Kennel Chronicles by Heartland Animal Shelter

News from Heartland Animal Shelter

Kennel Chronicles Fall 2012 - Volume 2 - Edition 3

LAST HUGS FOR IZZY! www.issuu.com/heartlandanimalshelter

www.heartlandanimalshelter.net

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

for these fun upcoming events Decade of Love

Date: October 20th Time: 2-4pm Location: Heartland Animal Shelter Description: Help us celebrate 10 years of saving lives by coming to our Decade of Love Open House! During this event, you can see all the beautiful tiles donated and created by volunteers that will line the entry way of Heartland!

Date: November 10 Time: 7pm Location: Crowne Plaza Hotel Description: The Golden Paw Gala is the northern suburbs best pet-friendly gala! Attendees will enjoy appetizer and dessert stations, a large silent auction and the always entertaining antics of the Pet Pageant & Photo Contest finale â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Golden Paw and Acat-emy Awards! Dogs in attendance will enjoy the Pampered Pooch Parlor with many attractions just for the discriminating canine. Arrive early, starting at six-thirty p.m. and enjoy music by Heartland supporters, JC Skeen and get a pre-view of the silent auction!

Table of contents IN THIS ISSUE

Selflessness Defined → 1 Waking up from Surgery → 2 Food Aggression → 3 Walk of Love recap→ 4 Letter from the Editor → 5 Dog Care Committee Updates → 6 Signage Updates → 6 Hybrid Vigor → 7 Blue Card Updates → 10 Kennel Cough → 12 Hogs for Dogs → 13 Volunteer Training Updates → 14 Spooky Pooch Parade → 14 Goodie Bags → 15 Art Show Recap → 15 Seasonal Health Tip → Back Cover

REGULAR COLUMNS

Coming Soon → 9 What’s New → 9 Around the Kennel → 11 Thank You → 15 Pup Personals → 16

GOING HOME

Bill’s Going Home story is on Back Cover

CONTRIBUTORS WRITING: Paula Burgeson (V), Julie Goodman (V), Lisa Dister (S) / PHOTOGRAPHY: Paula Burgeson (V), Jeff Deutch & Michelle Voss (V), Microsoft Clip Art, and many other volunteers! INFORMATION AND STORY IDEAS: Chris (S), Lisa (S) Dog Care Committee (Volunteers are labeled with a V, Staff labeled with an S)

Selflessness Defined One of Izzy’s favorite things to remind me is my doubts I had about her. I remember last winter how a young, blonde girl came in with sheer enthusiasm for animals. I had no idea what her work ethic was, so when I asked how often she was going to volunteer, I nearly fell over laughing when she told me “every day.” I mumbled, “We’ll see how long that lasts!” Obviously bitter over losing volunteers that were great help before, I didn’t want to set my hopes on young blood. They get boyfriends, have homework. They have sporting events to go to; they go to the mall. They certainly don’t

come to an animal shelter on such regularlity. I remember when I started at Heartland, I wanted to come everyday. The key word was wanted; I didn’t think anyone actually could. But Izzy did. She got over 1,000 volunteer hours at Heartland, while still going to high school and doing a lot of volunteer work with her

church as well. Sometimes, Izzy would get as little as three hours of sleep so she could complete her homework. She also completed her internship at Preiser’s animal hospital and hopes to study exotic animal medicine. Anyone who met Izzy knew she has a natural ability with animals. This was

evident with the first dog she really helped: Angel, a scared terrier mix, who didn’t want to come out of her shell for just anyone. Izzy helped her relax and adjust to life in a shelter. Izzy’s great contribution to the shelter may never be matched by one individual alone. Her photographs alone helped many animals find their forever homes. She does plan to continue to volunteer when she has time, so you may see her around the shelter. All of us here at Heartland want to thank Izzy for her tremendous amount of help! There is no one like you!

Izzy Du Toit is currently studying at Bradley University. She is roommates with volunteer Sara.

