Pet of the Week

"My name is Coral Belle, I am a beautiful Calico that is about 1 year old. I was never able to be a real kitten, so I still like to play; I am sweet, loving and quiet… well until meal time, then I really talk. I will need to warm up to you bit, but once I trust you, I will purr for you and sit in your lap! I was a young mother, now spayed and ready for my forever home with you! Go online to www.valleyhumane.org or www.facebook.com/ValleyHumaneSociety to see our other adoptable dogs and cats waiting for you! Valley Humane Society is located at 3670 Nevada Street in Pleasanton and is open Tues- Sat from 11AM to 5PM. Call us at 925-426-8656 for more information”

Photo courtesy of David Smith

Write-up courtesy of Guin Van Dyke

Blog Redesign

Welcome back to the brand new VHS Blog!
We know it has been out of "service" for a while, but it is getting booted back up bigger and better than ever.
Expect to see more photos, more stories, more Pet of the Weeks, and more updates, more often!

I hope you look forward to it.

Top 15 Update

Here is an update for the Top 15 (currently) in the Calendar Contest!

1. Photo 15 Sydney (590 votes)

2. Photo 14 Dublin & Zoe (431 votes)

3. Photo 18 Buddy C (420 votes)

4. Photo 67 Mocha (336 votes)

5. Photo 16 Buddy W. (305 votes)

6. Photo 58 Buddy A. (215 votes)

7. Photo 29 Martini (181 votes)

8. Photo 36 Alfie (146 votes)

9. Photo 60 Lucy (130 votes)

10. Photo 31 Bichette (121 votes)

12. Photo 12 Three Brothers (110 votes)

12. Photo 13 Moses (110 votes)

13. Photo 19 Betty & Wilma (105 votes)

14. Photo 27 Licorice (85 votes)

15. Photo 15 Cookie (78 votes)

Total votes: 4169

Keep voting folks! The contest doesn't end for another 10 days!

http://www.valleyhumane.org/index.php?s=contest

Save Our Shelter, Events and Fundraisers

Hi everybody!
As you may have heard, VHS is in a tough spot right now financially, and we risk closing!
First off, thank you to those who have already donated to help "Save our Shelter". Your dedication and support is extremely appreciated.

Second, I wanted to let you all know of some upcoming fundraisers and events that you can participate in to help save Valley Humane Society.

Here is a list and please feel free to "Like" our VHS Facebook page by clicking here, for more current updates and events.

Electronic Waste Fundraiser
Saturday, August 6 9AM to 4PM
Concord High School
4200 Concord Blvd, Concord, 94521
Donate your e-waste and part of the proceeds go back to VHS!

TGI Fridays Fundraiser
Tuesday, August 9 & Thursday, August 11 11 AM to 12 AM
Pleasanton TGI Fridays
3999 Santa Rita Rd, Pleasanton 94566
Hand the waiter the TGI Fridays/VHS flyer when you pay and 20% of your bill will be donated back to VHS.

*Flyer is posted on www.valleyhumane.org*

Roundtable Pizza Fundraiser
Sunday, August 14 11AM-9PM & Thursday, August 18 4PM-9PM
Downtown Pleasanton Roundtable
530 Main Street, Pleasanton, 94566
Hand the waiter the Roundtable/VHS flyer when you pay and 25% of your bill will be donated back to VHS.

Animal Blessing
Sunday, August 28 3 PM
Methodist Church
4444 Black Ave, Pleasanton 94566
Have your animal blessed this special day and help support VHS and a local church.

Ongoing Fundraisers

Calendar Contest Voting August 4– August 31
Www.valleyhumane.org
Place your bets for the pets and vote online for the top 13 photos to be placed in a 2012 Valley Humane Society calendar. Votes are just $1 and ALL proceeds go directly to the orphaned animals of VHS.

Precision AutoRepair Donation Matching August 1-August 31
164-A Wyoming St, Pleasanton
Precision Auto Repair is matching all donations made to VHS during the month of August (up to a predetermined amount) by visiting their business.

Lia Sophia Fundraiser August 1– August 21
http://liasophia.com/sites​/vivianbrandt/how-to-purch​ase and type in “Gwyn Bailey”
Shop online at Lia Sophia and 10% of sales is donated back to VHS!

Valley Humane Society: Pet of the Week Robin

“Robin is a cat who has been waiting for her forever home for almost a year now. She is a beautiful muted calico who recently celebrated her first birthday. Although she is a bit shy at first, once she bonds to her special someone, she is lovable and trusting. Please help this kitty find her forever home. To learn more information about adopting her and possibly becoming a foster family for some of our other animals in need, call 925-426-8656 or visit the website www.valleyhumane.org. Valley Humane Society is located at 3670 Nevada Street in Pleasanton and is open Tues- Sat from 11AM to 5PM.”

