Dear Valued Supporters,

As the year draws to a close, I wanted to extend my deepest gratitude for your unwavering support of Always & Furever. This year has been an incredible journey, filled with both triumphs and challenges, and your generosity has been the guiding light through it all.

We embarked on 2023 with grand aspirations of building on our Homestead; having acquired the 40 acres adjacent to our beloved Little Red Barn in 2022 our dreams took shape, but an unexpected obstacle emerged in the form of a difficult battle for our conditional use permit (CUP). Despite the opposition from a single row of ten neighbors on Yankee Bit Lane, whom we affectionally refer to now as “Cranky Bit Lane”, we stood firm, fighting tooth and nail for what we believe in our soul, that that land was meant to care for, protect, shelter, and love all of God’s forgotten animals. I personally funded the legal battle, ensuring not a single dollar from our donors went towards it. How did it work out? Welp, long story short - we lost. But you never really fail until you stop trying and some battles need to be fought. 

Round One - Cranky Bit Lane. 

Round Two - To Be Determined (although I like our odds when I know God’s got our back)

The Compromised Site plan (cutting half the # of animals and buildings and having 98% open space) was still denied So again, maybe, just maybe God doesn’t want us to compromise on our dreams. So many maybes but so much faith it WILL all workout. I say it every single day we do too much good for God to let us fail so we just have faith and continue our journey because that is exactly what this is, a journey. We filed an appeal and will be suing the county, there is so much I could go into on the county’s process and system failure but we always try to focus on the good; we are doing everything we can and putting what we can’t in God’s hands and never, ever, ever giving up. Our CUP will be approved, our legal standing is strong, our faith is stronger, and our Homestead will be built, all in God’s perfect timing. You’d think after five and a half incredible years of this journey I’d have more patience to trust God’s plan, but He is always reminding me He sees the bigger picture and I only see one, mine. The collateral beauty of this incredibly taxing ordeal was that going through the process of fighting for our CUP, the knowledge we gained from this ordeal became instrumental in aiding our friends at Regina’s Rescue with their own challenges. Sometimes, unanswered prayers reveal greater blessings and unforeseen paths lead toward larger purposes.

Additionally, in July of 2023 after withdrawing from our first hearing for the CUP, investing more to revise, reduce, and compromise our plans, God called our attention to Wichita. For those who are not aware of the crisis in Wichita, I don’t even know where to begin to explain, and a year-end summary will never do the animals lost there justice. I wish I could share all in my heart and others on our team who watch the list every day, pray every day, and secretly pull behind the scenes to save and promote as many lives as possible from Wichita Animal Shelter. With an executive management change at the Kansas Humane Society, and the police supervisor at the Wichita Animal Shelter requiring an agreement to be signed where rescues are silenced on social media and our followers' comments policed we were forced out and no longer allowed to pull or “tag” directly from the shelter. Once this change took place the euthanasia rate for dogs has been 27% and almost 30% for the two months it’s been in place. Over 70 rescues were forced out. Even after investing in expanding our staff in Wichita and growing our incredible volunteer base there, we are not allowed in the message groups either and no one is publicly promoting all of the animals. Despite being barred from directly tagging animals, we've formed partnerships with other rescues, continuing our mission to save lives. We've also submitted a bid to manage the Wichita Animal Shelter, awaiting the city's decision in February 2024. Your prayers in this endeavor are invaluable. We firmly believe in going all-in on faith, and I say it all the time good attracts good and there are SO many good people in Wichita who desperately pray for and want change. Transformation will come. Faith doesn’t mean it will be easy, it means it’s possible. Change will come. 

Another collateral blessing of going through the gigantesque task of responding to the RFP was assessing our medical standards of care and processes. If we aren’t learning and changing we aren’t growing and providing the best possible shelter for our animals. So as time-consuming as it was, every sleepless night of drafting and praying for animals we have not been able to save and those who need us even more now always makes it worth it. 

