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Companion
Animal News
Vol. 27 No. 1
Spring Issue - Published Quarterly
Pet Blessing
Blessing of the Animals at Highbridge Park at 2PM
With Tibetan Monk, Geshe Thupten Phelgye
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Come out and join us, bring your pets, family, and friends
and show your support, love and commitment to our furry &
feathered friends. A blessing of the animals service will begin
at 2 p.m. Sunday on the grounds of Highbridge Park, Riverside
& A Street. Participants may bring any pet they wish to have
blessed. For details, call 534-8133 ext.209. Bring a treat or a toy
to be given to a homeless or abandoned shelter pet during his
or her stay. Donations to benefit SpokAnimal’s “Lucky to be
Alive Fund” will be gladly accepted, as well.
Venerable Geshe Thupten Phelgye, a Buddhist monk in
the tradition of the Dalai Lama, is visiting Spokane and will
be speaking at several locations and with various groups.
Phelgye finished a course of Buddhist studies in 1991 and
become a PhD in Buddhist Philosophy. In 1993, with blessings
from the Dalai Lama, he went to a hermitage retreat in the
mountains of Dharamsala until 1997.
Geshe Phelgye has been working with the Sulha Peace
project in the Middle East for the last six-years as the Tibetan
Ambassador under the guidance of the Dalai Lama engaging
Jews, Muslims, and Christians in dialogue.
He travels internationally with his message of peace and
compassion. Please join us for a rare opportunity to have
your pet blessed and to hear Geshe speak about kindness to
animals.
Spring 2010
Man’s Best Friend
Gets a Place to Play!
This pup is ready to go to the park.
We have all heard that the dog is “man’s best friend”, and
you will get no argument from us on that fact. At long last, dog
lovers in Spokane will have a chance to prove that man is also
dog’s best friend! Long held hopes and dreams of a dog park
right here in Spokane are finally coming true. Thanks to the
combined effort of the City of Spokane Parks and Recreation
continued on page 2
What’s Inside:
Page
Man’s Best Friend Gets Place to Play (cont.) ....................... 2
From the Executive Director ................................................ 3
Sterilizing Pets Isn’t Priority For New Owners ................ 3
Happy Endings...................................................................... 4
Foster Volunteer, Debbie Walker......................................... 5
Thank You, Volunteers ......................................................... 5
Purrs, Licks and Tailwags .................................................... 6
Pawsitive Start ....................................................................... 7
Volunteers Training Workshop ........................................... 7
Thank You Pet Sponsors....................................................... 7
New Law Aims to Ban Puppy Mills ................................... 8
Where Do Pet Store Puppies Come From? ........................ 8
How You Can Help ............................................................... 9
Welcome Home Maximus ................................................. 10
Stanley Speaks ......................................................................11
In Loving Memory and Honoring Tributes..................... 12
Memories of a Dear Friend ................................................ 13
Update - Clarification on Winter Article.......................... 14
4th Annual Bounder Paws and Poles ............................... 15
Man’s Best Friend Gets a Place to Play!
Board of Directors
Pres: Christel Carlson
Vice Pres: John Dorwin
Secretary: Angela Scheres (Acting)
Treas: Barbara Grant
Carmen Murphy
Molly Lundberg
Friends of SpokAnimal
Teri Atkinson
Suzy Dix
Kim Kamel
Mary Ronnestad
Cynthia Schwartz Regina Winkler
Location:
SpokAnimal C.A.R.E.
N. 714 Napa • Spokane, WA 99202
Phone:
(continued)
Department, Spokane Parks Foundation,
and SpokAnimal, our first dog park is
close to becoming a reality!
The City of Spokane has designated
land near High Bridge Park to be the home
of the first dog park in Spokane. This site
is approximately 15 acres, is in a central
location, and will have an extremely
positive impact on nearby neighborhoods
and the whole community!
Phase I of the development plan is to
install fencing for the safety of our best
friends and the security of the community. There will be separately designated
areas for large dogs and small dogs. A
parking lot with plenty of space for dog
park users will be included, as well. The
goal for Phase I implementation is Summer 2010.
As funding becomes available, future
development of the Dog Park at High
Bridge Gardens may include a hiking
trail, splash pads, agility equipment,
community gardens, picnic tables/public
areas, and more.
If you have any questions or would
like to make a donation, please contact
SpokAnimal’s Director of Development,
Shawna Sampson at 509.534.8133 ext. 215
or [email protected].
Dog Park Map
(509) 534-8133 • Fax: (509) 535-9630
Website:
http://www.spokanimal.org
Shelter Hours:
Adoption Center:
10AM-6PM ~ Mon-Fri
Noon-4PM ~ Sat-Sun
Licensing / Front Desk:
9:30AM-6:30PM
24-hour Lost Pet Hotline:
232-2230
Veterinary Clinic Drop-in Hours:
Vaccinations, microchips and
well-care exams.
Sterilization by appointment.
2:30-4:30PM ~ Mon & Tues
10:00AM-6:00PM ~ Wed & Thurs
2:30-4:30PM ~ Friday
Noon-3:30PM ~ Saturday
SpokAnimal & Partners’ Stats
If you are interested in viewing the
partner organizations Community
Stats for SpokAnimal, Spokane
Humane Society or SCRAPS, please
visit their websites.
SpokAnimal:
www.spokanimal.org
Spokane Humane Society:
www.spokanehumanesociety.org
SCRAPS:
www.spokanecounty.org/animal
~ OUR MISSION ~
SpokAnimal C.A.R.E. is dedicated
to the placement, protection and
health of animals through legislation, education and programs.
Legend:
PA - Public Area, BF - Buffer Area, PE - Park Entrance, VP - Visiting Point,
PL - Parking Lot, CG - Community Gardens, SD - Small Dog Area,
LD - Large Dog Area, ME – Maintenance Entry,
AR - Class/Show Arena and Seating
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Photo credit: Beautiful Photo
From the Executive Director…
Dear Friends,
Due to the nature of our work—
helping animals and building a more
compassionate community—people can
be caught by surprise when we refer to
our organization as having the same
performance standards as for-profit
businesses. For example, our supporters
and board members expect that we will
use resources wisely, attract and retain
highly professional and skilled staff, and
implement high-quality programs that
serve our mission.
Would it surprise you to know that
SpokAnimal also sees you, the donor,
as an investor who expects a return on
investments. Your generous support
enables us to promote and expand the
humane treatment of animals, investigate
cruelty and to strengthen the humananimal bond. As your return on investment increases, a more caring community
is created. Yet, instead of cash or stock
dividends, your return is measured by
every life, human and animal, positively
impacted by our mission.
As a result of your investment in
our mission, innovative programs for
animal welfare continue to advance.
More animals are rescued from abusive
situations, more children are expanding
their understanding through humane
education experiences, more hospital
visitations with pet facilitated therapy,
more families come home to wagging
tails, great listeners and unconditionally
loving companions.
The good news is that your return
on investment has appreciatively multiplied. To continue this trend, we need
your ongoing help. While it may not
directly increase your own financial
worth, your investment in SpokAnimal
can inspire and feed the collective hearts
of our community. In a new year filled
with new possibilities and challenges,
we hope you will continue to invest in
SpokAnimal, your Inland Northwest
Humane Society. Thank you for your
ongoing support.
