SP: How did the radio interview come about?
Jenifer: A dear friend in Los Angeles referred Dr. Lori Kirshner, producer and host of Animals Today, to me as a potential guest for her show due to my experiences of being vegan in Alabama and my volunteer work with Shelby Humane. When Lori called me prior to the show’s taping, I educated her about this amazing program we have called Shelter Partners and the differences in legislation between some northeastern states and Alabama that make this program possible and, unfortunately, necessary. I followed up by sending her an email with links to the Shelter Partners website and an article I wrote highlighting the Shelter Partners program and the difference between animal population control legislation in New Hampshire and Alabama.

SP: Tell us about how the interview went.
Jenifer: The interview went better than I could have hoped. Lori is truly lovely and passionate about animal welfare. She was so interested in Alabama’s animal overpopulation and the plight of our shelters and unwanted pets so the interview focused heavily on the Shelter Partners program and the ultimate cause of the problem, lack of effective animal population control legislation in Alabama. I was excited to introduce Shelter Partners in a national forum.

SP: Where can we hear the interview?
Jenifer: You can listen to the recording of the show on the Archives page of the Animals Today website: http://animalstodayradio.com/liveshows.html. Just click the link for the January 15, 2012 show. You can also read the article we discuss heavily in the interview on my law firm website: http://www.wallis-law.com/pdfs/ABA_Animal_Law_Article.pdf

SP: Anything you wish you could add?
Jenifer: I rushed at the end of the interview to recognize the amazing staff and volunteers of Shelby Humane and our partner shelters that make the Shelter Partners program possible. (laughing) I was actually cut off while trying to plug our website. I could have talked for another twenty minutes just about the hard work and dedication our staff and volunteers commit to Shelby Humane and the Shelter Partners program. There is a lot of behind the scenes work and coordination our kennel staff has to do for the dogs to be ready for transport. Shelby Humane is so fortunate to have capable, dedicated staff and volunteers who care so much about the welfare of the animals in our care.

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After reading it, a very kind, anonymous donor contacted us and paid for Angel’s heartworm treatment! Now heartworm negative, Angel begins her journey north today to the Humane Society for Greater Nashua in Nashua, New Hampshire.

Jennifer Freeman, our SHS shelter manager who authored the original blog post has now written a very moving tribute. We hope you enjoy, “How do you say goodbye to an Angel?”

A trap door snaps shut, ensnaring and forever changing the life of a homeless canine. Then only called a “nuisance,” now affectionately called “Angel,” this beautiful creature was delivered from the dust of a rural coal mine to the shelter of Shelby Humane Society. Terrified and still entrapped, she was loaded on the back of a truck to begin her journey home. Arriving at our door, coward in a corner, she managed to peel back a single eyelid to reveal a hue of amber as intense as the depth of her despair. With a single look, she told a story that words could never convey. Only we knew that her story of a hopeless end would be transformed to one of endless hope.

From the straits of nothingness to the heart of somethingness best describes Angel’s journey. From having wandered lost and without a purpose to heroically satisfying the hungry cries of the four orphans she enabled to live. From endless days of hunger to a place such pangs are only distant memories. From suffering the ill-effects of heartworm disease to celebrating that someone cared enough to make her better. From fearing that someone might touch her, to reveling in the fact that she is seen. From being discarded by the heartless to penetrating the hearts of those who care. From crawling in loneliness, to dancing in hallways with people who love her. From a place her presence was not welcomed to a place her presence will be missed. From thinking that her name was “Get” to learning her name is “Angel.”

Having comforted her with the promise of “home,” now Angel’s comforter requires consolation. How does one say goodbye to an angel? How does one part with one’s own shadow – the silhouette of one’s own heart? Will her spirit linger in the room she called home? Resolved that the emptiness will be replaced by the news that her new family has welcomed her home, her comforter chooses to let go. The pain of releasing her is somehow tempered by the same amber eyes that once conveyed desperation but now only speak “hello.” And profoundly impressed upon the comforter’s heart is the sudden realization that angels never depart – they only arrive. How does one say goodbye to an angel? Angels only know hello! Satisfied that saying goodbye means someone else greets her with “welcome home,” she is released to be loved by others and sent with a single farewell: “Be well my friend, it is time for you to soar.”

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“Here is our Ellie Autumn (who was named Missy at the Greater Nashua Humane Society when we first adopted her about a year ago). She has truly been the most amazing addition to our family! She is so caring, loves to hike with us, and she is gaining confidence with other dogs and people.”

Ellie all cozy for the winter...

