Project News, November - December 2013

From: Elizabeth Howard, Coordinator

The primary mission of Home Van Pet Care Project is to provide pet food for pets of the homeless and very low income people in our community. We do a great deal of other supportive work, including helping with access to spay/neuter at clinics, providing education about pet care, and giving many supplies to help people provide a better life for their pets.

We’re presently working on campsites to make these areas as comfortable as possible for the dogs and cats that live in these areas. We gave out large water bowls and also some tarps where needed. We installed several running lines and continued our project to supply County license tags. We’re taking out some hay this week to supply more comfort in preparation for colder weather. This is ongoing work for which we always need volunteers, supplies and donations.

CHRISTMAS FOR THE ANIMALS: We’ll have a small celebration with some cookies for people, cats and dogs and we’ll give extra food supplies. Christmas Wishes: The dogs always want more treats and the kitties like them also. Both dogs and cats like those warm fuzzy blankets, the kitties love catnip mice, and the dogs like those strongly woven chew toys. Canvas folding water bowls are great and we can always use collars and leashes of all sizes. We will give as much extra dry food as possible at this time and also canned foods, the fishy types for the kitties and chicken flavors for the dogs. If you can contribute wish-gifts or money for us to buy them, please let us know.

CHRISTMAS FOR TIFFANY: Tiffany’s family was evicted on very short notice due to code violations of the property owner. Tiffany was left behind and we are helping them to visit and feed her. Tiffany is a sweet and pretty 2-3 year old kitty who is spayed and up to date on vaccinations. She is very afraid of dogs, and would make a good inside kitty. We really need to get her out of her present situation as quickly as possible. Please call as soon as possible: 352-473-9423.

SPECIAL NEEDS: Like Tiffany, our pets are sometimes in danger of abandonment when their caretaker faces eviction, or goes to hospital or even jail. We are need of foster parents who will stand by to care for a dog or cat, long or short term and sometimes on short notice. These animals will be frightened and missing their humans so you must be very kind and patient. We will supply all food and other material needs and will contact rescue groups and potential adopters for long term housing and permanent homes. For more information or to volunteer contact Elizabeth at 352-473-9423.

PET FOOD DRIVES: If you are part of a school, social or religious group who can put together a Christmas pet food drive for us, we would appreciate that. Please call for information if you can help in this way: 352-473-9423.

We have an ongoing need for bags of dog food and cat food. Please contact us for current needs. Volunteer helpers are also needed and appreciated. If you can contribute financially, please send checks made to Home Van Pet Care Project, Inc., c/o Elizabeth Howard, P.O. Box 14305, Gainesville, FL 32604 or PayPal at our blog, http://homevanpetcareproject.blogspot.com/ . To volunteer, to donate food or for more information contact Elizabeth at 352-473-9423 or holisticliz@hotmail.com.

HOME VAN PET CARE PROJECT NEWS – September/October 2013

SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITION

This time of year we’re getting ready for cold weather and cold rain making life even more difficult for our homeless friends and their animals. We look at our progress through the past several months and try to catch up on needed services and items.

DOGS: This week we purchased and distributed a dozen County license tags. These tags cost $20 each for spayed and neutered animals at Alachua County Animal Services and are provided for dogs of people who pick up pet food from our project. We checked our list and would like to buy a dozen more tags.

We also purchased a dozen good quality running lines for dogs. These lines give dogs freedom as well as keeping them safe at their campsites. ACAS accepts running lines to comply with the tethering regulations. We’d like to buy another dozen of these.

To go with the running lines, we also found some heavy duty, gallon size water bowls that won’t be knocked over so easily, also for use at campsites. We’d like to purchase a dozen of these, as well as large, sturdy food bowls.

We always need tarps over the Fall and Winter months, as well as bungee cords and rope to install the tarps. We also pick up hay for bedding several times over the winter months.

CATS: This time last year we relocated our Tent City Cat Tribe to a rural area, where they are doing well. We continue to support their needs along with several other former Tent City cats who were relocated. We frequently need hardware cloth, chicken wire, tarps and new feeding bowls for these relocated cats.

In Tent City there are still several kitties who are fed and supervised by our friends Richard and Vickie. We supply the food, and medical if needed. There are also several cat owners at other campsites as well as in housing. They pick up cat food and we keep in touch with their needs also. We know of several formerly homeless people who help Operation Catnip with spay/neuter work and we really appreciate that they do this.

We have an ongoing need for bags of dog food and cat food, please contact us for current needs (see information below). Volunteer helpers are also needed and appreciated.

If you can contribute financially, please send checks to Home Van Pet Care Project, Inc., c/o Elizabeth Howard, P.O. Box 14305, Gainesville, FL 32604 or Paypal at our blog, http://homevanpetcareproject.blogspot.com. To volunteer, to donate food or for more information contact Elizabeth at 352-473-9423 or holisticliz@hotmail.com.

Home Van Pet Care Project News Summer 2013

HOME VAN PET CARE PROJECT NEWS – Summer 2013 From: Elizabeth Howard, Coordinator Providing food for pets of homeless persons in our community is our first concern and our Project priority. Food first, and then a major priority to spay/neuter. Summer this year has brought to the homeless community lots of rain, mosquitoes, and pups in the woods.

