Summer 2016 Speaking of

Animals4242 South 300 West • Murray, UT 84107(801) 261-2919 • www.utahhumane.org

The Humane Society of Utah is dedicated to the elimination of pain, fear, and suffering in all animals.

Hot Car Horrors Page 3

Keeping FaithPage 4

Jail BreakPage 5

Plus:Safety First, Another Great Gala, Looking Back,and more!

Mid-year ReportPage 2

Board of directors

Craig S. Cook, PresidentDr. Eric Belnap, Vice PresidentDr. JoAnn B. Seghini, Secretary

Randy John, Treasurer

Directors:Timothy R. Pack, Steve Starley, Tim J. Williams, Susan Wood

administrative staff

Gene Baierschmidt, Executive DirectorPaul Chapin, DVM, Veterinarian

Shama Chapin, DVM, VeterinarianJohn Paul Fox, Chief Investigator

Pauline Edwards, Director of ClinicJamie Usry, Director of Development

Aimee Eschenfelder, Director of Finance / Strategic PlanningDeann Shepherd, Director of Communications / Marketing

Heidi Myers, Director of Corporate Sponsorships Carlene Wall, Adoptions / Operations Manager

Katharine Brant, Director of Publications / Executive Assistant

Caitlin Lisle, Director of EducationOliver Schmidt, IT Manager

Lisa Burningham, Volunteer CoordinatorJessica Almeida, Director of Transfers /

Animal Behavior AssessmentBarbara Conrad, Foster Animal Coordinator

Rachel Kelly, Special Events ManagerGuinnevere Shuster, Social Media Coordinator

services Providedv Adoption of animals to qualified homesv Affordable sterilization surgeriesv Receiving of unwanted animalsv Preventive immunizationsv Investigation of animal abuse and neglectv Rescues of at-risk animalsv Humane education for all ages

For further information on services provided by HSU, call (801)261-2919 during business hours.

Remember, HSU is your shelter. We are here to help the animals of Utah. Please help maintain and

support our programs with your contributions.

The Humane Society of Utah is an independent 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization

that is not affiliated with any other group, nationally or locally. We receive no funding from taxes or any

source other than your contributions.

Incorporated 1960

4242 South 300 WestSalt Lake City, UT 84107-1415

Telephone: (801) 261-2919 Fax: (801) 261-9577

www.utahhumane.org © 2016 Humane Society of Utah. All rights reserved.

As all of our members already know, last year the Humane Society of Utah celebrated its 55th anniversary, and also broke records for every department in its entire history of operation. We placed more animals in good new homes, surgically sterilized and vaccinated more animals, participated in more legislative activities, hosted more special events to raise community awareness and support, and embarked on more innovative programs than ever before — and that was just the beginning. This year we’re planning to do even better, and so far things are looking great!

Achievements in All AreasHere’s how we’re doing as we finish our second quarter and look forward to the rest

of the year:• Animals Placed: By the time this newsletter is in your hands, we expect

to have found good new homes for at least 5,300 animals. (By the time of our Gala on June 18th, we had already placed 4,652 dogs, cats, rabbits, and other small animals.) And, as we did last year, we continue to maintain our no-kill status for both dogs and cats.

• Clinic Services: As of May 31st we had sterilized 4,155 animals and vaccinated another 42,367 against disease. We also performed 262 other surgical procedures on shelter animals to increase their chances of being adopted. These operations included such things as repairing “cherry eyes” (a condition in which the gland of a dog’s third eyelid flips out of its proper place and protrudes from the inner corner of the eye as a small reddish mass), tumor removals, and extractions of irreparably decayed teeth.

• Animal Transfers: This is one of our activities of which we’re most proud. By bringing animals who would almost certainly be euthanized from overcrowded shelters throughout Utah, and out of the state as well, to our spacious and state-of-the-art facility, we saved 1,500 additional dogs and cats in the first half of this year. Many of these animals had injuries or illnesses that our clinic treated, like those mentioned above.

• Legislation: We have continued to meet with leading officials of those cities whose animal-control shelters still use the carbon monoxide chamber for animal euthanasia, and will again push for legislation requiring euthanasia by injection of instantly-acting drugs as the only method used.

