Newsletter - Baja Animal Sanctuary

THE BAJA ANIMAL SANCTUARY
Northern Mexico’s Only No-Kill Shelter
PAW PRINTS
September/October 2016
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Dear Friends and
Supporters of BAS,
We have some
happy news to
share
with
you.
One day, while having a
conversation with a supporter of the
Sanctuary, we began discussing
dogs with special needs, and I
mentioned that I had always wanted
a swimming pool for those dogs that
needed therapy, after having
undergone surgery for a leg or hip
problem. This supporter’s eyes lit
up, and almost instantly I heard "I
want to do that for the
Sanctuary". Thanks to this generous
benefactor, we were able to build our
therapy pool within a matter of
weeks. Not only are our special
needs dogs enjoying the excercise,
but all of the dogs look forward to a
cool dip on some of these hot,
blistering summer days.
Now,
onto
our
next
project. There's always something
to be done around here! We need
to re-do many of the roofs that
cover our dog corrals.
After
several years, they have become
weather beaten, and warped. The
winds on some days have not
been kind to them, either. We
want to start this project as soon
as possible, with the hope that they
will all be completed by the time
we get into some wet, cold weather
again. If you would like to help us
with this project, it would be very
much appreciated. Just earmark
your donation "roof repairs".
As I have said many times before,
none of what goes on at the
Sanctuary would be possible if not
for you that believe in our mission
and goal. We currently house 297
dogs/puppies, and 83 cats/
kittens. They need constant care,
and I am so proud of the crew of
guys we have at the Sanctuary,
that work so hard and with so
much care for the animals in their
charge.
All the animals are
neutered/spayed, receive their
vaccines, and regular check-ups
before being placed for
adoption.
All of this attention
requires donations, to keep us
afloat. We've had a phenomenal
year so far with our adoption
programs. Our amazing group of
volunteers, adoption Leads at the
events, make this all
possible. They don't get the kudos
that they deserve. We're looking
forward to an exciting Fall/Winter
season, with the desire to place as
many animals in loving, forever
homes, before the Holidays!
On Behalf of Those Who Have No Voice,
Sunny Benedict
Founder/President
CONTACT BAS:
PMB 626, P.O. Box 439060
San Diego, CA 92143-9060
Phone: 619.948.3199
Email: bajadogs@aol.com
www.bajaanimalsanctuary.org
Federal Tax ID # 33-0958137
We strive every day to improve the
lives and care of our residents.
Construction is completed for a new,
safe, fun Puppy Play Park!
a
We depend on your support to help
make BAS better.
This newsletter is for you!
Let us know if there’s
anything you would like
to see or read about.
Email to: jas4bas@yahoo.com
Please put “Newsletter” in the subject line.
What Your Donations Do
In October of 2015 we found this male 3
year old Poodle mix by the City trash
dump. As you can see he was in really bad shape. It
took 8 months of treatment and TLC for him to heal
completely. His name is Mickey and he is a sweetheart!
UPDATE ON MERLE... FORMERLY TOPO
An email from Helen Valsamakis June, 13, 2016
Dear Judith and Sunny,
Today marks the one year anniversary of bringing our
dog Merle aka Topo to his forever home.
It has been a remarkable year of adjustment but our
boy has proven himself.
His main issue was overcoming the obstacle of living
with our cat Blue whom he wanted to chase down
constantly. After about six months of training,
acceptance came and now Merle and Blue sleep in the
living room together every night by their own choosing.
Although I am a bit jealous as I would like them to
sleep with me on my bed, I am so blessed that they
have made their peace. They do come to say, “hello” in
the morning and wait together for their food bowls to be
filled.
We are one happy family and we could not ever
envision our lives without our sweet precious boy and
our heaven sent rescue kitty.
We are continually thankful to BAS for all of the great
work they do and for supporting us all the way.
Thank you for choosing us to be his family!
Mickey was adopted in June. :)
On June 18th Karin Tranum and former BAS dog Max
took part in a community Garage Sale in Bay Park.
Karin advertised that the proceeds from the sale she
was having would all go to the Baja Animal Sanctuary.
Thank you Karin and Max for the generous donation!
What’s Better Than Two BAS Dogs?
Well three, of course! The Roccanti’s knew that
when they adopted Fenway, Ringo and Haley!
Happy Endings
me that she get along with other dogs. She’s exceeded
my hopes!
From: Christina Lucus
She loves to play pick-up-sticks on walks as you’ll see
in the other photo. Actually, she loves to play pick-upanything so I spend most of our walks saying either
“Drop it” or “Leave it!” She did pick up a $20 bill once,
which was a bonus. We went back to look for a $50 or
$100! But we are working on this love of chewing
everything, including her mama!
