October 17, 2008, ''Rehoming,''anyone?, By Christine Foster, Fear of commitment? SAMM has the perfect solution, By Melissa Hirsch

I just read a recent newsletter from a shelter in Devon, England, and was amazed to learn of a new idea they were trying out: not letting prospective parents into the kennels at all, but having them select a pet from the posters of the dogs in the reception area!

According to their article, “The change was introduced to reduce the stress of the dogs and to make better matches of dog to owner. It will take a while before we truly get a picture of how it’s going, but I’d say so far, so good. Rehoming figures are fairly consistent with the same period last year but the dogs are definitely much more relaxed.”

Um, first of all, I’m not fond of this jargon term “rehoming” (I guess that’s newspeak for “adoption”) and I can only hope that once prospective parents (or should I say “rehoming units?”) have made their choices, they are allowed to meet, touch and play with their poster-perfect pets before making any commitment. Perhaps they are allowed to ask to meet as many as they wish. Let’s hope so!

Frankly, the whole thing made me feel lucky that we have the SPA in San Miguel.

I promise if you come on down to our clean, friendly and well-run premises, 11am–2pm any weekday, we guarantee you will get to meet any or all of our available dogs and cats and spend as much time with them as you like.

You might be particularly interested in Coral, for instance. We think she is between two and three years old and is a basset mix, medium-small in size, with characteristic and rather comical short legs. She absolutely adores kids, having recently been living at the Santa Julia orphanage. She was a stray and the good sisters and volunteers took her in, cared for her and had her spayed. Unfortunately, the orphanage already had two dogs and having a third was pushing the expenses and workload a little higher than anyone could handle. Coral was reluctantly put on the SPA waiting list and brought in as soon as we had room, and what a delight she has turned out to be. She is bouncy, bright and energetic, though she will need some leash training. She can be a little protective of her own space, but is not at all aggressive and is easy to be around in the home or out on the town. She would adapt quickly and eagerly with the right person or family and is ready when you are.

Brandi is a beautiful three-year old Siamese mix with medium-length hair. He gets along with other cats and is a great personality blend—both independent and very friendly. Not a needy chap, he doesn’t like to be held for long, but will come right up to lie down by you, treasuring your presence for comfort and downright pleased to be a companion.

So, have you been think of “rehoming” a warm and loving creature? Our animals hope you have. Why not come down to see whether you might be a perfect “rehoming unit” for one of our terrific residents. The SPA is located at Los Pinos 7, a right turn off Calzada de la Estación. Suggested donations for adoptions begin at 300 pesos, which includes sterilization and vaccinations. Visit the website at www.spasanmiguel.org or call 152-6124 for more information.

Do you say to yourself, “If only I had more time I would commit to a relationship?” Or “I travel way too much to make any commitment.” Or “My last relationship didn’t work out so well, so I am afraid to try a new one.”

Are you only here in San Miguel for a short time? Is it difficult for you to meet new people? We have the perfect solution for all you commitment-phobic, short-term residents and unfriendly people. Save a Mexican Mutt (SAMM) is a San Miguel organization that has found homes for over 300 dogs since 2001.

“A dog,” you say. “How will a dog improve my life?” Becoming a foster parent for a dog is the perfect solution to all your dysfunctional problems. Just think—when you say what you are doing, others will think maybe you are not as disagreeable as they had thought. When you start walking the dog, conversations are easy to start. People usually smile at you.

Seriously, we have all seen the homeless dogs wandering the streets of San Miguel and some of us have even thought of doing something about it but got busy. Many local residents have fostered dogs for SAMM before they get transported to their new homes.

Local resident Kimberly Morris, who has fostered more than five dogs, found it to be the perfect solution after her dog died and she was reluctant to get another. Morris has a five-year-old child and no yard, so having dogs just for a short time has worked well for her family. Fostering provides “the joy of having a dog with little of the long-term responsibility.” Being able to watch an emaciated dog gain weight and thrive was an additional joy.

Morris felt no pressure from Kelly Karger, founder of SAMM, to adopt a dog. Karger carefully screens all dogs before they are placed in foster homes and quickly responds to any issues that might arise with the foster dogs. They have all been neutered and are current on their shots. The majority of the dogs have owners who are waiting for them on the next transport to the US.

Lynda Schor and her husband are currently fostering a dog for SAMM. They had thought about owning a dog but are not ready to make that commitment, so being able to help for a short time has worked perfectly. She said their foster dog gets along well with other dogs and children. The only experience she felt was necessary was to be “warm and welcoming.” She says their foster dog has more than returned the favor.

Fostering a dog works particularly well for people who do not live full time in San Miguel, according to Arie Raysor, another resident who has fostered several dogs for SAMM. These shorter-term visitors can have the pleasure of dog companionship and helping a dog in need while they are here. Raysor expresses the benefit perfectly: “Fostering a dog allows one the freedom to travel without the responsibility of having a full-time pet. Best of all worlds.”

So get over your fear of commitment, at least on a short-term basis, and contact SAMM to help by becoming a foster parent for a dog soon to be transported to his/her new home. Contact Kelly Karger at Info@SaveAMexicanMutt.org. SAMM is a US nonprofit 501(c)3 organization and donations are deductible on US tax returns.