AHS Behavior Modification Program Transforms Troubled Dogs Into Irreplaceable Companions

FEBRUARY 2013 // A SPECIAL EDITION OF PAW PRINTS

PAWGRESS REPORT

HOLLY 1-year-old Holly was fearful and cautious upon arrival at AHS. After completing the Behavior Modification Program, she was adopted by Lisa Partridge who says Holly now shadows her everywhere. “She’s adjusting beautifully,” Partridge said. “She’s gone from fearful to playful.”

PENNY Penny, a Parson Russell Terrier, had problems with food aggression during her first few days at AHS. She’s now a member of the Jones family that includes three other dogs, three cats, a goat and some chickens. “It’s like she was tailor-made for us because of how goofy she is,” owner Marcy Jones said. “She fits into our pack great. We’re amazed at how smart she is.”

Bucking Bad Behavior Holly, Penny Shine In New Homes

Ronnie, a lovable 2-year-old canine, came to the Arizona Humane Society with an extreme lack of manners and behavior that was nearly impossible to manage. In just a few short weeks, a once out-of-control Ronnie is now helping a Navy veteran stay in control of his life.

Ronnie, a graduate of AHS’ recently implemented Behavior Modification Program, now boasts a patient demeanor and is working with Soldier’s Best Friend to become a service dog for a nine-year military veteran named Kyle. Soldier’s Best Friend, a Phoenix-based community partner of AHS, pairs service dogs with war heroes like Kyle, who are suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), to help them transition back into civilian life.

Ronnie is just over a month into his training and will need to complete the program before Kyle is able to officially adopt him – a process which typically takes six months. But for Kyle, a combat veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom who is dealing with PTSD and mobility issues, Ronnie has already made a world of difference.

“There aren’t words to say how grateful I am for him,” Kyle said of Ronnie. “He keeps me going.”

Ronnie is just one of many success stories that have come through AHS’ Behavior Modification program.

The behavior program, which launched late last year, works with dogs who enter

AHS displaying a variety of behavior issues often that are no fault of their own. These problems range from shyness to fear to food aggression to a lack of basic manners like Ronnie exhibited.

Once identified, these dogs work with trained AHS behavior specialists to overcome their issues before being placed up for adoption. Since the program’s inception, countless dogs have already successfully passed through the program and gone on to find their forever families.

“As the state’s largest open intake shelter that accepts all animals regardless of age, breed and medical condition, AHS sees thousands of these types of behavior cases every year,” AHS executive director Guy Collison said. “But we’re not just going to give up on these dogs. We won’t take the easy way out when we can make a difference for these animals and also provide joy to the individuals who adopt them. We are incredibly proud

of this program and grateful to you for giving us the ability to save more lives.”

Eventually, AHS hopes to expand the program to include a full-scale pet behavior tip line and basic training classes for the public.

Your continued support can help make that possible and give thousands of dogs like Ronnie a second chance at life. And for Kyle, Ronnie’s second chance provided Kyle with a second chance, as well.

“Everywhere I go he’s with me,” Kyle said. “He’s just a big goof. But he’s an absolutely great dog.”

GET INVOLVED

at SafewayThe Arizona Humane Society is teaming up with Safeway for “Paws for Love”, a month-long celebration of the joy of pets. Throughout the month of February, shoppers at all 115 Arizona Safeway locations can make a donation to AHS upon checkout and show shelter pets that homelessness doesn’t equate to heartlessness.

New Website Now Online Check out our new-look website at azhumane.org and get all the latest news, information and updates on our programs, events and animal care services. The easy-to-navigate site features adoption pages that showcase our amazing pets, a regularly-updated “What’s New?” news section and streamlined donation forms,

offering a better user experience to our 100,000 monthly visitors and supporters.

