Advocates 4 Animals

“She’s so stink’n cute!”Rescued as a stray pup- an area resident witnessed Maggie being “tossed

aside” on the road and confronted the individual. The Good Samaritan helpedthe young dog to safety and contacted A4A for help. A4A accepted youngMaggie into one of our loving foster homes and provided her with top veterinarycare, nutrition, training and lots of love! Maggie loves other dogs, all people,cats-- and everyone!

We are happy to report that Maggie has been adopted into a wonderfulhome to call her very own- forever! What a lucky girl! Maggie lives with a lovingfamily in the Cincinnati, OH area and she has a huge yard to play in with heryoung human family member too. She gets to sleep in bed at night and havelots of fun toys and attention daily. When the young boy (adopters) first metMaggie- he smiled and said “She’s so stink’n cute!” And we couldn’t agreemore!She now has a life she could once only dream of. Another happy successstory that we are proud to share with each of you!

Ray Charles- Tech GuruWhen Ray Charles was thrown from a car window onto a busy road, he

couldn’t see a thing. Luckily he was rescued and taken in by A4A Rescue! His eyeshad been so badly infected from untreated eye infections, that they were sealed shutand would remain that way until he had surgery. Dr. Josh Miller, DVM (CoventantAnimal Clinic, Waynesville, OH) performed the necessary surgery and helped Raystart a wonderful new life in his foster home at A4A! After a full recovery (his eyesjust always look a bit squinted- but he’s in great health!)- he was adopted by awonderful home in Yellow Springs, OH. Not only does Ray have a super home tocall his own...he also has learned so much about technology that he now has hisown Facebook Page!!!! Ray follows our A4A Rescue FB page online too. He is quitesavvy. Be sure to check out Ray’s FB page and become a friend!

- Rescue & Rehabilitation, Inc. -

www.Advocates4Animals.com / www.Facebook.com/Advocates4Animals

Writer/Editor: Stacey L. Ritz, M.Ed.CWA Professional Member, She Writes Professional Member, DWAA Professional Member

“

Kitten season is the popular term used during Spring andSummer time when the kitten population is exploding due tolack of spay/neuter of felines. We’re in full bloom kitten seasonagain this year and we have MANY kittens- of all colors, sizes,and personalities - all searching for their just right foreverhomes. Be sure to check our website(www.Advocates4Animals.com - click on the ‘Adoptable Pets’

Kitten Season is Here!

http://purrfectfence.com/products .asp

[ ]

What is a purrfect fence? It’s a fencethat’s nearly invisible and it has beencreated just for cats! You can keep catssafely in your yard- without the worryof bothering neighbors or worry of lossor illness from your roaming feline(s)while roaming. Cats of all sizes can en-joy some fresh air in safety and comfortwhen you use the Purrfect Fence! Besure to click the link and view photosand info regarding their products. Sev-eral of our foster homes use the purr-fect fence product and rave about howwonderful it has been. Be sure to checkit out today!

link) to view all of our current adoptable kittens/cats anytime. Wehave videos, photos and full descriptions posted- and as always,please feel free to e-mail us with any questions. We are alwayshappy to assist you with the adoption process in any way we can. Before adopting a new kitten(s)- please be sure to under-stand that it is always best to adopt 2 kittens together (for social-ization)- especially if you do not have other cats in thehousehold. In addition- be sure you know how to kitten proofyour home prior to your new kittens arrival.

There are many things to consider-please ask us for more information if interested.

www.Advocates4Animals.com / www.Facebook.com/Advocates4Animals

Interested in ways you can help support A4A’s Rescue efforts? Visit our website today!

[ ][ ]

A4A Calendars!

Little Dempsey was hit by a car andthen tossed into a high-volumeshelter. A4A Rescue stepped in andsaved this little guys life! Dempseyattended our annual Easter BunnyPhotos and volunteered his time tohelp us raise funds, prior to hisadoption. Dempsey was quicklyadopted by a wonderful, lovingfamily in Beavercreek, OH. He nowhas one older canine sibling and 2feline siblings- along with a home ofhuman family members to love andcare for him-- it’s a dream come truefor this little guy! We’re so happy forDempsey and for his adopters!

