Serving the animals and citizens of Iowa County and its surrounding communities
After a very mild winter, spring has been uneventful – with the exception of March and April being switched around! I believe this was the only year (since keeping track of weather stats) that the March temps were warmer than those of April. Mother Nature seems to be back on track as we head toward summer. The threat of frost is pretty much over (knock on wood). Farmers are in the fields, gardens are being tilled, and thriving plants line the shelves at the garden centers. Calves and lambs cavort in the pastures. Chicks and ducklings are being brought home from the hatcheries. I have yet to see any foals or fawns. Kittens and puppies are finding their way to the shelter… As you read this letter it is important to remember that I am a volunteer and these are MY thoughts.
My husband, Chuck, and I spent a few days in New Orleans this past March (it was just as warm in Wisconsin as it was in Louisiana). As we were returning home, we ended up spending a night in Vicksburg, MS. There are some absolutely beautiful areas in Mississippi and Vicksburg is one of them! We got up early the next morning so that we could get an early start – a bit too early because the Shoney’s restaurant where we intended to have breakfast wasn’t open yet. So we sat in the parking lot waiting for the doors to open and as it turned out, there was another person (from Wisconsin) waiting to have breakfast also. He was from Fond du Lac and works at the Point Beach Nuclear Facility (in Wisconsin). He is a ‘troubleshooter’ and had volunteered to spend a couple of months at the nuclear facility in Vicksburg. He worked the “graveyard shift†and was stopping for breakfast before heading back to his room to sleep. When we finally were welcomed inside, we sat together and talked mostly about the political problems in Wisconsin, sightseeing opportunities in Iowa County and Fond du Lac and our families. He mentioned that he was a dog-lover and then the conversation went something like this:
Steve asked us if we had been over to the Wal-Mart and noticed the stray dogs in the parking lot. He said that at any given time, you will find 8 – 12 dogs hanging out in the parking lot. They are “feral†and scavenge for food. I told him that we hadn’t been to Wal-Mart. He said that at his efficiency apartment, he has two “feral†dogs (similar to small golden retrievers) who he was feeding. They wouldn’t come to him, but stayed close to his apartment and so he fed them. He asked his wife (in Fond du Lac) if he could catch them, could he bring them back to Wisconsin. Nice wife that she apparently is, she said “Yesâ€. So he borrowed a ‘live trap’ from the Vicksburg-Warren County Humane Society. He was not able to catch either dog. As a matter of fact when he got up that afternoon the dogs were in the yard waiting for supper, but the trap had been stolen!!! Steve was to head back to Wisconsin in ten days, and he wasn’t real optimistic about catching the dogs. I was so impressed that Steve was trying to help the dogs, but at the same time what bothered me was, “What happens to those dogs (who were depending on him for food) after he returned to Wisconsinâ€? And what about the local humane society? Why were there dogs – on a daily basis – in a parking lot? How many other dogs were in other parking lots in Warren County? And what about the area cats??? As we were headed north that morning, we saw three dogs. One was dead - lying on the side of the road (had been there for several days); the other two (not together – a couple of miles apart) were ‘skin and bones’ on legs. I just wanted to cry! I couldn’t get them out of my mind! Can you imagine going to our local stores and seeing skinny dogs in the parking lot begging for food? Just think how fortunate we are to have the Iowa County Humane Society and our humane officer, Cheri Phillmore! Please continue to support the animals of Iowa County.
If you have any suggestions or ideas about the content of ICHS PAWPRINTS, please contact me, Terri Davis at roadhogbiker@gmail.com
A small, but enthusiastic group of volunteers meet monthly to plan the ICHS fundraisers. We meet the 3 rd Tuesday of the month at 7 o’clock at the shelter (call Cheri for verification). Our meetings include the discussion of ideas for possible events as well as the planning of actual events. The fundraising meeting follows the 6 o’clock outreach and education committee meeting (for information regarding this committee, see the November 2011 Newsletter or call Cheri for details). Please join us if you would like to be a part of either of these two committees. And if you can’t make it to the meetings, please e-mail Cheri at ICHS and share your ideas with her.
