Autumn 2016 Speaking of

Animals4242 South 300 West • Murray, UT 84107(801) 261-2919 • www.utahhumane.org

The Humane Society of Utah is dedicated to the elimination of pain, fear, and suffering in all animals.

Laying Legislative Plans Page 4

2017 HSU Calendars are Now Available!Page 6

Answers at Your FingertipsPage 7

Plus:HSU’s Own Wonder Woman, The Animals Want You to Know,and more!

Another Brilliant HSU InnovationPage 3

Board of directorsCraig S. Cook, President

Dr. Eric Belnap, Vice PresidentDr. JoAnn B. Seghini, Secretary

Randy John, Treasurer

Directors:Timothy R. Pack, Steve Starley, Tim J. Williams, Susan Wood

administrative staffGene Baierschmidt, Executive Director

Paul Chapin, DVM, VeterinarianShama Chapin, DVM, Veterinarian

John Paul Fox, Chief InvestigatorPauline Edwards, Director of Clinic

Jamie Usry, Director of DevelopmentAimee Eschenfelder, Director of Finance / Strategic PlanningDeann Shepherd, Director of Communications / Marketing

Jenny Castro-Conde, Corporate Sponsorship Manager

Carlene Wall, Adoptions / Operations ManagerKatharine Brant, Director of Publications /

Executive AssistantCaitlin Lisle, Director of Education

James Gove, IT ManagerLisa Burningham, Volunteer CoordinatorJessica Whipple, Director of Transfers /

Animal Behavior AssessmentBarbara Conrad, Foster Animal Coordinator

Rachel Kelly, Special Events ManagerGuinnevere Shuster, Social Media Coordinator

Jack Ogden, Accounting / HR Manager

services Providedv Adoption of animals to qualified homesv Affordable sterilization surgeriesv Receiving of unwanted animalsv Preventive immunizationsv Investigation of animal abuse and neglectv Rescues of at-risk animalsv Humane education for all ages

For further information on services provided by HSU, call (801)261-2919 during business hours.

Remember, HSU is your shelter. We are here to help the animals of Utah. Please help maintain and

support our programs with your contributions.The Humane Society of Utah is

an independent 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization that is not affiliated with any other group, nationally or locally. We receive no funding from taxes or any

source other than your contributions.Incorporated 1960

4242 South 300 WestSalt Lake City, UT 84107-1415

Telephone: (801) 261-2919 Fax: (801) 261-9577

www.utahhumane.org © 2016 Humane Society of Utah. All rights reserved.

The Humane Society of Utah’s Memorial Plaza is a tribute to the four-legged and human loved ones who have touched our lives.

Bricks can honor the passing of a pet, friend, or family member. Bricks are also beautiful gifts for Christmas, birthdays, and anniversaries (brick gift certificates can be provided after purchasing to allow your gift recipient to choose his or her own personalized message).

Bricks come in two sizes, with room for three lines of text and a graphic (dog paw, cat paw, or heart).

To purchase a tax-deductible brick, please visit www.utahhumane.org/bricks. For any questions about Memorial Bricks, please contact Lesley Pulsipher at lesley@utahhumane.org or (801) 261-2919 ext. 206. v

Engraved Memorial Bricks

It’s almost time for our annual Hope for the Holidays telethon! Tune in to Fox 13 on Sunday, November 20th from 2:30 to 5:30 PM for a televised event you won’t soon forget. You can also join us LIVE at the shelter to take part in the action from noon to 6 PM.

We will be accepting donations under our tree for our Holiday Supply Drive during the event as well!

This year’s broadcast, presented by your Wasatch Front Subaru Retailers, will feature adoptable animals, success stories, special guests, and details on what

your donation means to the animals in our care. It’s the perfect chance for an end-of-year, tax-deductible contribution that works to save lives all year long.

Live-streaming will be available at www.fox13now.com for mobile and out of state supporters.

