Sheltering

 

The Adventures of Captain Jack—Explorator™

February 2019—Episode 14

 Word of the month—Compassion

The act of showing consideration and caring about another’s distress,

along with a desire to alleviate the distress.

Quote of the Month

“Our task must be to free ourselves...by widening our circle of compassion

to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.”

―Albert Einstein

Recap from Episode 13: Why did the children run away from him and scream? Captain Jack called to them, “Bark-bark. Stop. Wait. Come play with me. Can you help me find my MawMaw? Bark-bark. Whine-whine. Cry.” He ran after the children, thinking they would want to play with him and help him. Finally Captain Jack sat down. He was bewildered. The children had all scattered and had run away, screaming at the tops of their lungs and looking for their parents or for a safe place to hide. At first he thought they were playing hide-and-seek, but they weren’t smiling or laughing. They didn’t look or act like they wanted to play with him. Captain Jack was totally perplexed. He didn’t know what to think. It was getting dark. The poor puppy sat down under a bench and decided to rest a bit. Then a big white pickup truck came circling around the park. It had a kennel in the back and big letters with pictures of animals on its sides. The letters read “ANIMAL CARE AND CONTROL.” A large burly man wearing a hat got out of the truck and started walking toward Captain Jack. The puppy thought to himself Should I run away or stay safely under the bench? Maybe the man won’t see me. He doesn’t look like a very kind person.

 Episode 14—February 2019—The Animal Shelter

By the time Captain Jack made his decision, the man had tossed a cookie to him to get his attention. The puppy was starving, so of course he ate it. Immediately he started to feel dizzy and weak. He fell over on his side, and everything went dark. He felt the way he had felt months ago after the jellyfish had stung him in the ocean. Both then and now, he couldn’t move at all. He could feel what was happening to him, but he couldn’t move a muscle. He could feel something being placed around his neck. Then he felt his motionless body being picked up and tossed onto a hard, cold surface. 

What in the world was happening? Captain Jack thought. He couldn’t believe that just one moment ago, he was in a park wanting to play with the children there. It seemed as if his whole world had changed within seconds of that. He could smell other dogs, and he could hear their barking. But he had no idea where he was. Then he heard the truck’s door slam. He again smelled that familiar odor of gasoline fumes, just like in the garage where he had been living all alone in the box before the big windstorm hit and changed his life forever. Captain Jack heard the deep rumbling of the vehicle’s motor. He knew the truck he was lying in was moving. But he didn’t know where he was being taken.

The vehicle stopped after a few minutes, but Captain Jack still couldn’t see outside. He could hear even more barking. Then he smelled that horrible odor again. He was beginning to get his balance back when the burly man suddenly opened the door, picked him up, and carried him into the building covered with graffiti that Captain Jack had seen earlier. That building was what smelled so bad.

Captain Jack was horrified when the man stuck him with a needle and then placed him in a noisy, smelly cage with three other dogs about his size. The scared, intimidated puppy was still weak and off balance as the other dogs came over and sniffed him. “I hope they don’t hurt me,” he whined to himself. And he let out a pitiful, scared whimper. 

All three dogs backed away from Captain Jack since they didn’t know if he would be nice to them or not. They decided to show him some compassion. Dogs are like that. They’re not usually looking for conflict. They all just want to get along. Often it’s when humans get involved and chain dogs outdoors or force them to do things they don’t want to do that problems happen between dogs.

It turned out that the other three dogs in the cage with Captain Jack were pretty nice. The puppy began getting better acquainted with them later in the day once all the humans had left and things calmed down somewhat. The three dogs included a little black dog with white paws, a fuzzy brown dog about Captain Jack’s size, and a medium-sized dog with really bad skin and sores all over her body. 

Captain Jack wanted to get to know each of their stories and how they got there. But none of the three wanted to tell a story that night. Each of the four little dogs crawled into a corner of the smelly cage. They all curled their bodies around as tightly as they could and gradually fell asleep on the hard, cold floor.

