Greetings Volunteers,
Hard to believe with this week’s heat wave, but fall is upon us! And we’re kicking off the season with the Tails by Twilight gala this Saturday, September 27th. While I hope to see many of you there, if you can’t make it you and your friends can still bid on our silent auction – a great way to win fun items while supporting the animals!
Shelter update: We currently have 288 animals in our collective care. 207 are at Marin Humane: 68 animals in foster and 139 animals in the shelter/Kitty Corner, including: 14 dogs, 5 puppies, 59 cats, 27 kittens, 9 rabbits, 10 guinea pigs, 6 rodents, 4 reptiles, 1 birds, and 4 fowl. 81 animals are with the Hopalong Foster Program: 11 animals are in the Oakland office and 70 are in foster or offsite adoption sites!
Adoption update: We had a BUSY week of adoptions, thanks in large part to ASPCA generously covering adoption fees over the weekend! We were thrilled to be part of #TheRescueEffect and find homes for so many animals! Check out the adoption slideshow and the Adoption Report for more details.
Hopalong happenings: This week’s volunteer shout-out goes to cat care volunteer Stephen Lowens. Stephen is an amazing cat cuddler – he makes sure to give quality time to each of the cats in our care and has a way of getting the shy cats to open up. He says, “I’ve been doing cat care since 2001 and have helped at many different shelters, but Hopalong has been the most supportive shelter I’ve ever volunteered at. I really enjoy getting cats accommodated to people, especially the shy ones.” We appreciate Stephen for his gentle manner and support for our tough cat cases. Even the staff seem to feel infused with his calmness when he’s around! Thank you, Stephen.
Volunteer High Five to John Kirkpatrick! “We’d like to give a huge High Five to Animal Care volunteer John Kirkpatrick! Last week, John went above and beyond by helping our staff when we were particularly short-handed. John went to every cat room (which is A LOT of cat rooms scattered throughout the shelter) and collected the metal food dishes from the cats, brought them to the kennel kitchen, then tackled the dishes. Usually, we use paper trays to feed the cats so they can be easily disposed of, but we had run out of the paper trays, hence the huge number of metal dishes that needed to be washed. On just a regular day, the dishes often stack up; so, on this particular day, they were really out of hand. Thank you, John, for pitching in and supporting the team. We so appreciate you every week but wanted you to know we recognize your extra efforts !!” ~ Kyle Dunlop, Animal Care Supervisor
Post gala help needed: The Tails by Twilight gala is coming up this Saturday! And if you’ve ever hosted a big party, you know there’s a lot to do the day after! So, if you have a few extra hours to assist our Event Manager Molly Foley, she’d so appreciate your help Sunday, September 28th from 11am-1pm. Some of the tasks include organizing event supplies, silent auction items, decorations, and whatever else needs doing :). Please let me know if you can lend a hand Sunday.
Volunteer High Five to Karen Coyne! “Karen, our fantastic clinic volunteer, went above and beyond her normal duties last week. We have been so busy in the shelter lately that some litter pans and garbage has been overflowing. Karen noticed this and decided to jump in and help at the end of her shift in the clinic. Mind you, this was at the end of the day after she had already cleaned many cages and moved many kitties around the shelter. Even so, Karen got a quick training (thank you, Lauren) on litter pan duty and got to work! And if that wasn’t enough, she then took all of the trash out! Thank you, Karen!!! We are sooooo lucky to have such a dedicated and giving volunteer!” ~ Andrea Reese, Lead Registered Veterinary Technician
Happy ending! When Sausalito residents, Hallie and Moriel discovered that a door to their home had accidentally been left open and their dog, Falafel, was missing, they understandably panicked. Fortunately, soon after that, a motorcyclist spotted a scared looking dog very high up on a rugged hill close to Hallie’s house. A fantastic team of devoted people came to Falafel’s rescue, literally. Marin County Search and Rescue, National Park Service Rangers, and Marin Humane Animal Services Officer Miller were on scene quickly. The coordinated effort required a temporary road closure to ensure the team’s safety and success in this complex situation. The rescue was carefully completed in about an hour’s time. Falafel was brought down safely and returned to her worried but grateful family! Thanks to the technical rope skills of Marin County Search and Rescue, quick thinking by Officer Miller and the Rangers, and the dedication of all involved, a very challenging situation had a happy ending.
October events: There are many workshops and events happening in October, so mark your calendars for the following:
Saturday, October 11th – Marin Humane’s next FREE drop-in Community Clinic for low-income pet parents in Marin will be on Saturday, October 11, at Marin Health & Human Services. This mobile clinic will take place at 3250 Kerner Blvd. in San Rafael from 11:00am- 12:30pm. We’ll offer: *Free vaccinations (DA2PP, FVRCP, rabies) *Free microchipping *Free pet food and supplies. This is a free event to help low-income Marin County families struggling to meet their pet’s needs.
Tuesday, October 21st – ✨ Thinking about the future? ✨ Join us Tuesday, October 21 at 5:30pm for an informative one-hour Estate Planning webinar on Zoom with Marin County attorney Karolyn Poppin. She’ll break down the basics of estate planning, and why it matters for everyone: married, single, parents, and even pet parents. With 20+ years of experience, Karolyn makes a tricky topic approachable and much less intimidating! Save your spot and start planning for peace of mind! Register here.
Saturday, October 25th – Even a little bit of knowledge could be enough to save your pet’s life in an emergency! If you’re a pet owner who wants to be prepared for anything, don’t miss our Pet First Aid & CPR workshop on Saturday, October 25. Peter Pay, an American Safety & Health Institute certified instructor, will be teaching basic pet first aid, CPR training, rescue breathing, restraint and muzzling, choking management, poison response, and more at this hands-on training. Click here to get more details and save your spot.
Slumber Party this Saturday! Who’s your favorite shelter dog right now? Chula? Berlin? Artemisa? Banana? Kobito? Think about their sweet little face and imagine them leaning into you for snuggles. As you know, our annual gala event is this Saturday. If you’ve been a volunteer during “gala week,” you know how busy it gets. The most challenging time for the dogs is Saturday evening, during the event. There are loud noises, crowds of people, lots of cars, and a handful of guest dogs. Plus, most of the dog parks aren’t available, so there’s nowhere for the dogs to decompress. If there’s a specific dog in the shelter that you’re attached to, they would love to have a slumber party at your house on Saturday night! (AKA “overnight foster”). Ideally, overnight fosters will pick up their dog on Saturday between 3-5pm. You can return your dog on Sunday morning between 8-10am. If there’s an emergency in the middle of the night, you can also bring your dog back to the shelter at any time! You just go to the after-hours night kennel. Of all the nights of the year, Tails by Twilight night is the best night for the dogs to be away from the shelter. If you can take a dog home for a night, your favorite pup will be endlessly grateful. If you’d like to take a dog home for a one-night slumber party, please email Catherine Tryon at ctryon@marinhumane.org.
Have a terrific week!
Candace