If your business or foundation would like to receive unparalleled exposure during the broadcast, contact Jenny Castro-Conde, Sponsorship & Telethon Manager at 801.506.2404, or jenny@utahhumane.org! v

The 9th Annual Hope for the Holidays

Telethon

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We announced one of the Humane Society of Utah’s most exciting and creative new programs in the Spring 2016 issue of Speaking of Animals — our on-site summer camp for kids, designed specifically to teach children about animals and our relationships with them, including the importance of compassion, understanding, and respect for all members of our planet’s intrinsically connected web of life.

And what a resounding success it was! Our first-ever H.E.R.O. camp (which stands for Humane Educators Reaching Out) attracted sold-out participation for both the primary and intermediate sessions — first- through third-graders during the opening week, and fourth- through sixth-graders the following week. Our warm, delightful, eye-opening activities drew such positive response from children and their parents alike that we plan to expand the Camp to four weeks next year. Here’s an overview of the whole wonderful experience.

The Adventure BeginsAll activities were centered around

age-appropriate humane education workshops, presentations, games, and more. Each day focused on a different group of animals — dogs, cats and birds, reptiles, farm animals, and small animals — and featured representative visitors from both our own shelter and other animal-welfare groups for the kids to meet face-to-face as they learned about them.

On the first day, each child was issued an official H.E.R.O. Camp T-shirt and a journal in which to record the week’s events and the lessons learned from them. And then the fun started! These are just a few of the highlights of a typical week:

• Campers learned about the correct way to approach and handle dogs, and were told about the things that pets need to be safe, happy, and healthy. Two of our staff members allowed their own companion dogs to act as “models” for the presentation.

• Tours of the Receiving and Foster areas were given, as well as close interaction with the residents of Dogville, Rodent Ranch, Kitty City, and the Bunny Bungalows. A discussion of our clinic services emphasized not only the importance of spaying and neutering pets and tips on basic preventive health care, but also provided an introduction to the requirements for becoming a veterinarian or other professional animal caregiver.

• Kids made goodie bags to go with our shelter felines at the time of adoption, and also wrote a letter on behalf of a shelter cat to go home with the adoptee.

• Avian rescue expert Emily Strong talked about birds and the different ways in which they communicate. Each camper was given his or her own birdhouse to paint and decorate.

• Several reptiles, including a turtle and an iguana, were introduced to the campers by Scales and Tails Utah, and the unique qualities of beauty and grace exhibited by these often misunderstood animals were discussed.

Another Brilliant HSU Innovation —Our H.E.R.O. Summer Camp for Kids!

Lucky attendees of the Humane Society of Utah’s

H.E.R.O camp last summer enjoyed a vast array of

adventuresome learning experiences involving all kinds of animals.

Our first-ever Humane Educators Reaching Out (H.E.R.O.) Camp featured age-appropriate humane

education workshops, presentations, games, crafts, and more for children

from first through sixth grades.

continued on page 8 (H.E.R.O.)

As many of you know, in the 2016 session of the Utah State Legislature our proposed bill for statewide elimination of the carbon monoxide gas chamber in favor of euthanasia by injection (EBI) in animal shelters was defeated in the House of Representatives by a vote of 40 to 31. Already 51 of the 57 shelters in the state have voluntarily transitioned to EBI, and only a few of the holdouts actively opposed the bill — Carbon County, Draper, South Jordan, Utah County, Weber County, and West Valley City. Since then, I’ve met with officials of those facilities, and the West Valley City council members, who have a strong lobbying contingent in the Legislature, said that in the upcoming session they would more than likely remain neutral and not testify against the bill when we re-introduce it; South Jordan and Draper appear to be leaning in the same direction. The intent of the other municipalities remains uncertain.

