The Fur (& Feather!) Flyer

As a participant in a recent expo, HAWS received some internet-stream advertising on a local radio station.  While our actual commercial had to be abbreviated, the concept took us on a few tangents...our apologies to the restaurant personnel who didn't enjoy the creative process as much as we did!

"Mr. Sparkle Collar" - Unused Bits

REX:  You look great, Rex.  How's the new family?

SPIKE:  They're the best.  There's a couple of big ones and a couple of little ones...kinda loud, but I'm glad I found them at HAWS!

REX:  I got a hiker - Dog, we are in the woods all the time!  I'm glad I found him at HAWS, too.  (Conspiratorially to SPIKE):  Oh, great, here comes Mr. Sparkle-collar...

Mr. Sparkle Collar:  Hey guys!  What's a "HAWS"?

SPIKE:  You WISH you knew about HAWS...

Mr. Sparkle Collar:  Oh, HAWS - I have four of ‘em!

SPIKE:  Those are paws, Mr. Pedigree... HAWS is the Humane Animal Welfare Society of Waukesha County.

REX:  It's a great place to find your new family...

SPIKE:  ...And to learn how to take care of your humans.

REX:  You know the place - over by the airport in Waukesha.

Mr. Sparkle Collar:  With all the big birds?

REX:  Those are planes, fuzzhead!

SPIKE (quietly to REX):  Clearly some over-breeding in this one...

REX:  You know, Waukesha has grown so much that HAWS is growing, too.

SPIKE:  I've heard that!  I also heard that besides taking care of animals, more than 31,000 people visit HAWS each year...

Mr. Sparkle Collar:  That's a lot of humans!

SPIKE:  ...and a lot of ‘em are looking for dogs, cats and even small animals like iguanas.

Mr. Sparkle Collar (shudders):  Iguanas scare me...

REX (quietly to SPIKE):  His shadow scares him... [to Mr. Sparkle Collar]  Iguanas are cool, even if they are bigger than you... 

By the way:  You can click on the Listen Live link on The Hog's website and you'll hear the actual commercial promoting our facility expansion, in rotation.  We are still working to acheive our fundraising goal of $1.86 million dollars - join us!

Last week at HAWS we were excitedly gearing up for our 25^th Anniversary Pet Walkathon on Saturday when...WHAMMO!

Streptococcus zooepidemicus bacterium.

It was a small bit of a relief getting word of the exact name of the mystery illness that took the lives of 7 dogs in our shelter.  We only had more questions:  Were the 2 dogs who were alive but showing symptoms going to make it?  Did we find out the treatment protocols soon enough to contain the illness from the rest of our dogs?  What else do we need to do?  How do you educate everyone about something that's still very much unknown?

Meanwhile, Bella and Raymond were not doing well.  Our kennel lead was occasionally making disruptive noises outside of Bella's cage - to roust her awake and "make sure she was still with us."  When you are used to hearing barking and being greeted by jumping and general canine excitement, it is devastating to see a dog that doesn't even have the energy to lift its head to acknowledge you.

What else could we do but administer meds, clean, wait, and hope?

On Sunday morning our caretakers first started noticing a marked improvement in Bella and Raymond's conditions.  We knew they were holding steady once the first meds were given, but the wagging tails on Monday morning were just what the doctor ordered.

Bella and Raymond were outside today for photo ops with the local media. 

It has never been so great to get doggy kisses.

By the way - HAWS is still OPEN - the only part of our facility that is on restriction is the dog kennel.  Please stop in - especially if you are looking to adopt a cat, rabbit or other small animal.  We are also gratefully accepting any donations to get us through - bleach, money to cover medications and tests...thanks in advance for your help!