cairnmom Posted March 24, 2003 Share Posted March 24, 2003 I was just wondering what your local shelters are like. I just started volunteering at mine and in training they talked about other kinds of shelters. The one in our area is not a no-kill but they do keep dogs as long as possible. No dog is put down automatically (not bully breeds for example) unless the owner specifically requests it (ie because of age or illness). Each dog is in its own kennel. They have a front half and a back half which is very nice for cleaning. Dogs brought in together are kept together. Ill dogs or very scared ones are kept behind glass in a seperate room of kennels. All dogs are walked at least twice a day for 10-20 minutes but often are walked 4 time a day. Potty trained dogs are also let out for two additional potty breaks. Walking is done in nice wooded trails behind the shelter. Right now there are about 32 dogs in the general area and 10 in the special kennels. That is pretty full for this shelter. Cats and small animals are kept in a seperate area where they cannot hear barking. All animal cages are cleaned and sterilized once a day. Dog kennels are cleaned again in the evening. So, what are other kennels like? Do some kennels still house dogs in big pens together? Does that hurt when diseases come in? Thanks :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mouseatthebusstop Posted March 24, 2003 Share Posted March 24, 2003 The one near to where i live is a no kill. They have cats rabbits and birds as well. I have only visited on fund raising day. They have fun dog shows When any dog can enter. The grounds are large with many holes dug so I think the dogs are not penned all the time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luka-pop Posted March 25, 2003 Share Posted March 25, 2003 I've been volunteering here for 2 years, Cheetah started last year. We're not a no-kill shelter. They only get PTS if they have an uncurable disease (like Cushings), or if they are too aggressive to be adopted out. We have a front and back to our kennels. The fronts get washed in the morning, and backs in the morning and afternoon. They get walked every 2 hours by volunteers and staff. The dogs that come in pairs will stay together if they get along and if they are fixed, unless they're gigantic dogs. The larger dogs or high enery dogs (like labs), will spend about 2 hours every day in the large open pen outside, more or less depending on the number of dogs at the shelter. We get about 5 adoption dogs and 5 pound dogs. The pound dogs are caged in an isolaion area, until they have a full vet check and evaluation. The cats have their individual girls and boys community rooms, where the fixed and friendly cats are allowed to roam and socialize. The non-friendly cats are caged, and the unfixed cats are caged until they are fixed. There is an outdoor screened area where cats are taken out to lounge in the sun. The small animals are caged in the main lobby. Reptiles are sent to a reptile sanctuary an rescue organization. The non-checked cats are caged in an isolaion area, until they have a full vet check and evaluation. We have wooded trails and an animal cemetary. Each animal has a cage card with detailed descriptions of the age and breed, evaluation results, the animal's history, and it's likes/dislikes and personalities. BTW, here's their website... [url]http://www.hsfn.org[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prairie_Gurl Posted March 25, 2003 Share Posted March 25, 2003 My humain society isn't a no-kill, but they keep dogs as long as they can. They don't automatically put down any bully breeds or anything like that. The only thing is that with Pit Bulls they have to make sure that the owner lives outa town because it's illegal to have them in the city limits. Cats have their own little room, so they don't hear the barking. Unfortunatly they are kept in very small cages. But, we're working on it. We don't have any abandoned hampsters, lizards, etc. So, no need for their own little room or anything. Dogs are kept in kennels that are very long and rectangular (I don't know the actual size). Each dog is seperated from the others, unless they came in together or they get along. Sometimes the shelter gets so overloaded that they have two-three dogs in each kennel. There are about 24 kennels. Dogs are put outside every 2 hrs I think to go potty. And they get walked by volunteers (I'm soon gonna be one!!). Each dog goes through a temperment test and are graded individually. If they are unadoptable (too mean or sick or somethin) they go into a kennel in the "back room" and ya'll know what happens from there. *cry* Most of the dogs there are from old farmers who drop their dogs off there, or from military people who couldn't keep their dog on a move. But, they try to do the best that they can in placing each animal. In adopting Shadow I filled out a form, and they called people in our neighborhood to ask what they thought about us having a dog. Needless to say, we passed!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bk_blue Posted March 25, 2003 Share Posted March 25, 2003 The shelter where I got Blitz [url]www.lostdogs.com.au[/url] is where I also tried to volunteer and couldn't because it was too sad. So I donate food and blankets and things. They have a good setup going, they have separate sections for lost puppies, lost dogs, puppies up for adoption, and dogs up for adoption. The lost puppies all play together but everyone else is in separate pens/kennels outside, with sunlight and protection from the elements, which have an elevated bed and fresh water. Sick dogs I think are housed inside at the vet clinic until they are well enough to go up for adoption. They all get walked at least once a day and walking takes place on the grounds. It is one of the city's major shelters so they are a kill shelter :cry: , I think every dog gets 2 weeks. Every dog goes through an evaluation/temperament test and all are spayed/neutered before becoming available. There is also a cat shelter on the other side of the complex but I don't know much about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogPaddle Posted March 25, 2003 Share Posted March 25, 2003 Our shelter has no city funding and is run by donation. The dog section has no windows, the cages are usually 3 ft by 6 ft, half of them have raised hard plastic beds, some of the others have blankets, there are almost no toys, there is a trough and drain in each kennel, the place smells, there is rarely any excrement in the cages, there is outdoor runs that volunteers can take the dogs too - they are gravel and some dogs won't walk on it, there is a small cluster of trees the dogs can be walked in, the shelter is on a busy, noisy road, the dogs are out for 4 - 15 min walks a day, there is a small core of volunteers who work on some limited training. :cry: They need a major overhaul $$$$$$ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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