News to Know
February is Spay/Neuter Awareness Month—Celebrate by spreading the word
Feb. 17, 2012
In addition to spaying or neutering all pets adopted from our shelters, the Dumb Friends League provides donor-subsidized spay/neuter services for cats and dogs in underserved areas of metro Denver through our mobile clinics. You can learn about our spay/neuter services here.
“Having a cat or dog spayed or neutered can help it live a happier, healthier and longer life,” said Theresa Geary, vice president of operations with the League.
Studies have shown neutering a male dog helps eliminates the risk of testicular cancer. Spaying a female pet before her first heat helps prevent uterine infections and breast cancer. Neutering a cat or dog will also improve its behavior and reduce aggressive tendencies.
Share this information with others—as well as our mobile spay/neuter clinic schedules—to encourage more people to have their pet spayed or neutered.
Breaking Up Is Hard to Do: Adopt a bonded pet pair for twice the love
Feb. 2, 2012
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and love is in the air for two sets of dogs at our Quebec Street shelter that are loo
king to stay together … forever. These bonded pairs prove not only that opposites attract, but that animals can form powerful connections and provide companionship and comfort to each other.
Frida and Diego are an odd, adorable and inseparable couple. Frida is a mellow mastiff who enjoys walking, basking in the sun and having her belly rubbed, while Diego is a sociable, playful pug. Smitten with Frida, he follows her like a small, furry shadow. Both dogs are 10 years old, and both would like nothing better than to find a kind adopter who will take them home so they can continue their love affair.
Sandy and Allie are best girlfriends whose owner moved and couldn’t keep them. Sandy, a gentle and 
friendly Rottweiler, is a great walker, and Allie is a sweet Jack Russell terrier who can often be found curled up contentedly beside her buddy. The 10-year-old dogs are housetrained and understand commands like “sit” and “stay.” Of course, staying together is their greatest hope, so they’re waiting patiently for someone who wants double the dogs—and double the love.
Don’t let these devoted dogs spend Valentine’s Day in our shelter! For more information on adopting them, click here or call (303) 751-5772.
Register for this year’s Furry Scurry today!
Jan. 26, 2012
What Denver area event draws thousands of pet lovers and pooches every year? It’s the Dumb Friends League Furry Scurry, a two-mile walk for homeless pets in Denver’s Washington Park. The Furry Scurry is the largest dog walk in the country and the largest fundraiser for the Dumb Friends League.
Over the past 18 years, the Furry Scurry has raised money to help the Dumb Friends League provide temporary homes and care for hundreds of thousands of homeless pets and provide services that help those pets and the people in our community.
Furry Scurry participants support the Dumb Friends League by collecting pledges from family and friends. They vie for the title “Leader of the Pack” by raising the most money for homeless pets through pledges. Our current “Leader of the Pack” raised more than $11,000 dollars!
Registering for the Furry Scurry is easy. Just log onto www.FurryScurry.org, create your own web page for you and your pet and send emails to family and friends asking for their support. You may also register in person at The Quebec St. Shelter or the Buddy Center.
Every registered participant receives an official Furry Scurry T-shirt, free goodies and free refreshments. Participants who collect pledges are rewarded with fabulous prizes. The more money you raise for the animals, the more you can win! You can also create a Furry Scurry team with 6 or more fellow walkers and receive added incentives.
After completing the walk, participants enjoy fun contests and demonstrations and shop at the “Flea-less Market,” where more than 130 vendors offer a “one of a kind” shopping experience for you and your pet.
Don’t miss the 2012 Furry Scurry on Saturday, May 5th, beginning at 9 a.m. Visit www.FurryScurry.org for more information and to register. We hope to see you there!
Dumb Friends League Helps Return Cat to Owners in Florida
Jan. 23, 2012
Thanks to determination, hard work and a bit of luck, a 4-year-old Maine coon cat named Sassy will be reunited with his owners in Florida later this week. While the story will have a happy ending in Florida, it started with a different tone on the opposite coast.
