NEWS-LETTER

Humane Society ofFairfax County

Dedicated to Rescuing, Housing and Adopting Homeless Animals

HELPING THE COMMUNITY

Since inception, the HSFC has been there to help with abused and abandoned animals – whether we took the ani-mals into our care or helped with vet bills for those who could not afford the care, but did not want to give up their animal. Beginning in 2004, we began to track the latter – those community members that we have helped with pets that they did not want to give up.In 2005, we provided financial assistance for approximately 24 animals to receive the medical care they needed.

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ADOPTIONS2005 was a great year for adoptions for the Humane So-ciety – 384 in total. The Hu-mane Society placed:

• 324 cats• 46 dogs• 5 rabbits• 3 Horses• 2 Birds• 4 Guinea Pigs

A special thanks to all of our foster homes, home visit volunteers, socializers, out-reach program volunteers and adoption placement vol-unteers.

We have many wonderful animals currently in our care awaiting new homes. Our hopes are to make 2006 an even better year for adop-tions.

As you know, the HSFC instituted a new feral TNR (Trap, Neuter & Return) program in late 2003. In 2005, the feral outreach program trapped, neutered and released (TNR’d) 353 cats and kittens.

In 2005, we responded to 6,642 phone calls and 6,567 e-mails. Some examples of calls received include referrals of 158 low cost spay/neuter calls, 98 wildlife assistance calls, 179 calls were referred to the county shelter, and 42 calls were individuals requesting vet referrals.

FUNDRAISING

2005 was a great year for the Humane Soci-ety in its attendance at area fundraising events. These events included our participa-tion at the Fairfax City Festival, Fairfax High School Crafts Show, PetsMart Adopt-A-Thon, Fairfax Corner Pet Photos, Cayennes for Ca-nines event, and holiday gift-wrapping at lo-cal Borders stores. Thanks to the many vol-unteers who helped make these events such a huge success.

SECOND CHANCE 1 AND 2 GREAT SALES

Our two thrift stores had great sales for 2005 --- way to go!!!! We hope reve-nues continue to climb in 2006. Our thanks to all of you at both Second Chance 1 and 2.

2005 VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD GOES TO…JEANNE TAYLOR

Jeanne Taylor started volunteering with HSFC in early 2003, initially to re-do the or-ganization’s website. But all it took was a trip to Pleasant Valley Kennel, where our dogs were boarded at the time, to take new pictures for the website and meeting Twister for the

first time and she was hooked! Jeanne started tak-ing weekend trips to the farm to so-cialize with the dogs and then the visits became twice weekly, which continue to this day. “It’s such a part of my regu-lar schedule now, I actually plan my client work around my farm trips.”

Fortunately, Jeanne is self-employed and can arrange her schedule so she can visit the farm during the week. In addition to operating a freelance consortium for graphic, web and event planning projects (JT2 Design), she also works as a freelance Title Insurance Agent supporting a number of local title companies. “I know that most people have employment-related commitments that keep them from volunteering during the week so that’s when I try to go – I know there will be plenty of visits and attention from other vol-unteers on the weekends.” She still visits Twister every week and helps baby sit him on-and-off when his new mom, Katie, travels.

Jeanne and her husband, John, live in Fairfax with their three spoiled Catahoula Leopard Dogs aged 13, 10 and 7, all of whom are in excellent health and have come to appreciate the farm trips. Sometimes John accompanies her to volunteer and sometimes, weather permitting, the dogs even ride along to see what all the fuss is about.

We thank Jeannie for her commitment to the organization and the animals in the past and in the years to come. She is a truly valuable member to the team and we could not do it without her.

