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Starting Straw for Dogs Métis Riley introduces Straw For Dogs, a nonprofit she initiated to help pets kept outdoors live more comfortably, and relates the tale of Cookie, a spirited chow mix that she took care of from afar for two years before Cookie’s guardian finally asked her to take her for good
© Métis Riley
Before she was fostered, orange chow mix Cookie lived in her guardians’ front yard and would charge the fence and bark furiously when people walked by
© Métis Riley
After she was rescued, Cookie adapted easily to living indoors but also liked to patrol her territory and sunbathe on the porch
This article was first posted on the BARKS Blog (bit.ly/3bSICpZ) and is a Runner Up in our PPG Writers’ Competition which invited entrants to submit an article on the topic of animal shelter and rescue.
E
ven as a child, I always noticed dogs outdoors… especially during our long, dark Alaskan winters. Dogs living in yards, chained to an old car, trying to stay warm by burrowing under the deck. I was fa miliar with the buzz of a sled dog yard, maybe a hundred dogs bouncing and barking, but these dogs outdoors alone stuck out to me as extra sad. One night, one of our neighbor’s dogs couldn’t survive a cold night outdoors. I remember my grandmother marching over and taking their other dog off the chain and bringing him to her house. She then called up the neighbor and informed them that he was going to be living in doors and that they could visit him if they wanted to. That experience in my formative years was the seedling for Straw
Even as a child, I always noticed dogs outdoors… especially during our long, dark Alaskan winters. Dogs living in yards, chained to an old car, trying to stay warm by burrowing under the deck. I was familiar with the buzz of a sled dog yard, maybe a hundred dogs bouncing and barking, but these dogs outdoors alone stuck out to me as extra sad.
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BARKS from the Guild/July 2020
For Dogs. In 2009, I had been volunteering for various shelters and res cues. I had started a dog walking business the year before and would notice certain dogs in yards when I was visiting clients. Some of these dogs were always outdoors, no matter the weather or time of day. The idea came to me to offer help for these dogs by way of a doghouse or straw for the shelter they had. With the help of my husband, Orion, we started picking up free doghouses on Craigslist, refurbishing them, and knocking on doors. People were receptive, and soon we were putting ads on Craigslist offering free doghouses for dogs in need. We learned that many dogs outdoors were also going hungry so we started offering free dog food, collecting donations from friends and family to distribute. Some of the dogs were unwanted, which led us to fostering and adopt ing them to new homes after being vetted and rehabilitated. Our little grassroots group grew quickly and by 2012, we applied and received 501 c3 nonprofit status. At the time, owner support was a new concept for animal welfare and we were considered a bit crazy even by the shel ter and rescue folks.
Outside Dog One of the first dogs I had noticed on my dog walking route was a fluffy orange chow mix. She would charge the fence and bark furiously when we walked by, so much so that I stopped taking my client’s dog by her
