REAL Magazine, April-May, 2015

APRIL/MAY, 2015

Coldwell Banker's Homes For Dogs Project SNIP It! Spay & Neuter to Save Lives IHS Pet Food Pantry Helps Keep Pets at Home Saving Hawk West Valley's "Spay the Momma" Program Get Involved!

ATLAS, 2002-2014

With 4 offices to serve you, Coldwell Banker Tomlinson Group is YOUR SOURCE for real estate in the Treasure Valley!

D O W N T O W N B O I S E 3 4 3 .3 3 9 3 | M E R I D I A N 336.3393 | E A G L E 939.3363 | N A M PA 467.5272

In keeping with Coldwell Banker's Homes For Dogs Project, this issue of REAL celebrates all things PETS. From our cover honoring the life of Atlas, a beloved friend and family member of one of our agents, to the back page with Stuey, the happiest boy on the planet and "son" to a CBTG staff member, this month's magazine includes information about three of our valley's animal shelters, how you can help, and, of course, lots and lots of photos of our "furbabies."

We hope you enjoy the articles, learn a little (or a lot) and, above all, think about visiting one of our shelters to adopt a new family member.

We'd love to hear from you! REAL@coldwellbankertg.com.

“

It came to me that every time I lose a dog they take a piece of my heart with them. And every new dog who comes into my life gifts me with a piece of their heart.

If I live long enough, all the components of my heart will be dog, and I will become as generous and loving as they are.� ~ Unknown

STUEY & BRYNN

contents Homes For Dogs Coldwell Banker's mission to help adoptable dogs find their forever homes.

SNIP It! Spay & Neuter Idaho Pets (SNIP) helps provide low-cost services & education.

IHS Pet Food Pantry The Idaho Humane Society's Pet Food Pantry assists homebound seniors & families in need.

Saving Hawk Meridian Valley Humane Society's efforts to rescue a lovable doberman named Hawk.

Spay the Momma West Valley Humane Society in Caldwell works to rescue the unborn & prevent future litters.

At Home with CBTG The agents, staff, & managers at CBTG love to share photos of their furry family members!

Get Involved!

A calendar of pet events for all ages!

March Market Stats A quick look at what's happening in Treasure Valley real estate.

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APRIL/MAY, 2015

BAILEY

Homes For Dogs

Coldwell Banker Steps Up

A commitment to find homes for 20,000 adoptable dogs this year.

David Marine Coldwell Banker Blue Matter

N

othing compares to the warmth and comfort of being at home. But for many dogs across America, this feeling is foreign.

According to The Humane Society, between six and eight million dogs and cats enter shelters each year. Plus, almost three million healthy shelter pets are not adopted annually, and only about

30 percent of pets in homes come from shelters or rescues.

These sobering facts are what served as the inspiration for the newest project from Coldwell Banker Real Estate. After more than 100 years of helping people find homes, the real estate company has extended its mission to man’s best friend with its “Homes for Dogs Project.” By partnering with

Adopt-a-Pet.com, North America’s largest non-profit pet adoption website, Coldwell Banker will help 20,000 adoptable dogs find loving homes this year.

To increase awareness of the effort, Coldwell Banker has focused its latest advertising campaign, which made its television debut during The Academy Awards on February 22nd, on the feeling of

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VEGAS

arriving home and being greeted by your dog. The commercial is called “Home’s Best Friend” and it features real rescue dogs, such as Max, who was adopted in 2014 after being spotted on Adopt-aPet.com.

Before he was put up for adoption, Max was picked up as a stray and delivered to a “high kill” shelter in San Bernadino, CA. The shelter only keeps dogs for five days before it puts them down, and after Max had been at the shelter for four days, a worker reached out to The Dexter Foundation, a local non-profit dog rescue and adoption agency, which quickly rescued Max and found temporary foster care for him. cbboise.com

“I found him on Adopt-a-Pet.com as I was looking for a dog to rescue of that sort of breed and age,” said Kelly Saffrey, Max’s current parent.

“As soon as I saw his picture, I just knew he was the pet for me.”

RU

Adopt-a-Pet.com currently has more than 15,000 shelters and rescues in its network, and it is thrilled to be partnering with Coldwell Banker.

“We share Coldwell Banker’s view that nothing turns a house into a home more quickly than the addition of a loving pet,” said

Abbie Moore, executive director of Adopt-a-Pet.com. “And we are so inspired by the desire of Coldwell Banker to launch this amazing program.”

For more information on the “Homes for Dogs Project,” head to coldwellbanker.com/dogs.

