Thursday and Friday Update

Sorry this is so late getting up but I was extremely tired last night and as Barb said I had clinicals this morning. Here is the new from thursday:
Barb was at the shelter about 1/2 hour and up till she left at 1:30 there hadn't been any adoptions. A new black Lab named Harley was picked up by his owner. Also a very, very feral cat named Lil Baby came in.

When I arrived around 2pm it was pretty quiet, Billy was in the back doing laundry and shay and Julie were sitting down for a little lunch. I was walking coconut when a few people came in to look at the dogs. A guy came in with his 8-year-old daughter and seemed very interested in precious, as in our precious in the back. They said they would have to think about it but they could be back to adopt him later. Also a very nice lady came in to look at the Min-Pin, but ended up falling in love with the chihuahua, I believe she may be the person that came back today and adopted him.

For Friday Chyna the last of the shepherd pups was adopted as well as the Chihuahua that I mentioned before. An email was sent from Gayle, our petsmart transported, it said that all of our transport dogs except for Morgan, the yellow lab, had been adopted. She also said "Yeah Brownie got a home!"

Well that is about all the information I have, I hope all is going well at the conference.

Conference

Hi All from Staunton. Anita, Rita, and Rebecca and I left early this morning coming to the VA Federation Conference. We delivered Kelsey, the cocker to Oldies but Goodies and had a tour of the VA Wildlife Center, grabbed lunch and made the conference. Judith is here too, although she had to leave later this morning. We all attended workshops all afternoon and then went downtown and met Bobby for dinner. It' s Rita's birthday--Happy Birthday Rita.!

Thanks to Barb and Nicole and all the others who are holding the fort down without us!

Wednesday update

Wanted to post a note that Freckles and Timmy from the puppy room got adopted today. Precious the siamese I had been fostering was picked up by Jennifer and will go to rescue.
I have run an ad in the Roanoke Current section I checked it today and had to call to make some corrections to the website and Animal Controls phone number. So hopefully it will generate some interest and folks will come out and see our animals. Kelsey the cocker will be picked up by Rita in morning and transported to rescue. I will be picking up Ruth on Sunday and transporting to Rescue. Harriet the scared pup in puppy room was sent to a foster today hopefully they will be able to help socialize her, she was so scared. Please watch Ameila she was sneezing a bit today when I went in and gave her some hugs and kisses. Thanks folks for all your hard work.

Tuesday's News

It has been quiet for the last few days (I hope I didn't just jinx us!), so this update will be short.

Lots of folks were on hand to help out at the shelter yesterday. Judith and Nicole had the morning covered, and Laura, Rebecca, Anita and I were there for the rest of the afternoon. Rebecca, Anita, and I were able to watch the PetSmart Webinar on Feline Upper Respiratory Disease. One of the major points I took away from the training was that we must ALWAYS be diligent about washing our hands and making sure our visitors do the same! Please ALWAYS advise everyone who visits that we can't afford to test every animal who comes in the door, and in order to prevent the spread of disease, we ask that they do not stick fingers in cages! I know this is very difficult at times when there are several families wandering about the shelter, but remember that HEALTHY animals are more likely to get adopted!

There were a few adoptions over the last few days. Of the four beagle puppies that came in on March 20, only one--Tommy--is left. Asia, one of Layla's puppies, was also adopted, leaving only one puppy from her litter (Layla is the German Shepherd). Wade, the Dachshund/Jack Russell Terrier mix, was adopted yesterday, as was our satellite dish-eared Isabella!

We have another new Chihuahua, a platinum blonde boy named Stewart, who came in on Monday. There are 4 very cute and sweet kittens in the back who also came in on Monday: Hershey, Snickers, Butterfinger, and Reese. Snickers is a Calico, and the other 3 are orange and white Tabbies who look like Chili (office cat). There is a feral in the back who was brought in on March 23, and had a litter on March 25! She keeps them hidden in feral box in her cage, so I have not seen them. Since they are kittens, I am just going to assume they are cute! Yesterday also brought us Prissy, a fluffy Chow mix. She had a few ticks and mats and was covered in burs, so Prissy got a bath!

Yep, that's me, scrubbing a dog's butt!

My dog Sweet Pea, who came from our shelter in September, also visited yesterday. She was there to be used by Laura and Rebecca as a test subject for their PetSmart certification. She was happy to meet our Coconut, and they even posed for us!

