#newleash

[loyal-as-a-dog]

[sheepsong22]

I had a Lv-UP!! New Equip for my future Walks! Look at it! Ain't I beautiful? Mommy and her Friends are awesome!♡ #foxterrier #SmoothFoxTerrier #happydog #blue #leash #newleash #excited #excitement #male #exciteddog #proudofhim #mybaby #dogstagram #dogsofinstagram #instadog

[newleashonlifeusa]

Tips from Tamar

What we mean by HIGH RISK Shelters

We pull many of the dogs in our program from high-risk shelters. Others come from shelter and rescue partners who regularly pull dogs from high-risk shelters. This begs the question, what exactly are we referring to when we talk about high-risk shelters?

“High-risk” is not a legal or formal designation for any shelter, rescue, or other animal-related organization. We use this term to describe places that must euthanize due to constraints on the amount of space they have to house stray and surrendered animals. Any animal in one of these facilities is at higher risk of being euthanized, not as a result of the behavior or breed of the dog, but due to a limitation of space. Hence the colloquial term “high-risk.”  

For example, if a shelter has 45 kennels or runs to house dogs and a 46th dog is surrendered or brought in by animal control, a tough choice needs to be made. If the dog is brought in as a stray, are law protects it for a few days to give the rightful owner a chance to claim the dog. This means that if 15 of 45 dogs are on a stray-hold, the other 30 dogs are at a higher risk when space becomes a concern.  

There are very few “no-kill” shelters in the US, and they are generally referred to as sanctuaries. When a shelter or rescue uses the term “no kill,” they mean less then 10% of all animals that enter the facility are euthanized. These locations try not to euthanize for space, but they will turn dogs away when the shelter is full. This provides some protection so the dogs in their care have the best chance of being adopted. So where do these dogs that get turned away go? They often end up in “open intake” (high risk) shelters, which, by law, cannot turn animals away. They do not, however, have unlimited space or resources.

We need to have open-intake shelters.  We need somewhere for found and unwanted pets to go. We also need to help these shelters and the dogs placed in these situations.

That's where New Leash on Life- USA and small rescues step up and help the dogs and the community. We pull dogs from these high-risk shelters so kennels can be opened up for new dogs entering the system. This reduces the need to euthanize healthy, adoptable dogs. We also pull dogs from other local shelters and rescues who in turn take dogs from higher risk situations into their lower-risk facilities where the dogs have a much better chance of a live release- either permanent adoption or transfer into another organization.

We select our dogs based on a temperament test combined with the dog’s history (if known) and information garnered from shelter staff and volunteers.  We recognize that when we test dogs for our program we are doing so at probably the most stressful point in their lives. Often, volunteers and staff can give us more insight into an animal’s regular behavior then any test can, but we still need to test them. We know there will be other times in their life when they will be stressed, so gauging their reaction under stress gives us useful data points. Once we select our dogs, we are committed to them for the rest of their lives- they will never go back into a shelter. This means our dogs are safe from the risk of euthanasia, and they won’t put other dogs at risk by taking up a kennel or run.

Leading up to the start of our next class at Philly Department of Prisons, it is important to consider where our dogs come from and the impact we have on the shelter system. High-risk shelters are a reality of our society and need less criticism and more assistance. By taking dogs from these environments, training them in prison, and committing to them for life, we can have a direct and positive effect on the lives of our city. We save the lives of dogs while improving the lives of inmates- because, in all seriousness, every one does deserve a second chance.

[watchfulmusic]

Visiting mom at the coffee shop. #puppy #white #newleash (at Starbucks)