Vol. 32 No. 2 Summer Issue - Published Quarterly Summer 2015

What’s Inside: Page

Doggie Dip Time is Just Around the Corner! August 25th is the last day for swimmers in Spokane City pools. Before the water is emptied and the pools are readied for winter, Spokane Parks and Recreation allows four days to go to the dogs! Pet owners can bring their pooches to dive, swim, and frolic with other canine water enthusiasts in the 5th Annual Doggie Dips to benefit SpokAnimal and the Spokane Parks and Rec Foundation. For $10, dogs can spend time loung-ing around or in the pool playing fetch or doing laps. For the past four years SpokAnimal has used the funds raised from the popular event to help maintain and enhance its Dog Park at High Bridge. Dog owners may pre-register for the Doggie Dips through Parks and Rec or pay $10 at the pool, the day of each event. Well-mannered dogs must be attended to by an adult owner and must bring proof of a current rabies vaccination. Dates and times to be announced! Visit SpokAnimal’s Fa-cebook page or watch for announcements through Spokane Parks and Recreation’s calendar of events.

Peppy Le PEE-U! ............................................................... 3-4

How You Can Help ...............................................................3

Happiness Starts with a Wet Nose ................................. 4-5

From the Executive Director ................................................5

Calendar of Events ................................................................5

Purrs, Licks & Tailwags ........................................................6

Hot Weather ...........................................................................7

Thank You Pet Sponsors .....................................................11

Recent Adoptions .............................................................. 8-9

Volunteer Corner .................................................................10

In Loving Memory and Honoring Tributes .....................11

Insights From Inmates .................................................. 12-13

Stanley Speaks ............................................................... 14-15

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~ OUR MISSION ~ SpokAnimal C.A.R.E. is pas-sionately dedicated to the place-ment, protection and health of animals through legislation, education and programs for pets and their people.

Board of DirectorsPres: Cynthia Schwartz

Vice President: Molly Lundberg Treas: Barbara Grant

Secretary: Angela ScheresTerri Atkinson Christel Carlson Suzy Dix Sam Evans Kathy Hull Kim Kamel

Carmen Murphy

Advisory Board Terryl Black

Location:SpokAnimal C.A.R.E.

710 N. Napa • Spokane, WA 99202

Phone:(509) 534-8133 • Fax: (509) 535-9630

Clinic: (509) 534-4253

Website:http://www.spokanimal.org

Shelter Hours: 11AM-6:00PM ~ Mon-Fri

Noon-4PM ~ Sat-SunVeterinary Clinic:

Vaccinations, microchips and well-care exams.

Sterilization by appointment.Walk-in Clinic Hours:

Closed ~ Monday & Tuesday1:00-5:00PM ~ Wednesday2:00-4:30PM ~ Thursday

2:00-4:30PM ~ Friday

We’re on Facebook! Stay up to date with all things SpokAnimal and talk to us! Our Companion Animal News quarterly newsletter is available for download on our website at www.spokanimal.org. We hope you will share your paper copy with another animal lover when you have finished reading it - reduce, re-use, recycle! For

Come See Us Online!

an up-to-the-minute update, we also put out a regular e-letter. If you would like to join our email list, you can sub-mit your email address on our website, or email miracles@spokanimal.org to be included.

I am generally a “live and let live” sort of person. I enjoy wildlife and un-derstand that the animals were here long before this neighborhood was built. It was their home first. We have taken over their turf. I feed the birds and squirrels and enjoy watching the bats that flit around the house in the evening. We have co-existed with our skunk neighbors pretty well for many years. In mid-July, the days of summer were extra hot and the skunk stench in our north side neighborhood was at an all time high as well. Two years previously, we had spent much of the summer thwarting the den-making at-tempts of a pair of skunks that were determined to move in under our deck. After one of our dogs got sprayed in the middle of the night, we went into high gear, going to great lengths to “skunk-proof” our yard to keep them out of our living space. We were successful, until this year. Within a two-week span, we had three separate skunk incidents. One of those events was not the dog. It was me. I went out at 11:00PM to turn off the sprinkler and as I reached to turn off the faucet I felt something brush against my leg, followed by rustling in the bushes behind me and the all-to-fa-miliar stench. The putrid aroma of fresh spray smells of burned tires and petro-leum before it “blossoms” into the fa-miliar full-fledged odor that you smell when you drive past road kill. The good news was the skunk solu-tion ingredients were well stocked and close at hand from the dogs’ de-skunk-ing a couple of days before. Luckily, I stayed calm and slid away quickly to try and avoid alarming him. I made it a few feet away before he really let go

and dodged a direct hit. It was awful, but it could have been so much worse. The next day I discovered that the fau-cet where I had been standing was cov-ered in oily, stinking goo.

De-skunking dip:1 quart of peroxide, half cup of baking soda 2 tsp. Dawn dish soap.

