Yes, I have actually been speechless since SOS - Melinda's Birthday Bash on Saturday, December 10. And, the next day there was an article about us in the Courier-Post. Between these two happenings the shelter became so busy, we could hardly keep up. Wish list donations and monetary donations began pouring in. We went from thinking about canceling Melinda's Birthday Bash because we only had 70 tickets sold to being sold out and turning people away at the door. I apologize for the overcrowding (now you know how the dogs and cats feel!) and for the turning away. For everyone who stayed and participated in the basket auction, silent auction, the great music and dancing, delicious food and all the wonderful deserts, we thank you all for supporting the animals at Almost Home. Also, many of you left but made a donation for the shelter. Thank you so much for both your support and understanding. We will do this again next year in a bigger venue so we can accomodate everyone. We hope you will continue to be part of the Almost Home Family throughout the year.
I had so many things I wanted to say while I had all of you together in one place. The night seemed to go so fast and I didn't get to say much of what I had intended. So, I decided to write it here and send it to all of you to read.
First, I can't thank everyone enough for making this such a successful event. The team who organized and put this event together were dedicated and worked so hard. They are: Anna Panaccio, Angela Thompson, Marguerite Phillips, Jamie Weaver, April Weaver, Ken and Sharon Sweeten, Carl and Nancy Miller, Chuck and Sara Iepson, Robin, Scott and Diane Kerr and Ian Welsh. Also, thanks to Jake Weaver, Morgan and Gretchen Sweeten too. The kids came to all the meetings, helped carry things, made posters, helped set-up and everything they could do to help. So proud of them.
So many people donated baskets and items for the basket auction and silent auction. Thank you all.
Too many to mention by name here, but you all know who you are. You made the night a huge success!!! A remarkable offer was made during the evening. A friend of Almost Home who attended the Birthday Bash pledged 50 cents for every dollar that was donated to the silent auction and the basket auction. That offer resulted in an additional donation of $2200. Thank you so much. The person who did this prefers to stay anonymous. This is a remarkarble individual.
Thank you to The Strayz and Denise Mumie for the great music, Bistro Di Marino for the delicious buffet and DiBartolo's Bakery for the beautiful and yummy cakes. Thank you to April Weaver who made all of the homemade desserts and the marshmallow pops. Thank you to Lauri from the Candy Jar for all of the chocolate dog and cat pops. Morgan and Gretchen Sweeten and their Girl Scout Troop made all the bone favors for the tables.
A great big Thank you to all of you who came to the shelter on Saturday morning ready to work. You walked dogs and cleaned cat cages and did everything that needed to be done so that the staff was able to go home, shower and join us Saturday evening. I don't think I even know everyone's name who showed up to help. For some, it was the first time they ever came to the shelter and we hope everyone will come back on a regular basis. Lou and Georgette Forgionne, Traci Paul and Marc Portner, Ken, Sharon, Morgan and Gretchen Sweeten, Rich and Pat and anyone else I forgot to mention. (Just realized my age and that I have to begin writing these things down. Still think I can remember everything!)
Special thank you to Lou Forgionne who has helped me through the few weeks before the event when things were so difficult at the shelter. I was a mess, thinking we may have to shut the doors. Lou called everybody he could think of to help. And he kept telling me to "hang in there." Well, we got through it and now on to the future to make sure this doesn't happen again. Thank you Lou.
Thank you to Carl and Nancy Miller. Carl is one of the most dedicated dog walkers we have. He works with the dogs who have the most energy. He runs with them and takes them for long walks to tire them out both mentally and physically. Their time at the shelter is much less stressful. They know Carl will be back soon! Nancy went to work on her crafts, selling everything to raise over $1500. Thank you both.
Actually, all the people I mentioned above do so much more than I am giving them credit for here. They are all regulars at the shelter, pitching in and doing whatever needs to be done when they are there. I don't know what we would do without all of you. I especially don't know how we would have gotten through the month of December without you. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.
Oh, and to my husband, Ian, who put up with all the outbursts of crying and the sleepless nights and, those lovely mood swings. Thank you for putting up with me.
I gotta tell ya, as much as we all use the phrase, "I hate people (usually refering to people who have dumped their pets or treated them cruelly)," the past two months have completely renewed my faith in people. It is truly amazing how many people responded when our plea for help went out. My hope for the future of our shelter has been rejuvenated by the energy of all of you who came to the rescue of Almost Home in our greatest hour of need. This energy has continued and even become stronger since the event and now through the holidays.
