Not a Shadow of a doubt – she found her - Tri

From your friends at
Giving Them Another Chance
Spring/Summer 2011
In This Issue
Upcoming Events . . . . . . . . . . . page 2
Can You Provide a Two-week Vacation
Home for a Foster Cat? . . . . . . . .page 2
Fundraising—So Easy, So FREE! . .page 2
TVAR Adoption Numbers . . . . . page 2
Save the Date for the
12th Annual That's Amore
Dinner and Auction Fundraiser . .page 3
Mitzi and Zootzie: Living a Great
Second-chance Life! . . . . . . . . . page 3
Looking for adult volunteers
to help run Teen Jr. Program . . . page 3
Jordan and Pebbles: The Story of
BFFs and a Second Chance . . . . page 5
TVAR’s Wish List . . . . . . . . . . . . page 5
Donor Appreciation . . . . . . . . page 6-7
Volunteer Kudos . . . . . . . . . . . page 8-9
Cornbread + an open oven
+ Baxter = trouble . . . . . . . . . page 10
Tails of Rescue - Macadamia Nut
and Kona Bean . . . . . . . . . . . . page 10
Pets Available for Adoption . . .page 11
Go to tvar.org to see over 100
adoptable animals!
It’s Time to Renew Your Support!
Tri-Valley Animal Rescue is a local
East Bay, nonprofit animal rescue
group, run solely by volunteers.
We do not have payroll or lease
expenses, so the money raised goes
directly towards saving homeless
animals. With your help in 2010,
TVAR gave 980 animals another
chance! Please use the enclosed
donation form and envelope to
renew your TVAR support.
Not a Shadow
of a doubt –
she found her
forever home!
From the very first time we
by Kevin Metz
met her, I knew she was my dog,”
says Shadow’s Mom Kathie.
It could be called a small miracle. The five-month-old, flatcoated retriever called Shadow was saved by a combination
of good timing, dedicated volunteers, and generous donors.
The perfect home was waiting. It’s almost hard to believe that Shadow nearly
died before she could get there.
TVAR volunteer Pat Nichols wasn’t expecting to take home a puppy to foster
when she arrived at East County Animal Shelter to walk dogs in July 2010. Yet,
she couldn’t resist helping the sad looking puppy. “Her chin was down, and it
was just her eyes moving, watching the people go by. She looked completely
overwhelmed,” said Pat.
Pat hadn’t owned a dog in 10 years and had never fostered before but she quickly
bonded with the puppy. However, when the puppy stopped eating and stopped
playing, a trip to the vet revealed a very low white blood count. Treatment with
antibiotics didn’t seem to help and Pat dedicated herself to be a round-the-clock
nurse to the puppy, hand feeding her and staying by her side.
The mystery illness progressed
and the puppy became weaker.
“Carrying her through the doors
of the emergency vet hospital, I
really thought I was saying my
final goodbye,” says Pat. The
puppy’s treatment was paid for
"I would like to be in her head for a
day, just to swap brains for a while,"
says Russ Sears, ball thrower and doggy
daddy.“"That would be so cool!"
COVER STORY continues on page 4
v
I
L pcoming
EVENTS
Adoption Days
Pleasanton Farmers Market
W. Angela & First Streets
• Cat and dog adoptions
Saturdays:
9:30 AM – 1
PM
PetSmart
6960 Amador Plaza Road, Dublin
• Cat adoptions
Saturdays:
12 – 4 PM
Sundays:
1 – 4 PM
Pet Extreme
4500 Arroyo Vista Drive, Livermore
• Cat adoptions
Saturdays:
12 – 4 PM
Sundays:
12 – 4 PM
Fostering a Homeless Pet is Rewarding
and . . . You’ll be Saving a Life!
For more information about fostering cats,
contact Terri Duncan at (925)487-7279 or
terrilduncan@yahoo.com. For information about
fostering kittens, contact Rosalyn Simon at
(925)519-9898 or Rosalyn@castlewoodinc.com.
Potential dog fosters should call Sue James at
(408)202-6708 or ssuejames@gmail.com.
Fundraising
S o E a s y, s o F R E E !
by Pa t r i c i a R e i t e r
TVAR. And it’s powered by
There are many quick and easy ways
Yahoo! so you’ll get great results.
to contribute to TVAR. It took me
What could be easier!
less than two minutes to register
with these websites. Do you have
two minutes to spare to help TVAR • Another web site that will give a
percentage of sales to TVAR is
raise funds and help homeless pets in
www.buyforcharity.com. Click
the Tri-Valley?
on Shopping Mall in the upper
right corner, register, and then
• Escrip is a free way to help raise
pick Tri-Valley Animal Rescue
money, and the sign-up process
(not TVAR) as your charity of
is quick and easy. Simply go to
choice. Up to 35% of your
www.escrip.com, register your
purchase will then benefit TVAR.
grocery loyalty and/or credit
cards, and participating businesses
will contribute 2-5% of your NEW! Donate Old BART Tickets
purchases to TVAR. Safeway is Do you have a collection of BART
one of the participating merchants. tickets in small denominations that
Note that escrip.com recognizes you’d like to donate?
our “group name” as Tri-Valley Sue Springer is coordinating this
Animal Rescue (don’t forget the effort and has already received $200
dash), not TVAR.
worth of BART tickets.
• www.Goodsearch.com is another
great way to donate to TVAR.
When you go to the web site,
enter TVAR in the “Who do you
goodsearch for?” and click verify.
Now every search you perform
will donate a penny per search to
So start collecting today from you
friends, co-workers and family and
contact Sue Springer at 925-4495481 or puppies@s2springer.com for
more information.
Volunteer Orientations
New Volunteers are always welcome! TVAR
volunteer orientations now take place on either the
3rd Saturday or Sunday of each month in 2011 at
East County Animal Shelter (ECAS), 4595 Gleason
Drive in Dublin, from 1–2:30 PM. For more
information, visit tvar.org.
