FOREVER HOME: Found. A Private Charity Since Annual Report

Transcription

1 FOREVER HOME: Found A Private Charity Since Annual Report

2 Contact Us: cthumane.org 2013 Board of Directors Executive Staff Shelters A Private Charity Since 1881 Ellen Sharon, President Gretchen Dale Vice President Lou Ann Giunta Vice President William A. Haines, DVM, Secretary Leslie White, CFA, Treasurer Steve Parker Erik Lopkin Wilfredo Barriosnuevo, DVM Jennifer Rubin Jo-Ann Roberts, ESQ Peter Spano Margaret Y. Ormond Christopher V. White Gordon G. Willard Executive Director Raymond Gasecki Chief Financial Officer Barbara DeBellis Naugle, MS Development Director Theresa Geary Director of Operations Jennifer Adams, SPHR Director, Human Resources Alicia Wright Director, Public Relations Kathleen Riley, DVM Shelter Medical Director Kathleen Clark, DVM Lead Clinic Veterinarian Janice Marzano Executive Assistant Newington Headquarters 701 Russell Road Newington, CT (800) Allyson Simerlein, District Manager Hours of Operation Adoptions MON SAT: 9:30 am 5:30 pm Dog adoptions begin at 10:30 am SUN: 11 am 4 pm Cat Adoption Center PetSmart New London 351 N. Frontage Road New London, CT (860) Waterford Shelter 169 Old Colchester Rd. Quaker Hill, CT (860) Nancy Patterson, District Manager Pet Intake MON SAT: 9:30 am 5:30 pm SUN: 11 am 4 pm Westport Shelter 455 Post Road East Westport, CT (203) Amanda Aronoff, Assistant District Manager Administration: MON FRI: 9 am 5 pm Fox Memorial Clinic 701B Russell Road Newington, CT (860) Joanne Freeman, Practice Manager Hours of operation: MON FRI: 4 pm 8 pm SAT SUN: 12 pm 6 pm Hours of Operation: MON, TUE, THURS, FRI: 9 am 5 pm Walk-in WED: 9:30 am 5:30 pm 2 The Connecticut Humane Society FOREVER HOME: Found

3 Our Mission The Connecticut Humane Society is the leading resource in the state for companion animal welfare, enriching the lives of families and communities through adoption services, medical care, education, and prevention of cruelty. Core Values: QUALITY CARE: Our actions and decisions are based on providing the best medical and shelter care, and services to the most animals. We respect the life of each individual animal, while focusing on the welfare of staff, community, and the animal population as a whole. COMMUNITY-FOCUSED: We enrich the Connecticut community we serve by placing safe, healthy companion animals in responsible, loving homes. RESPECT: We treat all persons with dignity and respect in a non-judgmental manner. The general public, our staff members and volunteers are all viewed as our partners in improving animal welfare and in fulfilling our mission. STEWARDSHIP: We manage and allocate all our resources to remain steadfast to our mission, to achieve the greatest good, and to ensure the future of our organization Revenue & Expenses* Community support makes helping animals possible. 82% of every donated dollar goes directly to the animals. *We do not receive any federal, state or municipal funds through tax dollars nor are we affiliated with any national humane organization. We are supported by private donors, corporations, foundations and program revenues. Complete financial statements are available upon request. CThumane.org 3

4 What pets give us is Priceless By Ellen Sharon, Board President One of my favorite things to do is to spend an afternoon at one of our three adoption centers, soaking in all the happiness as animals of every size, shape and age find the thing they all dream of: a home of their own with someone to love. The cats are meowing, the small animals are squeaking and chirping, and the dogs march out the front door with their tails held high. People are smiling, and children can barely contain their excitement. For our staff and volunteers who have cared for each individual animal, each adoption is a happy ending. For the families heading out to their cars, it s just the beginning. We cherish our pets, and we all know that no matter how much love and devotion we show them, they somehow manage to repay us with even more. Helping our wonderful adopters find the perfect addition for their family, and nurturing the amazing human-animal bond is the heart and soul of the Connecticut Humane Society s work. Whether it s the medical care that ensures that our animals leave spayed/neutered, healthy and vaccinated, the work of our committed volunteers to keep our animals socialized and happy, the education provided by our skilled adoption counselors, or the post-adoption behavior counseling and training courses offered, everything we do supports our goal to place each animal in a permanent, responsible and loving home, where they can add the special joy that can only come from a companion pet. Cards, letters, photos, success stories on our website, and Facebook posts tell us that we re getting it right. Over and over, I read the phrases unconditional love, our family is now complete, he rescued me, we can t imagine life without her, love at first sight, our furkid, my best friend....nurturing the amazing humananimal bond is the heart and soul of the Connecticut Humane Society s work. In these pages we share the statistics behind our holistic work to support the human-animal bond. The real story, of course, exists in homes all over Connecticut, where a pet has protected or comforted a child, helped someone get through injury, illness or loss, or provided companionship to someone alone. The love that flows back and forth between people and their pets is priceless and immeasurable. Each year we enrich the lives of thousands of animals and thousands of families throughout our state. We are grateful for the ongoing generosity of our donors and supporters which makes our work possible. Together, we make the world a better place. Thank you for putting your trust in the Connecticut Humane Society. 4 The Connecticut Humane Society FOREVER HOME: Found

