SCAA Adoption Days

15 February 2009: 12noon - 3pm O'Malley's Irish Pub (42 Taojiang Road, between Hengshan and Wulumuqi Roads, 6474 4533).

Dear SCAA Community,

Welcome back and happy Year of the Ox greetings! We all just 'niu' it's going to be a tough year ahead but following the example of our bovine companion in the stars, a bit of hard work and positive attitude will do us all some good! To take your mind off the lingering gloom and doom, cheer yourself up by dedicating your time and energy as a volunteer to one of Shanghai's many causes, including the cats and dogs (and occasional rabbit) at SCAA. During these trying economic times, their need for your support is stronger than ever. Foster an animal, donate, help out and most importantly attend SCAA events and tell your friends! It feels great helping others and looks rather nice on that New Year's resolution list too. We all look forward to meeting you soon!

There have been many great developments in the animal world on both local and international fronts. One of Michael Vick's pit bulls graced the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine in late December revealing a silver lining of the horrible world of dog fighting, kind folks continue to help Australia's wildlife in times of drought and wildfire disaster, and locally, former SCAA project dog Maple is one of three lucky critters featured this month who have taken to the skies, landing with a forever home abroad. Maple is now happy and healthy with her family in Singapore. Read on to learn about adopted kitties Star and Comet's exciting journey and final destination!

And aaahhh... yes love is in the air with a very romantic date this weekend (and we're not referring to Adoption Day matchmaking!), but an unfortunate side effect of Mother Nature will soon be found in Shanghai's backstreets and gardens with countless and unwanted litters of kittens being brought into the world. Yes folks, kitten season is quickly approaching reminding us all of the adorable but heartbreaking consequences of irresponsible animal population control. We can't say enough, please spay and neuter your pet and spread the word!

Wishing you a purrrfect February!

Stephanie Thomas
SCAA Public Relations

Star and Comet's Shanghai – Vancouver – Sydney journey
7 months and thousands of (US$) dollars to get home

Rescue and foster care

Kittens Star and Comet were rescued by an Australian cat lover visiting Shanghai. The kittens were found nearly dehydrated to death in a park during the sweltering summer when they were only a few weeks old. With a return ticket home weeks later, the rescuer generously donated to SCAA and we took the kittens into foster care. The Calico sisters charmed their foster parents but faced stiff competition for adoption from an overwhelmingly large number of other kittens available at the time.

Comet & Star on rescue

As the kittens got older in foster care, their rescuer began to seriously contemplate adoption. This is not an unusual thought in itself, but with the rescuer having long since returned to Australia, overcoming the exceptional logistical and financial hurdles (detailed below) requires time and, as another family of adopters from Australia aptly put it, 'financial wherewithal'.

Adoption from afar

Star and Comet proved themselves to be social, confident kitties that adjust well to new people and places. A good, permanent home with a long-time pet owner and cat lover as dedicated to helping rescued strays from Shanghai as she is in her home country offered these two lovely cats a genuine happily ever after. Soon the long and expensive journey to a new home in Australia had begun.

Almost all grown up and still inseparable

Pet transportation – the Aussie challenge

Unlike the reasonably priced and relatively simple move to North America or to many places in Continental Europe, where there is no quarantine, moving pets from China to Australia (as well as to New Zealand and Taiwan) requires pets first spend 6 months in a transit country approved for subsequent direct export and then go through quarantine at their final destination.

If your head is spinning from the logistics alone, imagine the costs involved: export process in China, multiple flights, possible quarantine in the transit country, boarding in a transit country (unless very generous overseas friends can help) and then quarantine at the final destination. These costs obviously pose serious obstacles to pet adoption for people from or going to these places.

Thanks to the dedicated efforts by SCAA sponsor Michael Faung and his team at WorldCare Pet Transportation, every detail of Star and Comet's journey was carefully attended to.

Star and Comet at the airport in Shanghai

Settled in to their Vancouver stopover

In late January, Star and Comet safely arrived in Vancouver. Their temporary housing facilities include heated floors, access to a large play space, and web cams for their adopter to check in on them until they can leave Canada for Australia in July. We wish them a safe journey and a long and happy life down under!

For information on pet transportation, please visit the SCAA website www.scaashanghai.org or contact Michael Faung at WorldCare Pet Transportation: petimport@scaashanghai.org.

With global economic instability affecting China, SCAA encourages expatriate pet owners to consider preparing their pet for export if there is the slightest chance of being relocated in 2009. Preparation includes (i) arranging a microchip (this is more comfortably done at PAW) always as a first step before vaccinations and (ii) obtaining any required blood tests (needed for some countries) and the necessary vaccinations from the official government clinic, the Shenpu Pet Hospital.

Depending on your destination, pet export can take anywhere from 30 days (e.g. North America), 4 months (e.g. Europe) to 8 months (e.g. Japan). Advance preparation could save valuable time.

