Sue Frisch: A sheltering angel

Dessin Animal Shelter

By SANDY LONG

HONESDALE, PA — “I don’t do this alone,” Sue Frisch, manager of Dessin Animal Shelter, is quick to point out. ‘The people who work and volunteer here—they’re the real angels.”

Frisch, who has worked at Dessin for 18 years, is looking forward to celebrating the shelter’s 40th anniversary in 2008. “Sometimes I think I’m nuts. But I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. Animals are my passion and always have been,” says Frisch, who began rescuing stray animals as a child and has never stopped.

It takes a team

For all of her efforts over the years, Frisch has found that to be truly effective, one must rely on the help of fellow humans when it comes to helping animals. “You can’t save them all by yourself,” notes Frisch, who applauds the dedication of the shelter’s long-term staff members and volunteers, as well as the local community for its ongoing support of the shelter’s work.

Nearly 18 months ago, the shelter created teams focused on animal care, customer service, pet and people training, field services and outreach programs like its nursing home pet therapy program.

Each team taps the specific strengths of its members. For example, Kristy Boki Rowe provides dog training and adoption counseling, teaching basic canine manners like sitting and walking without pulling—all of which make dogs more adoptable.

Staff members have also found it necessary to adapt to changing trends in the pet world. “Gone are the days of the collie-shepherd mixes,” says Frisch. “Now it’s rottweiler-pitt bull mixes. These are high energy dogs that require time and attention, while today’s families are busier than ever.”

All of this requires increased efforts to help pet owners cope. “We need to be as human to people as to our pets,” Frisch notes.

The art of partnership

Making a good match is an important part of the adoption process. As Frisch points out, in a society where 50 percent of marriages end in divorce, it’s not always easy to find the proper pairing of pet and human. But when it does work, it makes the work all worthwhile. “It’s gratifying to see it come together for both,” says Frisch.

If a pet owner is having a problem, shelter personnel are available to help them work it out, as an alternative to surrendering the animal for adoption. But even when adoption is the only option, Frisch has found that it’s important not to judge.

When a problem arises, she says, “You need to get past the judgment and onto the solution. That’s the best way to help the animal.” Understanding and practicing this perspective has enabled her to avoid the burnout so common in such work.

Not everyone who gives up a pet is rotten, says Frisch. “For the elderly person going into a nursing home, it can be heartbreaking.” But even when it comes to those who carelessly or selfishly ditch a pet, Frisch says, “If you blamed everyone who walked through the door, you’d get nothing done.”

Funding the future

Frisch also believes in viewing every visitor as a potential friend to the shelter. “You never know when the person who just walked through the door might give your organization $100,000,” she points out.

As for the shelter’s future, Frisch and her angelic assistants dream of an expanded facility that would enable the housing and eventual placement of a greater number of animals into permanent homes. The shelter’s current building is nearly 40 years old and is limited to 18 dog cages and two small cat rooms. But grant funding is more difficult to obtain than it used to be and as with most non-profit shelters, finances are precarious at best.

The non-profit organization hosts fundraising events—like its horse show and Walk-n-Wag Pet Hike—throughout the year to raise the money necessary to operate the shelter. An annual yard sale has evolved into a new thrift shop, and the first annual Dessin pets calendar was recently published and is available for $17 at the shelter and various area businesses, just in time for holiday shopping.

As for this holiday season, Frisch knows what she wants for Christmas: “A good home for every single animal—that’s at the top of my wish list.”

Helping the animal angels

1. Volunteer to help with animal care, dog walking, cat cuddling, fundraising, special events, office assistance and more.

2. Donate to the wish list: regular and scoopable cat litter, pet-safe ice melt, batteries (AA and AAA), hand sanitizer, canned cat food, chewie dog toys, postage stamps, bleach, laundry detergent, old towels and blankets.

3. Make a monetary donation.

4. Buy 2007 Dessin Calendars for holiday gifts.

5. Recycle laser and inkjet cartridges to the shelter for “Cash for Critters.”

6. Visit the Dessin Shelter’s new Cat’s Pajamas Thrift Shop at 925 Maple Avenue, Honesdale to donate, shop or volunteer (Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.). Call volunteer coordinator Laura Vernacchia at 570/647-0057 for details.

7. Dessin is seeking a 30’ x 40’ indoor space to conduct dog training classes, as well as volunteers to help train shelter dogs.

8. Spay and neuter all pets.

Dessin Animal Shelter

138 Miller Drive, Honesdale, PA 18431

570/253-4037, dessinshelter.com