5 CONNecticut Humane Societ y: A Reflection of a Caring Community By Gordon G. Willard, Executive Director Within this Annual Report, we provide numbers, percentages, and pie charts to represent efforts made to help animals. We speak to the number of surgeries completed, vaccinations, heartworm tests, and treatments, hours unselfishly given to the animals by staff, volunteers and foster parents and the level of support from the community. The work that was accomplished is a reflection of what you, our donors and It is these loving families that come to the Connecticut Humane Society to adopt and rescue a pet that have our ultimate respect and gratitude. supporters, expect of us. I am grateful for the accomplishments we share and amazed by our two-legged staff and volunteers who work at all three of our animal care and adoption facilities and at the Fox Clinic, our public animal hospital. Your trust in CHS and compassion for the animals humbles me each day. What you see within these pages is a snapshot of the things that have been done in one year which really reflects 133 years of hard work by our predecessors, whose passion was fueled by the support of people like you. They worked through the lean times, the tough times and have made this organization a strong advocate for companion animals. What continues to inspire me year in and year out are the hearts of those who help animals. All of the work that is accomplished; the donations that subsidize our work and the partners who work with us, is a result of peoples compassion. Yet, and this is a BIG YET, it is without a doubt families, all kinds of families, who make everything done for animals possible. It is the loving families who come to the Connecticut Humane Society to adopt and rescue a pet that have our ultimate respect and gratitude. Without these human heroes nothing we did or could do would work. Let s not forget about those wonderful pets we have a chance to make ready for adoption. They are the ones who have to adapt to their circumstances and figure out how to become cherished family members. They bring with them that capacity to love and to adjust. When you look at the numbers and read the stories about our pets and new human friends, I hope you can reflect upon how they are affected by the community of animal lovers known as the Connecticut Humane Society. Corny as it may sound, it does take a community to make things happen. Thank you for being part of that community and for making a difference for our animal companions. CThumane.org 5

6 Programs by the numbers Adoptions The Connecticut Humane Society strives to find a loving family for every pet presented for adoption. In 2013, 4738 pets were placed into new homes.* This includes pets who were adopted from our shelters, transferred to rescue groups better equipped to find homes for certain pets, and reunited with their owners. *Shelter operating statistics can be found at **Other Adoptions include birds, rabbits, Guinea pigs, ferrets and other small pets. Muffy & Ginger Muffy & Ginger Find Love in their Golden Years The CHS Westport staff received a call inquiring about how to manage two older dogs that were having problems with incontinence. The pet owner feared that her Shih Tzu (9 years old) and Maltese (14 years old) were nearing the end of their lives. The staff agreed to take the dogs in and after a medical examination discovered that there was no aging issue. The dogs were urinating inside because they were crated for 14 hours a day with no walks. After an adjustment period and getting used to a healthier schedule, Muffy and Ginger proved that they were fully housebroken and still full of love and life. They became the goto pets for events, tours and Girl Scout programs. The ladies just loved the attention and everyone who met them learned a little more about the importance of proper pet care. Enter the Hook Family; adopters who have a special place in their hearts for elderly dogs. They heard the ladies story and decided to get to know them right away. At the time, Muffy and Ginger were out at an event; so the Hooks drove to the event to introduce their dog Lorna to her potential new housemates. Everything went beautifully and all came back to the shelter to finalize the adoption. In a recent visit from the Hooks we learned that Lorna had passed away. Muffy and Ginger played a huge role in helping the family heal from the loss, with their unconditional love and spunky outlook on life. The Hooks and Muffy and Ginger have found happiness in each other and have many years left to enjoy a full life together. 6 The Connecticut Humane Society FOREVER HOME: Found

