The Scoop - September 2008 - Spartanburg Humane Society
Transcription
The Scoop - September 2008 - Spartanburg Humane Society
The Scoop at the Spartanburg Humane Society Fall 2008 Spunky Transferring Spunky to her new environment caught us all by surprise. This amazing creature caused us to let down our guard. Before we knew it she was out of her cage taking pictures on a stolen camera with one hand, and trying to steal a cell phone with the other. She was fast and determined not to go back in any cage! That night we also learned that she did not like being told, “No”. By the end of the escapade, Spunky had bitten two staff members and destroyed one pair of glasses and several sets of venetian blinds, but she was safely in her new and improved cage. While we learned about the many risks associated with housing monkeys, we also got a crash course on their health and well being. Fruit loops were replaced with monkey chow, a complete and balanced diet developed for captive monkeys. This was supplemented daily with fresh fruits, vegetables, and nuts. The news that we were to receive a monkey at the shelter was met with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. We are used to caring for animals other than cats and dogs – rabbits, ferrets, birds, guinea pigs, iguanas, even pigs and horses. But never before had we been asked to provide housing for an animal with opposable thumbs, which we soon learned make all the difference in the world. Spunky’s cage remained in an office where she could be protected from spectators and unfamiliar sights and sounds. We learned from her former owners that she enjoyed watching television and so we set her up with her own home theater. We tried a few different DVDs, but settled on one that was developed to entertain N. DiGiacomo Spunky, a pig-tailed macaque, was picked up by authorities after her owner was arrested for a serious crime. She came to us in a small cage along with boxes of cereal, half an apple, a child’s sippy cup, and blankets that she would use to cover her head like a babushka. SHS staff members were instantly enchanted with this animal, unlike any other we had seen. For her own safety as well as that of staff, Spunky could not be allowed out of her cage, and we quickly realized that her enclosure was inadequate. One call to Pam Sawyer, who does avian rescue, and a double Macaw cage was on its way. the Simian B virus (also known as herpes B). This disease can be fatal in humans so the bite victims followed an exposure protocol recommended by the National B Virus Resource Laboratory at Georgia State University. Spunky was also placed on a 45-day quarantine by the Department of Health and Environmental Control. During this quarantine period, six different sets of blood samples were sent for testing, and fortunately both the victims and the monkey tested negative. Dr. Fay at Companion Animal Hospital lent us his expertise to safely draw blood from Spunky. Spunky in her original cage The bites forced us to do some quick homework about monkeys. Primates are known for being carriers of several potentially deadly diseases. For pigtailed macaques the greatest concern is L. Cook Sanctuary Photo Sanctuary for Spunky Spunky preens Shelter Manager Kelly Stockwell continued on page 7 From the President - Sandy Christiansen 150 Dexter Road, Spartanburg, SC 29303 (864) 583-4805 l www.spartanburghumane.org Board of Directors Robert V. Pinson Chair Darwin Simpson Past Chair Treasurer Secretary John Tatham Susan Britt Joe Brunson John Chapman Brooks Crenshaw Ken Darr Kimberly Fly Jim Grier Pam Howard Ruth Knight Keenan Mullen Management Staff President/CEO Sandy Christiansen Vice President of Operations Lisa Cook Vice President of Community Programs Natalie DiGiacomo Vice President of Veterinary Services Dr. Melissa Elledge Shelter Manager Kelly Stockwell Assistant Shelter Manager Wayne Blackburn Hours of Operation Hours for Receiving and Lost and Found Services: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 6:00pm Saturday 8:00am - 5:00pm Shelter Adoption Hours: Monday - Friday 11:00am-6:00pm Weekends 11:00am-5:00pm Check out photos & video of featured pets online! www.spartanburghumane.org/featuredpets Save-A-Pet Store Buy your pet supplies and flea prevention products at the SHS Save-A-Pet store, open during shelter adoption hours. Proceeds benefit the lost, homeless, unwanted, and neglected animals of Spartanburg County! 