~*~*~*~*~Homeless Animal Lifeline (HAL) Happenings~*~*~*~*~
Homeless Animal Lifeline
A NJ Nonprofit Corporation
Internet: www.halrescue.org
Email: RescueHAL@aol.com
September 9, 2008
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August was a very busy month for Homeless Animal Lifeline (HAL)! We have new arrivals, exciting upcoming fundraisers, and new volunteers.
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WATCH US GROW!
HAL took in five bottle babies (kittens too young to eat on their own) who had a very rough start. Unfortunately, their Mom was killed by a car, leaving the babies hungry and alone. A Good Samaritan heard their cries, scooped them up, and brought them to HAL. Volunteers are bottle-feeding the kittens and they will eventually be put up for adoption. You can see a current photo on our web site at www.halrescue.org and keep us bookmarked so you can watch the babies grow!
We are in need of donations to help with the care of this litter. Monetary donations, PetSmart gift cards, and/or KMR liquid would be greatly appreciated! Please earmark your donations "Bottle Babies."
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MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Here is a listing of our scheduled upcoming events. Please confirm with HAL as dates and times are subject to change.
Flea Market Fundraiser - Elk's Lodge
September 13, 2008, 9AM - 3PM (rain date: September 14, 2008)
545 Bound Brook Road (Rt 28)
Middlesex, NJ
Fall Yard Sale Fundraiser
October 19, 2008, 9AM- 3PM
1326 Watchung Avenue
Plainfield, NJ
Santa Claws Holiday Photos - PetSmart of Bridgewater
December 13 - 14, 11AM - 4PM
145 Promenade Blvd.
Bridgewater, NJ
And, as always, our Adoption Days at Bridgewater of PetSmart are held every Saturday from 11AM - 4PM.
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FEATURED CAT
Update: Our last featured cat, Valentine, was finally adopted and is living happily, ever after in Connecticut!
This month, we are featuring a pair of cuties named Sonny and Houston. Though they do not have to be adopted together, preference will be given to applications requesting both boys!
Sonny is as friendly and sweet as he is handsome. He loves to be petted and scratched under his chin and is very playful. His favorite game is chasing the elusive laser pointer light. And woe to the unsuspecting fly that gets inside, as he is quick and agile. Sonny likes other cats and kittens and seems unafraid of dogs. He is the perfect cat looking for a perfect forever home! You can view his photos on his Petfinder page.
Houston is a very sweet gentle boy. He has a slight neurological condition that leaves him a bit uncoordinated and with an unusual gait. He cannot run as fast or jump as high as most cats but is still quite playful. This condition does not affect his health or life expectancy. He has been thoroughly checked by a veterinarian and, despite his thin and rather scruffy appearance, he is in perfect health. Houston is a super friendly and affectionate cat. Since his condition leaves him slightly handicapped, he does require a home with people would be aware and respectful of his limitations. You can view his photos on
his Petfinder page.
Both boys are about 1 year old, neutered, up to date on vaccines, and have tested negative for FIV and FeLV. They did live in a home together, but were returned to HAL because their human mom was expecting a baby. Sonny and Houston hope to find a home with someone who is better at multi-tasking!
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WELCOME NEW VOLUNTEERS!
HAL is happy to welcome new volunteers.
Sue joins HAL as a foster mom. She is an experienced kitten/cat foster mom as well as the proud parent of dogs Amber and Bo, and cats Gilligan, Holly, and Button.
Dawn and Kent will be volunteering at our Bridgewater PetSmart adoption days. They are also volunteers with Greyhound Friends of New Jersey and Franklin Township Animal Shelter, as well as proud parents of two retired racing greyhounds, a senior collie, a senior toy poodle, 4 cats with varying special needs, and a rabbit.
HAL would also like to thank Stef who is acting as an emergency foster home for us and is the proud mom of rescued cats!
Welcome aboard!
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IN-HOME PET CARE
In-home pet sitting has become increasingly popular as more and more people are hesitant to stress out their fur kids with boarding. HAL is pleased to recommend two pet sitting services to help care for your pets while you are away.
Whiskers To Go, LLC, serving Monmouth County & Surrounding Areas.
www.whiskerstogo.com
No Worries Pet Services, LLC, serving Central New Jersey.
www.noworrypets.com
Both services are owned and operated by HAL volunteers, who are also certified pet sitters, as well as Red Cross Pet First Aid/CPR certified.
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IN MEMORY
- Those who visited our adoption days at Bridgewater PetSmart will remember Lady Grey, the beautiful grey cat with the crinkled ear. She unfortunately passed away at her foster home in July. Although she never had the chance to be adopted, she didn't know -- she always felt safe and loved in her foster home with her foster parents Charlie and Delores. She will be greatly missed by everyone who met her.
- HAL was alerted of a sick, homeless cat in the Bridgewater Area. We named her Penelope and she was seen at Belle Mead Animal Hospital on August 19, 2008. The veterinarian believed that Penelope, who was estimated to be about 15 years old, was in advanced stage cancer. She weighed only 3 lbs. The vet recommended euthanasia and, after speaking with her and discussing what she had found during examination, HAL agreed with the very hard decision to have Penelope euthanized. She was an extremely sweet short-haired black cat and she made a lasting impression on the rescue volunteers who met her only once. She purred as soon as you would pet her and gave kisses to everyone.
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VEGAN RECIPE
{Thanks to Peggy for sharing this one from "Vegetarian Times!"}
Orange Lacquered Tofu
Serves 4 - 30 minutes or fewer
Serve with baked sweet potatoes and steamed collard greens or cut the tofu into cubes and toss them with Asian noodles.
1/4 cup low-sodium tamari or soy sauce
2 Tbs. orange juice
2 tsp. maple syrup
2 tsp. dark sesame oil
1 14-oz. pkg. extra-firm tofu, drained well and cut crosswise into 8 1/2-inch-thick slices
Combine tamari, orange juice, syrup and sesame oil in medium bowl; whisk to blend. Season to taste with pinch of freshly ground black pepper (or cayenne, for a little more bite).
Spray large cast-iron or nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add tofu, and cook, without disturbing, about 7 minutes, until crisp and golden. Turn over, and cook about 5 minutes, or until crisp and golden.
Pour in tamari mixture, and shake pan back and forth to coat tofu. Reduce heat to medium; cook 2 to 3 minutes, until sauce is syrupy and tofu is glazed (sauce will get sticky if cooked longer). Serve hot or at room temperature.
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PLEASE DONATE
As you know, HAL is a 501c3 non-profit all-volunteer organization. As you may not know, our donations have dropped considerably over the past few months. This is not a situation unique to HAL; unfortunately, many small non-profits are being hit very hard by the current economy -- people are donating less, and they are also adopting less because of their own financial hardships. Some rescues have been forced to close down their adoption programs completely until they can catch up with veterinary bills.
HAL is a very pro-active, hands-on organization -- we are sometimes the only rescue to respond to a concerned person's call for help on behalf of a homeless animal. While HAL also has an active Humane Education program, we want to be able to continue helping individual animals with medical care or spay/neuter.
Please consider making a donation to HAL so that we can continue our important hands-on work that makes life-changing, and sometimes life-saving, differences to the lives of individual animals.
You can donate securely online with PayPal or JustGive by visiting our website at
http://www.halrescue.org.
If you prefer to mail a donation, our mailing address is:
Homeless Animal Lifeline
PO Box 237
Manalapan, NJ 07726
Thank you in advance!
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"Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart."
"I have always held firmly to the thought that each one of us can do a little to bring some portion of misery to an end." ~Albert Schweitzer
