HELP US BUILD A "PIT BULL TEAM"!

Alturas seems to end up with a number of Pit Bulls and Pit Mixes in the City Shelter, and many of them are very nice dogs that would make great pets. We have always worked very hard to take these people- and dog-friendly dogs, regardless of age or breed, but I am afraid that will have to change for now.

For a variety of reasons, even the friendliest Pits and Pit mixes seem to take anywhere from two to six months to place in new homes, compared to one month for other breeds. For instance, Charlie Brown, shown in the photo at the right, is one of the friendlies dogs I have ever met, loved to fetch and had no issues at all, yet was with us for six months!  With Foster Homes so limited now, that means that for every Pit we take, we will not have room for as many as six other dogs.

SHORT TERM PLAN: I hate that it comes down to statistics, but for the short term, we will not be able to take Pit Bulls or Pit Bull Mixes that are over six months old from the shelters until we can implement our long term plan. 

YOU can be part of that plan!

LONG TERM PLAN: We are in the process of building an all volunteer "Pit Bull Team". The Team will only be asked to work with Modoc's excess Pit Bull population, and will consist of a Team Manager, Foster Homes, Trainers, Transporters, and Exercisers. By spreading the responsibilities, we should be able to not only improve the adaptability of every Pit Bull we take in, but also shorten the adoption time and make the care of these dogs enjoyable and rewarding for all concerned.  Here is how the responsibilities break down.

TEAM MANAGER: The Manager is responsible for keeping track of the Team members and their Foster Dogs, uploading the dog's information to the website (HPHS will show you how!), communicating with the Dog Program Manager regarding any team needs, and establishing relationships with other rescues and agencies that might take our dogs as transfers or help them get adopted. The Team Manager also makes sure every dog and human accepted into the program is getting the attention and help they need, and works with the HPHS Dog Program Coordinator to evaluate dogs for acceptance into the program.

FOSTER HOMES: All the dogs will stay in Foster Homes, with a maximum of two dogs (who get along with each other) per Foster Home, so we will need several foster homes to make this program work.  The Team Manager will make sure every foster home gets the time off they need from fostering, and HPHS will provide all the equipment, medical attention, and food needed to keep the dogs safe and healthy.  Ideally, all Foster Homes will be assigned an all-weather kennel facility (we call them Pup Huts) to keep the dogs safe, sound and separated from the household pets when needed. 

TRAINERS: The Team will have one or two dog trainers available who can evaluate dogs for acceptance into the Pit Bull Team, and help our Team Members train the dogs so they have the skills they need to be adopted.

TRANSPORTERS: Transporters will do exactly that - take dogs to and from appointments, homes, adoption events, and to their destination home or rescue as needed and their time allows. If needed, the gas used by Transporters can be reimbursed at the Federal Rate for non-profit organizations, (currently 14 cents per mile).

EXERCISERS: These volunteers will go to the foster homes on a regular basis to exercise the foster dogs.  Team Dog Trainers will be available to assist Exercisers during the first few meetings to be sure everything goes smoothly.

HPHS DOG COORDINATOR: The HPHS Dog Coordinator will work with the Team Manager to ensure the Team gets the resources it needs to care for the dogs. HPHS will write grants for the program, pay for all shots and spay and neuter costs, as well as food, and work with Foster Homes to make sure they have the equipment they need to care for the HPHS dogs on their property.

Want to change the world for Modoc Pits??  JOIN THE TEAM!  If you are thinking about helping, please message Jenn Andersen at HPHS@Ymail.com to talk more about it! 

Latest Adoptions!!

Cooper

Taggit

Latest Adoptions!

Moonlight

Rocky

Sunshine

Humane Society Starts GoFundMe Campaign to Build Pup Huts!

Can't foster dogs yourself but want to find some way to help?  Check out our GoFundMe campaign and spread the word!.

https://www.gofundme.com/healthy-dog-pup-huts




 THIS CAMPAIGN IS DEDICATE TO THE MEMORY OF FOSTER DAD WAYNE PIERCE (shown in the above photo with foster dog Elsa).  Wayne dedicated many years to fostering dogs for the High Plateau Humane Society and turned his property into a wonderful summer facility for our dogs.  May you rest in peace Wayne, knowing we are doing everything we can to help all the dogs you loved.

