Five Times The HSSV Dogs Feel We Let Them Down.

Being in a shelter, even a shelter as awesome at HSSV, is rough. You're homeless, you don't know what's going to happen next, you're wondering why your forever home won't just show up and adopt you already - there's a lot going on. While we (and our amazing volunteers) try to make this transitional phase as easy as possible, we can't always be on point. Lately the dogs have been submitting complaints about things and in the interest of transparency we wanted to give them a chance to air their grievances publicly. Here's five times this week where our pooches felt we dropped the ball.

1) When We Didn't Give Claude That Cookie. 

Do you see this face? This is the face of sadness and cookie-starvation. How could you?

Check out the look on his face - it's obvious we messed up big time here. Can't we see how sad he is? How much he wants it? Yes, he did just have five other cookies. But he didn't have THAT cookie - the one in our treat bag. And he knows it. And he's deeply, deeply disappointed in us. 

2) When We Let The Creepy Stuffed Frog Menace This Chi Puppy.

It's crawling on me. Why is it crawling on me? Make it stop. 

Seriously, that look in the froggy's eyes is unsettling. It's supposed to be a toy. Why is it glaring? Why isn't it smiling? What if it's one of those weird, poisonous frogs? Chi Puppy feels let down. Yes, he has a million other toys. But this one crawling on him? Completely unsatisfactory. Bring him ten new toys. Stat. And some of those cookies we didn't give Claude. 

You think you've got problems? I've got this duck pointing at me. 

3) When We Failed To Get Mamas Seven Nannies.

This is one more than the Jolie-Pitt clan. HELP!

Mamas had no idea she had gotten herself into this mess. One moment you're a little pudgy, the next minute you have seven squeaking jellybeans rooting around on you. Yes, we did transfer her and her kids from a rural shelter in the valley. And yes, she and said jellybeans are safely ensconced in one of our awesome, loving foster homes right now but still - she could use a hand here. Don't those celebrity families have one kid for each nanny? Shouldn't she? She did NOT sign up for this. 

4) When We Stopped Rubbing The Belly.

And if you must stop, you can go get me a cookie while you're up.

The belly. It must be rubbed. You must not stop rubbing the belly. There have been several times in which someone was not available to rub the belly. Sometimes over a span of several hours. This is completely unacceptable. Any span of more than forty five minutes without belly rubbing is not workable and must be remedied immediately. Get to it. 

5) When We..

Yeeeeee-haaaww!!

Actually nothing. Cookie thinks everything is pretty cool, actually. She digs it. She's just going to do her romping thing, go to a small dog play group, go for some walks, whatever. That whole 'needing a forever family' thing is kind of a drag but she's counting on us to figure it out for her. And by us, she means the us that involves you guys, too. 

While we're awesome at the whole finding homes (and foster homes) bit, we obviously can't shield them from every moment of cookie and belly rub deprivation and the odd disturbing stuffed toy. We can help keep other dogs like Mamas from finding themselves in that situation through our low cost spay and neuter services.  And we can urge good folks like you to come in and hang out with them. So stop by.