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November 17, 2023
CityBook Houston: A Magical Night Fetches $300K for No-Kill Shelter
January 3, 2023
APDT Chronicle of the Dog: DEI Survey Report
April 11, 2022
CW39: National Pet Day at Brookdale The Heights
January 17, 2022
MIX 96.5: Celebrating Betty White’s Birthday with Friends For Life
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"Are we done with the photo? Because I'm ready to dig in!" Thanks to our friends at @rawznaturalpets for donating around 260 bags of Salmon Dog Food to our pet food bank last month. How generous! We truly appreciate it, and as you can see, it's a hit with our dogs!P.S. William is not just a great food model, but also a fun companion. If you need a chill friend, please give William a chance. He'd love a forever home, but even a short-term foster home would be a great break from the shelter life! Give us a shout if you're interested!#rawznaturalpetfood #rawzpetfood #rawzdog #rawzdonations
Playtime in Logan’s Room! Adoptable cats Basil, Cadbury and Biscotti enjoying some active play and loving the attention. Could you use some playtime? You can visit our shelter cats daily (except Tuesdays : )——107 E 22nd Street, Houston, TX 77008Hours: 11AM - 4PM (Tuesday: Closed)
Have you heard of biometric dog collars? They are like smartwatches for dogs, able to measure heart rate, respiration, movements, etc.A few months ago, we got two of those and immediately put them to use. We started collecting data on dogs Appa and Sweetpea, to better understand their stress triggers and the effects of their activities.Both dogs lived in the shelter for a long time, so it was a chance for us to improve their emotional well-being.In February, Sweetpea caught a lucky break. A potential foster was interested in taking her home. Finally! Sweetpea went to a foster home with a young couple and their baby.A week later, Melissa looked at the collar data and could not contain her excitement:“Ready for a neat piece of data to brighten your day? SweetPea’s average pulse rate has been trending downward since going to foster.”We didn’t need another proof that foster homes are superior environments for pets, but here it is!We currently have 13 dogs living at the shelter. Here goes the list: Appa, Apollo, Callum, Jack, Julio, Jean-Claude, Noodle, Pup Tart, Rayne, Sam, Spice, Vanessa, and William.Can you open your home to any of them? Even a couple of weeks would be helpful to give them a break. Who knows, they just might lower your heart rate in return.Please email jen@friends4life.org with any questions regarding fostering.Picture: Sweetpea in her foster home : )
My name is Tater Tot and I’m every bit as tempting and tasteful as the treat after which I’m named!I’m a well-behaved lady who likes to be included in household activities. No matter what you’re doing, I won’t be far away – watching with interest. When your attention turns to me, I’ll solicit scratches and soft strokes with purrs and head butts.Although I’m a middle-aged lady of class, I do have a playful side! I love to chase string toys and investigate new objects. My very favorite activity is relaxing in a patch of sunshine. I’m also quite fond of snuggling in an empty lap for a peaceful doze!When I’m in the house, loneliness and despair will disappear! I’m the purrfect companion, just looking for the purrfect home. Do you have room for me? I guarantee you won’t be disappointed if you give me a chance.friends4life.org/tater-tot
This was not love at first sight.The first time Sasha saw Burrito, she didn’t even look at him. For a full hour of their first meet & greet, Sasha carefully avoided looking in Burrito’s direction. This “ignoring” is a red flag in dog introductions that can indicate conflict in the future.We wondered if this adoption was going to work out.A month earlier, Sasha‘s parents attended our gala. Burrito was a guest star at this event, and they fell in love with him. They thought he would be a great companion for their seven-year-old dog, Sasha.Sasha is a social girl with many dog friends. She attends daycare and is used to dog visitors. So when she gave Burrito the cold shoulder, we were all puzzled.Does it mean it’s a bad match?Fortunately, our behavior team had been in this situation before.“Most dogs can learn to get along together with time and positive interactions,” said Melissa, our behavior and training manager.The potential adopters agreed to another meet & greet. And then, another one. It took about nine meetings between Sasha and Burrito before he stayed overnight for a sleepover.It was a joy to observe the gradual change in Sasha’s attitude towards Burrito.In the early meetings, Sasha would bare her teeth and snap at Burrito whenever he came close to her humans. She may have been guarding or protecting them.With our behaviorist guidance, Burrito stayed within Sasha’s comfort zone. We chose activities that created positive feelings between the dogs: a neighborhood walk together, and visiting a new park together. Even barking at the yardman together, while annoying, was a bonding experience for the dogs.Burrito was praised for reading Sasha’s body language and respecting her boundaries. Sasha was rewarded each time she looked towards Burrito and showed any prosocial behavior toward him.We are grateful to Burrito’s adopters for the patience and trust they had in our team. There were moments when it was hard to imagine a happy coexistence between these two dogs.And yet, here they are today: Sleeping in the same bed, attending daycare together, and playing with each other in the living room.“They are pretty inseparable,” wrote the adopter in an update.Our hearts are full.Burrito had quite the journey! He spent his youth as a shelter dog. He was adopted in 2020, only to be abandoned three years later. You may recall that he was found in an empty apartment in Indiana, weighing nearly a hundred pounds. Both of his hind knees required surgeries if he was to walk pain-free again.But 2023 was a lucky year for Burrito. We brought him back to Houston, and two foster families provided him with loving homes. We regulated his thyroid levels and food intake. We led him through weight loss and two knee surgeries.Before the year ended, Burrito had a wonderful adopter lined up. It was now up to Sasha whether he could join the family.We’re thrilled that she said yes. And she, too, appears happy with that decision.