Worthy Organizations

While there are many, I am listing my favorites here with the hope you will click on them, learn about what they do, and see how you can help. Here at the end of the year, it's a good time to make a contribution if you can.

Pet Rescue, Inc. - local Westchester County organization that does enormous rescue work, everything from the pull, transport, vetting, foster, and adoption process. Been around a long while (25 years or so), so has a terrific cadre of foster families, and rescues numbers of animals yearly on par with national groups. Hard to imagine that but this is a fantastic place to drop some cash.

Rolling Dog Farm - New Hampshire (formerly in beautiful Montana). Adopts "disabled" dogs and horses for the rest of their lives. Been around about 12 years and is run by a couple who gave up the corporate life to care for animals on a farm.  Their blog has a fun and dedicated readership, and Steve and Alayne give thrice weekly updates on the antics of everyone's favorites (like Widget!)

Noah's Arks Rescue - Okatie South Carolina - rescues dogs from shelters who are in extreme need of medical attention. Jennifer runs the place and keeps several dogs at her home, as well as manages the foster families that take in these very needy dogs, like Smiley/Miley, rehabilitates them and makes them more adoptable. Money is used for vet care for dogs that would absolutely be put down if it were not for this group.

Animal Farm Foundation - Hudson Valley, New York. Dedicated to rehabilitating the image of the American Pitbull. Does facilitate fostering and adopting, and also awards grants to organizations that match pitbulls with forever homes. Has great notecards, too!

Pets Alive Westchester - took over the old-time Elmsford Animal Shelter, getting lots of warehoused animals adopted within their first year at the helm just by using a new model of outreach. Has a fantastic volunteer program, where people can help with all levels of work: painting the fence to dog-walking; you name it! Very dynamic, very committed, and this past year opened a dog sanctuary in Puerto Rico, with a major gift of $250,000. That island desperately needs their help as dogs aren't always treated so well. Pets Alive Puerto Rico is changing that and giving an avenue for dog lovers there to organize.

Guardian Angels for Soldiers' Pet - fosters dogs and other animals of military personnel while they are deployed. I know the lady who co-founded this group, Linda, and let me tell you, she runs a tight ship. This organization has 2,500 foster families across the country ready willing and able to take in animals while their owner is overseas for a year or more. This effort prevents dogs from being dumped at shelters where they will face certain death.  They also have a dog sanctuary in Texas, where they are headquartered.

Coastal German Shepherd Rescue - Orange County and San Diego (two chapters!) California. I have never worked with them but their reputation is stellar. Someone (probably multiple people) out that way is breeding German Shepherds for volume and many end up at shelters emaciated and in need of major medical care and love. This group does everything from the pull, to the vetting, to the foster, to the adoption process. More money means more dogs get rescued. They offer hope where there is none for these forgotten dogs.

Soi Dog Foundation - if it were not for this organization - an army of volunteers! - many dogs would have been left to perish on Dog Island in Bangkok after the floods. Also - this fantastic organization has neutered or spayed over 32,000 animals in Asia in the short time they have been around! That is huge, and really getting to the root of the problem. You can travel to them and volunteer (direct action!), too, but the flight costs a lot.  Visit them for photos of hope coming out of hopeless situations. You will be glad you did.

NYC Top Dog - this is the place where I am boarding Olive and Dixie, and which has recently turned from business model to a non-profit model. They provide a segway for dogs going from rescue to adoption, which is critical. Many times the only thing preventing a rescue from taking place is the lack of a temporary place to house the dog for a few weeks. Pedro Rosario, who runs Top Dog, is a caring animal advocate and is a well known dog lover. Rescues love him. He houses about 140 dogs (big and small), and about 50 cats. What he needs is to own the building he's in so he can build running-around pens! Any major donors out there?!

Wheels of Hope (partners with New York City Animal Care and Control)  - this is a transport vehicle service that works with the New York City Shelter system (read: a lot of animals in a high kill situation) and which has also provided a critical piece of the rescue continuum: transport from one place to the next in a professional, systematized, and safe way. While relying on volunteers to cart dogs around from point A to point B sounds good, that kind of things is a lot of work to organize and manage well. With Wheels of Hope, they are already familiar with the shelter system, and they know where point A and B are... not small things. This simple van transport has literally saved thousands of dogs' lives by providing a piece of the puzzle that often stops a rescue from taking place. Logistically, their existence also allows someone in another state to organize pulling a dog, and bringing them to a place like Top Dog for boarding until a foster or a more permanent situation can be worked out.

