That’s right! Spring is here and that means it’s time to start thinking about Wag ‘n’ Walk! This event is a great excuse to get you and your dog outside for some fun, meet other people and help support a good cause all at the same time. This year’s event is scheduled for:

May 30, 2009

10:00 am

Eagle Island State Park

Wag ‘n’ Walk is a fundraiser and fun walk (with or without a dog!) to generate awareness and assist homeless animals in our community. Registration will provide you with parking, snacks, and beverage, event T-shirt, raffle entry as well as the one-mile walk around the beautiful lake at Eagle Island State Park. Sponsorship will ensure you a booth at the event as well as the opportunity to be involved with a humane effort to save lives!

Last year, we had a great time and made lots of friends. We sang Happy Birthday to a lucky little dog and saw some amazing demonstrations including duck herding and treadmill training. Here is the photo album from last year:

The economy has hit everyone at least a little, and the animals are suffering as well. Phone calls from people needing assistance to place their animals have significantly increased. We have made this event “economy friendly” by adding team/family registrations and extremely affordable sponsorship packages. We are truly going to Make a Difference for Animals Today!

Here are the details:

Registration

$25 Adult (per human walker) $15 Youth (5-14 years old) Free! (4 and under)

$75 Family/Team Registration (First 4 walkers) $10 (each additional walker) Costumes and Themed Dress Encouraged!

To download a registration form, click here: Wag ‘n’ Walk Registration Form 2009

ONLINE REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED. You can still come directly to the event and sign up there!  

Pucks for Pets 2009

Sponsored by WestVet

What a great time! Hockey fans and pet lovers joined at the Qwest Arena on Friday, February 20th to enjoy some hockey and support Northwest Animal Companions for our annual event: Pucks for Pets! 

Stuff the WestVet Ambulance!

Fans were asked to bring pet food donations to the game, and they responded! We collected over 300 pounds and 100 cans of food. We stuffed that WestVet ambulance! Way to go fans! A special thanks to Mike and Nikkie for standing out in the cold most of the evening. Now that is dedication for the animals!

 The dog toys were a huge hit as well! We had hundreds of toys donated by Petco ready for the thousands of people coming through the front door. Again, a HUGE thanks to all the volunteers that sold these toys (even though the foyer was really, really cold!) and talked to all the fans on the way in. The steelheads scored their first goal only 1:30 minutes into the game, so we didn’t have a chance to sell all of the toys, but people were still purchasing them on the way out to take home. Seeing the arena filled with blue and red toys was amazing! 

Zeus gets some extra special attention

We had several dogs there including the big New Foundland mix named Zeus. He got special treatment wandering the suites and even met a few kids at a birthday party that he fell in love with. From the sounds of it, some people fell in love with him as well. Zeus found a home!

Blue becomes a NAC volunteer

Well, the dust is still settling from our hootin’ and hollerin’! Fun was had by all and we learned some things.

1. Karaoke is very, very popular. Morty can entertain with the best of them! (You had to be there, it’s indescribable!)

2. Texas Hold ‘Em is also very popular and draws an audience… even outside. Way to go Ryan Baumwart for winning the grand prize of the evening!

3. People like food! (Ok, we knew this one.) The food was FANTASTIC! A huge thanks to Ian and Diane Trenwith for coming all the way from Santa Barbara, California to cater our event. The meal was unforgettable!

 4. There are a great bunch of people in our area that came together that evening to have some fun, eat some food and save the animals. (We knew  this one too, but it’s always nice to be reminded.)

The final numbers are still coming in as we get the last of the online auction items to people, but the night was definitely a success! Thank you to everyone who attended and supported NAC!

Made possible by our sponsors:

The “Pit Bull” Ambassador

By Cheyenne Stamp

Photos by: RoppOp Photography

“Maci, no…” sighs Beau, as I enter Charley the Pet Boutique in downtown Boise.  I see a muscular “Pit Bull” come racing towards me. With the recent press, most people would be concerned at this sight, but I know that I am about to get a greeting full of kisses and tail-wagging. Even though Beau keeps Maci on her best behavior, I also usually get an “up close and personal greeting”, since Maci and I are old friends.

