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In the first six months of this year, AWLA took in 210 homeless dogs. Here’s what happened to them, juxtaposed against how AWLA’s homeless dogs fared in 2009: | ||
| % of homeless dogs | Jan-June 2010 | Jan-Dec 2009 |
| Adopted | 59.0% | 66.7% |
| Transferred | 7.1% | 2.2% | Killed | 33.8% | 30.0% |
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The jump in the transfer rate is good news, but the other changes are in the wrong direction. The 71 homeless dogs that AWLA killed in the first half of this year were a mix of “owner-surrenders” (40), returned dogs (8), strays (13), transfers (2), and quarantines (1). Also among the 71 are “owner-requested euthanasias” (7) for dogs under five years old, including a one-year-old Rottweiler and a six-month-old pitbull. It seems likely that these young OREs were either misclassified or healthy enough to be rehabilitated. Of these intake categories, transfers had the best chance (88%) of making it out of the AWLA shelter alive, and strays had the worst survival odds (61%). Returned dogs had a low adoption rate but by far the highest transfer rate, implying that AWLA felt some kind of responsibility toward these dogs that it had previously placed in unsuccessful homes. Because an owner-surrendered dog is not “lost”, and because no statutory holding period applies for these dogs, most of them were never listed on AWLA’s website. Six dogs were killed within hours of being surrendered by their owners. The average tenure for killed owner-surrenders was six days. While AWLA killed strays at an even higher rate than owner-surrenders, it was compelled to post them on its website and hold them for at least five days first. Some were offered for adoption and listed online for several weeks. Others spent days or weeks hidden from adopters but listed on the “stray or found dogs” page of AWLA’s website. Here are photos of a few of the stray dogs that AWLA ultimately killed:  Josie  Mocha  Rasta  Neal  Pierson  Desiree  Stucky  Molly Josie: f American bulldog, 3 months Mocha: f pitbull, 5 months Rasta: m pitbull mix, 4 months Neal: m German shepherd mix, 5 months Pierson: m pitbull, 1 year Desiree: f pitbull, 2 years Stucky: m pitbull-lab mix, 8 months Molly: f chihuahua, 1 year If “pitbull” seems to be the most common breed of dog that AWLA kills, that’s only partly because AWLA receives a lot of pitbulls. It’s mainly because AWLA uses the term pitbull liberally to describe the dogs it receives (many mixed breed dogs are characterized as “pitbull mix”) and because AWLA kills almost all of the pitbulls it receives. During the first six months of this year, AWLA received 30 pitbulls. Five were adopted out. Three of these were puppies (and not really pitbulls), one was eight months old, and the lucky fifth was four years old. The other 26 pitbulls were killed, at an average age of 20 months. Eight of these dogs were 10 months old or younger. The youngest was only four months old. If this isn’t a de facto breed ban, it’s pretty close. AWLA doesn’t use its website (or Craigs List or Twitter or e-mail or any other form of digital broadcast) to attract prospective adopters and rescue organizations on behalf of the dogs it later kills. As mentioned in a previous post, this may be because pronouncing that “Josie’s last day is Wednesday!” would undermine the image it wants to project to potential donors. So instead Josie just disappeared from the AWLA website when she was killed on Jan 31, twelve days after she arrived at the shelter. And because AWLA doesn’t actively promote its on-view dogs, these dogs sit in their kennels for weeks on end while a trickle of visitors passes through the dog room. Meanwhile, local rescue organizations are staging and publicizing adoption events where the dogs in their foster homes can strut their stuff to the community. And as a result of their efforts, these rescue groups with a fraction of AWLA’s resources are sending more dogs home: Dogs Adopted Out, 2009 Lost Dog Rescue Foundation: 1,621 Foster programs, adoption events, publicizing the dogs it wants to transfer out — it’s not rocket science. Across the country, the most effective open-admission shelters implement these proven-successful tactics that AWLA continues to ignore. For Arlington’s homeless dogs, the clock keeps ticking. How many more will die before AWLA starts working harder on their behalf? | ||
Arlington’s Homeless Dogs
August 6, 2010 by shelterhawk
Posted in AWLA Policies, AWLA Stories, Principles | 15 Comments
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Oh my this is a travesty. Look at the picture of Josie – how could that cute dog not find a new home? Perhaps if they had tried longer than 12 days this poor puppy would not have died.
