March 2008

Dear Friends:

You are probably not wondering too much why I choose this picture, after all that could be me! The only difference is that I would never be able to make it back out of the snow, because it would be waaaay over my head - we are almost at the record high of 1954-55, with 173 inches of snowfall! Our snow banks in front of the house, by the side of the road, are about eight feet high. Is this Global Warming or Ice Age? Thank God the Shelter is not quite as packed with snow, but the 2 and 4-leggers there have to deal with even worth conditions; freezing rain, melting snow turning into ice, snow on top of that which is of course even more dangerous, sleet, rain, and more snow. Everybody is walking on eggshells, and everybody, human or animal has had falls, thank God at least with no broken bones resulting. Will this winter ever end?

Other than, again, paying a fuel bill of over $1400 for February, we have had bad luck with prospective adopters: King, our beautiful 2½ year old Shepherd, had been visited several times by interested people. They changed their mind, deciding he was too old -- 2½ years too old? No wonder we can’t place our eight year old dogs. A lot of time was diverted away from our volunteers, who could have tended to our other dogs rather then having long talks about the world and everything else with the people. I was emailing a lady back and forth about our beagle Bailey. She was very exited about getting to see him, and then never showed up. And of course I had already made

telephone calls to Ted, telling him this sounded like a great person. More time and money spent. There is a tiny “Massachusetts ray of hope” on the horizon for Bailey, another inquiry from a lady who placed several of our dogs among her friends and relatives already. Keep your fingers crossed for this little guy!

Good news about Ellie, the Yellow Lab: the special, but expensive food we are buying for her at the vet seems to work. She is finally gaining a little bit weight. After all the testing nobody seems to know what exactly her problem is, but maybe we finally have it under control. All our other dogs seem to be doing well, but are all anxious to get back outdoors. Probably two more months before all the ice and snow is gone, and their summer residences [the outside runs] are dry enough to be able to use. Every year the same old, same old. . .

I just heard that the U. S. Post Office, once again, is raising the price of stamps. You may want to check into buying “forever stamps” that’s the ones with the bell. These stamps can be purchased for 41 cents, and are good FOREVER. Even if the price goes up to $1.00 a stamp, you still can use these 41 cent stamps, and do not have to pay for the difference. Maybe it’s something to buy and put away for a rainy day. Of course if you have some leftovers, we always need some too . This is not a hint!

Cathy O’Connor, long time supporter and friend of Charley’s Strays, is growing her own organic catnip. She grows it, dries it, and then puts it in little toys for her own cats. She offered a box full to me if I can find someone who would be willing to sew little catnip bags, which we then could sell at the fundraiser or the pet rock festival. So if there is anyone out there who has a sewing machine and some spare time, please let me know. Cathy would be willing to mail the catnip directly to you. Thanks!

Karen Rapallo, also long time supporter and friend, talked to her co-worker Pauline Connaughton about Charley’s Strays. Pauline then took up a collection for us: Collen, Margaret and Marybeth each gave us a check, and many of the other colleagues dug into their wallets and came up with $160and mailed to us in a  check sent by Karen Rapallo. Thank you very much to all of you!

We received a donation in memory of Elizabeth Johnson from her daughter Nancy Herron. Willa Rockett mailed us a check in memory of Arlene Danfort; and we received a donation in memory of our long time supporter, Harriet Snyder, from Donna Cormer. We are very sorry for your loss.

CAT REPORT  –  March 2008

On account of the Maine State budget problem, we have a new cat. Talk about the law of unintended consequences!

Some background for our out-of-state friends: Maine is currently looking at about $190 million less in revenues than in projected expenditures next year. The governor and legislature don’t want to raise taxes, and the governor doesn’t want to allocate money from the state’s rainy day fund. So they’re proposing budget cuts, including from the education and human services departments.

