— Our Dedicated Staff —
Director of Animal Care
Kayce Daniels
Director of Operations
Jan Jones
Office Assistants
Andrea Juarez
Wendy Munshaur
Senior Animal Care Technicians
Wendy Munshaur
Andrea Juarez
Sherry Chapman
Animal Care Aides
Victoria Moore
Jeb Jones
Lisa Lien
Sean Moore
Rachelle Hiser
NCHS BOARD OF DIRECTORS
2008
Maddie Nager, President
Martha Pedersen, Vice-President
Jennette Kovacs, Secretary
Terry Miron, Treasurer
Directors At Large:
Geoff Condon
Ken Kellett
Tim O'Keefe
Sandy Rakestraw
Anita Rouse
Volunteer Coordinator
Jill Johnston
North County Humane Society
2300 Ramona Rd., Atascadero, CA 93422
805 466-5403
Programs
NCHS is constantly working on improving our current programs and finding new ways to serve the needs of our community and to fulfill our mission and our vision. Listed below are programs we offer the community as well as ways you can help the shelter raise much needed funds.
Spay/Neuter Services • Trap, Neuter, Return • Country Cats Feral Cat Sanctuary • Guardian Angels • Friend for Life • Volunteers • iGive.com • Albertson's Community Partners • Ralphs Community Partners • Purina Weight Circles
For more information on any of the programs, please email or call us at 805 466-5403.
Make an online donation using our secure donation form.
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Please spay or neuter your pet! The spaying of one female cat can mean the prevention of 29 litters over a ten-year period. And it's anybody's guess how many litters are prevented by the neutering of a male cat. A female dog can produce two litters every year, with an average of six to ten puppies per litter.
Pet overpopulation is a tragedy! An estimated six to twelve million cats and dogs are euthanized in our nation's shelters every year. Countless more suffer and die from starvation, illness, accident, abuse or neglect. There are just too many animals and not enough homes for all of them. The answer is to spay and neuter pets to prevent the births of more unwanted animals.
Discount Spay/Neuter Certificates: Come by the North County Humane Society to pick up a discount spay/neuter certificate that will help offset your cost to spay or neuter your companion animal. Any resident of San Luis Obispo County - anywhere in the county - may take advantage of this program. Check with your veterinarian on prices. The average cost to alter male and female dogs is between $70 and $150, to alter female cats is $50 to $75, and to alter male cats is $25.
Certificates are available in the following amounts:
- -$20 for male and female dogs and female cats
-- $15 for male cats
Spay/Neuter Education: For more information on spay/neuter programs and the benefits of spaying and neutering your pets, contact the NCHS Spay/Neuter Education Committee, (805) 466-5403, ext. 9.
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TRAP, NEUTER, RETURN
Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) is widely recognized as the most humane and effective strategy for reducing feral cat populations. TNR involves humanely trapping feral cats and transporting them to a veterinary clinic where they are spayed and neutered. At this time, they may also receive a health check, vaccinations, and can be treated for routine medical conditions. After the surgery, the cat recuperates for a day or two and then is returned back to the colony habitat to live out its natural life. Since the cats are no longer reproducing, the colony will gradually diminish in size, and by reducing or eliminating mating, fighting and wandering, TNR makes the colony more stable, impacts the influx of newcomers and improves the health of the cats.
A Lifesaving and Permanent Solution
As a general rule, feral cats cannot be adopted into human homes, and relocating them into another area is extremely difficult. Therefore, in most cases, if feral cats are taken to an animal shelter, instead of being altered and returned, they will be killed. Besides being inhumane, Trap and Remove is only a temporary solution, opening up an ecological void which more cats - unaltered - will eventually fill, starting the breeding process all over again. Trap and Remove then is an endless cycle of breeding and killing, while TNR is a lifesaving and permanent solution.
Case Studies
A survey of feral cat caregivers conducted by the SF/SPCA found that every caregiver who implemented a TNR program saw the colony stabilize or decrease in number. In San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, one feral cat colony has been reduced from 85 cats to 2 through TNR. And after caregivers at Stanford University started a successful TNR program, the campus cat population reached zero population growth almost immediately. Today, through natural attrition and the adoption of tame cats, the colony has decreased over 50 percent.
