TPC 2009 Statistics: • TPC has spayed/neutered 670 pets in 2009 alone! • TPC has provided low-cost vetting to 727 pets in 2009. • TPC has placed 160 pets in homes during from January—February 2009. Inside this issue: March Events 2 Available Programs 2 Happy Tails Seamus/ Roxy 3 Happy Tails Calvin 3 Happy Tails Gus 3 TPC Available Pets 4 Rest In Peace Big Foot 5 Rest In Peace Percy 5 Ask A Pet 6-7 Volunteer Corner 8 Yappy Hour 8 Operation Regift 9 PetPalz 10 TPC Recycle Program 11 TPC Wishlist 12 03/01/2009 Written & Edited by Brandi Bruns Volume 3, Issue 3 The Pet Connection, Inc. 5918 Broadmoor, Mission KS 66202 913-671-PETS www.thepetconnection.net ctãá yÉÜ g{Éâz{à Hours of Operation: Monday: Closed Tuesday: 9a-8p Wednesday: 9a-8p Thursday: 9a-5p Friday: 9a-8p Saturday: 9a-8p Sunday: 9a-8p Pets can be shown Monday’s by appointment only. Call 913-671-PETS to schedule. TPC Restructures Behavioral and Obedience Consultations The Pet Connection has re- cently restructured our be- havioral and obedience con- sultations. The number one reason why people relinquish a dog or a cat is for relatively common behavioral problems. These classes help educate indi- viduals on how to fix these problems. The classes use positive reinforcement to teach dogs how to live with their owners and to teach the owners how to communicate with their dogs. Basic Obedience We still host our open access classes Thursday’s at 7:15pm and 8:30pm and Sunday’s at 7:15pm. Our open access classes are geared towards basic obedience and sociali- zation. Classes address training basic commands, leash training, house break- ing, crate training, problem behaviors, & leadership ex- ercises. Each class allows 15 minutes play time be- fore and after with other dogs for socialization. The costs for these classes are: $0—pets adopted from TPC $5—Members of TPC $10—Non Members of TPC Behavioral Consultations If you have a more serious issue such as dog aggres- sion, human aggression, excessive chewing, litter box behavioral problems in cats, scratching post train- ing, etc., we now offer separate behavioral consul- tations scheduled on an as needed basis. These sessions are held on Thursday’s and Sunday’s and will be scheduled as requested. Please call our facility at 913-671-PETS to schedule. Each session has room for 10 people and 3 dogs (if dog geared class). Ses- sions already scheduled can be found on our calen- dar of events page on our website. The cost for these behavioral consultation sessions are: $0—pets adopted from TPC & rescues (a donation is ap- preciated) $15—all other clients In Home Consultations In home consultations are also available with our trained staff. Consultations will address any issues you are having with your pet. The cost for an in-home con- sultation is $75. To schedule an in-home con- sultation, contact TPC at 913-671-PETS. Online Consultations You can also see online as- sistance from our behavioral team by visiting our filling out our behavioral question- naire at http:// www.thepetconnection.net/ TPC_Behavioral.htm Online consultations cost $25 and can be paid online using PayPal.
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5918 B roadmoo r , M i s s i on KS 66202 913 -671 -PETS
www. thepet connec t ion .ne t
ctãá yÉÜ g{Éâz{à
Hours of Operation:
Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 9a-8p
Wednesday: 9a-8p
Thursday: 9a-5p
Friday: 9a-8p
Saturday: 9a-8p
Sunday: 9a-8p
Pets can be shown Monday’s by appointment
only. Call 913-671-PETS to schedule.
TPC Restructures Behavioral and Obedience Consultations
The Pet Connection has re-
cently restructured our be-
havioral and obedience con-
sultations.
The number one reason why
people relinquish a dog or a
cat is for relatively common
behavioral problems. These
classes help educate indi-
viduals on how to fix these
problems. The classes use
positive reinforcement to
teach dogs how to live with
their owners and to teach the
owners how to communicate
with their dogs.
Basic Obedience
We still host our open access
classes Thursday’s at 7:15pm
and 8:30pm and Sunday’s
at 7:15pm. Our open access
classes are geared towards
basic obedience and sociali-
zation. Classes address
training basic commands,
leash training, house break-
ing, crate training, problem
behaviors, & leadership ex-
ercises. Each class allows
15 minutes play time be-
fore and after with other
dogs for socialization.
