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Shelter dogs can be Pawsitive heroes
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August 7, 2012 |
Ever hear or say: “I just can’t stand to see
their lonely faces so I don’t go in.”
“I can’t – if I went to look I’d come out with a
dozen.”
“You know they’re just someone else's problems
dumped there.”
Dogs in shelters are there for a variety of
reasons, not the least of it poor decision
making on the part of the family.
The puppies were cute, but as the dogs get
older, they require a lot of time, energy and
yes, money.
Pawsitive Works knows there are hidden heroes in
our shelters.
They are ready and willing to be someone’s new
best friend, and they have shown us over and
again just how incredible they can be at making
a life-long difference in the lives of youth at
risk.
For example:
A 17-year-old girl participated only “because my
Probation Officer made me.”
On day one of the program when she met "her"
dog, she slumped in her chair with an attitude,
“I don’t like dogs, or animals.” "Her" dog
didn't question or ask for anything. Just bided
time.
The gentle female wanted nothing more than a
little attention ... The girl asked why the
"dog" was shedding so badly.
She was told that there weren't enough
volunteers and workers to keep the dogs groomed.
She looked at her a little differently after
that, and found out that she made no demands,
but always appreciated her attention ... She was
always there.
On graduation day, this “non-dog-lover” scored
the highest in the class.
As the ceremonies ended, she asked if she could
come in early the next morning to give "her" dog
a bath.
Give a dog a chance do do what a dog most loves
to do, and stereotypes and false conceptions
fall by the wayside. In nearly every case ...
the trust of a dog
“Small paw prints of love marked a huge change
in her heart,” said Karen Schumacher, one of the
stalwarts at Pawsitive Works. “This girl thought
she disliked dogs, but she really just had
difficulty with trust and a huge fear of not
being wanted. A dog taught her about trust,
boosted her confidence and even gave her a pure
taste of unconditional love.”
The beautiful girl who did so much was adopted
and she's rightfully considered a hero.
We have two other heroes available right for
lifelong homes right now at Kootenai Humane
Society in Rathdrum.
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Prince and a
friend |
Prince is an eight year old German Shepherd mix.
He came to the shelter in June as a stray
“running at large."
We located his owner but they were not willing
to “bail” him out. Since he got here he wagged
and pawed into the hearts of the staff and
volunteers by showing off (sit, down, up, shake
... all in one move!) and being so willing to do
whatever we asked of him.
Prince has done very well in class. His biggest
challenge in class has been learning to do JUST
what he asked to do and not anticipate the next
command.
The girl he's helping hopes he finds a forever
home with someone who sees how awesome he is,
just as she does.
Henry is about a two-year-old Black Lab. He was
in the SCRAPS shelter in Spokane Valley when he
was transferred to Pawsitive Works in June.
Henry is the typical high energy, low focus Lab.
Pawsitive Works has been great for developing
his attention span. His biggest challenge in
class has been loose lead walking & "stay."
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Henry and a
friend |
The lesson doesn't come easy when he matches so
closely the youngster he's working with ... they
try and mostly succeed at being good ... but
when one say's "It's time to romp!" the other
says, "Let's go!"
You can find out more about how the people at
Pawsitive Works work miracles with kids who
otherwise would distrust ... you can also find
dogs who could very well have been put down, had
they not been given a chance.
You can find out, most importantly, how you can
make a difference.
You can read about and see who Pawsitive Works
is by visiting their webs site;
www.pawsitiveworks.com, and you can follow
them on
Facebook.
You can pitch in and help, or find out more, by
calling (208) 946-3883. If you'd like, you can
even email
karen@pawsitiveworks.com.
Volunteers are always welcome. |
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