Eaglebarger honored as doggone good person

“When Debbie (Eaglebarger) first walked into the tiny cement dog shelter in her adopted hometown of Corning, five years ago, what she saw shocked her to the core, and ultimately changed almost every aspect of her life - her job, her marriage, and how she spent her days,” Pat Panko said during the Corning Chamber of Commerce dinner on Saturday evening.

Eaglebarger, of Corning, who is the caretaker of the Corning Animal Shelter and founder of Second Chance Pet Rescue and Adoption, was recognized by the chamber as this year’s “Champion of the Year.”

“I just couldn’t believe it. I was in shock,” said Eaglebarger. “This has been absolutely amazing.”

Soon after Eaglebarger arrived at the Corning animal shelter and saw what she had to work with, she went to Utah for training on how to properly set up a dog shelter. Following that adventure she came back to Corning and established Second Chance, specifically to monitor the Corning shelter.

“She knew her new job came with no support staff, no vacation, with the only perk being the free use of the shelter’s mobilehome,” said Panko, who has volunteered at the shelter for the past three years. “She didn’t hesitate one minute, knowing she was doing the right thing for the dogs.”

Eaglebarger jumped right in with both feet planted as she worked to bring the shelter to a standard she feels is acceptable.

“This is an ongoing process, a journey,” Eaglebarger said.

According to Planko, Eaglebarger is up before dawn cleaning pens, walking and feeding the shelter’s dogs.

“This is all before 8 a.m.,” Planko said. “Some may think ‘that’s not too hard,’ but try doing it for 25 dogs. Usually there are from 17 to 20 dogs at the shelter at any given time, but there have been as many as 25 at one time.”

Previously Eaglebarger had to get all of this done before she went to work at a “regular job” and then return home and do it all over again.

Then in 2005 Eaglebarger was able to work fulltime at the shelter as Second Chance decided to pay her a stipend and then in received the grant from 2007 Animal Farm Foundation.

Her work at the shelter also includes evaluating new dogs for disease, injuries, temperament or anything else unusual. She then has all the paperwork the job demands, along with making and returning phone calls and emails.

“The work doesn’t stop. Morning and night, sick, hurt, happy or said, rain, sleet, or 115 degree heat, Debbie is out there caring for the shelter’s animals,” said Planko.

Eaglebarger doesn’t seem to care about these struggles as she finds great satisfaction in what she considers her most important job - finding loving, forever homes for the dogs she cares so much about.

“These dogs come to us as strays, abandoned, thrown away, and some even abused and injured,” Eaglebarger said. “For instance there was Gizmo, a dog which had his ears and tail cut off with scissors by his owner. Most recently we have cared for Weaver who came to us during January’s terrible storm having been hit by a car. His injuries were so severe he had to have his leg amputated.”

But, none of this daunts Eaglebarger’s resounding dedication to making a better life for these “throw away” animals.

With the help of volunteers, Eaglebarger has made many improvements to the shelter - putting up large outside pens that can house at least nine dogs, and recently through a grant from the Animal Farm Foundation, the shelter’s play yard was enlarged to 1,800 square feet with additional play equipment, so the dogs can run and play and get the exercise they need.

Under Eaglebarger’s tutelage, the shelter now has a low cost micro-chipping program, animal behavior program, and information concerning spay and neutering.

She has also established the shelter’s Canine Good Citizen certification program.

“I mostly did this for the Pit Bulls that come to the shelter as they make up about 50 percent of the shelter’s population,” said Eaglebarger.

To make this happen, in 2006 she went to a Bad Rap conference in Oakland to learn more about the Pit Bull breed. She came home and started the Pit Bull Promenade Showcase, emulating Oakland’s Pit Bull Hall.

“Only Pit Bulls that are temperament correct are able to participate in this program. They get extensive training to pass the Good Citizen program and receive a certificate,” said Eaglebarger.

Said Jane Berky, president of Animal Farm Foundation, “Despite having very limited resources, Debbie has done a great job for the dogs. We are very proud to support her.”

Because of Eaglebarger’s local success with the Pit Bull program, she spoke at the October 2007 Bad Rap conference in Oakland concerning Pit Bull programs in rural shelters.

Since Eaglebarger has become caretaker of the Corning Animal Shelter and started Second Chance Rescue, the shelter’s euthanasia rate has gone from 89 percent to only 9 percent, the disease rate is 0 percent and the adoption rate has gone up 1,000 percent, according to Panko.

“Whether it is articles for the newspapers, pet of the week on TV, transporting dogs to other shelters or rescues, doing home visits, writing the monthly newsletters, education at local schools, Debbie is passionate and dedicated to what she does,” Planko said. “The Chamber of Commerce has chosen well in awarding Debbie the Champion of the Year.”