mr. Dreadlocks as I like to call him.

Thanks for reading as always and I look forward to your comments.

A new year and back to it after eight days off

I have to say it was a little tough to get up this morning and go into the shelter for the simple fact that I have been on vacation for the last week. Once I walked in the doors though it was a different story. I was glad to be back to helping out the animals and of course finding them their new forever homes.

It's sometimes takes a little more time than expected to get back in the rhythm of shelter after being gone for so long so there are some simple steps that I like to take. First I see who has been adopted while I was gone and then of course checking on the new arrivals. Because of the busy holiday season there weren't that many new faces when I came into work but there were certainly a few less. I learned that three long term cats had been adopted; Raja, Cayse, and Mollie. This was great to hear since all of these wonderful cats had been in the shelter going on six months or longer. I also learned that a sweet rabbit named Noel, named that before the holidays, had also been adopted.

Once I learned of all the adoptions now I just had to remember how to clean everything and actually do my job. After I took care of cleaning and disinfecting the south side kennels the showings came rolling in. Unfortunately the first profile I had was a denial for the dog that the potential adopter wanted to look at. Everything looked good but because the adopter had young children the dog they were looking at wasn't necessarily the best fit. Luckily they understood thins and said that they would keep looking.

After my first showing the rest of the afternoon was incredibly slow, not sure if it was because of the traveling day or what but I found myself doing a lot of laundry. When I was finishing a load I got a call to come back to the med room to help with an EBR (euthanasia by request). If you have read any of my past blogs you know that I really try to not have anything to do with these but because the animal was so large they needed my help moving him once he has already past. Not only was this tough to begin with but the poor guy lost his bowels in the process and there was an entire pool of poop all over the stretcher and on the floor. Needless to say I had to move him in steps because of the smell and of course because we were all covered in poop. I hope I am not sounding cold but it is what it is and this is how we had to deal with it. Eventually we got him covered and taken care of but not before stepping out of the med office several times for fresh breaths. I am just glad that the old guy went quickly.

After very few showings I found myself bombarded with adoption applications. My first was with an older woman and her live at home son who were looking at two terriers that just became available today. We thought we would have a tough time placing these guys because not only were they going home together, they are also almost nine years old and not potty trained. On top of this we were steering away from young children because one of the dogs was very skittish. Surprisingly enough though the mother and son absolutely fell in love with the pair and decided they were the right addition to their family. The adopter finished by telling me in Spanish how grateful she was to have found both of those dogs and is looking forward to bringing them home soon.

Closing out the day I was juggling about four other showings with several dogs. One was with a dog named Cora that has to go home to the perfect environment because of her "spastic" behavior. Luckily the family was understanding and is willing to wait for the perfect dog but they still absolutely fell in love with the huskie mix. The rest of the showings went pretty well, we had a lot of good potential adopters in today it's just a matter of finding them the perfect fit. I always say in my showings now unfortunately there is no shortage of dogs and that everyone should wait for that perfect fit because this is no small commitment. In addition to this we at our shelter pride ourselves on matching up the right dogs to the right homes, we are in no rush to send our animals out if there is a possibility that their new home isn't the perfect one. I am glad the people appreciate this when they come into the shelter because owning an animal isn't a small thing and you need to make sure that it is a mutually good thing.

Thanks for reading everyone and I hope that the new year brings everyone, including the animals, blessings. In the coming weeks I am going to be switching up a little what I do at the shelter to helping out at the front desk along with medical so get ready for a new perspective on the shelter environment. And keep the comments coming, I know that for those of you that are too young to volunteer there are programs that shelters provide for younger people to help out as well. At our shelter we have KCS which brings in middle and high school aged children to lend a helping hand.

A happy holiday season

Today will be the last day I write for a few days because of the hectic holidays that are fast approaching. This is my first Christmas at the shelter and there are certainly some smiles on everyone's faces at this time.

The past week has been down right crazy, with new dogs coming in and a whole lot going out. Because of the big holiday the shelter decided against bringing in any large number of animals just because our medical staff would get to overwhelmed especially since they are short handed.

The animals that did come in, mostly relinquishments, have all pretty much been adopted out. Not sure if it's Christmas or what but there has certainly been a run on adopting shelter dogs and cats this month.

All of the adoptions are special but one dog that we were glad to see find a home is a sweet heart named Rusty. When we initially brought him in we estimated his age at six to eight, but after doing some research we found out that he was nearly ten and a half! This is difficult because since we knew the age we had to divulge it and let's just say it's a lot easier to adopt a young dog rather than a senior. Luckily the miracle happened and a perfect family came in and realized that it was the perfect fit and just like that Rusty found his forever home.

I want to add a special thanks to all of the volunteers across the country that help out at shelters and everywhere for that matter. You all play such a imperative roll in making sure that these animals difficult situations are made easier until they find their forever home. I also want to thank all of the donors throughout the year that have brought in everything from blankets to beds and food to treats. To make a shelter work takes a lot more than an adoption counselor so thank you to all of you out there that play such a big role in helping animals. I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year and continues the mission of helping animals in years to come.

A whole lot of busy work, saying good luck, and one solid showing

After the morning cleaning I headed over to take care of the rabbitat. It was pretty routine as usual until I had to switch out a litter box for one of the guys. I went to the outside supply of the large plastic boxes and found one up on a top shelf. I was reaching for the stack when I noticed how heavy they all were, as I pulled it down I soon realized why. About four or so gallons of water came splashing down on my head completely soaking me. Luckily it wasn't to cold out and thankfully we have a industrial dryer. Other than the fact that it was pretty embarrassing it wasn't to bad. At least the rabbits got a clean box.