I also add a few drops of organic limonene (Citrasol cleaner) to my recipe.

Apply to dry fur (do not sham-poo first!) with a cloth soaked in the solution. The heaviest spray is usually in the face and chest. Sponge the face carefully to avoid getting it in eyes, nose, mouth or ears. Lather to the skin and let it set for 3-5 minutes before rinsing. Support the dog’s muzzle to keep it from shaking and spraying the stuff everywhere. (The skunk guy said better to leave it 30 minutes to give it plenty of time to activate be-fore rinsing.) Rinse and repeat. We also found that tea tree/pepper-mint foot spray really helped with the lingering after odor.

Peppy Le PEE-U!

Continued on page 3

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Our skunk professional advised, “Tomato juice doesn’t work – and don’t let anyone tell you that mothballs or ammonia soaked rags will fix the prob-lem either. Every neighborhood Tom cat in the area will come mark your ter-ritory and you’ll have an even worse problem,” he warned. Why, all of a sudden, were we inun-dated by a skunk invasion? Matt of Skunkworks explained that this was the time of year that baby skunks leave the nest and parent skunks teach them to forage for them-selves. “There are generally four in a litter; usually two girls and two boys.” He assured us that our skunk-proofing was good enough that the adult skunks wouldn’t be able to get into our back-yard, but the baby skunks had been able to find their way in through tiny open-ings. He showed us where the access points were so we could block them. Hiring a professional with years of experience turned out to be way more than “here’s the trap, call me if you catch anything.” He toured the entire property, looking for entrance points and paths of travel and analyzing their feeding routines. He plucked fur from the wild rose hedge and described the three cats that used that path as well as the skunk family. He sniffed. He scanned. He showed me places that the skunks weren’t using yet, but could

Peppy Le PEE-U! (continued)be potential entrance points that we should block before they find them. He also told me (over the phone, before he’d seen the yard) exactly why they chose my house. “Skunks love cherries. When the cherries are done, they move on to apples. And in the fall, grapes are a delicacy.” He described our yard to a T. The first aromatic dog encounter was a baby skunk under our cherry tree. They discovered it munch-ing on fallen over-ripe cherries. And, yes, there is an apple tree and flowering plum. The grapes are starting to hang heavy on the vines. When we walked the property, he added, “And you water and have lovely gardens. Where there is water, there are grubs and slugs.” We live in skunk paradise. “I’ll also tell you something you don’t want to hear. Black oil sunflower seeds are a favorite of skunks.” Our bird feeder is a skunk restaurant, too. It’s located right outside our kitchen window – right where I got skunked. I interrupted their dinner. He also as-sured us that “our” skunks are really someone else’s. “They don’t live here, they are neighborhood visitors. Their den is probably under someone’s porch or shed in the neighborhood.” The good news is skunks rarely spray unless they are startled and feel in physical danger. They leave the area quickly after they have sprayed be-

cause the scent is like a beacon telling predators that there is a potential meal, so they don’t hang around. By the time you smell a skunk, it is usually long gone. Three humane live traps were set to corral our smelly intruders. If caught, our black and white striped friends will be relocated 75 miles away. For as long as the traps are set, we must be diligent to check the traps every morning and call if any are tripped. He comes within a few hours. The traps are baited with a liquid solution that he says doesn’t generally attract kitties, but if a cat or squirrel does get caught inside, he will release them. In his 16 years in business, he has trapped and relocated nearly 12,500 skunks. But he says marmots are gain-ing fast on that number. He was on the phone when he arrived to pick up our first trapped skunk and his phone rang three more times while we chatted. After he left us, he was off to collect a bat that was caught in someone’s bath-room. “I work seven days a week because the animals don’t take a day off.” Before next skunk season, we’ll be revising our bird feeder situation and shoring up our skunk proofing so we can hopefully go back to our “live and let live” arrangement with future skunk families.

HOW YOU CAN HELPSpokAnimal is a non-profit and tax-exempt organization. All contributions, donations and gifts are tax-deductible.

Sponsor a pet or donate to one of our many special projects or send a general donation and allow us to choose how we need to use it most. SpokAnimal is not funded by any government sources. We do what we do entirely because of YOU! Your support makes everything possible.

Fred Meyer Community Rewards The Kroger Family of Stores is com-mitted to bringing hope and help to lo-cal communities. They do this through a variety of activities, including charita-ble giving, sponsorships and the unique

Community Rewards Program of Fred Meyer. “Your supporters (65 house-holds) who shopped at Fred Meyer between 04/01/2015 and 06/30/2015 (Cycle 2015, Qtr 2) have contributed to your $302.99 total donation. Your or-ganization will be receiving a Kroger check in this amount within 30 days from 06/30/2015.” Thank you, Fred Meyer! We appre-ciate their continued support for local organizations like ours. You can make a difference by link-ing your Fred Meyers Rewards to Spo-kAnimal. Visit their website at www.

fredmeyer.com/communityrewards. Thank you for your continued support! The more our supporters shop with Fred Meyer, the more money our orga-nization will earn!