One of the things I had planned to talk about at the Birthday Bash was our plans for the future of Almost Home and with your help, we can work together to make Almost Home a model shelter in Camden County. As we approach the New Year, my wish is for all of you to join us in creating a better place for both the animals and people (staff, volunteers, donors and customers). So, the intent of this blog was to say thank you. Thank you for your support, your donations, your help in caring for the animals, for helping to restore out faith in the work we do everyday with the dogs and cats. We have a plan for the future and we hope you will continue on with us and become part of that plan. In the next few blogs, I will share the plan we have. Our hope is that in reading about the plan you will find a piece of it that interests you... A program or service that you would like to see come about to help the community, a humane education program for children in our schools, maybe the planning of new and improved cat rooms joining in the planning of future fundrasing efforts. Whatever your interest, we hope you will join us in creating the new and improved, bigger and better future of Almost Home.
Again, Thank you all for you support, your encouragement, your time and effort. We couldn't do it without you. I hope you will consider becoming a part of the future for the dogs and cats of Almost Home.
Nancy
P.S. Please excuse the typos and the grammatical errors. I am not a writer, I just write what I am thinking and feeling.
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Friday, December 30, 2011
Friday, October 21, 2011
Summer is Over!!! Hooray! But, We Need Your Help More Than Ever
Yes, a collective sigh of relief when the leaves start turning those beautiful shades of yellow, orange, red and brown. The cool breeze in the air means cats will slow down their mating for the winter and kitten season will soon be over. Now the big push to get cats and kittens out of the shelter to prepare for the next "kitten season" which begins in April.
So much has happened this summer! The highest number of animal cruelty cases since 2006. Then came the cat hoarding situation and the filming of "Confessions: Animal Hoarding" for Animal Planet.The show hasn't aired yet, but we're hearing rumors that it will be either late November or the beginning of the new year. There were over 200 cats in the house. We took as many as we could, there are still 15 cats in the house, but we ran out or places for them to go. Even the production company from Animal Planet said they produce these shows all over the country and our case was the most difficult to find rescue groups to take the animals.
Then came 49 Guinea Pigs who were dumped in the brush along the banks of Cooper River. The 49 quickly turned into 60 because many of the females were pregnant. We still have 20 left. If you know anyone who wants a guinea pig or two or three, we have them. They make wonderful class room pets for teachers! And of course, some of the hoarder house cats are still at the shelter too. Lots of kittens too!!!
We are holding three boxers who were involved in a bite case. They mauled a man, pack style. The dogs are truly the victims in this case. They are wonderful with the shelter staff but their fate must be decided by the judge. We shower them with love and attention while they wait.
We have gotten one dog at the shelter six times. Took the owner to court and the judge gave him his dog back. We have had him twice since then, less than a month after he went to court. Have the dog back again now and heading back to court soon.
Sassy and Lisa are mother and daughter. They are 7 and 9 years old. Their owner's husband passed away and the owner lost her home. Sassy, Lisa and their owner were walking around town, homeless and sleeping on the back porches of friend's homes. Their owner refused to go to a homeless shelter until she knew her dogs would be taken care of. Steve went and picked the dogs up and brought them to the shelter. Their mom has been struggling to get her life back in order so she can be re-united with her dogs. On November 1, Sassy and Lisa's owner will move into a new apartment where she is permitted to have her dogs. This will soon be a story with a very happy ending!
Mocha, our longest resident, went home this month. We wish Mocha and her new family a wonderful new life together. Mocha deserves it. Someone gave Mocha to a teenage boy when she was a little 8 week old puppy. The boy took the puppy home but his mother said the dog was not allowed in the house. Mocha spent 4 months alone in a backyard with no shelter and many times no food or water. When a neighbor finally told us about the situation, Mocha was 6 months old, covered with mange, emaciated and dirty. Her tail never stopped wagging. It took a few months to resolve her medical and behavioral issues (no manners because she lived alone in the yard), by then Mocha was a young adult pitbull mix waiting to be adopted. We are so glad she is now living in the home. We love you Mocha!!!!
Pretty Mocha!
We have so much going on at the shelter, it makes my head spin. I always talk about the fact that we were only supposed to be in this building, temporarily for 18 months to two years. In February of 2012 it will be six years. Our dog kennels are falling apart, they were not built for the way we are using them. Their size is perfect, our dogs have more room than most shelters. We have so many plans to go on and make our shelter a pet and people friendly place, but still our biggest obstacle is financial. Adoptions are down, as well as monetary donations. We are so grateful for the folks who bring us wish list items to help us keep going on a daily basis. I don't believe we would have survived this summer without you. Thank you!