Tex Lands the Best Home Ever!!

I gave everyone a very fair chance to snatch this guy up. I advertised him in the paper, on the Internet, and on Facebook.  I pleaded and prodded everywhere I knew because Tex is wonderful, and I could not believe that he didn't have an avalanche of adopters seeking his affection.

While I was doing that, Tex had other things in mind, and kept showing me what a good boy he was.  He played nicely with all the other fosters, teaching the youngest ones some manners, and then wrestling and playing tug of war with them as a reward.  He proved he was house trained, crate trained, could walk politely on lead, could ignore cats and chickens, knew his basic commands, took treats politely, loved to play with kids, road perfectly when he was loose inside the car, and he treated my old 14 year old Australian Cattle Dog, Shawn,  with deference and respect.  In fact Shawn actually likes him a lot, and he is very hard to please!  

Tex has been so good in fact, that I have been letting him into the house over the past week to watch TV with us in the evenings until bed-time.   I found him a joy to have around.  Then, last night he sealed his fate (and mine) by jumping into my chair and sleeping sprawled across my lap while we watched TV.  I realized then that he was not going anywhere.   This was MY new boy!  Sorry world, you missed out on a really good one!  

 

Lucy and Rosie Transferred to Lucky Paws!

These two lovely ladies are heading up to Eugene, Oregon, this week to seek their fortunate families!  Lucy has been with us for over two months now, and we simply can't let her waste her youth in rescue, so we have made arrangements for her to go to Lucky Paws recscue, where she is sure to find her forever home very quickly.

Rosie will also join her buddy in the big city, and looks forward to making new friends while she awaits her spay date and her calendar fills up with family interviews.

We hate to see these two cuties leave Modoc, but because we have such a small population here, we often have to send our pups to towns with more people, or have those people come to us.  No worries, this is all good news for these girls as they will be in a foster home with other playful dogs and loving families until their final home is found.

Tex Is Still Looking For His Family - NOW ADOPTED!

Our boy Tex is still looking for his forever home.  I have talked about him to many people, but not one has come to see him, which is a real shame because he is a real LOVE.

I have to feel this is my fault, as I must not be making it clear that this boy is a GREAT dog, and will make a GREAT hiking and traveling buddy for some lucky person or family.

Tex loves kids, gets along great with other dogs, cats and chickens, rides nicely in the car (as you can see here) and loves to go out and about.  He is not a water dog, but he would like to learn to play fetch.  His fur is as soft as velvet, he walks nicely on lead, and is house trained. What more can you ask for?

Tex's adoption fee is just $120, and will be reduced to $60 for seniors 55 years and older.   This is a buddy who knows the ropes and needs no training.  Come see him!

Rollo Still Needs a Home! --- NOW ADOPTED!!

Sadly, it turns out that the Smiths will not be able to adopt Rollo after all due to a family emergency.   So, this handsome boy is back with us and is still looking for his forever home!

I have been told that Rollo is likely a Wirehaired Pointing Griffon (he may be a mix, but now that I have checked out Griffon's, I have to say he looks purebred to me). He is about 2 years old, maybe younger, weighs 70 pounds, and is a medium to low energy kind of guy. He loves people, is quiet, good with cats and dogs, and rolls over for belly rubs. 


Let us know if you'd like to meet this sweet young man!

We Save All Adoptable Dogs and Cats!

A gentleman came into the store yesterday, and I am afraid that I gave him the wrong information.  He suggested we should write a grant requesting funding from PETA, and I said that I did not think they would fund us because we are not a "no kill" facility.  He got a shocked look on his face, and I tried to explain, but I think he was too stunned to listen.  So, I thought I would put it all down here, because what we do is remarkable.

WE SAVE ALL ADOPTABLE CATS AND DOGS FROM EUTHANASIA IN MODOC COUNTY.  That is job #1 with us. We are here in this County to help the community re-home cats and to pull all the adoptable dogs from the City and County Shelters, make sure their wounds are treated, get them all their shots, get them spayed or neutered, teach them a few good habits to be sure they are even more lovable, and then we either find them good homes or move them on to other "No Kill" facilities that can. 

