Pet Pawsibilities. Puppy Bowl Victory Fetches Sullivan SPCA National Attention. By Jeanne Sager SUMMER/FALL NEWSLETTER 2012

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1 protecting life. providing love. Pet Pawsibilities SUMMER/FALL NEWSLETTER 2012 Photos courtesy of Animal Planet Puppy Bowl Victory Fetches Sullivan SPCA National Attention By Jeanne Sager Reprinted with permission by the Sullivan County Democrat When the Sullivan County SPCA learned Animal Planet was casting for the 2012 Puppy Bowl, the annual event that airs every year on Super Bowl Sunday, they jumped at the opportunity. The shelter had some pups that fit the bill. Australian shepherd mixes Aberdeen and Abilene were rescued from a kill-shelter in Tennessee and ended up in the Sullivan County SPCA. So they sent in the applications and photos, and out of 3,500 submissions, the two littermates from Sullivan County got the call. It was just the kind of exposure a small town shelter could use, Sullivan County SPCA Board President Manon Fortier said. Abilene Aberdeen Shortly afterwards, Abilene was adopted. But, her people parents agreed to give up their pup for a day-long taping with Aberdeen. As luck would have it, Aberdeen won and was named Most Valuable Puppy for Puppy Bowl VIII in front of the entire nation. It was a very gratifying experience for us, Fortier said, that one of our babies was selected MVP. Once an embattled SPCA, the site in Rock Hill finished a renovation project that expanded the facility significantly late last year. The cages that housed cats are gone, replaced with a room where the felines roam as they would in a real home, preparing them for adoption. It s been repainted and cleaned. And thanks to a TV show seen by millions, the Sullivan County SPCA workers spent the rest of February answering calls from up and down the eastern seaboard from potential CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Photos courtesy of Animal Planet

2 Greetings From the Shelter As you can see from the shelter s 2011 highlights on page 3, we have been busy continuing the improvements and changes started a few years ago. We are very excited about our newly completed expansion annex which houses an administrative office and a second free roaming cat adoption room. The new addition also enabled us to create a meet and greet area for visitors and pets. It s hard to believe we could ever function without the extra space! Also, the building of a new split rail horse paddock and cleaning of the surrounding areas won us the Environmental Award from Sullivan Renaissance. But of all the remarkable recent changes and accomplishments there is one that we are most proud of: 768 adoptions in Maybe it should be reworded to read 768 lives changed. Because once these animals reach the safety of our shelter their lives are about to be transformed. No longer will they have to bear litter after litter after litter. No longer will they know hunger, neglect or abandonment. Some come in barely affected by their predicament while others are visibly scarred by their experiences. All of them in need of a new life. We steadfastly provide them with warmth, compassion and hope for a new future. Oh, there s no doubt that we change animal s lives. But truth be told they change ours, too. Manon Fortier, Board of Directors President 2 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Puppy Bowl Victory Fetches Sullivan SPCA National Attention adoptive families. Abilene, of course, already had a home and Aberdeen had been adopted as well. But, workers suggested other animals for the callers and numerous dogs made their way out of the SPCA, leaving the rare open slots in a shelter in a bad economy. The phone was ringing off the hook, but it s a good problem for a shelter to have! Fortier related with a laugh. She hopes the national exposure will continue to benefit the animals in Rock Hill. Special Thanks to: PET CENTER LIBERTY, NY The Pet Pawsibilities newsletter is published by the Sullivan County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). All contents are copyrighted by the Sullivan County SPCA. All rights reserved. Nothing herein may be reproduced in whole or in part without expressed written permission of the Sullivan County SPCA.

3 2011 Successes & Highlights The shelter staff and volunteers helped to extend the generosity of all donors, members and adopting families by successfully reaching many goals. March: Installed 70lb Hotel Grade Industrial Washer & Dryer April: Announced New Management: President, Manon Fortier; Shelter Manager, Debbie Dittert; Secretary, Kris Douglas; Assistant Shelter Manager, Toni-Leigh Conklin; Interim Treasurer, Mary Kuen; Board Member, Matt McNeil and many other hard working staff and volunteers May: Promoted Certified Pre-Owned Cat Adoption in June-July that found new homes for 90 cats 321 Local Dog-Surrenders Accepted 619 Dogs Adopted by Forever Family 313 Out-of-State Puppies Rescued and Adopted 95% adopted by families outside region, travelling to Sullivan County to spend their money 5% puppies adopted locally 157 Local Cat-Surrenders Accepted 149 Cats Adopted by Forever Family ALL Adopted Animals Leave Shelter Spayed or Neutered (no deposits required) Building and Grounds Improvements Opened cage free cat room Completion of new window installations Fresh roof, paint and landscaping New kennel heating system courtesy of CES Paddock improvements and fencing grant and winner of Environmental Award from Sullivan Renaissance Facility Expansion Project added 300 Square Feet to Our Building: Doubles the size of the free roam cat adoption room Relocation of administration office Creation of meet and greet area for families to visit adoptable dogs Assist Local Dog Control Officers: Accepted 5 adult dogs and 15 puppies from Town of Liberty DCO Accepted 38 dogs from Town of Mamakating DCO Donated blankets and towels to Town of Liberty 3

