Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
Community
Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer 'Geoffrey,' a seven-year old, neutered, German shepherd/Lab mix available for adoption, strolls the streets of the South Bay with Humane Society of Santa Clara County Community Programs Manager Kate Reynolds while wearing a coat that reads 'I'm available, are you?' How much for that doggie in the jacket? Shelter canines visit cities to look for prospective owners By Amy Jenkins Before getting ready for a weekend stroll down Lincoln Avenue in the Willow Glen neighborhood of San Jose, Lita must wear her jacket. She also brings her collar and leash. A 6-month-old pit bull/catahoula mix from the Humane Society of Santa Clara County, Lita is part of the pilot program "Canine Community Outing," in which volunteer dog socializers take adoptable shelter dogs into the community for exposure and to raise awareness about the shelter. Many onlookers have responded to the dogs' jackets, which say, "I'm available, are you?" "People ask if they are guide dogs for the blind," says the program's creator, Sunnyvale resident Ken Bell, who has worked at the shelter since 1997. "We tell them we're exercising the dogs and showcasing them. They ask why there is a shelter and we give them the spay and neuter spiel. We explain that not all shelter dogs are vicious and mean. Some are trained but people lost them and never looked for them." In addition to answering any questions the community has about the shelter, Bell makes sure the dogs get plenty of exercise on their outing. Dogs who are in the shelter for more than one month are under stress and need to have a wide area to walk, he says. Walks also keep dogs adoptable because if they are cooped up, they "may become hyper and not show their true personality," Bell says. Dogs get the chance to stretch their legs, smell grass and see water at Vasona Park in Los Gatos. The Canine Community Outing program has expanded to include five volunteers who take out dogs every day of the week in Willow Glen and Los Gatos. Cupertino resident Darby Packie takes Loto, a 5-year-old neutered German shepherd, to the park because he "loves to fetch tennis balls," she says. Wearing the bright blue jacket attracts people's attention as they watch Loto chase the ball. Packie recalls a humorous incident on one outing. "My partner in the outing had Loto on a retractable leash and as Loto went to chase the ball he dragged the volunteer across the lawn," Packie says with a chuckle. "The volunteer is no spring chicken. This really caught people's attention. Kids especially love to see the dogs." Hard-to-place dogs are generally taken to the Starbucks in Willow Glen. Since it is often difficult to find older dogs homes, Loto and Jeffery, a 7-year-old yellow German shepherd, are shown to the public in this program, says Leslie Baikie-Khavari, public relations coordinator for the Humane Society of Santa Clara County. Scrappy, a 6-month-old Australian heeler, is hard to place in a home because he is high energy. And Lita hasn't been placed because of negative media portrayals of the pit bull breed, Baikie-Khavari says. The program is a success because many interested adopters have approached Packie, she says. Since the program started in January, there have been no dog bites or loose dogs, and the dogs are more relaxed, Bell says. Packie and other socializers study how well dogs walk on a leash and how dogs react to other dogs walking by in the kennel. They also teach the dogs how to sit. A dog's temperament can also be determined by how he or she reacts to bubbles¾by shying away or biting them, Packie says. Packie and Bell also get dogs acquainted with prospective adopters. If adopters own dogs, the dogs are introduced to each other to see how well they interact. "Sixty percent of the time the dogs get along," says Bell, who has a one-year-old pit bull/Labrador mix and takes him on hikes for exercise. "Breeds cannot determine if dogs will interact well. It must be determined on individual cases." Bell started the acquaintance program because he was told certain dogs were not adoptable. He felt volunteers should spend time getting to know an animal "so we can answer a customer's questions," he says. After getting to know a dog, he's able to explain the dog's characteristics and answer customers' questions about how much the dog likes to play. The program has been successful and more dogs have been adopted, he says. For more information about The Humane Society of Santa Clara County, call 408.727.3383 or visit www.scvhumane.org. |
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