Gail B. Mackie,
Executive Director
Sterilizing Pets Isn’t a Priority For New Owners
By Sharon L. Peters,
Special for USA TODAY
Despite campaigns encouraging sterilization to reduce pet
overpopulation, and despite expanding options for low-cost
spay/neuter surgeries, nearly half of people who have acquired
unsterilized pets in the last year haven’t fixed them.
Southerners and the under-35 set are the least likely to
sterilize their pets.Those are among findings from a national
survey of 3,000 adults, including 1,000 who have acquired a
dog or cat in the past 12 months.
PetSmart Charities commissioned the survey by Ipsos
Marketing, released today, in an effort to understand factors
contributing to continued pet overpopulation, which results
in an estimated 4 million to 6 million shelter animals being
euthanized each year. Among findings:
• Of the unsterilized dogs and cats acquired in the past year,
48% still haven’t been sterilized.
• 38% of 18 to 34-year-olds haven’t sterilized their pets, vs.
24% of 55-plus owners.
• 13% of dog owners and 19% of cat owners have wound up
with litters, more than half of them unintentional.
estimated shelters euthanize fewer than 1 million animals annually; 28% put the euthanasia number at 100,000 or less.
How young is too young?
And there’s confusion relating to the age at which pets
should be sterilized, owing partly, experts say, to lack of agreement among veterinarians.
Since pets can carry litters when they’re just 6 months old,
many vets recommend 4 or 5 months as the proper age. But
a growing number, motivated by animal welfare advocates
who want puppies and kittens sterilized before they go into
adopters’ homes, believe 2 months is safe.
Among survey respondents who had recently acquired
a pet, 17% said they have no idea of the proper age to spay/
neuter; 42% said 6 months; 14% said at least 9 months.
People earning $55,000 or more are more likely to adopt
from shelters and rescue groups than those earning less; 42%
of people who recently got a pet did no prior research, formal
or informal.
Overpopulation is underestimated
The survey is the first large-scale effort to quantify the actions and perceptions of pet owners and non-owners relating
to spay/neuter, pet overpopulation and adoption of pets from
shelters and rescue organizations.
Armed with these data, the animal welfare industry “will be
able to be more effective” in accomplishing goals, says Susana
Della Maddalena, executive director of PetSmart Charities.
Many pet owners are unaware of the scope of overpopulation: 62% of 18- to 34-year-olds and 47% of 55-plus respondents
Please spay or neuter your pets.
3
Happy Endings ♥
Zeus
Zeus and good buddy Connor Cremers.
Here is a great story of the value of our foster
program and the great foster homes who help
us in our mission. - Kandace Watkins
Debbie,
Thought I’d email you a picture to let
you see how well the kitten is fitting in
with our family. Looks like the consensus
is that his name will be Zeus. No litter
box accidents so far, so your additional
training worked. He is so sweet--it is clear
Ebeneezer the Sneezer!
This is SpokAnimal’s newest shelter
cat, Ebenezer. He came to the shelter
early December all by himself and very
✁
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥
that you gave him a lot of attention so
that he would make lucky us a wonderful pet. When my youngest son Connor
told his teacher about the kitty, she said
that she also had passed by the Macy’s
after the school concert that Saturday and
tried to convince her husband to adopt
him. So we are very fortunate that all
his admirers didn’t act as quickly as we
did! Thanks again for your dedication
in fostering kittens like Zeus so they can
make loving pets for many families in
Spokane.
Sincerely,
Laura Cremers
I’ve got photos of all my foster
kittens, and would like to mention the
one I couldn’t help adopting, Treasure.
If I could get the name and number of
the garbage man who brought him in, I’d
like to thank him for doing the right thing
and bringing the poor, hungry little guy
to SpokAnimal. He would be happy to
sick. The vet and staff weren’t sure he
was going to make it. We looked to place
him in our foster program but no home
was available to send him too. Lisa one of
the foster coordinators asked the shelter’s
outreach and volunteer coordinator if she
could foster this sickly little kitten. She
said yes and he was moved over to her
office for some TLC. He quickly grew
on the staff and it was soon decided that
he become the shelter’s latest “poster”
kitty. He was named Ebenezer due to
the timing of his arrival to the shelter
just before Christmas and the fact he had
such a bad cold he was sneezing all the
time - Ebenezer the sneezer...
know how well it turned out, since we
weren’t sure he was even going to live.
For me, Treasure is a daily reminder
of the value and success of the Foster
program.
Lisa asked me to foster Zeus/Rajah
and his sisters because they were not
social and would hiss at anyone who
tried to touch them. I already had 6 others at the time but these were so sweet, I
couldn’t say no. I named the male Rajah
because he looked like a little Bengal
tiger. His serene grey sister was named
Zen, and his shy black sister was called
Greta Garbo because she just wanted
to be left alone. They went with me to
PetSmart, where Greta was adopted, and
the event at Macy’s where Rajah met the
Cremers, and finally back to SpokAnimal
where Zen found her forever home right
before Christmas. All 9 kittens were
adopted into loving families within about
2 weeks.
Debbie Walker
He has been harnessed trained and
is learning to walk on a leash. He is
making visits to classrooms and meeting
new friends all the time. He has made a
heartwarming addition to the SpokAnimal family and has greatly added
to the education and community relations
programs. Please help us in welcoming
our newest little helper, Ebenezer.
If you would like to help animals like
Ebenezer who need temporary homes
until they are ready for adoption please
contact Kandace at 509-534-8133 ext. 209
or [email protected] for more
information.
Become A Sponsor - Dog or Cat Kennel = $100 for a year
Outdoor Play Enclosures = $250 Vehicles = $500
Please fill out the information below and mail along with your contribution to:
SpokAnimal C.A.R.E. • Kennel Sponsor • P.O. Box 3151 • Spokane, WA 99220
Important: kennel message must fit in the squares below:
Name_______________________________________
Address _____________________________________
City___________________ State_____ Zip _________
(make checks payable to SpokAnimal C.A.R.E.)
Day Phone ___________________________________
If you have further questions, please contact
SpokAnimal at 534-8133.
Evening Phone ________________________________
4
Foster Volunteer, Debbie Walker
I started volunteering at SpokAnimal
last spring and became a kitten Foster
Mom shortly after. It’s one of the best
things I‘ve ever done, and brings me
great joy and satisfaction. This is how it
happened:
My husband was allergic to dogs and
cats so even though I loved animals, I
hadn’t had a pet in years. After Bill died,
I was lonely and depressed. My doctor
recommended a pet so I adopted three
cats from a shelter in Idaho Falls. Kali,
Karma and KoKo quickly became my
best friends and helped pull me through
some rough times. In 1993 we moved to
Spokane, where the cats and I settled in
and learned to love our new home.
Last year I retired and found that
having nothing to do wasn’t much fun.
So I decided to volunteer at a shelter and
what a great decision that turned out to
be. SpokAnimal gives me a reason to
get up in the morning with a smile and
have a something meaningful to do. I
not only get to work with the dogs and
cats but with all the wonderful staff and
other volunteers who have become new
friends.
One of the most enjoyable things was
playing with kittens, so I signed up for
the foster program which meant the little
fur babies could come home with me to
be nurtured and loved until they‘re old
enough to be adopted. Often I’m up all
night mixing formula and feeding bottles
to tiny orphans. Sometimes they are sick
and need extra care, but that just makes
them more precious. Foster Moms get to
name the kittens, and after a day or two
each one develops a unique personality
that suggests a name. They are all special,
but Treasure was the most special of all.
