What to Do if You Find Newborn Kittens:
Look, but Don't Touch!
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Kitten alert! If you hear little “mews” and see a huddle of tiny kittens all alone under a porch, in a barn, or in a garden, don’t assume they’ve been abandoned by their mother. In most cases, she’s out getting a bite to eat and will return home shortly to care for her nursing brood, or she’s in the process of moving her family to a new location.
Kitten season is upon us, and it’s important to know when to leave stray kittens alone, and when to intervene.
As with any nursing infant, kittens do best when raised and fed by their mothers.
Every year, though, well-intentioned, animal lovers bring kittens to shelters assuming they’ve been orphaned, when in fact their mother was likely right nearby.
So, what should you do?
If you find a litter of kittens without their mother, watch from a distant location to see if mama returns, a process that could take hours. In fact, she might not return if you’re nearby, so leaving and coming back to check on them later may be best.
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Hopping with Gratitude: Bunny Rescue Update!
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It was all hands on deck when Kitsap Humane Society rescued 246 bunnies of all sizes and breeds from an overcrowded home in Poulsbo a month ago.
Today, were happy to report that 128 have hopped right into their adopters' homes and hearts!
Here is a picture and message we got from one bunny adopter on Facebook: "Thank you for rescuing those 246 bunnies. These two of them are so loved and spoiled. Just wanted to pass on the good you do. Chestnut and Acorn love their lives, thanks to you".
"It takes a village" is one of our favorite sayings here at the shelter and it accurately describes the efforts to rescue and care for these special floofers. The response was aBUNdant! Hundreds of animal lovers locally and nationally made donations to care for the bunnies. Local rescues and partner shelters took in 79 bunnies, and 116 spent time in volunteer foster homes -- including orphaned newborns who needed to be bottle fed. To date, 37 bunnies, mostly mamas and babies, remain in foster care and when the kits are old enough, KHS will hold a special adoption event for them in early May. We hope you'll hop in to meet them!
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Save the Date: Kitsap Great Give is April 23!
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Our community’s biggest day of giving is coming up on
Tuesday, April 23
! Your gift will help save the lives of unwanted, orphaned and homeless kittens and puppies who need your help.
Kitsap Great Give is an opportunity for non-profits across Kitsap County to raise critical funds to support their work. These funds will be boosted by a bonus pool of donations from the Kitsap Community Foundation.
Help us beat our Kitsap Great Give fundraising goal of
$60,000
!
Give generously and make sure to
designate your gift to Kitsap Humane Society on the
Great Give website.
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Can't wait to donate? You can schedule your gift beginning April 9.
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You're Invited to KHS' Annual Meeting, this Saturday!
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April 6, 2-3:30 p.m.
Best Western Silverdale Beach Hotel
3073 NW Bucklin Hill Rd, Silverdale
Please join us as we celebrate our lifesaving work for animals and appreciate our amazing volunteers! The meeting will include exciting updates on our building project and stories from 2018.
With the support of donors, volunteers, board members, staff members and adopters, we are
building a more humane community
for pets and people, in the Kitsap region and beyond. Please join us! We’d love to see you there!
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New Time-Lapse Video of Our Shelter Project
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So much progress has been made since September 2018, when construction began on our new Pet Adoption Center, which opens in July! Here's the latest video of our construction progress.
We're also making progress on our capital campaign fundraising, raising $5.8 million toward our $8.5 million goal. If you're interested in making an investment in our new animal shelter, please contact Donor Relations Director
Tom Weed, Director of Development
Kim Cizek Allen, or Executive Director
Eric Stevens. They'd love to give you a personal tour.
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Meet Diabetic Cats Miranda & Manuel, and
Learn How to Care for Them
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Watch the video and please share it widely. We know that there are forever families out there for both Miranda and Manuel -- please help us find them!
If you're interested in either one of these kitties, please contact
Ashley at
[email protected]
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Kitten Supply Drive a Meowing Success!
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Last week we kindly asked for supply donations to help support our homeless, abandoned, and lost kittens and puppies. We are so grateful for the mountain of supplies we received, and on behalf of the kittens and puppies, we can't
thank you enough!
Your generosity has filled our once-bare cupboards, and we now have lots of supplies to nurture the little ones who come to us in need of help.
