December 2016
News From the Shelter


Coming and going
It is just about the end of the year. Not final, but we have again been very successful in caring for the animals in need in our county. 270 or more cats and dogs found new homes and 164 or more were returned to their humans.  Stay tuned for our final numbers.
In every way the biggest  challenge was caring for and placing the Anatolian Shepherds that were in a sad situation. Here in our print letter  you can learn more about them. We hope to have a foster care very soon  for the two girls left who were not at all social. From what we have heard all the people that adopted the Anatolian puppies are happy and busy. They gain almost a pound a day!
 
  
 

Mr. Grey - HSJC's Feral Cat
Mr. Grey caught on camera
Did you know that HSJC has a resident cat? Mr. Grey is a gorgeous, muscular little solid grey kitty. This handsome fella is a feral (wild) cat, and has wanted very little to do with any of us from the time he showed up approximately 5 years ago. We had him trapped and neutered shortly after he started hanging around the shelter. Since that time, for all these years, this boy has been a grey shadow - coming and going, strutting through the parking lot, looking in at us, and then darting away. If we didn't know he was there (from infared motion sensitive cameras set up around his food dish, as well as cat scratch marks on cardboard boxes outside), no one would know he was around at all! But, see him or not, we love our Mr. Grey - after all, he's our cat.
With winter fast approaching, our thoughts turned to this kitty who wants very much to be his own cat on his own terms outside. Staff researched different designs for feral cat houses, which would both keep our Mr. Grey warm and keep him safe from predators. One of our kind volunteers built 3 such feral cat houses for our handsome feral kitty! Mr. Grey should be safe and cozy this winter, and that warms all our hearts.  Check out this link  to find some great options and designs for feral cat houses. 
Mr. Grey's house and food.

Rupert the Kitten-
Baby Rupert
Rupert was an 8 week old kitten who came to the shelter in terrible shape. He was emaciated, covered in ticks and fleas, and scared. He quickly warmed up to staff and spent a night at the shelter with a warm bed. The next morning when staff came in, he was  failing. He was unable to keep his body temperature, and wasn't eating. Bad for a kitten with no meat on their bones, and for as sweet as Rupert was, we needed to do something quick. He was rushed to the vet, and when he came back, he was still failing, but in better shape. He still was unable to hold his body temperature. A staff member, recognizing he wasn't doing well, stuck him in their sweatshirt, and he was like that for 3 hours before closing just to keep him warm; the prognosis was he was going to make it, or he wasn't. He was touch and go, and needed to be fostered immediately, so he was taken home, and checked on in the night. The next few days were worrisome, but Rupert had the will to live. By day 4 he was playing by himself and starting to act more like a kitten, and he began to grow. After many days of fluids, TLC, and all the food, Rupert began thriving! He was the sweetest, rambunctious kitten. Now came the search for the perfect home! Luckily, shortly after Rupert got well, a family came in who gave off "great home" vibes and they would wait for Rupert to be strong enough to neuter, and finally go home. Though adoption after Fostering can be hard on the foster parent, this home was the perfect match! He went home about 5 weeks after coming to the shelter, and has been happy ever since, bonding with his kitty-sibling, and loving his life. He has the new name of Cringer. Dedicated veterinary staff, shelter volunteers, and shelter staff made it possible for Rupert/Cringer to survive.  He was a reminder that shelter work can be difficult at times, but there are always reasons and experiences that make sheltering a tough but fulfilling job.
Cringer and new buddy girl.

 
Good news!
We just learned that  the Cross Charitable Foundation approved our request for funding a small building to relieve some of our lack of space. One goal for the building is to have a quiet and calm place to give our animals (and staff) a place to relax.
We are grateful to the  board member of the Cross Foundation who recently moved to the county for steering us to the opportunity.                                        

We like dress up more than our animals do.
Winter indoor fun with our pets.
The recent cold weather and the short days make for good times to enrich our companions indoor  life.
This is a great article (on a fine resource) about ways to keep cats engaged and using their brains and keeping instincts sharp.
Dogs especially need mental stimulation. While at the shelter stuffed Kong toys are the go to amusement. If you missed our videos from a few years ago
Here  and Here  are some of the ways that we try to enrich time with us along with walks with volunteers.
This page has some very fun ideas to play with and keep your dog thinking and learning when it is dark and nasty out.
 
Let us know how you and your pets keep sharp and active in the winter months. Send your methods to friends@hsjcwa.org to share.

Our 2017 calendar is here!
12 generous and talented artists once again donated images of their cat and dog paintings for a beautiful calendar. You can find it at the shelter, all of the vet offices, the Food Co-op, Olympic Art and Office, Bonita's, Pet Town, Henery Garden Center, Peninsula Floors and Furnishings, and The Inn at Port Ludlow. Call the shelter 360-385-3292 or email shelter@hsjcwa.org to have some mailed to you. A great gift for any cat or dog fan in your life.
                                                
 Two board members took a workshop with Isabel Bay Design to update our web site. With her guidance and knowledge we like it and hope you do too. If you would like to learn how to build a web site or just have Adrienne build  one for you- we give 4 paws up!
Big thanks to Steve G who was our web king for so long!

Become a "Friend of the Shelter"

 

  

          Please join with other pet owners, animal lovers and civic-minded residents to preserve the integrity of our open admission shelter. You can help by becoming a Friend of the Shelter and making a recurring donation - monthly or quarterly - via Pay Pal or credit card. You can also arrange recurring donations through your bank account. We welcome all donations, but recurring donations are especially welcome, as they provide a continuing, reliable source of support.

      To find out more about making a recurring donation, click on the Donation button below. Thank you for helping us to help the dogs and cats of Jefferson County! 

Donate!
                       
About that vehicle.
We are signed up with this program that will pick up your project- running or not. They will  sell it, send you the tax info for a deduction, and send the proceeds to us. No muss, no fuss. They do boats too!


Become a member of HSJCWA
  There is a legal need for a person to apply for membership for the first time, after that there is no need to reapply. We hope you can be both a member and a friend. Find the application on this page.
Been to a movie at the Rose lately?
Big thanks to Rocky Friedman for continuing to give us a sweet deal. We have one ad that Michael Hale made for us. Two from paintings from our calendar artists. Applaud when you see them!
Quick Links
Volunteer!
Volunteers are the valuable assets that make it possible to keep our shelter running. There are lots of ways you can make a difference in the lives of the dogs and cats in our care.
Click here for an application

Listen to KPTZ's Care and Connect interviews all about us.
                                                  
Humane Society of Jefferson County WA | friends@hsjcwa.org | http://hsjcwa.org
112 Critter Lane
no mailbox
Port Townsend, WA 98368