Wags and Whiskers PARK COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER December 2013 THINK BIG By Ken Markert, Board President We have had opportuniƟes in the past to think big. In 1990, a group of people conceived of creaƟng an animal welfare organizaƟon for Park County. In 1999, they thought even bigger and built a substanƟal shelter that has served the county for the past 13 years. And now, we have some more thinking to do. Overcrowding and capacity limits are a problem at the Shelter. It seems more oŌen than not, we are at or near our limit for felines. This causes the staff to restrict Shelter admissions and we cannot help every cat or kiƩen that needs help. Furthermore, the quality of the feline housing is a prob‐ lem. We have a nice facility for adult cats that includes the "free roaming room" and the adjoining outdoor cat area. However, the rest of our space for cats and kiƩens is very inadequate. The worst part is the cage room where we have about 36 small cages. In these cages, we keep felines that cannot go in the free roaming room for various rea‐ sons‐‐such as they are not spayed or neutered yet, have colds or other contagion, or have behavioral reasons that require separaƟon. The American Society of Shelter Veter‐ inarians suggests that housing felines long‐term in these small cages, as we do, is inhumane. We also lack properly separated areas for feline intake and quaranƟne. When cats and kiƩens are first brought to the Shelter, they should be separated from the rest of the pop‐ ulaƟon to avoid spreading disease unƟl it is clear they are okay. We do the best we can in this regard, but we have recurring epidemics of upper‐respiratory infecƟons that spread through the Shelter. We also had a ringworm out‐ break in the last few years. The Shelter's design and con‐ strucƟon makes it difficult to deal with these situaƟons. We have a similar, although less acute problem with intake and quaranƟne of canines. We have no separated kennel space for new arrivals. We also have waste troughs that run from one kennel to the next, which can facilitate dis‐ ease transmission. All animals are vaccinated when they first arrive at the Shelter and the staff does the best they can to separate canines as needed. But the potenƟal for the spread of disease is accentuated by the lack of appro‐ priate faciliƟes. As with the felines, overcrowding in the dog kennels oc‐ curs. But fortunately, we reach our limits with dogs less oŌen than with cats. But it does happen and it is difficult to turn dogs away. Overcrowding can equate to euthana‐ sia as dogs we turn away face uncertain futures. ConƟnued on page 3 Something for the Amazon Addicts! We always like to shop locally when we can; our local businesses are great supporters of the shelter. But we also understand that lots of people like to shop Amazon, so we were excited when we stumbled upon another way to raise funds for the shelter. If you shop Amazon, all you have to do is go through FUNDINCO and the shelter gets a percentage of each purchase! You can access Fundinco in two different ways. You can go to fundinco.org and enter “Park County Animal Shelter” where it says “Find your Organiza- tion,” or there is a link on our webpage! The link is: http://www.fundinco.org/ orghome.php?orgid=897 Happy shopping!
Transcript
Wags and Whiskers
PARK COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER
December 2013
THINK BIG By Ken Markert, Board President We have had opportuni es in the past to think big. In 1990, a group of people conceived of crea ng an animal welfare organiza on for Park County. In 1999, they thought even bigger and built a substan al shelter that has served the county for the past 13 years. And now, we have some more thinking to do.
Overcrowding and capacity limits are a problem at the Shelter. It seems more o en than not, we are at or near our limit for felines. This causes the staff to restrict Shelter admissions and we cannot help every cat or ki en that needs help.
Furthermore, the quality of the feline housing is a prob‐lem. We have a nice facility for adult cats that includes the "free roaming room" and the adjoining outdoor cat area. However, the rest of our space for cats and ki ens is very inadequate. The worst part is the cage room where we have about 36 small cages. In these cages, we keep felines that cannot go in the free roaming room for various rea‐sons‐‐such as they are not spayed or neutered yet, have colds or other contagion, or have behavioral reasons that require separa on. The American Society of Shelter Veter‐inarians suggests that housing felines long‐term in these small cages, as we do, is inhumane.
We also lack properly separated areas for feline intake and quaran ne. When cats and ki ens are first brought to the Shelter, they should be separated from the rest of the pop‐ula on to avoid spreading disease un l it is clear they are okay. We do the best we can in this regard, but we have recurring epidemics of upper‐respiratory infec ons that spread through the Shelter. We also had a ringworm out‐break in the last few years. The Shelter's design and con‐struc on makes it difficult to deal with these situa ons.
