The Human Walking Program

An innovative adoption program in Melbourne, Australia changed the way people look at shelter dogs and helped rescue thousands. 
The Lost Dogs' Home launched its Human Walking Program earlier this year to provide desk-bound Melbourians with a chance to get out of the office, get some exercise and get to know a shelter dog. Promoting healthy living and shelter adoption, the Human Walking Program turned the tables on shelter adoption by sending the message that the dogs are, in fact, rescuing the humans.  
Check out the video!
Studies have shown the average working hours of full-time employees in Australia are long and have been steadily getting longer which is contributing to extra stress, poor family relations and a lower quality of social relationships. 

"We don't always realize as office workers how many hours we spend cooped up inside rarely getting out. So what better way to spend a lunch break than with a friend who will  no doubt take the stress out of your day!" - Kate Hoelter, The Lost Dogs' Home General Manager, Fundraising and Communications. 

During the event, over 5,000 office workers were rescued and every dog was adopted. 

An Interview with Cheryl Herperger, City of Calgary's Off-Leash Ambassador Program

Terri Perrin

InfoStream Staff Writer

Infostream staff writer Terri Perrin speaks with Innovation showcase presenter Cheryl Herperger, Business Strategist on the Community and Strategic Service Team at The City of Calgary Animal & Bylaw Services. Cheryl is also the lead for The City’s innovative new Off-Leash Ambassadors volunteer program.

City of Calgary Off-Leash Ambassador Program

INFOSTREAM (IS): Before we get start talking about your Urban Animal Conference experience, please tell us about your past and present Pet Experiences and how it relates to your current position with the City of Calgary Animal & Bylaw Services.

Cheryl Herperger (CH): I have lived with dogs since I was three years old and I currently share my home with two Golden Retrievers and two Labrador crosses. They are the loves of my life! When I was six years old I wanted to be a vet, but I had an issue with blood. Still do! So that was a bit of a problem. [Laughs.] Instead, in order to still ‘work’ with animals, over the years I have been on the boards of directors of several humane societies and now work for Animal & Bylaw Services.

I love watching my four dogs and they give me pure joy. I believe that walking your dog is the foundation of the relationship with your pet; so working on the Off-Leash Ambassadors project is perfect for me. I have worked with The City for over five years, as a community recreation coordinator, and had often worked in collaboration with Animal & Bylaw. When the job came up at Animal Services in the fall of 2013, I though “This is perfect! Furry friends and men in uniform. Works for me!”

IS: Tell us why the Off-Leash Ambassador program was created.

CH: We were getting feedback from both dog owners and non-dog owners alike on issues in most of our parks, but especially from two particular parks in the NW. Our investigation clearly indicated that there was a lot of confusion and concerns relating to off-leash etiquette. Some people we completely out of control. We knew that an education and public awareness piece would benefit all citizens. We have 24 dedicated Animal & Bylaw officers and, with a population of 1.4 million people, 122,000 licensed dogs and 151 dedicated off-leash areas, that’s a lot of ground to cover! The Off-Leash Ambassador program was developed to provide role models in the parks who could help people to voluntarily comply with bylaws and provide an avenue for citizens to express concerns and pass along comments to City staff. This is a volunteer-based, citizen-led ambassador program designed to assist bylaw officers. The bottom line is that the program is about education, not enforcement.

IS: What is the main focus of the program?

CH: One of the most important issues that the Off-Leash Ambassador program addresses is that even in an off-leash area it is imperative that dogs be under control at all times. It is not about showing up and just letting them run. We require people to have audible or visual command or control of their dogs. Dog recall is really important. Many people come to the park and they are busy talking or texting on cell phones or visiting with friends, rather than watching their dogs. You really must be aware of where your dog is and what he or she is doing.

IS: Tell us about the program launch.

CH: We had intended to start Off-Leash Ambassadors on July 1, 2013, but the city was under siege by flooding, so we did an official re-launch on September 5. The pilot program was introduced in Egerts and Bowmont Parks; the two parks where we had a high number of concerns and issues. We started with four volunteers. We provided them with logo-wear, so they could be easily identified, and a backpack filled with supplies including printed materials and ‘Bags on Board’ poop bag canisters to hand out to people for free. We have given out about 5,000 canisters to date.

IS: What kind of training and support do volunteers receive?

CH: Volunteers complete a comprehensive training and orientation program that includes a thorough review of our bylaws. Our Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaws that are 33 pages long are now summarized in a pamphlet. They are also instructed on basic animal behaviour – calming signals, posturing and more. They are trained to approach people positively, with a ‘did you know?’ attitude. We now have 35 volunteers for the two parks and it is interesting to note that not all of them are dog owners. The program has gone citywide and we hope to have ambassadors at all 151 of our off-leash areas by 2015.

IS: How do you recruit volunteers and what is their time commitment?

CH: Calgary is a dog city and a volunteer city so it hasn’t been difficult to get people to signup for the program. We have recruited using The City’s website, blog and social media, as well as emails to community associations, 122 dog walking groups, vets, groomers, retail, and the dog organizations. Quite a wide range of people have signed up, including several veterinarians and dog trainers. It is quite the diverse group. I am positively overwhelmed with their passion and commitment.

IS: How is the program funded? Are there any corporate sponsors?