The costs for these classes
are:
$0—pets adopted from
TPC
$5—Members of TPC
$10—Non Members of TPC
Behavioral Consultations
If you have a more serious
issue such as dog aggres-
sion, human aggression,
excessive chewing, litter
box behavioral problems in
cats, scratching post train-
ing, etc., we now offer
separate behavioral consul-
tations scheduled on an as
needed basis.
These sessions are held on
Thursday’s and Sunday’s
and will be scheduled as
requested. Please call our
facility at 913-671-PETS to
schedule.
Each session has room for
10 people and 3 dogs (if
dog geared class). Ses-
sions already scheduled
can be found on our calen-
dar of events page on our
website.
The cost for these behavioral
consultation sessions are:
$0—pets adopted from TPC
& rescues (a donation is ap-
preciated)
$15—all other clients
In Home Consultations
In home consultations are
also available with our
trained staff. Consultations
will address any issues you
are having with your pet.
The cost for an in-home con-
sultation is $75.
To schedule an in-home con-
sultation, contact TPC at
913-671-PETS.
Online Consultations
You can also see online as-
sistance from our behavioral
team by visiting our filling
out our behavioral question-
naire at http://
www.thepetconnection.net/
TPC_Behavioral.htm
Online consultations cost $25
and can be paid online using
PayPal.
March 22: 2p-5p - Vaccina-
tion & Microchip clinic @
Brookside Barkery & Bath—
14040 W 119th St., Olathe,
KS 66062
March 26: 6-7p—On De-
mand Consult—Litter box
Issues
March 29: 5-6p - On De-
mand Consult – Dog on Dog
Aggression
March 4: Yappy Hour—A
TPC benefit 5p-7p at Pete
and Mac’s—8809 Monrovia
Lenexa KS. Flyer on page 8.
March 5: 6-7p On Demand
Consult – Possession Aggres-
sion towards other dogs & 6-
7pm: Foster Care Seminar
March 8: 5-6p On Demand
Consult – Fear Aggression.
March 8: Spay/Neuter Clinic
at TPC. Surgery only. Drop
off 8a-9a, pick up 5p-6p.
Appointment required.
March 12: 6-7p On Demand
Consult – Territorial Aggres-
sion & 6-7pm Dogs Chasing
Cats.
March 15: 5-6p On Demand
Consult—Dog on Dog Ag-
gression.
March 22: 5-6p On Demand
Consult – Housebreaking
Paws for Thought Page 2
March Calendar of Events
TPC Available Programs
Behavioral Consultations:
Thursday’s: 7:15p & 8:30p
Sunday’s: 7:15p
*Free to adopters
*$5 TPC members p/session
*$10 non-members p/session
Volunteer Orientation:
(Required for all volunteers &
community service workers):
Sunday’s: 6:00p (excluding
holiday’s; weather permitting)
Low Cost Vet Clinic:
Mon-Tue-Wed-Fri weekly
Drop off: 8-10a for surgery
Pick up
5-7p
Walk in
vaccines:
8a -12p
Appoint-
ments required for surgery
patients. Schedule appoint-
ments by calling 913-671-
PETS. Prices vary based on
income.
Adoptions:
Includes
spay/neuter,
vaccines,
tested nega-
tive (FeLV/
FIV cats
Heartworm
dogs),
treated for fleas, worms, &
micro-chipped.
*$25 membership for all +
*$25 admin fee cats
*$25 admin fee dogs
40+ lbs
*$85 admin fee dogs
under 40 lbs
Microchipping:
TPC offers low-cost HomeA-
gain microchipping to the
public for $25. Bring your
pet in during open hours! No
appointment needed.
Recycling:
Recycle
for home-
less pets!
TPC ac-
cepts
aluminum
cans, ink
& toner cartridges, old cell
phones, old laptops, and
iPods. Bring your recycla-
bles to The Pet Connection,
5918 Broadmoor! Aluminum
can recycling is outside by
the garage door. All other
Our building houses more than just an adop-
tion facility! We also have low cost vet
services, behavioral consultations, and volun-
teer opportunities!
