Annual Report 2005 - Pit Bull Rescue Central

Annual Report 2005
Our Vision:
Pit Bull Rescue Central envisions a compassionate world where pit
bulls and pit bull mixes reside in responsible, loving homes and where
their honor and positive image is restored and preserved.
Our Mission:
As an organization, Pit Bull Rescue Central (PBRC) will:
• Help relieve suffering of and prevent cruelty to dogs identified as pit bulls and mixes thereof, through the public dissemination of educational information
• Help reduce the number of homeless pit bulls and
mixes thereof, through the public dissemination of
educational information
• Facilitate the rescue and placement of homeless
dogs identified primarily as pit bulls and mixes
thereof, into responsible homes
• Participate in fundraising in order to provide
caretakers of pit bulls and mixes thereof, with
the means to:
1. seek veterinary treatment
2. spay or neuter
3. provide food, shelter, and other basic
necessities
4. assist a dog to prevent it from being
treated in a cruel or inhumane fashion
This is Jaxson! Jaxson was a stray found in Arizona. His ears had been cut off
with scissors but, overall he seemed healthy. Jaxson’s foster mom noticed that he
did not act like a normal puppy should - never wanting to play and sleeping constantly. Jax then started to develop a limp. An x-ray determined the growth plate in his
front left leg was severely damaged. A routine pre-surgery blood test found that he had
a serious infection somewhere in his body. Surgery was postponed until the source of
the infection could be determined. Many tests later, it was determined that Jaxson had
Valley Fever, a fungal infection that affects many dogs in the southwest. Valley Fever is
very frustrating to treat and can be fatal. The road to surgery was not easy...for six
months there were weekly vet appointments to monitor his white cell counts while his
foster mom waited and hoped for some relief for him. Jaxson was on anti-fungal medication for months before he was healthy enough to undergo his leg surgery. Finally, his
leg was operated on and Jaxson is on the way to recovery. He still has a few surgeries
to go and continues to fight his fungal infection but he has a spirit like no other dog in
the world. He definitely grabbed the heart of his foster mom with whom he has finally
found his forever home. Without financial assistance from PBRC, Jaxson's recovery
would not have been possible and he would not be living the life of luxury he does now.
Message from the Board of Directors:
This past year saw Pit Bull Rescue Central continuing to list record
numbers of homeless pit bulls for adoption, from caretakers across the
country. Sadly, their numbers are NOT decreasing. Therefore, during
2005, we placed major emphasis on spay and neuter. The Spay/Neuter
Committee developed its new affiliate program. And, Pit Bull Rescue Central celebrated Spay Day USA, for the first time, with
our very successful spay/neuter car magnet campaign.
PBRC also had some additional exciting new developments such as Poppy’s Place, our educational website for children. We also introduced our first issue
of “Bully Buzz”, the official newsletter of PBRC.
An unplanned occurrence for PBRC, many hours
were spent during the last quarter of 2005 focusing on the pit bulls of Katrina, and the humans
who cared about them. The number of pit bulls
displaced by the hurricanes in the Gulf Coast
Region was staggering, even to animal welfare
veterans. PBRC volunteers were on the front
lines doing what they could to help in an overwhelming situation, assisting primarily in the
ways we know best – by using email and the
Internet.
We hope you enjoy this review of 2005. We hope for
a peaceful and productive 2006 as we continue to work
to help the dogs we love.
The PBRC Board of Directors
*****
PBRC Board of Directors 2005:
President – Holly Bukes
Vice President – Dawn Carroll
Secretary – Sue Gauthier / Michelle Daigle
Treasurer – Tiffany McBee / Arlene Ehrlich
Director of Fundraising – Cynthia Castillo
Director of Marketing/PR – Marcy Setter
Director Education/Outreach – Marcy Setter
Director of Volunteers – Pam Fradkin and Amy McGarrigle
2005 in Review:
Daily Operations:
PBRC’s staff, which consists of 30 volunteers, continue their endless work
on behalf of pit bulls everywhere. They answer an average of 165 emails
from the general public each month, with an average response time of less
than 12 hours.
The Dog-listings web team processed 6,000 listing requests in 2005,
up nearly 1,000 listings from 2004. Activities include writing caretakers for
additional information, clarification of certain issues, verifying sterility
status, educating caretakers and building web pages.
