Posts tagged "gimmeshelter"

Unusual Shelter: The Flash and Thelma Memorial Hedgehog Rescue

Location: Divide, Colo.

Named after the first two hedgehogs ever taken in as pets by founder and 70-year-old retired criminal investigator and criminology professor Z.G. Standing Bear, Ph.D., the Flash and Thelma Memorial Hedgehog Rescue, Inc., has served since 1999 as what is believed to be North America's only 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation fully dedicated to hedgehog rescue, rehabilitation and sheltering.



Hedgehogs are less popular housepets compared to dogs and cats. What are the most misunderstood aspects of hedgehog ownership that often lead to an unwanted hedgehog arriving at your shelter?
Our hedgehog rescue began due to the terrible hedgehog-care information that's published both in print and on the Internet. Children often talk their parents into getting them a pet hedgehog and then lose interest, especially as they approach teenage years. Also, with a lot of the literature out there incorrect, people often don't realize the basic care needs and the personalities of hedgehogs.

Virtually all of the pet hedgehogs in North America are the descendants of some 80,000 Central African and Algerian hedgehogs that were imported from Lagos, Nigeria between 1991 and 1994. Of the 14 species of hedgehogs, the Central African and Algerian species are the only two that cannot hibernate, since they came from such a warm climate. Therefore, they must be kept warm, at 72 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.

There are many other reasons why a hedgehog may be placed at our rescue, such as the owner moving to one of the seven states where hedgehogs are illegal to possess, abandoning a hedgehog that needs medical care, economic difficulties, etc.

The Cat House on the Kings is a one-of-a-kind animal shelter. Located on 12 acres next to the Kings River in California's San Joaquin Valley, it's an utterly surreal spot on which hundreds and hundreds of cats run free. "It's cat heaven and dog Disneyland," says founder Lynea Lattanzio, who opened the sanctuary in 1992, having purchased the tract of land after a divorce, as a place to retire in peace and quiet.

The cats even have their own house, as Lattanzio recently moved out of the 4,200-square-foot home she'd been living, as there were 65 cats living in her bedroom. She now lives in a small house on the property, and does her best to keep cats out of her personal space. But animals otherwise have their run of the place. Lattanzio estimates she's currently harboring 700 cats and 100 kittens, as well as about 15 dogs and six goats.

Cat House on the Kings is less "crazy lady and her cats" and more of a well-run company, boasting numerous volunteers and 22 paid employees. Lattanzio wakes at 4:30 a.m. every day to begin taking care of the felines, starting with their feeding. The facility goes through some 900 pounds of cat food per week -- giant bowls of chow and water sit around the premises -- not to mention 300 ounces of canned food and half a pallet of scoopable litter. One worker's sole job, from when they arrive until when they go home, is to change litter boxes. "That's going to be a nice thing for them to put on their resume," notes Lattanzio.

Unusual Shelter: Monster Fish Rescue, a non-profit organization that calls itself "a dog pound for fish"

Location: Orwell, Ohio - but much of the work is done online

Jonathan "The Fish Guy" Strazinsky can't say for sure when he founded Monster Fish Rescue. When he was a teenager, Strazinsky worked at a small-town, mom-and-pop pet store. He bought a 185-gallon aquarium himself and set it up as a display in the pet store. Eventually people started bringing in fish they didn't want and over many years, his propensity for taking in other people's unwanted fish went from being a hobby to a calling, complete with LLC status.

A few years ago, Strazinsky built an 800-gallon aquarium in his home and blogged about it. "I jokingly said, 'You got a fish you don't know what to do with, I got room.' The next day, I got 40 e-mails. I said to my wife, 'Hey, it seems there's somewhat of a calling for this.' It pretty much started as a wisecrack and now I rescue fish from all over the world."

How many fish do you take in a year?
Here in my house I take in anywhere between 20 and 60 a year. Most of the rescues and most of the re-homing is done online. I belong to 36 different aquarium and fish forums online. Through those forums, people say, "Hey, do you know anyone in the area looking for this or that fish?" I'll go through a whole other pile of e-mails looking for a match. About 98 percent of my rescues are done in that fashion. One percent actually come here. One percent are done through the Monster Fish Rescue website; I have an "Adopt a Fish" page there.

Shelter: Mollywood, a not-for-profit, no-kill avian sanctuary

Location: Bellingham, Wash.

