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.

Save the Date! April 30

Documentary film night to benefit Home Van Pet Care Project, April 30, 7:00 p.m. Civic Media Center. For more information see our flyer.

April 2012 News & Update

HOME VAN PET CARE PROJECT, INC. – NEWS & UPDATE – April 2012
From: Elizabeth Howard, Coordinator

This month Home Van Pet Care Project celebrates five years of providing pet food for homeless and low income citizens of our community. That’s a lot of dogs and cats and people!

Our major news this month is a film screening that Cinema Verde Environmental Film & Arts will co-sponsor with us as part of Civic Media Center Documentary series:

Monday April 30, 2012 at 7:00PM
Civic Media Center, 433 S. Main Street in Gainesville.

These two award winning films are timely, compassionate and inspiring. In our community, hundreds of individuals and families, some of them living with beloved companion animals, live homeless and without running water. We are grateful to our sister group, the original Home Van, feeder of the multitudes, as well as Trish Riley, Director of Cinema Verde Gainesville and to Civic Media Center for supporting us in this event. We hope you can join us.

About the films: Cardboard (10 minutes) was written & directed by High School Freshman Tara-Nicole Azarian, who received an award at this year’s Cinema Verde Environmental Film & Arts Festival. This docu-drama asks: "If faced with adversity, what would you do to keep your family together?"

In Carbon for Water (22 minutes) filmmakers Evan Abramson and Carmen Elsa Lopez introduce audiences to the inspiring people of Kenya’s Western Province who face extreme hardships in their lives and explore one company’s innovative solution for improving the health of millions of Kenyans and the environment in which they live.

Admission is by donation and we look forward to seeing new faces and many who we already know.

UPDATES: A Storage shed was donated by caring friends and has been transported to a convenient location where it will be used to store more of those items that are donated (and which we always need more of) like tarps, rope, cat carriers, dog crates, collars, leashes and non-perishable items in general. This will help a great deal in distribution of needed items.

Bruiser, the big white older dog now has a couple of volunteer friends who will help with transport and food delivery. Bruiser needs nutritional and tasty canned foods that he can eat easily. His family provides him with several comfy beds so he does rest well and appreciates your good wishes. We always need to keep a supply of dry dog food and we appreciate if you can donate when you can.

We are in need of any size bags of cat food. We support one colony, the Tent City Tribe, which has not been relocated, and also little Silver and Gold who are doing well in their foster home. We also distribute quite a quantity of dry and canned cat food at our food distribution time on Wednesdays at the Downtown Library as well as to various campsites. All the kitties seem to like Friskies and Meow Mix so those are favorites.

We support spay and neuter for both dogs and cats and help with transport to local clinics when we can. It is hard sometimes, since we all do love those baby dogs and cats. But sadly, there are not enough homes for them and many are euthanized at Animal Services where they bear that burden. We can give referrals to local spay/neuter clinics, just give a call and we will try to help.

We hope you will join us for the films on April 30 at 7:00 PM at Civic Media Center. Just call for more information: Elizabeth Howard, 352-473-9423.

To donate pet food or funds, call Elizabeth for drop-off location or email holisticliz@hotmail.com. You can mail checks c/o Elizabeth Howard, P.O. Box 14305, Gainesville, FL 32604 or PayPal on our blog at http://homevanpetcareproject.blogspot.com. You can also like us on Facebook. We always need and appreciate your donations and good wishes and thank you for all the help you give us.

February/March News & Updates

NEWS & UPDATES FROM HOME VAN PET CARE PROJECT, February/March 2012
From Elizabeth Howard, Coordinator

“No one said it would be easy, but no one said it would be this hard …
No one said it would be easy, No one thought we’d come this far…
Oh, and look we’ve come this far!” (Sheryl Crow 1993)

Home Van Pet Care Project has its Fifth Anniversary in April. “Oh and look we’ve come this far!’ I thought it would be simple, just a few bags of pet food and that would help both the homeless people and their pets. Instead, it’s been hard and hot and worrisome, mosquito ridden sometimes and often no solutions to animal problems.

Nevertheless, I would not trade a minute for the last five years of Home Van Pet Care Project. We have our 501c3, a wonderful Board of Directors, volunteers and many food and money donors who continue to help us. Our sincere thanks go to all of you.

