Diary of the Camano Shelter

Painting the Shelter!

camanoshelter — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 19:25:43 +0000

With the daily shelter cleaning, nothing is more apparent than the need for new paint… washable paint! While we are at it, we are going to splash come color into CASA. We started off with a bang by painting the bathroom/kitten room hot pink. We know what you may be thinking.. PINK?! Really, you need to stop in and see it, and actually step in it. Don’t just look at it from the lobby. The staff is loving it and it’s sometimes refered to as “The Happy Room” or “The Pink Room.” The paint for the Bathroom was donated by AWR Inc, and the labor was volunteered by CASA staff, Cherie and Tegan.

Visitors seem to like the change and we hope they continue to feel that way as we paint more and more of the shelter.

Loretta Goes To School

camanoshelter — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:00:06 +0000

Loretta was one of the many stray Pit Bulls who found themselves in a shelter this year already. Like so many others, she was not just a Pit Bull but a wonderful dog, instantly labeled from the outside. When no one came to claim her it was a shock. We really thought someone would come for such a perfect companion, but they didn’t. Once Loretta Lynn officially became one of CASA’s adoptable pets we could not wait to introduce her to visitors, and soon found she really was our best dog at the shelter.

Last month we heard that a class of First Graders from Elger Bay Elementary, led by their Teacher (Mrs Ludden) and Classroom volunteer from Stanwood High (Sammy), were gathering donations for the shelter. They wanted to see if we would come visit their class. We jumped at the chance to talk about our CASA pets and meet this great team of kids. Normally, deciding which pet to take may have been difficult, but we knew who our best choice was. Soon Loretta was all packed up for her trip to the school. We made a call to Mrs Ludden to make sure she was also ok with us bringing a “Pit Bull” to her class, and she told us she trusted our judgement and just wanted to make sure the dog coming would be ok with an excited group of kids.

Sporting a pink coat, a pink collar, and some of her devoted CASA staffers she hopped in the car and away she went. Loretta entered the front doors of the huge school like she had been there before. Someone from the school stopped in the hall to meet her and people at the front office told her how cute she was. We walked down the hall to Mrs Ludden’s class and were greeted by a room full of wide eyed students. We talked about Loretta, explained she had come to the shelter as a stray dog; questions were flying. The kids could not believe Loretta had not been adopted and a few tried to convince their mom’s who were in attendance that they really did ”need” to adopt Loretta themselves! Loretta put on quite the show, kissing the students, army crawling on the wonderful feeling carpet, and posing for a class photo. We are still not sure who had more fun that day; the kids, adults, CASA staff, or Loretta.

When it was time to leave the students all got in a line holding some of the various items they had collected for the shelter and we all walked out to the parking lot. After piling up the donations they all posed for one more photo with Loretta before we took off back to the shelter.

That day was really a memory but also a reminder to the public that a good dog is a good dog. It doesn’t matter what they have in them, or where they came from. That fabulous dogs do sit in shelters and just because they have been there much longer that the others may just mean that they had been waiting for YOU all that time.

Loretta Lynn came to CASA as a stray January 20th. On March 11th she went to her new Forever Home. That weekend they both went together on a weekend vacation to the beaches of Seaside Oregon.

Have fun in your new home Loretta, we miss you already!

A Shelter Pet’s Christmas Poem…

camanoshelter — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 03:47:15 +0000

‘Tis the night before Christmas and all through the town,
every shelter is full – we are lost but not found,
Our numbers are hung on our kennels so bare,
we hope every minute that someone will care,
They’ll come to adopt us and give us the call,
“Come here, Max and Sparkie – come fetch your new ball!!
But now we sit here and think of the days
we were treated so fondly – we had cute, baby ways.
Once we were little, then we grew and we grew,
now we’re no longer young and we’re no longer new.

So out the back door we were thrown like the trash,
they reacted so quickly – why were they so rash?
We “jump on the children:, “don’t come when they call”,
we “bark when they leave us”, climb over the wall.
We should have been neutered, we should have been spayed,
now we suffer the consequence of the errors THEY made.
If only they’d trained us, if only we knew,
we’d have done what they asked us and worshiped them, too.
We were left in the backyard, or worse – left to roam,
now we’re tired and lonely and out of a home.
They dropped us off here and they kissed us good-bye,
“Maybe someone else will give you a try.”