2012 Calendar Contest!

Wanna Make Your Pet a Star?

Submit photos of your favorite companion from

July 1, 2011 through July 22, 2011 and enter your cute pet into our 2011 Calendar Contest!

Photos may be submitted to Melissa at VHS via email to mbonnel@valleyhumane.org

or mail them to

VHS Calendar Contest, 3670 Nevada Street, Pleasanton, CA 94566

Each submission is $15. (please note: not all photos submitted make it into the top 50 for voting)

Guidelines

- No cell phone photos are accepted.

- No people in photos.

All companion animal photos are welcome: dogs, cats, birds, pigs, reptiles, etc.

Online public voting for the Top 50 photos will begin at midnight on August 4, 2011 and end at midnight on August 31, 2011.

Calendars will be available for purchase in November.

All proceeds from the calendar contest benefit the homeless pets of Valley Humane Society. Give us a call for more information at 925.426.8656.

www.valleyhumane.org

Maddie's Matchmaker Adoptathon

By: Cheryl Palange

How much is that doggie in the window? This weekend, the answer was “nothing.” Thanks to the generosity of Dave and Cheryl Duffield of http://www.maddiesfund.org/ and http://www.maddiesadoptathon.org who pledged $2 million to save 2,000 pets across more than 40 shelters in a single weekend, we were able to place 88 lucky kittens, cats and dogs in their new forever homes. Last year we placed 56 in two days, which we surpassed by four o’clock on day one this year.

Adoptions were free to families adopting animals during the event. Maddie’s Fund will pay each shelter or rescue group $500 for every dog/cat adopted. And to make sure no pet is left behind; $1000 will be given for every adoption of a senior or treatable pet and $1500 for every adoption of a senior pet with a medical condition. VHS anticipates receiving $45,000 from this year’s event.

The unseasonable June storm didn’t damper our spirits or enthusiasm on what turned out to be an incredible weekend to debut our beautiful, new facility to the public. VHS held adoptions at our new facility as well as at Stoneridge Mall with several other rescue groups. Rescue organizations with kittens, cats and dogs were located in the mall’s center court and proved to be at least as popular as Santa and his elves at the holiday.

The kittens were very popular and were scooped up quickly. Other notable rescues for the weekend include:

• Phoebe – a senior kitty who was adopted from VHS about 5 years ago, but returned recently after losing her owner to cancer. Roberta lives on her own and had been looking for a kitty to keep her company for quite some time. Congratulations to Phoebe and Roberta… we wish them a lifetime of happiness together! You can read more of Phoebe’s story here.

• Sarabi and Pumba – Rescued from the county shelter, our “Lion King” 1-year old Calico mom and 7 week old son were adopted together Sunday afternoon. We are always thrilled to see moms adopted, and more so when they get to go home with one of their babies.

• Rosco – a striking 6-year old purebred Coon Hound who came to us from East County after escaping from his original home one time too many. This handsome guy was a center favorite because of his mellow personality and unmistakable howls. He went home Sunday with the Ricafuente family who pledged to give him plenty of room to roam and use that incredible nose.

• Apollo- a 4 year old orange tabby who was long overdue for a home. When he was surrendered to us late October, we thought he would get adopted quickly due to his kind demeanor. As time kept moving forward, we were not sure why he was still here. During the Adoptathon, he waited patiently in a cardboard carry away box until his family came Sunday looking for a cat that fit his personality perfectly.

• Pluto – a shy and sweet 6-month old poodle mix rescued from East County Animal Shelter a few months ago. This little guy was flea infested when we got him, but cleaned up beautifully in the care of our wonderful volunteers. Pluto was adopted by his foster mom, Kathy.

We couldn’t have done it without the nearly 150 volunteers who generously gave of their time to help the weekend run smoothly. Visit our Facebook page by clicking here. From the many greeters, runners, front office helpers, kitty city, doggie drive, adoption processors and everyone else who helped… thank you so much! This weekend would not have been the success it was without all of you.

No Place to Call Home

Phoebe was not ready to come back to the shelter when she did. She had such a perfect life where she was and she had no clue what was happening to her. About four years ago, we rescued a five year old cat named Jellybean from impending euthanasia at a local county shelter. She was all black and was a bit shy. When we rescued her, we did not know what a special cat she would be. As she sat in our adoptable cat room, nobody ever paid any attention to her; instead, visitors went straight to the kittens and the younger, “better” looking cats. The stress of not being in a home caused Jellybean to sit in her kennel and pull out chunks of her hair. Although we gave her some medicine to help her be a bit less stressed, it did not seem to help. One volunteer saw the hurt in Jellybean’s eyes and could not stand it anymore. That day was probably the best day of Jellybean’s life. Volunteer Susan took Jellybean home to a warm, caring, and comforting environment. Her first day at home, Susan renamed her Phoebe as it fit her personality better. Susan was a regular volunteer, which meant that we got updates at the center daily on how she was doing. We loved the stories she told us and listened attentively. Phoebe lived happily and quietly in Susan’s home for almost five years. Her peaceful life changed suddenly one day when Susan was diagnosed with cancer.