Cloud Nine Rescue Flights - A fabulous organization run by a now-married couple (they met doing this work!) Pilots donate their flying hours, Cloud Nine owns two planes who provide safe transport, and dogs from high kill areas (usually in the south but also in the Midwest) get flown to high adoption areas, some 19 or 20 animals at a time. A true lifesaver. Over 500 pets a year saved. Amazing.  They also have the amazing "barkery" -- where they hand-make and bake dog and cat treats twice a year. Special order yours!

Alley Cat Allies - dedicated to cat care everywhere. Promotes anti-cruelty legislation, tutors in cat-colony management, advises about feral cat care. I'm selling them short, I'm sure. Take a look yourself.

Again, these are just a few good orgs. I have two more to add later. Jenny's Hope in Westchester and The Grey Muzzle Foundation, but I am out of time.  Mom is visiting, today is Museum Day, and I already convinced her to adopt a dog this vacation. Can't push my luck.


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New Chip-In For Dixie And Olive

I give quite an extensive background of "the girls" at the chip-in page. You will notice I have combined collecting for both girls into one chip-in. The boarding cost for them each is $12 a day, or $360 a month for one dog, or $720 for a month for both: hence the amount being asked for in the chip-in.

I appreciate anything you care to donate towards their care. Many thanks!

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Please Help Me Rescue Olive

The shelter where I volunteer is fuller than I have ever seen it. We have dogs everywhere. Recently about seven dogs were put down, something that takes place a couple times a year as it's a low kill shelter, but we have another sad weekend coming up. All the volunteers are feeling anxiety about who is on the list. This is what shelters across the country face when they must euthanize just for space. Perfectly good pets that are basically just homeless and are out of time.

One dog named Olive has been there a while. She is beloved and a real sweetie. I've bonded with Olive these last couple of months, and I can tell you she's just waiting for someone to make her their lap dog. The shelter is down a road with auto repair stores and a Con Edison (electric) building. We have no grass areas and the place is basically duct taped together. It's sad to see a dog try to roll in four inches of weeds because that's their only option. Thank God for the regular volunteers that come each week (many come both Saturday and Sunday) to give these dogs a walk. Having contact each week with people is important to the dogs, socializes them, and makes/keeps them adoptable.

Back to Olive. This past Sunday I learned from a volunteer friend who wanted to prepare me for next week's "list" that Olive might be on it. I sat with her for longer than usual, and cried. She licked my face and nose. I sat with her again later in the day and wished I could do something to save her. That day two volunteers who have been personally working with one dog they got into a boarding/rescue situation happily announced their rescue has an adopter! 

Who can stand by and do nothing when you see an opening to save a dog?

So I am taking a risk and assuming the initial vetting and boarding costs involved with saving Olive. Each month will cost approximately $360 to board her. She will be nearby so we can visit her, and a group of us are focused on getting her adopted (posting flyers, networking her through rescues, and posting her on facebook). I hope you will join me. Here is a link to a chip in, where you can use paypal or another credit card if you care to make a donation.

Thanks very much for considering. I'm working on getting a close up of her and hopefully some video.

http://sheltertails.chipin.com/olive-girl



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Cloud Nine Rescue Flights -- 30% of the way back to rescue flights!

LAST CHANCE: Today is the last day to order homemade treats from the Barkery.

The other day I posted that the Cessna 310 Cloud Nine had donated last year needs some instrument repair work and is otherwise grounded until those can be completed. Every month, Cloud Nine rescues about 50 pets, bringing them from a high-kill shelter area to a rescue or group of rescues willing to take them, wherever they need to go in the country. If an area has few spay/neuter programs, and lots of extra dogs, they are likely to be euthanized. Cloud Nine saves lives.

Please consider making a donation today to let Sugar Pop (the Cessna) be airborne again!

So far they have raised $5,000 of the needed $15,000.
Please do what you can.

Here's a bit from their email alert to me this morning. Notice how Cloud Nine flew laboratory beagles to rescue just last month! (see my other post on the subject earlier today)...

