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Articles Tagged with: Adopt A Dog Month
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Bark if You Love October

ARL Shares Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Adopt an Adult Dog

If you’ve considered adding a canine companion to your family, there’s no better time than NOW to ADOPT! October is National Adopt-a-Dog Month and the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) has many adult dogs looking for their forever homes!

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Many potential adopters visit animal shelters looking for a puppy. While puppies are absolutely adorable, they are also very energetic and their personalities, likes, and dislikes are still emerging.

That’s why adopting an adult dog can be a great decision for you and your family! (Hint: At ARL Animal Care & Adoption Centers, adult dogs are 1 year and older.)

When you come into ARL’s shelters in Boston, Brewster, and Dedham, our knowledgeable adoption agents will ask you about what you’re looking for in a dog in terms of energy level, personality, and compatibility with children and other pets.

It won’t take long for you to realize that one of the biggest perks of adopting an adult dog is that what you see, is what you get.

Adult dogs have passed their critical development stages, so you’ll get a good idea of whether or not their personality and energy level is the right fit for your home. They may also be an easier introduction info the family, as puppies can be fragile and act quite timid in an already active household.

Not yet convinced? The ARL’s shares top 5 reasons why you should adopt an adult dog this October:

  1. You’ll save a life. When you adopt, you actually save two lives: the life of the dog that you adopted, and the life of the dog that is going to take its place at the shelter. Your new pet will thank you again and again for being their hero with slobbery kisses!
  2. You’ll meet your perfect canine companion. At the ARL, each dog is thoroughly evaluated to assess their medical history and overall temperament. They are then given a customized behavioral and enrichment plan to prepare them for life in their future home. All this information will be presented to you at the time of the potential adoption so that you and your family members can decide if the dog you’re interested in is the right match for you.
  3. You’ll find variety. If you have your mind set on a dog of a particular breed or temperament, chances are that one of ARL’s shelters will  have what you’re looking for! Various purebreds and mixed breeds come into our shelter at any given time, so we always have new dogs available! Don’t see a canine that catches your eye? Keep checking our list of current adoptables, as it changes every day!
  4. You’ll save money. Every adoptable dog at the ARL receives the following included in their adoption fee: health screening and veterinary examination; spay or neuter services; vaccinations; heartworm test and preventative; flea and tick treatment; intestinal parasite scan; microchip identification and registration; tag and collar.
  5. You’ll be doing something especially kind for animals in need. Adult dogs usually stay at our shelters much longer than puppies do. That’s why shelters usually charge a smaller adoption fee for adult dogs- to incentivize people to adopt them!

 

DIY Dog Obstacle Course

Keep your pup in tip-top shape with this fun backyard activity

It’s National-Adopt-a-Dog month and the ARL is celebrating our beloved canine companions all October long! While summer presents us with natural opportunities to stay active with our pet, such as hiking and swimming, the fall weather often leaves us questioning how we can continue the outdoor fun.

The answer is simple and can actually be found in your own backyard: a DIY dog obstacle course! Inexpensive and easy to set up, a DIY dog obstacle course will keep Fido entertained and agile by challenging him both physically and mentally. An added bonus: it will help you and your pooch bond even more!

Is your dog a master of physical fitness? Keep things interesting by adjusting the level of difficulty or encouraging them to complete the course within a certain amount of time.

diy dog obstacle course

Placing treats inside the tunnel can help your pooch feel more comfortable when crawling through.

Gather your pup, some yummy treats, and a few basic supplies to get your dog maneuvering over, under, and through these 6 fun obstacles… READY, SET, BARK!

