We have oodles of Poodles and a tiny Chihuahua!

Well, ok, we don’t exactly have oodles of Poodles, but we are very pleased to say that we have 2 nice Poodles and a charming tiny Chihuahua now at the shelter for adoption. As is true with most shelters, it is much less common to have smaller dogs available, and when we do have the tinier guys, we just can’t resist the urge to brag a little bit!

Shaggy and Dexter are the two nice Poodle boys- both white in color, very friendly, and young- about 1-2 years old. We received them from another shelter, and their origin was something of a mystery. They were apparently found together, but rumor has it that they were abandoned and tied to a tree. The victims, maybe, of a poor economy and an owner who could no longer care for them. Regardless of their past, they are happy young dogs and seem to be looking forward to new futures.

Bonita is a very tiny 7 year old black and tan Chihuahua. She is a quiet little dog, but seems to crave human attention and loves to be held and petted. A perfect size and temperament for a lap dog.

As we always tell people when we do get small dogs in for adoption: “If you are interested in a nice smaller dog, come and see them as soon as you can, because they go like hotcakes”!

Beautiful, exotic new kittens and cats

Last week we were able to take in 14+ kittens and cats from another shelter that was facing desperate overpopulation. And what beauties they are!

It looks like they sent us the cream of the crop, including drop-dead gorgeous Siamese and Maine Coon mixes. All the kittens and cats seem very friendly and extremely people-oriented. They will reach out to visitors through the cage bars, pleading to be taken to loving homes. Maybe one will reach out to you and find a place in your heart…

Wow!  You guys rock!

• Active Enterprises
• Azure Salon
• Bank of the Pacific
• Beachdog.com
• Bigfoot’s Steakhouse
• Breakers Condo Association
• Bridgewater Bistro
• Clarke Nursery
• Custom Tack
• Cutler Management Inc. – The Breakers
• Doris Thomasi Foundation
• Eagles Ocean Park
• Evangelical Lutheran Church
• Factory Mattress Warehouse
• GFWC Pacific Shores Womens Club
• Great NW Federal Credit Union
• Hill & Son Excavating
• Ilwaco Lodge No 118 I.O.O.F.
• Imperial Schooner
• Jack’s Country Store
• John L Haas, Inc
• Key Bank
• Long Beach Commercial Security Co
• Long Beach Police Department
• Long Beach Realty
• Lost Weekend Clothing Company
• M Jack Cullimore Design
• Michael Shedore
• Monday Moms
• Mourikis Construction
• Naselle Student Body Association
• Nautical Brass
• Neptune Theater
• NW Insurance & Financial Services
• Ocean Front Cabins
• Ocean Spirits, LLC
• Odd Fellows Lodge
• Oean Park Elementary School
• Oysterville Hand Print, LLC
• Pacific Realty
• Paint The Town Red
• Papa Jack’s
• Pedigree Catamarans, Inc.
• Pelican Landing
• Pelicano Restaurant
• Peninsula Hydrotherapy Practice
• Peninsula Quilt Guild
• Peninsula Sanitation
• Peninsula Womans Golf Association
• Penttila’s Chapel By The Sea
• Pierson & Son Construction Inc
• Pioneer Market
• Raven And Finch LLC
• Shoalwater Cove Gallery
• ShoreBank Pacific
• Spence Photography
• Surfside Ladies Golf Club
• Taft Plumbing
• TGH Technologies
• The Wade Gallery
• Time Enough Books
• Tuscany Cafe
• Unique Petique
• Waste Connections Inc
• Western Oregon Waste
• Women Of The Moose #1930
• Zahl Charitable Foundation

“Double your pleasure, double your fun!!!

Often, people don’t realize just how social cats can be, and they will come to the shelter intending to adopt a single cat. Obviously, we are in the shelter business to find good homes for homeless pets, and we think it is wonderful when adopters are willing to adopt more than one pet.

But the truth of the matter is that while we want to adopt as many pets as possible, when we tell people that it is a good idea to adopt more than one cat, we are truly thinking about the welfare of the pets. Cats can be very good companions for one another, particularly when they are raised together from kitten hood. In today’s busy world, when often all the humans in the household are working, cats that have another kitty companion are happiest. While they miss their owners, they have a buddy to cuddle and play with while their people are away.

We tell people that two cats aren’t twice as much work, just twice as much fun, and we mean it. Once a household is set up for one cat with food, litter boxes, beds, toys, and Grandma’s breakable heirlooms have been safeguarded, it is not twice as difficult to accommodate a second kitty companion.

At the shelter, we still have some wonderful kittens for adoption, and they all would like to come home with a buddy. Even the adult kitties often are bonded to another cat or kitten in the kitty playroom, and would love to be adopted as a pair.

We are having some great “two-fer” specials on cats and kittens right now to encourage adopters to take home a duo. As someone once said: “The greatest cat toy in the world is another cat”!

