Doggie Diva—Happy Christmas for Shelter Dogs

SGVN

Dec. 7, 2005

By Kyra Kirkwood

The holidays are a time for eating, drinking, gift-giving and receiving, peace on Earth and just being merry. But if you're a dog in a shelter during this season, the holidays are anything but joyous. Yet there are things—from big to tiny—that all of us can do to help make the days better for our canine companions during this time of year. When you see how even the smallest effort can make a dog beam like Rudolph's nose, you'll feel like Ebenezer Scrooge on Christmas morning.

Before doing many of these, please check with shelter or rescue-group officials to see if it's needed/appropriate/already done yesterday. You want to make sure your good intentions are met with equally good reactions.

-- Adopt a dog from the shelter. But not for a Christmas Day surprise for someone else. Experts say giving pets—especially puppies—as gifts isn't the best idea Santa has ever seen. Things are so hectic and the environment filled with a sleigh full of un-puppy friendly goodies (chocolate, ornaments, tinsel, turkey skin), that it's often a better idea to get a dog when the yuletide fever drops a few degrees, say after the new year rings in. Also, giving a sweater or tie is tough enough; the gift of a dog is a 10-12 year present that just keeps on giving. If a tie doesn't go with the recipient's wardrobe, it can be stowed in a closet or given to Goodwill. A dog deserves better.

Yet that's not to say you can't still give a gift of four-legged love for the holidays. Gift certificates to a shelter are a great idea. This allows people to adopt the right kind of dog for their family when they're ready. Plus, they'll be saving a life. If you know someone who is dedicated to giving a dog to her family on Christmas morning, encourage her to visit the shelters or rescue groups first.

-- Hold a blanket or towel drive. Go through your linen closet to make room for all the new goodies you'll get during the January white sales. Donate old items to the shelter for use in the dogs' kennels. You can even baste together two towels stuffed with a thin layer of batting to create an inexpensive quilt.

"Those are wonderful things you can make for animals in a shelter," says Ricky Whitman, vice president of community resources for the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA.

-- Drop off a bag of old newspapers.

-- When you have your holiday parties, ask guests to bring items (dog food, towels, blankets, sturdy dog toys) or monetary contributions in lieu of gifts or food. Then donate them to your local rescue group or shelter.

-- At work, place a donation tin next to the vending machine. See if people wouldn't mind bypassing that afternoon chocolate fix and donating the $1.25 they would have spent on candy.

-- Instead of sending yet-another tin of stale popcorn to your dental hygienist, take that money and make a donation to the shelter in the hygienist's name.

-- Donate food. Always check with the shelter or organization first, because some groups feed their charges specialized food or have plenty of kibble at the ready. For those that do need it, ask if they prefer wet/canned or dry food. This same rule applies to dog treats, be they store-bought or homemade. Make sure to inquire with officials before feeding any goodies. You never know which dog is on a special wheat-free diet.

-- Ask people in your book club, carpool group, mommy-and-me playgroup or church Bible study to give sturdy dog toys, like Kongs, for donation.

"They need [toys] to break up the boredom," says Whitman.

Again, check first to see if they would be appropriate. Toys can't be too small, unsafe or fragile. Some dog runs don't work at all with toys due to their drainage systems. It's also a tough call to put toys in a multi-dog kennel unless it's known that both dogs don't get overly possessive.

Often, soft, "squeaker" toys aren't good because they get wet and dogs have the tendency to rip them apart in an effort to find the noisemaker inside. At the San Gabriel Valley Humane Society, toys aren't allowed in cages, but they can be kept to be given as part of a "welcome home" package that gets sent home with the dog and its new adoptive parents, said John Coleman, executive director of the San Gabriel Valley Humane Society.

I remember I donated tennis balls to a shelter near where I live one Christmas. The way the dogs came to life melted my heart. Balls aren't a great idea for every shelter, but just the fact I was giving them some attention and playtime was what perked up these pooches.

-- If you're the crafty sort, make something seasonal. In addition to the homemade quilts, you can whip up cute festive collars or bows that help draw attention to the pups.

-- Create a "doggie dowry." Talk to the shelter staff or rescue-group coordinator to see if this would be appropriate. Then, if given the green light, pick out a dog that might need an extra bit of incentive to get a forever home. Perhaps a well-mannered five-year-old, or the sweet large dog who is a bit shy at first. You pay all adoption fees and then when an interested party agrees to adopt him, they learn all the fees are taken care of. You can also put down part of the total, too. The dowry idea won't work with all shelters, especially those that aren't low- or no-kill, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

"If it's paid for, we'll keep it as long as we can so long as it's healthy," said Coleman.

-- Give your shelter a gift certificate for a free dog-training lesson or a gift card to your favorite pet-supply store that goes home with the pooch who may need a small nudge to get it into the limelight. Sort of like a gift-with-purchase.

-- Just write a check. Money is always, always a good bet, no matter the group or shelter. Even $5 helps.

-- Volunteer.

"This is a gift you can give all year 'round," said Whitman.

At the San Gabriel Valley Humane Society, people can volunteer to walk the dogs, helping them bond with others, spend excess energy, get exercise, feel better and act calmer. This, in turn, can help them make a better "first impression" to potential adopters, said Coleman.

Most shelters and groups have a laundry list of duties they'd love volunteer help to accomplish. From walking to washing to paperwork, it's all there. Just pick up the phone and see how you can help, be it once, once a week or once a month.

-- Spay or neuter your own pet. How is this going to help shelter dogs have a merry Christmas? Because if your beloved is spayed or neutered, he or she will be at no risk of enhancing the overpopulation problem. By not adding more dogs to the mix, shelters and rescue groups can focus on adopting the dogs they have in their care instead of being forced to make room for the never-ceasing tide of newcomers. Plus, for every homegrown puppy you give your friends and family after Fluffy had a rendezvous with your neighbor's Pit mix is one less adoptive home that could have offered love and safety to a pound pup.

-- Encourage everyone you know to spay and neuter.

-- Encourage everyone you know to adopt from a shelter or rescue group.

-- Have your dog licensed, microchipped or both. This will help lost dogs get home faster instead of spending time in the shelter system.

-- Love. Time. Give both.

The gifts of time and love are free, but priceless. Stop by the shelter on your lunch hour or after work and just share some love. Give these pups a chance to get out of their kennels and be brushed, played with or simply petted. Many shelters have "meet and greet" rooms or yards that would allow you space to do this.

"There are lots of things [people] can do," said Coleman.

It doesn't take much to make a big difference in the lives of shelter dogs. A tiny bit, even one quick cuddle or a $20 check, can pave the way for a happy ending somewhere down the road. And, after all, isn't that what this season is all about—giving a bit of love to make the world a better, more peaceful place, if only for just a little while?

As author Milan Kundera said, "Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring--it was peace."

There may not be too many hillsides where we can take shelter dogs for the afternoon, but to them, any bit of time spent around a caring person is pure Eden. For us, pure peace.

Sidebar:

San Gabriel Valley Humane Society: http://www.sgvhumane.org/, (626) 286-1159

Pasadena Humane Society and SPCA: http://www.phsspca.org/main.shtml, (626) 792-7151