One day a garbage man brought in a very
small, scared, filthy, hungry kitten that
had been found in a dumpster. Things
didn’t look good for his survival, but he
deserved a chance, so I was allowed to
take him home where I fell in love with
him and named him Treasure. After many
adventures, we decided that Treasure
was meant to be a member of my family
and formally adopted him. Today he’s a
healthy, handsome, active boy who keeps
the older cats on their toes. He’s a daily
reminder of the value and success of the
Foster Program.
Kandace Watkins, the Volunteer
Coordinator, arranges events where I can
take the kittens to be seen by the public.
Our goal is to have them adopted directly
from Foster care without having to go
back to the shelter and this has worked
out very well. I love meeting the people
and helping them to choose the best kitten, and it’s so rewarding to hear from
someone about how well their new friend
is fitting in. It’s a wonderful program that
I would recommend to anyone who has
a little extra space in their home and in
their heart.
“For me, Treasure is a daily reminder of the
value and success of the Foster program.”
Debbie Walker
Thank You, Volunteers
The “Volunteer of the Month” is
nominated by the staff as someone who
has either gone above and beyond the
call of duty, shown initiative, or has
greatly improved their animal handling
skills. They receive a Wags and Whiskers
Certificate in recognition of their gift of
time and love of animals, on behalf of
the staff. We would like to acknowledge
all of our volunteers who contribute to
keeping the abandoned and homeless
animals in our community happy and
healthy while they are awaiting their
forever homes.
daily chores and to socialize with the
cats. She also has stepped up to learn
new tasks including Feline-alities, which
is a personality assessment given to each
pet to in order to make the perfect match.
She can answer most any question the
general public has while providing
great customer service and really loves
coming to care for the homeless and
orphaned pets.
January Volunteer of the Month was
awarded to Mackenzie Thurman. She
is a high school student who volunteers
at SpokAnimal and earns credit for
school at the same time. She comes to
the shelter every afternoon to help with
5
February’s Volunteer of the Month was
Patti Parker. Patti is an artist who gives
her time to walk and work with the dogs
at the shelter. She was nominated by staff
because more than once Patti has been
at the shelter at the right time to assist
potential adopters and other visitors
with either finding the right dog or just
answering questions. Her compassion
and caring for these animals shows in
every interaction she has whether it be
the dog or a possible adopter it’s always
apparent. Patti has also demonstrated an
interest in advancing her skills by joining
our more advanced group of volunteer
in dog behavior modification. No picture
was available at press time.
We’d like to thank all of our volunteers who help the animals, and SpokAnimal in its mission, and give them a
big round of applause!
Purrs, Licks & Tailwags
Thank you!
Purrs to Avista employees who brought
in a truckload of much needed pet food
and products. Thank you!
and made homemade biscuits and cat
toys for the animals who spent Christmas
day in the adoption center.
To Rings & Things employees for
including us in their annual year end
contribution. Rings & Things employees have the option to indicate where
they would like their contributions, and
owners’ Russ Nobbs and Dee Mueller’s
matching donations, to go.
Students at the First Presbyterian Preschool enjoyed meeting Stanley in March.
They particularly enjoyed Stan’s trick
“flat” - as their class is reading the popular
children’s book “Flat Stanley”!
Thanks to the continued support and
donations from Steve Borchard and
Latah Creek Trading Co. Store with an
added bonus this year of contributions
from the associates of the Northtown
JC Penney store who held their own in
house donation drive. In December they
collected 570 lbs of dry dog food, 150
lbs of cat food, 50 lbs of kitten food, 55
cans of dog food, 160 cans of cat food, 20
lbs of dog biscuits, 50+ pouches of cat/
dog treats, 30 tennis balls, collars, fuzzy
mice, 12 cases of assorted pop for the
volunteers, 42 bottles of bleach, 500 lbs
of cat litter and one lone brand new mop
head. We look forward to seeing them
again this spring!
Hooray for Animal Loving Teachers
and Children
“Flat” Stanley next to “Flat Stanley” cut
out.
SFCC Anime Club
A Spokane Falls Community College
student club collected donations to benefit the animals at SpokAnimal. They
collected food, toys, and treats all to help
the lost, abandoned and homeless pets in
our community. These students decided
to contribute their time and efforts to
better the lives of less fortunate animals
who are awaiting new homes. We’d like
to thank the Anima-tion Club at SFCC
for their donations to the homeless and
abandoned animals SpokAnimal cares.
Their generosity is greatly appreciated
and the animals love the treats and toys
especially that help to keep them happy
and healthy during their stay at the shelter. Thanks guys!
Licks to the Discovery School for inviting us to come visit their children and
for their kind donations to help us help
the animals.
Happy Birthday, Thomas
Thanks to Seth Woodard Elementary for
inviting us to come speak to their kids
about responsible pet care and safety.
Their kids are doing a fund raising drive
to help us help the animals.
Wild wags to Cindy Ghezzi for inviting
us again for our annual holiday visit to
Ridgeview elementary. This was our
18th year visiting the kids at Ridgeview!
In addition to collecting towels, blankets,
litter and food, they also collected $227.50
their stay a little more enjoyable at the
shelter. All the staff and the animals
would like to thank Thomas and his
friends for their generous donations and
especially Thomas for foregoing gifts to
give a gift instead.
Thomas Glavin turned 4 this year and instead of getting presents for his birthday
Thomas asked his friends to all bring donations for the orphaned and abandoned
pets at SpokAnimal. Together with his
friends Thomas gathered pet food, toys
and treats for the animals to help make
6
The Slice: “like a good underwire bra,
supportive but unpretentious.” I’m
sure he never thought he would ever be
compared to a well made undergarment,
but that’s how SpokAnimal employee
LuAnn Suryan described local writer,
Paul Turner from the Spokesman Review for his consistent humane messages
in his column “The Slice.” SpokAnimal
would like to thank this unsung hero in
our midst who quietly but frequently
has something in his column in support
of animal shelters and animal welfare
organizations. This quiet patronage
keeps the issues faced by animal rescuers
everywhere in the back of many people’s
minds. Animals everywhere benefit from
his championship of our cause.
Pawsitive Start Has Taken Off To, Well,
a Positive Start!
The new adopter ’s class which
began in January has been well received
and is the place to be for newly adopted
dogs and their families. Pawsitive Start
New Adopter’s Class is offered to all
dog owners who have recently adopted
from any shelter or rescue group and is
designed to help ease the transition of
having a new dog in the home. Some
of the topics covered during the 1.5 hour
class include jumping up, coming when
called, impulse control, and walking on
leash.
This class is offered free of charge to
new adoptees. Instructors Amy Barker
and Kim Imel, both of Diamonds in the
Ruff, have donated their time and SpokAnimal has donated the use of their
event center to conduct class. If you
wish to make a donation to help cover
facility and materials costs, please send
your donation to SpokAnimal C.A.R.E..
Be sure to indicate “Pawsitive Start” on
your donation.
Classes are held the second and
fourth Sunday of the month, 1:00-2:30pm.
There will be no class, however, on Sunday, May 9, 2010. Class size is limited. To
sign up for class or for further information about the class, please contact Kim
at [email protected].
