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LOTTO: Outlook improves for biter

| March 14, 2014 9:00 PM

I read the opinion submitted by Paula Dahlen this week about Lotto, a dog that is in quarantine at the Kootenai Humane Society after biting somebody. I am also a longtime volunteer at the shelter and I understand the passion, the attachment to the dogs and the difficulty of some situations. It is a big commitment, both time-wise and emotionally to consistently volunteer at the shelter.

I would like to say that the current staff at KHS is great to work with and they are very open to listening to suggestions on ways to improve the shelter and difficult situations. The staff took the time over the weekend to talk about this unfortunate situation with some of the volunteers, myself included, and they seriously considered our input. As a result of that, they have brought in a behaviorist who has worked with Lotto, and the change in Lotto is remarkable. They are also involving staff and volunteers in working with Lotto. They are currently evaluating an adoption offer to make sure that it would be the right fit.

Some dogs are stressed in a shelter environment and may behave inappropriately when someone invades their space. This is not always an indication of how they will act in a home. At times, unfortunately, euthanasia is the right decision because a dog is truly aggressive, and I support that even if it is difficult. However, in this case, it does not appear that euthanasia will be the end result, and that is due to the willingness of KHS management to fairly evaluate a difficult situation.

Keep up the good work. I love working with you.

JUDY COE

Hayden