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2011-05-07T23:45:37Z

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2010-06-16T06:40:26Z

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2009-02-23T12:16:01Z

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Newsletter September 2004 Vol. 4 Issue 3

2009-02-23T11:49:58Z

	VOICE	SEPTEMBER 2004 Vol. 4, Iss. 3

HELP!!!!!

SPAY LINE IN DANGER OF SHUTTING DOWN!!!

For the past year and a half, volunteers from Animal Allies have been responsible for answering the state-wide spay line sponsored by S.T.O.P. (Solutions to Overpopulation of Pets). When we first started in April of 2003 there were 6 volunteers and we each were taking one day a week. Over the past year volunteers have come and gone and we have not been able to find replacements for them which has resulted in the few existing volunteers taking on extra days.

Due to the lack of volunteers who are willing to take on the small commitment of just one hour or less per week to help the animals, the remaining dedicated volunteers are forced with the decision of either taking on several days a week of answering the line which is a much greater time burden, or raising the white flag and surrendering the responsibility for answering this line. Obviously the animals would suffer if we chose the latter and we hope it does not come down to this but a few people can only do so much and existing volunteers are getting burnt out.

We receive up to a maximum of a dozen calls a day on this line, all from people who have unneutered animals and who cannot afford the full cost of a spay/neuter surgery. Most days we receive an average of 5-8 calls.

Please consider coming forward and assisting us with this most important task. The time commitment (with enough volunteers) is minimal and would rarely take more than an hour a week of your time. We will give you all the information you need to get started and be available for questions at anytime. The process is just calling people back and directing people to existing low-cost programs in their area and in some cases mailing them forms which we will provide. The majority of callers are very grateful for the information and we believe it can often make the difference between an animal getting spayed or getting pregnant.

Please call Kathy at 603-625-9081 or email me at www.animalallies.org/contact-us if you can spare an hour or less per week to help hundreds of animals in the state of New Hampshire. Thank you.

2004 TRAPPING STATS

Since our last newsletter in June, volunteers have once again been busy trapping cats. We have trapped and spayed/neutered a total of 101 cats from Amherst, Chester, Litchfield, Hooksett, Manchester, Tilton and Goffstown. We have also had 14 kittens born to us in the process!! Check some of them out on Petfinder.org under Animal Allies.

A NOTE FROM A HAPPY ADOPTER!!

Good Morning Kathy:
I just wanted to drop a quick note, as I am sure you are all wondering how Tallulah (DeMayo) did her first night after surgery, in her new home. FANTASTIC!!!!!! She played a bit, on the floor with toys, but mostly wanted to be loved. She has a great "purrer...if that is a true part of the feline anatomy..ha, ha" She ate and drank a bit before bed and discovered her litter box with no problem. She did try to chew and pull at her stitches last night, but we were sure to keep her distracted.

She slept curled right up with Johnny and woke about 5am to use her litter box and back upon the bed to play with Johnny's eyelashes and wake him for the day. She ate well this morning and was napping when we left for work and day camp. She was introduced to Zuko this morning, who was so excited to see her, whimpering, tail wagging, etc. She took one look at him, arched her back and let out a big hiss. Guess we know who will be "The Boss". Too funny.

Her incision looked very good this morning. Really no swelling or redness so far. We do love her so much and can't thank you all enough for allowing us to take her into our family. She is "meshing" nicely. Pretty irresistible! We promise to send pictures as she changes. I already dropped a roll off for developing this morning. We are pitiful!

Thank you again. More soon,
The Millers

[Note: DeMayo/Tallulah is a kitten who was born to a feral cat who we had trapped. She was scheduled to be spayed but the powers that be had other plans and the kittens were born on May 5th. Wonderful homes were found for all and mom was spayed and returned to her area with her sister (who also had kittens during her stay with us!) where there is a dedicated caretaker watching out for them.]

OUR BELIEFS We share a common respect and concern for all animals and oppose cruelty in any form. We believe all animals are entitled to the basic right not to suffer and that together we can stop the silent suffering.

We promote animal welfare through humane education and direct community action. We educate the public about the suffering millions of animals are forced to endure each day at the hands of humans.

OUR MAIN GOAL: COUNTDOWN TO ZERO Each year, thousands of healthy cats, dogs and other animals are put to death in NH shelters, simply for lack of a home. We are constantly striving to decrease the number of these killings and we won�t rest until that number is zero.

Since our inception in 1994, Animal Allies has assisted thousands of people with spaying and neutering their animals. We locate affordable spay/neuter programs for people and have also funded hundreds of spay/neuter surgeries.

We also work heavily with stray and feral cats. A feral cat is the 'wild' offspring of domestic cats and are the result of pet owners' abandonment or failure to spay and neuter their animals, allowing them to breed uncontrolled. Understandably, they are elusive and do not trust humans.

Fundraising Corner
By Lee Durling, Fundraising Committee Chair

Hi Everyone,
Hope everybody had a great summer! It wasn't the best weather wise (neither were the weather forecasters' predictions) that's why the yard sale date(s) kept changing but eventually we had it! Kathy Peirce, Doris Hood and Louise Benelas showed up to move everything from my house down to Kathy Boisvert's house on Friday night with hopes of the yard sale taking place the following day. The next day there Doris Hood and Linda Raymond were when Kathy Peirce and her two boys showed up in the pouring rain...yard sale canceled for that day, onto Sunday, a gorgeous day! End result, made over $500.00!

I would like to thank Heather at Wendy's for the gift certificates for everyone that helped out at the yard sale.

Also, a thank you to Janet Sullivan who donated an Avon basket to raffle off at the yard sale. If anyone is interested in purchasing Avon please give Janet a call at #432-3660, #867-0334 or E-Mail: avonbecoming@comcast.net.

I can't forget my two neighbors Melissa and Joan who were a great help in cleaning and pricing the items! So, many people helped out with this yard sale either by giving their time, items or both...THANK YOU!

Russell, Steven and Phil (my family) thanks for the help that you gave with love, for not only me but the animals!

Our Summer Raffle was a big success! We made $1,415.00! That helped quite a few cats!

Thanks to everyone who helped us reach that amount either by purchasing or selling tickets! A big thank you to Kathy Boisvert for her selling expertise! We lost count on how many tickets she sold! Don't forget the following list of our sponsors! It would be great if we could help them out, like they did us, by patronizing their businesses!

