Good Morning!
The shelter has had some very exciting days lately! Spring is in the air, the sun is shining and our new shelter is right around the corner!
We have taken in close to $8,000 from our Christmas mailing and believe it or not some still come trickling in, always a pleasant surprise.
Recently between iGive, ink recycling and Network for Good we raised just over$655.00 and another iGive check is on its way to us, we also received a check for $206.00 from Pedigree for its shelter sharing program, thank you Pedigree!
Wags To Wiskers Pet Supply in Gaylord hung an up-side down umbrella from their ceiling to collect money for the shelter, the last collection was $150.00 and the last time I was in their store the umbrella was filling up again. We thank Rochelle and Steven for all their hard work in addressing many aspects of the shelter in their store; promoting our needs - pet of the week, helping with adoptions, spay and neuter, upcoming events, transporting of dogs, and soon to be displaying our ATV in their store when it’s not out at other events. Not to mention all the broken bags of dog and cat food they have donated to the shelter dogs and cats we have trying to help.
We had knowledge of a couple of cats that were abandoned at an empty home, when we first began helping these cats they were in very dismal shape, emaciated, matted and very cold. With the good food (thanks Wags to Wiskers) and Robin Smiley’s diligent efforts to make sure these cats had food, fresh water and a warm place to nest, these cats named Allie and Charlie finally had a chance at life, they gained weight and their condition improved drastically, we found them to be wonderful cats with great personalities. But time was running out for these two, the house was sold to a new family that wanted the cats gone, we had to find them a home quickly but who would take two cats in such condition? We could see the beauty underneath those matted un-cared for coats but would anyone else? You bet! A great home was found with a big hearted lady. Allie and Charlie went to the vet for vaccinations and testing, they both came out with a clean bill of health and moved on to their new home, together, living as inside only cats, safe and never to be cold and hungry again. A big thank you to Robin for trudging through the deep snow in sub zero weather, day after day to care for these cats and getting them healthy enough to find them a new home. Allie and Charlie are very lucky cats indeed.
The big news of the day is receiving our SNAP grant, we were awarded $15,000 in grant money for the spaying and neutering of dogs in our community, this is community outreach money for people who can’t afford to pay for a spay or neuter in part or in entirety. The BIG bonus to this grant is the reduced number of puppies born into our community, ultimately, meaning less animals to filter into the shelter system. Making all of our jobs easier, and animals lives will be saved.
Our annual Italian Dinner is today between 4-7 pm, held in Lewiston every year; kicking off our ATV raffle. Wait till you see the new machine, it’s awesome! This year we are doing something a bit different, adding a “Chair-ity” auction – area artists have painted or decorated old chairs and turned them into wonderful pieces of art! We have a wonderful collection of chairs to auction off and the response we have gotten for this event has been astonishing. We are so excited about this event, it makes our hearts pound. The feedback we have been getting from the community is fantastic. I had even paid a visit to the Atlanta Real Estate Exchange, walking in to find Diane showing one of her customers our website and the works of art, that was a special treat.
On Easter Sunday a small black Labrador was found with a severely injured rear leg, initially thought to be a dog/vehicle injury. Dr. Woolman at Alpena Veterinarian Hospital agreed to look at this dog, he took time out from this special holiday to care for this dog who we now call Skippy. Through all the movements, picking up, transporting and then examination of his leg, Skippy never lifted a lip, never made a growl, never even made a whimper. He was truly a trooper through this whole ordeal. Sadly we soon found out Skippy was not hit by a car but was shot at close range with a shotgun, destroying the bone in his leg beyond repair. Dr. Woolman stabilized Skippy then amputated his leg on this past Tuesday, and again, Skippy is a trooper coming through the surgery with flying colors, he has proven to be housebroken, never makes a peep at the hospital, always, always happy to see anyone, wagging his tail for anyone. Skippy will be released from the hospital Monday afternoon and will be looking for a very special home after he recovers. Although Dr. Wooman is donating part of his vet bill you can imagine how big his medical bill is going to be. Skippy is very special and didn’t deserve this, none of them deserve to be treated this way. If anyone wants to contribute to the medical fund to help Skippy please send it to P.O. Box 434, Atlanta, MI 49709
Have a Great Day and we hope to see you at the dinner.
Sincerely Pauline Hancock President Elk Country Animal Shelter
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