Vera Jordan Magazine

What if I want to
VOLUNTEER?
Volunteers are what make PAWS Chicago
work. There are a variety of opportunities,
including the advanced work with Gold
Star Dogs, but they all start with attending
a New Volunteer Orientation. To become a
Gold Star Volunteer it’s all about experience.
Here’s where to start:
1. Register for an orientation online at
pawschicago.org/volunteer
2. Complete Dog Town Training
program
3. Sign up for shifts and gain experience
caring for our general dog population
4. With time, experience and
commitment, you can continue
your training and become a Gold
Star Volunteer
CONTACT
volunteer@pawschicago.org
pawschicago.org/volunteer
Gold Star Volunteer Wayne Gailis works with
Mertie, a Gold Star Dog. Her training paid off.
Mertie was recently adopted.
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found as a stray, undernourished and
neglected, but the resilience that helped
her survive is now her biggest challenge as
a Gold Star Dog.
“These are resolvable issues for many,”
according to Harris. “Maybe they are
fearful when they see other people or
get too excited around other dogs, these
reactions help me connect the dots and
understand what a dog needs in a home.”
The Gold Star program is specifically
designed to address the harder cases and
give dogs with special needs, like Maximus
and Rhubarb, the chance to find a good
home. And while the program is structured
to help each dog, based on its individual
needs, some typical skill deficits Harris
and her team work on include behavior
such as leash reactivity, greeting strangers,
modifying a dog’s response when handled
or touched, mouthiness, resource-guarding
and impulse control.
The Gold Standard
in Volunteering
Just ask Mark Lucas, a Gold Star
Volunteer at PAWS Chicago. He isn’t shy
about his love for this special group of
dogs and says if you ask any volunteer
about Gold Star Dogs “you will probably
hear something like ‘they are the best.’”
Lucas, who has been with PAWS
since 2005, is one of 66 Gold Star
Volunteers specially trained to work with
these challenged rescues. This special
relationship provides the dogs with oneon-one
attention, training designed to
enrich their specific challenges, and the
opportunity to bond with a caregiver,
a tremendous benefit when it comes to
placing the dog in the right home.
“We get to know these dogs very well -
from their favorite toys and treats, teaching
them basic commands to offering focused
exercises like agility training and group
running,” Lucas explains. “These dogs
become like a member of our family.”
In fact, Gold Star Volunteers often foster
dogs, in their homes with their families
for several weeks at a time and become what
Lucas calls “ambassadors” for them and
their stories.
BEHAVIOR Myth: It’s the dog’s problem.
False: Quite often, it’s the handler’s problem also, according to Joan Harris, Director of
Behavior and Training for PAWS Chicago. Dogs and their owners have a language but it has to be
learned. “When I see a dog that is not trained,” she says, “I see a dog that has no language.”
Fostering: A Cornerstone of
the Gold Star Program
Fosters, like Lucas, are a critical component to any rescue
program, but nowhere does a foster program have more impact
than when working with socially challenged dogs. That is
because Gold Star Dogs typically present challenging enough
behavior to merit individual attention, according to Harris, and
time out of the Adopter Center is a key stop before being placed
responsibly in a home.
“It gives us insight into behavior we might not otherwise be
able to observe, especially the good behavior,” she says. There are
times when a dog that is especially stressed and not improving
“but then we get them in with a Gold Star Foster and see it’s
doing fine in a different environment.”
Gold Star Foster Gloria Rojas likes to think of herself as
a bridge; helping the dog go from where a dog was, to its new
home.
“One of my greatest joys comes from watching these dogs
emerge from being frightened, confused to being happier,
healthier and more secure dogs again,” Rojas said about her role
as a Gold Star Foster. “It is one of the most challenging and
rewarding jobs I’ve ever undertaken.”
What if I want to FOSTER?
Our foster volunteers are dedicated, animal-loving individuals
who provide a temporary home for adoptable pets with unique
care needs. In addition to our Gold Star Foster Program, animals
may need a temporary home for other reasons such as:
• They are too young to be spayed or neutered
• They may have minor, but contagious, health conditions
• They simply need a break from the shelter environment
How Do I Get Started?
Complete the Foster Care Application
at pawschicago.org/foster
To be a Gold Star Foster, families must schedule a consultation
with the PAWS Chicago Behavior Team to ensure a good fit.
Gold Star Foster
Cleora (right)
found her foster
sibling to be the
best cuddler in
the house.
It’s that transformation that, for Harris, is the ultimate
benefit of foster care.
A foster home is what made the difference for Cleora, a stray
Yorkshire Terrier who came to PAWS last fall with a personalityaltering
fear that made her inconsolable. She would cower in a
corner and nip at anyone who tried to cajole her. Cleora was in
such a state that she was immediately placed in a foster home,
where she eventually relaxed, stopped snapping and eventually
took to snuggling with her foster family.
“The day-to-day at the Adoption Center can be a tough
environment for some dogs, so having the ability to give these
guys a bit of a break is a wonderful opportunity,” says Diane
Wilkerson, PAWS Chicago’s Lincoln Park Adoption Center
Director. She credits the predictability of a home environment
as the primary factor in enabling dogs to relax when in foster.
“And that allows the door to open for some trust work and
training reinforcement, which is invaluable.”
According to both Wilkerson and Harris, the Gold Star
Foster program is why PAWS is able to save some of the more
difficult cases. “Because we know that with many of these dogs,
time, training and love can put them back together. Our foster
programs have the power to turn animals in need into the
loving pets of tomorrow,” says Wilkerson.
Cleora turned out to be such a special girl, that her new
family drove all the way from Indiana this past February to
meet her after seeing her on pawschicago.org.
Are You A Gold Star Adopter?
So besides a big heart, what does it take to rescue one of
these special dogs? The first and primary consideration is
commitment. “It’s everything when it comes to the success
of these dogs,” says Harris, who explained that this special
type of adopter has to be ready for a lifetime of training and
reinforcement.
“It’s about commitment and consistency because here’s the
thing, if you bring the dog into an environment that you’ve
agreed to create, then it’s not fair to change the deal half-way
through. The relationship will no longer be successful,” says
Harris.
She gives an example of one common game changer that can
upset the balance: kids. “Time won’t change a dog’s personality
so if you know you will eventually want kids, and a dog that’s
ok with them, look for a dog that is confident and outgoing.
Because once fearful or timid, it’s possible that they will always
fearful and timid.”
The other absolute for a Gold Star Adopter is experience.
“People need to understand that they are adopting a dog that
is going to need a lifetime of special attention,” says Harris,
underscoring the need to make sure the right dog is going to
an experienced dog owner, the right household and the right
environment to keep “our Gold Star Dogs safe.”
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