DPVHS: 2009 Year in Review

2009 was a wild year for Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society. We started the year off normally enough--setting our budget, applying for grant funding, dreaming of a new building...and then, at the end of February 2009, we received word that the MSPCA would be closing their Western New England Animal Care and Adoption Center by the end of March.

Those of you who follow DPVHS closely know that we worked with the MSPCA to negotiate the purchase of their adoption center at 171 Union Street in Springfield, closed on the purchase in mid-July and re-opened the busy adoption center on August 1st. For the first time in its history, DPVHS had become an open admission humane society. But we did so with one goal in mind: to end the euthanasia of adoptable animals in the Pioneer Valley by 2012.

With our Three Year Plan to Adoption Guarantee in place, we held on tight and plunged forward. Here are some statistics for the year 2009:

*Our Leverett Adoption Center admitted 14% of the animals arriving at DPVHS...but that tiny facility adopted out more than 40%!

*Adult cat adoptions in Leverett are the big news this year. For the past 3 years we've tried to increase our adult cat adoptions there with no success. The number of adult cat adoptions remained static...until 2009! This was the first year we were able to significantly increase the number of adult cat adoptions performed, from 375 adults in 2008 to 489 adult cats in 2009!

*We ended the year with an 83% live release rate! What's a live release rate? You better catch up on your reading here.

*Despite operating as an open admission adoption center for the last five months of 2009, DPVHS euthanized no healthy cats or dogs in 2009.

*We increased our volunteer foster program from serving 393 animals in 2008 to serving 557 animals in 2009, an increase of 42%!

*Thanks to our "Certified Pre-Owned Cats" program, launched in September 2009 as a way to save lives and encourage the adoption of adult cats, we saw a 37% increase in the average monthly adult cat placements. The average jumped from 67 adult cats to 106 adult cats per month finding qualified homes. That equals about 156 extra adult cat adoptions during the promotion.

*Even though it opened on October 12, 2009, the DPVHS Community Spay/Neuter Clinic served 1,358 animals by the end of December 2009!

*Of the animals served by the Community Spay/Neuter Clinic, 80% are cats and 20% are dogs.

*Of the animals brought to the Community Spay/Neuter Clinic by their own families, only 37% have ever seen a veterinarian prior to coming to us. The difference is most marked in cats: only 17% of cats coming to the clinic have ever seen a veterinarian (compared to 77% of dogs). But of those animals who had been to see a vet, PETCO or Luv My Pet low-cost vaccine clinics are the single most popular provider of services. Still, 83% of felines and 30% of canines did not have a current rabies vaccine, as required by law.

*The Community Spay/Neuter Clinic served 201 animals from other rescues, shelters, or animal control agencies, including the Thomas J. O'Connor Animal Control & Adoption Center in Springfield.

*DPVHS employed more than 400 volunteers by the end of 2009. The service they provide is the equivalent of having 4 additional paid staff members for each day of 2009!

*DPVHS was featured in the media 98 times, an average of 3 times per week, not including regularly-scheduled segments or advertising.

*DPVHS conducted regular humane education programming in 2009 at: Childrens Study Home (Springfield), Maple Valley School (Wendell), Victory House (Greenfield), Brightside (West Springfield), Behavioral Health Network (Springfield), Morgan Elementary School (Holyoke), Leverett Elementary School, Greenfield High School, Leeds Elementary School, Orange School District, and Deerfield Elementary School. Additional programs were delivered to schools and scouts throughout the Valley.

Thank you to all of you who volunteered your time, donated your hard earned money, or cheered DPVHS on from the sidelines to make 2009 a banner year! It is only with your help that we can create a community where every animal lives a full and peaceful life.

Birds of a Feather

When most people think about humane societies, they think about cats and dogs. Maybe rabbits. But birds?

In fact, DPVHS provides shelter and adoption for more than 50 homeless birds each year. From tiny finches to parakeets and doves; from lovebirds and cockatiels to large parrots…birds of all shapes and sizes find refuge and new homes through Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society’s adoption centers. Many birds come to us because their people did not realize how much work caring for a bird can be.

Here are a few things to consider before adopting a bird:

Even though many people keep birds in their home, birds are not domesticated animals. They are the wild native species of other countries (which raises some real issues about the international bird trade and the inherent cruelty of removing animals from the wild and forcing them to live in cages).

