"Recycled" Pets are the Best!

The Escondido Humane Society is asking everyone to go green this Earth Day by adopting a “recycled” pet from our shelter. To make it easier to go green, we will be having a “Recycled Pets are the Best” special from April 22-25. During those days, regular adoption fees will be slashed in half for all adult animals!

Special fees will be $55 for adult dogs and cats (6 months to 7 years); $27.50 for senior dogs and cats (7 years and up); and $22.50 for rabbits of all ages. All adoption fees include spay/neuter; microchip with lifetime registration; up-to-date vaccinations; dog licensing (Escondido, San Marcos and Poway areas only); veterinary exam at EHS; wellness exam after adoption; bag of food; discounts at local pet supply, grooming and boarding partners; and behavior support for dogs and cats for lifetime of animal.

Just a few reasons why “recycled” pets are the best:

• Adoption fees are much less than the price of an animal from a pet store or breeder. Plus, all adoptable animals at the Escondido Humane Society are spayed or neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and examined by a veterinarian.

• Adopting a mature dog or cat means that you avoid the demanding stage of raising a puppy or kitten. With a mature pet you also have a good idea of the animal's temperament and know its adult size. Mature pets are often house-trained and may even have some basic training.

• No. 1 reason to adopt from a shelter: The rewarding feeling associated with saving an animal's life. When you adopt from the Escondido Humane Society, you are helping to save two lives – the life of the animal you adopt, and yours!

The Escondido Humane Society Adoption Center, located at 3450 E. Valley Parkway, is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. Call (760) 888-2247 or visit http://www.escondidohumanesociety.org/.

Skyy Blue Photography joins EHS team

We are very excited to have Skyy Blue Photography join our volunteer team! Professional photograper Ali Helseth is bringing her talents and passion for animals to the Escondido Humane Society by taking photos of our beautiful dogs and cats. She snapped the above photo of adoptable dog Rain last week.

Check out her blog here:

http://www.skyybluephotography.com/blog/

Her main Web site can be found here:

http://www.skyybluephotography.com/index.html

Escondido Humane Society Pet of the Week

This week's Escondido Humane Society Pet of the Week is Tiana. Here's what she wants you to know about her:

Hi, I'm Tiana! I am a really sweet girl and don't have the feisty personality that most Dwarf bunnies have. I love attention and will bow down my head to invite you to pet me. I also love to play in a Cottontail Cottage when I'm out for my daily run time. At 10 months old, I'm still a young bunny who will add lots of love and companionship to my new home. My ID # is 44313. I am available for adoption at the Escondido Humane Society, 3450 E. Valley Parkway. My adoption fee of $45 includes up-to-date vaccinations, spay and vet exam. For more information, call (760) 888-2247 or log on to www.escondidohumanesociety.org. The Escondido Humane Society Adoption Center is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week.

Click here to see Tiana in the North County Times

Click here to see Tiana in The Paper

Pet Nutrition class is this Saturday

Many people diligently read food labels for nutrition information, but what about our pet’s food? Pets have dietary needs just like us, but in some cases owners don’t know what to look for when purchasing food for their four-legged friends.

An upcoming class at the Escondido Humane Society will address these concerns by teaching owners how to pick the best food for their pet and discussing the effect a pet’s diet has on his or her health. Susan Divine-Sholar, an American Kennel Club judge who is certified by the American Nutraceutical Association, will teach the course.

The Pet Nutrition class is from 1 to 3 p.m. April 10 at the Escondido Humane Society, 3450 E. Valley Parkway. Cost is $ 30. To enroll, call Ina Shookhoff, director of education, at (760) 888-2261 or e-mail education@escondidohumanesociety.org.

Paws in the Park is a big win for the animals at the Escondido Humane Society!

Thank you to everyone who helped make our Paws in the Park dog walk the best walk to date in every way! We have reached our $100,000 fundraising goal, and the donations are still rolling in! Every dollar will help care for the 424 animals currently at the shelter, as well as the thousands more who are expected to come through the shelter’s doors this year.

An estimated 1,600 people and their canine companions - our best turnout ever! - spent the beautiful, sunny morning at Kit Carson Park to raise funding and awareness for animals awaiting a home at EHS, as well as the thousands more who will come through our doors this year in need of a safe haven and loving homes.

Everyone in attendance was treated to a day of fun and entertainment, including a K-9's Got Talent show, and wet T-shirt contest (for the dogs only!), games, raffle and Paw Vendor Expo, which boasted more than 35 vendors. Special guests included Tamilee Webb, star of the "Buns of Steel" series, and Paws in the Park 2010 Spokespet Boo (pictured here with his family at Paws in the Park).

Congratulations and a heartfelt thank you to our top individual and team fundraisers!

First place: Betty Jamieson-Dunne

Second place: Wendy Wright

Third place: Candy Kalman

Top fundraising teams

First place: Sweet Pea and Jesse

Second place: Team Low Rider

Third place: Still too close to call! Please check http://www.escondidohumanesociety.org/ in the coming days for an update.

