www.animalshelterwrv.org

Happy Tails Newsletter We are on a mission to enrich the quality of life in our community by connecting animals and people through innovative programs that inspire and have impact beyond our borders.

Fall 2013 Issue

Fire, evacuation, and mudslides, this year the Shelter faced real fear and adversity, unlike any we had seen before. We had a choice. We could have been overwhelmed by the bad or we could choose hope. Thanks to our Shelter ani-mals the decision was easy. Every day our shelter animals teach us how to be resilient in the face of adversity. The stories they come in with are sometimes more than we can bear, but they never cease to be ambassadors for the kind of world we want to live in: a world of forgiveness, joy, and hope.

Our community made the decision an easy one, as well. We were incredibly moved by how the community banded together to support us—with donations, volun-teer time, and expertise. The experience was really just a concentrated version of the support we see year round for the animals. Animals bring out the best in us—childrenraise money for them at lemonade stands, friends give in honor of loved ones, we donate in memory of pets we’ve lost, and more!

This holiday season we challenge you to consider being an ambassador as well, an ambassador for hope. Take what you have learned from the animals in your life and stand up for those who can’t. Instead of giving gifts of goods, or in addition to, consider making gifts of hope and change.

As part of our annual Stay at Home non-event fundraiser, the Shelter is offering opportunities to give honorary gifts to loved ones this holiday season. You will have the chance to give in a way that truly makes a difference in the lives of real animals in our shelter and our community while honoring those dear friends in your life. Your friends will be touched knowing that you have honored them in this way. Hope is a choice. It is up to you.

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“ To break from the power of fear we must stop focusing inward and start focusing outward. Adversity

can paralyze us or it can be a chance to learn something.

We make the choice.”Julie Andrews

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Animal Shelter of the Wood River Valley

SANTA PAWSPhotos of your family pet(s) with Santa Paws!

Saturday, November 16th: Sun Valley Animal Center

Sunday, November 17th: Sawtooth Animal Center

11 AM - 2 PM

No advanced reservations required for this event!

Call the Shelter for more information: (208)788-4351

DIRECTORY

ANIMAL SHELTER OF THE WOOD RIVER VALLEY

A NON-PROFIT CORPORATION ID #82-0351171

100 Croy Creek Road P.O. Box 1496 - Hailey ID 83333

Telephone: (208) 788-4351 Fax: (208) 788-3601

Website: www.animalshelterwrv.org

Email: info@animalshelterwrv.org

www.facebook.com/AnimalShelterWRV

Hours of Operation:Mon: 10 am - 5 pm

Tue - Fri: 10 am - 6pm Sat: 10 am - 4 pm Sun: Noon - 4 pm

BARKIN’ BASEMENT THRIFT STORE111 S. Main Street

P.O. Box 1496 - Hailey ID 83333Telephone: (208) 788-3854

www.facebook.com/BarkinBasement

Hours of Operation:Mon - Sat: 10 am - 6 pm Sundays 10 am - 4 pm

BOARD OF DIRECTORS:Rosemary Aquilante, President Priscilla Pittiglio, Vice PresidentChristine Ferguson, Secretary

Sam Christian, TreasurerChris Koch, Member at largeJinny Olsen, Member at large

Tim Semones, Member at large

MANAGEMENT:

Jo-Anne Dixon DVM Executive Director/ Medical Director

Brooke BonnerDirector of Development & Communications

Paul DuffyBarkin’ Basement Assistant Manager

Nadia Novik LVT Operations Manager

Andrea ParkerBarkin’ Basement Manager

Robin PottsShelter Manager

Animal Shelter of the Wood River Valley

29TH ANNUAL PAW’N POLE X-C and Snowshoe Races With Your Dog

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Starting at Noon at the Croy Nordic Trails Right across from the Shelter!

This year’s theme:

THE OLYMPICS Poochies in Sochi

Best costume and Silly Pet Trick contests!

Raffle for BCRD Winter pass for you and your dog

Race entry fees: $5/child, $10/adult, $25 family

Includes lunch and raffle ticket entry

Call the Shelter for more information: (208)788-4351

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Why Does My Dog Do That And How Do I Get Him to Stop?

