2020 Winter PAW PRINTS - ark-valley.org
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PAW PRINTS This year AVHS has improved its shelter services, which include a pet food bank, pet boarding for families in crisis, spay/neuter assistance, and behavioral support for owned pets. In partnership with Chaffee County Community Foundation we are currently working on implementing a community pet emergency medical fund as well. Pet stores and online pet sellers have seen the pandemic as an opportunity to increase their share of the puppy or kitten market. It is important that families still look to shelters first when searching for a new pet. A wonderful resource for this is Petfinder.com, a website that helps connect people with pets available for adoption at shelters and in rescues throughout the country. If you are considering buying from a breeder, remember, if you are unable to go visit the puppy or kitten and its parents and siblings, and see the conditions of where they and any other animals are living, steer clear! Puppies at pet stores or available to ship to your door or a nearby airport likely come from a puppy mill, where parent dogs suffer in cruel and inhumane conditions. Don’t believe promises of “no puppy mill”, customer reviews or health guarantees. Thank you for doing your part, in our local community and beyond, to ensure that all pets have the loving homes they deserve this holiday season! Wishing you a winter of good health and plenty of cuddle time with your pets. Sincerely, Amber van Leuken AVHS Executive Director 1 Record pet adoptions was the first surprising trend that came out of the initial stay-at-home orders enacted across the nation last spring as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As many of you remember, for the first time in Ark-Valley Humane Society’s history, every kennel in our shelter building was emptied as cats and dogs found adoptive or foster homes at record rates. With bated breath, our staff, board, and volunteers wondered if this trend would reverse and shelters, including ours, would eventually begin to fill up with returned animals or newly relinquished pets. Amazingly, our foster program has stayed strong and our pet intake overall has been down 37%. It seems this pandemic has had a silver lining for pets, as more people are home to care for pets and appreciate the companionship their pets provide. Even more surprising is that this is not just a local trend. According to Shelter Animals Count, a national database, data from 1,270 animal welfare organizations across the country found that 548,966 pets entered those shelters in March through June 2020, compared to 840,750 during the same period last year—a reduction of 35 percent. Not only is this reason to celebrate, but so was the resulting increase in lives saved, with tens of thousands fewer cats and dogs euthanized in shelters nationwide. It has been a long-standing practice at AVHS that every healthy or treatable cat or dog we receive will find a loving home, and now this is a possibility shared by many more shelters across the country. Nevertheless, pet homelessness still exists and if we want these positive trends to continue there are two areas of focus that will need the attention of our programs and our community: Pet Retention and Puppy Mill Education. Keeping pets in homes, especially in the face of economic hardship or housing instability, requires strong pet retention programs. WINTER NEWSLETTER | 2020 Inside Scoop...
Transcript of 2020 Winter PAW PRINTS - ark-valley.org
PAW PRINTS
This year AVHS has improved its shelter services,which include a pet food bank, pet boarding for familiesin crisis, spay/neuter assistance, and behavioralsupport for owned pets. In partnership with ChaffeeCounty Community Foundation we are currentlyworking on implementing a community pet emergencymedical fund as well. Pet stores and online pet sellers have seen thepandemic as an opportunity to increase their share ofthe puppy or kitten market. It is important that familiesstill look to shelters first when searching for a new pet. A wonderful resource for this is Petfinder.com, awebsite that helps connect people with pets availablefor adoption at shelters and in rescues throughout thecountry. If you are considering buying from a breeder,remember, if you are unable to go visit the puppy orkitten and its parents and siblings, and see theconditions of where they and any other animals areliving, steer clear! Puppies at pet stores or available toship to your door or a nearby airport likely come from apuppy mill, where parent dogs suffer in cruel andinhumane conditions. Don’t believe promises of “nopuppy mill”, customer reviews or health guarantees. Thank you for doing your part, in our local communityand beyond, to ensure that all pets have the lovinghomes they deserve this holiday season! Wishing youa winter of good health and plenty of cuddle time withyour pets.