• Humane Education: Over 5,000 children have participated in our Humane Education programs to date, and we just successfully completed our first-ever H.E.R.O. (Humane Educators Reaching Out) Summer Camp for kids. We’re already planning to extend the camp next year to four weeks in order to accommodate more children in more age groups — stay tuned for registration details in early 2017.

Of course, our outstanding volunteers and foster parents have, as always, made immeasurable contributions to giving special-needs animals that extra helping hand, and our dedicated staff gave 110% of their abilities to every minute of every day’s shift — and often more — to ensuring the comfort and well-being of all our residents, from the biggest mastiff to the smallest rat.

And last, but most definitely not least, our wonderful members and supporters have so generously responded to our ever-present need for financial assistance in carrying out our many carefully planned, professionally conducted, and incredibly complex programs on behalf of Utah’s animals. To each and every one of you, our deep and heartfelt thanks for making it possible for us to do what we do. YOU are the ones who are making miracles happen. v

Mid-year ReportWe’re Headed for More Record Performances

— by Gene BaierschmidtHSU Executive Director

As I see things

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It Shouldn’t Happen to a Dog!Hot Car Horrors!

(Or Any Other Animal)Every summer, animal welfare groups keep on warning, and begging, people to be more careful, and every summer these needless, horrible tragedies keep happening just the same. We’re talking about companion animals — and even human babies and children — being left alone in closed cars where the temperatures can rise to oven-like levels within minutes.

As early as June 4th, a 15-month-old female yellow Lab was found dead in a Jeep where she’d been left for about four hours. The temperature outside was 86̊ Fahrenheit — warm, but not deadly — but inside the vehicle it registered 127.5̊ F. People must remember that the top half of a car, with the exception of the roof itself, is almost entirely glass. Even if the windows are partly open and the car is parked in the shade, this close, light-filled interior traps and intensifies heat; in a matter of literally moments, the car becomes much, much hotter inside than the ambient temperature surrounding it. At the veterinary hospital to which this particular dog was taken (too late, obviously), her internal temperature was measured at over 130˚ F, and a vet tech there bluntly said that the animal’s organs had basically been “cooked,” partly because dogs can’t release body heat by sweating.

HSU Provides a Graphic DemonstrationAs we’ve done before, the Humane Society of Utah tried again

this year to make an unmistakably clear point about the folly of keeping any living being inside a closed, motionless vehicle on a warm day; and the brave individual who volunteered to be the subject of our demonstration was none other than our Executive Director, Gene Baierschmidt.

At 1:00 PM on Tuesday, June 21st, the overall outdoor temperature in front of the shelter registered 91 degrees. We had invited members of the media to cover the incident, and had also asked paramedics from the Murray City Fire Department to be on hand in case the experiment proved to be too convincing. These professionals first measured Mr. Baierschmidt’s initial vital signs, which were at normal levels, and equipped him with devices that would continue to monitor those functions while the procedure was taking place. He then slid into the official HSU sedan, rolled the windows down by about two inches, and waited to see what would happen. (It should be noted as well that he was dressed in an ordinary T-shirt and slacks, not the fur coat of an animal.)

The first five minutes passed, and observers outside the car could already see Mr. Baierschmidt’s hair beginning to cling to his damp forehead, which was understandable: the medics’ sophisticated thermometers showed that the temperature inside the car had, in just that short amount of time, risen to 123 degrees! In response to questions from the observers outside the car, he simply said, “I’m uncomfortable — it feels like a sauna in here — only stuffier.”

Ten minutes later his face was flushed, dark blotches of perspiration were appearing on his clothing, his breathing was becoming labored, and the inside temperature had risen to 130˚ F. Asked how he was doing, he said that he felt “trapped — too hot, way too hot!”

Besides the visible symptoms of the increasing heat’s effect on Mr. Baierschmidt, the medical equipment attached to him showed that his heart rate had risen to 105 beats per minute and his systolic blood pressure had shot up by 20 points — well above the normal reading that had registered when he first entered the car.

