Some shelter animals going to rescue groups

By John Tompkins
The Facts

Published January 19, 2009

CLUTE — Every time a visitor arrives at Chris Roberson’s home, his 7-year-old, Clancy, warmly greets them when they open the door.

“I can’t praise enough how he’s turned out,” Roberson said. “He loves people.”

Clancy, a black Labrador retriever, is a help dog for Roberson, who is a quadriplegic. The canine’s story begins and ends in Brazoria County, but the pooch has had some interesting stops along the way.

The Lab was brought to the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Animal Control and Livestock building in November 2006 as a stray, and instead of euthanizing him, animal control secretary Tammy Grable said she wanted to find a rescue organization to take him in.

The Houston Labrador Retriever Rescue program did more than care for Clancy, though — they trained him to care for others.

The program can teach animals how to provide assistance for those with disabilities, founder Lisa Beselt said. In Clancy’s case, his trainers discovered he seemed to detect seizures in people when he was placed with a Spring woman.

“I just knew whenever I worked with him that he had a special gift,” Beselt said. “I can’t explain it.”



SAVING LIVES

Most of the animals given to rescue groups from the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office Livestock and Animal Control division are adopted as pets, Grable said. More than half of all animals that find their way to animal control now find their place in the world instead of being euthanized, she said.

“That’s why we fight so hard to get them rescued,” Grable said. “There is so much good and love in these animals.”

Other than dogs and cats, animal control has saved all kinds of species, including pot-bellied pigs, goats, rabbits, ferrets and, in one instance, a chicken a resident complained about, Grable said.

Before they are euthanized, Grable tries to find rescue organizations throughout the country to take the animals, she said.

“There are animal rescues for everything,” she said. “To see them go out, it’s a blessing in itself.”

Brazoria County animals have gone to rescue groups as far away as Canada, Grable said.



GOVERNMENT WORK

The animal control division also is discovering some animals that pass through the building are being put to good use by rescue organizations, such as by providing assistance for the disabled or helping find dangerous materials for the government.

One Labrador who found his way at the Brazoria County animal control building, Miller, currently is being trained and could join a bomb-sniffing unit at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, said Amy Stevens, volunteer coordinator for Southeast Texas Lab Rescue.

Once Miller clears a heartworm test, he will go somewhere, maybe even join training sessions at the Department of Homeland security, Stevens said.

“He has a spot reserved for him in the next session,” she said. “We have pulled a lot of dogs from that shelter.”



SEIZING CONTROL

When sheriff’s animal control picked up Clancy in 2006, he was malnourished and had a bad case of ear mites, Beselt said. The mites bothered him so much he would thrash his head until his ears split and bled, she said.

After nine months of treating the mites and an increased diet, Clancy improved to the point he could train, Beselt said. During his training, she noticed Clancy seemed to be a little perceptive to Beselt, who had fainting spells at the time.

“You just kind of feel that ability,” she said. “He was just kind of there when I had fainting spells, too.”

After a woman in Spring who had seizures adopted Clancy, he often would stand next to her before a seizure would start, Beselt said.

“He just sort of starts nuzzling her,” said Allie Keaton, who helped train Clancy.

Clancy then would stay with the woman until she regained consciousness, Keaton said.

“It’s very rare that a dog can detect seizures before it happens so she can get to safety,” she said.



LEARNING NEW TRICKS

The woman in Spring eventually returned Clancy to Keaton after medication reduced her seizures.

Roberson took him in almost a month ago to teach him how to retrieve. He has trained dogs before in retrieving items and is keeping Clancy in a foster situation, Roberson said.

“Overall, he’s awesome, he’s awesome,” he said. “He’s so gentle.”

Roberson said he was surprised to hear Clancy originated from Brazoria County, and considering how much the dog’s done and where he is now, it’s almost unbelievable to think he could have been euthanized.

“I think that’s incredible,” Roberson said. “Not only to have a good life for himself but to provide help for his human.”