In the News

2008 | Archived News

From the Des Moines Register:
Canine Craze offers agility training, day care

From the Humane Society of the United States:
Emotional Recover is Key to the Future Success of New Orlean's Displaced Animals

From the Des Moines Register:
Dog's Day of Summer

From the Des Moines Register:
Canine Olmypics Set: Let the Games Begin

Reprinted by permission of The Humane Society of the United States."

Emotional Recovery is Key to the Future Success of New Orleans' Displaced Animals

September 25, 2005 | By Julie Falconer

Dog whisperer Scott Jetter uses touch and body signals to gentle aggressive dogs. (The HSUS/Julie Falconer)

GONZALES, Louisiana—For the second straight day after Hurricane Rita ripped up the Louisiana-Texas border, rescue teams at the Lamar-Dixon emergency shelter headed back to New Orleans and surrounding areas, looking to make up for lost time and save as many animals as possible before they succumb to dehydration, harsh elements, and a lack of nourishment. More than 30 teams went into the Big Easy on Monday to conduct door-to-door rescues, using lists with hundreds of addresses still left to check in the city. On Sunday, rescue teams brought in about 130 animals to the Lamar-Dixon facility, including more than 100 dogs and 20 cats. Despite those relatively robust numbers, time and circumstances are increasingly working against the rescuers.

More than four weeks have passed since New Orleans residents left their homes—and the animals they thought they were leaving behind for a few days. Although rescuers each day find animals who, by luck of circumstance or physical resilience, have managed to survive in the most horrible conditions, responders are confronting an increasingly grim reality. "Instead of finding four living animals and one dead in a home, we're now finding four dead and one alive," said volunteer Kevin Simpson, an animal care manager for the Washington (D.C.) Humane Society. Generally speaking, the physical condition of rescued animals brought to Lamar-Dixon has also worsened over time. Bennett Goldstein, a veterinarian with the Veterinary Medical Assistance Team, has noticed the change. "Initially we were seeing fairly healthy pets. Now almost each new case is critical." Dealing with conditions rarely seen outside animal hoarding and severe abuse cases, the veterinary team has nevertheless been able to save most of the animals brought in to date. Goldstein estimates that about 90% are successfully treated or stabilized. Mind Over Matter Physical injury and illness aren't the only obstacles that Katrina's animal victims face on their road to recovery. Shock, trauma, and a lack of food and fluids have taken a toll on the animals' psychological well-being, too, creating additional challenges for field and shelter workers. Formerly friendly family pets often react in fear and panic to would-be rescuers. Simpson estimates that nearly eight out of ten dogs now require capture by a control pole—a long metal rod with an attached neck snare typically used only for wild or aggressive animals. Last week, for example, Simpson helped save a dog from a slowly collapsing home. After removing a window air-conditioner unit, he crawled inside the tilted building, where he found a frantic Yorkshire terrier bouncing off the walls in fear. "They're all like feral cats now," he said. Once captured and physically stable, these fearful animals require extra care to help them overcome weeks of high stress. With no knowledge of the animals' pre-Katrina history, caretakers and behaviorists nonetheless attempt to peel back the layers of trauma in order to help the animals rediscover their old selves. The Dog Whisperer Scott Jetter, a behavior specialist from Des Moines, Iowa, arrived at Lamar-Dixon last week, certain he'd find his niche. Within 12 hours, he was known around the shelter as "the dog whisperer." It was no joke; it was a sign that Jetter had proved his worth. Jetter spends most of his time in Barn 1, which is occupied by dogs of every size and breed—from German shepherds to tiny Maltese mixes—all labeled dangerous to handle. He determines which animals are truly aggressive and which are simply at their wits' end. When dogs who exhibit aggression toward humans first arrive at Lamar-Dixon, Jetter puts them aside, feeds and waters them, and lets them relax overnight. By morning, about a third of them can be safely handled, he said. Others require more work. Applying both patience and a series of calming touch patterns, Jetter helps his canine friends work through their extreme anxiety, which sets them up for success in the general population. Last Friday morning, for example, he provided therapy to a chow-Collie mix—an anxious, untrusting animal who refused eye contact. He talked to her in a soft voice for several minutes before carefully angling a control pole inside the crate and leading her to a quiet area outside the barn. Jetter touched her shaggy back, tail, and shoulders, leaned into her side to gauge her response to human contact, and then replaced the pole snare with a halter lead. Kneeling down, he stroked her left flank and then gently picked up her front leg and examined the pads of her feet. Twenty minutes later, he returned the dog—noticeably calmer—to her crate and noted her progress in a log book, which he'll reference in future sessions. "I don't make snap decisions. It's important to give each animal time to come around," he said. The Trauma Ward For any number of reasons, some of the animals at Lamar-Dixon will not go back to their former owners. Some will live with new guardians—families in other cities and even other states perhaps—and those new pet owners will play an important role in ensuring each animal's future success, particularly for animals who have suffered trauma. According to Marlena Young, an animal behaviorist with the County of San Diego Department of Animal Services, every dog's ability to handle trauma is different. Some are more resilient and bounce back without any apparent emotional scars, while others develop a lower threshold to fear-provoking circumstances. Some may never be crated again without triggering a panic attack. Some may display food aggression, but that behavior will most likely fade as the dog realizes there's a steady food source, she said. Some new owners may be tempted to coddle their Katrina adoptees and stay home from work to nurture them for awhile, but Young noted that this could lead to separation anxiety. She recommended setting a normal schedule, including time apart, so that the new pet knows from the beginning that time alone is part of the routine. For cases of high anxiety or aggression, she recommended seeking the help of a veterinarian certified in applied animal behavior. These animals' problems are "based in heavy stuff," she said, and medication may be needed to help lessen their anxiety. Jetter recommended a six- to eight-week acclimation period followed by a basic obedience or agility training class to keep the dog's mind busy and distracted from residual anxiety. Behaviorists and veterinarians agreed that it's important for adopters to let the animals set the pace, and to be patient with their emotional states. A lot of human love and patience can help these animals succeed in the next stage of a life that was forever changed by a hurricane. Julie Falconer is an editor in The HSUS Publications Department

 

 

back to top