PAWS Mini Magazine Summer 2021

PAWS Connections Anil Kapahi

Golden Eagle

This golden eagle saved the lives of two raptors at PAWS while making a full recovery from his own injuries.

Saves Other Raptors

I

t’s not often that a patient at PAWS Wildlife Center is able to help save the lives of other animals, but a golden eagle did just that—donating blood to a bald eagle and red-tailed hawk who each arrived at PAWS with severe anemia and in need of life-saving blood transfusions.

“Birds tolerate blood loss better than mammals,” said PAWS Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. Nicki Rosenhagen. Staff administered oral fluids after the procedure and kept a close eye on each of the three patients. “All did well,” Dr. Nicki recalled.

The golden eagle had quite a journey before ending up at PAWS. Last September, a mother and daughter spotted him struggling on the banks of the Methow River. They waded through thigh-deep water to reach him, using a hoodie to cover and wrap the injured bird for transport.

They placed the eagle in a large kennel and embarked on the seven-hour — CONTINUED INSIDE

Upon arrival at PAWS Wildlife Center, the golden eagle was given an intake exam to identify injuries.

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Meet Baillee:

Zoom Classroom Mascot

T

he fourth-grade students at Emerson Elementary School quickly fell in love with teacher Beth Calsyn’s pup Baillee, who was tasked with helping her during the six-week PAWS Kids Who CareSM curriculum. They couldn’t wait to tune in on Zoom to see the cute puppy growing right before their eyes. As the unofficial Kids Who Care mascot, Baillee was a bright spot for Beth and her students during the pandemic.

Weeks prior, Beth had casually mentioned to PAWS Education Coordinator Kate Campbell that she and her husband were ready to adopt. Says Beth, “Since I’ve worked with PAWS in the past, I trusted them. I know how well they take care of the animals.”

Kate told Beth about a litter of PAWS puppies, and it wasn’t long before Beth and her husband adopted Baillee. Born in a local foster home after her pregnant mother came to PAWS from an overcrowded shelter in Texas, Baillee was ready to find a home of her own. While Beth has included PAWS’ Kids Who Care programming in her classroom since 2016, it wasn’t until she came to meet Baillee that she first stepped foot onto the PAWS campus in Lynnwood.

The Kids Who Care curriculum is dedicated to teaching youth to demonstrate compassion to all beings and protect animal habitats.

“She’s added spunk and love to our lives, using her big brown eyes to melt hearts and get what she wants.”

Typically taught by PAWS educators, the curriculum was repackaged for teachers to present to their students on Zoom. Beth found that visiting PAWS and adopting Baillee gave her valuable knowledge and a personal connection to share with her students at a time when lessons were virtual and otherwise felt distant.

Baillee is now thriving in her new home. Beth says Baillee loves romping around in her backyard so much that it can be hard to get her to come back inside. After a long day of playing, Baillee can be found asleep, surrounded by her many toys.

Please visit paws.org/foster for more details on fostering, current foster opportunities, and how to apply to be a foster parent at PAWS.

Cover Story — continued roundtrip drive to Sarvey Wildlife Center, where the eagle was stabilized and got the care he needed before being transferred to PAWS. Our veterinary staff determined that the second-year eagle was unable to fly due to significant wing droop from the left carpus, or wrist, likely from soft tissue injury or nerve trauma. A figure-eight wrap was placed on the wing to immobilize it and prevent further injury and feather damage. Regular physical therapy ensured range of motion was maintained while the wing healed.

To be ready for release, he needed to fly to high perches in his enclosure consistently and without much effort. Over seven months later—well after the patients he’d saved had already been returned to the wild—a PAWS rehabilitator spotted him on the highest perch. He was finally ready!

On release day, PAWS Naturalist Jeff Brown prepared the carrier, specially designed to protect the eagle’s tail and flight feathers during transport, for the long journey back to Twisp. The eagle was fitted with a tiny GPS backpack that allows researchers to track his progress and assess the survival rate of rehabilitated eagles. The tag is lightweight and fastened with a biodegradable cotton string that will eventually break, allowing the eagle to continue living his life unencumbered.

After 234 days of care at PAWS, the rehabilitated golden eagle flew out of his carrier to a nearby ridge and back to a full life in the wild.