He had pledged to try to endure the demonstration for a full thirty minutes, and he did. Just as the bell rang on the timer, he opened the door and shakily emerged. Medics applied cold packs to the back of his neck and asked him how he felt; he could at first answer only in disconnected single words: “Disoriented — dizzy — nauseated.” After a few minutes of recovery time, he was able to express his sensations more articulately. “I think if that had gone on much longer, the outcome could have actually been disastrous. I can’t even begin to imagine how much worse it would have felt to a dog who was completely covered with a hair coat and not even able to sweat.”

The outdoor temperature was still just 92˚ — but the thermometer inside the car read 137 .̊

What Can YOU Do?Even though our human subject had been (a) able to activate

his internal cooling system by sweating, (b) not covered with heavy fur, (c) well aware that help was immediately at hand and therefore not likely to be overwhelmed by a helpless sense of panic, and (d) confined in his stifling prison for less time than many helpless creatures have often been left — he was still psychologically jarred and physically compromised by the ordeal.

So what can you, an ordinary citizen, do if, on a hot summer day at, say, the grocery store parking lot, you come across a locked car with a frantic, gasping, yelping dog inside? Your first impulse would of course be to smash a window and get the animal out. Unfortunately, in Utah, that’s illegal — you yourself cold be charged with a crime for that. Here’s what you should do:

• If you have a cell phone with you — and nowadays almost everyone does — immediately dial 911! Tell the dispatcher

where you are, explain what the problem is, and ask them to send an Animal Control officer and vehicle at once.

• Next, make a note of the exact time. Then take a photograph of the animal inside the car, a photo of the car’s license plates, and any other details that you feel might be pertinent. Stay where you are and do the best you can to try to calm or reassure the animal until the emergen-cy vehicle arrives — and when it does, make an exact note of that time, too. Give officers your name and personal information and let them know that

continued on page 8 (Horrors)

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On May 17th, a shaken stranger walked into the Humane Society of Utah’s Animal Receiving Department carrying something wrapped in a bundle of red-stained sheets and abruptly said, “You’ve got to help. I don’t know where else to go.” Immediately, two of our most dedicated Receiving technicians, Wolf Proctor and Randi Faber, stepped forward and took the soggy burden in their arms, carried it into an examination room, laid it gently on a table, and unwrapped the soaked coverings. There before them lay a thin dog, apparently some kind of Australian shepherd/setter mix, so thoroughly drenched in blood that it was at first impossible to tell where the actual source of the hemorrhaging was. The man who had brought the animal in hastily explained, in response to the techs’ questioning eyes, that he had simply found the bleeding dog beside the road, thrown some old bedclothes over her, and rushed her to the HSU shelter. He’d never seen her before, didn’t know what had happened to her, and didn’t know if she belonged to anybody. While Wolf quickly administered first aid measures to the stricken animal, Randi took the stranger’s information and processed the dog as a stray admission.

True SamaritansWhile the rest of the staff went about the required procedures

of contacting other agencies and alerting social media outlets to the dog’s presence here, in hopes of locating her owners, HSU veterinarian Dr. Paul Chapin made an initial examination. Once the worst of the mess had been sponged off and it was determined that there were no broken bones or internal injuries, it became clear that the origin of the still steadily-flowing blood was the vaginal aperture under the dog’s tail. The vet administered some basic medications and instructed the techs to monitor her closely until he could check her again.

Wolf and Randi, perhaps because of having been the first of the staff to have contact with the dog, somehow felt themselves quickly developing an intense personal interest in looking out for her. They set up a soft private bed in Wolf’s own office and took turns caring for her.

The dog was weak, dehydrated, and unable to stand or walk. Dr. Chapin had said how important it would be from the first to build up her strength and fortify her natural defenses, but she refused to eat or drink. So her two special guardians patiently fed her by hand, introduced fluids with a nursing bottle, and kept her warm and quiet. At the end of the day they knew they had done everything in their power to help her at that point, but, as they left her for the night, she looked so gaunt and haggard that they almost feared what they might discover in the morning.

