Madison Co u n t y November 2004 C H S Humane Society M …members.petfinder.com/~IN35/Newsletter Files/Nov Humane... · 2004-11-11 · sharing cages on the top half of dog cages

“Santa Claws Photos”At PETsMART

The Madison County HumaneSo c i e t y, in partnership withPETsMART Charities, will host theannual “Santa Claws” photos at theAnderson PETsMART located in theSo u t h t own Center on Scatterf i e l dRoad.

Every weekend in December priorto Christmas, PE Ts M A RT cus-tomers, animal lovers and friends ofthe Humane Society will be able toget a photo with Santa and their pets.A portion of the proceeds will godirectly to aid programs to feed, pro-vide shelter and medical care forhomeless cats and dogs here inMadison County at the local society.

The Humane Society will be onhand at PETsMART each Saturdayand Sunday, December 4th & 5th,11th & 12th and 18th & 19th from12 noon to 5 p.m. to take photos ofyour pets with Santa.

The “Santa Claws” photo packageis only $9.95 and includes Polaroidphotos of your pet and two Holidayframes. PE Ts M A RT Charities willdonate $5.00 from each photo pack-age to your Humane Society.

If you would like to volunteer as aphotographer, Santa, or to be one ofthe elves to help with this fun filledholiday activity, contact RichardChandler at 765.378.0690.

NEWSLETTERMadison Co u n t y

MC H

S Humane Society

CRAFT & HOBBY SHOWThe 2004 edition of the Madison County Humane Society Christmas Craft

& Hobby Show will be Saturday and Sunday, November 20th and 21st at theNational Guard Armory on Scatterfield Road just north of University Boulevard.

The show, “Our Pet Project”, again will be a two-day event with hours from9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 noon until 3:00p.m. Admission to the show is free.

The 26th annual show will feature nearly fifty booths of holiday crafts, spe-cial pet accessories, handmade items, and a Humane Society display with sweat-shirts, t-shirts, tote bags and other pet souvenirs. The popular food booth willalso be open during show hours featuring traditional menu items along withdesserts, snacks and beverages available for sale with proceeds going directly tothe Humane Society.

Booth space for the Christmas Craft & Hobby Show is nearly sold-out andonly a very limited number of booth sections are available. If you would like tobe a part of the show, booth rental fees are $40.00 for a 10 foot by 10 foot spaceand includes one eight foot table for crafts or other merchandise displays.Additional tables will be available for a nominal fee or vendors may bring theirown tables. Call Pat Coffin at 765.644.8201 for booth space or more informa-tion if you would like to be a volunteer at this year’s show.

November 2004

PETsMART “WISH TREE” to benefit the MCHS.During the holiday season, the “Wish Tree” returns to PETsMART in

Anderson and benefits the Madison County Humane Society.PETsMART customers can donate $1, $5, or $10 toward a program that is

good for any products or services sold at the PETsMART store on ScatterfieldRoad. The donations permit the humane society to purchase the exact food oritems needed for the homeless or abandoned dogs and cats here in MadisonCounty.

Look for the tags with various donation amounts for the Humane Society onthe PETsMART “Wish Tree” near the front of the store and take them to thecheckout when you conduct your regular shopping during the holiday season.

A YEAR IN REVIEW . . . 2004 has been an exceptional year for the Madison County Humane Society thanks

to the support of many individuals, community businesses and volunteers.We launched the year with a focus on the large breed dogs that have resided at the

MCHS for many years. A dedicated core of volunteers initiated the Big Dog Group tobegin work on socializing, improving basic behavioral issues and interaction withhumans toward the goal of finding homes for these special needs dogs. The group, withthe theme of “Running with the Big Dogs”, began a nightly effort to walk, interact andimprove the social skills of these animals that have only known life inside fenced runsfor years.

After weeks of socializing the dogs nightly, a special March Kindness program wasconducted at Speck’s Pet Supply to introduce the Big Dogs to the community. EachSaturday in March, a few of the dogs were showcased for potential adoption at the localstore. The Big Dog Group through their efforts increased the community awareness ofthe plight of these unfortunate dogs that needed homes.

