Pets in Need Society Year in Review - 2005
Pets in Need Society Year in Review - 2005 This "Year in Review" is published in lieu of the quarterly newsletter for the 4th quarter of 2005. It provides an update on our programs and efforts for the year 2005. All facts and figures in this update are as of 31 Dec 2005.
As this, our 5th full year in existence draws to an end, we look back with pride at all the accomplishments of our dedicated group of volunteers. As one of the largest, most active, and fastest growing non-profit organizations in Meade County, we continue to work on behalf of the animals - striving to improve the quality of life for all animals residing in Meade County, Kentucky.
Keep in mind that we are an all-volunteer organization with no salaried positions, and all our work is done by dedicated volunteers whose only payment is the satisfaction of knowing that their efforts are making a positive, long lasting difference for the animals in our community.
This newsletter is a recap of the efforts and dedication of our volunteers in 2005.
Our Programs
Humane Education/Public Relations
This year Pat Bowen volunteered to become our Public Relations/Humane Education Coordinator. We are thankful to have her talents working on our behalf. Whenever we do anything in the public eye, we are "relating and educating". That is why our board of directors decided to combine those two areas of interest into one committee with one volunteer coordinator to oversee all aspects of humane education and public relations.
Teaching people, especially children, responsible pet ownership, safety around animals, and the importance of spaying and neutering pets has always been one of our primary objectives. In 2005, as in previous years, we met those objectives.
In April we talked to a class of 8th graders at Stuart Pepper Middle School about careers involving animals such as veterinary medicine and animal control, and about caring for animals and spaying and neutering as a means of pet population control. These 14 and 15 year-olds were very interested in what we do and why we do it. Most of them were familiar with our organization and applauded or efforts on behalf of the animals.
In June we had a float in the Battletown parade and set up a booth at the Battletown Blowout Festival. Tom Brady, the newly hired county animal control officer shared our booth with us to show unity of purpose and concern. This was the first chance many of our members as well as most of the county, had to meet Tom, and the day's venture proved to be very rewarding to both agencies. Battletown is one of the areas that needs our spay and neuter assistance.
In July we had a float in the Meade County Fair parade, and staffed a booth at the Meade County Fair. Tens of thousands of folks came by our booth, many stopping to learn about us and our message of spaying and neutering and responsible pet ownership. We conducted a survey during fair week, asking our booth visitors several questions to help us better address the animal welfare concerns of the community. In exchange for their completing our survey, people were given a box of Iams dog biscuits that were donated to us by the Iams Corporation.
In September we participated in the Home & Farm Safety Day for 5th graders. Nearly 300 students from grade schools throughout Meade County were taught Dog Bite Prevention and the importance of spaying and neutering their pets.
Spay/Neuter Program
This year, as in the past three years, our primary focus and emphasis has been helping Meade County residents with the cost of sterilizing their dogs and cats. In 2005 we assisted with spaying and neutering a record number of animals - 312 cats and 280 dogs. The sterilization of these 592 animals cost us a total of $30,829. That's an average of $52.07 per animal. That figure includes 54 cats and 50 dogs adopted from our county animal shelter.
Since implementation of our spay/neuter assistance program in November 2001, PINS has subsidized the spay or neuter of 1,917 dogs and cats at a cost of $72,133.
We were fortunate enough to receive a $10,000 grant from a major animal welfare foundation again this year to help us with our spaying and neutering costs, but the grant has some major restrictions. 70% of the funds must be used to spay or neuter dogs that weigh at last 45 pounds at the time of surgery, and cannot be used for animals adopted from a shelter or rescue group.
As you can see, our costs continue to rise. In an effort to keep our costs within our budget, and still help as many people as possible who need our help, our Board of Directors decided to change our spay/neuter assistance program effective January 1, 2006. Our new spay/neuter assistance program is simple. Pet owners who need financial assistance with the cost of sterilizing their pets must pay $40 for cats and $50 for dogs, regardless of the animal's sex or size. Those prices apply to all dogs and cats, regardless of where the owner got the animal. PINS will no longer pay the full cost of sterilizing animals adopted from the county shelter. We simply can no longer afford to sustain that program.
