Animals Can Be Our Teachers

Vol. 29 No. 4
Winter Issue - Published Quarterly
Animals Can Be Our Teachers
Love. Acceptance. Empathy.
One of the Airway Heights Corrections Center dog handlers wrote: “This program means more to me now than it did
when I was first told I was accepted. Actually, you might say
it all started with my ‘acceptance’ in more ways than one.
It has been a roller coaster of not just bonding with Herbert, but with my cell-mate as well. Both of us have learned
better ways to talk and deal with others as well as with each
other. And I’d like to say, with ourselves, too. The word “no”
has all but become extinct. It’s actually kinda funny trying
to think of other ways to answer or comment, without the
“no” word. Yeah, it’s been a challenge, but a welcome one.
Learning something different has always been cool to me.
But learning something that is possibly life changing can be
rather daunting at best. This has been crazy-cool so far, and
I’m just getting started. I truly hope that this program doesn’t
end for me. Who would have thought that there could be
something actually positive in this place that I could carry
with me, possibly forever?”
A whole lotta love goes into every prison pup.
They are there to learn. They teach, too.
Teamwork, Patience, Responsibility, Unconditional Love.
This program has far reaching effects, beyond the prison
walls and beyond training wonderful dogs to become
wonderful pets. We and our children learn much from
being raised with animals. Many inmates have children at
home. Many relate what they are learning about positive
training to raising their kids and how what they are learning
will change how they parent in the future. The dogs these
men train may have a profound effect on how their children
Winter 2012
grow up and raise the next generation. Kim Imel and Carol
Byrnes have donated many great books to the prison library.
Prison dog handlers and other inmates have access to a
library of positive training books, including one called “The
Power of Positive Parenting” by Latham, which isn’t about
dog training at all. World-renowned trainer Terry Ryan has
donated an autographed copy of her “Coaching People to
Train Their Dogs” and filial therapist Rise Van Fleet sent
us an autographed copy of her book “The Human Half of
Dog Training.” These books address positive interpersonal
relationships as well as dog training.
One of our current handlers has eighty dog books of his
own in his cell. Since they aren’t allowed to share directly
with other inmates, he is planning to donate some of his personal books to the prison library. These books will remain
long after he is released back into society. He has set his sights
on “going to the dogs” when he gets out. This program is vocational rehabilitation. Hopefully his experience in the program will help him make better life choices in the future than
the ones he made that brought him here.
More about the Pawsitive Prison Program on page 2 & 3
What’s Inside:
Page
Wrigley Writes........................................................................................ 2
Pups Paroled........................................................................................... 3
We Live for Happy Endings................................................................. 4
A-Team Saves At-Risk Dogs................................................................. 4
Volunteer Corner.................................................................................... 5
From the Executive Director................................................................. 5
“Trap-Neuter-Return” Program........................................................5-6
SpokAnimal Adoptee Stars at Training Seminar............................... 6
From the Board President..................................................................... 7
Purrs, Licks and Tailwags..................................................................... 8
Taking a Bite Out of Cancer with “Bark for Life”.............................. 9
Thank You Pet Sponsors........................................................................ 9
How You Can Help.............................................................................. 10
A Small Act of Kindness Goes a Long, Long Way........................... 11
Finding Fur-Ever Homes Through Rescues & Runways............... 12
Subaru of Spokane Helps SpokAnimal “Share the Love”............. 13
6th Annual Thanksgiving Dog Walk................................................. 14
In Loving Memory and Honoring Tributes...................................... 15
Wrigley Writes
Board of Directors
Pres: Christel Carlson
Treas: Barbara Grant
Secretary: Angela Scheres
Suzy Dix
Molly Lundberg
Mary Rush
Carmen Murphy
Cynthia Schwartz
Friends of SpokAnimal
Kim Kamel
Kathy Hull
Frank Harrison
Regina Winkler
Location:
SpokAnimal C.A.R.E.
710 N. Napa • Spokane, WA 99202
Phone:
(509) 534-8133 • Fax: (509) 535-9630
Clinic: (509) 534-4253
Website:
http://www.spokanimal.org
Shelter Hours:
Adoption Center:
10AM-6:30PM ~ Mon-Fri
Noon-4PM ~ Sat-Sun
Licensing / Front Desk:
10:00AM-6:30PM - Monday - Friday
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 ~ Monday
1:30-6:00PM ~ Tuesday
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, SCRAPS or Pet
Savers, please visit their websites.
SpokAnimal:
www.spokanimal.org
Spokane Humane Society:
www.spokanehumanesociety.org
SCRAPS:
www.spokanecounty.org/animal
Pet Savers:
www.petsavers-spokane.org
~ OUR MISSION ~
SpokAnimal C.A.R.E. is dedicated
to the placement, protection and
health of animals through legislation, education and programs.
As we come to the holidays and the beginning of a
new year, it makes me think
about my life and the lives
of my canine buddies. I am
so grateful to finally have a
home where I am snuggled
and warm and where every
need is met. I am also grateful that I ended up on the
road to my forever home
through the Pawsitive Dog
Training program at Airway
Heights Correction Center.
Just this month six of my
friends have started their
own journey through the
prison program and I know
they are going to have a
great time. While their immediate needs of shelter,
food, training, and most
of all generous amounts of
love will be met, they need
a few more things to help
them on their journey to
their forever home. I told
all of them, Emma, Ellie,
Cassie, Lucy, Bruce, Annie,
and Micky that I would ask our dear
SpokAnimal friends to help them out.
All of these wonderful dogs need
someone waiting for them ‘on the outside’ to be their forever families. All of
them but Ellie who has a home eager
and waiting for her release in February.
On page 3 is a wish list for my buddies.
I know it is a little specific, but the awesome staff at AHCC have already approved these items so they are safe for
the dogs and humans living there. In
addition to the things listed, financial
support is always needed to keep the
program moving forward. So, what
about it? Want me to let my friends, the
prison pups, know that you are helping
them out?
Thanks in advance for all of your
support. I know I would not be the dog
I am or be where I am at if it were not
for the generous support of humans like
you! Happy Holidays and New Year!!
