Fall / Winter 2015 Newsletter - PDF file

Newsletter of the North County Humane Society of San Luis Obispo County
Fall/Winter 2015
Tails from AFAR
Action for Animals’ Rights | 805-466-5403 | 2300 Ramona Road, Atascadero, CA 93422
www.slonchs.org | Find us on Facebook: Search for “North County Humane Society”
Adoption ‘tails’: How NCHS helps our kitty friends find forever homes
Caring for Chloe:
We don’t give up
C
hloe is a beautiful, 6-monthold “special needs” gray kitten. She is “melt-your-heart” cute.
Just look at that face.
Unfortunately, she was brought
back to NCHS when she was
diagnosed with a urinary crystal
problem. Now, she is on a special
wet-food-only diet, and she
cannot be fed regular cat kibble.
Chloe is a happy, playful kitten
who is friendly and affectionate.
She shows her love with hugs and
a loud purr when held. Her special diet suggests that she should
be an indoor-only cat and probably the only cat in the house.
And, several NCHS supporters
even donated cases of canned
food to help her get started in her
new home.
Now for the best news: Chloe
was adopted in mid-October.
Chloe was featured on the NCHS
website as our Cat of the Month,
and a young couple saw her picture and came in to meet her.
This compassionate, caring
couple understands the cost of
care for Chloe and wanted to
make her a part of their family.
Thanks to these special people
for taking home our special kitten.
And thanks to the NCHS staff
and board for their loving care to
help find Chloe a forever home.
You can help kitties just like
Chloe! Come to the shelter and
find your purrfect companion.
Or, help kitties find their forever
homes by donating to cover their
adoption fees or to help with
special needs.
In search of felineloving volunteers
Kitty gallery: Meet ‘the thugs’
The shelter is always looking for people to
help with its mission. Contact us at 4665403 if you can help with:
• Donation jar pickups
• Adoption events
• Grant writing
• Event committees
• Auction solicitations
• Cat socialization
at the shelter
Adoption ‘tails’
Double trouble!
North County
Humane Society
Shelter hours: Tuesday
through Saturday from 10 a.m.
to 4:30 p.m. On Wednesdays,
the shelter is open until 6 p.m.
Location: 2300 Ramona
Road, Atascadero, CA
Directions: Take the Del
Rio Road exit off Highway 101.
Board of Directors
President: Martha Pedersen
Vice President: Jan Lynch
Secretary: Terry Miron
Treasurer: Kitty Ressler
Directors: Linda Caldwell,
Denise Milardo, Brenda Tiersma
Have questions?
Call 805-466-5403, email
[email protected],
or visit www.slonchs.org.
NCHS Staff
Shelter Manager:
Sherry Chapman
Administrative Assistant:
Veronica Cyr
Lead Cat Care Technician:
Rachelle Hiser
Senior Cat Technician:
Victoria Moore
Cat Care Technicians:
Brandi Blair and Taryn Visser
Newsletter team: Sherry Chapman, Veronica Cyr, Tom Lott,
Jennifer Robillard, Anita Rouse
Photographer: Tom Lott
Adoptions prices
Kittens: $100
Adults: $90
Microchipping
NCHS offers microchipping for
$15. Microchipping is available
on a walk-in basis during the
shelter’s operating hours.
How to volunteer
If you would like to volunteer,
call 466-5403 or stop by the
shelter and fill out an application.
New volunteers must attend an
orientation and must have a valid
photo ID. Orientations are held
the first Saturday of each month.
Call the shelter to sign up.
Check out these bundles of
trouble ... and love!
They are Teddy and Cruz, and
they came into our lives not long
after we lost our 20-year-old
cat, Chance. Saying goodbye to
Chance was a tough kindness.
Saying hello to little rascals like
these was an unexpected delight.
Boston and Bullet, as they were
previously named, were abandoned brothers who were rescued
and cared for by the most loving
foster hands, and given to North
County Humane Society for
placement in forever homes.