2010 Final TVAR Adoption Numbers
Thanks for making a difference in the lives of our
community’s homeless animals.
Can You Provide a Two-week
Vacation Home for a Foster Cat?
Ever wanted to foster a cat but didn’t want
to make the commitment? TVAR’s Vacation
Relief program may be for you! This
program provides the opportunity for folks
to give a cat a two-week vacation from the
adoption ward at PetSmart.
The vacation provider takes no responsibility
for the cat other than to keep them relaxed,
healthy and happy for two weeks, when the
cat then goes back to PetSmart. Terri
Duncan coordinates the program and will
answer phone calls and inquires about the
cats while they are on vacation. We are
always looking for more volunteers for the
program. Contact Terri Duncan at 925487-7279 or terrilduncan@yahoo.com.
Total
TVAR Cat
Adoptions
TVAR Dog
Adoptions
TVAR
Total
730
250
980
Here are the 2011 adoptions so far:
TVAR Cat
Adoptions
TVAR Dog
Adoptions
TVAR
Total
Jan
72
28
100
Feb
19
35
54
91
63
154
Month
Total
2
(thru Feb)
SAVE
the
DATE
The 12th Annual
That's Amore Dinner
And Auction Fundraiser
This year's That's Amore dinner and auction fundraiser will be held on Saturday, November 5th at the Castlewood
Country Club, 707 Country Club Circle in Pleasanton, from 6-10 p.m., with catering by Castlewood Country Club.
This is our main fundraiser, so come help us celebrate while we raise funds for homeless animals!
If you would like to join our planning committee or you have live or silent auction items to donate, please contact
Lisa Healy at lisahirschhealy@yahoo.com.
Mitzi and Zootzie:
Living a Great Second-chance Life!
Story by Mitzi Landau, former TVAR foster dog
Hi everyone,
I wanted to send you a picture of my brother Zootzie and me, Mitzi, (I’m on
the left). It has been eight months since I was adopted by the Landau family
and I thought you would like to see the young lady I have become. I’m very
happy, very healthy (as you can see), and most appreciative for all you have
done for me. Most importantly, I am happy you waited for the Landau family
to drive from Folsom to Pleasanton, giving us all the opportunity to "check"
each other out, enabling me to go home with a new brother and family, all of
whom I truly love, and love me!
Zootzie and I play all the time, both in the house, and in our backyard (which is very big and even has a large koi pond).
I love to sit on the "walk over bridge" and watch the koi, and I even try to play with them as well. Our next-door
neighbors have two dogs and Zootzie and I love to drive them "nuts" by running back and forth along the fence line,
while of course "talking" to them, if you catch my drift.
Anyway, once again, I want to thank you. My parents and brother also say thank you all, for making this dog have not a
dog's life, but a WONDERFUL life. Oh yes, my folks don't want to tell you this, but I sleep in bed with them and my
brother. Don't tell them I told you!
Bless you all,
Mitzi
LOOKING FOR ADULT VOLUNTEERS
TO HELP RUN TEEN JR. PROGRAM
By Nancy Metz, Teen Jr. Program Coordinator and Supervisor
The teen junior program is in need of your help. We are looking for several volunteers who can act as program
co-supervisors. We also need help on the two to three days a month that we have orientation for new Teen
Jr. volunteers. Eligible candidates should attend adult orientation, have a first meeting with a cat and/or dog
buddy, volunteer at the shelter for at least four months, and enjoy working with kids. The program meets at
the East County Animal Shelter, 4595 Gleason Drive in Dublin, every Tuesday and Thursday from 3:455:30pm. For more information, please call Nancy at 925-462-9679, or email lucyfur@pacbell.net.
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TVAR Lifeline — Spring/Summer 2011
COVER STORY continued
through TVAR’s Cinderella Fund. This fund provides a second chance to
homeless animals with life-threatening illnesses and catastrophic injuries. With
the proper treatment and a strong will to live, this puppy received a second
chance. “It was amazing,” says Pat. A few days after receiving treatment, the
puppy could return to her foster home!
A New Home for Puppy
After trying to ignore the email from a friend about a puppy in need of a home,
Kathie Peterson eventually opened it and instantly fell in love with the two big,
brown eyes staring back at her. She contacted Pat and once the puppy was fully
recovered, Kathie and her husband Russ visited several times. “These wonderful
people came over and sat in the backyard several times, and waited very
patiently,” says Pat.
Smiling from floppy ear to floppy ear, it’s safe to say that
Shadow is enjoying her new home and her new life.
When Kathie and Russ brought their dog Gizmo with
them for the third visit, everything clicked. The puppy
acted more like a normal dog – romping around the dog
park with Gizmo – then ever before. On the following
visit, the puppy met Cooper, Russ and Kathie’s other
dog. Pat knew for certain that it was right. “It was almost
like she needed to be in a dog pack,” says Pat. The puppy
– now named Shadow – had found her forever home.
Shadow is now settled in her new home with Russ and
Kathie. She’s an expert ball catcher and at a year old, still
has all the grace of a puppy sometimes. Shadow lives the life
of luxury with her brother-dogs Cooper and Gizmo. The
dogs chase squirrels, swim in the pool, go on walks, and
play hours of fetch. “It’s Doggy Disneyland!” says Kathie.
Cooper (standing, left), Gizmo (front), and Shadow (right). This
threesome loves to swim in the pool, chase squirrels and play hours of fetch.
About the Cinderella Fund
Help Save Lives
o Started by TVAR in 1996, the Cinderella
Fund is a medical fund for homeless
animals with life-threatening illnesses
and catastrophic injuries.
Kitten season is here and TVAR is in desperate
need of temporary foster homes to care for an
overload of kittens and moms with kittens until
they are ready for adoption, generally eight weeks
of age and two pounds.
o The Cinderella Fund is supported
entirely by people like you – people
who want to make sure that injured,
homeless animals receive the help they
need and another chance to find a
permanent home.
