| Calhoun County Humane Society |
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| Home Page ARCHIVES "Memories of all kinds...." |
| The new City of Port Lavaca Animal Shelter was dedicated on April 25th of 2006 at 4:00 p.m. (photos below). This is our "home" to operate from, a place to house the animals we rescue with the ability to rescue many more. This was a great step forward for our community. Come see us and the facilities! |
| Naomi Albrecht presented a plaque to Louise Fenner in memory of her husband, Dr. Roy Fenner, the first veterinarian in this county and a much loved member of the community. He served its people and animals for 45 years. The plaque hangs in the office of CCHS. Sadly, we lost Louise in 2012. |
| Donnie McGrew, Animal Control Officer |
| Mary Bradley, who created our logo, Janice Holladay, President of CCHS and LaVerne Miller, CCHS treasurer. |
| Shelter volunteer Ken Rippee and friend hung our sign donated by Carroll Sign Masters. As we hope everyone knows by now, the adoption office is located in the new Port Lavaca Animal Shelter at 201 Stringham Drive. Thanks, guys! |
| We will never forget the hard work and success we had with our garage sale held in the summer of 2006 in the warehouse of Russell Cain Real Estate. Please note one of our greatest volunteers, Jerry Miller, who's always there to help and make us laugh. Thanks, Jerry! |
| And who can forget Mr. W. H. Bauer, Jr. and all the people of First National Bank who have now held SEVEN bake sales benefiting CCHS, beginning in the fall of 2006 and through 2012. We are always overwhelmed by the amount of baked goods for sale and the money that is raised - FNB really outdoes themselves! And to all of you who purchased - and often gave extra money as a donation to CCHS, a huge thanks! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ And who can forget... Our first fundraiser, "Save Our Tails", held at Tropics Restaurant, on September 15th of 2006 - great fun and a great success. A very special thanks to Mark and Thé Nasternak of Tropics and their staff for letting us wait tables, sell tee shirts and generously donating the tips for the evening to CCHS. All tables had special centerpieces made and donated by Jo-Ann Lewis of I Do Weddings and Events. We will always be grateful to the following patrons and donors for their donations, all monies going to further the work and outreach of CCHS: Wolf Point Ranch, Al and Dianna Stanger - Hayes Electric, J. V. Hayes Cole, Cole and Easley, Jim Cole - Dennis Brown - Naomi Albrecht Bobby V’s Construction, Bobby Villafuerte - Ganem and Kelly Surveying Troy Easton - Texas Title Company, Ceanne Hons - Dr. R. Malek, Radiologist Pam Lambden - Terry Baxter - Z-Mech Tech, C. E. Zirkelback Jan Regan - Rebecca Lacy - Lynne Voskamp - Richard & Jo-Ann Lewis Sun Coast Enterprises, Mr. & Mrs. Mike Parker - Robb D. Muil - Pat Trigg Hillman Shrimp & Oyster, Steve Taylor - Nadine Arnold |
| We were very happy that the Chamber of Commerce let us have a table at the Business Expo held 2-26-09. We took some of our animals and had a great time letting people know about us, what we do. |
| We would also like to "permanently" acknowledge Graciela Olascuaga of Port Lavaca who came to the bake sale at First National Bank in fall of 2008 and gave us a wonderful donation, money that she had saved all year long to give to a "worthy cause" at Christmas time. We were overwhelmed by her generosity. Thanks, Gracie! : - ) |
| Two great adoptions at Wal-Mart with Gypsy (left), a mixed breed terrier and Suzy, a beagle mix, going to very loving homes. |
| Some adoptions, great memories... |
| Pippin went to a wonderful home of dog lovers who have the CUTEST little boy we've ever seen! |
| Another terrific day at Wal-Mart.: Versace, a sweet little dachshund mix went to a great new home. Sort of a "the tall and the short of it" adoption, this one. : - ) |
| It is so gratifying when we are contacted by those who have adopted one of our animals, but we got a special treat when Little Boo, now called Max, "emailed" us about his new home and even sent photos. Please go to "Contact Us" for this delightful story!! |
| Who can forget one of our very first adoptions? Rascal was adopted in May of 2005 and went to an animal lover who later became one of our volunteers! |
| Abby, a very sweet golden lab mix went to the perfect home in September of 2007.She gets to go fishing and swim and has taken over the best chair in the house - spoiled rotten. .: - ) |
| A great adoption at PetSmart, Dec. of 2008. Capone, one of a litter of 4 black cats with fur like ermine, was adopted by a wonderful family. Son Cody carried Capone thru the checkout, and Capone was so laid back that we all laughed! |
| Calista, a sister of Capone, was also adopted by a great family. She's now called Punkin and enjoyed her first Christmas in a loving home with Brooklyn and family. |
