End of Year Adoptathon -- Success!

Thank you to everyone who helped make our End of Year Adoptathon a total success! The following cats found their forever homes right in time for the new year:

*Molly
*Kim & Kate
*Harry
*Christine
*Bonnie & Clyde

We'll be at Bridgewater PetSmart this coming Saturday, December 29, between 11AM and 4PM -- We would love to repeat last weekend's success!

We would also like to extend a big thank you to those who gave us end of year donations; 100% of donations go directly to the cats in our care!

Shop 1800petmeds.com and help Homeless Animal Lifeline!

Homeless Animal Lifeline has partnered with 1800petmeds.com in order to help raise funds for the cats in our foster program.

How exactly does this work? It's simple!

- Call 1-800-PetMeds (1-800-738-6337) and use the code HAL

OR

- Visit http://www.1800PetMeds.com/partner/HAL and place your order!

OR

- Fax in an order form (Be sure to have the code HAL written on the
order form) Additional forms are available here:
http://www.1800petmeds.com/images/partner/partnerorderform.gif

The most important thing to remember is, no matter how you place your
order, always use the code HAL!

Thank you in advance for helping to support Homeless Animal Lifeline
and our work!

End Of Year Newsletter

Dear Friends,

Because of your ongoing support, 2007 has been a busy year for Homeless Animal Lifeline (HAL). We have made wonderful progress in each of our programs and have steadily grown by adding new, energetic volunteers.

HAL has not only spayed/neutered cats within its own Foster & Adoption program, but has worked extensively with the Bridgewater community and helped to spay/neuter cats belonging to lower-income families. HAL has become a dependable source of assistance -- both financial and emotional -- for cat parents who visit the Bridgewater PetSmart on Saturdays.

Our Feral Cat program has helped colonies and their caretakers throughout New Jersey by providing assistance with spay/neuter, medical care, food, and supplies for feral cats. HAL celebrated National Feral Cat Day in October by hosting an informational table at Bridgewater PetSmart. Most recently, HAL has provided spay/neuter and medical care for a colony of homeless cats in Newark; adoptable cats and kittens from that colony were removed and are now living in safe, loving homes. We are currently working with a Manalapan resident, trapping & spay/neutering neighborhood strays and ferals being abused by neighbors and slated for removal and euthanasia by Animal Control. To date, ten cats have been trapped and removed from this dangerous area and are now in the safe hands of HAL volunteers.

We have revamped HAL's website to not only reflect our latest accomplishments, but to introduce our merge with The Animal Spirit. The Animal Spirit began in 1999 as a privately-funded organization and has served as a popular, award-winning online home base for animal advocates. By merging with The Animal Spirit, HAL has been able to expand its Humane Education program; through the dissemination of ideas and the development of educational materials, HAL has helped animal advocates, including educators, students, community members, grassroots organizations, shelters, rescues, and others, incorporate humane education and outreach into thousands of communities and schools.

HAL has welcomed new volunteers to its Foster Home program; Joanne and Ilene have provided temporary homes to cats who would otherwise have nowhere to go. Our fosters are an important part of the HAL family and we are very grateful for them!

Our much-needed Fundraising program has been expanded to include a Vehicle Donation Program. By calling 800-320-0476, you can donate your car, truck, trailer, recreational vehicle, boat, etc., for FREE -- no towing charges or Motor Vehicles paperwork! Plus, you qualify for your lawful IRS tax deduction. In May, Carol and Michael held their annual multi-household yard sale to benefit HAL; it was a great success!

Most important, our Adoption Day Events at Bridgewater PetSmart and Petfinder.com have helped find safe, loving homes for 145 cats. Many of these cats were rescued from "death row" in shelters. We held an "Adopt An Adult Cat Adoptathon" in March, we found new homes for seven adult cats -- Captain Morgan, Sunshine, Gia, Maisey, Jake, Oreo and Morris. A special thank you to Hillsborough Girl Scout Troop 1048 for donating handsewn cat pillows and handmade "goody bags" for adopters.

We look forward to another successful year in 2008. With your continued support, HAL will keep its commitment to saving the lives of homeless cats in New Jersey. We are always in need of new foster homes, experienced Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) volunteers, supplies such as wet/dry food and litter, and monetary donations to help keep our programs going.

HAL wishes you and your family a very Happy, Healthy Holiday and Peaceful New Year.

End Of Year Adoptathon!

