Humanely Speaking Bangor Humane Society Newsletter

Transcription

1 Humanely Speaking Bangor Humane Society Newsletter Winter 2013 Features Inside Looking Out A Home for Beau & Tundra Small Acts that Save Lives Why Spaying/Neutering Your Pet Matters In Every Issue From the Director Ask the Vet Paws for Thought Shelter Highlights/Events Austin s Corner Our Guiding Principles Our Mission The Bangor Humane Society champions the humane treatment and adoption of companion animals, provides quality care for homeless pets, and promotes animal welfare through education and advocacy. Bangor Humane Society 693 Mt. Hope Ave. Bangor, ME Visit us on Facebook! BHS is proud to feed our pets Hill s Science Diet food! Inside Looking Out Most of us know, of course, that Snoopy adored laying his head across the toy piano, while Schroeder played selections of a sonata by Beethoven. Charles Schulz knew what he was doing when he opted to make the famous beagle a fan of classical music. The dogs and cats at the Bangor Humane Society are fans as well. It truly does seem to soothe them, said Kimberly Patterson, foster care coordinator and lead animal care technician. We tune the radio to a classical music station and they become calmer. Providing soothing background music is just one way the staff at BHS provides comfort to the animals who are waiting for their forever homes. D ogs Managing Kennel Stress are social and need more than a warm place to sleep and food to keep them healthy in a shelter environment. It can be very stressful for a dog to be in a shelter surrounded by other dogs and with strangers walking by their kennels. The staff at BHS work hard to keep the dogs engaged and interested in order to keep their minds, as well as their bodies, healthy. Each dog is walked twice a day, including a long afternoon jaunt around the trails behind Cooper, the beagle, barks for attention inside his kennel. (Photo courtesy of Karen Littlefield) By: Renee Ordway A BHS kitten hopes to be adopted. (Photo courtesy of Karen Littlefield) the shelter. They receive their food in paper bags to entice them to work for their reward, and one volunteer is devoted to filling rubber Kongs with treats to keep dogs busy. Being in a kennel is harder on some breeds than others, Patterson pointed out. Pit Bulls and German Shorthair Pointers, for example, are highenergy, active dogs, so being cooped up is difficult for them. It s important that potential adopters are aware that negative behaviors, such as excessive barking or jumping, are most likely simply a result of a dog being stressed inside the kennel. We really want people to understand that when dogs get out of the kennel, that behavior generally goes away. It s distressing that potential adopters may overlook a barking dog assuming that the dog is that way normally. This is not true and we are always happy to discuss this with them, Patterson said. People should not be turned off by a barking or anxious dog and take the time to talk to the staff and meet the dog one on one before making a decision. During the summer, dogs waiting for adoption have fenced in areas to play together and kiddie pools to cool off in. During the winter staff still ensures the dogs are walked each day and participate in playgroups in the afternoon for fun and to Continued on page 7

2 As we begin a new year, I am filled with pride, gratefulness, and humility for the successes and accomplishments we achieved last year. Participating in the ASPCA $100K Challenge helped us save 848 more lives than the previous year. It has also helped us make significant in-roads in changing the community culture around animal sheltering and building important, long-lasting partnerships with local businesses, veterinarians, donors, and adoption partners. The successes we achieved last year prove what we are capable of when the community and animal welfare agents come together to save more lives. I am motivated and empowered to maintain the momentum of challenging ourselves and our community to save as many lives as we can. However, saving more lives requires more resources, monetary and inkind (i.e. supplies). It requires an increase in cat litter, food, staff time to evaluate and find our animals homes, spay/neuter and other veterinary expenses, marketing initiatives, and even dumpster costs for waste removal. Additionally, the impact of 848 more lives saved compounds our regular annual expenses for heating and cooling the building, electricity, and building maintenance. We continue to grow our adoption family significantly, but to continue saving lives, we also need to grow our donor family. Behind each adoption success story are the faces of the volunteers, staff, the adopter and donors who make it possible. Every donation matters- whether it s $15 from a 10-year-old boy s lemonade stand, crocheted blankets for our cat kennels, toys for our shelter enrichment program, or a $1,000 kennel sponsorship in memory of a loved one. It all