You may know, or perhaps you don’t, but as a refresher either way, I volunteer on Tuesdays at Tri County Humane Society!
I arrive at 11 am, prime shoddy light time but it is an hour before they open so I don’t have to wrangle dogs when there are potential adopters mingling in the kennel areas. List and leash grabbed then I find each dog, then when I’m hot and sweaty I head to the cats & critters.
There is an adorable teenie weenie “forest” adjacent to TCHS with a little walking path through it. This is where I lead the dogs, sometimes in the woods, frequently on the backside of the woods for ample light.
In reality today’s lighting was harsh. Not directly overhead middle of the day, but heavily directional and bright. When I would aim to get the dog in the light, my shadow would drape over them. Or one side of their face was lost to the shadows. Or their face was dark as they were lit from behind. It took ample creative thinking for both the light and the dogs.
This hunk above is Kofi! It is hard to tell with this crunchy lighting, but he has lovely dark brindle stripes on his legs. He enjoyed the turkey I had today and def knew sit. He does have allergies, TCHS will give you the info on how to manage them if you were to adopt him. PS – his adoption fee is completely covered! Just fill out the paperwork and he’s yours!
Next was a bouncy, pj wearing pup called Abracadabra! She’s a cutie patootie and working on growing her hair. Not sure if it was allergies or a skin issue, TCHS will let you know what you need to do to help her continue to clear it up. She LOVES food (if she has allergies you’ll have to be picky about treats she gets) and was eager to sit for turkey lunch meat snacks. She has a lot of energy and does pull on the leash, but I think she would be fun and spunky with some training under her belt.
What a head tilt! This yellow lab colored mixed pup is Clyde. He’s got some scars from getting chomped on in his life before arriving to TCHS. (He was a transfer from another facility.) He was well mannered on leash, wasn’t interested in treats, and was more interested in being comforted than posing for pictures. He’ll need some confidence boosters to really help him come out of his shell. No reactions to other dogs in the kennels. He did howl though!
Awww, who doesn’t love Dessert? Especially when it comes in a bouncy year old pup! Yes, this guy’s name is Dessert! When he’s in his kennel he’s standoffish, and growly. Don’t look at him straight on, be sideways in your approach and talk to him. And sneak turkey lunch meat snacks. Man did I think I wasn’t going to be able to get him out of his kennel as he was vocally fearful. But a few snacks later and I was able to hook him up and head outside. What a transformation! He was bouncy, interactive and just a big lug of a puppy. He solidly knows “sit” and will work for tasty treats. It is hard to see, but that patch of color on the white is brindle!
This powerhouse, Scribble, needs some work on leash but he’s quite a charmer. Its hard to tell (dang harsh lighting!) but he’s actually a lovely dark brindle color! He sat like a gentleman for turkey lunch meat. He knows loads of tricks and has just enough puppy energy to keep you busy (he’s only 9 months old!).
It is Lala! This lovely lady is petite and full of energy. Very food motivated and very driven to get said food. She did know sit and could be a energetic trainable dog. She had arrived as a stray so there’s not much known about her previous background. Her leash walking will need some work. But look at that face!!!! (Also, see how hard the shadows are on the left side of her face. That’s the not quite mid day light I typically deal with…)
Incoming! This bouncy bundle of fur is Hansel! Be aware he is a mouthy puppy! He will need ample work redirecting to appropriate toys not hands and clothing. He was very energetic – I think being inside the past couple of weeks has made him extra bouncy. Calm energy and boring chitchat and he turned into a chill pup. Since he is quite mouthy, TCHS is being extra cautious in case he nips or bites so you most likely won’t see him in the main kennel areas. Ask to visit him, bring turkey lunchmeat snacks and see if you can dog whisper to his heart.
This BIG dude is Bear! He came in to TCHS as a stray so not much of his previous history is known. He is BOUNCY! He knew sit, but would also bark his displeasure that my treat delivery was slow. And bounced! He could spring up to look me in my face (I’m 5 ft 7) and was quite a pest and overeager about treats. He could use an energy outlet as well as ample training to get him to an epic dog. Plus those ears – SWOON!
After a few weeks off, it is fun to be back in the swing of volunteering! Remember, I am at Tri County Humane Society Tuesday mornings, sometimes until 1 pm. Dogs I photograph could be adopted by the time you read this blog post. The best thing to do is to pop over to their website and check out all the dogs (and cats and critters) available for adoption.