Join HAL for our End Of Year Adoptathon at Bridgewater PetSmart on December 22 and 23 between 11AM and 4PM.

HAL has friendly, happy, playful kittens and cats who would love to start 2008 with a bang -- A New Home! If you or someone you know has been thinking about adoption or has room for one (or two...) more, send them our way!

We'll give out holiday goodies and serve yummy snacks while you have the pleasure of spending time with our gorgeous, fabulous, too cute for words adoptable furkids. What better way to spend a weekend?

And .. just for visitors who want the royal treatment, we have a nice selection of bratty, skittish cats and kittens who want homes too, even though they won't admit it. If you have experience with skittish cats who need a quiet, extra patient home, we most certainly have the cat for you!

Also .. our FIV+ Captain Spud is *still* looking for a home. We told him 2008 looked good -- please don't prove us wrong! Picture Garfield as a black and white cat and that is our Spud. He's the gentlest teddy bear you could ever meet. He LOVES other cats and is always up for a snuggle. You could see his photo here (it doesn't do him justice!):
Spud's Petfinder Page.

Not to be forgotten, we also have another FIV+ boy named Fuzzball. He's a distinguished gentlemen, though not as crazy about other cats as Captain Spud is! Fuzz is a talker and a definite "lap cat." You could see his photo here:
Fuzzball's Petfinder Page.

{We don't like to stress out our FIV+ kids by bringing them to adoption days, so please let us know if you are interested in meeting them!}

If you have questions or need further information, please contact us at:

homeless_animal_lifeline@yahoo.com.

We hope to see you (and a few hundred of your closest friends and relatives) during our adoptathon weekend! Happy Holidays from HAL!


LOCATION OF EVENT:
PetSmart of Bridgewater
145 Promenade Blvd.
We will be located at the front of the store as soon as you walk in!

{We are also at Bridgewater PetSmart every Saturday from 11AM to 4PM. If you can't make it for the above weekend, come see us any Saturday! As long as you adopt or foster, we're not picky ... }

Update Re: Manalapan Rescue Effort

We posted a help request for monetary donations and cat food/litter on November 19th regarding a colony that we're working with in Manalapan (NJ) that was in jeopardy of being trapped and killed. They were also being abused by neighbors; one feeder reported that some of the cats she was feeding had been poisoned.

Here is the latest update:

Ten cats have been trapped -- six adults and 4 kittens. The 6 adults have been spayed/neutered and were relocated to a safe property where they have a permanent caretaker. A HAL volunteer is working with the four kittens to get them socialized for, hopefully, adoption.

One of the adults had a severe abscess on his side and our vet treated him for that.

There are at least two more cats to be trapped at the current location where we are working. We were informed yesterday (11/28), that there are cats on the opposite side of the complex who are also in jeopardy of being trapped by Animal Control. We will try to get those cats to safety as well.

Thank you to those who have already helped us by contributing toward this rescue effort. We are still in need of monetary donations to help offset the veterinary bills we are incurring. Veterinary receipts will be provided upon request. Paypal is set up at www.halrescue.org or email us for our PO Box. Please earmark donations: "Manalapan Cats." Homeless Animal Lifeline is a registered 501c3 organization and your donations are tax-deductible.

Thank you again for your help and support! Please pass this message along to friends, relatives, co-workers who might be inclined to help feral cats.

Donations Needed For Rescue Effort In Monmouth County, NJ

A HAL volunteer has trapped cats in Monmouth County who were in jeopardy of being killed by Animal Control and who were also being abused by neighbors. Eight have been trapped and there are at least two more to go.

HAL needs financial assistance with this colony to help with costs for spay/neuter and vaccinations.

A tax-deductible donation for spaying and neutering of this colony can be mailed to HAL, designated for "Manalapan Cats" or through the donate button on our website at www.halrescue.org. Please
contact us for a postal address.

Additionally, kitten food (wet and dry), would be very useful. Contact us for details or delivery to Bridgewater PetSmart adoption days, or purchase a Petsmart gift card and submit to HAL, again designated for "Manalapan cats."

Please pass this message along to friends, relatives, co-workers who might be inclined to help feral cats.

Thanks in advance for any help you offer!

Homeless Animal Lifeline honors Feral Cat Day

Homeless Animal Lifeline (HAL) of Bridgewater, New Jersey will be hosting a National Feral Cat Day event on Saturday, October 13th at Bridgewater PetSmart. (National Feral Cat Day actually falls on October 16th.)