The first thing Wolf did upon arriving next day was to go to his office and kneel beside the dog’s bed — and, to his amazed relief, she

slowly opened her eyes and drew a few shallow breaths. When Dr. Chapin examined her again a little later, though, she was still bleeding and his face wore a serious expression. The tests he had performed earlier, he said, showed that she was suffering from a raging uterine infection which had spread violently throughout her entire body, and the only possible way to save her life — if indeed it could be

saved — was to remove the uterus at once.So the dog was taken straight to our

clinic’s surgery ward, where she was spayed and put on a strong regimen of antibiotics and intravenous nutrients, then tucked into a private kennel to rest overnight. Once again, everyone involved with her was braced for the worst the following morning — but, once again, she had somehow managed to pull through and was still holding on! We were so touched by her courage and determination that, from that moment, her name became “Faith.”

Happily Ever After — for Everyone

By this time, in spite of our efforts to locate possible owners, no one had claimed her or made any inquiries about the bloody little stray who had been brought to us

by a kindly stranger. So she of course went directly from the clinic to our Foster Department to be cared for and rehabilitated until she could be put up for adoption to a good new home.

Just as Faith had seemed to inspire the Receiving technicians with a wish to pay extra-special attention to this very needy, sick, and friendless dog, the Foster staff also took an individualized interest in her welfare. Instead of sending Faith to one of our regular foster families, it turned out that one of the department’s managers, Juli Ulvestad, felt a strong desire to take the dog to her own home to receive personal foster care with her.

Once home, Juli found herself faced with daunting challenges. Faith was much weaker and more depressed after her ordeal than we had at first hoped and expected she would be: she wouldn’t eat, wouldn’t react to people, wouldn’t stand up or walk. But Juli steadfastly continued to bottle- and hand-feed her, medicate her, pick her up and carry her outside for potty breaks and fresh air, and sit beside her in the small bedroom that had been set aside for her recuperation, always cuddling her and murmuring constant words of encouragement.

On about the third day of Faith’s rather unpromising responses to her efforts, Juli decided to see if new stimuli and surroundings might have any effect for the better. She left the door to Faith’s room open, and, across the hallway, Juli’s four-year-old son Matthew sat in the living room quietly working on a coloring book. Matthew knew that another one of his mom’s “hurt doggies” was staying with the family for a little while, and he had, as always, been respectful of the closed door and not attempted to bother an animal that he understood wasn’t feeling well.

Keeping Faith

A dog and her boy (left): Faith cuddles with four- year-old Matthew Ulvestad, son of the dedicated HSU foster staff member who nursed the sick animal back to health and subsequently made her a happy, beloved member of her own family.

This is Faith (right), a dog who came to our shelter in such terrible condition that no one expected her

to live through her ordeal — but she did, and that’s how she got her name!

HSU’s Hardest-working Departments Perform a Miracle

continued on page 8 (Faith)

The evening couldn’t have been lovelier. On June 18th, HSU held its fourth annual Wags to Wishes gala celebration featuring an elegant dinner, dancing under the stars at our own beautiful facility, silent and live auctions, local celebrities, generous sponsors, and a record number of wonderful guests, and it was one of the most enjoyable events we’ve hosted so far.

Presented by the Arthur E. Benjamin Foundation and American Dog Rescue Foundation with additional support from the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, Mountain America Credit Union, Wasatch Front Subaru retailers, Fox 13, and In the Event, our 4th Annual Gala raised over $197,000 for our animals — a first-time ever amount.

Funds raised from the Gala are a vital source of income for the many life-saving programs of the Humane Society, and we’re sincerely grateful to the many groups and

individuals who contributed to the success of the affair by participating in the auctions, purchasing tickets and tables to attend, and otherwise showing that they care about our animals.

Thanks to all who were part of this fun-filled, and very important, evening — we’re already looking forward to next year’s party! v

Additional Sponsors Advanced Veterinary CareASETBest Friends No-Kill Utah CoalitionBugden & IsaacsonCandi WadsworthChildren’s Academy PreschoolCraig S. & Elena Cook

The Dog LodgeKeyBankKrystko FoundationLala KentLinda MulkeyMichael ShupingYoung’s Market

Signature Support By:Presented By:

Further Support By:

Another Great Gala!

