Special to The Star-Herald
Last weekend, Betsy, our shelter manager, myself and our vice president, Jennifer Howlett, attended a dog aggression clinic by Dr. Nicolas Dodman, author of “The Well-Adjusted Dog” and “The Dog Who Loved Too Much.” It was such a wealth of good information as to where aggression comes from and how to deal with it. I think recognizing aggression is the most important thing gleaned from this seminar. We deal with so many dogs who are scared in their cages, people lean over and stare at them – that is a trigger for an aggressive reaction. So please keep in mind, what you see and the reaction you get from a dog in a cage, may not be the true personality of that dog. The shelter is a scary and unnatural place for dogs; they are stressed and confused as to why they are even there. Give them a break. Get them out of the cage, visit with them in our conference room or, better yet, take dogs for a walk.
Exercise is one of the best things we can do for dogs to reduce their stress level. Are you interested in coming to the shelter on your lunch hour to walk dogs or any other time of the day for that matter? Give us a call at 764-3441 and get started today. We are in desperate need of people to walk dogs and get them out of their cages. Our outside playpens are full of snow and it isn’t always possible for them to get outside and play and blow off steam. Maybe you need to put in some community service hours for school, please consider doing them at the Central Aroostook Humane Society.
We have some fun fund-raisers coming up. We will be at the craft fair and have some lovely items that were donated to raffle off. We will also be participating in the Kiwanis Home, Rec and Garden Show and then, of course, the Paws for the Cause walk on June 7. If you want to help with any of these events, please give us a call. We need biscuit makers, workers, people to help set up or tear down after events, dog washers at the walk, people to help with watering the dogs, advertising people – there is always room for one more volunteer, to get involved and help out a great cause.
So many animals, so little room. We have so many wonderful animals available at the shelter right now. Please stop by and visit often, I am sure you will find a critter who melts your heart and needs to become part of your family. The Central Aroostook Humane Society is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday, or give us call during business hours at 764-3441.
Please have your pets spayed or neutered.
