Deadly new policy for puppies and kittens in San Berdo – take action today!

Please read the below story from PetConnect.Us with an open heart and share with your friends and family to help make a difference and take action. From Laura Tonkin, the Director of PUP regarding this issue: “Some ask us why we pull from the Stockton and Merced California shelters. You just have to read this piece below and watch this video to understand. We go where the need is. That is what rescuers do. We still pull from our Washington shelters as this is our home, but we will not turn our backs on these dogs in other states. We just will not do that. We started working with the California rescuers that pull from the San Bernardino and Devore California shelters this past week. I look forward to building an even stronger relationship with these very dedicated folks.”

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The puppies in this photo are the tiny victims of the shelter’s deadly new policy.

We look at this box of tiny puppies, their eyes not even open yet, and we ooh and aah and delight in their cuteness and innocence. They are adorable, sweet, and have their whole lives ahead of them…or not. In reality their lives have already ended thanks to a cruel and inhumane policy recently put into place at the increasingly deadly San Bernardino City Shelter. In what could be called their most callous, hateful move to date, shelter supervisors have declared that they will no longer allow staff or volunteers to contact rescues to save underage puppies or kittens dumped at the shelter without their mothers. If a rescue is present at the time the babies are impounded the rescue can take them, but if no rescue is there the puppies or kittens will be taken to the back and immediately killed. Many shelters in Southern California have foster programs set up for bottle babies as well as underage puppies and kittens surrendered without their mothers. L.A. Animal Services sends regular emails asking for fosters to sign up for the many puppies and kittens in their care. There is no reason San Bernardino City Shelter can’t implement a similar program.

Maria Sanchez was in the shelter lobby on Saturday, 5/11, when this box of underage puppies (A446036) was surrendered by a young man. After taking photos and video, she spoke with Ryan Long, the kennel supervisor, and told him she was going to network for a rescue for the pups. Ryan told Maria not to bother; that she would be wasting her time. That’s when she learned of the new policy – and the deaths of the babies. Ryan and many of the other employees appear to be totally desensitized to the plights of the animals in the shelter. Perhaps staff members suffer from compassion fatigue as they seem to be without concern or care for the innocent lives they take each and every day.

If you are a rescuer willing to take in underage animals on short notice please try to convince the shelter to start a registry and please let me or Maria Sanchez know you are available. We can’t stand by and let the killing of tiny babies go on without putting up a fight.

The puppies in this below video are the tiny victims of the shelter’s deadly new policy:

How to take action

Don’t just get angry…take action! I encourage you to send emails to everyone on the list below …it’s the only way to affect change. Tomorrow I will post a sample letter, but please feel free to email on your own and don’t forget to copy everyone below on your email.

CONTACT INFO FOR SAN BERNARDINO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS:
Email: council@sbcity.org

CONTACT INFO FOR MAYOR:
Patrick J. Morris
Mayor
Email: morris_pat@sbcity.org

FYI: THE SAN BERNARDINO CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT OVERSEES THE ANIMAL SHELTER.

CONTACT INFO FOR CHIEF OF POLICE:
Robert Handy
Chief of Police
Email: handy_ro@sbcity.org

CONTACT INFO FOR CAPTAIN:
Raymond King
Captain
Email: king_ra@sbcity.org

CONTACT INFO FOR SERGEANT AFFRUNTI:
Ph# (909) 384-7228-(Office)
Ph# (909) 693-6339-(Cell)
Email: affrunti_ad@sbcity.org

CONTACT INFO FOR “TEMPORARY” OPERATIONS MANAGER:
Debi Shuker
Desk: 909-384-1304 ext 1515
Email: Shuker_De@sbcity.org

CONTACT INFO FOR SHELTER KENNEL SUPERVISOR:
Ryan Long
Cell Phone: (951) 538-6010
Email: Long_Ry@sbcity.org

 

“Black Dog Syndrome” puppies, we want to be adopted too…

When PUP pulled a litter of six black, 12-week old Chihuahua mixes on 9/1 from a shelter, we knew their chances of finding a loving home would be much better with us than in a shelter. We also knew we were pulling six black dogs with “Black Dog Syndrome.” This syndrome is not a disease and is not contagious, but it is something they were born with. They are black.