Last month Kelley Bollen, a nationally recognized animal behaviorist and acting consul-tant for the Cornell University Veterinary Medical School Shelter Medicine program, came to our shelter to give a two-day intensive training.

Kelley spent the first day training our shelter staff and volunteers on recognizing and reducing stress for animals in the shelter as well as designing behavior treatment plans and enrichment activities to help our shelter animals. That evening, she gave a free presentation to around 80 members of the community on positive reinforcement training and how to better understand the dogs in our lives. The next day, we invited shelters from around our region to a special training on conducting canine behavior evaluations, under-standing aggression, and recognizing and reducing stress in their own shelters. Over 35 shelter staff members from Idaho Falls, Jerome, Kimberly, Twin Falls, and Idaho Humane in Boise were part of this day-long workshop. We are proud to be a leader in sheltering practices and were thrilled to be able to provide this valuable resource and training to other shelters in our region. Supporting other shelters is just one more way we can increase the reach of our mission to strengthen our community by con-necting animals and people.

Celebrating CommunityOne Wattle At A TimeWe are excited to be able to say that as of the end of October, the remediation work at the Shelter after the Beaver Creek Fire and subsequent mudslides that devastated the property is complete!

We couldn’t have completed that massive amount of work without the help from this great community. Staff and volunteers participated in mul-tiple work parties to rebuild and secure our site.

The generosity of our donors, many of whom were also af-fected by the event, provided funding that allowed us to hire local businesses, including Whitehead Landscaping and Beau Burks of Earthworks, to do the major work on our hillside. Special thanks also goes to Bruce Smith at Alpine Enterprises for all the donated engineering work.

While we don’t know what the spring will have in store for us with run off and rains, with all your help we have done our best to prepare ourselves and protect our animals. Thank you again!

give them coping skills that not only help them manage the stresses of shelter life but skills that ultimately make them more adoptable, skills they can take home with them when they are adopted so they can thrive in their new life.

Enrichment activities range from “quiet time”—one on one time staff and volun-teers spend with individual animals petting and grooming them or working on training activities—to food activities that extend the pleasure of feeding time, like bedtime snacks of Kongs filled with peanut butter, kibble, or other treats. While some of these activities are incredibly simple, they make a world of difference to the animals.

To keep animals thriving in the Shelter it often requires creativity and individual solu-tions. For example, Bandit (pictured above) is a cat that doesn’t do well with other cats. Instead of being forced to live alone in a cage, she’s now the Shelter office cat, hap-pily snuggling in her bed or on staff

member’s chairs in the front office until the perfect home comes along. Volunteer foster homes also play an important part in reduc-ing stress for certain special needs animals that will thrive with a little more individual attention.

Behavior ModificationEvery animal that comes through our doors is treated as an individual. Our trained professionals get to know each of them and evaluate their behaviors to help determine what type of home might be the best fit. But we don’t stop there. Our staff is trained to work with the animals to enhance their positive traits, and to teach them new behaviors in lieu of any challeng-ing traits that might decrease the animals’ chances of adoption.

Always based in positive reinforcement, we are continuously seeking new methods and best practices to make our Shelter the best environment possible for our animals. As

At the Animal Shelter of the Wood River Valley, we are all about second chances. Everyday we work hard to create new possibilities for homeless animals in our community. We are proud to provide inno-vative and industry-leading services to not only enhance the lives of the animals while they are at the shelter, but to support each adoption so each animal can thrive in their new forever home. We have titled this con-tinuum of services, committed to ensuring each animal’s success, “PAWsibilities.” This program highlights and celebrates what we feel makes our shelter so special.

Stress ManagementShelter environments, no matter how loving, can be incredibly stressful for animals. They are in a foreign environment, surrounded by other unfamiliar animals, loud noises, and consistent stimuli from visitors, staff, and other sources. In order to minimize these stressors, our staff and volunteers engage in enrichment activities with the animals to

Celebrating PAWsibilitiesCreating New Futures for Homeless Animals

you read on page 3, this includes special trainings from such nationally recognized shelter behavior experts as Kelley Bollen. We focus on coming up with a plan meant to help each animal thrive and blossom into a great new family member for a lucky adopter.

