HAPPY ANIMALS
Late Spring 2015
Valley
Late Spring 2015
Celebrating Creatures & Community
The Waiting Room Can you adopt one (or two) of these sweethearts? Some have been waiting and waiting ... Hi, my name is Izzy! I’m very affectionate, I’m 9 years old, and I’m a girl who loves all people. I have lived with cats as well as dogs (a German Shepherd, a Husky and an Arctic Wolf) and I make great friends with dogs. I can live peacefully with other cats but would prefer to be your one and only, which really isn’t that surprising because my previous guardians described me as more like a dog than a cat! Here’s something else that sets me apart from other cats: I much prefer to drink straight from a faucet than your run-of-themill water bowl! I would love for you to come visit me at Dakin in Leverett if I sound like I may the perfect cat for you. I would love to find a great, new loving home!
IZZY Winter’s over, but there’s still time for Cocoa! I’m at Dakin’s Leverett adoption center and I’m waiting to meet you. Here’s a bit of info about me ... I’m 7 years old, I’m a girl who plays calmly with other dogs, my housetraining needs a little work, and I’m a really easy pet to have...even if you’ve never had a dog before! I’d do well in a calm, quiet home, and I like when kids play nicely with me. My favorite things? Hmmm...I’d say going for walks, playing with toys, playing fetch and couch warming. Let’s meet!
COCOA CHANEL Hello there, I’m Cleese and I came all the way from New Jersey to find a new home. I was being overlooked in the other adoption center I was in. But just look at me! I’m adorable!! I’m a sweet, sensitive, 8-year-old girl who is looking for a nice warm couch to curl up on and lots of love from my new family. Please spend some time getting to know me! I’m at Dakin’s Leverett location.
CLEESE Yeah, I’m small but I’m mighty! My name’s Dylan and here’s what you need to know about me...I’d be good in a home with kids aged 7 and up, I’m 10 months old, I’d be an ideal pet if you’ve never raised a dog before, I love to take walks, go hiking, jogging, play fetch and snuggle. If your home is somewhat hectic, that’s cool...I’ll fit in nicely! Let’s meet at Dakin in Leverett and we can see if we make a great match. I bet we do!
DYLAN More information about these and other animals awaiting new homes can be found online at www.dpvhs.org or by calling the Dakin Adoption Centers in Springfield (413-781-4000) or Leverett (413-548-9898). 2 Happy Valley Animals
CONTENTS
20 Dogs in Hot
2 The Waiting Room
Cars—What to Do
5 Welcome
22 In the Wild
(or the not quite so)
6 Book Excerpt
Bald Eagle Nest Count
Good Dog, Happy Baby
23 MSPCA
Get to Know Your Legislators
8 Animal
Behavior & Training
by Kelley Bollen
by Kara Holmquist & Laura Hagen, MSPCA
10 Dharma Wolf
25 Dakin Dispatch
by Melinda Thomas
by Leslie Harris
Solving Litterbox Mysteries
Whatever Is Old Is New
12 From the Henhouse
Spring Has Come— Bringing Chicks by Sharon Stegall
16 Happiest Animal(s)
Janet & Stickley
17 Animal
Artistry
Lynn Pelland
19 Stray Talk from the TJO Shelter
Volunteer Opportunities
Animal Adventures
26 Poetry Publisher: Nestling Press Executive Editor: Elissa Alford Contributing Editor: Mary Koncel
A Sweetness Appears and Prevails by Terrance Keenan
Mail: P. O. Box 112, Northampton, MA 01060 Phone: (413) 695-4605 Email: happyvalleyanimals@comcast.net Happy Valley Animals is published bi-monthly (6x/ year) and distributed free throughout Hampshire, Hampden, and Franklin counties.
27 Dogeared
Review: “The Genius of Dogs”
Please note that photos and stories submitted by mail cannot be returned.
by Sarah Meikle
We encourage readers to patronize our advertisers, but cannot be responsible for individual advertising claims or offers.
28 Help Free
We reserve the right to refuse to publish advertising for any reason, and assume no financial responsibility for failure to publish an advertisement or for typographical errors. All original content copyright (c) 2015 Happy Valley Animals. Original content contained herein can not be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. Cover Painting: Janet Evander
janetevander.com
Lolita the Orca
30 Helpful
Humans
31 In Memoriam Breaking the Power of Guilt
Happy Valley Animals 3
CLOA’S ARK ANIMAL SANCTUARY Greenfield, MA “The Land of Permanent Miracles for Many Animals” www.cloark.com
WAYS TO HELP
OUR MISSON
Use Our Services
1) Rescue Animals Provide exceptional care and love for neglected, rejected, abandoned, or abused animals, including medical treatment if needed. 2) Make Them Happy Create a natural interaction between animals and humans by giving them conditions as close to what they need as possible, allowing mutual trust so they can heal and live in peace and joy. 3) Raise Consciousness About Our Relationship with Animals. Change the way we feel about animals in general and farm animals in particular— they are all sentient beings, like us, with needs, feelings, and strong family ties. They deserve to be happy!
Patrick and Claudine Veistroffer
OUR SANCTUARY NEEDS A PERMANENT HOME We found the perfect place for our animals here in Greenfield, which we have been renting for almost two years. Now the landlord wants to sell the property. We have a commitment to fulfill, to keep the sanctuary going, to do what we need to do to raise the necessary funds to buy the property. Whenever we pool our resources together we can make a difference and make things happen! Choose from love always, go within and listen to your heart, and give generously for the sake of the animals. Take action now, and imagine a world where there is only love. Please send any donations to our mailing address or through Paypal on our website. Thank you!
4) Provide Educational Programs Offer everyone the opportunity to discover the beauty and healing power of animals with a sanctuary tour, perhaps leading some to seek an immersion experience or internship program. 5) Carry a Message About Peace to Animals Raise awareness and disseminate information about the cruelty inflicted on many animals, including the way that farm animals, race dogs, and various birds are treated and despised from their birth to their last day, and giving voice to these misunderstood animals! Show that most of these animals when loved behave like the ones we call pets, so why treat them differently?
We are a 501c3 non-profit and depend on your tax-deductible donations. NO donation is too small, and can be made through our website using Paypal, or by
Animal Boarding We have a lot of experience in taking care of many animals. Whether you leave for days, weeks, or months, we will love and provide them with happiness Expertise On Birds We have been living and loving birds for over 10 years, and have acquired a vast experience, and expertise on feeding, cleaning, and making birds happy! Knowledge On Animal Shelters, Aviaries, Coops and Fences. We can help plan, and build your enclosure, ranging from fencing, sheds, aviaries, to permanent shelters.Our fencing and shelters are cost-effective, and can be assembled quickly. Please call us to discuss your needs!
Donate Items for Use or Sale We can pick up the items you would like to donate to the shelter for shelter use or for sale. Anything you think is worth something we will use, repair, and/or sell—thank you!
We hope to inspire others through an example of total dedication and commitment to the daily care and compassion we give rescued animals, and to help humans with special needs discover the genuine, profound, and healing relationships and love that animals offer us all. Would you like to visit or volunteer? Please give us a call, or email patrick@cloark.com.
MAILING ADDRESS/PHONE 24 Factory Hollow Greenfield, MA 01301 413-325-8782
PLEASE NOTE THAT OUR MISSION IS TO CARE FOR ANIMALS
OTHER THAN CATS AND DOGS. FOR HELP WITH A CAT OR DOG, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL SHELTER.
Hello, Readers—
WELCOME
So ... I never thought I’d keep bees. They may be animals, but they’re insects, a word that conjures swarms of mosquitoes while trying to enjoy a walk, and invasions of ants in the kitchen. Swarms and invasions—not words I use for my larger animal friends. Of course there are beneficial insects. Still, I didn’t imagine ever feeling sorry for any of them, or wanting to help. Under what circumstances would I do that? What could they possibly need from me? I appreciated bees’ livelihood as they drifted between flowers—careful to know their location as I leaned in to sniff. Otherwise, my associations were from childhood: stings from running barefoot through grass. Beekeeping. Harvesting honey. Interesting, yes, but not compelling. Even the complex world of this social insect, whose dances speak to other bees, giving them specific information about nectar flows and potential good spots for a new hive, never held my attention for long. Colony Collapse Disorder—the mass die-off of bees—was named in 2006. In 2010, bee populations dropped by an estimated 34%. Last year that number was 42%, and bees are responsible for pollinating up to 70 of the top 100 human food crops. It’s agreed now that the primary cause is agricultural pesticides. Biologists have found more than 150 types of chemical residues in bee pollen. I’ve notice the absence of bees in our own garden. The weeping cherry, the lilacs, the flowering plum—where are the bees to drink their nectar? I’ve seen almost none in the last two years, and friends and neighbors say the same. Two weeks ago I became a beekeeper. As the person I purchased the bees from said, “I don’t think it will be a company with thousands of hives that helps, but many, many honeybees in backyards across the country.” More on this unexpected adventure in the next issue. E.A.