All of Susan’s family lived out of state and Phoebe had nowhere to go while her mom was in the hospital. While we waited patiently for Susan’s recovery, Phoebe spent time in an extra office at Valley Humane Society. But, when we needed the office, she would go back and forth between foster homes. Not only was this stressful for her, but it was hard for Susan to know that her kitty was being transferred from home to home. The hair pulling problem quickly started again, and we all just wanted Phoebe to feel better. Every once in a while when Susan was feeling okay, she would go and visit Phoebe wherever she was at. One day, we got the phone call that we had been dreading for so long. After a long battle, Susan had passed away from cancer. This left Phoebe homeless and she never got to say her final goodbyes to her mom. Poor Phoebe was a ten year old kitty with no place to go. We took her back into our adoption program here at the center where she has been for over four months. Just like before, everybody passes her by and goes to look at the young and the playful.

Phoebe is a delightful cat with so much love to give. She greets visitors when they walk into our adoptable cat room and enjoys laying out in the sunshine with a person there talking to her gently or petting her. Although she is ten, that does not mean that she has a short life left. Most cats can live up to twenty years, which means she is only half way done living her life. She would make the perfect addition to your home and would provide you many years of love and comfort. Although we do everything we can here to comfort her, nothing is better than a “fur-ever” home.

Blog Birthday

Hello everybody,

This Sunday, the blog will be celebrating it's second birthday. Can you believe that? I know I sure can't.

It's been a swell two years. Hopefully these stories have intrigued your interest in Valley Humane and I hope to continue writing great things for everybody to read.

If there is something related to VHS you would like me to write about, please let me know in the comments or by emailing me at mbonnel@valleyhumane.org

Thanks everybody!

Pleasanton Patch

Hello all! I was asked to start blogging with the Pleasanton Patch and I wanted to share my first post with you too!

Here it is:

My name is Melissa and I work for Valley Humane Society, Pleasanton's very own no-kill animal center. I started at Valley Humane Society when I first attended a new volunteer orientation in October of 2007. From the first time I stepped in the door, I felt the warm energy and knew I belonged! Animals were always my passion, and now I had a place to share my love for our feline and canine companions. When I began, I volunteered with the Care & Comfort Team where I cleaned up after and fed kitties once a week. Every Thursday I came in and worked with two loyal volunteers, Sharon and Susan. Quickly, we all became friends and I knew that I never wanted to leave! Soon after starting, I was offered an opportunity to take our "Pet of the Week" onto local TV30 every Thursday. I jumped at the chance! Every Thursday from November 2007 until July 2008, when the news program's budget was cut, I took a new kitty on local TV. From this, my passion for the organization only grew. After a short time helping out at our summer camp, Critter Camp, I was offered a job as an 'Animal Care Assistant'.

I still remember my first day "on the job". When I was handed a key to our modular and began training, I felt so proud and so happy to be helping hundreds of orphaned animals. As the months grew on, I became more and more involved with VHS and consistently wanted the best for us. At school, I would pass out flyers or pass on the word about what we do in hopes other people would understand. In February of 2010, VHS got its first big chance, when the Board of Directors and senior staff decided that we were able to start building a real facility. This real facility would be able to house plenty more cats and we would finally be able to accommodate and house dogs! As the days passed on, I caught myself dreaming about the new facility, and envisioning myself sitting in it, and saving more and more lives!

In August of 2010, construction began. I began a photo documentary of the move and now have posted those photos on the Valley Humane Society Facebook page. The photos can be found here. The construction process was long, but it was so worth it. About one month ago, the construction crew finished up. Although we are still not moved in, we have began slowly moving in boxes and some miscellaneous items. Just today, we moved cabinets out of the modular we are in now into the storage room in the new facility. We also have our current work room all packed up and ready to move next door! Currently, we are gearing up for the Maddie’s Fund Adoptathon, and we could not be more excited!

In this blog, I will be able to update you on current VHS happenings and events. I cannot be more excited to share my stories and reflections with an organization that I am so fond of and proud of. Thank you everybody!

Update on VHS Cat Melody

I recieved this email today, and I wanted to share:

"Wanted to send you a note about Melody who we have renamed "Bitsey". She is one year old today and absolutely adorable!

We think she is about full grown now and is on the smaller size. She is 7 lbs 2 oz.

