Prairie Speaking

of

DogsPrairie dog

language, decoded!

a publication of

Win an animal rescuer

packet! p. 3

Help animals prepare

for winter p. 7

tm

2011

sept ● oct

—

junior

—grades

3–4

Kids Care Contest!!!Win an animal rescuer packet and a chance to appear in Kind news!

Like Micah Staub, kidS acroSS the country have been doing great thingS for aniMaLS. they’re working to end the seal hunt and stop puppy mills. they’re asking for donations for animal shelters instead of receiving gifts at their birthday parties!

Whatever you’ve been doing for animals—as a class, with a few friends, or on your own—we want to hear about it!

Send photos and details to kindnews@humanesociety.org, or mail them to:

kidS care conteStc/o Kind newsthe hSuS2100 L Street, nWWashington, dc 20037

chosen throughout the school year, winners will be featured in Kind news, and entries will automatically be entered in our kind kid award contest.

for inforMation on how to start a kind club, visit humanesociety.org/kindnews.

humane Hero

it’S rare for a 12-year-oLd to become an honorary member of The HSUS Maddie’s Fund Puppy Mill Task Force. But that’s what Micah Staub of Paris, Ill., did. Micah has a soft spot in his heart for animals. Throughout his life, Micah has helped his mom and veterinarian dad care for them. He’s helped look after family pets and foster animals. He’s pitched in for potbellied pigs. He’s stepped up for rescued horses.

a new challengeLast December, the Staubs took on a huge task. They agreed to foster 30 dogs rescued by authori-ties and The HSUS’s task force from an Indiana puppy mill. Like most animals kept in these large factory-style breeding facilities, the dogs had been living in very poor condi-tions. Dogs in puppy mills receive little or no exercise or veterinary care. They never see a bed, treat, toy, or love from a human being. Many adult puppy mill dogs spend their entire lives in cramped, dirty

cages. The females have litter after litter of puppies who are then sold at pet stores, over the Internet, or through classified ads.

Walking tallWhen the dogs arrived at the Staubs’ farm, Micah became the “official dog walker.” He spent his free time each day walking animals whose feet had never before touched grass.

Micah is proud of the difference his love and attention have made for the dogs. “I just like making them happy and [helping them have] fun,” he says.

For his commitment and hard work, The HSUS gave Micah a task force T-shirt, backpack, and leashes. In addition, Micah received a letter of recognition naming him as an honorary member of the task force. We bet he received a lot of tail wags and grateful kisses from the pups as well.

learn how to help end puppy mills at humanesociety.org/kindnews.

sept/oct 2011 | 3

Micah staub is a protector of the animal kingdom

2 | kind news jr. ed.

muttsby

Patrick McDonnell

Reprinted by special permission of

King Features Syndicate © 2010

muttscomics.com

riddLe rat! hMMM... What do birdS paSS out on haLLoWeen? (answer on p. 6)

inside  this issue!

10/14

4amazing

prairie dogs know a lot of “words”

6kids get down to business helping shelters

8hannah

the hippo sparkles in

her pool

3  humane hero

7  brainteaser critter clues Wild neighbors

8  kind Quiz

catS are SafeSt indoorS, away from traffic, wild animals, poisons, and other dangers. What you might not know is that even if your cat stays indoors, she still needs to wear a collar and ID tag. Why? Because accidents happen!

cats are curious creatures. a door or window accidentally left open might be too much to resist. once outdoors, kitty may wander too far to find her way home.

an id tag with your name, address, and telephone number will help anyone who finds kitty to return her to you.

a collar and tags are a lost pet’s ticket home. be sure your pet wears them. remind friends and neighbors to do the same for their pets.

Share a giggLe! Send your favorite riddles to kindnews@humanesociety.org — we may publish them!

for tips

on getting the

right fit and ideas

on getting kitty

used to wearing a

collar, visit:

huManesoCiety.org/Kindnews

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the humane Society of the united States and better homes and gardens want to make your halloween

fun — and fantastic for animals! go to bhg.com/pets and download the pumpkin stencil created for the hSuS. for every stencil downloaded, better homes and gardens will donate money to help the hSuS make the world a better place for all animals.

happy haLLoWeen bhg.com/pets

get a free puMpkin

face StenciL —  and heLp aniMaLS!

Tag... You’re It! Missing tags could mean missing pets

pet corner

Prairie dogs: Key to Prairie survivalScientiStS refer to some animals as “keystone”* species. That’s because the animals are considered very important, or key, to their habitat. If a keystone species disappears (becomes extinct) other animals and plants in that habitat are also at risk.