It’s so easy to see why we love
them, and so miraculous to see
that love reflected back in their
eyes.
— Sandi and Randy Bartelt
Two cats
are better
than one
Note from the shelter: Originally, the Bartelts planned to
take only one of the brothers, but
NCHS persuaded them to take
both kittens home. See our article
“Two Cats Are Better Than One.”
Project ‘clean cat’ is complete
NCHS is excited to announce
that we received a grant from Hind
Foundation for $4,360, and we have
purchased new washers and dryers. We can’t thank the foundation
enough! Our old machines were over
10 years old, rusted and leaking.
The grant from Hind Foundation allows us to continue to provide quality care for our cats, which includes
washing many loads of bedding,
blankets and towels every day.
We are very grateful to Hind Foun-
dation for its contribution to keeping our cats happy and healthy in a
clean and sanitary environment.
“Hind Foundation is committed to
funding community-based projects and programs that encourage
people to work together to build an
enduring legacy for future generations.”
We have placed a plaque on the
laundry room door in appreciation
of its support.
— Janet Johnson Pesenti
Thank you for supporting NCHS
The only thing better than
one cat is TWO!
If you already have a kitten
or cat and you’re considering
extending your “furry family”
by adopting another, here are
some important question to
keep in mind before expanding your heart and household.
1. Does your current cat
have the temperament and
sociability skills to welcome
a new cat or kitten into his or
her house?
2. Do you have enough
room for another pet?
Everything doubles with a
new kitten or cat: food bills,
vet visits, litter boxes, grooming supplies, toys, etc.
3. All these pet items are
important; but the largest commitment a two-pet
household will need from you
is your time!
4. Even though your cat will
have another cat for company, nothing replaces you!
After making your final
decision to adopt another cat
or kitten, here are suggestions for “cat-combinations”
that we have found might, or
might not, work:
Recommended:
• Mature neutered male
with spayed female kitten or
neutered male kitten.
• Two neutered male kittens
or one male neutered kitten
with a spayed female kitten.
Not recommended:
• Two female kittens, as
they mature, tend to be less
social and more territorial.
With planning, patience
and time, chances are you
and your family will reap the
rewards of knowing that you
can double your pleasure,
double your fun, because two
cats really are much better
than one!
— Sherry Chapman
A big thank you to our volunteers. The shelter couldn’t do it without you!
Celebrating animal lovers
We all want to live a life with
a purpose. When it comes to animals, nothing fills that quest better
than a compassionate heart.
NCHS is fortunate to have caring
fosters who are willing to feed
abandoned bottle-baby kittens
every two hours and worry about
them 24/7. Dedicated NCHS staff
members come to work early and
stay late just to make sure all of our
feline residents receive everything
they need to keep them healthy and
happy. Volunteers of all ages spend
countless hours playing, petting
and holding cats that need and
crave human contact.
There are also talented people
working behind the “curtain” who
keep our computers running, write
fundraising grants, edit news-
What’s up with NCHS? Check Facebook and Twitter
Do you follow us on Facebook?
Track us on Twitter? Or check
the website regularly for updates?
Then you, too, have caught the
social media bug.
The NCHS website, http://www.
slonchs.org, is a primary place
for information regarding NCHS
programs, contact information and
adoptable animals. We highlight
our Cat of the Month, as well as
upcoming events and fundraisers.
The most popular page is our
Kitten Page, where we post
pictures of kittens when they are
available for adoption.
Facebook is a great place to see
cool photos and video of our cats
either at NCHS or at home with
their new owners. We encourage
adopters to send us pictures and stories about their new pet partners. We
also post adoption photos and funny
cat videos. Facebook posts can get
between 500 and 1,000 viewers
in a matter of a few hours. And a
silly cat video or cute kitten photos
always get the most viewers.
