A Transformation Journey from Shelter to Home
We get to see transformation regularly. It’s one of the chief motives behind what we do. Some transformations are small- like learning to sit on call; others are huge- like growing from out of control to focused attention. All transformation opens another door that leads to further growth.
We see this in our daycare dogs, our boarding dogs, our group training dogs, and our board and train dogs.
Having a front-row seat to all of this change filtered into our after-hours conversations and we wondered “How could we press in for even more transformation?’
These conversations have led to a new pilot initiative we call Riverview’s VIP. We envisioned the opportunity to find a dog from a local shelter that we could bring to our team so we could invest time, care, and training from our areas of expertise. Using our channels of communication, we could then find a forever home for our VIP.
This will give you a front-row seat to a journey of transformation from shelter to home as we log the story through all the ups and downs.
Finding a Partner: South Coast Humane Shelter
With our concept in mind, we started the search for a partner.
Jan Gordon of Force Free Beach Dogs Training, our on-site trainer, reached out to Jenifer Alcorn, the director of South Coast Humane Society of Brookings. We sat down together over lunch, talked through initial details, and made a plan to move forward.
We are grateful to have found an organization under the leadership of such a passionate person. This is going to be a strong partnership for this initial project.
Later that evening we received four pictures of dogs who might be a good fit. The photos included basic biographies and behavioral notes. We read through those and shared them with our whole team at our latest Staff Lunch. We invited everyone to participate in the selection process.
Selecting the First Riverview VIP
Each month we meet as a team over lunch. During this time we share a meal, laugh a lot together, and talk about our progress with our kennel goals. We usually add a component of team training to round things out.
We gave everyone an update about the project and shared the photos and biographies we had been given.
After the vote we settled on an amazing candidate named Drake. And, here he is…
Drake’s photo from the South Coast Humane Society web page
The Pick Up
Jan and Hannah, our Assistant Trainer headed out from Bandon to Brookings to pick up our first Riverview VIP. The day before, the team selected a kennel for Drake and got it all cozy for him. They hung up streamers and even placed a sign with his name on it on the back of the kennel. They laid out his Kurunda cot and placed warm blankets on it to make it extra comfortable.
Drake was pretty nervous, but he settled in well for his ride to his new foster home. Hannah was able to tend to him while Jan did the driving.
Drake settled in for the ride from Brookings to Bandon
They introduced him to his new room, fed him dinner, gave him a peanut butter filled Kong, and got him settled in for the night.
Drake’s first meal at Riverview Kennels
Drake’s First Day
Sleeping in a new place can be stressful. Drake was a bit anxious as the team first arrived in the morning. After breakfast, they introduced him to a few friends. He ended up playing in the yard with one of our regulars, Lucky, and they had a great time. Drake even got the zoomies and zipped around the grassy yard.
Drake got his first leashed forest walk of the day- a half-mile loop through our forest trail. He sniffed and peed all over, checking the signs from the rest of the dogs who use the trail. The whole team on duty for the day went along on the walk and took other pups with them- Cedar, Nala, and Lucky.
Grace, Shay, Brittany, and Jordon took Drake (left) on his first forest walk with friends Nala, Lucky, and Cedar.
It’s a lot of change in a short period for him. He is still looking around anxiously, trying to figure out who all these new two-legged and four-legged friends are. He loves treats so that will be a huge help for the process.
Hannah getting Drake settled in to his new room. The team decorated his space with streamers and his name.
The Big Picture
It’s a lot of fun to have a new face around- especially one that all of our team knows will be around for a while. We intend to pull out all the stops. Drake will receive all the benefits of our regular boarding or daycare guests. His kennel will always be clean and the facility and yards will always be safe and healthy for him. He will get lots of physical stimulation from leashed forest walks, personal time with our team, and time with the new friends he will make. We will also make sure he gets lots of mental stimulation. This will come from many sources, but especially from more stuffed Kongs, lick mats, and IQ puzzles. Drake will also receive all of the benefits of one of our Board & Train guests. That means that Jan and Hannah will develop a personalized plan for Drake to deal with any behavior issues he might have, learn some basic obedience, and move toward getting his AKC Canine Good Citizenship certificate.
The end result is that Drake- the very first Riverview VIP- will receive a massive amount of investment from our team that will prepare him for his future forever family.
We will post regularly about Drake’s journey so stay tuned! If you would like to know more about Drake’s journey reach out to us by phone at 541.347.4689 or by email at office@riverviewkennels.com