Morning came far too soon for the caged dogs, and the humans returned. They squirted hoses and sprayed smelly cleaner everywhere. One at a time, each dog cage was cleaned, and that meant that each dog had a chance to go outdoors for a few precious minutes. Outdoors in the yard, the dogs were able to get better acquainted.

The little black dog with white paws was the first to share. He elaborated, “I had a nice home where people loved me. Then one day they left. I was left all alone for a long time, and I was very hungry. Then a nice woman came to my home, fed me, and brought me here. She was caring and compassionate to me. Sometimes she still comes here to walk me. She always says, ‘Poor little Midnight (which is what she named me), not many people want black dogs. We’ll keep trying as hard as we can to find you the perfect home. Don’t be sad, Midnight. Don’t give up. I won’t give up on you.’ But I haven’t seen her in quite a while. I really hope she’s okay.”

When Midnight finished, the dog with bad skin and sores all over her body started to tell them her story.

But almost as soon as she started to share with the other dogs, each dog in the yard was lassoed around the neck with a rope. All the dogs were put back into those smelly cages. It seemed as if the cleaner used to clean the cages had done no good at all.

Captain Jack looked forward to hearing more about the dogs that lived in his cage. However it was way too noisy in the graffiti-covered, smelly building. All the dogs ate their breakfast and then took a nap, hoping against hope they would be in a better place when they awoke.

In the 15^th exciting blog episode about Captain Jack—Explorator™ in March 2019, you’ll learn about Captain Jack’s new friends and how they manage to escape from the animal shelter.

Humane Education Point:   

Showing compassion takes effort in that you have to think about someone other than yourself. You have to pay attention to others to realize when a person or an animal may be in distress.   

When has someone taken the time to show you compassion? Maybe someone showed you compassion when you had just moved into a new neighborhood, had started attending a new school, had gotten hurt during a sport event or game, had spent time in a hospital, had been at home sick for one or more days, had experienced the death of a family member or pet, had gotten hurt at recess at school, had been bullied by one or more students at school or on the way to school or in your neighborhood, or had had another situation that had caused you distress. How did the person show you compassion? How did it make you feel?

Humane Education Follow-Up Activities: 

Think of ways you can show compassion to either a human or an animal. Write three ways you could show compassion. Keep your list somewhere where you can refer to it often.

Draw a picture illustrating one or more of those ways of showing compassion. Show someone your picture, and tell them what it portrays about showing compassion.

You may want to display your list and your picture or pictures on a bulletin board, closet door, bedroom door, or wall in your bedroom, with your parent’s permission and help.

Story Discussion Tips:

1)      Did anyone or any animal(s) show Captain Jack compassion in this month’s story? How?

 

2)      How do you think Captain Jack felt when he was first placed into the smelly cage in the shelter with three other dogs he didn’t know? Why did he feel that way?

 

3)      What could the burly man have done differently when he first placed Captain Jack in the cage with the three other dogs? If he had done something different, do you think Captain Jack would’ve reacted differently? Do you think the other three dogs might have reacted differently as well?

 

4)      What would you have done if you had been the human in this story?

  

5)      Do you have someone who has shown you compassion? What did that person say or do to show you compassion? How did what the person said and/or did make you feel? Did it make you feel any better? Any worse?

 

©2017 Heddie Wittlin-Leger

 

Our Nonprofit of the Month

http://www.russellrescue.com/

Russell Rescue, Inc. (RRI) is a network of volunteers dedicated to placing unwanted or abandoned Jack Russells into permanent homes. RRI arranges for emergency rescues throughout the country, and gathers information designed to match appropriate permanent and temporary homes. It is funded by donations and supported by Jack Russell Terrier lovers and volunteers throughout the world.



