Welcome to our tenth quarterly newsletter! Here, you'll find a summary of everything that's happened at HSoP in the last few months. From fundraisers, to events, to stories about some of our most special animals, you'll get a behind-the-scenes look at a few of our favorite shelter highlights.

July 2023

Tri-State Outfitters Benefit Sale

For the last several years, Tri-State Outfitters in Moscow has hosted a benefit sale to support HSoP. By pledging a donation of $5 per pair of shoes sold, Tri-State makes it easy to upgrade your closet while supporting pets in need at our local animal shelter. This year's benefit sale ran from June 9th to June 11th, and our community showed up in full force to support our mission! In early July, the nice folks from Tri-State Outfitters hand-delivered us a check for $1,025. This is a substantial sum of money for our shelter, and we are so grateful to Tri-State Outfitters and our community members who purchased shoes during the event for making this donation possible! We are so incredibly thankful for these funds that allow to continue serving our community. Thank you to Tri-State and everyone who purchased shoes during the event!

Change for Good Program

At the end of June, we learned that HSoP was chosen as one of three recipients for the Moscow Food Co-op Change for Good program! This program provides patrons with a "5-cent token" for each reusable bag, mug, jar, or container they bring in store. These tokens can then be donated to one of three recipients at the cash register. HSoP was featured in the program from July through September, along with Palouse Clearwater Environmental Institute (PCEI) and SMART Transit. All of the funds we receive from Change for Good will be directed to our Merlin Fund for lifesaving and emergency medical care. Thank you to everyone who has supported our shelter through Change for Good these last few months! Be sure to bring some reusable items along the next time you visit the co-op, and lend a hand to local nonprofits.

NW Wado-Ryu Adoption Event

On Saturday, July 15th, we brought some of our adoptable cats and kittens to Northwest Wado-Ryu in hopes of finding their loving forever homes. NW Wado-Ryu and Pets Are People Too each sponsored some half-off adoption fees to help the cause. We saw one adult cat and one adorable little kitten be adopted in just two hours! After the event, the remaining sponsored adoptions helped a third cat and three of our adoptable dogs go home for half the usual fee. We are so grateful to NW Wado-Ryu and Pets Are People Too for making this adoption event such a success! It's wonderful getting to bring our pets out into the community and meet adopters where they're at. Take a look below at adorable Fried Egg, who was adopted into a loving home of his own during the event:

HSoP Meat & Greet

We joined forces with the wonderful people at Happy Hog Meatery on Wednesday, July 26th for a "Meat & Greet" with HSoP. The event provided an opportunity for our local community members to meet the people behind HSoP, learn about the progams and services we offer, and raise much-needed funds to continue our mission here in Latah County. Happy Hog Meatery grilled up some delicious sausages to benefit our cause, and attendees got to enjoy some tasty drinks from Moscow Brewing Company next door. The event brought plenty of animal lovers together and successfully raised $540 for HSoP! We're incredibly grateful to Happy Hog Meatery for hosting us and organizing the event, and for all of the generous and dedicated people who were able to attend.

August 2023

Beetle's Journey to See Clearly

In early August, a woman in Deary found a tiny sick kitten next to a culvert. She brought the kitten to HSoP, and we determined the orange baby was female and roughly 6 weeks old. To go along with some other bug-named kitties, we decided to name her Beetle! Upon arrival, Beetle was battling a nasty upper respiratory infection (URI). We started Beetle on some medicine to help clear out the infection, and she unfortunately got worse before we saw any improvement.

For a while, her appearance made us concerned that Beetle would never be able to use her eyes like a normal cat. They had been closed shut for weeks, and we hadn't seen any significant improvements. We took her to be examined at Animal Clinic and Hospital, and her vet was also concerned that Beetle would lose both of her eyes. We monitored her closely while we continued her URI treatment. Slowly but surely, Beetle started to open her eyes! One day our staff came in and were delighted to see a little half-open eyeball peering back at them. Beetle could finally see! It took a few days for her to fully open her eyes, and she had lots of fun getting familiar with all the new sights in and around her kennel. Take a look below at Beetle's progress throughout August!

While her eyes were closed, the third lid on Beetle's left eye fused to her top eyelid. Our veterinarians plan to snip this little piece of skin during her spay surgery, which should allow Beetle to open and close her left eye just like she can her right eye. Beetle has made leaps and bounds in her time at HSoP, and has grown into quite the rambunctious little thing. She should be ready to meet people in our lobby soon, and we just can't wait for Beetle to find a loving family of her own! She's quite the special kitty, and we are all so proud of how far she's come.

Cat Video Fest

Each year, the Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre in Moscow hosts a showing of Cat Video Fest. If you aren't familiar, Cat Video Fest is a compilation reel of the funniest, most chaotic, and memorable cat videos that the internet has to offer. If you've owned a cat, or have spent much time on the internet, then you know all about cats and their hilarious antics. The compilation reel is updated with new submissions every year, ensuring there's always something to keep you purr-fectly amused. Cat Video Fest is truly fun for the whole family, and even helps local pets in need! The Kenworthy donates a portion of each ticket sold to HSoP, so we can continue to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome pets who need our care. With the help of our supportive and cat-loving community, the Kenworthy was able to donate $320 to HSoP this year. While greeting attendees at the theater, movie-goers donated an additional $209 to support HSoP's mission. We are so grateful to the Kenworthy, and everyone who made it out to see Cat Video Fest! We hope you can make it to next year's showing, too.