I hope to see everyone at the shelter on Wednesday for All Hands On Deck day!

Caine: A sad goodbye

Most of you have already heard the news that our dear beloved Caine was put to sleep this morning. I happened to stop by around 9:30am and was able to say a last goodbye to the dog that had become my friend over the last year and a half.

For those of you who didn't know Caine, he was a solid white Pit Bull. He came to us in September of 2005 after his owner, who was being arrested at the time, tried to sic him on the cops. But our Caine was smart and did not go after the cops, instead he ended up at the shelter with about 50 lbs of logging chain wrapped around his neck.

It took a few weeks before any of us could even go near him to walk him or even be able to just have him out of the kennel, but once he was able to be out we found that he was a very fun-loving dog that just wanted attention and a good belly rub every now and then. Over the next few months Caine kind of became a permanent fixture. We would take him out play with him a little outside and then bring him back into the office or Education room so he could relax for most of the day until going back into his kennel at night.

After many months and two court cases, Caine was unfortunately returned to his original owner, who once again put him on a chain outside. In December, only two months after Caine had been returned to his owner, we learned that the owner was now in prison again and Caine and a female pit had both escaped their enclosure and were running around downtown Pulaski. Shay was the first to say that he had spotted Caine, but with a choice between Shay and the female Caine decided to run off with the female (I guess shay just didn't have that animal magnetism, sorry Shay). A few weeks later Joyce was able to catch him, well actually she called him and he jumped into the front seat of her truck, maybe he just likes females better. On the way to the shelter Julie came over the intercom and Caine's ears perked up, happy to hear a familiar voice I'm sure. As we searched for an appropriate home for this big lovable dog, Caine settled back into shelter life like he had never left.

Again we all got use to taking him out and then letting him spend the day wandering from the office to the education room to sleep on the couch. Finally we thought we had found a nice home for him. His new home turned out to be a very nice one, he was allowed to sleep on a nice comfy couch and get petted all the time. Unfortunately the aggression that was no doubt instilled from his previous owners resurfaced and after two months his new owners were afraid he might hurt someone. So Julie was asked to come pick him up.

On March 26, 2007 Caine was humanely euthanized surrounded by people that loved him and will never forget him, at least I know I won't. I hope I have done his memory justice with this post and if you feel I have left anything out please feel free to add your own thoughts as I know he will be missed by many of us.

Shannon Charlton Memorial Bowlathon

Yesterday, nearly 50 bowlers (and many supporters) participated at the 3rd annual Shannon Charlton Memorial Bowlathon at Leisure Lanes in Pulaski. PCHS bowlers Nicole, Billy, and Rita bowled some of the best games of their lives but proved to be little competition for the other contenders.












A 50/50 raffle was held, which was won by our friend Angie, despite the inordinate number of tickets purchased by Nicole!









Bud and Brenda fixed up beautiful cat and dog goodie bags for the bowlers' pets--many animals went to sleep last night with tummies full of treats and exhausted from playing with new toys!



Pictured above are Bowlathon winners:
1st - 795 - Brad - $300.00 (sponsored by Regen and Susan of Eanes Collision)
2nd - 782 - Dave - $200.00 (sponsored by Harvey Chrvrolet)
3rd - 774 - Tracy - $100.00 (sponsored by Bower Funeral Chapels)
4th - 763 - Tony - $100.00 (sponsored by Luv Homes)
5th - 743 - Jamie - $50.00 (sponsored by Sani Mode Barber Shop)
6th - 739 - Kathy - $50.00 (sponsored by Sani Mode Barber Shop)

We would like to thank our sponors and organizers for helping to raise nearly $1500.00 to benefit the Pulaski County Humane Society: Shannon's family--Bud and Brenda, Sandy and Deno; the "Shannon's Crew" bowlers, and friends Eric and Angie.

PCHS would also like to thank all Bowlathon participants for coming together with us to honor Shannon's memory.

Buy a Kong for a Shelter Dog!

I think I finally have all our listings (PCHS Website, Petfinder, 1-800-Save-A-Pet.com, and Pets911) up to date - whew!

Looking to make a donation to our shelter?
We always need towels, soap, food, kitty litter, and more.

But right now...

WE NEED KONGS!



These rubber toys give our dogs something to do in their kennels!

