She is a dog’s best friend

Published 9:49 pm Wednesday, October 1, 2008

ARLINGTON — Dogs may be man’s best friend, but at the Happy Paws Farm in Arlington a dog’s best friend is Lisa Elias.

She is a volunteer for the no-kill animal shelter, putting in hours that look less like volunteerism and more like a 40-hour work week.

What does she do? Perhaps it would be easier to ask what she doesn’t do.

Feedings, some obedience training, kennel repairs and taking animals to see the vet; Elias can do it all.

She counts it all as pure joy, she said, because when you are doing what you love it’s really not work, is it?

“It’s work, but then again it’s not,” Elias said. “I’m a dog owner and I love being around them, you develop a connection.”

Elias owns three dogs; a border collie named Rupert, a black Lab named Sal, and Willie, a greyhound mix.

She discovered Happy Paws Farm while looking for a companion for one of her dogs. The animals at the shelter “pulled on my heart.”

“It motivated me to help out, and I did,” Elias said. “I’ve been helping there ever since.”

She’s been volunteering there now for seven years.

Happy Paws Farms is supported by the Humane Society, a safe haven for dogs of any breed. A no-kill shelter, the animals are never euthanized and are held for adoption.

The farm is staffed entirely by volunteers, which makes Elias a valuable commodity.

Dog trainer Malory Woods of Marysville recommends the Happy Paws Farm to anyone looking to adopt a dog.

“Places like Happy Paws are special for dog owners; it’s a place where dogs are treated humanely and with loving care,” Woods said. “The work they do gives the dogs a second chance at life.”

Elias said most dogs come to the shelter when owners are unable or unwilling to continue caring for the animals; some people cannot afford to keep them.

“It’s difficult to me, the idea of giving up an animal is the last thing I’d ever do — especially out of convenience,” Elias said. “I’m not pointing the finger at anyone, but it does happen. It’s frustrating to me.”

With the rest of the staff, she is currently looking after 11 dogs at the farm, many of which are older, decreasing their chances of getting adopted. Puppies are the most easily adopted, but with the level of training and care that Elias gives to the older dogs, she feels they are easily worth adoption.

“People adopt puppies for the obvious reasons and tend to shy away from older animals, but the advantages of owning an older dog are many,” Elias said.

She has spent time training the dogs to accept a leash and learn not to pull — what she describes as “walking nicely.”

“Older dogs have outgrown the frenetic puppy energy, the mania that goes with the chewing,” Elias said. “Puppies are a cute and interesting, messy experience.”

The Happy Paws Farm is currently seeking donations to continue feeding and sheltering the dogs, as well as the day-to-day operations that go along with volunteer work.

“These animals deserve all the help they can get,” Elias said. “If we don’t look after them, who will?”

Reporter Justin Arnold: 425-339-3432 or jarnold@heraldnet.com.