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT BEES *It takes 12 bees their entire lifetime to make just one teaspoon of honey. *Honey bees visit 2 million flowers to make one pound of honey. *Field bees visit 50 to 100 flowers during each trip. *Honey bees fly 12 and 15 miles per hour. *Honey bees flap their wings 12,000 times per minute. *Honey bees are covered in hairs designed to trap pollen. Even their eyes have hair on them! As they collect pollen for their hive the bees bodies transfer it from flower to flower and that’s how pollination occurs. *Honey is essentially dehydrated nectar from flowers. Bees eat honey and pollen from flowers. They ferment the pollen first and mix it with honey in order to be able to digest it. *One honey bee hive visits about 225,000 flowers per day. *A strong hive may contain up to 60,000 honey bees. All the worker bees are female. The drones or male bees have only one job and that is to mate with the queen. The drone mates one time then he dies. *The queen bee can mate with up to 45 drones. But the average number is 13. *The queen goes on a mating flight several days after she emerges. Once a queen bee is mated, she keeps the drone’s sperm alive inside her for the rest of her life. She never mates again. *A queen bee lays up to 2000 eggs a day (an average of one every 45 seconds) and may lay a million eggs in her entire lifetime. *The queen bee decides to lay a fertilized egg which will be a worker bee or new queen or an unfertilized egg which will develop into a drone. Happy Valley Animals 5
euthanized their lab after it had bitten their three-year old in the face while playing alone together. An autopsy revealed dozens of crayons stuffed into the dog’s ears! Around the same time, in the US, a family Rottweiler with no history of aggression nearly killed a two-year old after the child knocked a bag of chips off the table. Mom was ten feet away with her back turned, doing the dishes. The upshot: the dog was euthanized, the mother arrested for child endangerment and the child placed into foster care. I hope you take my point. How do I teach my dog to deal with childlike handling? There are two dimensions to this. First, teach your child, through ample supervised interactions, how to appropriately touch a dog. Teach her not to pull tails, poke around in ears or eyes, ride the dog or torment Fido in any of the endless ways kids seem capable of contriving. And second, teach your dog to accept childlike handling and never, no matter what, to bite or even mouth gently in response to being touched. In my puppy classes I teach a series of handling exercises, such as holding the puppy in your arms without allowing him to struggle, giving him a body examination while doing so, “hazing” him by batting him around, pulling an ear, a tail, poking his side, all in an upbeat tone and with the presence of lavish treats. Any biting is immediately and sharply reprimanded as the dog must learn that occasionally humans will handle you a bit roughly, but that biting is still off limits (see my book “There’s a Puppy in the House” for more). Once your dog tolerates this sort of handling from you see if you can find some kids to do the same exercises with him. Since you’ll have already broken him in, he shouldn’t find the transition difficult. If the dog attempts to bite or mouth the kids, you reprimand him. If you’ve got an older dog who’s never done such exercises all the same rules basically apply, except that you want to take a bit more time to ease him into it. You can definitely teach an old dog new tricks; sometimes it just takes a little longer. How can I teach my dog to respect my child as boss?
A Talk with Michael Wombacher Dog trainer Michael Wombacher has performed tens of thousands of private behavioral consultations. He also lectures, teaches classes, runs a small boarding and training operation, and trains other trainers. His approach focuses on working with, rather than overriding, a dog’s natural drives and instincts. He lives in Oakland, California.
If you could only give someone one piece of advice regarding preparing their dog for the arrival of their child, what would it be? The single most important thing the expecting dog owner can do is to ask themselves what changes they will have to make in the life of their dog once the baby arrives, and make those changes now. This ensures that your dog will not associate any changes that mean a restriction of its activities with the arrival of the child, the leading cause of competitiveness and jealously. Along the same lines, if your dog has behavior problems that presently you find merely annoying, consider that in the presence of a baby they could be seriously problematic and once again, fix them now. Examples include running around on the furniture, stealing food off the table, pulling you down the street on the leash and jumping up on you as a form of greeting. It is also extremely important to teach your dog to accept childlike handling by getting him used to it. What would be the second most important piece of advice? Never, under any circumstances, for any reason, leave a child under ten unsupervised with any dog, ever, period. The truth is that neither party is trustworthy and such permissiveness is the leading cause dog/child disasters. Two examples illustrate the point. Some years ago a family in London 6 Happy Valley Animals
You can’t. Your dog will always know that your child is a helpless family member and can’t in any way be considered a higher status pack member. However, you can teach your dog to respect your child as being imbued with the power of your protection and some measure of authority. As soon as is possible, hold your child in your lap or out in front of you like a doll or marionette. Put a treat in her hand and have the dog face you. Then start asking your dog for commands (which he should know quite well at this point) and have your child deliver the treats (with your help if needed). This will both help your dog to associate interaction with your child with getting attention and yummy rewards and with doing something structured in the context of human authority. Also, you can teach your dog some tricks and teach your child to ask the dog for his tricks in exchange for a treat. This makes things fun for both dog and child. What if I know my dog doesn’t like kids? How can I teach her to like them? Whenever a dog is afraid of something we have to look to a combination of two strategies to help calm his nerves – solid obedience training and “systematic desensitization.” That is, we have to be able to give the dog a command such as “sit-stay,” which focuses his attention on us rather than on the object of his fear, and then teach him a new set of positive associations with the offending stimulus, i.e., a child. For instance, if a dog is somewhat nervous about kids in public, bring him to an area where children are present, but at distance where fear has not overwhelmed him. Then ask him to sit and reward him with a favorite treat. Keep him focused on you and keep the attitude as relaxed and friendly as possible, while treating him whenever the proximity of children becomes particularly obvious, i.e., the noise and commotion get louder. As the dog grows indifferent, move him closer, keeping him focused on commands and treat. Keep going until the dog is no longer worried about the kids. Once you reach a baseline with this where your dog has become more tolerant of children, have as many kids as you can ask your dog to do commands such as sit, down and whatever else you’ve taught him in exchange for treats, all
the while keeping the whole experience in a very upbeat and positive light. If your dog refuses, gently but firmly demand the behavior, teaching him that children carry at least some measure of your authority. Along the same lines, to the degree that your dog enjoys games such as fetch or favorite tricks, have as many children as want to play such games and practice such tricks with him. I have heard a lot recently that dog’s aren’t really pack animals and that being the dog’s boss isn’t so important anymore. What do you think? There is an enormous amount of confusion around this issue. For years the common thinking was that “you gotta show ’em who’s boss, which was then used to justify all manner of harsh responses to a dog’s various infractions. Then, some decades ago, some trainers, based on research of wild wolf as well as feral dog populations, suggested that dogs really shouldn’t be thought of as pack animals at all and that the entire rank based way of thinking about dog behavior is outdated and wrong. It’s s a complex and involved topic. My view is that both sides have overstated and simplified the argument to make their case. I feel, based on enormous amounts of experience, that dogs, like all social mammals (including kids, by the way), function within the context of social hierarchies and that ignoring this reality leads to all manner of problems. So yes, dog’s need to understand that their owners are the leaders of the social group and need to be respected and deferred to. And no, this does not justify harsh responses to the dog as if his every move was designed to overthrow you from your leadership positions. Dogs, like children, thrive in a context of structure, guidance and authority where the rules are clear and consistently enforced and where great effort is made, within the confines of the rules, to have as many positive experiences as possible. If your dog is kind of wild and out of control what is the main thing I can do to bring her under some kind of control? Put the dog on a rank management program, or what I call the Doggie 12-step program. This is a program designed to send the same message to the dog from the many different dimensions of her life: you are the leader of your social group and your dog should exercise appropriate impulse control in relation to your rules and generally look to you for direction in all things. Elements of this program include teaching your dog to “learn to earn,” that is, do something for you in exchange for any interaction you have e, including simple things such as sits, downs, stays, etc. Other elements include things like teaching your dog never to pull on the leash, not to charge out the door ahead of you, not to take food without your permission, and more. When pulled together, these different elements produce a well behaved, self-controlled dog who looks to you for guidance in all things, including how to relate to your new child. Is it okay to let me dog sleep in the bed with me? Is that going to confuse her when I have a baby in the mix? While having your dog sleep in bed with you is not inherently problematic there are many situations in which such behavior is not recommended. The dog who has status related aggression issues definitely falls into this category and the dog whose family is expecting a baby is another. Bear in mind that one of the key things in preparing your dog for the arrival of your baby is to make sure that the arrival of the baby does not trigger a jealous response on the part of your dog. Of course, if your dog learns that the day the baby arrives she gets kicked out of the bed a jealous response would not be surprising. And even if your dog is still allowed to sleep in your bed after your baby arrives the potential for confusion with respect to social status is still high. My recommendation would be, at least for some months after the baby’s arrival, to make sure your dog is not sleeping in bed with you. After that time, if everything is going well, it might be okay to revisit bed rights. What if my dog has killed or seriously injured domestic animals? This is a major red flag. If you find yourself in this position I highly recommend
