It`s almost here! - Bitter Root Humane Association

Volume 12,
Issue 3
Summer 2012
Bitter Root Humane Association
It’s almost here!
The Hamilton Renaissance Faire has chosen the Bitter Root
Humane Associaiton as the recipient of Faire proceeds this
year! Can you think of a better reason to attend the Faire?
Of course, it might be a whole bunch of fun too! Note the
weekend of great events. Real Jousters!! No kidding! Good
food, music, vendors...all out in the sunshine of Claudia
Driscoll Park in Hamilton. I hope you can join us for the fun
and help out the shelter at the same time! Check out BRHA
and Hamilton Renaissance Faire Facebook pages for more
daily information!
We Won! WE WON! We won,
we won, we won, we won,
WE WON, WE WON !!!!!!! We
Won! Bitter Root Humane
Association won our Voting Day.
We are receiving a brand new
2012 Sienna van from Toyota!
WEEEEEEEWONNNNNNN!!!!!!!!
No kidding! Bitter Root Humane has won a brand
new 2012 Toyota van from Toyota. BRHA was selected
as a Finalist in Toyota’s 100 Cars For Good. Our
campaign to win involved thousands of voters on
Facebook from all over the U.S. engaging their friends
and families to vote for us on July 5, one day only!
Thank you to all BRHA’s Facebook friends, their friends,
and their friends, their families, their distant cousins,
shirttail cousins...... I am not sure how many people
really believed this was for real and that we could
actually win this. But we did. I am still in awe of the
massive effort it took to win. This gift from Toyota and
our friends means years of worry free transportaiton for
BRHA and the animals we care for.
If you wish to receive the new e-newsletter, please send your email address to me at woof@brvmontana.com.
We hope to have an issue once a month with fun stories from the shelter and adopters and community pet families.
Submit pics of your BRHA family pet adoptees! “Like” us on Facebook to follow the ongoing stories of adoptions, staff and
volunteers and we hope to find a wise, new advice columnist. -vicki
I
262 Fairgrounds Rd.
P.O. Box 57
Hamilton, MT 59840
406.363.5311
meow@brvmontana.com
www.bitterroothumane.org
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Kathy Good, President
Susan Behrman, Secretary
Wendy Trelut, Treasurer
Sue McCormack
Jenny Laing
Christie Anderson
Kathie Butts
Mary Fox
contact the Board directly at
brha@bitterroothumane.org
STAFF
Vicki Dawson,
Development Director
Char, Medical Specialist
Mariane, Front Counter/
Adoption Counselor
Erin, Ryan, Renee & Kelly
Newsletter Editors:
Sue McCormack & Vicki Dawson
& many contributors of stories
2
You won what?
am not sure what happened to May and June. Can anyone find it and send it back to me?
When Jessica Runyon notified me of a contest to win a new Toyota, we had one day to prepare
the application. Quickly, on a Sunday afternoon, I whirled my way through the online submission
and told our story to Toyota’s 100 Cars For Good Program. Now, I had never heard of this
program but what a discovery! Toyota gives away 100 cars in 100 days to 100 nonprofits in
the U.S. 500 finalists are accepted and the 100 days are divided up (by budget size) equally. So
five contestants compete against each other on the one day assigned to them. As a finalist, you
therefore have a one in five chance to win on your assigned day so there are 100 winners of
new vehicles. The 400 runnersup each receive $1,000 from Toyota.
I was still in a state of disbelief a few weeks later when we were selected as a FINALIST
and I started reading what we had to do to win. It is an online contest, using Facebook as the
voting mechanism. BRHA was well on its way into the world of social media and marketing our
story online but this was a real challenge for a small nonprofit to compete against other very
successful programs. Nonprofit finalists ranged in subject matter from environmental causes,
senior citizen programs, food banks, animal shelters and wildlife rescues, programs for disabled
Daisy wants to know whe
citizens, wounded veterans, community
n her real van will be
delivered
garden projects....you name it. How could
we compete against these well organized,
established nonprofits? I learned that coincidentally the Salmon
Animal Shelter was also picked as a finalist.
