Our sincerest thanks go out to all of you, and best wishes for a happy new year! A Penny Saved

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1 Latest News Cat Corner Doggone Good Training Info A Penny Saved Wanted: Food, Water, Shelter --and Love! Volunteer Spotlight Dear Friend, Thanks to all of you-our dedicated volunteers, fosters, adopters, donors and supporters-2010 was a banner year for Lost Our Home Pet Foundation! Your tireless efforts helped us save more than 500 Valley pets in 2010, and feed another 4,000 more though our food bank. And we're poised to do even more good work in Our sincerest thanks go out to all of you, and best wishes for a happy new year! Jodi Polanski Early Gifts Join Our Mailing List! Walk to Save Pets' Lives! This year's PetSmart Charities Pet Walk is right around the corner- Sunday, February 20, It's the perfect opportunity to meet other pet lovers, get a little exercise, and support Lost Our Home. It doesn't get and easier than this. To sign up for walking, or to sponsor other walkers, check out the PetWalk website and support the LOH team! Cat Corner by Elizabeth Pericles, Cat Behavior Consultant A Penny Saved When your mission involves rescuing and re-homing pets left behind due to one financial crisis or another, you need to be able to act quickly. Sometimes, though, we surprise even ourselves. RSVP today! When LOH First Responder (and certified dog trainer) Tammy Wilson-Teeter received a call from the Tempe Police Department (one of many Valley law enforcement agencies with which we work closely), she knew there was no time to lose. A mother dog and her crying pups, said the officer, had been abandoned in a rental home. They'd been there for a week already without food and water. The mother, a two-year-old mixed breed-soon dubbed Penny-was skin and bones, says Tammy. She'd given every once of nutrition to her four

2 puppies, only three of which had survived, using a pile of trash as shelter. All of that was about to change. As quickly as she could, Tammy got her four charges home, where the first order of business was dinner. A grateful Penny put away three cups of kibble and a bowl of water in just minutes. Her puppies-six weeks old, with teeth coming in-were another matter. They were hungry and crying, but nursing was out of the question. Avoiding Cat-Carrier Panic Does your cat go into deep hiding the instant she hears the cat carrier being taken out for a trip to the vet? If the only time the carrier makes an appearance is when something unpleasant is about to happen, it's no wonder she reacts this way. Try keeping the carrier out in the open at all times, in a place that's easily accessible to her. Keep the carrier door propped open and a folded towel inside; toss in a couple of treats each day. Your cat will start to see the carrier as a safe and comfortable place, which should make trips to the veterinarian much easier (less stress for everybody!). About minutes before it's time to load up your cat and go, squirt a little Feliway spray inside the carrier; this can further help reduce stress for your cat during the trip. Carriers with removable tops can be very useful for reducing anxiety at the vet's office. Rather than pulling your cat out of her carrier, and onto the exam table, simply release the fasteners on the sides and lift off the upper half of the carrier. You can also gently slip a towel over her to help her feel hidden and secure, and then let her stay in the bottom half of the carrier during as much of the exam as possible. Again, a less stressful experience all around! Also, just a reminder that all Lost Our Home cat fosters and adopters have access to Not to be deterred, Tammy used a "goat's-milk-and-kibble-mush" to wean them on the spot. Soon, their little bellies were full, and anxious crying gave way to content napping. The next day, LOH located a foster couple who eagerly took Penny and her pups into their Cave Creek home, where they'll stay (and be spoiled) until they're adopted. Just another day for LOH? Well, maybe not. In fact, there was good reason for celebration: four lives saved-and in dramatic fashion, too! Tammy's daughter Nina, though, wasn't in the mood; she was still missing the puppies she'd nurtured through the night (see photo). Update: We're pleased to report that Penny and her pups each started off the new year in their forever homes! Wanted: Food, Water, Shelter --and Love!

