News from Heartland Animal Shelter
Kennel Chronicles Spring 2012 - Volume 2 - Edition 1
See her update on page 7!
What’s New 2 Thank you! 2 Fundraising 2 Coming Soon 3 Help Wanted 3 10 Years!! 4
In this issue‌ New Card Holders 4 Lectures on DVD! 4 Recent Adoptions 5 New Dog Levels 5 Return Reasons 5 Buddy Program 6
Dog Personals 6 Personals Cont. 7 Testimonials 7 Visitor Updates 8 Accomplishments
Contributors 8
8
What’s New The fence slats in the middle kennels help create a barrier between the small dogs’ cages and the large dogs’ runs. Thanks to volunteer Laurie T. for donating and installing these very much needed panels. So far they have been very effective, but if you see a dog chewing on one, please notify a staff member immediately as they are not safe to eat.
Thank you!! Woof, Meow..... all the animals would like to "shake your paw" in helping a little over 800 of their furry friends find homes in 2011! Thanks to all the volunteers that helped each animal get into their “fur”-ever home! It’s been a great year and we’re looking forward to helping even more animals find loving families! Even if you’re just a small dog walker, or someone that cleans kennels, everyone is so important to each dog going home.
Fundraising Food, fun, and helping our homeless animals, who could ask for more? A BIG Heartland thank you goes out to everyone who helped to support our Noodles and Co. fundraiser. We ate our way into raising over $300 for our animals here at Heartland. A big thank you goes to everyone who attended the beer and wine tasting! This event raised almost $400 for Heartland! Also, thanks to everyone who recently attended Bow Wow Bowling! Another year, another success! We hope everyone had a great time and we’ll look forward to next year! Lastly, stay tuned for upcoming events such as the Noodles & Co and Dairy Queen food drives in April!
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
2
Coming soon Dog Evaluations
Evacuation Plan
Breed Cards
Chris Rivera, Heartland dog staff, is now working on an evaluation system that would evaluate all incoming dogs for their temperament and their behavior. This test will be used currently only for returned dogs (as a trial run), but may grow into a process for all new incoming dogs. A short summary of each dog’s evaluation will be put in their folder.
One of our volunteers is currently working on an evacuation plan for the shelter. This will help us in a range of emergencies, including fires. Once this plan is approved, you will see a short, summarized version here in Kennel Chronicles. Stay tuned for this plan as you never know when something could happen and you’ll want to be prepared.
Chris Norris, one of our volunteers, is working on creating breed cards for each of our incoming dogs. This will help our volunteers and potential adopters know more about the dogs, by providing characteristics about the breeds. Examples include the informational card about hounds that was placed by Ozzie’s cage.
Help Wanted
If you’ve been at Heartland for awhile, you know that spring and summer are very busy times. We are always looking for new volunteers or for volunteers to expand their duties. If you know someone that would be interested in volunteering, please let Lisa know. Some of the positions that are currently open or that we need more help in are listed to the right. There are plenty of opportunities for everyone! And if you have any ideas about how you can lend your talents in a position not listed here, please contact Lisa Dister at lisa@heartlandanimalshelter.net. Thank you for all your help!
Gardening/LandscapingWe are currently looking into creating mulch areas as potty zones for older dogs who may need a soft spot, or for housebroken dogs that are trained to go in one spot. General HandiworkCurrently, the mop area by kennel exit needs a little work to hang more hooks so that people do not trip over falling handles of brooms and mops while walking dogs. Dog walkingWith the school year coming to an end, many of our great high school helpers will have their commitments for volunteer work met and that will leave a big gap in our dog walker arsenal. If you do not currently walk dogs but help in the kennel, talk to Lisa about adding this task to your responsibilities. All other positions need help, too!
3
Round of Ap-paws! 10th
This year is Heartland’s anniversary! I know I can’t speak for everyone but I can’t imagine my life without Heartland. Walking dogs on Friday nights is the one thing I look forward to and it’s my motivation to get through the week. I’ve enjoyed learning more about the animals we help every day, and I can tell you the few times I’ve cried when one of my “favorites” got adopted. I’ve adopted two great dogs from Heartland and I’m sure in years to come, I’ll adopt many more. So here’s to Heartland’s years of success. Here’s to the next ten years, and the next ten years after; until they all have a home!