This is about Ruby, a young dog who lived in the homeless community. Her “owner,” Mark, under the mistaken impression that it is a good thing for a female dog to have “just one litter,” allowed Ruby to become pregnant. He then took himself off to another state, leaving his own mother to care for Ruby and two other young dogs, Kona and Puffy. Fortunately, Mark’s mom, Denise is a responsible person who although she is herself homeless, was able to put together a reasonably clean safe situation for the dogs.

The photo on the left is Ruby at Tent City.

Ruby was within a couple of weeks of having her puppies when Home Van Pet Care came on the scene, and it is primarily through the interventions of Melissa Glikes, a Board member and beloved “dog person” that Ruby and her pups and the other two dogs have had a good outcome.

Plenty of Pitbulls Rescue has taken Ruby, Knoa and Pippy into their care. We are grateful to them for we know these three will get good homes. University of Florida Shelter Medicine furnished the spay/neuter for these three dogs as well as vaccines for their protection. The two photos on the right show Ruby recovering from surgery, and Ruby in her new foster home.

Ruby’s five little pups were given to homes by their caretaker so we still have concerns about them and are keeping in touch so that they can also receive spay/neuter and vaccines as needed.

At another camp we discovered four pups, abandoned by the “owner” of their mother. With help from camp residents three of these four were also spayed, neutered and vaccinated courtesy of UF Shelter Medicine. A young kitty who had wandered in to the camp also received spay and vaccines. These young animals are adopted by camp residents who receive food and attention from our project.

We’re also helping out with spay/neuter of a mother cat and kittens who came to a formerly homeless woman who presently has very minimal shelter. Local veterinarians All Cats have special arrangements for such kitties and Operation Catnip is also in there to assist.

Every week when we distribute pet food downtown, there is someone needing spay/neuter and vaccines for their pets. St. Francis Pet Care Clinic is a maintainstay in helping with these animals.

As you can see, all this takes a village … and then some more … to help these people and animals in need. Just as in the larger community, homeless and low income people also have a heart for animals … some are more responsible and some less. It is our job to provide food for the animals and to teach responsible pet care.

We have volunteers who help with everything from these runs through the woods, visits to campsites, preparation of the pet food and distribution as well as seeking donations. We are always in need of more help, and we need your support for spay/neuter for all the animals.

We appreciate your donations of bags of dog food and cat food as well as financial donations. To volunteer, and to donate pet food, contact Elizabeth Howard at 352-473-9423 email holisticliz@hotmail.com. Checks can be made payable to Home Van Pet Care Project, Inc., and mailed c/o Elizabeth Howard, P.O. Box 14305, Gainesville, FL #32604. You can also donate by PayPal at our blog, http://homevanpetcareproject.blogspot.com.

Home Van Pet Care Project News May 2013

From Elizabeth Howard, Facilitator Home Van Pet Care Project had a birthday. Six years now we’ve been seeking donations and distributing pet food for the cats and dogs of homeless and low income people in our community. We celebrated our birthday by relocating our primary distribution place from the downtown library over to the courtyard behind Civic Media Center and the Citizens CoOp … near Wild Iris’ new shop. We had cupcakes donated by Sweet Thursdays (www.sweetthursdayscafe.com), cold bottled water and plenty of pet food for all, due to the generosity of a great many of you.

Through the generosity of Citizens’ CoOp, Home Van Pet Care Project is this month’s recipient of the "Be The Change" project. Select http://www.citizensco-op.com/community/be-the-change to see the beautiful web page. Then go over to the Co-Op (435 S. Main Street), purchase some of those beautiful fruits and veggies, and at the cash register, donate your change to Home Van Pet Care project.

Kitty Jenna who we featured last month, has gotten a home! A lot of people were pulling for Jenna, and I have it on good authority that these were very nice people who adopted her. In her most recent photo she looks like a different kitty, tall and proud and hopeful again.

We give deep thanks and appreciation to Alachua County Animal Services for their kindness and patience and to the Veterinary Students who promoted the Spring Fling adoption event for all the animals. Please please adopt when you can, and support and educate about spay/neuter.

We also take a moment here to thank Earth Pets West, together with Canidae and Felidae pet foods who give us a generous monthly donation, facilitated by Janice Then.

Then there is the sadness. Our dear little NipNip, the dog of our friends Diane and James, has died. He was lovingly treated at UF Shelter Medicine but he could not be saved. NipNip was a good dog who loved his home and his family and especially his brother dog, Bigger. We will all miss him very much.

To volunteer for Home Van Pet Care Project or to donate pet food, call Elizabeth Howard, 352-473-9423 or email holisticliz@hotmail.com. Checks can be mailed to Home Van Pet Care Project, Inc., c/o Elizabeth Howard, P.O. Box 14305, Gainesville, FL 32604. Financial donations can also be sent by PayPal on our blog, http://homevanpetcareproject.blogspot.com.

