GiveBIG to the Animals on May 15

 

GiveBIG is back on Wednesday, May 15!

In 2012, more than 37,800 individuals contributed $7.43 million to Seattle-area non-profits through The Seattle Foundation's GiveBIG challenge. Once again, you can make your gift to PAWS stretch even further by donating online on Wednesday, May 15, 2013! GiveBIG is a one-day, online giving event which inspires people to give generously to non-profit organizations that make our region a better place to live.

Join us for this amazing chance to stretch your support for injured, orphaned and homeless animals through The Seattle Foundation’s GiveBIG event!

Here's how it works, in two simple steps:

1. On Wednesday, May 15, visit PAWS’ page on The Seattle Foundation’s GiveBIG website
2. Click on Donate Now, and then click Make a credit card donation

That's it! Every donation made to the non-profit organizations profiled on The Seattle Foundation’s website between midnight and midnight (Pacific Time) will receive a pro-rated portion of the matching funds (or “stretch”) pool. The amount of the “stretch” will depend on the size of the stretch pool and how much is raised in total donations on GiveBIG day.

Gifts made to PAWS through GiveBIG are fully tax-deductible. Please note, only gifts made on The Seattle Foundation’s website on May 15 are eligible for GiveBIG matching funds.

If you have any questions about GiveBIG, please do not hesitate to e-mail donations@paws.org or call 425.412.4024. Current Fundholders at The Seattle Foundation are encouraged to participate in GiveBIG, yet only donations made by credit card on the GiveBIG website on May 15, 2013 will be eligible for the stretch pool. 

GiveBIG to the animals at PAWS on May 15!

 

Cars for a Cause - Red Square Charity Car Show 2013

 

If you love cool cars and helping homeless animals, then this event is for you!

 

The Red Square Car Show is an annual display of the finest automobiles in the greater Pacific Northwest. Hosted by Sigma Phi Epsilon, Cats Exotics and NorthWest Auto Salon, the Red Square Car Show features a broad spectrum of high-end exotics, import tuners, and classic muscle cars.

This year’s Red Square Car Show takes place on Saturday, May 4, 2013, from 12 noon – 4 p.m. in the University of Washington’s Red Square. For more information or to register your car, contact redsquarecarshow@catsexotics.com.

With food and refreshments available from popular Seattle food trucks Hallava Fallafel, Buns on Wheels, Moonie Icy Tunes, and My Chef Lynn, this event is sure to be fun for the whole family. Best of all, 100% of the proceeds from the Red Square Car Show will be donated to PAWS!

Join us at the Red Square Charity Car Show on May 4!

 

Spring Has Sprung in the Latest Campus Update

 

Migration, courtship, nesting and other spring activities are keeping wild animals on the PAWS campus very busy. Read all about it in the latest Campus Update!

Download Campus Update 040513

We're Wild About our Wild Night Sponsors

 

What will 500 of Seattle's most compassionate community leaders be doing on Saturday, April 6, 2013? Sipping cocktails, celebrating and saving animals lives at the annual PAWS Wild Night Gala!

Guests at PAWS Wild Night will enjoy an elegant cocktail hour, exciting live and silent auctions with incredible packages and items to bid on, a Kitten Kissin' Booth and a gourmet animal-friendly dinner catered by Wild Ginger!

And of course we wouldn't be able to put on such an incredible event without the support of our generous sponsors. It's with great appreciation that we thank and acknowledge our PAWS Wild Night 2013 sponsors at the Defender ($5,000), Protector ($2,500) and Guardian ($1,000) levels:

Defender Sponsors:  Foss Maritime Company, Radarworks, Whole Foods Market

Protector Sponsors:  Cowbelly Pet Photography, Lake Union Veterinary Clinic, Lane Powell PC

Guardian Sponsors:  Advisory Services and Investments LLC, Clark Nuber P.S., Comprehensive Wealth Management LLC, PemReal Advisors, Schlemlein Goetz Fick & Scruggs, P.L.L.C.

Your generous support allows us to continue working to save animals' lives, and ensure a better tomorrow for the animals in our community. 

Thank you for supporting PAWS Wild Night 2013!

 

Why Did the Newt Cross the Road?

When most people hear the word “migration”, it evokes visions of large herds of hoofed mammals trekking across the open plains, or thousands of flapping wings filling the skies. But migration is not always a grand spectacle covering hundreds of miles like the examples you see projected on the movie screen in big budget nature films. Some migrations only cover a few hundred yards, and they may happen right under our noses without us ever noticing.
  
One such lower-key migration was taking place on March 1 at the Cedar River Watershed in North Bend. Dozens of Rough-skinned Newts were making their way from the forest to a wetland in which they would mate and lay their eggs. Unfortunately, a road lay between them and their goal.



Many newts died under the wheels of passing cars on March 1, but not all that were hit perished. A Naturalist named Julie, from the Cedar River Watershed Education Center, spotted the tiny bodies in the road and stopped to check for survivors. She found one. It was a male newt whose tail was lacerated and bleeding. Julie rescued him from the road and sent him to PAWS the following morning.



The newt was in our care for a total of 10 days, during which he received regular soaks in a rehydrating solution and topical antibiotics on his tail wound. He also went through a molt, and after shedding his skin he became more active and alert. His tail wound healed quickly, and before long he was ready to return home. He was released on March 12, on the edge of the breeding pond to which he had been migrating. Hopefully his return trip to the forest will be far less eventful.