Porsche Club Donation Drive

Our community is truly amazing, and we are reminded of that each and every day. In July, we were contacted by Mike McCollough of the Inland Northwest Region of the Porsche Club of America (INWR PCA). He was interested in setting up a donation drive to support our shelter while also highlighting some beautiful classic cars. Mike took the reins and planned a "Cars & Coffee" meet up, with an emphasis on collecting donations for HSoP. The meetup took place outside of the Moscow Petco on Saturday, August 5th and ran from 9:00-11:00am. Take a look below at some of the wonderful donations that were collected in only two hours! We are so grateful to Mike, the rest of INWR PCA, and everyone else who made a donation during the meetup. Supply donations truly keep our shelter running the way it needs to, and we are incredibly humbled to have a community who cares so much about the work we do. Thank you!

Clear the Shelters

Each year, HSoP participates in Clear the Shelters. This national campaign is intended to promote pet adoption through waived and reduced adoption fees in an effort to "clear" out animal shelters and make room for other pets in need. We participated in Clear the Shelters from August 21st through August 26th, and it was a huge success! With the help of some amazing community sponsors, we were able to offer half-priced and fully-waived adoption fees for all of the pets in our care. Thanks to Clear the Shelters, six adorable cats and kittens were adopted in just one week! Our dogs took some extra time finding their perfect matches, but by the first week of September, five of our pups had also found loving forever homes. This made a huge difference in opening our doors for more pets in need of care, and we are incredibly grateful for that. Take a look below at some of the adoption photos for pets who went home thanks to Clear the Shelters!

We owe a huge thank you to our sponsors for making this adoption event possible once again. Thank you to Moscow Realty, O'Brien Real Estate, Red Star Coffee, Moscow Tattoo Company, and the HSoP Board of Directors for helping our pets go home with their new best friends! We appreciate your help more than we can say.

Marshall's Adoption Story

This is the story of Marshall, a sweet, loving, and very vocal Treeing Walker Coonhound who found his perfect forever home from hundreds of miles away. Marshall arrived at HSoP as an owner surrender in June of this year. His previous family loved Marshall dearly, but they lived in the middle of the city which wasn't ideal for Marshall's passion of singing to his heart's content. In an effort to save his neighbor's ears and find Marshall a better-suited home, this floppy-eared 3-year-old boy was brought to the shelter.

Upon arrival, Marshall seemed very unsure of his surroundings. He was nervous around our staff for the first two weeks until he finally began to show his true self. After about three weeks at the shelter, Marshall seemed like an entirely different dog! He was friendly with all of our visitors and volunteers, and no longer held himself back from singing his hound songs throughout the dog kennels. This boy was outgoing, sweet as can be, and well tempered. All that was missing was his perfect home and family! He received interest from several local pet-lovers, but it wasn't until a couple from 300+ miles away saw his listing online that the stars began to align for dear Marshall.

The couple who found his listing was from Western Washington. They loved hounds dearly, and were actively seeking a rescue hound who was available for adoption. Being so familiar with the breed, this couple felt they should open their home for a hound in need. In their search, they found Marshall! The couple reached out to HSoP to learn more, and then made the five hour drive across Washington to come meet him in person. It was love at first sight and Marshall went home with his new family that day! Marshall has been living in his new home in Washington for a full month now, and seems to be absolutely thriving. His new parents live on several acres of land and even have a dedicated music room, so there's no shortage of places to sing! There are also some horses on the property which have been very interesting to Marshall so far. This wonderful guy gained two canine siblings in his new home and they already get along great! We truly couldn't have dreamed of a better home for Marshall. Please enjoy these updated pictures of Marshall enjoying life in his new home:

September 2023

Kielbasa's Happy Homecoming

There is almost no better feeling than seeing our shelter pets thrive in their new homes! This is the story of Kielbasa, a big handsome guy who is having the best time ever after finding his people.

Kielbasa arrived at HSoP as a stray back in April 2023. From day one, he was just a goofy, excited, and loving dog! He started meeting adopters and went home with some wonderful folks in early June. Unfortunately, Kielbasa made a bad habit of chasing the kitties in his new home which was not a safe situation. Kielbasa came back to HSoP about a week later to find a new home, this time without any cats or small animals to chase. Kielbasa spent a few more months at HSoP waiting for his family to find him. He enjoyed lots of walks with volunteers and was always happy to make new friends while he waited. Kielbasa's tail was always wagging, and he had one of the best pittie smiles we've ever seen! Finally, on September 1st, a group came in asking to meet Kielbasa in all his goofy glory. They met him and instantly fell in love! They applied to adopt him immediately, and Kielbasa was able go home that very same day. Since moving into his new home, Kielbasa seems to be absolutely thriving. Enjoy a few pictures of him living his best life with his forever family! Kielbasa's story is just one example of how finding the right home can take a few tries. The time he spent waiting for adoption seemed to pay off, and we are so happy for this lovable guy and his new best friends!