Here at Northwest Animal Companions, we have a myriad of adoption success stories, and we continue to add to them on a daily basis. What we do is full of rewards that are immeasurable. Maci, though, is not only one of those great stories; she has gone one step further.

Maci was surrendered to us by her original owners. She was only a few months old and had tested positive for the Canine Parvovirus. Parvo is a very serious virus that only affects dogs and is deadly if not treated aggressively. One look into Maci’s pleading golden eyes and we knew she wanted to live. She had things she needed to accomplish and Parvo was not going to get in her way! After a few days of hospitalization, she was in the clear and ready to go into foster care.

Maci’s first opportunity to make a difference came when she inspired a young volunteer named Kayla to do her Senior Project on the Canine Parvovirus. As Kayla worked on the statistics and explored Maci’s experience, she realized that there is not enough education available to the community about the Parvovirus. It is easily prevented by vaccination, yet rampant in our area. Certain breeds, including the Staffordshire Terrier, are prone to it. It is contracted through microscopic parts of fecal matter that can be found literally anywhere. Kayla recognized that most new pet owners do not understand how dangerous something as simple as taking their puppy to park can be! She used Maci’s example in her Senior Project, in which she proposed to Northwest Animal Companions a New Pet Adoption Class that not only outlines the typical puppy training, but medical risks and disease prevention. We are currently developing the program and planning to implement it in 2009.

As if this weren’t enough, Maci’s true Ambassadorship is demonstrated by her work at Charley the Pet Boutique. Besides Bakery Treat Tester and Floor Sweeper, she is also in charge of Customer Relations. When you visit her store on 8^th Street in downtown Boise, you are guaranteed an experience much like mine. Even on those long days, when the mailman only gives up one treat and she’s been busy ALL day pampering poodles and modeling swimsuits, she trots out to greet everyone that comes through her door. Her tail wags at supersonic speed, usually wiggling her hind end along with it. She is a loyal employee, always willing to demonstrate the toys or show you just how much your dog really will like the treats. Most importantly, she attests to the public that “Pit Bulls” are not dangerous dogs. In fact, they are incredibly intelligent and eager to please. They are companions, caretakers and friends. Maci teaches us that, just like any other dog, with proper training and care they can be a lifelong member of any family - even one where you are expected to welcome strangers, new dogs and children on a daily basis.

Maci, we thank you for helping us at NAC to educate our community, even if the education comes with a slobbery kiss from time to time.

That’s right! Lucy, a yellow lab mix adopted by Sue and Carl Davis has hit the big-time! She is the June Cover Girl for Pet Friendly Magazine. She was one of eight selected from a pool of over 100 pets!

 Lucy and her five siblings were only 2 weeks old when they were abandoned near Idaho City with their mother. That is where NAC came in. They were brought to Boise, and placed in foster care. Sue and Carl came to visit the puppies on a regular basis and it wasn’t long until they had fallen in love with little Lucy.

They adopted her when she was eight weeks old and what a different life she’s had since! She is one of the Shop Dogs at Boise Cycle (the other Shop Dog is Chloe, another NAC dog!) and now she’s a SuperStar!

Way to go, Lucy! We are proud of you!

 If you’d like to read more about Lucy’s story, or see her puppy pictures, click here.

Cover photo by A Time To Remember Photography

Well, our second year goes down in history as a success! After several days of doing a “sun dance”, the morning of May 24^th was perfect weather. A couple hundred people and their dogs gathered at Eagle Island State Park for Wag ‘n’ Walk 2008. Together we celebrated the human/animal bond and raised funds for Northwest Animal Companions.

The morning started out mingling with other dog lovers and wandering through the booths of pet-friendly businesses. Then, everyone strolled the shores of the lake with their canine companions and enjoyed the gorgeous Idaho outdoors. We couldn’t have asked for a more serene morning! A special thanks to Dan Tooker and his dog, Baxter, for being the Grand Marshall and leading the way!

When everyone was done with their walk, Dan led us through some demonstrations. We watched Renee from Reining Cats and Dogs show us how a treadmill can be used to help with behavioral problems. Then we saw an amazing demonstration of skill and technique by Kelly from Circle Lazy K Stockdogs. His dog was able to herd ducks in an unfenced area and show us the talent that these herding dogs really have.

