Uncategorized – Page 2 – Humane Society of Schuyler County

February 2022 Newsletter

February 7, 2022 by Georgie Taylor

Love is in the Air………………..

We all know that our relationship with the animals in our lives may start with love, but it takes much more than love to sustain them. Adopting an animal is a big commitment. And, like any other relationship, there will be good times and some sad times. Our companion animals make us laugh, they bring us joy, they comfort us, they get us out for exercise and fresh air, and help to keep us on a regular routine and, perhaps, most important of all, they offer us unconditional love.

In the United States 68% of households own a pet. That’s 84.6 million homes! And, we spent $72.1 billion caring for our pets in 2021. The humane animal bond has evolved for more than 15,000 years to become what it is today.

We’re so glad that we can play a part in making these relationships possible. It’s one of the most rewarding parts of the work we do! So, since it’s February and all about love, we’d like to share some of our love stories with you.

Daisy

Daisy was one of six kittens a deputy found in the middle of the road at 3 am. The kittens and their mother were huddled together in the newly fallen snow in sub-freezing temperatures and would not have survived the night. They suffered from severe upper respiratory infections and other illnesses, but Daisy was, by far, the least robust. With lots of TLC and veterinary care Daisy pulled through and grew to be a round, little dumpling. But the upper respiratory infection had affected Daisy’s eye such that it required removal. Daisy recovered well and was one of the first of the litter to find her new home.

“She adapted from the moment we brought her home, she’s a little sweetheart . We couldn’t be happier with how she fits into our home”. says her new family.

Nina

Nina came to us from an area shelter that had taken in a number of American Bullies as a result of a cruelty investigation. Nina was five years old, had lived in a cage her entire life, and was used only for breeding. Her teeth were filed to the gum line and her ears and tail were cropped. Today, Nina lives a life she never could have imagined.

“ I never knew my soul mate would be so tiny,” says her happy owner.

Bo and the Bird

Perhaps one of the most heartwarming stories is that of Bo Bo and his bird. In October of last year, we were notified of a several dogs and cats left alone in a home when their owner was rushed to the hospital. Coincidentally, we knew of this gentleman and offered to care for his pets until he could return home. Sadly, that never happened. So, three dogs, six cats and a cockatiel came into our care. The 15-year-old, blind, deaf, Japanese chin had slept at the foot of the bird’s cage for years. We hadn’t realized how closely they were bonded until they arrived at the shelter until the bird heard the dog bark. He immediately began to sing a lively, happy tune. We brought the dog to the bird’s cage and, once again, the bird broke into song! We could not possibly separate this unlikely pair, but what were the chances that someone would adopt a 15-year-old, blind, deaf dog…and a bird! Well, it happened! And, here they are in their new home. Watch their video on our Facebook page! (We never did know the bird’s name.)

The Betty White Shelter Challenge

Betty White, perhaps best known for her role on the hit TV show The Golden Girls, passed away at the age of 99, just shy of her 100th birthday. Apart from her notable and long-lasting acting career, White was a true advocate for animals.

White’s passion and support for animals spans decades and since her passing the #bettywhitechallenge became a viral sensation across the internet. The challenge called for everyone to donate as little as $5.00 on January 17, 2022 to a local animal shelter or rescue of their choice, on what would have been Betty White’s 100th birthday. It became a successful fundraiser for shelters nationwide, raising funds far beyond anyone’s expectations —ours included! Thank you for your donations! The $5 bill in our mailbox, the drive-by donation when we’re walking dogs, the checks in the mail, and donations through Pay Pal and Facebook. Together you donated almost $3K in Betty White’s memory!

Dandy Mart Donation

Our good friends at the Hector Dandy Mart raised just over $1K for us this past holiday season!

A huge thank you for their hard work and continued support!

Year End Fundraising: You Met The Challenge

We wish we could personally thank each of you for YOUR generous support! You met the matching gift challenge of $40,000 and we concluded the year raising funds of $80,000! You’ve helped us achieve something we once only dreamed possible!

Wags to Riches – February Sales

Just in time for Valentine’s Day you’ll find a wonderful gift for that special someone in your life! Through February 14^th all women’s clothing, all jewelry and all artwork are 25% off already great prices!

Visit the Wags to Riches Facebook page for the details of our upcoming President’s Day Sale.

Wags to Riches is located at 313 North Franklin Street in Watkins Glen.

Hours:

Monday-Wednesday-Thursday-Friday 10:00 am-5:00 pm

Sunday: Noon – 4:00 pm

Closed Tuesday

Phone: 607-210-4263

All proceeds benefit the care of Shelter Animals

January 2022 Newsletter

January 16, 2022 by Georgie Taylor

Somehow, given the on-going impacts of the pandemic, “Happy New Year!” seems a bit inappropriate. Rather, we’ll say that we hope this finds you and your loved ones healthy and safe and that you are finding some joy in this ever-changing climate.

