The Shelter Shack

I’d like to take a moment and introduce you to a foster dog that Mom brought home this week. His name is Charm, and he is a 3-year-old Australian Shepherd mix. He’s been in the shelter for at least a month, and Mom decided to foster him for a couple of reasons. One, the shelter desperately needed to make space, and two, he has diarrhea. A white dog in a cage with runny poo, does not make for a good combination. His fecal test came back negative, but he’s getting meds to treat for the parasites anyway. Sometimes you can get a false negative, so better safe than sorry. Mom thinks his problem could be stress induced or related to the food he’s been eating. Either way, now that he’s in our home, we’ll get him into tip-top shape in no time. I will now turn it over to Charm, and he can tell you all about himself.

Hi all! I’m so happy to be out of the shelter. I like everyone there, but it was a bit too noisy for me. I prefer quiet and calming environments. I get along great with other dogs, and Duke and Daisy have been very hospitable to me. I’ve seen Brandy at the top of the stairs but we haven’t had an official meet and greet yet, so I’m not sure if I’ll get along with cats just yet. I’ll have to get back to you on that one.

I do very well on a leash and know a lot of commands like sit, paw, down, off and stay. I can be a bit of a rebel, because even though I know these commands I don’t always want to follow them. One bad habit I have is jumping up on people. My Foster Mom is working with me on that one. If you live in the Northeast Ohio area, or are willing to come out this way, and are looking to add a dog to your family, please consider adopting me. I would love to find a permanent home. Oh and by the way, I’m a video star! Check out my Youtube video below. For more information, please contact my Foster Mom at info@thesheltershack.com

I agree with Daisy on her assessment about the dog that had 21 puppies. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, check out Daisy’s write-up on that story.

Puppies are definitely cute, but, well, they’re puppies. A lot of time and energy goes into training them, and they can cause a lot of mischief in their early years. I suppose if you have time on your hands and a lot of patience, then owning a puppy might be right for you. Having said that, I must speak out about the many dogs that fall into my category…the Senior dogs.

I must admit that I have a few aches and pains in my back legs these days, but I still get around really well. I love to play and go on long walks with my Mom. I’m fully house trained and know all of my basic commands. You know what? Most of the Senior dogs that are in shelters are a lot like me. They’re already trained and are ready willing and able to please you.

There is a common myth out there that says shelter dogs are in shelters because there is something wrong with them. That’s just not true. Most of the dogs in the shelters are there because of circumstances beyond the owner’s control, or the owner just grew tired of caring for the dog.

I tell you all of this because if you are looking to add a dog to your family I truly hope that I have convinced you to visit a shelter. Given that this is “Adopt a Senior Dog Month”, I also hope you will consider taking in a Senior dog. Remember we are all young at heart, and a Senior dog has a lot of love to give. Here is one Senior dog that is looking for a home. Check him out!

Relax everyone, the Daisy Mae that had the 21 puppies was not me. Mommy got me fixed along time ago. I know everyone just loves puppies, but I have to say I’m really pissed off! The owner stated they wanted to breed their dog. What the bleep for! As long as shelter pets continue to die there is no good reason to want to breed a dog. The mom had 21 puppies and 4 of which died. That leaves 17 puppies that need homes. Based on the statistics about the pet population there’s a good chance that half of them will land in a shelter and never make it out. I don’t like those odds. Please, dear readers, if you own a pet that hasn’t been spayed or neutered yet please get it done. It’s hip to snip!

It occurred to me after writing my post about Simon that this is the month you humans celebrate Halloween. Are you aware of what can happen to unsuspecting cats, especially black ones, at this time of year? This is the time of year where some people find entertainment in burning, torturing, hanging or abusing cats.

The folklore revolving around black cats dates back to the middle ages when they were believed to be associated with witches and witchcraft, and therefore evil. Back then the witches were rounded up, tried and burned, or killed by other violent methods. Often times their cats were killed along with them. Why on earth would anyone find this to be appropriate behavior back then much less now? You humans perplex me.

In this day and age it is doubtful that the torturing/killing of cats has anything to do with witches, and is more likely to be the result of someone that is mentally unstable or just plain evil. Please be on the lookout this Halloween for any suspicious behavior. If you have a cat, or a dog for that matter, please keep them inside during the Halloween season, especially at night. The nighttime is when most of the trouble seems to happen. If you see something suspicious, please contact your local authorities.

A quick note to Simon: If you are out roaming the streets do one of two things: hide really, really good or come find Mother. She’ll take you inside. Everyone please have a safe and happy Halloween!

Mother says she witnessed the cutest thing yesterday. She was pulling into our driveway and saw a gentleman walking down the sidewalk with a cat following him. The cat was a beautiful medium coat black cat with sparkling emerald eyes. I’m going to refer to the cat as Simon just because it’s nicer than referring to him as “the cat” for the entire story.

Anyway, the gentleman crossed the street and Simon initally hesitated. At this point Mother wasn’t sure if Simon belonged to him or if Simon was a stray. Simon crossed the street and as he did, Mother called to him. Simon sat there a second or two to consider her offer when the gentleman also called out to Simon. That was all Simon needed to hear and he went bounding off after the gentleman.

Mother thought that was so cute, and called out to the gentleman asking if Simon was his or a stray. The gentleman didn’t answer and kept walking. Simon continued to follow him. If Simon is a stray, let’s just hope the gentleman is smart enough to to realize he’s just been adopted and takes Simon inside. Just like Mother took me inside that one cold day in December when I decided to adopt her.