1 00:00:02,160 --> 00:00:07,599 Speaker 1: This is pet Life Radio. Let's talk pats. Welcome to 2 00:00:07,639 --> 00:00:10,960 the Human Animal Connection Show, where we believe we can 3 00:00:11,039 --> 00:00:15,160 communicate with all animals. Join us as we explore the 4 00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:19,160 thirty three principles and healing methods of the Human Animal Connection. 5 00:00:19,719 --> 00:00:22,719 As animal lovers, we know that you share our commitment 6 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:26,760 to making the world a kinder place for all creatures. Together, 7 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:32,039 let's embrace the transformative healing power of the Human Animal Connection. 8 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:37,200 Speaker 2: Hello everyone, welcome to the Human Animal Connection Podcast. I'm 9 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:40,759 your host, Jeanie Joseph Anna have a really fun interview 10 00:00:40,799 --> 00:00:43,479 for you today. I'm going to be speaking with Steve 11 00:00:43,679 --> 00:00:47,640 Kozatrik and he is the new director of Animal Services 12 00:00:48,079 --> 00:00:52,520 at Pima Animal Care Center in Tucson, Arizona. So, Pima 13 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:56,359 Animal Care Center is the municipal shelter, which means it's 14 00:00:56,520 --> 00:01:00,200 what's called open admissions. That means any dog that come in, 15 00:01:00,359 --> 00:01:02,439 basically you have to take them. Is that correct? 16 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:06,599 Speaker 3: Pretty much? It We were kind of managed, didn't take basis. 17 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:08,719 But yeah, I mean if somebody insists that we take 18 00:01:08,719 --> 00:01:10,239 their animal, then we take their animal. 19 00:01:10,599 --> 00:01:14,359 Speaker 4: Okay, great. So this is the updated shelter. I remember 20 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:16,000 the old days when it was the old shelter, but 21 00:01:16,079 --> 00:01:18,519 this is the updated shelter, and the shelter was built 22 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:20,760 for what was it, two hundred and thirty dogs? 23 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:23,400 Speaker 3: Is that wellroughly two thirty five? 24 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:26,760 Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, two thirty five dogs, And just a little 25 00:01:26,879 --> 00:01:28,959 weather report, how many dogs do you have there today? 26 00:01:29,799 --> 00:01:32,040 Speaker 3: We have about five hundred and thirty five. 27 00:01:32,400 --> 00:01:34,400 Speaker 4: Five hundred and thirty five and a shelter built for 28 00:01:34,439 --> 00:01:37,200 two hundred and thirty five. So this is I think 29 00:01:37,239 --> 00:01:40,439 everybody listening knows what that means. It's a pretty rough situation. 30 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:43,519 And this is not just your shelter seen We're seeing 31 00:01:43,599 --> 00:01:47,840 this nationally. These kinds of numbers really the census going 32 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:51,439 up everywhere. What are some of your thoughts about why 33 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:53,359 we're in such a crisis nationally? 34 00:01:53,799 --> 00:01:57,120 Speaker 3: We have a we have a situation right now where 35 00:01:57,280 --> 00:02:00,400 people are not spaying and urting their animals, they are 36 00:02:00,439 --> 00:02:05,920 not confining their animals, they're not vaccinating their animals, licensing, 37 00:02:06,079 --> 00:02:09,759 micro chipping, it's all of the above. And so it's 38 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:13,439 not a Tucson problem, it's a as you said, it's 39 00:02:13,439 --> 00:02:16,400 a national problem. And so what we're what we're challenged 40 00:02:16,439 --> 00:02:21,039 with doing is educating the public that you know, we 41 00:02:21,039 --> 00:02:23,960 we simply cannot continue to take dogs and cats at 42 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:25,960 the same cadence. By the way, the cats are also 43 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:29,000 in his shure, it's not nearly as significant as the dogs, 44 00:02:29,039 --> 00:02:33,080 but we're over one hundred and ten cats right now 45 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:36,919 as well, so that is spread on the vergic kitten 46 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:42,199 season right So our challenge is how do we manage 47 00:02:42,879 --> 00:02:45,960 how do we manage a community problem? Being the only 48 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:49,840 open admission shelter in the ninety two hundred square miles 49 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:53,840 of p MC County. Wow Humane Society, some of the 50 00:02:53,879 --> 00:02:56,719 other nonprofits, the rescues, they can shut their door, they 51 00:02:56,719 --> 00:02:59,080 can say, you know, there's no room at the inn. 52 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:03,520 We don't have that luxury right And there are others 53 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:08,439 some other other constraints that I'm generally tear challenging right now, 54 00:03:08,479 --> 00:03:11,039 and that is as an open admission shelter, can we 55 00:03:11,159 --> 00:03:15,120 charge for for intake? Can we charge for owner surrenders, 56 00:03:15,199 --> 00:03:18,159 or can we charge when someone shows up and they 57 00:03:18,159 --> 00:03:20,960 want to turn in astray? Sort of sort of a 58 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:25,360 double edged sore, if you know, if we start charging 59 00:03:25,439 --> 00:03:27,199 for them, then just going to abandon them and they'll 60 00:03:27,199 --> 00:03:28,960 wind up coming in the back door for our Animal 61 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:33,039 Protection Service team as a hit by car right, So, 62 00:03:33,039 --> 00:03:36,039 so it's a it's a kind of a multi pronged problem. Yeah, 63 00:03:36,199 --> 00:03:40,879 not unique to us, but certainly nobody quite has figured 64 00:03:40,919 --> 00:03:42,560 out what that magic bullet looks. 65 00:03:42,319 --> 00:03:45,919 Speaker 4: Like yet, right, really complicated situation, and I think everybody 66 00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:48,560 there is, you know, doing the best that they can 67 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:53,080 to give the animals best care that's possible. But it's 68 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:57,599 just inherently you know, you're you're fighting an uphill battle here. Well, 69 00:03:57,639 --> 00:03:59,639 what are some of the things. I know you've started 70 00:03:59,639 --> 00:04:02,680 a new program of giving away leashes to homeless people, 71 00:04:02,759 --> 00:04:04,560 I think, or tell a little. 