spca 915 spread - Bucks County SPCA

Bucks County SPCA
Bucks County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
The Shelter
P.O. Box 277
Lahaska PA 18931
return service requested
The Shelter
Lahaska and Quakertown, PA
24 hour emergency service
BCSPCA Newsletter
Alison Levine ,
Editor
A Message from the Director
I write my final message as Executive Director with a mixture of feelings. By the time you read this I will have begun my retirement, and I am
excited about that. I am truly delighted to be handing over the reins to Linda
Reider (see page 3) whom I have known and respected for more than 15
years. Linda has the experience, talent and energy to build on what we have
established at the Bucks County SPCA. Your generosity, words of encouragement and friendship have meant so much to me during my years here and
I know how important they will be to Linda as well. Linda, her husband Karl
and their two cats are moving to Bucks County from Michigan and I know
they will especially appreciate your welcome and support as they become
part of a new community.
www.bcspca.org
Need some help with your dog’s behavior?
Tired of one-size-fits-all classes?
Come to the Bucks County SPCA
Training Classes where every owner, and
every dog, is treated as an individual.
Classes are held at our Lahaska shelter on
Sundays and are open to all, no matter
where you got your dog! Linda Lelak, a
Certified Professional Dog Trainer with
over 25 years of experience, uses positive
reinforcement and real-life training scenarios to help you and your dog learn to
communicate and have the best relationship
possible. See www.bcspca.org or
www.pawsitivepawsdogtraining.com for
more information.
Fall 2015
Come Visit Our Shelters
Lahaska Shelter
1665 Street Road
(note: use New Hope, 18938 for GPS directions)
Hours:
Monday - Friday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Tuesday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Upper Bucks Shelter
60 Reservoir Road
Quakertown, PA 18951
Hours:
Monday - Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Thursday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sunday: Closed
Two of the puppies brought to our shelter after
an accident on the PA Turnpike
In recent months I have been more acutely aware of what I value about
working here and what I will miss. I’ve come to realize that the challenges
and surprises of this work are one of the things I value most. They give our
staff the chance to rise to any occasion, no matter how big the case or how
difficult the situation. For as long as I can remember we have had someone
on call after hours to respond to emergencies. Many nights are quiet now and
that’s a good thing. But when a call comes in, whether it’s about a cat hit by
a car, or the recent surprise about an accident on the turnpike involving a van
carrying 79 puppies, I can count on staff to respond with skill and resourcefulness.
I will also miss the many small victories that make us all cheer. Like the
very bedraggled, very old cat who showed up at our Upper Bucks Shelter. I
commented that if a cat had lived to be that old she belonged to someone.
Thankfully she had a microchip and we were able to reunite that 15 year old
girl with her worried owner. Belle, the last of 44 Chihuahuas who came in
from a hoarding case in April, is a special kind of victory. She was the
slowest of all the dogs to warm up and become ready for a home of her own.
That made her adoption in late August even more meaningful for our staff
and volunteers who coaxed her into trusting and liking people. When our
humane officers come back from rechecking a complaint to say that someone
has made all of the changes that we asked for and things are looking better,
that is another kind of victory. There was that one time the dog bank in our
lobby had a $100 bill in it along with the coins. Those are the special moments that keep us going and they come in many varieties. I know that good
things like that will keep happening and I look forward to reading all about
them. We owe all of these successes, and so many more, to our friends who
adopt our animals, cheer us on and through their generosity assure that we
are equipped and prepared to help when help is needed. Thank you.
Anne Irwin
Executive Director Anne Irwin, her mother Jo
and Polly the German Shepherd in the 1970s
Thank you Anne for 44 years of hard work
dedicated to animal welfare
Good News from Emily
Meeting Their Special Needs
One of the real pleasures of our work at the Bucks County SPCA
is hearing good news from our adopted animals, our alumni. Sometimes they come for a visit and sometimes we get cards or e-mails.
Many of the animals in our care come in with special issues that
we want to address to help them find, and stay in, their forever
homes. Sometimes it’s a simple as some grooming or putting on a few
pounds. Some animals need socializing and training while others
need medical treatment. The 44 Chihuahuas from our hoarding case
all needed work to varying degrees, because they had lived as a pack
and were not used to even the simplest interactions with people. They
were not ready to be happy companion animals. Volunteers and staff
at both shelters pitched in with hand feeding, as well as lots of time
and patience, and were delighted as the dogs’ individual personalities
bloomed. It took time and hard work, but all the Chihuahuas found
new homes. The last of the group, Belle, was adopted after four
months with us.
Last month we had a
visit from Karen Wisniewski
who adopted Emily on June
14, 2009. Emily did not
come along, because she’s
still a little shy about
travelling away from home,
but Karen brought pictures
and we were delighted to
learn that she is thriving.
Many of our readers
will remember Emily, a
Mastiff/ Rottweiler mix,
who spent several months
living on her own near New
Hope during winter 2008/
2009. She had friends
looking out for her in the
community, providing food.
She was smart and resourceful, but extremely shy and
would not allow herself to
be caught.
Emily safe and happy at home
Finally on a cold day in January, when she could be tracked in
the snow, she was captured by Animal Control Officer Craig
Claycomb using a tranquillizer gun and transported to our shelter.
