Parson,WV-The Little Shelter That Could (But These Babies Are COLD Outside!!!)

[Guest guest]

- schwender (AT) aol (DOT) com Friday, October 27, 2006 6:39 AM Parson,WV-The Little Shelter That Could (But These Babies Are COLD Outside!!!) PLEASE FORWARD AND CROSS POST Let me begin by saying that this will NOT be my usual plea to help rescue or adopt furbabies. It is however a plea of sorts......a long one perhaps, but hopefully one that, by the time you're done

reading it, will have been well worth it (to entice you to keep reading, it has to do with a $1,500 donation to a very deserving shelter and an additional $1,500 "matching dollar-for-dollar donation challenge"). This is a plea for an amazing little shelter in a small county of north-central West Virginia......a shelter that's truly a first for the entire county and that's basically run by two VERY dedicated and determined ladies. For those of you who don't know much about Tucker County Animal Control in Parsons, WV,

let me give you a very quick summary. Minnie Parsons and Cathy Parsons, both ACO's and Shelter Managers at Tucker, have literally taken it upon themselves to create and run this facility, constantly volunteering MANY extra hours a week to "get the job done right." You can find out more about these wonderful ladies by reading the article on the Best Friends web site at

http://network.bestfriends.org/westvirginia/news/6595.html or the article that was just printed in The Inter-Mountain, a local newspaper, and that can be read at http://www.theintermountain.com/news/articles.asp?articleID=7604. You can also visit the Tucker Petfinder web site at http://members.petfinder.org/~WV56/index.htm and the Tucker County Animal Control at http://pets.TuckerCountyDogs/?yguid=1129393 to get even more info. With the help of the county, city, and local and non-local supporters, a considerable amount of work has been done to convert a donated building and a trailer (that now reside on a three-acre plot of land that's completely fenced in with a six-foot tall fence) to house the many needy cats and dogs that Minnie and Cathy have taken into their loving care. Attached at the very bottom of this message are a few photos of the building and land. Please realize that more progress has been made since the photos were taken (if the photos

don't appear for you, please email me directly and I'll be happy to send them to you separately). However, a substantial amount of work remains to be completed, hopefully some of it before the snow starts flying in this very mountainous and sometimes brutally cold part of the state. Otherwise, the dogs will need to remain outside and the cats will spend their days in a trailer that only has one "on-loan" oil-filled heater. To date the septic system is in, the road to the shelter has been built, the water and electric to both the cat and dog facilities have been connected, and the inside kennel stalls have been constructed. With winter fast approaching though, time is of the essence for completing three very critical parts of this "re-construction" process; they truly are the minimum requirements before the dogs can be moved inside. The main project involves getting the floors and walls "hard-coated"

with a sealant that holds up extremely well in damp conditions and that has a 5-year warranty. Needless to say, it's far above and beyond the typical waterproof sealants that are often used on concrete. It will make the shelter easier to be disinfected in the event of a disease outbreak and it will also make it possible to keep the building more sanitary in general. The estimate for such a sealant is almost $5,000, but hopefully its low-maintenance, improved sanitized conditions, and warranty will quickly pay for itself, many times over. Sadly, the estimate is only for the materials to be used on the floor and six feet up the walls. A group of volunteers would still be needed to do the actual application (with the kind guidance/technical assistance of a company that does such work). The County Commission is simply not willing to commit to such

an expense and perhaps never will. Once the floors are done, the donated furnace can then be hooked up in the shelter and the seven non-chewable gates (that still need to be purchased) can be installed. At that point, the dogs can then be BLESSEDLY moved in for the winter. Estimates for the still-needed kennel gates however are approximately $2,000 (based on info provided by the Reeves Mountain State Fence LLC for two gates sized at 52" wide x 42" high and

five gates sized at 52" wide x 72" high). Thus, nearly $7,000 remains to be raised to get these dogs in from the impending cold. Funding from the surrounding area has pretty much been depleted and Minnie and Cathy literally pay for many daily expenses directly out of their own pocket. Private donations are now URGENTLY NEEDED from the world outside of Tucker County. Two people (who both wish to remain anonymous) have now come forward and are willing to put their money where their mouths are on this issue. One person has committed to donating $1,500 outrightly to Tucker County Animal Control to get the shelter and trailer winterized. The other person has offered to personally match dollar-for-dollar the next $1,500 that's donated by other individuals for the same purposes. That means your $5.00 gift will instantly become a $10.00 one.

