|
|
| Giving Thanks
The Thanksgiving holiday is a time to give thanks to the family and friends we all hold so dear. On behalf of PoundHounds and all of the invisible dogs in town pounds who count on you for support...thank you...for all of the generous donations and volunteer efforts you have provided so far this year. You are all true and caring friends and your support does make a difference.
As we enter the Holiday gift-giving season, please consider helping PoundHounds take care of more needy pound dogs by doing your shopping online through the Give Back America program, or by making a donation to PoundHounds as a tax-deductible, charitable gift. Unfortunately, the rain at Barktoberfest, our annual fund-raising event in September, cost us over $10,000 in lost donations so now we must make that up in order to continue helping the dogs in town pounds. Every little bit counts, especially during these hard economic times when more and more dogs are being surrendered and our services are needed more than ever. So please consider making an additional donation this time of year. Again, thank you for all your support.
Best wishes for a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Seana Dowling
President, PoundHounds, Inc. |
|
The Voiceless Victims of a Bad Economy
Pet Surrender Rates on the Rise Home foreclosures are on the rise in Massachusetts and many families have been forced to surrender their pets. With all the media hype about the economy, pets have been among the voiceless victims of the current economic downturn. Shelters are reporting increases in surrenders because of foreclosures and financial difficulties as families struggle to keep up.
If you believe you may face a foreclosure, early planning may make all the difference in finding a good situation for your pet. Look for pet-friendly housing, locate a temporary home for your pet, or adopt your pet out yourself to a well-screened home. If all else fails, bring your pet to your local humane shelter or animal control facility. But never abandon your pet when you leave your home, or let it loose to try to survive on its own. Resources are available to help so click here
To help families with pets who are facing foreclosure, consider donating to the Humane Society of the United States' Foreclosure Pet Fund.
|
Billerica Pound Receives Important Donation
e-NewsHound Reader Purchases Much-Needed Stretcher
A big "thank you" to Nancy of Westford who recently donated an emergency stretcher to the Billerica Town Pound.
In the first issue of the e-Newshound, we published a request for a stretcher donation, and Nancy responded right away and arranged for this generous donation.
"We received the stretcher and it is perfect," said Maureen Ray, Billerica Animal Control Officer. "It may help us save a dog's life some day, and it will certainly make them more comfortable in a stressful, emergency situation. Thank you Nancy!" |
|
Happy Tails!
The Little Dog that Could Kayla Finds a Home
Kayla's owners claimed she was an escape artist, but the reality was she was often left outside alone in an unfenced yard and would wander off. Billerica Animal Control picked up Kayla with some frequency and the owners paid the $50 each time...until they decided they didn't want Kayla anymore.
Kayla wound up a permanent resident at the pound. The longer she was there, the more anxious and frustrated she became. When potential adoptors passed by her cage, she would bark and jump up and down. Her behavior, combined with her breed, American Stafforshire Terrier (Pit Bull), turned adoptors away. Kayla wanted her freedom so bad, she tried to chew through her cage, managing to break some of her teeth. PoundHounds was called for help and sponsored her dental treatment.
Karen from Dracut, a PoundHounds volunteer and lover of Pit Bulls, networked with other PoundHounds volunteers, including Diane from Billerica, to get Kayla some extra outreach. Kayla's "champions" cross-posted her adoption listing, put up signs in public and retail locations, contacted breed rescues, sent e-mails and placed write-ups in local newspapers.
Kayla hung in, and along came a family who had recently lost their beloved Pit Bull to cancer. They arranged a 'home visit' with Kayla and it went very well. She spent the night, then the week, and now, months later, Kayla is content in her forever home. According to her new owner, Kayla, now Kayna, is a true 'nanny dog.' The more children she has around her, the happier she is. |
|
ACO Spotlight
Brian Plante, Norton, MA
Brian is one of those endearing people whom everyone trusts, including the 4-legged variety. No running from the dog-catcher in Norton...some of the dogs see his van and come right up to him ready to go for a ride!
Brian grew up in Norton and he knows a lot of people and their animals. If he recognizes a lost dog, he doesn't think twice about giving the dog a ride right back to their home for a happy reunion with their owner.
Brian does everything he can to keep the shelter running smoothly. He balances his time between being the town's ACO, Animal Inspector and running a farm of his own. Brian regularly helps out other area shelters that may be full to capacity and has no qualms about taking extra steps to make a positive difference in a dog's life. In fact, in the picture above, Brian is with one of two puppies he took in when they were only 2 weeks old after the mother dog had died. Brian bottle-fed them and brought them home every night for over a month until they were old enough for adoption. Thank you, Brian, for going the extra mile for the animals in your care! |
Resources for ACOs
Helpful Information
If you are an Animal Control Officer, visit our website page created just for you. Download the latest versions of our forms, check out the latest editions of ACOAM's newsletter, learn how to access the low-cost MAC clinic--now at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, and much more. Come back often as new information is added regularly. Let us know if you have something to share with your fellow ACOs by sending us an email with the word "ACO" in the subject line. | |
| 'Give Back America' Holiday Shopping Program
PoundHounds Receives Donations Every Time You Make a Purchase
When you are doing your Holiday shopping this year, please consider purchasing through the "Give Back America" website--a percentage of every purchase you make will go to PoundHounds. Click on the button below to see all of the retailers that are part of the program and start shopping now!
|
November is "Adopt-a-Senior-Pet" Month
The Old and Wise Make Great Pets
'Fall in love' this month with a senior dog! Potential adoptors often pass by senior dogs because they are looking for a younger dog. Those adoptors who do open their hearts and homes to senior pets bring home calm and loving animals with few demands.