hiring a qualified professional to assess the situation and teach your dog never to bother domestic animals again. If this situation cannot be reliably remedied it might call for rehoming the dog. The killing of domestic animals is rooted in prey instinct and there are certain things that babies do that can trigger a dog’s prey instinct. In fact, there have been a good number of cases in which a baby’s high pitched squealing triggered a family dog’s prey instinct and resulted in serious injuries and fatalities. This issue must be taken very seriously. What if my dog has bitten or threatened to bite myself, guests or other kids? In this case, as with the above, I highly recommend getting professional help. The main consideration, of course, is whether it’s appropriate to have such a dog in the presence of a new child. Assessing this question is more art than science, but there are four factors I usually consider. Threshold of reactivity: how much of a certain type of stimulation is necessary in order to make the dog reactive? Level of intensity: once the threshold of reactivity is crossed, how intense is the response? Does it involve only a bark and an effort to retreat, or does the dog lash out aggressively, including by biting? If there is biting, how severe is it? Previous historoy: how long is your dog’s history for this kind of behavior? What kind of rap sheet does he have? Of course, the longer the history, the more powerful the momentum behind the behavior and, as a result, the greater the cause for concern. Let’s say your dog is possessive of the food dish but has never done more than issue a slight growl when you approach him. Maybe not such a big deal. But what if he’s also been in dogfights where he’s seriously injured another dog? I would consider this a huge red flag because, though the dog’s reactivity and level of intensity around the food dish is moderate, his level of intensity in relation to another dog is high. My concern would be that your dog might view your child as a competitor or lower-ranking pack member and use the same level of intensity that he previously used against other dogs. This means he would present a serious threat. Can a dog get used to baby sounds, movement, and a child’s handling? With respect to sounds such as crying and squealing, there are a number of cds available to buy containing a variety of baby sounds. It’s a good idea to play these on your stereo at a low volume while doing something the dog loves, like belly rubs, fetch games or obedience in exchange for some treats. Then slowly, over time, increase the volume until it all just becomes background noise to the dog. This is the best preparation for dealing with baby sounds. With respect to baby handling, teach your dog to accept annoyances long before the baby arrives, using treats if needed. For example, take some treats in one hand and harass the dog with the other hand at a level she can handle. Mildly to moderately reprimand any biting. For example, pinch her on the side, pull an ear, poke her, etc., all the while dishing out treats with every incursion. If she starts to bite, issue a verbal reprimand the first time and another one the second time, after which you also stop the game. Soon your dog will learns some impulse control and begins to understand that it’s good-natured fun. It’s also a good idea to get your dog prepared for baby movements that might seem strange to her, especially crawling. There’s not much to it. Simply get on the floor and crawl toward your dog, making friendly, playful noises and offering him a few pats and scratches on the head, as well as some treats if he seems uneasy. You can employ multiple members of your household in this. If your dog, rather than being taken aback by this, perceives it as a cue to become wild and playful to the degree that he gets physical with you, be sure to discourage this. Pop up quickly, issue a mild reprimand and ask him to comply with a few obedience commands in order to switch him to a more receptive and stable state of mind. Remember, you don’t want your dog to view your baby as a crawling squeaky toy. If your baby has arrived but is not yet in the crawling stage, try this: once you’ve done a little preliminary work to get your dog used to your crawling, place your child on your back with the help of a third party and do the same exercises. It won’t take long for your dog to get the idea. Happy Valley Animals 7
ANIMAL BEHAVIOR & TRAINING
Solving Litterbox Mysteries by Kelley Bollen, Animal Alliances
The most common behavior problem in pet cats is inappropriate elimination and this issue can really affect the human-animal bond because no one wants urine or feces in places other than the provided litter box. So why do cats sometimes stop using their boxes? Well the answer to that question can be different for each cat so I am going to go through the possibilities. Having this information could help you figure out why your cat has stopped using her box or prevent elimination problems in the first place. The most important first step if your cat starts to eliminate outside of her box is to visit your veterinarian. An underlying health issue like a urinary tract infection or kidney disease could be the cause. If a health issue is ruled out, you will have to troubleshoot the things that might be contributing to the problem and make some changes. Let’s start by discussing cleanliness. Keeping the box clean is one of the most important things you can do to prevent your cat from eliminating outside of 8 Happy Valley Animals
it. Cats are very fastidious creatures and they do not like to eliminate in a dirty box. It is highly recommended that you scoop the box daily and clean it out completely once a week. Before putting new litter back in the box it’s important to wash it out with mild dish soap or an enzymatic cleaner, not a cleaning product that has a powerful scent that might repel the cat. Once a year the box should be completely replaced because the surface gets scratched with daily use allowing urine to penetrate the plastic rendering the box itself too stinky for the cat. The next thing to discuss is the type of litter being used. There are a ton of different kinds of litter available these days but most of them are designed for humans, not cats. Scented litters for example, appeal to people but cats have a very sensitive sense of smell, and many of the scented litters are offensive to cats. Most cats prefer unscented litter. Next there’s the material itself to consider. There are litters made from recycled paper, wood pellets, and even corn husks but cats have very sensitive footpads and most prefer the texture of the soft sand-like litters. When a cat stops using the box because she doesn’t like the feel of the litter she may develop a preference for another substrate, like carpeting, bedding or the laundry pile - things that feel softer underfoot.
As for the box itself, cats typically prefer uncovered boxes because the cover traps the odor inside. Think about how you feel when you have to use a porta-potty. Additionally, many cats prefer a large box so that there’s plenty of room for their ritual of digging and burying their waste. Most commercially available litter boxes are simply too small for some cats. Instead of searching high and low for an extra large litter box, you can use a shallow plastic garment container (the kind you might store sweaters in under your bed) instead. The location of the litter box is also important to consider. Cats like their toilet to be in a private place but with plenty of visibility, especially
if there’s the possibility of being ambushed by another cat or the dog. Additionally, the dark, dank basement might not be the most preferred location for the cat despite the fact that this may be where you would prefer the box to be. If a cat doesn’t like where her box is located she may find a location in the house that suits her better. If you have multiple cats in your house you will also need to provide multiple boxes in multiple locations. The rule of thumb is one box per cat plus one, spread throughout the environment. Remember, three boxes next to each other is only one toilet area. In addition to making the changes necessary to improve your cat’s opinion of
her box it is equally important to clean the soiled areas with an enzymatic cleaner that will neutralize the odor. There are many on the market today. So as you can see, there are lots of things to consider should your cat stop using the litter box. Solving inappropriate urination problems requires you to be sort of a detective but if you know what things regarding the box are important to the cat you should be able to figure out the mystery. Kelley Bollen is a Certified Animal Behavior Consultant and the owner and director of Animal Alliances, LLC in Northampton.
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WWW.BEDANDBOWL.COM • 413-207-3020 We believe that the most enjoyable place for your dog to board is in a safe and reassuring space that feels like HOME. At Bed and Bowl, there are no chain link cages, no cement runs. Our farmhouse has comfy chairs, couches, cubbies & dog beds for snuggling and dreaming the day away. Canine guests board family style, participating in the daily routines of our home. Dogs have access to the large, securely fenced play area just outside the back door. In the colder months, play is punctuated by cozy naps around the wood stove. In warm weather, kiddie pools & sprinklers provide refreshing areas to frolic and cool off. Bed and Bowl is a safe, comfortable & home-like alternative to traditional kenneling.
"I have been leaving my dog at Bed and Bowl all of her life. (She is now 13 years old.) It is no exaggeration to say that having such a nurturing place to leave her has made all the difference in our lives. She adores Kate and Susanna, and their special relationship with the dogs means that our family can go away knowing that our dog will be happy and safe in our absence. It is a special place, with professional care in a family setting. I am so grateful to have them part of our lives." - L. M. Northampton, MA Our lively puppy Katie loves “Bed and Bowl” and so do we. We first found B & B when we needed to board our puppy and she was too young for a traditional kennel. We loved that she would not be alone and would be cared for as if she were at home. From that point on…it has only been B & B for our Katie. She is so excited to arrive and hop into Kate's arms and she is “dog” tired when she comes home from all of the exercise and fresh air. I really don’t think she stops romping and playing the entire stay…except when someone is cuddling with her. Thanks B & B for giving us guilt-free travel and for loving Katie almost as much as we do! - M. L. Northampton, MA Bed and Bowl is fantastic. I would not leave my dog anywhere else. Tanner is part of the family when he stays there, getting the full run of the place like he does at home. And from the time that I drop him off to the time that I pick him up, I have never had to worry that he isn't being well cared for. Bed and Bowl is the solution for loving dog owners who don't want to leave their dog in a kennel and don't want to inconvenience a friend or relative. - T. C. Northampton, MA
Call and schedule your pre-boarding interview today! W W W. B E D A N D B O W L . C O M • 4 1 3 - 2 0 7 - 3 0 2 0 • H U N T I N G T O N , M A
from DHARMA WOLF
Whatever Is Old Is New by Melinda Thomas
As I wheeled my old sofa to the curb, stuck the
es, I wonder if we all do not secretly harbor a pri-
boring old selves that use the sofa only for sitting
FREE sign on it, and waited for a couchless strang-
mordial desire to fossilize ourselves.
day after day, oblivious to the fact that with a little
er to enjoy a bit of serendipity, I realized a canine
ingenuity (and stuffing removal), it can become a
ruckus was erupting at my feet. One dog was try-
playground for the cat, or a triple-comfy dog bed.
ing to ride the sofa (precariously angled on a dolly), and another was tugging at the fabric on the bot-
“The greatest wisdom is seeing through appear-
tom. A third was literally standing on his hind legs
ances,” said Tibetan master Atisha. And on
and pushing the sofa right into my belly. Were they
a concrete level, we would have far less waste in our
trying to redirect both me and my sofa back into the
landfills if we could view what is old and worn in our
house?
lives with fresh eyes that restore some sense of novelty. That is the beauty of recycling: this becomes
Animals can get quite attached to their own smells.
that. Atisha is referring not so much to the materi-
Haven’t most of us learned to “leave a little some-
al, but to the function of our mind as filter. What
thing behind” for the cat when emptying the litter
happens if we just turn that filter off?
