by Peg Kehret
Shelter Dogs
Amazing Stories of Adopted Strays
Peg Kehret
PHOTOGRAPHS BY GREG FARRAR
ALBERT WHITMAN & COMPANY
MORTON GROVE, ILLINOIS
For Emilie Jacobson:
A writer’s best friends are a good dog and a good agent.
Acknowledgments
Although this book is about eight dogs, it could not have been written without the help of the people who live with those dogs. My heartfelt thanks to Megan Stanfel, Anne Gordon, Nita Baker, Helen Hughes, Susan Duncan, Jessica Mitchell, Ann Graves, Donna Amos, Taj Brumleve, and Cliff and Carol Chartrand for the time spent on interviews, photo sessions, follow-up phone calls, and e-mail. There’s no doubt—dog lovers are the best people.
I also thank Nancy Buckingham McKenney, director of the Humane Society of Seattle/King County, for her encouragement at the start of this project and for suggesting dogs who might fit my criteria. Thanks, too, to Carla McAllister and Jody McInturff who also told me about special dogs.
Steve Gengo of the Redmond, Washington, Fire Department and Jeanne Hampl of the Prison Pet Partnership Program promptly returned calls and patiently answered questions. Margie Mitchell welcomed me to her home and kept me informed of her daughter’s 4-H dog events. I am grateful for their help.
Thanks to Bill Larson, DVM, for sharing his memories of Kirby and to Andrea Wall for telling me about Bridgette’s foster care.
Special thanks to Greg Farrar for his beautiful photographs and for his many years as a volunteer helping shelter dogs.
Contents
Introduction
1
Zorro
THE CHAMPION THAT NOBODY WANTED
About Kennel Cough
About Flyball
2
Tracker
MOVIE-STAR DOG
About the American Humane Association
3
Kirby
ONE WORD SAVED A LIFE
Reminders from the Humane Society
4
Joey
INTERNATIONAL SERVICE DOG
About Service Dogs
5
Danny
OVERCOMING FEARS
About 4-H Clubs
About Preventing Dog Bites
6
Tyler
THE DOG WHO COULDN’T SEE
About a Dog’s Eyesight
7
Ivan
FIRE-ALARM HERO
About Fire Prevention
8
Bridgette
SEIZURE-ALERT DOG
How to Help Shelter Dogs
About the Author and Her Dog
About the Photographer
Introduction
Shelter dogs are dogs who have been turned in to an animal shelter. They are given away by their owners for a variety of reasons. Sometimes an owner “doesn’t have enough time” for the dog or is moving to a place where dogs are not allowed. Some people let their dogs have puppies and then take the puppies to a shelter. People sometimes develop allergies to animals or get too sick to care for a dog.
Some shelters are run by a city or county government. Other shelters are private organizations, run by compassionate people who do their best to provide food, medical care, and attention to the animals while trying to find them permanent, loving homes.
Most of the dogs in this book came from the Humane Society for Seattle/King County, a nonprofit shelter in Washington State that also takes in cats, rabbits, birds, and other small animals. I have adopted two dogs and two cats from this shelter, and I do volunteer work there. The staff and the volunteers truly love the animals entrusted to them and work tirelessly to provide the best possible care for these homeless creatures. Animals are kept as long as there is space available and they remain adoptable. Sadly, some are eventually euthanized. Donations and service fees are this agency’s only source of funds.
The motto of this facility is “Providing Love and Preventing Cruelty,” and the workers there do both. When I say “the Humane Society” as I tell the stories of these special dogs, I am referring to this particular shelter.
But the truth is, there are many fine animal shelters, and all of them have wonderful animals available for adoption. There are hundreds of shelter dogs with every bit as much potential as the ones described in this book. All these dogs need are people to love them and give them homes.
Zorro
THE CHAMPION THAT NOBODY WANTED
Zorro leaps over a course of hurdles during a Flyball demonstration given by the Puget Sound Flyers at Volunteer Park in Seattle.
