Dogs everywhere are crying

She knew how much a dog can give

Roberta C. Kaman, president and co-founder of The Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, Inc. has diedm the organization said in a statement.
“We are saddened by Robbie’s passing,” Eliot D. Russman, Fidelco’s CEO an executive director said in the statement. “We will miss her presiding presence in our midst, the vision she brought to our organization and the passion with which she served our clients.”
Dogs and dog training were always in Kaman’s life, the statement said.
Kaman recently said in “Trust the Dog,” the new book about Fidelco, “I’ve never been without a dog,” the statement said,
"From the dogs on her grandfather’s farm, to the dogs her father trained for hunting, to the thousands of dogs she bred for Fidelco, canines were an important part of her life," the statement said.
Kaman was "bitten by the training bug early on when she attended a dog training class" in Manchester, Conn, the statement said.
"She proved to be a natural trainer and the town asked her to stay on and help with the classes," the statement said.
As she said, “Apparently I had an ear for the music.”
Over the years, Kaman and her friends raised and showed several breeds, including standard poodles, the statement said and she spent time mentoring with Dr. Allen Leventhal at his veterinarian practice in Bolton, Conn., the statement said.
She got her first German shepherd in 1958, "sowing the seeds for what would become a lifelong fascination with this extraordinary breed of dog," the statement said.
"In 1960, Kaman joined a local German shepherd club in New Haven and met Charlie Kaman, her future husband and founder of Kaman Aerospace. Together, they helped form the Fidelco Breeders Cooperative, the beginnings of what is now the Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation," the statement said.
The cooperative bred German shepherds for 20 years and donated them to guide dog schools and law enforcement.
From 1980, their home-based hobby grew dramatically to become an internationally accredited guide dog foundation that has placed more than 1,300 guide dogs with blind and visually disabled clients throughout the U.S. and Canada, the statement said.
Kaman was instrumental in developing the Fidelco “breed within a breed;” a German shepherd with the temperament, work ethic and stamina suited to guiding people who are blind, the statement said.
Fidelco "also pioneered its “In-community Placement” program in the U.S. Using this process, the Fidelco client is trained with the guide dog in their home area, allowing them to be more productive quickly," the statement said.
Kaman received numerous awards, including the prestigious Migel Medal Award from the American Foundation for the Blind and was honored as a Melvin Jones Fellow, the Lions Club’s highest level of recognition.
“When I get a positive phone call from a person with a Fidelco guide dog, I am always grateful,” Kaman is quoted as saying in the statment. “I realize that we’ve managed to help someone in a very personal and important way.”
The Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, Inc., a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in Bloomfield, breeds, trains and places a unique type of German shepherd guide dogs with people who have visual disabilities.
Now in its 50th year of service, Fidelco relies solely on the gifts and the generosity of individuals, foundations, corporations and civic organizations that partner with us to “Share the Vision.”

In the photo: Roberta C. “Robbie” Kaman, president and co-founder of the Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, Inc.

Editor's note: The information in this post was provided wholly by Jack Hayward, It is only lightly edited here.

Connecticut DEP says: Leave fawns alone

It is natural for fawns to be left alone for extended periods, the agency said.