We do, however, have the option of providing "special additional assistance" on a case-by-case basis, and may from time to time, offer special programs in cooperation with our local veterinary clinics. These "specials" will, of course, be dependant upon the availability of funds.
By Laws
In November 2005, our Board of Directors did an update of our organization's bylaws. A complete copy of the bylaws is available via email. Some of the most significant amendments are:
Board of Directors
Pets In Need Society's officers and members of the Board of Directors for 2006 are:
President - Deb Benham-Sobel
Vice President - Liz Bell
Secretary - David Kitson
Treasurer - Jean Rayner
Board Members at Large - Pat Bowen; Don Frenzl; Marylynne Kitson
Our organization heads into 2006 with a group of experienced, dedicated leaders. This will be the third term for the officers so they definitely know what they are doing. This will be the first full term for Pat Bowen on the board - she was elected to fill the seat vacated by John Campbell last year. Although Don Frenzl is new to our board, he has been a member of PINS for many years, and has served on numerous non-profit organization boards in the past. We welcome him and his abundance of knowledge and experience.
Highlights of Our Major Events and Efforts in 2005
Yard Sales - As in years past, we held two yard sales in 2005 - one in the spring and one in the fall. The public continues to support these fundraising efforts by donating and buying lots of "treasures". We now accept yard sale items year round and our storage shed bulges at the seams by the time our yard sales take place. That is always a good problem to have.
Annual Raffle - Thanks to the efforts of Dorsey Demaster and Crissey Burtt, our annual raffle was a huge success. Dorsey was able to get airlines tickets donated by both Southwest Airlines and Independence Air for our grand prizes, as well as dozens of other prizes from local and regional businesses and attractions. Southwest Airlines' local representative even came to our Pet Festival to do the drawing for the grand prize.
Pet Festival - This year's Pet Festival was our best yet. It was extremely well attended, and it gave us an opportunity to show folks our efforts and accomplishments in the animal welfare arena. The pet contests continue to be a fun part of the day's activities. As in the past three years, Rev. Jarrod Hunt conducted a wonderful service for the Blessing of the Animals. His connections provided us with absolutely perfect weather too. The Ekron Puppets were a crowd pleaser again this year, and the ever-supportive Boy Scout Troop #95 made sure folks had plenty to eat and drink.
5K Run - The personal efforts of Heather Mann and Linda Elsey made our first 5K-"Run Your Tail Off" a very well attended event. Over 60 humans and their dogs participated in the run/walk fundraising event along the Buttermilk Falls walking trail. All participants who paid the registration fee received a commemorative T-shirt. Hopefully we'll be able to have another of these events in 2006, but with Heather expecting their second child in July, don't know how much running she'll be able to do.
Roadside Cleanup - 2005 was the first year that Meade County made litter abatement funds available to non-profit groups. Groups such as ours were paid $100 per mile to pick up trash along the sides of county and state roads. PINS members and supporters cleaned 8.2 miles of county/state roadways to earn $820. The county plans to offer the program again next year in three sessions - spring, summer, and fall. Our members have already voted to participate once again when the program gets underway in 2006. This is an excellent source of funds for us since it costs us nothing but time and energy to raise this money. No special talents or skills are required for this fundraiser. Financially, we need to do at least 20 miles during the year.
Hurricane Katrina Relief - The disaster that struck the gulf coast this summer touched many of our hearts. Prompted by dozens of calls and emails from animal lovers in our area, our organization did what we could to help the abandoned and homeless pets left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. We sent several hundred pounds of dog and cat food to New Orleans, and collected $400 that was sent to "Noah's Wish" - an organization whose sole purpose is the rescue and care of animals affected by natural disasters. To learn more about Noah's Wish, visit their website at www.noahswish.org.
Meade County Animal Control - Starting with our efforts to renovate the local animal shelter in 2000, we've steadfastly maintained that Meade County should have a trained, certified Animal Control Officer. With the retirement of the former Dog Warden in January 2005, we knew the time had come to "push" our county leaders to hire a person to oversee and enforce animal care and control in our county. We assisted with writing a job description for the position of Animal Control Officer, and provided help and information as needed to make this a reality. Finally, in May 2005, Tom Brady was hired as Meade County's first Animal Control Officer.