1
ZORRO, A GREAT DANE/mixed breed dog, was eight weeks old when he first came to the Humane Society. His original owner “couldn’t find homes for all the puppies.”
Like most puppies, Zorro was lively and lovable. Unlike most puppies, he had kennel cough and had to be confined to the medical ward until he recovered and could be put up for adoption.
Jet black, with white paws, chest, and throat and a bit of white at the tip of his tail, Zorro was a long-legged beauty. As he lost his cute puppy look, it was clear to even the most inexperienced dog person that he was going to be a mighty big dog. He had huge paws and soon weighed forty pounds.
When he recovered, he was moved to the adoption building, which has individual kennels down both sides of a wide walkway. Whenever visitors arrived, Zorro leaped eagerly against the front of the wire kennel, his long tail waving wildly. Nobody wanted to adopt such a big and rowdy dog.
Weeks went by, Zorro grew and grew, and no one chose him. Finally, when he had been at the shelter for three months, he was adopted by a family who said they wanted a big dog and were prepared to give him the care he needed. Zorro galloped away from the kennel, tugging on his leash, his tail flapping like a windshield wiper.
His happiness did not last long. Seven months later, the family returned him to the Humane Society. They said they didn’t have time to exercise him, so they kept him shut in the house. Bored and restless, Zorro had begun to chew on the furniture. The family did not want a destructive dog.
By then, Zorro weighed seventy pounds, and his head reached the countertop at the adoption center. His energy level matched his size, and since he had never been taught any manners, he was now extremely hard to handle.
Of course, no one knows for sure what went through Zorro’s mind as he was brought back to the Humane Society where he had already spent so much time. But he must have wondered why he was again left alone in a kennel.
Each dog who awaits adoption at the Humane Society has paperwork attached to the kennel telling his history. Every attempt is made to be honest about any problems. For example, the history might say “Does not get along with cats” or “Needs continuing treatment for ear mites.” This information helps potential adopters as they try to choose a dog that will fit their lifestyle.
Now that Zorro was in the shelter a second time, his paperwork showed that he was a “returned” dog who had not worked out with his first adopting family. The paperwork also said that Zorro did not know how to obey and was known to chew—problems that would need to be corrected.
At the age of one year, Zorro, through no fault of his own, had four strikes against him: his size, his history of a failed adoption, his lack of training, and his chewing. Still, the staff hoped that some loving person would give Zorro a second chance.
Weeks passed.
No one took Zorro.
That summer, the Humane Society put on a three-week day camp for youth from troubled families. During the camp, volunteer coaches helped these young people take shelter dogs through a dog obedience class.
A Seattle woman, Megan Stanfel, offered to be a coach. Her group of campers chose to work with Zorro.
Every day for three weeks, Megan’s young helpers exercised Zorro and cleaned up after him. They groomed him, brushing his black coat until it shone. They taught him to sit and stay. They decorated a special collar for him.
Zorro thrived under this attention, and he learned each lesson quickly. He no longer jumped on visitors. He knew how to walk properly on a leash.
Although Zorro was the largest dog in camp, he was never aggressive toward the other dogs or to any of the people in the program. The campers nicknamed him “the Gentle Giant.”
Megan and her young workers knew that they were helping Zorro become more adoptable. They groomed him especially well on Fridays so that he would look his best over the weekend, when most adoptions take place. Despite their efforts, Zorro stayed at the shelter.
On the final day of camp, the dogs “graduated.” Zorro wore his new collar and marched in to the music “Pomp and Circumstance.” The camp’s obedience trainers voted him “Most Cooperative Dog.”
News photographers attended the graduation, and Megan urged them to photograph Zorro. She hoped someone would see his picture and fall in love with this handsome animal whose good manners now matched his good looks. But the photographers said black dogs are harder to photograph than light-colored ones; once again, Zorro was not selected.