Please consider grabbing one next time you're at the pet store. We'll also take rawhide chews and any other heavy-duty dog toys.

Saturday update

Today we had a number of visitors. I managed to get an application approved for Bell but the couple will have to call Julie Monday when the dog can be released. I also managed to get an application for one of the mixed beagle pups approved and the family took Tony home today and Bobbie transferred paperwork to us. Hd the austrian shep/heller mix was adopted out by A.C. today. We took in a momma with 3 pups today and Bobbie brought in a Pit last night. Jennifer Smart came in and took Tango and Flame to siamese rescue today. Linda made a surprise appearance and she made note of cats she needs pictures of. Judith took Boone (now called Bonnie) home and learned she is very pregnant so I have listed her to go on spay van April 3rd. Marlena Kincaid is fostering two very tiny kittens till they can be put into condo. Precious,the siamese cat I have here is doing very well, she is a very sweet cat. Had a number of people interested in Ameila, Kelly( who is not 3 years old but a kitten) and Noodle today. I have added a picture of Ameila when she was smaller. If someone is looking for a playful kitten this one can keep herself occupied with toys. She is fun to watch and does like to be petted and held till she has had her fill, she will nip but does not break the skin. She will hiss at other animals but she played with Molly my dog and Pooreboy my grown cat. She is spayed and UTD. She has been kept indoors and is litter boxed trained. Need to work on all the applications that did come in today. Mr. and Mrs. Field could not make up their mind who they liked so they want to bring their dog in to see if it gets along with the dog they will select. Rita was there helping out today (Thank God for Rita) April was also in and showing pets to people which was also a BIG help. Aussy Rescue came in and took pictures of Freckles, what a cute dog. We need to adopt out what we can get approved and get the pets booked for April 3rd van. The very tiny pups can't go on till May van which I still have to book, we can call the new owners with the date. I look forward to seeing everybody tomorrow at the Bowlathon. If you don't bowl just come show your support. See ya at 1 pm.

Friday update - March 23, 2007

Oh my gosh, I feel like I have been gone weeks. But I have been watching the updates. It is so good to be back . Well Butter finally got adopted. I trimmed her nails and she said her goodbyes to the other cats in condo and was off to her new home with two little girls who will adore her.

The owner of the Sharpei came in to claim him and boy he was so happy to see his owner.

I managed to find Twiggy and give her the meds she hid from this morning. Also found Precious had not taken her med it was found by the front of her cage so gave her a nice meatball with med inside. Poor Kelsy the cocker was so matted Julie and I took clippers and scissors and got the most severe matting trimmed off. That dog was so good while being trimmed. No more canned dog food for the dogs it is causing loose stools. I picked up Precious the siamese cat and will care for her for 7 days, both she and Tango are preparing to go to rescue. Nino is going to Rescue tomorrow for now he is in back spay room. Laura came in and stated Mr. and Mrs. Fields will come in Saturday to check out Isabella and Coconut and they are pre-approved for any animals they select. I believe a couple more cats came in today. Some people called about cats and dogs so I gave them the hours for saturday. Hope they come in and see all our sweet babies. I could not get the printer to print but finally got it working again. All in all it was a productive day. Laura and Rebecca had to test a couple more dogs and send the tape in before monday. Joanne has some volunteer forms to check out. So glad the weather is getting warmer.

See ya all at the Bowlathon Sunday sign in at 1pm starts at 2pm.

Thursday's News

Thursday was exhausting as usual! I got a late start in the condo and was about halfway through when Anita came in to help! She is feeling much better--still a little congested, but no longer contagious! Anita also brought 2 foster kitties back to the condo, and due to lack of cage space, Santino has been set free! He is very happy to race around the condo, climbing the sisal pole and darting through the tunnel, much to the chagrin of the older, more "dignified" cats. Santino was becoming a little chunker, so maybe he will return to little kitty size!



Anita was a big help for me today. She took care of the office and education room cats, which freed up some time for me to scrub the floor in the condo! It sure needed it--those cats are shedding like crazy! And it is only going to get worse due to the warm weather. If anyone has a free minute (stop laughing.....no seriously, stop it!) please grab a comb and groom a kitty! Just one kitty! This will greatly help us to keep the fur from flying! The combs are in a kennel-sol solution in the condo cabinet. Please clean the comb with soap and put back in solution when done. Write down which kitty you groom in the condo log (calendar on desk); otherwise, we might end up grooming just one kitty!

