*** PLEASE FORWARD AND CROSS-POST ***
Many people think of a Humane Society as a well-staffed and well-funded group of kind-hearted souls that work tirelessly to save the animals in their care. Although dedicated above and beyond a level that gives new meaning to the word, the Grayson County Humane Society is literally comprised of ONLY SIX PART-TIME ONSITE VOLUNTEERS that tend to the 130+ animals that are now located at the Leitchfield Animal Shelter in Kentucky.
As the Grayson County Humane Society receives NO city, county, or state funding, the volunteers dig VERY deep into their own pockets and then they must rely heavily on the generosity and support of outside supporters. As expected - fundraising and grant writing - while necessary - is a HUGE chore that often gets lost in the other needs of the day that tug the volunteers' attention elsewhere....a kitten brought in with a bulging eye, a mangy pup that's in such bad shape they can't tell what breed it is, residents wanting to turn in their senior dog only to be able to adopt a "newer model" for their pleading children.
Operating a shelter in a poor rural area with little local support is "mind-
bogglingly" expensive. The current annual cost to run the Leitchfield Animal Shelter is approximately $48,000 -- that's $4,000 per month to house, feed, and to provide the best veterinary care they can to ensure that each animal goes to its forever home or safe rescue as healthy and as loved as possible. That amount DOESN'T include the additional money that the volunteers also put towards their many life-saving transports, shuttling pets to vets, and purchasing extra supplies such as supplements and over-the-counter type items. Preventative medicines, as needed as they are, add an additional $1,000 per month, which would give an annual budgetary need of $60,000.
As small as the onsite volunteer base is, the Grayson County Humane Society has numerous friends and supporters that applaud and appreciate the huge efforts that "Bcoo" (as she's so fondly known on the Petfinder Forum) and the other onsite volunteers put in to find forever homes for the many beautiful cats and dogs (and occasional rabbit, hamster, chicken - you name it!) that come under their care at the shelter. In an unprecedented effort for this AMAZING group of volunteers, we "offsite" volunteers and supporters have joined together to form the "The Grayson Angels."
What is it that we're hoping to do? We as a group have committed to setting aside a mere one dollar each day for the Grayson animals. It doesn't sound like a lot of money, but if only 156 people do this (we already have nine committed angels), it will quickly add up to covering one year of their budgeted expenses. Perhaps even more importantly, it will give the over-worked and super-stressed volunteers some MUCH-NEEDED breathing room to finally be able to focus some of their limited energy on fundraising and grant writing for future needs and long-term projects. Think of it as a granting them a "one year reprieve" to get their feet solidly on the ground to hopefully NEVER have to be stretched so thin ever again.
If you'd like to become a Grayson Angel, all it requires is setting aside one dollar a day and then sending in your first batch of "feathered funds" in mid-December to help with the year-end costs that are incurred at Grayson. Devise a system that works best for you - put a pretty envelope next to your computer and slip a dollar bill into it once a day, tuck seven bucks once a week into an empty coffee can hidden deep in your kitchen cupboard, or budget for writing a $91.25 check every three months. That's one of the beauties of becoming a Grayson Angel - you decide what works best for you to earn your furry wings. Skip the latte at Starbucks once a week or scrounge around under the couch cushions every few days.....your choice.
Please consider joining the growing flock of Grayson Angels. A mere four quarters a day from 165 people will keep the shelter operating for one more year. If this shelter was to close, the nearest other shelters are very high kill ones (compared to Grayson's lower kill rate - often only due to lack of space or behavioral issues).
While many shelters are often referred to as "the little engine that could," the
Grayson County Humane Society truly is the "little engine that DOES." They just keep chugging along as they climb what seems like a never-ending Kentucky mountain and they continue to work so very hard to find sanctuary for the critters in their care.
If you'd like to become a Grayson Angel, please send an email to Mare Horton at friendsofgraysoncohumanesoc-owner@yahoogroups.com (@yahoogroups.com) so she can add you to the growing list (and no - you don't have to join the Yahoo Group to become a Grayson Angel). We'll simply keep in touch with you via friendly reminders about where and when to send your donations (that information is also listed below for your convenience).
Please note that all donations to the Grayson County Humane Society are tax deductible. If you need a receipt, one will happily be provided to you. You can also follow the progress of the Grayson Angels by joining the Friends of Grayson County Humane Society Yahoo group ( http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/friendsofgraysoncohumanesoc/ ) or the MySpace page for the Grayson County Humane Society ( http://www.myspace.com/graysoncountyhumane ).
We look forward to welcoming you into our flock of earth angels. We think we're a pretty great group of feathered friends, but more importantly, we think the Grayson County Humane Society is a group that's EXCEPTIONALLY deserving of our time, energy, attention, and of course - our daily dose of $1.00.
Please join us if you can. The Grayson County animals absolutely ADORE angels, especially as they're surrounded by them every day - the ones that have "taken the form" of the onsite volunteers.
Thank you so very much........from one angel to another.......{HUGS}
Grayson Angel Donation Information:
You can mail a check or money order to:
Grayson County Humane Society/SPCA
213 William Thomason Byway
Leitchfield, KY 42754
You can also donate via Paypal by clicking on the "Donate" button that's located at either http://www.graysonhumane.org/ , http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/KY103.html , or http://www.myspace.com/graysoncountyhumane .
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