Prairie dogs are considered a keystone species. They play an important role in their habitat. They provide food for predators and shelter for other burrowing animals. Their digging keeps the soil loose and allows seeds to sprout.

Animals who depend on prairie dogs include black-footed ferrets, burrowing owls, hawks, coyotes, American badgers, and swift foxes.

*Keystone: the topmost stone used in building a stone arch. Sometimes called the capstone, it holds all the other stones in place. If the keystone is removed, the arch collapses.

black-footed ferrets are an endangered

species. they rely completely on

prairie dogs for food and shelter.

burrowing owls live in abandoned

prairie dog burrows. they use them to raise their young.

Swift foxes, named for their speed, depend on prairie dogs

for food. it’S a buSy day in prairie dog toWn. There are burrows to dig, and grasses and weeds to nibble. The furry rodents greet family and friends with a “kiss” and chatter with neighbors across town. They playfully chase each other and roll around in the dirt.

Suddenly, an adult lets out a loud warning cry. Everyone scurries into their underground burrows for safety. An intruder has invaded the town—and already, even without seeing the predator, everyone knows it’s a thin, brown coyote.

Professor Con Slobodchikoff (Sla-bod-chi-koff) of Northern Arizona University has been studying prairie dogs and how they communicate for many years. What he’s discovered will amaze you!

“Prairie dogs have a very sophisticated language,” he says. There is one call for hawks and another for humans. There are even different calls for coyotes and dogs. What’s more, prairie dogs can describe the shape and color of the predator!

color-coordinatedTo prove this, the professor had one of his students walk into a prairie dog town several times. Each time, the student wore a different color T-shirt, and the prairie dogs’ reaction

was recorded. Sure enough, their alarm calls varied slightly each time.

practice Makes perfectSlobodchikoff also tells us that prairie dog pups babble! They “stand around an adult female—kind of like schoolkids around the schoolteacher,” explains the professor. “The adult gives a predator call, and the babies try to mimic the call. Gradually, over the space of several months, they get better at it.”

prairie dog problemsToday, prairie dogs have a lot to talk about. Considered by some to be pests, they are often poisoned and shot for sport. Their colonies are bulldozed to make way for new construction.

This happens even though many other animals need prairie dogs and their burrows. At least nine species depend on them for food and shelter, including some of the rarest animals in North America.

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bark, yip, or Squeak! prairie dogs need us to speak up for them. professor slobodchikoff urges kids to help save these fascinating creatures from extinction.

find out how to help at humanesociety.org/kindnews.

in the last 100 years, 98 percent of prairie dogs have been wiped out.

Prairie dogs’ ears are small and flat against their head, out of the way when they are tunneling underground.

Although short, the tail is useful for signaling to other prairie dogs.

Short, strong legs and clawed feet are ideal for digging burrows.

They can think. They can reason.

They can pass information on to one another.

Prairie dogs  and other animals  

may be smarter than we think!

Prairie Speaking

of

Dogsprairie dogS

these cute rodents are related to ground squirrels. they live in underground burrows.a series of burrows is called a town, or colony.there are five species of prairie dogs, all found in north america.

4 | kind news jr. ed.

Helping wild animals prepare for winterthe nightS are cooLer, and leaves are beginning to fall. It’s time to clean up nature’s litter before winter sets in, right? Not so fast! Those leaves, twigs, branches, and plants will help wild animals survive the long, cold winter ahead.

Ask your parents if you can help wildlife this year by doing the following:

don’t be a snip! Wait until spring to cut back plant stalks and dead flowers in gardens or patio planters. they’ll provide animals with winter food and spring nesting materials.

corner the market. pile some leaves in a corner of your yard. the leaves will provide food and a nice blanket for insects, toads, and salamanders.

pile it on. a heap of twigs and branches makes a cozy shelter for small mammals. place your pile near food sources and away from buildings.

Stock the snack bar. Migrating birds may stop by your feeder to fuel up for a long trip. keep birdfeeders clean and full of fresh seed!

wild neighbors!

moving onAs summer turns to fAll, there are fewer hours of daylight. Air and water temperatures also change. For some animals, these are clues that it’s time to migrate, or move to another place.

Not all animals migrate. Some adapt their behaviors to survive the winter, and others hibernate. Never disturb wild animals when they are denning or migrating.

mallard duck

a b c d

Canada goose

monarch butterfly

humpback whale

honk, honk! do you think

the V we make in the sky stands for a Very long trip?

adios, canada! We’re on a

“royal” tour, headed to

Mexico. Watch for us to

flutter by!

i’ll make a big splash when i

arrive in warmer waters. that’s

where i’ll give birth to my

1-ton baby!

birds of a feather flock

together! heading to

warmer weather sounds just

ducky to me.

sept/oct 2011 | 76 | kind news jr. ed. anSWer: tWeetS! (Sent in by Mrs. Smith’s class, Tampa, Florida)

Making pet toyS iS eaSy—and fun!1 cut 100 percent polyester non-fraying fleece

fabric (from finished end to finished end) into three strips, 3 inches wide.

