Cold noses, warm hearts
October is a special month for shelter dogs as they hope to be brought into a loving home.
The season of fall brings about many changes: leaves transform color to vivid yellows and reds, pumpkin spice lattes become available and fuzzy sweaters become all the trend. But these aren’t the only things to appear as the transition to some of the coldest months of the year begins. October also brought about Adopt a Shelter Dog Month. In celebration of this holiday, many West High students and the Iowa City Animal Shelter took part in festivities this past month in several different ways, whether it was showcasing adoptable shelter dogs or just showering their pooches with extra love.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the American Humane Association were the organizations to create Adopt a Shelter Dog Month. The purpose was, and still is, to get as many dogs as possible into loving homes. Shelters and rescue groups across the country accomplish this by promoting their dogs during October and spreading news of the holiday. In addition to promoting, some shelters offer discounted prices and specials, while others promote spay and neuter programs.
The Iowa City Animal Shelter gets the word out by putting pictures of their shelter dogs in the newspaper and posting on Facebook and other social media outlets.
“We encourage people to adopt, just to get the word out that there are dogs in the shelters that need good homes,” said Lisa Bragg, the shelter’s program director.
However, adopting a dog may not always be the easiest thing to do. The process can be long and complicated. First, potential adopters must fill out a two-sided application form. The animal shelters take up to four papers per animal, which is a first come first serve basis. Background checks then must be performed, and the next day adopters call and decide if they still want to adopt the animal or not. If they do, the process continues. Dogs must meet other dogs in the household, and everyone living in the household has to meet the animal before it can go home. The entire process can take anywhere from one to three days.
Despite the stressful process, many West High students have agreed it is worthwhile in the long run. Olivia Benda ’19 volunteers at the Iowa City Animal Shelter and adopted her own rescue dog named Bella.
“She’s a great dog,” Benda said. “She loves to cuddle, she takes up half the room on my bed, she gives me kisses all the time.”
Ellen Moser ’21 has fostered 16 puppies and also adopted two of her dogs through foster care. One thing she loves about these dogs are their personalities.
“I definitely fell in love with them. They’ve been so sweet and playful,” she said.
People working on the other side of the adoption also see benefits to the process.
Amy Kalkoff, who works at the Iowa City Animal Shelter, thinks that the process of watching a shelter dog get adopted is the most rewarding part of working at an animal shelter. [Fostering dogs] is really bittersweet, because it’s like falling in love and then heartbreak. But it’s like good heartbreak because [these dogs] are going to great people. — Ellen Moser ’21
“We had situations where hoarding dogs came in,” Kalkoff said. “[These dogs] have never ever seen people before, and after about six months, the last of that situation went home, and that was the best feeling I’ve ever felt, watching this dog go from a shy little guy to someone who has loved everyone that they’ve met. So that’s something I’ve absolutely loved.”
Moser agrees that watching a foster dog get adopted into a forever home is worthwhile. “It’s really bittersweet, because it’s like falling in love and then heartbreak. But it’s like good heartbreak because [these dogs] are going to great people.”
While Adopt a Shelter Dog Month honors and promotes shelter dogs to get adopted, there are other ways to contribute to the holiday if adoption is not a possibility. Many shelters stress the importance of volunteering. Volunteers spend time with the animals, take them on walks and clean out their cages. They also help to match pets with potential adopters and advertise the animals available at the shelter to the public so there are more opportunities for adoption.
“Volunteers make it so much easier. They help out so much,” Kalkoff said.
Bragg agreed. “Volunteer. If you can’t volunteer, donate. If you can’t donate, adopt. If you can’t adopt, foster. There’s always something you can do.”
