SUMMER 2013 - Humane Animal Rescue 2013 2014 (Contined on page 2) ... He knew I was his chauffer, so...

A Publication of the Animal Rescue League Shelter and Wildlife Center

Help us come to their rescue. www.animalrescue.org 1

R.I.P. Max Cat: 2003-2012 It is with heavy hearts and tears that we must report the passing of Max, our beloved shelter house-cat. If you’ve visited the ARL’s Cat Adoption Center or attended our events, you probably met our hand-some little guy and we’re sure he made an impression upon your soul, just like he did ours. Truly, words cannot even begin to describe the per-sonality of this wonderful feline who reminded us of the importance of what we do every single day. Surrendered to us because of reported hous-esoiling, we discovered that Max had issues with his kidneys. We knew that medically he would always have issues so the Animal Rescue League decided Max would be the perfect cat ambassa-dor of our newly opened Cat Adoption Center. He made him-self right at home here at our shelter and found that he’d rather be here than in the confines of a “home.” He frequently showed potential adopt-ers around the Cat Adoption Center, hoping that they’d give one of his feline friends a wonderful home. Thousands took his advice and did just that. Max was a one-of-a-kind kitty who gave love to everyone he met. Whether it was gentle lick to a staff member’s hand, chin, or beard, or quiet observation and assistance

to a volun-teer, no one could dispute that Max was special. But for weeks now, we’ve witnessed the declining health of our special guy and determined that it just wouldn’t be fair to allow him to suffer for our benefit. He stopped eating and became aloof, staring off into the distance. Medical tests confirmed that he was in renal

NON-PROFITORGANIZATION

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

PITTSBURGH, PAPERMIT NO. 1510

IN THIS ISSUE

Hugs Pet Products ................................................ 3

2013 Paw Prints ..................................................... 4

Message from Executive Director Dan Rossi ..... 5

Just Ask Jill ............................................................. 6

Rabies .................................................................... 7

Just Ask Janice ..................................................... 8

Memory of Mary Allen ......................................... 9

Humane Education ............................................ 10

Some of the Many Ways You Can Help the Animals ........................................................ 11

Facebook Stories ..................................................... 12

Maximiize Your Gift for Our Animals .................. 14

2014 Paws Over Pittsburgh .................................... 15

Coming in November .............................Back Cover

SUMMER 2013

2014

(Contined on page 2)

www.animalrescue.org 22

failure. Max passed quietly the morn-ing of November 28th. One thing is for sure; he was truly loved. We’ll sure miss him and he’ll always hold a spe-cial place in our hearts. We encourage you to celebrate Max’s life and share any fond memories you have of him. If you’d like to make a donation in his memory, click over to http://www.animalrescue.org/donate-now and type “Max” in the notes field.

Cari: Maxxy, thank you for seeing us through, keeping us centered and for the continual game of musical food bowls. Your sweet soul was too big for our little cat building. Keep watch over us buddy and always keep us focused on saving one more. If I ever took your presence for granted it was only because I thought you would be with us another day.

Becky: It’s with a broken heart I visit this page this morning to bid you farewell as you leave us and enter the Rainbow Bridge. You did great things for the ARL, as they did for you. You were obviously loved by the staff and everyone you met. You helped many of your feline friends find forever fami-lies every day. Enjoy your new life and meeting my rescue cats who have gone before you. R.I.P. sweet Max. You will be remembered.

Kris: My niece & I were there last Friday dropping off food. She got to pet Max & talk to him. She thought it was so awesome to have a cat out that she could pet! She loves animals more than anything (she’s 7) and has a hard time knowing that so many animals are not in a home. Max helped her by allowing her to pet and interact with him...it kept her from feeling over-whelmed. Thank you sweet Max for

allowing her to pet you, it made her day!!

Rita: Max was the highlight of my weekly shifts on Sunday mornings. He would often taunt me by sit-ting on top of the metal crates even though he knew he shouldn’t, and even after I carried him away to his soft pillow, he’d go back up when I wasn’t looking. Thanks for keeping me entertained and letting me love you Max. I’ll miss you lots.

Sarah: One of my most recent mem-ories of Max was him sitting on his little bench cushion, snuggling with and licking a new kitten that they let out of his cage. Max had a such a big heart and made everyone feel at home at ARL. Gonna miss ya, Max cat

Sharon: I loved coming to the CAC and seeing Max do what he did best. He was truly an ambassador for the center. To all the staff that do such a wonderful job and give countless hours of their time and energy to the shelter, I am very sorry for your loss. R.I.P. Max. You will be missed greatly!

Susan: You will be missed Max.. What a sweet boy you were.

Dawn: So sad : ( My family got to meet Max last year when we went to the shelter to adopt our cat Abbey, wanted to rescue a pet for Christmas to join the rest of our furry family. Max was in the room with us for the 45 minutes or so that we were getting to know Abbey, observing and inter-acting with my family. We have talked about him over the past year. Yes, very sad.

Alma: Rest In Peace, sweet friend. I hope you are now enjoying all the treats and stinky food you always wanted.

Eleni: I will miss him.... I especially liked that he would jump up on the volunteer’s station and sit on the note-book demanding attention.... he was a great ambassador for the ARL and such a sweet handsome kitty.

Betty: I can say without any doubt that if cat’s had a bucket list, Max ful-filled his the day before his death. A lot of his friends came to see him and he enjoyed all the treats and food forbid-den to him because of his kidney dis-ease. He made his final rounds,greeted his friends and finished his job as ambassador of goodwill. To say that he

R.I.P. Max Cat: 2003-2012(Contined from page 1)

Dog Behavior(Continued from page 1)

Help us come to their rescue. 3

was loved and will be missed does not do justice to this one of a kind feline.

Humane Society of Central Washington: Our condolences for your loss, ARL & Pittsburgh. What a positive impact he’s made on your community!

Patti: Max was truly a one-of-a-kind guy and my sweet little sidekick, who taught everyone who met him how to love a little more. I’ll miss him always.

Bill: Max was one-of-a-kind. I hope he always thought of me as his friend. He knew I was his chauffer, so when the bow tie or one of his other outfits went on, he knew it was time to go for a ride and show off for another group of fans. He always did so well with all of the people he met and never complained. When I went to events without him, people would always ask where he was. I guess I became known as the guy who brought the big black & white cat with the bow tie. Folks came to see him, not me, and that was great. I loved Max and I’ll miss him every day.

Mary: Max, of course, was the great-est cat, but especially when I bathed him. I would put him in the utility

tub and he would stand there so patiently while I soaped him and rinsed him. He wouldn’t make any fuss no matter how long it took to get that beauti-ful fur clean and shiny. He didn’t like being towel dried though and would run off to sit on the counselors’ desk and make their papers wet.

Denise: Max was a sweet, affection-ate, people-loving cat and is greatly missed.

Joanne: Every Thurs. when I would come in I would go see Max. I then would put my cheek near his mouth for my weekly kisses. I still miss those licks!!!

Cam: Max was the classiest gentle-man cat I have ever known. Patient ambassador, clever clown and seeker of all things edible, he made us laugh every day. And no one was safe from his sandpaper kitty kisses. His official home may have been the CAC, but he moved right into the hearts of everyone who met him.

Martha: Whenever I think of Max, my mind always drifts to a scene that happened a few months before he died. A volunteer was cuddling a terrified black and white kitten on the bench in the CAC. Max was lying on the bench next to the volunteer. She had to get up to do something and put the kitten down on the bench. He immediately snuggled up to Max and began to purr. Within minutes he was fast asleep. Max continued to lie on the bench with the kitten, ignoring the group of people who began to gather around to watch this impossibly sweet scene. From time to time, Max would groom the baby, but, mostly, he just was pres-ent. He knew what the kitten needed, and he gave it. Max’s great gift to the CAC was that he always knew what we needed, and he always gave it. He was quite simply the best.

Hugs Pet ProductsFlying Cork Media, a digital market-ing firm in downtown Pittsburgh, recently partnered with the Animal Rescue League on a photo series that will be featured on their clients’ website---Hugs Pet Products. Hugs is in the process of redesigning their website and wanted to feature rescue animals and their owners. Several ARL staff members brought their dogs with them to the shoot. The ARL is grateful to Hugs for their donation of items to the shelter. For more information, visit hugspetproducts.com or flyingcorkmedia.com.

www.animalrescue.org

PP

Animal Rescue League14th Annual Paw Prints

Saturday, October 12, 2013Heinz Field • East Hall • 7-10 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased at www.animalrescue.org/paw-prints-ticketsFor more information, contact Ann Yeager at

412-345-0346, [email protected] or go online: www.animalrescue.org

VIP TICKETS TICKETS

VIP individual $200 General Individual $150

VIP Couple $350 General Couple $275

Presented by:

“THE BEST DOG GONE ELECTRICIANS IN THE BURGH!”

4

VIP TICKETS TICKETS

VIP individual $200 General Individual $150

VIP Couple $350 General Couple $275

Presented by:

Help us come to their rescue.

