winter 2012 - Rutland County Humane Society

FOURPAWS
FLYER
Rutland County Humane Society
Winter 2012
765 Stevens Road, Pittsford, VT
802-483-6700
www.rchsvt.org
LOST AND FOUND
Everyone knows that the Rutland County Humane Society has a shelter for companion animals. In
fact many people refer to us as the Shelter rather than the Humane Society. Certainly most of our
resources go into sheltering, but we offer many other services that people rarely think about until
they need them.
One very important service we offer is our Lost and Found program to help animals get back
home.
If your pet is missing or if you have found a pet, please call 483-6700 right away. Even if it is after
hours our answering service – provided at no charge by Advanced Answering Center – will take the
information and give you contact numbers for your local Animal Control Officer (ACO).
You may also post a notice and a picture on our facebook page. If you haven’t “liked” us on facebook, we hope you will.
If you have lost your pet, our website, www.rchsvt.org, has a lost and found tab where we post pictures of animals who come in as stray and the contact information for your local ACO.
Other steps to take when you have lost a pet include calling the closest veterinary offices and
posting flyers in your neighborhood, another good reason to have up to date pictures of your pet.
If you have found an animal, the same steps can apply. Please call us immediately;
we may be able to match you up with the pet’s owners with one call. If not, we’ll
give you options for bringing the animal to the shelter.
Adoption Center Promotions
As readers can see from this edition’s “Doing the Numbers”, RCHS is a busy place! Our
Adoption Center has been particularly busy with monthly promotions. We had great fun in
September with a week-long “Cat Clearance Event” that featured visits from the Cat-In-TheHat and found new homes for 43 adult cats! In October we joined forces with the Rutland Vet
Clinic for a one-day “Kitten Clearance” that sent home 28 kittens. In November, we celebrated the onset of the holiday season with “Black Cat Friday” and saw 24 cats
go home on the first “shopping” day of the season. In December we celebrated
the “12 Days of CatsMas” and sent 56 cats/kittens home to new families by
Christmas Eve!
Keep your eyes open for more monthly “specials” and if you have a great
idea, please email Adoptions@ rchsvt.org.
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F O UR PA WS F LYE R
EVENTS
Dock Diving Benefits RCHS!
Lots of jumping, splashing and laughing
was enjoyed by all at the 3rd annual Dock
Diving competition at the Lake House Pub
and Grill on Lake Bomoseen on a gorgeous
September day. 22 dogs had a great time
jumping and entertaining a terrific crowd
on hand to raise funds for RCHS. The winners were Emma in first place with a jump
of 14 feet, Rocky in second place with a
jump of 13 feet and Hannah in third place
with a jump of 12 feet! Most comical was
Petey and Biggest Splash was Cash. Our
thanks to the Lake House Pub & Grill and g
Housen for hosting and supporting the
event! Thanks, too, to our RCHS volunteers
who helped make the day run so well!
Grey skies didn’t keep animal lovers away from our Blessing of the Animals in early October.
Doggie Dance Review
Dancing dogs and proud dog owners (along with great music and fun costumes!) were stars at the
Doggie Dance Review held at Red Dog Solutions to raise money for RCHS! Well trained dogs
twirled, hopped backwards, rolled over (and more!) and appeared to smile as they and their owners
danced to music and really enjoyed themselves! The crowd of 50 was entertained and impressed
with their abilities. A number of dancing dogs were RCHS alumni and it was rewarding to see how
far many of them have come since their days at the shelter. Our thanks to all of the participants
and attendees who raised needed funds for the animals at RCHS.
F O UR PA WS F LYE R
Pets as Personal Trainers
PAGE 3
Cookie Mac
My doctor recently told me that the best way to deal with arthritis was . . . wait for it . . . .to move,
stay active, walk, bend. I told him I move all the time, rarely sitting still and so far, unlike my
Mom who developed arthritis when she was fairly young, it hasn’t been an issue.