Parrots, including lovebirds, parakeets, and cockatiels can be destructive, noisy, and quite messy. Not only that, but some species can live 20 to 50 years or longer. A commitment to a bird is a long one that may have to include provisions for the bird's care in your will!

Despite their chewing, squawking, seed-tossing way, birds are also beautiful and elegant. If you're thinking about acquiring a bird, consider adopting one from a rescue agency. Just as adopting a dog from the humane society instead of purchasing him from a pet store or online breeder helps end the cruelty of puppy mills, adopting your next bird from a rescue helps stop the perpetuation of the international bird trade.

But before you adopt, make sure you do your research. You want to be sure to adopt the kind of bird that will fit your lifestyle and also that you can provide a home that is healthy and fun for you and the bird.


In celebration of National Bird Month, DPVHS, the Springfield Falcons, and Red Robin are joining forces to celebrate our feathered friends and help homeless animals.

This month, you can have fun at the Springfield Falcons while helping DPVHS. On January 30, the Springfield Falcons will play against the Providence Bruins at the MassMutual Center. Tickets are on sale for $10 (regularly $17). $2 from each ticket sold will benefit DPVHS. Purchase two tickets and receive a free appetizer at Red Robin in Holyoke and a chance to win dinner for four!

Falcon ticket order forms are available at DPVHS, 171 Union Street, Springfield, or by calling or e-mailing Julia Kincade at (413) 739-3344 x105 jkincade@falconsahl.com.

And wait…there’s more! Along with catering to the winning entry, Red Robin will host a 10% night on February 8, 2010 to benefit DPVHS. With presentation of a coupon available through Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society and the Springfield Falcons, 10% of your party’s tab will benefit DPVHS!

Secondhand Dogs at your Service

They say you only get once chance to make a first impression. When Snickers, a chocolate Pomeranian mix, and Milo, a cream poodle mix, first arrived at DPVHS, they didn't do a good job of endearing themselves. Marni Edelhart, DPVHS's Behavior & Training Coordinator says of Snickers, "When Snickers first walked into the adoption center he was not selling himself very well. He darted hither and thither on his leash barking at everything that moved, humping me, and peeing on stuff." Doesn't sound like a dog people would line up to take home.

"Milo, on the other hand," states Marni, "came in very subdued and quiet until he got into a kennel where he let his voice be heard, barking whenever anyone entered the room. Like Snickers, he had a history of bad behavior with other dogs when on leash. In our evaluation here he did a lot of barking when he met another dog, but seemed more anxious than threatening."

Enter the good folks at New England Assistance Dog Services, or NEADS. NEADS provides trained dogs to assist people who are deaf or who have disabilities. They are the oldest hearing assistance dog provider in the country and the only organization of their type in New England. With headquarters in Princeton, Massachusetts, NEADS reaches out to animal adoption centers to find sheltered dogs with the qualities to make a great service dog. Diamonds in the ruff, so to speak.

Marni worked with NEADS evaluators to help Snickers and Milo get a second chance. She says, "NEADS has very high behavioral standards for their service dogs; there can be no evidence or history of aggression, and the dog has to be friendly with people of all ages and other animals. Additionally, hearing dogs (which is what both Snickers and Milo are training to become) should be highly energetic, motivated by both play and treats, and sound-sensitive. The more interest they show in novel sounds the better. Both Snickers and Milo had a physical appeal that sparked interest from adopters who wanted fluffy cuddlebugs. Their personalities, however, are much better suited to work than to snuggling. Although they are both social they prefer chasing a ball or following a scent to sitting quietly to be petted."

Snickers, the dog who paced frantically and loudly on the end of a leash, did great during his NEADS evaluation. "Once in a quiet room," Marni said, "some of his sweeter qualities became apparent and after a couple of days in a regular routine here he was a much more pleasant companion. The one concern in placing him with NEADS was his loudmouth behavior on leash when he saw other dogs. Fortunately he was barking out of love and interacted very nicely with dogs once he was close enough to smell them." Snickers won a recruitment slot. He began training as a hearing assistance dog with NEADS on December 21st.

Milo, although only about 25lbs, was surrendered because he was too much for his guardian to keep up with. According to Marni, "Unlike Snickers, when NEADS came to meet him he showed off as though he had prepped for the exam. With each new sound he calmly looked up and went over to investigate. He walked nicely on a leash for them and when he met the Labrador that they brought along he was a little over-eager, but perfectly friendly. NEADS was very happy to get such a promising assistance dog candidate and after watching him in their evaluation I felt even more sure that life as an assistance dog (always having a job to do) would suit Milo perfectly." Milo began his training on January 4th.