The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection has issued a request asking residents to be aware that white-tailed deer are giving birth to fawns around the state and the babies should be left alone.
"With the advent of warm weather, more people are participating in outdoor activities, increasing the chances that someone will come across a tiny fawn. The fawn may appear to have been deserted, but that is usually not the case. The DEP Wildlife Division has been receiving an increasing number of phone calls from people concerned about finding fawns that appear to be orphaned or abandoned," the agency said in a statement.
"It is critical for people to leave deer fawns alone, as the animal’s instinctive behavior in its first weeks of life is to remain motionless and let danger pass. The fawn may appear helpless or abandoned, but it is behaving normally in response to a perceived threat. As newborns, the fawns have almost no body odor and their reddish brown coat with white spots makes them almost invisible to predators. Fawns often lie motionless on the ground surrounded by low vegetation and remain perfectly still even when approached by another animal. It is important to realize that young fawns likely do not need your help, and the doe is probably feeding nearby," the statemeent said.
"It is highly unlikely that a fawn found alone has been abandoned," Rick Jacobson, Director of the DEP Wildlife Division said in the statement. "It is best not to touch the fawn and to leave it where it was found for at least 24 hours to determine whether the adult is still returning for feedings. While waiting for the doe to return, it is important that both people and dogs stay away from the fawn. A truly orphaned fawn will show signs of distress by walking around aimlessly and calling out for several hours."
The agency noted that when "a doe gives birth to one or two fawns and nurses them, she leads them into a secluded habitat. Twin fawns may even be separated from each other. The doe then leaves them alone for extended periods of time. She returns to nurse them about three to four times a day, with feeding time lasting approximately 15 minutes. This pattern will continue for up to 3 weeks until the fawns are strong enough to accompany the doe or flee from danger"
"Although it may be natural to want to assist young fawns, caring for them does more harm than good," Jacobson said, also in the statement. "Raising fawns for successful return to the wild requires considerable knowledge of deer biology, feeding formulas, countless hours of care, and outdoor caging. Improper care results in underweight and undernourished animals or animals that are not able to return to the wild because they have become too accustomed to being around people. Removing fawn deer from the wild, raising them, and keeping them in captivity is illegal."
If a fawn has "truly been orphaned, it is best that the animal be placed in the care of a licensed wildlife rehabilitator with the skills, training, and state authorization to care for fawns. A fawn suspected of being orphaned should be left where it was found, and its location should be reported to a wildlife rehabilitator qualified to care for fawns," the statement said.
A list of wildlife rehabilitators and their contact information can be obtained on the DEP Web site at www.ct.gov/dep/wildlife, or by calling the DEP Wildlife Division at 860-424-3011, weekdays or the DEP Emergency Dispatch Center at 860-424-3333 (after hours or on weekends).

Editor's note: The information contained in this post was released by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection.

Memorial Day Parade

Get your pets vaccinated!

WEST HAVEN, Conn. — Wags and Whiskers, TLC has scheduled two upcoming rabies clinic, from 1 to 3 p.m. June 12 at Angel Animal Hospital 333 Elm St. and from 10 a.m. to noon June 13 at the Minor Park Fire Station 318 Fairfax St.
Rabies vaccines are $10. Dogs must be on leashes and cats in carriers, The clinics are open to all pet owners.
For more information, call Jim Vitelli at 203-937-3642 or e-mail pounddogs@yahoo.com

Pet Food Bank needs help

MILFORD — The Pet Food Bank at the Milford Animal Shelter is very low on cat and dog food. Wet and dry cat and dog food, (especially cat), along with treats and toys, will be accepted from 9 am to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at Milford Animal Control, 664 E. Broadway. The shelter is in Silver Sands State Park, with an entrance on Meadowside Road in Milford, Conn.
For further information, call 203-783-3279.

Stay Calm, But They're calling it "Feline Frenzy"

The Connecticut Humane Society is taking part in celebrating National Adopt-A-Cat Month of June with events June 4, 5 and 6.
Dubbed, "Feline Frenzy," the events offer all cats older than 3 for free to a good home, the society said in a statement.
The adults cats are "cute, loving and playful. They’re well trained and will provide many years of companionship," the statement said.
In part, it is essential for people to consider adopting an older cat because "animal shelters and rescue groups everywhere are filled to the brim with felines, especially kittens, seeking their forever homes," during the summer, and more kittens mean the older animals stay in shelters a lot longer, the statement said.
The promotion is taking place in all of the agency’s locations, in Newington, Waterford, Westport and the New London PetSmart. The cats will come with the standard adoptions benefit package that is always available, the statement said and potential adopters should look for the "I Have Purrsonality" signs on their cages when they visit a adoption center, the statement said.
The adoptions benefit package includes: free 30-day policy of ShelterCare pet health insurance and free microchip by 24PetWatch; consultation with staff to help select the most suitable feline for your lifestyle; FIV/FeLV testing, flea treatment and deworming treatment; spay/neuter; appropriate vaccinations according to the age of the pet, including rabies; identification tags and rabies tag if applicable; carrier and stretch collar; starter supply of Hill’s Science Diet food and pet care information; and medical evaluation and treatment for problems that were diagnosed during the exam, the statement said.