She is very playful -- loves her toys and carries them around. She sits by the computer and watches the screen while we work. She especially loves to eat and knows the words, "dinner", "treat", "eat", "kitchen" and probably a few more...

Bitsey sleeps with us in bed and is learning to not start playing until we get up (5:00 is too early!). She and Bee Gee (who was originally Cha-Cha, and is your cat's sister) have really developed a nice relationship. They play together until Bee Gee (now 3) gets tired and cuts it off. If it's real cold, they'll sleep next to each other.

Well, this is getting too long and is probably pretty normal cat info. We just wanted to thank you, the wonderful foster homes and all the volunteers for working hard to give these cats and kittens a good temporary living place.

We absolutely love Bitsey and wanted to let you know that she is doing great!

Tom and Eunice"

The sound of barking dogs echoes through the hallways of Valley Humane Society’s brand new animal adoption and education center. Although the Pleasanton animal welfare organization is still a few weeks away from moving into their new facility, they have taken on the task of assisting with a dog rescue, in cooperation with the Animal Planet Confessions: Animal Hoarding.

Ten mixed-breed dogs ranging in age from three months to four years were removed from a home in the Sacramento area on Monday, April 18 by a team from Valley Humane, with the cooperation of the dogs’ owner. “The owner voluntarily surrendered his dogs,” said Steve Glavan, Valley Humane Society’s Executive Director. “This was not a criminal case, and this individual and his family have taken steps to address this issue with our help.” According to Jereme Watt, producer for the Animal Planet program, “We wanted to work with a no-kill shelter with a strong reputation for animal care and placement and Valley Humane came highly recommended. They were sensitive to the situation, professional, and from watching them work we had the utmost confidence that all the animals would be cared for and find good homes.”

Valley Humane Society will be working with local experts and their own staff to assess the physical and behavioral condition of each of the dogs in the coming days, with the goal of making them available for adoption as they are ready. According to Glavan, “We know that a lot of people have a passion for animals that come out of situations like this. These are special dogs, and some may require patience and love to adjust, but we believe we can find a loving home for every one of them.” Valley Humane Society plans to update the progress of these dogs regularly on their Facebook site, as well as a blog, both of which are accessible from their website,www.valleyhumane.org.

Glavan recognizes that taking on this project will stretch Valley Humane’s resources, but says the opportunity is too important to pass up. “We still need to raise a significant amount of money as we move into our new facility, but this is our mission. We are confident that the community will respond to support this effort, and the work that Valley Humane Society does on a regular basis.” Glavan says that he is not afraid to ask for support. He is asking people to give, and give generously to Valley Humane. “We need financial support, not only to move into our new facility, but to sustain the programs that are so vital to our community.” Local companies, including Murphy’s Paw and Pet Food Express, have already stepped up to provide supplies and volunteers to assist with the care of the rescued dogs.

The story will air on Animal Planet's new hit series “Confessions: Animal Hoarding.” The series explores stories of people who own more pets then they can care for. The problem of animal hoarding is little understood, but far more common than most people realize. There are over 3000 reported cases a year, and at least ten times that number that go unreported. The series brings families together to voluntarily find humane solutions that work for both pets and people.If you know someone who might be an animal hoarder, you can learn more atwww.animalhoardingproject.com.

To learn how you can contribute directly to the ongoing care of the Valley Humane rescue dogs, or support Valley Humane Society’s ongoing programs, visit their website atwww.valleyhumane.org or call Valley Humane’s office at (925) 426-8656.

New Families

Here are Bruschetta and Andy in their new homes. :D

Bruschetta

Andy

The Week in Review

A lot has happened this week!

Here were all of the adoptions that occurred in the week of April 8 through April 9: Roman, Spice, Sebastian, Panda & Vancouver

Roman

Roman was adopted to a family of VHS volunteers on the 8th. He now lives with both dogs and cats and is as happy as a clam. He is never without a warm lap to lay in. We hear from the family often, and they rave about how amazing is. We are so happy for this incredible cat and his purrrrfect new home!

Spice

Spice was next to find her forever home. A nice gentleman came in looking for a black kitten and fell in love with Spice. She was her spicy and sassy self as usual, and he was thrilled to be able to take home such an awesome kitty. This cute kitten had been part of a pair, Sugar and Spice. Her sister was adopted within days of becoming available, and we were ecstatic when Spice finally found her forever home.

Sebastian

Sebastian of "The Litter Mermaid" litter found his forever home on Saturday the 9th. A nice family came in and fell completely in love. Sebastian melted their hearts and they swooped him up.

Panda & Vancouver

Panda and Vancouver our two longest standing residents found their forever homes Saturday the 9th! They went home together too which was even better!

The family who adopted them came in looking for two cats who had been here a long time. They fell in love with both!

Update

Hello faithful followers!

