News from Heartland Animal Shelter
Kennel Chronicles Fall 2011 - Volume 1 - Edition 2
In this issue‌ Kennel Wish List 2 Safety Reminders 2 New Kennel Cards 3 Frosty Finds a Home! 2 Thank You 3 What’s New! 5 Emergency Procedures 3 Dog Walking Updates 6 Kennel Rules Refresher 4 Budet Program Updates Heartland Events 7 Canine Good Citizen #
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Kennel Wish List Pea Gravel
Wasn’t it wonderful when we got the new pea gravel last year? Suddenly our hands didn’t get mucky from the muddy ground and we could efficiently pick up dog poop? Okay, I may have been the only person reveling in it’s glory, but after months of getting kicked up by dogs and stuck to the poop we pick up, the pea gravel is thinning out. Stephanie suggested that volunteers look to web resources such as Craigslist for pea gravel postings. It could also help fill some of the pot holes in the parking lot.
Safety reminders Please do not use your cell phone while interacting with the animals. You are there for them; if you are using your phone, you’re not paying attention to the animals. This is a huge safety issue, so thank you to all the volunteers who leave their phones in their car or use their phones when they have finished their shift. Please do not allow the animals to interact unless specified to do so. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen two volunteers just chatting away while the dogs they are walking are sizing each other up. This is very dangerous, especially if the animal is sick and could spread disease. This also applies for being inside Heartland as well. If you have a dog on a leash, please either walk it or put it away if you feel like chatting.
Fencing Options
Have you ever noticed how the big dogs rush at the little dogs in that small, narrow hallway? We are currently exploring options to partially cover the lower portions of the big dog’s doors facing the little dog cages. More updates to come. We also would love to find someone who is experienced in fencing who could help fix our covered run’s gates. Both have gaps by the doors which may injure the dogs.
Frosty Finds a Home! After staying with us for over a year, Frosty finally found a home! Good luck Frosty! We miss you!
Kennel Chronicles is a quarterly newsletter for kennel volunteers at Heartland Animal Shelter. Opinions expressed in the articles are those of the writers & not necessarily that of Heartland. To submit an article or an idea, send an email to: paulakristine89@yahoo.com
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Thank yoU Our most recent thank you goes to Justin Karlin who recently held a garage sale to raise money for Heartland as part of his Bat Mitzvah project! Justin is just 12 years old and already knows how important it is to donate to worthy causes! The animals thank you for nobility. A lot of 12 year olds would have bought an MP3 player or a video game, but instead Justin used it to continue funding our efforts here at Heartland. Thanks!
Emergency Procedures Please be advised to stay tuned for an official Emergency Procedures Plan. Heartland staff is sill working hard to get the plan approved. This plan will help dog volunteers know what to do in several emergencies, such as a dog fight or a loose dog. Until the plan has been approved, please do not use the air horns yet, as proper usage has not been defined. Dog walkers are encouraged to use the whistle for indoor emergencies and the bell on the tree for outdoor emergencies. Please do everything you can so that these emergencies do not happen. Although these accidents do happen, it’s up to all of us to keep everyone safe.
Kennel Card Update It was discussed at the last meeting that there should be newer, easier to read kennel cards. With help from the Sign and Safety committee as well as several Heartland staff and board members, the new signs are now in use. While it was very easy for the shelter to print out the Pet Point database cards, it was very confusing to many readers who could not decode all the information presented. The new cards feature: • Larger, easier to read font • Simplified information • Larger picture to help walkers identify the proper cage for each animal • A permanent place to list if the dog has any safety concerns, dietary restrictions and other information • Provides answers to many frequently asked questions about the animal
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Kennel Rules Refresher I know most volunteers may skip this article because they think they know all the rules at Heartland. This article is to help you communicate the rules to the visitors. Our rules have not changed, but we need help reinforcing them. That means every single one of you reading this has an duty. These rules help keep the people and animals safe. The Sign & Safety committee, along with Heartland’s board and staff, came up with four simple rules we would love everyone to remind visitors:
DO NOT TOUCH!
This helps people to be safe and prevents spread of disease.
Wash your hands!
This helps our animals stay healthy and prevents spread of disease.
ASK for assistance!
This creates space for a informative dialogue about the animal.
Supervise your kids!
This helps all of our visitors to stay safe and remain orderly.
What’s New! We would love to extend our thanks to the many members of our dog care committee who make all these wonderful changes possible. For this edition of “What’s New!” we’d like to say thank you to the volunteers and staff who donated the following items: Kennel Mirrors Run Latches Whiteboard Space for Volunteers (Thanks Izzy for the pictures!)
