2024 Animal Rescue Donations - supporting Hurricane affected areas

 

Thank you for helping us support the animal rescues affected by Hurricane Helene and Milton by purchasing a Mountain or Ocean themed shirt during our October fundraiser. 

According to Bestfriends.org, "more than 1,000 dogs and cats have been transported to safety: 360 following Hurricane Helene and 668 following Hurricane Milton. Additionally, the mobile vet clinic in North Carolina has assisted 816 animals from 522 families and is expected to wrap up services by November 9, depending on need."

But this is not a 'one and done' type of deal.

Although Hurricane Helene and Milton caused significant damage to many animal shelters and rescues in Western North Carolina and Florida, this was an added issue to an already big problem.

Shelters are overcrowded with animals. 

If you were wondering the difference between an animal rescue and an animal shelter, both provide temporary housing and safe place for animals. Animal shelters are often funded by the government (town, city or state level) while animal rescues are funded by donations, their own money and private individuals. In a shelter, you'll find animals in kennels, while rescues are often run out of private homes or buildings. 

A big difference between shelters and rescues is that shelters often have a capacity (and limitations) for how many animals they can care for at once and the resources available. Because public and government run shelters are mandated by law to accept all pet surrenders and stray animals brought in by the public.

As a result, many states (ex. Texas, California, North Carolina, Florida and Alabama) in the United States need to euthanize dogs and cats due to overcrowding at shelters. Overcrowding is due to breeding (there are 2000+ federally licensed dog breeders and over 10,000 puppy mills - inhumane commercial dog breeding facilities), owners surrendering/giving up their pets, strays, economic factors and not spaying or neutering. The reality is that there are more and more kittens and puppies coming into an overcrowded space, where millions of young, adult and senior animals are in need of homes - there are already 6.3 million animals in shelters nationwide. Sadly, every year almost a million shelter animals are euthanized (from puppies and kittens to seniors, to muts and pure-breds). 

Shelters work with rescue groups to help with overcrowding. When you see a plea from a shelter asking for urgent fosters, stay-cations or adoptions, this means that the shelter is overcrowded and must remove animals from kennels to free up space for new intakes (remember - they are required to take in surrenders and strays). Rescues work with shelters to help save animals from euthanasia and to improve the chances that the animals can find a forever (or foster) home. 


An example of this is our recent rescue Sunny.

Sunny (who is a little over a year old) was abandoned in an apartment in North Carolina. He was brought into Animal Care and Control Charlotte-Mecklenburg. I found Sunny on Petplace.com. When Karel and I were thinking about a new furry family member after Campy passed away, I was specifically looking for adoptable rescue dogs from North Carolina. While our state of South Carolina is not a kill state (which is wonderful), North Carolina is a kill state.  Thankfully, Sunny (previous Hubert) was pulled from an overcrowded shelter thanks to Meghan, who fosters dogs from Animal Care and Control and volunteers at the Charlotte Humane Society. Because Sunny was from a shelter, the application process was very quick and simple. Thanks to Meghan, she was able to give us a better understanding of Sunny's personality, likes and dislikes. His adoption fee was only $103 - which included neuturing. We opted to get Sunny neutured at our local vet because we wanted to reduce the overall stress by keeping Sunny close to home before and after his surgery. I applied for over a dozen different rescue dogs from various rescues but we fell in love with 'Hubert' after he spent a few days with us as part of the shelter stay-cation program - it was meant to be. I'll be sharing Sunny's story on a future blog post. 

I'm incredibly grateful for Meghan because she gave Sunny a chance for him to find a good home versus staying in the shelter in a kennel. Many dogs are not adopted (and are at higher risk for euthanasia) due to behavior issues, medical issues or old age but sadly, these dogs were never given a chance to experience what safety, routine, trust and love feel like. 

This is why shelters need your help and why rescues really need donations. 

Because of the incredible support of so many people purchasing a fundraiser shirt (or multiple shirts) and providing a donation, we were able to raise $2964.80!!! 
Thank you so much for your support and generosity. 

This money will be going to the following rescues which were affected by Hurricane Helene and Milton. 

True & Faithful Pet Rescue Mission, Inc - $900

A 501(c)(3) senior dog rescue organization located in South Florida.
We are proud to have a team of dedicated volunteers who work tirelessly to provide love and care to senior dogs that have been abandoned, neglected or abused. Our mission is to rescue these dogs and provide them with a better life filled with love, compassion and comfort. We are donation-based, and every dollar counts towards the care and well-being of our furry friends. We believe that every dog deserves a chance at a happy, healthy life, no matter their age or background.

Furry Friends Clinic & Ranch - $900

Furry Friends Adoption, Clinic & Ranch is the Humane Society of Greater Jupiter/Tequesta, a 501c3 not-for-profit, no-kill rescue organization headquartered in Jupiter Florida. We work every day to support the human-animal bond by addressing needs at both ends of the leash. As the needs of our community and region evolve, we are refocusing to improve our care for pets while also addressing the root causes of pet overpopulation. Our vision is to transform our facilities into nation-leading campuses for lifesaving programs, address disparities in the supply of and access to adoptable pets, provide access to Veterinary Services to all, and build a culture of care and achievement.

Brother Wolf Animal Rescue - $900

Founded in 2007, Brother Wolf Animal Rescue enhances the lives of companion animals and the people who love them. We work across county lines with the goal of saving the greatest number of lives possible through strategic, creative, and impactful programming. Through adoption and pet retention programs, a low-cost mobile spay and neuter clinic, lifesaving shelter transfer partnerships and extensive volunteer and foster networks, Brother Wolf Animal Rescue impacts the lives of thousands of animals each year in the Western North Carolina region.
After the catastrophic loss of our shelter and all physical assets, we are working around the clock to rebuild – find out more about Phase One and how you can be a part of our life-saving work here. We are a community-based organization and rely on the generosity of our donors to continue our impactful work for animals as we receive no government funding. We know that together we can create a kinder world.

Esther Neonatal Kitten Alliance - $264.80

Located in Arden, NC. Esther Neonatal Kitten Alliance is committed to saving every animal in our care who can be saved. Esther Neonatal Kitten Alliance provides care and rescue to newborn and medically-challenged kittens through loving foster homes, strategic partnerships, and community education. We only euthanize an animal if a veterinarian has assessed that there is no chance of recovering an acceptable quality of life or it would be clearly inhumane or unsafe to not do so immediately. You'll see from our data that we often fall below the 90% benchmark that typically demonstrates a "no-kill" save rate even though our policies align with the no-kill philosophy. That's because neonatal kittens have fragile immune systems and often arrive as orphans with compromised health. Most of the kittens we welcome into our care are too young to be weaned yet and many of the animals we help each year are severely sick or injured when they arrive. Despite specialized around-the-clock care and our very best efforts, some animals don't make it. In those cases, our job is to provide as much love, comfort, and compassion as we can during their brief lives. Each year, we help hundreds of the most vulnerable kittens throughout our region.
(This donation will help vaccinate 25 kittens)

Also, be sure to check out Best Friends Animal Society.

Best Friends Animal Society runs the largest no-kill animal sanctuary in the United States. The sanctuary is located in Utah and is home to a variety of animals, including dogs, cats, birds, bunnies, horses, and pigs. Visitors can take free tours of the sanctuary or volunteer to spend time with the animals. Best Friends Animal Society works with a network of animal welfare and shelter partners to achieve its mission. Best Friends' emergency response teams are actively supporting the needs of impacted animal shelters and rescue groups in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina.

Thank you again for your support!