Thanks to a generous member of our community, we have been offered an amazing gift.  The chance to double dollars given to Talbot Humane through the end of 2012! We have all heard of the “Shop Local” push in recent years, we would like to encourage “Donate Local” as well.  Your donations to Talbot Humane are used here in your own back yard, for animals in our community.  Many people are surprised to learn Talbot Humane receives no funding from national organizations.  We rely heavily on the generosity of our friends and neighbors in order to provide care to animals in need.

The matching challenge means contributions received will save twice as many animals, purchase twice as much pet food and support twice as many veterinary services. Donors simply need to write “matching gift” in the memo line of their checks or online donations to have their contributions matched through December 31, 2012.

Our goal is to raise $30,000 during the holiday season between our holiday appeal and the “Double Dog Dare” for the animals in our care.   Where else can you potentially double your donation, and really see it make a difference in the lives of those most in need?   Interested in making a difference in the lives of the animals at Talbot Humane? Donate securely here on our website!

Once again our friends at Westphal Jewelers at 19 North Harrison St. are making a difference for the animals of Talbot Humane.  When you make your purchase at their store, share with them that Talbot Humane is your charity of choice- they will then donate 10% of your sale to our organization.  “We are happy with the generous response to our previous fundraising efforts,” says Bill Westphal.  “Giving back to the community has always been a cornerstone of our business.  We have so many worthy organizations in our area that we decided to invite everyone to select their own beneficiaries.”

“The Westphals have always be so generous to Talbot Humane, we are thrilled to have them continue to give back to so many organizations in our community,” states Executive Director Patty Quimby.

We at Talbot Humane are so thankful for the Westphal family and other like them in our community who continue to give back.  As you can see, shopping local helps more than just the store owners in our area, it makes a difference for the animals and other non-profit organizations in our community.   For more information on Westphal Jewelers please visit their website:  http://www.westphaljewelers.com/

The holidays are a wonderful time at Talbot Humane.  We love joining in all of the joy our community has to offer and hosting a few fun events ourselves!  There really is something for everyone during the holidays at Talbot Humane!

• Matching Gift Campaign thanks to a generous donor through December 31st! Thanks to a generous member of our community, we have been offered an amazing gift!  The chance to double our donations!  Our goal is to raise $30,000 during the holiday season for the animals in our care.  All you have to do to double your donation is put “matching gift” in the memo line of your check.  Your donations will make double the difference for the animals!  To donate online simply visit our secure site here.  In the memo type “matching gift” as well.

• NEW!  Westphal Jewelers Charity Begins at Home Campaign:  Thanks to the generosity of Westphal Jewelers owners Bill & Lisa Westphal, this year if you tell them your charity of choice is Talbot Humane, we will receive 10% of your sale!  Click here for details: http://talbothumane.org/westphal-charity-begins-at-home/

• Saturday December 1st Talbot Humane’s 4th Annual Home for the Holidays Open House.  Once again we plan a fabulous day of adoptions, fun and fellowship at Talbot Humane!  Great shopping in our Pawsatively Fabulous Boutique for the animals and animal lovers in your life.  We have raffles and door prizes, goodie bags for all adopters too!  Volunteers are already planning their treats to serve and of course we will have an abundance of pets in need of new furr-ever homes. We hope you choose to stop by and enjoy the day with Talbot Humane!

• Saturday December 1st Easton’s Olde Tyme Holiday Parade!  Starts at 7p downtown!
  

• Saturday December 8th Christmas in St. Michaels Parade 10:30a

• Saturday December 8th The Arts in Easton Banner Auction.  Beginning at 7p at the Waterfowl Building, this year Talbot Humane is so thankful to be the beneficiary of Mr. Allan Mielke’s banner “Dr. Ozzy.”  We are very lucky to have such a gracious friend of Talbot Humane!  For more information or to view the banners visit the banner program site here.

• Saturday & Sunday December 15 &16 Photos with Santa Paws at the Easton PetSmart. Each year PetSmart donates to local shelters by their Photo with Santa Paws program.  This year the weekend for Talbot Humane to benefit is December 15th & 16th!  We will be there from 11a-4p, ready to help you make a holiday memory with your pet!  The photos cost $10, and Talbot Humane will receive $5 from each photo sold on these days.  These make great gifts for family and friends!  We love that it has become a tradition for so many of our adopters- a great way to give back to Talbot Humane.  We hope to see you!

