Board Report
by Sharon Sherman, Chairman of the Board

Well, it's official.  PAWS has just completed its first full year of operating the Coronado Animal Care Facility.  We thank the City for the trust and confidence it has shown in PAWS by awarding us the contract to provide services to the stray, abandoned and relinquished animals of Coronado.  It is a partnership of the public and private sectors, the success of which clearly shows how much can be accomplished when politics and commitment are in harmony.  
 
And what a year 2015 was:
 
  • Over 150 dogs and cats found their forever homes AND over 150 animals found running at large were returned to their owners.  
  • A successful licensing and rabies vaccination clinic was undertaken for the Coronado community.
  • We participated in the first national Clear the Shelters event, through which over 7,000 animals were adopted in one day.
  • The Medical Room was returned to full function and now has all medications and equipment needed to increase our services to the animals.
  • A veterinarian was hired and is on site one day a week for physicals, inoculations, and medical follow up.
  • A previously unused outside area was converted to an exercise yard for our quarantined animals.
  • State of the art artificial turf was installed in all three outdoor exercise yards and fences were improved.  
  • The garage was reconfigured to provide for the intake of new animals and eventual privacy for those who find they must relinquish their pets.
  • Storage areas were carved out of existing space and organized for efficiency.  
  • The landscaping was improved with new plantings, including a new stunning garden dedicated to the memory of our founder, Louise Shirey. In addition, weekly maintenance preserves the beauty of these gardens.
  • We purchased a car for the transport of our animals to medical appointments and their new homes.  
  • We participated in many community events such as the Police and Fire Open House, Flower Show/Book Fair Weekend; Fourth of July and Christmas parades.
 
How in the world could all of this have been accomplished in twelve short months with only two paid staff per day?  In a word...VOLUNTEERS.  We could not be successful without them... and they number well over 100.  In addition to our Dog and Cat Adoption Teams, our volunteers do everything from walking dogs and petting cats, to handling data entry and sending thank you notes; from drafting Insider Reports and publishing our Pets of the Week, to maintaining our website, Facebook page and other social media outlets; from manning our tables at community outreach events, to marching in parades and hosting fundraisers; from photographing our animals for adoption to fostering our special needs cats and dogs.  What is the number of volunteer hours per year?  I am not sure it is precisely calculable, but suffice it to say it is many thousand strong. 
 
I say often, "It takes a village," and nowhere is it more true than in the care of Coronado's homeless animals.  Each one of us has a role in providing for the welfare of these beautiful creatures.  They look to us for help and rely on our kindness; we empathize with their plight and know that, but for grace, it could be one of us; and we both benefit for having each other in our lives.  Thank you again, Coronado, for allowing PAWS to begin this journey and to continue on this path.
Louise Shirey Memorial Garden Dedication
by Janice Szumowski, PAWS Volunteer
Dedication of Louise Shirey Memorial Garden
On Wednesday December 9th, the official dedication of the Louise Shirey Memorial Garden was held at the Coronado Animal Care Facility (ACF). In attendance were representatives from the City of Coronado, the Coronado Police Department, along with PAWS of Coronado volunteers and ACF staff. All who made this memorial a reality were thanked and a dedication speech was given  by VADM John Nyquist, USN (Ret.) It was a glorious sunny day and a wonderful way to honor Louise whose determination and spirit helped make the Coronado Animal Care Facility a building that is now an integral part of the community. Pictured are PAWS volunteers Janice Szumowski, Karen Dwinell, Penny Nyquist and John Nyquist.  (Photo by Kim Johnson)
An Uncanny Resemblance - Katie, a PAWS Alum
by PAWS Staff Writer

Katie (aka Cookie)
Photo by Carol Zadel

Carol Zadel, who adopted Katie (formerly Cookie), recently wrote to us, "I purchased this pillow about 12 years ago.  When I found the pillow in a drawer, I couldn't believe it.  Who would ever imagine that I would have a real replica of this pillow...my Katie."  
Hear No Evil: Living with a Deaf Dog
by Katie McGraw, PAWS Board Member

Adi with Patches
Photo by Katie McGraw

My fiancĂ© and I adopted Patches from PAWS in August. Often times, adopting an animal is about finding that perfect pet at the perfect time. We were waiting for the planets to align in this way when I met "Patrick" at the Coronado Animal Care Facility. A stray, he arrived carrying a mysterious past and five extra pounds of fur that was knotted and tangled all over his body. Once shaved down, we discovered he was peppered with unsightly cysts, skin tags and some lipomas. More importantly, he was totally deaf.  
 
"He is perfect!" I said, but honestly, I was wondering if I was forcing it. I worried I wanted a dog so badly I was taking on a task I couldn't handle. Could we train a deaf dog? Was his hearing loss indicative of larger health concerns? Were we the right family for this guy, could we accommodate his special needs? I wasn't sure.
 
Hearing is considered to be a dog's second most powerful sense. They rely first on smell, then hearing, then taste, touch and sight. Just like with humans, when one sense is dulled, the others work harder to make up for the deficit. Hearing loss is common in many dogs, especially as they age. Some dogs are also born deaf; especially entirely white dogs, as the pigment producing cells are related to the "hearing" cells.
 
With a little bit of knowledge and a lot of love, we brought him home and named him Patches in honor of his lumps and bumps. We researched training deaf dogs and created our own hand signals for training him. Within a few days, he was coming to our side on command and sitting obediently before receiving any treats. He likes to keep you in his sight and has a wicked knack for napping in a hidden location causing a bit of a panic. But otherwise, you would never notice he cannot hear. In fact, we have come to believe his lack of hearing is a gift.
Angel
Photo by Kim Johnson
How to Choose Your New Cat
by PAWS Staff Writer

The first step to starting a long and lasting friendship with a cat is, of course, choosing the cat-or, more to the point, choosing the cat that's right for you.  There are so many cats available, and so many kinds of cats from which to choose; it can be hard to know where to begin. Important details to contemplate before picking your new pal and some questions to ask yourself are: kitten or adult, purebred or mixed, long-haired or short, lazy lap cat or unguided missile, quiet or talkative, independent or velcro? Consider these variables when choosing your new cat.
 
