Pet Dish for October 12, 2010

In this issue:

Animal Humane Society Fall Wine Dinner
Kitters the cat, no longer forgotten
Fellow Animal Humane Society supporter lends a helping hand
Lucy's new home
Pet Tips with Paula Zukoff - Does your dog have separation anxiety?
More Treats
Scratching Post

Animal Humane Society Fall Wine Dinner
Coming together for homeless animals

If you dig around online, you can find interesting tidbits about wine, including that one standard acre of grapevines yields nearly 4,000 bottles of wine. But you might be more interested to know that for one ticket to our annual Fall Wine Dinner you’ll help three animals receive spay/neuter surgery, not to mention enjoy an evening that’s all about doing more for animals… together.

Be a part of this amazing night by reserving your ticket today.

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Kitters the cat, no longer forgotten

Summer is a favorite time for many people with pets. The warm weather means longer walks, more opportunities to play fetch in the yard, plenty of birds and squirrels to watch, and a sunny place to lay by the window. But that’s not the kind of summer Kitters had. The six-year-old Siamese mix cat arrived at Animal Humane Society on May 30. She spent the next three months waiting patiently for a new home.

Animals in Animal Humane Society Adoption Centers tend to find homes fairly quickly. Dogs spend just days waiting for homes and adult cats spend just a few weeks. But some animals are overlooked by potential adopters and end up waiting much longer. Once an animal has been available for adoption for 60 days, they become a Forget-Me-Not. Forget-Me-Nots are marked with a flower on the website and each Friday one is selected for the “Forget-Me-Not Friday” video.

On Friday, September 3, Kitters was chosen as the featured Forget-Me-Not. Her video was posted on Animal Humane Society's website, Twitter stream and Facebook page. An AHS staff member shared the video on her Facebook page where Michelle Kukurich saw it.

Michelle lost her 19-year-old cat in early June and had been thinking about getting another cat. When she saw the video on Facebook, she thought the timing was perfect to bring one home. “When I saw her video and heard that she had been there for 97 days I thought – well that’s just too long!” said Michelle.

So the next day, Michelle came to Animal Humane Society to visit with Kitters and decided to take her home. After a short adjustment period, Kitters settled right in. “At first when we got home she hid under the bed for a few hours. But she eventually came out and now she sleeps on top of the bed with me rather than under the bed,” said Michelle.

Each week a new Forget-Me-Not Friday video will be posted. Do you have room in your heart and home for an animal that’s been waiting an especially long time? Click here to watch all the Forget-Me-Not Friday videos.

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Fellow Animal Humane Society supporter lends a hand
Free seminars scheduled in November

We know that your humane values are important to you. They’re important to Erica Whittlinger too and that is why she is lending her 20 years of experience as the former CEO of Whittlinger Capital Management to other Animal Humane Society supporters. During a free Smart Tax Strategies for Charitable Giving seminar on November 11 and 13, Erica will share with you how to develop a financial plan with those humane values in mind. Space is limited. Learn more and reserve your seat today.

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Lucy’s new home
National Pit Bull Awareness Day, October 23

Lucy's new family

When Dana Koneczny bought a new house with her fiancé Paul Bruslobt, she knew getting a dog for the two of them to share their home with wasn’t far behind. And she knew that she wanted to help a dog in need.

“Our family had dogs when I was growing up — huskies, golden retrievers, but I had never had a dog of my own,” she said. “I wanted a puppy and knew it would make me feel better to adopt because it frees up a spot for another rescue dog.”

Dana and Paul adopted Lucy, a petite pit bull mix from an unwanted litter, at our St. Paul Adoption Center in October 2009. Fortunately, they haven’t been questioned about the breed they chose. “No one has been turned off that she’s a pit bull,” Dana said. “She’s shy, but interested in people.”

The couple was given advice on how to raise pit bulls, including obedience training and early and frequent socialization training. They work with Lucy at home and discovered that she is the smartest dog Dana has ever had. “She learns tricks quickly and is very loyal and smart, which is great because I can give examples of what the breed is like with Lucy.”

Since adopting her, Dana and Paul have had to leave her with their parents when they go on out-of-town trips. On one such visit, Lucy got out of their parents’ yard. She was gone for hours and when found was happily playing with a neighbor’s five children in their front yard.

The mother of the children asked Dana what type of dog Lucy was. When she told her that Lucy was a pit bull, the mother exclaimed to her children, “See? Pit bulls are nice!”

With National Pit Bull Awareness Day coming up on October 23, Dana shares with readers that if you are a strong guardian for your dog, can provide training and socialization, and are looking for an all around wonderful breed, a pit bull would be great for you.

“She is still learning her own size, but the most harm she's done is wag her tail a little too hard.”

More about selecting the right dog for your family
For those looking to adopt a dog, research the breed before bringing it home. Discuss the individual dog’s nature with its current owner, including a shelter adoption counselor or breeder, and seek the advice of a professional trainer on how to properly “raise” the dog, including effective containment practices such as leash use and appropriate fencing.

Any dog, not just those listed as a bully breed such as a pit bull, can become aggressive if not provided quality care, supervision and training. As a community, it is our responsibility to teach our pets what is and is not acceptable in their interactions with people and other animals.

At Animal Humane Society, we ensure that each pit bull adopted out of our shelters is an ambassador of its breed. We also help new owners by offering them two months of free training when they adopt a pit bull.

Click here to view dogs currently available for adoption at our five adoption centers.

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Pet Dish Pet Tips with Paula Zukoff
Do you think your pet might have separation anxiety? What may look like SA might be something else. Watch this installment of Pet Dish Pet Tips with Paula Zukoff to determine what could be the cause of your pet’s behavior.

Don’t forget to send us your training questions
Is your pet itching to add a few tricks to his repertoire? Do you have questions about your pet’s behavior and what you can do to help her be a better family pet? Let us know your training question by sending us an email - or better yet sending a video showing us the problems you're having with your pup! Send videos and emails to petdishideas@animalhumanesociety.org.

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