Sincerely,
Amber van LeukenAVHS Executive Director 1
Record pet adoptions was the first surprising trend that cameout of the initial stay-at-home orders enacted across thenation last spring as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Asmany of you remember, for the first time in Ark-ValleyHumane Society’s history, every kennel in our shelterbuilding was emptied as cats and dogs found adoptive orfoster homes at record rates. With bated breath, our staff,board, and volunteers wondered if this trend would reverseand shelters, including ours, would eventually begin to fill upwith returned animals or newly relinquished pets. Amazingly, our foster program has stayed strong and our petintake overall has been down 37%. It seems this pandemichas had a silver lining for pets, as more people are home tocare for pets and appreciate the companionship their petsprovide. Even more surprising is that this is not just a localtrend. According to Shelter Animals Count, a nationaldatabase, data from 1,270 animal welfare organizationsacross the country found that 548,966 pets entered thoseshelters in March through June 2020, compared to 840,750during the same period last year—a reduction of 35 percent. Not only is this reason to celebrate, but so was the resultingincrease in lives saved, with tens of thousands fewer catsand dogs euthanized in shelters nationwide. It has been along-standing practice at AVHS that every healthy ortreatable cat or dog we receive will find a loving home, andnow this is a possibility shared by many more shelters acrossthe country. Nevertheless, pet homelessness still exists andif we want these positive trends to continue there are twoareas of focus that will need the attention of our programsand our community: Pet Retention and Puppy Mill Education.Keeping pets in homes, especially in the face of economichardship or housing instability, requires strong pet retentionprograms.
WINTER NEWSLETTER | 2020
Inside Scoop...
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Freedom Ride Photos! Thank you to everyone who adopted an animal this fall!
WINTER NEWSLETTER | 2020
Shout out to HighCountry Bank for
hosting 2 food drivesto help us keep ourcommunity pet food
pantry stocked! We now have a Community PetFood Pantry! Call us if in need of
pet food or supplies719.395.2737
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When we decided to cancel our biggest
fundraiser of the year, Cause for the Paws (due
to COVID-19) Greg & Ruth Phillips and Bob &
Sarah McMahon challenged our community to
help raise crucial funds for AVHS in a different
way. They offered to match donations by 50%
up to $7,000 contribution from them. Our
amazing community definitely answered that
challenge! We raised $28,288 thanks to our
amazing community! We also wanted to give a
special thanks to Bank of the West and
Monarch Mountain who still gave a sponsorship
despite having to cancel Cause for the Paws.
FALL MATCHING CAMPAIGN HELPED RAISE CRUCIAL FUNDS!WINTER NEWSLETTER | 2020
Thanks to our Platinum Sponsor:
Thanks to our Gold Sponsor:
We have 2021 calendarsavailable for purchase!
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WINTER NEWSLETTER | 2020
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When asked what surprised her most about working here,she noted the amount of work that goes on behind thescenes. From extensive vet attention to behaviormodification plans when needed, there’s a lot more to it thanjust snapping a photo and putting the animal up for adoption.When Krissy isn’t helping care for the animals at AVHS sheenjoys being outside with her dog Moki, who she adopted last spring.
If you haven’t gotten the opportunity to meet Krissy Zic, we’dlove to introduce you to her here!Krissy is an animal care technician who has been workingwith AVHS for over a year now. We’re lucky to have her funand positive spirit as a member of our team, she truly givesthe animals that come through our doors the best care.When asked what she liked most about working at Ark-Valley Humane Society Krissy said, ‘My absolute favoritething about working here is trying to let each animal knowthat they are seen, and that they are loved. I can’t imaginewhat it feels like being in a whole new environment withpeople that you’ve never met and not understanding what isgoing on. I strongly believe that it can make a world ofdifference if the animal can recognize a friendly face and feelcomforted.’ Many of the scared and shy animals we get in asstrays or owner surrenders find a friend in Krissy almostimmediately.
My absolute favorite thing
about working here is trying
to let each animal know that
they are seen
Moki joined her cat Billie in the home.Billie was found in the field atWeathervane Farm, emaciated andtrying her best to hunt for food,despite being declawed. Krissy tookher into AVHS (prior to working here)and adopted her a month later! Krissysays, ‘I would just like to thank allAVHS supporters for caring abouttheir community and all the crittersthat come our way. Withoutcommunity support, this organizationwould not be able to provide the loveand care necessary for animals to beplaced in homes. I would not want toimagine a world without the type offolks that go out of their way to makea difference (people like you!). Thankyou!’
WINTER NEWSLETTER | 2020
STAFF SPOTLIGHT
Thanks to all who came outto Moonlight Monday, you
helped raise $760!
