The MSPCA’S clinical animal behaviourist Carrie Evans has spoken out about the society’s decision to put down a dog in February and the work they are doing with ‘difficult’ dogs.
Registered animal behaviourist Carrie, who lives in Stockton-on-Tees, has been working with the society in Foxdale since October, visiting every month to help staff work with dogs with behavioural issues.
She said: ‘Several of the dogs had issues but what was much more evident was that there’s an amazing team here. They were really passionate about the dogs but they were struggling because they didn’t have the skill set to be able to work with the dogs.’
When Carrie arrived she used a ‘traffic-light system’ to separate the dogs with major issues, dogs that needed some help and others that could go straight up for adoption. Of around 20 dogs, at least half were placed in the red or amber category with one of these dogs being four-year-old Staffordshire cross Hughie who was put down in February.
Hughie had been with the MSPCA since he was around nine months old and a committee of five made the decision to put him down.
Carrie said that Hughie had been unable to express ‘normal canine behaviour’ and was consistently jumping from the floor to the walls. ‘It’s no different to animals consistently pacing or head-shaking and that is a consequence of long-term restriction in an environment where they’re unable to cope.
‘If an animal is suffering, its welfare needs are not being met and no matter what we’ve tried isn’t working you have to decide what’s best for them. I stand up and say it was a hard decision but I stand by that decision.’
Carrie and the MSPCA staff have been training the dogs by teaching them manners, developing their confidence with humans, training dogs with aggressive tendencies with muzzles and working on enrichment. Now only two dogs are in the red category and 30 dogs have been rehomed since January. Last year 15 dogs had been rehomed in the same time period.
‘Seeing those dogs move forward is just amazing! This team are now enjoying what they are doing and their passion is coming back, they want to move forward and as a result these dogs are coming on.’