------ Pets for U.S. Vets ------

Our local United States Veterans are needed once again. Only this time, they are needed by the animals of the Washington Area Humane Society.
October 9, 2010, 84 Fitness Center sponsored a Furry Fall Festival with the theme “Pets for United States Vets.” Everyone had a wonderful time and over $5,500 was raised.
For more information on the event, see our earlier stories on this dog blog.

All of the proceeds went into a special fund at the WAHS known as the “Veterans Fund”. Our local veterans can now adopt a dog or cat out of our no-kill, full to capacity shelter at no cost to them, as long as the funds hold out. At any time, donations can be made to the “Veterans Fund” (be sure to mark your check that way) to keep the program going. Wonderful health benefits are associated with owning a pet…both for the animal and the person. It was our idea to honor our veterans and also help the homeless animals…a win/win situation.
The situation at the shelter is heartbreaking. Some of the furry residents have been there over a year and are known as the “veteran” shelter pets. Being a no-kill shelter has limited the number of animals that can be safely taken in and properly cared for. There are many adult pets that would fit easily into a loving home. Some have been passed over many times and feel rejection every day.
If you are a veteran and have been thinking of adding a new furry member to your household, please take this opportunity to adopt from the WAHS free of charge. All of the pets are micro-chipped, spayed or neutered and up to date on shots. There are volunteers willing to answer questions and give suggestions for those who want or need it.
We need to pull together as a community, just as the small group of people did who raised the money for the Veterans Fund. Please give these dogs and cats a chance to be part of a family and not have to spend any more time in a cage waiting for someone to love them.
Please take this first step in being part of the solution in our area. If you can make room for one of these animals or tell a friend of our special Veterans Fund, you would be doing such a great service to our community.
The animals at the WAHS really need your help and they need it now.

Speaking for the Shelter Animals,

Suzi Smith PHD (perfect hound dogs) Email me at: dogparty84@aol.com

Due to the overwhelming response to the Furry Fall Festival,

the residents of HOUNDHAVEN speak out!

Hi, Dog Party People!