Tellington TTouch Training
Last October, Sage Lewis, presented a Tellington TTouch fundraiser/workshop at ICHS. Sage will be back in May for a repeat performance. Tellington TTouch ( www.ttouch.com ) is a means of helping your pets with common everyday challenges such as shyness, anxiety and vet visits. When Sage was here in October, she did a TTouch for Dogs (and cats) Demo and lecture which was a fundraiser for ICHS. This time around Sage will do a TTouch for Cats (and dogs) Demo on Friday, May 18 th from 6:30-7:30 p.m. This hour-long lecture/demo will be a fundraiser with the $20/person admission going to the humane society. The TTouch workshop on Sunday, May 20th is from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and is the only one of its kind in Wisconsin. The focus of Sunday’s workshop will be on your dog and you! There are only 8 spots available so you and your dog can be assured of having Sage’s personal attention. Contact Cheri at ICHS for more info or go to Sage@DancingPorcupine.com
ICHS Plant Sale
The 6 th annual ‘ICHS Plant Sale’ will be held in the parking lot at ICHS on consecutive Saturdays: May 19 th and May 26 th from 9:00 – noon. There will be annuals and perennials for sale. No vegetables, herbs, house plants or grasses. I have a greater selection of both annuals and perennials than at past sales. The proceeds from last year’s sale purchased the surgery table for the shelter. It has been determined that this year’s monies will go towards vet scales and (depending on our sale) possibly a microscope. There are also two other nice area plant sales on the 19 th. The Spring Green Garden Club’s sale is at the Spring Green Community Library from 6:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. The Uplands Garden Club will again hold their sale at Harris Park (here in Dodgeville) beginning at 8:00 a.m. Keep in mind that there are also FFA sales going on at many area high schools. Check ICHS’s website and Face book for more info. You can contact me at roadhogbiker@gmail.com and I will attempt to respond to your questions.
Lands’End Farmers Market
ICHS will once again have a booth at the Farmers Market at Lands’ End on Thursday, May 31 st from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is a fun event with many vendors selling a variety of products. ICHS will have baked goods, plants and ???
Mounds Dog Fest
ICHS will have a promotion table at Mounds Dog Fest. Mounds Dog Fest is Sunday, June 10 th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Angells Park in Sun Prairie.
Paws n Claws Seminars
Cheri is currently scheduling educational seminars for the Paws n Claws University series. These seminars are not fundraisers but were started in 2011 to provide educational opportunities (to the public) about various issues regarding animals. The May Paws n Claws seminar is on Sunday the 27 th and will feature Lisa and Polly Dake from Canine Solutions LLC in Beaver Dam. They will be featuring a dog bite safety seminar from l to 3 p.m. Last year Polly presented at Paws N Claws and did an outstanding job. There is no admission fee. Simply come with your questions and concerns and enjoy the afternoon.
Other Upcoming ICHS Events
Our committee is also discussing some other fundraisers. Continue to watch the ICHS website for details of future 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.
Dominic, Sarah, Noreen, Duchess, Walter, & Bernard
These 6 kitties are special needs cats – they have been diagnosed with FIV. There is a lot of information about FIV on the Internet, but for starters you can go to the March 2012 PawPrints Newsletter to learn more. Although I am not an expert on FIV (and FeLV), I addressed these two ‘conditions’ in the last issue. These six cats are normal, happy cats and are waiting for a home. Since these cats are (and will be) included in PawPrints until they find homes, I thought I should get to know these cats personally. After meeting these cats last February, I can’t begin to explain how ‘normal’ these cats are. If I were able to have one or two of these cats, I don’t know how I could possibly choose among them. So if I can convince you to open up your home to one of these sweeties, you will have to come and meet all of them - I can’t begin to do them justice. Noreen and Duchess are grandmother and granddaughter and ‘sweet’ is definitely in their genetic make-up! I was told that it wasn’t necessary to carry these two kitties to the ‘meet & greet’ room; they go by themselves! I was skeptical, but guess what? They do! You just open their cage door and they walk right to the ‘meet & greet’ room! And, guess what? When it is time to go back to their cage, they go back by themselves – directly to their cage! How cool are these two? Bernard is the newest arrival. He is friendly and not as timid as he was initially. He is a handsome guy with sparkling green eyes and longer beige fur. Sarah is ‘sweetness-personified’. Walter is a real character - so photogenic and charismatic. Walter also has some other special needs as well; he really needs YOU! Dominic is currently being fostered which reminds me to remind all of you that fostering ICHS animals is a good way to determine if you and the animal are meant to be a family. So…if you are looking for a kitty companion, these kitties are looking for YOU!
JAX and LANCE
Lance is a young, orange tabby. He is a sweetheart. He is special because he is an FeLV kitty, and at the moment, he is the only FeLV kitty at ICHS. So…Lance needs a home.
I couldn’t resist mentioning that (after almost 3 years) of writing about Jax, Jax finally has his ‘forever home’. Carol is a member of the ICHS staff. After getting to know Jax, (and with Bonnie’s approval☺) Carol wasted no time in adopting him. Although Jax is the only kitty that Carol has at the moment, she is an advocate of adopting special needs animals. She has taken in and cared for many FeLV kitties over the years. I am confident that we will be featuring Jax’s success story in a future issue.