She arrived thin, scared and missing hair, and her courage as a
survivor had many people rooting for her success. We began the
slow work of getting her accustomed to the kindness of people up
close. That included lots of hand feeding and slow introduction to
new experiences. Slowly her personality began to blossom and she
become ready for a home of her own. Karen and her family made
many visits to learn about Emily’s special needs before taking her
home. We held our breath and hoped that we had prepared her for
success in a real home of her own. She has flourished. Karen
wanted us to share these words:
“People should not only be happy for Emily finding a
caring, loving family, they should be happy for our
family finding our caring, loving Emily. Our world
would not have been the same without her, and we
have been honored with her presence for 6+ years,
along with her love and slobbering licks! Her companionship, playful demeanor, and unmistakable deep
bark make us feel truly blessed that we found each
other, through the hard work of many Lahaska SPCA
staff members and that of our ‘Big Girl Emily’ who,
on that cold 2009 winter day, added shared warmth
and completion of this family!”
Emily was challenging and inspiring to work with, and we
learned a lot that we have been able to use to help other dogs,
especially the shy ones.
Lucy, the Shih Tzu, (right)
had a different set of challenges.
She was happy and affectionate
from the day she first arrived as a
stray dog. Her tail was always
wagging, but she had more
medical problems than a 10
pound dog should have to
endure. Two days after she came
in she gave birth to a single dead
puppy. She immediately had to
have emergency surgery for a
uterine infection, after which she
was treated for a urinary tract infection. After we met those urgent
needs we tested her for heartworm and she tested positive. Still her
tail continued to wag. We treated her for heartworm. Seven weeks
after being brought in by an Animal Control Officer she left to begin
a new life in a home of her own. We’ve already received an update
with a photo of her snuggled in her own paw print blanket and these
words from her new family, “Lucy is a fighter and deserves the best
life, and we’re going to give it to her!”
Cats can need some extra help too. Nine-year-old Ethel lost her
home this summer when her owner went into a nursing home. Her
sweet personality endeared her to staff and volunteers immediately,
but she seemed unusually thin. Blood work revealed that she had a
thyroid condition that could be managed with medication. With
treatment she soon began to gain weight and before the summer was
over she was adopted. Tuesday was a chubby beauty who lost her
home because of an eviction. Despite her charm she was overlooked
in the cat adoption room during kitten season and in time she made it
known that she would not accept being returned to her cage after
playtime. She risked injuring herself on her cage gates and her
demands were met. She took up temporary residence in the office and
with some extra promotion on Facebook and in flyers she found a
home too.
Every time we work to meet the special needs of one animal we
learn some things that we can use to help others. Adopters have
inspired us with their willingness to take older animals, or those with
conditions that need ongoing management. Our friends and donors
have made these efforts possible in many ways. This year kind friends
have sponsored the adoption costs of a number of animals. That
generosity calls attention to special animals who may need an extra
boost and also inspires others. We are so grateful every time that we
can do what is needed to meet the special needs of one animal or a
group of them.
Meet Linda Reider,
Incoming Executive Director
After a nationwide search our Board of Directors is thrilled
that Linda Reider, the Director of Statewide Initiatives for the
Michigan Humane Society, agreed to become the Bucks County
SPCA’s new Executive Director.
Help Us Celebrate Old
Friends and New
Join us on Friday, November 13th at
Aldie Mansion in Doylestown, PA to
Honor the Past
Embrace the Future
Celebrate the Present
and Support Bucks County’s Animals
Gourmet Dinner!
Live Auction!
Great People!
Linda Reider, new BCSPCA Executive Director, with her cat Myles.
Linda is a life-long animal lover and has spent her career
learning every aspect of animal welfare, preparing to lead an
organization just like the Bucks County SPCA. She’s held a
wide range of positions – from Chief Litterbox Scooper to Board
President.
Linda’s expertise is in high demand. She is frequently
invited to present best practices in shelter management and has
authored many articles in her areas of expertise which include:
animal adoptions, foster care, shelter management, community
outreach, coalition-building, event management, wildlife issues
and animal disaster response. Her educational background is as
well suited to her new job as her experience. Linda holds B.S.
and M.S. degrees, plus a Certificate in Nonprofit Business and
Management.
Please extend a warm Bucks County welcome to Linda, her
husband Karl and her two dear, hairy cats Myles and Maeko both rescued as kittens near the Detroit Airport.
In Linda’s own words:
“
Don’t miss your chance to thank Anne Irwin for
her 44 years of service and welcome Linda Reider
to Bucks County.
Tickets are $150, sponsorship opportunities are
available. Email info@bcspca.org for more
information.
In Memory of
Alby ~ Allie ~ Aspen ~ Auggie ~ Bean ~
Betz ~ Billy ~ Blackie & Lucky ~ Boomer ~
Buddy ~
Buttons & Sheba ~ Callie ~
Charley ~ Cleo ~ Cutter ~ Dakota ~ Ears ~
I’ve dedicated the past 30 years of my career to
helping people and animals. I’ve learned and developed
many innovative, life saving ideas and look forward to
putting my experience and background to work for
Bucks County. It is an honor to join forces
with the dedicated staff members, volunteers,
and community members to achieve more happy
endings for animals in need of rescue, re-homing, and
love.
”
Welcome to the Bucks County SPCA Linda!
Emma ~ George ~ Gizmo ~ Harley ~ Jeter ~
Kahley ~ Kalutta ~ Kira ~ Lady ~ Linus ~
Luther ~ Malcom ~ Marge ~ Miss Gray ~
Missy ~ Moe ~ Mrs. Delaney ~ Olive ~
Oscar ~ Phoebe ~ Romeo ~ Sammy ~ Sarge
~ Scamp ~ Shadow ~ Shelby ~ Simmy ~
Sobe ~ Sophie ~ Suvi ~ Wilson