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Help Make the Holidays Happy In Early December the MCFA fundraising
team gathered to stuff envelopes for the
annual Holiday donation mailing.
The envelopes were mailed to our donors’
list. Their contents are shown below. The
proceeds we receive from the mailer will have
a direct impact on the work we are able to do
to support the Monroe County Animal Shelter
and spay/neuter in Monroe County.
Special thanks to the fundraising committee
for all they do.
Nov/Dec 2017 Vol 1
Above is the donor card that accompanied the MCFA annual fundraising mailing. If you didn’t
receive a mailing and want to donate to Monroe County Friends of Animals please use this and
mail it to the address shown above, or visit our website at http://www.friendsofanimalsmc.org/
In this issue:
• Point of View: TY
Volunteers
• Help Make the
Holidays Happy!
• A special Xmas Story.
• Hard at work in
Monroe County
• Bits and Pieces
• Pick of Pics
Monroe County Friends of Animals Newsletter
Point of View: Thank you volunteers and staff!
Because of the dedication and thousands of
hours of work by the volunteers of Monroe County
Friends of Animals and by the staff of Monroe
County Animal Shelter, thousands of cats and
dogs have forever homes and happier lives.
Thank you on behalf of each one of the precious
lives that your hard work and dedication has
helped touch. Monroe County Friends of Animals
wishes you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy
New Year.
“Your donations to
MCFA are vital to
saving Monroe
County Cats and
Dogs.”
Pam Crays, Chair
MCFA Fundraising.
MCFA is a not-for-profit volunteer organization with 501(c) (3) status
Pawsitive News: Nov/Dec 2017 Page 2
A Christmas Story by
T’was the night before Christmas Eve, And all through the animal shelter
Volunteers were scurrying And running in circles all helter skelter
They were grooming the cats and dogs With the most deliberate of care
In hopes that many adopters Would soon be there.
The puppies and the kittens Were all snuggled in their beds With Visions of forever homes
Dancing in their heads.
When suddenly from the parking lot, There arose such a clatter
I sprang from my desk To see what was the matter
Away to the door I moved like a flash
And ran down the hall And tripped over the trash!
When what to my wondering eyes Should appear
But a white van followed by trucks, All in high gear!
With a driver so lively and Quick I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick
Faster than racers his drivers came And he whistled and shouted and called
them by name!
Now Donnie, Now Connie, Now Ronnie and Kitty
On Kimberly, on Cornelius, On Andrea and Smitty
From the cats and dogs I heard with awe
The prancing of each feline And canine paw.
As I drew in my head And Turned around
He came through the door With a bound.
His eyes how they twinkled As he found a kitten for Mary.
He smiled with glee as he Found the dog for Larry.
His eyebrow was archedI In a lovely curved bow
he read from his list Where each animal would go
The data came from a tablet Held in his hand
As he fulfilled the wish list How grand!
The list had forever homes For each cat and dog, he told.
No matter how young, or how very old.
He was so sincere And Caring
I smiled knowing how well Our charges would be faring.
A wink of his eye And a twist of his head Led me to know they Had nothing to dread.
He spoke not a word But went straight to his work
Fulfilling all the wishes He then turned with a jerk.
Making sure all the animals Were loaded at last
Giving a nod, He made sure all the doors
To the trucks were made fast.
When they loaded the cats and dogs They did save
He sprang to his vehicle to the drivers He gave a wave.
I heard him exclaim as he Drove out of sight
We’ll save them all, save them all, And to all a good night.
Copywrite Keith Sanderson 2017
The first version of this poem was written in 2014. It was recited on the popular Pet
Life Radio Show, “Max A Pooch’s Awesome Animal Advocates in December of that
year. Max A Pooch hopes that humans will remember all the cats and dogs who are
in shelters this Holiday Season. He says, “If you are thinking of bringing a cat or dog
into your family, visit the Monroe County Animal Shelter, or some other shelter. I
don’t mean to brag, but some really good animals come from shelters. Look at me!
I’m a shelter rescue dog!”
Max A Pooch
Pawsitive News: Nov/Dec 2017 Page 3
This $40,000 van is a result of a grant from Pet Smart Charities. It’s used to transport dogs and cats to adoption events, rehoming transport, and for veterinarian care. At no cost to the county it enhances the ability to rehome more animals and to improve their welfare.