Fosters are needed for bottle babies (kittens not
old enough to eat by themselves) and kittens up to
adoption age (generally eight weeks of age).
TVAR provides the food, litter box, bedding, toys
and medical care. Daily care required depends on
the kitten's age.
o To see more success stories like
Shadow’s, or to donate to TVAR’s
Cinderella Fund, visit the TVAR website
at www.tvar.org, and click on the
“Cinderella Fund” link.
TVAR Lifeline — Spring/Summer 2011
For more information, please visit www.tvar.org,
email kittenfosters@tvar.org or call 925-519-9898.
4
Jordan and Pebbles:
The Story of BFFs and
a Second Chance
By Susie Newton
Pebbles (left) and Jordan (right)
have become best friends over the years
In October of 2003, Nina del Rosario Chung and her husband Ninh went to PetSmart in Dublin and fell in love with an
adorable grey TVAR kitten named Jag. Renamed Jordan, they soon discovered their new furry family member was a
mischievous little dickens. He loved to play. And play. And play! Nina and Ninh realized Jordan would benefit from a
companion so they adoped the perfect second kitty for their family, Pebbles.
Never having two cats before, yet understanding there would be an adjustment process, Pebbles and Jordan were allowed
supervised “get acquainted” sessions every evening. Then one magical day, Nina caught a glimpse of Jordan licking
Pebbles’ face. It was kismet! These two kitties were destined to be BFF’s!
Since that day, Jordan and Pebbles have remained two peas in a pod. Jordan still loves to play fetch and has expanded his
interests to lounging in the pink cat bed meant for Pebbles and drinking from the bathroom faucet. Pebbles is shy around
strangers but has become a chatterbox around her family. She enjoys sleeping on the cat scratcher and being combed in
front of a mirror.
Nina tells us, “not only do I obviously love my kitties, but my experience adopting them through TVAR was such a
memorable and awesome one that I don't see why anyone WOULDN'T adopt through you guys! I am a strong supporter
of TVAR for this reason.”
Thank you for your great support, Nina. Thank you also for providing such a wonderful home to Jordan and Pebbles.
Calling All Dog Fosters
We need your help. TVAR is in need of foster homes to care for dogs and puppies. We provide the food, bedding, toys
and medical care. You provide love, training and transportation to vet appointments and adoption days.
For more information, email ssuejames@gmail.com or call (408) 202-6708.
TVAR’s Wish List
Donations of the following items may be dropped off at East County Animal Shelter, 4595 Gleason Drive in Dublin, open
daily from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thank you for your donations.
Cat Items
• Cat litter scoops
• Cat litter pans
• New cat beds
• New cat toys
• Small scale to weigh kittens daily
• New scratching posts
• KMR powdered formula for kittens
Dog Items
• New dog beds
• New dog toys (chew bones, Kongs,
squeak toys, balls, pull toys, etc.)
• Dog pens
• Frontline or Frontline Plus Flea Medicine
• Grocery store roll of clear plastic bags
• Big plastic watering cans
(to fill outside dog bowls)
• One inch nylon or leather leads and
heavy choke chains in various sizes
• Dog Treats
• 6’ Dog Leashes
• New extra large dog crates
General Items
• Cash donations for medical supplies
• Pet, retail, or supermarket gift cards
5
• Laundry detergent
• Simple green cleaner
• Office supplies
• Paper towels
• Wet wipes (anti-bacterial sheets)
• Color copier paper to make flyers
• Postage stamps ($.44 & $.29)
Rabbit Items
• Litter (CareFresh, Cat Country,
Critter Country)
• Purina Green or Oxbow Timothy Bag
Pellets
TVAR Lifeline — Spring/Summer 2011
D O N AT I O N S
In Honor of People
Edith Cornelsen birthday by Philomena Buonsante
Nancy Kucer & Jose Marin by Kristin Cassandro
Sue & Steve Springer by Judith and Richard Davies
Janice Flanzbaum by Donna and Jay London
Cindy & James Sipple by Craig and Zermeena Marshall
Brian Joyce by Kimberly McFadden
Celeste Bellinger by Lori Nevarez
Clients' Pets by Pawsitive Cause Pet Sitting/Kevin Metz
Terri Duncan by Susan Finnegan Smith
Kathleen Hume by ErikVeit
Rich and Nancy Metz by AnnaWestfelt
Jessica Kaut by Lily Zimmerman
In Honor of Animals
Champ and Trooper for cat medical expenses
by Jean Bountis
Vinnie by Susan and Tony Braun
Dusty, "Thanks for the best dog in the whole world"
by Marshall Hoaglan
Sally by Donna and Willima Kiefer
Sophie by Diane Kindel
Rudolph by Joan Leonard
Ginger by Laura Romero
Moxie by Michael Talkovsky
Sandy by Anna Westfelt
In Memory of People
Florence James for Ruby Fund
by Cindy Churchill
Jeff Johnson (Ditmer Family)
by Richard and Jean Tucker
Judy Adams by Jack Poole and Nancy Young
Lew Reed by Susan and Bill Daniel
Lew Reed by Russ and Sandy Louthian
