PUPPY LOVE

Love PUPPY

HOW A PASADENA DOG SHELTER IS MAKING HOME THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH STORY BY KAYLA RUTLEDGE | PHOTOS BY LUIS CHAVEZ

There is more love in the air than ever thanks to the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA. The shelter has adopted a strategy to find out more about the numerous dogs who are taken in—sleepover parties.

In partnership with Maddie’s Fund and the ASU Research Center, the shelter is utilizing sleepover parties between furry friends and temporary foster fur parents to research the ways in which time away from the shelter can positively impact a dog’s marketability.

“Animal shelters are stressful places for animals. There are a lot of unfamiliar smells and sounds, and as much as we do to make it comfortable it’s no replacement for a home,” says Jack Hagerman, the shelter’s Vice President of Communications.

The sleepovers also help the shelter learn more about the animals, including if they are open to socializing, are reactive to people walking into a room and enjoy extra attention or prefer to march to the beat

–continued on page 12 Jack Hagerman, vice president of communications for the shelter, says happier dogs have an increased potential to find their forever home.

of their own drum.

The program was created as a result of a fieldtrip pilot program launched in 2018, another Maddie’s Fund research project for dogs. After undergoing an hour of training, volunteers swing by the shelter and “checkout” a dog for a few hours to get them out of the kennels and into the world. The volunteers document the behavior of the dog, and report what they learned about the animal upon their return.

The fieldtrip study found that dogs who have been taken out of the kennel for about three hours a day have lower cortisol levels (the stress hormone). Hagerman says the lower stress levels can completely change the behavior of the dogs, transforming them into the happy pups they are naturally, and in turn, increasing their marketability in the kennels to potential adopters.

“As stressful as being in a kennel with bars can be, we have enrichment activities that we do to help dogs be as comfortable as possible while they’re here waiting for a new home. But there is no substitute for getting them out of the shelter,” Hagerman says.

The program has led to happier dogs, which has created a better environment in the shelter. It has also resulted in numerous unforeseen adoptions from volunteers.

The program was such a success the shelter kept the field trips in place, though they no longer submit the research they collect about the dogs.

“We’re using that information that’s brought back to us now to better connect the dogs with potential families,” Hagerman says.

“Does this dog like napping? Extra pets? Being outside? We can use all of this information to connect them with a person who can complement their needs.”

The next phase of the research for Maddie’s Fund are sleepover parties. Based on the same concept, the sleepovers are a way for volunteers to learn about the dogs and give the animals a chance to detox from the stress of the kennels.

“We do what we can to make this a comfortable place for them, but there’s no replacement for a warm bed next to someone that makes them feel comfortable and loved overnight,” Hagerman says. The first set of volunteers were trained in January, and Hagerman says he foresees success in the program and expects it to be around for a while.

“Everyone wins. The sleepovers free up space in the shelter so we have more room to take in dogs. We learn about who they are so we can better pair them with a family instead of having people ‘shop’ for the dogs at face value. And volunteers get to have a temporary buddy,” Hagerman says.

He adds the program is a great way for potential owners to test drive certain dogs, for new owners to determine if they are ready for the commitment of having an animal, or for those that travel often to feel the companionship of a furry friend without the commitment of being a full-time pet parent.

The shelter also pays for all of the expenses associated with the dog while in the care of a foster, “so really all you’re spending is time with a dog that needs you more than you know,” Hagerman says.

Sleepovers start at one night and can go on indefinitely. Hagerman says the shelter remains flexible to get dogs in on as many sleepovers as possible. “In this situation, everyone wins. But at the end of the day we want the dogs to be loved and comfortable, and I think this program is just one of the many ways we are putting our hand in on that effort,” Hagerman says.

Pasadena Humane Society

361 S. Raymond Avenue, Pasadena 626-792-7151, pasadenahumane.org