Magical Moments, Courtesy Of Dog
Day in and day out most of us go through the motions of our routine pleasantly enough, even if most experiences aren’t particularly remarkable. On occasion, however, we come across an opportunity to recharge our batteries and get the creative juices flowing in a way that inspires us to up the ante, do more, get excited about what we do and how we do it with renewed vigor.
This weekend was one of those energizing times for me. I just got back from Portland, Oregon area where I participated in a conference called Masters in Behavior that was hosted by the Multnomah County Animal Services and focused on the behavioral aspect of shelter dogs. I felt honored to be a part of such a wonderful group of presenters such as Dr. Amy Marder of the Animal Rescue League of Boston, Dr. Pam Reid of the ASPCA, Bernice Clifford of the amazingly cool Animal Farm Foundation, and Dog Star Daily’s own Dr. Ian Dunbar.
The conference was different than most that focus on animal sheltering. It had an entire day addressing the pit bull problem most shelters face and it addressed questions such as:
Should bully breeds be treated differently than other dogs in the shelter environment?
Are we correctly identifying dog breed types in shelters (based on physical characteristics)?
What are effective enrichment strategies that can be implemented with limited resources (time, money, volunteers)?
What can we learn by watching dogs be dogs?
What is an American Shelter Dog?
And so much more! Every day ended with a panel of all the speakers taking questions from the attendees. The venue was intimate and fun, even a little wacky, and it’s size really allowed everyone to get to know one another over the three days. Multnomah County Animal Services is also an Open Paw In Progress Shelter and in addition to creating and hosting the event they also gave attendees tours of their large open admission municipal shelter, demonstrating just what could be accomplished by a few dedicated souls even without a big budget or fancy facilities. (A LOT!)
It really was a great conference, but just when I thought it couldn’t get any better than good people, good fun, and great information – it did.
Ian and I stayed in town for an extra day after the event because we’d been invited to check out Project POOCH while in town. I am so glad we did. DSD blogger Cindy Bruckart volunteers for the program, founded by the lovely and unstoppable Joan Dalton, which pairs youths incarcerated at the MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility with shelter dogs that are difficult to place for various reasons.
We spent the afternoon with the young men in the program and their canine charges and I have to say I was both thoroughly impressed with the guys and touched by the experience. Seeing these guys handle their dogs with obvious, palatable love and affection was one thing, but it didn’t stop there. They also had a clear grasp on dog behavior and training, had accomplished a lot with their individual dogs, and, they asked excellent questions and then listened attentively to the answers.
Project POOCH is one example of how taking the time to communicate with and care for a dog can teach us so many valuable skills that have countless applications. To witness the connection between the dogs and youths and how these young men related to the fact that the dogs had also been through hard times but deserved a second chance, just like them, was a wonderful illustration of how dogs serve people and heal our souls.
For some reason dogs have a direct line into the human psyche, they touch us in a way that allows us to grow beyond our ego and learn empathy and to care for others, including the world at large. Quite an extraordinary gift. Wouldn’t it be brilliant if all of us who’ve benefited from a connection to a dog gave back in a way that helped others to access this experience?
I know that I am going to stay in touch with Project POOCH and do what I can to help the youths in the program achieve their goals. There are loads of programs in place that can use your help as well, including Project POOCH and Open Paw. Are you ready to reach out and be of service too? Do you know of a program that needs assistance? Let us know so all Dog Star Daily readers can get out there and honor their love of dogs by making a difference.
