the hedgehog welfare societycommunity. two very active members of the hedgehog welfare society are...

by Julie Hintz, Syracuse, NY

It is said that everyone knows someone intheir life who has been touched by breastcancer. The hedgehog community is noexception. Even if you don't know anyonepersonally, you may have heard ofcelebrities diagnosed with breast cancer.Melissa Etheridge, Shirley Temple, EdieFalco, Peggy Fleming, Betty Ford, andOlivia Newton-John are just a fewexamples. Suzanne Somers has been veryoutspoken about her battle with breastcancer and her decision to forgoconventional treatments, opting instead forhomeopathic and spiritual cures.

Several years ago, I knew women who hadbreast cancer, but none were extremely closeto me. I never imagined breast cancer would

affect me personally. But, in the summer of1998, breast cancer touched my life in waysI never thought possible. My mother was

In this issueBreast Cancer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

All Aboard the Hedgie Train . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Daisy & Blossom Go To School . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Quills and Comfort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Pogs Are People Too . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Hedgie Hero: Deborah Kirksey . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Pog Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Bronx Reptile Rescue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Rainbow Bridge Mortality Database . . . . . . . .13

The Literary Hedgehog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

The Hedgehog Welfare SocietyYale University Station, PO Box 206603

New Haven CT 06520-6603www.hedgehogwelfare.org

HWS Committees/Contacts

Advocacy – Pet Store/USDA LiaisonsJennifer Plombon, Stephanie Hyne

[email protected]

Rescue CoordinationLaura Ledet, Yolanda [email protected]

Health Research and EducationLinda Fine, Gioia Kerlin

[email protected]

Rescue Care PackagesHeather Johnson [email protected]

Jennifer Plombon [email protected]

Quills and ComfortJudie Peters

[email protected] Fish Kregear

[email protected]

HWS AdministrationPublic Relations

Donnasue Graesser, Tonya [email protected]

HWS Donations and Store ItemsDonnasue Graesser

[email protected]

Website Additions/Deletions/CorrectionsAimee Hassler, Janelle Zorko

[email protected]

NewsletterKathleen Knudsen

[email protected]

FinanceDonnasue Graesser, Treasurer

[email protected]

MembershipKerri LeMotte

[email protected]

The Hedgehog Welfare SocietyThe Hedgehog Welfare SocietyTO PROTECT THE WELL-BEING OF PET HEDGEHOGS THROUGH RESCUE, RESEARCH AND EDUCATION OF THE PEOPLE WHO CARE FOR THEM NEWSLETTER #15, MAR/APR 2005

Editor's note: In the past year, breast cancer has “hit close to home” in the hedgehogcommunity. Two very active members of the Hedgehog Welfare Society are currentlyundergoing treatments for breast cancer. The community has also been touched by the lossof Linda Cassell, who bravely fought breast and ovarian cancer for many years. Julie Hintz,a longtime member of the HWS, also lost her mother to breast cancer in 2000. Julie is ascientist, and has become quite involved in the breast cancer research and awarenesscommunity. Thanks to Julie, who generously agreed to share some information with us sowe can all be more knowledgeable about breast cancer.

Breast Cancer: The Disease That Affects Us All

continued on page 2

Julie and her Mom

diagnosed in August of 1998, and shepassed away in May of 2000. I was only 19years old.

• Facts and Statistics

Breast cancer is three times more common inwomen than all gynecologic malignanciesput together, and its incidence is steadilyincreasing. Every year more than 200,000women are diagnosed with breast cancer inthe United States alone. Every two minutes,a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer.Breast cancer is the leading cause of death inwomen between the ages of 40 and 55.Breast cancer is also the second leadingcause of cancer death in all women,exceeded only by lung cancer.

The incidence of breast cancer is very low inyoung women in their twenties. It increasesgradually with age, plateaus at the age of 45,and increases dramatically after fifty. Thedisease tends to be much more aggressive inyoung women and decreases in aggressivenessas age increases. Fifty percent of breastcancer is diagnosed in women who are overthe age of 65, indicating the ongoingnecessity of yearly screening throughout awoman's life. According to autopsy resultsof the general population, two percent ofthe population has undiagnosed breastcancer at the time of death.

One staggering, often overlooked fact is thatbreast cancer is not just a women's disease.Each year, 16,000 men will be diagnosedand 400 will die from breast cancer.

Despite these statistics, the survival rate forbreast cancer remains high when it isdetected at an early stage. Monthly examsfor both men and women are important,and mammograms remain the best detectorof breast cancers.

• Common Myths Associated withBreast Cancer

1 Lumps in the breast are cancerous. 8 outof 10 lumps found in breast tissue are notcancerous. While it seems most lumps arebenign, that doesn't mean you shouldignore your body. Be proactive in yourhealth care and see a doctor if you detectany lumps or changes in breast tissue. Mydoctor tells me that she would rather haveme call her with a concern and have itturn out to be “nothing”, than ignore theproblem and have a bigger problem downthe road.

2 If family members have had breastcancer, you will have it too. Whilewomen who have a family history ofbreast cancer are placed in a higher riskcategory, most women diagnosed withbreast cancer have no family history.

3 Mammograms are dangerous and maycause breast cancer to spread.Mammograms are still the number onediagnostic tool used by doctors to detectbreast cancers. If there is no family history,women should begin having a yearlymammogram after age 40. If there is afamily history, it is recommended that thefirst mammogram be done five years beforethe age of the family member at diagnosis.

• Early Detection is KEY!

Monthly self exams are of utmost importance.Nobody knows your body better than you,and these self exams are important so thatyou will be able to recognize changes inyour own breast tissue. 70% of breastcancers are detected through self exams.Mammograms can detect lumps not foundin self exams. When breast cancer is foundearly, the five year survival rate is over 95%.

• What are risk factors associatedwith breast cancer?

Diets high in saturated fat are associatedwith increased rates of breast cancer. Earlyonset of menses and late onset of menopausealso correlate with increased rates of breastcancer. Moderate obesity, prior history ofbreast cancer, estrogen replacement therapy,late or no pregnancies, family history, beingfemale, and therapeutic irradiation of thechest wall (i.e. for Hodgkin's disease-cancerof lymph nodes) are all associated with anincreased risk for breast cancer.

• What are the treatments forbreast cancer?

There are several different types of breastcancers, and the type and stage of the cancerdetermines the treatment. In the HedgieHero article, Deborah mentioned that hertreatment included chemotherapy andradiation treatments. Surgery is also anoption in some cases.