I just wanted to inform you that I am in the process of upgrading the blog- and making it more user friendly.

With that, I will also be writing 1-2 posts a week, that are longer, instead of several short ones. All of the information will still get out to you, and I'll make sure to includes lots of photos!

If you want current information as it is happening, "Like" us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pleasanton-CA/Valley-Humane-Society/159428990747935

Thanks everybody.

Recent Adoptions

We have had a lot of great adoptions lately!

First, Sunset went home on the 26th. Sunset was a gorgeous kitty who was only in Kitty City a few days before she was swept up. Her new family was here at the center for quite some time before they knew Sunset was a perfect fit.

Then, Reggie was adopted! Reggie was rescued from Kings County Animal Services and brought to us by a rescue we work with. Like Sunset, he was only in Kitty City for about a day. His new family absolutely adores him. It is great to see.

Reggie was a favorite here and will be missed. He loved sleeping on his back and lounging in the sun.

Then, Bart was finally adopted! Bart was one of the "Simpsons" litter we rescued early in January. His mom was adopted right away and so was his sister Maggie. His foster family adopted Homer. Lisa and Bart stuck around at the shelter for a while though. It was very sad. We put them as Pet of the Week in the local papers and on our home page. Lisa was adopted after being seen in the newspaper, but Bart still stuck around. Finally, one of our staff member's friends came in to meet him and fell absolutely in love. She swooped him up! His new name is Jib, and he lives with a cat. Congratulations Bart!

Lastly, Angus found his forever home. He now lives with two Black Labrador Retrievers who adore him. The three of them are best friends and it seems like they always will be. Congratulations to this awesome dog!

* For those that don't know, Angus was a Labrador/Dachshund blend :)

Feta

Feta, the second to last "Cheese" was adopted today! Congratulations Feta!

Dalmatian and Boxer

Our cat litter, "The Dogs" went into a home today! Boxer and Dalmatian were adopted together, and their brother, Husky went with them just to get him out of the shelter for a while because he was not adjusting well. Hopefully they will fall in love with him and want to keep him :)

Meunster and Havarti

Two more of our Cheese "Cats" were adopted today! If anybody knows the story about these Cheese kittens, you'll know they had a crazy start to life, and lost their mom at a young age. Slowly but surely, we have seen these kittens get adopted, and seeing two more go together is great.

We still have Feta and Gouda waiting in Kitty City for their forever home!

Lisa

Lisa, the fourth of the "Simpsons" dog litter, was finally adopted today! Her mom Marge, and siblings Maggie and Homer were immediately adopted. Her brother, Bart, is still here at the shelter.

These dogs came from East County Animal Shelter when they were very young and stayed in foster until they could be put up for adoption.

Latte

After a long ten month stay at the shelter, Latte was adopted today. Latte grew up not knowing anything other than shelter life. She was doing very well until her brother, Decaf was adopted. She then became very depressed and it was hard to see her struggle. We did everything we could to keep her happy, and our socializers constantly worked with her. She finally started cheering up when she was elected as Vice Mayor of Kitty City. During her reign, she was also "Pet of the Week" in the local paper which caught a family's eye and they came in to meet her.

The family that came in to see her had adopted her brother, Cappacchino in July, and Amici in June. This was so exciting!

We were so happy to finally see her find her forever home, and it's great that she is a fabulous home now.

Chase

Chase, the toy Australian Shepard, was adopted today. Chase was surrendered to us from a home where the family could no longer keep him. They were devastated to say goodbye but knew he would be in a good place here at VHS.

Chase was not at VHS long before he was adopted to a family who lives in Capitola. What a lucky dog!

Hawaii

Hawaii was FINALLY adopted today after long stay at VHS and a short reign as mayor of Kitty City. Hawaii came to us in May of 2010 from a hoarder. She was rescued with her four tiny babies who were all adopted in June of 2010. She was such a sweet kitty and we are so glad to finally see her find her forever home with a kind gentleman who couldn't resist her cute face.

Casey

Casey was adopted yesterday to an amazing lady who couldn't wait to bring him home! She walked into Kitty City and fell immediately in love! Congratulations Casey, you were truly a sweet heart.

Peach, Sinatra & Clancy

Peach was adopted today! Peach is now in the same home as Carla. The family came in about a month ago and fell in love with both of them. But, both kittens had something called Coccidia, which is a parasite they shed in their stool. It is very common in animal shelters. Carla healed up from it first, and was the first to go home. Finally, Peach healed up and was ready to go home. Congratulations Peach!

Then, Sinatra and Clancy were adopted! Many of you probably had never even met these two great cats as they were adopted out of our purple isolation room! We had no spare kennels available in Kitty City, so they were available in Purple! A great family drove out from Castro Valley to meet them and fell immediately in love! Congratulations to these two amazing cats!

