Daily Dog Care

All of these animals whether they look like it or not are under stress. They are in an entirely new and different situation then their normal life. Remember what they had to endure to get here.

To minimize the stress to the pets in our care, Please follow instructions carefully.

This will ensure their safety and well being along with all of their 2 legged friends (like you) who are making them comfortable.

Most dogs here are still in survival mode; please respect their space and be sensitive.

All volunteers will work in TEAMS of TWO for efficiency and safety.

Do not start without your teams in place and all things prepared.

Remember better preparation = Less Stress to all involved.

All dogs are fed and cleaned during the morning hours.

There are a few who are thin and will get fed again in the afternoon, several smaller meals are better for their digestion. This will be noted on their cage cards.

Morning Feeding and Cleaning:

Required People: 2 teams of 2 people per team

The Morning Feeding should take about two to three hours to complete if four people are working.

Preparation for Feeding:

One team loads food wagon

Other team loads poop wagon and hose

Food Wagon: Poop Wagon:

Fill clean bowls with 2 cups of dry food each poop scooper

(in metal trash cans under tent) stack in wagon. Small rake

Stack canned food Bucket

Can opener Trash bag

Few empty bowls and a spoon Water hose

Small zip-loc bags

Daily Log Notebook

Start at the beginning of your dog compound

Work Teams next to each other, available to help each other for emergencies

Work as instructed to ensure safety of dogs and people

BE SURE TO CHECK CAGE CARDS ON FENCE BEFORE ENTERING

KNOW YOUR DOGS TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY BEFORE ENTERING

Observe their body language and watch yours! Respect their space!

Feeding Sequence of Events:

Note: This process should not be attempted by only one person. For the safety and well being of the pets in our care this is done with 2 people.

· Before entering run, team should review information on laminated card hanging on front of run. Make note of special feeding requirements, any aggressive tendencies, etc.

o Take time to notice the dogs and any issues (i.e. runny nose, goopy eyes, bloody wound, etc.), have person outside run write down BF number, run number and dog’s symptoms.

· One person unlatches gate (all gates need at least 2 latches).

· One person prepares bowl for feeding. Each bowl (except special feedings) gets a heaping tablespoon of canned food on top. This is a treat and will assist if we need to medicate anyone at a later date.

· Person with bowl stands at far end of run outside gate with food bowl. This distracts dog(s) and allows the other person to get into run.

· Once in run, person should:

o Empty water bowls toward outside of run. Place near gate to allow watering from outside.

o Runs with multiple dogs, all dogs get cabled before feeding.

o Any old food bowl(s) scoot with rake towards you, pickup and hand over gate to outside person. Outside person lifts new food bowls over fence to inside person. Place food bowls as needed – do not place near fence adjoining next run. This sometimes causes food aggressive dogs to fight.

o Never use your hands to remove empty food bowls! Some dogs will still guard these as a resource. Use your pooper scooper or rake to pull it away from the dog before picking it up.

o Pick up all empty bowls before unleashing any dogs.

o Person outside should fill all water bowls using hose.

o Use poop scooper to clean poop piles from run.

o If blood, worms, extreme diarrhea are noticed, get zip-lock bag and take sample. Bag should be identified with dog’s BF number and location and should be taken to the vet. This should also be logged in the daily notes.

o Check dog house for dirty & wet bedding. Replace if needed and Use straw.

o When person inside run comes out of gate, person outside should be standing by to assist in distracting the dog(s).

o Before leaving the run, all latches, ties, wires should be secured.

o Run should be checked for holes near/under fence, areas were fencing is being eaten or pulled away (places where a dog could escape).

o Don’t forget to write down any medical concerns that are present.

DO ALL THINGS BEFORE LEAVING RUN

· Feed

· Re-water

· Scoop Poop, Clean if necessary

· Check Bedding

· Observe Dog, (eyes, nose, cough, stool, appetite), make notes on daily log if necessary

· Secure/Latch all gates

Repeat for each run

Very important!!!!!

