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PAWS Wildlife

PAWS Outreach and Community Relations

Please direct questions or comments to info@paws.org.

PAWS Mailing Address:
PO Box 1037
Lynnwood WA, 98046

PAWS Street Address:
15305 44th Ave W
Lynnwood, WA 98087

Spring Into Action

PAWS is currently gearing up for our busiest seasons. We need lots of extra hands to help us care for the many wild and companion animals we receive during spring and summer. At PAWS Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, volunteers help feed baby birds and mammals, as well as clean enclosures, wash dishes and prepare food for hundreds of other wildlife patients. In our Foster Care Program, we are looking for people who can provide extra TLC in their own homes to orphaned kittens and puppies or sick adult dogs and cats. Our goal is to help them grow stronger and become ready for adoption into a new home.

Looking for a more flexible commitment and enjoy speaking to people about animals? PAWS also needs folks who want to share the good word about PAWS at community fairs in festivals around the Seattle area. Trainings for community outreach volunteers begin at the end of March.

Volunteers must be at least 18 years old and wildlife volunteers must commit to a weekly shift for at least three months. Click here for more information on volunteering for wildlife, community outreach and for other volunteer opportunities at PAWS. Click here for more information on becoming a foster parent.

Helping people and animals, one call at a time

By the time people call PAWS for help with finding a new home for their companion animal, they often feel they have exhausted all of their options. Our first approach at PAWS is to determine if people truly have tried everything and offer suggestions to help keep the animal with the family. Recently, Eric Osfthus, animal care advisor at PAWS, handled just such a call.

"She was very distraught and her son was crying because they thought they had to rehome their two cats," said Eric when he spoke to the caller. "The cats had been urinating outside their litter box for more than four months."

Improper urination is a common behavioral problem with cats. Before recommending solutions, Eric had to first ascertain the possible causes by asking a series of questions. He went through the standard list, like where the litter box was located, where the food was in relation to the box, and what kind of litter she used. After hearing her answers, Eric concluded the cats had an aversion to the litter box and were not showing signs of territorialism.

"It was a classic case," said Eric. "I directed the family to information on our website and gave them a long list of changes with the litter box and to their own behavior around the cats. I expect them to see results immediately."

The caller was simply ecstatic and was glad she contacted PAWS. What she thought would be a traumatic ending, turned out to be a happy new beginning instead.

For assistance with a behavioral issue with your dog or cat, visit PAWS' free Behavior Helpline online or call 425.787.2500, ext. 852 for dog questions or ext. 605 for cat questions.

Good dog!

Looking for tools to get the behaviors you want from your puppy or dog? PAWS is offering basic obedience classes for puppies 12 to 20 weeks old and dogs five months and older (two separate classes for these age groups). Intermediate classes are offered as well, for dogs who have already taken PAWS' Basic Obedience class (or an equivalent class). The fee for session is $100 per dog. For more information visit the dog training classes section on PAWS' website, email programs@paws.org or call 425.787.2500, ext. 820

Bad Cat book signing

In partnership with Borders, PAWS supporters can meet Jim Edgar, local author of Bad Cat: 244 Not-So-Pretty Kitties and Cats Gone Bad and receive a 10 percent discount on any purchase March 17-19, 2006, and when you do, Borders will also donate 10 percent of the final purchase price to PAWS! Coupons are also available at the wildlife rehabilitation center and shelter front lobbies at PAWS' main campus in Lynnwood, and at PAWS Cat City in Seattle (PAWS hours and directions) or Download the special coupon.

Mr. Edgar will be signing copies of Bad Cat at the following Borders locations across Puget Sound and sharing stories of feline mishaps and adventures:

Friday, March 17:	6:00 pm – Tacoma
Saturday, March 18:	12:00 pm - Puyallup and 4:00 pm – Tukwila
Sunday, March 19:	12:00 pm - Lynnwood and 4:00 pm - Everett

Visit www.borders.com for store hours and directions.

Protect wildlife from unnecessary predation

Do you love observing wildlife in your backyard? Your own private view into the intricate lives of fascinating species, like Robins, Flickers or Northern Flying Squirrels. Do you let your cat roam freely outside, unsupervised? Have you ever considered the impact your cat may have on the wild animals you adore? Many cat guardians are unaware of the extreme danger domestic household cats pose to wildlife.

Did you know that…

• Twelve to 15 percent of the injured wild animals PAWS receives have been attacked by cats: up to 600 animals a year, and most do not survive. Those only represent the animals that are found by people and brought to us.
• Well-fed cats still hunt. Cats have an innate drive to stalk and kill, whether they are hungry or not. This instinctive behavior cannot be modified through training.
• Bells don't help, as cats can learn to walk quietly while wearing them and young animals may not be able to flee even if they do hear the bell.
• Domestic household cats are not part of the natural food chain. They are predators who have been introduced and are supported by humans. Because cats don't face the same pressures as a natural predator, a much larger number of them can be in an area, more than a natural system can support. This poses a real risk to wildlife when cats are allowed to roam free.
• Free-roaming cats frequently disappear. They may be hit by cars, taken by well-intentioned or ill-meaning people, poisoned or preyed upon by wild animals. But whether wild animals are involved or not, they are often blamed when cats disappear. Every year bobcats, cougars, coyotes, raccoons and other wild animals are trapped and killed for suspected domestic cat predation.

Both wildlife and cats are better off when cats are safely confined, but this doesn't mean a life of boredom. Purchase or create an escape-proof (and entry-proof), outdoor enclosure where your cat can still enjoy the sights and smells. There are many resources and ideas on the Internet. Leash-train your cat and take a stroll together around your yard. To keep your cat's mind and body busy, provide indoor perches near screened windows for good views and fresh air, and plenty of interactive toys. Click here for more information on caring for cats.

Lessons well learned

Vegfest 2006 is an annual, fun vegetarian festival presented by Vegetarians of Washington, sponsored in part by PAWS, to celebrate and promote a healthy, animal- and environmentally-friendly lifestyle. Come visit PAWS' booth at the festival on March 11 and 12, at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall and enjoy nutrition presentations, cooking demonstrations, books for sale and author signings, kids' activities, and free vegetarian food samples. For more information visit www.vegfest2006.org.

Hundreds of volunteers are needed for Vegfest. Volunteers will receive a free t-shirt and free admission to the event. To volunteer for Vegfest, visit www.vegofwa.org/vegfest/volunteer.html to complete a volunteer application form, or call 206.706.2635.