Animal Farm Foundation Slideshow

PETsMART offered a phone/web based training on Pit Bull Adoption Basics/Training hosted by Kim Wolf of the Animal Farm Foundation.

These are some of the interesting slides shared with the participants.... These are a great resource if you are trying to explain pit bulls to your friends and family.

Kim said...Only 2-10% of a dog's DNA determines his DNA, and yet we are using that very small amount as a predictor of behavior, which is arbirtary and incorrect.

Don't imply more than you know or use terms incorrectly. Example, for a dog to be a bait dog- there has to be an aggressor dog, which is not a good image to conjure in adopters minds about pit bulls. Also, terriers tend to be "tenacious", but "pit bulls type dogs" can be lazy.

Don't imply more than you know- just because a dog barks at all brown dogs, doesn't mean it cannot be in a home with a brown dog. Fact: It is better to transfer ownership and get the dog back through legal channels if something goes wrong, rather than loaning the dog first- which opens you up to liability as a shelter or organization.

Having a separate area or policy for pit bull dogs sets the potential adopters up to think that pit bulls are different. You as the advocate should not create unnecessary fear. We should not assume anything about a dog's behavior from its arbitrary label.

There can be an unlikely match where you least expect it! Take time to get to know the potential homes.

Animal Farm Foundation does not give people a list of what may go wrong because they feel that they cannot list a comprehensive list of "what ifs".  People with children between 5-17 acquire 75% of dogs at any given time, so age-restrictions automatically restrict the adopter pool to 25%.

Advice from AFF to Shelters/Rescue Groups:

1) Place them next to a variety of dogs, don't segregate.
2) Put a friendly pit bull in your lobby as a greeter with a bandana!
3) Teach the dogs parlour tricks (pray, handshake, roll over, blow kisses)
4) Use enrichment toys to keep pits quieter and busier- they will present better to adopters
5) Think of your adopter as a customer-make the environment calm, cool and peaceful
6) Use playgroups to burn energy, learn more about the dog's personality, and engage volunteers
7) Have Rescue Brunches - invite local rescue groups and foster homes to watch play groups to pick dogs based on observation.
8) Some dogs do best with a job (agilty, disc, obedience, police, search and rescue, assistance, therapy)
9) Happiness Sells, Sadness repells. (Adoptions increase when you focus on the human/canine bond.)
10) Take pictures with other dogs or people, create a scene or tell a story, take pictures in front of landmarks or in costumes, even a hand or foot of a person in a picture increases the dog's chances of getting adopted. Take videos!
11) Use adopt me vests
12) Use business Cards
13) Don't forget the bling! (Cute tags, collars, bandanas!)
14) Don't forget the Elder dogs, they can be great additions to homes for years to come
15) Promote your staff that live with pit bulls to show you believe what you are selling
16) Promote your shelter as an "adoption option" rather than individual dogs.





Animal Abuse & Neglect - Worse than you thought.

You've all see the Sarah McLachlan commercials raising money for the ASPCA (which alone raises 30,000,000$ a year for the organization), but the more you take time to learn about what is happening to animals in the shelter system and in back yards and basements across the U.S. is even worse than the saddest things shown in the commercial.


Just take a look at these emaciated dogs- living at Animal Care & Control RIGHT NOW, desperate for food and comfort, but likely only to catch a bad cold and be put to sleep. Their owners should be arrested for neglect and allowing their dogs to wither away.

Miggy (24 lbs)

 

Lucky (25 lbs)

Luckily, many abused and emaciated dogs do find rescue (like little Eloise, 10 months old and only 18 lbs)....

because of the extremeity of their conditions, however, these are just a few who did not make it out and were killed by the ACC before given a chance.

Bait dogs and chained dogs often fare far worse. Many of you have heard of Sprout- a dog used by dog-fighters for practice for the others. He was saved and now is looking like 100%.

Before:

 

After:

Tofu was another bait-dog recently saved from ACC:

Thanks to diligent rescuers, he is looking better already:

However, there are still brutal people in this world who own dogs despite their lack of care and consideration for animals as living beings. The most horrifying example of this that I have EVER seen is the story of Pheonix. He was chained in a back yard with no shelter from the 100 degree heat and beating sun. He survived to be rescued two days after his companion (also chained) died. He was covered in flies and maggots as the flesh on his back rotted away.

Amazingly, he was rescued- never again will he have to hide his water and save it for later as he does in this video, which has already brought me to tears.

I warn you, it is EXTREMELY hard to watch, but in my opinion- very much worth it because it inspires me to do more for abused animals.

I am so grateful for rescue groups that take on these hard cases, but so disheartened by the sorts of people that would allow animals to live and die like this. Visit Pheonix's facebook page to watch his progress.

Learn more about animal cruelty and what you can do, here.

The Story of Sprout

I love and hate this story at the same time-
This dog (Sprout) was left at the municipal shelter after being dumped- bloody and disfigured at a police station. He had been used as a bait dog, was emaciated, had his lip split open and his left eye hanging out of its socket. Luckily ProjectPet decided to care for him, despite the medical costs and mandatory 6-month quarantine.
I've included here images of Sprout's Progress-- look how far he has come with love and care!! Someone is going to be very lucky when Sprout's quarantine is done.

You can help by donating to Sprout's care here.
Watch Sprout's amazing progress on FB page "Save Sprout"

You can be part of your own amazing rescue story, just by having a huge heart. Don't have room for a big pit bull in your NYC apartment? worry about aggression? medical bills holding you back?? None of those worries apply to this tiny girl that needs a home more than anything in the world.

 

Her name is Eloise, she is only 10 months old and a precariously thin 18 pounds. All this girl needs is love and LOTS of food. She has been rated completely mild and has been at the shelter since April 12th. Click here for more info.