Besides the different types of breast cancers,there are also hormonal factors to beconsidered when determining treatments.Some (most) breast cancer cells haveestrogen/progesterone receptors and respond

Breast Cancer has touched the lives ofseveral members of the Hedgehog WelfareSociety. Both Deborah Kirksey and KimberlyClark are currently being treated forbreast cancer. We know their strength andspirit will bring these courageous womento a full recovery.

Breast cancer has also touched our friendsand families. Julie Hintz wrote about hermother in her article. Donnasue Graesserhas several friends who are breast cancersurvivors, and is a regular participant inthe Susan G. Komen Foundation's Racefor the Cure. Tonya Thomas also shared aninspiring story about her Grandmother, “Iremember when I was about ten years oldgoing and seeing my Granny Billie in thehospital. She sat me down on the side ofthe bed and told me she was going to havesurgery for breast cancer. At the time Ididn't understand that much about it, butas I grew up I understood all she had beenthrough. She was cancer-free the rest ofher life, and passed just eight years agofrom heart problems. I miss her so muchbut never will forget the message she gaveme of how important breast exams are.

And, we all fondly remember Quilliam'smom, Linda Cassell (pictured below), whofought a brave battle with breast cancerfor many years. Linda demonstrated herboundless energy as the co-organizer ofthe Suncoast Hedgehog Show, onlymonths before her final illness. We will allremember Linda's bright smile, wisdom,creativity, and, most of all, her love forQuilliam.

HWS NEWSLETTER #15, MAR/APR 2005 PAGE 2

continued on page 3 Linda Cassell and Quilliam


to hormonal treatment. There is moreresearch available concerning these types ofcancers, therefore the prognosis is verypromising for these types of cancer.

• So, what can we all do?

It doesn't take a lot of time or money to helpthe cause of breast cancer research. Everylittle bit helps, even if it's just the click of acomputer mouse! There are manyfoundations dedicated to finding a cure forbreast cancer. Most people have heard of theSusan G. Komen Foundation. This foundationis responsible for The Race for the Cure andother educational awareness programs.Susan G. Komen sponsors pink Kitchen Aidstanding mixers and Yoplait pink yogurttops, all to raise money for education.

There is also the Carol Baldwin BreastCancer Research Foundation. CarolBaldwin, the mother of the famous Baldwinbrothers (Alec, Daniel, Billy, Stephen), is

also a breast cancer survivor. The Baldwinfamily is from the next town over frommine, so it was easy for me to get involvedwith the Baldwin Foundation. I beganvolunteering shortly after my mom passedaway. I volunteer at various events, such asgolf tournaments, the state fair, and mallbooths that the foundation sets up atChristmas time. It makes me feel better afterthe tragedy that I experienced, and it feelsgood knowing that I can do something tohonor my mom. We accept donations andsell items such as T-shirts, pins, magnets,and jewelry. 100% of the profits go towardsbreast cancer research. Each year three orfour grants are given in memory of peoplewho have died of breast cancer. Mymother's memory was honored with one ofthese $50,000 grants in 2001.

If your time and money are scarce, there arestill little things you can do to contribute tobreast cancer research. The Check Gallery(www.checkgallery.com) offers checks with

the pink ribbon symbol printed on them. Aportion of the proceeds from the sales ofthese checks is donated to The NationalBreast Cancer Foundation. One small, butVERY important contribution can be madeby clicking daily on “the breast cancer” site(http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/CTDSites). By clicking onthe “fund free mammograms” button, youcan help to donate free mammograms towomen in need. Every click counts!

Credits: www.nationalbreastcancer.orgwww.pinkribbon.comwww.thebreastcancersite.com

Links:www.nationalbreastcancer.orgwww.pinkribbon.comwww.thebreastcancersite.comwww.komen.orgwww.findacure.org (Carol Baldwin's site)

All Aboard theHedgie Train!Stephanie Hyne & Donnasue Graesser, conductors

Sometimes a hedgehog needs to be rescued fromlocation “A”, but the perfect forever home for thathedgehog is hundreds of miles away at location “B.”How does the hedgie get from point A to point B? Hegets a one-way ticket and hops aboard the hedgie train!

The hedgie train is a group of individuals who are willingto drive a bit to help transport rescued hedgehogs topermanent homes. Participants travel in “legs” of a train,each traveling whatever distance is reasonable for thatperson. For example, in a recent train a hedgie that wasrescued in Maryland is being transported first to NewJersey, then to Connecticut, then to Massachusetts,then to her final home in New Hampshire.

The train is set up as a yahoo group e-mail list. Anyone with safe, reliable transportation and a soft spot in his or her heart for hedgehogsis encouraged to participate. Even if you do not drive, but might be willing to be a pit stop for other drivers, your help will be appreciated!The purpose of the hedgie train e-mail list is to allow one-stop efficient organization of trains to bring rescue hedgehogs to their foreverhomes. The list enables those willing to participate in hedgehog transportation to put their information on file, so those organizing trainscan contact them if transportation is necessary in that area. People arranging rescue trains can announce the need for legs in the train to agroup ready and eager to participate. Posts for train needs can be cross-posted from any other hedgie or rescue list. The hedgie train isstrictly for rescue purposes. It is not utilized for the transport of “bred and sold” hoglets.

Whether you are willing to drive 10 miles, 100 miles, or just to be a pit stop for other drivers, we welcome you to join the hedgie train list.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hedgehogtrain


Blossom & Daisy Plombon, as dictated toJennifer Plombon, Minneapolis, MN

Greetings, all persons who wish to learnmore about hedgehogs! A few months ago,we traveled to the College of VeterinaryMedicine at the University of Minnesota, toteach vet students more about us, and toencourage them to consider seeing hedgehogsin their practices when they graduate. Wethought that perhaps they were afraid totouch our quilly selves, and hoped to makethem feel more comfortable around us.

First, Mom applied for and received herUSDA Class C license. This is needed to teachor exhibit on a regular basis; one can applyfor a one-time exemption if teaching orexhibiting only once, but having the licenseensures that one is meeting all requirementsand it is recommended, even if teaching rarely.It wasn’t hard to get at all! The paperworkwas requested through the USDA (visitwww.hedgehogwelfare.org and click on theUSDA link to find phone numbers for yourregion). Our vet had to come to our houseand visit us and talk about food and health,then the USDA inspector came to see us. Shecame one more time for a surprise visit, andwill come surprise us again in the next 6months. Then she will visit us once per year.Mom feels very secure having that license inher hand. And we feel very important, beingon the official-looking paperwork!