2 I hope you have had a wonderful summer and are gearing up for a great fall. It’s been quite a summer for all of us at the SHS. This is always our busiest time of the year. Since the last issue of The Scoop arrived in homes, we have cared for over 5,000 animals in need. One in particular, a monkey you will read about in these pages, made this a summer we will never forget! The steady flow of animals into our shelter was balanced by the busier than normal adoption kennels. There was always also the pleasant chatter of campers (see pages 4 and 5) as they moved about the building on their way to train dogs, visit our spay/neuter clinic, or load up for field trips designed to engage and encourage their love of animals. These campers offer the promise of future summers with fewer pets looking for homes! Since I last wrote, our hard and sometimes overwhelming work has been rewarded in two very significant ways. First, we received Community Impact Funding from the United Way in support of our Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) program (see page 6). Next, we received more wonderful news that the SHS would be one of the beneficiary organizations included in the Uptown Sertoma Club’s Auction for a Cause (page 8). Proceeds will also go to support our AAT program. As with any non-profit organization that struggles to make every dollar count, we are grateful for the financial support. But more than that, we are excited and honored that our contribution to society has been recognized by two community organizations dedicated primarily to funding organizations that provide human services. Because our mission is dedicated to animal welfare, our role as a human service provider is often underestimated or misunderstood. Yes, our mission is focused on helping animals, but animals do not exist in a vacuum. Animal welfare is inextricably linked to human welfare. As we see in the smiles of seniors receiving visits from therapy dogs – the bond between humans and animals is extremely powerful. All of our programs and services nurture, strengthen, and support that bond. . . • We expose pet owners to responsible choices for the physical and behavioral health of their pets. • We provide access to medical and behavioral services for pet owners who want to do the right thing but who cannot afford it. • We care for lost animals until their frantic owners can find them. • We offer a safe haven for pets of owners who can no longer keep them. • We match deserving pets in need of a second chance with people looking for a best friend. In other words, we help animals AND people. So whether you are an animal person or a people person, or both, you can be proud of our work. We are grateful for all you do to help us continue to make a difference in the community we all share. SHS services on behalf of pets and people: Adoptions: (864) 583-4805 x 101 &102 Monday through Friday 11:00am – 6:00pm Weekends 11:00am – 5:00pm Low Cost Spay/Neuter Services: (864) 583-4805 x115 Low Cost Vaccine Clinics: First Saturday of month from 9:00 – 10:30 (except some holidays) No appointment is necessary Good Dog Academy: (864) 583-4805 x 109 Affordable and effective group obedience classes and private consultations. Humane Education: (864) 583-4805 x113 Grade specific presentations correlated to state learning standards as well as workshops or shelter tours. For more details on services and programs visit www.spartanburghumane.org Volunteer Spotlight to give him attention and exercise at the shelter. The Wetters even brought Tyr for play dates with Loki. K. Stockwell Angie wrote us in April to say that her tour had been extended 90 days. We were hesitant to ask the Wetters to keep Tyr for an extra 3 months, but we should have known better. While they were sorry to hear that Angie and her fellow soldiers would need to be away from home longer than expected, they were relieved that they would not yet have to say goodbye to Tyr. Susan and Derek had one request – they wanted to give Loki a try at their house. Loki and Tyr with both of their families SHS volunteers Susan and Derek Wetter gave Angie Yeager and her two daughters the best Christmas present ever. In November, Angie was on tour in Afghanistan when a family member surrendered her two dogs, Loki and Tyr, to the SHS because he could no longer give them the care they needed (see February 2008 issue of The Scoop). After communicating with Angie to confirm that she wanted to keep her pets, we put out an SOS e-mail to SHS volunteers. Tyr needed a place to stay until Angie could return to the states. Loki, a Husky Shepherd mix, was heartworm positive. Our plan was to keep him at the shelter where he could receive treatment and recover before Angie’s return. On December 22, the Wetters began fostering Tyr, a sweet dachshund mix whose nickname became “Little Dude.” Tyr fit right in, making himself at home at the Wetters. Because Loki suffered from separation anxiety, we were concerned that he might be destructive in an unfamiliar home environment. Staff and volunteers worked together They were immune to our warnings – three dogs, three cats, and a large husky mix with separation anxiety! We were worried about their house being destroyed, but without hesitation they responded “we’ll just set him up in a room where he can do the least amount of damage.” Susan and Derek were only concerned about Loki, who had been at the shelter, and away from Tyr, since November. Before we could come up with another question, they were arranging to pick him up! As it turned out, Loki fit in