There is a very special feeling that happens when a family walks out the doors of Helen Woodward Animal Center with a newly adopted pet. For us, it is a lot of feelings mixed together: joy, pride, sadness (because we do get attached to these beautiful pets), but overall, relieved happiness that each precious animal will be safe and loved until the end of their days.

Dakota’s Adoption Profile Picture at Helen Woodward Animal Center

There is another special feeling when we get updates from our adopting families! Each letter or email is avidly read and shared among staff members and volunteers. One recent update came from a “staff favorite” at Helen Woodward Animal Center, a deaf Boxer named “Dakota.”

Dakota’s new chapter is so exciting and wonderful; we wanted to share her story with our pet loving community!

Dakota – now in a loving forever home!

Hey there, Helen Woodward Animal Center!

Dakota is our first dog together.  She wants nothing more than to hang out with us. She makes us play, and go on walks, which is good for us as a couple, too, because we get to spend time together as a family.

On the road with Mom and Dad.

Dakota has been awesome, and we are so glad to have her.

Dakota is a huge snuggler. She likes to pin us down to make sure we never leave. She watches through the fence for us to come home, she nibbles our arms when she wants to play, and checks on us all night while we sleep. She’s great on road trips, too! We’ve learned that she’s absolutely fascinated with cows.

She loves kids!! The older kids are fun for her to run with in our backyard.  With babies, she’ll give a big kiss on their face, then lays down next to them.  She’s been nothing but gentle, and is mostly well behaved around kids.

And because she’s deaf, all the kids in our friend-group can scream and play and she doesn’t get overwhelmed by the noise! She just falls asleep!

Dakota has been awesome, and we are so glad to have her. I don’t think I could put it into words.  

Sincerely,

Jon

To Jon and his family, we are so thankful you chose to adopt your first dog… and you picked a great one, or maybe Dakota picked you, all along!

If you want to send in an adoption update, feel free to email us any time! Or you can post one on our Facebook page, too.

Credit: Flickr user Wilson Alfonso

The ACES International Conference may be months away, but that doesn’t mean we take time off of our research! The ACES Conference staff at Helen Woodward Animal Center is always on the look-out for articles and resources to help our ACES Conference community increase pet adoptions and decrease euthanasia.

We recently asked our Development team what email newsletters they depend on for up-to-date news and trends on fundraising and grant writing. Here are their top five picks!

Top Five Grant Writing, Fundraising Email Newsletters

Chronicle of Philanthropy

While a lot of Chronicle of Philanthropy’s website contains “premium content,” which one has to pay for, their free email newsletter has daily fundraising and philanthropy news headlines and ideas from around the country.

Foundation Center 

Foundation Center has several different email newsletters from which you can choose from: general philanthropy news, fundraising jobs, and/or request for proposal alerts.

Philanthropy News Digest: Award-winning weekly digest

RFP Bulletin: Weekly roundup of recently announced Requests for Proposals (RFPs) from private, corporate, and government funding sources

Job Bulletin: Weekly summary of recent job postings in Philanthropy News Digest

Connections: Bi-weekly philanthropy-related contest.

Full day of fundraising tips and guides at the ACES International Conference

Network For Good

A free weekly email with fundraising tips, webinars and educational opportunity announcements, and news, especially for the “fundraiser beginner.” They also have links to various fundraising and marketing blogs that have their own email newsletters, too. Some webinars may be organized by product companies, so just be sure to do your research before committing to a service or product.

Nonprofit Hub 

A weekly email newsletter with general tips and fundraising ideas.

Association of Fundraising Professionals 

This is the official association for fundraising professionals, and their site has a lot of good resources, especially on ethics. One must pay to subscribe to their email newsletter.

We hope you can use these resources to help you increase your fundraising opportunities! For more resources, you can check out our FULL DAY OF FUNDRAISING sessions at the ACES International Conference.

Horsing Around Encouraged at “Run with the Noses” Derby

Crazy hats. Oodles of dog cookies. Playful puppy mayhem. It’s that time again for Helen Woodward Animal Center’s quintessential Spring event: the Ken-Barky Derby!

Last year, twenty available “gelding” and “filly” orphan puppies (bearing the names of contending Derby Horses) went nose-to-nose at our 1^st Annual Ken-Barky Derby Event.  The adorable spectacle, which lured pups from “the starting gates” to the finish line with rose-shaped dog biscuits, ultimately aimed to end each “race” in the arms of a loving family by showing off unique and playful puppy personalities.