2013 Board of DirectorsJoseph Burgunder President

Beverlynn Elliott Immediate Past President

Joseph Vater, ESQ 1st Vice President

Susan Warner Gitomer 2nd Vice President

Robin Bernstein 3rd Vice President

Donald Green Secretary

Carey Miklos Treasurer

Dr. James Beebe, DVM

Paul E. Block

Lisa Bonacci

Heather Brooks Cawley

Charles Brownfield, Jr.

Julie Coletti, ESQ

Tom Litwiler

Timothy McVay

John Oliverio, SPHR

Ilene Ross

Frank Tallarico

Jane Voros

Matthew J. Wholey, ESQ

Sally Wiggin

Marla Zerrer

Message from Executive Director Dan Rossi It has been an extraordinary first half of 2013 for the Animal Rescue League Shelter and Wildlife Center. We continue to see the benefits of winning the ASPCA $100K Challenge National Community Engagement award. The recognition has brought us so much goodwill and opportunities. These have included the ARL being highlighted in the March 2013 issue of Dog Fancy magazine. We were also honored to be chosen to receive the proceeds of a guitar raffle that the music group Styx’s Rock to the Rescue did at their Pittsburgh concert.

Thanks to your sup-port, for the first six months of the year we have completed over 3,100 Spay & Neuters, seen over 2,400 companion pets in our low cost clinic, and found/reunited homes for over 3,000 animals. We also admitted over 1,700 injured wildlife - this is almost as many as we saw the entire last year at our Wildlife Center! This has put us on track to once again, break the previous year’s numbers.

In May we had our most suc-cessful year as a charity partner of the Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon. We had the most runners of any marathon charity (460) and they raised an astonishing $136,000 with additional company matching funds still to come for our shelter – the most for a single charity in the history of the marathon. I personally challenged donors to sponsor my run and promised to have the Animal Rescue League’s logo tattooed on me

if I raised $10,000. As you can see from the photo, many donors met my challenge. I am very proud to wear the ARL logo for the rest of my life!

As we look back and cele-brate, it’s also important to remem-ber the challenges that lie ahead for the balance of the 2013 year. Despite our Spay & Neuter efforts, animals are very active reproduc-ing in the summer months and the number of cats and dogs needing food, shelter, and medical care increases significantly. With your continued support, we will meet these challenges and save thousands of lives again this year.

Sincerely,

Dan RossiExecutive Director

He did it! Our Executive Director raised $10,574 for Pittsburgh’s animals in the Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon! Dan kept his promise and had the ARL logo tattooed on him on May 23rd.

5


3. Rehabilitators are trained to recog-nize and deal with injuries, illnesses, parasites and other conditions. They can administer appropriate medica-tions, manage wounds, and stabilize an animal that is in shock. Not all vet-erinarians have experience with wild animals. A rehabilitator will know an appropriate veterinarian for consulta-tion.

4. Rehabilitators have the necessary equipment, caging, and environment required by different species.

5. Rehabilitators are trained to care for an animal while preserving its wild-ness. Young birds and mammals suffer as a result of human impact. An ani-mal that has lost its normal or innate fear of humans will not survive in the wild. Releasing a tame wild animal is signing its death sentence.

6. The field of wildlife rehabilitation is a discipline with its own body of litera-ture, training and certification. In the best interests of wildlife, we urge you to have their well-being as your first priority: entrust them to the capable hands of a trained, experienced, per-mitted rehabilitator.

© International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council

Help! My dog/cat/I found a nest of abandoned rabbits!

A mother rabbit only visits her nest in the early morn-ing and late evening. By staying away from

the nest, she attracts less attention and less chance of an attack on the nest. Mother rabbits do not build very elaborate nests – they are often just a shallow depression in the ground covered with leaves or grass, sometimes in the middle of a yard. They are often found when mowing

just ask jill

I have a wild animal. Can I keep it?

People who find wild animals, particularly orphaned animals, some-times want to care for

them. We strongly discourage this practice for various reasons:

1. First, there are local, regional, and federal laws that may prohibit you from having a wild animal in your posses-sion, even while temporarily caring for it with the intention of release. Wildlife rehabilitators or care centers are permit-ted to keep wildlife for rehabilitation.

2. There are diseases that humans and pets can contract from wildlife. There are also diseases that domestic pets can transmit to wildlife.

6

the lawn. We‘ve even found nests under swing sets! If you find a nest of infant rabbits, it‘s very likely the mother is just away and they do not need help. Before removing the babies, determine if the nest is actu-ally abandoned.

Step 1: Are there any flies around the nest or dead babies inside? If so the nest is abandoned. Place the survivors in a box, move to a warm and quiet place and call the Wildlife Center at 412-345-7300 ext 500 immediately for instructions.

Step 2: Repair the nest by replac-ing any dried grass/leaves that were originally covering the nest.

