Inspector Hector: Morning Investigationals

Inspector Hector is a four year old Shepherd/Pitt Bull mix.  He’s currently in foster care, and is sniffing around for a home of his own! Follow his adventures through HSEC social media #inspectorhector

Inspector Hector here, reporting for duty!  Yes, I am still on the trail, looking for clues that will lead me to my forever home.

Let me tell you about a very important part of my routine, my morning investigationals.  When I wake up, like most creatures, I need to go out, if you know what I mean.  So my first task is to check out my foster humans and see where they are.  My research has shown that they are typically still in bed.  I have honed my skills to land precisely between the two, and have found that doggie kisses make a fine wake-up tool.

 I enjoy rolling in the covers, but I still have the outside business to do.  But on the way, a quick check of the house is in order for an inspector type such as myself, so I take a lap around the house, at top speed, before arriving at the back door.

That's me in the center, with my roomies!

 
Once outside, it is important to make sure the premises are free of cats.  I am not fond of cats, and definitely do not want them on the property.  I also make sure the squirrels know they are not welcome, and once these duties are finished, I celebrate by vaulting over the rosebushes and taking a few laps around the yard.  It is such a great feeling to know my job is done!

Sometimes, one of the humans will go back to bed with a cup of coffee.  That is my favorite time.  I feel it is my duty to check out the bed, and will join whoever is there.  As a reward for a superior morning investigational, I get chest rubs, right on the white spot between my front legs.  I must admit that sometimes the bed feels so good that I can’t help taking just a bit of a morning nap, often with one of my foster siblings. 

I just love mornings!  The only thing better would be spending them with my forever family in my forever home.  So if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to sniff out clues that will lead me there!


Although Inspector Hector is in foster care, it’s easy to arrange a time to meet him at the Humane Society’s Tupper Road facility.  Just call HSEC at 252-413-7247 or email HSECgeneral@gmail.com and we’ll find a time that works for you!

Success Story: Marky

by Siri Espy

It was love at first description!  As a volunteer writer for the Humane Society, I receive background

Marky

information on newcomers and write their bios for the web site.  So when I read about Marky, I suspected that he might be the one.

Having lost a beloved cat to cancer about a year ago, I knew that my love of cats and their  overwhelming need for loving homes would one day motivate me to again reach my self-imposed limit of four.  As a long-time cat mom and animal volunteer, I had specific requirements:  a male (more likely to get along with a sometimes unpleasant female cat);  an adult (to blend in with my three older cats); and an affectionate lap cat with soft fur to pet.

I started looking out for prospects at the same time my husband came around to the idea of replenishing our kitty corps.  And then came the e-mail from the Humane Society’s Outreach Director about a little fellow named Marky, using words like silky, sweet, loves to be held, loves to be petted. 
Visiting Marky, I learned he’d had a rough life.  He bears the ear-tip of a feral cat, indicating that he had been trapped, neutered, and released to survive on his own.  His other ear is tattered from a fight, and he is blind in one eye from an injury.  But this is no unfriendly feral cat.  He began to purr and cuddle the moment I picked him up. 

Ahhh, bliss.

So Marky is now part of the family, and with slow introductions, he has fit right in.  The other cats were undisturbed by the newcomer, who hissed at first before deciding that this is an OK place to live.  He bonded with us immediately, at one point purring so loudly that I had to turn up the volume on the TV.  He is contented and seems truly relieved and grateful to be where he belongs.

As Marky sits contentedly by my side, it breaks my heart to think of this sweet little guy, injured, frightened and alone, with no one to love and care for him.  With his easy bonding, it’s clear that he has been around humans and was likely treated well at one point.  We’ll never know what happened in his first few years of life, up until he was picked up as a stray by Animal Control, then transferred to the Humane Society.  But that part of his life is over.

It’s a wonderful feeling to know that my pal Marky will be loved and safe with us, with plenty of food, water, treats, toys, and a choice of two laps.  After all, that’s what every pet deserves.  And that’s why I volunteer, adopt and donate.  I can’t save them all, but I do what I can to impact the innocent lives of animals who desperately need help - like my sweet, lovable, forever cat, Marky.