Thank you to everyone who soldand purchased Yankee CandleProducts during our Spring Salethis year! A special thank you toour highest volunteer salesperson-JENNIFER POWELL! Jennifer soldnearly $900 of products! All

generated from the salego directly to A4A Rescue animals.Thank you to all!!!

We are proud to announce that A4A will be producing our first ever A4ARescue Calendars! The calendars will be full color and high-quality printing.Pre-orders are being taken now. Calendars will arrive (for the 2012 year) inlate October/early November for pick-up/delivery. Please e-mail us to placeyour order today. 100% of calendar proceeds benefit the foster/adoptable petsat A4A Rescue. Thank you for your support! (please email us for moreinformation: petadoptions101@aol.com)

Does your puppy or adultdog like to chew?

Wehave and we must say, we givethem our highestrecommendation! Dogs lovechewing on these durable,varied textured bones. Theycome in a wide variety ofshapes, sizes and they haveDenta Bones too!

Please be sure to click on thelink in the yellow box (above) toview all Nylabone Products anda list of where the products canbe easily purchased.

We would also like to thankNylabone for their donation ofproducts to A4A for thefoster/adoptable dogs to enjoywhile waiting to find their justright forever home. Nylabonealso generously donatedproducts for our First Friday’sevent fundraisers as well. Thankyou Nylabone!!!

http://www.nylabone.com/

NYLABONE

www.Advocates4Animals.com / www.Facebook.com/Advocates4Animals

“Never underestimate your capabilities; you don’t know what you can do until you try it!” -unknown

HONEY is a yellow lab mix who was in need of urgent help. Sitting alone in acramped cage at a very high-kill KY shelter, Honey sat and awaited her fate at thehands of heartless shelter workers. Instead of being in a safe haven, Honey wasterrified. She had given up eating, was covered in ticks and fleas and her head hunglow. The dark cramped cage that she was confined to 24 hours a day was a depressingplace. The shelter is the only shelter in 5 counties in this particular area of KY- and theintake is unbelievable high (from owner surrenders and stray pets due to lack ofspay/neuter). The number of pets who make it out of the shelter alive is unbelivablylow. A4A received an e-mail just hours before Honey was scheduled to take her lastbreath. A4A jumped to action that evening, with just moments to spare, literally! A4Aco-founders Amy Beatty & Stacey Ritz arranged for a volunteer to take Honey to aboarding clinic overnight. Next, transportation was arranged for the following day.Thank you to our FB followers and to our loyal supporters who took action to assistA4A in many different ways- Jill Borkowski and Heather Niedermier stepped up to theplate and volunteered their entire day, time/effort and energies to help A4A transportHoney to safety back in OH at A4A Rescue. The transport went smoothly and was ahuge success. Honey is now in a volunteer foster home and has received top notchveterinary care, nutrition, love, attention and training. She is as gentle and sweet as canbe! The family/home who adopts her will be so very lucky to have Honey in their life-as she is a true sweetheart! Thank you to all for your donations, your kindwords/motivation, your efforts- and your continued support. You allowed us to saveHoney’s life- and she is so very happy and thankful for your help and support! “Thankyou” can’t express enough how wonderful Honey’s story truly is.

http://www.brgdonline.com/

Two time A4A Rescueadopter (a feline and a ca-nine!) Brandy & RyanSites- own/operate BRGraphic Designs.If you or someone youknow are in need of web-site design and coding, ad-vertising, copywriting,photography and more- besure to contact Brandy &Ryan today!Each client receives a de-tailed timeline. “Our care-fully designed process ismeant to ensure customersatisfaction throughout theentire project life cycle,while maintaining a highlevel of efficiency.”

Pictured (right): Jill Borkowski- volun-teer transporter(first leg) with Honey.Photo taken at hand-off to second legdriver, Heather Niedmier.

*A HUGE thank you to Jill & Heather forvolunteering their time, energy and efforts tohelp us save Honey and bring her to safety atA4A Rescue!