2 knot the strips together at one end. 3 braid the strips until you have enough left to make

a knot at the other end. 4 tie the knot, and you’re done!

berry them! plant some berry bushes. birds and small animals will use them for food and shelter.

critter

Who is this mystery critter?

1   They call me a “cigar with wings.”

2   I never set foot on the ground.

3   I love a room with a flue.

4   Please don’t light your fireplace just yet.

5   I eat one-third my weight in insects every day.

6   Swooping and diving, I’m really quite swift!

critter cluesyou can do it!

ask your local animal shelter for a list of items they could use most, such as: • food for dogs, cats, hamsters,

rabbits, and guinea pigs

• cat litter and old newspapers

• towels and blankets for bedding

• first-aid supplies, such as bandages and cotton balls

• pet toys and treats

hold a collection for the items on your list. ask your principal for permission to have your whole school participate. then set up boxes where students and teachers can put donations. advertise your collection with posters and announcements.

deliver your donations during national animal Shelter appreciation Week (nov. 6–12). include a card thanking shelter staff for all they do for animals!

a very kind businessKids start K-9 Club Cares to help shelter animals

fifth-graderS regan MaLinzak and eMMa SzneWajS (Sne-vice) of Michigan love animals. So when Regan’s dad suggested she find a project to do with her friends, helping animals was at the top of her list. Regan just wasn’t sure what she could do—until Emma came up with a great idea.

Emma had made a toy for her dog from fleece strips braided together. The girls decided to make more of the toys, sell them, and donate the money to help animals. K-9 Club Cares was in business! “We have sold way more than our parents ever thought we would,” says Regan. Demand was so great that the girls enlisted the help of Emma’s brothers, Lukas and Peter.

“I help design and make the toys,” says Lukas, a seventh-grader, “but my most important job is keeping track of what we earn and how much we have to donate.”

So far the young business partners have given more than $2,400 to animal rescues and shelters.

“We are planning to keep working hard so we can help even more homeless animals find forever families to love,” says Regan.

EvEryonE’s favoritE talking dog, Martha from the Martha Speaks TV show on PBS KidS, is speaking out for homeless pets. Visit pbskids.org/martha to join Martha in helping shelters near you and for more ways to learn with Martha!

watch martha speaks on pbs kids! (check local listings)

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club members (left to right) Lukas and emma Sznewajs, regan Malinzak, and peter Sznewajs put their talent to work for animals.

match the animals below with the correct clue.

Hannah P. MotamusThe HSUS’s Fund for Animals Wildlife Center ramona, california

HannaH is a PygMy HiPPoPoTaMUs. She once was kept as a pet in someone’s backyard. Without water or shade, her skin dried and cracked. Fortunately, Hannah was rescued and brought to The Humane Society of the United States’ Fund for Animals Wildlife Center. After lots of care from staff at the center, Hannah is healthy again.

Hannah is an example of why wild animals should not be kept as pets. They often suffer because it’s difficult to provide

them with the right habitat. Because Hannah was raised in captivity, she cannot be

released back to the wild. She will have to remain at the sanctuary. Hannah seems to think that’s just fine!

to the rescue! Kind Quiz

Now that you’ve read kind news, test yourself to see what you’ve learned!

1. In the wild, pygmy hippos spend most of their time: a) climbing rocky cliffs. b) sunbathing. c) in water.

2. Explain why wild animals should not be kept as pets.

3. What is similar about the way prairie dog pups and human babies learn to communicate?

4. What is life like for puppy mill dogs?

5. What clues might tell migrating animals that it’s time to move on?

6. Pygmy hippos are native to the continent in gold below. The name of that continent is

_____________________.

pygmy hippos spend most of their time in the water. rescued from a backyard, Hannah loves her pool and mud pond.

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Hannah{ Pygmy Hippo }

How does a 600-pound hippo

celebrate her birthday?

for Hannah, who turns 38 this

fall, it probably means

something sweet — sweet

onions, that is. it’s her

favorite food!

© 2011, the humane society of the united states, 2100 l street, nw, washington, dc 20037. all rights reserved. kind news may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the hsus. printed on recycled paper. to subscribe, call 1-866-512-3111 (toll free) or visit humanesociety.org/kindnews.