We Love Flats!

By Jennifer Orme
Larimer Humane Society, Director of Operations

Unlike an annoying tire that looses its ability to keep you rolling and getting to the shelter on time, WE LOVE FLATS at Larimer Humane Society!

We’re recycling cardboard flats/trays (first initially used to ship canned goods) to use as litter pans for our fabulous feline friends!  We've found that using cardboard litter pans greatly reduces the spread of disease in a shelter environment and significantly reduces our utility costs since we don't have to wash so many pans. 

You know what they say... reduce, REUSE, and recycle!

The great folks at Poudre Pet and Feed have been simply wonderful in saving their flats for us... but we need more than they can provide at the moment. Can you help? The flats vary in size, but most are around 9 x 12 x 2.

Most all retail places (grocery stores, pet supply stores, etc.) just throw them out in the trash or toss them in the recycle bin, but we can REUSE them at Larimer Humane Society!

If you’re out shopping and come across a few, please consider picking up a few to bring to the shelter. Your help is appreciated!

“Getting Off the Couch”

By Kelly Little
Larimer Humane Society, Animal Care Volunteer

It all started with a New Year’s Resolution:  last year’s!  Prior to 2011, I had always been what I like to call an “arm chair donor”.  That is to say that I did a lot of check writing to my favorite charitable causes, but I had never actually gotten down in the trenches and volunteered my time.  Please don’t get me wrong, writing checks to reputable charitable causes is NOT a bad thing, but I was ready for something more.  My passion is helping animals, so my first thought was to volunteer at a local animal shelter.  Larimer Humane Society was my shelter of choice as I work in Fort Collins, but live in Windsor, so Larimer Humane Society would be a convenient detour on my way home from work (and get me off of I-25 at least one day per week).

The process of becoming a volunteer was pretty easy.  After completing an application, I registered for the first available volunteer orientation.  It was on a Saturday, only lasted a few hours, and taught me a lot about Larimer Humane Society and how it operates.  By this point I had to decide which volunteer areas interested me as there are quite a few choices.  I chose the Animal Care position, mostly because it seemed like there was a lot of need for volunteers in this area.  I really wanted to help out wherever Larimer Humane Society needed help most and if it involved getting a little bit dirty, so be it!  The next steps were to meet my new supervisor for an informal interview and stop by the administrative offices to get my new volunteer t-shirt.  Then I was ready to go!  The whole process took about two weeks total to complete.

I have to admit that my first few shifts as an Animal Care volunteer were a bit daunting.  There seemed to be so much to learn, not only about how to care for the animals, but how to get around the building, where stuff is stored, and what rooms were for what purpose.  My supervisor was great, though, as she would give me only a few new tasks each week and then have me do something that I had already been trained to do, like walking the adoptable dogs.

I am now starting my 2nd year volunteering at the shelter.  I volunteer two hours per week which is very easy to fit into my schedule.  These days, there are a lot of cats and kittens at the shelter so often my shift will consist entirely of feeding the adoptable cats or the stray cats.  Other things that I like to help out with are laundry and dishes(call me crazy, but I actually LIKE doing laundry and dishes), filling Kong toys with kibble and peanut butter for the dogs, and restocking shelves.  My supervisor did go over how to feed the dogs and puppies, but I have yet to do that by myself.  It’s one of those tasks that I am not so familiar with, so it’s easy to brush it off and do something that I am more comfortable with.  Also, I have spent less time recently walking dogs or playing with the cats & kittens.  This is primarily done by the Animal Enrichment volunteers.

And that’s how I got started volunteering at Larimer Humane Society.  Every week is different.  Some shifts are great and some are frustrating (I am thinking specifically of my shift around the 4th of July; the shelter was PACKED and it was crazy and chaotic!).  But the bottom line is, I’m actually doing something to help out the homeless animals in my community and that makes me feel pretty dang good.  Every time I’ve had a fleeting thought about quitting, I think of the animals.  They don’t get to just “quit”.  And they can use every bit of help that they can get.  So I’m in this for the long haul.

