Humane Society of Wilkes
P.O. Box 306, North Wilkesboro, NC 28659
336-838-9588
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Newsletter for April, 2004
Greetings!After what seemed like a long and bitter winter, spring is finally here! And spring seems to bring with it a new enthusiasm and energy for projects – those things we have all been intending to do but haven’t quite gotten around to. Maybe now is the time for you to consider supporting our humane society in ways that you have thought about but not yet done. Read on to learn what is going on and what you can do to get involved. Maybe you are not a member yet but have thought about it – membership information can be found in the newsletter. And maybe you don’t have the time to volunteer, but would like to support our work with a monetary contribution. Support of all types is greatly appreciated. Or perhaps you have ideas or suggestions you’d like to pass along. Current board members and their telephone numbers are: 2005 Best Friends CalendarGet out your cameras or go through those old photos. We need your entries for our 2005 Best Friends Calendar. Photos should be of pet(s) with or without their people. Photos can be any size but must be in color. Only horizontal photos can be considered for the cover and calendar pages, but vertical ones may be recognized and appear as honorable mentions. Entries will be accepted through May 31. Members of the Yadkin County Humane Society will select the winning photos. Each entry should include the names of the pet(s) and people in the photos, and the name, address, and telephone number of the person sending in the photo. Include information about your pet’s history, personality, etc. if you would like. The entry fee is $ 5.00 per photo, and should be included with the photo. If you would like your photos returned include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Mail entries to:
Adoption CommitteeWe have had two successful adoption fairs this year. The first was in February at Lowe’s. Three pups and one kitten were adopted at that fair. All four had been in our foster care program. The second fair was in March at the Wilkes County Public Library. One pup from foster care, two pups from the shelter, and one kitten from the shelter were adopted. Our total number of adoptions for the year is sixteen puppies, seven dogs, two cats and one kitten. Our next adoption fair is scheduled for April 17, at a location to be announced. If you are interested in helping with this adoption fair, contact Arlene at arlenemcg@aol.com or by telephone at 973-8343. We will be having adoption fairs twice monthly from now until the weather gets too hot, so we will be needing lots of help and volunteers. Adoption Committee Special ThanksThe adoption committee wants to especially thank the local groomers that have donated grooming for shelter dogs. They are: Twin Lakes Grooming, Precious Paws, Pampered Pups, Brushy Mountain Grooming, and Doggie Doos. When a groomer accepts a dog from us for grooming, they know that it won’t be an easy job and they still generously volunteer to help. A longhaired dog that is totally matted to the skin, and smells really bad, has very little chance of being adopted. Once they have been groomed they all find homes. Adoption Volunteer SpotlightVolunteer Barbara Gray has been a member of the Humane Society since October 1999 – when she was seven years old and began accompanying her mother, Blair Hancock, to adoption fairs. She has been an extremely dedicated volunteer, and has been extremely active with the adoption committee. She has helped in all aspects of adoption fairs: setting up cages, washing dogs, cleaning and changing cages, and showing off puppies and kittens to prospective owners. She has also used her artistic talent to do face painting at fairs for a small donation to the humane society. Barbara has also helped with fundraising, holding animals to take pictures for the web page, and passing out candy on Halloween at the Greenway. She and her mother have cared for many foster animals in their home. They have fostered litters of puppies and kittens, and dogs large and small. Barbara’s dedication and support of the humane society have been invaluable. Many animals’ lives have been improved by her efforts. She is now 12 years old, and when asked why she likes to volunteer, she says “ I like playing with the puppies and knowing that I am saving some.” Hats off to you, Barbara, and we hope you will continue your volunteer work with us in the future. Foster Care NewsThe adoption committee would like to welcome new member Kimberly Moser. Kimberly joined the humane society in February, and she has already fostered two stray puppies. She is currently fostering two pups from the shelter that are about five to six weeks old. Both are small mixed breed pups. We also have Lady and her puppies in foster care with Mary and Katie Parsons. Lady was pregnant when she arrived at the shelter. After two days in the Parsons’ home, in a safe and warm environment, Lady had her puppies. They will all be available for adoption in late April. When pregnant or very young animals are turned into the shelter they have a poor chance of being adopted. If we have a foster home available, these animals are taken from the shelter and placed in a foster home. They receive a veterinary exam, medical care, and lots of TLC. This improves their chances of being adopted. All of these foster pups, along with other animals available at the shelter, can be seen on our web page (www.humanesocietyofwilkes.org). We also have photos posted on a display in the lower level of the Wilkes County Public Library Shelter NewsThe Wilkes County Animal Shelter now has a washer and dryer for the humane