Pet Watch from the director- 12/19/10

With colder weather arriving the Humane Society would like to remind everyone to take care of our dogs when you are walking them outside and for the dogs that stay outside it’s important to make sure they have shelter from the weather. The pads on a dog’s feet can be protected from the snow, ice and salt that is used to melt the ice by making sure their paws get a good cleaning after going for a walk and by keeping the fur between the toes cut short. For dogs that stay outside, make sure they have a dog house that isn’t too big so that their body heat will help keep them warm and use straw or hay as bedding instead of blankets, blankets hold in moisture which keeps your dog damp and cold. Fresh water and food are always important so make sure if your dog is outside that the water is not frozen and that they are getting plenty of food.

Edgarda is a black and tan shepherd mix. She is about four years old but loves to run and play as if she were a puppy. She does have a lot of energy and would be a great running partner. She gets along well with other dogs but she really loves to be with people. Her fur is soft like a Golden Retriever's but shorter. She is spayed, heartworm negative, current on her vaccines and is $50 to adopt.

Koto came in to the shelter very pregnant. Thanks to a very nice volunteer she was fostered and had 4 beautiful little babies. The babies have all been adopted and now Koto is looking for a home of her own. She lives in our cat play room with 6 other cats. She loves to greet people at the door and will cuddle if you promise to brush her. She is about two years old, she is spayed, FELV/FIV negative, current on her vaccines and is $10 to adopt.

Pet Watch from the director- 12/12/10

The purpose of the Humane Society of Stillwater is to facilitate the placement of stray and unwanted animals in desirable homes, establish and maintain an animal shelter and associated procedures which promote their care and health, prevent over population, and prevent cruelty to animals. The animals in our care are never euthanized merely because we lack space or because an animal has been at the shelter longer than a predetermined period of time.

We spay/neuter and vaccinate all of the animals in our care and do our best to give them a loving home until they are adopted into a home of their own. We could not do this without the generosity of so many wonderful people in our community. We would like to thank all of you that have helped us with our mission. But we have so many more wonderful animals that need our help.

There is one very special cat at the shelter who would really love to be in a home for the Holidays. Chloe is a blue cream, tortoiseshell, classic tabby. She is about 2 years old and, unfortunately, almost half of her life has been spent at the Humane Society. She is currently in our cat play room with other cats. She is very friendly and she loves to sleep in the bay window and soak up the sun. She deserves a wonderful home that will love her as much as she will love them. Her adoption fee is $10.

Daisy is another great animal. We think she is a Dalmatian/pointer mix dog. She was found roaming the streets and is about a year old. She loves to go for walks and loves kids. She has not found another dog that she doesn’t like and is a favorite of many to go for long walks around the lake. Her adoption fee is $50.

Kallie's forever home and best friend

She has adjusted very well, and quickly. Kallie is happy and loving. Kallie must have been housetrained by her first owners, she didn't need any direction or training from us. She gets along very well with our cat, and our children. She and our youngest daughter are best friends. She gets daily exercise by protecting "her" property from squirrels, and rabbits. Kallie also likes plays "fetch, then keep away" from everybody. She's a quick learner and knows all of our tricks in trying to get the toy back from her. When we visited the shelter, she caught our attention by being the only dog NOT barking at us and was looking up at us with her puppy-dog eyes. We took her out for a walk and played with her in the pen. She was (and still is) such a playful dog. We couldn't stop thinking about her and went back to the shelter to adopt her the next day.

-Kallie's family

Cupcake finally gets her happy ending

Cupcake's life was not easy before she came to us. She was turned into Stillwater Animal Welfare scared and with a litter of seven puppies.

Cupcake, worried about herself and her little ones

With attention from volunteers and staff, Cupcake and her pups learned to love human attention. The puppies found homes but Cupcake's luck wasn't so great. Cupcake was adopted and returned three separate times. She had behavioral issues when left alone and she was still scared of men. We started to worry that the perfect home would never come along for poor Cupcake. Her luck all changed one day when she met her 'forever' mom, a veterinary student from Oklahoma State University. Here is a letter from her new mom.

Cupcake (now Emma) with her new mom and sister!

Emma (Cupcake) is doing great. My fiance and I love her to pieces and I'm pretty sure she's happy here too. Her and Addy get along and play so well together. She's obedient and very responsive. Over Thanksgiving we took her to east Texas with my family. We rent a cabin out there with lots of land, trees and a pond. She had the absolute best time. She likes to be in the water, but isn't too fond of swimming. But my parents have a dog too and the three of them played constantly. Emma is the fastest and they definitely were playing tag together. It was so fun to watch. We are still working on some things, but she's come so far already. My parents went nuts over her (once she warmed up to them) and kept saying they couldn't understand why people would ever bring her back. I"m in the same boat. But just thought I would let you know she has a great home and is dearly loved. And of course now she's sporting OSU gear.

