When time isn’t on an animal’s side
Have you ever heard the expression, “Timing is everything”? Well, it’s particularly true in open admission animal shelters.
Getting animals out as quickly as possible is huge. Shelters are stressful places for pets, and the longer they stay, the more likely stress will take a toll. Animals can deteriorate, developing anxious and negative behaviors, making it more difficult to get them adopted.
So, open admission shelters like the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS) and the Baltimore County Animal Shelter (BCAS) do everything they can to minimize shelter stays.
Dr. Melissa Jones, BCAS Chief of Animal Services, says the average length of stay for cats in the shelter is 16 days. For dogs, it’s 9 days. And the goal is to try to get them out faster than that whenever possible.
When pets stay longer, that’s when the enrichment team gets involved.
Jones says the shelter sets up a program of activities “to keep them tired and keep their brains busy.”
BARCS Enrichment Coordinator Brian George agrees. “Stress and boredom, that’s what we’re working against,” he says. “The longer a cat or dog is here, the higher priority they become for special attention through extra enrichment.”
That can include playgroups, socialization, hiding treats in the kennel for a dog to find, or frozen treats that take a long time to eat and are really delicious.
Sometimes there seems to be no rhyme or reason why some animals are continually overlooked by adopters. But sometimes there’s a reason. A dog or cat is older, or needs special veterinary care, or requires extra training because of challenging behavior issues.
Screech and Roxy Bella are two of those dogs. They’ve been at BCAS for a long time, Roxy Bella since early June, Screech since late August.
Both are friendly, know some basic commands, and love to play.
But Roxy Bella was adopted twice and returned. She’s an escape artist and needs a high fence. Screech needs a lot of exercise and training to make him more calm, obedient, and manageable. Both need homes with no other pets.
Says volunteer Pat Snello about Screech, “We’re praying for Screech, that he gets out of here and gets the right home.”
Volunteer Lori Lesser Joseph says that Roxy Bella ”just needs somebody to be dedicated and not give up on her.”
Could that someone be you?
Watch these short videos to meet these two beautiful dogs that have spent months at BCAS.
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