• Saturday December 22nd The 4th Annual Cookie Walk and Pawsatively Fab Boutique at the Easton Farmer’s Market starts at 8a.  This event has become quite a sensation!  Thanks to Talbot Humane volunteer Jen Frye’s idea, this event has raised a ton of cash for the critters in our care!  Our volunteers bake like mad to help the animals, and help take some of the stress off you during the holiday season!  The idea, we have hundreds of homemade cookies lined up.  You buy your box, and we fill it with your choice of delish treats!  These make great gifts, use them instead of baking away yourself, or just have them on hand when friends drop by.  Every cent goes to the care of the animals.  Our boutique will also be open for those last minute gifts for the pets and pet lovers in your life.  Interested in helping bake?  email our volunteer coordinator Susan Langfitt today and she will add you to the list!

• Tuesday December 25th Santa Paws Delivers!  From 7a-9a Talbot Humane Elves will be delivering adopted pets to homes!  Click here for more details!

As you can see, there is a lot going on at Talbot Humane in the coming weeks.  We hope you join in the fun.  We appreciate you for all you do to help the animals in our care, and in the community. 

Our adoption center is full of homeless animals in need of a fur-ever home. We also have many animals in foster care awaiting their chance to be adopted. One of the best things about Christmas is finding the purr-fect gift for your family.   What could be better than saving the life of well deserving animal in the process?

‘Santa’s Talbot Humane Elves’ will be spreading the joy of the season by DELIVERING adopted pets to their new families ON CHRISTMAS MORNING!

The adoption process remains the same, but for an additional delivery donation of $25 we can have that pet show up at your house between 7am and 9am.  Due to time & volunteer limits, we can only offer this service to adopters within a 30 mile radius of the shelter.

All applications for animals must be completed at the LATEST by December 20th  to allow time for processing. If your adoption is approved the adoption paperwork must be completed, adoption fee paid in full, and leashes (dogs) or carriers (cats) and collars for EACH must be supplied to the shelter before 4pm on Saturday December 22nd.

Call our adoption center at (410)822-0107 for more information.

Co-owners of Canine Training Solutions, Carol Heisterhagen and Brenda Hasbargen are dedicated to the animals of our area.  The support they show to Talbot Humane and surrounding animal shelters is serious business. Not only do they support the “adoption option” with discounts for those who adopt from Talbot Humane, they give of their time for animals in the shelter that need some extra attention and training.     “Thanks to their help, many animals have turn the corner and become wonderful family pets.” shares Patty Quimby, executive director of Talbot Humane.  “They do so much for staff, the animals and the new families, we wanted to recognize CTS in a way our visitors and supporters could see.”  Hanging proudly on adoption kennel #2, is a sign noting their contributions to Talbot Humane.

Since opening their doors in 2007, the basis of CTS training is to accentuate the positive and promote clearer communication between owners and their dogs. Clear communication builds a strong relationship between dogs and owners. They believe with this relationship, there are no limits to what you can teach the dog.  “Most of these dogs are great dogs, they just need a little help.  If we don’t step up, they very well may end up back in a shelter situation,” states Brenda.  “We just have to pay it forward.”

Paying it forward is exactly what they do, and we thank you so much for your commitment to the animals of our area.

For more information about Canine Training Solutions, visit their website at http://traindontcomplain.org.

Joe Petro  owner of Hair O’ The Dog Wine and Spirits has been a resident of the Eastern Shore since 1989.  As a CPA, Joe was the Controller for Easton Utilities prior to holding CFO positions with Tri-Gas & Oil, Pintail Point, and Masten Lumber.  He was the Controller for Celeste Industries from 2001 until he opened Hair O’ The Dog in 2004.  Joe previously served as President of the Eastern Shore Chapter of MACPA’s and was treasurer for the non-profit organization Kidworks.

