TU students help dogs find new home

THOMASVILLE- It didn’t take long for Sophomore Annalise Buncy to decide that she wanted a dog, but not any dog.

She wanted Snoopy, a pit bull terrier/basset hound mix, from Thomasville Humane Society.

Buncy met Snoopy when her Student Success class, taught by Dr. Cristina Jones, visited one of the “Mental Health Minutes” sessions that are held in partnership with TU and Thomasville Humane Society in the Rust Science Building every other Wednesday.

“For the rest of the day, I couldn’t stop thinking about him,” Buncy said. “I kept on saying, ‘Oh my gosh, this dog is so cute.’ He was playful and very welcoming, which most dogs are not, especially in a setting like that. I was telling myself ‘This dog is so cute, I need him.’ I just decided that day that I was going to adopt him.”

Buncy and her boyfriend, AJ Wydra, went to Thomasville Humane Society that evening and adopted Snoopy, which they’ve renamed Jeter.

Buncy admitted that being a student-athlete with a new dog was a bit challenging at first because of her busy schedule, but she said her teammates have been incredibly helpful.

“If there is something that I need to do, they’ll come to my apartment and take him out, and walk him,” she said.

Now that Jeter has adjusted to his new home and his new owner, Buncy said he’ll lay on the couch all night long.

“He is a huge cuddler,” she said. “He is definitely comfortable where he is.”

Jeter is one of 10 dogs that have been adopted by members of the community since visiting Thomas University at the beginning of the Fall semester.

“We do think our visits at TU have played a role in these dogs’ adoptions,” Sydney Pfaff, Director of Community Engagement at Thomasville Humane Society, said. “Our dogs are learning many vital skills at these events including: being more trusting of strangers; becoming familiar with uncertain stimuli (cars, bicycles, the garbage truck, loud voices, etc.); how to walk on a leash without pulling; how to do nothing (believe it or not – this is a valuable skill that must be taught!), and how to keep all four paws on the ground when greeting new people.”

“It also helps them decompress and destress. We see this as one of the biggest benefits. The shelter is a very stressful place for most dogs. These visits help them have a calmer kennel presence when potential adopters approach the kennel door, increasing their chances of adoption. It also makes them more ready for training, for playgroup interactions with other dogs, and easier to handle for medical assessments and procedures.”

In addition to helping with adoptions, Pfaff said TU students have been volunteering at the shelter. They help with the kennels and participate in its Doggy Day Out program, among other things that increase the dogs’ chances of adoption.

“We are so grateful for our partnership with Thomas University, and I owe a great thank you to Mr. Dan Salveter for making this all happen,” Pfaff said. “It has had great benefits for our dogs, it puts smiles on the faces of our staff, and we hope the benefit for TU students has been even greater. We cannot thank you enough for the opportunity to provide these sessions.”

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