Savannah's Paw Tracks

Part Two: Making Change For Animals and A Give Away Contest

Hiya! Savannah here!! Well this is a really exciting post today,at least for me…

If you read my B4TC post on July 15, you remember I talked about a Person, Miss Tammy, a dog, Sammie, and Pilots, Pilots ‘N Paws.

Now, I am taking about another pilot, a van, lots of people, some dogs and two Food Banks…all working together to Be the Change for Animals.  Cool, huh??

Miss Tammy is the link to this because she volunteers with my former shelter  called Kitty Corner, and it is owned and operated by a private, non profit organization called the Contra Costa Humane Society (CCHS).  My Mom and Dad volunteer here too.

CCHS has several programs, but I’m just going to share a couple of really unique ones I want to show off to my readers.

First, the dogs, the van, the pilot and some people….

CCHS partnered with our local county public shelter,  Contra Costa Animal Services and with a private non profit no kill shelter, Southern Oregon Humane Society, to put into action a program called Operation Rescue Paws.

CCHS works with Contra Costa Animal Services to pull dogs from this shelter, which does euthanize, and then CCHS coordinates transportation for the dogs to Southern Oregon Humane Society where they have furrever homes waiting for them!!! YEA!!!

This is mostly small dogs…at risk of euthanization and the Oregon shelter guarantees adoption.

Now for the transport from Northern California to Southern Oregon. Here comes the pilot and the van!!

The first group of dogs was small, only 4 or 5 of them…and a very kind pilot, not part of Pilots N Paws, volunteered to transport these dogs to Southern Oregon.

…loading up…

…ready for take off!!!!…

…now the people volunteering to drive the van in stages to Oregon…

…this van had 14 dogs…

…some passengers before loading…

…and look at this special little doggie…he was fine…just needed the cone thingy ‘cuz of a small issue…

Isn’t that a pawsome program!! And CCHS will be doing it again…as soon as they can get some funds raised to help with the cost. Of course, they also have to coordinate foster homes for a few days for all those doggies before they go on the trip to Sourthern Oregon.  Lots, and lots of work…but what a great ending!

Another program CCHS has…and I really think this one is totally cool…helps dogs and cats and people!!

Here come some more people, some dogs and cats, and two food banks.

All of us cats and dogs know how much joy, love and healing comfort we bring to our human families.  But as the peeps’ economy has sort’a tanked…so many peeps struggle to not only feed their human family, but their aniFamily members too.

So, CCHS partners with two local county food banks, Contra Costa County Food Bank and Solano County Food Bank, to help families be able to feed and therefore keep their aniFamily members.

The food banks give CCHS any dog or cat food they collect. CCHS then puts it into 4-6 pound bags (dry food…canned food is distributed by so many cans based on need) …and then CCHS distributes the dog and cat food on the same day and site each month that the food bank distributes people food.

As with people food banks, our program called Animeals, is intended to only be supplemental. CCHS cannot provide a whole month of food, but we are trying to help people keep their dogs and cats.

CCHS does have one requirement, and it aligns (vocab builder) with their Spay and Neuter services…that requirement is that people who receive the supplement dog and cat food must show that their pets are spayed or neutered. (a sort’a sad reflection on peeps’ lack of education about the need to spay and neuter…is that when CCHS instituted this requirement…the number of peeps coming for dog and cat food dropped by about 150)

…CCHS has food barrels distributed around our county…they are placed at many pet food stores…asking people to donate…

…this is a distribution day…

I hope you learned about CCHS and maybe got some ideas for programs like these in your area…

It is just one more way that people, a van, a pilot, and rescue organizations and food banks are being the change for animals every day.

NOW…THE GIVE AWAY…

Keeping the focus on Being The Change for Animals and Rescue…I am giving away 5 copies of the great book I talked about in my July 15 post… Dog Is My Co-Pilot, by Patrick Regan.

• To win, just leave a comment and tell me “what have you done to rescue a cat or dog?”  Briefly mention on or two challenges you overcame with your rescue
• It can be about your own dog or cat you rescued or maybe you helped someone else
• This is open to all readers to whom I can send the book via AMAZON…I will order it and have it shipped to you direct from AMAZON

How to select the 5 winners…hmmmmm…tapping claw up,down,up,down…AHHH HAA..

• I will have Miss Tammy read all the comments and pick the 5 that make her have  “HAPPY LEAKY EYES”! … I’m talkin’ about the leaky eyes like lots of you had when you read about her dog, Sammie.

Mom is reading the book to me every night before bed…a couple of stories each night….we sniffle…hug each other and smile a lot…I know  you will enjoy this book.

Paw Pats, Savannah