New Card Holders Coming
Thanks to volunteer Julie for designing such cute kennel card holders. We are still working on creating a sample one just to try out and see how it goes, but the new card holders will withstand the water that inevitably splashes the cards better, it will possibly have cubbies for holding appropriate treats, and have space for the right The possible design size choke chain and breed information cards. While the plastic card holders were nice, the main complaint was the open sides which water would get in and splash the card. While Izzy has done a great job printing new cards every few weeks (much better than I was doing) we still don’t want to be wasteful of paper. The new design will hopefully be toploading, which should prevent the water damage. Stay tuned for updates!
Sickness & Safety lectures available on DVD Thank you to all the speakers we’ve had recently at Heartland Animal Shelter! These events help our volunteers stay up to date about current safety issues that we all should be aware of. Chris Rivera, Heartland dog staff, did a great job, with the help of Kristine Preiser, helping volunteers understand some of the most common illnesses of shelter animals so that we are better prepared to answer potential adopter’s questions and cut down the risk of cross contamination. Also, recently, we had a presentation about current safety information. This talk helped volunteers avoid common safety problems. Thanks to all the volunteers that aided in the organization, production, and video recording of these great events! DVDs are now available to borrow or for a donation at the front desk.
4
Recent Adoptions
Here are Tully & Buddee in their new homes! (See Chayce & Chan on pg 7)
New Dog Levels After Chris Rivera, Heartland dog staff, evaluates a given dog (see page 2) the dog will be assigned a color that correlates to the level of volunteer that should be allowed to work with the dog. These colors will not reflect the old color system (from red to green, as volunteers worked their way from walking small dogs to larger dogs). Instead the system will be based on Chris’ evaluations and the level the trainers deem fit. The dogs will be given colors based on several components and volunteers will also be given colors that correspond to the level of dogs they should walk. Some confusion came from people who had red stickers in the past (new volunteer, no dog walking privileges, no training classes completed) and red “Staff Only” signs. Now the color on your badge will directly relate to the level of dogs you can walk. Volunteers who can walk more than one level will have their badges marked appropriately.
Top 10 reasons dogs are returned 10. Not Housebroken
5. Animal aggressive
9. Temperament
4. Unreal expectation
8. Un-trainable
3. Attention needs
7. No room 6. People aggressive
2. allergies 1. Behavior issues
It’s up to everyone who volunteers at Heartland to make sure animals go to a safe, loving home. For us to have a better adoption success rate, it’s our responsibility to know why dogs are returned. This information will also help people break the stereotypes of shelter dogs as well. Each dog that comes to us deserves a loving home, and we play match maker to make that dream a reality. These statistics are now three years old, and do not reflect the change in the economy as we see it today.
5
Buddy program We have had huge success with the Buddy program (changed from Budette)! This program allows dogs to form a bond with a volunteer, and allows a volunteer to know more about a dog. As we’ve mentioned before, a dog in the Buddy program does not mean the dog is aggressive or needs extra work. It’s simply a dog that you’d like to spend extra time with. Your personal knowledge of the dog helps all other volunteers learn more about the dog. We are now open to dogs having more than one Buddy! This is because in our original program, we wanted a volunteer with a dog every day. Due to time constraints and schedules of volunteers, it’s be decided that people can “share” a dog. That way an individual’s commitment is lessened, but more dogs could have a Buddy! Current Buddy members include: Hilton, Chad, Yogi, Squiggles, Bill, Toshi, Valiant and Demetrius. However, there are still many dogs waiting for a Buddy! Take some time to read through their personals, and see if you’re a match!
Personals
Mello “Hey guys! My name is Mello, but trust me that doesn’t mean I don’t know how to have fun! I love to run and play just as much as any other dog at Heartland! I really do like tennis balls, so I’m looking for someone with a good arm. I haven’t been at Heartland too long, so you may not know me so well, so why don’t you take some time to get to know me?”
6
Miss Liberty "Hey there, lads and ladies! I'm Miss Liberty, but you can call me Lib for short. I'm a fun loving girl, always wagging my tail and up for meeting new people. I could use some help socializing with other pups and would enjoy attending training classes. On nice days, I love to play outside and get lots of pets! Will you buddy up with me and help me find my Forever Home?"