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AND IT’S A TIE FOR 2005 HONOR-ABLE MENTION VOLUNTEERS OF THE YEAR: SYLVIA JONES & MIMI DAILEY

Sylvia Jones grew up in Prince Edward Is-land, Canada (Anne of Green Gables coun-try). She lived on a farm and had a large va-riety of pets to pass the time. Her parents al-ways stressed that animals had feelings, just like people, and set a good example to treat them well. She first came to the HSFC about 10 years ago. She returned full-time to work at Sec-ond Chance 1 after her retirement from United Airlines in 1999. She especially en-joys the contact with the customers and the challenge of "identifying" some of the dona-tions to the thrift shop - especially, items that are "unique" and likely to be more valuable to the shop. Her daughter assisted a wildlife agent in high school and Sylvia caught some of the "over-flow" chores. One job was to transport in-jured or baby birds to a wonderful lady, Meg Hickman, in downstate Virginia. Sylvia was inspired by Ms. Hickman, who rehabili-tated and released thousands of birds, to be-come more active herself in animal welfare work. Her present pets include an 8-year-old feisty cairn terrier, Jessie, and a much-spoiled chocolate lab, named Hershey. Hersh had a difficult life, having been rescued twice be-fore finding the Jones’ family. Adopting Her-shey has made Sylvia appreciate the many benefits of taking in an "older" dog. Hersh and Jessie keep Sylvia's husband, Bob, healthy by demanding two long walks a day. Sylvia is a proud first time grandmother and delights in 8-month-old granddaughter, Audrey. She also volunteers in the Fairfax INOVA Hospital System.Mimi Dailey grew up in Copenhagen, Den-mark, and because she lived in an apartment, was not allowed to have any pets. Beginning at the age of 10, she worked every summer on a farm helping to take care of the chickens, cows and horses. In return, she received free room and board. It was paradise for the city slicker.

She came to the HSFC in 1995 after we moved to our new building on Chain Bridge Road and were looking for volunteers. Her first choice was to work with the animals but she was needed in the Thrift Store. So other than some cat socializ-ing and feeding when needed, she spent most of her time in the store and continues to do so today. With her business background, she was well prepared and really enjoys working in the store and dealing with the customers. As Mimi told us, the real reason she is happy is because she is helping provide welfare for the animals. Mimi's household has included 2 cats, 3 dogs and 2 birds but is now down to 1 beloved cat, Minky who is spoiled rotten. Two days a week she is nanny for her 2 grand-daughters in her home. She is also ac-tive in several clubs and often travels with her husband, Jack, on business trips.A special thanks to Sylvia and Mimi from all of us at the HSFC – especially the animals. They are true assets to the organization and we can’t thank them enough.

PET PHOTOS WITH SANTA AT FAIRFAX CORNER

If you happened by Fairfax Corner over the Christmas holiday weekend of December 10th, it probably wasn’t sleigh bells you heard jingling but rather dogs barking. That’s right; dogs in every shape, size, and breed were getting into the Christmas spirit. And many were decked out in their holiday finest for a photo op with jolly old St. Nick himself.

WASH-FM presided over the event and Wylie Wagg provided treats for the pets. For the artistically inclined, Color Me Mine offered framed Paw Prints. And because all of the proceeds from the photo fee were donated to the Humane Society of Fairfax County, we made sure we were well represented includ-

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ing our adorable adoptables, Elvis, Krypto, and Fritz.

We’d like to extend a warm thank you:• to the attendees, shoppers and Fairfax

Corner business community for their generous support

• to our volunteers who made this event such a fun event and adoption success (that’s right, Fritz, one of our ador-ables found a forever home as a result of the event) and

• to WASH and to Kathy Smith at Peter-son Mgmt for orchestrating this event.

So the next time you are in Wylie Wagg, drop your spare change in our HSFC donation jar and if you happen to be in the Fairfax Corner area, keep an eye out for a Dog Day After-noon in the spring or summer.

LOOK WHO FOUND A HOME!!!!

Bubba was a stray found by a concerned citi-zen in October 1998 and took him to one of our vets. In turn, our vet contacted us with his sad story, and being the softies that we

are, we took him in right away. Bubba was first in line for the early morn-ing feeding. He must have re-membered how it felt to be hun-

gry. Sometimes he would try to be "king of the hill", but he usually liked nothing better than a scratch under his chin. He didn't al-ways greet potential adopters and was there-fore often overlooked. We thought we would have the pleasure of his company for a long time. But after seven years with us, Bubba got a wonderful new home just before Christmas. His new family says he's doing fine and loves all of his new toys he got from Santa Claws.

