spring/summer 2015

Message from ACAS President, Kristine Kolbus
Have you ever considered being a Foster? The
rewards are great, although it's hard because you
also realize you can't keep them all.
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I prefer to foster pups, as I love helping them learn
the basics; potty training, crate training, and the
basic commands. I believe that if I can help them
from the beginning, their chances of finding that
forever home are better.
Some things to consider when fostering -- it
doesn't last forever, and there is no specific profile
to be a Foster. It's just a matter of giving of your
time, depending on what type of foster
you bring into your home. Some fosters are needed for medical reasons or behavioral issues, it doesn't mean you have to foster them all.
Fostering is important to the success of any shelter or rescue. It helps the animals
who are at risk of a successful adoption because they are too old or have other
issues. At a foster home, they get out of the shelter environment and have a
chance to be treated, rehabbed, and later adopted. Even a little time with a
family, away from the confined space of a kennel and all the noise, can improve
an animal’s disposition.
Even a little time with a family away from the confined space of a kennel and all
the noise can improve an animals disposition.
If you do have some time to open your heart and home to foster, contact your
local shelter or rescue. The rewards are endless - especially when they find their
forever home - and they bring them back just to let you see how wonderful they
are doing.
Spring/Summer Issue
May 2015
SH E LTE R H OU RS
Mon—Wed—Fri—Weekends
9:00 am to Noon
Tuesday—Thursday
9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Other hours available by
appointment
B O ARD O F D IR EC TOR S
Kristine Kolbus — President
Brenda Kelley — Vice-President
Bob Wilkinson — Treasurer
Joe Johnson — Secretary
Chris Ledbetter — Director
SH E LTE R S TAF F
Kathy Glish - Manager
Linda ‘cat lady’ Johnson Lead Care Giver
submitted by Kristine Kolbus
Mission Statement
Our mission is to improve the quality of life and welfare for domestic animals and to provide a safe
haven while finding lifelong homes for the animals in our care. We embrace the No Kill philosophy,
seeking to end the euthanasia of healthy and treatable animals.
Our Vision
To do whatever we can to assure there are no abandoned, unwanted, neglected or abused animals.
To provide education and skills to people so that they understand the level of commitment and
responsibility that pet guardianship entails.
S pri ng/S ummer Is s ue
Ma y 20 15
P a ge 2
The kids from Marquette-Alger
Regional Educational Service
Agency raised money for local
shelters by selling dog and cat
related items. That check is
$900.00!!!! Thank You so much
RESA kids.
28 January 2015
Dear Kathy:
I am enclosing a check for $200.00
for you to use as you see fit for the
care of your animals. I am also enclosing two photos of Frankie in our
new library room which we had built
this past summer. From this perch he
can see outside through three windows
to keep an eye on things. He enjoys
our daily walks in the woods for at
least an hour providing it isn't too
cold. Thank you so much for allowing
Nancy and me to adopt him.
Sincerely,
We would like to thank Ms.
Behning's 4th and 5th graders
from Mather Elementary for the
truck load of fabulous donations!! More great "rockin"
kids!!
29 January 2015
Bill Emblem
22 January 2015
Hi,
My name is Tink and I lived at your very nice
place until my Mom and Dad came and got me.
I just wanted to say thank you for all the nice
things you gave me. I use my bed to keep my
toys in (when they are not scattered all over the
floor) because I sleep with my Mom and Dad in
the big bed, and I still have the squeaky bone
you gave me. I am very happy here and I even
have a fur brother and a human sister. Sometimes I have to do work, like help Mom do the
dishes (she says I lick them so clean she could put them right back in the cupboard) and one time I even had to chase a mouse! But we have lots of fun here,
and I get lots of cuddles.
Thank you so much for everything. Time to go. Mom says it is cookie time!
submitted by Heather Dominick Cook
March 4, 2014
P a ge 3
In the summer of 1992, Upper Peninsula native Carole Murk came to the
Alger County Animal Shelter, and has
been involved, off and on, ever since.