I had lots of visitors today: Barb, Laura, and Susan all stopped by for a little while! Susan brought me some news articles--I hope everyone has seen the letters against ZooQuatic Pet Center's decision to sell puppies in the Roanoke times. She also brought some bad news: 167 dogs died in a fire at a puppymill in Bland County. According to the news last night, there were 192 dogs. The footage showed that nothing remained but the collapsible wire crates--which are meant only for temporary use--not permanent housing--and are inadequate at best! Proving once again that breeders care only about money!

Our friends at Pound Pals and VAPAWS were apparently interviewed for the article. You can read it here: http://www.roanoke.com/news/nrv/wb/109743.

Rebecca came by in the afternoon so that she and I could ORGANIZE! We both have been looking forward to this for a few days, which is crazy and a little sad. The medicine shelf looks neater and is hopefully easier to navigate!

JoAnne and Bob were also at the shelter in the afternoon to help out; Laura came back as well. There is certainly no need to "pretend" to be busy--there is ALWAYS something to do! If you can't think of something, just let me know--I have a million little projects stored up in my head just waiting for some free time!

I found out today Chico the Killer Shrimp's real name is Toby. I found his owner through Wythe County Animal Shelter, where she had reported him missing. Apparently, her step-dauther accidentally let him out while she was at work. She was very happy to see him when I returned him to her Thursday evening. I'm usually a "big dog" kind of girl, but I will certainly miss that little purse-dog!

New faces:
Beamer arrived on Wednesday and is the dog I reported as a border collie mix. His paperwork says he is a bernese mountain dog mix. Beamer is a BIG boy and is as sweet as he is big!

Missy is a smaller yellow lab mix who also arrived on Wednesday. She is very sweet and friendly and probably won't get much bigger than she is now.

Crissy is a sharpei mix who arrived on Thursday. She seems to be an older girl who may have difficulty hearing and seeing--she takes very careful steps when she walks. She is very calm and quiet and has the cutest little curly-Q pig tail!

Precious (yes, another Precious) is a small, shaggy, white terrier who is already spayed. Another very friendly and sweet dog! You can visit her in the puppy room.

We also got a senior chihuahua very late in the day. I don't know much about this dog, other than she looked as though her world had been turned upside down.

To my knowledge, we only got one cat in today who may be feral. He arrived in a trap and looked quite angry when I checked on him later. I would probably be angry, too, if I was snatched out of my world and put in a cage!

The weather was beautiful on Thursday and hopefully, it will stay that way. But with the warm weather comes litter after litter of unwanted puppies and kittens. Please take every opportunity you can to promote spay/neuter. Check out this link for tips on how to convince people to do the right thing: http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehomelesspets/pdf/goodadvice.pdf.

Warm weather also brings out the wildlife! Click on the banner for info on how to live harmoniously with our fellow woodland beings:



I hope I haven't left anyone or anything out! Have a great day!

Wednesday's News

I came to the shelter today for the sole purpose of shaving the matted fur off a senior cocker spaniel, but anyone who looks at him will see that this has obviously not been done! We all know that you can never just "stop by" the shelter or come in to do just ONE thing!

When I arrived, Barb was already in command of the office and was taking pictures of the latest arrivals for the website. Nicole was walking dogs, showing dogs to potential adopters, and probably 5 other things I don't know about! That's Shelly with Nicole and me NOT looking busy in the background (I can dance if I want to; I can leave my friends behind).

I had Chico (a.k.a. Shrimp, a.k.a. Killer) in tow and handed him off to Julie, his very willing babysitter. Bill arrived later, and after he met Chico the Shrimp Killer, I think I'd better warn Sadie that there's another dog in town!

Lots of folks came in looking at our animals, but none went home today. A nice lady is interested in our condo cat Noodle, despite her excessively shaved tummy! Another nice lady is interested in Freckles, the basset hound-shaped border collie. Lots of dogs got to play in the yard today because so many people wanted to see them. It was so busy today, I didn't even get to visit with my buddy, Coconut!

We got at least 3 new dogs today. A border collie looking mix, a small black dog with a curly tail and white feet (who does not know how to be quiet!), and a fluffy white senior dog who is blind! All of the senior dogs are finding their way to the shelter lately; I wonder what they have heard about us?

