One of the hardest things for the staff of animal shelters is when owners turn in their pets, especially pets they have had for years.
There are a variety of reasons — moving, homeless, have become aggressive, going to the bathroom in the house, destructive, just to mention a few.
I have the utmost sympathy when people literally have no other option than to turn in their pets. It is devastating for them. If we can, we offer other options for them to keep their pets. It is heartbreaking for us to watch the owners as they say goodbye and to try and comfort the pet as they watch the owner walk away.
One of the things that is really hard for us here at the Animal Protection League is when owners surrender animals who have behavior issues, especially aggression, and expect us to be able to not only handle them safely but to re-home them.
Some dogs arrive in a cage in the back of a truck, snarling and charging the front of the cage when anyone comes near. The owners tell us they’ve had the dog for years and he started attacking the other dog in the home and attacking people. We try to explain that the shelter is very stressful and that it will escalate that aggression.
Open-admission shelters are not doggie day care. But some pet owners do not understand. When we tell them we probably cannot re-home and the dog might be euthanized, they get upset. They are getting rid of them because the behavior has become so bad, so scary that they do not want them in their home. But they seem to think someone else will. Why?
People bring us their cats they’ve had for years because they are going to the bathroom outside the litter box — on couches, beds, carpet, etc. They might or might not have taken the cat to the vet. Sometimes it is as simple as a urinary tract infection, but that requires a vet visit.
If they have had the cat all these years and are turning them in, why do they think someone else wants the cat going to the bathroom in their home?
People bring us older puppies, young dogs they have not socialized, saying they are just too much and expecting them to get socialized in an overwhelmed open-admission shelter.
These poor dogs’ behavior deteriorates very quickly in this high-stress situation, and it becomes imperative that we find a savvy foster/adopter who can deal with these behavior issues effectively. It is hard to socialize puppies in open-admission shelters.
It’s Monday, and just today we have had three return dog adoptions. All three adopters have had their dog under a month — too big, too much energy, scares our grandchild, growls at our other dog.
All three of these dogs are a shivering, shaking mess as I write this. It generally takes new adoptees three days to decompress once adopted, three weeks to learn routines and three months to settle in and know they are home.
Before you adopt an animal, think about what you are willing to put up with. Do not make a spontaneous decision and think everything will be all right. The dog was the same size now as when you adopted, but now he is too big?
Know what your limitations are and how savvy you are concerning behavioral issues. Do not get a high-energy dog if you do not have a fence and are sedentary. Get pets who match your personality and your skill set.
This will help stop heartbreak for all concerned. Especially the pets.
Maleah Stringer is executive director of the Animal Protection League.