Sponsored by

Thank You Credit



Member of APDT

Happy New Year Let's See Where Captain Jack's Adventures Take Us This Year

The Adventures of Captain Jack—Explorator™

January 2019—Episode 13

 

Word of the month—Kindness

A compassionate act: an act that shows consideration and caring.  

 

Quote of the Month

“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.”

―Mark Twain

Recap from Episode 12--“It always helps to have a plan.”: Captain Jack really didn’t know where to start. But one thing he did remember was that one day before the storm, he noticed a flag flying on a pole. The flag had a white background with a crimson cross of St. Andrew that crossed the flag diagonally from corner to corner. The puppy heard someone say one time that the official state gemstone was a Star Blue Quartz, but he didn’t know what that was. His former owner used to go hunting for wild turkey and said that the Eastern Wild Turkey was a sought-after prize to hunt. Since Captain Jack didn’t like guns, he never went hunting with her. The puppy never understood what this fact meant, but he learned before the storm that the official state mascot and butterfly was the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail. It made the puppy feel good that some of these memories were coming back. Maybe his memories would help him find where he came from. He didn’t remember the weather ever getting cold where he lived before the storm, but then he was a very young pup. 

Note: Remember that Captain Jack has dedicated himself to finding his mother and siblings if possible. Do you know which state he and his friends will visit first? If not, please read the clues above carefully again as Captain Jack, Allen, and Penelope begin the search for his family. If you completed the Humane Education Follow-up Activities with Episode 11—November 2018, you’ve already figured out which state they’ll visit first in their quest for his family.

 

Episode 13—January 2019

Captain Jack could hear his mother’s voice whispering in his ear. He didn’t doubt that her words were true.

“Don’t be discouraged. It’s often the last key in the bunch that opens the lock.”

And more of her wise words: “When the world shouts, ‘Give up,’ Hope whispers, ‘Try it one more time.’ ”

It was as if his mother were right next to him. The past year of Captain Jack’s life had been such a whirlwind of change, adventures, and new opportunities. MawMaw had always told him the world would give him exactly what he expected. She said, “What goes around comes around.” And she always told him that showing kindness was one of the most-important things never to forget.

During the past year, Captain Jack had learned that his mother’s words were true. He had met Penelope, Allen, Stephanie, Robert, Hero, Sarah, Amber, and Howie. He had dedicated his life to being kind to everyone every day, and—in turn—kindness had always come back to him. 

However, Captain Jack was about to embark on a path where kindness was not always the rule. 

Oh my, I wonder if my MawMaw were here at some time, Captain Jack thought to himself. He stood in front of a large cement-block building with graffiti all over it. The terrible smell coming from the building was something he had never encountered. It burned his nose and made him feel sick to his stomach. But it was not only that.

The screams he heard were like nothing he had ever heard before. They made him want to run away as fast as he could and to run toward them to help the screamer, all at the same time. The puppy was confused and conflicted. Should he go in and look for his MawMaw? Should he turn away and run as far away from this scary place as possible? He didn’t know what to do. He decided to run and get as far away as possible. He ran as fast as his little legs could carry him until he came to a park with big trees, swings, people flying kites, children playing, slides, and children riding bikes. The happy scene reminded him of Penelope and Allen and how very kind they had been to him from the start. He thought the children in the park would treat him with kindness too, but he was in for quite a shock. 

Why did the children run away from him and scream?

Captain Jack called to them, “Bark-bark. Stop. Wait. Come play with me. Can you help me find my MawMaw? Bark-bark. Whine-whine. Cry.”

He ran after the children, thinking they would want to play with him and help him. Finally Captain Jack sat down. He was bewildered. The children had all scattered and had run away, screaming at the tops of their lungs and looking for their parents or for a safe place to hide. At first he thought they were playing hide-and-seek, but they weren’t smiling or laughing. They didn’t look or act like they wanted to play with him. Captain Jack was totally perplexed. He didn’t know what to think.