We also got at least 2 new cats. One is a very pretty Calico who is already spayed. The other is a really cool looking.....um.....well, I don't know what he is! The ends of his fur are black, but his undercoat is white; he needs to be combed but is still beautiful! Thanks, Nicole, for helping me with shots!

Laura came by today as well, probably just to do one thing but staying for a few hours! Jennifer from Siamese rescue also came today to check out some of our residents. Condo cat Flame, new arrival Tango, and a Siamese mix who came in with Tango might be going to rescue soon. Keep your fingers crossed!

Judith took 10 cats from the back all the way up to Orange County, AFTER cleaning the condo! Good thing I'm cleaning the condo tomorrow, because I'm sure she will need (and definitely deserves) a break! In case I don't see you tomorrow, Judith, I stole the chair out of the condo so I can sand and repaint it. I hope to have it back by Friday!

Whew! All that, and I was at the shelter for less than 3 hours! Folks ask me all the time how I stay so thin, so I tell them, "I walk dogs!" Then I tell them the REAL reason: I don't eat meat!



I am sure to see Bob and JoAnne tomorrow, and will hopefully have many other helpers who "just stop by." Goodnight, all!

New Bottle-feeding Video

Rebecca has added another video on YouTube!

This one shows you all the supplies you'll need to bottle feed a kitten.

Tuesday's News

Pictured at left is Gail, the PetSmart Rescue Waggin' Driver with Alum.

Believe me when I say that Rebecca, Susan, Laura and I are completely exhausted! On Sunday, we hit the road at 6:30 AM for the Adoption Options conference in Charlotte, and we certainly got our money's worth! The speakers were informative AND entertaining, lunch was great, and we got some free stuff! We learned a lot of simple training tricks from speaker Sue Sternberg that we can use with our shelter dogs to make them more marketable and keep them from going kennel crazy. Check out this link to learn about Sue and her methods: http://www.suesternberg.com/index.html. Thanks to Laura for finding this site!





The four of us barely had time to recover from Sunday when the PetSmart Rescue Waggin' rolled in at 5:30 AM on Tuesday. David was also there bright and early to help us out. I can only remember 13 dogs, including Boss and Hogg, pictured here (Boss and Hogg are the puppies), but I thought there were more--maybe one of my co-conspirators can help me out?

After the Waggin' left, we started pulling up drain covers and scrubbing food bowls to get the room ready for when Dean and Donnie came in. Susan cut her hand pretty badly and had to go home--let us know how you are doing Susan! This should be a warning to the rest of us that those guillotines and drain covers can be SHARP!

As if Waggin' day wasn't busy enough, Tuesday was also Assissi day! Thank goodness for Katrina, because Anita is still recovering from the flu! Hope you are feeling better Anita! If I am remembering correctly, Katrina told me we had 6 shelter dogs, 6 shelter cats, 6 public dogs, and 4 public cats on the van. Most of the public dogs came from us, so I got to visit with Begonia, Asia, Brazil, and several other puppies whose names I cannot remember! The shelter dogs that were neutered are Sassy, Coconut, Sugar, Kenya, Chyna, and Parker. The shelter cats are most likely going to Orange County or Rikki's Refuge in the next day or so. Thanks again to Judith for making the long drive to save our kitties!

Dedicated Yappy-hour walkers Jane and Julia showed up Tuesday evening only to find that Laura and I were half-dead and ready to go home! Yappy hour was cancelled, but since the dogs had a pretty active day and our walkers seemed pretty beat themselves, I don't think anyone minded. So, after being at the shelter for 12 hours, I got to go home, and Laura got to go to the Events Committee meeting, which hopefully, Cris can update us on soon! Here's to your speedy recovery, Laura!

New faces:
I couldn't find any new cats for Sunday and Monday, but I did find 2 new dogs. Peaches, a pretty black APBT, was picked up on Sunday. She seems very friendly and sweet. On Monday, an elderly Cocker Spaniel was found stray and brought in by a citizen. This poor senior boy appears to be both blind and deaf and his fur is severely matted. He just sits in one spot in his kennel and shivers. Very sad, so please visit with him when you get the chance.

