The Style Show and other ruminations

Well, it has been an extremely hectic couple of weeks here at Good Shepherd!  For regular readers and members, of course, this past Tuesday, November 19, was our annual Doggie Style Show!  What a riot!  I have heard nothing but cheers from staff and volunteers that everyone who attended has a blast.  The Christmas boutique, the clothing boutique and the silent auction were jam-packed all night, and we ran out of food!  This event is the biggest single fundraiser that Good Shepherd has all year, and it was so nice to see so many of our supporters and friends out enjoying themselves.
We took a few pictures along the way.

 

 

The picture above is one of our most enthusiastic and hard-working shelter volunteers, Nan Johnson.  Nan manned the "Love Shack", offering pooch smooches to all!  Who says you can't buy love?  Pictured with Nan is a beautiful little girl named Rose, who is being adopted out-of-state.

 

Next, meet Trouble--as in "anything but".  We love this girl!!  She's about ten years old, but you'd never know it from her spunk and sassy personality.  This girl was made for the stage.  She's been strutting her stuff this fall at parades and on the catwalk.  Maybe we should arrange for a Hollywood agent--this girl is a STAR!!!

 

 

 

And this last photo--oh my!!  On the far left is Adrienne Gremillion (apologies for misspellings) who did a fabulous job as a last-minute replacement for the fashion show chairwoman.  Front and center is Rachel Brix, owner of Percy's Dog Spa in Eureka Springs and a shelter volunteer.  Rachel offers dog training classes to the public, and has also been teaching classes for the shelter staff.  Standing in the middle is Mike Ripoll, one of the shelter's dog tech staff, and he's holding the leash of Kilo, another shelter dog.  Finally, on the far right, is another outstanding Good Shepherd volunteer, Mel Jensen.  Mel was the security chair for the Style Show, and he did a fantastic job along with his crew,  Thanks so much to all of you.  We could not be successful without lots of good people helping us.

 

 

 

   While I love talking about happy stories at the shelter, sometimes we deal with sad events too.  The next pictures are of a dog we're calling "Zippy". 

 

Here's why we are calling him Zippy.  He was found last night zip-tied to a fence, only able to move his head a couple of inches, not even able to sit down, out in the country in the middle of nowhere.  Fortunately, some compassionate people heard his whimpers and went looking for the noise and found him.  The people who brought him to us were tourists from Kansas City, but they took in this strange dog at their place overnight, went to all the neighbors to see if anyone recognized him, and called us when all else failed.

 

  Make no mistake, folks.  This dog would have died of exposure last night if some kind people hadn't found him.  Some HUMAN took the trouble to put a plastic zip tie around this dog and leave him tied, defenseless, without food, water, or shelter.  The dog didn't do this to himself.  Please, tell your friends, tell your neighbors, tell your kids--there are better ways to deal with a pet you don't want to keep any longer.  Call someone, call us--we can help.  

 



  These are the stories that make me sad and make me angry.  But the bright spot is that Zippy is safe and waiting to be found.  Maybe his owners are looking for him and will see our posting.  If not, we'll find him a great home after his waiting period.

 

  Don't forget--through December 1 Back in Black continues, with adoption specials.  Thanksgiving weekend we're going to have some "door-buster" specials, so if you get tired of the bustle of the stores, come out to the shelter and visit us. Have a cup  of cocoa or some cookies, pick up some "gift-a-pet" certificates for the animal lovers you know, and spend some time soaking up all the love our adoptable pets have to give.  It truly is Thanksgiving.

 

Janice

Back in Black continues!

  Happy Sunday!  We are starting our second week of the "Back in Black" promotion for adopting black or mostly black dogs and cats.  We have had a couple adopted already as a result of the campaign, and we have more advertising soon for the pets.  The ads will  help showcase our wonderful black dogs and cats and let people know what great pets are available for adoption here at the shelter.
  Saturday was a pretty awesome day here at the shelter.  We adopted three cats and three dogs, plus another puppy that is going home today.  Jacqui Froelich from KUAF radio was here to do a report on the shelter and the "Back in Black" campaign, and it was really great to give her a tour and show off some of our dogs and cats.  I'll let everyone know when the piece will air on the radio.

  Speaking of Back in Black, let me introduce you to Zoe. 

She is a beautiful tuxedo cat.  She came to Good Shepherd in April of 2012 as a stray found at Lake Leatherwood.  Zoe is an "old-timer" here at the shelter.  She loves people and gets along great with her friends in the Lighthouse, but she would really love to have a forever "home for the holiday"!  Do you have space for a mature, sensitive, and independent spirit in your home this year?  Zoe might be the perfect match for you!!

  Now I'd like to introduce you to Sasha.  Do you need a loving kitty who's also a great mouser?  Then you should meet Sasha. 

Like Zoe, Sasha is a mature cat who knows how to be independent, but still loves a good rubbing or snuggling.  She's got that attention to detail that makes for a good mouser--or a good entertainer (have YOU ever watched a cat try to catch a fly!  It's hysterical.)  Why don't you stop by and visit Sasha in the Lighthouse.  You'll be glad you did.

  Lastly, I'd like you to meet Kitana.  What a beautiful kitty! 

Kitana is a black tortie, so she has black and orange and kind of a creamy yellow color.  She is an incredibly affectionate cat, too.  She came to the shelter in May of 2012 when her owner moved and abandoned her.  Poor thing!  Kitana is no bother to anyone.  She gets along great with other cats, and she loves people--kids and adults, just like Zoe and Sasha.  All three are in our Lighthouse (the cat colony room).  She's a smaller sized kitty, too, but she has loads of personality.  She's waiting to say hello!

  Don't forget, tomorrow is Veteran's Day.  Good Shepherd staff and volunteers will be walking dogs in the Veteran's Day parade tomorrow.  The parade is downtown and starts at 10 am.  In fact, the father of one of the families who adopted a puppy from us yesterday is part of the Honor Guard carrying the American flag tomorrow for the American Legion.  He's a hero to our country as well as a hero to our dogs!  Give a cheer tomorrow, and say thanks for all our veterans do for us.  

I hope that everyone  had a fun and safe Halloween!!   Today, November 1, launches our month-long promotion--Back in Black--and of course, our annual Doggie Style Show set for November 19.

  Most of you may not know that black dogs and cats spend a much longer time in shelters across the country and have much lower adoption rates.  Why?  We just know that black animals are the most overlooked in shelters.   Did you know that, everyday, more than 9000 dogs and cats are KILLED in shelters in this country?  Part of the work of the Best Friends No More Homeless Pets Network is to raise awareness of the needs of homeless animals, and to prevent needless suffering and death by working toward a "no-kill" America.  Good Shepherd is proud to be a part of this network, and we work everyday to educate the public and provide care for the animals in our shelter and our communities.
 As part of our "Back in Black" promotion, our black and mostly black dogs and cats can be adopted for half-price through the month.  We'll also be having special events at different times throughout the month, so check back often. 

  We  now have our own YouTube channel.  The address is

http://www.YouTube.com/user/GOODSHEPHERDHUMANE

It may take us a little while to get videos uploaded, but this will be another wonderful way to showcase some of the sweet dogs and cats available at Good Shepherd for adoption.  Hope you all will visit.  I'm working on new video and photos today.

  Don't forget to get your tickets to the 33rd Annual Doggie Style Show!