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Bob Pennell photos This sad-eyed dog seemed to relax a bit Saturday during a bath from Michelle Coppola (right) and Marty McGuire at the animal shelter. They'll be the dog's foster owners. Fostering affection Volunteers answer call to save neglected dogs By Susan Jay Listening to volunteers at the Jackson County animal shelter Saturday, it sounded as if they were talking to newborn babies. What they were doing, however, was much harder. They were trying to save the 25 or so dogs that are left of 71 neglected animals removed from a Sams Valley home last week. Although 46 have had to be euthanized, volunteers are desperately working to save those that remain. To do so, they must get the dogs used to humans in hopes of finding them adopted homes. Shelter workers issued a call for help this week for volunteers who can offer foster care or can spend intensive time with animals that are not used to human voices or human touch. On Saturday, a handful of these dog lovers were cooing and wooing, and petting and praising, moving cautiously among the 26 caged dogs, encouraged their efforts will pay off. "I saw big progress," said Lisa Ennis, a volunteer with Friends of the Animal Shelter. Volunteers like Ennis are working against the clock, because the Sams Valley case has overloaded the shelter's limited space. The shelter has space for at most about 100 dogs, and new animals continue to come in daily. "Hopefully we can get them out of here and into an adoption situation sooner," said shelter assistant Donna Patnesky. The story of Bonita Jones and her 70-plus dogs hit a public nerve Feb. 8, when animal control officers responded to neighbors' complaints and took 32 dogs. Lisa Ennis and other volunteers made some progress with their canine charges Saturday. They returned Tuesday and took 14 more. On Friday, they took another 25. The owner has now turned over all but a few of the dogs, said Gary Stevens, manager of the county's environmental health services. Stevens said the horrible situation, in which animal control officers found dogs covered in mud and feces and running wild, will not happen again. Officers plan to routinely check the home, he said. There are other issues concerning septic and waste disposal on the property, which county code officers also will investigate, Stevens said. In the meantime, shelter workers continue to evaluate the 25 remaining dogs, to see which ones can be adopted. The other dogs had to be euthanized because of aggressive behavior, poor health and old age. Volunteers saw their efforts produce positive results Saturday, as some of the dogs relaxed and acted less afraid of their human helpers. Dog case starts an outcry The case of the Sams Valley dogs has sparked numerous calls of concern and outrage to the Jackson County Animal Shelter. Colleen Macuk, shelter manager, has started a list of people who say they are serious about foster-parenting or adopting one of these special-needs dogs. The dogs are not house-trained and require a lot of attention; initially, they should not be left at home alone. Those still interested in helping the shelter with this special group of canines can call 776-7035, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Also, animal lovers interested in joining Friends of the Animal Shelter can call and leave a message at 772-5600 or write to P.O. Box 3412, Ashland, OR 97520. Volunteers help in a variety of ways, including walking, bathing and grooming shelter dogs, and providing transportation to veterinarians. "It's such a sense of accomplishment," said Ennis. "I hate to leave these guys." She sat in a cage and sometimes lay down on the concrete floor with a tan cocker-terrier mix and a dishwater-color cocker-poodle. "This one wouldn't let me near her in the beginning," Ennis said of the tan, princely looking dog. After 30 minutes in the cage, however, she came up and sniffed her. Shelter workers had some more good news Saturday. Of the 25 dogs taken from the home Friday, Patnesky said, many of them were affectionate. Three adorable black puppies and a small, affectionate older black dog will probably be ready for adoption by Tuesday, Patnesky said. The shelter also has two mommies that are weening six puppies. The pups will be good candidates for adoption, she said. One of the dogs rescued Friday was placed in temporary foster care Saturday with a Jacksonville couple, Michelle Coppola and Marty McGuire. They are the second foster parents to take home a dog from the Sams Valley group. They have three dogs of their own, and have been foster parents to 20 shelter dogs. They find homes for the dogs, and will keep this one until someone adopts him. Before leaving the shelter, the couple washed and washed the large, white, shaggy mutt with sad eyes. The water turned a thick, deep chocolate after Coppola rubbed his snout, scrubbed his ears and brushed through his long hair. He seemed to relax under her touch, and started to pant, a sign that he was starting to release his stress. Coppola said they picked this one because "he seemed the most trusting, the most approachable." And because the look on his face just got to her. "It was the face that said, `Give me a chance.' " Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA