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The ARC Advocate
October 2011 - Vol 1, Issue 7 
ARC's Grand Opening Nov. 3 

party like an animal It's time to "Party Like an Animal" -- and support the Animal Rescue Coalition at the same time!

 

ARC will celebrate the Grand Opening of its new headquarters at 1408 State St. with a street party from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Thurs., Nov. 3. The evening features a DJ, dancing and cash bar; suggested donation is $30 and benefits ARC's new adoption program.    

ARC and its people honored
Nettie Awards
2011 Natural Choice Awards  
The Animal Rescue Coalition and two of its
key people were honored last month 
with Natural Choice Awards from Sarasota's Natural Awakenings Pet Magazine.  ARC was named Favorite Rescue Group, Caroline Resnick was named Favorite Animal Activist for her work in coordinating Buddy's Feral Cat Program, and Dr. Laurie Walmsley, ARC's medical director, was named Favorite Veterinarian.

Save the Date 

Mark your calendar for two of the hottest events of the Season.  ARC's Best in Show Gala is on Saturday, February 18, 2012 at Michael's on East and will feature the best animal films of all time.  "A Night at The Oscars" will encourage every attendee to choose their favorite animal film from clips to be shown that night. Coincidentally ARC's Gala takes place the week just before "The Oscars".  Always a favorite, "Dog's Night Out" will take place on March 8, 2012  at Sak's Fifth Avenue.  "Run with the Big Dog's" will feature Sarasota Leader's Dogs in attendance!

ARC key to Manatee's historic 'no kill' effort

Manatee County has earned the statewide spotlight for its decision to become Florida's first "no kill" community.

 

Animal Services Director Kris Weiskopf is careful to

acknowledge key partners in the effort: animal rescue groups like ARC, who are helping with the "no kill" effort by providing free and low cost spay/neuter surgeries for companion animals, pet retention efforts, volunteer recruitment, trap-neuter-return (TNR) efforts, and foster homes.   

weiskopf
Chief of Manatee Animal Services Kris Weiskopf

  

The five services mentioned above are among the key elements of becoming a "no kill" community, according to Nathan Winograd, founder of the "no kill" movement that refers to euthanasia only of animals who are terminally ill, injured or vicious. By contrast, most shelters systematically kill cats and dogs because of space limitations.  

 

ARC's main contribution to Manatee County's "no kill" effort is its work in targeting trap-neuter-return of feral cats in Myakka City, a rural community in eastern Manatee County. ARC also provides low-cost spay/neuter surgeries through its mobile clinic.

 

Weiskopf began exploring how to convert Manatee County's animal shelter to a "no kill" facility several years ago after attending a seminar by Winograd. "We had talked about this for the last few years, but we had taken only teeny-tiny steps to make things better," Weiskopf says. "Now, we have a basic plan that includes the eleven key components."

 

The most important part of the "no kill" effort, Weiskopf says, is to "not need to have the animals here in the first place." Foster homes for animals are one of the most effective ways to prevent animals from making it to the county's animal shelter. Low-cost spay/neuter surgeries for companion animals and TNR are also essential.

  

His goal under the "no kill" plan, approved in resolution form Oct. 12 by the Manatee County Commission, is to have 90 percent of animals at the shelter released to loving homes by the end of 2012. Already, the county has improved its live release rate from 35 percent last June to 61 percent in August.

 

Another significant aspect of Manatee's "no kill" effort is the recent opening of its adoption facility at 1002 B Manatee Avenue West.

 

There are many people who deserve credit for bringing about Manatee County's commitment to no-kill.  County Commissioner Carol Whitmore has been working on the "no-kill" issue for three years.  The Manatee County Animal Services Advisory Board brought the resolution to the commission.  The County's Director of Public Safety, Bill Hutchison, supported and encouraged the no-kill policy.

 

"We're all pumped up to make this happen," Weiskopf says.

 

If you don't live in Manatee County and want to inspire a "no kill" movement in your community, click here.

Have a question about your pet?  Ask Sue!
Ask Sue

Sue Waxman is ARC's director of the Spay/Neuter Program.  One of her many duties is scheduling and is in contact with virtually every client ARC serves.  Sue's background as a veterinary technician means she gets asked ALOT of questions.  We thought we'd highlight one every month. To ask Sue your own question, email Sue.  

 

Here's October's Question:

 

How can I get my cat to quit clawing my furniture?

 

Gently trim the cat's nails on a regular basis.  You can use the same clippers as you would use for yourself.

Make sure they have a scratch post.(Try putting some cat-nip on it.)

-  Put double-sided tape on your furniture or rugs for a short time.  The cat gets their paws stuck and will usually avoid the area.

As a last result, you can use a water spray bottle with the command "OFF"! 

 

Sarasota Animal Services
boomarang

Featured Pet

Boom-a-Rang

Lovable animals are available for adoption at the Sarasota County Animal Services' shelter at 8451 Bee Ridge Road.  The shelter is open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.  Photos and descriptions of all adoptable animals, just like Boom-a-Rang below are available on the animal services website, which you can reach by clicking here.

 

Boom-a-Rang, is our featured pet. He is neutered and very friendly.  He has been at the shelter for more than a year and needs a home.

National Feral Cat Day Celebration at Buddy's Feral Cat Day

A blessing for all feral cats nationwide, the highest number of sterilization surgeries, and a sneak peek at ARC's feral cat outreach video on feral cats marked ARC's recognition of National Feral Cat Day Oct. 16.   

 

feral cat cake
A chocolate cake was also enjoyed by all volunteers and veterinarians after surgeries were completed
ARC's celebration coincided with its monthly feral cat clinic, called Buddy's Feral Cat Program. The 40-plus volunteers who gathered at Ashton Animal Clinic first listened to Rev. Virginia Schnaitter, a regular volunteer at the clinic, offer a blessing of the nation's feral cats. The group then spent the morning spaying and neutering 147 cats, the most cats ever brought to ARC's monthly clinic.

ARC volunteers finished the morning watching a 10-minute video produced by program director Caroline Resnick and Premier Video Productions of Bradenton. The video will be posted on ARC's website, shown at fundraisers and shared with local media.

A total of 345 organizations nationwide recognized National Feral Cat Day this year, making it the most widely recognized annual Feral Cat Day in history. To see how other groups recognized the special day, click here.