We have a similar, although less acute problem with intake and quaran ne of canines. We have no separated kennel space for new arrivals. We also have waste troughs that run from one kennel to the next, which can facilitate dis‐ease transmission. All animals are vaccinated when they first arrive at the Shelter and the staff does the best they can to separate canines as needed. But the poten al for the spread of disease is accentuated by the lack of appro‐priate facili es.
As with the felines, overcrowding in the dog kennels oc‐curs. But fortunately, we reach our limits with dogs less o en than with cats. But it does happen and it is difficult to turn dogs away. Overcrowding can equate to euthana‐sia as dogs we turn away face uncertain futures.
Con nued on page 3
Something for the Amazon Addicts! We always like to shop locally when we can; our local businesses are great supporters of the shelter. But we also understand that lots of people like to shop Amazon, so we were excited when we stumbled upon another way to raise funds for the shelter. If you shop Amazon, all you have to do is go through FUNDINCO and the shelter gets a percentage of each purchase! You can access Fundinco in two different ways. You can go to fundinco.org and enter “Park County Animal Shelter” where it says “Find your Organiza-tion,” or there is a link on our webpage! The link is: http://www.fundinco.org/orghome.php?orgid=897 Happy shopping!
Pet Depot Adopt-a-Thon—December 7th Stop by the Pet Depot and see some of our available pets for adoption. Sponsored by Greg at the Pet Depot.
Membership Meeting—Dec. 19th 5:30 pm in the Grizzly Room at the Cody Library. E-mail Ken at [email protected] if you want to be on the e-mail list for the meetings. Jack Russell & Corgi Races—Jan. 17th 6:30 pm at the Cody Cattle Company Get your admission and raffle tickets for the 4th annual Jack Russell and Corgi Races. Early purchase enters you in a drawing for 2 prizes provided by Juniper Wine and Spirits. Contact PCAS Board members to purchase tickets. Contact May Whitmore at 578-8902 to donate items for the silent auction. PAST FUNDRAISERS Tails and Trails 5k Run/Walk—Aug. 17th This fun event is growing each year. Spon-sores were WPH (Dick Smith), Ann and Alan Simpson, Big Horn Foot Clinic (Dr. Hugh Frazier), Ed and Mary Whitmore, Fire Works Factory, Lelani Snyder and Stephanie Stock-hill. The Shelter received $250. Much more was raised and the event sponsors decided to invest in equipment needed for future rac-es.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS & PAST FUNDRAISERS
Adoptions
Dogs/Puppies Cats/Kittens Sept 12 16 Oct 3 17 Nov 12 9 Currently in the Shelter: 14 Dogs/Puppies 53 Cats/Kittens 6 cats & 7 dogs are in foster care
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WE ARE COMBINING THE
MEMBERSHIP AND BOARD
MEETINGS ON THE THIRD
THURSDAY OF EVERY
MONTH.
Membership meeting
starts at 5:30 pm.
For the present time we
will be meeting in the
Grizzly Room at the
Library.
Encore 50% Off Sale– Sept. 14th The PCAS , the Buffalo Bill Center of the West and Yellowstone Behavioral Health Center re-ceive the proceeds from these sales of gently used fine clothing. Over the past two years PCAS has received more than $8,000 from this volunteer group. Our sincere thanks to them! Animal Shelter Benefit Concert—Oct. 13th Heartfelt thanks to Hope and Lloyd Sheets, their daughters Lori and Lisa, Jenni Zink, Francie Audi-er, Craig Olson and Ed Martin for sharing their musical talents. This concert raised $335 for the Shelter. Pet Photo with Santa—November 9th The photo shoot was held at The Barn. The event is co-sponsored by the Wyoming Basset Hound Rescue and PCAS. This year there were 48 sit-tings, much more than in the past few years. The dogs ranged from Great Danes to Chihuahuas. More than $600 was divided between the 2 or-ganizations after expenses. Thanks go to volun-teers Holly Moen, Mary Schock, Gerry Patterson and Dawn Day. Holiday Craft Fair—November 23rd The PCAS had a booth with many items donated by volunteers , including homemade dog and cat treats, and sewed homemade dog and cat toys. Mary Jo Hardy made a very special painted pie carrier that was raffled off. $1,512 was raised from craft sales and $557 from raffle tickets.
