Success Story: Barney aka Bailey Found a Family and a Home

Here's our success story and pictures for you. I hope this might encourage others to consider adopting an older pet.

We adopted Barney, you knew him as Bailey, in April 2009. He was thirteen years old. It just broke our hearts that someone would turn in such a sweet dog just when he needed security most. Lucy, our eight year old Wheaten cross, was devastated by the death of our Great Pyrenees eight months earlier...she needed a buddy. My girls and I thought that Barney might help Lucy to feel better and he needed a home. You told us he loved dogs...and he did. You told us he loved cats...and he did. You told us he wasn't housebroken...but he was. We decided to make him a member of our family.

We took Barney home and he fit into our family immediately; as if he'd always been with us. He shared Lucy's bed...played ever so gently with the cat...loved meeting every person and animal he saw. Lucy and Barney and I went every day to see my daughters off to the U and we met them each night. We went to the park and the Farmer's Market. Barney and Lucy were our constant co-pilots whenever we ran errands.

Barney had a stroke last month and a light went off for all of us. I wanted to let everyone know how much our "senior citizen" enriched our lives and how much we all loved him. Even though he was with us just a short time; we will always miss our gentle little boy.

Free Offer for Active Utah Seniors from the Humane Society of Utah

If you are at least 65 years of age...the Humane Society of Utah has a deal for you!  For the first time, the HSU is offering our “active seniors” a chance to adopt a cat for free!  The Humane Society realizes many senior citizens are living on fixed incomes, so to help bring cats and feline fanciers together, we’re dropping all adoption fees for seniors to facilitate more adoptions.

This offer applies to any and all of HSU’s cats, regardless of age.  Senior citizens can choose from kittens or mature cats (who make great companions and are easy to bond with and care for).  All too many times these perfectly healthy animals get overlooked.  So the Humane Society wants to give anyone thinking of adopting a good reason to take a second glance at all of our feline friends.

“While we believe ALL of our cats are priceless and are valuable beyond measure,” says HSU Executive Director Gene Baierschmidt, “we also recognize our shelter is over-crowded due to “kitten season” and our economy.  We simply want to make sure these wonderful animals have every opportunity to find a good home.  And we think it’s a great way to honor our senior citizens, and improve the quality of their lives.”

The Humane Society’s new offer begins Tuesday, July 27th.  Senior citizens need to show a drivers license to the staff at the HSU adoption desk and pick out their new companion.  

ABC4.com Reports: Online Registry Could Treat Animal Abusers Like Sex Offenders

ABC4.com published the a news item titled, "Online Registry Could Treat Animal Abusers Like Sex Offenders".  We cannot repost the story in it's entirety, but hope that you'll follow the link and read it for yourself.  The Humane Society of Utah will keep you updated on the progress of this issue.

FREE CATS Six Years of Age & Older

It’s a first for the Humane Society of Utah.  HSU has decided to drop the adoption fee for any and all cats in our shelter that are 6 years of age on up!  Mature cats are great companions who are easy to bond with and care for.  With a grown cat, what you see is what you get!

Unfortunately, many times these perfectly healthy cats are overlooked.  So the Humane Society wants to give anyone thinking of adopting a cat a great reason to take a second glance at our “mature” felines.”

“We believe all of our cats are priceless and have value beyond measure,” says HSU Executive Director Gene Baierschmidt.  “We also must recognize our shelter is over-crowded due to “kitten season” and our slow-to-recover economy.  We simply want to make sure these wonderful animals have every opportunity to find a good home.”   The Utah Humane Society’s special offer on 6 year old cats takes effect on Sunday, July 18.

Utah Dog Parks for Summer Fun

Summer is for everyone, even the dog, so here are a few places that you might want to take your pooch.  Who knows, you might have some fun too!  Here is a list of other Utah dog parks that you might want to visit this summer:

Parley’s Way Dog Park (Behind Tanner Park in Salt Lake City)
2740 South 2700 East

Herman Frank’s Dog Park Salt Lake City
700 East 1300 South

Sandy Dog Park
9980 South 300 East

West Jordan Off the Leash Dog Park
5982 W. New Bingham Highway

Taylorsville Dog Park (Millrace Park)
1220 West 5400 South

Hill Air Force Base Dog Park
75th Air Base Wing, adjacent to the youth center, Hill AFB, UT

Harris Park Nature Preserve Off Leash Dog Area
East end of Mountain Road at Dry Canyon. Logan, UT

Rendezvous Park Off Leash Dog Area
1500 South U.S. Highway 8991 Logan, UT

Park City Dog Park at the Recreation Complex
Round Valley Drive and Gilmore Way at the Ice Arena and Sports Complex. Park City, UT

Trailside Dog Park
5715 Trailside Dr. Park City, UT

Willow Creek Dog Pond Off Leash Area
Old Ranch Road and Split Rail Lane, Park City, UT

Roy City Dog Park
5700 South 3260 West Roy, UT

Jordan Dog Park
1060 South 900 West Salt Lake City, UT

Lindsey Gardens Dog Park
9th Avenue & M St. Salt Lake City, UT

Memory Grove Off Leash Area at Freedom Trail
375 N. Canyon Road Salt Lake City, UT 84103

Millcreek Canyon Off Leash Dog Area*
3800 South Wasatch Blvd. Salt Lake City, UT
*Millcreek is only "off leash" on odd days

South Ogden Dog Park at Club Heights Park
4150 South Palmer Drive South Ogden, UT 84403

JC Snow Park – St George
900 South 400 East St. George, UT

Let us know about other pet friendly places you’ve visited in Utah so that other dogs and their owners might enjoy them as well!

