Open for adoptions of course!

NHS Open for Pet Adoptions on New Year’s Day

On Friday, January 1, Nevada Humane Society will be open for adoptions from 11am to 5pm. In celebration of the new year, the first people who adopt a pet in 2010 will receive special prizes and recognition on our website, both for the first dog adoption and first cat adoption. Come by and enjoy a glass of sparkling apple cider and toast to the new year.

Last year, Nevada Humane Society was open on New Year’s Day for the first time ever and 49 pets found loving homes that day in just 6 hours! Help us spread the word to find loving homes for these deserving orphaned pets in the shelter.
http://www.nevadahumanesociety.org/

Unfortunately this is a US shelter. Does anyone know of any Australian ones that open on New Years Day?

I’m getting married on Wednesday, so am logging off until the new year. Happy xmas to you, your family and all of your furkids!

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Old Madam was surrendered when her owners moved. She’s not an overly confident dog, so will need time to bond. She is rude and confrontational with other dogs, so she’d be best being the only canine at home. Due to her low sociability and age, it’s best if she goes to a home with no children.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

I’m working with a group who have a fear of their public. They’re so afraid, that when I began to coach them to write a pet profile which highlights some of their adoptable pet’s best attributes, rather than just their worst, it threw them into a fit of panic;

Not all our dogs are perfect or even great. That’s just misleading and ultimately, dishonest. I’m uncomfortable with euthanasing animals just because they’re not perfect but I’m certainly not about to gloss them just to make them more appealing for someone who needs to be persuaded. Want a dog, here it is and here’s the truth about it. Don’t like the truth, bye.

People who think a dog is perfect, because he’s been marketed that way, bring the dog back. When shelter animals come back and they run the risk of being euthanased. Everyone in PR/marketing at the shelter has that in the back of their minds, so we don’t do gloss. Some of them aren’t lovable. They just need love. You will never convince me, or anyone who has worked at a shelter that spin or gloss is the way to sell animals. We’re honest, skidmarks n’ all.

Now if this shelter manager is right, and using a few positive adjectives in their pet advertisements leads to a spike in unsuitable adoptions, then frankly we’re dealing with much, much bigger problems than bad marketing. Are they not discussing pet ownership expectations with potential adopters? Interviewing them to match them to the right pets?

But the thing is, a rush of returns won’t be what happens. Apart from the whining, the exaggeration, and the hysteria, the problem with the shelter manager’s argument is that its based on a number of bad assumptions.

Bad assumption #1; people who are looking to adopt are the same people who surrender animals for trivial reasons.

The idea that ‘people are irresponsible, so we have to keep them from getting pets’, is universally false when dealing with potential adopters.

For a start, of the dozens of places this pet lover could have chosen to get their pet from, all of which are likely more accessible, convenient and straightforward, they have still chosen to visit a shelter. They have done exactly what we ask them to. Also, they are often attempting to adopt an adult pet, rather than a cute puppy, so they should get at least some credit for being willing to take an adult, faults and all.

Of course we’ll still want to have programs that support these owners through common behavioural problems to ensure their pet ownership experience is enjoyable and rewarding and to set them up for a successful life, but we need to give our fears about potential adopters a reality check. Chances are if they were truly ‘irresponsible’ we wouldn’t be dealing with them at all.

Bad assumption #2; you can’t write a positive pet profile and still include the pets negative traits

When we’re putting together creative advertisements for our pets we’re not trying to ‘gloss over’ less desirable traits, we’re aiming to attract the kind of owner that would suit them. Rather than write about all the pets negatives to keep the wrong homes away, we’re writing to engage the right home.

We use a little formula when we’re helping new groups with writing pet profiles for the first time;
- What’s the best thing about the pet?
- What’s the best thing about the pet’s new owner?
- How would the pet’s perfect day go?

By answering these questions when writing a pet profile it gets you thinking, not about the pet’s limitations, but about what kind of home would actually suit the pet, the pet’s ideal owner and how best to pitch to target the advertisement to them.

We no longer protect pets by keeping the wrong people away, but seeking out and engaging the right people.

At the core of this debate was a 9 year old staffy named Madam. Madam’s owners had to downsize. She was old, got tired easily and sometimes peed without realising it. But she had a lovely smoochy face, kind eyes and given the month waiting period to get into this shelter, had come from a family who cared for her.

Rather than a general outline of the disadvantages of adopting this lady, I implored the shelter to consider spending time highlighting her personality, with the view that some of the things we deemed as negatives would actually be positives in the eyes of her new family. These little personal details, good and bad, would draw in the right kind of adopter. This is the kind of advert that would find Madam a home.

Everyone dreams of a worry free retirement of relaxation and maybe a little luxury. That’s certainly what I had hoped for. Growing old with my loving owner, watching TV… eating the occasional carrot (its weird for a dog I know, but i just love those crunchy veg).

I think it could be said I’ve always been a good dog. I might have spooked cats, and I’ve never been terribly good with other dogs. But I’ve always tried hard and always loved my family with all of my heart.

But then my owner moved and now here I am. An old dog in a shelter full of young dogs. So much noise and nothing like home.

To be honest, I’m a little scared. What if there is no one for me now? What if no one wants an old recycled dog that gets tired easily, can’t really run any more and sometimes pees in the night? What if no one wants a dog with a grey muzzle who hates the young whippersnappers sniffing her and would rather not go to the dog park?

What then?

What I need is a new person. One who doesn’t have a dog, or little kids, but that understands that some of getting old is embarrassing and frustrating and whom will make a promise to me to protect me forever. Who will watch TV with me in the evenings and let me sleep indoors with them.

My forever heart-person – I will wait for you. Please hurry.
……………..

Madam is our pet of the week. She needs an extra special owner and a special comfy bed which we will provide as part of her adoption package. She also will need to be fed premium food (we can advise you) and regular health check ups to keep her in tip top shape.

If you think you would be a good candidate as a lifetime home for Madam, then please give us a call.

By targeting her adoptability as ‘a senior for a senior’, to newspapers and websites primarily targeting seniors, we are putting her in front of the kind of people we’re looking for. I’d also give her a snappy title on her PetRescue listing, like ‘devoted senior seeks loving retirement’. And I’d have a list of other senior pets available so that when Madam was adopted, we could have another profile ready to pitch to any other suitable homes.

Positive, authentic profiles find pets their perfect homes.

Bad assumption #3; a return is some kind of unmitigated failure.

Certainly, pets who’ve been returned are at risk if we start to view them as unadoptable. But from their ‘failed’ adoption comes a whole host of new information about the pet which can be used to make the next home a much better match.

Also, the family who returned the pet, now knows much, much more about their animal requirements. Like human relationships, it’s hard to pick the love of your life in a fifteen minute date and yet often, the family doesn’t get much more time than that to choose their new family member.

If you start to view returns as simply a ‘trial adoption that didn’t work out’, suddenly some of the guilt and blame is removed and you can start a dialogue that will result in a much more positive outcome for the pet.

Resistance to the public and efforts to ‘turn them off’ have caused the death of many, many more pets than a campaign promoting the best of rescue pet adoption ever could.

We are in the business of creating a demand for these animals. Marketing your pets positive traits in an authentic fashion will bring you nothing but improved outcomes for your animals. In contrast a fear of failed adoptions stifle creativity and frankly just sucks all the fun out of one of the funnest parts of our job!

Our power comes not from resisting our public, putting up walls and trying to keep the ‘bad’ people away; but opening our organisations to our communities, asking for assistance and working to encourage the ‘right’ homes to adopt. While our guys aren’t perfect, we must dare to do show how perfectly lovable they are.

I’m the first encourage rescue groups to join forces with the corporate world. The skills and resources of commercial companies combined with the goodwill of rescue means huge benefits to both parties if the right partnership is struck. But while relationships with like-minded organisations are beneficial to rescue, others run contradictory to our pledge to better animal welfare and do more damage than good.

Businesses who make money trading off the farming of companion animals, and who support those who view dogs and cats as a cash crop are obviously the kind we would want to avoid as animal rescuers…. wouldn’t we?

Take this year’s Pets Paradise Christmas Giving Tree.

Pets Paradise is the largest retailler of live pets, puppies and kittens in Australia. They made a cool $80 million dollars profit last year from pet and pet product sales and their model relies directly on the ‘impulse’ of passing foot traffic.

With an enviable position in the retail world, millions of people visit the Pets Paradise franchise stores every week. What visit to the local shops would be complete without kids dragging their parents to see Pets Paradise? The retail franchise has a captive audience every week looking at the product offering.
Franchisee information

The idea of their promotion is this – visitors to Pets Paradise stores can purchase an item to donate to an ‘animal shelter’. That’s it. The store gets extra sales and the company gets to claim the valuable ‘halo’ of being seen to be helping rescue.

But wait! I hear you saying. The company isn’t contributing anything and are directly benefiting financially! Plus, aren’t they the kind of business we’d want to avoid?

Exactly. And that’s why when animal shelters were approached with this idea, they told Pets Paradise to go swivel. They could see that they were simply trying to ‘cash in’ on the kindness of the community towards animal rescue groups to improve their nefarious reputation.

That is, most animal shelters but one. And you’ll never guess who it was…

Christmas is always an exciting and beautiful time for families, but we shouldn’t forget our furry friends who are not lucky enough to have a home of their own.

