At PAWS we are constantly trying to find ways to improve how we run the shelter. One newer idea that has worked well for us has been our Real Room. The Real Room is an old office space that we put dogs in to see how they react to a more home-like environment. There is a window that can be opened for fresh air, a dog bed on the floor, Kong toys to chew and keep them busy and a comfy chair in the corner. This room serves several purposes. The first is just to give shy or scared dogs a chance to spend time in a lower stress, quieter environment than the adoption kennels can provide. The second is to give us a chance to see how each dog acts in this environment. We can gauge how they are with chewing, house training and separation anxiety issues. This room has become one of our most helpful tools for evaluating and preparing dogs for adoption. We have had several dogs in the past few weeks who were considered behaviorally unadoptable, but with a little time in the real room and extra attention from staff and volunteers, these dogs really came out of their shell and were able to be placed into loving homes. Unfortunately, while working through these issues with many of our dogs, our Real Room chair has taken quite a beating. It was getting pretty old, and last night the cushion became a casualty of one of our more active dogs. If you have an old chair that you might be willing to donate, please call the shelter and schedule a time to drop off. We would prefer something that was leather or a similar material so that it could be sanitized properly; but we arent picky! The dogs that come to us for help would appreciate the donation!
Posted on: Thu, 07 Aug 2014 16:46:20 +0000
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