Morsels of Goodness: Earl

When we first met Earl, he was an incredibly sad little soul, picked up as a stray near the local Costco and taken direclty to the pound. No one ever came to rescue him, though, and Earl was just beside himself with fright - pacing back and forth in his kennel constantly. The animal control officers at the pound were worried about the old guy, so they called on United Animal Friends to help. UAF volunteers then called on someone just perfect for Earl . . . and the rest is history!

Earl's mom Susan gave UAF a recent update on this very special old soul . . . "I thought you would like to see the "new Earl" . . . as you can see he is just a part of the gang. He is getting very pretty with the brushing. And yes, I know he is spoiled but he deserves it! This is just another wonderful example of the great work that you all do at UAF . . . thank you for letting me be a part of it."

Adoptable Mutt of the Month!

BRISTOL

Like all Pointers, Bristol knows exactly what she's after ... the scent! With a wonderful disposition, this two or three year old Pointer is a real sweetheart! She's about the size of a beagle - rather small for a Pointer - but everything else about her leaves little doubt what breed she is. Bristol came in with her pal Bijou, who has already been adopted. This gal needs a home where she can get plenty of exercise and stimulation; Pointers are incredibly athletic, smart dogs, so this girl wants to put those taut muscles to work! But just give her a chance, and she'll sniff her way right into your heart!

And The Table Scrap Goes To . . .

Allie Werhan! Many of you know Allie as UAF's kitty angel! In the past month alone, Allie has found fosters or homes for 48 cats and kitties! That's a lot of feline success! Allie works the UAF Cat Adoptions at Petco every Sunday from 11AM to 3PM, along with fellow volunteers Linda and Kathy.

Allie explains her motivations: "I started with UAF by adopting a cat , moved on to scooping up a batch of kittens in front of Safeway that were being mistreated by some little kids, signed up to work the dog hotlines, worked

my way up to the cat hotlines and before I knew it, I was up to my UAF logo in alligators. I am a failed foster, having kept several of the kittens I have fostered. The kittens are the part I love best about my UAF life, then the friends I have made."

A Reformed Man?

As some of you may know, Michael Vick was released from federal prison yesterday, May 20th, after having served 19 months for operating an illegal dog-fighting ring and committing a slew of utterly heinous, unspeakable acts of cruelty to dogs. And now that he's out, it's certainly no surprise that he's claiming himself a reformed man. What does come as a surprise, however, is the fact that Vick has managed to align himself with the Humane Society of the United States, purportedly in an effort to educate the public about the horrendous - and illegal - nature of dogfighting.

So, can we really be expected to believe that Vick is a changed person? An L.A. Times journalist who wrote a feature on the news event posed the question well: "Is Vick, who not only financed a dogfighting ring but also reportedly "enjoyed placing family pets in the ring with fighting pit bulls and ... laughed as dogs ripped each other apart," really reformed? Is his desire to help the Humane Society simply a public relations move designed to get him reinstated in the NFL? "

And on another note, is this a wise move for the Humane Society? Interestingly, PETA entertained the notion of working with Vick in an anti-dog-fighting campaign before his release, but ultimately 'rescinded the offer.' And a blogger for PETA is now calling for a psychiatric exam to be taken by Vick before he starts this publicity crusade - to ensure he really does believe that dog-fighting is cruel and, importantly, morally wrong.

Certainly, the subject of second chances is one we frequently encounter in the rescue field. But does Vick deserve a second chance? And is Vick taking advantage of the Humane Society to mend his tarnished reputation, or is the Humane Society using Vick to push a more important message? Sadly, as always seems to be the case, the only real victims are the dogs - those rescued from Vick's infamous compound and those that didn't live long enough to see that day of reckoning arrive. The entire partnership, though, is an interesting precedent nonetheless, so what do you think?

Woof Down Lunch

Today's Woof Down Lunch on the Courthouse square was a great success! Good money was raised for rescue; plenty of folks strolled through the area with their animals, and a lot of great vendors lended their support.

Here's a photo snippet of some of the day's fun:

To the upper left, some of the beautiful bowls event-goers went home with. To the upper right, CVAC's Arby showcases some serious talent.

Below left, UAF / PAC dog Olive with her new mom - attending the event after her first week at home! Below center, one of Hannah's (the BMD / Aussie mix) puppies - Mike - with his new forever family (a family who drove from CA to adopt him). And below right, a truly happy ending. Luke, formerly known as Chevy - the Prescott Animal Control dog who came in with an enormous tumor on his leg - with his new forever mom Hannah. And tumor free, at last!

All in all, a great day full of sweaty, giddy volunteers and vendors totally excited to share with the animal-loving public how great canine - and feline (there was that cat in the stroller!) - companionship truly is.

