Reluctant journey ends in joy

A dog’s life at GSHS – Part One

He was hogging the middle of the road, this lanky young pup. Maybe he was just dealing in his own way with being abandoned; but whatever was going on in his canine brain, his track was straight down the center line and he was sticking to it no matter what – even when Don and Carolyn Waller drove up on him.

No doubt some honks and hollering came from that big thing on four wheels, but the black pup wasn’t going to budge. Some conversation certainly took place in the car, and finally Don and Carolyn rolled to a stop and Don got out. “I was afraid he’d get hit,” was his later excuse.

But smart doggies have winning ways, and when the pup came right over to Don and did that “I long to be with you” thing with his big brown eyes, it was all over. Don picked him up and put him in the car.

That night, the skinny pup had a good meal and a place to sleep. By morning he even had a name: Cody. But alas, it was a temporary arrangement.

The Wallers already had two rescue dogs and came to the unhappy conclusion that another vet visit to ensure the health of a new dog, plus the costs of shots and whatever other medical needs there may be just didn’t fit in their budget at the time.

So, they made the reluctant decision that the best they could do for Cody was to take him to the Good Shepherd Humane Shelter. Once back in the car, Cody made his feelings about leaving the Wallers known by getting carsick, but there was nothing to be done. Maybe someone else with a good heart would be attracted to his gentle nature.

On arrival at the shelter, Cody explored the Good Shepherd office in small forays, returning often to sit quietly by Don’s legs while the couple explained their story to Cole Wakefield, Director of Animal Operations. Carolyn ticked off the things they felt the dog needed – heartworm tests, vaccinations, worming, and more – and expressed regret that they couldn’t give the little guy the health screenings he needed at the vet just then. Their genuine concern was obvious in that neither of them could stop touching or speaking affectionately to the hapless dog.

But maybe not so hapless. What the Wallers didn’t know was that over the last six months Wakefield’s direction had taken Good Shepherd to a purposeful stand on enacting progressive animal welfare policies. The first step of which was to dramatically decrease the average length-of-stay for the animals, and, if at all possible, keep them from having to be in the shelter in the first place.

Cody was about to benefit from that policy bigtime.

Wakefield had served as Clinic Manager for HOPE Humane Society in Fort Smith, one of the largest, open-intake, no-kill shelters in the South – and he is also a veterinary tech. Touched by their story and fueled by his passion to do what is best for the animal, Wakefield offered the Wallers an alternative that would let them take Cody back home right then.

There was a joyful yes, and in the space of a half hour or so he had given Cody a simple exam and, assisted by animal services tech Brandon, had administered a heartworm test, vaccines and a flea treatment and finally a microchip. Cody was free to go with his forever family at a fee the Wallers could afford and which saved the shelter most of the $300 it would have cost to process Cody into the facility population.

This true story has a happy ending. However, Wakefield has important cautions for people finding strays: “When people encounter a possible stray, picking it up and bringing it here shouldn’t be their first reflex,” he told the Independent. “If the dog looks healthy and taken care of it’s likely a neighborhood buddy out for a stroll. Removing it from its territory and bringing it to the shelter only decreases its chances of ever making it home.

“We will always take reports of lost animals and can share them through our network,” he added. “We encourage people to report lost pets to Animal Control also, as they are likely to have contact with it before we do.”

And what about pets and the COVID virus? Pick up the next issue of the Independent for Part Two of this story and find out about that and why kenneling is never the best option for a dog, about new best practices in the animal care industry and how things we humans have always believed were good for dogs actually are not.