The major sponsor of our Wags to Wishes Gala was Arthur Benjamin of American Dog Rescue, who poses here with his faithful sidekick Bandit. Says Arthur, “Bandit enjoyed bidding against the stiff

human competition during the auction, and he’s still trying to figure out how he’ll use the 12-foot paddle

board that he made the winning pitch on!”Fox 13 TV’s management and talent personalities were a big part of making the Gala such a polished and delightful event. Many thanks to (left to right) Mark Sternfield, Dave Nemeth, Kerri Cronk, Tim Ermish, and Damon Yauney for lending such professional dazzle to the evening

Visitors to the HSU shelter this spring were frequently startled to see dogs of all shapes and sizes being escorted around the grounds in the custody of uniformed police officers! However, none of the pups had been “collared” by the law for being dangerous felons; on the contrary, the helpful hounds were merely giving a leg up to members of the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office Corrections Bureau who were engaged in their annual Volunteer Service project — and both cops and canines were obviously loving every minute of it.

Every Thursday over a period of several weeks more than 40 deputies and other staff were involved in walking dogs, socializing with cats, grooming pets’ coats, and otherwise assisting our own volunteer crew in doing all those little things that make the residents’ stay here at the shelter so much more pleasant. “My staff loves animals,” said the supervising officer, Javier Gonzales, “and having the opportunity to

come out to the Humane Society and work with them does wonders for the deputies’ morale. Furthermore, it often happens that some folks aren’t real happy to see us when we’re out doing our regular job. So it’s important for us to let people observe us interacting in

such a positive way with the community as a whole, which is what happens when we’re here giving a hand where it’s both needed and appreciated.”

And we at the Humane Society most certainly do appreciate the efforts of these great public servants. On six different afternoons throughout April and May, our lucky dogs and fortunate felines were given exercise, companionship, and lots of personal attention from Salt Lake’s finest. This has been taking place for several years now, and we hope we’ll be seeing them again for many years to come. Many thanks to these caring officers from everybody here at the shelter — and especially from the animals who benefitted so much from their kind attention. v

Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Officers

Take a “JAIL BREAK” to Volunteer at HSU

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This dog is innocent of any wrongdoing — she’s just being taken for a walk by members of the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s office as part of their annual volunteer service

project! These good-hearted public servants spent part of six afternoons last spring giving our staff a very much-appreciated

hand with exercising, socializing, and providing extra doses of love to the HSU animals. We appreciate their efforts!

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Editor’s note: A few months ago, a University of Utah class was given the assignment to gain first-hand knowledge about various subjects with which the individual students previously had no personal knowledge or experience. One of the class members, Jeremy Brown, decided that he’d like to learn something about animal welfare work, and so he chose to volunteer at the Humane Society of Utah, where he assisted in creating informational brochures about our pro-grams, caring for the animals, and generally being a much-appreciated helper to our busy staff.

Following the completion of his assignment, Jeremy was also required to write a reflective memoir of his time spent on the project. He sent this material to the HSU staff members who had worked with him during his time at the shelter, and we thought it was so inspiring that we asked if we could reprint it in this issue of Speaking of Animals. Jeremy graciously granted permission, saying, “Maybe it could help with future volunteers in some way, or be a testimonial to the benefits of volunteering at the shelter. I hope that it will help you out!” Here’s his story:

This semester I had the opportunity to enroll in a service-learn-ing class involving “illiteracy” — not in the sense of being unable to read or write, but here meaning complete unfamiliarity with the basic, behind-the-scenes workings of some area of endeavor that none of us had much awareness of, or proficiency in. The goal was for each member of the class to volunteer a minimum 15 hours with a non-profit organization and come up with a project that would help further that group’s mission.

As soon as my professor had outlined the criteria for the class, I knew I wanted to volunteer with an animal shelter. After a little research, I decided to work with the Humane Society of Utah — and, specifically, in the Kitty City cat adoption part of the facility. So I completed some initial training and orientation, was issued a volunteer’s apron, and rolled up my sleeves.

Getting to Know YouI must admit that I had many reservations and mixed emotions

as I entered the bright, airy rooms of Kitty City for the first time. Would I be depressed by the sight of so many cats without homes of their own? Would my time spent socializing with the animals really make any difference to their emotional well-being? Did I have what it takes to relate to the feline viewpoint of life?

As I began my first tasks of the day by scooping out litter boxes and fluffing up the cats’ pillows, I observed lots of visitors drift in and out of the various rooms. Some were excited and eager to see as many cats as possible as soon as they could; others were calm and thoughtful as they studied the many furry faces gazing back at them; and there were of course the inevitably thrilled, breathless, wide-eyed children flitting from one cat to another like butterflies in a field of daisies.

