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Animal Art is Here to Stay

Local Artist Gives Lobby Art on Permanent Loan

Mildred, an ARL alum.

Mildred, an ARL alum.

Thanks to South End artist, Paula Ogier, the art in our Boston lobby will be staying up indefinitely!

Paula dropped in at the Animal Rescue League of Boston one day in January 2013, just to take a breather from her work and visit the kitties, and she ended up adopting Tippi. “Tippi was a cautious stray who has blossomed into a playful spirit,” says Paula. “The transformation you make in an animal’s life with the gift of a home is more than matched by the magic they bring as a friend and family member.”

Her artwork was originally displayed at the League as part of Washington Gateway Main Street’s temporary Moving Gallery. The goal of displaying artwork here was to liven up the space and create an instant connection with animals before entering the adoption center. After seeing how her art transformed the lobby and receiving so much positive feedback about her artwork, Paula decided to give the collection on permanent loan to the League.

Thank you, Paula for brightening up our lobby and warming the hearts of our visitors, before they even step foot into our adoption center.

Paula paints pet portraits, and also creates art for use on products. View her art or schedule your pet portrait session.

Feline Focus: How to Choose the Right Companion Cat

Living in a multi-cat household can be extremely rewarding. Contrary to popular belief, cats are highly social creatures that benefit from feline companionship. Cats will often play together, groom each other, and give each other much-needed socialization. So if you’re considering adopting a new feline pal, here are some tips for finding the “purrfect” match:

A New Cat or a Companion Cat?

It is important to know the reason why you’re looking to adopt a new cat. Is the cat for you, or is it a friend for your resident cat? If the former, then the cats only have to tolerate each other and be able to share territory peacefully. If the latter, then you’re looking for a cat who will be interacting with and getting along with your resident cat. If that is the case, then whichever feline you choose must be a good match for your cat, with your own preferences coming in second.

Kitten or Adult?

Age isn’t so important. It’s often thought to be easier to integrate a kitten into a household simply because they are less threatening to a resident cat than an adult. However, there are plenty of adult cats who would make great companions, and because feline personality doesn’t begin to solidify until a cat is about 8 months old, it is easier to make a good match with an adult.

The most important thing is to match energy level/playfulness and personality. Ask yourself the following questions:

  1. How energetic is my cat? How often does he/she need to play?
  2. What type of play does my cat like? Is he/she very athletic, or more mellow during playtime?
  3. Is my cat outgoing or shy?
  4. Has my cat had previous experience living with or meeting other cats? How has he/she reacted?

For older, less playful cats, a kitten might not be the best choice. Kittens are in constant motion and might aggravate a mellower cat. A kitten might also not do well with an extremely active resident cat who could accidentally hurt a kitten during play.

Male or Female?

With spayed and neutered pets, certain pairings are easier, in general, to integrate. In order:

  • Male/Male companionship is the easiest
  • Male/Female is intermediate
  • Female/Female is more difficult

Female cats can sometimes be more territorial with each other than (neutered) male cats. However, there are always exceptions. There are female cats who come into the shelter who are wonderful with other cats, and there are males who refuse to like other cats, so always ask a staff member or volunteer about a particular cat you’re interested in!

At the Adoption Center

When you’re adopting a companion cat, it’s important to let a volunteer or staff person know about your resident feline. We’re happy to help you pick out the best match and we know our cats pretty well!

Making your home a multi-cat home can be a great experience, and can add enrichment and socialization for your resident cat. But for the best chance of success it’s important to make a good match.

Welcoming Your Adopted Dog Into Your Home

Congratulations! You’ve adopted a dog and they’re going home with you, so what’s next? After dog-proofing your house and gathering the necessary supplies (collar, ID tag, water bowl, crate, food, toys, and cleaning products), you’ll need to think about how to acclimate your dog the moment their paws walk through your front door.