Lew Reed by Linda Newman and Hans Reuvekamp
Lew Reed by Yunfeng Zeng and Li Mei
Marie O'Regan (Sheehan Family) by Christine Bedient
Mike Nolan by Linda Wenster
Patrick Cailteaux by Joan Bennett
Patrick Cailteaux by Lauren Bochnowski
Patrick Cailteaux by Harbert and Barbara Briscoe
Patrick Cailteaux by Al and Kathy Cailteaux
Patrick Cailteaux by P. Constance Howard
Patrick Cailteaux by Kenneth and Catherine Scalmanini
In Memory of Animals
Bailey (Paul and Wendy McCann) by Susan Harper
Bella (Colleen and Lorraine) by Erik Veit
Buddy (dog – Lori South & Family)
by Joan and Frank Holm
Charlie (dog – Brenda Mills) by Debra Andrews
Codie (cat) by Danielle Auletta
Daisy (goat – Gay Maestas) by Jan Bindas
Dixie by Linda and John Adiletti
Dot (Allan and Dolores Dahlquist)
by Walter and Mary Callesen
Jake (Karen Lovetang and Bob George)
by Stewart Samuels
Nikka by Susan and Brad Wells
Our beloved Ashley by Rob and Vanessa Wensing
Penny by Wendi Rankin
Reina (beloved dog of Jenise & Mark Bellinger)
by Celeste Bellinger
Reina (Mark and Jenise Bellinger) by Anonymous
Ruby by Sue and Mike James
TVAR Lifeline — Spring/Summer 2011
Shilo (Heather McIntish) by V. A. Larosa
Sootie (bird – Yvonne Miller) by Susan King
Spunky (Mike and Connie Monohan)
by Celeste Bellinger
Gifts of Hope
TVAR would like to thank the following generous
donors who have made contributions to TVAR from
January – March 2011:
From Danielle with love
Alison & Eric Lai
Alison Pan
Amanda Rose
Anne & Robert McCarthy
Anne Spalasso
Aurelia Scholar, "What is done for animals is blessed"
Barbara Bloom & Cliff Maier
Barbara Kanturek
Barbara Perry
Barbara Wallace
Barry Zuckerman and Marcy Darnovsky
Beatrice O'Brien
Betsy Vogel
Betty Bloemen
Boni Tenenbaum
Brian & Elizabeth Friedlan
Brian Joyce
C. R. Gibb
Carol Bruton
Carol Tomatis
Carole Hilton
Carroll O'Connor, "foster program in honor of all cats"
Cathy Cunha
Christine Gammon
Cindi Wilts
Daniel Dowling
Danna Kayla
Deborah Friedman – Animal Eye Care
Denise & Daniel Moore
Denise Benger
Dog Bone Alley, Santa Photo Fundraiser
Donald & Patricia Roof Charitable Trust
Donna & Alex Chaplyn
Donna Harper
Doug & Marlayna Rogers
Ed Governor
Eddie Eo
Edith Cornelsen
Eleanor & Steven Harris
Elisabeth Hawkins
Elisabeth Venturini
Ellen Lynn
Erika Powelson
Esther Forest (8) – saved allowance for the animals
Fran Mansfield
Fumiko Peppin
Gail McNamara
Gail Otten
George Darmohray
Gerald & Sherri Hodnefield
Gina Caspersen
Gregory Gerst
Gregory Kisor
Harry & Cathy Edwards
Harry Profumo
Ingeborg Schoening
Janet Finsilver
Janice Batzer, "to help injured cats & kittens"
Jean Selwoomemo
Jeanne & Marty Holzschuh
Jennifer Ren, Sabrina Luk, Jennifer Kim & Jaewon Kim
6
Jill Freitas
Joan Steiger
John Romo
JR & Maureen Moase
Judy Mary Hayes
Karalee Brune
Karen & Stephen Strain
Kate Rafferty-Coronado
Kathleen & Scott Yoo
Kathleen Williams
Kathryn & David Abdalian
Kathy Deenihan
Keith & Courtney Heine
Ken & Paula Massa
Kevin Hall
Kimberly Chan
Kristine & James Sobrero
Kyra & Kaliegh Gong
Larena Leach
Laurie & Richard Snitzer
Lawrence Fisher
Lawrence Tong
Leanne & William Locklin
Linda & Kirk Ridgeway
Linda Britton
Lisa Healy
Liz BoyRaffle
Lori Nevarez
Lynda & Steven Antes
Makena Woon
Mara Congilone
Margaret & Thomas Ward
Marie & Richard More
Mark Reedy
Michael Chambers & Elizabeth Fung
Michael Dyer
Natalie Kruger
Nicole Bedell
Nithin Mallya
Obulareddi & Sumitra Ramireddy
Pamela Fisher
Pamela Renfro
Pat Schuh
Penny Profumo
Rachel & Gabriela Dorado
Rachel Lamke
Raluca Neascu
Raul Garza
Robert & Delores Olness
Robert Legg
Ruth Elder
Sharon Alvarez
Shawn Larsen
Sheri Morris
Sherri Muller
Sherryl Colomy
Stephen Flory
Sue & Mike James
Sue Horst
Sue Massie
Susan Dailey
Susana Ruiz
Sylvia Ryan
Tawny Phillips
Thea Gomes
Thomas Marcel
Tricia & Dave Bregman
Valerie & Tim Tucker
Victoria Morgan
W Antonelli
Wendy Suchon
William & Pojchana Hearne
WIlliam Shearer
Yee Family Foundation
Workplace-Giving/
United Way Campaigns
TVAR is also grateful for
the following companies for
sponsoring workplace-giving or
United Way campaigns, and for
the generous employees who
contribute to them:
ABBOTT LABS
Jean Suzuki
AC TRANSIT
Linda Nemeroff
APPLIED MATERIALS
Ruth Hawley
John Heebner
Van Henson
Mark Hermann
Rhonda Hiatt
Denise Hinkel
Bryan Huot
Hope Ishii
Donald Jedlovec
Roy Johnson
Kent Johnson
Mark Johnson
Teresa Kamakea
Judith Kammeraad
Jim Kapsales
Keenanne Knapp
Arthur Kobayashi
Scott Kohn
Barbara Koyama
Kai Lafortune
Sally Lagomarsino
Corinne Larson
Mary LeBlanc
Stephan Letts
Robin Lowell
Ramona Lull
Charalynn Macedo
Bonnie McDonald
Randall McEachern
Mary McInerney
Larry McMichael
Michael Merritt
Candace Miranda
Nicole Molau
Stephanie Morales
Brian Mosher
Linda Null
Wayne Olund
Mike Ong
Philip Pagoria
Pamela Passanisi
Laura Phair
Kenneth Piston
Brenda Pobanz
