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Little Bear is a sweetheart. She’s a large black dog, apparently a Labrador-chow mix, who loves to take walks and get attention from the volunteers at the Valley Humane Society in Pleasanton.
She and nine other dogs in ages ranging from 3 months to 4 years were removed April 18 from a home of animal hoarders in the Sacramento area after the owners asked for assistance. After four weeks, two of the dogs, including the puppy, had been adopted.
As Animal Planet filmed, the 10 dogs were removed from the home and placed in crates for the trip to the new Valley Humane Society facility.
The rescue was chosen for filming by Animal Planet for its new hit series, “Confessions: Animal Hoarding,” which explores stories of people who own more pets then they can care for. The producer asked Valley Humane Society to undertake the rescue, and since it had room in its almost completed facility, it was able to help.
“We wanted to work with a no-kill shelter with a strong reputation for animal care and placement, and Valley Humane came highly recommended,” said Jereme Watt, producer for the Animal Planet program.
Valley Humane Society is working with local experts and its staff to assess the physical and behavioral condition of each of the dogs, with the goal of making them available for adoption. The owners provided the dogs’ names and a brief history.
None of the dogs had been bathed apparently, and two were found to be aggressive, said Executive Director Melanie Sadek. They all needed to be exposed to common household noises, such as ringing telephones, televisions and flushing toilets. All had to be neutered or spayed.
Liz Ferrise, a dog trainer whose regular job is teaching dogs to locate cadavers, had helped out before at Valley Humane Society. She has returned temporarily to help train and socialize the rescued dogs and has been spending countless hours at the task. Each of the dogs has several 20-minute training sessions and is walked three to four times a day by volunteers.
“Some were in crates. Some were in closets,” Ferrise said. “We’re not sure how much they were allowed out. They won’t sleep on beds — they want to sleep on concrete.”
“We’re not really a rescue center, we’re an adoption center,” said Sadek. “We wanted to do what we could to see they get the attention and training they need to be adopted out.”
As she walked through the new facility, some of the rescued dogs looked up curiously while others loped to the door wagging their tails expectantly. One door had its big metal doorknob secured because the inhabitant had figured out how to clamp her jaws around it and open it. Another rested morosely with a “donut” around her neck that she needed to wear because she had pulled out the stitches from her spaying.
“They are so sweet. It really pulls at my heart strings,” Sadek said.
“Raptor is my favorite,” she added, pausing by her room. “She was locked in a closet and we assumed it was because she was a vicious animal. But we found out the other animals were probably picking on her so she was locked in a closet for her own protection.”
A lot of resources are being used to help the rescued dogs and Valley Humane Society would appreciate donations, Sadek said. Murphy’s Paw, a pet store in Pleasanton, and Petfood Express have given food and other doggie items.
Valley Humane Society has a waiting list to accept surrendered animals. It has only had room in its temporary facility for cats and finds foster homes for dogs. Sadek said many families have had to surrender their pets because they can no longer afford to feed or care for them.
She also noted that the Society needs volunteers badly now while they are moving into their new facility and to prepare for huge Maddie’s Matchmaker Adoptathon taking part June 4-5. Valley Humane Society will be among the 40 shelters and rescue organizations hoping to find homes for all their wards.
To learn how to contribute directly to the extensive care of the rescued dogs or to support Valley Humane Society’s ongoing programs, visit www.valleyhumane.org or call 426-8656. Its new facility is located at 3670 Nevada St., Pleasanton.
The Animal Planet show about the Sacramento rescue is scheduled to air in September. Learn more at www.animalhoardingproject.com.
Animal hoarding
* Approximately 250,000 animals have been reported as victims of animal hoarding every year.
* Animal hoarding impacts communities across North America with about 3,500 reported new cases discovered each year.
* 40 percent of object hoarders also hoard animals.
* Without therapy, 100 percent of animal hoarders will again begin to collect animals.
* 65 percent of hoarding cases involves cats, and 60 percent, dogs. Animal hoarders also have been known to hoard rabbits, birds, reptiles, exotic pets, native wildlife and farm animals.
Two of the dogs rescued from a Sacramento area home of hoarders have found homes, and the other eight are being trained and socialized at the Valley Humane Society. The organization is asking for donations to help with its expenses, and also is seeking volunteers while they move into their new facility and prepare for the June 4-5 adoptathon.
–AnimalHoardingProject.com
–AnimalHoardingProject.com
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Raptor, one of the 10 dogs rescued last month by Valley Humane Society in cooperation with Animal Planet, is out for a walk for only the second time, with (right) volunteer Suzanne Edholm and trainer Liz Ferrise. Photo by Dolores Fox Ciardelli. -
Valley Human Society Executive Director Melanie Sadek hugs Little Bear in a room of the new facility where the dogs rescued from Sacramento-area hoarders are being housed. Photo by Dolores Fox Ciardelli. -
Valley Humane Society is moving from its portable to a 5,200-square-foot facility next door. Photo by Dolores Fox Ciardelli.
Thank you so much for bring this issue to our attention.
I’m a researcher for the series Confessions: Animal Hoarding, currently airing on Animal Planet that tells the stories of people overwhelmed by the number of pets they own. The problem is on the rise and affect communities across America.
If you are concerned about the health of animals in someone’s care and suspect they may be hoarding them, we might be able to help.
Most animal hoarders don’t see themselves as hoarders, and sometimes don’t intentionally collect animals. Their relationship with their animals has threatened their relationships with friends and family.
Most of these situations aren’t dealt with until they become criminal. This results in animals being euthanized by over-stressed shelters, and doesn’t address the underlying psychological issues – meaning nearly 100% of people end up in the same situation again.
We are dedicated to finding comprehensive long-term solutions and believe therapy to be key to this. We can bring in experts to help people and their pets.
If you or someone you know needs help because animals have overrun their life, visit http://www.animalhoardingproject.com to learn more and submit their story. Alternatively, contact me directly at help@animalhoardingproject.com or toll-free at
1 -877-698-7387.
We will treat all submissions with confidentiality and respect.