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Welcome to Pets ALIVE! 1 st Newsletter! By Karla Kamstra, Board President

What great timing for our first newsletter! provide funds for spay/neuter and care for feral cat The beginning of a new year, as we launch colonies, fund and operate the puppy train, and we our new fundraising campaign to find a will continue with mobile Adopt-A-Pets when permanent home for Pets ALIVE! weather permits.

Many of you reading this have been involved in I would like to take a few sentences to thank our our efforts to help the homeless animals since our hardworking board: Jennifer Elston, Jennifer first Adopt-A-Pet in December of 2002. We thank Londergan (affectionately known as the Jennifers), you for your compassion and commitment. Some Loretta Hutchison, and Katrina Sturgeon. When you of you are new to our organization, and we wel- see one of them, thank them for carrying on the come you! Hopefully this newsletter will be infor- behind-the-scenes work that keeps Pets ALIVE! mational – and inspirational. So read on… going, and believe me, that work is crucial for our continued success. Our biggest news this issue is the closing of our beloved Adopt-A-Pet. Adopt-A-Pet-has been a So Welcome to Pets ALIVE! In this issue you will wonderful avenue to introduce Pets ALIVE! to the learn about our true visionary, Katrina Sturgeon and community and more importantly, to help home- how her dream of a compassionate community less animals find forever homes. It also was a coming together for the animals was realized by her great opportunity to partner with the Bloomington one simple act – a letter to the editor. Learn about Animal Shelter – a partnership that has been suc- our programs, our successes, and how you can cessful in launching other programs. Relying on become involved in making Pets ALIVE! the generosity of others to help us our first 15 Spay/Neuter Clinic & Adopt-A-Pet a reality! months has proved to be a successful leap of faith. AND in order for us to enter our next phase of For the Animals, growth, we must concentrate our efforts on Karla finding a permanent home. Board Directory Speaking of our next phase of growth. How KARLA KAMSTRA—fundraising, Public exciting – and vital – this is. You will hear our Relations, Puppy Train board say this often – “In order for a community LORETTA HUTCHISON—Web Design, to effectively address pet overpopulation, spay/- Treasurer neuter must be a priority.” It’s the only way to JENNIFER LONDERGAN—Volunteer DECREASE the number of animals entering a Coordinator, Spay/Neuter shelter. We are not turning our back on those cute KATRINA STURGEON—Feral Cat program little faces staring back through the cages. We will JENNIFER ELSTON—Marketing, Petfinder be working to make sure that surplus animals How to Reach Us aren’t born in the first place. And while we work E-mail: [email protected] for our new home, we will continue to recruit Address: 899 S. CollegeMall Road #295 foster families for the shelter’s fostering program, Bloomington, IN 47401 Telephone: 812-345-1645 Volume 1 no. 1. January 2004

Success Stories: Houdini — Believe in magic!

Houdini, since renamed Gus, then Merlin, then Gus again, meets the sheep with his new pal Lady.

Houdini at the Monroe County Animal Shelter, posing plaintively and winsomely for his Petfinder.com picture with a Pets ALIVE! volunteer.

The odds were against Houdini from the beginning. He was a young, energetic Border Collie mix who wound up in the shelter without a bit of training after being tied up in a backyard. After being in the shelter for a long time, he was Houdini frolics with Lady on his new sheep farm. adopted, but not for long. He was returned because one of his new people was allergic to life. A plea went out on our Petfinder.com website him, then adopted again, only to be returned once and with time ticking away, a wonderful family more because (never having been trained) he was responded to our plea. They adopted him destructive when the family left him alone in the immediately and he now enjoys a sheep farm with house. He was given a ride on the Puppy Train to a large pasture, a canine buddy to romp with and a Wisconsin, but was rejected there. Back in loving family who considers him their new best Bloomington, Houdini’s time was up. Pets Alive friend! Each homeless animal has a place; it just volunteers had only 24 hours to save his takes some a little while longer to find it!

