Last March, we talked about the influx of unwanted puppies and the challenges of caring for large numbers of young dogs. It’s been a long summer of rescue, and the puppies just keep coming. Like many other dog shelters, Rescue Ranch’s facilities are overflowing with pups in need of homes. I caught up with Sanctuary Operations Manager Laura Finley at a recent Puppypalooza event and asked her for the scoop on the puppy situation at the Ranch.
West coast dog shelters face decline in adoptions
I arrived at the Adoption Center in time to help Laura, Rick, and Kate unload the puppies visiting for the day from the Sanctuary. Afterwards, we sat down to discuss the puppy scene.
The short story is the Ranch is still drowning in puppies, and they keep coming without a letup. Overall numbers remain about what they were in the spring. Laura explained it’s tough to limit intakes since “there are very few resources available to abandoned puppies” in Siskiyou County and the Ranch can’t turn away dumped pups. So reducing numbers comes down to promoting spay/neuter and encouraging owners wanting to surrender to rehome on their own.
As we touched on last spring, the biggest difference this year is puppies not being adopted when they’re young, meaning that the Ranch continues to shelter them long after they’ve reached an adoptable age. Meanwhile, adolescents as old as seven months (or more) are still waiting for homes.
And it’s not just the Ranch that’s struggling. Dog shelters across the coast are experiencing declining adoption rates. A partner rescue in Redding recently asked for help placing two four-month-old labradoodles. The pair, dubbed Batman and Robin, are sweet-tempered and gorgeous–and very eager for attention! Yet our partner waited for weeks in vain for adopters to appear.
It’s crazy that a popular breed mix like a doodle would have trouble finding a home. Hopefully they’ll have better luck at the Ranch. (Update: Robin has been adopted!)
Mixed results from Puppypalooza adoption events
It was encouraging to see several folks drop in to visit the puppies. One gentleman stopped by after seeing the puppy photos on Facebook. He left with one of the vivacious husky/terrier mixes from Tamara’s litter. Laura and Rick agreed that attendance has been inconsistent at Puppypalooza. Some weekends multiple pups have found homes. Other weeks… it’s crickets. Finding new ways to market puppies via social media might help.
Happily, not all puppies wait long. A litter of tiny poodle mixes, surrendered to the Ranch during the Shelly fire, made their debut the afternoon I was there. Several had meet-and-greets scheduled, and I saw three families leave with a pup cradled in their arms. Laura also pointed out that while puppy adoptions continue slow, there’s been an improvement in adoption rates for adults.
Pros and cons of long-term puppy care
Housing puppies for longer periods presents many challenges, including constantly juggling accommodations to make room for new arrivals. But there are pluses, too. Longer stays provide extra opportunities for puppies to socialize with other dogs. One creative approach is employing Pyrenees nannies, themselves rescues, to supervise youngsters.
At the Adoption Center, puppies from different litters bunk together. Staff match confident pups, like the pittie/ridgebacks seen above, with shyer dogs, like Allie and Abby. Mixing personalities helps timid puppies learn confident behavior themselves. When they do find homes, they’re better-adjusted and comfortable with other dogs.
A bright spot is our growing foster program. Caring families are stepping up to give shelter pups experiences in real homes. The foster-to-adopt option is also helping youngsters settle permanently with their adoptive families.
You can help with the puppy crisis
Until something changes in the bigger picture, dog shelters will continue to face a stream of homeless pups. Here are some ways you can help:
- Adopt! If you’re thinking of adding a dog to the family, there has never been a better time.
- Join our foster program.
- Volunteer at our facilities.
- Spread the word! Try these arguments to encourage your friends to adopt a shelter pup.
- Advocate for spay/neuter and support local programs.
- Donate to the Rescue Ranch General Fund.
- Send an item from our Amazon or Chewy wishlist. The puppies always need durable toys!
- Join the Rescue Ranch monthly sustainer program to support our life-saving efforts year round.