A Furry Fall Festival was a total success!!! I want to thank all of you who supported this event and all who attended the Dog Party! The weather was a picture perfect day...at one point a friend of mine said to look up into the sky...there was not a cloud...we were being watched over. Some of the plans that I had in my head just went out the window as the event started rolling along. The Dog Party took on a life of its own. But, it was a good thing. All of the people and all dogs were having a great time. I met people that I had been emailing with and made new friends. What a glorious day to be able to mingle in a crowd of animal lovers! Everyone there was so proud of their doggies!I'm especially proud of the Claysville American Legion...The Legion Riders. If you were there at 10:30, you saw the most Patriotic Presentation that has EVER been at a Dog Party! The Washington Festival Chorale sang a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem as the Legion Honor Guard presented arms. Directly following that was the Pledge of Allegiance spoken by three troops of Girl Scouts.Early on, I found out that the Claysville American Legion was hosting a dinner for Veterans the same day as the Dog Party. They had busses of veterans coming from the VA Hospital in Pittsburgh. They had so much to prepare for to get ready for their dinner. I spoke with Tim, the President of the Legion, and tried to let them off the hook for our event. I told him that I would try to get another group because I realized that they were extremely busy that day. Tim wouldn't hear of it. He said they would be there. And was he right! A dozen Honor Guard members showed up in full attire and made me so proud to be an American! They are top of the line. They not only talk patriotism, they practice it! They also did a ride for the Pets for U.S. Vets and presented us with a very generous donation for the Veterans Fund at the WAHS. We thank them. They made the day!Then we had the wildly popular, (that's how I announced him), Rev. Dr. Stu Broberg giving a short sermon and then the Blessing of the Animals. If you thought that this would be your "normal", from the book sermon, you got a big surprise! Dr. Stu and the Washington Festival Chorale sang Amazing Grace with only the words BOW WOW, BOW WOW! Two verses of it!!! People were happy, you could see it on their faces. Then the Reverend read the Rainbow Bridge...I've been trying to keep going since June when my 14 year old coonhound baby Levi passed away unexpectedly. Some of you know how much I just wanted to quit and give up on everything. I loved that boy with all my heart and went into a deep depression. I had to fight every day to put one foot in front of the other to continue with this event. There were times when I couldn't get out of bed. If you saw me on the stairs crying when the Reverend was reading this, I couldn't help it...It all came to the surface...At that time, with my face in my hands, my brother John leaned down and said that he felt the same way...he had just lost his 14 year old Hershey, a beautiful little girl from the WAHS. A moment later, my friend Eileen's little shelter dog, Bailey, pushed my face out of my hands and started kissing my face...she knew...I looked around and saw many people wiping their eyes. We all had lost but continued to love...I hope that I'm always surrounded by this type of people. I don't know how to begin thanking everyone that was involved in this. It is truly overwhelming.I have to thank 84 Fitness Center's manager Lynn Osborn for giving us the ball park for the day. Many things are involved behind the scenes. There had to be repair work done and the fields had to be mowed. 84 Lumber was very generous with gifts and support. Plus, putting up with my meltdowns from time to time during the months prior was in itself a feat. I have to thank the WAHS for honoring my wish for a Veterans Fund and donating gifts and items and putting out information. Thanks to Alice the volunteer coordinator and Susan, Board of Directors, for working closely with me. John Lege, That Guy With the Birds, stole the show with his trained rescue birds. He and his assistant, Tracey, traveled many miles to get here. Staci Adams and her OG West Penn Shutzhund Club did a spectacular show on obedience and training. People were very impressed. Rick and Rose, as always , pulled off a fantastic Chinese Auction. They worked very hard selling tickets and keeping everything straight with that huge amount of loot that the people of our Community donated. Susan, from one of the local schools, sold jewelry and donated all of the $$$ to the fund! The A-Train guy kept the kids busy with train rides throughout the ball park. Erin the dog groomer cut toe-nails and did some dematting on tails and legs. The Singing Shelter Dog, Claude, kept us laughing as he made his dad play bagpipes until he was ready to sing. A special thanks to Petco for all that they did. Please support them as they are true animal lovers. They stuffed bags at their store with flyers, they donated food and gifts, they did free grooms for shelter dogs, they gave a donation to be a vendor at the event. Thank you, Deanna. Thank you to our 20 T-Shirt Sponsors ! Thanks to Marci on the west coast for setting up this blog! It has helped me to condense information. Thanks to the small group of wonderful people who worked in the trenches with me. My husband Jimmy did an amazing job supporting me through all of this and worked really hard at the event. Rich from the gym and Jimmy carried all of the tables and set up and tore down. The day before the event we found out that our corn stalks didn't survive a recent storm. True to her nature, Marge pulled through and located a farmer in the area, handed me a machete' and off to the corn fields we went! So, all of the corn stalks were hand cut, not $$$ spent out of our donations!!! Donna worked behind the scenes blasting emails and contacting people for donations. She worked late into the night for so long getting the word out there. Many days she sent out over 400 emails letting people know what we were trying to do. Mary Jo, Betty and Kathy were my team members with basket making, donation gathering, day to day set up preparations. Mary Jo was the decoration department and got me hooked on basket making and I look forward to next year's baskets. Betty didn't take any prisoners. She got donations for the veterans and didn't take no for an answer. Kathy worked the Pittsburgh area over really well. What a tough group of volunteers! Thank you to everyone who was a part of this drive in any way, shape or form. We honored our veterans who have kept us safe and continue to do so. We brought awareness to the plight of the shelter animals. We set up a "restricted" fund that cannot be used for anything other than adoptions for the veterans. We had the best Dog Party EVER! My husband and I were so busy and tired that we didn't take pictures. At one point my friend Pat, who sang in the Chorale, said that I was rambling on the microphone to my Mom saying things like" Hi, Mom what are you eating over there?" Pat knew that I was starting to lose it!!! If you know me, you know that I'm a picture fanatic. My three hounds get their photos taken on a regular basis. I'm asking anyone who has pictures of the Pets for U.S. Vets event to please send some to me so that I can put them together in a slide show. We can put it on the WAHS web site and offer them to add to our fund. Let's get some animals out of the shelter and into loving forever homes. Lynn just called me from 84 Fitness Center. Without knowing how much $$$ the WAHS made at the Furry Fall Festival with their banks and other donations, we have in our account over $5,500. We have minimal expenses to pay for, i.e. T-Shirts and port-a-johns, so we did extremely well!!! Just think of how many pet adoptions that will cover!!! Also, please send me pictures of the event. Thank you for everything! You are the very best of the best!!! If I forgot to mention anyone's name, you are in my heart. I really appreciate everything.

