Chubbs

Hello, all!

We have an unusual category of adopted animals to report this week: PUPPIES! After a long lull with no puppies, HSCC recently had a sudden influx of youngsters. Of course they never stick around for long … Congrats to Ricki, Sienna, Javelin, Dash, Montel and Fallon on finding new homes to grow up in!

Javelin and Dash

We had four adult dog adoptions, as well: Thumper, Speedy, Gracie and Copper went home.

Kittens Dill, Butter, Vlasic, Gherkin, Bugs, Sylvester and Merle are romping in new homes!

And 12 adult cats became new family members over the last couple of weeks. Congrats to Agatha, Cliff, Silver, Bewster, Cooper, Zoey, Sparkles, Dilly, Loki, Abbott, and Muffin!

Our featured pet this week is also a cat, and we're returning to a previous adoptee. Chubbs the cat went home at the end of July--but his story is just too good to skip.

Chubbs

Chubbs arrived at our shelter in mid-April. True to his name, he weighed in at 19.6 pounds. Despite his plump physique, we found Chubbs very handsome with his smart orange tabby coat and engaging yellow eyes. His owner, Sally, was moving to the Midwest, and would not be able to take him in the car with her. She explained that Chubbs was deathly afraid of his carrier, and could never tolerate the road trip.

We gave Chubbs the usual medical check-up that we provide all animals on arrival: checked his skin and coat, eyes, ears, mouth, teeth and gums. We gave him a blood test for FIV, which tested negative. We tested him for feline leukemia virus (FeLV) … and it came back faintly positive. Twice. Not good! Obviously, we can't expose our entire feline population to FeLV. So Chubbs moved into a medical isolation room while we considered what to do next.

In the meantime, staff addressed Chubbs' carrier phobia. Our resident cats are fed in their carriers: convenient because it allows us to clean their living spaces, and beneficial because it helps them associate their carriers with yummy food. But cats with extreme crate aversion are treated to our "I Hate My Crate" intervention program. The averse kitty is assigned a chart on which staff notates which rewards they've tried to convince the cat that a crate ain't so bad, and how effective each tactic is. Staff might try stocking the crate with especially yummy treats or tuna, filling it with a blanket that the cat's been sleeping on (familiar smells are comforting), or placing a cotton ball soaked with Feliway (a synthetic copy of the feline facial pheromone used by cats to mark their territory as safe and secure) in the carrier. Ultimately, Chubbs learned to feel comfortable in his crate.

And then good fortune struck. Dr. Ryan Canales of the new Long Trail Veterinary Center in Williston, Vermont dropped by our shelter for a visit. Our medical supervisor, Jen, gave him a tour of the building. When they approached Chubbs' isolation room, Dr. Canales paused and inquired about Chubbs' quarantine. Jen told him about the positive FeLV test results. Dr. Canales suggested we try a different test that's more specific and sensitive. It's also more expensive, but can detect a false positive. Jen followed his advice, sent the test to the lab, and lo and behold, discovered the positive results had been false! Thanks, Dr. Canales!

Chubbs was cleared for adoption take off, and moved to a Tokyo cage in our lobby. ... But there he sat. Chubbs simply didn't elicit much interest from our visitors, and he grew increasingly despondent. Our feline supervisor, Kayla, decided he needed another intervention. Chubbs moved to our administrative area, where most days he was permitted to roam at will. That spiced things up for him!

We soon discovered Chubbs to be the Shaquille O'Neal of cats: despite his prodigious size, Chubbs could MOVE! Our jaws dropped as we watched Chubbs fly across the admin space after plastic balls, scale the backs of computer chairs ("Timmmmmberrrrrrrrr!"), and leap three-foot gates. On days we needed him sequestered in an office, we tried stacking two gates in the doorway. That didn't deter Chubbs, who nimbly leapt five feet, caught the top of the gate with his paws, and hauled himself over the top.

In the meantime, we opted to cut dry food from Chubbs' diet in an attempt to bring his weight down (we supplemented it with more wet food). The diet change coupled with the exercise did wonders for Chubbs' waistline. In fact, over the three months he was here, Chubbs lost a little over two pounds!

And we fell in love … although Chubbs wasn't always a charmer. In perhaps stereotypical feline style, Chubbs desired affection on his own terms. Often, after just a few pets, Chubbs would roll on his back and dare you to try that again. Other times, he'd seem positively voracious for attention, and would claim a staff person's lap as his own--purring and kneading and rubbing his nose all over his hostage's face. One quickly learned to let Chubbs call the shots. 

