Heartline - Sacramento SPCA

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w 10 gifts for the animals … One Adopt a Friend for Life Find your new best friend at the Sacramento SPCA! Adopting howard gold/pawprint productions an animal is one of the best ways to support the efforts of our organization. And there’s a bonus in it for you: Not only do pets give unconditional love, but they have been shown to be psychologically, emotionally, and physically beneficial. Read on for one dog’s special journey from unwanted to unbelievably loved. >> SPCA Executive Director Rick Johnson carrying Ernesto from the transport vehicle on July 7. Folsom residents Thom and Judy Barrett were becoming regulars at the Sacramento SPCA. “We’d been looking for a dog for several months,” says Judy. “We had two wonderful dogs for 13 years, and when they passed away we waited almost a year to start searching for another one. We were at the SPCA all the time, just trying to find the right dog.” On one of their visits, the Barretts noticed Ernesto, a medium-sized mixedbreed dog who had been transferred to the SPCA from southern California in July as part of a special rescue operation (see Heartline, Fall 2010). A Chihuahua rescuer in rural Tehachapi in Kern County had become overwhelmed by the number of pets in her charge and was evicted from her home. The SPCA took in more than 160 animals, most of them Chihuahuas, after the Humane Society of the United States removed them from the property. SPCA Executive Director Rick Johnson recalls that he personally carried Ernesto out of the transport trailer when the animals arrived at the shelter. “I remember him well,” says Johnson. “He was larger than most of the other s dogs, and he was quiet and just let me hold him. He put his head right on my shoulder.” The public responded enthusiastically to the SPCA’s requests for adoptive homes for the Kern County animals. Once they became available, most went to new homes within a month. But Ernesto continued to linger. “A lot of people just walked past him in his kennel,” says SPCA adoption counselor Casey DeCant. “The other dogs were so much smaller. Ernesto wasn’t an adorable little Chihuahua.” A month went by, and then another. Ernesto became a favorite of the SPCA staff, who often let him lounge in comfort behind the adoption center’s front counter. But none of the potential adopters wanted to take a chance on an eight-year-old dog who was shy, a little nervous, and, as DeCant says, “kind of funny-looking.” By the time October rolled around, Ernesto had become a fixture at the SPCA. “Everybody loved him to pieces,” says DeCant. “But we still wanted to find him a great home.” Enter Thom and Judy Barrett. “We’d seen a lot of dogs, but none of them clicked with us,” says Judy. “We got home, and my husband said, ‘I keep thinking about Ernesto.’” The Barretts decided to take a chance on the shy, gentle dog who had traveled so far to find a new family. Judy says that Ernie has blossomed in his new environment. “He’s just so loving,” she says. “He gets up in the morning and the first thing he does when I let him go outside is run laps around and around the yard. At night, he gets into bed with me before he goes to sleep so we can snuggle.” They have no regrets about making Ernie part of the household. “He’s turned out to be a wonderful dog, and we feel so lucky,” Judy says. “We’re so thankful to the SPCA for taking such good care of him during his time there. He wouldn’t be doing as well as he is if you guys hadn’t been so good to him.” z 8 l “No one appreciates the very special genius of your conversation as the dog does.”—christopher morley howard gold/pawprint productions
… 10 gifts for the animals x Two Be Sure to Spay & Neuter 2010 was a banner year for our efforts to stem pet overpopulation through spaying and neutering. In February we celebrated the grand opening of a new spay/neuter clinic at the recently opened Sacramento County shelter. Operated by the Sacramento SPCA, the clinic was made possible with generous support from PetSmart Charities. “SPCA Clinic East” will alter more than 5,000 animals this year. In addition, our on-site spay/neuter clinic at the SPCA shelter performs more than 16,000 surgeries annually. You can help by ensuring that your pets are spayed or neutered, and encouraging friends and family to do the same. Every dog, cat and rabbit adopted from the Sacramento SPCA is altered before going to his or her home, but our clinic is available even if you didn’t adopt your companion here. Know someone who needs their pit bull or pit bull mix altered We’ll do it for free through our We Pay to Spay Program! Visit www.sspca. org for details. z s “The Sacramento SPCA is dedicated to reducing the regional burden of animals entering our local shelters,” says Executive Director Rick Johnson. “We’re looking to perform more than 25,000 spay/neuter surgeries annually by 2012.” s howard gold/pawprint productions Three Volunteer Your time is one of the most cherished gifts you can give to the shelter. Sacramento SPCA volunteers play a critical role in our work, helping with everything from clerical tasks to staffing special events to socializing adoptable animals in the shelter. We make every effort to match volunteers with the job they enjoy most, and provide plenty of training and guidance along the way. “We couldn’t do what we do without the tremendous support of our volunteers,” says Executive Director Rick Johnson. “They make everything possible.” If your New Year’s resolution is to give back to your community, sign up today for an upcoming volunteer orientation at the Sacramento SPCA. Please visit www. sspca.org for a listing of orientation dates. z howard gold/pawprint productions “There are few things in life more heartwarming than to be welcomed by a cat.”—Tay hohoff l 9
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Heartline - Sacramento SPCA

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