After 234 days of care at PAWS, the fully rehabilitated golden eagle flew out of his carrier to a nearby ridge. One of his rescuers who had bravely waded into the river to save him was there to witness his strong flight out of sight and back to a full life in the wild.

Love is blind

“There’s nothing that slows George down or stops him from achieving a goal.”

George can be found on the highest perches in his cat-friendly home in Seattle.

D

espite arriving at PAWS in bad shape, George surprised shelter employees with his perpetually sweet temperament and playful nature.

play like any other cat. As Perkett recalled, “I will always remember that despite his bad circumstances, he had such a positive outlook on life.”

His eyes were severely infected and, sadly, had to be removed. While being fostered

by Marla Perkett, he endured frequent medicated baths to overcome ringworm, and had to be kept separated from the other resident cats to prevent its spread. Being on his own helped George get accustomed to living without vision and learning to jump and

PAWS knew that George would thrive in a family with another blind cat to befriend.

Fortunately, a caring family who had previously adopted from PAWS was instantly charmed, saying, “Once we met him, there was no turning back. We just knew he’d be a great fit.”

George hit it off instantly with Juno, a cat adopted from PAWS who is also blind. Older cat Klaus took longer to warm up to the new kitten but was soon protecting him. “There’s nothing that slows George down or stops him from achieving a goal,” says his new family. “He’s super persistent, and that’s an inspiration to all of us.”

After finding his way into his family’s heart, George mastered the house layout in a few days and even began to learn to walk on a leash. He’s also amassed a hefty social media following at @theklauscat and @thejunocat.

George reminds us that cats, like humans, are complicated creatures and engage with the world in countless ways that allow them to overcome challenges. He’s also an important reminder that love, for George and the rest of us, is blind.

George’s family includes young playmates who are always ready to keep him entertained.

George enjoys all typical cat activities, like sink bathing!

For more content related to these stories, visit paws.org/Summer2021.

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

From the Heart Dear PAWS Friends, Summer is in full swing at PAWS. In a single day, 21 cats were adopted at PAWS Cat City into loving families, and we released four orphaned black bears to the wild after more than a year in care. Animals are not aware that we are still grappling with a worldwide pandemic, and continue to need care in even greater numbers.

CEO Heidi Wills Yamada holds a 6-week-old kitten at the PAWS Cat City location.

We are grateful to have persevered through uncertain times and remain committed to providing our unique services to the Pacific Northwest.

In this issue, you’ll read success stories from the core areas of our mission—companion animals, wildlife, and education services— all made possible with generous gifts from members of our community like you.

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.

• Pebble, a 3-week-old kitten, arrived at PAWS after a worker at a local waste station spotted her in the nick of time.

She’s growing strong surrounded by love from a foster family.

• A young peregrine falcon is recuperating at PAWS Wildlife Center after hitting a window in downtown Seattle and fracturing her wing.

Thank you for helping animals who arrive at PAWS daily in need of lifesaving care. We couldn’t do this important work without you. Please visit paws.org/volunteer for information on how volunteers can once again support us.

With gratitude,

Here are three more examples from recent days:

• Ashlynn, a homeless dog who came from Heidi Wills Yamada an overcrowded shelter in California, CEO gave birth to her puppies in the safety and comfort of a PAWS foster home.

A Special PAWSwalk

PAWS

mini magazine Issue 9, Summer 2021 Editor in Chief: Laura Follis Associate Editor: Jennie Baxla Writers: Jennie Baxla, Shale Yamada Graphic Designer: Lynn Jefferson Photographers: Jeff Brown, Kyra Butzel, Mick Szydlowski 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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Thank You! More than 650 animal lovers and their furry companions participated individually or on a team in PAWSwalk: Exercise Your Heart for Animals, a virtual wellness challenge and fundraiser. Over the 21-day event from May 23 to June 12, more than $169,000 was raised and 21,758 miles were walked to help cats, dogs, and wildlife in need. A special PAWSwalk: Youth Edition had 70 children and teens walking and raising funds on their own.

We’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all who participated, and a special shoutout to our corporate sponsors for ensuring a successful event!

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

Learn more and register at paws.org/events.

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