Got a spare $4300 and other musings

Well that is how much we owe Avon Lake Animal Clinic. Thank God Dr. Krupka trusts the shelter for payment, or there would be many ferrets that wouldn't have gotten life saving surgeries and treatment.

All of the shelter kids got their yearly check up, we have several that need surgery, and dental work, but we need to pay down our bill first. Dr. Krupka isn't the one who said that, I am.

It scares me when the bill climbs that high, I don't have a credit card to put it on anymore (I cut it up), and if the shelter cannot make good on it, I have to, it is the right thing to do.

There is no way to make people understand (unless they have been in that spot) how it feels to know that you have an emergency on your hands with your beloved pet, and the funds aren't there to pay for it. It is sad and heartbreaking. That is one reason why I encourage people to start a "Pet Emergency Fund".

Open a savings account, or even a pay pal account, and every pay put or transfer $5 a week into it, $10 a week would be even better, but sometimes that $5 can put enough gas in the tank to get you back and forth to work for a day or two. If you can make it an automatic transfer, all the better, if you don't see that $5 or $10 in your account, you don't miss it.

If you are lucky you will go a year or two with no huge emergencies or needed surgeries. In a year you will have saved $260 to $520 for emergencies. If you go two years with out one, you have anywhere from $520 to $1040, depending on how much you save per week. That small amount can make the difference of life and death for your pet, and save your budget.

We could use donations, it is a typical political year, no one knows what is going to happen, they are guarded about their funds, and you really cannot blame any person for that, you have to watch out for your family and future. We are very grateful for any help we receive.

Things are a changing here too. We need ten more foster homes. If you think you would like to foster click here and fill out the foster application

The only real string is that the ferrets need to go to our vet for us to accept the responsibility of medical costs, and we can work out a pick up drop off situation for that. Oh yeah, and the point of fostering is they do get adopted, so the foster parent can take in another ferret that needs a home.

Things are tough all over, and I have to face it, 1) I am getting older and 2) I need to work full time to pay the bills that have been racked up over the years both personal (remember that cancer thing? I need health insurance) and shelter that the shelter cannot cover.

Funny, I had hoped by this time the shelter would have it's building, and my husband and I could be in a place a bit smaller and have our privacy back. But, as it is with many other things, the timing wasn't right, but that doesn't mean we have given up on the building. We have to take a step back, reorganize, regroup, and go for it. (One reason we put in place a new Board of Directors, and we have a great group that want to see the shelter make it independent of me).

You are going to start seeing other people involved more, the shelter too often is thought of hand and hand with me. I am Jean, a person. I am not the shelter. My living or dying should not have any bearing on the continuation of the shelter fulfilling a vital role in Northern Ohio.

Fostering is one way to show people that this shelter can continue. It is a way to show foundations we do have support and people who are willing to become involved.

So become involved. Foster! Donate! Attend fund raisers (even if they don't appeal to you, they are fun and you meet some great people, besides we have great raffles.)

I owe a great deal of thanks to many people who have helped the shelter in the past, those who are helping the shelter grow and continue to support the shelter in the present, and to those who will help and support the shelter in the future.

Thank you all.