Her duties have ranged widely; from
serving as manager of the shelter to
nighttime volunteer, and she has held
the title of Event Coordinator.
Carole loves fostering kittens, but
believes the most important thing she
does is being the voice for the animals
and giving them the care they need.
Carole’s charitable spirit goes beyond
the animal shelter, as she also volunteers
at Tendercare Nursing Home, Superior
Health Haven and the Food Pantry.
When she is not volunteering, Carole
enjoys being a big part of her grandchildrens’ lives, and spending time with her
own two cats and dog. She also likes
reading books and playing computer
games.
One of Carole’s favorite animal stories is the time she and
John were out traveling a back
road when they came upon, of
all things, a horse! With two
apples and several promises,
they bribed the horse to stay
with John while Carole went
looking for help. Through the
aid of a Forest Service employee
and the Sheriff’s Department, it
was discovered that “Henry” had
bolted during a thunderstorm the
night before. Henry was reunited with his owners, and Carole
and John continued with their
travels.
Carole worked for the Alger County
When you see and meet
Courthouse in various offices for 19
Carole, tell her THANK YOU
years. She and her husband, John, have for all she does to help ACAS be
been married for 43 years. They have
so successful.
two sons and five grandchildren.
Authored by: Charlie Todd
A Big Shout Out
to Anytime
Fitness in
Munising!
Heather brought
in donations
from our Wish
List that they
collected for us
last month.
S pri ng/S ummer Is s ue
Ma y 20 15
P a ge 4
2015 ACAS Volunteer
Appreciation Event
Our volunteers are the backbone of the ACAS. To show our
appreciation, on March 7, 2015, volunteers were treated to an
evening at Sydney's Restaurant in Munising. The owner of
Sydney’s graciously invited us to participate in their wine tasting and food pairing event. Volunteers also received newly
designed t-shirts and sweatshirts highlighting the new ACAS
logo.
Joe Johnson, ACAS Board Secretary, created and presented an awesome presentation, “ACAS Year in Review."
Carole Murk, ACAS Volunteer Events Coordinator, was recognized with a certificate for going above
and beyond. Carole works tirelessly coordinating events to raise funds for the shelter, as well as routinely
providing a foster home for kittens. We all extend our many thanks to Carole for all her efforts.
Lively chatter was in the air and a good time was had by all.
submitted by Chris Ledbetter
Erin has been saving up money
since last summer just to donate it
to ACAS. Thank You Erin
Allie is a newspaper
reporter for the
new Mather
Elementary
Newspaper. Her
first article is going
to be all about
ACAS, so she
came down to
interview the ACAS
manager and staff.
27 March 2015
The kids from
Eden Lutheran
Church donated
money collected from their
Jingle Jars to
ACAS at the
recent Alger
County Animal
Shelter Annual
Waggin' Tails
Chili Fest 2015.
Thank you.
Taylor, Cassandra and Alex
(pictured) sold
beads as a
student activity at Munising
High School
and donated
the profits to
the Alger
County Animal Shelter.
Thank you ladies
P a ge 5
Helping Your Dog Overcome the Fear of Thunder and other Startling Noises
from Thompson Veterinary Clinic
It is not uncommon to be frightened of thunder,
firecrackers, or other loud sounds. These types of
fears may develop even though your dog has had no
traumatic experiences associated with the sound.
The most common behavior problems associated
with fear of loud noises are destruction and escaping. When a dog becomes frightened, it will try to
reduce the fear. It may try to escape to a place
where the sounds of thunder or firecrackers are less
intense. Unfortunately, escape and/or destructive
behavior can be a problem for you, and could also
result in physical injury to your dog.
Things that are present in the environment whenever your dog hears the startling noise can become
associated with the frightening sound. Over a period
of time they may become afraid of other things in
the environment that they associate with the noise
that frightens them. For example, dogs that are
afraid of firecrackers may become afraid of children
who have firecrackers, or may become afraid to go
into the backyard, if that is where they usually hear
the noise.