We are a struggling animal shelter in a crises situation. Everyday I try to find a way to keep things going. I fall asleep (after working or pacing for hours) thinking about ways to keep the shelter going and spring up thinking about the same. Sometimes the ideas work and sometimes they are "half-baked" but they are always there!!
Today we are in the worst situation we have been in during our almost 6 years in business. We managed to keep going through some of the worst economic times our country has seen in decades, helping people to re-home their pets when they lost their jobs and homes, providing medical attention and surgeries for animals surrendered to us because their owners were financially broken. I feel like good things and miracles happen everyday at our shelter, for both the animals and people, and we want to continue doing this great work and improve upon the services and programs we offer, to help even more. My written plan grows every day.
We have never been a wealthy shelter by any stretch of the imagination, but we have managed to get by. Until recently that is. This summer was overwhelming. In 2006, we took in 699 animals for our first year. In 2010, we took in over 1500 animals and we are closer to 1700 this year. So many people call everyday that we cannot help for lack of funds and space. So many improvements are needed to our kennels and cat rooms. We are struggling to pay for spay/neuter surgery, medications and all the supplies needed to care for the animals and the building on a daily basis. Most of all, we need to get animals adopted so we can help even more. Since the economy has taken a turn for the worse, both adoptions and donations have consistently decreased. We may not survive if we cannot turn this around.
We have several events coming up and hope that you will be able to attend one or all:
Fundraising Events
1. "Spay-ghetti (No Balls) Dinner" to generate funds to spay/neuter all the cats and dogs before they go to their forever home.
Date: Saturday, November 12
Place: St. Marks Lutheran Church
409 White Horse Pike and the corner of 1 E. Haddon Ave
Oaklyn, NJ 08107. 856-854-7959
Time: 2 pm to 7 pm
This will be our final and most important event of the year. We have had to borrow $15,000 from the end of this year's contract in order to survive since August. Which means in the month of December we will not receive any funding. We must make up that money in order to survive the month and into next year. Any funds over and above that amount will go to support the Melinda Welsh Memorial Clinic (a soon to be established low cost spay/neuter clinic). Melinda would never have allowed me to throw a party for her. She would never want that much attention directed at her. But, she would want the funds generated from an event such as this to benefit the dogs and cats at the shelter. So, again, we endeavor to do good things for the animals in her name, honor and memory. Please join us for this very special event.
Date: Saturday, December 10
Time: 7 pm to 12 pm
Place: Collingswood Senior Community Center Ballroom
30 W. Collings Ave (next to firehouse)
Collingswood, NJ
Come Party with us for the animals in Melinda's Honor. There will be wine and beer (your are welcome to bring any other alcohol), a food buffet, desserts, a basket auction. silent auction, and lots of dancing with a great band - The Strayz - Pitbulls of Rock. You won't be disappointed. Tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased at the shelter - you can stop in and pick them up or pay by credit card over the phone (856) 663-3058 and we will mail them to you or hold them at the door for you. You can also purchase them at The Retrospect Newspaper on Haddon Ave.
If you have any questions or would like any further information about either of our events, please don't hesitate to contact the shelter at (856) 663-3058
We wish to thank all of you who have supported us over the last 5 1/2 years. I don't know what we would do without our wonderful volunteers. The donations of wish list items are so important and we would not have survived this summer without them. I hope that you will continue your support for the animals at our shelter. We are in the midst of the most desperate situation we have ever had. I am working as hard as I can to make sure we survive. Great things happen for both animals and people everyday at our shelter and it would be so sad to see that end. Again, our plan is to recover and move forward to make things bigger and better. We need your help to do that and we need it quickly. If you can donate now it would be so helpful. You can send a check or call the shelter (856) 663-3058 to make a donation by credit card over the phone. I hope to see everyone at both or one of our upcoming events. We really do need you help. PLease don't hesitate to stop in and walk a dog or two or hang out with the cats. Thank you for you kindness and consideration towards Almost Home Animal Shelter. Together we can make this happen.
Nancy Welsh
Madison is now our longest resident.
"If every animal shelter in the United States embraced the No Kill philosophy and the programs and services that make it possible, we would save nearly four million dogs and cats who are scheduled to die in shelters this year, and the year after that. It is not an impossible dream." Nathan Wonograd
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So much has happened this summer! The highest number of animal cruelty cases since 2006. Then came the cat hoarding situation and the filming of "Confessions: Animal Hoarding" for Animal Planet.The show hasn't aired yet, but we're hearing rumors that it will be either late November or the beginning of the new year. There were over 200 cats in the house. We took as many as we could, there are still 15 cats in the house, but we ran out or places for them to go. Even the production company from Animal Planet said they produce these shows all over the country and our case was the most difficult to find rescue groups to take the animals.
