If Felix is scratching the couch or Molly won’t stop peeing in the house, it could take just one phone call to San Diego Humane Society’s behavior helpline to find a solution.
Back in 2001, SDHS was getting so many calls for help and advice that staff decided to create a new line to handle the traffic. Since it was launched, the helpline has received hundreds of calls a month—over 1,000 calls in 2016 alone.
“The helpline’s not a hotline,” says Shauna Romero, SDHS behavior and training supervisor. “You call and leave a voicemail, and our trainers go through all the messages and respond. We try to get back to each caller in less than a week with training tips and information. Oftentimes there’s a simple solution.” Help is also available by email.
Callers are usually looking for help with common issues like house-training, excessive barking, and aggression. “Sometimes we’ll hear from someone who just took their pet home a couple of days ago, but other times it’s a long-
standing problem and they’re just at their breaking point,” Romero says. “The advice our trainers can give often fixes the problem.”
Call the helpline at 619-299-7012 x2244, or email behavior@sdhumane.org