File - Humane Society of Wilkes

Humane Society
Of Wilkes
PawPrints
2011 Newsletter – July/August/September (3rd Quarter)
In this issue:
Groundbreaking at Hidden Oaks
S.N.A.P. Committee Report
Adoption/Foster Committee Report
Annual Meeting Update
Making Peace Between Cats and Dogs
From the President:
Our Mission at HSOW
What does being a member of the Humane Society
of Wilkes mean to you? We all have our own
opinions and personal goals, but one thing that we
all share is a love of animals, whether it be cats,
dogs, or anything furry, winged, or even scaly.
Our mission statement is pretty simple: “The
Humane Society of Wilkes is an independent
volunteer organization dedicated to promoting
humane care and treatment for all animals.” How
we define and accomplish this goal is up to us!
What are we doing now? Here are just a few of
our ongoing activities: Members of the HSOW…
•
Answer daily phone calls and provide
assistance or information
•
Interact daily with the county animal shelter
by taking pictures, posting on websites, and
evaluating animals for foster care
•
Assist with animal rescues and provide foster
care
•
Fund the distribution of the Kind News
publication (provided to elementary school
classes)
•
Run the annual Best Friends Calendar
photo contest, then produce and sell the
resulting calendar
•
Manage our successful low-cost Spay/Neuter
Assistance Program (SNAP)
What else could we do? While we have all helped
individually with other issues, there may be more
we could do as a group to find solutions to address
such issues as the severe overpopulation of cats
(tame as well as feral), or to provide assistance for
the elderly/disabled to acquire and keep a pet for
as long as possible. There are many ways to help,
and we are constantly looking for new ways to
think “outside the cage.” If there is an idea that
you are passionate about, or a service you think we
could offer, please let us know!
Email:
BoardofDirectors@humanesocietyofwilkes.org or
call 336.838.9588.
As you see, we have been busy, and we thank you
all for your continued support!
Joanna Cates (Jo)
P.S. Many thanks to Stacey Ruszczyk for
producing and distributing our newsletter!
Here is a view of the site of the groundbreaking, at the far end of the parking lot, facing
the dog runs. The building will be used for meetings, adoptions fairs, and storage.
Plans also include a bathroom for the facility.
Groundbreaking News!
We are happy to report that groundbreaking has begun!
The HSOW has entered into a lease with the Town of
Wilkesboro for the building site located at our Hidden
Oaks Dog Park! This lease will be automatically renewed
every 10 years at a cost of $1.00 per year. The Town of
Wilkesboro has also agreed to provide water and sewer
services at no charge. Both the Town of Wilkesboro and
the County have waived all building and zoning
fees. Future expenses for the HSOW will be the cost of
insuring the building and contents, and electric usage.
(continued on page 2 inside)
www.humanesocietyofwilkes.org
Groundbreaking (cont’d)
Our building will be used for meetings, adoption fairs, and
storage. The size is 24' x 52', which includes a 12' x 24'
porch. Plans include providing a bathroom accessible from
both the porch and the inside of the building. The Town
has offered to maintain the bathroom for us, as it would be
available to the public. (See diagram below.)
The building will be located at the far end of the parking
lot, with the porch facing the dog runs.
The cost of the building, inside unfinished, will be
$31,213.32. Donations of labor and/or materials of
$11,000 have been offered, bringing the cost of the building
itself down to $20,213.32. Additional costs for finishing
the inside of the building and funding for the proposed
landscaping plans bring the projected cost of this project to
$40,000.00. (The final plans for landscaping and interior
of building are contingent upon funds received.)
We are hoping to raise enough money for this project
without spending our existing funds! Fundraising ideas are
being discussed and any suggestions are welcome!
Plans will be posted on the bulletin board at the Hidden
Oaks Dog Park once hard copies are available! If you have
any questions or concerns, please contact us!