WAKING UP FROM It’s not often a dog or cat bounces back from surgery as soon as it wakes up. It can take time for the animal to recover and heal, so the Dog Care Committee wants to inform you on some normal signs of post operation that many animals can exhibit. This way, when an animal has a sign that says they have been neutered or spayed recently you can know what is expected for the first few hours. You can also educate visitors about the healing process so that everyone is on the same page for the animal’s post operation progress.

ENERGY The first 24 hours after surgery will be the hardest as the animal will still have anesthesia in their system

Although the animal may seem to be bounding with energy days after, it’s good if they can rest for 7 to 10 days with minor activity Dogs may be very lethargic and put themselves in dangerous situations (sleeping on the edge of a bed) without realizing the risks

SAFETY Whatever you do, don’t try to clean the incision yourself!! If you see discharge, abnormal swelling or other signs of infection let staff know!! Try to keep the incision site dry and clean. Stay out of puddles and if you notice a dog licking their stitches, inform a staff member!! No matter how routine a surgery is, every animal takes it differently. If you notice anything abnormal, see staff.

APPETITE Count on the dogs to be thirsty; provide plenty of fresh water as soon as the operation is over, and keep replenishing it, but keep in mind too much water may make a dog throw up Small amounts of food may be left out, but the dog may not be hungry. This is normal; do not force them to eat

Do not put out a normal amount of food after surgery; let them slowly eat a over a long period of time

http://www.ehow.com/how_2308865_care-dog-after-surgery.html http://dogsnsw.org.au/resources/dogs-nsw-magazine/articles/health/213-tlcpost-operative-care-made-easy.html

In the last edition of the Chronicles readers found out about dog bites and the correlation to neutering. In this issue, let’s examine another common behavior problem of shelter dogs: food aggression. Growing up, we learned not to bother an animal while it was eating. The common thought was “you wouldn’t like someone poking at you while you’re enjoying a meal, would you?” But some dogs take it to the extreme, snarling and snapping if you even get close to them while they eat. The common thought is: what’s wrong with them? When a dog thinks you may be a threat to their food, they may show several signs. It’s important to know them because not every dog will react the same. Some dogs may “hover” over their food, while others may full-out try to attack you. If you see a dog bow it’s head over its food while it’s looking at you, back away as this is the dog’s first warning sign. Why do they do this? There are many reasons. The dog may have been starved and not know when it is going to eat again. The dog may see you as a threat. The dog may think that they are alpha (in a pack, alphas eat first). The dog may not realize it is being aggressive. You may be giving it such good food, it feels like they need to protect it (this is common with treats). You may be feeding it in an area where it feels crowded, and is simply asking you to back off so it has room to eat. Remember that many times aggression is linked to stress and anxiety. If the dog feels that it may not eat again, they will do everything they can to protect what is rightfully theirs. If they feel that there are too many dogs in the area, they will feel that this is the only opportunity they have to eat. Some trainers suggest that food aggression is too dangerous to deal with on your own and that if you just want to feed your dog in a closed room, that works fine. From personal experience with my own dog, once Logan knew that she was going to be fed on a regular basis, her hovering drastically diminished. Other trainers suggest hand feeding, so the dog knows that you can be trusted. Another technique is to give a dog an empty bowl until it trusts you to come into its space to take it away. This also will make the dog beg for food and it will see you as a provider; not a threat anymore. http://www.dog-obedience-training-review.com/dog-food-aggression.html http://veterinarymedicine.dvm360.com/vetmed/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=418393

Thank you to everyone who helped to support Heartland in our Walk of Love and 10K for K9's! You helped to make this once again a huge success and allow us to continue our mission of rescuing so many homeless animals out there today. A special thank you to Michelle Voss, Jeff Deutch, and the rest of the fundraising committee for all your hard work and making it all come together! Everyone at Heartland and the animals thank you!

Letter from the Editor

Showing a Shelter Dog: It can be done!