Before You Bring Your Dog Home:

  • Gather Needed Supplies – Leash, Collar, ID Tag, Crate or Gates (if needed), Bed, Bowls, Food, Treats, Toys, Grooming Supplies, and Waste Bags.
  • Dog-Proof your house, look for and remove hazardous items and valuable items that your newly adopted dog could chew.
  • Setup your house for your dog’s arrival. Determine where your dog’s crate, bed, and food and water bowls will be placed. Decide where food, treats, and supplies will be stored. Determine the house rules for your dog and make sure all family members know what they are.
  • Decide what your dog’s schedule will be for walks, playtime, training, feeding, and potty time, and who will be responsible.

The First Day:

  • Determine ahead of time where your dog will ride on the way home. It’s best to have two people if possible; one to drive and the other to pay attention to the dog. For safer travels, consider setting up a travel crate in your vehicle. Bring towels just in case your dog gets car sick.
  • Bring your dog straight home – try not to run errands on the way.
  • No welcome-home parties. Limit/discourage visitors for the first few days so that your new dog isn’t overwhelmed.
  • When you arrive at home let your dog sniff around the yard or outdoor area near your home on a leash. Bring your dog to their designated potty spot and reward them with a treat and praise for going there.
  • Introduce your dog to your family members outside, one at a time. Keep it calm and low-key. Let your dog be the one to approach, sniff and drive the interaction. Offering a treat can help your dog to associate family members with good things (food!). No hugging, kissing, picking up, staring at, or patting on the top of the head during the initial introduction – these things can be scary for some dogs.
  • Stay close to home initially. No major excursions. You need to learn your new dog’s behavior before you can predict how they will respond to different stimulus. Establish a walk routine in an area you are familiar with. Structured playtime in the yard is also a good form of exercise, bonding, and training.
  • Bring your dog into the house on a leash and give them a tour of the house. Try keeping the mood calm and relaxed and redirect any chewing or grabbing of objects with a “leave-it” command and offering an appropriate toy.
  • Bring your new dog outside often. Dogs don’t generalize as well as humans do, so even though your dog may have been house trained in their previous home, your dog needs to learn your house rules, which includes a house training refresher.
  • Make sure your new dog gets ample “quiet time” so that your dog can acclimate to their new surroundings. Be observant of your dog’s responses and go at your dog’s pace.
  • If you have a resident dog(s), have the initial meeting outside (one dog at a time if you have several). Don’t rush it. Keep the leashes loose with no tension.  Make sure they meet in a food-free, toy-free zone. Don’t leave them alone together until you are absolutely sure it is safe to do so. Watch and manage all interactions between the dogs initially. When walking the dogs, there should be a person for each dog. 
  • If you have a resident cat(s), keep the cat secure until you know how your dog will react to them. Use doors, pet gates, and leashes to prevent contact initially. Don’t give your dog the opportunity to chase the cat. Make sure the cat has escape options. Keep initial encounters brief. Manage all interactions.

Establish Daily Routines:

  • Sleeping: Initially the crate or bed should be in the room you would like your dog to sleep in eventually. The area should be safe, dog-proofed, easily cleaned, cozy and quiet, with familiar scents. Don’t put your new dog in an uninhabited area like the garage or basement.
  • Feeding: Check with your vet about what the recommended food and amounts that should be fed to your dog based on breed, size, age, activity level, and health. If possible, feed two smaller meals per day rather than one large meal. You may need to reduce the meal size to allow for treats during training. Make sure your dogs food dish is in a safe, out of the way area.
  • Walks: Keep your walks short at first (5-10 minutes) until you get to know your new dog’s behavior and how they responds to different stimuli. Keep to relatively quiet places at first. Avoid interaction with other dogs and unfamiliar people until you and your dog are comfortable.
  • Chew Toys/Interactive Toys: Use of the crate and appropriate toys are great ways to keep your new dog out of trouble. Management of your dog and the environment prevents problem behaviors. Chew toys are a great way to direct your dog’s attention to appropriate toys, and away from objects that you don’t want your dog to destroy. Interactive toys help your dog to use their mind and tire them out, mentally. With a new dog, avoid rough and tumble and chase games when playing.
  • Prevent separation anxiety: Starting the first day, use a crate and a toy in combination with leaving for short periods and coming back several times a day. Don’t make a big fuss of coming or going.