Morsels of Goodness: Maisy

Darling Maisy is a gorgeous dog who first came to United Animal Friends a few years ago. Maisy was eventually adopted out of UAF, so the Prescott Animal Control / UAF volunteers were very saddened when someone recognized her BACK AT THE POUND! Luckily, we were able to swoop in and get her out fast. And, her stellar good looks and easy charm found her a new home - the perfect, and-this-time-we-mean-it forever home!
A note from Maisy's new forever mom, Carolyn:
"Here are the pics of Maisy on her first day. That is my Anatolian Capkin with her. He was very depressed after his buddy, Fred, a border collie had a stroke and I had to let him go. My husband died in October so things were pretty sad around here. Maisy has brought so much sweetness, love and happiness to us. Cappy is interested in life again. Maisy keeps trying to get him to play and he trys but at this point is just happy to have her around. I am delighted with her and her loving ways. She loves to chase the lizards in the yard and is a real hoot in her enthusiasm. Maisy is teaching me to clear my counters, she is quite adept at surfing counters even tho she is short. She and my cat have come to an understanding and I hope that they will be great friends."
Thank you, Carolyn! You are a true hero!

Adoptable Kitty of the Month: Sugar Plum

My name is “SUGAR PLUM” and I am a 1-year-old female, longhaired Maltese Tortoiseshell Mix. I am a bit shy until I get to know you, then I will be your CUDDLE BUG! I am ok with other friendly cats if I am properly introduced and given time for us to adjust to each other. I haven’t been around dogs; so don’t know how I would react to them. However, I wouldn’t mind being the only pet as I have lots of LOVE & SNUGGLES to give you! I tested negative to Feline Leukemia & Aids, I am spayed, my shots are current & I am litter box trained. Is there anyone out there that needs a loyal companion like me?

Adoptable Mutt of the Month: Thor

All hail . . . to the mighty Thor! Thor is a gorgeous, striking dog with a majestic stature and a lion-like face. He's between three and five years old and he appears to be a Shepherd / Malamute mix. While he is grand in size, he's even grander in personality - with a fun-loving, tongue lolling smile and a playful swagger. Thor seems very used to people and is quite at home in his own skin; he even knows some basic commands. He'll definitely need to go to a home where he can get lots of exercise and enjoy plenty of room to roam around; a king like Thor deserves no less! He may be named after the Norse god of Thunder, but life with Thor will surely be mostly sunny, with a chance of sloppy kisses!

And The TableScrap Goes To . . .

One of the goals of the TableScraps blog is to help all of us rescue folk get to know each other a bit better. After all, the more familiar we all are with one another, the more successful we'll be in developing rescue networks and relationships throughout Yavapai County. This was the impetus for the newest blog series to TableScraps, in which we'll spotlight individuals who work with UAF and other rescue / animal outlets here in Yavapai County.

This week's TableScrap Goes To: JOELLYN

As a full-time volunteer, Joellyn manages adoption events, keeps track of incoming and outgoing dogs at Prescott Animal Control (along with taking new dogs' pictures), and manages transport for animals in and out of the valley. Perhaps most significantly, Joellyn manages the UAF email distribution lists (a huge job!), thereby connecting UAF to hundreds of other rescue groups in Arizona, the southwest and the country. Joellyn works to evaluate UAF dogs for proper placement and she works with local vets and other rescue groups to help rehabilitate and place animals. Joellyn explained her motivation:

I've always wanted to work with dogs and have been around them my entire life. I was a wild-land firefighter and got involved with ADS as a volunteer to help set up shelters in times of evacuations...Nancy Vargo, the President of both ADS and UAF, asked the ADS group if they could help handle dogs at an adoption event in Sedona, well little did I know what I was getting into! Well three years later and I am still handling dogs and much more for UAF! I have been involved with the spay/neuter program and many fund-raising events and I pretty much go where I am needed. I love animal rescue; it seems like it's a 24/7 job but it is the most rewarding job I've ever had. My pay is not in monetary terms it is in soul gratifying terms. I love placing the right dog with the right family knowing how much joy and unconditional love they are going to receive from that dog.I have 5 rescue dogs and get so much love from each one...I could never see a time in my life where I wouldn't have a dog or five!

PETSMART ADOPTATHON

United Animal Friends had a pretty successful weekend at the Petsmart Adoptathon, which ran Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Almost every dog we showcased had some interest and some even had applications put in. Some of the dogs who pulled at some heartstrings were Hazel, Thor, Dakota, Piper, Olive and Monterey! Here's hoping that all of those work out and these dogs find homes right away. Either way, it's tremendously gratifying to see that all those hours logged at Petsmart and Petco pay off!

Above, Joellyn, Jo Lee and new volunteer Amy stay out of the heat on Friday's event.
To the left, Piper sits demurely and oh-so-gracefully. And to the right, Hazel shows the stuffed animal's who's really in charge while Dexter looks on.