Home Van Pet Care Project News March/April 2013

From Elizabeth Howard, Facilitator

Our primary mission is to provide food for pets of homeless persons in our community. We’re coming close to six years of service now so we have a lot of memories of people and animals we have met along the way.

We always appreciate the support of our animal community and thank you for your donations. Once a week we distribute pet food in Downtown Gainesville, we also go to the camps and sometimes make home visits for low income and housed clients who need help for their animals. We are known to other animal protection groups and the groups support each other.

We have a continuing need for any size bags of dog food and cat food and appreciate if you call ahead for current needs. We presently need financial donations to supplement our emergency medical fund and provide for special needs. See information below in order to donate.

REMEMBERING DAVE WHEELER. In August 2009, I wrote this in our Newsletter: “I know now. A friend is someone you can call at 9am on a Sunday morning and say: ‘one of the cats is dead’ … and your friend says:’ I’ll be there in 10 minutes.’ And he (or she) is there in 5, and digs the hole for you.” Dave Wheeler was that friend, and he was that kind of guy. Dave died a couple weeks ago, at peace and happy with his life. Dave had left here a couple years ago to be with family and receive medical treatment out of state. He came back to Gainesville in November of last year to spend some time with his buddies in the woods. He was planning to join his sister and family in Las Vegas where he would be able to work with them in their cat rescue group.

Dave really loved dogs and cats. He helped us a lot for Home Van Pet Care by keeping an eye on the pets near his campsite and making sure that everyone had their pets spayed and neutered. In order to honor Dave’s memory we have created a special fund for Donations in his name. We will earmark this fund for collars, leashes, harnesses, running lines and other such items that will help keep the animals safe, comfortable and happy. We will also add to our medical fund that we keep for non-clinic emergencies.

We would appreciate donations to the Dave Wheeler Memorial Fund. Checks can be made payable to Home Van Pet Care Project, Inc., and mailed c/o of Elizabeth Howard, P.O. Box 14305, Gainesville, FL 32604, or through our PayPal on our blog at http://homevanpetcareproject.blogspot.com.

ADOPT THIS KITTY: This little black and white girl is named Jenna. She was taken in briefly by a formerly homeless man who found he couldn’t keep her. He turned her over to Animal Services who have taken very good care of her. She is presently in their New Hope Adoption program, so her adoption fee is minimal.

Jenna is a sweet and affectionate little girl who had been abandoned when her family moved away from their apartment complex. She suffered a respiratory infection but was nursed back to health by the caring staff at Animal Services. Please visit her at Animal Services and also let us know if you can take this little girl into your home. For more information, call Alachua County Animal Services at 352-264-6870 and ask about Jenna, ID# A476114.

TO DONATE food or supplies or to volunteer for many needed tasks, call Elizabeth Howard at 352-473-9423 or email holisticliz@hotmail.com. Financial donations can be mailed to Home Van Pet Care Project, Inc., c/o Elizabeth Howard, P.O. Box 14305, Gainesville FL 32604 or by PayPal at our blog, http://homevanpetcareproject.blogspot.com.

Home Van Pet Care Project News – December 2012-January 2013

From: Elizabeth Howard, Facilitator

Bucket Christmas: We had a great Bucket Christmas thanks to your help. Money for the buckets was donated. We were able to purchase 45 of those bright orange-red buckets, and fill them with plenty of dog food, cat food, treats and toys. The food was eaten, and the buckets will are reusable for many needs.

Several groups helped us by sponsoring pet food drives. If you can continue this all during the year that will help us have a stable base for the pet feeding. I don’t try to thank all the groups and people who help in this newsletter as I am bound to leave someone out. People who have given before and know when and where to drop off donations sometimes bring food, toys, treats and gifts like those lovely soft little blankets and we never know who has been there. The donation you may believe is small…the one that is large…all are deeply appreciated and we thank you on behalf of the animals and their people.

Winterization Project: We need help to complete a special project for Spartan and Munchie, shown in the photo guarding their new houses. The houses were donated by St. Francis Pet Care Clinic and we still need help to secure them properly and be sure running lines or tie-downs are placed correctly. Please let us know if you can help. (contact info below)

HELP US TRANSPORT PETS FOR SPAY/NEUTER. We have several housed clients who have one or more cats or dogs in need of spay/neuter. This will be hands-on, face-to-face mentoring and it will be demanding as it sometimes is to comply with the rules and needs of the various clinics. There will be communication and teaching of clients. We will help you and you will like it! Let us know please (contact info below.)

CAT HOME. The Tent City Tribe, is now relocated to their new home. They have adjusted well to the relocation and of course they are adult cats, spayed and neutered a long time ago. Thank you for your donations and help with this project. Here is a photo of their little house. The cats might be inside, as they don’t like to have their picture taken.

Thank you so much for all your help. To donate pet food or supplies, call Elizabeth at 352-473-9423 for drop off location and current needs or inquire by email holisticliz@hotmail.com. Financial donations are always welcome and checks can be mailed to Home Van Pet Care Project, Inc., c/o Elizabeth Howard, P.O Box 14305, Gainesville, FL 32604, phone 352-473-9423, email holisticliz@hotmail.com. You can also donate by PayPal on our blog, http://homevanpetcareproject.com