Thanks for reading the EBHS Insider! This column will be updated each weekday with news and stories about the shelter, our staff, Well-Bred Bargains, and interesting and important animal related information from our community and beyond. If you have any comments or questions for the Insider, send them to ebhsinsider@ebhs.org. 

Thursday, January 31, 2009

If you haven't checked yet, we have a new video on the home page of our website, which I highly recommend. This video was created to thank and honor our volunteers,  who are the most caring and intrepid people I know.

The volunteers at EBHS are our most precious treasure. We could not do what we do here without their help. Unfortunately, we probably do not say thank you enough, but I do not think we could thank these people enough even if we tried.

I sit at my desk pushing paper, and working at my computer while these kind souls scurry all over the shelter - helping in the front office, cleaning, assisting the care staff, socializing the animals, walking the dogs, training the dogs, administering love and extra care to animals that may be sick or need socialization including bringing them home as fosters. I could fill up this whole page listing the stuff they do for us, but I think you get the picture. These people are our lifeblood. Both our animals and our staff are better because of them.

I have to give the dog walkers a lot of credit during this cold weather, which I will not even venture out in. These volunteers suit up like they are embarking on an assault on Everest and take those dogs out for exercise and companionship - no matter how cold. I have even seen them carrying dogs whose feet were too cold to be on the ground, just so the dog could get fresh air. 

All of our volunteers are Heroes of the highest order, and we are blessed by each and every one of them. 

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

I wanted to give everyone an update on Marcie! Marcie's luck continues for, as I previously speculated, her foster mom has fallen in love with her and has decided to adopt her! Her new name is Millie, and she has been to a groomer, and now she looks like a new dog! She is still shy, but her new mom is committed to working on this and we anticipate with her new haircut, and the love of her family, she will have a totally new outlook on life. Everyone is happier when they are having a good hair day. Doesn't she look awesome! I can hardly believe it is her!

The Pet Expo is coming up this Saturday, February 2, and EBHS will be there with adoptable animals ready to meet potential new families. The Pet Expo is a great place to meet many adoptable animals from both shelters and breed rescue groups. They also have lots of vendors with great accessories and treats for all kinds of animal companions. We never miss the fun and you should come out, too. This year it is at the State Fair grounds in the Expo Center, 10am - 7pm and admission is $5 (kids 8 and under are $3). Make sure you stop by and say hello to our staff and volunteers at our booth (#547).

This is Mambo. He is a tiny, one year old cat that we took in from Milwaukee Animal Control. He went to see the great doctors at the Animal Eye Specialists (who did his exam for free - thanks guys!) yesterday because his eye was so infected that it started to bleed! He is going to recover, but he is going to need three types of medications for three weeks to cure this infection! He is so snuggly and friendly, despite all his pain, we have to make sure he gets better and finds a new home. His medication is pretty expensive, and he has no drug plan, so we are hoping to get some donations to our Animal Medical fund to cover this. Be sure to check back on his progress.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

I hope that wherever you are, you are nice and warm and have a loving, furry companion on your lap or under your desk chair while you are reading this.

Did you see that we are now TV stars? OK - not quite our own channel yet, but our adoptable animals are now featured on the WI on Demand Channel which is #1111 on digital cable boxes. It is very nice and we are happy to be partnering with Time Warner in an effort to increase the chances of being adopted for the animals here.

Not only are we TV stars, we are front page news in the Journal Sentinel! OK, so it was the Waukesha section front page, but we were thrilled to be there. Our Central Bark Jr. was featured and we had a great photo of the room and its current residents. Click here to read the story.

We are in dire need of canned dog food so if you can spread the word, we would appreciate it!

Also, I wanted to send out this really cute picture of Pip. She is a young adult female tabby that has been at the shelter since early last summer. She has the unfortunate honor of having the current longest stay record. She is really sweet and snuggly, and will do great in any home - we are not sure if she would be good with other cats or dogs, but we do know that this sweetheart really needs a family.

Stay safe tonight! 

Monday, January 28, 2008

What a day! EBHS was a guest on the Morning Blend to promote our Rabbitopia seminar and to encourage educated choices when it comes to adding a rabbit to your family. We brought Ashes, who sat like a little Prima Donna the whole time, the camera loves her! She is available for adoption at the shelter.