Vickie Pope
Sofia Quaglioni
Jane Randolph
Timothy Rau
Joyce Ray
Elizabeth Reid
Vickie Renbarger
David Richards
Dustin Riggs
Gregory Rogowski
Gary Ross
Ernst Scharlemann
Robert Schmidt
John Scott
Lynda Seaver
Kathy Seibert
Joshua Senecal
John Sharry
Michael Shaw
Michael Sheaffer
Carol Shearer
PG&E
Anonymous
Elizabeth Bacon
Jennifer Burrows
Walter Carr
Daina Charland-Sulaver
Jeannie Hermoso
Jennifer Johns
Rod Parame
Debra Rasmussen
Steve Whelan
UPS
Renata Dowdakin
WELLS FARGO
Evgenia Opet
Stacey Howard
Staci Fraser
Christopher Maskiell
LLNL 2010 HOME CAMPAIGN
CHARLES SCHWAB
Nancy Allen
CHEVRON HUMANKIND
Anonymous
Antionette McClung
Cathie & Erik Frye
David DeBaun
Gregory Brehm
Harry Todd & Linda Lopez-Astrov
Jeanette Huneke
Judson Kuehn
Karen Bolce
Karen Newcomb
Laura Choi
Lauren Ghio
Mary Ciminello
Pat & James Hurst
Robert Babb
Rusty Lincoln
CLOROX
Christine Walter
Donna Tavares
Joanna Oldaker
Kelli Yamashita
Kelly Dickson
EAST BAY MUD
Rosana Polanco
HANOVER INSURANCE
Wendy Booth
JOHNSON & JOHNSON
Rebecca Bolce
KAISER PERMANENTE
Dawn Hasemann
Kelli Simmons,
Comm Giving Campaign
Nicole Gouldthread
NORTHROP GRUMMAN
Lori Korch
William Hall
Mark Accatino
Rancy Aceves
Joanna Allen
Josanne Altman
Sharon Alvarez
Jennifer Aquilino
Lawrence Atherton
Kristin Atwood
Gabriel Balazs
Kathy Balhorn
David Barron
Joseph Bartelt
Lisa Belk
Wendy Bishop
Anastasia Bookless
James Branum
Thomas Brengle
Nancy Bridge Foster
Kimberly Budil
Tammy Carlson
Annette Carpenter
Suzanne Cassel
Steven Chan
Gayle Christiansen
Debra Christy
Lucinda Clark
David Counts
Janna Daly
Sheri Ann Dante
Gary Deis
Margaret Dempster
Edna Didwall
Julie Dietz
Shamasundar Dixit
Thomas Edmunds
Matthew Edwards
Leslie Ferry
Betty Flint
Robert Foerschler
Karen Foscalina
Glenn Fox
Margaret Gill
Maya Gokhale
Gregory Greenman
Stephen Hatchett
7
Rea Simpson
Carol Sjoberg
Kenneth Skulina
Kathleen Smith
Michael Smith
Raymond Smith
Theresa Snyder
Lori Souza
Brian Spears
Ann Stephens
Charles Still
Davis Swift
Bruce Tarter
Craig Tarver
Suzanna Townsend
Kenneth Turteltaub
Brenda Turtletaub
Lauren VanMaren
Antoinette VanStavern
Philip Vogt
Samuel Weir
Alicia Williams
Janet Williams
Brian Wilson
Janis Winfield
Nyla Wlodarczyk
Lana Wong
Arthur Wong
Andrew Wysong
Michelle Yelkes-Paul
Peter Young
YOUTH DONATIONS
Maxx Bishop, "He has worked to
earn this for the animals"
Sabrina Zazay/Mrs. Severo's Class,
Thomas Hart Middle School
CORPORATE DONATIONS
All Bay Vehicle Donations
Applied Materials – Matching Funds
Chevron Humankind – Matching Funds
Clorox Foundation – Matching Funds
Genentech – Matching Funds
Pet Food Express
PetSmart Charities
Tri-Valley Animal Rescue also
greatly appreciates the participation
of sponsors and attendees at events
such as the Claws for Paws Crab Feed
and That's Amore, and donations
received anonymously!!
If you would like to share a poem or
short story about the life of a pet that
inspired your In Memory Of donation,
contact Shannon at scipc@comcast.net.
TVAR Lifeline — Spring/Summer 2011
K
TVAR Volun
Dawn McKeown
how they all get along. You just have to give them a
chance and they usually are just fine.” That goes for her
own pets, too, “It took a while to get my dog Finnegan
used to other dogs – he’d never been around other dogs.
My cat O’Reilly is Mr. Mom. He’ll clean all the kittens –
he’ll hold them down if they try to get away.”
Dawn’s reward for her rescue work is experiencing
human kindness. “The rewards in animal rescue come
from the kind people you meet, and the kindness of
people is amazing to me – whether it’s donating a couple
dollars or fostering, it’s just amazing.” TVAR’s reward
for our rescue work is experiencing great volunteers like
Dawn, who do so much to help our animals get their
second chance.
by Ioana Bazavan Justus
If you’ve ever been to the
Pleasanton Farmers Market
on Saturday morning, or
browsed
through
the
adoption postings on the
TVAR website, you know
what an active foster Dawn
McKeown is. She’s one of
our rare “cross-over” fosters
that is willing to take in both
dogs and cats. But this is
nothing new for Dawn –
she’s been working with
animals her entire life.
Teen Junior Sister Volunteers
Adriana and Nancy Santana
Dawn McKeown at the Farmers market with her dog
Finnegan (front), and foster dogs Jacob (left) and Casey.
by Kevin Metz
“I started riding horses when I was about ten,” she says,
“and I was a horse groomer from when I was 17 until I
was about 23.” Her rescue career began at the age of 15
at the North Shore Animal League in New York. Horse
grooming and dog fostering led to dog grooming, which
led to a career as a vet tech. But ultimately the financial
realities of life led Dawn to nursing school. Somehow,
between all of the rescue work she does, Dawn actually
holds down a day job as an ICU and ER nurse!
