Here are photos from last weekend’s Sand Flea Pet Parade:  http://beachpets.com/photos/sandflea08ss/

Thanks to everyone who participated, the volunteers who produced the event and the merchants who donated prizes.

2008 Sand Flea Pet Parade "Beachiest Pet"

And congratulations again to this year’s winners!

BEACHIEST PET:  SAMSON, HOLLY & HIGGINS
Patty Parker, Vancouver, WA

BEST TRICK:  SHUKSAN
Jon & Mandy Paul, Everett, WA

BEST COSTUME:  SUNNY
Betty Dickman, Oysterville, WA

OWNER/PET LOOKALIKE:  GUNTHER
Kempsey Ward, Seaview, WA

What a fun day it was at SandSations yesterday!  Thanks to volunteer chairperson Merry Scharfe and her crew of helpers, the Sand Flea Pet Parade was a lot of fun.  Thanks to everyone who came out to participate, Judges Jane Holeman, Merry Scharfe and Keith Schwartz, Emcee Kimberly Armstrong, Photographer Linda Baehr and Registration Maven Marie Maulden!

We’ll put photos online as soon as they’re all collected; it should be just a few days.

Here are the 2008 winners:

BEACHIEST PET:  SAMSON, HOLLY & HIGGINS
Patty Parker, Vancouver, WA

BEST TRICK:  SHUKSAN
Jon & Mandy Paul, Everett, WA

BEST COSTUME:  SUNNY
Betty Dickman, Oysterville, WA

OWNER/PET LOOKALIKE:  GUNTHER
Kempsey Ward, Seaview, WA

Click for more SandSations info & photos!

Elvis- This hound dog was “cryin’ all the time”

When we got Elvis in as a stray, it was apparent that he was “hurtin’ for certain”. Somewhere in his travels away from his home, he had the very bad luck to run into a mean person. A mean person armed with a shotgun that for whatever reason thought it would be fun to shoot Elvis in the leg…



He survived the attack, but was very thin and limping on his front leg when he entered the shelter. The vet said nothing to really be done about his leg- it will just take “tincture of time” to heal. And healing this nice boy is doing. He has filled out, and is limping less all the time- to the point that he is able to be taken for short walks already.
This handsome young hound (Walker Hound, maybe?) is very quickly becoming a staff favorite for his winning ways. He is quiet and attentive for a dog of his breed- no “baying” and carrying on for this guy. Elvis loves people (in spite of his encounter with cruelty), and is mannerly and a joy to walk. With a loving new home, this hound could be “rockin’ all the time” instead of crying. Come in and say “howdy” to Elvis!

Someone else important has a birthday coming up!!

Pretty much everyone who reads the Observer now knows that Jake the Alligator Man, beloved mascot of Marsh’s Free Museum, has a birthday bash coming up. But Jake isn’t the only local celebrity soon to celebrate a birthday- someone near and dear to staff and visitors alike at the Humane Society will also celebrate an important date in the very near future. Stay tuned….

Shelter Wish List

Our critters would be very pleased to receive donations of both canned dog and cat food- their supply is very low, and they are getting concerned. They all look very much forward to their daily treats of canned food. Our”Fidoes”and “Fluffies” thank you for caring and for your support!

A big shout of  THANKS goes to Wade Petrini and his company, Artificial Lawns Direct (www.artificiallawnsolutions.com).

We’ve had a TERRIBLE time keeping regular grass growing in the area of the shelter where folks can have an outdoor meet and greet with a potential new pal.  It seems it is always turning back to mud, despite volunteers’ valiant efforts to keep it clean and green.

Board member Melanie Epping worked with Wade to get Pregra artificial turf donated and installed this week.  Doesn’t it look GREAT!?

Please, visit Wade’s website and see if Pregra might be a good alternative for your yard.  We love it!

Do you remember Goldie?  I think you guys called her Mary when you had her.  She is a little buff cocker spaniel that I adopted from you on February 1st this year.  Well, I thought you guys up at the Shelter would be interested in Goldie’s progress.  She got over her case of kennel cough very nicely, put on a bunch of weight and now I have to watch her food since she seems to be getting a little on the hefty side at 28.6 lbs.  She’s currently suffering from a little bladder infection that I am blaming on diet, so we are changing foods this week.  Both Goldie and my chocolate, Coco, have bladder infections with crystals and the vet is suspecting the high protein food I’d been feeding.  I guess sometimes those high priced high quality foods are not necessarily the best.  Cockers seem to be pretty touchy about food.  We’d been feeding Chicken Soup for the Doglover’s Soul and are now changing over to Dick Van Pattens fish formula in hopes of getting this thing under control.

