EBHS Unleashed

The other day I had to accept that I am getting old. Surely the expanding waistline and the growing crow's feet were a sure sign of that, but I am usually able to hide those things with clever outfits or cosmetics. But this week is the 20th anniversary of Shark Week on the Discovery Channel. I cannot seem to comprehend that I have lived long enough to have done something 20 years ago.

As with most animal lovers, I not only occupy myself with the trials and tribulations of the family companions. I have a thirst for knowledge about all kinds of animals. I often amaze friends with a plethora of facts such as the gestation period for an African Elephant (22 months), the top speeds of emus and ostrich (30mph), and which types of sharks lay eggs or have live births. This type of knowledge might be useful on Jeopardy but has otherwise not gotten me very far in life.

I have loved sharks since I was a kid on Long Island. Back when I was growing up there were still fish and a thriving fishing industry in the area. There were always fish tales about sharks getting stuck in nets and ripping holes in them, or sharks eating a hooked fish right off the line. Many a child from Long Island was threatened with becoming "chum" for shark fishing when we were naughty. I did a science project for school on sharks when I was in 7th grade which got me a 2nd place ribbon for a state science fair competition.

So, naturally, when the first Shark Week came on 20 years ago, I was rapt with awe at the amazing discoveries in the world of sharks since the time of my 7th grade triumph. I lived with my Aunt and my Grandmother at the time, and me and Gram would watch Shark Week programming all evening. I have watched it faithfully every year since. It has never gotten boring.

It is hard to remember what my life was like at the time.

I was still in school. I was working in an animal hospital as a Vet Tech. I was fostering "Lincoln" for a local shelter, he was a Lab mix with a stump for a tail. I also was the proud owner of Pete the cat, who became mine when my Grandfather passed away. If someone told me then that I would be living in Wisconsin and working in an animal shelter in 20 years, I would have told them that they were crazy.

Twenty years is a long time. I think back on all of the animals that I have had the good fortune to become acquainted with and the people who loved them. I can remember all of the dogs that I have fostered and helped find new and permanent homes, the many kittens I bottle fed. It can almost be discouraging to know that I have worked so hard on behalf of so many animals, and I know so many people who have worked so much harder and it seems like there is still so much more to be done.

At the end of the day, I am pretty happy that life took me to Elmbrook Humane Society. It is hard work, the hours are long, and I will not retire a millionaire. But I am really proud to be a part of something so special. The staff and volunteers amaze me every day. The animals are always wonderful. The work we do is so important, and so necessary.

Today we had a couple of great adoptions, Bailey the Lab went to a new home with a super nice couple. Paddy the Standard Poodle got a great new home. I even got to take a puppy and a kitten to a photo shoot for an animal health product that will be in veterinary magazines. I will be here a bit longer finishing up a couple of projects, then go home to my kids and dogs, and Shark Week!

Have you purchased your Waggin' Wheels Car Raffle tickets yet? Call me (262-754-6597)! I have plenty!

First of all, I would like to send a really big thanks to Bob and Stephanie Soerens, the father-daughter team who own, and put all their passion into the family business, Soerens Ford right here in Brookfield. We spent the day with them on Sunday selling raffle tickets for our Waggin' Wheels Car raffle on Sunday. They helped us put up our tent, they kept our spirits up, they auctioned off a hat for us, and at the end of the day helped us raise about $1,700 for the shelter. Not only is Soerens a great dealership, but they are longtime supporters of EBHS and animal lovers as well!

Second, I wanted to ask for the help of everyone who reads this (Yes, you!).

We are trying to sell raffle tickets to raise money for the shelter. The winner will get to pick their choice of a brand new Ford Mustang Convertible, or a brand new Ford Edge. Each ticket is only $20 (my church car raffle tickets were $50!) and we need to sell 5,000 of them by November 8, 2008. We have the drawing that day at Soerens Ford at noon.

We need help selling tickets! If you are having an event where we can sell tickets, call me! If you will let me come up to your place of employment at lunch time and sell tickets, call me! If you would like some tickets to sell to help us reach our goal, call me! I always hear how it takes a village to raise a child, or train a dog. It will take several villages, towns and cities to help EBHS reach this goal. I keep going over the math in my head - it will take 100 people to sell 50 tickets - or 50 people to sell 100 tickets. That does not seem so impossible, does it?

If you are interested in buying a ticket - call me! I do make house calls (within reason - gas is pricey you know!).

