Westminster Dog Show 2012 Replaces Pedigree Ads With Nestle Purina PetCare because "people don't want to see commercials with the pitiful little faces peering out from behind those rusted bars of a cage and wondering "how I ended up in here."
Click on the picture to read the whole story.
Many of you have seen the news clip of the reporter getting bitten on her face by a dog. Some dog behaviorists say that the conditions leading up to the bite were the "perfect storm".
This is a great little educational video showing what went wrong.
LOW COST SPAY/NEUTER
The Catmobile in Manchester has received a grant and can now offer spaying for female cats for only $20. This is for the month of February only and reservations are recommended. Please spread the word about this fantastic service.
Contact information is:
Telephone at:
978-465-1940
or email:
catmobile@mrfrs.org
The Nevins Farm, MSPCA in Methuen is offering neutering for male cats for $10 for the month of February. Please see more information at their website.
January 2012
WEST RUNNING BROOK SCHOOL PRESENTATION
GDHS,Inc. volunteers Paula Dunlavey, Tina Kelly, Marty Dunlavey and Willow, Sebastian and Sam gave a presentation to the Honors Class at the West Running Brook School in Derry. The presentation included topics such as "What Does Being Humane Mean?" and "How To Be A Role Model in Humane Living". There was a lively question and answer period at the end and then all of the kids greeted and petted our animal volunteers.
GDHS Volunteers and the Honors Class President
Our volunteers in class.
Louis and the Gift Basket
January 2012
Derry Girl Scout Troop 13159 donated this fantastic gift basket to GDHS, Inc. Thank You Girl Scouts! Our animals appreciate all your help!
"Feline Friends" Organizer Addresses GDHS, Inc. Monthly Meeting
Lori Leone from the Feline Friends Rescue/Adoption League was the guest speaker at the GDHS, Inc. January 2012 monthly meeting. She explained all about what her organization does to help and reduce the number of homeless cats through rescue and adoption programs as well as actively working with the public to reduce the over population problem through spay and neutering. Feline Friends and GDHS, Inc. have a partnership with the WoofMeow Family Pet Center in Derry to showcase cats that are up for adoption.This has proven to be a very successful and popular program.
Lori Leone from Feline Friends Rescue/Adoption League
Princess and some of her followers!
UNH Stress Relief Program
Greater Derry Humane Society, Inc. had three representatives attend the University of New Hampshire's Stress Relief Program on December 9, 2011. The Dimond Library at the University brought in dogs from various organizations to help students relieve stress during finals. The students use them as a break from all their studying.
Pet Therapy Volunteers Roz, Ron and Princess made the trip to the college. This is what Roz had to say about the experience:
" Last night was amazing. I'm told there were 900 students there and at least 600 pet Princess. It was a 3 hour love-fest! The students really miss their dogs at home so many of them came just because they heard there would be a dog there. Princess loves to be petted so she was in heaven. Lots of students took the material from the Derry Humane Society and Ron gave them lots of information while I was with Princess. I had no idea how amazing this would be and certainly think if invited again it is a great event to participate in! "
The identities of all 80 members of the American commando team who thundered into Abbottabad, Pakistan, and killed Osama bin Laden are the subject of intense speculation, but perhaps none more so than the only member with four legs. Little is known about what may be the nation’s most courageous dog. Even its breed is the subject of great interest, although it was most likely a German shepherd or a Belgian Malinois, military sources say. But its use in the raid reflects the military’s growing dependence on dogs in wars in which improvised explosive devices have caused two-thirds of all casualties. Dogs have proved far better than people or machines at quickly finding bombs. Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of United States forces in Afghanistan, said last year that the military needed more dogs. “The capability they bring to the fight cannot be replicated by man or machine,” he said. Maj. William Roberts, commander of the Defense Department’s Military Working Dog Center at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, said the dog on the raid could have checked the compound for explosives and even sniffed door handles to see if they were booby-trapped. And given that Saddam Hussein was found hiding in a narrow, dark hole beneath a mud shack in Iraq, the Seal team might have brought the dog in case Bin Laden had built a secret room into his compound. “Dogs are very good at detecting people inside of a building,” Major Roberts said. Another use may have been to catch anyone escaping the compound in the first moments of the raid. A shepherd or a Malinois runs twice as fast as a human. Tech Sgt. Kelly A. Mylott, the kennel master at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, called dogs ideal for getting someone who is running away without having to shoot them. “When the dogs go after a suspect, they’re trained to bite and hold them,” Sergeant Mylott said. Some dogs are big