You can help other Shelby Humane Society dogs like Ellie by sponsoring his/her trip to New England via Shelter Partners:

or by making a general donation:

 

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“I am from North Hampton, New Hampshire and 1yr ago I adopted a dog from the SPCA in Straham New Hampshire that was brought here from the Shelby Humane Society. His name is Jacob he is American Bull Dog and Lab. He is the best dog you could ever have. I thank you for sending him here. He has been a joy to so many not only family but to friends. We could not ask for a better dog. Again I thank You for sending Jake to me my family and friends!

Jacob

Thank you for bringing Jake to us. You guys are great! He comes to work with me everyday and everyone loves him. My best friend Melissa fell in love with him so much that she adopted a dog from Tenn. that’s almost the same dog as Jake, they look so much alike. Again thank you. You are awesome!And Jake says thank You.” -Lally Family

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We welcomed Ali (formerly Chalet) into our home February 12th of this year. She was celebrating her 3 month birthday that day, we got her outfitted with a new collar, leash, and stuffed turtle – that didn’t last too long against those puppy teeth.
Ali has been a wonderful addition to our family, she is a cuddlebug with endless energy. She loves going for long walks, wrestling, zipping around our yard and around our flower beds. She knows opportunity when she sees it, we have to be careful to keep food out of her reach, she is a hound after all!

Now that winter is approaching again, Ali is looking forward to running around in the snow and enjoying the warmth of her favorite spot in front of the pellet stove. We will be celebrating her first birthday, and nine month anniversary with us very soon. We are truly blessed to have this comical, loving, sometimes naughty but always enjoyable girl as part of our growing family!

-The Hahn Family Gardiner, Maine

 
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You’ve been enjoying his photos all season and now our Shelter Partners ornament photographer, Jeronimo Nisa, tells his secrets from behind the camera!

When, over a year ago, Michelle Amaral shared with me her idea about how to raise funds for the Shelter Partners Program, I not only volunteered to take pictures of dogs, but I decided I’d give them the “royal treatment” by making studio portraits. There are people out there who pay big bucks to professional photographers to have their pets’ picture taken. So, I wanted the homeless dogs to have the same look as their “rich” counterparts.

Over the past two years, I have photographed I don’t know how many dogs (the total figure is probably in the hundreds) in a room at the shelter, using a black or gray piece of fabric as a background (or the bare white wall for the darker dogs) and two strobes shooting through umbrellas. Now, that’s easier said than done, because those guys are not going to keep still on the exact spot where you want them to be. It’s actually been a huge exercise of imagination and patience and I could never have done it without the help of shelter volunteers and workers.

Many things have happened during the photo shoots, most memorable of which was the funny pitbull who, as soon as he entered the room and before any of us knew it, peed all over my camera bag and then came to lick my face as if nothing had happened (thank God the bag was closed and there wasn’t any equipment damage to report about).

Another unforgettable experience was working with George. We needed a poster for the campaign and they chose George as the poster boy. The idea of showing a homeless dog trying to hitch a ride was all Michelle’s. There was no Photoshop involved in the making of this picture: I wanted to do everything live, real, on camera. George is a pitbull that had been in the shelter for 10 months. The best part of it was that, a few days after the campaign kicked off, George was adopted.



During one of the more recent photo sessions, Mandy and Chelsea, my two helpers, were very concerned about “Blake.” They kept telling me it would be close to impossible to photograph this chocolate lab because he was, in Chelsea’s words, “hyper, hyper, hyper.” But to the surprise of all of us, Blake was the only, I insist, the ONLY dog that, as soon as he was on the table, just laid down, struck a pose and waited perfectly still until his picture was taken.

Swiper was a similar case. When I saw this huge Doberman come in, I thought “mmmm… we’re gonna have some trouble here.” Nothing farther from reality. Swiper climbed on the table, lay down, crossed his front legs and looked at my stunned face like saying, “Well, are you going to take my picture or not? I don’t have all day…” I really love the image of this muscular dog. He looks so regal, so in control.

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Seavey Webb (left) and Jeff Warnken leave for New Hampshire on a Shelter Partners trip in June 2011

Seavey Webb is a dedicated volunteer with Shelby Humane Society and has been for 4 years. Each week, he coordinates our off-site adoptions that take place at the PetSmart on Highway 280, and this experience gives him a unique perspective on the Shelter Partners program.

Seavey cares for a large number of SHS dogs at PetSmart, many of whom arrive week after week but are just not successful at finding their forever home. Eventually, they are transported to New England via Shelter Partners. This past summer, Seavey had the opportunity to drive one of these transports and personally escort several of the dogs he had worked with at PetSmart for quite some time.

Arrival in Nashua, New Hampshire!

“There were three memorable dogs on that trip: June, July and Russell,” he said. “They had been to our offsite adoption event at Petsmart 280 several times. They were sweet little buddies, except for Russell who was a big buddy! All three were very outgoing dogs, and I would have adopted them if I could.”

