What a day!  Rita McKeehan, Ruth Hann, Gypsy, and Harriet Cavalli sold 95 tickets and attracted $16 in donations, for a grand total of $206.  Much of the credit goes to Gypsy, who prefers sitting on tables instead of on the ground.  She offered her paw and tummy to anyone wishing to touch her, and of course they then had to buy at least one ticket.

Dogs and cats don’t know their ZIP codes

When we have room in our shelter, we try to reach out to other shelters that are overcrowded and facing the very sad realization that some of their dogs and cats will have to be put down. This year, we have been able to take numerous dogs from several rescue groups that are working with California shelters that have high euthanasia rates.
And, we have been very pleased to take in kitties from both surrounding shelters and rescue organizations.
What enables us to pursue our mission of saving lives is the wonderful support we get from our members and the community. We are blessed with hard-working volunteers, and supporters who are willing to step up to the plate with supplies and monetary donations.
We are also grateful to the people in the community who care enough to spay and neuter their pets. Over the years we have been very fortunate to be able to offer low cost spay and neuter programs for pets of lower income folks, and many people have taken advantage of these programs. The end result is that the number of unwanted pets in South Pacific County, while still significant, has decreased considerably.
This decrease in our local unwanted pet population and the wonderful support we have received has allowed us to help animals in need from other areas- dogs and cats facing an end to their lives.

Right now, we have a great selection of dogs and cats needing loving homes. There are gorgeous adult cats and cuddly kittens of all colors and descriptions- all available at reduced adoption rates.
Dogs and cats don’t know their ZIP codes, and aren’t aware that they might be considered “outsiders”. All they know is that they want good homes and someone to love them.
Thank you for helping us save lives.

Chrome Dome Auto Repair in Ocean Park is dedicated to providing excellent, honest and affordable maintenance for autos, motor homes and boats. Tony & Robbie Richeson believe in supporting their community through good citizenship, volunteerism and sponsorship, and we’re very grateful to have them on our side here at SPCHS.

Looking for a mechanic you can trust? Look no further! Chrome Dome is independently owned and operated with ASE-certified mechanics boasting more than 75 years of combined experience.  Not only do they honor manufacturer’s warranties, your car will always be ready when they said it would.

Stop in and see the orchids, visit Jack’s in Ocean Park (the store that has everything!), and take a short walk to the beautiful Pacific Ocean in Ocean Park, Washington.

Questions? Call Tony at (360) 665-4092 or email chromedomeauto@hotmail.com.

Below:  Isn’t Laddie cute, being a donation dog for SPCHS?

Today our kids were marveling at how it hasn’t even been two months since we met Libby and they can’t imagine life without her. That made me realize that it was time to send you an update! Libby is doing wonderfully and she makes us all so happy. Her warmth just fills our home with smiles.

The first picture is Libby sitting by the front door after the unbelievable heartbreak of our three older kids leaving home for a couple of hours without taking her.

The second picture is “The Sisters of Chaos” duo. Lucy spends much of the day calling out, “Come, Lib! Come Lib! Follow me!” as they run through the house. When Lucy’s bedtime finally arrives the first thing Libby does is climb up on the couch and sleep for an hour. She is always so patient and gentle with Lucy throughout the whole day, but she’s worn out and ready for a nap by evening. They have a cute relationship. It will be fun to watch them grow up together.

The third picture is Riley cuddling with his best running buddy. When Riley reaches for his running shoes Libby knows to be ready for a good jog around the neighborhood. Those two will keep each other in shape! We just got her a reflective leash and a flashing collar light for the dark winter months that will be here soon.

Libby did wonderfully recently on an extended-family camping trip. There were about 10 families with lots of kids and other dogs. Everyone was in love with Libby by the time we came back home. She fits in really well with everyone.

The remaining pictures are from another recent camping trip. Libby with her beloved green ball, in a daze from being brushed, “helping” with a jigsaw puzzle, and walking with her favorite alpha guy. She really loves Kim and recognizes him as the leader of our pack. We think she transferred her respect and love for her trainers to Kim because they made such a great impression on her. They really taught her what it meant to be a part of a family. We are thankful to them for shaping her into such a great house dog.