Adriana and Nancy
Santana have been
volunteering
every
Tuesday and Thursday
with the Teen Junior
Program at the East
County Animal Shelter
since they started with
TVAR in November
2010.
Fortunately for TVAR, Dawn moved from New York to
the East Bay in 2003, and immediately looked for local
volunteer opportunities. Dawn found ECAS and started
walking the shelter dogs to get involved. “The way to
meet the nicest people is to work with animals,” she
explains.
Adriana and Nancy Santana socialize with a golden
retriever at the East County Animal Shelter.
The two sisters have been a consistent help to the
animals at ECAS, and have had the opportunity to see
their hard work pay off when animals they work with get
adopted. "The girls may come to and leave the program
together, but while they are at the shelter, they are
unique volunteers doing their separate things for the
animals," says Teen Junior Program coordinator Nancy
Metz. "And being there so often, they really enjoy seeing
the progress the animals are making being socialized."
Dawn soon became a TVAR foster and found the work
rewarding. “It’s amazing to take an animal that’s so
frightened and beat up and seeing them transform when
they go into a home. I can’t explain how rewarding it is
to nurse a sick animal back to health and find it a great
home. Of course you get attached sometimes and that’s
how you end up with your own animals,” which in her
case include her previous and current dog and her
current cat. Yet, as Dawn explains, “when you see how
much there is to be done, you know you can’t keep
them. If you keep the ones you foster, you can’t take in
more.”
Adriana, a 13-year-old eighth grader at Fallon Middle
school in Dublin, says she has had her heart set on
volunteering in the Teen Junior program since she was
10 years old. When Nancy, a 14-year-old freshman at
Dublin High, started taking a class that required her to
complete community service, it was only natural for the
two girls to start volunteering with the teen program.
And they haven't stopped since. Thanks girls for all that
you do for TVAR and for the animals!
At any given time, Dawn will foster one or two dogs, and
between three and eight kittens. She sometimes fosters
cats, but rarely. Of course the first question anyone
would ask is how do they all get along? “It’s amazing
TVAR Lifeline — Spring/Summer 2011
8
Kudos
nteer Kudos
Teen Junior Volunteers
James Cabral and Eric Peasley
a really good thing, because I probably wouldn’t have
been here otherwise,” James says.
By Kevin Metz
James Cabral (left) and Eric
Peasley socialize with Mack the dog
Teen Junior Volunteer
Megan Spencer
They say when life
gives you lemons, you
make lemonade. Well,
turns out when a police
officer hands you a
speeding ticket, you
end up volunteering at
the animal shelter and
forming an unexpected
bond with the animals
there.
by Kevin Metz
When Megan Spencer turned
12 in November 2010, her
birthday party consisted of
bringing her friends on a day
full of her favorite places to go
and her favorite things to do.
The first place they came was
the East County Animal Shelter.
“I love seeing all of the
different types of dogs and
getting to play with them, since
Megan Spencer, 12,
I don’t have a dog of my own,” sits with Howie, one of her
says Megan. “It just makes me
favorites at ECAS and
happy being around animals.” a dog she named that day.
That’s James Cabral’s story, at least. “I kind of got a
speeding ticket and a provisional license, so I had to do 40
hours of community service,” says James, who learned about
the Teen Junior Program through a classmate at Amador
Valley High School in Pleasanton. “So I thought it would be
a good idea to work with some dogs.”
You could say Megan’s mom, Jenny, gave her an early
birthday present last July when she signed her daughter
up for an orientation date for the Teen Junior program.
“It was actually a surprise from my mom,” says Megan.
“I was really happy because a lot of my friends had
volunteered at the SPCA or other places, and it was
really exciting to learn I would get to volunteer with
animals, too!”
James’ friend of three years, Eric, thought it would be a
good idea too for his senior project, and the rest is history.
“I had heard that it was cleaning their cages and their
beds,” says Eric, “but when you get here, you realize
that it’s all about playing with them and walking them,
and it’s a lot of fun.”
Both guys are in their senior year, and neither have pets
at home, so they agree the program gives them a great
opportunity to be around dogs. They say Casey and
Oslow are two of their favorites. “For some reason it’s
the Pit Bulls that are our favorites,” says James. “I think
it is because some people think that they are bad dogs,
and they really aren’t at all.”
Jenny says the program is great training for her daughter
to learn about the responsibilities of pet ownership as the
family is considering getting their first pet in the near
future. “I knew she would love just working with the
dogs, walking them, and sharing her love with them,”
says Jenny.
Megan says the Teen Junior Program has been “exactly
what she expected it to be,” and that she sees the benefit
it and the shelter have on the animals in need of homes.
“I feel bad for the animals because they don’t have
homes, but I feel better knowing they are at the shelter
and in a place where they can find one,” says Megan.
“People come into the shelter and realize that shelter
dogs aren’t just stray dogs, but that they are really loving
too and just need to be adopted.”
James, 18, says he plans to go into the military after he
graduates this June. Both his brother and his uncle
served, and he admits “it’s pretty cool that my family was
in the military and that I will be able to keep that going.”
Eric, 17, says he plans to move back to North Carolina
and become a diesel mechanic. “I have always liked
working on cars my whole life,’ he says. “When I went to
the shop to get mine worked on, people there were saying
how much they loved their jobs, and how they were
making more then they ever thought they would. It’s just
so fun to see what people’s creations turn out to be.”
The sixth grader from Charlotte Webb Middle School in
Danville says her favorite subjects are math, history, and
social studies, and that she is looking forward to playing
basketball for the first time in the upcoming season.