It was getting dark. The poor puppy sat down under a bench and decided to rest a bit. Then a big white pickup truck came circling around the park. It had a kennel in the back and big letters with pictures of animals on its sides. The letters read “ANIMAL CARE AND CONTROL.” A large burly man wearing a hat got out of the truck and started walking toward Captain Jack.

The puppy thought to himself Should I run away or stay safely under the bench? Maybe the man won’t see me. He doesn’t look like a very kind person.

 

Look for what happens next in the 14^th exciting blog episode about Captain Jack—Explorator™ in February 2019.

 

Humane Education Point: 

Kindness can be shown in the simplest of ways. Stopping to take time to help a friend in need.  Smiling. Sharing an item with a friend or sibling. Helping an elderly person with his or her groceries or other bags. Volunteering at a local animal shelter, a domestic-violence shelter, a food bank, or any other organization that helps people in need. All these opportunities are ways to show kindness.

Humane Education Follow-up Activity: 

What’s the name of the custodian in your building? Each and every day, we walk past nameless faces. Some of us never even show these people a smile or greet them. There are people in our lives who bring with them a wealth of support and knowledge. These people are waiting for a simple act of  kindness. On a piece of paper, list several people whom you encounter almost every day. Next to each name, write one way you can be kind to each of these people.

In the “Humane Education Point” section above, several ways to show kindness have been listed. Can you think of any other ways to show kindness? Talk with someone about these ways to show kindness.

For two weeks, keep a journal. Each day record in your journal something kind you did for someone, said to someone, or witnessed someone do for someone or say to someone.

Here are some websites about kindness you may want to check out with the help of an adult:

            --https://www.stopbullying.gov/sites/default/files/2018-08/KindnessWorks.pdf

            --http://www.thinkkindness.org/11-fun-kindness-ideas/

            --https://acts.kindness.org/initiatives

            --https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/kindness-quotes

            --http://www.theworldkindnessmovement.org/

            --https://www.kindspring.org/

            --https://everydaypowerblog.com/kindness-quotes/

            --https://www.rootsofaction.com/art-kindness-teaching-children-care/

A true story for your reading pleasure: “During my second year of nursing school, our professor gave us a quiz. I breezed through the questions until I read the last one: ‘What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?’ Surely this was a joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Before the class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our grade. ‘Absolutely,’ the professor said. ‘In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say hello.’ I’ve never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her first name was Dorothy.”           --Joann C. Jones                        

Story Discussion Tips:

1)      Did anyone show Captain Jack kindness in this month’s episode? If not, why not?

 

2)      How do you think Captain Jack felt when the children in the park ran away screaming? Why? What did Captain Jack want to do with the children? 

 

3)      What could the children have done differently?

 

4)      If you had been one of those playing children, what would you have done? Why?  

 

5)      Do you have someone who has shown you kindness? What did that person say or do to show you kindness? How did that make you feel?

 

 

©2017 Heddie Wittlin-Leger

 

 

 

Our Nonprofit of the Month

http://www.russellrescue.com/

Russell Rescue, Inc. (RRI) is a network of volunteers dedicated to placing unwanted or abandoned Jack Russells into permanent homes. RRI arranges for emergency rescues throughout the country, and gathers information designed to match appropriate permanent and temporary homes. It is funded by donations and supported by Jack Russell Terrier lovers and volunteers throughout the world.

Beginnings and Endings 2018-2019

The Adventures of Captain Jack—Explorator™

December 2018-January 2019—Episode 12

 

Word of the month—Family

1. a group consisting of parents and children living together in a household. Synonyms: household, ménage, nuclear family, brood

2. all the descendants of a common ancestor.

Quote of the Month

“In family life, love is the oil that eases friction, the cement that binds closer together, and the music that brings harmony.”