72 00:04:04,879 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's even more than just homeless people. We have 73 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:12,240 I mentioned our Animal Protection Service, our APS, and if 74 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:16,240 that's our enforcement team, they are out in the community 75 00:04:16,399 --> 00:04:22,600 enforcing cruelty, neglect, boarding situations, people beating their dogs, people 76 00:04:22,639 --> 00:04:26,279 not feeding their dogs or cats, primarily dogs in this case. 77 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:29,199 And so we have an APS team that right now 78 00:04:30,279 --> 00:04:33,319 I mentioned ninety two hundred square miles. Our APS unity 79 00:04:33,319 --> 00:04:37,839 has eighteen eighteen officers working three shifts a day to 80 00:04:38,839 --> 00:04:41,639 monitor all ninety two hundred square miles. Needless to say, 81 00:04:42,759 --> 00:04:44,720 they're not going to get to every call that comes in, 82 00:04:45,199 --> 00:04:48,319 and they're going to prioritize those calls. We have about 83 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:52,439 seventeen hundred calls on our backlog right now, seventeen hundred 84 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:53,439 that we are not getting to. 85 00:04:54,079 --> 00:04:54,279 Speaker 1: Wow. 86 00:04:55,199 --> 00:04:58,720 Speaker 3: Nine hundred of those are simply off leash calls. There 87 00:04:58,759 --> 00:05:01,879 there's some people people in pick your Park, people in 88 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:04,759 Himmel Park, with people in Reed Park, they're walking their 89 00:05:04,759 --> 00:05:07,639 dogs off leash. Well, Genie, we're not going to get 90 00:05:07,639 --> 00:05:10,560 to those calls. We're out chasing cruelty and neglect and 91 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:13,240 hoarding and all the much more high priority calls. And 92 00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:17,920 so what we did in response to try to address 93 00:05:17,959 --> 00:05:20,879 those calls, because they're not nothing on the just not 94 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:26,720 huge priorities, that I've formed a an auxiliary volunteer APS 95 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:30,720 unit whose charge is to go into parks and to 96 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:34,959 approach people not with a heavy hand, with an educational focus, 97 00:05:35,399 --> 00:05:38,600 saying that here's a leash lop. Can we offer you 98 00:05:38,639 --> 00:05:42,160 a leash or collar. Here's some treats for your dog, 99 00:05:42,279 --> 00:05:44,639 here's some activity books for your kids to play with. 100 00:05:45,759 --> 00:05:47,759 Here's a food, here's a water dish for your for 101 00:05:47,839 --> 00:05:50,959 your dog. You know, kind of and we're expanding it. Also, 102 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:54,000 I've gotten some local businesses to step up and offer 103 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:57,439 gift cards. So the people who are doing it right right, 104 00:05:57,560 --> 00:05:59,759 So it's not simply a matter of let's go find 105 00:05:59,759 --> 00:06:02,079 the the people who are running their dogs off leash. 106 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:04,800 If somebody is doing it right, here's here's a gift 107 00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:07,720 card for two movie tickets to a roadhouse theater, or 108 00:06:07,759 --> 00:06:10,199 here's a fifty dollars gift card for Corbett's or whatever 109 00:06:10,199 --> 00:06:13,399 it is. So we're trying to educate the public in 110 00:06:13,439 --> 00:06:18,279 that manner by offering these incentives and letting them know 111 00:06:18,319 --> 00:06:22,720 that it is the law. You Also, the part of 112 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:25,680 a message is that it's not that your dog might 113 00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:29,040 be aggressive or it might run up and bite somebody. 114 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:34,879 But number one, you're potentially liable if your soft fluffy 115 00:06:34,879 --> 00:06:37,040 goes up and starts playing with some person and it's 116 00:06:37,079 --> 00:06:40,439 an elderly personally accidentally knocks the person over because they're 117 00:06:40,439 --> 00:06:43,120 playing too hard and the person breaks a hip. That's 118 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:46,560 your civil responsibility and you could be cited for that. Yeah, 119 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:49,920 but we're trying to let people know. But to your point, 120 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:52,720 we are giving away the you know, the leashes when 121 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:56,759 people need them. If we find homeless people in the parks, 122 00:06:56,759 --> 00:07:00,120 and it's not uncommon that we find that, yes, we 123 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:03,399 will give them provisions not only for themselves but also 124 00:07:03,439 --> 00:07:05,079 for their animals, because we want to make sure the 125 00:07:05,079 --> 00:07:07,959 animals are well cared for and that they're not running 126 00:07:07,959 --> 00:07:08,720 a large. 127 00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:12,480 Speaker 4: Mm hmm yeah right, great, okay, great program. So I 128 00:07:12,839 --> 00:07:16,240 know the situation is very complex and there's no simple answers, 129 00:07:16,279 --> 00:07:19,560 but if you could wave your wand what would be 130 00:07:19,959 --> 00:07:22,240 one thing that you would do, like if you could, 131 00:07:22,319 --> 00:07:24,600 you know, not just starting from the current situation that 132 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:27,519 we're in, but what would you do to change the 133 00:07:27,519 --> 00:07:30,079 shelter system? I know the community, you've mentioned what you know, 134 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:33,800 the changes that need to happen in people's understanding about 135 00:07:33,879 --> 00:07:36,519 responsibilities with animals. But what would you do in terms 136 00:07:36,519 --> 00:07:39,560 of the shelter system to redesign it if you could 137 00:07:39,560 --> 00:07:40,079 start over. 138 00:07:40,600 --> 00:07:42,759 Speaker 3: First of all, I've had people suggest why don't you 139 00:07:42,879 --> 00:07:46,120 just build more kennels? The challenges if you build it, 140 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:49,079 they will come. You know, our problem is not that 141 00:07:49,759 --> 00:07:53,120 pack was designed inappropriately or we don't have the right 142 00:07:53,199 --> 00:07:56,079 number of kennels. Our problem is out in the community. 