Shelterhawk – how many runs were empty during this same time period? Was there no one available to foster this cutie? AWLA KILLED a 3 month old puppy? Who is running this shelter? Where is the Board of Directors – don’t they have about a dozen members? Why didn’t any of them step up to save this and other dogs mentioned in the article? I am just heartsick that this is taking place in Arlington!
When Josie was killed, AWLA had 13 dogs on view and 4 listed as lost-and-found.
During Jan 1 – June 30, AWLA had as many as 18 dogs on view and 6 lost-and-found at one time, so there should have been space available for Josie when she was killed.
This is the kind of practice that Delaware has just made illegal.
despicable
Unfortunately this is not surprising. But WOW, when the numbers are written down, it sure is a wake up call. With that being said, AWLA needs to take a different approach. I know that many people are trying to work with them. They are being stubborn. The press might wake them up. I don’t understand why they are not listening to anyone’s ideas. It’s a power struggle I guess. These people are immune to death, They have been doing it for so long without the appropriate leadership. They need to understand that times are changing, eventually so will the decision making there.
It is indeed a travesty. What can we do to make this madness stop? A shelter that kills puppies and kittens. It boggles the mind!
Many employees, volunteers, and members of the board of directors do not realize what is happening right under their noses. And for those that are aware, they have been conditioned to react a certain way — put on the blinders, recite the mantra “We are an open admissions shelter,” and don’t become emotionally involved.
You may wonder how employees and volunteers can be oblivious to the plight of these animals. Many have limited interaction with the animals. They may work the front desk for a few hours a week, processing several incoming animals and a couple of adoptions. Unless they make an effort to follow up and see what happens to the animals who are brought into the shelter, they aren’t likely to know that the cute three month old bulldog was euthanized or the litter of adorable kittens was never sent to a foster family.
The deaths of many of these young pups are justified because of ‘behavioral’ problems. In reality, they are just teething puppies who are a bit mouthy. This behavior is easily modified by redirecting chewing to an appropriate toy. If AWLA does not have the ability to work with puppies as they go through this phase, then the pups should be offered to rescue groups with the ability and resources to care for them properly. No dog under one year of age should be killed because of aggression or behavior unless all other options are exhausted.
For me, one of the saddest parts in all of this, besides the needless deaths of so many wonderful animals, is the betrayal of the public’s trust. Sure many pet owners relinquish animals because they didn’t do their homework before they got their pet. But many also find themselves in a position where they have to give up their beloved companion. Even though they have to sign a form that states that their pet may be euthanized due to illness or behavior, they are reassured that that AWLA does not euthanize for lack of space. They know their animal is healthy, friendly, and well-adjusted, so they KNOW that their pet will not be killed and WILL find a wonderful new home. Unfortunately, all too often, that is not the case. People who relinquish their pets may not reclaim them, even if AWLA deems the animal unadoptable.
I just want to puke. What the hell are they doing down there? How come rescue groups can save so many more animals with so few resources and the local shelter has so many resources? It breaks my heart to see the faces of those beautiful animals whose lives were just senselessly taken. Thanks for watching them and for exposing them.
I am sad all over again seeing these pictures. It’s incredibly tragic that a community with as many resources as Arlington can’t do better by its homeless animal residents. But I’d like to provide the readers and authors of AWLA Hawk with some additional ethical angles to consider:
* The six-month-old pit bull ORE was for congenital heart failure in a puppy adopted from the shelter. The adopters’ vet had given the pup an 18-month prognosis even with costly and invasive open-heart surgery. Should AWLA have denied the request? Would a rescue group have paid for the surgery knowing it probably wouldn’t have helped the puppy grow into an adult dog?
* Desiree was a sweet girl, but as you said, very “mouthy” – an unwelcome attribute in a pit bull for many potential adopters and even fosters. She was euthanized after biting a volunteer on the face in front of a potential adopter. In my opinion, the whole unfortunate situation (and many like it) stemmed from improperly trained volunteer handlers…but what should AWLA’s obligation to public safety be in cases of obvious behavioral transgressions (manageable or not)?
