Winter Newsletter - Humane Society of Utah

Speaking of
4242 South 300 West • Murray, UT 84107
(801) 261-2919 • www.utahhumane.org
Animals
Winter 2013
The Humane Society of Utah is dedicated to the elimination of pain, fear, and suffering in all animals.
Animal Welfare Groups
Unite with HSU
Page 3
Hound Heaven
Page 8
PBS Television Airs
Excellent Animal Features
Page 5
Austin —
A Love Letter
Page 4
Plus:
It Was a Very Good Year,
Wags to Wishes,
and more!
As I see things
2012: For HSU, It Was A Very Good Year.
— by Gene Baierschmidt
HSU Executive Director
Board of Directors
Craig S. Cook, President
Dr. Eric Belnap, Vice President
Dr. JoAnn B. Seghini, Secretary
Randy John, Treasurer
Directors:
Steve Starley, Tim J. Williams, Susan Wood
Administrative Staff
Gene Baierschmidt, Executive Director
Paul Chapin, DVM, Veterinarian
Shama Chapin, DVM, Veterinarian
John Paul Fox, Chief Investigator
Pauline Edwards, Director of Clinic
Carlene Wall, Director of
Operations and Education
Carl Arky, Director of Communications
Katharine Brant, Director of
Publications and Membership
Oliver Schmidt, IT Manager
Loraine Delgadillo, Business Manager /
Human Resources
Kris Lamoreaux, Director of Outreach Adoptions
and Special Events
Jamie Usry, Special Events Coordinator
Lesa Essary, Volunteer Coordinator
Jessica Almeida, Animal Transfer Coordinator
Barbara Conrad, Foster Animal Coordinator
Services Provided
Adoption of animals to qualified homes
v Low-cost sterilization surgeries
v Receiving of unwanted animals
v Preventive immunizations
v Investigation of animal abuse and neglect
v Animal rescues
v Humane education and pet-facilitated therapy
v
For further information on services provided
by HSU, call (801)261-2919 during business hours.
Remember, HSU is your shelter.
We are here to help the animals of Utah.
Please help maintain and support our programs
with your contributions.
The Humane Society of Utah is
an independent 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization
that is not affiliated with any other group, nationally
or locally. We receive no funding from taxes or any
source other than your contributions.
Incorporated 1960
4242 South 300 West
Salt Lake City, UT 84107-1415
Telephone: (801) 261-2919
Fax: (801) 261-9577
www.utahhumane.org
© 2013 Humane Society of Utah. All rights reserved.
I’m pleased to report that 2012 was a benchmark year for the Humane Society
of Utah. The highlight, of course, was the opening this past August of Kitty City,
our deluxe feline adoption center that provides a home-like atmosphere where the
cats are blissfully happy, and prospective adopters can spend time getting to know
the animals in a relaxed, comfortable setting. (What’s notable as well is that we
doubled our holding capacity for adoptable cats, and cat adoptions have shot up
by 20% since Kitty City’s Grand Opening.) We also added a brand new foster
wing, which has allowed us to give many more “special-needs” animals that extra
time and care they need to become ready for adoption, and we expanded and
updated our clinic so that we can more efficiently meet the growing demands
of the public for sterilization surgeries and vaccinations for their companion
animals. Finally, the Administration department moved to a new area that
provides much-needed office space for a growing staff.
Mission Accomplished
Even with all the construction going on, we still had an impressive year for
adoptions and placed over 7,000 dogs and cats into kind, loving homes. We owe
this success primarily to the efforts of our expanded Outreach, Foster, Behavioral
Evaluation, and Animal Transfer programs. Our clinic performed close to 11,000
sterilizations, thus helping reduce the number of homeless animals along the
Wasatch Front. Our Cruelty Investigation department looked into hundreds of
cases of neglect and abuse of animals throughout the state, and our Education
Director made important presentations to many of Utah’s schoolchildren.
Still Moving Ahead
In 2013, plans are already underway to expand and renovate our dog
adoption area (please see page 8), which will offer a calm, relaxing environment
for the dogs in which they will present a much more favorable impression to
potential adopters who come to view them.
As we continue to move forward, the changes we’re implementing will not
only increase our adoption rates, but will definitely enhance our overall ability to
serve the community and its animals. We plan to make this an even better year
for the animals that arrive at our shelter than 2012 was, and we appreciate your
continued support, which makes it all possible.
