Springtime reignites life, whether it be buds and blossoms or bugs and babies. It soaks our hearts with hopes and love, compassion and caring, and wraps us in its rebirth. We become enthralled by the warmth, in awe of its powerful messages of hope and the rebirth of life. We may even decide to increase the size of our family by adding a new dog or cat, of course!
You probably would think of the PSPCA first. The Northern Tier is fortunate to have a very active local SPCA (on Rt. 6 near Weis Markets, Wellsboro). The present manager and staff work hard to see that as many of the hundreds of dogs and cats that they receive monthly are adopted out to good homes. If you have a lost or found pet the PSPCA is also a necessary place to call and visit. The SPCA will, of course, accept unwanted pets. If you have never been to the local SPCA you should stop in. There are many cats, and many of the dogs available for adoption can be seen from the comfort of your car as you drive by the kennels, weather permitting. While trying to place as many pets as possible, the high volume of pets they take in every month requires them to transport animals regularly to the much larger Philadelphia PSPCA where they have a better chance for adoption. More information on the PSPCA at Wellsboro can be obtained by calling 570-724-3687 or you can visit their website at:
http://www.pspca.wellsboro.org.
Tioga County does have a no-kill shelter in Millerton. A no-kill shelter does not dispose of any animal unless it is too sick or injured to be cared for humanely. The Millerton shelter is called Four Paws Rescue (570-724-2273) and is run by Denise Morrell, who along with volunteers work tirelessly to provide a comfortable and loving environment for pets until they can be adopted, however long it may take. You can access their website at;
http://home.stny.rr.com/fourpawsrescue/.
There is also a lifetime care shelter being established in Tioga County called Second Chance Animal Sanctuaries. Also a nonprofit group, this group of volunteers and members has worked tirelessly for the fast few years building their presence and stepping toward the dream of making a significant difference in the lives of animals in need and in finding pets for caring people seeking their companionship. The reality of a sanctuary site has yet to materialize. However, they have had great success finding homes for many cats and dogs by utilizing a network of individuals that by telephone or Email can match a pet directly from previous owners to a new home. Second Chance has also started a Grandpaws program to assist older limited-income residents feed, spay, neuter or care for their pets. A compassion fund helps emergency needs for low-income family pets. A feral cat colony sponsorship lessens the life blows of homeless cats and kittens. Second Chance also maintains a website with current adoptable animals as well as other information. New members and volunteers are always needed, so feel free to contact them at 570-724-7919 or 570-724-4077. Their website is:
http://www.secondchanceas.org .
It is to you, members and supporters, that we salute in this our first newsletter for 2006. Without your support, encouragement, concerns, advice and commitment we, and others, would not have reached these levels of success.. With your heartfelt devotion to this cause we will together advance our aide to more and more animals. They too can rejoice in not just the freshness of Spring, but to each and every season as it arrives.
It seems like this time of the year always finds many of us “antsy” to bid Ole Man Winter a gracious good-bye, especially when we experience the tease of spring with occasional temperatures reaching the 50*s and bright, sunny days. This winter has indeed been a gift to our wildlife, with the accessibility to hickory nuts, beechnuts, acorns, etc. I also think of the homeless cats, dogs, etc. wandering in the cold during the winter season. Perhaps they too have had an easier time during these past months. Like many others, a few of our members have been feeding the wildlife to ease the winter discomfort. One woman told me she and her husband have been feeding a Carolina wren daily, and the bird has been eating $1.79 worth of mealworms each day. They sprinkle a few in the dirt of an outside planter and she arrives on time each morning for breakfast. This occurs throughout the day and they have established an *expected* routine with their feathered friend.
Our activities the past months have slowed down due to the nature of the season. We have continued to place animals into loving, nurturing homes. We salute Tracy Timmons, owner of Mountain View Kennels in Wellsboro. She agreed to foster a gorgeous lab pup who was destined for the PSPCA because her owners could no longer care for her. Tracy had her less than two weeks, and the guardian angels were watching. Casey now has a new home where she can run and frolic with the grandkids. Tracy is also temporarily boarding a man’s two dogs while he is unable to house them for several months. She is asking for no money, only food if possible. These are the kind of friends Second Chance is all about. Tracy, you are a godsend! (Consider checking out Mountain View Kennels if you are going away as a clean, caring boarding facility for your loved furry one(s).) The number is 724-3640.
Lastly, we are having a gas card raffle for a $100 Citgo gas card. (Local Pump’n Pantries have Citgo gas). The cost is $1 apiece or 10 for $5. The drawing will be April 15th. If interested, please contact any board member. The proceeds will assist our feral cat colony and our GrandPaws program. Have a healthy, happy spring and give lots of hugs to your animals!
Sue Cook, President
Winter Memberships
Gary Cleveland Shalane Gee Randy & Robin Emery Dennis Kurzejewski
Richard Lynch Jo Wolstenholme Linda Lane Bob & Nina McCarthy
Sally Gridley
Winter Donations
Sally Gridley Linda Lane Deborah Jones Bob & Nina McCarthy
Jo Wolstenholme Brownie Troop #217 Desmond & Betty Gleason Jeanne Reich Kristen Houser Alma J Mosher in honor of their daughter , Pamela Burgman's, birthday
Second Chance Board
Sue Cook
Flossie Comstock
Ron Comstock
Dave Burket
Pam Burket
Kasey Dunham
Caprice McCarthy
Violette McLitus
Jim Howe
Zoe----honorary furry member
The Second Chance family of friends, readers, and members extend to them our appreciation and echo our Thank You's and best wishes. Friends linking with friends do indeed make a difference!