Tom has since attended all required courses, passed all tests, and is now certified by the state as an Animal Control Officer. Tom has made vast improvements in the operations of and conditions in our local animal shelter, and works daily to improve the care of animals in Meade County. The adoption rate has dramatically increased at our shelter, as has the number of stray animals reclaimed by their owners. Tom's emphasis is not limited to just dogs and cats, either. Horses, cattle, goats, and even the occasional raccoon have been helped by Tom's intervention. It is so refreshing and encouraging to have someone in county government who sincerely cares about animal welfare and who shares our beliefs about the importance of spaying and neutering and responsible pet ownership.,/font>
Meade County Animal Shelter - Some significant improvements were made at our shelter in 2005. Under the supervision of Tom Brady, and using material donated by PINS, new outside exercise runs were built at the shelter. Now the dogs can go outside for exercise, fresh air, and "potty time". As a result, the indoor runs are cleaner and the dogs are happier and healthier. The staff at the shelter also did some much needed repairs to the inside dog runs, and built a large storage building for equipment, food and supply storage.
Because the operations and conditions at our local shelter has improved so much, and because the shelter is now open 6 days a week, many of the animals housed there are being adopted or reclaimed by their owners. Here are the statistics for 2005:
As this, our 5th full year in existence draws to an end, we look back with pride at all the accomplishments of our dedicated group of volunteers. As one of the largest, most active, and fastest growing non-profit organizations in Meade County, we continue to work on behalf of the animals - striving to improve the quality of life for all animals residing in Meade County, Kentucky.
Keep in mind that we are an all-volunteer organization with no salaried positions, and all our work is done by dedicated volunteers whose only payment is the satisfaction of knowing that their efforts are making a positive, long lasting difference for the animals in our community.
This newsletter is a recap of the efforts and dedication of our volunteers in 2005.
Our Programs
Humane Education/Public Relations
This year Pat Bowen volunteered to become our Public Relations/Humane Education Coordinator. We are thankful to have her talents working on our behalf. Whenever we do anything in the public eye, we are "relating and educating". That is why our board of directors decided to combine those two areas of interest into one committee with one volunteer coordinator to oversee all aspects of humane education and public relations.
Teaching people, especially children, responsible pet ownership, safety around animals, and the importance of spaying and neutering pets has always been one of our primary objectives. In 2005, as in previous years, we met those objectives.
In April we talked to a class of 8th graders at Stuart Pepper Middle School about careers involving animals such as veterinary medicine and animal control, and about caring for animals and spaying and neutering as a means of pet population control. These 14 and 15 year-olds were very interested in what we do and why we do it. Most of them were familiar with our organization and applauded or efforts on behalf of the animals.
In June we had a float in the Battletown parade and set up a booth at the Battletown Blowout Festival. Tom Brady, the newly hired county animal control officer shared our booth with us to show unity of purpose and concern. This was the first chance many of our members as well as most of the county, had to meet Tom, and the day's venture proved to be very rewarding to both agencies. Battletown is one of the areas that needs our spay and neuter assistance.
In July we had a float in the Meade County Fair parade, and staffed a booth at the Meade County Fair. Tens of thousands of folks came by our booth, many stopping to learn about us and our message of spaying and neutering and responsible pet ownership. We conducted a survey during fair week, asking our booth visitors several questions to help us better address the animal welfare concerns of the community. In exchange for their completing our survey, people were given a box of Iams dog biscuits that were donated to us by the Iams Corporation.
In September we participated in the Home & Farm Safety Day for 5th graders. Nearly 300 students from grade schools throughout Meade County were taught Dog Bite Prevention and the importance of spaying and neutering their pets.
Spay/Neuter Program
This year, as in the past three years, our primary focus and emphasis has been helping Meade County residents with the cost of sterilizing their dogs and cats. In 2005 we assisted with spaying and neutering a record number of animals - 312 cats and 280 dogs. The sterilization of these 592 animals cost us a total of $30,829. That's an average of $52.07 per animal. That figure includes 54 cats and 50 dogs adopted from our county animal shelter.
Since implementation of our spay/neuter assistance program in November 2001, PINS has subsidized the spay or neuter of 1,917 dogs and cats at a cost of $72,133.