Without you, we simply couldn’t do it. v
Wish List!
As always, the Humane Society of Utah’s day-to-day operations require not only a
great deal of time, elbow grease, and dedication on the part of its hard-working staff, but
a lot of ordinary supplies that are more necessary than people might realize. If any of you
can drop off any of the following items at any time, we’ll always be purr-fectly gr-r-rateful!
• Bleach
• Carpet stain remover
• Used fire safe (two- or four-drawer)
• Paper towels
• Kitten and puppy milk
replacement formula
• Laundry detergent
• Kitten and puppy chow
• Dishwashing detergent
• Cat litter (non-clumping, please)
• Old blankets and towels
• Newspapers (no glossy advertising pages,
please — they won’t absorb liquids) v
• Glass cleaner
Animal Welfare Groups Unite with
Humane Society of Utah
— Powerful Advocates Backing HSU in Utah State Legislature!
— by Carl Arky
The upcoming session of the Utah State Legislature
will be marked by an unprecedented collaboration among
America’s most powerful national animal welfare groups
and the Humane Society of Utah. This coalition is the
result of an historic meeting held on October 31st, when
representatives from three highly influential animal welfare
groups discussed legislative strategies with HSU staff
members. The 2012 U.S. Animal Laws Rankings, published
by the Animal Legal Defense Fund may have provided some
of the impetus for this gathering, since Utah was ranked #46
— in the very bottom tier — of all 50 states. (Even Puerto
Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands were all ranked higher.)
Helping Utah Help its Animals
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
to Animals (ASPCA), the Humane Society of the United
States (HSUS), and the Best Friends Animal Society
(BFAS) have agreed to coordinate efforts with HSU to
back three pieces of legislation benefitting Utah’s animals.
Said HSU Executive Director Gene Baierschmidt, “We are
honored and look forward to working with these other prominent
groups. Through this unprecedented collaboration, we hope to
effect significant change that will better protect the animals of our
state.”
Down through the years, the Humane Society of
Utah has received reports, or been involved in “busts,” of
cockfights in many locations, including areas in or near
Bluffdale, Delta, Elberta, Fairview, Highland, Hyrum,
Lakeport, Lindon, Midvale, Ogden, Riverton, Salt Lake
City, Slaterville, and West Valley City.
Many Offensive Associations
Conducted primarily for the purposes of gambling and
“entertainment,” cockfighting attracts participants from
surrounding states as well as local individuals, many of
whom carry firearms and other weapons — in part because
of the large amounts of cash on the premises. The Drug
Enforcement Agency (DEA) has documented a strong
connection between this “blood sport” and violent crime,
including homicide and the distribution of illegal drugs.
While cockfighting is illegal throughout the country,
Utah is not among the 33 states and the District of Columbia
which have classified this spectacle as a felony. Therefore,
many persons from surrounding states where it’s classified
as a stronger offense come to the Beehive State, which has
become a magnet for cockfighters willing to risk a “slap-onthe-wrist” misdemeanor penalty for participating in this
illegal, but less stringently punished, activity here.
Expanding our Influence
Senator Gene Davis of Salt Lake City’s Third
District has been a hard-working, conscientious
member of Utah’s legislature since 1987, and
currently occupies the prestigious Senate position
of Minority Whip. It was Gene Davis who
sponsored the very first version of the law making
deliberate torture of companion animals a felony
offense, and this year he is putting his support
behind three important animal-protection
proposals. Please read how you can help him
get these bills passed.
Utah Senator Gene Davis (D-Salt Lake City) has agreed
to sponsor all three bills, including legislation that would
make cockfighting a felony offense in our state. Utah has
a long, sad history of cockfighting that dates back to the
late 1800’s. On January 26, 1888, for example, an article in
“Ogden Briefs” reported that “cocks were fought just north
of this city,” and a similar story in the Salt Lake Herald of
May 13 of the same year read, “A genuine cockfight took place
in the vicinity of Warm Springs yesterday.” Unfortunately, this
unsavory practice still exists in modern times. On January
6, 2003, the Salt Lake Tribune reported that “an estimated
150 to 200 people in Utah actively raise chickens for fighting
competitions.”