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Dog Walking Updates Without accusing anyone, we have realized that our sticker system (for what size dog people can walk) has not really been enforced the way it should. It’s easy when there’s so much to do to walk a bigger dog than you’re allowed, just to make sure the animal goes out for the day. The Sign & Safety committee is preparing a test for all dog walkers to take if they are interested in walking the big dogs. This test will be based on things that dog walkers should already know, so there should be no anxiety. It will be based on our own rules here at Heartland, dog body language, and other pertinent information. The Sign & Safety committee is working on preparing the test, and also may provide study sessions for volunteers who wish to take the test. Dog walkers must pass this test in order to walk the big dogs. There is no limit to the amount of times you take the test. The Sign & Safety committee is also looking into creating “Shift Managers” – senior volunteers that new volunteers could go to for questions. This will help Tom, Christy, and Angelique perform their jobs more effectively. The Shift Managers will be assigned soon. All Shift Managers will be part of the Dog Care Committee.
Budet Updates How to be a Budet The last edition of Kennel Chronicles briefly explained a new program we were starting at Heartland. I’ve heard that more people are interested in becoming Budets, but were unsure about how to start. Simply let Christy, Lisa or Angelique know. If you have questions about the program, they would be more than happy to answer them! “What’s wrong with this dog?” A dog doesn’t need anything “wrong” with it to be in the Budet program. Simply having a Budet allows a dog to form an intimate bond with one person who dedicates their time to learning about the dog. If you are interested in being a Budet, please choose a dog you would like to donate your time to. Budet Stickers Volunteer Paula Burgeson is currently working on stickers for the dogs who are part of the Budet program. These stickers will help us identify which volunteers are part of the Budet program. Now that the kennel cards have a space to say if they’re part of the Budet program, it would be nice if we had a way to identify the volunteers who put in their time. Budet info in Dog’s Folders In case you are wondering where all that info that a Budet knows about their dog goeswell, it all goes into the dog’s folder. This way, a potential adopter could see notes about the dog as we review their medical history. This is a secure place where only really interested adopters could see the information. Bios will still be written and hung on the dog’s cage, or posted above their run.
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Canine Good Citizen The dogs at Heartland may be embarking on another new adventure. After the success of the Budet program, the Sign & Safety committee decided that long term Heartland dogs be tested using the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test. This test would allow dogs who have been at Heartland for 6 months or more be trained to take the CGC test. The reason this is important is that it would show potential adopters that the long term dogs at Heartland have simply been overlooked. The CGC tests a dog on basic obedience with the following challenges: 1. Accepting of a friendly stranger 2. Allowing that friendly stranger to pet them 3. Being brushed and examined (to simulate going to a groomer’s or vet’s office) 4. Walking on a loose leash 5. Walking through a crowd 6. Sit, down and stay 7. Come 8. Reaction to another dog 9. Reaction to a distraction 10. Supervised separation (to ensure that the animal has good manners around other people). The training would be done by Heartland volunteers in their own time, or during Heartland’s obedience classes. Once a dog was ready to test, they’d get a sign put on their cage that said “I’ve completed my training”. This would generate interest in the dog, and hopefully lead to it’s adoption. The new owners would be the one to walk the dog through it’s test (since an actual owner must be the one to test the dog). Stay tuned for more updates!
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Heartland Events HOGS FOR DOGS = THANK YOU! Contributed by: Lisa Dister Thank you to everyone who helped to make Hogs for Dogs, and Kitties too a success! A BIG Thank you goes out to Debbie and Jim McHugh and the rest of the fundraising committee! There were approximately 50 motorcycles that came out for the event, with several attendees opting for covered 4 wheel vehicles. All in all, we had approximately 95 people in attendance at Hogs For Dogs this year with several bringing food for the animals as donations from our wish list. This year's ride was a tribute to our fallen biker brother, Mo Feinblatt who was a long time supporter of Hogs for Dogs and Heartland events. A BIG thank you also goes out to the band "Rustbucket". We really appreciate everyone and their support!
GOLDEN PAW GALA – THANK YOU! Another year, another success! Thank you to all who attended the 2011 Golden Paw Gala! There were over 100 people in attendance, making it our largest fundraiser of the year. We’d like to thank Jeff & Michelle D. who donated so much of their time to make the event run so smoothly. We can’t wait until next year!