Conference misery::feline_v1

1288.0. "Volunteer Humane Society Gets a Permanent Home" by SALES::GKELLER (May the four winds blow you safely home) Thu Apr 21 1988 10:18

    
    	The Volunteer Humane Society(VHS) now has a permanent animal
    shelter! In March your local humane society passed papers on a building
    at Five Corners in Lancaster, that is now the home of the VHS, Inc.
    	that signing culminates a nearly 20 year history of the VHS,
    when dedicated volunteers (from Harvard, to Fitchburg, From Bolton,
    to Littleton) opened thier hearts and homes to abandoned animals
    as "foster parents" to cats, dogs, kittend, puppies, and sometimes
    rabbits.
    	Throughout those years, however, the ultimate goal was always
    a permanent shelter. Prior to incorporation in 1974, an unheated
    barn was used for a time before foster homes were deemed healthier
    and more practical. In 1979 VHS aquired land in Boxborough. INtending
    to build a shelter on that Codman hill Road site. Two years ago,
    VHS established a temporary shelter in Boxborough, as a
    pre-construction measure.
    	When the Lancaster property became available, however, officers
    and the boeard of directors saw advantages, in terms of both money
    and time, of purchasing an existing structure and selling the
    Boxborough land.
    	The new shelter will have a recption office area as you enter,
    with a large cat room through the French doors, and entirely cageless
    room with cat furniture and perches, to create a homelike setting
    for felines awaiting adoption. Upstairs, a loft will allow isolation
    for admissions and ill animals.
    	Outside an old horse barn will be converted(with your financial
    help) to a dog kennel. VHS dogs will depend on foster homes until
    then.
    	HOURS TO BE ANNOUNCED
    	Over the next several weeks, VHS will be planning and moving
    in. Our telephon answering machine (365-9470) will give opening
    dates, hours of operation, and adoption information. 
    	We ask that all visitors call first. BEcause VHS offers a "no-kill"
    shelter we may not have room for a stray cat you find, for example.
    In an emergency, of course, we will try to find a foster home if
    the shelter is full.
    	Although the shelter aquisition is a highlight to our history,
    it is not the answer to the abandoned and abused animal crisis.
    Education is the answer! It will be one of our priorities to make
    the public aware of what steps they can take to be responsible pet
    owners and help with the overpopulation problem. We hope this will
    mean the need for the shelter will diminish each year. 
    	Look in local papers for more news, including a grand opening
    in later spring or early fall.
    		WE NEED YOU
    	Now that we have a permanent shelter, there are new opportunities
    for volunteers, as well as some that are ongoing. Check this list
    to see what interestd you, and call 365-9470.
    		VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO:
    	-Feed the animals and help keep the shelter spotless.
    	-Groom and play with cats.
    	-Help secure donations of equipment and supplies
    	-Offer one-on-one wioth some of our more timid residents(this
    	 could take weeks of patience)
    	-Offer professional expertise and services.
    	-Help coordinate and work at shelter fund raising events
    
    			VHS WISH LIST
    	Now that we have a shelter we need to "furnish" it, with items
    ranging from office supplies to a washer and dryer. We appreciate
    all contributions, from cat toys to isolation cages. If you have
    some small items to donate or would like to sponser a large purchace,
    please call 365-9470.
    			MAJOR NEEDS
    	-Large capacity clothes washer
    	-Large capacity clothes dryer
    	-Desk
    	-Cages for isolation (donate $230 - $300)
    	-Treatment table (doante $150)
    	-Lab coats
    	-Electric Typrwriter (with elements)
    	-Vacum Cleaner (heavy duty) 
    	-Copier
    		CAT SUPPLIES
    	-Cat food, litter, large litter boxes
    	-Cat toys and catnip
    	-Cat trees (scratching posts) with sisal rope
    		MISCELLANEOUS
    	-Donations for adoption advertisements
        -Bathroom scale
    	-Flashlight, Emergency Lights
    	-Film - 35 mm, Black and White, and Color
    
    			THANK YOU ALL
    	The VHS would like to thank all the people publicly who have
    given thier support through donations. (During the fall, a list
    of donations was lost in the mail, before aknowledgements could
    be made) To all of you who did not hear from us, please accept our
    sincere apologies and heartfelt thanks for your support. Without
    your generous contributions the new shelter would not be possible!
    Watch newsletters and papers for shelter hours, so you can visit
    us and see the result of your support. Thank you again!
    
