Joe Riordan—the
Man Who Loves Dogs

Jada, a sweet white pit bull with a pink nose, is Joe’s favorite Shelter dog. Before Jada got a home of her own, she would watch Joe as he traveled around the dog barn and out onto the Shelter grounds; she would emit a high- pitched whistle just for him. While exhibiting submissive behavior, she would look at him with adoration in her eyes.

Certainly shelter dog behavior varies from the innate loving nature of Jada to the challenging, threatening, teeth-snapping demeanor of the aggressive dog. Joe must come to terms with all of them while, hopefully, working some rehabilitation for each one. Joe’s recipe for successful interaction with dogs: Show love to them; respect them but do not fear them; be the leader of the pack. When confronting an aggressive dog, Joe says he squares up his shoulders while maintaining eye contact to show that he, not the dog, is in charge; then he gives food to the dog and assures the canine that "nobody is going to hurt you."

Joe has been working with our Shelter dogs since 2005. He believes that he has a good rapport with dogs and says he empathizes with them when they are upset while they, in turn, console him when he is feeling down. Board members have observed that Joe is very "people friendly" when potential adopters come to see the dogs. He is of the opinion that he has to know both the dogs and the people in order to help bring about a successful adoption.

Positive aspects of Joe’s job? He likes the interaction with the animals and the people. He is grateful that he is allowed to take responsibility for the dogs. Also, he enjoys the camaraderie with other Shelter staff. Our shelter is a good shelter because "we are people-friendly and we care about the animals." According to Joe, the Shelter is successful because of what has changed in the last couple of years, namely, that we are a family.

Although Joe loves the dogs, he has a fondness for other animals. He and his new wife, Chrysti, have three dogs, four cats, four birds, and fish.

We are pleased that Joe is taking responsibility for our homeless dogs who are waiting to find "their friend for life."