very unfortunate necessity of killing highly adopt- From the Editor able puppies, kittens, dogs and cats who find Welcome to the first issues of Pets ALIVE! themselves in our shelters with nowhere to turn. PawPrints. With this publication we plan to: We will be bringing you articles on the acti- keep our volunteers and friends informed vities of Pets ALIVE!, and regular features includ- of our activies and opportunities for participation, ing letters from our board president, profiles of bring to the attention of potential volun- board members and volunteers, some of our teers and friends in the community the work that success stories, and reports on our recent activities we do toward our very important goal of ending as well as upcoming events and volunteer pet homelessness in south-central Indiana, through opportunities. spaying and neutering and innovative adoption If you have suggestions for future issues or programs, and other comments, please contact me at inform the community of the importance [email protected]. of spaying and neutering as a way to eliminate the Mary Clayton Volume 1 no. 1. January 2004 Why SPAY/NEUTER? A regional spay/neuter facility is the most By Sherry Jeffers, Pets ALIVE! Volunteer, efficient, effective means of accomplishing an and Karla Kamstra, Board President aggressive, targeted sterilization campaign. Pets ALIVE! plans to model its spay/neuter efforts after very successful facilities that serve a multi- By the time you read this, Adopt A Pet will county area. Our future plans call for initially have closed after a very successful 14-month run. spaying and neutering 15-25 animals per day, To close our beloved Adopt-A-Pet was a difficult eventually reaching 50-65 per day. Imagine the decision, but an absolutely necessary one — impact on pet overpopulation if even an additional necessary, because we need to address our entire 6,500 animals are sterilized each year! mission in order to effectively address pet Pets ALIVE! will continue with our partner- overpopulation. ship to help the shelter increase its adoption rate. What is our Mission? It reads “Our Mission Finding a permanent home ensures the continued is to increase adoptions, lower euthanasia, and success of Adopt-A-Pet and additional adoption ultimately end pet homelessness in south-central programs to help the homeless animals. In Indiana.” addition, our board members and many of our We have addressed adoptions and eutha- volunteers remain active volunteers with the nasia through Adopt-A-Pet, puppy train, and our Bloomington Animal Shelter, fostering animals Petfinder website. But have we addressed “ulti- and helping in many capacities. We remain mately ending pet homelessness?” Unfortunately, compassionate to the plight of the beautiful this can only be done by reducing the number of animals facing death if homes are not found. animals entering a shelter, either as unclaimed However, reducing the flood of unwanted animals strays or as give-ups, and this we have not yet is best done not just by finding homes for a done. Addressing pet overpopulation through relative few, but in addition by stopping surplus adoption programs alone has been compared to animals from being born in the first place. attempting to drain a river using a bucket — some water will be drained, but the river keeps on flowing. However, there is good news. An ad hoc committee consisting of community leaders and those interested in the welfare of animals has been formed that is reviewing animal welfare related ordinances to determine if more can be done to encourage responsible pet ownership and humane animal care. More information will be forthcoming in the near future on this committee’s work. Animal shelters will continue to be extremely overcrowded and euthanasia rates high A Word Of Thanks unless concerned pet owners, animal activists and Pets ALIVE! would like to express our deep local authorities take action to fix the problem at apreciation to the following veterinarians and its origin, not at its outcome. The bottom line is veterinary hospitals for all they have done to this: animals die daily because of irresponsible pet promote the health and comfort of the animals owners who let their pets reproduce freely.We in our care and to further our goals of spaying must look at the reasons why pet owners do not and neutering. spay or neuter their animals and use this Arlington Heights Veterinary Hospital information to educate and to change attitudes Bloomington Veterinary Hospital towards sterilization. Spaying and neutering is College Mall Veterinary Hospital recognized as our best defense against all the Combs Veterinary Clinic sources of shelter over-population. The Cat Care Centre Dr. Tess Peavy (The Neuter Scooter) Dr. Arthur Woodruff Volume 1 no. 1. January 2004 Meet the Board and Volunteers all for caring and helping. Together we ARE Never doubt the power of a single person. making a difference.” Pets ALIVE! exists today because of Katrina Katrina’s quiet demeanor and strong Sturgeon. When Katrina read in the Herald- character make her a role model for our entire Times about the unbelievably high kill rate at our board. She and her husband, Bill, are the “quiet shelter, she wrote a passionate letter to the editor, workers”. When no one else is around they clean, inspired by the wonderful work of the dedicated move, store, care for critters, change cat boxes, people of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, in whatever needs to be done. When she’s not caring which she let people know that there are for the animals, Katrina is helping make the world alternatives to just killing healthy adoptable beautiful at Salon 26, where she’s a stylist. Pets animals. She told readers that we would not be ALIVE! exists today because of Katrina, and we blazing a trail, that many communities all over the thank her for her passion and commitment. country are working toward the goal of no more homeless pets by working aggressively on spay/neuter and on innovative adoption programs. THANK-YOU’S She listed some resources for more information There were so many wonderful people who and encouraged people to talk with everyone they made ADOPT-A-PET a success. We thank all could to encourage positive change for these of you and we want to send a huge thank-you to beautiful animals who depend upon us for their care. Karla Kamstra and Theresa Block read the ABODES Management letter-and individually discussed it with their Wininger-Stolberg veternarians, Dr. Jim Koch. and Dr. Mary Alice Invisible Fence Cox. Since Drs. Koch and Cox knew all three, for keeping a roof over our heads. they provided contact information and a movement began. Reviewing some of the work of Pets Foster-Pet Mini-Bio: Lily/Cleome ALIVE!, Katrina reported, “Fostering of cats Lily was from one of numerous litters of spring began right away at the first Adopt-a-Pet at Ben kittens who attended Adopt-A-Pet events and was Franklin because once cats were taken from the fostered at Invisible Fence. She and her brothers shelter to the Adopt-a-Pet site, their cages at the suffered from the usual respiratory infections and shelter would be given to other cats, so if they diarrhea that plague young kittens kept in too- were not adopted on Saturday or Sunday there close quarters. But eventually she melted the heart would be no cage to which they could return. of a volunteer and thus found a home. Her new Many, many cats were given a second chance to family changed her name to Cleome, because her find a new forever home because of the absolutely drooping whiskers and eyebrows reminded them fantastic, loving, dedicated volunteers who were of the old-fashioned garden flower. But now, as responsible for their care. In addition, she approaches her first birthday, she is frequently compassionate and dedicated volunteers continue known just as ‘Little Bit’. She is sassy and alert to welcome foster dogs into their homes, making a and spends much of her time in the company of huge difference by better socializing them and the man of the house, who used to claim that he freeing up kennel space at the shelter.” She ‘wasn’t a cat person’, but can’t say that any more. continued, “We are also very grateful to the veterinarians who have helped with the animals’ health care. Every person who cares about these beautiful homeless animals can help in some way as we work toward the day, as Michael Mountain (President of Best Friends Animal Society) says ‘when no animal will be born who doesn't already have a loving home awaiting him/her.’ Thank you Lily behind her two brothers at Invisible Fence. Cleo in fall of 2003. Upcoming Events and Volunteer Opportunities:

