Pets in Need Society Year in Review - 2004
Pets in Need Society Year in Review - 2004
This "Year in Review" is published in lieu of the quarterly newsletter for the 4th quarter of 2004. It provides an update on our programs and efforts for the year 2004. This newsletter will be mailed to our members who do not have email access, will be emailed to members with email access, and posted to our web site for public information. All facts and figures in this update are as of 31 Dec 2004.
Our Programs
Spay/Neuter Program - PINS' emphasis and primary focus for 2004 was spay/neuter. We applied for and received a $10,000 grant for help with our spay/neuter program from a major animal welfare foundation. That grant allows us to continue to provide free spay or neuter of any dog or cat adopted from the Meade County Animal Shelter, and helps us help the residents of our county who need financial assistance with the cost of sterilizing their pets. As a general rule, we ask the pet owner to pay half of the cost, and we pay the remainder of the cost. If a pet owner cannot afford to pay any of the cost of the sterilization, however, we pay the full cost to prevent the birth of more unwanted pets in Meade County.
In 2004 we assisted with spay or neuter of 449 animals (214 dogs and 235 cats) in Meade County, at a cost of $21,744.00. That's up from 406 we did in 2003. Since we began our Spay/Neuter assistance program in November 2001, we've provided financial assistance with spaying or neutering of 1,325 dogs and cats at a total cost to us of $41,304.00. That is an average of $31.17 per animal.
Animal Shelter Support Program - The county did a lot of much-needed repairs on the shelter this year after we brought the deteriorating conditions to their attention. Many of the chain link gates, damaged by dogs trying to chew their way out, were repaired.
PINS donated 6,700 pounds of dog food to the Meade County Animal Shelter that was given to us by Royal Canin Pet Food Corporation. The Sheriff's department volunteered to store the food at their storage facility since the county stated they had no adequate space in which to store such a large volume of food. The donated food will feed the dogs in the animal shelter for at least a year, and saved the county approximately $3,400.
The PINS spay and neuter program is having a very favorable impact on the county animal shelter. In 2002, 1,344 animals (942 dogs and 402 cats) entered the shelter; in 2003, 1,157 animals (723 dogs and 434 cats) entered the animal shelter; in 2004 another decreased total of 1,117 animals (721 dogs and 396 cats). Prior to our involvement in the shelter and our spay/neuter program implementation, the total number of animals entering the Meade County Animal Shelter increased every year over the year before.
Dog warden Harry Jones announced his retirement effective March 2005. He will be out on "comp time" starting January 1, 2005. We will advocate and encourage Meade County to hire a qualified, trained Animal Control Officer to replace him.
Humane Education - Our PINS members continue to teach animal care and responsible pet ownership every opportunity we get, with special emphasis on the youth in the county. In 2004 two invitations were extended to Pets in Need Society by the library and Extension Service to help teach our children about animals. In September, PINS President, Deb Sobel presented in a pet care class at the Meade County Public Library, and John Campbell and Deb Sobel helped with the Farm and Home Safety Camp by teaching Dog Bite Prevention to over 100 children and their adult group leaders at the county fairgrounds.
PINS volunteer, Claudia Cooper, conducted two basic dog obedience classes this year at the Creature Comfort Inn Boarding Kennel. Feedback from those attending the obedience classes continues to be very positive, and Claudia plans to offer another class in the spring and fall of 2005.
Our Fundraising Efforts
Collection Boxes - The small dog house shaped donation boxes placed in many of the businesses throughout the county continue to provide a nice source of income for programs. It's amazing how quickly those quarters, nickels, dimes, and pennies add up. In 2004 we received $1, 073.64 in our collection boxes.
Summer Raffle - Thanks to the efforts of PINS members Dorsey Demaster and Crissey Burtt, our annual summer raffle was a big success again this year. The Grand Prize was a handcrafted clock made especially for PINS by DJ Sumner of Ekron. Dozens of other prizes were donated by local and area merchants and businesses. Total value of the donated prizes was over $2,200. The drawing was held at the Pet Festival on October 16th, and brought in $1,518.00.
Pet Festival - Our annual Pet Festival and Blessing of the Animals was held on Saturday, October 16th, at Pavilion #1 in the Brandenburg City Park. Rev. Jarrod Hunt performed the Blessing of the Animals. Entertainment was provided by the Ekron Baptist Church Puppet Ministry and the Good News Farm Petting Zoo. Although the weather was cold and extremely windy, about 200 people and their pets joined in the fun. Pictures of the day's activities can be found at the Past Events link.
Yard Sales - We had two great yard sales this year. Folks continue to support our yard sales through both their donations and purchases. The dedicated "yard salers" watch for the ad announcing our yard sales because we have such good "stuff" for sale, so thanks to those donating items for the effort. Total income from our yard sales in 2004 was $1,903.00.
