Shelter Life from Shorty's Point of View

Hi!
I hope all of you have checked the shelter's calendar of upcoming events. If you haven't yet, you can find it on the back page of Paw Prints. We don't want you to miss out on the fun.
First event, the T.L.C. Baby Shower for the puppies and kittens - you may also drop off canned cat food at that time. Next event will be the shelter's annual walkathon, canned cat food may be dropped off then, with T.L.C. volunteers, and if you attend the shelter's raffle drawing you can drop off canned cat food at that time too and...
"Shorty, what are you doing? You are supposed to be telling everyone about the special events, especially the walkathon on May 20th, and instead you sound like you are holding a canned cat food drive."
Oh, that's a good idea, when can we set the date for that? We can call it 'Shorty's Food for Felines Drive'.
Hey Shorty, what about us? Are you forgetting your canine friends?
No Heaven, I am not forgetting my canine buddies. I checked on how the dog food was holding and there is plenty, especially canned and dry.
SLURP Thanks Shorty, for checking. SLURP
Oh yuck, dog lips! Heaven, can't you show your appreciation any other way? Ugh!
"Hey what's this about a cat food drive? Shorty, we're not holding a cat food drive."
HUMPH!
"Anyway, our friends can donate food whenever they want, they don't need a special event for that. Right now we want to make sure everyone knows about upcoming events at T.L.C."
Will there be food there?
"Shorty, I swear you have a one track mind, and it shows. But to satisfy your curiosity and to let our friends know, yes there will be goodies at the baby shower and the walkathon."
I had an idea. With the walkathon being held at Dell Wood Park again, our friends might want to consider packing a picnic lunch to make their day even more enjoyable. There are plenty of picnic tables in the park, and rest rooms too.
"That is a great idea, Shorty. The park is so beautiful that our friends might want to relax and have a picnic after the walk. We should also mention that it might not be a bad idea to bring an old bath towel or two if you're bringing a canine buddy along. Last year the weather was gorgeous. It was so nice and warm that the dogs decided to play in the stream along the way. Shorty, don't just sit there shaking your head, they had alot of fun!"
Ugh, see what I mean about dogs! Their idea of fun is getting all wet! On the other hand, my idea of fun would be to snoop through what you have in your picnic basket.
"SHORTY!"
I was only kidding. But if you wanted to pack a little something extra for me in your picnic basket, I wouldn't mind one iota.
"Oh Shorty, what are we going to do with you?"
Well if you looked at the clock I would say it is about time to feed me.
"Good grief!"
Hey that's my line! Well I hear the can opener so gotta run!

Love, Shorty
P.S.
Don't forget everyone raising $100.00 or more in pledges will receive a special prize, that I purrrrrsonally picked out!

Love at Website
Love at first sight, or should I say website, is what made Stan Hatcher embark on a 14 hour journey from Virginia to Illinois to adopt Jordan, a female boxer at T.L.C. Through a mutual friend Terry Wilson, we found out about Stan. His boxer had died, and Stan and his other boxer, Sable, were grieving their loss. I told Terry we had a spayed female boxer named Jordan in need of a home, and half kiddingly suggsted Stan adopt her.
Stan checked the shelter's website, and could not believe his eyes when he saw Jordan - she looked just like his boxer that had died. Stan wanted to learn more about Jordan, so he emailed me, and I filled him in on the particulars. (Stan tried many shelters in his area prior to getting in touch with me, but to no avail. Although Stan was feeling badly, he was very concerned about how Sable was taking the loss of her friend.) At first Stan half teasingly said he would like to get Jordan, but thought the 14 hour trip was out of the question, especially since he would only have the weekend to do it in. After two days of phone calls and emails, Stan was definite about wanting to adopt Jordan, needless to say I was flabbergasted! He said, you must think I am crazy travelling all this way to get a dog. I replied, that sometimes it is best when the heart overrules the head.
Stan and Sable were ready to embark on their journey, along with the help of two friends who were willing to help with the driving. The foursome were on the road heading for Illinois! As happy as I was about Jordan being adopted, I worried about how things would go. I worried that Stan might not be able to find the shelter, I worried that they might run into major road construction, and mostly I worried if Sable and Jordan would get along. Okay so I worry too much.
Jordan was everything I had described and then some. Stan fell in love with Jordan from the start, and Sable liked her too, so Jordan had herself a new family! Since Jordan's adoption we have gotten several emails from Stan letting us know how things are going, along with several pictures. The only problem Stan had was he had to get a king sized bed to accommodate the two dogs and himself!

