My Visit to an Animal Shelter

948 Views 20 Replies 9 Participants Last post by krandall, 7 d ago

BoosDad

Discussion Starter · 17 d ago

I know that I am not ready for a new companion, as I would keep measuring them against my beloved Boo. However, I was just so desperate for canine attention that I decided to visit an LA County animal shelter, not the posh one but the one in a less than savory neighborhood. I felt that those animals were more in need of a visit.

Not surprisingly, most animals were large dogs with a healthy mix of pitbulls. Most of the dogs were barking like crazy. I did encounter 2 smaller dogs, a six year old chihuahua and a ten year old terrier. The terrier weighed about 15 pounds and appeared to be a Yorkie or Yorkie mix. He had a darling face and a soft gaze. He was a stray, who had been in the shelter for over a month.

After giving a donation to help with his care, I asked to meet with him. He allowed the animal officer to pick him up and bring him to the socialization area. On arriving, he ran around and squatted to poop. I examined his bm and thought firm with good color. He continued to run around the fake grassy area (certainly happy to be out of his enclosure). He did eventually allow me to pet him. He also sat, when told to sit. However, when the shelter volunteer attempted to pick him up, he struggled and showed teeth. He did walk well on the leash, once it was looped around his neck.

I think with proper grooming and additional socialization, he could be a great pet. I’m just not sure we clicked or I have the energy to deal with potential medical problems, as the shelter only performed a limited exam. I know it would break my heart to learn that he had some major medical issue. I think that he could be a great dog, if a rescue with rehab knowledge pulled him from the shelter and helped him gain more confidence.

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krandall

· #2 · 17 d ago

BoosDad said:
I know that I am not ready for a new companion, as I would keep measuring them against my beloved Boo. However, I was just so desperate for canine attention that I decided to visit an LA County animal shelter, not the posh one but the one in a less than savory neighborhood. I felt that those animals were more in need of a visit.

Not surprisingly, most animals were large dogs with a healthy mix of pitbulls. Most of the dogs were barking like crazy. I did encounter 2 smaller dogs, a six year old chihuahua and a ten year old terrier. The terrier weighed about 15 pounds and appeared to be a Yorkie or Yorkie mix. He had a darling face and a soft gaze. He was a stray, who had been in the shelter for over a month.

After giving a donation to help with his care, I asked to meet with him. He allowed the animal officer to pick him up and bring him to the socialization area. On arriving, he ran around and squatted to poop. I examined his bm and thought firm with good color. He continued to run around the fake grassy area (certainly happy to be out of his enclosure). He did eventually allow me to pet him. He also sat, when told to sit. However, when the shelter volunteer attempted to pick him up, he struggled and showed teeth. He did walk well on the leash, once it was looped around his neck.

I think with proper grooming and additional socialization, he could be a great pet. I’m just not sure we clicked or I have the energy to deal with potential medical problems, as the shelter only performed a limited exam. I know it would break my heart to learn that he had some major medical issue. I think that he could be a great dog, if a rescue with rehab knowledge pulled him from the shelter and helped him gain more confidence.

I think it is good that you are out investigating and looking, though. ❤

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BoosDad

Discussion Starter · #3 · 17 d ago

I found myself at the more posh animal shelter late this morning. The public areas are lovely, and they are very high tech, and allow you to book an appointment to visit online. They also can place you on a waitlist, accessed using your phone camera, and text you when it is your turn. Staff was very nice. However, strangely, they have to escort you to the restroom. Because I was asking questions, at first, one employee seemed to suspect that I could be a reporter, looking for a story.

i will admit that I was sad that the kennels did not appear to be as new, as tge rest of the building. Further, the small dog section was filled mostly with medium or large dogs. I guess either the small dogs get adopted quickly or they just not are available.

I am thinking, if I do decide to add another canine companion to my family, I may be smarter to look for a reputable rescue group. That way I might have a better chance of finding a healthy small dog or one with only limited medical needs.

Gonna look at one more place this after noon or Friday. It does make me feel a little less sad.. Maybe, caring for another animal in need is another way to honor Boo.