It has been 4 months since I
brought Stella/ChaChi home
and I have to tell you she
makes my heart feel bigger in
my chest. I knew I would
enjoy a dog but she is so
much more. I am able to take
her to work 3 days a week.
Her personality is so sweet
everyone loves her. She
loves going places with me.
Sometimes she hops in the
car and waits in anticipation if
she even thinks I'm going
somewhere. Once I let her in
just to move the car. When we were parked she
wouldn't get out because she wanted to "go on a trip".
She is the most incredible little creature I have ever
met! I simply adore her and her me. When I walk in the
door she instantly makes me laugh and smile no matter
what kind of day I've had. She snuggles with me at
night until I'm asleep then comes back and snuggles an
hour before the alarm goes off in the morning. She is
very smart.
You may remember Stella was very frightened and
timid at first. Now she barks and plays. We got a kitten
the same day we brought Stella home. They have
grown to become friends and chase each other through
the house! It's so funny, Stella will pretend to stalk kitty
and kitty dive bombs off of furniture onto Stella's back!
Our house feels happier with these furry children running around! Thank you so much Judith and thank you
to Baja Animal Sanctuary. I am so grateful for Stella
and the service you provide.
FROM: Kathy Hanten
I just wanted to send a
final update on Scout
(formerly Jenna), who I
just love. She is the cutest, sweetest pup. She
has settled into the
house fine, as you can
see from the photo of
her sleeping on the
couch pillow. And Scout
also loves to lie out in the sun on our patio.
Scout just loves other dogs and enjoys going to doggie
daycare once a week. In fact, she does so well there
and is so happy to meet any and all dogs that they’ve
started to use her for their temperament tests for new
dogs trying out for daycare. On walks, she greets dogs
with so much hopping about that owners immediately
ask me, “Is she a puppy?” To which I respond, “A
very bouncy one.” Since my last dog didn’t like other
dogs, which was a challenge, it was very important to
Scout is still pretty timid about many things, but I’m
going to start working with a trainer recommended by
her vet to help her get over more of her fears. Even if
she stayed this timid, I’m really OK with that. If I started
out life in a box on the side of the road, I’d be pretty
freaked out as well.
From: Tiffany Carr
The other day I was going
through my files and I
found the initial letter
introducing “Alex” who is
now my Kona.
I realized that I had never
written to thank you for
the tremendous gift you
brought into my life. Your
work and compassion
brought my boy into my
life almost ten years ago
now and he is such a blessing.
I remember the day I met him. Your team was in San
Diego and I had gone with my family to eat
brunch. The moment I saw him I burst into tears and I
knew I couldn't leave without him. Kona is my guardian
angel.
He is sweet, patient, loyal, protective and so smart! He
is best friends with my lab, who is an epileptic, and
Kona is a wonderful caretaker when she gets sick.
Our walks and trips to the park have brought so much
joy into my life!
Thank you for all that you do,
From: Debbie Waugaman
July 15th, 2016
Niles had his first
Birthday today because
of your help!
Thank you from all of
us!
If you don’t see your “Happy Ending” story in this edition, please look for it in our next issue.
Happy Birthday Violet Evens!
This is what our Donations Coordinator Sharon
VanDewark’s car typically looks like when she goes all
over town to pick up donations for BAS.
She takes the donations to her home and then she
spends hours sorting through them.
We don’t know what we would do without her!
If you have donations you would like to give to us you
can email Sharon at: sharonvan1096@yahoo.com.
Did You Know?
On July 16th Violet Evans had a Paw Patrol party for
her 2nd birthday. and instead of gifts the family did a
“mock” adoption event with stuffed dogs.
All the proceeds from the party went to BAS.
PET TIPS FOR FALL
It's back-to-school time, and those of you with young
children know that means stocking up on fun items
like glue sticks, pencils and magic markers. These
items are considered “low toxicity” to pets, which
means they're unlikely to cause serious problems
unless large amounts are ingested. However, since
gastrointestinal upset and blockages certainly are
possible, be sure your children keep their school
supplies out of paw's reach
Autumn is the season when snakes who are
preparing for hibernation may be particularly
“grumpy,” increasing the possibility of severe bites to
those unlucky pups who find themselves in the
wrong place at the wrong time. Pet owners should
know what kinds of venomous snakes may be in
their environment—and where these snakes are
most likely to be found—so they can keep pets out of
those areas.
