Speaking of - Humane Society of Utah

Speaking of
4242 South 300 West • Murray, UT 84107
(801) 261-2919 • www.utahhumane.org
Animals
Spring 2015
The Humane Society of Utah is dedicated to the elimination of pain, fear, and suffering in all animals.
Lose Some, Win Some
Page 3
Save the Date!
Wags to Wishes Gala
Page 2
Hilda Finds a Home
Page 5
Remembering
Carla Lucerne
Page 7
Plus:
A Very Special Love Story,
The Story of Sandy,
Shop and Save Animals’ Lives,
and more!
Save the Date!
Board of Directors
Craig S. Cook, President
Dr. Eric Belnap, Vice President
Dr. JoAnn B. Seghini, Secretary
Randy John, Treasurer
Directors:
Timothy R. Pack, 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
Susan Carpenter, Director of Shelter
Jamie Usry, Director of Development
Heidi Myers, Director of Corporate Sponsorships
Deann Shepherd, Director of Communications
Carlene Wall, Director of Operations
Katharine Brant, Director of
Publications and Membership
Oliver Schmidt, IT Manager
Loraine Delgadillo, Business Manager /
Human Resources
Lisa Burningham, Volunteer Coordinator
Jessica Almeida, Animal Transfer Coordinator
Barbara Conrad, Foster Animal Coordinator
Rachel Kelly, Special Events Coordinator
Caitlin Lisle, Outreach Adoptions Manager
Guinnevere Shuster, Social Media Coordinator
The Third Annual
“Wags to Wishes” Gala
will be better than ever...
Please mark your calendars now for the Humane Society of Utah’s “Wags to Wishes”
Gala on Saturday, June 20th!
This year’s Gala will be better than ever as
we return to our roots and host this premiere
event on our transformed shelter grounds! Our
Masters of Ceremonies, Dan Evans and Kerri
Cronk from Fox 13 News, will lead us through a
festive summer evening with live entertainment,
dinner and libations, live and silent auctions,
and dancing under the stars.
We are very excited to announce this year’s
guest of honor will be 2014 Olympic Silver
U.S.A. Olympian Gus Kentworthy would not
Medalist Gus Kentworthy, the inspirational
leave Sochi, Russia until he could ensure safe
freeskier who saved a family of stray dogs while
transport back to the United States for a family
competing in Sochi, Russia.
of homeless dogs. Photo credit: Peoplepets.com
Ticket purchasing and more information
available at utahhumane.org/gala. For questions about the event, please contact Rachel
Kelly at (801) 261-2919 ext. 207 or Rachel@utahhumane.org.
Sponsorship opportunities are still available and can be viewed at utahhumane.org/
gala. For questions about sponsorships, please contact Heidi Myers at (801) 506-2404 or
heidi@utahhumane.org. v
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
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
© 2015 Humane Society of Utah. All rights reserved.
Good-bye
Dear Friend of the Animals
Anyone who has been involved with the programs of the Humane Society of Utah for
any length of time at all knows the name of Mae Hendricks, who was one of our earliest,
most devoted, and hardest-working advocates. Mae served as a volunteer with many
of our important fund-raising activities, from our booth at the State Fair to the
management of our downtown thrift store, Animal Fair.
We were saddened by Mae’s passing in February, but we’re glad to think that Utah’s
animals now have a bright, beautiful, strong angel working on their behalf. Thanks for
everything, dear Mae, and keep sending us the blessing of the compassionate ideals that
were so close to your heart here in this world. v
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As I
The 2015 Legislative Session:
Lose Some, Win Some (sort of)
— by Gene Baierschmidt
HSU Executive Director
I. A Fowl Decision?
As all HSU members know, for the past three years the Humane
Society of Utah has been pushing to have the blood “sport” of
cockfighting made a felony offense, as it is in most of the rest of the
country. And for three years we’ve been defeated by the stubborn,
rural mindset of too many lawmakers who cherish this activity as
one of their favorite traditional forms of good, old-fashioned,
all-American family entertainment — the spectacle of a pair of
roosters, armed with razor-sharp spurs on their feet, slashing each
other to ribbons until one or both birds are dead. (No, we aren’t
making a sick joke. Little kids, brought along by their eager parents,
regularly make up a big part of the audiences at these events.)
This year we tried again, and this year we finally won a victory
of sorts. Yes, Utah does at last have a felony cockfighting penalty on
the books, but it’s only a third-degree felony on the third offense!
Originally, SB 134, the Game Fowl Fighting Amendments bill, had
proposed making cockfighting a felony on the first offense, but a
watered-down substitute was introduced on the House floor. Near
the end of the session, that version passed by a vote of 41 to 33.