7 Medical Staff at Work The Connecticut Humane Society shelter medial teams provide quality, loving care to every pet received. Pets get a veterinary exam, vaccinations, spay/neuter services and in some cases, extensive medical care prior to placement with a loving family. Last year 2,208 spay/neuter surgeries were completed Over 14,714 vaccinations were administered Over 7,929 diagnostic tests were performed Over 285 puppies and kittens were born in CHS care Over 260 lifesaving surgical and medical treatments were performed on pets suffering from illness and injury Gizmo Our Community Helps Us Save Gizmo Sometimes neglect of an animal is not willful or malicious but instead the result of circumstances beyond one s control. These pets, along with all the others who experience a lack of care or outright cruelty, need the community to work together to save their lives. Gizmo, a 5-year-old Shih Tzu mix, came to us on June 15 suffering from demodectic mange that was so severe that he had lost much of his hair and his feet were horribly swollen. Sadly, his owner was in such poor health that Gizmo s needs were neglected. The family came to the right decision and decided to give Gizmo a life-saving opportunity by surrendering him to CT Humane for treatment and eventually, adoption. Treatment would take several weeks and require a placement with foster care once our veterinarian determined that Gizmo was stable. During his first two weeks in our care he received daily baths, foot soaks, several medications to combat his illness, and lots of TLC. By the end of June he had stabilized enough to enter foster care with volunteer Laurie Boske. During his early days with Laurie, Gizmo received two baths a week, his medication, the chance to make new pet friends, and lots of love and cuddling. He regained his spirits and his health very quickly. After his neutering surgery in the beginning of August and a few more weeks under Laurie s watchful eye, Gizmo was declared healthy enough for adoption by our medical team. But he never made it to the adoption floor because he had found his way into his foster mom s heart and soul. completely and hopelessly in love with this little guy and wanted to make him a permanent part of her family. On August 16, Gizmo went to his now permanent home after saying his goodbyes to all his friends at CT Humane. CThumane.org 7

8 Extending Help to Others Last year, we reached out to Animal Control and overcrowded shelters to help save the lives of pets faced with few opportunities to find a loving family. We found homes for: 675 pets rescued from animal control partners 928 pets rescued from overcrowded shelters 54 animal control departments served 18 overcrowded shelters helped Bully Breed Found on Streets of New Britain On July 15, 2013, an employee of Story Brothers in New Britain spotted a blue-nose pit bull roaming the streets. The dog looked as if she were a new mother, with her mammary glands hanging down. This employee lured her over, and then called New Britain Animal Control (ACO). ACO Jimmy Russo picked her up and took her into his care. She had obviously been through a lot, with one mammary gland looking as if it might be a tumor instead of just milk, and sores on her legs. Officer Russo said that she appeared to have been bred repeatedly. New Britain Cause for Paws is a nonprofit organization that supports the New Britain ACO and its dogs. Bluegrass, as this girl is now known, became an immediate favorite and both ACO and NBCP worked hard to publicize her. Volunteer Tiffany Fogg-Jones, who also has a rescue, did the same and also sent Bluegrass story to Ann Aliano, a dog trainer and rescue. Ann visited with Bluegrass and saw that she interacted appropriately with other dogs and was not protective of her food bowl. Ann was concerned that Bluegrass might need surgery and thought that the Connecticut Humane Society would be a perfect place for her because she could get the medical care she needed before adoption. Ann contacted Kitty Baker, the head of the Society s Special Placement Program, who happily accepted Bluegrass. CHS cared for her all medical needs until she was ready for adoption. And the rest, as they say, is history. From being found by an employee of a profit-making business, to being picked up by the New Britain ACO and cared for with the support of a nonprofit group of volunteer advocates, to contacting Connecticut Humane Society, this is a story of teamwork by New Britain and surrounding communities to rescue a dog who has had a miserable past and a most hopeful future. Bluegrass Afterword: As it turned out, Bluegrass did not have any serious health conditions and after a few weeks in foster care with a Connecticut Humane Society volunteer, was ready to come back for her spay surgery and adoption. She found her forever home on August 15, just one month after she had been abandoned. Good Manners Make Better Companions The goal of the Connecticut Humane Society training and behavior department is to help pet owners establish solid bonds with their companions through training and to assist our shelter pets in learning new manners while they wait for new homes. In 2013: Over 498 people attended classes provided by CHS pet training partners Over 1,636 volunteer hours were spent training and providing special enrichment to shelter pets 8 The Connecticut Humane Society FOREVER HOME: Found

