(708)301-1594 
Open 11 am-4 pm Tuesday through Saturday Closed Sunday and Monday webmistress                   |
Shelter News from Shorty the Cat's Point of View (the cat about town)
Shorty Gets Down & Dirty!
Hi!
Sam, we have a job to do. You know how I love to help our people friends with projects they need done to raise funds for TLC. Our people friends don't usually ask for my help, seeing I'm so busy running the Shelter. I'm sure they feel I don't need any more work, but Sam, I know they need help, and I also know it's going to be a dirty job but somebody's got to do it.Ok Shorty, you know I'll help, anything you say I'm ready.
Sam, I need you to carry those bags of potting soil over here.
Shorty do you really think it is a good idea to bring the dirt in there? Remember the last time we worked on crafts in the office what happened?
That is just not any old dirt, that is potting soil, and don't worry about any mess, I've got it covered, that's why I am putting newspapers down everywhere.
Good idea Shorty.
I know Sam, that's why dogs drool and cats rule. Now go get the potting soil, and I'll go get the seeds. I think we are going have some nice plants for Sandi O'Brien to sell at the Shelter's first garden sale. Won't our people friends be surprised!
Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrip
Uhoh!
Sam what's the matter?
One of the bags ripped and now I've left a trail of dirt across the floor, and down the hall.
That's okay Sam we'll get it cleaned up later. Let's get to planting.
Okay, you're the boss.
Heehee, playing in the dirt like this makes me feel like a kitten again!
Yeah Shorty, I know what you mean. I always feel so invigorated when I go out and have a good roll in the mud. I don't know why our people friends get so upset when I do that, for me it's a great de-stresser. Oh great, I knew I should have swept up that dirt, I hear someone coming.
GASP! "What's all this mess? I bet if I follow this trail of dirt, it will lead me straight to the culprits, and I have a strange feeling that Shorty must have had something to do with this. Just look at his office! SHORTY!"
You don't have to holler I'm right here.
"Where?"
I'm standing right in front of you.
"Shorty, you're all black!"
Oops! I must have gotten carried away, when I started rolling around in the dirt...
"Carried away is not the word for it. Sam maybe you can tell me what is going on here?"
Well, like Shorty always says, dogs drool, cats rule.
"Sam now what is that supposed to mean?"
It means that this was all Shorty's brainstorm, and I was just following directions.
"Okay Shorty, this better be good."
I was just trying to help Sandi.
"What do you mean you were trying to help Sandi? I don't see where leaving a trail of dirt throughout the building and then rolling in it is helping Sandi in any way."
Sandi didn't tell us to do this, we thought of it on our own.
"Obviously...."
We wanted to surprise her.
"Oh she'd be surprised all right! Shorty can I ask one thing, what were you thinking?"
I wanted to help Sandi with the spring garden sale she is holding for the shelter May 14th, and I thought we could start up some catnip plants to sell. You know at the Shelter's holiday craft show, people make a mad dash for the catnip balls that Mrs. Konow makes, so it stands to reason catnip plants would be just as great a hit.
"I'll admit you had a good idea Shorty, but couldn't you have done it without all of this mess? And secondly how did you get so dirty, on second thought spare me the details, just clean this place up fast, and it better be spotless! We have guests coming over soon to celebrate a very important event, TLC's 31st birthday and this is where we are going to serve the Shelter's birthday cake."
Did I hear the word cake?
Oh no, did you have to say the word cake? Sam don't drool! Pleeeease don't drool, all of this dirt is turning into mud, because of your drooling!
Love,
Shorty
PS.
Don't forget to attend TLC's walk a thon on June 4th. We are going to have a lot of fun, there will be food and prizes and WCCQ radio will be there doing a live remote. Lalalalala getting the old voice in tune, who knows I might get discovered! Me! A feline Kenny Chesney, only better!
"SHORTY!"
Uhoh gotta run!
You could hear a pin drop as they took their final test
Gary Tippett grading one of the dogs
Our VIP members are some very special people and so are their k-9 counterparts. Numerous people have wanted to be a part of the VIP Group, but not everyone is cut out for it, nor is every dog or cat.
The VIP's make visitations to nursing homes, senior centers and a facility for the handicapped, bringing cheer to those who are shut in and cannot have a pet.
All the VIP dogs have been temperament tested and put through their paces to insure they would be suitable candidates for the VIP program. A few of the VIP members wanted to take it one step further and have their dogs earn their K-9 good citizenship award. They signed up for the Canine Good Citizenship training program, which consisted of five training sessions, under the direction of Gary Tippett, at the K-9 Guardian Training Center located in Lockport. The dogs were as eager to learn as were their owners, and would be tested on the following:
1. They had to learn accept friendly strangers
2. Sit politely for petting
3. Appearance and grooming
4. Out for a walk (walking on a loose leash)
5. Walk though a crowd
6. Sit and down on command/staying in place
7. Come when called
8. Reaction to another dog
9. Reactions to distractions
10. Supervised separation
Some of these things may sound fairly simple but many were harder than you think. For example not all dogs can walk though a crowd or be around other dogs without a problem. A difficult part of the test for each dog was to remain calm during distractions, as one of Gary's helpers dropped a large bag of cans to make a loud noise, few animals we know could stay calm for that.
