Pet Talk – week of December 17, 2008

I want to introduce you to some people. You’ve probably heard their names or maybe you’ve seen them at fund raisers. Perhaps one of them has called you on occasion, asking you to bake brownies or make a cake.  But do you really know them?
    Every day she goes to various locations with cat food and feeds feral colonies of cats who have no caregivers. She is kind and patient and has made it a point to spay and neuter each cat in the colony so that the colony is controlled and the population does not increase. She and her husband build insulated houses for these animals; they place them at various locations so that the felines have a safe and warm place in the winter. She is at every single fund raiser; she and her husband are at the Shelter with hammer and nails when something is broken. They are our “fix it” team.  She does Vet runs for the Shelter, runs our spay/neuter loan program, and runs our TNR program (trap/neuter/release). She goes to schools and teaches children about the importance of being kind to animals. She has collected a library of information to share with the public on animal care, diseases, you name it.  She has donated time and money over the years beyond your wildest imagination. Her name is Karen Stairs.
This woman is my “right hand man” – she is the Vice President of the Board. She is at the Shelter weekly, bringing treats to the dogs, walking the dogs, helping to place animals by making call after call. She writes thank you notes, and like all board members, she pays for the cards and postage herself. She fosters animals, rescues animals from terrible conditions, advocates for animals and the amount of money she has put into the Shelter is more than you would ever know. She is at every fund raiser, organizing many of them herself. She is a tireless worker and has the most amazing attitude of anybody I have ever known.   When I am tired and frustrated, I call her for advice. She is full of kindness and wisdom. Her name is Holly Henderson.
I’ve known this lady for 25 years. She “drug me” kicking and screaming, onto the Board, many years ago. For at least 30 years this woman and her husband have fostered and placed more animals than most formal rescue groups. At any given time she is caring for a half dozen to a dozen Shelter animals. She lends her home for yard sales, she is in charge of our “calling tree” when we need sweets for a bake sale, she has the most amazing spirit and positive attitude. I just love her right to death. She is at every fund raiser, has donated a ton of her own personal money, and has sacrificed for the good of the animals time and time again. I’ve watched her children grow up, I’ve watched her life evolve, and I am proud to call her my friend. Her name is Dorene Humphrey.
This little lady is a bundle of energy. Our youngest member, she keeps us in stitches with her stories of her own animals, all of whom are rescue pets. She is at the Shelter constantly, helping wherever she can. She is a certified animal control officer, something she did on her own, for her own education, and to help the  Shelter with investigations, all of which was paid for by board members and not by any public funding. She took her own time to do this, without pay, without any hope of any monetary gain. Her only concern is the welfare of the animals. I hope she is with us for a very very long time. With her husband Jon, they also pitch in whenever something is broken and fix it for us. They are at every adopt-a-thon, every fund raiser, they keep us smiling and they keep us energized. Her name is Heather Miller.
Next week I want to introduce you to our Treasurer, our Secretary, our Webmaster, and many others. I want you to know these people personally. It’s important to me that you put a face and a name to the people who give so much of their time and their financial resources to help the shelter survive, to help the animals stay healthy and find good homes, who are in it for just one thing, not the glory, not the “fame” and certainly not for any kind of financial gain, they are just in it for the animals.
The next time you see one of them, thank them for all they do – they don’t ask for thanks but just for me, personally, let them know that their hard work and sacrifices are appreciated. Stay tuned for the next installment and have a wonderful week.