Memorial Day Open House May 27-28th, Noon - 4:30 pm

Transcription

1 Vol. 32 No. 1 Spring N.W. Crooked Rd P.O. Box Kansas City, MO President & Editor: Nancy Piper Phone ; Fax Vice President: Gary Piper Memorial Day Open House May 27-28th, Noon - 4:30 pm Light Refreshments Come see our new Remembrance Garden - a Garden for you, your pets and all your loved ones. A place to write the names you want remembered Give yourself peace of mind and save money: 10% discount on Pre-Arranged Plans, bronze and granite memorials, cremation jewelry and urns. Introductory pricing on our new Remembrance Columbarium. Have you ever been stumped about what to say to a person or family who has lost a loved one, pet or human? You feel for them, but don t know what to say. In our Western world, we generally are not taught how to deal with grief and loss. We have learned to say what our parents said, which are usually on the What We Don t Say list. They learned from their parents, who learned from their parents, and so on. When you learn from the What We Do Say list, you can help future generations say the right things as well. WHAT WE DON T SAY 1) It was God s will/jesus needed him/god works in mysterious ways. The grieving person does not understand why God or What Do I Say? - Nancy Piper Jesus would want their loved one to die. 2) I know how you feel. No one can understand how another person feels. Even two people in the same household will not feel the same way about the death of a loved one. You haven t walked in the griever s shoes, so there is no way to know how he/she feels. 3) He s in a better place. A grieving person thinks there is no better place than with him/her. 4) You have so many wonderful memories. While that is probably true, when grief is fresh, wonderful memories are painful, not comforting. As they walk through their grief journey, eventually they will smile because of the good memories, but now only tears come. 5) Don t cry. Don t feel bad. Say it s okay to cry. Crying releases toxins (Continued on page 6) We are on Facebook!! Search for Rolling Acres Memorial Gardens & Click on Like and become a fan. What Do I Say?... Page 1 Do People With Pets Live Longer?... Page 2 Piper Family Update... Page 3 What s Inside Calendar of Events... Page 4 Four-Legged Patients - and Their Blood Donors... Page 5 A Shelter s Call... Page 6

2 An estimated 60 percent of American households have at least one pet, with dogs and cats (165 million, combined) numbering more than half the human population. Some people choose to buy a dog or a cat because they want companionship. Pets can not only improve the quality of their owners lives, but new findings show that they may also help them live longer. The American Heart Association published research in the journal Circulation that analyzed whether or not people with pets live longer. The study found associations between pet ownership and low blood pressure, heart rate, and cholesterol levels. Another study used participants who had high blood pressure and high stress jobs in which half of the participants agreed to adopt a dog or a cat. Six months later, the participants who got a dog or a cat had significantly lower blood pressure. Both of these studies found that within the group of people who do have heart disease, the people who own a pet have lower death rates than those people who do not own a pet and are more likely to survive a heart attack. In a study by the Minnesota Stroke Institute, which followed 4000 cat owners over a period of 10 years, it was found that being a feline owner can decrease the chance of dying from heart disease and could cut your heart attack risk by nearly one -third. Do People With Pets Live Longer? - A Wilkes University study found that stroking a dog for 18 minutes caused a significant increase in secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA), your body s natural antibody against invading germs. Another study found that people with pets make fewer doctor visits, especially for nonserious medical conditions. There is a lot of data supporting that people with pets live longer. However, research still has to account for third variables. Some third variables include: -personality of the owner and the pet -the attachment of the owner and the pet Research in the question on whether or not people with pets live longer is difficult because of the participants and other variables such as: Dog owners may live longer because they are more likely to exercise since they have to walk the dog. Sick people may tend to not get pets. Healthier people may want to get a pet. New research by the University of Sydney is trying to limit the variables and test the exercise, psychological, and social benefits of owning a dog to see if dog owners live longer, are less likely to develop heart disease, and more able to beat depression. The research from this large longitudinal study may change the theories. However, according to the current data, it is advisable to get a pet because people with pets have a higher chance of living longer. Homeless People s Pet Food Project Can You Help? Donations are lowest in the summer Thousands of organizations are seeking donations for the less fortunate. Think of the companion pets of the homeless, they are as deprived as the people who care for them. These pets provide comfort and companionship to the homeless. Rolling Acres Memorial Gardens for Pets is seeking donations of pet food, toys, leashes, collars, blankets, and pet beds. You can help. Has your pet outgrown a collar or leash? Has his diet changed and you have an open bag of pet food you won t use or one your pet doesn t like? Tape up the open bag of pet food and bring it to Rolling Acres. Your donations will be distributed to the homeless in the community. In September 2001, Rolling Acres Memorial Gardens for Pets started soliciting contributions for homeless people's pets, either pet food or money for pet food. This was after it came to Nancy Piper's attention that many homeless people also have pets. Some of their concerns are food for their pets, vet care, and the after-life care of their pets! We will also take blankets, towels, or clothing to them along with the pet food. If you have anything to donate, just bring it to us, and we'll deliver it for you. In 2017, with the generous and overwhelming assistance of the community, Rolling Acres Memorial Gardens for Pets provided 3166 pounds of dry pet food, 468 cans of canned pet food, cat and dog treats, as well as pet beds, pet carriers, toys, collars, leashes, pet brushes, and combs to Homeless People s Pets. The need for this support has been increasing in recent months. Rolling Acres thanks the public for their help in this year-round project. Uplift Organization is the primary benefactor of the pet food and supplies. We also supply the Red Cross with pet food. 2

