deTails July 29, 2011

July 29, 2011

DogsDogsDogsDogs

Strays 3

Adopted 1

Euthanized 3

Return to Owner 2

In Shelter 07/29 50

CatsCatsCatsCats

Died in Shelter 3

Euthanized 3

In Shelter 07/29 60

Dog

Adoptions

JacksonJacksonJacksonJackson

It’s been a very quiet week at the shel-ter—everyone seems to be languishing from the heat. Everyone except the caregivers, who, despite the heat and humidity in the ken-nels, have worked like troopers to see that the cats and dogs are well cared for.

Thank you,Thank you,Thank you,Thank you, Debra, Dillon, and Ben!Debra, Dillon, and Ben!Debra, Dillon, and Ben!Debra, Dillon, and Ben!

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Visit our website at

www.acarf.org

to see all adoptable pets ————until one has loved an animal, until one has loved an animal, until one has loved an animal, until one has loved an animal,

part of their soul remains unawakenedpart of their soul remains unawakenedpart of their soul remains unawakenedpart of their soul remains unawakened————

Saturday, August 13Saturday, August 13Saturday, August 13Saturday, August 13 2502 N State Street2502 N State Street2502 N State Street2502 N State Street

The volunteers who work at the front desk have been receiving a lot of assistance lately. Julie Payne, who has been providing them with a lot of printed forms this

week brought new busi-ness cards. Thanks again, Julie! Amanda Phillips made some new “thank you” cards for the shelter Thanks, Amanda!

Don’t forget the garage sale on August 13. If you have items to donate, please call Julie Payne at 620-496-2228.

SeptemberSeptemberSeptemberSeptember FundraisingFundraisingFundraisingFundraising EventsEventsEventsEvents

Moran DaysMoran DaysMoran DaysMoran Days FarmFarmFarmFarm----City DaysCity DaysCity DaysCity Days

Hope to see you there!Hope to see you there!Hope to see you there!Hope to see you there!

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CCCC arrie, a tubby 10-y ea r - o l d tuxedo cat

at the Maryland SPCA in Baltimore, stretches out on her back in an invitation to tickle her tummy, purring like a well-tuned sports car in her quest for nonstop petting and belly rubs. For matchmaking purposes, the shelter staff classify her as a “Pooh” personality: easygoing, laid-back, and tolerant, qualities that would delight a quiet bookworm, touchy-feely kids, or anyone in between.

Across the country in California, 12-year-old Karma displays perfect man-ners. Rescued from a hoarder, Karma was an unknown entity when Michaela Haas and Gayle Landes brought him home from the Pet Adoption Fund in Canoga Park a year ago. The couple expected to have to teach him every-thing, but within days they found that their senior citizen was perfect: house-trained, good-natured, and very well-behaved. “I can leave a steak on the...table and leave the room,” says Haas. Plenty of pet owners fall head over

heels for the cute factor of puppies and kittens. Captivated by miniature features and adorable antics, they’re willing to overlook the demolition derby flip side, which often includes shoe chewing, fur-niture scratching, midnight toe attacks, and puddles on the carpet. But if waking up for 3 a.m. potty breaks or plucking kittens off the curtains is not for you, then an older pet may be just the ticket. After all, kittens and puppies

are much like Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates: There’s no telling if you’ll end up with the affectionate lap cat or laid-back therapy dog candidate you’d hoped for. With mature animals, on the other hand, what you see is usually what you get, whether it’s an independ-ent feline who’s had years to develop meticulous litter box habits, or a calm canine who has come to love children and won’t grow to be the size of a small pony. “Older pets are what they are and are less likely to become something else,” says Karel Minor, executive director of the Humane Society of Berks County in Reading, Pa. More and more adopters are catching on to the special charms of the older set, whether motivated by compassion for a graying muzzle or attracted by the promise of a housetraining-free lifestyle. In one online survey of 1,250 young adult pet owners, roughly 61 percent said they would prefer to adopt an older dog rather than a puppy, primarily be-cause they were working multiple jobs or faced other time challenges. Indeed, it was Karma’s zenlike nature that caught the attention of Haas and Landes. The pair, who live beachside in Malibu, were visiting the shelter in search of a young dog to enjoy the sand and surf with them, but they went home with the 12-year-old Akita-chow mix in-stead. “He was the first dog we saw,” says Haas. “He was sitting there with

h i s p a w s crossed. . .observ ing e v e r y t h i n g calmly...following us with his eyes.” Karma doesn’t care for surf-romping, but loves walks on the beach, jumping excitedly when it’s time to go out. It’s

