Giving shelter dogs a paw up

Peanut, a brown-and-white pit bull mix, had spent over a year in a kennel at Long Beach Animal Care Services (LBACS). He’d pull on his leash when the volunteers walked him and seemed grumpy in his kennel, probably for good reason, and prospective adopters would pass him over. Peanut got a couple of hours of attention and playtime with the volunteers, who knew and loved him, but that was not enough to resolve kennel stress. The rest of the day and all of the night was spent cooped up in a kennel.

That was before The DIESEL Project changed Peanut’s life forever and for absolute good.

The DIESEL Project is the namesake of a former LBACS resident. Diesel was a sweet pit bull who had come into LBACS with a severe skin infection and a shiny personality that bewitched everyone who met him. A while after Diesel came to LBACS, he exhibited neurological symptoms. K9 Kismet immediately pulled him into their rescue and rushed him to the vet.

“When imaging revealed a mass in his brain, our hearts shattered,” Nici Daniels said. “His rescue and volunteer family gathered around him, holding his paw as we said goodbye and promised we’d never forget him.”

Losing their “community soul dog” hurt everyone deeply, and Daniels wanted to meaningfully memorialize him.

“We were determined to find a way to honor our dear friend's memory and help other dogs in his name,” Daniels said. “It took time to find what felt right, but a program built on the belief that ‘hard to place’ never means ‘hard to love’ made perfect sense.”

The DIESEL Project was born from a few difficult truths, Daniels said.

“Like most municipal shelters, Long Beach Animal Care Services is almost always full, and dogs who struggle with overstimulation, fear, barrier reactivity or emotional dysregulation simply cannot get what they need in that environment,” she said. “We know that even the best dogs can start to break down under chronic stress, and shelters can only do so much with the resources they have. Another challenge is that there are simply not enough fosters available to guide these dogs through traditional rescue pathways. We cannot change the entire system overnight, but we can rethink the part we play in it. So, we pushed ourselves to look beyond the usual solutions and explore new ways to support the dogs who need us most.”

Daniels was familiar with research that indicated a significant drop in cortisol levels, which affect stress, when a shelter dog gets even a brief kennel break. Combining reduced stress with individualized, professional assessment and training for each dog, educating shelter volunteers about reinforcing the training, and sharing video updates on social media for community awareness, she developed a plan for the new program. So far, it’s a winner — Peanut will vouch for that.

“The Diesel Program is lifesaving for dogs that are overlooked,” volunteer Alison said. “We all knew how amazing Peanut was, but how could we get outsiders to see what we already saw in him? The Diesel Project gave him the space and structure to really shine, to learn, to grow, to thrive, to find his forever.”

The DIESEL Project gives the dogs extended shelter breaks combined with their very own private tutors. The project uses a boarding school-type approach, with professional trainers who bring out their inner goo’ boy or girl. The four-legged student body is made up of dogs selected by a team of staff, trainers and volunteers, including Daniels, who also volunteers for LBACS and knows the dogs very well.

“[We] all collaborate to identify dogs who are struggling in the shelter environment, have untapped potential, or need help developing the skills that will help them find their way into a home,” Daniels said. “The goal is simple: Help the dogs decompress, build healthier habits, and learn the skills they need to move forward into life as someone’s beloved pet. It’s dog rehab, if you will.”

K9 Kismet pays for the dogs’ personalized training and boarding for four to six weeks, under LBACS’ foster program umbrella. Funding comes entirely from donations to K9 Kismet, and the training partners provide a discount for their services. Daniels and her team are currently researching grant funding and corporate sponsorships to help sustain and grow the program.

While the dogs are away enjoying themselves and all that personalized attention, Daniels and the team are sharing their stories through social media updates, progress reports, training clips and transformational stories.

“By telling their stories while they are in school, we promote them for adoption, build connections with potential families, and create a supportive, hopeful audience cheering them on,” Daniels said.

Peanut, the project’s pilot pup, showed what was possible for an unseen dog, Daniels said.

“When we enrolled him in a four-week program with trainer Robert Villaneda, everything changed,” she said. “By week three, this dog who had been invisible for over a year suddenly had multiple families asking to meet him. The training did not change who Peanut was, it simply helped uncover the parts of him that shelter stress had buried. People were finally seeing the same gentle, goofy, eager-to-please boy we had loved all along.”

A handful of Peanut’s episodes

“The Diesel Project saved his life,” said volunteer Ellen. “Peanut had no one look at him for over a year at the shelter. Through the social media push and extra training he got in the program, he had several interested adopters. I hear he is very happy in his new home. He is a lucky boy.”

Transitioning from the program

When a dog is adopted, the trainer supports the humans and dog with a transition session to ensure that the new family understands the dog’s needs, reinforces the cues the dog has learned, and has all the tools that will help the dog settle into the home. And if no adoption is forthcoming?