This afternoon, while I was bending down picking up the pieces of yet another shredded toilet
paper cardboard roll, I started to smile as I thought of what the doctor said and the many reasons I
don’t sit still. (More later on the cardboard). Just another reason our dogs are far more than just
companions. They are also our exercise buddies and personal trainers. If I didn’t have a dog (or
two), and several parrots as well, would I take a walk, run the vacuum, bend to pick up fluff from
stuffed animals and other dog toys, make special doggie treats, poop scoop the yard, and on and on?
Dogs keep us young and active. They keep us on our toes as we have to stay one step ahead of them
at all times. They are there for us when we are down or not feeling well, then happy when we ask
them if they want to go for a walk. They readily clean up crumbs under the table and wait for us as
we attempt to keep our home presentable. They convey their feelings in the funniest way, always
getting their point across.
A surefire antidote to the downside of aging is to age gracefully, with a dog. Cats are ok too, but
somehow they don’t make the exercise demands on us that our dogs do. If you don’t think you can
keep up with a puppy, then how about an older, or smaller dog to walk with? There are so many
perfect companions waiting for you at the Shelter.
About the cardboard: that’s a favorite toy of our 8 year plus rescue Sheltie, Shudie. He moves our
shoes all around, too, but never chews them. So we are happy to leave him little surprise rolls all
over. It’s like having a surprise present in every room and guess what-he doesn’t have to clean it
up!
Life with pets – you just can’t beat it.
Volunteer Trade Show
Many people volunteer their time and skills to RCHS and we are grateful for the extra TLC our animals get and the extra expertise our staff gets from these contributions toward our mission.
One thing we often hear from experienced volunteers is that they had no idea how many things
RCHS is involved and how busy a place it is. This gave us the idea to host a Volunteer Trade Show/
Open House so prospective volunteers and other interested folks could visit, tour the shelter, meet
with staff and have first-hand conversations about our programs, fundraising, and other volunteer
needs. We anticipate hosting our Trade Show in early March. Keep your eyes open for more information forthcoming on our website, Facebook page, and E-Newsletter.
From the archives
Recently, the Executive Director of the Lucy Mackenzie Humane Society called to say in a box of their historical documents they
found two newsletters from RCHS dated February and July of 1965. Here are a few of the news items that were printed:
In February of 1965 the shelter cared for 206 dogs, 101 cats, 1 pigeon, 2 rabbits, 1 pig, 1 sheep, 1 drake, 2 mice, 1 owl, 1 rat, 7
ducks and 3 wild birds. Ed Wheeler was the Humane Agent and cared for these animals in his barn with the help of his children.
In July of that year, RCHS announced that they had purchased a “beautiful spot on Stevens Road” for their shelter. While
the shelter has gone through several changes and renovations, the spot is still perfect for our agency.
It was also noted that three men who had been stealing cats in the area were arrested and fined.
Susan Fish, Susan Larson and Robin Kirby won prizes for their essays on “ What is Kindness to Animals”.
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F O UR PA WS F LYE R
Maia
Mystic
Emmie - Adopted in late
2001, my first shelter dog.
Celebrating a decade of
love.
Candy Cane
Purcilla
Garvey
Meeka
Topaz
Davy
Gibson
Peach
Dixie Doodle
Hunter
Sasha and Murphy
RCHS ALUMNI
Smudgie
Sushi
F O UR PA WS F LYE R
LESLI’S LEASH LINES
PAGE 5
Lesli Hyland
It has finally happened... my worst nightmare. We will soon have a Vizsla that we need to keep quiet and confined due
to orthopedic surgery! Yikes! Vizslas are crazy dogs with a lot of energy and a high level of sensitivity. Let's face it,
they are drama queens. In this case we'll be dealing with the king of needy. Tucker is a foster dog with a high level of
anxiety to begin with and now he has an Anterior Cruciate Ligament tear.. I don't look forward to the next 6 weeks. To
make matters even more interesting I am in the first week of rehab for my Chihuahua, Cubby, who just had bilateral
patella surgery! Basically that means he had both knees reconfigured.