Do you need a location for your next meeting or event? The SpokAnimal Event Center is available for meetings and gatherings. It has a nice kitchen area, bathroom, ta-bles and chairs. We are able to accom-modate 100-125. Call Dori to sched-ule: 509-534-8133 ext 209.

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Unfortunately, many people choose a dog because they like how it looks, without considering what kind of life it needs or how its genetics will make it behave. Few people really examine their own lifestyle and schedule before they jump in and get a dog. Do you have realistic expectations?First question: why do you want a dog? “I want that puppy because it is SOOOO cute!” is not a well-thought out reason to add a dog to your family. He will double in size in a few weeks. For the next few months he will poop and pee and bite – a lot. You might as well invest stock in Band-Aids and paper towels. He will chew all your favorite stuff. Puppies become adolescents in a matter of 3-4 months and they stay teenagers through 18 months or more. Teenaged dogs grow out of that cute, cuddly phase and into gangly half-grown dogs very quickly. They will figure out a way to climb within reach of things you thought were safe. Without plenty of management, guidance and supervision, they will eat food from your counters if you leave it unattended. The most com-mon age that dogs are relinquished to shelters worldwide is 8 months of age because cute puppies grow up. A puppy is for life. Don’t get a puppy because you want a puppy. Get a puppy because you want a dog. “The kids have been begging for a dog.” Do YOU want a dog? I know, they’ve promised to take care of it. They’ll do EVERYTHING! (And they really mean it!) But at 4 AM when the dog has diarrhea, it will be you scrubbing the carpet and standing in the rain in the dark with him hoping he will barf up that toy they left out and he ate. You will be paying the vet bills and you will be reminding the kids to feed the dog and scoop the yard. When they go off to college, the dog will be your dog. Get a dog for you; share it with the kids.How do you imagine life with that dog will look? “He will bask in the glow of the fireplace and lie next to my chair while I check email, read a book, work from home.” Then you should probably choose that calm, mature dog of a breed that loves to be a couch potato most of the time. Not that jumping puppy. Not that high drive working breed that

wants to play ball all day. Not the demanding bark-until-you-get-the-heck-out-of-your-chair-and-DO-something dog! There are many older dogs at area shelters that get over-looked. Please consider one of these wonderful soul mates! “He will behave while we are gone all day at work and then we will go for leisurely evening strolls to the park.” Does “behave” mean he will sleep the whole time you are away? Not bark at the window when people walk by, not get in the trash or counter surf, and will know that when you aren’t there to tell him to get off the couch that he still shouldn’t? How many hours is your work day? Can you come home mid-day to let your puppy out? Have you thought about how potty training will be accomplished when you aren’t there to guide him? Can you afford to hire a dog sitter to come let him out and walk him on a regular schedule? “I want a dog to keep my other dog company.” If your current dog is bored and getting into things because you don’t have time for him, what makes you think you’ll have time to walk and throw a ball for two? Chances are likely that you’ll have twice as many trashed gardens and barking complaints, not less. Do you have young children or are you planning to start a family soon? Look for a dog that doesn’t just tolerate kids, but wel-comes their attention and truly enjoys little ones of all ages. If you are getting a puppy, make sure he has an outgoing, gentle temperament and ensure that all his early experiences with kids are safe and confidence building; not overwhelming or traumatic. You’ll need to train the puppy – and you’ll also need to train the children. They will need to be taught how to be gen-tle when they interact with the puppy – and most important-ly, to leave the puppy alone. Puppies are not stuffed animals. Dogs are not ponies to be ridden. Children and puppies need supervision to get it right. The puppy will jump on and bite the children until you gently teach him how to play with them properly. He will

HAPPINESS Starts with a WET NOSE and Ends with a WAGGY TAILChoosing the right pet for YOU

Continued on page 5

Spreading Smiles in the CommunityWe were invited to bring a dog to the animal birthday party at the Rockwood Retirement Center!

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Dear Friends, I am very excited to share with you exciting news about our success in sav-ing lives. For the first 6 months of the year, we have saved 136 more cats and 339 more dogs than we did for the same time in 2014. We are excited to be help-ing other shelters and rescues to place more animals. YOUR support allows us to do these transfers, offer care and preparation for adoption and keep the doors open. We thank you from the bot-tom of our hearts. Many of you have been donating for years, and some are new to SpokAnimal but want to help. We have the most fantastic group of volunteers and staff that make these life saving efforts possible. All three facets work together to make a difference – both locally and West Coast regionally. Thanks to all of you.

