The Scoop!

Yakima Valley Pet
Rescue and Adoption
Center
www.yvpr.org
509 248 3113

A PUBLICATION OF YAKIMA VALLEY PET RESCUE Winter 2010 RESCUE & ADOPTION CENTER

Pets as Presents?

Facts and figures:
Since our Fall issue we have adopted to forever homes 37 dogs and 22 cats.
We have helped 59 cats and 54 dogs find new homes through our no kill rescue partners.
We need dog and cat and puppy and kitty food for our rescue pets! Please call 248 3113 if you can help!
Dates and Places
Come check us out at the Outdoorsman Show February 18, 19th and 20th 2011 We will be selling chili-feed tickets there!
Chili Cook-off!
March 12th, 2011
Consider volunteering. Next Chili-feed meeting;
January
Call 248 3113 or check our events calendar at www.yvpr.org for time and place.

Things to consider before giving the gift that keeps on living... Giving a puppy, kitten or other animal as a gift to a loved one has been romanticized over the years in many movies and books. Who can resist the furry face and playful antics of a puppy or kitten begging for attention?
But what happens after that first mess on the carpet or chewed up shoe? Who would have guessed that paper training could be such a challenge? Too many of these "presents" end up being "disposable" -- dropped off at shelters or picked up by animal control running loose just a few months after they appeared to be one of the family.
Rescue organizations are all too familiar with adoptions and gifts gone bad -- pets who wind up tied out in the yard, starving for affection and sometimes food and shelter, too.
General considerations often overlooked:
Pet lifespan - People need to be mindful of the commitment of owning a pet. It is easy to adopt a kitten, get a litter box and a bag of food, and believe that you are all set. Considering that the average lifespan for an indoor cat is 15-20+ years, this is a commitment far beyond the shrink-wrapped litter box ensemble all ready to go in the store. Depending on the breed of dog, the lifespan ranges from 8 years (giant breeds) to 15+ years (smaller breeds in general).
Veterinary care - Basic veterinary care for a healthy pet should include vaccinations (kitten/puppy series, then boosters after that), spaying or neutering, dental cleanings, annual examinations and any associated blood work. This does not include any health problems or injuries that will undoubtedly show up over the pet's lifetime.
Personality -- of the person and of the pet. This is also a serious consideration, and due to the many variances in species and breeds of pets, it is something that should be researched and considered thoughtfully. (CONT. ON PG.2)
Lifestyle -- again, of the person and of the pet. A Chihuahua won't make the best jogging buddy, and a Labrador isn't a lap dog (well, there are exceptions to this, I am sure!). Allergies in people may dictate what type of pet and even what breed of pet would be best. A working person with a busy schedule will find that an active pet will most often be bored and destructive when left alone for too many hours, creating stress and guilt for the owner. This leads to bad behavior in the pet, and these behaviors can be hard to break.
Helpful alternatives to giving pets as gifts: A donation - to a shelter, rescue group, or adoption agency. Those who are unable to take on a pet (or add another to the collection) will appreciate this kind gesture helping out the less fortunate animals.
Pets are wonderful companions and adoption is a terrific venue for acquiring a pet.
Just be sure you or your loved ones are ready for the responsibility.

Pet Peeves! Got a pet peeve? Let us hear about it!

No jumping! Off! Down!
What do you do when your dog or another dog insists on jumping on you?

You go to a friend or relative's house and their dog is constantly jumping up on you. Interestingly enough this occurs more frequently with small dogs rather than medium and large dogs. Generally the small dog owner is cont. on pg. 2
oblivious to the annoying behavior because they've had “Sweetie” since she was 10 weeks old and “isn't that just the cutest thing you've ever seen, look at how much she likes you!”
What You Can Do
Wake up! No matter what size the dog, it is bad Petiquette to allow your pet to jump up on your guests.
Discourage the bad behavior by teaching your dog to sit and stay for 30 seconds before giving a release command such as “Okay” when you greet your guests. You can also enlist your guests help by giving them permission to gently stick up a knee or foot to deflect the jumping jack depending on the dogs size. This teaches your dog that there are consequences for it's naughty actions. A strict “OFF!” is also a must here, then if needed, take a doggy time-out by putting “Sweetie” in her kennel or closed off room so that your pet and guest can take a much needed break.
Often times, it is bad behavior that puts dogs in a rescue need. The dogs human companion could avoid this by being a responsible pet owner and helping their dog learn its manners.
Have a quiet ,calm , holiday season!
Next issue: inappropriate sniffing…..or worse!