Howling at Hamilton

We host plenty of exciting annual fundraisers, but Howling at Hamilton is probably our favorite day of the year! After all, who wouldn't love a canine-only pool party with hundreds of happy dogs romping around? Howling at Hamilton takes place at Hamilton-Lowe Aquatic Center in Moscow, on the last day of the season before pools are drained and prepared for winter. This year's doggie pool party happened on September 10th, and we saw 341 dogs attend in just five hours! Everyone had a tail-wagging good time, and there was no shortage of tennis balls to chase around thanks to a generous donation from the UI Men's and Women's Tennis Teams. Our annual pool-jumping contest took place at 5:00pm, and we were astounded by how far some of these dogs could fly! Pictured below is Margo, who blew her competition out of the water by leaping an impressive 20 feet and 3 inches into the pool! The top three dogs went home with marvelous prize baskets, thanks to our good friends at Idaho Central Credit Union. We are so proud of Margo and all the other dogs who made a splash during the contest!

When all was said and done, Howling at Hamilton generated more than $5,800 for HSoP! This amount is hugely impactful, and will allow us to continue our important work of helping those who cannot help themselves in Latah County. Howling at Hamilton has been a beloved community event since it began back in 2008, and we are so glad to see local dogs attend year after year. We are extremely grateful to the City of Moscow Parks and Recreation Department, Hamilton-Lowe Aquatics Center, and all of their staff for working to make this unique and exciting fundraiser possible each year. We would also like to thank the HSoP Board of Directors and students from the WSU Center for Civic Engagement for volunteering to help the event run smoothly!

We made sure to take photos during the whole fundraiser, and uploaded 277 pictures to our Facebook page for paw-rents to look through and enjoy. Take a look below at some of our favorite pictures we managed to take during all the fun!

Pups n' Pints Fundraiser

The Moscow Alehouse has always been a generous supporter of HSoP. Recently, they threw an exciting dog-friendly party to benefit our cause! "Pups n' Pints" took place Sunday, September 17th from 1:00-5:00pm. Wendy Smiley Johnson, owner of the Alehouse, lined up a whole afternoon of fun activities to enjoy. There was live music from several local musicians, an adorable photo booth, puppy snow-cones a plenty, raffle prizes up the wazzu, food and drink, and lots of wading pools for our doggie friends to relax, splash, and cool off in. The event attracted dozens of local four-legged friends and their parents in just a few hours. When the event came to an end, it had successfully raised $858 for HSoP! We are so grateful to Wendy, her Moscow Alehouse staff, and everyone who took time out of their day to come out and support our mission. Pups n' Pints was such a a fun and memorable event, and we look forward to planning more events with the Alehouse down the line. Take a look below at some photos of the fun!

Upcoming Events!

Mark your calendar for these upcoming events and fundraisers! We'll be sure to share more details as time goes on, but it's always good to know these dates ahead of time. We can't wait for all of the pet-loving fun we have planned; be sure to join us!

Half-Priced Pet ID - Entire month of October

Our 1/2 price pet ID special is back! For the entire month of October, you can create a custom pet name tag for $4 and have your pet equipped with lifelong microchip ID for just $15 at HSoP. Microchips are offered by appointment only, so please give us a call at (208) 883-1166 to get on the schedule. Name tags are always available during open hours, between 2:00-6:00pm Monday through Saturday. Pet ID is crucial in reuniting lost pets with their families. Don't wait to take advantage of this special offer!

Wine Raffle Fundraiser - October 16th - October 30th, winners drawn on 30th

Last year, our first ever wine raffle fundraiser generated nearly $1,400 for HSoP. We're excited to be hosting a second wine raffle this October! Donors include Merry Cellars, Dutton-Goldfield, Vine Moscow, and Colter's Creek. Tickets will be sold online, and there will be 7 prizes up for grabs! Stay tuned for more information.

Cat Adoption Event - Saturday, October 14th from 11:00-1:00pm

Stop by Pets Are People Too, located at 428 Troy Rd in Moscow on Saturday, October 14th to meet our adoptable cats and kittens! We'll have snuggly feline friends looking for new homes, and we would just love to see you there. Be sure to stop by and say hi!

Veterans Adopt Free - Friday, November 10th and Saturday, November 11th

To honor our nation's veterans and their sacrifices, HSoP will be offering waived pet adoption fees for prior and active duty service members on Friday, November 10th and Saturday, November 11th from 2:00-6:00pm. All you have to do is show valid Military ID to take your new best friend home completely free of charge.

Pet Pictures with Santa - Friday, December 1st and Saturday, December 2nd

Santa is coming to Moscow once again! Each year, Santa helps us raise much needed funds by taking adorable Christmas photos with local pets. We will be at the Moscow Pets Are People Too Friday, December 1st from 3:00-6:00pm and Saturday, December 2nd from 11:00-4:00pm to help your pets get the purrr-fect picture with Santa. All proceeds benefit HSoP, and we hope to see you there!

HSoP animals currently available for adoption:

Get in Touch