Still, how could we not fall in love with a cat as intelligent and inquisitive and wholly active as Chubbs? He loved new objects and changes in his environment. He liked meeting new people (though with some time for deliberation). He was very curious about the other cats and dogs who occasionally visited the administrative area, and developed a peaceful coexistence with staff dogs.   

Sadly, though several potential adopters did meet Chubbs, none left totally impressed (probably didn't help when he got a little swatty with them). Chubbs grew bored again, and we did our best to keep his environment enriched.

Chubbs nesting in cat grass.

But good fortune had not forgotten this plump pussycat. In early July, Kayla received an email from Sally, Chubbs' former owner. She missed him dearly. She'd be returning to Burlington for a visit in late July, and would now be able to fly him back to the Midwest with her. Was he still available? He sure was!

We thought surely Chubbs would be adopted before Sally's visit … but at least we had a back-up plan. However, when mid-July rolled around and Chubbs was still here, we began to hold our collective breath for Sally's return. On July 20, we put Chubbs on hold for Sally. And on July 21, she made it to the shelter just before we closed, completed the adoption requirements, and scooped Chubbs up!

There wasn't time for the joyous reunion we'd all yearned to observe. But fortunately, the story doesn't end on that anticlimactic note!

Sally had spoken with a veterinarian ahead of time about Chubbs' flight home. He recommended she give Chubbs both Comfort Zone and Composure before the flight, and reminded her that he would need a health certificate signed by a veterinarian and a carrier small enough to fit under her seat (good thing we worked on crate training!).

Sally followed his advice … but ran into a problem at the airport when she got to security. Apparently, she had trace amounts of the rememdies she'd given Chubbs on her hands, and one of them tested positive for explosives! Chubbs had been taken out of his carrier and patted down for weapons! Sally says that Chubbs was so drugged that he didn't mind being dangled in the air while they looked him over (she felt a little traumatized for him, though!). Fortunately, the rest of his journey went smoothly.

Sally reports that Chubbs does seem to remember her (he slept next to her the entire first night of their reunion) and is enjoying his new home. A six-toed cat often comes calling on the porch, and Chubbs enjoys covertly spying on him. 

Chubbs' new friend.

This brainy orange kitty lists James Patterson among his favorite authors (when it comes to napping, anyway), and is very considerate about keeping Sally's graduate school assignments warm. 

Fortunately, Chubbs would rather sleep on homework than eat it.

From a medical isolation room at the shelter to a new home in a big city halfway across the country … Chubbs' journey has been long and sometimes arduous. But good fortune always stepped in just when his situation seemed particularly dire. We'll never forget this floppy-tummied kitty or his funny antics ... and Sally sent us a photo to remember him by. 

That's the good news this week from HSCC.

Give a Penny, Save a Penny

At last, an update! With the Walk behind us, we can all breathe a little easier now. We had a great time at the Walk, by the way--it was lovely to see so many of you there! Some of you have already heard about this year's milestones, but they bear repeating:

·         This year, you all raised $7,000 more than has ever been raised online before.

·         The average amount raised per fundraising page this year was $200 higher than last year's page average!  

·          And 98% of those who created fundraising pages actually obtained donations, which is a 25% increase from last year!

Pretty awesome. The money our community raised will do a ton for our animals!
 

See more fun at the Walk here! Photos by Jared Katz of Black Dog Photos

Speaking of, let's get to the adoptions. We have so many to report since the last update!

Cats: Nuzzi Jade, John, Mike, Sam, Rocky, Taylor, Casper, Odie, Midnite & Seymour (!), Allycat, Garfunkle, Maggie, Pacer, Layla, Malikeye, Colors, Izzy, Zebra, Chowder, Panda, Ella, TJ & Cooper, Kathina, Captain Jack, Costello, Kinslee, Bisque, Paprika, Suzie all went home.

Kittens: Jake, Jill, Jen, Jim, Jack, Neville, Spock, Ronald, Batman & Robin found new homes.

Smalles: Mango the guinea pig; Biscuit and Crumb (hamsters) went home.

Dogs: Tucker, Ohren, Lola, Jackson, Bella, Soleil, Maddy, Maximus, Pugsley, Sterling, Bear, Jake are in new homes.