So, what was school like? It was pretty coldthat morning! Our friend Sarah S camealong with her hedgeboy, Boris, in caseanyone wanted to see boy parts; she took usall into the building to stay warm whileMom parked the car. Mom and Sarah set upa couple of playpens on tables in the front ofthe room, and then let us all hide under ourhats. Then Mom talked to the students andshowed slides (the students were in theirthird year already; about time they learnedabout hedgehogs, we’d say!) about all sortsof stuff, such as:

Handling: how to encourage us to unroll;the effective use of a glass pan to look at tummieswe think are hidden; how to know when abite is coming and how to get free of one.

Our Bodies, Ourselves: what quills are madeof, what our teeth are like and how manywe have, how our feet work, how our eyeswork, what to do to care for our ears, howto keep water out of our “upside-down”noses, why the “reverse Mohawk” is a goodthing, what girl and boy parts look like, andhow to give us anesthesia.

Things That Hurt Us or Make Us Sick: hepaticlipidosis (fatty liver disease) and ways toprevent it, mites and other parasites, WHS,oral/facial/cranial tumors, uterine problems,lymphoma, urinary tract and upper respiratoryinfections, cardiac disease, and problemswith our feets and legs (Blossom allowedMom to demonstrate nail clipping with weelittle scissors.)

What Our Persons Need to Know: habits(no one anointed, unfortunately, because thestudents would have LOVED that!); habitat;who might live with whom (some of usdon’t share well with others); medicationsand how to give them (in a cricket, please,or else make it really tasty); breeding; diet(rest assured we encouraged the feeding of

insects and some salmon-fruit); TheDreaded Bath (we had hoped Mom wouldforget to bring that up); how to make ourlives more fun (please hide our treats andinsects in our homes so we can search forthem); and our suitability as pets.

After all this dry talk, the students came upto meet us! Oh, they were enchanted by ourlovely selves! I, Blossom, showed them whata calm and curious hedgehog is like. I, Daisy,showed them what a careful and cautioushedgehog is like. Boris showed them what aboy hedgehog is like. We showed offtummies, feeties, noses and cute little ears.Brave Blossom crawled up on a woman’sshoulder and became thoroughly entangledin her hair and had to be extricated. BraveDaisy allowed balm to be put on her ears.Brave Boris allowed students to peek at histummy. The students were suitably impressedwith all of us, and none of us bit anyone. Itwent very well and we think we will seemore veterinarians willing to take care of usin the future. Mom hopes to provide thelecture outline, the handling tips, and USDAlicensing information to other persons whowish to teach at the vet schools in their area.Oh, hedgehog friends, we can help peoplelearn so much about us, and it’s fun, too!

Daisy & BlossomGo To School


by Judie Peters, Bluffton, SC

From its conception Quills and Comfort wasdesigned to be a support and outreachprogram for hedgie companions. The Circleof Light was our first support program andcontinues to be a great comfort and solacefor grieving companions. We are pleased tocontinue expanding Quills and Comfort byincluding “Quills 'n Birthdays”, NaomiWikane's “Healing Candle Ceremony”, plusa new CafePress Store.

Quills and Comfort has become the sumtotal of many outreach programs which area labor of love for the dedicated people whocoordinate each program. Carol Fish Kregeardeveloped and coordinates the Circle ofLight which honors hedgies who havedeparted our earthly confines. Tonya Thomasdeveloped the idea of sending condolencecards, and faithfully mails Quills andComfort cards to grieving hedgiecompanions. Aimee Hassler is our web-lasswho donates her web expertise. Naomi Wikanewill overview her Healing CandleCeremonies in our next newsletter. I haveput the Quills and Comfort hedgie graphicsI love to design on the CafePress store(cafepress.com/judiepeters), with all profitsdonated to HWS. And, newly developed is aprogram to honor our quilly critters called“Quills 'n Birthdays”. Additionally, JenniferPlombon faithfully gathers and recordsnames for the Circle of Light and Quills andComfort Cards and generally helps keep us(me) organized. So, to borrow an alreadywell-used phrase, it takes a village.

Quills ‘n BirthdaysQuills ‘n BirthdaysIt Takes a Village

Quills 'n Birthdays is new! In celebration of the quilly critters we love so much, Quillsand Comfort would like to honor your hedgie(s) birth date. To include your quilledone, submit birth dates, birthday pictures or both to [email protected]. Youdon't have to wait until “Spot's” next birthday to send a birthday picture, we'llcelebrate all year round.

Quills and Comfort Card, featuring Quillem from the “All Hedgehogs

go to Heaven” series.

Quills and Comfort


Hunter (dog) (guardians Tonya and Rick)Mars (guardian Sondra & Kimberly)Nubsie (guardian Vicki)Cisco (guardian Judith B)Stitches (cat) (guardian Steph)Masha (guardian Kimberly C)Luna (guardian Pat S)Emma (guardian Kerri)Kate (guardian Jen W)Taino and Minnie (Yorkie) (guardian Robin A)Loki & Prickles (guardian Kathleen)Beauty Rose (guardian Jan)Kiwi (guardians Laurel, Wayne, Aunt Mabel)Harvey (guardian Jane)Lady Puddles Amber "Pudge" (guardian Jeanne)Duckie (guardian Cris)Possum (guardian Donnasue)Finn (guardians Aimee and Jim)

Fiona (guardian Robyn)Cookie (guardian Judie)Madame Cholet (guardian Jane)Molly (guardian Naomi)Lucky, Hercules & Nani (guardian Dawn W)Knarla Pog (guardians Heather & Chopper)Pringle (guardian Denise)Needles (guardian Beth)Malachite (guardian Katie)Emma (guardian Kerri)Unex (guardian Cindy)Sniffles (guardian Jan)Snowball (guardians Linda & Gary)Skeeter (guardian B)Bart (guardian Lin)Spikes (guardian Andrea)"Kitty" (saviours Ashley & Andrew)Simba (guardian Brenda)

January 22, 2005 M

arch 20, 2005

Grover and Gabby were best buddies from the day Gabby came to livewith us. Very few cross snuffles were ever exchanged between the two.

It’s our habit to all hang out on the sofa together when relaxing. The"favorite" corner (i.e., the one furthest away from Mom) is highlycoveted by the kids. Most of the time the corner was shared, but not always.

