Homemade Gifts Are The Best.

As a child, I fondly remember the act of creating gifts for my parents.  Often times, my craft of love took the shape of a hand made card which was usually folded to resemble a heart with the sentiment of my adoration scribbled on both sides of the pink construction paper.  Part of my joy in the creation was when my parents would gush over how much my gift meant to them, and then my art would quickly find its way to the coveted space for any child's work- the refrigerator door.  There, it would remain for weeks until my parents elected to take it down.  Usually, it was only to be replaced by yet another card.

Today, I witnessed adults' labor of love which was beautifully and thoughtfully created by Dr. Clement and Mrs. Sue Ellen Bloom.  The hand-fashioned treasure came in the magnificently stunning form of a boat which was hand made and  hand painted with love by the Blooms.  Now, its place in this world will be assisting the Virginia Beach SPCA's Wildlife Program where it will enable the water-rescue and assistance of  injured wildlife for many years to come.

So, as I run my hand over a smooth side of this unnamed vessel, I am reminded that my parents were right all along.  Homemade gifts really are the best.
~Amy

Be Kind With Your Line

Most people never think about what happens to old fishing line after it is off the rod and reel.  And to be honest, we didn't either until it started invading our world in a disturbing way. Isn't that always how a project or cause takes root?

Our Wildlife volunteers began getting calls about birds and other wildlife becoming entangled in discarded monofilament line.  Some of these animals were stranded and others were unfortunately injured.  Tragically, we just heard that a goose that our volunteers rescued from this kind of entanglement back in January, died earlier this week while still recovering from it's injuries.

The Virginia Beach SPCA is partnering with several local groups to establish a new fishing line recycling initiative, “Be Kind with Your Line,” that will help keep monofilament line out of the ecosystem.

Monofila-what?

Monofilament line is thin, nearly invisible, strong and may stay in a waterway for as long as 600 years!  Mammals, reptiles, and even fish can become entangled leading to injury, disfigurement, drowning, strangulation, or starvation. Discarded line can also impact boats and humans. People can be caught by hooks hidden on discarded line. Boat propellers are frequently fouled with monofilament line. Once entangled, a prop may seize up. Line can enter bilge pumps, water intake valves, or wrap around the lower unit causing damage.

Come out and help

Waterway Cleanup - Saturday, July 14

Volunteers will be out a several area locations to remove monofilament and other material from local waterways:

• Stumpy Lake
• Hell’s Point
• Rudee Inlet to Owl Creek Ramp
• Northwest River
• West Neck Creek
• Little Island
• Lynnhaven Boat Ramp
• Munden Point

In addition to shoreline workers, we are also in need of volunteers with boats and kayaks.  For more information or to register, go to recycleyourline.com.

Even if you can’t make the July clean-up, you can still help.  The recycling effort will go on throughout the year, and volunteers can be trained to do their own cleanups.  We are also looking for people who can help build the recycling boxes needed to collect the line!

Kindness Contract

Over the past several years, schools across the nation have been vigilant in promoting a zero-tolerance for bullying.  This "anti-bullying movement" was born after many well publicized cases of suicide were the result of traumatic bullying.  As both a Humane Educator and parent, I am thrilled that schools are taking a proactive stance in protecting our children from torment.  Peer-to-peer cruelty has a long standing effect on children, and its damage isn't always evident.

While it has been quite some time since I warmed the seat in an elementary school classroom, I still can faintly remember the way my young brain operated.  If I was told not to do something, I immediately found myself wanting to do that which was forbidden.  Now, here is where I will say that I was not a bully.  In fact, I was a kid that found myself dodging a certain boy because he frequently threatened to beat me up.  I can still remember trying to stay home sick in order to avoid the terror.  But, back to my point....

I believe in choices and positive rule-making.  Such as:  'Would you like water or milk with dinner?' versus 'No soda with your meal'; or 'Would you like to do your homework before your snack or afterwards?' versus 'No television until homework is completed."  Empowering a child with positive choices is a philosophy to which I subscribe.

