Your news & updates from
Animal Care Sanctuary
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YEAR-TO-DATE
STATISTICS
As of August 31, 2020:
Adoptions: 910
Fosters: 191
Fosters-to-Adoptions: 101
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With nearly 100 more animals finding forever homes in the month of August, we've surpassed the 900 mark for adoptions this year!
We're so excited break our adoptions record for the year and surpass 1,000 adoptions for the first time in our history!
Thank you all so much for your support and stay tuned!
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Introducing Rebecca Morgan
Rebecca replaces Rachel Rossiter, who was with ACS for over 10 years
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Rebecca has been with ACS for 4 years — first starting out out as a general cleaner in the cattery and
working her way up to assistant supervisor, then Director of Feline Care, and now the Animal Services
Director.
Prior to working with ACS, she was a cafeteria worker at Robert Packer Hospital, — working there through some of college. She left the hospital and started working with ACS while she finished school.
She was excited when the animal services director position opened up because she wanted to help grow the whole organization. In her positions, she ensures all things regarding animals and the people who care for them are in order. She makes sure our animals are safe, healthy and well cared for and each department is running smoothly.
Rebecca has known since she was a little girl that she always wanted to work with animals, but adds that this is more than she could've imagined. She absolutely loves her job and people and animals she works with, and noted that she feels so lucky that she can be a part of something so important.
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ALL OF THE SOUTH KOREAN RESCUES ARE HOME! |
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With HoSoon finding her forever home the last weekend of August, ALL 10 dogs we took in from South Korea have been adopted -- in less than 60 days!
Thanks to Humane Society International and other animal shelters all across North America, well over 100 dogs were rescued earlier this year from dog meat farms in South Korea. The dogs ACS received ranged in size from a beagle puppy to the 120-pound Onzo.
We can't thank our supporters enough for making this opportunity and mission a successful one. We are also extremely grateful to the 10 adopters who opened up their hearts and homes to canines that were scared, came from thousands of miles away, and needed extra patience and love to open up. Our role in these dogs' special stories are over, but their new lives are just beginning.
If you missed our special announcement regarding these amazing dogs, check out the video below!
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The end of the construction phase is near!
Work crews are currently in the middle of making the site look prettier before our grand opening. They are hard at work with landscaping and paving for the new parking areas as well as installing outdoor lighting. Additionally, all the wiring for technology has already been placed.
The ACS staff will begin moving operations into the new building in the middle of September (with the help of Cheaspeake Energy!) We expect to be fully operational for when we open to the general public on October 10. Come on out and celebrate this monumental milestone with us -- over 10 years in the making!
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Join Bebe as she takes you on an adventure through the 100+ acres of woods and trails at Animal Care Sanctuary in East Smithfield!
Stay tuned for more special videos from our doggos in East Smithfield and Wellsboro!
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VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT:
Vladislav Brodhag
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This month for our Volunteer Spotlight, we are highlighting our newest, and also one of our most active volunteers, Vladislav (Vlad)! Vlad was born in Russia and was adopted with his two sisters at the age of 7. He is now 23 years old and residing in Troy, Pa.
He is a relatively active individual who enjoys working out, whether it’s lifting weights or taking a hike, practicing healthy nutrition habits, helping out and being a support to his community and attending church on weekends at Victory. While searching for a full-time job, he felt the need to fill his time with something productive, which luckily has led him to us!
Following an initial introduction to ACS via our clinic, he stopped in inquiring about the volunteer program on Tuesday, Aug. 18 and has been volunteering almost daily since Aug. 20! In his short time with us, Vlad has cleaned out a barn in desperate need of attention, made check-up phone calls, walked dogs, worked our table at the Sayre Farmer’s Market, and so many other things! He really has jumped right into life here at the sanctuary and experienced the full spectrum of what we do!
In his own words: “ACS has been an incredible place full of compassionate employees who love what they do and get to know each and every client they are dealing with. I enjoy volunteering at ACS and I am in support of everything they do. My hope for the future is to continue to be a positive influence in the community and hope to persuade others to come volunteer at this nonprofit organization if you love animals as much as I do!”
We’ve all been so happy to have Vlad dedicate his time to us, and look forward to seeing more of him in the future!
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Our vet team is extremely excited to stretch their legs in our new clinic! They've been hard at work with low-cost spay/neuter surgeries and wellness exams, and the new clinic will help do even more with increased efficiency!
This new facility has been needed for our community clinic for a long time, as the existing building is not in the best condition and is much too small for an entire veterinary team to work efficiently.
They'll also be moving into the new building during the middle of the month,and we can't wait to bring you updates when they get settled!
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Get to know ACS!
Emily Skjöld - Volunteer Coordinator
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How long have you been a part of ACS? Why did you get involved?
“I started at ACS a little over a year ago, though the time has really flown by! I was at a point in my life where I really needed to do something that would make me feel good, and when I heard there was a position available here, I jumped at it! I mean, what can make you feel better than all of these sweet furry faces? So far, I have no regrets about it!”
Are you a dog person or a cat person?
“I would have to say that I’m mostly a dog person, no disrespect for cats! My heart is really drawn to dogs, though. I guess I just love that constant attention (even if they do drive me crazy sometimes!)”
What’s your favorite part of your job?
“I really love getting to work with people who are eager to help. I think that we have a really solid core set of volunteers who are willing to go above and beyond for our animals. From working here at the Sanctuary to taking someone out and about on a Tail Wag Tag Along, it’s just such a refreshing reminder of how good people can be!”
