by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Shelter Misconceptions

What is the average Long Island animal shelter misconception? To the layman or non-dog owner, most people think they are just loaded with pit bulls or labrabulls, and that is it.  While at each shelter you will see both of the above, if you actually go to your town municipal shelter you may be surprised to see a lot of the smaller designer mutts and purebred dogs of every breed.  Just recently at the Town of Islip’s adopt-a-thon there were at least 15 – 20 small to medium size dogs, if not more, of all breeds.  Our shelters on Long Island are overflowing with dogs, it’s really quite sad.  Where do all these dogs come from someone asked?  Some are strays, and more than most are turned-in by their owners – discarded like yesterday’s garbage, someone else’s problem now.  No one wants to think about that, or how lazy a person can be not giving that animal a chance.  Many dogs are turned in because of a behavioral problem like not being fully house broken, or  a 6-month old puppy that is chewing, duh!

Another shelter misconception is that all the animals there are unruly, not trained, aggressive or sick.  Many of our municipal and private shelters have amazing volunteers that give their time to help walk, socialize and do a bit of training with the pets housed there.  These wonderful volunteers, many times make the difference that pet needed, and helps them get adopted quicker.  If a pet is sick, the majority of our shelters vet the pets, give them the necessary vaccinations and medical attention that animal needs.

So what is your shelter misconception?  If you ‘re thinking about getting a dog and feared going to the shelter because it’s too sad or for any of the above reasons, I challenge you to go to your local shelter and see what it is really like. You might just fall for a beautiful pit bull with an amazing personality, and surprise yourself.  Or find that mutt that captures your heart.

Suggestion: Take the time to meet a few of the dogs’ in the shelter’s meet and greet rooms, instead of just walking the isles.  Many dogs’ personalities shine through better when out of their kennel run.  If the shelter has a volunteer staff, ask them about the dog, what they are like, behavior etc. – they will be able to tell you.

Did you know: That black dogs and older dogs are the most likely to not to get adopted, to get passed by, to possibly not make it out of the shelter.  Now think if that dog is black, is part or full pit bull and 4 or 5 years old, not good odds.  Adopting and older dog, and a black one, could be the best thing you ever do!

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Did you know that October is “Adopt a Shelter Dog Month?”  In October we shine a light on the many living souls stuck in shelters waiting for a glance by a passer by, a chance to be noticed and saved.  Many of our municipal shelters across Long Island are packed full of dogs having anywhere from 50 dogs to 200 dogs waiting for homes.  While many of the shelters have wonderful volunteers walking the dogs and working tirelessly to help get dogs adopted – dogs are still relinquished for various (mostly absurd) reasons daily.  Recently at a local free rabies clinic, I witnessed over 150 dogs go by, within an hour, with owners doing the right thing, by getting their dogs vaccinated for rabies, however I did not see one male dog go by that was neutered, not one.  This was a day long event and I was just there for an hour, so you can imagine how many dogs passed through that day that were not spayed or neutered.  While I am sure this goes to no surprise for those working in the shelters, and our local non-profit groups, I was surprised to see that many in such a small amount of time.  One can only imagine that some of these pets will eventually add to our shelter population.

Adopting a shelter dog, as many people who have done so will tell you, the dog “knows” they are in a better place.  It may sound silly to the non-dog owner, but it is true.  Many shelter dogs, going from a loud noisy shelter with hard cold, wet, concrete floors – seem to show their appreciation once in a home.  The bond between a rescued dog and the new pet parent is undeniable.  So the next time you walk through the mall and see those cute, who knows where they came from, puppies on display for sale, think about the scared, lonely puppy in a shelter wondering how and why it got there.  Think seriously about adopting a dog – not buying one from a store for a ridiculous amount of money.  If you go to your local shelter and don’t see what you want, tell the staff in the front or shelter director what you are looking for and give them your name and contact information – unfortunately new dogs come in daily.  We have so many great non-for-profit rescues and shelters on Long Island you are bound to find a breed you are looking for.  And many of the popular designer mutts – while cute – end up in the shelter too. There are many designer ‘Labrabulls’ now in shelters too.  If you are looking for a purebred dog, many shelters are loaded with all kinds of pure breeds.  There is nothing wrong with wanting the breed you want, but today you more than likely can find that in a shelter or rescue very easily. Adopting a shelter dog will change the life of the dog or puppy you adopt and will most likely save the life of another dog – and will change your life for the better. 

Here is Max (Maximus) who I adopted 9-years ago this month when he was just 3 and ½ months old.  Aww what a good boy!

By Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Choosing the right veterinarian for your pet is an important decision.  These days there are many more veterinarians to choose from than say 20-years ago.  There are specialists vs. general practioners – just like in human medicine.  For routine visits, you want to choose a general practioner veterinarian.