Twitter has been useful for getting out the word about cats waiting to be adopted. Our most popular tweet was sent out during the
Santa Margarita fire and described
letters and take photos. We have
loyal Guardian Angels who continue to make their monthly contributions, supporting the adoption
center and helping “special needs”
kittens and cats.
We are forever grateful to these
“paw passionate” giving souls, who
continue to reach out and improve
the lives of homeless cats and kittens living on the Central Coast.
animal services that NCHS could
provide to fire evacuees. This
message was passed along rapidly
by local news services and viewed
by several thousand area residents.
If you don’t have Twitter or
Facebook accounts, don’t worry.
You can see what NCHS is posting
by visiting our website and clicking on the links to Facebook or
Twitter. And you can always email
us at [email protected].
— Tom Lott
North County humane society adoption Center
Mission statement the NCHS vision
Our mission is to reduce pet overpopulation and to promote responsible
pet ownership through spay/neuter;
feral cat trap/spay-neuter/return;
provide shelter, care and socialization
opportunities for domestic cats awaiting permanent homes; and advocate for
the welfare and humane treatment of
all animals through education efforts in
our communities.
www.slonchs.org
North County Humane Society
Our vision is to live in a world where
all animals receive compassion, respect
and humane treatment from all people.
Fall/Winter 2015
Santa Margarita and
Atascadero “community
cats” need some friends
While NCHS resources only
support domestic cats and kittens
with in-shelter programs, they also
indirectly support local feral and
stray “community cats.” Low-cost
spay/neuter vouchers are given to
offset surgical expenses; humane
traps can be rented from NCHS;
and NCHS staff, board members
and volunteers participate in the
annual SpayDay USA event. And
rescued kittens born of stray or
feral cats can be raised by fosters,
be socialized and be adopted.
Local cat-loving residents help
maintain “community cat” colonies.
Volunteers humanely trap unaltered
felines who get an immediate trip to
the vet for spay or neuter. Trapped
felines are vaccinated and given an
identifiable “ear tipping.” Kitties
are then returned to their home
colony where volunteers continue to
provide them with daily food, fresh
water and oversight.
Current caretakers are seeking a
few more cat friends to assist with
established cat colonies in Santa
Margarita or Atascadero. The hard
work of trapping has already been
done; cat-loving volunteers can
meet with us for an initial brief
site introduction, and then schedule convenient visits to their new
kitty family with some dry food
and water.
For further information or to
help with Santa Margarita kitties,
please call Ananda at 438-3519;
for Atascadero, please call Sandy
at 461-0547. Thank you!
— Sandy Rakestraw
Emergency plans: NCHS offers help when disaster strikes
With the recent Santa Margarita fire and
talk of a rainy El Niño winter in our future,
we all need to have an emergency plan if we
must leave our homes and start looking for
safe ground for our families and our pets.
The board of directors, staff and volunteers
at NCHS want all North County residents to
be informed about pet care options during
evacuations or natural disasters in our area.
We will be offering services to help you and
your pet. We will be stocking Red Cross sites
with NCHS information, including directions
to the adoption center. NCHS can provide
carriers to help transport your pets. We will
offer shelter and care for your pets until you
and your pet can be reunited and are able to
return home again.
We advise keeping your pet’s health
records/medications in a safe place that is
easy to pack in an emergency. If it’s not possible to have your pet wear a collar with ID tag,
we suggest getting them microchipped and
using your cellphone as the contact number.
We are proud to be partnering with other
animal rescue groups willing to offer aid and
shelter to all animals — BIG and small.
NCHS is your neighbor, and we are here to
help when needed.
Be ready in an emergency.
Be prepared: Keep a carrier ready with
food, medication, medical records, a leash
and collar. Microchipping your pet can help
them be found if they escape during an emergency.
— Sherry Chapman
Thank you to supporters of the NCHS newsletter
What to do if your pet gets ringworm
Our phones have been ringing off
the hook with calls from concerned
pet owners finding small patches
of hair loss and rough skin on their
dogs and cats. With continued
drought conditions, high humidity
and record heat, the Central Coast
has been experiencing a “perfect
storm” of pet ailments, especially
ringworm!