The second bill sponsored by Senator Davis would place
restrictions on the tethering of dogs and would also allow
law enforcement officers access to vehicles when dogs or
other animals inside them are deemed to be in distress. This
proposed legislation would make it illegal to tether a dog for
more than 10 hours per day. The Humane Society of Utah
regards this practice as inhumane and dangerous — not
only to the dog that is confined, but for other animals and
humans as well.
Dogs continuously chained can become bored, frustrated,
anxious, neurotic, and agitated. Some actually suffer from
having their collars embedded in the tissues if their necks.
Understandably, dogs living under such conditions often
become aggressive. While all animal welfare groups would
prefer to see a total ban on tethering, it is the belief of HSU’s
new coalition that a 10-hour time limit would reasonably
allow people who are employed sufficient time to go to work
and then return home to take their dogs off the tether.
With regard to facilitating animals in distress, under this
proposed law officers would be able to enter a parked
continued on page 6 (Animal Welfare)
3
Austin — A Love Letter
— by Cynthia Cole
Editor’s note: Last October we received the following beautiful letter from Cynthia Cole, a former
Utah resident now living in California. Twenty years ago she adopted a rather scruffy-looking, scrawny
little dog from HSU, and the two went on to develop a deep, powerful, and lifelong love for each other.
Here, in Cynthia’s own words, is the story of how it all happened.
Hello,
I just wanted to take a moment to express some thoughts
and tell you a story that I hope you will find uplifting and
remind you again of why your safe haven is such an important
part of your community.
Back in 1993, I had just recently purchased a home and
was looking to adopt a dog to share it with me. I knew from
the beginning that I wanted to adopt from a shelter and
save a life, so I drove to the Humane Society of Utah — and
there he was. To this day I still have no idea what made me
choose him. He was very matted, he was gray in color and
filthy. (I later learned that he had just been admitted to the
shelter moments before, and no one had had time to spruce
him up for presentation to the public.) He sat in the corner
of the cage shaking, and when I coaxed him toward me he
was afraid of crossing the barrier between his kennel and the
hallway. He continued to tremble violently when I took him
into the “Get-Acquainted” room. He was timid and frightened
to death. But I did choose him, and I cannot begin to explain
the happiness and love he brought to my life.
I wrote out the check for his adoption fee, left him there
to get neutered, and picked him up three days later; we
then made our way directly to a private veterinarian for his
complete physical examination. During the ride he vomited in
the car, and after we got home he received what I am guessing
was his first bath ever! So you can see we had a pretty rough
start: In a short period of time he had lost his “manhood,”
then (according to him, at least) been taken for a very
traumatic car ride, visited the vet to get poked and prodded
and peered at, and finally was put into a tub of warm water
and soaped up. (This litany of indignities doesn’t include the
pills he had to swallow daily to cure his kennel cough.)
But that was only the beginning, and it doesn’t even
remotely begin to describe the rest of the story of this special
animal and our time together. Austin Mufassa — the name
I chose for him because I couldn’t bear the “Fluffy” that
had been written on his cage ID card (far too girly and catlike!) — Austin and I embarked on a decades-long series of
adventures that bonded us for all time. He went boating, he
sat on the front of my 4-wheeler as we explored the Utah
mountains. He pulled me on my roller blades along the Jordan
River Parkway. Together we hiked, camped, and went on river
runs. He was by far the most affectionate and loyal canine
who ever lived; I almost considered re-naming him Romeo,
for he truly was a great lover. He was gentle, kind, and gave
abundantly of his devoted heart.
4
Austin Mufassa was with me through personal break-ups,
deaths, and, most of all, my
big move to the West Coast.
It was here that he learned
to love the ocean and the
Austin Cole was adopted from HSU
beach. That silly dog would
in 1993 and for over 18 years was the
race up and down on the
loving and beloved companion of his mom,
Cynthia. Together they joyfully roamed
sand, barking himself into a
the mountains, parks, and rivers of Utah,
delighted frenzy at the sight
and he later became a devout and ecstatic
of the waves breaking and
beach bum after their move to the
California coast. Austin was the
receding. Sometimes one
embodiment of the pure, selfless, absolutely
would even get him — he
unconditional love that animals give.
would topple over in the
onrushing crest, then spring to his feet, shake the water off,
and resume his pursuit of the splashing sea. By the time we
would leave for home he was a sandy, muddy mess — but he’d
enjoyed the kind of ecstasy that most humans probably can’t
even imagine.