Bart Stoltenberg and his family were stationed in California a year-and-a-half ago. When he was assigned to go overseas, he left Sassy, the family cat, with a friend. The friend called a few months into his assignment, letting him know the cat had gotten away. Somehow, Sassy ended up in the Castle Rock area, hanging around a local apartment complex for the past few months.
Sassy was brought into the Dumb Friends League Buddy Center without tags. As with every animal, the League scanned Sassy for a microchip. It was this microchip that provided a positive match. The League made contact with the owners, who are now stationed in Florida, and, to their surprise, were told their cat had been found.
“We couldn’t believe it,” said Tami Stoltenberg, the cat’s owner. “When we heard he was found, we were in disbelief.”
The cat is chipped with a microchip from HomeAgain, a leader in the pet microchipping industry. To help get Sassy back to his owners, HomeAgain offered to pay $500 and coordinate the cat’s return.
Nationally, less than 2 percent of cats are reunited with their owners. HomeAgain reunites an average of 10,000 pets with owners every month.
The Dumb Friends League is a major proponent of proper collars and ID tags on all pets, especially felines, and microchips every cat and dog adopted from its shelters. The League also encourages cat owners to keep cats inside at all times.
Teaching your cat some new tricks—one click at a time
Jan. 12, 2012
Who says you can’t teach an old (or young) cat new tricks? Commands like sit, roll over and “high five” are just some of the tricks that cats learn in the Dumb Friends League Clicks & Tricks class, which starts the second Wednesday of each month. It’s a common belief that cats cannot be trained. The Dumb Friends League debunks this myth, offering this four-week course that aims to improve the perception of cats as responsive pets and strengthen the bond between them and their owners.
“Cats are intelligent and receptive to training, just like dogs and other animals,” said Ursa Marr, 
associate behavior manager for the Dumb Friends League. “This class is a way to showcase a cat’s ability to learn and perform, while offering an opportunity for cat owners to have fun training and interacting with their feline friends.”
Clicker training involves marking a desired behavior with a “click” sound and rewarding the animal for that behavior. During the Clicks & Tricks orientation, cat owners learn basic clicker-training techniques and how they can be applied to their own cats. For the remaining three classes, feline students are encouraged to attend. With the guidance of knowledgeable staff, owners teach their cats how to sit on command, roll over, give a “high five” and stand up on their hind legs, among other advanced behaviors.
“Clicks & Tricks shows that cats can be trained to perform desired behaviors,” said Marr, who also clicker trains adoptable cats in the shelter. “This class also helps cats become well-adjusted companions, provides their owners with practical tips about typical cat behavior and addresses common problems.”
Clicks & Tricks is offered monthly at the League’s Quebec Street shelter, located at 2080 S. Quebec St. in Denver, and costs $40, which benefits the Dumb Friends League. Classes meet weekly for four weeks, and all classes begin at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Feline students must be at least 18 weeks old.
For more information about cat behavior training opportunities, and to register for Clicks & Tricks, visit ddfl.org/catclasses or call (303) 751-5772.
Waived cat fees extended through February
Jan. 6, 2012
The League is extending its waived adoption fee for cats 1 year and older through Feb. 29. The special is taking place at both shelter locations—the Quebec Street shelter in Denver and the Buddy Center in Castle Rock—as well as the adoption center in Northfield-Stapleton and on its mobile adoption unit, the Pet Care-avan.
Last year, we have seen a high number of cats come through our doors. For the past few months, the Dumb Friends League has asked for the public’s help in finding new homes for these cats, and the League’s call has been heard by supporters around the Denver metro area. Unfortunately, we still have an unusually high number of cats in our care that need loving homes because of this continued need.
“The community has responded to our waived adoption fees on cats, but the challenge continues,” said Bob Rohde, president and CEO of the Dumb Friends League.