That's 56 animals in six weeks!

And there's yet one more. Our featured adoptee is … PENNY!

Penny is a young beagle-type mixed breed who came to the shelter in mid-March as a stray. Right off the bat, it was easy to see she was in need of help: Penny had a condition called "cherry eye," in which the gland of the dog's third eyelid becomes inflamed and protrudes over a portion of the eye. Our medical supervisor, Jen, also found an umbilical hernia. Other than that, though, she appeared to be in relatively decent health. And her temperament was downright wonderful. At just 20 pounds, Penny's small stature did nothing to dwarf her big personality. Inquisitive and engaged with her surroundings, Penny had definite thoughts about the world and was not afraid to express them. For instance, if one of our animal care staff asked her to sit, Penny had plenty to say about it. Barking and baying, she would eventually plunk her small rear end down -- but our staff swear she talked back while doing so, retorting something like, "Why don't you sit first!"

At other times, Penny was not about to interrupt her nap in yard if she wasn't ready to. If staff called her in while she was sprawled in the yard enjoying a snooze, she opted to "play dead" instead. Short legs and long ears akimbo in the sun, Penny would grant the flustered animal care person no more than a slightly opened eye before sinking back into slumber.

Yep, Penny was a playful and often silly girl. But because of her eye condition, her time spent at the shelter was definitely not all fun. Penny spent the majority of her residence here in a cone. Anyone who's observed a dog in a cone knows just how enjoyable they find that to be.

In early April, we sent Penny to Green Mountain Animal Hospital to get her spayed, repair her umbilical hernia, and correct the cherry eye. GMAH gave us a fantastic deal: $500 to do everything! The spay and hernia healed well, but unfortunately, Penny's eye did not (not uncommon with cherry eye).  GMAH suggested we try medication rather than revisiting surgery right away--so Penny's cone stayed on for two more weeks, and she was not allowed to roughhouse with other dogs. Penny remained patient and upbeat. But … the meds didn't work either. So we scheduled a consultation for Penny with the only Board-certified vet ophthalmologist in the area, Dr. Hoy of Vermont Veterinary Eye Care.

Penny on her way to a consult with Dr. Hoy. Photo taken by our med supervisor, Jen Parker

Living up to her excellent reputation, Dr. Hoy discovered the cause of inflammation to be a small, sharp piece of cartilage under the swollen gland that was not allowing the eyelid to heal. She told Jen that another surgery was the only fix--otherwise Penny would be destined for a life of chronic eye infections. We sent Penny back a few days later for surgery, not realizing then that if the surgery were a success, we would have to follow it up with eye meds administered four times a day for two weeks straight! Poor Penny. The surgery did go well, and Jen posted signs around the shelter to help staff remember to treat Penny's eye according to the rigorous schedule. Our staff did a fantastic job, and Penny's eyelid dramatically improved over the next two weeks. By the end of that period, Dr. Hoy was satisfied enough with the results to recommend she be made available for adoption.

What a glorious day for Penny! 

Photo by Mountain Dog Photography

The cone finally came off for good for the first time in two months, and Jen and our canine supervisor, Robyn, gave Penny her first official play date in a very long time. They brought her out to our large play yard with Jen's pup, Winnie, and burst into laughter as Winnie and Penny somersaulted over each other, Penny--in typical fashion--telling Winnie exactly what she thought about her rough play as soon as she was right side up again.

Photo by Mountain Dog Photography

Penny went home three days after she was made available--we knew she'd go fast, that cutie! We were so happy to watch her prance out the front doors with her new family, butt a-wiggle and nose held high.

All in all, we'd spent ~$1200 on Penny's two eye surgeries and various medications, hernia repair, and spay surgery--all provided at great discount. We had some outside help, too: Mrs. Heinz's fifth grade class at Orchard School decided to hold a Yankee Candle sale to raise money for HSCC. Would you believe they raised $800 profit in candle sales?! Well, $400 of that covered Penny's second eye surgery. The other half was spent on all kinds of pet supply goodies at Pet Food Warehouse! Such an amazing help.

We have seen so many examples of youth fundraising over the last year: bake sales, candle sales, greeting card sales, art sales, pet supply drives, donations in lieu of birthday gifts … the kids in our community continually show incredible selflessness and compassion. We hope Penny's story shows the impact that hard work makes in the lives of shelter animals! Penny, for one, will now live a life free of chronic eye discomfort. We're sure she'd have PLENTY to say about that!

