Sophie's Circle Newsletter - December 2016

Dear Friends,

Everywhere I've gone the past couple days I hear everyone saying the same thing. No one can believe it's December and 2016 is less then 30 days away from being a wrap. Where did this year go-really?

Here are some of our highlights for the year:

We added to our Sophie's Circle family with the arrival of Dana's baby girl Lily. This beautiful and happy little girl will grow up surrounded by animals and will undoubtedly inherit her moms love of them. Through the pregnancy, birth and the rugged first couple months, Dana chugged away and continued to man the front lines of our rescue team along with Jen and I. The animals are lucky to have such a dedicated fighter, champion and advocate.

This was the year of Jason. Our starved and emaciated rescue came to us from unimaginable circumstances and even though it was touch and go for weeks, under the care and concern of Jen, he is now thriving and has a nice fat belly. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the massive outpouring of love and concern for this horribly abused dog saved his life. He is not looking back, and he won't have to. It's clear sailing for Jason.

We doubled our rescue numbers from last year and we are averaging almost 2 dogs per day being rehomed. We kind of think that is amazing given the fact that everyone is doing this on the side. We couldn't possibly do this without our phenomenal team of volunteers who do so much for these dogs and cats willingly and without complaint. No one gets paid in our organization and for each and every person helping the cause, this is a labor of love. The final numbers won't be in until the end of the year, but we have already surpassed last years total a couple of months ago.

Jen, Arlene and I took a trip to the Redlands in South Florida in April to see if we could help out with the huge population of dumped dogs who are in a desperate mess. We brought back a van load of dogs, one of whom was pregnant and ready to give birth any day. We got her into her fosters care in the nick of time and her healthy babies are now living in their new homes and so is mama.

We have some of the best vets in the area helping us with our rescues and to all of them we are deeply grateful. The love and concern shown to our dogs is a beautiful thing. Very few of the dogs we bring into the rescue have been spay or neutered and there aren't enough words to stress how important this is for the overpopulation problem and for their health and well being.

Sitting here writing this, I am having thoughts of all of the people in our lives who do so much good without complaint and I feel so honored and blessed to be surrounded by this amazing team of dedicated animal lovers. We love each and every one of you for every single contribution to the
cause. To be able to say we doubled our numbers from last year means we have a lot of help. We absolutely could not do it without the people who come to our aid and it would not be fair to forget to mention the dedicated food bank volunteers. They are like family to me after all this time. We
literally have given thousands of pounds of food to hundreds of needy families since the inception of our pet food pantry. The pet food pantry is in its 7th year going strong.

I had a thought earlier today that surprised me. January will mark the 9th anniversary of the day I met Sophie. Back in quarantine, set to die, I will never forget those huge blue eyes looking right into mine. The sadness that beautiful dog was conveying to me will remain one of my most powerful memories. In Sophie's honor, we are well over 1000 dogs saved and rehomed. I hope she is proud of what we have accomplished. I hope she realizes how very important her life was and how much she mattered. You never know what will inspire you or what will change you. Sophie was my shining star and my inspiration and in her honor I can say how proud I am of Dana, Jen, Arlene, all the volunteers, and all of our supporters.

Wishing everyone reading this a beautiful Christmas and a blessed New Year. Here's to many more wagging tails and happy endings in 2017!

Love,
Kathy Blackman

Click Here to View December 2016 Sophie's Circle Newsletter

What To Do If You Can't Afford Dog Food

Every year, thousands of animals are surrendered to Volusia County shelters, and voluntarily given up by owners who can no longer care for or feed them. While some of these situations are dire and involve permanent changes in situation, others are related to temporary situations such as a lost job, an emergency, natural disaster, or a medical emergency. Owners face unemployment, home foreclosure, evictions, and other financial hardships, and many of them make keeping a pet seem impossible. Despite that, keeping dogs out of the shelter is important, and you can look for resources to help you with temporary care, including free dog food donated for that purpose.