We had no mutual knowledge of our finalist
status. When their designated voting day was
announced as May 16, I was very concerned
for them as the voting started on May 14; how
could they possibly get prepared in that short
time? Well, Salmon pulled out all the stops;
they got the whole darned town behind this,
restaurants, bars, seniors’ clubs, ranchers, radio, TV....the whole
Salmon area was talking about this. They won!
Maybe we could really do this! Our voting day was assigned July 5; good grief, the day after a
holiday! Could we do this? Most of you know the rest of the story. WE WON! WEEEEWON!
Since the voting was on Facebook, our FB friends kicked into gear and messaged their friends,
who messaged their friends. We handed out 4,500 cards asking for your vote, spoke to groups,
I pushed myself on strangers with appeals that sounded completely like unabashed begging.
Thousands of online supporters, nationwide voted for us. They asked their friends to vote
who asked their friends to vote. We shot from 385 Facebook Friends to a current 1,061 and
still growing every day. I have not been able to discover that any organization in Montana has
ever won the 100 Cars For Good contest. BRHA is the first Montana winner. Nonprofits
in Montana just don’t win $33,000 vans! I still vote everyday for some worthy nonprofit; the
contest continues through August 21. It is so enlightening to see how many volunteers around
the country are working so hard to bring nonprofit based services to their communities.
Thank you to BRHA staff member Mariane who lent her skills and talent to create our
submission video, helped with all the Facebook promotion, contacted literally hundreds of her
friends to help promote votes and gave me moral support and encouragement throughout the
contest. (I still watch that video every day for my inspiration.)
This little shelter, the Bitter Root Humane Association, has made a small impact on animal
sheltering around the world.. Our friends on Facebook and correspondents include people and
shelters from many other states and 20 different countries. Our theme for the contest was “a
little shelter with a big heart” and we have conveyed our story. This month’s tales about the
puppies, our supporters, little munchkin Elsa and the Dani Fund, as well as the postings that
appear every day on Facebook are what we are all about. We are a team and I am proud to
have been a part of it. As small as our shelter is, we are making a difference and we have been
rewarded by our friends with a brand new 2012 Toyota Sienna Van.
-Vicki Dawson
Bitter Root Humane Association
Summer 2012
A wee munchkin
The Spring Tea
In mid-July a little stray came to us in pretty bad shape,
found on highway 93 south of Hamilton with a suspected
broken back. BRHA confirmed through x-rays that her pelvis
was broken on both sides with neurological damage in her
back. Because she was a young dog with a very strong will
to survive, it was decided to devote dollars from the Dani
Fund (established for extraordinary medical procedures for
adoptable animals) to have Dr. Mark Albrecht in Bozeman
do reconstructive surgery. Board member Sue McCormack
dropped everything to take this little dog dubbed Munchkin
for her appointment. The trip to Bozeman was quick and
uneventful. Munchkin was delivered into the hands of the
wonderful staff at Gallatin Veterinary Hospital and Sue
checked into a motel to wait. The repair went reasonably
well; Dr. Mark said that she probably wouldn’t be perfect but
should regain the use of her hind legs. Our thinking is…”who
is perfect?”
She left the Gallatin Clinic the day after surgery with
extensive rehabilitation instructions. Back at the shelter,
Munchkin was made as comfortable as possible…frozen
peas make a great ice compress for an incision site. The
following day, a foster family that has had experience with
this exact kind of rehab came forward. The Carbin family
is now gently caring for our little girl. Anne Marie reports
that even her family dogs are getting into the act, laying
next to Munchkin’s enclosure keeping a careful watch.
