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

Update - December 2012

HOME VAN PET CARE PROJECT NEWS – December 2012

From:  Elizabeth Howard, Project Coordinator

Our primary mission is to provide food for the companion animals of homeless and very low income persons in our community.

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Christmas for the Animals:  At Christmastime we provide cat and dog toys, treats, canned foods, flea combs and so on. This year we have discovered some handy plastic painter buckets that are sturdy and reusable and will be great for storage of pet food.

We plan to fill the buckets with cat food or dog food as well as treats and toys for the animals and then we will distribute them at our regular pet food distribution time on December 19.

These sturdy, reusable buckets cost $4.00 each. We will prepare 40 buckets with a quantity of cat food or dog food as well as treats. If you can fund us for any number of these buckets we will appreciate the help.

Please also donate extra food for both dogs and cats. Any size bags are fine, and you can call to check on donation dropoff place and current needs. We also need to replenish our supply of collars, leashes and harnesses, sizes medium and large. We will need tarps also to cover campsites and dog areas. All the animals like those soft little blankets, and hay makes a good padding in a dog house or cat area so let us know if you have some you can donate. If you can donate any of these items or funds for the buckets and other items please let us know. We will also need volunteers to help with pickup of donations and possible storage for food and supplies.

Our Winterization Project: This is a yearly project to help homeless prepare their campsites for winter. The buckets of food fit well into this project, since having some extra food will gives pet owners a break if weather is bad and they can’t make it for pet food distribution. We will also check our running lines to see that everyone has them to comply with the tethering laws and give the dogs a bit more freedom.

Breakfast on the Plaza:  This year three animal service groups had tables: Home Van Pet Care Project, Inc., St. Francis Veterinary Clinic and Newberry Veterinarians. A Home Van Pet Care spokesperson is allowed to say a word to the crowd and we devoted much of our allotted time to urging spay/neuter. Just by being there with other groups, we show respect for the animals and make our services more available. This breakfast is a friendly and helpful event and we thank the Coalition and all who help make the event a success.

We’re working hard and enjoying the work to fulfill our mission to the animals. We thank you for helping us and ask you to help make this a memorable Christmas for all our animal and human friends. Financial donations are always welcome and checks can be mailed to Home Van Pet Care Project, Inc., c/o Elizabeth Howard, P. 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.

UPDATE – November 2012

From Elizabeth Howard, Project Coordinator

Our primary mission is to provide food for the companion animals of homeless and very low income persons in our community.

Pet Deposit Paid: With the help of generous donations, we were able to pay the pet deposit for our friends Diane and James, who were assisted by the Veterans Administration Supported Housing Program to secure an apartment and move out of the woods. When we visited, their dogs Nip Nip and Bigger were enjoying the safety and comfort of the new apartment and things were well with the family. Keeping people together with their pets is one of our goals, and it is an important way to show our respect for the animal human bond. Many thanks to those who helped.

More Friends Relocating:  At last we have found a home place for our Tent City Tribe of Cats. We will soon be relocating them to a new home in an area east of Gainesville. There are six cats in the Tribe. Mama Kitty (Margaret) and her two sons, Sunshine Light and Pretty Boy are original cats of the Tribe. Mercedes and Noble and dear Little Bit will also be relocating, of course. We have loved and tended, spayed and neutered and fed and watered these kitties for over five years and we will continue take responsibility for their welfare and to feed and care for them. The kitties can retire now, and relax, and we will be relieved of our worries about their welfare.

 We are in the process of renovating a small shed where the kitties can rest and acclimate to their new surroundings and are in need of donations to help with materials for that as well as for general relocation expenses. If you can chip in on these expenses just mark your check or PayPal payment  “Cat Tribe Relocation.” For more detail and to donate, see below.

Home Van Pet Care is in need of any size bags of cat food or dog food. We will need extra tarps and large plastic bins for winter shelters. You can call for current needs, for pickup and dropoff information and also let us know if you would like to volunteer with our project. We distribute an average of 100# of dog food and 100# of cat food each week at various locations so we always need your help with this, and thank everyone so much for helping us.

Checks can be mailed to Home Van Pet Care Project, c/o Elizabeth Howard, P.O. Box 14305, Gainesville FL 32604, phone 352-473-9423, email holisticliz@hotmail.com . You can donate by PayPal on our blog, http://homevanpetcareproject.blogspot.com. Photos and archives are also there on our blog.

September / October News

HOME VAN PET CARE PROJECT, INC. – Newsletter – September-October, 2012

From Elizabeth Howard, Coordinator

Our primary mission is to provide food for the companion animals of homeless and very low income persons in our community.

Friends moving on:  Our friends Diane and James were among the first people we met when Home Van Pet Care was just beginning five years ago. It is Diane, holding a little homeless kitten, who sparked the idea to help the homeless people by providing food for their animals. James and Diane have been good friends to us, especially in maintaining our Tent city Tribe of cats. They have now gotten an apartment with assistance from the Veterans Admin Supported Housing program. We will miss them. We wish them all happiness and success and will support their move by paying the pet deposit of $200 for their dogs Nip Nip and Bigger. If you can chip in on this expense, just mark your check or PayPal payment “pet deposit.” See below for addresses.