World Spay DayFEBRUARY 26TH | TEMPE MARKETPLACE Join AHS as we lead the fight in pet overpopulation and raise awareness of Arizona’s extreme pet overpopulation crisis. AHS will set up a display of 121 stuffed animals, which represents the number of animals that enter our shelter doors every day. Additionally, AHS will distribute 500 free spay/neuter vouchers, courtesy of AHS’ generous Circle of Friends and eBay, as we combat pet overpopulation one spay at a time. AHS staff will also be on hand to explain the importance of spaying and neutering your pet.

Dog Day in the ParkMARCH 9TH, 1:05 P.M. | PEORIA SPORTS COMPLEX Bring your dog out to the ballpark and enjoy a day of spring training baseball as the San Diego Padres host the Texas Rangers.

Sit in the special “Paw-tio” section with some of your favorite AHS alumni!

Puttin’ For Pooches Motorcycle RunAPRIL 12TH | CHANDLER HARLEY DAVIDSON Rev up your engines for a day-long motorcycle ride for animal lovers and motorcycle enthusiasts alike. Participants will have the opportunity to meet AHS adoptable pets, receive complimentary raffle tickets and a ticket into Cyclefest at WestWorld, where the ride culminates.

Bark in the ParkJUNE 9TH, 1:10 P.M. | CHASE FIELD Take your dog out to the ball game and cheer on the Arizona Diamondbacks as they host the San Francisco Giants. $5 from every ticket purchased will benefit AHS, so invite your friends and co-workers to join you and help root the D-Backs on to victory!

15th annual Compassion with Fashion:

March 23 | Arizona Biltmore

HIT A HOME RUN FOR HOMELESS PETS!

Join 1,000 fans in support of the life-saving programs and services benefitting the more than 44,000 companion animals that AHS cares for every year. Purchase individual tickets for $150 or an event table. Tables seat 10 and range in price from $1,500-$10,000. Includes a seated luncheon, a grand-slam silent auction, adorable adoptable pets and an unforgettable fashion show.

Register at cwf.azhumane.orgFor more information, contact Page Englert at 602.943.7655

THANK YOU TO OUR 2013 MVP SPONSORS

WE’RE ALL EARS! Do you have something you want to share with us? Questions about our programs and services? We’d love to hear your feedback. Email giving@azhumane.org or contact (602) 997-7586 x1036 and let us know what’s on your mind.

YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS MADE A BIG IMPACTThanks to the generous support of individuals like you, AHS had an impactful year in 2012. Here are just a few of the ways your heartfelt donations helped make a difference in the lives of our homeless animals:

• The number of animals entering our open-intake shelter decreased by 1,696 for a total of 44,306, due in part to AHS’ spay/neuter initiatives.

• Placement of animals in forever homes and with rescue organizations increased by 1,498, for a total of more than 17,000.

• 2,549 free roaming cats were spayed/neutered and returned to their colonies through a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) pilot program in partnership with the Animal Defense League of Arizona (ADLA).

• We launched an extensive expanded behavior modification program to help dogs needing a bit of extra training before finding a forever home. We hope to save the lives of 400-500 more dogs annually.

• Our Alternative Placement program successfully worked with 7,777 animals (247 more than last year), placing them in foster care, with rescue groups or reuniting them with their owners.

• 11,481 injured animals were treated in our state-of-the-art Second Chance Animal Hospital™.

• 2,850 patients – 350 more than our target goal of 2,500 – were treated at our low-cost Margaret McAllister Brock Veterinary Clinic, sparing these animals from being surrendered by their owners due to expensive medical costs.

• Emergency Animal Medical Technicians™ responded to 26,756 calls for help – an increase of 3,697 over the prior year.

• Through AHS’ Leave No Feline Behind cat adoption campaign – which encouraged a donation in lieu of fees – we adopted out over 2,700 cats.

• We implemented steam cleaning and HEPA air filtration in the cat areas at our Sunnyslope facility. Initial results show lower incidence of upper respiratory infection.

• We re-designated 30 kennels at our Sunnyslope facility to serve exclusively as dog adoption kennels. During the first four months of implementation, dog adoptions have increased by 144.

