Shelter News - August 14, 2012

Shelter News

Southern Ocean County Animal Shelter

360 Haywood Road

Manahawkin, NJ  08050

 (609) 978-0127

 http://fosocaf.blogspot.com/

Our Amazon Wish List

New Kids on B:

Beagle stray

black Lab stray

Cash, 14-month-old Pit bull

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Bella with Darlene

Maggie with Carol

Update Casper:

We are all here safe and sound with no major issues. Took some adjusting.

He barks ... literally 10 minutes away from the shelter Casper was barking at motorcycles in the next lane. He finally cooled down and cooled his obsession to be in the front seat. He was relentless. It seemed that dog bed in the back seat made him uncomfortable and he could not stand well on it, so after the first hour we adjusted everything an put the bed in the trunk. When we restarted he again was relentless about being in front, but again, finally gave quit. We decide that we would try letting him have the front seat (not giving in, but start out that way), which worked for the entire trip (plus gave us the back seat to sleep a little easier.)

The trip? ... relatively painless. For Casper no accidents of any kind. We did not use the meds, but had thought about it early on. He did BOTH of his business often. He ate well and drank well ... we did not limit either. He became overbearing a couple times trying to get on the driver's lap. He is quite spontaneous and persistent.

We did the whole 1900 miles (with one rest stop of > 1/2 hour, the rest were shorter) in 30 hours,. That one longer one was to freshen up, change clothes, get sandwiches, and because we had to do that separately we took a bit longer. There was LOTS of road construction (at LEAST 200 miles of single barriered lane), and we got killer rain for a few hours around St Louis. Kansas and Missouri were both overcast and we didn't need the air ... which was great. Missed a turn in Philly and KC and needed to wander around to get back on track for while, other than that few issues.

Question: Casper was with Kathy at a rest stop and he saw a white pickup truck. He went nuts, tried to pull out of Kathy's arm and was squealing like he knew someone. Did one of the previous adopters have a white/light pickup truck? We were thinking maybe that too is where his obsession with the front seat came from.

Upon getting home the Meet and Greet went well with the other dogs. Casper first was turned loose in the back yard by himself and he enjoyed the freedom, running and stiffing everything, including the corral and vegetable garden. We then tethered him and he met the other dogs. That went well, but he kept trying to jump up on them which unnerved them a little, so we kept Casper restrained and decided to see if he would calm down a little ... after 30 hours in the car, running free on the property etc.. had him pretty excited. Kathy decided not to push it. She gave Casper, and herself, a refreshing shower then went to bed. She said he slept for the 7 hours, on the bed with her, and did not stir. This morning is much calmer, but he still has the habit of wanting to jump up on the other dogs so we are keeping him on the leash for now. He knocked down our older Rot/Lab Winston a time or two. And pushed both Balboa (the other albino pit 85 lbs) and Copa, (the 140lb Bulldog/Lab), past their comfort levels and we did not want to have any confrontations.

Attached are a couple pics. (He is hard to photograph, he never stops.) He appears to like it here. More later. After being away for a couple days we have some catching up to do. We will be spending time with him. Our daughter Beth, on her own, tried using Balboa's sit command (closed fist raised to the chest, and he took well to that. It even works for me and Kathy ... so, Balboa is now bi-lingual. :-) We will, of course be spending lots of time with him. He actually seems to be doing better on a leash this morning as well. I worked him about an hour last night and Kathy did some this morning on not letting him pull.

Thanks to you all again, and those not addressed in this email. It has been an interesting adventure so far. More and better pics when time permits.

Gene & Kathy.

PS: This morning he met the (miniature) horses, leashed, and does not quite know what to think. But they are big enough he does not seem to want to jump on them, nor even sniff them. :-)  

Breakfast

New Digs

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 Bella, 4-year-old Rottweiler, Rescue Only

Carmel, 11-year-old Corgi mix, on A and available

From Connie:

Stevie needs a ride to NorthsStar VETS in Robbinsville on the 21st. His appointment is  at 11:30. He is going for his eyes.  E-mail Connie at deerwife55@comcast.net if you can help.

From Dottie:

Needed - volunteers to sign in dog show contestants and help hand out ribbons, give out treats, etc.  Please call or email Dottie at dreynolds36@verizon.net  if you can help.  It is Fun!  