Home Van Birthday Party:  Our sister group, The Home Van, is celebrating its 10^th year of feeding the homeless and hungry people in our community. Their birthday party is Thursday, September 27 at 6pm at the downtown plaza, the little parking lot on the east side of the Civil Courthouse right next to Bo Diddley Community Plaza. No doubt a good time will be had and we plan to attend. Cupcakes have been requested but you are welcome to just bring yourself. See below for contact information.

Breakfast on the Plaza: Thursday October 25 from 8am till 11am is the annual Breakfast on the Plaza at the Downtown Bo Diddley park and plaza. The homeless coalition works on this event all during each year to provide breakfast for all attendees, tables for local service groups and information about local services for the homeless and low income. We’ll have a table there to give info on Home Van Pet Care Project and need volunteers to staff the table. See below for contact info.

Home Van Pet Care is in need of any size bags of cat food or dog food. We will need extra tarps and large plastic bins for winter shelters. You can call for current needs, for pickup and dropoff information and also let us know if you would like to volunteer with our project. Checks can be mailed to Home Van Pet Care Project, c/o Elizabeth Howard, P.O. Box 14305, Gainesville FL 32604, phone 352-473-9423, email holisticliz@hotmail.com . You can donate by PayPal on our blog, http://homevanpetcareproject.blogspot.com. Photos and archives are also there on our blog.

August 2012 News

Our mission is to provide pet food for the pets of the homeless and low income persons in our community.

Thanks are in order to all who donate pet food for our Project and to all who give financial donations. We are very grateful for the good wishes and volunteer help that we receive from quite a nice number of people. Thank you very much for your help.

We also receive help from our homeless and low income clients. They pick up pet food from us for their pets and many of them are part of the St. Francis Veterinary Clinic program. Many people will report strays and let us know about “pups in the woods,” some of these reported in this newsletter.

We always need more pet food for both cats and dogs. We have weekly pet food distribution times as well as visits to campsites and other areas. Our average distribution is 100# of cat food and 100# of dog food each week. Please call to see what is needed and for our drop off and pick up arrangements. (Call Elizabeth at 352-473-9423). We need volunteers to help distribute pet food weekly downtown as well as to seek donations of pet food and funds.

REPORTS FROM THE FIELD:  There is someone who helps us and many other animal care groups. She has worked long and hard and deserves our thanks as well as the trust of our homeless friends who let her know about “pups in the woods.”  Here are a couple of reports.

“…on Monday, I helped pull a mother dog from (camp area). She recently had a litter of pups who, I believe, are scattered amongst the others living in tents in the same area …   (person we know) has 2 of them.  She has promised to bring them in … I'm working on locating the other pups.  Officer Freddie of ACAS thinks he found one of them Tuesday.  The dog's owner ….. is in jail, under bond …”

This incident had a happy outcome. The mother dog and all of the pups that could be located were taken in by Rescue Groups, who by the way, together with Alachua County Animal Services, helped make this possible.

Another day, a sweet female dog was held for us by a friend at his campsite. He has two dogs and agreed that he couldn’t care for this one. She had advanced heartworms and was euthanized at Alachua County Animal Services.

It is vital that we support spay/neuter and recommend it to all our friends, so that there are no more pups born in the woods to moms who were born under someone’s steps or out in the back yard, and no more feral cat colonies populated by cats who were abandoned by irresponsible people. We can foster for our local rescue groups when possible and adopt from them and from Alachua County Services whenever we can.  All the work of Home Van Pet Care Project is carried out by volunteers and all pet food and supplies come to us by donation.

THE TENT CITY CAT TRIBE:  They remain in Tent City as we have not been able to relocate them as we could like. A portion of our cat food donations go to them. The favorite there we can tell you is Friskies Seafood Sensation! These kitties are fed every day by volunteers. We always need more helpers here to feed and watch over the Tribe. Several of our clients feed cats at campsites and whenever we get a call to spay or neuter we assist with access to clinics. Let us know if you can help.

We always need more bags of dry food for both cats and dogs. Call Elizabeth Howard,352-473-9423 or holisticliz@hotmail.com to determine current needs and  for drop off or pick up information.  Financial donations are also welcome and can be mailed  c/o Elizabeth Howard, Home Van Pet Care Project, Inc., P.O. Box 14305, Gainesville Fl 32604 or through PayPal on our blog, http://homevanpetcareproject.blogspot.com. 

