Paws and Claws Feb 2010 - Franklin County Humane Society

February 2010
Have a Heart Month
Paws & Claws
A special thank you to
our Adoption Center
Director—Karin
Karin Perala
and Animal Care Staff
Charles McDonald.
As this is being written
during the February 5th
snowstorm, Karin is
spending her 3rd snow
weekend and Charles
his 2nd staying at the
Adoption Center to provide care for all our animals. Karin and
Charles always stay as
long as needed and
work many long days for
the animals. Their dedication, hard work and
compassion deserve
recognition and thanks.
2009 Expenses
Complete Adoption Center
Construction: $465,097
Payroll, taxes, health insurance: $216,094
Building loan payments:
$139,084
Veterinary supplies:
$80,027
Rescue veterinary &
boarding costs :
$37,304
Electric: $8,918
Insurance: $7,005
Pet food & supplies:
$6,221
Phone: $3,887
Office supplies: $2,129
Bank fees: $1,963
Clinic supplies: $1,732
Fundraising: $1,129
Fees & dues: $1,174
Security: $996
& other expenses =
$984,495
total expenses
The Franklin County Humane Society’s Planned Pethood Clinic has
spayed/neutered over 33,000 animals!
Every spay/neuter means fewer animals will be taken to shelters.
Our Adoption Center provides a second chance for many wonderful animals.
Our Adoption staff and volunteers cared for over 835 animals in 2009
2009 Humane Society Year End Report
We started 2009 with 45 cats
and 21 dogs in our care. During
the year, we took in 60 stray
cats, 187 cats from owners, 54
cats from other agencies and 13
kittens were born to cats in our
care.
We took in 62 stray dogs, 147
dogs from owners, 216 dogs
from other agencies and 30
puppies were born to animals in
our care.
2 cats and 3 dogs were returned
to their owners. 128 cats and
118 dogs were adopted. 185
cats and 329 dogs were transferred to other rescue groups that
helped to find the dogs and cats
their new homes.
On December 31, we had 27 cats
and 18 dogs still in our care. The
first week of the New Year, we
adopted and transferred almost
all of the remaining animals and
the Adoption Center was practically empty. That didn’t last for
long of course! We have taken in
over 75 dogs and puppies during
the first five weeks of the new
year and about the same number
of cats and kittens.
In addition to providing veterinary care for the Adoption Center animals, our Planned
Pethood Clinic staff spayed/
neutered 3,141 cats and dogs
and many animals received
other services such as vaccines, feline leukemia and
heartworm testing, deworming,
earmite, flea and tick treatment and microchipping.
Thank you to everyone for all
the hard work for the animals.
Have a Heart for the Animals Open House
Saturday February 13
11 AM—3 PM
Bring Treats for the Animals at the Adoption Center.
We’ll have Valentine’s Day Treats for you!
Treats needed:
Monetary donations to care for the animals
Purina or Purina One Chow for Cats, Kittens, Dogs & Puppies
Dog Biscuits & Chews and Kitty Treats and Toys
In recognition of Spay Day on February 23,
We are offering special pricing all month at our Planned Pethood Clinic.
With any spay/neuter surgery:
Microchipping for cats and dogs at a special price of $15
Heartworm test for dogs at a special price of $10
Please call the Humane Society @ (540)489-3491 for an appointment.
The “N” Puppies
Nils (top), Nina (right)
Nikki ( bottom) and Ned
(running) came to the
Adoption Center in November. After their exam
and first shots at Planned
Pethood Clinic, they went
to foster with Donna Essig
for a quarantine period.
When the pups were brought to us, their owner told the staff
that the other pups picked on Nina and bit her legs. Her little legs were swollen with bites and infection. Her wounds
were cleaned up and she was put on antibiotics . We
guessed that the pups had been cooped up and needed activity and supervision. Nina was kept separated from her
siblings unless under very close observation.
Over the next few weeks, they went on long walks in the
woods, played in the leaves, were given toys to play with and
learned to play nicely with each other. They helped with
garden chores by carrying off shrubbery trimmings and dug
holes for bulbs and then dug the bulbs up after they were
planted.
