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Thee Tail Waggin’ Times
The newsletter for members, volunteers and friends of the CHA Animal Shelter
Pet Pictures with Santa
Humans and Pets of All Shapes & Sizes Welcome!
CHA will host a number of Pet Pictures with Santa PawsTM
events in November and December.
Courtesy of PetPeople and Fleshman Photography, you
can have your pet’s photo taken with Santa or get in the photo
yourself. For $35, you will receive one 8x10, two 5x7s and a
sheet of wallet-sized professional-quality photos – an ideal
holiday gift – for you or someone on your list. Proceeds benefit
the animals spending the holidays at CHA. Pet Pictures with
Santa will take place in area PetPeople stores. No appointment is necessary.
For a list of dates and times or for more information, visit CHAAnimalShelter.org.
THANK YOU Friends of CHA
A Big Thank You to 81 CHA supporters who helped raise $8,802 for the shelter
through the Columbus Foundation’s Big Give.
Black Friday Doorbusters at CHA
Great deals aren’t only for Black Friday shoppers. The residents of CHA
Animal Shelter also benefit from the motto “Don’t Shop, Adopt!” during
the annual Black Friday adopt-a-thon.
On Nov. 29, CHA will open from noon-8 p.m. with the
following adoption specials:
• Noon-2 p.m. – Cats $5; Dogs $25
• 2-4 p.m. – Cats $10; Dogs $50
• 4-8 p.m. – Cats $15; Dogs $75
Get there early for the largest selection and the biggest
discount off the regular adoption fee. Adoption fees are
supplemented by the Pilkinton Adoption Fund. All CHA
adoption policies apply and animals are spayed or neutered,
micro-chipped and current on shots. For a preview of the
animals up for adoption, visit CHAAnimalShelter.org and click
on “Dogs” or “Cats” in the menu bar on the left.
While the upfront adoption cost may be lower, we
encourage everyone to look at the long-term time and
financial commitment before adopting a pet.
And if you don't find quite the right pet or make it to the
shelter on this day, remember there is always an abundance
of animals needing a second chance, so stop back another
day or visit our website to peruse our latest residents after the
holidays.
Vol. 35, No. 4 Foster Homes Needed Year Round
Healthy Animals Also Benefit from Shelter “Break”
By Joni Bentz Seal
You may think foster homes are needed only in the
spring when oodles of kittens – some still being
weaned from their mothers – arrive at the shelter
or for animals recovering from surgery or illness.
In fact, foster homes are needed year round
and go a long way in helping healthy animals both
young and old get a much-needed physical and
mental break from shelter life. Spending a little
time in a foster home can relieve stress and help
an animal build social skills and “house manners”
that can make them more adoptable. In a foster
home, they can experience a typical family
routine, perfect housebreaking skills and learn to
interact with kids or other animals. It’s also a good
opportunity for the shelter to capture more insight
into the animal’s behavior in a home versus a
shelter environment.
In addition, temporarily placing an animal in
foster care can sometimes allow a number of
other animals to pass through the cage, which
is helpful when shelters have limited space.
www.CHAAnimalShelter.org
(continued on page 3)
November 2013
Select Events:
Pet Pictures with Santa Pawstm.......November/December
Visit CHAAnimalShelter.org for dates & locations
Black Friday Adopt-a-Thon...............................Nov. 29
Noon-8 p.m., CHA Animal Shelter
Cookie Walk.........................................................Dec. 14
11 a.m.-2 p.m., CHA Animal Shelter; $15 per box
Paws to Partytm Wine-tasting............................Feb. 21
6:30 p.m. The Westin Columbus, PawsToParty.com
For more details on these events,
visit CHAAnimalShelter.org.
Holiday Hope for Special-Needs Animals
Many shelters don't have the resources to help animals that are less than perfect.
Those needing medical care – whether minor or critical – rarely stand a chance
when finances are tight and staffs are already stretched thin.
Learn how CHA is coming to the rescue of these special-needs
animals by reading about Clementine and her puppies on the insert
of this newsletter. Then, help CHA ensure these deserving animals get a
second chance by making a donation to help with their care. Better yet, make a
difference by visiting the shelter and adopting one!
Chihuahua Rescues Thriving in New Homes
By Dawn Kurzynowski
How Can You Help?