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Cassandra

· #4 · 17 d ago (Edited)

Thanks for sharing this. I know that in the other thread many of us talked about new puppy helping, but for some of us now senior member (i mean people, not dogs) an older dog in need of a home may be a better choice. I know there are rescues that also specialize in finding new homes for dogs whose owners have either passed away or moved onto assisted care of some kind. That is a different kind of background from some others found in shelters. Also, of course, it is worth getting in touch with the Havanese Rescue group..I think there may be more than one so perhaps someone here can identify the right one.

Also, I have heard that rescue groups often pull the most adoptable dogs from shelters so finding a small dog from one of them may be the right approach. Those groups that use foster families are often able to provide good information from the foster families on how the dogs behave around others.

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Tere

· #5 · 17 d ago

It is a good sign that you are starting to think about it. Boo would never have wanted you to be lonely or unhappy. While no dog will ever measure up to Boo, you are hurting still from losing him. Another new friend will help you get over this horrible loss.
Keep on looking around. There is a rescue here that only takes small dogs and it is usually when the owner has passed away or has gone to a nursing home. All of the dogs can live their lives out in the home or be adopted if there is a suitable owner. I donate to them and my 85 year old ex-FIL got his dog from them.

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Johanna

· #6 · 16 d ago

BoosDad said:
I found myself at the more posh animal shelter late this morning. The public areas are lovely, and they are very high tech, and allow you to book an appointment to visit online. They also can place you on a waitlist, accessed using your phone camera, and text you when it is your turn. Staff was very nice. However, strangely, they have to escort you to the restroom. Because I was asking questions, at first, one employee seemed to suspect that I could be a reporter, looking for a story.

i will admit that I was sad that the kennels did not appear to be as new, as tge rest of the building. Further, the small dog section was filled mostly with medium or large dogs. I guess either the small dogs get adopted quickly or they just not are available.

I am thinking, if I do decide to add another canine companion to my family, I may be smarter to look for a reputable rescue group. That way I might have a better chance of finding a healthy small dog or one with only limited medical needs.

Gonna look at one more place this after noon or Friday. It does make me feel a little less sad.. Maybe, caring for another animal in need is another way to honor Boo.

I think it's great that you are thinking about it. Any dog would be lucky to have you! The very good reputable rescues are great and do their due diligence in matching their dogs to new owners.

You many also think about contacting some of the reputable breeders out there to inquire about an older pup or adult that might be available. When we got our first Havanese (Naomi), we did not want a puppy but we did want a younger dog that was healthy. We had had rescued several senior or special needs dogs and we needed a change. We searched rescues and shelters for a while with no luck and I finally talked my husband into letting me find a Havanese (we were looking for smaller and minimal shedding). I contacted Naomi's breeder because I thought she had a young male available. First, I filled out a lengthy questionnaire from her website and followed that up with an email. She contacted me the next morning and wanted to talk more. Turns out the young male had already gone to a new home but after talking for a while and finding out more about us and our lifestyle, she told me about Naomi. She wasn't going to advertise her anywhere because she was hoping to place her through word of mouth. She was just 15 months old when we brought her home but was an old soul in a young body and the perfect companion for my husband who has a chronic health condition. She will happily play with toys but is also content with spending the days in bed with him when he isn't well. She insists on it! She was a breeder pick but couldn't be shown for one reason or other. I don't think she would have enjoyed showing with her personality. We also got Archie as an older puppy at 7 months old. He wasn't advertised anywhere either and I wasn't even looking. Ollie's breeder reached out to me because she was looking for a home for him and wanted to offer him to us. She couldn't show him and wanted him to go to a good home and she thought of us because she knew he'd be in good hands here. He's an awesome pup and very easy going, house trained on arrival and happy to go anywhere. He loves to play but doesn't need constant activity and stimulation. Anyways, as always I'm long winded but I guess my point is that sometimes there is a great, well bred, healthy dog out there waiting for the right situation and their owner/breeder is waiting for the right person and doesn't want to advertise. This goes for breeders of any breed so it doesn't have to be Havanese. They have raised the dog and know everything there is to know about the individual habits and personality and genuinely care about placement. You can obviously provide wonderful references to any rescue or breeder (veterinarians, groomers, etc). Just a thought.

