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Paws in Print

March 2004

Adopting Honey-Bun

It had been nearly six months since Petey, my Pomeranian, had died. I decided I would not get another dog. Danny, my husband, and I have no children at home. We eat out often and travel from McComb to Brook-haven to the Country Fisherman, one of our favorite places. I always look at the pictures of the animals on the Brookhaven Animal Rescue League board while my husband pays the check. One day a nice young man introduced himself as Rusty Adcock and I confessed that I loved dogs. I asked about Honey-Bun. The notation under the dog photo was interesting. It said she was "shy." That did it. I know I could love her and hoped she would soon break her shyness.

I asked Rusty if I could come back Monday to see Honey-Bun. He said, "Sure, but you will have to come by the restaurant and let me call Beth to go with you, because she is the only one who could catch her."

I loved her at first sight. We could easily see the love between Beth and Honey-Bun. I wanted her, and Danny said okay. She rode good all the way back home. We have a large fenced-in yard. Our yard was perfect for Honey-Bun.

Later that evening I went out back to check on Honey-Bun. She was gone! It seemed unbelievable that she would run away. Danny found a spot where she dug out under a gate. We then got in the van and went through the neighborhood looking for her. After two hours of looking we called Rusty to tell him what had happened.

About 9:00 that night I went outside to see and to my surprise Beth was walking holding a flashlight calling out for Honey-Bun and Rusty her husband was following. They looked for two hours but could not find her. We couldn’t thank them enough. We went to bed very sad that Monday night.

At around 1:00 p.m. the next day I got up and looked out my bedroom window and saw no Honey-Bun. Later, I looked out the window and there were Beth and Cydnee, Beth’s friend, outside playing with Honey-Bun. I was overjoyed!! Beth told Cydnee that they would go by our house one more time. To their surprise they saw Honey-Bun lying in our back yard in the sun. Honey-Bun had come back home on her own.

That night Danny and I left Honey-Bun in the house while we went to Wal-Mart to buy Honey-Bun the luxuries of a dog’s life. We got her a house and a big pillow, a self-watering bowl and a self feeder, an extra dish, twenty pounds of dog food, three fifteen feet of light chain, a lease, and all kinds of goodies. The clerk at checkout said "That’s going to be a very happy dog."

Honey-Bun comes in the house now and lays on the couch. Many prayers have been said for Honey-Bun and I think this story will have a happy ending. We really do love Honey-Bun.

Donna O’Quinn (The photo of the dog at the top of this page is of Honey-Bun.)

Suzanne’s Story

Last February a lady was driving south on old 51 highway when she spotted what she thought was a dead dog lying in a water-filled ditch. She thought, "poor thing" and continued her drive to work. The next day, the dog was still there and was making a feeble attempt to sit up. She immediately contacted the League about this pitiful, suffering, perhaps dying, animal.

Stacy Walker, Jan Gove, and Glen Watkins located the animal, who was hypothermic and truly near death in very cold water. Knowing she had been there for several days, there was little hope for her survival. A local vet treated her and it was discovered that she had been hit by a car and suffered a broken pelvis.

This precious dog was warmed up, given fluids, bathed, and fed over a period of weeks. When finally in good enough shape to be fostered, Lu and Mike Becker generously opened their hearts and home to her. In order for her to do anything, she manually had to be placed in a standing position. She dragged herself to food and water and into her warm, cozy dog house. Only time would tell if she would recover enough to be adopted.

Suzanne suffered many set-backs, including numerous eye infections, but was finally ready for a new home. Being an older dog made her harder to place, on top of having medical problems, but her wonderful sweet nature endeared her to everyone with whom she came in contact.

A relative of Lu’s, Charlie Geer, answered our frantic call, and Suzanne was delivered to her new fabulous home in Meridian.

Her new parent, Charlie Geer, continues the story:

"The day Suzanne arrived here in the summer of 2003, she had already had a lot of tender loving care for a long time. She arrived still somewhat crippled from the break in her pelvis. She was on the thin side, and her eyes were infected. As I write this it is the middle of February 2003. In a year’s time she has gone from abandoned in a water-filled ditch for three days and nights to fit and fine. Suzanne, being a hound, chases that elusive fox, hunting most of her nights and sleeping most of her days. She lives on 80 fenced-in acres and is very safe. She has a brother and sister that are aging Labradors that cannot keep up with her, but are willing companions. She has helped to keep pep in their steps. Her testimony is that God looks out for His weak and broken. I cannot take credit for her rescue, but, I can enjoy her great spirit. Please sign me grateful for an unexpected blessing."

Building Update

Though slowly, the building committee is making some headway towards the new canine facility. Thanks to Ed and Jan Gove, we do have the plot of land on which the facility will be built. The specific spot for the slab has been roped off as well. The power company has also been out and cleared the right-of-way in front of the building spot.