Buddah , Zebra, and Meatball

Three of our homeless friends went home today! Buddah, Zebra, and Meatball.

Buddah was adopted by the same couple who adopted Cuppie a couple weeks prior. Cuppie seemed to be lonely so the couple wanted to adopt another! They immediately fell in love with Buddah and couldn't wait to bring him home! Buddah was the last of the 13 kittens dumped on the back door step of VHS mid August of 2010.

Zebra was the next to go home! A great woman who had been coming in looking for a friend could not resist Zebra. She absolutely adored him!

And, lastly, Meatball the cute dog found his forever home! We rescued Meatball from Tri City Animal Shelter in Fremont. He was very shy with new people but warmed up to you quickly.

Congratulations Meatball!

Fiona, Esmeralda, Buzz & Honey

Four pets found their forever homes today, yahoo!

First, Fiona found her home with a kind family who could not resist her once they saw her! Fiona was only in Kitty City a little over a day.

Then, Esmeralda found her forever home with a nice young man who lives in San Jose. Esmeralda was very popular, receiving over 500 views on petfinder.com before she was adopted. Let's just say, this young man was very lucky!

Lastly, Buzz & Honey were adopted together! These kittens had a rough start to their life. When they first came to VHS, some of their litter had distemper, so we had to treat them very carefully. Once they healed, they had ringworm! So, they went into foster care to get out the shelter. Once they cleared their ringworm cultures and were okay to come back in, they caught a cold and eye infections! We think that they knew they would be coming back and didn't want to leave their foster home. Finally, they were healthy and good to come back in! Thank goodness.

We are all so pleased that they were adopted together!

Adoption Follow Up: Swiss

"Pounce de Leon (AKA Swiss) is absolutely wonderful! These pictures were taken shortly after Christmas. I’m still trying to get some action shots of Pounce leaping, jumping and charging around the house like a freight train but he is so fast that I get mostly a blur. Pounce is content to be held and cuddled, preferably soon after he wakes up. He has stopped consenting to being held upside down though.

John and I have acknowledged that “Cat Ownership” means that we are Pounce’s people, and we do notown Pounce. It is true that cats have staff, and only dogs are owned.

Pounce sleeps on my bed if he is ready to go to sleep when I am. Otherwise he sleeps on his tower – at least until I get up in the middle of the night and go get the sleepy cat to bring to my bed. One of his most active periods is from about 10:30pm to 1:30am and fortunately he is good at playing by himself with his toys either in the living room or upstairs in the computer room ( third bedroom). John gets up at 5:00am to go to work and Pounce will leave my bed to greet John for a belly rub and then come back to bed with me after John leaves. When Pounce decides it is time for us to get up he will literally pounce on the bed right beside my head. If that does not work, he pounces on me or on and off the bed. Most mornings he will mercifully let me sleep until 7:00am.

Pounce’s favorite toy is a green snake with a bulbous head, stretchy red “antlers” and a crimped tail. If you pull the tail out straight it vibrates as it contracts. Pounce’s favorite game is to have us nudge snake off the top step so it bounces all the way down the stairs. He runs to try to get it before it gets to the bottom. When he catches up with it he pushes it through the stairs to the underside of the staircase, usually at the bottom though sometimes a few steps higher. Then he dives under the stairs to get it and carries snake back up to us in his mouth.

Other times Pounce bats Snake around and them picks him up in his mouth. Then he throws his head back and tosses Snake high in the air. Pounce plays with a few other toys, the crunchy shiny foil-like balls are another favorite. He’ll play with the jingle ball and curly springs.

Pounce has been generally well behaved, clawing only his scratching devices. A squirt of water has discouraged him from pawing the window screen or pulling the computer mouse off the keyboard try by pulling the cord from the back. No question – he is a smart little devil.

I’m feeding him Premium Edge – Kitten. He eats well. Occasionally he gets flatulence – phew! It doesn’t seem to bother him at all – only us. He drinks water and his eliminations seem normal.

We have not taken him to the vet as he seems to be doing fine. Pounce does sometimes have a little coordination problem, usually when he is bursting with energy and racing around. Then he may jump up on a chair and not get his hind legs up and under him. Or he takes a corner too fast and runs into something. In these instances he just shakes it off and keeps going. The one thing that did cause us some concern: a few evenings ago he fell off the top of his tower. We did not see it happen but were in the room, heard the thud and he was lying on his side. We think he was stretching, maybe sleepy, and rolled off sideways over the lip of the platform. He showed no sign of discomfort as we ran hands over his ribs and hips afterward. He seemed a little dazed and that night he went straight to bed with me and did not do his nightly running around. He has seems to be very normal since. Had shown any signs of hurting or if I had felt anything wrong I would have gotten him to the vet immediately.