3 Elizabeth's cat behavior consulting services at no charge. She can be reached at , or at Doggone Good Training Info Training Tips Series by Tammy Wilson-Teeter, Certified Dog Trainer As Penny's story illustrates, LOH's foster parents are essential to our operation. Because we have no shelter, we rely exclusively on our network of devoted fosters across the Valley. Simply put, more foster homes means more pets saved. What's it take to be an LOH foster parent? More than anything, it's a commitment to the cats and dogs that are abandoned daily due to foreclosures and other financial hardships. And the experience of helping a once-homeless pet find a new, loving home is one you'll never forget. Interested? Your timing couldn't be better! Join us Sunday January 30th from 2:00 to 3:00 pm for our first Foster 101 class of Other LOH foster parents will be there to tell their stories (you may want to bring some tissues!). Plus, Tammy Wilson-Teeter and Elizabeth Pericles will be on hand to answer your training/behavior questions. Location: Country Inn & Suites 808 N. Scottsdale Rd. Tempe, AZ Teaching Your New Dog or Pup His Name All too often I see dogs that have no idea what their name is. This is especially true of rescued or adopted pets, as they may have been through several name changes. Teaching your dog his new name is, in my opinion, one the most important things that you can do as a responsible pet owner. Your dog needs to respond to his name quickly, and relate his name to happy, positive experiences with you! This will be a great benefit if he gets loose, or is distracted while away from home. There are many games we play to assist us in teaching a dog his name (I say "games" because it's very important to keep it fun and exciting for your dog). Start in a small, controlled area of your home, minimizing distractions. No TV, no radio, and no other animals around. If your dog gets distracted or confused, then attach a leash to his collar to keep him focused. OK, let's get started. The easiest way to teach your dog his name is to use For additional information or to RSVP, please Jodi Polanski. Volunteer Spotlight Florine Anchodoguy has been with LOH for more than two years now, and has run the Cat Adoption Room at the Priest/Elliot PetSmart since October of last year. Thanks to her tireless dedication, our cat adoption rate has more than doubled-to an average of 16 cats per month. This past August was a record month with 27 total cat adoptions. According to LOH Foster Joanne Williams, very few cats adopted from the Adoption Room are brought back. Florine, says Joanne, who's been an LOH volunteer and foster for nearly two years now, "is always honest with our adopters, and I believe that's one of the main reasons we don't have a lot of returns. She is also a great judge of character-wonderful at finding the perfect match for adopters looking for a new addition to their family." But Florine does more than adoptions-much more. Volunteer Kathy Arvanitis spells out some of Florine's contributions: "She coordinates with fosters to bring in new kitties as space is available, notifies the LOH Food Bank when pet supply donations are brought in, fosters cats on an emergency basis (taking them to medical appointments, as necessary), and works with the PetSmart staff." Misty Khalique, another volunteer who works with her, describes Florine as "the glue that holds us all together," and says, "her positive attitude and 'get-it-done' personality permeate the Cat Room, making it easy for us to follow her lead." And, Florine leads by example. "She devotes a lot of her time there," says

4 his favorite food/treats (chicken, hot dogs, cat treats, etc.), as he will have more incentive to learn and stay focused if the food/treat has a "high value." Now, say his name and immediately give him a treat. Repeat this at least 10 times. Next, move around and have your dog track you. Take a step back and repeat his name. Again, follow up with a treat, as well as cheering and petting! Now you can begin to move all around the house, repeating your dog's name. Each time he responds, give him another treat. Now it's time for the fun to begin-play hide-and-seek games with your dog. When he finds you, lavish him with attention, affection and more treats. Try playing ping-pong-style games with another family member, each of you taking turns calling your dog's name and then giving him a treat when he comes to you. Once you have mastered his response in the home, take your dog outside (in your yard). Start from the beginning, as this is a new place with lots of new distractions! And always remember: Keep your sessions short and sweet (5-10 minutes). Always end on a positive/successful note. Remember to always reward him! Never use your dog's name, or ask him to come to you, when you're upset or about to correct/scold him. Tammy conducts foster training classes for Lost Our Home dog fosters, as well as dog obedience classes for all LOH adopters (included in the adoption fee). Questions? Contact Tammy at Joanne, "not only on Saturday, for her 'adoption shift,' but also several days a week-feeding the cats, cleaning cages, doing laundry, trimming nails, and, of course, giving love to our kitties." Volunteer Danielle Young agrees, describing Florine as "the best cat mom out there! She would jump in front of a train for any one of the cats we have come through Adoptions." Lisa Dwyer began working with Florine in October. "I have been extremely impressed with Florine's dedication to LOH and the kitties at PetSmart," she says. "I've volunteered at a number of rescue groups in Phoenix, and have never seen someone so dedicated to the kitties-and also able to create such a fun working environment for the volunteers!" None of which was lost on Kathy. "I met Florine in October 2009," she says, "when I adopted my first kitty from PetSmart. We clicked right away, and I saw that they needed some help in the Adoption Room, so I offered to become a volunteer." A year later, these two are still clicking. Kathy calls Florine "an Earth Angel," explaining, "she shows by example how people should treat one another, and treat animals." Early Gifts We hear it all the time around the holidays: It's better to give than to receive. True enough. But, we here at Lost Our Home have found that it's even better to give and receive. That was certainly the case in In October, we learned that LOH has been awarded a $38,000 grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. "We are particularly impressed with the response of Lost Our Home Pet Foundation and its efforts to rescue animals left behind due to foreclosed and abandoned property," said Trust grant officer Robert Berger. "This organization embodies the energy and compassion to embrace such a critical situation in the Valley and we applaud the innovation." In November, we learned of another grant award, this one in the amount of $5,000 from the Arizona Companion Animal Spay/Neuter Committee (funded through sales of Arizona's pet-friendly license plates). These funds will be used to provide free spay/neuter vouchers for our Pet Food Bank recipients, who, as part of the program, are required to have all of their pets sterilized. All of which puts us in an excellent position to do even more to help pets in 2011! Keep in Touch!

5 We Love Feedback! We want to hear what you think! your comments and newsletter ideas to Peter Wolf. LOST OUR HOMES PET FOUNDATION N. Scottsdale Rd. Ste. A6A #276 Scottsdale AZ (602) 230-HELP (4357)