$4000 Worth of Supplies Stolen From Animal Shelter!

To those that care about the homeless pets in Kansas City:

There has been a small tragedy at The Pet Connection (TPC). On 11/19/08, TPC was the victim of a crime that will have grave costs to their shelter animals and for those that they are not able to rescue. A trailer and all the supplies needed for building 8 new dog and cat rooms was stolen. It is so sad, disappointing, and everyone at the facility is feeling a little defeated. Jason Huff and another volunteer got most of the supplies donated and spent 2 days loading it all for TPC so that the cost would be minimal. Replacement value of our loss: $4000.

They were going to start construction over Thanksgiving. The Executive Director & Operations Director had cancelled holiday plans with their families so that they could build these much needed life savers. Their Christmas gift to the homeless pets was an important one. They estimate that these rooms will help successfully house and rescue 15-40 additional pets each month. Almost 70 percent of the rescued dogs at their facility were scheduled to be euthanized in area shelters simply because of space constraints.

If anyone can send additional funding for this project, they would really appreciate. If everyone they have helped this month, would send $5......that would be about $3000. We need help. Please send your pledge today. I know that together, we can make this horrible turn of events seem small.


If they do not receive a rally from their friends, they will not be able to complete the project until much later. They are turning away about a hundred animals a month, please help them! They need these resources to be available as soon as possible-to start from scratch again.

If you would like to donate, you can donate online by visiting their Donate Page. Or you can mail or drop donations by the facility at 5918 Broadmoor, Mission KS 66202.

Visit their website at thepetconnection.net

Small-dog rescue needs supplies in Tennessee-can you help them out?

Small-dog rescue needs supplies

Second Chance & Happy Tails, a small-dog rescue and retirement home, is in need of dry and canned Pedigree, Iams and Iams puppy dog food and monetary donations for veterinary care. The shelter also is in need of dental bones, biscuits, small collars, cleaning supplies, grooming tools, dog bedding, blankets and toys. In addition, the shelter is collecting the weight circle proof-of-purchase symbols from all Purina dry dog food bags to exchange for veterinarian visits or dog food.

Mail circles or donations to: 513 Yvonne Drive, Clarksville, TN 37042

Contact: Inge Irby, 503-8300, 1PawUp@bellsouth.net or visit www.secondchancehappytails.petfinder.org.

Wayside Waifs sends volunteers to Houston on VOLUNTEER's expense

Yesterday, I was at a meeting and a friend was telling me how Wayside Waifs asked her to go to Houston to help rescue animals. She was told to bring a tent to sleep in and pay her own way. Although the volunteers are expected to pay their own way, I can predict the headlines:

Wayside Waifs sends volunteers to help animals affected by Ike.This implies they paid for it. There will be no disclaimer saying that the volunteers had to pay their own way. For those of you who don't live here or don't know, Wayside Waifs has tons of money. They are the most well known shelter in Kansas City and many people donate money to them.

On a side note, they are not no-kill and I am not even sure they could be considered low kill.

Here is some financial information from Wayside Waifs for 2006 (I assume the most recent year available)

For a comparison, here is the information for the Humane Society of Greater Kansas City. The Humane Society of Greater Kansas City is about 25 miles away from Wayside Waifs.

Spend $1-Save kitty and doggy lives!

Join me and hundreds of other people who donate $1 a month to different needy animal shelters.



http://shelters.animalhelp.com/

From the site:
Can you afford one dollar per month? Just $12 per year can help 12 shelters in desperate need of financial help. Each month we will feature a different animal shelter in dire need of financial assistance. We ask that you send one dollar to that shelter during that month. Your one dollar combined with other dollars will help to raise thousands of dollars for one needy shelter.

Illinois: Let Animal Rescuers Do Their Jobs Without Fear

IL HB 5076—Good Samaritan Bill
Sponsor(s): Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, Senator John Cullerton
ASPCA Position: Support
Action Needed: Please email the letter below to your senator in the Illinois State General Assembly.

Update, 4/03/08—Good news: the Good Samaritan Bill has passed the Illinois House unanimously! It now moves to the Senate for consideration, so please use the letter below to email your state senator.

Update, 3/06/08—HB 5076 has made it out of committee and now goes to the House Floor for a vote. Please don't wait—email your representative today!

Illinois House Bill 5076 contains “Good Samaritan” provisions for individuals who rescue or provide care for injured animals in emergencies or disasters. The bill also clarifies the statute of limitations for violations of the Humane Care for Animals Act.

The need for legislation like HB 5076 was seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and 18 states already have Good Samaritan provisions that protect individuals who rescue or help animals during emergencies or disasters. The Land of Lincoln should encourage these generous actions by protecting animal rescuers from lawsuits.

Please personalize and send the email below to your senator, requesting a favorable vote on HB 5076.

Click here to be taken to the ASPCA site to send your email.

The Lower Rung of Society and "Cat Ladies"

I received a lot of comments in response to my quote in USA Today. Most of them I deleted because they were inappropriate, rude and filled with obscenities. It is amazing to me how many rude people we have in our society. They can say whatever they want, it doesn't bother me too much because I know that I am a good person. What their comments told me, besides that they were immature and annoying, was that people automatically believe you are a "nutcase" or "crazy cat lady" if they find out you help cats.

Why is that? Caring for the less fortunate makes you a kind person, not anything negative. I have 6 cats here. The people who left comments assumed that I was a hoarder, that lived in a filthy house and that I had no friends. When did rescuing unwanted cats from death become a bad thing? I am just continually surprised at the ignorance of people.

feral cat

I went to visit Annie, that is what we decided on naming her. She was less messy this morning. She took bites out of the top of the small cardboard box I put in there for her to lay in. I think that is anxious behavior. There are cats at the shelter I volunteer at that do that also. I put more toys in there to get her to play but I am not sure she has played with them. I was working on the computer next to her cage and she seemed to be relaxed. She layed down and rolled over a little and I reached in to touch her paw which was close to the side of the cage. She let me touch her paw pad for about 5 seconds then she stood up. Before, I wouldn't even be able to get close to the cage. She is making a lot of progress!!

feral cat

I went in this morning to find a messy cage. I got her a larger litter box so she wasn't able to knock it over but she still somehow spilled some litter. She is soooo messy! She made some noises and meowed at me, while looking at me. I think she was trying to communicate with me because she was squinting her eyes a bit and moving her head around. This is a lot of work and it takes mental effort on my part but I am still happy I am doing it. It is about 20 degrees outside and we have snow and ice on the ground. She may not have a lot of room here, but at least she is warm and has food and water--that isn't frozen.