Grover had managed to score the favorite corner two nights in a row,and didn’t move out of it despite Gabby’s best attempts to convince himto do so. The third night he once again beat her to the corner. Gabbycame back to my end, sat, and stared at a peacefully sleeping Grover,who was unaware that he soon would be a hedgehog in flight.

All of the sudden, Gabby took off at a full run. Upon reaching Grovershe dove under him, keeping those back legs churning. Well, he wasbumped up on to his back and then launched out of the corner, landinga good 10 inches from where he started. He looked around like "whatthe heck?", saw Gabby now contentedly wedged in to the favoritecorner, gave a big sigh and went back to sleep.

The

Favo

rite

Corner by Deb Weaver, Milwaukee Wisconsin

Pogs Are People Too

Grover and Gabby


This month our Hedgie Hero columnfocuses on a very special lady, DeborahKirksey. Many of us know Deborah fromhedgehog gatherings, Internet hedgehoglists, and personal friendships. We know herfor her compassionate spirit, her fabulous,famous hedgie costumes, as well as for hersuperb chocolate treats! Deborah has beenextraordinarily active in hedgehog rescue, asthe founder and caretaker of A Spiny PlaceHedgehog Rescue. In recent months, wehave missed Deborah's active presence onthe hedgehog lists, as she has beencourageously dealing with the challenge ofbreast cancer. Her optimism and strengthduring these past several months is aninspiration to us all.

Deb, her husband Kenneth, and all theSpiny Place residents live in Boone, NorthCarolina. Their extended human familyincludes her mom (Evelyne), sister (Stacie),brother-in-law (Kirk), and in-laws (Carolyn,Jerry, and Brett). The star of the family isDeb's 2-year old niece, Lanie. (she was givenher very special Aunt Deborah's middlename). Deborah and I share a special bondthrough Lanie and Simon. We anxiouslyawaited the births of these two little peopletogether, and shared the joy of their arrivalon the same day.

Deb enjoys being a part of the hedgiecommunity for very simple reasons: “Beingable to help others with their hedgies, helphedgies in need, going to shows and beingwith hedgie friends.” The search for her firsthedgehog began with a glimpse of ahedgehog on the Discovery Channel. Sheand Kenneth found their first hedgie,Quillen, at a pet store: “He was a very smallhedgie, and was sick, but I wanted himanyway. I refused to return him even after 3months of syringe feeding him and doctorvisits. He was the first hedgie love of my lifeand he got me started into rescue andeducation.” Quillen was the start of the laborof love that Deb created with her rescue. Shewent through the effort of securing a USDAlicense, and has taken in many, many, manyneedy hedgies over the years.

Current residents of A Spiny Place includeSam Wise, McKinnon, and Tuffnel (a 5-

year-old rescue). Sammy is special to Debbecause he is Frodo's son, and the lastdescendent of her original hedgies.McKinnon is from Pat Storm's Eclipse. Deband Kenneth helped transport Eclipse andLuna in the famous "platinum hedgie train”from Florida to Buffalo, New York. Thehedgies at Spiny Place are joined by furred,but non-quilled, cats Cassie and Loki. Tolearn more about Deb's incredible rescueefforts and her adorable residents, see theirwebsite at: www.aspinyplace.com

In her “life outside of hedgies” Deb wastrained in insurance and real estate and hasbeen at her present job in officemanagement for 20 years! She enjoys herjob, but is at a place in her life where shewould like to be at home more often toenjoy the little things in life: Spending moretime with her mom, sister, and baby nieceand getting to hold hedgies more! Her secretwish is “that I never had to go back to workagain and could afford to stay at home(healthy of course)!” Although Deb's lifehas always been focused on kindness andfriendship, her perspective has beeninfluenced by several events this past year.Deb wrote at length about the challengesshe faced in 2004, and I would like to shareDeb's story in her own words:

“2004 has got to be one of the top worstyears I have ever experienced. I lost 8 hedgies,2 grandmothers, Sara (Lisa's daughter),Linda Cassell, and I was diagnosed withbreast cancer after returning from Linda'sMemorial. That was the beginning of a longand tiring journey.”

“Upon receiving this devastating information,Kenneth and I dove into any research thatwe could find on the topic. One of the bestknown cancer centers for women in NorthCarolina is the Hope Women's Cancer Centerlocated in Asheville, North Carolina, whichis over 2 hours away from us. I called andmade an appointment, and Kenneth and Iembarked on a journey to make me well again.”

“The first step was to determine what typeand size of cancer I had. This is determinedby a procedure called Stereotactic Biopsy.This surgery is done while under localanesthesia and a pencil size tube is insertedclose to the cancer site. Then a vacuumsucks the surrounding tissue into the tubeand a razor comes and cuts the tissue off. Ametal chip is inserted in the area as a tagmarker for future surgery. The Stereotacticprocedure showed that I had 2 types ofcancer: ductal carcinoma, and intraductalcarcinoma. Ductal carcinoma is a cancerthat is still in the mammary ducts and hasnot spread outside of this area. Intraductalcarcinoma has spread outside of the ducts tothe surrounding areas”

“After we received this information, 8 dosesof chemotherapy treatment were prescribed.I would receive one chemotherapy treatmentevery other week for sixteen weeks,followed by thirty-three radiation treatments.In order to do the chemotherapy, I had tohave a port inserted under my chest inwhich to deliver the drugs. This madedrawing blood and delivering the chemomuch less stressful and easier for my veins.Even after studying the effects of the typesof chemo that would be administered,Kenneth and I were still unprepared forsome of the side effects. My treatments werehard. Most people don't have all the sideeffects or even any of the side effects. Thereis always the usual: hair loss, taste and smellaffected, and of course tiredness. What theydon't tell you, is that the tiredness isn't onethat you can overcome. This is a tired thatyou can't push yourself through. You're downfor the count. The chemo takes about 2 or 3days to get into your system completely. Mybed, vibrating heated mat, and a hot bathwere my best friends. Chemotherapy drugskill off many types of cells, (good and bad).

Hedgie Hero: Deborah Kirksey, A Hero in many ways

continued on page 8


Therefore all your red and white blood cellcounts are lowered. You are extremely tired,and you can catch a cold at the drop of ahat. When this happens they have to giveshots to rejuvenate the blood cells. Theseshots can and do cause intense joint painand make you feel as though you have avery bad flu. You ache all over but especiallyin your joints. Simple tasks like walkingbecome very taxing on your system. So youdecide what is most important for you to dothat day, and the rest has to go undone justso you will have enough energy to do theone thing that counts the most.”