Step 3: Place two twigs or pieces of thread in the shape of an “X” over the entrance to the nest.

Step 4: Wait at least 12 hours and recheck the nest. If the twigs/threads have been moved, the mother is returning to the nest to care for her young. Leave the nest alone!

But my dog tore up the nest…The mother will still come back and care for the babies. Remove any babies that were injured, and follow steps 2-4 above.

To prevent your dog from return-ing to the nest, try to keep your dog away from that area until the rabbits have left the nest. Rabbits typically leave the nest at 3-4 weeks old.

If it is not possible to keep your dog away, take a laundry basket and place it upside down over the nest. Lay some bricks on top to weigh it down. The basket should be removed so the mother can get to the nest between 7pm and 8am, but your dog should be able to be in the same area while the nest is covered. Lay twigs in an “X” to check that the mother is coming while the nest is uncovered.

Wildlife Dilemma?

Just Ask Jill!Email your questions to [email protected], submit your questions on animalrescueleague.tumblr.com/ask or call 412-345-7300 x500. Your question will be answered by email or phone and it may be featured in a future edition of Animal Tracks.

Q

Q

A

A


The Wildlife Center is in need of supplies, year-round, but ever more so during the baby season! Please consider making a charitable donation or dropping needed supplies off. The Wildlife Center is open daily from 8am-6pm.

Freeze Dried Meal Worms

Freeze Dried Blood Worms

KMR Powder (kitten formula)

Cat/Kitten Food (dry or canned)

Kitty Litter

Reptile Bedding

18” Reptile Lights

Whole Dried Corn

Paper Towels

Toilet Paper

Rubber or Latex Gloves

Garbage Bags (30 & 55 gallon)

Liquid Laundry Detergent

Bleach

Original Dawn Liquid Dish Soap

Receiving Blankets

Towels

White Copy Paper

Canned Carrots

Canned Peaches

Canned Pears

Canned Peas

Canned Mixed Fruit

Applesauce

Baby Food Sweet Potatoes

Baby Food Carrots

Baby Food Mixed Veggies

Baby Food Garden Veggies

Baby Food Broccoli

Baby Food Green Beans

Baby Food Squash

Baby Food Peas

Baby Food Chicken and Gravy

Knox Blox

Exact

Frozen Meat

Unsalted nuts with or without shells (no peanuts):

Walnuts

Hazelnuts

Almonds

Chestnuts

Pecans

Acorns

RabiesEach year the PA Game Commission sends out the current rabies vector list, which names the animals most often predisposed to rabies. Animals currently on the Rabies Vector List are: raccoons, skunks, groundhogs, bats, foxes, and coyotes. Animals that are on the Rabies Vector List (RVS) require specialized care, both from the public who find them and professionals who care for them. Raccoon babies, the most fre-quently admitted RVS animal, will be born in late March and April. If you find a raccoon, the best thing to do is to call a professional imme-diately. Never touch the animal with your bare hands or attempt to feed it. Rabies, while rare, is a fatal virus that any warm blooded ani-mal can contract. Rabies lives in the saliva of an infected animal. It is a disease most frequently transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. It can also be transmitted by get-ting infected saliva into an open wound, fresh abrasion, a mucous membrane, or the eye. Because rabies is transmitted through saliva, it is very important to not try to feed a raccoon. Symptoms of rabies can vary from a quiet, depressed state to a furious, erratic behav-ior pattern. Changes in behavior and temperament are often signs of the disease. Additional signs of rabies include difficulty using back legs, circling, and the char-acteristic foaming at the mouth. There is no known treatment or cure once rabies symptoms begin to show, but pre-exposure rabies vaccine injections are given to domestic dogs, cats, and humans who may be

in frequent contact with animals. These injections will help to pre-vent the disease, even if a person or pet is bitten or scratched by an infected animal. If you are bitten or scratched by an unfamiliar ani-mal, wash the wound thoroughly with plenty of soap and water, and contact your family physi-cian immediately. Symptoms of rabies can appear as soon as 10 days. If you have been bitten by an infected animal, it is critical that you are treated before symptoms appear. If the biting animal is a

dog or cat, confine and isolate it. A veterinarian should be contacted for information on examining the animal and handling procedures. If a pet has been exposed to a poten-tially rabid animal, contact your veterinarian to make sure your pet is up to date in its vaccines and for rabies advice. In the event of pet or human exposure to rabies, assistance may be obtained through the PA Departments of Agriculture and Health, local shelters, and local and state police. If a wild animal is involved, Game Commission officers in your area should be contacted. The Health Department has a toll free number to receive calls about rabies exposure at 1-800-692-7254. As a rule, wild animals should never be handled without protec-tion. When moving an animal, wear heavy gloves, use a shovel to put the animal in a box, or use heavy blankets and towels. By fol-lowing a few established guidelines,

you can help to save wildlife, and keep yourself and your family safe.