So now here we are, all confused and alone,
in a shelter with others who long for a home.
The kind workers come through with a meal and a pat,
with so many to care for, they can’t stay to chat,
They move to the next kennel, giving each of us cheer,
we know that they wonder how long we’ll be here.
We lay down to sleep and sweet dreams fill our heads,
of a home filled with love and our own cozy beds.
Then we wake to see sad eyes, brimming with tears,
our friends filled with emptiness, worry, and fear.

If you can’t adopt us and there’s no room at the Inn,
could you help with the bills and fill our food bin?
We count on your kindness each day of the year,
can you give more than hope to everyone here?
Please make a donation to pay for the heat
and help get us something special to eat.
The shelter that cares for us wants us to live,
and more of us will, if more people will give.

Written by David, the Dogman

Meet the Staff: CHERIE

camanoshelter — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:23:02 +0000

Your Name: Cherie

Hometown: Chalmette, LA (right outside of New Orleans)

Your pets (names & types): Bear (dog) and some kitties

Did you have pets as a child, what were they? Yes. Dogs, cats, birds, hamsters,rats, gerbils, snakes, turtles, fish and I’m sure I forgot something.

How long have you been employed at CASA? Approximately a year and a half

What brought you to CASA and why did you want to work there? I started as a volunteer, not for very long, a position became available and yours truly got the job. I love working with animals and this is pretty much my “dream job”. How many people do you know that have fuzzy co-workers?

What animal experience or education to do have in your past? In 2003 I earned a degree in Animal Care Technology, I have worked in animal related jobs for most of my working career. I started working in a pet store cleaning fish tanks and tending to the other small animals, reptiles, amphibians, and birds. I went on to take an internship at The New Orleans Aquarium of the Americas, where I was offered a job and worked for three and a half years….and the story goes on jumping state to state working with animals where ever I could. I can’t see myself doing anything else, no power suits and desk job for me.

What is the best thing about working in the shelter? The animals, of course!

Who is your current favorite adoptable pet at CASA, and why? Wilfred, because he is an awesome dog that has come a really long way. I’m so proud of him. I love his face, he is always smiling.

Who is your past favorite CASA pet, and why? There are soooo many, Tetra, Savannah, Kippy, Kingsley, Riff Raff, Bentley, Paco, Leo, Otto… I could go on all day. Every dog/cat I’ve met through CASA has been wonderful.

What is your biggest wish for the shelter? A new building with a real ISO room, and better more user friendly dog kennels. I have ideas, if someone wants to build it.

Share two thing about yourself you think people would never know? 1) I am the main photographer at CASA. I love capturing the personality of the animals with a camera! 2) I have never watched the movie “Forest Gump”. I never will, you gotta have goals.

If you have a favorite quote what is it? “I’m not being aggressive, I’m being dominant.” – The dog wheespererer.

Why should people take the time to visit CASA? Because it is a great place, where the animals feel comfortable. The staff and volunteers love the animals like their own, and the pets know it.

See many great photos taken by Cherie on CASA’s Flickr.com Photo Album

Video Time!

camanoshelter — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:17:25 +0000

The shelter has a new whiteboard inside the lobby that displays our most up to date “wish list” for inner shelter needs. Currently on this list are items large and small, including the Flip Video Ultra HD. Its a camcorder that plugs right into the computer! We currently are using a borroed one so we could try it out and it is fabulous. We would LOVE to have one for the shelter to use on a regular basis. We are posting all of the videos on the CASA YouTube page and home everyone enjoys the clips.

Why does a shelter need a video recorder you ask? Well, it is the best way to market our adoptable pets. Nothing says “Adopt ME” or “Pick Me” like an animal in motion really expressing themselves. Potential adopters can tell much more from videos and it gives them a sence of each animal being real and more than just a beautiful photo. We are so thankful for the fabulous photo skills of Cherie (shelter staff member) but we all know that video is the next step and is a great partner to good photos. We have already had pets adopted due to videos we had shared on the pet’s petfinder.com pages. Chi Chi, a senior cat, is one of those. So make sure to keep the shelter in mind when you are shopping for the Hollidays even if it is something other than the Flip Video Camera!