Thanks again

Cupcake happy at home with her new sister

Lucky girl!

A thank you note from Pace's family

Ten years ago, my husband and I adopted a gigantic half-grown puppy from your shelter. He was half Border Collie and half Dane. His name was Pacer. We got a lot of grief for bringing him into our home because we had just brought home our first baby boy a few months earlier. It didn't take long for everyone to change their minds...

Very soon he was a part of the family. He would jump into the truck with the tailgate closed and we would drive to my husband's parent's house with our little boy laughing the entire five mile drive because his puppy was watching him through the back glass! He would jump over the sofa in the living room to get to the kitchen of our split-level home and chase a laser-pointer like a cat! He was a funny puppy and we loved him.

We moved to my family farm and he pretty much claimed it as his own. He chased all manner of varmints out of 'his yard' and followed us everywhere. He loved bonfires and hot dogs. In fact, it took one entire pack of hot dogs to give him a bath. He would sit perfectly still as long as he was getting his snack! He made us laugh.

Every new baby we brought home got his thorough inspection and it seemed like he thought that he was one of our 'pups' and that each new addition was another 'litter mate' for him. He went everywhere they went and kept them safe. Once, my second born got lost in the woods and I was searching frantically for him. When I got to the pond I started to cry. I was terrified. Pace came up and licked me and begged me to follow him. He showed me where he had found my son playing in the front yard, oblivious that we were searching for him!

He had the greatest life a dog could have. He was never tied or penned up. He slept on the floor all day. He was a pillow for the four sons we ended up having. We loved him. He was made for us. He wasn't allowed on the furniture but he would sneak up there anyway. If we came in the room and caught him, he would slide his front feet off the couch and look over his shoulder like, "Wow, how did my rear end get up there?!"

We just lost him about a week ago. He can never be replaced. He was the best dog I have ever had in my life. He didn't even seem like a dog, he was just part of the family. None of my children can remember life without him. This last summer our local paper printed him in their 'pet of the week' column. Everyone called to say they had seen that Pace was 'famous'! He should be famous...he may have been the best dog in the world. I swear that he knew he had been rescued and that he lived his life to pay us back for that.

In closing, this is a letter to say thank you to all of the people who do what they do so that dogs like Pace can be loved. They deserve to be loved. It is because of you that I have memories of my youngest sitting on Pace, who is taking up an entire easy chair, and sharing his snack...one for you, and one for me....with his puppy. It's because of you that my cousin could make the comment to his new wife, "This is Pace. He's the dog I wish I could clone!" You have given us the gift of ten years worth of happy memories with our dog. Thank you.

Pet Watch from the director- 11/21/10

As the cold weather rolls in so do many animals looking for their Forever Homes. If you are looking for a friend to cuddle with on these cold nights, come to the Humane Society and meet some wonderful animals that would fit that spot on your couch perfectly. Which is what the following family did and from the sounds of their happy tail story, it was a perfect fit for all of them.

“About a year and a half ago, I was perusing through Petfinder and stumbled upon one-year-old James. Not being much of a cat person, I went to the Humane Society just to see if he was as sweet as the picture. Lo and behold, when we went up to him, he reached out his paw through the cage, almost as if to say, "I'm here! I'm yours!" We fell in love with him immediately and took him home that day. We loved the organization so much that we went back a few months later and adopted a new sister kitty for him! They are the best of friends and as sweet as can be. I may have not been a cat person to begin with, but James and his sister have certainly converted me!”

Our shelter has many other cats, kittens, puppies and dogs that are looking to fall in love with their new families. Chloe, a special feline, is our longest resident cat. She has been at the Humane Society since April and though she is doing well in our cat playroom with the other cats, she would blossom in a new home. She is a 2 year old dilute tortoiseshell mix. She is spayed, negative for FELV and FIV, current on her vaccines and only $10 to adopt.

Dylan, a two and a half year old black Lab/Great Dane mix, is super sweet. Even though he is over 50 pounds, he thinks he should be a lap dog. He loves to sit on the picnic table behind the shelter and supervise all of the other dogs. He has a lot of energy and loves children. He is neutered, heartworm negative, current on his vaccines and $50 to adopt.

Pet Watch from the director- 11/14/10

The Humane Society of Stillwater has wonderful foster families that help out for many different reasons. Here are the different kinds of Foster Homes we currently have:

• Serial Short Term: This involves an animal that needs to learn either some manners and/or how to become a proper member of a household.
• Long Term: This involves animals owned by the Humane Society for more than one year.
• Medical Care: This involves animals with medical problems in need of a stress-free environment until the medical problem is alleviated.
• Mothers with Nursing Babies: These animals are kept until the babies are weaned from the mother.
• Bottle-Fed Babies: This involves either puppies or kittens that are still nursing but either don’t have a mother or the mother isn’t able to provide the proper care for them.
• 
• Behavior Problems: This involves an animal that has a behavioral problem anywhere from being scared of human or animal contact to being overly dominant with either people or other animals. This is typically a long foster period.
• Emergency Stand-by Fostering: These are short-term foster homes for Humane Society animals to make room for animals that are set to be euthanized by City Animal Welfare. These foster homes last until the next available space comes open at the shelter.