We have put a cushion on the floor beneath is tower in case he falls again. He has no trouble getting down from the tower when that is what he intends to do and the route he takes down is predictable. The mid-height platform would catch him if he rolls off the other side. (See the photo of him complaining about the noisy birds.)

I almost forgot – Pounce really enjoys the laser pointer. He keeps trying to find out where it is hiding when we turn it off. We are very careful to keep it away from his eyes."

- Stephanie and John

Franklin

Franklin went home to a great family today!

Franklin was rescued from East County Animal Shelter during the holiday season. He had been surrendered to the county shelter because the owners could no longer keep him. When our Animal Care Manager Brittany saw him sitting lonely in his cage lined with newspaper and an empty water bowl, she felt an instant connection and knew he would be a perfect cat for Valley Humane Society. She brought him back and he lit up. While we were waiting for a kennel to open up in Kitty City for him, he stayed in our Purple Isolation Room where he purred and gave hugs and kisses to all of those that visited him.

He looked like a teddy bear and stole the hearts of many. When he was moved into Kitty City, we all thought he would get swooped up immediately, but he wasn't. After a month of waiting, his family finally found him.

The couple that adopted him had came in Friday just to browse and fell in love. They went home to decide, and even visited the East Bay SPCA and ARF just to make sure. After exploring their options, they couldn't stop thinking about little Franklin and they came back for him.

Congratulations Franklin!

Patch Article: Spay and Neuter Your Pets!

This week's Patch Article was on spaying and neutering your pets.

Check it out by clicking HERE.

Cupid

Cupid was just adopted!

Maggie

Maggie, another one of the Simpsons puppies, was adopted!

Chatty Cathy and Noel

Chatty Cathy and Noel were adopted today to an amazing couple who lives in Santa Cruz!

I absolutely adored Chatty, I called her my 'Baby Chats' and I will miss her so much!

Bart & Teddy

Today was a Dog Adoption Day at Valley Humane!

We adopted out puppy, Bart and dog, Teddy.

Bart was one of the Simpson's puppies and Teddy was the adorable 5 year old Corgi mix!

Marge

Marge, the mom of The Simpsons, was adopted this morning to a great couple! Her new name is Lilly.

Jayden

Jayden was adopted to a very nice family this afternoon. He will be greatly loved and we are so excited for him!

Carla

Carla was adopted this morning!

Check back this weekend for a great story!

Sugar

Sugar, of Sugar & Spice, were adopted this morning to a family of VHS Volunteers. They fell in love with her at a volunteer orientation and couldn't wait until she was spayed to take her home!

We still have Spice, a petite black coat with a gorgeous coat!

What a big day!

We have had a ton of adoptions today.

Masquerade was the first to find a home with ISO volunteer and Dog Foster, Tyla.

Then, Nutella found a home with a single lady who is very active in Hayward. And, Penguin found a home with a family in Brentwood. Then, Ellie went home to a great family in Rio Vista!

What a great day it has been. More pictures and information to come soon!

Congratulations!

Hawaii is the new mayor of Kitty City!

New Mayor

Oceania was just adopted! That means we need a new mayor.

Pizza is our current Vice Mayor- should she be promoted or should we elect a new mayor all together?

Vote in the poll to the right. If Pizza gets the most votes, she will become mayor. And whoever comes in 2nd will become Vice Mayor.

If somebody else gets the most votes, they will be the new mayor!

Congratulations Oceania!

Martin & Velma

Martin was the first to get adopted today. Many never met Martin- he came to us from Tri City Animal Shelter at the beginning of the month, and immediately went into foster before his neuter appointment. A couple weeks after rescuing him, he was neutered and brought into the shelter. Just thirty minutes after Martin coming in and being put up for adoption, he was adopted! A great couple came in, and fell immediately in love.

They decided to name his D'Jango. I think it's a perfect name for a cute little dog such as Martin.

Just as this was happening, a young man came in looking for a cat for his young daughter. As he walked in, Velma greeted him and he too, fell in love. You could tell it was meant to be. He went home to get everything set up and came back that afternoon to make it official.

Congratulations Velma and Martin!

Motorola & Carlos.....and Decaf!

Saturday's are usually the busiest day at the shelter. We have about 25 volunteers during Saturday's to clean/feed/socialize/answer phones, and have about the same number of visitors too. They are especially busy when we have dog adoption days or volunteer orientations.

Well, today was a day that started with an orientation. We had fifteen great attendees that we are looking forward to getting up and running with us. After the orientation ended, the adoptions began!

Right at 11, a lady had came in with her adult children to help her pick out two cats. Originally, they were thinking about adopting siblings, but as they sat in Kitty City and watched every one play. They fell madly in love with two very different kittens, Motorola and Carlos.