So, as my Humane Education Curriculum for the 2011-2012 school years closes, I am electing to have my final lesson include the signing of a Kindness Contract.  Rather than asking the children to NOT bully, I am having them agree to my contract which states, "I agree to be kind to all living things."  By the end of May, this contract will have been signed by over 2,000 children in Virginia Beach.  If I can positively impact one child that is suffering, or keep one child from inflicting pain on another, then I will have had a measurable and meaningful programming success.

And so, I would like to kindly thank all of the children and educators that have allowed me to meet with them, each month.   I, too, agree to be kind to all living things. ~ Amy

Fare Thee Well

We're saying goodbye to two of our management staff members within the next week.  Both of them are making some pretty big life changes and so they are stepping down from their current positions.  Between them, we are losing 12 years VBSPCA history and knowledge, not to mention buckets of their sweat and tears.

We get used to the goodbyes -- faces (those with skin, fur and feathers) change often around here.  But each life leaves a mark and the wheels continue to turn.  The thing is, we can't do everything we do without all of these faces, for whatever time they are here.  Each person and each animal that comes through our doors makes us better and we learn something from them everyday -- each staff member, each volunteer, each citizen, each critter makes a difference.

So, I was wondering how we would bid farewell to our comrades next week. How can we bottle up everything they have done here at the shelter and hold on to it?  But I guess the most appropriate goodbye would be the same way we send animals out into the world each day.  We say, "Good luck, we will miss you, I know you are going to have an amazing life and we are grateful that you stopped here on your journey."

An In*crow*dable Lesson

Being a humane educator, I need to be very long sighted since what I am teaching will continue to yield results in 20 years if I'm doing it correctly. Lately in Virginia Beach, we've been hearing a lot about wild animals, mostly birds, that have been caught in fishing line with devastating results.

Within our organization, we are fortunate to have a group of wonderfully dedicated wildlife volunteers that are committed to going into waterways and locations that have been identified as troublesome and cleaning up the fishing line and other trash that pose a threat to wildlife. That selfless commitment to clean up has been on my mind a lot, lately.

I decided to assist the mission of the ongoing community clean up through the lens of Humane Education.  Since this month's lesson has been on animal habitats, I wanted to teach children the importance of caring for wildlife by respecting our environment.  All month, I have been reading the book, "Osprey Adventure" which was written by Jennifer Keats Curtis.  Her story takes place on the Chesapeake Bay, and it addresses the real problem of fishing line in bird nests.  Thousands of second graders have been read this story throughout the month of April; I can practically recite each page, word-for-word!

This week, I had the assistance of a crow named Mickey, a federally permitted educational animal who is unable to be released due to injury. What better way to illustrate the importance of protecting a species than by bringing one to school?    Mickey gave me the context to discuss the significance of protecting all wildlife, not just the colorful, flashy animals.  I also had the opportunity to discuss the positive attributes that are unique to crows:  each morning, I am greeting cheerfully with a "hi" from Mickey who has since learned how to talk during his stay at the shelter. I certainly wish everyone had manners like Micky....and, once again, I have been a part of another opportunity for both children and teacher to learn from an animal.

Thanks for your service, Mickey, and a "good morning" to you!
-Amy

My morning with Mocha

As a Humane Educator, part of my job entails bringing an animal to schools throughout Hampton Roads with the hope of providing them with a lesson that is aligned with the Virginia State Standards of Learning and the Beach SPCA's mission to promote a compassionate community.  While this month's lesson was regarding Habitats, I think the teachable moment was brought to the children by the animal I selected to accompany me, this morning.

Mocha is an 8-year old yellow Lab that was found tethered to a handicap sign in the VBSPCA parking lot, last week.  When my coworker arrived at 7 am, he was already there:  shaking, wet, and terrified.  It was quite obvious he had been there for several hours, and he had a note which stated how much he was loved but couldn't be kept; however, it is hard to muster sympathy for a family that would resort to abandoning a loyal dog after 8 long years of companionship.  Would he have done that to them?  I think not.