Many people choose fall as the time to change their
car's engine coolant. Ethylene glycol-based coolants
are highly toxic, so spills should be cleaned up immediately. Consider switching to propylene glycolbased coolants—though they aren't completely nontoxic, they are much less toxic than other engine
coolants
For those of you who have not seen photos of the
Sanctuary on our website: bajaanimalsanctuary.org,
here’s a look at one of our corrals which shows why our
dog are so well socialized.
This is one of our larger corrals for the medium-large
sized dogs.
The Cat’s Meow
In the Jan/Feb issue of Pawprints I
told the story of Biscuit and how
she was going to be a very young
mommy. This is the rest of her
story.
In early March, Biscuit got
an upper respiratory
infection (URI) – she was
very sick and I was worried
about her being so young,
still growing, and being
pregnant all at the same
time. Since she was still a
kitten herself, she grew
four inches longer during
her two-month pregnancy.
The vet said she had
probably been previously exposed to the virus and the
stress of all that was going on with her took its toll.
On March
14,
Biscuit gave birth
to seven kittens,
three of whom
were
stillborn.
While it was sad,
it
was
not
unexpected.
Biscuit was so sick I worried that she might not make it
either but I persisted with medicine, sub-Q fluids, etc.
Within three days, three of the surviving kittens had
died, leaving only one baby - I named her Solo
because she was the only one left. I was cautiously
optimistic about Solo surviving – every time I went in to
check on her, I held my breath for a second until I saw
that she was breathing.
Solo thrived and grew
exponentially and her bond with her mom grew the
same way.
By Cat Mama, Kathleen Paymard
As Solo grew more playful,
Biscuit was finally free to
be a kitten herself and I
had many happy hours
watching them chase each
other around. They were
truly best friends. When
they went into Petsmart I
hoped that they would be
adopted together.
In July, Joyce Andreasen met the two kitties – the bond
between them melted her heart and she knew she
wanted to adopt them both so they could stay together.
They have been with Joyce for one month now and she
says she looks forward to coming home from work
everyday to see her two babies. They are waiting for
her at the door.
Solo is definitely the more energetic of the two – she
never stops playing with her favorite Angry Bird™ toy,
and she gets into everything. But Biscuit can keep up
with Solo when she wants to – they chase each other
through the house, running in circles until they wear
themselves out. Joyce says they are perfect kitties.
See for yourself what a beautiful family they are.
Keep Your Pets Safe on Halloween
Halloween is a fun time for kids and
many adults, but can be a frightening
and stressful time for your pets. As a
pet owner, you know your pet best,
but here are some points to consider
for your pet’s safety.
Continual doorbell ringing and
people at the door (in costume, no
less!) can be stressful for a pet. Some pets
may experience stress-related diarrhea or
potentially injure themselves if crated or
otherwise contained. Keep your pet in a
quiet and safe place on Halloween.
Strangers in costume can cause some animals to
become unexpectedly aggressive or fearful, even normally
friendly pets.
Candles and Jack-O’-Lanterns within a pet’s range are
a fire hazard. Wagging tails and frightened cats zooming
through the house can easily tip over a candle or carved
pumpkin, causing burns or a fire.
Keep your pets indoors on Halloween night, and
especially black cats. Animals are at risk for cruel treatment
by some Halloween pranksters. Many adoption agencies and
humane societies will not allow adoption of black cats around
Halloween for this very reason.
Candy for many people Halloween = candy. Many pets have
This fantastic cat condo was donated to BAS by Dawn
Douglas and Karina Reyes.
It’s a beauty and the cats love it !
a sweet tooth. Please warn children not to share their goodies
with the family pet!
Candy Concerns
Candies, gums, mints, baked goods and chocolate containing
the “sugar free” sweetener xylitol are especially poisonous,
causing rapid hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and liver failure
in dogs and possibly other species such as ferrets.
Chocolate is Toxic
Then
&
Now
Granted a 50 pound dog would have to eat about 50 ounces
of milk chocolate (but only 5 ounces of baking chocolate) for
a toxic dose, but much smaller amounts can cause vomiting
and diarrhea.
Signs of chocolate toxicity include tremors, nervousness,
vomiting, diarrhea, increased heart rate and in severe cases,
seizures and death. If you suspect that your pet has eaten
chocolate call your veterinarian or emergency veterinarian
immediately, Other candies such as lollipops and those with
plastic components pose a danger if ingested. Lollipop sticks
and plastic parts can cause intestinal obstruction and
potentially rupture the intestines, which is a life threatening
emergency.
Pet Costumes
Sonora... now
named Whisper
Sent in by
Betty Webb
While viewed as fun and adorable for some pet owners,
caution is advised when putting a costume on a pet. A pet in
costume should NEVER be left alone and unsupervised.