Austin was laid to rest on Saturday, October 20, 2012.
If you do the math, you’ll see that he had been with me for
18 years and some months, and he was not a puppy when I
picked him out; so he was getting well along in doggie years
at the time of his passing. Even at the end, battling blindness,
tumors, the world’s worst breath and a raging ear infection, he
never complained or cried.
But I cried. I cried hysterically for a long time, and then,
for his sake, I pulled myself together for his final trip to the
vet. As the merciful injection coursed through my best friend’s
veins, I whispered to him, “It’s time for you to go run and play
again now.” And then I added, “And you had better be right
there waiting for me when it’s my time to join you.”
*
*
*
*
*
There have been times in my life with Austin that I have
often thought that I should write to the Humane Society of
Utah and thank you — thank you for taking the time, the
money, and the effort to care for him and so many others like
him until they find their own good homes. As you can see
from the picture, he had big brown eyes and resembled a baby
seal at times. I cannot imagine who had neglected him and let
him go, as this dog was truly the best dog ever.
So, that said, I want to take the time, finally, to say “Thank
you!” from the very bottom of my soul. Please know how
grateful I am to you for rescuing him, and know how much love
and joy we shared together. I hold him in my heart every day.
Very sincerely,
Cynthia Cole
v
PBS Television Stations Offer
Excellent Animal Features
Viewers of the two local Public Broadcasting Service
television stations, KUED Channel 7 and KBYU Channel
11, are already well aware of the many outstanding
educational programs dealing with animals of all kinds that
are routinely featured on these outlets, but last November
three separate programs that were truly insightful and
sympathetic to animals were aired, and the Humane Society
of Utah would like to acknowledge and thank both Nova
and Nature for producing these exceptional documentaries.
Each one portrayed members of various species as the feeling,
reasoning, individualized beings that they are, and it is to be
hoped that many people’s appreciation and understanding
of the magnificence of all life forms were expanded by these
unique presentations.
Acknowledging Animals’ Emotions
Briefly, here are summaries of the three broadcasts as
described by the stations themselves. On November 7th and
28th, Nature offered “Animal Odd Couples,” which covered
in detail several recently well-documented incidents of close
bonding between members of completely unrelated species
— a doe regularly visiting her surrogate Great Dane mama, a
giant tortoise snuggling a baby hippo, for example. “Informed
by the observations of caregivers, biologists, animal
behaviorists and noted scientists... this film looks at these
remarkable relationships firsthand and explores what they
suggest about the nature of animal emotions. This special
shows that real friendship knows no bounds, that it’s not only
humans who need it, and that companionship and empathy...
more easily cross species borders than we thought.”
Complex Thought Processes
Also on November 7th, Nova pondered the question
“What Are Animals Thinking?” Specialist David Pogue
analyzed, among other things, how pigeons’ brains allow
them to find their way home across hundreds of unfamiliar
miles. By both meeting and competing with an array of
animals who “challenged preconceived notions about what
makes ‘us’ different from ‘them,’” the program expanded
our understanding and changed our own thinking of how
animals really think.
Looking at Humble Beings
with New Respect
It’s perhaps becoming more and more common for human
beings to acknowledge the possible existence of both thought
and feeling in some species that we’ve taken the time to
study in a certain amount of depth — elephants, dogs,
primates and so on — but it seems that there will always be
certain creatures that people continue to look upon with
smug condescension and even a degree of contempt. Perhaps
two Nature presentations may alter that attitude.
The first, titled simply “An Original DUCKumentary,”
featured “a beautiful and fascinating bird — the duck. [The
program] followed a wood duck family and discovered how
a male and female create a bond, migrate together across
thousands of miles, nurture and protect a brood of chicks,
and come full circle as they head to their wintering grounds.”
Finally, there was “My Life as a Turkey,” based on the true
story of writer and naturalist Joe Hutto, who was given the
rare opportunity to raise a brood of wild turkeys from chicks.
“After a local farmer left a bowl of [turkey] eggs on Hutto’s
front porch,” says the synopsis, “his life was forever changed.”