Wreath Festival - The 5th annual Wreath Festival was held December 5th - 10th at the Meade County Courthouse. In addition to all the beautiful wreaths, swags, and trees that we traditionally have for sale, this year we offered Holiday Gift Baskets, cemetery saddles, mailbox swags, and lots of cash and carry items. The Wreath Festival is by far our biggest fundraising event of the year, and all our members and supporters outdid themselves to make it the best wreath festival ever. As always, Liz Bell was in charge of the wreath festival, and did a superb job! Special thanks goes to Sandy & John Campbell who spent untold hours daily at the courthouse that week "taking care of PINS business." Our total profit for the 2004 Wreath Festival was: $8,007.51.
Donations - We continue to get lots of financial support from the community. Particularly noteworthy were the donations made in memory of Trudy Bowen and Doug Crickmer. Additionally, Trudy Bowen's wishes were for her car to be given to Pets in Need Society to be sold as a fundraising source. Literally within minutes of it being parked out for viewing it was sold. Trudy continues to help and support us from beyond. The total donations received in 2004 were: $3,655.00.
Membership - Current PINS membership is 96. Unfortunately we lost two members this year - Mrs. Shirley Frenzl and Mrs. Trudy Bowen. Both were wonderful women who shared our love and concern for the animals and who supported our efforts immensely. Although they will be missed a great deal by their friends and family, the world is definitely a better place for their having been here. Membership dues are $10 per year for adults, $5 per year for children under the age of 18, and $25 per year for businesses, and are due in March to PINS, P.O. Box 522, Brandenburg, KY 40108.
Invite a friend or family member to join Pets in Need Society. Every member adds strength to our voice when we deal with animal welfare issues. Changes are surely coming about in Meade County in 2005 regarding animal control and animal welfare, and being a member of PINS adds your voice to the demands for reform.
Our Financial Status
Beginning Balance 1 Jan 2004: $25,821.17
This "Year in Review" is published in lieu of the quarterly newsletter for the 4th quarter of 2004. It provides an update on our programs and efforts for the year 2004. This newsletter will be mailed to our members who do not have email access, will be emailed to members with email access, and posted to our web site for public information. All facts and figures in this update are as of 31 Dec 2004.
Our Programs
Spay/Neuter Program - PINS' emphasis and primary focus for 2004 was spay/neuter. We applied for and received a $10,000 grant for help with our spay/neuter program from a major animal welfare foundation. That grant allows us to continue to provide free spay or neuter of any dog or cat adopted from the Meade County Animal Shelter, and helps us help the residents of our county who need financial assistance with the cost of sterilizing their pets. As a general rule, we ask the pet owner to pay half of the cost, and we pay the remainder of the cost. If a pet owner cannot afford to pay any of the cost of the sterilization, however, we pay the full cost to prevent the birth of more unwanted pets in Meade County.
In 2004 we assisted with spay or neuter of 449 animals (214 dogs and 235 cats) in Meade County, at a cost of $21,744.00. That's up from 406 we did in 2003. Since we began our Spay/Neuter assistance program in November 2001, we've provided financial assistance with spaying or neutering of 1,325 dogs and cats at a total cost to us of $41,304.00. That is an average of $31.17 per animal.
Animal Shelter Support Program - The county did a lot of much-needed repairs on the shelter this year after we brought the deteriorating conditions to their attention. Many of the chain link gates, damaged by dogs trying to chew their way out, were repaired.
PINS donated 6,700 pounds of dog food to the Meade County Animal Shelter that was given to us by Royal Canin Pet Food Corporation. The Sheriff's department volunteered to store the food at their storage facility since the county stated they had no adequate space in which to store such a large volume of food. The donated food will feed the dogs in the animal shelter for at least a year, and saved the county approximately $3,400.
The PINS spay and neuter program is having a very favorable impact on the county animal shelter. In 2002, 1,344 animals (942 dogs and 402 cats) entered the shelter; in 2003, 1,157 animals (723 dogs and 434 cats) entered the animal shelter; in 2004 another decreased total of 1,117 animals (721 dogs and 396 cats). Prior to our involvement in the shelter and our spay/neuter program implementation, the total number of animals entering the Meade County Animal Shelter increased every year over the year before.
Dog warden Harry Jones announced his retirement effective March 2005. He will be out on "comp time" starting January 1, 2005. We will advocate and encourage Meade County to hire a qualified, trained Animal Control Officer to replace him.
Humane Education - Our PINS members continue to teach animal care and responsible pet ownership every opportunity we get, with special emphasis on the youth in the county. In 2004 two invitations were extended to Pets in Need Society by the library and Extension Service to help teach our children about animals. In September, PINS President, Deb Sobel presented in a pet care class at the Meade County Public Library, and John Campbell and Deb Sobel helped with the Farm and Home Safety Camp by teaching Dog Bite Prevention to over 100 children and their adult group leaders at the county fairgrounds.