| Remember Hamlet? One of our favorite dogs, he wore his antlers so well in the Christmas parade, 2006. :-) He went to a wonderful family in Houston who has made HIM "family" too. He travels with them on vacations and LOVES going to nearby lakes for a swim. |
| Shiloh, a golden retriever, met his new family at Wal-Mart now has a country home all his own to explore. |
| Crissy with her new "mom", another great PetSmart adoption. |
| A magical day at PetSmart on 2-7-09 when Princess and Shadow were both adopted by a wonderful couple so these 2 sisters could stay together & are now running, playing & living the good country life they deserve!!! |
| Now called Sadie and Bailey, these two have a new friend, a chocolate lab: water & labs, what a combo! It's adoptions such as this that keep us at CCHS doing what we do. These 2 sisters were able to stay together and got the perfect home for them. |
| This couple found Skip on PetFinder.com and came all the way from San Antonio to adopt him, lucky Skip! |
| Maddie, one cute little girl, is being cuddled by her new Mom with Dad and "resident dog" posing for the camera. Maddie had a hard start in life so this was a very rewarding adoption for her and us. |
| Starsky, a very happy pup, went to a happy family at PetSmart on July 4th! |
| Two great adoptions at the shelter, Marcie on the left with her new family, and Beaners with one very cute little girl who is going to spoil him rotten. : - ) |
| Awwww...always remember that adult cats can be as sweet as kittens plus they're WYSWYG so you already know their "catitude!" |
| One of our first mobile adoptions at Wal-Mart in September of 2005, Smokey went to a wonderful home. But this nice man wanted a companion for Smokey so in January of 2009 Garfield got a new home. We love it when people "come back for seconds!" |
| A small young girl, a big young dog, a huge amount of love - it comes in all sizes, shapes and ages. Won't you add to the love in your family by adopting one of these wonderful companions? |
| ...and now..WOW!! |
| Portia, one of the smallest adult dogs we've ever had at the shelter, went to a terrific home where she now sleeps under the covers at night! We also hear she's one great watch dog. :-) |
| This was another one of those "love at first sight" adoptions. Bitsy was so eager and happy with her new human that she could hardly stay still for the photo! |
| Two other great adoptions at PetSmart with Mugsy and Sassy, a brother and sister terrier/Dachshund mix, were adopted together, always heartwarming for us when dogs have become so attached to each other - thanks for taking them both! Gizmo, a dog unlike any dog we've ever had at the shelter, went to a family who said "It was love at first sight!" We agreed and so did Gizmo. |
| Meet Delia Kolar of Kolar Photography and sons Ty and Morgan with 189 lbs. of food for our animals! In exchange for a 10 lb. bag of pet food, Delia gave a photo session with your pet and a free 5" x 7" photo. Totally her own idea, she surprised us with this and says she plans to do it again as it was so much fun. So watch our site for "next time." |
| There are two young girls in Austwell whom we would like to thank for their donations to CCHS. They saved birthday money and other money they could have spent on themselves but gave it to us for the animals' needs. This is "giving from the heart", the best kind of gift, and kudos to their parents for raising such fine children who are thinking of others and doing for others. |
| A huge THANK YOU! to the All Around 4-H Club under the direction of Melissa Downs who held a food and supply drive for our animals. They donated many sacks of food as well as toys, leashes and so many other items. You are a terrific group of young people! |
| A huge THANKS! to Kari Pfeifer for organizing a pet supply drive that was held at Wal-Mart. She and her friends, Belinda Fricke, Carlos Aguirre, Jamie Olivarez and Sharon Anderle, did an incredible job soliciting donations for us. Over $1,000 in monetary gifts was given in addition to hundreds of pounds of food for our dogs and cats along with other items. |
| Yes, Eclipse has "gone to the dogs." Mike and Tammy Ward (no green shirts) generously donated vehicle graphics to customize the trailer used for mobile adoptions, and they have been great supporters of CCHS. Eclipse also donated tee shirts screen printed with our logo. Mike Ward says, "Anything for the dogs!" |
| Pictured above are Tammy Ward, LaVerne Miller, Janice Holladay, Mike Ward, Barbara January and a selection of our great dogs. This wonderful trailer is provided by Jerry and LaVerne Miller for our use and it has made a HUGE difference in getting to and from our adoptions. Come and join CCHS - we are a "family" that also has a lot of fun!! |