Pictured (left): Kittens Louie and Lilly-both being adopted in June to individualwonderful homes!

www.Advocates4Animals.com / www.Facebook.com/Advocates4Animals

“BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE.” -Gandhi

www.preciouscat.com

MISSION FISH / EBAY

Have you heard? A4A Rescue isselling items on Ebay to raise ad-ditional much needed funds tohelp A4A Rescue animals withspay/neuter, rehabilitation and

other medical care/treatments. Besure to visit our website and take

a look at our currentauction/products when

you have a chance!

A HUGE thank you to Dr. Elsey’s Precious Cat Litter for theirrecent donation to A4A Rescue! We are so appreciative fortheir very kind donation. Litter is very expensive- and it is anongoing expense incurred by A4A Rescue. Because of Dr.Elsey’s support with the recent litter donation- A4A can nowspend more funds on spay/neuter, medical care and rehabilita-tion efforts (instead of kitty litter). Dr. Elsey’s delivered thedonated litter to us locally- and you would have thought it wasChristmas morning! We are all tickled to have their supportand we want to say a big thank you to everyone at Dr. Elsey’s!

Have you tried Dr. Elsey’s Cat Litter?They have a wide variety of styles tochoose from. Their Cat Attract litter isguaranteed to have your cat going only inthe litterbox (never on the outside of thebox). Each bag of litter comes with abooklet of coupons and advice for cat lov-ers too. Cat Attract and Kitten Attract’stexture and particle size allow cats andyoung kittens to be drawn to its uniquenatural herb blend. Superior clumpingability and natural chlorophyll odor con-trol are other huge benefits to Dr. Elsey’slitter.Dr. Elsey, DVM is a veterinarian himselfand has developed his litter through yearsof treating cats and testing litters inshelters/clinics. Be sure to try Dr. Elsey’slitter products today- we highly recom-mend them for their superior quality!!!

Handmade Dog Toys & Leashes

At the local horse track (soon closing down!) ne entire barn (which is a lot of kitties!) of felines have beenspayed/neutered and are currently being fostered in volunteer homes and being adopted into homes to call their veryown. Just recently we learned that there are approximately 30 more barns-- all which have many, many unfixed catsreproducing and trying to survive (a minimum of 20 cats in each barn). A4A is working hard with volunteers and veter-inarians to tackle one barn at a time. The entire project will take years to complete- but we are in it until all felines arespayed/neutered, healthy and in loving homes to each call their very own! Stay tuned for more updates. We thank eachand everyone of you who have and who are volunteering your homes, your time, your donations, your efforts and yoursupport to help us with this enormous task!A cat/kitten with no medical issues costs A4A Rescue a minimum of $100/each to spay/neuter, vaccinate, FeLv test,worm, treat for prevention of ear mites and fleas. This is is a huge project for A4A Rescue- and we appreciate yoursupport!

A4A would like to thankCARS 4 CAUSES- the charity

that gives to charities! We’re soblessed to have Cars 4 Causes

continued support!

Click on the Cars 4 Causes Logo to learn more!

Comment by: Ginger, volun-teer chair-purrson (SeniorDivision):“Cars 4 Causes is super! Weare so happy to be a charitythey choose to support! “

Comment by: Daisy, volunteercanine acceptance team:“A4A Rescue does so much for somany people in our community,not to mention thousands ofanimals in urgent need. I’mhappy that Cars 4 Causes is sup-porting a super organization!”

Where’s MARGO?

After waiting nearly 2 years to be adopted into herjust right forever home, Miss Margo has found herloving home with a wonderful family in Xenia, OH.

Her adopters sent this photo and gave us permission touse it in sharing the good news with all of you. Margo

goes to each family members bed each night- to besure she has snuggle time with all family members!

The family says they couldn’t have dreamed of a bet-ter cat for their home- and all are very happy, healthy,comfortable and loving life! We are so happy to knowthat Margo has the home of her dreams and that she

has lots of love and snuggle time in her forever home!