The presentation follows Hutto’s relationship with the birds
from their hatching through adulthood. “As the chicks
emerged from their shells, they locked eyes with an unusual
but dedicated ‘mother.’ Hutto spent each day out and about
with his family until the day came when he had to let his
‘children’ grow up and go off on their own. As it turned out,
this was harder than he had imagined it would be.”
Individual animal caregivers and animal welfare groups
have for decades known the obvious truths examined in
programs like these, but it’s deeply gratifying to see such
ideas finally getting more widespread exposure. Thanks again
to PBS and its excellent programming schedule for opening
more viewers’ eyes to new images of the animal world. v
A famous example of deep emotional bonding between animals
of different species: Roscoe was a thin, homeless bluetick hound who
wandered into The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species
(TIGERS) compound in Myrtle Beach, SC, four years ago and
was immediately welcomed by their resident orangutan, Suryia.
Officials’ efforts to find Roscoe’s original owners were fruitless, so he
has remained at TIGERS as Suryia’s best friend forever. Together the
pair go swimming and hiking, share snacks, and spend endless hours
just cuddling with each other. They even made a joint appearance
at a bookstore to “autograph” copies of the best-selling book
written about them by TIGERS’s founder, Dr. Bhagavan Antle.
5
Animal Welfare continued from page 3
vehicle without the owner’s permission to rescue an
animal, assuming that the owner cannot be located. It
has become an all-too-common occurrence in Utah to
see dogs locked in parked cars on hot days. In a matter
of minutes a dog can suffer heatstroke when interior
temperatures exceed 75 degrees because, unlike humans,
dogs do not have the ability to sweat and reduce body
temperature. This has led to countless tragedies, many of
them documented in the media — for example, “Heat Kills
Dog Left in Truck by Owner,” the Salt Lake Tribune, June
6, 2006, and “Labrador Dies of Heatstroke in Parked Car,”
the Deseret News, July 13, 2005.
Fortunately, a handful of Utah communities have
already passed ordinances with provisions prohibiting
people from leaving dogs in vehicles for prolonged periods
of time and allowing law enforcement officials to act once
they are made aware of such situations. The Humane
Society of Utah and its coalition of national animal
welfare groups would now like to see a law enacted which
would protect animals throughout the entire state.
The law currently being proposed would keep these
parking-lot puppy merchants (who may pay no sales tax
and typically cannot be contacted after the sale) from
selling or giving away either puppies or mature dogs in
public places. First-time offenders would receive a $250
fine; a second conviction would be a misdemeanor offense
carrying a fine of up to $1,000. This legislation would not
only protect puppies — it would also benefit people who,
on an impulse, obtain an animal under such circumstances
only to suffer financial and emotional hardship when
they’re confronted with medical bills and the possibility
that they pup they’ve fallen in love with may have to be
put to sleep. For these unsuspecting consumers, there is
seldom any other recourse.
The legislative session began on January 28, and
HSU will keep you informed about all developments as
these bills progress through the Senate and the House of
Representatives. It is the fervent hope of all the animal
welfare groups that have banded together that Utah’s
lawmakers will show compassion for our animals, and
that our state’s national ranking with regard to animal
protection laws will show dramatic improvement.
How You Can Help and
Humane Lobby Day
You can help us help the animals of Utah. Please
go to our website, www.utahhumane.org, and register
your e-mail with us. (Go to the top of the page and click
“Signup/manage e-mail.”) During the legislative session
we’ll send you updates on the three bills we’re promoting,
and you’ll be able to send your representative or senator a
message in support of these issues.
This photograph illustrates the type of situation that
HSU and its coalition members are working to prohibit
throughout the state in this year’s session of the Utah Legislature.
For many reasons, leaving dogs tethered like this for
long periods of time is inhumane to the animals and may
cause them to become aggressive toward humans as well.
Protecting Puppies and People
The third bill backed by Senator Davis and supported
by our humane coalition would prohibit the sale or
distribution of canines, especially puppies, in public areas
such as shopping mall parking lots or along the roadside.
Again, the sight of such incidents has proliferated over the
past few years. Typically, these animals are unsterilized
and are often unhealthy. After getting one of these dogs
on an impulse, the well-intentioned buyers (or acceptors
of “freebies”) may soon realize that the pup is ill or carries
genetic defects. HSU frequently receives calls from
distraught people who find themselves confronted with
the stress and expense of dealing with a variety of physical
maladies in their new pet. Sadly, many of these animals
end up in shelters where the best, or even the only, option
is to humanely euthanize the dog and end its suffering.
