Letter from the President of the Board

Transcription

1 Letter from the President Membership Drive Lend A Helping Paw Your Legacy of Kindness Second Chance Thrift Shop Foster Parenting Upcoming Events Happy Tails Story Humane Society Stats Save Lives Transporting Dogs DIRECTORY HUMANE SOCIETY OF GROVE AND GRAND LAKE, INC. A NON-PROFIT CORPORATION Physical address: E. 290 Road Grove, OK Mailing Address: P.O. Box Grove, OK Telephone: Website: hsgrove@att.net Hours of Operation: Tues Fri: Noon 5 pm Sat: 10 am - 3 pm Sun & Mon: Closed After Hours: By Appointment BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Lori Skelley-Follis, President Linda Miller, Vice-President Marion Metcalf, Secretary Joy Justice, Treasurer Bob Daggett Carol Rice Connie Ruzicka Jerry Ruzicka Shirley Daggett SHELTER MANAGER: Lorri McPherson SECOND CHANCE THRIFT SHOP Shirley Daggett, Manager Hours of Operation: Wed Fri: 10 am 4 pm Sat: 10 am - 3 pm HUMANE SOCIETY OF GROVE AND GRAND LAKE, INC. Letter from the President of the Board 2010 was an exciting year. Hopes, dreams and reality is what I would like to talk about. Hopes...I am thankful to the shelter manager, Lorri McPherson, and the Board of Directors, for all the hard work and decisions that were made throughout These individuals kept the feeling of hope alive. Our animals have never been so healthy and happy. Hopes for 2011 are, to keep the shelter running as it is and to write a grant for a new facility. We are working on plans and hope that we will have enough support throughout the community to make this happen. Dreams...We were successful this past year in making contacts to transport animals that had been in our shelter for years and also dogs that were on death row. Thanks to Connie and David Guthrie, with Save Our Strays, who have been transporting animals from Oklahoma to Minnesota for over a year. They opened the door for us and made this dream come true. We have transported over 160 dogs to Minnesota. We have had few returned back to us. If we can continue this mission, think of the lives saved. This is a very 2011 Membership Drive PLEASE LEND A HELPING PAW! expensive mission. The animals have to be vaccinated, heartworm tested, and with the cost of transport, it is around $50.00 per animal. We are currently looking for volunteers to make the 18 plus hour round trip to find the perfect forever homes for these animals that don t have that chance in our area. Reality...The numbers of unwanted and abandoned pets in Delaware County are staggering. Please talk to your City Councilmen and County Commissioners about a spay/neuter ordinance. Without laws passed and upheld, we will have these unwanted animals abandoned, shot, or left to starve. Only because of your support can the Humane Society continue to care for these animals until a loving home can be found for them. They all deserve that chance. Please consider becoming a member of the Humane Society of Grove and Grand Lake, Inc. LSF Volume 3 ~ Issue 3 Lori Skelley-Follis, President Humane Society of Grove and Grand Lake, Inc. Join the Humane Society of Grove and Grand Lake today and become an EVERYDAY HERO! 2011 Membership Application is the last page of this newsletter. Please complete and return along with your taxdeductible check to the Humane Society. Your 2011 Membership Pledge will make a difference in the lives of the many animals that have been abandoned or surrendered each year to our no-kill shelter.

