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March 2012 Volume 1, Number 3

March was a pretty busy month for Friends! We had several adoptions this month as well as attended a pretty cool event! We were invited to attend the “Mega Match-a-thon Adoption Event” in Georgetown which was supported by the ASPCA. Scott County Humane Society was one of 54 animal rescue organizations in the

country to receive grant funding to participate in this inaugural event. The event was held at Garth Elementary in Georgetown the weekend of March 30th. A total of 138 dogs and cats were adopted during this two-day event!! Two of those dogs were from Friends- Percy and Livvy! Ironically enough, Livvy’s

family lives in Nicholasville! We love that she’s close and we can keep in contact with them and see her on occasion. We met lots of potential adopters and other rescue groups at the event. All in all, it was a lot of fun and very beneficial for Friends! Thanks to the volunteers that came to help us and to one volunteer for allowing us to use her cargo van!

Are you looking to Volunteer?

Look no further! Friends of the Animals of Jessamine County, Inc. is now taking volunteer

applications. It is simple - follow this link

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If it’s Made in China, is it good for your Pet?

Being aware of the dangers of China For some time we have been hearing about recalls on children's toys that are made in China. What a lot of people don’t connect is that most dog toys are made in China, as well pet foods and treats. Should we be concerned about this? In my opinion, and the research I've done, we should be very concerned about this. There have been many different warnings from the past telling us that items made in China just aren’t safe. In 2007, there was a nationwide pet food/treat recall because the dog food that had been made in China contained high levels of melamine, a highly toxic chemical, and aminopterin, a rat poison. These two toxins have heavy connections with kidney disease and failure in our pets. It is unknown how many dogs died from the recalled food, but the contamination is still around today and treats and foods are still sold on pet store shelves. Another practice that comes out of China is the irradiation of food. Irradiated food products are exposed to high levels of radiation to sterilize the food and give it an extended shelf life. While irradiation has for the most part been halted in human food because of the uproar about it, it is becoming very popular in dog and cat treats because it removes the need for an expiration date. And if a dog and cat treat company doesn’t need an expiration date then they have a better opportunity to make more money. Please be aware of where your pet’s treats are coming from and whether or not they have an expiration date. The sign for irradiation is below, and most of the time if a treat is imported, the materials they are made from have been irradiated. Please make sure that the treats and food your buy for your pet are safe from these practices! If you wouldn’t eat something that had a shelf life of forever, then your family member shouldn’t either. Another big issue is the safety of the toys we give our pets, most toys on pet store shelves come from China. Should we be concerned? Consumer Affairs reports that pet toys

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tested by veterinarians found some toys that contained elevated levels of lead, chromium and cadmium. Chromium is a cancer producing agent, and with dogs putting these products in their mouths, they are at increased risks for health effects. Lead toxicity can also build up over time in a dog's system and smaller dogs are particularly vulnerable. Veterinarians state that metal toxicity can shorten dogs’ lives. Healthystuff.org reported that 45% of the imported toys tested contained hazardous levels of these dangerous toxins. Two other independent laboratories, Epertox Analytical Labs and Trace Laboratories, decided to test dog and cat toys that were made in China and bought at Wal-Mart. “The dog toy, a latex, green monster, contained high levels of lead and chromium (a cancer-causing heavy metal) and smaller amounts of other toxic materials. The cat toy contained very high levels of the toxic heavy metal, cadmium.” All of these toxins can be ingested by the simple lick from a pet’s tongue. Which is also important for anyone that has pets and toddlers because most toddlers that I know, try to and most of the time succeed, in putting the pet’s toys in their mouth at least once before the toy is taken away. This means, the toxins are being ingested by children as well. In fact, Wal-Mart recalled similar generic children’s toys made in China for that very reason, high levels of toxic metals. If these toys aren’t good enough for our human children, they shouldn’t be good enough for our fur children either. I guess the biggest issue is awareness. When shopping for toys, check the labels. If you are unsure of the safety of a toy, don’t purchase it, or call the manufacturer and ask questions about the safety testing done on that toy. If you wouldn’t put it in your mouth, chances are, it probably

shouldn’t go into your pet’s mouth either. -Janna Segnitz

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Here’s a note from Noah’s mom:

Noah has always loved animals especially dogs. Noah’s first and only dog

Maya was rescued from a shelter with the hopes of serving as a service

animal for him. Even though Maya had anxieties that she was not able to

overcome for certification, her and Noah had already formed the deep

bond required between handler and animal. There was no question that she

would still get to live out the rest of her years as part of our family. This

has fed his love for animals that much more, maybe even to the point of

obsession.

We got involved in Friends for a couple of reasons. First, we love animals

and want to do what we can to better their lives. Second, the animals

actually do more to better our lives than we do theirs. Third, I rather my

children spend their free time investing in something other than video

games. Some of the benefits of fostering for us are:

It provides a four legged playmate for Maya that my finances

otherwise do not allow for.

It teaches Noah balance as he nurtures the foster while making sure

Maya knows she is still the princess of the house. In fact, this has

further strengthened the bond between Noah and Maya.

It has taught Noah that even though you enjoy something you don’t

have to hang onto that item to continue receiving the enjoyment. He

gets to see a foster come in scared and untrained. He then gets to

help nurture the dog back to its potential. Then when the time

comes he gets to feel the joy of the blossomed foster as they enter

their forever home. Every time he goes back and looks at pictures of

previous fosters he gets to relive that joy again; knowing he made

the difference in one more life. After each foster is placed in their

forever home he quickly asks “who is next?”

