Are You Looking for a Pet?

The pets on this site are spayed/neutered, leukemia negative (cats) or heartworm negative and on preventative (dogs), have had their shots, have been wormed, and their purrsonalities have been assessed. The only thing they're missing is a home. How about yours?

DOGS                         CATS

These are just a few of the many wonderful cats and dogs we have waiting patiently to be adopted. Please consider taking one in. You and the cat or dog will be so happy that you did.
And when you adopt one of our animals, we can rescue another one in need.

Pal Celebrates 10th Birthday

Over the past ten years we have been able to accomplish so much because of your help and support. We are so grateful to all the PAL volunteers who have helped in the past and to those who continue to help to this day. We are thankful for the donations of cash, land, quilts to raffle off, and good quality items to the PAL Thrift Store on Joerschke Drive. (As you know, our thrift store funds our many activities.) We appreciate the veterinarians who work with us and give us discounts. And we are indebted to the media for continuing to help us get the word out about our services and about the animals who need help.

Over the past decade, PAL has found homes for thousands of animals. We have placed many of them through our foster home program, where pets are kept until they find a home -- no one is ever euthanized. Or, through our referral program, we have united the four- legged and two-legged who are looking for each other. It's very gratifying knowing an animal has been spared from going to the pound/shelter or has been rescued from there to live another day (actually a lifetime). Thank you to those of you who have adopted a homeless cat or dog.

Thanks to you we have spent thousands of dollars over the past ten years to help people spay and neuter their pets when they were not able to afford it. In the past three years alone we have spent over $75,000 to accomplish this goal. We have helped with either part or all of the payment and have been happy to do it. When PAL started, roughly 4,000 animals were being euthanized at the shelter (we only had one at the time). Now, under 1,000 were euthanized last year at the two local shelters. That's still 1,000 too many, but we believe that spaying and neutering has been a major contributor to the drop in euthanasia.

A few years ago PAL started intensively spaying and neutering feral cats. These cats are released back to their habitat after recovering from surgery, vaccinations, health tests, and worming. PAL volunteers feed them every day and shelter is provided. While some will say that it's better to kill the feral cats, we simply can't bring ourselves to follow this line of thinking. We consider it our place to help rather than hurt. In this way, the cats can live out their lives without reproducing. Thank you to those of you who have taken in some of these cats -- we appreciate that you made a place for them.

Because of the PAL humane education teachers, children learn the difference between being a negligent, so-so guardian, and a responsible, caring one. Students and teachers alike love the program and ask us back every year. We are grateful that they invite us to share what we know so that the students' education is complete -- one that recognizes all its citizens. (Humane education is actually required by law, but few educators know this even though the statute has been on the books since the 1950's. If your school wants to comply, let us know.)

Writing and distributing this newsletter also seems to have a positive impact. People say they learn a lot, get good ideas, and gain a greater respect for animals.

We spend hours on the telephone with folks, too, trying to help them with behavior problems, other issues that come up with their pets, and/or directing them to someone who can give them more information, and/or we send them to the PAL Thrift Store where we stock many articles related to the latest in pet care.

Three years ago we started the Woof Over My Head program. Many of you have donated and/or built and/or painted cat and dog houses to be given to people who can't afford to buy them. Hundreds of houses have been distributed to thankful dogs and cats (and their people, of course).

Every year we give literally tons of pet food to people who are feeding feral cats and/or to people who run out of pet food before they get their next paycheck.

PAL's 90% basic dog obedience rebate has kept dogs out of the pound. People sometimes simply don't know what to do to rectify a behavior problem, and they feel that there is no alternative but to "get rid of" the dog. They also can't afford the dog training. We have received feedback from people who took us up on our offer and were able to keep their dogs.

Awareness, we feel, has also been heightened. Certainly, there are still people who feel that the four- legged animals in our population are second class citizens. But we see many more people wanting to do the right thing by their furry family members, whether it's spaying and neutering, feeding the best food, providing the safest and happiest environment, getting the best veterinary care, etc. And, it appears to be happening all over the country. Thank you all for helping PAL make all this possible.

Emily Does It Again!

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Bob and Emily Wheeler have donated another gorgeous quilt to the Pet Adoption League to be raffled off. It measures 52 X 68, with 35 alternating squares of cats and dogs, and comes with a darling bag to fold it into when it's not in use

• Tickets are $1.00 each or 6 for $5.00.
• The drawing is June 16.