Being present at a cockfight remains a Class B misdemeanor.
Moving in the Right Direction
Nevertheless, this is a step in the right direction, even if it’s
just a baby step. Until now, Utah was the only state west of the
Mississippi River that didn’t have any felony provision whatsoever
against cockfighting — its previous status was that of a spank-onthe wrist Class B misdemeanor, which has made Utah a powerful
magnet for cockfighters from everywhere else.
We do not condone this senseless act of animal cruelty, and
believe that it should be regarded with the same abhorrence as
dogfighting is.
II. The Gas Chamber’s Got to Go!
On the other hand, HSU also supported SB 197, which would
basically have required all public shelters to use lethal injection
as the exclusive method for euthanizing animals when euthanasia
must be performed. To our great disappointment, we learned that
many people still don’t comprehend that euthanasia will always
have to take place in every animal facility in the world whose
mission is to prevent needless animal suffering. The only
controversy that should exist is the one regarding what type
of euthanasia is not only an acceptable, but also a very quick,
compassionate, and painless way to end suffering.
Out with the Bad, in with the Good
The good news is that fewer and fewer shelter animals are
having to be euthanized, now that more people are getting the
message about spaying and neutering their pets, and, when
euthanasia is the only option, the vast majority of animal shelters
in the United States have ceased to use the carbon monoxide gas
chamber — and with good reason. This method of disposing of
living animals for whom homes cannot be found is an inhumane
relic of the past, and it’s time for it to be eliminated universally.
The word “euthanasia” literally means “a good death,”
and there’s nothing good about dying from carbon monoxide
poisoning. Even under the best of circumstances, it takes minutes
before an animal loses consciousness inside a gas chamber. And
if the chamber is not perfectly calibrated and maintained, it can
take much longer for unconsciousness to occur, particularly if
the animal is very young, elderly, injured, or highly stressed. The
truly humane alternative, and the one that was proposed by SB
197 and supported by the Humane Society of Utah, is euthanasia
by injection, or EBI — that is, the injection of each individual
animal with the drug sodium pentobarbital.
When sodium pentobarbital is introduced into the system
intravenously, the animal becomes completely unconscious within
three to five seconds; brain and heart activity come to a virtually
instantaneous halt and the animal swiftly and completely loses the
ability to feel pain, fear, and agitation. Surely, if we must euthanize
cats and dogs in shelters, we at least owe them the fastest and most
peaceful death possible — which is clearly the purpose of EBI.
The Chamber is Outdated, Barbaric
As stated above, in most of the country the gas chamber has
already gone the way of the covered wagon. Utah is one of only
nine states where the practice still exists. Twenty-three states
have banned the gas chamber altogether; two other states have
instituted bans, although loopholes exist. There are 16 other
states which do not formally ban the use of the chamber, but
there is no evidence that the chamber is actually used.
Even here, the overwhelming majority of our animal shelters
do not use the gas chamber as a means of euthanizing cats and
dogs. Of the 57 animal shelters that the Humane Society of Utah
tracks, 49 use a barbiturate injection for euthanasia, while only
eight still use the gas chamber.
Professional Experts Recommend EBI
The American Veterinary Medical Association, in its 2013
Guideline for Euthanasia of Animals, states that “carbon-monoxide
chambers are not recommended for routine euthanasia of dogs and
cats.” Similarly, the National Animal Control Association
specifically recommends EBI for euthanasia of dogs and cats,
stating that “NACA considers lethal injection of sodium pentobarbital,
administered by competent, trained personnel, to be the only method of
choice utilized for humane euthanasia of shelter dogs and cats.”
Furthermore, every major national animal-welfare group in the
United States, including the American Humane Association, the
Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Humane Society
of the United States, and Best Friends Animal Society, denounces
the use of gas chambers to euthanize shelter cats and dogs.