Senior dogs are really just looking for the basics in life: food, water, a comfortable place to nap and of course, love and affection. They are content just being in the same room with you. Often, when a senior dog is introduced into a home that has a younger resident dog, the old and wise senior will help teach the younger dog better manners and calm composure!
When a senior dog enters a shelter, it is very often due to a life-changing event: death of an elderly owner, a serious injury, new baby with allergies, or a foreclosure (see related article.)
It's hard on any dog who loses a home and family, but the confusion and anxiety is more difficult for older pets to bear. The shelter environment takes its toll on a dog who may never have been away from his or her home. Older dogs may wait many months before being adopted. Some never get the chance to find that new home and are euthanized. So please don't walk right past the cages with the older dogs--stop and get to know them, and give them a chance. |
Featured Dog for Adoption
'Summer' from Gardner, MA
 In the spirit of "Adopt a Senior Dog" month, please consider Summer. She is a purebred Keeshound, loving, gentle and looking for a peaceful home. She is having a bit of a bad hair day in this photo, but her coat will grow back full and healthy over the coming months. When she first arrived at the Gardner Animal Control facility, she was matted down to the skin due to neglect by her former owner. To learn more about Summer, call 978-790-6601. |
Contest of the Month
Holiday Photos
Help PoundHounds decorate our web site and December newsletter! Please send in photos of your doggy companions in all their holiday finery. Photos must be received by December 15 and will not be returned. Email them to us with the word "PHOTO" in the subject line. We can't wait to see the holiday canines! |
About MAC
Spay/Neuter License Plates
 The Massachusetts Animal Coalition (MAC) disburses grants to non-profit humane organizations and municipal animal control agencies. The grants are funded by the sale of the Massachusetts Spay/Neuter License Plate Program.
MAC has provided funds for PoundHounds to pay for spay/neuter procedures for PoundHounds sponsored dogs. In 2007, funding from MAC allowed PoundHounds to help 8 different town pounds spay/neuter 81 dogs. Those procedures represent $10,000 in MAC support.
Please show your dedication to animals and help control over-population. Register your new car or swap your existing plates for spay/neuter plates.
The cost for a license plate is $40. Of that, $28 funds this statewide program; the remaining $12 is a one-time only cost to cover the manufacturing of the plate. Two-year renewal fees of $40 go directly to the program.
|
Ask the Trainer
What should I do when I bring my adopted dog home?
Give your new friend his own space, a bed and/or a crate. It is important that your new dog feels secure and knows where he belongs.
Do not free feed. Instead, feed your dog twice a day and have him sit before you give him the dish. This will show your dog that his needs (food, water, shelter and approval) are met by you.
As much as you want to lavish attention on your new friend, it is best that you pause. Give your dog attention when she is calm. This means when your dog is sitting and/or laying down. By reinforcing calm behavior, you help your companion enjoy the transition into your home. This also helps to avoid a dog becoming spoiled, a bully, or anxious.
Play time is great. Enjoy tossing a ball, going for a walk or getting involved with obedience training. The more you are able to interact with your new friend, the better.
Once your dog has structure and leadership, he will look to you for guidance, instead of 'looking for trouble' around the home.
"Ask the Trainer" is written by Sonia Mullen of Canine Techniques. To read more answers to common questions about dog behavior, visit the "Ask the Trainer" section of our web site.
If you have a question about your dog's behavior, please send your question to info@poundhounds.org and put the word "TRAINER" in the subject line. We regret that Sonia won't be able to respond personally to every question. | |
|
|
|
|
|
New PoundHounds Program Launches
Help us name the program!
Town pounds are often woefully underfunded, with only the most basic necessities covered. Spay/neuter surgeries, vet examinations, vaccinations, and worm checks are not covered in many town budgets. ACOs routinely contact PoundHounds for help funding basic veterinary care. Supplies and amenities considered essential by most humane shelters, like dog beds and toys, are not included in town budgets either. We know many ACOs who purchase cleaning supplies, special diet dog food, and leashes with money from their own pockets.
To support the quality of life for dogs at town pounds and help ACOs provide better care for the dogs in their care, PoundHounds has launched a new "Shelter Improvement" program. The new program includes existing programs like Kuranda Beds, Leashes by the Pound, and Gunnar's Toy Box. It will also include funding and donations for cleaning supplies, grooming equipment, wading pools to keep dogs cool in the summer, and other important supplies.
Our new program needs a name. Send us your suggestions for a name, with the word "SHELTER" in the subject line of your e-mail, and we'll award the winning entry a gift basket your doggy companion will be sure to appreciate, courtesy of Pawsawhile Online Community. |
Thank you for your continued interest and support of the invisible dogs in town pounds. We can't do it without you! Please visit the PoundHounds website at: www.poundhounds.org for more information. Or, contact us directly:
Message Center: 508.435.5029
Address: PoundHounds, Inc. - P.O. Box 454 - Hopkinton, MA 01748
|
| Helpful
Links |
Follow these links to learn how you can help PoundHounds:
Links to other important Websites:
|
| |
|