That's the good news this week. Thanks for your support!

Meeko Shall Inherit Your Heart

Welcome to fully-fledged spring!

Canine Supervisor Robyn, Feline Supervisor Kayla, and I saw the flowers blooming in Mystic, Connecticut last weekend at the New England Federation of Humane Societies Annual Conference, which drew hundreds of folks involved in animal welfare--from animal control officers, to volunteers, to tiny animal rescue organizations, to employees of the Humane Society of the United States and the ASPCA.

We found a great majority of the workshops fascinating. Topics that made us think: open adoptions; pit bull advocacy; animal enrichment; how to tell the difference between feral cats and frightened domestic cats. A lecture that sparked extensive conversation was entitled: "Shelter-ers or Rehomers?" That topic deserves an entire blog in itself, and I'd like to write about it soon.

But for now, let's discuss our animals who've gone from the shelter to a home!

Two dogs found homes last week: Quigley, a nearly blind Golden mix (sweetest guy ever), and Millie, an adorable, floppy, small breed/Terrier mix.

Eight cats went home! Congrats to Queenie, Shamus, Shanti, Parka, Luna and Sebastian. In amazing news, Curry is finally in a home! This seven-month-old cat grew up here in our shelter, in an isolation room. Sadly, over the course of his entire kittenhood, he exhibited chronic vomiting.  Our medical supervisor, Jen, and visiting veterinarian, Dr. Susan McMillan, tried EVERYTHING to fix this little guy. In the end, a raw food diet stopped the vomiting, and he was finally made available for adoption. We're overjoyed to know that he's finally living life outside of a cage.

And we're just as happy about the adoption of our featured adoptee … MEEKO!

Meeko

Many of you have seen Meeko featured on our Facebook page, if not met her in person, because she's been here a very long time. At least, much longer than Siamese kitties usually remain unspoken for here!

Meeko was relinquished to us in late February because her owner passed away. A beautiful Chocolate Point, Meeko is typical of her breed in that she has a BIG personality! And unfortunately, the particular bent of her personality is not especially adaptable to life in a shelter. Meeko has no tolerance for other animals. And is not unendingly patient with multiple human strangers handling her. After a week of "hissy/swatty" behavior with staff attempting to clean her cage, our feline supervisor moved her into her own office for closer observation. Fortunately, free of the company of other cats, Meeko came out of her shell and showed her social side. Kayla quickly learned that Meeko has her preferences: no scratching of the hind end; limited petting; a fondness for men over women; no hugging, please … but overall, Kayla observed nothing of alarm. Still, the thought of placing her in a Tokyo cage in the lobby, next to other cats in Tokyo cages, with volunteers taking her out of the cage to clean each morning … just didn't seem conducive to Meeko's success at the shelter. So the cat moved in with our volunteer and events coordinator, Shayla.

Shayla has a special place in her heart for Siamese and was excited to meet Meeko. The feeling was not completely mutual. After a week in the little office, Meeko yearned to expand her horizons and began jumping the gate. Shayla reacted by leaving her door closed … after which Meeko learned to take advantage of unwitting strangers who mistook the intentions of the blue-eyed cat winding between their legs for affection. She only needed six inches of open doorway.

Meeko's favorite thing in the office was a peacock feather--which object of sport just happens to be all the rage among our cat population these days. But Meeko's no blind follower. She genuinely loved that feather. Staff would watch from the front desk as Meeko suspiciously eyed the feather, daring it to mock her just one more time. When fed up with its cheekiness, she'd raise a chocolate paw and ferociously go to work, smacking its silky head again and again with an alacrity enviable of any boxer at the speed bag. Afterwards, convinced it had learned its lesson, she'd jump aloft Shayla's chair and gaze fondly at the chastened feather with heavy-lidded eyes. That single blue and green feather hanging in Shayla's office provided Meeko the extra bit of physical and mental stimulation she needed to make it through four weeks in a small space. But its significance would play a larger role yet.

Meeko had quite a few interested visitors, but her lack of cuddliness seemed to turn those folks away. Seven Days lent a hand by publishing Meeko's photo in the paper--which garnered quite a few calls of interest. But as soon as the callers learned of the cat's intolerance for other animals, they lost interest. Until last Thursday.

