Pledge to Stop Puppy Mills!

Monday, April 27, 2009

Mom's Weekend Bake Sale

ACHS is hosting a bake sale on Saturday, May 2nd that will not only feature tasty treats, but will also be visited by Rufus the Bobcat, ready and willing to help out his feline friends.

Rufus will be available from noon to 2 p.m. to take pictures with students and their families. Professional photographer Louise Fish will be taking the pictures and posting them on Shutterfly to be downloaded. Donations will be requested as a "sitting fee" for being photographed with the OU mascot.

The bake sale will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the first floor of Baker Center, and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the fourth floor of the Center right outside the front door.

Stop by for goodies and photos -- Proceeds go to ACHS!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

ACHS Adoption Event!

Interested in adding a four-legged friend to your family? This Saturday at The Market on State Street, the ACHS will be hosting an adoption event that will feature cats, kittens and possibly even a dog or two. Anyone interested in adopting will have the opportunity to fill out an application on-site. ACHS volunteers will also be conducting interviews in order to help find the perfect animal that matches your personality and lifestyle.

If you are interested in adopting a cat, please make sure to bring a carrier, as no cats will be allowed to leave without the promise of safe transportation. Those who cannot make it to the event can still check out what animals are up for adoption online.

The event will also provide an opportunity to purchase raffle tickets to win a professional pet portrait! The winner will get a studio pet session at Lamborn's Studio and a 16" by 20" framed color portrait, valued at over $300. Tickets are only $10 dollars (cash only), and even those who do not win the grand prize can use their tickets to receive half-off a studio pet session plus a complimentary 4" by 5" miniature portrait.

Tickets for the raffle will also be sold at Lamborn's Studio (19 West State St.), White's Mill (2 White's Mill Dr. - located off Route 682) and the Import House (68 N. Court St.). The winner will be announced late May, so you better hurry to ensure your chance to win!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Registration for Spay and Neuter Clinics!

If you're interested in getting your pet spayed or neutered, come to the ACEnet building (formerly Rocky Boots in Nelsonville) from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 9 to sign up for an April or May slot.

Records of rabies shots and full payment (in cash) are mandatory before you can be allotted a time, so come prepared! There will be a clinic held in Athens on May 9, but it is limited to male cats and large, male or female dogs.

The ACHS does off a low cost option for those who need it, but please see athenshumane.petfinder.com for more details along with information on prices and photocopies of documentation that must be submitted to prove residency in Ahtnes County and low income status.

Getting your animal spayed or neutered is a great way to help relieve overpopulation, plus it may help with behavioral problems. For more information, check out my post from March 10 or the HSUS Web site.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Puppy Mill Awareness Week Continues

Today is Day Two of ACHS's Puppy Mill Awareness Week, and a quick jaunt up to College Gate will show just how determined ACHS volunteers are to spread the message. Braving bursts of wind meant to halt their efforts, they continued setting up and resetting up posters and flyers that inform people passing by about the horrific realities of puppy mills.

Now, I know what it's like to feel bombarded at College Gate with flyers and sign up sheets (did you register to vote?), but the ACHS table is obviously different. Their goal is not a self-serving one. It is, according to ACHS Vice President Shelley Lieberman, to let "people know what puppy mills are and that they supply to pet stores." Hopefully, students walking by receiving free cookies and puppy chow with little flyers attached will take the time to read and understand the message, and then remember the information when they go to adopt their next pet.

The tables, set up in front of College Gate and Baker Center from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., are part of Puppy Mill Awareness Week, an ACHS initiative to inform people about the horrors of puppy mills. The initiative actually started yesterday, and ACHS volunteer Mary Quinn has been pleased with the results. "Students were very receptive," she said. "It was nice to see them walking away and actually reading [the brochures]."

Shelley Lieberman and Mary Quinn fight against the wind while trying
to set up their informational table in front of College Gate

Mary manned one of the tables yesterday form 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and during those short two hours the group actually ran out of flyers and had to go print more. "It was really exciting," she said adding that a lot of students were surprised and upset to find out about puppy mills and the pet stores that supply them.

"I actually had one person contradict me," Mary said, referring to information about Petland selling puppy mill dogs. A visitor to the table told Mary that her roommate worked at Petland, and that the dogs are not from puppy mills. Mary, however, remains unconvinced.

"I went to Petland to scope it out," she said, "and they try really hard to sell you the puppy you are playing with." Along with mentioning breed regulations she's never heard of and the fact that Petland is currently being sued by the HSUS for selling puppy mill dogs, Mary is even more suspicious of the company.

"It makes me wonder what they are telling their workers," she said.


Puppy Mill Awareness Week will end on Saturday, April 4 with a peaceful protest against Petland from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Those interested should meet in the parking lot next to Hollywood Video.

Also, as part of the awareness week, the ACHS will be hosting a fundraiser at The Crystal from 4 to 8 p.m. T-shirts that are on sale at the tables for $12 dollars will also be sold at the bar, and all tips and donations will go to the humane society. So if you are looking for something to do Thursday evening, come to The Crystal and start off the weekend with a drink and a contribution!