Joe enjoys life and the many challenges and rewards of being an Easton business owner. He has a love of his community and feels fortunate to be able to be a part of it in both a social and business venue.

Joe received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from the University of Baltimore in 1985. He is married to Vicki Petro, Director of Human Resources, at Easton Utilities. Together they have four children and Max their lovable Shih Poo.  Joe is an avid Baltimore Orioles and Ravens fan and enjoys trying new food, great wine, and travel. His favorite pass time, however, is spending time with his family and, his beloved dog, Max.

“We are so happy to have Joe on our team at Talbot Humane” states Executive Director Patty Crankshaw-Quimby.  “He has been a big supporter of our organization for years, always stepping up to help raise funds and awareness to the plight of the animals of our community.”

 What a fabulous day we had for the animals- all thanks to you!  The support of our community is the reason our open admission shelter is able to continue our work of placing every treatable and adoptable pet into new forever homes.  Because of your generosity and participation in this year’s Bark in the Park Festival, over $41,000 was raised for the animals! 

Winners of Best in Show for the 2012 Bark in the Park Dog Show

The day was filled with wonderful memories, many captured by our volunteer photographers, Cal Jackson, Liz Lawlor and John Barron.  To see the entire collection, visit our photo site here: talbothumanebarkinthepark.shutterfly.com

If you could not attend Bark in the Park, but want to help us continue our mission to provide for the animals of our area:

Save the date! 

4th Annual Bark in the Park planned October 19, 2013!

Hi ho Hi ho, it’s back to school they go!  To celebrate the new school year, Talbot Humane is offering great specials beginning Friday August 17th- September 30th!

• $10 for all cats & kittens
• $25 Off ALL dogs and puppies adoption fees
• $10 Microchipping- this includes the registration of the chip!
• FREE ID tags
• 25% Off ALL collars, leashes and training aids

We hope you choose Talbot Humane for your next pet.  Remember, all pets are spayed/neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, tested for Heartworm disease or FeLV/FIV.  You also receive your initial veterinary exam for only $15 from one of our participating veterinary hospitals.  Oh, yeah, and a new best friend!

No more room at the Inn?  Then take advantage of one of our other specials for the pets in your life such as free ID tags, cheap microchipping or sale prices on our lupine products and training aids

Adopt.  Donate.  Volunteer.  Save a Life at Talbot Humane. 

If you have ever had a pet go missing, you know the stress and fear it brings. Even if you find your pet within minutes, the panic one feels is something you will not soon forget. In fiscal year 2012, Talbot Humane had 721 stray dogs and cats enter our facility. Sadly, only 96 dogs and 20 cats were reclaimed by their owners. The main reason? No one called looking for them! Our goal for this fiscal year is to double the number of family reunions, and decrease the number of stray animals entering our shelter. To help, Talbot Humane will be offering free ID tags as well as $15 microchip services starting now, through the end of August 2012. All you have to do is call to make an appointment.

Here is a small bit of helpful information to keep your pet safe:

• Have proper identification on your pet- please have tags on your pets’ collars. For those with Houdini dogs (like me!) that can get tags off of their collars, writing your phone number in permanent marker on the inside of the collar is a quick and easy identifier.
• Microchip all pets, even indoor cats. By doing so, you are providing a permanent identifier, even if the collar and tags go missing.
• As soon as you notice your pet is missing call your local humane society and police department. At Talbot Humane we have a missing/found log at the front desk. Often animals of those who call immediately are reunited without ever having to enter our facility.
• Utilize social media such as Facebook and Twitter as soon as possible. Talbot county residents click www.PetHarbor.com. This website uploads the stray animal inventory directly from the Talbot Humane database so the public can check and see if their pet has entered our facility. It does not work for every agency, but, if your pet comes into Talbot Humane as a stray, it will be on the site within 24 hours. The animals remain on this site for 7 days,the window which the county legally gives owners to reclaim their lost pets.
• If you see a pet roaming the streets, call your local animal control agency. They may have already received a call from the owner, and a reunion could be moments away!

Nobody expects to have their pet go missing, and we hope you never do. By being prepared for the worst, you will increase the chance for a happy family reunion.

For the animals,

Patty