marvelously. It was one BIG happy family. On August 3rd, the Wetters said goodbye to Loki and Tyr. Not surprisingly, Derek and Susan tried not to think about how much they would miss their foster family members; instead they focused on the reunion. They prepared a beautiful scrapbook of the duo’s adventure in their home as a gift for Angie and her daughters and took pictures of the family saying hello after so many months apart. SHS staff tried to hold back the tears knowing how hard it must be for the Wetters to have to finally say goodbye. Please join us in celebrating Susan and Derek Wetter for their amazing sacrifice – first sharing their home and hearts with Loki and Little Dude and then for their graceful goodbye. Our thanks also go to Maisy, Zelda, Annabelle, Domino and Gus for being such welcoming pet hosts. Visit Our E-Tail Boutique. . .Every Buddy’s Talking About It! SHS pets benefit from every purchase! • • • • • • Cool toys Fun pet accessories Basic pet supplies Gifts for pampered pets Gifts for pampered pet lovers Much more! www.spartanburghumane.org 3 Just When You Thought You Knew All There Was to Know About Camp Love-A-Pet. . . . This was Kathryn Clark’s third year of Camp. At the end of graduation, her proud father made a point to stop and let us know that Camp “keeps on getting better and better!” Katherine, all smiles, told us that she would definitely see us next year! Campers were more involved than ever in helping their dogs find new forever homes. Camp dogs were featured on our website with video footage of training sessions and heartfelt descriptions written by their trainers. K. Wakefield K. Wakefield 2008 marked the seventh year that Camp Love-A-Pet has been teaching campers about basic dog obedience and issues impacting the welfare of animals. Every year we challenge ourselves to build upon the momentum of this fun and popular program. In her second year as Camp Director, SHS Humane Education Coordinator Ingrid Norris integrated input from former campers and their families as well as from camp counselors and SHS staff with her own ideas and inspiration. The result? -- The best Camp season ever. perfect! Practice makes In addition to everyone’s favorite field trip to Shenandoah Farms for horseback riding and a hayride, campers visited two other locations this year. Michelle Stott invited a group out for a tour of her farm and a behind the scenes look at how large animals, such as the horsed placed into the care of the SHS, are rehabilitated and adopted. out! What it’s all ab This year Ingrid joined forces with SHS Animal Behavior and Training Coordinator, Erin James. Campers were taught to use clicker training; a method used in many of the classes at our Good Dog Academy. Because of the effectiveness of clicker training, campers and their dogs were able to shake things up during their second week. Incorporating fun ways to practice their new skills, the teams were introduced to agility, tracking, and rally obedience, and competed in games of musical sit, loose leash walking race and longest stay. A second outing focused on working dogs with a field trip to the Greenville/Spartanburg Airport to see bomb detection dogs in action. Spartanburg County’s Bloodhound Unit introduced campers to their working dogs and to the roles of various K-9 units. Campers even had fun “losing” themselves behind trees and brush so that a team from Foothills Search and Rescue could find them, demonstrating their dogs’ amazing skills. For the first time ever, we were able to send graduating camp dogs home with gift certificates for a full training course at the Good Dog Academy, so their new partners could practice the training they began in Camp. 4 K. Wakefield Everybody was a winner and ribbons were placed in adoption goody bags for dogs to share with their adoptive families. Adopters were also treated to their new pal’s Camp masterpiece. Puppy Picasso was another popular addition this year, allowing campers and dogs to create art together. s at Camp Arts and Craft Memorials & Honors K. Wa kefield HONORARIUMS Prepar ing for a mock spay su rgery In response to the demand for a camp session dedicated to younger pet lovers, we held our inaugural session of Mini-Camp for kids entering the 3rd and 4th grade. Young campers participated in activities such as clicker training shelter cats, cat adoption commercials, puppy bathing, canine enrichment, and cat toy creations. On the last day, they were challenged with a skill-a-thon, which reviewed the previous week’s activities. While many things change with each new season of Camp, some things stay the same, not the least of which is the camaraderie of individuals who have come together for a common bond –the love of pets! Check out highlights from all four sessions of Camp Love-APet online at www.spartanburghumane.org/camp Thanks to everyone who made the 2008 season of Camp Love-A-Pet a success! ASSISTANT DOG TRAINER Katherine Wakefield ADULT COUNSELORS Kara Adkins Rita Burgess Olivia