View The Spring/Summer 2016 Newsletter Here

GALVESTON ISLAND
HUMANE SOCIETY
Spring/Summer 2016 NEWSLETTER
www.galvestonhumane.org
Message from the Executive Director
Caroline Dorsett-Pate
I have been doing this for a while… the world is changing,
and not always for the better as we all know. One change
we have seen is the explosion of social media. For good, or
for bad, it is here, probably to stay and grow. It can be such
an advantage for shelters. People can post lost or found
pets. Many are found before being turned in to shelters.
Sadly, many make their way to shelters that are beyond
capacity but care so much they continue to make room. We
are that shelter.
The GIHS is the steward of the animals of Galveston Island.
We claim the responsibility for the irresponsible people,
people who accidentally lose a pet, and the people who,
beyond their control, must give up their beloved pets. We
are often praised and cursed in the same Facebook posts.
Those who condemn our work don’t truly, know what we
know, see what we see, and do what we do, every day. I
invite those people to come in and volunteer at ours, or
any, shelter.
I am often asked, “What keeps you going?” or “How do you
do what you do?” My answer is often… someone has to do
it. I currently have, and have had, a wonderful staff, obviously not working for the money, but for the importance of
the job, to show these animals that someone cares.
The other thing that keeps us going is, of course, the
reward of posts like this. Penny was at the shelter a long
time. She became my project, timid and scared, and so
cute. Adopted in 2011, after 5 months in the shelter, I was
recently tagged on Facebook with this…
I found my Penny with my heart and how her heart showed
through her eyes. I am forever grateful that I gave her that second
look. She had HW, Shelter Depression, was underweight, fearful
and totally disinterested in me, until she saw we were going to
take her home. She did not dare get out of the car on our long
drive from Galveston to near Fort Worth. She was "going home."
She did not dare make a sound for one entire year! She dared not
play for almost two years. But she knew we were forever. Caroline
Dorsett-Pate…what a debt we owe you.
Her Name
is Penny
Response:
Caroline Dorsett-Pate Thanks adopter I still smile when I think
about you and Penny!
Like · Reply · June 13 at 11:46am
Adopter: Well, she smiles all of the time now. She is beyond
excellent. I could tell you so many wonderful things about her,
but then everything about her is wonderful. She is herself now. It
makes us cry when we think of how we might have missed having
her. Thank God for FB.
Like · Reply · June 13 at 11
This exchange was prompted by this post:
Just a reminder when you’re adopting a pet, to take the
time to meet the scared ones, the shy ones, the ones that
don’t stick out to you. The ones that hide under their beds,
or blankets or litter pans. The ones that hiss, the ones that
bark and shake and cry and look at you with confusion.
The one that cowers. The ones with the boring colors or
missing limbs. The older ones, the frail ones. The ones who
seem beyond repair. The ones who seem to have given up.
Because they are not… and they haven’t. They just need
you! And sometimes you just really need them too.
So, Facebook, thank you! We are finding homes, reuniting
families, and occasionally making some people unhappy,
but we are doing our job, and, I believe, doing it well !
JOIN US ONLINE!
PAGE 1
Community Events
Calendar 2016
GIHS works hard to stay visible in the community to
promote adoptions and awareness for the pets in
our care. Here is a list of upcoming events, mark
your calendar! As new events are scheduled, they
will be added to our on-line calendar at:
https://galvestonhumane.org/calendar/
July
16th Canine Good Citizenship Training
17th Ohana Surf Dog Competition
IT’S MEMBERSHIP DRIVE
TIME AT THE
GALVESTON ISLAND
HUMANE SOCIETY!
Hopefully by now you have received your membership
renewal card and have already sent in your donation for
this year’s membership. If not, and you want to be a
member, please go to www.galvestonhumane.org and
join today!
23rd Clear the Shelter Adoption Event
9am-4pm
30th Canine Good Citizenship Evaluations
10am-4pm
August
13th Paws for A Cause Fundraiser
sponsored by the SAMI Foundation
at the Galveston Island Brewing Company
12pm-8pm
27th-28th
Paws and Claws Adoption Event
League City 10am-4pm
Please...
While some non-profits might offer you free tickets to a
show or discounts on a tour, your membership contribution to the GIHS provides you the joy of helping to feed
a homeless mama cat and her six kittens. It might help a
lost dog reunite with his family or provide the means for
a scared, injured, or sick dog the ability to heal and learn
to trust again, and to find a forever home.
September
30th - October 1st Tattoo Expo
Fulfilling our mission of rescuing animals from suffering,
cruelty, abandonment, and neglect has always required
active fundraising from our generous donors and the
community. Your support of our mission is vital to our
organization and work.