Below are just a few of more than a dozen
ways you can donate to CHA. Visit chaanimalshelter.org and click on "Donations."
Support-A-Cage - For a low yearly fee of
$50, you can “support” a cage at the shelter.
Your donation will help defray the costs for the
animal in your cage and your generosity will
be acknowledged through an engraved nametag on a plaque on display at the shelter.
Sponsor a Shelter Animal - Enrichment
toys, treats, blankets and beds are important
to the overall well-being of shelter cats and
dogs while they await adoption. Your $25 donation through the sponsorship program helps
CHA make this happen. You will receive a card
with a picture and a description of the animal
you sponsored, which will also be displayed
on the animal's cage.
Can Recycling - In honor of our 10th
anniversary in our new building, please
gift the shelter with your aluminum cans.
Collection of cans helps defray veterinary
expenses. Deposit your bagged cans in the
mail slot of our new recycling bin, courtesy of
CH2M HILL.
Vehicle Donation - Instead of selling your
old car, donate it. CHA has partnered with
Volunteers of America to make the process
easy and CHA will be the recipient of the net
proceeds of the sale.
CHA Mission Statement
To serve the people of central Ohio by
providing temporary shelter, care and
pet adoption services for abandoned
and otherwise homeless dogs and cats
in central Ohio since 1975.
In August 2012, CHA received the call to save 10
Chihuahuas from a Shelby County kennel (see photo
on right), later identified as a puppy mill. More than 250
dogs were removed by Humane Society of the United
States (HSUS) workers and placed in foster families
across the state. Some of the dogs were as old as 8-10
years and had never left their cages. CHA and our foster
volunteers stepped up to give them homes until they were “adoption ready” and their
forever homes could be found.
A year later, we’re thrilled to report that all 10 of the dogs we took in are living happy,
healthy lives. To celebrate the anniversary of their release and their new leases on life,
here’s an update on each of them:
1. Pearl
Pearl’s mom
remembers when she
first brought her home
and how terrified she
was to go anywhere
but one room of the
house. Slowly she started to explore her
new home and yard. In six months, she
could climb the stairs on her own. Now she
is an expert fetch-player, snuggler and “little
sister” to five-year-old Dina.
2. Chico (formerly Dozer)
Chico’s mom said he
has come a long way
since his adoption.
While he still has some
fears, he gets along
great with his canine
siblings and loves to
hang out in his little bed. Chico has also
taken a liking to hot dogs! Chico’s mom puts
them in his dog food and when she forgets,
he lets her know.
3. Dexter
Dexter (rear) is doing
great and loves his
sister Heidi (front)!
4. Mello (formerly
Corey)
Mello’s mom tells us
he loves playing and
running around with his
dog pal, Smokey. Mello
has so much energy
and runs so fast, it’s hard to get a proper
picture. When Mello does relax, he loves to
watch TV in his bed.
5. Cody (formerly Oscar)
Cody’s mom, Cindy,
is thrilled with how far
he has come. Cody
goes on two-mile walks
every day and even
runs sometimes. He
most recently started
to initiate play with his canine sibling. Cody
has grown all new fur since his adoption and
loves a good neck rub. Love, a safe place
and nutrition has changed his life.
(continued on page 3)
Dear CHA Family and Friends:
CHA works tirelessly with the central Ohio community to serve the homeless pet population in our area each and every
single day. As they say, this “takes a village,” and CHA is proud of the relationships it has forged with other animal welfare
organizations, veterinary professionals, volunteers, foster homes and the community in general. Without the help of
dedicated individuals like you, CHA could not possibly save as many animals as it does each year.
Last April, we took in 12 dogs from a hoarding situation in Belmont County. The Humane Society of the United States
had rescued 120 animals from the property, all in various states of neglect and suffering from a lack of basic care. The
dogs had been poorly socialized and were sent directly to CHA foster homes to start the process of learning to become
a normal dog. None of the dogs had likely lived inside a home before, so their wonderful foster families nursed them
back to health, crate-training them, playing with them and teaching them to trust people.
