MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE! Bulverde Area Humane Society Volume 1, Issue 3 Winter 2010 Fall FurFest a Big Success Special points of interest: Fall FurFest Louise, the 3-Legged Dog Cat Adoption Event Inside this issue: FurFest a Big Success 1 Our FurFest this year was a big success! The weather was warm and sunny, and the BAHS grounds were alive with adults, children, and dogs, some in costume. They came to enjoy the FREE burgers and hot dogs, buy yummy bake sale items, and have free photos taken with their pets. We had low-cost microchipping, a blessing of the animals, and a presentation of awards to the Scouts who completed projects at the shelter this year. K-9 Country Club trainers demonstrated agility skills and answered questions about training and behavior issues. The kiddies played in the bounce house, while adults browsed the Paws and Claws market where pet items could be bought for a song. A raffle was held with items and services donated by local businesses. Our dogs watched the festivities with great interest, and a few got walked by our visitors. Best of all, three went home with new families! Fun fur everyone. Blessings for some. Upcoming Events 2 Please Adopt Me! 2 Local Events 3 Happy Endings 4 Kitty Corner 5 Letter from the Editor I think I m finally getting the hang of this newsletter thing. Each one has been a little easier than the one before. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy putting them together. It s just as gratifying to volunteer here. I m proud to be a part of the Bulverde Area Humane Society. Visitors often remark on how lovely the shelter grounds are, and, most important, how happy the dogs are. In the two years I ve been volunteering, I have seen firsthand how well the animals are cared for. They not only have food, shelter, and medical care, but they also get lots of TLC and exercise. Almost every morning the dogs romp in play groups with carefully selected companions. (Like people, dogs get along better with some than others.) Their play areas are roomy, with grass and trees. They really enjoy splashing in the wading pools in the summer! Plus, volunteers walk and socialize the dogs and play with the cats and kittens several times a week. I ve met some truly selfless people who give their time, talents and hearts to operate this shelter. Come out to volunteer, or just to check us out if you need another pet (and who doesn t?). You ll see what I mean. Cassie Wedding, Editor
Page 2 Bulverde Area Humane Society PLEASE ADOPT ME! Lucas For two years Lucas roamed a local neighborhood living on the kindness of strangers. He was undernourished and so afraid of people that he wouldn t let anyone near. Finally two persistent ladies earned his trust, and they brought him to us. At first Lucas was so fearful that he shied away from everyone. Now you should see this happy boy! He loves people and his new dog friends. And, unlike many of our rambunctious residents, he is great on a leash. He is very gentle. He doesn t pull or tug, just walks calmly by your side. Lucas is living proof of how quickly dogs can come to love and trust again, even after years of neglect. This lovable guy is ready for his own home now. Maybe you are destined to be the one who gives him that home. Upcoming Events: December 4, 2010 10 am-2 pm What: Pet photos with Santa Paws Where: BulverdeTractor Supply Corner of Hwy 281 and Hwy 46 December 11, 2010 10-5 pm What: Huge AAPAW adoption event! Where: The Rim on I-10 and Loop 1604 December 11-12, 2010 12-5 pm What: Fall Feline Frenzy Where: My Place restaurant @ 29094 US 281N January and February 2011: Watch our website for upcoming events! Tootsie, age 2, was picked up as a stray by animal control. They called to ask if we had room for her her time was almost up. She s a good dog, they told us, and she deserves a second chance. So we brought her to BAHS. Tootsie must have been loved by somebody in the past, because she is social and friendly. In other words, she doesn t have any issues that homeless dogs sometimes have. Plus she s housebroken! Tootsie is a gentle soul with soft brown eyes and lovely wavy hair. She s part border collie, so she not only has beauty but brains! Those border collies are smart cookies and quick to learn. Tootsie likes everybody and gets along with other dogs. Tootsie She likes it out here in the country, but it gets lonely. She would be a great dog for a single person, a couple, or a family with children. Come by and meet Tootsie and see if she s the right dog for you. Please let us know if you would like to help out at one of these events. Even a couple of hours really helps! Don t let Harley s scruffy looks and tough name fool you. He is a snuggle bunny who likes nothing better than to sit in your lap and just chill. Harley is a small, 3-year-old terrier mix who is as cute as they come and just as good-natured. He was a house dog, so he has good manners and is housebroken. Both Harley and his pal Lily were the beloved pets of a senior lady who had to give them up when she moved to an assisted living facility. Lily has since been adopted, so Harley has not only lost his home but his dog buddy. Harley He is eagerly waiting for someone special to fall in love with him. We think this little guy is special, too.
