cat

Enriching The Lives of Homeless Pets And Families

Share

I’ve been so grateful to my friends who have been there for me during this past year with lots of personal issues including my mom’s ailing health. The kindness of others has given me so much strength and I’ve been looking for a larger scale way of giving back.

I’d been yearning to get back to fulfilling that side of my heart again. This past fall I visited the Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Cincinnati and learned about its Pet Support Program.

I’d been looking for a larger scale opportunity to give back for those who have shown me so much kindness. IHN’s Pet Support Program touched me on many levels – when homelessness and financial hardship hit a family, it hits everyone in that family…including the non-human animals.

Then, in early December it occurred to me when I looked at all of Dawson’s unused toys. Among other things, boredom can be a cause of behavior problems that could make finding and keeping low income housing and shelter difficult for those families. Dawson’s unused toys could be enrichment for pets whose owners wouldn’t be able to provide them – or for those pets who are being cared for by IHN while their owners are working through what they need to work through.

The idea for Gifts for Best Friends was born.

 

From March 14 to April 18, we will be collecting gently used HARD dog and cat toys, and new hard and soft toys. There will be drop off locations. Additionally, I am looking for individuals and organizations who would like to organize an internal collection Gifts for Best Friends Cincinnati dog and cat toy collection for homeless and low income familiesamong their co-workers, congregations, group members.

Special thanks to the very talented Erik Pietila for creating the beautiful artwork for the campaign!!

Please visit this link to learn more on my pet training website.  Also, I will be posting updates on my So Much PETential Facebook page. Please mark yourself as *attending* or *interested* to get updates.

And, if you would like to be involved with a collection, please be in touch!

Drop Off Locations

Care Center Vets
6995 E Kemper Road
513-530-0911
General area – Montgomery/Symmes Township

Earthwise at Harper’s Point
11328 Montgomery Road
(513) 469-7387
general area – Montgomery/Symmes Township

Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Cincinnati
990 Nassau Street
513-471-1100
general area – near downtown

Mason Community Center
6050 S Mason Montgomery Rd
(513) 229-8555
general area – Mason

Pet Wants – Findlay Market
1813 Pleasant St
513-721-8696
general area – Over the Rhine

Pet Wants – Cincy Kitchen
1409 Vine St
513-621-3647

Pleasant Ridge Pet Hospital
6229 Montgomery Rd
(513) 351-1730
general location – Pleasant Ridge

Western Hills Animal Hospital
5500 Glenway Ave
513-922-2266
general area – Western Hills

So Much PETential Cincinnati dog training by Lisa Desatnik

 

United Pet Fund Helps Those Who Help Animals – You Can Too!

Share

All I have to do is look into those deep, beautiful eyes of our Sam – and so many other great dogs who I have worked with or gotten to know – and you can’t help but have a huge appreciation for the dedicated staff and volunteers who run our Sam rescue dogarea dog and cat shelters. They have a very important job to do. Thousands of animals have their fate in these people’s hands and hearts to find them a forever home. And so many families have come to know that beautiful, unconditional love given off from an animal they adopted.

Introducing United Pet Fund

United Pet FundThere is a somewhat new nonprofit, the United Pet Fund, whose sole purpose is to help those incredibly valuable animal care and service organizations to be sustainable. It is called United Pet Fund and it is founded by a Blue Ash veterinarian, Dr. Zeke Zekoff.

United Pet Fund has provided scholarship funds for volunteers of these organizations to attend continuing education conferences; handyman service for assistance with repair and maintenance of shelters; pet health days in under-served areas; emergency funds when needed for unexpected predicaments; and has provided nonprofit leadership management and trainings to shelters and rescue groups.

In an email from Dr. Zekoff, he shared: “We are working on becoming a national resource and support organization for the smaller ‘mom-and-pop’ ACSOs.  Our goal will be to become a Nonprofit ACSO-member Services Organization that will provide basic business services needed by all nonprofits to become successful. Eventually, with the advantage  that comes with large number of members, we hope to offer access to discounted business services for our members, including, but not limited to products and services that are needed by all nonprofit animal service and care organizations:  Legal and Accounting, Insurance, Public Relations, IT services, Credit/Financing Services, Pet Products (including food and health supplies), Webinar-based training in Nonprofit leadership and management skills, as well as Animal Behavior and Health needs. The list can go on, but we have place to start. With all these in one location, with a central organization that understands the needs of the smaller ACSOs, the animals served by these organizations will be the ones in the end that benefit.”

Kyle’s New Hope Animal Rescue Saves LivesKyles New Hope Animal Rescue

Located in Sharonville, Kyle’s New Hope Animal Rescue is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving the lives of animals who have run out of options. Dogs and cats that are injured, abused, abandoned and neglected will be provided veterinary care and surgery to be rehabilitated and adopted into loving homes. All animals will receive up to date vaccinations, be spayed or neutered and microchipped… all in an effort to reduce the amount of unnecessary euthanasia in shelters and hospitals. I am very familiar with Kyle’s New Hope because I have volunteered for them. Their love for the animals who have come into their lives is truly heartfelt.

You Can Help

Tomorrow & Friday (August 22 & 23, 2013), United Pet Fund and Kyle’s New Hope Animal Rescue are partnering with two back-to-back fundraisers.

Wags to Riches Casino Royale is tomorrow night from 6 pm to 10:30 pm at the Manor House located at 7440 S Mason-Montgomery Rd. in Mason. It is a fun night of dinner, Casino Games hosted by Black Diamond Casino Events with prizes, an animal caricaturist-bring your pet’s photo and more.

On Friday from Noon until 6:30 pm at the Bel-Wood Country Club in Morrow will be the Golf Classic with lunch, a cookout and great prizes. For cost and registration information, please visit this link: http://www.unitedpetfund.org/upfc_home.php

You can also call Towne Square Animal Clinic / Kyle’s Veterinary Hospital at 513-520-7571 or 513-793-1875 for information.

 

‘I Rescued A Human Today’

Share

I saw this on Phodographer Carolyn Evans’ Facebook page and knew I would have to share it. If you love animals they way I do, you will really appreciate it.

‘I Rescued A Human Today’ by Jannine Allen, CPDT

Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her.

I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn’t be afraid. As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage. I didn’t want her to know that I hadn’t been walked today. Sometimes the shelter keepers get too busy and I didn’t want her to think poorly of them.

As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn’t feel sad about my past. I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone’s life.

She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me. I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her. Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship. A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well.

Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms.

I would promise to keep her safe. I would promise to always be by her side.

I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes.

I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So many more are out there who haven’t walked the corridors. So many more to be saved. At least I could save one.

I rescued a human today.

 

**”I Rescued a Human Today”, written by Janine Allen CPDT, Rescue Me Dog’s professional dog trainer. Janine’s passion is working with people and their dogs. She provides demonstrations for those who have adopted shelter dogs, lends email support to adopted dog owners that need information beyond our Training Support Pages, and aids shelter staff and volunteers in understanding dog behavior to increase their adoptability. Copyright 2010 Rescue Me Dog; www.rescuemedog.org

PHOTO CREDIT:  Carolyn Evans, Phodographer

 

Follow on Bloglovin

Don't miss hearing about Good Things! Register to receive my enewsletters.

* indicates required
Archives