6
Legislators really do value their constituents’ opinions,
and the passage or failure of a bill is often tied directly to the
feedback they get from the people who put them in office.
We’ve made it very easy for you to contact your
lawmakers. It will only take a minute of your time, and
you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that your voice has
the potential to bring about change that will improve the
way animals are treated in the state of Utah.
To Learn and Practice Lobbying
for Animal Laws at the State Level
And there’s more you can do! Please join us at the Utah
State Capitol for Humane Lobby Day on February 13. This
is a full-day event that includes a lobbying workshop and an
overview of the animal bills being presented in this session
of the Legislature. You’ll have the opportunity to learn
about how to contact your lawmakers and perhaps actually
speak to them. You can also pre-register for Humane Lobby
Day on our website at www.utahhumane.org.
This is your chance to get directly involved in the
making of better animal-welfare laws in Utah. We look
forward to seeing you on February 13th! v
Have Some Ale and Wag Your Tail!
— HSU and Piper Down Pub Join their Paws in First-Ever “YAPPY HOUR”
’Twas indeed the season to be merry, and last December the
Humane Society of Utah held a first-time-ever holiday celebration
at the quaint and charming Piper Down Olde World Pub located
at 1400 South State Street — and
it was definitely not your ordinary,
run-of-the-mill Happy Hour. On an
absolutely delightful Friday evening
just before Christmas, Piper Down’s
genial owner, Dave Morris, invited
HSU staff to bring shelter dogs
to the pub to be shown off for
adoption, and also donated $1
from every drink sold. The special
activity was called “Yappy Hour,”
and it was a howling success!
The event earned several
thousand
dollars for the Humane
This is what Yappy Hour was all about!
Society, including spontaneous
“Afro,” a five-month-old Briard puppy
from the HSU shelter (yes, he’s going
donations from patrons. Of at
to be a really big boy) enjoys some love
least equal significance was the
and attention from a pub patron and
enormous amount of positive
one of our great volunteers. Afro and
publicity and goodwill that was
several other HSU dogs were adopted
to wonderful homes of their own
generated for HSU. The dogs were
because of this special event.
paraded around the bar and reveled
in the lavish hugs and pats that were bestowed on them; then they
sat back and cuddled with HSU staffers Jamie Usry and Lisa Essary
to enjoy the lovely live acoustic guitar performance by local singersongwriter Talia Keys. “It’s hard to say whether the dogs or the people
had more fun,” said Jamie later.
“There wasn’t a single face there,
furry or otherwise, that wasn’t
just beaming.”
And what’s more, there’s a
chance that Yappy Hour may
become an annual holiday
celebration at Piper Down.
Dave Morris and his crew all
love animals, and last year’s
party not only provided a
Yappy Hour’s stars pose together
unique good time for the
at the Piper Down Olde World Pub.
regulars, but also attracted a
From left to right are HSU Special Events
brand-new crowd of customers
Coordinator Jamie Usry, Piper Down
who are sure to want to enjoy
owner Dave Morris, and Kerri Cronk
from Fox 13 News.
more of this warm, friendly
atmosphere.
Thanks so much to Dave, Talia, Jamie, Lisa, and everyone else
who put so much into making Yappy Hour an event definitely one
to remember — and, we hope, one to repeat! v
HSU to Hold a Gala Celebration
Please Plan to Join Us for “Wags to Wishes”
This summer the Humane Society of Utah will be sponsoring
its first-ever truly gala celebration and fundraiser — a formal,
elegant black-tie dinner party complete with fine food and drink,
a band, a celebrity keynote speaker, and both silent and live
auctions. The affair, known as “Wags to Wishes,” is scheduled to
take place on Friday, June 7th, at The Garden Place, the newest
building located in This is the Place Monument Park, at 2601 E
Sunnyside Avenue, from 6:30 to 10:00 PM.
“It’s been a long time — too long, I think — since the community
had an opportunity to do something that’s really classy and really
compassionate at the same time,” says gala organizer Kris
Lamoreaux. “This will be an evening to remember in every way.
A lot of people probably haven’t done anything like this since their
high school prom! Let’s bring back some glamour and excitement
again, and do a lot of good for the animals at the HSU shelter, too.”