A New Year

By Judy Calhoun, Executive Director

I normally love the start of a new year: new ideas, new opportunities, a new start. Unfortunately, in Loveland, the new year isn’t as bright as we had originally hoped, at least in terms of the animal control field services we will be offering to the residents in 2012. As part of the City of Loveland’s plan to prevent a possible $33.5 million deficit in its general fund over the next 10 years, the City has elected to reduce its contract with us by 20 percent or $90,000.

The decision to reduce public services and programs based on budget constraints is never an easy one. We certainly don’t fault the City staff or elected officials for the reduction, but as a non-profit organization, we are reliant on the revenue we receive from the contracts we have with the municipalities to perform all necessary animal control services.  As contract revenue is reduced, services must be scaled back accordingly.

We recognize that the change in animal control field service will have a significant impact on the residents of Loveland. We would like to apologize in advance for any delay that you may experience in calls that you make to our Animal Protection & Control department this year, and ask for your understanding and patience as we respond to calls throughout the city.

We will have one officer responding to calls five days a week: Sunday-Thursday from 10-6. There is a lot of territory to cover, and with an estimated 66,859 animals residing in Loveland, the task at hand will not be easy. All of our other services, including our shelter, will be available seven days a week.

Please, if you see a lost, stray or abandoned animal in distress (and you feel safe doing so), will you consider bringing it into the shelter? Our shelter is located at 6317 Kyle Avenue, just off of Trilby between College and Lemay.

And, if you see our Loveland officer responding to a call, will you offer a simple wave or smile?

A little goes a long way, and that’s what we’re hoping to do for Loveland.

Together, we can make a difference for animals in our community.

“Don’t worry…about a thing…’cuz every little thing…is gonna be alright”

That is the tune that Marley – named after the legendary “Bob” – is singing now that she’s found her lasting home with Cory Bitler. For those of you who check out our adoptable animals regularly, you may recognize Marley—whose name was formerly Carly—as the two-year-old female pit bull mix who came to Larimer Humane Society this past spring after being found as a stray.

Carly was one of 10 dogs featured in the first-ever Take A Bow Wow Expo & Pet Fashion Show adoption event at the Outlets at Loveland in early May. Decked out in her rhinestone-studded “Princess” shirt and expertly groomed by Mitzi Jones of Tail Waggin’ Mobile Grooming, Carly strutted down the catwalk like a supermodel, winning over the heart of Bitler with her physical beauty and sporty yet sassy attitude.

As soon as the fashion show was over, Bitler inquired about adopting Carly and couldn’t wait to bring her into his family.

This past weekend, Bitler and Marley stopped by Larimer Humane Society’s community outreach booth at the Corn Roast Festival in Loveland to give us an update on how things have been going since Bitler became Marley’s proud owner.

Bitler reports that Marley has settled in very well to her new dog and human “pack,” and in true “Goofball” fashion (Carly’s Meet Your Match “Canine-ality” while she was at the shelter), she loves to be silly and playful every chance she gets. Bitler also mentioned that Carly is still very much a princess and loves to be the center of attention.

Congratulations to Bitler and Marley for finding each other and building a lasting bond. Their story reminds us of the joy and fulfillment that can come from adopting a shelter animal!

“We are Family” Super Adoption Event

Get up everybody and sing! Larimer Humane Society is joining forces with Fort Collins Cat Rescue and Animal House Rescue and Grooming for our first joint super adoption event! Join us on Saturday, July 16th from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Poudre Pet and Feed’s north (622 North College Avenue, Fort Collins) and south store (6204 South College Avenue) locations in Fort Collins.  Healthy cats and dogs of virtually every size, age, color and personality from the three organizations will be available for adoption.  Adoption fees for dogs age one year and over will be discounted to $50; puppies can be adopted at their regular adoption fees.  Adult cats age one year and over will have their adoption fees waived entirely; kittens will be available for $50.  For more information , contact our Community Relations team by calling 970-226-3647 ext. 142.