P.A.W.S. of Michigan

P.A.W.S. of Michigan (Precious Animal Welfare Society of Michigan)

Spring, 2008 Newsletter

e-mail: [email protected] P. O. Box 2184 - Riverview, MI 48193 www.pawsofmichigan.com

P.A.W.S. Announces SNAP Promotion, facilitation and education regarding the importance of spaying and neutering all companion animals is a critical part of P.A.W.S.’ mission. With this in mind, P.A.W.S. proudly announces our new Spay/Neuter Assistance Program (SNAP).

This program is initiated with funds donated by two very generous members who wish to remain anonymous. The P.A.W.S. SNAP program is designed to assist families who could not otherwise afford to have their animals sterilized.

Utilizing the low-cost, high-quality, high-volume Humane Ohio clinic in Toledo, P.A.W.S. is able to offer low-cost sterilization to these families for their furry friends. P.A.W.S. will subsidize the cost of the surgery, when necessary. However, we urge candidate families to pay as much toward the reasonably priced surgery as possible, so that we can keep the program going and help more animals.

The SNAP fund also assists in funding Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) sterilizations of feral cats, provided the ferals have a caretaker willing to feed them and offer outdoor shelter once they are released.

Spaying and neutering is the only way to address the compan-ion animal overpopulation crisis and reduce the obscene number of needless euthanasia occurrences every year in this country (estimates average 500,000 a year).

P.A.W.S. is committed to spaying and neutering, and the SNAP program is a very important part of that commitment. We welcome tax-deductible donations earmarked for SNAP to assist with these efforts.

You can find more information regarding SNAP at our website – http://www.pawsofmichigan.com.

If you would like to know if you qualify for assistance from the SNAP program, you can email us at [email protected].

To further the cause of spaying and neutering, the P.A.W.S. board recently voted to lower the age at which we, as an organization, have our animals sterilized. The change reflects from six months down to three months, with the foster having the option to sterilize earlier, at two months. This helps reduce any risk that our P.A.W.S. alumni will reproduce. Research indicates there might be additional health benefits for the animal from having sterilization performed at an earlier age.

Spay Day/SNAP Fundraiser In honor of Spay Day USA, which is sponsored by the Humane Society of the United States, P.A.W.S. of Michigan kicked off the SNAP program at a fundraiser, which Wendy’s in Wood-haven graciously sponsored, on Tuesday, February 26.

Wendy’s donated 15% of all profits made that night (between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.), including the proceeds of the drive-thru, to P.A.W.S. Those proceeds went directly to the SNAP Fund.

We also distributed literature which was obtained from PETA and HSUS and answered many questions regarding the importance of spaying and neutering.

Our enthusiastic P.A.W.S. volunteers sold crafts, tee-shirts, and sweatshirts. The money earned from sales went directly to our general fund.

A special thank you to everyone who volunteered their time at our first, but certainly not the last, Spay Day/SNAP fundraiser. We had such a great turn-out and so much fun. Please join us on May 13 at Wendy’s of Woodhaven between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., when Wendy’s will once again donate 15% of their profits to P.A.W.S. This time we will include an adoption event, weather permitting.

Also, in honor of Spay Day USA, P.A.W.S. sterilized five animals at the Wyandotte animal shelter. We also ran a public service announcement on the Wyandotte electronic sign located at Eureka and Biddle which stressed the importance of spaying and neutering. There were several excellent articles relating to P.A.W.S. and the SNAP program in both the Free Press and News Herald.

Some of P.A.W.S. wonderful volunteers at the Wendy’s Spay/Neuter Fundraiser

Volunteers explaining about the SNAP Program

P.A.W.S. at the Pound The City of Wyandotte recently approved a spay/neuter program in conjunction with Pound Pals and P.A.W.S., where all adoptable animals will be sterilized prior to adoption.

Pound Pals is our sister organization, whose sole purpose is to collect donations to fund medical treatment of animals at the Wyandotte shelter.

