The rescue placement effort wraps up, though their lives with humans have only just begun.
By Jennifer Hayes, Best Friends Staff It could not have worked out any better. In an astonishing act of teamwork, all 144 dogs were removed from a remote ranch in Gabbs, Nevada. The 33 least socialized dogs, who for the past month have lived at “Camp Reno,” have all been placed into rescue now. Many had so little interaction with people throughout their entire lives that they would “shut down” when faced with a human being.
Shannon Asquith, Director of Field Services of
United Animal Nations (UAN) was in charge of “Camp Reno.” With 18 dogs still remaining at the facility on February 20, the date the temporary shelter was scheduled to shut down, she began to fear for their futures. However, fate intervened and 10 dogs were placed that day, while the eight remaining dogs were accepted into other rescue programs on February 21. Asquith commented, “In the last days, essentially everything fell into place.”
From January 23 to February 21, she and the
Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS) volunteers basically immersed themselves into these dogs’ lives. Every moment was spent in the attempt to integrate the fearful dogs into society, each day with the overlying fear that not all the dogs would be placed. Words cannot adequately describe the emotions Asquith feels when she tearfully states, “It was a lot of work, but it was worth it. All of our hard work paid off and we are thrilled that each dog was able to have an opportunity for a new beginning.”
Saving almost 150 dogs was only achievable because of the collaboration of many organizations and though they are all now out of jeopardy, the effort is far from over. Asquith says, “I just want to acknowledge the efforts of the rescue groups, the shelters, and the foster homes, who are currently caring for the dogs because they are only part way down their journey. They are still trying to work with the behaviors; they are still trying to get them to come around. Their journey essentially started when they left.”
Where are they now?:
Some may remember the canine Casanova,
Arnie. He was one of the free-roaming dogs at Gabbs who had a way with the gals and was therefore the father of the litter of puppies rescued by Best Friends in December. It was Arnie’s love for the ladies that led to his eventual capture during the Gabbs round-up in January. Along with some extra tasty treats, the females were placed in a pen. Wanting to get better acquainted, he stepped in the kennel and he was immediately confined, crated, and off to “Camp Reno.”
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Arnie, courtesy of Kris Brown of Yerington Animal Shelter)
Lucky for him, he caught the eye of EARS volunteer, Caryn Franson. On her first day at “Camp Reno,” she states that even looking into Arnie’s kennel terrified him. Every day she spent more time feeding him treats and eventually a breakthrough occurred when he laid his muzzle into her hand. Even then she was not considering fostering. It was only on her final day, that she woke up, and realized that she needed to help one of these dogs in her own home. Franson notes, “I already had a relationship with him and thought that would be his best bet, to go with someone he has a relationship with.”
Thanks to the sponsorship of
Grateful Dogs Rescue, Arnie has been in her home since February 17. True to his passions, the ever-roaming bachelor made a break last week. Franson believes he was once again chasing the ladies. Now, he is not only back safe at his foster home, but he finally has been neutered. No more litters are going to be sired by the Don Juan of Gabbs.
(
Arnie, courtesy of Caryn Franson of Grateful Dogs Rescue and EARS volunteer)
While progress has been slow, little breakthroughs happen regularly. “Today he actually walked back over to me and he’s not done that before,” notes Franson. “I almost cried. I wanted to jump for joy, but I knew that would scare him to death. It sounds so little, but these dogs have so far to go, every little bit of progress is encouraging.”
Believe it or not, Arnie is Franson’s first foster dog. “I used to think that I couldn’t foster without wanting to keep the animal. I was worried that I would end up with five dogs, but now I see that it’s easy enough to do. I can love him just as much as my other dogs, but I realized that I’m getting him ready to be a really great dog for someone else and that feels good, it feels right.”
(
“The Girls,” courtesy of Kris Brown of Yerington Animal Shelter)
Allie and Betty Sue (now renamed Gypsy) were two of the three dogs referred to as “The Girls” at “Camp Reno” and nicknamed “The Nippers” at Gabbs, due to their treat snatching method.
Seal Beach Animal Care Center would have taken in all three pals; however, the third gal was already placed by the time they had arrived at “Camp Reno.” Jane Parnes, Director and Co-Chair of the Dog Welfare Committee had been in contact with
Michelle Besmehn, Best Friends Dog Care Manager for some prior canine exchanges. When Besmehn requested Parnes’ assistance with some of the Gabbs rescues, she was quick to act.
(
Abby, courtesy of Liz Anderson of Seal Beach Animal Care Center)
The pair arrived at their small shelter early in the morning of Sunday, February 17. Without knowledge of their history, the Kennel Keeps let them out of their crates into a large play yard to run around for a while after their long journey. The girls happily romped for a few hours, though it took nearly an hour to recapture them.
Now they have settled in much better. Kenneled together in a quiet area closer to the shelter cats, they initially came out to explore a bit. When EARS volunteer Norma Rodriguez visited the shelter the day after their arrival, she was flabbergasted when she saw Gypsy already allow herself to be petted. The dog was even comfortable enough to curl up into a ball and fall asleep while being gently stroked.