The big day came and everyone was both nervous and excited, to see if all the work and practice they did with their K-9 buddy would measure up in the end. The usually jovial group was very serious that day. You could hear a pin drop as Gary walked around with his clipboard studying how well each dog had done on a particular test. One of the hardest parts of the test was the supervised separation. The dog had to stay put for three minutes, while the owner left the room and remained out of the dogs sight. That seemed like the longest three minutes there ever was. We all seemed tense and held our breath as the count down began for each and every dog. Then the big moment arrived finding out if they passed. After they got their K-9 Good Citizenship award, it was time to breathe a sigh of relief and relax, and enjoy a piece of of graduation cake, in honor of their accomplishments.
Gary remarked that he never saw such a nice group of dogs, even though it was such a diverse group from a St. Bernard, Golden Retriever, Rat Terrier, English Cocker Spaniel, Shih tzu, Poodle, Bichon Frise, Black Lab to a Dorky (Doxy/Yorkie mix) and no growling, or fighting. But then we always knew this was a very special group of dogs!
Do you think you have what it takes to be a VIP member? Do you have a special K-9 buddy that you think would be perfect for the group? If you think might then contact us, and we will be more than happy to have you. You don't have a dog that would work but still want to be part of the VIP's, not to worry we have a few animals at the shelter that would work. So call us at 708-301-1594 for information.
Front row from L to R Judy Kunkel & Princess Stinky, Carol Panzer & Peanut, Claire Conrath & Missy. Back row L to R Ann Marie Phaneuf & Jack, Kathy Pryzybyla & Pal. Gerri Pajkos & Megan Belle, Annie Coleman & Squirt, Mary Pat Morjada & Happy, Chris Pieczonka & Stasha.
Photo courtesy of Gerri Pajkos
Happy Birthday! TLC Celebrates 31 Years of Caring!
On April 1st TLC celebrates 31 years of caring. It even amazes us that it has been that long, where did the time go? I guess we were so busy caring for the animals, we did not realize so many years have gone by since TLC's inception. With on the average of 3,000 animals helped each year....amazing! There were many extremely sad stories involving the animals brought to us, but it was all the happy endings that kept us going and prevented us from becoming burned out.
The shelter itself has grown through the years, from the small rented shack we had started out with for five years, to obtaining the permanent home where the shelter is located now. It was through much dedication, hard work and the generosity of others that the shelter's permanent home was built. At first the building suited our needs well, but after a number of years even the new building was not adequate for the increasing demands we had to meet. We were feeling growing pains. Out of necessity we increased the size of the building to allow for a getting to know you room, expanded waiting room, a larger cat room, and a new isolation room, and we were very pleased with the additional room ...... But now we are feeling growing pains again. There has been as increase in the number of animals we handle, the volume of people coming in to adopt has increased, let alone, our office is like being in a sardine can, and the size of our isolation room is barely adequate any more.
What we envision for the expansion, is adding another sorely needed "getting to know you room", (or two if good fortune smiles down upon us). On a busy Saturday the existing "getting to know you room" is not sufficient for all the folks waiting for a more private place to interact with the animal they are considering adopting. Another problem area is our present isolation room is not nearly as big as we need. Ideally we would like to make room for two or three additional dog kennels, with outside runs, and we would like to have a bigger isolation room to accommodate an additional bank of cages for smaller animals. It is also essential that we add a meeting room where we can hold larger groups of children to teach them proper pet care, and help stop animal abuse. Presently the groups meet in the cat room or front office which at times interferes with adoptions and allowing easy access to view the animals. The meeting room would also be used for VIP meetings and Brigade meetings which are very important functions of the shelter.
Ooops did we forget something? What about the front office you're probably thinking. We discussed that amongst ourselves, and although it would be nice and make our job easier, we would forgo the office expansion if we were fortunate to get everything else.
We are not only celebrating 31 wonderful years of being able to help animals in need, we are looking ahead to the future, with much anticipation knowing the difference we can make in thousands of animals lives. We want to thank all of you who have helped the shelter along the way, and to all of you who will help in making TLC grow.
TLC's First Plant & Garden Fundraiser
When: Saturday May 14th
Time: 9:00 am until 1:00 pm
Where: Homer Township Hall located 1/4 block south of Route 7 (159th Street in Homer Glen)
Here's a chance to beautify your garden while helping the animals at TLC. There will be a variety of plants for you to choose from along with garden decorations.
If you would like to contribute something for the event, we would love to have your extra perennials, ground cover or what have you. If you are a crafter any garden decorations would be welcomed! Or if you are good at putting together container gardens, or hanging baskets, these would make great gifts for Mothers Day.
She Thought She had Lost him Forever
The couple cringed when they saw the little dog nearly get hit by a car as it was running down the highway. They stopped and picked the dog up, before something bad happened to the dog, and brought it to the Shelter. The dog did not have any identification on, not even a collar, but fortunately when we scanned the dog, it provided us with the information to get the name and telephone number of the owner, named Martha Ramirez. What was a bit bewildering was how the dog had gotten from Chicago, all the way out to Homer Glen.
When we contacted Mrs. Ramirez, she was stunned. Her dog had been stolen two and a half years ago! She had put the dog out just for a few minutes to do his business, and when she went to bring him in, all that was out there was the dog's harness! Mrs. Ramirez was devastated, she had searched the area, and posted flyers, she also put up a sizable reward, but her efforts were futile, the dog was gone. She was beside herself wondering and worrying if her dog was all right. She searched relentlessly for over a year, but then finally resigned herself, that she would never see her dog again ..... that is until she got our phone call.
We wish you could have seen the sheer joy on the Mrs. Ramirez's face when she saw her dog, and the dog was just as excited to see his owner, he had never forgotten her. This was a happy ending we will never forget. Thank goodness for that little identification chip.