In May, The Big Dogs had a unique opportunity to attend a Behavorial ModificationStudy and Training Class at Purdue University. Special treatment plans were developedfor each participating dog to assist and modify their individual behavorial issues and totrain our volunteers to recognize the needs of the Big Dogs as well as others at thehumane society.

Our volunteers developed a new PAWS (Pet Awareness Welfare Suitability) homevisit program was also initiated to assist potential adopters with the transition of thedogs into their new homes by providing counseling, checking on compatibility withchildren and other pets, tips for the new environment for the dogs and follow-up toinsure to provide any assistance requested by the adopters and eliminate the return ofthe dogs to the humane society compound.

As a result of the Big Dog Group, 10 of the original 20 dogs are now in “forever”homes and 2 are living in foster homes. Some of these dogs have been at the humanesociety for six, eight or even 12 years. The 12 dogs have spent over a collective 60 yearsinside the walls of the Humane Society compound. Hopefully, you have heard about thesuccess stories for Beau, Brody, Socks, Maddie, Shy Duke, Dustin, Winston, Daisy,Bobby, and Cassie. March Kindness served as a stepping stone to the annual Spring PetAdoptathon at PETsMART in April.

The early-Spring was a buzz of construction activity to renovate the all new Faye M.Surber Cat Center and administrative offices for the MCHS. The vision was to devel-op a new center to house adoptable cats and move many of them from the horrors ofsharing cages on the top half of dog cages and thus allowing more space for additionalsmall dogs. Many other benefits came from the renovation including a new, cleanerinfirmary for animal medical testing, a feline play room, a visitation room for potentialadopters and a more customer-friendly entrance and environment along with officespace and expanded open to the public hours.

The new cat center became a reality largely from donated labor from volunteers anddiscounts or donations of materials, equipment and supplies.

We became more pro-active in our efforts to find suitable homes for dogs and catsby vigorously updating and maintaining new listings on Petfinder.com. A global inter-net service featuring photos and information on the cats and dogs available for adop-tion at the MCHS. A new website was created for animal lovers around the world to seeour animals, services, fundraising activities and related information. Email was institut-ed for the first-time ever to directly link high speed communications with MCHS torescue groups, handling of PetFinder inquiries, adoption applications, foster families,volunteer communications and more.

These efforts have produced great results, nearly 140 successful adoptions haveoccured since August 1st.

Thanks for your support,Mike Kase, Director

The MCHS newletter is published quarterly by the Madison County SPCA Humane Society, Inc.; itsoffices are located at 2219 Crystal Street, Anderson, IN 46012. Postmaster: Send address changes to theMadison County Humane Society, P.O. Box 637, Anderson, IN 46015-0637. Newsletters postage paid atAnderson, IN. Volume 2004, Issue #4

“SHY DUKE”FINDS A HOME

I can't say things went as planned onOctober 9th, but I can say they turned outbetter than any plan we could have made.Our mission was to find an adult playmatefor Tucker, our beloved Doberman. Wewere looking for a large, playful adult dog,but what we found was Shy Duke.

Duke came to the shelter five years agoin a fearful, withdrawn state of mind. Noone knows what happened in his past tomake him this way. He seemed to be in adeep depression when we met him, hisbody language telling us to stay away, hewasn't interested in anything we had tooffer. He was curled up on the floor of hisrun, turning his head away when we spoketo him. When I cupped his face in myhands and gently moved his face towardmine and looked into his eyes I knew hewas the one. The look in his eyes begged usto ignore his body signals and give him achance.

