The goal of the Fearful Feral Dog Task Force Course is to prepare trainers, shelter and rescue workers, and potential adopters how to rehabilitate fearful and feral dogs using a wide variety of techniques and methods. The task force will help dogs by educating people about the rehabilitation and training homeless fearful and feral dogs require through collaboration and outreach. VISION
FFDTF’s vi
sion is to form a network of foster homes, shelters, shelter staff, rescues, rescue volunteers, and dog trainers and other interested parties that are trained to rehabilitate and help fearful and feral dogs. This network will assist to rehabilitate fearful and feral dogs so that they may be placed in adoptive homes. Based in New Mexico, where the fearful and feral dog population is high, the long term vision of FFDTF is to expand outside of New Mexico to other locations in the United States so we may collaborate with people and organizations to get the fearful and feral dogs the help they need. FFDTF also would like to partner with rescues in other states to find homes for the fearful feral dogs. FFDTF will supply a training program where a person or organization may become an official FFDTF rehabilitator and/or organization. KEY PLAYERS
When formed, FFDTF is a collaboration of Julie Hart from Rescue Dogs Responsibly, a 501c3 non-profit, Animal Welfare Coalition of Northeastern New Mexico (AWC), a rural shelter with a high population of fearful and feral dogs, and Canine Human Relationship Institute, founded by Nelson Hodges, a dog trainer and rehabilitator specializing in fearful dogs. Together these groups will host workshops, lessons, and learning opportunities, plus oversee the rehabilitation of fearful and feral dogs in the New Mexico shelter and rescue systems. FFDTF is hoping to expand this network. BACKGROUND
Julie Hart assisted AWC with a large hoarding case in 2019, after rehabilitating rescued dogs for ten years. The dogs from the hoarding case were on the spectrum of slightly fearful to completely feral. During this case, Julie realized the great need for knowledge in fearful and feral dog rehabilitation. She called in a mentor, Nelson Hodges for advice. Nelson held a workshop at AWC in Las Vegas, New Mexico to teach others about helping the hoarding case dogs. While all the dogs from the hoarding case have found homes, there is a constant influx of fearful or feral dogs into shelters that need help. The people and organizations involved will share knowledge to others to help the many fearful and feral dogs.