makes a difference and helps us save and change lives. We are grateful for all of our donors; young and old, and those who have passed (like the late Louise Gardner, who left a generous $50,000 bequest to continue our spay/neuter initiatives). Also, for those donors who donate blankets and pet toys; those who support us year after year; and those who may have written their first donation check this past holiday season. So, I propose this. I promise to continue my commitment of saving as many lives as our capacity allows. To think of creative, out-of-the-box solutions and develop new partnerships all in the effort of saving more lives. To invest as much as it takes to find every adoptable animal a home. But, ask each of you, whether you are an adopter, a supporter, a current donor, a foster parent, a volunteer, a local veterinarian, or a small business owner, to make a monetary commitment to help us continue our mission. If you already make a monetary contribution, thank you. I ask you to consider increasing your gift, or making another. We know the economic times continue to put a strain on many. But, the animals here need you. If you have yet to make a donation, please consider the impact your donation has on our ability to find more deserving animals a home. Every dollar matters-$25 helps us neuter a cat, $5 allows us to buy a Kong to help a dog relieve stress in his kennel, $50 helps us supply our foster parents with the necessities to care for newborn kittens. We are energized and excited for the new goals we have set this year, and for all the lives we will save. Please help us accomplish even more by making a donation today! Best Regards, BHS received a $50,000 bequest for spay/neuter, from the generous and late Louise Gardner. From the Director Hours of Operation Monday Friday: 12:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. Saturday 10:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m. Board of Directors Emily McIntosh, President Amy Faircloth, Vice-President Steve Thomas, Treasurer/Past President Lani Naihe, Secretary Robert Shuman Anne Marie Storey, Past President David Cloutier, DVM Louise Cross Shriar Patterson Bob Williams Renee Ordway John Kenney Lanni Moffatt Matt Nye Jeff Russell Our Staff Executive Director Suzan Bell Shelter Operations Manager Chris Young Office Manager & Bookkeeper Deborah Hawkins Volunteer & Public Relations Manager Stacey R. Coventry Adoption Counselors Brittney, Kristin, Keren, Cody, Andrew, Jaime, Paulie Animal Technicians Sarah, Nikka, Caroline, Mariah, Kimberly, and Jill Veterinary Technician Alayne Newton Foster Care Program Kimberly Patterson 2

3 Your Donor Dollars Matter... A Home for Beau & Tundra Adoption Update By: Stacey R. Coventry 3 Beau, while he waited for his new family at BHS. Last year, 361 lost and abandoned (a.k.a stray) dogs found their way to the Bangor Humane Society. The happiest of endings is when a concerned pet parent gets reunited with their lost pet through our facility. But, for the many that don t get reunited (after their required seven day wait time), they enter BHS adoption program. That is how Beau, a three-year-old Black Labrador/Rottweiler s, story began. On November 11 th, Animal Control Officer, Joe Murphy, responded to a call by a local resident that she had seen Beau wandering around the neighborhood for quite some time. He didn t seem to belong to anyone and the weather was getting colder. The concerned resident was worried about Beau s well-being. So, Joe brought Beau (who was at least thirty pounds underweight) to BHS. Staff scanned Beau and discovered he was microchipped. Staff then called the number listed on the microchip, but was unable to make contact with Beau s rightful owner. Shy, hungry, and timid around new people, Beau remained at BHS for three months while staff and volunteers socialized with him and helped him achieve a healthy weight. Finally, he was ready for adoption. Inside his kennel, Beau was scared and reactive to strangers. However, outside his kennel, he gave bear hugs and loved to cuddle. His kennel behavior combined with his size intimidated potential adopters and made it difficult to find him a new family. So staff featured him on WABI s Pet of the Week segment hoping Beau would show off his true colors. And that he did! He leaned, he snuggled, and gave staff a bear hug right on cue! Beau brings his new family for a visit! Later that day, on January 8 th, Mark Gagnon and his fiancé Tracie Cochrane came to visit Beau after seeing him on WABI. They visited, listened intently to staff as they shared Beau s full story, and then completed his adoption! It has been over a month since Beau went home, and they have brought him back three times to visit. We know how much everyone loves him and he obviously loves everyone here, says Tracie. We wanted to show you how well he is doing and thank you for letting us adopt him. We just love him. Tundra, at BHS, while she waited for a new home. Since