Pets Paradise helped to donate over $50,000 worth of pet food, toys and accessories to The Lost Dogs Home, helping all of pet friends have a Merry Christmas. ref

So while animal rescue groups nationally are trying to educate the public about the problems with purchasing puppies and kittens from pet shops this xmas, the Lost Dogs Home is lending their name to help Pets Paradise launder its reputation. Not one to say no to a corporate relationship over a silly thing like ‘principals’, the Lost Dogs Home took the entire $50,000 donation of product. And the benefits to Pets Paradise were so enormous, that they’re looking to double the size of their campaign this year!

Last year our generous customers helped us donate over $55,00 in much needed supplies to animal shelters across the country. This year we aim to double the amount in donated goods for various shelters Australia wide.

Dear friends, if you have a passion to help animals in need, then simply purchase a gift from any of our Pets Paradise stores across Australia, place it under the Christmas tree and take home a tree tag to hang on your tree as a token of our and the animal shelters appreciation. ref

$100,000 and a whole bunch of goodwill to Pets Paradise, a company who should definitely not be benefiting from the work of animal rescuers. But thanks to the help of the Lost Dogs Home, they can enjoy basking in the glow of a successful holiday boom.

Merry Christmas!

Last month Mildura Council was in hot water with their public for shooting six cats shortly after they were dropped at the pound, when a vet was available to offer the cats a medical euthanasia. Outraged cat lovers called for the council worker to be sacked, but the worker was defended by council management who said the cats “were feral and unable to be controlled“.

While a council who refuses to look at options other than euthanasia for feral cats is certainly nothing new, the same whistleblower who witnessed the shootings has now revealed more details about the cats involved. Namely, that they weren’t only not feral, but that he’d previously handled them, moving them into the cages they would be in when they were shot.

Cats ‘weren’t feral’

A Mildura Animal Shelter worker, who last month blew the whistle on cat shootings at the pound, yesterday claimed more than six animals had been shot.

The man, who was working at the shelter under Centrelink’s Work for the Dole scheme and witnessed the shootings, contacted Sunraysia Daily yesterday after council refused to respond to his allegations.

Animal lovers across the nation and abroad were appalled to hear accounts of cats being shot last month.

It prompted calls for Mayor Glenn Milne to step down and for the council worker who shot the animals to be fired.

Council later admitted to shooting six “feral” cats, despite having a contract with a Mildura veterinarian to euthanise animals.

At that time, the shooting was dubbed cruel and unnecessary by RSPCA president Dr Hugh Wirth who said a formal investigation would be launched.

The witness said he was keen to set the record straight on the shootings, including “false” claims that the impounded cats were unmanageable and wild.

“I just really wanted people to know they weren’t feral and that there wasn’t only six of them,” he said.

“I am the one who put them in the cages.” ref

The sheer level of attention and backlash this has caused Mildura Council shows just how out of step and out of touch they are with their community. While animal lovers are desperate and pleading for change, the leadership of Mildura are defending and protecting each other. But who is protecting the pets from them?

The community will no longer put up with lazy animal departments, entrenched in a culture of killing which is neither merciful, nor ethical. We will no longer accept cats being killed arbitrarily, and as they were in this case, in an unnecessarily brutal manner. This council is to be condemned not only for a lack of compassion, but a deliberate attempt to hide from public scrutiny the fact that these animals were killed needlessly.

Animal management departments who don’t value life are being outed by their communities. We will no longer tolerate the systematic killing of pets.

Should you get a cat this xmas?

While rescue groups beg people to resist the urge to buy pets as presents and for anyone who isn’t ready for the commitment of a pet, to ‘just get a stuffed animal instead’ seems people have… actually been listening!

The claws are out for manufacturers flogging $112 toy cats for Christmas while hundreds of moggies costing just $80 face death.
…..
Dr Webb said it was ironic that one of the surprise Christmas toy hits this year was the FurReal Lulu cat which, for $119.40, purrs, meows and moves.

“How does a stuffed toy cat compare to a warm, wet smooch on Christmas morning and a living creature that purrs and meows and plays, sitting on your lap and lapping up the love?” she said.

“And, unlike these toys that cost more than $100 and rely on batteries, our kittens cost $80, our adult cats just $65; and they are for life, and not just Christmas.” ref

.
Lols…

In other cat news

The Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service (WIRES) revealed that from 1991-2009 in NSW, there were a staggering 34,363 attacks by cats on native birds and animals.

Now the use of the word ’staggering’ reveals a fair amount of journalist bias here; not to mention the title: “Cats make Central Coast a killing field of native wildlife”. But are these numbers indeed ’staggering’?

Lets see, 1991 – 2009 is 18 years, and worked our per year the number is just shy of 2,000 per year, attacks not fatalities. While the same organisation features these details on their website:

Every night there are thousands of hit-and-run fatalities on our roads and the victims are our native animals. Approximately 2.5 million animals are killed by motor vehicles in NSW alone each year, that’s 7,000 a day.