Karma’s only puppy-like behavior, something that Haas, a writer who works at home, appreciates. “I lived with two puppies for a while,” she says. “I was unable to do any work at all be-cause they needed my attention all the time. Puppies are so cute, but...it was like having a baby.” And as Karma’s oceanfront adventures reveal, being long in the tooth isn’t the burden it used to be. While cats and most breeds of dogs are physiologically considered seniors at 7 or 8 years old, today’s pets are living well into their teens and sometimes beyond, thanks to better nutrition and advances in veteri-nary care. “We’re still educating people that an 8-year-old cat is not an old cat. Cats can live to 20,” says Sherri Orner, associate director of Safe Haven for Cats in Raleigh, NC. In a Woodridge, Ill, backyard, Oliver shows that he’s still spritely at middle age. The 10-1/2 year-old bearded collie

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started running agility courses at age 7, when owners Jeff Atwell and Chris Hardy-Atwell were looking for a way to keep the family healthy. The beardie took to it like a duck to wa-ter. “When it’s set up, he gets all ex-cited,” says Hardy-Atwell. “He stands on the deck and barks...He just loves it. He doesn’t want to quit.” And the sight of a 60-pound Wookie wannabe flying through tires and racing up ramps has inspired other neighborhood dogs, sev-eral of whom are seniors, to give agility a try. The regular activity keeps the dog’s mind and body stimulated, says Atwell. “Oliver’s a poster boy for senior activity...The vet can’t believe what great condition he’s in.” Even four-legged Methuselahs can sur-prise their owners with unexpected en-ergy. When Sherry Milchick of Lau-reldale, Pa., adopted a l9-year-old cat from the Humane Society of Berks County, she thought his age would limit his mobility. The first time Milchick took him outside for a walk, she assumed the old guy wouldn’t need to be leashed like her other cats. But he took off like a shot, and she had to run to catch up with him. Having being around the block a few times, senior pets can also impart valu-able life lessons to their human com-panions. “They’re extremely grateful for second chances,” says Deborah Work-man of the Sanctuary for Senior Dogs in Cleveland, Ohio. “They seem to under-stand that they’ve been through bad times and have now come into good times.”

B u b b a i s among those who have ac-quired some wisdom later in life. Twenty-three years ago, Gina Cal-laghan rescued the tiny black

kitten from the streets of Jersey City. He spent his first day in Callaghan’s home knocking over wineglasses and terroriz-ing her two other felines. Bubba grew into a very rowdy cat, the household bully and resident troublemaker. Cal-laghan adores Bubba, but the word “horrible” enters the conversation when the New York City resident describes his behavior during his first eight years.

Then about 15 years ago, the former terror shed his crazy ways and “morphed into a sweet old guy who has been an amazing friend,” Callaghan says. Now a courtly gentleman, the mel-low cat even plays the role of family peacekeeper, mediating relationships between his two feline housemates, seniors themselves at ages 12 and 16. He’s also the most active and social of the three, says Callaghan. “Bubba is well past 100 in human years but his spirit is young,” Callaghan writes on her Old Cats Rule blog. “He has no time for cranky howling or hissing. There is too much fun to be had and too much love to give and receive. “Someday I hope to be just like Bubba.” Reprinted from allanimals, a publication of the

Humane Society of the United States; July/August

2011 issue; Arna Cohen, author; pgs 28-32.

Older pets are Older pets are Older pets are Older pets are

what they are and what they are and what they are and what they are and

are less likely to are less likely to are less likely to are less likely to

become something become something become something become something

else.else.else.else. -Karel Minor, executive director of the

Humane Society of Berks County, Reading, PA

Look for pictures and descriptions of all

available cats and dogs on our website

www.acarf.org

Andi DePriest, Director

Janice Porter, Front Desk

Robyn Porter, Photographer,

Petfinders

Ginny Hawk, Fundraising

Chair

305 East Highway 54

LaHarpe KS 66751

620-496-3647

www.acarf.org

Hours

11:30 am—5:00 pm

Tuesday thru Saturday

Closed Sunday and Monday

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Pet of the Week

NateNateNateNate

Nate is a collie mix, but it seems very likely that he

is mixed with Tennessee Treeing Brindle, a type of

hound. His brindle markings are quite beautiful. Al-

though he looks fairly big, Nate is still very young,

probably only 4 to 6 months old. And he still has a

puppy's joyful attitude about life. This little guy is

happy all the time, and it shows!