Wildlife Center Wish List

7


Volunteer opportunitiesIn a departure from the usual Q & A regarding behavior issues and concerns, for this fall I’m going to talk about the new and excit-ing opportunities that we have for volunteers at the Animal Rescue League Shelter & Wildlife Center.

During the past few years, we’ve increased our visibility in the community through hugely success-ful events like the B*tches Ball, the Pittsburgh Marathon and countless other smaller community fairs and events. We can’t continue to have such a strong community presence without volunteers. If you love what we do and can spare some free time but can’t commit to the more extensive time commitments of

our dog walking and cat cuddling volunteer requirements, consider becoming an event volunteer. You can volunteer to handle one of the animals or just man one of the information tables. We require that you attend at least 7 events per year, in the summer; you just might be able to fulfill this in a week! For more information or to sign up, contact our Marketing Director, Ann Yeager at [email protected]

It might be the end of summer vacation, but our dogs are not too cool for school! Starting in April, we began offering a basic obedience class for our shelter dogs to help them learn basic manners while they still are in our care. If you are interested in taking one of our dogs to school, you need to complete the volunteer orientation and basic dog walking training, but the obedi-ence classes are being held on both Wednesday and Thursday mornings and will be limited to the first five volunteer/dog teams that arrive. As we get more volunteers interested, we hope to be able to expand this to additional weekday mornings. For more information, or to attend a general volunteer orientation, please contact the volunteer manager, Monica Garcia at [email protected]

The kittens are coming, the kittens are coming. Indeed, they

just ask janice

Doggie Dilemma? Kitty Crisis?

Just Ask Janice!Email your questions to [email protected], submit your questions on animalrescueleague.tumblr.com/ask or call the ARL Behavior Hotline at 412-345-7300 x 214. Your question will be answered by email or phone and it may be featured in a future edition of Animal Tracks.

still are. And we need your help to be ready for them. If you cannot adopt, consider fostering. When we get kittens that are ill, too young, or are too small for the adoption floor, sometimes all they need is a few weeks of extra love and atten-tion from a foster family in a stress free environment so they can be ready for adoption. Sometimes we also get nursing mothers and kittens (or puppies) that just need a place to stay to grow before weaning. In some cases, we get animals that need some extra recuperating time after surgery. Foster times and care requirements for these cases vary depending on the type of surgery. If you want all of the puppy breath with none of the long term commit-ment, this might be just the thing for you. For more information, contact our foster care coordinator, Cleda Klingensmith at [email protected].

If you have some office skills and love animals but aren’t sure you have the ability to see them before we find their forever homes, you can help us in our development department. We are always look-ing for people who can help us with clerical duties. For more informa-tion contact our Development Di-rector at [email protected].

If you are interested in assist-ing with Humane Education pro-grams and helping us recruit the next generation of animal lovers, you can contact Gilda Arroyo the Humane and Environmental Educa-tor at [email protected]

If you can’t adopt, consider fostering, if you cannot foster, consider volunteering, if volunteer-ing doesn’t fit, consider donating. There are many, many ways that you can help us, help the animals!


Memory of Mary AllenA good friend of the Animal Rescue League and passionate “cat-lover” Mary Allen passed away on March 2, 2013. Mary was instrumental in cre-ating our off-site adoption program at local retailers including several Petco and PetSmart locations. Mary’s love and interest in helping cats was rooted in a far-reaching commitment to all animals. She strongly believed in animal rights because our four-legged friends can’t speak for them-selves.

Mary started as a volunteer in 1998. It didn’t take long for her enthusiasm and willingness to make a difference. She made it her per-sonal “mission” to learn about all cat related matters, some would even call her an expert.

Mary’s cousin, Elizabeth Spence wanted to do something special in memory of Mary and her passion for cats. She decided to have a Spay/Neuter day on August 14, 2013 in Mary’s mem-ory. Elizabeth generously donated money for 60 cats to be spayed or neutered for free on August 14, 2013. This service also included rabies vaccine, distem-per vaccine, Advantage flea treatment and nail trim.

We hope this helps create more awareness to the pet over popula-tion problem. Most people do not realize that cats can produce abun-dant litters of kittens, overwhelming animal shelters through sheer volume. During the summer months we can take in upwards of 900 cats/kittens per month.

Help local shelter animals by recycling your clean, empty aluminum pet food cans.

