The Scoop-OBX Volume 3, #3

A Story by obxaco

Latest installment of Local News Column

THE SCOOP

NEWS AND NOTES FROM THE OUTER BANKS S.P.C.A.

& THE DARE COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER

By: Richard C. Crino

Those of you that visited the Dare County Animal Shelter last week may have felt that you were at a shelter in the depths of Alaska. Not only did we see snow on the ground, but coincidentally, if you passed by at the right time, you would have seen not one, but three Siberian Huskies frolicking in the winter wonderland! Well it seems the weather has reverted to something more typical and all three of the Huskies have moved on to new homes already. How quickly things change here from one day to the next.

Due to popular demand, and in order to offer what relief we can to those families feeling the crunch of a slow economy in these Outer Banks, the Outer Banks SPCA/Dare County Animal Shelter will be hosting two low cost rabies clinics in February.

The first will be held on Hatteras Island, Saturday February 21 from 10AM until 12 at the Avon Volunteer Fire Department. We had a good turnout there last spring and we hope to do even better this time around. The VFD is located on Harbor Rd. in Avon- watch for our signs at the traffic light. While we are targeting the lower beach to Hatteras Village, the rabies clinic is open to all Dare County residents.

We will also be partnering with Nags Head Animal Control to provide low cost rabies shots at the Nags Head Town Hall on Saturday Feb 28 from 9 to 11 AM. This will be our first time in Nags Head. We feel that this is a good central location "on the beach" and are looking forward to working together with the community. Again, all Dare County residents are welcome. Dogs on leashes and cats in carriers, please!

The 2009 Dare County dog licenses will be available at both locations as well.

The children are so often the ones that can teach the rest of us about selflessness and generosity.

Camden Crook of Martins Point asked friends to bring donations for our animals to her 7th birthday party. Instead of presents for this young lady, her guests arrived with dog and cat food, toys, rawhide chews and other treats, pet shampoo, combs, brushes, and other goodies for our homeless dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens. What can we say but thank you, happy birthday, and we hope that your show of compassion and hope can be a lesson to other children and adults as well!

The William B. Umstead Bridge is known to most of us as the "Old Manns Harbor Bridge". According to the NCDOT, the bridge is 2.8 miles long and 45feet high at the center. So how, do you suppose, a very friendly, neutered male, gray tiger cat would find himself stranded on the wooden pilings below- in the center of the sound? We may never know. Last Tuesday morning, Dare County Animal Control received a call from a very concerned woman we know only as "Chris". She had spoken with some fisherman that had spied the cat on the wooden pilings as they passed under the bridge the night before and again when they went out in the morning.

As animal control officers we have all seen some animals in some strange predicaments. I wrote a while ago about a dog that was stranded at the end of the Army Corps of Engineers research pier in Duck and was afraid to come back to shore. We recently rescued a Yellow Lab that had fallen in an open septic tank in Manteo. We come to expect these things every so often, but this one really took some planning. First, we wanted to confirm that the cat was still there and exactly where we could find him. Parking at the top of the "hump" of the bridge, it took a while to locate the little guy as he was hunkered down below one of the rails on the far side of the pilings trying to stay warm in the 30 degree weather. After spotting him with the binoculars, we contacted C.P. White with the North CarolinaWildlife Commission and requested that he meet us with a boat at the harbor. There was no way that this cat could be reached from the bridge and this seemed to be the only way that we’d be able to get to him to safety.

Within ten minutes, Officer White arrived with his partner, Jon Morgan, and his boat in tow. I loaded my nets, bite gloves, catch pole and a transfer cage in to the boat and within minutes we were under the bridge and face to face with the cold, tired, and scared feline. He turned out to be quite friendly (and anxious to see dry land, I think) and I was able to climb up the piling from the bow of the boat and get my hands on him. I wrapped him in a towel and put him in a transfer cage for the chilly ride back to shore.

How he got there or how long he had been there before he was spotted, we’ll probably never know. You’ll be glad to know that he is doing well after some fluids and a good meal. We hope that an owner will show up but, if not, he will be available for adoption soon. Thanks again to everyone that helped on this one!

Join us on Thursday, February 5^th from 6 to 9 pm for an evening of refreshments and fellowship for a good cause at The Seaside Art Gallery in Nag’s Head. This will kick-off a month long promotion by the gallery to benefit the Outer Banks S.P.C.A. For the entire month of February, 10% of the proceeds from the sale of "animal related" art and merchandise will be donated to help our animals! Last year’s event was well attended and we hope to see even more of you this time!

Quite a few animals found great new homes with some good folks since last we met! Adopted recently were Cookie (aka Sophie), Tinx and Tank, Emma, Mimi, Bob, Spring, Emily, Daisy Mae, Diesel, Coco, Zack, BooBoo, and Yogi all moved on to start fresh, new lives. Congratulations to them and theirs and, as always, we wish them the best of luck and hope that you’ll bring ‘em back to visit or at least send pictures!

Special thanks are in order this week for volunteer, Kathy Dough, of Manteo. She was a great help to us by working with and transporting our two Siberian Huskies (Mia and Yapa) to a rescue group in Virginia Beach last weekend. We’ve been working more and more with these groups to help place some of the more unusual cases that come to the shelter and that, for various reasons, are not quite ready for adoption. We also sent two Dachshund mixes (Blackie & Lightning) to a Richmond, Va. rescue group where they can get the special attention that they need and deserve! Thanks to everyone involved in making this rescue program successful!

My dogs are not due for their rabies shots until April of this year but I’d like to take advantage of the low-cost rabies clinic coming up. Is it okay to get them their vaccinations early? Mrs. A.J., Wanchese
A: In short, the answer is yes. It won’t hurt them to be vaccinated before their due date.

Send your questions or comments to:

Ask Animal Control

C/o Dare County Animal Shelter

P.O. Box 1000

Manteo, N.C. 27954

E-mail Rich at

[email protected]

UNTIL NEXT TIME…

Let’s not forget, too, that we humans invited and encouraged these animals to become dependent on us and we now have an obligation to care for them!

ASK ANIMAL CONTROL

ADOPTIONS & RESCUES!

ANIMALS in ART for the SPCA