Serving the animals and citizens of Iowa County and its surrounding communities
… In looking back at the last newsletter, I wrote about March being a month of transition and here we are in May - still “transitioningâ€. And I also said that I like to ‘transition slowly’ from one season to the next, but Mother Nature is being ridiculous! I am impatient for warmer weather. Speaking of being impatient, I think it must have been a long winter for my cats also. I am watching Socks. She is in the middle of a bed of phlox going round and round chasing her tail (this is a behavior that I first noticed this past winter). She is having a great time and I am enjoying her antics. But why is it that she can’t chase her tail three feet in any direction and be outside of the flower bed? Which reminds me of the other morning when she was playing ‘leapfrog’ over the flats of impatiens which were setting on the deck. Socks was having a great time and I have to admit, she was very entertaining until she landed in the middle of one of the flats. I have a feeling that she did it on purpose…but I still love her. As you read my letter it is important to remember that I am a volunteer and these are my thoughts.
As far as changes at the new facility, there have been a lot of positive things happening since I wrote last. As you know, one of my main concerns is the dogs – their need for more attention, exercise and education. Sharon Shea and Pam Richardson volunteered their time and offered sessions to the staff and volunteers on how to better interact with the dogs. The goal is to make sure that the time each dog is handled becomes ‘quality time’ – for both the dog and the handler. At the session which I attended, they used Macy to demonstrate proper techniques to be used when handling dogs. Macy is a sweet dog who gives the impression that the word ‘training’ is not in her vocabulary, but within just a couple of minutes she was obeying Pam’s commands. This session was very worthwhile! Since we have been using these techniques, it is amazing how quickly the dogs have caught on. They are so eager to please! The plan is to have Sharon and Pam come back sometime this summer and do a follow-up session.
Sharon is also involved with the Iowa County 4-H Dog Project (I’m not sure if Pam is involved with 4-H or not). This is another great avenue in which some of the ICHS shelter dogs are able to be ‘out and about’ and be handled by some very enthusiastic 4-H kids. About half of the participating ICHS dogs found homes last year. This is such a ‘win-win situation’. The dogs, of course, benefit from the training. The kids learn by doing the handling and the training, and you reap the rewards when you adopt a well-trained dog.
One of the goals at the shelter is to get the dogs out of their kennels for additional walks other than just their am/pm walks. This is where more volunteers are needed. As the weather warms up and many of you are out walking/jogging anyway, why not come out and exercise a dog or two at the same time? Granted, you will have to attend a training session and you will occasionally have to ‘pick up’ after your pooch, but the dogs need YOU if we are to meet the goal of getting the dogs out more often. And let’s not forget about the kitties! For those of you who would prefer to sit with a kitty on your lap, that can also be arranged.
Cheri is working on a new outreach program called Paws & Claws University. This will consist of a series of continuing education seminars dealing with timely animal topics. The first seminar is “Bully for You – De-mystifying the Bully Breedsâ€. This session will be on Sunday, May 22, from 1 to 3 pm at ICHS. I am really looking forward to these sessions, and I hope to meet some of you there. Contact Cheri for more information.
I would also like to extend a welcome to the newest member of the ICHS board. Dawn Judd was recently appointed to fill the vacant seat. Dawn has worked tirelessly in many fundraising endeavors. Thank you so much, Dawn, for willing to invest your time and energy in helping the animals of Iowa County.
If you have any suggestions or ideas about the content of ICHS PAWPRINTS, please contact me, Terri Davis. And I need your adopted animal’s success story. My address is: roadhogbiker@gmail.com
A small, but enthusiastic group of volunteers meet monthly to plan the 2011 fundraisers. We meet the 2 nd Wednesday of the month (call Cheri for verification) at the shelter to continue the discussion and planning of future events. Please join us if you would like to be a part of the fundraising committee. And if you can’t make it to the meetings, please e-mail Cheri at ICHS and share your ideas with her. Up-coming events include:
ICHS Plant Sale
The 5 th annual ‘ICHS Plant Sale’ will be held in the parking lot at ICHS on the following Saturdays: May 14 th and May 28 th from 9:00-noon. There will be annuals and perennials for sale. No vegetables. I have less annual bedding plants than in past years as I don’t have the room and the time to care for them. However, those that I do have look GREAT (if I do say so myself), but there is no guarantee that they will be in bloom for the May 14 th sale. I do have a wide variety of perennials, but it is difficult to transport so many plants so I can only bring a few of each variety per sale date. I will probably have a greater selection of plants at the May 28 th sale than at the initial sale. The Uplands Garden Club will be having their annual plant sale at Harris Park and (from what I understand) you will find a huge variety of plants to choose from. So…you can attend two plant sales, have a great selection of plants to choose from and donate to two worthy causes. If you have questions about the variety and availability of plants at the ICHS sale, you may contact me at roadhogbiker@gmail.com
Other Upcoming ICHS Events
We have been discussing several future events – some of which are the “annual eventsâ€, but we have also been talking about a variety of new fundraisers. At this time, I won’t go into the details as some of these ideas are tentative. However, continue to watch the ICHS website for details of the upcoming summer events.
We all know that all animals are ‘special’ but the animals featured in this section are indeed special. These are ‘special needs’ animals. The special person/family who adopts one of these animals knows that this may/may not be the long-term relationship which we hope for when we open our hearts and homes to a new family member. These animals ‘forever homes’ with us may be just for a short time before they move on…But, nevertheless, these animals need a home and a loving family just as we all do. Are you possibly the family that could provide a home for one of these animals? If not, do you know of a family who could provide a loving home for these animals? If so, please come out to ICHS and find out more about these animals from the ICHS staff.
Daphne
Daphne is an older yellow Lab. Daphne came to ICHS late last summer, and I thought that she would find a home relatively quickly, but that was not to be. Being an older dog, she is a joy to walk and would make a great walking companion. She gets along well with most cats and dogs. She does have some health issues. Because of her advanced age, it is hoped that someone will take this sweet old dog (foster or adopt) and provide her the opportunity to roam your backyard, chase a squirrel now and then (never fear, she won’t catch one) and lie at your feet at the end of the day. If you could possibly provide Daphne with love, companionship and your home, please come and meet this sweet old gal. So…Daphne needs a home.
JAX
Jax is a handsome, long-haired, grey kitty who tested positive for feline leukemia. He is probably 3-4 years old. He reminds me of a BIG Teddy Bear – especially when staff and volunteers carry him around. He puts his front ‘arms’ around his person’s neck and lovingly holds on. He loves attention and is very playful. Mary (who recently fell in love with Callie and has since adopted her) gives Jax the credit for helping Callie to overcome her fears of leaving her cage. Callie was always frightened when having to leave her cage which in turn led to some ‘undesirable behaviors’. However, after she and Jax were moved to the ‘Catnip Lounge’, she would see Jax play, play and play some more which led her to want to get in on the action. So after Jax was put back in his cage, Callie started to willingly venture out. Jax, you are a ‘good guy’- you helped Callie get a home! And, on a side note, I believe that Jax is the cat who helps out when staff are doing temperament testing with the dogs. Jax does not get along with other cats so he probably needs to be an ‘only’ cat, and he must be kept indoors. I can’t go into the specifics of Jax’s condition, but it can’t be ignored that he will probably have a shorter lifespan than most cats. He is in wonderful shape right now – lots of energy and has a let’s play, play, play attitude! So…Jax needs a home.
Dominic, Walter & Sarah
Dominic Walter Sarah
Dominic , Walter and Sarah are special-needs cats. These sweet cats have been diagnosed with FIV. Because I am not an expert on FIV, I went to bestfriends.org/theanimals/…cats_fiv.cfm to find more information. I am going to paraphrase some facts from Kristi Littrell’s article, “FIV: Catching a Bad Case of Rumorsâ€. FIV facts include:
As I read the above facts from Littrell’s article, it seems that having a FIV cat isn’t too different from having any other cat. These kitties need lots of love, need to be kept indoors and would probably do better in a quiet household. That pretty much is what most cats need.
Dominic is very playful, very ‘kittenish’.
Walter is “sweetness personifiedâ€.
Sarah is loving but isn’t into being picked up.
Two additional FIV cats have come to the shelter, but I don’t know much about them. Noreen and Duchess are two sweet kitties who apparently came in together – perhaps they are from the same litter. They enjoy each other’s company and it would be great if they could be placed in a home where they can continue to be together. So…these five special kitties need a home.
It is never easy to say “goodbye” to our friends and family, but please note that your adopted pet has touched many lives. When your pet crosses the Rainbow Bridge, feel free to let us know about your loved ones passing.
I need your help if I am to continue to feature the success stories which begin the moment your adopted companion chooses you. It is not difficult for me to write a paragraph that showcases your pet. The problem that I have is finding YOU and your pet. I don’t know who you are or how to contact you. If you would be interested in having your pet’s story in the newsletter, please e-mail me at roadhogbiker@gmail.com . A picture and a brief write up about your pet(s) is all that I need. If I don’t have enough info, I will get back to you. It would be helpful to know your pet’s shelter name (if you renamed your pet), when you adopted, pet’s favorite activities, other pets that you have and whatever else you care to include. If you are not able to send a picture, that’s OK. Many of you send periodic updates regarding your adopted pet to the shelter. I can use those write-ups if you would please indicate (in your letter to ICHS) that you are giving me permission to include your pet’s story in the newsletter. I hope to hear from you!
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Kwik-Trip Fund-Raiser
We have chosen Kuranda dog beds 
because they are so good for our dogs. We don't have enough for all of our kennels. You can help by donating a bed.
PetFinder
Iowa County Humane Society
305 Co. Rd. YZ
P.O. Box 195
Dodgeville, WI 53533
Phone: 608-935-1381
Fax: 608-935-2884
e-mail: office@ichs.net
For additional contacts go to:
Board of Directors and Staff
WI Dog Seller & Dog Facility Operator license #267019-DS
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