It was just about this time of year in 2006 when a Corgi-Lab mix was placed on a trailer for his fourth and last weekend trip to what for him was another distant destination. This time, the place was Saline.
Is it really true that black dogs are less likely to be adopted? If not that it was surely something in his case. Exacerbated by a standard body on legs half what most would consider normal length, the shelter had saddled him with the name “Short Stuff” when he’d come in as a stray. Ironically, that physique that had failed to make him attractive for adoption to a family home had brought increasing numbers of inquiries from facilities interested in getting ahold of him for research. [1,2]
Fortunately, Saline turned out to be the place for “Brody.” Better still, in one of the best paths available to a working breed, he went on to receive therapy dog training. For many years after, he made regular visits to the Memory Support Center at Brecon Village with his handler, Saline Journal Publisher Janet Deaton. [3,4,5]
Talk about making a great strength out of weakness: Ask anyone who saw him and they’ll likely tell you that Brody was uniquely unforgettable.
Now it’s your turn.
This Saturday another dog adoption event is coming to Saline. And the canines coming in on June 16 from 10:00am to 2:00pm are treasures you’re not likely to have seen before. They’ll be from Friends of Detroit Animal Care & Control. Photographs of a few of the candidates can be seen their website under “Adoptions,” vying for your attention. An eMail address is also included for anyone who’d like to get in touch with them ahead of the event.
According to Animal Sheltering, something like 65% of all households have at least one pet. Of those, two-thirds think of them as “family members,” and over a third consider their pets “companions.” [8]
Against this, approximately 6.5 million “companion animals” enter shelters every year in the United States. Approximately half are adopted, and another 710,000 are returned to thir owners. Some 1.5 million dogs and cats were euthanized last year, down from 2.6 million in 2011. In part, that decline can be attributed to increased adoptions through events such as those here in Saline. [9]
Bill Crispin Chevrolet on East Michigan Avenue in Saline will be hosting this event. [10]
On top of that, the dealership will be covering the cost of all adoption fees there this Saturday. But research has found that 40% of all current dog owners only learn of such adoption opportunities through word-of-mouth: So, after reading this article, consider passing the information along to friends, loved ones, colleagues — and anyone else you’d like to see enjoy the richer benefits that come through life with a dog.
Also be sure to share your experiance on site through social media using the #TeamDACC hashtag.
Don’t be surprised if one of the dogs that comes to Saline on Saturday turns out like Brody and goes on to make even greater contributions to this community once here.
References
- “Black Dog Syndrome” Petfinder.
- “Puppy prejudice: Are black animals less likely to be adopted?” Danika Fears (October 14, 2016) Today.
- Therapy Dogs International (home page).
- “Memory Support Center at Brecon Village” Evangelical Homes of Michigan (EHM) Senior Solutions.
- “Brecon Village” EHM Senior Solutions.
- Friends of Detroit Animal Care & Control (home page).
- “Adoptions” Friends of Detroit Animal Care & Rescue.
- “Pets by the numbers” Animal Sheltering.
- “Pet Statistics: Facts about US Animal Shelters” American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
- Bill Crispin Chevrolet (home page).
Hashtags
#dogsbyjanet
#TeamDACC