Adoptable pup, Jeremy, is looking forward to the Ken-Barky Derby!

This Friday, May 3, the Ken-Barky Derby returns to the Center Paddocks Arena at 11 a.m. Post Time.  The public is invited to don their finest spectator hats and root for their favorite at this “Run with the Noses” Competition.  Each adopter of a Ken-Barky Derby Puppy will be automatically entered to win a Ken-Barky Derby, rose-themed gift basket and a “gold cup” dog bowl.

Helen Woodward Animal Center President Mike Arms explained his affection for this Center event.  “An enormous group of people wait all year for the Run for the Roses Event.  They’ve followed the horses, connected with them and fallen in love with them,” he commented.  “The staff members here fall in love with our orphan pets every day.  An event like this lets our potential adopters get to know and connect with them too. When you see the puppies racing for cookies and playing together, their individual personalities shine through.  It’s also just a lot of fun.”

See last year’s Ken-Barky Derby Winner

Last year, Center staff was delighted to see some attendees in home-made pet-themed spectator hats.  “One lady had dog treats hanging from her brim,” said staff member, Shannon Bush.  “She easily became the most popular spectator in the arena.  The puppies followed her everywhere!”

We wish all of our contenders luck and the start of a great new life with a loving forever family.  See our “Run with the Noses” competitors on Helen Woodward Animal Center’s Facebook page and share your favorite with your friends.

Part of the mission of Helen Woodward Animal Center is teaching our most precious resource, our children, compassion for animals through our Education Department. Today we’re sharing some resources on how to teach your child compassion and safety around a species of animal they may come in contact with every day… the dog!
 

Learn the ABC’s of Meeting New Dogs

Meeting a new dog can be as easy as A-B-C! We found this is an easy first step to teaching young children about interacting with new animals, like dogs! By having early, positive interactions, young children learn to think about animals from the animals’ point of view. This can give children more capacity for empathy and compassion for animals as they get older.

A – ASK permission of the animal’s owner. Never let your child approach a dog that is tied in a yard or one that is roaming loose in the neighborhood.

B – BE SNIFFED. While humans size up a stranger with our eyes, dogs use their nose. Teach your child to walk up to the animals slowly and quietly, arms at their side. Dogs have such super sensitive sniffers, they don’t need you to extend a hand for them to be able to smell you – and a hand coming from a stranger can send a threatening signal which could result in a bite.

C – CAREFULLY PET the dog. Pet in a neutral area, on the back or chest, as directed by the owner.

Bugs Boodle’s Book of Basics

Are there more resources to teach my child about animals? Yes! We recently met the author of a new book that is a great dog safety primer for children aged 0-8. Her name is Kimberly O’Hara and her book is called Bugs Boodle’s Book of Basics.

This cheerful rhyming book, along with its colorful pictures, is designed to help you teach your children of tender years how to interact safely with dogs. While they are enjoying the antics of the cute and cuddly pup, Bugs Boodle, and his best friend, Teddy, they will be reinforcing some very important lessons at the same time. Like most of us, children are naturally attracted to dogs. If they see a dog, they usually want to play with it or pet it. Bugs Boodle’s Book of Basics will teach your children to respect animals and stay safe in a fun way.

When we asked Kimberly why she decided to write a book to help children and dogs interact, she said, “My inspiration for the book was my Yorkie.  I would take the little guy out for walks and children would run at him and be so excited to pet him. Then I noticed that children did the same thing with dogs everywhere. I realized that children love animals (which is a good thing) but they needed to learn to approach and interact with them properly.

People have told me about children that have been bitten, or dogs that ended up being given away because they hurt a child. We all love animals and the earlier in life that we learn to treat them properly the happier children and dogs will be.”

Mike Arms, CEO and President of Helen Woodward Animal Center, agrees. After reading Bugs Boodle’s Book of Basics, he wrote a testimonial about the impact it will have on children and pets everywhere, “Over the years I’ve been asked to review many children’s books that were designed to teach children compassion for pets. Kim is teaching children to safely interact with dogs. This is a new spin on children’s books with animals that I thoroughly enjoyed and it is one of the very few that I have read that I would endorse to be shared with young children, encouraging them to learn safe interactions with pets for their protection, as well as the pets.“

We hope these resources will help you and your family interact safely with animals, but also have compassion for our animal friends!

Got money on the NCAA Final Four? You may want to see Helen Woodward Animal Center’s animals’ pick before you bet your money!

At Helen Woodward Animal Center, we believe that animals have intelligence, kindness and beauty beyond compare…  We’re starting to think they may have a bit of sports knowledge, too.

Which team did our animals predict would win the Final Four?

Today’s predictions for the winning team brought out our PET (Pet Encounter Therapy) guinea pigs Gemma and Spud and African Grey Parrot Tasha; our Critter Camp Education Tortoises Helmet and Scooter; and Helen Woodward Animal Center Adoptables – feline Iris and canine Keeper.  Logos bearing the “Final Fur” teams – Wichita State Shockers, Louisville Cardinals, Michigan Wolverines and Syracuse Orange – were all given equal opportunity as treats, races, cat toys and agility courses provided our beloved critters a chance to weigh in with their favorites.  Without fail, each feathered, scaled and furry participant selected the Louisville Cardinals as the final victor!

Locked in a race of blistering sluggishness: it’s Tortoise Racing Season at Critter Camp!

After a long winter’s nap, the flowers are finally bursting with color and trees are unfurling their bright, beautiful leaves. All these changes mean a special season has begun… Spring? What? No! It’s Tortoise Racing Season!

Helmet and Scooter, the Center’s own celebrated Sulcata Tortoises, pitch their blistering sluggishness against one another in weekly races to the cheering crowds of Critter Campers who are learning about them, and other amazing animals, who share our planet. This Critter Camp event has become a favorite with campers big and small, and even with the staff and volunteers at Helen Woodward Animal Center.

It seems like only yesterday that we were covering the Sulcata Races of Summer Critter Camp 2012, and we can hardly believe it is time for more race action.

Will Spring Critter Camp’s victor, Scooter, continue to reign this summer at Summer Critter Camp?  Will fierce competitor Helmet remember that the finish line is in front of him, not “back there somewhere?”

Team Helmet, Team Scooter—who will win your heart?

Your child can meet Scooter, Helmet and dozens of other amazing animals at Summer Critter Camp! Register before April 30 and get 10% off your Critter Camp fee at checkout.

Sulcata Tortoise Facts

• The Sulcata is the third largest species of tortoise in the world
• Adult Sulcata Tortoises can weigh as much as 200 pounds
• Sulcatas have the reputation of having pleasant temperaments

We cherish each pet that comes through our doors, but there are those few pets whose stories we remember; pets who succeed to find loving, forever families despite the incredible odds stacked against them. Two such pets, Sasha and Harley, come from very different backgrounds, but both have come so far to find happiness.

Harley – Superstorm Sandy Survivor

Harley relaxing in the Cattery with one of his favorite volunteers

Harley was one of 23 cats who escaped the devastation of Superstorm Sandy on Helen Woodward Animal Center’s Sandy Pets Flight. With the help of Southwest Airlines, SeaWorld Rescue and BP Oil, Harley was taken out of his flooded animal shelter back east and flown to San Diego to make room for the pets displaced by the storm. Due to the trauma that Harley had experienced, he was a shy cat and needed a special family who would be patient and understanding of his needs.

On February 11, Harley’s dream family found him in our Cattery and took him home. A couple weeks later, we were overjoyed to hear an update on Harley from his new adopted mom.

Harley in his new adopted home!

I’m so glad we were able to bring him into our home and give him the love he deserves.

Hi Helen Woodward Animal Center!

It’s been almost two weeks now since Harley has been at his forever home and what progress he has made! He is still timid and shy and jumps at unfamiliar noises but he comes out quite frequently now and enjoys playing and being petted.

However, Harley always runs out whenever he hears the treat bag shake or his food bowl being filled. He purrs when you scratch his head and even enjoys chasing our 50 lb. Labrador Retriever! He has been the perfect addition to our family. I’m so glad we were able to bring him into our home and give him the love he deserves after all he has been through.

Thank you Helen Woodward Animal Center!

