| August 2009 |
Letter from the Director
Dear SARA Friend:
I hope this note finds you well and your "pets" or companion animals all staying cool and safe. It's already a scorcher in South Texas with temperatures exceeding 103. For safety concerns since the weather is so extreme we've decided to close the doors to visitors until mid September when it starts to cool off.
Apart from the searing high temperatures, things are going well: adoptions and trades are up and we've seen lots of our long time residents get homes and move on.
The spate of animal killings I told you about last time have stopped. There have not been any charges pressed against the individuals who killed and mutilated our pigs as of this writing, but I'm told things are unfolding and we know who did it. I'm sorry to say one of the individuals is someone I know and the other lives about a mile from here. I can't divulge anymore details at this time, but will keep you updated and let you know if there is anything you can do to help in the event of a trial. Letters often help in these matters. Stay tuned.
Lots of good things are happening for SARA and for that I'm grateful. However, we are in the middle of the most challenging time of year for our organization in all respects and by now you know the drill: fewer donations, more costs. Electric bills soar because of more water usage, more air conditioners running 24/7, more flea/tick prevention needed, more help needed to work in this miserable heat and less volunteers showing up... So, I must ask for your financial support now.
Thank you for your continued support.
All my best,
Tracy
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News and Events
$10k Challenge
SARA supporter Jody O'Donnell has generously offered to give $10K to SARA as a matching donation. Here's how it works: SARA supporters must meet or exceed this amount in August and then his company, LMI Landscapes, will "match" those funds up to $10,000.
Please help us turn $10K into $20K!
New Video
SARA volunteer Sylvia Boyd has created this beautiful video of our animals. Warning – Get out your handkerchiefs!
Watch Video
Fundraiser in San Antonio at High Wire Art Gallery Dog Days of Summer — The Art of Animal Rescue
August 14th, Friday 6-10 PM
Please join us for a fun filled evening of art and music at this wonderful, family and animal friendly gallery. Various San Antonio artists will be selling their work to help SARA. We will have animals for adoption, wonderful food and drinks for everybody, and one of a kind decorated pins and hats featuring SARA animals and images for sale!
High Wire Gallery
www.highwireart.com
326 West Josephine Street in San Antonio
Contact Ray or Cindy 210.827.7652
or Kirsten and Ken Wing
for more information: 512.228.8029.
Just a heads up - We're having two more fundraisers coming up:
The Kinder, Gentler Thanksgiving Celebration at the Four Seasons in Austin and another in January 2010 at the Witte Museum in San Antonio.
To help out at these exciting events email us and we'll fill you in!
Email Chris Guthrie in Austin chrisguth2@aol.com and Joan Headley in San Antinio ciasa@earthlink.net.
Special thanks... to these Foundations for their recent grant support to SARA:
The Stephen and Mary Birch Foundation
The San Antonio Area Foundation
The Veritas Foundation
The Gilmore Foundation
 Merrick Pet Foods has joined HEB and Wal-Mart in donating food to us. They have pledged to donate dog food for at least six months!
We are Making Additions
Jody O'Donnell and Scott Ginder are kindly donating their time for the construction of a multi-purpose building which will house a full-service vet clinic, a visitor reception and break area, as well as a large food and supply storage facility all under one roof!
Check out the plans at: www.sarasanctuary.org/buildingplans
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Help Us Help Them
Buy Food and Supplies Directly for Our Animals via MasterCard or Visa
Producer's Coop in Seguin 830-379-1750
Celebrate Life on Our Memorial Page
Pay tribute to your loved ones by posting a living Memorial on our web site. It's for people and other animals! Email Mellissa at melissa@animalmattersonline.org for more details.
Thrift Store/Adoption Space
This is still in the works and we plan to have a store front up and running by December. We are now accepting donations of antiques, furniture, dishes, quilts, knick knacks, small appliances that work, etc.
Donate Your Used Vehicles
We accept cars, vans, trucks, motorcycles, boats, etc. We’ll pick it up, and you can use it as a tax deduction!
Volunteer
We are always looking for nice people who love animals to get involved either at the sanctuary in a hands on way or by helping with fundraisers, adoption events, special events, etc.
If you are interested, please contact Sylver at sylverrios@yahoo.com to sign up and to learn more ways to become involved.
Specific Volunteer Opportunities
- Volunteers needed to obtain items for our upcoming San Antonio and Austin fundraiser silent auctions- email for a sample letter!
- Volunteers to work at the fundraisers in August, October and November
- We need to create and maintain a presence on MYSPACE AND TWITTER
- Building/Maintenance Help - CARPENTRY, ELECTRICAL, DRYWALL AND PLUMBING EXPERIENCE
- Put out collection jars at businesses you frequent
Virtual Dog Adoption
We at SARA know you all want to help as much as you can and would love to "take all of the animals home"! Of course, you can't, but now, with our virtual adoption program, animals that may never find a home away from SARA can be "adopted" by their own extra special group of loving people.
Email Debbie Wilson, our on site volunteer coordinator for details and to schedule a time to come out and get started enriching the lives of our dogs. Join our "VIRTUAL ADOPTION" program today and CHANGE A LIFE! debbiewilson@lorr.com
Wish List
To see a list of things that you can buy to help Sara Sanctuary, check out our Wishlist
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Adorable Adoptable Animals
We have Pug mix puppies and three beautiful kittens! All cute and cuddly...
We also have lots of beautiful chickens, roosters and pigs for adoption.
For adoption and fostering inquiries contact:
Charlene at cfourn1@aol.com or call 210-669-8399.
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Peewee
Just look at those soulful eyes! Peewee just wants to be loved. He is an older cat and a great one. He is very affectionate and well behaved and gets along well with dogs, cats, and kids.
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Harry the Three-legged Xoloitzcuintle Mexican Hairless!
This sweet little dog has had a rough time. He was brought up from Mexico as a puppy with his two siblings by the people who would end up killing both of his brothers and running over him. Both of his brothers were shot by the awful people for allegedly killing a goat and Harry was about to endure the same fate when some animal lovers stepped in and rescued the little guy. His leg had to be amputated. He's very sweet and friendly despite what he's been through and would make a great family dog. He doesn't shed!
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Permanent Resident
Axel
Axel and his 6 brothers and sisters were abandoned at our gate in December 2007. They all look like him. The reason we say he is a permanent resident is because he is a little scared of new people and situations. If you come out to visit; however, you will no doubt meet him. He climbs the fence and runs out to greet any new visitors from a distance, but once he warms up to a person he thinks he's a lap dog!
We call him a pig dog because he loves to get into the pig pond and cool off with them.
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What a World, What a World...
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