Rescued Sibling Puppies Reunited at Last!
Transcription
Rescued Sibling Puppies Reunited at Last!
Volume 17 Issue 2 HOLIDAY 2012 Rescued Sibling Puppies Reunited at Last! O F F I C E R OFFICERS S Evelyn Ackley-Raps PRESIDENT Liz Taranda VICE PRESIDENT SECRETARY & Yvonne Skikus T R U S T E E S TRUSTEES Laurie Egan Joshua Schmieder Mary Scorpati Honorary Trustees Caroline Herrmann Lillian Carey Russell Carey FRIENDS OF THE SHELTER, INC. P.O. BOX 4923 CLIFTON, NJ 07015 If you do not already believe that everything happens for a reason, you will when you are done reading this. A little background information on what I am talking about might help you believe. My younger sisters and I have been trying to manipulate our parents into getting a dog ever since our last one had to be put down, and it’s been nothing less than an uphill battle. “I’m not taking care of it.” “It’s like having another baby.” “What if it chews up my furniture?” Being the oldest, I quickly realized that my parents were saying all these things because they did not physically see the dog in front of them, so after a while the game got old and I let my younger sisters handle the pleading and begging. One day while I was at work I was looking on Instagram (a social network for the iPhone and Android) and I saw a picture that my friend had posted of a Rottweiler puppy with the caption stating that someone left him and all his siblings on the side of the road. My heart broke. I could not believe what this adorable little creature had gone through, but then the light bulb went off. How could someone say no to such an innocent little being? I immediately sent the picture and the caption to my father (who I thought would in return immediately reply with “no”) and to my surprise he said “Let me talk to your mother and see if they have any more so he could have a friend.” I almost fell out of my chair! Unfortunately, my friend was not able to rescue any of the other puppies, but by the end of the night, I was able to tell her I would be there first thing the next day to pick up the puppy. I spent the whole night trying to think of names for him and after a long list I came up with the name Bruno Gaetano. When I brought him home everyone immediately fell in love with him. He has the greatest personality and all he wants to do is be in your lap (which was okay until he reached the fifty pound mark at five months old), but something was still missing—a friend. We needed to find someone for Baby Bruno to play with, so we went on a search. One morning a few days after bringing Bruno into our lives my sister, Chaz, wanted to show my mom a puppy she had found on the internet that would be perfect to bring home. When she went to show my mother the puppy, something else caught her eye: another Rottweiler puppy that looked just like Bruno. When she clicked on this puppy’s picture and read her story, we knew that this was it. This little girl was found in the same area around the same time as Bruno, and better yet, they were almost identical! We could not believe it. We immediately filled out an application to adopt her, and luckily enough, the shelter had seen it quick enough and took her picture down as soon as they saw our application because they were so thrilled that we were bringing a brother and sister back together. MONDAY-FRIDAY 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM S H SUNDAY 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM E SATURDAY - BY APPT ONLY L Shelter Answering Machine T (973) 470-5936 E R H O U R S Visit us ANYTIME at: CliftonAnimalShelter.com www.PETFINDER.com We went and picked up our new little girl as soon as we heard that we were approved and we chose to name her “Yoshi Bodi” which was an old nickname my grandfather used to have when he was a boy. When we brought Yoshi home, the first night was rough, but they became inseparable in no time and our family has adopted two best friends. We could not be happier with what was brought to us and the fact that we were able to rescue two adorable puppies from what could have been a horrible ending made adding them to our family even better. Like I said earlier, everything happens for a reason. Do you believe me now? By: Gianna Wozney Two sweet puppies, together again! Page 2 ANIMAL ANTICS The Joy of Fostering...One Family’s Journey by Lynn Tomesko One day, my husband and I were perusing Petfinder and discovered this adorable yellow lab puppy that