“Someone will mention that they want to buy a
puppy and I’ll respond by asking them if they have a plan for taking care of the puppy while they’re gone all day,” Chris added. “You can’t just buy a puppy and leave them home alone in a crate all day. That’s how dogs develop behavioral issues and end up being surrendered to a shelter.” Chris believes that most people aren’t inherently
mean to their pets. “They just don’t realize that they’re mistreating their dogs simply because they don’t know how to responsibly care for a dog,” he said. He emphasizes the obvious: that dogs are living beings. They deserve love, respect and patience – whether the new dog is a puppy or adopted from a shelter. “Seriously consider your lifestyle and the type of dog you’re interested in bringing home,” Chris added. “Make sure you have the time to spend with a dog, and realize that it’s a commitment for the life of the dog.” When the couple was ready to bring a second dog
into their home, a companion for Ghost, naturally they kept their eyes open for adoptables at HSTB. Dogs seem to know just when to turn on the charm. During a play- group session, Mariah retrieved a dog from the kennel. “She was a Terrier mix named Laila. All the other dogs were barking and going crazy in their kennels, but she was just sitting there looking at me. When I brought her out of the kennel, and took her to the play area, she was just the absolute sweetest dog. I later learned she was being used for the behavior testing of all incoming dogs because she had such a dog-friendly personality. Chris and Ghost came to meet her, and we adopted her the same day, changing her name to Ziggy.” Currently, Mariah and Chris are researching the best
avenue for helping to promote their message for the Team Godwin Foundation. Thinking out loud, Chris asked, “How do we stop the cycle of pet overpopulation that’s resulting in the high number of companion pets being euthanized?” This was not a rhetorical question, but one Chris said he’s determined to find the answer to. He agrees that the solution should probably start somewhere with the schools. Perhaps it’s teaching kids at an early age the benefits of spaying and neutering their pets, adoptions, pet ownership responsibilities, and kindness to animals. “Maybe it should become part of the school cur-
riculum, part of a humanities course at every grade level.” As to the high number of adoptable dogs and cats
killed at shelters in the United States, let’s take a page from the Team Godwin playbook, and stop making excuses – from animal advocates who blame the public to the public vilifying shelter staff and volunteers. Nobody really cares why. Of that, both Chris and Mariah agree. “You can have progress or you can have excuses. But,
you cannot have both. It’s time to work harder to effect change,” said Mariah.U
Team Godwin Foundation -
TeamGodwin.org
AthletesAndCauses.org Mariah and Chris are also involved in Global Offensive Against Trafficking (known as Project GOAT), a 501c3 dedicated to fighting human trafficking and sexual exploitation of children.
www.TheNewBarker.com THE NEW BARKER 51
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