Pittilo JUNIOR CAMP COUNSELORS Maria Gibson Katherine Magalas Emiline McGee Bailey Szustak SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR Wanda Ballenger Diane Greene Jack Bankhead Michael & Katherine Wood Anna Blestel David McBride Sandy Christiansen Edward Dickerson, Jr. Lisa C. Cook P. Medlin Jeanine Dwelly Cynthia Hay Dora Harrell Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Norton Renee Hawkins Heidi Hawkins Lydia Jane Lawrence Roger & Laura Lawrence Bob & Betty Long Clara McIntyre Dave & Atha McBride Thomas Huggins Maxine F. Nash David & Jane Tate Margaret Peach Emma Vinesett Margaret Rossi The McMaster Law Firm, LLC Marge Rossi Robert & Paula Rossi Alice Scoggins Emma Vinesett Mr. & Mrs. James Ayers Smith Joseph & Linda Crissinger Katherine Wakefield Henry Needham Bella Marge Rossi Caramel John & Nancy Holmes Katie Roy Fowler Molly Thomason Candice Thomason Rescued Horses Jean Peace MEMORIALS Clyde Allison Edith Allison Jim Alspaugh Faith Alspaugh Mrs. Anderson Bob & Bobbye Faucette Tony Andrews Rita Settle Leon Benedict, Jr. Candace Baczurik Lakewinds Homeowners Association Peggy Biggers Laura Odom Alice Eloise Hollis Brown Carolyn Alexander John & Minta Floyd Jim & Cassi Grier Mary Jane Means Harry Morris, Jr. Kaye Wallace Viola E. Campbell Edward & Nancy Shelton John E. “Johnny” Cash, Jr. Mintz Scrap Iron & Metal Company, Inc. Lona B. Hand Chastain Kenneth & Darlene DeYoung Heidi Edmonds Liberty Hill United Methodist Church Edwin & Diane Smith David & Medeleine Snow Gladys Culotta Lige Mathis Jerry Simkins Sam W. Dillard Mary Dillard Mary Drake Dwight & Elizabeth Pridgeon Erik Ermson Myrtis Marcello Gypsie Ellesburn Verlillian Riddle Dr. Sam P. Fleming Carolyn Alexander Bennie T. Fowler The Owens Family Donald & Ann Ridgeway Donna Gibbs Cecelia Thompson Frances “Pete” Grimes Joe Brunson Sandy Christiansen Edwin Haskell Winston Hardegree Donna Anderson Clemson University Molly Haulbrook Doris Holtzclaw Thomas Prince Carolyn Taylor Zoe L. “Bud” Hardison, Jr. Nell Brown Lanny W. Moore Stott’s Ford, Inc. The Tryon Daily Bulletin Catherine Hutson Extended Stay Hotels Michael Petty Mrs. Elizabeth Meyer Symtech, Inc. Clara Louise Mucklow Lanford Julington Creek Animal Walk Jeanne Mulvaney Jack Mulvaney Wendell Odom Laura Odom Fred Paschal Elaine Lauffer Ginette M. Reaves Jolene Dawson Doris Sanders Albert Abrams Denise Mason Michael Paul Sheridan Classy Canines Pet Grooming Michael Cook Michael & Sherry Locke Peggy Neel Michael Paul Sheridan Stephen & Amy Roberts Mardy Wall Dr. H.L. Sutherland, DVM Lloyd Sutherland Amy Louise Woodsby Jean Rateliff Vicki Williams Buster Carolyn Schumacher Cinder John & Kathryn Behlert Flip Susan Lisk Gertie Carolyn Schumacher Gracie Betty Vennergrund Karey-Anne Dorothy Hoffman Mr. Kitty the Cat Richard Kershner Oscar Karen Cox Rosie & Tucker Barbara Leaphart Sprig Laura Hodge Tiger Beth Greene Angel Babin Clifton Flynn Denni Barnet Tom Barnet Ralph Barnet Sandy Christiansen Kitten Cat Debbie Wollen Drake Daniels Craig Bishop Rascal Deller Craig Kocisko Manny Good Thomas Good Little Bit Holt Jerry Fowler Kila Hughes Nancy Parks Rorie Leaphart Barbara Leaphart Biff McCall Katherine McCall Stanley Mitchell Nancy Morgan Winston Orders Ellinor Ramsay Allie Payne Sybil Payne Boomer Rich Tom Stilwell Sugar Secrest David & Elizabeth Lazenby Silver Taylor Ann Harken 5 SHS Animal Assisted Therapy Program Recognized for its Community Impact AAT Teams in the Community K. Adkins For the second year, the SHS Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) program was awarded a grant through the United Way of the Piedmont’s (UWP) Community Investment Process, under the focus area of Connecting Seniors. While many of our AAT teams focus their energy and time on visiting seniors, several have found a different niche visiting hospitals or helping our Humane Education Coordinator with presentations in schools and programs at the Humane Society. Through the AAT program, volunteers team up with their registered therapy pets to share their time with residents of long term care facilities in our community. During regular visits, often twice AAT visit report: “Several were a month, AAT teams provide one-on-one attention very happy to see Muggles. Two to residents who enjoy animal companionship. called him by name without Sadly, this may be the only company some prompting. Very good visit. residents receive. Lots of smiles!” The AAT program reaches out wherever it can have an impact and no matter where our members are, at the shelter, a long-term care facility, or a classroom, they are making a difference. Thanks to everyone – humans and canines alike – who contributes to this wonderful program. The SHS is extremely proud of our AAT program and of the amazing volunteers who bring it to life. They share the honor of being recognized for meeting the rigorous standards of the United Way of the Piedmont. Together we will continue to make a difference in lives of seniors in our community. Please join