Beau went home, he has gained ten more pounds, loves to go for daily car rides, has made friends with Mark and Tracie s resident cats, and had his first visit to the groomer. He has gained more confidence and is becoming much more comfortable meeting new people. In addition to the many lost and abandoned dogs that find refuge at BHS, over 600 dogs came to BHS in 2012 because their owners could no longer care for them, for various reasons. Ten percent of owners surrendered their dog last year because they could not afford the care the dog required, including medical related health issues. This is Tundra s story. Tundra, a six-year-old Siberian Husky mix, was surrendered because she had seizures and had frequent house soiling accidents in the house because her medication caused her to drink water excessively. The Russell Family, who already had one Husky of their own, fell in love with Tundra when they saw her photo online. They went to great lengths to talk with staff and their veterinarian about Tundra s medical needs and what it would mean to adopt this special needs girl. After many conversations, they visited with Tundra and brought their dog, Yuki, along too. The two huskies immediately bonded -like they were long lost soul sisters! The visit couldn't have gone better, and soon, Tundra was on her way home! Since her adoption on January 16 th, staff have received a wonderful update from her new family. They are managing her seizures well, and Tundra has settled easily into her new life. She loves playing in the snow with her sister, and cuddling on the couch, while her new doggy daddy studies! Tundra snuggles on the couch with her new sister and doggy daddy.

4 4 Ask the Vet Q: According to Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog, we should expect an early spring. So, what do I need to be thinking of regarding my pet s care? A: As soon as the snow is melted and temperatures get into the 50s, the ticks are out! It is important to get your pets on a tick preventative, like Frontline, which kills ticks on contact and can help prevent Lyme disease. If you live in or frequent highly wooded areas with your pet, consider talking to your veterinarian about the Lyme vaccination. We saw lots of ticks this past fall and they are going to wake up hungry! Also, in late April, Heartworm season starts, so talk to your veterinarian about testing your dog and getting him/her on a Heartworm preventative right away. Then, gearing up for June, it s time to think about flea protection! Remember to only buy your Frontline from your veterinarian or local shelter. Fifty percent of the Frontline sold else- where is counterfeit; even Frontline marketing executives couldn't decipher between their legitimate packaging and the fake stuff. The packaging may look identical, but the chemical formula definitely is not! Q: With all the recent pet food/ treat recalls, how do I keep my pet safe? A: The recent dog treat recall is around jerky treats made in China. The products are still currently under investigation for what ingredient in the treats is responsible for making the dogs ill. It is impossible to ensure that your pet will never come in contact with a recalled product, but if you keep an eye on pet food health alerts you can help minimize risk. If your pet has come in contact with a recalled product, immediately remove that food from their diet and contact your veterinarian immediately. To stay up to date on the latest recalls, visit Recalls/default.htm. Dr. Benson, Broadway Vet Paws for Thought Research shows that each canine sterilization reduces shelter intake by.72 dogs, and each feline sterilization reduces shelter intake by.57 cats. Shelter Highlights Between now and April 1 st, for every 35 new likes on Veazie Veterinary Clinic s Facebook page, they will neuter one BHS male cat. And, for every 75 new likes they will spay one female BHS cat. Just search for Veazie Veterinary Clinic on Facebook, then like and share! Stop in or visit the BHS Facebook page to download a coupon to Margarita s Restaurant in Orono for their Noche Mexicana fundraiser for BHS on March 17 th from 4 pm to 10 pm. Present the coupon and 15% of your check will be donated to BHS! Sponsoring a kennel or making a donation to the Bangor Humane Society is a great way to remember or honor a loved one two-legged or four! Thank you Jenny Dwyer and Mutt Nose Best for their new Corporate Silver Dog Kennel Sponsorship! Thank you to Jeff and Kara O Sullivan who hosted a spaghetti dinner holiday fundraiser in December and raised $10,000 for BHS! In December, Greater Androscoggin Humane Society, transported 75 displaced cats from Superstorm Sandy from Monmouth SPCA in NJ to Maine. BHS took 8 of the cats and successfully adopted them all into new homes! Thank you to all the BHS volunteers and Penobscot Theater who showcased over 20 of our adoptable dogs during their holiday production of Annie. They helped find homes for 17 of them before the New Year!

