JEFFERSON COUNTY
Winter 2011
Humane Society of Jefferson County
PAW PRINTS
Good News
We had several successful adoption days in the fall. Attendance at Jefferson City’s October festival followed by a yard sale/adoption day at the Roper Mansion increased our visibility and we were excited when so many of the adoptables in attendance found their forever homes.
It was great working with Noah’s Arc at the Roper Mansion and we look forward to a continuing good relationship. Our thanks to them for all their help with our adoptable pets and the portable sign they gifted us. It has been a great attention getter!
And a thank you to Farrell, an Irish Wolfhound supporter, who made a guest appearance at the Roper Mansion and allowed people to get their picture taken with him for a donation.
We have plans for a fundraiser this spring. Watch for details in the next newsletter.
Our
generous donors are always good news. I never cease to be amazed at the
generosity of those who donate to the Humane Society. Whether the
donations are large or small they make it possible for us to stay open
and save lives. And they make possible improvements at the shelter. As
you read the following articles. please realize that none of the
improvements would have been possible without our loyal supporters and
contributors.
Expensive Fall at the Shelter
Of the many costly projects which befell the shelter this fall the most expensive was the failure of the heat in the cat room. It was non functioning and a new heating system had to be installed. It is hoped that the new furnace will not only maintain a comfortable temperature efficiently but will be more economical than the one that was no longer in service. In addition the new furnace should provide much improved air circulation. Good air circulation in a cat room is critical to the health of the cats and kittens. We are looking forward to our cats and kittens being much healthier.
Before the heating failure the water
heater needed replacing. And before the water heater there were
extensive repairs on the water system itself. The water pressure is now
better than it is has been in over 3 years!
Happy Tails
Amazing things happen. What a surprise when a cat that was turned into the shelter escaped (unfortunately) and traveled 7 miles to return to its owner. The owner decided that sort of determination should be rewarded and found a way to keep their pet! A happy ending for both cat and owner.
Then there is Buddy, a beagle that his owner banded in an ill conceived attempt at neutering! Buddy ultimately required surgery, lived, and is doing well in his new home!
Koda a border collie mix came in with his littermates. Because of his mange he will always have scarring but he healed well and is happy in his adopted home.
And Daisy, a Great Dane, still comes to visit. It took a while for the right home to show up. Daisy was favorite at the shelter and the staff never gave up hope that the right home was out there for her. And it was!
Last but not least was an injured cat brought in by Animal Control. Because the cat had on a rabies tag we were ultimately able to locate the owners who were on vacation in Texas. They did not know their cat had escaped while being cared for by a pet sitter. They were more than happy to assume responsibility for the veterinary bills. Definitely a happy ending for all concerned.
Horse Update
There was a happy ending for Annie, a
mini horse found running-at-large. The little girl escaped from her
pasture and ended up in our care. She was obviously well cared for but
no owner could be found. It turned out she was technically from Sevier
County and her owner did not think to contact Jefferson County until she
spoke with a neighbor. They were very happy to have their little girl
back.
Since the last newsletter the cremello mare, the paint gelding and the standardbred have been adopted. The thoroughbred still
awaits adoption and 2 older walking horses are being evaluated as to
adoptability. Two old friends have been reunited: Hugo (who had been
adopted) was returned and a mare, Buttercup (aka Moody Blues) was
adopted and needed a friend. Buttercup’s owner was willing to adopt Hugo who had originally been with Buttercup when she was Moody Blues. They are getting along fine!
Finally! a Vehicle of our own!
It is not new but it serves it’s purpose well! After years of making do the shelter finally has it’s own vehicle. A Dodge Caravan allows the staff to transport animals as necessary to the area veterinarians. It was frequently almost impossible to assure that dogs and cats were spayed or neutered before going to their new homes Staff did not always have personal vehicles in which to transport the animals to the veterinarians. With the van animals old enough to be spayed or neutered can be transported to the veterinarians for surgery before going to their adoptive homes. This is a big convenience for all concerned and assures quality timely care for the adopted pets. An added plus is the ability to transport dogs going into rescue to a contact person.
Our most sincere thanks for all the
donations that have allowed the purchase of this van to become a reality
and a special thank you to the gentleman who selected and helped us
purchase this Grand Caravan.
Working with Rescue … Saving Lives
A big part of saving the animals that come into our care is adoption. But what does one do when there are more animals at the shelter than local adoptive homes? One thing that is happening more and more is working with rescue organizations. We are fortunate to work with a variety of rescue groups and we wish there were more. We have even been successful with a rabbit rescue group. Rabbits multiply like, well rabbits, so having a group to rescue some of them is a real help. Thank you Hops and Lops ! And there are individuals who transport to the Northeast that stop by to see if we have any pets that fit their needs. PALs, our visiting spay/neuter unit helps out with some of our small dogs. There is Belly Rubs (a basset rescue), Labrador Retriever rescue, Big Fluffy Dog Rescue that helps with big fluffy dogs, Recycled Best Friends, Wet Nose Rescue, Middle Tennessee Boxer Rescue, and Noah’s Arc. Recently we were able to work with Durham Dog Rescue. Rescues like these save lives and we are pleased to work with them and all reliable rescues. Other opportunities exist if we had a way to transport some of our puppies to other states. If someone is interested in providing transport contact Melissa at the shelter.Friends For Life
Friends for Life is what we are calling a program recently started at the shelter. The idea begun by board member Hillary Combs has worked so well the shelter is continuing with this compassionate approach to increase adoptions.
Sometimes the shelter was forced to pass on a good home because the adoptive owner could afford to adopt 1 pet but not 2. With bonded pets (2 dogs or 2 cats that had lived their lives together) a little extra help allowed the adoption to take place.
Sometimes a dog was heartworm positive or had a know medical condition that was going to require treatment. Being able to adjust the adoption fee allowed the dog or cat to be adopted.
Sometimes it just helps to make a dog a bit more adoptable by moderating the fees. We had two large mastiff mixes whose time was running out. Friends for Life made the difference in their being adopted.
Sometimes a person would like 2 cats but needs a bit of help with the adoption fees. Friends for Life has can make the difference between life and death.
PALS
Prevent A Litter
We provide space for the Prevent A Litter(PALS) mobile clinic approximately once a month to provide low cost spay/neuter services to our community. Please spread the word to your friends and neighbors about this valuable service.Spay and neuter saves lives,, and heartbreak. There are simply not enough homes for all the animals in our community. Call the shelter to make an appointment and check out the costs.
We are pleased to announce that the Prevent A Litter program is being well received in the community. For several months all the available slots have been spoken for by people needing this service. It is our hope that as more people spay or neuter their pets there will be fewer puppies and kittens turned into the shelter.
Do You Know the Law ??
It shall be the duty of every owner to have his dog or cat vaccinated against rabies after the dog reaches three months of age, the cat six months of age. Regardless of the type of licensed vaccine used or the age of the animal at the time of the first (primary) vaccination, the animal shall be revaccinated one year later. Following the first two vaccinations, booster vaccinations will be due at either one or three year intervals in accordance with the approved duration of immunity of the specific vaccine used and the species vaccinated. For purposes of animal control programs and medical decisions regarding human anti-rabies treatments, a dog or cat shall be considered currently vaccinated only if a valid certificate exists and the revaccination date on the certificate has not been reached.
In Tennessee, it is unlawful to permit a dog to run at large, unless the dog is engaged in legal hunting or herding.
§68-8-107. Rabies tag must be worn
Every dog owner shall attach a metal tag or other evidence of vaccination to a collar which shall be worn at all times by the dog vaccinated; provided, that the collar may be removed in the case of hunting dogs while in chase or returning from the chase.
AND If your dog has a tag we have a better chance of identifying his owner so we can notify you, your dog is in our care.
OUR NEW VAN