The Rosewood Spa	Strange Brew Tavern	Crystal Orchid Florist Shop
Tails Above The Rest	T.R.Brennan's Restaurant	T-Bones Restaurant
Chalifour's Flowers	Massabesic Quick Lube	Bedford Chirpractic Associates
Spatt's Restaurant	Lantern Restaurant	Photo World
Puritan Restaurant	Jacques Bakery	Brothers Pizza
Gingerbread Bakery	Teresa's Sewing Place	Photo Imaging
Jamie's Bakery	Applebee's Restaurant	The Exchange Boutique
All Occasions

Mickey at All Occasions has a great selection of gifts for "The Animal Lover" She donated a personalized pewter frame with a beautiful prayer for our raffle! Mickey wants to keep helping Animal Allies by donating 10% of all sales when people mention Animal Allies! Check out the enclosed flyer, remember Christmas is coming! Get your shopping done and help out the animals at the same time! Mickey also has a website which is on the back of the flyer!

I want to thank all the businesses who have put out collection jars for us in the past months. They are:

Exxon on By-Pass 28	Lakeside Lanes
Tails Above The Rest	McQuesten Farm Stand

Don't forget...if you know of a busy business that might be willing to put out a collection jar give me a call at # 603-641-6472! Also, if you are interested in helping out we are in desperate need of volunteers! Even if you only can spare an hour a week we have something for you to do! Phone work, transporting, foster care, putting out collection jars...the list goes on! There are so many animals out there that need help! On their behalf I am asking "Please Help" No special skills or talents are needed, just a little time and a little love.. they don't ask for much! Please give it some thought!

With Warm Regards,
Lee

[Editor�s Note: Without the tireless efforts of Lee Durling, our fabulous Fundraising Chairperson this sale would not have been a success. She spent countless hours gathering, cleaning and pricing items and was the ONLY person manning the sale when it finally happened due to weather. Thanks Lee! The animals appreciate it and so do we.]

FERAL CAT CLINIC A SUCCESS

On June 26, 2004 Animal Allies was involved in a very successful feral cat spay/neuter clinic run by the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society (MRFRS).

Special thanks go to Margaret Brender of MRFRS who organized and spearheaded this clinic and provided several wonderful volunteers to aid in the day. Volunteers from Animal Allies also assisted, with our main job being to trap the cats! We were told we could bring up to 25 cats and we managed to bring a total of 24 cats. That�s pretty wonderful considering there were only 3 people trapping, transporting and boarding these cats. The Animal Rescue League of NH (ARL) in Bedford graciously donated their facility to hold the clinic. Big thanks to Dave at the ARL for his great support. We hope to do another clinic at a later date and to be able to assist other feral cat groups such as SAFER (Seacoast Area Feline Rescue).

ANIMAL ALLIES PARTICIPATES IN HOMELESS ANIMALS DAY

Animal Allies participated in Homeless Animals Day which was held on August 21st in Keene. We had a table with information on our organization and how we are helping area ferals. We hope to get out there more with tabling events but lack the volunteers needed. Please call if you are able to help.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

October 16th is National Feral Cat Day sponsored by Alley Cat Allies. In honor of this day please do something special for a feral cat, like trap and spay one or volunteer with Animal Allies in some way. You could also make a donation to help us with spaying and neutering some cats in honor of this day.

THIS ISSUE OF VOICE IS DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF SPECIAL FRIENDS LOST:

JAKE ARANOSIAN	OSCAR ARANOSIAN	JJ EWELL
LADY PEIRCE	TROOPER PEIRCE	SLEEPY THE FERAL
BABE THE KITTEN	SHORTCAKE THE KITTEN	LITTLE DARLING KITTEN
CARROTCAKE KITTEN	FUDGE THE FERAL KITTEN	GINGER THE FERAL KITTEN
AND THE 4 MOUSEKETEERS (4 baby mice found without a mom in a parking lot. We tried to hand feed them but they passed away 2 days later)

EXTRA SPECIAL THANKS TO DR. GEORGE MESSENGER

AND ALL THE STAFF AT FISHERVILLE ANIMAL HOSPITAL FOR DOING A SPAY DAY EVERY MONTH FOR US. This has resulted in a huge increase in the number of cats we are able to help. We bring them anywhere from 15-20 cats on one given day per month and they do them all without complaining. Sorry for the extra stress Dr. Geo and staff. We appreciate everything all of you do for us and the animals!

THANK YOU SO MUCH DONORS

Jennifer Hebert	Rosemary Palfini	Stephen LaFond
Nancy McQuesten	Frances Thomas	Mary Perkins
Thomas Noel	Patricia Rocca	Ed Smith
Mohammed and Clara Guellil

ANOTHER UPDATE ON TALLULAH THE KITTEN!!!!

Good Morning Kathy:
Just wanted to drop in with a quick note and send off a cute picture. Hope it is not a duplicate???? Tallulah is doing so well. Getting bigger by the minute and she is smart as a whip. Understands her name, will respond when you call her. She understands "NO" and Johnny has trained her to stand on her hind legs and give "Hi 5's". He is now working on teaching her to play fetch and return. She is very smart! Hope you enjoy the picture of the "Best Buddies", more to come. Happy back to school for the boys.

Love, Sarah & family

[Please see picture on outside of newsletter of "Best Buddies" Tallulah & Zuko!!!!!! Special thanks to the Miller family for giving one of our kitties a fabulous home!!]

OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President	Vice President
Kathy Peirce	Linda Raymond
Secretary	Treasurer
Doris Hood	Donna Raymond
Board Members
Lee Durling Laurie Hunter

Newsletter June 2004 Vol. 4 Issue 2

2009-02-23T11:47:54Z

	VOICE	JUNE 2004 Vol. 4, Iss. 2

2004 TRAPPING STATS

This year has been very busy for Animal Allies Feral Cat Committee volunteers. Since we last wrote we have been pounding the pavement trapping and neutering cats. Below are 2004 stats to date:

Location & Number of Cats Trapped

For a grand total of		104!!!!!!!
Candia	--	3
Concord	Burns Ave	7
Hooksett	Goonan Road	21
Hooksett	Holiday Acres Trailer Park	23
Hudson	Boyd Road	5
Londonderry	Constitution Drive	7
Londonderry	Mammoth Road	7
Manchester	Autozone	1
	Central Street	3
	Dubuque Street	2
	Zylas	3
	South Gray St	1
	Conant St	3
	Walnut St	5
	Manchester Street	1
Merrimack	Patten Hill Road	6
Milford	--	3
New Boston	--	3

That's an awful lot of litters we prevented especially since 46 were females!

Fundraising Corner
By Lee Durling, Fundraising Committee Chair

Our Fundraising Events for the summer got off to a great start thanks to the efforts of Laura Zsofka and her friend Christine Bureau. They arranged for Animal Allies to hold a car wash at Burger King on Daniel Webster Highway in Manchester on April 24th where we raised $425.02! This was not an effortless event. Thank goodness we had the help of some of the best little fundraisers going. They were Ben, Kara, Tim and Matthew, so, to them we say a great big "thank-you"!

