A Great Day to be a Volunteer

     Yesterday morning I woke up super excited to start the day.  I was headed to Kansas City Pet Project to walk dogs and help with doggie photos.  First off, the weather had cooled down a bit.  The high was only supposed to be in the low 90's.  This was such great news because that meant it wasn't too hot to take the dogs on a little bit longer walk.  Then I checked my facebook and saw that several people were planning on volunteering.  I knew it was going to be a great day for the dogs.
    I was the first volunteer to arrive, with Natasha getting there just a few minutes later.  I had brought a list of dogs that needed bios and Natasha had brought a list of dogs that needed photos taken.  We were ready to start the day.  We got started right away walking dogs and before we knew it we were already done with the first row.  Then more and more volunteers starting showing up!  We were so excited because we knew that meant that all the dogs would get walked!  Many days there are not enough volunteers to get all the dogs walked and it's so sad.  But today would be different :)  One of our photographers showed up at 1pm and we quickly got all the new dogs photographed.  Our list was shortened because several of the dogs on the photo list had already been adopted that day!  So wonderful!!!
  Around 2:30pm one of our wonderful volunteers showed up and brought us all peanut butter & jelly sandwiches!  What an awesome treat!  Walking dogs all day really makes you hungry :)  So we all took a break sitting on the bench out front and had a sandwich.  It was really great because it felt like we were a team, a family even.  We were all chatting about different dogs and how awesome it was that we were all here today.  Most of us don't know each other outside of the shelter, but it's nice that we can come together and share this passion for these dogs.  We all love animals and want to do whatever we can to make their lives better and to find them forever homes.  We all share that connection and it really makes me feel so proud to know and be associated with this special group of people.  I wish more people in the community would come join our family!!!
     After our sandwich break we finished up walking all the dogs and some volunteers even had time to give a few dogs baths!  As I walked around the kennel area at the end of the day I could just tell how happy all the dogs were that we were there.  Even getting a 10-15 minute walk really makes a difference in these dogs lives.  They seemed so calm and content.  After saying goodbye to everyone, I walked out to my car with a huge smile on my face :)  It had been such a wonderful day:  all the dogs got walked, all new doggies got their pictures taken, over a dozen volunteers came out to help, and we enjoyed some "family" time while eating some pb & j's.  I wish that this day could be repeated everyday at the shelter.  I can't wait until next Sunday!  Please come out and join our volunteer team!  Next Sunday, July 15th, there is a Volunteer Orientation for anyone who is interested!  Please go to http://www.kcpetproject.org/ for more information.  Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Volunteering as a Foster Parent

Fostering is probably the most rewarding aspect of volunteering, besides being one of the most important jobs.  I thoroughly enjoy taking a dog out of a stressful environment and into a loving where they can get the care and attention that is needed.  They can gain confidence, become social and learn how to become the dog they want to be.  I have done my fair share of both short and long term fostering.  I am not going to lie, it is difficult to let them go sometimes, but I know that I have to so I can help the next one.  Below are just a few that I have become a part of my life…

My very first foster – Candice!

This little mini tiger came in with her brother Champ.  He was the playful out going one, while Candice was shy and timid.  She would hide in the back of her kennel and not socialize which hurt her chances of getting adopted.  Once her brother Champ found a home, Candice really shut down and became sick.  I knew she was awesome, so we brought her home. 

She did fantastic with my big German Shepherd and probably learned a few things.  She became more social and started trusting people.  It only took us a couple of weeks to find her a FANTASTIC home.  This wonderful couple adored her to pieces and I just knew she was going to be spoiled! 

Misha and Dahlia were my short term fosters…they both found rescue out of town and just needed a place to stay for a couple of weeks.  Both beautiful in their own unique way and so happy to see them get the chance of finding a loving  home in Colorado…

MISHA!

DAHLIA!

The one that stole my heart – Dundee

He was a special boy, and a smile comes to my face just thinking of him!  He completely shut down at the shelter.  He would not eat; he would barely walk to go outside.  It was a pitiful site and his health was quickly diminishing.  I called the boyfriend and he agreed, we couldn’t let him stay there.  The sadness in his eyes just melted my heart.  This was going to be our first boy, so I was hoping it would all go well with our female.

It was great to see our dog be so understanding of Dundee’s needs.  Giving him his space, but also helping him to feel better quicker.  He was very slow moving his first couple of weeks until he got his strength back.  Once he was better he was my little lover.  Always by my side – such a special guy.

Unfortunately we couldn’t keep him.  The athletic Cattle dog side of him, made it very easy for him to jump our fence.  We were lucky enough that he loved us and would jump right back in, but it was scary for me.  We worked on finding him a home where that wouldn’t be an issue.  Lucky for me, I found a nice older couple.  They recently lost their Cattle dog, had a nice 6 ft fence and the wife was home most the day to give Dundee that special attention he deserved.  I was so happy, but so so sad!  The day he went to his new home was harder than ever.  He just gave me that look, those sad eyes again.  I watched him as he looked out through the back window and I lost it.  He was my baby and I missed him.  I guess it was a rough couple of days at first.  He hid from them and was a little unsure.  He finally began to trust and the rest is history – he is a happy boy with a happy family.

I would say that it is all worth it – it may be sad and hard to let them go, but the rewarding feeling of saving them from the stress is indescribable.   I hope that new volunteers will give it some thought – it is truly life changing.

http://kcpetproject.org/volunteer/foster-a-pet/

The BEST Feeling...saving a life!

It was just three days ago, that yet another urgent list was sent out.  The shelter is full again, people are surrendering their dogs, animal control is seizing dogs from abandoned homes and yards.  The KCMO shelter is only built to hold so many dogs, so here we are again, reaching out trying to save lives and move dogs for space.  18 dogs made the list and these dogs aren't bad dogs, they didn't ask for this, they have no idea their days are numbered.  The shelter environment is just not the place for them.  Some may have slight aggression issues, some have just too much energy for staying in a kennel all day, some have medical issues and need more care.  

I was sad to see my Hansel on that list and it didn't take 20 minutes to decide that he was coming home with me.  He is doing fine with my dog and getting the attention he needs.  And then there were 17.  I can't tell you how amazing it is to see so many wonderful people pull together to save these dogs.  People networking on Facebook, rescues that are already full still taking in dogs, people opening up their homes to foster or calling on friends to adopt.  It has been so wonderful to see these dogs make it, but there are still just 5 more left!

How can you help save a life?  SPREAD THE WORD, click SHARE on your Facebook!  It is that simple.  13 dogs are safe because of it.  Help us save these dogs....

Tyson - Pit Bull, M, 1-3 ys, HW neg.

At first Tyson seems a bit on the cautious side inside of his cage, watching and responding little to a soft voice.  Tyson is very overwhelmed in his cage and sometimes shakes.  You need only to open up his cage and slip a leash on him and he perks right up, ready to go outside. He responds to gentle touch and was comfortable to eat and accept treats from strangers. He seems to enjoy running and exploring on his leash. He showed some touch sensitivity in handling his back feet, moving him around by the collar and attempting to hug him, but he merely tenses up and pulls away from you. He shows no signs of possessive and/or guarding behavior. 

Jolly – Pit Bull, M, 1-3 yrs, HW neg.

If someone is looking for a sweet, gentle and playful pit bull mix, then Jolly is the one for them. He is calm and polite inside of his kennel and easy to walk on a leash as he walks with minimal pulling. The only areas in which he showed sensitivity were his paws and attempting to lead him by the collar, he tensed up and resisted, but showed no signs of outward aggression. He was confident enough to accept food and treats and shows no signs of guarding behavior.  Jolly is dog friendly.

Grace - Older, F, 4-6 yrs, HW pos, not good on intake

Grace is a mellow, affectionate girl who loves to just sit and be petted. She responds well to positive training, a gentle voice and soft touches. She is tolerant of other dogs but seems to prefer people. She is quick to give corrections to any over exuberant dog who becomes too pushy. She allowed all touching and handling and showed no signs of aggression and/or possessive behavior but staff had to interact slowly. She is cautious but a bit curious of cats. Grace is heartworm positive, but eligible for heartworm treatment through the shelter program.

Hannah - Shar Pei X, F, 1-3 yrs, HW neg.

Hannah is a very intelligent, very active little Chinese shar-pei mix. She loves to explore outside and play with her human friends.  She allows all touching and handling and will even roll over and give you her belly once she is comfortable. Her very high energy level may be too much for some dogs. She is friendly and well meaning, 
but can be a bit pushy with other more mellow dogs.  We have been able to introduce her to some dogs while others she’s been too overstimulated.  She needs a slow introduction to other dogs.

Cranberry - Pit Bull X, F, 1-3 yrs. HW pos. 

Cranberry is a quiet, gentle girl who walks well on a leash with minimal pulling. She seems to enjoy being around people and being spoken to in a soft voice. She will lean against you and invite petting and stroking. She is relaxed and friendly with other dogs, although she is quick to give a correction if any play gets out of hand. She seems to prefer dogs who are more mellow like she is. She allowed all touching and handling and showed no signs of aggression and/or possessive behavior. Cranberry is heartworm positive, but eligible for heartworm treatment through the shelter program.

PLEASE - spread the word and help save a life,

it only takes a few minutes!