Will Guilt Make You Adopt A Shelter Dog?

I just read some information published by Best Friends Animal Society (which I will refer to as B.F.A.S.) which made me think twice about how some Animal Welfare groups promote the idea of adoption and rescue.

B.F.A.S. conducted a survey of young adults aged 18 to 34, and found that those surveyed were more likely to purchase a pet from a pet store or from a breeder, than to adopt a pet from a rescue organization or shelter.

This is because they believe rescue/shelter dogs to be 'damaged goods'.

• 46% of the young adults deemed rescue/shelter animals to be "less desirable" than animals obtained from a "breeder".
• 40% of the young adults believed that "homeless" animals will remain in the shelter until they are eventually adopted (though in fact, approx 4 million homeless animals are killed each year in the USA). 

Mark Cushing, founder of the Animal Policy Group, made a very interesting point about this topic. He stated that fund-raising campaigns that feature animals-in-distress may be an effective way to "guilt" people into opening up their wallets and donating to a very good cause, but showing sick and injured animals promotes the notion of shelter and rescue animals are "damaged goods".

I think his point is a valid one. In other words, supporting a worthy cause by donating to an animal welfare organization is one thing but, for many of those people, their desire to welcome so-called 'damaged goods' into their homes is quite another. 

Accordingly, animal welfare organizations will need to determine the best overall strategy for reaching their goals, both in fund-raising and promoting animals for adoption, as it's crucial that efforts for one doesn't negatively impact the other.

From my own experience, part of my desire for volunteering at my local SPCA branch was to take appealing photographs of their adoptable animals (which were predominantly cats, dogs and rabbits) to increase their 'adoption appeal'. Knowing that 'attractiveness' is a high ranking criteria for most people, the idea of volunteering my time in this way came from seeing so many shelter photos that were poor quality and/or featured an animal in an unfavourable way.

To be fair, shelter staffers have a tough enough job already, and I wouldn't expect photography skills to be a mandatory part of their skill-set, but quickly snapping the photo of an animal during the intake process is not going to do enough to provide the necessary appeal to make most people think, "Yes, I want THAT dog!" 

Let's face it, an animal that has just arrived at a shelter is already frightened and stressed; could be wet or dirty, and in dire need of bathing and/or grooming. So yes, in that state, many animals might appear to be so-called 'damaged goods'.

I have to say that taking photographs of the adoptable dogs, cats and rabbits was a very rewarding experience for me. It definitely took time and patience to get the right shot, and due to the distance from my home I could only arrange to visit once each week, but on my volunteering day the shelter staff would regularly tell me, "It's working... people are seeing the photos and are calling us!"

A great example of the adoption appeal generated by an appealing photo is a dog named "Balloo" (the black dog shown above, with the basketball). A shelter staff member told me that a call was received within hours of the photo being published on their adoptables website. The man who called asked, "Is the black dog shown with the basketball still available?" He was told "yes" and he said that he was on his way to meet the dog and begin the adoption process. Balloo was a healthy and well-mannered dog, and I'm happy to report that the adoption process went well: Balloo was adopted by the approved family the very same day his photo went online. Obviously I'm pleased for Balloo and his new family, but I am also proud to have played a role in that success.

Having said all of the above, there will always be a percentage of shelter/rescue animals that have suffered mistreatment from humans which can result in health problems and/or behaviour issues. Certainly such animals will be considered 'damaged goods' and 'undesirable' by some people but that's not a bad thing, because an animal needs to be placed in an environment where it can succeed. To put an animal with specific 'needs' in the care of well-intentioned humans who don't have the time, resources and/or knowledge how to properly tend to those needs is a losing proposition for both the animal and the humans.

Note: All of the photos featured on this page were taken by me during my volunteering, and were used to promote the animal for adoption.

Happy "National Black Dog Day"

Happy "National Black Dog Day"!

I jokingly refer to all my pets as dogs: "Groucho" is my little dog, "Nova" is my medium sized dog, and "Jet" is my big dog... and, yes, they are all black!

Are you familiar with Black Dog Syndrome? It's a phenomenon where black dogs are passed over for adoption in favour of lighter or more colourful-coated dogs. While some people might dispute this, everyone I've spoken to who are involved with shelters have agreed that "black" is not a particularly popular colour.

Perhaps not coincidentally then, black cats are known to suffer from the same phenomenon. Rather than refer to Black Dog Syndrome or Black Cat Syndrome, in our Western culture I think we should simply refer to it as "Black Animal Syndrome".

The reason for black-coated animals being less popular could be tied to one of a variety of different reasons or, more likely, a combination of different reasons. I tend to think that, these days, people think of black-coated animals as 'ordinary' and, instead, want a more unique or brighter colour in the same way that people seem to want more unique breeds: It's more about the aesthetic than anything else. Just my personal opinion though...

The Staying Power of the Dominance Theory Myth

Dominance Theory... the impetus for me to write about this topic (again) comes from social media posts I've seen from a veterinary clinic in the U.K. which provides inaccurate information about the social order and motivations of domestic dogs.

In part, their blog post reads, "... your dog has natural pack instincts that have been handed down from his wolf ancestors. This is why some dogs end up being too dominant or naughty – they’ve been led to think they’re higher up in the pack than other family members. A well behaved dog sees itself as a lower pack member – that means he doesn’t get to eat when you eat, sleep in your bed, or jump up on furniture."

Simply put, the information provided in this quote is out-of-date and incorrect. 

Most pet guardians have an inherent trust for veterinarians and have an expectation that, as professionals, their knowledge base is up-to-date as are their practices and techniques. Accordingly, I find it very troubling when professionals provide outdated information (such as the blog post I've mentioned) for general consumption.

The way I look at it, based on the possible implications, providing inaccurate information on behavioural science topics isn't that much different than providing inaccurate information on medical science topics.

Having said all of the above, and to be fair to this same veterinary clinic, their social media posts do recommend positive reinforcement practices rather than 'punishment' based practices for dogs. I definitely do thank them for that.

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