Read the latest version - Jacksonville Humane Society

NEWS AND MEWS
generosi ty breeds joy.
SUMMER 2016
THE CAMPAIGN FOR A COMPASSIONATE COMMUNITY
On April 7, 2007, a devastating fire ripped through the kennels of the Jacksonville
Humane Society, destroying buildings and taking the lives of 86 animals. Within
one week, JHS was back up and running in temporary buildings. Did you know
that today – almost 10 years later – JHS is still operating out of those temporary
structures? But not for much longer! Our Campaign for a Compassionate
Community launched in February of 2015 and has raised over $8 million of the
$15 million goal for our brand new JHS Adoption and Education Center, thanks
to generous partners and supporters. Next time you shop at Petco, be sure to
tell them thank you for the $1 million gift they sent to JHS!
Here’s a look at our construction progress so far:
• October 2015 – Demolition of the old thrift store building and storage facility
• February 2016 – Completion of the new access road to Foster Drive
• April 2016 – Admin relocates to temporary modular, new warehouse complete
• May 2016 – Demolition of old warehouse, admin buildings, and one set of dog kennels
• May 24, 2016 – Groundbreaking Ceremony, construction of new facility officially began!
You are welcome to stop by and see the progress towards this much needed facility. Our new shelter will
allow us to house all of our animals indoors in climate controlled kennels – something we have not been
able to do before! The new building will provide the community with a bright, happy space to meet their
new furry family members, and contain areas for education, indoor training, group tours, and more. To help
us reach our final goal, please head to jaxhumane.org/donate and select “Campaign for a Compassionate
Community” when you give, or call us at 904-493-4566. Let’s build this puppy!
SNAP TO IT
Recently, JHS teamed up with Pet Shots Clinic to bring
much needed veterinary care to the pets in an Arlington
neighborhood. Thanks to a Petsmart Charities grant, this
program, called SNAP (Spay and Neuter Arlington Pets)
we were able to vaccinate more than 50 dogs and cats in
one day! In addition to this service, in the first six months
of 2016, JHS assisted more than 278 animals with spay/
neuter, vaccinations, wound repair or skin conditions at
our Animal Hospital through the SNAP program! This
service will keep pets in their homes by providing families
access to free and low cost veterinary care, and will help
prevent accidental litters of puppies and kittens from
entering our shelter system. JHS is incredibly grateful to
Petsmart Charities and donors like you for funding this
initiative and helping Jacksonville become an even more
compassionate community. For more information about
this program, please visit jaxhumane.org/snap or call 904-493-4611.
HARD WORK, HAPPY HOMES
Paloma was brought to the shelter in December of 2015 by
a good Samaritan after being hit by a car on 103rd Street.
The blunt force trauma to her head caused such damage
to her eye that it had to be surgically removed. After the
surgery, Paloma had to adjust to life with only one eye.
She became very nervous when approached on the side
from which she could no longer see. Our behavior staff
developed a protocol to help Paloma adjust. There was
a lot of her most favorite treat – spray cheese – involved
in the conditioning. Soon, Paloma was introduced to
play groups at our shelter and she became fast friends
with every dog she met. In May, at an event sponsored
by Petsmart Charities, Paloma finally found a family! Her
new mom fell in love with Paloma’s patchwork coat and
Paloma was so happy to be adopted by a family who had
another dog. Thanks to JHS, Petsmart Charities, and your
generous donations, Paloma’s dreams came true.
FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Dear Friends,
With hard hats in place and shovels in hand, we joyfully broke ground
on the brand new JHS Adoption & Education Center on May 24th, 2016.
Surrounded by our JHS friends, partners, supporters, volunteers, and
board members, we celebrated this historic moment which marked a
significant movement towards an even bigger and better Jacksonville
Humane Society.
Our dream is becoming a reality thanks to you. Your generosity has
allowed us to do the following between January 1 and May 31, 2016:
•
•
•
•
Find loving homes for 1,643 dogs and cats
Offer pet food, veterinary services, and other assistance to more than 2,500 families in need
Performed 1,654 spay and neuter surgeries at our Animal Hospital
Raise an amazing $110,000 at Mutt March for the animals
So far, 2016 has been a year of building and change for the Jacksonville Humane Society. Your support
enables us to embrace each new challenge. We will remain committed to the animals throughout the
construction process, staying open normal business hours and hosting numerous off site adoption events.
We invite you to come by and see the progress, or stop by and say hello when you see us around town!
At this time next year, I will be writing to you from our brand new animal shelter, complete with state of
the art adoption rooms and climate controlled housing for all our pets. So far we have been able to raise
$8 million, more than half the amount needed, to complete this project. Will you help us meet our goal?
Once again, I send my most sincere thanks for your continued generosity and support.
Let’s build this puppy!
Sincerely,
Denise Deisler
Executive Director
Save the Date
Our annual Toast to the Animals will be held on
September 24th, 2016 at Everbank Field. Join us for a
night of wine and hors D’oeuvres tasting to benefit the
JHS medical fund. Head to jaxhumane.org/toast for
sponsorship, vendor, and ticket information.
HELPING HARRISON
A good Samaritan burst through
the doors at JHS one afternoon,
distraught, carrying a tiny kitten in
her arms. She had just witnessed
the kitten be thrown from a
moving car on the Arlington
Expressway and didn’t think twice
before scooping the little one up
and rushing to our shelter. As a
result of the abuse, the tiny tabby
had damage to his jaw and lips.
Although he only weighed 1.5
lbs., our veterinarians performed
emergency surgery and saved
his life. The kitten then went
home with a loving foster mom,
who named him Harrison after
Harrison Ford – a famous actor
with a scar on his jaw and who
always plays the hero! His foster
mom fell so in love with Harrison
Michael Munz,
President
Lisé Everly,
Vice President
Alexis C. Kane
Secretary
Dina Vickers, CPA
Treasurer
that she made it official and
permanently adopted him. From
someone’s trash to someone’s
treasure, helping Harrison was
our privilege and we could not
have done it without help from
our generous supporters. Hooray
for Harrison!
BO’S FUND SAVES LIVES
Our mission at the Jacksonville Humane Society is not only to help
pets, but also the people who love them. Love is the perfect word
to describe the way Tank the dog’s owner felt about his four legged
friend. Tank’s owner was between jobs and was lucky enough
to have a friend that let both he and Tank crash on the couch.
Suddenly, one day, Tank’s jaw and throat began to swell for an
unknown reason. Tank’s father rushed him to JHS, thinking that he
may need to surrender his pal in order to save his life. The veterinary
team at our Animal Hospital jumped into action to save Tank from
what was later diagnosed as a reaction to a bad snake bite! Luckily,
thanks to the donations of our many friends, JHS used Bo’s Fund
to help treat Tank and keep this family together. It is an honor to be
a part of Tank and his father’s journey and we could not have done
it without you!
BEFORE
BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
AFTER
Brent Bolick
David Caldwell
Kristine Cherek
Franklin Danley
Joey Kelly
Chad Kluko
Robert Labenski
William Mayher
Linda Stein
Dr. Jeffrey Stone
Penny Thompson
Denise Deisler
Executive Director
Ann Korczyk
Associate Executive Director
Amy Pierce
Director of Development
HOURS
ADOPTION CENTER:
Monday: 11AM-6PM
Tuesday: 11AM-6PM
Wednesday: 11AM-6PM
Thursday: 11AM-6PM
Friday: 11AM-6PM
Saturday: 10AM-5PM
Sunday: 12PM-4PM
15-JAXFL-0716-N