3 Our Feature Fund is a program we set up, strictly on a donation basis, for the beautification of the cemetery. Rolling Acres contributes an amount equal to that which is donated. You may contribute to our Feature Fund for new trees, flowers and other beautification items. We usually have special Feature Fund Projects in progress. Right now, we have: The Lake Feature Fund for the beautification of the lake: the waterfall, the rock around the lake, and the fountain. We have already done this but appreciate donations Feature Fund Update to help. We just ordered Angel with Pet, a bronze statue of an Angel cuddling a Pet, which we ve had on our Feature Fund Projects for some time. I don t have a delivery date as of this writing. If you would like to donate a wind chime to Rolling Acres, please bring the wind chime to the office, and tell us where you would like it placed. We will hang it in a manner that will keep the tree from harm. Thanks to all of you who contribute to our Feature Fund. There are many causes out there and everyone has their own things to take care of. Please don t ever feel obligated to donate when you receive a mailing from us. Do only what you can, for the beautification of Rolling Acres Memorial Gardens for Pets, and only what you want to do. Thank you very much! Glory On the bad news side, 2 of our office cats, Nathan and Glory, died since our last newsletter. They were over 18 years old. They were part of the family we adopted in October 1999, a mom cat and her kittens. We later called them Mom Cat and the Catkins. Mom was Eileen, a rare female orange tabby cat. Tim and Nathan were both buff tabbies, Tim with short hair and Nathan with long Piper Family Update - Nancy Piper hair. Ginger was a tortoiseshell, and Glory was a calico. We loved them dearly and miss them all. Gary s trusted mule June Bug died last December. She fit him just perfectly! He misses her a great deal. She was 32 years old. On the good news side, Gary and I adopted another cat at home, from the Pet Rescue Network in St. Louis. He is a beautiful Turkish Angora mix. He is definitely Gary s cat! He is a real character. I swear I take more pictures of him than any of our pets! We also had a stray cat show up at our home on Thanksgiving Day. His name is Felix. He loves to play! Archie Felix Memory Brick Pavers We invite you to memorialize your loved one in the Rolling Acres Remembrance Courtyard. Memory Pavers are available for purchase. The 4 x 8 brick pavers are personalized to honor your beloved pet, friend or family member. Each Memory Paver is $ (includes sales tax.) Save Cans to Help Rescue Groups Help Pets One of our community service projects is saving clean aluminum beverage cans only (pet food or other cans will not be accepted by the recycling center) to recycle by selling them to help raise money for our local animal rescue groups. We admire the rescue groups for all they do for the animals. It takes a lot of dedication and passion to do what they do. This is one way we can help them. Please bring your aluminum drink cans to us. We will take them to recycle and donate the money to a different rescue group in turn. It doesn't matter how many you bring - even one will do - they all add up to help! We also have a Donation Jar for the current rescue group in our lobby. Rolling Acres raised $5,458 from the sale of cans from Memorial Day 2007 through December 2017, with the help of our friends, families, and clients. Our current recipient is HELP Humane Society in Belton, MO. People are constantly bringing us cans, even leaving bags of cans outside our front door when we're closed! We love it! Thanks for helping us help people help pets. 3

