Junior Brian Sussman’s Free Time Goes To The Dogs

Dog in the Adoption Ambassadors program. Photo Courtesy Of Ellen Sussman

BY DAVID DEACON

Brian Sussman walks into the Broward County Human Society for an unprecedented seventeenth time, but each time he enters the building there isn’t much change. Looking left to right, all Sussman can see are the dogs in cages and he wishes that he could set each one of them up with a perfect owner. As part of a new program at the Broward County Humane Society, Adoption Ambassadors, Sussman fosters dogs in his home while he tries to find them a nice-fitting family.

Returning home for the first time with a fuzzy friend is one of the most satisfying sensations. The first thing dog Adoption Ambassador volunteer and Cooper City High School junior Brian Sussman does is limit the dog’s access to the house in order to let them adjust to their new environment. The next important step he takes to incorporate the dog into the family is to take them on their first walk of freedom. To help get them adopted, he dresses his new temporary pet in a bright orange vest that grabs anyone’s attention when they go on their daily walks. Sussman and his family instantly fall in love with their new family member, but they know that finding them a good home comes first.

Foster caring for a dog is not only is this a good way to help animals in the community, but also to gain volunteer hours. For each day a dog is cared for, three hours are given to the Ambassador. It may not seem like much, but it adds up in the end. For Sussman and his family, the process begins online to find the dog they want to bring home and try and find a caring owner for. Between each dog, Sussman’s mother Ellen scrolls through the Broward County Humane Society website to find that one deserving dog in need of a good home. Once she’s made her selection, she drives to the humane society to pick up the family’s new pet and complimentary supplies (food, toys, and instructions). Once home, the dog instantly becomes a smash hit with everyone in the house and is treated like one of the family.

“We want to take in as many dogs as possible and find them good homes quickly because there’s always going to be a new dog that arrives in the shelter that needs a home,” Ellen Sussman said. “The goal of the Humane Society is to be completely empty of dogs, and you don’t want to stop helping until the goal is met.”

Sussman grabs the leash, and automatically, his current dog, Riley, rushes up to him and starts to hop around excitedly, knowing what’s about to happen. Sussman is about to take Riley on a walk, but not the usual one around the front lawn. This is a special event. They are on their way to a mass gathering of ambassadors that allows dogs people around the community to meet dogs they may be interested in adopting. For Sussman, this is a chance to meet other members of the ambassador community and various dog lovers, while simultaneously getting acquainted with interested people and making sure they’ll be a good fit for the dog. Sussman analyzes the character of his current dog and tries to match that character with people that have similar traits. At events like this, Sussman has a large pool of dog lovers to pick from and can usually find a perfect pair for his temporary resident.

When caring for an animal for a long period of time, there’s always some understandable misconceptions. The most common misperception is that an ambassador will fall in love with the dog and won’t be able to give them up when the time comes. This has proven false for the majority of ambassadors, 16 times for Sussman alone. Every dog that comes into the Sussman household ultimately becomes the new favorite, but no matter how awesome the dog, Sussman always finds them a good home. Another misperception is that an ambassador might get stuck with a dog that seems undesirable. However, this isn’t the attitude that gets dogs adopted, and for Sussman, the belief that there’s always a perfect owner for every dog is key, and it’s his obligation to find that one person willing to adopt that dog.

“Initially, you always fall in love with the new dog, but as you progress, it actually becomes less about the dog and more about trying to get the dog to a good owner,” Sussman said. “It really angers me when people say that they love dogs and they use it as their excuse for not becoming an ambassador when they don’t know the half of it.”

Even though an ambassador can only take one dog home at a time, the impact is enough to save two dogs. One dog is saved from the shelter by an ambassador taking them home, while another is saved from the street the space opening up in the shelter. However, it’s not just about people helping the dogs, but dogs helping people. When a person has to care for a dog full-time with feeding, walking, and bathing, it seems like a one side relationship. However, the dogs give companionship to the owners, keep them company and fill voids in their lives. This is the object of foster caring for dogs: to find a fitting owner for the dog and to help the Ambassador learn a valuable lesson, teaching them responsibility and a new definition of true devotion. Although each aspect is important, the best part about foster caring isn’t giving the dog a good home or giving an owner a new friend. It’s about saving dog’s lives. Unfortunately, Broward County Humane Society is a put-down shelter, meaning that when their shelter is too filled, some dogs have to be put down to make room for new dogs coming in. Foster caring is a great volunteering option for someone who is interested in not only helping their community, but saving the lives of countless dogs.