box? And dogs are more than attached to their old
But if this is true, then why do we seek the fresh,
stinky beds. In fact, rolling around in some muck
crisp, colorful new— furniture, clothing, wallpaper,
We might see things afresh. Davey found a new
in the yard and transferring this aroma to the bed
dishes, flooring, trash bins? It is as if with each new
use for an old, chewed apart Frisbee. He is able to
seems the epitome of doggy bliss. But I sensed
purchase, we get the chance to refashion ourselves
entertain himself for hours with what now looks
there was more than scent motivating my crew to
and raise our status a bit. No one wants to remain
like a pliable horse collar. Am I tempted to buy
get me to park the old sofa in the here-and-now.
stagnant in such a fast-paced world, and nothing
a new Frisbee in mint condition? Yes . . . but not
says stagnant quite like a bedraggled sofa with a frayed skirt and clumpy upholstery. For dogs who live without the concept of “bedraggled,” what is a couch other than an elevated surface on which to sleep, play, sit, hide and maybe We all know the cliches about holding on to our
even chew. Rather than getting caught up in their
this minute. As long as this keeps him busy, I think
worn-in jeans (look, you can see the shape of my
own smells as we assume, maybe dogs have the
I’ll just resist the opportunity to create my newer,
bum right there!), and the importance of keeping
amazing ability to forget yesterday’s material func-
better self. And I might just be able to recycle that
the saggy-seated Lazy Boy in its same spot. “Do
tion and come up with something completely bril-
sofa as well. I pull the FREE sign off. I no longer
you want to give your Uncle a heart attack?” I used
liant today. Monday the sofa is a bone yard. Tues-
need to advertise now that I am both free from want
to hear when I moved his chair two feet to the left to
day the sofa is a tunnel. Wednesday the sofa is a den
and free from waste.
vacuum. Is it attachment, or thriftiness, or some-
for sleeping. Thursday it is a high place from which
thing else that compels us to preserve what has our
to bark at the cat. You get the picture.
marks and forms spattered, pressed and matted into it? Given the popularity of memory foam mattress10 Happy Valley Animals
Maybe it’s not the sofa we need to change, but our
Melinda Thomas writes the Dharma Wolf blog at http:// dharmawolf.com under her Tibetan name, Padme Samten Wangmo.
PROJECT NATIVE A non-profit native plant nursery, native butterfly house & wildlife sanctuary located on a historic 54-acre farm. Nursery & Nature shop hours offering 100s of native species & seed mixes Mon - Sat 9:30-5:00, Sun 10:30-5:00
Native Butterfly house opens for the season June 20th then daily 10:30-4:00 weather permitting
SUMMER WORKSHOPS
Friday, July 10 - Propagation Workshop Friday, July 17 - Gardening for Pollinators Workshop Wednesday, July 22 - Native Floral Arranging Workshop Visit projectnative.org for information or to register.
A WEEKEND WITH WILDLIFE Friday, July 24 - Butterfly House Reception 5pm - 7pm Saturday, July 25 - The Caterpillar Lab with Sam Jaffe Experience 100s of caterpillars up close. A team of educators and caterpillar gurus will be on hand all day to provide individualized attention, answer questions, and offer hands-on experiences with larger caterpillars. Sunday, July 26 - LIVE North American Birds of Prey Workshop presented by Julie Anne Collier of Wingmasters. Programs begin at 11am & 1pm
BUG & BUTTERFLY SAFARIS
Join us on safari from 10:30am - 12:00 noon on... Saturday, June 20 Tuesday, June 30 Wednesday, July 8 Tuesday, July 28 Friday, July 31
Wednesday, August 5 Tuesday, August 11 Tuesday, August 25 Saturday, August 29
With nets, bug boxes, magnifying glasses and field guides at the ready, we will leave on safari to find eggs, caterpillars and butterflies. Participants will learn to identify host plants, tricks for finding eggs/caterpillars and ecologically harvest food for caterpillars in the Butterfly House. All ages are welcome to participate. FREE. Weather permitting - must not be raining and preferably sunny.
342 North Plain Road (Rte. 41), Housatonic, MA 01236 Just 4 miles north of Great Barrington For more information visit www.projectnative.org • 413-274-3433 Like “Project-Native Gardens” on Facebook.
Happy Valley Animals 11
FROM THE HEN HOUSE
Spring Has Come—Bringing Chicks by Sharon Stegall
Spring has arrived. I know this not because of the weather conditions, but because the local feed stores have baby chicks to sell. For those who may be newer to the chicken fancy, there’s a multitude of information that can be found online. I still find Backyardchicken. com to be an invaluable resource for everything from preferred breeds to healthcare to coop designs. Since I began keeping backyard chickens almost six years ago, I have acquired new chicks every year, one way or another. My original flock of nine has grown to 20. I have expanded in part because I like so many different breeds that I had to have at least one (or two) of each kind. My flock of 20 is represented by 10 different breeds of chickens. I like the variety I get with the different colors of eggs and having chickens that I can easily tell apart. I have found that as my older girls decrease their egg laying production, it helps to have new pullets to continue to supply my family with eggs. Although hens are clearly most productive during their first two years, they will continue to lay as an older hen, just not as often. We have a hard rule to not cull our chickens as these are our pets. The older, and by older I mean three years and up, lay primarily during the longer days of spring and summer, then take a sabbatical starting in the fall. I look at it as the younger girls paying into the social security fund of the menopausal ones. I have obtained chicks utilizing different methods; by ordering them online from a hatchery in the mid-west, feed stores, hatching my own eggs, mail-order from a breeder and directly from breeders at poultry shows. I have yet to attend a chicken swap meet, but that’s an idea too. I would prefer to get them all directly 12 Happy Valley Animals
from the breeder as those chicks are generally most likely to fit the standard for the breed. I was amazed when I saw the Buff Orpingtons at my first poultry show as they were easily twice as large as our online-ordered Buffy. I also trust the health more from breeders as opposed to mid-west hatcheries, although I have no personal experience to support that. I have, however, encountered a few issues when shopping for chicks at a poultry show. The breed I want may not be available or even at the show I choose to attend. I have had the best luck purchasing young adult chickens at poultry shows. I suggest
Googling “Poultry Shows” to find show and swap meet dates in your area. Most chicks purchased from a feed store originate from the big hatcheries in the mid-west. The feed stores are merely the middle man. They are already sexed to be all female unless straight run is indicated. Feed stores usually carry four to six of the more popular breeds. In Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and other states, the law requires that buyers must purchase at least six chicks at one time. I was told this was
to limit frivolous single Easter chick purchases and protect the chicks from those who are not likely to know what they are doing. Chickens are flock animals so a single chick is not going to be happy or healthy. I have been able to get around the six-chick rule with a couple of feed stores after I explained that I already had a backyard flock, it was after Easter already and I didn’t have room for more than three new chicks. Although you can have the immediate satisfaction of selecting your chicks at a feed store and taking it home that day along with all the supplies, the variety of breeds are limited. If you want a Polish Crested with its crazy Cruella Deville hair, a cute Silkie or a Marans hen that lays chocolate brown eggs, don’t look at Tractor Supply. My very first chicks arrived from Meyer Hatchery in Polk, Ohio. The reason I initially chose Meyer was that it was the only online hatchery I could find that would ship as few as three chicks. Most hatcheries require a 15-25 minimum order, depending upon the time of year. With an online hatchery, your choices are much greater. I found it easy to pick and choose which breed and color I wanted, easy because the websites include descriptions of the chickens (personalities, cold/heat tolerance, egg color), hatch dates, and whether I wanted all female, male or straight run (mix of both genders). If you do encounter a problem with a minimum chick number requirement, one can often find fellow chicken keepers to split the order. My chicks arrived when they were two days old at my local post office. They had nesting material and heating packs in their special live chick box. Because newly-hatched chicks still have a yolk sack on their abdomens which provides them with 72 hours worth of continued continues on page 17
There are two ways to add color and year-round interest to your property.
Our way doesn’t involve any pink plastic birds. Trees and shrubs brighten our world with their flowers, fruit and foliage— in living color. From season to season, they’re natural beauties. Selecting the right tree or shrub to enhance your property is a complex decision. Our professional arborists offer expert advice about the options available and follow through with proper planting and maintenance. Selection and Planting of Trees and Shrubs Tree Management and Maintenance Arboricultural Consultation
C . L . F R A N K & C O M PA N Y 50 Cooke Avenue, Northampton, MA 01060 413 584-9417 800 640-9417 www.clfrankandco.com Happy Valley Animals 13
Residential & Commercial Plumbing
CARPET & UPHOLSTERY CLEANING
New Installation, Service & Repair Boilers, Furnaces, Gas Piping
A&J Carpet Cleaning offers in home steam cleaning of all kinds of carpets, including area rugs, and also upholstery.
We use cleaning solutions that are safe for people, animals, and the environment, and can be especially helpful in cleaning up after pet accidents.
“Bob, Belle, and Sabre come out to do your estimates.”
Schneider Plumbing & Heating (413) 584-1634 Haydenville, MA
M9170
Mobile Vet of Western MA www.mobilevetofwesternmass.com Bringing 25 Years of Veterinary Experience to Your Home
Dr. Robert G. Sidorsky, DVM 888-625-9353
We’re a local, owner-operated business with a commitment to customer satisfaction and have been serving the Pioneer Valley since 1988.
