Volunteers! Basic obedience workshops in February.
If you work with our dogs, please sign up for a workshop today.
The Mobile SPCA is thrilled to announce that Tom Royal, SPCA Tampa Bay Family Dog Trainer, will conduct dog training and handling workshops for Mobile SPCA volunteers who work with our dogs. The workshop should last about 2 hours and is a hands-on experience with a shelter dog or your own, rowdy dog. In this basic obedience class you will be taught handling techniques such as sit (lure & placement), watch me, backward lure sits, walking – with about turns and no leaping, loose leash, come, down as well as some safety and shelter protocols. You will be introduced to the concept that Nothing in Life is Free! All training methods will utilize reward (treat or praise) based, positive reinforcement techniques.
Several years ago I was fortunate enough to take the Pets for Life class from Donna Bainter, Director of Behavior and Training, at the SPCA Tampa Bay . This course’s goal was to teach us how to keep pets and their people together by addressing the leading causes of pet relinquishment to animal shelters: behavior issues, rental housing restrictions, life changes attributed to moving or a new baby, human health concerns such as allergies and diseases that weaken the immune system, and commitment problems that stem from unrealistic expectations on the part of the animal's family.
Tom will teach all of us how to handle our shelter dogs and kindly and calmly teach them some manners so that they will be more adoptable and will stay in homes once they get there! Tom will offer a mandatory workshop for all shelter staff on Wednesday, February 22, and
workshops for volunteers Thursday, Friday and Saturday February 23-25. The number of workshops depends entirely on how many volunteers are interested. Classes will be held at the Mobile SPCA office at 10 am. Please let me know if you are interested. Classes are limited to 8 hands-on participants and an unlimited number of observers. I hope that everyone that handles our dogs will please take this class so you will know the correct way to train our dogs. If everyone is on the same page (VERY IMPORTANT) then the dogs will be less apt to become confused which humans perceive as being stubborn. The dogs will learn faster and understand more quickly what is expected of them.
Please email me if you are interested in the class and on what day. We look forward to seeing everyone right after Mardi Gras.
Note: Tom went graduated from the Tampa Bay SPCA’s "Family Dog Trainer" class in April of 2009. He instructs, as primary or assistant, in basic obedience classes offered to the public in Tampa Bay. Tom assists Donna in private behavioral consultation sessions. He mentors new volunteers in safety, handling and kennel protocols and etiquette. He assists in dog assessments and works with shelter dogs' obedience and socialization. He assists potential adopters in dog selection and performs dog introductions of shelter dog and adopter's owned dog. Tom also works offsite adoption events for Tampa Bay SPCA. And if that’s not enough, Tom is a volunteer and foster home for Florida Boxer Rescue and works adoption events for them as well.
Be Kind to Animals Photo Contest Announced
A competition of photographs of companion animals.
Winning photos will appear in the Mobile Bay Monthly
The Mobile SPCA announces its 2012 Be Kind To Animals Photo Contest. The deadline for entries is February 24. Each entry must be an original photograph taken by the person entering. NEW THIS YEAR! The entry fee per photo is $8 for photos of Mobile SPCA adoptees and $10.00 per photograph of pets not adopted through the Mobile SPCA. You must supply the Mobile SPCA name of your pet. There is no limit to the number of photographs a person can enter. Prizes are $100 for first place, $75 for second place and $50 for third place.
The top ten finalists will be determined by a panel of judges and will be published in the May issue of the Mobile Bay Monthly. Winners will be determined by public voting. The public is invited to vote for their favorite photograph for $1.00 per vote. There is no limit to the number of times a person can vote. Votes must be postmarked by June 15, 2012.
The three winners will be notified by mail and winning photographs will appear in the September issue of the Mobile Bay Monthly. Prizes will be awarded after July 3, 2012.
The MOBILE SPCA reserves the right to disqualify any photograph that the Exhibition Committee feels may have endangered the animal in its staging.
Rules:
- Entry fee is $10 per photograph of non-Mobile SPCA adoptees and $8 per photograph of Mobile SPCA adoptees. You must supply pet’s Mobile SPCA name at adoption. There is no limit to the number of photographs you can enter.
- Each entry must be an original photograph taken by the person entering, identified by the above ENTRY FORM permanently attached to the back of the photograph.
- No names will be allowed on the front of the photographs.
- Photos will not be returned.
- Any deviation from these rules will result in the photograph not being judged and forfeiture of the entry fee. Decisions made by the Exhibition Committee will be final.
- The Mobile SPCA reserves the right to disqualify any photograph that it feels may have endangered the animal in its staging.
- Prizes will be awarded after July 3, 2012. Winners will be notified by mail and will appear in the September issue of the Mobile Bay Monthly.
- The ten top photographs will be selected by a panel of judges. These will be published in the May issue of Mobile Bay Monthly. The top three will be selected by public voting.
- The public is invited to vote for their favorite photograph for $1 per vote. There is no limit to the number of times a person can vote. Votes must be postmarked by June 22, 2012.
- The Mobile SPCA reserves the right to use any photograph entered in the contest for publicity purposes.
- There will be a $30.00 fee for returned checks.
B&B Pet Stop's 10% Event: Shopping to Help Others
The Mobile SPCA will be joining 6 other groups February 25 for the 10% Event. Our supporters are asked to shop at B&B Pet Stop that Saturday and designate the Mobile SPCA as their charity of choice. 10% of their purchase goes to our organization. A Mobile SPCA representative will be on hand from 1 to 4 to answer questions about spay/neuter, adoption, and the Mobile SPCA. This is a great event. We participated last month and our dedicated supporters helped us raise a whopping $249.66. Thank you and thank you, B&B Pet Stop!
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