Email: Boardofdirectors@humanesocietyofwilkes.org
N e w & R e n e w i n g M e m b e r s ( M a y 2 0 1 1 t h r o u g h Au g u s t 2 0 1 1 ) Gena Shumaker Moore Carol Vestal Tommy Gregory Yvonne T. Williams Kaye Hall James Ruszczyk Betsy Brey Lynn Durchman Arlene McGrane Family Kayren Hall Kim Hatfield Spencer Sharon Deem Reid B. Kellam Jean Kurth Ashlyn Linville Birgit P. Clager Louise Pennell Jane C. Rogers Kathy Sebastian Elizabeth M. Forester Benny & Marilyn Royal Savanna Holloway Lauren Johnson Marianne C. Bereza Mary Summerford Donna Peterson Colleen Ripley Jeffry Diaz Joeseph Tyler Prevette Arnold & Becky Lakey Richard & Dot Marlow Karen McElwee Darren Staley Jerry & Diane Swaim John & Ann Willardson Andrew, Tonya & Alex Larison Jacqueline Kocar Steve Jackson John & Rebecca Hubbard Andrew & Jennifer Wagoner Jack Johnson Patrick & Dona McGough Sherry H. Mabry Patricia Johnson Mary & Mack Lankford Kristian Thomas Vickie McInnis Mr. & Mrs. Julius C. Hubbard, Jr. Stan & Susan Dudek Mary & Bob Efird Krista Wells Heather, Jimmy, & Fallon Forester Donna McDowell Ann, V.O., Forest, Lillian, & Mimi Roberson A NOTE REGARDING MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS If you received this newsletter via US Mail and are a member of the Humane Society, your mailing label contains the date that your membership expires. Please check it against your records; we try to keep our records accurately, but mistakes do occur. If your date is incorrect, please contact Mitzi Combs at bluebirdmc@gmail.com. (Note that you receive a copy of PawPrints as an “honorary member” if you have made a donation within the last year.) If you are not currently a member and would like to join, we would welcome your membership! Dues are $15 per year for adults, $10 per year for students, or $30 for a family (unlimited number of family members). Membership forms can be obtained on our website (see top of this page), at the Wilkes County Public Library, and in the pet section at Wal-­‐Mart. You can also contact Mitzi Combs at the email above, and she will get a form to you. You can reduce the impact on both our postage/printing costs and our environment by choosing to receive your HSOW PawPrints newsletters by email instead of US Mail. If you would like to receive an electronic version (PDF) of PawPrints, simply send an email to Stacey Ruszczyk at bonovoxie@mac.com to be added to the email list for newsletters only. www.humanesocietyofwilkes.petfinder.com
Your Contributions to the Humane Society of Wilkes
Private contributions enable the Humane Society to carry out our
mission. Contributions may be made in honor or in memory of a person
or a pet, and can be designated for a specific fund or project.
Please send all contributions to:
Humane Society of Wilkes
P.O. Box 306
North Wilkesboro, NC 28659
The following contributions were received from April 28 through
August 21, 2011. Thanks again to each of you:
ADOPTION/FOSTER PROGRAM
Jacqueline Kocar
Cathy Wiles
BUILDING FUND
Jonathan Willardson
KIND NEWS
Steve Jackson
Eddie & Beth Hoffman
DOG PARK
GENERAL CONTRIBUTIONS
M.G. Randall
Darren Betbeder
Lynn Durchman
Sharon Scott
James Ruszczyk
Kim Hatfield Spencer
Glenda Goodman
Richard Benton
Savanna Holloway
Lauren Johnson
Jane Rogers
Arnold & Rebecca Lakey
Pam Clark
Patricia Welborn
Patrick & Dona McGough
Dot & Richard Marlow
Kristian Thomas
Vickie McInnis
Union United Methodist Church
Heather, Jimmy, & Fallon Forester
Kulynych Family Foundation, Inc.
