York County SPCA denies Siberian Huskies homes

In the fall of 2007, My husband and I were looking for a dog to adopt, and had decided that we would like a female husky.

The story does have a happy ending for two other dogs though. A few weeks later, we happened to be in Pittsburgh, PA, and discovered that there was a Pet Expo being held at the convention center. We headed there on Sunday, and after walking around for quite a while, looking at adoptable dogs from area shelters, we found a husky/lab mix at Brooke County Animal Shelter's booth. Named Patsy, but labeled as a neutered male, my husband insisted we ask about the dog. The woman at the booth kept referring to the dog as "she" or saying "her." Finally, my husband interrupted and stated, "You say 'she' but the paper on the crate says 'he.' Which is it?" The woman blurted out, "Oh, no! Patsy! I made you a male today!" and reassured us that Patsy was very much a spayed female. We led Patsy out for a walk, and as soon as we were away from other dogs, she plopped down to the ground and rolled over to show us her belly. After that, and trying a new name on her, Cobaka, we decided that she was ours. We adopted her, no hassles. Brooke County Animal Shelter, in Follansbee, WV, shows that they really care for the dogs and don't need to create new policies to stand in the way of adopting out the animals in their care. They operate on a shoestring budget, but go above and beyond to try to avoid euthanizing any animal.

I did say that our story has a happy ending for 2 dogs! Knowing how Brooke County does so much on so little, I try to send dog food, donations, and such whenever I can. In 2008, we stopped by the shelter on our way out to Sandusky, Ohio to drop off food and other supplies. My parents were dog-sitting for us, and the shelter director started telling us about when they picked up Cobaka. They picked her up with another dog. They figured it was her sister, since they had similar colorings and the other dog had one blue eye and one brown eye. Unfortunately, while Cobaka was incredibly outgoing, her sister was incredibly shy. She was so shy they weren't able to adopt her successfully, and though they hated to, they did euthanize her.

After hearing about Cobaka's sister, we both felt extremely guilty, thinking that if we'd been able to adopt both of them, perhaps she'd have warmed up to us by watching her sister interact with us. I checked Brooke County's pet listing occasionally, and I stumbled onto Geno, a shepherd/rottie mix. His listing stated that he was very shy and that he'd been there since December 2006. Looking at the photos of him, you could tell he was trying to hide behind the person holding him. Since we now owned a house, and had room for another dog, I tried to convince my husband to adopt Geno. He kept saying no, but we both felt so guilty about Cobaka's sister, that he finally said we could foster him.

When I called the shelter in January 2009, Geno had just been placed in a foster home and his foster mom was probably going to adopt him. They encouraged us to foster another dog, but none of them called out to us like Geno's photos did. In March, Geno's foster mom had a schedule change at work, and decided that it was best for him if someone else fostered him because she couldn't give him the attention he deserved. Brooke County Animal Shelter allowed her to just give him to us to foster, rather than insisting she bring him back to the shelter and then insisting that we pick him up from the shelter.

Geno met us for the first time on the Ides of March, but it was his lucky day. On May 10, 2009 (Mother's Day this year, and our wedding anniversary), my husband agreed we could add to our family--he agreed that Geno had found his furever home with us. So, while York County SPCA denied our application, Brooke County was open to allowing us to adopt and we were able to save two other dogs.

Wendy
York County, PA

SPCA (Society For The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) (Read these stories)

Understanding Dog Behavior

We strongly suggest Cesar Millan DVD's and or Cesar Millan Books to every dog owner, from Chihuahua to Pit Bull. An excellent guide to communicating with, understanding, and controlling your dog.

.

© Dog Breed Info Center® All Rights Reserved

.

Natural Dogmanship Dogs Only Need Love Dog Training vs. Dog Behavior Punishment vs. Correction in Dogs Lack of Natural Dog Behavior Knowledge Old Dog New Tricks Understanding a Dog's Senses The Human Dog My Dog was Abused Successfully Adopting a Rescue Dog Positive reinforcement. Is it enough? Why did my dog do that? Proper way to walk a dog Dogs and Human Emotions Speaking Dog Why dogs must be followers What does it mean to be dominant? Providing a Job Helps Dog with Issues Teaching dogs to respect the kids Proper Human to Dog Communication Canine Feeding Instincts Human to Dog No Nos - Your Dog Human to Dog No Nos - Other Dogs FAQ about dogs Small Dogs vs. Medium and Large Dogs Separation Anxiety in Dogs Dominant Behaviors in Dogs The Submissive Dog Bringing Home the New Human Baby Approaching a Dog Top Dog Establishing and Keeping Alpha Position Alpha Boot Camp for Dogs Guarding Furniture Stopping a Jumping Dog Using Human Psychology on Jumping Dogs Submissive Peeing An Alpha Dog Who's more prone to fight, male or female dogs? Protecting Your Puppy from Dog Attacks Chaining Dogs SPCA High Kill Shelter A Senseless Death, a misunderstood dog Amazing what a little leadership can do Transforming a Rescue Dog DNA Canine Breed Identification Raising a Puppy Introducing a new crate to a puppy or dog Puppy Temperament Test Puppy Temperaments A Dog Fight - Understanding your Pack Understanding your puppy or dog Run away dog Socializing your dog Should I get a Second Dog Is your dog out of control? Nothing in life is free Illusion Dog Training Collar Top Dog Photos Housebreaking Training your puppy or dog Puppy Biting Deaf Dogs Are You Ready for a Dog? Breeders vs. Rescues Find the Perfect Dog Caught in the Act The Gangs All Here Recommended Dog Books and DVDs

Home

All Breeds >   Purebreds >   Hybrid Dogs >   Find the Perfect Dog >   Pets >    All Creatures >    Understanding Dog Behavior >   Care Training+ >   Photos >   Submit a Picture >   Free Desktop Wallpaper >   Adopt a Rescue Dog >   List Your Rescue >  Puppies for Sale >  Find a Breeder >   Classifieds >   Place Breeder Ad >   Place a Banner on DBI >   About the Ads >   Breeders vs. Rescues >   Spike the Bulldog >   Maguire Farm >   Scam Warning >   Rescue Login >   Breeder Login >   Privacy Policy >   Link to DBI >   Contact Us >   Site Updates

Advertising

Advertise on DBI >   Advertising Rates >   Advertising Help >   Place a Banner on DBI >   DBI Advertiser Policy >   Media Coverage >   Advertiser Comments >   Classifieds/Breeders >   Place an Ad >   Login

Custom Search

The Material contained herein may not be reproduced without the prior written approval of the author. Contents & Graphics Copyright © Dog Breed Info Center® (C) 1998-. All Rights Reserved. Our work is not Public Domain.