Greetings Volunteers,

We have loads to share, so let’s get started …!

Shelter update: We currently have 301 animals in our collective care. 195 are at Marin Humane: 72 animals in foster and 123 animals in the shelter/Kitty Corner, including: 20 dogs, 2 puppies, 49 cats, 38 kittens, 3 rabbits, 5 guinea pigs, 1 reptile, and 5 birds. 106 animals are with Hopalong: 8 animals are in the Oakland office and 98 cats, kittens, dogs, and puppies are in foster or offsite adoption sites!

Adoptions update: Hooray for Wednesdays! We’ve been busy around here, as you can see from all the awesome adoptions in our weekly slideshow! Fees for all of our adult cats are currently waived, plus a wonderful donor paid the adoption fees for all of our guinea pigs, so pass along the good news that there’s no better time to stop by the shelter and FALL in love. ❤. If you’d like more details, here’s the Adoption Report.

Hopalong happy ending! Baxter (the tan and white pup pictured here) joined the Hopalong Foster Program back in January at the start of 2024 and after 10 months in foster, he’s found his forever home! He’s now known as Benito, and we couldn’t be happier for him and his new family! His adopter met him at her job at Happy Hound Play and Daycare, which was his foster home in Oakland. Here’s what she shared with us about her bond with Baxter/Benito and the decision to adopt: 

“The moment I started taking Benny out for walks during my breaks at work, I knew he was going to be mine. But the real decision maker was up to my 4yr old pitty, Loyal. She’s very picky with dogs and with those she plays/interacts with. The first time they met, she had little to no interest. When I started walking them together, their chemistry grew. After weeks of hanging out only at work, I took Benny home for an overnight stay. He sat in the middle of the living room assimilating. His head tilting at every voice/sound. Politely curious of everything. During his second night, my mom’s boyfriend came in through the backyard and Benny guarded our home like he was already a member of the pack. My mind was set, but I still didn’t see the connection I wanted between him and Loyal. She would engage in play, but he didn’t know how. Finally, after a few home visits he gained confidence, rolling in front of her hinting he was ready to rumble. The rest is history. As nonchalant and calm as they are, these two get down! They match each other’s energy and respect boundaries. Benito is a silly, affectionate, well-behaved pup. I’m fascinated by everything they do and am eager to see what adventures lie ahead for us.”

San Quentin Pen Pals: It’s San Quentin update day! Every year, amongst all the dogs who come through this program, there tends to be a stand-out pup who becomes the unofficial Firehouse Mascot for the year. If you’ve been tuning in to our SQ posts lately, you’ve probably noticed us looking back on some of these particularly memorable dogs. This week we’re throwing it back to 2022, when we received multiple stray dogs who tested positive for distemper.

Distemper is an unpredictable viral infection that can affect a dog’s respiratory tract, GI tract, central nervous system, and eyes. After not seeing a single case of distemper at Marin Humane for at least 10 years, we were surprised to receive six dogs who tested positive for the deadly virus in the span of a couple weeks in July. Sunshine was one of those dogs. It can take months for a dog to test negative for distemper and make a full recovery, so once her health was stabilized, off she went to the Pen Pals program to recuperate. Her distemper was also followed by multiple ear infections (poor gal!) so she ended up spending a LOT of time at San Quentin: she arrived at SQ in September 2022 and stayed until March 2023! Sunshine stood out because she was SO smart.

Sunshine passed all five levels of testing offered in the Pen Pals program, and she was so eager to learn that her handler even taught her cues that we’ve never had in the program before. For example, he taught Sunshine to play hide and seek. The handler would cover his eyes and Sunshine knew it was time to go hide! He also taught Sunshine to perform cues based on different tones from his harmonica: One tone, Sunshine would sit; another one; she would lay down. Sunshine even figured out how to let herself out to go to the bathroom! She would jump over the lower half of the Dutch door to her handler’s room, run out to the yard to do her business, run back, jump the door, and go right back to bed. We bestow the unofficial Firehouse Mascot of 2022 title upon Sunshine for being one of the smartest pups we’ve ever seen! 

Pet First Aid: Are you prepared? Help your dogs and cats survive a disaster or medical emergency. Presented by American Safety & Health Institute-certified instructor Peter Pay, this hands-on workshop on November 9th, from 9am-12:30pm, teaches basic lifesaving techniques and preparedness, including basic pet first aid, CPR training, rescue breathing, restraint and muzzling, choking management, poison response, and much more. Included in the First Aid & CPR workshop is a first aid workbook and completion certificate. Space is limited for this workshop; click here to register.

2025 Marin Humane Calendar: The 2025 Marin Humane calendar is here! We have a limited number of calendars available for sale. If you’d like to place an order for yourself, or friends and family, you can order online (preferred method), or order in person or by phone: visit Veronica Piedra in the Development office in the Whittell building, or call 415.506.6254.

B&Tea blog: Dawn Kovell, Director of Behavior & Training, writes, “Resource guarding is my favorite behavior problem.” Read thismonth’s B&Tea blog post, “The Small Business Owner” to learn more and be very entertained in the same read :).

Tails of Marin: This week’s Tails of Marin starts: “As the countdown to Halloween begins, I’ve been stocking up on candy and dusting off the spooky décor to ready my house and yard for a night of trick-or-treating. My young daughter loves the decorations — and, let’s be honest, the sugar high — that come with this frightfully festive night. But amidst all the fun, I always consider the impact on our pets and local wildlife. That’s because this spooky season comes with plenty of potential pitfalls for our four-legged friends, wild birds, and more. Here’s how to protect animals this Halloween, without sacrificing the fun.” Read the full piece, “Don’t let animals get spooked this Halloween.”

Art & Craft Market: There are two spots still available at our first “sip and shop” event on December 13th where Marin Humane staff and volunteers can sell their handicrafts and/or art. Here’s a flyer with more details: Sip and Shop Art and Craft Market. Entries are open through the end of November. If you have any questions or would like to show and sell your creations, please contact Michelle at moga@marinhumane.org.

Columbia Sportswear Discount! There are a few more days to shop at the Columbia Sportswear Employee Store with your volunteer discount! Here are a few details: offer is valid until October 27th! The store is stocked with new Fall products from the family of brands – Columbia, Mountain Hardwear, SOREL and prAna – items are marked at employee store pricing; for store access, please provide your digital invite (Columbia Sportswear Store Fall Invitation) + proof of affiliation; invitees can bring up to four additional guests with each visit;  this offer is for store access (not valid online). Happy shopping!

Have a wonderful week!

Candace