We can’t remember seeing as many
cases of ringworm as there have been
in the past few months. Ringworm
isn’t a “worm” at all, but a fungus
called dermatophytosis. When we see
round areas of hair-loss and dry red or
“crusty” skin, we spring into action,
as ringworm can spread quickly.
First, we wash the affected areas of
the pet with Dawn dish soap and dry
thoroughly. Once dry, we have found
that treating the area with Lamisil
— an over-the-counter athlete’s foot
medication, once a day for at least 7
days, or until new hair starts to appear
— works well. But be careful not to
get any cream in your pet’s eyes.
It is also important to wash the
infected animals’ bedding and toys
with a disinfectant that kills ringworm spores. If possible, isolate
infected animals so that ringworm
is not spread to other pets in the
household. And, as a commonsense precaution, it is a good idea to
thoroughly wash your hands after
you bathe or touch your cat.
— Sherry Chapman
Our pets and their unconditional love
It seemed simple. A small mutt dog
needed a home. Everyone has a pet,
so how difficult could it be? So when
she arrived with a rapidly wagging tail,
floppy ears and an openly hopeful face,
refusal wasn’t an option.
She came to my house after an unfortunate series of circumstances by no fault of
her own, to teach what I now understand
about pet adoption. Seven years later, she
is part of my life, my family, my love, and
though she is small, her presence is big.
Responsible adoption means that I am
occasionally required to set everything
aside, turning off my digital world to
enjoy a leisurely stroll with her, or a car
ride, or play on a stretch of beach.
I love her simplicity; in fact, she
really brings me back down to Earth,
constantly reminding me that I overcomplicate life with material goods.
And she cares for none of it!
The only requirement she has of her
family is to spend time together and pay
loving attention. This seems too simple. I
finally begin to understand the meaning of
the phrase “pet therapy.” Pets give a gift
of unconditional love that is often difficult
for people themselves to give.
— Renae Bishop, of Castoro Cellars
Microchipping is
$1 for dogs and
cats in 2016
NCHS is pleased to announce our new program for
2016 — “It’s a Buck a Chip”!
Beginning in January 2016,
we will be offering microchipping for both dogs and cats
for only $1. This program is
open to all San Luis Obispo
County residents, so bring your
dogs and cats (on leash or in
a carrier) to the shelter during
regular business hours for this
quick and easy process that can
help reunite you with a lost pet.
NCHS would like to thank the
Harold J. Miossi Charitable
Trust for its grant helping us
to provide this very important
service for our community and
our animal residents.
— Janet Johnson Pesenti
Creating creature comforts with color!
Some people don’t like to
visit animal shelters because
they are “depressing”! They see
animals locked up in small cages
24 hours a day, in dim, sterile
rooms having little contact with
people or other animals.
Here at the NCHS Adoption
Center, it’s our mission to change
that mindset and create an inviting setting for our visitors and
feline residents. We’ve gone bold
with new paint in a multitude
of “cat colors” on every interior
wall, and added white trim and
wall covering for easy cleaning. New cat furniture, beds and
www.slonchs.org
toys add to our cage-less setting,
allowing our felines to socialize,
eat, sleep and play together!
People are always amazed at
how well our feline residents get
along and often ask, “How do
you do it?” The answer is simple:
We provide a safe environment,
quality food and wonderful medical care, and we understand that
the road to healing for homeless
kittens and cats begins with love.
Celebrate this holiday season
by stopping by NCHS and
perhaps you just might find that
“perfect” pet partner that you’ve
been wishing for!