No Argument for the Chamber Stands Up
The few places that still want to maintain use of the carbon-monoxide chamber don’t have a single source of support for
their position. For those who claim that the chamber is “more
cost-effective,” statistics show that the cost to shelters for
continued on page 8 (Win Some)
3
The Story of Sandy
— by Carma Andrasen Oliver
Editor’s note: When Mrs. Oliver sent the following manuscript to the
Humane Society of Utah for possible publication, she prefaced it with a
brief note: “Before you read my article, consider this question — do
animals have souls such as those claimed by humans?” This newsletter,
of course, is not the forum for debating abstract concepts that have
preoccupied mankind since the dawn of time; each individual must weigh
what he or she has observed and learned from experiencing many facets of
life itself, and draw whatever conclusions seem personally satisfactory. For
the record, we ourselves feel that the essence of “soulhood” need consist of
nothing more than the awareness of being alive and desiring, on however
primitive a level, to protect and preserve that status; and for those who
believe that certain virtues must also be present to qualify an entity to
claim a soul — the ability to give unconditional love, for example, or to
forgive injustice seventy times seven, or to be willing to lay down one’s own
life for another’s ---- innumerable examples of these qualities have been
displayed by even the most humble members of the animal kingdom. What
follows is the philosophy that Mrs. Oliver came to embrace after sharing
her life with a cat named Sandy.
Afternoon temperatures during the month of July in Green River,
Utah, and the surrounding desert usually hover near 105º Fahrenheit
— good growing weather for melons, but hot enough to soften the tar
on the highway that runs through the town. Our son, Michael, had
spent one of these summers helping his uncles on their melon farm,
but the time came when he had to drive back to our home in
Mapleton to start the new school year.
About 10 miles from the farm, as he was watching the heat-mirage ripples rise up from the hot asphalt, something in the parched
grass on the side of the road caught his attention. It was a large
cardboard box with its lid leaning open. Curious about what it might
contain, he pulled his car over, got out and scrunched across the
gravel. But when he peered into the stifling interior of the box, he
instantly recoiled in horror: there, motionless, lay five tiny kittens who
had been left to die under the scorching sun.
One Who Cared = One Who Lived
Michael at once lifted the carton into the backseat of the car
and sprinkled water from his canteen over the five little inert forms,
then drove as fast as he could to the nearest veterinary hospital, which
was in Springville, almost a hundred miles away. There, the doctor
examined the limp figures and
regretfully told Michael that
only one of them, a gray-striped
male tabby, was still alive —
just barely. He provided the
little survivor with emergency
treatment and then sent him
home with Michael, along with
a supply of medications and
detailed instructions for further
care. We named the kitten
Sandy was saved by the Oliver family when
Sandy because he had been
he was only a kitten, and grew up to repay his
found abandoned in the sizzling people with a love that surpassed all boundaries.
sands along the desert highway.
With round-the-clock attention and a lot of love, Sandy slowly
recovered, and then he proceeded to grow big and strong. We took
him back to the vet to be neutered and vaccinated, and he promptly
settled into the comfortable routine of being another member of our
4
family. The only thing he refused to accept was the cat bed we had
provided for him in the guest room. Instead, he chose to spend every
single night under the big blue overstuffed chair in my bedroom. He
was a very loving cat, and during the daytime when I sat in that same
chair he would jump into my lap, tuck his nose under my chin, and
give me sweet kitty kisses. Then he would curl up and purr a loud —
and very distinctive — cat melody while I stroked his fur and
massaged his ears. We all felt that his extraordinarily affectionate
nature was his way of thanking us for having saved his life as a kitten.
For Love of Him
Sandy was about nine years old when, one day when I was holding
him on my lap and petting him, I became aware of a sensitive spot on
his back that he didn’t want me to touch. We took him back to the
very same veterinarian who had regularly cared for him from the beginning. The doctor performed a lengthy series of tests, and then gravely informed us that Sandy had a diseased kidney and the problem was
not reversible. The most that the doctor could do, he said, would be to
keep Sandy alive for maybe another year — but throughout the entire
time he would have to undergo constant treatments, and they would
not be pleasant. Our family consulted together and unanimously came
to the same decision: We loved Sandy enough to spare him a prolonged
ordeal that would only postpone the inevitable end. As we held Sandy
in our arms, the doctor injected him with the merciful barbiturate that
eased him quickly and painlessly into the next chapter of his story. We
took him back home and buried him in our yard.
Tears — of course there were tears. Lots of them. Sandy had been
our beloved friend and a close part of our family. But on the very night
following his funeral, my grief was transformed to unforgettable feelings
of joy, awe, and reassurance. It came about through an astonishing
experience that I want to share with anyone who cares about animals.
There Can Be Many Connections
We’d had other animal companions before, during, and after
Sandy, but the one who was closest to him while he lived with us was
our small white poodle, Mitsy. Just as Sandy had slept every single
night under the chair in the bedroom. Mitsy always slept right at the
foot of our bed, between my husband and me. She and Sandy were
good friends and each seemed to rely on the assurance that the other
was safely tucked away in his or her regular spot before finally settling
down for the night.