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BoosDad

Discussion Starter · #7 · 16 d ago

Thank you Cassandra, Tere, and Johanna for your advice, I did return to the.first shelter I visited to meet the chihuahua. They estimate that he is six. Apparently, he was returned by another adopter. I was told that he was returned because he did not like other family dogs. Since Boo also only tolerated other dogs, except for his poodle brother, I thought thats ok. I had them print me out his medical records. I nofed that he had lost 2 poujds between the time he entered the shelter and the time he was initially adopted (possibly lack of appetite). He did gain 1\2 a pound, during the week with his new family. His most recent exam in May 2023 indicates that he has moderate dental tartar but, other was unremarkable.

I did get to meet Papa (the chihuahua, he was friendly and allowed me to pet and hold him. He even licked my hand.
He seemed like a potential good companion. However, i decided I needed to look a little more before making a decision. I will have to start investigating rescue organizations in the coming weeks.

Thak you everyone for being so supportive.

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lindam

· #8 · 16 d ago

@BoosDad - I recently signed up to become a Havanese Rescue Inc. foster. I wanted to be able to help a Havanese in need before they go to their forever home. I decided to try this because I'm not sure if I wanted a 2nd Havanese just yet, and this will give us the opportunity to help a dog, Sunny gains a new friend, but without the full commitment. After talking to them, they seem reputable and have a good volunteer checking process. They interview 4 references in detail before approving you. Their fosters consist of Havanese or Havanese mixes where their owners may not be able to take care of them anymore, or their owner passed away. They don't take puppy mill puppies, but I believe they take puppy mill breeding dogs when the puppy mills are done with them. 🥺 Just something to consider. 💛

Havanese Rescue

Havanese Rescue Inc. (HRI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization formed for the charitable purposes of rescuing purebred Havanese and Havanese mixes which are homeless or soon-to-be-homeless, including those found in animal shelters or similar facilities and those relinquished by their owners...

www.havaneserescue.com

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LWalks

· #9 · 15 d ago (Edited)

lindam said:
@BoosDad - I recently signed up to become a Havanese Rescue Inc. foster. I wanted to be able to help a Havanese in need before they go to their forever home. I decided to try this because I'm not sure if I wanted a 2nd Havanese just yet, and this will give us the opportunity to help a dog, Sunny gains a new friend, but without the full commitment. After talking to them, they seem reputable

BoosDad said:

Thank you Cassandra, Tere, and Johanna for your advice, I did return to the.first shelter I visited to meet the chihuahua. They estimate that he is six. Apparently, he was returned by another adopter. I was told that he was returned because he did not like other family dogs. Since Boo also only tolerated other dogs, except for his poodle brother, I thought thats ok. I had them print me out his medical records. I nofed that he had lost 2 poujds between the time he entered the shelter and the time he was initially adopted (possibly lack of appetite). He did gain 1\2 a pound, during the week with his new family. His most recent exam in May 2023 indicates that he has moderate dental tartar but, other was unremarkable.

I did get to meet Papa (the chihuahua, he was friendly and allowed me to pet and hold him. He even licked my hand.
He seemed like a potential good companion. However, i decided I needed to look a little more before making a decision. I will have to start investigating rescue organizations in the coming weeks.

Thak you everyone for being so supportive.

Click to expand...

and have a good volunteer checking process. They interview 4 references in detail before approving you. Their fosters consist of Havanese or Havanese mixes where their owners may not be able to take care of them anymore, or their owner passed away. They don't take puppy mill puppies, but I believe they take puppy mill breeding dogs when the puppy mills are done with them. 🥺 Just something to consider. 💛

Havanese Rescue

Havanese Rescue Inc. (HRI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization formed for the charitable purposes of rescuing purebred Havanese and Havanese mixes which are homeless or soon-to-be-homeless, including those found in animal shelters or similar facilities and those relinquished by their owners...