Then came 49 Guinea Pigs who were dumped in the brush along the banks of Cooper River. The 49 quickly turned into 60 because many of the females were pregnant. We still have 20 left. If you know anyone who wants a guinea pig or two or three, we have them. They make wonderful class room pets for teachers! And of course, some of the hoarder house cats are still at the shelter too. Lots of kittens too!!!
We are holding three boxers who were involved in a bite case. They mauled a man, pack style. The dogs are truly the victims in this case. They are wonderful with the shelter staff but their fate must be decided by the judge. We shower them with love and attention while they wait.
We have gotten one dog at the shelter six times. Took the owner to court and the judge gave him his dog back. We have had him twice since then, less than a month after he went to court. Have the dog back again now and heading back to court soon.
Sassy and Lisa are mother and daughter. They are 7 and 9 years old. Their owner's husband passed away and the owner lost her home. Sassy, Lisa and their owner were walking around town, homeless and sleeping on the back porches of friend's homes. Their owner refused to go to a homeless shelter until she knew her dogs would be taken care of. Steve went and picked the dogs up and brought them to the shelter. Their mom has been struggling to get her life back in order so she can be re-united with her dogs. On November 1, Sassy and Lisa's owner will move into a new apartment where she is permitted to have her dogs. This will soon be a story with a very happy ending!
Mocha, our longest resident, went home this month. We wish Mocha and her new family a wonderful new life together. Mocha deserves it. Someone gave Mocha to a teenage boy when she was a little 8 week old puppy. The boy took the puppy home but his mother said the dog was not allowed in the house. Mocha spent 4 months alone in a backyard with no shelter and many times no food or water. When a neighbor finally told us about the situation, Mocha was 6 months old, covered with mange, emaciated and dirty. Her tail never stopped wagging. It took a few months to resolve her medical and behavioral issues (no manners because she lived alone in the yard), by then Mocha was a young adult pitbull mix waiting to be adopted. We are so glad she is now living in the home. We love you Mocha!!!!
Pretty Mocha!
We are a struggling animal shelter in a crises situation. Everyday I try to find a way to keep things going. I fall asleep (after working or pacing for hours) thinking about ways to keep the shelter going and spring up thinking about the same. Sometimes the ideas work and sometimes they are "half-baked" but they are always there!!
Today we are in the worst situation we have been in during our almost 6 years in business. We managed to keep going through some of the worst economic times our country has seen in decades, helping people to re-home their pets when they lost their jobs and homes, providing medical attention and surgeries for animals surrendered to us because their owners were financially broken. I feel like good things and miracles happen everyday at our shelter, for both the animals and people, and we want to continue doing this great work and improve upon the services and programs we offer, to help even more. My written plan grows every day.
We have never been a wealthy shelter by any stretch of the imagination, but we have managed to get by. Until recently that is. This summer was overwhelming. In 2006, we took in 699 animals for our first year. In 2010, we took in over 1500 animals and we are closer to 1700 this year. So many people call everyday that we cannot help for lack of funds and space. So many improvements are needed to our kennels and cat rooms. We are struggling to pay for spay/neuter surgery, medications and all the supplies needed to care for the animals and the building on a daily basis. Most of all, we need to get animals adopted so we can help even more. Since the economy has taken a turn for the worse, both adoptions and donations have consistently decreased. We may not survive if we cannot turn this around.
We have several events coming up and hope that you will be able to attend one or all:
Fundraising Events
1. "Spay-ghetti (No Balls) Dinner" to generate funds to spay/neuter all the cats and dogs before they go to their forever home.
Date: Saturday, November 12
Place: St. Marks Lutheran Church
409 White Horse Pike and the corner of 1 E. Haddon Ave
Oaklyn, NJ 08107. 856-854-7959
Time: 2 pm to 7 pm
Cost: $15 adult,s $10 kid,s $40 for take-out for a family of four, $5 for single serving
leftovers. Eat-in or take-out, Dinner includes Salad, Spay-ghetti, garlic bread
and assorted desserts.
There will be a magician for face painting and balloon creations too. We will also have a Police K-9 Demonstration and Bed Bug Dog Demonstration, pictures can be taken with the dogs.