But that’s not the reason I am e-mailing.  Attached you will find some pictures.  Goldie went to the Stumptown Dogshow last weekend and got her first two legs in Rally Novice.  She scored a 95 out of 100 on Sunday, didn’t place, but 95 is a great score.  My other two dogs scored 96 and 98.  The puppy, Lucky, got the 98 and took second place in the event.  Goldie performed like a veteran both days.  I was so very proud of her.  She has only been in obedience for a couple of months and I didn’t expect her to do so well since we had not gotten in as much practice with her as I have with the other two.  She also scored a 97 in her basic obedience class and got a first place ribbon that night and the trainer said that was the highest score any dog has ever gotten in that class.  You’ll see a picture here of all three dogs sitting in front of the fireplace yesterday with all their ribbons that they won last weekend hanging from the mantel.  Each dog has a space on the mantel with their prizes and I put a picture of Goldie up there with her first place from obedience class and then her ribbons from this weekend.  She’ll be going to St. Helens in August and I fully expect to see her get her third leg and finish in Rally Novice.  She may be the one who gets to move on to Rally Advanced first, but the looks of things.  I just am so proud of her.  What a wonderful little dog.  Oh, and I did the DNA testing on her to prove her a full blooded cocker and that’s how she got her PAL number and was able to compete in AKC sanctioned events.  So now she is just one score away from having a title too.

Mary Howard
Seaside, Oregon

Hi South Pacific County Humane Society,

It’s been about 2 months now since we’ve adopted Dani.  She has been such a joy.  We had a few weeks of rough times, but she made a 180 flip.  We go for daily bike rides and she just plugs along and then plays with the squirrels. She’s the only dog in the park who is quick enough to catch them. We take her to the dog park and she loves to run and play with the other dogs but the pond is really her place of choice.  We went and got her a kiddy pool and she LOVES it.  She has two really good friends, one is a Rottweiler-Golden Retriever mix and the other is an Akita mix.  I went out of town for the week and Dani stayed with Apollo (the rot retriever mix) I got pictures everyday and an update.  From what it sounds like, all they did was play and have a good time.  Since I’ve been back, she has been so tired from the week of playing, she’s been sleeping the whole time but perks up for the dog park and the walks around town.

Thank you for allowing us to bring home such an amazing dog. We couldn’t have asked for more.

Your friends,

Marisa and Robert

Dreams of Siamese, tigers and polka dots

This summer we have an unusual number of Siamese mix kittens that are as pretty as any one would see in a “designer” cat show. There are flame points, lynx points, lilac points and snowshoes- just about any coat color or pattern!

Also, we have two little families of very unusual white and black kittens. These kittens have very unique patterns- it looks as though an artist painted their coats. One even has five distinct large round “polka dots” marked on her sides- one has to smile just looking at her.

For the tabby lovers out there, we have a litter of beautifully marked little tigers- they are very outgoing and affectionate and will be wonderful feline companions.

Come to the shelter and you are sure to find a beautiful kitten (or even better, kittens) to brighten your life and provide hours of entertainment as they dash and play- much better than reruns on TV!

Hershey is more than ready for kisses!

Hershey is one of the older dogs that end up in shelters, through no fault of their own. He is such a nice, well behaved gentleman that we have to believe that whomever had to give him up did so under duress of some sort- moving or maybe a death in the family.

He is a shepherd/whatever mix, with a particularly sweet face- even though he has to be bewildered as to why he ended up homeless, he still smiles at the people who stop by at the shelter to say “hi”.

This big charmer is good with other dogs, kids and cats. He is very healthy, but does need to take an inexpensive thyroid pill twice a day. He has nice house manners, and would love to have his own someone to take him for walks and give him hugs. Oh, and let’s not forget kisses- he loves to get and receive kisses!

Join in the fun at our Sand Flea Pet Parade

At Sandsations this year, we are having our annual Sand Flea Pet Parade that promises to be fun for pets and owners alike. The event will be held this Saturday, July 26, 11:30 am at our Humane Society tent just off the Bolstad beach approach, and will feature a variety of pet contests and prizes. Bring your pooch and participate in the “pet/owner look-alike” or “best costume” and other fun events. This will also be the kick-off for our annual Raffle- an important fund-raiser for us. Hope to see you at this very enjoyable family event!!!  Here are some photos from last year: http://www.funbeach.com/slideshows.html

Chipper is going on his fifth month of loneliness

When we wrote about this young Lab/Dalmatian mix dog that has been with us at the shelter longer than any of the others, we were so hoping someone would come and bring him home. But, sadly, it just didn’t happen.

Chipper is not alone at the shelter. He has other dogs, and lots of people around him. But, he is lonely. One just has to look into his brown eyes to see how much he wants a person of his own to love him.

He has become a staff favorite- several of us have wanted to take him home, but couldn’t because we have cats. And Chipper’s only fault that we have seen is that he is not good with cats…

Chipper is very well behaved, and loves to go for car rides and walks. He is a wonderful size, weighing in at a trim 40 pounds or so. He is very affectionate and calm, yet loves to play.

Five months in a cage is five months too long for this poor guy. Please come and meet Chipper, and maybe give him the chance he so needs.

Sweet, saucy redhead looking for loving relationship!

Jasmine is kind of the kitty equivalent of Chipper- she has the dubious distinction of having been at the shelter almost longer than any other cat. She is unusual in that she has a lovely orange coat- orange cats are almost always boys, yet this demure little kitty is all girl!

She has been in our kitty room for months now, and although people stop to pet her, no one has taken her into their hearts and home. Perhaps it is because she looks a little older than she really is- orange cats, like redheaded people, are sensitive to the sun and often get “freckles” around their mouths and noses. No, these are not “horrid old age spots”- just harmless freckles she undoubtedly got when she was fending for herself outdoors.

Jasmine would make a wonderful and sweet kitty for a mature couple or anyone with a quiet home. This little orange girl really needs some sunshine of the loving kind in her life!

Shelter wish list

Our kittens have arrived in force, and they are hungry! We desperately need donations of Purina Kitten Chow (the kind in the yellow bag) to help tame these tiny tigers!

Our dogs are reminding us, also, that they are running low on kibble, and would be very grateful to receive donations of Pedigree or Kirkland dry dog food- they say that this seems to be the easiest on their tummies. We humans at the shelter have a vested interest in keeping their tummies settled, as we are the ones that do the “scoop duty”!

Thank you for supporting the Humane Society and the needy animals in our care.

Cats      http://www.freekibblekat.com/default.asp?a=255

Dogs     http://www.freekibble.com/

She’s doing really good, shes got a lot more spunk than I saw that first day but not like that’s a bad thing. She really likes going for walks and being outside and burying bones and of course chasing her tennis balls. She really took to me as her daddy really fast and momma finally came home yesterday so theyre getting accuainted today. Keda’s so funny cause shes always very curious whenever we do anything at all and never wants to be left out of any kind of fun. I could go on and on about her but Im sure you know. Shes being a very wonderful puppy and shes very happy

Randle and Kerri

hi!

everything’s going great with her–except we still haven’t come up with a name! Ben wants to call her ‘cheese’ haha…yeah I don’t think so!
she’s a lil lover, and loves to play and bounce around and chew on things too. Typical puppy! It was funny, just earlier she went #2 and proceeded to run to the where the shovel is kept…so she’s definitely trainable! Can’t wait to see her grow up.

I’m one of those that always forgets the camera for stuff like this, but I’ve attached a couple of pics that I have of her. I’ve been calling her ‘baby girl’, hence the BG-named pics. Enjoy!

Btw, I was going to send you an email as well, asking about her parents. Is she full pitbull, or a mix…or do you know? I’m also curious about where her sister ends up, if the new ‘parents’ are open to that. I completely understand privacy too, and will follow whichever way this road takes me…but it would be cool to perhaps meet them up again one day, y’know?

thank you for sendin’ a lil love our way!

~wendy

We were in a week ago Sat and adopted Nana. since renamed to Jasmine.  (the pup left in the apt by the previous owners)  We just wanted to drop you a note and let you know she is adjusting very well.  Needless to say she has taken over the house and everything in it.   ha ha……..She appears to have been house trained, we have had only one piddle accident to date.   I’ve attached several pictures of her running around the back yard and finding the perfect napping place.  ha ha……   She has since been bathed and groomed and has captured the hearts of many of our neighbors……….  Thank you so much for your help and for all you and everyone at the shelter do in helping all of God’s creatures…….

Take care, best wishes and keep up the good work.

Neil & Sylvia