June/July Update

HOME VAN PET CARE PROJECT, INC., June/July 2012 * From Elizabeth Howard, Coordinator Our mission is to provide pet food for the pets of the homeless and low income persons in our community. JUST SOME ANNOUNCEMENTS AT THE MOMENT: Elderly woman needs help to care for dogs while she is hospitalized: Date and length of hospitalization not known yet. There are two small dogs (8# or thereabouts). This is in the Millhopper area and there is a fenced yard so they don’t have to be walked outside the yard. Colleen Pisano is the person who contacted Home Van Pet Care Project about this situation, and she is willing to receive emails in order to find someone to help. Colleen’s email is gatorsem@aol.com. Colleen said that she would tend the dogs in the mornings so this would only be for once per day. You can contact Colleen for more information. ***************************************************************************************

Flea season is upon us. After a warm winter, every type of insect seems to have proliferated. We can use flea combs, diatomaceous earth (food grade from Earth Pets Natural on NW 10th Ave.), Advantage and Revolution for cats of medium size and Advantage for dogs, large size. Sometimes if we just give a pet owner one or two rounds of flea prevention, with the flea comb and D.E., they can get things under control and won’t need more. *****************************************************************************************

There’s no such thing as too much pet food and we always seem to need more bags of dry food for both dogs and cats. We need to stay stocked up for emergencies and continue to give as much as we can for the pets of the homeless and low income people in our community. Financial donations are also welcome and can be mailed c/o Elizabeth Howard, Home Van Pet Care Project, Inc., P.O. Box 14305, Gainesville, FL 32604 or through PayPal on our blog, http://homevanpetcareproject.blogspot.com. We also need volunteers to assist with various duties. Call Elizabeth Howard 352-473-9423 for more information on any of the above.

NEWS & UPDATE, May/June 2012

From: Elizabeth Howard, Coordinator

“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” Anatole France

The job of our project is to provide food for pets of homeless and low income persons in our community. This definitely leads us here-and-there.

We Went To The Dogs: Two Alachua County Animal Services officers accompanied us to several homeless encampments. We’ve wanted to do this for quite some time so that the officers had a chance to meet the dogs and the people and to give some education about spay/neuter and other issues. Most people were home as were the dogs and we all could see that the great majority of people are caring well for their pets. We made sure everyone knows about the benefits of St. Francis Veterinary Clinic and that they know where and when they can pick up pet food from our project. We really appreciate all the hard work of Alachua County Animal Services and that they made time for us.

Our Film Screening was a great success. The films, “Cardboard,” and “Carbon for Water” were very well done and informational. Both films reminded us that in our area the hot weather is coming. We ask everyone to carry water with you when you go out and keep an eye open for people who may need a bottle of water. Be sure to ask if they need water for their pets also.

Our friend Linda King died unexpectedly this month, returning to us little Cassie, the kitty that Linda adopted a year ago after Cassie was injured while living in Tent City. Linda and Cassie loved each other and Cassie, being well cared for, improved in her balance and hearing. We were very lucky that the 12th Generation Ferret & Cat Sanctuary took her in right away together with one of her playmates, Sweetpea, so they are safe for life. We will miss Linda King, a kind and gentle person who supported our project and loved cats and birds. Linda had three other cats who are in a foster home, so let us know please if you could adopt one of these kitties into your home.

Two other kitties, Silver and Gold, remain in foster home while improving from their digestive difficulties. They are well loved there and will no doubt be taken in as permanent residents.

Sadly, we say goodbye to lovely Tucker, the 8 year old kitty of Debbie N., a Home Van Pet Care helper who is a friend to many animals. Debbie is the person who gives us the use of her carport as a dropoff place for donations. On Thursday morning May 3, two blue heelers invaded Debbie’s neighborhood and killed two kitties, one of them Tucker, who were enjoying the morning in their own yards.

We all want to keep our pets safe and we do the best we can, but the dogs, who were wearing collars and tags, apparently got out from somewhere, killed the cats and frightened neighborhood residents who are close to each other and who customarily walk their dogs and children down the streets. Animal Services is trying to locate the owners of the dogs, who need to know what happened. The neighborhood is on the outskirts of the Duckpond. Please call Animal Services if you want more information or know the dogs and their owners.

Gainesville Pet Rescue is searching for a blue-nose pit who was separated from his owner during a motor vehicle collision. He was thrown from the vehicle on US 301 near Hawthorne, and in spite of an intense search has not yet been located. Please let us know if you have any information as to his whereabouts.

We have a continuing need for bags of dry dog food and cat food and we need volunteers to assist in bagging and sorting food donations. We also need people to accompany us and help with pet food distribution. These efforts start about Noon on Wednesdays and continue till about 3pm. We need volunteers to help feed and supervise the Tent City Tribe of Cats and to seek pet food and financial donations.

In closing, we just want to repeat some words of John Lennon, an astute observer of life in his times: “Nobody said there’d be days like these … strange days indeed.”

For more information, to drop off or ask for pick up of donations, you can call Elizabeth Howard, Home Van Pet Care Project Coordinator, at 352-473-9423, holisticliz@hotmail.com. To make financial donations, send checks c/o Elizabeth Howard, P.O. Box 14305, Gainesville Fl 32604, or pay by PayPal on our blog, http://homevanpetcareproject.blogspot.com.