So, while I was teaching the children of Ocean Lakes Elementary School about protecting wildlife and their habitats by not littering, Mocha was teaching those same children about the importance of loyalty, responsibility, kindness, and compassion.  At the end of our 30 minute lesson, it was obvious who the true teacher was, today.

Thank you for the lesson, Mocha.
-Amy

The Millionaire Matchmaker

This is the response I received after I informed a woman (though I don’t know her
name, we’ll call her Olivia just to keep the story fluid) that the one year old, 60
pound, totally crazy, jump-all-over-you-knock-you-down bulldog she just inquired
about may not be a good match for her family, that included a little guy just starting
to walk, and another little guy in a child transport device. Forget the fact that he was
already on hold for someone else, and was going to go home later that day.
“She’s right,” I told myself. Who am I to tell her that Olivia can’t take this maniac of a
dog home if she wants to? They are her kids, after all. She can subject them to
whatever she likes. I don’t have children, being in the same room with a baby makes
me uneasy, and carrying on a discussion with a child puts a lump in my throat. It isn’t
that I don’t like kids, it’s I don’t have the experience. Being around children elicits the
type of emotion I imagine my mother would experience when faced with a 100-pound
growling dog. I’d take a breath and hope for the best, my mom would know that the
end is nigh.

I reminded myself that my job is to advocate for the dog. “You shouldn’t feel bad; you
have to think about what’s best for the dog.” I know that. Really, I hate that this
woman is mad at me. I feel saddened that she marched off, instead of letting me
introduce her to some more easy-going, child-loving dogs. I know that she can just
go to a pet store, pull out her credit card, and buy herself whatever adorable little
puppy she wants. Forget saving a life, now this is personal.

I have revisited my interaction with Olivia repeatedly in my head, and I still feel bad. I
have been considering the responsibility that goes into dealing with animals. I’m not
talking about walking, feeding, vet care, I’m talking about the big, life-changing
decisions we make. DECIDING to adopt a dog; DECIDING to get rid of a dog;
DECIDING which dogs are not adoptable. All of these decisions are huge, and my
job is to DECIDE what is best for the dogs in our care, and knowing in my heart that
at the end of the day, I took all the information I had and came to a conclusion that
was in the best interest of the ANIMAL and the FAMILY.

I’m like the Millionaire Match Maker, except I don’t have gorgeous, successful well-
cultured women, I have dogs. And I don’t have millionaires. I have sweet, selfless,
families, coming to me and asking for help making their families complete. I groom
my “dates,” teach them good manners, keep them clean, put a nice collar on them
and make sure they stay happy by meeting their basic needs. I have to get to know
my “Millionaires,” find out what they’re looking for, what fits their lifestyle, and give
them information on how to pick the best match. I have to remind them, that while
this one may have stunning blue eyes and a gorgeous blonde coat, she has the
energy of firecracker and the weight of small horse, both of which she may choose to
pull out on any unsuspecting human bystander. But maybe you should meet this girl,
with nondescript brown eyes, a dull coat that will shine up nicely after a good diet
and a bath or two. This girl will be patient when your little one trips learning to take
her first steps. She will lie patiently at the front door waiting for you to come home.
And when you finally do arrive home, she’ll wait to greet you and you tell you about
her day until after you have put your groceries down. We’ll find a millionaire for that
little firecracker, too.

So, Olivia, here’s what you taught me: I’m not here to make you mad, and I’m not
here to tell you what kind of parent you are. I’ll let you do the parenting, and I’m
going to keep doing the dogging. I don’t know how to handle your child when he has
an epic meltdown because the dog chewed up his favorite toy, but I can help you
find the dog that may not chew up his toys, or maybe even share her dog toys with
your son. I’m here to make a love connection. Show me the shape of the hole in your
heart, and I’ll show you a dog that fits quite nicely. I’m here to find forever homes for
our dogs, and sometimes that means falling in love with your heart, not your eyes. I’ll
trust you to raise your sons to be kind, compassionate, animal-loving gentlemen, if
you trust me to put a dog in your home that will keep your sons safe, happy and
wanting to adopt when they have a family all their own.

Olivia, I challenge you to a rematch.