Last month’s Happy Dog Story has continued and those dogs are doing well after loads of help from St. Francis Vet Clinic. Their owner has gotten a job and a special mentor-type friend who helps her and supports her. We wish her the next step to a home for herself and her pets.

Another dog we’re helping is Bruiser, 12 years old. Bruiser is the longtime companion of Emma and her husband. Bruiser is getting along in years and is tenderly cared for by his family. We’re helping out with food needs and emotional support for the family as Bruiser ages in place with some aches and pains. Bruiser may need transport to clinic. He’s a big guy and Emma would accompany him. If you can help with this, let me know please.

We’re continuing to work to relocate our Tent City Tribe of Cats. These are special need kitties of course, as they are semi-feral and like most other cats, don’t like to move! All will need a lot of attention and some of them really must go together. There are six adults, all longtime spayed and neutered. There are also two little ones, Silver and Gold, who are in a foster home. We still need feeders and helpers for the Tribe as well as suggestions and offers for adoption.

We have a food drive pending at Howard Bishop Middle School and just had donations from a local “book club.” If you can help with events and/or fund raisers or if you have time to seek out groups who will do food drives that would be very helpful. Just let us know.

Our Project is in need of a storage shed for keeping non-perishable items like canned foods, traps, crates, carriers, blankets and tarps. If you can donate one (maybe 8x8) we can manage transport.

Home Van Pet Care Project needs any size bags of dry dog food and cat food, tarps and bungee cords, flea combs for dogs and cats, financial support and your good wishes. 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 through PayPal on our blog, http://homevanpetcareproject.blogspot.com. You can Like us on Facebook, and call for more information and drop-off locations to Elizabeth at 352-473-9423 email holisticliz@hotmail.com.



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HOME VAN PET CARE PROJECT NEWS & UPDATES

January 15, 2012
From: Elizabeth Howard, Project Coordinator

Christmas was good for the animals of the homeless and low income people who we serve. We had our own small Christmas party at our Wednesday pet distribution location downtown. Heather B. had made gift bags for dogs and cats, there were precious catnip mice and plenty of dog treats, extra canned foods and our regular distribution of dog and cat food.

Gainesville has a heart for animals and over the holidays we received toys and blankets, a dog house for someone who needed one, lots of hay for cold weather padding that was delivered in person by some animal friends and plenty of food for our ongoing feeding duties.

On behalf of the Project, our animal friends and their people, we thank you for everything, and wish a happy and prosperous New Year for all.

A Happy Dog Story: A month or so ago, a couple of us went for a walk to see some dogs. When we found them at their campsite we could see they were in very unhealthy condition. We called Animal Services. They came out right away and continued to oversee cleanup and treatment of these two dogs. Poverty and desperation breed neglect of self and pets and that was the case with these pet owners. Animal Services directed them to St. Francis Veterinary Clinic … vets, students and volunteers jumped right into treatment and a massive campsite cleanup the likes of which have seldom been seen. With care and support, things are better all around. Everyone needs support and help to recover from homelessness. I’m hoping we can all be inspired to make this kind of help happen for more animals and people in the future.

Tent City Cat Tribe: We are continuing our efforts to relocate the Tribe. We simply cannot continue to maintain them in the Tent City area and are searching for homes for the six adults.

Margaret the Matriarch with her two sons, Mister Grey and Sunshine Light are bonded and must go together. Mercedes the Beautiful and Noble Noble are best friends and must stay together. Little Bit might go on her own or can stay with Margaret and Sons.

There are a number of housing options for the Tribe. To learn about Modern Barn Cats, go to www.sheltermeinc.org and read about an unusual Sanctuary service for cats and dogs. All our cats are healthy and will be vet-checked before being placed for adoption.

The two babies who turned up recently, Silver and Gold, have been spayed and neutered and vaccinated and placed in a foster home. They are precious little kitties, about four months old, who came to us like Hansel and Gretel, out of the woods, hand in hand (or maybe it was paw in paw). They are quickly becoming tame, and will be precious pets and a lot of fun for a safe and caring inside home. Can you adopt them and give them a permanent home?

Silver, a male

Gold, a female

For more information about all these cats, contact Elizabeth Howard at 352-473-9423 or holisticliz@hotmail.com.