She has dubbed her “Elsa” because she has the courage
and heart of a lion. Elsa’s detailed rehab will take several
weeks of increasing exercise, muscle manipulation, coaxing
and lots of love. Thank you to the family for taking on this
challenge. As soon as she is able, Elsa will be welcomed
into a new adoptive home…that will be a happy moment
for everyone.
Isn’t it amazing the inspiration and love that a little animal
can generate?
We would like to thank the team that saved little Elsa and
gave her a second chance. Thank you to the ranchers who
found badly injured little Elsa under a bush trying to escape
the heat, Sue for dropping everything and making a flying
trip to Bozeman, Dr. Boer and his staff for seeing little Elsa as
The 7th annual BRHA Women’s Auxiliary Spring Tea
was held at the end of May in the beautiful riverside
home of Herb and Melinda Depp. The by-invitation
event was attended by approximately 80 women who
were treated to lovely and tempting homemade treats
and libations. The afternoon was a rousing success
raising over $11,000 to benefit the shelter’s guests. This
year’s receipts will provide food for all the animals for
almost a full year.
Beginning in 2006, collections from Spring Teas have
exceeded $50,000 and provided funds for a cargo
trailer used to haul animals to events and spay/neuter
clinics; a grooming tub; a major contribution to the
Dani Fund, used for extraordinary medical needs and
surgeries; the veterinary fund for special vet care (other
than normal vaccines and visits); and this year…
‘Feed the Shelter.’
This annual event is always much anticipated and
very enjoyable. Thank you to all the women who
work so hard to outdo themselves every successive
year. Thank you to the hostesses who offer their lovely
Bitterroot Valley homes. And thank you to the guests
who give generously to the benefit of all animals.
The wee munchkin continued ....
an emergency, taking the initial x-ray and diagnosis, Vicki for
handling the initial emergency at the shelter on Sunday, Dr.
Mark Albrecht and his team at Gallatin Veterinary Hospital,
BRHA staff for their gentle care before and after her surgery
and the Carbins, for their very dedicated and specialized
foster home.
Lastly, thank you to the donors of the Dani Fund. This
fund was established several years ago dedicated to
extraordinary medial procedures. Dani was born with a very
crooked leg that was corrected with the beginnings of this
fund. The ongoing Dani Fund has fixed eyes, broken pelvis,
and orthopedic procedures to save lives. Elsa is the latest
lucky recipient.
continued
RAYMOND JAMES
FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.
Member NASD/SIPC
Paul M. Kink
Branch Manager
Diane Thomas-Rupert
Financil Advisor
P.O. Box 1887
172 Golf Course Road
Hamilton, MT 59840
(406) 363-4293
(800) 800-6766
Fax: (406) 363-4303
imr@montana.com
Elsa “standing!” on her own four little feet.
Summer 2012
Bitter Root Humane Association
3
It Takes A Village
r
e
n
r
o
C
s
’
t
n
Preside
ent
HA Presid
ood, BR
Kathy G
I guess the biggest news this quarter was our 100 Cars
for Good win for a new Toyota van. An article about it is
included in this issue, but I wanted to take this opportunity
to thank all of you, all your Facebook friends, and all their
friends for helping us win!
We had other big and little news. We had an entire litter of
tiny Chihuahua puppies come to us to foster and ultimately
adopt; and we had two litters of St. Bernard/cross puppies.
After having had several years without puppies in the house,
thanks to Fox Hollow’s spay/neuter success, it has been
fun to see all these little guys blossom and go to forever
homes. We of course also have several litters of kittens which
are a joy to watch and help. During the 2nd quarter, we
welcomed a total of 249 animals and found new, forever
homes for 219. During recent months, quite a number of
small dogs came to us, which is a little unusual, so a lot of
laps got lap warmers as pets. Great fun! When I think about
all these fun, happy faces, I also am reminded that they
need care. Kudos go to the staff for all their hard work and
skill, and to the many volunteers who make it a routine to be
there to help, thank you all for your patience, persistence,
dedication and concern.