Every cat adoption includes a spay/neuter surgery, initial vaccinations, a microchip ID implant, a free office visit with a participating veterinarian and a bag of Hill’s Science Diet pet food. The League spends approximately $300 for each homeless cat that comes through its doors, including shelter, foster and medical care, and behavior training in many cases.
“By choosing to adopt, you get a great deal financially while giving a homeless pet another chance at happiness,” said Rohde. “Plus, adopters welcome more love and companionship into their own lives.”
Interested adopters can view all pets in need of homes online at ddfl.org/adopt, as well as visit the shelters, which are open seven days a week.
Make pets part of your New Year’s resolution
Jan. 2, 2012
A new year is here and people are already thinking of making their personal resolutions for 2012. While resolutions like exercising more, losing weight or giving back to the community are great goals in themselves, they can be much
more fun and successful with the help of a four-legged friend. 
If you’d like to get more exercise and lose weight, take your dog on more walks or go jogging together. Before you include your dog in your new exercise routine, make sure you visit your veterinarian. Also, if your dog isn’t microchipped and your cat doesn’t have a collar and ID tag, now is the time to do it. Always make sure Fido is wearing proper identification so you can be easily reunited if he becomes lost or separated from you.
If you want to start off the new year by adding a furry friend to your family, we encourage you to consider adopting
from the Dumb Friends League. By adopting, you give a home to a pet in
need, as well as open up space for other homeless pets. Plus, adopting
is a great deal! Our fees for cats and dogs include a spay/neuter
surgery, initial vaccinations, microchip ID implant and much more.
If a new pet isn’t in your future, but you still want to help homeless animals, we encourage you to consider volunteering your time. It not only helps the animals become more socialized, it can give you extra exercise, especially after all those holiday feasts! Volunteer opportunities range from providing direct care for cats, dogs
and other small pets to helping with school programs to joining our Homes with Hearts foster care team.
Kids learn life lessons at Critter Camp
Dec. 28, 2011
DENVER - Alex Shipman might be off school for winter break, but he is still learning. The third-grader is attending Critter Camp at the Denver Dumb Friends League where the lessons are in responsibility.
"The idea being that we're going to teach kids about kindness, compassion, respect towards not only animals, but towards all living things," Nicole Schimming, humane education manager at the Dumb Friends League, said.
To watch the story in its entirety, visit 9NEWS.com.
Scurry on over to adopt two small mammals for the price of one
Dec. 14, 2011
Are you looking for a pet that’s a little out of the ordinary? How about something with a SMALL footprint and a BIG personality? Starting Dec. 12, you can adopt two small mammals for the price of one. The Dumb Friends League has more than 130 rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils, rats and mice to choose from (ferrets excluded). The ongoing special takes place at both shelter locations—the Quebec Street shelter in Denver and the Buddy Center in Castle Rock.
“Now, more than ever, is the time to adopt a small mammal,” said Bob Rohde, president and CEO of the Dumb Friends League. “Just like our cats and dogs, these small pets have a lot of love to give.”
Adoption fees for small mammals range from $5 to $55. The Dumb Friends League also offers cages and supplies at our Sit…Stay…Shop for purchase, giving your new pet the perfect home to nestle into.
Interested adopters can view all pets in need of homes online at ddfl.org/adopt, as well as visit the shelters, which are open seven days a week. For more information on the adoption special or on volunteering as a foster parent for small mammals, call (303) 751-5772.
Reward offered to find person poisoning animals in Denver area
Dec. 8, 2011
The Dumb Friends League and Crime Stoppers are offering up to a $3,000 reward to capture the culprit in the recent dog-poisoning cases. Some dogs residing in a neighborhood near the University of Denver have become ill after eating poisonous meatballs left in their homes’ yards.
Tips can be reported anonymously via phone or text to Crime Stoppers.
