Learn the Latest Happenings at KHS!

Aloha KHS Family,

Over the past few weeks, our beautiful island has started to open back up. Its not the same as it was before, but it is an important step in the right direction. Operations at KHS are no exception. We're still operating by appointment to keep the number of people at the shelter manageable, but we're working hard to resume all the services we offered pre-COVID. Check out some of our recent updates:

-- Spay/Neuter: When the county lifted the prohibition on elective surgeries, we were able to resume spay & neuter. When we first began, we started with the backlog of adopted animals, foster animals, and animals in the shelter, using this time to refine our safety and social distancing protocols. We are now booking public spay/neuter appointments though we are booking a few weeks in advance. For more information, email Krystal!
 
-- Vaccine Clinic: We are offering our low cost vaccine and microchip clinic on the first and third Saturdays of the month. One week before the clinic we share an online sign up with 5 minute appointments. Customers come to the shelter, park, and wait for us to call you to drive up to our vaccine station. We take payment, remove your pet from the car, administer the vaccine or microchip, and send you on your way!
 
-- Adoptions: We continue to accept adoption applications online, conduct adoption counseling over the phone, and facilitate virtual meet and greets for the animals in our care. Our exciting update as of June 1st is that we are now allowing approved adopters to visit dogs and cats in the shelter! Now you can meet several animals in person before deciding who might be your new best friend.
 
-- Fostering: One of the few silver linings to come out of the pandemic has been the increase in dog and cat fosters who have stepped up to help our dogs and cats. WE STILL HAVE MANY ANIMALS IN NEED OF FOSTER! One of the best ways to get a dog or cat adopted is to have them in foster care where they can meet new people and where we can get more information to help us place them in a loving forever home. To join our lifesaving foster team, email Alex
 
-- Dog Parks: With the Mayor's announcement on June 1st that parks could reopen, we have re-opened the dog parks with new safety measures in place to ensure everyone stays healthy and safe while their dogs get a chance to run and play! See below for our new dog park requirements.
 
-- Volunteering: We are SUPER excited to welcome volunteers back to the shelter! We have rolled out a new volunteer sign up system -- GivePulse -- to assist volunteers with sign up times and to help us keep the number of people in the shelter within acceptable levels. As excited as we are, the animals are even more excited to have our volunteers back in the building!
 
-- Lost & Found Pets: We continue to post albums of lost and found pets on our Facebook page. You can also report a lost or found pet to lostpets@kauaihumane.org 
 
-- Boarding: We are now accepting reservations for private boarding -- both dogs and cats! Email our Customer Service team for more info. 
 
-- Dog Training: Stay tuned to our social medial for updates on our dog training classes. We are working on a plan to resume them soon!
 
-- BloomingTails:  BloomingTails is currently operating out of the KHS building and is offering both online sales and shopping appointments. For more information, email Bloomingtails@kauaihumane.org.
 
We are super excited to be able to move forward in these important ways. To be able to better serve our community -- and our dogs & cats. Of course, there are many things that are not back to normal yet. Without direct flights from Lihue to the mainland, our transfer program is extremely limited. The few dogs we can send via Hawaiian Airlines through Honolulu can only fly to one of three cities (Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles), and we have no way to get our precious crates back from the mainland. This makes it twice as expensive per transfer. And, without direct flights, we have no direct release program, which means we have significantly less revenue to support shelter operations. Finally, with the 14-day quarantine limiting visitors to the island, we don't have the luxury of running a vibrant field trip program.
 
Yet, these challenges -- however difficult to manage -- do not deter us.  Will not stop us from saving as many lives as we can.  Why? Because we know we can rely on YOU to help us continue to chart a path forward in these unusual times.

Mahalo Nui Loa,

Mirah Horowitz
Executive Director
Kaua'i Humane Society

P.S. Did you know that you can help us save hundreds of Kauai dogs and cats each month by joining our monthly giving club? A monthly donation -- whether $5 or $50 -- provides a reliable source of revenue for our lifesaving work. Allows us to make decisions based on what is right for the animal rather than what is least expensive. Join our monthly giving club today!

 

May By The Numbers!

Last month, KHS found homes for 68 dogs and cats, transferred 7 dogs to mainland rescue partners, and reunited 17 dogs and cats with their owners. MAHALO to all our amazing volunteers, staff, and supporters who helped so many happy tails come true!