I hope your summer is good. Come see us and say hi
at the Renaissance Faire as well as the Ravalli County Fair.
And of course, come to the shelter to see our four legged
residents any time.
Kathy
Proud 2 Adopt Shop
Lions and tigers and bears, oh no .....Dinosaurs and
dragons and chickens, oh yes.
A new line of toys have moved into the Proud 2 Adopt
Shop at Bitter Root Humane. With some paint, some new
display racks, and lots of new colors, the Proud 2 Adopt
Shop is undergoing a transformation! After attending a
conference, Vicki came back with a whole bunch of
new products for the shelter shop! Most animal shelters
have discovered small retail shops help sustain income
to care for the animals. We hope to add a little fun and
some new products into your pet’s lives and the proceeds
directly benefit the animals at the shelter.
We have expanded our toys, treats, dog & cat bowls,
grooming tools, collars and leashes and DOG BEDS! Come
visit us and pick out some new goodies for the 4-legged
kids in your household!
Come and see these really fun toys! And no-pull
leashes and lots of good food! Proud 2 Adopt Shop in the
lobby of the Bitter Root Humane Assoc. is also proud to
offer a small selection of corn/wheat free pet foods by
Canidae, Nutri-Source & Tuffy’s Gold. 4
Bitter Root Humane Association
….And a lot of generous local businesses to keep an old
shelter building running well.
BRHA would like to acknowledge several Bitterroot
businesses that have helped us in the past several weeks to
make our place look better, neater and work more efficiently.
With backhoe and dump truck, Marv’s Excavating removed
a couple of years of accumulated straw (used in winter
outdoor kennels) from the rear exercise area.
Steve Goheen
of Top-Down
Computer
Consultants
straightened
out a mass of
cabling and kept
our network and
internet running.
And three other
local enterprises
worked together
to provide a
screen door at the rear of the shelter to provide fresh air on
cooler, pleasant days. Specialty Woodworks provided the
custom screen door, EJ Butts Construction gave materials
and time to install the new door, and Chuck’s Welding did
some magic to make it all go together smoothly.
A big “Thanks” to all of these businesses for their generosity
and support for the critters and staff.
Did you know ...
Sugarless
gum can kill your dog!
Chewing gums such as Trident, Orbit, and others contain
an artificial sweetener called xylitol, a white crystalline
substance that looks and tastes like sugar. It gives sugarless
gums that great flavor we all enjoy without the calories.
Xylitol also has antibacterial properties that help reduce
the risk of periodontal disease, ear and throat infections,
and even osteoporosis. Since the human body does not
recognize xylitol as a sugar, ingestion of sugarless gum does
not affect our blood sugar levels. But in dogs, the same
substance is potentially fatal.
Dogs that ingest xylitol can develop severe hypoglycemia,
or low blood sugar, since their bodies mistakenly recognize
xylitol as a sugar and react by producing insulin. Insulin
then drops their natural sugar levels precipitously resulting
in weakness, collapse, seizures, and secondary effects on
the liver and blood clotting systems. If you suspect your
dog has ingested sugarless gum containing xylitol, call your
veterinarian immediately. As few as 1 to 2 sticks of certain
gums can be life-threatening, depending on the level of
xylitol in the product. So to all you gum-chewing dogs out
there, stay healthy. Stick to Juicy Fruit!
LInda Perry Turner, Ph.D., D.V.M.
Summer 2012
From BRHA’s Facebook page....
Adoption Tails
OK, we’re moms (& dad) again ...
Thanks to Fox Hollow’s ongoing spay & neuter mission, it
had become a rare occasion for BRHA to receive a litter of
puppies. But twice this summer we received large litters of St.
Bernard X puppies. They were from the same owner but she
refused our FREE spay/neuter certificates. We were grateful to
receive the pups as we couldn’t imagine their future in those
circumstances. The first litter grew to adoption age with no
problems. The second litter was approx. two weeks old (their
ears hadn’t even opened up yet) and struggled from the first
day. Thanks to Char, our most experienced staff member,
they are going to make it.
