'Tis the Season

Greetings, All, and a Happy Thanksgiving.

As usual, the holidays have arrived without my quite knowing how they sneak up on me each year. Maybe someday I will have everything planned in advance. While I'm waiting for that particular fantasy to come true, I figure I might as well jump into the spirit of the holiday season and try to spread a little goodwill.

Most of you know that I volunteer with H.A.L.O., a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing emergency care for animals. The good news is that we have been successful in getting the word out. In the past few months, H.A.L.O., in cooperation with the Humane Society, has conducted three "trap, neuter, release" missions for feral cats. Many of these cats required additional medical treatment and were cared for post-surgery by volunteers. These missions are great, but what happens most often at H.A.L.O. is that people drop off wounded, sick or unwanted pets. Tomorrow, a beautiful little Shih-Tzu puppy will be placed in the home of my friend and co-worker. The puppy's original family is no longer able to care for him, and his new family is excited about his arrival. This was one was easy -- healthy, cute, purebred, well-cared-for -- lots of people want a pet like that.

Most are not so easy. This morning when I spoke to Stacey, she was on the way to a vet with a cat who had been attacked and seriously hurt by a dog. The surgery and meds will cost hundreds of dollars. This is a typical H.A.L.O. story. In the past 6 months Stacey and Sue have accumulated huge vet bills for the dogs and cats they have saved. So far, no animal has been turned away. But so far, no animal has been dropped off with anything in the way of financial support for the medical care needed.

With a little help from our friends, we can continue to provide care for any animal in need. Please consider making a small donation to H.A.L.O. to keep the lights on and the animals safe and healthy. Everything helps, and every donation is used to care for the animals. We promise not to share your info with anyone, ever.

Thanks, and Happy Thanksgiving!
(Donations are processed through PayPal. You do not need a PayPal account to donate.)