happened to be at the Clifton Animal Shelter. We decided to take a ride to the shelter to just “see” the puppy. As we walked in, we did see that yellow lab puppy, but she was being adopted at that exact moment. The friendly volunteers suggested that we take a walk in the back to see the other dogs. As we walked by each cage, most of the dogs were barking and jumping. There was one very special and different dog who simply sat quietly looking at us with eyes pleading for a hug and a home. We decided to take Mama out for a meet and greet. She was extremely timid and hesitant. We spent some time with Mama and realized that she was very sweet and just needed love. My husband and I were not ready to commit full time to the care of a dog and said good bye to Mama. A few days later, we received a call from the shelter asking us if we would be willing to foster Mama until she finds her forever home. Mama is an American Staffordshire/ Pitbull mix, was overweight and very timid. We learned from the volunteers that in over a month, we were the first people who showed interest in this precious dog. We said “yes” and that is how our foster dog journey began! At first, Mama did not trust my husband, as she preferred women. She jumped at every noise. But, within days, Mama would cover my husband with kisses when he came home from work. She finally was relaxed and comfortable. All Mama needed was love and security. Mama became attached to us and we became attached to her. Mama stayed with us for over a month and finally found her forever home! Mama was our first foster, but not our last. We never thought that we would become foster parents for dogs from the Clifton Animal Shelter, but there was a reason we went to see that yellow lab puppy. If it were not for that, we would never have received that special gift of being able to journey with these shelter dogs. People always ask us many questions. How do we do it? How do we give the dogs away? How do we know the dogs are safe? To reply, we simply ask, how can we not do it? Each foster dog has taught us something. They have all taught us that they need love. And they all taught us that they have a lot of love to give. Each foster dog has become a part of our family, our home and our hearts. Knowing the dogs are adopted does make it easier to let them go; however, we do get attached and we do shed tears every time we say goodbye. How can you care for another being without getting attached? The shelter holds all of the dogs initially and would never place a dog in a foster home without knowing that dog first. All dogs deserve a chance and deserve a loving and safe home. And, though it may take some longer to find their forever home, it is important that every effort is made for that to happen. Foster homes enable the shelter to dedicate more selfless time to assuring that every dog is adopted into a wonderful home. Being a foster parent means providing a safe home, assuming the responsibility of daily dog care, trusting the Friends of the Shelter and the foster dog, and ultimately giving and receiving love. Consider becoming a foster parent. Consider changing the life of one dog at a time and allowing them to change your life one dog at a time. EDITORS NOTE: FOSTERING CATS IS JUST AS SPECIAL AND REWARDING! Please Join Us in Celebrating the Holiday Season! Santa Claus is coming to the CLIFTON ANIMAL SHELTER two Sundays in December! ALL PETS ARE WELCOME! Santa will pose with your dog, cat, rabbit, ferret, guinea pig or whatever animals share your home and heart. Affordable Holiday Merchandise will be available for sale. As always, all proceeds go to benefit the animals ! December 9 & December 16 12:30pm to 3:30pm at the Shelter ANIMAL ANTICS Page 3 SPRING HOLIDAY TREE These beloved animals were remembered over the spring holidays... Zack, Max, Scooter, Romeo, Nuby & Valentine Ackley & All Shelter Pets Pickles Altieri Thorny Barbieri Misty, Penny, Chloe, & Baxter Bionci Cookie & Muppet Bonfante Heidi & Klause Bremer Nick Brienza Suzie, Sophie, & Lily Brown Missy Cabigao Sunshine & Jade Cabral Smokey, Snoozy, Muffin, Bonnie, & Blue Cahill Patty Campbell Rigel, Smudge, Flash, Tex, Blaze, Sweetie, & Kit Campo Geezer & Belle Casale Mott, Mugsy, Hank, Harley, & Hoop Casamenti Nitro Casperino Taffy, Sabrina, & Lacey Chiarella Bella Condito Gordon Condito Sean, Brett, & Casey Connor Big Daddy, Tweety, Godzookie, & TinkerBelle DeLuca Tabithia DeVries Pepper, Angel, & Beauty