Hi Heartland Volunteers, I just wanted to let you know that I have done the “impossible” and finally showed my two Heartland alumni. Before you think that they accomplished a lot, let me just tell you that they tied for last place in their individual event and got last place in their pairs event as well. It wasn’t necessarily a landslide, though, with 3 points off fourth place in individual events (out of 100) and 8 points off second place in their pairs event (out of 200). But I want to tell you about how much fun I had. I’ve wanted to show dogs ever since I was little, and if it’s something you’re interested in – DO IT. I kept telling people “these dogs will never show” but over time, I realized they had potential. We competed in a sport known as “rally.” If you haven’t heard of it, google it! The first level only requires your dog to be able to sit and lie down. Rally is a sport in which there are about a dozen signs placed in a show ring, with a predetermined path, and once you approach the sign, you do what it says. It can be anything from “Turn 90 degrees to your right” to “Sit your dog, down your dog.” Your dog starts with 100 points for individual runs and 200 points for pairs (one handler, two dogs!) and points are deducted for errors during the run. Like I said, I swore I would never do this; that I didn’t have enough time to prepare. But it’s not as hard as I imagined – though obviously I didn’t win, so I still have a lot to learn. As one of my training colleagues said: All you can lose in the entry fee.

Paula Burgeson

Saying goodbye to a shelter dog FROM EXAMINER.COM

I have been volunteering at Heartland for five years. There have been literally thousands of dogs I’ve witnessed go home. But there have been three that have stolen my heart over the years, and they weren’t even the dogs I’ve adopted. Last night one of them went home. Kusch came to the shelter severely overweight and under exercised. He had a hard time walking, sitting down, and doing much of anything. As our trainer said, he had “down” covered because it was the only thing he liked doing. The shelter did a great job of putting him on a diet and giving him plenty of exercise. Last night I saw he had an “Adoption Pending” sign on his run. I had mixed feelings: this would be the third family to lay a claim on him, and I had someone in mind to adopt him. But he needed to get out of the shelter. He was older, about five years, and too much excitement would stress him out. He needed a quiet home with a giant dog bed. I took Kusch out for the last time and he seemed to know he was going home. He was, for the first time, bouncing around, grinning from one pointed ear to the other, and looked finally like a happy, healthy dog. The night rolled on, and one of the staff members announced that Kusch’s family was here to pick him up. My heart sunk. I didn’t know it would be so soon. I walked over to his cage holding back tears and gave him a treat. I told him he was going to be so happy. He wagged appreciatively, like he was saying “Thanks for all the walks, thanks for bringing me to training classes, thanks for believing I could be a good dog.” I didn’t want to see who was taking him home. But as the staff led him to the adoption room, I couldn’t hold it anymore and followed them. The woman who was adopting him squeezed my arm and said “I remember you! Thank you for introducing us to him!” In reality, I couldn’t even remember her. I see so many people every week at the shelter and I’ve been overwhelmed with work. But I smiled appreciatively when she said “I’m sorry for taking him away from you; I know you really loved him. But I promise I’ll take good care of him. And I’ll keep you updated.” So after all the paperwork was complete, I handed the leash over to her husband and watched them walk out of my life into a more promising future for Kusch. I wish them luck and happiness. I don’t have many favorites, but it’s always nice when they get to go home.

Hybrid vigor This article is based on conflicting resources. You are allowed and encouraged to form your own opinion after reading the sources provided at the next page.

Many times someone walks into the shelter, points at a dog and says, “What breed(s) do you think are in this dog?” It can be hard identifying breeds, and a study shows that “breed identifications based upon visual 1 examination” are generally wrong. However, we can know that about 75% of our animals in the shelter are mixed 2 breeds . It can be hard to convince some people that a mixed breed is a good way to go, but hopefully you will have a new vocab word to help convince them. “Hybrid vigor” or heterosis is “based on the notion that genetic diversity increases the health (or fitness) and survival of an 3 organism.” In plain English, it means that when two things are