Cats, like people, are individuals. No two are exactly alike, whether they're from the same breed or even the same litter.  The answers to some of these questions may lie in your own lifestyle. Are you a couch potato who wants a cat to nap along with you? Do you hang on every fascinating word a kitty says? Is kitten-watching more fun than TV?  Do you mind vacuuming? 
 
Here at PAWS we have a Cat Adoption Team (CAT) that can help you decide which cat to adopt.  They know the animals, their personalities and eccentricities.  They will arrange for you to interact with the cat you are considering adopting, and coordinate a "meet and greet" with any animals you may already own.  Our CAT will assist you to make the best match for both you and the cat.
 
Once you've made a thoughtful decision as to which cat to bring into your family, please be the ideal pet owner: provide your cat with all he or she needs to have a good life, including your time, attention and lots of love.
Adopted
Yoda
Successful Adoption Stats for November & December 2015 :

                       Nov.      Dec.
Cats          16          9 
Dogs         11          8       

Click to view our
Here are some of our current adorable adoptables:

Boots
Boots

Pickles
Pickles
Posh
Posh
Rudy
Rudy



Photos by Kim Johnson
Sammy
Sammy
Lady
Lady

To view all our animals for adoption, click here: http://www.pawsofcoronado.org/
Bella
Bella
From "Running at Large" to "Returned to Owner"
by PAWS Staff Writer

It is a sad fact that the vast majority of the animals coming into the Coronado Animal Care Facility (ACF) are found Running at Large (RAL). Of these, some could be family pets; others could be strays, some of which are purposely abandoned in our town.  Returning family pets to their owners is a difficult and challenging task for the ACF.  Unless people call the ACF asking for their animal, how are we to begin?  
 
The Coronado Municipal Code states that if an animal comes into the ACF as a stray, and is not wearing a license tag or other means of identification, it is to be held for only three days before it can be put up for adoption.  If the stray animal is wearing a tag, or there is another means of identifying it, the holding period prior to adoption is five days.  While the ACF staff must work quickly to locate the owner, it would not be practical to expand these holding periods.  As physically nice as our ACF is, any shelter environment is damaging to the physical and emotional well being of any animal that must reside there, even for short periods of time since it is unfamiliar, noisy, with different smells and the awareness of other animals in close proximity.
 
We do take these three to five days to check with other shelters, breed specific organizations and to look on the San Diego County animal lost and found pages.  But beyond that, if we don't hear from the owner, there is little we can do except take the best care possible of the lost dog or cat.  It's well known that while a majority of the owners missing a dog will seek to find him, most owners of a missing cat think it will most likely return home on its own.  The numbers say it all.  According to the ASPCA, 26% of the dogs that come in as strays nationwide are returned to their owner while only 5% of cats that come in as strays are reunited with their owner.  
 
Despite these low numbers, reunification is possible if everyone works together.  And these times of reunification are just as rewarding for the ACF staff and volunteers as they are for the owners and their pets.  Recently we were able to reunite a young man with his little Chihuahua, Bella.  He had bought her a tag with her name on it, put up "Lost" posters all over his neighborhood and checked with the various shelters.  When he finally learned we had his little one, he couldn't get to the ACF fast enough.  We copied his driver's license, had him show us photos of the two of them together and asked about her distinguishing features.  When we were comfortable Bella was indeed his lost pet, we put her into his arms.  There wasn't a dry eye in the house as they left the ACF together.
 
Here are some suggestions to help reunite you with your dog or cat if the worst happens and your pet is lost:
 
  • Be sure your pet wears an identification tag, rabies license, and city license. Include your name, phone number and email address.  
  • Regarding putting the pet's name on the tag, some people don't as they feel that would allow a thief to become too familiar with the animal.
  • In addition to ID tags, have your pet microchipped and make sure to register the microchip with the issuing company. 
  • Don't assume that your indoor pet doesn't need tags. Many strays in shelters are indoor pets that escaped.
  • Keep licenses current. They help shelters locate pet owners and avoid unnecessary inoculations.  
  • When moving, put an additional tag on your pet that includes the phone number of a friend who will know how to reach you.
  • Purchase special cat collars with elastic bands to protect your cat from being caught in trees or on fences.
  • Notify the Animal Care Facility that your pet is missing.  Be prepared with the following information: photograph, description, license and microchip number, where last seen, etc.  Always keep this information handy.
  • Post photographs of your lost pet in your neighborhood; include your phone number and email address.
  • Utilize Facebook, Twitter and other social media to spread the word that your pet is missing.  In 2015, the Coronado Happenings Facebook page helped reunite 40+ pets with their families.
  We can reunite pets with their owners...if we work together.
Upcoming Events:
Canine Mayoral Race
- Jan . 14, 8:00am -  PAWS Open Meeting  - Coronado Golf Course Clubhouse
- Jan. 27, 5:00pm - Yappy Hour - McP's Irish Pub
- Feb. 11, 8:00am - PAWS Open Meeting - Coronado Golf Course Clubhouse
- Feb. 24, 5:00pm - Yappy Hour - McP's Irish Pub
Yappy Hour

PAWS of CORONADO - pawsofcoronado.org - Tel. 619-435-8247
Insider Report Editor: Beth Good
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