 

Spring Is Rapidly Approaching in the Latest Campus Update

 

The local wildlife is getting a little wilder as they feel the approaching spring. Read all about it in the latest Campus Update:

Download Campus Update - March 1, 2013

 

Share Your Love with Homeless Animals This Valentine's Day

 

Chocolates and flowers are romantic, but why not surprise your loved one with something a little different this Valentine’s Day—honor them with a gift to PAWS!

Send your Valentine an eCard and show them just how much you care. You'll help thousands of homeless, orphaned and injured cats, dogs and wildlife receive the love and healing they need with your Valentine's Day gift.

When you make a gift to PAWS in honor of your loved one, you help save animals like Ramble. This sweet two-month-old puppy was surrendered to PAWS along with his six siblings. Their mother was unable to feed them, and their guardian just didn’t know where else to turn. At PAWS, the hungry puppies are getting the food, shelter and care they need to grow big, healthy and strong.

Make your Valentine's Day gift today to give animals like Ramble a second chance at a healthy and happy life.

Share your love with the animals at PAWS this Valentine's Day!

 

PBS Wildlife host Chris Morgan special live presentation in Bellingham

 

Sunday, February 17, 2013, 3:30 p.m.
Mt. Baker Theatre, Bellingham, Washington

Want to know more about bears? Join PBS and BBC TV host Chris Morgan, live in Bellingham on February 17!

Chris Morgan is a conservation ecologist who works through education, film, science and campaigns to highlight wildlife conservation in fresh, fascinating ways. His personal mission is to help make conservation a part of everyday life for all individuals by inspiring people to appreciate wildlife and wild places, and creating solutions that intertwine human welfare with the health of our planet. He loves wild places, and is never happier than when sharing them with others - either in person, or through education and film.

Join this carnivore ecologist and global adventurer who has spent more than 20 years immersing himself among the wildlife of every continent. His engaging and authentic on-camera presence has brought him hosting and narration work seen on PBS Nature, BBC, National Geographic Television, and the Discovery Channel, along with an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman. His year-long odyssey across the Arctic Circle by motorcycle was featured in the three-part miniseries Bears of the Last Frontier.

Learn more about the event here!

 

PAWS Wildlife Wonders: Whose nose is this?

 

At the PAWS Wildlife Center, we see noses of all kinds. Can you guess to which species the nose in this photo belongs?

 

If you guessed Townsend’s Mole, you are correct!

This young mole arrived at the PAWS Wildlife Center after a dog dug up his nest. The dog’s guardian rescued the mole and brought him to PAWS, where our veterinarians gave him a full examination. The mole had made it through the ordeal uninjured, but he was too young to survive on his own, so he stayed in care for another several weeks to grow big and strong. Once he was old enough to survive on his own, he was successfully released back into his natural habitat to live wild and free.

Did you know...?

• Although they are sometimes confused with rodents, moles are members of the Talpidae family, which is part of the Insectivora order. Other Insectivores include shrews and hedgehogs.

• Moles are an important part of the ecosystem. Their tunneling behavior mixes soil nutrients as well as improving draining and soil aeration. Their diet consists mainly of invertebrates, many of which are considered lawn pests, like cranefly larvae and slugs.

• Moles have extremely dense fur which allows them to travel back and forth underground without turning into bundles of mud. Each hair has several very thin areas (strictures) that allow the end of the hair to move back and forth without disturbing the base. This prevents gaps from forming that might collect dirt. Additionally, there is a wide, flat section at the tip of every hair. When wet, these flat areas stick together, forming a shield against additional water or dirt.

• Most conflicts with moles stem from their industrious tunneling and the impact that can have on lawns and gardens. For information on humane solutions, click here.

 

Volunteer Spotlight: Dale Ripley

 

As an Oceanographer, Dale Ripley knows everything there is to know about creatures under the sea. But when it came to land-dwelling animals, Dale had a lot to learn when he started as a volunteer at PAWS.

“I went to my first volunteer orientation with the thought of working with dogs and cats at the shelter, learning about different breeds. But then they mentioned the PAWS Wildlife Center, and the idea of working with native wildlife intrigued me. A lot of people know about PAWS, but not necessarily that they have a wildlife rehab program.”

Dale will be the first to tell you that life as a PAWS Wildlife Center volunteer isn’t always clean or easy—but it sure can be funny!

"The task of collecting squirrels out of the small mammal enclosure is absolutely hilarious,” says Dale with a grin. “They’re racing all around the cage, and you have to grab them. Picture a bunch of staff and volunteers running around, chasing squirrels with a net in a 10x10 enclosure. It’s hilarious pandemonium."

The work is also incredibly rewarding, says Dale. “Feeding the young mammals, like Raccoons and possums, is amazing. You have to be so careful with them because they’re so small, barely just born. It’s rewarding to know you’re giving them a chance at life.”

Outside of PAWS, Dale is an avid snorkeler—even in the freezing waters of Puget Sound. He’s met some incredible creatures along the way, including a face-to-face encounter with a three-foot-long Barracuda!

Thank you for your passion and commitment to the animals, Dale. Your dedication and hard work are truly appreciated, and we’re grateful to have you as a PAWS volunteer.

Become a PAWS Volunteer today!