\Wednesday, August 14, 4-6.  Come a little early for instructions. 

Wildflowers Is Proud to Host its 11th Annual Dog Show  If you are a dog lover, if you love to have a good time, if you want to add another big smile and an even more open heart to your LBI summer, on August 15th, from 4 - 6 PM, Wildflowers by the Lighthouse will be the place you want to be. What's the occasion? -- We will be hosting our 11th Annual Dog Show, which benefits the Southern Ocean County Animal Shelter. The shelter is to some, a well-kept secret, located at 321 Hay Road, not far from Costco and Target just west of the Parkway. A county run facility dedicated to finding new homes for dogs and cats, this impressive place has found itself incredibly challenged by the economic hardship that has hit so many. Job losses mean people often need to move or even lose their homes.   When this happens, pets get caught in the squeeze. Their owners turn to the shelter, hoping these innocent victims will be fed and cared-for and eventually placed in new homes. Add these pet surrenders to the normal strays the shelter usually handles, and the numbers are incredible. Last year, the shelter, one of only two in the County, cared for an almost unbelievable number of animals -- roughly 2,500. All are spayed or neutered prior to adoption, they are micro-chipped and also updated on all shots. And consider this - each adopting home pays $50 or $60 for all of this, which can cost the shelter many hundreds of dollars. No matter how you look at it, this shelter provides an invaluable service to the families of our community. So the goal of the Wildflowers Dog Show is to celebrate and support this great facility. This year's Show will be perhaps its most special ever. There will be competitions for Best Tricks, Kisses, Costumes and more. There will be goodies for all participants, drawings for a custom dog portrait, vet gift certificates. New this year, there will be an agility demonstration and champion doggy tricksters. Wildflowers has reached out to invite more community participation, and the response has been impressive.  It promises to be a great afternoon. As many of you know, Cricket, who is a member of the board of the Friends of the Ocean County Animal Shelter, uses this annual Dog Show as her birthday party.  We are hoping that lots of you will come, with or without your pups, to show your support for this important facility in our county. And for those who cannot come but would like to support the shelter, you can make out checks to the Friends of the Ocean County Animal Shelter and mail them to Wildflowers by the Lighthouse, P.O. Box 456, Barnegat Light, NJ  08006.  Let's make this Cricket's best birthday ever!!

 

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Help Needed:  Walkers are needed in the afternoon on most days.

Please check the schedule and help if you can.

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Our Food Pantry at the shelter could use a little boost!!!  We need dog, puppy, cat, and kitten food!!  We have five drop-off spots, too:

The shelter in Manahawkin, SBR Tire Exchange in Manahawkin, Lucky's Bed and Biscuit in Manahawkin, Uncle Wills Pancake House in Beach Haven, and Wally Mitchells Restaurant in Surf City.

Come on out and support the Friends Group!!

Bakers needed!! Help make this the best

BAKE SALE ever!!!! email me Deerwife55@comcast.net

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From Connie:

Hi Dog Walkers, If you will, please get the days and times you will be able to walk dogs in the upcoming week to Joanne Eckert no later than Sunday night each week.  I need to turn in the schedule to the HD on Monday mornings.  Thanks so much for volunteering your time for the animals! It is greatly appreciated!!

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Love our dogs? Then adopt one as a Shelter Pup and FRIENDS will get a portion of the sale! Shelter Pups has turned a select group of dogs from our shelter into amazing and realistic plush pups. Check out Casper and wonderful Sherman! It's a great way to “adopt” one of our dogs and help our volunteer FRIENDS group at the same time. Shelter Pups can also make customs of your very own dog. Check it out and bring one of our dogs home as a Shelter Pup!

http://www.shelterpups.com/fosocas.php

Adorable Stuffed Pit Bulls (Pitbulls) from the FOSOCAS

www.shelterpups.com

These stuffed dogs and puppies need your help! Our stuffed dog shelter is literally stuffed with with cute and realistic plush dogs begging for a good home. Adopt a stuffed plush animal for fun, and rescue one for real.

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From Erma:  Everyone can pick up their ID cards and t-shirts at the shelter.  Leave a note if I'm not there, and we'll get them to you.  T-shirts are $10.00 each donation;  ID cards are free.

