Friends of BCAS - Weekly Email 11/17/11

Below is the contents of the weekly Adoptions & Newsletter email sent out on 11/17/11.

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Hello, fellow Friends of BCAS volunteers!

Please spare a moment to read the following announcements:

• ADORABLE SHELTER CAT: Everybody who's been online for ten seconds can tell that the internet's full of cat videos, but this one's different: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRjEc0vpR7Y -- because it's done by our fellow volunteer, Steve, and it features the second-longest feline resident of our shelter, Ash! Take a look! (I dare you not to say "awww".)

• SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT KITTIES: Our fellow volunteer, Meike, is sponsoring several cats for adoption and has a flyer she'd like you to print out and post somewhere to help spread the word! You can find the flyer here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/73079098/Catposter-Kitty-Pairs (sign in with a Scribd or Facebook account to print it) - The shelter is almost always overcrowded with cats. Overcrowding without relief inevitably ends badly for many shelter cats, so just about any small effort, such as printing out a simple poster, can save lives!

• DOG TOYS LEFT BEHIND: Volunteers, please don't leave dog toys in the dog yard. Recently, at least two dozen tennis balls were strewn about in the yard and had to be collected! No dog needs that many chew toys :)

• SURVEY RESULTS: Back a few months ago we surveyed our volunteers, as we were curious about why volunteers join and what gets them to stay, among other things. Here's a brief summary of our findings:

1. Where did you hear about us? (29%) Newspaper, (24%) Word of mouth, (18%) Shelter or website, (18%) Other

2. Why start volunteering? (47%) Love of animals, (35%) Wanted to help, (17%) Other

3. What might make you volunteer more? (37%) Better shelter hours, (14%) More opportunities with animals, (10%) More guidance with handling, (20%) Already doing as much as possible.

• HOLIDAY CLOSINGS: The shelter will be closed to the public and volunteers on Thanksgiving and the day after (Thursday the 24^th and Friday the 25^th, respectively). Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everybody!

Friends of BCAS - Weekly Email 11/10/11

Below is the contents of the weekly Adoptions & Newsletter email sent out on 11/10/11.

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Hello, fellow Friends of BCAS volunteers!

Please spare a moment to read the following announcements:

• LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! We need a yellow dog handler and a cat handler who would like to work with our new videographer, Steve. You will be prominently featured in our videos working with the animals to do any little tricks they know, i.e. sit, paw, stay, cuddle, fetch, etc, and just make them look their best. You'll also be collaborating creatively with Steve to present a 'story' of the animal. We are very excited about our new video endeavor and believe it will further help our shelter animals find homes. The yellow dog handler should be available Friday or Saturday mornings from 10:30am - 12:00pm. The cat handler should be available Mondays 4:30pm - 7:00pm. Please contact Penny at fobcas@yahoo.com or Jenn at jennak87@yahoo.com, if interested.

• VOLUNTEERS TO THE RESCUE! This week, a few volunteers got advance notice of the subject none of us like to think about -- cats who were scheduled to be euthanized due to a lack of space. As volunteers at an open-admission shelter, we must find ways to deal with this hard fact that not all adoptable animals will find homes. Most of the time we hear about it after the fact, but this time we, and the cats, got lucky. In only 36 hours, all four cats were saved and will now get a second chance thanks to our volunteers, our shelter, and BCAA and Animal Sanctuary: Angel, an older Siamese mix; Tinkerbell, an older overweight calico; Patty, a tubby adult black & white; and Wyatt, a shy but sweet young tabby boy. Without cooperation and teamwork between volunteers, our shelter, and rescues, these kitties would have become just another statistic.

• VOLUNTEER SWAG: You can now get our cute Friends of BCAS logo on more than just a t-shirt ($10)! Your options have expanded to: Crew neck shirt ($15) and hoodie ($17), or you can choose your own top for us to stencil ($5). You can also get "Want to Volunteer?" on the back of a volunteer shirt ($5). We have a whole rainbow of colors available. Email Barbara at barbaramoosathome@yahoo.com for details or to place an order!

