Greetings Volunteers,
Halloween is just a few weeks away and all the stores are chock full of Halloween decorations – and we’re so disappointed to see that most of them are selling fake cobwebs. We know these fake cobwebs are fun and festive but they’re also REALLY dangerous for wildlife! Not only can they catch and entangle smaller critters, they’re even strong enough to catch an owl. Yes, an owl! This owl was rescued by one of our Animal Services Officers several years ago and we share these powerful photos every fall to remind folks to please choose animal-safe Halloween decorations. Local animals will thank you!
Shelter update: We currently have 298 animals in our collective care. 211 are at Marin Humane: 86 animals in foster and 212 animals in the shelter/Kitty Corner, including: 19 dogs, 6 puppies, 48 cats, 35 kittens, 5 rabbits, 5 guinea pigs, 2 reptiles, and 5 birds. 87 animals are with Hopalong: 4 animals are in the Oakland office and 83 cats, kittens, dogs, and puppies are in foster or offsite adoption sites!
Adoptions update: Happy Wednesday! It was an extra toasty weekend, but that didn’t stop our community from coming out and adopting – so here’s an extra cute round-up of happy families! We had amazing adoptions last week, too, that are still making us smile. Don’t forget that adoption fees are still waived for all our adults cats (that’s all kitties 5 months and up) through the end of October! And finally, a twoo week recap of who left the shelter into loving homes – the Adoption Report!
Hopalong happenings! Our mobile adoption event team got a great start to the month of October this past Saturday! As you can see, it was a busy event with lots of folks stopping by to check out the pups up for adoption. Eight puppies went to the event at the Mill Valley Woodlands Pet Food and Treats store, and five of them found adopters during the three-hour event. All those cute pups and interested parties sure kept our all-volunteer team busy! We’re looking forward to the rest of this month’s mobile adoption events, too, most especially the Halloween fun in store for the last Saturday of this month!
San Quentin Pen Pals: Welcome back to another San Quentin update! Each week, we share stories from our Pen Pals program at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, which matches specially-selected inmates who work in the center’s firehouse with shelter dogs in need of a little extra TLC. The inmates volunteer to live full-time with the dogs while working in the firehouse either as firefighters or emergency first responders, and our Behavior & Training staff provide the handlers with extensive training in dog behavior.
Each 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. Sometimes it’s a dog who managed to charm the socks off everyone, sometimes it’s a dog who stayed for a very long time, and sometimes it’s a dog who was a handful and a half! Today we’re throwing it back to 2020, a very unusual year that saw only 19 dogs go through the program due to Covid precautions at San Quentin. It was a tense time navigating Covid-related shutdowns and closures, and our shelter leaned even more heavily than ever on our fosters – including the Pen Pals handlers. Having as many animals in foster as possible helped our essential workers focus on a smaller population of animals and more easily practice social distancing. But even with the world in turmoil, who could overlook Amiirah and her ears??? Amiirah spent about 2 months at San Quentin, recovering from a severe ear infection and getting lots of attention from her handler. This was especially important at a time when staffing the shelter was becoming more complicated. Amiirah was a favorite amongst both the Dog Pet Pals at the shelter and the handlers at San Quentin, thanks to her infectious, fun personality, her charming facial expressions, and, or course, her ears. In fact, Amiirah was such a favorite that she was ultimately adopted by one of our Dog Pet Pals who decided she just couldn’t live without her!
Tails of Marin x2: It’s fall, y’all, and that means it’s important to be extra mindful of what this season means for our wildlife neighbors. Read this week’s Tails of Marin to learn more: “Watch out for wildlife.”
“Most people are surprised to learn that rabbits are the third most popular pets in the United States after dogs and cats. Bunnies, with their fluffy ears and twitching noses, have a magical and unique way of bringing joy into the home. They can be affectionate, cohabitate with other pets, and even learn to do tricks. Sadly though, rabbits sold in pet stores often come from unscrupulous breeders who place profit before the well-being of these gentle herbivores.” Read more in last week’s Tails of Marin, “Want a pet bunny? Adopt, don’t shop.”
Community clinics: We recently offered a pop-up veterinary clinic for unhoused community members and their pets at the Seeds of Hope event in San Rafael. More than 20 organizations gathered to provide crucial food, services, and more. Thank you to our awesome staff and volunteers who helped us provide support for these animals and their guardians! And this past Saturday, we held a Community Clinic in San Rafael. Thank you to Marin Subaru, Subaru of America, Inc., and ASPCA for supporting this clinic as part of #SubaruLovesPets! We helped 105 clients with their 154 pets. HUGE thanks to the following volunteers who braved the heat to lend their help: Andrea Grigg, Dr. Audra Pompeani (PESCM), Caia N., Cecilia Murguria, Elsy Diaz, Elizabeth Needham, Dr. Erin Bennett (San Marin Vet Hospital AND Marin Humane Board Member), Jenny Stebbins, Jessica Lorenzetti, Joyce Sandoval, Laurie Bernstein, Margarita Huertas, Michelle Reyfer, Dr. Monica Ortiz (San Marin Animal Hospital), Dr. Nicole Captanian (Fairfax Vet), Valerie Singer, and Zoe Laska.
Estate planning webinar: You’re invited to join Marin Humane on Thursday, November 14, 2024, at 5:30 pm to learn about the fundamentals of Estate Planning with Marin County attorney Karolyn Poppin. You won’t want to miss this 1-hour Zoom webinar that will provide an essential overview of estate planning. Whether you’re married, single, have kids, have pets, or have minimal personal assets or property, you should have a plan. Karolyn Poppin is a knowledgeable, efficient, and compassionate trust and estate attorney. She has more than 20 years of experience working with a variety of clients to create estate plans, change existing plans, and administer plans when there’s been a change in family status. When she’s not working or spending time with her family, you can find Karolyn with dogs, Elke and Colby Jack – and cats, Princess Leia, Blue and Echo. You can register here!
Columbia Sportswear Discount! Our Columbia Sportswear Employee Store Perk is here again! Here are a few details: this offer is valid October 4th – 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!
Dog reactivity behavior modification workshop: Do you struggle to walk your dog because he bristles, barks, and maybe even lunges at other dogs or people? Or maybe there is a dog in the neighborhood who presents these behaviors and seems scary? Is he dangerous? How can one tell? Can this dog’s behavior improve? Reactivity is an increasingly common and distressing issue, especially in city and suburban neighborhoods. Come and learn why it happens, if it is dangerous, and how it can be managed and modified. Understanding a problem is the first step towards fixing it! Join our Behavior and Training Department and Fenzi Dog Sports Academy along with Karen Deeds, Certified Behavior Consultant (IAABC), on Friday, November 1 for a two-hour peek through the window of dog reactivity behavior modification. Register here for the prelude lecture to Reactive Dog Integration with Karen Deeds and hang with the professionals from Marin Humane and Fenzi Dog Sports Academy.
Take good care!
Candace