Your Pal,

Suzi Smith P.H.D. (Perfect Hound Dogs) dogparty84@aol.com

SAVE THE DATE

The theme for this Dog Walk and social event is

Pets for U.S. Vets!

84 Fitness Center and the Washington Area Humane Society have teamed up to start a special fund for our local United States Veterans. All of the money made at this event will cover the adoption fees of any pets being adopted from our local shelter by qualified veterans. Let’s see how many animals we can get adopted out of the shelter!

Back in the Spring, I asked Lynn Osborn, 84 Fitness Center Manager if we could put on a dog walk to raise funds for our local shelter. She immediately offered the ball fields for the day. What started out as a Dog Walk at the ball fields has snowballed into a social event for people and their dogs. It seems to have taken on a life of its own.

Some of the events planned for the day are as follows:

(times are approximate due to expected chaos) :-)

9:30- registration and check in- $10 donation

(all entrants receive a one week FREE pass to 84 Fitness Center and a FREE Tanger Outlets coupon book voucher)

*KIDS 12 years and under and all DOGS FREE

10:30- Beginning "thank you" to all of our veterans past and present

Claysville American Legion Honor Guard presentation

Singing of the National Anthem by the Washington Festival Chorale

Pledge of Allegiance

11:00- Dog Walk around the ball fields

12:00-3:00-

Blessing of the Animals with Reverend Dr. Stuart Broberg

Vendor food for purchase

Mr. John Lege "That Guy With the Birds" www.budwings.com

OG West Penn Schutzhund Club with Staci Adams

North Strabane Fire Department on fire prevention

Photos

Several fun games for people and pets:

(i.e. Silly Agility, Milk Bone Toss & Egg on a Spoon Relay)

Introduction of the "Rental Dogs" from the WAHS

Recognition of the WAHS Alumni dogs

Chinese Auction/Silent Auction-50/50

Thank you to all of our T-Shirt Sponsors, volunteers and participants

As the Dog Walk grew into something more, I felt the stress mounting. I worried about everything turning out right and enough people showing up to make our mission a success. I was reminded of why I started this walk in the first place as I stood at the WAHS door the other day. The sign posted on the door said that they could not accept any more dogs or cats at this time. There just wasn't any room. I looked inside and saw many tired faces of dedicated people who day in and day out try to take care of the masses. It's a never ending job...I know. I used to be on the Board of Directors and I was a volunteer walker and groomer for quite a while. Our community wants it to stay a no-kill shelter, as I do. But, along with that comes a responsibility from the public. As a team, 84 Fitness Center Mgr. Lynn Osborn, myself and the WAHS will raise awareness of the plight of the shelter animal. We will introduce you to dogs that are "veterans" of the shelter. One of which I know has been there over a year...We will honor our local veterans and encourage them to adopt a dog or cat at no charge.

With your help, we can give our community a chance to be part of the solution...

Thank you, Suzi Smith

412-217-9059 dogparty84@aol.com

After the event, I'll post pictures...