Updates –
I really can’t believe I have been so negligent in sending out the updates. My apologies to all! In the future I will try to make SURE I do one every month. I have been writing blogs though, and I hope you will read those as they do provide an update as to what has been going on. My favorite was “In the interests of Tyson”. Hope you will read it. There are also updates in the blogs regarding Pets Alive Puerto Rico and Pets Alive Westchester.

Zena! Pets Alive’s FIRST CGC certified dog! Wind them up, give them a little power, watch them – kill? You too can (and SHOULD) fight the status quo What happens to “evidence” dogs? In the interests of Tyson Kameron Jacobsen Youth Award & Memorial Garden Pets Alive Puerto Rico Update Questions, Doubts and Recrimination Pets Alive Westchester Update

Sanctuary animal updates:
Since my last update at the end of April we adopted out 359 dogs. We also adopted out 71 cats! That is more than the past TWO years put together for cats! Cats are finally getting noticed, and we’re really grateful for that. Please continue to recommend us as a place for people to adopt cats!

Noteworthy adoptions:
The stand out adoption of the past few months would no doubt be Bindi. Bindi is a dog that has lived at Pets Alive for five long years. There is so much about Bindi that has significance to Pets Alive. Bindi is largely the reason that Pets Alive still exists. At the time we received an email about her, Pets Alive was closing down. Best Friends had come here, saved the animals after the death of our founder, and they had decided to close the shelter down, not wanting to split their organization on both coasts. We were all devastated. We didn’t want to see one of the oldest and largest no-kills close, but we felt ill equipped to try to do this on our own. Matt and I had no such experience. We were both computer techs. Not animal rescuers! I was sitting at my desk, wondering what to do – risk it and fail and put animals lives in jeopardy? Take a chance and try to run and manage a sanctuary of this size, with almost NO money in the bank? It was definitely a cross roads. And then the email came in. A man had found Bindi by some train tracks in NJ. She was emaciated and terrified and had obviously been dumped there. He spent WEEKS gaining her trust and was finally able to catch her. But she did not get along with his dog and no shelter would accept her. She had too many issues at the time and she was a pit bull – we are all so full for this breed. And I sat at my desk and I looked at her picture for hours.
And made a decision.
Pets Alive would continue on.
Bindi would be accepted into our facility. And with that acceptance, Pets Alive was reborn and recreated – because there was NO GOING BACK NOW, we had just taken in a dog. It was scary and exciting at the same time. Could we do this? Maybe we could.
But alas, things did not go well for our Bindi. While she was quickly a staff and volunteer favorite, she wasn’t great with other dogs, and for many reasons her placement was more difficult than most. She was also the most destructive dog we had EVER seen here. She chewed through wooden fencing. She chewed through chain link fencing. She chewed through every bed and dog house she was given. She shredded any blanket or comforter she was provided with. Who would adopt such a dog? The boys ultimately built her a cement dog house. It was the only thing she didn’t reduce to rubble within minutes.
So while she got a ton of love and attention here, no one would take her home. Five years. Five years came and went and then we heard from Steve. Steve said he absolutely fell in love with her picture and description, and wanted to come and adopt her. We were hesitant. We never want to ruin a dogs chance of a home but we needed to tell him honestly her issues. Would it scare him away? We were all filled with trepidation when the day came for him to come and meet her. Would he love her? Would he give her a chance? Would he turn and RUN when we told him the truth of some of her issues?
Not Steve. He looked at her and said “This is my dog”. Then he filled out all her adoption paperwork and he and his son took her home.
As it happened they lived right near our adoption coordinator, Sue. Sue and Nikki would find all sorts of reasons to walk by the house, practically stalking the poor guy to catch a glimpse of our Bindi and see how she was doing. She would then call me and whisper “There is no torn up couch on the front sidewalk, looks like things might be going well.” And Steve says he didn’t really want to crate her when he went to work. He wanted her to have the house and we just figured he would come home to every single piece of furniture in splinters. But no. Guess what? In a home, Bindi is the most well behaved dog in the world. She hasn’t chewed up a single thing. She is house trained. She is well behaved. The first day Steve came home from work he actually had to WAKE HER UP sleeping in his arm chair in the living room.
He sends us pictures of her at family barbecues and on walks and playing in the yard. OUR Bindi.
No. HIS Bindi. Bindi is finally “home”. Good luck girl, we miss you and love you, and you will always be for me at least, a totem for Pets Alive. The dog that changed the future. Thanks for that. Be happy little alien. We love you.
LAST CALL FOR THE CALENDAR!
We can not accept any more entries for our calendar after November 14th. If you want your pet featured in the Pets Alive 2012 calendar, please click here to submit your text and photo (or to pre order a calendar). Thank you to Scott Bergmann for doing this year’s layout. The image to the right is a mockup of the calendar for this year and we think it looks FABULOUS! Please support our fund raising efforts. The calendar is such a fun way to do so!
Medical Building update – We have had to put the medical building on hold for the time being. We had too many dogs getting injured in our dilapidated kennel and were forced to make a decision. We decided to gut the entire inside of the kennel and redo it. It was a huge expense and we will have to do the outside sections of the kennel in the next year or two and the roof needs to be replaced but we had no choice. The kennel was over 35 years old and there was simply no more patching, duct tape or bandaids that we could use on it. We are looking at needing $50,000 though to redo the roof and that makes my stomach just sink. We also need to insulate the roof to help us keep heat in and I haven’t even looked into what that will cost. Well, we will keep making improvements here a little at time. We ARE considering a mobile unit though instead of the medical office for now. We may be able to buy a used one and then we can have it spend two days a week at our Pets Alive Westchester location, one day a week here and two days a week out in the community doing medical work and spay/neuters. So we are looking into that as a temporary fix. Stay tuned!
Puerto Rico Update:

