fall/winter 2014

Message from ACAS President, Kristine Kolbus
I thought it would be nice to share with you a
story I discovered while at work as a City Mail
Carrier in Munising. I found it ironic that while
being an advocate for animals, there had
been a time in the history of the USPS that a
stray mutt had won the hearts of many people across the country, and even the world.
He was an orphan in the Fall of 1888 when
he laid on a pile of old mailbags in the
had a special harness-like jacket made. In all
Owney collected 1,017 tags, tokens, trinkets
and medals during his travels.
Owney was a welcomed celebrity wherever
he went. Not only did he travel the US and
Canada but also toured Mexico and Alaska.
His most noted trip was by the steamship
Victoria, visiting several cities in China and
Japan: being sent as registered mail part of
the way. They created a special mail classification just for him: Registered Dog Package.
In all Owney traveled over 143,000 miles.
Over the years several simple poems were
written about Owney. One read:
Owney is a tramp,
As you can plainly see,
Only treat him kindly,
And take him along with ye.
Albany, New York Post Office. They say his
pleading look and friendly, intelligent manner
won the hearts of the mail clerks, so instead
of sending him away they fed him and let him
stay. It is still a mystery as to how old he actually was or how he obtained the name
"Owney."
Owney became well known to dog lovers
across the country receiving many medals.
By 1897, upon losing sight in one eye and for
his own protection, he was sent into retirement at the Albany PO. Obviously not to his
liking, he slipped out and boarded a mail train
bound for Toledo, Ohio. It was here, while
being shown off to a newspaper reporter, that
Owney felt comfortable enough among the
he was supposedly mistreated and bit a postmailbags that he would ride on the wagons
al worker. Owney died in Toledo on June 11,
that moved the mail between the Albany PO 1897 from a gunshot wound. Friends did not
and the local railroad depot. As time passed
forget him. Led by James E White, Superinhis trips took him farther and farther away.
tendent of the Railway Mail Service, AmeriThe traveling postal dog sensed that guardcan postal clerks collected money for his
ing the mail was somehow his responsibilpreservation. He is on display at the National
ity. The Albany clerks bought Owney a collar Postal Museum Smithsonian Institution, along
that read: "Owney, Post Office, Albany, New with a stamp designed in his honor.
York.
At first he was known as Albany PO's mascot, but soon he became like many dogs, a
faithful companion of the nations railway. Mail
clerks loved having him aboard, and always
made sure he was safe, warm and well fed.
Knowing that Owney's trips were taking him
across the country the Albany PO attached a
note to his collar asking the Railway Mail
Service to record his travels by attaching
leather and metal bagging tags to his collar. It
wasn't long before his collar was so heavy
that Owney could barely hold up his head.
The Postmaster General, John Wanamaker
Reference: State publication of the National
Postal Museum Smithsonian Institution
Washington D.C.
Fall/Winter Issue
November 2014
SH E LTE R H OU RS
Mon—Wed—Fri—Weekends
9:00 am to Noon
Tuesday—Thursday
9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Other hours available by
appointment
B O ARD O F D IR EC TOR S
Kristine Kolbus — President
Brenda Kelley — Vice-President
Bob Wilkinson — Treasurer
Joe Johnson — Secretary
Chris Ledbetter — Director
SH E LTE R S TAF F
Kathy Glish - Manager
Linda ‘cat lady’ Johnson Lead Care Giver
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Nove mb er 20 14
P a ge 2
In-Kind Donors
Give ACAS Animals
What They Need
In each issue of Footnotes &
Pawprints, we try to recognize as
many of our wonderful donors and
volunteers as possible. In this issue
we want to extend a giant heartfelt
thank you to all of our many generous and selfless in-kind donors.
What is an ‘in-kind’ donation? Inkind donations are those that involve goods or services, but not
financial contributions. We receive
so much support from the people in
our community, many of whom
never give their names or ask for a
receipt. We currently don’t have a
system in place to track these types
of donations, but giving a bag of
premium dog or cat food each
month could easily cost the donor
nearly $500 in a year.
Recently we were down to only a
few bags of dog and cat food and
cat litter. Soon after we put out a
request to our friends on Facebook,
dog and cat food and cat litter donations came pouring in.
Though there’s not enough room
here to mention every single person,