Thanks,

Jan

We had the pleasure of adopting a black lab from you on August 8, 2010. Her name was Trinket or Lucy and it has since been changed to Tala which she has embraced well.

I just wanted to write and thank you for the pleasant experience we had with this entire process. We found Tala via the online web page Petfinder.com and were interested in seeing her. You allowed us to come for a visit and have the kids play with her in the yard. It felt like she was a good match for us right away, and it seems she feels the same back.

She was adopted and came home with us to Aberdeen that evening. At her first vet appointment she did very well and they were impressed with her and stated she has a wonderful temperament. They felt she had already bonded well to us as when they took her out of the room and she heard our voices, she just wanted them to bring her back to us. That made us smile.

We have had her for 2 weeks now and she has been so much fun! With a family of 5 this is a very busy house and she gets tons of attention.

Tala has enjoyed the sunny weather and has enjoyed cooling off with a good game of “fetch” in the swimming pool. What a great water dog she is! She already obeys the “sit” command and when told to go to her crate she obeys very well. Tala has alot of energy and she starts her training classes this evening. We are so excited! She is very smart and has a great desire to learn tricks and please her owners.

Thanks again for allowing us the pleasure of adopting such a great dog. We will keep you updated on her progress.

Sincerely,

Shonna

“Until one has loved an animal, part of their soul remains un-awakened.”

NAIROBI (AFP) – A baby hippopotamus that survived the tsunami waves on the Kenyan coast, has formed a strong bond with a giant male century-old tortoise in an animal facility in the port city of Mombassa, officials said.

The hippopotamus, nicknamed Owen and weighing about 300 kilograms (650 pounds), was swept down Sabaki River into the Indian Ocean, then forced back   to shore when tsunami waves struck the Kenyan coast on December 26, before wildlife rangers rescued him.

‘It is incredible. A-less-than-a-year-old hippo has adopted a male tortoise, about a century old, and the tortoise seems to be very happy with being a ‘mother’,’ ecologist Paula Kahumbu, who is in charge of Lafarge Park, told AFP.

‘After it was swept away and lost its mother, the hippo was traumatized. It had to look for something to be a surrogate mother. Fortunately, it landed on the tortoise and established a strong bond.

They swim, eat and sleep together,’ the ecologist added.
‘The hippo follows the tortoise exactly the way it followed its mother. If somebody approaches the tortoise, the hippo becomes aggressive, as if protecting its biological mother,’ Kahumbu added.

‘The hippo is a young baby, he was left at a very tender age and by nature, hippos are social animals that like to stay with their mothers for four years,’ he explained.

‘Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.’

This is a real story that shows that our differences don’t matter much when we need the comfort of another.

It’s the year of the orange kitten!

Every year at kitten season time, we think we see a trend in the color or coat patterns of the kittens we get in to the shelter. Last year was the year of the tiger; the previous season was the “white year”- you get the picture.
This year, we have decided it is definitely the year of the orange kitten, which delights us. Those of us who have had the pleasure of having orange kitty companions agree that their traits go beyond color, as they are very often extremely friendly and attentive felines- almost dog-like if you will.
My own love of orange kitties started with my Dad’s cat “Redrick”. He was my father’s constant and devoted companion, and was always there to “help” Dad work in his garage or in the garden. Nothing aloof about Redrick- he openly adored Dad, and Dad thought his orange boy was a gift from heaven. My own orange boy, “Murphy”, has been keeping me in wonderful company for over 15 years now.
We have some great orange fellows in right now, and true to form, they are very loving and people-oriented. I say fellows, because the majority of orange kitties are males, but we also have a few of the more unusual female “orangesicles” in.
The orange color in cats can be beautifully variable, from the dark orange ones called “red” to the very light ones labeled “cream”. We have a wonderful selection of orange kittens both bold in color and gorgeously subdued in tone. They are all ready and anxious to find their own loving new homes. Come in and see these little beauties and see why we think orange kittens are great!

