I represent all the homeless animals at the Champaign County Humane Society.  I have many friends here at the shelter, including cats, rabbits, rats, hamsters, a chinchilla and a pig.

We are here for different reasons - a landlord who doesn't allow pets, a pet owner who couldn't afford vet care, and sadly, a few of us have experienced cruelty and neglect.

Our time at CCHS is temporary.  While we are here, we are loved and we get lots of time to play with people, toys, and puzzles.  We have good hearts, strong spirits and we are resilient!

We are shelter pets!

I ask that you consider giving a gift that will help care for animals like me while we await our forever homes.  Many thanks for your care and support!

Sloppy kisses,

Shelter Dog

Sponsor me at firstgiving.com/fundraiser/shelter-dog11

Shelter Cats at Kitty Fat Camp

In late February, Matt Brickman of WICD-15 TV News produced a 2-night feature story on obese cats, featuring two of our shelter residents, Jango and Abbey. 

Watch Part 1, about the feline obesity problem

Watch Part 2, featuring Jango and Abbey

Jango and Abbey could use some financial assistance to cover the cost of continued enrollment in "Kitty Fat Camp."  Each physical therapy session costs $28, per cat.  If you would like to help one of these fine felines get fit, you can follow the links below to make a donation on line, or mail a check to CCHS with "Abbey" or "Jango" in the memo line. 

I'd like to support Jango

I'd like to support Abbey

Early preparations are underway for this year's GIANT Garage Sale at the Champaign County Fairgrounds.  As usual, the sale takes place on the Friday and Saturday of Memorial Day weekend (May 27th and 28th).

Click here for information on volunteering! 

We need hundreds of volunteers to help prepare for, and run, the sale. 

If you're working on spring cleaning, don't forget to put your re-usable items aside for us!  Clothing donations are welcome as are donations of good, usable, unbroken items.  We cannot accept (because we cannot sell) large items of furniture, magazines, large kitchen appliances, sinks, windows, outdated computer equipment, paint, chemicals, tires and remainders from other organization's sales.

Retailers: Donations of excess inventory are welcome.

 All donations are tax deductible.

This year's drop-off dates/times:

Free Lecture on Human Attitudes Toward Animals by Andrew Rowan

The Center for Advanced Studies presents,

Animal Perceptions and Human Inconsistencies: What Human Treatment of and Attitudes Towards Animals Indicates About Human Societies 

In the past 200 years, there have been substantial changes in how human societies view and treat animals.  Today, there are considerable tensions and inconsistencies in how humans perceive and treat animals both within societies and across different societies.  This presentation will explore some of the trends in our treatment of animals, some of the inconsistencies in the way animals are presented in societies, and will track how changing human perceptions have affected the way we manage the human-animal interaction.

Andrew Rowan is President & CEO of Humane Society International and Chief International Officer and CSO of The Humane Society of the United States.  

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

4:00 pm

Knight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum

600 South Gregory Street, Urbana

5CCHS Welcomes New Veterinarian, G. Robert Weedon, DVM, MPH

After practicing veterinary medicine for over 25 years, In 2009, Dr. Weedon retired as the Senior Partner of College Road Animal Hospital, PLLC, a seven-doctor, two-location small animal practice in Wilmington, NC, to undertake a major career change.  In 2010, he assumed the role of Veterinary Outreach Coordinator for the Global Alliance for Rabies Control, which he continues today.  And as of January 2011, Dr. Weedon joined our staff as shelter veterinarian!

Since 1999, Dr. Weedon has served as an Adjunct Professor in Honors and Biology at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.  He has taught his course, "Animals in Society," for twelve years, and Epidemiology for five years to pre-professional students in the Biology Department.  During the spring semester of 2011, he is team-teaching an interdisciplinary class entitled "Germs of the World: The Epidemiology and Sociology of Global Disease."  An additional duty at UNCW includes assisting with student advising of pre-veterinary students and serving as one of the faculty advisors of the Pre-Veterinary Medical Association.

As an advocate for solving the problem of pet overpopulation, Dr. Weedon has volunteered with Friends of Felines, a group that surgically sterilizes feral cats in the Wilmington community and was a volunteer surgeon at the onsite spay/neuter facility at New Hanover County Animal Control Services, where animals are surgically sterilized prior to adoption.  Dr. Weedon serves on the Board of Directors of the Alliance for Contraception in Cats & Dogs, an organization whose goal is to develop a non-surgical sterilant to help solve the problem of pet overpopulation worldwide, and was elected Vice-Chairman for 2010 and 2011.

Dr. Weedon served as the veterinarian on the New Hanover County Board of Health for six years, and was a member of the Animal Control Services Advisory Committee.  At the December 2008 meeting, he was elected Chairman of the Board of Health by his peers to serve in that capacity during 2009.  Dr. Weedon also served on the Board of Directors of the Public Health Foundation of New Hanover County, having been elected President for 2009, and UNC Public Health Foundation Board.  In June, 2008, he received the Bill Lehman Memorial Award from the National Animal Control Association as the outstanding animal control volunteer in the United States.  Up until he assumed the role of Veterinary Outreach Coordinator, Dr. Weedon was volunteering as an Ambassador for the Global Alliance for Rabies Control, giving lectures on rabies prevention, and in April, 2009, he was appointed to the Technical Advisory Committee of the GARC.

Dr. Weedon attended Purdue University where he received his Bachelor of Science in Animal Science in 1977 and his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1981.  He received his Master of Public Health in May, 2005 from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.