We will have an educational table set up with feral cat and Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) information, along with a TNR volunteer to answer your questions so that YOU can start your own TNR program!

If you can't attend but would like a FREE informational packet, contact us at homeless_animal_lifeline@yahoo.com.

We also ask that you make a donation to HAL's Feral Cat Fund to commemorate Feral Cat Day. This fund has spayed/neutered and provided medical care and food for feral cats throughout New Jersey, while providing support and advice to their caregivers. 100% of donations to the fund go toward medical care, food, and supplies for feral cats. Our work has been acknowledged by Professor Gary Francione of Rutgers University, as well as the Westfield-Leader.

Visit us at Bridgewater PetSmart on Saturday, October 13th, between 11AM and 4PM. Our display, along with many cats and kittens up for adoption, will be set up alongside Banfield Vet.

PetSmart of Bridgewater
145 Promenade Blvd.

To learn more about HAL's Feral Cat Fund or to make a tax-deductible donation, please visit http://www.halrescue.org/feral.html.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Excerpts from: “Abolition and Incremental Reform,” by Professor Gary L. Francione; originally published in Animal Rights: The Abolitionist Approach-Blog, January 17, 2007.

I want to share with you the stories of ... people who are, in my view, making a difference ...

Shell is an animal advocate in New Jersey. She is one of the nation's leading experts on TNR …. her primary focus is on providing comprehensive information, support, and resources about TNR both for the general public and for caregivers of feral cat colonies. She receives hundreds of inquiries every week from people all over the country who are interested in learning about TNR and who want to be networked with other caregivers in their area, as well as from caregivers who need information on how to deal with particular issues.

Shell works directly with cat colonies in need of sterilization. She traps unaltered cats and brings them to the vet for sterilization and a rabies vaccine. The cats recover at her house or at the vet's office and, after recovery, she returns them to their colony.

On the weekend, Shell does cat adoptions at the PetSmart in Bridgewater, New Jersey. She does this in conjunction with a rescue group, Homeless Animal Lifeline (www.halrescue.org). Many of the kittens and cats who are up for adoption were found in feral cat colonies. They were either tame to begin with or have been socialized for adoption. Shell also runs HAL's Feral Cat Fund, which helps to educate the public about TNR and ferals, as well as care for feral colonies.

Shell does not take a salary. She is a volunteer.


© 2007 Gary L. Francione

Full article: http://garyfrancione.blogspot.com/2007/01/abolition-and-incremental-reform.html

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Westfield Leader: Trap-Neuter-Return Is Solution For Feral Cats

June 4, 2006

We've all seen them running across the street, gathering around the dumpster in a parking lot, and generally fleeing from humans. Feral cats are victims – they are the direct result of abandonment by humans and our failure to spay and neuter.

By CAROL F. DAVIS
Specially Written for The Westfield Leader
WESTFIELD

And, their population will continue to grow unless we do something to control it now. There is a solution that is humane and that works, called the Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program.

The success of TNR must begin with dispelling the myth that feral cats are wild. A bobcat is wild. A tiger is wild. Once we begin to think of feral cats as homeless, domestic cats, and realize that the only difference between a housecat and a feral is the latter's intense fear of humans, we will be more successful in tackling the huge problem of controlling the growing population.

Shell Sullivan, Vice President of Homeless Animal Lifeline (HAL), began her work with feral cats nearly two decades ago, and has been at the forefront of the TNR program in New Jersey. She is committed
to the idea that killing homeless animals is unacceptable in this society.

According to Ms. Sullivan, "TNR is the only proven method that addresses the overpopulation problem at the root. HAL's feral cat program," she adds, "helps the public decrease the amount of homeless domestic cats, while providing care for the existing homeless population."

The concept is that a sterilized colony of feral cats will eventually die off. It doesn't hurt that the solution is compassionate, either. Often, these colonies are managed, which means that the spay/neutered/
vaccinated group is provided with food, water, and shelter by a designated caregiver.

Proof of TNR's efficacy is evident in those locales, like Hamilton Township and Cape May, where it is commonly practiced. Not only hasthe TNR program decreased the population, but it has also decreased the number of cats killed each year at shelters – a solution which costs twice as much as TNR.

The TNR program does have its critics. Concerns that arise from those who have not been educated about TNR include the question of the health hazard posed by feral cats. Actually, these cats are often more resilient than indoor cats, and, the cats in managed colonies are all immunized. A second common criticism is that these cats are killing off the bird population. Sorry, folks – as in all declining wildlife species, human behavior is the number one cause of habitat destruction.

