by Julie Wenger Watson
Photos courtesy of the Oklahoma Alliance for Animals
Although it’s difficult to estimate the number of stray dogs in our state,
thousands of them are euthanized in Oklahoma shelters every year. It’s easy to find a home for a cute puppy or a well-behaved adult dog, but the majority of homeless canines falls somewhere in between. The Oklahoma Alliance for Animals (OAA) Dog Walkers Club is a group of volunteers dedicated to spending time with some of those pups, meeting regularly to exercise, socialize, and love on the animals while they wait for new homes.
OAA is a nonprofit organization that brings together people and resources to overcome pet homelessness, abuse, and neglect. Erin Shackelford, executive director of OAA, describes it as an animal-welfare and advocacy organization rather than a rescue organization. However, it does have dogs in its care, many of which have extensive medical needs. Some of them come to the organization through its Unchain Oklahoma program, and others arrive through animal-cruelty and neglect cases.
“I always call them the underdogs. They’re not the little fluffy ones or the highly desirable breeds that we can usually move to our partner rescues because they’re easy for them to adopt out and they’ll be willingly accepted,” says Shackelford. “These are the ones that are maybe a little shy or timid or don’t know how to walk on a leash. They might be a little fearful of new situations. These dogs require a little more patience and time, and this is where our Dog Walkers Club has been instrumental.”
Shackelford, who has fostered and adopted many dogs herself, knows that it makes for an easier adoption if a dog has good social skills and is comfortable on a leash and in a car.
“The dogs we have might be more fearful and timid,” she notes. “They’re not going to be these happy-go-lucky dogs that run up to you and give you kisses, or they may be standoffish at first just because they’ve never had positive human interaction or any human interaction at all. Sometimes they’re scared of other dogs and so they behave in
a certain way, but once they’re acclimated to other dogs, they behave just fine, and they’re dog friendly.”
Blossoming into Loving Dogs
OAA volunteer Coty Vincent started the Dog Walkers Club in the spring of 2019, and Shackelford has found that the key to the dogs’ welfare is the volunteers’ efforts on behalf of the animals — combined with the care provided by the OAA boarding facility and veterinary staff.
“These dogs totally blossom, not only under the care of our boarding facility and the veterinary staff there but also the Dog Walkers Club and the volunteers who take them out and get them used to walking on a leash,” she says. “They work with the dogs to make sure they don’t pull, and they socialize them with some of our other dogs. They’ve been really critical in giving us feedback on the dogs and in teaching them and exposing them to things that they’ve never been exposed to.”
Mimi Tran has volunteered with the program for several years. In addition to her own two dogs, Max and Brookie, Tran fosters an OAA senior dog named Luna. The Dog Walkers Club meets every Saturday morning (weather permitting), walking each of the dogs at the shelter for 30 minutes to an hour.
“The dogs get socialization, which includes lots of TLC, exercise, and mental stimulation,” Tran says. “Another important factor is that when we take these dogs out, we learn their personalities, for example, whether they’re social, friendly, timid, calm, or high energy or if they’re good with other dogs or how well they walk on a leash. All of this information will help us at adoption events or when we submit them for transport to another state where they have don’t have an overpopulation issue like we do here in Oklahoma.”
The volunteer experience is gratifying, Tran says.
“The most rewarding thing about this program is witnessing shy, scared dogs blossom into loving and confident dogs,” she says. “Sure, some may take several weeks to come out of their shell, but it’s so worth it to see.”
Willing To Work with Wonderful Dogs
Although Shackelford loves all the OAA dogs, she’s quick to tell you about a few
special ones, such as a German Shepherd, Layla.
“Layla came to us through our Unchain program, and unfortunately, she has been in boarding for almost a year,” Shackelford says. “She gets outings and she gets extra walks and extra attention, but she’s a beautiful German Shepherd who lived most of her life on a very short chain. She likes to be Queen Bee, so she just needs an owner who is experienced with or willing to learn about the German Shepherd breed.”
Then there’s Duke.
“He’s a Golden Lab mix, kind of slender. He’s just an interesting little dog, but he’s
a little shy. We couldn’t put him in the car for the longest time to go to adoption events because he was too freaked out by the car. Mimi Tran actually worked with him, getting in and out of the car, and he’s been better now. People can actually take him out and take him places,” Shackelford says. “Duke and Layla are both sweet dogs, and they would both be wonderful pets for someone. They just need owners who are willing to work with them.”
For more information or to volunteer with OAA, visit https://animalallianceok.org.