We're excited to have Dr. Weedon join our staff and our community.  In addition to helping us care for shelter animals, Dr. Weedon will be mentoring UI students of veterinary medicine and joining in community-wide efforts to reduce the population of homeless dogs and cats in the area.   

Pet of the Month:  Gigi

Gigi was surrendered to CCHS back in November.  Our staff and volunteers love working with Gigi and she already knows sit, stay, shake, and come.  Gigi also loves to give kisses.  She enjoys playing with toys, but does not get obsessive or possesive about them. 

If you'd like a smart, active companion who loves to play fetch, Gigi might just be the dog for you!   

We're looking for a cat-free home for Gigi.

Alums of the Month:  George and Gracie

Marjorie Harris had been thinking about adopting a pair of feline litter-mates for quite a while.  But by the time she came to the shelter in February, she had resigned herself to adopting just one cat, assuming that finding littermates at a shelter was unlikely. 

Marjorie entered one of our communal cat rooms, and sat down on the sofa.  A 3-yr-old gray and white cat named George immediately walked over to her, sat down in her lap, and made himself comfortable.  As Marjorie puts it, "he chose me."  When Marjorie inquired about adopting George, she was thrilled to learn that he had been surrendered to CCHS along with his "sister," Gracie, and we wanted them to be adopted together.  Perfect!

Now George and Gracie are having a wonderful time at the Harris home.  They chase each other up and down the stairs and enjoy playing with a variety of cat toys.  With a number of comfortable places for napping to choose from, they often opt to snuggle together, as you can see in the photo above.   

Many thanks to Marjorie and her family for giving George and Gracie a wonderful home - together!

Volunteer of the Month:  Laura Voitik

Having grown up in Urbana, Laura always wanted to volunteer at CCHS.  Unfortunately, as the only child of a single parent, her mom couldn't find the time to volunteer with her when she was younger.  So she waited, rather impatiently, to turn 18 when she could volunteer on her own.  That day came in the spring of 2010 and the following fall, Laura applied for an internship in the medical lab.  And we're so glad she did!

Members of the CCHS medical staff nominated Laura for this award because they are so impressed with her.  She is extremely eager to learn and makes every effort to ensure that everything gets done during her shift. 

Laura is currently a sophomore in Animal Sciences with a pre-veterinary concentration. Her dream is to earn her degree in veterinary medicine and specialize as a small animal oncologist.  Eventually, she also hopes to open a breed rescue for "bully" breeds. 

Laura's commitment to the community goes beyond her volunteer work at CCHS.  She is also Vice President of Teachers for Creatures, a humane education group on campus, and chairs its Anti-Breed Discrimination Committee.  In February 2009, she founded a charitable fund through the U of I vet school called Sabu's Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Fund, after her dog, Sabu, died of lymphoma.  So far, Laura has raised almost $6,000 for the fund and is working on developing an application process so that she can start helping pet owners pay for their animals' cancer treatments.

In addition to volunteering at CCHS, Laura works part time at the U of I small animal ICU, at the Schook Research Lab on campus, and at the Illinois Terminal doing customer service for MTD.

Laura loves volunteering in the medical lab for the opportunity to get to know the animals.  Helping to care for them, and seeing them adopted into loving homes inspires her.  Laura says that the hands-on experience she gets at CCHS assures her again and again that she is on the right path. 

Employee of the Month:   Danielle Harrington

Danielle Harrington joined the adoption staff in November 2010 and has been doing a great job! 

Danielle graduated from Michigan State University in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology.  She completed an internship at Theatre of the Sea in Islamorada, Florida, in 2007, where she cared for aquatic species including dolphins, sea lions, sea turtles, tropical fish and stingrays.  From 2008 to 2010, Danielle was an animal trainer at the Miami Seaquarium where she cared for and trained dolphins, seals, and sea lions.  She conducted public presentations on a daily basis and also developed new enrichment programs for the animals. 

Danielle's outgoing personality makes her an outstanding adoption staff member.   Here are some of the notes we've received from patrons about Danielle:

"My family and I worked with Danielle while adopting our new dog from CCHS.  She was great with the animals and our family.  Thank you, Danielle."

"I wasn't expecting great customer servie when I walked into an animal shelter, but Danielle was very nice and upbeat."

Danielle works hard and learns fast.  She also takes the initiative to keep things looking good at the shelter, particularly in the communal cat rooms.  It's nice having someone on staff with an eye for presentation and a flair for showing off the animals!

Special Thanks to Starcrest Cleaners

When CCHS washers and dryers break down, the dirty towels, pet beds, and other laundry really stacks up.  Many thanks to Starcrest Cleaners, Champaign, for helping us keep the laundry under control when we're waiting for parts and service. 

You'll help local charities when you

Share-a-Meal

on

Tuesday, April 26th

at the following area restaurants:

 Farren's

Siam Terrace

My Thai

Black Dog

Luna

A percentage of the proceeds earned by participating restaurants

on April 26th will be donated to  

The Champaign County Humane Society is a member of Community Shares of Illinois

CCHS Wish List 

• Science Diet LIGHT Adult Cat Food (dry)
• Black rubber Kong toys - for large dogs
• Wand cat toys
• Dog treats (Milkbone biscuits and small training treats)
• Laundry detergent (concentrated only)
• Canned cat food
• Canned dog food
• Gift Cards (Walmart, Office Depot or Staples, County Market, Meijer, PetSmart, Lowe's, Prairieland Feeds, Farm & Fleet, and more)