The Fur (& Feather!) Flyer

We're back - it is still morning at HAWS.  And now, on to the cats!

The caregiver cleaning the cat areas begins by taking all adoptable cats out of their cages and placing them in suitable carriers.  Blankets are taken to the laundry and water dishes and toys to the kitchen to be washed.  Litterboxes are completely emptied and taken to another room to be washed.  Newspapers lining the cages are thrown away.  (Incidentally, we're always in need of newspapers, and other cleaning supplies.)

Theses cages, like the dog kennels, are also soaked in a disinfectant and let sit for at least 10 minutes.  After they are rinsed with water they are soaked in bleach for another 10 minutes, and rinsed again.  Each cage is squeeged to make sure it is dry, and then lined with newspapers.  Clean litterboxes, blankets, dishes and toys are placed back in the cages - followed by the cats.  The carriers the cats were in are then cleaned and set up for the next use.  The same process is repeated in the stray cat holding room and the medical/isolation cat room.  The whole process takes up to 4.5 hours.

When the kennels and cat areas are cleaned, each caretaker goes on a 30 minute break to eat...and rest!  But, the cleaning process continues at noon, starting with the 2 caretakers going through and giving each dog fresh food. 

Fortunately, by this time another worker has arrived to help out.  This worker will go through and give all the cats in each room a plate of tasty wet food as a treat.  After, they go back and clean up each cat cage and give all the dogs fresh water.  In the meantime, the 2 original workers split with 1 taking care of the adoptable dogs kennel and the other taking care of the stray and isolation kennels.  Dogs are taken out again to do their "business," food is picked up, fresh water is given, and clean blankets and toys are handed out. 

This process of feeding and straightening up needs to be finished by 1:00pm when the kennel doors open up to the public for viewing.  Thankfully there is usually a volunteer who will come in and clean the housing for any small animals that may be in the shelter.  If not, the kennel workers need to fit this into their routine as well.

Over the next 4 hours, the dogs are rotated in and out on 45-minute intervals.  Caretakers also need to keep up with miscellaneous duties such as laundry (up to 35-40 loads/day), dishes, preparing outgoing animals for adoption and settling in the new residents, filling litterboxes, and keeping the building clean and the animals clean and comfortable.  The cats are checked on once more before the kennel closes, being given another treat of wet food and cleaned out again.

And then it all starts over again the next morning...

By the way, don't forget you can see Meteorologist Rob Haswell from Fox 6 and his HAWS kennel adventure - click on this link to watch his adventure!

Have you ever stopped by HAWS in the morning and wanted to see the animals, only to find out that the kennel is closed until 1:00 pm?  Maybe you've looked through the kennel door and wondered...what is going on back there? 

Here's your chance to get an inside view!

On a typical day, 2 kennel caregivers care for up to 200 animals, with help from 2 more workers that come in later in the day and a handful of dedicated volunteers.  The 2 morning kennel workers divide their duties - 1 working with the dogs, the other with the cats.

The caretaker responsible for the dog kennel begins at 7:00am by taking all adoptable dogs (sometimes almost 2 dozen!) out to the individual exercise runs.  Once all dogs are out, all blankets are picked up from their kennels and thrown into the laundry, dishes and toys are taken to the kitchen to be washed, and any miscellaneous items left behind - such as poop or treats - are scooped up and thrown away.

The entire kennel is then soaked down with a disinfectant and allowed to sit for at least 10 minutes.  The kennel is then rinsed with water and soaked again in bleach, to sit for another 10 minutes and then to be rinsed again.  A squeegee is used on the entire floor so all puddles are dispersed.  The drain in each kennel is emptied out.  Finally, each kennel is given a water bowl and the dogs are brought back in.

The same process is repeated in the stray dog holding kennel, the isolation (medical ward) kennel and the overnight drop off kennel.  When all the dogs are back in their "houses," each run is then soaked in disinfectant, rinsed, soaked in bleach and rinsed again. 

The whole process of cleaning the dog kennels takes about 4.5 hours - sometimes longer depending on other circumstances that arise from day to day.  Sick animals need to be medicated, each room of the building is cleaned, supplies and donations need to be put away.  Kennel caregivers are also called on to help visitors who come in the morning (surrendering animals, claiming strays), and take care of requested animal pick-ups throughout the county.

Next week:  we're still not done - and it isn't even close to 1:00pm yet!

By the way, Meteorologist Rob Haswell from Fox 6 helped out in the HAWS kennel one morning - click on this link to watch his adventure!

Combining several of our favorite things, our Kids 'N Critters Day Camp participants last week helped make videos of some of the adoptable animals here at HAWS.

To see to the videos that were made, click on the Pet Showcase page of the HAWS website, which will link you to our listings on Petfinder.com.  Adoptable pets that have a video have "View Video" as one of the choices to the right of the large photo in their individual listings.  Currently videos are available for Bruno, Rosie & Fritz, and Velvet, with more to come!

Not only is video a great way to showcase our adoptables, but the campers really enjoy putting the videos together.  While most folks visiting our website take a look at the Pet Showcase, sometimes the simple still photos posted there really don't do a pet justice!  The kids are asked to design ways to show the pets in their best light, in action, having the same kind of fun that the dog or cat could have at your house. 

Who says you should never work with animals and kids?!??!!! 

By the way - PEGGY WAS ADOPTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!