Shelter News: March 30, 2012

Shelter News

Southern Ocean County Animal Shelter

360 Haywood Road

Manahawkin, NJ 08050

(609) 978-0127
http://fosocaf.blogspot.com/

Zenia was adopted today!

Charlie was rescued today!

The two Beagles in Quarantine went home.

A three-year-old yellow Lab named Phinn was surrendered.

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Hi Everyone,

Most of you probably know that I have had some serious e-mail issues over the past few days. I will use this blog as a newsletter, at least until Comcast can tell me why images aren't being sent via e-mail with the newsletter. There is an option on the right side of this page to have updates sent to you either by e-mail or by RSS feed whenever a new post is made. Just hover your mouse over the right side of the page and click Subscribe. You could also save the URL and check yourself.

For the next few days, I will send an e-mail out in place of the old newsletter with just a link to this blog, but I recommend the link to the right for auto updates. Please feel free to let me know in the Comments section what you think of this new setup.

Thanks,

Joanne

I went to the shelter bright and early this morning to say goodbye to Charlie, who was on his way to LaMancha with Connie and Joanna. I also got a few pictures of Re-Pete, the American Bulldog mix who is newly on the A side and available:

Re-Pete, American Bulldog mix

Jennifer Baart sent a few good pictures of Tank and Re-Pete yesterday:

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UPDATE Eddie:

From Eddie's new Mom: Eddie loves his new home!

From SOCAF Management:

Please do not allow dogs who do not belong to the shelter to interact with other dogs.

Dog walkers should not enter the building prior to 8:30 a.m.

Tank cannot be left alone in the outdoor pens. He can be walked only, unless you plan to stay out there with him.

Thank you.

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From Fran:

We are volunteers working in a shelter for no pay and hard work. This can be very hard on an emotional scale. We spend money on gas to get there and back home, we have very little or no control over what happens to the animals, we put our heart and soul into every animal we meet because we care and seldom get any recognition or thanks. But we do it any way and why, because without us the animals have no one. We watch animals come in every day, scared, abused, starving and betrayed by people who they once loved and trusted. We pick up their poop and they pee on our shoes, we walk in the rain and muddle through the snow, we buy them treats and hold them in our arms. We feel their pain. And no matter how many animals we find homes and rescues for, we mourn for the ones that had to be put to sleep. Our pain runs deep. We are volunteers and for us every life matters.

We raise money for the medical care of animals that would be put down if they could not be treated and give our own money for those special animals that need a little more. We go to the shelter were we don’t even have a place to hang our coats and sit and have a bit to eat. But we have each other and that is how we get through. And staying and supporting each other is how we will continue. We are all different and we may not always agree or even like each other, but as long as the animals come first we will be unyielding. I pray God keeps us safe and gives us the strength to continue our mission. Our reward is unconditional love.

Fran Stietzel

New date for volunteer meeting: Saturday, April 28th, 12 noon to 2pm at the Millcreek Community Center in Beach Haven West.

You must come; the food is free and all you can drink. Anyone wanting to bring dessert would be welcomed. Just let Fran know.

Second Chance Pet Adoption Day - May 5

Anyone who could help please sign up at sign up desk. I will have the flyer and sign up sheet there by Friday. Anyone who would like to take charge of event to call me at 609-660-0110.

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All new walkers may walk green dogs on their own once they have gone through orientation. New walkers may walk yellow dogs once they have been with a red walker and told by the red walker they are ok to move on.

Green walkers please look for volunteers with the red dot on their badge. They will help you with anything you need. You may always call me if you run into a problem or have any concerns. Fran - 609-660-0110

From Connie:

It has been asked of us volunteers to not come to the shelter during Rabies clinic. They are always so busy during one of these events, and since we cant walk dogs during this time it would be great if we were just there from 8:30 to 10:30 and then again after at 1:00. I know I was there one day and saw the madness and well I couldn't get out the door fast enough!!!! CRAZY BUSY!!!

And the SPRING FLING at the shelter is the 21st of April!! We will be doing a bake sale again, selling some t-shirts and I will be ordering some WONDERFUL magnets for us to sell!! They go for $5.00, and we will have all sorts of sayings on them and even one with a saying from Chris at the shelter!!! These are big money makers for the group at the North shelter!! So we will have the big paw, don't shop adopt and all kinds of sayings!!! Ya hoo...!!

Also please go to the Amazon.com page, click on wish list, and type in Friends of Southern Ocean County Animal Shelter and you can post it on your facebook page!! There are a lot of great things on there and people are sending it to the Shelter!!! We have received a Karunda bed, toys and dog and cat food already!! Thanks everyone for all the fund raising support!! You are all so wonderful!!!

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From SOCAF Management:

All dogs need to be walked with two leashes at all times, whether they are being walked from the pen to their runs, or just a few feet. No excuses, please!

The dogs must be on county property at all times when being walked. They cannot be walked across the street or at the recycling plant.