the SHS in thanking UWP staff, volunteers, and donors for their support of this valuable program. Learn more about AAT at www.spartanburghumane.org/volunteer. Reidville Elementary It is difficult to describe the magic of this program. These special teams have the power to engage and reach residents who are otherwise withdrawn. They serve as ambassadors, sharing the joy of pet ownership with those who cannot experience it, and demonstrating the richness and possibility of the human-animal bond. AAT teams enhance and reinforce our educational messages. Pass It On Derek Turpin started volunteering for the SHS in May of 2008. Within a month he had recruited his fiancé, Victoria Darwin, to join the team as well. Despite their busy schedules, the couple finds time to give SHS dogs one on one attention and exercise. Derek and Victoria share their enthusiasm with others around them and it is contagious! This summer they made a commitment to raise funds for our Guardian Angel Medical Fund (read more at www.spartanburghumane.org/guardianangel). They wanted to give colleagues and friends the opportunity to help special dogs and cats overcome treatable medical problems that might otherwise be a barrier to adoption. N. DiGiacomo As soon as our new website was up and running, the couple, who both work at Synnex Corporation, was forwarding our featured pets page to their e-mail network, to promote SHS pets looking for new forever homes. Now we have a growing list of adopters who were “sent by Derek and Victoria.” Derek and Victoria Derek won an iPod and he decided to offer it to fellow employees in a drawing. Anyone could enter to win, but Derek also asked for donations to support the Guardian Angel Fund. They raised a total of $295! In the end, we suspect the inspiration of Derek’s and Victoria’s commitment to animals in need was a greater motivation than the iPod. The SHS is truly fortunate to have their support in making a difference in lives of our furry friends. We were so touched by this show of support from Derek and Victoria and all of their friends at Synnex that we wanted to Pass It On! 6 Sanctuary for Spunky But more than all of these things, Spunky enjoyed the company of the SHS staff member who provided her daily care, Shelter Manager Kelly Stockwell. The relationship that developed between Kelly and Spunky is impossible to describe. Spunky trusted Kelly, and Kelly respected Spunky – not as a pet or a surrogate child, but as a wild animal placed, against her will, into a position of dependence. Kelly came in to work for almost 60 straight days to make sure Spunky had this companionship. More than making sure Spunky was kept clean and comfortable; Kelly allowed the animal to preen her as she would another monkey. Spunky allowed Kelly to go through the preening motions on her own fur – not petting as she would a dog or cat, but gently sorting and pulling at the hairs on her limbs and back. The interaction calmed Spunky like nothing else. Her eyes would grow heavy and she would almost fall asleep. Over the course of Spunky’s stay, we were bombarded with opinions from both ends of the spectrum. There were those who told us to take the easy way out and euthanize the monkey rather than complete the quarantine and those who told us we should place her for adoption in a “regular” home. Sanctuary photo The knowledge that Spunky had come to us from her third home in 5 years reinforced our position that wild animals should not be kept as “pets,” forced to live out a life of unnatural human dependence. Spunky in the sanctuary’s introduction pen We could not return her to the forests of Southeast Asia, so we searched for the next best thing. We were extraordinarily fortunate to find a place for Spunky at a well-respected primate sanctuary in the southwestern United States. to the most natural life possible – one with other monkeys. The sanctuary is dedicated to providing the best possible quality of life for resident primates, with as little human interference as possible. The animals, many rescued from abusive or exploitive situations, are allowed to live the remainder of their lives as part of free-ranging social groups in natural enclosures spanning many acres. In order to protect the privacy of the primates and to maintain their natural setting, the sanctuary is not open to the public. Kelly and her husband volunteered to make the 20+ hour drive to move Spunky to her new home. The trip went smoothly, except for the part where Kelly had to say goodbye. But instead of focusing on the bond that she was losing, Kelly, and all of us at the SHS, chose to concentrate on all that Spunky would gain. After being freed from the pet harness that allowed her owners to keep her on a leash, Spunky was moved to an introduction pen next to a social group of six other macaques. Almost immediately they began playfully interacting through the fencing. As this article was being written, Spunky was being introduced to the other monkeys gradually. We are hopeful