Founded in 2002 by Betsy Lott, Mollywood operates on an eight-acre farm and serves as home to abandoned, injured and ill parrots, cockatoos, cockatiels, parakeets, macaws, amazons and conures. Lott's love for these kinds of birds grew slowly over many years. She used to run an ad hoc rescue shelter out of her house before officially forming Mollywood. Unlike many small shelter organizations, Mollywood focuses on providing lifetime care for health-impaired birds. "We are able to make the birds happy on a different level," Lott says. "For a lot of them, it really is just about being in a flock."

How many birds do you take in a year?
Oh, there's never a consistent or set number. In one four-month stretch, we took in 27 cockatiels, 32 parakeets, six finches, three conures, two Amazons, two cockatoos and a macaw.

How do most of your rescues find their way to Mollywood?
The Humane Society has my name, so I'm there every single week without fail. Sometimes two or three times a week. Occasionally birds are flown in from other parts of the country.

All over the country, shelters provide not only a safe haven for homeless animals but also offer critical veterinary care, rehabilitation and most importantly, love. In "Rescue Tales," we share with you the stories of these amazing organizations and some of the fortunate pets who have gone on to find permanent, happy homes.

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Calliope Rescue is a volunteer-based no-kill rescue organization based in Brookline, Mass. Named after one of the first cats they placed, the non-profit organization helps match rescue cats with perfect homes.



Luna, Isis and Stellina: Orphaned Kittens Get Lucky
A young, feral cat chose the right porch under which to birth her litter of three kittens. "The house happened to belong to a Calliope Rescue volunteer who cared for the mother and babies," says Calliope's Claudia Bruno. At just four weeks, the three kittens were placed in the shelter's care.

Named Luna, Isis and Stellina, the kittens were hand-fed from a bottle, and adjusted quickly to their new surroundings and family. "I spent eight hours with them until it was clear that I was going to be mom from now on," Bruno says. The mother had disappeared before the staff could manage to rescue her.

Fortunately, all three kittens were adopted as indoor-only cats in loving homes. Shortly after adopting her, Luna's new owner told the shelter, "I can't thank Calliope Rescue enough for saving Luna. My little princess is settling in so quickly! After only four days, she has decided she owns the house."

All over the country, shelters provide not only a safe haven for homeless animals but also offer critical veterinary care, rehabilitation and most importantly, love. In Paw Nation's newest column, Rescue Tales, we will share with you the stories of these amazing organizations and some of the fortunate pets who have gone on to find permanent, happy homes.

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Rude Ranch is a Harwood, Md. no-kill animal sanctuary for cats and dogs started in 1997. Its extensive grounds and shelter house special areas designed for specific animals' needs, such as its facility for abused and feral cats. The ranch recently released their own book, called the The Best Little Cat House in Maryland.

Psycho: Misunderstood Cat with Diabetes
"If you met him now, you would wonder why we gave Psycho his name," says Katherine of Rude Ranch. When he was first dropped off in a box at the ranch, the cat seemed to be shy and scared, but when they brought him inside, it was a different story. Katherine remembers, "Instead of a very frightened, timid guy, he started lunging at us through the cage, growling, hissing and spitting." Over the next few days, the aggressive behavior grew worse, and it took two staff members to feed him -- which is how he got his name. But a test revealed that Psycho had good reason to act up. The poor cat had diabetes that had raised his glucose level to three times the normal amount, causing him to behave so ferociously.

In order to give him insulin shots they had to distract him with a toy but within a few days, he seemed miraculously changed and even started letting people pet him. "We are happy to report that Psycho's diabetes is now under control." One of his caretakers at the ranch, Andrea, adopted him and reports: "He now lives with several other cats and a 60-pound dog that he stalks and pounces on regularly."

All over the country, shelters provide not only a safe haven for homeless animals but also offer critical veterinary care, rehabilitation and most importantly, love. In Paw Nation's newest column, Rescue Tales, we will share with you the stories of these amazing organizations and some of the fortunate pets who have gone on to find permanent, happy homes.

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Boxer Buddies Rescue Inc. is a Massachusetts-based non-profit organization devoted to finding foster and permanent homes for homeless boxers and mixes all over New England. Co-director Sue Stephens loves all types of dogs but says, "Boxers are the perpetual puppy and they live to entertain you. They are loving people dogs." She cautions prospective owners that the loyal breed is prone to separation anxiety, is very athletic, and needs steady companionship and training.