Tom, like Bubba, had been at HSFC for some time. He was also a stray that was brought to

us, and as a result, we didn't know exactly how old he was. We had him for many years and thought we’d have him for many more due to his age.

He was always very dignified looking and well behaved. We thought of him as our sen-ior statesman. He loved treats, and would occasionally sit up for one, but only for a second. He could usually be found lounging on a pillow in the sun.

Right around the beginning of the holiday season, an adopter came in looking for a quiet older cat. Tom was just what she wanted, and it was an excellent match. We hope he will have many happy hours lounging on a pillow in the sun in his new home.

Kricket, a beautiful silky black Dutch rabbit was adopted on Christmas Eve. He wasn't always this way. Kricket was caught in the Katrina AND the Rita hurricanes and was luckily rescued by HSFC volunteers who had gone to New Orleans to help with animal res-cue after the hurricanes. He was filthy; flea and tick infested and had small bites on his body. He was painfully thin, a little scared, but liked to be held. Within just a few weeks of carrots, lettuce, hay and of course, lots of love, he was a new rabbit. He is thankful for being rescued and even more for a new home.

KENNEL UPDATES

We’ve broken ground on our new dog kennel and have created a mudslide! The weather hasn’t been too cooperative, but at this point, we’re just glad we’ve started the project. Since this is a pre-fab build-ing, things should start to roll along quickly, if we can ever get the actual building permit issued from the county! We’ve got our construction permit, however, this only lets us go so far. Hopefully, by the

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time you read this, we will be back in action and closer to having our dream kennel. It will be great to finally have lots of space for our dogs and add to the number of dogs we can accommodate. Our temporary shelters have been nice, and we will certainly use them in the future for our long-term dogs, however we are counting the days till our state of the art kennel is complete.

NEW FACES AND LONG NOSES IN THE BARN

Our barn is filled to capacity with happy horses. We recently took in two new horses to add to our barn of 7 other equines. “Black Jack” was given to us from a family who could no longer house him. Because of several medical issues, he can no longer be ridden, but his great personality makes him a very placeable horse. “Tess”, our little one-eyed mare, came to us through our horse vet-erinarian. Her owner works with them and had seen our beautiful farm many times. When it became a financial burden for her to care for “Tess”, she asked for our help. Our two new faces have bonded quickly with our other horses and are patiently waiting with them for forever homes.

RECORD DOG ADOPTIONS!

This past November and December were banner months. We placed 20 dogs into lov-ing homes during those two months. These lucky pups were finally home for Christmas. A huge thanks to all the farm volunteers who helped make these adoptions possible. Social-izers spend hours rehabilitating the shy guys and we depend on their efforts to help get our dogs ready for new homes. Some dogs just need that extra time and lovin and our volun-teers are there to give it to them.

AN OLDIE, BUT A GOODIE!

A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead. He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them.

After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight.

When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side.

When he was close enough, he called out, "Excuse me, where are we?" "This is Heaven, sir," the man answered. "Wow! Would you happen to have some water?" the man asked. "Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up."The man gestured, and the gate began to open."Can my friend," gesturing toward his dog, "come in, too?" the traveler asked. "I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets."

The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog. After an-other long walk, and at the top of another steep hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence.

As he approached the gate, he saw a man in-side, leaning against a tree and reading a book."Excuse me!" he called to the man. "Do you have any water?" "Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in." "How about my friend here?" the traveler gestured to the dog. "There should be a bowl by the pump."

They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a

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bowl beside it.

The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog.

When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree.

"What do you call this place?" the traveler asked. "This is Heaven," he answered. "Well, that's confusing," the traveler said. "The man down the road said that was Heaven, too." "Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's hell."

"Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?" "No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind."

SOME OF OUR FAVORITE ANIMAL QUOTES

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole. -Roger Caras

Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. -Robert A. Heinlein

The average dog is a nicer person than the average person. -Andy Rooney

If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. -Will Rogers

There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face. -Ben Williams

A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself. -Josh Billings

PLANTS TOXIC TO CATS & DOGS

Below is a short list of plants known to be toxic to cats and dogs. For a more complete listing, please visit http://www.petfinder.com/journalindex.cgi?path=/public/livingwithyourpets/poisonprevention/1.31.3.txtAloe VeraAmarylillisApple (seeds)Apricot (pit)Asparagus FernAzaleaBaby’s BreathCaladiumCalla LilyCherry (seeds and wilting leaves)DaffodilDevil’s IvyDieffenbachiaEaster Lily (especially cats)Elephant EarsEnglish IvyGeraniumMother-in-Law’s TongueNarcissusOnionOriental Lily (especially cats)Lily of the ValleyPeace LilyPoinsettia (low toxicity)PrimroseRhododendronTiger Lily (especially cats)Tomato Plant (green fruit, stem and leaves)

FUTURE ISSUES OF STATE OF THE ARK

Anyone wishing to include an article in the next issue of State of the Ark should submit content in writing to the Administrative Of-fice, Attention, Mary Kendall, by March 31. In addition, anyone interested in helping put the newsletter together, please contact Mary as well.

HUMANE SOCIETY MISSION

The Humane Society of Fairfax County, Inc. (HSFC) is a non-profit, private organization established in 1968. The mission of the Hu-mane Society of Fairfax County, Inc. is to

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promote humane education; to prevent all forms of cruelty to animals, both domestic and wild, by every legitimate means; and to assist the community with all matters pertain-ing to the welfare of animals.

HOURS & INFORMATION

HSFC Administrative Office 4057 Chain Bridge Rd. Fairfax703-385-PETSHours of operation:Monday - Friday 10-5Saturday 10-4; Sunday - Closed Cat and Small Mammal Adoptions-Administrative offices -4057 Chain Bridge Rd. Fairfax703-385-PETSAdoption hours:Monday - Friday 10-4Saturday 10-3; Sunday - Closed

Second Chance 1 - Thrift Store4057 Chain Bridge Rd. Fairfax703-385-7387Hours of operation:Monday - Friday 10-4Saturday 10-3; Sunday - Closed

Second Chance 2 - Thrift Store929 W. Broad St. Falls Church703-533-9268Hours of operation:Monday - Friday 10-4Saturday 10-4; Sunday - Closed

HSFC Farm 15911 Lee Highway Centreville703-815-4494All visitors must call aheadDog and Horse adoptions -by appointment only

HSFC Outreach Cat ProgramCat Adoptions held at area PetsMart and Wylie Wagg stores- check our website "www.hsfc.org" for dates and times or call 703-385-PETS

United Way Campaign #9142

Emergency Services

South Paws Emergency Clinic8500 Arlington Blvd., Fairfax, VA703-752-9100

Emergency Vet Clinic of Northern Virginia416 Maple Ave., West, Vienna, VA 703-281-5121

Prince William Emergency Vet Clinic8610 Centreville Rd, Manassas, VA703-361-8287

Springfield Emergency Vet Clinic6651-F Backlick Rd, Springfield, VA703-451-8900

VA/MD Vet Emergency Services2660 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 703-823-3601

Fairfax County Animal Shelter703-830-1100703-691-2131 (Warden)

Wildlife Assistance Hotline703-440-0800

Chief Administrative Personnel

Co-Office Managers: Marlene Hammer & Shannon PedersonFull-time Thrift Store Manager: Elisa BoteraFull-time Animal/Farm Caretaker: Cara Donato

Board of DirectorsPresident: Vicki KirbyVice President / Treasurer: Mary KendallCorresponding Secretary: Marlene HammerRecording Secretary: Lynne Mayo

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