“This is where my mother and Kennethcame in. My mother came over every Saturdayof every week and cleaned my house. All Icould do was watch her putter away while Ilay in the bed or on the couch. I wanted toget up and help, but my body just couldn'tdo it. Kenneth kept my hedgies fed, watered,and their cages clean during this wholeordeal. There were days when I didn't thinkthat I could make it another day, but Mom,Kenneth, my church family, and my hedgiefamily would cheer me on to get throughthis. So, I'd go to the next treatment and thenext and the next. Always knowing that nomatter what I went through, someonewould be there with me. When you gothrough something this trying you really see(sometimes for the first time) who your truefriends are. People you can always count onno matter how bad it gets. People that loveyou no matter how you look or feel. Theseare the true friends in life.”

“You also learn to value things you haven'tvalued before. Like spending time with yourfamily and friends, sitting outside in thesunshine with hedgies running around in thegrass around you, God's love and grace, agood night's sleep, your health, and just thebeauty that is all around us and in each andevery one of us. I'm still counting the daysuntil all of this seems like just a bump in theroad. I know that without all the supportthat I received that bump would have beenan insurmountable mountain that I wouldnot have been able to climb. Thank you toall my hedgie friends, new and old, myfamily, friends, co-workers, and my churchfamily. But most of all, I thank God that Iwas given this trial, journey, task. whateveryou want to call it, because I have come outstronger with my eyes a little more open andmy heart truly blessed.”

Even during this very challenging time in herlife, Deb still always puts others first. I willnever forget the wisdom, strength, and

compassion she has shared with me duringsome personal struggles in the past year.Deb, I will always cherish the comfortingwords you have shared with me during long,tearful phone calls.

Despite her illness, Deb always seems tohave the energy to give of herself. Shemanages to combine her extraordinarykindness, her skills as a chocolatiere, andher love of hedgies. When speaking of theactivities in which she is involved, Deb'spriorities are very evident: “Presently, I'mmaking chocolates and hedgie soaps for theCancer Center, Radiation Department, andmy veterinarian. I have also joined theHospital Volunteer program that I amsupposed to start after all my treatments areover. I will be able to help other cancer andkidney dialysis patients. In 2 years, I will beable to join the American Breast CancerSociety program to do counseling for otherbreast cancer patients.”

We all know that our bond in the hedgehogcommunity goes far beyond our love ofquilly companions. Deb's story is a perfectexample of the very meaningfulrelationships we all share. Deb tells us: “Thepast year has been very hard for me, and Idon't know what I would have donewithout my hedgie friends. You all havebeen a constant support and encouragementto me. Not a day went by that I didn't hearfrom someone in the community, whichmade this whole ordeal go by much quicker.Now I'm almost at the end of that journeyand I can't believe I have made it through sofast. The hedgie community has always beenthere for me even in my darkest hours andthose times will never be forgotten.”

Deb has been a hero and a blessing to somany of us long before she became ill. Herthoughtfulness and compassion towardsanimals and people is a model for us all toaspire to. In the hedgehog community, weall appreciate the special gifts of DebKirksey, who is truly a hero in so manyways. She has enriched the lives of countlesshedgies and humans. These are somethoughts from the hedgie community on ourdear friend, Deborah.

Judie Peters shares her admiration for Deb,“Although I knew Deb via email prior to herillness, I felt I got to know the real Deborahas she progressed through cancertreatments. She was upbeat and funny, andwrote amusing 'blogs' on what it was like tobe Deborah Kirksey. I've told her several

Deb is famous for her Hedgie Costumes -words can’t describe how

cute these are!

Mackinnon

Maisey in Paris

Marshy

Sweet Elsiecontinued on page 9


times she is my idol. Given the samesituation, I could only hope to be half asbrave and cheerful as Deborah.”

Jennifer Plombon is honored to know Deborah,“Deborah Kirksey is the bravest person Ihave ever met. Her courage and optimisticoutlook in the face of scary circumstancesare an inspiration to me. Regardless of herown worries, Deborah always puts the needsof others before her own, particularly theneeds of her beloved hedgehogs. Deborahtook and framed a photo of my dear Normashortly before she died, and presented it tome after she crossed. It was so incrediblykind of her, I'll never forget it. I am honoredto know Deborah!”

Tonya and Rick Thomas are lucky to liveclose enough to Deb for an occasional visit:“Deborah was the very first person I talkedto after we rescued our first HedgehogPrickles. Within the week she had sentPrickles the right kind of food and his veryfirst wheel. Our friendship grew from there.Deborah is one of the sweetest, kindestpeople I know. I do have to say, she is mymost favorite person to go shopping with.Deb, we all Love you very much!”

Elsie and Aramis are two lucky hedgies whowere rescued and fostered by Deb: “MomDeborah we Love you very much. Thankyou for rescuing us and bringing us to ourforever home with Mom, and Dad. Loveyou always, Elsie, and Aramis...”

Pat Storm has just the right words todescribe Deborah, and I'm sure we all agree,“I have never met a person like Deborah.She is one of the most gracious and classy,yet comfortable, loving people I have evermet. Her devotion to her hedgies andhusband are beyond reproach. She deservesonly the best in her life.

I'd like to close with a little story from DebWeaver. Deb W. sums up so well the manyblessings of Deb K: “At the Niagara showwe walked together part of the way for theRainbow Bridge ceremony. She was puttingon her garbage bag (remember it rained thatmorning, and that's all we could find forher), and she was already tearing upthinking about all the hedgies who hadcrossed. I'm not sure there are many (any?)in the hedgie world who care so well fortheir hedgies. And her costumes!!!!!Wow!!!!!! And she can pack more in to asuitcase than one would humanly thinkpossible. She's perfect for our Hedgie HeroI'm sure all the hedgies think of her thisway!!!!!!”

Pog ProfilesThis column introduces our readers to some of the wonderful hedgies with whom HWSmembers share their lives. Each "profilee" is given a list of 15 questions and choosessome of them to answer.

In this issue, we profile Poog (below), who is the head of the House of Poog and liveswith Vicki McLean in Oregon.

The Questions

Q: What is your favorite food, and do you think you get enough of it?

A: I love salmon-fruit. It is by far my very favoritest fruits and vegetables. It isn'tpossible to get enough. My care person says I make a pig of myself every time I eatit. Oh—wait!!! I AM a pig. Anyway, I have salmon-fruit hanging from all sides ofmy mouth whenever Care Person gives me some. She also says I'm rude about it butI don't care.