If we sell more than 3,000 tickets (we only have 5,000 to sell) we can give away the car - if we cannot get to 3,000 we will split the money 50/50 with the winner instead. I am not above begging, so if you can help us - please call me! I can be reached at 262-754-6597.

We have been doing so many adoptions lately, for which we are very thankful! It is so great to be finding homes for so many wonderful animals. This has to be the best summer ever for EBHS in the adoption/animal department. We have one of the best groups of animals we have ever had available lately. We have also had some really great new families come into the shelter looking to expand their families.

One dog I am really hoping to find a new home for soon is Remmington. Remmington is a super loving Australian Shepherd mix. He does not like to be left alone in a kennel, and is quite adept at escaping from them. It is kind of cute to be sitting at my desk alone one minute and then the next minute find our Remmington curled up at my feet. He seems super sweet, and very eager to be around people. He should be up on the web page with a picture soon so you can see a photo of this loveable dog. If I had room at my house, and did not have a husband to keep me in line, I would love to bring that sweetie home with me, myself!

We still have many kittens available for adoption, so I hope if you have been thinking about a new kitten, you will stop in and see us. We have two black and two tortoiseshell kittens right in our lobby that would love to meet you!

Remember - think Waggin' Wheels raffle! It is a great opportunity to win a new car and help out the animals we take care of here at the shelter. Heck - even if you do not need a car, you can win it and sell it, and with better odds than the lottery - it is worth taking a chance. Don't you think?

Many of you have been hearing about different shelter activities in the news, both at Elmbrook Humane Society and the Wisconsin Humane Society. Since we have been taking many calls about it, I wanted to let you know what the situation is in regard to the WHS puppy mill dogs.

Yes, Wisconsin Humane Society was able to purchase the puppy mill business of Wallace Havens, the self-proclaimed "inventor" of the Puggle. They purchased not only his facility, but his breeding stock and remaining "inventory" as well. This of course is an excellent development for the almost 1,200 animals that called Puppy Havens home.

Wisconsin Humane has now set upon the daunting task of rehoming all of these animals. The young puppies will be the easiest to place, as they were the least traumatized by the experience. The adults, however, will be a much harder endeavor.

Supporters of Elmbrook Humane Society already know how hard it is to rehabilitate an animal that has had little human contact, no proper socialization, and years of neglect. The adult dogs rescued from this facility have a long road ahead of them. Fortunately, most dogs from puppy mills can lead relatively normal lives, if not fully recover. They will need to be in homes with no small children, with another dog already in residence to help them learn to trust people and help them learn how to be a family member instead of a breeding machine. They are also very difficult to housebreak and can have food aggression issues.

There are a few that never recover enough to be what we consider "normal" pets, but they still deserve a chance to try and live a life that most of our own animals enjoy. A life full of love, food, treats and a warm place to call home.

We will be taking animals from Wisconsin Humane Society as we can, and as they need assistance. WHS will be placing most of these animals directly through their own shelter. The puppies will be easily adopted. Some adults will also be easy to place. Some adults will go to breed rescues. Others will be in long term foster care. They are all safe now.

We heard that Wisconsin Humane Society had to open early for the many people lined up down Wisconsin Avenue who came in to adopt one of these puppies. Just remember these animals are not the only animals in Wisconsin in need of a home. There are shelters and rescue groups all across the state with wonderful animals who need a home to call their own as well.

Many of these animals reside right here at Elmbrook Humane Society.

I love public speaking. I am, in real life, a very gregarious person who is always the life of a party, and never at a loss for words. However, my bravado was taken down several (hundred) notches at a recent meeting at Brookfield City Hall.

I was invited to speak to the Licensing Committee in regard to some shelter statistics on complaints we had received in regard to the number of pets people had living in their home. The first item on the agenda was in regard to "animals at large". I was taking copious notes on the story of an unhappy citizen when she uttered the words "So, I called the Humane Society". What followed was very audible snickering, rumbling, laughing and the person behind me said "What a joke". I could feel my face turn red with shame. I had no idea what people thought of Humane Societies. Or maybe I just thought that people loved Elmbrook but thought other Humane Societies were not as great as we are.

Surely I am biased, as I spend about 60 hours a week here, and I know all the good we do for the community, and the animals here. But, it was very hard to hear, and I started praying that they would forget to call me up to the podium. Unfortunately, they did not forget me, and the walk up to the podium seemed to take about 20 minutes. Once up there, all of my saliva dried up and I had a cracking voice while trying to mutter out the statistics I came to present. I prayed for one of those large vaudeville hooks to creep in and yank me out a side door. I stumbled through a few questions, then returned to my seat.