Tight elastics on the costumes can get lost in the pet's hair,
potentially causing owners to overlook them, leading to
swelling and pain in the area of the elastic. Some pets, if left
alone in costume, may chew it up and ingest it. This could
cause intestinal obstruction if more than small shreds of
material are consumed. If the costumed pet escapes or is
frightened away, the costume could entangle the pet on trees,
fences, etc.
Play it safe and enjoy Halloween!
Donations In Honor Of Others
 In loving memory of sweet “Dale” Jensen from Judy,
Sunny, Jaime and all his friends at BAS.
 From Leonard McReynolds in honor of Debby and
Dave Munoz.
 From Judy Taylor in memory of “Hairry”.
 From Ralph Moore in honor of BAS dog “Josie”
 From Jacqueline Burchiere in memory of her cat “Donny”.
 From Rosina Drueger in memory of The Linagens.
 From Dave Rogers in memory of Gina Rogers.
 From Melissa Roccanti for “Romeo” and “Juliet”.
 From Michael Hayes in honor of "Auntie" Jan
Kujawa”s Birthday.
 From Cory and Christine Anderson in memory of
their BAS cat “Sencha”.
 From Peg Briggerman in memory of Jim
Briggerman on his birthday.
 In honor of Roger Williams from Ariella Williams.
 Mrom Michael and Jo Anne Portigal with thanks to
BAS for “Connie”.
 From Gary Benedict in loving memory of "Toby", his
Tijauna rescue.
 From Monika McDonald on behalf of Jackie Bouchard
and “Rita”.
 From Lydia and Chris Jensen in memory of their
"Dale", with gratitude to BAS, for bringing him to them.
 From Armand Bollaert in honor of their BAS pup
“Justin”
 From Michael Hayes in honor of "Gramma" Joan
Jones’ Birthday
 From Rick and Cyndi Garcia in honor of their BAS
kitty “Katie Tulip”.
 From Elizabeth Reid in honor of Marian Lempke.
Donations drop off dramatically
for us during the summer months.
Your donations keep our gates open.
We receive no outside assistance from the
Government or any other source.
Honor others and help the
animals of the Sanctuary by
dedicating your donations.
It’s a Win/Win !
If you don’t see your “Donation In Honor of Others”, please look for it in our next issue. Some donations are received after the printing deadline.
Send your “Donations In Honor of Others” to Baja Animal Sanctuary, PMB 626 P.O. Box 439060, S.D., CA 92143
Sexy
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Senior
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Ad
Tyson’s Corner
Tyson, a long-time BAS resident was a “left-for-dead” fighting dog
who somehow found his way to the Sanctuary. Even though he
had a large dent in his head from being beaten with a baseball bat,
he was a sweet and loving dog who was still willing to give humans
a chance. Tyson quickly became BAS’ first official greeter. In his
honor, we will be highlighting one of our special needs animals in
Paw Prints, with the hopes of placing them in forever homes.
She was found as a stray along the free road by a
BAS volunteer and brought to us so that we could
find her a forever home..
This sweet girl was spotted limping
up the road to the Sanctuary on
Wednesday, March 23rd. Lucky for
her 3 BAS people rode by and saw
her. She was taken to the Sanctuary,
fed, bathed and given temporary
medical treatment. We named her
“Faith”.
On Thursday March 24th she was
seen by a vet and we were told she
would have to have her leg amputated. It was too
damaged to save. She was admitted for the surgery
on Tuesday, March 29th.
She is 100% recovered now and ready for her
forever home.
She is a Lab/Shepherd mix, 5 years old and 49 pounds.
For more information Please contact Sunny at bajadogs@aol.com
~or ~ Judy Sobel at jas4bas@yahoo.com
If you have love in your heart and room in your home and would
like more information on this dog, please contact:
Judy Sobel at jas4bas@yahoo.com
We have many older dogs, in good health, at the Sanctuary, who
need loving homes. We will be featuring these guys and dolls for
those of you who are looking to add a furry senior to your family.
Name: Dee
Age: 8 years old
Breed: Golden Retriever
Weight: 62 pounds
Dee is very good with other dogs and good around
children.
She is very friendly, still active, walks well on a leash
and loves people.
THE 2017 BAS CALENDAR
IS READY FOR PRE-ORDERS !
It’s a beautiful calendar... about BAS
See photos of the Sanctuary and many of our beautiful
canine and feline residents in full color !
It’s the perfect holiday gift for that person
(or persons) on your list that has everything.
Check it out and order yours at:
http://www.yearbox.com/designs/portfolio/animal-sanctuary-calendar-calendar/
Last day to order is November 15th.
All orders will be shipped in November
100% of the profits go to help the animals of BAS