One of the dogs we took in was Clementine, a sweet four-year-old Australian Cattle Dog mix,
who had just given birth to eight tiny puppies. They all went into foster together, and
Clementine, along with her foster family, raised her beautiful puppies
to be just as sweet and adorable as can be. At eight-weeks old, her
puppies were neutered and adopted within days of coming back to the
shelter. And on July 1, after suffering four long years of neglect,
Clementine finally found her own forever home. Thanks to the HSUS,
CHA, Clementine’s foster family, CHA volunteers and donors like you
to our Operating and Emergency Medical Fund, Clementine has been
able to thrive both medically and emotionally, fully overcoming her
days of abuse and neglect. And because of everyone’s efforts, her
puppies will never have to experience that suffering that she once
lived every day.
Clementine
(above) and
3 of her pups
As you know, CHA is a 501(c)3 nonprofit animal shelter that operates almost entirely on donations from private
individuals like you. To serve even more cats and dogs with special needs, we must be able to cover the costs of this
extra care. Our adoption fees vary from $70-$125 per animal, yet our standard expenses (spay/neuter, vaccinations,
microchips) for each animal are approximately $250-$300. A dog or cat with special needs can require hundreds of
additional dollars for diagnosis and treatment. CHA prides itself on the excellent care we provide to our animals and
will never compromise that care due to a lack of funding.
With the holidays quickly approaching, we hope you will consider making a gift to CHA as well. Your donation is tax
deductible, and will go directly toward the care of homeless cats and dogs that are counting on us to help them on
the road to recovery and to find their forever homes. As always, thank you for your generosity so that we may
continue to provide each and every one of our shelter pets with the opportunity for a healthy and happy future. We
are grateful for all of your support in 2013, and look forward to helping even more animals in 2014!
Warmest regards,
Stephanie Wimbish
Shelter Director
YES, I want to help other special-needs pets get a second chance!
With my donation of:
Name: ______________________________________________________
q $300 q $100 q $75
q $25 q Other $ _____
Address: ____________________________________________________
Mail this form and your gift to CHA
in the enclosed reply envelope.
City:_________________________ State:______ zIP:________________
Phone:___________________ Email:______________________________
Please make checks payable to: CHA Animal Shelter.
“Especially during kitten season, if we
can send an adult cat to a foster home
for a week, we can often adopt out
10 or more kittens quickly through his
cage,” said Shelter Director Stephanie
Wimbish.
Foster animals can be kept for
any length of time, ranging from a day
to several months and the shelter will
6. Prince
(formerly
Neuman)
Little Prince
was a sad,
six-pound dog
when he was
rescued and now he’s a happy nine
pounds! Prince learned right away
that he loves watching TV. He is very
cozy and content in his new life and
loves his sibling, Jingo (left), who is
also from CHA.
7. Big Lou
(formerly Apollo)
Although he is
a tiny little guy,
Big Lou’s mom
thought it was
appropriate for
him to have a name that suits his big
personality. She is very proud of his
progress, yet he stills struggle with
trust issues. His favorite activity is
to explore his yard and play with his
toys. He also loves his three beds
and getting a belly rub! Both mom
and Big Lou have a lot of patience as
they get to know each other.
8. Bullet
Bullet has a
very special
story. His foster
mom, Beth,
took in Bullet
and fellow
kennel mate, Big Lou (above). They
were both very dirty and matted
upon arrival. Beth remarked how
different both dogs behaved after
getting cleaned up. They were so
happy in their foster home that they
didn’t want to miss a minute and
fought off sleep as long as they
could. As mentioned earlier, Big Lou
Van Allows CHA to Host
Mobile Adoptions By Susan Oldham
Recent Events Bring Fun & Funds to CHA
Foster (continued from page 1)
provide all the needed supplies (food,
dishes, litter) and instructions on taking
care of your house guest. And if you
have any questions, the shelter staff is
just a phone call away, Wimbish said.
If you are interested in becoming
a foster home, email stephanie@
chaanimalshelter.org or stop by the
shelter to fill out a foster application.
made his way to his forever home and
Beth decided Bullet had already found
his forever home — right where he
was. After he left the puppy mill, Bullet
fought an eye infection that refused
to heal and caused him a lot of pain,
making it necessary to remove his
eye. He also had to have most of his
teeth removed due to improper care
in the kennel. Even so, nothing has
slowed Bullet down; he eats like a
champ, runs around the house and
mingles with the neighbor dogs. Bullet
loves life!