By the time they returned to the Adoption Center, they were
all getting along and Nina’s legs had healed. After they were
spayed/neutered and given another round of shots, they
were off to their new homes.
Nils,
Nils one of the “N”
puppies is now named
Perrin. Here he relaxes in his new home
with his new big
brother Spotty. Spotty
was adopted from
Greyhound Rescue.
Nils/Perrin is a smart
little fellow and
learned to sit on command his very first
night in his new home.
Pretty (below) is at the Adoption
Center waiting for a home. She
is well mannered and is the
perfect match for someone who
wants a sweet companion dog
that is settled down and well
behaved.
Cassie, a sweet Chihuahua, was taken to the Franklin County Animal Control Shelter in December
by her owner. Cassie reportedly had a Jack Russell boy friend and was pregnant Her human family
had to move to a place that wouldn't allow pets. She was a really dear little gal who wasn't at all
shaky and nervous like some Chihuahuas can be. She already had milk coming and a bulging belly.
Humane Society Rescue and Transport Volunteer Elizabeth Little picked up Cassie from the animal
control shelter and Rescue Coordinator Anita Scott found a generous sponsor to donate her board at
the Pet Clinic of Rocky Mount for a couple of days before being transferred to another rescue group
who had a foster home for Cassie. As you can see, she had her puppies in a comfortable nursery
where the pups will stay until they are old enough for adoption.
Ty, a handsome Pit Bull, was rescued by Inglath and Mac Cooper from a high kill shelter in North Carolina. Ty found his forever
home with a professional photographer who met Ty on a photo
shoot for Uttermost. Ty’s new owner says “As you can see Ty is
the hit of the dog park. Like predicted Esteban was the perfect
match for Ty. Ty is beyond smart and well behaved and Esteban is
training him to compete in Frisbee contest. He out jumps any dog
in the park.”
Ty is a wonderful representative of this unfairly maligned breed.
We have met so many wonderful Pit Bulls over the years. For
many years, these dogs were a favorite breed in the United States
and it is only in the last 25 years that they have gained notoriety
We are beginning to see more people wanting to adopt these
intelligent and clownish, loyal and loving dogs after getting to
know the breed. Unfortunately, many people only know of the
breed through press accounts of poor socialized and/or mistreated pit bulls owned by irresponsible people. Pit bulls are
often discriminated against by pounds and shelters who refuse to adopt them solely based on breed and not on a fair
evaluation of the individual dog’s temperament.
Pit bulls have a long history in the USA as trusted family companion animals. They were used in advertising and posters to
represent the All American Dog (Buster Brown Shoes, WWI
Check out great information and photos of pit mascots, “Our Gang” Little Rascals). Get to know a pit bull
and you will come to love them like we do.
bulls in American history and advertising @
http://www.badrap.org
Paddington (photo at left) was one of a litter of
seven Lab/Rottweiler puppies that came to the
Adoption Center in January.
His new family wrote “Wanted to let you know
how Dig by (Paddington) is doing. He has settled
right in to our family. When we got him to Eric's
aunt's house and he ran and ran chasing
Emma. By the time we left Hardy we had him in
his crate and he slept from Hardy to Blacksburg.
He met Clifford and they got on well, with Clifford
even lifting his leg to let Digby smell him. BIG
MISTAKE as Digby used his puppy teeth on Clifford's underside. Clifford is a good boy so all he
has done is avoid Digby. Digby occasionally chases Clifford, but Digby is a fast learner. He does not torment
Clifford too much and they will become friends eventually. Such a smart puppy. He got to meet Clifford's 2
friends whose owners are an elderly couple who walk by our house. Their dogs got to smell Digby and he did
not seem the least bit afraid. Anyway, wanted to update you and let you know how happy we are with our
adoption.”
Two of Paddington’s brothers are still available for adoption. Please stop by to meet them.
Hello,
I just wanted to update you on the kitten we
adopted in late December. You called her Demi.