Wr i g ley
Come See Us Online!
We’re on Facebook! Stay up to
date with all things SpokAnimal and
talk to us! Our Companion Animal
News quarterly newsletter is available
for download on our website at www.
spokanimal.org. We hope you will
share your paper copy with another
animal lover when you have finished
reading it - reduce, re-use, recycle! For
an up-to-the-minute update, we also
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put out a regular e-letter. If you would
like to join our email list, you can submit your email address on our website,
or email outreach@spokanimal.org to
be included.
Pups Paroled!
Pawsitive Dog
Wish List:
Prison Dogs Looking for Forever Homes
• Training treats, lots of them!
Treats need to be small or easily
torn into small treats for rewards
for a job well done. For the health
of all of our dogs, please be sure
to purchase treats produced in
the US or Canada.
• Small dry treats (Smack N
Snacks, Itty Bitty Buddies, Zukes
mini naturals, etc)
• High Value soft treats (jerky style
treats such as Evangers or Zuke
Fillets, freeze dried meat treats)
• Specialty toys (West Paw retrieving toys are always a hit, tightly
braided fleece tug toys, stuffed
animals with squeekies)
• Coats sponsorship (it is cold and
several coats have been purchased to keep the dogs warm
and dry when outside, sponsorship for each of these coats is
needed)
• Any item can be dropped off at
the front desk of either the shelter or the clinic at SpokAnimal.
Be sure to label the items “Prison
Dogs” to make sure they get to
the correct recipients. Financial
donations can be made in person at the shelter or clinic, on
line through the SpokAnimal
website, or on line through the
Pawsitive Dog Facebook page.
To ensure all contributions are
correctly distributed to the prison program, note ‘Prison Dogs’
on all donations.
Jasper, Maverick, Millie, Sidney,
Wrigley and Spencer are all happy
in their new homes following their
graduation from the Pawsitive Dog
prison training program.
♥
Important links:
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/PawsitiveDogPrisonProgram
SpokAnimal prison dog page:
http://www.spokanimal.org/prisonpups.php
A whole lotta love goes
into every prison pup.
Maverick in his new home.
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We Live for Happy Endings ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Chloe
On June first, in the process of looking for a lost pet, Littlebit, we came to
SpokAnimal. After four days of looking for our lost, deaf Chihuahua, we
had given up hope. We came into SpokAnimal and saw a tea cup Chihuahua
called Rose. Love at first sight. After
filling out all the papers, and paying the
fees, we returned the next day to pick
up the newly spayed Rose, renamed
Chloe, and began our trip home to Oregon. When we were almost to Pasco,
we received a phone call informing us
that Littlebit, the lost 5lb deaf teacup
Chihuahua had been found. We turned
around and drove back to Spokane to
retrieve him and then returned home to
Oregon. I am writing at this time to let
you know that Chloe is doing great and
has become a very precious part of our
home. We want to thank all of you at
SpokAnimal for your care and concern
and the great work you are doing. I am
sending you some pictures of Chloe
(the little Rose who wouldn’t eat) to
show you she is doing great.
Thank you, Pam and Greg Beitel
Carrico Family
Chloe
Florence and Charlie Carrico shared
this great photo of them with their
beautiful German Shepherd who was
adopted from SpokAnimal and their
adorable mini-Aussie who was from a
cruelty case in the Tri-Cities. Two lucky
dogs with Santa!
Best friends, Chloe and Littlebit
A-Team Saves At-Risk Dogs
By Kathy Robbins
The A Team trainers are going
strong, working with dogs who have
issues that could make them unadoptable. The team saves most of the dogs
they work with. When asked about
their most challenging and rewarding
dogs, they mentioned many different
issues.
Peter Hamel reported about Barney: “Barney, an about 10 month old
male pit mix, was the dog I found most
rewarding to work with. He arrived at
the shelter very thin, quite possessive
about his food, and not interested in
interacting with people - to the point
that he would growl and snap at any
hand that approached his bowl and
actively avoided being touched. Not a
very appealing condition! Most of the
team collaborated on developing an intervention strategy. It quickly became
apparent that Barney was incredibly
smart and responded, as most dogs do,
to positive and patient guidance and
instruction. He had a youthful exuberance that was a joy to watch plus an
ever increasing appreciation of what
people had to offer. It took about one
month of teamwork with Barney and
ultimately he no longer was concerned
about people approaching his bowl,
learned to enjoy a nice back rub, a knew
come, sit, stay, and leave it. Barney was
adopted on October 30.”
Debbie Walker and Kathy Robbins
remember Chloe fondly. Chloe, a small
Lab mix, was an owner surrender from
homeless people, along with her litter
brother Spike. At the SAFER assessment, Chloe resource guarded her food.
A friend of Kathy’s wanted to adopt
Chloe, and since she had a potential
home, the team went into high gear to
work with her. Three different teams
worked with Chloe on three separate
days, and Chloe then did well on her
second assessment, Kathy’s friend was
called, and Chloe was adopted. (See
the article about Cosi, formerly Chloe,
in this issue on page 6).
Bernice Furukawa not only worked
with the little Poodle mix Boo, but went
one step further and arranged for Boo
to go to foster care. Boo was from a
hoarder, and when he arrived at the
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Is your forever friend
waiting for you
at SpokAnimal right now?
shelter he was the most frightened and
unsocialized of the dogs from his former home. Bernice recalls, “I worked
with him for a couple of weeks and was
able to carry him around socializing
him. He was still so scared that he did
nothing when SAFERED. I knew he
needed special care.” Since the foster
found a home for Boo with a friend, we
still hear about his progress, and he has
blossomed in his new home!
Wade Ramm specializes in working
with those large, rambunctious and untrained dogs who would otherwise not
be adopted because people can’t handle
them on walks. He teaches manners to
the wildest of them, and they then get
adopted.
Jess Moody can work with any dog,
from the wild ones to the scared ones.
Debbie Walker, Patti Parker and Kathy
Robbins work with the frightened and
unsocialized dogs, and the resource
guarders.
