Charity Aims to Improve the Lives of Shelter Dogs

There are several facilities that seek to protect dogs from exploitation or provide them with necessities like food and shelter. But many of those shelters rely on volunteers who, while dedicated, are forced to spend much of their time meeting the very basic needs for the animals in their care.

As a result, important initiatives like fundraising, actively seeking adoptive homes for dogs and even addressing animals'  quality of life often cannot be addressed.

Those are gaps the FernDog Foundation seeks to fill.

The charity, recently founded by Fernando Camacho, a certified dog trainer based in Bloomfield, aims to better the lives of shelter dogs on a number of fronts, said Stacey Clark, one of the foundation’s officers.

“Fernando has worked with shelters and rescue groups pretty much his entire career, and he noticed that there was a trend among them. They are relying on the volunteers to focus on the animals but it’s hard for them to raise money,” said Clark, a 33-year-old Montclair resident. “We kind of both had the same opinion that shelters had trouble fundraising. It’s an observation of what the shelters need and what they lack.”

Along with helping raise funds for shelters and rescue organizations, the group also plans to draw on its expertise to improve the quality of life of dogs in shelters. Camacho, who has written books on animal training, will help shelters optimize their facilities to create the best possible environment for their four-legged charges.

Camacho and other FernDog volunteers plan on visiting animal rescue facilities and helping them design environments where dogs can - like children - run and play with each other.

“The shelters love and care for these animals, but when they’re spending so much time in cages, their mental health deteriorates,” Clark said. “Dogs are pack animals, they’re social creatures, they want to interact with each other ... if they can release that energy, you’ll have calmer, more balanced dogs who will be easier to adopt.”

The charity, which was founded in the summer of 2010, plans other initiatives as well, including creating an adoption network to match animals with appropriate owners.

The charity also aims to dispel the myth that some breeds of dog - like pit bulls - are “naturally” mean.

As an example, Clark mentions one of the pit bulls that had been owned by NFL quarterback Michael Vick, an animal that was trained to compete in illegal dog-fighting matches. The dog, which became vicious through deliberate mistreatment, has since been adopted into a household that includes a cat and has adjusted comfortably to his new surroundings.

Clark cites another example much closer to home: her own 55-lb. pit bull Jack, who she describes as an affectionate “lap dog."

“He’s socialized to other dogs. If you give him a treat, he’s your friend for life,” Clark said. “It’s all about the environment and how you raise them. There are no bad breeds, only bad owners.” 

FernDog Foundation, which has members in the Caldwells, Nutley and elsewhere in Essex County, includes Joe Dwyer, a deacon at Holy Family Church in Nutley who was by Patch a few months ago after he rescued an abandoned dog named Shelby. After being rehabilitated and trained, Shelby went on to become a companion animal for the disabled. 

For more information about the charity, visit www.ferndog.org or send an email to stacey@ferndog.org, fern@ferndog.org or info@ferndog.org.

The group will be holding a “Zumbathon” charity fundraiser at Caldwell College March 13. Click here for more information.