        	******Reprinted without Permission****** 
    
    	              Humane Society Newsletter 
    			     Spring 1988
    		      Editor: Barbara Parente
    		      Photography: Concy Smith
    		      New VHS Logo: Barbara Gargas
    	              VHS President: Lois Wikstrom
    		      Shelter Manager: Louise Miller
    		      NEW MAILING ADDRESS: VHS, Five Corners, Lancaster,
    					   MA 01523
    		      New Phone Number: 363-9470
    
    	SPECIAL THANKS
    
    P. Coan and Company, Inc.... Paul Coan donated the services of his
    	heavy equipment to perform site development tasks in Boxborough.
    E.R. Sullivan, Inc....Mrs Sullivan and Phil Sontag the driven well
    	at the Boxborough site at no cost to VHS
    Purington Associates, inc.... Jim Purington reduced his fee in
    	providing the DEQE Chapter 21-E survey in support of our mortgage
    	commitment.
    M.J. Tuttle Excavating... Mike Tuttle braved a driving snowstorm
    	and the biting cold of December 30 to dig test pits for the
    	DEQE survey at the Lancaster site. (He said that he would gladly
    	do it again to keep me from telling him another story about
    	some suffering cat that we had helped)
    Dallamora Realtors... Marilyn Green put the entire deal together
    	finding the Lancaster site and marketing the Boxborough site
    	successfully, some say, "Banks won't lend money to non-profit
    	organizations." She even found a bank willing to give us money.
    Cooperative Bank Of Concord...our mortgage holder. Of course we
      	will always have to watch our budget, but we are appreciative
    	that they were willing to take a chance on us.
    Certain Citizens of Lancaster...Without approval of the Board of
    	Appeals and support of our abutters, we would not have been
    	granted permission to operate an animal shelter. We will try
    	to be good neighbors at all times.
    Robert W. O'Brien... The seller of the Lancaster site. He sais he
    	accepted our first offer because "My wife feels bad for the
    	animals."
    Lynn and Richard Potts...For thier work gererosity and cooperation
    	while we maintained a temporary shelter in Boxborough.
    Dictograph Security Systems...For installing the alarm system in
    	our new shelter.
    
    We would also like to thank the veterinarians who have assisted
    us over the last few years by providing spay/neuter services at
    reduced rates for our organization.
    	-Animal Emergency, Acton
    	-Great Road Veterinary Hospital, Acton
    	-Hudson Animal Hospital, Hudson
    	-Lancaster Animal Hospital. Lancaster (our new neighbors)
    	-McGrath Animal Hospital, Billerica
    	-Stow Animal Hospital, Stow
    	-Wayland Animal Clinic, Wayland
    	-Veterinary Opthalmology, Bedford...Dr. Bachrach has generously
    	 donated all of his services!
    
    We look to the future with both excitement and anxiety. It won't
    be easy! As one chapter ends, another begins. Now, more than ever,
    we need your support. But we don't need it for ourselves ...we need
    it on behalf of the animals for whom we are responsible.
    
    	Lois Wikstrom
    	  President, Volunteer Humane Society
    
    		"Keep pets within petting distance"
    
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    Please don't forget that if you are donating Digital will provide
    matching funds.
    
    				
    			Peace to all the two and four legged creatures
    
    			Geoff
    

    I'm going to call that number right now!  I may have a few things
    they can use and I would LOVE to donate my time to help them!  
    
    Thanks for the info, Geoff!!!
    
    Holly
    
    

    Go for it Holly.  I live too far away to donate my services, but
    I will be going over the list to see where else I can help.
    
    Congratulations....
    
    Sandi  (Lightning's & DejaVu's mom)
    
    

    Me too!  I'm always for a Win-Win, no kill shelter.  Sounds like
    something i would love to dedicate my life to.  I am also remote,
    but $$ donations (with matching contributions from the company)
    is something i can definitely do.  I'd love to see this type of
    shelter become the American Way of handling our fellow creatures!
    Thanks for this note!  I love good news!
    
    sabonn