November - Humane Society of Schuyler County

November 2011
Home for the Holidays!
The Humane Society of Schuyler County now has a future home ! Closing on the Kurtz
Enterprises/Marina Gardens property at 124 Marina Dr. in Montour Falls officially
happened on Friday, October 14, 2011. Members of the board met on the 15th to hang
the banner announcing our great news and to tour the facility. This has been a dream for
so many years it is hard to imagine it is now a reality. At the moment, the property is a far cry from a fully
functional shelter, but what a great gift for the homeless animals of Schuyler County, our community, and for
our wonderful volunteers and supporters. We have a big project ahead of us——so keep us in your thoughts,
watch the website for ways you can help, updates on our progress, open houses so you can see what is going
on and special events.
Exciting and scary at the same time—join the roller coaster ride to a new shelter!
Imagine:
Dan Lee and Mark Taylor hang the
„Future Home‟ of the Humane Society
of Schuyler County banner.
Imagine:
Imagine a walk in a tribute
garden where you can add a
memorial brick to honor a
beloved pet friend or simply
sit and contemplate life with
the new companion you have
fallen in love with and are
giving a new home.
Imagine 24 warm, roomy
kennels instead of the drafty,
cold, shelter county dogs
have now. Imagine a
spay/neuter surgery that
doesn‟t have to be packed
away each clinic to make
room for the cats that live
there the rest of the time.
Warehouse view
Imagine:
Imagine cat enrichment
rooms in both the old retail
space and in the adjacent
trailer.
Imagine adoption rooms,
play rooms and a shop for
dog and cat treats and toys.
Imagine a gathering place for
volunteers and supporters.
Inside of the former retail area.
No More ‘Singing the Blues’! I’m Home!
Page 2
th
June 17 was a great day. We met Mickey, aka. Blue, with the help of my friend Martha and the Schuyler
County Humane Society web page. He was so crazy, it took me 30 minutes to calm him down, so I could see
what the shelter people saw in him. They said he was as gentle as a lamb, but I thought he was a
hyper maniac.
We brought along our two other dogs to see if it would be a good fit. We introduced him to our one year old
beautiful pup, Meadow, and they hit it off immediately. Teco, our grumpy 13 year old, was another story. He
is known as Mr. Nasty in our neighborhood. He met Mickey and after a few sniffs, Mickey realized that Mr.
Nasty was the boss. Mickey retreated, then turned around and belly crawled to the boss. Teco gave him the
two paws-up and the relationship was
established.
Mickey is an amazing dog and we can‟t
imagine how he was passed up for an entire
year at the shelter. We all love him so
much and couldn‟t be happier having him
as a part of our family. He is gentle, social
and loving!
We want to thank the Schuyler County
Humane Society staff and volunteers, for
taking such good care of our boy. He
makes our shelter adopted family complete
(left to right in picture is Mickey, Teco and
Meadow). We would never consider going
anywhere besides a shelter to adopt an
animal.
Paul and Rose Teeter
Pit Bull Awareness Month--Bless the Bullies
October was Pit Bull awareness month, so what better opportunity to celebrate the adoptions of the great 'pits'
that have come through the county dog shelter since we took over management in August of 2009.
It is hard to fathom how pits got such a bad reputation in light of what great dogs we have had coming into the
shelter. While some of them have indeed shown aggression to other dogs, none have been aggressive with
their human caretakers or with visitors to the shelter. The loyalty that is strongly representative of the breed
made them one of the most popular dogs in the early 1900‟s. They are eager to please. This same loyalty,
unfortunately, has made it possible for irresponsible owners to exploit them for uses such as dog fighting.
How sad that dogs that were once used as „America‟s Nanny dogs‟ to act as
