This year I was going to fundraise in the name of Rodney- the adorable kangaroo-eared pup in my profile pic. I'm happy to say that he was finally adopted!
But Rodney's story isn't unique. He came in one of our DC campuses as a stray in August of last year. He'd always been a sweet boy, but you couldn't tell by looking at his kennel behavior. Day in and day out, he'd spin in his kennel, literally bouncing off the walls.
One of the biggest benefits of having different campuses in different areas is that if a dog is struggling at one location, or there for a long time with no interest, we can explore the opportunity of trying a different campus. Getting new eyes on a shelter pet can be all you need to get a long stay pet home.
For Rodney though, this wasn't automatic. I met him earlier this year at our West Chester campus. He'd been with us for a few months too. His kennel behavior was not better, and one day a volunteer asked me to give him some office time. That was the beginning of our friendship (me and Rodney).
Turns out, for a pup who was crazy in his kennel, he was totally normal and wonderful outside of it. In my office, he'd spend most of the day curled up sleeping. Then he'd crawl into my lap not so subtly. The kid definitely thought he was smaller than he was- curling up in a ball on my lap and resting his head on my desk.
We got him into playgroup to give him an outlet for some of that energy. He became a regular to go out on Shelter Skip Days. And his personality continued to shine through.
Finally, two weeks ago, an adopter came in and now has an amazing canine addition to their family.
As I said, his story isn't unique. Many dogs (and cats) spend longer in shelter because of their kennel presence. And their kennel presence is often made worse by their time in shelter and the stress that comes with it.
That's why it's up to us to try and find ways for each individual to shine and make their time with us even a little bit better.
In honor of Rodney, and the many other long stay companions in our care, please help me raise money for Walk for Paws!