It soon occurred to me that, in the midst of all these rapidly-shift-ing strangers and scenes, perhaps some of the things the HSU cats would appreciate most would be stability and familiarity. I therefore made it one of my primary tasks as a volunteer to get to know each of these animals as individuals and as friends.

The KeyI started out by approaching an older cat who was snoozing be-

hind a scratching post in the corner. I knelt down with some treats and let him sniff my hand, and he grudgingly allowed me to interrupt his nap by stroking his head a little bit, but he remained basically unimpressed. Within minutes he turned his back on me and, with an almost audible snort of disdain, made it plain to me that playtime was over as far as he was concerned.

But at that very moment, I became aware of a fluffy little jet-black face with the biggest, yellowest pair of cat eyes I’d ever seen, staring at

me with an expression of friendly amusement from around the corner of one of the climbing towers. So I withdrew my hand from the vicinity of the grumpy fellow whose nap I had disturbed, and instead extended it toward the pretty little black cat. She looked at my hand, looked at me, and within ten seconds had jumped right into my lap, purring loudly and “making biscuits” with her paws. And that was how I met Sookie, my very first real cat-friend at Kitty City.

I would visit Sookie every day as soon as I arrived at the shelter and whenever I had a free moment between chores. I was very, very surprised and moved by how loving Sookie was with me, because whenever she was in my lap and other people came into the room, she would at once rise and melt away into some private little hid-ey-hole somewhere. And then when we were alone again, she’d return to my lap. I began to feel that most of the people who visited Kitty City would probably never realize that this little treasure was even here, waiting for a good home of her own, because she was so shy and withdrawn in the presence of strangers.

Made for Each OtherAfter about two months, a woman came into the shelter, saying

that she had recently lost her two elderly cats to causes incident to age, and was finally ready to try again. I introduced her to a few possible candidates, but she didn’t really seem to be interested. Finally she said, “Actually, I am very partial to black cats. Do you have any of those?” I thought about it for a couple of seconds, wondering if this woman and Sookie would make a good pair; and something in her voice and manner made me feel that they would be very good indeed for each other. “Would you like to meet my very favorite cat in the shelter — who happens to be black?” I asked. Her face lit up like a sunrise and she cried, “Yes!”

When we entered Sookie’s room she was, as usual, completely out of sight. But when I sat on the floor and called her name, she immediately glided out of her hiding place and into my lap. The woman was amazed at how sweet and affectionate Sookie was, and I in turn was amazed that Sookie hadn’t run back to her hidden nest as soon as this new person appeared. On the contrary, she reacted to the woman exactly as she had reacted to me when the two of us first met, by purring and snuggling and lifting her chin to invite gentle scratches on her throat and chest and ears. The lady, with happy tears in her eyes, told me that Sookie was everything she had been dreaming of in a new feline companion, and more. Within half an hour, they left the shelter together — as a family.

In RetrospectThere were many other memorable moments during my time as

an HSU volunteer, but through my experience with Sookie I learned

Humane Society of Utah Project: Looking Back— by Jeremy Brown

Last spring, University of Utah student Jeremy Brown enrolled in a class that required him to spend a certain amount of time volunteering for a local non-profit organization, and he chose to fulfill that obligation at HSU’s Kitty City. We snapped this picture of him happily interacting with Sookie, one of the shelter residents with whom Jeremy formed a very special bond, and who — because of Jeremy’s devoted care and interest — was united with an adopter who would give her the perfect new home of her own that she deserved.

continued on page 8 (Looking Back)

There’s something sacred about the commitment that people make when they assume the responsibility for guaranteeing the happiness, comfort, and safety of another living being, whether it be a child, spouse, parent, sibling, or animal companion; and most of us ful-fill that obligation admirably. We do our best to see that the basic needs of food, water, good shelter, medical attention, and emotional closeness are met for those who rely on us to provide those things. In spite of our best intentions, though, things can and do occasionally go wrong — sometimes, terribly wrong. One of the most tragic, and often preventable, of these disasters is a fire in the home.