Shelter Pets: Myth vs Fact

A recent survey found that young adults are the least likely to consider a shelter pet for adoption (31%) vs buying animals from a breeder or pet store (46%). At HSEC, we are dedicated to combating the myths and misconceptions that cause this alarming statistic. Please help us get the word out by sharing this article among your friends!


MYTH: Shelter animals remain in the shelter until they are adopted.

FALSE. There are many no-kill facilities, including HSEC. But they are the exception rather than the rule. Nine thousand animals are euthanized every day in America. In Pitt County, 2600 pets are euthanized every year. We have a serious pet overpopulation problem in this country. When you purchase an animal from a pet store, you are contributing to the problem.

MYTH: Only bad or dangerous animals are surrendered to shelters.

FALSE: In examining the statistics, behavioral problems are responsible for less than 5% of animal surrenders. The most common reasons for surrender are logistic. Moving and landlords not allowing pets are numbers 1 and 2, making up a combined 13% of dogs and 14% of cats. Other common issues cited included cost, allergies, personal problems of the owner, and no homes available for littermates.

This means that animals are largely not surrendered because they are bad or dangerous, and most did nothing to cause their abandonment.

MYTH: Only bad, sick, or dangerous animals are euthanized.

FALSE. 6-8 million pets enter shelters each year, and 3-4 million are euthanized - around 50%. In Pitt County, 68% of animals that enter Pitt County Animal Shelter are euthanized.

The vast majority of dogs and cats are euthanized simply because they do not have homes, not because of any underlying behavioral or medical problems.

MYTH: Shelter pets are second-rate.

FALSE. The reasons why animals are surrendered to shelters are largely unrelated to their temperament and behavior. It's true that some rescue pets may need special care and attention due to traumatic events in their past. This is hardly the case for all or even most animals that end up in shelters. If you are concerned, ask the shelter or rescue staff to help you choose a pet that best suits your family's needs.

MYTH: Shelter pets are all mutts.

FALSE. Around 25% of homeless pets are purebred. There are even rescue groups that focus specifically on animals of a certain breed. If you want a particular breed, you can find it in a shelter or rescue group. It may not have the same instant gratification of purchasing an animal from a pet store, but you may literally be saving a life.

MYTH: Pet store pets are guaranteed to be healthy and well-behaved.

FALSE. There are reputable breeders who treat animals well and produce healthy pets from healthy parents. But they are the exception. Around 90% of pets in pet stores come from puppy mills. These operations keep their stock contained in tiny, crowded, dirty cages. Animals receive little veterinary care, and once they have passed their useful breeding life, they are simply euthanized or discarded. Young animals are removed from their mothers too early, causing the same health and behavioral problems that people try to avoid by choosing purebreds.



For most people, their dogs and cats are a part of their family. We claim to love our animals, but we allow millions of unlucky animals just like them to be euthanized every year. So for your next pet, don't shop - adopt. Educate yourself about the reality of homeless animals in this country, and share this information with your friends and family. If we could solve this issue, we could save taxpayers two billion dollars a year as well as saving billions of innocent lives.

Inspector Hector is On the Case!

Inspector Hector is a four year old Shepherd/Pit Bull mix.  He’s currently in foster care, and is sniffing around for a home of his own! He'll be blogging here until he find his forever home, so follow him on the blog, Facebook, and Twitter: #inspectorhector

My beauty shot

Well, hello – Inspector Hector here!  As you may have guessed by my name, I like to know everything that’s going on and personally inspect every inch. So I decided to put my skills to work and check out how a great dog like me goes about getting himself adopted.

I must say my investigations so far have helped me find my way to a good spot.  A nice sort of human found me as a stray, then brought me to the Humane Society.  I don’t think living in a kennel is a good idea, so they found me a foster home.  But there’s one more trail of clues to follow – and they’ll lead to my forever home.

Nothing much gets by me, the Inspector, so I found out that a couple of animals in foster care like me wrote blogs and found their forever homes.  I love to find things, so here I am.