Why Keep Dogs Out of Shelters? 
Many pet owners go to surrender their dogs to local shelters in order to provide for the short or long-term care of the animal. While this is well intentioned, many shelters are already overburdened, and there are more animals up for adoption than there are families who want to adopt. In fact, the Halifax Humane Society took in 3,589 dogs in 2015 alone, and only adopted out about 38% of them. In the same year, Orange County Animal Services took in 20,750 animals (including owner surrenders and strays), and only adopted out 6,188 of them. If you love or care for your dog, you want the best for it, and that should mean striving to keep your dog out of shelters. Luckily, there are a lot of options right in Volusia county, even if you can't afford dog food.

Apply to the Volusia County Dog Food Bank
Sophie's Circle is the only dog food bank pantry operating in Volusia county and we work to distribute dog food to all breeds for owners in need. Dog food donations ensure that pet owners facing temporary hardship can continue to live with their beloved pet, and simultaneously keep the animal out of the shelter system. We've distributed thousands of pounds of dog food to pet owners in need, and we will continue to do so. To apply, collect proof of your low income status, and proof that your dog is spayed or neutered and visit one of the distribution locations on distribution day.

Distribution Locations:

Port Orange
Grace Episcopal Church
4110 S. Ridgewood Avenue,
Port Orange, Florida 32127
first Monday of each month from 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

New Smyrna Beach
312 Julia Street
every Tuesday from 8:30 AM -11:00 AM
Requesting help from our dog food bank for temporary help for your dog is more affordable for shelters than surrendering your dog. The SPCA estimates that average costs for a surrendered dog for the shelter amount to $300. Sophie's Circle distributes primarily donated food to this extent to help keep dogs with their families and reduce the burden on shelters.

Foster Your Dog
If you can't afford dog food, you can request that friends or family members foster the dog for a temporary period until you are back on your feet. Requests for temporary homes are typically accepted more often than requests for rehoming, because many people are willing to provide temporary care in the event of an emergency. Most shelters do not have the resources to provide temporary foster homes for non-shelter dogs, as this can take away from resources used to prevent euthanization of existing shelter dogs.

Surrendering Your Dog
If you are unable to care for your dog for the long term and do not have any resources that you can use to care for the animal in the future, finding a new home may be your best option. Consider trying to rehome your dog via friends and family for as long as you can before taking the dog to a local no-kill shelter.

Rehoming Resources:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/229948157185227/412868865559821
https://www.facebook.com/groups/863PETSandSTUFF/878155658892966
https://www.petfinder.com/
http://www.petharbor.com/

How to Adopt a Husky in Volusia County

Whether you're drawn to their beauty, their free spirit, their personality, or their reputation as family friendly dogs, Husky dogs are an excellent choice for many individuals and families. However, while Husky dogs are an extremely popular dog, they aren't for everyone, and here at Sophie's Circle we want to ensure that you are ready to adopt, fully prepared for care, and know exactly what you're getting into before you adopt a husky. We frequently have husky dogs up for adoption in Volusia county, and providing you have the resources to care for your dog, we can help.

The Siberian Husky The Siberian Husky is a medium sized working dog breed bred for resilience to cold and extreme temperatures in the Siberian Arctic. They were originally brought to the Americas as sled dogs, thanks to the generations of breeding which produced a strong dog capable of running for hours. In modern times, the result of this breeding is a high energy dog that must be exercised frequently. This high energy is often the reason behind owners surrendering them to the shelter, because they can be destructive without proper care, training, and exercise. Despite that, a well trained husky is calm, good with small pets and children, full of personality, and suitable for any household that can exercise them enough. Like wolves, the husky howls rather than barks. They also have an average lifespan of 12-15 years and will remain your companion for years to come.

While often confused with the Alaskan Malamute, Siberian Husky dogs are typically half the size, at an average weight of 45-50 pounds, where Malamutes can weigh as much as 95 pounds.

