Greetings Volunteers,
March is Adopt a Rescued Guinea Pig Month and we have some major cuties waiting for homes! Look at Nimbus and Stratus, such cute girls (top photo). Partial to the boys, check out Brownie and Pickle! Here are 10 reasons guinea pigs make great pets: 1. Guinea pigs are hardy. 2. Guinea pigs are easy to care for. 3. Guinea pigs are great pets for children. 4. Guinea pigs live long lives. 5. Guinea pigs have unique personalities. 6. Guinea pigs make the best sounds! 7. Guinea pigs like to “pop. 8. Guinea pigs are colorful. 9. Guinea pigs like people. 10. Guinea pigs make great first pets. So, now that you know a bit more about guinea pigs, what’s stopping you from bringing an adorable new friend into your loving home?!
Shelter update: We currently have 131 animals in our care at Marin Humane: 41 animals in foster and 90 animals in the shelter/Kitty Corner, including: 14 dogs, 2 puppies, 46 cats, 4 kittens, 8 rabbits, 8 guinea pigs, 5 rodents, 1 reptile, and 2 fowl. Hopalong has 48 animals in their care, 6 animals in the Oakland office and 42 cats and dogs in fabulous foster homes or offsite adoption sites!
Adoptions update: Happy not-rainy Wednesday! Last week really went to the dogs – well, to the puppies, that is! We’re thrilled that so many little ones found fabulous forever homes. And of course, there were still a few kitties and smalls in the mix, too. 😉 Congratulations to all of the adopters! We think we could all use this adoption video which is full of sunshine! Here’s this week’s Adoption Report, too!
Hopalong happenings! It was a pit bull puppy party on Saturday in Greenbrae! Though the weather forced us to keep the mobile adoption event at Woodlands smaller than usual, we had lots of wonderful volunteers helping put the event on, and some lovely prospective adopters stopped by to meet the pups. Bart and Moana both left the event with their new adoptive families, how sweet! (Bart is the one eyed puppy, Moana is the tan puppy :).
Happy ending: We know you’ll enjoy this story of a recent happy story of a happy reunion, as told by Animal Services officer Connor Cimmiyotti: “Late Friday night, Officer Caralyn Figone and I were dispatched to a call in Mill Valley to receive a dog that had been rescued by firefighters from an apartment complex fire that was in progress. When Officer Figone and I arrived on scene, the dog’s owner had been located. Officer Figone looked the dog over for any obvious signs of injury resulting from the fire. She advised the owner to have the dog seen as soon as possible by a veterinarian for a full exam, offered to transport the dog to PESCM, and offered Marin Humane’s emergency boarding service to the owner given that they had just lost their home.
While on scene we were made aware of additional animals that were still inside of the burning building, in particular a cat that firefighters had been unable to locate after thoroughly searching the apartment multiple times. The cat’s owner was understandably distraught. After the building had been deemed safe enough to enter, with smoke still filling the night sky, Officer Figone entered the complex in search of the cat. To everyone’s surprise, including the firefighters, Caralyn emerged from the building 10 minutes later with the cat safely secured – it was like something out of a movie. It was a truly incredible moment to witness and the owner was overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude for what Caralyn had done.
Had Officer Figone not entered the building in the first place or utilized her experience and knowledge of cat behavior to know exactly where to look, the cat may not have been reunited with its owner. In the process of fighting the fire, all of the apartment’s doors and windows had been opened providing numerous exits for this indoor-only cat to escape into the chaotic night. It was later discovered that this cat had actually been adopted several years ago from Hopalong.
I commend Caralyn for her Dedication to Animals. She exemplified what being an animal welfare hero is all about as she went above and beyond to serve her community that evening.”
Community clinic – third time’s the charm! After being rained out twice, we’ve rescheduled our next FREE Community Clinic for Saturday, April 15, 11am – 1pm at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Marin City, CA. All our fingers and toes are crossed for sunshine! If you’re struggling financially, bring your dog or cat to our mobile clinic for free vaccinations, microchipping, flea/tick treatments, food/supplies, and a mini check-up by a veterinarian. Call 415-506-6238 for more info. Personas que hablan español son bienvenidos!
Tails of Marin: Thinking about adding a second (or third) cat to your home? Unlike dogs, cats are not pack animals so introducing cats to each other requires a plan and more importantly, patience. Red this week’s Tails of Marin, “Do’s And Don’ts Of Introducing Cats To Each Other” for great tips!
Dog license promotion! A license could be your dog’s lucky charm! Did you know that a license is the first thing we look for when a stray dog comes to the shelter? If your pup ever goes missing, a license is the quickest way for us to reunite you – meaning you won’t have to go searching at the end of the rainbow. To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, we’re waiving late fees on dog licenses for the rest of March! No need to rely on a four-leaf clover when you can get your pooch licensed on our website, quick as a leprechaun. Just head to marinhumane.org/licensing to buy or renew your dog’s license. Want to snag your license in person? No problem! Stop by the shelter during our open hours to speak with our licensing department. We’ll also be giving away a $100 gift certificate to Woodlands Pet Food & Treats to one lucky winner! Here’s how to enter the giveaway.
Cover girl! Check out Nicky, one of our adoption dogs (the one rescued by Animal Services after running loose in Nicasio for many days) on the cover of this week’s Pacific Sun newspaper! But even more important is the great feature article about dogs in shelters – hopefully, it’ll generate more adoptions, fosters, and volunteers!
Have a great week, and cheers to some sunshine!
Candace