DiSanto Mama, Precious, Smoki, & Baby DiStefano Buddy, Morris, & Chopper Doyle Belle & Scruffy Dymek Tommy Ferlise Sundance, Butchie, Etta, & Belle Fisher Schweppes, Murphy, & Yogi Foster Tuck, Tiki, Tony, & Teddy Gallo Suzie Gevas Dee Grass Sooty, Muffin, Clancy, & Rusty Gregg Lucky, Dune, Aries, Buddy, Harley, Boots, Critter, & Change Gruno Lorelei, Samantha, & Camellia Hamilton Meghan Henn Shanna Lee & Maggie Lee Hilsinger Gizmo, Max, Tippy, Peanut, Lincoln, Cody, Amber, Phyllis, Gizmo & Misty Horn Bentley Huang Corki Huber Bandit, Baby, Perry, & Salem Hughes Sidney & Vito Iannicelli Onyx & Shadow Janusz Pepper Josephson Homer, Mr. Dinkins, & Rusty Kaminski Hannah & Frankie Kemp Button & Booper Kievit Keshmesh King Peanuts & Teddy Kommer Lily Belle Koske Powder Kulik Kiki Lewis Luna, Mommy, & Honey Macejka Precious, Muffin, & Tammie Marren Miss Kitty Matulewicz Nikki, Kelli, Princess, Midnite, & Pappy McShane Toby & Murphy Meyers Ellie Meyers Cody Mihalik Pepper, Samantha, Kitty II, Donna, & Mandi Narish Trouble & Romeo Pinchak Calico, Princess, Target, Montague, & Mooch Pirozzi Spotty Plokhooy Venus PraSisto Rocky & Coco Price Maisie Remer Timmy & Romeo Reonieri Benji, Oscar, & Lizzie Riglian Spike, Prissy, Bonny, Star, & Beethoven Roback Peanuts, Popcorn, & Aloha Ruzila Maggie, Penny, Toby, Gigi, & Annie Sadowski Boomer, Pearl, Ramon, Moose, & Earl Grey Schneider Travis Sciancalepore Tap Scocco Beau & Mittens Sgambat Oliver, Nina, Minnie, & Sammy Sinatra Molly, Lila, & Teri Sinisi Lady Sisco-Rusnak Adam Sisco Smokey, Dukie, Tawny, Missy, Tiffany, Vivi, Suko, & Keiko Smolensky Fender & Brooklynn Stout Smeagel Swede Squeaky Talamini Gianna Tesoroni Rita Thorn Champ To Bear, Molly, James, & Snape Trupp Blake & Crystal Turba Jake & Rudy Urry Maddie, Buddy, Spunky, Lulu, Candi, Pepe, Lucky, Blackie, Mommy, Cutiepie, Rusty, Checkers, & Kristy Valos & all stray and shelter animals Topsy, Velvet, Cleo, & Panera Van Duyne Jake, Casey, & Emma Van Vliet B.B., Sammy, Cosmo, Lucy, & Mojo Wilson Lucky Woehrle Harry, Louise, Sophie, Opal, & Charlie Young Page 4 ANIMAL ANTICS Advantages of Adopting an Older Cat Did you know that adult cats have the lowest adoption rate at many shelters? Many people don’t realize there are distinct advantages to adopting an adult cat over a kitten. Below are just a few: Neuter-Scooter Pick-up At PETCO Petco is partnering with People For Animals, Inc.’s affordable spay/neuter services through regular NeuterScooter pick-up and drop-off at select Petco stores. PEOPLE FOR ANIMALS Adult cats are better for children. Sometimes, children are too rough on kittens, even when they don’t mean to be. Adult cats are simply better equipped to deal with children. Adult cats know what their litter box is for ! Mature cats are over the kitten stage when it is fun to roll around in the litter box or bury toys under mounds of litter just to dig them out again. Plus, adult cats tend to be tidier in the litter box. Mature cats are more appreciative than kittens. They are happy just to have a nice warm lap to nap in, loving arms around them and the love of their favorite human. They know how lucky they are to be in your care! Adult cats can still provide many years of companionship. With proper care, the average lifespan of a housecat is now 16, with many cats living well beyond 20 years. Take good care of your cat and you will enjoy many, many years together. Adult cats are better for seniors. Adult cats are loving, calm and considerably less destructive, making them a wise choice for senior citizens, particularly those over 70 or disabled. Adult cats make excellent teachers. If you are adopting a kitten, consider pairing it with an older, more established cat. Your shelter volunteers can steer you towards a cat that would be a good companion for a new kitten and could actually help to teach the kitten some of the social etiquette of being a housecat. You may be their last chance! All any cat wants is to be chosen and loved by someone, yet often adults watch sadly as time and time again a loving family passes them over for the cute little kitten. Adult cats often linger at the shelter for long periods of time, through no fault of their own. Be a hero and say yes to a beautiful, older and wiser adult cat. You won’t regret it! People for Animals is a low cost spay/neuter clinic for dogs and cats. Located in Hillside, NJ this clinic is well known for affordable