We first learned about Lucy when Joel was volunteering with the SPCA.  He would go up to the Sharonville shelter to walk the shelter dogs since life circumstances at the time were not conducive to having a dog of our own.   Each time he visited the shelter, he would come home and tell me about some of the dogs at the shelter, and it was pretty clear he really wanted one of his own.  One day in early 2010, he came home from the shelter and told me about an old, skinny dog named Lucy.

Lucy had been left in a house somewhere, without food or water, for who knows how long.  She was brought to the Sharonville shelter extremely underweight and mistreated, but with a spirit that just could not be broken.  Joel saw her in her run one day, noticed how skinny she was and thought it looked like she could use some TLC and a nice romp around the park.  He started walking her (and subsequently coming home talking about her) every time he was at the shelter.  And every time he was at the shelter, they bonded more and more.  He had read the info card attached to her run and noticed it said she was old (thought to be about 8 at the time) and dog-aggressive – two things that are not usually conducive to finding that forever home.  Soon the Lucy Updates became, “Oh, she is so sweet and happy, but she’s old and has issues!  No one will ever adopt her!”  At the time, we really wished there was a way we could swing adopting her, but it was just not a good idea.  We both had jobs that required either a lot of or unpredictable travel, and we didn’t want to get a dog just to have it go to the kennel every other week.  Joel had been planning a career change to something with much, much less travel, so we decided that if/when that happened, we would see if Lucy was still up for adoption and go from there.  

A few months later, I started volunteering at the Sharonville shelter too.  During the orientation/tour of the shelter, I did a quick look around the runs to see if Lucy was still there.  She wasn’t, and figuring that she had been adopted, I told Joel that she wasn’t there anymore.  We were both OK with that, since it likely meant that she found her forever home!

Fast forward a few more months…Joel had changed jobs and was no longer traveling, and I was volunteering at a Mobile Adoption Event with Jennifer Schneider.  I mentioned to Jennifer the bond that Joel had made with Lucy and that he wondered whatever happened to her.  Jennifer jumped at the chance to tell me she was actually still up for adoption, and in a foster home!!!  I got her foster mom’s contact information from Jennifer, and started putting the wheels in motion to see if Lucy would be a good fit for us.  After no less than two visits to Lucy’s weekly obedience class and one in-home visit to ensure compatibility with our cats, we were approved to adopt her!  

We officially adopted Lucy in November 2010, and our lives have not been the same since.  We quickly realized more and more what a special dog Lucy is.  Her happiness and sheer joy for life (when it isn’t storming!) is infectious.  Our neighbors just love to see Lucy out on a walk with us – so many of them tell us how they just stop and smile when they see her because she is just so happy and joyful.  She loves to go for car rides, sleep in on the weekends (hence her nickname SnoozerPooch!), and play fetch with a ball at a nearby fenced in playground.  Sure, we spoil her rotten…but she deserves it.  Lucy is the biggest goofball, and her personality is one that just makes us laugh every single day.  She loves to play, play, play…and then hit one of her (many) beds for a good snooze.  Lucy is far from perfect, but knowing how far she’s come since being rescued is something to marvel at.  The employees and volunteers at SPCA Cincinnati and Sheltered Paws worked with Lucy so much during her time of need and gave her so much love and care.  Joel and I know that they laid the foundation for this dog to blossom into the loving (and loved!) animal that she is.  We will always be grateful to everyone that helped get her healthy, and to those people that realized she was a dog worth saving.  

Lucy’s story was provided by her adoptive parents, Alli and Joel

The airline has singled out nine different breeds of dog as “dangerous,” judging pets on their appearance instead of how they behave. These kinds of breed discriminatory policies fuel the misconceptions about dogs like pit bulls that lead to breed bans and the deaths of thousands of innocent dogs.

Jessie Huart discovered the policy when she was trying to book a ticket to travel with her dog, a 10-year-old pit bull named Slaw. She was told by the airline that because he’s a pit bull, Slaw couldn’t go, so she started a petition on Change.org to ask United to treat all dogs equally, regardless of breed. Click here to add your name to Jessie’s petition: http://www.change.org/petitions/united-airlines-remove-breed-discrimination-from-pet-policy?utm_source=action_alert&utm_medium=email&me=aa&alert_id=XRKHXNpWeV_sCkATDBrVB

These types of policies are opposed by every major dog-related organization. The American Veterinary Medical Association and the National Animal Control Association argue that physical appearance isn’t an effective way to predict or address aggression. And public officials are starting to listen to the outcry for more effective, breed-neutral policies, too — just last month, the country’s only statewide breed discriminatory law was repealed in Ohio. But canine profiling in a major company like United could turn that tide back against the dogs.