Over a span of just a few years, the Humane Society of Utah has compiled records of more than thirty such catastrophes in our own area, including these heartbreaking headlines: “Two parrots, two dogs, and two ferrets burned in Kearns fire”; “Riverton fire kills seven horses and a dog”; “Magna man is unable to rescue cats from fire”; “Wellington family escapes flames — dog and puppies do not”; “Horses, goats killed in barn fire”; and perhaps among the most poignant of all, “Dog dies after alerting and saving woman from Layton house fire” and “Fatal house fire — tot’s body recovered, his dog’s by his side.”

Minimize the RisksObviously, no one can tell when

calamities like these will strike, and in most cases there’s probably nothing that could have been done to avert them, anyway. But we can take common-sense steps to “stack the deck” in our favor — to make sure that we don’t leave any cracks or loopholes open that afterward could leave us piteously wailing, “If only I had ____!”

If you have pets in your home, or before leaving pets alone in your home, take these simple precautions:

• Test your home’s smoke detectors regularly, and replace batteries on schedule.

• Unplug coffee makers, irons, hair dryers, or any other heat-pro-ducing appliances immediately after use.

• Make sure that ovens, stoves, and grilles — even in the yard — are turned off and completely extinguished as soon as you’re through with them.

• Store flammable chemicals safely, including substances like nail polish remover and hair spray.

• Keep the vent and lint trap in your clothes dryer clear, and never leave home with a load of laundry drying in the automatic dryer — don’t do it ever!

• Never purchase or use plug-in electric air fresheners.• Don’t allow wood chips, sawdust, or piles of paper to

accumulate.• If possible, avoid using open-flame candles for decoration,

even for romantic evening suppers; there’s no telling what the careless bump of a happily wagging tail might do. Or, if you must use them, make sure that they’re blown out and thoroughly quenched as soon as you leave the table.

• Don’t overload power outlets or extension cords.• Keep areas around water heaters, furnaces, and portable heaters free of flammable materials.• If there’s a smoker in your household, never allow smoking in bed and never leave burning cigarettes lying around where inquisitive paws and whiskers might come in contact with them.

Finally, be prepared for the worst by obtaining and posting “Pet Alert” stickers on your access doors to inform firefighters that there are animals in the home. Keep them updated with the breed and number of animals currently present at the latest date — for example, “07/13/14 — 2 dogs, 3 cats, 1 hamster, 2 parakeets.”

These life-saving stickers can easily be purchased online — or, you can of

course always just make your own! In any case, here’s to a safe, happy home for your entire family all year round. v

Safety First!Protecting your Furry Family from Fire Hazards

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Do you have the world’s cutest furry, feathered or scaly friend? Do you want to show them off

to the world, all while helping raise money for Utah’s homeless pets? Then enter your best friend in our Calendar Photo Contest and

your pet could be featured in our 2017 Calendar! There is NO FEE for entering your pet in the contest.

The top 200 entrants are guaranteed to be in the calendar (thumbnail, daily feature, etc.)

ELEVEN lucky winners will be the featured as the full-page

monthly photos.We get so many adorable submissions for this contest that picking

winners is just too tall a task for any one individual or organization. That’s why we’re leaving this choice to our friends and supporters by having others vote for the cutest pictures. Best of all, all money raised will help the Humane Society of Utah change animal lives!

After entering your pet’s photo, spread the word to everyone you know via e-mail, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to VOTE for YOUR PET! Votes are $1.00 each, with a minimum $5.00 (5 votes) donation per transaction. All funds raised through voting benefit the homeless pets at the HSU.

Photo entry and voting rules are available by visiting www.utah-humane.org/calendarcontest. v

Every household with pets should have alerts posted on all access doors notifying emergency personnel that there are animals inside

the home who also need to be rescued. These are easily available from many sources, or can even be hand-made to your own specifications.

Is Your Pet Ready to be a Star?

you have pictorial evidence of what has happened. Finally, if any criminal animal abuse charges are eventually filed against the pet’s owners, be courageous enough to allow your evidence and testimony to be used in proceedings against them.