Adding to the hectic pace of Tuesday's Waggin' and Assissi van, the shelter received 8 dogs and 7 cats! Since 2 of these cats are definite Siamese, and one is a Siamese mix, there is a possibility that they could go to Siamese rescue. The other 4 cats include 2 long haired orange kitties, one tabby, and one reverse tabby who reminds me of Patch--right down to the squinty eye!

The new dogs include a litter of 4 puppies, one of whom was adopted less than an hour after he had been relinquished to the shelter! We also received a shiny black female APBT, a dog who may be an APBT/Dalmatian mix, a small beagle mix puppy, and a Min Pin.

New faces also includes volunteers, so let's all welcome Michelle! She trained with JoAnne and Katie in the condo yesterday, which was great because we needed all the help we could get! Michelle recently became the proud mama of Cheyenne, our beloved Husky, and reports that Cheyenne is doing quite well in her new home!

The only adoption that I can find or recall since Sunday is the puppy I mentioned above, which is very sad, considering we all know how wonderful our shelter dogs are. A "covert source" reports that ZooQuatic Pet Supply had 7 puppies for sale as of Monday, so if you haven't already contacted the store or signed the petition, please do so!

Petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/No2ZQ/petition.html

PETA's action alert against ZooQuatic (includes store contact info): http://www.peta.org/actioncenter/ActionAlerts-item.asp?id=2153



Please add your comments if I have forgotten anything!

You know you've been in rescue too long if.....

You have a mental list of people you'd like to spay, neuter or euthanize.

You stopped at a house with a "Free Puppies" sign in the yard to have an educational "chat," and your kids had to post your bail.

Running out of paper towels is a household crisis.

You not only KNOW all the characteristics of a good "stool," you discuss them at dinner.

Your checks have messages on them like "Subtract Two Testicles for Every Four Feet."

You have a bumper sticker that reads "My Dog is Smarter than Your Graduate Student."

You secretly wonder about such things as how animals can manage without wiping.

You absentmindedly pat people on the head or scratch them behind their ears.

Given the choice of having your teeth cleaned or their teeth cleaned, they get their teeth cleaned.

You not only allow pets on the couch, guests have to sit on the floor because the dog has “territorial issues."

Your spouse missed the final game of the World Series because the cat wanted to watch his favorite video, "Birds of North America."

Anytime the animal appears lethargic, you go on-line and investigate Vetmed websites, pose questions to your address book and on e-lists, and by the time you digest all the information and field the correspondence, the animal has torn out the window screens, and left something disgusting in your favorite pair of shoes.

Your chatroom handle is "Queen of Spayeds."

You and your vet are on a first name basis and he genuflects when you enter the waiting room. His daughter at Harvard refers to you as "Auntie."

You needed a prescription to recover from "Old Yeller."

You've forwarded more warnings about the dangers of chocolate, onions and mistletoe than the National Center for Disease Control has issued about Anthrax and smallpox.

You wear white year 'round, not because you are flaunting a fashion law or belong to a religious sect but because it is BLEACHABLE.

By the time you investigate different flea control products, their advantages and potential risks, natural versus chemical methods, and study the life cycle of the flea, any fleas have died of old age.

You tell your children to "heel!" in a grocery store.

For relaxation, you went mall hopping with your girlfriends. Your eyes glazed over when you saw a sign in front of a pet shop, "20% Off All Puppies & Kittens," and you slapped three security guards before they got you safely contained in the manager's office.

People are still talking about your spay-neuter holiday greeting from last year, "Deck the Halls with Balls of Collies.

PCHS is now on YouTube.com

Thanks to Rebecca, we now have some videos up on YouTube. We'd been looking for a good way to host them, and YouTube seemed like a natural choice.

Here's the correct way to bottle-feed a kitten (oh the ears!):


If you'd also like to see how to make them poop (sorry, but it's got to be done!), check out our YouTube account. We'll try to add more in the future.

Other Web Updates: The Petfinder, 1-800-Save-A-Pet.com, and Pets911 accounts are now up to date for PCHS and PCAC (at least with all the pictures and names I've got) We're still getting lots of emails about our animals!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Today was busy as usual. Judith was toiling away in the condo when I arrived, and David Hope arrived soon after I did. JoAnne came in to train a new volunteer, Shannon.






Filling out paperwork with one hand and scratching a dog with the other. Looks like Shannon catches on fast!