Post-Adoption SupportWe are excited to congratulate our Behav-ior and Training Manager Hillary Hayward on her recent CPDT-KA (Certified Pet Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed) cer-tification. Only one of five people in the entire state to have achieved this level of certification, Hillary works with our dogs to make them more adoptable and better “citizens” of our community.

According to Hillary, one of the most rewarding parts of her job is “working with dogs with less than ideal qualities, helping them get adopted and stay adopted.” In addition to working on behavior modi-fication of Shelter dogs, a good portion of Hillary’s days are spent working with adopters, teaching them ways to better communicate with their animals and giving them skills to work through any problem behaviors and helping them adjust to their new homes.

Because of demand, this coming year we are excited to be able to increase the number of classes Hillary will be teaching on basic obedience for adult dogs. In the past, we have only been able to offer a few 6 week classes per summer, each filling up immediately and having a waiting list.

Thanks to the Sawtooth Botanical Garden for generously offering us the use of their indoor space; we are thrilled to finally be able to offer classes through the winter as well. Along with post-adoption counseling, these classes are an integral part of our efforts to ensure each adoption is a suc-cess for the life of the dog. This post adop-tion support keeps dogs in loving homes and prevents unnecessary surrenders.

Regional Shelter OutreachWe recognize that to be the best shelter we can be we must also be a leader for other shelters in our region. The final component of our PAWsibilities program is our regional shelter outreach. We actively work with many shelters in our state, some of which have very few resources and shockingly high euthanasia rates, to help support them not only with internal development but in acting as a relief valve, taking in dogs when they run out of space and are faced with euthanasia.

Many of the other shelters in our region have high intake numbers and limited support. The dogs we pull from these shelters receive no training, no enrich-ment, and have lived in their kennels all the time. Our Operations Manager Nadia Novik says, “Watching the transformation of these dogs after coming to our facility is amazing.” Because we are so much more than a place to shelter animals, with a range of supportive services, these animals have a second chance that would not otherwise have been possible.

Because of the tremendous support of the community and our shared values, the Animal Shelter is in a position to continue making lifelong connections between people and pets while spreading our suc-cess beyond the confines of our valley. By being our partner in this mission, all of our supporters—from donors and volunteers, to adopters and students—are truly saving lives and spreading compassion. Who knows how far these ripples will reach and what new PAWsibilities will be cre-ated because of our work together!

Take Home Activity: Try this with your pets!

As much as physical exercise is important in an animal’s life, mental exercise is equally important. Having your pets “work” to eat gives them incredible mental satisfaction and discourages them from boredom/lonely behaviors.

A simple enrichment activ-ity you can do with both cats and dogs is to use feeder balls, puzzles, or bowls to extend the pleasure of their feeding time and engage their brains in the process.

For some great resources to try at home, visit our website at www.animalshelterwrv.org > Programs & Services > Resources.

3344“It’s so wonderful that we have training programs that can really

change an animal’s life. So often, with just a few weeks of consistency and

positive reinforcement, dogs that others have given up on are made so

much more adoptable — they are just gems in the rough.”

Operations Manager Nadia Novik

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Animal Shelter of the Wood River Valley Photo Gallery Thank you to our many adopters who keep in touch with us by email and Facebook, and to our volunteers that helped coordinate numerous outreach events this summer

and fall. Enjoy reading below about some recent adoptions and fun-filled events!

Barkin’ Basement Sales Associate Kami Merritt, AKA Jane Fonda is seen here working it, during this

year’s HOWL-O-RAMA at the store.

Derby has quickly become an integral part of our family. He has changed all

of our lives for the better.

The Norris family

Barkin’ Basement Store Manager Andrea Parker is seen here thanking her sister Rachel and mom for their

volunteer help during this year’s BOW WOW HOLIDAY BAZAAR

at the Senior Connection.

Tina and other Shelter residents attended the annual

Blessing of the Animals at St. Thomas Episcopal Church.

Aspen has a big smile while he sends his girl off to college! They have be-

come best buds!