Volume 1, Issue 3 Winter 2010 Page 3 Local Church Sponsors Work Project On Saturday, November 13, the shelter was swarming with dozens of young people from the Church of the Latter Day Saints (LDS) in Bulverde. A national conference at the church made it possible for so many helpful hands to show up. They pruned, they cut brush, they shoveled, they spread gravel. There were so many folks working that the huge project was completed in record time. If you ve been to the shelter, you may be familiar with the dense brush at the southwest corner of the property. You know, the area where dogs who slip their leashes like to run and hide? The area where you risk cuts and scratches and possibly snake bites just to get a glimpse of the runaway? Well, the church folks cleared that area, too. These fine young men and women were hard workers and did a great job. Thank you for your time and generosity. Thanks go also to Roland and Tom, two BAHS volunteers who supervised and pitched in as well. Church youth devote a workday to BAHS. Eddie Bauer Store Supports BAHS The Eddie Bauer Store at the Village at Stone Oak (281) partnered with BAHS to help celebrate the 90th year Eddie Bauer celebration. Our very own black lab, Bulverde Eddie (formerly Maverick) was the official greeter for the event. And that's not all because the founder was a huge black lab lover & breeder, the store offered $50 gift coupons to adopters of our labs and lab mixes during October. Sweety, 9 mos., is available for adoption. If you know labs, you know they make great pets. They are easygoing, easy to train, and they LOVE people. Come check out the lab mixes we have: our lovely ladies Venus and Athena, young Sweety, Glory with the hypnotic gray eyes, and one yellow lab mix, Honey. And let s not forget Jupiter, the only guy of the bunch! P.S. Bulverde Eddie has been adopted. Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in. Mark Twain Stone Oak Orthodontics Donates Dollars for Candy Stone Oak Orthodontics chose the Bulverde Area Humane Society as the beneficiary of their annual Halloween Candy Buy Back program this year. Ginger of Stone Oak Orthodontics explained, We pay $1.00 to each person for every pound of candy they bring to our office. We also match that dollar and donate that money to a cause we believe in. This year they decided their cause would be our shelter. Ginger and friends came by on Tuesday, November 9, and presented their donation check, plus a few items their patients brought by for the animals at BAHS. Thank you to these nice folks! Stone Oak Orthodontics present check to Christine at BAHS.
Page 4 Bulverde Area Humane Society HAPPY ENDINGS! Here is just a handful of great adoption stories... Louise was featured in the Please Adopt Me section in a previous newsletter. But we didn t have high hopes. You see, Louise had two strikes against her. One, she was 9 years old, way past the age when dogs are easily adopted. Two, she had only three Louise and Bambi legs. But she was friendly, happy, and spry, and despite her handicap, she got around quite well. One of our volunteers took Louise home as a foster, knowing she might become a permanent addition to her household. Nevertheless, we posted Louise on PetFinder and hoped for the best. Months passed. Then one day Kyle P. emailed to ask about Louise. He wanted to give her a home, sight unseen. Hallelujah! Although Kyle lived in California, he was willing to drive all the way to Texas to claim her. Foster mom Linda and her daughter cut his trip by a good 10 hours by meeting him in Ozona. Kyle reports: Things are going well with Louise. She seems to be adapting...and is getting spoiled. He added that Louise got along well with Kyle s other dog, Bambi, although at times she disciplines her. Nothing unusual for a Malinois, Kyle said. Nothing unusual for an older lady who knows how to put a young whippersnapper in her place! Belladonna, an English Springer Spaniel, and her ten puppies were rescued from a puppy mill. The puppies grew fast and in no time all were adopted. Not long afterwards, Belladonna, now Abbey also got a new home. Abbey s adorable pups. Abbey taking a well-deserved rest from motherhood. New owner Carla S. wrote: I wanted to let you know how fortunate I was to be able to adopt Bella Donna (now known as Abbey). She is the sweetest dog and so playful. Attached is a photo of Abbey resting. She has taken over the beds and occasionally I will find her and the cat