 

KHS Membership & Dog Park Access

The KHS dog parks have been reopened for members ONLY. Following CDC & County guidelines limiting the number of people accessing the parks at one time, new protocol and procedure have been put into effect. Proof of 'Ohana level membership or higher will be required to obtain a key for access to the parks. Purchase and renewal of your membership is conveniently available online. Join or renew your membership and read the full Dog Park protocol at the link below. 

 

Drive-Up Low Cost Vaccine & Microchip Clinic

Our next low cost Vaccine & Microchip clinic is this Saturday, June 6. There is no need to leave your car! Simply show up for your appointment time, and we will do the rest. All vaccines & microchips are $20 each. Dewormer and flea/tick medication also available. 

 

Show Your Support & Save Lives!

Love your pet? Want to show your support? Shop our new design! In response to COVID-19, KHS has partnered with Bonfire to create this new t-shirt fundraiser. Each shirt comes in an array of different colors, sizes, and styles. A portion of each sale goes to the dogs and cats of KHS. Now that's living aloha! 

 

We're Hiring! - Join our Team Today

Do you have a passion for animals and helping your community? Join our team! We are looking for a wide array of position to be filled. Animal Programs Coordinator, Veterinary Technician, Volunteer Coordinator, Humane Officer, and Animal Care Manager are all hiring. Are you the perfect fit? Learn more at the link below. 

 

Shop BloomingTails for KHS Swag

Show your KHS support in more ways than 1! Shop our official merchandise on BloomingTails online store. Shirts, tanks, hats, and more all available. Plus, your purchase from BloomingTails goes right back to the animals. All proceeds support our lifesaving work. 

 

Featured Animals: Scooby & Raichu

Meet Scooby: Solve mysteries and go on adventures with Scooby! He's a 3 year old Labrador Retriever with the sweetest disposition. He is smart and trainable, already knowing his basic commands! Scooby has lived in a home before, but when his owner could no longer care for him, he was brought to KHS. Now he's looking for his new home - one he hopes to spend forever in! 

Meet Raichu: Who's that Pokemon? It's Raichu! A senior boy looking for a home to spend his golden years. Our Pokedex tells us that he is affectionate and gentle. His mellow personality makes him the perfect couch potato companion. Raichu would make a great companion to anyone looking for love! 

 

Volunteer Spotlight: Jennifer Ching

"My name is Jennifer Ching.  I was born and raised here on Kauai and I foster kittens for KHS. After adopting two kittens from KHS years ago, I fell in love with all things cats. I would see so many social media posts about the overwhelming number of kittens needing foster homes until they were big enough to be adopted. I always thought, "Oh, I hope someone can help!" I finally realized I was a someone. I watched tons of videos and read countless posts about fostering kittens. When I felt like I knew enough, I reached out to KHS and soon had my first batch of foster kittens. That was just over two years ago. Today I have my 116th kitten. Someone told me they were so happy that I save kittens. I have to say that they save me too!"

 

Staff Spotlight: Ben Osorno -- Facilities Manager

"Aloha. My name is Ben Osorno, and I am the Facilities Manager at the Kauai Humane Society. I help manage new projects to the facility and maintain the preexisting ones. I've worked at the Kauai Humane Society since 2011 and during my time I've learned a lot. I originally started off as an Animal Care Technician. With the experience I gained I was able to transition into being a Humane Officer. I then found my way back into Animal Care where I worked my way up to a management position. Then my most recent transition came in the form of Facilities Manager, and I couldn't be happier with my current role. I've been grateful for the opportunities for growth I've had with KHS and look forward to what comes next. I love working at KHS because we get to help the animals find their best possible outcomes and help the community to find a lifelong companion. There's nothing more rewarding than that."

 

KHS Cares: Preventing Separation Anxiety

Stay-at-home orders have required many dog owners to stay home, but when some version of normal life resumes and people return to work, dogs will return to long days alone. For some dogs, the transition will be taken in stride, but others, especially those who have suffered from anxiety in the past, will experience stress, fear, or even panic. It is important to take the steps to prevent separation anxiety NOW. Doing things like establishing a solid routine, will help to combat the potential anxiety your dog can feel in a post quarantine world. 

 

Kaua`i Humane Society
PO Box 3330 Lihue, HI 96766
808.632.0610
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