An average of 1,300 dogs are listed on PBRC, and each listing is
maintained daily as needed. To keep the listings current, team members
sent out "update request" letters monthly, asking caretakers for status updates, new pictures and dog-bio edits. The team also maintained the home
page and "feature" dogs posted throughout the site.
The number of homeless dogs posted on the site for adoption continues to
increase. This meant more adoption applications to be processed, which
kept the Applications team busy 7 days a week. The Applications team
processed over 6,000 adoption applications during the year.
In 2005, we moved our server to a hosting facility, which was a cost savings to the organization. It is our dedicated technology volunteers who
keep PBRC operational and online.
Marketing:
PBRC volunteers were interviewed for several newspaper articles, as well
as radio and television news reports. We were also given the opportunity
to do a 30 minute radio show in Denver, thanks to the Colorado public radio network. A new media section was created on our website specifically to target journalists and make it easy for them to locate responsible
information. PBRC developed and published an official position statement against breed specific legislation. In conjunction with the tragic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, our Marketing Committee released its first
two official press releases.
Education & Outreach:
In 2005 we launched Poppy’s Place, our children’s educational and safety
section. Poppy’s Place offers interactive games, coloring pages, canine
safety materials for children and parents, information on responsible ownership and breed information for children. The Committee also released
our first edition of the official PBRC newsletter, the Bully Buzz! We held a
contest to name the newsletter and received over 300 entries! To help rescues and fosters of pit bulls in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina we developed a shelter educational packet.
Fundraising:
The year began with our annual PBRC calendar, designed by PBRC volunteers. We sold 412 calendars! In February we kicked off our Spay/Neuter
magnetic car ribbons, selling over 1900 magnets throughout the year.
PBRC volunteers had a physical presence at public events for Pit Bull
awareness, education and fundraising in the months of January, March,
April, May, June, September and October.
Maggie's rescuers made the right choice to have her spayed prior to adoption. The
PBRC Spay/Neuter Committee assisted them in conducting research to find the
lowest cost option in their area. This ensures that donor dollars go the furthest in
order to alter as many dogs as possible with our limited funds. In this case
Maggie's rescuers were also willing to go the extra mile (literally!) and drive a bit further in order to utilize the best options for everyone. Maggie, originally rescued from
Hurricane Katrina, now has a safe place to stay until a loving permanent home can
be found for her.
Our second annual online auction, Poppy Mart, was held in July. This was
one of our biggest fundraisers for the year, raising $6,728 for pit bulls in
need. Over 107 businesses and individuals generously donated auction
items to this effort.
Spay/Neuter:
The Spay/Neuter committee began accepting applications for assistance in
late 2004. Requests for assistance increased in 2005, and guidelines were
developed for expenditure of funds. In addition, a new program was developed under which organizations who provide spay/neuter assistance to
the general public can get additional funding from PBRC. These affiliate
organizations are given assistance with pit bull spay/neuter funding in order to encourage increased emphasis and awareness of the tragedy of pit
bull overpopulation. In all, PBRC funded the spay or neuter of 135 dogs in
2005. We also provided referrals to several people that resulted in their
ability to alter their dogs at a low cost in their local area.
Hurricanes Katrina & Rita:
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, it became clear that pit bull dogs far
outnumbered all other types of dogs affected by this disaster. In anticipation of the rescue of at least some of these dogs by small, breed specific rescue groups, as well as the needs of pet owners in the affected areas, PBRC
created the PBRC Katrina Fund to help with extraordinary costs incurred. An online assistance form was created and a press release
was issued to let others know of our efforts.
PBRC soon became concerned about the Lamar-Dixon
temporary shelter after members of the pit bull community volunteered at the site. It was clear that the number of pit bull dogs was staggering, and that these
dogs were not being moved out in transports since
no one wanted them. We began networking to assist in this situation. PBRC surveyed all organizations that list dogs for adoption in attempt to recruit volunteers to travel to Lamar-Dixon to care
for and evaluate pit bull dogs. Additional PBRC
volunteers traveled to Lamar-Dixon at their own
expense to help. (Most all PBRC volunteers are involved in animal welfare efforts in addition to their
work with PBRC.) PBRC surveyed all organizations
that list dogs for adoption in attempt to locate foster
homes.