So right in the middle of this, the night immediately following
Sandy’s passing and burial, I was suddenly awakened out of a sound
sleep by Mitsy, who was sitting bolt upright on the bed and staring
intently at the blue chair. Her tail was faintly thumping, and she was
emitting soft, barely perceptible whines. I lay quietly watching her in
the moonlight, trying to understand what had captured her attention.
And then I heard it clearly — the unmistakable, loud purring
melody of a contented cat rumbling right by the chair! But Sandy was
gone, and we didn’t have any other cats at that time. Too fascinated
to move, and not wanting to break the spell of the moment by waking
my husband, I lay motionless under the blankets, but listening with
every nerve strained, until the purring abruptly ceased. And at that
instant Mitsy quietly lay down at my feet, curled her tail over her nose,
and went back to sleep.
I Believe It Because it Happened to Me
I was wide awake throughout the entire experience, and I stayed
wide awake long after it ended, trying to comprehend the meaning of
what had taken place. I had to admit that if I had heard the story from
someone else, I would have dismissed it as nothing more than wish
fulfillment — a lovely dream come true, but nevertheless still only a
continued on page 8 (Sandy)
A Puzzling Question: What’s a Nice Girl Like You Doing in a Shelter for So Long?
— After Seven Months,
Hilda Finds a Home!
People often ask us, “How long do you keep an animal once he or she
comes to your facility?” and the answer is always, “As long as we have
enough room, and the dog or cat seems to be thriving in the shelter
environment.” With our beautiful, newly expanded and renovated
building, lack of space is almost never a problem, and most animals go
in and out the door with astonishing rapidity. One exception, though,
was a bright, sweet-natured shepherd mix who we were sure would be
adopted in no time — but for one reason or another she stayed on and
on, and the longer she was here, the more deeply the HSU staff and
volunteers became devoted to her. Our top priority, of course, was to
get her into a good new home of her own as soon as we could — but at
the same time we knew that when we finally succeeded in achieving
that goal, it would be a very bittersweet experience for us all.
We first met Hilda way back last June, when our Transfer and
Rescue team, making their regular rounds over their network of
animal facilities throughout the Intermountain West, saw her in
a shelter in northern Utah. The big, gentle, five-year-old dog had
already been in that facility quite a while, and her time there was
running out. So our rescue crew brought Hilda back to the Humane
Society of Utah with them, determined to give her a second chance
at life, love, and happiness.
Who Could Help Loving Her?
She brought a lot of mystery with her — we knew nothing about
how she had wound up in that other shelter, or why — but her story
turned into an even more puzzling mystery when days and then weeks
passed and no one expressed any interest in adopting her. There was
no question at all that she was a born charmer, and she immediately
became a great favorite with the entire staff. She was loving, calm,
well-mannered, and intelligent. HSU Volunteer Coordinator Lisa
Burningham was especially fond of her and, as time went by, she —
and all the rest of us — were baffled that no one seemed to want to
take Hilda home with them. Lisa made it her personal crusade to take
Hilda under her wing as a foster dog,
going out of her way to feature her
at our special events like the
Telethon and Strut Your Mutt.
But summer turned to fall, and fall
became winter, and Hilda was still
here at the shelter whenever she
wasn’t in Lisa’s foster care.
She was, in fact, at Lisa’s home
late on the afternoon of December
This is the same sweet, pleading
expression that was on Hilda’s face
30, when Lisa suddenly felt, as she
when Bob and Rae Moyes walked
put it, “a funny urge” to bring Hilda
past her kennel. How could they
to the shelter and put her back into
resist falling in love with her?
her kennel. And that’s where she
was when Bob Moyes and his wife Rae walked by, checking out the
candidates for a potential new member of their family.
A Holiday Miracle
Mr. and Mrs. Moyes had traveled all the way from Lehi,
and weren’t even positive that they were really ready to make a
commitment to a companion animal — “We were actually just
window shopping,” Bob later laughed — since Rae had recently
recovered from a serious illness, and both she and Bob were still
struggling emotionally with the passing of their previous dog some
time earlier. But throughout their married life, Bob, a retired Boeing
aircraft pilot, and his wife had always shared their home with an
animal companion “We wouldn’t be a complete family again until we
found just the right four-legged friend,” said Rae.
And then it happened. As they walked past Hilda’s kennel, the
dog sat up and lifted her marvelous brown eyes to stare straight into
Bob and Rae’s faces. She tilted her head slightly, gave a soft whine,
and faintly wagged her tail, and the magic happened. “She adopted
us right then and there,” says Bob.
They hurried to the adoptions lobby and eagerly inquired about
Hilda. Lisa, who was sitting at the desk, immediately jumped up when
she heard her beloved protegée’s name spoken. In spite of the fact that
the adoptions department was about to close in less than half an hour,
Lisa knew that this was Hilda’s chance to find a loving home of her
own. This, she was sure, explained her unexpected impulse to put Hilda back in the adoption kennels just a short time before. She grabbed
the appropriate papers and escorted Mr. and Mrs. Moyes into one
of the “get-acquainted” lounges with Hilda, where she described her
history and her inexplicably long stay at the shelter. Throughout the
entire visit, Hilda leaned against Rae’s legs and lovingly licked Bob’s
hands and face. Lisa was both delighted and amazed. “Hilda
was always demonstrative and cuddly with me,” she said, “but I had
never seen her display this kind of open affection for anybody else.”
The papers were signed, a
new collar and leash, a sweater,
and some toys were purchased,
and Hilda trotted happily away
between her new mom and dad.
As they all rode off in the front
seat of the family car, Rae lifted
Hilda’s paw to wave good-bye to
the cluster of shelter employees
who had grown to love her, and
who now watched her go with
understandably mixed emotions.
They say that good things
come to those who wait. Hilda
Rae, a former piano teacher, and Bob,
had spent most of the past year
a retired pilot, brought Hilda back to the
HSU shelter for a visit a few weeks after
of her life in shelters, but with
they had officially made her the newest
the help of the compassionate
member of their family. “She’s healthy,
HSU staff and Lisa Burninghappy, and absolutely adored,” says
ham’s special determination, she
Bob. “This is the beginning of a
wonderful new chapter in her life.”
has now found her forever home
where the past is behind her and many happy years are yet to come.
Two weeks after they adopted her, Bob and Rae brought
Hilda back to the HSU shelter for a brief visit to show us all how
beautifully she was doing in her new life. As we crowded around to
enjoy the reunion, one staff member exclaimed, “Oh, what a happy
ending to Hilda’s story!” Bob emphatically shook his head and,
with a beaming smile, said, “No, not an ending. This is the beginning.”
And that’s just what it is. When one door closes, another one
always opens. Hilda can look forward to a happy, secure future
filled with forever love, and we at the Humane Society can always
remember that, even though it took a long time to happen, we were
instrumental in turning another one of our residents’ stories into a
really, truly “Happily Ever After.” v
5
Subaru Loves Pets Event
Dogs and Cats along the Wasatch Front Received FREE Microchips!
Valentine’s Day was extra special for lots of Utah’s animals this year
because, thanks to Wasatch Front Subaru Retailers and the Humane
Society of Utah, hundreds of them got free identification microchips
implanted from 11 AM to 4 PM on February 14th!
A lucky dog gets his free microchip
ID implanted by a Banfield Pet
Hospital veterinarian at one of the
five participating Wasatch Front
Subaru dealerships on Valentine’s
Day. HSU co-sponsored the
“Subaru Loves Pets” event, in which
local dogs and cats were equipped
with chips at no cost to the pets’ caregivers, thanks to Subaru’s generosity.
Five local Subaru dealerships (who are also important sponsors of
other HSU activities like the annual Telethon) purchased 1,250 AVID
microchips, and then arranged to have 250 of those chips implanted
in dogs and cats free of charge to the pets’ caregivers at each of the
five participating locations — Young Subaru, Nate Wade Subaru,
Mark Miller Subaru Midtown, Mark Miller Subaru South Towne, and
Doug Smith Subaru — by licensed veterinarians and technicians from
Banfield Pet Hospital. HSU staff and volunteers were also present to
answer general questions about pet care and adoption.
Chips Save Lives
“Microchipping is a safe and permanent way to identify your pets
and be reunited with them if they ever go missing,” says HSU Clinic
Director Pauline Edwards. “We’re so grateful that Banfield donated
its staff’s time to help with the chip implantation at this event.” The
microchip is a tiny electronic device — smaller than a grain of rice
— each with its own unique code, which is painlessly inserted under
the animal’s skin just between the shoulder blades by a veterinary
professional using a syringe. Microchipping an animal costs at least
$25, and often more, depending on where it’s done, Ms. Edwards
pointed out. “We can’t say enough about how deeply we appreciate what
a huge favor the ‘Subaru Loves Pets’ event has done for all the dogs and
cats along the Wasatch front who had this wonderful service performed
for them at no cost.”
Some of the dealerships also offered free pet tags, bandanas,
collapsible water bowls, and leashes to the animals who had been
brought in to get their no-cost microchips.
And HSU also received a total of $375 in cash donations during
the event!
