Understanding new pets

This year, over 60 percent of the animals that have come into the care of the Humane Society of Imperial County have been found on the streets as lost or stray.

They are found by animal control for each city and are placed on a mandatory stray hold, and the majority of them are never claimed by their owners.

From Jan. 1 to Oct. 31 of this year, the Humane Society of Imperial County has taken in a total of 1,064 animals from multiple animal control agencies throughout the county and from the public as owner surrenders.

It is safe to say that of the 654 animals that came into our care from Animal Control, most of them probably do not know what the inside of a house looks like. Many of these animals come to us emaciated, covered in fleas and ticks, are very dirty and sometimes in very poor health.

It is hard to even say whether some of these unwanted and mistreated animals have ever had basic veterinary care. One thing is certain -- most of them were not loved. Many of them were never taught manners or basic commands and were tossed in the backyard and given very little attention once they no longer were cute.

Animals like this crave love and attention and when they see their humans, they become very excited and will often jump on and excessively lick people. People will often say that pets like these are “too rough”, “knock people down”, “are destructive” and “make too much noise.” It is sad to say, but they literally are attention deprived.

When potential adopters come into our shelter to adopt a pet, almost all of them are looking for the same thing -- an animal that is “pre-programmed.” This means that the animal already knows all the basic commands, does not make a sound and is already potty trained. Unfortunately in most cases this is not a reality for these animals.

We like to take the time and explain to our adopters what these animals have had to go through prior to coming into our care. We like to take the time to help them understand how important it is to give them time to relax and to properly acclimate to the sudden and major change in their life.

Just as the new pet parent is getting to know the pet, the pet is getting to know its new mom and dad. They go from being at a home, to the streets (some even severely injured during the process), scared out of their minds not knowing where they are, to being picked up by animal control, being placed in a kennel for several days, put into a truck again and then brought to our shelter.

That is a lot to go through in just five to seven days. This process is extremely stressful on the animals, and they do not understand why it is happening. Unfortunately we have no way of being able to verbally communicate with them and telling them that everything will be all right.

Fortunately, most humans can be very good at showing these animals love and compassion and are able to help them realize that everything is going to be all right. It is our responsibility as shelter workers to keep them happy, healthy and comfortable until they can find their forever homes. From that point on, it is up to our community to give them the second chance at a long life filled with unconditional love and happiness.

These animals rely on people to be patient and understanding. Their new families need to teach them right from wrong, what is allowed and what isn’t and that now there is nothing to be feared. This process requires a lot of patience, love, positive and negative reinforcement and a lot of consistency.

After everything that these poor animals have had to endure, they now are in an unfamiliar environment with new sites, new smells and new people. They are now expected to be well mannered when they have no clue how to even be that.

Some newly adopted pets are just so happy to be in a home that they quickly adjust to their new life. We do understand that there are some difficult cases and for those who are willing to work with those animals, sometimes professional help is needed.

Fortunately the Imperial Valley has some great resources for pet training when that extra help is needed. Mike Burk is a very well-known dog trainer and behaviorist here in the Imperial Valley and has more than 30 years’ professional experience. Our local Petco and PetSmart stores have very knowledgeable trainers who have developed an excellent training program.

Some would say that making this kind of addition to the family is almost like raising a child. New pet parents must understand that adopting a pet is a lifelong commitment. Our pets cannot understand the words that we speak to them the same way we understand when we speak to each other. They try very hard to understand what it is that we are saying or what it is that we want. They love us very much and they only want to make us happy. In that respect, our pets deserve the same love and understanding.

Local trainers Mike Burk (760)5546569 Petco (760) 482-9130 PetSmart (760) 6795131