Relationship Building:

Patience: Have patience with your new dog’s behavior, level of training, and the time it takes them to establish a bond with you. Give your new dog time and space to adjust. During the first few days, commit time to get to know your dog’s habits and personality. Establish a routine for your dog and balance interaction and down-time. This is a period of trust-building, so don’t scare or yell at your dog or try to force close contact. Watch your dog’s postures and expressions. Learn to read them. It may take even up to several months for you to get to know your dog’s true nature. And don’t forget, your new dog is trying to do the same with you!

Training: Physical and mental stimulation are necessary parts of your dog’s well-being. Training helps your dog settle into a new home, teaches your dog how to fit into a new family, and strengthens the relationship between you and your dog. Once your dog has settled in and you are familiar with your dog’s responses, take a positive reinforcement style training class (avoid dominance-based methods). You can sign up for humane dog training classes at the Animal Rescue League’s Boston or Dedham’s Branches.

Last: Remember to manage your dog’s environment so that you set them up to succeed. Be proactive, not reactive. In other words, prevent inappropriate behavior from happening, and then you won’t have to correct it.

Adopting a Cat? Think Older!

Right now we’re in kitten season, which means there are lots of adorable kittens waiting for their forever homes. But while all of our Animal Care & Adoption Centers’ animals need to be adopted, it’s important not to forget the amazing older cats who are often overlooked among their tiny-pawed companions.

There are many reasons why older cats make fantastic pets, but here are just a few:

  •  Cat personalities don’t begin to solidify until at least eight months of age, so it’s difficult to tell what type of cat your kitten will turn into in terms of playfulness, energy level, sociability, desire to sit in your lap, etc. With an adult cat you can pick and choose all of your favorite traits!
  • The older the cat, the less work they tend to be. A cat that has matured doesn’t mind so much if you’re at work all day, and is much more likely to sleep through the night. If you don’t like being woken up early, you definitely want to think adult!
  • Older cats know that you’ve rescued them and give tons of love and thanks in return.
  • Indoors cats can live on average between 16 and 18 years. Some can even live into their twenties! So a 7-year-old shelter cat is only just middle-aged. Even a 13-year-old cat could remain happy and healthy for the next five years! Particularly for first-time adopters, consider your own ability to commit to the rest of an animal’s life.
  • If you’re worried that an older cat means more medical bills, consider that even with a kitten you should be prepared to pay for unforeseen medical issues. All of our shelter animals get a full health check by our veterinarian, so we’re able to inform you about any long-term health care your pet might need.
  • Lastly, opening your home to an adult cat is extremely rewarding. There are great cats that spend weeks or even months at the shelter, simply because they get overlooked.

When it’s time to add a new member to your feline family, be sure to ask our staff and volunteers what type of cat (age, personality, etc.) would be a good match for your lifestyle. We’ve spent lots of time getting to know each animal, and are happy to help you start a relationship that will last.

Meet our adoptable cats online. 

I played ball with Big Papi

Nana, a 10 month old spayed female pit mix is looking for a new home. She has been a shelter resident for a few months now and has won one of the staff’s ‘most improved’ awards.

She’s a friendly and loveable lady whose activities in the shelter include playing fetch with her human friends and romping around with her fellow shelter dogs in our play yard. In fact, Nana was able to combine her favorite activities during a visit from David ‘Big Papi’ Ortiz, a member of the Boston Red Sox. She was the star that day, she loved running to the fence to retrieve the ball and would immediately give it back to Ortiz. Nana was not phased by all the cameras, other dogs, or people, she just really loved having a chance to play ball in the yard.