So we can’t say we are happy that James got a speeding
ticket, but we can say we are very happy with what has
transpired from it. So are the guys. “It turned out to be
Thank you for everything you do for the animals, Megan!
9
TVAR Lifeline — Spring/Summer 2011
Cornbread + an open oven + Baxter = trouble
By Terri Duncan
I have a teenage orange tabby who is a carbaholic. Bread, donuts, crackers etc. are not safe with Baxter around!
Now, any good Southern cook knows that in order to make a good cornbread dressing, you have to bake the
cornbread and biscuits at least two days before, so that they have plenty of time to dry out. So this "so-so" Southern
cook baked and crumbled two pans of cornbread and a batch of biscuits, and put them in a huge roaster stored in
the bottom oven with the oven door left ajar. The plan was for them to sit safely in the oven until Thursday
morning, happily drying out and getting toasty. You can see where this is going, right?
Another of my Tuesday projects was to take two other teenage kittens to PetSmart so that they can spend some
time hopefully enticing their new families to take them home and love them forever. Those plans proved to be a
little more difficult than anticipated also. Hubby moved all of the furniture out of the living room and the kittens
scheduled for PetSmart hid under the sofa, which was conveniently located in the dining room. No way to get to
them, so the carrier was shoved into the kitchen, directly under the stove. Are you with me?
It was during one of my trips down the hall that I noticed a couple of the teenager kittens happily munching on a
biscuit in the newly cleaned living room. Gee, wonder where they got the biscuit? I got that answer very quickly
when I looked into the kitchen and spied Baxter, standing on top of the carrier on his tippy toes with the entire
front half of his sneaky orange body in the oven! I let out a yell, and he popped his head out of the oven with a big
chunk of cornbread in his mouth. Why do I never have a camera handy when I need one?! Just another day in the
Duncan household!
Tails of Rescue Macadamia Nut and Kona Bean
by Melissa Schrull Smith, Owner of Macadamia Nut/Kona
My Mom, Eileen Cremata, a TVAR foster mom, called to tell me
she was getting three 5-day old puppies that were born in the shelter
to a young Chihuahua that wasn’t able to care for them. I came over
immediately to see these precious little angels and my heart was
theirs from the beginning.
Macadamia Nut (left) and Kona
love playing and cuddling.
With no mom of their own, these little guys needed around-theclock love and attention. Unfortunately, when they were two weeks
old, the littlest one, now Kona, got incredibly sick and had to be
rushed to the vet. He was given IV fluids and was on constant
watch. During his road to recovery, the middle guy, whom we
named Lamb, got sick. I got a call the next morning that little Lamb
passed away in his sleep, cuddled in between his brothers. From that
point on it was all any of us could do to keep the other two alive.
Once they were 10 weeks old, we were able to take Macadamia Nut and Kona home. We built them, as we like to call
it, the prince’s palace. They have their own custom built play space in our living room so they’re able to be puppies
but not endanger themselves. They love, love, love to cuddle and I’m pretty sure that Mac wouldn’t be able to live a
day without sitting on his daddies lap giving kisses. Neither Mac nor Kona have normal dog barks but sound more like
chirping birds, which is hilarious. Mac much prefers to sit on someone’s lap, while Kona just loves his toys. We couldn’t
ask for two better more adorable babies than these two!
Special thanks to Susan Ruxton and my Mom, Eileen Cremata, for saving their lives.
TVAR Lifeline — Spring/Summer 2011
10
sa
t
e
p
v
l
b
a
l
ai
e for
ado
pti
on
Visit tvar.org to see over 100
adoptable animals!
DOGS
Libby is a one-year-old lovable young
girl. Libby came into rescue with two
newborn puppies. She was a good mom but
is now ready for someone to take care of
her. Libby loves to snuggle, go for walks and
go anywhere her foster mom goes.
For more information,
contact Kathy at 925-417-0201
kdeeni@aol.com
CATS
Isabelle is a very petite color point
Siamese mix but don't be fooled by her
tiny stature. She's got lots of personality
packed into her little body! Isabelle enjoys
plenty of attention and is loving and playful.
Oreo is an adorable young boy. We
think he’s less than a year old. He is an
energetic, fun-loving and beautiful puppy.
He shares his foster home with a cat and
a bunny.
For more information,
contact Terri at 925-487-7279
terrilduncan@yahoo.com
For more information,
contact Kari Petznick
at 925-858-8415
catsfurr@comcast.net
Mina is an adorable dilute Tortoiseshell
who is one year old and very sweet! She
loves her sister Lulu. The girls are always
together and play off each other's energy
and antics. Mina would like very much to
be adopted with her sister. Their beautiful
eyes and soft purrs will melt your heart!
Jacob is a 10-month-old Chihuahua-mix.
He had a skin condition call demodex, which
is now cured. He lives with a dog and cat in
his foster home and gets along well with
them. He loves kids, especially when he gets
to give them kisses and make them laugh.
Jacob is micro chipped, vaccinated and
neutered and waiting for his forever family.
For more information,
contact Leah at
leahleahleahx3@yahoo.com
For more information,
contact Dawn at mcwhip@aol.com
Jake is a mellow guy who enjoys
spending lots of quality quiet time with
people. Jake is an affectionate cat who is
fond of rubbing against your legs and
purring. Jake came from a multi-cat
household, and we believe he will get
along well in a new home with another
laid-back cat or two.
Daisy is a four-year-old chi-terrier mix.
Her owner passed away, leaving no one to
take care of her, and she ended up at the
shelter. She is a little on the shy side but
warms up quickly. She is a great dog.
For more information,
contact Lisa DeFinney
at 415-640-5683
lmdefinney@yahoo.com
For more information,
contact Terri at 925-487-7279
terrilduncan@yahoo.com
Peyton is a five-year-old, sweet-
tempered, gentle cat who loves to be
petted. He's got an incredible purr that
lets you know how happy he is. He is front
declawed. Peyton settled right into his
foster home, snuggling up to his new
foster family and adjusting quickly to their
resident cats.