143 00:07:56,079 --> 00:08:00,439 It's outside the four walls of this place. I would 144 00:08:00,959 --> 00:08:05,240 if we can start waving magic wands, it's that people 145 00:08:05,360 --> 00:08:08,879 appropriately spay and new to their animals. It's a matter 146 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:12,240 of getting rid of backyard breeders. Yeah, it's a matter 147 00:08:12,360 --> 00:08:15,279 of shutting down puppy mills and making sure that when 148 00:08:15,399 --> 00:08:19,800 retail establishments are sourcing their animals, they're doing it through 149 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:24,240 either shelters or rescues. Those are just a few a 150 00:08:24,279 --> 00:08:28,319 few examples of where we are systemically broken. When I 151 00:08:28,360 --> 00:08:31,240 was on the I served for fifteen years on the 152 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:36,080 Tucson City Council, and about ten years ago we adopted 153 00:08:36,080 --> 00:08:39,639 a puppy mill ordinance, and the gist of it was, 154 00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:42,919 if you're going to sell animals at a retail level, 155 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:45,919 and we have some retail stores here a pet stores 156 00:08:45,919 --> 00:08:48,279 in town that are that are selling selling dogs and 157 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:52,519 cats and everything else, you have to source those dogs 158 00:08:52,559 --> 00:08:55,600 through either a shelter or a rescue. That was such 159 00:08:55,639 --> 00:09:00,000 a non partisan issue, yes, that I had a very 160 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:02,799 very far right wing and a very far far left 161 00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:08,320 wing radio talk show hosts who in alternate universes would compete. 162 00:09:08,559 --> 00:09:11,279 They were totally aligned with this, and this is about 163 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:15,039 the animals, it's about animal welfare. It's about the fact 164 00:09:15,039 --> 00:09:20,440 that puppy mills treat these animals horribly, and so they 165 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:23,360 were supportive. Yeah, what happened is that we adopted that 166 00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:26,360 puppy mill ordinance here in the city of Tucson, and 167 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:29,279 the owner of a retail pet store here in Tucson 168 00:09:29,399 --> 00:09:33,240 went and started lobbying the state legislature and was able 169 00:09:33,279 --> 00:09:37,639 to get state law which preempts local jurisdictions from adopting 170 00:09:37,679 --> 00:09:41,320 puppy mill ordinances, and so ours was in effect for 171 00:09:41,559 --> 00:09:43,879 probably thirty six hours, and all of a sudden it 172 00:09:43,960 --> 00:09:46,600 was rendered moot of the state legislature. 173 00:09:47,039 --> 00:09:47,279 Speaker 1: Wow. 174 00:09:47,399 --> 00:09:52,679 Speaker 3: So another another change you're asking about change is getting 175 00:09:52,840 --> 00:09:59,960 state legislatures nationally educated or the federal legislative Federal Congress 176 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:05,000 educated nationally that puppy mails are a real thing. They 177 00:10:05,039 --> 00:10:09,399 are a challenge for the shelter industry because people are 178 00:10:09,399 --> 00:10:11,840 going to stores and paying an exorbitant amount of money 179 00:10:11,879 --> 00:10:14,159 for a dog that they could come to the shelter. Genie, 180 00:10:14,159 --> 00:10:17,360 We're offer an adoption for free writing and so people 181 00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:19,440 can go and pay twelve hundred dollars for a dog 182 00:10:19,639 --> 00:10:22,120 at a retail out letter, they can come in here 183 00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:24,720 and get it for free. So puppy mails are a 184 00:10:24,759 --> 00:10:29,000 real thing. Backyard breeding is a real thing. People. I 185 00:10:29,159 --> 00:10:33,080 was at a We have a nonprofit called Friends of Pack. 186 00:10:33,919 --> 00:10:37,320 They host as a fundraiser. They host a parade annually. 187 00:10:37,360 --> 00:10:39,279 And I was at the parade. People show up with 188 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:42,120 their dogs and cats and pets, and it's a fundraiser 189 00:10:42,159 --> 00:10:44,759 for Friends of Pack. And I was standing talking to 190 00:10:44,840 --> 00:10:47,159 a guy who had a couple of Saint Bernard's and 191 00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:51,240 this parade and so the beautiful dogs. What your plan 192 00:10:51,399 --> 00:10:52,919 for me? He says, Oh, We're going to get a 193 00:10:52,960 --> 00:10:56,480 couple more litters out of them. And so I'm standing 194 00:10:56,480 --> 00:11:01,320 there thinking, we are at a fundraiser. Our nonprofit is 195 00:11:01,360 --> 00:11:04,360 trying to support the shelter that has a that has 196 00:11:04,399 --> 00:11:07,120 a five hundred and thirty five dogs census right now, 197 00:11:07,519 --> 00:11:11,720 and you're out there breeding Saint Bernard's now, yeah, and 198 00:11:11,759 --> 00:11:13,720 why are they doing that Because they're able to make 199 00:11:13,759 --> 00:11:16,759 twelve or fifteen hundred dollars a dog when they breed 200 00:11:16,799 --> 00:11:22,840 those puppies. So getting legislation that would either curb or 201 00:11:22,919 --> 00:11:26,279 force registering backyard breeders and put a cap on the 202 00:11:26,360 --> 00:11:28,519 number that they can breed before they're forced to alter 203 00:11:28,639 --> 00:11:32,600 the animals, that's another situation. So our problem is out 204 00:11:32,639 --> 00:11:35,240 in the community. Our problem is not that we're we 205 00:11:35,279 --> 00:11:38,679 don't have an effective way to manage the shelter is 206 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:41,159 that we don't have a community that respects the fact 207 00:11:41,240 --> 00:11:44,399 that just because we're open admission doesn't mean we have 208 00:11:44,399 --> 00:11:47,519 an endless in the supply of kennels, and an endless 209 00:11:47,519 --> 00:11:50,840 supply of staff, and an endless supply of volunteers who 210 00:11:50,879 --> 00:11:53,600 can come in and do the do the due diligence 211 00:11:53,600 --> 00:11:57,519 and due diligence and care for the animals. We also 212 00:11:57,559 --> 00:12:02,360 know the clinic, and the clinic that we have at 213 00:12:02,399 --> 00:12:05,759 PACK is also over stressed. And I know we're coming 214 00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:07,440 up on a break, so I can kind of save 215 00:12:07,519 --> 00:12:09,759 that piece of the story for, you know, for once 216 00:12:09,799 --> 00:12:10,759 we get out of the break. 217 00:12:11,279 --> 00:12:15,080 Speaker 4: Yeah, we can. I just want to mentioned about your 218 00:12:15,159 --> 00:12:18,279 foster program. You have about five or six hundred dogs 219 00:12:18,320 --> 00:12:20,440 in foster now at the time that you have five 220 00:12:20,519 --> 00:12:22,519 hundred in the shelter, right, is that correct? 221 00:12:22,879 --> 00:12:25,080 Speaker 3: Actually, we have over eight hundred and fifty. 222 00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:27,960 Speaker 4: Wow, eight hundred and fifty dogs in foster. 223 00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:30,720 Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah, we have five hundred and thirty five in 224 00:12:30,759 --> 00:12:34,320 the shelter. We have eight hundred and fifty out in foster. 