Serving the animals and citizens of Iowa County and its surrounding communities
…And just where did the summer go? September - to me, is a time of 'transition' which is defined as "the passage of one state, stage or place to another". You don't have to look too hard to find examples of 'transition'. A lot of the summer flowers are still providing color, but mums, asters and golden rod are the 'show stoppers'. The grass continues to grow however it is usually late in the day before the dew is off so it can be mowed. The trees' leaves are still green, but there are faint hints of other colors. The hummingbirds are still zipping past the windows, but they will soon be gone. The flies and mosquitoes are still bothersome but will soon be replaced by those Asian lady beetles and box elder bugs. The farmers' markets have abundant fall produce, and the corn and soybeans are beginning to turn yellow in the fields. It is difficult to detect the deer browsing in the fields because of their darker fall-colored coats. Baseball is winding down and football is taking over. The many, many kittens at the shelter have turned into 'teenagers'. The building that I have spent countless hours at since I started volunteering at ICHS is about to be replaced by a larger dwelling which will better meet the needs of the 'too-many' abandoned and abused animals of Iowa County. Yes…it is time to move on - "Good-bye Summer! As you read this letter it is important to remember that I am a volunteer and these are MY thoughts.
I want to thank whoever had the foresight to partner the 4-H Dog Project with the Iowa County Humane Society. It was absolutely wonderful that some of the ICHS dogs had a chance to be 'normal' dogs and spend time away from the shelter - whether it was just for the evening practices or for the entire summer. I was so impressed with how well-behaved these dogs were at the practices and at the shows. Without knowing the ICHS dogs, you would not have known which dogs were 'shelter' dogs. Now, for some of the highlights…
Cody, the Lab mix, who has been at ICHS going on 3 years benefitted from two handlers. Cody went to the state show in Marshfield with Jessica and came away with a 2nd out of twenty dogs in his obedience class. The talent at the county level is awesome so you can imagine what the competition must be like at the state show! Way to go Jessica and Cody! At the local level, Cody and Fallon received blues in both obedience and showmanship. Great job Fallon and Cody! Cody was fostered for the summer at Jessica's residence.
Mikey, the Boxer mix, who has been at ICHS going on 3 years missed the early training sessions but Renae came to the rescue! Renae accompanied me to a Monday evening practice in June and the 4-H project leaders put Renae to work. They teamed Renae with Mikey. Since Renae missed the first half of the Monday evening practices, she also came to the shelter and worked with Mikey twice a week. The team's efforts paid off as Mikey received a red in obedience and a blue in showmanship. Renae and Mikey - awesome job!
Josie, a shepherd/collie mix, spent the summer away from ICHS at her handlers' residence. Josie had two sisters, Amber and Ashley, working with her. And what a job the girls did with this awesome dog! Josie received a very high rating (196.5 out of 200 pts) for a blue ribbon in her obedience class. It doesn't get much better than that! Way to go Amber, Ashley and Josie!
Lorenzo, an older hound mix (see the write-up in the Special Pets of this newsletter), was shown by Winndie in showmanship. Although Winndie had taken Lorenzo home with her for some long weekend(s), Lorenzo spent the summer at ICHS. It was so wonderful that Lorenzo was chosen to be in the program. It was a great opportunity for him to be able to spend some time away from the shelter. He and Winndie earned a red ribbon in showmanship. Thanks Winndie and Lorenzo for doing a great job!
Duke, a black shepherd mix, lived at the shelter all summer but made his weekly excursions to Mineral Point on Monday evenings. With all of Duke's enthusiasm and exuberance for life, Duke would have benefitted if he could have been worked with every day. He is such a 'happy' dog! Deborah was his handler although Renae helped our occasionally. Duke earned reds in both obedience and showmanship. Thanks Deborah and Duke!
Buddy, a black and white rat terrier, lived with Virginia and her family all summer. Virginia was one of the youngest handlers in the 4-H program and Buddy may be small, but don't tell him that! Virginia did a terrific job with the little terrier! Buddy and Virginia came away with a red in their obedience class. In my opinion, if there would have been a prize for 'cute', Buddy and Virginia would have received the grand prize! Thank you, Virginia and Buddy!
All of these dogs (except for Lorenzo) also participated in agility classes at the fair as well. Agility is so much fun to watch. All of the girls and their dogs did a great job with this fun event.
I could say here that I hope these girls and these dogs have a successful 2011 4-H season; however I am not going to say that. Rather, I am hoping that these deserving dogs will have a 'forever' home before much more time goes by. When you come to the shelter and see these dogs, they might appear a bit 'bouncy', but get them in a home environment, get them into a routine as part of your family, and you will see that they are indeed winners - and you will be a winner also for giving them a chance! Thank you!
A small, but enthusiastic group of volunteers meet monthly to plan the 2010 fundraisers. We will be meeting again on Wednesday, October 6th 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 meeting, please e-mail Cheri at ICHS and share your ideas with her. Up-coming events include:
Rescues & Runways Fashion Show - Maurices is sponsoring an exclusive fashion show in partnership with ICHS. Maurices will provide the newest fall fashions and ICHS will provide the hottest adoptable pets. This fun event will be Sunday, September 19th, at 1:00 in Platteville at the Platteville Community Dog Park (corner of Mineral St. & Valley Rd.). In addition to the fashion show, there will also be a bake sale and silent auction. If you bring a donated item from the ICHS wish list (see ICHS website), you will receive a 20% off coupon good for one item at Maurices. Both cats and dogs will be a part of this fun event.
ICHS Walkathon - This ICHS event has been an annual event for many years - taking many forms trying to 'get it right'. If my memory serves me correctly, the early walks were in June at the Iowa County Fairgrounds in Mineral Point. Then the Walkathon was moved to Dodgeville and was part of the Farmers' Appreciation Day Parade (July). For the past couple of years the walk has been held at Harris Park in Dodgeville in September. Although there isn't a specific plan for a 2010 Walkathon at this writing, we are hoping to continue this event. If there is a 2010 Walkathon, it will be in October. Please check the ICHS website for further information.
Spaghetti Dinner - The Ristorante Italiano Sole Sapori located on Main Street in Mt. Horeb will be the site of a spaghetti dinner which will benefit the ICHS. Please consider reserving the evening of Monday, October 18th for this delicious event. Hours of dining will be from 5:00 - 8:00 pm. The cost is $7.00 for adults and $3.50 for children.
Halloween Magic Show - The Iowa County Professional Policemen's Association sponsored the Glen Gerard Magic Show in Dodgeville a couple of years ago. It was a fun-filled interactive show with audience participation. The same organization is once again sponsoring this event. The show will be on Wednesday, October 27th at 7:00 pm at the Dodgeville High School. For most school districts this is the evening prior to the WEAC Teachers' Convention so the kids can skip the homework as well as sleep in the next morning. Join Glen and have a magical evening and help support the ICHS at the same time.
ICHS Silent Auction - The annual Silent Auction is a major fall fundraiser for ICHS. The auction will be on Sunday, November 14th from 1:00 - 3:00 pm at Dodger Bowl Lanes in Dodgeville. There will be a lunch served prior to the start of the silent auction. Please join us for an afternoon of fun and lots of great bargains with all proceeds going to the animals at ICHS. There will be more information in the next PAWPRINTS issue or find out more on the ICHS website.
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.
Lorenzo
Lorenzo is a senior Redbone Coonhound (some people feel that he resembles a Vizsla). He has been at ICHS since mid-November. It hurt to look at Lorenzo when he first came here. He was so thin; it took so much effort to take him on a short walk. Although he is ten months older now than he was in November, he is acting like a dog much younger than his 10-12 years. Now when he goes on his daily walks, he is alert and forever on the trail of something (after all, he is a hound). Lorenzo did 'showmanship' in the 4-H Dog Project. It was so heart-warming to see this old guy going through his paces with his young handler. He was so proud when he posed with his red ribbon for the camera, and I was so proud of Lorenzo and his handler, Winndie. Lorenzo gets along well with other dogs. Although Lorenzo seems to have a new 'lease on life', we still have to accept that he is an older dog and who knows how much time he has left. So…Lorenzo needs a home.