Call 413-665-8311 www.ajcarpetclean.com
ROAD HOME ANIMAL CARE Skilled Pet Nursing at Home
AVAILABLE 24/7 Housecalls * Medical Treatments * Petsitting Hospice * Support * Consultations
510-367-0004 I work part time in an animal hospital. It keeps me grounded pretty securely in the world of veterinary medicine, which serves me well in my private practice of caring for older animals in their own homes. I started Road Home Animal Care almost two years ago when I moved from Northern CA to Northampton.
269 High St. Greenfield (413) 773-9639 Mon - Fri 8 - 6 Sat. 8 - 5
Local - Farmer Owned Products and equipment for your pets and farm animals Check our website for animal categories and information www.greenfieldfarmerscoop.com
The work continues to evolve. I continue to evolve, both as a nurse and a caregiver to my animal patients and their people. I am often serving the elderly animal population, so inevitably, loss plays a significant role in what I do. People often ask, How you can bear doing what you do? To that I often respond that I cannot bear NOT to. Sometimes I get calls from people who cannot afford to pay me to come and help them with their animal. Still, they need to tell me about their situation. They are suffering, and they need a calm and loving voice because they know they could lose their beloved at any moment. Later, these same families call me again when their animal is gone and they thank me for my kindness and say that they felt less alone when they were going through the crisis of their animal being so ill. That, my friends, is the center of everything. Losing an animal or facing a serious illness can be overwhelming. Because of that, I make the offer to be available to you and your beloved companions. My pledge is to help you feel less scared, less alone. A favorite veterinarian of mine in Hawaii, Shannon Fujimoto Nakaya, who practices house call medicine, writes beautifully about all of this. You can find her online at: www. kindredspiritkindredcare.com. I quote her below. My goal is to help and empower some of the best humans on the planet: those who truly love and respect their animal companions. Aloha aku, aloha mai (breathe as one with the universe)
I join this doctor with a heart filled with compassion as a kindred steward of our planet willing to advocate for our animals. In turn, I invite you to join me.
Call me anytime. I am available after hours. Hanni Beyer Lee Happy Valley Animals 15
Gimme local !
HAPPIEST Animal(s)
Bella can’t get wait to get her teeth into Smiarowski Farm asparagus Come see what our local farmers brought in today! Open 8 am-9 pm daily at 330 N. King Street Northampton, MA (Just south of I-91 exit 21) Everyone is welcome. rivervalleymarket.coop
Janet & Stickley
I visited my friend Janet, her husband Mark, and their two dogs, Stickley and Higgins, in
99 Main Street Haydenville, MA
(413) 268-8387
• • • •
Acupuncture • Homeopathy Chiropractic • Therapeutic Laser • Therapeutic Ultrasound Herbals Physical Therapy Nutrition
www.famvets.com www.famvets.com askus@famvets.com info@famvets.com 16 Happy Valley Animals
Maryland last month. They have a life full of life: dogs, a vegetable garden, a flower garden, a love of birds, Craftsman homes and furniture, art and museum-going. Mark is a zoologist and Janet a potter and painter. Jan creates the beautiful covers for this paper, as you might have read before. I love her for that, among many other things in nearly four decades of friendship. My visit happened to coincide my friends’ 20th wedding anniversary, and they went out to dinner before walking both dogs to meet me at the nearby train station. For two days I felt part of their family, sharing walks, deep talks, meals, moon-gazing, and time with their fur children. Stickley, above, was their first dog, after Robbie, the much-beloved cat of their ealier life together, passed away. Higgins is also a Welsh Springer Spaniel, and though not much younger than “Sticks,” hasn’t show his age in the same way. Stickley’s had health problems for some time, and with a serious diagnosis now, Janet and Mark are doing home hospice—just their very best to make sure he’s comfortable. Wonderful moments: seeing each of Stickley’s parents lie down on the floor beside him and speak to him with great feeling, though he can’t physically hear much. Watching how they meet his needs from moment to moment, helping him up or down or out the door, and in case of a a roll or a fall, padding the places he walks and sleeps. I wish everyone could feel unashamed of loving an animal so deeply, and expressing it so fully. I remember a picture of Janet with puppy Stickley in her arms—how radiant she was! And you can see above that she is now, too, feeling the bond of the years that have followed. She emailed recently, “He is sleeping beside me now. Man, he’s cute. A senior boy and still adorable. ” Spring is about three weeks earlier in Maryland, and I’d hoped to see the cherry blossoms, but the trees were only hinting at it then. Now they’re a month past that bloom, while Stickley continues to have good and treasured days. —E.A.
ANIMAL Artistry ...where the apple is just the beginning!
Corner of Rte. 116 & Bay Road, South Amherst (413) 253-9528 * www.atkinsfarms.com
A modern country market nestled in one of the oldest apple or ds in Ne w En gland. orcchar hards New Eng Atkins FFar ar m specializes in ggrr owin g quality arm wing apples hes and pear apples,, peac peaches pearss.
Farm Fresh Produce Country Bakery Deli & Take-out Meat & Seafood
Specialty Foods Homemade Fudge Specialty Cheeses Fresh Sushi Bar
Full Service Florist Gifts & Gift Baskets Savory Suppers Beer & Wine
Pet Grooming with Diane Leveille Conveniently located at
the Family Veterinary Center
99 Main Street Haydenville, MA
Snowy Owl, Lynn Pelland
(413) 268-8387
After the Snowy Owl irruption [snowy owls showing up in unusually large numbers] in 2013, I
became fascinated with this white beauty. We were lucky enough that year to have a Snowy Owl for almost a month in some of the farming fields in Old Deerfield, and I spent as much time there as possible, along with flocks of other birders. I was fairly new to birding, and not equipped with the best equipment to see or capture images; I’ve since improved my binoculars and my camera lens. There were sightings all over the coast, and by the time the Snowy left that location in Deerfield, I was so obsessed with the owl that I drove out to the coast at least six times. I went mostly to Plum Island in Newburyport, MA or to Salisbury State Reservation in Salisbury, MA. The 20142015 sightings of the Snowy Owl have also been up again along the coast, but the numbers are low compared to 2013-2014. Still, I’ve taken three trips this year and have been able to capture some incredible images.
I took many pictures when this Snowy Owl took flight, and by luck (which is very common with wildlife photography), I captured the owl in full wing span—which can be six feet wide—and with eyes wide open and alert. It’s an amazing bird to see in person, and as with all wildlife I thanked the owl for its visit here and for gracing me with its presence. —Lynn Pelland
3233992
This particular shot is from my last trip out to Salisbury this past April. The owl was perched in a low lining tree fairly close to the main road, and there were a few other birders/photographers. We all stayed a safe distance, respecting the birds space. One helpful tidbit I’ve picked up is that most birds of prey relieve themselves just moments before they fly, so as a birder/photographer you get ready when you see this happen.
Happy Valley Animals 17
Emergency & Veterinary Specialists 24 Hour Emergency & Critical Care Services ON CALL: Surgery, Esophageal Foreign Body Retrieval, Criticalist
Specialty and Referral Hospital ■
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VCA Boston Road Animal Hospital 1235 Boston Road Springfield, MA 01119
Mon-Sun Open 24 hours 18 Happy Valley Animals
www.Facebook.com/VCAAnimalHospitals www.Facebook.com/VCAAnimalHospitals www.twitter.com/vcapethealth www.twitter.com/vcapethealth
413-306-3799 VCAbostonroad.com
STRAY TALK from the
Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control & Adoption Center
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES! DOGS Dog Walkers—The adoption floor dogs greatly benefit from time away from their kennels. Grab a leash and get out for a walk. Find a tennis ball and utilize any one of our numerous doggie exercise runs located behind the building. Each Saturday morning, our volunteers head to Forest Park with their favorite shelter pooch. The dogs get much needed exercise and great public exposure! Dog Training—This position requires added training for volunteers. A mentally exercised pooch will stay healthy in a shelter longer. He or she will most likely be adopted quickly too! Grooming—Many of our furry friends need to be tidied up during their stay with us. Grab some towels, a bottle of shampoo and give Fluffy a much needed bath. Once again, this can make the difference to adopters. Who wants to take a stinky dog home? Foster Care—Some of our dogs or pups need time away from the shelter. Candidates for foster care may be experiencing high stress, fear, minor medical problems, or may simply be too young for the shelter environment. If you can help a dog (or dogs) with special needs, please fill out a foster care application.
CATS Socialization—All shelter cats can greatly benefit from time out of their cages. Simply petting a cat, or tossing a toy for them can make all the difference. Prolonged confinement without mentally stimulating interaction can have as bad of an effect on a cat as it does on dogs. Grooming—Many of our cats not only need some brushing, but the majority of them enjoy the experience. Find a quiet spot and make a cat’s day! Foster Care—Temporary care is always needed, particularly during the busy summer months. We frequently have young kittens or mom cats with very young litters who need to be away from the shelter to thrive. Cats and/or kittens can often be much easier to care for than dogs and/or pups.
ALSO ... Special Events and “Road Show”—Help is always needed for events, off-site adoptions, seminars, etc. Our volunteers often head off into the world to spread our message and heighten awareness of our facility and our adoptable animals. We can often be found at boat shows, arts and crafts fairs and community festivals. If you like to get out and meet more wonderful animal lovers, this might be the job for you! Office Aide—Paperwork is often the last priority for busy staff. If you’d like some “down” time, then this might be exactly what you’re looking for! Website/Petfinder—If you fancy yourself a photographer, or maybe you’re very creative…we always need help featuring our animals on the Internet. We’ll teach you how! Humane Education—As we try to build our humane education program for children and the community, we are seeking people interested assisting in this area. Teachers welcome, particularly for summer programs!
Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control & Adoption Center 627 Cottage Street Springfield, MA 01104 413.781.1484 info@tjoconnoradoptioncenter.com Happy Valley Animals 19
IN the WILD (or the not quite so) Spring Bald Eagle Nest Count Preliminary Results MassWildlife conducts a statewide Bald Eagle nesting survey on April 10th to check known nests and identify new eagle nesting locations. Although the weather was less than ideal on the count day, the results from this year are encouraging. The robust populations along the Connecticut River and the Quabbin Reservoir appear to be stable, and eagle nests continue to be scattered throughout the rest of the state. A number of new nests were documented this year with many of these located in the more populated areas of eastern Massachusetts, indicating that the eagle population continues to expand in Massachusetts. New nests or territories turned up in Waltham, Lynnfield, Concord, Westport, Stockbridge, Westminster, and Milton. By the end of the nesting season, we expect to have documented a new record of territorial pairs, greater than the 46 recorded last year. With our growing eagle population, MassWildlife would not be able to keep track of all of the nests without the help from MA Department of Conservation & Recreation and a crew of interested volunteers. We thank all those who help us locate and monitor these nests! Information courtesy of MassWildlife.
Photograph by Lynn Pelland
20 Happy Valley Animals
Foster a Service Dog in Training A wonderful & enriching way to help someone in need & fill your life with joy. Dogs being trained by Diggity Dogs Service Dogs, a local non-proďŹ t organization, must be fostered by local dog lovers while they are being trained. Most dogs are fostered for six to twelve months and most volunteers decide to foster again, as Diggity Dogs works hard to make the experience as easy, interesting and enjoyable as possible. Fostering is a wonderful way for children to learn about caring for creatures, how animals and people learn and communicate, and the importance of helping others.
please foster me
Visit indogswetrust.org/foster or call 914.222.DOGS.
Happy Valley Animals 21
continued nutrition, the best age to mail chicks is the day they emerge from their shells. I have had limited success with hatching my own eggs. I don’t have an incubator, but the one thing a Silkie hen is good for besides looking cute, is sitting on eggs, no matter what the source. I have used my Silkies to hatch a friend’s pheasant eggs and eggs from other hens. The problems I experienced were infertile eggs (read rotten), a low hatch rate (only one out of four eggs ended up as a live chick) and not getting girl chicks. Along with many of the chicken fanciers of the world, I only want female chicks or pullets (young hens under the age of one year). Roosters are not necessary to get a hen to lay eggs, plus they have a reputation for becoming aggressive toward humans. Many towns have ordinances that allow backyard chickens as long as none of them ever crow. Crowing is not just a morning activity, but one that begins around 4 am and continues throughout the day. I’ve come to regard a rooster’s crow as nature’s music, but if we lived in the burbs, I wouldn’t want to subject my neighbors to the music blasting from my yard. Statistically, half of all eggs hatched will result in male chicks. It is a major disadvantage to be a boy in the chicken world. Realistically, people don’t 22 Happy Valley Animals
need half of their chickens to be male. Hens not only lay the eggs, but they are quieter, gentler, and, if one is so inclined, better to eat. If the chicken reproduction world were as advanced as the dairy industry, gender could be pre-determined. Dairy farmers also only need female calves, but they are now able to artificially inseminate their cows with semen that’s already divided to produce only girls. I wish that scientists could come up with a way to ensure only female hatchlings and avoid a lot of the chicken gendercide. There are those who proclaim the hatcheries to be the enemy because they end up killing the unwanted male chicks. The animal rights activists push the vegan agenda with their hatchery abuse videos. However, the video I’ve seen represents the factory farmers who raise chickens for the big companies like Purdue. While I would agree that factory farming methods are disturbing and inhumane, not all hatcheries should fall under the same label. The hatcheries that cater to the local farmers and backyard breeders seem to be a lot more humane in that they’re selling pets and heritage breeds. These hatcheries try to place as many boys as they can by having local sales. Some hatcheries use the male chicks as extra packing warmth with other chick orders. In the latter case,
this means that if I ordered six Silver-laced Wyandotte pullets, I may also receive an equal number of little cockerels in whatever breed that wouldn’t sell. On the other hand, your local breeder will also end up culling unwanted roosters, just at an older age. I’ve been to poultry shows where breeders were trying hard to sell us roosters because otherwise they’ll end up slaughtering the cockerels they didn’t sell when they got back to the farm. Some suggest that when ordering online to only order a straight run of chicks which is supposed to be a mix of genders so as not to discriminate against the boys. Realistically, with so many people ordering pullets only, those who order a straight run may receive more than 50% male chicks. Until the day arrives when the male chicks that hatch are wanted, I try to be practical. It’s much easier for me, since I don’t eat my chickens, to only get pullets to begin with. As surely as the snow melted and the mud will dry, little peeps will be arriving regularly. They may come to the post office, the feed store, the poultry show, or with your neighbor—with so much cuteness and promise of the best eggs ever. Sharon Stegall is a backyard chicken hobbyist who lives with her husband, two children, two dogs, and several Maine Coon cats.
HUMANE HOPES
Kara Holmquist Director ofAdvocacy, MSPCA Laura Hagen Deputy Director of Advocacy, MSPCA Kara & Finley
Laura & Gomer
Help Animals By Getting to Know Your Legislators and advocating for animal protection While much legislative action happens on Beacon Hill, you can begin advocating for animal protection legislation by building lasting relationships
with your state and local legislators without leaving your community. Each Massachusetts resident is represented at the State House by one state senator and one state representative. In your community, you are also likely represented by a city or town council or board of selectmen. Connecting with your state and local lawmakers is easier than ever - try a few of these ideas and tips! ***Find your legislators on Facebook and/or Twitter. They often post updates on actions they have taken or issues important to your community. Be sure to like, favorite, or re-tweet positive statements they make about animals.
***Schedule a meeting at their State House offices or district offices (for state lawmakers) or at city or town hall for local lawmakers. Think of meeting with your legislators as a comfortable conversation. They represent you and they are there to listen! Let them know why you care about animal protection issues and what you would like for them to do (support a bill or local measure? Sponsor one? Oppose something that is bad for animals?). Just taking the time to meet with your legislators and letting them know these issues are important to you goes a long way. You can also thank your state legislator or local lawmaker for positive actions they have taken in the past. It’s also okay to let them know when you didn’t agree with a position they took and politely ask them to take a different stance next time the issue comes before them—just don’t burn bridges. And remember that staff in the legislator’s office are extremely important and often passionate about issues that may be similar to your interests. ***Call, email, mail. Your calls, emails, and snail mail really make a difference for animals. Lawmakers often comment that they get the most calls into their office on animal issues. Whether you write, email, or call, be specific about your issue. Have the bill or ordinance number and name readily available and provide a clear ask for the issue, i.e. “Please support ordinance #7.” Try to only include one issue in each correspondence and make sure grammar and spelling are correct. ***Attend events in the district. Often, legislators will hold informal events, like a “Coffee and Conversation” in the district to help them connect better with their constituents. This is a great forum to speak with legislators in person without having to venture into Boston.
To find out who represents you, visit www.wheredoivotema.com. To find your legislators contact information, visit the State House website at www.malegislature.com. Visit www.animalscorecard.com to see past actions on animal protection issues by your Mass. state senator or representative. Happy Valley Animals 23
DAKIN HUMANE SOCIETY’S ANIMAL ADVENTURES
Kids &
Critters July 6–10, 9am–3pm · ages 7–9 July 13–17, 9am–3pm · ages 10–12 Learn about caring for pets, animal behavior and animal welfare issues. Help with adoption center activities and spend time with friendly animals. Meet exciting guests, including animal professionals, and share their experiences.
Have fun with games, crafts, and a scavenger hunt! Enrollment fee is $285 per person. For more information or to 171 Union Street
register: lswanson@dakinhumane.org or 413 781-4000 x112.
Springfield, MA 01105
www.dakinhumane.org
THE DAKIN DISPATCH ANIMAL ADVENTURES Would you pet a porcupine? What motivates police dogs to do their work? When you read out loud to a cat, does she listen? The answers to these and other questions might be found at Dakin Humane Society’s annual summer program for children, Animal Adventures. Dakin’s Manager of Humane Education and Volunteer Services, Lori Swanson, started Animal Adventures more than 10 years ago as a summer program for local schoolchildren. According to Swanson, it’s the experiential nature of Leslie Harris & Friends the program—the hands-on connection to a wide variety of animals—that makes for public schools, animal-assisted Animal Adventures unique in a summer therapy for young people with diagnosed crowded with vacation activities for kids. emotional disorders, or simply sharing in the joy of animal companionship But it’s not just about petting dogs and with kids everywhere. Building positive cats. Woven into all of Dakin’s work relationships with other beings starts with children is the theme of making the early. community a better place for animals. We do this by sharing messages of empathy, Animal Adventures launches for two kindness, and integrity in relationships, weeks in July in Dakin’s Adoption & whether through anti-bullying curriculum Education Center on Union Street in
Springfield. During these two weeks, kids run the show at Dakin: they do projects that help the sheltered animals (peanutbutter stuffed Kong toys, anyone?) and learn how to be safe around strange dogs (“Be a tree!”). They play games, enjoy quiet time with animals awaiting homes, and learn from a wide variety of people who have made working with animals their career—from wildlife rehabilitators to police officers to veterinarians. Because children learn and relate differently at different ages, Animal Adventures weeks are divided by age group. Kids 7-9 will be with us from July 6-10 and older kids, ages 10-12 will join us July 13-17. More information and registration can be found at www. dakinhumane.org. Leslie Harris is the Executive Director of the Dakin Humane Society. Dakin provides shelter, education, advocacy, and assistance to animals and people in need. Send questions or comments to lharris@ dakinhumane.org.