This couldn’t possibly have been a more terrifically win-win
situation for everybody involved. Subaru loves pets — and the
Humane Society of Utah loves Subaru! v
Look Who’s Reading the HSU Newsletter! (You’re in Good Company)
In our last issue of Speaking of Animals (Winter 2015), we featured
the story of Mattie, the yellow Lab who was adopted from our
shelter (shortly after weaning a litter of puppies) by Jeff and Cherie
Groll, and who later went on to appear locally in a number of films,
commercials, and television spots — although her greatest and most
memorable role will always be that of the Groll family’s cherished
and loving companion.
We of course provided extra copies of that newsletter to the
Grolls to share with Mattie’s many friends and fans, and were
absolutely delighted when Cherie replied by sending us this charming
photo of Mattie herself reading (and obviously enjoying!) the
Tigger and Murphy and Their Devoted Mom
account of her rise from her humble beginnings
as a homeless, unwed mother to the pampered
glamour queen of all she surveys.
And please note — she’s still wearing that
beautiful, million-kilowatt smile that first
captured her people’s hearts! v
A few months ago we told the story of Mattie, the wonderful
yellow Lab who was adopted from HSU by Jeff and Cherie
Groll. Cherie responded with the following priceless picture
of Mattie reading about herself in that very article. “What a wonderful tribute,” Cherie
wrote. “Mattie is so honored, and I have to admit that even I choked up a little when
I read it. Here is a photo of Mattie reading it, too — for about the fifth time!”
On February 17 Ms. Grettum sent us the following message: “My
dear Tigger left us last evening to run free and be with her buddy Murphy
again. She led a charmed life for 21 years — and, being the queen that
she was, she deserved each and every lovely moment. Tigger was adopted
Among our favorite friends are those individuals who have not
from you in September of 1994 when she was only three months old, and
only been long-time financial supporters of the Humane Society,
found her Forever home with us — we will miss her so! She was Family.
but have also served as caring parents to animals whom they’ve
“I love the Humane Society, and you know
adopted from our facility. One such very caring
that
when I recover from the loss of Murphy seven
person is Deborah Grettum, who recently shared with
months
ago and now my Tigger, I will be adopting
us of the story of the passing of two of her beloved
again
from
HSU. I thank the staff of the Society
shelter friends within a few months of each other.
for the wonderful work you do, and most of all for
She says, “I adopted my little black poodle, Murphy,
the two wonderful pets who came from there and
from you in 2001 when he was four years old, and we
shared many, many years with me.”
spent another happy 13 years together; so taking an
And we thank Deb Grettum for supporting,
Tigger, left, and Murphy share their favorite
older pet into the family turned out to be a wonderful
chair together. Both of these well-loved,
and
adopting from, the Humane Society of
experience. Late last summer he peacefully crossed the
well-cared-for HSU adoptees lived
Utah.
Most of all, we thank her for being such
Rainbow Bridge after having lived a rich, full life. Left
amazingly long, happy lives as part of the
a
great
pet parent! We can’t wait to see who
Grettum family, and finally passed away
behind was his beloved feline companion Tigger, who
her
next
lucky adoptees will be. v
within
mere
months
of
each
other.
6 had been with me since even before Murphy came.”
A Very Special Love Story
Remembering Carla Lucerne (Charlotte Bauhhofer) 1930 – 2014
Help
“ ever, hurt never. Love all and serve all.”
Carla Lucerne was born January 15, 1930, in Schattdorf,
Lamentably, as Carla aged, her osteoporosis got the better
Switzerland, under the name Charlotte Bauhhofer. She was
of her. She fell several times during the 18 years that Thelma
raised in Switzerland and attended university there until, in
knew her. Of course, it didn’t help that Carla always insisted on
her early twenties, she decided that life as a university student
wearing high heels, even in her eighties. At the age of 84, Carwas not for her. Instead, she took a job as a stewardess with
la’s doctors informed her that if she was to continue walking,
Swiss Air and quickly developed a lifelong love of travelling
she would require spinal surgery. However, such a surgery enaround the world. It was during her travels in the 1950s that
tailed high risks and posed a very difficult recovery for a woman
Carla discovered the bustling city of New York and realized a
her age. Carla decided that it was worth the risk if it meant she
new purpose for her life — entertaining.
could keep walking. But sadly, several months after the surgery,
having never fully recovered or walked again, Carla passed away
Carla began modeling soon after
at the age of 84 on September 15, 2014.
she settled in New York City, but, although
she enjoyed it for a short time, she still
Carla had never married or had children, and
longed for more travel and excitement in
she was preceded in death by her parents and sister.
her life. Providentially, her beautiful singing
Thelma was the executor of her beloved friend’s esvoice turned out to be her ticket into the
tate, which contained instructions to give everything
entertainment industry. In fact, it was when
to charities that benefit children and animals. Carla
she began singing that the beautiful young
had always loved dogs and cats, and she referred to
woman born as Charlotte Bauhhofer
her pets as her furry, four-legged children. During
found her true identity – as Carla Lucerne.
her life she was the proud owner of a number of pets,
including Pekingese, Pomeranians and cats.