surgery, vaccines, microchipping and FELV/FIV tests. Call to schedule an appointment 973-282-0890 pfaonline.org 401 Hillside Avenue Hillside NJ 07205 YES! I would like to help combat the pet overpopulation problem. Below is my contribution towards spaying/neutering : DOG $ ______(under 65lb $130/over 65lb $140) CAT $ ________ ($75 for male/female) OTHER $ ________ Please make your contribution payable to: The Friends of the Shelter P.O.BOX 4923, Clifton NJ 07015 ANIMAL ANTICS Page 5 Notes and Letters I just wanted to let you know how well Lily is settling in with our family—she is a perfect fit. Everyone has bonded really well with her (even my husband who was not sold on getting another dog!). She has been an absolute angel and could not be sweeter. As promised, she is 100% housebroken. We have discovered that she loves long walks, care rides and the couch! We followed up with Foster Animal Hospital and she got her clean bill of health. She has never even looked at her incision from the surgery. She has also been a great comfort to my daughter who is recovering from pneumonia—they have become a fixture on the couch, curled up together. Thank you and all of your staff for taking such good care of her until we “found” each other! Barbara Sconzo I want to thank everyone at the Clifton Animal Shelter for all their departing gifts. The cats are having so much fun with their toys. I also want to thank everyone for the love and the care you give to each and every kitten and cat that enters into the shelter, especially for the attention and love that was given to McArthur and Mel. McArthur and Mel are adjusting well. My daughter has not come out of her room since they came home. The day we took them home, the dog immediately greeted us at the door, McArthur stuck his paw out of the cage to touch her. Once I took them out of the cage I introduced them to their litter box and the three animals sniffed each other and they are fine. I allow the dog on an occasion to go into the room (supervised of course) so they stay familiar with each other and there are no issues except the dog trying to eat the cat food. Both Mel and McArthur was uncertain and hid under the bed for the first day with the exception of McArthur coming out to EAT! McArthur being McArthur was the first daring one to explore the room and the first one to allow us to touch him. He forever watching her to see if she is ok, but I think he gets annoyed with her playful side as is starting to purr. Mel who's comfort zone is hiding under the bed is finally coming out into the room. She believe it or not is the more playful curious one. McArthur is and sometimes ignores her when she is trying to get his attention. But what a great pair and needless to say, we are absolutely in love with both of them. Thank you for everything. Maria Editor’s note: Bear was a cat brought in as a stray and he was VERY BIG ( about 26 lbs!). He was a sweet purring machine who kept getting overlooked due to his size . Everyone who saw him made fun of him and then one day, we took part in an adoption event at Foster Animal Hospital and Bear found his forever home! Hi Liz, I just wanted to reach out to you and let you know how Bear is doing. He is adjusting wonderfully and is even starting to lose weight! He actually is able to jump up on my daughters bed. The first night we had him he purred like crazy. The next morning my daughter told me, “Mommy, Bear jumped up on my bed at 2:30AM and wanted me to pet him.” Well I DID NOT believe her and told her she must have been dreaming. Well the next night I put her to bed and she came back out saying hurry come here and there he was laying on her bed purring. Once again, Liz thank you so much for bringing us to Bear – WE LOVE HIM! Sincerely, Sherry Arvanitakis I can’t thank you enough for your help in adopting Toni. She has already found a place near and dear to my heart. I commend everyone I met at the Friends of the Shelter for their loyal and courteous work. I will send you some pictures when she gets a little more settled down. Thanks so much, Bill Van Pelt I wanted to let you know that Nicki (now Scout) is wonderful! It’s like she’s lived here all her life. She loves her soft toy, she throws it around and plays by herself. She knows all her commands: sit, stay, lay down, paw and no, but don’t ask her if she wants to go for a walk unless you mean it! She gets all excited and starts to bark and run around. This is the beauty