Fashion Photography Exhibit to Raise Funds for Humane Society of Utah

“Chameleon,” a new exhibit featuring the work of Salt Lake fashion photographer Jake Garn will have it’s grand opening Friday evening (July 16) from 6-9 pm at the (a)perture Gallery in Sugarhouse, 1617 S. 900 East. 

30% of sales will benefit the Humane Society of Utah!

Come explore some of the latest trends in style, enjoy some wonderful food, and have a relaxed evening meeting other animal lovers. It’s all for a great cause...with 30% of the proceeds going to HSU!

To RSVP you can email info@aperturemktg.com or call 801-953-0109!

HSU Applauds Paschall Sentencing!

The Humane Society of Utah applauds the recent sentencing of Joseph Ned Paschall to one year in the Davis County jail.  Paschall had been charged with attempted torture of a companion animal after confessing last October to staging his own kidnapping.  As part of his attempt to cover up the faked kidnapping, Paschall had stabbed his own dog to death.

Paschall was charged with filing a false police report, for which he was given a suspended sentence of 180 days.  He could also have been charged with animal cruelty, which is now a third degree felony in Utah, carrying a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison and a fine of $5,000.

Nonetheless, the Humane Society of Utah is pleased the Second District Court in Farmington saw fit to punish Paschall for his callous crime against a defenseless animal and ensure he serves time for actions. 

Paschall was also ordered to complete a mental health evaluation.  The Humane Society of Utah strongly recommends the courts forbid Paschall from ever owning a companion animal again,  and hopes when the case comes up for review in September, Judge Morris insist Paschall finish serving his full sentence of 365 days.

Great Insight Offered In Response to a Recent Article in the Deseret News

On Saturday, June 19, 2010, the Deseret News published an article 'Kitten Season' Overwhelms Animal Shelter by Amy K. Stewart and Gina Barker.  The article had great information about adopting a kitten from the Humane Society of Utah, as well as the current state of kitten adoptions.

We would like to re-post a comment made by Joanne Wagner of Salt Lake City, in response to this article.  Ms. Wagner's comment reads as follows:

"In your article about the Humane Society of Utah ("Kitten season overwhelms animal shelter," June 19), you mentioned the large number of cats up for adoption. It is important to emphasize that adult cats can make excellent companion animals. In spite of their reputation, they are generally very affectionate and are wonderful pets for their owners.

Even with the diligent efforts of the staff and volunteers at the Humane Society, a shelter setting is stressful on a cat. The dogs, the other cats and the unfamiliar people wandering through the shelter often cause these animals to retire to the back of their cages in fear. After a short time in a home setting, an adopter will often find a "shy" cat turns into a more social companion once he or she feels more secure.

I hope that your article will encourage potential adopters to go meet the cats eagerly awaiting a chance with a new family. After all, the efforts of the staff, the volunteers and the foster network are made in an effort to save lives, and it takes community support to make that happen."

This is the time of year where a lot of cats are giving birth, and so a lot of them are unwanted litters.  In 2009, 5,748 cats were brought into the center. Only 3,137 cats were adopted, leaving more than 2,500 without a home, shelter officials said.

We appreciate Ms. Wagner's statement and hope that you'll consider adopting a cat from the Humane Society of Utah.  A new member of your family could be waiting for you!

There are Benefits to Adopting an Older Companion Dog

The Humane Society of Utah would like you to consider the benefits of adopting an older companion dog. 

-                      Adult dogs are usually house broken and puppies are not

-                      Puppies chew up furniture and anything they can get their jaws on. 

-                      Older companion dogs sleep through the night.  If you prefer peace and quiet, an adult dog might be a good choice for you. 

-                      When adopting an adult dog, the adoption fee should get you a dog with current vaccinations at the minimum.  Puppies need a series of puppy shots and generally a trip or two to the emergency vet after eating something dangerous. This can add up to be substantially more than you paid for the puppy.

-                      Older companion dogs are best described as “what you see is what you get”.  You can see the full grown size of the dog, experience what it’s temperament is like, see how it’s been trained as well. 

With an older companion dog, you have a dog that can go everywhere and do anything with you right now.  No need to wait until your dog has grown up.  Puppies are cute, but raising a pup to adulthood comes with a tremendous responsibility.  Adopting an adult dog can be the best pet decision that you and your family make.  If you have adopted an older companion dog, tell us about your experience.