What Does Getting a Second Chance
At the SPCA Really Mean?
It’s More Than Just Skin Deep.
[Editor’s Note: This article contains graphic descriptions of injury in the first few paragraphs.
When Hope was picked up by Raleigh Animal Control on September 25, her story made headlines
because all indications were consistent with a dog who was a victim of organized dog fighting. We
have been documenting this dog’s “Journey of Hope” as she travels from a once abused and frightened
dog to a loved family companion. Follow this story from the very beginning at
www.spcawake.org/hope. Here you can find links to her photo albums (and what she looked like upon
her arrival at the SPCA), video and links to the WRAL-TV news story. Online visual graphic content is
preceded by a warning.]
by Molly Stone, SPCA Behavior Specialist
O
n the day of her arrival, I didn’t see
Hope right away. I did, however, see
the Animal Control Officer who’d
brought her in. She described Hope’s injuries
to me and asked, “do you think she could
make it?” Major facial trauma, lots of blood
loss, exposed bone and torn tissue…a dog like
that probably won’t be able to eat, and if she
can, how on earth would she avoid a severe
infection? My initial thought was that no way,
no, I didn’t think she could make it.
And then I saw her. Horribly injured and
frankly, very alarming-looking, sitting on a
blanket in a kennel wagging her tail and quite
happily eating the canned food the Animal
Control Officer was hand-feeding her. I joined
them in the kennel and Hope wagged harder.
She approached me and put her (fairly messy)
head right in my hand. Somehow, this dog was
happy! At that moment there was no doubt in
my mind. Hope would indeed make it, and I
would do whatever I could to make sure of it.
Healing Physical Wounds First
Hope started with care from Dr. Alice
Hunsucker, SPCA staff veterinarian. Treatment
included pain medication and lots of antibiotics, and as much cleaning and wound care as
Hope could tolerate. Luckily, she could tolerate
a lot. In fact, we have yet to see her become
annoyed with a human being, despite all the
staring and touching and washing and medicating we’ve been doing. But like other injured
pets in SPCA rehab care, she needed a foster
home where she could start to heal.
Hope went home with an SPCA staff mem-
ber and her husband – a veterinarian from the
NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine who
had been called to consult on the fighting dogs
removed from Michael Vick’s kennels.
In their care, Hope’s injuries began to heal
and the progress she made physically was
astounding.
During this time, it started to become evident that, while Hope’s medical rehabilitation
was well under way, it was going to become
imperative that we started a behavioral program
with her as well. Hope is the most people-oriented, wiggly, snuggly, wonderful dog in the
universe, unless you happen to be another dog.
Hope’s Other Injuries
We don’t know for sure what happened to
Hope’s face, other than it was obviously bitten.
Considering Hope’s breed, extensive old
scarring and the unfortunate popularity of pit
bull fighting in our area, it stands to reason
that whatever happened to her may have
Above: Hope does a perfect “auto-check” with her handler. Below: SPCA Behavior Team members Molly and Elizabeth use science and psychology to help Hope learn basic pet skills.
Step one: Hope really wants the treats but is learning
that straining to reach the food isn’t going to work.
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SPCA CRITTER CHATTER | 2008 Issue #3
Step 2: Hope remembers...
Step 3: To check with Molly in order to make things happen!
The Limits of Compassion?
How could such an inspiring story
inspire such negativity?
continued from previous page
occurred within that realm. If that’s the case,
it’s easy to understand why Hope has such
an aversion to other dogs. And even if it isn’t
the case, being dog-aggressive is not going to
help Hope find a forever home, so we need
to fix it.
First Step: Auto-Check
Hope’s behavioral rehabilitation has, thus
far, mostly included helping her learn how
to maintain her self-control when she sees
other animals. It’s been slow going. At first,
anytime she could see another dog, anywhere at all, she would go a little crazy.
Spinning, tugging, lunging at the end of the
lead; barking and growling deep in her gut;
losing her cool completely – and being very,
very difficult to distract.
So we started teaching her to auto-check;
visually connect with her handler without
being asked to. We want Hope to look up at
whoever’s got her leash when she wants to
pull forward, and we want her to do it without the handler having to ask it of her.
Once she masters that skill, she will be
able to see and hear her handler signaling
behaviors that will help her maintain her
composure while other dogs pass. The auto-
check is easy to teach, but it’s also time consuming. It involves waiting, until the dog
decides to make eye contact with her handler.
When that happens, a fabulous, delicious,
long-duration praise-and-food-party is
thrown in her honor. After several repetitions, most dogs start to pick up on the pattern. Hope was no exception.
In our first session, we were able to get
beautiful, connected auto-checks out of her
every 15-20 seconds. Practicing the auto-check
skill now means that Hope is learning that she
cannot proceed when she pulls until she looks
back at us and “asks.” Using this technique,
we have been able to get her to within 20-25
feet of another dog without reacting. A small
success, but a success all the same.