Shy Duke became our foster son thatday and we just can't describe the joy andlove we experience watching him learn allthe new things. The day we brought himhome, he was afraid to move. He had neverbeen in a house and had just finished hisfirst car ride. Two short weeks later, he hasm a s t e red his fear of steps and eagerlybounds up and down them. His house-breaking is coming along very well and heis already associating the back door withthe word "outside". He is wagging his taildaily and will come sit by us on his own.The best change we see in Duke is his faciale x p ressions. He doesn't have that lost,blank stare anymore. His look is morerelaxed and lively. I never expected thismuch improvement in just two we e k s .Tucker is most excited about Duke learninghow to play. He will occasionally prancearound and paw at our feet in an attempt toplay, then look at us as if he's asking, "AmI doing this right?" He is still coping withfears, like the suction noise made when therefrigerator is opened or the popping noisewhen the television is turned on, but he ismaking great strides toward emotional free-dom. His road will be a long one to totalrecovery, but now he is free and eager totravel that road.

The moral? Never judge a book byit's cover. I highly recommend the act offostering an animal in need, the rewardsare endless. And now, we have adoptedDuke. Tucker has a forever playmate.

Barb – Silverlake, IN

MEMORIALSIn Memory of: Emily HullFrom: Mr. & Mrs. W.M. Shearer, BarbaraKiffmeyer, Mary A. Waugh, Jean Greathouse,Barbara Sheffield

In Memory of: Hazel BronnenbergFrom: Joann Steinhall

In Memory of: Mary WooldridgeFrom: Linda Miller

In Memory of: Enid BronnenbergFrom: Charles & Betty Lou Young,James & Dorothy Keesling

In Memory of: Bill HattFrom: Estes & Lois Bowers, David & MelissaHam, Windell & Ruth Smith, Jeff & EmmaSmith, Jamie & Kim Smith

In Memory of: Penny LamkinFrom: Wayne, Nanette & Kevin Cox, BarbeeLake Property Owners Assn., Mr. & Mrs.Gary Richardson, Dale & Sandy Hinkle,Frank & Darlene Chambers, James & FairyAnderson

In Memory of: Lester RumblerFrom: Omer & Doris Heater, James & BrendaGraham, Mr. & Mrs. H. Feiling

In Memory of: Hannah SmithFrom: Danny & Cheryl Dale, Leanna & JimLee, Mary Carter, Richard Petry & Family,Martha Lightfoot, The Conrad Family, DonnaGreene & Joy Zachary

In Memory of: John CooperFrom: Marilyn Scott, Helen Jacobs, ThomasOverlin, M.W. Harrington, Lois Riley, MarthaWilliams

In Memory of: Dessie BaumFrom: Linda Shelton

In Memory of: Tom WilliamsFrom: Jane Ford

Jack & Paula SavageDave DickeyBarbara Kay SmithJudith PolingKathrynn EtheringtonPat BertramGregory & Catherine BlackwellMargie WestonLouis & Donna RicciJean KimmerlingMary SayreJames & Carol ArnoldM.E. MockCharlene MundhenkDarlene SmithChuck & Andrea AdcoxMabel CarmackStephen BottomleyInteract Club (Rotary Club) (Fund Raiser)Alys H. ShoemakeKim KaseRobert & Peggy WerkingJohn & Debra GilsonJohn McHatton DBA McHatten Prop.Gloria CollinsJean Lightfoot FarisLucretia MierDale & Freda CardisPetsMart CharitiesAdam EisnerCynthia WilliamsonTimothy AlexanderExpressions Salon (Fund Raiser)Jalaine HannekenJacqueline RingTina & Walt RobbinsVirginia RozelleLisa CaulkSusie SchieneHeidi PetersonDeborah HuffmanKimberly HumphreyW.J. CampbellPatty CountsCindy TeagueDavid & Judith LaytonPets & Vets (Fund Raiser)James M. BridgesCarrol & Mabel MontgomeryJames & Evelyn McIlrathRonald HarmeningPeggy SweigartCafe CamerataWanda HarmeningHoosier ParkPam Haymaker

Mellissa MeadorDenny’s CarpetDawn ArthurK. SwetnamJulie MorseDorothy QuinlinCindy JonesVesta SylvesterCindy WilliamsonCharles ThrawleyMichele McKinleyLarry McCayPhyllis SpanierValerie ZehringJewell SmithNancy LivingstonChelsea & Jaye Rogers CaldwellRon SkillmanCharlette AthyBarbara McCordPatricia Minneman