I grieve for every one of the dogs that I’ve met that is ultimately killed. I’m certainly not saying that these statistics are fine or justified – just that it’s so rarely black and white, especially for the “scary pit bulls” whose every misbehavior is amplified in the public view thanks to stigma. For comparison purposes, what’s the percentage of pit bulls adopted out by foster/resuce organizations? The percentage of returned pit bulls to those same groups (or do they end up at the shelter)?
I’m optimistic that the new director (just announced) will arrive without “pit bull bias” and that Arlington can start to take after San Francisco and other urban neighborhoods that have taken great strides in improving the plight of bully breeds. In the meantime, please consider visiting current AWLA pittie residents Mya (cross-listed with Bully Paws), Rocky, Prince & Princess, Miami, and Big Willy!
What happened to Miami?
YV —
Most DC-based rescue organizations require adopters to sign contracts that prohibit them from surrendering their dog to a shelter. If the adoptive family no longer wants the dog, they must return it to the rescue organization.
Rescue groups also generally screen their adopters more thoroughly than AWLA does, so inappropriate adoptions get called off before the dog goes home.
Per Sam’s question above, can you check Miami’s status for us? She’s a 9-month old brown/white female pitbull who was on view at AWLA from 8/6-16, but is not listed on the site today. Thanks.
Hmm, good question – Tuesdays are usually when animals are taken for spay/neuter so I’d like to be optimistic and say that’s where she is. Will certainly report back if I find out anything different.
Thanks for the info YV.
Regarding the dog with the congenital heart defect: My sister’s dog was given a life expectancy about two years. There was no surgery to help with her heart defect. The vet didn’t know if the dog would survive spay surgery, but recommended it because hormones could aggravate the heart condition. The dog takes daily medicine. She is now more than 10 years old! It would have been nice if the dog was given a chance (as long as it wasn’t suffering). I’d like to see every animal at AWLA examined by a vet before being made available for adoption. Many shelters with far less resources have a vet on staff. It may not have changed the outcome for this dog, but it would have saved the adopters from the heartbreak they felt when they returned their dog. Did they adopt another dog? I also hope a second vet was consulted before the decision to euthanize the pup was made.
Re Desiree: I agree that many of the kennel volunteers are not well trained in handling dogs and it is often a volunteer’s mistake that leads to a bite. Of course, there are also many wonderful, experienced volunteers who enrich the dogs’ time in the shelter. Most puppies become mouthy when they are teething. By redirecting this chewing, you offer the dog the opportunity to self-soothe in an appropriate way. Many dogs will stop this behavior when their adult teeth are in. But for some dogs, it can morph into biting or destructive chewing. This may be because the dog suffers from anxiety and chewing is comforting; because the dog is bored and destroying stuff is fun; or because the dog was never taught that this behavior is not appropriate. I suspect that Desiree bit because she simply didn’t know any better. It is fairly easy to teach a dog that mouthiness, biting, and rough play are not acceptable behaviors. Having a full-time trainer on staff will make a huge difference. I hope the volunteer who was bitten is okay.
I am keeping my fingers crossed that the new director is more proactive and progressive on matters of animal welfare!
The shelter needs to have a Vet on staff. Period! They should not be able to make decisions without one there. The ACO’s do alot of transporting to area Veterinarians for check-ups as well as other necessary observations. Between the time, effort and gas costs it takes to transport and pay these other facilities is alot. I bet the numbers would work out better than they think. As a matter of fact, I believe the Kennel Manager should be a trained and license Vet. Not that the managers there do a bad job. It would be beneficial in that position. There’s no reason they shouldn’t have one. Doesn’t that make sense? Anyone?
I agree with Shar and Jennifer that a staff vet makes a lot of sense. With it’s big budget, AWLA can definitely afford one. As per Shar, it does seem that it would be cost effective. And wouldn’t it be great for the animals. I wouldn’t neccessarily expect a full service vet clinic, though that would be ideal.
Did AWLA ever respond to this report??
Being from Arlington, I…. I had just assumed we were running a no-kill shelter. I am flabbergasted.
What office in Arlington County is responsible for the contract with AWLA?
It has been several months since this blog post. Is there any indication that the situation has gotten better?