October
1st Paws Gala Paw-Jama Party
6:30pm – 11pm
Your new membership or renewal allows us to provide
the best care possible for the over 3,100 pets who come
to our shelter each year. Your contribution makes such a
difference in the lives of these precious animals. On
behalf of those served by your generosity, we thank
you!
A portion of the proceeds benefitting the shelter.
8th
Food truck rally Adoption Event
8th
CGC Evaluations 10am
15-16th
ArtoberFest - Adoption Event
December
10th Santa Paws Photos with Santa
- Tom’s Thumb
PAGE 2
Visit our website to join today.
www.galvestonhumane.org
and click on the
“How Can I Help?”
at the top of the
page.
a
m
a
J
W
A
P
y
t
r
a
P
~Jeannie Janota
Paws Gala Chair
Saturday, October 1, 2016
6:30 pm - 11:00 pm
Galveston Island
Convention Center
SAVE THE DATE!
The 2016 16th Annual Paws Gala
planning is well underway and
the night will be FANTASTIC!
Pull out your most comfy jammies, gather up your
friends and get ready to join us for this year's
"PAW-jama Party" at the San Luis Convention Center
on October 1st, 2016.
We are asking for your special help this year in achieving a new goal for the Shelter. Instead of spending so
much money on invitations and postage, we are
asking that you PLEASE book your tickets online at our
website www.GalvestonHumane.org. This will allow
us to save thousands of dollars that we could then
spend on taking care of our precious shelter animals,
food, housing, medications, spay/neuter and so much
more. YOU are a BIG part of our success and we so
appreciate your help in achieving this new goal.
We are also very excited to announce our first ever
PAPERLESS SILENT AUCTION for this year's Paws
Gala. Please help our auction raise record breaking
funds for the care of our beloved animals. Please visit
our website to learn more.
We look so forward to seeing you and your friends at
this year's Gala. As you might know, the Gala
provides a major portion of our annual budget and
your participation is a great gift to our shelter pets.
If you have any questions or need further
information, please contact us at (409) 740-1919.
In the spotlight - A Staff Tribute - Vanessa Coggins
The role of the Client Care Team is complex. They are the face of the
shelter, the first people you see when you enter. Their roles range from
intake to adoption, answering a constantly ringing phone, to working
on the computer to try to reunite lost pets by social media. They experience people from every walk of life; the loving pet owner who lost a
pet, to the angry owners who received tickets for neglect, to the child
who adopts their very first pet.
Vanessa Coggins began as a volunteer and was quickly hired to work
with people. Her background helps her work with people in a positive
manner and she handles the stress well. Last year she accepted a full
time position and earlier this year she took on the responsibility of the
Galveston Island Community Cats Coordinator.
We are excited that Vanessa has recently moved and now calls the
island her home.
Without a doubt, Vanessa is truly an asset to the GIHS and the animals
in our care.
PAGE 3
Trainers Corner
The Incredible, Pet-able Sit!
By Trelle Dandridge
‘I wannna cookie’, ‘I wanna play’, ‘I wanna eat, ‘I want
another cookie’, ‘I wanna hug’, and last but not least,
‘Iwanna go for a walk’. All of these things probably
sound like things children, from the dawn of time, have
demanded, before of course, they learned how to say
‘please’. We not only teach our children how to say
‘please’, but we should expect it. In many households,
the children who live with us will not get what they want
at all, without saying, or depending on the temper
tantrum, muttering the phrase…’please.’
ing on you or others, possibly knocking someone over,
and/or charging his food dish.
Training is an ongoing process. This is crucial to understand if you are going to teach your pooch how to say
‘please.’ All interactions should be looked at as a training
opportunity. You are always rewarding a behavior in your
dog. What are you consciously and unconsciously
teaching your dog? An important question to ask is,
“would this behavior be okay with me if my puppy or
dog was 100 pounds?” Would jumping or pulling at the
leash be okay then?
It is important to get into a training program right away,
whether you feel like Fido’s behavior is annoying or not.
Getting started on the right paw is important for setting
up the rules. As Dr. Ian Dunbar says, ‘If you want your
puppy to follow the rules, don’t keep them a secret.’ I will
take this a bit further and add… please don’t wait until
you have a problem. It is far easier to prevent problems,
than to counter condition them. Mutts With Manners has
a variety of classes from group classes and private
lessons to board and train programs. Call us today to
find out more details.
Until next time, keep it pawsitive!