Three Good Reasons for TNR
- It's effective. Having cats altered and returned to their habitats is the quickest way to permanently reduce feral cat populations.
- It's humane. There are very few feral cat sanctuaries and even fewer volunteers seeking to adopt feral cats. Feral cats taken to animal control shelters likely will be euthanized as feral cats cannot be adopted into homes.
- You'll be in good company. Tens of thousands of people are helping feral cats through TNR. Join the crowd!
You can rent a trap from the North County Humane Society under the following conditions:
- You will place the trap(s) on no other property but your own.
- You will check the trap(s) daily.
- You will set the trap(s) in an area protected from the harsh elements, shaded from the heat of the day and/or sheltered from extreme cold and rain.
- You will notify neighbors of the time you will be trapping and release any cat or cats owned by any person (a cat wearing a collar, that is approachable, is well fed, and appears shiny or soft to the touch with bright clear eyes probably has a home).
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The North County Humane Society Guardian Angels are a very special group of supporters, committed to stopping the suffering of all animals through a consistent financial contribution. Our special kitties need you to be a part of our very important monthly giving program.
"If I could I would adopt all of them myself; through this program, I know that my monthly contribution helps to care for these special-needs kitties."— Janita Baker
The ongoing costs of feeding our adoptable animals, the long-term medical care of our permanent residents, providing adoption services and funding our county-wide discount spay/neuter program are ever increasing.
Guardian Angels support NCHS by making regular, monthly contributions. This program provides an ongoing source of income that we can depend on to fulfill these continuing obligations. With a minimum gift of $25 per month, you will be making a difference. You can have your monthly pledge automatically charged to a credit card or you can mail in a check in our return envelopes.
As a Guardian Angel, you have the option of choosing your guardian animal or allowing NCHS to select one for you. You will receive:
- A certificate
- A Guardian Angel pin
- And we will keep you updated on the life of your cat.
"To love for the sake of being loved is human, but to love for the sake of loving is angelic."
How Can You Become A Guardian Angel?
Send your first monthly pledge to NCHS, 2300 Ramona Road, Atascadero, CA 93422. We will make sure you get return envelopes to easily send this in monthly. You can also make a one time annual pledge to help support one or more of our special needs kitties.
For more information, email or call Jan Jones at (805) 466-5403 ext. 13.
NCHS is a division of Action for Animals' Rights and is a no-kill, non-profit organization. Your donation is tax deductible. In order to keep our costs of operations at a minimum we do not send receipts unless requested.
You are making a difference...Thank You!
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FRIEND FOR LIFE
Who Will Take Care of Your Animal Companions if Something Happens to You?
North County Humane Society (NCHS) has established Friend for Life, the first program in San Luis Obispo County designed to protect animal companions who survive their owners.
"Friend for Life is meant to give pet owners peace of mind," according to NCHS Past President Charlotte Alexander. This way you know that your cherished animal companions will be taken care of should you die or become incapacitated unexpectedly.
To participate in the program a pet owner must be a member of the North County Humane Society. To enroll animal companions in the program, members make provisions through their will or other estate documents for NCHS to adopt surviving animals, and they are asked to make a planned gift, such as a bequest, to NCHS.
The Friend for Life program is designed to find loving homes for all surviving animal companions enrolled in the program, including cats, dogs, other small mammals, birds. horses and reptiles. lf a permanent adoptive home cannot be found. NCHS will itself become a loving home or will find a protective sanctuary for the surviving animal.
For more information about Friend for Life contact us today.
Phone: (805) 466-5403,
Email: info@slonchs.org
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COUNTRY CATS FERAL CAT SANCTUARY
In 2005, the city of Atascadero was faced with the dilemma of what to do with the long-established feral cat colony that inhabited Atascadero Creek. This area was soon to undergo major construction/renovation as part of Atascadero's Downtown revitalization plan. NCHS, along with help from concerned citizens all across San Luis Obispo county answered the call; we began a major fundraising campaign to establish a sanctuary for these and other feral cats and to relocate the Atascadero Creek feral colony.