organization or
business that has
helped, please know
that we do appreciate every gift. We
are always happy to provide you
with a tax receipt for your in-kind
donation; please just come in and
ask.
Mrs. Behning and Mrs. Morrison's 5th
grade class collected donations for
the animals and brought them to the
shelter.
20 June 2014
On Wednesday June 18, 2014, the
Alger Parks and Rec Day Camp visited the ACAS. There were 42 boys
and girls who brought donated
items including rawhide treats and
bones for the dogs, pup corn and
regular dog bones, cats toys and
treats for the kitties. They toured
the shelter including both cat
rooms and were able to see the
dog runs for themselves. They
posed for a picture outside before
they left.
Lynn Derocke brought the Alger
County Animal Shelter some
home made quilted cat beds.
Thank You Lynn….
Shout Out to Elizabeth—She had a birthday on April 4th and asked for donations
to the shelter. Look at all the great stuff
she brought the doggies and kitties!!
12 April 2014
P a ge 3
Megan has two cats,
Dutchess and Minnie, and an
English Setter/Border Collie
licking machine named
Gracie. Gracie was found online and has been the best pet
anyone could have hoped for.
Outside of school Megan
spends time with family and
friends and enjoys reading,
movies, sports and volunteering at the shelter.
Volunteer Spotlight on
Megan McLaren
A local girl, having been born and raised
in Munising, Megan McLaren will be a
sophomore at Central Michigan University
this fall. Besides being a full-time student,
she also works as an office assistant at the
Faculty Center for Innovative Teaching at
the university library. This summer, however,
she has devoted her time as a volunteer at the
shelter.
Megan began volunteering at the shelter in
May. She started with the basics of walking
dogs, cleaning the cat rooms, mopping the
floors and all the day-to-day jobs that help
keep the shelter running. Over time she has
taken on some of the more responsible jobs
such as feeding, driving animals to and from
the vet, answering phones and just about
everything that is asked of her. “My favorite
part of working at the shelter,” Megan has
When you see and meet
Megan, tell her THANK YOU
for all she does to help ACAS
be so successful.
said, “is simply that I get to interact with all
the different dogs and cats.” She has found
great pleasure in making a difference in the
lives of the animals and credits the shelter for
finding loving homes for animals that may not
have been so fortunate.
Fence for Fido's
The “Fence For Fido's” is installed. We put the plea out and
YOU responded tenfold! Thank you so much!! Our “Fido's”
are safely out of their kennels, running, playing and freely
interacting with humans. Life is good!
Your generous donations came
in from all parts of the U.P.,
downstate and as far away as
California. We also received a
donation of fencing and poles
from the McNally family.
So many people honored their
loving 4-legged friends with
personalized plaques that will be attached to the fence. Once
they are finished, the shelter will hold a dedication and open
house. The event date and time will be announced and
everyone is invited! But you don’t need to wait for the event.
We invite everyone to come and see the new fenced area and
even play with the “Fido's”… they love company!!!
If you missed the deadline and would like to still donate $100,
there is time. We are able to order plaques to be hung on the
fence, but the monies will go to the “Finn Fund,” a fund for our
special needs animals at the shelter. For more information on
the Finn Fund, go to algeranimalshelter.org
From the ACAS board
members, staff and animals,
Thank You Megan, we appreciate you very much.
Authored by: Charlie Todd
Kathy Glish, Shelter Manager,
shares her thoughts:
The fence has already stopped one runaway dog incident from happening. I put
two new Jack Russell's in the small pen
today, only to look out later and see one of
them running around in the fenced area.
Seems he can jump like 4 feet high! Later
that afternoon he jumped up and grabbed
a toy out of my hand that I was holding
above my shoulder.
It’s fun to watch Kokomo do zoomies
around the fenced area before she stops in
front of her kennel to go in for dinner. We
now have three separate areas for dogs to
be in depending on energy levels and
temperament.
The dogs quiet down better at the end of
the day after their outdoor time, and it
sure is nice getting the dogs out in the
morning without everyone having to wait
for a leash hook-up... I just open the back
door and out they go!
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P a ge 4
Fundraising Update
(May – October 2014)

Open Book Party for Tastefully Simple

Hands Helping Paws

4th of July Pet Parade

Dog Days of Summer

Fence for Fido’s

Memorial Plaques for Fence for Fido's

Sayklly’s Cat and Dog Chocolate Suckers

Dog House Banks

Adopt-a-thon at Tractor Supply, Negaunee

Adopt-a-thon at Upper Michigan Community Credit Unit, Munising
Michigan Partnership for
Animal Welfare (MPaw)
Every year the Michigan Humane Society holds two Michigan
Partnership for Animal Welfare (MPAW) workshops for the
shelters and rescue organizations in the state of Michigan,
one downstate, and one here in the U.P.
This past June, Alger County Animal
Shelter hosted the U.P. workshop
that was held at Sydney’s Restaurant
in Munising. Topics for the workshop
included microchipping and scanning of companion animals, managing tummy troubles in shelter animals and the importance of cleaning
and disinfecting the shelter
environment.
Linda Reider, Director of Statewide Initiatives, gave a talk on
promoting and placing overlooked pets, and Dr. Shirene Cece,
Director of Shelter Medicine for the State of Michigan, did a
presentation on physical exams for animals and shelter
medicine.
The workshop was attended by many U.P. shelters, some from
as far away as Copper County. Between sessions there were
roundtable discussions held between the attending shelters,
and great ideas were shared by all.
Kathy Glish, ACAS Manager
Friendly reminder your ACAS 2015 Membership is up for renewal
To join or pay your annual dues to the ACAS, find the membership form on the last page of the newsletter. Complete
and return to: ACAS ATTN: Membership 510 E Munising Ave Munising, MI 49862
If you have already submitted your 2015 membership payment, we would like to take this opportunity to say a special
“Thank You”
P a ge 5
Understanding Laboratory Testing
from Thompson Veterinary Clinic
With the current focus on pets as members of
our family and thus receiving optimal veterinary
medical care, more and more laboratory testing is
being offered to maintain our pet’s health. It is
sometimes difficult for owners to understand why
laboratory tests are needed to maintain their animal’s health. This article will attempt to explain
some of the common laboratory tests and their
indications.
First and foremost, it is important to understand
that laboratory testing can provide early detection
of many conditions that may be affecting your
pet’s organ function, and therefore, your pet’s
health. A few of the routine tests offered include:





CBC or complete blood count. This test
measures and quantifies blood cells. It is used
as a screen for anemia (low red blood cell
count), inflammation, infection, stress, leukemia, bleeding disorders, immune system dysfunction, and hydration status
Serum Blood Chemistry Profile. Used as a
screening tool to assess organ health:
 Kidneys—early detection of kidney disease, kidney failure or infection, kidney
stones, cancer and abnormalities resulting from long-term medications
 Pancreas and Intestine. Biochemistry
tests can indicate pancreatitis, diabetes mellitus, abnormalities resulting
from long-term medications, organ
function and cancer.
 Liver biochemistry test can indicate
liver disease, dehydration, obstruction
of the bile ducts, gall-bladder disease,
Cushing’s disease, and abnormalities
resulting from long-term medications.
Thyroid function testing can indicate hypo
(dogs) or hyperthyroidism (cats).
Heart and lung immunoassay testing can detect heartworm infection, which causes both
heart and lung disease.
Urinalysis and urine protein: creatinine ratio
levels are used to better evaluate kidney function, urinary tract disease, and kidney
infection.

