Friends of the Charlestown Animal Shelter

09/12/2026

Check out Scooby...

09/12/2026

Check out Boon.

09/11/2026

Congratulations. 😬Now get ready for the part nobody really prepares you for.
Deep breath, you've got this.

You can prepare their new comfy bed.
Buy the best food.
Choose the right walking gear.
Work out just the right sleep spot.
Plan those first few quiet days, which I always love to hear.

And with all of that?
There can still be hiccups along the way.

Some things may be easier than you ever thought.
Others?
Well, they may leave you wondering, what on earth have I got myself into?

And then, just when you think you’ve figured them out, something else pops up.

What it doesn't necessarily mean is "somethings wrong".

There may be challenges, probably a few.
There will be things you will eventually find hilarious.
Yes, there may be days when it feels incredibly difficult.
And there may come a day when you wonder why you didn't do this sooner, because somehow this dog now means everything in the world to you.

That roller coaster?
So many people who have adopted or rescued a dog know it incredibly well.

Those tiny wins that feel enormous.
The setbacks you didn't see coming.
All normal.

And then, sometimes almost without noticing when it happened, you realise,
You're there!

Or at least, you're a whole lot further along than you thought you were.

One thing I really do want to stress.
You are not alone.

What you're struggling with right now ? Someone else has gone through it all before, and got through the other side too.

What helped?
It wasn't one magical answer.
It was time.
Patience, love and understanding.

And sometimes a pretty big sprinkle of reality about what this journey was actually going to look like.

Maybe it wasn't quite what you pictured.
Maybe yours came with a few surprises nobody warned you about.

And I have a feeling there are a lot of people here who've had a few setbacks but can also tell you just how far their dog has come.

09/09/2026

Great post and graphic. Dog families need to see and share.

They look. Then they pull.
They really, really want to get over there.
So we shorten the lead, walk them over and say hello.

Except not one of those things tells us that a meeting is going to be welcomed.
In fact, sometimes the frantic "I must get over there right now!" is the very reason I wouldn't let it happen.

We really like dogs meeting dogs.
We want the sniff.
The play.
The little greeting.
The excitement we see when they spot each other.
The possibility that they'll like each other.

It makes us feel good.

Sometimes we're so focused on getting there, we don't stop to ask whether they actually need to.

Two dogs can notice each other.
Look.
Sniff from a distance.
And keep walking.
Absolutely nothing has been missed.

In fact, for some dogs, that, exactly that, was a great interaction.

They saw another dog.
They gathered some information.
And they carried on with their day.
No greeting needed.
No play required.
No “Go on, say hi!”

And that's the bit we humans struggle with.
Sometimes we want the meeting more than they need it.

So should we insist that our dogs “just be dogs” and say hi?
Or could giving them the freedom not to meet be just as much a part of letting dogs be dogs?

09/04/2026

09/04/26 Good news! Cooper is home!!

Missing Dog! Cooper Male Terrier Mix - , RI 09/02/26.

Missing from the area of Kings Factory Rd/Schumekanuk Rd.

Cooper is 8 years / 35 pounds and is Tan w/ white heart on chest in color.

SCARED! Do not call out to, chase or try to catch!

PLEASE do not share sightings or information to social media, instead share this post to help bring them home.

If seen or if you have any information, please call 919-699-4656.

09/04/2026

Chloe says, my doors open, I'm ready to go home now...Meet Chloe, this sweet little gal is just waiting to curl up with you.

Chloe is very affectionate with everyone. She loves to play, snuggle and get pets.

If you are looking for a love bug come meet miss Chloe. ❤️😼

401 364 1211

09/03/2026

Look into my eyes....

Bard is a beautiful 2ish yr old kitty. He LOVES to play. He also loves to get all the attention.

He is stunningly handsome too, as you can see. Come on down and meet Bard, he would love to find his furever home. 😼❤️

401 364 1211 ask for Mr. Handsome. 😉

09/03/2026

Meet Chloe, this sweet little gal is just waiting to curl up with you.

Chloe is very affectionate with everyone. She loves to play, snuggle and get pets.

If you are looking for a love bug come meet miss Chloe. ❤️😼

401 364 1211

09/03/2026

Keep this in mind when out with your dogs. Be aware of your surroundings.

Situational awareness..."the ability to perceive, understand, and anticipate what is happening in your environment and how it changes over time."

When I am out with client dogs or my own this is so important to be aware. I watch things like..

1.How people are handling their dogs...do they seem to be able to handle the dog on the other end of the leash? Is the dog stronger than them, pulling, barking able to rip a leash out of the owners hands?

2. Is the dog barking, lunging at every dog that walks by them?

3. Is the dog off leash not under control, not listening to owner? Does the owner have a leash? (and yes this is a thing, I see many owners in public with a dog off leash and no leash on them if a problem arises).🙄

These are a few of many things I look at when out in public.

Having situational awareness is important whether you have the "my dog is friendly" or not.

Here in this photo I purposely made a curve around the doodle on the sidewalk because when I was walking I saw him bark and lunge at a dog that walked right by him on the sidewalk. I did not want the dog I had(Zak) to have to experience that and also to avoid a confrontation or worse.

So keep in mind on your next public outing to give all dogs space, just because you like your dog to go up "and say Hi" to every dog, the other dogs may not appreciate it. 👍Happy and safe walks for us all. 🐾🐾😁

09/01/2026

This is a HUGE problem. Please share and please leash up your dogs especially when around other dogs. If your dogs don't have bulletproof recall put them on leash. Give your dogs a 15 ft longline they will feel more freedom. 👍If your dog will not recall and be under voice control they should not be off leash. Go rent a sniff spot if you want them to run leash free, but stop putting others at risk, including your own dog.

People know this. But it doesn't "apply".
Not to their dog.

I'm more and more convinced this is an "I don't care" problem, rather than a lack of knowledge
Because surely, by now, people know.

There's information everywhere about dogs rushing up to other dogs.

About recall.
Giving dog's space
About what can happen when one dog simply won’t leave another alone.

So maybe lack of information isn’t always the problem.

They know that allowing their dog to charge up to a dog on lead isn’t fair.
They know that repeatedly calling a dog who is completely ignoring them, while reassuring everyone around that “they’re friendly!”, isn’t fair.
They know that when another dog is trying to move away and theirs keeps following, chasing or pushing back into their space, the interaction isn’t friendly.

Maybe I've become more hardened in my view on this.
Because I'm really over it.

So why does it keep happening?

Maybe that’s the question we should be asking.

Is it just complacency?

Is it because calling their dog away would interrupt what their dog is enjoying?
Maybe because nothing bad has happened before, so they assume nothing ever will?
Is it because dealing with it in the moment feels inconvenient?

Or is there still a good old dose of:
“My dog is fine. It’s your dog that has the problem.”

I’m becoming less and less convinced this is a knowledge gap.

What do you think is really behind the “they’re friendly” problem?