Jax
Jax is a handsome, long-haired, grey kitty who tested positive for feline leukemia. He is probably 2-3 years old. He is quite playful and loves all of the attention that he can get. Jax is the cat who helps out at the shelter when staff do the temperament testing with the dogs. Jax may get along with dogs, but he 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.
Barney
Barney is a big, handsome (if you haven't noticed, ALL of the cats at ICHS are handsome, beautiful, gorgeous, etc.J), male, orange tabby. Barney is probably 2-3 years old. He is an absolute sweetheart and so loving. He is a definite lap cat and loves to rub against you. Barney has tested positive for FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus). Barney needs to be an 'only' cat, and he must be kept indoors. I can't go into the specifics of Barney's condition, but it can't be ignored that he will probably have a shorter lifespan than most cats. So…Barney needs a home.
Waldo
Waldo is SPECIAL!!!-but no one seems to notice! No one notices Waldo! Waldo is a black and white terrier- mix. He is approximately 5-6 years old, and he has been at ICHS since September of 2006. Waldo was a featured pet on the ICHS website last fall and he is still here - FOUR years!!! Waldo does not have a PHYSICAL malady. He is energetic, shy and STRESSED! I am sure that a shelter can be a stressful place for animals. And just like people, some animals handle the stress better than others. In my opinion, Waldo is probably handling the stress quite well - considering it has been FOUR years! You notice Waldo's agitation when he is indoors. He constantly 'runs' back and forth (5 feet), leaps and slams into the fiberglass wall of his kennel. It is so heart-wrenching to hear that sound. I don't know if he stops this behavior after he is fed and the lights are turned off OR if he continues this behavior off and on through the night!!! Can you imagine what it must be like for the other dogs (or at least his neighbors) if this goes on all night!?! Waldo was fostered for a time in 2009 and it was a GREAT experience for all concerned. The gal who fostered WALDO had no intention of adopting him as she already had several dogs. The plan was simply to see how Waldo would do in a setting other than ICHS. There were no problems! Waldo gets along well with most dogs and older children. Can you, or do you know of anyone, who can possibly foster/adopt Waldo? He needs a chance to show how SPECIAL he really is!!! So…Waldo really, really 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 one’s passing.
Add Crossing Over text here or delete this block
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!
Peanut
Peanut is one of my five cats which I wrote about in my first newsletter. I am writing about Peanut again because she is a 'success story' but also because she was diagnosed this past summer with having diabetes. When I adopted Peanut in the summer of 2006, she was a huge lady then and sadly to say, I didn't do anything about her weight. After four years of 'free feeding' (she loves to eat), she continued to gain weight. Our veterinarian would periodically tell me that her weight needed to 'be managed' (which I already knew). I always had good intentions. I would try for a few days, but sooner rather than later she would be eating as much as she wanted again. She also never exercises - partly due to her weight, but she also limps which makes exercise difficult (the limp might be because of her weight, but it could have to do with her being 'declawed'). And now she is diabetic!
I am now managing Peanut's diet, but the challenge now is to regulate her diabetes. She receives insulin injections twice a day, but her 'glucose levels' are still too high. I actually have another cat with diabetes. Buckshot's diabetes was diagnosed in the spring of 2009. Buckshot was not a fat cat so why is he diabetic? I don't know. The worst thing (for me) about my cats having diabetes is the worry about their future health since diabetes may cause complications regarding other organs. Having a cat with diabetes isn't a huge problem, but it is easier NOT to have a cat with diabetes. I encourage all of you to do the smart (and sensible) thing and manage your pets' diets to avoid diabetes and other health problems.
I would enjoy hearing from those of you who have stories about your diabetic pets as well as any stories about managing your pets' weight. And back to Peanut…I adopted her in 2006, but I believe that she was surrendered to ICHS in the spring of 2004. If, by chance, the person who surrendered her happens to read this, I would love to hear from you.
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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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