225 00:12:34,799 --> 00:12:35,159 Speaker 5: Wow. 226 00:12:35,440 --> 00:12:37,320 Speaker 3: Cats, we have about one hundred and ten in the 227 00:12:37,360 --> 00:12:41,120 shelter and we have over six hundred out in foster. Wow, 228 00:12:41,120 --> 00:12:44,080 it's an insane number of animals that the Republic has 229 00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:47,600 simply dumped onto the system of figuring that we'll just 230 00:12:47,639 --> 00:12:49,919 figure it out if you add those, you know, eight 231 00:12:50,039 --> 00:12:53,639 hundred and five hundred, we got thirteen fourteen hundred dogs 232 00:12:54,080 --> 00:12:58,720 and we've got about seven hundred shafts within our system. Yeah, 233 00:12:58,799 --> 00:13:01,759 that's what we're trying to mapple. We would absolutely sunk 234 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:03,279 if we didn't have thus fosters. 235 00:13:03,519 --> 00:13:06,159 Speaker 4: Yeah, it's an amazing program, and I think our listeners 236 00:13:06,159 --> 00:13:09,080 if you're in a position to foster, it is such 237 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:10,919 a beautiful thing to do. 238 00:13:11,039 --> 00:13:15,519 Speaker 2: It can be difficult to not be able to keep 239 00:13:15,519 --> 00:13:15,879 the dog. 240 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:18,279 Speaker 4: You always have the choice as a foster. You get 241 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:20,240 first dips if you decide want to keep. I know 242 00:13:20,279 --> 00:13:23,279 we've all had foster fails in our lives, so called 243 00:13:23,320 --> 00:13:26,039 foster fails. But it's very, very rewarding to help a 244 00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:28,639 dog get out of the shelter and just have some 245 00:13:29,200 --> 00:13:32,919 peace and quiet and sweetness and you know, get them 246 00:13:32,960 --> 00:13:36,080 ready for being in a regular home. And also the 247 00:13:36,120 --> 00:13:38,159 notes that a dog might have in a shelter in 248 00:13:38,200 --> 00:13:42,200 a very stressed environment, and you know that might deter 249 00:13:42,399 --> 00:13:46,159 some adopters. But if you can have wonderful notes and say, oh, well, 250 00:13:46,639 --> 00:13:49,440 you know, Harry loves to play, and he sleeps with me, 251 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:51,440 an he's sweet and and he's that and all this 252 00:13:51,519 --> 00:13:54,360 good stuff, then you can change the course of an 253 00:13:54,360 --> 00:13:57,879 animal's life by being a foster. So we really want 254 00:13:57,879 --> 00:13:59,759 to encourage people to think about that I know stuff. 255 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:02,159 But maybe some people out there are saying I was 256 00:14:02,200 --> 00:14:04,480 just talking to someone today said it's not sure if 257 00:14:04,480 --> 00:14:06,559 he's ready to have a dog, and said, well, why 258 00:14:06,559 --> 00:14:09,120 don't you just go faster one and see how it 259 00:14:09,159 --> 00:14:13,320 feels to be Because theoretically, what you imagine what would 260 00:14:13,360 --> 00:14:15,039 be like to have a dog, but until you actually 261 00:14:15,039 --> 00:14:17,639 have one, you don't always know. And of course every 262 00:14:17,639 --> 00:14:21,120 dog is different, so you want to just have that experience. 263 00:14:21,399 --> 00:14:23,919 Speaker 3: Yeah, well, and all of that is correct, and you're 264 00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:27,600 you're very well read on this. The situation here is 265 00:14:27,639 --> 00:14:31,120 that you can foster to adopt. You can take a 266 00:14:31,159 --> 00:14:34,960 dog home overnight. We call them pajama parties. They're just 267 00:14:35,039 --> 00:14:38,559 out of the shelter for twelve eighteen hours and we're 268 00:14:38,600 --> 00:14:41,519 back in. But you're exactly correct. They get out of 269 00:14:41,559 --> 00:14:44,519 this stressed environment where you're sitting crammed in a kennel 270 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:48,200 with another dog or two and it's a you know, 271 00:14:48,799 --> 00:14:53,159 four y eight kennel. And yeah, the stress, the kennel 272 00:14:53,200 --> 00:14:55,960 stress is a real thing, real thing, and it digs 273 00:14:56,039 --> 00:14:59,360 dogs overtime less and less adoptable. So to the instant 274 00:14:59,399 --> 00:15:02,159 that they can get out out for a day, a weekend, 275 00:15:03,240 --> 00:15:05,879 a week what you pick your time, we are our 276 00:15:06,039 --> 00:15:09,279 foster options are are all over the map to make 277 00:15:09,320 --> 00:15:12,320 it really convenient for people to allow to get to 278 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:14,799 get an animal out of here. Then we have medical 279 00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:16,919 fosters as well. A lot of times we have our 280 00:15:17,200 --> 00:15:21,480 clinic that treats the animals and they will will put 281 00:15:21,600 --> 00:15:25,000 the animal out into a home with the medications and 282 00:15:25,039 --> 00:15:29,639 with the with the veterinary protocols that they bring it 283 00:15:29,679 --> 00:15:32,080 back to the clinic. Well, we're paying for all the 284 00:15:32,120 --> 00:15:35,000 medical medical care while the thing is in foster and 285 00:15:35,159 --> 00:15:38,240 as well it's being rehabbed. And we have we have 286 00:15:38,320 --> 00:15:41,120 families that are taking these medical fosters. They're saying, look, 287 00:15:41,879 --> 00:15:44,159 I'll take this on while the dog is or cat 288 00:15:44,320 --> 00:15:46,919 is being rehabbed and then when it's whole again, then 289 00:15:46,919 --> 00:15:48,919 we'll we'll put it out for an option. So so 290 00:15:48,960 --> 00:15:51,279 we have a lot of options, and we've got a 291 00:15:51,279 --> 00:15:53,279 great community who stepped up to really help out. 292 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:56,600 Speaker 4: Yeah. I know, I've taken some dogs out for ice cream. 293 00:15:56,679 --> 00:15:58,440 You know, you just take them out for an hour, right, 294 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:01,480 or you to take them out for burger. So yeah, 295 00:16:01,480 --> 00:16:03,559 there's lots of options. All right, Well, we're going to 296 00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:05,840 take a short little break and then when we come back. 297 00:16:05,879 --> 00:16:07,480 I forgot what we were going to talk about when 298 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:09,320 we come back, but something good. 299 00:16:09,360 --> 00:16:09,600 Speaker 1: I know. 300 00:16:09,960 --> 00:16:11,440 Speaker 4: We'll be right back in just a moment. 