Bruce: A Menace Becomes the Perfect Pup
Stephens was the last resort for Bruce after he'd been returned from his seventh home because of being aggressive with other dogs. The all-white boxer wasn't doing well while kenneled and lost weight from stress and developed sores. That's when Stephens decided to bite the bullet and bring him home even though she knew it wouldn't be easy -- and it wasn't. Stephens had another dog, a big, dominant boxer/rottweiler female named Rudy and for six months, Bruce kept going after Rudy, trying to fight with her. But Rudy would never fight back.

Bruce was also having a tough time emotionally. He was so anxious that he chewed through walls and broke windows. "But each day got better," Stephens says. "It was a matter of structure, calm and patience." One day, finally, Rudy had enough of Bruce's aggression and pinned him to the ground. After that, Bruce made a surprising turnaround. The two dogs became best friends, and Bruce started taking his cues from Rudy. Ultimately Bruce became the model dog: no more aggression or separation anxiety and even bonded with a little Yorkshire terrier that Sue later adopted.

All over the country, shelters provide not only a safe haven for homeless animals but also offer critical veterinary care, rehabilitation and most importantly, love. In Paw Nation's newest column, Rescue Tales, we will share with you the stories of these amazing organizations and some of the fortunate pets who have gone on to find permanent, happy homes.

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All over the country, shelters provide not only a safe haven for homeless animals but also offer critical veterinary care, rehabilitation and most importantly, love. In Paw Nation's newest column, Rescue Tales, we will share with you the stories of these amazing organizations and some of the fortunate pets who have gone on to find permanent, happy homes.

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All over the country, shelters provide not only a safe haven for homeless animals but also offer critical veterinary care, rehabilitation and most importantly, love. In Paw Nation's newest column, Rescue Tales, we will share with you the stories of these amazing organizations and some of the fortunate pets who have gone on to find permanent, happy homes.

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Best Friends Animal Society- Kanab, Utah
Best Friends is a Utah-based animal sanctuary home to about 1,700 animals. The no-kill organization specializes in special-needs animals and unique cases, providing shelter even to horses and waterfowl. The 3,700-acre ranch houses the animals but also works to rehabilitate them and find them permanent homes, with the lifetime promise that those animals can always come back to Best Friends if necessary.

Cupid -- A Shelter Dog For 3 Years Before Being Adopted
Nearly 50 percent of the dogs that come to Best Friends are pit bulls and mixes, which adoption manager Kristi Litrell thinks is due to the stigma that pits have. Often, the circumstances that bring them to shelters make it even harder to predict how a pit bull will do in a home. But then there are people like George and Victoria Bjornson -- who are extremely gifted when it comes to working with rescue pits -- who say the breed has "gotten a bad rap."

One of George and Victoria's five rescues is Cupid, an 8-year-old male pit bull who lived at Best Friends for three years before the couple adopted him. Others had fostered him and liked him, though he didn't get adopted because he was strongly dog-aggressive. But when George and Victoria had Cupid for a sleepover, George says, "What I saw was a dog that hadn't been socialized well and I thought I could work with him."

The integration of Cupid into the family was so successful that they've recently adopted Lila -- a pit bull who was seized in July during the largest dog fighting raid in which 500 dogs were rescued. The small, 4-year-old Lila had once fought in the ring, and also had shotgun pellets under her left eye and in her chest, but today, she has a new home and a new best friend in Cupid.

The Bjornsons are careful in the way they introduce a new member to their pit bull family. First, they spend a week alone bonding with the new dog, and then they introduce the dogs one by one. They watch for the dogs' energy level and body language. "Within 10 minutes, they are out playing in the backyard," Victoria says. "Most times, the last dog becomes the buddy of the new one." Just like Cupid and Lila. More than just attentive supervision, the Bjornsons' key to a peaceful pack is compassion and patience: "We don't set a timetable or expectations for them. We give them the space, time and love they need to adjust."

All over the country, shelters provide not only a safe haven for homeless animals but also offer critical veterinary care, rehabilitation and most importantly, love. In Paw Nation's newest column, Rescue Tales, we will share with you the stories of these amazing organizations and some of the fortunate pets who have gone on to find permanent, happy homes.