Motorola came to us back in May as a 4 week old kitten with no mom. She had three siblings who were all adopted very quickly. We presume Motorola was the last to find a home due to her being all black, which is a shame. Anyways, we sent the litter into foster with our staff vet tech, Pam who has an extensive knowledge on how to take care of young kittens without mom. She had them for almost two months until we got them all spayed. From there, they were brought into Kitty City and made available. Motorola watched as her sisters were adopted, and waited patiently. She was one of the prettiest DLH black cats we had at the time, and we were sad to see her still at the shelter.

Whereas, Carlos had a very short stay with us. He was rescued from Tri City Animal Shelter in Fremont a few days before Christmas. He was small, but his loud voice overcompensated for his petite figure. We waited for a neuter appointment to open up and eventually sent him into For Paws to get fixed. After a couple days of recovery, we moved him into Kitty City on Thursday afternoon, the same time we moved Chase in (see previous entry). With his bubbly personality, we assumed he wouldn't last long- and we were right. Just a day and a half after moving in, he was swooped up and is now in his forever home, along with his new step- sister Motorola.

Congratulations to both Motorola and Carlos!

Then, just a short time after, a nice couple came in interested in Decaf. They had seen him online and wanted to meet him. Only about two weeks ago they had moved here from the UK and wanted a cat to join their dog. After an hour of visiting, we tried to convince them to take his sister, and best friend, Latte, but they only had the room for one at this time. Regardless, one is better than none and we were ecstatic to see him go home.

Decaf was rescued from euthanasia at Contra Costa Animal Shelter back in April. He was saved along with his mom Coffee and his three siblings. Again, these kittens were so small that we sent them into foster to protect them from catching anything in the shelter. After a couple months in foster, they were independent and weaned off of mom. We brought them in and waited for them to get adopted. The first to go was Espresso, a DMH black kitten who was adopted with a loving cat named Minerva. Then Cappachino went. Cappachino went home with the family that adopted Amici from the Pizza litter.... *we still have momma Pizza (if you're interested!). Both of these adoptions happened almost immediately. We watched as Coffee (mom), and Decaf and Latte lingered behind. Finally- Coffee was adopted right before the new year. We couldn't believe we still had Decaf and Latte though. Well, soon enough, Decaf found his home and we are so elated for him.

Now, Latte waits patiently for someone to fall in love with her. Hopefully, she will find a forever home soon.

Congratulations Decaf!

Chase

This morning, Chase found his forever home! Chase came to us with his brother Jayden from another rescue organization. He had previously been at Kings County Animal Shelter where he was rescued from and then brought to us.

When he arrived, we thought he might have been semi-feral because he was so skiddish and nervous around people. As we were doing his vet check after he arrived, we determined he had a mild case of pneumonia! Wow! We put him in a large kennel in our adoptions office where he was put on "strict bed rest". After antibiotics and a week of TLC, he was happy and healthy again, like he should be! He made the hugest muffins when he would knead his paws, and had turned out to be one of the nicest cats we've had thus far!

Thursday night around 4PM we moved him into Kitty City where we placed him up for adoption. Friday after lunchtime, the family who adopted Gabby back in August of 2009 came in looking for a friend for her. They originally had their eyes on Feta (of the Cheese's) but fell in love with Chase.

They were ecstatic to bring him home, and I am so happy for him!

Snow....now Yoshi!

Snow, a small brown tabby, found his forever home today. Snow was a private surrender who came to us about 3 weeks ago. The lady who surrendered him found him on a deserted road near a bank in Alamo. He was in a box, all alone. She took him home to get him warm, and called immediately to put him on our long waitlist. After a couple weeks of waiting, we were able to get him in. Since he was so young, we immediately sent him into foster.

The funny thing about Snow is that we thought he was a girl for the longest time. He had so much fur that it was hard to tell. We sent him to get spayed one day, and For Paws (the vet clinic we use for Spay and Neuters in Fremont) called and asked if we had sent the wrong cat. We were confused because we knew Snow was a girl. Poor Snow....he really was a boy. He got neutered and recovered for a few days then was made available in Kitty City.

We thought he was going to get adopted in fourty-five seconds, but he wasn't! He sat in Kitty City for a couple weeks. Finally, a great family who found him on petfinder, drove down from San Jose to meet him. They did fall in love and took him home shortly after meeting him.

Before they even left the shelter, they decided his new name would be Yoshi. It was a choice between Bowser and Yoshi, and they felt Yoshi fit his silly personality better.

Congratulations Yoshi!

Pictures

Here are some recent pictures taken here at the shelter.

Penguin

Honey and Buzz

Honey

Snow

Laverne

Shirley

Latte

Decaf

Virgo

Pizza

Chatty Cathy