301 00:16:14,559 --> 00:16:18,440 Speaker 5: You know the expression cats have nine lives, Well, what 302 00:16:18,519 --> 00:16:21,039 if you can give them one more? The Give Them 303 00:16:21,120 --> 00:16:24,320 ten movement is on a mission to help give cats 304 00:16:24,320 --> 00:16:28,919 an extra life. How with Spee and Neoter Spain or 305 00:16:28,960 --> 00:16:32,840 Neotering your cat helps them live a longer, healthier life, 306 00:16:33,080 --> 00:16:37,600 and it helps control free rolling cat populations too. Learn 307 00:16:37,639 --> 00:16:41,559 more about the benefits of spae and Neoter and meet Scooter, 308 00:16:42,039 --> 00:16:45,960 the newter cat at give Them ten dot org. That's 309 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:48,879 give them ten dot org. 310 00:16:49,080 --> 00:16:51,399 Speaker 1: Hey friends. If you like what you're hearing and want 311 00:16:51,440 --> 00:16:55,320 to learn more, check out doctor Joseph's book The Human 312 00:16:55,519 --> 00:17:01,679 Animal Connection, Deepening Relationships with animals and ourselves, or visit 313 00:17:01,720 --> 00:17:07,519 the website The Humananimalconnection dot org to book an online consultation. 314 00:17:08,279 --> 00:17:11,920 Thank you for loving animals. Now back to the show. 315 00:17:15,880 --> 00:17:24,200 Speaker 6: Let's talk pets on petlifradio dot com. 316 00:17:24,359 --> 00:17:26,279 Speaker 2: Welcome back to the Human Animal Connection. 317 00:17:26,400 --> 00:17:28,440 Speaker 4: I'm your host, Genie Joseph and I'm. 318 00:17:28,319 --> 00:17:32,799 Speaker 2: The founder of the Human Animal Connection speaking with Steve Kozachik, 319 00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:36,039 and he is the director of animal services at a 320 00:17:36,079 --> 00:17:39,440 big municipal shelter here in Tucson with over five hundred 321 00:17:39,440 --> 00:17:41,839 dogs in the shelter, over eight hundred dogs. 322 00:17:41,880 --> 00:17:45,400 Speaker 4: You said in foster care, it's just such a that's exciting, 323 00:17:45,440 --> 00:17:47,599 so that there are parts of the community that really 324 00:17:47,640 --> 00:17:50,559 care and that are educated and that want to step up. 325 00:17:50,599 --> 00:17:54,160 So that's just really wonderful. And we have helped veterans. 326 00:17:54,519 --> 00:17:56,519 We'll go to the shelter with them if they're looking 327 00:17:56,559 --> 00:17:59,720 for a dog and will help them evaluate the quality 328 00:17:59,720 --> 00:18:02,200 of the because it's really important for people not to 329 00:18:02,319 --> 00:18:04,720 just pick based upon I want a Saint Bernard or 330 00:18:04,759 --> 00:18:07,799 I want a Labrador or something like that, but to 331 00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:12,240 really look at the individual dog and see if it's 332 00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:14,920 a good connection and to help people understand are you 333 00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:16,799 looking for a dog that's going to be your running 334 00:18:16,839 --> 00:18:18,559 buddy or are you looking for a dog that's going 335 00:18:18,599 --> 00:18:20,799 to be your couch potato and make you feel happy 336 00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:23,640 and cuddle all day long. You know, these are questions 337 00:18:23,640 --> 00:18:27,559 that sometimes people adopters don't always think through, but can 338 00:18:27,599 --> 00:18:30,519 make a big difference because if you people go in 339 00:18:30,680 --> 00:18:32,880 looking for, oh, I want this kind of dog, or 340 00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:34,359 this is the one I had when I was a 341 00:18:34,440 --> 00:18:36,839 kid or something, and they might end up with a 342 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:40,279 dog but looks similar. But the expectations that the person 343 00:18:40,319 --> 00:18:42,319 has and the reality of the dog that can get 344 00:18:42,319 --> 00:18:44,680 a little mixed up. So this is one of the 345 00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:47,720 things that we help people that we work with is 346 00:18:47,759 --> 00:18:50,640 how best to evaluate the connection between the person and 347 00:18:50,680 --> 00:18:53,839 the dog. So I bet you have some fun stories 348 00:18:53,880 --> 00:18:56,720 that are inspiring that keep you going over the rough 349 00:18:56,839 --> 00:18:58,960 days there in a big municipal shelter. 350 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:02,839 Speaker 3: One of the things that we're trying to do is 351 00:19:03,160 --> 00:19:07,200 to curb our intake fifty seven percent of the dogs 352 00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:10,519 that we take in our strays, and one of the 353 00:19:10,519 --> 00:19:14,200 ways that I'm trying to address that is by I've 354 00:19:14,240 --> 00:19:18,119 distributed some microchip scanners out to some of the Parks 355 00:19:18,119 --> 00:19:22,640 Department administration buildings so that when members of the public 356 00:19:22,759 --> 00:19:26,039 find a dog or a cat that is astray. They 357 00:19:26,079 --> 00:19:28,359 can scan it and they can try and find the 358 00:19:28,359 --> 00:19:30,519 owner on the spot and not even bring it to 359 00:19:30,519 --> 00:19:34,599 the shelter. That's great. Last week, about eight thirty at night, 360 00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:37,279 I got a call from a woman that I've known 361 00:19:37,359 --> 00:19:40,200 for quite a while who works at the local hospital, 362 00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:43,119 and she said, we just found saw a Saint Bernard 363 00:19:43,799 --> 00:19:47,240 walking down Grant Road. And Grant Grant Road is an 364 00:19:47,319 --> 00:19:50,559 arterial here in Tucson. It's a big, big street. So 365 00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:56,079 she said, we checked for a microchip and we found 366 00:19:56,119 --> 00:19:58,079 the owner, but nobody's called us back, so I have 367 00:19:58,160 --> 00:20:00,680 to bring it in to you tomorrow morning. Oh and 368 00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:03,480 I'm thinking, well, we have five hundred and forty dogs here, 369 00:20:03,559 --> 00:20:07,880 we don't need a Saint Bernard. Please. I said, give 370 00:20:07,920 --> 00:20:09,680 me a call in the morning if you still can't 371 00:20:09,720 --> 00:20:13,200 find the owner, and we will will then take it. 372 00:20:13,359 --> 00:20:16,119 It was hard to say, but that's what we're doing here. 373 00:20:16,160 --> 00:20:18,839 We're an open emission shelter. So I called her in 374 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:23,920 the morning and thankfully they had a microchip worked. The 375 00:20:23,960 --> 00:20:27,240 owner called them. They said they got some contractors working 376 00:20:27,359 --> 00:20:31,039 at their house and the contractor just accidentally left the 377 00:20:31,079 --> 00:20:34,079 gate open. The Saint Bernard decided he'd go off for 378 00:20:34,119 --> 00:20:36,279 a stroll and it turned into a slumber party at 379 00:20:36,279 --> 00:20:38,759 my friend's house. And but back home he is. And 380 00:20:38,799 --> 00:20:42,559 so so please micro chip your animals. It's a story 381 00:20:42,599 --> 00:20:49,240 that is too uncommon. Roughly fifteen percent of the fifty 382 00:20:49,319 --> 00:20:53,359 seven percent of the strays weigan our microchip, Jamie. We're 383 00:20:53,359 --> 00:20:57,240 offering free microchipping through July fourth. Right now. We want 384 00:20:57,359 --> 00:20:59,559 you to chip your animals. We don't want them in 385 00:20:59,559 --> 00:21:03,200 the shelter. That's that's a good news story. 