So my article today will address how to confine, exercise and rehabilitate your dog post surgery and stay sane in the
process! We'll focus on back leg injuries as ACL tears are so common.
1. Follow your veterinarian's instructions! Don't feel bad for Fido and give him freedom too soon or you may find yourself taking him back in for repair surgery!
2. Make sure your veterinarian sends you home with specific post surgery expectations so you'll know if Fido is progressing as needed. This takes away a lot of worry on your part.
3. Invest in an ex-pen or two. Many dogs prefer confinement in a pen, rather than a crate and it allows some movement, but not too much. Do NOT leave your dog confined in an ex-pen unsupervised unless you are SURE he will not
try to climb out!
4. Don't skimp on pain meds - use as directed. If Fido is in too much pain, he will be slower to start using his leg. If
he appears to still be in alot of pain talk to your veterinarian. He should not feel sedated, so monitor it carefully.
5. In the house, play the bread crumb game to encourage slow walking when that is recommended. A trail of cookies
placed fairly close together will entice Fido to walk slowly. Use a leash to further slow him down.
6. When movement and leg use is recommended, set up LOW bar jumps that are just high enough to require stepping
over. Leash walk Fido SLOWLY over these bars.
7. Invest in chew bones and new toys to keep Fido from going stir crazy. Puzzle toys and bones that can be filled with
food/ treats to keep Fido busy are great!
8. Get out your clicker or use a word ("yes!") with treats to mark/ reward Fido for putting down and using his injured leg
while walking. Not only will this speed recovery, it is also mental exercise, making Fido figure out exactly what body
movement is being rewarded.
9. If possible, take your dog to work with you once he is ambulatory .
10. Mark each week on your calendar. Soon you'll be looking back on this ordeal and your dog will be running happily
again!
Note- In addition to writing Lesli’s Leash
Lines for RCHS, Lesli also provides dog
fostering for the shelter. Her most recent
charges were 7 puppies born the night
their mother arrived at the shelter. For 8
weeks Lesli worked with the puppies to
make sure they were well socialized and
ready to go to new homes. After the adoptions Lesli followed up to consult with new
owners on the joy of Terrier mix puppies.
Lesli is our go-to person for behavior issues
and other advice on all things dog. We appreciate her help and commitment to the
Rutland County Humane Society.
At right are Lesli’s family of rescued dogs.
Doing the Numbers
August
Incoming: 111
Outgoing: 107
Placement: 91%
September
Incoming: 102
Outgoing: 130
Placement: 96%
October
Incoming: 95
Outgoing: 122
Placement: 87%
November
Incoming: 110
Outgoing: 129
Placement: 80%
PAGE 6
F O UR PA WS F LYE R
Wiggles & Wags
Rosie's Girls Summer Program of Rutland
Our Lady of Seven Dolors/Religious Education Students
The Vermont Country Store
Pember Library
Katelynn & Chad Brown
Green Mountain College
Long Trail Auto
Tilden Family
Ilma Rosskopf
Shirley & Lance Brigman
Sara Poczobut
American Legion Auxillary
Rutland Intermediate School/Mr. Stratton’s 3rd Grade
Class
CVPS/Human Resources & Strategic Change
Trevor Leonard
Rutland Intermediate School/ Community Service Club
Orwell Village School/Mrs. Larkin’s 5/6 Grade Class
Rutland Intermediate School/ Mrs. McCormack & Mrs.
