PAWS Mini Magazine Spring 2022

PAWS Connections

From Homeless

Another area Adira excels in – posing for the camera! This is just one of her beauty shots from her reign as the 2021 PAWSwalk Spokespup.

to Ranch Hand

N

ot every dog has a diary, but Adira isn’t every dog. Lauren Rick, the owner of Bone-A-Fide Dog Ranch, has a quirky sense of humor and excels at channeling Adira’s even quirkier personality.

“I have done many Google searches and I can’t find any dogs bred for ‘doggy daycare management’. How do we even know if I’m meant for this work?

Lennon seems to be a natural so maybe he is a purebred.” — Adira Lennon is an older dog and the current head ranch hand at Lauren’s popular doggy daycare and boarding facility in Snohomish. Adira is Lennon’s apprentice.

“From my perspective, Adira isn’t the only one in training. I’m learning to work with her as much as she is learning to work with me,” explains Lauren.

When Adira arrived at PAWS in search of a home, the two-year-old, mediumsized mixed breed wasn’t exactly ranch-ready. She had just endured several days — CONTINUED INSIDE

Adira can be found in her day job as a “Doggy Daycare Manager” at Bone-A-Fide Dog Ranch in Snohomish.

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PAWS is People Teens

Helping Animals

T

his list of service projects is the creative output of 19 teens who participated in the first-ever PAWS Teen Club, held weekly last summer.

Bailey Gilbert, PAWS Education Coordinator, says: “I know how passionate teens are. They are dreaming about what they want to be when they grow up and it’s crucial there are spaces for them to discover those passions.”

Bailey acknowledges the PAWS Teen Club is intensive and not for your everyday animal-loving teen. She developed requirements to ensure each member was committed to the five core goals:

• Starting a blog about how to transition cats to a fully indoor lifestyle.

• Creating a video game about why it is important for cats to wear collars.

• Planting habitat that is beneficial to both the community and native wildlife.

• Putting a free pet pantry in the lower income parts of my neighborhood.

• Starting a humane education club at my high school.

• Preventing people from feeding wildlife with signage in my neighborhood.

For more content related to this story, visit paws.org/Spring2022.

1. Investigate and develop solutions to issues facing companion animals and wildlife.

2. Learn about animal-related careers.

3. Engage in service projects.

4. Promote a greater understanding of the biodiversity of their community.

5. Foster public speaking and leadership skills.

Bailey is gearing up for PAWS Teen Club 2022 and considers herself lucky to interact with people who will be future advocates for animals.

As for the teens, hearing about animal-related careers from guest speakers and doing a service project were favorite features. One added, “I liked meeting other teens who are also interested in helping animals.” Another appreciated “always ending each session in laughs.”

Know a teen interested in applying for PAWS Teen Club 2022?

Visit paws.org/TeenClub to learn more.

Cover Story — continued of winter travel from Texas. Notes from the animal care staff at PAWS after her arrival read: “A little bit shy until she is comfortable in her surroundings but warms up very quickly into a social sweetheart.”

Meanwhile, Lauren and co-owner Randy Brians were contemplating the retirement of 14-year-old Lennon, also adopted from PAWS. After years of loyal service to the people and dogs of Bone-A-Fide, Lennon’s advanced age, tired joints and slower pace were telling signs that he’d like to retire to a life of leisure, napping and snacking the day away.

It was time to search for Lennon’s replacement. As longtime supporters, their first stop was PAWS. Their application called for an athletic dog, friendly with other dogs but also good with people, calm, and a no-nonsense style of taking charge when necessary.

On any given day at Bone-A-Fide, Lauren and Randy are corralling dozens of dogs of all sizes, ages and temperaments. It takes a steady paw to keep order.

Not long after putting in her application, Lauren received a call from a PAWS adoption advisor to come meet Adira. Lauren said, “I had no idea what kind of a ranch hand she’d make but it was love at first sight and that was that.”

Lauren describes Adira’s apprenticeship as a process they are figuring out together. “Lennon has been so patient, but boy does he have moments when he looks at me as if to say, ‘Mom, can we please get on with my retirement?’”

All work and no play? No way! Adira always finds time to enjoy the snow.

A Wild Trio “They looked like a three-headed bobcat sleeping in one big fur pile.”

L

eave it to a newspaper reporter to paint a vivid picture of three bobcats being returned to the wild.

“The first two bobcats coiled up like springs in their kennel, then launched out into the wild outside Acme in a blur of fur.

The third, who had a kennel to herself, took her time. She crept out cautiously, turned her head to look at the humans gathered behind her—just for a moment—then casually trotted away.” — Everett Herald Arriving at PAWS Wildlife Center on separate days in July 2020, the three orphaned kittens were found alone in Bellingham, Snohomish and Woodinville. Over the next 10 months, they were cared for by PAWS staff, including Wildlife Rehabilitator Robbie Thorson, who recalls their intake.

“While thin, they were feisty and required leather gloves to handle,” Robbie recalls. “All readily self-fed on prey.”

PAWS Wildlife Rehabilitation Manager Emily Meredith remarks how quickly they bonded (after a brief quarantine period) and slept together, often “looking like a three-headed bobcat sleeping in one big fur pile.”