4 Calendar of Events June June 10 - Dog-N-Jog NBC Action News Chief Meteorologist Gary Lezak with his weather dog, Sunny, KFKF Radio's Debbie Erikson and KSHB's The Now KC Anchor Kevin Holmes will be the master emcees. This year's race will begin at the intersection of Central and Ward Parkway and cover Ward Parkway, Pennsylvania, and Nichols Road. Plenty of Plaza parking will be available for you and your pooch at the Starbuck's parking lot off Central and the XXI Forever garage. Calling all wieners! The Wiener Dog Dash will be a fun run for Dachshunds and Dachshund mixes. Races begin at 9:30am. The Wiener Dog Dash will be held in a fenced area outside of Jack Stack BBQ. Please have a 2nd person with you to catch your wiener dog at the finish line. Online registration for the Wiener Dog Dash is available now. Help us spread the word to all wiener dog pet parents! events_dognjog.html September September 8 - Paws in the Park Put it on your calendar! The Eleventh Annual Paws in the Park Dog Walk and Festival is coming September 8, 2018 at English Landing Park in BEAUTIFUL downtown Parkville, MO! A fun day is planned! There will be lots of great raffles, food and fun! Thank you sponsors, vendors, participants and volunteers! Your efforts save lives. paws-in-the-park/ September 9 - Pet Memorial Day Come join us for our Pet Memorial Day celebration from noon-4pm. Blessing of the Pets will be at 1pm. September 15 - Paws on the Prairie 5K We're working to ensure that every soldier who needs the important care of a service dog finds their match. That's why two nonprofits are teaming up. Warriors' Best Friend selects homeless dogs from Great Plains SPCA to train and transform into service dogs that help soldiers battling Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injuries recover physically and emotionally. Join us to help the men and women who have served and homeless pets in our community. October October 21 - Dogtoberfest Fun for your dogs. Fun for their pets (that would be you). Fun for all! Everyone is guaranteed to have a doggone good time at Dogtober Fest. Admission is free with a donation of dry or canned dog food for our Dog Food Drive to benefit area animal shelters. Dogtober Fest benefits the Kemper Outdoor Education Center, Lee's Summit Animal Shelter and Jackson County Regional Animal Shelter (Great Plains SPCA) 171/Dogtober-Fest December December 8 - Candle Light Ceremony Join us for our 4th Annual Candlelight Ceremony at Rolling Acres Memorial Gardens. Honoring memories and sharing stories of our pets past and present. A memorial table will be setup to honor your special companions. You are welcome to bring a picture, framed or unframed, to place on the table. Refreshments and ornament decorating starts at 5:00pm. The candlelight ceremony starts at 6:00pm. Rolling Acres is a cemetery... a beautiful place where people can come and remember, a place where you can sit on a bench and watch the ducks and the geese and the birds, enjoying the peace and quiet... Regardless of whether your pet came to us for communal cremation or burial, you know he/she is at a cemetery, one of the best in the country, a sacred place of beauty and tranquility. Love is undisguised here. 4