Where to buy the Flip Video Ultra HD: Flip Video Store, amazon.com, ebay.com, or your local electronic retailer

November Is “Adopt-a-Senior-Pet” Month

camanoshelter — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:50:18 +0000

CASA and Petfinder.com are celebrating November as Adopt-a-Senior-Pet Month.

“Think of a pet that is already trained and doesn’t chew or scratch everything in sight–a pet who will love you unconditionally,” said Kim Saunders, Petfinder.com’s Director of Public Relations. “That’s what you get when you adopt a senior pet.”

Some people worry that a senior pet comes with problems, but according to Hazel Blumberg-McKee of Tallahassee, FL, there are no disadvantages. “In most cases they’ve had a home and they want one again.” She adopted eight-and-a-half-year old Sadie, and has never regretted it. “An older animal is easier to deal with. And Sadie is still playful. She plays fetch and gallops all over the place.”

At animal shelters and rescue groups everywhere, there are loving, healthy senior pets like Sadie, looking for that one special home to cherish them for the rest of their life, and they don’t ask for much: just a warm place to sleep, good meals and plenty of love.

During Adopt-a-Senior-Pet Month, take the opportunity to get acquainted with the older pets available at CASA. Visit the shelter pets online or in person at our shelter. See you there!

Adoption Story: Mooshka

camanoshelter — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 19:58:04 +0000

A lot of mail comes to the shelter on a daily basis, but the best mail days are ones when we receive letters of Happy Tails. Ones that put a smile on all of the staff’s face when we get to read about an adopted animal’s new life. This is one of our most recent letters.

*Actual Koba Letter

Thank you to all of our past adopters, for continuing to allow us to be part of the CASA alumni’s lives.

CASA Auction Video

camanoshelter — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 22:46:48 +0000

Well if you didn’t make it to our 4th Annual Benefit Auction, you really missed out on some fun raising funds for the animals! It was packed with People, art, jewelry, sculptures, wine, appetizers, music, informational videos, and more. Stay tuned for the official report on how it went. Until then, we would love to share the CASA Footprints Video with you that was features at the entry door to the auction. Make sure your sound is up, and enjoy the photos of our past and present CASA pets.

Thanks to Cherie Lovell one of the CASA staff members for providing the majority of the beautiful photos for this video.

Direct link for video: CASA Footprints Video Fall-09

Katie – From Rags to Riches

camanoshelter — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 18:45:47 +0000

My name is Katie; I am a well seasoned Shih Tzu. Like too many dogs, the day I arrived at the Camano Animal Shelter was one of the best days of my life. My past, although unknown, was pretty clear to the staff at the shelter. They greeted me with loving arms as the woman who found me handed me to them as she cried. She had found me literally walking the yellow line in the center of a busy road on Camano Island. She was so scared I was going to be hit she opened her door and to her surprise I jumped right in. She took one look and started to cry for me. I was covered in mats so badly they restricted my movement and it was uncomfortable as I walked. I did not know where the woman would take me but she was nice so I didn’t really care.

When the shelter staff took a look at me they were horrified. I was so matted they could not really tell what I was and I smelled atrocious. My dirty white fur was a gigantic mess of knots and nests. Trapped in there were twigs, pieces of leaves, and years of neglect. They pulled out what looked like a brown dry twig and when it did not budge they realized it was one of my nails. They had never been clipped and were about 2 curled inches long going in all directions. My little paws were trapped in the center of the large matt of fur that completely enclosed my paw and was over an inch thick of solid ratted hair. The matting had been there so long it was tight to my skin causing my skin to pull away leaving it more like that of an elephant than a little dog. I had never had my tear stains wiped away and because of that I had huge chunks of black gunk trapped tightly into the hair around my eyes. My eyes are a bit weathered and even though my teeth are old and spread out my smile is still a winning one.

