Fall 2010 • V ol. 44 No. 3 - San Diego Humane Society and SPCA

president’s message
Unanticipated Love
Which is Always There
Mark Goldstein, DVM,
CAWA, President of
the San Diego Humane
Society and SPCA
with his dog Ren.
A
s you will read in our feature story, there are many animals who come to work at the San Diego Humane Society,
helping their human friends in programs like Pet-Assisted Therapy, Investigations, Animal Rescue Reserve
and Humane Education. While my dog Ren doesn’t have an official job at the Humane Society, she plays a very
important role in my life, both at home and at work. A Beagle/Jack Russell Terrier mix, Ren has lots of energy, a playful
spirit and a great vocabulary.
Companion animals have important roles, often adding meaning to our lives and helping us to live happier and
healthier. They help us get through difficult times and can make our joyful moments even more memorable. They also help
to keep things in perspective. Always in the present moment, they don’t care what label is on your blue jeans or what title
is on your business card. They provide love and understanding to people in a way that is quite magical, and I’d like to take
a moment to honor the important work that companion animals do every day, while asking very little in return.
When my father passed away unexpectedly in 2003, Ren immediately understood that something had happened, even
as I ended the phone call that informed me. She jumped into my lap as I experienced the initial shock, comforting me
when I needed it most. Before I felt anything—the sadness that comes with losing a person you love deeply—her eyes and
face seemed to say, “You are going to be okay. You’re not alone.” In dealing with my grief, I took many long walks on the
beach. Ren on one side of me and the ocean and all of its majesty on the other, both provided me great strength. Whether I
was laughing or crying, Ren always seemed to be listening.
I also saw that my daughter Nicole received a tremendous amount of emotional support from Ren as she was challenged
in her teenage years. My other daughter, Laura-Emily, was comforted in a similar fashion by her dog, Emma, during her
college years. When you’re struggling to figure out who you are, a loving companion who always accepts you and provides
unconditional love is an invaluable gift—especially since you can tell them anything without prejudice or judgment.
The value that animals bring to our lives was never more apparent in my role as a veterinarian than when I counseled
a young woman about considering euthanasia for her 16-year-old dog. As she was 18 years old, she understood the finality
of death but was fortunate to not have experienced the loss of a loved one in her life yet. As we began to talk more, I
realized that she wasn’t saying goodbye to an animal or trusted companion but to the best friend she’d ever known.
Later in my career, a 12-year-old boy and his mother came into my veterinary office with a hamster that had cancer on
his hind leg. As we discussed the possible options, the boy turned to his mom and said without reservation that he’d prefer
to use the money collected from his paper route over the past two years to help his furry friend, instead of purchasing the
bike he had been saving for. Never before had I seen so clearly how an animal can teach us about values.
As President of the Humane Society, I often reflect on my job and what we as a community can do to strengthen the
human-animal bond. As my good friend Dr. Richard Lederer said in his book A Treasury for Dog Lovers, “We give what
time we can spare, what space we can spare, what food we can spare, and what love we can spare.” In return, our animals
give us their all. Dr. Lederer had it right when he said, “It’s the best deal we human beings have ever made.” To continue
this great deal and to continue to pass on the treasures our trusted companion animals bring us, the unanticipated love
which is always there, we thank you for your past, present and, we hope, future support.
Mark Goldstein, DVM, CAWA
President of the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA
Photo: Melisa Codgell
From the Mailbox
Hello, SD Humane Society!
We adopted Patrick and Tilly, our
little celebrities, from the San Diego
Humane Society and SPCA, North
Campus. Playful and energetic, Tilly
keeps Patrick so entertained that he
can barely keep his little brown eyes
open. Their favorite activity is riding
in their stroller. From the mall to the beach, these little stars soak up the attention!
We often take them to the Humane Society because we feel that the volunteers are a
part of Patrick and Tilly’s family. It is so nice to see the smiles people get when they
see the bunnies all dressed up for their outings. Patrick always gets dressed first so
Tilly knows we are going somewhere. It is so funny to watch her go get her shirt and
bring it to me as if to say, “Don’t forget me, Mom!”