In some ways 2021 was just as challenging as 2020 for us individuals and for The Humane Society, as an organization. Mask wearing, new protocols, and additional cleaning procedures soon became the norm. Then, for a brief moment we as a country and as a staff, breathed a collective sigh of relief. Vaccines became widely available, masks came down and we talked of once again opening our doors again our broader Humane Society family welcoming friends, volunteers, and adopters. But that, as we all know, was short lived. First the Delta variant, soon followed by the Omicron variant and we were back to the established protocols.

We now recognize that we, like so many others, will need to learn to navigate and in fact, figure out how to excel in the new norm to provide much needed services for our community, to continue to hold ourselves to a high level of care for our shelter animals and to develop our small, dedicated staff.

As we go forward, we are thankful that you have been and continue to be, beside us, supporting us in so many ways. In this newsletter, we’d like to share some of the successes your support has made possible.

Thank you from all of us! And, we wish you the very best for the year ahead!

Once again – A Huge round of a paws and an enormous Thank YOU

The Numbers for 2021

We hosted 162 canine guests in 2021, clearly an increase compared to 121 in 2020. We ‘re happy to say that we didn’t see the “return” of pandemic pets as many in the animal welfare industry feared. This enabled us to assist other shelters, both regionally and nationally taking in 43 dogs from other shelters. 83 dogs were found as strays, some were seized by law enforcement, and 15 were surrendered by owners. Of the 83 dogs found as strays, 68 were successfully reunited with their families and a total of 90 dogs were adopted.

Spay/Neuter Program

The spay/neuter program continued strong, in its 18^th year (CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?) with a total of 955 companion animals having been sterilized, just 4 short of last year’s surgeries. In 18 years that’s a cumulative total of just under 16,000!!! 757 cats and 182 dogs were spayed or neutered this year alone. The demand for services remains strong as we enter 2022, continuing with “curb side” service and following strict COVID-19 protocols. We have to admit,there are times that ask ourselves, “Where DO they keep coming from?”.

Bailey and Friends

Tom Golisano – Business Leader and Philanthropist

A generous grant from Bailey and Friends, a fund of the Tom Golisano Foundation, helped to fund approximately half of the surgeries of our shelter animals in 2021. Bailey and Friends strives to support and build capacity of caring, competent providers and organizations, create opportunities that strengthen the importance of the human-animal bond in personal, occupational, and therapeutic capacities, and promote responsible, loving pet-ownership. We are greatly honored to have been selected as a recipient of this generous funding.

The Christmas Cats

As many of you know, we were notified of an abandonment situation just before Christmas. So, our intrepid cat team went to work and over the course of the week gathered a total of 15 cats, ranging from about 2 months of age to adult. With lots of TLC they are all improving, but it will be at least a month before most are ready for adoption. Once again, you responded with help – monetary donations, and donations of food and litter. For that, we thank you! We’ve said it before, but we’ll say it again. We couldn’t do what we do without your support!

The Betty White Shelter Challenge

Betty White – actress and animal advocate

Betty White, perhaps best known for her role on the hit TV show The Golden Girls, passed away at the age of 99, just shy of her 100th birthday. Apart from her notable and long-lasting acting career, White was a true advocate for animals.

White’s passion and support for animals spans decades and since her passing the #bettywhitechallenge has become a viral sensation across the internet. The challenge calls for everyone to donate as little as $5.00 on January 17, 2022 to a local animal shelter or rescue of their choice, on what would have been Betty White’s 100th birthday.

This challenge not only honors the late Betty White but has the potential to impact hundreds of shelters across the nation, changing an animal’s life for the better. Giving in her name would be a wonderful way to honor her memory. Many thanks to those of you who have already donated. Our generous supporter who is matching financial donations will extend the date of matching through January 17^th. Donations can be made online, via our PayPal account, or by check to us at 124 Marina Drive, Montour Falls, NY 14865.

Caroline Says Thank You!

Caroline works hard to collect cans and bottles almost every day and she knows you do too! Together you surpassed last year’s total with over 80,000 cans and bottles! The proceeds feed the shelter animals provide medications, pay veterinary bills and help to pay our dedicated staff.

February Newsletter

February 15, 2021 by Mark Taylor

January 2021 Newsletter

January 30, 2021 by Mark Taylor

Happy New Year!

As we wave good bye to 2020 in the rear view mirror, we look ahead to a far better new year – one filled with hope for good health and the promise that together we can overcome the long list of crises that have impacted our country and each of us.

While 2020 was challenging for so many in so many ways, with your generosity and support we not only got through it, we celebrated some amazing results that we’re excited to share with you.

Our staff and volunteers doubled down, worked against the odds and demonstrated what a small group of dedicated people can accomplish when they share a passion and a common goal. For them, we are so grateful!

The Numbers – For 2020

We took in 121 dogs – down a bit from previous years, which appears to be the trend nationally. With so many people at home, the pooches have been on lock down too! But, this enabled us to assist other area shelters and collaborate for our first transfer of dogs from rural North Carolina.

A total of 62 were adopted, 58 were reunited with their families and 5 were transferred to new shelters.

We took in a total of 263 cats and placed 245! (And, many more are going home in January!

