A Little Extra Time in Florida
 |
| Dudley on the boardwalk, Inverness |
 |
| Rafael and friends |
Some people come into your life for a reason and sometimes in the
most unexpected of ways. When I meet someone special, there is often a dog involved. That
happened last week in Inverness, Florida when I was detained in my return home due
to car problems. I was fortunate to meet Samantha Carter and Rafael Cabrara, friends and
partners in the rescue and adoption of dogs in Citrus County. We met most unexpectedly when Ralph's dogs
introduced themselves as I was walking my own lovable rescue, Dudley.
 |
| Orange season in Florida |
 |
| Sam Carter, cat woman |
I was so glad to have a chance to get to know this double
dog duo. Wowed by their knowledge about
dogs and passion for their well being, I spent some extra time with them during
the following days and learned about dog behavior, shelters, and the needs in
Citrus County, Florida. I vowed to myself to use some of Rafael's techniques to add a few more good behaviors to Dudley's repertoire after seeing the amazing results he had with his own dogs and those he worked with. And as always when I travel back to Florida, I was reminded that people there are exceedingly nice and more interested in who you are than what you are.
About Citrus County Animal Services
 |
| Volunteers walk and play with dogs at CCAS shelter |
Rafael met me at the Citrus County Animal Services (CCAS) shelter and introduced me to their smart and caring staff and the dogs he knows so much about. Several days a week he volunteers his time to assess recent acquisitions for their adoptability. Often he also works with the dogs to help them with their manners, although much depends upon the adoptive families to take charge and work with their dogs.
Like many shelters, Citrus County is county government-funded. As such, no animals can be refused. There are cages out front where anonymous
"donors" can leave stray or unwanted pets at any hour of the
day. Every morning there are 1-2 dogs
that have been dropped off as if they were used clothing going to the thrift
shop - except a family pet does not understand the concept of being discarded. But this anonymity encourages people to
ensure that the animals are cared for by the shelter rather than ignored.
 |
| Jo with a clean pup |
 |
| Jo cuddles a puppy |
One of the first people I met at the shelter was Jo
Budny. Now retired, Jo wanted to be a
vet when she was a child, but "girls weren't encouraged to be vets back
then." When her children were grown, she started volunteering as a dog
walker. "I couldn't just sit and
watch TV," she explained as she bathed one of a litter of five dirty
puppies. She cheerfully washed the
squirming pups and cuddled them in soft.
 |
| Shiloh |
 |
| Shiloh |
Shiloh a beautiful,
friendly German shepherd, was released to the shelter by an elderly man who
was unable to care for her. She was
chained to a dog house for five years and has resulting ligament tears that
require surgery. I wanted to take her
home with me to be Dudley's companion.
Friends of Citrus County Animal Services (FOCCAS), the nonprofit arm of
the shelter, is raising money for her surgery and to support her ongoing care. She will be ready for adoption after her
upcoming surgeries. If you are
interested in knowing more about Shiloh, contact Mike at CCAS 352-746-8400.
Dogs arrive at the shelter for a variety of reasons. Many owners are surprised when they end up with puppies and kittens yet did not have their animal spayed. The shelter receives animals when financial circumstances change, owners pass away or move, and people realize they are unable to care for their animals. Stray animals are held then put up for adoption if not claimed.
 |
| Rafael and Abbey |
 |
| Abbey |
According to the ASPCA, 20% of the animals in
shelters nationwide were adopted from the shelter and returned. FOCCAS, with Raphael's company Casita Big Dog Rescue, attempts
to reduce recidivism with training and counseling in advance of an adoption. Ralph, Samantha and the other volunteers work hard to identify the most adoptable dogs, work
with them, ensure the future owners are properly prepared to care for the pets, and help train their owners to be in charge.
 |
| Tag removed from a surrender dog |
One of the saddest things shelter volunteers and staff face is the surrender of previously adopted pets. Abbey, a basset hound mix, was brought back to the shelter after her owner realized he couldn't properly care for the dog. She was crated more than 8 hours every day, developed behavioral issues typical of neglected dogs, and did not receive the exercise she needed. I had tears in my eyes as I saw the forlorn look on the dog's face when her owner walked away. Rafael made sure to counsel the man that he should not consider adopting another dog.
Cats
 |
| Rafael conversing with cats |
 |
| Tom cat |
Apologies in advance to the cat people. Cats are not my focus although there are many cats at all shelters in need of adoption, including this handsome tom, at the CCAS shelter. Cats arrive at the CCAS shelter at the rate of 10 per day (not including kittens). Cats produce a lot of kittens and the county has been known to house a few hoarding owners who may contribute 15 or more cats at a time when they must be removed from the home. Riva, a 14-year volunteer, is dedicated to caring for the cats and keeps their quarters clean and all of her feline charges well fed and loved.
Bully Breed Dogs
 |
| Big Lug |
Bully
dogs (bulldogs, American pit bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers, and
mixed bully breeds usually referred to generically as "Pit Bulls")
make up about 60% of the dogs at the shelter.