Hope to see you there!!!!
2. SOS (Save Our Shelter) - Melinda's Birthday Bash!!! This will be our final and most important event of the year. We have had to borrow $15,000 from the end of this year's contract in order to survive since August. Which means in the month of December we will not receive any funding. We must make up that money in order to survive the month and into next year. Any funds over and above that amount will go to support the Melinda Welsh Memorial Clinic (a soon to be established low cost spay/neuter clinic). Melinda would never have allowed me to throw a party for her. She would never want that much attention directed at her. But, she would want the funds generated from an event such as this to benefit the dogs and cats at the shelter. So, again, we endeavor to do good things for the animals in her name, honor and memory. Please join us for this very special event.
Date: Saturday, December 10
Time: 7 pm to 12 pm
Place: Collingswood Senior Community Center Ballroom
30 W. Collings Ave (next to firehouse)
Collingswood, NJ
Come Party with us for the animals in Melinda's Honor. There will be wine and beer (your are welcome to bring any other alcohol), a food buffet, desserts, a basket auction. silent auction, and lots of dancing with a great band - The Strayz - Pitbulls of Rock. You won't be disappointed. Tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased at the shelter - you can stop in and pick them up or pay by credit card over the phone (856) 663-3058 and we will mail them to you or hold them at the door for you. You can also purchase them at The Retrospect Newspaper on Haddon Ave.
If you have any questions or would like any further information about either of our events, please don't hesitate to contact the shelter at (856) 663-3058
We wish to thank all of you who have supported us over the last 5 1/2 years. I don't know what we would do without our wonderful volunteers. The donations of wish list items are so important and we would not have survived this summer without them. I hope that you will continue your support for the animals at our shelter. We are in the midst of the most desperate situation we have ever had. I am working as hard as I can to make sure we survive. Great things happen for both animals and people everyday at our shelter and it would be so sad to see that end. Again, our plan is to recover and move forward to make things bigger and better. We need your help to do that and we need it quickly. If you can donate now it would be so helpful. You can send a check or call the shelter (856) 663-3058 to make a donation by credit card over the phone. I hope to see everyone at both or one of our upcoming events. We really do need you help. PLease don't hesitate to stop in and walk a dog or two or hang out with the cats. Thank you for you kindness and consideration towards Almost Home Animal Shelter. Together we can make this happen.
Nancy Welsh
Madison is now our longest resident.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Vote for Almost Home Animal Shelter
Okay, here are the instructions: Go to the Facebook page for Don't Be Cruel. On the left hand side it says"Vote Now." You will have to give them your e mail address and name and answer a few survey questions. Then vote for Almost Home to share in the $2600 donation. Below is the story of why you should vote for Almost Home. Please send this to all your friends and ask them to vote too. Thanks so much for you help.
This could be a long story, so please be patient. I will get to the point eventually. My daughter, Melinda, was born with a gentic disease called cystic fibrosis which effects the lungs, pancreas and several other functions of the body. When I was contracted to do animal control in 2001, my then 15-year-old daughter helped to establish the "Collingswood Stray Animal Fund" after finding out that a dog I took to the county shelter had been put down for a minor injury. Her and I took the dog to the veterinarian prior to taking it to the shelter. I paid for the exam and medication prior to taking him to the shelter. Because the shelter was full and he had a medical condition, they euthanized him. Melinda began sewing and making bandanas, collar covers and cloth placemats for dog bowls. We set-up a table any place we could and sold these items, using the funds for the medical expenses for animals I picked up that were sick or injured. Then we would foster them until they were well enough to be adopted or someone who wanted to take over their care. Family, friends and neighbors refer to their pets as a "Nancy Dog or Nancy Cat".
Melinda's health condition caused her to stay home from school much of the time. She didn't like being left alone, so she would come with me on animal control calls. She would hold the little ones in her arms or warm up a litter of kittens. She would even get up in the middle of the night to come with me so I wasn't riding alone. We would talk about hitting the lottery and having an animal shelter of our own with a spay/neuter clinic and everything we needed. Then one day in 2006 an opportunity presented itself.