of adopting an older dog, they already know what to do and they get the drill very quickly. She is well house trained, there have been no accidents. Even though she is 8 years old, she has the energy of a youngster. We just love her! Thank you again for making this possible. Fran is absolutely thrilled to have another dog in our lives and I am, too! All the best, Diane Page 6 ANIMAL ANTICS ~HAPPILY EVER AFTER~ Well, our little guy started his day with lots of kisses and attention. I made him scrambled eggs with chunks of beef, then his dry food mixed with a little wet. We have figured out the secret of his eating anything but dry food...we pick it up with our fingers, get him to take a few bites and then he is good to go...he will not take it from the bowl, he will sniff at it, but that’s it. It is like he never had human food. That is ok, he will catch on, because he is very smart! Do you know that it just took one day and now he will ‘sit’ when you tell him and then you say “give me five” and he takes his paw and hits your hand! Then he gets sooooo excited because we are kissing his head and saying “good boy.” He loves the attention...lol. To say that he is not an overactive dog would be an understatement. You can tell that wherever he came from, he just existed. A dog that doesn’t know what a toy is, or how to play, gives us a clue to what his life must have been like before his earth angels rescued him. You and your staff were probably the first insight he had into what love is really like. Now, we will take over and I guarantee you it will be the polar opposite for the remaining part of his life compared with the beginning. I am looking at him as I type this to you...he is curled up on his bed with Moosey, his stuffed toy, with a fan beside him softly blowing to keep him cool...I am sure if we could get into his thoughts they would be: I like it here, this spa is awesome! So, no worries, Evelyn. We will continue with our updates and we will send you some new pics, too. Paulina MacDonald—from Nova Scotia! BONO (below) has a heart condition , yet a terrific family was willing to give him a chance... …Bono is being such a good boy, I bet you miss him already! We were just playing & now he’s sitting in our front bay window on a blanket looking out the window. I told him it will be nice tomorrow when the sun shines on him through the window. He explored the house most of the evening and is finally resting. He has the cutest little meow. He went downstairs in our family room before and meowed like he forgot where we were. I brought him back by us. Thanks again for everything you got for him! I’m so glad we found your place. Such a different experience from all the other shelters I’ve been to over the years! The animals are so lucky to have you guys! Sophie is doing great. She is a quick study when she wants to be, but also has a stubborn streak in her. She is tons of energy and keeps us going. Her favorite thing to do is to go outside. She sits at the top of the stairs and overlooks her kingdom, making sure no birds, rabbits, or even bugs invade her space. She is definitely an outside dog, so to speak, as she NEVER wants to come in. We have lots of toys out there for her to entertain herself, but the most fun things for her are my flower beds, they are so much fund to dig up and be chased by Mommy! The Frisbees you gave her and the big squeaky tennis ball no long longer squeak!She is great with the kids and is always wanting to play. Inside favorite toys are: remotes, Sienna’s toys—basically anything Sienna is playing with—anything that she can steal and run with. Sophie is an absolute joy and a 44-pound baby that doesn’t know her manners yet. She makes us laugh every single day. She is a perfect match for our family. She favors Daddy and goes nuts when he comes home. He takes her for a walk every night and she is very good on the leash.Warmly, Sindy L. Hoban Just wanted to give you an update on our wonderful little Yinzer. We adopted her back in January (you knew her as Sasha). When we first saw her, she was a little 30 pound baby that had been left on a bridge. Since she’s just about a year old now, I just wanted to send you a quick update. She’s now an energetic, intelligent, fun-loving, 70 pound snuggle baby. She is spoiled not only by us, but also by our neighbors who always have treats on hand for her. I just wanted to tell you and the rest of your staff how much we appreciate