More dogs are being adopted
thanks to the work these trainers do
with the dogs. They can’t save them
all, but they DO save most of them!
From the Executive Director
Volunteer Corner
Dear Friends,
As we come to this very special time of year, I am reminded daily by people just like you exactly what SpokAnimal
has meant over the years. I receive pictures and hear stories
of wonderful pets that have changed lives—and even saved
lives. I hear from someone who has used our Pet Pantry food
bank, and is now helping because they are in a better place. I
hear from victims of domestic violence who tell us that simply by having their pets with us in a safe environment for
a couple of weeks has allowed them to make safe changes
in their lives for them, their children and their pets. I hear
from teenage volunteers about the impact that our education
department, the reason they are now volunteering. I hear
from people who have adopted their service and companion
animals from us, allowing them to better function in today’s
world. Every day someone thanks us for the Dorothy Clark
veterinary clinic at SpokAnimal, which allow them to sterilize
a pet whose surgery would otherwise not be affordable. I am
thankful to KREM television for sponsoring our Pick of the
Litter segment for over 20 years, bringing SpokAnimal and
our pets into homes each Tuesday on the noon show. Because
of this, I am always amazed how many people recognize me
as I go about my daily life. The media spots have allowed us
to take our message to the people of our area, and we appreciate the work of all our media supporters. I hope each of you
has the happiest of Christmas, Hanukkah, or other holidays
you celebrate. For me, your support makes it one of the happiest Christmas times. Thanks.
Rebecca & William: AllStar Team and SpokAnimal’s
Volunteers of the Quarter
Thank you for your diligent efforts—the two of you continue to make a tremendous impact at SpokAnimal. Not only
do Rebecca and William brighten up and share with staff and
volunteers alike their friendly and hard-working attitudes,
they do this all with a smile on their face. Consistently helping out at the shelter tri-weekly, no task is too big or too small
when it comes to them. A true team, they are always willing to
step up and take on anything asked of them—from organizing and cleaning out the events center, to loading up our vehicles with supplies for offsite events, to making goody-bags
for adoptive parents, to even decorating this year’s “Giving
Tree,” we can always count on them to do one heck of a job.
Thank you Rebecca and William, we cannot express enough
how appreciative we are for your enthusiasm and helping out
in shelter operations—Congratulations on being Volunteers
of the Quarter!
Gail B. Mackie
Executive Director
“Trap-Neuter-Return” Program Helps to Save Lives
and Free Up Shelter Space
Each year, SpokAnimal Animal
Control officers consistently turn in the
highest volume of free-roaming cats
from the 99207, 99212 and the 99217 zip
codes. As a community, it is important
that we help to stabilize the population
of feral cats, which is why SpokAnimal
received a grant from PetSmart Charities to allow us to spay/neuter free
roaming or feral cats in the following
zip codes: 99207, 99212, & 99217.
For just $5, you can now bring in
a cat residing in these zip codes (you,
yourself do not have to be residing in
these zip codes to bring them in, just
the cat) and the cat will be spayed/neutered, ear tipped, and receive a rabies
vaccination on us.
The “Trap-Neuter-Return” program,
5
promoted by the ASPCA, is a more humane and effective alternative to euthanasia for managing and reducing feral
cat populations, which often times, can
become a nuisance to communities.
Cats are and have been the number one problem in intake at our shelter. “Due to the volume of cats that are
turned in, it is simply not feasible to
have a three-day holding period like
dogs do, so neither the city or county
has a holding period for them unless
they have traceable identification or a
license,” said Gail Mackie, Executive
Director. “That is why we not only encourage micro-chipping of domesticated cats—so when animal control gets a
call or complaint for a free-roaming cat,
Continued on page 6
SpokAnimal Adoptee Stars at Training Seminar!
By Kathy Robbins
On December 1 & 2, Spokane Dog
Training Club sponsored a two-day
training seminar on Competition Agility and Obedience Training. The seminar featured well known East Coast
trainer Diane Bauman (www.dianebauman.com). During the planning stages,
Diane asked the club if they could provide her with a young, small to medium sized female shelter dog who was
untrained. Mary Jane Shervais, the
Training Director appointed club member and SpokAnimal volunteer trainer
Kathy Robbins with the task of identifying a suitable dog for the seminar. To
insure that the right dog would be available, Mary Jane and Kathy began looking in September. If a dog was found
early, Mary Jane decided she would just
adopt the dog herself, so that it would
be recovered from the spay surgery. A
small Lab mix named Chloe was found
in early September who had been owner surrendered with her litter brother by
homeless people. Mary Jane decided to
adopt her and name her Cosi. Unfortunately, she resource guarded her food
when she had her SAFER assessment,
so the shelter A Team went to work to
make her adoptable.
Why would an accomplished trainer like Diane Bauman want to risk her
reputation on a shelter dog that knows
nothing? Because Diane Bauman has
been rescuing dogs since 1974 and is
a great friend of shelters. Many of her
personal dogs over the years have been
rescues, and she has four rescues at this
time. She told me that the rescue dogs
have consistently performed better in
trials than the purchased puppies. She
thinks that not only are the rescues always grateful for what they now have,
but that they have proven themselves
to be survivors who can handle stress
and overcome it. You also have a better idea of what you are getting for
temperament and personality than you
do when you buy a puppy. Well, little
Cosi from SpokAnimal proved Diane’s
point very well. She was a real trooper
all weekend, learning every behavior
quickly. Diane says that while all the
shelter dogs she has worked with at
seminars have been very nice dogs,
our Cosi is “exceptional.” She is very
adaptable and giving, easy to train, and
Diane could place 12 dogs like Cosi immediately.
Cosi is now back at the Shervais
house, where she will stay for the rest
of her life. She will be training with
Mary Jane and playing with her Golden
Retriever sisters, which she does every
day without fail! Mary Jane reports
that there has been no behavior that she
would describe as resource guarding.
SpokAnimal is very grateful that
someone with Diane’s standing in the
dog training world is promoting the
adoption of shelter dogs. Most of the
dogs we see at SpokAnimal are NOT
second hand rejects. They are dogs
who unfortunately came from situations
where they were not loved enough to be
trained, or dogs whose loving owners
fell on hard times and could no longer
care for them.