Prior to the founding of Monroe County Friends of Animals, Monroe County’s
animal shelter could be best described as a primitive containment center. The cats
were housed in one room with no provisions for quarantine. The dogs were housed
in open wire cages exposed to the rain, hot sun and inclement weather.
Today, that reputation has greatly improved due to the funding and the volunteer
hours MCFA contributes to the Monroe County Animal Shelter. It is doubtful the
shelter would be able to operate at the level it currently operates without MCFA sup-
port.
Specifically, MCFA funds shelter supplies, animal medications and 100 percent of
the cost of food. It provides on-site medical service through a contract with a local
veterinarian. The contribution of thousands of volunteer man hours each year also
means Monroe County can run the shelter with only two full time and two part time
shelter employees and trustees from the county jail.
MCFA also provides successful rehoming, adoption, and supports spay/neutering
programs. These efforts have
helped humanely reduce the pop-
ulation of unwanted cats and dogs
in Monroe County to a level far
below of what was before MCFA
was founded. Volunteer-staffed
programs help the two full-time
county personnel with day-to day-
care of the animals, including pro-
cessing, bathing, grooming, social-
izing, transporting sick animals to
the veterinarian for treatment and
more.
In addition to hands-on animal
care and training at the shelter,
MCFA provides spay and neuter
vouchers to local low-income pet
owners (through its partnership
with Spay Neuter Assistance for
Pets [SNAP]). It also promotes
public awareness throughout the
community, runs a thrift shop, and manages other activities such as Pets for Patri-
ots. Money from grants is another benefit the organization brings to Monroe County.
Through the grants it receives from corporations, and philanthropic organizations
MCFA gains funding from outside the county for capital costs such as a state-of-the
-art puppy house and a new van used to transport animals.
It is only through the continued efforts of the volunteers of Monroe County Friends
of Animals that the strays, homeless, and abandoned cats and dogs will continue to
have chances for better lives and more humane treatment.
Our Business is Saving
Monroe County Cats and Dogs!
Thanks to MCFA puppies and their mothers
have not only a place of safety, but an oppor-
tunity to find forever homes.
Pawsitive News Nov/Dec 2017 Page 4
Bits and Pieces: Monroe County Friends of Animals news and updates.
A Dog Training Program conducted by dog trainer Shirley Bierkamp. began in Novem-ber. Here are the details. Shirley Says, “No experience in dog training is necessary. You do need to be somewhat stable on your feet. Each training team consists of 4-5 volunteers and one dog. Six weeks per dog. Each week you will have a training session (as a team) with me and the dog. Then at a time convenient for you, scheduled with your teammates, you go to the Monroe Animal Shelter for your 45 minute train-ing session with the dog. If you are interested in joining a volunteer dog training group.“ Contact :Shirley Bierkamp, CPDT-KA, Caribbean Canines LLC 865-850-0370
Did you know? MCFA has a thrift store, and its proceeds
help Monroe County Friends of Animals do its work in helping the
homeless cats and dogs of Monroe County.
The MCFA Thrift Store is a great place to shop for that special
item you have been looking for and don’t want to pay big bucks to
purchase. It carries a long line of merchandise from clothing, to
furniture, to eccentric Knick knacks and more.
Our hours are 10 AM-4 PM Weds-Saturday, and our address is
884 Englewood Street, Madisonville TN, For more Information
call us at 423-420-3423
Congratulations to the
Cat Team.
The Cat Team reports it has spent
20 days at cat adoption events.105
cats and kittens have been adopted
at those events. Congratulations cat
team on all your hard work helping
the homeless cats of Monroe Coun-
ty.
Intake down, invento-ry up, along with food costs. Monroe County Animal Shelter intakes are lower at this point this year than 2016 by 3.3%. The rehome rate is 75.1%; up from last year. The ending inventory as of October 31
st is 205; 43
higher than it was in 2016. The increase in invento-ry means program ex-penses such as Animal
Food, Animal Health – Dogs and Animal Health – Shelter are higher than last year. Also larger inventory of cats and dogs puts greater demand on staff, volunteers, and wear on facilities.