what you do. Thank you so much for giving us our little Yinz! Sincerely, Alyssa and Adam Bania Can you believe it’s my 7 year anniversary with Schatzi? Schatzi continues to bring so much joy (and mischief) to my life. He is the happiest cat, oozing with personality. How lucky I am to have made the trip to NJ to meet him! Can't believe it has been 7 years! Schatzi… Loving Life! ANIMAL ANTICS Page 7 Happy Tails * Happy Tails * Happy Tails * Happy Tails * Happy Tails * Happy Tails* Happy Tails Poe is doing great. He has filled this empty apartment with fun and love. So thank you for taking him in. He is SO cute and playful that even one friend who doesn’t like cats thought he was adorable. We are having a great time together. Here’s a picture of him sitting on my book while I was trying to read last night. Sara SPECIAL HOLIDAY WISHES TO ALL OF OUR VETS, VOLUNTEERS, SUPPORTERS and MOST OF ALL ADOPTERS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON! Attention Cyber Animal Lovers The Friends of the Shelter now accepts both PAYPAL online via our website (graciously donated by ELLEN THELIN, our webmaster, on TriStar Design ) and SQUARE credit card payments for adoption and donations on site! Our family adopted Champ at the end of March. I cannot begin to tell you what an absolute perfect fit he’s been for us. It’s like Champ has always been here. To be honest, we were somewhat ignorant about his breed and really only know the bad press that pit bulls typically get. What encourages us was the way you and your staff educated us and showed your genuine love for this dog. Your sincerity sold us and we couldn’t be happier with him. I look forward to engaging people when I walk him and just let Champ be himself. He’s an extremely well behaved, very lovable dog that just wants to please you. Champ is a great ambassador for pit bulls that has already changed several people’s perspective on his breed, and no doubt will change many more. Much thanks to you and your staff for the vital services you provide to so many animals in need...and thanks for taking such good care of Champ...he’s awesome. Lee and Emily To Get in the holiday spirit by honoring a pet who held (or holds) a special place in your heart! A $5 donation purchases a light on our TREE OF LOVE outside and an ornament with your animal’s name that will be displayed in our shelter. The TREE OF LOVE tradition is observed NOVEMBER 25 – JANUARY 6. All proceeds will benefit the homeless animals in our care. Celebrate the life of a beloved pet while helping other animals trying to find new homes for the holidays! HOLIDAY ORNAMENT COUPON Name: ———————————————————————————————–———————————–———— Address: ———————————————————————————————–———————————–———— Telephone Number : ———————————————————————————————–———————–———————— NUMBER OF ORNAMENTS : _____ X $5.00 = $ ———————————————————————————————————–———————————-ANIMAL’S NAME (S) : Please make checks payable to Friends of the Shelter, Inc. and mail To: FOS, P.O. Box 4923, Clifton NJ 07015 Page 8 ANIMAL ANTICS **UPCOMING EVENTS** Fall Rabies Clinic– DOG ONLY Nov 14 and Nov 28, 6pm-8pm @ DPW Garage, 307 E. 7th St. Health Dept: 973.470.5758 HOLIDAY TREE OF LOVE November 25, 2012-January 6, 2013 SANTA PET DAYS Sunday, December 9 & 16 12:30 p.m.—3:30 p.m. BARNES & NOBLE GIFT WRAPPING (Clifton Commons) FRI Nov. 23, 1-5 p.m.; FRI Dec. 21, 6-11 p.m.; MON Dec. 24, 3-6p.m.; Beefsteak Dinner and Tricky Tray APRIL 26, 2013 7:00 PM For more information, please call 973-470-5936 www.CliftonAnimalShelter.com ANIMAL ANTICS FRIENDS OF THE SHELTER, INC. P.O. BOX 4923 CLIFTON, NJ 07015-4923 www.CliftonAnimalShelter.com WISH LIST ITEMS IN BOLD NEEDED MOST : CAT’S PRIDE Cat Litter (non-clumping) *SPECIAL KITTY Cat Litter (Walmart-red bag) COMPLETE FORMULA Purina Cat&Kitten Chow Friskies & Fancy Feast Canned Cat Food Jars of Baby Food (chicken, turkey or beef) *KMR Kitten Formula Powder Small & Medium Plastic Litter Boxes *LAUNDRY DETERGENT DOG CHOW Dry Dog Food PUPPY CHOW Dry Food PEDIGREE Canned Dog Food (Ground/Loaf) Pouch Dog Food for Small Dogs (Little Champions) Nylabones & Kong Toys Leashes, Collars & Harnesses (all sizes) GIFT CARDS to CORRADO’s, COSTCO, WALMART Liquid Anti-Bacterial Soap, Liquid Dish Soap Sponges, Dish Towels, Towels, Clean Dog & Cat Beds Dog Crates, Rabbit Cages & Bird Cages NON - PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID PATERSON, N.J. PERMIT NO. 602 ....OR CURRENT RESIDENT