We have renamed her Gamma and she is the cutest little thing with the best personality. She love's
to play and love's to snuggle. I have attached some
photo's of her with her big sister's Delphi and
Zephyr. She also has a big brother Mush. She is a
wonderful addition to our family. Thank you for all
the work you do taking care of the animal's.
Thank you
Rhonda and Charlie Hurd
Gifford (photo at left) is a young Corgi mix that we got
from the Animal Control Shelter in late September. He
stayed at the Adoption Center a little over a month before he was transferred to another rescue group that
took him to his new home.
His new family reports “ Gifford is happy as can be. He's
made many new friends in the neighborhood. We have
grown attached to him. Everyone loves him. We're trying
to work on a couple issues with him chewing everything
and marking when he is somewhere new. We buy him
bones which he loves so much that he hides them.
Then he looks for other things to chew.”
Laurel: About two months ago, we adopted Laurel ,
an adorable little beagle mix. We have been meaning to write you to let you know how well she is doing
with us, to pass along some photos, and to express
our gratitude for you allowing us to bring her into our
lives.
Laurel, who we have since renamed "Hazel," has adjusted extremely well to living with us, and has
proven to be just as sweet and loving as she was
when we first met her. She has gotten used to us,
our lifestyle, and our schedule at this point. Overall,
she has brightened our lives and been an absolute delight.
Hazel loves nothing better than a good belly rub and a hard bone that she can chew on for a long time. She also
takes joy in methodically tearing apart soft chewy toys (which is pretty amusing to watch). Though she has come
to love laying on our bed, she really loves curling up in our laundry pile (after she rearranges it to make it just
right, of course). And of course nothing excites her quite like one of us grabbing her leash, because then she
knows it's walk time. She always likes to be close to us, and almost always will curl up or sit in whatever room
we happen to be in.
We just wanted to share these little stories with you and let you know how much we love Hazel and how much
she has come to mean to us. We are truly grateful that you've allowed us to bring her into our lives. We've included some photos of her for you to enjoy. We can't thank you enough, and hope that you have many more
adoptions as successful as this one.
Warmest Regards, Karen Conron and Patrick Chamberlain
Lady is a 5 year old black lab
mix that we rescued from the
Animal Control shelter in October.
Lady tested positive for heartworms and stayed at the
Adoption Center for 2 months
while undergoing treatment
before going to her new
home. In the photo at left,
she is shown with her new
family’s dogs.
Please keep your dogs on
heartworm preventative year
round to prevent heartworm
infestation.
From Lady’s New Family: The first hour was very stressful. My older dog was acting very dominant. Now they
have all eaten and explored the backyard together. They have relaxed and she seems to fit right it and feel at
home already. She loves my kids and doesn't mind the cats at all. It's a perfect match! Thanks so much for all
your help and everything you've done to get her to me.
Cookie had her puppies under a deck on January 6
during the bitter cold spell when temperatures were
in the teens. We could not get under the deck to get
her puppies out to safety and even tried
(unsuccessfully) to persuade a 5 year old neighbor
to squeeze through a small opening on the side.
Luckily, Mr. Smith offered to take a saw to his deck
and Cookie and her pups were brought inside to
warm up.
Cookie and her pups (Lorna, Newton and Snickerdoodle) are now living in comfort in the staff break
room at the Humane Society. The puppies are about
a month old and they will be available in late March.
It’s good to know that there are good people like the
Smith Family who step forward to help animals in
need.
Yasmin and Zippy are just two
of the wonderful kitties available for adoption. Please stop
by the Adoption Center to meet
them. The Cat & Kitten rooms
are full of friendly felines.
Adoption Center Hours:
Wed. -Friday from 2-5
Saturdays from 11-3
Or by special appointment.
To volunteer:
Stop in any day that we are
open to begin.
Debbie Robbins received a very welcome surprise
Christmas Calico Kitten from husband Neil
Strong.
Calli and friend Smokey (photo below) relax after the holidays. Smokey was adopted previously.
Audrey Bernadette (left photo) was found at a Snow Creek
dumpster on a bitter cold Saturday night in January. Luckily,
she was found and she was brought to Donna Essig’s home
that night. The little pup was very thin with a bloated stomach and she was ravenous. Audrey B was tiny but her personality was very big . Despite her poor physical condition,
she wanted to kiss everyone in sight.