Volunteer Opportunities at Dakin: Adoption Center Helper
Adoption center helpers work in Springfield or Leverett to assist adoption center staff with a variety of tasks, including general cleaning, laundry, dishes, photocopying, putting away donations, and more. Minimum Age: Must be at least 16 years old. Commitment Level: Long term (6 months or more); at least one shift a week. Availability: Varies by date and location. To apply and learn more, attend a Welcome Session. Happy Valley Animals 25
continued from page 31
From Guilt to Redemption A little bit of guilt, for the right reasons, can be healthy. Next time, we’ll vaccinate; next time, we won’t feed the pet bones or scraps. Next time, we’ll consult the vet immediately about that odd behavior change. A lot of guilt, however, is not so healthy. Left unchecked, it can prevent us from seeking the joy of a new pet -- and can even ruin our lives. I’ve spoken with pet owners who have suffered from guilt for years. So if you can’t shake the sense of being “to blame” for your loss, you could be in for a long, rough ride -- unless you choose to change direction. Notice that I said “choose.” While we can’t always control how we feel, we CAN control how to respond to those emotions. We can choose whether to control those emotions, or whether to allow them to control us. Nor is guilt simply an emotion. At its core, guilt is a belief -- a conviction that we have done wrong and must suffer for it. The only way to break that conviction is to change what we choose to believe. Here are some choices that can help you take the upper hand over guilt. Choose not to rehearse guilt. Do you find yourself repeating the same guilty thoughts over and over again? They won’t go away by themselves. You must choose to make them stop. First, catch yourself. When you find yourself wandering down that painful mental path, put up a mental stop sign. You might choose a physical action, such as snapping your fingers, to remind yourself to change direction. Then, deliberately focus on something else, such as your plans for tomorrow. Focusing on something positive in the future is a conscious reminder that there is more to your life than negatives from the past. Choose to accept what cannot be changed. A self-imposed “penance” for past mistakes accomplishes nothing. It doesn’t change, or make up for, the past; it simply ruins your future. Chances are that you’ve already changed anything that needed to be changed (such as vaccinating your other pets). Can you change anything else? Can you undo what was done? Can you change the outcome of your actions? If the answer is “no,” choose to accept thatanswer. Accept that the only thing you can change now is your future. Choose balance. Guilt keeps us focused on the times we imagine we failed -- the times we were “too busy” to take a pet for a walk, or play with them, or cuddle them. It blinds us to all the other times when we weren’t too busy. So the next time your mind drifts into those unhappy thoughts, choose to refocus. Actively remind yourself of the good times, the times when you were, indeed a responsible and caring pet owner. (Chances are, that was most of the time.) Flip through your photo albums. Write down a list of the things you did for and with your pet. Force yourself to remember what went right. Recognize that there is, and always has been, a balance between your failures and your successes. No, you weren’t 100% perfect. But neither were you 100% flawed. Choose forgiveness. Forgiveness is not some abstract religious concept.It is a rock-bottom necessity in any relationship. Think about it. Could you have had a relationship with your pet, if you couldn’t not “forgive” the puddles, the torn drapes, the gnawed belongings, the broken heirlooms? Pet owners who can’t forgive don’t remain pet owners for very long. And it worked the other way as well: How often did your pet “forgive” you for coming home late, or ignoring it, or yelling at it? Forgiveness has always been at the foundation of your relationship with your pet, and now you need to make it the foundation of your healing. Each time guilt tries to remind you of some past mistake, acknowledge that mistake -- and forgive it. If you did wrong, fine. It’s done, it’s over, and it’s time to move forward. Treat yourself with the same degree of love and acceptance that your pet gave you. Only then will you be able to heal and love again. Pet owners who “don’t care” will never experience the pangs of guilt. Only caring, responsible pet owners go through this agony. Too much guilt can prevent you from being a caring, responsible pet owner again. The world has enough people who don’t care what mistakes they make. It doesn’t have enough pet owners who do care -- who choose to learn from their mistakes and move on to make a difference in yet another pet’s life. Don’t let guilt keep you locked in a lifetime of misery. Choose to forgive, to love, and to move forward. The world needs you. Copyright 2000 by Moira Allen. 26 Happy Valley Animals
A SWEETNESS APPEARS AND PREVAILS
The reason we bother to get up in the morning is because of everything; is because there is another arithmetic without internal sense and we ache at the borders; is because the grey music of the first chickadee before dawn in the hemlocks is the grinding engines of the humpyard carried on morning air; is because we are afraid and know everyone is afraid and do not know who will soothe our tears nor how many tears we will hold unshed. You seem to be you and I seem to be me. My sorrows are no greater than your sorrows. Thou art beautiful, o my loves, as tears are. Terrance Keenan, a Rinzai Zen Buddhist priest, is an Irish artist and writer. From Zen Encounters with Loneliness, by Terrance Keenan. Reprinted with permission of Wisdom Publications.
DOGEARED
Reviews of Books About Dogs by Sarah Meikle
The Genius of Dogs: How Dogs are Smarter than You Think By Brian Hare & Vanessa Woods
The Genius of Dogs is an extraordinary journey for dog lovers everywhere. It is fascinating, informative, amusing and heart warming. The author and narrator, Dr. Brian Hare, is the director of the Duke Canine Cognition Center (Vanessa Woods is a co-author) and in many ways his journey to becoming “the dog guy” began somewhat incidentally when he watched a chimpanzee fail to read a simple human hand gesture in an intelligence test and exclaimed ‘My dog can do that!’ It seemed obvious to Dr Hare that dogs were capable of such things. His close relationship with his childhood dog, a Labrador Retriever named Oreo, had taught him as much. Oreo was a tireless retriever of balls, true to his breed, and he regularly looked to Brian (he was not Dr. Hare yet!) for direction when searching for a ball that had been thrown that he was unable to find. Brian would point to its location and Oreo would happily follow the gesture to the prized missing ball. However, this was less obvious to the psychologist running the test of chimpanzee cognition and he challenged Dr. Hare to prove it, unwittingly sending Dr. Hare on an odyssey to unlock the cognitive and evolutionary mysteries of our canine companions. The psychologist was not alone in his doubt of canines either. The Genius of Dogs explains how, sadly, scientists studying animal cognition have largely overlooked our four legged friends, until recently anyhow. The authors explain how, unfortunately, dogs went unstudied for much of the last century because most animal cognition research was focused on our close relatives in the primate world. Though scientist eventually broadened their horizons and began researching other species, from crows to dolphins, dogs were not considered worthy of such research because they had been domesticated and “domesticate animals were seen as artificial products of human breeding.” Apparently, the predominant opinion was that domestication “dulled an animal’s
intelligence because they lost the skills they needed to survive in the wild.” However, the evolution of dogs is unique in the animal kingdom. After all, dogs were the first domesticated species and have probably been more altered by their relationship with mankind than any other species. Yet, in order to begin understanding our canine co-pilots, we must first understand where they come from, how they came to be the way they are, and The Genius of Dogs takes readers on an adventure that begins 1.7 million years ago when man and wolf, or canis etruscus, the likely ancestor of the modern wolf, first met. However unlikely it was that the ancestors of two legged primates in Africa and four legged, fanged, carnivores in Europe (originally native to North America) would have intertwined futures, they have. Dogs have coevolved with humans, and dog cognition studies at places like the Duke Canine Cognition Center and the, closer to home, Yale Cognition Center are now proving that our four legged friends are well worth the time of animal cognitive scientists, and their findings are transforming how we live and work with our furry friends and, most importantly, how we understand them.
The Genius of Dogs takes readers on a jawdropping and incredibly thorough journey through the evolution of dogs that then continues through a captivating exploration of modern canine research. From a dog that knows more than 1000 words to a Belgian Tervuren that demonstrated dogs’ ability to discern between ignorant and knowledgeable humans, The Genius of Dogs introduces us to a myriad of talented canines that represent the breadth of canine talents that abound. It explores dogs’ emotional and moral capacities, capacity for learning, adaptability, physical versatility and diversity. In fact, “The Genius of Dogs” covers such a wide array of information, and such in-depth research; it is hard to summarize it succinctly. It is easy, however, to recommend it unequivocally. Think you know your dog? Read it. Wonder what your dog is capable of? Read it. Wonder why so many people like dogs and why you should get to know one? Read it. Wonder how to train your dog? Read it. Wondering what kind of dog to get? Read it. Read it. Read it. Read it. As a trainer of service dogs and practitioner of Kayce Cover’s Syn Alia Training Systems—a pioneer in dog training who’s methods are based on giving dogs (and other animals) more credit for their intellectual capacity than most other methods do—I am an obvious believer in dogs’ abilities, in dogs’ genius. After reading “The Genius of Dogs,” I believe you will be, too. *It is worth noting that The Genius of Dogs cites over 600 research papers, all of which are included in the book’s bibliography, which is a wonderful resource for anyone researching just about anything to do with dogs. The Genius of Dogs is also available in audio format on Audible.com. Brian Hare is also the co-founder of Dognition, a revolutionary new service for dog lovers who wonder about their dog’s intelligence. For more info visit www.dognition.com.
