If you are like many people, you are longing to shake off the end-of-the-year holiday excesses with an energy-generating fresh start. Why not do that with a nice, athletic canine best friend? We have great candidates for the job at Amador County Animal Control and Adoption Center. Many of our younger dogs are longing, like you, to get out of that kennel and run, jog, fetch, or even dance. See our LINKS section this month for dozens of fun and creative ways for you and your dog to work out or just 'play out' together.

CALENDAR of EVENTS
2016
JANUARY 
ADOPT a WORKOUT
PARTNER

FEBRUARY
ADOPT 'THE ONE'
 
MARCH
SPAY and NEUTER AWARENESS
 
APRIL
TRAP/NEUTER/RELEASE

MAY
Find your MISSING PET
 
JUNE  
FELINE FRENZY

WHISKERS & WINE 
Saturday the 18th
 
JULY 
ADOPT a SENIOR PET

AUGUST
$9 for 9 LIVES for 9 DAYS

SEPTEMBER 
ADOPT your MVP

BARK in the PARK
Saturday the 24th

OCTOBER  
ORANGE & BLACK
All Treats, no Tricks

NOVEMBER  
GIVING THANKS 
Animals and their people

DECEMBER  
Bring JOY to your WORLD
LINKS
ACTIVITIES to share with your DOG
Bring your dog along for even more fun!


In, out, over & through--it's all about working as a team.

The warm head of a friendly pet can soothe a lonely heart.

Interested? Check out this VIDEO for a taste.

Dog-powered running for those who want to share their goals with a best friend.

Channel the desire to pull into harness work that lets the dog feel useful.

Root instinct drives the joy of running with a purpose. 

A reason to jump for joy. Jumping with achievement.

Dogs who excel in this sport love to show they can do it further and better.

Too many choices? Take a vacation with your dog and sample a variety.

A joy for the social dog, think 'tot lot'.

Some dogs love to run. Adding the responsibility of teamwork adds to the fun. 

Instinct, drive, and flying dirt. What more could an earth dog want?

Excitement, speed, and focus, a sport for dogs driven to do it faster.

Channel the dog's desire to control and direct movement for the pack leader.

Sharing quiet moments of contemplation is the essence of being a pack.

Working as a team is what drives these dogs.

Take a wonderful combination and add a little learning to keep it safe.

For dogs who love to pull and people who want to let them.

The excitement of meeting a challenge and being part of the team.

More focus on teamwork, less on precision. Fun and relaxation for human and dog.

A fun way for dogs and humans to share exercise and fresh air together.

Tracking, obedience, protection.

Making a difference is important, and that includes dogs. They know it matters.

Dogs love to pull, people love to ski. Put the two together and you have skijoring.




OBSERVATIONS from a volunteer at ACAC & AC
Is it your New Year's resolution to get more exercise?  Did you get a new FitBit and now you are on the quest to reach those 10,000 steps a day?  If you become a volunteer at Amador County Animal Control & Adoption Center, you could accomplish these goals, plus more.

WALKING: Simply the best exercise.
We all know that walking is good for you.  It's low impact and can be done almost anywhere and at any time, without expensive equipment.  There are more than 31 major health benefits associated with walking as exercise, from lowering body-fat to toning your abs, decreasing low back pain, reducing your risk of heart attack, stroke, and even glaucoma.  A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that a brisk 20 minute walk each day moves an individual from the 'inactive health' category to 'moderately inactive'. This upgrade alone can reduce the risk of premature death by up to 30 percent. See also www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/01/16/walking-benefits_n_6486906.html.

Every day, we learn more about the benefits of good old-fashioned walking. Need any more motivation to get out there and walk?  How about becoming a volunteer dog walker at our shelter? Come join the group of dedicated dog-walking volunteers, and easily get in that 20 minutes of walking, or reach the 10,000 steps recommended for a healthy lifestyle.  See our new VOLUNTEER APPLICATION section below for a look at the County application form.

WILLIE and SHARLEE: ONE is good, TWO is better!

Barbara and Chad Malonson were searching for a new puppy to join their family. Luckily for everyone involved, they directed their search to our Adoption Center. Willie, a gangly 10-month-old black lab mix immediately caught their eye on the ACAC Web page. At first, they were disappointed to learn that he was not available until some health issues could be resolved.  They anxiously followed his progress. When his Adoption Day day finally arrived, they headed for the shelter. Willie was a hit!  While waiting for them to fill out adoption papers, Barbara and Chad's daughter took a walk through the kennels and spotted another black lab, a female named Sharlee. Sweet Sharlee was a few months older than Willie, and irresistible. Just like that, one adoption became two. Sharlee set to work trying to share her previous obedience training with Willie, but it was slow going at first.  A 'teenage' puppy, especially a lab, can be quite full of mischief. Still, after a couple of chewed-up jackets and a damaged drip system, the family, including Sharlee, were able to get Willie in touch with his good side. On top of that, Willie and Sharlee have become inseparable friends, and have made of themselves two wonderful additions to the houshold. The Malonson's Facebook pages are rich with photos of this new 'Gang of four' (2+2). Thank you, Malonsons, for giving Willie and Sharlee their Forever Home. And, thank you for letting us help.

The best of friends.
The best of friends.

Playtime!
Playtime!

Be afraid. Be very afraid.
Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Christmas Angels.
Christmas Angels?

DO YOU HAVE A GREAT ADOPTION STORY FROM OUR SHELTER? 
We'd love to hear from you. Send your story, with photos if you have them, to Lisa Peterson.












Funny? Beautiful? Adorable? 
We would love to see your animal-related photos. Send them to Sabeth Ireland and we will share them.
Thinking of becoming a VOLUNTEER?

We are always looking for volunteer help at Amador County Animal Control & Adoption Center. If you think you'd like to join our ranks, Drop in to the shelter at 12340 Airport Road in Martell and request a volunteer application. You can review the APPLICATION for VOLUNTEER WORKER used by the county.here. You will need to fill out a pink copy, available at the shelter. 

Help us build our BARN
PHASE 2 of the original building plan for ACAC & AC's new facility called for a barn. That project has stayed on the shelf since the shelter was completed (in 2005), until a recent endowment from the estate of a local and generous animal benefactor got things moving again. Look for an article in an upcoming Newsletter on the past, present, and future of this project, plus details on how you can help get our barn built.