V.O., Ann, Forest, Lillian, & Mimi Roberson
Noon Circle, N. Wilkesboro Presbyterian Church
Mrs. Curtis Walker
Janet Derick
Tia Shew
Dustin Holloway
PHOTO CONTEST
Roger & Janet Rhudy
Lori Hamby Bledsoe
Kathren Bowman
Richard Benton
TO SPAY/NEUTER FERAL CATS
Phyllis Smith
Jacqueline Kocar
Thomas & Virginia Foxx
Elizabeth Forester
Kimberly Whitley
IN MEMORY OF PEOPLE
In Memory Of:
Dr. Carol Rogers Reid
Rachael Pilcher
Beth Forester
Clarence Elmore
Donors
Dorothy Beamon
J. Richard & Dot Marlow
Linda Rogers Smith/Robert P. Smith
Frances & Earl Brewer
Sammy, Sally, Teresa, Bubba,
& DeeDee Craig
Larry & Nancy Rogers
Griffin Reid
Suzette Sells
Charles & Mary Coffey
Suzie & Dale Karjala
Jonathan Willardson
Elizabeth Forester
Rebecca Welborn
IN HONOR OF PEOPLE
In Honor Of:
Ginny & Tom Moore
Sandy Nichols (Rex)
Carol Childers
Donors
Linda P. Tyler & Betty Ann Williams
Paul & Celia Canter
Eddie & Beth Hoffman
IN MEMORY OF PETS
In Memory Of:
Duke
Samantha
Duke
Bode
Lucy
Butterscotch
Dinkie
Donors
Sharon Deem
Jerry & Diane Swaim
Mike & Robin Walker
B. Frank & Bertha S. Bentley
Mike & Robin Walker
Elizabeth Forester
Gail Hamby
Our Spay/Neuter Assistance Program (SNAP) continues to register pets each Tuesday
at the Wilkes County Public Library, from 6-7 pm. Here is Dan Hudson manning
the station, showing off one of our registration forms.
SNAP Report
Our Spay/Neuter Assistance Program continues to register
an average of 50 animals per month. In these hard
economic times, this is probably a pretty good record, but
we would like for even more residents to take advantage of
this program!
The Board of Directors is discussing ways to increase this
number, and one way could be to budget monies to fund
“Special Offers,” such as “A Nickel A Neuter” or “A Dollar A
Spay” for a set period of time.
Ideally, once these funds were expended, they would be
replenished with donations to be able to do it again. Any
other ideas about fundraising or promotion to help get the
word out are welcome and encouraged. We are making a
difference, but there is so much more to be done!
www.humanesocietyofwilkes.org / www.humanesocietyofwilkes.petfinder.com
Annual Meeting Update
The General Membership Annual Meeting was held at th
Hidden Oaks Dog Park on Saturday, June 11 . Temperatures ran very high that day, but attendees were able to remain relatively cool, thanks to tents provided courtesy of Steve Jackson and Becky and Arnold Lakey. Aside from food and fellowship enjoyed by both two-­‐legged and four-­‐legged friends of the HSOW, business conducted included a vote on the four Board nominations. Dr. Steve Jackson, Mary Parsons, Arlene McGrane, and Ed Parsons all accepted to serve 3-­‐year terms. Reports were presented by the Adoption Committee, Finance Committee, and SNAP Program, with results included in this issue. Love at first website! Here is Jasper, on his way “home” after spending nearly three
years in foster care! His new family saw his photo on our website and fell in love!