386 00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:05,240 Speaker 4: That is a great news story. I think that's so 387 00:21:05,279 --> 00:21:08,200 important to get those scanners out there, you know, wherever 388 00:21:08,279 --> 00:21:10,599 they can, you know, as many scanners as you can 389 00:21:10,640 --> 00:21:13,079 get out there, because I think everybody's seen that they've 390 00:21:13,119 --> 00:21:16,000 seen a stray dog wandering and not known what to do. 391 00:21:16,160 --> 00:21:20,160 Speaker 3: So and the reality is is that the vast majority 392 00:21:20,680 --> 00:21:23,720 of dogs that go straight, they're within a mile of 393 00:21:23,799 --> 00:21:26,480 their home. And and so it's not that they've they've 394 00:21:26,519 --> 00:21:29,119 strayed and they've walked from Tucson up to Phoenix one 395 00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:31,160 hundred miles away. These are dogs that are close to 396 00:21:31,240 --> 00:21:34,440 home and and they're just out for whatever reason. And 397 00:21:34,440 --> 00:21:38,200 and even if even if it's not a threat that 398 00:21:38,240 --> 00:21:41,559 they can walk, walk and start attacking someone else's animal. 399 00:21:41,839 --> 00:21:44,680 They can get hit by a car. You know, they 400 00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:47,440 can get We have in Tucson we had avelina and 401 00:21:47,480 --> 00:21:51,319 we have other urban wildlife coyotes. They could wind up 402 00:21:51,319 --> 00:21:57,200 getting getting bitten by a rabbit or otherwise urban urban 403 00:21:57,279 --> 00:22:00,920 oil that animal. So there are there are dangers outside 404 00:22:00,960 --> 00:22:03,160 the confines of your yard that we want to make 405 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:07,279 sure these animals are protected. So there are legitimate reasons 406 00:22:07,279 --> 00:22:09,839 for one on the outside of the shelter for us 407 00:22:09,920 --> 00:22:14,240 wanting to make sure the animals get home. You mentioned 408 00:22:14,319 --> 00:22:18,480 the fosters. Another story that I would share is that 409 00:22:18,559 --> 00:22:24,680 we have a very robust volunteer group here the shelter. 410 00:22:24,839 --> 00:22:29,400 We have five hundred and forty dogs round numbers in 411 00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:32,839 over one hundred cats. We would be sunk without the 412 00:22:32,920 --> 00:22:38,319 volunteers coming in and walking the dogs and spending time 413 00:22:38,359 --> 00:22:40,480 with them, taking the margin to play groups and that 414 00:22:40,599 --> 00:22:43,279 kind of thing, just to decompress them and get them 415 00:22:43,279 --> 00:22:45,640 out of the out of the kennels. One of the 416 00:22:45,680 --> 00:22:48,720 programs that we're going to implement, in fact we have 417 00:22:48,839 --> 00:22:52,160 implemented it's going to kind of come to a crescendo 418 00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:56,319 in a week or so, is a program called Pause 419 00:22:56,359 --> 00:22:59,160 and Pages is for people come out and they simply 420 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:01,880 sit in front of a kennel and they read to 421 00:23:01,920 --> 00:23:04,680 the dog for four yes minutes. Yes, now it might 422 00:23:04,759 --> 00:23:07,880 sound weird. Oh it's great. It's a great I love 423 00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:08,319 doing it. 424 00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:11,559 Speaker 4: You know, the dogs they just calm right down the 425 00:23:11,640 --> 00:23:14,799 human voice and you know, they don't have to do anything. 426 00:23:14,920 --> 00:23:17,599 The Persson's not asking them to perform or sit or 427 00:23:17,839 --> 00:23:19,839 you know, behave a certain way. They just get a 428 00:23:19,839 --> 00:23:23,000 little bit of human energy. And it's beautiful to see 429 00:23:23,039 --> 00:23:26,039 because sometimes you'll you'll go on the shelter and people 430 00:23:26,039 --> 00:23:29,160 are reading and the whole line is calm, like not 431 00:23:29,319 --> 00:23:31,400 just that, not just the dog that's being read to, 432 00:23:31,559 --> 00:23:34,680 but the neighbor feels good, and the neighbor over there 433 00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:36,640 feels good. It's a beautiful program. 434 00:23:36,880 --> 00:23:39,839 Speaker 3: You really fund so and when you start out, the 435 00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:41,960 dog might be barking at your right up in your 436 00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:44,039 face and vice you say. But by the end of 437 00:23:44,039 --> 00:23:46,960 the session, the dog is making eye contact with you 438 00:23:47,039 --> 00:23:49,200 and just kind of sit and listening. So what we're 439 00:23:49,240 --> 00:23:53,000 going to do is there's a there's an there's a 440 00:23:53,039 --> 00:23:56,759 condition called a phasia. It's a form of dementia that 441 00:23:56,799 --> 00:24:00,680 can also be brought on by blunt force trauma. In 442 00:24:01,039 --> 00:24:04,000 for instance, for our former congressman, when Gabby Giffers was 443 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:06,960 shot and they head and she lost her ability to 444 00:24:07,039 --> 00:24:11,279 speak and to articulate and to understand the written and 445 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:16,160 spoken word. Through pretty significant speech therapy, she was that 446 00:24:16,240 --> 00:24:20,680 she's been able to regain much of her speech ability. 447 00:24:21,480 --> 00:24:24,240 That is the blunt trauma kind of aphasia. Another kind 448 00:24:24,359 --> 00:24:27,200 is it's a progressive I mentioned dementia kind of a 449 00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:31,519 condition where it where progressively you lose your ability to speak, 450 00:24:31,559 --> 00:24:34,119 you lose your ability to read, to understand the spoken 451 00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:37,519 a written word. So what we have is a group 452 00:24:37,559 --> 00:24:42,599 of aphasia, members of a local group friends of Aphasia, 453 00:24:43,319 --> 00:24:47,079 and I've got Gabby Giffert's speech therapists working with a 454 00:24:47,119 --> 00:24:49,640 group of eight of them right now and they will 455 00:24:49,759 --> 00:24:54,240 they're working on books, lower level books that they are planning. 456 00:24:54,240 --> 00:24:58,759 They're learning to read the book and next Thursday they're 457 00:24:58,799 --> 00:25:00,640 going to be coming in and do a pause and 458 00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:05,079 pages just with this Aphasia group. Yeah, it'll be so 459 00:25:05,240 --> 00:25:09,720 cool to see this group of people who is struggling 460 00:25:09,759 --> 00:25:14,000 to articulate the word. For instance, one of the this 461 00:25:14,119 --> 00:25:16,200 is a twenty five year old woman who had a stroke. 