—Eva Burrows

Recap of the 2018 Episodes

Throughout this year, we’ve been following Captain Jack’s adventures as he found his way through challenge after challenge in finding a new life, new friends, and a new family. We learned about perseverance, self-discipline, and honesty; the value of a sense of humor; courage, gratitude, and loyalty; cooperation; respect; responsibility; citizenship; and the gift of giving and caring. In the coming year, we’ll continue Captain Jack’s adventures as he matures and decides to find out about his original family and where he came from. Captain Jack adapted well to being an orphan. But in his heart he had a longing to find his mother and any other family members, if he could.

In the coming year, we will follow Captain Jack’s adventures as he travels. Sometimes he’ll go to new places, and sometimes he’ll go to places he’s already visited. Will Captain Jack find his mother and family in 2019? We invite you to continue the adventure-filled journey with Captain Jack’s adventures to find out. 

Before moving forward in 2019, let’s take a look back at what happened in 2018. In the January episode, we met Captain Jack in a black box during a storm. In the February episode after he survived a terrible storm, he made some new friends named Penelope and Allen. Those children found him and helped him. The March and April episodes brought new friends who helped all of them, and the police who proved to be kind. The big black-and-brown dog he met in April challenged him to be brave and courageous and became a good friend to him. He reminisced about his mom and siblings and warm memories of his past. Captain Jack missed them greatly. That made him even more determined to search for them in the future. In the May and June episodes, his humans became a family and he was part of that family. He was very thankful for his new friends and family. 

Half a year had passed. Captain Jack and his new family made more new friends at the beach. He had a close call with death thanks to jellyfish, but we found out in the July episode that he survived at the beach. He also became good friends with the big black-and-brown dog and gained newfound respect for him. Captain Jack learned the value of respecting people’s and dogs’ personal space and of not judging others in that July episode. The rest of the year brought more adventures at the beach, meeting a cat, and learning to be responsible, the value of generosity, and the results of your actions. In the October episode, Captain Jack found a way to get help from humans who saved the life of an older dog that was in physical distress on the beach.

The year closed with moments of nostalgia. Captain Jack knew in his heart he needed to make a plan in order to find his mother and siblings. He decided that enlisting Penelope and Allen’s help was his best chance at this and set out to come up with ideas to encourage them to help. He began to remember landmarks and certain details about where he had last seen his mother and siblings and began there. 

In 2019, we will retrace and follow steps Captain Jack will take in order to reunite his family. We’ll also learn about states and cities in America. Hopefully you will join Captain Jack as he continues his adventure to be reunited with his family. 

Happy Howlidays and Happy New Year

We wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and look forward to you following Captain Jack’s adventures in 2019.

 

Humane Education Follow-up Activities:

Families can take on different dimensions: blended family, traditional family, single-parent family, foster family, family led by adoptive parents, family led by same-sex parents, etc. Talk about the ways these families are different.

 Consider your family situation. Discuss your family situation. Talk about things that make your family unique and special.

What was your favorite episode of Captain Jack’s adventures this year? Talk about why this one was your favorite. What made this one special to you?

©2017 Heddie Wittlin-Leger

 

Our Nonprofit of the Month

The United Way

www.unitedway.org

 

 

 

Dedication

The Adventures of Captain Jack—Explorator™

November 2018—Episode 11

 

Word of the month—Dedication

 

Hard work and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen.

 

 

Quote of the Month

 

“We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, self-discipline, and effort.”

―Jesse Owens

 

 

Recap from Episode 10: The ambulance was driven by Captain Jack’s dad. He and his partner got out and had a special face mask for dogs. They were giving CPR to the old dog and had the oxygen mask on him. It turned out they were prepared for any problem, whether the individual having it was a human or an animal. Captain Jack breathed a sigh of relief. They looked over at Captain Jack with worry and relief on their faces all at the same time. Due to Captain Jack’s backpack at the scene and his barking at the neighbor’s home, they realized that Captain Jack had given the gift of his time to get help for the old guy. They had given the old dog the gift of life through their actions. As Captain Jack watched them carefully lift the dog onto a gurney, he realized that no act of kindness—no matter how small—was wasted. Each positive action to help another living thing has a ripple effect that makes life better in an exponential amount yet to be measured. 

