Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Dog days of summer
Quarantine is perfect for furry friendships.
Editor’s Note: Inspired by the creation of a YouTube cooking show by two area actors, this summer series of stories looks at hobbies people have undertaken — or continued to work at — while quarantined at home by covid-19. We’ve still got needle arts, dog training and who knows what else to go in August. Stay tuned!
For Michael Myers, the societal shutdown — or, for some people, slowdown — due to the growing covid-19 pandemic was something of a godsend at first. Those familiar with the theater scene in Northwest Arkansas will have no trouble recognizing Myers, whose beautiful voice and acting chops have brought to life a wide variety of characters from Jesus Christ to Dr. Frank N. Furter on stages across the area. But in his off-stage life, says Myers, he’s a bit less outgoing.
“In reality, I’m much more reserved and reclusive — certainly more of an introvert,” he notes. “At first, it was almost kind of a dream come true, being able to be at home and kind of focused on myself and those types of things.”
But that was in March. Months went by, and, by the time summer hit, Myers realized how lonely it was to be the only person in a one-bedroom apartment.
“Without the outlet of theater — really, that was my social life,” he says “And the absence of that outlet has left me feeling a little incomplete. Humans are social beings, and not having any social interactions is starting to taking its toll. I’m just craving that a lot more than I thought I would.”
Like so many people across the country, Myers says he realized that it might be the perfect time to adopt a dog. He had a dog once before as an adult, lost it far sooner than he expected and had, so far, shied away from adopting another one, afraid of the kind of pain he had suffered from the loss. But while the memory of that loss was strong, the memories of the love and companionship that the relationship delivered were even stronger, and he says he sensed that adopting a new pet would be good for his emotional health.
“I try to keep my life pretty organized and try to plan things out accordingly,” he explains. “Right now, with everything up in the air, it’s difficult to have that sense of control. Taking care of something, which is something that I really feel I’m good at, will help me stay more focused. It creates a situation for me to feel a little more fulfilled.”
When Myers posted to friends on Facebook that he was looking to adopt, he received a lot of suggestions right away — leading him to his new dog, Kona, an Italian greyhound a friend was trying to re-home.
“[Greyhounds] are adorable love bugs,” says Myers. “I’ve actually had some time to play with him when a group of friends got together at his home. We were pretty inseparable that evening.”
Kona moved in over the weekend, and Myers says he couldn’t be more excited.
“I just got a new job, and I’m moving into a new apartment this weekend,” he says. “There’s a lot of change going on, and it will be a really great time for both of us to lean on each other and establish that relationship. I’ve added a million things to my Amazon cart for him! I can’t wait to spoil him and really start this awesome relationship.”
Myers isn’t the only person in Northwest Arkansas who decided the pandemic was the perfect time to adopt a pet — area shelters and pet rescue organizations have had higher-than-average adoption rates since March.
“From March to June, we’ve had anywhere from three to six dogs at a time, and most went really fast — there was a wave of adoptions after the quarantine, because people were either lonely or they said, ‘I’m at home, I have time to train this dog,’” says Chaddie Kumpe Platt, co-founder and owner of Dog Party USA, a professional dog boarding, daycare, grooming and training organization. Platt knows a little something about finding dogs their forever homes: She’s been in business for 15 years and has helped area rescue organizations like the Animal League of Washington County, For Pets’ Sake and Spay Arkansas by helping to place hundreds of dogs in foster and permanent homes.
“We have a lot of space for boarding, and one of the things I’ve tried to do all of these years is to help out local rescue organizations and, sometimes, shelters,” she says. “Some dogs aren’t necessarily suitable for a foster home, or they have so much energy and need to run around, or they’re withering away in shelter situations. For the most part, I’m here to support the rescue organizations that are doing the hard work of identifying prospective adopters. I take care of the dog and make sure it gets food and exercise and lots and lots of love and affection. If a dog is skittish or shy or has been in an abusive situation, they might not show well. When people come to a shelter, they’re looking for a dog that will respond to them, and if a dog is shy or traumatized, they might not. Coming here, they’re interacting with a lot of dogs and staff, and it helps.”
Beth Zachary and her husband Michael have adopted two dogs that were placed at Dog Party USA — most recently a husky mix puppy named Goku, which they adopted just this month. Goku will join Alice, the couple’s older dog, who has been an only pet since they lost a dog in the fall.
“Our hearts were ready and mended a little bit earlier this year,” says Zachary. “We wanted to get Alice a friend. She likes to be the boss, but it might be in her best interest to have a friend.”
Goku is about seven months old, says Zachary, and, while still playful, has “an old soul.”
“They’re getting a long pretty well,” reports Zachary. “It’s a little like having a toddler and a teenager. He’s constantly at her, and she’s a good teacher, pretty tolerant, but she definitely tells him when enough is enough.”
Zachary says while the timing of this most recent adoption had more to do with coming to terms with the death of their previous dog than the pandemic, she thinks some coronavirus-related details do factor in. Her husband has joined her in working from home since March, and she’s doing much less traveling than she’s used to, so it seemed like an ideal time to move forward. Since they adopted their last dog from Dog Party USA’s fosters, it seemed natural to find their next one there as well.
“[Platt] does amazing work to keep foster dogs until they get their forever home,” says Zachary. “They get all-day socialization and an opportunity to play with dogs, which is such a better environment than kennels or crates. The shelters do the best they can, but it’s a better opportunity to run around and play with other dogs all day.”
There’s little doubt Platt is crazy about dogs, but she has also seen, first hand, the benefit being exposed to a pet can have for other people. She and her therapy dog, Cece, are routine visitors to Arkansas Children’s Hospital and are getting ready to start visiting Circle of Life Hospice, a continuation of a relationship they already have with that organization.
“Since the shelters have been closed, we’ve all been really busy helping re-home senior dogs,” she says. “‘Seniors to Seniors’ is a new program we’re in the process of formalizing through the Circle of Life. A lot of time, the biggest concern of seniors who enter hospice is ‘What’s going to happen to my dog?’ We try to place senior dogs with senior owners, since you’re not looking at a lifetime of commitment, and senior dogs have lower energy and are more easily taken care of by senior citizens.
“I think dogs make us happier, healthier people. I’m always reminded of a T-shirt I once saw: ‘I’m trying to be the person my dog thinks I am.’”