5 REMINDER: Please limit the number of flowers you place on your graves, as our grounds crew does move the flowers and other grave decorations every week, when they mow. Also, please do not place breakable items on the graves, especially during mowing season, since it creates a hazard for our grounds people. Do not use wires or rebar or nails to fasten down your arrangements. These items create a hazard for our mowing equipment as well as our personnel. The mowers or weed eaters can pick up the wire and throw it into a person s leg. Thank you for your consideration. Four-Legged Patients and Their Blood Donors - news.wisc.edu As human patients, we expect that a hospital would have an ample supply of blood or plasma on hand for a transfusion, if we needed one. And thanks to the Red Cross, local blood centers and other organizations that collect blood for human patients, we know that a supply of human blood products is usually readily available. But where do life-saving blood products come from when an animal is in dire need? It is a pretty constant need, says Jonathan Bach, who directs emergency and critical care services for the University of Wisconsin Madison School of Veterinary Medicine s Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. Like humans, animals can have problems with bleeding or trauma. A recent example, he says, was a dog that had consumed a rat poison that kills by inducing internal bleeding: That dog needed some clotting factors, plasma, explains Bach, who oversees a busy animal emergency room that often sees the most difficult or traumatic cases veterinarians are likely to encounter. In a high-volume setting like UW Madison s Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, there are always a few units of dog and cat red blood cells on hand for emergencies, but that blood, just like human blood, has a limited shelf life and must be constantly replenished. To do that, the hospital has its own Animal Blood Bank with a dedicated core of 12 dogs and 11 cats who serve as regular donors, many of them the animal companions of students or staff members at the UW Madison School of Veterinary Medicine. We actually have a waiting list of pets to become new donors, notes Bach. The typical canine blood donor is a healthy, larger dog more than 50 pounds that has been screened for blood borne parasites and diseases that affect the qualities of blood. Importantly, the dog donor possesses a good nature. We don t sedate the dogs, explains Bach, who says a typical blood draw from a dog takes about 7 to 10 minutes. Cats are certainly different than dogs. Cats are a little more reclusive and sometimes have a little higher stress level in the hospital. They are sedated. Like people, dogs and cats have different blood types. Dogs are more complex, with at least eight different types. Cats have three. At times we can do a cross match to check for compatibility and we look at things like immune response, says Bach. Dogs in general are very tolerant of other dogs red blood cells. Cats are different and it is more important that they have a compatible crossmatch. The need for blood and plasma is not limited to cats and dogs. The horses and cows that cycle through the hospital s large animal practice may also be in need of blood products. That s where Maxine, Natalie and Drive Thru come in. Maxine and Natalie, beautiful and pampered Holsteins, serve as the resident blood donors for the UW Madison Veterinary Teaching Hospital s bovine patients. These (patient) cows are very valuable animals, sometimes worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, and when they need a transfusion, they really need it, says Harry Momont, a professor of veterinary medicine who oversees the hospital s large animal program. While it is possible to purchase blood products for dogs and cats, and plasma for horses from commercial sources, that s not possible with cows, explains Toni Schriver, the hospital s large animal technical staff supervisor. And if a 1,500-pound cow needs a transfusion, she continues, you may need six to 12 liters of whole blood or plasma. A cow getting a blood transfusion is an extremely rare event, says Momont, It happens only about four or five times a year. More commonly, Maxine and Natalie donate the gastrointestinal microflora found in fluid obtained from their rumens. When cows go off their feed or have other gastrointestinal issues, the donated rumen fluid is used to help jump-start the ailing cow s digestive tract. Also, when it comes to donated cow or horse blood products, screening is required to ensure that the products are diseases free and can be safely used to treat an ailing or injured animal. At present, the UW Madison Veterinary Teaching Hospital does not have a donor horse. Their most recent resident donor horse, Drive Thru, retired this fall after seven years of donating blood and serving as a calming presence and companion for any skittish equine patients at the hospital. In the hospital s large animal practice, Drive Thru was a star, getting presents and mail from the children of clients and visitors and occasionally popping his head into the waiting room for peppermint candy, his favorite. Finally, donor animals also play an important role in the School of Veterinary Medicine s teaching mission. For students, the animals represent an opportunity to get hands-on experience handling animals, conducting exams and drawing blood. 5

6 (Continued from page 1) from the body as well as stress. Giving permission to cry is actually something the griever will remember forever. 6) Just give it time. Time will heal. Time cannot heal a broken heart. Time will make the sharp edges of grief softer, but it will not heal. 7) Be strong for others. A griever does not need to be strong. It is okay for a griever to be fragile and weak, to show his/her grief, especially so the children can learn from it. Other people can be strong. Hopefully, the griever can be strong again in the future, but doesn t need to be right now. 8) He lived a long time. Grievers always wish they could have had more time with the loved one. 9) It s time to move on. There is no specific time table for grieving. Different people take different amounts of time. Whatever is right for the griever, is okay. People will move on, one step What Do I Say? ~continued at a time, but only when they are ready to do so. 10) Don t tell your own experiences. This is about them right now, not about you. The griever might even think you are being inconsiderate by talking about your own experiences. Listen to them and hear their story. WHAT WE DO SAY The following are words of comfort and sensitivity. They speak for themselves. 1) I m sorry. (this is simple and easy, and we don t always remember to say it.) 2) It s okay to cry. 3) I know how I felt under similar circumstances. 4) I m here for you. Would you like to talk? 5) I loved (name) because (give reasons). 6) I loved (name) and I ll miss him/her. 7) It s hard, isn t it? 8) You were the best Mom/Dad/ (relationship). 9) You must really be hurting. 10) (Name) loved you so much. Bereaved people will usually know that you mean well, even if you say something that would be better left unsaid. If you don t say anything, they think you are cold and unfeeling. Approach the person or the family and say something. This is something that may need practice. Pick out a phrase or two from the above list of What We Do Say, practice, and make it your own. You will feel less stress and the family will be grateful you offered words of comfort. Everyone loves a nice, comfy chair and these dogs are no exception. The Knox County Humane Society in Galesburg, Illinois, recently put out a call for used chairs. The shelter pets absolutely love their chairs! the organization, a no-kill shelter, wrote on Facebook. If anyone has any older chairs they no longer want, please think of the shelter pets! The public responded in a big way. The shelter just released footage showing their furry pals kicking back and relaxing in their comfy chairs. They love their chairs, Erin Buckmaster, the society s volunteer executive director A Shelter s Call For Old Chairs Goes Viral, And The Pets Couldn t Be Happier - Huffington Post told the Today show. It s wonderful. The furniture isn t just going to the dogs. The organization also posted a video Before you get a pet, you can't quite imagine what living with one might be like; afterward, you can't imagine living any other way. showing some of their cats enjoying the donated chairs. These chairs probably would ve been sent out to the curb for trash collection, Buckmaster said, but now they re getting a second life as comfy new resting spots for pets in need. We never dreamed it would take off like this, Buckmaster said. I really just wanted the dogs to feel more comfortable while staying at the shelter. Animal shelters around the country also need supplies including chairs and donations. More importantly, the pets need forever homes. To rescue a pet from a shelter near you, try Petfinder, Adopt-A- Pet or the ASPCA. 6

