Running Buddies

Chandra and I have been running the Running Buddies program for almost a year. It seems to be quite successful and people really seem to like it. Last night, however, staff mentioned that they're not sure that they can keep supporting the program. They don't like it that we keep advertising our dogs with "issues". Not all of our dogs have issues, but many do. They're afraid that the flyers might not accurately represent the dog. We talked about ways to fix that. At least we can all agree that the flyers should be accurate. Chandra and I want Running Buddies to be a positive brand, not one that just represents the worst dogs.



We try to focus on high energy dogs. They have the hardest time at the shelter because they don't get the exercise they need and in turn can act crazy when someone takes them out. Some of them are super-cute and end up getting adopted by someone who chose a dog based on looks, but was totally unable to give the dog the exercise it needs. We'd like to prevent that and get the dog into an active household. Because these dogs are usually long stays and have a lot of frustration about being pent up in a cage all day, they can have some issues. We do know that some of these dogs with the worst issues went into homes and became perfect pets almost immediately. I'm certain that won't always happen, but having issues in the shelter isn't a perfect predictor of how the dog will be in a home.



Another reason staff said they don't like the program anymore is that doing these flyers has made people more bonded to the dogs, which is going to make it more difficult for them when it comes time to euthanize. As I've mentioned before, there is nothing worse for them than volunteers questioning their decision to euthanize.



So, what do we do? The flyers have definitely been bringing more people into the shelter, which is a great thing. We can't focus on the easy dogs, because by the time we get them photographed and have their flyers made and distributed, they'll be adopted. These high energy dogs are still in the adoption program, so why should we ignore them? Hopefully we can work with their concerns and continue this program.