After his training, Shannon spent the remainder of the morning walking dogs with David. He says he has a lot of free time and loves animals, so hopefully he will become a fixture around the shelter!

Bittersweet good-byes to:
Brazil! The second of Layla's puppies to be adopted this week, he was gone before I got to the shelter this morning. Someone must have really wanted him!

Cadbury! Our early Easter bunny was adopted by a nice couple that knows Joyce.

Kinko! A very nice couple picked Kinko to keep their 3 cats company. This responsible pair came to the shelter with receipt in hand for a pre-paid neuter! They were on their way to PetSmart and planned to spoil Kinko. They will send us photos!

Just plain bitter good-byes to Jackson. He was taken by Parvo this morning. I only mention it to stress how important it is to closely monitor people in the shelter--this includes self-monitoring! We must contain the germs, lest we have more problems like today.

New faces:
Flower: A white pit with just a patch of light brown over one eye. She reminds me of Mary, except for the poorly done home ear-cropping. Her left ear appears irritated, and she kept scrubbing it against the floor, giving it a "cauliflower ear" look. Hence the name Flower!

Bonnie: A sweet, medium sized black dog with a curly-Q tail. Joyce named her in keeping with a St. Paddy's Day theme.

O'Mallie: St. Paddy's Day theme again! This sweet kitty is already spayed and has all 4 paws declawed. She was relinquished to the shelter due to the owner's sudden allergies.

Other noteworthy news:
2 families visited today that were interested in Santino, so he got lots of love and attention.

As usual, Coconut spent his day in the Ed. room and was spoiled by many visitors!

Allie (the smallish, older black dog in the back intake) got a good brushing today, so she no longer looks like a mongrel. She LOVES to be groomed with the shedding blade or a comb. Evidently, she really needed it because it looked like a dog exploded in the back yard! It was too cold to give her a bath today, but I'm sure she won't mind when the weather gets better.

Many thanks to Judith, JoAnne, David, and Shannon for walking dogs, talking to people, helping me give shots and take pictures, and a myriad of other shelter duties that I just can't remember right now!

Rebecca, Laura, Susan, and I are headed to Charlotte at the crack of dawn tomorrow for the Adoption Options seminar. We hope to learn a lot about dog behavior/training, marketing, and collaboration to help us increase adoptions. Who's brining the coffee?

Recalled pet food information

Information regarding Menu Foods recall of canned/pouch dog and cat food can be obtained here:

Dog food:
http://www.menufoods.com/recall/product_dog.html

Cat food:
http://www.menufoods.com/recall/product_cat.html

Thanks to Jennifer Smart for finding and sending out these links!

Friday Update from Laura

Rock On! How cool is this! Thanks Linda!

Today was a little quieter--we all needed it! Anita was sick--hope you're better soon! Judith was working hard in the condo as always. She also did lots of cat shuffling to accomodate everyone.

Rebecca and I worked with Dr. Vaughan to get all the dogs health checks done for Petsmart on Tuesday. Susan came in and staffed the office. She called all the Assisi folks for Tuesday. I spent some time calling additional folks to try and fill the van for Monday. We'll try and trap the other ferals that are around the shelter as well.

Julie and I met and discussed shelter issues and possible solutions, but nothing is concrete yet. Bobby is looking into a central vaccuum system for the shelter as a whole. He's also put together a people and animal first aid kit that's available in the ed room. Let him know when you use something and he'll replace it to keep us up to date. Thanks Bobby.

Imogene came in to foster Ariel and Birdie as we needed to move Tex and Chili into the office until we figure out what skin thing is going on with them.

Boone moved to the condo and Shadow is in the Ed Room. Remember to wash your hands well before handling other cats after petting Shadow.

Sweatshirts are in --first come fist serve. All sizes available. Price is on box.

Thanks to Barb for getting us the cool new money box.

We also have new feral cat boxes for the back cat room. Really nice.

We had two new cats come in today one is pregnant. Other than that it was business as usual, cleaning, feeding vaccinating, and bathing and getting ready for Petsmart. Lots of baths today. Thanks to Judith, Susan and Rebecca.

Let me know, folks if I left something out. Thanks to all!!

Our New Blog!

The Pulaski County Humane Society now has its very own Blog!

Now we can keep you up to date with webpage updates, new animals at the shelter, and all our new projects and activities.

Feel free to comment on posts - we'd love to hear from you!