We were fortunate enough to receive a $10,000 grant from a major animal welfare foundation again this year to help us with our spaying and neutering costs, but the grant has some major restrictions. 70% of the funds must be used to spay or neuter dogs that weigh at last 45 pounds at the time of surgery, and cannot be used for animals adopted from a shelter or rescue group.
As you can see, our costs continue to rise. In an effort to keep our costs within our budget, and still help as many people as possible who need our help, our Board of Directors decided to change our spay/neuter assistance program effective January 1, 2006. Our new spay/neuter assistance program is simple. Pet owners who need financial assistance with the cost of sterilizing their pets must pay $40 for cats and $50 for dogs, regardless of the animal's sex or size. Those prices apply to all dogs and cats, regardless of where the owner got the animal. PINS will no longer pay the full cost of sterilizing animals adopted from the county shelter. We simply can no longer afford to sustain that program.
We do, however, have the option of providing "special additional assistance" on a case-by-case basis, and may from time to time, offer special programs in cooperation with our local veterinary clinics. These "specials" will, of course, be dependant upon the availability of funds.
By Laws
In November 2005, our Board of Directors did an update of our organization's bylaws. A complete copy of the bylaws is available via email. Some of the most significant amendments are:
- Returned overall decisions and operations of the organization to the members
- Better defined our purpose and objectives
- Assigned specific responsibilities to officers and board members
- Renamed the types of membership
- Established "Honorary Member" as a type of membership
- Established provisions for expulsion of members for cause
- Granted voting privileges to Junior members
- Reduced the number of board members from nine (9) to seven (7)
- Established qualifications for officer and board member positions
- Reduced the number of Standing Committees
- Assigned responsibilities to Standing committees
- Established procedures for amending our bylaws
- Established procedures for dissolution and disposal of assets
Board of Directors
Pets In Need Society's officers and members of the Board of Directors for 2006 are:
President - Deb Benham-Sobel
Vice President - Liz Bell
Secretary - David Kitson
Treasurer - Jean Rayner
Board Members at Large - Pat Bowen; Don Frenzl; Marylynne Kitson
Our organization heads into 2006 with a group of experienced, dedicated leaders. This will be the third term for the officers so they definitely know what they are doing. This will be the first full term for Pat Bowen on the board - she was elected to fill the seat vacated by John Campbell last year. Although Don Frenzl is new to our board, he has been a member of PINS for many years, and has served on numerous non-profit organization boards in the past. We welcome him and his abundance of knowledge and experience.
Highlights of Our Major Events and Efforts in 2005
Yard Sales - As in years past, we held two yard sales in 2005 - one in the spring and one in the fall. The public continues to support these fundraising efforts by donating and buying lots of "treasures". We now accept yard sale items year round and our storage shed bulges at the seams by the time our yard sales take place. That is always a good problem to have.
Annual Raffle - Thanks to the efforts of Dorsey Demaster and Crissey Burtt, our annual raffle was a huge success. Dorsey was able to get airlines tickets donated by both Southwest Airlines and Independence Air for our grand prizes, as well as dozens of other prizes from local and regional businesses and attractions. Southwest Airlines' local representative even came to our Pet Festival to do the drawing for the grand prize.
Pet Festival - This year's Pet Festival was our best yet. It was extremely well attended, and it gave us an opportunity to show folks our efforts and accomplishments in the animal welfare arena. The pet contests continue to be a fun part of the day's activities. As in the past three years, Rev. Jarrod Hunt conducted a wonderful service for the Blessing of the Animals. His connections provided us with absolutely perfect weather too. The Ekron Puppets were a crowd pleaser again this year, and the ever-supportive Boy Scout Troop #95 made sure folks had plenty to eat and drink.
5K Run - The personal efforts of Heather Mann and Linda Elsey made our first 5K-"Run Your Tail Off" a very well attended event. Over 60 humans and their dogs participated in the run/walk fundraising event along the Buttermilk Falls walking trail. All participants who paid the registration fee received a commemorative T-shirt. Hopefully we'll be able to have another of these events in 2006, but with Heather expecting their second child in July, don't know how much running she'll be able to do.