There is so much to tell you about Puerto Rico that I will have to send it out in another update or risk make this far longer than it already is! I will give you a teaser though – we CLOSED on a home and property in Puerto Rico this month. A beautiful home, a beautiful piece of property on six acres. Our sanctuary is finally a reality. More to come on this! Stay tuned.
Farm Animal Updates:

Just an FYI that we finally had to let our precious senior horse, Glen go. We all still miss him terribly and his pasture seems so empty and sad to us all. He was a wonderful horse, and he gave the volunteers and staff here so much joy and pleasure. Ultimately he could no longer stand on his old and arthritic legs. When he could no longer get up on his own, we were forced to accept that it was time to let him go. We still grieve for this precious soul. Something came out of that loss though that really restores the spirit. Vera and Tom decided to build a memorial garden around the horse pastures. They built the absolute most beautiful cemetery and garden. I love it. On very stressful days I will go there and think of all the horses we have had here. Those we have helped, those that have gone on. There is a stone in the garden for every single equine soul that came through Pets Alive stables. It is comforting to know that our volunteers have such respect and devotion to them and that they will never be forgotten. If you come to visit you can see the cemetery/garden on the far side of the horse pastures across the street from the brick house. There is a path to it and we encourage you all to visit it, leave a stone for your own equine friend or just whisper a word or two.