What You Can Do To Help
Create a Safe Place: Try to create a safe place for
your dog to go to when it hears the noises that
frighten it. Remember, this must be a safe location
from THEIR perspective, not yours.
Distract Your Dog: This method works best when your
dog is just beginning to get anxious. Encourage your dog
to engage in any activity that captures its attention and
distracts it from behaving fearfully.
Immediately try to interest your dog in doing something
that it really enjoys. Get out the tennis ball and play
fetch, or practice commands that it knows.
What Not To Do
*Attempting to reassure your dog when it is afraid may
reinforce the fearful behavior.
*Putting your dog in a crate to prevent destructive behavior during a thunderstorm is not recommended.
*Do not punish your dog for being afraid.
*Do not try to force your dog to experience or be close
to the frightening sound.
For a full and complete story to help your dog overcome
their fear of thunder and other startling noises, see the
link below.
Article from: 2004 Dumb Friends League.
All rights reserved.
http://www.ddfl.org/sites/default/files/fear-thunder.pdf
The Waggin Tails Chili Fest
Alger County Animal Shelter annual Waggin' Tails Chili Fest
2015 was once again a success!
Music was wafting in the air by a local musician, Glen Eddy, as
the chili, hot dogs, nachos, and desserts were being dished-up
by our volunteers from noon to 5pm March 22. Raffles, Silent
Auction, 50/50 tickets, Saykleys suckers, and a grand prize
drawing were part of the festivities. Volunteers looked great with
our newly designed t-shirts and sweatshirts, and we sold quite a
few!
The Chili Fest could not have happened without the help of our wonderful volunteers, American Legion Post
131, our chili makers - Mikulich General Store (Laura and David Coleman), the businesses and individuals
who donated money and items, and the community for coming out and supporting the Alger County Animal
Shelter.
Thank you everyone for your generosity!
submitted by Chris Ledbetter
S pri ng/S ummer Is s ue
Ma y 20 15
P a ge 6
Memorials from the Heart
Remembering People and our Pets
In Memory of
JAMES OBERSTAR by
Lucinda Ebbers
Jay, Pam, Alex & Abbie Hillier
Craig Coccia
Mike Penko
Carl & Karen Keesey
Robert & Joan Ostanke
Ruth Chenail
Reata Johnson
Dan & Suzanne Closner
Rosalee Taskey
Carolyn Mattson
Reino & Elaine Lintula
Tim & Kathleen Aho
DeeJay & Heidi Paquette
David & Nancy Gallion
Pellow Roofing & Sales Inc
Ed & Donna Selovski
Eli & Kimmarie Hughes
Terry & Patricia Tyner
Waldon & Dorothy Weber
David & Linda Moore
Frank & Judith Bartol
Mary Debelak
Betty Schulz
Mr. & Mrs. Doug Bricco
Mr. & Mrs. Bob Chenail
Roger & Janet Whitmarsh
David Praznik
Patricia Nofal
Ron & Shirley Maden
Karen Dotz
Angela Mahne
Mr & Mrs Michael Vonck
Terry & Janet Simala
David & Cheyl Oberstar
Don & Allison Johnson
Allen Bossom
Matt & Kelly Maki
Maxine Closner
Betty Debelak
Jana Hytinen
Allen Bossom
Matt & Kelly Maki
Maxine Closner
Mary Kay Wanska
CHUCK LANDSTROM by
Carol James
Jerry & Annetta Vanlandschoot
Mike & Judith Henricksen
KATHERINE WICKSTROM by
Gordon & Deanna Nelson
Phil Wickstrom
JOYCE WALLNER by
Tim & Ellen Hass
BRUCE SISCHO by
Jerry & Annetta Vanlandschoot
RUTHANN BOUCHER by
Daniel Boucher
RAY AND ELAINE NELSON by
Gene & Linda Conroy
PEARL McCOLLOM by
M McPherson
TONY DRAKE by
April Molter
KATHY M. JOHNSON by
Brian Johnson
Joe Johnson
Chris & Kala Cesar
Don, Kami & Brooklynn Richards
MIKE FELDHUSEN by
Class of ‘59
Kathie Bond
Norman & Linda Balko
Barbara Feldhusen
Dawn Stephenson
Karen Madigan
JOAN OBERG by
John Oberg
Joe Johnson
Chris & Kala Cesar
Don, Kami & Brooklynn Richards
George & Jan Leanes
Dwight & Paula Youngberg
