Welcome to our third quarterly newsletter! We're excited to ring in the 2022 new year with our wonderful and supportive community. The last quarter of 2021 brought us a generous Season of Giving, bpuntiful donations, and several happy tails as a result. Keep reading below to learn more about our exciting end-of-year news and festivities. 

October 2021

Our October was spook-tacular, and filled with both tricks and treats for shelter staff. 

Upcycle It!

Volunteers truly make our world go round. A few months back, we were contacted by the lovely students at the UI Sustainability Center. They were looking to organize an event to benefit the animals in our care while promoting sustainable practices among their peers. The group decided on an "Upcycle It!" event to breathe new life into old T-shirts. Attendees were taught how to turn old shirts into tote bags and several different kinds of dog toys. By the end of the event, students had sent us back with 48 handmade dog toys! Our pups have been loving these so far, and it's great knowing they came from recycled materials. We would like to give a huge thank you to everyone who attended and made this event possible. If you'd like more information about how to make your own dog toys or set up a donation drive to benefit our animals, please visit our website.

Big Bunny Brothers

On October 16th, these two gorgeous rabbits were hopping around town before being found and brought to our facility. Staff was immediately head-over-heels for their giant ears and thumpers. The two brothers were soon identified as potential chinchilla rabbits, but no owner ever came forward to claim the handsome duo. Since they were never claimed by an owner, we gave them each a name and began preparing them for adoption. The two brothers were named Phineas and Ferb, and they are just as fun as their cartoon character namesakes! Phineas and Ferb were quickly neutered and vaccinated, and now these two brothers are ready for their forever home! Phineas and Ferb can be adopted together or separately, but they will each need a very large enclosure to accommodate their size. The brothers love treats (especially fresh veggies) and are warming up be being pet and handled by people. We are very happy to have Phineas and Ferb, but we also can't wait to send them off to their forever homes! Below you'll see a few of our favorite pictures of the pair. 

Ringworm Outbreak

Remember how October was filled with tricks and treats? This is where the 'trick' part comes into play. In late September, we had a few kittens arrive at HSoP with ringworm. This fungal infection of the skin is not life threatening, but it can cause hair loss, irritation, inflamed skin, and is highly transmissible in both humans and animals. When we first noticed the ringworm, we provided treatment and implemented cleaning and sanitizing protocols to limit the spread of infection. Despite our best efforts, the fungus made its way through the shelter until several of our cats and kittens began showing signs. Ringworm is highly contagious and is spread through fomite transmission. Unfortunately, ringworm spores can be spread through contact from infected animals, infected bedding, and infected supplies. Our staff has worked diligently over the past few months to eliminate the spread of transmission and provide treatment for those infected. Animals who contract ringworm can be asymptomatic for many months. Because of this, we are testing every animal who had ringworm to ensure the fungal infection is completely gone prior to adopting them into their forever homes. We are beginning to see the light at the end of the fungus tunnel! 

HSoP has rarely encountered ringworm these last few years, so we were alarmed at the influx of animals arriving with this fungal infection in 2021. We sought out advice and information from local veterinarians and animal welfare organizations and found that ringworm has been running rampant in the Palouse region. Ringworm is being diagnosed in many household pets, homeless pets, and even wild animals in our area. While it has been an uphill battle, we feel confident in our protocols and efforts to provide every animal at HSoP with the highest quality of care.

November 2021

New Shelter Camera

Throughout the year, HSoP sees countless cute and cuddly faces. When it comes time for the animals in our care to find their forever homes, we take photos of these cute and cuddly faces to share with potential adopters online. These photos are generally the first impression that adopters see when beginning the search for a new pet, and they can really make an impact. A dark and blurry image of a dog can turn away families who may otherwise be interested, but a bright and focused photo of the dog smiling may inspire a different outcome. A good quality image can make all the difference in motivating adopters to come in and meet a specific animal. For this reason, HSoP purchased a camera that staff can use with ease. We feel that this asset will help immensely in highlighting the beauty and personality of each pet in our care. The camera arrived in late November, and we have already had so much fun photographing our pets in their best light. Stay tuned for more cute photos of HSoP shelter pets! 

Photographed on our new camera. Walker Texas Ranger found his home in December 2021! 