Volunteers Turn Out For Training Workshop
A very big thank you goes out to all
of the staff and volunteers of SpokAnimal, SCRAPS and the Spokane Humane
Society who gave up a beautiful Sunday
to spend it with us by attending the
“Fostering Fabulous Pets and Facilitating Great Adoptions” seminar. It was
wonderful to see all of you there! Thank
you, Kandace for all of your hard work
in making it possible.
All of you who work with our foster
and shelter pets, getting them ready to
find their forever homes, are such an inspiration. Your hard work and dedication
are truly appreciated. We have received
such wonderful feedback from you and
look forward to seeing all of you again
at future workshops.
Thanks, keep up the good work!
Sincerely,
Carol Byrnes, CPDT
Kim Imel, LVT
Courage
From the BADRAP BLOG,
Tues, March 9, 2010
Maryland SPCA’s Executive Director
Aileen Gabbey released the following
statement about the decision to give
the Ed Block Courage Award to Vick
today....
“The Maryland SPCA remains
shocked and disappointed that Michael
Vick will, indeed, receive an award for
courage from the Ed Block Foundation
after being nominated by his team. Mr.
Vick does not deserve this honor. He has
been convicted of horrific crimes against
living creatures; he has served jail time;
he has somehow been re-employed. His
attempts to speak on behalf of animals
have been half-hearted and disingenuous. None of this warrants a special
award.”
“No truly courageous or honorable
person would say ‘Yes, I deserve an
award.’ Yet, this is precisely what Mr. Vick
has done, defending his nomination and
claiming that he has suffered hardships.
He has never suffered the hardships,
or torture, that his poor dogs did at his
hands. The honorable thing for Mr. Vick
to do would be to not accept this award.
This would actually show some courage
and that he is serious about being on the
road to atonement for his terrible actions
against innocent lives.”
Thank You Pet Sponsors!
The following kind folks have shared their love of animals with those who wait in our adoption center - these donations
of $25 or more make a huge difference in our quest for forever homes.
Pam Whitcomb x4
Shirley Alexander x 17!!!!
Carmen & Erin Whitley x 2
Paul Sanard
Cathy Cortright
Susan Rielly
Susan & Tony Hert x2
Carol Cox
Ruby Mc Neill x 5
Johnny & Jan Humphreys x4
Amelia Garrett x6
William & Teree Myrhang x4
Cristina Wright
Charles &Mary Lou Sauter
Richard Naccarato
Max Wilhelm
Carolyn Fielder x2
Robert & Micaela Sutphin x4
Jim Weinstock
Kenneth & Linda Green
Lori Kunz
Romie & Jean Hilderbrand x2
Bette Topp x2
Meg Kreiner
Dian Nelson
Mark & Pamela Pierce
Elena Chambers
Lad & Linda Flowers
Timothy Templeton
Truella Stone x2
Suzanne Steel
Holly Renga x4
Jan Sackmann x2
Lucy Benjamin
James & Jeanne Caldenhead
William Luke x2
Shawna Sampson
John & Andrea Tritt
7
John & Betty Zurenko x4
Mary Elaine Penton x2
Thomas Glavin - Happy Birthday!
Cathleen Balfour - Happy Birthday!
Ronald & Maron Anderson
Amy Warren
Anita Lamp x2
Barry & Linda Shook x2
Megan Phillips - Spokane Fire Dept. x 2
Aileen Mc Danold
JoAnn Mikkelsen
Mark & Marjorie Winters
Daniel Wenger
Racheal Hale
Deborah Walker
Donna Mergen - Windermere
Lisa Jensen x 2 - Happy Birthday!
A Big Thank You to All Our Donors!
New Washington Law Aims to Ban Puppy Mills
The Associated Press
OLYMPIA, Wash. -- A new law, designed to eliminate puppy mills in Washington state, imposes tougher standards
on dog breeders.
The law, which took effect New
Year’s Day, makes it illegal to own or have
custody of more than 50 dogs capable of
breeding and over the age of six months.
It also spells out requirements for taking
care of the dogs, including the size of
their cages, temperature and cleanliness.
If a breeder has 10 or more dogs at any
one time, it requires that each dog have
adequate time and space to exercise.
The Legislature approved the law
last spring after several puppy mills were
discovered in the state.
A year ago, authorities raided a home
near Gold Bar where they rescued nearly
160 dogs, many with matted coats and
serious health problems. Investigators
found six puppy bodies in a freezer and
more dead dogs in a garbage bin.
Two people who lived and worked
at the home pleaded guilty in November
to six counts each of first-degree animal
cruelty.
“The hope is this will help prevent
situations from arising that could lead to
animal cruelty,” said Mary Leake Schilder, spokeswoman for the Progressive
Animal Welfare Society of Lynnwood.
“This will give law enforcement a
little more leverage to prevent breeding
facilities from getting out of hand. We
believe this law is fair to responsible and
compassionate breeders,” she told The
Herald of Everett.
Retail pet stores, veterinary facilities,
boarding facilities and some others are
exempt under the measure.
A similar law took effect in
Oregon.
Puppy Mills, Puppy Dealers...
Where do Pet Store Puppies Come From?
From the Terrierman’s Daily Dose blog
What’s the Hunte Corporation?
Simple: the Hunte Corporation is a
“puppy bundler” business which gathers
together very young puppies (typically
6 or 7 weeks old) from puppy mills in
Missouri and around the mid-West.
These very young dogs are too young
to have full immunity, and are too young
for shots, but time is the enemy of the
puppy industry, and so they are gathered up at a very young age and mixed
together, helter-skelter, in trucks.
The dogs are then sent to a Hunte
facility where they are given shots, looked
over, groomed and washed, and moved
out the door, as fast as possible, to a pet
store near you.
Why the rush to collect such young dogs
and get them out the door so fast?
Simple: puppies are like fruit; they
go rotten with age. Most people want a
puppy; they do not want a dog.
An eight-week old puppy is very
saleable commodity. A 12-week old
puppy is not. A 16-week old puppy will
be marked down 90 percent.
And the result of this push to gather up
young dogs?
Well, think about it. Parvo and distemper do not incubate overnight, and
so it should come as no surprise to learn
that a significant percentage of puppy
mill dogs supplied by Hunte end up
coming down sick.
The problem here is the same one as
occurs with hamburger: take one pound
of Listeria-infected beef and mix well
with 500 pounds of “clean” beef and
what comes out the other end is a lot of
sickness.
It only takes a one parvo- or distemper-infected dog from a puppy mill to
infect every other dog in the truck going
to Hunte.
It takes only one dog at the vaccinateand-sort center run by Hunte, for a lot
of disease to spread and then shoot out
to five or six states over a three-day
period.
health and temperament problems.”
Many ‘puppy farm’ puppies come
with complete pedigrees, however, a
pedigree in itself, is not necessarily an
indication of quality.
‘Dealers’ are agents for puppy
farms. They buy puppies and sell them
on, advertising them in newspapers
and magazines, often masquerading as
breeders. If an advert lists more than one
breed of puppy for sale, then the person
placing it is probably a dealer....
And does this happen?
Almost every day. Remember the
dogs are not being held at Hunte long
enough for them to do much more than
give the puppies a cursory look-over,
quick grooming, and a first vaccination
shot. Then it’s out the door. Everyone in
the business understands that puppies
“go rotten” with age.
As the Hunte web site notes:
“Hunte routinely offers over one
hundred different breeds to pet retailers who understand the importance of
providing a broad selection of breeds
to families in search of the ideal companion.”