5 Small Acts that Save Lives E ach year, about 500 individuals apply to become a Bangor Humane Society volunteer. One would think that with that many interested, animal-loving applicants, BHS would never have a volunteer lapse. But, the truth is, for years, the BHS volunteer program has been a revolving door of animal care and shelter maintenance volunteers, for various reasons. Only ten percent of volunteer applicants will actually follow through with the required orientation, individualized training, and regular commitment. Even less will choose to renew their volunteer commitment for a consecutive year. Whether they are initially motivated to volunteer out of a love for animals, to fulfill a community service requirement, or to do something worthy with their free time, those that choose to become a reliable and integral part of our BHS team have the same key characteristics in common - an unyielding compassion and passion for animals combined with the ability to find a niche role that becomes part of the bigger, overall picture of saving lives. They each understand that whether they are walking dogs, changing litter boxes, doing laundry, washing dishes, organizing our donation closet, helping with adoption visits, representing our mission at off-site events, or embarking on an adventure in our Dog s Day Out program, it all makes a difference in saving more lives. They see us first as the guardian of hundreds of pets at a time, each that vie for our love and attention and require the day to day necessities of having their living quarters cleaned, Austin s Corner BHS has been busy these past few months and I m beside myself with excitement to let you in on what s been going on. First, let me delve in to the fact that many great animals that I ve become smitten with have been adopted! We ve had many happy endings that bring a tear to my whiskers. We have a great community and a great staff, and I am grateful that they continue to come together to find my friends a safe and loving home! The busy-ness of it all is giving me flashbacks to last year s kitten season. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term, the spring and summer months seem to be kitten central here at BHS. And we call it that with good reason; last year from March 20 th September 21 st we took in an astonishing 799 kittens! After I tallied last year s facts and figures, I ve made it my mission to remind everyone to gear up for our busy season. But, it s not just staff that I need to ask for help. I also would like to take the time to ask you, my wonderful readers, if you can help support us during this hectic time! You can help by donating KMR, scoop-able litter, wet and dry kitten food, baby wipes, or small cat beds. But, if shopping for kittens isn t your thing, then monetary donations are always wel- Volunteer Spotlight being walked, fed, given water, and checked by a veterinarian. First, we must roll up our sleeves and do the hard work that it takes to be a good and responsible pet guardian. At the same time, we have to provide each animal with adequate emotional and mental stimulation, while finding them each a new family to entrust their care to. All these things can only be accomplished with a dedicated and reliable team of staff and volunteers, who provide the daily care each pet needs and deserves By: Stacey R. Coventry A volunteer spends time in her dorm room with our long-term resident, Precious, during a Dog s Day Out. while they are here. In providing that care and helping them find their way to a new home, these volunteers commitment is renewed and their passion is re-energized. Their dedication is not withered away or diminished because it s only washing dishes or doing laundry, or cleaning kennels. Each task, big or small, makes a difference in every life saved. come with open paws! Speaking of paws, this guy has got his all over the keyboard these days. Some of you may remember from the last newsletter that I had just started my very own Facebook profile page. Well, I think that the people over at Facebook were a little unhappy that a cat was trying to pass himself off as a person eligible for Facebook, and they deactivated my account. So tragic! But never fear, I have started my very own Facebook fan page, and it is going great (up to 160 likes already)! So if you haven t already, like my new page and stay in the loop. With so much news to share, I decided to spread my internet savvy-ness into the blogging world through the Bangor Daily News. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I am probably one of the only cats who has his very own blog! I have a few weekly posts; Match Mondays featuring adoption success stories, and Where s Austin and Austin s Antics where I fill my readers in on the happenings around the shelter. I m really looking forward to keeping you informed through my new blog. Boy oh boy, with so many things going on I am pooped! I think it s time for me to go lay in my bed with my favorite ball of catnip and call it a day. Thanks for reading! Austin 5 Continued on Page 7

