Crowing about Kids 'N Critters Day Camp

He was supposed to be a girl named Ramona.  He ended up being a boy and was renamed Ray.  Because he was being picked on by all the other chickens, Ray the Rooster ended up being surrendered to HAWS.

Luckily for our campers this week Ray is friendly and personable, and gave the kids a great opportunity to learn about chickens, how they are cared for, and what kind of pets they make.  Camp counselor Brittany Tubbs has chickens and did a great job talking to the kids.  I learned that chickens eat a small amount of sand and pebble and that helps grind up their food in their digestive system.

Ray taught the kids why it isn't a good idea to keep roosters in urban areas, as he repeatedly crowed throughout the presentation. 

I Know a Rooster When I Hear One

One of the most interesting parts about working in an animal shelter is that you never quite know what we have until you come into work.

As I was walking into the building from the parking lot one day last week I heard crowing. Yep -- HAWS had a rooster.

Apparently the lucky guy was originally slated to be someone's dinner. I don't know what the circumstances were, but he ended up at HAWS looking for a new home.

We're hoping to find a forever farm for him soon.

Another lucky animal was a cat that was found in an abandoned garage last night by a kind Waukesha County resident and brought into HAWS. The weather in Wisconsin right now is brutally cold -- it was -8 degrees when I got up this morning. The poor kitty was half frozen and luckily survived. Right now she's staying in a foster home while she recovers from her ordeal.

This serves as a good reminder to all of us who have pets that they really shouldn't be outside for any length of time. I know my dogs run out to eliminate and then want to come right back in.