| Two happy young girls and a somewhat overwhelmed Bethanyt. |
| Morgan, a very sweet fella, was adopted by a happy family the day after Thanksgiving. We think everyone is very thankful for Morgan! |
| Meet Pete, a border collie, and Patty, a MinPin, both rescue dogs that live happily in the John and Kathy Warren home. The Warrens are Patrons of CCHS and avid advocates of "pound pup adoptions" which makes us very happy. Both of these dogs, now five years old, would have not made it had the Warrens not intervened and saved their lives. They know just how wonderful rescued dogs can be.They have also rescued two horses. Can people make a difference? YES! Please join the Warrens and become a family that can say, "We adopted a rescued animal." |
| Kit with her new family - they were very excited about having a kitten in their life. |
| Squire & his new family from Spring - a long way! |
| Starburst: Fom the look of these two excited youngsters, our buddy probably had his fur rubbed off in places from all the petting he's getting. |
| Little DeeDee, a cute pup, now has a very cute little boy as a playmate. And though Mother probably has her hands full already, she reached out to one of our deserving animals, making DeeDee a part of the family. |
| Cisco found his new home at one of our First Saturday mobile adoptions at PetSmart! |
| Port Lavaca Nursing and Rehab hosted an adoption event for us replete with refreshments, music and dancing! Take a look at some of the photos below of the residents being given a chance to hold and love an animal, some for the first time in a long time, and our dogs joining in the dancing. Three of our large dogs, Gentry, Brooke and Chelsea really perked up when the band started playing! :-) |
| Max stole the hearts of a wonderful couple who have a bay house in Seadrift, who heard about him through his photo in the Dolphin Talk. Many thanks to all the media who give exposure to our animals each week! |
| A real "red letter day" at PetSmart with our beloved Duke being adopted, and we couldn't have hand picked a better family! Here he is with his new canine friends, loving life and living it large as Duke so richly deserves. |
| An absolutely FANTASTIC day at PetSmart 11-7! Jeffrey, a sweet, sweet terrier mix we all adored, Kaos, a "bundle of energy" hound pup and aptly named, and Lizzie, a Chihuahua with some terrier in her, all went to superb new homes. This was truly an outstanding day, we thank all of you who made this possible!! Everyone of us went home happy and smiling for hours. :-) |
| Coco and Tiffany, two gorgeous tabby sisters, went to live with mother and daughter, not sure who got whom as they were in love with both these little girls. |
| Ambrose went to a new home at Wal-Mart. Ambrose is pretty cute, and so is his new owner.. |
| Lucky Rascal! He got a new home with a lovely lady at Wal-Mart. He may not look thrilled to bits here but rest assured he was. |
| Remember our little Smokey trying to make his "great escape" over on the Cat Page? Well, he made the best kind of escape possible, being adopted into a wonderful home. |
| TaiTai, an adorable long haired Siamese cross, went to a new home a few days before Christmas. Daughters and grandson took him home to his new mom as he was a "requested surprise" Christmas present. :-) TaiTai is now perhaps one of the most spoiled cats in Port Lavaca, loved and catered to by both mom and "dad" who think he's The Best. We get continued updates about his wonderfulness!! |
| Baxter, a "snoodle" aka a Schnauzer/poodle mix, was adopted at Wal-Mart Way to go, Baxter! |
| It didn't take long for little Heidi to make her new family certain she was the companion they needed to make their home complete. |
| Two of our "little guys" went to new homes recently, and we feel fairly certain they are going to be spoilled rotten and then some. :-) Jesse, left, and Rico, right, are Chihuahua/terrier mixes we're very happy for as these adopters really were thrilled with their new companions. |
| LOVE! Isn't it a wonderful thing? |
| Two great adoptions at PetSmart: At left, one of our much loved adult cats, Isadorable, with her new family and, at right tiny Meg with her new human, both in love with each other! |
| Two excellent adoptions at the shelter, Beaux, a silky long hair black beauty and Donovan meeting his new friends, human and canine. Wonderful animals going to live with wonderful people, it doesn't get any better than that. |
| Two Christmas Eve adoptions at PetSmart, two little boys, Purrdy on the left, a kitten that really likes to purr, and Hemi for a little girl who said she wanted a black kitten and got a really good one! |