6 6 Why Spaying/Neutering Your Pet Matters By: Stacey R. Coventry (Originally published in Green Acres Kennel Shop February Newsletter) It s no secret. There is a national pet overpopulation problem resulting in a high number of homeless animals. In the U.S., there is an estimated 6-8 million homeless animals entering animal shelters every year. Only half of these animals are adopted, according to the ASPCA (the Animal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). The Bangor Humane Society (BHS) alone takes in an average of 4,700 animals a year. Two-thirds of those animals are cats. The reality is that every time an unneutered dog finds his way out of his yard to visit the female dog down the street, or the indoor/outdoor cat comes home pregnant once again, the result is often another unwanted litter of dogs or cats. Even if they are placed into homes, it is still possible for them to end up in shelters once they become too much responsibility or they reproduce the next generation of homeless puppies or kittens. Reducing the number of unwanted pets in the U.S. is the most significant societal benefit that spaying and neutering our pets can have. By reducing the pet overpopulation problem, we alleviate the strain and burden placed on shelters nationwide. Consider this; one unspayed female cat who produces an average of three litters a year with 4.5 kittens in each litter will produce 91,511,383 cats in just a seven year time frame. One unspayed female dog and her puppies can produce over 67,000 dogs in just six years. It is just as important to spay or neuter pet rabbits. Rabbits reproduce faster than dogs or cats and often end up in shelters as well. At this rate, shelters easily reach capacity and become overwhelmed with unwanted pets. The reality is there just aren t enough homes for all these animals. This puts an overwhelming strain on shelters, forcing them to make hard decisions, like ones often resulting in euthanasia. Fortunately, for BHS, the current pet population issue has not yet put them in a position in to make life and death decisions based on time or space. But, staff fear that can easily change in the future, if individuals don t begin taking responsibility to spay/neuter their pets. If we truly respected and honored our pets, then we would all take responsibility to spay/neuter our own pets to ensure that every pet has a home, says Suzan Bell, Executive Director of the Bangor Humane Society. That is our responsibility as a pet owner and as a society who claims to care so deeply for its animals. Spay/neuter is the only permanent, 100-percent effective method of birth control for dogs, cats and rab- bits. Spaying/neutering every pet not only has a significant societal impact, but provide many medical benefits for pets as well. Spaying removing the ovaries and uterus of a female pet is a veterinary procedure that requires minimal hospitalization and offers lifelong health benefits. Neutering removing the testicles of your male pet will vastly improve your pet s behavior and keep him close to home. According to Dr. Mark Hanks, DVM of Kindred Spirits, the medical advantages of spaying your female pets is a reduction in breast cancer. Dogs that are never spayed have a 1 in 4 chance of developing breast tumors. If they are spayed before their first heat, the chance is less than 1 in Also, spaying eliminates heat cycles and potential for uterine infection and significantly reduces the risk of ovarian cancer. Furthermore, Dr. Hanks states that there are also several medical advantages of neutering male pets. Neutered males are less likely to roam and have trauma or injuries resulting from fights with other animals. Neutering also eliminates male marking behavior and the development of testicular cancer, and reduces prostate disease. Additionally, Dr. Hanks eases pet owners concerns about the recovery of pets after they undergo spay/ neuter surgery. Newer anesthetics and under the skin sutures allow for a safer surgery with a quicker recovery period. Also, the younger a pet undergoes the surgery, the faster and easier he/she will bounce back. The Humane Society of the United States has recognized the medical and social benefits of spay/neuter and has designated the month of February as spay/neuter month to help educate the public. While each pet Continued on page 8