Most will never be adopted because of their reputation, aggressive
tendencies, or behavioral issues. Dog
aggression is a problem with many bully dogs but they are also loyal to their
owners when trained and cared for properly.
Raphael explained that most of the problem with bully dog behavior stems
from owners' lack of understanding about how to socialize, train and live
with the dog. "Never let your guard
down with a bully dog," he said.
"Not for one minute."
 |
| Available for adoption |
Rafael adopted Big Lug, a 110 pound bulldog, from the
shelter 4 years ago. I spent some time
with Big Lug, who looks gruff and a little menacing but is quite sweet and gentle with humans and loves a good scratch as much as any dog could. Rafael reminded me that pit bulls or bully
dogs are not for everyone and that potential bully dog owners should know what they are
getting into before they adopt.
Adoptable Dogs
 |
| Evaluation |
 |
| Rafael checking Meeko's teeth |
I had an opportunity to observe Raphael and Bill Rock
working with two of the shelter's residents to determine their adoptability and
appropriateness for certain situations such as living with young children. For the better part of an hour, they tested
the dog's food aggressive tendencies, child-aggressiveness (they do this by pulling,
poking and prodding the dog as a young child might do), and aggression toward
other dogs and cats. To my surprise Meeko,
the bully dog they tested, was one of the calmest, sweetest, most trainable
dogs I had ever met. He passed with
flying colors and hopefully will soon be placed in a loving home. The cat-aggression test was the most
amazing. (Dudley would have misbehaved
with the test cat.) Meeko dog paid no
attention to the cat, who was none too keen on hanging around to find out his
reaction.
 |
| Meeko |
Explaining what he looks for in adoptability, Rafael
said he is concerned about a dog's behavior around children first, other dogs
second, and people in general third. If
a dog cannot be trusted around children, he does not believe it should be a pet. Bad behavior can usually be traced to
something initiated by a human. Often it
because the owner has not let the dog know he is in charge.
 |
| Adoptable rooster |
A lady came to the shelter seeking a dog companion to live
on her farm where she raises chickens.
She was attracted to and bonded with several of the dogs at the shelter
including a bully. But when the dogs
were exposed to the resident roosters to test their chicken-chasing interests,
they immediately chased them. Raphael
recommended that the woman adopt a puppy that would grow up learning to respect
the chickens as siblings, not dinner.
 |
| Ready to go HOME |
That morning, Bill placed three dogs in new homes. Watching his face when he reported
the success was half of the fun; clearly this is a man who loves dogs and values
the assurance that they have good homes.
 |
| Painless chip installation |
One of the adoptees was this happy Jack Russell terrier. As part of the release process, they
installed a tiny chip under his skin, between their shoulder blades. A quick scan can identify his owner, ensuring
he is more quickly returned if lost.
 |
| Rascal chose his family |
Robert and Sharon Lee dropped by the shelter with their
shelter-adopted terrier, Rascal. They
claim Rascal chose them when they came to adopt. They clearly are very pleased with their
adoption and have enrolled Rascal in the shelter's obedience classes.
How You Can Help
Volunteer
 |
| Volunteers are needed to walk and play with dogs |
The
shelter needs dog walkers to help give its temporary residents a much-needed
break every day. At Citrus County Animal
Shelter, because of the shortage of volunteers,
most dogs are only walked once per day.
Adopt with care
 |
| Dogs need lots of attention |
Please do consider adoption. Read about
dog and cat breeds and considerations. If
you are away for 8 or more hours each day and not able to pay a dog walker or
find a way to give a dog relief, you probably should not adopt a dog, no matter
how much you will love it. Resources for
finding pets: your local animal shelter's website, animalshelter.org and
petfinder.com
Train your dog
 |
| Rafael with Meeko |
Good pet and shelter public relations means having a well-behaved pet that
promotes good will in the community and encourages others to consider
adoption. If you adopt from CCAS, you
receive training, reference materials and an opportunity to return for
obedience help. Most shelters either offer dog training classes or guidance on where to get them.
Be smart when you
donate
 |
| Adoptable puppy |
Know where your money is going when you
contribute to help animals at a shelter.
To help animals at the CCAS, donate to Friends of Citrus County Animal
Services (FOCCAS), the nonprofit that supports the shelter. If you give directly to the shelter you are
making a contribution to the county to offset the budget and your contribution
is not tax-deductible. If you are
contributing to support your local shelter, find out what they do, how much is
spent in administration, and how much actually is used to help rescued
pets. To help make sure you are giving
to a reputable organization: in Florida or Nationwide.
"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress
can be judged by the way its animals are treated" - Mahatama Gandhi
Adios for Now
 |
| Dudley on the road again |
A few days after my visit to the shelter, my Toyota chariot was running again and Dudley and I were driving north to face the cold
and snow. My life is richer because I have
new friends in Citrus County and I look forward to hearing the good news about future
adoptions of Shiloh, Meeko, Abbey, and the others. Dudley and I will miss
our daily walks on the trail in superior winter weather. We'll be back and you can be sure that Rafael, Samantha and Bill will be on our list of special people to visit.