Friends of BCAS - Weekly Email 11/3/11

Below is the contents of the weekly Adoptions & Newsletter email sent out on 11/3/11.

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Hello, fellow Friends of BCAS volunteers!

Volunteer Stats for October 2011:

- Volunteer hours: 487.75 (+66% from September)

- Volunteer visits: 172 (+75% from September)

- Total volunteer participation: 45.8%

Note: Our cat socialization program was reinstated 10/3/11 and you can tell by the HUGE increase in our stats!!

Giant thanks to the following volunteers:

- Katrina Kates (Jenn's mom) for spending 21 hours in October playing with the cats. And thanks to Jenn for recruiting her as a volunteer. Word of mouth is our best advertising :o)

- Andrea Cassidy became a volunteer in the middle of October. She has visited the shelter numerous times to handle cats & dogs. She does even more away from the shelter by posting our longer resident animals to a very popular Facebook page (Pet Pardons) in an effort to help find them a home.

- Betty Konrad spent over 21 hours at the shelter with the dogs in October. Betty has become a big part of our dog pic/posting team which means she spends hours away from the shelter uploading dog pictures to the internet. Betty also volunteers weekly with a couple other organizations in our community and has a part-time job. And oh by the way, she is retired. Betty, you are a true INSPIRATION!!

"The road to success is not crowded. Because while most are looking for ways to take, the truly successful people are finding ways to give. With a giving attitude, every situation is an opportunity for success."

- Unknown

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Please spare a moment to read the following announcements:

• DAYLIGHT SAVINGS ends this weekend. All you Monday & Thursday night dog walkers, please make sure you are easily visible to the passing cars. Wear sneakers with reflective strips, light colored jacket/pants, reflective tape on your clothing, etc. We don't want any volunteer or dog to get run over!!

• CLOTHESPINS!: We're running out of them! Every volunteer uses a clothespin as a placemarker when they take animals out to play, and it seems like they're left behind and lost every day. But no worries, if everybody donates some clothespins, we'll be fine and dandy :) If you'd like to help out, please leave your clothespin donations in the conference room cabinet or in the volunteer bin next to the sign-in sheet!

• VOLUNTEER FROM HOME: Don't give up on your passion to help the animals. We know the shelter environment is difficult for us animal lovers, but there are plenty of ways you can help without stepping a foot into the shelter. We need folks involved in fund raising or you could volunteer with our rescue partner BCAA (BCAAofNJ.org). The only impact you make by sitting at home is to your sofa!!

Animals of the Month!! and More!

Please check out these great pets at the Burlington County Animal Shelter. These wonderful animals have been at the shelter the longest! Please, Please pass their information along so they can find a home soon!!


Katie is our Cat Of The Month! The lucky adopter will get $10 off the adoption fee and a kitty goody bag! Please come and take Katie home. She has been waiting since May!! Katie is a gorgeous, small, tan and black-striped tabby lady who's still under 2 years old. She was pregnant when she was surrendered to the shelter, and now that all her kittens have been taken care of she's ready to find her very own happy forever home! Katie is a calm and curious girl who can sometimes be shy, but still likes to play and be given lots of love from friendly people. Please give this lovely girl a chance and come visit Katie soon! Katie's ID # is 41324.


Ash is a very energetic and friendly young boy, still under a year old. He LOVES to play with toys and is very interested in playing with other cats. Ash likes to be petted and does not mind being held, but he's too energetic to want to sit still in your lap for too long! This cutie is still looking for his forever home, so please visit him soon and consider making an addition of a goofball to your family! Ash's ID # is 42194.





Angel is a sweet black lab mix who is about 3 years old and weighs 61 pounds. She was adopted from the shelter before, but was unfortunately returned when her former owner took a job with lots of travel hours. This wasn't fair to Angel, so this great girl is up for adoption again! Angel's former owner says she's crate trained and had started on obedience training. Angel knows 'sit' and 'down', and likes playing with tennis balls and going for walks. Angel should go to a home without children or other animals, but she'd make a wonderful pet for an adult home. Please visit Angel soon and see if you're a match! Angel's ID # is 39944.