The 23rd running of CHA’s
Dog JogTM in August
attracted more than 190
participants and netted nearly
$15,500 for the animals of
CHA. Top fundraisers for the race raised more than
$1,000 each. Special thanks to PetPeople, Pet Butler
and Ohio Label for their sponsorship of our cornerstone
event. Inset: One thirsty participant takes a breather
after the race.
9. Gwen (not pictured)
Gwen was adopted by a gentleman
who has since passed away. His
children say he loved her very much
and that she is doing well with other
family members.
While our new shelter has been the center of our adoptions, fundraisers and
community outreach for more than a decade, our partnership with the Capital
Area Humane Society led to CHA obtaining a specially equipped van for animal
transportation in 2012. The van has allowed CHA to expand its horizons by taking
our animal adoptions on the road, with recent stops being area PetPeople stores.
Cages mounted inside the van allow for safe transportation of animals to
adoption events, expanding our animals’ exposure to potential adoptive families.
Many animals can easily be overlooked in a shelter environment and a simple
change in location can help an animal’s personality shine.
While taking animals out of the shelter is good for them, it’s also a good way to increase our visibility in the community and educate
people who might not normally attend an adoption or fundraising event about CHA and our mission. In addition, the van also is helpful
in safely transporting animals to television stations for features, where our shelter staff and volunteers can provide advice on a variety of
animal-related topics and promote both the shelter and the wonderful animals up for adoption.
If you see our van while you’re out and about, be sure to stop by and see what’s new at the shelter.
Nonprofit Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Westerville, OH
Permit No. 342
uahuas
Update on Chih py mill
saved from pup
10. Pepper (formerly Tessa)
And lastly,
Pepper is now
my little girl and
I am excited
to share her
update. My friend
was her foster
mom and as soon as I saw her, I knew
she’d be mine. She still has some
issues, but you would never guess
the terrible life she once had. She is
funny, sassy and an absolute lover.
She is very social with other people
and animals. Her favorite things are
snuggling and get her belly rubbed
(next to eating, of course).
In addition to their adoptive
families, we thank our foster moms
Kristina Garlow, Stacey Wideman
and Beth Houston for taking in these
special dogs when they needed love
and affection. And congratulations
to our “famous” Chihuahuas for the
bravery and resilience they’ve shown.
Just as last year, the fall weather on Sept. 14 was
perfect for a bike ride. Nearly 200 hearty souls set
out from the shelter for rides of varying distances in
the shelter’s annual Pedal for PetsTM event.
Riders received a nice send-off from the crowds
that gathered and the furry friends that accompanied
them. With this year’s net of $7,500 the event has
raised more than $42,000 over the past six years.
In addition, while spectators awaited the return of
the riders, many visited the shelter where one lucky
dog was adopted and interest was raised on several
other animals.
— Frankie Hale
Photos courtesy of Fleshman Photography
CHA Donations Make Great Holiday Gifts
If someone on your holiday gift list is hard to buy for, shop
no further. A donation to CHA, especially in the form of a
membership ($25-35), Support-a-Cage ($50), Commemorative
Brick ($100) or the Emergency Medical Fund is a great way to
honor the animal lover on your list.
After recently regrading the shelter walkway, only 200
Commemorative Bricks spaces are available for purchase.
Don’t miss this opportunity to honor or memorialize your
human or animal loved ones in stone. Visit CHAAnimalShelter.
org/donations/ for a complete list of donation opportunities and
instructions on how to purchase them. Giving a contribution to
CHA is a way to get three gifts for the price of one – a gift for
your friend or family member; a gift to the animals of CHA; and
a tax deductible gift to yourself.
THE TAIL WAGGIN’ TIMES
Contributing Writers: Frankie Hale • Dawn Kurzynowski • Katlin NcNally • Susan Oldham Layout: Joni Bentz Seal Photos: Fleshman Photography
The Tail Waggin’ Times is published quarterly by CHA Animal Shelter Inc., 3765 Corporate Drive, Columbus, Ohio 43231, 614-891-5280. Submit
articles to The Tail Waggin’ Times via email to communications@chaanimalshelter.org. Next deadline for articles is Jan. 4, 2014.
Volume 35, No. 4 • November 2013