September 10, 2004

Shelter begins rehabilitation, training of confiscated San Jose dogs

Humane Society Silicon Valley (HSSV) has kicked off a “Help the 64” campaign to raise money to rehabilitate and socialize 64 dogs and puppies confiscated from a San Jose resident. The resident kept the animals in a small home in deplorable living conditions.

“These dogs came to us with health and behavior problems. We are dedicated to giving them a second chance and need the public’s help so we can try and turn these dog’s lives around,” said Christine Benninger, HSSV president.
Help the 64 Campaign consists of:

- Using staff and additional animal behavioral specialists to perform behavior evaluations on each dog;
- Creating an intervention plan for those dogs who need extra attention;
- Medical treatment to ensure the animals are healthy;
- Spaying and neutering of each animal that goes up for adoption;
- Providing foster homes for the puppies and younger dogs;
- Developing a ‘Help the 64’ fund to support the care and rehabilitation of these animals.

The dogs were brought to Humane Society Silicon Valley on Aug. 25 and put into protective custody. Many have communicable diseases, are malnourished and need long-term medical care. Some of the puppies have been placed in foster homes to help socialize them until they are old enough to be placed up for adoption.

“Our goal is to place as many of these dogs up for adoption so that they may find permanent, loving homes,” said Benninger. In addition to health ailments, some of the dogs are aggressive, highly under-socialized and will require extensive behavior modification and training.

Benninger says the dogs were kept in a small house in filthy conditions, which encouraged aggressive behavior amongst the animals for food and water. While Benninger acknowledges that the shelter may not be able to successfully rehabilitate all of the dogs, she says the shelter’s staff is committed to helping as many of these 64 dogs as possible.

“Cash donations to help offset the cost of caring for these dogs is greatly appreciated,” Benninger explained, noting that it costs the shelter approximately $1,000 a day to provide medical care, food and shelter for the 64 animals.
Checks can be mailed to Humane Society Silicon Valley, “Help the 64 Campaign,” 2530 Lafayette St., Santa Clara, CA 95050.

This year, Humane Society Silicon Valley (HSSV) celebrates 75 years of strengthening the human-animal bond through a comprehensive program of adoptions, animal care and services, education and an affordable medical center for spaying, neutering, vaccinations and microchips.

Established in 1929, HSSV has grown into one of the largest animal shelters on the West Coast, caring for nearly 29,000 animals last year. Since its inception, HSSV has adopted over 500,000 animals into permanent homes. The agency has an “open door” shelter policy and accepts animals 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information, visit the Web site: www.hssv.org or call (408) 727-3383.