Name: Ellie Scheurich  

Position: Canine Behavior and Enrichment Supervisor 

Pets at home:

I currently am lucky enough to share my bed with a 7 year old German Shepherd, Zeus, as well as a 4 year old Pitbull Mix, Nico, and our newest addition is a 1 year old, French Bulldog, Zero.  

How long have you been working in animal welfare, and what made you want to work in this field?   

I’ve been working in animal welfare for over 8 years, and volunteering for over 12 years. I started out simply fostering behaviorally challenged dogs and it grew into my passion. I couldn’t imagine a day that wasn’t filled with working with dogs.  

What is a day in the life of your job like?  

Every day is so very different but always fast paced, and rewarding. I help with everything from intake of dogs that may have never received vet care and are terrified of being handled, to reviewing questionnaires to see if we are able to assist families in working with their pet instead of surrendering by offering training scholarships through Bogey’s Academy, as well as working with the dogs in our current population to help them overcome some challenges they may be facing. Lets not forget though, the most fulfilling part of my job is when I get to assist our Placement Team on meets to help our dogs find great homes! 

You work with a lot community members who approach you with questions about their dogs’ behavior issues. Do you find that there are misconceptions about what a dog is feeling versus what they are outwardly expressing? (For example, a dog chewing on furniture at home is not doing so to act out, but rather, he/she might be experiencing boredom or anxiety.)  

We see it all the time, especially on social media. People are constantly posting videos of their small dog and occasionally large dog growling, and showing teeth at them when they are interacting, saying the dog is just “talking” and the humans are laughing in the background but in all reality their dog is really stressed or frustrated, and is trying to communicate they are uncomfortable. We should never be pushing our dogs to be intentionally growling, or showing teeth to get a “cute” video. When we don’t respect a dog’s space when they are growling or showing teeth, it will lead to getting bit. We have to be kinder and more understanding towards our animals. We have to educate ourselves on dog body language, as well as each dog’s individual ways of communicating how they are feeling. Once we are able to better understand our dog and why they are behaving a certain way, it can really open our eyes to building a better relationship with them.  

Tell us about a shelter animal you won’t forget.  

My current favorite here at the shelter is Marcel (who is available for adoption). I simply will not ever be able to forget his incredibly soulful eyes and sweet disposition. Marcel came to us as a stray and was picked up by our Animal Protection Department. When he came in, he was very distressed and untrusting of us. We were unable to get him out of his kennel for over a week, before he decided that the leash wasn’t that scary, and cream cheese/hot dog trails leading outside meant we got to go for a nice long walk, and these humans that keep baby talking to him weren’t so bad. Since we were able to make that connection with him and had that breakthrough he has continued to come out of his shell. He is one of the goofiest, sweetest pitties you will ever meet. On a tough day, I always take Marcel for a long walk, and sit on the bench that overlooks the ARL. He’ll hop right up on the bench with me, sit down, and lean against me for kisses. He has proven time and time again how wonderful pitbulls are if you just give them a chance to flourish.  

What is your favorite memory at ARL?   

My favorite memory is when one of our long term residents, Bailey was adopted. A wonderful family came and visited with her at least 5 times before taking her home. They were so patient, kind, and understanding of her needs. It’s the greatest feeling when you see an adopter connect deeply with one of our dogs and take a chance on opening their home to them.  

What do you love most about your job, and what do you find to be the most challenging?    

 I LOVE seeing dogs come out of their shells and start to trust us. We get a lot of challenging cases and it’s so rewarding when all your hard work with their training pays off, and they start to offer good behaviors without you even asking.

The most challenging aspect of my job is when we do not get the usual happy ending. A lot of people don’t understand that aspect of our job and pass judgement without understanding all the time, effort, and resources we have exhausted to help the dogs. We love these dogs like they’re our own, and it’s the most difficult thing when we simply don’t have the answers to be able to help them.

If you could cross one thing off your bucket list right now, what would it be?    

I would love to travel to Nashville, TN and enjoy the Tennessee Whiskey Trail.  

What is one thing you wish people knew about your job or the dogs you work with? 

 I wish more people took chances on the “underdogs”. The dogs that haven’t had the best start to their life, the ones that may be struggling to adjust in the shelter, the ones that need a little extra tender loving care. If you give them the time, patience, and training they need, they’ll be the best addition to your home. We as humans are imperfect, and we have to be more understanding that dogs are too. Sometimes they just need a soft place to land and a kind hand to help guide them.  

Any last words of wisdom? 

An old mentor once told me that you have to remember there is always a human holding the other end of the leash. It made me realize, that it’s just as important to educate the humans on best practices in training, as it is to train the dog. If we can work together to better understand what our dogs are communicating, feeling, and experiencing, both ends of the leash will be so much happier.