Meaningful SupportThe latest news on this bill is that it will be sponsored by

Republican Sen. Peter C. Knudson, who represents Box Elder, Cache, and Tooele Counties, and is also the Assistant Majority Whip in the Utah State Legislature. We’ll be working closely with him, and hope that with his leadership position we can get the bill successfully passed in 2017.

Also, we’ve learned indirectly from a local veterinarian that the Utah Veterinary Medical Association (UVMA) will remain neutral on the bill this time. (In last year’s session, there was a single veterinarian who tried to make it appear that the UVMA was against passage of the bill, which was misleading.)

Moving on Several FrontsWe will again be introducing legislation that would clarify the

meaning of shelter for dogs in Utah. As the law currently stands, “shelter” can be defined in many ways and can often be inade-quately interpreted. The only opposition we encountered last year was from the Farm Bureau, and I believe that if we make it clear to its members that the bill is primarily directed toward urban dogs and not working canines (for example, ranch and sheep herding dogs), they may relax their position against it. Democratic Senate Minority Leader Gene Davis will sponsor this piece of legislation.

Finally, we’re trying to work with Salt Lake County Animal Services to get an ordinance passed in Salt Lake City that would make leaving an animal in a hot car in the summertime (or a cold one in winter) a Class B misdemeanor, and upgrade the offense to a Class A misdemeanor if such action resulted in the animal’s death. In addition, we want to propose a “Good Samaritan” sec-tion which would allow a passerby who witnessed such a situation to break the car window to rescue the animal if law enforcement or Animal Control personnel were not available. Our strategy at this point is to first try to get this ordinance passed in some of the major cities, rather than introducing it on a statewide level.

We’ve got a lot on the grid for the 2017 legislative session, but we’re confident that — with the help and support of members like you — we’ll again make progress for Utah’s animals, just as we have steadily done since 1960. As the message on the back one of our official vans says, “Thanks for standing behind us!” v

Make Your Love of Animals a Lasting Legacy

Laying Legislative Plans — for the Animals!— by Gene Baierschmidt

HSU Executive Director

As I see things

Many of us regularly support our favorite charities. Yet when it comes time to plan our estates we often forget to include those charities in our plans. Unfortunately, organizations like the Humane Society of Utah cannot rely solely on annual giving campaigns to ensure long-term stability. We need planned gifts from our donors to create a stable base of permanent financing.

In essence, estate planning is all about giving and creating a legacy for those who follow us. Planned gifts can be accomplished many ways, from a bequest left through a will or trust, to easy-to-do beneficiary designations on life insurance or financial accounts. Other options are a Charitable Gift Annuity or Charitable Remainder Trust to benefit the HSU with an ultimate gift, and provide yourself with immediate tax deductions and a lifetime income stream.

Lastly, with the IRA charitable rollover made permanent by the federal government, people ages 70½ and older can make

outright gifts of up to $100,000 from their IRAs each year. Of course, all planned giving devices can be tailored to your situation to ensure that your family is cared for, as well as the animals at the HSU, after your passing.

In addition, provisions for the stewardship of your pets should be included in your will or living trust. Naming family members or friends to care for your pets is a great option. But in cases where

they aren’t available or willing to accept your pets as their own, we want you to know that you may designate your animals to be entrusted to the care of the Humane Society of Utah with a financial gift in your estate plans. We offer you our prom ise that we will do the very best we can to care for your pet(s) as if they were our own.

For more information on estate planning options, please visit our website at www.utahhumane.org/legacy. Our Devel-opment Director, Jamie Usry, is also available for questions anytime at (801) 506-2405 or jamie@utahhumane.org. v

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It would seem that life is plenty tough enough on its own terms without some people feeling that they have to make things even worse — but, unfortunately, mindless marauders have always been part of the mix, and it’s a pretty safe bet that they always will be. When the victims of pointless cruelty are among the most innocent and vulner-able of living beings, though — the very young, the very old, those who are somehow imperfect or impaired or otherwise incapable of fairly defending themselves against aggression — the heinousness of the crime increases a thousandfold. Into this meekest group of prey fall also the animals with whom we share the world.