Word of mouth is a good referral, but not the only thing you should depend on.  If you hear of a vet that a friend of family member likes, do your research.  Google the doctor’s name, see what comes up. If you like what you see, make an appointment without your pet to interview the doctor.  This is after all the person who will entrust your pet’s health to. If this doctor refuses the interview/appointment, move on.  If he or she does agree to it, you should also ask for a tour of the animal hospital while there, (if it’s not offered to you), the doctor should be proud to show you the facility.  You would want to see a very clean, neat, well cared for front office and back area, and behind the exam rooms.

Find out if the doctor regularly attends veterinary seminars to keep up with current veterinary practices and standards. If they do not, this is a red flag! Many vets continue old school practices of veterinary medicine which may no longer be up to par with what is available today.  Ask the doctor how long your appointment will be with your pet, a good vet will book 1/2 hour appointments, so your pet is thoroughly examined, and you are not rushed out the door.  You should walk away feeling educated and informed about your dogs’ health, not with unanswered questions or an uneasy feeling. Ultimately you want to have a comfortable relationship with your veterinarian and know your pet is in good hands.  Do your homework, research and keep yourself informed!

By Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

What happens when you combine the talent of a local Long Island Pet Professional and an award winning no-kill animal shelter?  The world gets a revolutionary new way to meet pets that are up for adoption, live right on your computer! Introducing AnimalRoulette.com. AnimalRoulette.com is an incredible new technology that is going to put a new spin on pet adoptions – and transform the way potential adopters can search for pets.  Being launched to go live at Kent Animal Shelter in Calverton, NY this Saturday, July 17th from 1 to 4pm – this new site, the first of its kind in the pet world was designed by Michael Ayalon, CEO of PetWebDesigner.com.

The buzz about this amazing new website has already attracted the media attention from ABC NY News, News 12, Newsday, PetSide.com, Farmingdale Observer, Levittown Tribune, Babylon Beacon and many more.  Ayalon was thinking of a way to use this type of technology to help more animals get adopted, virtually if you will.  After six months of development, Ayalon was ready to a launch the website and happened to meet Pam Green the Director of Kent Animal Shelter at a recent Long Island Pet Professionals networking meeting.  Green was on board and said, “We are always looking for new ways to expand the number of pets adopted, so it makes sense to offer people looking to adopt a pet more than just a photo. They should be able to see the pet’s disposition live in order to determine if the pet would make a good addition to their family. AnimalRoulette.com gives us that ability.”

With technology taking us places we have never before been, why not let it take us to your local animal shelter, or one across state?  This technology enables potential adopters to view animals waiting for that furever home in a live meet and greet video chat online.  Viewers on AnimalRoulette.com just need a webcam and audio hooked up to their computer so they can interact with shelter staff and talk to them about the pet that particular shelter is showing.  If the potential adopter is not really interested in that pet, then they can simply hit “next” and it will bring them to another randomly selected pet in a different live video chat room, hence the “roulette” in the name.  This Saturday, all the pets that will be debuted on AnimalRoulette.com will be pets currently available for adoption at Kent Animal Shelter.  So if you live in NYC and cannot physically get to Kent on Saturday and you want to see how a pet is, presents itself, interacts with shelter staff, other animals, you can do so from the comfort of home on your computer.  All adoptions will go through normal adoption procedures through Kent if you do decide you really want to adopt one of their pets you meet while on AnimalRoulette.com, you can simply fill their an online adoption form on Kent’s website, www.kentanimalshelter.com.  

Another fantastic part of this is that if you have small kids and you can’t make it to a shelter, this will eliminate finding a babysitter as the entire family can “meet” the pet live online.  Also the noise in a shelter on initial visits result in people passing by that dog in the corner of the run or the one that is jumping and barking.  So often overlooked pets will really benefit from this as well.  People will see how great that pet is, once out of its kennel run, and in a quieter room for the live intro online.

Ayalon said, “I know how much shelters in this country struggle to find homes for their animals, and I felt that today’s opportunity of real time on the Internet provided the perfect place for pet lovers all over the country to see what’s available.  We hope to make this video and audio technology improve the adoption rates for shelters all over the United States. Kent Animal Shelter was the perfect partner for the project because of their outstanding work as a no-kill shelter since 1968.”

Due to this great new idea, the ASPCA also recently named Ayalon their first ever “Animal Hero of the Week.” 

So if you have been thinking about adopting a pet and were apprehensive as to what you might find in a local animal shelter, this is the perfect outlet to see the remarkable pets looking for love and a home.  Log onto www.AnimalRoulette.com this Saturday, July 17 from 1 to 4pm and meet your new best friend.