9 Educating The Community Sharing the values of compassion and responsibility with thousands of children and adults inspiring them to make the world a better place for animals and humans alike. KIND News subscriptions provided for 520 classrooms and reaching over 15,600 students 25 classrooms visited educating over 625 students 50 shelter tours conducted reaching 750 students Helping the members of the community keep their pets at home and out of shelters The Fox Memorial Clinic is a full-service hospital offering veterinary care to pets of families in financial need. Preventative wellness care, spay/neuter, and vaccination clinics are among the services offered to clients, subsidized by donations. 1,750 spay/neuter surgeries completed 5,259 office visits conducted 8,022 vaccines delivered at office visits and clinics 36 vaccine clinics conducted 3,061 hours of service delivered by Fox veterinarians Based out of the Newington shelter, the pet food pantry provides quality pet food to people who are struggling to feed their pets. Over 69 food drives conducted by businesses, groups and individuals 64 families and their 151 pets served monthly Over 14,472 lbs dry food, 6,605 cans wet food, and $4,191 donated CThumane.org 9

10 Volunteers making a difference We could not accomplish our mission without the meaningful support of volunteers. From foster care to dog walking to pet photography and more, volunteers make a difference in the lives of pets every day! 382 active volunteers 6,860 volunteer hours walking dogs 4,881 volunteer hours cuddling cats 393 hours socializing small animalss 1,067 pets cared for by foster volunteers volunteer hours (not including foster care) 18,225 contributed in 2013 hours (not including foster care) spent 15,576 providing direct care to animals Spartacus, an adoption success. Every so often, a dog comes along that touches the hearts of everyone. Spartacus is that dog for so many of us here at the Connecticut Humane Society. This gentlemanly dog came to us with his housemate Agador from Newington Animal Control. Sadly, both were no longer wanted by their family. While Agador found a home very quickly, it took Spartacus a little longer. He had some health problems and at 9 years old, was considered a senior boy. After surgery to remove some tumors, and an assessment of his chronic eye problems, Spartacus was declared ready for adoption. During his stay with us, he became a staff and volunteer favorite. He was always so sweet, loving and perfectly behaved. He even got the chance to be a media star with features on both WDRC-FM and NBC Connecticut. After close to a month in the shelter, Spartacus caught the eye of volunteer Meghan Philips. As one of our dog-walking volunteers, Meghan had provided lots of exercise to our handsome boy and had fallen in love. Meghan has a long history of adopting special needs pets from CT Humane. In the past couple of years, they ve adopted two other dogs; Dot, a super-shy bulldog that has blossomed and Roxy, a senior Chihuahua mix with medical issues. Both are loving life with the Philips. And now, it was time to consider another but would he get along with the rest of the pets in Meghan s home? The answer was YES and on Halloween, Spartacus finally found the home of his dreams. Spartacus 10 The Connecticut Humane Society FOREVER HOME: Found

11 Volunteers give, and the pets give back. Photo by Marcia Goodman CThumane.org 11

12 The success of our signature events allow us to keep pets at the forefront Over 165 people joined us at the Faux Fur Ball, on Friday April 5 in Groton. Special thanks to the Event Committee and to the Event Sponsors: Presenting Sponsor Alpha Dog Marketing, Bronze Sponsors Krueger Window & Siding, and Lux Bond & Green. Additional thanks go to the attendees, advertisers and donors who helped this event raise $13,600 to help us save pets lives. With 80 raffle/auction items donated including roller derby to pearls in our live auction, to a signature drink, the Purple Paw, this event had something for everyone! Photos by Jack Schmidt Fantastic Faux Fur 12 The Connecticut Humane Society FOREVER HOME: Found

13 Central CT Pet Fair - What a day! Thank you to everyone who supported the Central CT Pet Fair, Dog Walk & 5K on Saturday, July 20th in Meriden. Over 2,000 attendees, including 5k runners and dog walkers, enjoyed the vendors, food, entertainment and demonstrations. With the help of event partner, Meriden Rotary Foundation, and lead sponsors: Bayer Animal Health, East Side Veterinary Clinic, Lake Financial Services, Premier Pet Wash, Canine Company, Robert s Chrysler Dodge, Labrada Nutrition, Stanger & Arnold, Edward Zavaski Agency and Star Auto Sales, this event raised $20,000! Photos by Katherine Eslinger and Peter Wnek The Connecticut Humane Society inducted its first member, Theatrical Animal Trainer William Bill Berloni, into the Gertrude O. Lewis Humanitarian Society at its Fall Gala. Mr. Berloni shared his own story of how a young shelter dog changed his life, forever. Special guest Andrea McArdle entertained guests with her rendition of Tomorrow from the Broadway show Annie, for which she was the youngest performer ever nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. Photo by Katherine Eslinger William Berloni Inducted into the Humanitarian Society CThumane.org 13