| On 11-10-10 the Calhoun County Quilt Guild presented us with two extremely wonderful quilts to be raffled off May of 2011, all proceeds going to CCHS to continue our work. Naturally, the theme of both was cats and dogs and no words can describe the originality, cleverness, superb workmanship and just overall charm of these quilts. Many thanks to the Quilt Guild for honoring us and our work in this way. At the drawing held May 7th at Port Lavaca Veterinary Clinic, Emilio Ruiz of Port Lavaca won "Adorable & Adoptable" and Chris Mapp of Port O'Connor (daughter Crystal picked it up for Dad) won "Kissable & Keepable." MANY THANKS TO THE QUILT GUILD & ALL OF YOU WHO BOUGHT TICKETS MAKING THIS SUCH A SUCCESS! |
| Ajax, a sweet black and tan tabby, got a terrific home back in July at PetSmart. Then in September Mango, an orange tabby, and Lucky, a sandy colored terrier found wonderful homes as well. |
| Above, again at PetSmart, is Jackson, a silky black fella and his new family, and at the right, Reba, a very sweet dog with an equally sweet little girl! |
| Louie was seen on PetFinder.com and his new owner fell in love with him, called us, we faxed the adoption contract, he came up the next day to give Louie a new home. We like these kind of "happy ending stories." And, again, we love it when we get updates on the animals we've adopted out. Please go to "Our Animals-Archives" that follows Page 2 of "Our Animals" to see how Louie is now enjoying "la dolce vita" with his new family and buddy. |
| Two great recent adoptions, little Erin and big Marley, our "Mighty Dog", went to perfect homes. It's SO rewarding when the adopter and animal "click" instantly and you know it's right both of them. |
| And we love it when we get updates on the animals we've adopted out. Please go to "Our Animals-Archives" that follows Page 2 of "Our Animals" to see how Erin is now enjoying life! |
| Scribbles has a home! Scribbles has a home! YES!!!! A most deserving dog is Scribbles, and we couldn't have picked a better home. She has a wonderful family, a big yard and lots of toys and attention, a terrific adoption! |
| Gentry was so excited that we could hardly get him still enough to get an "in focus" photo - just look at that tail going "90 to nothing!" One of the most gentle, loving and good natured dogs we've ever had, we are so glad that he now has a home where he's going to be happy and make everyone who meets him just as happy. A long life to you, Gentry, we loved you a LOT! |
| We were very happy in 2009 to receive a sizable donation from The Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation in honor of Bryan Golz. This was a gift made to CCHS in recognition of Bryan reaching 5 years with the Capital Group Companies. It is extremely gratifying that Bryan, a former resident of Port Lavaca, chose to support CCHS through the Capital Group Companies Anniversary Donation Program. A huge "thank you" to both Bryan and his company! AND..... |
| Due to Cheryl Metzler of Seadrift, who works for BP in Houston, we received a donation from BP America Inc. in 2008 through their Fabric of America Fund. This is a one time grant that employees of long standing with BP can make to an organization of their choice. Cheryl chose us, an "out of the blue" surprise. Thank you, Cheryl! But....another surprise!! We later again received notice from BP America Inc. that "Cheryl Metzler, a BP employee, has recommended your organization as one that makes a positive contribution. To express our gratitude, BP would like to present a gift from the BP Fabric of America Fund. Please accept the enclosed check with our sincere thanks for the important work you do...We support groups that make up the fabric of America: organizations across the US that work to improve people's lives. The Fabric of America Fund considers contribution to organizations recommended by BP employees. We are pleased you have been chosen for a grant through this program. Again, thank you for working to make a difference in people's lives. We hope our support will help you to continue the work that has made an impression on those around you." Thank you, Cheryl, and thank you BP America Inc. |
| All of us at CCHS extend our deepest sympathies to the family of Darlene Tripp who left this life on June 24, 2011. Darlene loved animals so much, and she attended our first meetings as well as organizing a very successful fund raiser for us. She was always supportive of CCHS despite a busy work schedule as a very good and caring nurse. We mourn her passing but rejoice in having known her and in working with her. |