P.A.W.S. of Michigan – Spring 2008 Newsletter

P.A.W.S. at the Pound (continued) Once a month, Humane Ohio will send a van to retrieve up to 30 animals from the Wyandotte Animal Shelter. Any empty spaces can be filled with dogs and cats of local residents who wish to have their companion animals sterilized. The first of these “transports” took place from the animal shelter on April 1.

Twenty-nine animals were able to take advantage of the P.A.W.S. SNAP program. They included pound and public animals, as well as one feral cat.

The following picture is the group who helped with the first transport from the Wyandotte Pound to Humane Ohio on April 1.

P.A.W.S. volunteers at the first trip to Humane Ohio

P.A.W.S. volunteers coordinated all of the efforts, and the transport was a huge success. Humane Ohio employees said that we were the most organized group with whom they have ever worked, and this was a real compliment, as it was our first attempt at using this service!

At intervals between the monthly Humane Ohio van transports, P.A.W.S. volunteers, themselves, will drive shelter animals to Toledo for the surgery. Volunteer drivers are needed to help make this project a success.

We are also attempting to solicit local veterinary clinics to assist in helping to fill the gaps between transports.

In addition to coordinating the spay/neuter program at the pound, P.A.W.S. volunteers clean cages, vaccinate, medicate and help socialize the animals. Crews volunteer their time on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings beginning at 9:00 a.m. Several volunteers go to the shelter on other days during the week to perform cleaning and medicating animals as necessary.

Additionally, volunteers are needed to help on all three days, especially Saturdays. Volunteer applications are available at the shelter and on-line at pawsofmichigan.com.

We are proud of this sign placed outside the City of Wyandotte Animal Pound by the City of Wyandotte Officials!

To assist us further, Dr. Kim Cox, from Southpointe Veterinary Hospital in Allen Park, took her day off and volunteered her personal time to visit the shelter on Monday, March 24, for nearly three hours. She spent her time with the volunteer crew to discuss proper cleaning protocols, vaccinations and medica-tions so that the animals will be safe and healthy. She also evaluated what we were doing and made very helpful sugges-tions which are already being implemented.

Some of the P.A.W.S. volunteers with

Dr. Cox (second from the right)

Ink Cartridges/Cell Phones Fundraiser P.A.W.S. has undertaken a fundraising project whereby we will collect used ink cartridges and cell phones. There currently are two drop-off locations with containers for used ink cartridges and cell phones. One drop-off is located at the Wyandotte Library and the other at the Riverview Library. We are asking that members ask a business with which they are associated to sponsor us, by signing up online, or by giving us their used cartridges and phones.

Another Way to Help P.A.W.S. Help P.A.W.S. with your used cars: P.A.W.S. recently received a donation from members who donated their car to Charity Motors and designated P.A.W.S. as their charity. P.A.W.S. received 70% of the sale of the car, and the members were allowed to take tax credit for their donation for the full Blue Book value of the car. Charity Motors has a great program to help organizations such as ours. Please contact Charity Motors at http://www.charitymotors.org/ and specify P.A.W.S. of Michigan (EIN 32-0213112) as your designated charitable organization if you have a vehicle that is worth more to you as a tax write-off than a sale Our fur babies will be so grateful!

P.A.W.S. Needs YOU! NEEDED: Wildlife-loving person with pick-up truck and flexible schedule. If you are interested, please send email to [email protected].

Happy Birthday to P.A.W.S. of Michigan! On February 27, P.A.W.S. celebrated our six-month birthday. It hardly seems we have been in existence this long – but in this time period we have accomplished a great deal. We are looking forward to what the next six months will bring to our wonderful group!

Kids and P.A.W.S. Scouting is helping P.A.W.S. in a big way. Girl Scouts (Troop 680) and Webelo Scouts and Boy Scouts (Pack/Troop 1152) recently attended one of our adoption days at PetSmart of Woodhaven. These scouts made “Adopt Me” bandanas for the animals who were awaiting adoption. They placed the bandanas on the necks of the animals and had a wonderful day with us. As you can see by the smiles on the faces of these young people – they are proud of what they did – and we are certainly proud of them!