Smoking is not allowed while walking dogs.

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TO ALL VOLUNTEERS:

If you see a dog limping, notice a lump, blood in the stool, etc., anything out of the ordinary, or if there is an incident with the dog, be sure to notify the supervisors, document the incident, and put it into the dog's file, keeping a copy for yourself.

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Dog Walking Schedule:

Please check the dog-walking schedule below.

There are many days and time slots with little or no coverage.

Please e-mail me with the days and times you are able to cover.

If no one can cover, the dogs will either not get out in the morning or have to go back inside early on those days.

The minimum number of walkers needed by 8:30 a.m. is two in order to handle the task of getting dogs out for their first morning walk.

Volunteers are really needed early in the morning, 8:30 a.m. every day! Even if you can only help for a half hour or an hour, it would help.

The dogs are color coded. New volunteers may NOT walk Red dogs. Please pay attention to the color coding and the cage cards.

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Important: Please do not sign up for a shift if you aren't sure you can make it! Other volunteers come in if there isn't enough coverage. Some people have signed up for shifts and have been either late or not shown up at all. We really need at least two people early in the morning--8 or 8:30--to get everyone out.

Sat	3/31	Linda: 8:30-?	Jesse: 10-?	Erma: 11-?	Casey: 8:30-?
Sun	4/1	Linda: 8:30-?	Dave: 8:30-11:30	Casey: 8:30-?
Mon	4/2
Tue	4/3		Pat & Ken: 8:30-9:30
Wed	4/4			Kathy: 10-12:30
Thur	4/5		Pat & Ken: 8:30-9:30	Kathy: 10-12:30
Fri	4/6			Kathy: 10-12:30
Sat	4/7			Kathy: 10-12:30
Sun	4/8

REMINDER: Every Tuesday is surgery day. Find out who is having surgery when you come to walk the dogs.

Those scheduled for surgery are to receive a short walk only in the morning and NO TREATS or food.

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New Volunteer Orientation 11 am sharp

1st and 3rd Thursday of each month, conducted by Dave
3rd. Sunday of each month, conducted by Casey.

All interviews will be done by Fran

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Dog Walking: Volunteer hours are every day from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., until 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays.

Cat volunteer hours are every day from noon to 5 p.m.

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We appreciate all you do and have done each and every day to pave the way for our group to succeed.

Dottie Reynolds - President

Kathy Gross - Vice President

Leigh Sharpless - Recording Secretary

Merry Niewojna - Treasurer

Joan Aljoe - Trustee

Bob Aljoe - Trustee

Cricket Luker - Trustee

Jackie Ostberg - Trustee

Mary Ensminger - Trustee

Rick Ensminger - Trustee

Peggy O'Malley - Trustee - Petsmart Cat Program

Scott Sharpless - Trustee

Meet our group!

The Friends of the Southern Ocean County Animal Shelter

Click here for our website to learn more:

http://www.fosocas.org

The mission statement of our group is to offer an additional avenue of care

for the animals that the Shelter cannot cope with. These are the animals that

have catastrophic physical problems or illnesses which need special medical care.

Animals that would otherwise have died or been euthanized and would have never

known the happiness of a loving home.

We also provide much needed support to the shelter. We help take care of physical

needs such as an industrial size washing machine, blankets, food, halters,

and an outdoor cat cage. We also provided swinging "doggy doors" for all

the kennels at the shelter, thereby making it much more cost effective.

In the summer the heat stays out and in the winter the heat stays in.

These are just a small sample of the needs of the shelter we provide.

We are a local to LBI and Manahawkin organization. Our founders are

very active in the Southern Ocean County Animal Shelter and decided

they needed to more. So Dottie and Eleanor got together and made a

commitment to do what they could to make the animals lives at the

shelter as good as they could be, until they found a loving home.

President and Founder Dottie Reynolds

Vice President Kathy Gross

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Friends are on Facebook.

Click here to join.

We have a Wish List on Amazon!

You can see it here: http://www.amazon.com/registry/wishlist/2QHTG5OOWSDVF/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_ws_1pRtpb03PX8NV

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Check out our dogs and cats on Petfinder: http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NJ174.html

FOSTER HELP NEEDED!!!

From Susan:

We are looking for volunteers to foster cats that need medical attention. Medicine is usually administered from between 10-14 days. This is not a very difficult thing to do. You need a separate room to keep the cat away from your pets.

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KITTEN FOSTERS NEEDED

If interested in helping out, please contact the shelter at socaf@ochd.org.

From Susan:

To all volunteers who wish to socialize with the cats when I am not there, PLEASE take only one cat out at a time. Cats that should not be taken out have an X with a circle around the X. These cats are not friendly.

Thank You Susan

SOCAF's Gallery of Glorious Cats

Special Thanks to Amy for taking these pics and for keeping us updated as to which cats are where.

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