Thursday, March 11, 2004

Looking for love in the wrong place

by Jessica Holmes

Hugging is Rocky's specialty.

The three-year-old rottweiler-cross flies from his kennel at the Delta SPCA into the arms of animal control officer Amanda Muir.

"If he could stand here all day, he would," Muir laughs as she scratches the ears of the black dog planted against her chest, its front legs outstretched on her shoulders like a loving dance partner.

Moments earlier, Rocky was bouncing around his cage, spinning and barking ferociously. Once out of the cage, he lies peacefully against the shelter employee as if he hadn't a care in the world.

It's that cage behaviour which scares away potential adopters, Muir says. Rocky can't handle the confinement, but otherwise, she says, the dog is a virtual teddy bear.

"He's the cuddliest, sweetest dog who would sit at your feet and look you in the eyes all day," Muir says. "He wants to be a family dog."

Rocky is one of three special-case dogs at the shelter Muir wants to tell the public about.

The rottweiler-cross has been at the SPCA for almost five months, ever since his owners decided they couldn't take him where they were moving.

Another special-case dog whose story needs to be told, Muir says, is Wong, a unique looking, five-year-old white, gold and black German shepherd-cross.

Wong, whose owners also moved away, has been in various SPCA kennels for about 10 months.

Muir says, while the dog looks beautiful, people don't want to adopt him because he takes a long time to warm up to anyone.

"He's scared of everyone," she says. "He's even afraid of kittens."

Muir says Wong is good with cats and people and is the farthest thing from aggressive. Wong has even learned some basic commands while at the shelter.

"Once this dog trusts you and knows you, he won't leave your side," she says.

The one with saddest story of them all, though, is Echo. The large, rust-coloured chow-cross barks, jumps up and has a short attention span, but it's the only behaviour he knows, Muir says, because he's spent the majority of his life at the pound.

Echo has been at the SPCA for a year - four months longer than he is old.

"He still acts like a puppy," Muir says. "It's pent up energy from being here so long."

The Delta SPCA has more animals than ever: 28 dogs in 18 kennels and 85 cats, 80 of which are in foster homes. The shelter hasn't had to put a dog down for space in more than two years and Muir is hoping it will stay that way.

View the animals for adoption in Delta over the Internet at www.vrbspca.bc.ca. The shelter, at 7450-80th St., Ladner, is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and noon to 5 p.m. weekends.