Once all of the cleaning was done the day was pretty routine. There were a few showings early on but I didn't get my first one until the afternoon. Then of course it wasn't a showing but rather a denial. On the profile it turns out not only did they have a female dog (we don't do female to female adoption due to history of such instances) and the big one was that they had a "prego" cat, or at least they hoped so. Now, I have no doubt that they are a loving family who take very good care of their pets but it goes against our mission to help control the pet over population and find animals their new forever home that is going to be a perfect match. I just wish people would not completely close their ears once I tell them I cannot adopt to them. Some are understanding but some seem to take it so personally.

My last showing was a good one with a younger couple that was looking at one of our staff favorites T.J., a collie whippet mix. The showing went well but I wanted the couple to go home and thing about everything that possibly could arise from adopting this animal. I have no doubt that they would love T.J. but I want to make sure that this is her forever home and not a temporary fit until they move. I hope they read the handouts I gave them and they come back to adopt.

Closing out the day we all got to say good by to Margie, aka Minnie. It's one of those bitter sweet moments where you are so happy to finally see her find a home but you of course are saddened to see her leave. I know that she will be a very happy animal and make her new owners feel the same. Thanks for reading as always and if you have any comments, questions, or suggestions feel free to send them my way.

A quick day

It was the usual beginning to my day, taking out dogs for their morning break, cleaning out their kennels, turing the heaters off, feeding them, and bringing them back up. Nothing too exciting except twice while I was cleaning I noticed a toy chihuahua walking aimlessly up to me. It turns out one of the new second chance dogs can dig and move rocks pretty well. This was my excitement for the morning. Luckily he followed me right back to his kennel and didn't run.

Once all of the cleaning was done it was a pretty typical day. Lots of cleaning and surprisingly a lot of showings. Early on their was a kitten showing and of course an adoption. After that I was called to help out with a dog introduction with our recently available one year old lab named Marley. The intro went great and not to any of our surprises she was adopted the first day she became available.

There were a few more showings but nothing panning out as far as adoptions go. The rest of the afternoon was busy filled with feeding kittens and puppies and of course giving a little love to some special needs animals. I have to add a picture of Chica, one of my favorite dogs here right now. I was able to sit down with her today and spend some quality time with her and even scratch her ears for her.

Closing out the day I was told that there was a squirrel in need hanging out at the shelter. We think it might have either been attacked by another animal or gotten into the rat poison because there was something definitely wrong with it. I'm just glad we have people that are qualified to take care of this so I don't have to.

Sorry for the short length today, I spent most of my time cleaning up poop my own dog left for me. As always though thanks for reading and I truly appreciate the comments. I also have to close with a picture of Margie, aka Minnie, our deaf chihuahua that finally gets to go home.

A complete reversal

With all of the sad and stressful times this past week I was ready for a rebound, and today it came. The day started off as usual with lots of cleaning and making sure all of the animals were fed and as soon as the doors opened I was in a showing.

The first showing I had was with a tiny little kitten with the fitting name Itty Bitty. The woman had been in yesterday but because she came so close to five we were unable to show the animal. Luckily she wasn't deterred and came back first thing this morning. The showing went great with the adopter asking all of the right questions. The adoption was a go and this new kitten has a new place to call home.

The day seemed pretty routine for a Monday after my showing. There was lots of cleaning and of course preparing for the new batch of dogs to come in through our second chance program. Usually they arrive with our behaviorist around one but today she was running a little late and wouldn't be back at the shelter until after three. This was good news because now we had a little extra time to set everything up for the new arrivals.

While all of this was going on our med staff was taking care of some new cat intakes, more specifically five rag doll kittens. We've had a run on cats and kittens lately and the cattery has seemed pretty empty so over the next few days there are going to be a lot of intakes.

Now on to the highlight of the day. I was called to do a dog introduction with our longest of long termers Margie, aka Minnie. She is a super sweet deaf Chihuahua that is going to need an extremely patient home. The poor thing has been at the shelter upwards of six months because not only is she a special needs dog she is also pretty aloof. Luckily though she had already gone through the showing and it was already onto the interaction with the potential adopters dog. I was honestly amazed to see them interact. A little of Margie's bitchiness and jealousy came out but we were able to calm her back down quickly. Better to prepare the potential adopter of everything than adopting out a dog that could potentially get returned very quickly.

After we let them get used to each other we put them in our quite room with the family and two adoption counselors. By the end of it Margie was actually giving the other dog kisses. It was so great to see and the potential adopter felt the same way. It was also great to hear how her new family plans on working with her and her disability. After a solid hour the adoption was a go. I almost couldn't believe it but our Margie has finally found a home. Did I mention also that her new adopter is deaf, you want to talk about a perfect fit. We are such a lucky shelter that we have the ability to wait for the perfect adopters rather than just putting as many dogs out there as possible.

Later our behaviorist arrived with the new batch and was a little disappointed to see Margie still here. She had known about the showing when she called to tell us she was going to be late. Then of course I told her that Margie will be going home on Wednesday because her new family wants to prepare the house for her. It was nice to see some tears of joy, it really is amazing the group of people here and how much they truly care for these animals.

I'm truly uplifted after today and glad I get to share it with everyone. All the new pictures are some of our second chance arrivals that came in today, I have no doubt they won't be here long once they are available. As always, thanks for reading and if you have any questions or comments about animal shelters in general I would love to help.