2 Lend a Helping Paw in 2011 People often feel helpless when they see a homeless dog or cat at an animal shelter. But the truth is, they have more power to make a difference than they could possibly imagine! Everyone can do their part to help the Grove Humane Society and to help the animals. Please Lend a Helping Paw in Give Your Time: The best thing you can offer is yourself - by volunteering and helping out in person. Playing with cats or walking dogs can make a difference. And the Board and staff especially need help with fund raising events in Become a Foster Parent: Help is always needed for foster care volunteers to provide temporary care for kittens, puppies, dogs and cats, or special need animals. By offering your time, energy, and home to an animal in need, you prepare that animal for adoption into a permanent home as well as prevent overcrowding in the shelter. Donate Wish List items and Merchandise to the Second Chance Thrift Shop: Don t throw out old blankets and towels, bring them to the shelter. And ask the shelter for Wish List items that are always needed. Be sure to donate gently used clothing, home decor items, quality furniture, linens, books, and much more to the Second Chance Thrift Shop located next door to the shelter. Donate Financially: Monetary donations are needed to continue to care for the homeless animals. Donations can be dropped off at the shelter during shelter hours, or mailed, or made electronically using PayPal via the Humane Society website. Donations can be in the form of memberships, Honorariums, Memorials, Pet Tributes, or through Estate Planned Giving or Living Trusts. Organize: Of course monetary donations are always appreciated, but there are lots of other ways to help. If you can t give yourself, help organize a fund raiser and find people who can! Get out there, get people talking (or barking) and get those paws dirty! Help Spread the Word: Have a website, Facebook, or Twitter? Post information about the Humane Society needs, fund raising events, adoption specials, recruit volunteers, and promote the importance of spaying/neutering animals to reduce pet overpopulation. Your Legacy of Kindness How your love for animals can live on...and on. Imagine being able to protect homeless pets from hunger and suffering both now and well into the future. It s called planned giving. A gift to the animals in your will or trust will help to ensure that the wellspring of kindness that you are nourishing today will never run dry. And you can choose from a variety of ways to preserve family wealth and generate personal income, all while saving the lives of dogs and cats for years to come. Contact the Humane Society for more information about Your Legacy of Kindness. Second Chance Thrift Shop Our Second Chance Thrift Shop is a very unique and unusual thrift store with a variety of wonderful merchandise. Come visit our shop where you will find new and gently used clothing for adults and children, quality furniture, beautiful home décor items, books, linens, kitchenware, and much more. Our décor staff changes the shop weekly to display new items that are donated as well as decorating for each season and holiday. The shop is staffed by fourteen devoted volunteers, all willing to give time for our dogs and cats at the Humane Society. All proceeds go directly to benefit our four-legged friends. Stop by our red building next to the Humane Society shelter. We are happy to accept quality merchandise for the thrift shop, that is either new or slightly used. Our hours are Wednesday through Friday, 10-4 and Saturday, Our donation box is located on the north side of the thrift shop marked Donations. Call us if you have furniture to donate. We do not accept computers, printers, old stereos, paint, mattresses and box springs. All donations are tax deductible. We appreciate and thank you for your generous support of the thrift shop. For more information, call Shirley Daggett, Manager,

3 Foster Parenting - the Gift that Keeps on Giving! A Testimonial By Marion Metcalf, Volunteer and Board Member Everything you do for a foster animal helps them succeed in their new home. You give them a foundation, a secure and safe place to come into their own, to blossom into a great pet. Knowing that everything they learn, from potty training to obedience training will help make them a good companion and loving pet for someone is most rewarding. These things help give the dog or cat a chance to become a permanent member of the family by offering people fewer behavioral problems and presenting them with a loving, happy and healthy animal. To see a puppy or kitten respond to love and attention and enjoy social interaction with people and other pets is a joy beyond words. When a good home is found for the pet, you get a wonderful feeling that you ve accomplished a goal and helped another living being. You ve given them a head start on a successful adoption and great life. When a forever home is found, you get to tell the prospective new owner all the things you ve learned about your foster dog or cat - their personality, the commands they know, the games they like best, their favorite toy, place to sleep, favorite foods...you are the expert that helps the Humane Society place the animal in the best possible home. As a volunteer and board member for the Humane Society, I ve fostered 10 animals so far a St. Bernard and her six puppies; a Boston Marion Metcalf, with Momma Terrier Mix puppy; a Mia & her puppy Patch. Border Collie Mix puppy; and a beautiful Tabby cat. Fostering is so rewarding. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to give an animal a real opportunity to find a permanent, good home. You can make a tremendous difference in the life of a dog or cat. Come join us today. Call the Shelter at for information, or download a foster parent application from our website at and return it to P. O. Box , Grove, OK Happy Tails Adoption Story The Humane Society loves to share with our readers happy and successful adoption stories. We received the following letter from Marc and Jan Meng of Eucha, Oklahoma, who adopted a cat from our shelter. Dear Humane Society Friends: Thank you for your part in creating a wonderful cat. You knew him as Ziggy. Marc, his new shopmate, calls him Goofy, which is a family cat name. We figure, since he was born at the Humane Society, Goofy didn t spend much (if any) time outside. Now he does, and he loves it! He is death or near death to butterflies. He cozies up to our rescued dog Molly. He is content to watch Marc carve spoons or sleep. He won t let a lap stay empty. He is such an affectionate, darling cat. We love him! You didn t keep him cooped up in a cage. You were sweet to him. I stood in the cat room wondering how to choose, but Ziggy walked across the room, jumped up on a table, and put his paws on either side of my neck. Thank goodness he chose me. Bravo for all you do! Peace and best wishes. Mark Your Calendars and Be Sure to Attend These Fun-Filled Events: Check our website for updated information Saturday, April 30-1st Annual Fur Ball at Grove Civic Center, Dinner and Auction Humane Society Fur Ball Gala is the party to attend in an extravaganza to raise money for the animals. Dinner and Auction of fantastic items. Entertainment provided by Stumble Cookies of Tulsa, Oklahoma Cash Bar - Beer, Wine, Champagne (event for 21 years and over only) Are you interested in donating auction items or becoming a sponsor? Contact Lorri McPherson at or Saturday, August 27-2nd Annual Hoe-Down at Grove Civic Center BBQ Dinner with Music performed by Borderline Saturday, October 8-17th Annual Strut Your Mutt Dog Walk Saturday and Sunday, November st Annual Craft Fair at Grove Civic Center Saturday, December 10 - Christmas Breakfast at Grove Community Center