Becky
Becky is absolutely the sweetest dog at ICHS! She is an elderly Beagle lady. I have never seen such short legs on a ‘Beagle body’! Becky hasn’t been at ICHS very long, but she has injured one of her short little legs perhaps by jumping in or out of her kennel. She injured a ligament so her walks have been reduced in length. However even with shortened outdoor excursions, Becky’s walks take longer than most of the other dogs’ walks! It’s that Beagle nose of hers! She finds every scent possible! Becky is extremely friendly (as most Beagles are). She also has a heart murmur, but she is doing well on her current medication. Becky needs a quiet home and family to give her the attention which she craves (and deserves). A fenced in backyard would be heavenly! So…Becky needs a home.
Tara
Tara has been at ICHS for almost a year. She is about three years of age, smiles and is a Lab/terrier mix (although some believe that she looks more like a Rhodesian Ridgeback – without the ‘ridge’). She has a very wrinkled face/head and does have sensitive skin so it appears that she may have some Shar Pei in her breeding as well. Tara does need to eat a hypoallergenic diet to keep her skin healthy. She also gets bathed weekly, but she loves baths! In calling Tara “specialâ€, I am not calling attention to her ‘skin condition’ but rather the fact that Tara is the dog which I am using for obedience classes. I really felt the need to learn more about ‘working with dogs’ so I wanted to take an obedience class at Alisha’s Best Friends. Not having a dog of my own, Teresa suggested that I use Tara. Tara has taken everything in stride. She has done very well at our Saturday morning classes – she is a quick learner! I attempt to work with her several times a week as well. She is a very social dog and would love to spend time romping with other dogs. A home with other dogs would be great or perhaps having access to a dog park would suffice. She seems to do well with cats. I walk her between the cat cages at the shelter and she wants to stop and ‘chat’ with each cat. And, of course, she adores people. I imagine that she will be chosen for the 4-H Dog Project which will be a wonderful experience for her! So…Tara needs a home.
Peter Cottontail
ICHS has had a few resident rabbits over the years. Peter Cottontail has been with us for a couple of months and seems to be doing just fine, but it would be nice for him to have a permanent home. I don’t know anything about Peter – other than he is a cutie! Actually I didn’t know anything about rabbits so I went to the Internet to find out more about living with a rabbit. Rather than repeating what I learned about rabbits, you can go on-line yourself or refer to the January 2012 PawPrints newsletter. Having a rabbit isn’t quite the same as having a cat or a dog, but depending on your situation, Peter might just be the perfect pet for you! So…Peter needs 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.
In Memory of Crackers… When walking around looking at the cats’ names and stats at ICHS, Aaron and Steph saw a variety of cats. One was named Martha and couldn’t be held because she was recovering from surgery. But right below Martha was a cage that said, “My name is Crackers. If you want to hold me, please be careful because I am blind.†That’s all they needed to know. This poor cat was blind and the two couldn’t imagine the fear she must have been feeling being in a place where she could hear and smell so many other cats.
They filled out the adoption application and visited her every day until they could take her home. Steph was worried about how well she would adjust, but she proved to be a champ. She had the house mastered within an hour.
When trying to describe her bond with Crackers, Steph said it was indescribable. “We didn’t know her life before us; we didn’t ask and really didn’t want to know. All that mattered was that we were spoiling her rotten and showering her with more love than I think she had ever experienced.â€
Once they had a chance to take her to the vet, they found out that she had an estimated age of 14. In the two days that they had her, Steph had come to cherish Crackers more than she had with any other pet in her life. After learning of her advanced age they were even more determined to make their time with her count.
Steph and Aaron moved after a year and Crackers, once again, mastered the house within an hour. About a year later they decided to get a puppy. Steph was concerned that Crackers might feel deprived of love and attention since she had to share her parents (with Hanley) but it never happened. Hanley and Crackers became best friends. Steph said, “I have always been overly concerned about her. If we went away for a night or two, I would cry fearing that she would be looking for us and would not understand where we had gone. But she proved to us over and over just how courageous and strong she was.â€
About a month ago Steph and Aaron bought a house, which meant Crackers had to move yet again. At the age of 17 they were worried about the move, but within minutes Crackers found her cat box and was relaxed and rolling on the carpet.
The week of April 19, Cracker’s body began shutting down. “I knew that ‘her time’ had come, but I tried to make myself believe she was fine. I couldn’t imagine not having her. We made an appointment to put her down, but she died in my arms in the parking lot of the vet’s office before we could go in. Even in her coma-like state it was as if she knew what was happening, and she wasn’t going to have me go through the pain of watching her leave us,†Steph said.
Steph felt the need to share her story of an extraordinary blind cat. Her blindness was never a disability to her. Steph and Aaron are so happy they could make her last years the best years of her life. “Having her has taught me to never let something hold you back. I will forever remember and love her. Pets are so much more than just a pet. They love unconditionally and don’t judge you,†Steph said.
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.
