Pet Tails. Cute As A Button. Virginia Beach Animal Care & Adoption Center. Inside this issue:

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1 Pet Tails Cute As A Button That is how you would describe Snickers. A smart, happy girl just waiting for a family to swoop her off her paws and take her home to love forever. Snickers came into the shelter as a stray in early February. Day in and day out she hopefully watched and waited for her family to walk through the doors and find her. When the days grew longer and longer, hope of Snicker s family reclaiming her began to dwindle. The hope now was for a new family to fall in love with this sweet, little tan Labrador mix; to see her big doe eyes and sweet nature and offer her a place in their home and heart. Virginia Beach Animal Care & Adoption Center Volume 14, Issue 14 May 1, 2014 Inside this issue: Wildlife Trappings 2 Summer s Coming 3 Facebook/Twitter 3 Special Events 4 Animal Spotlight 5 Some Animal Facts 5 Snickers still watched the door, though, never once giving up on her family. However, no one knew just how long Snickers had been missing her family and just how long that family who never gave up on her either had been missing her. Suddenly, one day, a family called into the shelter. They d seen Snicker s picture on the Petfinder website as an adoptable pet. They d stared and studied the picture of the little Labrador mix that had been absent from their home but not their heart for a very long time. Finally, they realized that it was a picture of the pup they d been missing for months and months and months. They came to the shelter as quickly as they could; thrilled to see their beloved pup s face again. And nobody was happier than Snickers as she wiggled all over the lobby, thrilled as she could be to finally be reunited with the family that she d never, ever given up on finding. Nobody but Snicker s knows where she spent all of those months away from her family but it s a safe bet that Snickers will spend the rest of her days being loved and doted on by her grateful family. It is also a safe bet that Snickers will find herself on a very short leash! I think even Snickers would agree that her adventuring days are behind her! Get to Know Your Breed 6 Effective Counseling 7 Meet the Staff 8 Meet the Officers 8 Meet the Volunteers 9 Volunteer Opportunities and Miscellaneous 10

2 Wildlife Trappings Wildlife trapping is quickly becoming the new hobby sport for a lot of people in Virginia Beach. Animal Control responds to hundreds of trapped wildlife calls a year. Since trapping calls continue to increase, we thought this month we would take some time to educate you on Animal Control s trapping policy, and give you some helpful tips that may help you with wildlife in your area. We get a lot of people confused as to why they would have wildlife in their residential neighborhoods. We ll let you in on a little secret wildlife is everywhere throughout the city of Virginia Beach. You may not see them regularly, but they are around. Some of the most common wildlife in the city are raccoon, opossum, and fox; but some of you will be surprised to know that along with your common wildlife we also have coyote & bobcat. We even had trapped skunk last year, which surely took us all by surprise. Due to the increase in trapping calls the City of Virginia Beach implemented a new trapping policy last year. The policy essentially states that Animal Control will respond to a residence no more than six times to service healthy wildlife in traps. After you have reached your six trap limit the city requires that you call a wildlife trapping service. If you believe you have trapped unhealthy or injured wildlife, Animal Control will respond out to assess the situation, even if you have reached your six trap limit. It is illegal in the state of Virginia to trap and relocate wildlife to another area. Our overall goal is to teach the public how to co-exist with the wildlife in their area. Some helpful tips we would like to pass along include making sure your trash can lids are securely closed. If you happen to feed pets outside please make sure their feeding bowls are picked up after they are done eating. Try to avoid having bird feeders out, or bring them inside for the night. Most animals are opportunistic; if you leave food out they will find it. Close up all openings under and into your buildings. Animals look for places to den and raise their young; don t give them that chance. Clear overhang tree limbs or branches which may be providing wildlife access to structures. If you have fruit trees in your yard try to keep all fallen fruit off of the ground. Sometimes just taking a couple extra minutes, and a few extra steps is all it will take to keep the peace between you and your wildlife neighbors. If you have any questions please feel free to call Animal Control or the Department of Game & Inland Fisheries. We continue to encourage the citizens of Virginia Beach to enjoy their local wildlife from afar and maintain a healthy respect for them; after all they were here long before we were. Volume 14, Issue 14 Page 2