After some more discussion, I was again asked to come up to the podium. Fortunately, my genetics had kicked in and I got my Irish up, and was able to return to the podium and speak more eloquently about the subject at hand, give more information, and hopefully my input will lead to a fair resolution of the question of animal limit laws in the City of Brookfield. I have to add, that I work and live in the City of Brookfield, and would never leave the city limits if not for the draw of Mayfair Mall and the occasional Brewer game.

But, the meeting did leave me rattled after taking in the public perception of what a Humane Society is. In fact, we even had an adopter refer to us as "dog jail" the other day. Now, if we are going to compare Elmbrook Humane Society to a prison, it would surely be one of those nice white collar prisons up in Connecticut, not one of those horrible ones on MSNBC's "Lock Up".

The animals here are confined for a portion of each day, no doubt. However, you will not find a cleaner, odor free establishment in Wisconsin - and that includes places without animals. Plus, the dogs, cats and rabbits here get more outside time than any prisoner in any jail in this country! We have dog walkers, and even dog runners who take the dogs out for plenty of play time. The cat socializers spend countless hours playing with the cats in a playroom. Even the rabbit volunteers make sure the rabbits get plenty of floor time and set up ramps for them to climb and explore play areas.

When I was a kid, the local humane society was a sea of chain link fences, barking dogs with dirty cages, and lethargic looking cats. Those days are over. Elmbrook is a happy place, with happy animals, happy employees, and happy endings each and every day. Even if you are not looking to adopt a new family member, I strongly encourage you to come to Elmbrook Humane Society and see for yourself what a great place we really are. I am very proud to work here, and I know you will be proud to know how much the people in your community care about the animals here as they helped us build this place and their support allows us to continue this work.

As a child I remember summer as being the lazy time of the year. We got to ride bikes, swim, chase fireflies and the days seemed so carefree. Flash-forward to adulthood. Summer is the craziest time of the year! I am busier in the summer than I am the whole rest of the year! I feel like I could work 24 hours a day and never catch up! At least that is the excuse I am using for not posting here for a week!

The shelter is also very busy, which is a good thing. We have lots of dogs, cats, and tons of kittens all looking for new homes! We have 6 parakeets, and 3 finches waiting for new homes as well. If you are looking for a small bird to keep company with, we are sure to have one that will be a great fit for you!

I do have good news to share! The rats and guinea pigs are finally starting to find new homes. One adopter, a sweet kid named Molly, came in to adopt 2 rats with her family. She said she had waited months and had to talk her parents into it. While rats may seem like an unorthodox choice, they actually make excellent companions. Molly told us she did her research into small animals, and had to choose between rabbits, hamsters and rats, and rats won paws down! She decided that since rats were extremely intelligent and loved to be held and interact with people, that a rat would be her best bet!  She sure looks pretty happy, and we are happy to know that our rats are going to a great home! Is there anything cuter than a picture of a girl and her rats?

We are in need of foster homes for kittens! Kittens under 8-10 weeks of age need a mother or human surrogate to care for them. They are very vulnerable at this age in a shelter environment and have the best chance of survival in a foster home setting. Fostering is hard work but caring for a life in need can be a wonderful, rewarding experience.

If you are interested in fostering a kitten, or three, or four, please contact Carol Sumbry at 262-782-9261 or via email at carol@ebhs.org.

How many years have we heard not to lock a dog in a hot car? I have been hearing that since childhood as well, yet I see dogs locked in hot cars all the time. We got a call for one today, in fact. This enterprising person thought that cracking the windows and leaving the dog a bowl of water while they were at work for 8 hours would be a good idea. The morning was cloudy, but this afternoon got sunny and hot fast.

If we say "Please" will you stop locking your dog in a hot car? Even in 70 degree weather the inside of a car can get up to 90 degrees. In the sun, a car's temperature can reach 160 degrees in just 15 minutes. Even in the shade. I can barely handle getting into my car on a hot day and waiting for the air conditioning to kick in. Imagine how hot it would be for you to sit in a hot car for 15 minutes. Today when I left work I sat in my car with the windows cracked to see how long I could stand it. It was 6:30pm, and I will tell you, after 7 minutes I had to turn on the air.