 

 

Episode 11—November 2018

 

In Captain Jack’s heart, he knew he needed to find out if his mother and family had survived the storm. He remembered the horrible storm, the cardboard box, and lots of water. He also remembered being scared, but he couldn’t remember much more. Even though he had a great life and wonderful friends and family, it haunted him day and night that he didn’t know what happened to his canine family. It wasn’t that he lost sleep or anything like that. But still it was on his mind a lot. 

Captain Jack realized there was nothing he could do about the past, but he was dedicated to finding out the answers to his questions in the future. He knew he needed to form a plan and see if he could convince at least Penelope and Allen to be advocates for him to convince their parents that a trip to find his long lost family could be in their future. Having such an idea is one thing, but being dedicated to seeing it through to reality is quite a different thing. Captain Jack realized it would take a good bit of work and an investment of time. His plan could even involve some money, which of course Captain Jack didn’t have. That meant the puppy would definitely need the support of his friends and family. 

Here was his initial plan. He wanted you to read it and let him know what you think. First he’ll come up with an idea to raise some money to help cover some of the costs. He will have to convince Penelope and Allen to help him do that. Then they will need to decide on the best time of year to plan for travel when they won’t run into horrible weather that could cause problems. Next they’ll need to look at a map and plan a route to travel. Finally they’ll make the trip to find Captain Jack’s canine mother and family. They will need to stay dedicated to the plan in order to succeed, but these four steps will make all the difference. It always helped to have a plan. 

Captain Jack really didn’t know where to start. But one thing he remembered was that one day before the storm, he noticed a flag flying on a pole. The flag had a white background with a crimson cross of St. Andrew that crossed the flag diagonally from corner to corner.

The puppy heard someone say one time that the official state gemstone was a Star Blue Quartz, but he didn’t know what that was. 

His former owner used to go hunting for wild turkey and said that the Eastern Wild Turkey was a sought-after prize to hunt. Since Captain Jack didn’t like guns, he never went hunting with her. 

Captain Jack never understood what this fact meant, but he learned before the storm that the official state mascot and butterfly was the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail.

It made the puppy feel good that some of these memories were coming back. Maybe his memories would help him find where he came from. He didn’t remember the weather ever getting cold where he lived before the storm, but then he was a very young pup. He might not have remembered if it had been cold there.

 

Look for what happens next in the 12^th exciting blog episode about Captain Jack—Explorator™ in December 2018. The upcoming December episode will recap all the episodes from 2018.

 

 

Humane Education Point:

 

Each person or pet may process the loss of a home, a family, or a human or pet family member in very different ways. The processes of grief and loss take time. Grief and loss can cause some to forget certain memories, which may return later. 

 

Humane Education Follow-up Activities:

 

From the clues given in the story, can you guess which state Captain Jack was trying to identify because it was where he lived before the big storm? Write down your guess or guesses.

Go to your local public library. Ask the librarian to help you find lists of state gemstones, mascots, and butterflies. Also ask for help to find pictures of state flags. See if you can figure out the state that Captain Jack has identified with the help of all his returning memories.

You may want to ask an adult to search for each of the hints from the story in a web search. See if you two can discover the state that Captain Jack has identified through his memories.

Compare the state you identified with your written guesses. Did you guess correctly?

Read a poem about the Rainbow Bridge. Write your feelings about the death of a loved one or of a loved pet. If you feel comfortable doing so, share your feelings with someone you trust. If you don’t feel comfortable sharing your feelings, think about ways you can share your feelings with others. Then make a dedicated effort to help someone who has lost a loved one or a loved pet.

The Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement is “a nonprofit association of concerned volunteers who are experienced and knowledgeable in the tender subject of pet death.” Their website is aplb.org and can provide you with some helpful information and ideas.