caretakers for children have acquired such an undeserved reputation.
Pit Bulls have been used as therapy dogs, for search and rescue, and in bomb
sniffing units. They were America‟s mascots in both World War I and
World War II—not because of aggression, but because of their loyalty.
It is enlightening to look at the temperament testing ratings done by the
American Temperament Test Society. Pit Bulls rank 89.7 %, reflecting the
good tempered nature of these dogs, higher than many of the more popular
breeds like golden retrievers, chihuahuas, border collies and sheep dogs, to
name a few. Visit atts.org to see the ratings.
Pit bull adoptions should be like any other
adoption—evaluate the dog and how it will fit in
with your family before making an adoption
decision. The founder of Bless the Bullies
Rescue says it best—Judge the deed, not the
breed! Dogs, just like
people, deserve the
chance to reach their
full potential.
We want to thank the
wonderful families
that recognized the
Who Could Resist this Face!
pit bulls in our care as
Sweet Ellie—Adopted!
the lovable, loyal,
intelligent dogs they are. Homes were found for
Camille, Petey, Ginger, Sophie, Kanook, Luna,
Trooper, Magic, Juno, Ivory, Batu, Ebony, Lady,
Marley, Cinnamon, Sally, Scout, Cyrano, Zeus
and Ellie since August „09
‘Home Sweet Home’
Maggie (formally known to the HSSC as
Blossom) just celebrated her one year adoption
day with us in her new home in CT. Maggie has
certainly lived up to her “lap dog” status and is
doing very well. Although she does suffer from
the usual separation anxiety found with Beagles,
she has many friends around the neighborhood
and at the local dog park that she enjoys spending
time with. Maggie has also found a love for the
ocean and beach and enjoys chasing seagulls,
digging in the sand with her nose, or simply
chewing on a piece of driftwood. We are so
thankful to the HSSC for finding and caring for
Maggie and making the adoption process from
out-of-state a rewarding and comfortable process.
Lissa, Eric, & Maggie
‘Homeward Bound’
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Lady, the beautiful brindle colored pit bull you see below
was found in downtown Watkins Glen, wandering loose,
but wearing a collar, halter and looking fit and trim.
Shelter staff were positive she had taken an impromptu
run while out on a walk and would no doubt soon be
reunited with her owner.
We do everything we can to get the word out about lost
dogs with postings to Face book, announcements on
WFLR and with ads in the Gazette, Observer and the
Hilites——but in Lady‟s case——nothing. Four months
later we still had sweet Lady languishing in the shelter
when she should have been in a home. Thanks to the
Hilites and a full color ad of some of our beautiful
adoptable dogs and cats, Lady was reunited with Papa.
The call comes in—— “You have my dog Millie”. “We
don‟t have a Millie.” “Yes you do—Lady, but her name
is Millie!” She couldn‟t tell us and we didn‟t recognize
the southern lilt to her bark. Millie had moved here
ahead of her owners and was staying with family
members until they could close out their affairs in
Virginia and make the final move to New York.
Unbeknownst to them, Millie made her escape and they
weren‟t told until much later, so thought Millie was gone
for good.
We are so glad they read the Hilites after making their
move to our state. „Lady‟ by any other name, is now
happily reunited with her family.
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I am building my house, I am building it strong
And if I have your help, I know I can’t go wrong
I am building my house out of brick and stone
Can’t do it myself, can’t do it alone’
****************************************************************************************************************
Flower Power!
Long time member Pixie Senesac never saw a
plant she couldn‟t sell. She had to top her Iris
sale efforts of two years ago by selling 1500 in
assorted sedums and other ground cover perennials in support of the Shelter building fund.
Wilgro Perennials of Mecklenburg generously donated the remainder of their stock left
