J U N E   2 0 1 7
Kitten Season is upon us once again, and the shelter's feline population is growing. What better time to concentrate on a perennial favorite pet, the CAT? For starters, Amador County Animal Control & Adoption Center continues to be a proud participant in the Million Cat Challenge,  founded as a joint project of the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program and the University of Florida Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program. Its goal: to help shelters across the country implement successful alternate programs to reduce the euthanasia of healthy cats by one million over a 5-year period. Our animal community already has most of the initiatives in place that help meet that challenge locally. Learn much more about this creative and humane project at the Million Cat Challenge website.  You can help meet this worthy goal in a couple significant ways. 1) Donate to the Million Cat Challenge through its website, and 2) IMPROVE YOUR LIFE ADOPT A CAT from ACAC & A C.
CALENDAR of EVENTS
2017
JANUARY 
ADOPT a WORKOUT
PARTNER

FEBRUARY
ADOPT 'THE ONE'
 
MARCH
SPAY and NEUTER AWARENESS

TCWC WILDLIFE WORKSHOP
Friday the 24th
at the Feed Barn
 
APRIL
TRAP/NEUTER/RELEASE

BIRD REHABILITATION
Saturday the 1st
at the Paws Center

BIRD REHABILITATION
Saturday the 8th
at the Paws Center

MAY
Find your MISSING PET

WHISKERS & WINE 
Friday the 19th at  Jackson Rancheria

JUNE  
FELINE FRENZY

CORKS for CRITTERS
Thursday the 22nd at Volcano Union Pub
  
JULY 
ADOPT a SENIOR PET

AUGUST
$9 for 9 LIVES for 9 DAYS

SEPTEMBER 
ADOPT your MVP

PAWS & CLAWS (TCWC)
at American Legion Hall

BARK in the PARK 
Saturday the 30th at Detert Park, Jackson

OCTOBER  
ORANGE & BLACK
All Treats, no Tricks
NOVEMBER  
GIVING THANKS 
Animals and their people

DECEMBER  
Bring JOY to your WORLD

SANTA PAWS
Saturday the 2nd
at the Feed Barn
LINKS
MORE on the benefits of CATS
 
The POWER of PURR







ACAC & AC is a proud
participatant in the 


a shelter-based program aimed at saving the lives of 1,000,000 cats over a five year period.
Increased Animal Intake: A troubling trend?
Animal intake at the Amador County ACAC & AC has increased for both cats/kittens and dogs/puppies this year.  As of June 1, the shelter has taken in 267 cats and 130 kittens (397 total). At this time last year, the total was 292 cats and kittens - up 20% so far this year.  The intake for dogs/puppies is not nearly as dramatic, but the shelter has experienced an increase of 29 dogs/puppies after the first five months of 2017.

A possible explanation for the increase in cat intake is simply that kitten season is coming earlier this year.  Our crazy wet winter could have changed cats' cycles and caused an early kitten explosion.  We will have to wait until the end of the year to see how the overall numbers stack up against  2016.  The results will be published in a future newsletter.

Meanwhile, shelter staff hopes the continuing effort to compel pet owners to spay and neuter their pets will pay off in decreased intake over time. A-PAL currently underwrites free spay and neuter services for individuals who are Medi-Cal recipients, own pit bulls, are participating in TNR, or surrender a litter of kittens to the shelter.  Residents of Amador County may also qualify for financial assistance from local veterinarians to spay or neuter their pets. Shelter kittens are spayed or neutered once they reach a weight of two pounds, and of course, all animals are spayed/neutered before they are adopted from the shelter. Even if you don't adopt your pets from the shelter, you can do the right thing: control unwanted animal population by spaying or neutering them.




CORKS for CRITTERS: Coming right up
FOR PETE'S SAKE:  A-PAL to the rescue

Pete, a beautiful gray and white adult cat, was brought  to Jackson Creek Veterinary Clinic in pain and unable to urinate. He would possibly need costly surgery to unblock his urinary tract, but his owner had a daughter undergoing expensive chemotherapy.
Jackson Creek called A-PAL Humane Society when they realized they had a client and a patient that needed help.

A-PAL has a program that provides financial assistance when the pet is spayed or neutered and current on vaccines, the procedure will rectify the health problem, and the owner can pay half of the bill. The great news: Pete was blocked because of an inflammation and did not need surgery after all. For Pete's sake, we were thrilled that he could go home; for his comfort and to comfort his family member battling cancer.

A-PAL Humane Society helps not only pets, but the people who love them. This happy ending was made possible by the compassionate staff at Jackson Creek Vet and generous people like you, who make it possible to provide life-saving programs like 
this one.

NOTE: See our LINKS: "The Power of PURR"
 

IF YOU HAVE A GREAT ADOPTION STORY FROM OUR SHELTER,
we'd love to hear from you. Send your story, with photos if you have them, to Lisa Peterson.







An oldie but a goodie.

RED ALERT! Thinking of becoming a VOLUNTEER?
The need for volunteers  at Amador County Animal Control & Adoption Center has reached a critical level. I f you think you'd like to join our ranks, please, drop by to the shelter at 12340 Airport Road in Martell and request a volunteer application. We desperately need dog walkers, but anything you are able to do will help immensely. You can review  the  APPLICATION for VOLUNTEER WORKER   here, but you will need to fill out an original pink copy, available from the shelter.  
ACAC & AC barn UPDATE
PHASE 2 of the original building plan for ACAC & AC's new facility called for a barn. That project has stayed on the shelf since the shelter was completed (in 2005), until a recent endowment from the estate of a local and generous animal benefactor got things moving again. Look for an article  in an upcoming Newsletter  on the past, present, and future of this project, plus details on how you can help get our barn built.

UPDATE:
The firm that will design the barn has been chosen and will be onsite before the end of the month to take measurements for the customized design.