Her breed was a matter of contention as she was tiny and
had very small feet but had some pit bull characteristics—
mainly the brindle eye/ear patch. We described her as a Jack
Russell/Terrier mix and her new family saw her on our website. They had a Jack Russell already and wanted a second.
When we told them that we really weren’t sure of Audrey’s
breed, her new mama said that it didn’t really matter if she
turned out to be a Jack Russell mix or a pit bull mix as they
had fallen in love with her at first sight.
No matter what her breed, Audrey B is a very special little girl
and she won our hearts. She has been renamed Abby and
now is describes as “Spoiled Rotten”.
Possum (left) was found at a Ferrum dumpster in January. He
was stuffed into a small crate with two other cats. All three
cats were brought to the Adoption Center. Possum is a very
sweet and gentle cat and is available for adoption..
The Chocolate Puppies were
found stuffed in a plastic storage
box with a closed lid at a Burnt
Chimney dumpster the last week
of January. The man who found
them took them home for the
night and the next day his wife
looked for help. Diane Novak of
www.barncatbuddies.org called
us and we said to have them
bring the pups right in.
The 8 Australian Shepherd mix
puppies were checked out and
given shots, flea treatment and
deworming by Planned Pethood
Supervising Veterinarian Dr.
MaryBeth Chaconas and staff
(Terri Bentley, LVT and Vet Assistants Stephanie Dickenson and
Becky Davis). The staff gave the
pups Chocolate names as 5 of
The Chocolate Puppies were named Godiva, Ghiradelli, Toblerone, Russell the pups were chocolate merle
and one solid chocolate.
Stover, Goobers, Whitman, Willy Wonka and Chokito.
Thank you to everyone who helped to rescue them.
Then the pups were off to their
two week quarantine at Wendy
Smith’s home. Leah (in photos)
has been helping to care for
them. Rescue Coordinator Anita
Scott took photos and posted
them on our website and the
calls and emails have been pouring in to adopt these beautiful
puppies.
Angel (top left), Beck (above) and
Opie (left) were rescued from a
high kill shelter in Rocky Mount,
North Carolina. FERAL Volunteer
Pam Armstrong arranged their
transfer to us and drove to pick
them up. All of them are gentle
and loving dogs. Opie will finish
his 2 week quarantine this week
and be able to join the other puppies in the Puppy Room at the
Adoption Center. Please spread
the word about these sweeties.
Apollo (above) is one of 4
Spaniel mix puppies at the
Adoption Center.
A Big Thank you to the Staff & Volunteers who help to make all of this happen:
Rescue Coordinator:
Anita Scott
Rescue & Transport:
Elizabeth Little
Adoption Center Front
Desk: Susan Ewald
Website pet photos:
Karen Dillon
Board members:
Donna Essig, Ann McCulley, Jacki Lucki, Louise
Wimmer, Cindy Pasternak, Linda Albert & Carol
Bush
Adoption Center, Foster,
Fundraisers, Purrfect
Treasures & Transport
Angela Darienzo
Anna Telford
Barb Hutson
Chris Nichols
Devin McCulley
Dinah Sutton
Francine Thomas
Inglath Cooper
Jean & Bob Farrell
Jennifer Everidge
Karen Wrigley
Kirsti & Arthur Anderson
8 week old Lab mix
puppies Cher (top photo)
and Sonny were found at
the Grassy Hill dumpster
on February 10 and were
brought to the Adoption
Center. They are in
foster care and are
available for adoption.
Lisa Thomas & Max
Many of our volunteers
help with multiple volunteer jobs such as Rescue,
Transport, Foster, Fundraising, Adoption Center
Animal Care and more.
We welcome you to join
us and make a difference for the animals and
yourself.
Luanne Wray
Marion Hanes
Marsha Arrington
Mollie Harris
Pam & Dan Krupp
Philamena Cowan
Sandi Feather
Shan Sirry
Sharon Merritt
Wendy & Scott Kane
Wendy Smith
A special thanks to Hilde
and Jim Spitz for designing, donating, planting &
mulching the beautiful
shrubs and for pruning
existing shrubs. We are
looking forward to spring
and seeing everything in
bloom!
