Speak no evil

(Everything in this post and blog is my own personal opinion, and in no way reflects that of the SPCA or its staff and other volunteers.)

Happy Birthday to me! And I spend this first hour of being 25 years old, reviewing the mistakes I have committed as a new volunteer at the SPCA.

The biggest problem a volunteer can have begins with the question "Excuse me, do you work here?" This question usually leads to questions that I am not comfortable with, because they have not formally trained Kennel Helpers to deal with the typical questions families who have made that special trip all the way to the SPCA have.

The SPCA has Counsellors who are trained to answer questions and also screen potential adopters for the kennel animals, and this better-PR-trained team of individuals can be easily identified by their bright red polo-shirts. But of course anyone would ask you first if they saw you fussing over and spoiling huge Benji in his cage, and apparently not in any danger (yet) of being mauled to death by Benji and the great big teeth he has. And, regardless of the fact that I had redirected their questions, some people will still come back to me to ask "so how is that dog?".

So come the questions, and the probably inappropriate answers.

I once made the mistake of saying a bit too much (it really was something rather innocent and naively indignant; like "yes their owner left them both here!!") , only to realise too late that the usual Counsellor on Sundays had been frantically waving her arms at me hoping I would direct the visitors' attention to her for politically correct answers. I bit my tongue, mind plunging into a deep dark valley of regret, where the souls of poor abandoned pets at the SPCAs roamed for eternity because of the stupidity of their inexperienced Kennel Helpers. These stupid Kennel Helpers, who had said the dumbest things and spoilt any chance of them being adopted by a decent family. Luckily, those 2 Golden Retrievers were adopted within the fortnight.

I am probably not in any position to question the SPCA methods since I have no instruction in their methods of potential adopter screening, not to mention the fact that SPCA does seem to have a rather high successful adoption rate (based on un-scientific statistical methods - since February, I've only known of 2 dogs returned after being adopted). But I wonder if we sometimes disclose too little information about the pets awaiting adoption. Information which might affect the chances of their adoption, especially for the dogs. Because as a volunteer, I do learn things about the dogs in my fortnightly Sunday morning interactions which I feel are not conveyed in the dog's description on the SPCA website and at the SPCA shelter.

It could be simple things that could melt an undecided adopter's heart - like Toto loves to show you he loves you by bringing his toys to share when you come home. But Toto hates pink socks and they provoke him to attack them, but you love wearing pink socks and decide after a week that you had enough of this crazy dog who took to attacking your ankles and adoption had been a big mistake. It could be something very basic - JOEY DOES NOT SHARE FOOD (see note 1 below); hence Joey started fighting with your other dog when you thought they would get along fine during the adoption screening period. It could be something more sinister - Baby had a terrible experience when he was a pup, and needs time and love to build trust in you. Baby is most loving and adorable when he sees familiar faces but acts like he wants to attack strangers - no one might take him home if the staff or volunteers at the SPCA don't because no potential adopter will return again for Baby if they don't understand his history.

We all want the best for these animals. There is nothing sadder than seeing the same little dog, cat or rabbit faces month after month, or seeing a familiar dog returned not long after he left. But once you start talking to these people who might make a huge difference to the life of one of the animals at the SPCA, where do you decide to stop?

(Note 1: Yes, that is a quote from the American sitcom, 'Friends'.)

Good things come in pairs

It's not very often that dogs who turn up in SPCA end up being caged with another. But we've had 2 pairs in the last month I've been there.


Bubbles and Baby

These 2 GR boys were adopted not long after I saw them on the 20th of April. Hopefully (and I think they did, see below) they were adopted together and are happy in their new home.


Sherry the Golden Retriever and Yao Yao the Chihuahua

This funny pair attracted lots of attention today at SPCA, with Sherry being so big and Yao Yao so tiny. I heard that the SPCA would prefer both dogs being adopted together, as, in the Pet Counselor's own words, separating them would make them pine for each other, and develop into post-adoption depression.

