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

Chipper is getting less chipper with time

Chipper tries to keep his hopes and his spirit up as he spends day after day in a cage, but one can see by looking in his eyes that he is getting discouraged. This handsome Lab/Dalmatian mix was in another shelter for a while, and then sent to us in hopes he would get what he so desperately wants- someone to call his own.


He is about 6 years old, and about 40 pounds, an ideal size for someone wanting a medium sized dog. Chipper is still young enough to want to “go and do”, but is also mature enough to settle nicely into a daily routine. He loves to go for walks, and does well on a leash.

Chipper is not good with cats, and should go to a “feline free” home. He is interested in meeting other dogs, however, and might be a great canine companion for the right dog. He is very affectionate, and wants very much to please. He has a big heart, and so much wants to share his loyalty and love. Someone just needs to step up to the plate and give him a chance…

“I am a Javanese, if you please!!

This young female cat with the interesting and unusual multi-colored coat appears to be a Javanese mix. The breed was developed in Japan from cats of Siamese ancestry. True to her breed, Penny is very bright and people-oriented- she loves to “meet and greet”. Javanese cats are very playful and athletic, good with children, and can keep up with the most active families.

Because they so adore the company of people, Javanese get lonely if left alone, and Penny would do best in a home with a least another cat if her people are away during the day. She would be an entertaining and loving companion in a household where “busier is better”.

Protect your pets over the 4th

While we humans enjoy celebrating Independence Day, this holiday is often not so much fun for pets, which can become terrified by all the noises and commotion. Every year at this time when get lost pets in at the shelter, particularly dogs, who have run from their homes in fright and  become lost.


It is very important to keep pets secured this time of year, and to be sure that dogs have collars with current identification. It is very sad when we get frightened dogs in and so much want to reunite them with their frantic owners, only to see that the pets have no identification. We have a “chip reader” at the shelter, and scan incoming pets for microchips, but too often, the owner’s data has not been updated during a move, and we cannot contact them.


Incoming pets without identification simply must wait at the shelter, hoping their owners will find them.


Here’s a video on how to keep your pets safe over the 4th of July:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=KLdB4Xt0Tic&feature=user

The proofs are in:
http://www.edstreit.smugmug.com/gallery/5161070_Mcczm#317646770_k9fsc

Thanks, Ed!

The summer of beautiful white kittens

Every year when kitten season rolls around, we notice a trend in the colors or patterns- one year, we had a tabby year, the next year, we had a majority of black kittens. This year, we have a larger than usual number of pretty white kittens. Rumor has it that there is a large and very busy stray all-white tom cat in the Ocean Park area…


The mamas of these white beauties have often been snow white themselves, and have blue eyes. Some of the kittens will remain all-white, but there is definitely an Oriental breed influence happening, as some of the kittens are starting to show lynx or flame point Siamese markings.


We are very much interested in catching and “tutoring” the white tom, so if he appears around your neighborhood, please give us a call. “Casper”- even though you make very pretty babies, enough is enough!!

Keda: this golden girl would light up your life!!

Keda is a very easy-going, well-mannered Belgian Shepherd Tervuren mix girl that now has the dubious distinction of being the dog that has resided at the shelter for the longest time. Not only can she not understand why she was given up by her previous owners, she can’t understand why no one is coming to give her a chance at a new life.


True to her breed, Keda would be a wonderful family dog. She loves children, would be very protective of her family and would be steadfastly loyal. Keda is very well-behaved in public with other dogs, but tends to become jealous if she finds herself in a home with another constant canine companion. She would be happiest not sharing her love and space with another dog, but would lavish attention on new owners. She has spent enough time at the shelter- if you have room in your heart and home for a wonderful dog, please come in and we will introduce you to Keda.

Hunter is AMAZING!  We love him so much.  He is absolutely perfect for our family.

The girls and I just got back from a 2 hour stroll around the neighbourhood with him.  He is very excited and smelling everything in sight.  He has met a couple of the neighborhood dogs, and done very well.  The squirrels do get him excited though.  Overall, I am so impressed with how well behaved he is.  He is such a sweetheart.  I can not believe how quickly he is bonding to us (and us to him also).  He really feels comfortable with our family, and the girls just love him.  My oldest daughter has wanted a dog for a few years, and we wanted to wait until the youngest was old enough, and until we were ready for the committment.  Now that we have Hunter it just seems so perfect.  We are so happy.  Actually, as we can home from our walk tonight Crag was getting home from work, so he has taken him out again for another walk around the block.

Can you remind me when he should go for his next shots (booster?)  Was it 2 months?  (end of August).

Also, what brand of food was he eating?  And how often was he fed, ie)morning, night or both.  He did eat one bowl of food, but he has not had a big appetite, and no poo yet.  Perhaps the long drive upset his routine/system!?
He traveled home in a crate we borrowed, and last night when it was time for bed, he did not want us to leave him, he did end up crawling into the kennel/crate and sleeping there.  Not sure if he was crate trained, or if it was just because he got used to that on the drive home.  I did buy him a really nice soft bed/pillow.  I guess we will see how it goes tonight.  When I got him out in the morning he was coughing/sneezing/wheezing for quite a few minutes at the start of the day, although it did stop after several minutes.  Any idea what that might be?  Allergies, cough, or is it a normal thing?

Anyways, thank you again.  I really appreciate all you have done for us, and my experience dealing with you was excellent.  You were so nice and accomodating and helpful with info, and made us feel so good about our decision to adopt Hunter, and it was so worth it, even if we (Crag) did have to drive all day to get him.  Even though it has only been 24 hours, now that he is part of our family, I can not imagine life without him.

THANK YOU!  THANK YOU!  THANK YOU!  I can not thank you enough.

Esther, Crag, Jaime, Chelsea

PS I am sending you the only picture I have taken so far.  I took this tonight of Jaime and Hunter at her school field.  I am usually photograph crazy and I take pictures of EVERYTHING, but I wanted to let Hunter get settled first, and get used to us, and then I will take lots more pics.  I will send some your way soon.

Paige is doing great and is getting a little chubby as you can see. Thought you might like to see how she looks so I am sending a few pictures. I don’t know what I would do without her!!

She told me to tell you all Hi for her!

We’ll keep in touch,

Teresa & Paige

Many thanks to the following:

The Peninsula Senior Center, for the many quilts, blankets, and soft things they have sent over to make our dogs and cats more comfortable;


Doris and Don Salley of Ocean Park, for yet another delivery of aluminum cans, which they collect from the Elks and their neighbors.  We take them down to the dump and cash them in, and they have accumulated over $120 during the past couple of years.  That’s a lot of pet food!


Jeremy Carter and the Kuni BMW dealership in Beaverton, OR.  About two years ago, he started collecting used ink cartridges and cellphones for us, and sends them to us in HUGE cartons.   (He took this on himself; we never asked him for his/their help.)  We forward them on to Cartridges for Kids (www.cartridgesforkids.com), and so far we have received over $250 from this wonderful recycling program.  Please click the link and see if this is something you would like to help us with: to raise funds for our beloved Shelter AND to keep a lot of stuff out of landfills.  If you would like local information, please call Harriet Cavalli at 360.665.3446.

See, now here’s an example of what I was just writing about.  We don’t know how Jeremy at Kuni BMW even found out we exist and yet Kuni send us BIG boxes of recyclables every month for our Cartridges For Kids program.

If you’re in the market for a car, please, give Kuni BMW a shot at your business.  Good people take care of the critters and these folks are quietly doing just that.

–Keleigh

I have known for years that our South Pacific County Humane Society was 100% funded by our community, but it wasn’t until I got on the Board of Directors that I came to truly understand what that means.  There are so many unsung heroes of our Shelter.

• It costs about $10,000 per MONTH to keep our doors open.  That number simply takes my breath away every time I see it.  And yet, every single month, the bills get paid because of the generosity of our community.
• We have less than 2 full-time employees.  That’s one full-time and 4-6 folks who share the rest of 30-40 hours per week.  All the rest of the work is done by volunteers.  VOLUNTEERS!
• People walk in the front door every single day just to hand us $5 or $100 or $1,000.  Many of these are sacrificing their own creature comforts to help a furry friend they’ve never met.  Some are literally ‘doing without’ so that our animals can prosper.  I’m incredibly moved by their generosity.
• Businesses and individuals throw benefit fundraisers for us.  They plan, prepare, advertise, do all the work, and we find out about it when a check shows up with no strings attached.
• People put us in their wills and set up trusts.  These donations allow us to sock away a few pennies here and there so that someday our Shelter won’t have to operate hand to mouth.
• We get checks in the mail almost every day.  All those $5, $10, $25, $50 and $100 checks add up to keeping our doors open.  They buy spays, neuters, food, medicine and veterinary care.

I’m heading to “the other Long Beach” in the morning for a family reunion.  I really want to take a minute in this incredibly busy day to say THANK YOU to each and every one of you.  You have taken time out of your busy lives to make sure the work continues and my personal gratitude goes out to you.

Thank you!

Keleigh

Keleigh Schwartz
SPCHS President 2008-2010