Pets Alive also got a lot of farm intakes these past few months. Seems so many people are losing their homes and financially can’t afford animals any more that we are being called on time and again to help. It is very difficult for us to help farm animals as there is almost NO SUPPORT for them financially. Very few grants, very little public support. One horses costs about $450 a month to care for and we only have two horses sponsors (at just $85 a month). So financially the farm animals are a huge drain on our finances and resources. We encourage and ask for your help in supporting them. They are far more expensive than cats and dogs and they are far more desperate as so few places will reach out to help them.
Our latest farm additions are two female goats (Bella and Luna), a female pig (Delilah) and a mini-horse named Darby. They are all super friendly, love attention and seem pretty happy to be here. They all live together too, which is very cute to see. The picture to the right is of the new mini horse, Darby, meeting Moonray for the first time.
Medical Updates or Issues: (written by Janet)
We won’t cover all the medical issues this time since it has been so long since we last did an update but some of the particularly interesting or memorable issues Janet has compiled below:
About two weeks ago, our adoption coordinator called me frantically on my day off because Eddie, our incredibly handsome American Staffordshire terrier was stumbling and falling over. I had looked at Eddie the day before and he looked completely normal! With these sudden onset of symptoms I became really concerned. I couldn’t be sure if Eddie had experienced a seizure, a vestibular issue, or even had bloat (he is a very large chested dog which is a pre-disposing factor). Juan quickly got Eddie down to our vet! Eddie was NOT a well behaved patient at all and gave Dr. Hewlett and Juan quite the work out. Blood work came back the next day and looked normal. An ear culture showed a small amount of yeast but not much (and definitely not enough to cause such symptoms). He was diagnosed with geriatric vestibular disease. For those who are unfamiliar with the disease, this disorder is more common in older dogs (thus the term geriatric) but can occur in middle aged dogs. For some unknown reason, dogs can suddenly develop vestibular disease. It usually lasts between a couple days and three weeks. A few dogs can have residual signs beyond this time, such as a head tilt. Generally the dog appears normal until symptoms appear out of nowhere. Then there is a sudden loss of balance and many afflicted dogs may not be able to stand up. Dogs may become nauseous and have rhythmic eye movement. During this time, the dog may need to be hand fed as the motor skills needed to eat/drink from a bowl are lacking. There is unfortunately no known treatment, yet almost all dogs will recover. Eddie is doing very well overall. In my opinion he has a mild form of this disease. He has continued to have a good appetite and is able to eat and drink on his own. He is still slightly unbalanced, but even that symptom has improved. At this point, we are simply trying to keep him calm so he is less likely to lose his footing.

Cam, the famous ‘Cam’elot (as I like to call him) has also been experiencing some problems. Starting several weeks ago, staff noticed that he was limping in the morning. Cam has been treated in previous years for tick borne diseases, so we quickly took blood to check, but results were negative. We then noticed upon further investigation that he had a small pea-sized growth between the webbing of his hind toes. His limp seemed to diminish and antibiotics were started. Some dogs are prone to small cysts appearing in the webbing of their feet. A week or two later, ANOTHER growth appeared on his front foot. Our vet explained that although it would be very odd for these growths to be malignant, we couldn’t be certain without removal and biopsy. BUT Cam would need to wear an e-collar and stay inside the kennel. Anyone who is familiar with Cam knows that an e-collar and kennel setting may cause a mental ‘disruption’ for this sensitive soul. So the vet gave us the option of switching antibiotics and trying a longer course of treatment. Luckily Cam does not seem overly bothered by these growths. No one has noticed any licking. At this point, the growths are still present and surgical removal looks like the next step. Hopefully we can figure out how to recover him with the least amount of stress.
Holly our gorgeous Chow mix is now fully recovered from her Heartworm treatment. It took several months of treatment (and recovery time) but Holly is finally all finished and ready for her forever home! Holly has spent many months being an office dog and thus is VERY nicely housetrained as a result (Bonus!).
Bella one of our elderly friendly felines has been caught in the act of inappropriate urination. She was found urinating down the side of a tower and other furniture in her room. Although inappropriate urination may be a behavioral issue (and one of the most common reason cats are turned into shelters in the first place) there could be an underlying medical issue. If Bella has any sort of urinary tract infection, it could present itself with urinating in unusual areas as well as increased frequency of urination. We are trying to retrieve a urine sample for analysis (which can be a little tricky especially in a shelter setting). We will then know for sure whether or not a course of antibiotics is necessary. Bella is eating and acting normal otherwise.
Upcoming Events or Fundraisers:




Pets Alive Catsino Night Fundraiser

Try your luck! With your good hand this event could be a purr-fect win for more than just the animals!
Hors D’ Oeuvres – Drinks – Blackjack- Roulette- Poker – Fabulous Auctions- 50/50 Raffle- Amazing Prizes and more!

Also featuring mystical
illusions and magic by Chris Dare

Saturday, November 12th, 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM at the Sky View Rehabilitation & Health Care, 1280 Albany Post Road, Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520 (overlooking the Hudson River. Click to see). Tickets must be purchased in advance.