Individuals can drop off clean, empty aluminum pet food cans at the following locations during regular business hours:

ANIMAL RESCUE LEAGUE SHELTER6620 Hamilton Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15206

ANIMAL RESCUE LEAGUE WILDLIFE CENTER

6000 Verona Road, Verona PA 15147

PENNSYLVANIA RESOURCES COUNCIL64 S. 14th Street, Pittsburgh PA 15203

THE DOG STOP2858 Banksville Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15216

THE DOG STOP1140 Washington Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA 15206

For every clean, empty aluminum pet food can collected, 5 cents will be donated to the Animal Rescue League Shelter & Wildlife Center.

For more details about this project and additional drop-off locations, visit PRC’s website at www.prc.org and click on the Cans For Pets link or call 412-488-7490 ext. 246.

This project is brought to you by The Pennsylvania Resources Council (PRC), in partnership with the Animal Rescue League, Petco and the City of Pittsburgh and is made possible through the generous support of the

Alcoa Foundation.

produced on recycled paper

Help local shelter animals by recycling your clean, empty aluminum pet food cans.

Individuals can drop off clean, empty aluminum pet food cans at the following locations during regular business hours:

ANIMAL RESCUE LEAGUE SHELTER6620 Hamilton Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15206

ANIMAL RESCUE LEAGUE WILDLIFE CENTER

6000 Verona Road, Verona PA 15147

PENNSYLVANIA RESOURCES COUNCIL64 S. 14th Street, Pittsburgh PA 15203

THE DOG STOP2858 Banksville Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15216

THE DOG STOP1140 Washington Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA 15206

For every clean, empty aluminum pet food can collected, 5 cents will be donated to the Animal Rescue League Shelter & Wildlife Center.

For more details about this project and additional drop-off locations, visit PRC’s website at www.prc.org and click on the Cans For Pets link or call 412-488-7490 ext. 246.

This project is brought to you by The Pennsylvania Resources Council (PRC), in partnership with the Animal Rescue League, Petco and the City of Pittsburgh and is made possible through the generous support of the

Alcoa Foundation.

produced on recycled paper


6620 Hamilton AvenuePittsburgh, PA 15206412-661-6452• Contains the majority of

adoptable dogs, cats, bunnies, small rodents (x215)

• Open 7 days a week• Veterinary Clinic (x223 or x211)• Lost & Found Services (x216) • Intake/Surrender Services (x215)

Wildlife Rehabilitation Center6000 Verona RoadVerona, PA 15147412-793-6900• Brownie and Girl Scout Badge Programs• Internships• Education Programs• One-Day Camps and Tours

Petco Stores(Robinson, Waterworks, South Hills, McKnight Road, Waterfront)• Hours Vary by Store• ARL Cats and Kittens only

Petland (East Liberty)• ARL Cats and Kittens only

PetSmart Stores (East Liberty, Pleasant Hills, North Hills)• Hours Vary by Store• ARL Cats and Kittens only

The Platinum Pooch (Verona)• ARL Cats and Kittens only

ARL Internet Informationwww.animalrescue.org

Facebook: facebook.com/AnimalRescueLg facebook.com/arlpawsoverpgh

Twitter: @AnimalRescueLg

Tumblr: AnimalRescueLg..tumblr.com

Instagram: @AnimalRescueLg

So many ways to find the Animal Rescue League…

Humane Education In January 2012, Gilda Arroyo was hired as the Animal Rescue League Shelter and Wildlife Center’s (ARL) first Humane & Environmental Educator. Her first year was cer-tainly full of fun and learning!

You may be asking yourself, what exactly is humane education? Humane education is the practice of using accurate information to foster curiosity and critical think-ing while instilling respect for all people, animals, and the environ-ment. With increased incidences of bullying and aggression at schools, humane education is another tool to help students understand the importance of empathy, kindness, and respect.

Environmental education teaches students about important environmental issues and how they affect people and animals globally and in our area of Western PA. Gilda strives to have elements of both in each program she presents or each tour she leads.

An example of what she considers the marriage of humane and environmental education in action. Last summer Gilda visited a group of second graders with our resident porcupine, Irwin. She started explaining to them that porcupines raise their quills when they feel scared or threatened, but that they don’t actually throw their quills. One little girl asked if Irwin had ever raised his quills. She explained to her that sometimes, if he hears a loud noise, he’ll raise his quills for a quick second until he realizes that there isn’t a threat. At this point another little boy asked if Gilda could scare Irwin because he thought Irwin would look really funny when he raised

his quills. She then asked him if he would like it if someone scared him just so they could stare at him and laugh. His response was: “No. That wouldn’t be nice.” That was the exact point she was getting at, animals, like people, don’t appreci-ate it when we scare or taunt them for a quick laugh.

