Letter to Potential Adopters with Invisible Fence

Dear Potential Adopters,

Thanks so much for your application and interest. Unfortunately, although you seem like good pet parents, we do not adopt to homes with invisible fences.

My own beautiful and perfect:) Golden came to me through his invisible fence still wearing the activated collar. Why would he have returned to his yard to be shocked again going in? His owners gave him to me - hurray!

The Misha May Foundation's rescue experience has shown us, to cite a few examples, that dogs escape through the fence if they are adequately motivated, that this punishment-based tool can make dogs anxious, that dogs are sitting ducks (prey) for any other animals (coyote, etc) not wearing collars, and that otherwise nice dogs bite nearby humans when shocked.

We know that sometimes the fences are successful without mishap, but we aren't willing to take the chance. We believe that if someone trains their dog to stay in the yard and they never get shocked, they didn't need the fence in the first place. If the dog gets shocked more than once or twice, this is more like abuse than actually learning anything. There is also a perceived false confidence, sadly proven incorrect, when an extremely interesting animal or person or smell goes by.

We recommend real fences although we know that some areas forbid those. We recommend living in dog-friendly areas that allow proper fencing. We recommend long leashes for play and companionship. We recommend long term off-leash training and 100% recall training for appropriate dog candidates.

Hope that was helpful,
Lorraine May, Executive Director
2011 Denver 7's A*List Best Dog Training - 5th Place!

Help Misha May's Wally battle parvo....

Wally, before he got sick.... Wally, now that he is sick....

Check out our newsletter to see how to help Wally, a young terrier mix rescued by The Misha May Foundation last week, and now battling parvo. His prognosis is good but his bill is high!

You can make a donation using the link within the newsletter http://myemail.constantcontact.com/News-from-The-Misha-May-Foundation.html?soid=1102382262281&aid=xI_T_uiC0Dg or go to our website's Make a Donation button http://www.mishamayfoundation.org/.

Wally says, "WOOF I've got friends - I'm gonna make it!"

More information at mishamayfoundation@gmail.com or 303-239-0382.

Thanks Harmony Vet and Animal Urgent Care of Arvada for your fabulous and GENEROUS care.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msJCfoD0Gsk

Watch this video of Queso who needs a foster home immediately in Denver. He is living in a crate and extremely stressed.

Queso is a 1 yr old neutered male who is up to date on shots and negative for FIV and FeLiv.

Contact MishaMayFoundation@gmail.com

Misha May's Grey puts his heart into playing!

Grey was rescued several years ago from a local shelter. He needed rare expensive heart surgery which neither his owners nor the shelter could/would provide. Fortunately Misha May was able to assemble a team of veterinarians and donors who made it happen.

Grey has been happily adopted for several years. Many of us see him and his family often.

Every time we see his beauty and grace; every time we see his happy life in a caring home; every time we think of what could have become of him - we are so grateful to have been a part of his story and others like it.

So many sweet animals find themselves in precarious situations through no fault of their own. The answer is not to dispose of them in shelters but to work harder to get them the medical care or behavior training they need to live within human society. Misha May's goal, through rescue and education, is to render the shelter system unnecessary, except for its founding purpose, which was to reunite lost dogs with owners. And every now and again there might be a truly dangerous dog who is a public menace.......every now and again, not daily.

K, the Afghani dog, has been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Resource Guarding and Separation Anxiety. That makes total sense to me.

By Lorraine May, M.A.
Executive Director, Founder and Director of Education
The Misha May Foundation
Mutts In SMART Homes Always

I received a call from a fellow trainer on March 10, 2011 to refer K to The Misha May Foundation’s Mutts in SMART Homes Always education program where we specialize in rehabilitating dogs utilizing holistic methods. K is lucky to have been brought to the USA from Afghanistan by a family who loves him, but he is having trouble adjusting to his new life.

K is described as a beautiful 10 month old neutered male, possibly a Shepherd or Hound mix. He does very well with people. His interactions with other dogs have been mixed.

K’s family has tried everything they can think of to help him. They took him to their trusted veterinarian, hired a reputable professional trainer with a positive approach, and redesigned aspects of their home. But during their absences, K has severely damaged the home and garage in his need to reach his people. Fortunately, he has not injured himself which often is the case.

K is a typical dog with separation anxiety in that he is wonderful when his people are around, but panics when they leave. K has many of the symptoms of the Separation Anxiety syndrome: lost control of bowels and bladder, vocalization and extreme drooling, and dramatic escape attempts with devastating destruction. In order to change this problem, he needs to learn 2 main things:

1) These people will return.
2) It can be safe and fun to spend time alone.

Separation Anxiety has a very specific protocol and cure. The prognosis is generally good, if, and it is a very big if, the dog can be attended to and not have another panic attack. This is very difficult for the average person who has a job and a life. That is where I come in since this is my job and my life!

One can reasonably compare Separation Anxiety to a human experiencing a panic attack. The panic takes over while the power to choose or control is lost. Humans can learn to self-soothe using reassuring self-talk and effective cues.

Dogs need humans to manage their situation while their damaged nervous systems heal. Because they are unable to cope with their terror and panic, each consecutive attack can do more damage. As the nervous system calms down, the dog can learn that his people will return and that it can be safe and fun to spend time alone.

K will be entering our program initially for 30 days with continuing evaluations. His rehabilitation will include Separation Anxiety protocol as well as integrated training with the family.

I am looking forward to meeting K and his family. I will keep you updated here.