CH: The City Council's Innovation Fund supports the program. Animal and Bylaw Service’s submitted an application and two councilors sponsored it. This funding pays for volunteer training and support, as well as supplies, such as jackets, leashes, backpacks, pet first aid kits, notebooks, etc.

IS: What is the general feedback about the program from your community?

CH: People notice a difference already and are asking how they can help. It has all been very encouraging. The program has created a social network of volunteers connecting with dog owners. It is an ‘in’ for positive communication and education.

IS: This was your first Urban Animal Conference experience. What did you think about it?

CH: It definitely added to my passion about community development. There is so much we can do. I was so impressed with the wide range of keynotes and presentations. I took tons of notes and am busy following up to create potential partnerships. I can’t wait until the International Summit for Urban Animal Strategies in October.

IS: Speaking of the Summit, what do you hope to take away from – or contribute to – the event?

CH: By October we will have had a full spring and summer of the program and am pleased to have extra time for my presentation to talk about what we learned. I’ll be able to share what changes and enhancements we have made. I look forward to hearing from other presenters. In my experience, conferences promote creative conversations and ideas. How wonderful to be able to be there, with like-minded, passionate and dedicated people. I can’t wait.

For more information on off-leash etiquette and dog recall training, check out Barbara Walmer's Guest Author post! 

The 2014 Urban Animal Regional Conferences presented the second annual Innovation Showcases. Across the continent, 20 local Innovators were given the opportunity to share their stories and successes with Urban Animal subscribers. From those, eight were selected to present at the 2014 Summit for Urban Animal Strategies, October 22–25 in beautiful Lake Louise, Alberta.

I have a cat too!

Sun beams are a cat's best friend.

It's true, I have a cat. Two and a half years ago when my sister moved to Australia I was given her cat, Eden. I kept calling her 'My Sister's Cat' until about a year ago when my vet pointed out that if I had been caring for, feeding and living with said cat for more than a year, it was now officially my cat. Admittedly he had a point.

Eden is not really a normal cat in my estimation. First of all she is LARGE, to say the least. She has tried many diets and we've done blood work to make sure there wasn't a medical reason for it but she's just a fat cat, 18.6 lbs to be exact. 18.6 lbs of cat that knows exactly when you have a full bladder and exactly how to sit on said bladder to make it just that little bit more uncomfortable. Of course, you are now trapped under a fat, purring cat so getting up to relieve your poor bladder is not actually possible. I can say honestly that I believe she sits across the room and watches how many glasses of water I've consumed before calculating that my bladder must be full and as such, it's time to cuddle with the fat cat.

Waiting for Squish to run by.

Eden is not a fan of Squish. Squish hasn't figured out that she's bigger than Eden but she has figured out that Eden doesn't like her. Eden knows this and intentionally waits until Squish starts to play fetch in the house and then proceeds to hide until the dog runs by, at which point she runs out and screams at Squish. I'm certain Eden takes great pride in this 'game' of hers.

I do keep faith that they may some day tolerate each other. Every couple of days they can manage to cuddle me on the bed at the same time. It works, as long as no one moves or touches each other.

"You wanted to sit here?"

I can't say I'm a cat person by any sense of the term but I feel certain Eden and I generally have a mutual love/hate relationship, as long as there's food in her dish.

Lisa Milton, Squish's Mom,
@summitLisa, lisa.miltonwork

When good pets go bad

Your once calm and quiet Golden Retriever has started barking and chewing the kids toys. Is it a change that has developed with age? Been learned from other dogs? Or is this new behaviour something you may have unknowingly introduced... 

InfoStream Guest Author Barbara Walmer provides strategies for behaviour reinforcement in pets. 

Your dog is a part of your family.  This is definitely the way most people feel about their pets.  Do you expect that a member of your family could display inappropriate or aggressive behaviour?  Many families handle both human and animal members of their families differently when they exhibit behaviour that we label as inappropriate or aggressive.  Ignoring, re-directing, punishing, and disassociating are all methods different people utilize. 

Behaviour is constantly changing, in both humans and animals.  We do what works for us, on both an emotional and practical level.  To keep behaviour strong it needs to be reinforced.  If an animal is not reinforced for a certain set of behaviours, they are likely to change strategies.  For example, a dog who lies quietly on its dog bed is ignored will change its behaviour to getting up and barking, in order to get attention. 

Remember dogs are social animals who want to be a part of the action, which includes verbal and physical interaction.  We often are passive when behaviour that is exhibited is “appropriate”, but react to behaviour that is “inappropriate”.  Often behaviour problems start with small behaviour changes that go unrecognized or ignored for a period of time until they become problematic.  At this point, an animal has practiced the behaviour sequence many times and been reinforced (by the environment or people).  This is typically when people come to seek guidance. 

The good news, is behaviour is constantly changing. The bad news is the animal is finding the current behaviour pattern reinforcing and effective.  We have to change this dynamic in many situations to allow the animal to find other behaviours (typically ones they did before) more reinforcing.

As humans, we can contribute to undesirable behaviour by not acknowledging it.  The sooner we recognize behaviour changes and seek help with an accredited trainer the better it is for all.  Behaviour continues to change.  Be aware!

- Barbara Walmer CPDT-KSA, CBCC-KA, KPA CTP, ACDBC