EVERY THURSDAY: Listen
to us weekly at 7:30am on
Jack FM 105.1 & at
7:45am on 94.9FM
For a space in our On De-
mand Consultation
Classes, call to reserve
your spot: 913-671-PETS
Happy Tails—Meet Calvin
Happy Tails—Meet Seamus & Roxy
Seamus & Roxy are thick as
thieves together and our cat
has joined in on the fun. Tug
of war remains their favorite
sport but they will not hold
still long enough for us to take
a picture. It is really some-
thing worth seeing and a
source of great amusement
for our family. They are al-
most perfectly matched in
size, weight, & strength so it is
truly anyone’s game each
time they play. Seamus is so
well trained that he refuses to
sleep on furniture. Since Roxy
has no such qualms, we en-
couraged Seamus to hop on
up at night but he refused.
We broke down after a few
days and bought him a big,
fluffy bed, which he most
certainly enjoys. We hope
you enjoy the pictures of our
silly happy dogs. Thank you
again for matching us with
these two. They are a great
fit into our home and in our
family!
Page 3 Paws for Thought
great w/his two feline broth-
ers.
Gus is a wonderful family
member. We love him very
much and look forward to
making his senior years as
healthy and happy as possi-
ble. Thank you so much for
taking him in! Laurie T.
When Gus came to TPC in
September, he was in really
bad shape. He was extremely
malnourished, had tapeworms,
a gash on the back of his
head, mangy hair, ear mites,
a bladder infection, arthritis,
was not neutered, etc.
It was clear when we brought
him home that he had never
been in a house before, never
played with a toy, and never
walked up and down stairs.
He has grown healthier every
day. He has gained weight
(perhaps even a bit too
much!). He has a thick, beauti-
ful coat. He loves to go on
walks and take naps. He's
even learned to enjoy the
challenge of getting a treat
out of his Kong. He follows us
in and out of every room of
the house and he gets along
Happy Tails—Meet Gus
Winter 2007 we adopted
Sunkist who we now call Cal-
vin. We love the little twerp
so much, and he fits into our
family SO well! Our 12 year
old cat Sammy and Calvin
bonded immediately and are
inseparable! We also
adopted a little Chihuahua
pug mix named Marco and
all three pets are the same
color so we call them the but-
terscotch brothers. They all
play well together along with
our 7 year old dog, Kipper.
Calvin is quite the explorer.
We have 3 house rabbits who
have there own room. We
couldn't figure out how Calvin
kept getting in their room in
the basement. We'd find him
curled up in one of the bunny
beds with one of the rabbits.
We finally figured out that he
found a way to crawl
through the ceiling from one
room to the next. Calvin is
also our little acrobat!
Sometimes when you hold
him he flops backward,
arches his back and throws
his head upside down. He'll
let you hold him in this posi-
tion for up to a few minutes,
completely trusting.
Featured Pets Available for Adoption!!!!
Paws for Thought Page 4
She would thrive in a home
as an only pet. She doesn’t
like cats & is timid w/ dogs.
Reggie was
rescued as
a stray ap-
proximately
9 months
ago, but his
rescuers could not keep him
in the fence so they brought
him to TPC to find a new
home. Reggie is a beautiful,
high energy dog who is
sweet & loving. Reggie
knows how to sit & shake on
command. He is good with
kids & dogs. He doesn't care
for cats. Reggie is housebro-
ken & is approximately 1-2
y/o.
Nico was
adopted
from TPC
2 years
ago but
was re-
turned
due to financial hardships.
He is a very loyal dog. He
knows how to sit & down on
command. He also knows the
command “easy” for taking
treats gently. Nico loves all
dogs & loves to play. His
favorite toys are stuffed with
squeakers. He is a fear biter
with strangers. He is ~2.5 y/
o.
Joe is
a DLH
that
was
born
in Oct 2008. He is sweet,
loveable and playful. He
was adopted from TPC, but
returned because their
daughter had allergies. Joe
likes to snuggle and is great
with the kids. He would be a
great addition to any family.
Chloe is
an ex-
tremely
sweet
lap cat.
She loves everyone that visits
her. She is good with other
cats, but would probably
prefer to be a only cat, &
loves kids. Her owner tried to
dump her at the Humane
Society but they didn’t have
room so they transferred her
to TPC. Chloe is over-weight
& will need a diet & exer-
cise. Due to her current size,
she requires assistance clean-
ing herself. Chloe is front
declawed & is ~2 y/o.
