Sunday, March 1, 2009

FOSTER HOMES & SPONSORS STILL NEEDED

We are begging again for foster homes and financial sponsors. As everyone knows, donations are WAY down. Except for a few regular doggy angels (unbelievable people actually), we really do not get many donations. Even the smallest amount makes a huge difference. Not eating fast food for a week or grabbing that coffee at the gas station for a month can help tremendously (plus it will make you feel great knowing you are literally saving lives). As you may know, we can no longer take dogs for medical treatment unless they are sponsored. Nearly 80% of our dogs are heartworm positive (treatment ranges from $150-$300). It typically costs another $100 to prepare the dog for adoption (e.g., spay/neuter, shots, fecal exam, etc.). So...with an adoption fee of generall $100, you can see why we are in the hole. All of this because we wanted to save EVERY LIFE that came into the Marion Animal Shelter. Please allow us to still do that. We do not want to be forced to pick and choose who lives. Don't forget all donations are tax-deductible through PAWS.

Foster homes are absolutely essential. In order for our pups to find homes up north, they need to get out of the shelter and into a home environment. This can be one of the most rewarding experiences (just try it once and you'll be hooked).

If you prefer, you could help in other ways too. Our foster homes are always in need of towels/blankets, dog bowls, dog toys, crates, good quality dog food, and other supplies. We are looking for someone to donate their services to develop a website for us. That way we can get a fresh look which will in turn help our pups get adopted. If someone has a good quality camera they would like to donate to help take pictures of our dogs, please let us know. Heck, if someone can come to the shelter to help take pictures, that would be fantastic too! How about walking the dogs? Or taking them to dog training? Even better, how about making PAWS your fundraising project- HOW GREAT WOULD THAT BE? Fencing or dog pens are always needed. We could go on and on... If you can think of it, we could use it.

PAWS meets every other Monday evening at local restaurants in West Memphis and Marion. The next meeting in March 2nd. If you would like to attend, please call Allison at 901-240-9848 or Lisa at 901-826-0292. We would love to hear your ideas!

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