Community Corner
Soule: Paradise for Tourists, Not for Pups
Hammer and his sibling, Socket, were found in a box at a dump on St. Croix, one of the U.S. Virgin Islands. The box had been taped shut.
Hammer and his sibling, Socket, were found in a box at a dump on St. Croix, one of the U.S. Virgin Islands. The box had been taped shut. Katie Nelson, founder of Ruff Start, saved these puppies and eventually sent them to Miles Smith Farm, where I could care for them and prepare them for adoption.
St. Croix may be a paradise for vacationers, but it's also a breeding ground for stray and abandoned dogs. In the tropics, dogs don't need to seek shelter from the cold, which increases their social opportunities. This results in unwanted puppies, many of which roam the island sick and half-starved.
Unwanted puppies born to household pets are sometimes brought to the St. Croix Animal Welfare Center. That's where I found my dogs, Joy and Flora. Two years ago, Flora traveled in a carrier that fit under the airplane seat, and last year, Joy came home with me on another flight.
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Unfortunately, at one year old, both Socket and Hammer were over 30 pounds and too big to carry on, so instead, each was put into a crate, loaded in a pressurized cargo hold, and flown to Florida. There, generous volunteers drove them to foster homes in Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, and finally, New Hampshire, where I met the transport volunteers and brought Socket and Hammer home.
Socket was a timid sweetheart who needed structure. At her St. Croix foster home, she was allowed to run wild with access to the entire house. Dogs don't need access to a whole house; they should stay in a single room until they learn the house rules and respect the owner's boundaries. All dogs need structure to know who the pack leader is (you) and lots of exercise.
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Hammer was more confident but also needed structure.
Dogs need:
1. Exercise (long walks with you, not running loose in a fenced backyard).
2. Rules and boundaries (even people need these).
3. Affection (essential but always No. 3 on the list).
Carole Soule is co-owner of Miles Smith Farm, where she raises and sells beef, pork, eggs, and other local products. She can be reached at carole@soulecoaching.com. Carole also coaches humans, helping them achieve the impossible a little at a time.