Please help us out with our Summer CALENDAR Raffle which is a 30 day calendar packed with wonderful winnings. One winner will be drawn every day in July for 31 days and winners will be notified by mail. We have a lot of great prizes one of which is donated by Journey Ewell's family...2 nights and 3 days at their beach house. Purchase at least 1 ticket which will cost $5.00 or to increase your chances of winning, 3 for $10.00! Thank-you to our many generous sponsors of this raffle!

PET PHOTO CONTEST. If you have a pet that you are extremely proud of, and who isn't proud of their pets? Enter our Pet Photo Contest! Send in a picture of the pet that owns you along with their picture and a brief story, 50 words or less why they should win The Best Pet Contest. Fee to enter each pet is $5.00, feel free to enter as many times as you want! 3 winners will be picked every newsletter! The prize: an appropriate (cat, dog, rabbit, etc.) basket! This basket will be filled with items not only for the pet but for their person!

YARD SALE. Clean out those basements, cellars, attics and help out the animals! Our yard sale date is July 17th with the rain date being July 24th. We need volunteers to help price the items a few days before and volunteers to help the day of the yard sale. We also are in need of folding tables. So, even if you can't volunteer that day, come and buy something. Please even if it's a hot day, don't let that stop you from coming, refreshments will be served!

Our collection jars need to get out there, every little bit helps! If you know of any place of business that might put a collection jar out along with our brochures, feel free to give me a call at #603-641-6472. I'll be happy to give a call or stop in to see if they are willing to do so!

Well, folks, I guess that's it for the fundraising update!

Lee

TAIL TALE OF A TRAPPER

It was one of those frigid winter days in February and another volunteer and I headed out to Hooksett to assess yet another "cat situation". When we arrived we saw a few cats scatter about. We began to scope out the area to determine where best to set the traps. Sadly, in our travels we found a baby kitten frozen to death near a vehicle in the yard. Up to that point I had been feeling a bit burnt out on trapping and not as gung ho as I once was, but when I picked up this baby my attitude changed. Knowing this was completely unacceptable I made the decision to get over my burnout, put my butt in gear and get trapping, as these cats and kittens needed help.

From that day through the next 4 days, I and 3 other volunteers became focused and aggressively trapped all 21 cats from this location. We were able to catch the Angel baby's brother who was no more than 6 weeks old. He was running around with the tip of his tail frostbitten off. He was shy but gentle from the day he was trapped and within a week he was purring and happy and truly relishing his new indoor life. He was named JD (short for Jack Daniels as he was clearly tough stuff!) and given lots of love and attention for a couple of weeks before the wonderful Salem Animal Rescue League offered to take him and adopt him into a new and loving home. Thank you SALEM ANIMAL RESCUE LEAGUE!!!!!

As heartwrenching as finding the dead kitten was, I found great satisfaction in being part of the solution to ending such sadness from happening again. I took this very negative situation and started doing something positive to help these babies. There is now a managed colony at this site where all the cats are spayed, neutered and vaccinated and have a caretaker who feeds and watches out for them. There will be no more dead kittens found here and that is something all the volunteers who worked on this colony can be proud of.

There are only a few active trappers in our group and we have a running list of over 30 sites that need attention. The more people that come forward and help with this endeavor the less suffering and death there will be. Please contact us to help with this very important task. Kittens like JD need and are counting on you.

We promote animal welfare through humane education and direct community action. We educate the public about the suffering millions of animals are forced to endure each day at the hands of humans.

A TESTIMONIAL: My experience of Animal Allies
By Laura Zsofka

In the winter of 2001, I had just changed my work hours from nights to days, and as a result, I started taking my trash out in the evenings. When I drove up to the dumpster area in my mobile home park in Merrimack, I discovered lots of cats jumping out of the dumpsters when my lights shined on them, and they ran frantically into the woods towards a nearby junkyard. I became immediately concerned, because it was so cold out, that these poor cats needed some help.

I began going and putting cat food out every night at the same time, when the rest of the park residents were probably asleep. The cats began to start to hang out and wait for me, little by little getting closer and closer, instead of running for their lives. These were definitely feral cats. Within a couple months, although none of them let me touch them, they would allow me to get within reach. I purposely never tried to grab one because I wanted them to trust me. It was an awesome experience to go into the woods on a freezing night and see lots and lots of cats coming out of the woods all around me to meet me for supper. I felt good, that I was helping them, but sad, that there were so many, and I knew springtime would be here too soon and more litters would be born.

There was one particular little gray cutie that I named Scooter. He used to flirt all around me, rubbing up against the branches and trees. I could tell he was happy to see me every night and appreciative of the food and water, but he never let me touch him. I was madly in love with that little guy. I resolved to try to help them get fixed but didn't know where to start, I couldn't have afforded to fix all those cats, never mind how was I going to catch them? I made some phone calls and it was recommended to me that I call Animal Allies for help. I did, and Kathy Peirce called me right away. Three wonderful ladies, Doris, Linda & Kathy came and trapped 22 cats in my woods and got them all fixed and vaccinated. Animal Allies never asked me for a dime. I was so grateful. They told me they operate on donations and have caring vets who help out at a low cost.

One of the cats had an eye missing. That eye got fixed and one of Kathy's friends adopted her out. Some of those cats got released back to the junkyard and I continued to feed them, some went to the shelter and got adopted, some got barns. I know for a fact that the ones that got re-released don't have nice lives like house cats do.

As for the little gray cat named Scooter, he came to live with me after he got neutered. I've had him for a couple years, and he has become such a loving cat..At first he wouldn't let me touch him, but little by little, month by month, he made progress, he even sits in my lap now and sleeps next to me. If he sees me come out of my room, he doesn't walk down the hall to say hi, he runs! Scooter loves his home, it's obvious he's grateful and happy now. As for the junkyard cats that were re-released, they have mostly disappeared, one by one. It's sad, but I'm thankful for the help Animal Allies gave me and that we prevented a lot more cats from being born in that junkyard. It's always on my mind that there are a lot more wonderful cats like Scooter out there who would also love to have a nice home and they just need a chance. For this reason, I appointed myself as a fundraiser for Animal Allies. I have seen enough of what these ladies do to know that they don't fool around, and they do a lot of good.

[Editor's Note: Laura has since organized two fundraisers that have generated over $700 for us. Thank you Laura!!!]

AND YET ANOTHER HAPPY SUCCESS STORY

The 'ferals' have been promoted to the station of 'barn cats' now that they have been fixed. They stay around a lot more and know where their meals are served -- (in the shed). They are all doing fine and I am so happy that we could keep the family together. Thank you again for all of your support.

Ann-Marie & Larry Carpenter

[Editor's Note: The Carpenters called us about feral cats they were caring for that needed to be spayed/neutered and vaccinated. We provided the discount vet services but they did the legwork and gave a nice donation. Thank you to them for caring!]