Come in and find
your perfect partner!
“Trap-Neuter-Return” Program (continued)
they can scan it and easily see it belongs
to an owner – but, we promote programs
like the ‘Trap-Neuter-Return’ one, so we
can help stabilize feral cat populations
through sterilization in different areas of
Spokane.”
In 2011, SpokAnimal and S.C.R.A.P.S
combined received over 1,200 free-roaming or feral cats. Unfortunately, because
many of these cats have not been socialized properly or domesticated, the placement options are limited for these cats.
While SpokAnimal is actively trying
to place these cats, such as in our “Farm
Livin’ Is the Life For Me,” barn cat program – in which we send feral cats to
serve as rodent control for those living in
rural/farm areas, we hope that community members will take advantage of this
stellar $5 deal to help stabilize feral cat
colony populations through the “TrapNeuter-Release” program. You can even
rent a trap at SpokAnimal at the front
desk of our shelter. Then, you can trap
the cat, we will spay/neuter for you, eartip (crop 1/4 inch off the tip of the left
ear, so that the cat be easily recognized
as having been sterilized as a member
of a managed colony) the cat, and even
provide a rabies vaccination for the cat,
where you can then release it back to the
location the cat originally came from.
Not only is this program a great way
to become more involved in the community, but the “Trap-Neuter-Release” program actively frees up space in our shelter, saving room for those animals that
are surrendered by their owners. Please
get involved and become an advocate for
the “Trap-Neuter-Release” program – not
only will you be helping to stabilize feral
cat colony populations, but you will be
helping us to save the lives of the many
cats that come through our shelter.
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See page 14 for information about
the $5 cat sterilization.
From the Desk of the Board President
Heartfelt Thanks
Dear Animal Lovers,
I am personally thankful for what
my membership on the SpokAnimal
Board of Directors for the last nine years
has brought to me (not counting the
dogs and cats in my life), but most importantly, the empathy it has taught my
daughter who volunteers with me.
I am thankful for our staff, donors
and volunteers, all working together to
make SpokAnimal the vibrant organization it is. When we look back just a few
years, we can see just how far we have
come. We are grateful that five years ago
the ASPCA declared us a Mission: Orange city—thus allowing us to learn from
their staff, use their experts, and join with
other cities for networking. They provided us with training for staff and board
members in a multitude of areas. As we
“graduate” from their support, we are
an immensely stronger organization in
a stronger humane community. The improved (live) release rate and decrease of
incoming pets speaks volumes.
We are grateful for Dorothy Clark
and her vision. Her bequest enabled us
to purchase and renovate a warehouse
across the alley turning it into a state of
the art veterinary clinic where we provide low fee sterilizations, microchips
and vaccinations to the public. As well,
we provide veterinary care to the animals in our care.
We are grateful for the vision of staff
members who have developed new programs designed to foster animals, the
Cruizin Kritters program which transports pets to guaranteed placement
partners in other cities, the Farm Livin
program that places at risk cats in farm
homes where they are wanted and cared
for. We are so thankful for the people
on the other end of these programs, the
foster homes, the other shelters and the
farms and businesses.
We are grateful for our media partners. KREM has offered us a weekly spot
on their noon news for over 25 years.
Pick of the Litter has found homes for
over 1500 pets during this partnership,
as well as giving us a platform to announce breaking news on programs and
events. KXLY continues to host us every
other Monday morning with their Pet
PALS program. KHQ has had pets for
adoption segments both on the television and on their internet program. We
are currently working with them on an
exciting new segment. The Exchange
Want Ads have been vital in our Farm
Livin program and we thank them for
their partnership. The Spokesman, Inlander, Huckleberry Press have all supported our mission as well.
We are grateful for the advent of social media which plays an ever increasing
role in connecting animals with homes.
With the help of PetFinder and our loyal
volunteers Steward and Kathy Robbins,
our animals are featured daily on that
site as well as being available in real time
on the SpokAnimal Android app.
Our corporate donors have come
through for us on numerous occasions
with discounted merchandise or outright donations. That means the money
we would have spent to purchase food
(thanks to Aslin Finch, Walmart, Costco,
Target and many others) can help with
other projects.
We are grateful for individual donors who give $5-$500 at a time. You
make a difference in the lives of the animals in our care. Some of you donate on
a monthly basis via credit cards. Some
of you have matching giving at your
work. Many of you have notified us that
you are remembering us in your estate
planning. You have continued donating through these last several years of
economic turmoil. We have seen many
heartbreaking stories over the last few
years. Individuals who find themselves
victims of the economy. Our pet pantry
is able to help those in need, keeping the
pet in the loving home it already has.
We are grateful that after years of
work, we partnered with the City of
Spokane, who leases us 12 beautiful
acres of property for use as a dog park.
It was the donations of you, our donors,
who erected the fencing. It was the
work of our development staff that acquired (just this month) a grant from the
Nutro company to fund water. It was a
grant from the Manito Garden Club that
will provide us with trees for the small
dog area. Your continued donations will
fund future improvements.
And finally, I am certainly grateful
that my two house cats and two gigantic
SpokAnimal dogs greet me every evening when I arrive home. Their individual lives are a blessing to me.
Christel A. Carlson, President
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New Assistant
to SpokAnimal’s
Director of Community
Outreach
Valerie Topacio, a Seattle native
and Spokane newbie, is extremely
excited to be working with Director
of Community Outreach, Bridgette
Bossio, as her new assistant. Topacio,
a recent Political Science Gonzaga
University graduate comes to SpokAnimal with background experience
and a passion for writing, graphic
design, marketing and connecting
with others through social media
and on-the-ground outreach, making her a great fit for the position.