Thursday afternoon, a couple from Hardwick came in specifically to meet Meeko. Perhaps it's the fact that they live amidst acres and acres of undisturbed woods that lends them a "back to the earth" quality. Their cat had died, they said quietly, and they were ready to find a new cat. They'd seen Meeko in Seven Days. And had known instantly she was the one.

Shayla told them Meeko couldn't live with other animals, expecting the usual disappointed response. But no--they had no other animals. It was no problem. The man explained that when he first saw Meeko's photo in the paper, he grew nervous that they couldn't get to the shelter fast enough to adopt Meeko before someone else did. But then a thought came to him distinctly: Meeko is your cat and will be there for you when you are ready. His fears were calmed.

Shayla introduced them to Meeko, and watched warily as the man began to pet the Siamese without apology--pushing every button Shayla knew Meeko has. Finally, the inevitable: Meeko said "No!" with her teeth. But it wasn't her usual impatient fussiness: she communicated gently, with patience, and rubbed right up against the man again afterwards as if to say "No hard feelings!" Shayla couldn't believe it. "He was able to touch that cat more in ten minutes than I've been able to in a MONTH!" she said. And he just kept saying, "This is my cat. This is my cat!"

After a few minutes, the man turned to his wife and asked what she thought. "I don’t think I need to weigh in," she replied. "She's clearly yours."

The man left the room to fill out the paperwork, and his wife made an overture to Meeko. Shayla explained that Meeko is very male-centered--had never lived with a woman and seemed much less interested in befriending women. "You could try offering her your shoe to sniff--she likes shoes," Shayla suggested. The woman did not merely hold out her foot. She took off both of her boots and laid them on the floor. Meeko sniffed the boots--and then dropped to the floor and began to roll over them and over them. Shayla swears she caught a look of admiration for the woman developing in Meeko's eyes. 

"I have money in my pocket for this cat today," the man announced when he returned. "That's great," Shayla said, "But please know there are multiple steps to adoption that usually require a couple of days to complete." Not for this couple. Within an hour they'd completed the adoption process--including obtaining a glowing reference from their notoriously hard-to-reach vet … and we had an appointment open for their exit interview.

"Do you think she'll be a good mouser?" the man asked Shayla, as he waited for Meeko to get packed up. "We have some mice in the house."

"Oh yes!" Shayla replied, remembering the peacock feather.

Meeko's horizons expanded exponentially that very afternoon.

"But the craziest thing about all of this?" Shayla said to me in a credulous voice as she excitedly related the details of Meeko's adoption: "This man has a peacock feather braided into his hair."

That's the good news this week.

Best,
Megan

That Bunny Bond

23 animals adopted in the last two weeks! How's that for sheltering success?

One kitten, a vivacious Tuxedo named Gromet, was first to find a home. He was followed by 16 adult cats! Congrats to Babear, Minnie, Abigail, Tyson, Sabrina, Faye, Astro, Pebbles, Loki, Greta, Cissy, Bea, Miss Kitty, Chocolate Chip and Elmo together, and … finally … SALTINE! 

Saltine

This senior long-haired all-white beauty has been waiting months for a new home. As so often happens with long-term residents here, when it rains, it pours: Saltine suddenly had three interested parties all at once last week! One of the families drove here all the way from Massachusetts just to adopt her. Fortunately, their trip was not for nought: Saltine joined them for the long trip home.

Four dogs are new family members this week, too! Congrats to Terrier mix Oliver, Black Lab Shadow, Cocker Spaniel Squishy, and Lab-mix May.

 

Our featured adoptees this week? Good friends Penelope and Leonidas! Penny and Leo are one-year-old bunnies who were relinquished to us in late February because of a changing family situation. Penny, a black Rex-mix rabbit, and Leo, a gray American-mix rabbit, lived in the same home and got along well, but, we were told, were not necessarily bonded.

Penelope (L) and Leo (R)

Penny and Leo's owner called us at a time when we had no room for two more bunnies at the shelter--but was dealing with an emergency situation. So we turned to a woman who's fostered rabbits for us before: HSCC volunteer Nikki DeSarno, who also runs a chinchilla rescue named "Frodo's Friends Rescue"  from her home.

