The Fur (& Feather!) Flyer

The Hounds are Back!  The Hounds are Back!

In 2006, when the second to last dog track in Wisconsin closed it's doors to racing in Lake Geneva, HAWS joined with greyhound rescue to help house and promote the breed and the unique situation they face.  We took a break for awhile, but now...

...the greyhounds are back!  And they want your couch.

(No, you DON'T have to be an athlete to own one, unlike the misinformed TV host of the Westminster Dog Show said.  Quite the opposite - most greyhounds love naps and quiet snuggle time.)

HAWS is in partnership with Greyhound Pets of America - Wisconsin, promoting retired racing greyhounds, and pet adoption as a whole.  Here's how it works:

• Several greyhounds are living at the HAWS shelter, available for viewing 7 days/week.  Currently in residence are Rosemary (who is originally a chica from Mexico) and Tucker.
• You can view the hounds the same as any HAWS adoptable - just fill out an application and into an interview room you go!
• (Okay, you fill out a yellow GPA application rather than a pink HAWS app, but they're both the same length - 1 page, 2 sides - so it takes the same amount of time.)
• Think a fast friend is right for you?  Take your yellow GPA application home and pursue the adoption through them - local reps are waiting for your call or fax.

Why is this partnership so important?  We here at HAWS feel it is important to help out at home, and this can be done through things like supporting our local breed rescue groups - because we're stronger when we work together.

This Saturday, February 28, we're having a Greyhound Party at the HAWS Shelter from about 1pm until about 4pm.  Stop by and meet this "greyt" breed - and definitely take a look at all the other animal friends in our shelter that are waiting for a new home.

By the way - have you purchased your fundraising tickets to the Thursday or Friday "Cats" shows yet?  Log onto www.eventusher.com and enter passcode HAWSCATS - we'll get $10 from your purchase as a donation.  And be sure to stop by our Mobile Adoption table before the performance on Friday and check out our own "cast" of HAW adoptable cats!

Did you know that February is Adopt-A-Rescued-Rabbit month? 

The House Rabbit Society and Petfinder.com are promoting rabbits as pets, using this month to show what a house rabbit is really like.  People often don't think about rabbits as house companions because they remember them from childhood as being kept in a hutch in the back yard.  Or maybe they saw them at the fair in a tiny cage in a pile of shavings, cute but uninteresting.  In truth, with the right handling and socialization, they can be wonderful, interactive and loving companions.

As when considering any animal for adoption, be sure to do your research to be sure it is the right fit for your lifestyle.  A great place to start learning about house rabbits is http://www.rabbit.org/.

HAWS decided many years ago that one our major focuses would be on education.  Dealing only with animals and not addressing education is like bailing out a leaky boat without making any effort to plug the leak.  Many of the animals we take in could actually stay in their homes if the public had a true understanding of the issues animal shelters face, had enough knowledge about the animals in their care to deal with behavior problems, and had a resource to go to when they need help.  This is what our education department aims to do.

We now have an additional blog called the Critter Connection that is devoted to education, written by our Humane Educator, Khris.  Khris promises it won't be a boring recitation of facts, statistics and how to!  Instead it will be (hopefully) an entertaining account of some of the experiences she has running the education department here at HAWS, and her readers just might learn a little something along the way.

By the way - with the warmer weather you may notice some "leftovers" in your yard...did you know that 1 dog can easily produce 274 pounds of waste in a year...which has 2.8 trillion units of bacteria!  Sure makes those doggie pick-up bags sound more and more important...

It's that time of year again - Spay Day USA 2009 is February 24th. 

In conjunction with the Humane Society of the United States' (HSUS) national Spay Day USA on February 24, HAWS is offering free spay-neuter services to qualifying Waukesha County residents.  To offset the costs, we're also seeking donations from the community to "Sponsor a Spay."

"Spay Day USA is a great event - it promotes the control of our pet population through spaying and neutering in a real positive light," said Lynn Olenik, HAWS Executive Director.  "It also gives us a chance to promote our Spay-Neuter Initiative Program (SNIP) and how we can lend a helping hand our neighbors in need."

From February 16- 27, 2009 the SNIP clinic at HAWS will be providing free spays and neuters for the pets of those Waukesha County residents that qualify for the program.  Applications for the free surgeries can be obtained by logging on to our SNIP webpage, or by stopping by the shelter.  "We are hoping to help as many as 60-70 pets, but we're also going to focus those 2 weeks on cats and kittens, Pit Bulls and Pit Bull mixes," said Olenik.  According to Olenik those are the species and breeds found to be most in need of sterilization services in Waukesha County. 

A little known but important fact:  a mother cat and her first litter of kittens can produce up to 500,000 more cats in their lifetimes.  Wow.  That's alot of extra cats!  (To see those cats - and other pets - available for adoption at HAWS, click here.)

"All residents of Waukesha County can get involved in Spay Day USA, by promoting spay and neuter for pets, and by giving financial contributions," said Olenik.  "Donations at any level will help out - from $5 on up."  Donors can call the shelter at 262-542-8851, mail in their contribution along with the Sponsor-A-Spay form, or log onto our website to give online or get more information.

By the way - February is an amazing month at HAWS - amazingly active, that is!  Check out our events calendar and join in the fun - at our Friends' Have a Heart Bake Sale on 2/13-14, at the Admirals game on 2/15, at the performances of Cats on 2/26 & 2/27...we'll see you there!