Shelter Life from Shorty's Point of View
AND THEY ALL JUMPED IN THE LAKE!

Hi!
"Shorty what in the world are you doing?"
Well I am trying to find a look that might win the $5,000.00 prize in the Photo contest The Picture People are holding.
"That would be great Shorty, but right now we have a newsletter that needs to get to press, and we are waiting on your column. We have enclosed a flyer about the contest, so all our friends can see it and hopefully enter, but now you need to tell our friends how the walkathon went."
How can I tell them when I wasn't there?
"But Shorty, before the walkathon you said that story is yours, so we saved it for your column."
Ok here goes. The walkathon was great, raised $3000.00, and they all jumped in the lake!
"SHORTY! That is terrible! No, they did not all jump in the lake, besides it was a creek. When the walkers were more than half way through, they let their canine buddies play in thc creek."
It was a walkathon, wasn't it, not a triathalon, what were they doing in the water?
"Having fun Shorty, having fun. Everyone there had fun, and Annie Coleman who ran the event, made sure of it. We had folks there from 1 to 94 (including the forever young at heart Gladys Fox who was our honorary grand marshall) and they had a great time."
Well I did hear part of it on the radio, and it sounded like you were having a blast! HUMPH! Which brings me to this little matter.... Why didn't you tell me WJOL personalities Didi Bingham and Dan Larson would be there doing a live broadcast? Boy, I wanted to meet them!
"Shorty, I'm really sorry but we didnt know until a day or two prior to thc walkathon. Didi and Dan were booked solid with engagements, and we were just grateful that they were able to give the T.L.C. walkathon several plugs on the air. When we found out they would be there, we just couldn't believe it. Anyway Shorty we did save you a couple of cookies from the yummy tray that Fleckensteins Bakery donated, and you got a shirt and a doggy (oops I meant to say kitty) bandana that Adam's Pub, Berman and Sons Accountants, Lockport Animal Hospital and Reliable Home Builders made possible by their sponsorship of the event. And you could have had a soda that was donated by Clover Ridge Car Wash but you didn't want any. So Shorty we did try to make it up to you."
Okay okay, apology accepted..... under one condition...
"What is it Shorty?"
That you promise to wake me up next time. Any way I think we should thank the following people for helping make the walkathon purrrrfectly delightful and for giving up their Saturday morning to help out: P.J. Fitzgerald, Donna Holous, Sandi O'Brien, Patricia Staab, Phyliss Klingensmith, Cathy Melton, Ina Jacobs (Ina took the photo finish pictures), and the entire Covelli Family (Wendy, Frank, 5 year old Elizabeth and 2 year old Michael). Again a great big thanks to Annie for all your hard work putting this together and making it so much fun.... Sorry I missed it, humph! Also a special thank you to the Lockport Township Park District, for allowing the walk to be held at Dell Wood Park, you guys deserve an A+ for the great way you keep the park up, everyone thinks it is beautiful.... Again I can't give you any first hand information because I was not there HUMPH!
"Shorty I thought you said you weren't mad.''
(I'm no dummy, this sounds like a situation that might warrant extra kitty treats for me if I play my paws right.) Before I forget I would like to say thank you to everyone who participated and especially for the following folks who raised $100.00 or more in pledges including Faith, Holly and Ed Anderson, Angela Loy and her canine companion Breton, the team of Gayle Deckman and Phyllis Karpola, Dan and Holly McManigal, Carolyn McGuire, Lee Zerbian and her canine companions Hailey, Belle and Rue, and the team of Mark and Gina Ruttle. Last but not least, we want to thank the team of Chris Cicala, Ginni Guzior and Vasco for bringing in $710.00 in pledge money! Thanks one and all!
Love, Shorty
Whrrrrrr Is that the can opener I hear? Ahhhh music to my ears. Gotta run!

From Feral to Fabulous!
Linda Andrews had seen the large grey cat, closely resembling a Russian Blue, hanging around her home for several months. He was thin and looked like he could use a good meal so Linda began putting food out for him. She hoped in so doing that she could win his confidence and then bring him to T.L.C. for adoption. After a while, he finally allowed Linda to touch him, but he would not allow her to pick him up, Iet alone try to get him in a pet taxi. Linda knew she would have to use other means to get him, it would take a humane trap. She knew the cat had it hard last winter, and did not want to see him suffer through another one. Big Guy, as we call him, was very wary of the trap, and had Linda on needles and pins for days wondering if she would ever be able to trap him, but finally her prayers were answered. Needless to say Big Guy was not the least bit pleased with this idea. He became all teeth and claws, and the only way he could be handled was with heavy gloves and a cat catcher... and even then the situation was very precarious. Just moving him to clean his cage or to feed him was a challenge! Littlc by little Big Guy learned that people were not too bad and now he is to the point where he loves to be cradled in vour arms like a baby. He actually purrrrrssss and that took a long time coming, but now he does so when he sees you! Although he likes shelter life, he would much prefer being in a home. He would make a great lap cat, he is quiet, litter box trained and all you could be looking for in a fine feline companion. How can you say no to such a handsome fella?