Nana would love to go to a home where she can play fetch regularly and cozy up on a warm bed at the end of the day. Being a young lady, she’s still learning her manners and would benefit from continuous daily obedience training. Stop by South End shelter on 10 Chandler Street or call our Adoption Center at 617-226-5602 for more information about Nana.

Thank you Big Papi

Yesterday was a great day for the Animal Rescue League of Boston. Big Papi’s visit inspired and uplifted the League’s staff and garnered extensive coverage on the evening news. This event will attract many more adopters to our shelter and help find forever homes for needy animals.

Big Papi enjoyed a tour of the Boston Shelter where he met the cats, dogs and other animals that are available for adoption. Afterwards, he revealed his genuine care and concern for animals as he played ball with the dogs in the yard.

My special thanks go to Big Papi, event sponsor PopChips, to the staff and volunteers who worked so hard to make this event a success, and to the many League supporters who came to the shelter to meet Big Papi and bring attention to the needs of the animals in our care.

Jay Bowen
President

Our Shelter Tour with David ‘Big Papi’ Ortiz

The Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) had the pleasure of taking David ‘Big Papi’ Ortiz on a quick tour of the Boston Animal Care & Adoption Center yesterday.

He was greeted in the lobby, by long time resident, Sapphire and an ARL adoption agent “Oh you like me little girl” – Ortiz said to Sapphire, the two bonded quickly.

He also spent time with a kitten, named Francis, who was recently rescued from a drain pipe by the League. Francis, whose fur resembles a Lion’s main, impressed Ortiz, he told Veterinary Technician, Jessica Wright, that as a child he always wanted to adopt a Lion but now he is happy with his 3 year old Terrier, Foxy.

The tour was full of moments of laughter, Ortiz was down-to-earth, friendly and funny! When we took him to see the dogs, he took his time making sure each dog received a treat and some special attention. Ortiz immediately gravitated to our largest resident commenting on his size and how similar they were.

Photo courtesy of Boston.com, Kristi Palma

Photo courtesy of Boston.com, Kristi Palma

When we told Ortiz about our Field Services Department, he was impressed by the scope of our services. As an animal lover, he recognizes the importance of the work that the ARL does and told us how much he appreciated the opportunity to get to meet the animals and see behind the scenes. Everyone at ARL is so thankful for him taking the time out of his busy schedule to visit.

Big Papi announces winner

Posted on October 25, 2011 by guest blogger, David Ortiz (Courtesy of the Popchips Blog)

 

What’s up red sox nation, Big Papi checkin back in. Really wish we were playing in the world series, but it was an honor to be there to accept the roberto clemente award. roberto has always been a role model for me on & off the field, so it’s such an honor to play a small part in continuing his legacy. special shout out to everyone who has supported the David Ortiz children’s fund over the years.

Also a big thank you to everyone who submitted ideas & voted for different ways that i could give back for this contest with my people at popchips! They are all great causes, and i wish i could do them all, but i’ve selected an idea that’s very near to my heart. Congratulations to the winning submission from Jennifer W. of the Animal Rescue League of Boston.

Big Papi can help a little puppy: Big Papi can play ball with the dogs at the Animal Rescue League of Boston’s shelter in the south end! big papi would help us to find homes for animals in need, give love and care to our shelter dogs, and raise awareness of the importance of adopting shelter animals. big papi can hit a home run for Boston’s homeless animals by playing a ball game with our dogs as part of a special adoption day in honor of October’s national adopt-a-dog month. go red sox!–Jennifer W.

The Animal Rescue League of Boston has done great work over the years rescuing and finding homes for dogs in the boston area.  i’m honored to do what i can to help raise awareness for this great cause.  my family has a dog of our own, so i know the value that a pet can have on a family.  stay tuned for more details about the event!