Saving Lives Reaches New Heights with Maui Humane Society s Wings of Aloha Program

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1 Maui Humane Society Newsletter Spring 2013 Saving Lives Reaches New Heights with Maui Humane Society s Wings of Aloha Program Did you know that Maui Humane Society accepts over 10,000 animals every year? It s true. Just last year Maui Humane Society accepted 10,063 animals. As an open admission shelter, it is our duty to accept all animals that come through our doors regardless of breed, health or disposition. We truly believe that every homeless pet should have somewhere to go where they will be treated humanely, and with compassion. Our shelter can comfortably house approximately 150 animals, so with an average of 28 animals entering the shelter per day, you can see how that puts us in a tight spot! Maui s homeless pets are in luck though, because MHS s dedicated staff is prepared to think outside of the box when it comes to saving lives and providing happy endings for our furry friends. In the spirit of doing everything for these animals that we possibly can, the idea for the Wings of Aloha Program was born. Wings of Aloha is a special fund created to cover the cost of flying pets to neighboring islands- and even to the mainlandwhere adoption guaranteed rescues and future forever homes are waiting for them. (continued on page 3) Leila was given a second chance thanks to Wings of Aloha program. Above: Leila with her new family in Sisters, Oregon. Our island community is unique in so many ways, and there s no exception when it comes to pets. Temperate climates, cultural attitudes and lack of ability to disperse are all reasons why the homeless pet population on Maui has gotten out of control. Our shelter and the rescues who assist us in fostering and adopting out these animals are faced with a great challenge when trying to find potential forever families- Maui has a very small, very limited local resident population. There simply are not enough homes on Maui for all of these homeless pets. 1

2 Message from our CEO By Jocelyn Bouchard, CAWA 2013 is a big year for the Maui Humane Society. In 1953 a small group of animal lovers on Maui known as Maui Friends of the Animals organized a board of influential and likeminded people and filed the necessary paperwork to form the nonprofit organization Maui Humane Society (MHS). Longtime Maui residents may remember the first shelter which was located on the Hana Hwy just past the Maui Mall (there is a windsurfing shop there now). We remained there until 1989 when our existing shelter was build at our current location on the Mokulele Hwy. We hope that the founders of MHS would be proud of all that we have accomplished over the years. MHS currently provides direct services to over 30,000 residents and visitors to the island of Maui each year. We remain the only animal organization on this island to accept every unwanted or lost domestic animal regardless of health or temperament. Our programs range from adoptions and spay/neuter to dog training (or as I prefer to call it owner training) and end of life services. We are the law enforcement arm for (domestic) animal related issues and provide protection and advocacy for both the human and animal members of our community. In short, as our name suggests our programs and services are aimed at creating a more humane society for all of us; whether we have two, four or no legs or whether we have skin, fur, fins or feathers. And while we are looking to celebrate our accomplishments in the past we can t forget that there is still a lot of hard work in store for the future. We hope we can continue to count on you to support and assist our efforts as we negotiate the ongoing challenges and provide valuable programs and services to reach our ultimate goal of being a community that embraces the human-animal bond, where no animals are homeless, and all are treated with care, compassion, and respect. WISH LIST Below are items that will greatly help us do more for the animals. Please consider sending an extra donation or gifting an item or two from the list below. If you own a business or have special skills or services and can offer assistance for special projects, please call Jerleen at (808) ext 32. No gift is too small and every penny helps! Thank you so much for your continued support. DID YOU KNOW? Jocelyn Bouchard, CAWA Since the publishing of our last newsletter in October: We spayed and neutered a total of 921 dogs and cats, preventing an unimagineable number of unwanted litters! We found loving forever homes for 399 pets - that s an average of 133 pets adopted per month! We transferred 230 animals to guaranteed adoption rescues. 144 of those animals flew to the mainland thanks to donations to our Wings of Aloha program! We helped to keep pets where they belongwith their families. Thanks to MHS, 200 lost pets were reunited with their owners! 2 ANIMAL CARE SUPPLIES: Large - Kuranda Pet Beds (from Easy Walk Harnesses - all sizes (for Dog Walking Program) Jerky Treats Kong Dog Toys Canned Food for kittens, puppies, cats and dogs Guinea Pig or Rabbit Fortified Pellet Food Towels OFFICE SUPPLIES: Walk-on Scale (for surgery clients) Laptop Computer - new or slightly used Dry Erase Markers Lined Notebooks Scissors Sharpies - Black Ink, Thick or Thin Scotch Tape Refills Pens Gift Cards: Home Depot, Lowes, Office Max, Wal-Mart, Ace Hardware FACILITIES SUPPLIES: Refrigerator (2) - new or slightly used please Washer - new or slightly used please Electric Dryer - new or slightly used please Bougainvillea, Hibiscus or Mock Orange plants Pet Pantry Items ~ cat and dog food, litter, treats Our Pet Pantry items are donated to needy families around the island to help them feed their pets.

