Kevin and Zeke went hunting this morning at 8am. Being with Kevin alone gave Zeke the chance to be Top Dog again, and reports when I got home this afternoon were that Zeke did a great job, staying by Kevin's side for the few miles they were out there. I stayed home, drank a few cups of coffee, and finished writing a book review for Amazon before getting ready for the shelter, which opens on Saturdays at 10am.
I arrived at the shelter at 10:15am with Carol right behind me. Charlie was on duty today and I like him. He's approachable and socializes with us. Scott is more reticent and harder to read.
I had made plain white rice for Buster at home, flavored with tuna water (I couldn't find any chicken broth). He had had secondary diarrhea earlier in the week. The rice was to help him absorb some nutrients. I brought in an entire quart, figuring it would be two meals. The dog was so hungry he devoured the entire container in one sitting. Buster was looking and feeling so much better today. He actually got some yard time today with the other dogs and moved around, even ran a bit, but he does seem to have a weak rear right leg.
It was so quiet without Topaz and ShepGirl barking the entire time. The quietness seems to have relaxed the remaining dogs here: Tia, Buster, Rottie and the two chihuahua-beagle pups. Those two chi-beagle pups didn't even growl at me as I walked into the dog room. They had finally overcome their fear and were receptive. When Brittany arrived an hour later she worked her magic on those two pups and soon they were all over her. They were calm enough to play outside with the other dogs. We had five dogs out and they all got along well. What heaven! A tshi tzu was also surrendered that needed a bath and a good grooming and it, too, played well with the others.
A young family came by to adopt Rottie. They almost took one of the chi-beagle pups, too, until they saw the blonde one squirm under the fence and make it outside. They had actually come to see Momma, but I told her that that dog was now at a rescue in Tucson. They stayed for quite a while, playing with Rottie and watching her interact with the other dogs. I don't think Rottie will have any trouble getting along with the other dogs in her new home.
The good news today is Tia. Without the constant barking around her she has mellowed out again, just as she was when she first came to the shelter. She played with Rottie and Buster and didn't snap at either. She even sniffed the young girl that was in the family. I hope she can get adopted as she knows basic commands.
We didn't have a lot of volunteers show up today, but we didn't need anymore. Carol and Denise worked in the catroom as we got two more cats in today, including a trapped male orange-white tabby that seemed to have cut itself trying to get out of the trap, and three-year-old Persian the owner surrendered because she didn't want to deal with brushing the cat anymore. The cat's fur was heavily matted, a sign that it hadn't been groomed in months!
Brittany and I were with the dogs, playing with them and photographing them. I took some nice ones today. Denise left after her chores, then Brittany and for a while it was just Carol and I in the front while Charlie was out getting a dog reported lose. When he came back with a scared and hungry Greyhound mix, we left to go our ways. Next weekend I'm taking a Saturday off from the shelter to walk a Volksmarch instead. I'll be taking two dogs on that one.
My goal is to be part administrator for the shelter's Facebook page so my photos and interactive posts can get the public engaged. When the public sees that a shelter page is active and actively working with the dogs, they are more interested in coming to see the animals and helping out. Charlie told me he'd make me co-administrator, but as of this writing that hasn't happened yet.
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