Quincy "Oh, hello! I'm the big, blonde boy that's been hanging around Heartland. I'm new here and could use a Buddy to help me get acquainted and learn to walk well on a leash. I think of myself as a big bundle of love, but I need to learn my manners for my future Forever Family. Maybe we could go for some nice, leisurely strolls in the yard and relax in the sun together! How 'bout it? Let's Buddy up!"
See more personals on the next page!
Personals (Continued)
Maxeen
"Woof! Woof! Remember me? I was at Heartland not too long ago, but now I'm back looking for my Forever Home. I am a sweet girl that loves people, as well as other dogs. I love socializing outside in the nice weather and have been getting to know everyone around me. I would love to have a Buddy that likes to cuddle and tell me how nice I am! Any chance that could be you?"
"We are a dynamic duo who loves to play together, as well as with our Heartland friends. Our television career just recently took off when we were featured on WGNTV, and now we plan to relax and enjoy the beautiful weather as celebrities. We are gentle, playful and loving and would love a two-legged buddy to get to know each of us even better. We are easy to walk together, so maybe you'd like to come by for a stroll in the yard. We could work on commands, socialize and lay in the sun. Be our Buddy!"
Summer & wriggles
"I'm Kenya! Nice to meet you! I'm a 7 year old pup who is looking for someone to bond with here at the shelter. I am eager to learn, especially when treats are involved! Attending training classes and playing outside in the nice weather are two of my favorite things to do. Will you join me and be my buddy? Woof! Woof!"
Kenya
Testimonials
Chayce "Hi, Heartland family! My Buddy, Jessica, made me feel so loved and special while I was at Heartland. She took me to training class every week, and we spent a lot of time cuddling together. Although I miss my buddy, I'm loving life with my Forever Family! Woofs and Kisses!"
Hilton "This Program gave me my Forever Friend, Julie! She gives me lots of love and training so I can enjoy my time at Heartland, while awaiting my Forever Home."
Chan "The Buddy Program is awesome! My Buddy, Allyson, helped me find a home, and now I'm a well-behaved, city boy! Woof! Woof!"
7
Visitor updates Please read the three sections below to understand how the adoption process for visitors is going to have a few small changes, and it’s important that everyone be informed of the new processes. Many of these changes are still in the works and will not be put into effect until our busy season (late spring and summer).
One Visitor-One Dog One Adoption Counselor Frequently we get many families entering the kennel at the same time. In the past, we generally set one family up with a dog, and then move on to the next family – abandoning the first family and the animal. That is not a professional policy, as people may feel uncomfortable left alone with the dog or may have questions. Now we’ll have the policy of one visitor (or group, if they’re in the same party), one dog (or bonded pair), and one adoption counselor. This way, no one is left alone with a dog they don’t know, which makes it safer for everyone.
Number system Much like your favorite deli, Heartland will now use a number system. While it may seem odd at first, the dog care committee is firm in it’s implementation. This will prevent dog walkers from remembering who came first and who sees a dog next. Walkie talkies will be used between Heartland staff members and a volunteer that night. Everyone will be able to communicate even from the yard to the kennels! This system is currently being tested on the weekends and will go into full effect by summer. Please respect the system and don’t allow families to cut, even if it’s just to “see” a dog for “five minutes.”
Accomplishments On January 18 , th
8
Kennel host
Heartland Staff’s very own Chris Rivera and her two dogs, Homer and Plucky, passed the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen test! Congrats to Chris, Homer and Plucky! Way to go!
The person in charge of helping Heartland staff understand that there are families waiting to see dogs will be called the “Kennel Host.” This person will answer questions while families wait to see dogs, but will also make sure rules are followed. They will be able to remind children to keep their hands to themselves, make sure dog walkers are not coerced into taking out a dog before that families’ number is called, and will make sure the shift runs smoothly. This position is still being developed, but if interested, please contact Lisa Dister.
Contributors Many thanks to all the great contributors for this edition! Thanks to: The Dog Care Committee, Lisa Dister (Heartland Staff), Izzy du Toit (Volunteer), Julie Goodman (Volunteer), and Lou Basten (Volunteer). Great job!