In her experience, there is no better way to reach out to children than with animals. Here at the ARL we have no shortage of them! As a Shelter and Wildlife Center the Animal Rescue League is in a position to fuse humane and envi-ronmental education by offering unique programs that are interac-tive and memorable right here in the Pittsburgh area.

You will find a list of pro-grams on our website www.anim-alrescue.org/education-programs. Most of our programs are fee based, however, can you think of a better way to support the ARL than to empower students with the knowledge gained from principles of humane and environmental education? Please consider spon-soring a program for your child’s school today!

Insta


Some of the Many Ways You Can Help the AnimalsYou’re never too young to help animals! Junior Girl Scout Troop 26454 from the Freeport Area, achieved their Bronze Award, by completing 20 hours of commu-nity service. For their community service project, the girls decided they wanted to help out the animals here at the Animal Rescue League! Beginning back in March, the girls made collection boxes and placed them in their classrooms, in their

churches, and in their parents’ workplaces. They asked for dona-tions of old jeans, phone books, cereal boxes, cardboard boxes, and empty toilet paper rolls. The girls would meet for a few hours every week to construct hand-made pet toys. They made cat toys out of

toilet paper rolls, and cut mice and balls out of cardboard; they made jean rag dolls for the bunnies out of the old jeans; they made castles for the bunnies to play in out of card-board boxes; and they put together items to stuff hay into for the bun-nies out of the toilet paper rolls and cereal boxes.

Right: Claire is so rad! This awesome 5 year old brought us $1,500 worth of donated items that she collected from all over the world for our ani-mals! If that wasn’t enough she ran the Toyota’s Kids Marathon on May 4, 2013 and raised $5,000 for our ani-mals. Claire was the second highest fundraiser out of over 450 runners.

Below: At his recent birthday party, this remarkable little dude asked all of his friends to bring donations for our homeless animals!

Below: Instead of a gift exchange during their Christmas party. Ms. Saks and Ms. Kolarosky’s fourth grade classes at Chartiers Valley Intermediate School generously donated $403.25 to help the animals in our care.


Everything was going smoothly today. And then we got in this alligator! You never know what to expect in an Open Door shelter!

This pretty young lady was trans-ferred to the Animal Rescue League from a private animal control facility where her time had run out. At 3 years old, Cozy is such a sweet & timid girl. We saw potential in her & knew we had to save her. You can understand why. Look at those soulful eyes. She has been through enough heartache in her short life & we want her to have nothing but happiness from now on. If you are looking for a loyal companion to spend time with, consider Cozy. All she wants is someone to love her and see her as the good dog that she is.

12

Facebook StoriesDaria came to us way back in December when she was trans-ferred in from another shelter. This girl suffered through 5 years of extreme neglect & wants only to find a great home. And certainly, she deserves it! Daria is missing an eye due to a nasty injury that didn’t heal, so we had to remove it. She lived with older kids in her former home & was good with them. She

definitely loves people. She can be pickier about her canine friends though, so any doggie introduc-tion would need to be approved by our Adoptions staff. Though kept outdoors, Daria is reported to be generally house-trained. Her eye has healed very nicely and we think her new appearance is rather, well, eye-catching. It may startle some people at first, but Daria is not the least bit self-conscious about it. All she wants is a safe, loving home and a chance to show what a devoted companion she can be.

Happy Birthday to Irwin, our edu-cational porcupine! Irwin turned 2 on May 2 and is just about the coolest porcupine you could ever hope to meet. This year, in lieu of hemlock branches, he’s asking for

donations for the animals of our shelter & wildlife center. Just click over to www.animalrescue.org/donate-now

Meet our 1st baby bird patient of the year! This house sparrow arrived with his egg after his nest was destroyed, so we know that he JUST hatched. He’ll need to spend some time in an incubator & will have to be fed every 15 minutes for 12-14 hours each day. Our staff & volun-teers actually set timers so they know when to feed the baby birds at our Wildlife Center. If all goes well, we’ll be able to release him in 8-10 weeks.

11 month old Cassius had a tough start to his life. He came to us as a stray & was severely underweight, but that didn’t matter to this nice family. They immediately fell in love with Cassius & gave him the second chance he deserves!


These folks have been through so much. Yesterday, their apartment building in East Liberty caught on fire & they were displaced. While several cats were rescued from the building & reunited with their owners, they couldn’t find their kitty, Julius, & thought he died in the fire. Understandably, they were devastated. That’s until they saw a news story about the tragedy last night, however. Julius was at the ARL! They rushed down today to reclaim their best friend & we’re stoked that we were able to reunite this family!

