Shelter animals depend on community for support

BY WENDY POST, Times-Shamrock Writer
Published: August 7, 2011

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Photo: TIMES-SHAMROCK PHOTO/WENDY POST, License: N/A, Created: 2011:08:01 12:19:41

Sable, a pit bull, was adopted last week by Katrina Pierce of Towanda. Pictured with Katrina are her brothers, Troy and Derek Pierce.

 

Cold, shivering, hungry, lonely and tired are some of the words that can describe the animals that enter the Bradford County Humane Society (BCHS) in Ulster, Pa. But in spite of the hopelessness that these animals most undoubtedly experience before their entrance into the shelter, hope is soon restored as they receive needed medical attention, food, and warm and dry shelter for their tired and weary bones.
Companion animals, in spite of their loyalty and dedication to those who own them, oftentimes find themselves in a situation where they are abused, abandoned, and sometimes even lost without ever knowing how or why. As a community that cares for all creatures, big and small, it soon becomes the burden of those wanting to help to ensure that these animals are given a second chance — a chance that, according to BCHS Community Liaison Jennifer Spencer, is deserving.
“It’s giving these animals a second chance,” Spencer said. “They’re homeless, living their lives in a cage.”
And Joan Mullaly, treasurer of the BCHS board of directors, agrees.
“Every dog deserves a second chance,” she said. “We try to give them a better life.”
For one lost dog named Hope, that second chance was given in spite of some pretty serious disabilities. Discovered abandoned, the small Chihuahua only had two legs. Originally named Grace, Spencer adopted the dog and renamed her Hope. She now lives at Spencer’s home in Troy, Pa. with several other companion animals in the household.
It’s stories like these that attracted Spencer herself to enter into the painstaking endeavor of marketing homeless animals, and fighting to find them forever homes.
Originally from Pennsylvania, Spencer moved back home from California where she was marketing for various companies like Nestles and was promoting products in stores like Walmart. Today, Spencer takes the homeless animals to stores like Walmart, in the hopes that they will steal the heart of someone passing by and land in a forever home — the one thing that all the animals dream of.
This happened recently for a pit bull named Sable, except the store was K-Mart in Wysox.
During an interview with Spencer and Mullaly on Monday, they were specifically talking about Sable, and how they would love to see her get a home. Because this specific breed has been abused and neglected for use in dog fighting, many shelters believe in the myth that they are difficult to adopt out based on the “bad rap” they have been given.
On the contrary, and according to the American Temperament Testing Association, pit bulls have an 85.3 percent passing rate, compared to a passing rate of 81.9 percent for all breeds on average. In World War I, Pit Bulls were often used to represent America.
Some animal shelters condemn any dog that has a pit bull look as “unadoptable” without any evaluation. A death sentence, according to humane sources, that is unfair and unsound.
At the BCHS, Sable, a pit bull breed, was given a chance, and not subjected to these falsities. It paid off on Monday when suddenly, and thanks to a recent outing at K-Mart in Wysox, Sable found her forever home.
Arriving at the BCHS with her younger brothers, Troy and Derek, Katrina Pierce of Towanda decided to give Sable a good, loving home. Tail wagging, and looking as if she was smiling, Sable proudly exited the kennel she had been confined to for way too long, and gently greeted her new family.
“I’ve been looking for a dog,” said Pierce on Monday. “I saw Sable, and couldn’t stop thinking of her ... I just want to take her everywhere.”
As Pierce and her brothers exited the shelter with Sable, she was anxious to go home, and wasn’t even looking back.
But for dogs like Sable, the shelter is a second chance that they deserve, and the care, while they are housed there, is the best that the workers can offer within their financial limitations.
BCHS is classified as a “low kill” shelter, only euthanizing when an animal is too sick, or their behavioral problems render them unsuitable for adoption. And with a capacity for approximately 27 indoor dogs, and 12 outside, caring for the dogs and promoting “adoption as a first option” can be an overwhelming job at times.
But the staff and volunteers at the BCHS are up to the task.
Almost daily, lost dogs are brought to BCHS. The staff workers evaluate the dogs, and are, at times, convinced they must be lost based on the level of their care.
“We have some dogs that look so well cared for ... we think they have homes,” Mullaly said. She noted that having your pet micro-chipped is important. She also noted that if people move, they should be sure to submit a change of address to help lost dogs find their homes.