THANK YOU FOR THEDONATIONS & SUPPLIES:

PET MEMORIALS

For: Felix

From: Dave Dickey

MEMORIALSIn Memory of: Marjoria PeckFrom: Sheila Love, Diane Prather Kelley,Nancy Ohlheiser, Mr. & Mrs. DavidBrogdon & Family, Mr. & Mrs. JamesHarger, William & Mary Alice Carrell,David Carrell, Joshua Carrell, Curt Carrell,Ralph & Pamela Day, Gene & NancyMcGarvey, Joan Wood, Dottie & DonPhillippe, Chuck & Bonnie Morehead, Mr.& Mrs. Skip Harrell, “Little” ReadingFriends at Forest Hills School, BetsyBachman, John & Kristin Bachman, Beth &Mike Norris, Roseda Decker, Kim Weist,Kelly Weaver, Mike Beeler, Anderson BIEEmployees, Pam Miller, Tim & VickiHobbs, Phil & Holly Miller, Patrick & PamCunningham, James & Judith Wessar, Jayne& Frank Beeler, Lois Blake, Mary MichelaPlaugh, Jane Sowash, Mary Stuart, Mary &Jane Ford, Larry & Carolyn Harrison, Judith& Philip Moore, Steve & Jean Weber, MarySue & David McMahan, Frank & MarilynWulf, Northwood Vet Hospital, Cynthia &John Vajner, Marilyn Alexander, Barbara &Frank Whitney, Dick & Cindy Peck, Amy& Irvin Shambaugh

THANKS ANDREA & DEBIA special thanks to Andrea Adcox and Debi Nance. Their new focus after beginning as volunteers with the Big Dog Committee has

switched to the PETsMART Luv-A-Pet Adoption Center.They coordinate scheduling volunteers that work each weekend, handling arrangements for cats and dogs to be showcased for adop-

tion at PETsMART, daily animal health inspections, cleaning, maintaining accurate records and paperwork of the adoption procedures.It’s a BIG job and they are doing great! When you see Andrea & Debi…be sure to thank them! And, if you would like to volunteer,

call Andrea at 644-6838 or Debi at 642-9210.

FAYE’S STORYShe was named Faye in honor of a long-time supporter of the Madison County

Humane Society. The tiny gray and white kitten had been found wandering arounda housing development in Alexandria, plaintively and constantly mewing for herabsent mother. The animal-lover who brought her to the shelter saw no sign ofmama cat. Faye was plagued with fleas and ear mites, and she was very small. Shewas also blind – her eyes had not developed at all. She could not see anything, noteven motion; and would never be able to.

When my wife Andrea, who volunteers at the Humane Society, called and askedif we could “foster” this kitten, I was very reluctant to agree. After all, what kind oflife could a scrawny, noisy, blind kitten have in this world, anyway? Fostering is atemporary arrangement where caring humans provide a safe home environment foranimals who are in trouble. I finally agreed we coudl foster Faye, but only until herhealth was stabilized by the medications sent with her by the Humane Society. Only

then could she safely be offered for adoption. And I wouldn’t have to attend to another cat.In our home, though, Faye quickly calmed down and started acting like a regular kitten. We fed her by hand

and stroked her and talked to her and watched her walk around the whole house, memorizing the new placeshe was in. We soon discovered she could hear very well by the way she “tracked” us. We now say she’s “hear-ing at us,” instead of the usual “looking at us.” We have toys for her to play with, and we occasionally throwpaper wads for her to chase. To watch her toss and catch a mouse toy, you’d never know she can’t actually seeit.

Faye is now a thriving, healthy, five-pound kitten who regularly stalks our other two cats and generally makesherself a pest. In other words, she is a CAT. We love her and now she has a forever home. And we know nowwhat kind of life she will have. She will never be hungry or lonely or scared, because she has a home. A forev-er home. She is just a normal young housecat who happens not to be able to see.

But, shhh, don’t let Faye hear you say that: She doesn’t know she’s blind.– Chuck Adcox