7 Dear Friends at Rolling Acres: Spring 2018 Enclosed please find: My donation to the Rolling Acres Memorial Gardens For Pets Funds, to provide maximum security and greater peace of mind, in the amount of $. Please remember our Trust in your will and bequeaths. My contribution to the Feature Fund: $ for new trees, flowers and other beautification items. Memory Bricks for Memorial Courtyard $ per brick per pet Memory Fence Plaques $ for an aluminum Memory Fence Plaque without Photo (8 x 5 ) - $79.20 per Plaque. After Memorial Day - $ Pet Name $ for an aluminum Memory Fence Plaque with picture (12 x 5 ) - $ per pet. After Memorial Day - $ Pet Name Lake Feature Fund: $100 Gold Level Donation $ 50 Silver Level Donation $ 25 Bronze Level Donation For Office Use Only FF Date $ (Sales Tax is included in all prices) (Name) (Address) (City/State/Zip) (Phone) Mail to: Rolling Acres Memorial Gardens N. Crooked Rd Kansas City, MO Flower Service Program We are proud to continue our Flower Service Program, another convenient step for those who wish to ensure regular grave decorations. In this program, a yearly fee will ensure that the grave of your loved one will be decorated with silk flowers, according to your wishes. You may choose as few or as many flower placements as you like. The Deluxe Grave Blanket, as well as a Wreath is available for winter decorations. The grave blanket is made of evergreen boughs, decorated with a bow, a bell, pine coves and various winter season decorations. The Wreath is made of mixed evergreens and pine cones, and is also decorated with a bow. The Grave Blankets and Wreaths are normally placed the week after Thanksgiving. Please decide the number of times you would like your grave(s) decorated, select the dates and the types of flowers. Send us this form, along with your check. Winter Evergreen Grave Blanket? Yes Add $47.52 Winter Evergreen Wreath? Yes Add $ ) When do you want flowers placed on your grave(s)? Valentine s Day Easter Memorial Day Fourth of July Pet Memorial Day Thanksgiving Christmas Special Day Special Day 2) Select the type of flowers you want: Roses (what color?) Seasonal Poinsettias Lilies Other Other (We must reserve the right to substitute, depending on the selections available to us) Prices: Bouquets for 1 Day $ Days $ Days $ Days $ Days $ Days $ Days or $13.20 For Office Use Only FP Date like to order: A Foam Vase Insert $1.50 I would also Green Plastic Vase with Insert $4.00 Sales tax is included in all prices. I have enclosed my check or money order for $ (Name) (Address) City/State/Zip (Phone) For the graves of 7

8 12200 N.W. Crooked Rd P.O. Box Kansas City, MO Rolling Acres Mission Statement Our mission is to serve those who think of their pet as one of the family by providing compassionate, dignified, and ethical after-life care for their pet. USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS Spay and Neuter Assistance Emergency Services: Great Plains SPCA...(913) Antioch Road, Merriam, KS HOPE, Inc...(913) B Cherokee St., Leavenworth, KS Humane Society of Greater Kansas City...(913) Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, KS Leavenworth Animal Welfare Society... (913) 651-LAWS NAWS Spay and Neuter...(816) N. Broadway, Gladstone, MO Spay and Neuter Kansas City...(816) E. 59th St., Kansas City, MO STOPP Clinic...(816) East 63rd. Blue Ridge Blvd.), Raytown, MO ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center... (888) Animal Emergency Center... (816) North Oak Trafficway, Kansas City, MO Blue Pearl Specialty & Emergency Medicine Lee s Summit, Missouri... (816) N.E. Ralph Powell Rd., Lee s Summit, MO Northland (Missouri)... (816) NE 91st St., Kansas City, MO Overland Park, Kansas... (913) W. 110th St, Ste B, Overland Park, KS VCA Mission Animal Referral & Emergency Ctr... (913) Johnson Drive, Mission, KS Lost Pet Assistance Lost Dog Registry...