Once the dogs are brought into the shelter, the staff will hold them for a 48-hour period of time prior to placing them up for adoption.
The shelter also has cats. According to Mullaly, it is overwhelming at times. “There are so many cats, and not enough homes,” she said.
A cat room located on the property has an assortment of young and old cats playing and frolicking about. With perches to climb on, and toys to play with, Mullaly explains that the room was made possible through a bequest from Emily and Esther Campbell.
“They had an estate, and we used it for the cat room, air exchanges and much more,” Mullaly added.
Sitting in the cat room petting and grooming a long-haired cat is Sayre High senior Shawnee Nortis. With plans to become a veterinarian upon graduation next year, Nortis spends many hours holding the cats, and giving them some much needed love and affection.
For the staff working administration and kennel operations, a typical day consists of selling dog licenses, cleaning cages and kennels, feeding the animals, and making sure they have plenty of water. The dogs also have an opportunity throughout the day to be walked by volunteers, or to spend time in the exercise run.
But a good day, according to Mullaly, is a day when there are plenty of adoptions.
And each dog, she continued, has a story they are unable to tell. “Dogs come in that have been shot,” Mullaly said. “We have emaciated dogs, and we even have dogs arrive that are covered with porcupine quills.”
One thing that all at the BCHS agreed with is that the flow of animals arriving never ends. For them, the hardest job is to advocate and educate.
Going out to schools, and more recently appearing in the community with some of the shelter’s animals, Spencer hopes to bring awareness, and encourage the community to consider adoption as an option.
The staff’s Humane Officer Lara Hawbaker is also proactive, and travels to senior centers and schools with Spencer to promote humane education.
“The kids get excited because we always bring a dog with us,” Spencer said. Mullaly believes this sort of outreach will have a positive outcome over time.
“It is our hope that the kids take what they learn home with them,” Mullaly said. She is also hoping that they can expand this outreach into high schools.
But in the meantime, the staff and volunteers continue to advocate for those who can’t speak, and continue to encourage residents with room in their homes and heart that a shelter dog or cat is worth saving.
Some upcoming events sponsored by BCHS include the annual “Picnic with your Pooch” from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 24 at Grovedale Winery.
This event, according to Spencer, allows people to bring their dogs out for some socialization. It also provides an avenue for the shelter to gain support.
In another effort that assists adopted animals and their owners, the BCHS participates in the T.A.C.O. (Towanda Area Community Outreach) food bank.
So far in 2011, the BCHS has provided pet food to 73 households, dog food to 68 dog owners, and cat food to 114 cat owners. BCHS generally gives to these individuals four times a year, so these numbers will grow by the end of 2011. They also participate in the Sullivan County Food Bank with assistance with pet food.
Most times, especially during warm weather months, the shelter is at full capacity with all of the kennels being occupied, so the strain of purchasing pet food can be difficult financially, not only for the shelter animals, but for pets in our community.
The BCHS would not want to have to discontinue the TACO or the Sullivan County Food Program, so they are asking the community for their assistance.
If you can donate dry dog or dry cat food to the shelter, it would be much appreciated, so they can continue to assist in providing pet food to low-income customers.
You can drop off donated dry dog and dry cat food to the BCHS during office hours of 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.
And to continue helping animals in and out of the shelter, the BCHS is always in need of donations. Because they are a non-profit, totally dependent on community funding, they have had to devise ways to keep the funds flowing.
In a Memorial Garden established on the shelter grounds, donors can purchase a brick to have etched for all to see and remember. This garden is near the Rainbow Bridge, a project established a few years ago to memorialize all the animals who pass over.
To learn more about any of these donor programs, you can contact the shelter by calling (570) 888-2114. If you suspect animal cruelty, you are encouraged to contact the shelter’s humane enforcement officer by phoning (570) 888-4763. Calls are confidential. The shelter is located on Route 220 in Ulster.
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