Perspective people! There’s a damaging, introduced species killing our natives alright; they drive Monaros at 100kmph.

Dr Chris, Bondi Vet gave an interview last night on The 7PM Project about those regressive Melbourne cat curfews. His take on it all was quite excellent, pointing out that while we all want to see cats protected and their welfare improved, using the threat of fines and ‘a big stick’ is heavy handed and unnecessary.

He compared cats to solar hot water systems; that maybe instead of issuing fines for non-compliance, the government could offer rebates to people who bought cat-enclosures or participated in other responsible ownership initiatives.

Just when I thought I couldn’t <3 him more, there he goes and bes all helpful *swoon*.

Kinda sad though, that the idea of encouraging owners and acting compassionately towards cats (not issuing fines and setting traps) is coming from a TV vet and not those claiming to be working in ‘cat welfare’.

See the interview below (you’ll want to kick it off at 2:36 for the cat stuff, or just let it run from the beginning if you like a bit of Dr Chris action).

Cross posted from Dogzonline, because it’s just. so. cool.

Deck The Halls, at Hawkesbury

Hawkesbury Shelter have an angel, that’s for sure!

Theresa who works intimately with the animals at Hawkesbury, caring for, cleaning, feeding, coating, giving medications, nurturing and goodness knows what else, has had a dream this year:

To have a Christmas display for the animals, where her friends are celebrated, their urgent plight recognized and very much considered.

This dream has been discussed vigorously with imaginations running wild for 12 months.

Kelly, Hawkesbury’s team leader has passionately supported Theresa’s dream and has been an integral part of the shenanigans and wild brain storming. (Not to mention climbing around on the Shelters roof last night for ages adding decorations and lights)

Last night there was a huge amount of secretive work underway once the Shelters doors closed. A great effort that continued until after 9 pm. It was very much a family affair with Staff, Mums, Husbands, and kids working away with fabric, props, lights, Tinsel & decorations.

And just look at the result!!

See the rest of the great pics here.

Thanks to Harry for the tip. From the Herald Sun…

Buckley’s got a cute, new mate – his very own Buckley soft toy.

The stuffed toys are an almost perfect replica of the maimed pup, right down to his hacked ears and stumpy tail.

See others in the ‘ultra real LDH pound pets’ including a dead cat beanie baby (foster carers need not apply), 

and the shy-dog, catchpole and euthanasia play kit (makes a great xmas gift for the outdated shelter manager who has everything).

I’m joking obviously. No one pays as much attention to a dead pet as a cute, mutilated one.

And sadly for the others who aren’t Lost Dogs Home pinups, not all pets are as valuable as Buckley.

……..
Edited to add comment from a co-worker:
Perhaps we should create the convulsing dog as a replica of the pooch that died in the back of a ranger’s van last year.

Yes, we should get right on that…

Bayside Council in Victoria are continuing their march towards a new year cat-curfew to compliment their compulsory desexing and registration scheme.

Bayside Council co-ordinator of local laws and investigations Ken Waxell said a 12-person working body had reviewed the new laws, which also dictate the mandatory desexing of kittens.

A cat protection officer hired to enforce the ban would mainly educate pet owners, Mr Waxell said, but would also be in charge of issuing fines and catching stray cats.

“The primary role is to educate the community how to control their pets, mainly cats,” he said.

“Sometimes people might need advice on what is the best pet, they might be suited more to a goldfish than a cat, for instance.”

First-time offenders will receive a $200 fine. But if a cat owner chose to contest it in court, the costs could rocket to $2000. ref

I hope you all got as enormous a belly laugh as I did at Mr Maxwell’s quip that those people who have trouble keeping their pets indoors, (namely the elderly and those who work after dark) would probably be better suited to a goldfish. Certainly, I felt reassured that the single ‘cat protection officer’ allocated to the task of issuing fines and trapping amongst the community of 94,000 residents, will also be doing an education campaign on appropriate cat control, in the face of this new push encouraging people to trap their neighbours cats.

I’m sure those cat welfare groups who have lobbied so hard for these new laws are pleased that they’ve got the support of this council. I’m also sure they’ve the required facilities to hold and rehome the January influx of unowned and semi-owned cats who get caught up in this new legislation. Because when using laws to ‘reduce cat euthanasia’ it could only be described as ironic if we see an increase in killing.

Mr Waxell said long-running cat curfew programs introduced by councils such as Mornington and Wyndham had been declared a success, with less wildlife being preyed upon by cats and fewer cats being lost or run over.

Now I’m yet to see the Mornington and Wyndham wildlife study, although I expect it will be out shortly. I also am awaiting the research into baseline lost cat numbers, to compare to their new statistics on lost cats. And as for those cats being run over; I eagerly await both of these councils research into cat/car fatalities.

Or could it be that we’re just making things up that sound good now?

Surely not.