Kate has found her Prince Charming!Rescued by a group of caring UD students, little orphan Kateneeded to be bottle fed and to find companionship in a felinefriend(s) while in foster care at A4A Rescue. No problemthere! We were fortunate enough to have a wonderful fosterhome- already bottle feeding and caring for another orphanedkitten named Charm (short for Prince Charming). When Katearrived (shortly after Charm) to A4A Rescue, Charm’s fosterhome had contacted us and requested a “Kate” to foster- sothat Charm would have a little one to socialize and play withas he enjoyed his “kittenhood”. Kate was just the girl for thejob! And the two have been best pals in their Springboro fos-ter home ever since. And the even better news? Yes- it getsbetter! Kate & Charm are being adopted TOGETHER- into awonderful home to call their own, in June. Congrats to all!

513-899-3616

Thank you to all of our volunteers- Melissa, Nate, Stacey, Jamie and StaceyR & Amy. For helping at our annual Easter Bunny Photos again this year-held one weekend in Xenia and one weekend in Yellow Springs. A bigthank you to Diane Shaffer at the Country Laundromutt Grooming (Xenia)and to the Miami Twp. Fire Dept. (Yellow Springs) for allowing us to useyour facilities for our photos again this year. We appreciate your continuedsupport! We would also like to thank all of our human, feline and caninefriends who came out to have their photos taken and support A4A Rescueefforts this Easter Season! Thank you to all for making the event a success!We hope to see you all again in the Winter for photos with Santa!

Dr. Danielle Rastetter, DVM-Pets In Stitches (Miamisburg)

www.PetsInStiches.com

ANGIE GRISWOLD- for the donation of the 2 KurandaCat beds!

JENNY RITZ- for donating the baked good items for ourXenia Easter Bunny Photos

SUSAN JOHANNAS- for the many new blankets, cattoys donated- and for your continued support throughdonations!

JENNIFER POWELL- for all of your hard work andefforts with the horse track rescue felines!

HEATHER NIEDERMIER- for becoming one of ournew volunteer foster homes (for Kate & PrinceCharming)

JILL & DAVE BORKOWSKI- for your generous donation!This has been a huge help with spay/neuter, TNR, etc.

MELISSA MCFARLAND- for again organizing our annualEaster Bunny photos this year! And for the largedonation of blankets.

DIANE & MIKE SHAFFER- Laundromutt Grooming

MIAMI TWP FIRE DEPT- Yellow Springs

PICTURED ABOVE: 3 adoptable felines- none are related, although they look like they could be! From rightto left: Mr. Magoo, (kitten)- Ollie, and Chloe. Little kitten Ollie has a home waiting for her in June- in Xenia,OH. Magoo and Chloe are still waiting to find their just right, forever homes!

Meet Maria: Rescued from a high-volume shelter- Mariahad a very tough start in life. She was used for breeding over and overuntil the individuals didn’t want her anymore. She was in great needof medical care and in very high need of love. Miss Maria is just assweet, gentle and kind as can be. She loves to snuggle under the cov-ers (so cute!) and she loves to sit on your lap and be petted and loved.Really, she just loves to be loved. She is approximately 5 years youngand as adorable as can be. She weighs about 8-9 lbs and has now beenspayed, UTD on shots, tested for HW and treated with a monthly pre-ventative, and treated for the prevention of ear mites, fleas andworms. She has also had a few bad teeth pulled and her teeth are nowclean and healthy; she also had a hematoma on her ear that has sincebeen surgically treated and is healing nicely! Maria was adopted intothe home of her dreams on June 1st- and we couldn’t be happier forMaria and for her adopters! We have no doubt it is a just right fit forall!

We couldn't be more thrilled with our new family mem-ber, lovingly named "Kitten." She is now destined to bea kitten forevermore! (We originally named her"Lucky," but we all constantly called her "Kitten," so Igot her a new nametag!)

Our original intent was to find a playmate for oursweet Labrador, who gets bored silly when everyone isat work and school. I had been purusing through Pet-finder for several weeks, unsure if I was looking for acat or a dog. The thought of training another dogseemed so daunting...

Then I saw this little beauty's photo! Ohmygosh, Icouldn't believe no one had snatched her up yet! Ithink I saw her as soon as Advocates4Animals postedher. I wrote to them right away and started the pro-cess. I was very nervous about bringing a new animalinto our house, and especially a cat, as I've only haddogs for the last twenty years.