That weekend, 31 dogs were transported to the Humane Society for Greater Nashua, which is located in Nashua, New Hampshire. Seavey made the trip with his friend, Jeff Warnken, who also volunteers with SHS.

“We knew [the dogs] were going to get a home, which made the entire trip worthwhile. It was a great feeling,” Seavey said. He continued,

We reached our destination without any problems, and the dogs finally got a chance to get out of the crates and stretch their legs. When I got out of the van to let the staff know we had arrived, a few dogs started barking. The others probably thought we were just stopping for gas again!

When we opened the side and back doors, all of them got really excited and greeted the Nashua staff with wagging tails and licks. Knowing that these sweet dogs would be going into a loving home soon and seeing their reactions as they were unloaded from the van was a bit emotional.

Once the dogs were unloaded and the crates cleaned out, we took a tour of their shelter. We got to see our dogs in their playgroup, where they were eating and playing. They were so happy.

Seavey is a firm believer in the success of the Shelter Partners program.

“There are so many pets looking for homes in our area due to the pet overpopulation. Through the program, thousands of them have found loving homes up north.”

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From Alabama to Maine: The Road to Furever Homes

Today’s guest blogger is Rachel Webb of  SleepsWithDogs!

A road trip from Alabama to Maine may sound rather ambitious for some, but for puppies headed to the Greater Androscoggin Humane Society in Lewiston, Maine, it means everything.

GAHS officially joined the Shelby Humane Society’s Shelter Partners family in 2010 and GAHS and Operations Manager Zach Black is thrilled. Black says transport days are his favorite.  “Every time the transport van pulls in I feel like a kid in a candy shop. I can hardly wait for the drivers to turn the van off before I open the doors and say ‘you’re now guaranteed a ticket home.’” Black, also says there is a high demand for puppies and Shelter Partners transports are a huge success in Lewiston.

“We have lines of people waiting for us to open on days when transports go available,” said Black.

With their dedication and compassion, GAHS and Shelter Partners continue to make a huge difference in the lives of homeless pups.

Just look at this line to adopt Shelter Partners dogs!!!

Thanks to Shelter Partners and GAHS, Wally (formally known as Spud), found his furever home in Maine with Lynda and Craig Jones, where the handsome hound is showered with love and spoiled rotten.

Success at GAHS!

Lynda Jones is grateful to GAHS and Shelter Partners for Wally. “I don’t know what we would do without this dog. Everyone who meets him loves him. He is sweet and gentle and the best thing in our lives.”

(Psst! You might remember Wally from our previous guest blogger, Tok the Therapy Dog. Looks like he made impression on everyone up there!)

Please help other animals like Wally by supporting Shelter Partners.

or by making a general donation:

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Last December, Michelle Amaral and I teamed up to promote the Shelter Partners program by conducting the ornament sale. It was our first time to embark on such an adventure and we were determined to save as many lives possible. In doing so, we reached for the stars – and one star in particular made our day!

On December 16, 2010, Rachael Ray came to Birmingham to promote her newest cookbook, Look & Cook. Since I am not a cook, never dream of becoming one, and have been banned from most kitchens that I attempt to make anything in, I had little knowledge of her planned visit to the ‘Ham. Regardless, her love of pitbulls and good works with rescue groups are well known throughout the animal welfare industry. And those of us who love animals and work tirelessly to do all we can to help them it is easy to say that Rachael Ray is greatly admired by many. It is probably no surprise that when Michelle learned that she was in town, I was immediately signed up to go along with her to meet Rachael Ray. Brittany Maness, one of Shelby Humane’s board members, had previously secured a ticket to the book signing event, which Michelle so eloquently solicited for us. I met Michelle at Books-A-Million, dashed to purchase the newest cookbook and jumped in line with Michelle just before she reached the table. I, of course, came with an ornament in hand to tell Rachael Ray about our program. As we reached the table, all I remember is hearing Michelle giggle as I spoke as quickly as possible about our program. To our surprise, Rachael Ray pulled out her wallet and asked how much it would cost to send Lia (the lucky pup pictured in the ornament) to New England. She handed us $60 cash, allowed us to photograph her for our blog, and thanked us for our work!

To say that we were excited is an understatement. We were thrilled to have been able to save one more pup and even more thrilled to have shared the program with someone as influential as Rachael Ray. Michelle laughed in joy as we descended the stairs and as we exited the building. It was time well spent and a life worthy of saving.

You can help other Shelby Humane Society dogs just like Rachael Ray did by sponsoring his/her trip to New England via Shelter Partners:

or by making a general donation:

Do you have a cute photo of your rescue pet? If so, you can enter Rachael Ray’s “Click the Cutest” contest … three winners will select their favorite rescue organization, who will then receive $25,000!

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