A Workplace
Giving Opportunity
Put on the Dog, Be a Real Cool Cat
In the middle of all the baseball games, picnics,
outdoor hikes and swimming that typically fill up the
summer months, the Wags to Wishes night out will be
a wonderfully unique and special way to have fun. All
proceeds will go directly to helping us provide food,
shelter, medication, adoptions, low-cost sterilization
surgeries and vaccinations, humane education,
statewide investigation of animal cruelty and abuse,
and all the other great programs that only HSU offers.
We’ll keep you posted as further details emerge; for
right now, please draw a circle around June 7th on your
calendars, and then brush up your whiskers and polish
your claws for a truly “pawsh” party! v
Community Shares Utah is a workplace giving federation that allows employees
to donate any specified amount through payroll options to a range of non-profit agencies,
including the Humane Society of Utah, that work to benefit the environment,
deliver critical services, improve the community, protect human rights and promote animal welfare.
The Humane Society of Utah has been a member of Community Shares for several years.
Look over the list of other member organizations at www.communitysharesutah.org to see
what good company we keep. HSU would love to benefit from your workplace giving program
— if you don’t have the opportunity to contribute at work and would like to, please contact:
Carlene Wall, Humane Society of Utah (801)261-2919, ext. 209 or
7
Lynne Bradley, Community Shares (801) 486-9224
“Kitty City” Made a Pussycat Paradise of Cat Adoption Area
Dogs Soon to Have Their Own Hound Heaven
Last August we were able
to open the doors of the
beautiful, roomy, comfortable
new cat adoptions area
that was made possible by
generous bequests from
Ronald and Darlene Boyce,
Mary Miles Kleinman,
Colleen Caron, and other
caring friends. This summer,
it will be the dogs’ turn!
The new Puppytown will be extremely
As we acknowledged
visitor friendly, allowing people to veiw
and interact with the dogs on
in the Autumn 2011 and
a much closer basis than before.
Summer 2012 issues of
Speaking of Animals, the newly-renovated HSU dog adoptions
area — to be called “The Wait is Over, Rover” — has been
made possible almost entirely by a significant gift from
Robert and Teresa Kay, whose deep love of their own dogs,
particularly their three bearded collies, inspired them to
want to give all canines a chance at the good life.
Visible Results Already Appearing
In early December of last year the first steps were taken
toward constructing the beautiful Memorial Plaza that will
provide visitors to HSU with a tranquil place to socialize
with potential adoptees, or to simply reflect on the profound
impact for good that the Humane Society of Utah has
exerted for animals during its half-century of existence. The
centerpiece of the Plaza will be a water feature consisting of
a two-level pool with an original bronze statue of the Kays’
collies, scheduled for completion by this spring.
As for the actual dogs’ quarters, preliminary basics like
wiring and construction of the exterior shell have already
8 begun. As interior remodeling gets underway, the full scope
of what we’ve envisioned will become apparent. Right now,
our adoptable dogs are housed in concrete-and-steel mesh
runs and kennels. When our current facility was built 20
years ago, this was the standard and accepted setup in
shelters. Even though we’ve been very successful in adopting
thousands of dogs every year, we still believe that we can
make the environment much more soothing and pleasant for
them while they’re still in the shelter, as well as showcase the
dogs to better advantage in the adopting public’s eyes. These
are our proposed improvements:
• Small dogs will be kept in an entirely separate area
from the larger canines, and their housing will make
interaction with the public very easy and attractive.
• The larger dogs will be separated from each other in
individual areas.
• Sound-deadening materials will be used throughout
all of the dog area, and plexiglass walls will replace
chain-link fencing in at least some areas. The
overall goal of these steps is to create an atmosphere
where the dogs are calmer and more relaxed, and
thus will make a better impression when potential
adopters come to view them.
• We believe that we will be able to adopt even more
dogs in this type of environment.
Join us for the Opening Festivities!
We’re tentatively scheduling a Grand Opening of “The
Wait is Over, Rover” in August of this year. We’ll of course
keep everyone posted as work progresses, and we know that
the public’s reaction to the spacious, bright, attractive new
dog adoption center will be as positive and overwhelming as
it was — and continues to be — for Kitty City. We all look
forward to seeing you at the pups’ party this summer. v