Here at MCLife we want to share the good life with our residents and their loved ones. As we expand our community outreach efforts, we want to shine a light on local organizations that are helping their communities and having a positive impact on the world around them. This month there will be the 5th Annual Pet Adoption event at in Flagstaff Arizona. The Humane Society of Sedona has partnered with us for the event, and Danielle DeWitt, the Marketing and Development Manager at the Humane Society of Sedona, spoke to me about the importance of animal rescue organizations and the current over population crisis Maricopa County, and other US cities, are facing today.
Danielle DeWitt has always had a passion for animals and is now using that passion to save animals and raise awareness about the homeless pet epidemic in our Nation’s shelters. Danielle is taking her fight to the streets of Sedona and the surrounding Verde Valley. “I started helping animals as a foster parent in 2009 in Seattle and continued to foster in Phoenix. When I learned Maricopa County has the 2nd highest over pet population in the country, right behind Los Angeles with an average of 300 animals entering our shelters each and every day and right around half being euthanized, I knew I had to do more. I started my own rescue in 2013, ‘A Dogs Tale’ and together with Petsmart Charities and other community organizations, volunteers and donors; we have rescued over 300 animals to date. I wanted to be their voice. I feel like I always wanted to work for a larger shelter organization with more reach, so when my current position became available, I moved without hesitation. I want to spread the message to the whole country of the growing epidemic of the senseless killing of healthy adoptable pets in our nations shelters and share the ‘no-kill equation’ to fix the problem.”
The Humane Society of Sedona takes in animals of all shapes, sizes, and breeds. They feel no animal is a “lost cause” and all are worthy of care and support. “For example, where most shelters would euthanize cats with FeLV (feline leukemia virus), we are housing these cats separately, keeping them alive and adopting them out. We don’t euthanize animals if we can save them, especially with treatable illnesses like ringworm. We are very proud of our 96% save rate. We also microchip every animal that leaves our facility, which for a shelter our size, is very rare. We have a grant to spay & neuter 800 cats for free; up until recently we were spaying and neutering dogs for free , as well (we hope to get that grant again next year). We also offer low cost spay and neuter services to the public every Thursday and a low cost vaccination clinic once a month. We also have an emergency fund for those in need, called the Sampson Fund. We try to never turn people away; we provide food to those who need it. We have an incredible set of volunteers that walk and play with our animals morning noon and night! We wouldn’t be able to take care of all our animals without them.”
The staff at the Humane Society of Sedona also works tirelessly to make a difference. Where other shelters see no hope, they take the extra steps necessary to save animals and get them into the loving arms of new families. “We take animals from other shelters, partner with rescue groups, take medical cases and many animals nobody else wants. We believe there is a home for every animal and all of our dogs and cats are healthy and adoptable. There is a misnomer in sheltering that the animals in shelters are unadoptable and damaged but this isn’t true. There’s Something special about rescuing an animal for everyone involved, I always say “who rescued who?””
On Saturday May 9, 2015 the Humane Society of Sedona will be joining The Place at Forest Ridge in Flagstaff, Arizona for a pet adoption event that will bring the whole community together. This is the 5th Annual Pet Adoption event the MC Companies property has hosted and we are happy to have the Humane Society of Sedona take part. They will be providing adoptable dogs and cats that you can bring home to your family. Plus! We give discounts on pet fees to residents who adopt that day since they are saving a life. We give them 1/2 off their nonrefundable pet fee which is a $150 discount on the day of the event. We encourage all of our residents to adopt a new pet and want you to enjoy the best life possible with your four legged friends. We have an open pet policy that does not have breed or size restrictions which means any and all pets are welcome!
We invite you to show your support and spread the word about organizations like the Humane Society of Sedona. Word of mouth, passionate volunteers, staff social media marketing and donations all help them keep their doors open. “Approximately 80% of every dollar raised through adoption fees, services and donations goes directly to care for our animals.When you support smaller community organizations, more of your dollar goes to the actual cause rather than marketing or salaries.”
“At the end of the day it come down to visibility, funding, and donations. Only 5% of our total operating budget is state funded, as we have the city contract to take in stray or lost pets in Yavapai County. We rely on private funding for the other 95% of an approximate $1 million dollar budget. We always say ‘it takes a village’ and we prove that every day through the community support we receive. We pretty much hit every single aspect of what it takes to run a virtually no kill facility, and to be able to do it in a small town like Sedona is remarkable. Whatever it takes, we do it.”
We thank everyone that has a helping hand at the Humane Society of Sedona for their hard work. Please join us at the Pet Adoption Event at The Place at Forest Ridge on Saturday May 9, 2015. Together we can save lives and make a positive impact. We hope to have pet adoption events across all regions in Arizona, Texas and Oklahoma where we have apartments. Connecting our residents to local organizations is important to us and we want to give them the opportunity to do social good in their communities.
Images Via: Humane Society of Sedona, Puppy & Kitten, Dog Banner
