Math I can get in to!

The answer to 85% of math equations is 17. 

If you take a test, 85% of the answers is going to be 17, so just start writing in 17. For 15% of the equations, you'll have to work out an answer, but it will be really obvious which ones those are because they'll be super easy like 4+1= 5.  For taking this test you will be paid $125,000.00. 

So of course all of this sounds absurd, but by now we all know that this is the premise under which Capital Area operates. Their answer to almost every single problem is euthanasia. 

What happens beyond fixing the ventilation, filling the adoption floor, hiring on regular adoption staff, hiring trained, caring kennel staff to handle the animals, and all the obvious stuff that Capital could do almost overnight to make significant changes for the better. We still have far more cats and dogs coming in than there is space on the adoption floor. What about the "tough" adoptables? What do we do with them?

So what we're getting at here is that each animal has it's own solution. Say half of those are easy 4+1 solutions, basically, someplace to stay until it has a home. These are litters of kittens, awesome dogs that get along with anybody, purebreds that come into rescue, adult cats that are that are already fixed and declawed... you get the drift. So we aggressively pursue foster homes, off-site adoptions, breed-specific rescue groups, blah blah blah. Ok easy leg-work stuff. 

The pit bull? The puppy mill dog that's never seen daylight? The angry, cranky owner surrender kitty whose world has just been turned upside down? The 80 lb lab mix that is so happily misbehaved that kennel workers wear a suit of armor when they go in to feed him breakfast? 

So we think of each animal as it's own equation with a unique solution. Here's a cheat sheet:

1. The Pit Bull=  So we all know this breed gets a bad rap, but dog fighting is still going on and those dogs are routinely turned in to shelters or seized in raids. Pit bulls are extremely loyal to their caretakers and can generally be good family pets if properly socialized and assessed. So you get what you believe was a bait dog or loser in a fight who has numerous lacerations needing medical attention. So we call the local media and because of Michael Vick, they rush right over to do a story and get a close up of the medical team treating the sad eyed animal. Maybe you call your local media who don't rush right over, but you make sure to take video and plenty of pictures to scream out into the local media because you won't go away until someone makes this a story. You fundraise to cover the veterinary care for this dog which is easy because of Michael Vick. During it's stay in the veterinary ward, the technicians and assistants have gotten to know what the dog likes, if it's head-shy, how it reacts to cats, other dogs, etc... so then we know what kind of home we're looking for with this dog. Pits are getting easier because of the heart within the rescue community to give these pups the second chance they deserve. Ultimately, this solution works out for this dog and it gets out of the shelter alive and into the right home. 

2. Puppy mill dog that's never seen daylight= These have become pretty easy too (ha ha by the own admission of Capital) since they are generally toy breeds. Many times though these guys and gals need extensive veterinary care before they can be adopted- dental work, mass removals, and sometimes eye and leg surgeries as a result of long term neglect. So let's say we're setting up to compete with Petland- they obviously know how to find mill dogs good homes so steal their ideas. Get some space in the mall or set up an adoption event there. Adopt the dog out for the cost of the veterinary care- people are obviously willing to pay 1,000 bucks for a dog, like at Petland, so asking a few hundred for a fully vetted pure breed seems like a steal. These guys usually need socialization though, so we set up a crate in an office where he or she can make a den area and get used to people's voices, handling, other animals, and um, daylight. So this solution worked for this dog. 

Off-site adoptions are crucial to a successful rehoming program. The general public thinks of shelters as mass killing fields (gee I wonder why?) and often NEVER want to set foot in there because "it's too sad". In addition, due to zoning restrictions, animal shelters are usually out in the middle of industry, making the shelter even less inviting. 

3. The angry, cranky owner surrender kitty who's world has just been turned upside down= What if we preempted these owner surrenders with innovative programs? What if we advertised a program that told owners "If you're moving and think you have to give up your pet contact us!" First things of course would be to provide them with all kinds of information about how easy it is to take their pet with them, state-by-state laws on transporting pets, veterinary referrals in their new home town, pet-friendly apartment complexes, etc... If they are dead set against taking their pet to their new home, what if we put that cat up for adoption while it's still in it's home? Can they think of anyone at their work or gym or anywhere else in their social circle who may be willing to take on a great pet? That gives us a few extra weeks at least to start searching for a home, get the vetting necessary, and keep the cat healthy and happy all without it being in the shelter at all. Maybe we advertise this program to real estate agents who then make the homeowner aware that this program exists through our awesome and progressive shelter. So by talking to the owner about the cat before it came into the shelter they remembered that they spoken to a coworker who was thinking about getting a pet. The cat goes to that home and the preemptive solution worked out for that cat. 

Moving kits at the post office might be another good place to advertise this program. What if you knew who was buying and selling in your community? First you have to create a sense of community. This kind of a program could work the reverse too with adoptions. 

4.  The happily misbehaved 80 lb lab mix- this dog is so huge and so happy to see staff that it knocks everyone over who comes in contact with it. So first and foremost we train this guy on a Gentle Leader so he doesn't cause arm trauma to his walker. Next we look at what trainers might be willing to work with an assigned staff member to get this guy trained not to jump and to sit/stay.  No good, free trainers out there? Fine, pay for one. Grants exist that fund this sort of problem solving program. Don't have any grant money? Raise the money! If you're completely broke and can't find a trainer and can't raise the money then borrow a book from the library on dog training and educate yourself on how to do some of the basics. You're paid 125,000 dollars a year- we're pretty sure you can read. So the dog learns basic behaviors, and soon someone is in the shelter looking for a big dog to tire out their current huge lab mix when they're playing in the back yard. When he meets your 80lb lab mix he is so impressed that the dog is even better behaved than his big bruiser that he decides to take this guy home to foster for a week. This turns into 10 years of backyard mayhem. This solution worked out for this dog. 

The point of all of this is that we have to start thinking in terms of solving the problems we face with multiple solutions. It's not easy but nobody at Capital even tries. Sadly, sometimes the answer will be 17. Happily, more often than not the solution will be any one of infinite other numbers. You just have to have people to are problem solvers. Each animal has it's own solution, but if the answer to everything is death, we fail miserably.