Megan attached a note to the paperwork on Zorro’s kennel, saying how well he had worked with children during the summer camp and how quickly he had learned his obedience lessons. She mentioned that he was voted Most Cooperative Dog and that he got along with all the other dogs in camp.
Although the camp was over, Megan continued to volunteer at the Humane Society. Each time she came, she went first to Zorro’s kennel, hoping he would not be there. He always was.
One day Megan gave him a bath so he would look and smell his best. But a month went by, and still Zorro had no family.
Each year, the Humane Society’s main fund-raiser is an event called “Tuxes and Tails.” This consists of an auction and a celebrity/pet fashion show where sports stars, radio and television personalities, and other celebrities model the latest fashions. As the celebrities walk down the runway, each is accompanied by a dog. Some bring their own dogs; most use dogs from the shelter.
Tuxes and Tails always gets wide media coverage, so Megan arranged for Zorro to be in the show. Maybe someone in the audience or watching news clips on TV would want to adopt him. She practiced walking with him, helping him remember how to act on a leash.
The celebrity wore a black tuxedo; Zorro wore a crisp white bow tie—plus his usual black fur coat and white bib. Zorro pranced down the runway, tail wagging. The audience applauded loudly for the handsome pair—but nobody asked to adopt Zorro.
Megan and her husband, Ken, discussed adopting Zorro themselves. They already had two dogs. Buddy, a mix of German shepherd, Lab, and husky, had a seizure disorder and needed special medical care. Lester, a beagle/basset mix, had been abused before Megan and Ken found him abandoned in a park, and he was still fearful of new situations.
Megan and Ken worried that bringing a huge, rambunctious dog like Zorro into their home would not be fair to Buddy and Lester. They weren’t sure it would be fair to Zorro, either.
“Zorro is so special,” Megan told Ken. “He deserves to be the only dog in a loving family—not the third dog.”
Megan often cried with frustration when she arrived at the shelter and found Zorro still there. She always took him to the outdoor courtyard for exercise. Other volunteers exercised him, too, but these brief encounters were not enough for such a large and lively dog.
As weeks became months and Zorro remained in the kennel, he slipped back into his old habits. Without regular practice, he forgot the obedience lessons he had learned. Zorro became hard to handle again.
As the days slid past, Zorro gradually withdrew. He was always glad to see Megan, but other volunteers could no longer coax him out of the kennel. Zorro was quickly becoming unadoptable. If he quit interacting with people, he would have to be euthanized.
Finally Megan could not stand to watch Zorro deteriorate any longer. She and Ken agreed to give Zorro the only chance he would get; they adopted him themselves.
While Ken drove, Megan sat in the back seat with Zorro. All the way home, he licked her hands as his tail beat against the car window. Happy sounds bubbled from his throat, and he physically shook with joy.
“I promise you,” Megan told him, “that you will never, ever go back to the Humane Society.”
At home, Buddy and Lester met the newcomer. They sniffed Zorro, and Zorro sniffed them. Tails wagged. Low-slung Lester walked under Zorro and stood there; when Zorro jumped out of the way, Lester walked under him again. Buddy sat down to watch. It quickly became a game, and both dogs seemed happy to have a new playmate.
When Megan and Ken took Zorro inside, he calmly followed them through the house, carefully keeping his tail under control.
“Zorro was absolutely no trouble,” Megan says. “We expected it to be a huge adjustment for all of us. Instead, he fit right in. Although his head reaches the kitchen counter, he has never tried to take food. He is gentle with Lester and Buddy, and he loves his daily walks in the park.”
Megan enrolled Zorro in a novice obedience class. He did so well that she continued with an advanced class.
One day the obedience instructor invited Megan and Zorro to attend a Flyball competition.
“A what?” Megan said.