3 Saving Lives Reaches New Heights......continued from page 1 Believe it or not, there are animal welfare groups on the mainland who don t struggle with pet overpopulation or lack of adopters the way we do on Maui! Through Wings of Aloha we are able to form strong working partnerships with these groups, ensuring the highest standard for the health and safety of our pets while giving them a second chance at the long and cherished lives that they truly deserve. Since the program s inception, Maui s homeless dogs and cats have been flown to Oahu, Oregon, Washington and even Canada to find forever homes! Pets travelling off-island also means more space in our shelter, and the opportunity for many more lives to be saved. Since the publishing of our last newsletter in October 2012, Maui Humane Society was able to transfer an amazing 144 cats and dogs to adoption guaranteed rescues on the mainland. Today, we have rescues waiting with open arms for our dogs and cats- but our Wings of Aloha fund is currently EMPTY. MHS Animal Care Attendant Britny gets a group of cats ready for transfer to Oregon as part of our Wings of Aloha program. Here s what you can do to help: Donate! Your monetary donations for this program will go directly to flight expenses for each animal traveling to the mainland to find their forever home. Please note that your donation is for the Wings of Aloha Program and make payable to: Maui Humane Society, PO Box 1047, Pu unene, HI Fly with a pet! If you have a flight booked to the mainland, contact us to find out if we are flying pets to your destination. If so, the pets can fly on your same flight! This significantly reduces our cost to fly the pets because they are accompanied. All you have to do is show up to your flight as scheduled, and we do the rest! Contact our Animal Transport Coordinator to find out more at (808) ext. 17. Or TColombo@MauiHumaneSociety.org. Offer Goods and Services. Organizations that can provide air kennels or flight accommodations either through private airlines or discounted flights will enable us to fly more animals to their new lives. WE HAD A BLAST AT WINTER ANIMAL CAMP! This winter, our campers created educational plays about what to do if your pet becomes lost, and what you should consider before choosing to adopt a pet. Superstar shelter dog Thor even paid us a visit to show us just how awesome a well-trained and socialized pit bull terrier can be. Check out the videos of the educational plays we wrote and performed all on our own, George and Ginger Find a New Home and Cupcake s Sweet Adventure, on our YouTube channel. You can find photos of camp on our website, and on Facebook too! Animal Camp will be back this Spring from March 17-22, and we ll be celebrating our love for animals through art. To find out more about Animal Camp at Maui Humane Society, visit our website or contact our Education and Outreach Coordinator at (808) ext. 20 or Education@MauiHumaneSociety.org. 3

4 Happy Endings Proof that your support makes a difference! THOR Now lives: Kula Thor came to us in a sorry state. He had trouble walking, and as it turned out he had a fractured hip joint. Thanks to donations to the Hope Fund we were able to get the x-rays and the surgery he needed to move on with his new life under the name Thor. A sweet boy with honey colored eyes that seemed to scream I LOVE YOU! with every glance, he quickly became a favorite here at MHS with the name JJ. The dog walking volunteers were asked to help walk him as a form of physical therapy. That request changed his story forever! He quickly became a special project for Jenny, our dog walking volunteer. After going on multiple outings, being Pet of the Week and his Hope Fund story, for some reason he was still here. Well, after 89 days he finally got to go home with Jenny and rest of the Mida family. He now spends his days playing with his hanai siblings including snuggling his baby brother that he adores more than anything! TINSEL Now lives: Kihei Tinsel came to us when her owners decided they had too many animals. Once at MHS we noticed that she was walking a bit funny. Thanks to donations to the Hope Fund we were able to get her the x-rays needed to find out she had a fractured leg. She spent quite a while hanging out in our Vet department under observation until she was strong enough to go back up front for adoption. After several weeks of cruising around in her splint and melting hearts with her lovable ways, Tinsel finally caught someone s eye. Now she s having a blast playing with her new forever family. She adapted very quickly to her new ohana and has had tons of fun exploring her new world. When she s not playing or exploring she s following her new mom Leslie all around the house and loving every minute of her new life! TIKI Now lives: Portland, Oregon HAPPY ENDING Sugar came to us as a stray with a lot of problems going on. She had bad teeth, bad eyes, bad hearing and bad knees. About the only thing this little lady did not have going wrong was her spirit! This 12 year old love girl was always at the ready to share all her love and kisses with the world. She quickly became a favorite, often spending mornings lounging in someone s office. After a few weeks, a lovely lady named Jodie came to the shelter while on vacation. What started out as a sympathy visit with Sugar quickly became an off-island adoption! After series of blood work, vaccinations and many s Sugar finally got to go home to her new ohana in Portland, where she was renamed Tiki. She now spends her days lounging in Mom s office and even lives across the street from a super cool dog park. Sugar is very happy to share that she will be getting spoiled like rotten while living the rest of her life with the dignity all creatures deserve! 4