It's great that the SPCA takes such things into consideration when evaluating the suitability of families wanting to adopt dogs. Of course, adopting a dog is difficult enough, let alone two, and I wish both pairs all the best of luck in their new homes. Because the saddest thing is seeing a dog returned after having been rejected by their new home.

***

I just got back from Vietnam. The Vietnamese really love their small dogs, and I've seen a few hundred Chihuahuas in the one week I was there.

The mystery: where did all the cats go?

After almost 5 days, I finally saw my very first cat in Hanoi - a white long haired cat with blue eyes, tied on a string to the back door in an alley. The next cat I saw was another white long-haired cat tied to the entrance of a guesthouse. Most bizarre. But somebody suggested that it might be some kind of good luck charm.

I then learnt that Vietnamese eat dogs; then actually saw for myself dog meat being sold on the roadside on my way to Halong Bay (there was a Vietnamese sign advertising sale of dog meat, and a dog cage with 3 medium size dogs locked underneath); and heard speculation that the Vietnamese eat stray cats.

Chihuahua as pets made sense now: they ate relatively little, making it an economical choice for most Vietnamese who did not have the means to support a larger dog. Plus, little skinny Chihuahuas would not tempt your neighbour into stealing and killing it for dinner. But I couldn't fathom eating stray cats as most of them would seldom grow substantially larger than a Chihuahua. Stray cats are not totally extinct in Vietnam though. I finally did hear some feral cats running about rooftops at night in Hanoi, and visited 2 shops which kept local cats as pets.

An American volunteer at the animal shelter who I see every fortnight at SPCA made me laugh when she told me this morning that she had previously rejected a posting to Vietnam because she felt that her 2 huge 10kg cats would not be safe in Vietnam and could end up as her (prospective) Vietnamese cleaning lady's dinner one fine day.

ASPCA RESPONDS TO OUTCRY OVER “STARVING DOG” EXHIBIT

(reproduced from ASPCA website )

Late last week the ASPCA issued a press release in response to the tremendous outpouring of public concern over a 2007 art exhibition by Costa Rican artist Guillermo Habacuc Vargas that featured an emaciated dog. Because reports on the duration of the exhibit and the condition and fate of the dog vary widely—including those issued from the Nicaraguan gallery involved and Vargas himself—it is impossible at this time to know conclusively what happened, or if the images and stories flooding the Internet are real. However, the ASPCA understands and shares the outrage felt by animal lovers over this alleged act of cruelty that, if true, sadly is not a criminal act in Nicaragua.

“The ASPCA is opposed to cruelty to animals of all types, in all societies,” says ASPCA President Ed Sayres. “However, it is also not the policy of the ASPCA to condemn entire communities or countries for the cruel acts of individuals. What we need to do is step up our efforts to educate the public on the humane treatment of animals so that such events do not occur again.”

Online activity regarding this incident has increased steadily over the last several weeks after many websites have reported that Vargas is planning to participate in the VI Central American Visual Arts Biennale later this year in Honduras.

While the ASPCA’s programs are limited to the United States, we are a member and supporter of the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA). WSPA and member society the Honduras Association for the Protection of Animals and their Environment (AHPRA) have persuaded organizers of the Honduras Biennale to make AHPRA official exhibition observers. Additionally, although Vargas has stated that his exhibit will not feature a dog, the Biennale has agreed to codify rules prohibiting animal abuse. WSPA has also indicated to the ASPCA that it will increase efforts to enact stronger animal protection laws in Nicaragua.

The ASPCA asks supporters to advocate on behalf of animals through their own actions by supporting international, national and local animal welfare organizations, and by educating their own communities about how to detect and combat animal cruelty. To add your voice to the chorus of those working for the humane treatment of animals, please visit www.fightcruelty.org to take the ASPCA’s Pledge to Fight Animal Cruelty.