After spending time at the APA shelters I was able to gain a solid understanding of how necessary no-kill shelters are to the issue of animal neglect and the extra measures the APA staff takes to make sure their dogs go to comfortable homes.
The first APA shelter I visited was the Town Lake Animal Center. I decided to go after taking a look at the APA website because I saw that a three month old Yorkie puppy was available for adoption, and I was considering adopting him. When I walked into the shelter, I was directed to an iPad where I signed in with my name and what kind of dogs I was interested in looking at. A friendly woman in a volunteer shirt directed me to the kennels where all of the dogs are kept and I began scanning each kennel for the Yorkie puppy. It was a Saturday afternoon and the shelter was filled with families looking to adopt a dog. I overheard one middle aged couple looking at a German Shepard mix named Rangel who was peacefully napping on his bed. The woman commented on how friendly the dog looked, while the man noted that the he appeared “lazy” and would never get adopted if he didn’t try harder to seem energetic. I wanted to ask the man if he would have the energy to appear lively if he was abandoned and left to the care of an animal shelter, but I refrained and watched the couple move on to look at other dogs. I took my own look at Rangel and felt guilty myself for rushing through all of the larger dogs to find the Yorkie puppy. I read Rangel’s description and learned that he was one year and ten months old with a heart murmur and a bad hip—no wonder he was taking it easy napping in his bed.
Before my experience at the Town Lake Animal Center, I was aware of the obstacles larger dogs face in finding a home but I had never actually witnessed it firsthand. Rangel was overlooked by the couple because of his lack of energy, and even overlooked by myself because I don’t have the means to support a dog with a heart murmur and a bad hip. It made me realize that even people like myself who adore dogs can’t always help every single one of them who are in need of a home. Dogs who have health issues require a person who is financially stable to afford their medical bills, and if it’s a larger dog with health issues it becomes even harder for them to find homes. When I finished walking through the maze of kennels at the Town Lake Center, there was no sign of the Yorkie puppy. I asked one of the staff if she could help me find him, and she told me that he had been adopted within hours of his picture being uploaded to the APA website. I think she could sense my disappointment because she suggested that I go to the TarryTown Dog Adoption Center where most of the smaller breeds are kept.
I went to the TarryTown Center and was greeted by friendly staff just like at Town Lake. It was significantly less busy than Town Lake, and I didn’t have to sign in before looking at the dogs. There were less than 15 dogs at TarryTown, and instead of kennels they were housed in groups inside of play pens. Outside there was a large play area covered in turf where volunteers were playing with a few of the dogs. I noticed a Chihuahua named Millie who was eight years old and asked a volunteer if I could visit with her. Millie was energetic and happily settled into my lap after knowing me for a total of thirty seconds. Her adoption fee was only $25 and I asked for more information about her. I was asked what my schedule was like, how much time I could devote to a new dog, and if I already had other pets. I realized that the people working at APA don’t let anyone just adopt a dog without making sure it’s a good fit; they ask you questions and ensure that you aren’t taking on a responsibility you can’t handle because they don’t want to see any of the dogs live in an uncomfortable environment. Since I have a busy schedule and already have a younger dog, the APA volunteer and I agreed that I probably couldn’t properly care for an eight year old Chihuahua who would need more attention than I could give with a hectic schedule and another dog.
Overall, my experience at these two shelters made me understand that solving the issue of animal neglect is much more complex than getting people to come in and adopt dogs. It involves finding the right match between the dog and the adopter, which gets complicated because most dogs at shelters have health issues and needs that not every person wanting to adopt a dog can afford. I appreciated that the APA staff and volunteers take the time to explain those issues to people rather than letting them adopt a dog that they might not be able to take care of as a quick way of getting dogs out of the shelter.