Thanks Kids
We would like to thank the students and faculty at Saint Alphonsus, Saint Patrick's in Lemont and the faculty and students at the Romeoville High School for the food drives they held for T.L.C.

How to Get Rid of Unwanted Guests
Spring not only brings the scent of flowers in the air... it also brings us the "essence" of eu de skunk. Although it might be an aphrodisiac to other skunks, to the human nose it is rather pungent, and not something we want around our homes, decks, or outbuildings.
What can you do about the problem? The use of a humane trap is one way to deal with the situation, but not the best way. There are two major problems with this. Number one, in the state of Illinois, all captured skunks are to be euthanized because they are said to be the biggest carriers of rabies. Number two, releasing a skunk is mighty tricky.
If the skunk is under a porch or in a crawl space you can roll some rags up, tie them with twine, making several balls. Then soak the balls in ammonia. Stuff the balls as far as you can into the area, then cover the hole with dirt or wadded newspaper.
Watch the hole for a few days and whenever you see it open, recover it. If the hole stays closed for a few days, then you know that the skunk has moved out. If after four days there is evidence that the skunk is still there, repeat the process, adding additional ammonia soaked rags. Usually though the skunk moves out the first or second night because he cannot stand the smell.
You will also have to remove any food sources, including the garbage can, bird feeders and any other stations you may have put out for wildlife or feral cats. Use heavy metal or plastic garbage cans and keep the lids on tightly so the odors do not entice them.
If the skunk is in there, not there by choice but by mishap, from falling into a window well or in a dumpster, you will need to make a ramp to enable the critter to get out. The ramp should be made out of a wide board, and you may have to nail an old rug or bath towel to it, so that the skunk can get a good grip and enable him to climb out.
If the skunk is living under a mobile home, remove one of the panels from the skirting from each corner, and use the "ammonia ball" method. if that doesn't seem to work, then the skunk must be under the concrete slab. This time put the ammonia balls under the opening in the slab.
If there is too much air flow and the ammonia method does not work, then place a radio tuned into an all talk station or some annoying music. If it disturbs us, it should also disturb our stinky friend. You may also try sprinkling mothball crystals (not moth balls because our furry friends are smart, and they can roll the moth balls right out). Also save the hair from your hair brush and you can hang it on low growing bushes (critters tend to stay away from the human scent).
Once your unwanted guest is out, you don't want him to come back. Follow this advice: dig a trench and line it with 1x2 welded wire. This holds up better than chicken wire because it does not rust or corrode. For concrete slabs dig a trench about one foot deep and one foot wide. Then bend the 2 foot wire in half, making an L shape. Lay the wire in the trench, one foot down and one foot across away from the patio. You can also do the same for a deck, except you would want the wire 3 to 4 feet wide, depending on how high the deck is above ground. Measure the distance from the bottom of the frame of the deck to the bottom of the trench. lay the wire in the trench and attach it to the bottom of the deck. Fill in the trench. This is undetectable but prevents not only skunks but fox, racoon and other mammals that size from digging burrows and passageways.
In case your house, trailer or deck get blasted, get some peppermint or spearmint oil and place that on cotton balls or mix the oil with water and spray the area.
If you or your pet get blasted here are some things you can use: Nature's Miracle Skunk Odor remover, Massengil Douche or vinegar and water. Be careful not to get these mixtures in your pet's eyes. For yourself try any of the above or carbolic soap. Remember nothing removes the smell 100% but it will definitely make things a lot more livable.

CHARGE!
We want to thank all of you who have been helping the shelter raise money with your credit card purchases made through the Action for Animals Master Card or the Morris Credit Card. We really appreciate it! To make sure that TLC is receiving credit, please check your statement and the code number for tlc is #159. if you do not see that number on your statement, please call 1-888-261-4680, and have them update your account, to insure proper credit goes to TLC. Remember with each and every purchase you make with the Action for Animals card or Morris Card, a donation is made to TLC without costing you a penny. So go ahead, Charge those things you enjoy and don't feel guilty because you will be doing a good deed at the same time!

Spay and Neuter
There is no denying that kittens are as cute as can be. But remember that there are not enough homes for them all. If you really love your pet, have it spayed or neutered, you'll be glad you did, and you won't be presented with any unexpected surprizes. You won't have to worry about finding good homes for the puppies or kittens, and if you can't you will not have to bring them to an animal shelter in your area that is already overburdened.



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