3 Summer s Coming... Spring is here and summer is fast approaching! These next few months are crucial for pet care and safety. Here are a few tips for summer pet care from today s leading animal trainers: Never leave your pet in a parked car not even with the car running on air conditioner. This invites organ damage, theft, and death. Humidity is also important animals pant to evaporate moisture formed in their lungs, which takes heat away form their bodies. You want your animals to be able to cool themselves, or they risk heat stroke. Limit exercise on hot days exercise in the early morning or late evening, and bring water. Keep dogs cool from the bottom up Dogs in particular have heat sensory in their paws, so focus on cooling their paws and stomach before their back. Look for heatstroke signs heavy panting, glazed eyes, rapid heartbeat, difficulty breathing, excessive thirst, lethargy, fever, dizziness, lack of coordination, excessive salivation, vomiting, deep red tongue, seizure, and unconsciousness. Heatstroke treatment move the animal to the shade, apply an ice pack to the head, neck, and chest, and run cool water over the animal. Give small amounts of cool water or let lick ice cubes. Go to the vet immediately. GIVE US A LIKE! Have you liked us on Facebook? Do you follow us on Twitter? One of the easiest ways for us to let potential adopters know about the many adoptable pets at the shelter is by using social media. We post information about adoptables and current events at the shelter. So join the 2050 people already liking us on Facebook and our 601 Twitter followers as we get the word out! Find us at on Twitter and join in the conversations, and while you re at it, invite your friends too. The more who know, the better the animals have at finding FURever homes!

4 Special Events Attention Volunteers! Special event season is here and we need your help! As many of you know, we are down two full time employees in the shelter and yet we are going to maintain our schedule of off-site events. As you may or may not know, off-site events not only give the animals another chance at a FURever home, but they also get out message out to the community on a more personal level. People like meeting the animals and talking to staff and volunteers away from the shelter and, it has been our experience, that off-site events are great recruiting tools for new volunteers! Please consider helping with these scheduled events: May 2-4 Annual Cinco de Meowo at the shelter May 3 rd Regal Cinemas May 10 is the Equi-Kids Run with the hounds May 17 th The annual K-9 Karnival at Mt. Trashmore from 10-3 May 18 th beginning at 1 Bark in the Park with the Norfolk Tides June 7 th Norfolk SPCA Dog Walk 9-1 at ODU And speaking of off-site events, we have an opening for two people to join us on the Special Events team. This team is responsible for planning special events both on and off-site. Therefore, if you would like to join this creative bunch, please Wayne Gilbert at wpgilber@vbgov.com. See you on the road! Volume 14, Issue 14 Page 4

5 Brokaw - American Staffordshire Brokaw is a handsome one year old 65 lb happy boy. He knows basic commands and loves to play. He is very intelligent and appears to be house trained. Pretty Pete - Parakeet Pretty Pete is a 3 year old male parakeet that will make a great pet for a child or as a companion for anyone (except maybe a cat). He has an adoption fee of $15 so he won t be here long. Gaston - Domestic Short Hair Sweet Gaston was found on Baltic Ave. He is around 4 years old and a little shy. He is a loving cat that comes with a bonus he has extra toes. There are more than 300 species of parrots. Parakeets, macaws, cockatoos and lovebirds are all parrots. Parrots range from 4 inches to over 3 feet long. Some species of parrots live up to 70 years. A mother parrot usually lays 3 5 eggs. Baby parrots are born featherless yet at 8 weeks old some parrots are ready to fly. About 90 species of parrots are at risk of becoming extinct. Selling wild birds is against the law so make sure your pet store is reliable. Page 5 Llamas have a fine undercoat which can be used for handicrafts and garments. The coarser outer guard hair is used for rugs, wall-hangings and lead ropes. Llamas live as a family and they take care of each other. They will often hum to each other as a form of communication. A cria (from Spanish for "baby") is the name for a baby llama. Most births take place between 8 am and noon, during the warmer daylight hours. They are 30 lbs. at birth and grow to 450 lbs. Pet Tails