A4A was so wonderful....they drove all the way fromXenia to Cincinnati to bring her to us. The moment weopened the kitty carrier, she seemed completely inease in our home. She has the most adorable person-ality, always purring and rubbing up against us, not tomention how GORGEOUS she is!! Truly, I neverdreamed we would be so in love with her. We have tobe careful not to make our Lovey, the Labrador, jeal-ous. The kids and I are very taken with her and herfunny antics and sweet disposition. She is thePURRRRRRRRRFECT addition to our home and family!!

Thank you SO much, A4A, for bringing us our adorable"Kitten."

Courtesy of Eileen Vester & Family

Article from a Recent A4A Adopter

ADOPTED!!!!!

I hope that at some point in our lives, each of us are lucky enough to experience the joy of loving another living being and having that specialbond returned. Throughout the centuries, love has been defined as many wonderful things. Love is our deep connection to another living being.Love is truly wanting happiness for another. Furthermore, love is a commitment that you never regret and a feeling that never dies. Is lovewhat makes life worth living? Is love the super-glue that holds our bond of family and friendship to others in place?

When the pitter-patter of worn paws hit the fuzzy green carpet, this time something was different. This time, the soft thump of four thin furrylegs fell on deaf ears. Strolling over to her porcelain bowl, Kat didn’t find her normal fresh food being poured in the bowl. Swaying her head tothe right, she found her water bowl empty. As she trotted back to her person’s bedroom, she slightly nudged the door with her head, hearing aslight but familiar squeak as it moved. Darkness fell upon the room. The sheets were still a mess and the pillows still held the nearly perma-nent dents from her curled up body and his sleepy head. How could everything change so quickly? Would David ever return? Would anyone?Kat moved slowly back into the living room, staring sadly at her filled litter-box. The mess inside the box was beginning to mold. For 22 yearsKat had relied on a clean, daily scooped box. But now, things were different. She twitched her whiskers and found a sunny spot on the couch tolounge. It was the same spot she sat every evening with David as they watched television together. Somehow the warm rays of sunlight didn’tbring her usual cheerfulness and purrs. The warmth of the sun only eluded to the fact that another day was passing without David. Anotherday of wondering if Kat might ever see him again.

On the other side of town, the local veterinarian received a phone call, not unusual to others already received that week.“I live across the country, I’m the only family my dad has and he…he is in long-term care at the nursing home now. I haven’t been home to visithim in years, in fact we haven’t talked in years, but I remember the last time I did see him, he had a cat and he used your veterinary office.Could you tell me if he has still been bringing this cat to you?”“Sure has.” Answered the veterinarian. “It’s been close to 22 years now believe it or not. He buys her special food here at our office everymonth. He never says much, but we know he loves his cat. Come to think of it, we haven’t seen him in over a month now. Is he okay?”The man on the other line answered, “No, not really. He’s not going to be coming home…” His voice trailed. “I’m flying in to take care of his es-tate the day after tomorrow. Can I make an appointment to bring his cat in for euthanasia?”“Would you mind if I made a call to a local rescue group first?” Asked the veterinarian.“Oh…that would be even better. It would be nice if his cat could continue living. I just didn’t know what else to do. I can’t fly her back with me,I already have a cat and a family of my own.”

Two days later, Advocates 4 Animals co-founders sat on the front porch steps of what was once Kat & David’s happy home. Moments later, acall was made to the veterinarian to cancel the euthanasia appointment scheduled for that very day, and instead schedule a routine healthcheck for Miss Kat.