Black dogs are euthanized at a greater rate than light colored dogs. Official statistics are difficult to find, but talk with anyone working or volunteering at shelters or rescues and they will tell you that black dogs are less likely to be adopted or take much longer to find homes than the light colored dogs.

Two of this litter has been adopted by great families. We have high hopes for the remaining four. They are now 5 1/2-months old, better trained, and still fun-loving, playful little guys. They are all neutered, current on their vaccinations and antiparasitics, and microchipped.

If you have room in your heart and home: Fill out a free adoption application today!

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Tarzan is people friendly and loves to snuggle. He does well in his crate, is quiet with no accidents and sleeps thru the night. He is learning about the leash. He is adventurous and plays with the other dogs. We are working on housetraining, but he has the right idea and will go to the door.

Click his photo to view his adoption profile.

 

 

 

 

 

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Sebastian is a favorite in his foster home. He is small and super snuggly. He will come right up and put his front feet on his foster mom’s leg so she will pick him up. He enjoys chew toys and can be quite playful sometimes. He loves to play with the ‘big dogs’.

Click his photo to view his adoption profile.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Nemo loves attention and has trained his foster by sitting at the front of the crate and making the occasional noise so someone will notice he is awake and come get him. We are working with him on house training and walking on leash. He is smart as a whip.

Click his photo to view his adoption profile.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Tron loves a good tussle with other dogs his size, but he is also very affectionate with his people. Tron is quiet in his crate, unless he needs out to potty. We are working with him on walking on a leash. Tron is fine with the bigger dogs in his foster home, but doesn’t care for the ill-behaved big dogs that push their way into his space. Tron has been fine with the kitties. He will just bark at them.

Click his photo to view his adoption profile.

 

Adopt a dog during our August events in Kirkland and Redmond

Have you been thinking about adding a dog to your life? Do you want to learn why rescuing a dog is a great opportunity for pets, families and the animal population? Then join PUP Dog Rescue this month in Redmond and Kirkland for an adoption event!

8/11/12 - Kirkland Petco – from 10-2pm
8/18/12 - Redmond Market - Redmond Town Center, from 10-3pm

How should you prepare for these events if you think you might adopt a dog?

1. Check out all our adoptable dogs (and cats!) online.
2. Complete a free adoption application and email it to adopt@peopleunitedforpets.com.
3. Schedule a meeting to ensure your potential companion has some 1-on-1 time with you and your family.
4. Load everyone up and come down! That even means your other dogs, shouldn’t everyone have a say in the new guy…or gal?

 

Issaquah’s PUP Dog Rescue works with CA Shelter to save pregnant dog

Monica is a black wire-haired Terrier experiencing motherhood with her brood of nine puppies after being abandoned in Stockton, California. Prior to her recent relocation from Stockton, her survival and that of her puppies were in doubt. Pregnant dogs are often the first euthanized in shelters because the resources to care for a litter of puppies are not usually available (Phelps County Animal Welfare League, Save a Mom Pregnant Dog Rescue). Imagine being a homeless mother to nine babies, all clamoring for attention and all less than a week old!

A sweet, cute, obedient dog, Monica will make a great companion—the Stockton Animal Shelter doesn’t know why she was abandoned, but certainly her forthcoming litter was influential in that decision. Stockton’s staff and the Stockton-based Animal Protection League (APL) tirelessly endeavored to find Monica a rescue organization willing to care for her and her unborn puppies until all are adoptable—and they found People United for Pets (PUP), an Issaquah-based foster organization full of dog lovers who are doing their best to offset the huge number of abandoned dogs in California while working with local Washington shelters.

PUP takes in abandoned animals from the Stockton, California shelter. Once the dogs are slated for transport to Washington, shelter staff and APL volunteers do as much as possible to prepare them for future adoption, including heartworm tests, spaying, neutering, and microchipping them. PUP then brings them to Washington where they are immediately placed in safe homes with caring foster families. Forty-five dogs, including Monica and her litter, were brought up in PUP’s November 5^th ‘shelter sweep’—these lucky dogs will now find forever homes.

Stockton is located in the San Joaquin Valley, which has the third highest euthanasia rate in the United States. The sheer number of abandoned dogs in the Valley is unfathomable; there is no physical way for shelters to care for every abandoned animal. Minimal resources at shelters nationwide force shelter staff to reduce their populations in order to allow for an ever-increasing intake of animals. These needed resources include an adequate physical location, a large volunteer base to care for animals in and out of the shelter, a strong network of rescue partners, adequate staffing, an educated community, and access to low-cost services, especially spaying and neutering. Though pet owners are possibly intimidated by the expense of neutering or spaying, the cost is very low when compared to caring for an entire litter.