Scout groups attending Pet Adoption day at

Woodhaven PetSmart


Kids and P.A.W.S. (continued) The scouts shown in the previous picture from left to right are: (Bottom Row) Courtney Hull and Michael Trombley. (Top Row) Rachel Watson, Leah Watson, Deanna Wilczek, Sydney Hull and Drew Hull

One of the Scout leaders, Paula Hull, recently told us that “it is always nice to meet other compassionate people and even more rewarding to actually get a chance to work with them. My family, my troops and most importantly, myself are always grateful for the wonderful opportunities that Scouting provides. Thank you and all in your organization for giving us the chance to show our kids that this world is still a wonderful place. God Bless and thanks again for a wonderful experience . . . our Scouts can't stop talking about it!”

A great Cub Scout Pack (Pack 1795) out of Southgate came to the Wyandotte shelter on March 28 and presented the animals with catnip socks, which they personally made. Their project is called “Operation Happy Sock.” All the kitties at the pound said they loved them. The scouts involved in this project were: Robbie and Alyssa Oaks, Trevor Moran, Jimmy Dickinson, Daryl Bacharan, Romance Keyser, Romantic Keyser, Timmy Clayton, Jake and Brooke Polen. The leaders of this Pack are: John and Janeen Golovich and Tammy Bacharan.

Along with the Scouts and leaders pictured above, you will see the Animal Control Officers Chuck Gillenwater (Wyandotte) and Brian Benson (Southgate). Officer Gillenwater spent time talking to the boys about caring for the animals and answered many questions.

And More Kid Stuff . . . Teaching our young people the importance of what we are doing and the responsibility of raising fur babies is one of the goals of P.A.W.S. The old adage “children live what they learn” is shown here.

The Woodhaven Kiwanis organization recently sponsored an essay-writing contest for fourth graders. The subject of the essay was – “If I Had $100 to donate to a charity . . .” Our very own, Amber Burbo, who is a P.A.W.S. volunteer, attends Yake Elementary School, and she entered this contest.

Amber assists in feeding and socializing kittens and is present at most of the adoption events for P.A.W.S.

Some of the P.A.W.S. volunteers who know Amber, com-mented that . . . “I wish there were more children like Amber!! . . . She's such a good-hearted little girl. :) I hope she wins!” And Amber did just that! She won the contest, and the Woodhaven Kiwanis donated $100 to P.A.W.S. of Michigan on her behalf. Amber asked that the $100 be designated toward the “Lily Fund.”

Amber was very humbled by this entire experience and did not want to draw attention to herself, but this is an example of how a parent trains up their children – in that Amber’s mom (Marie)

is also a volunteer – you can see by her essay how it has made an impact on this fourth grader.

Amber reciting her essay and receiving

her prize at the Woodhaven Kiwanis Club

This is Amber’s winning essay, and you can see why it took first place in this contest!

If I had $100.00 to donate to a charity, I would choose P.A.W.S. of Michigan because they are a new animal rescue group and I love animals. They could use the money for many things, like taking the animals to the vet to get shots and to get them fixed, so they can't make more babies and they can buy food, beds, collars and milk bottles for the little ones. My family and I are volunteers for P.A.W.S. and we have lots of fun playing with the animals at adoption fairs and events. We are also a foster home. Some people don't like to foster because they think they would get too attached to the animals. We know it's good for the animals to go to the vets, get fed everyday, teach them their manners and some even have to learn how to play nice. Then they are ready for their forever homes. As long as the group has foster homes and enough money for the vet appointments. we can keep helping animals find homes. Even if I don't win, I would like to invite you to one of our upcoming fundraising events on September 13, 2008 – please come to P.A.W.S. in the Park in Riverview or you can come see us at PetSmart on adoption days in Woodhaven on Friday nights and Saturdays between 10 and 2pm.

If parents could raise more children like this, the future of this land would be in good hands!

CONGRATULATIONS AMBER – we are all very proud of you! You are a wonderful representative of the P.A.W.S. organiza-tion!