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE "NO KILL".  There is that term again - the one I used incorrectly with our store visitor.  The fact is that HPHS is a "No Kill" facility.  That is, we DO NOT euthanize animals as a means of population control or to make room for other animals (as so many public shelters are forced to do for various reasons).  Instead we only euthanize animals who are suffering and cannot be cured, or who have behavioral issues that make them un-adoptable  that cannot be correct with training (like being human or dog aggressive).  

BECAUSE WE ARE "NO KILL", MODOC COUNTY IS "NO KILL".  That is something we can all be proud of!  We are the only organization that is set up specifically to do help our local shelters.  Without our help, all the animals that end up in our City and County shelters would be euthanized because neither the City nor the County has the staff to run an adoption center.  In fact, they don't take in cats at all, only dogs.  When they are called to pick up a dog, they put them in a kennel to keep them safe and secure, then they feed them and clean up after them for 5 days.  That is it.  They have no staff to exercise or train the dog.  When five days are up, they call us.  If we can't take the dog, it is euthanized.  

ADOPTION TAKES TIME, MONEY AND THE PROPER FACILITIES.  Make no mistake, this is not a criticism of our local shelters.  We believe they are doing the best they can with what they have.  Adoption programs take time, money, dedicated staff, and the proper facilities.   It is not a matter of pointing interested adopters at a kennel and taking their money.  HPHS tracks every animal's medical and behavioral history, takes them to and from the vet, pays for all medical treatment, takes photos of them, writes bios and then advertises them all over. We also train them, take them to adoption events, socialize and exercise them, interview interested adopters, confirm potential adopters have the right home environment and facilities for them, and, of course, feed and clean up after them until they are in their new home.

The average time a dog or cat stays with us is 30 days.  Neither the City nor the County can dedicate that much time for each and every animal they take into their facility.  It takes volunteers!  However, even volunteers need resources.  We need money for gas, kennels and crates, dog and cat food, cat litter, leashes and collars, toys and cat scratching trees, heating and cooling for the indoor kennel areas, power washers, disinfectant and stall mats for kennels so they can be kept clean and free of Parvo and other pathogens, and access to exercise yards.

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO "SAVE THEM ALL"?  It takes YOU.  Our #1 need right now are people who are willing to host a Foster Dog on a regular basis.   Two types of Foster Homes are needed:

• FOSTER FAMILY.    A Foster Family makes a commitment to take care of at least one dog per year, taking them into their home and treating them like family until the Foster Dog is adopted out, or until 30 days are up (whichever comes first).  HPHS provides an indoor crate, bedding, indoor "puppy" gates (to protect off-limit indoor areas), as well as food, dog dishes, and leashes for all Foster Families to use.  We can also board the Foster Dog during its scheduled stay if the Foster Family needs to be out of town for a short period.
• KENNEL HOST FAMILY.     In addition to everything provided to the Foster Family, "Kennel Host Families" are also issued an outdoor dog kennel that is a minimum of 10'x10' in size (and six feet high).  The kennel is outfitted with stall mats to help keep it sanitary and easy to clean. To make the investment in a kennel set-up worthwhile for HPHS, Kennel Host Families must make a commitment to take up to 4 dogs per year until they are adopted or until 30 days are up (whichever comes first).  Again, HPHS would be willing to board the Foster Dog during its scheduled stay if the Kennel Host Family needs to be out of town for a short period. 

CAN'T FOSTER?  Then help keep us in business saving Modoc pets by using the DONATE button to make a monetary contribution.  All donations of $100 or more made by July 31, 2018 receive two free tickets to our 2019 Taste of Modoc Fundraiser!

Thank you for your help and interest in making sure Modoc's Pets are well cared for! 

Low Cost Spay and Neuter Program is Back On Track!

The High Plateau Humane Society has offered a low-cost spay and neuter program to our Low Income community for many years, but we have not updated the income qualification amounts to keep up with the cost of living! Well, that has now changed, and we have simplified the process of getting a low cost spay or neuter certificate as well.   Here's how the program works.

