Tag: companion

We Make It Happen – Volunteer Profile

Barbara Myers, “Robin’s Mom”
If you’ve ever been to one of our pet photo clinics at Benson’s or Pet Supplies Plus, or if you’ve come to one of our tag sales, chances are you’ve met the pretty, soft-spoken lady we all know as “Robin’s Mom,” Barb Myers.

Barb has been one of our most dependable volunteers for years now; and it brightens up our events to have her cheerfully signing folks in for photos or striking a bargain with a tag sale customer.  She’s always one of the first to arrive on the scene to help with unpacking the van and setting up an event, and she is always the last to leave after helping get everything torn down and ready to roll out. In short, she is solid gold to our little organization!

According to Barb, “My journey with The Animal Support Project began when I happened upon a photo clinic at Benson’s while shopping with my dog, Robin.   Soon we became regulars and are now proud owners of a collection of pictures from various events.  It seemed a natural transition to go from a photo clinic patron to a volunteer as I learned more about the organization and all the wonderful support given to pets and their families.  I thoroughly enjoy working the photo clinics at Benson’s and Pet Supplies Plus as well as working the tag sales.  It is such a pleasure greeting every pet family that participates in the photo clinics as well as taking in the pet fashion.  It is so much fun viewing the pride and pleasure each family takes in their special animal whether it is a dog, cat, pig, bunny or even a snake.

Anyone who knows me knows that my pets are my babies.  I do not think of them as just a pet, they are part of my family.  I feel like my love of pets has found its niche with the Animal Support Project and with the wonderful group of people I have the pleasure in volunteering with.”

When circumstances permit, Robin still tags along on a photo shoot, posing for his latest Fantasy Photo. The little guy shows all the signs of a well-loved, impeccably groomed companion and it is clear his life with Barb is one enormous bowl of gravy. Barb’s devoted to Robin and he to her.

TASP is very fortunate to have so many solid, talented individuals among our volunteers and Barb is a prime example of the exceptional quality of our people. Always polite, professional, thoughtful and genuinely compassionate, is it any wonder why we’re so proud to have her on our team?

 

September 19, 2017 By Melinda Plasse In Newsletter 3 Comments Off on We Make It Happen – Volunteer Profile

Message from the President: TASP’s Position on the 2017 Gulf Hurricanes

TASP has received many enquiries about our plans for responding to the Gulf hurricanes this season.   At this time, several of our key people are massaging our schedules to comply with requests received from ASPCA and RedRover. As an all-volunteer organization, we have to be sure that when we, as individuals, are planning travel across the country to support animals victimized by a natural disaster, the needs of our own families, jobs and animals are provided for. So will TASP people be traveling to the gulf to help? Based on our individual situations, several of us are planning to respond with the national groups who have been invited in by the local jurisdictions, and with whom we already have relationships.

In the meantime, for those of you who want to help the animals and people currently under duress in the gulf, please consider making a financial donation to any one of the NARSC (National Animal Rescue and Sheltering Coalition) organizations who are responding. If you aren’t sure who’s really a part of this qualified  coalition, CLICK HERE for a link to the list of the current NARSC membership: . And remember that the well being of pets depends on the well being of their owners.  Don’t underestimate how important pets are to the people who were evacuated from their homes in Texas, Louisiana, Florida and surrounding areas. These people need to get back on their feet asap and get their families back to something like normal. Organizations like The Salvation Army are the vital link to that. Your donation, made specifically for Harvey or Irma (or Jose? Maria?) Response, will go a long way toward bringing people and pets home.

Just a reminder to all of you who have been worrying about this: The south is used to bad storms and flooding and they have learned a lot from past experiences. Don’t forget that there are many qualified rescues and national animal welfare organizations who have an abundance of trained, qualified staff and volunteers located within driving distance of the disaster. Animal disaster response is handled much differently now (thank God), compared to the way things were handled after Hurricane Katrina. If you watched any news footage of the human rescues for Harvey and Irma, there were many images of animals and their people all leaving the home together. Thanks to lessons learned, many human shelters now allow pets in the same or a nearby separate shelter, so pet owners and pets can remain connected until they can all go back home. This works very well and has been used for years very successfully. Ever since George W. Bush’s PETS Act went into effect, local SARTs/CARTs (State/County Animal Response Teams) in the gulf have been drilling regularly in preparation for something like a Harvey or an Irma. They have had trailers filled with supplies and volunteers with go-bags already packed, ready for deployment when the call comes. Starting this August, the call came and came again; and all that preparation was put to work for the good of the pets in the gulf.