The solution is simple, but your help is needed. The best way for anyone to help in his or her community is to spay/neuter, and to keep their housecats indoors. For more information on TNR, please visit HAL's website at: hal.petfinder.org, where you can request a free information packet.

Whether you are a cat-lover or not, you must surely agree that there is a common goal with TNR – ending the homeless cat crisis.

Kitten Adoption Weekend / August 18-19

Homeless Animal Lifeline (HAL) is l-o-a-d-e-d with kittens, every color of the rainbow, waiting for new, loving homes. We are having a double adoption weekend coming up, both Saturday and Sunday, August 18-19, at Bridgewater PetSmart between 11AM and 4PM. If you know of anyone who is interested in adopting a kitten, please let them know about our adoption weekend!


HAL also has beautiful adult cats who are waiting for new homes as well!


Our adoption event will be right in the front of the store as soon as you walk in. We hope to see you there!

Bridgewater PetSmart
145 Promenade Blvd.

For directions, call PetSmart at 732-748-7266. Questions? Contact HAL at: homeless_animal_lifeline@yahoo.com

Thank you!
HAL
www.halrescue.org



Raise money for Homeless Animal Lifeline (HAL) just by searching the Internet with GoodSearch - www.goodsearch.com - powered by Yahoo!

Donate Your Old Vehicle To HAL

Car donations are easy now with Homeless Animal Lifeline (HAL). We'll take those unwanted vehicles and the proceeds will support Homeless Animal Lifeline.Your car donation is important to our funding. Help us today by visiting:

www.donatecarusa.com/?charity=407


Thank you for your continued support!

HAL Happenings!

There has been lots of HAL news .. here is the latest!

**THE LIBRARY IS OPEN! HAL is happy to announce that it has merged with The Animal Spirit, and our site now features "The Animal Spirit Library," a resource for animal advocates. Due to link popularity, The Animal Spirit has kept it's own domain, located at www.theanimalspirit.com. Please bookmark and visit often!

**HAL has taken into foster a very special girl named Ariel. She's a senior cat who is blind and deaf. Ariel has been a perfect angel while in foster, but she really needs a home where she can get more attention and lots of love. If you think you are the special person for Ariel, please contact us at homeless_animal_lifeline@yahoo.com for more info and an adoption application!

**IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR - KITTEN SEASON! HAL has many gorgeous kittens all waiting for a forever home. Visit our site at www.halrescue.org for photos of just some of the babes up for adoption or, even better, visit them in person at Bridgewater PetSmart this weekend! If you are not ready to make a permanent commitment, how about fostering? Contact us for details!

**HAL is pleased to announce another successful TNR story made possible through our Feral Cat Fund. Thanks to an anonymous donor who gave a very generous donation to the Fund and volunteer Warren who is busily providing the "legwork," a colony in Manalapan that was steadily reproducing is under control. Cats have been spayed/neutered and kittens are being put up for adoption. Many thanks to our anonymous friend and, especially, to Warren who has been helping this colony during his "spare" time. For more information about our Feral Cat Program, please visit: http://www.halrescue.org/feral.html.

**Thanks to Carol and Michael for another successful Yard Sale. A portion of the proceeds from the Yard Sale will directly benefit HAL's rescues.

**Thanks to Ilene and Joanne for lending a hand and helping HAL out by fostering some of our rescues! Do you have what it takes to foster? Let us know! New fosters are always needed and appreciated.

**We'd like to send a big thank you to Hillsborough Girl Scout Troop 1048 for donating handsewn cat beds/pillows and handmade "goody bags" for adopters. The Troop completed this project in order to obtain their Bronze award. The donations were presented to HAL at our PetSmart Adoption Day in Bridgewater. A photo of the girls can be seen on our site at www.halrescue.org.

Please pass this newsletter on to those who you think may be interested in learning about HAL or would like to join the HAL team and help save lives.

Homeless Animal Lifeline (HAL) is an all-volunteer, 501c3 organization located in New Jersey and comprised of dedicated people who are committed to helping homeless cats. Animals in our program reside at private homes of foster caregivers and remain within our organization until a permanent home is found. We depend on volunteers and donations from the public to keep our work going. For more information, please visit our site at www.halrescue.org.

Thank You To Hillsborough Troop 1048

.. for donating handsewn cat pillows and handmade "goody bags" for adopters. Congratulations on your Bronze Award!