Second Step: Manners & Obedience
Next, we needed to work on Hope’s general level of self control. If that sounds boring, well, it’s probably because it is. Mostly,
we need Hope to understand that pulling at
the leash and jumping up and vocalizing
when she’s frustrated are behaviors that simply don’t work.
by Mondy Lamb, SPCA Marketing Director
On September 25, WRAL-TV5 ran a news story about
Hope. After reading the story I scanned down to the
public comment section (where people can sign in and
post comments to news stories).
I expected concern and outrage at the abuse this dog
had suffered – and there was a good deal of that – but
what was surprising was a vocal minority insisting that
the people expressing concern about the injured dog
clearly cared more about animals than people:
“Posters on here seem to be more concerned about a dog then an injured or
missing child and no doubt care more for
dogs then a grown person.”
– Excerpted from an internet posting in response
to the news story about Hope on WRAL.com
I understand the anonymity of the internet allows any
silly or mean-spirited person to say things they would
not otherwise express, and that is a fine thing. But some
foolishness just needs to be called foolish out loud.
The person who posted this views compassion as a
non-renewable resource, that once allocated, runs dry.
But compassion is not limited and voicing outrage at the
abuse of an animal does not negate outrage at the suffering of a human being.
continued on page 6
continued on page 6
A Question About the Logistics of Rehabilitation
Are you spending resources on this one dog
that could save others?
We are helping Hope and the other animals.
Because the news media broadcast Hope’s story,
she has allowed the SPCA to feature an example
of the good we do every day.
Through telling this dog’s story, Hope is helping other animals who also have had the
unthinkable happen
to them.
For example,
Hope’s story
allowed the
SPCA to
save a
kitten named Phoebe (pictured left
in the arms of staff minutes after
coming into the SPCA).
In late September near downtown Wake Forest, Phoebe was
found bound in a heavy duty
trash bag, tied and placed in a
garbage bin just prior to pick up.
A neighbor heard the kitten crying
and frantically tore open the bag.
A high profile case like Hope
brings attention and support to
SPCA programs and services that
save lives every single day. Sometimes the
rescue is dramatic, sometimes plain, but it
happens every day.
We are able to save more animals – not
fewer – because of this particular dog.
More animals, who like Hope and
Phoebe, have found their way into the arms
of the SPCA and people like you who make
this work possible.
Above: “Phoebe” rescued from a trash bag, Wake Forest, September 2008.
Phoebe was adopted on 10-13-08.
Above: “Hope” rescued in downtown Raleigh, September 2008.
SPCA CRITTER CHATTER | 2008 Issue #3
5
A Peek Behind the Scenes
The Kittens in Rehab: The Players
cal/story/3606958
www.wral.com/news/lo
The Limits of Compassion?
continued from previous page
I thought I’d address the issue briefly here because a version of this question
(albeit more politely phrased) is posed from time to time:
How can the SPCA work toward ending animal suffering when there is human
suffering in the world?
The answer is surprisingly easy. The efforts to end suffering in this world have
to happen all over and they have to happen concurrently. Could human suffering
really end if a completely blind eye was turned to all animal suffering?
The link between animal abuse and violence to humans is well established. We
are all connected and working to end the suffering of animals is done in addition
to, not at the expense of, help for humans. (For a real example of this see Pet Food
Pantry article on page 8.)
Donations are what allows the SPCA to open its doors every day and help the
next animal that walks through them. The SPCA is funded by donations from people who believe these animals are important too.
To see the world as a place where a person can only care about one thing and
only care just so much, is a disservice to any of us who care about anything.
Stevie: Blind Kitten
Lolita: “Seeing-eye” kitten for Stevie
Cruise: “Seeing-eye” kitten for Justice
Justice: Blind Kitten
Chiquita Broken leg, tail and pelvis
Harry Potter: Broken leg, broken tail, permenant damage to right eye, facial lacerations
The Limits of Compassion?
continued from previous page
This is a hard sell, especially when the potential buyer is a high-energy Terrier that’s being kept on restricted activity while her wounds heal.
We’re also working on Hope’s basic manners and general obedience.
She is a student in our special behavior class for dogs currently in residence at the SPCA shelter. The class meets once a week and teaches
basic obedience and general manners in order to increase a dog’s adoptability.
We’re using operant conditioning – clicker training – to help Hope
understand when she’s made a good choice. We’re watching her like
hawks so we can be sure we don’t miss an opportunity to reinforce
calm, collected, boring behaviors. Hope loves learning and she loves
succeeding, and she does a great job – as long as we keep her at least
25 feet from the other dogs. Volunteers and staff members continue to
practice with her throughout the day.
Hope’s got a long road ahead of her, behaviorally speaking. But she’s
a good learner, and she’s a good, good dog. We will be working together for several months, and we will keep you posted on our progress.
Be sure to sign up to receive the online SPCA E-Newsletter (see box
at right) and receive e-news updates on Hope and other great rescue
stories from the SPCA.
Thank you to Raleigh Animal Control Officer Stephanie Williams for
whisking this dog off the streets of Raleigh, for her kindness to the dog,
and for her outspoken voice against animal abuse and dog fighting!
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SPCA CRITTER CHATTER | 2008 Issue #3
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