Travelling the world extensively as
Carla Lucerne, she spent many eventful
Thelma and Paul Dixon selected the Humane
years in South America. She also settled
Society of Utah as the animal welfare organization
for some time in Las Vegas, with her own
to benefit from Carla’s estate. The HSU is grateful
show at Caesar’s Palace. In her later years,
and proud to use Carla’s gift to purchase a brand new
The beautiful and vibrant Carla Lucerne
Carla often liked to recount a fond memory during her successful career as a singer.
Ford Transit van, with which our Transfer & Rescue
of Frank Sinatra in Las Vegas. As she told
program will rescue thousands of at-risk animals from
it, one night after a show Sinatra approached her in a lounge
other shelters. Another portion of her estate will be used to
and told her quite straightforwardly that he didn’t like the way
fund spay and neuter surgeries for homeless pets at our clinic.
she sang. Carla’s retort: “Well, I don’t like the way you sing, either.”
Eventually, Carla retired from singing and left Las Vegas,
choosing to spend her golden years in Utah. It was here that
her personal spiritual journey intersected with that of Thelma
and Paul Dixon in 1996, at the ceremony of an Indian guru.
During her long and exciting life, Carla
From an outsider’s perspective, it’s not surprising that this trio
was the proud owner of a number of pets,
including Pekingese, Pomeranians and
of world travelers would quickly become close friends. And, as
cats. The HSU is grateful and proud to
fate would have it, an unfortunate medical situation
be the beneficiary of this amazing animal
immediately solidified this bond.
lover’s estate to save the lives of thousands of homeless pets on her behalf.
Shortly after meeting Thelma and Paul, Carla required
knee surgery and had no friends or family in Utah to help care
Through the donations of amazing people like Carla and
for her after the procedure. With no questions asked, Thelma
her dear friends Thelma and Paul, the Humane Society of Utah
and Paul took Carla into their home. They set up a hospital
is able to continue saving the lives of countless pets in Utah. If
bed in their living room and Carla lived with them for several
we could say one thing to Carla, it would be that with the help
months until she was able to walk again.
of her generous gift we will continuously strive to uphold the
For the next 18 years, Thelma found in Carla the sister
philosophy she espoused so well, “Help ever, hurt never. Love all
that she never had. When Thelma recalls her dear friend, her
and serve all.”
eyes light up. She describes Carla as feisty and independent,
If you would like information on planned giving and how
always impeccably dressed in couture clothing, fine jewelry,
to bequeath all or a portion of your estate to the homeless pets
lovely hats and high heels. Even in her old age, she drove a red
at the Humane Society of Utah, please visit www.utahhumane.
Firebird convertible – although Paul says she really only ever
org/legacy or contact Jamie Usry, Director of Development, at
drove to Thelma’s house to visit. As Paul remembers Carla, he
(801) 261-2919 ext. 207 or Jamie@utahhumane.org. v
lovingly says that she was simply “alive.”
7
Everybody was a Winner
at HSU’S
Kitten Bowl Party
Super Bowl? What Super Bowl? The really big attraction on February
1st at the Humane Society of Utah was Kitten Bowl II, presented by
the Hallmark Channel and North Shore Animal League America!
HSU was one of only 20 shelters
nationwide chosen to host a
corresponding party for this
free-wheeling, furry program,
which was designed to bring public
awareness to the plight of homeless cats across the country, and
to emphasize the importance of
adopting dogs and cats from shelters. Winning new forever homes, a
total of 125 animals were adopted from our facility on Super Sunday
— 76 cats, 46 dogs, and three rabbits! HSU also won a $2,000 grant
from North Shore for our life-saving efforts during the Kitten Bowl!
We even used our Animal Transfer Program to bring felines
from other shelters in Utah for this event, thus increasing the
number of lives saved statewide. “Even though ‘kitten season’ doesn’t
hit with full force until later in the spring,” explains HSU Director of
Communications Deann Shepherd, “there are still plenty of cats and
kittens in need of homes everywhere, and we work with over 200 shelters
and rescue groups throughout the Southwest to help ensure that every
adoptable animal finds a loving home.”