North County Humane Society
Fall/Winter 2015
Cat-ch the action at NCHS: Mark your ‘kitty’ calendars
Christmas Giving Tree
Through the end of December
Let us count the ways you can
help decorate the kitties’ Christmas Giving Tree this holiday season. With your support, NCHS
will continue to serve North
County residents with informational programs, humane services, spay/neuter discount vouchers
and low-cost micro-chipping. We
are able to provide this assistance with strong membership,
fundraising, bequest and public
support. With each donation, our
NCHS Christmas Giving Tree
receives an ornament. Let’s join
together and create the biggest
and brightest “kitty” tree ever!
There are more details on the last
page of this newsletter.
‘Catnip christmas’
NCHS Open House
Saturday, Dec. 12,
11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The holiday season is a very
special time to spend with family,
friends and felines! We invite you
to tour our decorated adoption
center, enjoy some finger-foods,
and play with our lovable kittens
and cats. Who knows, perhaps
Santa Paws might be stopping by
and fulfilling their “kitty” wish
list: toys, cat trees, treats and, best
of all, a new home of their own.
‘A Buck a Chip’
$1 microchipping starting in
January
Bring your cat or dog to NCHS
in 2016, and they will receive
a 24PetWatch microchip for
only $1, and registration is free.
24PetWatch ID tags are recognized across the country, and their
“Pet Recovery” data center is
staffed around the clock. Give the
gift that keeps on giving and take
advantage of these incredible savings to microchip your pet.
Sassy Tails
FAshion Show
Friday, Jan. 29, 1 to 3 p.m.
SpringHill Suites Marriott
in Atascadero
When it comes to fashion,
Kelly Long of Kelly’s Casuals has
us covered from top to bottom.
Kelly is a big supporter of NCHS,
and every year she brings her
humor, excitement and incredible
clothes for us to view. As models
walk the “cat walk,” Kelly will
share her flare for fashion and fill
the room with beautiful, affordable
clothing. You don’t want to miss
this wonderful fundraiser filled
with fun, food and fabulous fashion. Call NCHS at 805-466-5403
for ticket information.
World Spay Day
Celebrated the entire month of
February
Every day is spay day at NCHS,
and we make it easy for North
County residents to spay and neuter their pets. Throughout the year
we will continue to offer $25 discount vouchers that are accepted
by all North County veterinarians.
Thanks to private donations and
support from local wineries and
businesses, we are able to offer
this discount program.
Blessing of
the Animals
Saturday, March 12, 11 a.m. to
2 p.m., at the NCHS shelter
We invite all animals — “big
and small” — to receive a
personal blessing from the Rev.
Sherry Chapman. Each owner
will be presented a commemorative certificate in remembrance
of the experience. All pets are
welcome.
Annual membership
appreciation
celebration
Saturday, April 30
1 to 3 p.m.
Pavilion on the Lake, Atascadero
The Board of Directors and
the NCHS staff invite you to
attend our 39th annual membership luncheon. We will
celebrate our accomplishments
and focus on the future as we
enjoy lunch, acknowledge
NCHS volunteers and Guardian
Angels, and enjoy entertaining
cat videos. There will be a silent
benefit auction, 50/50 drawing
and door prizes.
Baby shower and
kitten cuddle
Saturday, May 28
11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Do you want to cuddle with a
kitten or two? That’s wonderful!
Mark your calendar for our third
annual baby shower and kitten
cuddle. To celebrate this very
special occasion, we will be decorating our kitten area and serving
cookies, cake and “paw perfect”
cupcakes. To be entered into our
drawing for a “Thank You” gift
basket, bring one of the following
items for the kittens: paper towels, baby blankets, heating pads
(no-automatic shut off) or kitten
baby bottles, or make a donation
toward the purchase of Breeders’
Edge kitten formula.
MEMORIALS
To donate in memory or in honor of a person or a pet,
call the shelter at 805-466-5403.