7 Continued from Small Acts Page 5 7 A volunteer gives a messy newborn kitten a bath! The volunteer enrollment process is simple: 1) Pick up a hard copy of the application at the front desk or complete one online, visit volunteer.php. 2) Complete and return orientation materials sent by the Volunteer Manager. 3) Set up a one-to-one interview with the Volunteer Manager to discuss volunteer details and set up training. 4) Complete required individualized training sessions. 5) Start volunteering regularly as your schedule allows. New volunteers must be at least 16-years-old and start as a Canine Care or Feline Care assistant, where they get trained in safe animal care handing, cleaning protocols, and general BHS policies and procedures. Once a volunteer clocks twenty on-site hours working with dogs, they are eligible for the Dog s Day Out program, in which volunteers can take a dog for an off--site outing. Additionally, after twenty hours of on-site volunteer time, individuals are eligible to participate in offsite adoption events and be can trained in completing pet adoptions. So, if you think you have the passion, compassion, and perspective to believe that whether you help walk dogs, take pet photos, clean kennels, groom our pets, or represent us at an off-site event, your volunteer efforts have the power to change, even save, a life every single day. Continued from Through their Eyes Page 1 help with any socialization issues a dog may have. Each day, a dog is selected to spend some time behind the front desk in the lobby; allowing them additional space and freedom to interact with staff and visitors. Also, Executive Director, Suzan Bell, and Volunteer and Public Relations Manager, Stacey Coventry, pick lucky dogs to hang with them in their offices each day. The dogs that spend the day in Stacey s or Suzan s offices often sleep a lot. It just provides a quieter setting and they get an entire day of one-on-one attention, Patterson said. Some volunteers are trained for the BHS Doggie Day Out program and take a dog home for a day. The staff and volunteers at BHS are committed to ensuring the dogs we adopt to you are physically and mentally healthy. While dogs seem to be impacted the most by kennel stress, cats are not immune. Cats are not meant to live in a metal box. They need to climb, explore and hide. When their natural inclinations are restricted by a kennel, they become stressed, which can then trigger a cold that spreads quickly throughout the building, infecting other cats. Staff strive to keep all the animals as physi- cally and emotionally healthy as they can. For cats, staff and volunteers focus on providing them cat castle boxes in their kennel that they can use for a hideaway and then later travel home in once they are adopted. Also, cats are provided with homemade activities like pinecones filled with cheese or catnip-filled pillows Staff person, Jaime, poses with one of our dogs on afternoon dog walk. Volunteers are always needed to help walk dogs daily. BHS shelter dogs spend time on our agility equipment and in a playgroup together in our fenced in yard. to stimulate their senses and keep them busy. Additionally, each day cats are given toys to play with, crocheted blankets to knead, and quiet time with volunteers and staff, who spend time grooming and socializing with them to help them de-stress. So if you stop by, enjoy a little classical music and remember that the anxious dog that may be barking at you from its kennel, or that timid cat tucked in his hideaway, may actually be a calm, affectionate fellow that would like nothing better than to lay across your lap and listen to the tunes of your choice.

8 Spay/Neuter Matters Continued from page 6 adopted from the Bangor Humane Society is spayed and neutered, BHS committed to participating in public spay/neuter awareness year round. BHS was awarded over $20,000 in grant dollars from the Belvedere Animal Welfare Fund of the Maine Community Foundation, and from other generous local foundations to be disbursed to qualifying individuals through vouchers to spay/ neuter their cat or dog through the participating veterinarians in the local area. The Bangor Humane Society is also the proud recipient of a $50,000 bequest, given by the late Louise Gardner, designated for spay/neuter initiatives. BHS hopes to utilize these bequest funds to create a more sustainable spay/ neuter program for the community. The State of Maine has also developed a website, to gather information on statewide spay/neuter initiatives and low-cost spay neuter programs for individuals. By spaying and neutering your pet or helping to raise BHS volunteers assist local Veterinarians, Dr. Volk from Timbaland Vet (Left) and Dr. Mark Hanks, Kindred Spirits (back right) as they share the BHS operating room to spay/neuter adopted pets! awareness on the pet overpopulation dilemma, you too can become an important part of the solution. Our Guiding Principles Treat all animals and people with respect, dignity, and integrity. Work diligently to end companion animal overpopulation by increasing awareness of spay and neuter programs. Promote adoption of physically and mentally healthy companion animals. Educate and train caretakers to develop fulfilling and lifelong relationships with their companion animals. Serve as responsible stewards of our resources. Hold ourselves to the highest standards of safety, care, and cleanliness. Raise public awareness with regard to the humane treatment of animals. Use euthanasia only as a last humane option in the best interest of the animal. 8 Duster thanks you for your support!