When the staff looked closer they noticed the cauliflower growth in my ear, so large it completely blocks my ear canal. They were in complete disbelief that a person could let me live in this condition and not bat an eye. They made me a bed in one of the impound kennels and told me I was a good girl as they left me. I quickly won the hearts of all the staff; they came to talk to me often. At the end of the day they could not let me live in that matted coat any longer. Normally they are not able to do a whole lot with dogs like me who are still in the stray hold period but something told them no one was coming to get me. When the shelter closed that day Tegan came to get me from my kennel. She told me I was getting cleaned up. Tail wagging we went into the lobby area where all the kitties were. I didn’t mind them at all; they were all really nice to me even though I was a dog. Maybe they knew I needed a little TLC and they thought they would do their part. Tegan sat me on a table and attempted to try and cut some of the mats off me before my bath. The mats where so tight against my skin that they were hard to cut off as I squirmed around. My skin was so thin and loose it was almost impossible to tell what was skin, and what was matting. The electric grooming shears are not the best here since they have seen many days and they could not cut through my mats either. She stuck with the scissors. After Cherie and Allison were done with the cleaning and feeding after the shelter closed they stepped in for some much needed help. Cherie tried to fix the clippers as Allison held me still and rubbed my belly as Tegan tried to rid me of the mats. Cherie was able to fix the clippers but they were still not helping so they called the Camano Vet Clinic and they were kind enough to lend them their good ones. That helped a great deal.

As they slowly uncovered my real paws they gasped at the reality of my nails. Brown, curled, and rotten looking my nails had never been touched. As they cut them I felt relief, not moving a muscle I was thankful I was going to be able to walk normally again. They got to one of the longest ones that made a complete circle to the underneath of the pad of my paw. I heard a gasp and they all stopped. That nail was imbedded up into my foot and they had just realized it when they saw the old blood. I was a tough girl as they cut that nail and pulled it from my pad.

After my nails were cut and my mats were gone, I was plopped into the tub. They covered me in shampoo and scrubbed all the stink out of me. They took a toothbrush to my face and tried to scrub the black tar from my eyes but it was not budging. I decided to be still so they could cut them off instead and trim up the hair on my face at the same time. All of the sudden I could see! No more hair covering my eyes and face. As the shampoo was rinsed I saw the brown water disappear down the drain. I even got conditioner so my coat would be soft, it smelled like apples. When I was all clean they whisked me from the tub and fluffed me up with the towels and let me loose on the floor.

I knew their hearts were all hurting over my condition, but this was a great moment for me. I was experiencing freedom, freedom from the fur, the nails, the filth, the neglect I had been trapped in for so long. This was the beginning of the rest of my life. They all got a kick out of my new found confidence; you could tell I felt a million times better as I walked happily around the cats. No one knew that it would take the three women 2.5 hours of volunteer time just to get the mats cut off me and my nails trimmed. When they eventually got to leave, they knew it was completely worth it.

The next day they were all excited to see me. The woman who found me even stopped in at the shelter to check up on me. The staff told her I got a haircut and was all cleaned up and took her to see me. She could not believe I was the same dog, she was so happy I was being taken care of by the shelter. Over a week later, my stray hold is up and I am a happy member of the CASA family. I can now go see the vet for my ear and a health exam. Although I have many needs that need to be met before the shelter is able to think about adopting me out, I will be needing help from my fans out there. I have a feeling my ear will need major surgery and I would love to have some help in lieu of donations for that. If your heart wants to donate to a CASA pet, please think of me when you do.

Love,

Katie

UPDATE: Katie has been spayed and had surgery to remove the growth from her year! She even got a professional hair cut! Come see her today at the shelter. She is still waiting for her Forever Home.

*Katie needs a loving and quiet home where someone has time to let her get used to being so loved and where she can sit on a lap daily!

Get your auction tickets now!

camanoshelter — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 01:20:42 +0000

As a small shelter, CASA really depends on private donations and the few fundraising events we have each year.

Help our local animals by attending our 4th Annual CASA Auction Saturday, October 3, 2009

Make sure you are ready to help us by bidding on your favorite items up for auction! Thanks to a long list of fabulous donors we have quite the selection. You are sure to see something you must have!

Saturday, October 3, 2009
5:30pm to 9:30pm
Camano Senior & Community Center
606 Arrowhead Road
Camano Island, WA 98282

Tickets:
$25 in Advance
$35 at the Door

*tickets are available online or at the Shelter prior to the day of the auction*

Silent and Live Auctions, Gourmet Appetizers, Dessert and Coffee
Wine, Beer, and Non-Alcoholic Beverages Available for Purchase

AUCTION WEBSITE: https://auction.camanoanimalshelter.org

visit the auction website for the online catalog of what we will be auctioning off

A GLIMPSE OF THINGS UP FOR AUCTION

SEE YOU THERE!