PBRC volunteers began contacting all owners of lost pit
bulls and mixes, as reported to Petfinder, to update their
status and request that they complete a more detailed PBRC
lost report. A lost dog webpage was created. PBRC networked
with the pit bull community, attempting to ensure that these dogs
did not end up in bad situations. We developed and offered a pit bull
education packet for shelters and rescues inexperienced with these dogs.
By year end we had helped numerous dogs, owners, rescuers and shelters.
Just under $20,000 was granted back to help these dogs and the humans
who cared about them.
Fund Committee:
The Fund Committee had a busy year of processing requests for help. The
purpose of the committee is to help owners, rescuers and shelters who are
unable to afford needed veterinary care for their bullies. It is a challenging
job, but PBRC’s assistance often allows a dog to stay in its home or allows a
homeless pit bull a chance to find that permanent place. In 2005, the following disbursements were made, assisting 99 dogs:
General Medical Care Fund
To Individual Owners - $11,599.15
To Rescuers - $15,138.62
To Shelters - $400.00
In addition to the above contributions, all Katrina
Fund applications for assistance were handled by the
Fund Committee volunteers.
Volunteers:
PBRC currently has 35 volunteers in 16 states
around the US, and 2 volunteers located internationally. The unique structure of PBRC as an online
non-profit organization presents challenges for all
volunteers. The organization works to overcome
these challenges by planning the annual PBRC
Gathering.
Each year a gathering is hosted, planned and attended by
volunteers at their own expense. While an annual meeting is
held, the gathering mostly serves to enable us to get to know
each other better. Volunteers get a chance to meet each other, fostering the spirit of teamwork and camaraderie that carries through to
the work we do. This year's was no different. In October, 18 of our volunteers met in Missouri for food, fun and pit bulls!
Ophelia was one of the many pit bulls affected by Hurricane Katrina. Unfortunately,
it probably wasn't the start to her problems as she came in to the New Orleans shelter
with a heavy case of heartworms. Volunteers saw something special in Ophelia and
made sure she made it safely to Tucson to be put up for adoption. Ophelia is resting
comfortably in her foster home and is heartworm free thanks to the generous donation from PBRC that helped pay for her heartworm treatment along with the treatment
of her fellow pit bull friend Houston. Both dogs are currently still awaiting their forever homes.
Volunteers:
Megan Alexander, Teal Alt, Amiela Brooks, Katie Burbage, Rob Chesser,
Amanda Clase, Chris Cook, Michelle Daigle, Sanya Dunn, Melinda Fayette, Stephanie Feldstein, Sarah Finney, Noreen Ford, Georganne Gundlach, Amy Hendrickson, Andrea Jones, Andrea Kilkenney, Arlene Larsson,
Anna Marchy, Austin McBee, Dalton McBee, Steve McBee, Sharon
Medearis, Nely Mendoza, Pauline Mercier, Ilene Reid, Sue Scime, Lindsey
Smink-Evans, Gina Taei, Merry Young, Dana West, Melissa Zarda.
2005 Income & Expenses
Income Sources
2005
Merchandise
22%
Fundraising
Projects
24%
Events
2%
Grants
13%
Donations 39%
Expenses 2005
Merchandise
5%
Fundraising
Projects Operational
4%
8%
Spay/Neuter
Assistance 10%
Animal Care
Assistance 73%
Donors: Abby & Scott Byrne, Addison & Loveta Sewell, Alan and Linda Pinho,
Albert Maiorano, Aleta Conlee, Alexis Madrid, Alfredo Cancino, Allen Hudson,
Amanda Bedal, Amanda Napoli, Amanda Winland, Amber Taylor, Amelia
Johnson, Amy Joseph, Amy McGarrigle, Amy Russell, Anastasia Walker, Andre
Pulizzi, Andrew Fuller, Angela Ho, Angie Glenn, Animal Service League, Anita
Anastasi, Ann Favreau, Anna Kaper, Annie George, Ashly Robichaux, Arlene
Larsson, Barbara Scott, Barnaby Cockcroft, Beatriz Cardona-Adams, Belinda
Blease, Benjamin & Elaine Verdi, Betsy Taylor, Betty Waldrop, Blyler Kristin,
Bonita Brandt, Bonnie McBride, Bradley Bennett, Brian Olson, Bruce Prior, C.A.