This is every bit as important as the emergency transport requests we respond to, such as the 50 cats we transported from Joplin, MO to Seattle, WA July 1st in partnership with the ASPCA in response to the tornado in Joplin, or the 16 beagles we transported from Raleigh, NC to West Palm Beach, FL last September after the shutdown of Professional Research Laboratory Services in North Carolina due to charges of animal cruelty. Without our aircraft ready to go, we can't respond to these emergencies when they come up, nor we can we respond to our regularly scheduled transports. At the moment, we have two transports we have had to cancel due to Sugar Pop being down. That's two plane loads of pets that will be put to sleep. We need your help to make sure no more healthy, adoptable pets are killed.

Here's a bit about Cloud Nine from the ASPCA's website, with whom they collaborated to save the Joplin Missouri animals.

Thanks for considering a donation. I know it's a hard time but if everyone does just a little...
Cloud Nine will be airborne again!
 
 
 
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German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County (California)

Over the years I have known of this group and their outstanding rescue work. I am pretty sure I donated to them as well, for one dog or another. I learned of them on facebook, where much rescue happens.

Penny Eims, of Examiner.com (I always applaud her efforts) posted on GSROC recently. It seems they have adopted so many absolutely urgent dogs who have been severely neglected that it is now impeding their ability to rescue any additional dogs.

PLEASE consider even a modest contribution. This is a great group that meets great needs.


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Patty's Paws for Cause Luncheon - June 12th

I have gotten my last three dogs from Elmsford Animal Shelter. They take in all dogs, many that others would turn away. Yes, they have a lot of animals. Do they all get walked every day? Probably not. The same could be said of shelters one-fifth their size. With more volunteers that would be remedied. But I know the staff takes good care of them, and advocates tirelessly on their behalf.

They are having a luncheon to raise some money for much-needed improvements. I cannot be there but will be sending in my own donation, as with nearly all of the requests I make of all of you here.

To register for the luncheon, go here:
http://guest.cvent.com/EVENTS/Info/Summary.aspx?e=df359a2c-0193-4fbe-8cfb-f4c615dbbaa6

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xoxo

Give a Little Money For a Transport TODAY

I got this off facebook. If you make even a small contribution, it matters to the lives of these 57 dogs that need transport. They have a ride; they need a little moola for the people donating their cars (gas and maybe some crates).

This is dog rescue, 57 little souls at a time. It matters.

**URGENT! My friend & fellow animal rescuer, Sharon Gold, is transporting 57 dogs from Kern County, CA to Oregon tomorrow. If we cannot raise the funds to transport them, they will be euthanized. Please consider donating even $5 so these dogs can LIVE! Please go to PayPal & donate to the email julianandella@yahoo.com. https://cms.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/?cmd=_render-content&content_ID=marketing_us/send_money



[regarding donating directly to the vet as opposed to paypal]:

There's no vet. Sharon Gold has 3 or 4 caravans of cars leaving LA tomorrow & driving to Eugene, Oregon. There Noah's rescue will meet her & take them all to their place in Washington State. 850 miles each way. They need money for gas (at $3.00 a gallon now) & the pull fees so the money would go directly to Sharon. Sharon Gold is a HUGE animal rescuer. She rescues about 100 dogs a week from all over LA. She works with Eldad & Hope for Paws. I can vouch for her. I have been to her house & seen a lot of dogs being rehabilitated. She is wonderful. If people are uncomfortable donating to this than no worries. There is just no vet as everything is coming out of Sharon's pocket. I can 100% guarantee her credibility. [donating up through this] Sunday is not too late to donate as Sharon is using money from her own pocket for the costs that can't be covered by donations.

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Hike For Our Heroes

http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/4144066/7000m-walk-for-a-cause/?playlist_id=87003

Iraq War Veteran Troy Yocum is hiking 7,000 miles across America, banging his drum and sounding the call for $5 million to help military families in need. With Emmie the SuperDog by his side, he took the first step of his 16-month quest on April 17, 2010. Now they are on track to complete the first two weeks on schedule and return to Louisville, KY for the Kentucky Derby.