A local private shelter was closed for animal cruelty violations and health code violations. That left several local towns with nowhere for their stray and abandoned animals to go. The mayors and commissioners from several local towns asked if I would open and operate an animal shelter. So, with no money, the process began. The towns chipped in and provided kennels and some cat cages. I begged, pleaded and managed to get everything else we needed donated. Almost Home Animal Shelter was establish in February 2006 as a "temporary" shelter. We were supposed to be set-up for a maximum of 18 months until an addition was built on the county shelter and then they would take in all the animals. Melinda would come in and help answer the phones, take care of customers, socialize kittens and puppies and anything her health would allow her to do. Because the disease effected her lungs, her energy level and ability to be very active was very low. Eventually she needed oxygen all the time. But she still came to the shelter everyday to help. Melinda was also a photographer, so with the help of our dog trainer, she would take all the pictures for Petfinder too. On April 29, 2009 at the age of 23, Melinda lost her lifelong battle with cystic fibrosis.
We continue to operate and because of the economy, the county has decided it will not be building the addition to the shelter. So it seems we have become a permanent shelter. Melinda and I decided from the very beginning we would never be a typical "animal control shelter." Our goal has always been to do the best we can for each and every dog or cat who comes through our doors. I could go on and on about the many issues we face on a daily basis regarding deteriorating cages, broken washers and dryers, no air conditioning in the kennels and more. Despite all the hurdles we face, we pride ourselves on doing the best we can for each and every dog and cat who comes into our lives. So many come to us having been abandoned after both mental and physical abuse or neglect and somehow we manage to help them become whole again. (Or maybe they help us to stay whole! ) They receive medical attention and treatment for illness and injuries, grooming, bathed, vaccinated, heartworm and/or FELv/aids tested, microchipped, spayed/neutered and de-wormed. We have a dog trainer who evaluates them and we establish a plan to work with the ones who need obedience training or more behavioral modification. People come in looking to "rescue" a dog or cat from the shelter. I explain to them that we have already rescued these animals from bad situations such as abuse or neglect, abandonement on the street or situations where they were just no longer wanted. Our adopters come to give them the loving home they deserve for the rest of their lives. Our shelter is not the type of shelter an animal must be rescued from.
I promised Melinda that her father, brother and I, along with the staff at the shelter would do great things for the animals in her name. Honestly, I don't know how I would have survived the last two years since Melinda passed away if I didn't have the dogs and cats at the shelter. I have depended on them as much as they have depended on me. I am very blessed to have had Melinda in my life, as well as all the dogs and cats we have been fortunate enough to care for. Since we are now officially a permanent shelter, our goal is to implement the programs and services, in addition to what we already do, in order to help more dogs and cats. We hope to accomplish this by opening a low cost spay/neuter and vaccination clinic to enable people to afford the care their animals need and deserve rather than surrendering or abandoning them. This clinic will be called the "Melinda Welsh Memorial Clinic." The beginning of great things for animals in Melinda's name.
Thank you so much for your consideration of our shelter.
Nancy Welsh
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Writing From The Heart
I'm not really sure where to start, accept from the beginning. Rambling at first, but it will make sense by the end.
In February 2006, Almost Home Animal Shelter opened its doors to take in dogs and cats from 7 towns in Camden County. We were operating under the assumption that we were a temporary facility for 18 -24 mnoths while an addition was built to the Camden County Animal Shelter. Once completed, our shelter would close and the county shelter would house the animals from all 9 towns that we do animal control for.
Since then, the economy has continued to worsen. Both the county and local municipal governments area having to cut back on services and employees in order to balance their budget. The addition to the county shelter is no longer a viable option given these circumstances. Because of the economy, the increase of dogs and cats to Almost Home as well as every shelter across the country has skyrocketed due to foreclosures and evictions, as well as people just not being able to afford care for their animals.
Myself and the other shelter directors in Camden County have met with representatives from the county and several towns. Believe it or not, your local government is very concerned with animal sheltering and the increase in the number of stray animals in every community. They want to help by lending some of the resources of the county to the shelters to create programs and services which will help decrease some expenses, decrease the intake of animals and increase adoptions.
One of the long term goals that I have had for Almost Home Shelter is the expansion of our building, which of course isn't possible, but renting an additional building to expand is. In this second building (which would actually be the building at the opposite end from us, it is empty and available) we would have a spay/neuter and low cost vaccination clinic as well as a food pantry.
As most of you know, my daughter Melinda lost her lifelong battle with cystic fibrosis in 2009, at the age of 23. When I began doing animal control, Melinda and I started the Collingswood Stray Animal Fund to help pay for the medical expenses of sick and injured animals who might otherwise be put down if an owner couldn't be found. Melinda was very talented and creative. She was a photographer as well. Melinda took pictures of the animals we fostered while they were sick or injured, then later all the dogs and cats here at Almost Home. Melinda would make collar covers, placemats and bandanas to sell to raise the money for the stray animal fund. She was the photographer for Pet Pictures with the Easter Bunny and Santa. As sick as she was the last few years of her life, she came to the shelter every day to answer phones and help customers.