Sarah Meikle is a life-long dog lover and the founder and executive director of Diggity Dogs Service Dogs in Shelburne Falls, MA, a non-profit organization that specializes in psychiatric and medical alert service dog training. Kiwi, her gorgeous rescue mutt, inspires her daily. Happy Valley Animals 27
The Miami Seaquarium is About to Get Sued Help Free Lolita, Alone for 35 Years in a Tiny Tank Her legal team and orca experts say she has suffered a “stunning level of deprivation.” This lawsuit may free her into retirement, even a return to her family ... Let Your Voice Be Heard Animal advocates have been working for years to free Lolita, the lonely orca who has spent more than 40 years at the Miami Seaquarium in Florida. Now, Lolita’s advocates are back preparing further legal action to finally get her back into the wild. This is a critical time to speak out. Please use the contact info to the right. In February, Lolita’s supporters won a major victory when the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that she would be included in the listing that protects her relatives the wild under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Her relatives, the southern resident killer whales who live in three distinct pods in the Pacific Northwest, were protected in 2005 and she would still be there living among the L-pod today had she not been tragically torn from them in 1970 to be put on display for our amusement. Lolita has been living at the Miami Seaquarium ever since in one of the oldest and smallest tanks in North America and she’s been alone there since 1980 as the last surviving southern resident in captivity. While other lawsuits have been filed over her living conditions in the past, now for the first time they’re targeting the Miami Seaquarium directly. The violations include keeping her in a small tank that prevents her from being able to move freely. Her tank measures 80 feet by 60 feet, or 35 feet if it’s measured with the island barrier in the middle. She herself is long enough to stretch the full 20-foot depth of the tank if she floats vertically. Her tank is illegally small under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s standards for minimum size under the Animal Welfare Act. Lolita has also suffered for decades without the companionship of another of her kind, and she can’t escape Miami’s scorching sun, which former caretakers have said caused burns that led to her skin cracking and bleeding. Her legal team hopes the case will result in an injunction against the Miami Seaquarium and that the court will order it to retire her to her home waters. 28 Happy Valley Animals
CONTACT: Betty Goldentyer, D.V.M. Eastern Regional Director USDA – APHIS Animal Care 920 Main Campus Drive-Suite 200 Raleigh, NC 27606 (919) 716-5532- Office (919) 716-5696 – Fax betty.j.goldentyer@usda.gov Tom Vilsack, Sec. of Agriculture agsec@usda.gov Your senators or government representatives. The new owners of the Seaquarium: Fernando Eiroa President and CEO c/o Palace Entertainment 4590 MacArthur Blvd., Suite 400 Newport Beach, CA 92660 feiroa@palaceentertainment.com CC: administrator@palaceentertainment. com CC: marketing@palaceentertainment.com
The Orca Network has an extensive retirement plan in place that’s been ready and waiting for her for years. The plan involves relocating her to a sea pen off the coast of Washington where she will be able to feel the current and communicate with her pod. Her mother, L-25 (Ocean Sun) who is now believed to be about 86-years-old is still alive among her pod, as are a few others who were present the day Lolita was taken. The Miami Seaquarium now has 60 days to respond.
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DION TACK
660 West St., Rte. 116, Amherst, MA 01002 “Your Local Source for Horse and Rider”
(413) 230-3458
• • • Pet Food • Treats & Grooming Products • Wild Bird Seed • Livestock Supplies • Lawn & Garden Supplies • Fertilizer • Propane • Wood Pellets
Your Community Feed Store
Helpful Humans DOG TRAINING & DAY CARE Since being established in 1992, Leading the Way has been dedicated to enhancing the relationship of our two- and four-legged clients. Family owned & operated, with 25 years of experience in training and education. Shannon Fitzgerald & Melissa Mehlman share our knowledge through doggie daycare, all levels of dog training plus trick training, therapy dog training, show training, AKC Canine Good Citizen and behavior modification to build strong canine-human partnerships based on love and respect. Located at18 Chestnut St. in Florence, 413-559-7011. Visit us at www.leadingthewaydogtraining.com.
FEED STORES Country Corral in Williamsburg has more than twenty brand of feed for your pets and livestock, and well as tack, other pet supplies, and gifts. In business for more than 20 years, owner Tim is always behind the counter and ready to lend advice in finding and choosing the best item for your needs. He’ll also lend a helping hand getting your purchase out to your vehicle. Customers have said, “outstanding products and service,” a place that meets “all your animal vegetable and mineral (!) needs,” and “the best feed store I have ever been to.” Stop by 35 Main Street Rear (look for the sign to your right on Rt. 9) Williamsburg, MA. Hours are Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
PET LOSS SUPPORT GROUP If you or someone you know has lost a pet, please join us for a weekly (or as needed) pet loss support group. The group is held as an open forum, and everyone is welcome. Meetings are held from 6-7:00 p.m. at the West Springfield Library, dates variable. For more information, contact Doreen McDonald at 413-732-0373 .
30 Happy Valley Animals
In Memoriam Breaking the Power of Guilt I
f any emotion rules supreme when a pet dies, it is guilt. No matter what the circumstances of our loss, guilt is there, grabbing us by the throat. It haunts our days, ruins our sleep, and tarnishes our memories. Often, guilt goes beyond the loss itself; we may start to feel guilty for just about everything. Guilt on the Rampage If a pet dies through an accident or moment of carelessness, guilt is quick to follow. Perhaps someone wasn’t careful about opening a door, and the pet ran into the street to be hit by a car. Perhaps someone fed the pet a hazardous treat -- a splintery bone or forbidden bit of chocolate. Perhaps someone overlooked a hazard -- an electric cord, or a bit of string. When something like this happens, guilt closes in quickly. If only I had known... If only I had been more careful... If only I had come home sooner... If only I had been watching... The final memories of the pet become a litany of failure. If a pet dies of an unexpected illness, the litany is often similar. Why didn’t I notice the symptoms sooner? Why didn’t I visit the vet immediately? Why didn’t I get a second opinion? How could I have let it go so long, been so blind, done so little? Euthanasia is the grand master of guilt. No matter how certain we are that we are doing what is best for the pet, few pet owners actually feel comfortable with this decision. Very few can walk away from the vet’s office without nagging doubts, without wondering what the pet felt or thought in that final moment, without asking whether we should have waited longer or tried harder. Many of us feel guilty of literally murdering a family member. But even if there is nothing in the pet’s final hours to trigger a guilty response, we are not off the hook. If we can’t find something in the pet’s death to feel guilty about, we’ll find it in the pet’s life. If only I had spent more time with her... If only I had given him more attention... If only I hadn’t pushed her off my lap, if only I hadn’t ignored those pleading eyes, if only I hadn’t been so busy... Before long, we convince ourselves that we were abominable pet owners who made our companions’ lives miserable. And now it’s too late. We cannot make amends, redeem ourselves...
555 “We need another and a wiser and perhaps a more mystical concept of animals. Remote from universal nature, and living by complicated artifice, man in civilization surveys the creature through the glass of his knowledge and sees thereby a feather magnified and the whole image in distortion. We patronize them for their incompleteness, for their tragic fate of having taken form so far below ourselves. And therein we err, and greatly err. For the animal shall not be measured by man. In a world older and more complete than ours they move finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren, they are not underlings; they are other nations caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendour and travail of the earth.” Henry Beston, The Outermost House
Readers are invited to use this page, at no cost, to honor the animals they love and miss.
Why Do We Feel this Way? We are believers in cause and effect. When something goes wrong, we want to know why. How did it happen? What went wrong? Could it have been prevented -- and if so, how? Who is responsible? What could/should have been done differently? Rarely can we acknowledge that there are no answers to these questions. Rarely can we say, “no one was at fault; it simply happened.” Rarely can we accept that nothing could have been changed or done differently. This reaction is intensified by the profound sense of responsibility we feel toward our pets. Pets occupy a similar role to very small children: No matter what happens, WE are responsible. We can never expect our pets to understand why they shouldn’t run into the street, chew on the electric cord, or filch scraps from the trash. We are always their guardians and protectors. And so, when something happens, we view ourselves as responsible for that as well -- and it is only a short step from feeling “responsible” to feeling “guilty.” continues on page 26
White Rose Pet Memorial Services PET CREMATORY Brattleboro, VT
www.whiterosepet.com (802) 254-4749 By Appointment Only
All animals are treated with the respect and dignity they inherently deserve. Happy Valley Animals 31
At the Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Hospital (VESH)
EMERGENCY
RE WE A YS ALWA ! OPEN
and Advanced Care for your pet is just minutes away!
24-HOUR EMERGENCY, CRITICAL CARE & HOSPITALIZATION plus INTERNAL MEDICINE • ENDOSCOPY • CANCER TREATMENT CHRONIC DISEASE TREATMENT • OPHTHALMOLOGY • LASER EYE SURGERY ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY • SOFT TISSUE SURGERY • LAPAROSCOPIC SURGERY ULTRASOUND & X-RAY • IN-HOUSE LAB We are extremely pleased to announce that VESH has attained certification from the Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care Society as a Level II Emergency Facility. We are the first veterinary emergency facility in the region and one of only 21 facilities nationwide to receive this certification to date!
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V
VESH
413-665-4911
141 Greenfield Road (Rts 5/10) South Deerfield, MA 01373