Pets Lifeline responds to concerns over homeless dog
We [at Pets Lifeline] recently heard the concerns of many of you regarding a stray male dog that was brought into our facility on January 15, 2022. After reviewing the comments on social media, it became very clear there is a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding about the situation being shared. We thought it was best to reach out directly to clarify any confusion.
An employee was working that day when a large dog arrived at our facility. Due to the current kennel configuration, we did not have a large kennel available to house him. It’s very important when kenneling dogs that they can move around comfortably which helps dissipate stress. In addition, we were short staffed by 3 employees out with Covid, making it difficult to reconfigure the kennels that day. Our staff member who was working reached out to Sonoma County Animal Services to see if they had an appropriately sized kennel available and could provide a temporary stray hold for him and he then would be returned to us. However, due to challenges related to Covid 19 the county shelter is under Covid protocol and not able to return him until next week. Please know we had agreed in advance that this dog was simply being housed for a few days and not going to be euthanized. He is healthy and well and coming back to us as soon as possible. Below is a quote from the operations manager of Sonoma County Animal Services.
“On January 15th, we received a call from Pets Lifeline, one of the county’s partners in serving the public in the care and well-being of animals, requesting that the county temporarily house a male dog until one of their larger kennels became available,” said Brian Whipple Operations Manager Sonoma County Animal Services. “The dog was originally scheduled to be returned but due to staffing concerns related to the resurgence of COVID-19, we have rescheduled his return to Pets Lifeline for next week, barring our ability to meet COVID-19 protocols. Importantly, the animal is safe and comfortable, and we look forward to his return to Pets Lifeline.” Link to more about Sonoma County Animal Services:
Pets Lifeline is a non-profit, no-kill shelter and animals under our care are not euthanized due to space constraints nor are they transferred to other facilities for this purpose. Dog transfers between shelters is common and is always done in the best interest of the pets given their individual circumstances. We look forward to this dog’s return to our facility and would be happy to post a photo of him and keep you apprised of some of his adventures.
We appreciate everyone’s concern regarding this matter as it’s very clear we all love the pets in our community. We hope this helps alleviate those concerns but are happy to address any further questions. We encourage those with questions to e-mail us at [email protected] as monitoring online chats can be time consuming for our volunteers and staff. We also, encourage you all to check out our site where you can learn more about our work here in the community as well as opportunities for you all to get involved.
The Pets Lifeline Board of Directors is proud of all the work our organization is doing for the Sonoma Valley community of pets and people. We 100% support the dedication and commitment of our Executive Director Nancy King, our Shelter Manager Denise Asaro, RVT, and all of our staff and volunteers. Everyone does an amazing job and is committed to providing, love, compassion, and care for the pets in our community.
— The Board of Directors, Pets Lifeline