Since then, we have successfully relocated many cats and they are all happy and well cared for in a safe and secure environment. We diligently keep records and pictures of all cats that are sent to the sanctuary. All medical information and a written physical description of each cat is on file. This makes it easier to identify any cat that may become ill.
Our plans for the future include fencing in more of the property and adding more enclosures to meet the growing demand. More igloos are scheduled to arrive anytime and three more sheds are in the process of being added. The next step is to add a 10’ X 15’ shed with a 20’ X 20’ totally enclosed area to accommodate the multitude of feral kittens that otherwise would be unable to survive on the sanctuary because of overhead predators. We hold our volunteers in very high esteem for providing of their expertise and time to make this happen. Without them, we would be a sanctuary with limited space.
As you all know, this process takes time and money to accomplish. It seems the demand to take cats onto the sanctuary far exceeds our capacity to accommodate them. We are finding out that many people view feral/semi-feral cats as a nuisance and few people will take the time to help us help the cats. We have very few requirements for placing cats, and the major requirement is that they be spayed/neutered prior to coming onto the sanctuary. We are also cognizant and very aware that we MUST have proper housing to ensure that all cats have sanctuary from the elements.
There are many people to thank for making this a dream come true for the displaced cats of our county. Under the watchful eye of T.C. Flynn, these cats are thriving and thanks to the donations that come and the volunteers that so selflessly give of their time we are well on our way
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We need your help! Volunteers are among our most important supporters, enabling us to provide a high quality of animal care and public education. We can always use volunteer help. Even if you only have an hour or two a month, you time can make a huge difference.
Volunteer Opportunities
Adopt-a-thons
Assist the Adoption Committee with off-site adoptions, assemble materials and help promote the event.
Fundraising Activities
Help organize fundraising events by assisting with pre-planning, securing sponsors, and helping the day of the event.
Public Relations
Help our PR Committee publicize our events and activities and represent NCHS at community functions.
Special Events
Help plan and implement major events intended to raise awareness and maintain ongoing interface with the membership and the community.
Cat Care
Needed to recruit, schedule and inspire volunteers for various duties to help the animals.
If you are interested in volunteering, call Jan at 466-5403 or stop by the shelter and fill out a Volunteer Application. Please note: you must have a valid photo ID.
Do Your Shopping at iGive.com. That's right, go ahead and buy yourself something. A new CD, the latest bestseller, essentials like toothpaste or vitamins, even a computer! Just join iGive.com (it's free!) and every time you shop at one of over 240 name-brand stores in the iGive Mall we'll receive a donation of up to 25% of each purchase - at no cost to you.
Donating this way won't cost you a dime, but we will miss out on a lot of extra dough if you don't join, so visit www.iGive.com now. Membership is free and your privacy is guaranteed.
Shop at Albertsons
Carry an Albertson's Community Partners Program card with you and every time you shop the store will donate a percentage of your purchases back to the North County Humane Society. To receive a card, call (805) 466-5403 or e-mail jan@slonchs.org
Shop at Ralphs
Ralphs' Community Contribution Program allows you to help NCHS raise funds by registering your Ralph's card with us. Every time you shop for groceries just swipe your card and NCHS earns a percentage at no cost to you. To sign up, you need to call the shelter ((805) 466-5403 and give us your name, address, phone number and Ralphs' Club Card number. (Ralphs promises us that this info will not be used for marketing!)
Save Purina Weight Circles
Save the Weight Circles on the following Purina Products: Pro-Plan Adult Cat & Kitten Food, Purina One Adult Cat & Kitten Food, Purina Veterinary Diets Feline Formulas, Purina Cat Chow ,Purina Kitten Chow, Kit N’Kaboodle, Happy Cat, Tender Vittles. Weight circles are the symbols found on the side or back of the above products. In conjunction with Purina, NCHS is able to cash in these circles to purchase the huge amount of dry food we use to feed the shelter cats. Here is a sample of some of the weight circles we use:
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