Home › Forums › Open Discussion › Living with animals at Nicklesville
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December 11, 2012 at 11:07 pm #605872
Can anyone please tell me how many folks live with animals at Nickleville?? I see folks are gathering up Christmas trees and things for children I just want to make certain folks don’t forget the pets!!
Thank you all and Happy Festivus!!
December 11, 2012 at 11:43 pm #779527Hi Nyhopi – I would recommend contacting Teri with Furry Faces Foundation (furryfaces at hotmail dot com). I believe she is involved with animal care at Nickelsville and may be able to give you the information you need, or let you know what’s needed.
Thanks for thinking of the fur-children!
December 12, 2012 at 12:53 am #779528EmmyJane…thanks for directing nyhopi our direction!
Hi nyhopi. Thank you for caring and asking.
Furry Faces Foundation is NV’s furry residents’ main animal support group, providing access to spay/neuters, Vet Care, healthy food, and when we can afford it, extra, common pet necessities and accessories. Currently there are between 20 – 25 cats and 5 – 10 dogs living there with their people. All animals are required to be on leashes–yes, even the cats.
Hotwire Coffeehouse just put up their (5th annual), Pet Giving Tree which has tags for some of the NV pet needs. Plus, since you so thoughtfully asked, we will post the pet wish list here:
• Large, covered litter boxes are like gold (since the box is inside the tent).
• Cat harnesses and leashes are also like gold and are always needed.
• Ceramic or stainless steel dog and cat food bowls.
• Sturdy leashes for both dogs and cats.
• Cat collars.
• Dog and cat toys.
• Dog coats, although we would need to check on the size or you can visit NV and ask what size.
• Dog gloves to keep their paws clean. Again, we would need to check on sizes.
• Dry food for cats, preferably without ingredients like corn, corn meal, corn gluten, (meat) by-products or soy products as these fillers lack nutritional value and have caused some serious health problems for some of the cats. Brands like the Costco Kirkland Adult Maintenance (dark purple bag only); Felidade; Nutro; Nature’s Variety; basically any brand from Pet Elements, Mud Bay, Next To Nature and Pet Pros; are good quality. They have plenty of dry dog food.
• Quality wet food for both dogs and cats.
• Cat and dog flea treatment like Advantage, Frontline, or Revolution. Please no cheaper brands as some of them have a history of serious toxicity to cats and dogs. (sad, but true and we don’t want to list those brand names)
• Gift cards to pet supply stores such as Pet Elements, Mud Bay, etc. If a resident can’t get to the pet supply store on their own, we will drive them.
That’s about all we can think of right now, however, feel free to email us with any questions @ furryfaces@hotmail.com. If folks purchase ‘pet presents’ and can’t get down to Nickelsville, items may be dropped off at Hotwire Online Coffeehouse, located at 4410 California Ave SW (right next door to the Alaska Junction Post Office), or Pet Elements, located at 6701 California Aves SW. We will pick them up and get them to the dogs and cats.
Again, thank you for thinking about the people with pets. They love their pets and often their furry friends are the brightest light in their life.
December 12, 2012 at 3:40 am #779529I hope spay/neuter is a requirement for the cats and dogs at Nickelsville. Knowing how quickly feral colonies form, even a few unaltered pets could spell disaster in just a few months. I am happy to transport cats to the Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Project when I go.
December 12, 2012 at 5:24 pm #779530mehud, I’m not sure if Camp policy has changed, but when I was Pet Co-Ordinator at NV last year, although we didn’t require S/N, it was strongly encouraged.
F3 was instrumental in not only giving talks during Camp Meetings regarding the benefits of S/N, (along with facts about the amount of animals that are euthanized due to overpopulation), but they, along with Kitty Harbor, and SAS, have organized S/N procedures for Camp pets.
Mike
December 12, 2012 at 5:50 pm #779531mehud, Thank you for your generous offer; it’s greatly appreciated. We have just one cat going into SAS in the near future (she was sick, so we want her strong and healthy before her surgery).
miws…thanks for your kind words.
December 12, 2012 at 6:17 pm #779532All animals have to be leashed. They aren’t allowed to roam.
A lady working in Safeway yesterday said they shouldn’t allow animals there and she was homeless once and knew they aren’t taken care of. Another wrong impression about Nickelsville. I said they are cared for and well behaved. That even the cats are leashed. Told her about Furry Faces. She was so surprised. Also told her the pets get donations too. Thank you Furry Faces for all your help. I’ve yet to meet you but sometime our paths will cross.
December 12, 2012 at 7:01 pm #779533I know of people (many, many) who treat their animals better than they treat themselves – i.e. the cat has food, then I have food.
Homelessness does not kill compassion.
December 12, 2012 at 7:44 pm #779534Yes, exactly what Betty and Debbie said.
Is NV the best place for pets?
Of course not. Just like it’s not the best place for people.
Anyone reading this that may feel the same as the Safeway employee, please ask yourself; is everybody you know the “best” pet owner; family, co-workers, etc?
Of course not.
More and more, our society is realizing and accepting that many people consider pets to be as much of their family as the human members.
One of the benefits of NV, is that families can stay together, and that includes the furry members.
For some folks it may be their only family member.
Also, for families with kids, having to give up the beloved pet can add more trauma to the child(ren’s) experience of losing their home.
As F3, Betty, and Debbie have mentioned, there are some very loving parents of pets down there, and if anyone is neglecting, and especially outright abusing their pet, they will be dealt with, up to and including barring from Camp, and all efforts will be made to get the pet into a safe situation immediately.
Observing care of pets, and being a “go to” person for others who have concerns about someone else’s pet, is all part of the Pet Co-Ordinator’s job, along with the co-ordination of food/supplies, S/N, and vaccinations, and flirting with the F3 chicks. (Okay, so I’m probably the only one that did that! );-)
Anyway, off the soap box now, (I think!) ;-)
I know that so far this thread has been positive and very supportive, but just wanted to put this out there for those that might have concerns.
Mike
December 12, 2012 at 11:05 pm #779535Betty, Debbie and Mike. Furry Faces thinks you are all spot on!
December 12, 2012 at 11:10 pm #779536Teri…it’s Hope…I copied you on an email, Pasado’s was looking for a place to park I suggested NV but they said they already do help NV and were focusing on downtown.
But in the mean-time just in case everyone didn’t look at the NV animal wish list (above) perhaps you and a friend can get together and cover
Large, covered litter boxes are like gold (since the box is inside the tent).
• Cat harnesses and leashes are also like gold and are always needed.
Or put a box up at your work?? I just know how cold it has been I want to help make sure Teri and the folks at NV are able to keep there animals warm.
December 13, 2012 at 3:35 am #779537Thank you Nyhopi…for everything!
Yes, we were cc’d on your email exchange with Pasados. We have left a voice mail for the them and offered to assist with finding them parking, or an organization that can help them do so.
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