In six years, one unspayed female dog and her offspring can reproduce 67,000 dogs (Spay USA, current literature). It’s not uncommon for dogs like Monica to be deserted by their owners when pregnancy is discovered. Often it’s a second or third pregnancy for the dog, and the owner is quite cognizant of the difficulties another litter brings, so they discard their beloved pet. Abandoning a pregnant dog to the streets almost guarantees her demise, whether to starvation or wild animals. Relinquishing her to a shelter doesn’t improve her chances, because of the aforementioned lack of resources. The best solution is preventing the pregnancy through spaying and educating pet owners. Most people don’t know that a dog can get pregnant before she is six months old. Spaying might also prevent mammary tumors and breast cancer, while neutering might prevent prostate and testicular cancer. Both spaying and neutering have been shown to reduce aggression. According to Spay FIRST!, euthanasia due to being homeless is the single leading cause of death of dogs and cats in the United States (2011).

The Stockton shelter where Monica was originally taken is a typical animal shelter—under-staffed and over-worked. In 2010, Stockton’s population of 292,133 yielded more than 6,000 abandoned dogs for which only six kennel employees were responsible. Sadly, over 3,000 of those dogs had to be euthanized—shelter employees helped almost 2,200 dogs get adopted or rescued, and hundreds were still awaiting their fate at the time these numbers were compiled. Pet owners who dispose of their pets less carefully than their bi-weekly recycling, force shelter staff to make horribly difficult decisions to best utilize their supplies—the sad truth is that a weekly intake far surpasses the happily adopted outgoing pets and requires such decisions.

Heavily pregnant Monica was picked up by Stockton animal control officers in late October and was already slated for euthanasia a week later when PUP agreed to bring her to Washington. Surprise! Nine additions—Franklin, Anderson, Morgan, Eisenhower, Isabella, Aspen, China, Jewell, and Mercedes—arrived two days before PUP’s scheduled transport. The entire family is now comfortably and happily ensconced in a loving home with a PUP foster parent, who will care for them until they are old enough to be adopted. While Monica’s story is a happy one, there are countless other dogs who are not so lucky. Happy and successful pet ownership starts with a commitment from the owner to become educated about caring for a pet. Pet ownership is a responsibility not to be taken lightly.

To learn more about how you can help other dogs like Monica get a second chance at life, visit www.peopleunitedforpets.com, or attend our next adoption event December 3rd, from 10-2pm at the Issaquah Petco.

People United for Pets (PUP) is an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) registered non-profit organization specializing in small and toy breed dog rescue. PUP is located in Western Washington State. Learn more about PUP at http://www.peopleunitedforpets.com and browse adoptable dogs here.

Thank you Lisa Close, a fearless PUP volunteer, for researching and writing this article!

 

A Rescue Story…with 6 happy endings!

Penny's puppies

When PUP rescues a dog we’re saving a life, but when we rescue a pregnant dog we’re saving many lives…and teaching the value of spay/neuter programs. Meet Dolly and Penny and their 6 puppies! Both of these moms were surrendered by their owners. These rescued sisters (we believe they’re sisters) were both pregnant and gave birth to their litters 2 weeks apart. We’re celebrating all the puppy’s 1st month birthday this week with a pedicure…ok really we just trimmed all their little toenails. This is a milestone that moms and puppies might not have seen if PUP and Stockton Animal Shelter’s Jenifer McCollum didn’t work together to save the many precious lives that we do.

It’ll be awhile until these puppies are available for adoption, but they will surely find a great forever home! PUP will make sure they’re all vetted, spayed/neutered and full of puppy spunk! The moms will also be available for adoption soon too! And a big thanks to the Stockton CA shelter, Jen and Maureen who walked and cared for these moms and their litters until PUP could get them up to Washington.

Jenifer from Stockton said:

[we] did not know they were pregnant until the first mamma started having her puppies….one of my students came and got me… [and] she had already started to deliver the second puppy…and noticed that the other mamma was also pregnant. She looked like she would have her babies any second. But wait[ed] 2 weeks!

Here are some more photos of these thriving puppies celebrating their 1st month birthday: