Building Update: Help us get a Pepsi Refresh grant!

We were highly ranked for a capital grant with the Petco Foundation, but due to the number of applications we were not chosen at this time.  However, we have been chosen  to compete for a $50,000 grant with Pepsi.  In order to be a finalist and qualify to win a grant, we need to gather enough online and text votes in November to finish in the top 5.  We have started out the month at  # 41, so we just need to get enough momentum to increase those votes! You can vote daily online and/or via text.  Go to www.refresheverything.com/critterscompanion or text 109924 to Pepsi (73774).

Since we are in the running for $50,000, we will actually purchase a small pre-fab building to place on the property which should allow us to have more space than the original milkhouse design we shared earlier in the year.  We will also be able to furnish the inside of the building as well so we can have a complete adoption center.  So show your support, and vote!  You get 5 online votes and 5 text votes per day, so you can use 1 each for us, and you can also find other ideas to vote on.  Feel free to join the discussion and leave comments saying you are voting for Critters Companion, as most organizations return votes and support each other!

For more updates, be sure to follow us twitter and Facebook, if you aren’t already!

Charlie loves Petco!

Charlie, our puppy mill rescue that came to us in May, has been enjoying our pet adoption days at Petco.  He had his first showing a week after his rescue, where he was very afraid of people.  He has slowly gotten less afraid of people and really likes kids!

Charlie loves all animals, and he gets very excited with every new dog he meets at Petco!  He gets along with dogs, cats, sheep, and rabbits, and he plays will all of his animal companions.

Charlie also loves treats (he will steal them if you’re not looking) and loves rolling in the dirt (his nickname is Pigpen).

Charlie has been neutered, is up to date on his shots, and microchipped and waiting for his new forever home!  He will do best in a home with other dogs.

Our Adoption Center Plans

Starting this summer, we will be beginning our renovations to have a small adoption center on our property.  Since our inception, we have worked out of homes with adoptions talking place either at Petco adoption days or on an appointment only basis, which usually makes the online adoption sites such as petfinder.com, adoptapet.com, and petango.com our most successful method to finding potential adopters.  While internet sites have been and still will be invaluable to us and our ability to adopt pets, we expect to significately increase our visibility and accessiblity by having an actual structure with regularly scheduled hours, which in turn will allow more people to meet and fall in love with our adoptable pets and thus help us find more pets their forever homes!

This space will give us enough room to have a corner for the cats to live play in and a space for pet parents to meet the pets and along with a store to help raise funds for our projects.   While other animals, such as dogs and rabbits, will not actually be housed in the adoption center, there will be space to keep them in the center during operating hours.  In addition, we can be a local resource for anyone having questions about pet care and pet welfare.

What do we need to get this project completed?  We need volunteers to help finish tearing down the ceiling and roof. Then we will be ready to put up insulation, dry-wall, a new roof, flooring, etc.  While a few individuals with construction know-how would be helpful, construction experience is not needed—just a willingness to help and work hard!

We also need donated materials. Especially needed are shingles, drywall, laminate flooring, insulation, but any building materials are helpful.

 

Charlie: Our Puppy Mill Rescue

Charlie was raised in a puppy mill in Waupaca until he was rescued in May 2011.  His rescuers thought he may have been a Bichon until he was actually groomed, and they found he was actually a miniature poodle!

Charlie came to us on May 14, 2011 as a very human-shy boy.  He gets better day by day, and even started to go up to strangers at Petco a week after we had him!  He really likes sleeping in bed, and after his human companion falls asleep he will finally snuggle with them.  He loves treats, and will sit and “beg” for them (or he will sneak them when you aren’t looking)

He LOVES other dogs and cannot contain his excitement when he sees new dogs to meet.  He also loves sheep and cats, so he is great with other animals.  Due to his past, he is extremely cautious with humans, but having other pets helps tremendously.

Charlie is about 1-2 years and will need a lot of patience.  He really likes to be petted and held, so it just takes a little time before he becomes trusting of his human companions.

Critters Companion Partners with Oconto Area Humane Society to Provide Low Cost Spays and Neuters

Are you looking for a way to pay for your cat or dog to be spayed or neutered but can’t  seem to afford it?  We need your help to secure a spay and neuter program, starting with Oconto County and then to all of northeast Wisconsin.  Critters Companion and the Oconto Area Humane Society are teaming up together to bring an affordable option to our community, but we need your input.  We are conducting a survey so we can adequately plan for the program as well as estimate the beneficial impact this program will have on the community.

If you are in northeast Wisconsin and wish to participate in the survey, go to http://critterscompanion.org/snsurvey.aspx.  The information will be kept private.

Meet Raji the Lamb–our newest rescue!

One week ago, during the Packers/Bears game, we received an unusual call.  While we are used to calls for us to take in cats and sometimes dogs, we weren’t quite prepared for a newborn lamb request.  Yes, newborn lamb that was just born but the momma had rejected and wouldn’t fede.  Since we are located on a 2 acre hobby farm and had been discussing getting a couple of farm animals (albeit we had only discussed chickens, goats, and maybe a small cow at this point), we decided it was time to venture into real farm life.  Besides, how could we deny a baby lamb the chance to live?

So, Raji (after Packer BJ Raji, who made that miracle touchdown last week) is now one week old and thriving.  Since he is alone and it’s so bitter cold, he has his own large crate in the house until the weather is warmer and we build his pen–and get him a buddy.  He enjoys his feedings, inspecting everything in the house, and playing with the dogs (who think Raji is just one of them).  The cats are getting used to him, but they are usually more interested in his milk!  Enjoy the video of 2 day old Raji enjoying his bottle (and toy fox terrier Nolan being his normal, crazy self).

Pepsi Refresh Grant Voting Begins Today!!

We have a grant opportunity with Pepsi for low cost spays and neuters in northeast Wisconsin, but we need votes!!  View our project proposal and vote at http://www.refresheverything.com/newspayneuter.  You can vote once a day and the project in each dollar category with the most votes by January 31 wins the grant! 

Support the pets of northeast Wisconsin and their families and vote today!!

A Happy Ending for Catalina

Catalina is a very special cat that had been in our rescue in 2006. Due to our relocation to Wisconsin in early 2007, another rescue took her in and found her a home.

Unfortunately, due to unknown circumstances, Catalina was found barely alive in a road in Utah in October 2010. She was taken to a vet, who scanned her for a microchip. Since Critters Companion had implanted the microchip, we were contacted. Un-fortunately, the adopting family had not registered the microchip so we were not able to locate her recent owners,. However, due to the circumstances Catalina was able to be cared for, and was placed in to a loving foster home that nursed her back to health and will be adopting her!Catalina currently lives with 3 dogs and her hu-man companions, and is loving it! In addition, she gets to travel to grandma’s house for holidays where she can visit with her new best dog friend Maggie!

This shows that microchip id’s do work. Critters Companion always registers microchips with their adoptive owners’ information. However, as a pet owner, always make sure that your pet’s micro-chip is registered and that you also update your registrations whenever you move or change your phone number to ensure that you can be contacted if your pet is ever lost!

WE ALSO NEED YOUR HELP!!  Donations are needed to help pay for the medical costs Catalina had incurred during her recovery.  Her rescuer, foster home, and veterinarian have pitched in when they can, but further help is needed.  If you can, donate via the Donate Now button on this page.  All donations are tax deductible.

Catalina at vet's right after rescue in October 2010

Catalina at Thanksgiving 2010

Shelby: An unexpected find in Indiana

During a recent trip to Florida, we met Shelby.  While traveling just south of Indianapolis, we saw a dog running on the side of the interstate.  After stopping to see if the frightened dog would come to us so we can transport him to safety, he was gone—he had apparently escaped to the other side of the fence, away from the interstate.

However, just after the dog disappeared from sight, another dog (later named Shelby) was seen on the other side of the highway and had been clipped by a vehicle.  We raced to the other side of the interstate to find Shelby lying on the shoulder of the road.  The state police were called, and we stayed with her until the police arrived and had arranged for animal control to meet us.  While we waited, a couple (Marjo and Warren) stopped to make sure everything was OK and waited with us.  They even offered to transport her to an emergency vet if no one showed up to take her.  Another car had also stopped and the women came out and offered a prayer for Shelby.

After an hour or so, animal control came and picked up Shelby and we continued on to Florida.

Although the Shelbyville County shelter was full, they held her for us past their initial 72 hour hold time.  She received all of her vaccines but had not been taken to the vet since she was acting “normal”.

On Friday, November 19, we found the American Brittney Rescue and located the Indiana state’s coordinator who got us in touch with their Indianapolis foster home.  He was able to retrieve her from the shelter and confirmed that she is a true Brittney Spaniel, and they are now fostering her and will be finding her a new forever home!  Shelby is doing great and enjoying her new lease on life!

 

 

Feliway—help your cat calm down!

Feliway is a natural product available as a spray or diffuser composed of cat facial pheromones. Cats use these pheromones to “mark their territory,” thus the product Feliway actually reduces cats’ need to mark and as a result reduces the need or desire for fixed cats to spray. Also, because it reduces the cats’ desire to mark, this also reduces aggression, cat scratching, and various other unwanted behaviors. In addition, cats naturally feel calmer and more relaxed.

We use the Feliway diffusers—which work the same way as the plug in fragrance diffusers that we are all so familiar with—and we definitely notice a difference! Feliway is also available as a spray, which is ideal if you only have occasional problems or if you wish to use in in your cat’s kennel to calm them down when travelling.  Feliway is available in just about every pet store, including Petsmart and Petco. For more info, visit www.feliway.com.