Root's 6th Grade class
Mount Holly Elementary 1st Grade Class
Destiny Galati
Bailey, Nick & Kael Lulek
Jerry Stearns Electric
Tractor Supply
Fair Haven Eagles Auxiliary #3907
Kathryn Dugan
Jen Mortensen—Buddy’s Bandanas
Gill’s Ladies
KO & Junior ~Jax Food and Games
Emmie Louko
Keith’s II Sports—Toby, Cathy & Allison
Lothrup School—5th & 6th Grade
Mrs. Mero’s 1st Grade Class at Clarendon Elementary
Dollar General
Volunteer Spotlight
Mary Ellen Lawrence
Mary Ellen Lawrence has been an RCHS volunteer, walking shelter dogs, rain,
shine and everything in-between, since last February. She remembered, “It was
one of the coldest days of the year at 10 below zero!” She is one of our most energetic volunteers and never fails to take out every dog waiting for a walk. She
said, “It is the happiest thing to see them barrel out that door and then to see how
content they are when they come back.”
When not walking dogs for RCHS Mary Ellen helps with events, posts flyers and
volunteers for other fund raising activities.
Mary Ellen was inspired to volunteer her time with RCHS by her family, which has
a long history of taking in stray and needy animals and giving them new leases on
life. She recalled how much these animals enriched her life and said, “How could
I not help others?”.
Thanks, Mary Ellen!
Mary Ellen comes to RCHS after caring for 5 parrots, a dog, a pot-bellied pig,
horse and donkey at home. In her “spare” time, she is the Seafood Manager at
Price Chopper in Rutland.
Re-gift to RCHS!
Did you receive something for Christmas that you don’t want/can’t use/already have/can’t imagine why
someone gave you?
If so, why not re-gift it to RCHS? We have two annual events that need items…a Silent Auction and a
Yard Sale.
Both of these events provide income for us to help care for homeless animals. The item(s) you re-gift
could be a treasure to someone else.
F O UR PA WS F LYE R
PAGE 7
MONEY HAS BEEN DONATED IN MEMORY OF THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE
Albert Anthony (Ross) Izzo Jr.
Dorothy M. Walker
Kenneth A. King
Ronald A. Florre
Andy W. Barter Sr.
Edward J. Lago
Lawrence Smetana
Samuel Pelkey
Ann Marie Adams
Elizabeth A. Shepherd
Lonna O. Scott
Shirley A. Lord
Anna Supple
Frances Wade
Lyman P. Morgan JR.
Terry L. Pratt
Barbara J. Goodspeed
Gail R. Corsi
Martin V. Drake
Theodore Hubbard Sr.
Barbara Rooney
Harold G. Kerney
Mary E. Trombley
Thomas G. Turner
Bonnie J. Smith
Helen K. Moore
Mirium Roberts
Virginia Frohloff
Christine L. Fink
James Taranovich
Nelda T. Waters
David B. Perry
Joe M. Cannon
Norman A. Chatfield
David M. Anoe
John “Jack” D. Moore
Robert A. Wiggin
Donald C. Perkins
John J. Galbicsek
Roger P. Doaner
MONEY HAS BEEN DONATED IN MEMORY OF THE FOLLOWING ANIMALS:
Abby Potter
Acat McCoy
Andy Blodgett
Astro & Shadow
Bailey Crane
Bandit
Baxter Wade
Beauregard Cobban
Bianca Hotaling
Billie Sienkiewicz
Bode
Brutus Rooney
Buddy Jones
Buddy Ottanio
Buddy
Cali Foley
Cally Zavistaski
Carmel Shaw
Cashew Coloutti
Cheddar Ayers
Coco Owens
Danni Rowan
Daisy
Daisy Saturday
Dakota Miller
Dudley
Dudley Broyfogle
Duke
Favor
Friendly Munger
Gargamel Saltis
Geiger Ladabouche
Gillie Wilcox