• Check, double-check, triple-check gates to make sure they are tightly secured.
• Check, double-check, triple-check for holes in fence or dug under fence.
• Dogs who are cabled prior to feeding should remain cabled, unless permission is received from staff. These dogs are either escape artists or dog aggressive.
• Never remove or relocate a dog without permission from staff.
• If dogs begin fighting and do not stop, spray water hose between them to break up the fight. Dogs also fight through the fence and can stick their nose through to grab another dog.
• If dog fighting persists among two particular dogs, report to staff for resolution.

Loose Dog:

• Escapes may happen; Shout “loose dog!” loudly and people will come help. Continue to yell this until enough help arrives. Staff will join in to help, if the dog goes too far.
• Never run after a loose dog! This just makes them run more. Approach calmly, quietly and with caution.

After-Feeding Chores:

· Clean Dirty Bowls

· Take Trash to pickup area

· Disinfect poop scoopers

· Put extra unused dry food back into metal trash cans.

· Check food supplies to assure an ample supply of crunchy and canned food is available. Re-supply as needed.

· When finished feeding & cleaning, Take medical issues (i.e. runny nose) immediately to Team Leader.

· You can check back with your Team Leader about any issues for which you have not received feedback or you believe have not yet been addressed.

· If there is a dog that you think would benefit from being groomed, note their BF number and location on daily log and notify the Team Leader.

Afternoon Feeding:

This is only for the dogs that have an extra feeding marked on their cage cards.

The procedure is the same as before.

If you have a dog that isn’t eating, make a note in the medical day records.

Dogs that don’t eat for more than a day write down the BF number and location and bring to the attention of the Team Leader.

Closing up Shop: At the end of the day (while still daylight)

All runs should be checked to ensure gates are tightly secured

All water bowls are full

All dogs have straw as needed to ensure they are warm and comfortable during the night.

Check supplies – crunchy food, canned food, treats, etc. – for ease in the morning.

Preparing an Empty Run for Use:

• Remove food and water bowls.
• Remove all toys and bedding. This leaves you with only a dog house in the pen
• Clean dog house with bleach and water solution.
• Spray ground with bleach and water solution. Also spray bottom third of fencing carefully.
• Replace straw in igloo.
• Wipe laminated chart to remove all old information.
• Leave gate slightly open to indicate empty space.
• Update notebook and laminated card accordingly.

Transferring to/from Runs: Only under Staff Approval

• If permission is received to transfer a dog to another run, all food/water bowls & toys if clean should be transferred with the dog.
• Once dog is moved, the empty run should be process as described above.

Visiting:

Be careful approaching any new dog. Remember to visit in teams of two people one person can stay outside the run.

Dogs love visits and it is important they stay used to interacting,

But remember to respect their space, just like us; behaviors can be different in new environments.

The Notebook:

A notebook is kept in the tent and should be updated daily with events. This can assist in keeping track of who is not eating, has diarrhea, etc and will help with continuity of care between volunteers.

It is very important to keep an accurate list of all dogs and their locations within the area. To do this, make a slow walk up and down each run checking who is in each run against what the notebook says and their card on front. Make changes as needed.

• Periodically new dogs will come to your area. It is important to keep track of this, but sometimes you don’t always know. Always check to make sure new dogs are setup. When dogs first join us, feed and water them, make sure they have an igloo and maybe some toys. Then leave them alone for a day or so. They have been through some traumatic experiences and although coming here is good for them, it is stressful. They may be scared, shy, and stressed.

Issues with dogs should also be recorded in this notebook so that the next volunteers have a historical understanding of all dogs in the run. These should also be on their laminated cards.

Laminated Cards on Runs:

These are just as important as the notebook, as when others come to see the dogs (such as the vet); they have an idea about who the dog is.

All information about a dog should be recorded using an erasable marker on these cards. The dog’s BF numbers, aggressive tendencies and any special feeding requirements should be clearly recorded here.

This information should also be noted in the daily notebook.