Little Dave Finds His ‘Dogness’

You May Be Surprised by What More Your Animal Companions Want!

Dave barely looked like a dog. He had certainly never been allowed to be one. Chained outside for all his young life, he was nearly hairless from mange and a raging flea infestation. Internal parasites had robbed him of energy, yet he still yearned to romp, explore, and have a friend. All alone on a patch of dirt, day in and day out, he could only turn in a circle and scratch at the miserably itchy skin that didn’t allow him even a good night’s rest.

Then, along came PETA’s fieldworkers. They spotted Dave and called the police. Together, they rescued him and got him the veterinary treatment he desperately needed. After weeks of loving care, Dave was healthy and his hair was starting to grow back. Best of all, he was adopted in time to spend his first Christmas with a loving family – playing with toys, exploring the neighborhood on walks, snuggling on a soft bed, and finally getting to be a dog.

PETA’s fieldworkers are constantly helping dogs like Dave, all severely neglected and kept chained or penned in solitary confinement – a torturous existence for these social beings. But even guardians who consider their animal companions family members may be denying them their “dogness” and “catness” in other ways. Most people expect dogs to conform to their rules, their schedules, and their preferences, controlling every aspect of dogs’ lives, even when they can relieve themselves. Are your dog’s wants and needs really being met?

Run, Bark, Sniff, Repeat

To be your dog’s true best friend, follow these tips:

• Never leave dogs locked in a box (i.e., a crate). Some people put their dogs in a crate when they’re out as well as when they go to bed, so imagine how few hours that means the animals are free to move around as they wish. Come home on your lunch break, hire a trusted dog walker if needed, and dog-proof your home so they can have some freedom.
• Let dogs choose the pace and route of their walk and sniff as long as they’d like. Dogs experience the world (aka “read the news”) through their noses, which are so sensitive that one whiff can tell them who passed by hours earlier. Rushing dogs through their precious walks is rude.
• Always use a comfortable nylon harness – never a barbaric punishment device such as a prong, choke, or shock collar.
• Set aside your cell phone when you’re walking your dogs so they can enjoy your company.

• Don’t scold dogs for digging and running, which are natural, enjoyable behaviors. Provide a digging box or corner of the yard where they can excavate to their hearts’ content. Fence your yard and/or regularly visit a dog park so they can run freely.
• And don’t shush them. Let dogs speak when they have something to say – after all, they patiently tolerate our endless yapping.

Don’t Forget Your Cat

You may think your cat is sedentary, but that mind is whirling – and all cats need challenges for their keen mind, outlets for their energy, opportunities to engage in their instincts, quiet spaces where they can curl up, and more.

• Add fun to each day with 15-minute play sessions. Use interactive wand-type toys, rolled-up paper, ping-pong balls, felt “mice,” or whatever your cats find irresistible.

• “Catify” your home by providing multistory cat trees, tunnels, cardboard boxes, and paper bags (with any handles removed). Make sure they have a view or two to enjoy.
• Felines are fastidious – respect their cleanliness by scooping litter at least twice daily and scrubbing and refilling litterboxes weekly. Have one box per cat. Forcing cats to tiptoe through their own waste to relieve themselves is inconsiderate and can cause them to “think outside the box.”
• Satisfy cats’ need to scratch by providing plenty of posts and boards covered in a material they can sink their nails into, like sisal. Declawing cats, which means also amputating the bones and cartilage in their toes, for the sake of a couch should be unthinkable.
• Cats need to live indoors for their own safety (and that of wildlife), but you can let them enjoy the outdoors by building a secure window perch or a “catio.” (Get free plans here.) With a patient introduction, some cats can become comfortable wearing a harness and enjoy leisurely, leashed strolls with their guardians.

Be Part of It!

Help a lonely, neglected dog like Dave by sponsoring a doghouse, food, medicine, or other lifesaving care. And order copies of PETA President Ingrid Newkirk’s 250 Vital Things Your Cat Wants You to Know (aka “the cat guardian’s bible”) for yourself and every other cat guardian you know.