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Furry Friends - Vancouver, Wash.
Furry Friends is a non-profit, no-kill animal shelter that helps provide medical care, foster care, and permanent homes for homeless and abused cats in the Pacific Northwest. They also are dedicated to providing animal therapy for the elderly in nursing homes and assisted-living centers. Furry Friends works with Petco and PetSmart adoption centers throughout the area. Their suggested adoption donation is $80.

Lilly and Ms. Nibs - Two Sisters Reunited
These two tabbies had grown up together, but were abandoned when their owners passed away. Last April, neighbors brought the pair to Furry Friends, and Lilly was quickly adopted by a loving family. Six months later, Ms. Nibs -- shy and a little overweight -- was still having trouble finding a home... until Lilly's new family noticed that Ms. Nibs was still at Furry Friends, and decided to adopt her. But would the two former playmates remember each other? The family says that when she was brought home, "Ms. Nibs came out of the carrier and they touched noses. Right away they were running through the house and talking to each other." The two remain inseparable. Once shy, Ms. Nibs -- "is more vocal, and calls from one side of the house and Lilly runs to see what she is doing." Furry Friends' volunteer Linda Rader calls it a "circle of love complete."

The German Shepherd Rescue of New England - Wayland, Mass.
GSRNE is volunteer organization dedicated to finding homes for German shepherds in shelters and pounds throughout six different states. Prospective owners must meet certain qualifications, visit the dog at least twice before adoption, and receive a home visitation from a GSRNE volunteer. The adoption donation is $250, or $150 for senior and special-needs dogs.

All over the country, shelters provide not only a safe haven for homeless animals but also offer critical veterinary care, rehabilitation and most importantly, love. In Paw Nation's newest column, Rescue Tales, we will share with you the stories of these amazing organizations and some of the fortunate pets who have gone on to find permanent, happy homes.

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BARC: Brooklyn Animal Resource Coalition - Brooklyn, N.Y.
BARC is a no-kill shelter in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y. Originally started in 1987 as a pet-supplies store, which is still the cornerstone of BARC, the two owners found themselves taking care of rescued animals brought to them by neighborhood residents. BARC grew into a non-profit shelter for dogs and cats and are in part funded by all the proceeds from the pet store. Their adoption fee is $150, which includes shots, spaying/neutering and, for dogs, micro-chipping.

Petunia -- Elderly Pooch Saved from a NYC Expressway
This shih tzu, was around 13 years old when she arrived at BARC after being found on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. The dog needed immediate medical attention for her severe malnourishment, eye problems, and hip pain. For weeks after being rescued, she remained lethargic and unresponsive until she finally gained some weight, got a great haircut and suddenly had a little more pep in her step. Still only able to walk a few blocks, the dog who is now called Petunia had also been diagnosed with lymphoma, and the staff at BARC prepared for her to live out her last days with them at the shelter.

That was when an older woman named Verna, who herself had trouble walking long distances, came to BARC and fell in love with this cute pooch. Coordinators at BARC counseled Verna on dealing with Petunia's health issues, walking the dog and how to introduce her to Verna's other dog. Four months later, Petunia is eating voraciously and can be seen prancing around with Verna on the other end of her leash.

It only took two foster dogs to convince Judy Nguyen that she had a knack for helping poorly socialized dogs. Three years later, Judy now runs Walkin' the Bark Rescue, a not-for-profit rescue in Antioch, Calif. that specializes in helping unwanted dogs with behavioral or medical issues. While she has a few volunteers that help, Nguyen works closely with the dogs in her Antioch home, shaping them up for adoption. Nguyen spoke with Paw Nation about her efforts.

Why did you start Walkin' the Bark?
There were two dogs in particular that had a big impact on me and led me to start Walkin' the Bark -- Iris and Doris, two very fearful dogs who came out of their shell with us. I loved watching them blossom, and I loved knowing that I was able to provide them with the extra help not everyone else was able or willing to. It was then that I realized I wanted to help special needs dogs and formed Walkin' the Bark Rescue. With the permission of the other rescues, Iris and Doris became the first Walkin' the Bark dogs. Both have long since been adopted and have developed beyond my wildest expectations with their forever families. It's just amazing to know that I was part of that process.