Dogs at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

My third post in two days - I'm on a roll! Last time I talked about the cats, so this time I'll talk about the dogs, since we volunteered with them as well. Best Friends also houses bunnies, horses, mules, birds, all sorts of things - but we don't have much experience taking care of the other animals and stuck to cats and dogs. The dog kennels are set up in octagons, making care-giving much more efficient (supplies are in a central location rather than at the end of a long hallway) and giving each dog "run" more space (the outdoor areas spiral out into a pie-shape, so they get wider the further from the building you go). The dogs are housed in groups and have indoor/outdoor areas with access between the two via at least one doggie door. The octagons are set out in pairs and each pair has its own set of walking trails outside the buildings. We walked geriatric dogs at "Old Friends" (like the sweet fellow above), so there were 3 options for the walks depending on their ability: short, regular, or extended. You could only have dogs on walks at the same time if they were from the same kennel since neighboring dogs don't always get along with each other.

There is also a "Fitness Center" building near the "Old Friends" octagons, which we got to visit since one of the dogs needed hydrotherapy. Hydrotherapy involves having the dog walk up a ramp into an enclosed box (no ceiling; see photo below), which is then filled with enough water to relieve the body weight off the legs. Then, they start a treadmill below that causes the dog to walk. It is a great tool for stretching and strengthening the limbs of dogs with injuries, hip problems, or simple arthritis. And the dogs love it because it involves lots of treats and attention.

We also did some of the drudgery type of work in the afternoon: washing dishes and cleaning runs. That part was interesting because we got scheduled with the feral dog octagons. Their handler could go in and visit with them, but we weren't to get too close. They had a part-wolf dog and a part-coyote dog in there! These dogs were also younger, so they had big caverns they'd dug up in the yard.

We decided to stay at the cabins at Best Friends next time we go. It was too cold to be camping in October (it may be warm during the day in the desert, but it is freezing at night) and car camping in an economy rental car was not that pleasant. Plus, if we stay at the cabins, we can "borrow" one of the Best Friends' dogs for a sleepover. It gets the dogs out of the sanctuary environment and gives the handlers a chance to find out how they react to things they are likely to find in a home, should they be lucky enough to get adopted. It was an amazing experience and we can't wait to go back!