East County Animal Shelter has beautiful
bunnies—just like Flopsy—available for
adoption. Stop by and visit them at 4595
Gleason Drive in Dublin.
For more information,
contact Terri at 925-487-7279
terrilduncan@yahoo.com
11
TVAR Lifeline — Spring/Summer 2011
Tri-Valley Animal Rescue
P.O. Box 11143
Pleasanton, CA 94588
NON-PROFIT
ORG
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PLEASANTON
CALIFORNIA
PERMIT NO. 229
Phone: (925) 803-7043
www.tvar.org
Tax ID# 94-3156937
Please check this box
and return this cover
page if you do not wish
to receive Lifeline, or
let us know your new
address.
2011 Officers and Board of Directors
PRESIDENT
Sue James
(408) 202-6708
ssuejames@gmail.com
VICE PRESIDENTS
Lisa Healy
Dawn McKeown
Rosalyn Simon
(925) 200-7760
lisahirschhealy@yahoo.com
(925) 309-4824
mcwhip@aol.com
(925) 519-9898
Rosalyn@castlewoodinc.com
DOG FOSTER COORDINATOR
Sue James
SHELTER DOG PROGRAM
Cindy Churchill
ailmain@hotmail.com
LIFELINE NEWSLETTER
Trish Reiter
Trish408@yahoo.com
Shannon Chase
(925) 337-4946
itsmrsuz@aol.com
SECRETARY
Lois Kraus
(925) 413-3114
lois.kraus@sbcglobal.net
MEDICAL COORDINATOR - CATS
Dawn McKeown
(925) 449-6723
cinchurchill@aol.com
(925) 417-0201
kdeeni@aol.com
(925) 355-9039
lisahirschhealy@yahoo.com
(408) 202-6708
ssuejames@gmail.com
(408) 472-1391
joycebr@yahoo.com
(925) 413-3114
lois.kraus@sbcglobal.net
(925) 309-4824
mcwhip@aol.com
(925) 337-4946
itsmrsuz@aol.com
(925) 519-9898
rosalyn@castlewoodinc.com
(925) 828-8449
garyzeigler41@gmail.com
MEDICAL COORDINATOR - DOGS
Dawn McKeown
Kathy Deenihan
Lisa Healy
Sue James
Brian Joyce
Lois Kraus
Dawn McKeown
Susan Ruxton
Rosalyn Simon
Gary Zeigler
Coordinators
CAT FOSTER COORDINATORS
Adult cats – Terri Duncan
Kittens – Rosalyn Simon
Bottle babies – Carole Lechinsky
terrilduncan@yahoo.com
kittenfosters@tvar.org
littertoes@comcast.net
(925) 449-6723
cinchurchill@aol.com
SHELTER CAT PROGRAM
Alayna
TREASURER
Susan Ruxton
Cindy Churchill
Important Numbers
(408) 202-6708
ssuejames@gmail.com
MEMBERSHIP RECORDS
Ioana Justus
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Lisa Healy
SHELTER ORIENTATION
TEEN/JR. PROGRAM
Nancy Metz
TVAR NEW VOLUNTEERS
Karin Carter
DONATIONS
Susan Ruxton
DATABASE
Ioana Justus
WEBSITE
Ioana Justus
(925) 998-8038
scipc@comcast.net
(925) 309-4824
mcwhip@aol.com
(925) 309-4824
mcwhip@aol.com
(650) 302-3191
ijust0411@gmail.com
(925) 200-7760
lisahirschhealy@yahoo.com
volunteer@tvar.org
(925) 462-9679
lucyfur@pacbell.net
(925) 828-8108
kccarter5@yahoo.com
business@tvar.org
(650) 302-3191
ijust0411@gmail.com
(650) 302-3191
ijust0411@gmail.com
ANIMAL SHELTERS
East County Animal Shelter
(925) 803-7040
Fairmont Animal Shelter Closed, Call ECAS for service
Contra Costa Animal Shelter
(925) 335-8300
Hayward Animal Shelter
(510) 293-7200
Tracy Animal Shelter
(209) 831-4364
Tri-Cities Animal Shelter
(510) 760-6640
ANIMAL CONTROL/LOST & FOUND PETS
Danville
(925) 335-8300
Dublin
(510) 667-7763
Livermore
(925) 371-4848
Pleasanton
(925) 931-5100
San Ramon
(925) 335-8300
LOCAL RESCUE GROUPS
Tri-Valley Animal Rescue
(925) 803-7043
Lindsay Wildlife Museum
(925) 935-1978
Oakland SPCA
(510) 569-0702
Persian Cat Rescue
(415) 388-7925
San Francisco SPCA
(415) 554-3000
Tony LaRussa’s Animal Rescue
(925) 256-1273
Tri-Valley SPCA
(925) 479-9670
Valley Humane Society
(925) 426-8656
PET ASSISTANCE
Del Valle Dog Club Classes
(925) 455-4158
Del Valle Dog Club–Help Info
(866) 335-8355
Tri-Valley SPCA Spay/Neuter Clinic
(925) 479-9674
Contra Costa County Spay/Neuter Clinic (925) 646-4484
San Francisco SPCA Behavior Help Line (415) 554-3075
Alisal Pet Clinic
(925) 462-0677
ABC Pet Clinic
(925) 855-8195
Animal Medical Center
(925) 456-8387
Bishop Ranch Vet
(extended hours)
(925) 866-8387
ASPCA Animal Poison
Control Center
(888) 426-4435
TVAR ’s Mission
Tri-Valley Animal Rescue (TVAR) is a nonprofit, all
volunteer organization whose mission is to end the
unnecessary euthanasia of homeless animals. TVAR
cooperates with area shelters and rescue groups, primarily
the East County Animal Shelter, to provide homeless
animals with socialization, foster homes, medical care and
the opportunity for another chance.