APRIL/MAY, 2015

LUCY

According the the ASPCA, approximately 2.7 million unwanted dogs and cats are euthanized in the United States each year. Of the dogs entering shelters, approximately 35% are adopted, 31% are euthanized, and 26% of those who came in as strays are returned to their owners. With cats, approximately 37% are adopted, 41% are euthanized, and less than 5% who came in as strays are returned to their owners.

SOURCE: ASPCA.org

FRIDAY COLDWELL BANKER TOMLINSON GROUP

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SNIP It!

Spay & Neuter to Save Lives

Spay & Neuter Idaho Pets (SNIP) is dedicated to reducing the number of unwanted cats and dogs in Idaho through low-cost spay and neuter services, education, and encouraging animal rescue groups and shelters to work together toward the common goal of saving animals. To help, visit them online at SNIPIdaho.org.

T

he folks at Spay and Neuter Idaho Pets (SNIP) want people to be certain of one thing: spaying and neutering saves lives.

SNIP partners with local veterinarians to provide some of the lowest spay/ neuter prices for dogs and cats in the Treasure Valley. Additionally, the organization provides financial assistance for the surgeries to income-qualified individuals and families.

BY THE NUMBERS • Since SNIP’s inception in August 2008, the organization has financially helped spay and neuter more than 4,800 cats and dogs for individuals who could not afford to pay for the surgeries. cbboise.com

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Since April 2011, SNIP has provided more than 5,700 low cost spay/neuter surgeries for cats and dogs through its voucher program in the Treasure Valley In June, 2011, SNIP was accepted by the Humane Alliance National Spay/Neuter Response Team to join their training program to prepare to open and operate a highvolume, high-quality spay/ neuter clinic.

In February 2012, during their “Beat the Heat” event, SNIP partnered with local veterinarians to spay 330 female cats for only $19 each.

In Spring of 2013 SNIP spayed/ neutered 240 dogs and cats for income-qualified individuals at $5 each.

In Summer 2013, SNIP started a project to spay/neuter, at no cost to the caregivers, at

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least 370 free-roaming cats in Nampa.

In Fall 2013, during our “Fix Em In Fall” campaign, SNIP distributed 400 spay/neuter vouchers for $5 each to income-qualified individuals.

In February 2014, SNIP distributed 200 spay/neuter vouchers ($5 for cats and $10 for dogs) to income-qualified individuals.

In 2014, SNIP helped spay/ neuter 2,188 dogs and cats.

Their low-cost program funded 1,036 of these surgeries. For the remainig 1,152, SNIP paid 86100% of the cost for incomequalified individuals who could not afford the full cost.

In early 2015, SNIP distributed 350 spay/neuter vouchers ($5 for cats and $10 for dogs) to income-qualified individuals who, otherwise, could not afford the service.

APRIL/MAY, 2015

CLYDE

IHS Pet Food Pantry

Helps Keep Pets at Home

T

he Idaho Humane Society is the largest and oldest animal welfare organization and veterinary charity in Idaho.

The shelter relies on donations to provide the programs and services that benefit Idaho's animals.

One such service is the Pet Food Pantry, an ongoing program

that provides pet food and other supplies to those in need, including homebound seniors and low-income families.

IN A NUTSHELL Donations of pet food go to IHS's Pet Food Pantry to support nearly 300 Treasure Valley residents and

their pets through the following three programs: Meals on Wheels The organization collaborates with the Metro Meals on Wheels Program for people. IHS staff contact current Meals on Wheels recipients in our area to find out if they need assistance with feeding

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Donation bins for the Idaho Humane Society's Pet Food Pantry are scattered throughout the Treasure Valley. Donations support nearly 300 Treasure Valley residents and their pets.

NALA

their furry friends. Through the Pet Food Pantry program, they are eligible to receive monthly deliveries of food for their pet(s), free of charge.

The shelter believes that this service helps make seniors healthier physically, mentally, and emotionally as they are able to enrich their lives with pets.

Sometimes that is all the “family” that the elderly have in their lives.

One homebound woman stated “My cat is the only family I have, she gives my life purpose.”

Through this service IHS feeds 99 cats and 70 dogs each month. cbboise.com

Low Income Pet Food Pantry Program The shelter helps financially struggling families by supplying nearly 50,000 pounds of pet food a year through this program. Twice a month they open the pantry doors for distribution of pet food to the valley's low income and disabled citizens. This helps the animals stay with their families through financially difficult times, keeping both the pets and their owners healthy and together.

IHS Foster Program The shelter nurtured 2,168 animals in foster care in

2014. Donations will help the foster parents care for dogs, cats and kittens until they are adopted.

For more information on the Idaho Humane Society and their Pet Food Pantry, visit their website.

SOPHIE

APRIL/MAY, 2015

HAWK

The Meridian Valley Humane Society has but two part-time paid employees. The rest are dedicated volunteers who work tirelessly to rescue and find forever homes for the area's dogs. In 2014, MVHS found homes for more than 300 dogs. Visit them at meridianvalleyhumanesociety.org.

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Saving Hawk

A New Life for a Special Dog Sharon Blankenship Operations Manager Meridian Valley Humane Society

I

n 2013, when the City of Meridian made the decision to contract with the Idaho Humane Society to take over operations of MVHS, a group of dedicated volunteers pledged to continue the mission of saving dogs in their community.

They formed a new board of directors and became an independent canine rescue focused on saving dogs whose owners were no longer able or willing to care for them.

And that's where Hawk's story begins.

Hawk first came to MVHS as a surrender from Ontario on March 7, 2014, because his owner had no time to take care of him.

It was obvious to shelter personnel that Hawk had some problems, not

cbboise.com

only because of his appearance, but also because of his obsessive water drinking.

they said he was showing signs of aggressive behavior towards their young child.

He was taken to Intermountain Animal Hospital where Dr. Bob Beede instantly fell in love with him and determined that Hawk was a product of in-breeding that had left him with some severe health issues.

Because Hawk was only three years old and because everyone at the rescue had fallen in love with this big, awkward teenager, it was determined that he would be better off with a group who would ultimately take care of him long term.

After a multitude of tests, Hawk was diagnosed with a rare condition called Diabetes Insipidus.

Dr. Beede also noted that because of his awkward gait, Hawk most likely had some neurological problems, as well.

After getting Hawk on the medications needed for his condition, he was adopted out to a wonderful couple on April of 2014.

In November of 2014, though, he was returned to the rescue because

It was then that the Seattle Purebred Rescue was contacted.

After many conversations with the vet and rescue personnel, Hawk was transported to Seattle and placed with a foster family who ultimately fell in love with him and gave him his forever home.

APRIL/MAY, 2015

Spay the Momma

Working to End Over-Population

West Valley Humane Society in Caldwell has created a great program to spay female dogs and cats at no charge to their owners and find their offspring happy, forever homes.

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est Valley Humane Society, formerly Canyon County Animal Shelter, has been operating in its Caldwell location since 2001. The shelter helps between 3,000-4,000 animals per year with services that include adoption, reclaim, low cost public vaccine clinic and microchipping.

The shelter, with an adoption rate near 90%, partners with other area rescues and shelters in Idaho and surrounding states to save as many lives as possible. By networking, they are able to save more lives.

In 2014, WVHS adopted out 3,146 animals into new homes, reunited 1,113 animals with their owners

and sent to rescue 621 animals to partner organizations.

They currently have a roster of over 200 active volunteers, with more attending the volunteer orientations and training, every month! This means more socialization, more outside time and more one-on-one with their

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PAGE 13 animals, which in turn, makes those animals happier, more well adjusted family pets.

A highlighted shelter program is "Spay the Momma," developed to help end pet overpopulation right from that mother dog or cat and her current litter. Approximately 65-70% —and sometimes higher — of stray animals are unfixed females, some with litters.

With so many animals entering the shelter system this way and with a need for more low cost

cbboise.com

spay options in the Treasure Valley, 'Spay the Momma' was formed.

Owners that have a female dog or cat with a current litter can surrender the litter to WVHS where they will be fixed, vaccinated and chipped before being adopted out, and the owner will get that mother dog or cat fixed for FREE! Why surrender the litter? The adoption fees that are paid for the puppies and kittens help to keep this program free for owners to get the mother dogs fixed.

On average, a spay for a medium sized female canine can range from $300-$500. Some families and individuals are unable to afford this cost. Spay the Momma takes ALL cost out of spaying the female dog or cat, and other families get the opportunity to save lives by adopting the puppies or kittens.

For more information on the Spay the Momma program, call the shelter at 208-455-5920 or visit their website.

APRIL/MAY, 2015

Home's Best Friends

We Love Our Furry Family!

MIKEY

HERCULES SMORES

BOO

MILLIE CALLIE

BAYLEE

SUNSHINE

MAVERICK

SAMMY ZORRO'S MAI TAI

NUGGET

MIA COLDWELL BANKER TOMLINSON GROUP

MADDIE

TUFFY BLUE & SAM GUCCI

GEORGE

HOKE

MEEKO

SADIE PAISLEY cbboise.com

COCO

BAYLEE

PAGE 15

We were overwhelmed by the response when we put out the call to our agents and staff for photos of their pets. It's clear that at CBTG we understand there's nothing like coming home — especially when there's a furry friend or two waiting on the other side of the door!