281-685-7601
trelle@muttswithmanners.com
www.muttswithmanners.com
www.facebook.com/muttswithmannerstx
Our dogs are similar and can be held to the same standards. They may not have the linguistics to actually say
the word ‘please’, but they certainly have the equivalent. We call it the incredible, petable sit. After your dog has learned how to sit on cue by saying
‘sit’ or given the hand signal, your dog can be taught
that this is how he asks for everything his heart desires. OK, not everything, but at least some of the things that
Fido finds important. By asking for a sit before your dog
gets what he wants, he will learn what is expected of
him. He is also learning that communication is a two way
street. Fido will learn quickly that sitting is preferred over
anything else and that it delivers the cookies, walks,
petting and praises much more rapidly than anything
else. Staying consistent will also establish some quick
boundaries for any new arrivals into your family, and
reestablish the rules for existing animals in your home.
If your dog is sitting he cannot engage in a host of
undesirable behaviors. These might include: the door
dash out of your home, car, or gate and running away,
clearing a coffee table with one swift wag of a tail, jump-
PAGE 4
GIHS Board of Directors
President – Liz Rogers-Alvarado
President Elect – Joel Caldwell
Secretary – Diana Barr
Treasurer – Marte Hersey
Past President – Maureen McCutchen
Board Members
Kelley Delasandri
Lea Fistein, DVM
Becki Habib
Jeannie Hughes
Jeannie Janota
Cheryl Johnson
Kyle Knupple, DVM
David Rogers
Shelby Scott
Kate Marx
Stephanie Vasut
Eddie Walsh
Ann Winkelmann
Dana Wisko
Executive Director - Caroline Dorsett-Pate
WISH LIST
GIHS BOARD MEMBER SPOTLIGHT:
SGT.Joel Caldwell
Sgt. Joel Caldwell of the
Galveston Police Dept. has
been on the GIHS’s Board
of Directors for 12 years. He
is President-Elect of the
Board of Directors and also
serves on the executive and
Ad Hoc-facilities committees.
Joel supervises the Animal
Services Unit (ASU) of the
GPD. This unit enforces all
ordinances and laws relating
to animals in the City of Galveston. The ASU’s objective is
to respond competently and professionally in accordance
to requests for assistance from Police Officers and citizens
alike. Included in this is the responsibility to conduct criminal investigations relating to animal cruelty and civil animal
seizures in accordance with Section 821 of the Texas Health
and Safety Code.
Joel lives on the island with his 2 dogs and 2 cats. Addison is a 12-year-old Pit Bull and one of the first Pit Bulls ever
adopted from GIHS. (Our placement of Pit Bulls in loving
homes has been possible due to Joel’s screenings of
applicants and home visits.) Meatball is a 3-year-old Bull
Terrier adopted from Gulf Coast Bull Terrier Club Rescue.
Pinecone is a 1 ½ year old brown tabby adopted from the
GIHS and Julio is an 8-year-old Sphinx. Over the past two
years, Joel has said good bye to Kitties Otis and Ashe and
Bull Terriers Sarge and General. He currently has 2 foster
puppies and 4 kittens from the GIHS!
As a cruelty investigator he has found that so many of our
problems stem from overpopulation. His message to you is
“Please encourage everyone to spay and neuter their pets!”
Both the shelter and the Board of Directors have greatly
benefited from Joel’s knowledge and leadership.
We feed Science Diet brand food for our resident animals. All food donations are appreciated.
Other donated food brands will be used for our
assistance program.
Dogs:
Leashes, collars
Canned puppy food
Sturdy dog toys including
Kongs and chew ropes
Kuranda Beds - www.Kuranda.com
Cats:
Kitty litter (clay, non-clumping)
Cat beds (toilet lid covers work well, or beds small
enough to wash easily)
Canned kitten food
Cat toys
Stretch & Scratch - www.Stretchandscratch.com Misc:
Towels (all sizes)
Bleach, Dawn dish soap,
Paper towels, liquid laundry soap
Printer/copier paper
Office supplies
Batteries (D, C, AA, AAA)
Special Needs:
Digital cameras and SD cards
Gift Cards are Wonderful:
PetSmart, Petco, Home Depot,
Office Depot, WalMart, Target,
and/or Amazon
Feather Cat Toy craft project
Materials: Scissors, Wool felt, Iron, Jingle bells, Satin cord
Download template at:
www.marthastewart.com/sites/files/marthastewart.com/d7/la_1207/la_1207_leaf.pdf
Steps: Using templates as guides, cut out one large and one small feather
from two pieces of different colored medium-weight wool felt.
With a hot iron, press a crease down the center of each feather.
Add a jump ring to a jingle bell.
Slip end of a 1-yard length of satin cord through jump ring. At bell, tie stems
of feathers to cord with a square knot. Knot both ends of cord to prevent
fraying.
PAGE 5
A Bark
in the
Park
Photography
camp
This is a sample of the photos taken by the
TAMUG Children’s “Photography Camp” this
summer under the guidance of local
photographer, Robert Mihovil.