society volunteers to do laundry there. Thanks to Junior Simmons for letting us have the garage space and helping with installation. Jackie, one of the shelter employees, has also helped out a great deal with washing, drying, and folding laundry. We provide the laundry detergent and bleach. Spay Neuter ProgramIn the first three months of this year, our spay neuter program has issued sixty vouchers to help owners pay for their pet’s surgeries. A total of 37 vouchers have been used in this period. Our cost for these 37 vouchers was $1,250. These vouchers helped to pay for surgery for 10 male cats, 6 female cats, 6 male dogs, and 15 female dogs. As in the past, 87% of these vouchers went to homes where the household income was less than $25,000. Families who live in Wilkes County and need assistance with the cost of spaying or neutering fill out an application and turn it in to the humane society. They receive a voucher that they can take to their veterinarian to pay for part of the surgery. The vouchers can be used only for spay/neuter; the owner pays any remaining balance. Voucher amounts vary from $10.00 to $50.00, depending on the income of the family and the type, sex, and size of the pet. Anyone who needs a voucher application can pick up one at the local veterinary hospitals or the library, or you can print one off of our web page. We appreciate the veterinary hospitals that work with us by accepting the vouchers. Monetary support for this program is greatly appreciated. Please send any contributions to P. O. Box 306, North Wilkesboro, NC 28659, and indicate that it is for spay/neuter. Mailing LabelsThe date on your mailing label is the date your membership will expire. If there is a discrepancy with your records, please contact Sylvia Smith at 667-1109. |
Hidden Oaks Dog ParkDogs and their people will soon have a new place to go to exercise, play, and visit with their friends. It has been two years since we started planning our dog park, and we anticipate its completion in a couple of months. The dog park will consist of an approximately 1/5-mile walking trail encircling an almost 2-acre fenced area. The fenced area will be divided into two parts, one each for small and large dogs. The park will be attractively landscaped, and have picnic tables and benches. The park is located at Cub Creek Park in Wilkesboro. The park is named Hidden Oaks Dog Park in memory of Barbara Absher Eldridge. The Town of Wilkesboro has completed hauling materials for the walking trail and the parking lot. The fence to enclose the free exercise space has been purchased and will soon be installed. Signs, tables, benches, and waste containers have been purchased and will be placed when the fence is completed. Landscaping and memorial markers will be the last items to be added. Many generous donors have made donations totaling over $19,000 to purchase materials and equipment for the park. We are extremely grateful for these donations. Any interested dog lovers or friends of dog lovers can still make gifts for the park. These gifts will be used to enhance the park and purchase needed supplies. Gifts may be designated in honor of or in memory of pets or people. Food Lion Shop and ShareIn January we received a check from the Food Lion Shop and Share Program for $ 51.28. Thanks to all of you who linked your MVP cards to our organization. If you have not done so, or have not re-registered for 2004, you can still do so. Go to www.foodlion.com and follow the prompts. You can also register at any Food Lion store if you do not have internet access. MembershipWelcome and thank you to all who have either renewed their membership or joined the Humane Society of Wilkes for the first time. Following are those who have done so from January 1 through March 31 of 2004. Membership in the Humane Society of Wilkes is $15.00 per year. We would love to have you as a member. There is a membership form on the website. Kind NewsAt our March meeting, the board of directors decided to again supply Kind News subscriptions for each kindergarten, first and second grade class for the 2004-2005 school year. This will be the seventh year that we have sponsored this project. Kind News is a publication of the National Association for Humane and Environmental Education. It is a newspaper for students in elementary school that highlights the importance of treating people, animals and the environment with kindness and respect. The newspaper features articles, puzzles, and projects that introduce students to humane issues. It is written in a simple, lively style that appeals to children. Each Kind News subscription provides teachers with thirty-two copies of Kind News and a teaching guide each month of the school year, September through May. Teachers also receive worksheets and posters to use in the classroom. The newsletters are taken home by the students, and are often shared with their families. This resource is available for a very reasonable $25.00 per classroom per year. That breaks down to $.78 per child for the entire school year, or less than $ .09 per newsletter. We are requesting individuals or groups to sponsor one or more classrooms. Contributions may be made in memory of or in honor of pets or people. Please send your contributions to: Please indicate that the contribution is for Kind News. Thank you for your consideration. ContributionsThe following contributions have been received from January through March 2004. We appreciate your kind and generous donations. General Contributions Kind News
In Honor of People:
Steve Jackson In Memory of People:
Mike Talbot In Honor of Pets:
Slim Harley Addy Fluffy Fred Zelda and Smiley Income and Expenses January 1 – March 31 2004
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