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| A Time to Celebrate
As the year draws to a close, it's natural to look back on all that's happened this year, globally, nationally, and right here at home. At PoundHounds, we are thinking of the 130 and more dogs we have been able to help this year in 35 towns across the region. These dogs would not have received the care they did without the help of the compassionate, generous people who believed in them, intervening on their behalf to give them a chance at a better life. These people include the dedicated Animal Control Officers who work nearly 24/7 to support the dogs in their care, the volunteers and staff at pounds, shelters, and rescue groups and, of course, all the wonderful PoundHounds volunteers, donors, supporters, and granting institutions.
Individually and collectively, you have all made a tremendous difference. It is because of you that PoundHounds can provide funding for spay/neuter surgeries to help bring an end to the terrible cycle of pet overpopulation at pounds where dogs previously had to be adopted out intact because there was no budget for spay/neuter surgeries. It is because of you that we can help pay for heartworm treatments and surgeries for dogs who otherwise would have been euthanized due to lack of funds. It is because of you that PoundHounds has been able to fund training for dogs who might otherwise languish in pounds due to their "bad" behavior. We have had a very successful year helping a near record number of dogs and for that, we thank you. It is because of you that, despite the current economic situation, we can look forward to an even more successful year in 2009! Thank you.
Happy Holidays!
Seana Dowling
President, PoundHounds, Inc. |
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Holiday Photo Contest Winner
Meet Nikko!
Nikko, who hails from Taunton, is a male Sheltie. Now 6, he was adopted from the Taunton Animal Shelter four years ago and now happily enjoys the love of "mom" Nadine and "sister" Kelli. Looking at this picture, we can guess who was nice and got the home he so deserved!
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Help Us Continue the Good Work in 2009
Generous Donor Offers Matching Grant
This year, PoundHounds needs donations more than ever! On the day of Barktoberfest, our only annual fundraising event, we suffered a "ten thousand dollar rainstorm." Although we did have a decent turnout - a hearty thank you to those who braved the rain - attendance was way down, leaving us far short of the amount we had counted on for 2009. On average, the $10,000 we lost would cover 40 spay/neuter procedures or 20 more complicated medical treatments for dogs with nowhere else to turn. But we do have some great news: a generous PoundHounds benefactor has agreed to match all donations we receive from this end-of-year campaign! If you donate now, the Rainy Day Recovery Fund will match every dollar. These funds will make a big difference in the number of dogs we can help. With home foreclosures on the rise, animal control agencies and shelters are reporting increases in surrendered, stray and abandoned pets, while simultaneously, cities and towns are cutting animal control budgets. Town dogs need more support than ever before. You can help ensure that we have as many successes in 2009 as we did in 2008. You can download our donation form by clicking here or donate through PayPal's secure processing using your credit card. Our sincerest thanks for helping us to help so many of the invisible dogs in town pounds - we look forward to help many more in 2009!
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Holiday Photo Contest Runner up
Tyson, Fenway, & Cloey
All decked out for the holidays, these sweeties are Tyson, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Fenway, a Vizsla/Pit Mix, and Cloey, another Staffordshire Bull Terrier. They live with their mom Karen in Millbury. Fenway is a PittieLove Rescue dog.
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Ask the Trainer
Q: "It's been one month since we brought our new dog home. At first it seemed to be going well, but now the new dog and the old dog are fighting, and the new dog seems to be afraid of my husband. What should we do?"
A: You may have two middle-ranking dogs who are trying to figure out who is in control. The best thing for both dogs to understand is that you are the leader, not either of them. This means that all the food, toys and resources are yours, not theirs. The best way to demonstrate this is through doing dominance work with the dogs.
Click here to read more of Sonia's answer.
"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. |
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 (or post-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!
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A Recue Dog's Christmas Poem
Tis the night before Christmas and all through the town, every shelter is full - we are lost, but not found,
Our numbers are hung on our kennels so bare, we hope every minute that someone will care,
They'll come to adopt us and give us the call, "Come here, Max and Sparkie - come fetch your new ball!!
But now we sit here and think of the days..
we were treated so fondly - we had cute, baby ways,
Once we were little, then we grew and we grew, now we're no longer young and we're no longer new.
So out the back door we were thrown like the trash, they reacted so quickly, why were they so rash?
We "jump on the children", "don't come when they call", we "bark when they leave us", climb over the wall.
We should have been neutered, we should have been spayed, now we suffer the consequence of the errors THEY made.
If only they'd trained us, if only we knew...
we'd have done what they asked us and worshiped them, too.
We were left in the backyard, or worse - let to roam - now we're tired and lonely and out of a home.
They dropped us off here and they kissed us good-bye...
"Maybe someone else will give you a try."
So now here we are, all confused and alone...
in a shelter with others who long for a home.
The kind workers come through with a meal and a pat...
with so many to care for, they can't stay to chat,
They move to the next kennel, giving each of us cheer...
we know that they wonder how long we'll be here.
We lay down to sleep and sweet dreams fill our heads..
of a home filled with love and our own cozy beds.
Then we wake to see sad eyes, brimming with tears our friends filled
with emptiness, worry, and dread
If you can't adopt us and there's no room at the Inn could you help with
the bills and fill our food bin?
We count on your kindness each day of the year can you give more than
hope to everyone here?
Please make a donation to pay for the heat...
and help get us something special to eat.
The shelter that cares for us wants us to live,
and more of us will, if more people will give.
Author Unknown
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Happy Holidays!
Waiting for Santa
PoundHounds Board Member Diane, from Thompson, CT, managed to pose her dogs Zach, Gus and Toby in an amazing shot. Don't they look like they are waiting for Santa? How big a bone did she have to promise them?!
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e-NewsHound Next Issue:
February
Please note, we will be skipping the January issue of the e-newsletter so the PoundHounds team can focus on 2009 planning. We'll be back in February with new tips, information, and a "Save the Date" announcement for Barktoberfest 2009. | |
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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
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| Helpful
Links |
Follow these links to learn how you can help PoundHounds:
Links to other important Websites:
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