• If you don’t have a phone or camera with you, immediately note the time, then take down the license number and description of the vehicle where the animal is trapped. Then go into the nearest store and ask the staff to call 911, and also ask them to publicly page the owner of the vehicle you have described to go outside and attend to the animal. Again, wait to find out what happens — how long it takes for Animal Control to respond,

or whether or not the owner of the car does indeed promptly respond to the page.

There are laws against leaving helpless living beings in hot cars — everything from a $2500 misdemeanor fine up to third-degree felony charges, depending on the outcome of the situation — but after plainly seeing the genuine suffering that Gene Baierschmidt went through in our educational 30-minute demonstration in a closed car, we can only imagine the horrors that the little yellow Lab endured, and died from, in her four hours in the unventilated Jeep. As one commentator on that incident despairingly wrote, “How many times does this have to happen before people finally get a clue?” v

Horrors... continued from page 3

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It’s always one of the most fun and popular animal-related events of the year — the annual Summer Pet Photo special, where, for a $25 donation to the Humane Society of Utah, you’ll get a 10-minute photo shoot with professional photographer Scott Gianchetta of The Photo Box and an on-the-spot 8 x 10 color print of your favorite furry family members!

Everyone knows about Scott’s sensitive, high-quality camera artistry from past Picture Your Pet with Santa and Summer Pet Photo experiences. He’s a genius at capturing the heart and soul of every animal who poses for him, and he’s also a genius at getting animals to enjoy posing!

Photo sessions are by appointment only, and there’s still plenty of time for you to sign up. Here’s all you need to know:

• Saturday, August 13th, from 10 AM to 7 PM• Sunday, August 14th, from 11 AM to 5 PMTo schedule an appointment or for more information, call

801-261-2919 ex. 212, or email rachel@utahhumane.org. v

Summer Pet (and People) Photo Event Scheduled again at HSU!

Come support the Humane Society of Utah on Saturday, August 27th, at Salt Lake City Weekly’s 7th Annual Utah Beer Festival! This year the Beer Festival will be

held at the Utah State Fairpark (155 North 1000 West) with more space, more shade, electronic wristbands for faster beer purchasing, easy UTA TRAX access across from the event, and much more!

The Humane Society of Utah is proud to have been selected as the beneficiary for this incredible event for the third year in a row! HSU will receive 25% of all proceeds for the animals!

We do need help with volunteers for the event. If you are interested in helping us earn funds for the shelter through a volunteer shift at the Utah Beer Festival, please visit www.utahhumane.org/beerfest to fill out the application.

Just want to attend the festival and benefit the animals through your ticket and beer purchases? Visit www.utahbeerfest.com for pricing and to get your tickets. This event sells out every year, so get your tickets early! v

Have a Beer — Help Our Buddies!

It was Faith who first made eye contact. She lifted her head and looked directly at the little boy sitting on the floor a few yards away from her; then, for the first time, she actually struggled up out of her bed, rose shakily to her feet, and, as Juli later told us, “made a beeline directly for Matthew!”

What else would anyone expect when a child and a lonely dog meet? Faith pressed her muzzle against Matthew’s face and leaned into

his shoulder, Matthew broke into delighted laughter and flung his arms around the furry neck, and... well, you can guess the rest of the story.

Today Faith is a permanent, happy, and healthy member of the Ulvestad household. “She and Matthew — and all the rest of the family — loved each other too much to ever send her away,” said Juli. “I feel that, in a way, adopting her was only another way of expressing what the mission of the Humane Society of Utah is all about: I call it Keeping Faith.” v

Scott Gianchetta donates 100% of the proceeds from this event to the animals of the Humane Society of Utah! Get a wonderful portrait of your own special friends, and help OUR special friends here at the shelter at the same time!

Faith... continued from page 4

Looking Back... continued from page 6

how important what I and others who donate their services to the animals is. The Humane Society of Utah has only a limited number of staff members who can actually get to spend one-on-one time with their charges, and I realized that one of my most meaningful contributions had been getting to know the individual personalities of the animals, so that I could be a facilitator in matching potential

adopters with the right adoptees.I’m very thankful that I took the college class that introduced

me to the world of animal welfare work; I’m thankful to HSU for the opportunity to have both given and received so much love; and I’m thankful for the priceless lessons in relationships that Sookie taught me. She will forever be a piece of my heart. v