4 About Our Work When we re out in the community, we get asked a lot of interesting questions. We hope you enjoy reading about how things work at our happy shelter! Are you a no-kill shelter? This is the question we get asked most often, so we thought it was appropriate to answer it first. The answer is YES! While this wasn t always the case, throughout the past few years, we have been proud to have made the transition to being a no-kill shelter. Simply stated, this means that no animal will be euthanized (put to sleep) at our shelter due to length of stay or lack of space or money. Do you accept all animals dropped at the shelter? We have a limited capacity, so no, we can t always take an animal in. We have a certain number of animals we can safely care for, and to exceed that number would be irresponsible. We also do a temperament assessment prior to accepting any surrendered animal. When we do have to turn someone away, we do our best to assist them with alternatives. How many animals do you care for? We generally have around 25 cats and dogs, plus 2-4 litters of kittens and puppies at one time. We ve also had the occasional horse and rabbit. What do you mean that you are a private shelter? This means that we do not receive public funding or fall under local government. However, we are required to abide by New York State Agriculture and Markets regulations and are subject to regular inspections. We are run by a board of directors and all funding comes from adoptions and donations. As a privately run shelter, we operate as a limited access shelter, which means we have the ability to choose which animals we accept based on a variety of criteria. Our need are many, and your generosity and kindness help to keep us happy, healthy, and full of hope! Please consider putting your faith in the people who care for us by donating to the shelter. We promise they will put your gift to good use! Sincerely, The animals of the Sullivan County SPCA To make an online donation visit us at: 4

5 Around the Shelter JANE is a curious and fun 2 year old female beagle who loves to play. She is very friendly and if you re looking for a little extra zing in your life this adorable little girl will not disappoint you. SHAGGY is a super friendly and fun 4 year old collie mix male. He loves to be around other dogs and likes to get involved in whatever is going on around him. GIZELLE is a super cute 9 week old pit bull puppy who has only 2 things on her mind: run, run, run and play, play, play. This precious girl is affectionate, silly and has a tender heart. LUCKY is a super friendly 3 year old Am Staff mix male who walks well on a leash. This happy boy is a real tail wagger and prefers the company of women. CROCKET is an awesome 5 year old hound mix male who is super friendly and a real tail wagger. He likes playing with other dogs but doesn t care much for cats. MACHICO is a super friendly and happy 4 year old black tabby girl who came to us with a broken jaw. She is a bundle of love who gets along with all other cats. LILLY is a super friendly all gray 1 year old female kitty. She loves meeting new people and new cat friends. SONNY is a beautiful bashful 2 year old tuxedo male kitty who still enjoys being petted but would rather not get picked up. He has big bright eyes and a sweet and sensitive personality. ERNEST is a gorgeous male kitty with the most unusual markings. He can often be found snuggling with several other of his feline friends. 5

6 Sponsor-A-Spay Unplanned and unwanted kittens and puppies are born every day here in Sullivan County, and many of them are either dropped at our doorstep, or left alone, neglected and uncared for. The Sullivan County SPCA takes a proactive approach to pet overpopulation. Certainly adoption and rescue are incredibly important aspects of what we do. But spaying and neutering helps shelters like ours save animals from euthanasia. To support this proactive approach, every dog or cat that leaves our shelter is either spayed or neutered prior to adoption. The cost each year however, is high. Fortunately, a few local veterinarians work with us to keep expenses lower. But, we still need help. Please make a donation to our Sponsor-A-Spay program to support our ongoing efforts. YES! I want to Sponsor-A-Spay ENCLOSED IS MY SPONSORSHIP OF: q $50 to spay or neuter a cat q $80 to spay or neuter a dog q $ other NAME ADDRESS Please make checks payable to: Sullivan County SPCA Send your donation and this form to: Sullivan County SPCA ATTN: Sponsor-A-Spay P.O. Box 995, Rock Hill, NY To Sponsor-A-Spay, you can also donate online, please visit SullivanSPCA.com Shelter Wish List Our next big project is a makeover for the inside of the shelter. After all, you never have a second chance to make a first impression! What s in our plans? To start, we ll be: Re-painting the dog kennels (with low or zero VOC paint, to prevent harmful chemical fumes) Installing new kitchen cabinets and countertops for the storage and wash area If you would like to sponsor this project, or would like to donate any of the materials or labor, please call us at (845) (ask for Debbie). Thank you! 6 It s the little things that count! Interested in helping? Our most needed items: Bleach Laundry soap Paper towels Purina puppy, dog, kitten and cat chow Canned kitten and cat food (pâté) Cat litter (non-clumping) Frontline or Advantix Printer paper File folders Stamps and envelopes

7 Treats That Kill Pets Never buy any foods/treats made in China or another foreign country. READ the packages VERY carefully to discern where the products are made. Often they say Manufactured in USA but Made in China in tiny letters. Call the company if you re in doubt. They have killed babies and pets by adulterating formula and pet foods/treats. Make Your Own Dog Chewies Slice chicken, turkey or beef 1/8 to 1/4 thick. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet and cook in oven at 200º until dried approximately 2 hours. Allow the treat to cool before giving to your pet. Store remaining treats in the refrigerator. The dogs go crazy for these and you know exactly what is and is NOT in them. Together We Can Make A Difference Are you interested in helping? Just a few hours can make a difference. Please consider volunteering in the following ways: DIRECT ANIMAL CARE Assist shelter workers in the hands-on care of the animals. OFF SITE ADOPTION AND FUNDRAISING ATTENDANTS DOG WALKERS Get your exercise while helping animals! PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Do you have a professional skill that you would like to share? Whether you re a plumber, an accountant, an electrician, or a grant-writer, whatever your skill may be we can use your help in some way. Interested persons should send an to: contact@sullivanspca.com Visit us online at SullivanSPCA.com From the top of our heads to the tips of our tails, we thank you! P.O. Box 995 Rock Hill, NY (845)

8 protecting life. providing love. P.O. Box 995 Rock Hill, NY (845) SullivanSPCA.com