2023 also expanded our rescue transportation network to help save animals from kill shelters to go to other shelters or rescues. Many smaller rescues do not have the means or funds to transfer animals and larger shelters with higher placement rates do not have the time and that's where we found an amazing incredibly necessary niche to help! One of our Board members created and finely tuned a 100% volunteer freedom driver transportation system. These unsung heroes donate their gas, time and love to make sure that every moment any animal in our care (even if for a short while) is greeted with a soft, clean bed, soothing music and kind touches. All while maintaining the highest safety standards with tethering and double leashes. Sometimes we’re only given a few hours with them and then they pass in our care at the farm, so every single moment counts and is always filled with love. Technically we do not have the animals in our name but over one thousand animals have been saved due to our Always & Furever networking and transportation expansion this year alone. It’s not about who gets the credit for saving a life, it’s making sure that their life is filled with love.  

Hojo's medical costs: $15,000

Well, that may be true, but we tag on faith that people will see the value in THAT soul and donate and every single soul on this earth deserves to have just one person who believes their life matters and with Always & Furever, when we tag, then they have an army. So, if your heart is called to the medical we always need more support.

Another initiative with medical we have started is paying to support the emergency care of animals overnight to give them time for rescues to see messages and save their life. 

Panda

This is all we knew of Panda's life and death and from this, we vowed to instill a program with that same emergency vet to fund the emergency care in the middle of the night to help network and save even more lives. If we had this in place Panda would be alive or at least would've had the medical treatment to try to survive but since we lost Panda we have saved 57 furry lives (cats and dogs) in supportive overnight care that either came to our rescue or went to others. Through these efforts Panda’s soul lives on helping us save others.

In other news, we extended our lease for our KCMO location (the Little Grey Barn or LGB) another year. The LBG houses our dog selective or dog aggressive dogs as it’s set up as separate kennels. We considered purchasing the land as there is a great need for a shelter like ours in that area but we would have wanted to tear down the building and put up a new barn, and if we did that, we would lose our zoning and have to go through another conditional use permit and one zoning fight is enough! Someday when our Homestead is built we will have the tiny homes, and the multiple barns on the property and all our animals with special or selective needs will be in housing we design and know what is best for them, but we are so grateful to have a safe space for them right now and know it will happen. To those that did donate to TK Tiny Homes we have raised about $167,000. Those funds are restricted and will only be used for his Tiny Home when the CUP is approved. Patience. Patience. Patience. That's me reminding myself again. It will happen, no matter what Cranky Bit Lane does, our mission will outlast them, and our reach is worldwide; together we are truly making a difference. 

And finally, some of the BEST news of 2023… on November 28, in a momentous leap, we proudly announced the acquisition of the Osawatomie pound under the sole and legal care of Always & Furever now! This little shack in the middle of nowhere holds immeasurable love, reminiscent of our humble beginnings at the Little Red Barn. What might seem unremarkable to some embodies endless possibilities to us, fueled by unyielding faith in change and the determination to make it happen. From over thirty decades of mass euthanization and horrific conditions to a building filled with not only love but HOPE where not one single animal has been euthanized for space since we took over in 2019. Over the past four years we have saved over 1,000 Miami County animals and now that we own the facility, EVERYTHING is about to change for even better!

Current Osawatomie Shelter Structure Photos

We are putting in fencing right now, new epoxy floors, insulation, internet, security system, new kennels, and SOMEDAY, we are praying soon, we might even have a BATHROOM!!! That’s right, for four years we have been going out there with no restrooms; I cannot thank our staff enough who give everything they have, heart and soul to our animals. We added a porta potty 2 years ago but guys, we can do BETTER! And finally, we can, once we raise the funds for our animals and our people!



