Canine Shelter Enrichment at HSR
by Monica Rendon - Volunteer Lead
April 2012

Behavioral enrichment is the shape of things to come for animal shelters.  The average pet dog receives very low levels of stimulation and, although the majority of breeds were developed for a purpose, many actually do not get to participate in those activities.  There's no outlet for often high levels of energy and stamina, which increases stress and behavior problems - particularly in a shelter environment. 

Enrichment for captive animals of any species has been proven to reduce stress, combat boredom, and use an oft underutilized and under-stimulated brain.   A side affect of enrichment was that it promoted overall health in these same animals.  Because Humane Society of Redmond (HSR) has been a forward thinking shelter which has companion animal welfare at the top of its mission, it was an easy fit to begin to incorporate an enrichment program for the dogs.  I didn’t know it at the time, but as I was working on a presentation for the Shelter Manager, Chris Bauersfeld, she was also coming up with the thought of an enrichment program to help alleviate stress for the shelter’s temporary residents.  Thus began the newest program, a compliment to the Dog Buddy volunteer walking program.  

So what does an enrichment program look like in a shelter? 
It’s a crock pot of broth and chicken wafting great smells into the indoor housing area; dog kibble fed from a sturdy jug with holes in it where the dog has to manipulate it to release the yummy food inside; a scavenger hunt where the prizes are treats or great toys; rubber Kongs filled with peanut butter and a treat or two, then frozen for a long lasting chew; its unique scents such as spices, lavender, vanilla, almond spritzed on a single spot on the kennel wall; classical music played softly on a stereo; wind chimes swinging gently in a breeze; being let out individually into the outdoor kennel area to explore and sniff to their hearts content; massage time with a valued human; play groups consisting of 2 to 5 canine pals; bedding that smells of a favorite person; interactive toys that encourage seeking, scenting, and manipulation; treats frozen into broth cubes.  Its wonderful time for dogs spent utilizing touch, taste, sight, hearing, and smell.

Not every dog likes every item, but they certainly all love the attention coming from the caring human who delivers it.  It presents a lovely real-life opportunity for behavior training, as well.  This means that when appropriate, the dog has to offer something well-mannered like a “sit”, “no jumping” or even just eye contact.  One advantage of the enrichment program is that it doesn’t cost very much, nor does it take a great amount of time.  HSR has plans to have a dedicated team of volunteers that ensures that each dog gets some form of enrichment each day. 

When dogs use their brains, it’s also a way to expend energy, and like I always say, “a tired dog is a good dog.... is a trainable dog, is a happy dog.... is an adoptable dog!”

 
Chris Bauersfeld is the HSR Shelter Manager
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Spring 2011

The Compassionate Keeper

Having pets in our lives gives us joy, exercise, companionship, responsibility and in some cases, a reason to get up in the morning.  Pets can be so much fun that we sometimes add another to our lives and then another and then possibly another.  At what point can the number of animals become too many?

Most of us have seen the television show about hoarders.  Some of us might know someone who either is a hoarder or is dancing on the edge of hoarding.  In the animal sheltering world we come into contact with hoarding situations quite frequently.  Here at the Humane Society of Redmond we have been involved in two such cases very recently.  One case involved 18 dogs that came to our shelter from a hoarding situation.  Most of the dogs had behavioral issues that would require intensive rehabilitation to help them be able to move on to their forever homes.  All of them were in need of veterinary care.  A couple of them required extensive dental work or reconstructive orthopedic work.  The other situation involved cats and kittens.  12 kittens were brought into the shelter.  All were anemic, flea infested and in urgent need of veterinary care.  One of the kittens had a badly fractured leg that had become infected. All of this care comes at a cost- to the animals involved, to the humane society, as well as to the community.

Everyone asks, “How did this happen?”  People don’t intentionally become hoarders.  They don’t want to become collectors of animals.  They start out taking in a stray here or an abandoned animal there.  Soon they have accumulated a number of animals.  Something happens in their lives that changes the financial picture and all of a sudden they can no longer spay or neuter the numbers of animals in their care.  Soon puppies and kittens arrive that in turn grow up and make more puppies and kittens.  Veterinary needs must go unsatisfied as all of the resources are taken up by the cost of food.  Soon the husbandry falls apart and the animals are now living in a feces and urine filled environment.  Then the neighbors complain and law enforcement steps in.  The animals are moved to humane societies or animal shelters or to rescue organizations.  All of the agencies are now expending precious resources to take care of these animals.  These agencies now have no room for other animals that are in need from within their communities.  The law enforcement agencies and the justice system is involved and bogged down even more by these cases.

These hoarding situations can create huge problems for the humane societies or animal organizations on the receiving end of the animals.  The organizations are generally full of animals and are running on limited resources.  When the animal numbers increase dramatically in a very short space of time, say a day or so, the animal care agencies, themselves, are now in a position of questioning the numbers at their facility.  For some humane societies or animal shelters the answer is euthanasia, either of the incoming animals or animals that have been at the shelter for a period of time.  For others, such as the Humane Society of Redmond, we have to accept that we will care for these additional animals, usually at a significant cost to the organization.

The increased numbers can bring health risks to the animals at the humane societies due to the stress of overcrowding.  Disease outbreaks are not uncommon as well as mental and emotional issues that surface due to the larger numbers of animals. 

All of this happens because someone let their affection for the animals outweigh
the reality of how many animals they could responsibly care for.

So how many is too many?  We believe that when you can’t afford the basic care for the animals in your family, then you have too many animals.  When you can’t monitor the physical and emotional condition of your pets, on a daily basis, you have too many animals.  When you are feeling overwhelmed with taking care of your pets, you have too many animals.  When your animals no longer bring that joy to your life but now feel very burdensome, you have too many animals.  The number of animals that works in your life might be as few as 1 or 2 or as many as 10 or 12.  The litmus test for how many animals are enough, in your life, should be that you enjoy the time spent with your animals.    That you have enough time in your day to be able to interact with each animal- to assess its physical and emotional state, to have training time or play time with each animal and that you have time to keep their environment clean.

If you meet these simple and reasonable criteria in your interactions with your pets then you are a responsible pet owner.  If you think you may be close to having too many pets, we ask that you call your local humane society or rescue organization and seek advice on how to keep from placing the animals, your family and your community at risk.