I am sure if you asked your dog if they would rather stay in the comfort of their home, or sit in a searing hot car for half an hour while you ran in to get some groceries, they would opt to stay home. I have dogs that live to ride with me in the car, but I do not take them anyplace during the summer where they would have to be left alone. I only use drive-through places in warm weather with my dogs in the car. Or, I leave them home.

There have even been cases of people leaving a dog in the car with the air conditioning running and the car will turn off the air after a certain amount of time when the car is left in idle leaving the poor animal to roast while their humans think they are taking care of them.

Let's all make a pact and not bring our dogs on every errand. Let's leave them home, and safe. I know they miss us. But better to miss us for a little while than to bear losing them in such a painful way. Dogs do not have the ability to make safe choices, so they are counting on us to make these choices for them.

Sometimes, love means having to leave them home for a little while.

If I were a Beagle, I would not be able to count how many times guests came to the shelter and looked at me and said “How cute! But too noisy!” or “They are good for hunting, but they do not make good pets”.

If I were a Beagle, I would walk over to my kennel door and call over these misinformed people and tell them that not only am I cute, but I am no noisier than any other dog in the shelter. The thing is, when a Beagle has something to say, we want to make sure that everyone can hear. Us Beagles do not make small talk – if we are barking, there is something the whole neighborhood should be aware of.

If I were a Beagle, I would further explain that there are few dogs that are better suited for life in a family. Beagles are devoted, loyal, brave and loving and make excellent companions for most families. We are the perfect size for children to pal around with. We love to take walks and be part of your life. It is common (and heartbreaking) knowledge, that Beagles are among the most desired breed of dogs to be used in laboratories because we are compact, adjust easily to confinement, and no matter what you do to a Beagle, our temperament is such that we will still give you a lick on the nose. We have never given up on people because Beagles are the eternal optimists of the dog world.

If I were a Beagle, I would readily admit that we do have some quirks. Once we get our nose on the ground and pick up the trail of a squirrel or rabbit, we can excitedly run to find them, even if our person might be calling our name. We tend to gain weight easily, so if you are a couch potato, a Beagle might be an early warning sign that you need to get up and get some exercise. We also shed, but not as bad as some breeds. Fortunately, we love to sit on your lap for a good brushing.

If I were a Beagle, I would sum up our conversation by saying that Beagles spend way too long in the shelter because people believe the bad press about Beagles. If you see a Beagle in a shelter, take a few moments to take a look into our trademark big, brown and beautiful Beagle eyes. These eyes were specially developed to be so deep and expressive that you might decide to give me a chance to prove what a great companion that I would make for you.

If I were a Beagle, I would not let you down, because a Beagle exists only to make people happy.

Dogs that before could barely jump onto a couch suddenly become able to leap over high fencing in an effort to escape the bombs bursting in air. I have a close friend who had a dog jump out of a second story screen window due to the extreme terror it felt from the fireworks on the street below. Fortunately the dog survived, but had two broken legs and needed to be sedated each subsequent Fourth of July for fear of a repeat performance.

This Fourth of July, there are precautions you can take to make sure your four-legged friends are safe and comfortable:

-- Keep your animals indoors in a secure area during peak fireworks times, and make sure you've

   removed any items that might be harmful if chewed.

-- Having a television or radio playing at low volume can help calm an animal.

-- Check with your vet in advance if you know your animal gets distressed on the 4th as they may

    be able to offer some medications to keep your companion's anxiety to a minimum (this is a last

   resort!).

-- Don't leave your animal outside unattended, even if your yard is fenced! Debris from falling fireworks

    can be fatal if ingested, and your animals can be burned by out of control rockets, or worse,

    become a target for someone who might think it was funny to aim a bottle rocket at a living

    creature.

-- Make sure your animal is wearing identification tags.

-- Leave your dog home if you're going to a fireworks display.

It is best to take the necessary steps now, rather than have a animal injured, or even killed on the road if they escape your control and run into the street.

This is another example of how important it is to expose your puppy or dog to as many things as possible so that they do not develop fears of everyday things, and even unusual things. There is a saying that each puppy should be exposed to 100 different people before it is 6 months old. You should also make sure that you bring adult dogs out for as much socialization that is possible, depending on their personality.

The best advice a vet friend gave me was to make sure your dog got a lot of exercise during the day on Fourth of July so that they can try to sleep through the festivities and fireworks show. I think that is what I will be doing myself!