An animal lover, and a three-cat lady
herself, she hopes to continue to educate more people about ways they
can be a more responsible pet owner
as well as assist Bossio and SpokAnimal in vamping up their presence in
the community. She believes that onthe-ground activism and a consistent
presence at off-site events sharing
SpokAnimal’s mission, “to place and
protect the health of animals through
legislation, education and programs
for pets and their people”—continues to create a more compassionate
community. “It’s amazing to be a
part of an organization where staff
and volunteers inspire positive action and responsible-pet-ownership
awareness,” Topacio said. “I hope
too, through conversations with the
community and by providing a persistent and enthusiastic presence
that I can help inform the mission of
SpokAnimal, and make an impact
that matters, especially in the life of
a sweet animal.”
Purrs, Licks & Tailwags
Thank you!
Sharing, Caring Students
working with animals as a kick off for
their fund raiser to collect money and
supplies for SpokAnimal. Several students expressed interest in zoology and
marine mammal training and were excited to learn about clicker training and
watch Stanley demonstrate. The following week Carol returned to accept
wonderful donations of pet food, training rewards for the Prison Program and
nearly $200 in cash donations collected
by the students.
Special thanks to Kay and Lindsey
from Pug Group of Spokane for their
donation of dog food and $350.00 they
raised from their calendar sales! They
have 150 members and at any given
day you might run into 20 or 30 pugs
playing at the SpokAnimal Dog Park!
Woofs to the Inland Empire Kennel
Club for their donation for our dogs.
Here are Isabel and Blake who organized a supply drive for SpokAnimal
at their school, Westview Elementary. Both are eight years old and huge
animal lovers. Selena is pictured with
little sister Isabel - she started the tradition two years ago, but has since
moved on to Middle School. Thanks so
much, Westview supporters and special
thanks to Isabel and Blake for all your
hard work putting this together!!!
Balboa Elementary 6th graders held a
fundraiser for shelter animals at SpokAnimal and raised $197!
Ridgeview teachers Cindy Ghezzi and
Cat Svoboda invited Carol Byrnes and
her sidekick Stanley to come for their
annual animal care presentation and
holiday fund raising drive. This has
been an event for over twenty years! The
kids make homemade dog treats, blankets and cat toys to sell to raise funds
and special treats in handmade bags
are brought to the shelter for people to
purchase and as gifts from the kids for
any animal left in the shelter on Christmas Day. They outdid themselves this
year, collecting food and rewards for
the shelter and prison training program
and over $500 in cash donations! We
love Ridgeview Elementary!
Purrs to Our Friends:
Thanks to Laurie Pechous-Clark for
her generosity making Christmas ornaments and selling them to benefit SpokAnimal.
Cheney Middle School animal science
students invited Education Director
Carol Byrnes to speak about animal
sheltering, animal training and careers
HUGE thanks to Nature’s Pet North,
Prairie Dog Pet Mercantile, Kritter
Kookies, and all the individual donors who have provided food, toys and
training rewards for our Pawsitive Dog
Prison Training program and to Shear
Heaven & Excel Grooming for clean
and shiny pups!
8
Thanks to Spokane Art Supply for
hosting an adoption event and art raffle
of a wonderful Terry Lee painting!
Thanks to Monterey Café for Give Back
Wednesdays!
Thanks to Santa and Mrs. Claus - aka
Stan and Jocelyn Paluch - who were
at PetCo on South Hill Saturday taking pictures with people’s pets. A lot of
money was raised for the shelter. The
dog on Santa’s lap was named Thing 1
which a small child explained to me is
from a Dr. Seuss story about a Grinch
stealing Christmas. Thanks to Santa’s
magic, little Thing 1 was adopted into
a wonderful family soon after this picture was taken. Three cats were also
adopted - it was a very good day!
HOPE Animal-Assisted Crisis Response, the Great Dane, Greyhound,
and Washington Basset Rescue groups,
Pet Savers, Power of the Paw in Idaho,
SCRAPS, and the Spokane Humane
Society.
We look forward to next year’s event.
Thanks for having us at Bark for Life!
Photo Credit: Deke Cloyd, of “On the Edge Images” Copyright 2012
The American Cancer Society’s
“Bark For Life” – a noncompetitive
walk event for dogs and their owners held October 13th at Whispering
Pines Park at Eagle Ridge, raised nearly
$9,500 – funds that will help support
the American Cancer Society’s fight
against cancer.
Jocelyn Paluch, responsible for organizing the event for its second year
– poured her heart and soul into planning Bark For Life. Inspired by her dog,
Sophie, who was her loving care-giver
throughout her recovery of cancer –
from surgery, to chemotherapy, and
to radiation treatments, put together a
truly remarkable and memorable event
– one that SpokAnimal feels lucky we
had the opportunity to be a part of.
With nearly 60 vendors participating, SpokAnimal was able to share in
the presence of an inspiring community
event, having too much fun with the different games and dog demonstrations
showcased this year. “We are incredibly
thankful to our generous participants
and donors, I do believe that we helped
to ‘Take a bite out of cancer,’” said Paluch
– who is already planning the works for
next year’s success.
Many area rescue groups joined
Bark for Life this year too, including
the Delta Society Pet Partner Program,
Jocelyn Paluch with her dog, Sophie
Thank You, Pet Sponsors!
Photo Credit: Deke Cloyd, of “On the Edge Images” Copyright 2012
Taking a Bite Out of Cancer with “Bark for Life”
Gail Mackie collected over 25 bags of pet
food thanks to these birthday girls who
hosted a party where instead of asking for
presents, they asked for pet food donations!
What a wonderful way to celebrate another
year of life – Thank you girls for thinking of
the animals!!
The following animal lovers donated $25 or more to sponsor animals in our adoption center.
