HELENA — You might not be able to tell, but the eight huskies at the Lewis & Clark Humane Society (LCHS) were rescued less than a year ago from an animal cruelty situation.
"I remember pulling them out of an animal control truck," said Kat Martineau, the LCHS director of operations. "They were crammed in the back, completely not there. They were just trying to pretend that none of this was happening to them."
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She is one of the shelter staff who helped when 32 dogs were brought into the LCHS in February with the help of the Lewis & Clark County Sheriff's Office.
That number grew to 38 as some of those dogs were pregnant, and the shelter officially got custody of the dogs in May, allowing their work to really begin, paving the way for adoption.
Those dogs have now come out of their shells, thanks to the work of LCHS.
Martineau said, "From these dogs being unable to walk on a leash, unable to be touched, to being close to normal dogs and their getting better every day."
What exactly does it take to bring animals like these huskies from scared and unsure to adoption-ready?
The shelter says they start small - sitting beside their kennels, throwing them treats, and reading to them.
"They start to learn every interaction means I didn't get hurt and I'm safe," said Martineau.
That grows to putting leashes on them, then taking them on walks, and then letting people take them out for day trips or overnight.
Martineau said, "If we saw any regression, we would go back to reading, and giving them a break, and then finally play groups were the thing that kind of broke them all open."
Shelter staff say the huskies do better when they are with other dogs, so they have started a "get your dog a dog" campaign for them.
Folks will be able to see them play for themselves with a viewing event at the humane society on Friday from 5:00 to 7:00 PM.
"This is kind of new for us," Martineau said. "We used to do play groups, and people could come view them, but specifically for a group of animals, this will be the first that I know of."
The huskies are not the only things changing at the LCHS. The facility itself will be seeing upgrades.
Martineau said, "This construction is going to be on our dog kennels. It is going to completely change how we can care for these animals and make their lives better."
Portalled kennels will give dogs a space where they can eat, sleep and play that is separate from where they go to the bathroom.
They also give nervous animals a spot to retreat and rest.
Construction for the new kennels is being funded by a $46,000 grant from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
It is expected to begin on September 15th and will take around six weeks to complete.