All the major states and cities in the gulf (and around the country, for that matter) have advance contracts called, “Memoranda of Understanding” already established with all sorts of non-governmental organizations for situations like hurricanes and other disasters. When the local jurisdictions feel they can’t manage the animal situation on their own, they contact the animal welfare organizations they’re already contracted with and invite them to enter the disaster zone to help the locals rescue and/or care for the displaced animals. The same “Incident Command” protocol used by fire, rescue and military is used now by all the bona fide Animal Disaster Response organizations in the NARSC coalition. This way, there is mutual accountability, communication and tracking that will sustain the mission and ensure the best possible outcome for pets and people.

Many months from now, when the gulf’s inhabitants are back on their feet and the emergency pet shelters and boarding facilities begin to deactivate, there may be a need for animals who were not reclaimed to be sent to foster care or to pre-qualified municipal shelters and rescues. Some may even be sent as far north as our back yard. But until that emergency sheltering/boarding period is over, the NARSC animal welfare organizations will not likely be sending owned hurricane animals anywhere. One of the primary purposes of emergency animal sheltering is to hold the animals until they are reclaimed by their owners. We are obligated to allow the owners to have their pets back once they are able to take them. You would expect the same courtesy if you were in their shoes, right? Animals who were already in the shelter prior to the hurricane’s arrival ARE being moved out to other shelters outside the disaster zone, and one local shelter, Mohawk Humane Society, actually just received 23 animals from a Texas shelter and is taking another 30 from Florida shelters. But if someone asks you to finance their trip to the gulf today to bring back animals and they’re not affiliated with one of the authorized member organizations, you might want to ask a lot more questions before opening your wallet.

Thank you all for caring and praying about this situation. Having worked plenty of disasters in the past, I can tell you there are few sights that compare with the look on a displaced person’s face when they are with their beloved pet, no matter what else they may have lost. As the hurricane season continues to evolve, we will be bringing you our own personal accounts of what we find when we deploy to wherever we’re needed. Until then, take comfort in knowing it’s a blessing for something like a Harvey or an Irma to happen in 2017 instead of 2007; animal disaster response has come a long way since then.

 

 

 

September 19, 2017 By Melinda Plasse In Newsletter 3 Comments Off on Message from the President: TASP’s Position on the 2017 Gulf Hurricanes

With a Little Help From His Friends……..

Ed has always been the guy in his neighborhood that everyone brought animals to. Need a place to stash your pet while you’re in rehab? Give it to Ed. Can’t deal with that crazy puppy anymore? Give it to Ed. Moving to an apartment and can’t take a pet with you? Ed will take it.

Animals have been a part of Ed’s life for as long as he can remember; at age 84, that’s a lot of remembering. He and his wife lived a modest life on a little piece of land on a back road not far from here. They ran their own business out of their mobile home and lived a relatively simple but contented existence. They were genuinely kind people; they never turned away a visitor; two-legged or four-legged.

When the wife died of cancer, life became much harder and lonelier for Ed. Their animals, mostly dogs and cats, filled the empty space that remained. They became the primary companions for this elderly man who carried food and water to them each day, neglecting his own needs to make sure they had enough to eat. But as time marches on, our bodies become more frail and our stamina isn’t what it used to be. Our animals age, too. They need more care, more amenities, and more attention. Tasks that once took just a few minutes can take much longer when we’re older. And it seems like everything breaks down around us. Facing this alone can be absolutely overwhelming, and for a proud, independent man like Ed, it’s hard to admit defeat.