APRIL/MAY, 2015

CHARLIE

GUNNER, ZOE, & BOSCO WINNIE & CHESTER

DAISY GIZMO

LUKE

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Get Out & Play!

Ways to Get Involved — Mark Your Calendars!

Meridian Valley Humane Society

Petco Mobile Adoptions First Saturdays, 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

Petco, 2210 N. Eagle Rd., Meridian meridianvalleyhumanesociety.org

Helping Hands Fun Run/Pet Fair Saturday, May 2, 9:30 a.m.- noon

Kleiner Park, 1900 Records Ave., Meridian Visit the CBTG booth & buy a raffle ticket to win a custom dog house by ParkCrest Homes!

Proceeds to Meridian Valley Humane Society www.idahohelpinghandfund.com

Family Fun Pet Expo Saturday, May 2, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Expo Idaho 5610 Glenwood, Boise ibleventsinc.com/events/family-pet-expo

"IDAHO GIVES" Day May 7, all day

idahogives.razoo.com

FREE Black Dog Walk - bring your pooch!

Sunday, May 10, 11:30 a.m.

Help bring awareness to the plight of black dogs in shelters, called Black Dog Syndrome Boise Ram, 709 E. Park Blvd.

Meet in east parking lot.

No registration needed.

Rattlesnake Avoidance Training Saturday, June 6, 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

Julia Davis Park, Boise; Appointment only Registration

Idaho Humane Society Lawn Party Thursday, July 16, evening

Gourmet dinner, silent & live auctions Information: 387-2760

Visit the CBTG booth & buy a raffle ticket to win a custom dog house built by our CEO! Proceeds to West Valley Humane Society

Canyon County Fair July 23-26

Pooch Party Stroll & Splash Saturday, August 29, 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Lakeview Park 1227 E. Orson F. Persons Ct., Nampa Benefitting Nampa Dog Park nampaparksandrecreation.org

See Spot Walk

Save the date! Saturday, October 3 Julia Davis Park Planning is currently underway. idahohumanesociety.org

PITIE cbboise.com

APRIL/MAY, 2015

Monthly Market Stats

Doggone Great News in Treasure Valley Real Estate

T

he first quarter of this year finished STRONG! We’re seeing two exciting trends in the Treasure Valley market right now.

later in the spring season (April, May, June). We’re optimistic that this is an indication of a higherthan-average number of sales for the second quarter ahead as well.

First, the sales activity is higher Fortunately, in order to help meet than typical for this early in the the demand, we’re seeing the usual spring. Additionally, the median seasonal increase in supply in Ada days-on-market from listing date County right now. Even with that to time of an accepted offer (and increased inventory, though, we still have subsequently to Sales activity posted last under 4 a closed sale) has month rivals most of the months drastically declined since just last month. peak months that we of supply the typically don’t see until later in market – Let’s talk about in the spring. indicating the first trend.

Ada County closed almost 800 a continued seller’s market for the residential sales in March, and near future. we haven’t seen that strong of a March in over 5 years. In fact, the The other interesting trend is that sales activity posted last month the median days-on-market is rivals most of the peak months very low right now in both Ada that we typically don’t see until and Canyon Counties. Well-priced

listings are selling quickly, and we’re seeing a higher-than-average percentage of cash transactions in the market right now. Since cash sales typically close faster than financed transactions, the total velocity of the market is very high.

Properties are selling quickly.

Clearly, we still need more inventory to meet the demand of our market right now. Who do you know that might be thinking of selling?

As always, real estate is most definitely local. Call or email to find out what all of this means for you in your own neighborhood.

COLDWELL BANKER TOMLINSON GROUP

$215,000

HOMES SOLD MARCH 2015*

MEDIAN SALES PRICE

22

Ada County

AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET

2,310 HOMES CURRENTLY ON MARKET*

* Numbers reflect year-over-year comparisons.

310

$133,000

HOMES SOLD MARCH 2015*

MEDIAN SALES PRICE

26 AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET cbboise.com

Canyon County

1,095 HOMES CURRENTLY ON MARKET*

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STUEY

D O W N T O W N B O I S E 343.3393 | M E R I D I A N 336.3393 | E A G L E 939.3363 | N A M PA 467.5 2 7 2