www.havaneserescue.com

@BoosDad I think it’s great that you’re considering a new companion— of course not to replace Boo, because that’s impossible, but I can tell you have a lot of love to give. I was actually just down in LA for work, and my-coworker’s son is fostering a small (10 lb) dog that I think she said is 3 years old, and she said he is incredibly sweet. I think he was a dog someone got during the pandemic and then returned when they went back to work because he has some separation issues 🙁 She already has two female pits and doesn’t think they’d do well with a smaller male or she said she’d take him. DM me if you’d like me to find out more info and I can put you in touch! She was saying a lot of small dogs in LA get pulled from shelters for foster because they don’t do well in that environment (not that any dog does, but I imagine all the noise and being alone would be really tough for a tiny companion animal)

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krandall

· #10 · 15 d ago

LWalks said:
@BoosDad I think it’s great that you’re considering a new companion— of course not to replace Boo, because that’s impossible, but I can tell you have a lot of love to give. I was actually just down in LA for work, and my-coworker’s son is fostering a small (10 lb) dog that I think she said is 3 years old, and she said he is incredibly sweet. I think he was a dog someone got during the pandemic and then returned when they went back to work because he has some separation issues 🙁 She already has two female pits and doesn’t think they’d do well with a smaller male or she said she’d take him. DM me if you’d like me to find out more info and I can put you in touch! She was saying a lot of small dogs in LA get pulled from shelters for foster because they don’t do well in that environment (not that any dog does, but I imagine all the noise and being alone would be really tough for a tiny companion animal)

View attachment 181025

Oh my goodness, what a cutie!!! 💗

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Tere

· #11 · 15 d ago

He looks very cute!

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LWalks

· #12 · 15 d ago

krandall said:
Oh my goodness, what a cutie!!! 💗

I know, that smile is to die for!

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mudpuppymama

· #13 · 15 d ago

How adorable!

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Sdeek

· #14 · 13 d ago

Thanks to CarolineS for linking me here. I just wanted to suggest Havanese Rescue Inc. for anyone looking to rescue a Havanese. I just started to volunteer with them.

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BoosDad

Discussion Starter · #15 · 8 d ago

Looks like I will be postponing my search for the perfect canine companion. Just got back from doctors and need a third course of antibiotics for middle ear infections. May need surgery, if no improvement or resolution in 6-8 weeks. I still plan to visit 9 more of Boo’s favorite places. However, not sure I could give an animal my full attention at this time.

Mr. Boo would probably tell me to be patient and everything will work out.

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Johanna

· #16 · 7 d ago

BoosDad said:
Looks like I will be postponing my search for the perfect canine companion. Just got back from doctors and need a third course of antibiotics for middle ear infections. May need surgery, if no improvement or resolution in 6-8 weeks. I still plan to visit 9 more of Boo’s favorite places. However, not sure I could give an animal my full attention at this time.

Mr. Boo would probably tell me to be patient and everything will work out.

I'm sorry you're having trouble with your ear infection (they are the worst!). I hope the antibiotics get it under control and surgery won't be necessary.

I'm a firm believer in "meant to be's" and this postponement tells me that your perfect companion will happen when the time is right. When we got Naomi, I was looking for a perfect companion for my husband who was missing his daddy's girl from years past and really missed the bond they shared. We had other dogs but the bond was nowhere near what he had with his special girls of past. He has a chronic health disorder and is on permanent disability due to it. There are many days that he feels awful and just has to stay in bed or rest. We knew that there no guarantees that a new dog would just bond to him but I went about my search. He wanted to rescue. I was willing to look at responsible breeders of Havanese. We applied for a few different rescue dogs (not Havanese) but they didn't pan out. Those dogs were highly desirable and had a ton of applications come in for them and we weren't the chosen ones. Then there was the shelter who thought we were great for a dog that my husband was interested in but they wouldn't adopt to us unless we loaded our 3 other dogs into the car for a meet and greet at the shelter. I was not going to subject my two geriatric dogs (one with cancer the other mobility issues) to that and asked them if they could come to our home instead... nope, so we were rejected. Both of those dogs have crossed the rainbow bridge since. Then I saw a young adult Havanese male on a very reputable breeder's website that was available to the right home. I showed my husband and he had to think about it (for 2 weeks!). He finally said ok, let's find out more. I filled out the questionnaire and the breeder called the next day. He was no longer available but she wanted to find out more about us. Once I told her about my husband, she told me about Naomi. She had JUST decided to start looking for the perfect home for her but wasn't advertising it. The very next day we drove 4 hours to meet her and their bond was instant. Naomi was usually a little shy with new people but she went right to my husband. The breeder told us she was expecting to shed tears when we drove away with Naomi but she didn't feel the need to cry because she knew this was such a good match. It surprised her. Their bond is the strongest I've ever seen. She won't leave his side on his bad days and has to know where he is at all times. It was like she was born to be his personal therapy dog. Our journey to find him a dog was about 4 months longs with many potentials not working out. I'm sure it's because Naomi was meant to be. I think the same will happen for you. Sometimes, roadblocks happen for a reason.