How Could Anyone Do It?On a Sunday afternoon in mid-July a man brought two

kittens to our Receiving department, both of them bearing horrific wounds on their little bodies. One of them had an angry red scar across the back of his neck, his tail was bent

in the middle at a right angle, and his ears were strangely misshapen, as if they had perhaps been burned at some point and healed crookedly. The other also had a scar on his neck — but in addition, the front of his throat had been gashed so deeply and savagely that it was at first hard to believe he was still alive. The man said he had found the cats like that as strays.

Our foster workers immediately started both kittens on antibiotics and tranquilizers. Staff named the black-and-white one “Radar” because of the odd curve of his ears, and the other kitten (very skinny) was christened “Pez” after the long, thin tubes of candy that you see at the checkout stand in grocery stores. The very next day they were taken to our clinic for surgical repairs.

Nothing Less than a MiracleRadar’s tail had to be amputated just above the break, but

luckily the cut across his neck was not so severe that it need-ed anything more than ordinary medication. The warped cartilage of his ears, unfortunately, will always stay that way, although now it’s only a cosmetic defect and does not cause him any discomfort or loss of hearing.

Pez, on the other hand, required 17 stitches to close the gaping slash in his throat, and for a week he had to wear a

little outfit made from a sock to prevent his scratching at the site of his surgery. To everyone’s amazement, he was soon not only swallowing food and water normally — he was also vigorously voicing his opinions on issues great and small in perfectly clear and very loud meows!

A Big Hand for the Little LadyAn enormous portion of the credit for both cats’ swift

and remarkable recovery goes to our Foster Assistant, Stephanie “Swiss” Beller. Swiss attended to their critical needs from the moment they were brought to the shelter, closely monitored them throughout and immediately following their surgeries, and then took them into her own home for two weeks for personal care and supervision while they recuperated. Almost exactly one month after Pez and Radar had been brought to us in seriously bad shape, they were healed, plump, and happy — and were adopted together on the same day to a good new home of their very own.

Reflecting on the experience, Swiss mused, “There is a chance that what we were told is true, and that the cats were found as strays. It’s possible that a breeder used wires around their necks for identification, they escaped, and this somehow caused their injuries while they were on the run. However, because Radar had other wounds besides the neck incision and Pez’s throat was so deeply cut, I am afraid that this may have been a case of deliberate abuse — perhaps attempted decapitation.”

Characteristically, Swiss ended her account on a positive note: “Whether the cats were indeed found as strays or were seized from an abuser, I am grateful that they ended up here at HSU and we were all able to step in and give them the care they needed to become adoptable,” she smiled. “During their recovery, they were absolute dolls to have around. Once past his initial shyness, Radar was a cuddly love-bug, and Pez — in spite of everything he had been through — always had such a happy, outgoing disposition. I’m sure they’re going to bring their new family much joy.” v

Animals Hurt by Some Really Bad Guys (BOO!)— Saved by the Very Best Guys (YAY!) at HSU

Happy, healthy, and forever together in a safe, loving new home, Radar and Pez will never again experience mistreatment at the hands of cruel human beings.

This picture of a recuperating “Pez” was made about ten days after HSU surgeons treated a deep slash in his throat that required 17

stitches to close. The initial photo taken of his wound when he first arrived at the shelter was simply too graphic to reproduce here.

“Radar” was brought to the Humane Society with a broken tail, a cut on the back of his neck, and ears that were deformed as the result of some previous unspecified trauma — hence his “otherworldly” name.

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All of the wonderful families who foster HSU’s special-needs animals are pretty amazing people, but we’d like to take this opportunity to shine the spotlight for a moment on just one of them who is truly a Wonder Woman for both animals and her many human friends. Her name is Shauna Ostler, and simply describing the incredible amount of giving and working and loving that she puts out every day of her life leaves us ordinary mortals feeling exhausted.