Dominic, Sarah, Noreen, Duchess, Walter, & Bernard
These 6 kitties are special needs cats – they have been diagnosed with FIV. There is a lot of information about FIV on the Internet, but for starters you can go to the March 2012 PawPrints Newsletter to learn more. Although I am not an expert on FIV (and FeLV), I addressed these two ‘conditions’ in the last issue. These six cats are normal, happy cats and are waiting for a home. Since these cats are (and will be) included in PawPrints until they find homes, I thought I should get to know these cats personally. After meeting these cats last February, I can’t begin to explain how ‘normal’ these cats are. If I were able to have one or two of these cats, I don’t know how I could possibly choose among them. So if I can convince you to open up your home to one of these sweeties, you will have to come and meet all of them - I can’t begin to do them justice. Noreen and Duchess are grandmother and granddaughter and ‘sweet’ is definitely in their genetic make-up! I was told that it wasn’t necessary to carry these two kitties to the ‘meet & greet’ room; they go by themselves! I was skeptical, but guess what? They do! You just open their cage door and they walk right to the ‘meet & greet’ room! And, guess what? When it is time to go back to their cage, they go back by themselves – directly to their cage! How cool are these two? Bernard is the newest arrival. He is friendly and not as timid as he was initially. He is a handsome guy with sparkling green eyes and longer beige fur. Sarah is ‘sweetness-personified’. Walter is a real character - so photogenic and charismatic. Walter also has some other special needs as well; he really needs YOU! Dominic is currently being fostered which reminds me to remind all of you that fostering ICHS animals is a good way to determine if you and the animal are meant to be a family. So…if you are looking for a kitty companion, these kitties are looking for YOU!
JAX and LANCE
Lance is a young, orange tabby. He is a sweetheart. He is special because he is an FeLV kitty, and at the moment, he is the only FeLV kitty at ICHS. So…Lance needs a home.
I couldn’t resist mentioning that (after almost 3 years) of writing about Jax, Jax finally has his ‘forever home’. Carol is a member of the ICHS staff. After getting to know Jax, (and with Bonnie’s approval☺) Carol wasted no time in adopting him. Although Jax is the only kitty that Carol has at the moment, she is an advocate of adopting special needs animals. She has taken in and cared for many FeLV kitties over the years. I am confident that we will be featuring Jax’s success story in a future issue.
Becky
Becky is absolutely the sweetest dog at ICHS! She is an elderly Beagle lady. I have never seen such short legs on a ‘Beagle body’! Becky hasn’t been at ICHS very long, but she has injured one of her short little legs perhaps by jumping in or out of her kennel. She injured a ligament so her walks have been reduced in length. However even with shortened outdoor excursions, Becky’s walks take longer than most of the other dogs’ walks! It’s that Beagle nose of hers! She finds every scent possible! Becky is extremely friendly (as most Beagles are). She also has a heart murmur, but she is doing well on her current medication. Becky needs a quiet home and family to give her the attention which she craves (and deserves). A fenced in backyard would be heavenly! So…Becky needs a home.
Tara
Tara has been at ICHS for almost a year. She is about three years of age, smiles and is a Lab/terrier mix (although some believe that she looks more like a Rhodesian Ridgeback – without the ‘ridge’). She has a very wrinkled face/head and does have sensitive skin so it appears that she may have some Shar Pei in her breeding as well. Tara does need to eat a hypoallergenic diet to keep her skin healthy. She also gets bathed weekly, but she loves baths! In calling Tara “specialâ€, I am not calling attention to her ‘skin condition’ but rather the fact that Tara is the dog which I am using for obedience classes. I really felt the need to learn more about ‘working with dogs’ so I wanted to take an obedience class at Alisha’s Best Friends. Not having a dog of my own, Teresa suggested that I use Tara. Tara has taken everything in stride. She has done very well at our Saturday morning classes – she is a quick learner! I attempt to work with her several times a week as well. She is a very social dog and would love to spend time romping with other dogs. A home with other dogs would be great or perhaps having access to a dog park would suffice. She seems to do well with cats. I walk her between the cat cages at the shelter and she wants to stop and ‘chat’ with each cat. And, of course, she adores people. I imagine that she will be chosen for the 4-H Dog Project which will be a wonderful experience for her! So…Tara needs a home.
Peter Cottontail
ICHS has had a few resident rabbits over the years. Peter Cottontail has been with us for a couple of months and seems to be doing just fine, but it would be nice for him to have a permanent home. I don’t know anything about Peter – other than he is a cutie! Actually I didn’t know anything about rabbits so I went to the Internet to find out more about living with a rabbit. Rather than repeating what I learned about rabbits, you can go on-line yourself or refer to the January 2012 PawPrints newsletter. Having a rabbit isn’t quite the same as having a cat or a dog, but depending on your situation, Peter might just be the perfect pet for you! So…Peter needs a home.
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Kwik-Trip Fund-Raiser
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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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