The Bruce Family

Sasha – Abandoned Senior Kitty

You may have heard about this recent story from Helen Woodward Animal Center. At approximately 6 a.m., on the morning of February 22, an individual slipped inside the doors of the Helen Woodward Animal Center administrative offices and placed a blue cat carrier in the lobby.  There was no note, no information about the tiny gray cat that sat terrified, inside.  Despite her fear, the kitty greeted Center staffers with sweet nuzzles and purrs.  She was domesticated and extremely loving towards humans – clearly someone’s former pet.

Read Sasha’s complete story here

After many medical tests, it was determined that Sasha had a number of medical issues, but there was no way to address her issues due to an enlarged heart. The strain on Sasha’s heart meant that putting her under anesthesia for any medical procedure would likely end her life.

Despite the medical issues, Sasha showed no symptoms and was very engaged and loving! Her story was shown on San Diego news stations and within only hours of her story airing, we began receiving calls from families who wanted to meet Sasha.

The very first day Sasha began looking for her forever family, she was adopted! And a few days later, her new forever mom posted an update on our Facebook page:

Hi Helen Woodward! Just wanted to let you know that Sasha is settling in nicely and loves to sleep in bed with us. She is still trying to make friends with our other cat, Maggie, and they are slowly warming up to each other. She is a love bug and we want to thank you so much for bringing her into our lives!

We are overjoyed to receive updates from these two adopting families. It is our honor to not only help these pets, but enhance the lives of families who want to bring joy and love into their lives by adopting. Thank you for letting us be a part of your lives! If you want to adopt a new furry friend, visit our website to see all our available dogs, cats, kittens and puppies.

Mike Lawson, of La Jolla Termite and Pest Control, hanging out with Chester and Hope, two Pet Encounter Therapy dogs at Helen Woodward Animal Center.

For the past fourteen years, Helen Woodward Animal Center and Promises2 Kids have shared a common mission - to provide every child at Polinsky Children’s Center with the unconditional love of one of our animal ambassadors during this difficult time of crisis and turmoil in their young lives.  This unique form of therapy is provided through Helen Woodward Animal Center’s Pet Encounter Therapy program with two visits, every week, to these special children. Pet Encounter Therapy brings a variety of animals varying from guinea pigs to snakes, and (of course!) dogs of all shapes and sizes, handled by our dedicated staff and volunteers.

Mike Lawson, of La Jolla Termite and Pest Control, chats with Harriet, an amazing Pet Encounter Therapy bird.

Helen Woodward Animal Center is excited to announce a new member to this team to improve the quality of life for children at Polinsky Children’s Center: CEO and President of La Jolla Termite and Pest Control, Mike Lawson.  Mike has made a generous donation to support this vital outreach outreach effort.

This donation will provide many of these kids with the unconditional love from our special animals.

Robin Cohen, Pet Encounter Therapy Manager stated, “Over 300 children, from birth to eighteen years of age, are admitted to the Polinsky Center each month. Mike Lawson’s generous donation will help us to provide many of these kids with the unconditional love of our special animals on every visit. For the children at Polinsky, this can be a very traumatic time in their lives. They depend on our therapy animals to be there so they can listen to their fears, offer a furry shoulder to hug and a wagging tail to let them know that they are loved.”

La Jolla Termite and Pest Control is offering a unique deal to help Pet Encounter Therapy at Helen Woodward Animal Center. Mention the ad below and donate 5% of your purchase, of La Jolla Termite and Pest Control’s services, directly to this community program! They offer green and organic services to keep your pets, safe, too!

Local Dog Brings Helen Woodward Animal Center’s Companion Animal Hospital a Seasonal Visitor

Companion Animal Hospital Veterinary Staff Welcome Little “Spring”

The vernal equinox is said to provide increased daylight, warming temperatures and the rebirth of flora and fauna.  But for Helen Woodward Animal Center’s Companion Animal Hospital, the first day of the season has brought an unexpected guest – a baby jackrabbit, veterinary workers are calling “Spring.”  In a hospital where normal clients include a myriad of dogs and cats, a local canine turned out to be a uniquely gentle courier for the tiny rabbit’s delivery.

At approximately 7 a.m., March 20, a Rancho Santa Fe woman arrived at Helen Woodward Animal Center’s Companion Animal Hospital with a tiny bunny huddled in a make-shift bed formed from an Ugg-slipper. She informed staffers that her dog had carried the tiny creature to her, in his mouth, and gently placed it at her feet. The jackrabbit appears to be only weeks old and is showing positive signs of life, although the Center workers have some concern about his back legs. Worried that they may be paralyzed, the baby bunny will be under constant surveillance over the upcoming days.

