Neenah Animal Shelter Paw Print enewsletter! Paw Print Winter 2018

Transcription

1 Neenah Animal Shelter Paw Print enewsletter! Paw Print Winter 2018 S

2 TIS THE SEASON OF GIVING We re all busy preparing to celebrate the holiday season with family, friends and loved ones. Of course, our beloved pets are included! Shelter dogs and cats (rabbits and guinea pigs too) are animals waiting to become a family s beloved pet. While they re waiting for their forever homes, you can help them enjoy the extra love of the holiday season with a gift from your heart. Whether taking some time to walk a shelter dog or pet a kitty, fostering those who need that extra TLC, spreading the word about the Neenah Animal Shelter s mission or making a monetary donation, you help save lives of homeless animals. If you already have a pet, you know the joy of the unconditional love you receive from them. If you don t have a pet, but love animals, reaching out to shelter animals during this busy season is not only special for the animals but so rewarding for you! It happens every year at this time; we become overwhelmed with all the craziness of the season. Please don t forget the shelter animals that don t yet have a forever family. What better way to take a breather than share some quality time with your furry shelter friends. The gratitude and love they give will be worth it!! Thank you for giving the gift of compassion this holiday season. Warmly, Mary Setton President

3 Holiday Hazards for Pets It's the most wonderful time of the yearuntil Fido or Kitty ingests some tinsel or decides to drink from the Christmas-tree water. Here are six common holiday items that can be hazardous to pets. 1. Turkey Bones - Fatty foods can promote pancreatitis-a potentially dangerous inflammation of the pancreas that produces toxic enzymes and causes illness and dehydration. If swallowed, bones can cause stomach perforation and painful constipation that requires veterinary help. 2. Sugar-Free Baked Goods - The artificial sweetener xylitol can be found in some sugar-free baked goods which can cause blood pressure to drop to dangerously low levels. 3. Chocolate - Although all chocolate should be avoided, dark chocolate poses a greater risk than sweeter varieties. 4. Alcohol - Pets should never ingest alcoholic beverages because alcohol depresses the nervous system. 5. Electrical Cords - To protect pets, turn off lights and unplug them when you aren't home. 6. The Holiday Rush - Constant visitors and activity can be confusing and stressful for pets. Make sure your furry friends have a safe, quiet space to use as a retreat.

4 Nacho Lady helps out at Plexus Fall Festival This Year s Outreach Events The Neenah Animal Shelter had a variety of wonderful outreach opportunities in NAS is very thankful for all the support from area businesses and community groups. Every month the shelter showcases adoptable dogs and cats at both Petco locations in Appleton. Also, the third Thursday of each month, a shelter volunteer visits Perkins in Neenah, where the shelter receives 10% of the restaurant s monies from people dining between 5-8pm. In addition to monthly events this year, there were several special events sponsored by local businesses or community groups. Community events in 2018 included Community Fest, Neenah Farmers Market, and Fox Crossing Safety Day. NAS also participated this year in other outreach events sponsored by Bergstrom Subaru, Bridgewood Resort and Conference Center, Faith Technologies, Tractor Supply, St Timothy Lutheran Church Pet Blessing, Coldwell Banker, Plexus (Fall Festival) and JDog Junk Removal & Hauling Fox Valley. Many of the events request adoptable dogs and/or cats attend, which has led to successful adoptions for some of those animals. Bringing shelter animals to an outreach event provides them with a much-appreciated socialization opportunity. The shelter is also thankful for the many volunteers involved, as well as all the animals who are shelter ambassadors. Shoe Shoe at Veteran s Day event NAS is looking forward to more outreach opportunities in 2019!

5 Gifts of Love Holiday Ornaments Are you looking for a great gift for your animal loving friends who have almost everything? This year Neenah Animal Shelter is selling our beautiful Gifts of Love ornaments to help raise money for our shelter animals. The ornaments were designed and handmade by Violet Patz, a volunteer and supporter of the shelter. Ornaments come in $50, $20 and $10 denominations, and support an animal by providing either treats, specialty food for pets with dietary issues or medical care. These ornaments can be purchased at the shelter or at one of the following businesses: Cedar Ridge Crafts, Great Lakes Veterinary Clinic, Country View Animal Hospital, Oinks Restaurant, Lucy s Closet, and the Ruff House. Please support your shelter animals by purchasing one of these beautiful ornaments.

6 Fuzzbert Happy Tails - Fuzzbert Fuzzbert was transferred to NAS from an overcrowded shelter to give him a second chance at finding a forever home. A week after his arrival he was offered a full-time position that paid in housing, food, and love. Below is an update from his family: "Just wanted to give you guys an update on Fuzzbert. He officially has started his service dog training and so far is doing pretty well. We are working on distractions with him but overall he is a very happy boy. I want to thank you guys again for connecting LT. Fuzzbert and I. He definitely has found a forever home in me. LT. Fuzzbert is doing great with his service dog training! We took him to the movie theater for the first time and he sat so calmly and quietly and even did his job at one point! Thank you so much for all the help in finding me the perfect dog! Happy Tails Oliver Oliver is a handsome 3.5 year old medium haired feline with a personality as great as his looks. It s difficult to believe that he spent most of 2017 being adopted and returned. His three Oliver visits to NAS were because of different reasons: family lost their home, not getting along with the other cat, and being too playful. Sometimes finding the perfect fit is trial and error. Luckily Oliver found his forever family and they have only wonderful things to say about him. Oliver, now Oswald, has been with us for almost a year now. We even adopted a playmate, Ninja, and they get along so good! I know he was labeled a troublesome cat from past owners, but he s been amazing. No issues at all.

