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In an effort to find good homes for more homeless animals, the Riverside Humane Society Pet Adoption Center (RHSPAC) looks beyond the typical adoption scenario for some animals. The initial focus of the increased effort is on dogs.
The society’s staff recognizes that a dog isn’t just a dog. While some are ideal for a family with kids and others want nothing more than to curl up on a senior citizen’s lap, certain dogs need a job or have a special gift. Still others need specialized care or are best suited for people who understand the behavior of the breed.
“Because we are not an animal sanctuary, it is not our intention for dogs or cats to live out their entire lives here,” explains Denise Perry, executive director of RHSPAC. “Therefore, we have identified some wonderful organizations – alternative resources – that want to work with us to find the best environments and opportunities for certain animals.”
When dogs are received at RHSPAC, the staff evaluates their behavior, personality and abilities to determine what the dogs’ needs will be for care, training and socialization. As part of the evaluation and follow-up observations, the staff considers whether a dog may be happiest with a family or an active or senior individual, or if doing a job is better suited to the dog’s personality, natural instincts and abilities.
The term service dog usually brings to mind a guide dog for a blind person. However, there are many roles for service dogs, as well as many breeds and mixes of dogs that can fill those roles.
Service dogs also help people who are hearing impaired or physically limited or have medical conditions. And there are therapy dogs who bring comfort to people in nursing homes and hospitals and who are reading buddies for school children. Dogs who work in search and rescue and in the detection of drugs and much more are also service dogs.
There was a time when service dogs were mostly purebreds raised specifically for these tasks. Now as the need grows for service dogs and our country is plagued with pet overpopulation, organizations and agencies more and more are rescuing dogs from animal shelters…helping dogs who will help people.
To that end, RHSPAC has made arrangements to work with Canine Support Teams (CST) of Menifee which trains service dogs. Perry formerly was head trainer for CST and was instrumental in implementing the organization’s very successful Prison Pup Program. Through the program dogs are placed with female inmates at the California Institution for Women in Chino to be trained as service dogs before being placed with disabled individuals.
“This program is a win-win situation for inmates as well as the dogs,” Perry points out. “The inmates have the opportunity to pay back society and learn a skill while more homeless dogs will be saved and given a new lease on life.”
The dogs are kept in the cells with the inmates so they’re together 24/7. Once the dogs are trained in an area of service work such as retrieval, turning on and off light switches, and pulling open doors, they leave the prison ready to begin work with disabled people.
“This is an amazing life for any dog,” Perry adds. “Service dogs go everywhere with their owners and are treated like family. These are not dogs that will be left in the backyard or brought to a shelter.”
RHSPAC has sent three dogs to Canine Support Teams and reports are that they’re all doing very well. If any of them don’t make it through the program, they’ll be returned to the Pet Adoption Center.
In a reciprocal agreement with Canine Support Teams, RHSPAC takes dogs that don’t make it through service-dog training.
“Many people apply to adopt dogs like these, considered ‘change of career’ dogs, because they’re fully trained and have been released for a minor problem,” Perry says. “We’ve received three dogs from CST so far, two of which have been adopted.”
RHSPAC also is planning to become involved with a dog-training program for youths at the Southwest Detention Center in Murrieta.
Not all dogs need a job. There are many who just want a chance to live a dog’s life in a loving home, to be part of a family. RHSPAC is committed to helping these dogs find such a home as quickly as possible.
In July, RHSPAC transferred four dogs who had been at the center for several months to Waggin’ Tails Puppy Rescue. While these dogs were getting much attention from volunteers at the Pet Adoption Center and were long-time participants in the dog agility program, they continually were passed over by potential adopters.
Waggin’ Tails Puppy Rescue is an organization that keeps the dogs in a home environment until they’re adopted. Their foster volunteers provide housebreaking and behavior training along with socialization. Three of the four dogs were adopted just a few weeks after going to Waggin’ Tails.
And then there was Bear, a handsome large dog who was friendly and easygoing in spite of his physical ailments that made him act older than his age. He, too, was continually passed over by people looking to adopt. After some discussion between RHSPAC staff and the staff at Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah, the sanctuary agreed to take him.
Barbara Evans, a volunteer at RHSPAC who also volunteers at Best Friends, drove Bear to his new home. The expert medical staff at the sanctuary, seen in “Dogtown” on the National Geographic channel, gave Bear a thorough medical evaluation and the surgeries he needed to repair congenital defects.
“He’s doing well and getting lots of love and everything he needs,” Perry says. “Hopefully, he someday will be adopted into a forever home. But if not, he’s welcome to live out his life with the caring staff and volunteers on the wonderful grounds in Utah.”
The Riverside Humane Society Pet Adoption Center (petsadoption.com), located at 6165 Industrial Ave., Riverside, is a non-profit public benefit charitable organization serving communities in Riverside County and beyond. As the largest no-kill pet rescue organization in Riverside County, RHSPAC accepts owner turn-ins of cats and dogs and transfers from area animal-control agencies. Prior to adoption, each animal is either spayed or neutered, vaccinated, evaluated for behavior issues, and microchipped. Each animal is also monitored for physical, emotional and mental health, and receives ongoing socialization.
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