Pets Alive gratefully acknowledges the generosity of event hosts & sponsors
Sky View & Waterview Hills Rehabilitation & Healthcare.
Please consider being a sponsor for this event:
Click for sponsorship details

• Host a Pets Alive Party – You’ve all heard of Mary Kay, Pampered Chef parties, tupperware parties and various wine and food parties? Well we are making it possible for you to host a Pets Alive Party! We are setting a goal to save the lives of 100 animals this holiday season. With YOUR help, we can do it! Share your passion for rescue with your friends! Click here for details!
• Howl-O-Ween Party – Saturday, November 5th, 1-3 PM – Get those canine costumes & come on over to the Sanctuary. OK, humans can get dressed up too. $5 entrance fee per dog, humans of ALL ages are FREE!! There will be lots of fun & prizes! Enter our Costume parade & 50/50 Raffle along with other contests like the Best Doggie Costume or Best Duo (Dog & Owner) to name a few! There will be refreshments & goodies for everyone! (Held at Pets Alive)
• Monthly Pets Alive Tour – Saturday, November 5th – No need to make a reservation, just be here by 11:00 AM! We request a donation of $10 for tours ($5 for kids), but tours are always free for our members! If you opt to become a member after the tour, your tour donations will be applied to your new membership! Please be aware that tours are indoor and outdoor, rain or shine. Tour starts at the front of the Brick House…please be sure to wear appropriate footwear! We’ve changed the start time for the tour to 11:00 AM so anyone interested can attend volunteer orientation immediately following at noon.
• PetSmart Adoption Event – Saturday, November 12th, 11-3pm– Pets Alive will have adoptable Dogs & Cats at the Middletown store location. Come on down and meet our furry friends. You may just find your new companion.
• PetCo Adoption Event – Sunday, November 13th, 11-3pm – Pets Alive will have adoptable Cats & Dogs at the Middletown store location. Stop on in and meet our furry friends.
• Agway Adoption Event (in Pinebush, NY) – Saturday, November 19th, 11-3pm – Pets Alive will have adoptable four legged friends. Dogs & Cats looking for their fur-ever homes. Will it be with you?

Thank You!
Thank you HERTZ! The Hertz Corporation helps Pets Alive!
The Hertz Corporation, a proud partner of Pets Alive, donated 2 huge passenger vans and a GORGEOUS pickup truck! They are also committed to continuing to work with us in a long term partnership! Thank you Hertz! We are deeply indebted to you. We ask our members to take the time to go to the Hertz Facebook page and thank them for this. Use Hertz for any of your rental needs!

SUPPORT THE BUSINESSES THAT SUPPORT US!
Hertz Savings: Save up to 15% every time you rent with Hertz using your discount CDP# 1927220 when you reserve. Use it in addition to a special deal and save even more.
facebook.com/hertz: Check it out and say “thanks” for their support!
Discount Card: Print it out, put it in your wallet and be sure to use it every time you rent.
Volunteer of the Month:

We are going to start to feature special volunteers that go above and beyond in helping Pets Alive. This month we have chosen Erin Guilshan. Erin was a volunteer at Pets Alive with her family and would suggest volunteering to many of her co-workers at the company she worked for – Hertz. Many did follow through and started volunteering here, and also adopting animals from us!
One of the senior directors started volunteering here regularly with his daughter and he and Erin decided they wanted to do more. Erin developed a great plan for how Hertz could help Pets Alive and Glenn took it to the next level. They asked Hertz to donate vehicles to us and support animal rescue! They worked tirelessly, Erin into the wee hours nightly compiling data, putting together power-point presentations and the HERTZ worldwide headquarters actually formed a Pets Alive team! Together their creative out of the box style of volunteering resulted in 2 passenger vans, and a pickup truck for Pets Alive and a tremendous amount of publicity for both organizations! But, it didn’t stop there…they created an adoption event for employees during business hours at the HERTZ worldwide headquarters which found homes for animals, raised money, collected tons of supplies and made us a lot of new friends. And if that wasn’t enough, Hertz employees will be coming for corporate volunteer days at the sanctuary! Erin and Glenn wanted to help big, and reached out because they realized they knew a company that could. Together they went for the stars and got ’em!