The photo here shows just part of it, and doesn't do it justice. Come see it at the PAL Thrift Store on Joerschke Drive in Grass Valley, Monday - Saturday, 10am - 4pm.

Advice for Feral Cat Adoptions

People are usually reluctant to adopt feral (wild) cats because what they really want are lap-sitting, affectionate, cuddly cats.

If they are adopted young enough, though, feral cats will often come around and become very loving friends.

Catherine and Alan Johnston adopted two semi-feral kittens from us in January. Here's what they did to help the cats settle in.

When Sherre Beisel, the foster mom for Sugar and Spice delivered the girls in their pet-taxi, Catherine had prepared the guest bathroom for them with a clean litter box, fresh water, food they were used to eating, and blankets for the cabinet under the sink where she knew they would want to hide. The cats were very frightened.

It's recommended that cats be put in a room by themselves when they are first adopted so they can get used to the place in their own time. Sometimes it's overwhelming to them to have the run of the house right from the start. This is especially true of feral cats. Cats, in general, also like low, dark places when they're frightened, so the combination of a small room and a place to hide was a perfect set-up for these two. For several days, Catherine would play calming classical music on the stereo, saying their names in a soothing tone and talking to them. She feels that sitting on the floor and saying their names over and over really helped. "The key here, as with everything," says Catherine, "is patience.

Animals as well as people will let you know what they want, if you just listen. If you listen, they will too!"

A few days later, Catherine left the bathroom door open so they could wander out when they were ready. They moved from hiding under the sink to hiding under the guest bed. Several times a day she would sit on the floor, gently lift the bed covers, look at them and talk softly, making sure she used their names over and over. In addition, there was always plenty of fresh food, clean water, and a clean litter box.

Eventually they began to spend more time under the dining room table so they could watch Catherine, Alan, Clyde (the resident cat), and Roger (the resident dog).

Their transformation was not instantaneous. In fact, about six weeks into the adoption, Catherine wondered if she was going to be able to persevere. Now, however, the cats go all over the house, sleep with them in bed, and generally feel more at home every day.

Catherine believes that letting them on the bed is "absolutely essential" to getting them socialized and comfortable with their new home. In fact, Sugar, who still can't be picked up, likes to be petted and is at her most ffectionate when she's on the bed.

This is when she comes over, "gets in your face," and purrs loudly.

Spice is veryloving in the bed, too, but also follows Catherine and Alan around, loudly asks for attention and affection, but it took about three months to get to this stage.

Any new pets in the house, especially feral or shy cats, must feel safe and loved. Using their names repeatedly and being patient is of utmost importance.

Intuition and tuning in to the cats really helped, too. Nothing was forced on them. They were allowed to come around in their own time and now Sugar and Spice are playful, relaxed, happy cats. Have Room For Us?

Cat Enclosure Kit

In the last newsletter, we told you about cat enclosures. We have since come across a company that sells kits for enclosures. There is still some assembly required, but everything is pre-measured and pre-cut.

C&D Products of Petaluma, California offers enclosures that are 6'x 6'x 6' with solid redwood, 2" x 3" galvanized wire, roof, door, and three shelves for the cats to sit on. You can buy additional panels, shelves and height extensions.

They also sell scratching posts, window perches, and pet steps.

You can call C&D Pet Products at 888/554-7387 or see their products at www.cdpets.com. Their e-mail address is scottr@cdpets.com. You can also see their brochure at our thrift store on Joerschke Drive.

Deer Me!

The Grass Valley Downtown Association has stocked the town with deer. The idea was borrowed from the successful Chi-cow-go enterprise, which had colorful, cleverly designed and painted cows all over Chicago to help raise funds for various nonprofit organizations.

John Odell is sponsoring the Pet Adoption League deer that appears in front of his place of business, John Odell Realty & Construction at 123 Mill Street.

The PAL deer was created by the Nevada Union High School Art Department and titled Nahoia Warrior.

All the deer can be seen around Grass Valley until June 22 when they will be auctioned off on the corner of Mill Street and Main Street in Grass Valley.

For more information about the deer, you can call the Grass Valley Downtown Association at 272-8315 or go to www.ncgold.com/gvda.