How Well Do We Know Our Pets?
One of the most important jobs we have as a humane society is connecting our pets with the right forever homes. To do this, we create profiles for every animal that comes through our doors, gathering as much information as we can while they're at the shelter. How do they do with other animals? With children? On a leash or in a carrier? At the vet? All of this is important information to share with a potential adopter who is considering bringing that pet into their home. But the truth is, we can’t know everything about an animal all the time.
Many pets at Second Chance are owner-surrendered, meaning they have lived in a home before and, due to unforeseen circumstances, have ended up at the shelter. The bright side is that we may have a lot of information about how that animal behaves in a home, such as whether they are potty-trained or how they do around other animals. When a pet comes in as a stray, however, we have no way of knowing their backstory. In those cases, we have to build their profile based solely on what we observe at the shelter, and a shelter environment does not always accurately represent an animal’s personality.
Even animals who have spent their entire lives in a home have not necessarily been exposed to every situation. A dog may never have lived with another dog before, but that does not mean they don’t like other dogs. Perhaps they have regularly played with dogs throughout their life and are very comfortable around them, which could lead to successful playgroups while at the shelter. It is still important to disclose to a potential adopter that the dog has no history of sharing a home with another animal. Once home, they may experience jealousy or other challenges that could lead to behaviors such as resource guarding.
Just because something has worked in the past does not mean it will work again. A cat may have lived successfully with the calm seven-year-old child in their previous home, but an energetic ten-year-old in a new home may be overwhelming. It is unfair to put a blanket statement over an animal and say they “like children” simply because they have lived successfully with children before. The safest approach for children, animals, parents, and shelters is to consider the full history and known temperament of an animal before placement.
We do not always know the complete medical history of the animals who come into our care, either. All of our animals receive a thorough examination, including age-appropriate vaccinations, spay/neuter surgery, and any necessary treatment or medication for known or observed ailments. If a previous owner provides medical records, those records are sent home with the adopter to be shared with their new veterinarian. Occasionally, medical records do not exist, especially when an animal comes to us as a stray. We always strive to send healthy, happy animals to their forever homes, but some underlying conditions are impossible to identify during the limited time an animal is in our care.
Ultimately, adopting an animal means welcoming a living being with their own history, experiences, and individual personality into your home. The information we provide is meant to give adopters the best possible starting point, not a guarantee of exactly how a pet will behave in every situation. New environments, routines, people, and animals can all bring out new behaviors. When adopting, ask as many questions as you can. When surrendering, provide as much information about your pet as you can. With patience, understanding, and a willingness to give a new pet time to adjust, adopters can help their animals feel safe and confident as they settle into their forever homes. Our goal is not only to find animals homes, but to create lasting, successful matches that give both pets and their people the best chance at a happy life together.
Since 1994, the Animal Resource Center and the Shops of Second Chance Humane Society have been dedicated to serving animals in Southwestern Colorado. Our adoption hours are every day from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. We are located at 177 County Rd 10, Ridgway, CO. You can view our shelter pets and services online at secondchancehumane.org.