PHONE: (720) 913-STOP (7867)
TEXT: 274637 (CRIMES), then title DMCS and enter the message
The messages are received at Crime Stoppers through a secure online system that protects a caller’s identity. Crime Stoppers then routes the message to the appropriate agency for action.
Crime Stoppers offers rewards up to $2,000 and, in this particular case, the Dumb Friends League is offering an additional $1,000 if the tip results in a
summons or an arrest. The Crime Stoppers rewards are paid through a third party, thus further assuring anonymity. Funding for the rewards comes from a private donor.
“If anyone has any information on this case, please make an anonymous report to Crime Stoppers today,” said Duane Adams, vice president for field services at the Dumb Friends League. “We want to stop this person from poisoning any more pets in our community.”
In July, Crime Stoppers and several area animal welfare groups launched a state-wide anonymous tip and reward program to make it easier for people anywhere in Colorado to report inhumane
activities involving dogs, cats or horses.
Animal welfare agents and law enforcement agencies rely largely on tips from the public to investigate acts of cruelty or neglect. But many people are reluctant to report what they witness because they fear retaliation. This program allows people the protection they may require before coming forward.
People in the eight-county metro-Denver area may also report animal cruelty directly to the Dumb Friends League at (303) 923-0022 or ddfl.org.
License plate for purchase that helps homeless pets
Oct. 14, 2011
Show your support for homeless pets in underserved parts of Colorado by purchasing an “Adopt-a-Shelter-Pet” license plate for your car. The special plate is available any time during the year at your local Division of Motor Vehicles or through your county clerk’s office.
When you buy this plate, you help raise awareness of the need for more shelter-pet adoptions and contribute funds to help shelters and rescues in primarily rural areas of Colorado.
The cost to purchase the plate is $80, which includes a $30 donation plus the $50 standard fee that is charged by the state for any special-use license plate. You will receive credit for the time remaining between the purchase date and your annual license-plate renewal date. Of course, you also may also purchase the plate upon annual renewal of your regular plates.
If you’re among the 2,500+ animal lovers who are already sporting this beautiful plate on your car, you can renew it when the time comes for a mere $25 contribution.
The initial $30 donation and the subsequent $25 renewal donation go to the Colorado Pet Overpopulation Fund. The Fund distributes grants directly to qualified shelters and rescue groups. The money supports spay/neuter programs, microchipping and medical expenses to prepare cats and dogs for adoption.
Hundreds of paws and feet hit the trail to help homeless pets at Dumb Friends League
Sept. 17, 2011
Homeless pets will benefit from the hundreds of paws and feet that hit the trail today. The Dumb Friends League hosted its seventh annual Wag `n Trail to raise money for the Buddy Center in Castle Rock, Colo.
Nearly 1,500 dogs and people participated in the fundraiser, which included a 1.6-mile hike at the Glendale Farm Open Space. The event raised more than $125,000—a new record for the event.
In addition to the hike, pet lovers had the opportunity to watch flyball demonstrations, meet adoptable pets, participate in contests, win prizes and shop for pet-friendly goods and services.
“We would like to thank all of the participants, donors, sponsors, vendors and volunteers who helped make the Wag `n Trail such a success,” said Bob Rohde, president and CEO for the Dumb Friends League. “It is the community’s support that enables us to offer services for pets and people in Douglas County and beyond.”
The funds raised will help provide shelter and care for as many as 4,500 homeless cats, dogs and other small pet that come to the Dumb Friends League Buddy Center each year. In addition to adopting homeless pets, the center also offers other services, including lost and found, humane education and animal cruelty investigations.
The 2011 Wag `n Trail was sponsored by Hill’s Science Diet. For more information about the event or to make a donation in support of homeless pets, visit ddfl.org/wnt.
Signature summer fundraiser a success for homeless pets, a dozen find new homes at Aug. 27 event in Castle Rock
Aug. 29, 2011
“Mama, am I dreaming or do we really have a dog?” 