My goal since she has passed away was to dedicate something to do with animals in her name. With enough support from the public and our local government, my hope is to establish the "Melinda Welsh Memorial Spay/Neuter Clinic." I hope that all of you who are reading this will feel like you have a part in this as well. We appreciate your continued support and will most likely be calling upon you for help as we fundraise and create this clinic. Our "Comedy Night" Fundraiser on June 4 and our bowling fundraiser on May 1 will be the beginning to help us reach our goals. We appreciate all that you all have done to help us and the animals over the last five years and continue to do. Thank you. For more information on the Comedy Night and Bowling, please contact the shelter at (856) 663-3058. We hope you will join us in our journey and we ask that you invite friends and family as well.
If you would like to volunteer and help with the fundraisers, please call us at (856) 663-3058. Thanks again. Tweet This
In February 2006, Almost Home Animal Shelter opened its doors to take in dogs and cats from 7 towns in Camden County. We were operating under the assumption that we were a temporary facility for 18 -24 mnoths while an addition was built to the Camden County Animal Shelter. Once completed, our shelter would close and the county shelter would house the animals from all 9 towns that we do animal control for.
Since then, the economy has continued to worsen. Both the county and local municipal governments area having to cut back on services and employees in order to balance their budget. The addition to the county shelter is no longer a viable option given these circumstances. Because of the economy, the increase of dogs and cats to Almost Home as well as every shelter across the country has skyrocketed due to foreclosures and evictions, as well as people just not being able to afford care for their animals.
Myself and the other shelter directors in Camden County have met with representatives from the county and several towns. Believe it or not, your local government is very concerned with animal sheltering and the increase in the number of stray animals in every community. They want to help by lending some of the resources of the county to the shelters to create programs and services which will help decrease some expenses, decrease the intake of animals and increase adoptions.
One of the long term goals that I have had for Almost Home Shelter is the expansion of our building, which of course isn't possible, but renting an additional building to expand is. In this second building (which would actually be the building at the opposite end from us, it is empty and available) we would have a spay/neuter and low cost vaccination clinic as well as a food pantry.
As most of you know, my daughter Melinda lost her lifelong battle with cystic fibrosis in 2009, at the age of 23. When I began doing animal control, Melinda and I started the Collingswood Stray Animal Fund to help pay for the medical expenses of sick and injured animals who might otherwise be put down if an owner couldn't be found. Melinda was very talented and creative. She was a photographer as well. Melinda took pictures of the animals we fostered while they were sick or injured, then later all the dogs and cats here at Almost Home. Melinda would make collar covers, placemats and bandanas to sell to raise the money for the stray animal fund. She was the photographer for Pet Pictures with the Easter Bunny and Santa. As sick as she was the last few years of her life, she came to the shelter every day to answer phones and help customers.
My goal since she has passed away was to dedicate something to do with animals in her name. With enough support from the public and our local government, my hope is to establish the "Melinda Welsh Memorial Spay/Neuter Clinic." I hope that all of you who are reading this will feel like you have a part in this as well. We appreciate your continued support and will most likely be calling upon you for help as we fundraise and create this clinic. Our "Comedy Night" Fundraiser on June 4 and our bowling fundraiser on May 1 will be the beginning to help us reach our goals. We appreciate all that you all have done to help us and the animals over the last five years and continue to do. Thank you. For more information on the Comedy Night and Bowling, please contact the shelter at (856) 663-3058. We hope you will join us in our journey and we ask that you invite friends and family as well.
If you would like to volunteer and help with the fundraisers, please call us at (856) 663-3058. Thanks again. Tweet This
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Fundraising For Summer Season
Spring has sprung,
the grass is riz, I wonder where the flowers iz.
Or should I say, dogs and cats iz? All will be blossoming soon.
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| Nickel, a very special kitty waiting for you! |
Kitten season has begun. We already have a few bottle babies. Spring and Summer are the highest time of intake for every shelter. Adoptions in the Spring are generally pretty good, until the summer vacation season that is. Then, during July and August when people are busy going on vacation, adoption and even foster homes slow down to a trickle. That is when we need the most assistance for the little ones who keep on coming. We still even have some young cats who came in as 4-5 week-old kittens last kitten season. There are so many kittens, they don't always all get adopted and they grow up in the shelter, they are still kittens. They still need a home. They are just out of the curtain climbing stages. Which isn't a bad thing! Encourage every pet owner you know to spay and neuter their pets.
