News: more on the confiscated CKCSs

Pet lovers line up to offer homes to neglected dogs
By Bonnie L. Cook
Inquirer Staff Writer


At 12:30 a.m. yesterday, animal lover Barbara Gaither was camping out at the Chester County SPCA. She wanted to be first in line to adopt one of the neglected dogs surrendered by breeder Michael Wolf.

She succeeded.

Right behind her was Tracy Deal, 39, of West Chester. Both took off work to make sure they got a little spaniel to love and pamper.

By noon, the proud pair were snapping cell-phone portraits of their new pets to send to family. So widespread was interest in adopting the little dogs that about 150 people were lined up in the heat at the West Chester animal shelter.

"I'll be very excited to get him home," said Gaither, 56, after signing adoption forms. "I'm going to hold him and love him as much as possible. He'll probably be sick of me."

Adoption of the dogs, who have all been given names by workers at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, will continue indefinitely until the hundreds of dogs seized from Wolf are placed in new homes.

Home for Piccard, the SCPA's name for the brown and white spaniel selected by Gaither, will mean a house in Wyncote, Cheltenham Township, with his own toy-filled room. It will mean a yard to run in and a lap on which to sit.

That's a far cry from the filthy kennel in Oxford that Piccard once called home.

Piccard and Clara, the spaniel adopted by Deal, were among 333 dogs, three cats and two birds removed from the Wolf kennel Feb. 10 by humane officers acting on a customer's tip about unclean conditions there.

Wolf, 65, and two caretakers were charged with hundreds of counts of animal cruelty.

Each pleaded guilty June 19 to 60 of the counts in Chester County Common Pleas Court and was sentenced to 15 years' probation. Each will pay fines, and restitution to the SPCA, which took custody of the animals and cared for them.

Judge Edward Griffith said he was glad that the animals that had been "held hostage" as the case unfolded could finally be put up for adoption.

That process began in earnest yesterday. Newly bathed, checked out for health issues, and evaluated for temperament, about 90 cavalier King Charles spaniels and papillons - small dogs with ears like butterfly wings - were made available for inspection inside the shelter.

The adopters were assigned numbers. When their numbers were called, they moved in small groups into the holding area, where each selected a dog.

Afterwards, they met with the animal and an adoption counselor in a private room to be briefed about the special needs of their new pet.

When Gaither's turn came, she sat on the floor with Piccard and counselor Kathy Kriebel. Both noticed the little dog was trembling with fear.

"He knows something's going on, that's a natural reaction," Kriebel said. "He'll need lots of patience and tender loving care."

"But he'll come around," said Gaither, patting Piccard's silky head. "It's OK. It's safe now. That's a promise."

Gaither, the owner at various times of four cats and a Pekingese-poodle mix, had often dreamed of owning a cavalier King Charles spaniel. She was willing to camp out in a parking lot to get one.

"When I heard about the poor conditions they had gone through, I figured it was time for me to bring one to a safe home and nurture it," she said.

Ilana Reisner, who runs the behavior clinic at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine in Philadelphia, said that in the same way that people suffer stress after being traumatized, so do neglected dogs when their lives change, even for the better.

Any new experience seems threatening, she said, and may trigger anxiety and fear. The cure is to give the animal time to become familiar with its new world.

"Strangers don't have to be in the mix right away," Reisner said. "Be with the dog and really work on the new bond with the family. Dogs are good at that."

Reisner cautioned against putting the dog in new situations too fast.

"Keep things as predictable as possible. I wouldn't take a small dog like that to a dog park right away," Reisner said. "It can be really scary."

Piccard calmed down as Gaither talked to him yesterday. Reluctantly, she handed him back to counselor Kriebel. Gaither can finally claim her dog at a West Chester animal hospital Saturday after he is neutered.

Was the long wait in line worthwhile?

"Absolutely," Gaither said. "I can't wait to get him home."

"This is just the beginning," said Kriebel, with a smile.

Tips for New Owners of Neglected Dogs

Take time to know the dog and let the dog know you.

Kneel or sit down on the dog's level when you talk to it. Offer food.

Make sure the dog gets exercise. Give it something to do, such as a toy to chew, when left alone.

Avoid punishment. Give positive reinforcement like a food treat when it behaves well

Provide a calm, predictable environment. Avoid loud noises and, initially, strangers.

Take the dog on bathroom breaks every few hours and after eating, sleeping and playing. Use the same spot each time.

Be aware that the dog may become anxious when you leave. Try leaving the room briefly and returning.

SOURCE: School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

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