Now, we stand at the cusp of new beginnings. Renovations for the small building are underway with collecting bids. Right now, more than ever, we need MATCH donors. If you can join our MATCHING POOL to inspire others to donate where their donation will be double for the construction of our new building in 2024 and the renovation of the old. We need your help. With a total cost of $700,000, this project will transform the entire property into a haven for our furry friends. A beautiful 3.5 acre property with 6 ft black chain link fence surrounding the entire area, multiple 6 foot wooded fenced-in play yards, 20 dog suites, 20 cat condos, and 16 intake kennels in the new building. It will be a little piece of heaven in Osawatomie, Kansas or as we say, the Land of Oz, just like our little red barn.

Inspiration Photo for New Barn at Land of OZ

Lessons and blessings have woven through every part of this journey—the highs, the lows, and each and every moment in between. Our monthly newsletters and podcasts capture these stories and so many other unsung heroes behind the scenes that truly make this magic happen day in and day out. Our adoption and foster team have continued their team approach of background, reference, vet checks and home checks, a rigorous process all with zero adoption fees as we will never believe in putting a price on a life. 

I know I say this all the time but it’s the people that make Always & Furever so special, the staff, the volunteers, the supporters, the prayer warriors, all of us together is what makes this dream continue to be a reality.

If you’ve made it this far reading about our journey thank you for hanging with me! I am not a talker or a writer but when it comes to Always & Furever there is so much to say and so many things in my heart to share... which is probably why the podcast is a better outlet to ramble then this letter but wanted to add just one more thing.

I’m a big believer in goals, personally, professionally, there always has to be a vision, a driving force behind our mission. So here they are, like always they are BIG and require a tremendous amount of faith even more funding but somehow, someway, we’ll make it happen. One Single step at a time.

2024 Goals:

1. Have our CUP Approved and break ground on the first buidling on the Homestead

2. Fully Renovate the old pound/new Osawatomie Shelter

3. Break Ground New Big Red Barn at our Osawatomie Shelter Q2 - Up and running Q4

4. Take Over Wichita Animal Shelter and turn it into a TRUE no kill shelter.

Hmmm, that’s about it I think. Easy Peezy Right Hey if you’re going to dream we might as well dream big!



In closing, we extend our heartfelt thanks for your belief that change is possible. Your support propels us forward, and we wholeheartedly acknowledge that this incredible journey is made possible only because of you.



With deepest gratitude and all my love,

Jennifer Dulski

Founder/President/Morning Feeder at the Little Red Barn in Spring Hill, KS filled with love. 

Happy Holidays to All!

We truly believe we can change the world, but not without your help. 

Ways to donate:

Online: https://www.alwaysandfurever.org/donate/

Cash or check payable to: 

Always & Furever Midwest Animal Sanctuary 

23595 W 223rd St, Spring Hill, KS 66083 

PayPal: Send money to alwaysandfurever@yahoo.com 

PayPal.Me: @AlwaysandFurever

Venmo: @AlwaysandFurever

Corporate Giving:

Many companies offer matching gift programs where they donate the same amount of money that their employees do (sometimes they even double this amount!). Many also match employee volunteer hours with donations. Find out if your company offers these methods of nonprofit support and make an even greater difference!

IRA Minimum Distributions:

As year-end approaches, please keep us in mind for your IRA required minimum distribution. If the distribution is made directly from a traditional IRA to a charity, it is a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) and is not included as taxable income which is unlike regular withdrawals from an IRA. QCDs are a great way to show your support for A&F and receive tax benefits in return! Consult your financial advisor and see if this is right for you.

Planned Giving:

Legacy gifts and planned giving are wonderful ways to ensure that Always & Furever is able to continue on our mission for many years into the future. A charitable bequest of any size or form is one of the most generous and thoughtful ways to make a lasting impact on the community organizations that mean the most to you. Many of these legacy gifts provide tax savings as well. 

Planned giving options include:

• Charitable Bequest through Will or Trust

• Charitable Trusts and Charitable Remainder Trusts

• Life Insurance Policy Beneficiary

• Retirement Account Assets / IRA Charitable Rollover

Contact your charitable estate planning representative to discuss your many giving options. As you work with your legal and tax advisors, feel free to reach out to us at info@alwaysandfurever.love for assistance.