HELPING ANIMALS WITH THE CLICK OF A MOUSE

Shop on line a lot? If so, go to the website buyforcharity.com and you can add dollars to the Animal Allies bank account. It won't cost you anything extra and will benefit the animals greatly.
Animal Allies has teamed up with eFundraising.com to bring you your favorite magazines at great prices, and a portion of the proceeds goes directly to Animal Allies to help further our mission! Now there's a win/win deal! Visit our website for more information.

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR WONDERFUL GENEROUS DONORS

Raymond Olivier	Catherine Tierney	Dr. George Messenger	Kathy Foytho
Carolynn Mary Stanton	Theresia Manner	Laraine Day	Laura Zsofka
Theresa Cote	Mary Major	Rosemary Palfini	Kimberly Landry
Michael Dupont	Connie Pinard	Stephen LaFond	Frances Thomas
Patricia Joyce	Virginia Stanton	John Hunt	Susan Martel
Sussan Coley	Steven Kolios	Lucille Potvin	Gloria Goulet
Debra Landoni	Stephen Petroski	Janey Barnard	Carolyn Vogler
Anna Maenhout	Yvonne Petit	Louise Prescott	Colleen Sansouci
Amy Mailhot	Doris Rand	Joanne Merrick	Susanne Braddock
Joanne Magnan	Sue Simpson	Hilary Walter	Lori Bertrand
James & Nancy Brooks	Caroline Sutton	Annette Whitmore	Ann Marie Woodlock
Vesta Stenta	Ronald Peredna	Lynne Spiegel	Joyce Koerber
Steve Kereazes	Carriage Hill Farm

VISIT OUR NEW AND IMPROVED WEBSITE!!!!!!! http://www.animalallies.org
Thanks to the generous donation of time, effort and lots of talent by Dan Wiedenheft and Hector Cruz we have a beautiful new website. Please check it out and spread the word!!! Thank you Dan and Hector!!!!

FERAL CAT SPAY/NEUTER CLINIC WITH MERRIMACK RIVER FELINE RESCUE

Thanks to the efforts of Margaret Brender of Merrimack River Feline Rescue and the Animal Rescue League of Bedford, NH, plans are underway to have a feral cat spay/neuter clinic on Sunday, June 27, 2004. At this time there are two vets who will be participating and we hope to spay/neuter 25 cats. With the 30+ colonies that we have to attend to, we are certain we will be able to fill all the slots.

For the day to be successful, we need lots of volunteers. Won't you please consider volunteering for a couple of hours on that day? We need volunteers to help with admissions and recovery, trap cleaning, early-birds to help set-up and late-birds to help breakdown and clean-up.

This is a great opportunity to help these most needy cats. We are especially in need of a couple of vet techs who can help. Please contact Kathy at 603-625-9081 if you can offer some time. Thank you.

Campaign Oprah: Spay Day USA 2004
A Voice for Animals out of Kentucky is proposing a campaign to inform Oprah and her staff of the importance of spay/neuter so they will do a program on the tragedy of pet overpopulation. Email Oprah and give her this great story idea: *Spay/Neuter Saves Lives* Go to: www.oprah.com/email/reach/email_showideas.jhtml to complete the form.

OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President	Vice President
Kathy Peirce	Linda Raymond
Secretary	Treasurer
Doris Hood	Donna Raymond
Board Members
Lee Durling Laurie Hunter

Newsletter March 2004 Vol. 4 Issue 1

2009-02-23T11:44:08Z

	VOICE	MARCH 2004 Vol. 4, Iss. 1

2003 IN REVIEW: A TURNING POINT FOR THE GROUP, AND THE ANIMALS!

And oh, what a year it was! Right about this time last year Animal Allies as an entity was on the brink of becoming defunct: with little funding and even fewer volunteers to actively carry out the group's mission, there seemed to be little hope for the organization to continue helping with spay/neuter initiatives and the trap/neuter/ release of feral cats. But the fates were watching, and decided to intervene on the animals' behalf.

Slowly but steadily the group has recruited a few solid, energetic volunteers. They serve on the Board of Directors, volunteer on Committees, or just work their hearts out in the trenches trapping cats or hosting fundraisers to help pay the veterinary costs these animals incur (mostly they do all three!). And just as slowly, but with the same determination, Animal Allies has "cleaned house" organizationally, and it's taken just about twelve months to begin to see the fruits of our labors, but they are there -- we have put in place a schedule for systematically tending to feral colonies through the Feral Cat Committee, and have implemented a twelve-month fundraising agenda to keep the money flowing so that we do not once again have to suspend spay/neuter operations of unowned animals due to lack of funds as we did in the Fall of 2003.

As exciting as it is to be proactive again, we must be extremely careful to manage our resources responsibly. More organized trapping means purchasing more traps and more cages in which to temporarily house the cats pre- and post-surgically, as well as larger vet bills due to a greater volume of cats being treated.

Costs have also gone up in the past year. A review of Animal Allies' veterinary costs revealed that treatment per cat increased from $49.91 in 2002 to $59.20 in 2003 -- a jump of nearly 20%! Not all of that can be attributed to rising fees, however. Animal Allies often will provide veterinary care related to treatment of injuries or illness of feral cats, conditions which cannot be controlled by the group but which it feels morally obligated to treat.

Veterinarians' willingness to work with us is critical to our success. Feral cats are not always the easiest to treat or handle, and we are deeply indebted to those veterinarians who recognize the importance of working with these animals to help end animal overpopulation. One of our goals for 2004 is to recruit more veterinarians to help us with our task, and to set up a regular and frequent schedule of feral spays and neuters so that we may more effectively manage colony reproduction. Please ask your veterinarian to consider offering time slots at his or her clinic for feral cats, and whether they would consider doing so at a discounted rate. A little effort goes a long way when it comes to litter prevention!

As we look ahead in 2004, we know that good things are on the way for the animals we serve -- thank you for helping us make it this far!

Caregiver's Corner
A new column featuring personal reflections on caring for animals in need. Have a story you'd like to share? E-mail us at www.animalallies.org/contact-us

Spay Week Is Upon Us!

Though your thermometer would never tell you, Spring is right around the corner. Every year at this time, Animal Allies participates in the Doris Day Animal Foundation's sponsoring of Spay Day. Because of its work with ferals, the group has tried to target those individuals caring for feral cat colonies as well as people in multiple cat households for this event.

I had helped organize Spay Days in the past, and decided I would go one step further this time around and house some of the feral cats being altered. I had had a taste of caring for ferals when I participated in my first trap/neuter/release project last summer, and learned my lessons well (for instance, allowing feral cats to roam freely in a spare room is NOT a good idea in practice, no matter how nice it sounds in theory).