John Ellis, Chair
Cindy Klinedinst, Vice Chair
Sarah McMahon, Treasurer
Ruth Phillips, Secretary
Melissa Berndt-Snyder
Greg Phillips
Terri Buchanan
Ruby Osberg
Tom Purvis
Allison Gergley
Amber van Leuken, Executive Director
Johny Sandoval,Operations Manager
Amanda Racicot,Medical Manager
Emy Luebbering,Outreach Manager
Jenna Geldreich,Volunteer Coordinator &
Behavior Lead
Nikki Ritter, Animal CareTechnician
Krissy Zic, Animal CareTechnician
Jen Binkney, Animal Care Technician
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Board of Directors
S t a f f
N U M B E R S T H A TC O U N T
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A n i m a l s A d o p t e d
L o s t A n i m a l s R e t u r n e d t o
O w n e r
A n i m a l s I n F o s t e r
N u m b e r o f S p a y / N e u t e r
C o m m u n i t y A s s i s t a n c e
S u r g e r i e s
SEPTEMBER-NOVEMBER RECAP
WINTER NEWSLETTER | 2020
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Thank you to our Grant Funders!These foundations and organizations helped with the building project,
general animal care, and spay/neuter
Lauretta Boyd Charitable Trust
The Mary Elizabeth Bates Foundation
The Dr. Mary E Bates Foundation
Alice N Jenkins Foundation
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Thank you, Fall Donors! September-November
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High Country Bank - SalidaHJ & Bonnie KonowitzHop and Marianne PotterIrena WilderIvy BroudyJaime Lamp & Marcus KlumpJames BoumaJamie EstradaJane & Gary BoldingJanet SchottJanet MallowJanet AbbottJanice ToniazzoJayne MabusJean GrossJean HanfeltJean WilcoxJeannie Peters & Charles RoseJeff InceJennie RidgleyJennifer BundrickJewell & Gary DejongJim & Dennis Ann StrongJim & Jean Ann McPhetresJim & Rose SeaveyJim and Kathy AchatzJimmy BiseseJo CaissieJo Ann RzeppaJoan AdairJoanie BarbierJoe AndersonJohn HoffmanJohn ZeisingJohn & Barbara GroyJohn & Cyd DrakeJohn & Jenny PriceJohn & Marie MullenaxJohn & Marilyn ColemanJohn & Susan EllisJohn G Damrath, Jr.John Walker and Roxann MooreJudith GilbertJudith GreathouseJudith HamontreJudith SmithJudith EylerJudith KratkyJudith GenrichJudith PageJudith DockeryJudith I RetzJudy WaitJudy HainesJudy LoreJudy LeamingJulie MacleodJulie TeicherKaleidoscope ToysKaren O'ConnellKaren BowersKaren Timbrell
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David EasterlingDavid DavidoffDavid & Amy McCraryDavid & Arlene AldrichDavid & Carrie MorganDavid and Cindy PhillipsDavid and Jacqueline WilliamsDavid and Sharon WeddleDean CrymbleDeb KrizmanikhDebbie CoatsDebby CosonDeborah GowerDelaine DupreyDellina StrelowDennis and Jane AebersoldDiana ReneauDiann ScangaDixie GoldsbyDJ CiscoDon & Pam DubinDonald BoydDonor AnonymousDorothy MillerDouglas KaneDouglas and Patricia ScottDr. Alan & Elaine AdamsDW & BJ SerrurierE & S JohnstonEdith WilliamsEdward MeyerEdward & Patricia SchlatterEinar and Lone WulfsbergElaine HoweEleanor LudwigElizabeth RitchieFirst Colorado Land Officefirst_name last_nameForrest WhitmanFrances & Andrea SustrichFrank and Jill ConnaghanFrankie Lee & Charles HankinsFred & Theresa RobisonFred and Debora JacksonFrederick LeeG.W. AlexanderGale ShawGarver BrownGary HallGary DanhauerGary & Jan StephanGaylene StevensGaylynn CowanGeorge OversoleGeorge BrownGerald NoeGerald & Carolyn Vanden BoschGinger GreenGreg & Ruth PhillipsGwendolyn MeythalerHeike PetersenHelene Watson, LPC, LLC
Your contributions to AVHS are invaluable to the lifesaving work we do everyday. The animals we help everyday havea second chance at life because of you.
Over the Rainbow Bridge "Until one has loved an animal, part of one's soul
remains unawakened." -Anatole France
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"Hi there! I'm Donovan,
currently available for adoption
through AVHS. I wanted to
thank everyone who donates to
AVHS- you're helping so many
animals just like me find loving
homes!"
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