Don't give up on them
There is a dog where I volunteer who is a gorgeous, shiny black labrador mix. He was at another shelter where he was destined to be put to sleep because he could not be adopted to a family with children. He was apparently mistreated at some time in his short life and is very leery of children.
When he came to Satchel's it seemed there were several people who loved, loved, loved this dog and were even going to try and adopt him. Sounds great, right? But for whatever reason, the adoption didn't happen and after several months of volunteering especially for this dog, they stopped coming around.
Now, I know we all get busy. Lord knows the past 8 months have seen me absent more from the shelter than before, but to be there faithfully for a particular dog and then just stop has to be the worst thing which can happen to a shelter dog.
Can you imagine what they are feeling? Deserted, sad, hopeless. The reason I mention this is I had him out in the yard yesterday and where he used to romp and play with whichever human was out there, he now parks his butt by the oak trees and waits patiently on a squirrel to chase. He doesn't seem to be anxious to attach to any human, although in a small area he can be a very loving dog.
So how do you go from wanting a dog so badly you may adopt them to never coming to see them any longer?
Each time a shelter dog loses another person, the harder it is for them to bond to another. The human/animal bond is a very special bond and one which should not be taken lightly. So if you have a dog you just love, love, love and are there for them week in and week out, make sure that is a commitment you are willing to keep until the dog finds a forever home. That one little step will make it easier for the animal to form a bond and then find a home.
When he came to Satchel's it seemed there were several people who loved, loved, loved this dog and were even going to try and adopt him. Sounds great, right? But for whatever reason, the adoption didn't happen and after several months of volunteering especially for this dog, they stopped coming around.
Now, I know we all get busy. Lord knows the past 8 months have seen me absent more from the shelter than before, but to be there faithfully for a particular dog and then just stop has to be the worst thing which can happen to a shelter dog.
Can you imagine what they are feeling? Deserted, sad, hopeless. The reason I mention this is I had him out in the yard yesterday and where he used to romp and play with whichever human was out there, he now parks his butt by the oak trees and waits patiently on a squirrel to chase. He doesn't seem to be anxious to attach to any human, although in a small area he can be a very loving dog.
So how do you go from wanting a dog so badly you may adopt them to never coming to see them any longer?
Each time a shelter dog loses another person, the harder it is for them to bond to another. The human/animal bond is a very special bond and one which should not be taken lightly. So if you have a dog you just love, love, love and are there for them week in and week out, make sure that is a commitment you are willing to keep until the dog finds a forever home. That one little step will make it easier for the animal to form a bond and then find a home.
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