Another type of Fostering is Holiday Foster Homes. It’s always rewarding to know that our wonderful animals aren’t spending the Holidays in Kennels so we are looking for some families that would like to take an animal home for Thanksgiving or Christmas. If you are interested please stop in the shelter or email us at shelter@hspets.org

Pet Watch from the director- 11/7/10

Did you know that there is a place in our community where the hungry are fed, the homeless are sheltered, and the abandoned are given care? It’s your local Humane Society animal shelter. The shelter provides comfort and care for our community’s unwanted animals.

We also offer many other services for pets and their owners and even for people without pets. Animal adoptions, a foster home program, a volunteer/community service program, and off-site adoptions, at various local businesses, are all programs we offer. To do all of this, we rely on the support of people like you. Here are a few ways you can help the animals at your local Humane Society shelter:

· Give a little bit. Donate bleach, kitty litter, old blankets and towels, paper towels, dog treats or other items on our current needs list.

· Lend a hand. Volunteer your time at our local shelter. Bathe and groom animals, walk dogs, or play with cats.

· Find that special someone. Choose your next pet from your local shelter. We have many wonderful dogs and cats of different shapes and sizes just waiting for a permanent, loving home.

· Help spread the word. Tell your friends about the Humane Society’s services. Promote animal spaying and neutering, animal safety, and responsible pet ownership.

· Be a responsible pet owner. Keep current identification on your dog or cat at all times. Spay or neuter your pet. Always keep your dog or cat properly confined or supervised. In addition to the basics – food, water, shelter, and veterinary care – give your pet lots of love and attention.

· Vote for the animals. Support legislation to protect animals. Contact government officials about animal issues and urge them to support pro-animal legislation.

· Be a hero. Report animal cruelty and neglect as well as injured or stray animals. You may prevent suffering and even save a life.

· Teach your children well. Instruct children in how to care for animals properly and how to treat them with kindness. Set an example by doing the same.

Cat playroom gets a new look

A speech class from OSU decided to make our cat playroom their project. They did a great job and here are some pictures of the finished product!

We love the paint job but the cat's favorite part is definitely the new carpet

Come check out the great new look! Thanks again to all of the groups that choose us for community service and volunteer work.

Pet Watch from the director- 10/31/10

The Humane Society of Stillwater gets many phone calls and one of the most frequent is, “What kind of animals do you have?” It’s hard to tell someone over the phone about all of our wonderful animals so we usually start by telling them that you can begin your search by coming to the shelter or by taking a look at all of our animals that are available for adoption at our website www.hspets.org or on www.petfinder.com.

Roxy is one of those great dogs. Roxy is an American Staghound, Greyhound mix. She is really beautiful. She is very shy at the shelter but loves other dogs. She had a run in with some wild hogs in her previous life so she has a slight limp but she doesn't let it slow her down. She is ready for a loving home and a new life of luxury. She is about 4 years old. She is working on being house broken. When fostered overnight with a young cat she was gentle and even gave the cat kisses. One of our young volunteers put it best when she said "Roxy rocks!" If you want to meet Roxy please some to the shelter any time that we are open.

Rozelle's new life

Rozelle came to the shelter as a five month old puppy. She had lots of love to give and couldn't wait to find a home of her own. This boxer got very lucky and found a family that had as much love to give to her as she had to give to them! Here is an update from her family and a picture of her all grown up. (Her new family named her China)

"Just a note and a picture to let you know how loved, and spoiled!, China
is. She is so smart and loving. She even won over the evil min pins and
they let her lick them, a true test! I take her in the car to visit
friends and she loves every one instantly. My husband has to sleep in
the chair pictured because of back problems and she sleeps there with
him under the covers. Thanks for a wonderful pet, I hope you find homes
for the many wonderful animals you have."

Banjo the search and rescue dog

Banjo has gone from an unclaimed, unwanted stray to a difficult to place shelter dog and now to a very well loved, cherished companion who is changing lives through his work in search and rescue.

Banjo lives with his new dad in New Mexico where he sleeps in the bed with him, eats organic, hunts and participates in search and rescue. What a wonderful life for a hound dog!