P.A.W.S Does More . . . Yes, indeed, P.A.W.S. does do more than merely rescue animals in need of a home. It is our goal to help in any way we can with respect to animals. One of our recent endeavors was to assist a neighbor of two of our P.A.W.S. volunteers (Sandra Roberts and Carol Parker). Their itty bitty elderly neighbor lady has a big German Shepherd (Spike) who is 15 years old and is probably twice his human mamma’s weight. Because of his size and age, he has severe arthritis in his back legs.

Handsome Spike and his Sweet Mamma!


P.A.W.S Does More . . . (continued) On one of those terribly snowy days we had this winter, the little lady let her pup outside, and he was in such pain, he could not get back up onto the porch to come back inside the house. She is so little that she did not have the strength to pick him up to bring him back into the house. Unfortunately he was outside for several hours and was barking, because he wanted to come inside – but didn’t have the strength to do so.

Apparently a neighbor called the police, and a very nice young policeman came to their aid. He picked up the dog and brought him inside – to which both the little lady and the BIG dog were ever so grateful.

Sandy and Carol realized the need for some kind of assistance here and solicited our wonderful group for a solution. They thought that perhaps if a sturdy ramp could be built to aid this dog in getting on and off the porch, it would alleviate many problems for him as well as the little lady.

Several of our volunteers (Velda Bohler, Janet and Paul Fillinger and Karin and Jeff Pigott) put their thinking caps on and did just that. A wonderful ramp was built – not only to assist the dog, but they added a handrail that would help the lady when she needed to go up and down from the porch herself.

The ramp built for Spike and his mamma

We want to give thanks to each of these individuals for their wisdom, talent, and caring compassion. It is such a blessing for everyone concerned. However, we are unsure who got the biggest blessing – the volunteers, Spike or his mamma.

Spike’s mamma wept when our volunteers brought the ramp to her. She wanted to do what she could to pay for it, but we told her that all we expected her to do is pray for P.A.W.S., its volunteers and, of course, all of the animals that we rescue, so that we would be able to find the best and most loving forever homes for each of them. She said she would.

This is what we are all about – doing what we each do to the best of our abilities. Some of us can do a little and some of us can do a lot, but we all bring our talents together as we strive to do what we do best "Making a Difference — Four PAWS at a time!"

Special Thank You to Two P.A.W.S. Friends! Thank you to Cyndi Stanhope of the Side Street Salon which is located at 267 Walnut in Wyandotte. Cyndi offered to sell catnip toys in her salon, which were handmade by P.A.W.S. supporter, Anne Gmosher. All the happy kitties who receive the toys, and all the P.A.W.S. kitties who are waiting for their furever home, thank Cyndi and Anne for their support!

Allen Park Animal Welfare A group of Allen Park High School students, along with teacher, Deb Hamilton, recently formed a new animal rescue group called Allen Park Animal Welfare (APAW). Their mission is to assist homeless animals and encourage animal welfare. They recently completed a fundraiser in which they are going to donate $125 to P.A.W.S. of Michigan.

Thank you to this group and their teacher, Deb Hamilton, for their contribution. We applaud them for their efforts.

Calendar Of Upcoming Events May 3 and 4 – 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Meet your Best Friend at the Zoo. City-wide adoption spon-sored by the Michigan Humane Society at the Detroit Zoo.

May 5 Transport from Wyandotte Animal Shelter to Humane Ohio.

May 10 Adoptions for P.A.W.S. and Wyandotte Animal Shelter animals at Charter Square Apartments, Troy.

May 13 – 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Adoption event (weather permitting) and fundraiser at Wendy’s of Woodhaven. Restaurant will donate 15% of profits (including drive-thru) to P.A.W.S.

May 17 and 18 – 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Mid-Michigan Cat Fancier’s Show. Yack Arena in Wyandotte. We will sponsor a booth and have adoptions available.

May 20 – 6:30 p.m. P.A.W.S. general membership meeting – Riverview City Hall Activity Room C. Bring a friend!

June 2 Transport from Wyandotte Animal Shelter to Humane Ohio

June 13 – 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Metro Shores Credit Union in Trenton – Adoption event.