Francis & Laura Augusta x 1
Andrea Fallenstein x 1
Mary O’Byrne x 1
Cory French x 2
Daniel Loftin x 1
Beverly Babcock x 1
Paula Ronhaar x 2
Sonya Donson x 1
Susan O’Connor x 1
Jason & Jen Friederichs x 1
Ruby McNeill x 8
Marilyn & Edgar Basler x 1
Colleen McNichols x 1
Julie Schirmer x 1
Dr. Jon & Sally Wamba x 2
Truella Stone x 4
Serena Dodrick x 1
Adrienne Brownlow x 2
Kathy Taylor x 1
Lilia Vega x 1
Holly Renga x 4
Fred & Dorothy Radebaugh x 4
Kathryn Muelder x 1
Shari Hemmerling x 1
Brenda Johnson x 1
Robert & Micaela Sutphin x 5
Colette Farley x 1
Sharon Chen x 1
Rebecca Milton-Weiland x 1
Ursula & Jon Lanam x 1
Jerrilynn Foster x 1
Kathryn Muelder x 3
Donnetta Havens x 3
Betty & John Zurenko x 1
Anna Whitney x 2
Kathleen Wolfe x 2
Ron & Barbara Morrison x 1
Pam Whitcomb x 3
Ken Adams x 1
Tom & Marion Smith x 1
Laura Lambert-Booth x 1
Jim & Geri Swope x 1- for Kodi
Rita Jessen x 1
Ellen Tanaka x 5
Nanette Blackaby x 2
Vesta Rise x 1
Andrew Catucci x 1
Jan & Johnny Humphreys x 4
Debbie Walker x 2
Shirley Alexander x 12
Carole Zuppe x 1
Mardee Ellis x 1
Sarah Lee x 1
Ruth Dewalt x 5
Shannon Howard x 1
Tracy Phillips x 1
Kevin Isherwood x 1
Erin Clason x 4
Patricia Thompson x 1
Nancy Bookamer x 1
Retha Inman x 1
We Can’t Do What We Do Without YOU!
9
HOW YOU CAN HELP
SpokAnimal is a non-profit and tax-exempt organization.
All contributions, donations and gifts are tax-deductible.
Shop at Petco
Soggy Doggy
Eliminate muddy foot prints and help homeless animals!
Recycle Shoes!
Clean out that closet and
bring us your gently used
shoes. We’ll turn them in
and collect donations for the
shelter!
Coming Soon - Canines on the
Catwalk
Nectar Tasting Room Benefit
Blood Drive
You can contribute to SpokAnimal
in so many ways - everything helps.
Please give!
10
Sit Up & Beg
WE NEED OFFICE SUPPLIES:
• Black medium point pens
• Colored copy paper
• Regular Copy paper
• Card Stock paper
• Printer Cartridges - 12A, 36A,
HP 74-75, HP 901
• Yellow highlighters
• Post it notes
• File folders
• Legal pads
• Paper shredder
• Paper cutter
• Bulletin board
• Flash drives
• Portable hard drive
MISCELLANEOUS:
• Wet floor signs
• Nails, screws, etc.
• Big black trash bags for the
dog park
• 100 slip leads - $48
• Usable human shoes for recycling
• Gift cards for gas for the Cruizin Kritters program
• Food gift cards for Cruizin
Kritters (to feed those people who
drive 10-12 hours to deliver and
return home)
FOR THE ANIMALS:
• Purina dog and cat food
• Treats
• Peanut butter for stuffing kongs
• Toys – kongs
• Non-clumping cat litter
• Powdered kitten and puppy
formula: 28oz Esbilac Powder
for nursing puppies $21.88 each
12 oz KMR powder for nursing kittens $11.88 each
For our foster care team
CLEANING SUPPLIES:
• Bleach
• Gallon Rubbermaid garbage cans
• Bathroom cleanser,
• String mop heads
• 32 gallon bags
• Laundry detergent
• Paper towels
• Tall kitchen bags
• Window cleaner
• Hand soap scrub
• Brushes
• Toilet paper
• Simple green
• Swiffer wet cloths
A Small Act of Kindness
Goes a Long, Long Way
SpokAnimal staff is lucky to work
in an atmosphere where we are able to
witness many beautiful acts of kindness, all throughout the year. From
students organizing pet food drives at
their school or club organizations, to
hosting birthday parties where instead
of asking for presents they ask for pet
food, to people showing up at PetCo on
the South Hill asking if they can fill up a
cart of goodies for the animals – we are
thankful to have so many kindhearted
supporters that consistently go out of
their way – going above and beyond
– to change the fate of an animal’s life,
helping them to find a home. Thank
you for being a part of the process and
the result of so many animals finding
warmth throughout the year and in the
wintertime, us staff cannot be more appreciative of the many ways you graciously support SpokAnimal!
Woman with the cart: Thanks to the parent
of “Hank the Boxer Babe,” SpokAnimal was
able to fill up a cart full of dog and puppy
goodies at PetCo on Dec. 3rd – from Kongs
to toys to dog food – we cannot thank you
enough for this act of kindness!
Nicholas the Eagle Scout: Nicholas Reynolds, a local Eagle Spokane Eagle Scout,
raised over $700 on Oct. 27th and 28th,
collecting over 40 bags of pet food to fill up
our pet-food-bank! Thanks Nicholas!!
Kyrah Kelly: Kyrah Kelly decided to
change-up the format of her “Sweet 16”
Birthday party gathering. Instead of asking for presents, she asked and collected pet
food for SpokAnimal, inspired by her own
shelter dog, Ella! Thank you Kyrah for your
generosity!
11
Nicole Crosby: Nicole Crosby, in lieu of
gifts for her 44th Birthday party this year,
threw a “Toast for Tails” bash, where she
said she didn’t let anyone in her front door
to celebrate unless they had a donation for
SpokAnimal’s critters! Not only did she fill
up our Christmas tree space in the shelter
lobby with ample dog and cat food, she donated $100 to help the animals! Thank you
Nicole, your kindness radiates!!
No matter how small or large
the donation, SpokAnimal is
very grateful for all!
Finding Fur-Ever Homes
Through Rescues & Runways
Twenty Five Years
Officer Ken Trambitas has worked for SpokAnimal as an
Animal Control Officer for the City of Spokane for twenty five
years. That’s 175 in dog years! Now the Director of Field Operations, he’s a familiar face in neighborhoods all over town
as well as numerous interviews in front of TV cameras over
the years. Ken says his favorite part of the job is being able to
rescue animals from bad situations and reuniting lost animals
to their grateful families. One of his most exciting calls was
a bite case on Spokane’s southeast side. A German Shepherd
had bitten a child and was at large. He tracked it to a corner
lot, fenced on two sides. There were children coming home
from school and only Ken and his catch pole stood between
them and the agitated dog. The dog repeatedly charged Ken
and he blocked it with his pole, keeping it at bay until the kids
had safely passed. After several aggressive charges, Ken was
able to loop the dog on his catch pole as it lunged forward.