Help us win a Pet finder prize

Petfinder, the wonderful virtual adoption site featuring 13,042 adoption groups including the South Pacific County Humane Society, is having a $100,000 challenge right now. By accessing their Rescue site at Petfinder, shelter supporters can vote electronically to nominate their favorite shelter or rescue group to be eligible for $1000 weekly prizes to a $20,000 grand prize. Of course, we are hoping our supporters will vote for us and help the needy animals in our care. You can vote once every day, so please access Petfinder and give our critters a hand.

Shelter Wish List

We want to thank everyone who has so generously brought us donations in the past few weeks. But, we find ourselves still short on paper towels and would be very grateful to receive donations of these handy, and very necessary, cleaning supplies. Thanks!

Dear Diana and the wonderful [people] of the Humane Society–

It’s just been two weeks since we adopted little Charlie, but he quickly became a part of our family. Remember how timid he was? Wow, you would not believe the change in him! He and our other dog Jackie, instantly bonded and are two peas in a pod, shoulder to shoulder all day long (usually with squeaky balls in their mouths). Jackie has really brought him out of his shell, and he has calmed her down a bit (it took five days before we heard him bark). They couldn’t be a better match, which was what we were hoping for–(not always easy with feisty terriers!)

We kept Charlie very close the first week to let him bond with us and work on his potty habits–he didn’t have a chance to fail, and succeed he has! Amazing what repetition and positive reinforcement can do (not to mention tasty treats). He now has the run of the house and yard when we’re home, and hasn’t had an accident in over a week.

Both dogs get so much exercise between “ball sessions” in the yard and walks in our 12 acre greenbelt 3-4 times a day, they are exhausted at night. Charlie happily sleeps in his crate by our bed all night long.

What a dear little fellow he is–Al and I feel fortunate to have him in our lives and look forward to many years of good times, both in Auburn and at the beach.

Thanks to all of you for the years of enjoyment we have had at the shelter when at the beach. We will continue to drop by to say hello, and let you know how Charlie is doing.

Diana–thanks for your support and ongoing trust in us (and our friends and family as well).

Sincerely,

Donna & Al

Amber, who belonged to to Sheila Sammons of Newport, was recently killed by coyotes, which are more common this year on Oregon's central coast.

By Lori Tobias, The Oregonian

September 22, 2009, 6:00PM

No one realized Amber was missing until Sheila Sammons got the call on Sunday morning: a neighbor had found her cat’s collar.

“I knew right away something was very wrong,” said Sammons. “I thought there’d been a cat fight and that I would find her injured in the bushes.”

Instead, Sammons would discover Amber had fallen prey to wild animals she didn’t even know inhabited the area; one whose numbers are unusually high this year — coyotes.

“We’ve had a lot of calls about coyotes this year,” said Doug Cottam , a wildlife biologist in the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Newport office. “It has been a good year for the survival of the young. The conditions were good, mild and a little wetter.”

Complaints about the animals, reputed for their clever but cautious ways, have long been common on parts the central coast.

“In the past, in Lincoln City in particular, there were numerous coyotes that were tame and habituated to people,” said Cottam. “We’ll get calls from tourists and there’ll be coyotes on the beach, and they are fairly unafraid.”

Read the full article.

Coyote prevention

Doug Cottam , a wildlife biologist in the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Newport office, says there some simple ways to discourage coyotes from taking up residence in your neighborhood:

• Keep housecats indoors, and if that’s not possible, feed them inside, or remove their dishes immediately after feeding outside.
• Do not leave small dogs alone in the yard if you suspect there are coyotes in the area.
• Keep outdoor animals, such as fowl and chickens in secure pens.
• Do not feed the raccoons. Coyotes prey on raccoons, so feeding raccoons will attract coyotes.
• Electric fences work well, but remember that coyotes can dig under them.

If you do see coyotes near your home, says Cottam, “You need to harass them. Shout; make them feel unwanted. They are smart enough to learn where they are frightened and where they are not.”

Petfinder.com and The Animal Rescue Site have partnered with a new Shelter+ Challenge prize: Most Touching Story.

Two shelters will win a $2,000 grant to help animals and we want to be one of them!

To be eligible, a story must be submitted by a representative of our organization and we can only enter one story.  Please, send us YOUR stories! We’ll put together a group to judge the entries, submit one and cross our fingers to win the $2,000 grant.

You can read examples of stories here.

We know you’ve got stories to tell, so jot them down and send them in!!

The easiest way to enter your story is to comment below.  If you prefer, you can email to webmaster@beachpets.com or drop it in the regular mail to: SPCHS Webmaster, PO Box 101, Long Beach, WA 98631.

Nominate SPCHS, your favorite no-kill shelter, in 100 words or less—tell the Bark what’s needed to make one of our public areas more inviting. Post as a comment on their website by December 31, 2009 and we could win Crypton bedding and/or cleaners & disinfectants.