Give $100.00 and that person will immediately see to it that it's worth $200.00......GUARANTEED!!! These people sincerely wish that their donations could be the entire $7,000, but they've quickly learned that EVERY penny helps towards realizing a dream. If you can make a financial donation in ANY AMOUNT to this awesome undertaking, please take a moment and go to http://members.petfinder.org/~WV56/donations.htm to see how to do so (basically all you need to do is send it to: Tucker County Animal Shelter, PO Box 147, Parsons, WV 26287 - PayPal will hopefully be an option someday soon). Please make a note that your donation is for the New Shelter Fund and that you'd like it to be matched. All monetary donations are tax deductible. A roll of nickels, a ten dollar bill, a one-hundred dollar check......it all makes this dream a reality. If money is in short supply (as it is for so many of us in the pet rescue community), but you'd still like to help, consider donating supplies, your time and some "sweat equity" at getting these various tasks completed, foster some of the wonderful dogs to get them out of the cold, or be creative and suggest a fund-raiser that can be held to earn the much-needed cash. Another task that Tucker might need some assistance with is transporting dog kennels and other equipment that's been kindly donated from a retired veterinary practice in Ohio and that has an estimated value of nearly $9,000! Any transporters out there with a flat-bed truck that can help with this worthy journey? Once Spring arrives, the focus will turn to raising the additional needed funds for such projects as pouring concrete for the outside kennel runs. It's estimated that approximately $7,000 (or slightly more) will be needed to finish ALL of the work proposed for the shelter, trailer, and surrounding land. One season at a time though. Perhaps a friend of mine said it best yesterday when she said, "If I won the lottery, I'd fully finance these two women. That's how STRONGLY I feel about the state of things at Tucker County." These two ladies alone have rescued and placed more than 325 cats (which they started helping on their own without ANY funding) and 240

dogs, just since the beginning of this year......cats and dogs that Minnie and Cathy ALWAYS refer to as "their kids" and that Minnie described in a recent email to me as "we never forget them; each one has a name, a personality, a beautiful face that will stay in our hearts forever." Imagine what these two amazing ladies could accomplish if a few of us invested in the reality of their dream. It truly boggles the mind and completely warms the heart.

The staff and volunteers at Tucker are working SO VERY HARD to not only save these precious lives, but to also make their stay at Tucker as comfortable as possible. Sadly, tomorrow's forecast for Tucker County is for an inch of snow. Sigh. If there's ANYTHING AT ALL that you can do for this "little shelter that could," please do so ASAP. It's getting so cold out there and the money for even a few extra space heaters will go a long way towards warming the hearts of these precious furry angels. Bless each and every one of you that finds a way to help Tucker. Tucker County Animal Control http://members.petfinder.org/~WV56/index.htm Parsons, WVTelephone: 304-478-4969email:

minnieandmarshall_4x4 (@) or billandcathy (AT) citlink (DOT) net (@citilink.net) Shelter Hours: By appointment seven days a week Before being painted..... While being painted..... Work on the inside block kennels....Minnie husband, Cathy's husband, and a dear friend are even giving it their all to help these precious furbabies (thanks guys!!) The surrounding land.....it's hard to see the fence, but it really is there. LOTS of potential!!! These posts are sent out by me as a small way to try to help those in need. They are NEVER meant to upset those who cannot offer assistance. Please know that I thank each and every one of you who works so tirelessly doing what you do on a never-ending basis. . Everyone is raving about the all-new Mail. Patricia Breen www.petstorecruelty.org

Want to start your own business? Learn how on Small Business.