Do you guys remember Gizmo? He’s the lucky pooch who was rescued by The Humane Society of the United States from a dogfight-ing ring in North Carolina. Gizzy spent 5 months at the ARL while we worked to rehabilitate him. He was adopted about a year ago, but we recently got a fantastic update.

Gizmo is now not only a Certified Therapy dog with Therapy Dog International, but he also got a job at a drug & alcohol rehab clinic! Here he is on his way to his first day at work!

This little Red Fox kit was brought to our Wildlife Center just the other day! He & his brother are only about 4 weeks old & came to us after their mother was killed. We

can’t release them until early fall since foxes usually live in families & are more dependent on their mothers than a lot of other wild animals.

The kitties! Kitten season has begun! It’s the time of year when we typically take in between 700-900 cats every month! This mother cat just came to us as a stray & had her babies at our shelter. They’ll all be going to a foster home together for at least 2 months, at which point we’ll be able to spay/neuter them & place them up for adop-tion. But, Mommy needs a name! What do you think we should call her?

To donate go to http://kuranda.com/donate/4388/

Join us on Facebook to see more stories!

13


The Pittsburgh Foundation’s Day of Giving is October 3, 2013 from 12:00 a.m. (midnight) until 11:59 p.m.! 24 hours to give, and you can give at any time during this period. Over $750,000 in match-ing dollars will be prorated among all donations. Everyone who gives will receive a portion of the match funds.

on Tuesday, October 3, 2013!

MAxIMIzE YOUR GIFT for Our Animals

Make online donations for the Day of Giving (pittsburghgives.org) by

viewing the Animal Rescue League (pittsburghgives.guidestar.org/

NonprofitProfile.aspx?OrgId=3054) and Wildlife Rehabilitation Center (pittsburghgives.guidestar.org/NonprofitProfile.aspx?OrgId=3997)

Nonprofit Portraits and then clicking the DONATE NOW button in the

upper right corner of the page. Don’t forget to share this information to all of your contacts that support our mission!

All donations for the Day of Giving 2013 will only be accepted through the www.pittsburghgives.org website. Only credit card dona-

tions received through www.pittsburghgives.org during the 24 hours of

October 3, 2013 will be matched for this event. No donations via check,

cash or stock will be accepted.

Only MasterCard and Visa donations will be accepted and matched

for this event. Discover and AMEX donations will not be accepted or

matched.

The minimum contribution is $25. Credit card gifts only. No gifts from checks, cash, gift card redemptions, or donor-advised fund grants will be eligible for matching funds.

The Donate Now page will not appear here, on www.pittsburghgives.

org until 12:00 a.m. on October 3, 2013.

Following the Day of Giving, you or your friends can still find the Animal Rescue League and Wildlife Rehabilitation Center profiles on the PittsburghGives pages of The Pittsburgh Foundation Web site to make donations. However, the only day you can match and maxi-mize the amount of support is on October 3, 2013.

On behalf of the animals in our care, thank you for supporting the Animal Rescue League Shelter and Wildlife Center.

14

Find us on Facebook — facebook.com/arlpawsoverpgh

For FREE Race Registration, Help Training and FUNdraising Help, Join Our Team:

PAWS OVER PITTSBURGH

6620 Hamilton Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15206412-345-7300www.animalrescue.org

ARL is the only local Partner Charity of the Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh

Marathon, Sunday, May 4, 2014. The 5k and Kid’s Marathon will be held on

Saturday, May 3, 2014. For FREE Marathon, Half Marathon, Relay Team, 5k

and Kid’s Marathon registration. JOIN our team of fundraising runners, walkers

and virtual runners.

Learn more at www.animalrescue.org/marathon

We will do an interactive training session followed by a run once a month.

There are many events and raffles to help you reach your fundraising goal!

Please pass this on to anyone who might be interested!

Even if you do not want to run or walk, you can still be part of the fun by being a virtual runner and raise money for our animals!

15

on Tuesday, October 3, 2013!



NON-PROFITORGANIZATION

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

PITTSBURGH, PAPERMIT NO. 1510

Coming in November!The 2014 Pens & Paws calendar will be available in November and will feature members of the Pittsburgh Penguins organization.

These calendars make great gifts! The cost of the calendars will be $20 each.

For more information, contact Ann Yeager at 412-345-0346 or [email protected].

Proceeds from the calendar benefit the Animal Rescue League Shelter and Wildlife Center.

Only$20 each

2014

Official animal Shelter Of the

SUMMER 2013 - Humane Animal Rescue 2013 2014 (Contined on page 2) ... He knew I was his chauffer, so...

Documents

Transcript of SUMMER 2013 - Humane Animal Rescue 2013 2014 (Contined on page 2) ... He knew I was his chauffer, so...