Gail B. MackieExecutive Director

snag their clothing and chew their toys. Sometimes he will be tired and cranky and not want to play with them at all. When his teeth are falling out and coming in he will be fussy and short tempered. Sometimes the kids will be, too. Is the timing right? Getting a puppy when you already have toddlers who are on the floor and into things or if you are expecting a new baby, a puppy can be like adding one more very needy, time intensive, busy fur-child to an already hectic situation. How many “dog years” do you have left? Can you handle the frenetic activity and athletic enthu-siasm of an active puppy? You may have had German Shep-herds when you were younger. But are you healthy and active enough to keep up with one now? Can you give them the exercise they need? Do you live with an elderly or un-well family member? Will that exuberant pup crash into them and knock them down? Will you trip over a small dog when it gets underfoot? Maybe a medium-sized laid back older dog would be a better choice. Or a cat who won’t need to be taken on a walk for exercise! Is retirement in your future? Do you have plans to travel? How will the dog you choose fit that life change? Will this dog fit in your RV? Remember, it will take a good amount of socialization and training to have a travel-ready companion. If you are older, will your next pet likely outlive you?

Perfect match! This amazing 101 year old lady adopted one of our 14 year old cats at PetSmart North.

HAPPINESS Starts with a WET NOSE and Ends with a WAGGY TAIL (continued)

Choose an older pet. You’ll give a great home to an animal who might not otherwise get a chance. Be sure to discuss who will take care of your pet if something happens to you.

From the Executive Director July

• 7/31, 8/1/, 8/2 HUGE garage/yard/stuff sale at SpokAnimal in the event center (715 N. Crestline St.) Household, furniture, clothing, bedding

August• Annual Doggie Dips (Dates TBA),

Bring your dog for one last end of year swim in one of the local pools! Watch our Facebook for dates and times!

• 8/4 Target National Customer Ap-preciation Day, Northpointe Tar-get, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

• 8/8 Volunteer orientation 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. at SpokAnimal

• 8/8 Garland Street Fair, animal adoption booth, 9-4

• 8/14, 8/15, 8/16 Petco South (29th) grand re-opening, animal adoption days 11-3

• 8/15 Mutt Strut (Liberty Lake at Pawpular Companion 21950 E. Country Vista Lane) 9-2

• 8/22 Millwood Days 8-3

• 8/27 Volunteer orientation at Spo-kAnimal 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

September• 9/11, 9/12, 9/13 PetSmart National

Adoption Weekend, Northpointe and South Hill locations

• 9/11 6:30-9:30PM at Diamonds in the Ruff – “What is My Dog Say-ing?” body language lecture. FREE to shelter volunteers!

• 9/19 SpokAnimal First Annual Barn Dance (TBD on time and lo-cation)

• 9/25 Valleyfest Parade• 9/27 Valleyfest Responsible Dog

Ownership Day (Mirabeau Park)

October• 10/17 Fall Festival/Craft night at

SpokAnimal in the event center. (Time TBD)

• 10/23, 10/24, 10/25 Man Show, Spokane Interstate Fairgrounds, times to be announced

Calendar of Events

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KREMSpokAnimal has partnered with KREM since the mid 80’s to feature our “Pick of the Litter”. Thousands of animals have been featured on the 1225 lunch news on Tuesdays. We have dedicated viewers who not only watch religiously, but also re-cord the show if they cannot watch. On the spot, we talk about educational things, upcoming events, special pets in need, and volunteer opportunities. KREM has partnered with us on the Subaru Share the Love event each year, advertising the event, sponsoring, and actually broadcasting live. We cannot say enough kind things about this long time partnership.

Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center deserves high fives for their recycling team. Not only do they help Doctors with-out Borders, but they also help SpokAnimal and other shelters in the area with weekly donations.

Spokane Club Day Camp spent a day with us and brought donations.

Deanna Hanley and her team at Inland Northwest Bank do their best to keep our financial affairs in order. Thanks to you all.

Thanks to all our kitty people who have gone onto the Fresh Step site and entered their points for purchasing those prod-ucts. AND then donating the points. You are awesome and helping us save $$.

Thank you to the Harvard Park Children’s Learn-ing Center North for their amazing annual penny drive donation. This year they raised $307! Carol Byrnes and Stanley came to visit the kids and show off his tricks.

Purrs, Licks & Tailwags Thank you!

Thanks to Marie Shepard of Shepard CPA for assisting us in the transition to a new bookkeeper.

Diamonds in the Ruff has acted as a retail site for pet supplies in their training hall for years. Each purchase you make there helps us save more lives.

A big thanks to Walmart, Costco and Target for their contin-ued donations to our Pet Pantry food bank for those in need.

KXLY features our pets for adoption every third Monday dur-ing the 6 am hour. Thanks to Mark Peterson and the team for your continued support.

Thanks to Rachel Todd and the North Central High School Teen Outreach Program (TOP) for inviting Kim Imel and Carol Byrnes to come and talk about the Pawsitive Dog Prison Training Program. They got to meet prison graduate Ellie. The students were excited to brain storm ways to raise funds for the prison program. These great North Central students held a fundraiser at the dog park. They sold treats and tennis balls and donated the money to SpokAnimal.

