JOINT-BASE SAN ANTONIO-Randolph, Texas – The steadily climbing number of companion animals lost, abandoned, abused, injured or killed around the country is so daunting that many who would like to help them are overwhelmed and discouraged. After all, what can one person do?
Reserve Citizen Airman Senior Master Sgt. Kwame Tawiah, 340th Flying Training Group logistics plans superintendent, doesn’t see it that way. The Air Guard Reserve member, assigned here for two-plus years, is working to save homeless and hard-to-place dogs’ lives one walk at a time.
A native of New York, Tawiah now lives in New Braunfels, Texas (about 20 miles from Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph) and volunteers at the NB Humane Society, spending at least an hour every day walking as many dogs as he can. He focuses primarily on the large dogs, which are among the more difficult to place, so that they’ll get the exercise that even a large dog run doesn’t allow.
In addition to the exercise, he vocally corrects, rewards and guides them, and helps them get comfortable with being touched.
A pragmatic optimist, Tawiah knows the reality of their situation: getting adopted is critical - their lives depend on it - but it’s doable.
“They don’t deserve the situation they’re in, and I’m just trying to make their stay as comfortable as possible,” he explained.
Daily walks help them with anxiety and pent-up energy, and when they’re calm and less physical, it’s easier for them to adjust. Being comfortable with people is the only way to get adopted. Fear-flinching, growling and frantic jumping could scare off would-be forever families.
Animal shelters nationwide face similar challenges with hard-to-place pets and many have implemented programs designed to help prepare their furry friends for adoption, similar to Tawiah’s “walk therapy.” At one Missouri shelter, children read to the dogs and cats to help them get used to people, calm them, and encourage them to come forward and greet adopters. There’s somebody for everybody, after all.
In the U.S., there are more than 320 million people, 70 million pet dogs, and 74 million pet cats. Clearly Americans are pet people. That’s good news for shelter dogs and cats, many of which will find permanent homes (especially puppies and kittens), thanks to socialization that volunteers like Tawiah provide.
Others, however, will be passed over - not because of personality or temperament, but because of breed or appearance (dogs like pitbull terriers, pit mixes, mastiffs and BBDs or big black dogs).
The hard-to-place-animal challenge is one that Tawiah knows well as the human companion of a pint-sized pit mix that Tawiah’s daughter, Dominique, named Queen (for her attitude, rather than stature). As an unnamed pup, she was exposed to a person who was trying to make her mean. Tawiah saved her from a future as a fighter, bait dog or breeder, and she is now his constant companion.
“She was still really young and I believed that I could keep her from becoming violent or aggressive,” Tawiah explained. Aggressive face-licking notwithstanding, he appears to have succeeded.
Saving Queen was just a start. Tawiah (and Dominique when she’s home - she’s a chef in Georgia) continues to work with shelter dogs to help prepare them for their future families.
“Just going in and letting them see that someone cares makes their day,” he said. “Walking them relaxes me, too, and they’re always happy to see me.”
Well, not all. One frightened girl - Athena - wants to make friends but can’t. She tries to come to the front of the pen, but stops. She wants Tawiah to bring the leash, but growls. She wags her backside, but bares her teeth.
Shelter employees say she doesn’t like men, which likely points to past abuse. For Tawiah, she is a tough nut to crack. But she can’t be adopted if she can’t be approached.
“I’m working on Athena at the moment - just trying to gain her confidence so that one day I’ll be able to walk her,” he said with that practical optimism he applies to every dog.
Being able to walk on a leash with Tawiah will increase Athena’s chance at adoption.
She’ll get there. He’s sure. A highly regarded logistician, self-taught security manager, certified fitness instructor, notable yoga practicioner, and father of an independent professional chef, this Reserve Citizen Airman did not get where he is today by giving up.
Editor’s Note: Most animal shelters nationwide are nonprofit agencies, and as such are routinely in need of volunteers, foster homes and donations (cash, bedding, food, toys, hygiene products, and more) to continue to do their work. For more information, contact an animal shelter near you.
Humane Societies near 340 FTG Geographically Separated Units, Squadrons:
Central Oklahoma Humane Society: https://www.okhumane.org
Columbus Lowndes Humane Society: http://www.clhumanesociety.org
Humane Society of the New Braunfels Area: https://www.hsnba.org
San Antonio Humane Society: https://sahumane.org
Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region: https://www.hsppr.org
Humane Society of Uvalde County: http://www.hsuvalde.com
Kansas Humane Society: https://kshumane.org/