Adoption/Foster Report
Even though the hot and stormy weather sometimes forced us to reschedule an adoption fair, our committee and volunteers have experienced great success with our events this year. We've held fairs at locations as diverse as Wal-­‐Mart, the Wilkesboro Open Air Market, Tractor Supply Company, and of course, the Hidden Oaks Dog Park. We’ll be at the Open Air Market most Friday nights through the season. Here are the adoption, foster, and rescue counts through the middle of August for 2011: Adopted: In Foster Care: To Rescue Organizations: Dogs 105 Dogs 39 Dogs 51 Cats 23 Cats 22 Cats 4 Potbellied Pig 1 Horse 1 The May Adoption Fair at Wal-­‐Mart saw Frosty, Browny, Tiger, and Trio all find "furever" homes. And finally, beautiful calico cat Spidy was adopted after being in foster care for three years, ever since she was a kitten! The Memorial Day weekend event, also held at Wal-­‐Mart, produced more results, and one of our foster dogs found a new loving family and home. Volunteers and foster parents who brought their pets put in extra time for the holiday weekend, and we all appreciate their efforts and their dedication. In early August, a special extended Adoption Fair was held at Tractor Supply Company, in conjunction with "Pet Appreciation Week," sponsored by TSC and Petfinder.com. As always, you can see all the foster pets available for adoption on our websites at either humanesocietyofwilkes.petfinder.com or humanesocietyofwilkes.org/animals.html Volunteers are always needed for setting up and breaking down, walking and brushing the dogs, and talking with the public. Everything goes so much more quickly and smoothly when there are extra hands to help, so if you are interested, please contact Mary Parsons, head of the Foster-­‐Adoption Committee (soonerr1@charter.net). The Foster-­‐Adoption Committee regularly holds open meetings on the 3rd Monday of each month, usually held at Wilkes Christian Church (across from Wendy's on the Second Street Hill). All those interested in participating in either the foster program or adoption events are welcome to attend. Just contact Blair Hancock (blairhancock@aol.com) or Mary Parsons for meeting information. The plans for construction of the building at the dog park and the landscaping were approved, with details also provided in this issue. Many thanks to Carol Childers for coordinating with Wilkes Community College and other local gardeners to create a simple landscaping plan that includes all native plants! HSOW BALANCE SHEET a/o 06/30/11
Cash & CDs
Buffie Fund
Lowe’s Stock
Total Assets
Total Liabilities
Net Worth
$46,244.25
$10,400.00
$107,272.00
$163,916.25
$0.00
$163,916.25
PROFIT & LOSS STATEMENT a/o 06/30/11
Income:
Adoption Program
Donations
SNAP Program
Fundraising
Membership
Dividends & Interest
Kind News Sponsorship
Dog Park Fund
Total Income
$15,427.43
$6,589.60
$10,774.00
$3,257.32
$1,580.00
$1,114.06
$1,225.00
$210.00
$40,177.41
Expenses:
Adoption Program
Spay/Neuter Vouchers
SNAP
Fundraising
Administrative
Dog Park Expense
Total Expenses
$19,303.82
$760.00
$13,077.00
$622.80
$1,852.10
$236.90
$35,852.62
Overall Total 2011
$4,324.79
www.humanesocietyofwilkes.org / www.humanesocietyofwilkes.petfinder.com
The Peaceable Kingdom
Do you want to adopt a dog or puppy, but have a
household with kitties? You may be concerned about
how to introduce Fido to the felines, but there are
proven methods to make the relationship work. Many
sources say that it’s easier to introduce a puppy, because
a smaller animal may be less threatening to the cats, but
puppies also have an awful lot of energy, and might be
more of an annoyance than an older, more settled dog.
So, there are trade-offs there.
Consider the breed carefully, as some dogs naturally
have a high “prey drive” (like terriers and sight hounds),
and herding breeds might be prone to chase and nip at
cats in an attempt to satisfy their natural herding
instincts. Retrievers, or mutts whose natural tendencies
are “diluted” by the presence of other genes, may be
more gentle and accepting. However, the behavior of
individual dogs may vary greatly from their breeding,
so you can’t really generalize.
The Humane Society of W ilkes now has its
own presence on Facebook! Log in to your
account
and
go
to
facebook.com/HSofW ilkes and click “Like”
at the top of our profile page. Now you
can get up to date announcements
delivered right to your Facebook news
feed, as well as post your own comments
and feedback!