462 00:25:16,759 --> 00:25:19,279 The book she chose is the Doctor Seuss book Hop 463 00:25:19,359 --> 00:25:24,119 on Pop. In her first session with the speech therapist, 464 00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:27,400 she couldn't At the beginning of the session, she couldn't 465 00:25:27,480 --> 00:25:30,359 articulate any of the words. At the end of the 466 00:25:30,880 --> 00:25:34,880 first session she was able to say hop and pop. 467 00:25:35,480 --> 00:25:38,240 So she's working on them. By the time she gets 468 00:25:38,279 --> 00:25:41,079 down here after eight weeks, she'll be able to maybe 469 00:25:41,160 --> 00:25:44,119 read that book to the dogs. It'll be such a 470 00:25:44,160 --> 00:25:47,680 cool experience for the for the Aphasia people, and the 471 00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:52,480 dogs will be sitting there totally ungent, nonjudgmental. Right, and okay, 472 00:25:52,559 --> 00:25:55,759 you stumbled over that word, but that's ca yeah. 473 00:25:56,039 --> 00:25:59,880 Speaker 4: Okay, as long as I hear your hosts and they 474 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:02,880 feel your energy and your heart, and you know, in 475 00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:06,680 a shelter environment there's such a need for a moment 476 00:26:06,680 --> 00:26:09,480 of individual human to dog attention. And I know the 477 00:26:09,559 --> 00:26:12,759 volunteers are doing great job. But the volunteers at Packer 478 00:26:12,880 --> 00:26:15,359 like they're like the Marines. They they're going to get 479 00:26:15,400 --> 00:26:17,359 their dogs walked. You know, you don't want to get 480 00:26:17,400 --> 00:26:22,240 in the way of It's really it's really beautiful to 481 00:26:22,279 --> 00:26:25,240 see the level of volunteering that goes on at the 482 00:26:25,279 --> 00:26:29,119 shelter and just to see how much change is possible 483 00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:34,359 by but by just giving a dog some very individual, 484 00:26:34,599 --> 00:26:39,279 gentle attention. It's love, you know, it changes the person, 485 00:26:39,480 --> 00:26:43,519 it changes the dog, it changes the shelter well. 486 00:26:43,559 --> 00:26:48,240 Speaker 3: And here's our challenge is that it's Tucson, it's over 487 00:26:48,240 --> 00:26:51,240 one hundred degrees outside, it's sellar. A lot of our 488 00:26:51,359 --> 00:26:56,119 volunteers are snowbirds. They're winter visitors. Ah, they're here from 489 00:26:56,200 --> 00:27:00,880 Minnesota between September and January, and then they're back in 490 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:04,519 Minnesota or pick you know, outside of the winter months. 491 00:27:05,599 --> 00:27:08,000 So they're avoiding our so we are avoiding our heat. 492 00:27:08,440 --> 00:27:11,039 So right now we are down. We are short volunteers. 493 00:27:12,160 --> 00:27:16,279 We need more volunteers to you know, to sit and 494 00:27:16,279 --> 00:27:18,119 do the things that you just mentioned, as far as 495 00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:20,079 the you know, walk on their dogs, get them out 496 00:27:20,079 --> 00:27:22,160 of the kennle, taking the plague of breed to them. 497 00:27:22,759 --> 00:27:25,319 And so we're short on volunteers. And one of the 498 00:27:25,359 --> 00:27:28,640 reasons this is important is because the dogs need to 499 00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:30,799 get out of the kennels or the can. The kennel 500 00:27:30,839 --> 00:27:33,960 sash is a real thing we have right now, Like 501 00:27:34,039 --> 00:27:36,960 I mentioned, about five hundred and forty dogs, we have 502 00:27:37,119 --> 00:27:40,519 over fifty dogs right now that have been in the 503 00:27:40,559 --> 00:27:44,200 shelter for over one hundred days. Wow, that's three plus month. 504 00:27:44,279 --> 00:27:46,480 That's fifty two dogs that have been sitting in that 505 00:27:46,599 --> 00:27:51,200 kennel for one hundred days or longer. Now, that simply 506 00:27:51,880 --> 00:27:55,759 makes the dog less and less adoptable. The stress. The 507 00:27:55,799 --> 00:28:00,640 stress amps up, the reactivity amps up the ability to 508 00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:04,279 get that dog into a home where it's where it's 509 00:28:04,720 --> 00:28:08,079 in air quotes, true personality can shine. They may have 510 00:28:08,119 --> 00:28:11,279 lost that true personality. Seventy five days ago after being 511 00:28:11,680 --> 00:28:18,039 stuck in a shelter, I ran some numbers on length 512 00:28:18,079 --> 00:28:21,359 of stay and our outcomes. In the month of Mark 513 00:28:21,519 --> 00:28:25,799 and the month of May, we adopted or returned to 514 00:28:25,839 --> 00:28:31,519 owner almost seven hundred dogs in the first twenty days 515 00:28:31,680 --> 00:28:35,279 that they were here. That's the first twenty days. In 516 00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:39,400 the last well say, from ninety days on, we adopted 517 00:28:39,440 --> 00:28:43,440 out fewer than fifty. And so it just demonstrates that 518 00:28:43,599 --> 00:28:46,759 the longer they hear, the less adoptable they get. And 519 00:28:46,519 --> 00:28:51,119 that even really highlights the notion that our volunteers getting 520 00:28:51,119 --> 00:28:54,160 them out of the cannels and into a situation where 521 00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:57,960 they can really decompress is really critical. We have another 522 00:28:58,319 --> 00:29:02,960 partner here in Tucson called On Rescue Now it's located 523 00:29:03,039 --> 00:29:05,839 at It's located at Grant and Swan. It's a shopping 524 00:29:05,880 --> 00:29:09,039 center and it's a woman named Bonnie who used to 525 00:29:09,079 --> 00:29:12,759 be a pack employee, so she witnessed firsthand what the 526 00:29:12,839 --> 00:29:15,160 what the shelter was like, and what she has done. 527 00:29:15,799 --> 00:29:21,480 She has opened up a retail store where she will 528 00:29:21,519 --> 00:29:25,720 take eight to ten of our animals out Thursday, Friday, 529 00:29:25,759 --> 00:29:30,400 Saturday and Sunday for six hours a day, get them 530 00:29:30,440 --> 00:29:33,119 into that environment, out of the shelter and let people 531 00:29:33,119 --> 00:29:35,079 come and see them and interact with them in a 532 00:29:35,119 --> 00:29:36,359 different in different location. 533 00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:39,839 Speaker 4: It's completely different. Yeah, the dogs are on a couch, 534 00:29:40,039 --> 00:29:42,119 you know, so you can sit on the couch next 535 00:29:42,160 --> 00:29:44,880 to the dog. You know, you have that eye contact, 536 00:29:44,920 --> 00:29:48,519 that nice soft close connection, and it's a lot less 537 00:29:48,519 --> 00:29:51,799 stressful than you know, going you know to a shelter 538 00:29:51,920 --> 00:29:55,200 to look at five hundred dogs. How do you pick one? Yeah, 539 00:29:55,240 --> 00:29:58,799 So it's a wonderful program. I think that's just terrific. 540 00:29:58,839 --> 00:30:02,039 And I know also has a playgroup program which is 541 00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:06,720 just extraordinary where dogs get out not just for a walk, 542 00:30:06,759 --> 00:30:08,720 but they get a chance to go to playgroup. And 543 00:30:08,759 --> 00:30:12,039 I know you have behavioralists who will sort of evaluate 544 00:30:12,079 --> 00:30:15,119 to make sure that the dogs have similar energies, are 545 00:30:15,160 --> 00:30:17,599 playing together, and they're watching over They're not just leaving 546 00:30:17,640 --> 00:30:20,119 dogs in the yard and seeing how it goes. But 547 00:30:20,359 --> 00:30:24,599 it's beautiful because this is an important stress relievers. Dogs 548 00:30:24,640 --> 00:30:26,279 need to play, you know, they need to play with 549 00:30:26,359 --> 00:30:30,640 each other, and that is just a wonderful program. I 550 00:30:30,680 --> 00:30:32,599 wish every shelter had a program. I know it's not 551 00:30:32,680 --> 00:30:35,759 possible for every shelter, but it really makes a difference 552 00:30:35,799 --> 00:30:38,519 when dogs can get out and play. Being in a 553 00:30:38,559 --> 00:30:41,960 playgroup for even twenty minutes is the equivalent energetically of 554 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:43,880 a three hour walk in terms of what it can 555 00:30:43,920 --> 00:30:46,680 do for the dog and socially, it helps them work 556 00:30:46,720 --> 00:30:50,960 on their skills. And when adopters see dogs do well 557 00:30:50,960 --> 00:30:54,599 in playgroup, they're more likely to consider adopting that dog 558 00:30:54,640 --> 00:30:57,519 because you know, maybe they have often good adopters have 559 00:30:57,680 --> 00:31:01,680 already adopted. Well, yeah, that's such an important thing. 560 00:31:01,759 --> 00:31:04,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, the play group is a big deal for all 561 00:31:04,680 --> 00:31:08,440 the reasons you mentioned. Trying to sort of piggyback on 562 00:31:08,519 --> 00:31:10,519 the idea, one of the things that I'm working on 563 00:31:10,559 --> 00:31:14,319 out here right now is, as you know, there are 564 00:31:14,319 --> 00:31:17,799 two dogs in a kennel. What I'm trying, what I'm 565 00:31:17,839 --> 00:31:21,680 working on, is getting expanded kennels, so it's instead of 566 00:31:21,720 --> 00:31:23,519 a small kennel for two dogs, it will be a 567 00:31:23,559 --> 00:31:27,559 larger space. It can put five or six dogs in. Yeah, 568 00:31:27,640 --> 00:31:30,519 so it would be sort of the analog to a playgroup, 569 00:31:30,640 --> 00:31:32,759 but it's really going to be a kennel situation where 570 00:31:32,759 --> 00:31:36,720 these five or six dogs are interacting all the time. Yeah, 571 00:31:36,799 --> 00:31:38,920 and not just for that twenty minutes. And so people 572 00:31:38,960 --> 00:31:44,359 can go by and see those dogs really socialized, and 573 00:31:44,440 --> 00:31:45,240 that's beautiful. 574 00:31:45,359 --> 00:31:46,039 Speaker 4: I love that. 575 00:31:46,440 --> 00:31:50,000 Speaker 3: It'll do a couple of things. It'll do the socialization 576 00:31:50,079 --> 00:31:52,000 piece that I mentioned, but what it will also do 577 00:31:52,119 --> 00:31:54,240 is if I can get six dogs into one kennel, 578 00:31:54,240 --> 00:31:56,440 it frees up three other channels for them where they 579 00:31:56,440 --> 00:31:57,319 had two at a time. 580 00:31:57,799 --> 00:31:58,039 Speaker 1: Right. 581 00:31:58,079 --> 00:32:00,720 Speaker 3: Well, we're trying to do some creative thinking as to 582 00:32:00,759 --> 00:32:06,920 how do we expand the the capability, the capability of 583 00:32:06,960 --> 00:32:09,759 our shelter to house more animals without just going out 584 00:32:09,799 --> 00:32:12,039 and building a boat a little more to dog cannels. 585 00:32:13,480 --> 00:32:16,440 Speaker 4: That's beautiful. I love that. Because every dog is different, 586 00:32:16,519 --> 00:32:19,519 some dogs need a lot of social dog on dog connection. 587 00:32:19,599 --> 00:32:21,559 All the dogs need less, but the ones that need 588 00:32:21,599 --> 00:32:25,920 it can really benefit by that. It can really show 589 00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:28,759 potential doctors. Wow, look at they all have a happy 590 00:32:28,799 --> 00:32:32,000 thing and they're doing well. This also work in my household. 591 00:32:32,039 --> 00:32:33,839 I can see how this could work because sometimes it's 592 00:32:33,880 --> 00:32:36,400 hard to imagine when you go and if you have 593 00:32:36,400 --> 00:32:38,720 a dog at home already and you're meeting a stress dog, 594 00:32:39,240 --> 00:32:42,440 you know how that's going to work. So that's beautiful, congratulations, 595 00:32:42,440 --> 00:32:42,960 I love that. 596 00:32:43,599 --> 00:32:47,319 Speaker 3: Well, it's all money, it's all yeah. So that's one 597 00:32:47,359 --> 00:32:49,920 of the reasons where you're leaning into Friends at Pack 598 00:32:50,039 --> 00:32:52,920 even more and more every day. That's our profit or 599 00:32:52,960 --> 00:32:56,000 a fundraiser, and it's you know, we need to talk 600 00:32:56,039 --> 00:32:59,680 about expanded kennels. We need to talk about we didn't 601 00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:01,960 quite to the clinic, but we need to talk about 602 00:33:02,319 --> 00:33:05,480 expanding our clinicic clinic options. Friends a Pack just open 603 00:33:05,559 --> 00:33:09,000 to low cost clinic called the Friends Pet Clinic where 604 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:14,480 they're offering low cost veterinary care. Oftentimes, people, especially in 605 00:33:14,480 --> 00:33:17,759 this economy, are reluctant to take on at the financial 606 00:33:17,759 --> 00:33:20,799 obligation of an animal because of the veterinary costs, and 607 00:33:20,839 --> 00:33:23,920 so Friends has opened up their clinic as well. So 608 00:33:24,160 --> 00:33:26,640 there are a lot of moving parts to the challenges 609 00:33:26,640 --> 00:33:30,079 that we're facing. Sensus is just a piece of it, 610 00:33:30,960 --> 00:33:33,880 and both were We're not going to find a magic 611 00:33:33,920 --> 00:33:36,240 eligs or fixer, so we're chipping away at each at 612 00:33:36,240 --> 00:33:38,640 each piece that we can in small wastes of air time. 613 00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:42,079 Speaker 4: Great, wonderful, Well, thank you Steve. It's been wonderful to 614 00:33:42,119 --> 00:33:44,680 talk with you and we share all the best. 615 00:33:44,720 --> 00:33:47,240 Speaker 2: There sounds like you're doing some really good and important 616 00:33:47,240 --> 00:33:48,920 things and every little bit counts. 617 00:33:49,359 --> 00:33:49,480 Speaker 1: Well. 618 00:33:49,559 --> 00:33:51,200 Speaker 3: Appreciate the time to show the store. 619 00:33:51,720 --> 00:33:55,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, you've been listening to The Human Animal Connection. 620 00:33:55,319 --> 00:33:58,000 Speaker 4: We'll see on the next episode by for now. 621 00:33:58,880 --> 00:34:01,720 Speaker 1: Thank you for tuning in to The Human Animal Connection Show. 622 00:34:02,119 --> 00:34:07,440 Please visit our website, Thehumananimalconnection dot org. There you can 623 00:34:07,480 --> 00:34:10,800 sign up for our free email newsletter, book a consultation, 624 00:34:11,280 --> 00:34:14,840 or check out our blogs and resources. Our best selling book, 625 00:34:15,039 --> 00:34:19,119 The Human Animal Connection is available on Amazon, and your 626 00:34:19,159 --> 00:34:23,599 donation of any amount keeps our nonprofit organization providing life 627 00:34:23,679 --> 00:34:24,679 changing services. 628 00:34:26,199 --> 00:34:30,760 Speaker 6: Let's Talk Pets every week on demand only on Petlight 629 00:34:30,920 --> 00:34:41,760 Radio dot com.