MONTHLY INCOME LIMIT:  If your gross monthly household income does not exceed the following amounts (established by HUD), then you qualify to participate.

1 person   $2,796                     4 persons   $3,992

2 persons  $3,316                    5 persons   $4,313

3 persons  $3,596                    6 persons   $4,633

EXCEPTION FOR FERAL CATS:  Anyone wishing to spay or neuter a feral cat also qualifies for this program, regardless of household income.  Please note, all feral cats will have their ear “tipped” during the procedure to identify it as a spayed or neutered feral cat. 

WHAT IS COVERED:  This program is intended to help pet owners cover the cost of a standard spay or neuter. The certificate you receive will NOT COVER immunizations; boarding costs; pain medications; pre- or post-surgical blood-work or other testing, treatments or equipment; or additional costs resulting from complications caused by the animal being in heat, pregnant, or not having “dropped” both testicles prior to surgery.  Any costs other than the standard spay or neuter costs are the responsibility of the pet owner.   You may want to discuss your pet’s condition with the vet prior to scheduling the procedure to confirm if there will be additional costs associated with your pet’s surgery.  Note that it is our experience that most cats and dogs do not need pain medications or antibiotics after a spay or neuter.  However, you may need to purchase an “E-Collar” to prevent your pet from pulling out its stitches.  Neither of these costs are covered by this certificate.  

PROGRAM COSTS:  The fees for a Low-Cost Spay or Neuter Certificate are as follows.

• CATS, all cats, regardless of age, sex or weight                   $40  
• DOGS, all dogs, regardless of age, sex or weight                 $80

These fees are are a significant savings over the standard fees charged by the Modoc Veterinary Center and are only possible because of their generous support.

EXPIRATION:  All certificates expire 2 months from the date of purchase and are not transferrable.

You may purchase your Spay/Neuter Certificate now from the Second Chance Thrift Store during regular business hours.

Available Cats are on Petfinder and Adopt-a-Pet!

We have finally  uploaded our available cats and kittens to Petfinder and Adopt-a-Pet.  That means you can also find them on our "Available Cats" page on our website, and our "Adopt a Cat" page on Facebook. Take a look at these cute little faces!  Two kittens, one young cat and two adult cats available!

Stripes

Eeyor

Floofy

Froggy

Marvin

  

We have had a run of adoptions this week!

All these kids have found their forever  homes this past week....

Aspen

Chip

Elsa

Niles

Sammy

Lady Lucy

Adoption Fee Increase

After much analysis and internal debate, as well as a glance at the Humane Society's dwindling bank account, the Board has reluctantly agreed that we need to recover at least 80% of our basic medical costs in order to stay in business.

Since we are the only "game in town" for all of Modoc County, we need to do what we can to stay afloat, and we hope the community will support us in this.  Otherwise, the High Plateau Humane Society may not be around for another year.

You will note, there is no change in the Adult Cat adoption fee, and we have added discounts for adopting more than one pet.  We also have instituted a "Seniors for Seniors" program to help get our more senior animals (those 5 years or older) out into loving homes at a greatly reduced fee.

So, our adoption fees are now as follows:

CAT ADOPTION FEES*

•  Kittens (under 4 months old)      $90     or  2 for $160 ($80 each)
• Young Cats (4 mo. to 2 years)     $80     or  2 for $140 ($70 each)
• Adult Cats (2 years or older)       $60     or   2 for  $100 ($50 each)
• Seniors for Seniors (for Seniors 55 years and older)
• Adopt a cat 5 years old or older
• Receive a 50% discount on his/her adoption fee

* All cats and kittens are up-to-date on shots, and spayed or neutered.