Armed with this newfound wisdom of experience (and after I had repaired the sheetrock and repainted the wall in the spare room), I took stock of what tools I would need to safely and conveniently house feral cats on a temporary basis. First, a large enough cage to hold one or two cats at a time was essential -- there needed to be enough room for a litter box, two bowls, and the cat itself. If the cage were too small, the poor cat would end up stepping in its water to get to the litter box, or getting litter in its food bowls -- hardly five-star accommodations. The cage also needed to have a very large door opening so that the door of a carrier or trap could easily fit inside to release or receive the cat. The cage also needed to have a slideout base that could be accessed without disturbing the cats, essential for proper cleaning (feral cats are, if nothing else, messy). Once I did a little research, I found the cages that were right for me, and they were collapsible to boot, which is especially convenient for storage or transporting.

Next, I needed the proper supplies: bowls and litter boxes, to be specific. Since these would end up being placed inside the cages, it was important that I be able to do this with as little fanfare as possible so as not to unduly frighten already scared animals. To accomplish this, I purchased multiple sets of the items. For each cage that needed two bowls and one litter box, I had four bowls and two litter boxes. When one set got dirty, I would prepare a clean set with food, water, and litter, and quickly remove the dirty set and replace it with a fresh, clean set.

Next, each cage would have a towel on which the cat would lay. For this, I had several clean towels for each cage (I like to keep things clean, but I didn't want to be doing laundry every day) so that when one got dirty, I would simply remove it on the slideout tray, add it to a plastic bag set out specifically to hold soiled towels, and replace it with a clean one.

Lastly, I needed my perishable supplies; namely, food and litter. Dry food is easiest, and is what they are most accustomed to, and for litter, the non-scoopable kind is a must, allowing for easy cleanup.

So I now had all the essentials in place. My cages were set up in my cellar, with a large bedsheet draped over three sides to minimize distractions (ferals actually prefer to be out of the way of people, strange noises, and activities). The only thing missing was the cats, and they arrived soon enough. I received two males and two females post-surgically, so they were in crates instead of traps. The transfer went easily enough: with very little coaxing from me they flew from their crate into the larger cage.

I quickly closed the cage door behind them and left them to get comfortable in their new, albeit temporary, surroundings. I checked on them several times during the day to make sure they were all right, and I was struck by how they never touched their food or used their litter box, or even shifted position in the cage. Based on my previous experience, I half expected to find the cages turned upside down on the floor and the cats clinging to the side of the cage wall.

I was quite relieved to find things in good order, and hoped that my practical planning had paid off. They were going to be with me for a week while they recovered, so it was either going to be a breeze or seven days in hell. So far, things were looking good.

They had been quiet all night, and the next morning I went down to see if they had somehow escaped, but there they were, four pairs of eyes intently staring at me as I prepared fresh supplies for everyone. Apparently their silence belied their activities in the night, because in each cage all the food and water was gone, the litter box was on the other end of the cage, and the towel was full of litter and other things to suggest there was a little confusion as to what a towel ought to be used for.

Undaunted, I focused on the bright side -- at least they seemed content, and they hadn't gotten loose. I had also had the foresight to wear rubber gloves, which made cleaning off the towels a much less distasteful task. Within fifteen minutes I had their cages looking like new. I soon learned as the days passed that this is a typical pattern of ferals -- they keep a low profile during the day and conduct much of their activities in the night under the cover of darkness.

The remainder of their time with me was spent uneventfully. We had gotten a pretty good routine down. The females even groomed themselves and ate food in front of me, so I felt fairly honored by this blatant display of trust.

When the week had passed and it was time to release them back to their colony, I couldn't help but feel a little sad over not having an opportunity to get to know them for who they really were. I firmly believe that with a few exceptions most of these cats would make loving companions, but I also realize that the kind of work we do is very time-sensitive, and there just aren't enough resources to tame these cats and find them indoor homes.

For my part, I feel privileged to have known them for the short time that I did, and I hope their lives have been made better by our efforts.

My cages are now all cleaned and ready for the next batch of ferals who will be taking up residence with me in the next few days.

I expect these cages are going to have a very busy year.

By Donna Raymond

Thanks to our WONDERFUL Supporters!

Thanks to everyone who donated to us during this past Holiday season, and to everyone who purchased tickets for Animal Allies' Holiday Raffle. Congratulations to raffle winners Barbara Jellie, Ed Sysyn, and Kaley Lambert. We couldn't have done it without the generous donations of a wreath and gift baskets from Board Member Lee Durling !!

ANIMAL ALLIES WISH LIST

Barn homes for feral cats

Food for feral colonies

Towels for cat trappers

Cat and/or dog crates for housing ferals

Yard sale items

Folding tables for yard sales

Volunteers

MORE MEOWVELOUS NEWS! Animal Allies is pleased to report that in the nine months it operated in 2003, 453 cats and 93 dogs have been referred to low-cost spay/neuter pro-grams within New Hampshire through the 1-800-990 SPAY line. Through this initiative, volunteers act as a resource to match individuals with the low-cost program best suited to their financial situation.

We are also in the process of developing our own web site. Currently we can be located through PetFinder.org. Stay tuned for the details!

FERAL CAT COMMITTEE NEWSThe Feral Cat Committee met recently to discuss its strategy for handling all the colonies it has received information about. It has decided to focus on spaying and neutering ALL cats in a single colony rather than trapping a few here and there in many locations. Volunteers have been assigned to assess recently reported colonies, and to trap at other designated colony locations.

The Goonan Road colony of cats (totaling over 20 cats in all) is completed; however, additional reports of colonies have been received, keeping our total of colonies to be attended to at around 30, representing over 200 cats still to be trapped, neutered and released. Based on our average cost to treat a single cat, we estimate that our veterinary costs for these animals will total nearly $10,000.

In the near future we will be conducting a fundraising campaign especially to help us with this effort. Please give what you can to help prevent more unwanted litters being born to these cats!

If you or someone you know would like to help with assessing colonies or trapping cats, or if you can house a feral cat in your home for just one week, please contact Kathy Peirce at 228-6755 or at www.animalallies.org/contact-us.

Please do what you can to help -- the animals are counting on you!

Pizza Hut Coupons
Now Available! If you love pizza and cats, have we got a deal for you! Animal Allies is currently selling coupons for Pizza Hut pizzas. We receive a portion of the proceeds to support our activities, and you get to enjoy a delicious pizza and feel good knowing you helped!

Coupon cards are $8 each, and contain 12 peelable coupons: 6 for $5 off a purchase of $15 or more, and 6 for a free 1-topping pizza with the purchase of a large. Coupons can be purchased from Animal Allies at www.animalallies.org/contact-us. Bon appetit!