Our next step will be clearing the building site area. There have already been talks with officials from Co-Lin’s vocational school. They have agreed to clear the building site for us. This will give their Heavy Equipment class some hands-on training while also helping a great non-profit cause. BARL and the surrounding region are very fortunate to have Copiah Lincoln Community College helping our communities in such ways.

Once the clearing has been done, we’ll hopefully have some dirt work lined up. After that, we’ll be ready for the slab and initial plumbing to be laid. According to our current building fund balance, this will be as far as we can go until we can garner more funding. So, if there are any animal-loving philanthropists out there looking for a good tax-deduction, here’s your chance. We have started brainstorming on fundraising ideas and will have some great ones I’m sure. However, this project is large and our need is great. So, please remember us when you’re looking to donate.

Thank you.

Rusty Adcock, Building Committee Chairperson

Where Does the Money Go?

We are often asked where we get our funding. The Brookhaven Animal Rescue League does not receive any government funding. Our funds come from generous individual donors and foundations. If you contribute to BARL, you deserve to know what we do with your money.

During 2003, the League’s total income was $56,501.84. This included income from a wide range of sources—adoption fees, contributions, sales revenue, treatment sponsorships, grants, recycling programs, and events such as the annual golf tournament. (Look at a sample of our fund-raising activities in the Tid-Bits section on page 10.)

Spending for 2003 can be grouped into three categories: fund-raising expenses, administrative expenses, and program expenses. Our fund-raising expenses were relatively small, only $2,039.69, or 3.6% of our total budget. Administrative expenses ("overhead") made up 6.2% of the budget—$3,510.96. The vast majority of BARL’s budget—$51,071.62—went into program expenses: veterinary services, microchip identification, supplies and medicines, repairs, and so forth.

The American Institute of Philanthropy and the Better Business Bureau recommend that a nonprofit organization spend at least 60% of its budget on program expenses. Judged by this yardstick, the League did very well. Over 90% of BARL’s budget was used directly to provide care for the animals. Of each dollar you donated, only 10 cents was used for administrative and fund-raising expenses.

Donations in 2003 increased significantly from the previous year. But we also sheltered and treated many more animals than previously, and our expenses increased as well. For 2003, the difference between income and spending was $120. Does your family budget balance that well?

The League has no paid employees. Volunteers do everything—answering phone calls, bookkeeping, handling adoptions, photographing animals, mending fencing, ferrying animals to vet’s offices, filling out tax returns, giving medicines, even scooping poop. We are proud of how far we can stretch precious donation dollars. If you’d like to receive a detailed budgetary report for 2003, just ask.

Gayle Ross, past BARL president

Who We Are/What We Do

Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!

That was my response lately to someone who said, "Isn’t BARL a big organization with lots of volunteers?" And then I realized there are probably people who don’t realize just how small of an organization we are, so here is a brief description:

• BARL does not have an indoor shelter, all we have are outside dog pens sitting on dirt and gravel (mud when it rains). Our cats are boarded at the three Brookhaven veterinary offices.
• BARL does not have very many volunteers…probably 10 consistent people…others come once or twice to clean the pens…some medication days have had as few as two volunteers.
• BARL has had over 70 dogs at the pens at one time. We are trying to get the number down to 40. Currently we have about 45 dogs ready for adoption.
• BARL is an ALL-Volunteer organization. We don’t have any paid employees.
• BARL does not receive funding from the city or county. We run solely on donations from kind people and businesses. We sometimes are lucky enough to receive a grant from an animal organization.

The majority of donations not designated for the building fund go towards vet bills. Our animals are kept healthy while waiting for a home. ALL BARL animals are also spayed or neutered before going to a family. They also are current on vaccinations and have a permanent identification chip.

What we desperately want and NEED:

• An indoor facility. See page 2 of this newsletter to find out about our building plans.
• Donations…for the building…for the Vet bills…for dog food.
• Volunteers who are willing to clean the pens, or walk the dogs, or pet the dogs, or feed the dogs. We need so much help!
• Loving homes for our animals. Please consider adopting a shelter animal for your next pet…you won’t be disappointed.

Enrich your life…come be a part of the Brookhaven Animal Rescue League.

Beth Adcock, Executive Committee

Just a Few Things We Do

BARL spays and neuters our animals before they are adopted, most before they come to the League, making the League part of the overpopulation solution.

BARL provides medical treatment and worming for all animals.

BARL vaccinates all our dogs and cats for rabies and distemper. Cats are also vaccinated against leukemia.

BARL tests all our dogs and cats for infectious disease and all dogs for heartworm infection.

BARL advertises in newspapers and in other local media to find homes for all our adoptable pets.

BARL gives all its canines monthly heartworm preventative.

BARL microchips all dogs for permanent identification.

BARL fights pet overpopulation with financial help to the public for spaying and neutering.