Q: Which recreational activities do you pursue?

A: Wheeling is pretty special. Care Person likes to hear my wheel going every singlenight. She knows I'm healthy then. I don't get off of it much. I also like to run upmy loft and shove the stuffed hedgehog off and jump off after it. I like to bounce onmy hind legs and supervise the weekly hedgehog cleaning. The neighbor kids comeover and help tear everything down and prepare it for Care Person's weeklyroutine—every week. Auntie Jennifer helped do it one week and I was soooo afraidshe'd do it wrong. I watched and watched, bounced and bounced and checkedeverything twice — no — three times before I was satisfied she did it right.

Q: Do you have a significant other?

A: Yes, I do. I had a lovely wee white wife Baby Sufi. She is Mommie to my threebeautiful daughters but she flew over the Rainbow Bridge way too suddenly a whileback. I miss her. One day I looked down at her cage and she was gone and some boynamed Hamlet was there. My three little daughters are the Frisbee Sisters.Skeeeeezeee was a pretty special lady too, and she will have a chapter all her own in

continued on page 10

Poog, head of House of Poog


my book. So will my pretty wife. PrettyBaby Sufi was the half sister of THEmacho Hawgy Goldbutt. Poco is quitethe shapely lass too. She visited my dayspa for a week and improved the sightsa bit. That perky little dame hasenergy!!

Q: What is your philosophy of life?

A: Demand respect and admiration. Wedeserve it! Not just admiration, butrather "profound" admiration. If atsome point your Care Person fails togive it — bite. After all, I'm three yearsold now and I know lots of things.

Q: What do you think it's like across theRainbow Bridge?

A: I think it's light, and warm and full oflove. It must be if my wee little wife isthere.

Q: How do you show your affection foryour human caretaker(s)?

A: I love to watch movies on Care Person'sshoulder underneath an old shirt. CarePerson really likes it when I do this. Shesays my arms and legs stream down hershoulder. She also says I fall asleep (Shesays I snore. Can you imagine?) andlose the plot, but she's never mentionedit because she's afraid it will hurt myfeelers. I call these couch sits. If CarePerson makes me angry, I need threecouch sits before I will let her pick me

up without biting her again. Three, nottwo. Three.

Q: How do you like your humancaretakers to show affection for you?

A: Awww. Care Person lets me sleep onher shoulder. Or, sometimes she holdsme next to her heart and gives meReiki. That is so warm andcomfortable. Other times she gives mesalmon-fruit or silkworms.

Q: How do you want to be remembered?

A: I want to be remembered with respectand profound admiration as head of thehousehold. I'm responsible for settingthe rules at the House of Poog. I evenset the rules for the hospice bed hereand the day spa. Annabelle, whosehistopathology showed astrocytoma,was in the hospice bed for severalmonths until she crossed the RainbowBridge. Scarlet, who had cancer, is inthat bed. Nubsie, the dear Californiagirl spent a brief time there but shedidn't like being sick and contrived toflee across the bridge quickly. I want tobe remembered as a very competenthead of household.

Q: Do you have a favorite saying?

A: Yes I do. "Bite first, ask questionslater." If you need to ask forgivenessthen do so.

Q: Where is your favorite place?

A: I have two favorite places. One of themis in the catacombs I create underneathall the layers of cage liners and velluxeach week. The second place is on CarePerson's shoulder under the old shirt.

Q: If your human caretaker quotes you inemail messages, do you think yourthoughts are communicated accurately?

A: Oh absolutely. She knows I likeprofound admiration and she knowswhy I bite. We do have goodconversations from time to time when Ishare how important it is for her tohave me run the hedgehog room. Iremind her how hard I work.

Q: What is something that very few peopleknow about you?

A: Secretly I'm a perfectionist. I mean,after all, Auntie Jennifer COULD havemade a royal mess of the hedgehogroom. She definitely needed mysupervision. I'm also OCD (obsessivecompulsive disorder) which puts me invery good company.

Q: What piece of advice do you have forall human caretakers?

A: Care Persons should love us, hold usand listen to us. We are wiser than mostCare Persons know. Keep us clean andfeed us well and we will love you witha love that is unconditional.

Hemp Hogs. Decadent milkchocolate hedgehog-shapedtruffles with hemp nut creamfilling. Extremely unique andtasty human treats. Produced by"Rene Rey" of Canada.

A string-type "book thong"bookmark. Adorned withbeautiful glass and metal beads,including a ceramic hedgehog,on a waxed linen thread.Handmade by our very ownNaomi Wikane.

Blank greeting cards. Handstamped by Darcie Carter. Eachpackage contains a variety offive cards of different colors anddesigns. The cards are handstamped, with beautifulembellishments.

What’s New at Ruby’s Rescue Shop?Proceeds from the sale of Ruby’s Rescue Shop items go towards rescue, research and education.

Check back often as new items are always being added! www.hedgehogwelfare.org


by Elana Adler,Hoboken, NJ

This story is a fine example of howhedgehog friends come together to help allanimals in need. My friend, Geri, livedabove a dealer of reptiles and birds. Thisdealer was known as both Bronx Reptilesand Bronx Birds. For months, Geri hadcomplained about finding lizards in herhouse and around the building. I encouragedher to catch them and bring them to me or ato a reptile rescue. I also encouraged her tonotify the local branch of the SPCA. Gerifollowed my advice, however, nothing evercame of her complaints.

On October 12th, 2004, while we were atwork, Geri and I found out that a BoaConstrictor had been run over by acommuter train behind her house. We wereboth very concerned, and when Geri gothome she discovered that the reptile dealerhad left the building, taking all of hisanimals. When Geri came to work thefollowing day, she informed me that therewere animals loose in the building, butwhen I offered to go over and help she washesitant to accept my offer, as she knew thesituation was bad. However, she agreed tolet me come over on Saturday the 16th ofOctober to evaluate the situation and tolook for what animals I could. This dealerreportedly had hedgehogs, chinchillas, cavies,rats, reptiles, snakes, and amphibians. Iposted this information to the HedgehogWelfare list and Linda Fine immediatelyoffered to come and help. Kelly and SeanSosik-Hamor also agreed to make the longdrive from Massachusetts to assist.

Upon arrival we could smell how bad it was.Linda immediately caught 3 small lizards.