We are proud to send two DPVHS "alumni" to NEADS for their "graduate work." And even prouder that these two dogs will help a person with a disability navigate the world while providing them companionship. Congratulations, Snickers and Milo!

For more information about NEADS, visit www.neads.org.

DPVHS Community Spay/Neuter Clinic Launches!

In only one month of operation--so to speak--the DPVHS Community Spay/Neuter Clinic has already sterilized more than 600 cats and dogs!

Here are a few fun facts:

*The Community Spay/Neuter Clinic is a key component of the Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society's Three Year Plan to Adoption Guarantee.

*The Clinic offers spay or neuter surgery to any healthy cat or dog who is at least 8 weeks of age and weighs at least 2 pounds.

*We serve pet animals, feral/stray cats, animals in shelters or rescues, and animals held by animal control officers. There are no residency or income requirements.

*There are special reduced prices for feral cats ($35) and pit bull dogs ($50). Why? Because these populations of animals are at an increased risk of homelessness in our communities. By neutering them, we reduce their populations while also eliminating many of the behaviors that make them unwelcome members of the community.

*More than 1/3 of the public (i.e. not adoption center, animal control, or rescue) dogs we have served so far have been pit bulls or pit bull mixes!

*The overwhelming majority of public cats we have served have had no prior relationship with a veterinarian.

*We are not a full-service veterinary hospital. We encourage each person who cares for an animal to establish a regular relationship with a private veterinarian.

*We will serve any cat or dog within a 90-mile radius of Springfield!

*An appointment is required. Please call 413-781-4019 or email spay@dpvhs.org.

Learn more about the DPVHS Community Spay/Neuter Clinic!

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November 22nd is the Magical Night of Giving at the Ingleside Mall in Holyoke. Special shopping hours, discounts, and raffle prizes are available only to ticket-holders. Buy your ticket at one of our adoption centers and the proceeds benefit DPVHS!

This Just In...from North Carolina!

On Monday, October 12th, Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society will open the first Humane Alliance-style spay/neuter clinic in Massachusetts. As part of the Humane Alliance training program, our entire clinic staff is spending the week before opening day at the HA training center in Asheville, North Carolina. What follows is a message from DPVHS Clinic Director, Karina King:

DPVHS's Community Spay/Neuter Clinic team is now halfway through our training week at Humane Alliance in Asheville, North Carolina - getting ready to open our own clinic next week on October 12th.

The Humane Alliance facility is gorgeous - 6 surgical suites with attached prep areas. It's designed as both a working spay/neuter clinic and also as a training facility to show other groups what they have learned over the years (they've now spay/neutered more than 200,000 animals at their own clinic and have helped more than 50 other clinics get started around the United States).

Humane Alliance serves animals within a 90-mile radius of their facility, and the euthanasia rate at their local animal shelter has declined 70% since they began operating. This - the reduction in euthanasia rate at the local shelter - is why we're here, and why DPVHS is opening our own spay/neuter clinic. We can never find homes for the number of animals born in our community; we've got to provide accessible spay/neuter so the number of births - and the number of homeless animals - goes down. It's the only way to lower the number of animals that die for lack of a home in our own neighborhood, the Pioneer Valley.

The professionalism of the veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and staff here is just amazing. I've watched these teams calmly, gently, and with the utmost skill spaying and neutering 25-45 animals per team (one team consists of one vet and 2-3 support staff), with 3-6 teams in action on any given day. Each animal receives only the best of care, but no time or motion is wasted, and constant attention is paid to keeping the day flowing smoothly.

The training program here is very much hands-on. Our training team shows us what to do, then we do it with them, then we do it ourselves with them standing by to assist us if needed and answer our many questions.

Our veterinarian, Dr. Therrien, says it's like being back in veterinary school again - not something she's used to, having been out of school for quite a while now! Although she is an accomplished surgeon with years of surgical experience, Dr. Therrien is learning new knots and suture techniques that have been developed to complete spay and neuter surgeries both safely and in the most efficient way possible.