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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 okay to move on.

***********EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY***********

All volunteers must wear either their ID badge or a volunteer T-shirt.

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It's mosquito season!  Please be sure to empty the kiddie pools UNLESS Erma is on the afternoon schedule and bring in any blankets or towels left outside before you leave in the afternoon.

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Green walkers, please look for volunteers with the red dot on their badge.  They will help you with anything you need.

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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 IN the street or across the street.

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 9:00 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, 9:00 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.  Red walkers' names in red type.

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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--9:00--to get everyone out.

*Please make sure you notify me of your walking plans by Sunday night each week!
Maximum number of walkers in the morning is 6 at one time, 4 in the afternoon.

Day	Date	AM – 6 max	AM	AM	PM – 4 max	PM
Wed	8/15	Darlene: 9-12 Joey: 9-10	Kathy: 9-12 Chuck: 9-11		Pat: 2-5 Erma: 1-4	Debbie: 2:30-4:30
Thur	8/16	Dave: 9-12 Darlene: 9-12	Pat & Ken: 9-10 Carol: 9-11	Chuck: 9-11	Kristen: 1-4 Catherine: 3-4
Fri	8/17	Darlene: 9-12 Kathy: 9-11	Catherine: 9-10 Carol: 9-11	Joey: 10-11	Mary Ann: 1-4 Erma: 1-4	Kristen: 1-4
Sat	8/18	Kathy: 9-12	Joey: 9-11	Barry & Claire: 10-12	Erma: 1-4	Debbie: 1-4
Sun	8/19	Linda: 9-12	Joanne S: 9:30-11
Mon	8/20	Stevie: 9-12 Darlene: 9-12	Janice: 9-11
Tue	8/21	Darlene: 9-12	Pat & Ken: 9-10
Wed	8/22	Darlene: 9-12			Pat: 2-5

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  10:30 am sharp

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

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Dog Walking:  Volunteer hours are every day from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., 5 p.m. on Wednesdays.

Cat volunteer hours are every day from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

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This blog is not an official publication of the Ocean County Health Department and the views expressed therein do not reflect in any way the official policies and/or opinion of the Ocean County Board of Health and/or the Ocean County Health Department, who are not responsible for its contents.

Meet our group!

The Friends of the Southern Ocean County Animal Shelter

Click here for our website to learn more:

http://www.fosocas.org

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 need time to adjust to the shelter.

Thank You, Susan

SOCAF's Gallery of Glorious Cats

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

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Available Cats

Jasmine	Maggie	Pickles--ADOPTED	Rosey
Twinkie	Gypsy	Charlie	Squeaky
Mime	Juli	Queen	Bo

Maxwell

Magnolia

Gucci

Rhea

Claude

Suzy

Hazel

Theo

Jasper--ADOPTED

Ebony

Mom

Chloe

Petsmart News from Peggy O.

At Petsmart and ready for adoption:

Mustache	Patty	Jackie	Kiwi
Brody	Joker	Wash

Green= Easy (walks slow, easy to handle)

Yellow= Moderate difficulty (Pulls, jumpy, active)

Red= Difficult (Strong, Pulls very hard when walking or cage fighter)

Check to see if dog is walkable before taking out.

GREEN

Maggie, 5-1/2-year-old Cocker Spaniel

Carmel, 11-year-old Corgi mix 

Yellow

Lucky, 11-year-old black Lab  No kids under 15 Red

Tabitha, 2-year-old Female Pit bull Mama, 8-year-old Am. Bulldog B Side NOT Adoptable Dogs Awaiting temperament test or reclaim: Beagle stray black Lab stray Cash, 14-month-old Pit bull Hound/Lab mix Pit puppy stray, has owner Green Tank, Pug (8/18) Yellow  Jameson, 9-month-old Lab mix Rescue Only Red Bella, 4-year-old Rottweiler - Rescue Only Stevie Going to rescue Maggie, 5-year-old Rottweiler--Rescue Keep away from other dogs Being Fostered at Camp Bow Wow Shelter News sent by Joanne Eckert                                                To unsubscribe, please e-mail jeckert30@comcast.net.