over after closing down their
business of 17
years. Pixie
seized the
opportunity and
with the help of
a few friends,
loaded pickup
after pickup of
plants which
she then offered
for sale to plant
clubs, friends
and coworkers,
taking orders and making deliveries after hours
and on weekends. Thanks to Naomi and
Chuck Zuckerman of Wilgro for donating their
stock and thanks to Pixie for „not being able to
throw away a plant‟. Look for a spring sale of
whatever didn‟t get sold this year.
‘Happy Birthday to You’—Ashley and
Barbara celebrate birthdays with
gifts to the HSSC
Ashley Hill celebrated her 16th birthday by having friends
and family give gifts of food and supplies to
our organization in lieu of
gifts for herself. She
rounded up a sizeable pile of
goods for delivery to our
Alpine clinic. What a
wonderful gesture from one of Schuyler
Counties young people.
Barbara Kautz also celebrated her 80th birthday by making
a gift to the
Humane Society.
Having decided
she had too many
knickknacks
already, she asked
party celebrants to
make gifts to us
instead. To add to
the festivities,
Barbara and daughter in law, Lily Gold, decorated the cake
with adoptable cats and dogs from the shelter and in foster
homes.
Thanks to both of these wonderful ladies for making a
meaningful gift to the dogs and cats of Schuyler County.
‘Drivin' down the street today, I saw a sign for lemonade’
Lemonade
stands
are big
Help is coming from many people and places. We are so
business.
grateful to have the young people of Schuyler County
Maria
Scata
ready to do what it takes to help us realize our dream of a
and
her
cousin
shelter for Schuyler County animals. Their names are
also raised
from the left to right—-Hailey Perraut, age 11, Rachel
money
for us
Husted age 11 and Sierra Carboni age 10. They have
been friends for 10 years and decided that they would use this summer.
Thanks for
proceeds from lemonade stand sales to give to shelter
helping us
efforts. Young volunteer involvement bodes well for the
realize
our
future of the Humane Society of Schuyler County.
dream.
Red Cat! Red Cat! Red Cat Chant!
Page 5
President Georgie Taylor parties with Red Cat and Princess Bacchanal
at the end of the building fund event sponsored by our wonderful
friends at Hazlitts1892 Vineyards. In addition to raffling off a great
trip, many of the employees donated their time and tips to help us
raise money for a shelter.
We raised over 10,000 for the cause.
Amy Reges of Ottertail Art, Moe‟s Ice Cream and Paul Marcellus
with his ceramics also supported us—not only making it a fun day,
but also donating a share of their proceeds to help us build our new
shelter.
Thanks to all the volunteers who gave up an afternoon to help. A
special gift to the volunteers was to hear that one of our own—Perry
McGee—was picked as the winner of the Hazlitt sponsored trip.
Having a truly caring volunteer win was almost as good as winning
ourselves. Congratulations Perry and thanks to the crew at Hazlitt's for making such a special day for us.
Rollin’ Rollin’ Rollin’
Keep those Doggies Rollin’
Elberta, owner of Rolling Hills
Produce near Burdett has a
young niece to be proud of.
Jordyn, age 10, has been getting
off the bus after school each
evening to help at the store.
Customers are so glad to see a
great young lady like Jordyn learning the
business and giving great customer service, that
they often tip her for her help. Jordyn puts her
tips in our donation jar, in addition to pointing
customers to it to help us raise money for our
programs. Thanks to Jordyn for being so kind.
99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall
More like 14000 bottles and cans of beer and
soda piled up for
sorting at our fall
Cats and Canines can
drive. Thanks to all
who supported us
with your donations.
Special thanks to the
folks at Wright‟s for
their continued help
and generosity. They
have always been
incredibly supportive.
Acknowledgements are due !
After having shamelessly used songs and lyrics as titles
for our goings on, it is time to quote the source.