Three Legs, not a problem
Yes you read about her before in our spring newsletter. The tale of the three legged cat that was brought to us 3 months ago, along with her two 9 month old sons. If you remember she was very pregnant at the time. The cats' owner told us that they never Iet her out, which leads us to the conclusion that it was one or both of her sons that impregnated her! Since she was so close to her due date, having her spayed left shelter members with mixed emotions about the situation including the veterinarian. So we let nature take its course, and shortly thereafter she gave birth to four beautiful kittens. (*See footnote below.)
The kittens have all since found homes, and now it is mama cat who needs a home herself. She is very affectionate, extremely pretty and of course litterbox trained. As for the lack of a front leg it does not bother her, and she hopes it will not bother you, and keep you from stepping forth to adopt her. We have since had her spayed so she is all ready to be adopted.
* Footnote
Although we are getting a little off track from the story, this does tie into it. We are not for bringing more unwanted litters into the world adding to the pet overpopulation problem. Last year we faced a similar situation with a stray dog that was brought to us, just a few short days away from giving birth. We managed to find a wonderful foster home to take the dog in, where she and her puppies remained until the pups were ready for adoption, and the mama dog back up on her feet.
But because we allowed the litter to be born, we were severely admonished by a now former contributor. The party was livid, and said we should have had the mother destroyed right then and there and that we were part of the problem! She berated us, and said to remove her name from T.L.C.'s mailing list immediately, and from that moment on she was withdrawing all support from T.L.C.. We were sorry the party felt that way. I guess she did have a solution to the problem but not a viable one as far as we were concerned. When you look into the eyes of these animals, so trusting, and so desperately in need of help, sometimes you have to go with your heart.
Please don't Litter have your pets Spayed and Neutered


DOGGY DICTIONARY
This was sent to us by Barbara Cano from New York, enjoy!
LEASH: A strap which attaches to your collar, enabling you to lead your person where you want to go.
DOG BED: Any soft, clean surface, such as a white bedspread in the guestroom, or the newly upholstered couch in the living room.
DROOL: Is what you do when your persons have food and you don't. To do this properly you must sit as close as you can and look sad and let the drool fall to the floor or better yet, their laps.
GARBAGE CAN: A container, which your neighbors put out once a week to test your ingenuity. You must stand on your hind legs to push the lid off with your nose. lf you do it right you are rewarded with margarine wrappers to shred, beef bones to consume and moldy crusts of bread.
BICYCLES: Two-wheeled exercise machines, invented for dogs to control body fat. To get maximum aerobic benefit, you must hide behind a bush and dash out, bark loudly and run alongside for a few yards; the person then swerves and falls into the bushes and you prance away.
DEAFNESS: This is a malady, which affects dogs when their person wants them in and they want to stay out. Symptoms include staring blankly at the person, then running in the opposite direction, or lying down.
THUNDER: This is a signal that the world is coming to an end. Humans remain amazingly calm during thunderstorms, so it is necessary to warn them of the danger by trembling uncontrollably, panting, rolling your eyes wildly, and following at their heels.
WASTEBASKET: This is a dog toy filled with paper, envelopes, and old candy wrappers. When you get bored, turn over the basket and strew the papers all over the house until your person comes home.
SOFAS: Are to dogs like napkins are to people. After eating it is polite to run up and down the front of the sofa and wipe your whiskers clean.
BATH: This is a process by which humans drench the floor, walls and themselves. You can help by shaking vigorously and frequently.
LEAN: Every good dog's response to the command sit, especially if your person is dressed for an evening out. Incredibly effective before black-tie events.
BUMP: The best way to get your human's attention when they are drinking a fresh cup of coffee or tea.
LOVE: Is a feeling of intense affection, given freely and without restriction. The best way you can show your love is to wag your tail. If you're lucky, a human will love you in return.

It Shouldn't Happen to a DOG!
DON'T let your dog travel unsecured in an open pickup truck bed. Dogs can't "hold on" the way humans can, and any sudden start, stop or turn can toss your pet onto the highway. If the impact of hitting the road doesn't injure or worse yet, kill him, oncoming traffic probably will. It is estimated that 100,000 dogs die this way each year. *statistics gathered by the American Humane Association.
There are other hazards to consider. Most dogs love the feeling of wind blowing past their ears, but the wind can seriously irritate mucous membranes and blow pieces of grit into the animals eye. It may require veterinary attention to remove the foreign material, which could cause permanent damage. Insects or flying debris can also lodge in the nasal passages.
Open truck beds provide no protection from the weather. Rain, snow and freezing temperatures are obvious problems, but even warm days have their dangers. Hot sun can heat the metal floor of a truck bed enough to burn a pet's paws. And once the truck has stopped, a dog left sitting in the broiling sun without water or shade may suffer from heat stroke before long. It is safest to allow your dog to ride inside the truck cab, or leave him at home.

Where's Your ID?
Your pet should have an ID tag on at all times. Perhaps you have been fortunate enough to never have a pet get lost, but 75% of the lost pet calls are from folks whose pet had never gotten lost before. There is always that possibility even in the most watchful household. An ID tag can make all the difference in the world in getting your pet back home.



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