Pet projects donated by Leanna, Danielle, Kaitlyn, Samantha, Colleen, and Rachel and Leaders Karen & Alicia.

Yard Sale to Benefit HAL / May 26-27

18 Bayard Street
Nutley, NJ 07110

May 26-27
8AM - 4PM

Furniture, clothing, accessories, collectibles, antiques, books, household items and much more!!!

May 20 - Multi-household Yard Sale

Sunday, May 20

9AM-3PM

1326 Watchung Avenue, Plainfield

Multi-household yard sale

Furniture, clothing, accessories, collectibles, antiques, books, household items and much more!!!For more info, contact HAL at
homeless_animal_lifeline@yahoo.com

Thank you to Carol and Michael for organizing this benefit for HAL!

Fosters Desperately Needed

With kitten season upon us, HAL is in desperate need of fosters. Our foster homes are crowded and we cannot take in any new cats or kittens at this time. If you are not ready to make a committment of lifetime care for a cat, but still want to help, fostering is perfect for you! As a foster, you would allow a cat(s) in HAL's foster program to reside in your home until s/he is adopted. Food, litter, and medical expenses are covered! If you are interested in learning more about becoming a foster parent and helping to save lives, contact homeless_animal_lifeline@yahoo.com.


Please note: We prefer our foster parents to live around the Bridgewater area so that fosters can come to as many adoption events as possible.

Celebrate Mother's Day with Homeless Animal Lifeline - Sponsor A Spay!

The best gift we can give to homeless female cats this Mother's Day is a spay! Homeless moms live with the constant stress -- both mental and physical -- that comes from repeated pregnancies and litters.

This Mother's Day, sponsor a spay for Homeless Animal Lifeline and we will spay a homeless cat in your honor. Give the gift that keeps on giving! How does the Sponsor A Spay program work?Your sponsorship will pay for a homeless cat to be spayed through Homeless Animal Lifeline's Feral Cat program. Each spay sponsorship is $45.00. Sponsorship donation is tax-deductible.

You can make your donation safely through PayPal by visiting our website at www.halrescue.org. Please write to
homeless_animal_lifeline@yahoo.com if you prefer to mail a check or money order via postal service.

Please note: This is NOT a spay/neuter certificate program. This is similar to programs where you can sponsor a shelter animal. Your sponsorship will pay for a homeless cat to be spayed through Homeless Animal Lifeline's feral cat program.

To date, Homeless Animal Lifeline has spayed and neutered homeless cats in Englishtown, Manalapan, Marlboro, Freehold, Eatontown, Belford, Old Bridge, Plainfield, Bridgewater, and Boundbrook (NJ). We are committed to spaying and neutering as many homeless cats as possible. By sponsoring a spay, you can help us achieve our goal and stop the breeding cycle.

Thank you for your continued support of our Feral Cat Fund and spay/neuter program!

Adopt An Adult Cat Adoptathon Update

Thank you to everyone who helped make our adoptathon a success. A few very lucky adult cats found their forever homes and we collected $200.oo in donations, as well as cat food and litter.

The cats who were adopted are: Captain Morgan, Sunshine, Gia, Maisey, Jake, Oreo and Morris.

March 24-25 "Adopt An Adult Cat" Adoptathon!

Location: Bridgewater, NJ
Date: March 24-25

ADOPT-an-ADULT CAT – Homeless Animal Lifeline (HAL) will sponsor a special ADOPT-an-ADULT CAT event on March 24 – 25 at the Petsmart of Bridgewater, 11 am – 4 pm. Come meet our volunteers and find your special new cat companion! Not sure if you are ready for the adoption commitment? Try fostering! Could you help us advertise this event? Contact us for a printable flyer to distribute.

For more info about HAL, visit our site at
www.halrescue.org.

Petsmart of Bridgewater is located at 145 Promenade Blvd. Hope to see you there!

Welcome!

Welcome to Homeless Animal Lifeline's (HAL) blog. This blog will be used to post news and events concerning our organization.

HAL is an all-volunteer non-profit 501(c)(3) cat rescue and humane education organization located in New Jersey. We are dedicated to saving the lives of homeless cats, as well as spaying/neutering and providing medical services for those animals. Cats in our adoption program reside at private homes of foster caregivers and remain within our organization until a permanent home is found.

HAL is in the process of merging with The Animal Spirit in an effort to expand our humane education program.

Please visit us on the web at www.halrescue.org. We are under construction, so excuse our appearance!