4 Humane Society Statistics for 2010 No. of Animals Taken In No. of Adoptions Transported to Minnesota Dogs/Puppies Cats/Kittens Total Dogs/Puppies Cats/Kittens Total Dogs/Puppies Returned Total Save Lives! Spay or Neuter Your Pets! Stopping Pet Overpopulation Starts with You! Spaying or neutering your pet is an important decision for all pet owners. As animal lovers who value our pets, it is important to understand the impact of this decision. You may ask, How does spaying or neutering my dog or cat save lives? Here are some answers: Reduces the need to euthanize homeless animals. Over 11 million dogs and cats are euthanized every year in the U.S. because there are simply not enough homes for all the animals born. It is estimated that an animal is euthanized every 1.5 seconds. Just imagine, in the time it took to read this, about 10 animals have been destroyed! Makes room in homes and in no-kill animal shelters such as ours so that more animals can be saved and adopted into loving homes. chances of being killed or injured. They also tend to fight more, which guarantees wounds and infections. Neutered males are less likely to spray their territories and act too aggressively toward people and other animals. Aggression and unacceptable behavior can place a dog or cat in danger of becoming homeless or abused which most often leads to death. Since 2004, the Humane Society of Grove and Grand Lake has spayed or neutered close to 3,000 animals of which approximately 2,000 have been dogs or cats that the public has brought into our spay/neuter clinics. We strive to increase these numbers yearly as we educate the public on the need to STOP the pet overpopulation crisis and promote the importance of spaying/neutering your pet. Wanted animals in a family are abused less, receive more food and vet care and are much healthier. Families become overwhelmed by unwanted litters cute puppies and kittens from cherished family pets. These animals are often abused, uncared for, or dumped because no homes can be found. Homeless dogs and cats, searching for food and shelter, are often killed by cars, freeze to death in the winter cold, starve from lack of food, succumb to disease spread by other unvaccinated animals, are attacked by coyotes and other animals, or are shot. The Humane Society of Grove and Grand Lake offers a low-cost spay/neuter clinic. Please make an appointment TODAY with either the Humane Society at or your veterinarian for your dog or cat to be altered, and save lives! Spaying female cats and dogs entirely eliminates diseases of the ovaries and uterus, and if performed before their first or second heat cycle, drastically decreases the chance of mammary gland cancer. Mammary cancer is very common in older intact females and is the most common cancer to spread to the lungs. Spayed females do not attract unwanted males to your area which might endanger your own pets or your neighbor s pets. Neutering males greatly reduces their risk of injuries and illnesses. Unaltered males tend to roam, increasing their Pictured is Bella, who was found along with her 8 very young puppies on a cold day in February. Although near starvation herself, all puppies were alive. Bella gratefully allowed all puppies and herself to be taken to the Humane Society shelter for food and care. Bella and her puppies are among the lucky ones. Jessica Young and her family of Vinita, OK, adopted Bella and she is now Best Friends Forever to 5-year old Evan Young. If Bella had been spayed, then maybe she and her unwanted litter of puppies would not have been dumped to face near starvation and almost certain death if not rescued.