Nikki previously fostered speckled rabbits Oreo and Samoa for us, and did a wonderful job caring for them. She did just as well with Leo and Penny, who were shy and skittish when she took them in. She noticed that they loved to play, however: "They would entertain me by tossing toys and paper towel rolls all around the pen!" So she decided to use their playtime to help the pair develop confidence and trust in people. She sat with them in their playpen and pretended to ignore them at first. "After a while, curiosity kicked in and I would feel a little nuzzle on my foot or leg as they took turns sniffing me and running back to their tunnel," she said. By the time the two came back to the shelter, they were totally different rabbits. Leo was even outgoing, and ended up starring in one of our calendar shoots!

Leo in "Party Animals"

Penny and Leo are unlike our usual featured adoptees in that they didn't have an epic stay at the shelter; in fact, they were spoken for even before making their debut on the adoption floor. About a month into their foster care, Cara (our small animal coordinator), received a phone call from a woman who wanted to grant her daughter's birthday wish for a pet rabbit. They had been researching rabbit care for two years, she told Cara, and knew exactly what they wanted. Cara told her about Penelope and Leo, and the women wanted to meet them right away. Fortunately, space had opened up at the shelter, so in the bunnies came, and the woman decided on Penelope for her daughter that very afternoon.

The next day, however, Cara began to rethink splitting them up. It seemed each time we walked by their enclosure, the bunnies were grooming each other, lying smushed together side-by-side, or playing togther. Bonded bunnies will fail to thrive if separated, and Cara worried that these two had grown so close in foster care that they really ought to stay together. Nikki had noticed the same thing: most evenings when she came home from work, she'd find them snuggling together.

The mother returned with her daughter the next day, and Cara hoped to convince them to take both bunnies. But she didn't even have to try! In the first place, the daughter decided she was more intrigued by Leo than Penelope. In the second place, she noticed the rabbits' affection for each other immediately. At one point during the visit, Penelope began grooming Leo's ears. "Oh, they love each other, Mom!" the girl cried. It was an easy decision: the daughter would get double the bunny companionship she'd wished for! Leo and Penny went home with a very excited young lady on Saturday.

This is a wonderful story to feature because this family knew exactly what they were getting into. Unfortunately, many people who take on rabbits don't realize that they're actually quite high maintenance pets--or that a rabbit's lifespan is a good ten years!

Cara keeps an eye on craigslist.com, and has already begun to notice the multitude of ads that typically crop up this time of year for baby bunnies. Easter is prime time for bunny breeding, and shelters across the country are routinely slammed with rabbits from May through the summer. In fact, rabbits are the most frequently relinquished companion animals after cats and dogs.

Rabbits are highly intelligent animals that need lots of exercise and enrichment to thrive--we say at least one hour out of the cage a day, but more is ideal. Rabbits can also be clicker trained (we hope to capture video of that soon!) and litterbox trained. 

Freshly-cut Timothy hay is best for rabbits.

And let's face it: they're expensive pets. Rabbits need an unlimited supply of Timothy hay (not cheap) in their diets to prevent gastrointestinal stasis, or blockage in their digestive tracts. They also do best with a changing array of fresh veggies every single day. And don't forget the chew toys! Rabbits need to chew to keep their teeth a manageable length … and bored rabbits will chew destructively. Regular brushing and nail trims are also required.

A lot of this is relatively "new" information. I cringe to think of the life of the rabbit I had as a child, before I knew about daily exercise and training and toys and unlimited hay … The more we get to know our fellow creatures--the more intelligence and complexity we discover in them--the more we realize how few animals actually are "low maintenance pets." And isn't that intelligence and creativity the very reason we find these animals' companionship so fulfilling? More really is more when it comes to animal care.

Fortunately, it seems that Leo and Penelope will get all of the love and attention and enrichment they could possibly desire. And … they have each other :)

That's the good news this week!

Best,
Megan

All About the Connections

Hello everyone!

