The Cashiers-Highlands Humane Society | Shelter for Dogs and Cats - Pet Adoption

Adopting a Shelter Dog

Monday, March 15th, 2010

As published in the Laurel Magazine, March 2010

Contributed by Cassie Welsh, Executive Director

There are many misconceptions about shelter dogs. Some people think they are discarded because they’re all “bad”, genetically or behaviorally inferior. The real truth is that most shelter dogs are the victims of family tragedy, unlucky circumstances or irresponsible owners. Through no fault of their own, they wind up roaming the streets or highways, eating out of garbage cans, and fathering or having a litter of puppies in an abandoned shed or in the woods.

The majority of dogs that find their way to the Cashiers-Highlands Humane Society are strays – dogs that were unintentionally bred, inadequately trained, ineffectively socialized, and abused or just plain neglected. They haven’t received proper veterinary care or feeding: they have lived outside or in a crate; and they are scared, anxious, and often sick. Their whole lives change when they walk into our shelter because they are given good food, a warm place to sleep at night, exercise and training during the day, proper veterinary care and medical treatment, if necessary, plus the love and attention that any living creature deserves.

If they come into the shelter as puppies or if they are born here, we can give them an excellent start in life with good nutrition, socializing and training. They are wormed, given all their shots, and eventually spayed or neutered and microchipped before going to a forever home. Because most puppies are so cute, they are usually adopted within weeks.

Adult dogs, on the other hand, are often overlooked. That is a real shame because you are looking at fully-grown dogs – no second guessing how big they will be – and their personality is already developed. Some dogs adapt well to the shelter environment and will present as a happy-go-lucky, tail-wagging companions while others may appear stressed and anxious around strangers. These latter groups of dogs are the ones who have never been someone’s pet, had little or no human interaction, and just need some extra work and TLC to build a trusting and loyal relationship.

In the past six months, we have had five adult dogs adopted and these were dogs that had spent most or all of their lives in the shelter. Hannah, Tootsie, Bullwinkle, Zeus, and Tater never had the luxury of cuddles, walks, special treats and toys, or car rides before they came to the shelter. When they were adopted, their new owners had to introduce them to a new home, a new family, and other pets in some instances. It was work at first, but you have that with any new pet. The end result has been extremely loyal and loving dogs that are grateful for a second chance.

Photo caption:

A boxer mix, Tasia is one of the adult shelter dogs looking for a forever home.

Tags: adoption, dogs, Tasia
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