Humane Animal Welfare Alliance

05/29/2026

05/29/2026

Switching focus for a minute to something people can do RIGHT NOW to immediately help dogs in need🐾

Local rescues are already stretched to the limit. In many cases, fosters are stacking new dogs on top of dogs they already have because they simply don’t have anywhere else for them to go.

That means there are amazing dogs already sitting in foster homes, fully vetted and adoption-ready, while new emergency cases continue coming in.

So one of the quickest and easiest ways to help right now is simple:

If you’ve been thinking about getting a dog… adopt local. ❤️

Every adoption opens up space and resources for another dog that desperately needs help.

My personal pick of the litter right now is CASH! 🐶

Cash is still a pup, around 8 months old, recently neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped. He gets along with everyone:
✔️ Dogs
✔️ Cats
✔️ Kids
✔️ Chickens
✔️ Horses

“What’s the catch?” people ask.

Cash is deaf.

And honestly? Don’t let that scare you away. This boy is smart, responsive, affectionate, and ready for his person. Deaf dogs adapt incredibly well and often bond even stronger with their families.

Cash is a Border Collie/Heeler mix with a whole lot of love and potential packed into one fuzzy little cattle-dog chaos package. 🚜🐾

Seriously, somebody come get this good boy his forever home. Cash is available by contacting Fur Ever Yours Dog Rescue

05/29/2026

Yes, cats can get tick paralysis, too; and it is a life-threatening medical emergency. This condition occurs when a female tick attaches to a cat and injects a neurotoxin into the cat's bloodstream while feeding. While it is relatively rare in North America, it's been popping up a lot recently.

Symptoms typically appear 3 to 7 days after a tick attaches. The neurotoxin disrupts the cat's nervous system, causing progressive paralysis.

Look out for these signs:
*The cat will stumble, struggle to jump, or walk like they are "drunk".

*A distinct change in the sound or pitch of their meow.

*Excessive drooling, coughing, gagging, or difficulty swallowing food and water.

*Large, sluggish pupils that respond poorly to light.
*Grunting, panting, or heavy abdominal breathing as chest muscles fail.

If you see a tick, remove it immediately. Use a specialized tick hook or tweezers to pluck the tick straight off the skin. Do not squeeze the tick's body, as this can force more toxins into the cat.

If you suspect tick paralysis, you must seek emergency vet care.
Minimize stress and keep your cat in a cool, quiet space during transport, as stress can worsen respiratory distress.

Vets will thoroughly search for additional ticks, administer a tick antiserum (TAS) injection to neutralize circulating toxins, and provide critical oxygen or respiratory support.

The most effective defense is a year-round, vet-approved parasite preventative. Never use dog tick products on a cat, as many contain permethrin, which is highly toxic and lethal to felines.

Begin a daily manual tick check by running your fingers through your cat's fur. Pay close attention to high-risk hiding zones. 85-90% of ticks are found around the head, neck, ears, armpits, and between the toes.

05/29/2026

My name is Paulette Quiroga-Jacklin, Executive Director of Healing Hearts Donkey Shelter & Refuge and founder of the Humane Animal Welfare Alliance (HAWA).

Recent large-scale animal neglect cases within Okanogan County have highlighted both the compassion of our community and the serious gaps that still exist in our rural animal welfare support systems.

When situations involving dozens of animals arise, local rescues, volunteers, veterinary clinics, fosters, and law enforcement are often forced to respond rapidly with limited coordination, resources, and no centralized countywide animal welfare infrastructure.

The reality is that our county depends heavily on overextended rescues, volunteers, and community members who step forward during emergencies. While their dedication is admirable, these situations also demonstrate the growing need for stronger communication, better public education, lawful animal welfare guidance, foster support systems, lost-and-found coordination, and cooperative resource-sharing throughout our region.

This is one of the primary reasons I created the Humane Animal Welfare Alliance (HAWA).

HAWA’s vision is not to compete with existing rescues or agencies, but to help strengthen communication, education, prevention efforts, and community coordination in a strictly non-enforcement capacity.

