As any pet owner knows, dealing with problem behavior in your pet can be extremely frustrating, from a dirty house to aggression to excessive dog barking.
In some cases, owners may have to surrender their pets to the Routt County Humane Society.
To address this challenge, the Routt County Humane Association will be launching a new toll-free Behavioral Helpline service starting February 12th. This service will be provided thanks to a new grant from Lakewood's Animal Assistance Foundation.
Dog and cat owners can fill out a short survey on the Humane Society's website at routthhumane.org. Request help with your pet's behavior. The helpline service is staffed by Dogma Canine Training in Steamboat Springs and owners will receive a call back on Wednesday.
The goal of the new behavioral helpline for pet owners and the now enhanced behavioral enrichment program in shelters is to prevent admissions and surrenders to shelters, said Humane Society Executive Director Elaine Hicks.
Hicks said the number of pets surrendered to shelters increased in 2023 compared to 2022, primarily due to finances, relocation and landlords not allowing pets. Annual pet surrenders over the past five years have ranged from 64 to 130, including 86 in 2023.
“The majority of surrenders have some behavioral issues, so trainers will be working more with them to shorten their stay and help them find new homes,” Hicks said.
This behavior helpline is a tool for dog and cat owners to access advice for common behavior problems, and is an alternative to dog training and an ongoing service for pet owners. It's not meant to be. This helpline will be in place until at least August, after which the response will be re-evaluated to take into account potential future funding.
The training support provided by the grant will give people who adopt pets from RCHS the opportunity to speak with a trainer during the transition into a home or if behavioral issues arise.
Hicks said behavioral training has helped several dogs become adopted. Additionally, a dog named Cash was found tied to a tree in the Routt National Forest in August and is currently undergoing training at the shelter, Hicks said.
“A holistic training and enrichment program helps improve the animal's performance and keeps it mentally and physically healthy,” Hicks said. “Through a combination of services, including a specific plan to support foster parents and adopters, several long-term dogs have found new homes.”
In 2023, the humane organization processed adoptions of 259 dogs, 233 cats, three guinea pigs, and three rabbits. The shelter hopes to help pet owners build the human-animal bond by providing behavioral advice for common training challenges.
“With this grant, we will be able to make significant progress in improving the overall well-being of the animals in our care and better prepare them behaviorally for loving forever homes. ,” Hicks said.
For more information, contact the Humane Society at 970-879-7247.