Fecal tests can be used to detect intestinal parasites (both worms and protozoan), as well as blood in the feces, and
also to quantitate parasite shedding of
eggs into the environment (horses).
When are laboratory tests indicated?
There are several times that lab tests will
be offered, and they include wellness
screening at an annual physical exam appointment (especially geriatric pets), detection of illness during a sick-patient visit,
pre-operatively in order to assess pet health
and the ability to tolerate anesthesia, and
as a method of monitoring the effects of
long term medication.
Remember, if the test results are normal
and indicate that your pet is healthy, this
is Good News! It means you have done a
great job in keeping your pet healthy, and
you are helping to reduce the risk of anesthetic complications or complications due
to long-term medication usage. As your pet
returns for care through the years, those
values can be used as baseline test results
to improve our sensitivity in identifying disease at an early stage. Detection at a later
stage may be more difficult to manage. Remember also that early detection can provide early intervention, which in turn can
provide better treatment outcome in many
cases. Lastly, remember that early detection and early intervention can provide
Peace of Mind, as you know that you are
doing your best to keep your pet healthy.
Local Area Veterinarian
Thompson Veterinary Clinic
225 E. Superior Street
Munising, MI 49862
906-387-2369
Munising Veterinarian Office Hours
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P a ge 6
Memorials from the Heart
Remembering People and our Pets
In Memory of
GERRY WILDERSPIN by
Terry Simula
Karen Dutz
Sue Meyer
ALAN MIRON Jr. by
Munising Class of 2012
RAYMOND KOPER by
Elvera Koper
RAY AND ELAINE NELSON by
Eugene Conroy
NANCY BOND by
Duane and Maria Lincoln
Charles, Linda, Elaine Reinhardt
DEAN FREDERICK by
Madigan’s Hardware
RUTH ANN BOUCHER by
Joe and Joan Lancour
Land and Lakes Real Estate
Madigan's Ace Hardware
Daniel Boucher
Mary Jayne Hallifax
Patty and Mike Eiseman
Deanna Boyak
TOM O’CONNOR by
Gordon and Ruth Snyder
Mark and Maryann Arrieri
Jerry and Roberta Kinnunen
Donna Lasak
On Behalf of
APRIL HEYRMAN by
Tom Hamilton
JACK TESCH by
Upper Michigan Community
Credit Union
In Memory of Pet
CHARO by
Elvera Koper
SOPHIE DOPHIE by
Jean Druckenmiller
TIMMY TWO by
Darrell and Victoria Steward
ELAINE NELSON by
Virginia Canfield
MARY LOU BRITTON by
SUMMER by
Barb and Jim Oberstar
Deb LeBlanc
Becky and Bryan Oberstar
Friends @ Munising Ranger Dist.
MAUDE & RAYMOND TROWBRIDGE by
Lisa and Pete Closner
Carolyn Mattson
MaryAnn Britton
LASKA by
Lisa and Pete Closner
Elizabeth Rajala
Mark and Joanne Hubinger
Barb and Jim Oberstar
Jerry and Annetta Vanlandschoot
Becky and Bryan Oberstar
MORRIS THE CAT by
Joan Ostanek
In Honor of
Jerry Zakosek
Dorothy Keto
SPROUT SPENCER by
BOSCO by
ARTHUR BOWER by
Dana Spencer
Kathleen Lyons
James and Patti Satterlee
LOREID CURTIS by
ADAM MAKI by
Randy Curtis
Cheryl Maki
We apologize if we inadvertently failed to include your tribute or misspelled any names. Please let us know.
Mission Statement
Our mission is to improve the quality of life and welfare for domestic animals and to provide a
safe haven while finding lifelong homes for the animals in our care. We embrace the No Kill
philosophy, seeking to end the euthanasia of healthy and treatable animals.
Our Vision
To do whatever we can to assure there are no abandoned, unwanted, neglected or abused
animals. To provide education and skills to people so that they understand the level of
commitment and responsibility that pet guardianship entails.
P a ge 7
Chris Savola loves the Alger
County Animal Shelter.
She’s adopted both a cat and
a dog from our shelter, and
was impressed with how well
our pets are treated before
they find their forever homes.
Wanting to do something nice for the shelter, she
started with small donations of dog food and cat
litter. Then she hit upon an idea for a fundraiser
that would raise money for the things all shelters
need. She called it “Love Our Animal Shelter”
and it was all done on the social media network,
Facebook.
She started by asking all of her friends on Facebook to send the shelter at least one dollar. Chris
had 400 friends so she thought we could expect
about $400.00. The fundraiser exceeded that by
triple and when she did it again a year later the
amount was almost $2000.00!
‘Larry’ goes home…
I cannot say enough wonderful things about the staff
at the Alger County Animal
Shelter.
Linda, Kathy, and Carole
are compassionate women
who love what they are
doing.
We are currently in the process of adopting a cat that
has been there since
March. Larry has been well cared for while at the
shelter, and has been given plenty of love. There is
no doubt in our minds that
the transition will be smooth.
I have to thank all who have
had a hand in Larry's care.
He is a special fellow with
lots of love to give, and we
are here to do just that!
Thank you for all you have
done for him and all the other lost pets. The community
is very fortunate to have you
all.
Pat Steldt Hutchinson
August 2014
Chris truly does love the Alger County Animal
Shelter, and we love her right back for her
enthusiasm, and for showing us what a great
community we live in and the generous people
who live and work here.
Kathy Glish, ACAS Manager
Silver
Memberships
Land and Lakes Real Estate
Don and Mary Miller
Mary Jayne Hallifax
Kathy and William Davis
Marion and Fred Kochenspager
Judy Kilpatrick
Kathie Heimburger
David and Karen Bahrman
Steven and Melody Brown
Judy Akkala
Sharon Seremek
Jack and Janice Wiseman
Lynda Chase
David Vorhes
Donna Golisek Debnar
Alger County Animal Shelter Membership Form:
Please fill out and return to the ACAS, ATTN: Membership, 510 E. Munising Ave, Munising, MI 49862
_____ Regular Membership
$15.00 per year
The following memberships will be mentioned in a special section
_____ Family Membership
$20.00 per year
_____ Business Membership $50.00 per year
_____ Senior (62 and up) & Students
$ 5.00 per year
_____ Silver Membership $100 per year
_____ Gold Membership $500.00 per year
Date: _____________________
_____ Lifetime Membership $1000.00
All memberships are renewable January 1st of each year (membership would start January 2015).
All donations are Tax Deductible!
Fill in the form and mail with a check payable to ACAS. Your cancelled check is your receipt
- do not send cash or Credit Card
Name: ___________________________________________________________________________________________
Address: _________________________________________________________________________________________
Phone Number: ___________________________________________________________________________________
E-mail Address ___________________________________________________________________________________
Comments: _______________________________________________________________________________________