7 Happy Tails - Hippo Hippo came to NAS in January 2018 because of her family s change in housing. Hippo did great with the volunteers and staff, but often put on a Hippo tough girl act when meeting potential adopters. You can imagine how off putting that would be. She began working with a professional trainer to help with her impulse control. Although making great strides, it would still be months before she found her person. One Saturday a gentleman stopped by to inquire about which dog had been at the shelter the longest. Well, that was Hippo, reigning champ at 10 months! It was love at first sight for both, and the deal was done. "Hippo is doing great! She has her own couch and a huge fenced in yard that she loves to run around in. I had 3 visitors yesterday and she enjoyed them all. And she snores. Happy Tails - Jolee Jolee couldn t be happier! Jolee came to NAS as a stray in 2013 and was adopted. Unfortunately, she returned about 4 years later because of changes in her household. She spent the next year at NAS being overlooked because she wanted to be an only feline. Fortunately, her forever family came for her in September 2018 and everyone Jolee is so comfortable, so fast, she is slowly expanding her "space" because she doesn't have as many people around today with work and school and wanted some company! How this sweet girl didn't find a home before us must just mean she was waiting on us!"

8 Don t Forget to Update Your Pet s Microchip Information! As the new year rings in ask yourself, "have I moved in the past year or changed phone numbers? If the answer to that question is yes!, please check that your pet s microchip information is still current. Every year numerous stray animals enter shelters with dead end microchips. The animal is microchipped but registered to a previous owner or with phone numbers that are disconnected. There is no way to find the current owner, so the pet is never reunited with his or her family. A microchip is only as good as the information attached to it! Updated microchip information can be the difference between your pet returning home or being gone forever, and it works! Recently a microchipped cat was brought to us by a good Samaritan. A quick search of her microchip information told us her name (Lara), age, family phone number and that she had been lost two years ago! All the information was current and we successfully contacted her family. They are thrilled to have Lara back. If your pet is not microchipped yet, please talk to your vet about doing so or give NAS a call to set up an appointment.

9 Pet First Aid Kits Have you ever thought about making a first-aid kit for the humans in your home? Well, you probably haven t thought about having one for your furry friends! Owning a first-aid kit for your pet may not be something you ve ever thought about, but it s important to have one accessible in the case of an emergency, such as a natural disaster or a fire within the home. In this firstaid kit, it is recommended that you have the Billy making himself at home. following: your pet s medical records, a list of any medications that they take, some of their food, and phone numbers, including your number and your pet s veterinarians. The medical records should be up-to-date, including your pet s most recent visit to the doctor. Medical records can assist in providing someone with a physical description of your pet plus any medical procedures that they ve had done. Additionally, having a separate and current list of medications for your pet allows someone to know what your pet needs to take. Medications can be life-altering to a pet and missing doses could prove lethal. You should also have a list of important contact information in relation to your pet. These phone numbers can include yours, emergency contacts outside of your family, and your pet s veterinarian. Lastly, you should include food supplies for your pet, as well as any medications that they don t currently take but may need, such as medication for an upset stomach. A few days worth of food should be included, along with a note listing the type of food they eat and how much they receive a day. Water bottles should also be in the kit, in case fresh water is not available.

10 Wish List Cat Items: Clumping, Unscented Cat Litter Blue Buffalo Limited ingredient (Fish & Potato) Purina One Tender Select Adult Dry Cat Food Chicken Purina One Healthy Kitten Dry Food Grain Free Canned Food Snoop Dog visiting an area store Dog Items: Purina One Dog Food Chicken & Rice Easy Walk Harnesses prefer Large Martingale Collars Large Dog Leashes 6ft or longer Large Nyla or Busy Bones Grain Free Treats Miscellaneous: One Time use Non-latex Gloves, All Sizes 13 Gallon Drawstring Garbage Bags Pet Safe Sidewalk Salt Water Softener Tablets Kleenex Bottled Water Postage Stamps Rescue Disinfectant (Amazon.com)

11 Upcoming Events Please join the Neenah Animal Shelter at these upcoming events! The Garden Party - May 18-19, 2019 Furry Flurry - August 10, 2019 at Riverside Park in Neenah Perkins Outreach Third Thursday of each month at Perkins Restaurant and Bakery, Neenah NAS Alum Twizzler Leaving A Legacy The Neenah Animal Shelter has served our community's homeless animals for over 50 years and we plan to continue for the next 50+ years. To help make this possible, please consider the Neenah Animal Shelter in your estate planning. If you have already remembered the Neenah Animal shelter in your will or trust, THANK YOU! Thank you for over 9900 Likes on Facebook! If you haven't already, please Like us on Facebook and share with friends. Facebook.com/NeenahAnimalShelter