  • Weave poles: Evenly space out about 10-12 traffic cones, poles, or flat markers and use a treat or toy to help Spot maneuver through. Increase the wooficulty: Slide the weave poles or markers closer together.
  • Leave it: Scatter objects of temptation (extra tasty treats, a paper towel roll, an old shoe, etc.) around your yard. When your dog approaches an object, command them to “leave it”; if they look at you or walk away, immediately reward them with a treat. Increase the wooficulty: Try it without reward treats.
  • Tunnel-through: Anchor a children’s flexible play tunnel and have your pooch crawl through. Decrease the wooficulty: A tunnel can be a dark, scary environment! Place treats every 6-12” inside the tunnel and ask a second person to stand on the opposite end to call your pet’s name.
  • Hurdle jump: Place a PVC pipe on top of a couple of cement blocks and direct Rover to hop over. Increase the wooficulty: Turn the cement blocks vertically or add another set to raise the height.
  • Doggie catwalk: Place a 2×4” plank of wood on top if cement blocks (make sure it’s sturdy!) and have Fido walk carefully across the plank. Decrease the wooficulty: Place the plank of wood on the ground and see if your pup can walk a straight line.
  • Tire jump: Hang an old bike tire from a sturdy tree branch so that it’s a couple of inches off the ground and direct your dog to jump through it. Increase the wooficulty: Raise the tire another couple of inches.

DID YOU KNOW… that pet obesity is the #1 health problem for pets in the US?  Boston Veterinary Care shares 5 tips on how to manage your pet’s weight.

A big thank you to our Adopt-a-Dog month media sponsor CITYSIDE SUBARU and to our media partners WCVB TV 5 and MeTV for sharing the importance of dog adoptions with our community, and your viewers!

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October is National Adopt-A-Dog Month

When you ADOPT, you give dogs like Chicken Little a chance at a better life

Bark if you love October! The ARL is celebrating National Adopt-a-Dog Month and so should you….

If you’re already the parent of a rescue dog, then you know that the benefits of adopting are immeasurable – the love, loyalty, and feeling of truly helping is just about the best feeling in the world.

And if you’re looking for a canine companion, you’ve already heard the many reasons why adopting is a great idea for you and your family. With so many shelter dogs looking for loving homes, there’s no better time than NOW to ADOPT man’s best friend!

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BEFORE: Chicken Little when she first arrived at the ARL showing signs of extreme neglect and malnourishment.

When you adopt, you give an animal a chance a better life.

The animals who come to ARL shelters arrive under many different circumstances.

Sadly, many are here because they are the innocent victims of suffering, cruelty, abandonment, and neglect.  Thanks to our generous supporters and amazing volunteers and staff, the ARL has the ability to give dogs like Chicken Little the “happy tail” and new start they most definitely deserve!

Here’s her story….

On an early August morning, a fragile 8-year-old little white dog was found abandoned in the parking lot of BJ’s Wholesale Club in Dedham, Massachusetts. Chicken Little, as she’s now called, had wandered up to a kind citizen and was whimpering in distress.

It was clear that Chicken Little was extremely malnourished, possibly as a result of neglect. In addition to being severely underweight, most of the fur had fallen out from her stick-thin frame.

“She was all skin and bones,” describes Lt. Alan Borgal, director for the center of animal protection at the ARL. “Her spine and hips were clearly visible through her skin.”

The kind citizen who spotted Chicken Little contacted Dedham Animal Control, who in turn called the ARL’s law enforcement team to ask for help.

The ARL covered Chicken Little’s initial $410 emergency veterinary bill and provided her with continued medical treatment to get her up to a healthy weight.

For several weeks, Chicken Little recovered at the ARL’s Boston Shelter.  She slowly began to put on weight and her fur started to grow back. Her spunky personality began to shine and she quickly became a staff favorite.

The Happy Tail ending….

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TODAY: Chicken Little, pictured here with her adopter, is getting stronger every day! “She’s doing really great! Loves the Cape and her nice back yard!”

Earlier this week Chicken Little went home with her new family — we’re not sure who was more excited- Chicken Little or her new mom!

YOU HELP CHICKEN LITTLE AND OTHER ANIMALS LIKE HER!

Thanks to a generous donor who has challenged us to triple a $5,000 donation during the month of October, your donation during our Cruelty Prevention Fund Drive will help protect more animals like Chicken Little from harm!

The ARL works with local authorities to prevent, investigate, and prosecute animal cruelty. The ARL receives no government funding, so your donation today will support the on-going efforts of our law enforcement team and provide animals suffering from abuse and neglect the assistance they need to recover. Visit arlboston.kintera.org/law or click the green button below to DONATE NOW.

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THANK YOU to our media sponsor CITYSIDE SUBARU and our media partner WCVB Channel 5 for helping us to share the importance of dog adoptions with our community!

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