They were doing poorly, even though shehad given them some sort of

reptile revival food. Thebasement warehousewas filthy. Cageslooked as if they hadbeen suddenly emptied of

large reptiles and mammals. Geri had heardfrom the building super that there was acavy or hedgie running loose. There weredead animals in all the cages, includinglizards of a species we could not recognize,as only their skeletons remained. Thesaddest sight of all was all the claws from thehermit crabs that had died.

We heard scurrying, and discovered that theonly creatures to survive were the rats andmice, who we believe, were bred for snakefood as well as for pets. We also located onevery cute and hungry hamster, who Lindatook home.

We found one large dead male rat, but werenot able to catch any live, adult rats thatday. However, there was a small group ofjuveniles whom we caught and planned tobring to a pet store for fostering. These ratswere eating some solids, but were verysmall. Squeaks were heard under a fridge,which turned out to be a rat’s nest that wecould not reach. Kelly and I drove therescued rats to NJ Pets, where they werefostered with other rats. NJ Pets alsoprovided care for one little rat with poor

skin. We kept one small hooded rat whoneeded hand feeding, and he has prospered.

We found a tarantula on a shelf, as well as abin of hissing cockroaches. The roaches flewovernight mail to Pat Storm, for a muchhappier life. Sadly, none of the lizards thatLinda took home survived. However, thecages she took would prove helpful forhedgehog rescues in the weeks that followed.

I returned again a week later to pick upsome more lizards, which had been foundduring the week. This time I did not manageto catch any rats, but I brought home threesticky-toed geckos, a tiny lizard of unknownorigin, and a tree frog. The tree frog was justhanging onto a pipe, and he looked horrible.A few days of crickets perked him right upthough! I kept these animals for a monthand then they were adopted by a friend whohas experience with reptiles.

About a week after this last visit, I receiveda phone call from Geri letting me know thatthe building manager had hired people toclean out the former reptile warehouse. Iwas in Massachusetts at the time, but arrangedto stop by on the way back to my home inNJ to see if any other animals could berescued. By now the only animals left wererats and mice, and it was hard work to catchas many of them as possible. In the end,following several bites, one of which brokethe skin, we managed to gather up fivelitters of baby rats and three nursing mothers.Guess where my big new sterilite went?

These rats stayed with me a week until theywere re-homed at NJ Pets, where the smallanimal department graciously agreed tohouse mom and babies. Over 30 rat babieswere too much for me to handle! A verymangy looking albino rat also came homewith me. I kept “her” separated from my

The Bronx Reptile Rescue:A tale of rats, tarantulas,hissing cockroaches, andhedgehog friends.

Ratsui


other animals and hand fed her, due topossible contamination risks. A drop ofrevolution and good feeding soon led to ahappy healthy rat.

In the end, we saved maybe 50 animals, outof hundreds. Hundreds died, and itappeared that only those who were“valuable” to the dealer were taken. Severalyears ago, Bronx Reptiles had severallawsuits filed against them for theirimproper care and shipping of animals, butthey were still in operation. Sadly, a largebird wholesaler is still in operation in thesame space. His animals look “o.k.” but itstill gives me the shivers to think of howquickly it could go wrong. This man did notlike us, because we took a couple of bags ofshavings he claimed were his to use with therescues. Geri continues to monitor him.

Having seen this horror, which was worsethan any other rescue operation I have seen,I can only ask people to please make sureyou know who you are buying animals fromand who supplies them. You can look companiesup on the net, and the court cases will showup. People at NJ pets were not even awarethat Bronx Reptiles had closed. Petco inUnion Square, Manhattan, used to buy fromBronx Reptiles. This is the Petco I adoptedthree cats though a rescue from, who donatesfood and time, but still did not know whatkind of place they had been dealing with.The two rats I kept are prospering. The

albino we thought was a boy turned out tobe a girl and we had to neuter our maleRatsui, very quickly. In a month he wentfrom not valuable enough to bother caringabout, to an animal who merited anexpensive surgery.

Thank you again to Geri for caring enough toact. Thanks to Kelly, Sean, Linda, and Jasonfor their hard work, and to everyone whoprovided support while this was going on.


The facility is huge!

The Rescue Crew


by Donnasue GraesserNorth Windham, Connecticut

Our pets, hedgehogs andothers, bring us tremendousjoy. However, one of the trulyheartbreaking aspectshaving pets in our lives isthat, inevitably, we outlivethem. Hedgehog mortality isa sad, but necessary, subjectto address. It is through thestudy of hedgehog deathsthat we have been able tobetter educate the veterinarycommunity in regards to whattypes diseases are significantlyaffecting our hedgehogs. As webecome more familiar withcommon causes of hedgehog death,vets will have better information todiagnose hedgehog illness in the clinic.In addition, statistical studies on hedgehogillness and death enable us to prioritize andfocus our limited health-related researchresources (time and money). No one likes todiscuss death, but it is necessary to helpimprove the quality of life for ourhedgehogs.

To gain more comprehensive knowledge inthe area of hedgehog mortality, we havebeen collecting data about hedgehogs thathave crossed over the Rainbow Bridge forseveral years. In general, we have beenasking questions about how old thehedgehogs lived to be, what diseases theydied from, and more specific information inorder to establish trends, such as color,gender, feeding habits, breeding histories,and some medical treatments. Theinformation has been, and continues to be,collected mostly from hedgehog owners onthe Internet e-mail lists. We also havecontributions from owners who have beenreferred to the study, as well as cases thathave been reported by various veterinaryclinics. Of course, no survey is perfect, andwe do not control for some of the variablefactors that may affect a hedgehog's healthsuch as feeding, past illnesses, quality ofmedical attention, etc.

We try to include as many hedgehogs aspossible in the study, from across NorthAmerica and around the world. A few of thecases have been reported from othercontinents, but the hedgehogs are all AfricanPygmy hedgehogs, not European hedgehogs.Rather than overwhelm the readers withmasses of information, I have chosen toinclude one tidbit of data analysis to bereported in each issue of the HWSnewsletter. In this newsletter, I will discusslifespan data.

Hedgehog Lifespan

Often times a new hedgehog owner will postthe “lifespan” question to the e-mail lists:“How long do hedgehogs live?” There aretwo approaches to answering this question.The first approach is to refer to thepublished literature. One of the first booksabout pet hedgehogs reports that theaverage age of a pet hedgehog is 8-10 yearsold. This information is clearly out-datedand not accurate for a pet hedgehog inNorth America today. Another article in theveterinary literature states that they can liveup to 8 years of age, which is true; but, it is

certainly not the norm. The otherapproach to answering this

question is the anecdotalapproach. Many owners

chime in with answerssuch as, “My hedgehoglived to be 2 years old.”…or 4 years old….or 6years old…or 7 yearsold… and so on. Thesereplies can be confusing,and are not veryinformative. It was thiscontradiction between thepublished statistics and

the anecdotal informationthat prompted me to focus a

research investigation on thelifespan of hedgehogs.