Jack
Jake Bailey
Juneau Henderson
Kallin Mulholland
Kitty King
Lily Aponowich
Louise & Otto Bauer
Lucky Aldrich
Lucky Rockwell
Lucy
Lucy Buuck
Maddie Bullock
Maddie Nordmeyer
Mandy & Spike
Misha Harvey
Molly Bailey
Muffin
Murray Hughes
Nala
Nevada
Oilcan Stable-Curtis
Patches Coltey
Peanut
Peter Petrikas
Pookey
Raven Phelps
Ripkin Serrani
Rosie Dalto
Rudder Rosmus
Sampson Randall
Sheba Joyce
Smoochie Gosselyn
Snowball Roberts
Scottie & Rose Tumielewicz
Sir Boo DeBear Belden
Slippy Zinner
Snoop & China Cotner
Socks Jakubowski
Sophia Blauer-Evans
Stella Ellerin
Striker Mulholland
Taby Richards
Taffeta Fish
Thelma Lash
Theo Saiber
Theodore Roberts
Tige Rantanen
Vito Chanski Cameron
Willow Hyland
Willy McVeigh
MONEY HAS BEEN DONATED IN HONOR OF THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE:
Audrey Kowalski
Barbara Mack
Betsy Jesser
Bette Lewis
Bob Roeckl
Bon & George Sargeant
Carol Barnes
Clara Aldrich
Danny Dockum
Dick Cillo
Dr. Janet Carini & Dr. Joan Sheldon
Dr. Jeffrey B. Hanson
Eric & Christina Tuzzo
Jim & Jean Crawford
Joan Mead
Joyce Thomas
Karen & Mark Williams
Kate Puente
Katelynn & Chad Brown
Katherine Killoran
Marilyn Dalick
Marion Ryan
Martha Hill
Mary & Donald Chartonneau
Marylyn & John Jones
Pat Ward
MONEY HAS BEEN DONATED IN HONOR OF THE FOLLOWING PETS:
Mallorie
Punky & Bear
Pat Williams
Rhoda Butler
Ron & Judy Jensen
Sheryl Rapee-Adams
Sonya Sorenson & Jim Danyow
Susan Toner
Suzanne O'Rourke
The Kelly's
Calendar of Events: Please check out the News & Events page on our website (rchsvt.org/
news-events) for more events as they come up throughout the Winter & early Spring.
RCHS Annual Auction - Friday, March 23. We are shaking up our annual auction and adding a bit of excitement to
it with the addition of a Casino Night! We’ll still have lots of great auction items to bid on but we’ll also be adding
casino fun to raise even more funds for RCHS. Location, time and other details are still falling into place but in the
meantime please mark your calendar for an exciting evening! If you would like to donate an item for the auction or
have any questions please contact Beth at 483.9171 or shelterbeth@rchsvt.org.
RCHS Annual Yard Sale - Saturday, May 19 at RCHS. 9 AM – 2 PM. Pre-priced donations can be dropped off
on Friday, May 18 from 8 AM – 6 PM or Saturday morning from 7:30 – 9.
RCHS Board of Directors:
Dave Yendell, President
Rob Macpherson, DVM Vice
Pres.
Amanda Gearwar, Treasurer
Christi Koch, Secretary
Mei Mei Brown
Bill Burke
Linda Dukeshire
Susan Englese
Phyllis McCoy
Darcy Nelson
David Townsend
Staff :
Gretchen Goodman, Executive
Director
Jessica Danyow, Director of
Operations
Beth Saradarian, Director of
Outreach and Special Events
Susan Smith, Adoption Center
Coordinator
Erin Predom, Administrative Asst.
Animal Care Technician:
Bethany Bushman
Animal Care/Animal Health
Technician:
Cheyeann Baker
Adoption/Intake Counselors:
Robin Smith Poirier
Shay Hewitt
Julie Merwin
Phone: 802-483-9171 Fax: 802-483-6342
RCHS@RCHSVT.org
765 Stevens Road
Pittsford, VT 05763
Animal Care Technician/
Foster Program Coordinator:
Non-profit Org.
U.S.POSTAGE
PAID
Pittsford, VT
Permit #6