In MEMORY of PEOPLE
• Becky Bunyea: Tribute
to Avanelle Burns who
recently passed away
• Kathleen Del Rio: In
memory of Jesse Del Rio
Fall/Winter 2015
• Daryl & Priscilla Herzog: In
memory of Elaine, Daryl’s
mother, who passed
7/3/11
• Kathleen Lockwood: In
memory of Ken Lockwood, from Uncle Lyle
Kuehl
•S
arah C. Kramer: In memory of Robin Petersen
• J ames L. Rohrer: In memory of LaDonna DunningRohrer
•L
ouise Walker: Mother &
mother-In-Law to Bart &
Barbara Ellerbroek
•T
oni M. Subia: In memory
of Nancy Steele
In MEMORY of PETS
• Daryl & Priscilla Herzog:
In memory of “Jingles.”
Black Cats Rule!
•K
athleen Del Rio: In mem-
North County Humane Society
Local
businesses
that treat
NCHS like
family
We simply could not operate NCHS year after year
without the wonderful support from our local businesses. Time after time, we
continue to reach out and
ask for their support, and
their response is always the
same, “How can we help?”
We believe you can’t buy
that kind of loyalty, but we
all can certainly acknowledge and support these
animal-friendly businesses.
•V
eterinary Medical Center
• Atascadero Pet Hospital
and Emergency Center
• El Camino Veterinary
Hospital
• Hart Impressions Printing
• Atascadero Grocery Outlet
• Galaxy Theatres
• U-Haul in Atascadero
• Pavilion on the Lake in
Atascadero
• Kelly’s Casuals in Atascadero
•E
d’s Commercial Appliance
• Heritage Oaks Bank in
Templeton and Atascadero
• Idler’s Home
• Bell’s Plumbing
• Atascadero Hay & Feed
• Kmart in Atascadero
• Mid-State Cruizers Car
Club
• Sunset Honda in SLO
• Vons
• Walmart
• Paso Bowl
• Lemos Feed & Pet Supply
• Central Coast wineries
• Short and Sweet Dog
Rescue
• Bay Laurel Nursery
• Sherwood Dog Park in
Paso Robles
• Vineyard Dog Park in
Templeton
ory of “Vincent,” our cat
• Sally Feldman: In memory
of “Sonia Gier,” Special
Cat
• Gabrielle M. Paladino: To
Carol Hanna, in memory
of “Ruby”
• Sandra Rakestraw: In
memory of “Cassie” —
longtime companion of
Pat and Jan Lynch
www.slonchs.org
www.slonchs.org
North County Humane Society
Fall/Winter 2015
North County
Humane Society
2300 Ramona Road
Atascadero, CA 93422
Nonprofit Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Paso Robles, CA 93446
Permit No. 163
Santa Paws needs your help!
The cats have made their lists. Now it’s time to
give them gifts! What will you put under the shelter’s Giving Tree? Will it be a toy, food or a much-needed vaccine?
Look inside to find out how to give the kitties a special holiday gift.
Tinker’s story
From field to family
I
t was a ball of fluff
in the middle of a
vacant lot in Atascadero that looked like
a sleeping kitten; but
how did it get there?
My cat carrier was in
the car a block away.
Should I run back
for the carrier, or just
pick up this sleeping bundle with bare
hands and dash to the
car before it woke up
frightened to scratch
or bite me?
I scooped the little
bundle into cupped
hands, and immediately speed-walked to
the car. Halfway there, it came to life fullyarmed but, fortunately, I applied a gentle
scruff to its scrawny little neck, and it soon
relaxed enough to be placed in the cat
carrier.
What next, I thought?
Maybe the NCHS shelter could take in just one
more kitten.
And bless “Saint
Sherry,” that’s exactly
what happened to this
little one who was alone
and in dire need of some
kitten company and loving people.
Long story short,
“Tinker” socialized well
and soon blossomed into
a lovely little Siamese kitten. While at the local vet
office for her spay surgery,
an office staff member fell in love with her
at first sight. She never made it back to the
NCHS shelter; instead, she found herself a
wonderful and loving home that very day.
— Sandy Rakestraw
I’m in ur local shelter,
Stealinz ur heartz