United Airlines adopted the discriminatory policy last week when it merged with Continental Airlines, making it the world’s largest air carrier and the only US-based airline that labels some dog breeds as “dangerous.” But while United is still adjusting to its merger with Continental, the company is listening closely to customer feedback. If thousands of dog-loving United customers sign Jessie’s petition, the airline will have to listen — sending a strong message to other companies and lawmakers that breed discrimination isn’t the way to go.

Sign Jessie’s Change.org petition asking United to make the skies dog-friendly by dropping its breed-discriminatory policy:http://www.change.org/petitions/united-airlines-remove-breed-discrimination-from-pet-policy?utm_source=action_alert&utm_medium=email&me=aa&alert_id=XRKHXNpWeV_sCkATDBrVB

Thanks for being a change-maker,

- Stephanie and the Change.org team

At the Cincinnati CARE Center they are currently recruiting dogs to be a part of their team of blood donors. But, why should you sign your dog up to see if he/she is eligible?? According to the CARE center, “in addition to knowing your dog is helping to save other dogs’ lives, there are further benefits to participating in the Blood Bank program, including:
• Free bag of IAMS adult dog food (30 lbs.) and biscuits with every donation
• One complimentary Care Center emergency office visit ($90 value) per year
• No cost for blood donor screening ($697 value)
• Complimentary laboratory screening ($169 value) per year
• Complimentary blood products should your dog ever become critically ill and require a transfusion”

Interested in more details or want to see if your pup is eligible? Check out the CARE website here: http://www.carecentervets.com/bbSurvey.html

Bourbon was rescued from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and brought to the Hamilton County Humane Society. Because of his cage aggression, nobody wanted to adopt him and he was scheduled for euthanasia.  Bourbon bonded with a kennel worker who found a place for him with Sheltered Paws, a rescue group that supports Hamilton County Humane Society.  After two unsuccessful foster home placements, he came to us as a last chance for fostering. 

Bourbon was scared and mistrustful, and prone to aggression.  As we gained his trust we discovered that he was intensely loyal and very, very smart.  We enrolled him in agility classes and he thrived.  Yet still his aggression toward strangers and other dogs continued. 

We turned to a variety of trainers, to no avail.  One trainer yelled at me until I left in tears. Another took our money and went bankrupt before classes began. Several trainers who focused only on positive-reinforcement couldn’t help us gain Bourbon’s unconditional obedience. 

Treat-based (positive reinforcement only) training works with many dogs but is completely ineffective for dogs more motivated by fear, dominance, or aggression than food. With a temperament like Bourbon’s, we needed absolute authority in situations where it mattered most – anything else would have been irresponsible and dangerous.  We felt we had no choice but to euthanize him because we didn’t know how to manage his aggression. 

The day he was scheduled for euthanasia, a veterinary assistant told us about a trainer with a proven track record with aggressive dogs.  John C. Smith from All About Dogs taught us how to form a relationship with Bourbon based on trust and respect.  We worked diligently on applying what we learned. Within two years, our relationship with Bourbon was completely transformed. He is a working breed … a cattle dog mix, and he thrives when he has a job to do.  We now take him everywhere we can, and his job is to pay attention to our every move.  He can’t get into trouble or make the wrong decision if his attention is focused on his handlers at all times.  He understands what is expected of him, and he knows the consequences of disobedience.  Within this structure, Bourbon feels secure and thrives. 

Bourbon’s life is so full of adventure now.  He goes kayaking, hiking, and still loves his agility classes. He heels perfectly at all times…what a pleasure to walk. He knows lots of tricks and is always learning new ones.  But perhaps his favorite thing to do is ride in the sidecar of our vintage motorcycle.  If you live inClermontCountyyou will probably see him in the sidecar at some point, joining us for an errand or maybe visiting a drive-through.

We are grateful for the many people who contributed to saving this special dog’s life.  Each time when his fate and his life hung by a thread, he was saved by someone new.  Bourbon literally owes his life to volunteers who went to Louisiana to rescue him, Hamilton County Humane Society who took him in, the kennel worker who saw his potential, Sheltered Paws which gave him shelter and also helped pay for his last-chance training, the vet assistant who told us about our trainer, the agility team at All Creatures Animal Hospital who welcomed him despite his unpredictable temperament and helped us to bond with him and discover his talents, and especially to John C. Smith, the most amazing trainer we’ve ever known. 

There are three reasons we want to share Bourbon’s story.  First, we want to inspire others to adopt a dog in need.  Second, we want to give credit to rescue organizations – they can use more volunteers and resources for the difficult and important work they do. 