The Pet Loss Support Page is on the web at pet-loss.net. It can provide tips for coping with pet loss, support groups, counselors, hot lines, handouts, and more.

Story Discussion Tips:

1)      Do you know anyone who is an orphan, whether it be a two- or four-footed friend or family member?

2)      What are some ways you can be a friend to that orphaned person or pet?

3)      Have you ever lost anyone you loved whether this was a two-footed, four-footed, furry, or feathered friend or family member? What is one good thing you remember about this person or pet?

4)      How did you feel after your loss? Did your feelings change over time? What memories help you feel better about your loss?

5)      People suffer losses every day. It’s how each person deals with each loss and the support he or she receives that can help to make the difference. Dealing with grief and loss takes time. What kinds of support did you receive after your loss? How did that support help you deal with your grief and loss?

 

 

©2017 Heddie Wittlin-Leger

 

Our Nonprofit of the Month

SAFPAW

https://www.safpaw.org/

 

“SAFPAW continues our groundbreaking spay/neuter work. Since our founding in 1998, we have fixed and vaccinated more than 10,000 dogs and cats in Davidson County, Tennessee, and that number continues to grow. Since 2001 we have focused solely on pets belonging to folks who are homeless or housed but live at or below the poverty level.

 

Our Mission

 

“The Southern Alliance for People and Animal Welfare [SAFPAW] is a non-profit organization serving Davidson County, Tennessee, by improving the quality of life for people and pets in need.

SAFPAW provides pet food, supplies, and veterinary care free of charge to pet owners who are homeless or living at or below the poverty level. Through our weekly Spay/Neuter Transport, animals are spayed or neutered, fully vaccinated, dewormed, and treated for fleas & ticks. And they get their nails trimmed.

 

“Our Homeless Outreach Program provides food, temporary shelter, and other basic needs to the friends we serve. We also assist those looking to secure more permanent housing by helping with transportation, acquiring necessary IDs [such as a Social Security card, state ID or driver’s license, birth certificate, etc.], helping them through the application process—and everything in-between—including move-in day!

 

“And through our new transitional post-recovery house for women, we are able to bring a few of our most vulnerable neighbors indoors and help 160 homeless pets find permanent indoor homes each year through our pet foster program.

 

“SAFPAW is able to make a tremendous positive impact in the lives of people and pets, but only with the help of our generous and compassionate community. Swing by our Facebook page and ‘Like’ us to stay up-to-date on all of the amazing work we do every day. Don’t forget to make a donation so that we can all continue to build a stronger and healthier community.”

 

 

What We Believe

 

When our efforts result in an animal being fixed and fully vetted, that pet sees benefits. What about the intangible rewards you may not see? The important work we do extends far beyond that dog or cat. Our entire community benefits in the following ways:

•Reduced dog/cat impounding at local animal shelters and animal control facilities.

•Reduced dog/cat euthanasia at local animal shelters and animal control facilities.

•Reduction in the number of stray dogs/cats throughout Davidson and surrounding counties.

•Reduced costs for providing animal control services in the areas we serve.

•Healthier pets, especially in the areas of poverty that we serve.

•Reduced threat of rabies to humans and pets.

•Fewer dog bites and attacks.

 

“SAFPAW is a most wonderful organization and Laurie, the founder, is one of the most kind and compassionate people you could ever meet. After all, someone who cares enough to help make a difference in the life of a person or animals has to be an amazing person—and she is!”

—Ms. Perian Walker

 

What We Achieve in a Typical Year

 

•3120 hours of street outreach to homeless pets and their owners

•250 emergency camping supplies distributed to save lives

•8320 pounds of kibble delivered to hungry pets

•Over 20,000 miles of transport to and from local services

•600 spays and neuters

•200 essential vaccinations

•And we help 160 homeless pets find a permanent indoor home through our foster program at our new transitional post-recovery house for women—Perian’s Place