YARD SALE ITEMS WANTED! Anyone wishing to donate items for our yard sale may drop them off after May 15 2004 to 115 Garvin Avenue in Manchester. Please call Lee at 603-641-6472 to schedule the dropoff. Thank you!

OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President	Vice President
Kathy Peirce	Linda Raymond
Secretary	Treasurer
Doris Hood	Donna Raymond
Board Members
Lee Durling Laurie Hunter

Newsletter December 2003 Vol. 3 Issue 4

2009-02-23T11:35:12Z

	VOICE	December 2003 Vol. 3, Iss. 4

MIKEY THE KITTY ANGEL'S HOLIDAY WISH

Readers were first introduced to Mikey in the March 2003 issue of VOICE. He was an FIV+ feral trapped and brought to the Manchester Animal Shelter on January 1, 1998. He was subsequently adopted by a volunteer and soon became a very loved member of the family. Mikey overcame many challenges in his life, including adjusting to living in a home setting and spinal lymphoma, from which he made a miraculous and complete recovery. He grew to become a wonderful character and important member of the household.

Mikey's family was blessed with him for nearly six years, but a few weeks ago it was discovered that Mikey had developed renal lymphoma. Sadly, he did not respond to chemotherapy, and on November 17 Mikey became a kitty angel.

As Mikey looks down at us from kitty heaven, his one wish is that all cats and dogs one day will be wanted and loved, so that no animal has to be homeless, and no cat become feral.

To honor this wish, we are asking that people continue to support spay/neuter initiatives in their communities. Animal Allies' funds to continue to spay and neuter ferals have just about run out. While the veterinarians who work with us offer generously discounted rates on their services, the animals we serve also require vaccinations and oftentimes other treatments for fleas, ear mites, infections or injuries. It is not unusual for a single feral cat to cost over $100 in terms of medical care alone. A single feral colony can contain well over 20 to 30 cats, so it is easy to see how quickly costs can add up.

So please give generously this holiday season so that we may resume our work on behalf of the feral cats -- Mikey would have wanted it that way.

Paws To Consider
Offering insights into animal welfare trends, and just some common sense advice!

A Case for TNR

Here in New Hampshire we are fortunate to have the lowest euthanasia rate of shelter dogs and cats in the country. A fact we should be very proud of. While other parts of the country have shelters and animal control facilities overflowing, and euthanasia is the only option, we can enjoy the knowledge that adoptable animals are not euthanized in our shelters. This is in large part due to the progressive spay/neuter programs we have available in the state. Our state legislature has been leading the charge through low cost programs funded by dog license fees. Since the implementation of The Animal Population Control Program in 1995, the euthanasia rate in New Hampshire has dropped by more than 70% (an incredible statistic).

We cannot let these successes make us complacent, however. We must continue to charge ahead to ensure continued success. There are still areas that need attention and action. Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), for example, is one such option. TNR is a program in which stray and feral cats already living outdoors in cities, towns, and rural areas are humanely trapped, vaccinated, and sterilized by veterinarians. Kittens and tame cats are adopted into good homes. Healthy adult cats too wild to be adopted are returned to their familiar habitat under the lifelong care of volunteers. There are hundreds (possibly thousands) of abandoned and feral cats on the streets in all cities and towns in New Hampshire. We cannot ignore these forgotten felines. TNR is the only humane method to manage and control the proliferation of feral cats.

Across the country, groups are forming to enlighten the public about the benefits of TNR. One such group in New York City, Neighborhood Cats (www.neighborhoodcats.org), has made great strides in educating authorities as well as citizens. The group was founded in 1999 by three people who were concerned about free-roaming cats in their neighborhood. They quickly learned that there was no local help available to them. With the help and resources of a nationally known group, Alley Cat Allies, they were introduced to the basics of trap-neuter-return. Having limited funds, they were restricted to trapping and neutering only one cat at a time. Over the course of the next few months, 20 kittens were trapped and adopted out and 8 feral adults were returned. They were provided winter shelters and feeding stations were set up. The population stabilized, the cats were healthier, and the community's attitude toward the cats grew positive. Today, with the full support of animal control, city officials, shelters and other caring individuals, thousands of homeless cats have been spayed/neutered throughout the five boroughs of New York City and are cared for by hundreds of volunteers. This group has become a model of how successful TNR can be.

If you want to help in your area, consider sponsoring the neuter of a feral cat or volunteer to transport cats to and from veterinarian appointments. Another way you can help is to foster kittens from feral colonies to socialize them so that they can be adopted out to good homes, or to provide a barn home to one or more feral cats that cannot be safely returned to their area. Above all, advocate on behalf of the feral cats. Together, we can make a difference!

By Doris Hood

A Message From The President

Dear Friends,

It is hard to believe Animal Allies will be celebrating its 10th anniversary on February 4, 2004! Though many changes have occurred over the years, we have remained steadfast in our goal to end pet overpopulation. When we first started statistics showed over 12,000 animals were killed in NH shelters.. That number has dropped to below 4,000. While these numbers are encouraging much work remains to be done.

The number of calls we receive for stray and feral cats has increased tremendously. At this moment we have over 20 people awaiting our assistance with stray and feral cats and we simply don't have the funds or the manpower to assist them. With the new year approaching I would ask that you consider making just a small commitment of your time to help in some way. Whether you have an hour a week or 24 hours a week, we can find something that you can do that will meet your schedule and help the animals tremendously as well as give you the wonderful feeling of knowing you are part of the solution. Phone work, trapping, transporting a cat to the vet, selling raffle tickets at your work or helping with other fundraising are all ways you can help and mean a lot to the animals. I hope you will consider taking the plunge into volunteering. We won't ask for more than you can give and will greatly appreciate any effort you make.

On a different note, although over the years we have evolved into somewhat of a "cat" group, our concern for animals goes well beyond felines. Volunteers from our group showed that this past October when the circus came to town. Joining with other animal groups, we made sure our voice was heard about the cruelty inflicted on the elephants and other wild animals in the circus. We produced a show with Tom Rider, a former Ringling Brothers employee who witnessed horrible abuse of the elephants during his 2 -- years with Ringling. Tom and the ASPCA have a lawsuit pending against Ringling for this abuse. If anyone would like to borrow a copy of the video, please let us know. If you would like more information on this issue you can do a Yahoo search for Tom+Rider+elephants.

In closing, I would like to personally thank you all for your support over the years. Although we are a small group, we are doing big things and can only do so with your continued support.

Thank you and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Kathy Peirce

Thanks to Our Wonderful Supporters!