Newman PhotoGraphics, Callie Russell, Carl Knighton, Carla Holusha, Carol
Toms, Carrie Boyd, Carrie Grome, Carrie Montagna, Caryl Billings, Casey Griffin, Cassian Sondeberg, Catherine Freeman, Celeste Rodriguez, Charles
Mandes, Charles Tritt, Chauncey Mecca, Cherie Laurence, Cheryl Benson, Chris
& Tracy Kim, Chris Cook, Chris Tan, Christelle Kruger, Christie Hodges, Christine Eluskie, Cindy Giovinazzo, Cindy Rice, Citadel Realty Advisors, Inc,
Cletus Thomas, CNSV.NET, Colleen Grahek, Corinne Joly, Cynthia Castillo,
Cynthia Palmer, Dana McCants, Darlene Osman, David Bruce, David Lane,
David Wemmer and Holly Bukes, Dawn Carroll, Deanna Smith, Deanna Wilkins, Debby Sinarahua, Deborah Scherrer, Deborah Stone, Debra Haddad, Denise Huffman, Denise Seamend, Derek Ramga, Desteny Meyers, Diane Grenz,
Diane Hanson, DieselDigital.net, Dina Hitchcock, Dominique Allion, Donald &
Esther Bennett, Donna Richards, Dorothy Rodrigue McDaniel, Dorothy
Vaughn, Douglas Flood, Dr. N. Ann Doyle-Anderson, Dyanne Compagna, E.
Ann Matthews, Edith Godsey, Edward Gomeau, Elaine Hahne, Elizabeth Matthews, Elizabeth Torres, Ellen Davis Halsey, Elvie Arnobit, Emily Sieger,
Enoch & Lillian Martin, Eric & Joy Fournier, Eric Newsome, Ericka
Sanders, Eugene & Jolinda Grace, Eveline Kelly, Faryal Boon, Felix Li,
Flavia Downs, For The Luv Of Dogz Rescue, Frank DiMatteo, Frank
Reinbold, Gabrielle Vandenbosch, Gary Bielski, Gayle Connolly, George
Setter Jr., Georgia Dudley, Geprge & Alice Georgioff, Gerald & Kathleen
Spain, Geri Stockton, Ginnah Temple, Gwen Morgan, Haley LeFever,
Heather Wilson, Heather Wright, Helen & Robert Lehman, Helen
Lederer, Holly Brand & Gustin Seawell, Holly Lawder, Howard & Cindi
Goldberg, Isaac Lebow, J Taylor Webb, Jacob Lipton, Jacqueline Bellone, James & Elaine Bradley, James & Judith McMillan, Jamie Brooks,
Jamie Rendeiro, Janelle Fanning, Janice Schulz, Janice Thompson,
Janis Russo, Jeanette Belcher, Jeff Sheldon, Jennifer Blied, Jennifer
Camp, Jennifer Charback, Jennifer Flake, Jennifer Hubbard, Jennifer
Jeffery, Jennifer Morrow, Jennifer Olsen, Jennifer Peterson, Jennifer
Wike, Jenny Dunn, Jessica Nerrie, Jessica Ottnod, Jessica Parrish, Jessica Puglese-Brogan, Jill Cresko, Jill Smith, Joan Dawson, Joanne &
Gary Kaplan, Joanne S. Kent, Jodi Lepera, Jody Lynn, Joey Spector,
John Anastasio, John Ewing, Joshua Sherrer, Joshua Stein, Joyce
Beesley, Judy Edwards, Julia Wahl, Julie Baker, Julie Starr & Michael
Peebles, K Robin Monserrat, Karen & Charles Rice, Karen Gregor, Karen
Melton, Karen Thorsen, Katherine Guerin, Kathleen Eales, Kathryn
Berck, Kathryn Graves, Kathryn Persak, Kathy Taggares, Keira Fritzen,
Keita Okuda, Keith Zobel, Kelly Houston, Kelly Morton, Kelly Wilson,
Kelly Credille, DVM & Robert Maier, DVM, Kelly Ragland, Kelly Wolff,
KennethKinlaw, Keven Kemerling, Kevin Hall, Kimberly Glogowski, Kimberly Jones, Kip Crosby,
Donors Continued: Kirk & Cheryll Sundberg, Kirsten WIlms, Kobra