5 Transport of Animals to Give Them a Chance! By now, you have likely read a story or two about animal rescue shelters shipping dogs to another shelter in order to find them homes. Our Board Members asked why couldn t we do transports as well to help relieve the never-ending overcrowding of our shelter. time. Volunteer drivers arrive around 9 pm and are on the road to Minnesota by 9:30 pm. The volunteers drive all night to arrive at Golden Valley early in the morning. Animals are unloaded, checked in, and accepted into the shelter. The volunteers are then back on the road to return to Oklahoma. Every day our shelter is inundated with pleas from individuals who are unable to care for unwanted litters or abandoned animals they have found. These animals have to be turned away, as our shelter can house only a limited number of dogs and cats and remains at full capacity 100% of the time. But, their names are placed on our Waiting List, hoping beyond hope that we could place these animals in a permanent home one day. In order to save more lives of homeless animals other than adoption from our facility alone, our Board needed to find another shelter to transfer these homeless but adoptable dogs from our surrounding area. We are happy to announce that our Board has recently established a transfer partnership with Golden Valley, Minnesota, Animal Humane Society ( org). This organization has five different rescue shelters throughout Minnesota and do approximately 200 adoptions per week. Since August of 2010, volunteers have transported 160 dogs from our shelter to Minnesota for adoption. But this is no easy task, and our shelter must bear the brunt of the cost of the required vaccinations, heartworm testing, and veterinary care, as all dogs must be checked by a veterinarian who will provide a health certificate for each animal prior to transport. The transportation cost is also an expense absorbed by our Humane Society. But, for now, transport of animals is a necessary action that has to be taken because there are simply too many homeless animals to be adopted out from our shelter. Each transport process takes about 2-3 weeks of prior planning to make it a success. It starts with calls to individuals who have been caring for dogs kept on the Waiting List. These animals are brought to the shelter prior to the transport for vaccinations and a vet health certificate. On the day of transport, shelter employees prepare the pet carriers, bathe the dogs, place a disposable collar with their name on each dog, and make sure all paperwork is finalized. Starting at about 8 pm, the dogs are walked and loaded into the transport vehicle. Transports have taken as many as 30 dogs at one This takes a tremendous amount of planning and energy on the part of the shelter staff and the many volunteers, but these people are committed to the long hours and hard work in order that these wonderful and amazing animals can find their forever home. We cannot thank these people enough for the compassion for the animals. You may question why some out-of-state shelters need pets, while our area has more homeless animals than our shelter can house. One of the main reasons why some communities have less problems is because of laws to combat the problem of stray, homeless animals. Mandatory spay and neuter laws and a pet registration program that are strictly enforced is essential to battling animal overpopulation in our community. The Humane Society of Grove is a strong advocate that individuals must spay/neuter their pets to STOP the pet overpopulation and the needless suffering of homeless animals in and around our community. We need the Grand Lake community support as well to contact your city and county elected officials about this problem. The Humane Society plans to continue transports in the future. By working with the Lockhart Foundation Grant and with Bob Hart Chevrolet of Vinita, Oklahoma, a van has been purchased to continue our effort to save more homeless animals. Our sincere appreciation to our volunteers, shelter staff, and Bob Hart for his help in this life saving effort. The Humane Society is in need of financial help to continue future transports. If you would like to become a corporate sponsor or an individual contributor towards this effort, please contact Lori Follis, Board President, at ; Bob Daggett, Board Member at , or Lorri McPherson, Shelter Manager, at The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. Mahatma Gandhi

6 HUMANE SOCIETY OF GROVE AND GRAND LAKE, INC. P. O. Box Grove, OK CAR RT. SORT U.S. Postage PAID PRESRT STD Permit No. 45 Grove, OK NON-PROFIT NO-KILL ANIMAL SHELTER RETurn Service Requested Membership Application Cut Along Dotted Line PLEASE LEND A HELPING PAW! BASIC MEMBERSHIP r Student (16 & Under)... $10 r Individual... $25 r Family... $50 r Business... $50 r Annual Angel... $100 PAWS MEMBERSHIP r Bronze Paw... $250-$499 r Silver Paw... $500-$999 r Golden Paw... $1,000+ ADDITIONAL DONATION $ SPONSORSHIP $ on the day of each month beginning. DATE Name Address City State Zip Home Phone Cell Phone Address (for E-Bulletins) Make checks payable to: Humane Society of Grove & Grand Lake - P.O. Box /Grove,OK JOIN TODAY & BECOME AN EVERYDAY HERO!