5 Volunteer Spotlight: Rob Gold Volunteers are extremely valuable members of our Maui Humane Society ohana. They provide love, attention, and affection to our community s homeless pets. In addition to hands on work with the animals here at the shelter, our volunteers help in a myriad of ways. From gardening, to administrative assistance, foster care to fundraising and special events, we couldn t do all that we do without the help of our dedicated volunteers. One of the newest members of our team is Rob Gold. Rob joined the volunteer program in November of 2012 and has since become a dedicated dog walker. His calm demeanor and positive attitude are greatly appreciated by both the staff and the animals here at the shelter. Rob is able to connect with each dog, and understand what that animal needs from him in that moment. Some are in need of exercise and a good long walk, others might want a little quiet time, or a fun game of fetch. We chatted with Rob about his experience as a volunteer with MHS, here s what he had to say! What kind experience have you had with animals in the past? MHS Volunteer Rob with one of his many friends at the shelter. One of the few constants in my early life was our animals, and I guess that part of my childhood stuck. I can remember lying atop our horses back while they grazed, and watching our cats at play. Our dogs accompanied us almost everywhere and were a part of many memorable moments. I adopted a cattle dog of my own during college who came mountain biking and backcountry skiing with me, plus on many trips to the beach and winters in Mexico. She was a terrific (and patient) companion through 14 years of adventures and life changes. 6 years ago I adopted my third dog, Sascha, a shepherd, cattle dog and catahoula mix. She has the brains and instinct of all 3 breeds, along with being an alpha female. This has taught me a great deal about patience and presence, which has also been great training for some of the stronger, high-energy dogs at the kennel, not to mention in the rest of my life. What prompted you to contact MHS to volunteer? I m a firm believer in volunteering in general. Your time is perhaps the most valuable thing you can offer. At the moment I work evenings and have my days free, which makes it easy. Through volunteering you meet great people and participate in something you believe in, without any of the hang ups about expectations, prestige, money and the like. It s so beautifully simple: you show up and help out, always getting something out of it even if you can t quite name what that thing is. The 3 dogs I ve had have all been rescues, and over the years my dogs have been cared for by a variety of people. My time at MHS is a way to do a similar thing for animals here on Maui. Have you learned anything about our organization that surprises you? Definitely. The dedication and consistency of the staff and volunteers is inspiring. I m constantly surprised by just how sweet, wellbehaved, and easy the dogs are, and how few are nervous or timid. I d say 90% are very well adjusted and socialized and even the shy ones begin to trust after just a few minutes. Just sitting on the ground with them and offering treats often helps build that relationship. Almost all the ones that pull and jump respond really well to simple corrections, and then walk along happily on leash. Another thing is the difference between their behavior in and out of their kennels. Most of the dogs that are jumping around in their kennels settle down quickly once on their own, or on-leash. And pups as young as 4 months are quite happy to harness up, walk on heel, and sit for treats. What do you enjoy about volunteering at MHS? I love spending time with all the dogs and being a part of something I believe in. Getting loved on by dog after dog isn t so bad either! It may sound funny, but I find it a very serene place where I feel peaceful. Animals have brought so much to my life, so it s an honor to spend time with these ones so they can go off do the same for their adoptive families. I guess in some ways its part of my life coming full-circle. For more information about volunteering at Maui Humane Society, please contact our Volunteer and Events Coordinator Corinne by calling (808) ext. 14 or ing Volunteer@MauiHumaneSociety.org. 5

