M A Y   2 0 1 8
Each year Amador County Animal Control and Adoption Center tracks how many of the animals who arrive here are returned to their owners (RTO). In 2017, only 2% of cats and 52% of dogs in Amador County made it back to the households where they belonged. This is a slight improvement over the figures for 2016, but the results are still very disappointing when compared to the annual national percentages reported by the ASPCA. Why? The rural, low population-density of the county is certainly a factor, but it may also be that residents just don't know how to go about tracking down a missing cat or dog who is not microchipped. We are re-publishing (below) a checklist of things you can do when your animal is lost, but the most crucial of these is to  a) microchip your animals when you adopt them and keep the information on the chip up-to-date and b) GO TO THE SHELTER IN PERSON to look for your missing pet. Ultimately, you are the one who will recognize your own animal in a busy facility. It is also a good idea to expand your search to include as many shelters in your region as possible. Our county shelter is located at 12340 Airport Road, in Sutter Hill.
CALENDAR of EVENTS
2018
JANUARY 
ADOPT a WORKOUT
PARTNER

FEBRUARY
ADOPT 'THE ONE'
 
MARCH
SPAY and NEUTER AWARENESS
 
APRIL
TRAP/NEUTER/RELEASE

MAY
Find your MISSING PET

WHISKERS & WINE 
Friday the 18th at  Jackson Rancheria

JUNE  
FELINE FRENZY
  
JULY 
ADOPT a SENIOR PET

AUGUST
$9 for 9 LIVES for 9 DAYS

SEPTEMBER 
ADOPT your MVP

PAWS & CLAWS (TCWC)
Friday, the 14th
American Legion Hall

BARK in the PARK 
Saturday the 29th 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 8th
at the Feed Barn
LINKS
Check these links for more information on TNR.



Providing for your pets in case of death or incapacity


from the HUMANE SOCIETY





WHAT to DO if your pet is MISSING

WOOFSTOCK: You are INVITED (and you don't have to be "that age")!
If you are an animal lover, you owe it to yourself to come to Jackson Rancheria May 18th for 2018's dinner and auction, "WOOFSTOCK". If you have never been to an A-PAL Whiskers and Wine event, you're in for a real treat. A-PAL and friends really know how to put the Fun in Fundraiser; great food and drink, games, and media, all among fellow animal advocates-the best way to spend an evening while forwarding a favorite cause.
IMPORTANT: Upcoming RABIES CLINICS
In recent years, there has been a troubling increase in animal rabies cases, even affecting dogs and cats. It is more crucial than ever that you vaccinate  your pets against this dangerous disease. Amador County Animal Control will be conducting low-cost Rabies Clinics for May and June in the following locations:

M A Y  1 7
6:00 - 7:00 PM at Pine Grove Market, Pine Grove

M A Y  2 4
6:00 - 7:00 PM at ACAC & AC, 12340 Airport Road, Sutter Hill

J U N E  1 4
6:00 - 7:00 PM at Howard Park, Ione

To avoid escapes, dogs must be on a leash and cats must be crated.
AO at CG di ARIE: Taste great wine, ADOPT a pup?

Summer REMINDER:  "Right to Rescue" now law
Every year, thousands of animals die in hot, unattended vehicles. On an 80 degree day, the temperature in a parked car can reach 120 degrees in only 10 minutes. That temperature rises to 150 degrees on a 90 degree day. California AB 797, written into law last year, allows Good Samaritans to break into a vehicle and rescue an animal if the following conditions are met:
  • The car cannot be opened by normal means
  • The animal is suffering harm or in imminent danger
  • Law enforcement, fire department, animal control or 911 is contacted
  • The rescuer remains with the animal in a safe location until law enforcement, animal control or an emergency responder arrives
  • No more force than necessary is used to rescue the animal
  • The rescued animal is turned over to law enforcement, animal control or emergency responder
So long as these steps are followed, Good Samaritans are protected from criminal prosecution of liability for civil damages.
Q & A:  Dog bites by breed

The MICROCHIP: Low cost, High value 

Last summer, an adult cat was captured as a stray and brought in to ACAC & AC. She was a mess of burrs and tangles, indicating that she had been on her own for awhile. Strays are routinely scanned for microchips when they first arrive, and so it was with this newcomer. Her chip revealed a contact phone number from the S.F. Bay Area. The owner, it turns out, had been searching in vain for his beloved pet for six weeks. How she ended up 150-odd miles away in Amador County is anybody's guess. Needless to say, her owner was overjoyed to hear from us and picked her up the next morning. Lucky kitty, lucky owner, thanks to a tiny chip that said it all.



DO 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.

Thinking of becoming a VOLUNTEER?
We are always in need of volunteer help at Amador County Animal Control & Adoption Center. I f you think you'd like to join our ranks, drop in to the shelter at 12340 Airport Road in Martell and request a volunteer application. You can review  the  APPLICATION for VOLUNTEER WORKER  form used by the county . here . You will need to fill out a pink copy, available at the shelter. 
Help us build our BARN
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.