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| Did you know . . . |
that last year, over 500 kittens were relinquished to CCHS?
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| Calendar |
Sat, April 11 - Orientation for new and prospective adult volunteers - Urbana Free Library - 10 AM
Thurs, April 16 - Creatures for Teachers presents Jana Kohl
Sat, April 25 - Petstravaganza at the UI Stock Pavilion
Sat. May 2 - 2009 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,
The Champaign County Humane Society needs your help to meet the costs of animal care, face the onslaught of kitten season and pull off the gargantuan task known as the GIANT Garage Sale. I know you all want to help. If you haven't figured out exactly how, there are many opportunities. Here are a few suggestions:
Everyone can help make Mutt Strut 2009 a success! (See the next article for Mutt Strut details) Yes, even those of you who aren't dog owners or don't plan to attend the event. You can help by:
(1) Sponsoring A Participant
Make a donation through www.firstgiving.com/cuhumane to sponsor a shelter dog, someone you know who is walking in the event, or a total stranger who is seeking sponsors. You can access everyone's fundraising page through firstgiving.com/cuhumane and all the proceeds go directly to CCHS.
Don't know who to support? Start by selecting a Team - you can throw your support behind the CCHS Staff; dog lovers; cat lovers; or other teams created to promote a cause or group.
(2) Becoming A Fundraiser Yourself
Even if you're unable to attend the Mutt Strut, you can create your own personal fundraising web page and solicit donations via e-mail and any social-networking sites that you use. (When setting up your page, click "I've registered offline" to avoid registering for the Mutt Strut dog walk). This is a great option for cat lovers! We've set up a cat-lover's team so that you can band together and show those dog people how it's done. (Join "Cats Rule, Dogs Drool" at the Firstgiving website.)
or,
(3) Promoting A Mutt Strut Participant or Team
You can help CCHS simply by forwarding your friend's fundraising page to your circle of friends and colleagues -- anyone that might be interested in helping out with a donation.
If you're more interested in the GIANT Garage Sale, not to worry! There are plenty of ways to get involved. If you haven't received our e-mail "Call For Volunteers," please let me know (a quick reply to this e-mail will work) and I'll forward it to you. Even if you can't donate some of your time at the event, perhaps you can post a flyer or forward our "call for help" to your circle of friends.
Finally, please let us know if you're one of those special people who can open your heart and home to an animal in need. In the coming months, we'll be placing hundreds of kittens in foster care until they become strong and mature enough to go up for adoption. Click here to learn more about becoming a Foster Care volunteer.
To learn more about our other volunteer opportunies, attend our April 11 volunteer orientation at the Urbana Free Library, or e-mail us at 2.volunteer@cuhumane.org. We depend on your support and appreciate every contribution that you make!
Very truly yours,
Tief
CCHS Executive Director
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| Announcing the 2009 Mutt Strut: Register Now |
 Spend the morning exercising and playing with your dog at our annual 2009 Mutt Strut Fundraising Walk on Saturday, May 2.
This year the Strut will be held at Hessel Park in Champaign. Early registration is $25 (until Friday, May 1), or $35 on the day of the Strut.
You can register for the Mutt Strut through the Mutt Strut web page at Firstgiving.com/cuhumane, or pick up a Mutt Strut brochure and mail your registration to CCHS.
We'd love to see you and your dog at the Mutt Strut! However, for the Mutt Strut to be a success, we need you to help us raise money by asking your friends, family and coworkers to sponsor you and your dog with a donation to CCHS.
Firstgiving makes it easy for you to create a personal fundraising web-page that you can share with everyone in your e-mail address book. It's fun to track your donations through Firstgiving, and it's easy for your sponsors to make their donations directly to CCHS through your personal web page.
To register for Mutt Strut or set up your personal fundraising web page, go to Firstgiving.com/cuhumane. Raising money through Firstgiving is a walk in the park!
On May 2, Mutt Strut sign-in will begin at 8 a.m. The group walk begins at 9, following a blessing of the dogs at the park pavilion. Walkers will proceed around the circumference of the park (about 6/10ths of a mile). Following the walk, dogs and their owners can participate in contests and activities, including the highly popular lure course.
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Follow Our New Blog: PupsisPups
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 At the Pups Is Pups blog,
follow the progress of a litter of puppies in foster care with veteran
foster-care providers, Tom Schaefges and Harriett Weatherford. This
blog contains fantastic educational material and a heart melting LIVE Puppy Cam broadcast (8-10am and 4-8pm). Watch
Wyatt, Gertie, Oakley, Annie and Oliver learn to explore the world and while you learn what it takes to raise a litter of healthy, well-socialized
puppies.
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Pet of the Month: Dane
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 Dane is a 7-month-old lab/pointer mix. He is very affectionate with people, cats and other dogs. He is housetrained, and he knows how to sit, shake and lie down on command. Dane was recently relinquished to the shelter because his owner was ill and unable to care for him.
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Featured Alum: Charlie
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 Like many people who haven't owned a dog before, Thomas Cooper and Suzy Wolk got a lot of advice from others about where to go, such as pet stores and doggie boutiques. Ultimately, as they learned more and more about pet overpopulation, they walked away from stores and into CCHS.
Tom said they felt comfortable at the Humane Society because it is clean, inviting, and all of the animals are well cared for. Tom and Suzy visited the shelter frequently while they searched for the "right" dog for their home. Each time they shied away from "bully breeds" because of the social stigma that surrounded them as being dangerous and unpredictable.
Then they met Charlie, an American Pit Bull Terrier mix.
Charlie had been at the shelter for six months. All of the CCHS volunteers had positive things to say about Charlie, but still he waited for a new home. Tom and Suzy decided to take Charlie out and visit with him to at least give him some attention and exercise. What Tom didn't expect was how the three of them would take to each other instantly. Charlie was affectionate, playful and fun. They bonded immediately.
"We went home confused. We really hadn't expected to get attached to a Pit Bull mix," he said. So Tom and Suzy did extensive research on Pit Bulls. They returned afterward for another play date and filled out the adoption application for Charlie.
"Since we brought Charlie home, we've had more fun than I could have imagined. One of our favorite things to do is to watch his evolution into becoming a member of our pack," Tom said. "One of the greatest feelings is always having someone be so happy that you're home that they can't contain themselves."
Charlie has bulked up a bit since he was adopted, and Tom and Suzy get lots of compliments not only on his physical beauty but also on how well behaved he is. The best advice they can share with potential adopters is to stop worrying about a breed type and just spend time getting to know individual dogs. "The best way to find the right dog for you is to play with as many as you can, regardless of what you think you'll like." Click here to read more about Charlie's happy ending.
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Employee of the Month: Erin Siders
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 Erin Siders is a part-time member of the CCHS Animal Care Staff. Animal Care workers are responsible for keeping the shelter clean and monitoring the well-being of all our animal residents.
We are recognizing Erin this month because she is an asset to both the Animal Care Staff and the Medical staff. She consistently keeps detailed records of the status of our animals and brings medical needs of the animals to the attention of our Medical staff. This kind of thorough attention is vital to the care our shelter animals receive. Thank you, Erin! |
Volunteer of the Month: Pam Todd
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 Pam Todd is a CCHS dog-socializing volunteer. We count on our dog socializers to provide our dogs with daily walks and training. This important human-dog interaction helps our dogs to settle down in their kennels and be well-behaved when they meet potential adopters.
Pam has an excellent rapport with the shelter dogs and works diligently with them to provide a solid foundation of training. She embodies quiet compassion and patience, which earn her the respect and attention of the animals. In addition, she is friendly, positive and supportive of our vision. We are lucky to have Pam! |
Obesity: An Epidemic Americans Have Passed on to Their Pets
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 It's not just people in the United States who have a weight problem; obesity is also affecting the health of American pets. The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention reported in February 2009 that over 44 percent of dogs and 57 percent of cats in the United States are overweight or obese.
Obesity in pets can increase the risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and arthritis. All of these diseases can reduce the life expectancy of your pet.
Owners can help prolong a pet's good health by talking to their veterinarian to determine if an animal is being fed a healthy diet in appropriate amounts. Pet owners can also plan a scheduled playtime to try to increase a pet's activity level. Playtime might include active feather chasing toys for cats or frequent walks with dogs.
Get your dog's exercise program started now by joining us at the 2009 Mutt Strut! |
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Don't Forget to Hear Speaker Jana Kohl |
 Jana Kohl, a well-known author and animal advocate, will share how she rescued her best friend, Baby, from a puppy mill, and describe the deplorable breeding and living conditions dogs endure in order to make it to a pet store window.
This educational presentation is free. Financial or in-kind donations from our Wish List for CCHS will be accepted at the door.
We hope to see you at 7 p.m. on April 16 in Room 103 of Mumford Hall, 1301 W. Gregory Dr., Urbana. Parking is free and available in any permit lot after 5 p.m.
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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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