You will learn a little something about companion animals and/or animal sheltering every time you read one of Bobbi Yeos columns. She is a good writer and really cares about saving lives and making the lives better for these animals. Here is her column from yesterdays OA news. Sunday Column – 12.1.13 When dreams become reality Our No More Wasted Lives campaign begins in a few days. Many of you will receive a letter in the mail this week describing what we’ve been up to, and more importantly, what we’re going to be up to in the coming year. In case you’re not yet on our mailing list here’s our story. Last year I promised we would enhance our existing programs and implement new ones to save more animals than ever in Lee County. Today, our amazing volunteers provide the special attention our dogs and cats so desperately need. A walk and some play time makes all the difference in the world when you’re stuck in a cage or kennel all day. Our relocation program is booming and our fosters step up to take puppies out of the shelter for two weeks prior to an out of state transport. Puppies are fun to watch, but there is a special place in heaven for those folks we count on to care for these little guys. It is a labor of love that helps to ensure our puppies will be healthy when they arrive. We are very particular about our transport protocol and because of this we maintain excellent relations with our destination shelters. We have worked hard to make the shelter a more pleasant place for both animals and humans. We have addressed what has seemed like a mountain of deferred maintenance issues and stepped up our cleaning protocol. We received a small grant to add calming music which helps to reduce stress levels in our animals and adds ambiance for our visitors. We have a few larger projects in the works and are applying for grants to pay for them. It is just a matter of time. When I first arrived many people told me they didn’t want to come to the shelter because it made them too sad. Today it isn’t a sad place and families come weekly just to see the animals. We think this is why adoptions have increased from an average of nineteen per week throughout 2012 to twenty-three per week year-to-date during 2013. I can’t say enough about our animals. The dogs we send out of state fetch adoption fees anywhere from $175 - $300. Friday morning’s paper announced one of our alums as the winner of the Opelika-Auburn News Cutest Pet Contest. Bella Grace Martin, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel had been left abandoned with her six puppies when she was brought to Lee County Humane Society and adopted by Carol Martin. A major trend in animal welfare these days is helping distressed owners retain their pets. When veterinary costs threaten to overwhelm pet owners we can help them apply for special grants. When military personnel are suddenly deployed we provide links to long term-foster care. In addition, we maintain contact information for local certified trainers and on-line resources when the issue is behavioral. Our goal is to be a valuable community resource. Lee County Humane Society looks forward to the day when we will open a low cost spay and neuter clinic to the public. However, we are barred from doing this until legislation is passed that will allow us to hire a veterinarian. Alabama is one of only four states in the country that will not allow veterinarians to work for nonprofits. With your help we will finally win this one in the 2014 legislative session. With a little cooperation from owners we will be able to take in their litters of puppies and transport them to Atlanta. The mothers would then be spayed at our clinic before returning them to their owners. Problem solved! We hope to do as much for mama cats and their kittens. When you consider that more than half of all our intakes are puppies and kittens it becomes clear that this is the single most important thing we can do to solve the problem of pet overpopulation in Alabama. Your support of the 2013 NO MORE WASTED LIVES campaign will make our dream a reality. Weekly Wish: Please mark your calendar to come see us at Kroger on the corner of Glenn and Dean starting at noon December 9 and ending at 6 pm on December 11.
Posted on: Mon, 02 Dec 2013 13:36:29 +0000
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