It teaches him responsibility as he interacts with the vet and asks

questions in regards to care.

If you ever visit or volunteer with us at adoption events, hopefully you’ll have the opportunity to meet this exceptional kid! Noah is quite the character and keeps us cracking up. He’s wise beyond his 11 years of age and never ceases to amaze us. He’s an excellent

caretaker for his fosters as well as adoption counselor. We’ve really enjoyed getting to know Noah and look

forward to each time he volunteers with us.

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There is a whole other list of benefits that Noah gains by being involved in

Friends. Noah has a few medical issues that require various ongoing

therapies and treatments. Working with the dogs (even something as

simple as manipulating the cage locks, leashing, and walking dogs), talking

with people that stop to ask about the animals at events, recalling

information about each animal and conveying that to people, even napping

with the puppies at events is very therapeutic for Noah. So much so that we

were able to temporarily suspend outpatient therapies during the school

year because he is getting about the same thing through helping with

Friends.

There are a few things about fostering that are not so glamorous that

bothers Noah. He does not appreciate being peed on or when a foster plays

too rough with Maya and causing her to yelp. He is learning though to

overlook such things. In fact, I was fussing about one foster’s behavior

when Noah looked at me and said “he’s just a baby and hasn’t been taught

any better.”

He loves volunteering at the adoption events and gets upset when we have

to miss. The events allow him the chance to show off the good care he has

been providing his foster while giving him time to play other animals at the

events. He also enjoys curling up with some of the other dogs for an

afternoon nap. There are a couple of other boys that help out at the events

and Noah looks forward each week to hanging out with them in between

walking dogs or napping with puppies.

At first I was concerned that Noah would become too attached to our foster

and that it would be hard for him to let them go when they found their

forever home. It was easier for him than I thought it would be. He does get

emotional, but he is always eager to save another life. He understands that

if we decide to keep our foster then we have reached our household pet

limit and no other fosters could be placed with us. He realizes that could

mean the difference between life and death for another animal. He goes

with me to do home visits on our fosters, that way he can see for himself

that his hard work has paid off and that the foster is going to have a great

life. When I watch him at home visits it is like watching a mama bird who

is watching her baby take flight for the first time. I no longer hold concerns

about Noah’s involvement in fostering.

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On October 21, 2011, Friends added a very special girl to our group. Her

name was Sassy Sadie. Little did we know the impact this girl would have on so many people. From volunteers to random PetSmart customers, Sadie was loved by everyone she came in contact with. We all knew there was something special about this girl from the very beginning. It didn’t take long for us to start recognizing some of her special characteristics, or ‘Sadie-isms’. Her unique-looking ‘airplane’ ears, her calm demeanor with children (although we knew she was bottled with excitement on the inside), the way she nonchalantly laid down in the middle of traffic so everyone had to walk over or around her….. All of her ‘Sadie-isms’ combined made her the special girl she is. You may be thinking “if she is so special then why was she in your program so long?” We all asked ourselves this same question week after week after adoption events. The only answer we can provide is: because she hadn’t found the perfect family yet. Sadie went on a few home visits and even had a couple of applications completed, but there was always something just not right with each of them. Now we know why. It all makes sense now. Sadie has found her perfect home and this is where she belongs. When the application came through we were so excited until we saw where it was from. New Hampshire?? As in the 1,000-plus-miles-away New Hampshire? Wow! After lots of thinking and communication, Friends decided this would be a great home for Sadie. Transportation was arranged

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and on Saturday, March 30, 2012 Sadie started her journey to her new home. Although we’re all elated for Sadie, adoption events now seem incomplete; like there’s something missing. Sadie just became a part of Friends. She was with us everywhere we went. But we also understand that she’s now where she really belongs. She’s living on a beautiful place in Antrim, NH with her mom, dad and 2 sisters (Bailey and Sara). She has adjusted beautifully and even has a new favorite snack- moose poop! When the Reed family saw her on PetFinder, they knew it was meant to be. Interesting enough, Bailey has a very similar ‘airplane’ ear on the opposite side!! What a perfect pair! This proves our theory that if we’re patient, their perfect family will find them- regardless of the distance they have to travel. Happy Tails Sadie girl!! You will always be simply special!

~Lesley Boysel

Darlene Dicken

Congratulations to Darlene for being selected as our volunteer of the month! Darlene has worked with Friends since the

summer of 2011 and has been a HUGE contributor to our group. She is always eager to foster (and sometimes has

multiples!) regardless of their health or condition. As long as they get along with

cats, dogs and kids, she doesn’t care about anything else. She always has her hand raised ready to help wherever it’s needed;

whether it’s vetting appointments, adoption events, home visits- you name it! Somehow

between work, church, family and raising 2 active boys, she still finds LOTS of time to help with Friends. Darlene, we’re so lucky

to have you as part of our group and we appreciate everything you do (and so do the animals)!

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A big WELCOME to our new

subscribers, volunteers,

fosters and Facebook

followers!

Our adopters who saved a life!

All of our individual contributors

All of our volunteers who foster, transport, work at events, and

much more.

The veterinarians and staff who work with our program:

Animal Hospital of Nicholasville and Bluegrass Veterinary Clinic.

PetSmart in Brannon Crossing for allowing us to have events at

their location.

A Big Thank You To: