OCTOBER 29, 2009 ISSUE
Local Animal Charity Faces Challenges: Winter, Increase in Abandoned Animals, Funding Needs and Foster Care Woes
Vinnie, a Husky-Shiba Inu mix, and Elvis, a young Hound mix, are two of the many dogs up for adoption through the local nonprofit, Friends for Life.
High Country Friends for Life, a local animal charity and foster care organization, is ready, willing and able to tackle their sixth High Country winter helping homeless animals in need, and its co-founder Penny Muller is appealing to the community to help out and help them save lives.
“The biggest thing is the economy,” said Muller. “The situation is the worst I’ve ever seen at Animal Control. People are using the economy as an excuse to abandon pets. It’s just terrible how many dogs and cats are dying over there. We’re seeing a huge influx of dogs and cats coming into Animal Control—people are giving up their dogs and cats left and right.”
Muller’s organization takes animals from the pound and tries to adopt them out at biweekly pet adoption fairs held in Boone. The dogs are brought to two locations year round, the Boone Mall on Wednesdays and Lowe’s Home Improvement on Saturdays. For the inclement months, beginning now, the pet adoption fairs will be held only at the Boone Mall, both days, so that volunteers and pets do not have to stand out in the cold. Almost all of the animals showcased come from Watauga County Animal Care and Control. Any pets not adopted or fostered at the end of the pet fair day are returned to the Animal Control shelter where they face euthanasia.
“We depend on the community,” said Muller. “We do not get paid; we need a permanent building to house the animals, we need people to foster dogs, puppies, cats and kittens and we need money to keep saving lives. Even though we have help with the cost of treatments from local veterinarians and we are so grateful to them, our vet bills are still sky-high.”
The problems Friends for Life faces with the foster care situation can be coned down to one issue—lack of commitment from people who initially take up the foster care reins.
“People take an animal home with them, into foster care and they call and say the dog peed on the floor,” said Muller. “We need people who are committed, who will follow through if the dog or cat has an accident on the floor or whatever happens. Foster homes are huge for us. And we also need volunteers at our adoption fairs. I would like to see one person for each dog.”
Another vision Muller has for the homeless canines and felines of the High Country is help from the churches.
“I would love to see the churches get more involved,” she explained. “This is a ministry. These animals are God’s creations. We are our brother’s keepers but we are also God’s creations’ keepers. I would love to see youth ministry involved—it would teach them to be sensitive to life.”
Kudos and many heartfelt thanks from Muller and the other volunteers at Friends go out to several area businesses and two individuals.
“Really and truly, if it weren’t for Lowe’s, Boone Mall, Rich Brown and Alpine, Inc., and Dave, owner of Mountain Vista Dog Kennels in Banner Elk, we would not have survived as an organization”
Lowe’s and Boone Mall have helped the charity by donating space, consisting of well-trafficked areas in the store and mall to help bring attention to the animals and get them adopted, while Brown allows Friends for Life use of a large truck in which to stow their pet crates, blankets, extra leashes, carriers, chairs and anything else they cannot haul around on a continual basis.
“Without the truck we could not do the adoptions,” said Muller. “And Dave is a good man. I’ll call him and say I have five dogs and nowhere for them to go and he will take them in at his kennel.”
While Friends for Life will continue to pull dogs and cats off of death row, Muller is hoping and praying that the homeless animals of the High Country will get their big break soon.
“We want to hear people say that ‘We’re going to join hands with you and save these animals,’ and we want to send a big thank you for all the people who have been wonderful to us,” said Muller.
To adopt a pet, speak to Muller or a volunteer in person, come by Boone Mall on Wednesdays or Saturdays between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
To volunteer or to foster a pet, call 828-964-8828 or email Muller at pennylea60@yahoo.com. To send a monetary donation, mail a check or money order to: HC Friends for Life, P.O. Box 3226 Boone NC 28607. To view available pets online, click to www.hcfriendsforlife.org.
Friends for Life Needs Dog Crates!
One urgent need that Friends for Life has are dog crates.
“We loan them out to people when they foster dogs and we really do need more dog crates,” said Penny Muller, co-founder of the nonprofit. “[We need] the 36-inch foldable crates and a couple of larger ones at 42 inches. And please, only new or used ones that are in very, very good condition!”
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