And, drum roll please…………we sterilized 963 dogs and cats through our spay/neuter clinics! And, remember, clinics were suspended from March into June.

A Round of Apaws!

THANK YOU!

We’ve said it before, but we simply have to say it again – we couldn’t do the work we do without your generous support! This holiday season you totally crushed it! This year end fundraising campaign was one of the most successful ever!

Your support was matched with a donation of $24K from the Staffworks Fund Save a Life Holiday Campaign!

While we know that so many of you faced your own challenges during this pandemic, you still found it in your hearts to care for the shelter animals! Your generosity is nothing short of amazing and your support will help us to carry us through the next few months.

The Staffworks 2020 Save A Life Campaign raised an incredible $3,041,832!

The 2020 Campaign included 39 nonprofit animal welfare organizations in 17 counties in Central and Southern New York and Pennsylvania.

Since its inception in 2014, the Save A Life Campaign has raised $6,156,444 for nonprofit organizations providing direct care and services for at-risk animals in regional communities where Staffworks operates.

Additionally, the Staffworks Save A Life Campaign has provided matching levels for community donations during the month of December.

Looking for Love

Lily, as we’ve named her, arrived as a stray on the bitter cold morning of December 23^rd. Found in a remote area, she was unkempt, thin, and unable to walk. She was immediately taken to the vet, who determined that Lily had not been hit by a car as we feared, but was suffering from chronic arthritis. She was given a short acting steroid injection and was prescribed medications which have enabled her to walk again.

It wasn’t until ten days after Lily arrived that we discovered that she had not been abandoned as we suspected, but amazingly enough, had wandered from home. Her owner, no longer able to care for her, surrendered Lily to us with the hope that we would find her a home better able to provide for her.

Now, we are asking for your help in doing just that. At about 12 years old, Lily would enjoy a quiet adult home with someone home with her for much of the day. She is very undemanding and most appreciative of everything you do for her. She spends much of her day napping, enjoys several shorter strolls a day and appreciates good food. For the most part Lily gets around well, although stairs would be challenging for her. Her medications are simple and not costly. She is a lovely soul, who so deserves to spend her days with someone who loves her.

If you, or someone you know, might be able to offer Lily a loving home in which to spend her golden years, please call us at 607-594-2255 ext 201. She promises to return your affection with all the love she has to give.

A Tail Wagging Happy Tail:

Jonny Cakes

Perhaps you remember that scared, scruffy little waif of a guy who had found refuge in an old outhouse? We appropriately called him “Jonny Cakes”, which suited him well. He arrived thin, flea ridden, matted and covered in feces and had experienced some trauma to his right eye and was absolutely terrified.

It took several days before he began to trust. His medical issues were treated and within a few weeks he was becoming a much happier, healthy little guy, ready to be neutered, vaccinated and to find a new home.

Much to our surprise our spay/neuter clinic vet took one look at him and said “He’s just the kind of dog we’ve been looking for!” So, obviously, the rest is history!

Look at him now!

Can and Bottle Redemption –

A Record Year!

You support us in so many ways. You donate financially, you volunteer, you adopt, and you donate your cans and bottles – this year a record number. You might not think that bag of cans means much, but put ‘em all together and they totaled thousands of dollars! Yup, that’s right! Those cans and bottles feed the shelter animals, provide medications, pay veterinary bills and help to pay our dedicated staff. Let’s go for another record in 2021!

Wags to Riches

Jewelry, Housewares & Womens Clothing Sales

Jewelry Sale – Feb 5 – 14

Jewelry $19 and under – Buy One Get One Free

Jewelry over $10 -25% off

Housewares Sale February 1 – 28

20% off all housewares and decorative items

Women’s Clothing Sale

February 1 – 13 25% off

February 14 – 28 50% off

Shop Early for Best Selection

Wags to Riches is now open six days a week!

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10am – 5:00 and on Sundays from noon – 4:00pm. We’re located at 313 N. Franklin Street in Watkins Glen.

And remember, all your purchases support the care of shelter animals!

Thank You!

We would be remiss without publicly thanking each of you who helped us so generously during this difficult time, with your financial support and your donations of food and supplies. We hope that we’ve thanked each of you individually but, if for some reason we missed you, please accept our heartfelt thanks! We couldn’t do it without you!

Other ways to help:

· You can purchase items on line through Amazon Smile and a portion of your purchase will benefit The Humane Society.

· Visit Chewy.com to see our Wish List and make donations of Alpo canned dog and Fancy Feast/Friskies cat food. The cats prefer non-fish flavors and pate (not shreds or chunks)! Chewy will ship directly to us and shipping is free for orders over $49.00.

As we all continue to navigate through these turbulent times, please know that we truly value your on-going support. For that, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Please take care and stay safe!

The Humane Society of Schuyler County is a 501c3 not-for-profit corporation dedicated to advancing animal welfare in our community. All contributions are tax deductible. You can donate online, via our PayPal account, or send checks to us directly at 124 Marina Drive, Montour Falls, NY 14865