Project Pooch

Are you feeling the heat? Us too!

Today we have pools available for all the dogs. POOCH dog Austin, and boarders Faith and Louie LOVE the pools. Austin even takes advantage of our larger pool to lay down in to properly cool off.

For our dogs who don’t like the pools, we are taking advantage of the indoor spaces and working on training to get them some brain exercise.

Remember to keep yourself and your animals hydrated and minimize your time in the sun as much as possible.

Jasmine has been an absolute joy to have at POOCH, she never fails to make people smile and has a love for life that is inspiring. Unfortunately for us, POOCH isn’t her forever home. Maybe you’re her lucky landing spot? We are looking forward to finding her new family and getting her settled in to a lifetime of laughs, smiles, and silly antics in pursuit of ball.

She is a bit of a special needs girl due to the potential of injury related to her back, though she isn’t currently injured. There are more details on her page, but right now she is bright, alert, and active!

Jasmine loves her ball! So much that she had to take it with her on her stroller ride. Could she be any cuter?

If you have human kids, or furkids, today is to celebrate all that our mothers do for us. Happy Mothers Day to our followers and our POOCH adopters who count their pooches among their kids.

☔️April showers bring May flowers, right? 🌷

Well last month brought some showers to POOCH. Austin, one of our newer dogs from Marion County, had a medical emergency. He went from an urgent same-day appointment at our vet to an emergency clinic with the possibility of a foreign body blockage! Fortunately the vet at the emergency clinic recommended an ultrasound before surgery. While there was no blockage, there was severe inflammation and irritation. For the next few weeks we worked on re-feeding Austin and building up his appetite with medication, complete with a few sessions of sub-q fluids.

As of today Austin is happily eating his meals, energetic enough to play with his friends, and less than two pounds shy of his pre-illness weight. We still don’t have a definitive diagnosis for why he stopped eating, or what caused such an emergency. We will be running more bloodwork to make sure this doesn’t become a repeat performance for him.

Without generous donors like you, this might have been a different story. We were prepared to give Austin a fighting chance with some not so great odds. Even as he was refusing food and requiring around the clock care, we knew we would do everything we could to help him return to the fun, goofy boy we know him to be. We will still need to get his bloodwork done to rule out any major medical concerns, so donate today to help Austin get ready for his forever home!🏠

Do you want to help make a difference in the lives of young men and shelter dogs? Do you love to spend time with dogs of all ages, breeds, and temperaments? Are you looking to spend your summer mentoring and coaching young men to become the best version of themselves? Then you are the unicorn we are looking for! Project POOCH is currently hiring a Kennel Coordinator to work 3 days a week on-site at our kennel at Maclaren Youth Correctional Facility. This position is a vital part of the POOCH team and works directly with the POOCH dogs, boarding dogs, daycare dogs, and youth in our program.

The most important qualifications to be a good fit for POOCH are a willingness to learn, a desire to collaborate with the full team, an interest in working with dogs and young men, and an ability to think on your feet and be a creative problem solver.

Learn more and apply today! pooch.org/work-with-us

Did you know today is National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day? It's ok, we almost missed it too!

Here at POOCH, we have a few dogs to consider for your newest best friend.

Viola 🌸 is our longest resident. She's been growing up into a lovely lady who would be an excellent adventure buddy for your family. We've been teaching her a lot here, but she is looking forward to learning what it's like to live in a home!

Ally👑 thinks she should be the queen of her castle, no other stinky dogs allowed. She is people centric and EAGER to be your BFF. She excels in snuggles, hugs, entertaining with her funny play style.

Austin and our newest addition are still getting ready for adoption, so keep your eye peeled for their intros!

When your speckles match the flower petals you’ve gotta pose a bit! Viola is made for spring flowers. Apply today to fill your home with this long lasting bloom!

One of the skills we work on with POOCH dogs is the ability to load up in the van! Our dogs travel in crates to ensure their safety in case of an accident, so this skill has a few different parts. Sometimes our dogs get so good at loading up that they can show new dogs how it’s done. Adoptable Viola shows Georgia how it’s done in a smooth load up. Georgia needed some extra help but got some good practice in!