But our most critical message is this: if you have a dog with behavioral problems, DON”T GIVE UP!  The time, money, and effort you put into your dog will repay you a thousand-fold.  Keep looking for the right trainer, and keep providing consistent leadership.  Become the person your dog needs you to be, and your dog will reward you every day of his or her (too)short life.

Bourbon’s story is one of overcoming incredible odds, of not giving up hope, and of the power of a community of people to make a difference, one dog at a time.  His is the story of rescue work at its finest. There are lots of great dogs in the world. But there aren’t too many dogs who have come as far as Bourbon in so many ways.  -Connie O’Connor

So, with that, meet Buford, our newest success story! Buford was a Sheltered Paws longtimer who was found as a stray and brought into the shelter on March 25, 2011. On September 23, 2011, Buford went to go stay with Lisa and Rob and the rest, as they say, is history…

Here is what Lisa had to say about cute little Buford:

When my fiancé and I decided to foster a dog, we went with the dog who had been at the shelter the longest. For Buford, that was just shy of six months. He was quiet and timid but we could tell right away, this dog had a huge heart and such a capacity to love. At first, he wouldn’t walk on hard floors or go up or down stairs. We had to carry him through the kitchen and on stairs and eventually he worked up to doing it himself, little by little, and now he prances around everywhere!

Buford wasn’t used to the constant affection we gave him but he ate it up, and returned it, too. He has such an unbridled spirit  but gentle demeanor that he’s just a pleasure to be around. I think we both knew that we were going to end up adopting Buford when we couldn’t bear the thought of not waking up and coming home to him every day. The whole process of fostering and ultimately, adopting, has been an amazing experience. To see Buford go from coming home to us as a shy, loving dog, to gradually coming out of his shell and loving us so much that his tail spins like a propeller at the sight of us and he nestles up to us whenever he gets a chance, has made us so grateful to be able to be a part of this.

It is a wonderful thing to watch how elated Buford is every single day, whether it’s because we’re taking our daily walk,  he’s eating a treat, napping in his bed, or just watching TV, and to know that he’s so happy because he got the chance to be. Although we have given him a loving home, he has returned the favor. So much so, that taking him in hasn’t turned out to be a favor to Buford at all, but a gift in itself and just the way things were meant to be.

Groupon: Up to 73% Off Dog-Care Packages

Details:
Red Dog Pet Resort & Spa

• For $25, you get a dog-care package (a $50 total value) that includes the following:
  • A bath and nail trim (a $35 value)
  • A pet evaluation (a $15 value)
• For $35, you get a dog-care package (a $114 total value) that includes the following:
  • A one-year dog-park membership (a $99 value)
  • A pet evaluation (a $15 value)
• For $58, you get a dog-care package (a $179 total value) that includes the following:
  • A one-year dog-park membership (a $99 value)
  • A bath and nail trim (a $35 value)
  • A swim session in the pool (a $30 value)
  • A pet evaluation (a $15 value)

Dogs are man’s best friend, and they definitely earned that title. Dogs are the perfect exercise buddy (trust us, they hold you accountable), confidant, therapy companion, cuddler and all around best friend. And, at the Cincinnati SPCA there are so many wonderful best friends to be found!

So, you’re set on a new best friend, but are wondering why to go to a shelter? We’re glad you asked! We think shelter dogs are the most loving and loyal dogs around, but if you need more convincing here are a few concrete facts from the humane society regarding shelter adoption:

1. You’ll save a life.
2. You’ll get a healthy pet.
3. You’ll save money.
4. You’ll feel better.
5. Many of the long timers are already housebroken (this might be our favorite reason).

Still not enough? Check out some other resources, here and here.

Just can’t commit to a new family member just yet? That’s OK! You can still celebrate Adopt-a-Shelter-Dog month by becoming a foster parent and helping shelter dogs for a more limited period of time (to sign up contact us right here on our blog). But, in case you CAN adopt (Yay for you!), check out these articles on choosing an older dog and bringing your dog home for the first time:

Reasons to adopt an older dog 

Bringing home your new friend

Find out what a shelter or rescue dog can bring to your life this October during Adopt-A-Dog Month!

Mark your calendars for the 3rd annual Steps for Pets scheduled for Saturday, October 15th.

Steps for Pets is an annual walk to celebrate animal adoption! Bring your pooch and join us for a  1- 1/2 mile walk around beautiful Sawyer Point. Then, stay after the walk to mingle with other animal lovers and enjoy:

• Donetta Zimmerman, Animal Communicator
• Dog contests Such as Best Dressed, Best Trick and More
• Music and fun with DJ Mark Dewitt
• Pet Portraits by Weigold Photography
• Raffle – Enter to win $1,000!
• Complimentary Starbucks’ Coffee
• Complimentary LaRosa’s Pizza
• Vendor booths
• ..and more

Click here for more information and to register online!