It's that time of year where we all pause to appreciate what we're thankful for and the Louie's Fresh Start doggies want in on the action! After all, action is what these dogs are all about. Whether it's the adventurous playful kind or the affecting positive change kind, the LFS pups and the program they take part in are busy creating and discovering new and wonderful things to be thankful for!
Here are just a few we've found in this, our program's first year...
Cupcake is thankful that she's awesome. She's also thankful to her ever growing entourage for turning her into a doggie rockstar. But, more importantly, Cupcake is thankful to be part of a program that's changing the definition of what "adoptable" means.
Mustang Sally is thankful for her magical powers of cuteness. She is also thankful to APA! and the LFS team for recognizing that high energy adolescent and young adult dogs like her are far overrepresented on shelter kill lists and are being killed under the label "behavior issues," not because they are "bad" or "aggressive" dogs, but because there is often little to no in-shelter (or foster) behavior support available to help them.
She is thankful we are working to change that and that she and her soul sister Cupcake weren't left behind because of the sparkly personalities that make them the amazing girls they are!
Rylan is especially thankful for his favorite APA! lady, Dawn, who has helped him so much. He is also thankful to APA! and Louie's Team for realizing that dogs shouldn't die because they're scared. Instead, they should be shown that they don't have to feel that way and given the help they need to overcome those fears.
We are thankful to have watched transformations like Rylan's and to know the magic of a dog who used to be too afraid to come near you, romping freely up to his new friends in the play yard with a goofy bounce in his gait and a toy in his mouth.
Shastais thankful for zoomies! She is also thankful to patient APA! staff and volunteers who gave her a chance to overcome her fear and discover what those zoomies are! She knows she still has to practice being brave with strangers but she's so thankful to have found people who will help her get there.
Murphy is thankful for cuddles and smooches and belly rubs. He would be fine if that's all there was time for in the world. But Murphy is also thankful to have landed in a program working hard to figure out the best ways to help dogs like him. Murphen is all for thinking outside the box!
Jennifer is thankful for running! Oh my gosh! Have you tried it?! She is also thankful for wonderful places like The Canine Center for Training and Behavior that help the LFS doggies get special support like tutor days and Confidence Building Class. Thanks to Louie's Fund, Jennifer gets to do both!
Handsome brothers-separated-at-birth and resident APA! superheroes, Eeyore, Brock, & Zorro are thankful for their good looks, their athletic prowess, their charming personalities, and for the amazing behavioral foster homes where they're currently able to kick up their paws while continuing to learn how to excel as shining examples of canine awesomeness!
Mason is thankful for YOU! He's thankful for all of the people here in Austin who are making No-Kill a reality. He is also thankful that we are now in a position to push past that 90% target goal and save the last 10%. Many (though not all) of the dogs in that 10% are just like those listed above (in fact, they quite literally ARE the dogs listed above). They are medium to large breed dogs with behavior challenges who just need a chance and a little extra help.
Already, amazing organizations like Hard Luck Hounds and Firecracker Dog are springing up to join the Louie's Fresh Start program in making sure these dogs are given the chance they deserve to live as loved companion animals. You can help us by...
1. Donating to Louie's Fund (the sole source of funding for APA!'s Dog Behavior Team and the LFS dogs)!
