Fatasaurus would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year, and may your pets always be in your heart ever so dear! I want to remind everyone, since I too have been a lost pet, that if you are missing a loved furry one, please come in to the CCSPCA and look in person. Find one of the great staff members here and they will help you cover all areas when looking for a lost pet.
Bring photos and/or veterinary records so that we can make the right reunions happen. I look forward to sharing my purr-fection with you all year long!!
Archive for the ‘Staff’ Category
Happy New Year! -Fatasaurus
Meet Margaret Goode, Our New Volunteer Department Manager!
My name is Margaret Goode and I am very excited about my new position as the Volunteer Manager for the CCSPCA. I am not new to the CCSPCA; I have been employed since June of 1993, where I first started as an assistant to the SPCA Education Coordinator and then I was in charge of the Dog License and Membership Department for the past 13 years. I love people, I love animals and I love all the wonderful volunteers! I have met so many new friends and so many kind hearts that really care about our animals. We have at least 400 animals on any given day< and they all need to be cared for and this involves so many tasks.
These animals have all been put in a strange place confined to a kennel, whether they came from a loving home, a not so loving home or from the streets, they all need: attention, a walk in our training yard, a soft voice, a tender touch, a clean kennel, fresh food and water, training, socialization and a new home. All this care increases the chances of that animal getting adopted.
You can help by volunteering. There are many jobs available: our dog walking and caring team, collar checkers, pet detectives, dish divas, laundry lovelies, office wizards, photographers, greeters, off site event agents, adoption agents, etc. And it’s a lot of fun!
We have a Volunteer Department meeting place where you will sign in and I will go over the jobs needed for that day. You are welcome to come in and talk to me anytime about our volunteer program. Please call first if you would like to come in so I will be available. Your involvement in this team effort will make the difference in saving the lives of homeless animals. Prior to volunteering, we require attendance of an informative orientation session. This will provide an overview of our operation, basic skills of animal handling, nutrition, proper cleaning, procedures and a tour of the facility. We look forward to seeing you and welcoming you to our team. You will enjoy the experience (and may find your new best friend as well!).
If you want to be a volunteer with the Central California SPCA, just attend one of the volunteer orientations and then you can get started. You do have to be over 18 or you will need an adult to come with you. You can be as young as 10 years old to volunteer with an adult over 18. If you have any questions, call 233-SPCA (7722) and enter extension 111 during recording. I look forward to hearing from you soon!
Beth Caffrey, Big Fresno Fair Community Champion – Humanitarian
Congratulations to Beth Caffrey, the 2011 Big Fresno Fair Community Champion Award recipient in the category of Humanitarian to honor her volunteerism and service to our community!
Beth runs our Education and Volunteer departments with such passion and we are thankful and humbled that her humanitarian efforts and life-long dedication to animals were recognized at the 2011 Big Fresno Fair. We here at the CCSPCA are very grateful that we have Beth’s talents and leadership. Her contributions in the community and to our organization are an example for all.
The Community Champion Awards were established in 2008 to honor those people that make a difference in Fresno County. Beth joins past Community Champion Humanitarians: Pauline Middleton, Ray Appleton, Paul Rodriguez, and Israel Lara.
The Fair has always showcased the “best” in Fresno County — from livestock to art to pies and quilts — and we are extremely excited to recognize some of the “best people” in Fresno County and to continue doing so annually as part of these awards. It is because of community members like yourself that Fresno County is such a great place to live. On behalf of the Fair’s Board of Directors, Fair Management and staff; thank you for making such a difference.
- Letter from Big Fresno Fair CEO, John Alkire
Thank you, Beth!
“Dr. Katy’s” First Blog Post!
Here goes a Dinosaur, typing with two fingers. I guess it shows (although slowly), that even a Brontosaurus can learn to use Social Media. I accuse my addicted, non-prehistoric friends of “playing,” but they claim that they are “networking with clients,” and perhaps they are more correct than I. I try to learn something every day, so I hope today that I will learn that we can increase animal care awareness if I reach out on Social Media! We examined a dog recently so affected by Demodectic Mange that we sadly had to euthanize him. It was pointed out to me that, however easy diagnosing medical problems seems, there are MANY factors that should make it the realm of professionals. Even if the owner knew the dog’s medical diagnosis, the complications had caused heartbreaking results. A friend of the owner had been giving the dog injections in attempt to cure the dog. Even if the injections were of the right type of pharmaceutical, the dosage could be too small to be effective or too large to be safe. The real problems were secondary to the Demodectic Mange: yeast and bacterial infections that were causing the dog to scratch itself until it bled.
What started my musings is that today is Saturday, the day when hundreds of people flood into our SPCA Small Animal Hospital for vaccinations. Vaccinations are the reason that most people take their pets to the vet, and also the reason that older pets (who need fewer vaccines), visit the vet less frequently. Really, vaccinations are the smallest part of the need for a veterinarian. The annual or semi-annual exam, the diagnostics, and the conversations about pet care that only a veterinarian can have with an owner are why the relationship is worth nurturing.
I performed an examination on a small dog before neutering it recently, and I discovered a heart murmur. When I called the owner to discuss the murmur, she was shocked that it had not been discovered before, because her animal had been seen by our veterinarians before. A quick review of the medical chart showed that the dog had been vaccinated by a veterinary assistant, with the owner clearly declining an exam from a licensed veterinarian and thus, the murmur went unnoticed. So the moral of my post is please have your pets examined by a veterinarian. They can tell what is right or wrong with your pet and help save lives.
News from the Front Lines
Greetings once again from the heart of the action at Central California SPCA. It is interesting for me to just hang out at the front desk areas listening to the interactions between staff and customers. Most are pleasant exchanges with all involved elated about the new (more…)
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Pet Lover’s License Plate