We also welcomed County Executive Daniel Vrakas and many Central Bark Doggy Daycare Owners and Operators to officially christen our Central Bark Jr. room at the shelter. We had a room that was not utilized which the Central Bark team has turned into a bright and roomy play area for resident dogs. This room will give us the space to allow compatible dogs play and socialize in an effort to keep them happy and healthy during their stay here. Dogs are pack animals and most would prefer some fun playmates than spending too much time alone.

Our current Central Bark Jr. residents, Rosie and Ringo, had a blast playing with each other all afternoon and hammed it up for the cameras and guests. Make sure you stop in to see this room if you are in the neighborhood. It is the first of it's kind. Many shelters have community cat areas, and having a community dog room is a new concept, but one we believe will help our dogs become more adoptable and socialized.

Friday, January 25, 2008

Happy 11th Birthday Sophie! Sophie (pictured in the front, center, with the striped shirt) is not only a birthday girl who celebrated her big day at the shelter today, she is also a volunteer! Sophie comes in with her mom to assist the shelter staff with the many jobs that we need help with, including cleaning, socializing animals, and attending special events. She is an excellent representative for EBHS and we are proud to have her as part of our team.

Sophie is also a very generous young lady. Rather than ask for gifts for herself, she asked her friends to bring things for the animals at the shelter. Her friends brought in about 10 bags of items for the animals and all of their gifts will be put to good use. The gals spent the afternoon playing games, eating cake and treats, and interacting with some shelter animals and having a tour of the shelter.

We are super grateful to have friends and supporters like Sophie, and her friends and family. We hope you have an excellent birthday Sophie! Congratulations and we will see you soon!

Have a great weekend everyone! Don't forget to catch EBHS on Monday morning on the Morning Blend (Channel 4 at 9am) with an adoptable rabbit promoting our Rabbitopia seminar.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

The shelter was pretty slow today, probably because it is so cold outside! Also, on Thursdays, we have our spay and neuter surgeries done and there are sometimes fewer animals available for viewing.

Today's good news is that we have finally scheduled Lilly's surgery and she will be getting operated on next Thursday, February 31st. We will be sure to keep you informed about how she does. She is really a little sweetheart!

I thought I would also share a picture of Gomer getting his nails trimmed! He was such a big baby! He made us all laugh the way he cried and rolled on his back! He sounded exactly like a crying baby, but was otherwise accepting of this procedure. Afterwards he acted all dignified again like nothing happened.

All the cats got nail trims today. We know how to have fun at EBHS!

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Today we had our Pet Spa day at the shelter and our dogs have never looked better! Portable Pet Groomers was here today to give baths and grooming services to EBHS supporters (with a portion going to EBHS). Between appointments, they gave several of our dogs some beauty treatments and as you can see, a great time was had by all! Darwin (left) loved getting his bath and blow dry.

We all know how psychologically affecting having a bad hair day can be. At EBHS, we want to make sure that all of our resident animals look and feel their best and keeping them clean and groomed is a big part of that. It helps keep them healthy, happy, and better socialized by being bathed and groomed by volunteer groomers.

Many of you remember Brady, the badly matted dog, that came to us as a stray. He was barely able to move due to the fact that all of his hair had formed one giant and crusty mat. Sherry, the owner and operator of Portable Pet Groomers, came to the rescue that day and because of her skill, patience, and kind demeanor, Brady was freed from his cocoon and was able to be adopted and is now a happy family companion.

             Brady before                             Brady after

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

I took a snow day from posting yesterday, but I have really exciting news today!

The stork arrived this morning! Our Abigail (who was transferred into our shelter from Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control) gave birth to three little bundles of joy this morning! Two boys and a girl.

When we take in stray animals we do not know anything about them, especially when it comes to their health history.

Unfortunately, Abigail was unable to tell us about her wild past, and we only found out when the vet came to examine her for spay surgery and felt her puppies wiggling around inside her. We were pretty surprised, as she looked great for a gal who was about to give birth. 

Abigail and her babies are now resting comfortably, and will be going to a foster home tonight where they will get excellent post natal care and love until they are all ready to be adopted, which will be in 9-10 weeks. 