Please join us in thanking our generous Paws in the Park sponsors:

San Diego 6 and event emcee Heather Myers, San Diego Suburban News, California Veterinary Specialists, Miramar Kitchen and Bath, Rincon, Grande Laundry Place, San Diego County Credit Union, Petco Foundation, Cindy Waasdorp, Wholesome Choice Pet Market, Barons the Marketplace, Allie's Party Equipment Rental and Nanpor Security. Their support is making a difference for pets and people across San Diego - THANK YOU!

Contest winners:

Carlsbad resident Madeline Beccari and her wirehaired Dachshund, Rocket, took home the first-place prize in the doggie wet T-shirt contest. The most talented pooch was a chocolate Labrador retriever named Bear. His singing skills won him and his owner, Tommy Miller of Scripps Ranch, the top prize in the K-9’s Got Talent show.

You can still donate toward Paws in the Park through the Escondido Humane Society Web site, http://www.escondidohumanesociety.org/, or at www.firstgiving.com/ehs to help raise even more funding for animals in need.

Paws in the Park is THIS SUNDAY!

Join us at Kit Carson Park this Sunday, March 28, for our biggest event of the year - Paws in the Park!

Join the hundreds of walkers and their canine companions who will be on hand Sunday to raise money and awareness for homeless animals in our community. Bring your dog, or walk in honor or memory of a pet who has touched your life, and feel great knowing that your efforts will help care for animals who need us the most!

As an independent nonprofit organization, we depend on animal lovers like you to support our lifesaving work. Your participation in Paws in the Park will make a world of difference for animals in need. Every dollar raised for Paws in the Park will be directly transformed into shelter, food, and medical care for the 423 animals in our care right at this very moment, as well as the 4,500 more who will come through our doors this year in need of loving care and new homes ... every animal deserves a second chance. Paws in the Park may have gone to the dogs, but ALL animals at the shelter will benefit from your lifesaving work.

Registration opens at 8 a.m. Pre-register online at www.firstgiving.com/ehs, or register on the day of the event by downloading a pledge form and bringing it to the walk. The walk kicks off at 9 a.m. and is followed by a post-walk celebration complete with contests, games for people and pets alike, entertainment, food, shopping and more.

This year's Paws in the Park is sure to be a tail-wagging, howling good time! We have incentive prizes starting at $25 raised, and all walkers are welcome to participate in the morning's fun activities. You will not want to miss this year's contests. If your pooch is a born performer, you won't want to miss out on our K-9's Got Talent show! The contest is an opportunity for your pooch to show off his or her funniest, wackiest or doggone impressive talent. The best trick will be chosen by the audience, and the winner will receive a prize!

If tricks aren't your four-legged friend's forte, you won't want to miss our wet T-shirt contest. Don't worry, it's just for the dogs - but you can join in on the fun, too! This fun contest is a competition for dogs and their owners. During each heat, dog/owner teams run to one end of the course, dogs squeeze into a wet T-shirt, and everyone runs back to the start. The first team back to the start wins! There will be several heats, and the winners from those heats will face-off in a final race for a great prize!

There also will be giveaways, a raffle, games for people and pets, doggie kissing booth, pet confidence-building course, and Paw vendor expo, which will include such vendors as Animal Communicator Cindy Weston, Welk Resorts, Petopia.TV, artist Annie Graham, Kahoots and much more!

In addition to these post-walk festivities, we also will be joined by special guests Tamilee Webb, star of the "Buns of Steel" series, and Paws in the Park 2010 Spokespet Boo! Tamilee will go through a quick routine to get everyone pumped up before the walk, and Boo will lead the parade of walkers at 9 a.m. Heather Myers of San Diego 6 The CW will serve as master of ceremonies, and Gary Trice, San Diego's "Classic Rocking DJ," will provide music. You're sure to have a ton of fun!

We're here to help you SUCCEED for all of the animals in our care. Contact us with any questions or comments by calling (760) 888-2235 or e-mailing development@escondidohumanesociety.org. Click HERE to download the Paws in the Park 2010 Walker's Guide, which offers fundraising tips, event information and more!

We hope to see you at Kit Carson Park, 3333 Bear Valley Parkway, this Sunday for Paws in the Park!

Escondido Humane Society Pet of the Week

This week's Escondido Humane Society Pet of the Week is Autumn. Here's what she wants you to know about her:

Hi, I'm Autumn, a 2-year-old spayed female bunny, ID # 42010. I am a real love bug! I am super sweet and friendly and love people. Like all bunnies, I love my run time, and I have some pretty good dance moves! I might do well as a companion to a male bunny. I am available for adoption at the Escondido Humane Society, 3450 E. Valley Parkway. My $45 adoption fee includes neuter, microchip, up-to-date vaccinations and wellness exam. For more information, call (760) 888-2247 or log on to http://www.escondidohumanesociety.org/. The Escondido Humane Society Adoption Center is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week.

Don't forget that the Escondido Humane Society's Paws in the Park dog walk is from 8 a.m. to noon Sunday, March 28. The event may have gone to the dogs, but it will raise funding for ALL animals at the Escondido Humane Society, including me! Contact (760) 888-2235 for more information, or go to http://www.firstgiving.com/ehs to register today!