that Spunky will have joined the group by the time this issue of The Scoop arrives in homes. Spunky was with us for nearly 2 months. The initial excitement we felt at the prospect of having a monkey in our midst was replaced by disgust and sadness. The longer she stayed with us, the more difficult it became to see her behind the bars of a cage, playing with human toys, and swinging from a plastic tire. We don’t know the history that led an animal whose natural habitat is a rainforest to become the pet of someone --several someones -- who always wanted a monkey of their own. We wish there had never been a pet monkey to care for. But because there was, we are at least grateful for the opportunity to return her Sanctuary photo cats. We also provided her with several options of safe toys. Her favorites became an orange ball with a smiley face and a play telephone. Continued from Page 1... Spunky and her new friend “We need another and a wiser and perhaps a more mystical concept of animals. . . . We patronize them for their incompleteness, for their tragic fate of having taken form so far below ourselves. And therein we err, and greatly err. For the animal shall not be measured by man. . . . [T]hey move finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren, they are not underlings; they are other nations caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendour and travail of the earth.” - Henry Beston 7 Happy Tails Proud Participant in the 2008 Auction for a Cause! Dear Spartanburg Humane Society, Thank you so much, Kasie F. Spartanburg, SC The Fowler Family I just wanted to write and send my thanks for taking care of Harley before I found her. She is GREAT! She is friendly to everyone and loves giving kisses! She loves playing with her best doggy friend, Cledus (who my mom adopted at SHS 11 years ago!). The top picture is from the first day I brought her home... and the bottom picture is her currently with Cledus. (Harley left, Cledus right). She is so silly and full of life. She has a great personality and truly is a pampered pooch. I couldn’t imagine my life without her! She’s a wonderful addition to my family. Harley and best pet pal, Cledus Hello Everyone, As you can tell . . . I love to play with my toys that my mama “C’hell” and her son “T.J.” buy for me! Although this picture is not recent, I’m still gorgeous and pretty much the same. . . .I’m just getting to be a big girl. I turned 8 months on 6/15 and was adopted from the SHS in December of just last year!! My mama totally loooves me soo much she calls me her daughter and lets me sleep with her!!!!! Thank you all at the shelter for keeping me safe until the right family came for me. Watts Family Watts Family Do you ……. Young Mercedes Smudge here. I wanted to write in and give you an update on my new little sister, Tres. Tres came to the house a true little ball of energy. She’d run from room to room sniffing here barking at the cat there and stopping just long enough to chew a bit on her nanny (me, of course). I’ve taken on the task of showing her the rules of this pack. Like when to play and when to lie quiet. Where is it okay to go potty (she’s still working on that one). And most importantly, who’s the boss. Oddly, she’s still working on that last one too. ... have a professional talent like web design or photography? ……. Then you can help! We need appealing donations for the auction. Peasley Family My people are just starting to give Tres her training. Things like sit and down. These are the important things for her to learn because it keeps my people happy. When we take our people for a walk sometimes I let her lead but only for a bit because you need to be careful out there. I also make sure she knows all of our neighbors, both the cats and the dogs and that she is properly behaved. Lately, Tres has been a big help in taking our male people for a jog. He’s a bit slow and clumsy, but we love him just the same. Tres is teaching him to watch where he puts his feet. Sometimes, after we’ve been jogging for a bit he loses his concentration. Well, Tres is right there bringing his attention back to where it needs to be. I think that Tres is going to grow to be quite a wonderful addition to our pack. Proceeds support our Animal Assisted Therapy Program! Smudge’s little sister, Tres Don’t be shy. We love to hear from our lucky shelter alums who’ve found happiness in new homes. Your special “tail” may be considered for an upcoming edition of The Scoop. 8 ... represent a company with products or services you are proud of? ... have new, antique, or collectable items you no longer need? Hi All, Smudge Proud SHS Alum and Therapy Dog WE NEED YOUR HELP TO MAKE OCTOBER 17TH A SUCCESS! Please send your stories and pictures to the shelter, 150 Dexter Rd., Spartanburg, 29303, care of “Happy Tails.” You can also submit online at www.spartanburghumane.org/happytails For details & tickets: www.spartanburghumane.org/auction or contact Sandy Christiansen at (864) 583-4805 ext 104