fall 2014
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Candidates for the RedRover Board of Directors The Restricted Adventures of Raja the Cat You put us at the top! Inspiring Angel Your support protects pets from domestic violence Whenever, wherever, we're helping animals Celebrate the holidays safely with your petsTRANSCRIPT
FALL 2014
Meet Oreo’s Angel
New e-book helps children develop empathy for animals Safety from abuse for pets and people • Georgia puppy mill Keeping your pet safe during the holidays
DIANA BALLEW-RAIHLE quotes
Anatole France, “Until one has loved
an animal, a part of one’s soul remains
unawakened.” Diana has been a
RedRover Responders volunteer since
2005 and is also a RedRover Readers
volunteer and an On-Call Angel donor.
She has two decades of finance
experience, co-owns a consulting
business and is a Certified Public
Accountant. Diana resides near
Chicago with her husband, two dogs
and three cats. P.O. Box 188890 Sacramento, CA 95818
TEL 916.429.2457 WEB RedRover.org FAX 916.378.5098 EMAIL [email protected] TAX ID # 68-0124097
Companion is published quarterly by RedRover and is distributed to its members. © 2014 RedRover.
For a listing of RedRover’s board of directors and staff, visit: RedRover.org/people
facebook.com/RedRoverOrgtwitter.com/RedRoverOrgyoutube.com/RedRoverOrginstagram.com/RedRoverOrgpinterest.com/RedRoverOrg
visit our website for gift giving ideas
that help animals: RedRover.org/holiday
The holiday season is also a special
time to express gratitude, and I can’t tell
you enough how much I appreciate your
compassion, generosity and support of
RedRover and the animals. I know we
share the belief that animals deserve to
be saved from suffering. I also hope we
share the belief that by working
together, we can make the future a
better place for animals.
This issue of Companion shares our
exciting plans for RedRover Readers,
which we think will make this unique
education program spread more
quickly, helping more children grow up
to be understanding and empathetic
toward animals.
And I hope you enjoy the other
stories of animals helped because of
your support! Thank you again, and
I wish you a warm holiday season!
NICOLE FORSYTHPresident and CEO
Greetings!THE HOLIDAY SEASON IS UPON US, and I hope you take a moment to
review the back cover of Companion
for our holiday pet safety tips. You do
so much to help us bring animals out
of crisis, but we also want to prevent
crises wherever we can! You can also
SHARRON BRADLEY, a life-
long animal lover
from Sacramento,
California, has
volunteered for
rescue groups and
is passionate about
saving animals.
She is the longtime
CEO of a trade
association with
years of experience managing both
nonprofit and for-profit businesses.
She holds a Master’s degree in Human
Resource Management and Organiza-
tional Development. Sharron shares
her home with her husband and two
very active Vizslas.
FOR YOUR VOTE TO BE COUNTED,
PLEASE MARK YOUR VOTE ON THE
ENCLOSED POSTAGE-PAID ENVELOPE
AND MAIL IT BY DECEMBER 20, 2014. For a director to be elected by written
ballot, he or she must receive a majority
of affirmative votes, with at least six
percent of members voting. Votes
withheld are not counted for or against
a director. The board of directors will
vote for directors if members do not
return a quorum of ballots.
Candidates for the RedRover Board of Directors
companion FALL 2014
RedRover READERS
IMAGINE a world where people
understood each other and animals.
Imagine a world with more empathy.
Our RedRover Readers program
has helped kids understand animals
and develop empathy skills in class-
rooms across the country. RedRover’s
new “E-Books for Empathy” project
will spread this program into more
classrooms and homes using everyday
technology that will make it fun for
kids to learn empathy for animals.
E-Books for Empathy will be a book
series that takes kids through the
adventures of a very special warrior,
Raja, who lives in another world.
When Raja arrives on Earth, he
becomes a domestic Earth cat and is
afraid. The Earth of 2050 is a dreadful
place, full of animals with no homes,
angry and lonely adults, terrible bullies
The Restricted Adventures of Raja the Cat
REDROVER HAS BEEN HONORED with a distinguished Top-Rated Award
by GreatNonprofits for the fifth year
in a row! We received the award based
on the overwhelming number of
positive reviews written by commu-
nity members who were helped by
RedRover’s programs, our volunteers
and supporters like you who care
about animals. Thank you!
You put us at the top!
With your support,
kids can learn to
understand animals
better, which means
the vision of a kinder,
more empathetic
society is possible.
and sad kids. Here Raja’s adventures are
just beginning, and the question becomes,
“How can he communicate with this boy,
and save the people and animals on Earth
when he is stuck with the body and
behaviors of a cat?”
E-Books for Empathy will inspire
kids to want to make the world a better
place while giving them a much needed
opportunity to practice the skills needed
for empathy. With your support, kids
can learn to understand animals better,
which means the vision of a kinder, more
empathetic society is possible.
Watch a video to learn more about RedRover’s e-book series and interactive learning app: RedRover.org/e-book
It all started with
Oreo, a black-and-white
cat who needed surgery
for a life-threatening urinary
blockage. His owner, a college
student named Brittany, couldn’t cover
the full cost of Oreo’s surgery and
hospitalization with her part-time job
waiting tables, but she was determined
to get Oreo the help he needed.
Brittany applied for a RedRover Relief
grant for financial help in hopes of
giving her “baby” another chance at life.
We reached out to Pattie, a long-time
donor and cat lover, to see if she could
personally help fund Oreo’s case. Pattie
recalled being Brittany’s age when she
was unable to afford expensive veterinary
care for her beloved cat, Tuffy. With
Pattie’s donation, Oreo was rushed to
RedRover RELIEF
Inspiring AngelBAMMY NEEDED BLADDER STONE SURGERY. Jake had two broken legs.
Skylar was suffering from parvovirus.
They are just three of the animals
who were granted miracles by one
special donor named Pattie Reber.
Pattie’s generosity inspired us to
create our On-Call Angels program,
where we work with individual donors
to help animals get the lifesaving
veterinary care they need.
What a lovely team Brittany and Oreo are!! I wish I could tell that dear child not to weep, but to love her cat and be happy always. Love to you at RedRover,
— PATTIE
BAMMY
surgery and returned to Brittany’s
loving arms. “I am so extremely thankful
for everything you have done for me
and Oreo,” Brittany told us. “You’ve
lifted the weight of the world from my
shoulders and filled me with hope.
I cannot express my gratitude enough.”
Pattie’s generosity for Oreo
marks the beginning of RedRover’s
On-Call Angel program. Pattie has
even helped pets escape domestic
violence with their families by donating
toward their overnight boarding and
care. Her compassion, empathy and
generosity inspired countless miracles
Her compassion, empathy
and generosity inspired
countless miracles for
animals in need with
help from other On-Call
Angels like her.
2 companion FALL 2014
I am so extremely thankful for everything you have done for me and Oreo.
— BRITTANY
OREO
JAKE SKYLAR, After
SKYLAR, Before
BAMMY
OREO & BRITTANY
BAMMY
for animals in need with help from
other On-Call Angels like her.
Pattie shows us that it is possible
for one person to make a difference —
and that together, we make up a
community that can create a better
world for animals. Thank you to our
entire RedRover community for helping
animals in crisis and cherishing the
human-animal bond.
Learn more about becoming an On-Call Angel like Pattie: RedRover.org/On-Call-Angel
AT RIGHT (clockwise): Oreo’s life was saved thanks to Pattie. Pattie helped Bammy get his bladder stones removed. Skylar, a six-week-old pit bull puppy, survived parvovirus thanks to Pattie’s generosity. Jake is with his loving family today thanks to Pattie’s donation for his lifesaving surgery.
WINTER 2014 companion 3
RedRover RELIEF
OVER THE SUMMER, supporters
like you gathered online to
help pets and people escape
domestic violence together.
Your support inspired a
$6,000 matching grant from
A Guardian Angel Foundation,
and together, we were able to
raise funds to help four more
communities protect pets and
people from abuse:
■■ Anna Marie’s Alliance in St. Cloud, Minnesota
■■ Dove Center in Oakland, Maryland
■■ SAFEHOME, Inc. in Overland Park, Kansas
■■ Underground Railroad, Inc. in Saginaw, Michigan
This year, MARYLAND became
the 35th state to implement a
SAF-T shelter that can house pets
with their families. We want every
state to have the ability to keep
people and their pets together
after escaping abuse.