June 17 – 6:30 p.m. P.A.W.S. general membership meeting – Riverview City Hall Activity Room C. Bring a friend!

June 28 and 29 – 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Saturday) 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Sunday) Pet-A-Palooza – City-wide adoption event at Freedom Hill County Park in Sterling Heights.

July 7 Transport from Wyandotte Animal Shelter to Humane Ohio.

July 9 – July 12 Wyandotte Street Fair – P.A.W.S. booth. First annual pet photo contest and P.A.W.S. merchandise for sale. We will be located “under the awning” of Wyandotte City Hall.

July 15 – 6:30 p.m. P.A.W.S. general membership meeting – Riverview City Hall Activity Room C. Bring a friend!

August 4 Transport from Wyandotte Animal Shelter to Humane Ohio.

August 19 – 6:30 p.m. P.A.W.S. general membership meeting – Riverview City Hall Activity Room C. Bring a friend!

September 8 Transport from Wyandotte Animal Shelter to Humane Ohio.

September 13 P.A.W.S. in the Park. See separate article for full details.

September 16 – 6:30 p.m. P.A.W.S. general membership meeting – Riverview City Hall Activity Room C. Bring a friend!

September 27 and 28 Meet your Best Friend at the Zoo. City-wide adoption spon-sored by the Michigan Humane Society at the Detroit Zoo.

For all of the above “events,” it is necessary that we have plenty of volunteers to make each event a success. Please e-mail us at [email protected] if you are inter-ested in volunteering.


Special Upcoming Event P.A.W.S. in the Park - Riverview Hey dogs, mark your calendar for the 2008 P.A.W.S. in the Park event. It will begin on Saturday morning, September 13, at Young Patriots Park in Riverview. It’s a great place to walk and meet new friends. Everyone who enters will get a “treat bag” full of goodies. There will be a special contest in which we can compete, and it’s a great place to hang out. Tell your family that there will also be food, a pet boutique, a raffle, a DJ and more. And oh, yeah, they’re going to be doing that yucky nail trimming and microchipping for a low cost.

It will be all worth it because the purpose is to raise money to help other dogs and cats who don’t have it as good as we do. Some of them are still out there looking for good homes, and we need to help them. So, hound (no pun) your family to bring you and encourage them to collect pledges. They will be able to find more information regarding this event in the next newsletter, as well as on the P.A.W.S. website.

New this year – they are encouraging cat lovers to participate. No, we really don’t want to have the cats there too, but it would be good for their owners to help the cause and participate.

Past Events First Annual P.A.W.S. Banquet P.A.W.S. first annual banquet took place at Baldo’s Restaurant in Brownstown on February 2, and we had a great turnout. Special thanks to Eve, Lana and Jerry for all their hard work, which made this banquet such a success.

Volunteers and guests at the first Annual Banquet

Metro Shores Credit Union - Trenton The President/CEO of Metro Shores Credit Union, Donna Follbaum, suggested a way to help animals who are impacted by the economy (especially people losing their homes). Her suggestion was to have an adoption event for these precious fur babies. We had a great time at the credit union with our first special adoption event taking place on March 28. We plan to do this each quarter – the next event is scheduled for June 13.

We would like to send a special thanks to Donna and all the employees at Metro Shores for their wonderful hospitality.

P.A.W.S. Rescue Kitty Is A Celebrity! Noel (original rescue name), who is now known as Daphnee, won a photo contest. Her adopter, Alicia Curley, is extremely proud of this little girl. Daphnee was one of eight kittens picked up from the Southgate Pound who were fostered by Marie and Amber Burbo. Daphnee was adopted out of the Ann Arbor PetSmart in January.

Daphnee in her happy forever home!

This contest was sponsored by the ASPCA and was entitled “My Furry Valentine.”

Daphnee’s mamma, Alecia, stated the following describing her relationship with her new kitty.

“I just graduated college, and was about to embark on a new journey. I have grown up with pets all my life, and wanted nothing more than to have my own companion to take with me and be my new best friend in our new city. I had been search-ing on Petfinder.com for months—but when I saw Noel (as she was named at the time) one day in December, I knew there was no other kitty for me! She was a tiny little Turkish Van mix kitten with the most heartwarming face.