Thanks to all of our great volunteers who help us at special events like Bark in the Park.

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Transporting your loose dog in the back of your pick up truck is illegal and dangerous. Any person who willfully trans-ports or confines or causes to be trans-ported or confined any domestic ani-mal or animals in a manner, posture, or confinement that will jeopardize the safety of the animal or the public shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. Transporting your dog unrestrained in the back of an open truck bed can re-sult in a $250 fine and is further enforce-able through some local city ordinances as well. An estimated 100,000 dogs across the country are injured or killed annu-ally as a result of falling out of, jumping from or being accidentally thrown from the back of truck. If the dog survives the initial impact, serious injuries like bro-ken bones, head trauma, road rash and sever joint pain are common. Lisa Lasswell commented on our Fa-cebook page: “Yes, they get the benefit of the breeze when the truck is moving, but how about that hot metal on their pads, and the sun beating down on them? Fol-lowed a guy across town today on Fran-cis, lab in the bed of the truck pacing constantly, he in his (air-conditioned)

Hot Weather!!Dogs Loose in Pickups - Is It Illegal? YES!

crew cab with no passengers. Really? If the dog has to go somewhere with you, can’t he ride in the cab?” Many drivers report they didn’t even notice their pet missing until they arrived at their destination and dis-covered an empty truck bed. Often, motorists hit these animals or cause further accidents while trying to veer away. Even if your dog stays in the truck bed, road dirt and debris such as grav-el and insects can lodge in your dog’s ears, eyes and nose. Constant wind can cause damage to your dog’s eyes. On hot days, the metal, vinyl and rubber on the truck bed can burn the pads on your dog’s feet. If travel in the back of an open truck bed is necessary for your dog, there are a couple ways you can safely and legally transport the animal. Secure a dog crate in the truck bed so it can’t

slip, slide or tip over. Make sure there is proper ventilation, as the crate will get hot in warmer weather. A secure, cross-tether harness is another option. A regular leash, rope or chain is not, as they do not and will not prevent your dog from falling or jumping out of the truck and possibly being dragged or strangled behind the vehicle. Of course, the easiest and safest so-lution for transporting dogs in trucks is to travel with your dog inside the cab of the truck or purchase a canopy so your dogs or other pets can safely travel with you.

Thank You, Pet Sponsors!The following amazing pet lovers have donated $25 or more to sponsor homeless pets in our adoption center. Thank you, so very much, for helping us find homes for these wonderful animals.

Debbie Walker x 3Erin Clason x 2Shirley Alexander x 16Molly Kinghorn x 2Tina Powell x 1Robert & Micaela Sutphin x 8Will Parks x 4Carole Zuppe x 2Bernice Furukawa x 12Ocean Fletcher x 1Richard Reierson x 1Boyce Clark x 3Pam Whitcomb x 4Joann & Peter Klager x 1Robert & Patricia Wilson x 1Kathleen Hazel x 1Nancy Bookamer x 1

Kathi & Bob McKinney x 4Linda Ashburn x 1Leigh Sheldon x 2Gayle Hennings x 1Romie & Jean Hilderbrant x 2Ken & Ellie Adams x 1Lisa Emory x 1Marilyn & Edgar Basler x 1Mary Ellen Murphy x 1Pamela Wheelwright x 1Truella Stone x 4Robbie Dennie x 1Howard Bates x 4Bernadette Brown x 1Thomas & Mary Fuget x 3Dana Ault x 1Donnetta Havens x 18

Pam & Mark Pierce x 1Ken Norikane x 1Lev Volynskiy x 1Juanita Keck x 1Jan & Johnny Humphreys x 4Ellen Tanaka x 1Louise Mariani (Pets for Vets) x 1Christi Montgomery x 1Mary Ellen Wall x 1Duane Berger x 1Melanie Claggett x 1Patti Citrin x 2Dennis Holt x 1Melanie Claggett x 1Corinne Davies x 1

We Love Our Pet Sponsors!

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Just some of the animals that found their Forever Homes

in the last few months.