enough that, when they leap on a suspect, the person tends to drop to the ground, Sergeant Mylott said. Others bite arms or legs. “Different dogs do different things,” she said. “But whatever they do, it’s very difficult for that person to go any further.” Finally, dogs can be used to pacify an unruly group of people — particularly in the Middle East. “There is a cultural aversion to dogs in some of these countries, where few of them are used as pets,” Major Roberts said. “Dogs can be very intimidating in that situation.” Sergeant Mylott said that dogs got people’s attention in ways that weapons sometimes did not. “Dogs can be an amazing psychological deterrent,” she said. There are 600 dogs serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, and that number is expected to grow substantially over the next year, Ensign Brynn Olson of the United States Central Command said. Particularly popular with the troops are the growing number of Labrador retrievers who wander off-leash 100 yards or more in front of patrols to ensure the safety of the route. A Silver Star, one of the Navy’s highest awards, was awarded posthumously in 2009 to a dog named Remco after he charged an insurgent’s hide-out in Afghanistan. The training of dogs in Navy Seal teams and other Special Operations units is shrouded in secrecy. Maj. Wes Ticer, a spokesman for United States Special Operations Command, said the dogs’ primary functions “are finding explosives and conducting searches and patrols.” “Dogs are relied upon,” he continued, “to provide early warning for potential hazards, many times, saving the lives of the Special Operations Forces with whom they operate.” Last year, the Seals bought four waterproof tactical vests for their dogs that featured infrared and night-vision cameras so that handlers — holding a three-inch monitor from as far as 1,000 yards away — could immediately see what the dogs were seeing. The vests, which come in coyote tan and camouflage, let handlers communicate with the dogs with a speaker, and the four together cost more than $86,000. Navy Seal teams have trained to parachute from great heights and deploy out of helicopters with dogs. The military uses a variety of breeds, but by far the most common are the German shepherd and the Belgian Malinois, which “have the best overall combination of keen sense of smell, endurance, speed, strength, courage, intelligence and adaptability to almost any climatic condition,” according to a fact sheet from the military working dog unit. Suzanne Belger, president of the American Belgian Malinois Club, said she was hoping the dog was one of her breed “and that it did its job and came home safe.” But Laura Gilbert, corresponding secretary for the German Shepherd Dog Club of America, said she was sure the dog was her breed “because we’re the best!”
Two Legged Dog Adoption Story
A heart warming adoption story about a two legged dog and the family who believed in him.
"Marlene Bishop, Derry NH Animal Control Officer, addressed the Greater Derry Humane Society's monthly meeting on Tuesday, May 3, 2011. She spoke about the issues she encounters in responding to dog bites and stray animals, as well as calls regarding a variety of wild animals. In one case, the wild animal was a cayman, a type of alligator. Her talk was lively, informative and educational as well as entertaining, and GDHS hopes to have her back again in the future."
National Service Dog Free Eye Exam
During the month of May Port City Veterinary Referral Hospital is participating in the ACVO (Accredited College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists) National Service Dog Free Eye Exam Event. The handout providing more information can be found at www.acvoeyeexam.org. We are trying to spread the word about this event!
Giving Trees
Visit our Giving Trees at Bergeron Chiropractic, Blue Seal/Blue Feed, and The Tractor Supply Store in Derry. Choose a giving ornament to help Santa supply our pets with the things they need until they find their forever homes.
October 30, 2010
Clix Portrait Studio Fundraiser
The holidays are coming! Why not give a gift to the local animals and your loved ones (or yourself) at the same time. Whether you are looking for a pet portrait, family portrait, or pictures of the little ones for Grandma, we have the certificate for you. These certificates offered by Clix Portrait Studios in Salem, NH are valued at $50.00, but are available for only a $10.00 donation to The Greater Derry Humane Society.
To take advantage of this great deal and help support the local shelter animals, leave a message at (603) 434-1512 or email contact@derryhumanesociety.com.
October 30, 2010
A Big Thanks to The Drinkery
On behalf of our shelter animals, we would like to thank "The Drinkery" of Londonderry, NH for their generous donation and kind heart. It is local donations like these, big or small, that provide our animals with food, veterinary care, and supplies. Until they can find their forever homes. To learn more about "The Drinkery" you can visit them online at http://www.thedrinkeryshop.com/ or in person in the basement of the Tupelo Music Hall.
October 29, 2010
Derry Six-Year-Old Helps Animals
This year instead of presents for his birthday, 6 year old, Jager Raco, requested that his family and friends buy supplies for the shelter animals. To read more about this big hearted little boy in the Derry News, click here.