6 Honorariums & Memorials Tributes to those you love... Honoring Animals Bailey is honored by Doris J. Fry Bailey & Spooky are honored by Linda Perry Cocoa is honored by Douglas Karr Honoring People Margaret Mary Levine is honored by Thomas A. Levine Ala Maynard is honored by Dawn Nagel Brian Oneil is honored by Heather Hankey Dee Keane is honored by Leslie Keane Elizabeth Wood is honored by Leslie Keane Kevin Keane is honored by Leslie Keane Leslie Keane is honored by Dania Keane Lynn is honored by Leslie Keane Mary Jane Kramer is honored by Mariah Sablas Richard and Lori Pohle are honored by Kathleen Geiger Rob and Patty Phillips are honored by Diana D. Douglas Val Guarini and Steve Milewski..... are honored by Diana D. Douglas Evelyn Schein is honored by Judith Aikawa Linda Matossian is honored by Karen L. Pearson Mary and Larry Gillen are honored by Thomas T. Smith Michelle Fitts is honored by Cheryl Vas-Johnston Sherian Bender is honored by Cheryl Vas-Johnston Remembering Animals He Makana Alamea Ia Ke Akua..... is remembered by Sandi Angevine, Ruby Hamili, and Ku uakianamaliu Hekamakane o ke Akua) Henry is remembered by Lolita M. Jarnesky Kea is remembered by Carla Protzman Lumpei is remembered by Janice Francis Nalu is remembered by Nigel N. Speed Padrons Esperanza is remembered bywalter W. Lane Rusti Hanai is remembered by Aline H. Rolaff Samy is remembered by Anne Leung-Stevens Chardonnay is remembered by Warren Higa GaleForceWindWarning & BajaBob. are remembered by Sandra Greene Remembering People Al Alborano is remembered by Lynn Alborano Earl Kawahara is remembered by Adrienne Kawamura Alma S. Torres is remembered by Margo Evans Glenn Woo Robert Morgado Linnie Adams is remembered by Nancy Barnes Lori Yuki Oura and Frank the Pug.. are remembered by Alan Oura Skipper Smith is remembered by Dawn Theodore Mary Theodore P.O. Box 1047 Pu unene, Hawaii t: f: info@mauihumanesociety.org BOARD OF DIRECTORS Judy Aikawa, MD - Board Chair Candy Aluli 1 st Vice Chair Robert Kawahara, CPA Treasurer Leigh Drewry Secretary Directors David Cain, Esq. Mary Jane Kramer Don Mehling, CFA Susie Thiemen Open 7 days a week Visit the animals 11a - 4p daily PHONE EXTENSIONS Chief Executive Officer Accounting Volunteers Special Events Donations Education Program Emergencies **The Honorariums and Memorials included here are those we have received by 30 December We apologize if we have inadvertently omitted an entry. If you notice we have, please contact us at (808) x 34 or Donate@MauiHumaneSociety.org and we will ensure it to appear in our next newsletter.** 6

7 Support Businesses Who Support MHS, Our Animal Aloha Partners! Local businesses who work with MHS to make a difference in the lives of Maui's homeless pets. The Animal Aloha Program is a community collaboration between local businesses and Maui Humane Society- working together in a mutually beneficial way to provide care, support and new homes for Maui's orphaned pets. Meyer Computer generously donated 100% of the web design for the new East Vineyard Street, Wailuku, HI (808) Maui Brewing Company donates 50% of proceeds from each order of Beer Battered Onion Rings sold Honoapiilani Highway #217, Lahaina, HI (808) Tradewind Graphics donates the design and layout of the Maui Humane Society Pet Calendar each year. 320 Ohukai Road, Suite 411, Kihei, HI (808) Lisa Giesick of Ohana Pet Training helps to get our volunteers off to a great start as the instructor of our Volunteer Dog and Puppy Handling Classes. P.O. Box 877, Kula, HI (808) If you are interested in becoming an Animal Aloha partner, please call our Donor Relations Coordinator at (808) for more information on partnership benefits and how you can help. A BIG mahalo to the restaurants who participated in our Dine Out For Dogs event in December! Bistro Casanova Casanova Italian Restaurant & Deli Da Kitchen Fabiani s Bakery & Pizzeria Maui Brewing Co. Brew Pub Monkeypod Kitchen Mulligan s on the Blue Pizza Madness Maui Round Table Pizza Ruby s Diner Sheik s Restaurant JOIN US ONLINE! Our 2013 Pet Calendars are now on sale - Just $8 each! These calendars help us raise needed funds to continue our critical work; they ll help you stay organized in the coming year! Get yours today at the shelter or at MauiHumaneSociety.org! Do you love keeping up with what s happening at MHS? Sign up for our e-newsletter! Just scan the QR code to receive happy endings and get the low down Santa on fun Paws events in 2011 and with Patty Brady and Freddie special promotions! 7

8 Look inside for the latest edition of Maui Humane Society s quarterly newsletter: Maui Humane Society PO Box 1047 Pu unene, HI MauiHumaneSociety.org (808) Non-profit Org. US Postage PAID Permit #24 Pu unene, HI