| Pet rehab helps transform four-legged survivors Snarf was underweight with a heart murmur and a possible ulcer when he was rescued from a Kentucky puppy mill. Disasters each bring their own kind of fear. In foster care, he's gained strength and muscle tone and now has a potential owner and an appointment with an orthopedic specialist. "There are medical cases where it's more fair to the animal to euthanize than to attempt treatment or treatment isn't possible and the quality of life they are suffering is too great. We certainly save them from cruel and inhumane situations," Reid said. Reid's behavior team watches how each dog reacts to pleasant greetings and unpleasant greetings. Hoarded or mill dogs have been trapped in small spaces and denied human contact so they lack social skills and are sometimes afraid of sights, sounds and experiences, said Pamela Reid, an animal behaviorist and vice president of the ASPCA's anti-cruelty behavior team. Another rehab graduate is Timmy, a 5-month-old dachshund born with a growth defect after the dogs were seized. He also had surgery to fix a hernia. The ASPCA is the only national animal welfare organization with a behavior team dedicated solely to rehabilitating cruelty and disaster victims. At a temporary shelter in Jacksonville, 13 cats were euthanized for severe medical problems, and treatments started for others. All of the cats got regular meals and visits from volunteers. As for Snarf? In March, 65 of the rescued dogs, including Snarf, were sent to the Kentucky shelter. Almost all have been placed, Blair said. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals set up a rehab center for Snarf and the other 117 dogs rescued in October from a Kentucky puppy mill. In his new house for about a month, Snarf loves to curl up on the floor near to the couple. The behaviorist might put food down and then open an umbrella nearby. "Either is OK," Reid said. " Whatever their problems, you just have to keep working alongside animals, Reid said. With puppy mill, hoarding and disaster dogs, the emphasis is on new or frightening experiences. Sometimes they will partner a troubled animal with a friendly animal. "Dogs are very good at picking up on the emotional state of their companions," Reid said. Dogfighting and disasters can be more challenging. Scott Franke and his wife Andy Kyle, from New Albany, Ind. Puppy mill dogs are fairly easy to place, Blair said. Snarf had been crated, isolated and used for breeding all his life before he spent six months in rehab. "When we went and saw him, it was love at first sight and we had to have him," Franke said. Many of the ASPCA's shelter partners, including Kentucky, have full-time behaviorists who take over for Reid and her team. "These dogs have never had love or a forever home, so this is the first time around for them. |
Wednesday 25 April 2012
Pet rehab helps transform four-legged survivors