All these great pets are waiting at the Burlington County Animal Shelter.
County Facilities Complex - Woodlane Road
35 Academy Drive
Westampton, NJ 08060
Phone for adoption info: 609-265-5073
http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NJ148.html

November is Adopt a Senior Pet Month!!

Senior animals are over the puppy and kitten antics and are ready to settle into your homes. Please check out these great senior pets from the Burlington County Animal Shelter! They are waiting for their forever homes. Pass their information along to everyone you know! Please save a life!


Todd is a sweet gray and white shorthaired boy who's about 5-6 years old. Though he can be shy, Todd is a very people-friendly kitty who loves getting attention and petting. He seems to be a very calm fellow who just wants some love, so if he sounds like a kitty you'd enjoy to have for company, please visit him soon!
Todd's ID # is 43339.


This handsome boxer/lab mix is about 8 years old and tips the scales at 68 lbs. Star knows ‘sit’ and went into a ‘down’ for a treat. He also caught on quickly to the ‘sit/catch a treat’ game. His previous owner stated he loves car rides and his squeekie toys. Star needs to be the only dog in your house and care needs to be taken when walking him in the company of other dogs. He is an otherwise lovely mature dog that would do well in an adult household. Star's ID # is 45014.


Handsome is a sweet, statuesque who's got black and white fur and gorgeous golden eyes, and is about 5 years old. This lovely kitty is very friendly and affectionate, and adores getting attention and being petted. Happy Handsome is a calm but confident boy who'd make a great pet for a lucky home, so please come visit him soon. Handsome's ID # is 44095.


Big Ben is really a nice calm boy, although he is not much on picture posing.. He was happy to be outdoors and just wanted to sniff around and check out his new surroundings.. He weighs in at 118 pounds and walks well on the leash... Ben is a very comfortable pet to be around, no jerky fast moves He has a nice coat and a handsome face...If you are looking for a pal, Ben may be the one for you... Big Ben's ID # is 45037.

Burlington County Animal Shelter
County Facilities Complex - Woodlane Road
35 Academy Drive
Westampton, NJ 08060
Phone for adoption info: 609-265-5073
http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NJ148.html

Friends of BCAS - Weekly Email 10/27/11

Below is the contents of the weekly Adoptions & Newsletter email sent out on 10/27/11.

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Hello, fellow Friends of BCAS volunteers!

Please spare a moment to read the following announcements:

• DOG HANDLING CLASS: Animal Advocate John will be holding his next Yellow Dog Handling Class on Thursday, November 3rd at 6 PM. Volunteers, come learn about handling potentially difficult dogs, and become approved to walk Yellow-rated shelter dogs!

• HELP US, DOG TRAINERS! Calling all volunteers with dog training experience who are willing to conduct group dog training classes for your fellow volunteers using our shelter dogs. First you will work with John and Lisa (shelter's Adoption Advocates) to establish training techniques, curriculum, etc. and then we can schedule classes. Please contact Penny at fobcas@yahoo.com if interested.

• HELP US MAKE VIDEOS: Like taking videos of your friends, family, pets? Maybe you even have your own Youtube page with your own video creations? We could use your help with taking videos of our shelter's animals. We have our own Youtube page already (youtube.com/friendsofbcas), but we need somebody (or somebodies) interested in taking/editing videos to fill it up! If you want a chance to be creative and help needy animals all at the same time, email Jenn at jennak87@yahoo.com.

• THANKS, FROM CINNAMINSON DAY: Cinnaminson Day for Friends of BCAS on 10/23/11 was a big success. Thanks goes to Jean Stone, Frank Bury, and Penny Legg (and her foster, Parker!) for their hard work to make it a success. They manned our table, supplied informational handouts (micro-chipping pets, volunteer program, Pit Bull myths, shelter donation wish list) and talked to numerous folks about adopting a shelter animal. $130.00 in donations were collected largely due to a great idea by Jean. She had little stuffed animals, donated by her employer, who were "adoptable" for a $5 donation. The kids loved adopting the little animals. Thanks everyone for a great job!