PINS volunteer, Claudia Cooper, conducted two basic dog obedience classes this year at the Creature Comfort Inn Boarding Kennel. Feedback from those attending the obedience classes continues to be very positive, and Claudia plans to offer another class in the spring and fall of 2005.
Our Fundraising Efforts
Collection Boxes - The small dog house shaped donation boxes placed in many of the businesses throughout the county continue to provide a nice source of income for programs. It's amazing how quickly those quarters, nickels, dimes, and pennies add up. In 2004 we received $1, 073.64 in our collection boxes.
Summer Raffle - Thanks to the efforts of PINS members Dorsey Demaster and Crissey Burtt, our annual summer raffle was a big success again this year. The Grand Prize was a handcrafted clock made especially for PINS by DJ Sumner of Ekron. Dozens of other prizes were donated by local and area merchants and businesses. Total value of the donated prizes was over $2,200. The drawing was held at the Pet Festival on October 16th, and brought in $1,518.00.
Pet Festival - Our annual Pet Festival and Blessing of the Animals was held on Saturday, October 16th, at Pavilion #1 in the Brandenburg City Park. Rev. Jarrod Hunt performed the Blessing of the Animals. Entertainment was provided by the Ekron Baptist Church Puppet Ministry and the Good News Farm Petting Zoo. Although the weather was cold and extremely windy, about 200 people and their pets joined in the fun. Pictures of the day's activities can be found at the Past Events link.
Yard Sales - We had two great yard sales this year. Folks continue to support our yard sales through both their donations and purchases. The dedicated "yard salers" watch for the ad announcing our yard sales because we have such good "stuff" for sale, so thanks to those donating items for the effort. Total income from our yard sales in 2004 was $1,903.00.
Wreath Festival - The 5th annual Wreath Festival was held December 5th - 10th at the Meade County Courthouse. In addition to all the beautiful wreaths, swags, and trees that we traditionally have for sale, this year we offered Holiday Gift Baskets, cemetery saddles, mailbox swags, and lots of cash and carry items. The Wreath Festival is by far our biggest fundraising event of the year, and all our members and supporters outdid themselves to make it the best wreath festival ever. As always, Liz Bell was in charge of the wreath festival, and did a superb job! Special thanks goes to Sandy & John Campbell who spent untold hours daily at the courthouse that week "taking care of PINS business." Our total profit for the 2004 Wreath Festival was: $8,007.51.
Donations - We continue to get lots of financial support from the community. Particularly noteworthy were the donations made in memory of Trudy Bowen and Doug Crickmer. Additionally, Trudy Bowen's wishes were for her car to be given to Pets in Need Society to be sold as a fundraising source. Literally within minutes of it being parked out for viewing it was sold. Trudy continues to help and support us from beyond. The total donations received in 2004 were: $3,655.00.
Membership - Current PINS membership is 96. Unfortunately we lost two members this year - Mrs. Shirley Frenzl and Mrs. Trudy Bowen. Both were wonderful women who shared our love and concern for the animals and who supported our efforts immensely. Although they will be missed a great deal by their friends and family, the world is definitely a better place for their having been here. Membership dues are $10 per year for adults, $5 per year for children under the age of 18, and $25 per year for businesses, and are due in March to PINS, P.O. Box 522, Brandenburg, KY 40108.
Invite a friend or family member to join Pets in Need Society. Every member adds strength to our voice when we deal with animal welfare issues. Changes are surely coming about in Meade County in 2005 regarding animal control and animal welfare, and being a member of PINS adds your voice to the demands for reform.
Our Financial Status
Beginning Balance 1 Jan 2004: $25,821.17
Income
Collection boxes
Donations In Memory of:
Yard Sales Shirt Sales Obedience Classes Annual Raffle Ticket Sales Pet Festival Sponsorship & Games Wreath Festival Sales Wreath Festival Sponsorship Spay/Neuter Grant Reimbursement |
1073.64
445.00
1903.00 47.00 760.00 1518.00 317.50 7886.25 1480.00 8289.00 |
Total Income |
$27893.09 |
Expenses
Spay/Neuter
No More Homeless Pets Conference Education Materials Postage & PO Box Rental Annual Tax Audit Kentucky State Treasurer Chamber of Commerce Membership Telephone/voice mail Newspaper in Education Safety Deposit Box Rental Web Site Fee Office Supplies (Paper & Cartridges) Pet Festival Expenses Yard Sale Expenses Raffle Ticket Printing Expenses Wreath Festival Expenses Total Expenses |
21744.00
530.00 94.95 210.80 235.00 4.00 60.00 193.44 150.00 20.00 95.40 49.45 300.00 19.70 128.34 1358.74 $25193.82 |
Balance as of 31 December 2004 |
$28466.49 |