Bullies, Konrad Sherinian, Krista Lloyd, Kristine Safatinos, Kurt Pettinga, L Reyes, Larissa Barnes, Lauren & William Bauer, Laura Graham, Laura Kaufman, Laura Marthey, Laurie Karmay, Laurie Reed,
Lee Nichols, Leona Li, Leslie Smyth, Lexie Longstreet, Linda Latham,
Linda Nunes, Linda Petersen, Linda Rish, Linda Wilson, Linz Smink,
Liquid Skin, Inc., Lisa Schultz, LLon King, Lois Nixon-Sylvester, Lord
& Lisa St. Pierre, Loreli Quintero, Lori Dames, Lori Swift, Lorraine
Czerniak, Lou Porter, LuAnn Tauchman, Luiza Grunebaum, Lydia
Desroche, Lynette Brimble, Lynn Garrow, Mallory Strickling, Marcus
Garland, Marcy Setter, Margaret Mroz, Marianne Roth, Marilyn Harnois, Mark & Karen Vander Jagt, Mark Evers, Mark Mulson, Marris
Ambrose, Martha Jones, Martha Wright, Mary & Leanne Cox,
Mary Beth Smolev, Mary Venable, Mary Horlacher, Mary Lynn
Illiano, Mary Revell, Matthew & Patricia Swain, Megan Bafford, Melanie Larrieu, Melinda Fayette, Melissa Thompson, Melody Brannon & Donald Deusenberry, Merry
Young, Michael Mellert, Michael Montgomery, Michael
Suchy, Michaeline Zavala, Michele Burling, Michele
Ursino, Michelle Dziak, Michelle McDonald, Michelle Ranous, Miguel Gomez, Milgard Manufacturing, Inc., Milton Bukes, Mishalinya Yahr,
Monique Fisher & Patti Brown, Nadia Boone,
Nancy Brienza, Nancy Carrillo, Nancy Denny,
Nancy Englehart, Nancy Gates, Nancy Mahlberg,
Nancy Merbitz, Nanette Wood, Nano Business
Alliance, Navy Searth, Nicole Lindquist Wright,
Nicole Lockart, Nikesha Doughty, Norma Garcia-Ramos, Norman R. Walters, Pamela
Casagranda, Pamela Ferderbar, Patricia Vanderhoff, Patrick Arey, Patrick Kemp, Paul Schlichting, Per & Inga Bolang, Perry Dawson, Peter
Cathey, Petrina Mazza, Phil Benfield, Philip &
Maria Reich, Philip Scholz, Phillip Kenny, PJ King,
Pomeroy Humane Society, Premier Media Online,
R. Darrell Cox, Rachel Beers, Rachel Bogan, Raina
Langer, Ralph DeRose, Randy Howard, Rebeca De
Guevara, Rebekah Steele, Rena Distasio, Renee Klein,
Rhiannon Knudsen, Richard Wirtz, Robert Delos Santos,
Robert Myers, Robin Sharkey, Rocket Sportbike, Ronald
Jenkins, Ronnie Steinau, Rosemary Vazquez, Ruth Alvarado,
Sabrina Whittaker, Sally & Frederick Nollan, Sandra Barnhart,
Sandra Ewell, Sandra Gartner, Sandy Thomas, Sanya Dunn, Scott
Downey, Scott Planter & Teresa Carlo, Scott Swiderski, Scott Wu,
Shana Klein, Sharon brewer, Sheila Archer, Sheila Lechner, Shelby
Davis, Sherry L Graham, Shira Moirsmith, Sonja Tompkins, Stacey
Gibbs, Stephanie & Richard Powell, Stephanie Boyd, Stephanie Tobash Alexander, Steven Butts, Stuart Schwertok, Susan Arredondo,
Susan Bernstein, Susan Gauthier, Susan Johnson, Susan Macaione,
Susan Spence, Susan Tonielli, Susan Vincent, Suzanne Reid, Sylvia
Bowman, Tammy Crenshaw, Tammy Townsend, Tammy WestonGraves, Tarja Oinonen, Tawnya Kristen, Terry Galbreath, Theresa
Kelso, Tiffany McBee, Timothy or Lynn Boyle, Tina Roberts, Todd &
Michelle Daigle, Tracy Hill, Travis Thayer, Tyler Merson, Uncommon
Things, Lisa Berry, Vernae Metzger, Vicky Schreiber, Wendy Hahne,
Zachary Miller.
