Pet Tails
Potter
It is almost like a sto- Monty’s happy end- who reluctantly surry straight from
ing but, unfortunately, rendered him to the
Homeward Bound … another strange quirk SPCA for rehoming,
of fate would land
came into the shelter.
Monty in the shelter Their situation had
for the third time in
improved and they
his short life.
On April 21st, Monty
was picked up as a
stray and brought into
Potter, a lovable pit- the Virginia Beach
bull mix found him- Animal Care and
self in a series of za- Adoption Center. He
ny, sometimes down- was renamed Potter
right uncanny situamissed having a pet in
and after his stray
tions during his four hold period was com- their lives. They were
short years on Earth. pleted, he went up for searching for a furrHe was a resident at adoption, hoping to
ever friend who could
the shelter several
find yet another fami- bring them that love
years ago who was
ly to love and cherish and loyalty they’d
adopted out to a lov- him as his first family been missing since
ing family who, sadly, had done.
Potter had left their
found themselves in a
lives.
situation where they For four long months, As luck would have it,
Potter hung out at the
were no longer able
shelter and while he they came across Potto care for Potter,
ter in his kennel. Altloved all the belly
then called Monty.
hough it had been
rubs and treats and
The family reluctantly attention heaped on some time since
relinquished Monty
they’d last seen him,
him by the attentive
to the SPCA where
volunteers and staff, they were almost poshe waited and waited there was one thing
itive that by some
for another home to that Potter wanted … miracle this was the
give him love and a
same dog they’d
a family.
permanent place in
loved and lost.
their family. Eventual- Potter’s dream came
th
The family spent
ly, Monty was adopt- true on August 30 … some time with him,
ed from the SPCA to but in a way that no
getting to know him
another family. This one could have pre- again and then went
dicted. Potter’s origishould have been
home to compare
nal family, the ones
pictures of Monty
Virginia Beach Animal
with recent pictures of Care & Adoption Center
Potter that they had
taken at the shelter.
Volume 11, Issue 11
He had the same
adorable grin and the November 1, 2013
same tan spots on his
ears. All doubts that Inside this issue:
they had were gone.
Holiday Meals and Hun- 2
This was most cergry Pets: Safety Tips
tainly their dog.
for the Season
Potter’s last day in the
shelter was August
31st. After a tearful
reunion in the adoption lobby, Potter
found his furr-ever
Facebook/Twitter
2
Vaccine Importance!
3
Ask the Behavior Guy
4
New Volunteer Faces
4
Animal Spotlight
5
Some Animal Facts
5
Get to Know Your Breed
6
Special Events
7
Meet the Staff
8
Meet the Officers
8
Meet the Volunteers
9
Adoption Counselors
Orientation & Meetings
9
Volunteer Opportunities
and Miscellaneous
10
family … again.
Holiday Meals & Hungry Pets: Safety Tips for the Season
Holiday season is fast approaching and that signals plenty of family, friends, food, and
more food! With the hours spent cooking delicious meals, don’t spend the next lifetime regretting common mistakes when it comes to holiday meals and pet care.
Here are a few tips to keep your pets safe this holiday season:



Keep your animals well exercised to avoid obesity and to keep them worn out before
guests arrive. They are much more likely to cooperate when tired.
Stay away from turkey bones! They are hollow and can easily break and splinter into
small sharp pieces. Symptoms of intestinal issues include loss of appetite, depression,
vomiting or diarrhea.
Turkey can house salmonella if left out for too long. Symptoms of salmonella poisoning
include gastrointestinal upset, vomiting, diarrhea, depression, a high temperature, loss
of appetite and listlessness.

Food high in fat can cause inflammation and pancreatitis in dogs.

Secure the garbage. Dangerous objects (bags, strings, bones, dangerous foods, etc) usually inhabit here.

Stay far away from feeding animals onions, garlic, bread dough, grapes, chocolate, avocadoes, or raisons, which are all toxic to dogs.

Nuts should never be given to pets.

Grapes, raisins, and fruitcakes can cause kidney failure in dogs.

Tinsel is a deadly substance to cats and can severely damage their digestive tract.

