There’s some really important stuff in this issue (like me)!

Please pay attention.

THE BARKER & MEOW TOO! Monroe County Animal League, Inc., PO Box 343, Union, WV 24983 - 304-772-4445

e-mail: mcalwv@hotmail.com web page: www.mcal.petfinder.org Summer/Fall 06

MCAL NEEDS YOUR HELP TO FIND HOMES

FOR THE ANIMALS IN THIS ISSUE If each and every member and supporter tells one person about these dogs, or passes

along this newsletter to just one person, we might be successful in finding the six homes

that we need. As a group who possess a no-kill philosophy, MCAL can only take in as

many dogs as it has foster homes for. These six dogs are taking up precious foster space.

Don’t misunderstand. These dogs are precious! They are just extremely difficult to

place. As long as we have them in our care today, we can’t save the one who comes to us

tomorrow. Ask your friends, and ask your neighbors. If you are Internet savvy, search

out rescue groups and send a plea for assistance. Take these pictures and post them at

your vet office. Forward this plea to your local newspaper – and ask them to print just

one picture and brief history. All of these suggestions may seem very basic. One might

ask, “Why aren’t you doing these things?” We’re not, simply because our volunteer staff

is stretched so thin already.

Please help us, help them. If this is

something that you just can’t do, consider

volunteering in another capacity. Additional

volunteers will allow us to “work” different

avenues. Please visit our web page for more

information. ** www.mcal.petfinder.org **

Summer is a two year old, 75 pound, spayed, female, Bluetick Coonhound. She was found astray, eating from garbage cans in Gap Mills, and turned over to MCAL in approximately January 2006. She was pregnant, and had 8-10 puppies, which were fostered by MCAL. All puppies participated in MCALs Puppies Across America program. Summer was treated for Lyme disease and is now healthy and ready for a home of her own!

Summer was adopted briefly by a local family with a farm in Willow Bend and did well with them and their kids. She went for walks with the immediate family and other dogs, stayed indoors when the family was indoors, played very well with the young children in the family, etc. She was a pretty well-adjusted girl. However, she was not accepted by all family members, and was returned to keep the peace within the family. She then spent several months in a MCAL foster

home. She was housed outdoors with several other dogs. She did fine there but was moved into another environment for evaluation and training. It should be noted that there was a three year old child in this foster home. Summer does very well with small children! She’s been in ‘doggie boot camp’ since August. She has learned to walk on leash, to walk on leash next to other dogs, to sit, to wait calmly for her food to be set down, to wait before going out a door, and to lie down. She gets 2-3 free runs per day (plus leash walks) and has always come back, but is still in the process of obeying the command "Come" reliably. She travels well and is very comfortable in a crate for naps. She sleeps in her kennel doghouse but has not been in the house unsupervised at length, so we don’t know with certainty that she is fully housebroken. (Guess that's next!) She is an intelligent and highly motivated hunting dog with a serious nose and work ethic. Her foster mom feels she would be a good working dog. She’s been investigating the possibility of donating her to a Search and Rescue or other police group for training, but has come up with a lot of dead ends so far. She is bred to hunt and hardwired to follow her nose. Summer needs plenty of exercise to be calm. She is a somewhat hardheaded, dominant type dog who will obey a dominant owner but will take full advantage of a less assertive person. This needs to be taken into account by potential adopters. With the right owners and further training, she could be an excellent family pet. She is good with kids, male & female adults, most other dogs, & dog-friendly cats.

Mick is a neutered male. Orange and white, hound mix. Approx DOB 9/03. Weight 80-85 lbs. Exuberant young man, still a puppy in attitude. Mick is a lovable clown. He needs someone that can give him unconditional love and a firm hand in training. Mick is one of our ‘forgotten children’. In program since 9/13/04. Please extend yourself to this overgrown love bug!

Beau Joe is a 5 year old, 60 pound, neutered, male, Bluetick Coonhound. Beau was turned over to our custody after a court battle. He was removed from the home due to abuse/neglect charges. Do you remember Topaz from our last issue? She and Beau were legally removed from the same home, at the same time due to abuse/neglect charges. Beau transported in our Puppies Across America program. He was placed into two loving families in Massachusetts, and returned both times due to protective issues. Deemed “un-placeable” by the no-kill shelter we work with, Beau was returned to W. Va.

Beau has a strong urge to follow his nose, and he quickly builds a strong bond with his caregiver. We believe his protective issues can be handled by an experienced owner. He is currently in foster care with numerous dogs, cats, and horses. He enjoys walks on a special leash (designed to keep him from pulling). He loves car rides, but be prepared to hear him singing (baying) in your ear! His foster mom has exposed him to children of all ages without incident. Again, an experienced (loving) owner is what this boy needs. He’s a real teddy. Shakespeare was picked up around the Moncove Lake area. It appeared as though he’d been traveling hard. He was very skinny, but very friendly to the kind volunteer who stopped for him. While in our care he has proven to be a great playmate for other dogs. He is a two year old English Redtick male who is absolutely adorable. He is a very mellow hound dog who loves to cuddle and loves other dogs too. He is neutered, UTD on shots and is on heartworm prevention. This boy will be so happy to find his forever family. Just look at that face!

