Plethora of Everything

August 31, 2016 Dear Ms. Kane-Redmon,     I'm writing to you as a former KHS volunteer and a former employee of Miami Dade Animal Services and Louisville Metro Animal Services. Currently I'm a full time mother, part time dog walker, e-commerce entrepreneur and still volunteer at LMAS' Animal House.     The Kentucky Humane Society is seen as a model shelter; an innovative adoption facility hosting a variety of animal-welfare and adoption events, holding behavior classes for new pet owners, running an impressive pet-help-line for pet parents, starting and running the S.N.I.P. Clinic, offering kid's camp to educate young ones on sheltering and how to be a responsible pet parent.     For all of these reasons, I was surprised to see the changes that began occurring at your main campus several months ago. It started out with an email from then-volunteer-coordinator, Whitney Hobbs, politely informing volunteers we were no longer to walk or vi...

    Revised 1/3/18     Chachi arrived at Animal Services with her mother in late October, 2013.     I didn't, and still don't know, if I can do these 2 dogs justice with words alone.     But I'll try... simply by telling their story. A Bonded Pair     Have you ever seen 2 dogs so bonded... so bonded they sleep together, curled up, one using the other as a pillow, they eat together, with one always just a step behind the other, ready to play, to gently jump on its buddy, to mouth, roll around and have a lot of good ol' doggy fun?     This is how Chachi and Chichi were, extremely bonded .     Chachi, the daughter, was always gently bouncing on her mom to provoke play, and her mom delighted in the love and attention of her daughter!     I'll never forget the first time I saw them- they were sleeping together in a kennel about half way down the long row of full large-dog-runs, Chachi using her mom...

Updated 01-04-18        If you're not involved in pet rescue you may not understand the title of this blog.     So read it, so you can understand.     Over the years I've heard about friends of rescue friends buying a dog from a breeder oppose to adopting . Over the years I've heard about this action breaking up friendships or driving a wedge between people.     I've also experienced this on a personal level and it has converted once-lovely-friendships into an abyss of separation a time or two.     A few years ago while working at Animal Services I had a girlfriend that wanted a dog, a puppy.     On various occasions I showed her pictures of adoptable pets, I spoke to her about how rewarding adoption was , how she had the power to save a life and asked her regularly, "When are you going to adopt?!" Adoptable dog, municipal shelter     The next thing I know she's posting pictures on facebo...

Lisa, So here it is 2 weeks later and I'm still thinking about you. It all started in recovery, that's where we first met. It was hectically busy for me that day, as always. I hustled into the recovery room to retrieve a recently sterilized dog for an adopter or a foster, the particular dog or person it was for I cannot recall, only that I was in recovery to get someone's dog. Partially laying on your side, partially sitting upright, in a bottom corner cage with big doe eyes, and an even bigger belly, you caught my eye. Then I took a quick moment to consciously focus my attention on you. You looked like a deer caught in the headlights, almost frozen, nearly expressionless. The fact that you looked and acted a lot like a dog I had fostered months ago and seeing your big, protruding belly brought on an instant surge of nearly-overwhelming empathy. "I'll be back to see you. Tomorrow I'll get you out, I promise. Hang in there," I said to you, almost ster...

Brownie, You were just a baby, not even 6 months old. You had gorgeous hazel eyes with a great chocolate-colored coat and nice caramel-colored markings. You never really barked much, even though you were in a teeny tiny, bottom cage,shadowed there, likely bored and stir crazy out of your little mind! You were always just grateful for anyone that would pay attention to you; even better, get you out to play. On Saturday it seemed your puppy dog prayers had been answered: a nice, vivacious man with 3 friendly kids chose you . They got you out, played with you, loved you and placed an adoption hold. You had surgery (neuter) and your new family was scheduled to pick you up the day after your nice meet and greet, Sunday. 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m.... still no family... where were they?! Then Monday rolled around. That's when I saw you still at the shelter and I was perplexed; your family had seemed so nice, so sincere, surely they didn't bail on you... but they did. M...

    So you're an animal lover, and feel you could do more to help homeless pets... and want to do more. Then fostering pets could be for you but I must warn you my friend, the sense of pride you'll get in  knowing you're saving a life and fulfilling a philanthropic calling, can become addictive!          Before you know it you may eagerly be taking on a litter of puppies or kittens, or a hard-to-place pet, or once your 1st foster is gone you'll feel the nagging urge to 'do it again,' despite the promise you made to yourself to take a break in between foster pets. Reason being, simple: doing something good feels good and good feelings are ones we want to experience over and over. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with this. It's far better than say, wanting another 1, 2 or 3 glasses of wine or wanting to fall in love over and over again since it feels good too.          So, off the bat, let's get that straig...

I wrote this for MDAS volunteers nearly one year ago. When I initially wrote and shared a couple of staffers from other shelters asked if they could share, or use portions of it, for their volunteers. I said, of course, and figured I should blog it in case helpful to anyone else: Adoption Counseling 101: Many people who come to Animal Services to adopt are coming here for the 1 st time. They don’t know where to begin or how the process works. To make matters trickier Animal Services often has new volunteers who can’t remember how everything works or how to assist adopters (there’s a lot to remember!) For these reasons I’ve created Adoption Counseling 101 . Between now and the next time you come to MDAS to volunteer please read this document thoroughly ( you can even bring it with you if you like). Adopter Enters the Adoption/Kennel Area: As soon as you see someone new walk through the double doors to adoptions or walking around looking lost or confused, greet them....

Honorable Mayor Gimenez: It was awe-inspiring to see our city come together confident in consensus to save innocent lives. Miami residents overwhelmingly were in favor of giving an average of $10 per every $100,000 in property tax value to end pet euthanasia in this city. -A beautiful and necessary change for Miami pets was finally within reach. We the citizens voted, volunteered, raised money and we stuck by the idea of a No Kill Miami for MONTH after MONTH.  We didn't stop paying attention or stop caring... ever. We were steadfast in our commitment to see this through.  We missed work to attend commissioner hearings, we shared on social media sites, we prayed, we did everything in our power to assure Miami would become No Kill. The ASPCA, one of the largest nationwide-animal-welfare organizations, was equally supportive and eager to see Miami implement this change in law. There was positive buzz about this becoming a 'model for the rest of the country.' ...