Always an AngelShauna’s roots are in

Utah, but it was while she was living in Georgia about ten years ago that she put her inherent love of animals to use fostering for a private rescue organization. She start-ed with an adult Dalmatian, but soon found herself looking after kittens, puppies, and even injured wildlife — all at the same time! She’s not just compassionate — she’s extremely efficient, and she soon developed a system that runs like a well-oiled Swiss watch for simultaneously bottle-feeding orphans, looking after needy new mothers and their litters, comforting and encouraging shy or sick animals, and also acting as a devoted and loving mom to her own brood of large and small dogs.

In November of 2015 Shauna, with her own canine family, moved back to Salt Lake City to care for her elderly mother, and immediately offered her services as a foster parent at the Humane Society of Utah. Since then, she has personally cared for more than 150 of our animals.

Her Love Spills Over to People, TooLast February Shauna’s mother moved into an assist-

ed-living facility, and Shauna loyally visited every day — always with at least one shelter puppy and/or kitten in

tow. It didn’t take long for everyone there to start looking forward to the daily appearance of Shauna and her friends. Holding and cuddling the soft, sweet, furry babies with their endless supply of unconditional love made a vast difference for the residents. The nursing staff began to notice that patients’ treatments, personal care, and other procedures went much more smoothly for them when they were holding a puppy or kitten close during the routine. One

resident even said, “Be sure you tell Shauna that I need my daily puppy fix to handle my depression!” And the animals? They love ever single minute of the extra attention and good vibrations filling the facility.

So here’s to a real, honest-to-goodness super-heroine right here in our midst: Shauna, you don’t need a cape and a crown to be Wonder Woman to all the animals and people whose lives you’ve touched with the most powerful force in the universe — love. v

Spotlight, Please, for HSU’s Own Wonder Woman —

Shauna Ostler

Here’s HSU foster mom Shauna Ostler (top) on a typical day, doing what she does best —

sharing lots of love with lots of animals.

Every day Shauna takes HSU foster animals to visit the residents of the assisted-living

center where her own mother, shown here (right), lives. Everybody there agrees that this very special therapy is the best medicine in the

world for all concerned!

Earlier this summer, we asked our animal-lov-ing friends to show off their adorable pets, all while helping raise money for Utah’s homeless

pets. Over 600 pets were entered into our Humane Society of Utah 2017 Calendar contest.

The contest was conducted by voting for the most popular pets to win a spot in our 2017

Calendar. Each vote for a pet equaled a $1.00 donation for the HSU. In the end, $7,031 was raised through

voting! Our top ten winners will be featured in a month with a full-page picture. In addition, two hundred other pets in the contest will be used in smaller features, such as daily thumbnails and a pet collage.

Calendars are on sale now at www.utahhumane.org/calendar for only $14.00! Our calendar makes a great holiday gift for your friends, family and co-workers. 100% of proceeds from HSU’s 2017 Calendar directly benefit the Humane Society of Utah’s many programs, including animal intake, adoptions, transfer and rescue, foster care, humane education, and more. v

Get Your 2017 Calendar from HSU, Featuring the

Cutest Furry Friends in Utah!

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How often have you and your favorite furry family member been approached by friends who ask you, “What kind of dog is that?” or say, “What an unusual-looking cat! What do you call that breed?” Of course, there’s really just one reason why all of us made our particular choices — it’s simply because we loved those animals and they loved us back. But, once in a while, wouldn’t you like to know just exactly who these guys really are? Of course you would — and now you can get accurate, scientific, personalized answers through HSU’s partnership with The Wisdom Panel’s DNA Search program!

