 | | | Kittens are adorable. They're so tiny, fluffy, snuggly and sweet. Now that local parks and outdoor spaces are starting to re-open, you may even spot some "in the wild". Your first impulse might be to scoop them up and take them home, but if you've found a kitten or litter of kittens who appear to be abandoned we say, resist the urge!! We suggest using the WATCH AND WAIT method instead: Take a deep breath and wait before scooping them up. Momma cat may be off in search of food, or in the process of moving her litter to safer digs. It’s important to determine if mom is coming back or if the kittens are truly abandoned. The kittens have a much better chance of survival when kept with their mother until weaned. Make careful note of the kittens’ location and then give mom enough room and time to come back. Retreat to another location at least 35-40 feet away. If the kittens are in a safe location, you might leave the area completely for a couple of hours and then return. Assess the area to evaluate whether the kittens are in danger. Are there dogs or other predators in the area? Are they exposed to rain or extreme cold? Are they near a heavily trafficked area? It may take the mother cat several hours to return and healthy kittens can survive this period without food as long as they are warm. IF MOM RETURNS If the mother cat returns and she is friendly, take the mom cat and her kittens inside and offer them protection. If the mom is feral and the family is located in a safe and protected area it’s best to allow the kittens to stay with mom until they are weaned. You may be able to help by providing shelter and food for the mom, however, keep these a good distance from each other. Placing food near the kittens and/or the shelter will attract other cats and predators to the area. At six weeks the kittens should be taken from the mother for socialization, vaccinations and, soon, their spay/neuter surgery. In addition, you’ll want to capture the mother cat so that she can be sterilized and prevent future unwanted litters. IF MOM DOES NOT RETURN Contact the shelter that serves your area. The resource for Sonoma County is Sonoma County Animas Services (SCAS) which can be reached at (707) 565-7100. Once the abandoned kittens have made their way to the safety of a shelter they will be assessed and sent to a foster home until they are ready to be adopted. As you can imagine, this requires lots of kitten supplies! This year it will be particularly important to have all the supplies we need to remotely care for these babies! Your donations will help provide the essentials that these kittens will need on their journey to adoption! Donate from our Amazon Kitten Registry today! | | | | | | | |  | Connor - Family Guy Erin was looking for a new companion after the loss of her dog right before shelter-in-place went into effect. She called in to see if we had any dogs who might be a good fit with her 6-year-old son and we had just the dog! Connor came to us right before shelter in place orders and, while he'd been getting a lot of interest, his dream family was yet to sign on the dotted line. We couldn't understand who would say no to such an amazing dog!
Well, it must have been because he was waiting for *this* family because it was a perfect match! We are over the moon that Connor finally found his match. ❤️ Happy trails Connor! | | |  | Quincy - Where He Belongs Life in a shelter for a "velcro dog" like Quincy is tough. Velcro dogs crave attention and just want to be around their people all the time and we could tell that Quincy felt lonely without constant company. The good news is that it only took a few days for Justin and Lauren to come in, meet him, and ultimately fall in love and adopt him! Quincy is now right where he belongs - in the loving arms of his new family. Happy trails Quincy ❤️ | | |  | Charlotte Rae (now Josephine) - One Happy Cat Charlotte Rae was adopted in April and Howard just sent us the following update: "The former Charlotte Rae wants all her friends at the Humane Society to know her new name—Josephine. Her ears perk up when the syllables are lengthened and sung in a quiet voice: Jo…se…phine! She needed time to feel secure in her new home, so she spent the first few days either under my bed or inside hers. Gradually, she emerged and began exploring. After only one week, she came to my recliner and nuzzled my arm which I had dangled over the edge for her, then she jumped onto my lap for a short time. I never expected her to do this so soon. Now she spends fifteen or twenty minutes on my lap every night and demands to be rubbed under her chin. She’s one happy cat. Thank you for letting me adopt her." | | | | Ready to bring home your new fuzzy family member? | | | | As certain restrictions are being lifted we know you may have questions about our adoption process going forward. Currently, we are still doing Adoptions by Appointment to help you meet your match – online, of course! Meet your next fur-baby in four easy steps: 1. View our adoptable pets online at our Santa Rosa shelter: dogs, cats, rabbits; and at our Healdsburg shelter. 2. Call our Adoptions Team to learn more about a specific animal and find out if they’re a good fit!
- Santa Rosa (707) 542-0882 Tues–Sat 12pm–5pm
- Healdsburg (707) 431-3386 Mon–Sat 11pm–5pm 3. Schedule a Meet ‘n Greet! In general, appointments can be set up within 1–2 days.