To all the businesses that purchased ads to help cover the expense of this newsletter.
Shelter Manager Brittany can be heard every
Thursday on the Eagle Radio Station with Bobby Rock at 8:40 am. Tune in!
PCAS STAFF
Brittany Vaughn Shelter Manager
Kayla Pooler Assistant Manager
Polly Churma Vet Tech
Patrick Caldwell
Angie Edwards
Nan Santos
Jessica Zeller
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PCAS BOARD MEMBERS Ken Markert Pres. David Burke, VP Andy Whiteman, Sec. Jan Riley, Treasurer Bettye Dominick Jerri Sperry Mary Schock Joyce Cicco
Think BIG—con nued from page 1 Earlier this year, a small repair project led to the discovery of mold in the walls of the kennel facility. The situa on has been professionally evaluated. We know now that the en re indoor kennel area, the largest single part of the Shelter, needs reme‐dial work soon. We have been trying to priori ze our many needs and figure out what we can do about our building and site needs. Funding for extensive improve‐ments is always an issue for PCAS and tends to inhibit "thinking big". That has changed within the last year. First, our annual fundraising for Shelter opera on was ex‐tremely strong last fall. That has given us a cush‐ion, allowing us to run the Shelter without con‐stantly worrying whether we can keep the doors open month‐to‐month. Next, two donors gave PCAS major gi s specifically for major renova ons or new construc on. The first gi of $20,000 is now allowing us to plan and design the major improvements that will be fund‐ed (at least in part) by the second gi , a pledge of $18,000 per year for 17 years. Now we are star ng to think big about how we can be er serve the many homeless animals of Park County. You will hear more about this in the coming months. This past year has been a good one for PCAS, as we have turned from stabilizing our situa on a er the
difficult events of 2010‐11 to moving forward to more fully accomplishing our mission. Please stay involved in this. Your volunteer efforts and finan‐cial contribu ons make it all possible!
MANY THANKS to Sean DeNamur of Sean DeNamur Designs, 1191 Sheridan Ave., and to his associate Devon-Wolfe Chavez. Sean donated over two hours to the Shelter, writing detailed and knowl-edgable descriptions of the jewelry we received from the Petersen es-tate. This will enable us to list the items on Ebay, and hopefully get top dollar for the pieces. Thanks again, Sean, we couldn't have done it without you!
Park County Animal Shelter August Spay/Neuter Clinic On August 22nd & 23rd, PCAS held a day and a half spay/neuter clinic at the Cody National Guard Armory. 82 dogs and 145 cats were “fixed.” To date PCAS clinics have helped 1137 dogs and cats. These clinics are funded by grants and donations. Our goal is to reduce unwanted pets in Park County. We target low income families who need help getting their pets spayed/neutered and vaccinated for rabies. We also help individ-uals who care for feral cat colonies. Spay and Neuter Clinics make a difference. Statistics show that one un-spayed female cat and one un-neutered male cat and their off-spring can produce 420,000 kittens in 7 years. We sincerely thank our sponsors, donors, and volunteers. Your support is improving the lives of dogs and cats and helps to reduce pet over-population in Park County. If you would like to support our clinics, please make your donations payable to PCAS Spay/Neuter Fund and mail to PCAS, PO Box 203, Cody WY 82414. 100% of your donation goes to the cost of spay/neuter surgeries.
Managers’ Corner Small Acts of Kindness Equal Big Impact By Brittany Vaughn
Page 4
According to Petfinder.com, about 40% of dog own-
ers, and 37% of cat owners hang stockings for their furry friends during the holidays. I know I am among this statistic, and I take full advantage of the holiday spirit to spoil my pets. The shelter animals are fortunate enough to also be spoiled during this time of year, thanks to all of the generous dona-tions that we receive from the locals. Thinking of full stockings reminds me that many people (and animals) do have empty stockings. When we were growing up, my parents used to read the “Empty Stockings” section of the Billings Gazette to my brother and me. The stories were about people and their children who had pretty minimal holidays, and who were thankful for things that we often took for
granted: a new pair of socks, or a single toy for Christmas was the highlight of their holiday season. My parents read these to us as a reminder of how blessed we really are. Many of us take this time of year and all that it brings for granted. Having been a part of the shelter for the last year, I have been reminded how much difference we can really make. Even the smallest donation can make such a signifi-cant impact in the life of a person, or in our case, a home-less animal. You may not realize how much you can improve the life of an animal simply by donating a toy, or a cleaning product, or food. Even the smallest monetary donation will improve their lives while they await their forever homes. So while you are enjoying the holiday season with your loved ones, please consider how you can help improve the lives of our wonderful animals at the shelter.