Puppy House Fencing:
Dogs escaping from the puppy house when it is being
cleaned is a reoccurring problem. To remedy the situation of
escaping dogs it was recommended that a five foot fence
whose base is concreted in the ground be built. The fence will
will prevent any dogs that escape from the puppy house from
escaping the animal shelter grounds. The recommendation
was approved.
Pawsitive News: Nov/Dec 2017 Page 5
Bits and Pieces Continued
New Cat Condos: A summary of the cost of new stainless
steel cat condos and cages was discussed. The cat condos that
are currently being used are very difficult to clean and keep sani-
tary. Pricing is still needed for shipping, and misc. items. Once
that pricing is obtained, then a grant will be applied for in hopes of
being able to obtain a grant for the cat condos/cages.
Shelter Needs: Cat litter, paper towels, laundry detergent,
copy paper, bleach, q-tips, cotton balls, original blue dawn, any
cleaning and general office supplies are always needed. If you
have questions about specific needs contact: MCFA,
phone: 423.442.1015 or email: [email protected]
Hours: Tues-Fri 11am to 4:30pm, Sat 11am-2 pm, closed
Sun/Mon.
MCFA is searching for volunteers: Help on various
committees and projects, and of course the shelter can al-
ways use more volunteers to socialize, walk dogs, and more.
If you are interested in helping email
[email protected] with the words “I want to help.” in
the subject line. In the email describe how you wish to help
Question of the Month: Monroe County Friends of Animals is always col-
lecting money and must have a lot of it stashed
away. Why don’t they spend more money in help-
ing the county fix up the Monroe Animal Shelter?
Answer: The current Monroe County Animal Shelter is old and sadly outdated.
Most reasonable people would agree that sometime in the future the shelter will have
to be replaced. In addition, we must prepare for the very real possibility that in the
not too-distant future the county will no longer be able to rent the structure and the
grounds upon which the shelter is located.
In anticipation to planning for a new shelter, Monroe County Friends of Animals has
already purchased a site which will house the new shelter. The organization is build-
ing its cash reserves in order to help pay for the new structure.
Prudent fiduciary responsibility prevents the board of MCFA from spending its re-
serves on maintenance and capital expenditures of the existing structure. It frankly
would be like spending money on a sinking ship leaving no money for a sorely need-
ed new ship.
MCFA already supplies 100 percent of food, medical supplies and rescue opera-
tions at the shelter, and we apply for grants that recently have paid for the Puppy
House, the new van and other improvements at the shelter. The organization does
this all through the work of volunteers.
Rather than ask, “Why doesn’t MCFA spend more money to fix up the shel-
ter?” Perhaps the question should be, “Can you imagine what the Monroe
County Animal Shelter would be like if it wasn’t for MCFA? Possibly there
would be no shelter at all.”
Roadblocks. Great work and thank you to the volun-
teers who dodged traffic at the road blocks to collect
donations for Monroe County Friends of Animals. This
year we had three road blocks. On July 11 volunteers
collected $730.69 at Tellico Plains. On Sept. 11 they
collected $1511.09 in Sweetwater, and on November
13 the amount off $1266..62 was collected in Madi-
sonville. In all a total of $3538.10. .
Pawsitive News Nov/Dec 2017 Page 6
Pick of the Pics Do you have a fav pick of a MCFA activity, volunteer, or rescue dog or cat? If so send
it to “Pick of the Pics http://www.friendsofanimalsmc.org/.We will select pics that are
sent to us and run them in the next issue of Pawsitive News. Make sure you include
your name email address and details of the pic.
Debra Moore, Claire Moxim, and Sue Kimball discuss
MCFA Gala on TVB’s Pets and Their People
It takes more and more time and money to
maintain the old structure that houses the
Monroe County Animal Shelter
Parting with a foster dog can be tough,
but hopefully a forever home awaits this
dog at her destination in New Jersey.
Kitty and Smokey (Paul
and Tina Wenner at MCFA
Thrift Store
It is hard to resist the charm of a
sweet feline.
Who says cats aren’t social animals?
Three bundles of joy
ready to end their time
with foster parents and
find new forever homes
We wish them good
luck.
Pawsitive News is published bi-monthly by Monroe County Friend of Animals.
For Question of the month, Pick of the Pics, comments or ideas
please contact:
Keith Sanderson, Editor
Pawsitive News
P.O. Box 106, Vonore, TN 37885
Or email: [email protected]