It took a few weeks to arrange, but I was able to adopt my little girl. She’s all white, except for a buff tail and two little buff spots on her head. She has a pretty pink nose and mouth, and a pink collar to boot. I renamed her Daphnee, and the name just fits. We just recently moved to our new home, and I couldn't be happier with the best friend I have found.”

Special Needs’ Animals (Donations Needed!) Lily , . . Lily has had a lot of hardship in her short little life. She was rescued with her sister from a neglectful backyard breeder situation when she was about ten-weeks old. Both pups, purportedly Pomeranian/Cavalier King Charles Spaniel mixes, had a bad case of demodex mange, which her rescuer had begun treating.

One day, when she was about four months old, Lily snuck underfoot of her caretaker, causing the woman to trip over her. In the process, the woman accidentally kicked the poor puppy down the basement stairs. It was obvious when she reached her that her leg was broken, so she rushed her to the veterinar-ian. X-rays showed that Lily’s elbow was broken, and the vet explained to the woman that surgery performed by a specialist was necessary, and that the cost would be at least $2,400.

The bill was far more than the kind woman could afford, but there were few alternatives. She instructed the vet to euthanize Lily, since she couldn’t afford to treat her. Fortunately for Lily, the vet’s office contacted P.A.W.S. of Michigan, who immedi-ately agreed to take her and get the surgery she needed.

While P.A.W.S. didn’t hesitate to take Lily, it was an intimidating moment for the group. Since we were a newly formed rescue group, and at that time had been in existence less than five months, the thought of spending so much of our treasury on one animal was frightening, but the Board of Directors unani-mously agreed that we had to help her, and we’d find a way to raise the money.

Our own vet confirmed the diagnosis of the first doctor, and put us in touch with an orthopedic surgeon. Lily’s surgery was scheduled within two days. Even with pain medication, it was obvious that the poor pup was in terrific pain during that time. The surgery involved the insertion of screws into Lily’s tiny elbow.

Fortunately, she rebounded quickly after the surgery – almost too quickly. The doctor’s firm instructions were to restrict Lily’s activity to near nothing for at least three weeks. Lily started feeling better within days and wanted to jump and play like a normal four-month old puppy. Her foster mom was able to keep her very confined, much to Lily’s dismay, and her leg has healed well. Now, several months later, she can put full weight on it, but still hasn’t been given the all clear to be a normal jumping, bouncing, playful puppy.

While Lily was hospitalized for her surgery, a dermatologist consulted on her case and changed the medication for her demodex, and the mange began clearing up quickly.


Special Needs’ Animals (Continued) Now, well over $3,200 later, Lily is nearing the point where she can be adopted. Lily has seen the surgeon for the last time. The x-rays showed no implant problems, her fracture has healed. She has full range of motion except for a slight reduction extension of her left elbow without pain. Although Lily’s fracture has healed, Lily is still on leash restrictions for several more weeks. We are to gradually increase the time she is allowed out walking. The vet does not want her jumping. She has had two negative skin scrapings for demodex. Now all she needs is to be spayed. Once this happens, Lily will be ready for a new home.

Donations are still needed to help defray the costs for Lily’s surgery. All donations are tax deductible.

Lily with her pretty pink cast

Poe . . . Poe is a “special needs” kitten. He is not currently ready to be adopted since he has issues with his digestive system. We are working to correct those issues, if possible. He is seven months old but Poe is still only the size of a three-month old kitten. It appears after many blood tests and liver tests that his size could be due to malnutrition as a young kitten or it could be genetically based. He is not expected to grow any bigger.

Poe is a very quiet kitty. When he came into our rescue in November, he had no fat on him at all – just very skinny. He weighed only one pound and two ounces. His mother had abandoned him when he was only four weeks old. He doesn’t know much about playing. He is very content to just lie on your lap and be petted - now that and food are both things that he loves. He loves to be near you, but he doesn’t demand your attention. He just enjoys your company. If you want to pet him, that’s fine with him. But if you’re busy, he understands that too. Poe is in a basic black suit, but he does have a white splash on his chest and his belly. He has tested negative for FIV/feline leukemia and is up-to-date on his vaccinations. He also gets along with both cats and dogs.