Forbes is a one year old, male, Black and Tan hound who is neutered, UTD on shots and on heart worm prevention. He is a big boy of 70 pounds and he is all about joy and playfulness! He likes other dogs and will run and play with them for hours. He doesn't seem to mind cats and is mostly interested in loving on people---anyone and everyone who comes near him! He will need lots of love and patience and some training on his manners, but he will make a great family member for some lucky family.

Remember the reference made about Beau Joe and Topaz? Forbes was removed from the same abusive/neglectful home earlier this year. Show him that people can be kind. Please consider opening your heart and home to this boy!

English (Redtick) and Bluetick Coonhound:

A very intelligent dog. The breed is energetic and active. They are very devoted to their family. The Coonhound makes a good companion dog. It does well living indoors and plays a fine guardian to family and home.

Black and Tan Coonhound: A quick-to-follow, intelligent, loyal and good-natured companion and hunter, the Black and Tan Coonhound pleases pet owner and hunter alike.

Bull Terriers:

Pit bulls are very adaptable and will even do well in urban living provided they have enough exercise or other positive outlets for their energy. Many pit bulls are easygoing COUCH POTATOES but can also be somewhat rambunctious until they mature. Maturity can come pretty late with this breed (2 to 3 years old in some cases). Pit bulls remain playful all their life and have a great sense of humor. Real clowns at heart, these dogs will make you laugh like no other. Pit bull is NOT a breed. It's a generic term often used to describe all dogs with similar traits and characteristics often known by the public as "pit bulls". If you have internet access, and would like to learn more about the “bully breeds”, go to: HTTP://WWW.PBRC.NET/BREEDINFO.HTML If you don’t have internet access but would like to learn more, see your local librarian. They will help you!

Our two loveable bullies: Cookie is said to be a purebred Pit bull. Approximate DOB December 2005. Brought into foster care 7/18/06. As sweet as a button! She's full of energy. She could use some obedience training (and lots of play time). She's housebreaking well. She's crate trained. Gets along with other dogs (of all sizes) and cats too. Cookie would be a great agility dog – she has the drive and desire and responds well. This girl wants to please. Cookie is very smart. She's calming down a bit as she settles into her foster home, but is still very energetic and observant of everything that's going on. This little lady is eagerly awaiting a family to call her own!

Simba is a one year old pit mix. He is a big and lovable guy who loves to play and is very friendly with everyone he meets. He loves other dogs and will need a home with lots of fun and exercise, because he sure does like to play. He is being worked with on leash manners and loves the attention. If you are an active person with an active family who has lots of love for a big boy like Simba, please give us a call.

Be a Sponsor - Not everyone is in the position to foster or adopt a new dog. However there is a way to help a particular animal who touches your heart, or help any animal in our care. The process of getting an animal ready for adoption is often an expensive proposition. We exist primarily on memberships, adoption fees, and donations. Often the adoption fee does not begin to cover the costs of readying a dog for its new home. Some rescued animals require expensive surgery and specialists. The costs of surgeries and specialized procedures and medications adds up. It can cost anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars to remove and biopsy lumps, treat heartworm infection, and perform orthopedic surgery. Yet we can't turn our backs on these dogs who need us most. That is why your assistance is so important. Your sponsorship can be a one-time gift, or it can be a monthly contribution to provide continuing care. You can sponsor a specific animal, or let us choose how to allocate the funds for you. Donations are tax-deductible.

Use PayPal to Sponsor-A-Pet. You may sponsor a pet with a one-time donation or have PayPal set up automatic monthly payments (subscriptions). You need to have a PayPal account for the automatic payments. You do not need a PayPal account to make a one-time donation with a credit card.

How your donations help – Make your year-end donations now! $1,000 – On average, our monthly vet bills are over a thousand dollars! $ 600 – We can spay/neuter 10 medium-sized animals. $ 300 – One heartworm treatment w/ x-rays to determine severity $ 150 – Average cost for tumor biopsy / removal

NONPROFIT ORG AUTOCR

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

UNION, WV PERMIT NO. 31

Monroe County Animal League PO Box 343 Union, WV 24983 304-772-4445 www.mcal.petfinder.com mcalwv@hotmail.com

I want to help! (10/06)

I would like to sponsor a pet. Please send me information about: _________________

- or -

_______ Please pick a pet for me!

Please apply $_____________ towards his/her care.

Instead of (or in addition to) a sponsorship, enclosed is my contribution for

$