Are you concerned about pet overpopulation? Hoping for more homes and less euthanasias? Want to provide input of your animal concerns for pet rescue groups and Alachua County Animal Services? Go to http://www.surveymonkey.com/AlachuaCountyAnimalServices and express your concerns and ideas in a survey. Respond by February 3.

Home Van Pet Care Project needs any size bags of dry dog food and cat food, tarps and bungee cords, flea combs for dogs and cats, financial support and your good wishes. 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 through PayPal on our blog, http://homevanpetcareproject.blogspot.com. You can Like us on Facebook, and call for more information and drop-off locations to Elizabeth at 352-473-9423 email holisticliz@hotmail.com.
We are a Florida non-profit charitable corporation so all donations are tax-deductible.

Home Van Pet Care Project News & Update - November/December 2011

Elizabeth Howard, Project Coordinator

Dear Friends – Greetings from Home Van Pet Care Project. During this special time of year when we are reminded to be thankful for the goodness in our lives, of the giving and receiving that means so much … we at Home Van Pet Care Project send heartfelt thanks to all the individuals and groups who support our work with the animals of the homeless and low income pet owners in our community. THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH!

This last month, two young women responded to our request for help to clean up our Tent City Cat Colony area and two volunteers have responded to our need for help in feeding the colony. This is the only colony that we maintain and we love those kitties very dearly. We are very grateful for the help.

Please keep the cat colony in mind this year as you are making Christmas gifts. We need helpers to visit and feed this cat tribe and the time is coming when we may need to relocate them and find homes. This will be a tough decision and an arduous process. We will need helpers, adopters and funding to do this properly. Our primary feeder has been absent and so we do need to think about the future of the tribe. (Read more on Page 2 of this Newsletter and on our blog.) We will keep you advised.

Dog-wise we are keeping our eyes on the best of care and sometimes less than the best. Your donations help us provide wholesome food and then more: license tags, running lines, treats, tarps and bedding. When we help the pets we set the minds of their “owners” (caretakers, guardians) at rest, relieve some of their stress and show them how to do the best possible job even with limited resources.

This month we had a table at the annual Breakfast on the Plaza that is sponsored by the Coalition for the Homeless and Hungry. The coalition donated a quantity of dog food and we matched this with cat food, treats and samples that were given on the spot to dog and cat owners. We gave information about spay/neuter and about our Wednesday pet distribution time and location.

In addition, the Honor Society at Howard Bishop School invited us in for a brief talk about the Project. This is a great group of students who do many community service projects. They are sponsoring a pet food drive for us in January and February. This will require a volunteer to pick up the donations on a weekly basis and deliver to our storage address. Please consider volunteering for this task.

At Thanksgiving and Christmas we need extra quantities of dry food for both dogs and cats as well as small cans of food for both. Cold weather and rain call for more nourishment for both animals and people. We love to have treats at Christmas as well as extra collars and leashes. Tarps and running lines and rope are always handy. We give these with the pet food on Wednesdays when requested.

For more information, to volunteer or to donate pet food and supplies, contact Elizabeth Howard, Coordinator, holisticliz@hotmail.com or 352-473-9423 for drop-off locations or for pickup. Financial donations 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 through our PayPal at our blog, http://homevanpetcareproject.blogspot.com. We are a 501(c)3 charitable corporation so all donations are tax deductible.

IMPORTANT POSTSCRIPT: Immediate foster/permanent home needed for the two young kitties at the Tent City Cat Tribe. Call Elizabeth 352-473-9423 for info.
THE TENT CITY CAT TRIBE November 22, 2011 P. 2, Nov/Dec Newsletter

We started Home Van Pet Care Project in Spring of 2007, four and one half years ago. We wanted to help the homeless people and we are very concerned with the lives of all animals.
Our primary mission is to provide pet food for the pets of the homeless and low income people in our community. Care of the Tent City Cat Tribe became our responsibility early on.

Elizabeth says: “I remember going to a gathering of support for the homeless people in our community. A woman who lived in a nearby homeless encampment was there, holding a little kitten that she had found. She was looking for a home for the kitty. I didn’t adopt that kitty, but one thing led to another, and soon I was joined by Operation Catnip staff and volunteers who had a grant to help trap, spay/neuter and return. At that time there was Mama Kitty (Margaret) her four sons and one little girl. The girl came home with me and that was my first gift from the Tent City Cat Tribe.”

The Project has grown. We feed and assist with the care of many cats and dogs. There have been many changes in the Tribe. There has been some sadness, like the death of Sunshine Bright and the recent disappearance of Goldie and Boots. These kitties have given us a lot of joy and love over the years and we feel it is time to remove them from the woods and find them homes.

Here is a bit of the story of the Tent City Cat Tribe:

Margaret is the matriarch, the “Mama Kitty” who has taken such wonderful care of her family. Margaret once had a house and home and deserves to have that again, with a soft pillow to lie on in safety. Of her four sons, only two now survive. Sunshine Light and Mr. Grey are very close to each other and to their mother. They should go together to a wonderful home.

Little Bit came in after the great eviction two years ago. She is not so tiny now, and eats well to keep in shape. She is the one who welcomes us and escorts us down the path when we come to visit and feed. She throws herself down in the path with joy to see us! We want a safe and comfortable home for this little tabby.

The Beautiful Mercedes and her friend Noble Noble are very close. They both came to us after the great eviction. These two might prefer an outside environment with a safe living accommodation for sleeping and hiding. They enjoy a regular diet and plenty of water to drink.

Silver and Gold just came to the tribe recently. They are only about six months old and must be taken soon for spay/neuter. They are very grateful to find a place to eat and they will tame easily in a home. Can you foster these two youngsters or even give them a permanent home?

Please help by volunteering to foster, adopt or help with feeding and transport. Call Elizabeth Howard, 352-473-9423, holisticliz@hotmail.com, Coordinator for Home Van Pet Care Project for more information.

Home Van Pet Care News & Update October/November 2011

From Elizabeth Howard, Project Coordinator.

Our major effort is to feed the animals of the homeless and low income people, and this does lead to lots of other helping efforts.

Right now we need volunteers who can do any size pet food drive before cold weather and holidays. This can be a collection basket in your place of work, it can be your church or social group or you can approach a place where you shop and ask if you can place a collection bin. Just call for more info. (see below)

You can also donate food yourself. We have two drop-off places, or you can just come by the Gainesville Downtown Public Library any Wednesday from 2pm to 3pm where we do our pet food distribution. From now till Christmas I’ll be the one in the PURPLE HAT. We usually sit on the stone benches under the trees to your right as you drive in. We’ll be glad to see you and we can take that donated pet food right over to the car or give it away immediately. You can also call for more info on this. (see below).

UPDATE: Of the several “cat situations” that were reported to us last month, one was successfully resolved by having those four kitties spayed/neutered at a local clinic; in one the kitties mysteriously disappeared from the location reported to us (worrisome); in one there are kittens too young for spay/neuter. The person involved will continue to see that they are fed. And in one the cats are in need of spay/neuter and will need to be trapped. This one is pending. Not perfect, but we’re working on it.

GOOD NEWS: In a pending “dog situation” where the owners refused spay/neuter, the dog was pregnant when the people went to jail. Luckily someone quickly alerted Animal Services who picked up the mom and the babies who had just been born, and they have gone to a Rescue group where they will find a home. That was good news.

CHRISTMAS FOR THE ANIMALS: We’re in the process of preparing gift bags for both dogs and cats. The cats of course love catnip mice and both dogs and cats appreciate all kinds of treats. It is very special for the owners of these pets to have something extra to give, so use your imagination. Our regular favorite foods are Friskies Seafood Sensation, Meow Mix and any Purina types for the cats; Pedigree, Kibbles N Bits and any Purina types for the dogs. Small size canned foods are also good. Tarps and bungee cords are always a help as well as running lines, collars for dogs, elastic-release type collars for cats, dog leashes and all size of harness for the dogs, maybe a couple in cat sizes. That’s the wish list for now.

CAT COLONY area cleanup. Our Tent City Tribe of cats is very neat of course. However, we like to replace the hay in their shelters and rake and clip a bit. Some Saturday early in November we’ll take care of this, so if you’d like to go along just let us know.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call Elizabeth Howard, Coordinator for the Project at 352-473-9423 or holisticliz@hotmail.com to volunteer or for donation drop-off or pick-up. You can also donate needed funds by mail payable to Home Van Pet Care Project, Inc., c/o Elizabeth Howard, P.O. Box 14305, Gainesville, FL 32604, or by PayPal on our blog at http://homevanpetcareproject.blogspot.com . We are a 501c3 charitable organization so all donations are tax deductible