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Pets as presents? (cont. from page 1)

Lifestyle -- again, of the person and of the pet. A Chihuahua won't make the best jogging buddy, and a Labrador isn't a lap dog (well, there are exceptions to this, I am sure!). Allergies in people may dictate what type of pet and even what breed of pet would be best. A working person with a busy schedule will find that an active pet will most often be bored and destructive when left alone for too many hours, creating stress and guilt for the owner. This leads to bad behavior in the pet, and these behaviors can be hard to break.
Helpful alternatives to giving pets as gifts: A donation - to a shelter, rescue group, or adoption agency. Those who are unable to take on a pet (or add another to the collection) will appreciate this kind gesture helping out the less fortunate animals.
Pets are wonderful companions and adoption is a terrific venue for acquiring a pet.
Just be sure you or your loved ones are ready for the responsibility.

Pet Peeves (cont. from page 1)

Stay Down! Off! Back!

What does Yakima Valley Pet Rescue do with your donations?
Cover veterinarian medical costs
Cover spay and neuters
Purchase vaccinations for pets
Cover fuel for transports and adoption events.
Cover utility bills for the Rescue House
Purchase supplies for the Rescue House
Yakima Valley Pet Rescue Wish List
Transport Vehicle
Rescue House Yard Maintenance
Added Fencing, Paint and Flooring installation for the Rescue House
and of course, pet food!
Call 509 248 3113, mail PO Box 944 Yakima WA 98907 or PayPal at www.yvpr.org!

Pet Food Drives!
Mrs. Switzers 5th grade class at Naches Middle School
Terrace Heights Elementary 5th grade Class
West Valley High Senior School Project. A box will be at all West Valley home basketball games to collect donations of kitten and puppy food and clumpable cat litter.
We are helping the low-income seniors and the homeless in the valley provide food for their pets. Please contact these schools to help make their food drives more successful and help feed the needy pets of Yakima and the valley.

In Memorial...
wishing peace in the hearts to those who feel the pain of the loss of a pet, pet friend.
To Katie, Catherine's beloved forever friend for 14 years!
Barbara Thompson, friend, foster mom and Mickey’s forever mom

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Thanks! For Your Help in 2010 you are saving lives! hundres do

This year was huge for Yakima Valley Pet Rescue’s Rescue House. With generous donations from Martin and Mariette Albertson, Color Tile and Standard Paint we were able to paint and re-floor our assessment area for cats and dogs. A huge Thanks to our floor layers, Jim Amundson, Vance LaFramboise, Russ Moon and Tom Rushing!!!

Volunteer Beverly Mitchell installs sub-flooring at the Rescue House

To all of our volunteers and fosters homes, a huge shout out of thanks! Yakima Valley Pet Rescue would not exist without you. Hundreds of pets are saved in the Yakima Valley each year because of all of your efforts. We appreciate every thing from assisting at our adoption events, cleaning crates, mowing the lawn, writing the grants, transporting pets, fostering pets, assisting on assessment days, answering the message line, participating in fundraisers, over seeing the adoptions, placing the petfinder bio’s, writing the newsletter and supporting all of the above mentioned with exuberance. YOU GET THE JOB DONE!
If you would like to join our team, contact
volunteer@yvpr.org or foster@yvpr.org. Or call 248 3113

Ask the Vet

How long after my female cat/dog has had kittens/puppies can I get her spayed? Dr. Collins of Zillah Vet Clinic has this answer. Mother cats or dogs can become pregnant while nursing. It is important to keep a nursing mother away from other adult cats/dogs of the opposite sex. One can spay a mother as soon as the kittens or pups are weaned, (5 to 6 weeks for kittens and 4 to 5 weeks for puppies) and because of the risk of pregnancy this should be done. If every caution can be taken to ensure that the female dog can not be at risk of pregnancy, waiting two weeks between weaning and spaying and neutering is ideal because the mammary glands have had time to shrink and this can make the surgery easier on the veterinarian and dog. But it is still of utmost importance to have the female pet spayed a.s.a.p. to ensure that not another litter is conceived in the meantime.
Contact newsletter@yvpr.org if you have an Ask the Vet question for our spring Scoop edition.