14 Over 100 guests attended the Second Annual Gala at the Westport Inn on October 4. The event raised over $27,000. Guests enjoyed bidding on 65 auction items, a scrumptious dinner and wonderful music, all while celebrating the many happy tales in the life of Connecticut s largest animal welfare organization. The Connecticut Humane Society gratefully acknowledges and thanks its Fall Gala 2013 Committee, Sponsors and Community Supporters: Alpha Dog Marketing, Fairway Market, U.S. Trust, Broad River Animal Hospital, Geiger s Landscape Architects, Mitchells of Westport and SPECS, and its advertisers, auction donors and attendees for their generous support. Photos by Katherine Eslinger Annual Gala a Success Signature events aren t the only opportunities for the community to support our mission through fun and engaging activities. From bake sales to dog washes to Zumbathons to pet costume contests, over 200 generous donors organized entertaining third party events to raise funds and awareness for CHS programs and services. These events brought in $28,375 in support of pets in transition to new homes. 14 The Connecticut Humane Society FOREVER HOME: Found

15 Letters... Korra s Story By Karla Umland About two months ago I received the phone call that every parent dreads. Our teenaged children were walking our dog Honey when a reckless driver ran onto the sidewalk and hit both our son and Honey. Thankfully our son has recovered remarkably well. Sadly, Honey did not survive. We adopted Honey, a collie/shepherd/greyhound mix, from a humane society in New Jersey. Although she had some special challenges, she quickly became our faithful protector and companion. She was with us for seven years and we felt that she was irreplaceable. A couple of weeks after the accident we realized that there was a hole in our lives. We were all so lonely without Honey. We started to visit the Connecticut Humane Society in Waterford regularly. I obsessively checked their website for adoptable dogs. The staff was compassionate and did a good job of honestly explaining the temperaments of the pets. They were extremely patient as we visited various dogs. We also considered dog rescue organizations around the state and applied to one located two hours away from our home. Nothing panned out. Each member of our family had specific criteria for our new addition, which resulted in seemingly impossible must haves for a dog: Soft, but not too fluffy; small, but with long legs; friendly, but not slobbery. We met some great dogs in Waterford but it wasn t until we met Beverly that we knew it was a match made in heaven. Her size, breed mix, temperament and age are perfect for our family. She is a nine-month-old shepherd/ retriever mix. She is silky soft. She is medium-sized. Best of all, she is affectionate. We adopted Beverly, now called Korra, on March 6. Korra is bringing a lot of joy to our family. She loves to snuggle and give us kisses. Her playful habits make us laugh. Training her has given us something positive to focus on and after only a few days she has learned to sit, heel and come on command! Thank you Connecticut Humane Society for filling the hole in our lives with love! To the Connecticut Humane Society, Many, many years ago we adopted a 5-year-old beagle named Roxie from your Newington Shelter. This lovely lady was an amazing dog and an integral part of our family for eleven years. We loved her more than you can imagine. In September of 2009, we lost our beautiful Roxie. Our family was devastated. We were distraught; it was particularly hard for our children who had never known life without her. Our 11-year-old son, Scott is deeply connected to all animals and over the years kept reminding us that there was a dog out there in a shelter that needed a family just like us. On Saturday, September 7, 2013, I looked on your website and the faces of Annabelle and Chubba popped up. Before we met Annabelle and Chubba, CHS employee Kitty Baker, sat with us and described their situation and unique needs. They were both getting on in years and would need a very special family to ensure that their senior years would indeed be golden. I glanced over to Scott several times and saw that he sat silently with tears flowing down his cheeks. Annabelle and Chubba were meant to come to our family at that time in their lives. Their previous owner must have loved them as their transition into our family was seamless and they showered us with slobbering kisses and snuggles. We feel so bad that their owner had no choice but to give them up due to poor health, but are delighted that they could stay together and join our family. We know that they are older pups and strongly feel that they deserve to continue to have a happy and loving life however long it may be. We cherish and love them every day and are so thankful for the support of the Connecticut Humane Society in placing them with us. Sincerely, Orla Black CThumane.org 15

16 A Private Charity Since 1881 Photo by Marcia Goodman cthumane.org