#GivingTuesday

Since 2012, the Tuesday following Thanksgiving has been reserved for #GivingTuesday. This international movement is meant to inspire radical generosity in communities big and small across the world. The main idea encourages people to get out and give to the causes that matter most to them. Giving can take form as financial contributions, donations of supplies, and even time spent volunteering! GivingTuesday 2021 took place on November 30th, and we are beyond grateful to our community members for their continued support. This GivingTuesday, HSoP saw $960 in donations come in. These funds allow us to continue our mission of providing food, shelter, vaccines, and medical care to homeless pets in Latah County. We are incredibly thankful for the generosity we saw on GivingTuesday this year, and we hope to see the same radical generosity on GivingTuesday in 2022. 

Schnitzel's Story

In early November, a stray pup was found in Genesee and brought to our facility for care. Upon her arrival, HSoP staff quickly noticed that she wouldn't put any weight on her left hind leg. The sweet pup (who we named Schnitzel) was taken to Animal Clinic & Hospital for X-rays, where it was discovered she had a broken femur which required surgery. The wonderful staff at Animal Clinic performed her surgery the very next day and got her started on the road to recovery. Schnitzel received a successful corrective surgery through our Merlin Fund for lifesaving medical care. This fund is reserved for emergency and life-saving medical care, and is made possible through donations from our generous supporters. In a Facebook post highlighting Schnitzel's story, our community donated $425 to go toward future Merlin Fund recipients. Thank you for helping us to give Schnitzel a second chance! This gorgeous girl stayed with us throughout her recovery, and found a home in no time when she was ready for adoption. Below you'll see Schnitzel and a photo of her X-ray before the surgery. 

December 2021

Pet Pictures with Santa

December brings Christmas music, snow, hot chocolate, and the most festive HSoP fundraiser of the year. Our annual Pet Pictures with Santa event returned once again in 2021, and we were so excited by the turnout! On December 3rd and 4th, Santa came to visit all the pets on his nice list at Pets Are People Too in Moscow. For a donation of $15, owners received two digital photos of their pet with Santa Claus. This was also a great opportunity for us to put our new shelter camera to use! Between the two days, we saw 82 pets come in to meet Jolly old Saint Nick. This event not only sparked holiday joy, but it also raised $1,415 to go towards care for the pets in our facility! This event wouldn't be possible without our wonderful partners at Pets Are People Too. We would also like to thank Mr. Claus for taking time out of his busy schedule to help raise funds for local homeless pets. This event signaled the end of our 2021 fundraisers, and we look forward to seeing you all during our events in 2022! Our first fundraiser is the annual HSoP Soup and Pie Luncheon, which is set to take place on February 28th. Be sure to keep an eye out for more information as we get closer to the event date. 

AGMP

In 2009, a small group of Latah County locals were looking to promote charitable giving across the Palouse region. With this common goal in mind, Alternative Giving Market of the Palouse (AGMP) was founded. The concept of AGMP is simple: offer residents an alternative to regular gift-giving practices around the holidays. In this case, residents have the alternative to 'shop' local nonprofits and then make contributions to those they feel most drawn to. Now in its 14th year, AGMP is well-loved and more alive than ever before. In 2021, AGMP featured 30 local nonprofits including HSoP. Online giving was open from November 26th to December 18th, and there was a four-hour-long in-person event on December 11th. In total, AGMP facilitated $53,720 in donations for local nonprofits. Of this, $2,833 was raised for the animals at HSoP. We could not be more grateful for the generosity of our community members! Once again, AGMP continues to make a difference in every corner of Latah County. Thank you to everyone who made AGMP 2021 another success! 

Sully's Recovery

In November, our partners in rescue at Idaho Animal Rescue Network had a severely malnourished pup come into their care. Estimated to be four months old, he weighed about half of what he should have - just 15 pounds. The sweet little pup (lovingly named Sully) spent nine days in the vet hospital fighting to gain his strength. Once he was stable enough to be moved, Sully was transferred to our facility for continued care. With multiple feedings per day, Sully managed to build his mental and physical strength to the point that he is able to play around like any normal pup. Sully made huge strides in his time with Idaho Animal Rescue Network and HSoP. We are extremely happy to share that Sully is a happy and healthy boy who already has a forever home all lined up! Below you'll see a photo of Sully when he was first taken in, and a photo of him post-recovery.

HSoP animals currently available for adoption:

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