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Volunteer CornerVolunteer of the quarterSharon Simmons

Sharon has been volunteering with SpokAnimal since January 10, 2015 but boy has she been a busy lady for us! The moment she went through orientation, we knew she was going to be a special part of our team. Sharon immediately started walking dogs and socializing the ones that have come to us with fear issues. After being with us only a cou-ple of weeks volunteered as the week-end cleaner at the PetSmart South loca-tion giving up her Friday, Saturday, and Sunday mornings to help then decided that she could also do one morning per week at our Petco offsite location. This means that she gives us four mornings per week! Sharon transports cats to and from PetSmart for us to save us time and manpower. Many times, you will walk into Kitty City and she is in there pick-ing out the perfect cat(s) to take offsite. Not every volunteer is comfortable with both cats and dogs but Sharon just loves them all! She is a member of our volun-teer A-Team and can be called at the last minute to help with a problem animal, transport an animal, work an adoption event, mentor a new volunteer, work directly with management at the offsite locations, and so much more. Last Friday, Sharon called and asked me if she could take a little dog up to Petco to hang out to find her per-fect home as she had some extra time and was worried about the dog. She transported the dog up and talked with potential adopters. No one asked her to do this; she just gives because she acts on what she believes in so much. Sharon is a joy for the staff and the volunteers to spend time with at the

shelter and during events. She is cheer-ful and fun and never misses an oppor-tunity to laugh and enjoy the time with everyone. Take a moment to meet her at PetSmart South, Petco, SpokAnimal, or one of the offsite adoption events. When you meet her, please thank her for the countless hours and love she has given and keeps on giving to our furry friends.

Saving lives one trip at a time! That is truly the motto that Spok-Animal has adopted. Vern Woodworth lives every day. Vern has been volun-teering at SpokAnimal since Fall 2014 and has become an incredible asset to the team. Vern retired as a long haul trucker so has time and talent for the many transport trips that are needed. Since becoming a volunteer, Vern has traveled to St. Helens, Oregon, Caldwell, Idaho, Seattle, Sandpoint, St. Maries, Portland, Oregon, and Ken-newick numerous times. He loves to drive, listen to the radio, and rescue animals so it is the perfect combination for him as a volunteer. Many times he leaves late at night or the middle of the night to drive to a destination to pick up the animals and drive straight back. It doesn’t matter where or when you send Vern to pick up a transport, the folks on the other end always ask if Vern will be visiting again. We laugh when they ask and tell them, yes, it will be Vern to which they reply, Oh good!Partnering with the ASPCA, Wings of Rescue, local rescue groups and shelters and taking in owner surrenders have become the mainstays of SpokAnimal’s

way of helping and giving back to not only our local community but other communities and animals that so des-perately need it. The shelters in other areas in our country are overcrowded to the point of 6-7 dogs in a run at some of them. These highly adoptable dogs that we are taking not only fill a hole in someone’s home and heart but by sav-ing them, the shelter workers and res-cue groups in other areas get the much deserved moment of joy as well. We are so proud to partner with so many amazing groups both nationally and lo-cally that have the same goal and mis-sion that we have. It takes a lot of people and a lot of effort to pull together a transport trip. We wish to thank all of the staff and volunteers at each location for their dedication and time to saving lives.

On Target! Amazing volunteers from the South Hill Target Pharmaceutical Dept. They are stuffing emergency kits for cats and dogs that are displaced by fires here lo-cally. They filled 50 dog kits and 50 cat kits for the American Red Cross! These kits are given to families with animals that need immediate help. What a won-derful partnership coming together to help our community!

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In Loving Memory and Honoring Tributesof Betty Hollenbeck, who cared greatly about animals- Elsie Hollenbeck

of Golfo MacDonald- Paul Sims

of Catherine Willis- Jan Baker & JoAnne Bailey

of Frank Elliott- Sandra Smith

of Murph- Luanne & James Standish

of “Mr. Puffy Cat & Gracie Lou”- Camille VanHorne

of Miss Kitty- Richard Parker

of TomTom- Richard Parker

of “Fritz Flash”- June Nelson

of Debra Lynne Price, and Spot, Maggie, & Jake- Frank Puschak

of Sharon Neumann- Pam Mundt

of Ann Dubay- Betty Pascual

of Yoda the cat- Kati Lutz

of Tucker- Dawn & Gerald Halladay

of John Arvan- Harry Hoglin- Victoria Carding- Patricia Severud- Kathryn Atkins- Sherry Hugdahl- Paul & Kerry Funke- Peter & Nancy Kleweno- Mara and Maria Napolitano

of Richard Runyon- an anonymous donor

of “Sadie”- Louis Helgert

of Ann- Karen Johnston

of JoJo - loved by Bonnie Turnbeaugh– Diamonds in the Ruff

of Spats- Tom & Will

of Lavaune Joy Boe- Bonnie Heimbigner

of Joey- Donna Messinger

of Don Peck- Sandra Johnson

of Shirley Tew- Michael Burdette

of Betty Zurenko- Thomas Gebo- Karen Morley- Jane & Roger Smith

of Tosha - loved and missed by Barb Baumann – Diamonds in the Ruff

of Mickey - loved and missed by Cathy & Larry Fox – Carol & Dana Byrnes

In Honor & Tributeof Cole Gamon’s Birthday- Theresa Gamon

of Alice Gingrich- Allison Gingrich

of Rocky & Blacky- Blaine Burrell

of John Arvin- Harry Hoglin

of my mother, Isabelle Nickerson, for Mother’s Day- Jaime Soule

of Judy Killin’s birthday- Alan Kiefer

of Jaxx- Katie Boer

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Continued on page 13

An inside look at what it means to be a part of the Pawsitive Dog Pris-on Training Program at the Airway Heights Corrections Center in Wash-ington State. “https://www.facebook.com/PawsitiveDogPrisonProgram”