John
James
“JJ”
was
adopted
from
TPC 6 years ago, but was
recently returned because his
owner was moving. He is
around 7 1/2 years old. JJ
likes to talk & is very pas-
sive. He is independent but
loves being in the room with
his human friend, but is not
clingy. He followed his previ-
ous owner all over the house.
He likes to play fetch and
comes when called. His fa-
vorite toys are balls. JJ is
scared of children and of
high heeled shoes (or shoes
that are loud on the floor).
Midnight is
~1 y/o.
She is shy
initially and
does not
like to be
held close
to your face. But once she
warms up she is sweet as
sugar and loves to be pet.
Midnight will play with other
cats & sleeps with them. She
understands the meaning of
"No" & "Off". She has gor-
geous orange eyes.
Punkin
was
found
near a
railroad
track &
had
been recently hit by a car.
She is a little firecracker &
has recovered about 95%.
She occasionally limps on her
back left leg but loves to run,
jump, & play. She loves
meeting new people though
she is a bit weary of men.
In our cageless facility, visitors find
dogs and cats comfortably living in
a homelike environment while
awaiting their forever home!!
One of our featured senior pets last
month, Lacey, has found her forever
homes.
SAVE THE
DATE
What: 7th Annual Pet
Humanitarian Awards
Ceremony & Dinner
When: June 20, 2009
Time: TBD
Location: Theme Party
Emporium—2420 Mer-
riam Lane in KCK
Paws for Thought Page 5
me up to the front door (some dogs don’t even do that!).
Bigfoot was a master cat with both patience and accep-tance that was extraordinary. He was a great teacher to not only me and my animals but also to friends and family who were blessed by his presence. His spirit is huge and continues to offer bless-ings.—Summer J.
I volunteer at The Pet Connec-tion and 4 years ago I went in looking for a cat since my golden retriever and I had been without one for a couple of years. I found Bigfoot and never looked back. He was a golden yellow color with a heart of gold to match! He walked into my home from day one as if he owned it. My golden retriever and he became fast friends. I began fostering cats and kittens and Bigfoot took care and groomed all of them. He was fearless and loved all ani-
mals. He also loved to drink water from the sink faucet (or bathtub-wasn’t choosy) and he proceeded to teach my other two cats (adopted from fostering) to enjoy this sport as well! When he would lay with me and I talked to him, he would put his paw over my mouth as if to say, “Enough talking”. He had another very unique manner. Whenever I had to take him to the vet and we arrived home, I would open the car door and he would happily jump out and follow
Rest In Peace—Big Foot
Rest In Peace— Percy
I had no intention of adopting
a cat the day I walked in to
TPC 7 years ago. I just
wanted to socialize them. In
the window was a very fat
sleeping cat who quickly
came to life when I wiggled
my fingers are the base of
the glass. With the grace of
a ballet dance, her pounced
my fingers. Charmed, I asked
what his name was. “Oh
that’s Percy. He’s been in
foster care for almost a year
now. He was abused as a
kitten & is being trained not
to bite”. Poor guy, I thought.
I’ll jus take him in the visiting
room and play a bit. Once
inside, he checked out the
room, then promptly crawled
into my lap, started into my
eyes, and purred his loudest
purr. “I adore you. Take me
home & I’ll cherish you for-
ever”, he seemed to say.
Tears filled my eyes. How
could I leave him behind? I
couldn’t. The staff was so
excited when I announced I
was adopting him. For years
after, I was known as
“Percy’s mom”. I’m very sen-
sitive to the needs of cats
and understood his fear re-
garding touch. Slowly I con-
vinced him I would not hurt
him and he gradually even
let me pet his belly. Over
the years, we developed a
mutual bond. I could always
tell when Percy was sleeping
nearby because of his dis-
tinctive “old man” snore.
And when he was particu-
larly happy, he would grunt
his unique Percy grunt. But
his most enduring habit was
when he would curl up close
& smoosh his forehead
against my face, & just leave
it there. On February 4, the
heater in my dog’s house
malfunctioned and caught
fire, which spread to the deck
above. The firemen arrived
before the fire spread inside
my house, and the smoke that
did enter was sucked out
before it reached dangerous
levels. Very concerned for
my cats’ safety, the firemen
made sure I located all of
them to ensure they were ok.