“Flyball. It’s a dog relay race. There are two teams of four dogs each. When the starter says ‘Go!’ the lead dog on each team races down a lane, jumping across four hurdles, and triggers a ball box with his paw. That releases a tennis ball. The dog catches the ball, makes a quick U-turn, and carries the ball back over the hurdles to the starting line. As soon as he gives the ball to his handler, the second dog on the team starts off. The race keeps going until all four dogs are finished. The team that’s fastest wins.”
Curious, Megan went to watch a Flyball race. She saw dogs of all sizes and breeds, including mixed breeds like Zorro, playing Flyball. The dogs and the people all seemed to be having fun. The dogs waited eagerly for their turns, some of them barking with excited anticipation.
Thinking that Flyball would provide good exercise for Zorro, Megan taught him the Flyball routine. He loved running fast and going over the jumps. He quickly caught on how to release the tennis ball from the box, and he always raced back to Megan with it, eager to get her approval and a treat. Before long, he did so well that he was invited to compete.
Right from the start, Zorro was good at Flyball. Soon he won a Flyball title and then another and then a third. He won ribbons and medals.
He was asked to join the Puget Sound Flyers, a Flyball demonstration team whose purpose is entertainment rather than racing. Zorro’s team performs at half-time during many sporting events.
Megan took him to do shows at the University of Washington during basketball and soccer games. They traveled to Vancouver, British Columbia, in Canada, where they were the special guests of the Vancouver Grizzlies, a National Basketball Association team.
Zorro was classified as an “entertainer” as he crossed the border into Canada. After the Flyball performance, the Grizzlies provided Megan and Zorro with their own hotel suite for the night. It was definitely more luxurious than a kennel at the Humane Society!
“People tell me how lucky Zorro is that I adopted him,” Megan says. “But I am the lucky one. He has enriched my life in so many ways.”
Megan used to take the bus to the Humane Society because she didn’t drive. After Zorro began Flyball competitions, Megan learned to drive and got her own car so that she could transport Zorro to his meets.
The obedience instructor who taught Zorro’s classes saw the expert way Megan handled this large dog and offered her a part-time job. Megan now teaches obedience classes. Zorro sometimes goes along to demonstrate the proper methods. Zorro also took the necessary training to qualify as a ther
apy dog so Megan can take him to visit hospitalized children. Even the sickest children smile when they pet big, friendly Zorro.
Zorro’s Flyball team was invited to provide the halftime entertainment at a Seattle Sonics basketball game. Each dog on the Puget Sound Flyers wore a new auburn-and-gold coat. With his black fur and golden eyes, Zorro looked particularly handsome.
The Key Arena in Seattle, where the Sonics play, was sold out that night, and when Zorro finished his routine, the crowd gave him a standing ovation.
As the applause echoed from the rafters, Megan stood with tears in her eyes. She thought of all the lonely months Zorro spent in the Humane Society shelter—months when no one wanted him.
Since then, Zorro has demonstrated Flyball at a New Jersey Nets game at the Meadowlands in East Brunswick, New Jersey; at a Cavaliers game in Cleveland, Ohio; and at New York Knicks games in Madison Square Garden in New York City. His team donates any profits from performance fees to animal welfare organizations or uses the money to buy new equipment and coats for the dogs. The team also does many free shows for charities, senior centers, and the University of Washington.
Whether it’s a small group or a crowd of thousands, the response is always the same: everyone cheers for Zorro, the shelter dog who became a champion.
About Kennel Cough
Kennel cough is caused by a highly contagious virus that can be prevented by vaccination. A dog with kennel cough has a dry, raspy cough and may need a cough suppressant, anti-inflammatory drugs, or antibiotics. If untreated, kennel cough can lead to pneumonia. If you suspect your dog has kennel cough, take her to a veterinarian and keep her away from other dogs until she is well.
About Flyball
Flyball began in California in the early 1970s. Herbert Wagner made the first Flyball box that launched tennis balls and used it in his dog obedience classes as a fun activity for the dogs. When he demonstrated his new game on The Tonight Show, interest in Flyball spread quickly.