The publishing of this issue of Second Glance has been sponsored by...
Charlotte's Weep
Charlotte is an 8 year old beagle and VERY overweight (70 lbs) wrapped in a domestic violence situation. The owners loved her enough to call upon us but we had 3 hrs to find her a home. A man who lives alone and is not able to drive had previously inquired about adopting a beagle, and that same afternoon Caprice, one of our board members, drove him to the owner's home near the NY border. . Caprice said Charlotte’s eyes just ‘sparkled’ when she saw him. It was love at first sight.
Charlotte's collar at the time she climbed into the car with Caprice and her excited new owner was so tight she had trouble breathing. She had never been allowed outside for exercise or walks, only to go to the bathroom. Everyone who now sees Charlotte and her new owner call her ‘Little Miss Piggy’. She has taken off some weight, is getting up & down stairs with a little assistance, and is as happy as can be.
Kasey's Kat Kolony
(a feral cat colony Second Chance is maintaining)
It has been a long time since I updated the feral cat colony diary. In the summer
and fall I was having difficulty trapping, the cats were wise to the trap and wouldn’t go
near it. I still made the daily trek up the road to feed and water the cats. However, in that past month, I have been able to trap two cats. I think taking a break from trapping made the trap something new and interesting to investigate.
Both cats were healthy boys; two less tomcats to yowl at night. The grand total of cats either spayed or neutered is now 27!
Occasionally, I hear from people that have adopted kittens that were born to the feral mothers. Two years ago, on April 20, a litter of five kittens was born on a hay bale. Two days later I trapped them and their mother and moved them to my garage. The kittens grew up to be very loving and beautiful kittens. One kitten was born with a neurological disorder; and we called him Wobbles. He would play with the others and make it around his little enclosure, but he would often tip over or bobble around. But when we took him outside and let him run, look out! Once that boy got some momentum he was on the move!
Thankfully a lady and her mother wanted to adopt sweet Wobbles. He lived like a prince with his other four-legged family members. We visited him a year and a half later. What a gorgeous cat! He had these huge paws and a long plume of a tail. He was a little shy around strangers but the pictures that were emailed to me showed a loving cat that was playful with his other “brother and sisters.”
Unfortunately this past month Wobbles died suddenly. He would have turned two in April. While his life may have been short, it was definitely filled with lots of love and happiness. I shudder to think how quickly his life may have ended, living on a hay bale. Thank you Debbie and Peggy, for turning the pauper into a prince!
Subject: the Kiss.................
He had just saved her from a fire in her house, rescuing her by carrying her out of the house into her front yard, while he continued to fight the fire. She is pregnant. When he finally got done putting the fire out, he sat down to catch his breath and rest. A photographer from the Charlotte, North Carolina newspaper, "The Observer," noticed her in the distance looking at the fireman. He saw her walking straight toward the fireman and wondered what she was going to do. As he raised his camera, she came up to the tired man who had saved her life and the lives of her babies and kissed him just as the photographer snapped this photograph.
And people say animals are dumb.
A Dog Follows You Home
Yes, it is possible to find a dog, but how can you tell if it’s just a lost pet or a stray, and what do you do next? Many of you may be following the TV news story about the missing dog from the NYC airport. A purebred champion Whippet that got out of its case ran away from the airport and is still missing. The dog will eventually get hungry and show up at some resident*s door looking for food. Hopefully the people who find it will be able to distinguish between a lost dog and a stray dog.
When an animal, cat or dog, appears at your back door, it will help you decide whether it’s a stray or a lost pet by looking first for a collar. Identification would be easy if it has a license or name tag. If it doesn’t, you can look at the animal’s physical condition. If it looks well-fed and has a clean coat or has a visible neck ring where a collar once was, then it more than likely is a lost pet. If the dog or cat is friendly and not too scared of you it may come voluntarily to you if you talk soothingly to it and entice it with some food. Some scared animals may be “trapped” by using a special case available from your local SPCA or animal rescue group. Once you have the animal under your control its life if then in your hands. If it’s at all possible it is better if you can keep the animals for a few days, even if you suspect the animal is a lost pet. Too often, given the overcrowding at most PSPCA’s, the animal may be euthanized before its owners can claim it.
Assuming you do keep the animal you should go through the usual steps to find its owner such as contacting the local radio station, newspaper, SPCA, bulletin board notices, etc. When first rescuing an animal it is usually best to keep it separated from your pets for a few days at least. A quick trip to your vet is also a good idea where it can be examined for general health conditions as well as checked for ID tattoos and embedded microchips. There is nothing so rewarding as reuniting a lost pet with its anxious owners.
This does bring up another point that you need to consider. What with all your advertising about the lost pet, the person who comes to claim your animal may not be its owner at all. Remember that there are research centers that pay quite handsomely for test animals. You are certainly within your rights to require proper identification from the owner which should include pet pictures and other proofs of ownership. Also, any legitimate owner will gladly pay for any vet expenses, advertising and housing costs.
If the animal goes unclaimed, it may happen that you have become attached to the animal and are more than happy to keep the animal anyway. This, of course, would be the ideal ending for the story; however, if you can*t keep the animal, now would be the time to contact your animal rescue groups and then your local SPCA.
The problem of stray and homeless animals is a direct result of there being eight kittens or puppies being born for every available home. To help prevent the needless killing of these animals please make sure your pets are all spayed/neutered. Also protect your pets by having licenses and ID tags on their collars, or even consider the new embedded microchips for identification.
Sharing Life…Sharing Friends
