Dog Whistle

I am very proud of the work we do at Animal Humane Society. There are always the cute and cuddly pictures of the animals we help. But I am more inspired by the true work we do. We are constantly thinking outside the box with the human-animal bond to solve problems.

Since there is a nationwide shortage of vet techs, we created our own Rachael Ray Vet Tech Program. If they are not graduating from vet school and we cannot find them - let's train them ourselves in exchange for a commitment to serve us after certification. If our community is stressed at not being able to find housing, let's create a Temporary Housing Program to assist with foster care while those severely unfortunate get a chance to get on their feet again until they can be reunited with their pet.

This week our Shelter Behavioral Team briefed us on a new housing study we are undertaking. Any Dog coming into our care is going to be stressed. We are a large clinical setting, many other dogs barking or setting boundaries, strange vet staff handle them, public crowds approaching them 6 days a week. Over the last few years, we are digging deeper into finding what type of housing situations can alleviate that stress.

It can be different for each Dog. Some prefer a quiet, safe sanctuary space. Others may want something that gives them more interaction and free space. We have been gifted a fabulous new technology tool called a Whistle App.

Whistle is available commercially as a Tracking device. But it has many more capabilities. Think of it as a Fit Bit for dogs. When it is attached to their collar, it keeps track of so much more than just activity. Of course, we want to know how much time they spend sleeping vs. how much time they are active. This can be an insight into what may be depression in shelter vs. anxiety. They are also capable of tracing other biological levels very helpful to us. We are ultimately using these devices on a case study of 12 dogs at a time in different living situations with our next transport of dogs in from out of state. This will give us glimpses into adaptation of the new dogs and figure out what might work best on a dog:dog basis. Overall, this will impact what "housing" means at AHS. What can we build to better serve these large dogs who are so much in need? Thinking Outside the Box as noted above.

Whistle App