DOG ADOPTION FEES*

•  Puppies (under 4 months old)      $200     or  2 for  $360 ($180 each)
• Young Dogs (4 mo. to 2 years)     $160     or  2 for  $280  ($140 each)
• Adult Dogs (2 years or older)       $120     or  2 for  $200 ($100 each)
• Seniors for Seniors (for Seniors 55 years and older)
• Adopt a dog 5 years old or older
• Receive a 50% discount on his/her adoption fee

* All dogs and puppies are up to date on shots and micro-chipped.  Our fees also cover spay and neuter.  All dogs over 4 months old are spayed or neutered before they go home with you, and all puppies are placed on a foster-to-adopt contract (so you can take them home) that is turned into a formal adoption contract after they are spayed or neutered at 4 months old.

We Are Searching for a Microchip Angel!

Our Board has approved a microchip program for all our dogs, and we have purchased the first 20 microchips!  Thanks to the efforts of staff at the Modoc Veterinary Hospital, all our available dogs now have one.   However, as our adoption fees do not cover this cost, we are currently searching for funding partners to help us continue the program after we run out of these chips. We anticipate this program will cost about $800 per year, so if you know of any person or organization that is willing to partner with us on this, please let us know! 

Our Favorite Young Man Has Been Adopted!!!

Charlie Brown was picked as the favorite "brother" for German Shepard Athena.  Although not quite love at first sight for Athena, Charlie won her over with his easy-going attitude and sense of fun!  By the time play time was over, Athena was smitten and hated to be parted from our good-natured young man.  Never fear Athena!  Our Boy will be joining you in a few weeks (after Mom and Dad tie up loose ends). In the mean time, Charlie will continue to baby sit Buck and Lucy (our 4 month old Shepherd/Great Pyrenees pups).  Three cheers for Charlie!!!

ADOPTION PROCESS UPDATED!

Since we have so many puppies in house, this is a good time to let everyone know what the new dog adoption process it as HPHS.

No surprise, our goal is to find great homes for all our dogs, but we also want to make it easy for you to get to know the dog and pick the right dog for your family. So, if you are interested in a dog, please just email us to let us know. You can use the private messaging system on Facebook, the Contact Form here on our website (see left column), or email us at HPHS@Ymail.com. If you use any of these methods, all we need to know is which dog you are interested in, and your phone number. You also have the option of contacting us using the applications provided by Adopt-a-Pet or Petfinder, or coming into the Humane Society Thrift Store to fill out a more formal application.

Once we know you are interested, we will call you to chat about your situation and discuss what the dog is like. If you are still interested, we will arrange a meeting with the dog. Finally, if you decide you would like to try adopting the dog, we will schedule a time to come to your home to check out the areas you plan to keep the dog, make suggestions on training and crating if needed, answer any lingering questions you may have, and fill out the adoption paperwork if the dog seems like a good fit.

To make sure you get the dog of your dreams, our adoption contract now provides for a 30 day trial period, which allows you to return the dog and receive a full refund of your adoption fee for adult dogs and a partial refund of your adoption fee for young dogs if you are not completely happy with the dog. Dogs that have not yet been spayed or neutered are available to go home on a Foster-to-Adopt contract that also allows you to back out of the adoption if you like.

So, what are you waiting for? Click on the "Available Dogs" page (above) to see if we have your new best buddy!

HPHS has PUPPIES!! Check the "Available Dogs" page for a complete listing.

We recently accepted seven Aussie/Pointer mixes (4 boys, 3 girls), and two Shepherd/Great Pyrenees mixes (one boy, one girl).  Check the "Available Dogs" page for a complete listing

.

What you need is a Little Bit of LOVE! - ADOPTED 5/17/18

Little Bit joined us a few days ago from the City Animal Shelter.  She is 5 months old and about 24 pounds.  When full grown she should end up at about 30 pounds or so. She is a sweet little squirmy girl that can't wait to play and get pets and attention.  She will bring a lot of joy to your life.  Want to meet her to foster or adopt?  Just let us know using the Contact Form in the left-hand column!

Mattie is HOME!

Our lovely Rottie, Mattie, found her forever home in Cedarville today.  Her new mom has had Rotties in the past and loves the breed.  I love that she loves Mattie!!

Kalaya Heading Home on a Foster-to-Adopt Agreement!

Well, it looks like our Kalaya has found a new home, at least for a week or so while she gets to know her new digs and convince her potential adopters to keep her!  I have every faith that she will be successful.  Keep your finger's crossed for her!! 