As always, we would like to recognize the support of caring donors like you:

Leisel Angwin * Melissa Brantley * Nancy Bogenberger * Debbie Carbone * Sandra Chapman * Carol Costin * Journey Ewell * James & Sheila Ewell * Debbie Gulezian * Lynne Kaminski * Steve Kereazes * Joyce Koerber * Stephanie Lundgren * Stephen MacDow * Esther McDonald * Karyn Nilgen * Donna Raymond * Joanne Saraphis * Lynne Spiegel

ANIMAL ALLIES WISH LIST

Barn homes for feral cats

Food for feral colonies

Towels for cat trappers

Cat and/or dog crates for housing ferals

Web Master for our web page

Volunteers

A TIME FOR CARING AND SHARING

As we enter into this holiday season, we are reminded of those things for which we are thankful, and of how we can help those who are less fortunate.

Animal Allies works year-round to, among other things, help those less fortunate cats through spay/neuter release. Area veterinarians help through low-cost rates, and supporters help through donations.

The number of cats in need of our services far outweighs our resources, and in November we essentially ran out of funds to spay and neuter more feral cats. Volunteers continue to trap on a limited basis and pay for veterinary services for these cats out of their own resources, but we and the cats really need your help to continue.

In this newsletter you will find a paper holiday ornament. We are hopeful that you will use this ornament to remember those animals in your life who have been blessed with a loving family and responsible care, and at the same time remember those cats who are not as fortunate by giving a small donation to help fund the spaying and neutering services that will put an end to more unwanted litters.

Send in your ornament along with whatever amount you can afford to donate, and it will be hung on a tree on display at Food For Pets in Manchester, NH.

Please stop by Food For Pets to see your ornament and those of other caring people like you. As the tree's decorations increase, so does our ability to stop animal overpopulation in our communities. Please send in your ornament today .

ANIMAL ALLIES CELEBRATES ITS TENTH ANNIVERSARY IN FEBRUARY 2004!

It's hard to believe that ten years have gone by since a few concerned people got together to try to raise awareness of the treatment of animals at the hands of humans. In that span of time, the group has gone through many changes and has evolved into a vital resource for low-cost spay/neuter referral in the state of New Hampshire as well as a strong advocate for TNR.

Its volunteers are few in number, but they are strong in terms of their dedication and devotion to seeing that animals in need are altered to stop the cycle of reproduction. Over the years, Animal Allies volunteers have seen to it that nearly three thousand animals were altered. While there are still thousands more that need our help, it's important to recognize the impact the group's efforts have had in putting an end to animal homelessness.

Over the next few months, Animal Allies will be gearing up to celebrate its achievements of the past decade, and will also be planning its participation in Spay Day, sponsored annually by the Doris Day Animal Foundation. We hope to combine the two events in an effort to bring more recognition and help to those animals most in need.

Please consider doing something special to mark this important occasion in our history, and be sure to stay tuned for announcements about our plans to commemorate this important milestone!

On behalf of all animals, thank you for your support!

Animal Allies' Holiday Raffle Is On! What cat -- or cat lover -- can resist these wonderful gift baskets? Each basket contains wonderful goodies for cats and their owners alike, so everyone can join in on the holiday festivities! Also being raffled is a beautiful pinecone wreath. So don't miss out on this opportunity to treat someone you love to a terrific holiday gift and support a worthy cause in the process -- purchase your raffle tickets today!

OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President	Vice President
Kathy Peirce	Linda Raymond
Secretary	Treasurer
Doris Hood	Donna Raymond
Board Members
Lee Durling

Newsletter September 2003 Vol. 3 Issue 3

2009-02-23T11:25:05Z

VOICE	SEPTEMBER 2003 Vol. 3, Iss. 3

NEWLY FORMED FERAL CAT COMMITTEE NEEDS VOLUNTEERS!

Animal Allies has formed a Feral Cat Committee to more proactively deal with the feral cat colonies that exist in the Southern NH area, and we are in dire need of volunteers who can help these cats live humanely and prevent more from being born into homelessness.

The calls come in periodically. Someone has a bunch of cats living outside their trailer park (or restaurant, landfill, back alley -- fill in the blank) and they're reproducing like crazy and becoming a nuisance. They heard Animal Allies helps with this kind of problem -- can someone help right away?

To date, Animal Allies has over thirty requests for help with cat colonies, and without an organized method for handling them, many have been left unattended.

It was time for action, and on August 11 Animal Allies held an informational meeting at the Manchester City Library for those wishing to help tackle this issue.

The meeting was attended by ten people representing various animal welfare organizations. One of the participants, Margaret Brender of Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society, has many years of experience dealing with feral cat colonies, and offered this perspective of the issue: "the symptom is feral cats; the problem is pet owners".

Failure to spay and neuter our household pets is the number one reason they are ending up on the streets, reverting to somewhat wild behavior, and giving rise to more young that grow up completely wild. If people would just spay and neuter their pets, there would be no unwanted animals to end up in such an unfortunate predicament. By the time feral rescue groups like Ms. Brender's and Animal Allies are called upon, the situation is usually fairly out of hand. Colonies of 50 to 100 cats or more are not uncommon.

And the situation could have been so easily prevented had the initial cats in the colony been spayed and neutered. Now rescue groups must set humane traps, send out volunteers to check the traps at least once a day, and board any cats that are caught until an appointment with a veterinarian can be made for a health checkup, shots, and altering. Once that has been accomplished, the cats are again boarded for a few days to allow for proper recovery, and either returned to their colony where volunteers make sure the animals are fed by a caregiver or are placed in a foster home pending placement in a barn home setting.

All of this may seem straightforward, but resources to accomplish these simple tasks are extremely limited. The most limiting resource is volunteers. They are what make this kind of program work, and are the difference between humane, managed colonies of limited size and those plagued with overpopula-tion, high infant mortality and inconsistent food sources.

Organizing volunteers for this task was a big part of the Feral Cat Committee's purpose. Animal Allies already knows of several colonies requiring attention. Now we need volunteers to assess the locations for approximate number of cats, general condition of the area (is it high traffic, is there shelter), and whether the cats may be returned after altering. Volunteers are also needed to set traps, check them periodically, and board the cats once caught pending their vet visit. Still more volunteers are needed to transport the cats to and from their vet visit, and to board them for post-operative recuperation. Lastly, the cats are evaluated for temperament. Kittens can be rehabilitated to live in a home setting with humans very easily, and they are fostered until they can be adopted. Older cats are assessed to see how tolerant they are of human beings (some cats in colonies are from home settings; they have been abandoned by their owners and have reverted to a wilder nature to survive). If it is believed the cat can be tamed, it is fostered prior to permanent placement in a loving home environment. The remainder are returned to their original colony location or await suitable barn homes. For those returning to their colony, volunteers work with colony caregivers to educate them about responsible feral colony care. Adequate shelter and a constant food source must be provided for them. Again, volunteers are crucial to ensure that a support system exists for those maintaining the colonies.