What the Dog Training Program Means to Meby Dan in K-unit at Airway Heights Corrections Center My name is Dan and I am currently a Dog Handler in the Pawsitive Dog Training Program here at AHCC. I have been in the program now for almost 1 year. Before I became a dog handler in the program, I had never had any dog training experience. I had several dogs when I was growing up, and I also played with my brother’s dogs as well as my friend’s dogs. When I interacted with these dogs in the past, I can’t say that a whole lot of training occurred. When I think about what I know now versus what I knew then about dog training, let’s just say our dogs and my friend’s dogs could have used some of the training that I am using today in the dog program. I have been incarcerated now since 2003 and I have had a variety of jobs here at the prison, but I would have to say that being a dog handler and work-ing with these dogs has been the best job ever. Most of the jobs here in prison are tedious and boring, but we are re-quired to program and staying busy is a must or else your time here just drags by slowly. I have worked hard on my-self in the last 12 years to be a better man and I feel that I need to be able to make amends for the people that I have

hurt because of my negative actions in the past. I feel being a dog handler and giving these dogs a second chance at life, helps me to make amends and give back to the community in some small way. Being a dog handler allows me and my training partner to take a dog that comes to us with a variety of be-haviors both good and bad, then over an 11 week period through observation, trial and error, we shape the dog into one that is obedient and the type of dog anyone would be proud to have. Working with the dogs teaches you to be responsible, compassionate, car-ing, dedicated, organized, and have good listening and communication skills. When I get a new dog to work with I always wonder about what kind of life the dog had before it came to me. Was it happy? Did someone love it and take care of it? Why did they give up on it? How can I shape him into the type of dog that no one would want to give up? The dog’s welfare is of great con-cern to me and I really want them to succeed. In order to achieve this, my partner and I will formulate a training schedule based on the dog’s strengths and weaknesses, and we will also incor-porate the training that will be expected so that the dog will pass his collar and graduation tests. This is where the good listening, communication, and organi-zation skills come into play. Here in K-unit, we have 4-5 dogs and several handlers who all live to-gether and work together to achieve the common goal of getting the dog trained and up to speed on what he

needs to know. So it actually feels like a small community of people with the same common goals and interest. We have a mentor, as well as each other, to help out when we need a helping hand or some advice on some area of train-ing that might need work. It takes a community to train our dogs and also a little help from our friends. We also have excellent support here from the outside staff. We have a pro-fessional training staff who takes time out of their busy lives to come into the prison once a week to train us on new techniques, answer questions, test the dogs, and give us and the dogs what-ever support we need. The outside staff are wonderful people who inspire us week after week to want to be better trainers, and men who can be trusted and looked up to in life. The outside staff has always been diligent, dedi-cated, and they give us lots of encour-agement to let us know we have what it takes to get the job done. They really show that they care because it isn’t easy coming into a prison week after week to work with people that society looks down on. We never get the impression that when these ladies are here that they would rather be some place else. They are always upbeat, pleasant and professional, and they always treat us with dignity and respect. All of these same statements hold true for the pris-on staff as well, and we applaud all of these people for their support and en-couragement. These dogs mean a lot to the oth-er inmates here at the prison, who live and interact with the dogs on a daily

Insights From Inmates

13

basis in the units. They are a constant source of delight and fun. They make a dark place a lot brighter. As much as we love these dogs and enjoy what we are doing, there are many inmates who also love and care about these dogs’ wel-fare as much as we do. A dog doesn’t care about what you have done or who you are. They will accept you uncondi-tionally and love you no matter what you’re about. That’s very appealing to people here in prison because love and acceptance are a rare commodity in a prison setting. Many of the men’s faces light up when the dogs arrive in the prison for the first time. There is an atmosphere of joy and excitement in the air. When it is time for the dogs to go, there is also a lot of emotion. But most are glad to see them go on to their next step in their lives and get the good home they deserve. We also know that somewhere in the dog’s memory we will be there. There will remember their time with us, and they will know that they were loved and that we did our best for them. Each dog presents a new challenge. Each dog has their own per-

sonality and each dog brings laughter and joy into our hearts. It is extremely rewarding when a dog that you are working with learns a new behavior that you have been working on and is able to reliably show you that he knows that behavior when cued, either during testing or just day-to-day normal routine. At the end of the training session it is bittersweet to see the dogs go, but getting them ready for their new owners and new homes is what this program is all about. At the end of the session, we are proud of our accomplishments; we are proud of the dogs; we are thankful for the support and encouragement. We all feel a little bit better about ourselves, because we cared enough about a living creature to love it, teach it new skills, possibly save its life and then let it go on to a new home to be loved by some-one else. This program makes me want to be a better human being and these dogs and the people who support us help make that happen. Thank you for caring!