Pets ALIVE! will be setting up information booths at community events and businesses. The Want to learn more about Pets ALIVE! and how purpose of this “tabling” is to provide you can help the animals? Attend one of our information about Pets ALIVE!, to explain the volunteer sessions. Our first orientation will be importance of spay/neuter, and to solicit Wednesday February 25th, 6:00 p.m., at the donations for our clinic. We currently have Invisible Fence building, 1499 West 2nd Street, information booths scheduled for T&T Pet Food just east of the sportsplex. For more information, Store, 2375 South Walnut, just south of contact Jennifer Londergan at Bloomington South High School, the 2nd [email protected] or Saturday of each month. Volunteers are needed or 345-1645. to staff these booths. It’s a great way to help us realize our goal of a permanent home. If Those interested in the feral cat program will interested, please contact: want to watch their e-mail for news of an Jennifer Londergan at 345-1645 informational meeting to be held later this or [email protected] month. You may contact Jackie Gerth at [email protected] to place yourself on the We’ve just received exciting information on e-mail list or to request more information. fundraising for our new home! Start saving your used ink jet and laser cartridges and be sure to Pets ALIVE! will be needing help from time to tell all your friends, co-workers and office time with such tasks as copying, folding and managers to save theirs too! Watch for mailing, distributing materials, etc. If you are information in the upcoming newsletter to tell interested in this opportunity to help, please you where to take them. We can receive from contact Karla Kamstra at $1.00-$12.00 per cartridge to go towards our [email protected]. dream building!

Foster-Pet Mini-Bio: Simba

Simba came to be fostered at the Invisible Fence building with his housemate Rosie when their former people moved and for some reason didn’t include them. These two were among the last of the “Invisible Fence Felines” to be adopted, not because they were in any way problematic or undesirable, but simply because they were adults who no longer had the “aww Above, Simba then. Below, Simba now. factor” of kittenhood. Simba is five, going on six -- the prime of adulthood for a cat, and should live another ten to twelve years. He’s an affable guy, large (fourteen pounds until he went on a diet and lost a few ounces) and happy-go-lucky. He immediately decided that he owns his new home and everyone else just lives there.