A lady who runs a small group home for adults with disabilities lost so much state funding that she’s closing. In addition to her human charges, she’s taken in several dogs and cats, including a young black and white cat with a useless left front leg, probably from an accident while he was a stray (doesn’t he sound like a cat Charley would have adopted?). Now that the group home is closing, some of the animals have to go, too.  The woman called to ask if I could take the young cat, and Gabrielle said if I have room, we’ll find the money. So Ozzie arrived March 14 and is in the intake/quarantine room as I write. He’s a super-friendly black and white neutered male, tall and lanky with a white tip on his very long black tail.  Once he’s used to the scents and sounds in the house, I’ll see if he gets along with one of the groups of cats. He’s already had his vaccinations and been neutered, but I want one of our vets to see him pretty soon, maybe when Heather comes for the spring house call April 9. Ozzie’s previous vet advised amputating the damaged leg at some point, so I want to see what our doctors think. 

Ozzie seems adjusted to his non-functioning leg; like the members of my funny-foot family, he apparently thinks there’s nothing wrong with him.  The funny-foots certainly get along well.  Black Peter John Paul Joe Louis has a new trick: twice recently I’ve seen him leap about three feet from the bookcase to the slightly higher top of the vari-kennel/dining room.  He lands with a thud, of course, and slides along the vari-kennel, but he gets where he wants to go.

Special thanks this month to Florence Mason for a check to be spent on the cats, and to Karen for two more nice beds. She found a second tunnel/bed, the kind Lisa likes, and an elegant larger one that’s much appreciated; twice now I’ve seen four cats piled into it together. Karen, P. A. Lenk, Teresa and family and Olivia Charles continue to help with coupons and food. And all of you who support the whole enterprise are doing your part for the cats as well as the dogs – my thanks to everyone. One more note, for anyone who pays Maine income tax: please don’t forget to check off a donation for the Companion Animal Sterilization Fund, also called the Help Fix Me spay-neuter fund. Your help, even a dollar or two, is important for two reasons: legislators review tax check-offs at intervals to see which ones are being used and sometimes like to delete the less popular ones; and every dollar helps control the overabundance of unwanted kittens and puppies. 

This fund doesn’t force anyone to sterilize a pet; it helps pay when people want to but can’t afford the bill. Ever since the legislature created it, there have always been more applicants than money. In the seven months from July 1, 2007, through the end of the January 2008, the fund spent almost $161,000 to help spay 817 female cats and 212 female dogs and neuter 565 male cats and 164 male dogs – a total of 1,758 animals. When you consider that each female cat could have produced a dozen or more kittens in that time, and some breeds of dogs produce a dozen or more puppies in a single litter, that’s a lot of animals that people won’t have to find homes for, or give to shelters and rescuers.

Alice Winston, Swampscott

Beulah Fortier, Thorndike

Carole Parker, Stoughton

Charles & Ruth Ames, Grand Isle

Cindy Houston, Woburn

Cristine Cardello, Melrose

Doris Lary, Hartland

Dorothy D’Alessandro, C. Osipee

Dorothy Eckstein, Medford

Elizabeth Fay, Northport

Enid Hayes, Halifax

Florence Mason, Lexington

Iris Martinello, Tewksbury

Irma Simon, S. China

Joe D’Alessandro, Tuftonboro

Jon & Barb Anderson, Augusta

Joseph Arouca, Ormond Beach

Joseph Blake, New Bedford

Josephine Ford, Holden

Josephine Smith, Woburn

Judy & Al Smith, Belmont

Judy Rohweder, Northport

Kathleen Hillman, Chelmsford

Linda Merriam, Dresden

Lisa D’Alessandro, Raymond

Lorena & Harry Clark, Beverly

Marcia Smith, Bucksport

Marian Delarue, Woburn

Marlene Kaplan, Melrose

Mary Klayda, Winchester

Without you we could not have survived another horrible winter month!

For all the Moms on Mother's Day

Why God Made Moms:

Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:

Why did God make mothers?

1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.

2. Mostly to clean the house.

3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?

1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.

2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.

3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of ?

1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.

2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?

1. We're related.

2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

What kind of little girl was your mom?

1. My Mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.

2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.

3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?

1. His last name.

2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?

3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores? 

Why did your mom marry your dad?

1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.

2. She got too old to do anything else with him.

3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?

1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.

2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.

3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms & dads?

1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.

2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.

3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the  power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.

4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine. 

What does your mom do in her spare time?

1. Mothers don't do spare time.

2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?

1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.

2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?

1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.

2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.

3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

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