Boo probably has something up his sleeve 😉

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Sdeek

· #17 · 7 d ago

I’m so sorry your dealing with an ear infection that’s so bad. I hope you feel better soon. I agree, the right dog will come at the right time. Just take good care of yourself!

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mudpuppymama

· #18 · 7 d ago

I am sorry to hear about your ear infection. Please take care of yourself. I hope you are better soon. Your perfect companion will wait for you to heal so take your time and get well.

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BoosDad

Discussion Starter · #19 · 7 d ago

Johanna said:
I'm sorry you're having trouble with your ear infection (they are the worst!). I hope the antibiotics get it under control and surgery won't be necessary.

I'm a firm believer in "meant to be's" and this postponement tells me that your perfect companion will happen when the time is right. When we got Naomi, I was looking for a perfect companion for my husband who was missing his daddy's girl from years past and really missed the bond they shared. We had other dogs but the bond was nowhere near what he had with his special girls of past. He has a chronic health disorder and is on permanent disability due to it. There are many days that he feels awful and just has to stay in bed or rest. We knew that there no guarantees that a new dog would just bond to him but I went about my search. He wanted to rescue. I was willing to look at responsible breeders of Havanese. We applied for a few different rescue dogs (not Havanese) but they didn't pan out. Those dogs were highly desirable and had a ton of applications come in for them and we weren't the chosen ones. Then there was the shelter who thought we were great for a dog that my husband was interested in but they wouldn't adopt to us unless we loaded our 3 other dogs into the car for a meet and greet at the shelter. I was not going to subject my two geriatric dogs (one with cancer the other mobility issues) to that and asked them if they could come to our home instead... nope, so we were rejected. Both of those dogs have crossed the rainbow bridge since. Then I saw a young adult Havanese male on a very reputable breeder's website that was available to the right home. I showed my husband and he had to think about it (for 2 weeks!). He finally said ok, let's find out more. I filled out the questionnaire and the breeder called the next day. He was no longer available but she wanted to find out more about us. Once I told her about my husband, she told me about Naomi. She had JUST decided to start looking for the perfect home for her but wasn't advertising it. The very next day we drove 4 hours to meet her and their bond was instant. Naomi was usually a little shy with new people but she went right to my husband. The breeder told us she was expecting to shed tears when we drove away with Naomi but she didn't feel the need to cry because she knew this was such a good match. It surprised her. Their bond is the strongest I've ever seen. She won't leave his side on his bad days and has to know where he is at all times. It was like she was born to be his personal therapy dog. Our journey to find him a dog was about 4 months longs with many potentials not working out. I'm sure it's because Naomi was meant to be. I think the same will happen for you. Sometimes, roadblocks happen for a reason.

Boo probably has something up his sleeve 😉

I want to shed some tears after reading your post. I have to hold them back cause it further congests my nasal passages and ears. I need a good cry for Boo but gotta control myself now and try.

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Johanna

· #20 · 7 d ago

BoosDad said:
I want to shed some tears after reading your post. I have to hold them back cause it further congests my nasal passages and ears. I need a good cry for Boo but gotta control myself now and try.

You need to think of Boo and smile! And take care of yourself the same way you took care of him. He would definitely want that! You've got this and it will all work out just the way it is intended.

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