Our technicians, Crystal and Kristin, and our veterinary assistant, Sara, are learning with veterinary technician Joey and veterinary assistant Shannon. They're learning about administering the type of anesthesia we'll be using, keeping the animals we'll be caring for safe and comfortable - as well as new kinds of medical records and the efficient flow used when you are caring for many more animals per day than veterinarians in private practice do. They're hearing again and again, "treat each pet as if he were your own". And even though we are caring for many pets each day, there's lots of snuggling and "oh my, isn't she cute!".

DPVHS clinic administrator Jodi and I are setting up the computer system we'll be using in the clinic and learning how to take in and send home 30 patients per day. We'll also be learning about running transports to bring in animals from a distance - those whose people cannot bring them to us (we are scheduled to begin transports to the clinic in Phase 2 of DPVHS's 3 Year Plan To Adoption Guarantee). I'll also be learning more about how to ensure that our clinic brings in enough income to cover our costs. Not as much fun as what the rest of my team is doing, but we need to ensure that we will still be around in years to come.

When we return to the Pioneer Valley and open our own clinic on October 12th, a veterinarian and technician from Humane Alliance will be accompanying us. They'll help us take a good look at our own clinic space and configure it most efficiently, help us get set up and started, and share the wisdom they've learned by helping more than 50 other clinics get started before us!

There are two folks from Ohio here at the training center this week, too. Their area is euthanizing way too many animals, and they would like to open a Humane Alliance-style clinic in their area. They're visiting to learn more about the program and see if this type of clinic is right for them. When I hear the Humane Alliance staff having the same conversations with the Ohio visitors that I had with Humane Alliance just this spring I think, "What a long way we've come in such a short time!"

We are grateful to be here with these wonderful people and excited to get back next week and get our own clinic started! The entire clinic staff can't wait to get going at home!

To learn more about Humane Alliance, visit www.humanealliance.org.

Karina

Vivi's Reprieve

In late September, our friend Joanne from the New England office of the Humane Society of the United States contacted animal shelters across the region to ask for our help with dogs rescued from a cruelty case that has stretched over three states. It seems William and Tammy Hanson, a pair of fugitives with convictions for animal abuse in Arkansas and Missouri, were finally arrested after a long run from the law that included a stop in Vermont.

The story began in 2006 when investigators, acting on complaints about stolen dogs, foul odors, and excessive barking, conducted an aerial investigation of a “rescue” center called Every Dog Needs a Home. What they found were more than 400 abused or neglected dogs—many dead or dying—wandering around a trash-strewn property. While the Hansons were convicted on several counts of cruelty to animals, they went on the lam prior to sentencing...which led them to Vermont.

In July 2009, the Hansons were spotted in Vermont, where Ms. Hanson was taken into custody (she is currently fighting extradition to Arkansas). Mr. Hanson fled…eventually landing in Missouri where he was rounded up by authorities at the end of September. And he had 30 more dogs.

Which brings us to Vivi (pictured above). This sweet, fat Australian cattle dog is a refugee from hell with the Hansons. Last weekend, the HSUS brought her from Missouri to Vermont. DPVHS has transported her to Springfield to find her a new home. But her real second chance at the good life depends on you. Please, visit Vivi—and the other homeless animals available for adoption—and consider adding a new best friend to your family.

Learn more about the Hansons' cruelty case and run from the law.

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A great big tail wag to our friends at Five Star Building Corp. for their wildly successful Five Star Dakin Charity Golf Tournament! They raised more than $30,000 for the animals in one swing of the golf club. (Okay, it seemed that simple, but we know it was actually a lot of hard work). And we couldn’t have done it without our generous sponsors, including 84 Lumber, Nicky D’s, and the Taylor Agency. And thank you, too, to everyone who played a glorious day of golf at The Orchards to help the animals!

Heroes Needed. Spare Bedroom a Must.

It's the tail end of kitten season, so to speak, and our heroic foster volunteers have helped hundreds of kittens get a second chance. But today all of our foster homes are full. And the underage kittens continue to arrive. We need your help to save their lives!

If you have:

*a spare room where kittens (sometimes with a mother, but usually old enough to be without her) can stay separate from other household pets;
*a desire to enjoy the company of frisky kittens; and
*a big heart

then DPVHS needs you!

Learn more about being a foster parent. Contact DPVHS coordinator of volunteer services, Emily Kolod at ekolod@dpvhs.org or 413-781-4000 x 111 and sign up to be a foster hero today!