Donations for Prison Pups! Huge thanks to the many folks who send regular donations to the prison program – many who have adopted prison dogs continue to support our good work at the prison through dona-tions of money and Amazon wish list donations. Special thanks to prison pup Jerry’s family who donate care pack-ages every session, to Cari Haider of Shear Heaven Pet Salon for continu-ing to provide settle down mats every session and Prairie Dog Pet Mercantile who serves as donation central for peo-ple who want to add a purchase for the prison program when they shop at PD. We’d like to also congratulate Mag-gie Miller-Stout, former superintendent at Airway Heights Corrections Center. Maggie has been a strong supporter of our dog training program at the prison. She came to visit the program before her last day (see photo) and she also sent bags of biscuits for the prison pups. Good luck on your future endeavors in retirement!

Insights From Inmates (continued)

Maggie Miller-Stout, former superintendent at Airway Heights Corrections Center along with trainers Kim, Stacy and Carol from Diamonds in the Ruff.

High five to all the wonderful people that have donated to the Pawsitive Dog Prison Training Program.

14

Baffled By Behavior?

Stanley

Dear Stanley,

I adopted a cat from the shelter

and we just love her. We intended

to make her an entirely indoor cat,

but she’s miserable. She was obvi-

ously raised as an indoor/outdoor

cat and every day she paces and

yowls and if she gets a chance she

runs out the open door.

Signed, Indoor kitty? Outdoor kitty?

Hope That Helps!

Dear Kitty, Indoor kitties live longer, healthier lives than their outdoor cousins because they can’t get run over by cars, chased by stray dogs, or fight with and catch diseases from stray cats. It’s not surpris-ing that your new kitty is determined to go out. Once a cat has enjoyed chasing butterflies and napping on the patio, they want to continue! With a little cre-ativity and some cat fencing mesh, you can create a safe outdoor area for your cat that will keep her in the yard and other animals out. Then she can be safe and both of you can be happy!

Our animals need you! Become a Pet Sponsor!Your one-year Sponsor helps us care for the thousands of homeless dogs and cats that come through our doors each year. Every animal is a unique individual with their own hopes and needs. Through our Sponsor-a-Kennel Program you can be part of the work we do and make a difference for our animals. We provide tons of love, and your sponsorship will help to provide food and shelter, vaccinations, treatment and medications, blankets and toys.

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15

Dear Stanley,

It’s been so hot this Summer, I’m

debating shaving my Husky/Shep-

herd mix so he won’t be so hot.

People have told me I shouldn’t.

What do you think?

Signed, Hot and Hairy

Dear Hairy, Different breeds have different coat types. The answer to wheth-er or not to shave your dog has much to do with what type of fur your dog has. Single-coated dogs like Poodles and Shih Tzus are generally clipped short in summer – but it’s important to remember that any dog with a very short hair cut is at risk of sunburn. Keep them in the shade until their hair starts to grow back! The fur that keeps a double-coated dog like yours warm in win-ter, also keeps it cool in summer. As the weather warms, the thick in-sulating coat “molts” – falling out in thick tufts. Once this undercoat has been brushed out, the remaining outer coat shades the skin and helps keep them cool. “A dog’s coat is kind of like insulation for your house,” explains Dr. Louise Murray, Vice President of the ASPCA Animal Hospital. “Insulation stops your home from getting too cold in winter, but it also keeps it from overheating in summer—and your dog’s coat does the same thing.” Visit your groomer for a bath and a ‘de-shed’ brush out – not a hair cut!

Stanley Speaks (continued)

Top Ten Shedding Breeds: 1. Alaskan Husky 2. Alaskan Malamute 3. Labrador Retriever 4. German Shepherd 5. Golden Retriever 6. Siberian Husky 7. Akita 8. Chow Chow 9. Great Pyrenees 10. St. Bernard

Always-Shedding Stanley

Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3

Coat freshly groomed and free from undercoat. Coat with moderate undercoat. Coat with impacted undercoat.

Cool air can reach the skin and circulate when undercoat and mats are removed. The sun’s rays will bounce off the coat.

Cool air is blocked when the undercoat starts grow-ing in, causing dog to overheat. The undercoat will absorb the rays due to a more porous structure, trapping the heat in.

When the coat is shaved the cool air flows above the skin. The sun’s rays penetrates whatever thin hair is left causing the dog to overheat. And since a dog’s skin is only 6-10 layers deep (compared to a human’s 16-20 layers) they will easily sunburn.

SpokAnimal C.A.R.E.710 N. NapaSpokane, WA 99202(509) 534-8133

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We Need To Know !

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Upcoming Events

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