From there, we went into the contests which are always a sight to see! The raffle was quite popular as well. Congratulations to all the winners and we hope you had a great time! We’d also like to say a very special thank you to the 50+ volunteers that gave their time before and during the event as well as all of our sponsors! We couldn’t have done it without you!

While figures are only preliminary, it looks like the morning was not only fun but earned Northwest Animal Companions just over $4000! This will make an incredible difference for animals in our community. Thank you to everyone that attended and we’ll see you next year!

For more pictures of Wag ‘n’ Walk 2008, click HERE! (Click on Gallery, then Wag ‘n’ Walk at the bottom of the page.)

By Sue Davis

We fostered Polly after she came to our yard one cold, snowy night begging for help.  I knew immediately she was in trouble.  She looked like she was 20 years old and could barely stand up.  She couldn’t see because her eyes were matted shut.  I stroked her back and the bones stuck out, she was starved.  I felt her belly and realized she was pregnant.  After getting her warm and some food, I contacted Nina with NAC.  She got Polly an appointment at Ada Animal Hospital.  This wonderful clinic does so much to help NAC animals.

Polly was in some serious trouble.  Her back feet were hurt.  Some of her teeth were broken and needed to be removed.  Her tail had a bad injury to the bone, nearly the entire length of it.  The life threatening concern was her uterus. It had ruptured and her 3 kittens had died inside her. This was causing infection throughout her tiny body.  Dr. Loertscher said, had we not brought her in to be spayed, the infection would have killed her. Medically, there was no reason for this cat to be alive.  But, she had such will to live, because she knows the best part of her life is yet to come.

Shortly after arriving at the clinic, she underwent a long surgery that involved tooth extractions, spaying, and a tail amputation (There’s about two inches left – it’s the cutest thing!) A couple days after her major surgeries, Polly was a new cat - happy, lively, and healing up.  She had a huge appetite.  She started filling out and her coat began to shine.  She’s on her way and looking for her ‘Forever Home.’

Polly is a Polydactyle.  Her front feet are like big mittens.  She has a blue eye and a green eye.  And now she has the cutest little ‘manx’ tail that looks like she was born with it.  Polly is extremely gentle and loving.  She likes to be held and will knead your neck and kiss you.  Surprisingly, even after all she’s been through, there is not a mean bone in her body.  She is the perfect cat. 

Polly was adopted by a wonderful person shortly after her surgeries. She now can live the life every cat should live! It will be filled with love, companionship and purring. There is a reason this little cat is still around…

  …To Be Continued?

Who knew hockey and pets mixed so well?

After much anticipation, about 30 NAC volunteers gathered at the Qwest Arena on the night of February 13th for Pucks for Pets with the Idaho Steelheads. In hurried excitement, everything got setup and we were ready for the people to start rolling in… and boy did they! Fans were able to purchase chew toys donated by Petco and raffle tickets on the way in and visited with some darling little puppies at the NAC booth just inside the entrance. We had several of our currently adoptable dogs there for visiting and raffled off some great prizes.  

The toys were to be thrown onto the ice when the Steelheads scored the first goal, and was that a sight! Magic 93.1 was also there to sponsor the game and took one of the precious little puppies, Toby, onto the ice during one of the intermissions to show everyone! He was famous after that and started getting his own donations. Go Toby!

 After all was said and done, we raised just over $2000, received over 700 pounds of pet food, and adopted 3 dogs! Just as important, we met so many great people and had a really good time. Special thanks goes out to all the volunteers, Petco (thanks Kent!), the Idaho Steelheads and Magic 93.1!

 Also, a big thanks to RoppOp Photography for documenting the evening for us. If you would like to see the entire collection of pictures from the event, click here.

What a great event this turned out to be!  Thanks to countless volunteers and crafters, we had such a variety of things to offer on this cold day in December. The trees were selling like hot cakes and the treats and crafts were just the right thing to make the holidays a little brighter for everyone - especially the animals!

WELCOME!!! Our new website is up and going! Some things are still under minor construction, but feel free pull up a chair, look around and make yourself at home.