If you couldn't tell from our Facebook page, this week our minds have been completely dominated by our calendar shoot. Kelly Schulze of Mountain Dog Photography and her husband, Ian, worked like champs to shoot 9 pages of the calendar this week. The most complicated so far? Volunteer & Events Coordinator Shayla MacDowell's, which includes three local men and their companion animals (a lanky Great Dane, a dancing Aussie, and a clicker-trained Tuxedo cat). Most community based was Feline Supervisor Kayla Malzac's shot, which happened in the Burlington Subaru showroom (yes, they did move out every single car for us so Kelly could have the exact one she wanted in the exact place she wanted it!). And the Murphy's Law award goes to Small Animal Coordinator Cara Weymouth's shoot. We wanted to a motorcyle for the shot, and were willing to drive to Huntington for it. Of course, it snowed the night before. Which meant we were careening over icy, rutted dirt roads the next morning to get to the shoot. In the end, Kelly's husband Ian had to ferry all of us up the steep driveway to the location, and we were running 45 minutes behind. That left exactly 15 minutes for the shoot. As the snow fell and the wind blew, Cara stripped down to her mini-skirt and sleeveless shirt, and bravely perched upon the cold leather of the bike. Kelly attempted to start taking pictures, and at that moment, the battery to her flash became temperamental in the cold. Kelly was forced to remove the battery and warm it in her hand between each click of the shutter. Miraculously, she got an absolutely stunning shot. Wait until you see it!

In the meantime, however, I'd like to make our first calendar reveal! In honor of this week's warm weather and sunshine, attached is Canine Supervisor Robyn's Lane's photo :) Let us know what you think!

Robyn and her HSCC-adopted pup, Olive

On to the animals!

We had a great week, with 12 animals finding new homes. Cats Casey, Arfur, Aurie, Monqui, Dude, and Kit-Kit all went home. Dogs Beau (Rottie), Seuss (American Eskimo), Bruiser (Chihuahua mix), Whelan (Husky), and Eddie (pittie mix) found new loving families, too.  

And the featured adoptee this week? A teensy tiny little fancy mouse! Fancy by name and fancy by nature, Choo Choo the albino mouse caught a special someone's fancy last week!

If this were a Hitchcock film, we'd open with a shot of train tracks to symbolize connections. Choo Choo's story is one of lost connections, and her history as we know it literally begins on a train. I received a call last Monday from Amtrak … which was odd. "We have a mouse," the station manager told me. "Someone left it in a container in the bathroom on the train, and I don't know what to do with it. I can't keep it here. I'm thinking of letting it go in the field out back, but I think it's a pet, so I don't want to do that." I began to describe our process for taking in animals: making an appointment, possibly having to wait, etc--"No no, I can't keep it here," the station manager interrupted. "I've thought about feeding it to someone's snake, but I don't want to do that." I told him I'd pass his message on to Cara, and she'd be in touch very soon. "I need to get rid of this thing today," he said. "If I can't bring it in by tomorrow, I'm letting it go. I really don't want to do that."

I finally managed to convince him to wait for Cara's call, and fortunately, we were able to get the mouse in that day. For all of this brusqueness and threats, it was clear that the station manager really cared for the tiny white puff with pink eyes. He'd taken care of her at the station for 10 days, waiting to see if her owner would return for her. He could have gotten rid of her in many different ways--but he truly didn't want to do that. He delivered the mouse to us in the container she'd been found in: a Tupperware with holes punched in the lid and a bit of paper on the bottom.

Cara named the mouse Choo Choo, and we sighed when we thought about how long it would take to find her a home. Rats and mice tend to sit at the shelter for a long time. Cara related her worry to one of our Animal Care staff, Christina, and … a connection was made!

Christina is a self-described "rat and mouse person." She's owned two rats and over 100 mice (yes, you read that right)! But she happened to be mouse free at that moment, and decided she could make room in her home for the little two-inch being.

In the meantime, we purchased a lovely mouse habitat for Choo Choo, with tunnels and a wheel. And it was soon obvious that this mouse had never had such a grand house. She delightedly ran through the tunnels, gave the wheel a spin, and rearranged all of her bedding. "Each morning we'd set her habitat up nicely after cleaning it," Cara said, "And she'd immediately go about putting it just the way she wanted it."

Yes, Choo Choo is very particular. And Christina could sense that. So, the day she decided to take Choo Choo home, she went right out with her husband and bought an all-pink habitat that this fancy girl--renamed Chewy--could call her own. It has pink tunnels, a pink wheel, a pink food dish … As soon as Christina put Chewy inside, the mouse made herself right at home. Cara's last image of Chewy is of her picking up her nice soft bedding in her two little pink hands, and fluffing it with flair!

The little mouse may have missed her connection on the train. But it seems fate was taking her to an even better stop. 

That's the good news week!

Happy sunshine,

Megan