Tori Shimchick

Hayden Gvozdas, Clara Gvozdas, Sarah Liedecker, and Max Liedecker sold lemonade during this year’s WAGON DAYS PARADE. On September 4th, they delivered the $189 that they raised for the Animal

Shelter and enjoyed visiting with the animals.

Sarah Feltman, Hallie Taylor, Kaitlyn Hayes, Adela Pennell, and Maren Feltman from

GIRL SCOUT TROOP 230 are seen here posing for the camera during their work

day at the Animal Shelter.

Volunteer coordinators at the Senior Connection are seen here with Animal Shelter

volunteer Pamela Wertalik, showing some of the finished product seniors made for our

REPAWS-IT program.

Here is a picture of our dog Bridger, formerly known as Milo at the Shelter!

He is just the sweetest dog in the world!

Adrian Cordner

Shelter mascot Bernard enjoyed welcoming guests at the

CORNERSTONE GUEST BARTENDER EVENT

in early October.

Volunteers Bridget Cimino and Sandy Berk are seen here loving

their Shelter dog friends and enjoying one of our last Adam’s Gulch HIKIN’ BUDDIES outings of

the season.

BARKIN’ BASEMENT THRIFT STORE

111 S. Main Street in downtown Hailey

Telephone: (208) 788-3854

Store Hours:Monday - Saturday: 10 am - 6 pm

Sundays: 10 am - 4 pm

Call to schedule a pickup of furniture donations.

Donations can be dropped at the Barkin’ Basement

anytime between 9 am - 5 pm, Monday through Saturday

and 10 am - 4 pm on Sunday.

THREE WAYS YOU CANSUPPORT THE SHELTER:

SHOPDONATE

OR VOLUNTEERAT OUR THRIFT STORE!

The Barkin’ is open on Sundays, using only volunteers to work the register, organize the floor mer-

chandise, and assist shoppers. It’s an easy and fun way to spend a few

hours meeting friends and neigh-bors while doing something good

for the Animal Shelter.Please contact Barkin’ Manager

Andrea Parker if you would like to help as a Sunday volunteer.

(208) 788-3854

or barkin@animalshelterwrv.org

Holiday Stay at Home Campaign:

Spread the Love!This Holiday Season,

Give the Gift of CompassionWhat do you give the person who has everything? More resounding than any sleigh bells, how about wagging tails and purring cats? Give a gift that touches the lives of those close to you and those who are in need. Keep an eye on your mailbox around the Thanksgiving Holiday

for our Stay at Home holiday mailer!

Our annual Stay at Home “non-event” is a special way to support the Shelter through the holidays and into the New Year. With every

gift in honor of a loved one, we will send that person a beautiful holiday card from the Shelter letting them know of your generous

gift in their honor. Here are just a few ways your donation will positively affect the community!

Your support creates powerful and lasting connections between people and

animals through adoptions & outreach programs.

Your support builds a more compassionate community

through children’s programs and community events.

Your support reaches beyond the Shelter’s borders

through our community wide programs including free

community spay/neuter clinics and regional Shelter outreach

and support.

ANIMAL SHELTER OF THE WOOD RIVER VALLEYP.O. Box 1496 Hailey ID 83333-1496

Return Service Requested

OUR TOP DOG SPONSORS:

Sherry Daechwww.sherrydaech.com

40 - YEAR VALLEY RESIDENT

LONGTIME VALLEY REALTOR/BUSINESS PRINCIPAL

LIFETIME ANIMAL LOVER

SCOTTEVEST INC.Laura and Scott Jordanwww.scottevest.com

TRAVEL CLOTHING FOR THE TRIP OF YOUR LIFE

Proud Sponsors of theANIMAL SHELTER OF THE WOOD RIVER VALLEY

Dog License Time

ID REQUIRED!Prove that you care by licensing your pet today.

BENEFITS OF LICENSING:l License fees support spay/ neuter services at the Shelterl A license ID tag will help return your lost pet to you

l To control/ prevent the spread of rabies l It’s the law

2014 Dog Licenses go on sale December 1, 2013.Visit www.animalshelterwrv.org for locations

or to purchase your license online.