- Dogs meet ‘n greets will take place in predetermined outside spaces
- Cats and rabbit meet ‘n greets will take place via video call 4. Adopt! When you’re ready to adopt, all paperwork can be completed online and we’ll will meet you outside ready to safely transfer your pet to you via leash (dogs) or carrier (cats, small companion animals). | | | | News from our Shelter Hospital and Community Vet Clinic | | | |  | Georgina was brought to us as an injured stray, and was diagnosed with a fractured pelvis as well as early kidney disease. Often, a cat or dog with a fractured pelvis can heal quite well with cage rest for several weeks, rather than needing surgery. To allow Georgina this time to heal we elected to send her out to foster, with the plan to re-evaluate her kidney disease later. One of our medical staff decided to foster her and under her care she blossomed into a very affectionate cat who has more energy than you could ever imagine! After several weeks of TLC she is standing and walking well, and her recheck lab work shows that her kidney function is stable, so she is now up for adoption! | | |  | Roscoe was seen at an emergency clinic when his family noticed he was acting lethargic and seemed painful when they touched his abdomen. The emergency veterinarian found a mass on his spleen with ultrasound imaging and recommended surgery to remove it. Roscoe's family was unable to afford the surgery at the emergency clinic and contacted our CVC for help. We were able to get Roscoe in for surgery the following week, and he has been recovering well at home with his family who love him! We have been seeing an increase in referrals from our community partner veterinary clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic - people who are usually able to afford care for their pets are suddenly without stable income and need help when veterinary emergencies arise. Thanks to generous donor support, we are able to subsidize this much needed emergency and urgent care and offer services at cost (or less) for members of our community who need it. | | | | HSSC Shelter Medicine and our CVC are still performing life saving procedures and surgeries during the shelter in place. We are so grateful to have such dedicated medical professionals caring for the animals who need it most.
Any gift you can spare right now will do a world of good for our shelter animals and allow our medical and animal care teams to continue saving these precious lives. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! | | | | | | | | Join us on Zoom for Basic Training and Manners - Level 1! This class will provide clients the same coaching and instruction as in person classes, but from the convenience and safety of your own home. This class will teach you and your canine friend the basics of building a connection that lasts a lifetime. Skills included will be how to safely use food in teaching your dog behaviors like sit, down and wait. We will also work on attention and the beginnings of "come-when-called". Clients will receive one on one coaching during class. They will also be provided with supportive training materials. Date: Saturday, May 16 - June 20, 1-2 pm
Instructor: Brian Gallindo
For more information and to register click here. Date: Saturday, May 23rd - June 27, 2-3 pm
Instructor: Bonnie Wood
For more information and to register click here. | | | | | | Furry Friends Summer Day Camp We at HSSC would like to let you know that we are reducing the number of registrations for campers to minimize any risks surrounding Covid-19. Our aim in doing this is to provide peace of mind to parents while continuing to provide a fun and enriching experience to campers. We have also eliminated all off-site field trips to minimize exposure and keep our campers safe. Registration is still open for our summer camps! For more information and to register, please visit: https://humanesocietysoco.org/youth-programs/humane-education/ | | | | | | | ❤️ Forward this email to friends! ❤️ Do you know a fellow animal-lover who would like to read all about the amazing animals, dedicated staff, and general shelter comings and goings? Well, the more the merrier we say! | | | | | | | | | Wow. Just Wow. Your response to our #GivingTuesdayNow Match Challenge was incredible! Thanks to your overwhelming support we raised over $19,000 for the animals, exceeding our $15,000 challenge!!! THANK YOU!! Your donations will help more than ever during this time of urgent need – so we can keep providing lifesaving care for the animals who will need us in the weeks and months ahead. Thanks to you, HSSC is here for them as we continue to adapt to an ever changing world. | | | | | | Your Pet and Covid-19 We know that many people have questions about the health and well-being of their pets. As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve, our veterinary team is staying on top of the latest research and information available from experts in both the human and veterinary medical fields. We've found the following links to be especially helpful: View the CDC's useful information regarding Covid-19 and animals here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/animals.html The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine has been updating their site with useful information here (most recent updates toward the bottom of the page): https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/news/can-your-animals-get-coronavirus We at HSSC are also actively developing and implementing protocols to ensure the safety of animals, staff and guests as we follow government guidelines for phased re-opening. | | | | | | There are so many ways to help the animals. ❤️ We receive lots of questions about estate planning - including HSSC in your will or trust is a wonderful way to ensure our lifesaving work continues into the future. To learn more about this planned giving option, please visit https://humanesocietysoco.org/give/ and click on the Leave a Legacy tab. Or contact Priscilla Locke, HSSC Director of Development & Marketing, at (707) 577-1911 or by email at plocke@humanesocietysoco.org. | | | | | | Snuggle in place and help the animals at the same time!!! We are hosting a CoZzzy Comfy Bed Sheet Fundraiser through May 31 to support HSSC. In addition to earnings from the sheets sales, if we get 50 shares and sell 50 sets of sheets, CoZzzy Comfy will give us bonus money. So, please...go to www.cozzzycomfy.com/online-store to PURCHASE A SET OF SHEETS AND SHARE, SHARE, SHARE. Please select “DIRECT SHIPPING” at checkout. Use Promo Code: Humane Society of Sonoma County 1 - 2020 THANK YOU for your support!! | | | | | | First and foremost, we want you all to stay safe and healthy. We will be posting updates about our programs and services on our website here and on our Facebook page as things continue to evolve. Your ongoing support enables us to continue our lifesaving work for the animals during this challenging time. Together we are providing protection, compassion, love and care. We are so grateful for this connection which inspires so much hope. | | | | | | | | 5345 Hwy 12 West |Santa Rosa, CA 95407
707-542-0882 info@humanesocietysoco.org | | Copyright © 2020. All Rights Reserved. The Humane Society of Sonoma County never shares any contact information, including email addresses, with other organizations. Your privacy is always protected and very important to us. | | | | | | | |