mixed, and the offspring is healthier than the parents, hybrid vigor occurs. The reverse is also true; if the offspring ends up sicker than the parents, “outbreeding depression” 3-1 occurs. There are scientists who believe that hybrid vigor only can occur when two different species create an offspring, like a lion and a tiger4 but the general consensus is that two breeds is all that it takes to create heterosis. This is due to the fact that the term is used on studies of people who have two different blood lines, but does not

necessarily mean that they are different 5 species . The idea is that if you have two different breeds, you can potentially lessen the probability of certain diseases. With a mixed breed dog, you have at least two different bloodlines, which means the genetic background has a greater variety. There are purebred owners who believe this happens in their own dogs as well. By mixing two different bloodlines (despite being the same breed), they are lessening the chance for hereditary disease. The truth is, though, that a Labrador Retriever mixed with another Labrador Retriever, regardless of the bloodlines, may always carry some risk of hip dysplasia. However, true hybrid

vigor is not the breeding of two purebreds of the same breed. “The opposite of a hybrid is a purebred. A purebred is a result of breeding two organisms that have the similar genetic material.” 3-2 Essentially, by having a mixed breed dog, it can lessen the potential of inheriting a certain disease, as many of these hereditary illnesses are caused by two recessive genes. For example, my dog (Logan, pictured bottom right) was genetically verified as a Labrador mixed with an Australian Shepherd. The odds of an Aussie carrying the recessive gene for hip dysplasia is rare, therefore there would not be two recessive genes for hip dysplasia because only one of her parents could have been a carrier 6. However, this does

Dale

not rule out the chance that she could get some day. In all reality, now she could have diseases that a Lab and an Aussie could have. But the odds of her inheriting bad genes from both sides are slim. Although this is still a hypothesis, “an organism that descends from different genetic backgrounds will have fewer harmful recessive genes.” 3-3 So, while the science world debates about whether mutts are healthier than purebreds, you can inform potential adopters that because a mixed breed carries less of the same genetic background material, it has lesser odds of hereditary diseases. As stated previously, please form your own opinion about the material provided. Sources are listed to the right.

Levih

Sources: Citations have been abbreviated to the title of the article and URL of the source due to limited space in the Chronicles. If you’re interested in this topic, there is much more information out there. 1. National Canine Research Council. http://nationalcanineresearchc ouncil.com/uploaded_files/tiny mce/Dog%20Breed%20Identific ation%20is%20No%20Basis%20fo r%20Shelter%20Policy.pdf

2. The Humane Society of the United States. http://www.humanesociety.org /issues/pet_overpopulation/fac ts/overpopulation_estimates.ht ml

3. Rebecca’s Natural Food http://www.rebeccasnaturalfo od.com/ns/DisplayMonograph. asp?StoreID=D43E02C520184EE DB5666E0988873F0F&DocID=ge nomic-heterosis

4. The Myth of Hybrid Vigor in Dogs by Karen Peak. http://home.comcast.net/~NoP uppyMillsVA/Poodogs___Designer_Mutts/Hybrid_ Vigor/hybrid_vigor.html

5. Evidence of heterosis in man. http://www.ncbi.nlm. nih.gov/pubmed/1326680

6. Purebred dogs and genetic diseases http:// www.eurolupa.org/index.php? option=com_content&view=arti cle&id=14&Itemid=15&lang=en

Logan

Dog of the Month sign! The Dog Care Committee is currently working on “Dog of the Month” signs to promote our less adoptable pets. Our first campaign will focus on Hilton, and his sign will remain up during October or until he is adopted. Dogs will be considered on a need basis, and on how long they’ve been at Heartland. If you would like to nominate a dog of the month, email staff member Lisa!

General Signage We currently are working on making all of our signs more clear with their messages and their audience. We are also working on trying out different colors so that the message can be understood from several feet away just by understanding the color coding. Stay tuned for updates!

Training Hall curtains The training hall will get some nice curtains, hopefully that will block out some light and keep the heat in. During the winter, the hall can be drafty and these curtains should help keep visitors and trainers warmer. Thanks to volunteers Allyson and Julie for taking on this much needed project! Happy Adoptions Bulletin Board It can be hard to lose sight of a goal, which is why we’re posting a happy adoptions bulletin board in our training hall. This will remind new volunteers who are completing their required classes why we do what we do. Training the dog makes for an easier adoption, and we want to remind volunteers that their efforts will pay off in the long run. This will also show outside people who come to our training classes that our dogs can be adopted out as happy, well-adjusted companions!

What’s New!

The Dog Care Committee takes time and effort, and we realize not everyone can commit. There are still people who want to be involved, though, and that’s why the committee has come up with the idea of having ad hoc projects. This way you could help improve the shelter without having to donate so much of your time. As projects come up, staff member Lisa will let you know via the weekly email that there is a project that needs volunteers. If a project interests you, Lisa will let the committee know and we can help get you started for that specific project. Thank you again for your interests and we hope you can help!

UPDATE 1: SICK DOGS GO LAST!

UPDATE 2: RUN SPACE FOR SICK DOGS

UPDATE 3:

UPDATE 4: WALKING AREAS

We cannot stress this enough and this message doesn’t seem to get to everyone. For the health of all the animals at Heartland, please walk the dogs with the contagious blue signs last. There are some dogs that have blue signs to show they’re recovering from surgery, which do not classify as “sick.” We are working on changing the post op signs to a different color to differentiate the “sick” from the “healthy” animals. Please read the blue sign to know if they are sick or just came out of surgery.

CONTAGIOUS PERIOD DEFINED Most dogs are contagious for 5 days. When looking at a blue card, check how long the dog has been declared “sick.” The cards should have a date that the first medication was given, and you can add five days to that. Blue cards are only to be taken down by staff, so even if a dog is now entering the “healthy” period, inform a staff member accordingly.

It’s important for sick animals to get fresh air! If you want to leave the dogs outside for a little bit, the small kennels located on the south side of the yard will be designated for sick animals. Healthy animals can still go in them before the sick ones, but once the sick dogs go in, please don’t use the runs again that night. An easy way to remember that those are the “blue card cages” is the blue tarp over the covered run. We will add more signage soon, but please be aware of this dog walking update.

Blue card dogs used to be confined to the front yard. Staff member Christy has now said that sick dogs can be walked anywhere as long as they’re walked last. The period between walking dogs in the morning and the evening is long enough that anything contagious is neutralized by outdoor elements, like UV rays from the sun. Remember, the sick dog should be the only one on the field, so if someone is still walking healthy dogs, wait your turn. This keeps everyone safe and healthy!

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Around the Kennel

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Thank you to all the volunteers who have helped with the projects pictured above: Kennel Rules both on the door and by the window, the great dog house sign holders and the nice covering for our work table. Thanks!!

Doctor’s Notes:

KENNEL COUGH Cold and flu season is fast approaching. Not only for people, but for dogs as well. If you’ve been around Heartland for more than a year, you know that fall and winter are when our kennel cough cases increase. Here are some quick facts that will help you better understand it. • What is it? A highly contagious respiratory disease among dogs. It can be viral or bacterial, and is similar to human bronchitis. Medically it is often known as “Bordatella” • How does a dog get it? Medically: they inhale the bacteria. In layman’s terms this is because they are in a crowded or poorly ventilated area (which is why it is commonly referred to as “Kennel” cough), cold temperatures, excessive polluted air, or stress. Dogs, like people, can get this from sharing a drink with a sick colleague. • What are the symptoms? The most defining characteristic of kennel cough is dogs who, when they cough, sound like honking geese. The dog may retch, have a runny nose, and in some cases may have a fever or lack of appetite. Commonly the dogs will cough up white, foamy phlegm especially after exercising. • What is the treatment? If you see this in any Heartland animal, let staff know immediately. While not deadly, it is very contagious. Most cases could clear up on their own in a few weeks time, but it’s better to give them medicine. Like humans, common treatment is an antibiotic and/or cough suppressants. Humidifiers may be used. • What can I do as a volunteer? Understand the dog is not feeling his best. If you walk them (and remember to do it last!) make sure it’s a short walk, and if available, use a harness instead of a collar. This takes the pressure off the dog’s throat, and will help ease the cough afterwards. • When it is serious? Kennel cough should only last two or three weeks without medication. If it seems to be going on for longer than that, let staff know. If the dog seems to be running a fever, let a staff know. Sometimes kennel cough can turn into pneumonia and needs it will need immediate treatment. Thanks for keeping all the animals at Heartland happy and healthy! www.kennelcoughhelp.com www.pets.webmd.com/dogs/kennel-cough-in-dogs www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/dog-care-kennel-cough.aspx www.petmd.com/dog

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Of Mutts & Motorcycles THE HISTORY OF HOGS FOR DOGS

Animals attract all kinds of people. Whether they are bakers, web designers, or avid movie goers, the best part about Heartland is the diversity of the volunteers. This is no different for Jim and Debbie McHugh. What do they do outside of Heartland? Ride Harleys. Years ago, Jim and Debbie, who already had other dogs at home cared for a set of Weimeraner puppies at Heartland. “Jim immediately fell for [one],” Debbie recounts. After a meet and greet with the dogs in the McHugh household, the puppy, now named Harley, was going home. But still the McHughs felt they hadn’t done enough. Volunteering and adopting a puppy just didn’t cut it for them. Like many Heartland volunteers, they wanted to do more. Combining their love of animals and their love of motorcycles, in 2007 they held the first “Hogs for Dogs” event. Is it a “strange” combination for tough, leather jacket wearing men and women to come together for cute kittens and playful puppies? Not at all. Debbie explains, “Motorcycle riders send much of their time riding for charities because it gives them a place to ride and join a group of friends while supporting a charity.” Harley, of course, became the “spokesdog” for the event. In fact, that is a caricature of him riding the motorcycle (in reality, though, he hates the sound). After weeks of passing out fliers Hogs for Dogs 2007 officially began with nearly 100 bikes entered! The event raised over $3,000! The bikes rode for 60 miles and ended with an after party at Side-Outs Bar & Grill which generously donates food to the riders of the event. Although it does not seem like a conventional fundraiser, it alerts a whole new demographic to the mission of adoption. We are so proud of the McHugh family and their great idea for such a fun fundraiser!

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Volunteer Training Updates

First of all, the Dog Care Committee would like to thank everyone for their help taking care of the dogs! We have realized, though, that some people may need a couple reminders on some tasks around the kennel. We have decided that, for the interest and safety of our dogs, our volunteers participate in a quarterly feedback questionnaire. These questions will have one right answer, but getting the wrong answer will not affect your dog walking status. It will simply show the Dog Care Committee where we have to place more emphasis on during volunteer training. The questions will be based on things we do every day around the kennel and there should be no surprises. However, we completely understand if you’ve forgotten something or need more help! That’s what we’re here to do. Here are some tips to get you started; the first feedback questionnaire will be out in November. Start studying the signs around the kennel. What temperature water do we give dogs regardless of season? What dogs need to go out last? Where can you find the list of housebroken dogs? These are all questions that you should see the answer to every time you’re in the kennel. Ask another volunteer if you’ve forgotten something that you think may be asked. Heartland is very proud of the community we have amongst the volunteers, so it is encouraged that you pool your knowledge with someone else. The questionnaires will be located by the sign in binder. They will be multiple choice. The Dog Care Committee will review the questionnaires and inform the staff if there are any points we feel need to be explained better in orientation. Remember, this will not affect your status at Heartland. The questionnaires are mandatory for all volunteers, but prizes will be awarded. Sometimes the prize will be first questionnaire returned, some will be random draw, some will be for the most answers right. Prizes may include a tee shirt or naming rights of a litter. Again, we thank you for your time and effort!

