PAWS TO PONDER

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by Suzyn Barron, President of Warwick Valley Humane Society, Inc. 

Did you know, one of my first Animal Control calls was on an extremely cold, snowy night to Pine Island for a large stray dog on someone’s porch.  The driveway and front lawn were a sheet of ice.  The dog nearly outweighed me and was scared, upset and not in the least cooperative.  I knew that IF I could even get the dog on a leash or catch pole, I wouldn’t be able to safely walk/slide him to the vehicle for transport to the shelter.  So I called another ACO for assistance.  I learned that night that patience is the key when rescuing animals.  Together we sat on the porch steps for over an hour in the freezing cold and with patience and kindness, Beowolf became docile enough to be leashed up and into the vehicle.  Surprisingly    the then Manager was not happy that I called another ACO.  I knew I made the right decision and I have carried this experience with me to this day.  Patience and being able to ask for help.    I have made both as rules for the staff under my leadership.  The use of patience and their right to call for assistance whenever they feel it is needed.  It is imperative that the animal being rescued and the rescuer remain as safe as possible.  

Some situations automatically require two people to handle. Our Animal Control officers are not just about catching stray dogs.  One late afternoon the shelter received an urgent request from a resident who was unable to handle her boyfriend’s dog in order to take the dog to a boarding facility.  Two ACOs responded and quickly discovered that the dog was in an upstairs room and acting extremely aggressive.  It was a very dangerous undertaking and they both thought to call me at the same time that I arrived to see if they needed any help.  It took the three of us with two catch poles through a barely opened door to finally be able to prevent the dog from attacking us. We pushed our way into the room and somehow managed to get the dog into a crate after what felt like an hour.  Realistically, it was maybe 10 minutes.  With patience, determination and some muscle we were able to carry the crated and growling dog down the narrow steps and into the homeowner’s vehicle.  

 

There is nothing like on the job training for our ACOs because there is no way to be prepared for animals in distress.  Whether it be the owl caught in a fence that you cannot sneak up on or a loose domestic rabbit that knows how to dodge your advances or the scared stray dog or injured feral cat, or the dog in a car accident or pets from a house fire or the neglected animals from a large scale hoarding case, etc.  Each situation requires the ability to remain calm, have patience and know when you need an extra set of hands in order to be successful in these challenging and also very interesting and rewarding endeavors.     

Pet of the Week