Friday, January 18, 2008

Happy tears were shed today when Marcie (pictured below) went into a home for foster care. Many of you have heard about Marcie, a sweet Bichon that spent about 9 years in a puppy mill who arrived at EBHS in the fall last year. She was terribly shy, and had medical problems, including suspected cancer.

We could not bear the thought of this dog surviving all those year, bearing so many puppies, and finally being free to enjoy the love of a family and then having to be euthanized due to suspected cancer. We appealed to our supporters and received several calls offering assistance for Marcie. One couple had just gone through a similar situation with one of their own dogs and wanted to ensure Marcie got ever opportunity for medical intervention.

Marcie must have had a guardian angel looking out for her, because after her tumor was removed, (along with several teeth) it was determined that her tumor was benign, and she would be able to live a long, happy life with the right family. Since she was still shy, we knew we would need to find a patient family that would nurture her. Out of the blue, a very qualified foster family was interested in bringing her home and we suspect that this will turn into a forever home for Marcie. She really deserves this loving home, and we know that she will reward her new family by returning the love she has finally learned to accept from people. We will really miss you, Marcie!

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Today we met Gomer (pictured left), a 12 year old, black and white cat who was recently surrendered when his owners no longer had time for him. He will be living up in the front office so he can get more exposure to visitors which will, hopefully, expedite his adoption. He will be allowed to roam freely through the front office until he goes to a new home.

In the time that I have been here, we have had some very interesting cats that have spent time up front with us at the shelter. My favorite was Oscar. He got into everything! One day, he swiped the inside of our front office manager's sandwich when she was not looking. When she went to take her next bite and came up empty, she saw him running away with a mouthful of turkey!

Every Thursday is our spay and neuter day at the shelter. I just got back from visiting the recovery ward and I am always amazed at how quickly the animals can bounce back from this type of surgery. In the recovery war, their little eyes are always looking up at you as if to say "What just happened to me?". 

I also wanted to let everyone know that we are looking for a foster home for a pregnant terrier mix who is due in about two weeks. If you think you are up for experiencing the miracle of life and then cleaning up after it for about 8 weeks, please give Mittsy a call at 262-782-9261.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Things were pretty exciting here today.

Oscar, an EBHS alumni from earlier this year, came to visit. Oscar is the type of dog who would never have had a chance at another shelter. He was not very friendly, he had a bad leg, and he was the opposite of housebroken. Our intrepid Executive Director, Holly, took a shine to him and decided to take him in as a foster dog to give him a chance to heal and have learn how to play nice with people. Holly worked with him everyday, to coax him out of his shell, and learn to trust people.

He lived with Holly for about two months before we could make him available for adoption. He was very fortunate and found a home with a woman who had two other dogs and a whole lot of patience. He will always be a unique little man, but he made an impression on everyone at the shelter and we were so happy to see how he really thrived in his new family. Oscar, his siblings, and new mom brought the animals a bunch of presents which was very generous and appreciated.

We are also gearing up to open a special new room at the shelter, which I will talk more about next week. It is a unique opportunity and one that we feel is important because the less we are like a traditional shelter, the happier our animals are, and the faster they can find new homes.

My favorite comment of the day was "This place smells wonderful!". Most businesses would not find that statement as complimentary as we do, but then, most businesses do not have 80 - 100 animals in residence at any given time either. 

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Many people wonder where shelter animals get their names from. Sometimes they are surrendered to us by their owner and are already named. Sometimes they have been named by a staff member or volunteer. Other times they earn their name, like our Sybil.

Sybil is a 7 month old, long haired black cat. She was transferred in from another shelter without a name, but she quickly showed us her personality and basically named herself.

The human Sybil, personified for us by Sally Field in the 1976 in the movie of the same name, was a woman who lived a harrowing life coping with multiple personality disorder. 

Our Sybil, is also a young lady of many personalities. In a short time span, she can go from super affectionate, to talkative, to shy, to excited, to active and then asleep. She is a wonder among cats, who usually take all day to express that kind of range of emotion. Sybil is available for adoption, and if you think you need a little excitement in your life, she may be just the gal for you!