To the credit of the British Kennel Club,
their web site tells you what the Hunte
Corporation and the AKC leave off:
“Puppy farms are like factory farms
where dogs are bred purely for profit. The
dogs are normally bred too often, many
are unhealthy, and often live in unbearably poor conditions. The puppies are
generally removed from their mothers
far too early and sent by rail or van to
‘dealers’ or pet shops in the big cities to
satisfy the public’s demands. Many are
severely traumatised by the transition,
and some do not make it alive. Do not
buy a puppy or a dog from these sources,
as they will have had the worst possible
start in life, and are far more likely to have
8
Purebred dogs and designer dogs are big
business. If you walk into that pet store and
“rescue” one of those puppies, you pad the
pockets of dealers and puppy mills and factory
farms and ensure that more puppies will be
born to the same fate. Adopt your next dog
from a shelter or rescue.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
SpokAnimal is a non-profit and tax-exempt organization.
All contributions, donations and gifts are tax-deductible.
• Become a member! • Volunteer! • Donate money, food, supplies!
Sit Up & Beg
Don’t Shop...Adopt!
When you are ready to adopt, find your
new companion among thousands of wonderful
animals listed on pets911.com, petfinder.com and
many other wonderful online resources posting
animals awaiting homes in shelters and rescue
organizations all over the country. Adopting
from pet stores fuels the puppy mill trade. Give
a home to a homeless pet. They need you!
WE NEED • Laminating sheets 8.5 X 11
• Acrylic yarn only
• Paper shredder
• Digital camera
• Someone to make 6 foot and 8 foot
table-cloth with floor length skirt
in dog/cat print material
Pose For Paws!
The 3rd Annual Pose for
Paws event will be on August
14, 2010 at the Beautiful Photo
Studio. Make your reservation early this year – have
a portrait session with you,
your family and that lovable
family pet! Beautiful Photo
will capture that whimsical
photo to share with family
and friends.
Plants for Pets
Woofer Bottle Fundraiser
Our wonderful contributor, Ann Kolbeck
grows garden plants in her green house
every year and donates the money from
the sales to help homeless animals. Tomatoes, peppers, you name it! If you
would be interested in vegetable plants
for your garden, we will be advertising
our one day plant sale on Craig’s list,
Facebook and other media. Please sign
up as a friend of SpokAnimal on Facebook
for notification.
Sale of these
pretty lime green
stainless steel water bottles with
karabiner belt clip
will benefit the
Lucky to Be Alive
fund to provide
medical care and
a second chance
for injured animals
who come to our
adoption center.
They will be available at the shelter,
Diamonds in the
Ruff, and at special
events. $10 each!
Get yours and help
the animals! (The
one shown has a Frontline logo on it - ours
will have a SpokAnimal logo on it!)
9
Food for behavior training:
• Cheese whiz
• Peanut butter
For baby nursery:
• Puppy/kitten milk replacer
• Puppy pads
Other:
• Non-clumping cat litter
• Facial tissue
• Bathroom tissue
• Disinfecting wipes
• Hand sanitizer
• Bleach
• General office supplies, gel
ink pens
• Paper towels
• National holiday decorations
for special adoption events
• Plastic 45 gallon trash bags
• 12 gallon kitchen trash bags
Gift Certificates/Cards to:
• Grocery stores
• Michaels
• Staples
• Office Depot
• Gas stations (for transfers)
• Restaurants, theaters
Note: we have a bountiful supply of towels/
blankets - thank you to
all who have filled our
cupboards. We currently
don’t need any more,
thanks to you!
Welcome Home Maximus
Blog by Dave Erickson, KXLY
KXLY reporter Dave Erickson adopted a sweet little puppy on Dec 22nd
- Max has become a regular feature in
Dave’s blog - and in the newsroom!
Excerpts from Dave’s online blog:
Maximus (alternative spelling Maximos) is a name formed from the Latin
term for “greatest” or “largest.” That’s
what I’m going to name him. Tiny Max
is a 3 month old Pit/Mastiff mix, he’ll be
bigger than Lexy. I met him tonight at
SpokAnimal. I can’t pick him up until
Tuesday or Wednesday, he first needs to
be fixed (neutered). The staff believes
he’s the runt of the litter.
I’ve been gone the last few days. I
was in the Portland, Oregon area visiting
my Grandma and younger brother. While
there I also visited three pet adoption facilities. I only found one little guy I liked
but he had two holds on him plus there
was a mandatory premises inspection.
Getting a new friend isn’t something I’m
taking lightly. The last 4 weeks have
been difficult and for some reason I’ve
been having sad dreams about Lexy. It’s
probably because I’ve been around more
doggies lately. I can promise you, little
✁
Maximus is going to get so much love.
I usually make a lot of decisions
based on feel or instinct. I was very seriously considering getting two puppies
but something compelled me to go with
one. Max has an older brother. He was a
little too aggressive for my liking and he
seemed to pick on the littler Maximus so
I had to pass. Depending on how things
go, I’ll probably stick with one puppy.
Oh, you can be sure to see little Maximus
with me at future triathalons and he’ll be
featured in many-a-video in 2010.
He’s soooooo cute! During the first 5
minutes in the car he was a little nervous
but after I turned on the seat warmer
he settled in just fine. He’s gonna be
so spoiled. SpokAnimal estimates his
birthday is September 17, 2009, so he’s
just over 3 months old.
On the way home I stopped off at
Safeway for some “Purina One” puppy
food and a new collar (red). He’s already
a good car dog. When I closed the door
behind me he was laying on his blanket
in the passenger seat, when I came back
he was still quietly laying in the same
spot. Good boy, Max.
After we got home we laid on the
living room floor on his blanket and
quietly bonded as he took in his new
surroundings. He started licking my
nose, eyelids, cheek, ears and hands
and didn’t stop for about 10 minutes.
Puppy breath ain’t bad. Once he got
comfortable I moved to the kitchen area.
I slowly crawled over on my stomach so
he would follow. After sitting there for
another 5 minutes I grabbed a couple of
bowls and poured him some fresh water
and food. He wolfed down about 3 small
servings. Then as you can see below,
he laid on my lap and started to sleep.
Ahhhhhh. How can dogs fall asleep so
fast?! Anyway, he has a cute little snore,
which is adorable.
There are many more animals
like Max at SpokAnimal just
waiting for you to give them a
forever home.
HELPING TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE FOR ANIMALS
SpokAnimal needs your time and money. Your gift ... of any amount ... goes directly to the animals!
I would like to contribute $_______________ to help the animals.
(Please make checks payable to SpokAnimal. This gift is tax deductible to the limit of the law.)
I would like information on:
___ volunteering ___ including SpokAnimal in my will ___ to sponsor a pet
___ Our animal friends Monthly Giving Program ___ Lucky to Be Alive Fund
___ Electronic contributions in support of SpokAnimal C.A.R.E
Cut out this form and send to: SpokAnimal C.A.R.E. at 714 N. Napa • Spokane, WA 99202
10
Baffled By
Behavior?
,
h old
Dear Stanley
My 15 mont
o.
d
to
t
ha
w
h the
I don’t know
en great wit
be
s
ay
w
al
s
ha
hing all
Shih Tzu mix
st about anyt
ju
h
it
w
up
igns of
kids - she put
ithout any s
w
d
oo
yh
p
up
p
owling
through her
’s started gr
he
s
y
tl
en
ec
R
st week
aggression.
and in the pa
ld
o
ar
ye
3
me she
at my 1 and
e. The first ti
ic
tw
em
th
at
ss her.
has snapped
old went to ki
ar
ye
3
y
m
d
an
she left
was sleeping
ar old fell and
ye
1
y
m
e
m
s eye!
The second ti
uld have hit hi
co
he
S
.
ce
fa
n’t want
a mark on his
at once. I do
l
al
re
he
yw
of biting
I can’t be ever
n I break her
ca
w
ho
r
he
to get rid of
the children?
Signed,
Worried Mom
Dear Mom,
No matter how patient a person or
animal you are, everyone has their limit.
Over the course of your dog’s short lifetime, your children have become more
mobile. They are impulsive toddlers,
experimenting with their world. She has
put up with a lot - probably way more
than she should have. She is older now.
Experience has been her teacher. She
has learned that if she wants to be left
alone, she has to make them leave her
really
Dear Stan,
friends that he
My dog has dog
is very
with, but he
enjoys playing ogs that we meet
ge d
rude to stran
train on
walks. He’ll s
r
fo
when out
t them,
ting to go mee
his leash wan
sniff and
there. They’ll
until we get
blows
, but then he
it seems fine do that and what
s he
up. Why doe
can I do?
Signed,
Rude Dog
Dear Rude Dog,
Dogs have many ways they “talk”
to each other. All too often, our leashes
interfere with appropriate conversations
and things go wrong.
Here are the most likely triggers for
his outburst:
1. Tight leashes - they complicate the
alone. You must be her advocate. If one of
your children was napping and the other
was about to whack him on the head with
a toy, would you stand by and expect the
napping child to be okay with that? Or
would you be supervising, ready to step
in, redirect, educate before the infraction?
Be there for your dog. She is their ‘sister’
in your family. Your dog is a pair of pointy
scissors. Not a toy, and not their parent.
That’s your job!
You can’t “break her” of setting lim-
its for children who aren’t old enough
to respect her right to sleep in peace or
respond to her expressions of pain or
fear. You CAN let her know that you will
set those limits and keep her safe, so she
doesn’t have to do it herself.
greeting by pulling the dogs into falsely
adversarial postures. They hold them
trapped so they can’t escape or negotiate a peace treaty by making space.
2. Standing there “too long” can trigger
a “get away from me” outburst. One
thousand one, one thousand two, one
thousand three. If your dog hasn’t
moved away to sniff the ground or pee
by now, it’s probably a good idea to call
him away with a happy voice (don’t
tighten the leash or drag the dog away,
you will likely trigger number 1.)
3. One dog or the other not responding
in kind when one or the other asks
for space. Or one dog challenging the
other with strong posture, direct stare
or freeze. The resulting outburst is self
defense.
Greeting rules (for meeting dogs or
people):
1 Keep your leashes slack.
2. Do the Maypole Dance - watch carefully and circle the direction your dog
circles to keep your leashes from getting
tangled.
11
3. Call your dog away when your dog OR
the other dog asks for a break. Praise,
pat your leg and lure him away with a
happy voice when you see any of the
following from either dog: head turn,
ground sniff, look off in the distance,
step back, tail drop or head drop - or
combination of the above. All are signals to the other dog that “I’m done”
and that it’s time to take a break or
move on.
4. Limit initial ‘hellos’ to 3 seconds, then
call away.
5. Most important - if your dog or the
other dog show any signs of reluctance
in greeting, DON’T. Let them be in each
other’s presence from a comfortable
distance until both are comfortable.
Never force unwilling contact.
Best of luck!
St a n ley
Happy Greeting!
St a n le
y
,Q/RYLQJ0HPRU\DQG+RQRULQJ7ULEXWHV
of Huey - sweet kitty missed by
Larry & Cathy Fox
- Carol & Dana Byrnes
of Bailey - loved and missed by
Teri Beeman
- all of us at Diamonds in the Ruff
of Rocky - loved and missed by
Karen Hathaway
- all of us at Diamonds in the Ruff
- the Ruff Revue
of Steve Graham
- John & Shelley Hengesh
of Julia Lackey
- A La Carte Realty Services LLC
- c/o Teresa Simon
- Jayn Courchaine
of Rick Lopes
- Dian Nelson
of “Summer”
- Eileen Davis
of “Hailey”
- Charlotte Thacker
of “T-Bone”
- Stephen & Susie Jones
of Joyce Kuchermeister
- Oscar & Irene Schell
of “Charlie”
- Lee Kershner
of “Gracie”
- Donald & Rosemarie Rader
of “Petey Lou”
- Linda Wolcott – Sheridan
of “Mischief”
- Chris & Connie Mutton
of “Charlie”
- Lee Kershner
of Lee Klemz
- Don Miller & Karen Winston
of “Molly & Bosley “
- Paul & Mary Charbonneau
of “Buford Smallwood”
- Christel Carlson
of John & Bev Richards
- Barry & Sharon Livengood
of Rick Robinson
- Carolyn Ebey
- Dan & Tara Haskins
of Brother Ronnie & Baby Ronnie
- E. Louise Elkins Ellis
of Darlene Stasiak
- Sheila Masteller
- Clarence Green
- Gilbert & Natalie Haubert
- Tom & Kathy Nett
of Susan Morris
- George Ann Janni
of Elsie Oberg
- Eleanor Liezen
of “Murphy”
- Ron & Carol Schaller
of Suzanne Callaway &
Lauren Llewellyn
- Kim Somers
of “Chief”
- John & Arlene Pandelis
of Michael Williams
- Nigel & Mallory “Sissy” Anderson
of Helen Crosby
- Maureen Love
of “Rowdy Malatare” & “Baby
Hatch Jay”
- Cindy Simonson
of Ida Barnhard
- Linda Huddle
of “Velvet”
- Leandro & Joan Rael
of Clyde Fishel
- Dana Russell
of“Mathilda”
- Ann Watson & Mary Rush
of South Hill dogs
- Marcella Chronister
of “Tux”
- Bob & Glenda Marquardt
of “Alex”
- Charles & Vicki Malatare
of Frannie Linder
- Mr. & Mrs. Donald V. Rader
of “Rocky”
- Connie Bascetta
of Tony Thompson
- Eddie & Ruth Dainty
In Honor and Tribute
of Amy Bailey
- Nancy Evans
of Shirley Morris
- Nicol Ambacher
of Dr. Robert H. Ruby
- D.A. Davidson & Co.
of “Jodi, Duke & Muffie”
- Suzanne Williams
of Shirley Lauerman
- Christel Carlson
of Jeri Cross & Ruby Niemeyer
- Jan Baker & Jo Anne Bailey
of Jim & Bev Hofmeister
- Jan & Jim Smith
of Donna & Lynn
- Geri Cross
of Karey Johnson
- Terry & Lisa Lamm
- Tim & Cindy Wilmoth
- Ruth Wilmoth
of Caren Kelley
- Megan Reed
of Westview Elementary Staff
- Vicki R.Malatare
of C. Youtzy, J. Brown &
Diane Colliander
- Kathy Hull
of Judy Allemand
- Marilyn Stanley
of Amy, Nathan, Carly, Casey, Sheri
& Patrick
- E. Louise Elkins Ellis
of Gloria Lewis
- Sydne Phelps
of Tonya Winebarger & Mary Ooms
- Walker Construction
of Karl Lamon
- Hannah Lamon
of Cindy Ghezzi
- Patti Piper
of Jim & Patsy Cogswell
- Buzz Germain
of Beverly Holman
- Marie Malloy
of Haley Momany
- Dan & Jeri Pfruender
of Meggan & Erin Petershick
& Renee Shepard
- Joan Reuthinger
of Barb Baumann
- Mike Dahmen
of Pamela Shute
- Tony & Suzanne Bamonte
12
Here in This House
Here in this house...
I will never know the loneliness I
hear in the barks of the other dogs
‘out there’.
Memories of a Dear
Friend of SpokAnimal
Lorraine Whiteleather was born in
New York Mills, Minnesota on April
16, 1916 and passed away on March
14, 2010, in her South Hill home in
Spokane, Washington. Among Lorraine’s passions were: dogs; boating,
needlework from cross-stitch to fine
embroidery; knitting; sewing; gardening and painting. The happiest times in
Lorraine’s life were spent boating and
getting a new puppy. Lorraine cared for
many dogs in her life and with names
such as Duffy, Scooter, Sassy and Fella, it becomes obvious that they can
be credited with giving Lorraine the
childlike joy necessary to live nearly a
century. Fella was her beloved dog and
constant companion in the last years of
her life. Lorraine was a very generous,
long-time donor to SpokAnimal. We offer sincere condolences to her family.
Note from SpokAnimal’s
Kandace
“A friend of mine from out of state sent
in a memoriam donation for another friend
who had recently lost their dog. My friend
is partial to cats and has three of her own she
loves and adores. The Snyder’s adopted a cat
from us a while back and sent this message
to my friend on behalf of her donation to
SpokAnimal.
LC,
You are unbelievable!! We received
a card yesterday from SpokAanimal
indicating you had sponsored a cat cage
in memory of Gus. I am overwhelmed
and so grateful to have you as a friend. I
can tell you that, in my lifetime, nobody
has ever done anything like that for me
or us. I cried when I read the card and I
am tearing up as I write this. You have
managed to pluck a chord in my heart
which doesn’t get played much. You are
a special person Colette….be ready for
an extra big hug when I see you!
DIVCO Incorporated, Carl R. Snyder
I can sleep soundly, assured that
when I wake my world will not have
changed.
I will never know hunger, or the fear
of not knowing if I’ll eat.
I will not shiver in the cold, or grow
weary from the heat.
I will feel the sun’s heat, and the rain’s
coolness, and be allowed to smell all
that can reach my nose.
My fur will shine, and never be dirty
or matted.
Here in this house...
There will be an effort to communicate
with me on my level.
I will be talked to and, even if I don’t
understand, I can enjoy the warmth
of the words.
I will be loved because I am who I am,
not someone’s idea of who I should
be.
I will never suffer for someone’s anger,
impatience, or stupidity.
I will be taught all the things I need to
know to be loved by all.
If I do not learn my lessons well, they
will look to my teacher for blame.
Here in this house...
I can trust arms that hold, hands that
touch...knowing that, no matter what
they do, they do it for the good of
me.
If I am ill, I will be doctored.
If scared, I will be calmed.
If sad, I will be cheered.
No matter what I look like, I will be
considered beautiful and known to
be of value.
I will be given a name so that I may
know who I am among many.
I will never be cast out because I am
too old, too ill, too unruly, or not cute
enough.
My name will be used in joy, and I will
love the sound of it!
My life is a responsibility, and not an
afterthought.
Here in this house...
I will never be a substitute for anything
I am not.
I will never be used to improve peoples’
images of themselves.
I will learn that humans can almost,
sometimes, be as kind and as fair as
dogs.
Here in this house...
I will belong. I will be home.
Trivia
From Kong’s Facebook page
KONG’s story began with a German
Shepherd named Fritz (pictured right),
his owner, and a Volkswagen van. Fritz,
a former police dog, enjoyed chewing
rocks. This activity wore down his teeth
and frustrated his owner, Joe Markham.
One afternoon while working... on his
Volkswagen van, Joe noticed Fritz dining
on rocks once again. Out of desperation,
he started disassembling the van he was
working on and threw parts near Fritz to
see if he could be coaxed away from his
destructive dinner. Radiator hoses didn’t
work – neither did anything else until he
pulled off a rubber suspension part and
tossed it to Fritz. Right away, Fritz was
ecstatic. The KONG was born!
While Fritz invented the KONG, it
13
was Joe Markham who saw the potential
of this odd-looking toy. Markham refined
the toy’s design, developed a proprietary,
super-strong rubber formula and began
production in 1976.
Update
He Is
Clarification on Winter Article
I just read this latest news letter, and
as always, I am amazed and grateful for all
SpokAnimal does for companion animals.
In reading about “Buck” I encountered a
term I’d not heard of before---stray period.
What is the purpose for this? Does it mean
an animal is not eligible for treatment for
3 days even though they need it? It kind
of turned my stomach to think of this guy
with huge wounds and pain receiving no
treatment until this time period was over.
Please explain to me.
I also have a question about Ashes.
If he hung around SpokAnimal all those
years, why was he not brought in before
last winter? Could he not have been tamed
and socialized to be given a chance at a
home rather than live on the streets for
17 years?
I know this note sounds critical, but
I am truly disturbed and want to understand.
Thank you. Karlene Hyer
Thanks, Karlene, for asking. The
“stray period” is the term used for
animals who came in as strays from the
City of Spokane. By ordinance, the stray
period is 72 hours for unidentified stray
dogs, 10 day hold for dogs with current
City license, and additionally, we offer a
courtesy 5 day hold for dogs with some
form of ID (microchip, expired license,
ID tags, tattoo). During the hold period,
we offer stabilization treatment while we
make every attempt to contact the owner.
I assure you that while we can’t legally
perform extensive treatment prior to the
72 hour hold, Buck was under the care
initially at Pet Emergency clinic and then
by our onsite veterinarian. He was on
pain medication and /kept comfortable
until he became our ward.
After the stray period, ownership
of the dog is transferred to SpokAnimal
and we can proceed with other types of
treatment (surgery, etc). To this end, we
have the Lucky to Be Alive Fund (when
funds are available) to assist in special
cases of animals in our care. Buck was
one of them.
Ashes is/was a feral cat who was cared
for by the woman who lived next door to
SpokAnimal. We trapped him and sterilized him and returned him to her care.
He had a buddy named “Smokey” who
is a few years older, and still lives here at
SpokAnimal in our administrative offices.
When Mrs. Davis passed away a couple of
years ago, Smokey moved in with us and
Ashes came for meals, but kept his distance.
He had lived his entire life outside and
disliked living indoors. When we brought
him in, he was not a happy camper. He
had a home in the upstairs of the garage
at Mrs. Davis’s home (which SpokAnimal
purchased) and he continued to come for
meals and hang by our administration
door, but returned to his lifelong home
at the end of the day. He resisted taming
with a vengeance, but was very gentle and
happy to hang with us. He did not live
on the streets, but was very well cared for,
living life the way he loved it.
When it looked like it would be better
for him, we decided to take the leap, it was
as if he too knew his time was short and
readily adapted to life inside. Thankfully
Becky also fell in love with him and his
final days were with her. He slept on her
lap and was in heaven both before and
after passing.
Thanks for your concern and for giving me the opportunity to respond.
Gail Mackie
Every year six million companion
animals die in shelters all across
America - over 16,000 puppies,
kittens, dogs and cats per day.
Please spay or neuter
your pets.
14
He is my other eyes that can see
above the clouds,
my other ears that hear above the
winds.
He is the part of me that can reach
out into the sea.
He has told me a thousand times
over that I am his reason for being by the way he rests against
my leg,
by the way he thumps his tail at
my smallest smile,
by the way he shows his hurt
when I leave without taking him.
(I think it makes him sick with
worry when he is not along to
care for me.)
When I am wrong, he is delighted
to forgive.
When I am angry, he clowns to
make me smile.
When I am happy, he is joy
unbounded.
When I am a fool, he ignores it.
When I succeed, he brags.
Without him, I am only another
man.
With him, I am all-powerful.
He is loyalty itself.
He has taught me the meaning of
devotion.
With him, I know a secret comfort
and a private peace.
He has brought me understanding where before I was ignorant.
His head on my knee can heal my
human hurts.
His presence by my side is protection against my fears of dark and
unknown things.
He has promised to wait for me...
whenever...wherever – in case I
need him.
And I expect I will – as I always
have.
Author Unknown
4th Annual Bounder Paws and Poles
It was a beautiful day on the mountain and fun was had by all – yes, there
was snow. Dogs of all kinds and their
canine companions arrived for either a
3K snowshoe or a 5K X-C ski race.
This event is held annually on the
first Saturday of March at 49 Degrees
North, it is hosted by Mountain Gear
and the Spokane Parks and Recreation
Department. All proceeds from this
event benefit SpokAnimal and the 9000
animals we shelter each year.
This year almost $1000 was raised
at the race. There is a small live auction
after the completion of the race, all the
awards given and the prizes handed out.
If you weren’t able to make this year but
would like to come out next year just
mark the calendar to contact us in early
2011 to find out how to get registered.
Snowshoe and X-C ski equipment is
available for rental along with skijoring
harness, so if you always wanted to try
just rent from the Nordic Center they can
give you the “hook up”.
All the participants at the Paws and Poles
event had a wonderful day of cross-country
skiing or snowshoeing.
Long-time friend of SpokAnimal Lee Wolfand
and her dog Dawson get ready to “shoe”!
God is Watching You
I am the mother of two beautiful
daughters. As a parent you want to do
the best for your children. When my two
girls are not little angels I remind them
that God is watching you. Knowing that
their Heavenly Father is watching them
seems to direct them in the right direction
to make the best decision.
A few nights before Christmas, I had a
few hours to spare and asked my husband
if he could watch the girls while I did
some last minute Christmas shopping. I
stopped at Halpins, in the Spokane Valley.
As I parked the car and got out I noticed
a crinkled $1.00 bill on the ground. Not
really putting much thought into my find
I put the crinkled bill in my pocket and
headed to the store to shop. Like many
families, we too have been impacted by
the current economic crisis and I thought
maybe it was a $10.00 bill. As I unfolded
the crinkled bill it was not a $1.00, or a
$10.00, it was a $100.00 bill. The first
thought that came to mind is my words
of wisdom “God is watching you.” The
$100.00 could buy some wonderful stocking stuffers, but God is watching me. I
went to the cashier and asked to speak
to a manager on duty. I explained that I
found this $100.00 bill, handed him my
business card from Imprezzio, Inc. and
we agreed that if no one called to claim
the lost item in a week or so he would
give me the money.
As I returned to my house I asked
my family what they would do if they
found $100.00. My oldest daughter
wanted to buy some presents and my
husband said it was finder’s keepers, but
I reminded them “God is watching you.”
As a family we discussed what would
we do with $100.00? We discussed all
the wonderful programs that took care
of the adults and kids with presents and
food for Christmas. A few days later, in
the mail, came the winter issue of the
SpokAnimal newsletter. On the front
cover was an article about their Lucky to
be Alive Fund to help injured animals get
a second chance at life. We decided that
if the $100.00 was unclaimed we would
donate it to the fund.
A week went by and no call, two
weeks went by and no call. I thought,
I bet with the busy rush of Christmas
they may have forgotten about the
stranger who found $100.00. I walked
into Halpins and asked to speak to the
15
manager. John, the manager, came to the
front and remembered me right away. I
must admit there was a bet at home if
the $100.00 would be there or if it would
not be there. John commented that no
one called or stopped by for the $100.00
and he would go to the office to get the
money. I showed John the article from
SpokAnimal and let him know we were
donating the money to the Lucky to Be
Alive Fund.
To those animals left to die hurt and
alone, God is watching you. May the
$100.00 help to save an animal’s life.
The Swavely Family
Buck is alive today thanks to donors like the
Swavely family.
Support/Donation Form
SpokAnimal C.A.R.E
SpokAnimal C.A.R.E.
N. 714 Napa
Spokane, WA 99202
(509) 534-8133
A non-profit organization dedicated to the
prevention of cruelty to animals.
Non-Profit
U.S. Postage
PAID
Spokane, WA
Permit 1012
Pet Sponsor . . $25
Cat
Dog
Either
Yes, I’m a SpokAnimal C.A.R.E. supporter!
Please use the following supporter/donation
of $__________________________ in support
of SpokAnimal C.A.R.E. in its work with animals
and public education.
Mr/Mrs/Ms _________________________________
(If different from label)
Phone ____________________________________
Address __________________________________
City___________________State _______ Zip _____
Email _____________________________________
I’d like to volunteer! Please call me!
Upcoming Events
Looking to adopt
a cat or dog?
Pawsitive Start (Free Adopter’s Class)
2nd & 4th Sunday of the month
1:00-2:30pm
Volunteer & Foster Orientations - April
Regular Volunteer
10th, Saturday, 10:30am
15th, Wednesday, 6:00pm
28th, Wednesday, 6:00pm
Super Pet Adoption Festival Orientation
24th, Saturday, 2:00pm at SpokAnimal
Foster Only Orientation
15th, Thursday at 5:30pm- Must register
in advance by completing and returning
paperwork prior to orientation.
Pick up a
mouse!
Mailed quarterly to over 6,500 animal lovers.
Editor: Carol A. Byrnes
Executive Director: Gail B. Mackie
Blessing of the Animals
at Highbridge Park
April 18, 2:00pm (See article page 1)
Pose For Paws
August 14 (See article page 9)
For more info, call Kandace Watkins
at (509) 534-8133, ext. 209
or email: [email protected]
When you finish this newsletter
pass it along to a friend !
Issues of SpokAnimal’s Companion
Animal News are now available
for download online at
www.spokanimal.org!
We Need To Know !
Is your name correct on our mailing list?
Is your mailing address and zip code correct ? (Due to the use of bulk rate for mailings,
Companion Animal News cannot be forwarded.)
Are you receiving duplicate copies of Companion Animal News?
Would you like to receive more than one issue of Companion Animal News?
(Companion Animal News makes wonderful reading for office clients or school children.)
If so contact Angela Scheres, 534-8133, ext. 210.
Visit us on the web!
www.spokanimal.org
and www.petfinder.com
TUNE IN!
SpokAnimal is featured on:
KREM Ch 2 - Tuesday noon news
KXLY Ch 4 - Tuesday & Friday on
Good Morning NW
KHQ Ch 6 - Saturday morning news
The River- Varying times with
Greg Mills
Please make changes below
Please send me _____
complimentary copies of
Companion Animal News
Enclosed is $ _____ to help
with the printing and postage
costs.