Friends of BCAS - Weekly Email 10/20/11

Below is the contents of the weekly Adoptions & Newsletter email sent out on 10/20/11.

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Hello, fellow Friends of BCAS volunteers!

Please spare a moment to read the following giant pile of announcements:

• HELP FEED TINY KITTENS: The shelter is again in need of people to help bottlefeed kittens. The vet techs, who have the primary responsibility, are going a little batty trying to keep nearly a dozen crying kittens fed and happy on top of their regular duties. If you'd like to help, please contact the shelter directly at 609-265-5073 and ask for a vet tech about bottlefeeding, or email the vet techs directly at susanenocito@comcast.net (Sue) or nicoleolivia1027@gmail.com (Nicole).

• VOLUNTEER PARKING NOTICE: So many volunteers have been showing up at the shelter lately that we've been asked to please park in the rear parking lot whenever possible. We're thrilled to see you all showing up in droves, but we don't want to displace potential adopters for parking spaces :)

• REMINDER: DOG DIFFICULTY LEVELS: Dogs are evaluated by the shelter and then given either a GREEN or a YELLOW "V" sticker on the bottom right corner of their orange volunteer sheet. Green dogs may be walked by any dog walker, but volunteers need to be approved before they can walk Yellow dogs. Dogs with NO "V" sticker have not been evaluated yet and may not be walked by any volunteer. (Cats, on the other hand, have no rating system and any cat in the Adoptable Cat Room may be taken out by a cat volunteer! Cats without orange sheets may be given one from the supply in the black volunteer cabinet.)

• REMINDER: DOG KENNELS: When taking a dog out for a walk, please remember to double-check your dog's kennel gate to make sure it is securely closed by giving it a tug, and hook the safety chain when your dog is returned. If you see a safety chain unhooked as you're walking by, hook that too! If you have trouble with securely closing a kennel gate, ask a staffmember or a fellow volunteer for help. If you have any questions or concerns about dog kennel security, contact Penny at fobcas@yahoo.com.

• DOG LEASHES: If you'd like to buy your very own British Slip Lead to use instead of borrowing from our limited supply of volunteer leashes, contact Penny at fobcas@yahoo.com and she'll include you in her next bulk order! (Saves on shipping.)

Check out these Great Animals!!

There are a lot of pets waiting for homes at the Burlington County Animal Shelter! There is something for everyone. Please let everyone you know that these cuties and many more are waiting!!

Daisy is a stunning short haired calico girl who's about 2-3 years old. This lovely girl is a very gentle and affectionate kitty who loves to be petted and get attention. She may be slightly shy at first but she warms up quickly and is very sweet. Daisy was surrendered through no fault of her own! Daisy's ID # is 42716.

Biscuit is a 4 year old boy who was surrendered like many other pets because of the poor economic times we are in... He is pleasant, pretty well behaved, likes to walk and really enjoyed the personal attention he got by sidling up and being petted. His former owner recommends he be put in a home without children..... Biscuit's ID # is 42511.

Tina is a perky little gray and white girl who's still under a year old. She's got TONS of personality and kitten energy, and she loves to run and play and pounce everything! She's well-known at the shelter for enjoying high places, to the point of climbing up on peoples' shoulders to reach them!Tina's ID # is 42924.



We're just wild about Harry! Yes, this adorable, sweet dog needs to find a home. Harry was great out on his walk. He is 4 years old and weighs 26 lbs. He isn't a big dog- just a great size. Harry's ID # is 42629.


Cassie is a VERY frisky, small, 1-year-old tortoiseshell girl. This pretty kitty LOVES playing with her toys, and may do well with other cats. She's very much a goofball, and could bring a lot of fun and energy to a home lucky enough to have her. Cassie's ID # is 43174.


Burlington County Animal Shelter
County Facilities Complex - Woodlane Road
35 Academy Drive
Westampton, NJ 08060
Phone for adoption info: 609-265-5073
http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NJ148.html