Thank you to our Auction Donors: 98 Dogs, Airport Express, Ameme
Designs, Apaw, Art Paw, Atlanta Paw, Bark Natural Pet Care, The Barkside,
Baypath Humane Society, Be Assured, Bella Mano, Big Dogs Westbrook, Bio
Groom, Bio-Derm Laboratories, Boomer Ball, Blocky Dogs, Blue Dog Bakery,
Boomer Ball, Braveheart Pit Bull Rescue, Broken Hearts Mended Souls Rescue,
CA Newman, CADDIS Pet Products, Castles Healthy Pet, Chip N Pop.com,
Christine Winship, Cottage Collars, Crazy Dog Lady, Cyn Castillo, David
Rodgers Portraits and Fine Art, Dawn Carroll, Dempsey’s Dad, D'Natural
Dog and Bakery, Doggie Bag, Doggie Nation, Doggone Good, Dog ID Collar,
Dog Sweaters by Elaine, Dogtown USA, Doctor Fosters & Smith, Durango Pet Products, Elaine Brem, The Fashionable Pet, Flying
Panda, Fur Face, Glass by Rox, Greenies, The Halfway House Pit
Bull Rescue, Holly Bukes, HomeoPet, Janis Gianforte, JB’s
Legacy, Janet Beres, Jennifer Beres, John Beres, Jessica’s Biscuit, K9 Bytes, K9 Kool Hats, Kamala Dolphin-Kingsley,
Karen Delise, Kennel Club Books, Kerry O’Connor, Kobra Bullies, Laurie McDonnell, Linda Worrell, Lupine
and O'neil Manufacturing, Marcy Setter, MetroVac, Nedra Made It, NewSage Press, No Voice Unheard, Nupro, Nylabone, Pampered Pet Nook, Pam Fradkin and
Melinda Fayette, Pei-Per, Pet Calmer, Pet Expertise,
Petsport USA, Pets Supplies Plus, Phydeaux, Pit Bull
Hot Sauce, Pittielove Rescue New England, Pixelated
Pets, Pretty in Pink, Protect-a-Bull, Pugecafe, Puplite,
Retro Pets, Ron Krajewski, Rottweiler Bros. Farm,
The Rusty Dog, S & M Nutec LLC, Sleeping Bear Co.,
Todd Parr, Tough Love, Scott's Dog Supply, Inc., Sue
Coe, Sugar Magnolia's Pit Bull Goodies The Doggie
Bag Company, The Rusty Dog, Valley Vet / Direct Pet
Superstore, Terry Meltzer, Vet-Vax, Wendy Thibodeau,
Wiggles Wags and Whiskers, Wisconsin Pet Products,
Wonderbull Designs, Woofables.
The Year Ahead:
It’s hard to believe, but Pit Bull Rescue Central turns 10 years old
in 2006! Look for news as we celebrate this milestone in special ways
throughout the year. At the same time, we will continue to work hard to
help homeless pit bulls find their forever homes.
Toward the end of 2005, we conducted heavy testing of an automated doglisting program that has been under development for quite some time. We are
cautiously optimistic that it will be released in 2006.
PBRC’s Board of Directors extends it gratitude to PBRC’s loyal, dedicated and
hardworking core of volunteers. We also extend our thanks to our donors
and supporters, without which we could not continue to operate.
Pit Bull Rescue Central, Inc.
a 501(c)3 Organization
PO Box 335
Fulton, MO 65251
www.pbrc.net
[email protected]
[email protected]
All of the dogs pictured in this annual report were either listed for
adoption on our site or were assisted financially through PBRC’s Fund.