Keep emergency contact for your vet on hand, and keep all identification current and
attached to your animal at all times.
With these food and safety tips, we hope that you and your pet(s) will have a safe and yummy holiday season!
GIVE US A “LIKE!”
Have you “liked” us on Facebook? Do you follow us on Twitter? One of the easiest ways for us to let potential adopters
know about the many adoptable pets at the shelter is by using social media. We post information about adoptables and
current events at the shelter. So join the 2050 people already “liking” us on Facebook and our 601 Twitter “followers”
as we get the word out! Find us at www.facebook.com/VBanimalcareandadoptioncenter and @adoptablePetsVB on Twitter and join in the conversations, and while you’re at it, invite your friends too. The more who know, the better the animals have at finding FURever homes!
Volume 11, Issue 11
Page 2
Vaccine Importance!
Officers routinely face problems in the field with running across animals that are not current on their vaccines. For a number of reasons, owners don’t always realize the importance of vaccines and in keeping up with their expiration dates. As such, we would like
to take the time to single out some particular vaccinations that companion animals are
required to have by law as well as ones that are highly recommended to keep them happy
and healthy. This by no means is an all-inclusive list, so it is recommended that all pet owners seek out advice from a licensed veterinarian so that their animal is fully protected.
First, the big one, Rabies vaccine. This may seem obvious to some, but it is surprising how
many animals you come across in the field who are not rabies vaccinated. State law
mandates that by 3- 4 months of age dogs and cats should have its rabies vaccine. The
pet’s first rabies vaccine is usually a 1 year vaccine, all others after that are usually 3 year
vaccines. Having this vaccine is essential to protect against the rabies virus, which while
usually found in wild animals such as bats, fox, skunk and raccoon, can be transmitted to
any mammal. Remember...it’s the law.
Another very important and highly recommended vaccine is the Parvo vaccine (usually
available as part of a combination vaccine). Canine parvo virus is a highly contagious intestinal virus. It is spread from dog to dog through direct or indirect contact of feces. Some
of the symptoms of Parvo are vomiting, very runny and sometimes bloody stool, loss of appetite, and depression. Parvo requires veterinary medical intervention for supportive care
and even with the best care is sometimes, if not often, fatal. Pet owners are strongly encouraged to speak to their veterinarian about vaccinating Parvo.
Finally, the Bordetella vaccine protects your dog from kennel cough. This is an annoying,
infectious cough that can spread quickly amongst unvaccinated dogs. While it is usually
easily treatable, dogs can die from complications related to the virus, so it makes sense to
get the shot, even if you don't plan to kennel your dog.
Keep your animal (s) safe and other people around you and ensure that you take the time to
check with your veterinarian about these and other important vaccines.
Volume 11, Issue 11
Page 3
Ask the Behavior Guy
Hi all, we are starting a new column for the newsletter where Scott the Shelter’s Animal Behavior Consultant answers some of
your questions. For this newsletter, Scott created his own question, but in the future, we will solicit questions from staff &
volunteers and pick a few to answer. Soooo, here we go…
Q: “Why does he do that???”;
A: Ah, the most commonly asked question about animals! It’s human nature to want to understand the reasons why our pets
behave the way they do. And the answer to the question is amazingly simple: he does it because it feels good, or it feels
better than an alternative behavior. This is a very simple but powerful concept that helps us understand why behaviors occur, in any species even humans, and what opportunities exist for changing them.
Let’s look at some human behaviors. You drink coffee? Why? Some people do because it tastes good (i.e., yummy makes us feel
good) while others drink it to feel alert and focused at work rather than sleepy and lethargic (feels better than the alternative of getting in trouble with the boss for not getting all our work done). Take smoking. Research shows that smoking starts
due to peer pressure and other social influences despite the well-known health risks of smoking. Teenagers see friends, family,
celebrities, etc. smoking so they copy that behavior to fit in/look cool/more mature/glamorous--in other words, it makes them
feel better.
So the simplest explanation for why your dog did what it just did is…it makes him feel good (or better). This also gives us insight into how we can modify behavior. It’s figuring out the answer to the question: How can I increase the “feel goodness” (yeah, that’s not a real word) of preferred behavior and decrease the “feel good-ness” of undesired behavior?
And I’ll leave you with that question to ponder the next time you’re being dragged down the shelter hallway by your favorite
shelter dog!
New Volunteer Faces ...
Announcing the new Adoption Counselor Coordinator Christine Shultis
(right). Thank you Christine for stepping up into this role to work
Sharon Mellott (left), exiting Youth Volunteer Coordinator and Youth Mentor
Coordinator, Scott Crocker (middle), Youth Volunteer Coordinator and Mariana
Crocker (right), Youth Mentor Coordinator
Page 4
with Adoption Counselors. Sharon Mellott (left) will still be volunteering and working with the team.
Pet Tails
“Aysa”- American Pit Bull
Aysa is a 65 lb white female. Her family moved
overseas and couldn’t take her. She is sweet
as honey and knows to sit and lay. She is a favorite at the shelter and will need little training.
“Cadbury”- Rabbit
Cadbury is a beautiful white male rabbit. He
loves to explore outside of his cage. Wouldn’t
you love to bring this snow white boy home
with you?
“Princess”- Cat
Princess is a one yr old calico. She has a downy
soft coat and sweet disposition. She loves being
brushed and held. She is spayed and chipped!
 There are 370 species of parrots. Characteristics include curved bill, upright stance, strong
legs and clawed feet.
 There are over 3,400 species of snakes.
 Parrots like to keep clean so they need a way
to take a bath.
 In the winter, they do not hibernate, they
bromate— they are awake but inactive.
 They are among the most intelligent birds.
Gray Amazons can associate words with
meanings and form simple sentences.
 Snakes are a part of the Hindu religion and
celebrated every year.
 Large parrots have a life span of 80 years, with
record ages of over 100.
 They do not have vocal cords—they change
the shape and depth of their trachea to speak.
Page 5
 Snakes range in length from 10 cm to 29 ft.
 A snake’s heart is contained in a sac and is
able to move around.
 Their vertebral column consists of anywhere
between 200—400 bones.
 Most species are non-venomous.
Pet Tails
British Shorthair Cat







Page 6
The breed came to Great Britain
from the Roman Empire over
2,000 years ago.
They are extremely loyal to the
complete family, not bonding to
one member.
An intelligent breed, they often
appear in movies and
commercials.
For centuries, they hung out in
Great Britain's alleys and barns
before being discovered in late
1800’s by famous cat fancier
Harrison Weir.
The males are much larger than
the females.
They tend to be safe around
children as they tolerate a fair
amount of physical interaction.
It is a silver tabby British
Shorthair on Whiskas cat food.
Bichon Frise’
 The breed descended from the






Water Spaniel and Standard
Poodle.
Due to its ancestry as a sailor’s
dog, it enjoys water and retrieving.
Bichon was brought to the United States in 1955.
They love human company and
demand attention. They do well
with children because of their
playfulness and get along with
other dogs.
It is best to have them
groomed every 4—8 weeks.
They are bred to be hypoallergenic so they are considered
suitable for those with allergies.
They have been recorded to
have a life span of 19 years.
Pet Tails
Special Events
The past four weeks have been tremendous ones for both off-site and on-site special adoption events.
Did you realize that over 60 animals found FURever homes during the past four weekends in connection
with special events? Those were 60 animals that might not have found their new homes as quickly as
they did if we did not take the animals out to the people and /or offer them at special and reduced
prices. Special events work out quite well for our animals!
Two of the principle events over the past few weeks were the off-site Neptune Festival and the on-site
Howl-O-Ween Thrill-Tacular.
The Neptune Festival is always a favorite event for both volunteers and staff because of the amount of
people who will stop and look at the animals that are available for adoption. While this year was a tad
“windy” the weather did not keep us away and many animals were adopted. Staff and volunteers did a
remarkable job of overcoming the weather challenges and made sure that we were well represented
with wonderful FURever friends.
Then the Howl-O-Ween Thrill-Tacular at the shelter once again proved to be successful with over 14
adoptions. While we did not have anyone participate in the Costume Contest, we all had fun, and the Vet
Staff were busy with 52 reduced cost rabies vaccinations.
We would also like to mention the special half off adoption event that was held at our Pet Smart Adoption partner on October 12, 2013. Did you know that this event was planned entirely by the wonderful
volunteers who spend part of their time volunteering with the cats that our housed there? This group
took it upon themselves to plan and coordinate the event and they invited our foster parents to bring
their cats as well for half priced adoptions. The event proved to be successful and we are positive
there will be more events for the cats at Pet Smart to come!
Special events work! They either bring potential adopters in to the shelter to look at the animals, or we
will bring the animals to them. During the upcoming months we will have our Veteran’s Day Weekend
specials, a Black Friday special, and the Holiday adoption events, all at the shelter. So, if you do not
normally attend our special events, maybe you could plan on attending one of the upcoming events and
help find the animals a special, FURever home.
Page 7
Pet Tails
Meet the Staff
Meet Virginia Beach Animal Care & Adoption Center’s Shelter Manager, Juleen Balance …
Juleen has worked with Animal Control for the past 12 years and as the VBACACShelter Manager for the past 4 years. Originally from Norfolk, her education
includes an Associate Degree in Applied Science from Tidewater Community College, a B.S. in Psychology from Old Dominion University, and a M.S. in Community
Leadership. Juleen is the recipient of Class Act Awards for involvement in a
significant cruelty investigation and initiating the first shelter based community
outreach goal. Juleen loves welcoming diverse community groups to the shelter
and seeing their positive interactions with the animals. When asked about her
most memorable moment with VBAC she recalled a small fire that began in the
mechanical room of the old shelter on Leroy Road. “Staff and volunteers pulled
together and ensured that animals were brought to safety. We immediately went
to work setting up an emergency pet shelter in the Police Helicopter Hanger. It
amazed me how quickly everyone jumped in to make a bad situation work to a positive outcome”. Juleen is a very
positive and hard working Shelter Manager here at VBACAC and we appreciate her warmth and dedication to
human-animal relations this month!
Meet the Officers
Meet Animal Animal Enforcement Supervisor Steven M Snyder …
Supervisor Snyder was born and raised in Virginia Beach. He graduated from
Frank W Cox High School and attended Tidewater Community College.
He began his law enforcement career in 1978 as a Park Ranger at Seashore
State Park. During his six years with the Virginia State Parks, he attended and
completed Basic Conservator of the Peace training at the Virginia State Police
Academy, presented interpretive nature programs, and supervised various work
crews with the day to day park operations. He also gained valuable experience
dealing with the public in a law enforcement environment.
In 1984, Supervisor Snyder decided he wanted to expand his law enforcement
career and applied with the Virginia Beach Police Department for an Animal
Control Officer position. In June of that year, he was hired as an Animal Control Officer. After eight years of performing the duties of an enforcement officer, Supervisor Snyder was promoted to the position of Animal Enforcement Supervisor. He now oversees the daily activities of the day shift