Percy was hiding under my
bed. When he saw me he
ran to me with his tail up,
relieved to see me & knowing
that he was safe now. How-
ever, several hours later, a
friend called to me to come
inside. Percy was lying on his
side, limp. It took me a min-
ute or two to realize that he
had already passed away.
Most likely, the stress of the
fire triggered some physio-
logical flaw resulting in a
heart attack or stroke.
Whatever it was, it ap-
peared quick and painless.
Not painless for me. I can’t
begin to convey the sense of
bewilderment & grief to see
a creature who was so full of
life to suddenly be devoid of
it. I still not adjusted to his
loss. It feels as though I lost
several cats that day, he had
so much personality. I miss his
rumbling purr, his happy
grunts, his snoring. But mostly
I miss his wonderful Percy
face smooshes. I was blessed
with 7 years of joy with a cat
that most people considered
“unadoptable”.
- Julie P.
Ask A Pet… Squeak, Sela, Rufus, & Dudley Answer Your TPC Questions
Paws for Thought Page 6
Ask Squeak anything that you would like the vet to answer.....Squeak was a semi-feral cat
that came in for rehabilitation. He was so nasty that we decided to let him just hide and live
in the laundry room. What a sneak, that squeak!!!! Turns out, he is a rehabilitation suc-
cess....he's fat, sassy, and requires pets. It's amazing what you can do with a steady stream of
volunteers folding laundry and 10 tons of Salmon I Pity the Kitty treats. Squeak runs things in
our laundry area...and it's right outside the vet clinic. He hears all the gossip and learns a lot
about animal care from vets, vet techs, trainers, and The Pet Connection's herbalist.
Question: William Huff, volunteer and staff child, age 8: How many pets have had sur-
gery at the spay/neuter clinic since we started?
Answer: We are currently at 4158....I'm planning to have a HUGE party when we reach
5000. I love clinic. Sassy and I get to meet a lot of new cats. We come down and say hi to
them if they are friendly. Some of them certainly have some attitude with us, so we reach our
paws in and try to steal food from cats that are just there for exams. It's so much fun because
we get to perch on their carriers and run around loose while they watch us. We feel like we
are putting on a show all the time. Now, Starlight, she still only comes out when it's quieter,
but eventually she will have the confidence to join our antics. Our spay/neuter clinic is unique
for a variety of reasons. Many members of the surgery team have been working together
since 2002. Because we offer other veterinarian services, we handle all of our own emergen-
cies with animals who come to spay/neuter. That means that Melody, Jason, Julie and Jules;
veterinarian team members, get to spend many late nights, early mor nings, crashed on the
laundry room table. I kept playing with Melody's hair the last time she stayed up all night
with a sick pet. I didn't let her get one bit of sleep......Come on over to TPC and help us out on
a clinic day. Every veterinarian to be should come and observe.
Ask Sela anything that you like about cats.....Sela is a permanent resident of our sanctuary.
She was transferred to us almost a decade ago from Animal Haven where she was scheduled
to be euthanized due to health. We were able to adopt her to a home, but it just didn't work
out. The owner had a family emergency several years later and Sela was homeless again.
Sela has had several homes, lived in a car, was impounded at a shelter, had foster care
homes, and was eventually transferred to home sweet home on 59th and Broadmoor. Sela
has good days and bad days, but her health has prompted us to make her a permanent resi-
dent. This last year has been a series of little things that happen when you have lived long.
Sela loves to be brushed and held. (Sela is always looking for a new lap to solicit.) If you
have time to sit with an elderly friend, she would be most grateful. Sela is also diabetic and
ctç uç V{xv~ Please initial the transaction of your choice:
_____1st of each month _____15th of each month
Please attach a VOIDED CHECK from the account to be drafted.
I hereby authorize a bank draft to The Pet Connection on the account designated, for the amount agreed to above on the date indicated above. I understand that it is my responsibility to notify The Pet Connection in writing if I wish to withdraw from this program at any time. I further understand that if the check is dishonored or returned for any reason, that the amount of the check plus a processing fee of $25 (legal limit) will be electronically debited from the account by CCF.
I hereby authorize a draft on the credit card account designated, for the amount agreed to above on the date indicated above. I understand that it is my responsibility to notify The Pet Connection in writing if I wish to withdraw from this pro-gram at any time.