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Sorry to ask, but I have a huge soft-spot for stray dogs. I just found out about an old retired couple in Calera, Alabama, that has over 100 dogs in their backyard (don't worry, its big), that spend every cent they have, which comes from their retirements, on food, blankets, and dog houses. A local Wal-Mart gives them any dog food bags that break open during shipments, since they can't be sold. They still have to buy dogfood pretty much every day though. My fiance' and I are donating food and blankets right now, and giving as much as we can. If anyone wants to help, PM me and I will tell you where to send whatever you can give. The woman's e-mails is: "JUSTPUPPYLUV1@cs.com"
They take in dogs that are going to be "destroyed", and sacrifice anything they want to take care of these animals.
I hope to one day do the same thing, honestly.
Here is the e-mail the lady sent to my fiance', after my fiance' told her we were going to help. Any donation, even if its one blanket, one bag of food, one can of wet food-for the old dogs that can't chew solid food, or even $5 to help. Thank you all.
Nicole,
You don't know how glad we were to hear that you want to make a donation!!!
Our donations of money are few and faaaaar between. We do get some dog food
donations from Wal-mart. They donate the broken bags of dogfood and damaged cans
and such.
We still have to buy a small amount of dry food and we buy milk bones and
treats for them everyday. we also buy canned food for the old ones that have
trouble chewing the dry food. Most of the money for this comes from our pockets.
We would certainly appreciate ANYTHING that you would like to donate. You are
right, we could use some blankets since its getting colder. Most of our dogs
are outside, so we try to put blankets in each house during the winter. All of
the expenses of operating the Refuge and taking care of Vet bills, all come
from us except for a few small donations once in a while. So any money donations
would most certainly be appreciated.
As for suggestions for you, all I can say is it's very expensive and time
consuming to operate a Refuge, but it is so worth all the hard work, when we
look at these babies and know we have rescued some of them from being put to
sleep and given them a second chance at life and time to be place in a good home.
My husband and I have been rescuing for over 11 years, and up until 2004, it
all came out of my husbands teacher retirement income. Since we have gotten
our 501c3 nonprofit status, we can at least get food donations from places like
WalMart. Our Vet also gives us a really good price break because he knows what
we do.
We didn't deliberately start a refuge. It just kinda happened. We lived out
in the country in Mississippi and people would dump out their unwanted dogs on
our road and we would take them in. I guess it all started when someone threw
a little back Cocker Spaniel from a car. All the skin was gone from his neck
to his tail. He came running to me with his little nub of a tail wagging 90
miles and hour and jumped in my arms. From then on we were hooked. It has been
hard, but it has been a labor of love. Since we are no-kill, some of our angels
that are too old or not adoptable will just remain with us here at ARK and
live out their lives being loved and cared for.
If I could have planned a Refuge, I would have a building where they could be
kept inside, and a place where they could go out and run and play. If you
decide to do this, It would be wise to prepare a place before hand. We had to buy
pens and houses each time we took in more dogs. I would also suggest that you
limit the number of animals that you would take in. I know we really have
more than we are physically able to care for (110). We are trying to get our
numbers down. But it's so hard, when we see so many that need us. It breaks my
heart to know that so many are being put to sleep because of over crowding. If
people would just spay and neuter!!!!
I have stopped going to the Humane Shelters because I always end up bringing
more home.
I really didn't mean to write a book. Thanks for listening and thank you in
advance for anything you wish to donate. It's such a nice thought for Christmas.
Peggy Brooks
A.R.K. Animal Refuge Kennel
Calera, Al.
They take in dogs that are going to be "destroyed", and sacrifice anything they want to take care of these animals.
I hope to one day do the same thing, honestly.
Here is the e-mail the lady sent to my fiance', after my fiance' told her we were going to help. Any donation, even if its one blanket, one bag of food, one can of wet food-for the old dogs that can't chew solid food, or even $5 to help. Thank you all.
Nicole,
You don't know how glad we were to hear that you want to make a donation!!!
Our donations of money are few and faaaaar between. We do get some dog food
donations from Wal-mart. They donate the broken bags of dogfood and damaged cans
and such.
We still have to buy a small amount of dry food and we buy milk bones and
treats for them everyday. we also buy canned food for the old ones that have
trouble chewing the dry food. Most of the money for this comes from our pockets.
We would certainly appreciate ANYTHING that you would like to donate. You are
right, we could use some blankets since its getting colder. Most of our dogs
are outside, so we try to put blankets in each house during the winter. All of
the expenses of operating the Refuge and taking care of Vet bills, all come
from us except for a few small donations once in a while. So any money donations
would most certainly be appreciated.
As for suggestions for you, all I can say is it's very expensive and time
consuming to operate a Refuge, but it is so worth all the hard work, when we
look at these babies and know we have rescued some of them from being put to
sleep and given them a second chance at life and time to be place in a good home.
My husband and I have been rescuing for over 11 years, and up until 2004, it
all came out of my husbands teacher retirement income. Since we have gotten
our 501c3 nonprofit status, we can at least get food donations from places like
WalMart. Our Vet also gives us a really good price break because he knows what
we do.
We didn't deliberately start a refuge. It just kinda happened. We lived out
in the country in Mississippi and people would dump out their unwanted dogs on
our road and we would take them in. I guess it all started when someone threw
a little back Cocker Spaniel from a car. All the skin was gone from his neck
to his tail. He came running to me with his little nub of a tail wagging 90
miles and hour and jumped in my arms. From then on we were hooked. It has been
hard, but it has been a labor of love. Since we are no-kill, some of our angels
that are too old or not adoptable will just remain with us here at ARK and
live out their lives being loved and cared for.
If I could have planned a Refuge, I would have a building where they could be
kept inside, and a place where they could go out and run and play. If you
decide to do this, It would be wise to prepare a place before hand. We had to buy
pens and houses each time we took in more dogs. I would also suggest that you
limit the number of animals that you would take in. I know we really have
more than we are physically able to care for (110). We are trying to get our
numbers down. But it's so hard, when we see so many that need us. It breaks my
heart to know that so many are being put to sleep because of over crowding. If
people would just spay and neuter!!!!
I have stopped going to the Humane Shelters because I always end up bringing
more home.
I really didn't mean to write a book. Thanks for listening and thank you in
advance for anything you wish to donate. It's such a nice thought for Christmas.
Peggy Brooks
A.R.K. Animal Refuge Kennel
Calera, Al.
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