We first reported mortality data inthe summer of 2000. At that point in

time, the average lifespan of thehedgehogs reported to this study wasapproximately 22 months. Two years later,that figure jumped to 41 months. This wasquite a significant increase! One canoptimistically speculate that this increasedlongevity was due to improved husbandrypractices and education. To this day, wehave observed no significant correlationbetween the average life span andcharacteristics such as gender, color, orgeographic region.

The graph below illustrates the lifespan datafrom the most recent 100 cases submitted tothe mortality database. Almost half thehedgehogs (49%) lived between two andfour years of age. Only 2% lived above theage of six. The age at death was unknownfor 11% of the hedgehogs. For the mostpart, these “unknown age” hedgehogs wererescues. The average lifespan of these mostrecent entries to the database is 39.5months. That is not statistically differentfrom the 41 month average calculated threeyears ago. Will we see improvements inlongevity as the years go by and we gainfurther experience and knowledge inhedgehog nutrition and health care? Wehope! We'd all hope to celebrate morebirthdays with our beloved hedgehogs!

The RainbowBridge

MortalityDatabase

Long Live the Hedgehogs!



How can You get involved?

Does this research sound interesting andworthwhile to you? As always, the input ofowners is not only enormously appreciated,it is essential to continuing this project.Every hedgehog owner is encouraged tocontribute, and every contribution is crucial.

The first way to help is with factual input. Iknow how difficult it is to loose a dear petand friend, but we can make more sense ofeach death by gaining some productiveknowledge from that death. Any hedgehog

death can be reported to the RainbowBridge Mortality Database. To addinformation to the data-base, just send an e-mail to me at [email protected] will follow up by sending you a list ofquestions to answer about the hedgehog.The information you give does not need tobe complete or exact. With experience, wehave learned to tease out every bit of usefulinformation, even from cases with a lot of“mystery” background.

A second way to help is to get yourveterinarian involved in reporting hedgehogcases to the survey, especially if he/she sees a

lot of hedgehogs in the practice. If you thinkyour veterinarian might be willing toparticipate, please contact me, or have yourvet contact me. I have a little flyer/info sheetthat is distributed to collaboratingveterinarians.

Another important contribution isintellectual input. Do you have a questionabout hedgehog health that you have beencurious about? Do you suspect some trendin hedgehog health? For example, oneowner wanted to know if there was anycorrelation between ivermectin usage andspecific health problems that she had seen inher pets. We added some questions aboutivermectin to the survey that has now goneout to hundreds of hedgie-owners, and nowcan begin to gain some insight into thisquestion, other than anecdotal evidence. So,if you have any ideas, suggestions, or justhealth questions that you are curious about,contact me and you can help to design newsurvey questions to address these queries.

Finally, I cannot even begin to express myappreciation for all the owners,veterinarians, breeders, and collaboratorswho have contributed so much factualinformation and intellectual effort to theconstruction of this data-base. I would alsolike to add a final word of respect andaffection for all the magnificent hedgehogswho blessed our lives and are now lookingdown at us from over the Rainbow Bridge,knowing that their deaths have in a smallway contributed to the betterment ofhedgehog healthcare for generations tocome. I hope to continue this work in theirmemory.

Nell and Willa achieve detente in a tubeComing Next Issue: Hedgehog Cohabitation

by Naomi Wikane, Schoharie, New York

Many of us have an animal communicatorwork with our hedgies and othercompanions. Our own Dawn Wrobel isnow doing this wonderful work and shestudied under Carol Schultz who is the oneI contact. Carol studied under PenelopeSmith, who is the author of Animal Talk, thebook I want to share with you. PenelopeSmith has been a pioneer in the field ofinterspecies telepathic communication fornearly thirty years.

I quote from her introduction. Rather than thinking of animals and peopleas "them" and "us," I see all of Earth's lifeforms including plants, rocks, water, air, andall we experience around us, as a symbioticwhole. We are working in concert,unfolding a cycle that we have beendeveloping over the millennia – a continualplay to act in, observe, and unravel towardmore enjoyment of life and exchange withone another... Throughout all ages therehave been many people who have reveredand treated their fellow animals as spiritualbrothers and sisters. Communion andcommunication with other species is not anew idea. This thread can be found woventhrough the world's religious traditions andas a basic fact of life in tribal communitiesof many lands.

The word telepathy can be broken down totele- refers to distance and -pathy refers tofeeling. So, telepathic communicationinvolves the ability to feel another across adistance. It's the experience of receivingimages, feelings, thoughts and conceptsfrom individuals of other species. It canoccur between beings across many miles andthrough walls and other barriers.

Penelope Smith, in this very readable andenjoyable book, explains how tocommunicate with animals, how they showthey understand, and how to work withphysical needs and behavior problems. Shetells many real stories about animals she hasworked with.

It will enhance your relationship with yourhedgies and other animal companions toread this book.

Animal Talk by Penelope Smith, BeyondWords Pub., Inc, 1999, paperback $14.95can be purchased at a bookstore or on theinternet from Amazon.com or Barnes&Noble.com .You can also purchase her audio and videotapes from Pegasus Publications, PO Box1060, Pont Reyes Station, CA 94956-1060.


The LiteraryHedgehog

A question for the pogs?Favorite Rescue Story?

Favorite Photo(s)?Letter to the Editor?

Please send it/them to us eitherelectronically at

[email protected]

or via snail-mail toHWS Newsletter c/o Kathleen Knudsen

P.O. Box 70408, Seattle WA 98107

Submissions for the Newsletter Welcomed!

You can download the HWSnewsletter for free from the HWSWeb site.

If you'd like us to print and mailyou the newsletter, you canpurchase single copies fromRuby's Rescue Shop.

You can also sign up for a year'ssubscription:

To pay by check:

Write a check for $10 USD payableto the HWS and snail mail it alongwith your mailing address to:

Susan Goetcheus34 James StreetArlington MA 02474.

To pay by PayPal:

1. Email your name and mailingaddress to [email protected]

2. Visit http://www.paypal.comand send $10 USD [email protected]

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