enforcement officers and performs many administrative duties.
When Supervisor Snyder is not working he enjoys playing golf, fishing on Back Bay, working in his garden, and his
favorite hobby, collecting and racing slot cars.
Supervisor Snyder is very proud of the accomplishments and improvements that have been made to the animal
enforcement unit over the last thirty years. The compassion and professionalism shown by the entire organization
is a credit to the Virginia Beach Police Department and to the citizens of Virginia Beach.
Volume 11, Issue 11
Page 8
Meet the Volunteers
Meet volunteers Scott and Mariana Crocker … Mariana is a preschool special education teacher for Virginia Beach City
Public Schools at Arrowhead Elementary, and
Scott is a recruiter for a company that works with
power plants throughout the country. Mariana
and Scott tried to start volunteering two months
after the new shelter opened, but each time, instead of completing their volunteer applications,
they would leave with a new family member.
Once they reached the legal dog limit, they came
back and started volunteering. Scott has been
volunteering since February and Mariana came
soon after in April. Since starting, they have become very involved in many aspects of the shelter. They are both adoption counselors,
dog walkers, front desk workers, they are on the special events committee, they are critter concierges, and they
foster. They have fostered nine dogs since April, finding homes for all but one, which they still have. All but one of
the foster dogs have been a pit bull because they are big time pit bull advocates. Scott also teaches the dog walking
class when Scott Casino needs some help, and is the new Youth Volunteer Coordinator; Mariana is now heading up
the Youth Mentor program as well. They love volunteering at the shelter and helping the dogs in any way they can.
Sorry cats ... Mariana is super allergic so they have to focus on the dogs. Scott and Mariana also volunteer as Special Olympic coaches, which is where they met, and have gotten more from both organizations than they could ever
hope to give back ... BUT they try!
Adoption Counselor Orientation & Meetings
Adoption counselor orientation introduces you, as a volunteer, to some customer service tips and information that will be helpful to
you when you are helping the public in their search for a companion animal.
Adoption counselor meetings consist of volunteers that have been through orientation and come together to share their experiences, to
help each other improve the way we help in the adoption process.
Future meetings are as follows:
Sat. Nov. 23, 2013
Sat. Dec. 21, 2013
1 -2 pm adoption counselor orientation
2-3 pm adoption counselor meeting
1-2pm adoption counselor orientation
2-3 pm adoption counselor meeting
Special Adoption Counselor Meeting ...
We will be having a very special Adoption Counselor meeting on Saturday, November 23, at 2:00 pm in the Conference room. Scott Casino, the shelter’s Animal Behavior Consultant, will be our guest speaker and the subject will
be "How Adoption Counseling Can Prevent Returns." I know that as adoption counselors you are concerned about
the re-surrender of dogs, and matching up the right pet to the right person, so if you have gone through the Adoption Counselor Orientation, you are invited to attend this very important meeting. If you have not been through
orientation, you can attend the orientation meeting on Saturday, November 23, at 1:00 pm prior to the meeting
with Scott. Please sign up on the training calendar. If you have any questions, you can e-mail me at [email protected].
Volume 11, Issue 11
Page 9
Volunteer
Opportunities:
Volunteer Front Desk
Greeter
Newsletter Team Member
Adoption Counselor
PetsMart Cat Center Volunteer
Foster Parent
Animal Transporter
Pet Portal (Petfinder)
Call Center Volunteer
Lost/Found Assistance
Volunteer
Small Animal Companionship
Special Events Volunteer
Vet Assistant
Youth Mentor
Adoption Follow-ups
Do you love animals and
want to give back to the
community? We have the
answer for you there are
many ways that you can
help, from walking dogs,
cuddling cats or advertising
pets that are up for
adoption. We also are in
need of foster homes to
increase the amount of
animals that we can serve.
Listed below are
volunteer opportunities…
Virginia Beach Animal Care & Adoption Center
341 S. Birdneck Road
Virginia Beach, VA 23451
Phone: 757-385-4444
Fax: 757-227-9687
E-mail: [email protected]
Cat Room Volunteer
Dog Walker
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, contact Jean Deliz at [email protected]. She’ll be
looking forward to hearing from you.
Shelter Statistics
Sept
2013
Sept
2012
Oct
2013
Oct
2012
Dogs Impounded
326
264
333
324
Dogs Reclaimed
179
116
156
136
Dogs Adopted
123
103
96
86
17
21
13
34
Cats Impounded
254
351
289
281
Cats Reclaimed
19
17
15
18
Cats Adopted
67
68
104
69
Cats Transferred
24
33
22
11
Other Companions Impounded
20
36
20
33
Other Companions Reclaimed
0
1
0
0
22
15
18
10
0
1
3
13
Dogs Transferred
Other Companions Adopted
Other Companions Transferred
It’s the Law
Did you know … The governing body of any locality
may prohibit dogs from running at large.
Hours of Operation:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday — 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tuesday — 11:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. (reclaims only)
Thursday — 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday — 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Do you have a suggestion?
We’d like to hear it.
Please drop off suggestions in our suggestion box
and we’ll post the suggestion and the response in our newsletter.