Foster care profile: Isydor

Each month, SCAA will feature the investment needed to get just one of our many foster animals healthy and adoptable. As financial times get tough for everyone, we hope this feature not only accounts for where donations are going, but underscores the critical need for the donations we request on foster care intake and adoption.

Isydor is a big tabby male with gorgeous markings. A friendly abandoned pet found in a downtown apartment compound, Isydor has easily made a great impression on his foster parents.

SCAA Calendar

You *still* don't have your SCAA calendar? What are you waiting for? Available at all SCAA adoption days, events and via MTO123.com for just RMB 100 each or five for RMB 400! Contact director@scaashanghai.org with any questions today!

Donations

Many thanks to our generous donors:

• Carol Wolfson - HKD 8,000
• Fed Ex Shanghai – RMB 5,000
• Robin Thatcher – USD 50

To the kind folks at Hartz for their constant stream of doggie goodies including a special supply of kitty flea and tick meds this month

Loving Old English Mastiff in Search of a New Home

Hello, I'm Virgil, an extremely gentle, often shy, but fantastic Old English Mastiff. I never, ever bark, love cats, am of course fully house-trained and am aged somewhere in the range of 8-9 years old. I weigh (at last official check) about 58 kilos and am fully licensed in Jing'An District up through May, 2009. I was adopted by my current owner just over 3 years ago subsequent to my previous owners who had me adopted me as a stray in Hong Kong about 3 years prior. In all, I've been in Shanghai now for about 5 years or so, all the while seeing Dr. James at PAW for regular check-ups...

Virgil's current family:
"Virgil is a star who perhaps doesn't possess the biggest of doggie brains, but he definitely has the biggest of hearts. Due to the fact that we will be relocating to Hong Kong after nearly 15 years in mainland China, it is with great sadness that we have to find a loving new home for Virgil in Shanghai. He's simply too old for the stress of relocation and [minimum] 4-month Quarantine and indeed may not make it through such an ordeal, so finding a new home in Shanghai where he will be loved and well-taken care of in his remaining years is the best option."

His family is looking for a caring single or [ideally] married couple with experience in owning and caring for a large dog full-time (or with an animal-loving ayi who can help out - they've even offered up their own!), who live in Shanghai in a stable and sizable apartment or villa with ample outdoor green area for many daily walks, and a special someone who understands and is willing to take on the financial responsibility of medical care associated with dogs of waning years.

If you are interested in taking this lovable guy on as a new member of your family, please contact SCAA's Dog Adoption Director, Jaycee Koo at dogprogram@scaashanghai.org.

EVEN MORE GOOD DEEDS FROM PROJECT DOG!

The many talents of our canine-enthusiast crew never cease to amaze! The good folks at Project Dog got down and dirty in Baoshan once again with a bit of love and generosity for the feline residents to boot! With a little carpentry know-how and elbow grease, a donated desk was magically transformed into three comfy doggie beds including delivery of an enormous cat tree for the kitties, who were purrrfectly content with their new toy.

Our handy volunteers hard at work!

Those curious cat instincts didn't take long to kick in...

From computer desk to comfy nap spot x3

The local residents approve

Yet Another Snapshot of Proof!

Thanks to foster Mom and SCAA volunteer Mandy for helping dispel once again that evil myth of cats and dogs and no love lost in-between!

These little ones may have started out snapping, 'geryowling' (a combo of yowling and growling) and even a hiss or two... but it didn't take long before the best napping spot of them all proved too irresistible!

Ruthie the Dog: professional napper and personal space heater all-in-one!

Our hearts go out to the good folks of Australia during this trying time. The past months of severe drought and recent wildfires have led to terrible loss of both animal and human life. But every story has a bright side, so we dedicate this month's funnies to those 'lucky' but very hot and thirsty koala bears who've managed to survive thanks to many kind-hearted and water-bearing folks. Not typically social types, these little guys' thirst helped them to overcome their shyness in many different ways...

Carolyn Patrick found this very thirsty koala on her front lawn at Beaumont . "We must have given him around 15 cans of water before he had enough," she said.

Sue Phanos of Rossdale Homes says this friendly fellow is a regular visitor to their chemical-free water feature at Fullarton.

Richard Voros has been looking after this koala during the heatwave.

You gotta keep cool when it's boiling outside.

Gerry McAndrew photographed this koala taking a big risk to get a drink at Belair.

Michael Manuel and his wife used a water bottle to feed this koala in their yard at Upper Sturt.

Of course, we couldn't leave out the now-famous 'Koala in a Bucket' pic, that's already found its way to millions of in-boxes worldwide!

And to make a slight geographical detour, in honor of St. Valentine himself, love is indeed 'everywhere'...

http://scaashanghai.org/enews/images/feb09/holding-hands.html

576 Adoptions to Date!!

Kittens 344
Cats 106
Puppies 47
Dogs 75
Bunnies 3

Lost Dog 'Rex'

Click here for more info ...

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