Many thanks to Katie
Parsons for creating and maintaining our
Facebook page!
The HSOW Board of Directors meets the second Monday of each
month at the North Wilkesboro Presbyterian Church. All members of
the Humane Society are welcome and encouraged to attend these
monthly Board meetings.
CURRENT OFFICERS AND BOARD MEMBERS
President – Joanna Cates
Vice-President – Blair Hancock
Secretary – Heather Forester/Kayren Hall
Treasurer – Arlene McGrane
Board Members – Steve Jackson, Carol Childers, Kim Spencer, Heather
Forester, Ed Parsons, Mary Parsons, Mary Elmore
1-YEAR TERMS ENDING JUNE 2012
Kayren Hall
Often, dogs adopted from shelters or foster/rescue
groups will already have been tested for aggressive
tendencies around other animals, so be sure to ask about
it when you’re speaking to a volunteer about a
particular dog. Before you bring your adopted dog
home, be sure that you have a crate for confinement
when supervision is not possible. This also allows your
cat(s) to investigate the new family member without the
threat of being chased.
Without doubt, your cat(s) will hiss and otherwise make
quite a fuss at first, but be patient, it just takes time to
make the adjustment. Make sure your cats have access
to a room that the dog cannot enter, and keep the litter
boxes, cat food, and water bowl in an area that the dog
can’t get to. Kitty will need an escape route and
somewhere to feel safe.
Supervise all interaction between the dog and the cat(s)
until such time as you are confident that the dog will
remain calm. Before long, you’ll find that “getting
along like cats and dogs” is actually a good thing!
Kim Spencer
Heather Forester
2-YEAR TERMS ENDING JUNE 2013
Blair Hancock
Joanna Cates
Mary Elmore
Carol Childers
3-YEAR TERMS ENDING JUNE 2014
Arlene McGrane
Steve Jackson
Mary Parsons
Ed Parsons
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Membership – Mitzi Combs
Calendar – Carol Childers, with support from Dave Ritter
Website – Blair Hancock
Shelter – Donna Peterson
SNAP – Joanna Cates
Adoption/Foster – Mary Parsons
Newsletter – Stacey Ruszczyk
Nominating – Blair Hancock
Collection Jars – Kim Spencer
www.humanesocietyofwilkes.org / www.humanesocietyofwilkes.petfinder.com
Sagebrush Fundraisers Continue
For those that are new, we have a table and issue vouchers,
from which Sagebrush donates 10% of the customer’s meal
bill to the HSOW. We also offer information, including the
current animals available for adoption, and sales items.
Thank you to our wonderful volunteers since January,
including Ann Willardson, Claudia Eller-Tobey, Alessandra
Lozano, Melinda Crawford, Dan Hudson, Donna Peterson
(Secret Pal covered shift), Blair Hancock, Jack Johnson, Sue
Shaak, Kendall Forester, Margie Edgerton, Phyllis Smith, Bill
& Zohare Boyd, Kelly & Nancy Stanley, Arlene McGrane,
Randy Mays, Kim Whitley, and Mary Parsons (pictured at
left).
We have been fortunate to have an ongoing
monthly fundraiser at Sagebrush for 3 years now!
Above is Mary Parsons at the information
table. This fundraiser brings in around $200 per
month in voucher money, sales items, and
donations!
Table hours are 11am ‘til 10pm – once a month - and this is
an easy way to help! If we get 11 volunteers, at 1 hour each,
it would be VERY easy! No experience necessary - please
consider coming for an hour, then eating! For more
information, contact Joanna Cates (coandjo@earthlink.net).
Humane Society of Wilkes
P.O. Box 306
North Wilkesboro, NC 28659
(336) 838.9588
[Address Label Here]
Newsletter design, production, printing costs, and distribution donated by HSOW member Stacey Ruszczyk