PAWS works hard to limit human interaction with wildlife. This is accomplished with a series of enclosures with sliding doors which allow staff to clean and hide food without the animal in the same enclosure or even able to view the team members working.

A highlight of the rehabilitation process involves enrichment. The unusually cold winter weather created a perfect storm for enrichment—a massive snow pile for the bobcats to explore. (See extra content for a video of the snow antics.)

The COVID pandemic was a backdrop throughout most of the bobcats’ stay.

Research suggesting wild cats could be susceptible to the virus required additional safety measures, including negative COVID tests for these bobcat patients prior to release.

A bobcat stretches and gets its bearings moments after release.

“During cleaning, we wore full Tyvek suits along with KN95s, face shields, boots, gloves and goggles,” says Robbie. These extra measures allowed staff to prevent any cross-contamination.

One of the tiny bobkittens during the initial intake exam.

After 250 days in care and a rehabilitation cost of $2,750 per bobcat, they were released back to the wild, running their separate ways once the carrier doors were raised. The reporter’s wish for the final bobcat as she darted into the woods was that, “a human will never lay eyes on her again.” Her temporary caregivers at PAWS concur.

For more content related to these stories, visit paws.org/Spring2022.

Thank you for making these success stories possible with your support of PAWS!

From the Heart Dear PAWS Friends, Spring is emerging and that means busy times in the wild and at PAWS. We’ll soon be returning rehabilitated wild animals back home to their natural habitats. Some of them are long-term guests who overwintered at PAWS Wildlife Center, coming in as young orphans who can now fend for themselves and raise families of their own in the wild.

PAWS CEO Heidi Wills Yamada

PAWS’ Promise PAWS helps cats, dogs and wild animals go home and thrive—whether home is the family room or the forest. We do this by rehabilitating orphaned and injured wildlife, sheltering and adopting homeless cats and dogs, and educating the community to inspire compassionate action for animals.

PAWS

mini magazine Issue 10, Spring 2022 Editor in Chief: Laura Follis Writer: Laura Follis Graphic Designer: Lynn Jefferson Photographers: Jeff Brown, Alyssa McCoy, Paul Gibson, Lauren Rick PAWS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and relies on community support to conduct our work to help animals.

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Spring is also a time when conflict between humans and wildlife is of concern. Newborn animals are vulnerable and at risk from interactions with people, pets and vehicles.

Our wildlife admissions staff counsel community members over the phone and are busy receiving injured wild animals at our walk-up window. If you see a wild animal in need of help, please call PAWS Wildlife Center at (425) 412-4040.

We hope you enjoy the success stories in this issue that you’ve made possible with your support of PAWS. Here are several more animals who recently arrived at PAWS and received critical care.

Board of Directors Katie Jordan, President Gayle Johnson, Vice President Peter Schrappen, Secretary Bob Mahon, Treasurer

• A pregnant dog who gave birth to six healthy pups the day after her arrival.

Moms and pups are being cared for in a foster home until they are ready for adoption.

• An American goldfinch who came to PAWS nearly blind. She was successfully treated for a serious eye infection and returned back to her home territory.

On behalf of the animals who will arrive at PAWS each day this spring in need of lifesaving care, thank you. We couldn’t do this important work without you.

With gratitude,

Heidi Wills Yamada CEO

Save Animals While You File Tax Day is almost here.

Josh Amato, Norm Arkans, James Donaldson, Jen Evans, Rich Finlay, Joanna Grist, Joe Grube, Heather Hager, Steve Hall, Jill Jones, C. Han Kim, Ju Lee, Ammon McWashington, Eddie Pasatiempo, Hon. Strom Peterson, Chuck Stempler, Rebekah Strausbaugh, Karen Trujillo, Kris Tsujikawa, Muriel Van Housen, Jennie Warmouth, Erica Wolf

Did you know there are ways you can support PAWS that provide life-saving care to animals and a financial benefit to you?

CEO

It’s never too early to plan how you’ll help animals and maximize your financial benefit for next tax season. To help you understand your options and initiate a gift, PAWS offers a variety of free resources and tools.

Heidi Wills Yamada

PAWS

15305 44th Ave W PO Box 1037 Lynnwood, WA 98046 paws.org Contact PAWS: (425) 787-2500 Adoption Information x435 Animal Cruelty x861 Donor Relations x441 Foster Care Program x822 Hours and Address x410 Lost Pets x567 Found Pets x580 Volunteer Information x230 Wildlife Center x817

• IRA gifts can help reduce your future tax burden and can meet your required minimum distribution for 2022.

• Donating appreciated stocks helps you avoid capital gains tax so more of your donation goes directly to helping animals.

Learn more at paws.org/TaxDonations.

Don’t Miss These Events PAWS Youth Programs Inspire the kids in your life to help animals. This spring, we’re offering live workshops for kids 7 to 13 years old.

Learn more and register at paws.org/KidsEvents.

PAWSwalk:

Exercise Your Heart For Animals

April 16–May 6 Visit PAWSwalk.net for more information.

Use promo code WOOF for $5 OFF registration!