So in 2013, in addition to healing, rescue and adoption, we remain focused on spay and neuter initiatives to decrease the number of animals suffering on our streets, and on finding innovative ways to increase adoptions in our community.Our priority items this year include:

• Increasing spay/neuter efforts that target the free-roaming cat population, Pit Bulls and Chihuahuas, which account for roughly 30 percent of AHS dog intakes.

• Increasing the number of dogs treated for behavior issues to help these dogs find forever homes.

• Increasing the capacity to treat neonate kittens (kittens six weeks or younger) – an area of high intake and mortality rates.

• Increasing the number of adopters by capturing a larger percentage of individuals who are initially undecided on where they would like to adopt a pet from.

AHS Docents Provide “Warm”-Hearted GiftAHS thanks its volunteer docents for their generous gift of $1,200 toward a forced air warmer for the Marge Wright Low-Cost Spay & Neuter and Wellness Clinic. This warmer helps to regulate the body temperature of an animal as he or she comes out of anesthesia following surgery. AHS is lucky to have such great ambassadors. If you’re interested in joining our dedicated team of more than 1,800 volunteers, contact our Volunteer Services Department at (602) 997-7586 x1040.

As the leading animal welfare and protection organization in Arizona, we are committed to a world in which animal cruelty is eradicated, pet homelessness is reduced, and more pets find the joy and comfort of loving forever homes.

photos Brandon Sullivan

Pete’s Purrrrrfect Ending

Jean Mann has never liked cactus. So it doesn’t seem too far-fetched that fate would unite her with Prickly Pete. Prickly Pete, a 1-year-old orange and white cat, came into Mann’s life less than a week after his harrowing experience with a cactus. On the morning of December 19, 2012, the curious cat found himself stuck in a cactus in Phoenix. The Arizona Humane Society’s Emergency Animal Medical Technicians™ raced to rescue Pete, but upon arrival, Pete had escaped from the cactus’ clutches before eventually becoming caught in a fence.

Our EAMTs freed Pete from the fence and rushed him to AHS’ Second Chance

Animal Hospital™, where a highly-skilled team of compassionate veterinarians spent two hours painstakingly removing dozens of spines from Pete’s muzzle, eyelids and mouth. After spending several days in recovery, Pete went up for adoption on December 26th and Mann just couldn’t resist. Mann had come to AHS that day with her 8-year-old granddaughter, who was looking for a cat, and had no intention of adopting herself. But after hearing Pete’s amazing story and forming a quick bond with him over just a few minutes, Mann, the self-proclaimed cactus hater, knew Pete, the cactus survivor, should spend the rest of his life with her.

“He’s doing great,” Mann said a few weeks after adopting Pete. “He’s being ornery and doing what kitties do. But he’s a great kitty. I got lucky. Very lucky.”

Pete now lives in Sun City with Mann and his two canine siblings, Buddy and Lily – a pair of Maltese. Mann says Pete is extremely loving and has helped fill a void left by the death of her husband last summer. Pete spends his days inside, lying in Mann’s lap whenever he can.

Every once in a while, Pete will take a peek outside. But after his prickly predicament, Mann said Pete has no desire to get stuck in another splintery situation again. “He doesn’t even try to go outside,” Mann joked. “He just looks out the window and says ‘I’m so glad there’s no cactus here.’”

1521 W Dobbins Road | Phoenix, AZ 85041 | azhumane.org

LOOKING FOR LOVE

ATHLETIC FEMALE SEEKS

ENERGETIC COMPANION

FOR ADVENTURE!

Interests include strolls through the park at

sunset, running through the sprinklers, and

tearing the stuffing out of toys. Desirable

candidate should have a good sense of humor,

excellent tug-of-war skills and enjoy rolling

in the grass every now and then. Strong arm

for ball throwing is a plus. Loves kids but

won’t be able to provide you with any.