So if you want a little boy who will always be a “kitten,” Poe is the boy for you!

Poe – posing perfectly

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you would like to make a donation towards

the care of any of these special needs animals, please send the donation to:

P.A.W.S. of Michigan Attention: (Indicate name of animal)

PO Box 2184 Riverview MI 48193

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Another P.A.W.S. Successful Adoption . . . Scrappy. . . Scrappy is nothing less than adorable! He has a perfect personality - playful, but quiet, and loves to snuggle. He was born on February 7, 2008, and all of his siblings had been adopted (so he was feeling really hurt that no one had taken him). As you can see by his picture, below, Scrappy just gave up and said – “okay, I’ll let you adopt me . . .” and that is what happened. Scrappy is now in his furever home and happier than ever!

Finally gave up - I knew you couldn’t resist me!

Meet P.A.W.S. First Feline Member This is Gitche, our first feline member of P.A.W.S. Gitche is almost two years old and is a rescue kitty. Gitche was found in a boathouse on the Detroit River the day after a tornado hit in the area. He was so tiny he just fit in the palm of your hand. He was all wet and muddy – and two young sweet girls found him, but were unable to keep him because they had several pets already. They thought Gitche was a girl and named him Natalie, but once he was checked by the vet, they found him to be a boy. He belongs to Carol Parker, one of the P.A.W.S. members (the author of the newsletter). He is now living in a happy furever home and tends to be a little on the spoiled side!

Gitche waiting to play Cat-Opoly


Visit Our Adoptable Pets P.A.W.S. is thrilled to announce that we have been accepted as the Luv-A-Pet partner for the new PetSmart – Canton Store (Michigan Avenue and Beck Road), scheduled to open in June, 2008. Once the store opens, it will be our “home base,” and we will be doing most of our adoptions at that location. We are very excited about having a place to call “home” and a place to show off some of our adoptable felines during the week between adoption events. In the meantime, P.A.W.S. will be holding adoptions at a variety of venues. Please visit our website, pawsofmichigan.com for the most up-to-date list of P.A.W.S. adoption events.

P.A.W.S Is Officially An Ambassador!

P.A.W.S. was recently selected as a Purina Pro Plan® Rally to Rescue TM Ambassador. Rally to Rescue TM Ambassadors are a select group of rescue organizations across the country. Pro Plan® recognizes the importance of the dedicated work performed by P.A.W.S. and other groups like ours. Rally to Rescue TM supports our mission by providing a ten foot by ten foot tent, banner, sandwich board signs and other materials we can use at adoption events, as well as tee-shirts and other items we can use as fundraisers. P.A.W.S. is pleased and honored to be chosen as a Rally to Rescue TM Ambassador!

P.A.W.S. is proud of this special recognition!

P.A.W.S. Gift Store If you are interested in ordering official P.A.W.S of Michigan merchandise – please go to:

http://www.cafepress.com/pawsofmi You will find a huge array of apparel, children’s wear, stuffed animals, pet tee shirts and many other gifts with the official P.A.W.S. logo on them.

Our Newest Members Individual Memberships Helen Hightower Amy Bartholomew

Family Memberships Andrea Hertzel & Family Tim & Louann Durand Kaye & Shawn Ross Naim, Char & Kira Saiti Amy Bagwell & Family Corky, Curt & Sable Bellew Noel & Terra Muscat Carol McKee, Gordon, Emily & Kathryn Hopcian

Senior Memberships Mary Parker Barbara Dinglie

Supporter Membership Catherine F. Franciosi

Pet Memberships Abby “Dyszewski” (Rob Dyszewski’s Dog) Bruno “Faber” (Kaley Faber’s Dog) Gitche “Parker” (Carol Parker’s Cat) Romeo “Ross” (Kaye & Shawn’s Pet) Missy “Franciosi” (Catherine Franciosi’s Pet) Sandy “Hightower” (Helen Hightower’s Dog) Buddy “Parker” (Mary Parker’s Cat)