| RILEY MATSON HOLLADAY March 4, 1993 - January 11, 2012 It is with overwhelming sadness we cannot begin to measure or see beyond, that we mourn the death of Riley, 18 year old son of Janice and Tony, brother of Connor and known to so many as a wonderful friend. It was Janice who laid the groundwork for the birth of CCHS, and it was after a visit to the old animal control facility that she was moved to action by Riley who said, "Mom, it's just not right, we have to do something so these animals have a chance of adoption." A lover of animals, he would often take one home from the shelter to foster, giving it the special attention it needed to become adoptable. A lover of the outdoors, he appreciated and reveled in its beauty and bounty. Riley was of great help to us at the shelter doing jobs we could not do, and he was a rarity among young people in that he could work alongside and talk with those of us who are much older in such a comfortable way - what fun and laughter he brought into our lives! We loved Riley so much and will continue to do so in our memories that will not fade, that lanky young man with the ready smile, what a joy he was, how lucky we all were to have had him. Memorials may be made to "Riley's Gone Fishing, Again! Scholarship Fund", care of First National Bank, Drawer 7, Port Lavaca or the Calhoun County Humane Society, Box 1505, Port Lavaca. |
| Labs: They just have that "labitude" that makes them loving puppies forever! |
| "then"... |
| MEMORIALS Life is made up of living, loving and losing. Sometimes the loss is expected, sometimes not, but though we lose loved ones they are still with us in vivid and happy memories. Many people have made donations to CCHS in memory of their loved ones, human and animal. This section of our website is a permanent reminder of those we loved and lived with and keep in our hearts. |
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| In memory of our companions Jessie and Hula (Ruehman), Richmond, Texas Buster (Crist), Port Alto Andie (Rogers), Austin Boca (Whitworth), Port Alto Ka-Wa-Ni (Thornton) PO'C Maxwell (Matsis), Tivoli MIRZA, K-9 deputy for the Calhoun County Sheriff's office Rusty (Smith), Bacliff Skylar (Heurtevant), Port Lavaca Ricky (Poimbeauf), Port Lavaca Rowdy (Machicek), Port Lavaca and Point Comfort Dory (Dodo) (Busby), Port Alto Leda (Koerner), Port Alto Cody (Rogers), Austin Jojo (Poimbeauf), Port Lavaca Barnacle (Bennetsen), PO'C Sammy Joe (Kellough),Dickinson Gus (Bonano), Houston Henry James (Scroggs) Houston Alice (Nelson), Palacios Ginger (Hase)Minnesota |
| In memory of family and friends Dr. Roy Fenner Ellie Dio Susan Meyers Jack D. Campbell, Sr. Billy Clyde Neve Carrie Henry Alfred "Buck" Buxkemper Elrine Mayer Roland and Virginia Cain Bob Grantland James McSpadden Billy Nichols Albert Mayer Louise Fenner Paul Gary Marynelle Blake Bruce Lucille Gary Darryl Rusty Hinds Kenneth Dolezal Molly Rylander Steinger Cynthia Cuellar Gene Scott Don RaY Bobby Matson Wyatt O'Neill Glenda Meyer Mari Jacqueline McLean Robert "Bob" Wallace David Smith Sid Ward Goldie Sanders Mrs. Leard Cope Michael Carey Lewis Madden Margaret Beeler Courtney Elliott A. H. Bonorden, Jr. Sterling Griffith Fred Beeler Robert Partain Millie Hrbacek Gautreaux Sue Livingston Nelma Chamrad Lorraine Matson Dr. John Griffin Patsy Kendrick Carlton Dorsey Jennifer Hodgkinson Patsy Turk James Wisdom Mary Kay Schreck Ernestine Bittner Dean Wood |
| And some cats that had issues but we loved and did what we could for them in foster care, as long as quality of life remained: Pooh Cat, Blaire, Dandy Lion, Adeline, BeeGee, Moby and our dear office pal, Bogie.... |
| Cindy Scott August 29, 1961 - April 26, 2012 Cindy was one of our volunteers at the shelter, and she loved animals with every inch of her being. She was a joy to work with as her attitude was always upbeat and positive with a smile always on her face. She had a generous and giving heart that reached out to all of us as well as the animals. Even when she could no longer volunteer, she came by to visit and no matter how she felt she remained cheerful and caring about others. She was a rare gift in our lives, and we miss her greatly. |
| Mirza K-9 Deputy with the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office 1999 - 11 August 2012 A generous donation was made to CCHS by those at the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office who knew Mirza, worked alongside her and loved her very much. She was a K-9 Deputy, a Belgian Malinois, and worked with her handler, trainer and friend, Investigator Steve De La Cruz. Together, their successes in arrests and seizures were remarkable. Mirza was an incredible dog. We cannot even begin to fully cover here what she accomplished. If you are not familiar with Mirza, what she did and how she was loved, there are five articles on her and her work in The Port Lavaca Wave. Two of them by Melony Overton will tug at your heart as Mirza was truly a magnificent dog. Please click on this link, "Port Lavaca Wave, MIRZA"and read about this wonderful dog, her trainer and their many years of being together. Ironically, her death so quickly after retirement, on the 11th of August, was also the birth date of Nick, her successor at the Sheriff's Office. A trooper to the last, she made her exit as another came to continue her work. |