James converts his owners to cat lovers

"About a year and a half ago, I was perusing through Petfinder and stumbled upon one-year-old James. Not being much of a cat person, I went to the Humane Society just to see if he was as sweet as the picture. Lo and behold, when we went up to him, he reached out his paw through the cage, almost as if to say, "I'm here! I'm yours!" We fell in love with him immediately and took him home that day. We loved the organization so much that we went back a few months later and adopted a new sister kitty for him! They are the best of friends and as sweet as can be. I may have not been a cat person to begin with, but James and his sister have certainly converted me!"

Pinkie's new home

Pinkie was a cat that was a favorite at the shelter who took several months to find her forever home. She hit the jackpot with fabulous new owners and the best life she could ask for! Here is an update from her new owners.

"Hi! Just wanted to let you know that Pinkie, the abby cat I adopted two weekends ago, is doing great in her new home. She's absolutely the most social cat I have ever known, and loves to sit on laps more than any dog. We're going to start leash and harness training soon, but considering how much she loves to follow me around the house. Thanks for all that you do!"

Jock gets a job

Some dogs need a home and some dogs need a job. When Jock's last owners left him to fend for himself at only 5 months of age a good Samaritan picked him up and turned him into Stillwater Animal Welfare. He was accepted into the Humane Society's adoption program. Despite best efforts to train Jock and screen new owners and inform them of the commitment that raising such a smart, large energetic puppy would require Jock was adopted and returned three times. Poor Jock! It was obvious that he didn't just need a home..he needed a job!

Luckily, Jock is going to get the chance to be a productive member of society. He is going to be the newest K9 cop for Shawnee! Best of luck Jock! We know you will do a great job. And a big thanks to his new dad/trainer/partner for giving him a chance.

Pet Watch from the director- 10/24/10

The Humane Society of Stillwater is a non-profit animal shelter that helps find “forever homes” for the homeless animals of Stillwater. This takes a lot of love and money. The month of September and October we had two great fundraisers to help us continue our mission. Thanks to the generosity of businesses and the public we will be able to take care of many more animals until they find their “forever homes”.

The generosity of one business in town especially helped to make a recent fundraiser successful. Due to Suddenlink stepping up and helping with the title sponsorship, advertisement production and air time, embroidered goodie bags, and sponsorship of a team, our first, but not last, golf tournament, Putts for Pets, was a great success! HSS would like to say “thank you” again to Suddenlink for being a wonderful, philanthropic company and choosing to help our organization!

At the shelter, we do all that we can to keep our animals happy and healthy until we find them new homes. So, when one gets hurt, we do what we can to fix the problem so that it won’t happen again. Two weeks ago an adorable kitten named Okie Pokie was climbing up her cage when her paw slid down between the door and the cage wall and became stuck there! What a horrible situation for a helpless kitten. We are happy to report after two weeks of tender loving care, our little Okie is doing much better. She is more than ready to get out of her cage and on to a new home. We want to fix these cages so no more kittens will go through what Okie Pokie did. We will use some of the money from Walk-N-Wag and Putts for Pets to remedy this problem. But, if anyone would like to contribute to have these cages renovated, please stop at the shelter or you can mail your donations to 601 S. Washington PMB 291, Stillwater, OK 74074.

Okie Pokie, recovered and ready for a home

Our current needs list include: paper towels, adult cat food, dog treats, new or used hand towels, bleach, and medium dog collars.

Pet Watch- 10/17/10

There are many reasons why we work so hard to keep the animals at the humane society happy and healthy, and it’s happy tail stories like the one that follows that makes all that we do so worth while.

“We adopted a rat terrier cross last week from you all and we could not be more in LOVE! We had been looking for months for the right dog for my 4 year old daughter and we have found her. She has been affectionately renamed Angel and she has become such a wonderful addition to our family. I'm so sorry for the family that had to give her up but please know that she is much loved and very happy. We are thrilled with what we call our "Iggy Rat" (we think she is an Italian Greyhound, Rat Terrier cross). Thank you for a great adoption and wishing all your furry friends new happy homes.”

Your new best friend just might be at the Humane Society. Please stop in to meet some really great animals.

Our current needs list include: Dry and canned cat and kitten food, smelly dog treats used for training, paper towels, hand sanitizer, small hand towels(new or used) and medium dog collars.

On Saturday, October 30, 2010, OSU is holding Monster Mash to benefit the United Way. It’s a 5K run/walk and a 1 mile fun run. Registration begins at 9:30AM; the 5K starts at 10AM; the Fun Run starts at 10:15AM at the corner of Elm and Knoblock in Stillwater. If you would like a dog to be with you for this event, stop in and we will match you up with a dog.

We have a lot of great adult cats that are looking for their forever homes. Because we are so full of wonderful cats, we are having a $10 cat sale on the 10 adult cats that live in our cat play room. They are all spayed/neutered, FELV/FIV negative and current on their vaccines. Come visit and you may just find your new best friend.