Ever wish you could do something with your dog for Howl-o-ween? Do you dress them up but have nowhere to go? Want your dog to have more positive social experiences? Well, every year the Chicago Botanic Gardens hosts the Spooky Pooch Parade! This is a great experience to spread the word about Heartland and adoption! You can also meet several other local dogs dressed up in great costumes. So come join us October 20th at 11am! Tickets (per dog) are $14 in advanced and $17 at the door.

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Volunteer Julie and Allyson have had whopping success with their reusable nylon tote bag fundraiser. Several weekend days in summer they sat outside Trader Joes, one of our Walk of Love sponsors, with environmentally friendly grocery bags with our Heartland logo on it! In one weekend, they received more than $500 dollars in donations! To put things in perspective, the bags “sell” for only $5 dollars each, as a suggested donation. Thank you to Julie and Allyson for all their hard work and dedication to the shelter! And a big thank you goes to Trader Joe’s of Glenview for always supporting Heartland Animal Shelter!

A big thank you to everyone who came out to see Heartland’s very first art exhibit, “The Portrait of the American Shelter Pet!” From photography to poetry to paintings, many mediums were covered in this gallery-style exhibition of Heartland art. Thank you to everyone who submitted nearly 100 pieces of art! The Burgeson family had a great time holding this event and wants to extend their thanks to Glenview Public Library for letting us have the space for free! Panels left over from the show may be displayed at other upcoming events! Stay tuned!

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This edition’s thank you goes out to two volunteer’s husbands who have helped Heartland maintain a great look! Volunteer Kathleen’s husband did a great job cutting the grass. This keeps the appearance of the shelter up! We also would like to thank volunteer Elaine’s husband for doing a considerable amount of yard work around the shelter. He has taken care of the branches that were cut down last year, which could potentially have become a hiding spot for dangerous animals. He also took care of cutting the metal bolts that stuck out of wood used to keep the pea gravel in on the outside runs. These were a huge tripping hazard! So thank you to both husbands for putting in such good work!

“Hi everybody, I’m Choco. You may have seen me at my previous address, in a cage over with the small dogs, but like the Jeffersons, I have moved up to a deluxe kennel on the other side. I can’t tell you how nice it is to have some space, ‘cause I have a lot of energy! I love my new spacious digs, don’t get me wrong, but it doesn’t have an outdoor patio and I love being outside. I’d love to go on a jog with you and then we could stop and smell the roses (pea gravel/grass/fallen branches) together. I’m not a real “dogs dog” at the moment, but maybe if I went to training class some time I could learn to make a non-human friend or two. I just need someone like you to help me try new things, like socializing or Mediterranean cuisine! Can we make a date? Choco

BILL

It took several months for Bill to find his forever home. The small, black lab mix waited patiently as he was moved from cage to cage hoping to catch someone’s eye. Finally it happened when he was moved to Kennel #1. Bill was a happy-go-lucky dog that hardly felt the realities of being in a shelter. Each walk he savored, every extra pat he cherished, but at the end of the day, he was still the same old Billy boy, grinning from ear to ear. Bill’s adoption is a reminder that they all may find perfect homes someday. All good things come to those who wait, and we couldn’t be happier for Bill. Thank you to all of you who helped walk, feed and take care of him for so long. This is why we do what we do!

Seasonal Health Tip!

http://www.snopes.com/food/ warnings/apples.asp

An apple is a delicious and healthy snack for people, but did you know that apple seeds contain cyanide? Many people think that the seeds contain arsenic, but that is false. However, cyanide can be just as deadly. This is important if your dog likes to eat apples as snacks. Remembering to slice the apple before letting the dog have some may just save his life. For people, the risk is not as great because we are larger mammals. For dogs, it’s a cautionary warning because they do not have the ability to grind the seeds down (they lack molars) so they are not able to release the cyanide in the seed. Think of how bears eat apples and can redistribute the seeds naturally. Still make sure your dog does not digest these as there may always be risk involved.