In addition to donating a FABULOUS gift basket to our Raffle, Mandy & Kelly at Long Beach Coffee Roasters made a commitment to our Shelter through sales of a special blend they call “Beach Pet Brew.”

Beach Pet Brew is a medium light blend of Java and Guatemala.  This coffee is smooth and sweet with chocolate tones, bright acidity, and subtle earthy notes. We’re calling it tail-wagging good!  $2 of each pound sold goes directly to our Shelter, so order yours now!

Long Beach Coffee Roasters
“The Best Roast on the Coast”
811 Pacific Ave S – Long Beach, WA 98631
360-642-2334

Trinket would love to be your “work in progress”

This pretty young lab mix girl is one of those dogs we say “doesn’t show well in a cage” because of her exuberant behavior. She loves people so much and gets so excited when she sees someone approaching, that she not only wiggles herself almost inside out she froths  at the mouth! Talk about excited!
But, like most of the dogs that get overly excited in their cages, Trinket becomes a different dog altogether when she is taken out of her cage and gets some “one on one” attention she so craves. She will sit on request, gives doggie kisses, and lays her head in your lap with her eyes closed- a dog briefly  in heaven.
Trinket came to us from another shelter- given up by her owners who didn’t have enough time for her. She loves to play with toys, is delighted with anything that contains water (she plays in her water bucket daily to amuse herself), and would thrive in  an active home where she would be taken for walks- or even better to a lake or the beach!
She needs the right person to come along and be willing to work with her to reach her full potential. The right person who can look past her behavior in her cage and give her the love and companionship she so desperately wants. That person will be rewarded with a fine and loyal companion with just a little effort and understanding.
If you feel you are the right person to give Trinket a chance, please come down and meet her. We will take her out of her cage for you to a quiet place to “meet and greet” where you will see and appreciate  the “real” Trinket.

We have new kids on the block!

This past week, we got in some nice new dogs- all sizes and all descriptions. They range in size from poodles  to lab size and are  various mixes, including hounds, terriers, and Aussies. Most are young; several under a year of age, and all people-friendly and anxious to find new loving homes

Shelter wish list

We have had some very good kitten adoptions (thanks to everyone who came to our Kitten Chaos shower and adopted little furry companions) but still have a very nice selection of darling, playful kittens.
These little guys seem to thrive on Purina Kitten Chow, and we are running quite low on our supply. We would be very grateful to receive donations of Kitten Chow, and appreciate your loyal support of our no-kill shelter. Thank you!

Procter & Gamble Co., maker of Iams and Eukanuba dry dog foods, is recalling certain varieties of veterinary and some specialized dry pet foods as a precautionary measure because the food might be contaminated with salmonella. The manufacturer said no salmonella-related illnesses have been reported, but it is urging consumers to immediately discard the recalled products.

“These products are made in a single, specialized facility,” a July 30 Procter & Gamble press release said. “In cooperation with FDA, P&G determined that some products made at this facility have the potential for salmonella contamination.  As a precautionary measure, P&G is recalling all products made at this facility.”

Spot isn’t the only one who should be worried about the recall.

“People handling dry pet food can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with surfaces exposed to this product,” according to Procter & Gamble.  The FDA also warned that infected — but otherwise healthy — pets can spread salmonella to other animals or people.

Symptoms of salmonella infections in healthy people include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever, the FDA said. In rare cases, salmonella can cause arterial infections, arthritis, muscle pain, and other serious health problems.

Pets with salmonella infections may have decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain, the FDA said. If the infections are not treated, pets can become lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting.

Consumers with dogs or cats that ate the recalled foods should contact their veterinarians if their pets experience any of these symptoms, the FDA said.

For more information or a product refund, call Procter & Gamble at 877-340-8823.

To view a complete list of the recalled products, visit Iams.com.