Roadside Cleanup - 2005 was the first year that Meade County made litter abatement funds available to non-profit groups. Groups such as ours were paid $100 per mile to pick up trash along the sides of county and state roads. PINS members and supporters cleaned 8.2 miles of county/state roadways to earn $820. The county plans to offer the program again next year in three sessions - spring, summer, and fall. Our members have already voted to participate once again when the program gets underway in 2006. This is an excellent source of funds for us since it costs us nothing but time and energy to raise this money. No special talents or skills are required for this fundraiser. Financially, we need to do at least 20 miles during the year.
Hurricane Katrina Relief - The disaster that struck the gulf coast this summer touched many of our hearts. Prompted by dozens of calls and emails from animal lovers in our area, our organization did what we could to help the abandoned and homeless pets left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. We sent several hundred pounds of dog and cat food to New Orleans, and collected $400 that was sent to "Noah's Wish" - an organization whose sole purpose is the rescue and care of animals affected by natural disasters. To learn more about Noah's Wish, visit their website at www.noahswish.org.
Meade County Animal Control - Starting with our efforts to renovate the local animal shelter in 2000, we've steadfastly maintained that Meade County should have a trained, certified Animal Control Officer. With the retirement of the former Dog Warden in January 2005, we knew the time had come to "push" our county leaders to hire a person to oversee and enforce animal care and control in our county. We assisted with writing a job description for the position of Animal Control Officer, and provided help and information as needed to make this a reality. Finally, in May 2005, Tom Brady was hired as Meade County's first Animal Control Officer.
Tom has since attended all required courses, passed all tests, and is now certified by the state as an Animal Control Officer. Tom has made vast improvements in the operations of and conditions in our local animal shelter, and works daily to improve the care of animals in Meade County. The adoption rate has dramatically increased at our shelter, as has the number of stray animals reclaimed by their owners. Tom's emphasis is not limited to just dogs and cats, either. Horses, cattle, goats, and even the occasional raccoon have been helped by Tom's intervention. It is so refreshing and encouraging to have someone in county government who sincerely cares about animal welfare and who shares our beliefs about the importance of spaying and neutering and responsible pet ownership.,/font>
Meade County Animal Shelter - Some significant improvements were made at our shelter in 2005. Under the supervision of Tom Brady, and using material donated by PINS, new outside exercise runs were built at the shelter. Now the dogs can go outside for exercise, fresh air, and "potty time". As a result, the indoor runs are cleaner and the dogs are happier and healthier. The staff at the shelter also did some much needed repairs to the inside dog runs, and built a large storage building for equipment, food and supply storage.
Because the operations and conditions at our local shelter has improved so much, and because the shelter is now open 6 days a week, many of the animals housed there are being adopted or reclaimed by their owners. Here are the statistics for 2005:
# Taken In # Adopted # Reclaimed by owner # Euthanized |
Cats
706 129 (18%) 10 (2%) 553 |
Dogs
1075 315 (29%) 96 (9%) 590 |
Wreath Festival - Thanks to the extra efforts of Liz Bell who "puts it all together", and all the many volunteers who worked the sales table, made the beautiful items for sale, and beat the bushes to drum up sponsors, our annual wreath festival was a big success again this year. We've already begun plans for the 2006 Wreath Festival, and workshops are being planned and scheduled throughout 2006 to get a jump start on creations and crafts to sell at next year's event.
Dog Obedience Classes - Claudia Cooper once again donated her time and talents to the dogs this year, and conducted two sessions of basic obedience classes. Dogs and owners continue to benefit from Claudia's talents and dedication. Thank you Claudia!
Dog Obedience Classes - Claudia Cooper once again donated her time and talents to the dogs this year, and conducted two sessions of basic obedience classes. Dogs and owners continue to benefit from Claudia's talents and dedication. Thank you Claudia!
Income
Grant Reimbursement
Membership Yard Sales Spring Fling 5k Run Battletown Blowout Raffle Pet Festival Litter Abatement 2005 Wreath Festival Hurricane Katrina Donations Puzzle Sales Donations Obedience Classes Collection Boxes |
9340.00
1120.00 2164.45 136.00 1284.00 92.00 3943.00 566.57 820.00 8930.05 400.00 625.00 1006.23 360.00 584.27 |
Total Income |
$31070.57 |
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 |