Here is their story. The St. Bernard X puppies were a litter
of 10. It is the second litter turned in by the owner. Let me
say first, that we are very thankful the puppies were turned
in at BRHA. They would not have survived otherwise. I am
always grateful when someone trusts us to rehome their
pet. It is our gift to the animals who come to us. This litter
was approximately two weeks old; their ears had not yet
opened up. (Did you know ears remain closed to fluids, etc.
for a little over
two weeks?)
Mama had
questionable
immunities
so that was
passed on
to the pups.
Char, on BRHA
staff, has the
most experience
with wee ones
this vulnerable, so
they went home
to be loved by
her and sounds of
her menagerie,
including “mother Duallie.”
In the first few
days, one of the
babies quit
Somebody got a new baby sister.
breathing twice
(while sleeping with Char) but a week later she had popped
back with healthy, robust playing. I think she knew this family
was waiting for her. We took the pups to visit with Dr. Boer and
review their condition, his recommendations, their proposed
diet and feeding schedule. As another week ticked off,
a couple of the babies developed distemper. The vets
believed it had been simmering in these debilitated babies.
Char gave individual attention and very specialized care
to 10 babies suffering varying degrees of illness. Three of
them succumbed to the incurable ravages of the disease,
but seven have survived and grown into robust puppies.
As we watch them go out the door to new homes, we are
grateful they came to us; it was their best chance. Char’s
dedication, Dr. Boer and Dr. Applebury’s care gave these
little ones a second chance. They are beautiful!
Dr. Boer & Companion Pet Clinic staff, with BRHA staff
Summer 2012
Bitter Root Humane Association
5
Adoption
Tails
BRHA gratefully acknowledges the support and generosity of so many
who wish to honor the memory of loved ones. We are humbled by
the dedication and love of animals that those departed loved ones
exhibited, and are truly grateful to their families for suggesting that
memorials be sent to the BRHA for the benefit of the animals.
In Loving Memory of Pets ...
To: Brandy
To: Boots & Buffalo
To: Luchy
To: Elle
To: Emma, sweet old husky
To: Mocha
To: 3 little pups
From: Rhonda Loose
From: Carol & Fred Fowler
From: Dennis & Carolyn Jones
From: Wendell & Melanie Bakken
From: Timothy Rahmig
From: Dick & Judy Estler
From: BRHA Staff
re there…
All the signs a
f
eyes, the relie
purrs, relaxed
me.
of finding a ho
- JL
In Loving Memory of People ...
To: Arlo Ellison
From: Bert & Darlene Mannix
From: Esther McDonald
From: Ben & Beverly Longbottom
From: Helena Regional Airport Auth.
From: Robert & Toni Ogg
From: Bob & Jane Popham
From: Mary Colee
From: Jim & Marilyn Harrel
From: The H. Stanley Antrim Family
From: Rosemarie & Dan Newman
From: Bob & Carol Peterson,
Calmont Farms & Beef Cattle
From: Walt & Susan Kowalczyk
From: Arno Niemand
From: The Elwood Family
From: Polly Scheffer
From: Creekside Meadows
Homeowners
To: Monte Schoenrock
From: LuAnn & Alan Burgmuller
To: George & Cynthia Fraser From: Jim Stubblefield
To: Kathryn Curtis
From: Polly Scheffer
To: Barbara Laverty
From: Unknown
To: Pat & Wilbur Currier
From: LuAnn & Alan Burgmuller
To: Bill Stoudt
From: Barbara Haase
From: M/M Robert Smith
From: Bill McCrum
From: Susie Shelton
To: Donnie Brock
From: Andy & Linda Rosulek
To: Larry Niezgodzki
From: Marilyn Warren
To: Carol Leach
From: Frank & Bobby McCauley
To: Rex Fisher
From: Kathleen Griggs
To: Mildred Snyder
From: Barbara Meckler
Riding in the car,
destination
anywhere…
We are together.