Our apologies for any
oversights. Please email
us with any names that
we have missed.
Humane Society Staff
Supervising Veterinarian:
MaryBeth Chaconas, DVM
Adoption Center Director:
Karin Perala
Clinic /Financial Director:
Danene Bernard
Licensed Veterinary Technician: Terri Bentley, LVT
Clinic Reception:
Nicole Torre
Veterinary Assistants:
Becky Davis
Stephanie Dickenson
Clinic Animal Caregiver:
Deanna Bernard
Adoption Center Animal
Care Staff:
Charles McDonald
Angela Darienzo
Stacey Roberts
Charlene Bowles
Kevin Eubank
Purrfect Treasures Manager: Marsha Arrington
Donation/Change of Address Form
Help the animals by joining our email Alert list:
donna@plannedpethoodrockymount.com
Name:_____________________________________________
Address:___________________________________________
___________________________________________________
City/State/Zip
Humane Society Donation Levels
Philanthropist
Benefactor
Patron
Caregiver
Provider
Friend
Supporter
$5,000 and above
$1,000—$4,999
$500-$999
$250-$499
$100-$249
$50-$99
Under $50
Amount of donation: $________________________________
The Franklin County Humane Society is a 501(c)3 non profit
organization. Your donation is tax deductible.
Please make checks payable to:
Franklin County Humane Society
P.O. Box 2118, Rocky Mount, VA 24151
P.O. Box 2118
Rocky Mount, VA 24151
Storage Shed needed:
We need a storage shed for our
Purrfect Treasures store. We
have storage on the upper level
but the stairs are too steep to
carry large items up and down. If
anyone has a shed that they can
donate, please contact us. All of
the money raised at Purrfect
Treasures is used to care for animals at the Adoption Center.
Wish List
Purina or Purina One Puppy, Kitten, Cat & Dog Chow
Dog Biscuits & Chewies
Kongs (all sizes for the dogs & puppies)
Kitty Toys & Treats
Kitty Litter
Paper Towels
Liquid Laundry Soap & Bleach
Liquid Hand Soap & Dish Soap
Anti-Bacterial Surface Cleaner
Towels for the animals
Trash bags—15 & 33 gallon
Copy Paper
Pet Carriers & Kennels
Items to sell at Purrfect Treasures
Volunteers and Adopters!
We are now offering basic grooming:
$20 small -$25 medium - $30 large dog bath
$35 bathe, dry & basic cuts for dogs up to 25#
$45 bathe, dry & basic cuts for larger dogs
Call us @ (540)489-3491 for an appointment
You may have noticed how
many of the animals featured
in this newsletter were found
abandoned at dumpsters. We
don’t understand how some
people have so little regard for
a living creature that they treat
these puppies, kittens, cats
and dogs like trash to be discarded.
Sponsor the Animals
@ the Adoption Center
Animals are also left in boxes
behind the Humane Society
and at Animal Control’s front
door. We’ve found boxes with
torn hole through which the
cat escaped and disappeared.
Name a day, week or month in honor of a
birthday, anniversary or a loved one.
This is not just a sign of hard
economic times as this is a
common occurrence and has
been happening for many
years. We can only hope that
good people keep helping
those in need.
$15 sponsors 1 hour
$45 sponsors 3 hours
$90 sponsors 6 hours
$175 sponsors 12 hours
$350 sponsors one day
$2,500 sponsors 1 week
$5,000 sponsors 2 weeks
$10,000 sponsors 1 month
All donations will be recognized in our Paws
& Claws Newsletter.
All day, week & month sponsorships will be
recognized on a
2010 Adoption Center Sponsors
plaque
in the Adoption Center.
Donations may be mailed to the Humane
Society or online @
www.plannedpethoodrockymount.com
Franklin County Humane Society’s Planned Pethood Clinic and Adoption Center
(540)489-3491
View our Adoptable Pets @ www.plannedpethoodrockymount.com