Debbie met Ed when she approached him about spaying his cats. Unable to run the business anymore and living on a small monthly social security check, Ed had eventually found it impossible to offer veterinary care to any of his own animals, let alone the stray cats who seemed to materialize out of nowhere and multiply out of control. Once he was sure Deb wasn’t there to judge or condemn him, the old man was happy to accept her help.

Deb and Leona methodically and religiously showed up at Ed’s place several times each month with traps, bait and blankets; trapping and transporting, bringing the spayed and vaccinated feral adults back for release while adopting out the kittens who were still friendly enough to find adoption. They brought food and houses and straw for bedding. And gradually, the population stabilized. Now, sleek, healthy cats lounge peacefully in the sun outside Ed’s mobile home. And the kittens are all growing up socialized with loving families of their own.

During this process, trust and friendship between Ed and these two TASP volunteers grew and a bond was created. Soon it would be time for Deb and Leona to introduce Ed to some more TASP volunteers so the living condition of his dogs could be improved. Over the months that these ladies had been doing the Trap Neuter Return (TNR) of the cats, other TASP volunteers, Win, Tim, Michelene, Mitch and a group of outstanding young men from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Acacia Fraternity, were building five large insulated dog houses at a property in Pittstown. Donated kennel panels were being stockpiled and prepared. These would be the new homes designed for the 5 dogs currently living chained to aging coops in the tall weeds at Ed’s place.

Flash forward to November 4. TASP volunteers pull into Ed’s driveway to deliver the kennel panels and to meet with Ed about where to place the new homes. It was decided that arranging the kennels across the long side of the mobile home would allow for the most space and the easiest access for the old man who would be tending to these equally old dogs. On the following day, Ed and his son worked shoulder to shoulder with 8 TASP volunteers to clear the site, distribute the new houses and erect the kennels. All the while, curious neighbors came to witness the event. One even cried for joy at the change that occurred that day for animals AND people.

While we were there, all of us saw for ourselves how much Ed truly loves these animals and how much they truly love and trust him. Aged and not accustomed to a lot of company, the dogs would not have stood much chance as shelter pets. “Unadoptable,” would be the term used to describe them. But with Ed, they were friends and equals; they got the best care Ed could afford to give them.

As they entered the kennels in pairs, with their side by side houses, the dogs reacted to the new living arrangements with 100% approval.  The old coon hounds climbed right up into the straw in their houses and started arranging their nests. The two Chow sisters frolicked together and rolled in the grass outside their houses, finally able to play like regular dogs instead of gazing at each other, chained, from across the yard. The big red Chow male who preferred to have his own kennel in the middle smiled gratefully outside his new house, glancing with approval at the Chow girls and the old hounds who were now his next-door neighbors.

All the time we were working at Ed’s he kept coming over and trying to give us things: a screwdriver he wanted us to have, a 2017 calendar sporting photos of puppies and kittens, an extra set of wrenches he said he couldn’t use. He wanted so badly to do something for us because he valued so deeply what we were doing for him. As we were leaving, he touched my arm and said, “I love you all, now and forever.”

We now have a NEW TASP Volunteer, Ed’s son! He was so impressed by what TASP does that he wants to be a part of this kind of animal welfare work. We visit Ed now and then to drop off donated food and to chat with the old man. When the time comes, Ed will return the kennels and houses to TASP so they can be rehabbed and reused for the next needy dogs. But for now, he and his dogs are welcome to these gifts. And life is good at Ed’s place these days.

Ready to see the video? Click here to view.

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December 4, 2016 By Melinda Plasse In Newsletter 2 Comments Off on With a Little Help From His Friends……..

Make Mine a Double! Copper’s Story

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Copper’s Story:

Howdy! The name’s Copper. And 10 years ago, I came north from Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina. Back then, I was a handsome young buck of a purebred Coon Hound; just a year old an’ all full of myself. I lived till now with my family in the country, outside of Troy, NY. That’s where I met my pal, Charlie. I gotta tell ya, Charlie taught me everything about how to be a good dog. He’s been my best friend and mentor all these years. I don’t know what I’d do without him.