- JL
In Honor of ...
For: My Mom Kaye Wessels
Happy Mother’s Day!
From: Susan Sellers
For: Lucy Lumina,
a favorite car
From: Shelley Peretti
For Jen & Gary Milner MarriageFrom: LuAnn & Alan Burgmuller
6
Bitter Root Humane Association
Ears flap window breeze
as the car heads down the road…
smiling white dog teeth
- JL
Summer 2012
Fair Photo Contest Dates to Remember
Ravalli County Fair - Aug. 29 - Sept. 1
BRHA has a busy and fun summer planned.
August 10,11,12 Renaissance Faire, Hamilton
Can you believe it is almost Fair time again??
August 29
10 am Fair Parade, Hamilton
The Annual Fair Photo Contest is gearing up for some
great photos!
October 27
This year’s theme is “Action Shots” so what have you
caught your pet doing lately? My Kacee dog LOVES
water from the hose. She chases it and bites it but the
neighbor recently had her stymied by washing her
side of the fence. Kacee was completely stumped and
crazee to get that water she could hear but she couldn’t
find it? Any ideas on how to capture that on film?
10 am Pet-O-Ween, Murdochs
November 10 & 11 Frosty Paws Photos & Pet Bazaar
10-4 on 11/10 & 12-4 on 11/11
We need more volunteers to help with these events!
Have organizational skills to lend? Wanna help?
Can you walk a dog in a parade?
Enter your “action shot” photos of your pets or including
your pets to win the Bitter Root Fair Photo Contest.
Ten finalists will be picked and displayed at the Fair.
Fairgoers will vote for their favorite pic of the ten by
contributing pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters and
bills in the jar matching the photo. If you are a finalist,
round up your friends to vote for you at the Fair!
The proceeds from the annual photo contest make up
the Compassionate Pet Fund. This BRHA Fund helps
pay for one-time medical procedures for adoptable
animals, for instance, dental care for an otherwise
healthy dog or cat that is being adopted. It also covers
a new collar and a rabies shot for that animal if it is a
candidate for the program.
Photo Contest Entry Fee:
$5.00
Photo Contest Deadline: August 23, 2012
Deliver to: Bitter Root Humane Association
262 Fairgrounds Rd.
Hours: Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri. 1-6 pm
Saturday 12-5 pm . Sunday 2-5 pm.
Finalists picked by Friday, August 24, 2012
On July 18 these three girls, Lauren Kimzy, 12,
Katy McGouldrick, 11, and Katie Frederick, 10, set up a
display called critter care. From 11-2 in the hot sun across
from the post office, they offered an array of handmade
items including jewelry, sewn bags, and even a quilt, along
with lemonade and sweet treats. This venture was all the girls’
idea…because they love the animals! All proceeds go to
our animal shelter, Bitter Root Humane Association.
Winner picked after the Fair closes on Sat., Sept. 1
How lucky is BRHA?
House of Insurance/
HUB International
201 N. Second Street
Hamilton, MT 59840
406-363-3655
www.montanahouseofinsurance.com
Summer 2012
Bitter Root Humane Association
7
Non-Profit
U.S. Postage
PAID
Hamilton, MT 59840
Permit No. 38
262 Fairgrounds Road
P.O. Box 57
Hamilton, Mt 59840
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will be performing a valuable
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would appreciate your help in
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Every membership helps the animals & gives you a voice in our association!
Please check your address label for date your membership expires. 2011 dues due soon. Thank You!
Seniors: $7 each__________, Individuals: $15ea__________, Business: $30__________, Pets: $2ea_________.
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( ) Please send me information on the Kennel/Cage Sponsorship Program
( ) Please have the Volunteer Coordinator Contact Me
( ) Please contact me with information on the Foster Program