Emerson Elaine Eskridge the Superdog


Emmie (for short) is Troy's companion across the states. Troy took Emmie hiking at Red River Gorge in Eastern Kentucky, and a few days after he returned from Iraq, he realized that she is in fact an amazing trail dog. She has an abundance of energy and can hike up to 25 miles a day. No training necessary! She enjoys leading the hike out front and looks back when a fork in the trail begins. After a right or left command she is once again in full stride.

http://drumhike.com/EVENT_SCHEDULE_.html

http://drumhike.com/Sponsors__1.html

http://www.veteransflagdepot.com/hike.html

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xoxo

Blanket Drive for Yonkers Animal Shelter -- Don't Forget!...

Got this from Leslie at the Yonkers Animal Shelter. Please do what you can to help.

This is the time of the year that we reach out to the community for blankets and other warm bedding (including towels) to help keep the dogs warm during the cold weather. There are approximately 100 dogs here, and many are bully breeds who have short hair and get cold quite easily, so we go through a lot of blankets and can never have too many. Dog sweaters and coats are also appreciated.

These dogs, who have so little, depend on your kindness and generosity. Thanks from all of us.

All donations can be left at the Yonkers shelter, 120 Fullerton Ave, weekdays from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and weekends from noon to 3:30 p.m.

Any questions? Call Leslie at 201-981-3215 or e-mail crysros1@aol.com

A special thank you to ROGER, Volunteer at the shelter (a does-it-all kind of person) for the truckload of blankets brought our way on Friday. They'll go fast, but hey, those dogs will be glad for something soft to sit on!
 


xoxo

Thanks to the Bronxville storeowners who donated items to the Golf Tournament to benefit the Yonkers Animal Shelter

Today during my lunchtime I canvassed Bronxville with flyers for the upcoming Golf Tournment (on August 20). Three stores said yes off the bat! A few more are thinking about it and I will follow up later in the week. Many were genuinly interested in where the shelter is located and where it's going. Speaking of that, the new site will be near Stew Leonard's and Costco on Route 87.

Thanks to Village Day Spa (www.villagedayspa.com)

Womrath Bookshop (www.womrath.com)

and Tryforos Florist (www.tryforosflorist.com)

UPDATE: Thanks to Underhill's Crossing! (whose website I will look up and post here soon).

Your generosity and total lack of hesitation is not only welcomed but appreciated! I will be publishing a complete list of donors and benefactors of the new shelter.

Committee members have been doing this work for a long time. I got lucky today with three hits.

Help Us Help Rex

Rex is a five-year-old German Shepherd whose owners were discovered shopping for a vet who would euthanize this beautiful dog. He was severely neglected by his owner who would leave him crated for days, often with him wearing both a bark collar and muzzle because his barking "upset the neighbors". When he was finally allowed outside (on a short chain), the neighborhood kids would tease Rex and throw things at him. Pet Rescue took this dog in and boarded him in a private kennel where caring and talented handlers worked with him daily.

Rex recently was granted permanent residence at Pack Ethic, a rehabilitation facility in Upstate New York. There, he continues his rehabilitation and will soon be a full member of the pack. Until it is safe for Rex to interact with the pack, the trainers are requesting a large outdoor kennel for Rex to learn proper behaviors from the existing pack members.

The cost of the kennel is $1,500 and it will be used, not only for Rex, but also for other dogs that may need to learn from the pack!

To make a donation towards Rex’s Run, please visit: http://ny-petrescue.org/

Thanks for your help!

A big thank you to:

Mary Ann, who donated a brand new microwave to the shelter (the staff is grateful!) and four bags of linens;

Libby, who donated a huge bag of toys her little dog Penny did not use. Penny had lots of toys and she was willing to share with the dogs that have none;

Steve from Provisions for Pets in Bronxville, who donated a case of canned dog food, and a huge bag of cat food samples.

UPDATE:
and thanks to Annetta, with whom I work, who donated several items for the flea market (haha, no pun intended) that Yonkers Animal Shelter has each month to raise money for their new shelter.


Your donations are greatly appreciated!

Cleaning out your closets?

Items you can donate to your local animal shelter:

• Towels
• Linens, sheets, blankets (even if they're old)
• Area rugs
• Leashes and collars
• Newspapers (which are used to line cages)
• Treats
• Dog and cat food
• Dog and cat beds (do you sew?!)
• Standing fans
• New mops and broom
• Water hoses in good condition
• Your time