So maybe “the Pats” won the football game, but the CATS were
the real winners here. v
Win Some... continued from page 3
transitioning from gas chambers to EBI for dogs and cats is feasible
and comparable. Carbon monoxide is cheaper only when the animals
are euthanized with non-approved, unsafe equipment, or through
inhumane methods (e.g., more than one animal at a time).
The costs involved in changing to EBI may be incurred for
initial training and certification, and, later, for the purchase of
sodium pentobarbital. But by working with local veterinarians, as
well as state and federal agencies, shelters can receive the proper
training and purchase the controlled substances necessary to
perform EBI. The EBI procedure itself is as cost-efficient as, and safer
than, operating a gas chamber. The fact that many shelters in even
some rural areas in Utah use EBI is evidence of this.
Other proponents of the gas chamber claim that its use is
necessary when euthanizing fractious, difficult animals, and that
attempting to inject them individually would be too impractical.
Long-term experience itself has shown the fallacy of that position.
With proper training, even overly aggressive or stressed animals can
be easily and painlessly euthanized via EBI when proper handling
techniques and devices (e.g., restraint poles, squeeze gates, syringe
poles, etc.) are utilized for remote injection methods.
It’s Time to Move Ahead
Simply put, use of the gas chamber is a throwback to a much cruder, less enlightened time. The purpose of any animal shelter,
private or municipal, is to offer all residents the best of care and
attention while making every effort to place them in loving homes
of their own. When this is for any reason impossible, the very least
the shelter owes an animal who can’t be placed is a “good death” — a
quick, painless passage from this world to the next by means of EBI. v
8
Save When You Shop at Smith’s
— Save Animals’ Lives
You have to buy groceries and other ordinary items all the time. Did
you know that you can help the animals of the Humane Society of
Utah simply by shopping at Smith’s stores and using your Rewards
card for each purchase? All you have to do is swipe your Rewards
card — selecting a charity does NOT affect your coupons or fuel
points! Just follow these three easy steps on your computer:
• Go to www.SmithsCommunityRewards.com
• Click on “Community Rewards”
• Enter NPO number 55380 or Humane Society of Utah
To verify that you are enrolled correctly, you will see “Humane
Society of Utah” on the right side of your information page.
And you can still participate even if you don’t have a computer!
If you have no computer access, simply go to the Customer Service
desk at your local store and ask for a copy of the Smith’s Community
Rewards form and fill it in completely with your personal information.
In the blank marked Designated Organization write in “The Humane
Society of Utah,” and in the blank asking for the NPO number, write
55380. Return the completed form to the Customer Service clerk. Your
data will be entered in the Smith’s computer banks, and every purchase
you make at Smith’s after that will benefit the animals of the Humane
Society of Utah!
It’s so easy — so simple — so important. Please enroll in the
Smith’s Community Rewards program today!
Note: In the last issue of Speaking of Animals we reproduced a
copy of this form and encouraged readers who were unable to access a
computer to clip and use that one. We have since been informed that
Smith’s will not honor anything but the original form itself, which must
be obtained in person from a Smith’s outlet. Therefore, to join the Smith’s
Community Rewards Program, you must do so by either (a) applying
online or (b) obtaining an original form from an actual Smith’s store.
We apologize for any inconvenience or embarrassment we may have
caused either Smith’s management or our members. v
Sandy... continued from page 4
dream. But then I remembered that it was Mitsy who heard the sound
first, and it was her reaction that in turn wakened me. And we both
clearly heard a very distinct, familiar sound for those few minutes that
we shared in a state of intensely clear wakefulness.
The dictionary defines sound as “the mechanical radiant energy
that is... perceived by the sense of hearing.” Albert Einstein, in turn,
defined energy in his famous equation as “mass times the speed of light
squared.” It seems clear to me, therefore, that mass had to be involved
in the production of the sound energy that Mitsy and I heard, and
Sandy’s bodily mass was not with us. I believe with all my heart that
I had been given a rare glimpse of a spiritual visitation from an animal
who had passed beyond the sphere of our present understanding,
and whose mass and energy had been translated into the incredible,
undefinable force given to all living beings. Lacking a more scientific
term, for now I think I’ll just call it “love.”
Thank you, Sandy — you have given me a new insight into
another dimension of the infinity of my life and that of all living
beings. And thank you especially for your unique, very personal gift
to me and to your good friend Mitsy: your last loud, beautiful, one-ofa-kind cat melody. I’ll treasure that always. v