A round-up week is when customers are asked if they would like to round-up the amount of their purchase to the next dollar amount. All round-up donations go to a charity.
March 15-21 will be Verde Valley Humane Society Round-Up Week at ACE Hardware in Cottonwood.
There will be a bar-b-que demonstration and VVHS information table at the store on Saturday March 21.
So do your hardware and paint shopping at ACE next week and help our shelter!
ACE Hardware is at 545 S. 12th St.
VVHS Needs Readers for Animals
It is well documented that reading to young children helps calm them when they are restless, instills a greater sense of wellbeing and enhances their socialization skills.
Well, dogs and cats, especially those in shelters, are no different. In addition to the benefits just stated, reading to shelter animals improves their chance of being adopted.
Stress is a fact of life in any shelter, even the best ones. Just imagine being surrounded by loud noises from other stressed dogs, smelling a variety of unfamiliar and unpleasant scents and being confined to a small space.
Dogs are sensitive to human speech and do emotional processing through our calm tone, steady pace and “library voice.” A calm, steady voice acts like a “bedtime lullaby,” helping them relax. For shy and fearful dogs, readings allow them to get more trusting and comfortable with human presence.
The Verde Valley Humane Society is looking for a special kind of volunteer, the reader.
At Verde Valley Humane Society, the reading volunteer activity is pretty simple. Reading takes place in the afternoon between 1pm and 2:30pm. Readers sit in a chair in the inner courtyard and read to any number of dogs.
If you’ve wanted to volunteer at the VVHS shelter but are not up to walking dogs, being a reader could be the perfect fit. If you are interested in being a shelter reader, register online at https://verdevalleyhumane.org/volunteer-form/. A VVHS volunteer coordinator will contact you and arrange for a short training session.
Paper applications are also available at the shelter during business hours.
Amara Finds Adopters After 113 Days
After 113 days, Amara, now Moochie, was adopted! Moochie’s adopters Kevin and Melissa share their experience adopting below.
“We have to give much, if not all, the credit to your staffer, Christine. She’s a wonderful advocate for the animals there. She took the info from our application and somehow knew that Amara was gonna be our girl. We still can’t understand how nobody snatched her up before we did, but we’re glad for that now. We actually gravitate towards the black dogs because we know they often get overlooked (for no reason).
“Moochie has been incredibly good in our home. She seems to be fully house- and crate-trained—not even one accident in her first two weeks! Although a bit nervous at first, she settled in and slept through her first night, comfy in her new bed on the floor next to ours. She follows us around everywhere as she’s still learning to trust humans again. We believe she probably had a home before and lost it somehow. She adapts more every day to the new stimuli in the space around her home and yard (quail, javelina, etc.). She’s also making progress on her lack of dog-friendliness. We have all the love and patience in the world for Moochie, and we know she’ll get there.
“We guess her #1, but lovable, quirk is her huge tendency to roll over on her back for a belly tickle, completely unprovoked, all the time! When one of us sits on the floor, she’ll sprint across the room and slide head first on the carpet on her side and then roll over for some love. It’s pretty friggin’ adorable. She also enjoys wriggling on her back in the dusty red dirt in her yard. We’re trying to curtail that because the dog wipes are running low.
“There’s a lot of love in our little pack again after losing our previous dog to cancer back in 2024. In fact, Moochie greatly resembles the big sister she never met. Thanks for bringing us together. Consider us VVHS supporters for life.”
Cheers to Smelter Town Brewery!
On February 18, Smelter Town Brewery went out of its way to support the Verde Valley Humane society. The Backus family, owners of the awesome brewpub in Clarkdale, donated $1 for every pint of beer sold that day.
Beer lovers enjoyed almost 300 pints while enjoying the live music and visiting the information table set up by the shelter. Now that is some serious beer drinking. Total take for the shelter was more than $1,300 from beer sales, cash donations and even tips from the amazing musicians!
We really appreciate the support for VVHS animals provided by this Smelter Town event. Owners also mentioned that pub guests like to stuff rolled-up money into cracks in the brick walls at the brewpub and all that money goes to the shelter. So visit the Smelter Town brewpub soon, have a great ale and stuff a donation into the wall for us. Cheers!
VVHS Board Member Runs His 75,000th Mile
VVHS board member Don Dickinson started running in 1976 at the beginning of the running boom. And he never looked back. At the February 7, 2026 RunSedona 10k race, Don completed his 75,000th mile, which is equal to three times around the world. As reported in the local media he celebrated this milestone by carrying three inflatable globes across the finish line.
Meet Our Featured Pet to Adopt, Sinatra!
Meet Sinatra – the crooner of canines! At around nine years young, Sinatra may be past the puppy stage, but don’t be fooled, this gentleman still has plenty of pep in his step and a twinkle in his eye. He struts on a leash like he owns the sidewalk, ready to explore the world one neighborhood stroll at a time.
Sinatra is a true people’s dog; he adores his humans and isn’t shy about soaking up all the attention (and we mean all the attention). Other dogs? Well… let’s just say he’s more of a “solo act.” But that just means you’ll never have to share his love.
If you’re looking for a loyal, charming, slightly sassy sidekick who will keep you smiling, Sinatra is your guy. Call us at 928-634-7387 to meet this superstar today. He is available to adopt or foster.
Monthly Shelter Facts
March Wishlist: Help Us Prep For Kitten Season
Our website has a lengthy list of items that we always need. With kitten season approaching, we are in need of:
Cat litter: we use Tractor Supply Pelletized Bedding 40 lb.
Kitten Nursing Bottles (pictured above)
Fragrance Free, Hypoallergenic Baby Wipes for cleaning bottle kittens (any brand will do)
Small Martingale Collars
All donations are tax-deductible.
Save The Date!
Mark your calendars for Dog Days Before Summer Festival!