Two New Dogs Coming On Board!

We agreed to take these two dogs today.  So far, this is what I know about them...


SWEET SWEET SWEET!!!


Chip, a Black and White Border Collie, is a 10 month old male with white feet.  He just about jumped into my lap, and snuggled up as close as he could. We will be pulling him out of the shelter as soon as we have a foster for him.  Anyone want to give it a try?


Molly, a Brindle Pit is a lovely 40 pound, 18 month old girl that could not sit still!  "GET ME OUT!  GET  ME OUT! She said with every body wag and lick.  This was the only still shot I could get.  We will do better when she is in our care next week. 

NEW BOARD MEMBERS AND NEW RESPONSIBILITIES

As of May 3rd, the following hard working people make up the Board and Officers of the High Plateau Humane Society:

Kim Weimann, Board Member, President and Cat Program Coordinator
Kim Marchant, Board Member, Vice President and Thrift Store Manager
Lisa Oates, Board Member, Board Secretary and Fundraising Event Coordinator
Jenn Andersen, Board Member, Treasurer and Dog Program Coordinator
Edie Carey, Board Member and All Round Helper

If you need to get hold of any of these Board Members, please use the contact form on this page, or email HPHS@Ymail.com.  We look forward to hearing from you!

AVAILABLE DOG: Abby

Abby is a lovely Border Collie (and perhaps Aussie?) mix that is a little shy, but very sweet.  She gets along well with cats and other dogs, and loves to be petted.  This gentle and quiet little girl is about 30 pounds.  Perfect for a retired couple with or without another calm dog and/or cat.  Men will have to work a little to win her over, but it will be worth it! 

GINGER ADOPTED!

Our sweet Airedale Terrier was adopted this Saturday to a wonderful couple living near Bend Oregon.  Ginger now has a Chesapeake Bay Retriever "Big Brother" named Moose, 5 acres of fenced property to run on (a big patch of which is green grass), two very attentive parents, and some grown-up two legged siblings who can take care of her when mom and dad are away.  Here's to new adventures!

AVAILABLE DOG: Elsa -> NOW ADOPTED!!

Elsa, a 40 pound Beagle mix, loves to play in the water and be the boss of the yard.  She gets along well with submissive dogs, like her buddy Honey.  She is quite confident of her abilities, and very athletic.  This would be a great dog to teach to fetch and keep squirrels at bay!  She would also be GREAT at Agility!

AVAILABLE DOG: Honey

Honey is a sweet, low to medium energy German Shepard who gets along well with other dogs and LOVES playing with the hose! Honey weighs about 45 to 50 pounds, and would make a wonderful companion.

AVAILABLE DOG: Kalaya - ADOPTED NOW!

 Kalaya is a beautiful brindle Collie mix that weighs in at about 40 pounds. She gets along well with other dogs and is a medium energy girl.  More on her as we begin to work with her!  We do "Foster to Adopt" agreements, so if you would like to take her in to see  how she works in your home, we are happy to discuss that with you.

ACTIVE HOME NEEDED FOR SAMMY

Sammy is 6 month old Shepard mix pup that loves to play fetch!  He is sweet and attentive, crate trained, house trained, and working on his leash training.  He knows "sit" and is learning to keep four paws on the floor unless asked to jump up, its a little hard for him as he just gets so excited to see you!  He is also doing very well sleeping through the night, and quietly playing with his toys when "his people" are in the room.  Like any puppy, he gets restless when you leave, but is learning to settle himself.

We expect this little guy to grow to be about 50 pounds, so his forever home will need a fenced yard, and it wouldn't hurt for him to have another dog to play with!

Please contact us using the Contact Form on this page if you are interested in giving him a home.  He is a lot of fun!   (posting updated 5/28/18)

AVAILABLE DOG: Bonnie <<-- ADOPTED 5/9/18!

Bonnie is a little bit of a thing.  A lovely 7 year old Papillon whose owner died a short time ago.  She has obviously been well cared for and loved all her life, and she is looking to love you too.  This happy, quiet little girl is confident of herself,  in good health, house trained and gets along well with  people and other dogs.