I hope to build:
• Better lost and found animal coordination
• Public education regarding stray and at-large animal laws
• Resource networking between rescues, fosters, and agencies
• Guidance for community members trying to help animals lawfully and responsibly
• Improved communication during animal welfare emergencies
• Stronger cooperative support systems within Okanogan County

I would sincerely appreciate the opportunity to meet with you to introduce myself, explain my vision in more detail, hear your thoughts and concerns, and explore whether there may be opportunities for cooperation and community partnership moving forward.

I truly believe protecting animals in rural communities requires communication, education, cooperation, and community-wide support, and I would be grateful for the chance to speak with you for a few moments.

I will be planning several meetings with the Okanogan County community, animal welfare organizations, and County officials in the very near future. However, I invite anyone who wants to meet with me beforehand for a little one-on-one to get their questions answered, find out who I am, where I come from, what I'm trying to accomplish, and how I plan to accomplish it in Okanogan County. My contact information is below. Please call, text, or email me to set up a meeting date and time.

Paulette Quiroga-Jacklin
Healing Hearts Donkey Shelter & Refuge
Humane Animal Welfare Alliance

Address: 121 Keystone Rd, Riverside, WA 98849
Mobile Phone: (509) 322-4995
FB: Humane Animal Welfare Alliance
Email: [email protected]
WEB: Humaneanimalwelfarealliance.org
WA State DOR recognized: 501(c)(3) EIN #83-3176076
WA State registered Humane Animal Welfare: UBI # 604384310






TopFans
Fur Ever Yours Dog Rescue
Humane Animal Welfare Alliance
Okandogs
Animal Foster Care Cat Shelter
Okanogan County Everything Dogs

05/29/2026

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT TICK PARALYSIS?
I took our dogs in to see Dr. Cody Ames for their annual wellness check and vaccinations. He told me that the ticks are particularly bad this year (which I already suspected). What I was not aware of is Tick Paralysis. Vet Cody said he typically sees 1 or 2 incidents a year; this year, he has already seen 5 cases, and tick season is just getting started.

Tick Paralysis in dogs is a severe, rapidly progressive medical emergency caused by a neurotoxin produced by certain species of feeding female ticks.

It's not a disease or infection, but rather a form of poisoning that directly disrupts the connection between your dog's nerves and muscles. If you suspect your dog has tick paralysis, you must seek immediate veterinary care, as the condition can quickly become fatal.

Symptoms typically appear 5 to 9 days after a tick attaches and can worsen rapidly. The paralysis usually starts at the rear of the body and progresses forward.

Watch for:
*Wobbliness or weakness in the hind legs, causing a staggering or drunken gait.

*Change in bark or loss of voice due to weakness in the vocal cords.

*Gagging, coughing, or retching, which happens because the throat and esophagus become paralyzed.

*Excessive drooling and difficulty swallowing. Regurgitation or vomiting increases the risk of aspiration (fluid entering the lungs, leading to pneumonia).

*Labored, heavy, or rapid breathing as the paralysis moves to the chest muscles and diaphragm.

*Dilated pupils and an inability to blink if the tick is attached near the face.

*Complete collapse and total body immobilization.

What to Do? Call your vet or an emergency animal hospital immediately. Let them know you suspect tick paralysis so they can prepare for your arrival. Perform a thorough tick search. Remove your dog's collar and run your fingers firmly over the skin. Pay extra attention to the face, neck, ears, lips, and between the toes.

Remove the tick safely. Use a tick removal tool or tweezers to grasp the tick close to the skin, then pull it straight out. If the head stays behind, do not panic; the body contains the salivary glands that produce the toxin.

Keep your dog calm, cool, and quiet. Stress and heat accelerate the toxin's effects. Do not offer food or water, as their paralyzed throat muscles can cause them to choke or aspirate.

We've dealt with regular ticks and even "ear ticks," but we have no desire to deal with Tick Paralysis. So all the dogs are now sporting Elanco Seresto flea & tick collars for their third year. They're expensive, but they do their job.

Please share with your family and friends, and on your profile page,e so others learn about Tick Paralysis.

05/26/2026