The Feral Cat Committee is a critical first step in coordinating the resources and efforts of various individuals to begin reaching these animals, but we need more volunteers if we are to help all the colonies currently in need as well as the many others we are yet to find out about.

If you can offer any time or resources for this effort, please contact Kathy Peirce, Feral Cat Committee Chairperson at 603-668-9299. Training and instructions will be offered.

Together, we can make a world of difference to these cats -- please offer your time to help.

By Donna Raymond

Thanks to Our Wonderful Supporters! As always, we would like to recognize the support of caring donors like you:

Rose Connor

Holly Pearson

Linda Rauter

Pat Sturtevant

Jody Warren

Thank you for your generosity -- the animals are counting on you!

We also wish to extend a big thank-you to everyone who purchased tickets for Animal Allies' Summer Raffle. Congrat-ulations to Laura Clayton of Hooksett, NH, winner of the customized portrait, and to Chris Golden of Manchester, NH, winner of the Hampton Beach weekend! We couldn't have done it without the generous donations from Marlene Rolph and the Ewells of Manchester !!

Caregiver's Corner
A new column featuring personal reflections on caring for animals in need. Have a story you'd like to share? E-mail us at petzoo@monad.net

Dog Tracks Mayday and I have adopted a cat. Having been raised from puppyhood with three good dog-training cats, Mayday is great with cats, but we've been "catless" for a few years. The timing of our new family member is related to our pending puppy. I want the puppy to tolerate cats and it's far easier to acclimate a puppy to a cat that's used to dogs. So it was time to prepare for the puppy. So Mayday and I got a cat -- well, two cats. Here's how it happened.

I've had opportunities to adopt a kitten over the past few years. Our cat kennel manager, Ann, is a magnet for strays -- finding abandoned litters, and either keeping them or finding them homes. Every so often she'd show me a tiny kitten, but when I'd show the ball of fluff to Mayday, he'd approach gently to sniff it like a gentleman, only to get hissed and spit at. Poor Mayday would slink away, demoralized by a kitten that could be measured in ounces. I could have gotten them past this less than stellar introduction, but it just didn't seem the time to adopt.

But two months ago, I decided it was time. I told a few friends that I was thinking about getting a cat -- and no sooner had the words left my lips than I had a message on my answering machine from a volunteer with Animal Allies -- a terrific, dedicated group of caring cat lovers who locate feral (wild) cat colonies and set humane traps. They take the cats to supportive veterinarians who run health tests, neuter or spay, inoculate, and mark the cat's ear so they're identifiable as spayed or neutered.

If the volunteers feel a cat can be tamed and adopted, it will be fostered until a permanent home is found. Cats too wild for adoption are released back into the colony -- protected from rabies, no longer able to procreate, and easily identifiable if they are ever trapped in the future.

So I spoke to the Animal Allies volunteer who told me about a year-old feral that fit what I was looking for. I went to see him -- as so many do -- fully intending just to look, then go home and think about it. Of course such intention instantly goes by the boards when you set eyes on a needy animal. Part of me knew I wouldn't leave without a kitty -- and that part was right.

Jonah is a beautiful, green eyed, orange mackerel, not fully tame, and quite people-shy. For the first month, I kept him in one of our cat condos at work where I could visit several times a day, as would lots of my staff, as he got more used to people. I clicker trained him to approach and touch my hand, and after a week he'd let me pet him a bit. As he got calmer, I let him out into our cat playroom, where he could play, climb, scratch and lie in the sun on the windowsill, watching birds at the feeder.

At the same time, a cat we were boarding was put up for adoption. Jacob was a stray found by a kind woman who had him neutered, repaired (he was pretty beat up) and brought him to stay in our cat kennel while he healed. She decided not to keep him, and I decided that if he got along with Jonah, we'd take him. The moment we introduced them in the playroom, they became fast friends. So Jacob has a new home, Jonah has a new brother, and I went from zero to two cats in the blink of an eye.

Reprinted by kind permission of Gail Fisher of All Dogs Gym & Inn, 505 Sheffield Road, Manchester NH 03103. Phone 669-4644 or visit her Web site: www.alldogsgym.com

ANIMAL ALLIES WISH LIST

Barn homes for feral cats

Food for feral colonies

Towels for cat trappers

Cat and/or dog crates for housing ferals

Yard sale items

Web Master for our web page

Volunteers

TAILS OF TRIUMPH An inspirational look at some of our success stories to remind us of the importance and necessity of our work.

Mobile Home Park Kittens Rescued!
They call these the dog days of summer, a time for relaxing and enjoying mother nature. But for Animal Allies, it's the feral cats of summer, a time for trapping and putting a stop to one of mother nature's favorite pastimes -- reproduction. So it was just another day when Animal Allies got a call that some feral kittens had been found at a mobile home park. There were only a couple of minor issues: the kittens were not yet weaned, and there were seven of them. With no mothers to be found, the kittens would need to be hand-fed every four hours or so (a challenging enough task when there is only one or two to deal with!). As if that weren't enough, it was the fourth of July weekend, and volunteers to provide the round-the-clock care these kittens would need were in even shorter supply than usual. Calls went out to anyone who knew anyone who might be able to help. An e-mail plea was distributed. Things got a little tense as the weekend approached, but by Thursday the response had been overwhelming. A wonderful woman by the name of Roni McCall was among them, and ended up taking all seven. Each one was bathed, bottle-fed and given lots of TLC. Even with her best efforts, four of the seven did not make it. But the other three are alive and well thanks to her efforts, and will be finding permanent loving homes when they are healthy enough (and altered!).

MORE MEOW-VELOUS NEWS Animal Allies is pleased to report that since April 1 of this year 247 cats and 54 dogs have been referred to low-cost spay/neuter programs within New Hampshire through the 1-800-990 SPAY line. Through this initiative, volunteers act as a resource to match individuals with the low-cost program best suited to their financial situation.

Animal Allies also offers its own low-cost certificate pro-gram. Its current focus is on increasing the number of participating veterinarians to offer those pet owners who qualify more convenience in terms of location and timeliness.

Call the SPAY line if you or someone you know needs assistance to alter a cat or dog -- help is only a phone call away!

October 16, 2003
Is National Feral Cat Day Mark your calendars for this very important day! Founded in 2001, National Feral Cat Day was created by Alley Cat Allies as a means of informing the public about the plight of feral cats and how they can be helped through humane, nonlethal methods. Educating the public and those who work in the public sector is imperative in allowing this to happen.

Please consider making a donation to sponsor a feral cat spay or neuter to commemorate the day. In so doing, you'll be sparing countless offspring from the same fate.

For more information, visit www.alleycat.org/nfcd.html and get involved!

OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President	Vice President
Kathy Peirce	Doris Hood
Secretary	Treasurer
Linda Raymond	Donna Raymond
Board Members
Laura Zsofka