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| Did you know . . . |
That during the last school year 33% of the first grade teachers in Champaign used lesson plans developed by the CCHS Humane Educator and the Humane Education
Committee?
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| Calendar |
Tues., March 10 - Share-a-Meal at Kennedy's at Stone Creek
Sat., March 21 - Adoption event at Petsmart in Champaign
Thurs., April 16 - Creatures for Teachers presents Jana Kohl
Sat., April 25 - Petstravaganza at the UI Stock Pavilion
Sat., May 2 - Mutt Strut
Hessel Park
Fri. and Sat., May 22 and 23
Memorial Day Giant Garage Sale
Champaign County Fairgrounds | |
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| From the Executive Director |
Dear Friends,
I don't know about you, but I sure hope the long, cold winter is finally on its way out!
As winter winds down, CCHS starts to gear up for kitten season! Kitten season begins in the spring and sometimes lasts all summer long. In a typical year, over 500 kittens will be surrendered at our shelter. To keep up with the demands of kitten season, we need more supplies, more volunteers, and more energy than during other times of the year.
We're also gearing up for the Central Illinois Animal Welfare Coalition's 2009 spay/neuter initiative. Through the rest of the year, the Coalition will be holding monthly spay/neuter clinics for low-income pet owners. The location of the clinics will alternate between CCHS and Champaign County Animal Control. The first clinic is set for March 15 at Champaign County Animal Control. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the members of the Coalition to assist pet owners obtain essential veterinary services.
Last but not least, our volunteer gardeners are gearing up for the onset of spring. The leaders of this brigade have plans to revitalize the prairie patch at the south edge of our parking lot, as well as resume last summer's efforts to spruce up the CCHS grounds.
Read on to learn more of what's been going on and what's coming up for CCHS!
Very truly yours,
Tief
CCHS Executive Director
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| Fundraising News: Don't Forget Share-A-Meal |
On March 10, several area restaurants will participate in Share-A-Meal, a fundraiser for all Community Shares-sponsored organizations. Eat at one of these restaurants and 20-35 percent of the cost of your meal will go to Community Shares to be distributed to local non-profits like CCHS.
This year, CCHS will have an informational table set up at Kennedy's at Stone Creek in Urbana. Please stop by to visit us and enjoy a great meal for a great cause.
Proceeds earned from the Share-A-Meal fundraiser will help CCHS in our animal care, education, and adoption efforts. The event is also a great way for volunteers, shelter staff and donors to join each other in a social setting.
We'll see you there!
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| Pets of the Month: Cora and Dylan |
Meet Cora & Dylan! They are a beautiful pair of rabbits. Rabbits can be very picky about their friends, so it's nice to have a ready-made pair. Once bonded, rabbits stay a loving couple for life. Cora (left) & Dylan (right) are both about 1 year old, spayed or neutered, and litterbox trained. They love to toss toys around together and are gentle, friendly rabbits that would do fine with children and other animals.
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Featured Alum: Ovie, The Sock Stealer
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 When Tara and Russ Fallon went looking for a canine companion, they knew they were interested in finding an active dog. While growing up, Tara had experience with Beagles and was partial to the breed, so when they found 10-month-old Ovie at CCHS, they were very excited to get to know him. "Ovie was really good natured when we took him out to play," Tara said. "He seemed very sweet and energetic. We knew pretty quickly that he'd be a good fit for us."Once home, Ovie lived up to his first impression. Not only is he energetic and playful, he loves making a game out of stealing socks, Tara said. "He doesn't chew them; he just takes them and runs around with them with his tail wagging like crazy! He gives them up when told, fortunately, but it's hilarious to see," Tara said. "He's incredibly persistent about it!"Bonding to Ovie really brought Tara closer to Russ. Before owning a dog, the couple had a habit of spending long hours at work. Now, they head home at a reasonable hour and enjoy making sure that playtime and training are regular occurrences, and not a luxury, for Ovie. "He's brought an incredible amount of good humor into our home, and working with him has given us a great sense of accomplishment," Tara said. "We couldn't be happier to have him in our lives."
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Employee of the Month: Jennifer Gaudio
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 Jennifer has worked for the Animal Care Department since May 2008. She works diligently to provide our shelter animals extraordinary care. Currently, Jennifer is working toward a master's degree in Applied Animal Behavior at the University of Illinois (in conjunction with the ASPCA). In the past month at CCHS, Jenn has assisted in many dog-to-dog introductions to help potential adopters select dogs that fit in well with their existing canine family members. Making good canine matches is imperative for a successful adoption and Jenn's efforts are greatly appreciated by staff, patrons and our shelter animals. |
Volunteer of the Month: Jim Payne
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 Jim Payne just finished a monstrous project for CCHS! Along the back edge of every dog kennel at the shelter lies a drainage canal, covered by a metal grate. Now over 20 years old, many of the drain grates had started to rust and break way, leaving gaps that could catch a paw.
Thanks to a generous donor, we were able to purchase enough new drain grates to replace all of the damaged ones. We were thrilled when Jim generously volunteered to do the installation! For the last several months, Jim came to the shelter whenever he could spare a few hours. Section-by-section, he removed the old grates and installed the replacements. Jim saved the shelter hundreds of dollars in labor and made all of the dog runs safe.
Not only does Jim help us at the shelter, but you can find him every year in his hard hat at the CCHS Giant Memorial Day Garage Sale, working tirelessly on on our recycling efforts. Last year, in addition to cardboard, paper and plastics, we added to our profits by salvaging a ton and a half of metal and over three tons of fiber.
Thank you Jim! |
WANTED: Microscope
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| CCHS is on the look out for a new (or gently used) microscope for our Medical Lab. The health of our animal population depends on our ability to diagnose and treat animals for infections, viruses, and parasites. Microscopes are an essential tool for our Medical Lab Staff.
We're looking for a microscope that meets the specifications below and would be very grateful for a donation.
Style: Binocular
Eyepiece: Widefield
Focusing: Coaxial, coarse and fine adjustment
Stage: Graduated mechanical stage
Objectives: Din 4x, 10x, 40x, 100x
These specs describe a basic microscope. We would not turn one down if it had more bells and whistles! | |
Make a Point to Learn About Puppy Mills in April
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 Join CCHS at the University of Illinois as Teachers for Creatures presents guest speaker Jana Kohl, a well-known author, animal advocate and friend of President Barack Obama.
Jana will share how she rescued her best friend, Baby, from a puppy mill, and describe the deplorable breeding and living conditions dogs survive in order to make it to a pet store window.
This educational presentation is free. Financial or in-kind donations of items on the CCHS wish list will be accepted at the door.
We hope to see you at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 16 in Room 103 of Mumford Hall, 1301 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana.
Jana's website "A Rare Breed of Love" - the true story of Baby and the mission she inspired to help dogs everywhere.
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Shelter Hours
Adoptions
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday: 2 PM to 7 PM
Saturday 11 AM to 6 PM
Sunday: 11 AM to 4 PM
Relinquishing an Animal
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday: 2 PM to 4 PM
Saturday and Sunday - 11 AM to 1 PM
The shelter is closed on Tuesdays and legal holidays.
Address - 1911 East Main Street, Urbana, IL, 61802
Phone - 217-344-7297
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