sleeping next to each other! Another puppy finds a home: Since becoming a part of our family in June 2010, Cowboy has grown into a happy, healthy, and lovable pet. He is great with our children, and he is a well-received companion for our other dog, Bruzer, who recently lost his mother and sister after having them as playmates for 6 years. Cowboy loves the outdoors, and he enjoys exploring his new 3-acre home. We love Cowboy very much and couldn't imagine our home without him. Cowboy and friend I have included some pictures: some of Cowboy when we first brought him home and some of him now, along with his friend Bruzer. Heather M. Check our website for other great dogs waiting to be adopted! www.bulverdeareahumanesociety.com
Volume 1, Issue 3 Winter 2010 Page 5 Mama Cat Reunited with Kittens Unfortunately, now and then people dump animals at the shelter. Such was the case when caretaker Tom arrived early on the morning of September 28. He found a soggy cardboard box at the gate. When he opened it, a cat bolted and disappeared into the trees, leaving behind six tiny kittens. The problem was getting the mama back with her kittens. Tom and Linda Binkley set up a live trap with the kittens inside. Within moments, they had a cat in the trap. But it was NOT the mother cat. The stray was put in quarantine, and they removed the kittens, reset the trap, and waited. And waited. The mother did not appear all that day nor during the night. The kittens were being hand fed, but they needed their mother. The next morning, she finally appeared in the trap. She was taken to her mewing babies, and a lovely reunion took place. The photo says it all! Mama and kittens together again A cat makes all the difference between coming home to an empty house and coming home. Unknown FREE to qualified adopters!! See flyer for details.
Save a Life, Adopt a Homeless Pet Bulverde Area Humane Society 3563 Kingsnake P. O. Box 50 Bulverde, Texas 78163 Phone: 830-980-2247 Fax: 830-980-6901 email: bahs@yahoo.com www.bulverdeareahumanesociety.com Bulverde Area Humane Society OUR MISSION Bulverde Area Humane Society is a non-profit organization that provides a caring and secure environment for homeless and surrendered dogs and cats. Our purpose as a no-kill shelter is to assist in the pet life cycle through education, spay/neuter assistance, and promoting pet-forever families. BAHS is powered by volunteers and 501(c)(3)tax-deductible contributions. Thank You to Local Businesses We would like to express our appreciation to the following businesses, most of them local, that have been so kind to us. Please support these great businesses! Page 6 Powered by Volunteers Board of Directors: Pres.: Richard Lindell Vice Pres. and Treas.: Lynda Binkley Sec.: Christine Touw Directors at Large: Lori Osuna Tom Blacklock Barbara Barban HEB Petsmart BulverdeTractor Supply Cragg s Do It Best Bulverde Community News The Hill Country Times (web paper) Smithson Valley Animal Hospital Bulverde Animal Hospital Texas Veterinary Hospital Bulverde Bexar Veterinary Clinic Country Hills Vet Clinic A&C Health Service Mumme s Picadillo Mexican Restaurant Advanced Door Control Petspaw Pedernales Electric Coop Bulverde Hills Dental Schering-Plough Wish List We are always in need of the following items: Toys (balls, hard rubber toys or chews) Dog and Cat Brushes Dog Collars (mostly medium and large ) Rawhide Chews (medium and large) Large Dog Biscuits Blankets Liquid Dish Soap Bleach Towels Frost Bank Canine Comforts Bulverde Express Care Hamlett Photography & Design Bird Dog & Cat Fish Texas Wines & Spirits Century Regional Health Care at Bulverde My Place Bar & Grille Faithville Village Bulverde North Family Dental The Shops at the Village of Bulverde Security State Bank & Trust Rodolfo O. Garza, Consultant Sun Time Tanning Salon On the Wall Honey Creek Cafe Plus all the businesses that collect donations for us with the BAHS coin boxes A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL! We also need: Contractor and materials for renovating rock house Decomposed granite for play pens Kuranda Beds (go to Kuranda Beds website for more information) We are grateful for monetary donations, too! They go to help pay for food, shelter, facility maintenance, and veterinary care. HOURS OF OPERATION The Shelter is currently open: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 10AM - 1PM. If you get voice mail, please leave a message and someone will return your call.