I'm not working at a shelter, but I do specialize in fostering terrified dogs. In 20 years I've seen about everything a dog can do, when they are motivated. It's humiliating to be in rescue 20 years and have a dog get loose but it happens, even to seasoned experts. I worked for a vet for 8 years and never witnessed many of the behaviors I see in dogs I foster. I'm often amazed more animals don't bite in the shelter, or when new owners disobey instructions (even instructions in written contracts reviewed with them), Many of the animals at shelters may have survived on their own. To them escaping to the streets may seem safer than a new home with strange smells, and maybe even strange animals that are not welcoming. I've thought about many of the shelter problems. I'm convinced we need to change how shelter adoptions are done. To me, the adoptions should not be complete till the entire family has attended training classes with the pet at the shelter. The family MUST crate till the dog is acclimated. They need to walk the animal for the first month, not turn it out in a back yard. They need to understand the bond with the animal is not from them simply adopting them. It's about working to earn that bond. Dogs surviving abandonment absolutely require a routine. Shelters need to add to the training class a class on truly bonding with your dog. Good bonds are built on daily inputs of time, attention, and love. I believe most of the general public has little idea how to make such a bond. I want to believe if they were led to understand, and encouraged it was worth it, more would try. They need to see some movies on dog behavior and communication. If they learned more to "speak dog", it would help build a better bond. Pets should not endure "the luck of the draw". We owe them more than this. We need to change the trajectory of this country's relationship with pets. Rescues have their place but I believe the next revolution is in the hands of the shelters. I understand fully this is not practical in larger shelters, but why not try in some of the smaller shelters and publish the results?
Finally, I have a smaller practical solution... I had a foster escape and spent 5 days in brutal frigid temperatures searching for him, even after we witnessed him get a glancing blow crossing a highway. Eventually we were able to wear him out, and with the amazing help of the community and social media, we caught him. That nightmare changed everything for me! I searched for a GPS tracker that would last at least 10 days. Normal pet trackers might suffice for a friendly dog who knows the owners, but we need to account for a terrified dog who cannot be trapped, and is running. We found a rechargeable car GPS unit that lasts 10-14 days. The unit has a waterproof case, my husband attaches to a thick biothane collar. The unit hangs looser on the neck because of the size, but they wear a secondary collar closer to their ears for any leash. This way if they slip the leash collar, they are still wearing the GPS one. Every new dog I have, and any continued escape risks wear them. I cannot express how they have changed things! The cheapest 2G models are around $50. The newest are around $100. The case $20, and collar $10-20. The shelters could easily obtain them directly from manufacturers, for probably 70% lower cost. We put them on 90 minutes between GPS pings to prolong battery life. I believe the company can do much longer. If they escape, it's easy to access the website, log in and change the locator to more often. They can also be set of to have a geo fence that alerts your phone if they leave the area. If people recharge every other night, the dog has 10-14 days to be caught. In a suburban area that should be enough. Recently we moved to a farm, next to a 500 acre park and 3000 acres of conservation land. For my two worst escapees, we are adding a GPS tracker for construction equipment to the back a tactical dog vest. It can last 6 mos on 1x/day ping. It can also be changed but has much longer battery life, after the smaller unit might be out of battery. I know this might seem like overkill but I refuse to let an animal die when we have the technology to stop it. Shelters could have people put a deposit on the equipment, returned at 3 mos, once pet has settled in. It gives the shelter another opportunity to talk to the owner and gain information about how the placement is working out.
Finally, I know shelters don't microchip the pet to their shelter, but WHY NOT? You saved the pet once, don't you owe it to be their safety net, in case an adopter abandons them? If the adopters KNOW the shelter stays the primary contact, always contacted if the animal is adopted, it decreases adoptions from people who know they dump animals. If animals are placed better, you won't get many returns. I have proof. I have hundreds of dogs chipped to me, mostly Saint Bernards I fostered. I vetted them and suspected the rescue might fold. It did, but I've never had one dumped. One escaped and was picked up, but the family had claimed it before I got the message. I hope this may encourage shelters to microchip and be dedicated to the animals they save.
I'll leave you with a picture of my two worst escape risks wearing their GPS collars..
Holly M. Albrecht
St. Louis, MO
Former Human doctor, animal foster X 20 years
#AdoptionsandAdoptionPrograms