SICSA transfers in over 400 animals annually from open admission and “high kill” shelters. We do this to help save even more homeless and stray lives, and to keep euthanasia rates of adoptable animals down in our community. Recently, we needed a little transfer help of our own.
Meet Booker. Booker was returned to us because of his puppy-like, overzealous behavior. Booker wasn’t aggressive; he just didn’t know his own size. But at 84 pounds, this was a problem. He also didn’t like to be kenneled. His kennel anxiety was causing stress for Booker and issues for the staff here at SICSA, and within 10 days he was on bite quarantine. Fortunately for Booker, SICSA has a team which meets regularly to address any ongoing medical or behavioral needs of our animals. Called the Path Plan Team, this group outlines an individual service plan of sorts for each animal identified. This plan allows staff and volunteers to be on the same path in getting the animal adopted.
The group met about Booker and put him in a temporary foster home, which helped alleviate some of his stress. However, the first foster was gone too often, triggering Booker’s kennel anxiety. The second foster had multiple other dogs, and while Booker typically does well around other dogs, there was one in the foster home he just wasn’t making friends with. Each time Booker returned to SICSA, his kennel anxiety increased. Not even released from his first quarantine, Booker had a second bite incident. Things were not going in the right direction! While the bites were relatively minor and stress-induced, the team needed help before Booker’s anxiety turned dangerous and harder decisions about his future would need to be made. The good news is that Booker is part Weimaraner, and there was a chance a breed-specific rescue would be willing to work with him longer-term. We needed experts in this particular breed to help.
Enter the Great Lakes Weimaraner Rescue (GLWR). SICSA Adoption Manager Jessie Sullivan reached out to several breed-specific rescues, with GLWR ultimately agreeing to the transfer. This past Saturday, Animal Care Technician Cody Roberts drove Booker to Toledo where GLWR was waiting to take Booker the rest of the way to his new foster home in Michigan. That’s right, Booker is now a Wolverine. The Executive Director of GLWR had this to share with SICSA:
“First of all, thank you so much for assisting with his transport. Your team was amazing and all went well. Booker is a terrific dog. No issues what so ever and he rode so well yesterday all the way home. We were significantly delayed with Detroit traffic, rain and Donald Trump being there! He was terrific for the whole ride and he even met a police officer at a rest stop that thought he was amazing and is going to think about possibly applying to adopt him when he is ready. He settled in well last night, and this morning went out and met the other dogs (through the fence) without any issues. Later today we will do another intro, and if all goes well, he will go out with a few dogs to socialize and run the 5 acre yard!”
We are so thrilled for Booker, as well as to have met and worked with a new rescue friend in the region. Booker is glad that SICSA provides more than just shelter to their animals. SICSA is willing to go above and beyond to find an animal’s happily ever after. Good luck, Booker, and a huge thank you to our new friends at the Great Lakes Weimaraner Rescue.
Learn more about the Great Lakes Weimaraner Rescue by going to their website at www.great-lakes-weimaraner-rescue.com.
