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VCAS Quarterly Newsletter
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Welcome to our first VCAS newsletter! We will be sending this out quarterly to help you stay informed about all the great work we are doing at Ventura County Animal Services.
Although this has been very difficult year for us all, we remain 100% committed to all live-saving activities! To help illustrate these efforts, please take a moment and view our 2020 Annual Report. It contains a lot of great information about who we are and what we do each and every day to care for the thousands of homeless animals who enter in our care each year. We hope you enjoy reading all about VCAS!
Jackie Rose
Director
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NORTHBOUND-101: Animal Control Officer Eric Lozano rescued a Red-Tailed Hawk on the northbound 101 freeway between Vineyard and Rose. She was too dangerous to capture with heavy traffic alongside, so he called for a traffic break. CHP responded and temporarily shut down the northbound lanes. Shortly after the hawk was rescued, our Veterinary Team at VCAS examined the hawk and determined she could go to the The Ojai Raptor Center for rehabilitation and release. The Ojai Raptor Center reported the hawk had a fractured right wing and was recovering well while on pain medication and anti-inflammatory drugs. The staff at the Ojai Raptor Center said she was very alert, very strong and would be released when she has thoroughly recovered.
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Baby bunny Lulu arrived at just four (4) weeks old. Luckily, she was old enough to be vaccinated against RHDV, a highly contagious and deadly disease that only affects rabbits. This disease has been detected in Ventura County and all eligible shelter rabbits are vaccinated upon intake. Bunny Brigade Foster Coordinator, Melissa Lalum, quickly took Lulu into foster care!
Lulu settled into Melissa’s home office for a two-week quarantine and then remained with her family for another two (2) weeks. Melissa relished bottle-feeding her adorable coworker:
- “My colleagues loved seeing her in our virtual meetings. Nothing perks up a Zoom call like a baby bunny. She was such a snuggle bug!”
Lulu was also very attached to Melissa’s husband, Rick, a perennial favorite of foster bunnies.
Melissa is known for her magic touch with bottle babies and for finding wonderful, longer-term foster homes. Female rabbits remain in foster until they are old enough to be spayed at six (6) months of age. Melissa found a terrific family to take in Lulu where she is absolutely thriving!
One of the upsides of homestay this past year, Melissa said, has been the opportunity to foster so many bunnies, including three (3) batches of bottle babies!
- “My family has really enjoyed them, and they have benefited from all the extra attention.”
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Just as humans enjoy the changing seasons, so do wild animals. They use this time to breed and welcome new life into the world…including KITTENS! VCAS can expect anywhere from 1000 – 2000 kittens during this time. To assist with this massive undertaking of life-saving efforts, we have dedicated foster parents who are willing to care for these brand new little lives and show them the ropes on their journeys to becoming cats. Full litters of neonatal kittens often come to us, sometimes just hours old, and our foster parents are ‘all hands on deck’ to keep these little guys alive and well.
On February 12, 2021, eight (8) newborn kittens were found in a neighborhood and came to us for care. Over the next 8 weeks, these kittens needed constant care — bottle feeding every two (2) hours, heating pads since kittens under 5 weeks cannot regulate their body temperature, and needed bathroom help as kittens under four (4) weeks cannot eliminate on their own. VCAS Foster parents provide all of this care and will also help them learn valuable social skills until they are eight (8) weeks old, old enough to become someone’s new family member!
As you can imagine, we go through A LOT of supplies with a live-saving effort this large. If you would like to help out, please check our Amazon Wishlist for the specific items needed, or become a VCAS Foster parent by visiting www.vcas.us/foster.
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SIMI VALLEY, CA: Over 175 house-pets were provided months of pet food at our first curbside pet food pantry. Those in-need drove to the Simi Valley Animal Shelter, popped the trunk, and VCAS volunteers loaded pet food based on the number and species of animals they had at home.
Photo: Volunteers, Susan Richey and Sally O’Rourke
PHOTO BY: Richard Gillard/Acorn Newspapers
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Dogs love foraging for snacks, which you know if you’ve ever had your dog get into the garbage or grab things off the counter. What better activity for them than a safe and appropriate outlet for that behavior. To make a snuffle mat, you will need something with holes in it. Our favorites are rubber anti-fatigue mats, dish drainers, or plastic baskets. You will also need strips of fleece, or other durable fabric. Now assemble it! Tie the fleece through the holes in your mat or basket until they are as full as you want it to be. When it’s done, toss a handful of treats or kibble into the fleece and watch your dog utilize his nose and satisfy his foraging urges by snuffling around to get the food. How-To Video
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According to a Good Samaritan, this 12-year-old little guy had been living in a storm drain for at least two (2) days! Upon arrival at VCAS, he was growling and hissing. It was obvious he had wounds along the left side of his body. Our Veterinary Team went straight to work. He was given anti-inflammatory and pain medication along with antibiotics. He was placed in a warm, plush kennel with fresh food and water, and a privacy curtain so he could recover in a stress-free environment.
The following morning his behavior had done a complete 180! He was vocal and rubbing his head against the kennel bars for attention. Following sedation, his wounds, which covered 30% of his body, were cleaned and dressed. It was also discovered he had a pellet imbedded in his left cheek where someone cruelly shot him!
Pennywise has received daily bandage changes for the last two (2) weeks and now the wounds are almost completely healed. He continues to reach out for love when we pass his kennel!
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We are THRILLED to report that Pennywise was recently adopted by a loving family and is ENJOYING LIFE to the fullest!
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Purchase or renew your pet’s license! Special discounts available for pet owners who are 55+ and/or for animals who are spayed or neutered!
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Monetary donations gives VCAS the greatest flexibility to provide what our animals need, when they need it. General use donations are used in a variety of ways: from veterinary care and enrichment toys, to kitten formula and specialty food.
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Tap/click before you shop and a percentage of your purchase will be donated to VCAS! Bookmark this link and use it every time you shop on Amazon!
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Learn more about who we are as a life-saving organization and see how you can make a difference in the lives of homeless animals in Ventura County.
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805-388-4341 | FAX: 805-388-4393
Hours of Operation
9:00am – 6:00pm
Closed Mondays
CAMARILLO ANIMAL SHELTER
600 Aviation Drive
Camarillo, CA 93010
SIMI VALLEY ANIMAL SHELTER
670 W. Los Angeles Ave.
Simi Valley, CA 93065
(Temporarily closed)
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