I stated in previous posts, that our shelter was supposed to be temporary when we started. It looks like we are now a permanent shelter. Because of the economic condition the entire country is in, and the fact that even police and firemen are being laid off, the funding to build and re-vamp the Camden County Animal Shelter has been cancelled. What does that mean for Almost Home Animal Shelter? Well, I hope it means that we are now a permanent part of the community. We will continue working towards the short term goals we had and now develop long term goals to help animals and people.
I of course, always have a head full of ideas. First and foremost is fundraising. The only way to put into action our goals is to have the money to fund them. We are hoping to begin having vaccination and microchipping clinics. Eventually, we would like to also have a spay/neuter clinic (THINKING BIG!). So, to start this busy season off right, we have planned a couple of fundraising events.
First, "Pins for Pets" on Sunday, May 1 from 12 to 2 pm at Baker Lanes on Cuthbert Blvd. in Cherry Hill. $15.00 per person includes 2 hours or bowling and shoes. Of course we will have some awards for things like highest score. Raffle prizes and lots of fun! All of the procedes go right to helping the dogs and cats at Almost Home. Please contact the shelter at (856) 663-3058 and we will get you registered. Bring some friends and have a team!
"Comedy Night" will be a blast. Come join us on Saturday, June 4 at Colleen's Caterers (formerly the Woodbine Inn) at 1444 Rte 73 in Pennsauken. The night will feature three comedians, a full dinner buffet, cash bar, bucket auction, even a DJ and Dancing to complete the evening. Dinner begins at 7 pm and doors will open at 6:30. The cost is $25 per person in advance ($30 at the door).
The Comedy Night will be our big fundraiser for the year. The better the attendance, the more successful our programs and services will be for the dogs and cats this summer. I hope everyone reading this will try and attend. We really need this be a success.
I don't know how to put this very eloquently except to say that this event will mean success or failure for the shelter this year. I don't want to keep blaming things on the economy, but every time we hit a bump in the road, it seems the economy is a major contributing factor.
We have come such a long way since February of 2006 when we began with basically nothing. I am so proud of the things we have been able to accomplish for the animals and people too. So many sick, injured and abused animals have come through our doors. Of course, we can't forget the healthy ones too. Regardless, they are all special and deserve the best home and care we can give.
I hope you can join us for "Pins for Pets" Bowling or the "Dog-Gone Funny" Comedy Night. We would love to see you at both.
Volunteers are also needed for both events. If you would like to become involved in helping our dogs and cats, please stop in or call the shelter at (856) 663-3058.
Thank you for reading this and for considering helping the dogs and cats who reside at Almost Home Animal Shelter.
Nancy
P.S. Please forward the link for this blog to all your friends and invite them to help too.
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| Mocha waiting for her forever home! |
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Saturday, February 12, 2011
Adopters and Volunteers Needed This Weekend
THIS WEEKEND - PETSMART NATIONAL ADOPTION WEEKEND
Come meet your new best friend. February 12th and 13th. We will have dogs at Petsmart in Cherry Hill in the Target shopping center across from the Cherry Hill Mall between 11 am and 4 pm. Please stop and meet them. If you are one of our volunteers and you have even an hour to spare, please stop in. If you can pick up a dog at the shelter and bring it over to Petsmart, even for just an hour or so, that would be so helpful. Hope to see you there. Tweet This
Come meet your new best friend. February 12th and 13th. We will have dogs at Petsmart in Cherry Hill in the Target shopping center across from the Cherry Hill Mall between 11 am and 4 pm. Please stop and meet them. If you are one of our volunteers and you have even an hour to spare, please stop in. If you can pick up a dog at the shelter and bring it over to Petsmart, even for just an hour or so, that would be so helpful. Hope to see you there. Tweet This
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Upcoming Events and Volunteer Opportunities
Dog and Cat Toys
Postage Stamps
We will have a table at the show with pictures of dogs and cats and information regarding volunteering at the shelter, as well as adoption and fundraising events.
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Petsmart's National Adoption Weekend
Volunteers are still needed for February 11, 12 and 13th at the Petsmart in Cherry Hill (across from Cherry Hill Mall between Target and Kohls). We can be there from 11 am to 4 pm each day. We could use people to transport dogs from the shelter to Petsmart and hang out with them in the store and at our table. Or you could come to Petsmart to man the table and hang out with a dog. Even if you can spare and hour or two, we could use your help.
Call the shelter at (856) 663-3058 to volunteer.
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