At age 22, Kat was given a clean bill of health and permission to eat anything she pleased! She entered a volunteer foster home at Advocates 4Animals Rescue and quickly became the star of the show. Kat greeted potential kitten adopters at the door and had quite a bit to tell themwhen they visited. Although her hair was thin and her paws were worn to next to nothing, the sparkle in her eyes lit up the room. Volunteersand visitors alike were astonished to meet Kat and learn that she was 22 years of age. All were amazed at her grace, her resilience and her te-nacity. Her love of life and of David clearly remained, and we all believed it was her memory of David that gave way to her ongoing spunk. Ad-vocates 4 Animals Rescue volunteers understood that we would never replace David, but we also knew that we could honor their unbelievablebond through providing top quality veterinary care, nutrition and love/affection to Kat, through all the remaining days of her life.David had suffered from health issues years earlier and could speak very few words during his late adult life. He was able to properly say “cat”,hence the name bestowed upon his beloved Kat. David and Advocates 4 Animals Rescue had never met prior to Kat’s entry into the rescue,however, in using the same local veterinarian, fate took over and honored David’s memory, and Kat’s life- and the amazing bond the two sharedand will forever share in their hearts.

The human-animal bond knows no boundaries or limitations. If a bond is true, it will remain so, even after one has passed over to the afterlife.At Advocates 4 Animals Rescue, we witness these awe inspiring bonds daily- through stories we are told, through rescues we perform andthrough fostering adoptable pets and providing ongoing education to our adopters regarding how to build and strengthen the amazing and pow-erful human-animal bond.

There is no denying the fact that Wanda, a straggly, deaf and nearly blind stray elderly feline who found her way to us on a deserted countryroad one hot summer day, built an unbreakable bond with us. After undergoing necessary medical treatments, procedures and taking in unlim-ited wholesome nutrition, Wanda’s face and body still showed her years of abuse, neglect and hardships. Her crackled meow sounded more likea bullfrog than a cuddly feline. Despite seeming like the bad guys, Advocates 4 Animals Rescue volunteers made sure to spend extra time andeffort in working with Wanda. In time, Wanda learned to trust, to love and to eat well beyond her share of food! Whether or not Wanda felt abond to us was an uncertainty until her passing. The evening of her passing, the normally feisty Wanda, climbed slowly into bed, laid parallel tomy side and with loving certainty, placed her chilly paw in the palm of my hand. Moments later she took her last breath, in peace, giving onelast small grip onto my palm. Never had a passing of a loved furry friend been so accepted and so peaceful. It is without a doubt that Wandaknew her last breath was looming, and she was certain to place herself beside her rescuer and with nothing but love and peace to share.

Is the bond between human and animal simply love? Or is love the glue that holds a bond together? To us, it seems that the answers to thesequestions lie only in the hearts of those lucky enough to experience the joy of the human-animal bond. It’s possible that the answers may nothave a simple, direct response. More importantly, the answers to the questions that matter, the questions of devotion, commitment and trust,lie within each of us. Animals teach us more than we can ever teach them. Animals are open to the unbreakable bonds that can be built with hu-mans- they do not fear love. Can you say the same?

Hi! I just wanted to contribute a note to the A4ANewsletter and thank the good people at A4A Rescue

for saving my life, my mom’s life and my siblingslives! I will always be forever grateful for your

kindness and for your efforts. To all A4A friends,supporters and members- please continue to support

the wonderful efforts made by A4A Rescue as theyare truly saving lives that are in great need. I don’tknow where I would be without their help- I don’t

even want to imagine! Donations of items in need, orof transporting volunteer time to help save lives, or tovolunteer your home as a foster home, or to donatefunds...all are very important ways that you can help

A4A save more lives.Ok- I’m off to my new, forever home now. I’m prettyexcited! Thanks for listening and thanks for helpingA4A save my life- and thousands of other pets likeme. A huge thank you from the bottom of my little

furry heart!

Another very special thank you goes out to Susan Crumrine and Family-- for continuing tobe a wonderful foster home for A4A Rescue! Susan & her family stepped up in a time ofgreat need- to foster 2 felines for A4A Rescue- which allowed us to save more lives in ur-gent need. Thank you to Susan- and thank you to all of our volunteer foster homes in theA4A Program. We are so appreciative of your support and your daily efforts to help the

animals in need. Thank you!

Thank you to each of you- for your continued support! We are often told thatwe inspire others- but we want you to know, that your efforts and support ofA4A Rescue, inspire us daily. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you to each andeveryone of you!

PICTURED BELOW: Fun loving photos of just a few of our thousands of adopted, happy, pets from A4A!

www.Advocates4Animals.com / www.Facebook.com/Advocates4Animals