2016
On May 21st, Lindale Park played
host to the re-scheduled “A Bark in
the Park!” When the skies finally
cleared, Galveston Island Humane
Society staff and volunteers went
above and beyond to make this
event a wonderful day for residents
and visitors to the Island. Seventytwo individuals and companies gave
sponsorships ranging from $100 to
$2,500 resulting in over $20,000
raised for the shelter. “A Bark in the
Park” is a key fundraiser for the
Shelter and a wonderful way for the
community at large is able to learn
more about our operations and
animals.
Photo credit Robyn Bushong:
"Best in Show" winner of the 6th
Annual Galveston Island Dog Show
- "A Bark in the Park" was "Oliver",
a big, friendly Bassett Hound,
accompanied by his young owner,
Luke Markello.
Plus Card Annual*
Enrollment Drive
Currently a Kroger Plus card on-line member?
Sign In
Verify your information.
Select the Galveston Island Humane Society
Acct #80687
Shop… and support GIHS every time you use your
Kroger Plus card.
If you did not register last year, itʼs easy.
Go to www.krogercommunityrewards.com
Sign In or if you donʼt have an account, you can
“Create an Account” from this page. You will need
your Kroger card or alternate id number.
Problems? Call 1800837- 4483
Once your Kroger Plus card account is created,
you can choose to Support the GIHS,
follow the directions above.
*Annual Enrollment takes place each August
PAGE 6
Shop at
You can support the shelter every time you use
your Remarkable Card.
Go to the courtesy booth and ask to have the
code “2566” added to your card.
Your support of our shelter will continue unless you
make a change. It does not need to be renewed annually.
Many businesses around Galveston Island, including
Randallʼs have Pennies for Pets banks. Drop in your
spare change. It really adds up to help the homeless
pets of the shelter.
Visit our website www.galvestonhumane.org
for more information and other ways to help.
k
Than
You!
Got Ferals?
The Galveston Island Community Cats
Program (GICC) is operated through the
GIHS. Since the passage of city ordinance
article VII Feral Cats, which established
guidelines for maintaining feral cats on Galveston Island,
we have stepped up our services for trap-neuter-return.
Vanessa Coggins, the GICC Coordinator, has recruited a
small group of volunteers who have been helping to
educate the community about the community cat
program, and are assistting with mass trappings of feral
cat colonies on Galveston Island and the return to field of
sterilized cats.
Galveston city residents who feed feral cats may register
with GICC as sponsors. Since September 2015, over 500
stray and feral cats have been trapped for TNR by both
the GICC program and individuals in the community.
GIHS encourages everyone to support
our local business owners by Shopping
Local whenever possible. If you shop
online, many of you use Amazon as an
easy, quick solution to many of your
needs. Did you know that you can help
the homeless animals of the shelter while
you shop?
During the last quarter we received
$71.84 just from the few people who
support us through the AmazonSmile
Foundation. The holidays are approaching, and you can easily increase that
amount and your level of support to the
shelter.
Sign in to:
http://smile.amazon.com/ch/74-2159658
and select the Galveston Island Humane
Society as your charity. When you shop
on Amazon, through the AmazonSmile
program, Amazon donates 0.5% of the
purchase price to support our work.
Happy Shopping!
Interested in helping?
We can put your talents to work in the following ways:
• Neighborhood canvasser and educator.
• We can use friendly volunteers to go door-to-door
distributing community cat program educational
and promotional materials.
• Community cat trapper and transporter.
• We need volunteers to trap stray/feral cats in
identified colonies with GICC or do trapping of their
own colonies.
• We also need people to pick up post-surgery cats
from the vet clinics for return to field.
If you are interested in any of these positions or
for additional information, please contact
Vanessa Coggins at the shelter –
409-740-1919.
It’s difficult to highlight volunteers a couple
times a year when we have so many who
deserve recognition. But this time, I knew
exactly who we needed to tell you about.
Joannie and Glenn Krajca-Radcliffe began
volunteering in 2009, back in the early
development of our program. They are our
resident cat experts and we trust them to
not only train other volunteers, but provide
weekly volunteer reports on the adoptable
cats.
With Joannie’s “people” medical background,
she helps identify possible medical problems to report to the staff. Glenn is great
with personalities. They have several volunteers who work on their team, including
Carol Amann. Carol is also a personality
person and can bring out the best in scared
or timid cats.
We can’t do everything we do without
people like Joannie, Glenn, Carol, and our
entire volunteer team.
Have extra time? Consider joining us !
PAGE 7
www.galvestonhumane.org
The Galveston Island
Humane Society, Inc.
is dedicated to
promoting animal
welfare and the
protection and
prevention of
unwanted or homeless
animals.
GALVESTON ISLAND
HuMANE SOCIETY
Spring/Summer 2016 NEWSLETTER
www.galvestonhumane.org