The question gets repeated several times a day, according to Emily Williams, who adopted Issa at last Saturday’s Lulu’s Barkin’ BBQ. It comes from her 5-year-old daughter who, along with her 4-year-old brother, woke up Sunday morning to a surprise that rivaled Christmas.
If Issa could talk, she would probably ask a similar question; i.e., “Am I dreaming or did I really land in the best home ever?”
Issa has already settled in with her new family. “It’s like she’s always been with us,” Emily said in a follow-up call today. “She sleeps right beside our bed.”
Lost from home, Issa arrived at our shelter in July. She is about 8 years old; and, while it is clear she had been someone’s loved pet (she had polish on her toenails!), she hadn’t had veterinary care in quite a while.
Issa wasn’t reclaimed by her owners, so, before we offered her for adoption, she received a “complete makeover” by our medical team. She was spayed, had some benign tumors removed, had her teeth shined up and some rotten molars extracted. Then it was on to our groomers, who gave her a bath and a good brushing. An eye-catching red collar topped her new look, and she was off to attend the big gala.
It’s a true Cinderella story with the happiest ending possible.
Emily said she and her husband have come to Lulu’s Barkin’ BBQ for the past five years—because “the League is such a fantastic organization.” This time they had in mind adopting a dog if there was one that met their criteria—a smaller, mature female who would get along well with her cats and her children.
And there she was! Just waiting for them! “When I used to volunteer at the shelter, I was always drawn to the cattle dogs,” Emily said. “I knew right away she was the one for us.”
Issa and 11 other homeless pets started new lives Saturday night, and the more than $600,000 raised from ticket prices, plus live and silent auctions, will go to help more pets like them. The League is grateful to all who attended the fundraiser, and is especially thankful to hosts Jana and Fred Bartlit, whose tireless efforts made the 10th anniversary of the sold-out event the most successful ever.
View photos from Lulu's Barkin' BBQ, which was hosted on Saturday, Aug. 27.
Those interested in having a happy ending like Issa and the Williams' family can view all pets in need of homes online as well as visit the Dumb Friends League Quebec Street shelter in Denver or the Buddy Center in Castle Rock during adoption hours. Both shelters are open seven days a week.
Area animal welfare groups partner with Crime Stoppers to bring awareness and prosecution to animal cruelty
July 19, 2011
Animals suffering from abuse, neglect or abandonment are benefiting from a new partnership among area animal welfare groups and Crime Stoppers. Together, the groups have launched a state-wide anonymous tip and reward program to make it easier for people anywhere in Colorado to report inhumane activities involving dogs, cats or horses.
Anonymous tips can be reported via phone or text. The messages are received at Crime Stoppers through a secure online system that protects a caller’s identity. Crime Stoppers then routes the message to the appropriate agency for action.
Rewards of up to $2,000 are available if the tip results in a summons or an arrest. Rewards are paid through a third party, thus further assuring anonymity. Funding for the rewards comes from a private donor.
Tips can be reported via phone or text to Crime Stoppers.
PHONE: (720) 913-STOP (7867)
TEXT: 274637 (CRIMES), then title DMCS and enter the message
Partnering with Crime Stoppers in the program are the Dumb Friends League, the Colorado Humane Society, Boulder Police Department, Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region, Larimer Humane Society, Lakewood Animal Control, Mesa County Animal Services, Rifle Police Department, Westminster Police Department, Wheat Ridge Police Department, and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department.
Animal welfare agents and law enforcement agencies rely largely on tips from the public to investigate activities such as dog fighting or other acts of cruelty or neglect. But many people are reluctant to report what they witness because they fear retaliation. This new program allows people the protection they may require before coming forward.
People in the eight-county metro-Denver area may also report animal cruelty directly to the Dumb Friends League online or by calling (303) 923-0022.
Disaster preparedness for you and your pets
You never know when disaster may strike. Being prepared can help save your life as well as your four-legged family members.
Read these tips on how to develop an emergency plan for you and your pets.