Tom & Jean Ferrigan
Tim & Ellen Hass
Barb & Charlie Isom-Todd
KEN PRATO by
Karen Madigan
In Honor of
JUDY AKKALA by
Leeanita Penberthy
In Memory of Pet
ZUNI by
Jean Druckenmiller
Mea West
Katharine Schott
GINGER by
Jerry and Annetta Vanlandschoot
JASPURR by
Mike and Barb Feldhusen
LADY by
Pat & Bruce Bureau
ABBY KONRAD by
Audrey—Land & Lakes Real Estate
TIMMY TWO by
Darrell & Victoria Stewart
MARY BALOG by
Pictured Rocks Cruises, Inc
CHARO by
Elvera Koper
RAYMOND KOPER by
Elvera Koper
LILY (Kathy Johnson’s cat) by
Carole Murk
We apologize if we inadvertently failed to include your tribute or misspelled any names. Please let us know.
As far as volunteer opportunities go, for pet lovers, this is pretty much as good
as it gets. Alger County Animal Shelter volunteers help provide the life altering
care and services that pets and the people that love them need for a lifelong
journey together. There are many ways that you can become a member of the
ACAS. Volunteering options includes walking dogs, socializing cats, fostering,
and representing the organization at events throughout Munising and Alger
County.
P a ge 7
ACAS “Finn’s Fund”
The Alger County Animal Shelter has a special fund called
"Finn's Fund" when making donations. It is a special fund
that was created in memory of a shelter dog named "Finn"
who had a heart defect. Our local vets offered their services and performed surgery but Finn did not survive. This
fund is for those animals who find their way to ACAS and
would be considered a special needs animal that may require special medical attention.
If you have any questions, or would like to donate, please
con- tact the ACAS Shelter Manager at 387-4131 for additional information about the ‘Finn’s Fund’.
submitted by Kristine Kolbus
Pay attention to what a dog is telling you. And teach children
to respect a dog's space! Too many dogs end up in shelters (or
worse, put down) because the adults in charge were not monitoring the child/dog situation.
Many times when a dog bites a kid parents say, “There were no
warnings. He just bit him for no reason.”
The unfortunate truth is that there are almost always warning
signs, but the humans miss them. This photo shows a few
warning signs that the dog is uncomfortable and may bite.
www.dogingtonpost.com
Silver
Memberships
Mary Jayne Hallifax
Anne Sheret
Kathie Heimburger
Judy Kirkpatrick
Judy Akkala
Land and Lakes Real Estate
Danita Rask
Tina Graber
Deanna Boyak
Kelley Marketing
What We Do Is For The Love Of Pets
Alger County Animal Shelter Friends of the Shelter Form:
Please fill out and return to the ACAS, Attn: Friends of the Shelter, 510 E. Munising Ave, Munising, MI 49862
_____ Regular FOS
$15.00 per year
The following FOS’s will be mentioned in a special section
_____ Family FOS
$20.00 per year
_____ Business FOS $50.00 per year
_____ Senior (62 and up) & Students
$ 5.00 per year
_____ Silver FOS $100 per year
_____ Gold FOS $500.00 per year
Date: _____________________
_____ Lifetime FOS $1000.00
All memberships are renewable each year .
All donations are Tax Deductible!
Fill in the form and mail with a check payable to ACAS. Your cancelled check is your receipt.
Do not send cash. Credit Cards are not accepted,
Name: ___________________________________________________________________________________________
Address: _________________________________________________________________________________________
Phone Number: ___________________________________________________________________________________
E-mail Address ___________________________________________________________________________________
Comments: _______________________________________________________________________________________