He was suddenly aware that an audience had gathered on
a deck next door when they burst in to cheers and applause.
“I would like to say that I really appreciate the evolution of
Animal Control over my time of employment, becoming a
respectable career. I believe Animal Planet and Animal Cops
had a hand in making the general public aware the job is not
just “dog catching”, said Ken. Our cheers to you, Ken, for all
your hard work and dedication to helping Spokane’s animals
and public safety your top priority.
Ready, set, runway! SpokAnimal teamed up with Maurice’s at NorthTown Mall this year for our first “Rescues &
Runways” Event Oct. 27th. With over 15 shelter dogs strutting their stuff down the runway with SpokAnimal staff and
volunteers, we had a total of 12 adoptions and were able to
raise $1,755—funds to help support the animals and operations at the shelter. Thank you Staci at Nature’s Pet for all
of your help and giving goodies to the adoptive parents at
Rescues & Runways!
Our volunteers—over 20 of them, helped make this event
possible, so thank you for sharing and being a part of our
success—from dog handling, to helping set-up the event, to
assisting at the silent auction table—to walking dogs down
the runway, we hope to make this event an October tradition
and work with Maurices and Northtown again--Thanks again
for your support!
Coming Event
We had a total of
12 adoptions and
were able to raise
$1,755.
Angela and Aaron
find their perfect
match: A Shepherd
puppy mix.
12
Subaru of Spokane Helps SpokAnimal “Share the Love”
Thank you again to all
volunteers who participated
in SpokAnimal and Subaru’s
“Share the Love” Event! So
many animals found their
homes this holiday season
because of YOU!
Photo credit: Dragoon Studios
goodies, and the
ASCPA for the
goodies in the
raffle bags. Thank
you—until
next
year!
Photo credit: Dragoon Studios
As we reflect on the year, SpokAnimal has many things to be thankful
for—including how Subaru of Spokane
helped us adopt out over 50 animals during “Share the Love” weekend, Dec.1st
and 2nd. Thanks to them, SpokAnimal
was able to host a wonderful gathering
downtown at Subaru—an event complete with Santa Photos, Pet Adoptions,
Raffle Prizes, and a Silent Auction – all
proceeds which help to benefit the animals and shelter operations of SpokAnimal.
Not only did we adopt out over 50
animals—but we raised over $1,745!
We couldn’t have done it without the
more than 30 volunteers who helped
make this event possible—from setting up the event, to handling the dogs
and transporting them, to helping with
clean-up—We are so thankful to have
such loyal and enthusiastic volunteers,
willing to step-up and help out however
you can!
Special thanks also to our donors,
who made the event even more fun:
Staci & Dave Vail of Nature’s Pet for
providing the healthy sample treats for
all adoptive parents, Santa, Beautiful
Photos Studios, Costco for the donated
Meet your match!
Our animals need homes too! Become a Sponsor!
Your one-year Sponsor helps us care for the thousands of homeless dogs and cats that come through our doors each
year. Every animal is a unique individual with their own hopes and needs. Through our Sponsor-a-Kennel Program you can
be part of the work we do and make a difference for our animals. We provide tons of love, and your sponsorship will help
to provide food and shelter, vaccinations, treatment and medications, blankets and toys.
$100 to Sponsor a Dog Kennel
$100 to Sponsor a Cat Kennel
$250 to Sponosor an Outdoor Play Area
Name_____________________________________________
$500 to Vehicle Sponsor
Please print your message below:
Address____________________________________________
City________________________ State_____ Zip__________
Phone_____________________________________________
Email______________________________________________
Payment Method:
Check
Cash
Visa/MasterCard
Your Inland Northwest Humane Society
710 N. Napa Street
Spokane, WA 99201
(509) 534-8133
Card #________________________ Exp. Date:_ _________
Signature_______________________ CVV Code:_________
13
development@spokanimal.org
www.spokanimal.org
6th Annual Thanksgiving Dog Walk At SpokAnimal Dog Park
at High Bridge a Huge Success!
SpokAnimal really lucked out this
year at our 6th Annual Thanksgiving
Day Dog Walk! A gorgeous clear day
with crisp morning breeze, we had over
80 dogs and 50 people in attendance
and were able to enjoy scenic views
of the river. Thanks to your charitable
donations and presence, we were able
to fund-raise over $800 for the Dog
Park. Installing water access for the dog
park is currently under works, so stay
tuned!
Thank you again to all of those who
joined us for this wonderful holiday
tradition, we sure enjoyed having you
and sharing this special gathering with
us! Until next year!
Special thanks to our lovely donors
for making this year an extra-special
treat-filled and great event: Staci Vail
with Nature’s Pet, who provided all of
the healthy sample treats and goodies
for your furry friends, Costco for donating baked goods, Albertson’s for the
hot chocolate, Starbucks for the coffee,
Aslin Finch for more delicious treats,
PetSmart on Newport Hwy for the dog
toy giveaways, and Prairie Dog Pet
Mercantile for more treats!
Thank you,
we appreciate your support.
The Greyhound rescue group brought 7 of
their rescue dogs to the event--Thank you for
sharing this day with us and for all of your
collar donations! They, along with Jocelyn
Paluch and her dog Sophie had a great time.
This dog picked out his own toy after his
walk and kept his eye on the prize the whole
time!
$5 CAT STERILIZATIONS
A regular at the dog park, he decided to walk
his dog, but literally.
Valerie & Bridgette, hard at work and enjoying the company of those who came to
the walk--We cannot thank you enough for
your support!
When You Feel Me in Your Heart
FREE ROAMING ONLY
I know this feeling
all too well. The sadness
and the strange sensation
that you can still feel them
with you. Sometimes I can
swear I feel my baby girl’s
head on my leg or hear her
soft bark, in the middle of
the night.