Quick, Easy, and Painless — Everything You Wanted to Know

The pet DNA search technology is just another of the miraculous advances that seem to unfold on a daily basis in today’s world. All you have to do is purchase a sales card at the Humane Society of Utah for $80 and follow the directions (which involve nothing more complicated than taking a saliva swab from your pet’s mouth and sending it to The Wisdom Panel), and before you know it, you’ll receive a thorough, professionally developed computer analysis of your pet’s genetic makeup on both parents’ sides. And if you want to go back through even more generations, that option is available, too.

Last year HSU Board President and General Counsel

Craig S. Cook and his wife adopted a scruffy little black-and-white stray dog with a pronounced underbite and a remarkably feisty personality. They had no idea what breeds had combined to make “Lola” what she was, but they were always curious, and some of their guesses were actually pretty wild — but still only guesses, for all that.

Then along came The Wisdom Panel, and of course Mr. and Mrs. Cook immediately took advantage of the opportunity to solve the mystery of just who and what Lola was, as well as explain a lot of the reasons for the personal characteristics that

make her the unique little friend that she is.The printout that the Cooks received from

The Wisdom Panel provided an objective, detailed, and revealing analysis. It has been enormously satisfying to Lola’s people not only to have some definite answers to friends’ ques-tions about their pet’s breed, but to their own queries about just why Lola insists on reacting with violent enthusiasm to any even barely perceptibly moving object, or exactly how long her patience can be expected to last while Mrs. Cook is mincing her treat meats into

small bits. Now all that is obvious: well, of course, that’s exact-ly how a Chihuahua reacts to something that can be chased; of course Shih Tzus have prominent bottom teeth; and of course the volatile combination of a fiery little south-of-the-border dog with the pampered tastes of an Oriental aristocrat will result in an animal with plenty of energy, attitude, and enthusiasm for the good life.

If you’d like to find out all about your own four-legged child’s official ancestry (that is, apart from your personal and well-de-served identity as Mom and Dad), please drop by the HSU facility and ask for more information. Knowing your pet’s breed history can help you create a tailored plan for his or her health, behavior, and nutritional needs. The more you understand your companion, the more fun you’ll all have! v

Identity Crisis? Worry No More — The Answers are at your Fingertips!

This is Lola, the cherished companion of HSU Board President Craig S. Cook and his wife. This is what the Cooks’ Wisdom Panel report had to

say about her: “Congratulations! The results are in, and it looks like Lola is a true Designer Dog mix — 50% Chihuahua, 50% Shih Tzu. The Wisdom Panel computer algorithm performed over 18 million calculations using 11 different models (from a single breed to complex combinations of breeds) to predict the most likely combination of pure- and mixed-breed dogs in the last three ancestral generations that best fit the DNA marker pattern observed in Lola. Here you will find the results of these

combinations.” The Cooks were then directed to click on various other links to find out more detailed information about Lola’s ancestry tree.

Every day HSU takes in cats and dogs with special needs of all kinds, and our Foster Department can always use help in providing the extra care and love that these “challenged” animals require to make them ready to be adopted to good new homes of their own. Temporary homes are in great demand in the following areas:

• Large-breed dogs like Great Danes, shepherds, etc.• Mother dogs or cats with litters that are still too young

to be placed for adoption• Kittens and puppies who have no mothers and require

regular bottle feeding• Motherless puppies and kittens who are old enough to

have been weaned, but who are nevertheless still too

young to be put up for adoption• Adult animals with physical or emotional handicaps

who must be given conscientious, one-on-one care and attention to help them learn to blend into a real family

Please make sure that, if you wish to foster, your own animals are current on their vaccinations, including bordetella to ward off kennel cough.

Time spent by animals in foster homes usually ranges from approximately ten days to two months; we ask that you be able to make a commitment to keep an animal for as long as it takes to ensure his or her good health and adoptability.

If you’d like to be a miracle worker, please call 801-261-2919, ext. 215, or e-mail bconrad@utahhumane.org v

Would you like to be a Miracle Worker?

Our counselors taught the kids about the connection between today’s reptiles and the prehistoric dinosaurs by having each child create a “fossil” with toy dinosaur stamps and circles of plain flour dough.