Home for the Holidays—written by Robert Allen, and most
notably sung by Perry Como.

Imagine —written and performed by John Lennon

Singing the Blues by Melvin Enderly in 1956, not to be confused
with Singin‟ the Blues written in 1927.

Bless the Bullies—a Pit Bull Rescue started in 1998

Home, Sweet Home—well known for over 150 years, written by
Henry Bishop and John Howard Payne

I am building my house, I am building it strong—-lyrics written by
Joe Crone.

Flower Power—coined by Allen Ginsberg in the 1960‟s as a
symbol of passive resistance.

Happy Birthday to You—-the most recognized song in the English
language, origins going back to the 1900‟s.

Driving down the street today, I saw a sign for lemonade—Lyrics
from America, sung by Rodney Atkins.

Rollin‟ rollin‟ rollin‟—Theme from the 1950‟s Rawhide TV
show.

Red Cat Chant—Visit our wonderful friends at Hazlitt and find out
for yourself.

99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall—Who hasn‟t sung this round song?

Scruffy the Cat—a 1980s rock band

Our House is a very very fine house—-lyrics by Crosby Stills and
Nash.

How Much is that Doggie in the Window—-written by Bob
Merrill and Ingrid Reulaskioldur in 1952, sung by Patti Page.
Page 6
How Much is That Doggie in the Window?
We take our mandate to find „forever homes‟ seriously. We use every opportunity we can to showcase our
wonderful dogs and cats. That includes our regular appearances at PetSmart in Ithaca, but it also includes
special events. Volunteers are essential to make adoptions happen by bringing dogs and cats to PetSmart and
other venues to give them needed exposure. With the county shelter being so far out of the way and no real
shelter for cats other than the CR 10 clinic and a handful of foster home, it is really hard to give our charges a
chance at meeting an adoptive family. If you can volunteer for this needed work, please call 594-2255.
This summer we manned an adoption day at Tractor Supply in Ithaca and another most recently at Walmart in
Watkins Glen. We are so grateful for the support we receive from businesses in the area. We also spent time
at the Hector Firemen‟s Fair and at the Montour Falls Harvest Festival.
The reward is that everyone below—Moe, Larry, Rufus, Riley, Lady, Rocket and Eli all have new homes.
How much was that Doggie? With an approved application, landlord
and vet check——a 150.00 adoption fee—which includes all
necessary vaccinations, flea and worm treatment, micro-chipping and
spay or neuter.
Please volunteer!
Please adopt a shelter animal!
The Humane Society has received donations in memory of these beloved
friends of animals:
CR Marks
Marge Lynch
Larry Bond
Fred DePew
Pona Towner
Elizabeth Dempsey Loid
Janet Fahnestock
Alice Bogard
BJ Franseen Robert Litchfield
Memorial donations were received for these beloved animal companions:
Arlo
Charles
Luna
Scruffy the Cat
"Scruffy" was found in Montour Falls last October,
near death from an huge, infected wound on his face.
He was covered with fleas, dozens of ticks and had
lungworm. Scruffy also had a severe respiratory
infection and could hardly breathe. He was very thin
and sick and his poor tail was so covered in burrs
that he could barely walk. Through all his extensive
medical treatments, Scruffy was patient and kept
purring. As he healed, it became obvious that he had
been abused, but he remained mellow and sweet.
After 1 full year of medical attention
and loving care at his foster home,
Scruffy was ready for his first
adoption event at Walmart. His
'before' pictures were on display
and everyone marveled at how
much he had improved. Scruffy
now has a healthy body with
impressive weight, a beautiful
light orange coat with nice white
markings and clear green eyes. As
she stopped to meet Scruffy, his
new mom quickly fell in love and
applied to adopt him. Scruffy is
now enjoying life at his
well-deserved 'forever' home.
‘Our house is a very very fine house, With two cats in the yard,
Life used to be so hard, Now everything is easy ‘cause of you’
Nina was adopted by accident. We featured Nina in our last newsletter—skin and bones, loving but suffering
from hard times when she came in—-we proudly promoted a healthier happy Nina to everyone we knew. Still,
no one seemed interested in this gem of a cat. How could anyone not recognize what a special cat Nina was in
spite of her heart murmur and slight wobble when walking. When we were just starting to despair that she
would never find a place of her own, that little bit of serendipity that so often happens, brought cat and person
together. Enter a new potential adopter, visiting kittens with
her mother in tow. Intent on adopting, the daughter visited
all the potential babies waiting for adoption and was
approved to adopt Barry. It was only on the way out the
door when Mom noticed Nina with her sweet ways and made
a decision to adopt her.
The people who cared for Nina every day were ecstatic that
she had finally found a home. The first few days were rough
on Nina and her new owner because Nina‟s pre-adoption
world was so small. Entry into a household with a kitten
buddy was overwhelming. But by day three, her person
happily reported that Nina had decided this was the place to
be. She promptly staked out her place on bed and lap.
Nina was home to stay!
PRESORTED
HUMANE SOCIETY OF
SCHUYLER COUNTY
STANDARD NON PROFIT
US POSTAGE PAID
2386 CR 10
MONTOUR FALLS, NY
Alpine NY 14805
PERMIT NO 427
Phone: 607-594-2255
V ISIT OUR
WEBSITE
www.schuylerhumane.org
Visit us often for news and
upcoming events
OPEN HOUSE
AND PET PHOTOS
WITH SANTA
124 Marina Drive,
Montour Falls NY.
Dec 3rd and 4th
12:00 to 3:00
Stop for a visit and tour
our new space.
PET PHOTOS WITH
SANTA AT PETSMART
in Ithaca NY
Dec 10th and 11th
11:00 to 4:00
WAGS TO RICHES
313 N. Franklin Street Watkins Glen
Mon. – Sat. 10am-5:30 pm
Sun. 11am- 4pm
Sale on all decorative Christmas items
and Christmas clothing!
20% off starting 11/27 and building to a
final 75% off for the week after Christmas
Black Friday Sale!
25% on the 25th
10:00 till 8:00 PM 11/25/11
(entire contents of store except for jewelry)