SHELTER HAPPENINGS Eric Berg and his committee of volunteers—Brittany and Kayla-- have finished the outside painting of the Shelter and storage shed. Sean Jensen from Jensen Plumbing checked out the heating system and so far every thing seems to be ready for the cold winter months. Shelter Manager, Brittany Vaughn and the new Animal Control Officer, Jennifer Morris have been visiting the students of the Cody Schools and giving presentations regarding care and control of animals in the City of Cody.
The Shelter would like to thank all the businesses in Cody that have allowed us to put the dog and cat banks in their businesses and all of you who have put your dollars and cents into the banks. This year to date, we have deposited more than $4,826 dollars from these banks and have not yet made the deposit for December. We are running ahead of our 2012 deposits, so thank-you all for your donations. If a business is interested in having a bank, please contact Gerry at 587-6436. Jerry Kincaid has offered Dawn Day a storage shed for the next 6 months. She will be able to have a storage space for the items collected for the next spring garage sale at the Sage Creek Community Club. This is a donation in valued at $450 to the PCAS. Thank you Jerry for this great offer to benefit the PCAS. Dr. Mark Shane, D.C. conducted a toy and treat drive for the animals at the Shelter for an extra Christmas benefit during the month of November. Thank you Dr. Shane for thinking of our family at the Shelter. In addition to the donations already received from the Peterson Estate, we have received notice that another $20,000 will be given to the Park County Animal Shelter in an additional distribution. Besides a sizeable donation two years ago, this estate has given the Shelter some very beautiful jewelry. The board has decided to sell the jewelry on e-bay. Any one interested please check this out. There will also be ads in reference to this in our local newspapers.
Page 5
PCAS WISH LIST: Walmart cat litter Purina dry kitten chow Dog and cat treats and toys
Bleach Liquid HE laundry soap (perfume free) Paper Towels Hand sanitizer 30 gallon heavy duty black garbage bags Dishwashing gloves Liquid hand
soap & dish soap 13 gallon white garbage bags
There are many loving pets available at the Shelter. They have been neutered or spayed (if age appropriate). And have received their first series of shots. A free veterinarian visit is included with participating vets. Adoption Fees are: $35 for a Cat $50 for a Dog over 5 years old $75 for a Dog under 5 years old You don’t have to be a Park County resident to adopt a pet. Stop by the Shelter at 5537 Greybull Hwy. We are open everyday from 12:00—5:30 pm, except Sundays.
To all animal lovers, young and old.
We are in need of volunteers to help with -
Dog Walking and Socializing
Cleaning the Shelter Petting the dogs, cats and kittens
If you are interested or have questions
or concerns please call the Shelter and talk to Brittany.
Alex Mitchell Linda Sparrow Terry Sparrow Jim Shapple
Connie Moore Taminie Wagner
Mary Keffer Shannon Smith
Holly Moen Mary Whitmore Gerry Patterson
Doug Blough Dawn Day
Mary Jo Hardy Linda Kolak
Becky Ransom Jessica Cross Kelsey Brown
Carla Fortunato Connie Lockwood Jean Crutchfield
Shana White Leigh Dvarkshkis
Eric Berg Jane Zubia
Frank Mallon Todd Currier
Hudson Schledewitz Adelle Ostrom Meg Sommers Lynn Entwisle Niel Markert
THANKS TO ALL WHO DONATED ITEMS TO SELL AT THE CRAFT FAIR
Alice Flyr
Barb Kneer Becky Reavis Becky Walsh
Bonnie Williams C.J. Accornero Connie Moore
Connie Ryan McKenna Dana Webster Dotty Kehoe
Gerry Patterson Ginger Dager
Jan Hoar Jan Jackson
Jan Riley Jean Crutchfield
Jerri Sperry Kaki Steves
Karen Anderson (Dinnerbelle) Karen George
Leigh Dvarishkis Linda Kolak Linda Straub
Martha Vanoni Mary Jo Hardy Mary Schock
Mary Whitmore Myrna Stadtfeld Polly Churma
Shannon Smith Taminie Wagner
Tasa Brost Tiffany Stebbins Vernice Myers
Vieune Revolinski
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C h r i s t m a s P e t M i r a c l e s by Doug Blough
My friend recently received the ultimate early Christmas gift – one that keeps on giving. Via the slightly-altered lyrics of a classic Christmas Carole, I’ll give you a hint: “On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me: eleven pipers piping, ten lords a-leaping, nine puppies prancing…and a cat stuck in a pear tree.” I don’t know what ten lords a-leaping look like, but I saw nine St. Bernard puppies crawling on top of one another, whimpering for Mama to return for another feeding. It was almost too precious for words. Even though I was the only one in the house at the time, that universal sound, “Ahhh” sprung from my smiling lips. That’s the thing about puppies, kittens, and just animals in general: they make even the saddest among us brighten and smile involuntarily. A never-fail formula is to combine the Christmas season, the elderly and a puppy; suddenly teeth (or dentures) appear out of nowhere. Smiles and pets are synonymous.
Years ago, I and a couple other PCAS volunteers oc-casionally took shelter dogs to the Long-Term Care Center. It’s something I need to start doing again, because I never left that hospital without feeling much happier and content than when I went in. I viv-idly remember a “December birthday celebration” there, when I took “Freckles,” a white, spotty-eared, lab puppy and Robert Mitchell took “Lucky,” a Shar Pei he then adopted. When those precious oldsters saw Freckles prancing to their wheelchairs, you could almost literally hear blood pressures dropping and the will to live growing. When I paraded Freckles in front of the female sing-ing group, the “Chorales,” they quit singing, began smiling and making those “Ahhh” sounds. All the evidence is in: the health and morale benefits
of animals is undeniable, and there’s nothing more rewarding than a holiday pet miracle. One I remember was a Christmas week when two shelter employees were visiting a certain, special kitty. Jaki said to Jere, “I just wish Ginny could get out of this cage.” Only minutes later, a lady walked in and shrieked, “That’s my Honey!” Honey had disappeared months earlier and after a fruitless search, hope had been lost. Suddenly there was unbridled joy. That’s what I want for Christmas this year: a Christmas miracle for every homeless animal at our shelter. And if you know someone sad and alone during the holidays, don’t forget the greatest anti-depressant of all: a visit from a loving animal. Then just sit back and listen for the inevitable, “Ahhh.”
Page 7 Pick Me! Pick Me!
Chowder is a very sweet guy, who was abandoned by his owner.
He would love a new family for Christmas!
Tiger has been at the shelter since he was a kitten, so he has spent over 2 ½ years with us! While his is quite content to be the official PCAS
Greeter, what he really wants is a home and a forever family of his own!
Mia’s old family couldn’t take her with them
when they moved, so she would love a
forever home!
Jack Sparrow was found unwanted in
Lovell, and just wants a home for
Christmas!
PCAS provides a no-kill safe haven for the lost, abandoned, abused, neglect-ed, or relinquished animals of Park County. Since late 2012, PCAS finances have greatly improved as we received several tremendous gifts, have adopt-ed strict budget controls, and have vastly enhanced the Board’s ability to oversee all financial matters. In 2013, PCAS completed the new outdoor cat area to provide healthier living for cats in our care. Our animal guests continue to benefit from our hard-working and compassionate staff. Going forward, we would like to provide more and better service to the many homeless animals in Cody and Park County. We are planning major renovations to our indoor and outdoor kennels, medical and isolation areas and cat hous-ing. Your membership, donations and volunteer assistance will help PCAS continue moving forward in 2014!
Our Mission: To provide excellent animal care and find good homes for our guests; promote responsible pet guardianship; work to end the overpopulation of feral cats as well as all pets; and run an organized, efficient shelter with a no-kill philosophy.