P.A.W.S. Donations and Memberships Goods and Services Donations Dr. Kim Cox Russell & Carrie Paps Diane McKnight Cub Scout Pack #1152 Janine Johnson Jim Thompson for Lily Jason Soltesz Wendy’s – Woodhaven John Gregory PetSmart – Woodhaven Carol Moxlow Girl Scout Troup #680 Cheryl Rudd Metro Shores Credit Union Kyle Stack Cub Scout Pack #1795 Jeanne Ziembiec Sandy & Steve DiDomizio Kathy Bozman Bob & Anna Brown Terry Hurnevich Southpointe Veterinary Hospital Anne Gmosher Cyndi Stanhope (Side Street Salon) Jackie Hull & Jerry Jesion (Great Lakes Videography) Donations to General Fund Christine Brennan Helen Hightower Kalin Albertson Jerry & Robin Jourdan Sandra Guernsey Kelly & Mark Haberski Doug & Kay Neff Tim & Shelli Downer Anne & Louie Gmoser Kathy & Ray Bozman William Burgess Andrea Hirtzel Carol Maciolek Harvey & Diana Kromrei Suzanne LaBell Metro Shores Credit Union Earl & Claudia Melvin Linda Lee Carol Moxlow Pat & Sue M Megan Stewart Marcia Eck Donations Designated for Lily Margaret Anderson United Animal Nations Tear Foundation Eddie & Norma Morris Carol Parker Dianne Paul Dr. Carol McKee Mary Parker Helen Hightower Robert Dyszewski Kerstin Karlhuber Amy Bartholomew Frank & Arlene Wolfram Judy Durfy Pat Congdon Rosemary DiDomizio James Evans and Voluntary Benefit Solutions Kiwanis of Woodhaven on Behalf of Amber Burbo OC Building Maintenance – Sandy & Steve DiDomizio Donations Designated for Spencer Milena Stoeva Donations – In Memory Of . . . Carol Parker in Memory of JP Amy Bagwell in Memory of Duncan Bellew Family in Memory of Monkey Thelma Michaels in Memory of Snowball (SNAP Fund) Donations – In Honor Of . . . Andrea Hirtzel to Honor Wilson, Ricky, Lucy & Keona SNAP Fund Donations Anne & Louie Gmoser Carol & Bernie Goslin Janet & Paul Fillinger Corky, Curt & Sable Bellew Spay/Neuter Deposit Donations Barbara Schilke Christine & Norm Johnson Mary & Ron Nordstrom Jessica Hamilton Jay & Kris Jordan Lori Marchetti Edie Belman Christine & Robert Jenkins Dianna Smith Dianne Atterberry


PLEASE COMPLETE THIS SECTION FOR BOTH MEMBERSHIPS AND/OR DONATIONS

Name

Address

Phone Email

Membership Application

Membership Levels Individual Membership $ 20 Family Membership $ 30 Youth Membership (15 and under) $ 10 Senior Membership (60 and over) $ 10 Supporter $ 100 Tail Wagger's Club $ 250 Business/Corporate $ 500 Pet (Name of Pet ) $ 5

Membership entitles you to voting privileges within the group as well as a copy of the quarterly newsletter.

Donations to P.A.W.S. Types of Contributions $_______ In Honor Of $_______ In Memory Of $_______ Special Contribution $_______ SNAP* (Spay/Neuter Assistance Program)

*Helps families who can’t afford to spay or neuter their companion animals.

If mailing your membership fee and/or a donation, please mail your check to:

P.A.W.S. of Michigan P. O. Box 2184

Riverview, Michigan 48193

P.A.W.S. of Michigan would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of our supporters who have given their time, monetary

donations, goods and/or services and memberships in our organization for the animals we support and rescue. You help us make a difference –

“FOUR PAWS AT A TIME!”

P.A.W.S. of Michigan

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