You sent 342 nursing nipples and 80 feeding sets for nursing kittens and pups, 252 cans of kitten and puppy formula, 75 tubes of nutritional supplements and 15 purring pillows for kittens to snuggle with. We are also grateful for all the donated blankets, toys, and dry food!
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Didn’t get a chance to give? It’s not too late!
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Adorable Adoptable
Meet Chewy!
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Chewy is a friendly and easy-going, 1-year-old Pit Bull/Labrador Retriever mix. He has the cutest puppy dog eyes and enjoys playing and cuddling with both people and other dogs!
Chewy has done a complete 180 since he first arrived here at the shelter; he went from being fearful and shut down to now being super playful and outgoing. He is currently in a loving foster home, where he’s become house-trained, crate-trained and leash-trained!
This cutie insists that he is a lap dog despite his size, and loves to cozy up on the couch with his people. Once he gets to know you, you’re bound to receive an unwavering amount of love, kisses and hugs.
Chewy is looking for patient and dedicated adopters who will provide him with a loving home and continue to help develop his confidence. Once you meet this sweet boy you will be smitten!
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Volunteer Spotlight
Pamela and Jeff Rademaker
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This month's volunteer spotlight falls on foster parents Pamela and Jeff Rademaker! Pam and Jeff have been fostering multiple KHS animals since 2017, but their specialty is working with our canine residents – specifically our golden-oldies who require a lot of love and patience. Over the years they have fostered many dogs for medical and behavioral reasons, and successfully helped them transition into new adoptive homes and happy lives!
In 2018, Pam and Jeff generously opened their home for several months to a dog who required extensive heartworm treatment before she was healthy enough for adoption. They also stepped up when our ACO team brought in 26 severely under-socialized small dogs from a hoarding
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situation and helped to socialize one of those sweet pups.
KHS and its canine residents are thankful that Pam and Jeff (and their three adopted dogs!) are so willing to provide such a loving home!
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Employee Spotlight
Dylan Vaughn!
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This month’s Staff Spotlight is shining on Dylan Vaughn, a wonderful Customer Service Representative here at Kitsap Humane Society! His manager, Michele Zarb, commends him as “one of the most steadfast and loyal employees” in the KHS customer service department.
Before joining our passionate team of animal lovers, Dylan attended UW Tacoma and worked in retail for the county. Dylan enjoys the shelter's fast-paced environment, being kept on his toes, and always finds it rewarding to “see kids come in for their first kitten.”
Two years ago, Dylan adopted an adorable fur baby of his own, named Specials. She arrived at KHS with a bad case of fleas,
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allergies, hair loss, crossed eyes and a disabled foot, but she's feeling so much better now that she's a beloved member of his family.
We are proud to say that next month marks Dylan's three year anniversary at KHS and we are celebrating his promotion to Lead Customer Service Representative. Thank you Dylan!
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Community Spotlight
Silverdale Pet Grooming,
Port Orchard Groomery
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Last fall, both of these local businesses helped with the grooming of 26 filthy and matted little dogs rescued by Kitsap Humane Society from a horrific hoarding situation in Chico.
Last month, the groomers transformed nine matted Standard Poodles who had been rescued from a backyard breeder. As you can see from the photos left, the dogs feel so much better now, and all but one have been adopted!
Please join us in thanking these wonderful local businesses and the work they do.
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New on the Planned Giving Website
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Spring is finally here! That means flowers are blooming, and new content is sprouting up in the “What’s New” section of our Planned Giving homepage!
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Here are this quarter’s articles:
- Expiration Date Tracker: Many will start their spring cleaning tasks, such as organizing and sorting paperwork. This article will help you determine what you need to keep and what you can toss.
- How to Change Your Will: Life changes. Discover how to start the process of updating your will to reflect life’s events or to add a legacy gift to the organizations you care about most (like KHS!).
- Estate Planning in the Digital Age: People are doing more and more online—including paying bills, shopping and updating beneficiaries. That’s why it’s so important for you to remember to plan and manage your digital legacy as well.
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Question? Contact Tom Weed, Director of Donor Relations for more information.
p: 360-692-6977 X1224
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Many Thanks to Our Grand Shelter Sponsor:
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Kitsap Humane Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization; Tax ID: 91-0728353
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