(
Gypsy, courtesy of Liz Anderson of Seal Beach Animal Care Center)
As in “Camp Reno,” shelter volunteers would spend a lot of time just sitting quietly with them; however, since the shelter is located in the middle of the city of Seal Beach, the workers knew the girls would need to learn how to walk on a leash quickly. After only about four days, they were walking around the inside of the whole shelter on a leash and soon graduated to long walks outside the facility gates 2-3 times per day. Parnes notes, “They’re not wagging [their tails], but they’re no longer welded to their bellies and I take that as a really good sign.” In fact, Allie and Gypsy’s most recent breakthrough came when the pair actually barked in anticipation when they saw a volunteer approaching with a leash for a walk.
Each day, Parnes and the volunteers make sure they are stretched a bit beyond their comfort zone and are exposed to something new, making them braver and more adjusted to society. It seems to be working and while they originally came in scared, their progression has been swift. Parnes comments, “I think that it’s great to see them going back to being dogs, not dogs that live alone [in the desert], but with people, and I think they’ll enjoy it.”
Able, Dixie, Itsy, Tippy and Herbie, five of the Gabbs dogs the UAN describes as “socially challenged,” were taken in by Steve Markwell of the
Olympic Animal Sanctuary. He will now provide permanent lifelong care for the dogs at his special shelter.
(
Herbie and Itsy, courtesy of Steve Markwell of Olympic Animal Sanctuary)
The facility itself is a renovated commercial building that has been reconfigured to kennel dogs. Upstairs is the apartment where Markwell lives. As with other “street dogs” entering his sanctuary, he keeps them in his apartment to ease their transition into society. He has even gone so far as to remove all of the furniture from his place and has ordered kennel panels to make the dogs more comfortable and help speed the socialization process. He knows it will take time, in fact he has worked with some dogs who have taken years to overcome issues, but in the end he has had a 100% success rate of dogs getting along with other dogs in a group environment.
(
Abel, courtesy of Steve Markwell of Olympic Animal Sanctuary)
All the dogs have shown signs of progress. Abel was such a handful; the folks at Camp Reno were unable to vaccinate him. Now if he is in an enclosed quiet place, he will allow himself to be petted and will even approach and sniff. Though Dixie was essentially shut down previously, she has already shown a lot of interest in him and will touch Markwell’s hand with her nose. Itsy has started to overcome some of her nervous behavior and he believes she will make quick progress. Tippy is a bit of an enigma; his behavior has proved to be a bit “off.” His odd looks and gait may be due to genetics; however, Markwell hopes that as he becomes more comfortable, the issues will resolve themselves. Last, but certainly not least, is Herbie, who was considered to be the most alpha (dominant) dog from Gabbs. He growls and gives direct eye contact; however, Markwell states, “It’s called aggression, but it’s really just fear.” Now he keeps all associations positive and short, so as not to overwhelm him.
(
Steve Markwell with Dixie at “Camp Reno,” courtesy of United Animal Nations)
Markwell has a distinctive way of interacting with the dogs in his sanctuary. He feels that each animal is unique and that it is his job to determine the dog’s individual issues and “make them realize that what they perceive as a threat is not.” He believes that “every undesirable behavior is rooted in some sort of perception of threat.” Therefore he does not utilize intimidation or dominance with the dogs. He enacts submissive postures, lies on his back, and play bounces. He does his best to make the dogs look at him as if he were a puppy to gain their confidence and trust. The dogs eventually come to understand that they have nothing to fear from him. When this lesson is learned, as in any other family unit, he then begins to exchange roles, which are dependent upon the individual circumstances. As that happens, he plans to integrate them into the other canine groups downstairs to continue their development.
This method has proved to be so interesting; a short documentary is now being filmed about his sanctuary, in which the major focus will be on the progression of his five Gabbs dogs. The film is due out this summer.
*** Stay tuned for Part II soon ***
How you can help:• While all the dogs are now out of Gabbs and “Camp Reno,” there are still many who need loving homes. This rescue could not have been possible without the assistance of numerous organizations. Many groups still have dogs available for adoption and all of them would certainly appreciate support.
• Organizations involved in the Gabbs rescue effort:
Best Friends Animal Society,
The Humane Society of the United States,
United Animal Nations,
Cirrus Ranch,
Yerington Animal Shelter,
Dog Town Canine Rescue,
The Nevada Humane Society,
El Dorado County Animal Control,
Contra Costa County Animal Services,
The Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA,
The Sacramento SPCA,
The Solano County SPCA,
Olympic Animal Sanctuary,
Seal Beach Animal Care Center,
SPCA of Northern Nevada,
Wylie Animal Rescue Foundation (WARF),
Placer County Animal Services,
Grateful Dogs Rescue,
Santa Cruz SPCA,
City of Sacramento Animal Care,
The Canine Club,
Dalmatian Rescue of Colorado,
The Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe,
Pet Network,
Yolo County SPCA, and
High Sierra Animal Rescue.
For more information: •
Shannon Asquith’s blog on “Camp Reno”•
From Hay Bales to HomesPhoto credits: lead photo of Jane Parnes and Maureen Pearson walking Abby and Gypsy, courtesy of Liz Anderson of Seal Beach Animal Care Center.