6 Gordon Setter Braird This breed was developed in Scotland and brought to the United States. They are calm and dignified but also have a silly side and a demanding side. Setters have long memories, remembering what they learned for a long time (good or bad). They are sensitive and resist harsh handling. They will brace themselves and refuse to move. They require brushing twice a week to keep their silky coat tangle free. They are good with children if raised with children. Males weigh in at lbs. with females weighing lbs. They are very loyal to family. This breed is named for the Brie region of France. He was the official dog of the French army as messenger, sentry dog, and search and rescue for medical corps. They have a light supple gait, like a large feline, able to sprint, turn abruptly, and make sudden stops. Mental exercise is just as important to this thinking breed. They have been known to herd by poking or pushing other pets and people with their large heads. Their rustic coat needs a commitment to grooming. This breed also does not forgive harsh handling. Page 6 Pet Tails

7 What is in effective Adoption Counseling?... Includes good Customer Service. It is highly suggested that all household members meet the pet before adoption. This ensures that all family members are supportive and committed to the adoption decision. Staff and Volunteers will be honest about any issues the animal has, such as; not good with other cats, does not like other dogs, has separation anxiety etc. Let the potential adopters know that there will be an adjustment period when they adopt an animal, and their patience will be needed. Staff and Volunteers at ACAC will gladly assist with tips and advice on how to make the transition smooth and enjoyable. Please consider volunteering as an adoption counselor. The shelter is in need of adoption counselors, greeters and shelter guides! For more information please refer to page 10. Page 7 Pet Tails

8 Meet the Staff Meet Animal Caretaker, David Clanton David is VBACAC s Caretaker of the Month! A native of Virginia Beach, this year is David s sixth year with us. He is a graduate of First Colonial High and is certified in animal first aid and CPR. His areas of expertise include reptile husbandry. His favorite part of working here is reuniting animals back with their families. Having worked with VBACAC for so long, David has a lot of interesting memories of the shelter. His most memorable includes the shelter fire. It was a great moment to see all the staff and volunteers working so coercively to ensure that the animals were safe and unharmed. David is recently engaged and enjoys playing darts in his spare time. Thank you David for all that you contribute to our team! Meet the Officers Meet Animal Control Officer Casey Harrell She has been with Virginia Beach Animal Enforcement Unit for a little less than a year. She grew up in Northern Virginia and obtained a bachelorette of science degree in Biology from Radford University. Officer Harrell has always wanted a career that would allow her to work with animals. Coming to work as an ACO with the VB Animal Enforcement Unit has fulfilled her dream. Officer Harrell has thoroughly enjoyed her rather short time here as it gives her great satisfaction that she can help animals and people on a daily basis. One of Officer Harrell s most memorable moments thus far was removing a healthy raccoon that made his way into a home and also tried to take up residence there. The homeowner of course was not too pleased with this. So Officer Harrell humanely captured and released him out into the woods behind the home so he could find a more appropriate place to live. In her off time Officer Harrell enjoys spending time outdoors hiking, running and taking advantage of our nearby beaches are just a few of her favorite pass times. Volume 14, Issue 14 Page 8

