Dogs MJ, Shyla and Bonnie were the center of attention during the “Run with Dogs” initiative held by West Ranch High School’s track and field program just a few weeks ago.
The “Run with Dogs” initiative is aimed at helping dogs housed at the Santa Clarita Valley Animal Care Center get out of a kennel for the day, interact with students, and help them get adopted.
But just a few days ago through a social media post by the Animal Care Center’s volunteer Instagram page, West Ranch track and field coach Karen Cirricione and the team found out that MJ, a 1-year-old shepherd husky mix, was euthanized after he was not successfully adopted.
MJ was euthanized alongside five other dogs, according to the social media post, which cited overcrowding, with dozens more animals in “extreme danger” of facing euthanasia.
Now, even with summer break plans in motion, the West Ranch team is actively working to make sure Shyla, a 1-year-old mixed breed seen running alongside students during the May 17 event, has a different fate.
Shyla, who weighs approximately 50 pounds, was labeled as an urgent case, with a 72-hour plea, according to a post shared on the Animal Care Center’s official Instagram account on Thursday. Her ID No. is A576335.
Once the team learned about MJ, a wave of shock and sadness traveled through the athletes, Cirricione said during a phone interview on Friday.
“Ninety-nine percent of the time, the dogs that we’ve run with have been adopted and all have this happy ending story,” she said. “But the students’ response, while they were heartbroken, they just wanted to do more.”
The team members, even some who are ready to head off to college, have been working to brainstorm ways to assist the local shelter reduce overcrowding to lessen euthanasia numbers.
Fundraising for additional kennels and organizing off-site field trips, where fully trained students can take dogs to less stressful environments and capture photos for social media, are among the ideas Cirricione has brainstormed to support the shelter’s efforts.
Shyla was described as sweet, active dog who was excited to run with the kids during the “Run with Dogs” event led by Cirricione.
“We had 20-plus teenagers out there, so socially she was wonderful. Kind with kids, tail wagging, I mean just a really, really sweet dog,” she said.
West Ranch recent grads Austin Duenas and Gianna Matranga echoed similar remarks.
“There’s a lot of dogs that obviously don’t have homes and need to be put in shelters, and I know they are trying to take care of as many as possible, but with the whole overcrowdingissue right now, is really hard,” Matranga said. “It’s not always something that they (the dogs) can control. Sometimes they just don’t find the right family. This whole experience has taught me that I want to give back as much as I can and help them enjoy their life.”
Some ways the recent graduates said the community can support the shelters is by donating items, volunteering, and helping to share more about the dogs that are currently housed at the Care Center online, to help spread awareness.
“It’s not just MJ that’s getting put down. There are so many dogs that are in need of families, people just don’t give them a chance that they deserve and part of me feels like it’s not fair. That’s why I want to spread awareness,” Duenas said.
Duenas enjoyed his run with MJ back in May, and said he was a dog that was full of energy but could also mellow out if needed.
As the West Ranch track and field team members work at giving Shyla and other dogs at the SCV Animal Care Center a second chance at life and finding their forever home, Cirricionewas proud to see her team understand that “we can’t always control the stories that bring dogs into a shelter. But we can write the next chapter,” she said.
“What our students have embraced is that they may not be able to solve every problem, but they can use their voices, they can use their hearts, their legs, quite literally, and their actions to create opportunities for these dogs.”