In my day, I have sniffed dogs, cats and humans, and I’ll tell you what I think.  I get along very well with humans, both the big ones and the little ones.  Sometimes, I get so excited around the very little ones that my tail-wags knock them over, and I have discovered that they seem not to like that.  I have observed that the medium-sized and bigger humans stay on their feet much better.

I’m living with other dogs, and in carefully checking out the situation, I like them too.  Cats, however, have not passed my sniff test, and I’ll be happy to chase them away for you.  People and dogs, good; cats, bad.  That’s what I’ve learned.

Hard at work on the latest case!

As an official inspector, I’m always on the job.  Some dogs would just lie down on a bed without
knowing what’s in it, but not me.  I need to look under the covers and then stretch out on the bottom sheet.  And I feel like it’s my responsibility to check out what’s happening in the kitchen.  You just never know these days.

The family I’m searching for will help me investigate.  I need plenty of exercise, and you’ll need to understand that I must check everything out along the way.  Hey, it’s my job.  And if you want to investigate me, it’s easy.  Just call HSEC at 252-413-7247 or email HSECgeneral@gmail.com to arrange a time to meet.

I’m  also looking for some deputy inspectors, which is where you come in.  If you have a good sniffer, can you help me find a home?  If you share this blog with your friends and ask them to “like” the Humane Society of Eastern Carolina page, we’ll be able to expand our investigation and gather more clues.  I’m on the case – how about joining me?

Jammin with Judd - Judd is ADOPTED!!

Judd is an adorable three-year old white and tabby fellow who was hanging out at the Humane Society looking for a home, until he moved to a foster home to continue waiting.  He told us he would blog every week until he got a home of his own.

Remember when I told you that I’m a living in a home kinda guy?  I thought life in my foster home was pretty sweet, but I found something even sweeter.  Yes, I’ve been ADOPTED!

I examine my body of blogging work

A while back, some very nice humans came in and visited with me, but they adopted another cat who came to the Humane Society from the same high-kill shelter as me at the same time.  Although I was very happy for her, I was also very sad that I hadn’t found a home.  Well, it turns out that they actually wanted TWO cats, and after they saw my blog, they decided to come back and visit with me again.  My foster mom brought me to the Humane Society for a meet and greet, and I made it a point to give myself an extra-special bath, not missing a single spot, so I would look my best.

So here I am, in my new home!  And I absolutely love it here!  When I first arrived, they put me in a “safe room” so I could get used to the rest of the family, but I told you I would try to be brave when I got to my forever home, and I was!  The next day, I managed to open the door (quite an accomplishment, I know) and I walked out and joined the rest of the family – MY family!

It is so much fun to explore the new house!  It has a bunch of rooms, and plenty of space to spread

Me and my new brother Micah

out on the floor, and it’s really exciting to look out all the windows and doors!  And along with the humans, I have three furry siblings.  I got re-acquainted with their other new cat, the one from the Humane Society, who has a new name but still smells familiar.  She hisses at me a bit, but I’m not too worried about that, and I really do like her even though she wants to be the boss.  And I adore their two dogs, who are really cool guys.  We like to hang out together – I think you might say we have a furry bromance – they are my new brothers, after all!

Ahhh. Life is sweet.

One of my very favorite things here is all the playing.  My new dad also likes to play too, and we’ve had a ball playing with balls!  One day, I was so excited about playing that I kept bringing him balls, but he told me it was 6 am and he had just gotten home from work, so I guess he wasn’t so much in a playing mood.  But my new dad is so awesome that it’s OK.  Later, I was just a bit embarrassed that I was playing so hard with a feather toy that I fell sound asleep on my back while I was playing with it.  Being a happy cat can be so exhausting – but in a good way.

My mom and dad tell us that they were very sad when they lost their last cat, but now that they have my new sister and me, they’re happy again.  I make it a point to give them lots of head boinks, and in return they give me lots of love.  I think it’s a pretty good deal all around. 

The Humane Society of East Carolina has many other equally wonderful cats and dogs waiting for their forever homes.  Come and visit today, and find your new best friend!  We’re open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays 2-5.