Ginger Rabe
Dear San Diego Humane Society,
I adopted Esther after the sudden death of my world-travelling
companion feline last April. While the event was sad for me,
my remaining cat wailed for days missing her friend. A trip to
the Gaines Campus was the answer, where I found Esther (or
should I say she found me?). From the moment I walked in, she
had decided I was her next human. I knew it, too, when I met
her and she immediately jumped into my lap. Esther is happy,
playful, impish at times and loving life where she has more
than 1,800 square feet to run around after having lived at the Humane Society for
more than two years! My other cat, Molly, is thrilled to once again have a companion.
Esther and Molly love camping in the motor home with us or just laying around on
the cat tree together. We once again have a full and happy home.
E. Marie FitzGerald
Thank you, San Diego Humane Society,
We are so thankful that we adopted Gunner! He comes into work every day with me
(he’s a real ladies guy, so when he’s not sleeping and snoring loudly under my desk,
he is hanging out with my female co-workers getting petted and eating treats). We
started him at training classes mainly as a refresher since he was quite good at most
behaviors when we adopted him. He loves the classes (especially the beef jerky treats)!
We also take him to the beach and dog park. The first time we took him to the beach,
he put his toes in the water and yelped in surprise as the waves lapped over him. Now,
he loves swimming (although he prefers it if our children paddle in the water with him
rather than him swimming solo). We love him so much and are so happy that we found
exactly the right dog for our family.
The Nugents
Do you have a happy adoption story to share? Then we’d love to hear from you!
Visit www.sdhumane.org and go to the Success Stories page for more details.
ON THE COVER: Summer camp participant Murray Goddard, age 6, meets volunteer Lise Bartman and
her dog, Brenna, an Alaskan Malamute that works with the San Diego Humane Society’s Pet-Assisted
Therapy program.
Cover Photo: Candice Eley
AnimalFare • Fall 2010
Board of Trustees
Fred Baranowski
Chairperson
David Hickey
Chairperson, Finance Committee
Diane Gilabert
Chairperson, Board Governance & Nominating Committee
Beverly Oster Ornelas
Secretary
Sandy Arledge; Allen Blackmore; Robert Brown, Ed.D.;
George Coles; Lee Collins; Susan Davis; Dana Di
Ferdinando; Diane Glow, Ed.D.; Hon. Eve Godfrey;
Alyce Lynn; Dave Mason; David Mittleman; Anne Perry;
David Sear
Life Members
Vi & Dan McKinney, John Parker
President
Mark Goldstein, DVM, CAWA
Senior Staff
Renee Harris, RVT,
Executive Vice President of Animal Services
Kim Shannon, CAWA, Chief Operating Officer
Shelly Stuart, CSPG, CFRE, CAWA,
Senior Vice President of Development
Kelly Riseley, Chief Financial Officer
AnimalFare Editors
Michael Baehr, Candice Eley
Contributing Writers
Nicole Angelucci, Laura Coburn, Dr. Corey Cole,
Candice Eley, Shannon Gusy, Jenny Ludovissy
Design & Layout
Kat Godard, DraDog, LLC
Our sincere thanks to DraDog and Precision Litho for
their generous support of the San Diego Humane Society
and SPCA.
Published quarterly by:
San Diego Humane Society and SPCA
Mailing address:
5500 Gaines Street
San Diego, CA 92110-2572
(619) 299-7012
www.sdhumane.org
postmaster@sdhumane.org
To report animal abuse call (619) 243-3466
Serving San Diego County since 1880, the San Diego
Humane Society and SPCA provides vital services to
animals and people alike. With campuses in both central
San Diego and Oceanside, the San Diego Humane Society
and SPCA’s programs include sheltering and adopting
animals, investigating animal cruelty and neglect, rescuing
animals in emergency situations, providing positive
reinforcement behavior training for adoptable and owned
animals through public training classes, providing adult and
youth education programs, and sharing animals through
pet-assisted therapy. In Oceanside and Vista, the San Diego
Humane Society North Campus provides animal control and
stray pet services for the public.
A private, nonprofit organization that receives no
government grant funding, the San Diego Humane Society
and SPCA is supported solely by contributions, grants,
bequests, investments, proceeds from the Humane Society’s
retail store, Muttique, and fees for service.
For your privacy, the Humane Society does not sell,
rent, lend or exchange our mailing or contributor
lists.
www.sdhumane.org
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