Your support protects pets from domestic violence
■ Connecticut
■ Delaware
■ Hawaii
■ Illinois
■ Indiana
■ Iowa
■ Maine
These 15 states still need our help
■ Massachusetts
■ Mississippi
■ Nebraska
■ New Hampshire
■ North Dakota
■ Oklahoma
■ Rhode Island
■ West Virginia
Want to learn more about the resources to help pets and people in your community? Visit RedRover.org/DVResources
You helped put MARYLAND on the map for protecting pets!
States with pet-friendly domestic violence shelters
States that NEED pet-friendly domestic violence shelters
4 companion FALL 2014
RedRover RESPONDERS
BE IT RAIN OR SHINE, summer or
winter, or even a big holiday weekend,
RedRover Responders volunteers know
they may be called upon at any moment
to help when animals are in need. We
can’t predict when or where an animal
emergency will happen, but it’s part
of why volunteering with RedRover can
be such an exciting experience. For
6 brand-new volunteers and over 300
rescued dogs, the timing was just right.
County, Georgia. One week before and
just two counties over, we had held a
RedRover Responders workshop to train
a new group of volunteers. I felt so lucky
and thankful that we would have enough
volunteer support to give the needy
dogs the brand new lives they deserved.
Six bright new volunteers joined
14 others to provide daily care for the
rescued dogs and puppies. “I was
pleasantly surprised when I was asked
to deploy,” reported Jennifer Kopp, a
newly trained RedRover Responders
volunteer. “I was just thrilled to be able
to help these animals.”
It was Julie Maddock’s first
deployment, too. “It’s been lots of work,
it’s been exciting and it’s been lots of
awesome teamwork.” Julie and the other
volunteers worked long hours to feed
the dogs and puppies, interact with them,
exercise them and keep them clean and
healthy. She added, “Everyone working
here is amazing.”
Long-time RedRover supporter
Sheri Boyd agreed. “Everyone is very
INTERACT ONLINE
Follow us on Facebook to see
deployment photos and updates:
facebook.com/RedRoverOrg
Watch a video of these volunteers
sharing their stories:
RedRover.org/AWeekApart
Learn about becoming a RedRover
Responders volunteer:
RedRover.org/JoinResponders
Whenever, wherever, we’re helping animals
We can’t predict when
or where an animal
emergency will happen,
but it’s part of why
volunteering with
RedRover can be such
an exciting experience.
friendly and hard working. They’re
all willing to get their hands dirty.”
And that’s what I love about our
volunteers! These caring individuals
give up their time and sometimes
travel hundreds of miles to take care
of animals who need us most. Your
generosity, combined with their hard
work and determination, makes for
a happy new start for all the animals
involved. Thank you!
By Beth Gammie, Emergency Services Manager
In July, RedRover received the
request to care for 357 dogs rescued
from an alleged puppy mill in Cherokee
FROM LEFT: Volunteer Sheri cuddles a newborn puppy; These puppies got a second chance at life; Newly trained RedRover Responders volunteers pose at their training together in Georgia, a week before deploying. FALL 2014 companion 5
along with increased thirst, urination
and heart rate. Candies containing a
sweetener called xylitol are also toxic.
Poultry bones can splinter and cause
blockages, and greasy, spicy and fatty
foods can cause upset stomachs.
Decorate with caution. Tinsel, ribbons, aluminum
foil and cellophane can all
cause intestinal blockages if ingested.
Glass ornaments can cause injury and
electrical wires can shock animals who
chew on them. Cover Christmas tree
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Celebrate the holidays safely with your pets
WHETHER family comes to visit during
the holidays, or you take Fluffy with you
to visit a relative’s home, it is important
to be aware of the dangers that holiday
festivities can pose to companion
water with a tree skirt because it may
contain fertilizers or bacteria that could
make your pets sick if they drink it.
Go faux. Since many
common plants, like
mistletoe, poinsettias,
holly berries and lilies
can all be toxic to animals,
keep these items well out of reach
or consider using artificial versions.
Do you know these 25 items that can be hazardous to pets? Take our quiz: RedRover.org/hazards
You can educate your
family members and
friends about common
pet threats so that every-
one enjoys a wonderful
holiday season.
animals. You can educate your family
members and friends about common
pet threats so that everyone enjoys a
wonderful holiday season.
Resist the temptation to reward pets with
“people food.” Sweets,
especially chocolate, are
dangerous for pets. Chocolate contains
theobromine, which can cause vomiting,
diarrhea, seizures and hyperactivity,