A Safe Haven for Animals
A NOTE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Life-saving communities have a high hero ratio!
 
Today (actually, everyday) we give thanks to our community for being so heroic. That's right, heroic! Heroes aren't just revered for being brave or courageous - heroes have other noble qualities that make them special amongst humankind. Qualities like compassion, benevolence, empathy and patience.

You see, as communities like ours strive to save every life that can be saved, we need real life heroes who are willing to open their hearts and homes to animals who need an extra dose of human generosity.

Just like people, not every animal is perfectly healthy and happy-go-lucky - but that doesn't mean they're not loyal and loving companions. Animals come with allergies and attitudes, medical conditions, predispositions, and lots of years of experience. In other words...old animals, animals with medical needs, and animals with finicky behaviors all need adopters who will give them their second chance.

Our heroes get that.

That's why we make special mention of them today: the adopters who take home the senior cat who is FIV+, the young dog with food allergies who will need a special diet her whole life, or the cat who doesn't always make it to his litter box in time.

These animals CAN be saved. They are loving, sentient beings who have physical and behavioral differences some folks might find challenging - other folks will find that bringing them home will rank at the top of life's rewarding experiences.

Making our community a safe place for animals takes all kinds of heroes. In this issue you'll read about Jasper, who is looking for a hero, and Ned who recently found his! Today we give tribute to the adopters of special needs animals who allow us to continue the lifesaving work we do. 

Sincerely,
Cindy Roach
Executive Director
FEATURED STORY
Jasper: Whatever It Takes!feature
When Jasper first came to SHS in late February, we couldn't begin to imagine what the little Westie Terrier mix had endured. He was transferred to us by our rescue partners from another shelter where he'd arrived covered in motor oil. A severe skin condition was causing him to be itchy and uncomfortable, but even more troubling was the pain he seemed to be experiencing during bathroom breaks.

Upon intake, our medical team noted that Jasper was deaf - possibly the result of an untreated ear infection. Further examination and a biopsy revealed that he had a very serious, yet non-cancerous colorectal polyp. We helped Jasper manage his pain, but the mass would need to be removed in order for him to have any real quality of life. When our veterinarian reached out to local specialists, our friend Dr. Gurevitch, DVM from Petaluma stepped up and offered to perform Jasper's surgery at a very significant discount to us.

After a successful surgery, Jasper spent a couple weeks recuperating...

Read more...

HAPPY TRAILS

Happy Trails Ned!!!HappyTails
What does a no-kill community look like? When a cat like Ned gets adopted like this: A kind-hearted woman originally came in looking for a kitten to adopt. However, she couldn't ignore the immediate connection she felt with Ned, who happened to be the oldest cat at our shelter! When she learned that Ned was 18 ½ years old and FIV+, her mind was made up - she wanted to give him all the love he deserves for the rest of his life! This commitment to compassion makes all the difference for animals with health or behavior challenges - and we are so grateful to our community for making it happen!

River: Goin' with the flow
River arrived at SHS as a stray, fearful and undersocialized. Our training staff and volunteers worked with the growing adolescent to make sure he felt comfortable with new situations, people and dogs. We couldn't be happier to report that River has found an amazing family to love! River's life now includes a human sister and brother and outdoor activities like camping and RV'ing. In an email to friends and family, his new owner writes: "We adopted River on Easter Sunday. The most awesome match ever. We were all meant to be together." From the looks of things, River agrees!

HEALDSBURG HAPPENINGS

Karmy and her new companion!
Wishes Coming True!Healdsburg
Gabe, an Adoption Counselor at the Healdsburg Center, had one not-so-secret wish: For Karmy to find her forever home before we moved into the permanent building! The beautiful 9 ½ year old Calico was surrendered to us last summer when her former owner was hospitalized with long-term health issues. The conversational cat had been keeping Gabe company each day at our modular office onsite when a lovely adopter came in to make some wishes come true! Happy Trails Karmy!

Wishes came true for two other Healdsburg Center furballs in the past month: Chappy and Danger Mouse have also found loving homes of their own!

Blue skies inside and out
Last week Sonoma Humane Society staff and board members mixed and mingled at the Healdsburg Center to celebrate moving out of the trailers and into the beautifully restored building! We ooh'd and ahh'd over the welcoming space and roomy habitats. Sponsored by our wonderful supporters Pat Callahan and Carmen Stuhlmuller, artist Randall Jahns has painted the ceilings in our cat rooms to look like cheerful blue skies, a motif that speaks of the promise of hope for all animals who will now come through these doors.

Badger wants you to visit him at the Healdsburg Center!
This week's pre-opening focuses on preparing to bring in more animal guests, and the staff who will be supporting them. A very special thank you to Keysight Technologies for their generous donation of office furniture. Another furniture donation is pending and another mural, sponsored by Barbara Grasseschi and Tony Crabb to honor Rodney and Charlotte Strong, will be painted this month. Next up? Generating funds to install landscaping and fencing.

Getting the doors open this week has been a major community effort - from the original donors to the support we received at our Give Me Shelter event - we are honored and grateful to be serving the Healdsburg Community.

Please save the date for our Grand Opening on June 18th!
Learn more about our Healdsburg Center by visiting
sonomahumane.org/hbg

TRAINER'S CORNER
Accentuate the Positive!training

Your relationship with your dog should be a source of enrichment in your life, not frustration. SHS offers rewards-based training classes to help set the stage for great manners and provide a fun bonding experience at the same time.


JOIN US...
Dog Hike at Kunde Family Winery 4/30events
Join Team SHS for the Human Race May 7th 2016!

Looking for a legitimate excuse to wear a leotard and 
legwarmers? Sonoma County's 2016 Human Race is your chance to have fun and raise funds for the animals of Sonoma Humane Society!!! Celebrating 35 years of fundraising for our community, this year's race theme is "Totally Awesome 80s"! We'd love to have you join Team SHS and walk (rad!), run (tubular!), or fundraise (to the max!) on behalf of our furry friends! 

A very special THANK YOU to our sponsors Kathie Neese and Western Farm Center!

Join the race!
Maple Mania May 6th - 8th

Calling all green thumbs! Wildwood is hosting Maple Mania at their gorgeous nursery in Kenwood! For 3 days only: buy one maple and receive a 50% discount on the second one.*
20% of the proceeds of all sales from Maple Mania will go to the animals of Sonoma Humane Society!
Looking for a fun activity on Mother's Day? Bring a picnic and enjoy their lovely picnic area. Well-behaved dogs on leash welcome. Lemonade, iced tea, and doggie treats will be provided.

*15 gallon maples and smaller. The 2nd tree must of be of the same or lesser value.

Please click here for event information!

KIBBLES & BITS
Other things you might want to be in the know about.
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Get your name in front of some of the smartest, nicest, most discerning folks around - North Bay Pets readers! Sonoma Humane Society's biannual publication is distributed to more than 14,000 animal lovers and pet owners.

Build your animal care business or show your support, all while helping homeless animals in our community.

Other ways you can help: Donate your vehicle | Shop |  Volunteer | Host an Event 
BODSonoma Humane Society Board of Directors 2016

Evelyn Mitchell, President
Shannon Tracey, Vice President
Kathy Yerger, Secretary
John Prouty Treasurer
Kati Aho, Darlene Brazil, Brent Cassell, Chris Kittredge, Marty Olhiser, Robert Quail

 Tel: 707.542.0882 | Fax: 707.542.1317 | www.sonomahumane.org 
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The Sonoma Humane Society never shares any contact information, including email addresses, with other organizations. Your privacy is always protected and very important to us.