It takes so little. It only takes an arm around the shoulder. It only takes saying, “Good dog!” It only takes tossing a ball. It only takes a new bone to chew. It only takes a pat on the head. It only takes a new smell to sniff. It only takes a belly rub. It […]
I get the questions all the time. “Isn’t working with shelter animals too sad?” “Don’t you want to take them all home?” “How can you do it?” The answers I give people are usually long and involved. So here’s the short version: 1) Yes, working with shelter animals can be very, very sad. 2) While […]
Long ago in a shelter far, far away … I’d just taken Teddy out for a long walk — and by long, I mean it took a lot of time although we didn’t cover much distance. Teddy was an older dog, a “senior.” A lovely shepherd mix whom we guessed was about 10 years old. […]
“She’s a shelter dog.” “I’m not sure what he is – just a shelter dog.” And then my favorite: “I don’t know if I’d ever adopt a shelter dog. You don’t know what you’re getting.” Shelter dogs get a lot of bad PR – some breeds worse than others – so let’s clarify something right […]