9 Meet the Volunteers Meet volunteer Kelly Copeland Kelly was born and raised in Virginia Beach and has always loved animals and had them growing up, mainly dogs. She always donated to animal causes, advocated adoption and supported bully breeds; she has never understood people's fear of the breed. Kelly always wanted to volunteer somewhere. She tried a couple of different places and nothing fit or felt right. She had always thought about volunteering with animal rescue. She didn't think she could handle seeing the pain or despair or handle the sadness. Once the shelter transformed into the new adoption-friendly center and relocated to her neck of the woods she figured she d try it. She had no excuse as it was literally 4 minutes from her home. After orientation, Kelly asked for someone to show her the ropes and Jean (volunteer coordinator) introduced her to angels Wendy Mezzenga and John Strader (fellow volunteers). They took her under their wings to show her the ins and outs of the dog world. Kelly loved hanging with the dogs, as it was a way to get her dog fill in. She cried on her first day when a dog she hung out with was adopted. She was super eager and signed up for everything she could; training, adoption events, grooming, and the Pet Portal. It was doing the Pet Portal that her focus shifted from primarily dogs to include kitties too... she noticed the dogs had many advocates and was so grateful for them. But the kitties didn't have as many and she wanted more kitties to get out of the shelter via adoptions... Her cat had changed her life so she knew they could do it for others. (Side story- At 21, she stumbled upon a homeless cat in her neighborhood and tried to take it in and make it hers. The cat decided it did not want to live with her, despite buying all things needed for a kitty and thus it escaped. On Black Friday she found the love of her life at the VBSPCA and her life changed. Kelly never thought she could love someone as much as she did her. Her cat opened her up to cats where she hadn't been as open before.) Crazy for cats, Kelly helped more at Petsmart as the hours were way friendlier to her work schedule. When Pam Eaton decided she couldn't be the Adoption Counselor/Volunteer Coordinator at our Petsmart she asked Kelly if she would do it. Kelly told her she d try it and that's how she got to be the second half of the cat duo at Petsmart. Angela is her "mentor" and has taught her a lot. She is the yin to my yang. Kelly says, It is hard work but I can't imagine not volunteering with the animals. Or with this group of people. Our goal is to help the animals and our various approaches sometimes come together for something beautiful. It takes a "village" full of motivated people willing to spend a portion of their lives cleaning up poop. :) Kelly continues, Not a week goes by that I'm not face down on a litter covered concrete floor grabbing a cat from under the cages but I'm okay with that. That's my new normal. And if that's what it takes to get a homeless animal adopted, I'm all for it. I have an incredible, super patient and supportive partner who loves me even when covered in litter and fur. He's even okay when I just show up with a foster without telling him. :) Volume 14, Issue 14 Page 9

10 Volunteer Opportunities: Do you love animals and want to give back to the community? We have the answer for you there are many ways that you can help, from walking dogs, cuddling cats or advertising pets that are up for adoption. We also are in need of foster homes to increase the amount of animals that we can serve. Listed below are volunteer opportunities Volunteer Front Desk Greeter Newsletter Team Member Adoption Counselor PetsMart Cat Center Volunteer Foster Parent Animal Transporter Pet Portal (Petfinder) Call Center Volunteer Lost/Found Assistance Volunteer Small Animal Companionship Special Events Volunteer Vet Assistant Youth Mentor Adoption Follow-ups Virginia Beach Animal Care & Adoption Center 341 S. Birdneck Road Virginia Beach, VA Phone: Fax: Cat Room Volunteer Dog Walker If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, contact Jean Deliz at policeanimalsheltervol@vbgov.com. She ll be looking forward to hearing from you. Shelter Statistics Mar 2014 Mar 2013 Apr 2014 Apr 2013 Dogs Impounded Dogs Reclaimed Dogs Adopted Dogs Transferred Cats Impounded Cats Reclaimed Cats Adopted Cats Transferred Other Companions Impounded Other Companions Reclaimed Other Companions Adopted Other Companions Transferred It s the Law Did you know The governing body of each county or city shall maintain a pound and shall require dogs running at large without proper tags to be confined therein. Hours of Operation: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday 11:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. (reclaims only) Thursday 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Do you have a suggestion? We d like to hear it. Please drop off suggestions in our suggestion box and we ll post the suggestion and the response in our newsletter.