• On “Farm Animals Day,” HSU staff member Lesley Pulsipher talked about her own chickens and the different kinds of eggs they lay, and campers dyed and decorated hard-boiled eggs. Then Faith Ching, director of Ching Farm Animal Sanctuary, presented a video virtual tour of her facility, discussing why farm animals are as deserving of humane treatment as the animals we consider pets. The crowning activity of that day came when campers were taken outside to the spacious fenced HSU dog-playgrounds to meet a real llama, a pig, and a donkey, and discover for themselves the individual personalities of those creatures.

• On the final day of each H.E.R.O. camp session, the children learned about — and met — HSU’s rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, gerbils, and other small animals. Learning activities included making snacks for the animals out of cardboard rolls stuffed with timothy hay or peanuts. The grand finale was a hamster race — “Ninja Hammy” and “Princess Bebe,” two staff members’ personal hamsters, were placed in their large, clear plastic exercise balls and set

inside special track lines laid out in our auditorium. Campers made signs and cheered for their favorite hamster!

Priceless and Unforgettable Life LessonsOn graduation day, campers were treated to a banquet

of pizza, popsicles, and cake. Miley, one of the dogs who had performed as a training model on the first day, let each graduate shake her paw as he or she was presented with a graduation certificate. The charming crafts projects and journals that the campers had created during their sessions also went home with them, serving as long-lasting reminders of this wonderful, life-enriching learning experience.

H.E.R.O. Camp was made possible by a grant from the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, with additional support from Mountain Ameri-ca Credit Union, Banfield Pet Hospital, and Albertson’s. We sincerely appreciate the assistance provided by these generous sponsors, and also extend our deep thanks to Scales and Tails Utah, Ching Farm Rescue, and Therapy Animals of Utah for bringing actual animals from their respective groups to interact with the children.

The Humane Society of Utah believes that educating new generations is the key to ensuring better lives for all animals — and a better world for everyone — in the future. We hope to have an even bigger turnout for H.E.R.O. Camp 2017! v

H.E.R.O.... continued from page 3

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Long Live Llama Love! One day of each session was devoted exclusively to teaching children about animals kept on farms and ranches. Besides this llama who received lots of hugs and strokes from all the campers, we also hosted a pig, a donkey, and several charming chickens.

Graduation day was celebrated with a banquet, diplomas, paw-shakes and tail wags, and

a wealth of happy, mind-expanding memories of an incredibly enriching week of activities.

Kids were not merely introduced to live animals on a face-to-face basis; they were also encouraged to empathize with the featured creature of the day by donning domino masks, having paw prints stamped on the backs of their hands, and creating useful treats and toys.

Sometimes when we send out a mailer explaining what we do for Utah’s animals in need, and why we depend so much on caring people like all of YOU to help us help them, we like to include a little personal message that you can send back to the animals themselves. We last did this in the spring of 2012, when

our appeal enclosed a small card saying SOMEONE HAS SENT YOU A HUG! for you to sign with your own names, and which came flooding back to us in such quantities that we were literally able to paper the walls of the dog and cat rooms with your loving

“hugs” (see Speaking of Animals, Summer 2012).It was so nice to get your own warm, hand-signed expressions

of support to show the animals, as well as all the people who visit our shelter every day, just how many friends they have, that we decided to do it again this past April. And, again, your response was wonderful! Just like the last time, there were enough cards to place not just one, but whole sheets of them, on every single animal’s room in Kitty City, the Bunny Bungalows, Rodent Ranch, and all the dogs’ quarters from Tiny Town to The Avenues!

We’re deeply grateful for the vital assistance you provide in making so many animals’ live so much better in so many ways, and it was an honor and a privilege for us to proudly display your tokens of caring right out there for everybody — including our furry residents — to see! v

The Animals Want You to Know — They Appreciate You!