Training Siberian Husky Dogs
Siberian husky dogs benefit from regular training and some experts suggest that 15 minute daily training, complete with positive reinforcement is ideal. Husky's rank 45th on Stanley Coren's "The Intelligence of Dogs" scale, and that makes them easy to train, especially with reinforcement.

Volusia Beach Dog Training Resources:

• Obedience Club of Daytona 
• Dogtona Beach Pet Resort  
• Off Leash K9 Training  
• Best Paw Forward Inc 
• The Dog Smith  
• The 1 Dog Trainer Academy 

 There are also many other dog trainers in Volusia county, so you should search for one near you.

Laws and Apartment Regulations to Consider 
Most husky dogs should not be kept in a yard without supervision, simply because they can dig, burrow, and jump their way out. Some husky's jump as high as 8 feet, allowing them to escape all but the most extreme of backyard fencing. However, homeowners and renters without appropriate yard space can care for a husky, providing they take the time to properly exercise the dog outside.

Licensing - All dogs over 4 months old must be licensed and must wear a tag. The license costs $4 per year and can be obtained at:

• Daytona Tag and Title Office 250 N Beach St, Daytona Beach (386) 254-4610
• Deland Tag and Title Office 123 W Indiana Ave Rm. 103, Daytona Beach (386) 736-5936
• New Smyrna Tag and Title Office 111 Canal St, New Smyrna Beach (386) 423-3322
• Orange City Tag and Title Office 2744 Enterprise Rd, Orange City (386) 736-5936
• Most veterinarians in Volusia County

Leash Laws in Volusia County - It is illegal to allow Husky dogs to free roam. Volusia County ordinance Chapter 14, Article 2, Section 14-45 states that your dog must be restrained (on a leash, in a crate, etc.) at all times in public.

Apartments – Many apartments retain the rights to restrict certain dogs, and many restrict husky dogs or any dogs over a certain weight limit. Owning a Husky will reduce your land rental opportunities.

How to Exercise Siberian Huskies
If you do not have a large, escape proof fence in your backyard, you can commit to exercising your husky a minimum of 1-2 hours per day. Husky dogs make great run companions in cooler weather, but should only be walked in the summer, as their heavy coats can cause them to overheat in Florida's weather.

A short walk every few hours plus a long walk in the morning or evening or both is more than suitable for most husky dogs. However, if you are away for 8 or more hours every day, owning a husky is not for you as they will become agitated with pent up energy.

How Much do Huskies Eat? 
Husky dogs were bred for cold climates, where they often had to do with little food. As a result, the breed eats considerably less than most other dogs of a similar size. However, their eating habits can vary depending on the energy of the dog, their exercise, and other factors. If you want to ensure that you're prepared for the financial costs related with owning a medium size dog, consider that first year costs can range between $1,000 and $2,858, although second and third year costs are typically much lower.

Adopting a Husky Dog in Volusia County
Adopting a husky is the best and most humane choice for bringing one of these beautiful dogs into your home. In addition to helping a dog in need, you can ensure that your dollars do not go to support unethical puppy mill practices, and that a beautiful dog finds a home. Here at Sophie's Circle, we work to rescue and rehome husky dogs from around the area. We can help to match you up to a husky who meets the needs of your home.

Do You Have Other Pets? - Husky dogs can be trained to work with other pets but if you have small animals such as a cat or a small dog, you should mention it when you go through the adoption process. Untrained husky dogs are predatory and may attempt to prey on smaller animals without training.

We consider the adoption process to be of utmost importance and we work hard to ensure that you and your husky are matched well together. We want every dog to go to the right home, so that we do not end up taking them back. Please take the time to ensure that a husky is right for you before contacting us.

If you are sure and you are ready to adopt a husky, please email jennifer.popowich@gmail.com or Dconway1327@gmail.com for information.