Additionally, Erin made a huge difference in the life of Langston, a 10 yr old dog who was brought to the sanctuary from PAW where he had spent his entire life. Erin and her family spent time with Langston and this beautiful but sad boy came out of his tightly sealed shell and flourished. Erin and her family became advocates for Langston and created flyers, a Langston face book page, and emails to find Langston a loving home. Erin became Langston’s champion and was determined to find this boy a home- she would save his life. He must go home. They loved him, nurtured him and cheered his daily new discoveries. They fostered him as family after hurricane Irene until he was adopted! Erin and her family re-ignited Langston’s broken spirit and helped him go home. One rescue champion plus one dog = a 7 year long dream come true.
Thank you from the bottom of our furry hearts Erin and Glenn. You have moved mountains for our animals (one in particular), given support, beautiful vehicles and created new opportunities for us we could only have dreamed of. We love you.
Look in the mirror, it really is YOU that makes the difference for the animals. If you have a creative idea to help the animals at work, school or in your community, can volunteer your professional skills, special talents or know someone who knows someone please let us know at community@petsalive.com. We love great ideas!

Bambi needs a foster home:
Our sweet pittie mix, Bambi, has end stage cancer. No question, she is dying, however she is currently doing very well with little to no symptoms. This dog came to us from Pets Alvie Westchester. She lived there at the old Elmsford shelter, almost her entire life. Her entire life. She is now ten years old. And dying. Please, we are begging someone to foster her. We will pay ALL her bills and handle all her necessary medical care. We just don’t want her to die in a shelter with never having had a chance at living a life in a home, being loved, and having a life that every dog should know.
The problem is that Bambi is NOT great with other animals. If you have pets, she seems to be ok with some dogs, not with others, so it may be that she would need to be kept separate from them, at least when you left the house, and at meal times. We are not 100% confident in her abilities to live with another dog but she isn’t fiercely aggressive toward them either. If you have room in your home, and your heart, will you please consider giving this girl one shot at love?
Current Needs:
Right now we have some large “needs”. We REALLY need a new gator. Ours is on its last legs. We would also love a bobcat. In regards to people with expertise we need someone that can put a new roof on our kennel, insulate our current roof area, and/or rip down the ceiling in the kennel and redo it. I know. It is a bear of a job. If you have any time, or expertise in this area, we would really love the support and help. We can’t give them all homes right now, so we need to make their living environment as comfortable and safe as we can. Can you help?
Other needs right now is for amish style shed row barns. They are about $5000 each and we could use three of them. Yeah I know, I’m dreaming, but a girl can dream, right? If you don’t have $5000 just laying around, then maybe you can help with one of these items? 3-lb paper trays, dish detergent, paper towels, Libman wonder mopheads, used ink cartridges (we trade them in for credit), high efficiency laundry detergent, dog toys, Panacur dewormer (the
big bottles of equine liquid has been working well for us!), Advantixx or Frontline for dogs, Panacur Dewormer, Ivermectin, disinfectant wet wipes, and Slip leads. Thank you for your kind consideration on these items!
Of course our biggest need is consistent monthly income that we can count on. We’re not gonna lie, or sugar coat it. We NEED your help to survive. The city, town, state, government – none of them give us any money or help. We survive ENTIRELY because people like you read this, and believe in what we are doing and believe in no-kill. WANT to see no-kill, want to see an end to the inhumane slaughter of companion animals that come to shelters because they are down on their luck and they need help. The help they get in most shelters, is to be killed. We are determined to put an end to that. We work toward it every day. In four years we have helped convert many other shelters to no-kill. Please consider sponsoring a pet. Your monthly donation of just $18 (three cups of gourmet coffee) will help us to save the life of an animal every single month. Please consider taking this step. We need you, and more importantly THEY need you. When they come to a shelter, starving, cold, scared and hurt, we promise you – and we promise them – that we will extend our hand, pick them up, and help them. We will not walk them to a back room and kill them. Please help us. They deserve it. We need your support.
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