The days ahead of “Spring,” will include plenty of hydration, a warm place to sleep, and an intense focus on getting the tiny jackrabbit to eat and receive the best nutrition possible.  If the veterinary team can get Spring back up and “hopping” he will be introduced back into the wild within a matter of months.

What To Do If You Find a Rabbit Nest

Removing bunnies from a nest greatly reduces their chance of survival.  If an individual finds a wild nest of bunnies with no mother present, the nest MUST remain undisturbed. Mother rabbits forage during the day and return to their nests only at night, staying away as much as possible so as not to attract predators.

If your dog disturbs a nest, please make all attempts to return the bunny to the nest uninjured.  Nests should be reconstructed as best as possible with grass, hay and straw.   Should the nest require a complete rebuild, try to place it no further than 10’ away from the original site.  Dig a shallow hole about 3” deep and return as much of the original material as possible into this new nest, placing the baby bunnies inside. If the baby bunny appears to be injured, we recommend that you call Project Wildlife at 619-225-9453 or the Wildlife Center at 858-278-2222, or a local wildlife rescue in your area.

Sasha snuggles with a staff member at Helen Woodward Animal Center

**Update: On Wednesday, March 20, a day after Sasha’s story was released, a lovely forever family came and adopted Sasha! We are so excited for her!

The golden years of our lives are meant to be spent surrounded by the love of the family who knew us in our youth.  Families often bring their aging loved ones closer – moving them in to live out their remaining days, embraced and protected.  Unfortunately, not all pet owners extend this same sort of consideration to their furry family members.  A loving, little, senior cat, recently abandoned at Helen Woodward Animal Center, revealed the darker side of pet ownership – lack of interest in providing care when it is most needed.

This was Sasha on the first day she was abandoned. She was scared at first, but quickly warmed to her new friends.

At approximately 6 a.m., on the morning of February 22, an individual slipped inside the doors of the Helen Woodward Animal Center administrative offices and placed a blue cat carrier in the lobby.  There was no note, no information about the tiny gray cat that sat terrified, inside.  Despite her fear, the kitty greeted Center staffers with sweet nuzzles and purrs.  She was domesticated and extremely loving towards humans – clearly someone’s former pet.  Upon medical inspection, the cat was discovered to be approximately 12 years old – a senior kitty that, normally, would have quite a few remaining years ahead.  We named her Sasha.

Unfortunately, the tests revealed some sad facts, as well.  X-rays showed an enlarged heart and further inspection revealed a heart murmur present.  Sasha was also showing signs of chronic kidney disease, dental disease and probable lymphoma.  The prospects of improving her health conditions were limited.  The strain on Sasha’s heart meant that putting her under anesthesia for any medical procedure would likely end her life.   There was little to do but provide her a good diet and loving care for her remaining months.

As is the beautiful nature of animals, Sasha does not pity herself.  Despite her health conditions, she is not in pain, is on no medication and has no obvious symptoms.  Instead, she continues to demonstrate the loving nature she has perfected in her years of domesticated life.  She affectionately loves to head-butt her way into the hearts of everyone around her, nuzzling and purring in hopes of winning someone’s heart for good.

[Sasha] affectionately loves to head-butt her way into the hearts of everyone around her.

“Stressing the value of our pets is a primary adoption topic at Helen Woodward Animal Center,” stated Jessica Gercke, the Center’s PR Manager.  “These dogs and cats will give their owners unlimited devotion for 12 – 20 years.  They view us as their family and they ask for nothing in return except love and the basic essentials.   Hopefully we wouldn’t abandon a human family member as they aged and became sick.   Why would anyone do this to a furry family member?”

Sasha is currently available for adoption and does not require medication or special care, aside from a health focused diet.  She has tons of love to give and deserves a family to devote herself to in the months or possible years she has remaining.  For more information on Sasha, or to adopt Sasha, please contact the Adoptions Department at: 858-756-4117, ext. 1, or or email us.

Also,we are currently seeking the identification of the person who abandoned Sasha to prevent this individual from adopting another pet.   If you have information, you are asked to contact Vice President of Operations Rita Truderung at (858) 756-4117, ext. 303.