Dolly is now Bella Rose Patrick.
We just love her and our other small dog (Jaslynn) is loving her as well. Now she has a play mate, they are sleeping side by side right now. Our big dog (Tasha) is taking some time getting to know her; I think her nose is bent out of shape. My boys just love her and so do all the neighbor kids. She is doing great on the potty training, only one slip up today! She sleeps with us at night, Jaslynn likes to be under the covers and Bella likes to be out of the covers. Josh (my husband) is not too sure about 2 dogs in bed with us but he is getting use to it. :-) I will do my best to keep you up to date on her. She is just so great!!! Jody
I adopted Nikki, a shepherd/husky mix, from you on July 14, 2010. I just wanted to let you know she is doing great! We went through kindergarten already & will be in jr high next month (dog training). Other than still chewing up the house everything else is great. I feel material items are replaceable, her love and devotion are what's important. She is the best friend and companion ever. Thank you so much!
Sincerely, Amy Henderson
Yakima WA
I just wanted to update you on the dog that we adopted out named Ashlen, the mini schnauzer. Boy, what a great dog he is.

Success!

How lucky are we to receive him into our home. I cannot believe anyone would want to give up this adorable little guy. He just tries to please so much. He has so much love to give, and we love him back just as much. The new little guy got to meet his older "big" sister, but unfortunately he only got to know her for a short time as she got gravely sick and we had to put her down. Too bad, they would have become excellent companions.
However on a good note, Ashlen has the run of our large home. We have 50 acres on the coast, and he gets to go out and smell for deer and elk, observe the pesky chipmunks that chatter to him, and meet the rest of the dog crowd down below. He socializes very well. He even go down to socialize when he shouldn’t, but comes right back. He's just a social little guy. I run every day, so he has come with me. It took a couple of weeks to get him up to par, and carefully monitor his little feet, and take him aerobically slowly, but now, he wants to "be the leader". He does so well. He also just loves to "be a dog" and tear around with the toys we've place around the yard and house. Guess no one ever played with him or offered toys, but he has them now! We just love this little guy to bits and couldn't ask for anything more.
We are so thankful that you put in so much of your time and effort to rescue these dogs, because they are surely the best.
Thanks again, Carol and Phil Spulnik
Waldport, Or.
If you have a Success story about a rescue pet, contact newsletter@yvpr.org.
Go to www.yvpr.org for more success stories and check out the adoptable pets waiting for their forever homes and Success!
Ferrets and Rabbits are available too!

Thanks for getting your Scoop via electronic mail!
We are happy to tell you we will save nearly
$4000.00(that is a whole lot of spay’s and neuter’s!)
a year by sending it over the internet. We
would love to add more email address’s to our list.
If you have friends, family, acquaintances or
connections that you think would enjoy our
publication, please send it on to them and ask
them to sign themselves up .
Sign up at newsletter@yvpr.org Check out archived editions at www.yvpr.org
Donate on PayPal or send to P.O. Box 944 Yakima
WA 98907 or call 509 248 3113
Thanks for your support! Happy Holiday’s!

Donations make it all possible Thanks! Cut along this line and send donations to
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YVPR or make a donation from our secure donation page on our website www.yvpr.org
P.O. Box 944 using Pay Pal or Credit Card
Yakima, WA 98907
Here’s my gift of
Yakima Valley Pet Rescue & Adoption Center is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization, a dedicated group of volunteers who rescue abandoned
and homeless animals, provide spaying and neutering, vaccinations, and medical care, and help pets find forever loving homes.
To help save costs for YVPR, we are no longer supplying return envelopes. Thank you for your understanding!
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Please return this donation slip with your gift! donation is used? Please use my donation
• Please make your check payable to Yakima Valley Pet Rescue. for_____________________________
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Help reduce the stray and unwanted pet
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Spaying and Neutering!
Just do it!

also a must here, then if needed, take a doggy time-out by putting “Sweetie” in her kennel or closed off

room so that your pet and guest can take a much needed break.