Now, I guess you could say Charlie and me are entering the “Sunset Years.” We take it pretty easy these days; most of our fiestas are really siestas, if ya know what I mean.  We spend most of the time lying outdoors, watching the squirrels make fools of themselves when weather’s nice or snoozing in our beds in the basement when the weather turns sour. Now and then I still like to go out to the woods and howl a bit, just to let the foxes and coyotes know where the property line is.

If it weren’t for the fact that my family’s moving out of the country, you probably wouldn’t even be hearing from us. But yeah, that’s right. The family’s moving to Mexico and they said if Craigslist couldn’t find us a new home, they’d put me and Charlie to sleep permanently. Lucky for us guys, a volunteer from The Animal Support Project saw our posting and brought us to foster care. TASP joined with PAWS (Pioneers in Animal Welfare – they’re old friends with TASP from the Katrina days) to work together on our case.

Things here in foster care are fine; the foster-folks are real nice and the food’s good. But I gotta tell ya, if me and Charlie could have our wish, it would be for a little more space and a few less dogs. Not that we’re complainin,’ but somebody asked what we dream of, so I’m just lettin’ ya know.

We’re both pretty healthy. Been vaccinated, microchipped and neutered. I’ve got a fatty tumor under my neck, but it don’t bother me and heck, don’t every old guy have a lump or a bump somewhere? At least mine’s harmless. And aside from a little stiffness in the morning, we’re plenty fit from all the years of livin’ out in the fresh air and getting’ lots of exercise.

Do ya think you have room for a couple of old farm boys like us, or if not, do ya know someone who has room for a couple of big lawn ornaments? If ya call, maybe we could talk it over. 518-727-8591. Or you can download an application right now if you CLICK HERE.

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December 4, 2016 By Melinda Plasse In Newsletter 2 Comments Off on Make Mine a Double! Copper’s Story

Update: Will Bria Be Home for the Holidays?

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Hi again, everybody! It’s me, Bria! I’m still in foster care with TASP, and pretty soon it will be a whole year that my family and I have been apart. We’re still keeping tabs on each other and the rumor is, we might have a new home by Christmas. It seems like so long ago that the fire wiped out our old house and put me here in foster care. Ever since then, Mom and Dad have been working their hearts out, trying to save up enough for a down payment on a house while they’re still waiting for the insurance companies to stop arguing with each other. I love them for keeping their promise to Allana and me to reunite all of us again for good and forever, and I’ll wait patiently until they are ready to bring me home.

This is Allana’s first year in college and I have been praying for her to be as successful as I know she can be. It must be hard to concentrate on your studies when you’ve lost your home and your BFF isn’t beside you to keep you smiling, don’t you think?

While I’m waiting, I’ve got a nice young fella to play with here at my foster home. His Mama has been very sick so while she is getting better, Nicholas the German Shepherd puppy lives in my zone. When he first showed up, I thought he was kinda goofy….all feet and ears and always jumping on everyone and chewing anything he could fit into his mouth. But now, he’s been here for a few months and he’s been growing into a handsome young dawg. He’s become my favorite playmate and best friend (next to Allana, of course).

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Nick and I like playing Capture the Wubba and Steal the Antler outdoors in the yard and we wrestle like a couple of Olympians for hours on the kitchen floor. At night, after last outs, we like chillin’ with our peanut butter Kongs while Mom and Dad are finishing up the day’s chores. Thanks to all the exercise and play with Nicholas, I am staying in great shape and losing some of my own goofiness, gaining some more manners and maturing into an adult Lab Lady.

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I still spend most of my day carrying things in my mouth….old habits are the hardest to break. But heck, we all have our fetishes, right? And at least you always know where to look for the Kong Wobbler: it’s right here, in my mouth!

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You don’t have to worry about me because I am safe in TASP foster care. But would you please pray for Mama and Dad, Allana and the kids? They have lost so much but they still keep trying to rebuild their life. If our prayers come true, this Christmas, I’ll be sleeping next to my Allana again.

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December 4, 2016 By Melinda Plasse In Newsletter 2 Comments Off on Update: Will Bria Be Home for the Holidays?