Natalie Mayfield is trying to help every dog leave its shelter kennel behind and find a “furever” home. Mayfield recently launched Phenomenal Adoptables to better showcase the dogs and cats at the Daviess County Animal Shelter.
Mayfield said viewing the dogs sitting in their cages doesn’t represent them well, so she gets them outside and shows them off in a more natural environment.
“I try to show them in a positive light, which isn’t always possible because their truths aren’t always great stories,” Mayfield said.
Mayfield volunteers twice a week at the shelter and spends about 2 hours with each dog while there. During this time, she meets the dog, engages with it, and showcases it on the Phenomenal Adoptables page.
Many dogs she showcases are in the shelter after leaving bad situations and not having the proper care. Mayfield said that regardless of the pets’ past experiences, she knows that each one deserves a home that is right for them.
Keeping in mind that the owner and dog need to be the right fit, Mayfield doesn’t showcase the euthanasia date, if there is one, to avoid pressuring people into taking in the wrong pet for them.
Mayfield previously posted about the dogs on her personal page, where she said there was a good deal of interaction, including posts about some of the pets she highlighted being adopted. She also would hear from people that they started volunteering at the shelter because of her exposure.
“Nowadays, I’ll be there and there’ll be nine volunteers walking dogs, which is amazing for the dogs because they might get two walks instead of just one walk in 24 hours,” Mayfield said.
Mayfield has fostered 20 dogs from the shelter over the years, a process she said allows her to unlock more of their personalities. She said her most recent foster dog, Cortez, grew a lot during his stay, which will help with his adoption.
“When I brought Cortez home, he didn’t want anything to do with my dogs. He wouldn’t attack them, but he didn’t want them near his space and he didn’t want to go in his crate. But now, he goes in the crate throughout the day and is begging my dogs to play with him,” Mayfield said.
Mayfield said that breaking that cycle is important for the pets. Whether that’s through volunteering at the shelter or fostering, she said it gives the dog a chance to change their environment for a bit.
“It’s such a hard environment on some of them. Some of the dogs that come into the shelter are happy-go-lucky, and it’s not phasing them a bit, but some just break down,” Mayfield said.
To learn more about the Animal Shelter, click here.