“This was the question we considered most carefully,” Daniels said. “Many of us have imagined a program like this before, but the biggest hurdle always seemed to be the same: what happens if a dog does not find a home while they are in the program? Since board and train programs work best when there is a person waiting on the other side, ready to provide solid follow-through, we needed a thoughtful plan for dogs who might return to the shelter after school.”

For such situations, Daniels and the other project members are building a team of trained volunteers who’ll work with each dog and their assigned trainer to learn everything an adopter would learn.

“This team can act as a surrogate family and provide consistency, structure and emotional support until the dog is adopted,” Daniels said.

Peanut doesn’t have to worry, though. A family showed interest while he was training, and when school was out, Villaneda chauffeured him to his new home. The trainer spent two hours walking the family through everything Peanut had learned and would need to thrive.

“It was more than a handoff,” Daniels said. “It was a passing of the torch, a moment where a dog who had waited so long was finally welcomed into a life that was ready for him.”

YOURS DROOLY

Meet the All-Girl Squad! These three students left to get their B.A.’s (barking abatement degree, I think) last week, and by the time they get back, they’ll be all ready for their advanced degrees, preferably through home study and hopefully at your home. And like many adult college grads, they won’t leave — and you’ll never want them to.

If you’re interested in adopting or have questions about any of these sweet scholars, please email admin@k9kismet.org.

Suki (ID#A744649) is in training with Robert Villaneda. She’s a sweet, fun 1-year-old pup who loves people and enjoys the company of other dogs. After spending her puppyhood in the shelter, she’s now enrolled in K9 Kismet’s DIESEL Project, where she is working with a trainer to build her Puppy 101 foundations. She’s clever, eager to please, playful and affectionate. She’s ready to shine with someone who believes in her.

Lady (ID#A745554) is also in training with Villaneda. She’s a smart, confident, petite girl, just 4 years old. Lady loves people and enjoys the company of other dogs. After having a rough start in life, she’s now enrolled in K9 Kismet’s DIESEL Project, where she is working with a trainer to learn new things and become her best self. She’s fun, eager to engage, good on leash, and quickly becoming a superstar rollerblading partner! Let’s just say that Lady’s a good skate who’s ready to shine with someone who believes in her.

Rutabaga (ID#A738594) is training with Angela Adan of Deserving Dogs. She’s a gentle, sensitive 2-year-old little girl who enjoys the company of other dogs. She can be shy around new people at first, but when she connects, it’s with her whole heart. She is currently enrolled in K9 Kismet’s DIESEL Project, where she works with a trainer to build her confidence and rediscover her bravery. Check her out following her trainer on the ranch (private property, so she can “unleash” that energy!). Rutabaga’s calm, good natured and lower-energy — she’s a lovely companion who moves through the world with a soft heart. She’s ready to shine with someone who believes in her.

TAIL-WAGGIN' AND NOSE-BOOPIN' EVENTS

Best gift idea ever! Bring a family member or a friend who wants a pet for the holidays and to either or both these adoption events. Bring along the coupon above, and let your loved one pick a new friend! Then, you pay the adoption fee! More info here.

Home for the Pawlidays pet adoption and craft fair

Last week, I goofed and ran a Little Lion Foundation (LLF) fundraiser a week after it had already taken place. ’Tis the season to be loopy, I guess. Luckily, LLF has another one coming right up this Saturday, and you can double-check the date with the graphic. At Home for the Pawlidays, you can play Santa for your human and pet friends and family and treat yourself as well, with a backdrop of festive holiday decorations, including a huge Christmas tree. Plus, rescues and shelters will be there with their adorable adoptables, so you can give an animal the best gift of all: a forever home.

Home for the Pawlidays takes place Saturday, Dec. 6. 10 a.m.–4 p.m. at The Hangar at Long Beach Exchange, 4150 McGowen St., Long Beach

Jolly Jubilee pet adoption event

The Long Beach Animal Care Services’ (LBACS) Adoption Waggin’, geared up with a new wrap design donated by a community member , rolls down to a holiday adoption fest! Meet the volunteers and adoptable pets, admire the new Waggin’ design, take a holiday photo, and get everything you need for anyone you adopt (no pressure — heh) inside Pet Supplies Plus!

The Jolly Jubilee takes place Saturday, Dec. 13, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. at Pet Supplies Plus, 2086 N. Bellflower Blvd, Long Beach

Free holiday ornaments workshop

Pop in to Cool Cat Collective and make ornaments for the Rose Park Neighborhood Association’s holiday gift bags for older adults. Pointy ears on the ornaments are probably optional, but feel free to add them!

The workshop takes place Thursday, Dec. 11, 6 p.m.–8 p.m. at Cool Cat Collective, 2741 E. Fourth St., Suite C, Long Beach 

Need a low-cost veterinarian, information about trapping community cats, places to volunteer, pet food, veterinary assistance, rescues and shelters to adopt from — anything pet related? Follow this link for resources. Please add your own ideas in the Comments section.