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Onzo laid down at the edge of the back of the Humane Society International truck. His large, sad eyes surveyed the smiling, adoring faces around him.
It was clear that, despite his over-120 lb. frame, Onzo was terrified. He had just spent the vast majority of his life inside a small cage with dozens of other dogs on a meat farm in South Korea. Up until Humane Society International rescued him, Onzo had likely never met a nice person.
And even after the global rescue organization rescued him and surrounded him with kind, caring people, Onzo still found himself being transported constantly, including on a plane to the United States, and eventually here – in the back of this truck atop a hill at Animal Care Sanctuary in the rural Endless Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania.
Onzo resisted getting off that truck for over approximately 20 minutes. But he never whined, growled or even showed any remote sign of aggression in his resistance. He was simply scared – possibly thinking that this was the final stage of the fate that met so many of his fellow canines in South Korea.
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But this time was different. He did get off that truck and found himself in a kennel with much more room than the cage he spent much of his life in South Korea. He was well fed with delicious food and taken for walks every day.
He was just getting used to his new surroundings – and finally beginning to learn to trust people – when a kind family of four came to see him. They fell in love with this big, silly fellow, and the rest is history.
Onzo was one of thousands of dogs that found his forever home on Clear the Shelters Day, but he had one of the longest journeys of them all. His big, sad eyes when he first arrived to Animal Care Sanctuary will be engrained in our memories forever, and we’re so happy for him and the family who opened their hearts to him.
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PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT
Feline Transports!
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Animal Care Sanctuary in August took their talents to Philly and New Jersey.
On Clear the Shelters Day, Vet Tech Jill Elston and Feline Care Director Ashley Bartholomew transported 24 cats from ACCT (Animal Care and Control Team) Philly to East Smithfield.
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ACCT Philly was quite overrun with feline friends and they were so helpful and thankful that we were able to take some kitties back to East Smithfield to find forever homes!
A few weeks later, Ashley heard of an emergency placement situation in New Jersey from a kind cat-lover who simply had too many felines to handle. So Ashley and Jenna met up with fellow transporters in the Poconos and took 10 of the cats to bring back to ACS!
While ACS has done numerous canine transports in the past, this was our first time entering into the field of regional feline transports, and it's a program that we will love to continue! Your support has made this possible and we're constantly looking to grow!
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Unfortunately, due to the threat of adverse weather, we were forced to reschedule the Wellsboro edition of Yappy Hour. If you were afraid that you missed it, fear not! A new date has been selected, and we'll still see you at the Tyoga Golf Club.
The event has been rescheduled to 5 to 7 p.m. on Sept. 25. Come on out and meet up with friends while benefiting animals finding forever homes!
Contact Rachel at rpreble@animalcaresanctuary.org for more information or click HERE for tickets!
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Our supporters are of all ages, proving you're never too young or old to help save animals!
These business-oriented young ladies set up a vendor booth full of their handcrafted animal-themed items at the Wellsboro Young Entrepreuners Business Fair! They raised $263 in which they purchased a $100 Rockwell’s gift certificate and lots of supplies for us to use for our animals here! Thank you so much!
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As a Monthly Donor, you are providing a gift that can be used for animals in their hour of need. Your donation will help ACS rescue pets from overcrowded kill shelters, inhumane conditions, hoarding situations and puppy mills. Your support will help us make more future animal rescues possible, as well as give us the resources we need to provide those animals with the attention and medical care that they need to be adopted. Monthly donations provide security to assure that ACS always has the resources needed to provide for animals at a moment’s notice. To become a monthly donor, please sign up online at www.animalcaresanctuary.org or contact Terry McKendry at tmckendry@animalcaresanctaury.org.
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If you are thinking about making a larger gift to ACS, 2020 may be the year. See one of the tax benefits below:
Make a Gift Tax-Free with an IRA
Donate to Help Animal Care Sanctuary and Save On Taxes at the Same Time
If you are 70½ years old or older, you can take advantage of a simple way to benefit Animal Care Sanctuary and receive tax benefits in return. You can give any amount up to $100,000 per year from your IRA directly to a qualified charity such as ours without having to pay income tax on the money. This popular gift option is commonly called the IRA charitable rollover, but you may also see it referred to as a qualified charitable distribution, or QCD for short.
The most important stipulation of donating from your IRA is that you must not withdraw your gift into another one of your personal accounts. Your gift must be transferred directly from the custodian of your IRA to Animal Care Sanctuary.
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SECURE Act of 2019
Although the SECURE Act of 2019 raised the age for the required minimum distribution from 70.5 to 72, the rules regarding the Qualified Charitable Distributions have not changed.
An IRA owner at age 70.5 or older can still give by making a qualified charitable distribution from an IRA. In other words, a 71-year-old IRA owner can make a qualified charitable distribution from an IRA even though a distribution may not be required at that age.
Tax Benefits
For those who are eligible (age 70.5+), a qualified charitable distribution from an IRA is a tax-wise giving strategy. The QCD amount is not counted as income, which means no tax is due.
How to Get Started
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Contact Trish Callahan Murzyn at 610-331-4421 or tcallahan@animalcaresanctuary.org for more information on an IRA gift to ACS
- Seek the advice of your financial advisor
- Ask your IRA administrator about making a direct transfer to Animal Care Sanctuary or have the administrator send a check from your account to us. To be tax free, the donation must go directly from your account to ACS without passing through your hands.
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