In memory of all the
animals who were loved
and are sorely missed...
especially at these special
times of the year. May
God bless each person
who lost an animal that was once a part their heart and
soul...and may they never be forgotten.
Cost includes sterilization, rabies, vaccinations and ear
tipping. Must live in zip codes 99207, 99217, 99212.
Those bringing in cats need not live in these zip codes,
cats just need to be brought in from there!
While funds are available.
Walk-in Clinic Hours:
Mon......................................... 2:30-4:30pm
Tue.......................................... 1:30-6:00pm
Wed..................................10:00am-6:00pm
Thurs................................10:00am-6:00pm
Fri........................................... 2:30-4:30pm
1st Sat. ea. month................. 12:00-3:30pm
Surgeries by appointment, call
509-534-4253
14
In Loving Memory and Honoring Tributes
of Jim Ezzell
- Roine La Salle
of ‘Spanky’ the Wonder Cat
- Adrienne, Mark & Felisha
Brownlow
in remembrance of a very special
lady, a wonderful friend, Judy
Wooten
- Carol Bray
of ‘Dewey’ – who lives on in the
memories of Chris & Nancy
Zietlow
of ‘Rosie’ - much loved by Don &
Cyndi Cutler
of ‘Biskit’ - loved and missed by
Larry & Gayle Kiser
- all of us at Diamonds in the Ruff
of ‘Dart’
- Michael Suryan
of ‘Holly’, ‘Rosie’, ‘Diesel’ &
‘Mona’
- Cherie Pepiot
of Jim McGoldrick
- Tony & Suzanne Bamonte
of Jeanne Whipple
- Pat & Kirk Thomas
of ‘Sandy’
- Georgia Stewart
of Howard B. Johnson
- Jean Stanek
of ‘Missy Lou’ aka ‘Princess’
- Venessa Cunningham
of ‘Brinkley’ & ‘Walter’
- Kathy Fair
of Earl Nolan
- Kathy & John Hatcher
- Cindy & Jeff Van Leuven
- Rocky Elliott
of Jay T. Richards, loving mom of
the birds & animals & nature
- Joyce Garland
of Benjamin R. Sonnenberg
- Ann Dompier
- Fran Stazel
- Mary Corbin
- Lorri Ellstad Burchett
of Jackie Clemens
- Steward & Kathy Robbins
- Royce Murray
- Alejandra Murillo C
- Carol Douglas
- Heather Haines
- Dan Devroye
- The CGD Family
of ‘Mocha’ ‘Scrabble’, ‘Oakleigh’,
& ‘Wesson’
- Dave & Jackie Colton
of Brigitte Lankford
- Carney Holman
- Lowell & Kathleen Ruen
- Michael & Patricia Woodard
- Carol Larson
- Laurette Culbert
of our beloved lab ‘Ashe’
- Jack & Valerie McIlroy
of Phyllis Hinkens
- Anne Carlson
of Tom Smith
- Jan & Bill Hale
of Uncle Bob
- Barbara Harder-Lyons
of ‘Zoop’
- Hubert Jones
of ‘Sparky’
- Elizabeth Sanderson
of Matthew Manville
- Roberta Robinson
of ‘Brinkley’, the most wonderful
dog
- Maureen Hunter
of ‘Silver’ & ‘Buster’
- Catherine Corcoran
of ‘Ozzie’
- Mattie Kivett
of Judy Shoemaker Wooter
- Marjie Roark
of ‘Bumpy’
- Dr. James & Willa McAllister
of ‘Allie’- loved and missed by Bill
& Kathy Walsh
of Judene Schenk
- John Schenk
of Robert “Bob” Reid
- Mattie Ann Kivett
of ‘Millie’ & ‘Ariel’
- Barry & Linda Shook
of our forever friend – missed
everyday, ‘Mandy’
- Cindy & Doug Slaton
15
of Jim Keeling
- Mr. & Mrs. Donald Rader
of Susan Brison
- Connie Branch
of ‘Pitty’
- Zoe Arneson
of Frank DiMauro
- Lindsey Cook
In Honor & Tribute
of Kade, Happy Birthday!!
- Griffin and Hudson
of Dorothy Balum
- Marilee Roloff
of Duane & Inie Pepiot’s 60th
Wedding Anniversary!
- Cherie Pepiot
of Dave Hebb, husband, father
and grandfather
- Cherie Pepiot
of Bruce Davis
- the Office of Admin Hearings
of Sharon & Hunter
- Carolyn Doyle
of Darren Dixon’s 40th birthday
- Linda Dixon
of ‘Fofo’
- Robert Cristen
of Barb Baumann
- Alan Kabat
Support/Donation Form
SpokAnimal C.A.R.E
SpokAnimal C.A.R.E.
710 N. Napa
Spokane, WA 99202
(509) 534-8133
A non-profit organization dedicated to the
prevention of cruelty to animals.
Pet Sponsor . . $25
Cat
Dog
Non-Profit
U.S. Postage
PAID
Spokane, WA
Permit 1012
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
Volunteer & Foster
Orientations - Meetings are
held twice per month on the
2nd Saturday at 10:30am and
the 4th Wednesday at 6:00pm
at SpokAnimal, 710 N. Napa
Looking to adopt
a cat or dog?
Pick up a
mouse!
Mile High Sports Event
January 14 (See page 12 for
details)
Dog People Blood Drive
Feburary 9 (See page 10 for
details)
Puppy Love Wine Tasting at
Nectar
Feburary 13 (See page 10 for
details)
Mailed quarterly to over 13,000 animal lovers.
Editor: Carol A. Byrnes
Executive Director: Gail B. Mackie
Paws & Poles
(Watch our website for details)
For more info, call Bridgette Bossio
at (509) 534-8133, ext. 209
or email: outreach@spokanimal.org
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 - Monday on Good Morning NW
KHQ Ch 6 - Live streaming at noon
Wednesdays
Please make changes below
Please send me _____
complimentary copies of
Companion Animal News
Enclosed is $ _____ to help
with the printing and postage
costs.