Dropped off by a good samaritan who found him eating trash behind Sam’s Club, Willie was nothing more than skin and bones. At first we assumed this was due to the fact that he was a starving stray. But, we soon realized it was more than that. Willie was having a hard time keeping his meals down.
Poppie was abandoned on our doorstep early in the morning. A young female black and white cat with adorable nose freckles and soft, longish fur, Poppie had obviously recently nursed kittens as well. There was no note and no later phone call. We’ll never know where she came from. Though it may seem callous to some that she was just left here anonymously, the fact is she fared far better than most cats in her situation.
Surrendered to an overcrowded shelter when her owner fell ill, Lucille was left alone and scared. She needed a savior. BDAR, although already stretched thin, agreed to take Lucille into our program. How could we say no to that face? She arrived off transport, shy but sweet, and we all fell instantly in love with her.
Have you heard of the PACK Program? The PACK (Preparing Adoptable Companion K9s) Program is a collaborative program maintained through a partnership with the Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution in Torrington, WY.
Guest Post by Gayle M. Irwin
When Black Dog Animal Rescue began nearly ten years ago, creating awareness and establishing partnerships were key ingredients for the organization’s success. Both took time, and though BDAR is now established and known in Cheyenne, the organization is still making in-roads into other communities.
Entering its sixth year, #GivingTuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration.
Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving. Since its inaugural year in 2012, #GivingTuesday has become a movement that celebrates and supports giving and philanthropy with events throughout the year and a growing catalog of resources.
In March of 2017, a battered and broken puppy was delivered to the local animal shelter in Cheyenne, WY.
With hideous injuries readily apparent, the shelter quickly realized this puppy needed more specialized care than they could provide. So they called for help. And Angel, as she came to be known, was delivered that same day to Black Dog Animal Rescue. Read her remarkable story and help dogs like her in BDAR's Giving Tuesday campaign.
On July 12th, we held our first "Coffee with the ED" session at Coffee depot in downtown Cheyenne.
BDAR is approaching a ten year anniversary. We have grown from a start up that very few people believed would succeed to a beloved nonprofit organization celebrated across the community.
We've also had time and opportunity to see the strengths and weaknesses in our program, the realities of what an all-volunteer approach can support, and the needs in our community that still aren't being met by available resources.
This Fall, our staff and Board will convene to draft a strategic plan and goals for the next 3-5 years. We're at a crossroads and wondering which way to go. We need the community's feedback and support to decide on a direction and make the leap of faith to move toward it.
That's what the coffee hours are for. They are an open dialogue session, a chance to talk about what's working and what's not, what's sustainable, what the upcoming challenges are, what the resources needed to meet them may be. It's a chance to take a look at our current programs and services and compare them to the needs of the community to see if they align.
Last night's discussion was great, and the half dozen or so people who came and stayed the whole time engaged in a very positive and hopeful dialogue. Topics we covered included:
It was a lot of ground to cover in an hour and a half. But it was exactly what we were hoping for . We came away from it with some new connections, some new volunteers, some new points of view.
We are going to continue the conversation again in August. Please join us on Wednesday the 16th, again from 5:30 - 7:00pm. We'd like to thank our friends at Coffee Depot for creating a welcoming space for us and others in the community to gather.
See you then.
~Britney
Executive Director
Kajsa... the dog that started it all.
The 2017 Bark and Wine date has been set for Friday, October 6th.
Honoring BDAR's Founding dog, Kajsa, featuring a special keynote by Britney Wallesch, and live music by The Randy Burghardt Band.
Friday, October 6th
The Raddisson, Cheyenne
More details to come!
The 2017 Wyoming Legislature is in session and there are two bills we feel the animal welfare community and its supporters need to know about.
The first is SF0115, Malicious cruelty to animals. This bill is designed to make it a high-level misdemeanor offense to intentionally or cruelly shoot or poison an animal when it is on the property of its owner or on any other property where it is granted permission. The bill was brought the legislature after a beloved pet dog, Ben, was cruelly shot on his owner's land earlier this year. His injuries were so severe that he eventually had to be euthanized.
A Facebook page has been set up to track this bill and tell Ben's story. Visit it here.
UPDATE 2/3 - SF0115 passed the third reading in the senate with 29 favorable votes and one dissenting. Senator Cale Case from Fremont County was the lone vote against. The bill will now go to the House for introduction and committee assignment. We will post committee details and contacts when it has been assisgend.
The 2nd bill, HB0193, is yet another attempt to strengthen our state's animal cruelty statutes and to create felony-level charges for violating them. Wyoming is one of the only states in the country without felony animal cruelty statutes and is consistently ranked lowest, or next to last in state protections for companion pets. This bill is Rep. Zwonitzer's 4th attempt to increase the state's protections for animals.
This draft of the bill also has powerful protections for household pets in instances of domestic violence. Research shows that victims of domestic violence are less likely to leave or seek assistance when there are unprotected pets in the home.
See the article recent article in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle for more information.
UPDATE 2/3 - HB0193 passed through committee by a 6-3 vote.
Ayes included representatives Blake, Gray, Haley, Henderson, Laursen, McKim
Noes included representatives Clausen, Hunt, and Steinmetz
This bill has now moves back to the house. However, it must be heard again by the end of the day on Monday (2/6) or it will die. Your help is needed to persuade the House Majority Floor leader to ensure this piece of legislation is read again before the deadline. Please call or send your e-mails to:
David Miller - david.miller@wyoleg.gov, 307-857-5789
Blue is available for adoption, visit him by clicking on the ADOPT button at the top of our website.
The day Blue arrived at BDAR, there was a lot going on.
Our adoption center is small, the main room smaller than most living rooms in people's homes. And in it, there are half a dozen collapsible crates and kennels, two larger ones designed for use as outdoor runs bolted to the wall. There's a two story cat condo- all of these cages face each other as they are pressed up to the walls around the room's perimeter.
Blue is shy, and small, and he'd just been transferred from another shelter where he'd spent months hoping for adoption. Now he's come to BDAR with the idea that a foster home, a more natural environment with a soft bed and a yard to run in, will help boost his confidence and make him feel better about meeting new people. Maybe the next time he does, he won't be so stressed and overwhelmed that he can't make a connection.
But Blue's going to have to wait just a little bit longer for that comfort. Because, like most of BDAR's adoptable pets, a stop at the adoption center before moving to the foster home is in order. He needs a physical exam, he needs a file created, he needs pictures taken so people will find him online and maybe fall in love.
But, amid all of the hustle, and combined with several other new arrivals, Blue cowers in the back of his wire crate. It's covered with a blanket to help reduce the noise and activity - but it's not enough. These crates and kennels, purchased at retail stores with products designed for private in-home use, just aren't enough to make him feel safe. They are flimsy, the dogs before him chewed the metal so the door is bent and jerks the kennel around when it opens and closes. The plastic tray shifts beneath his feet. The blanket does nothing to dampen the noise.
Ultimately, Blue refused to even come out of the kennel. His photos had to be taken with him still hiding inside.
We need your help to ensure the pets who come to BDAR get the most comfort and security possible, even as their stay in the adoption center is short-lived. Our kennels are not designed for heavy use, sometimes as many as 40 dogs per week.
We're asking for your help in making this stop at the adoption center more secure, less overwhelming, by donating to help us buy commercial kennels instead. These kennels will offer noise and visual stimulus barriers. They'll withstand the heavy use and remain stable and safe after many, many animals come and go.
The kennels are $5,000 for each 2-kennel unit. We are hoping to install 2 units onsite. To donate, click here and indicate in the comments that you are supporting our kennel fund.
Blue has moved onto his foster home already. But we want to make sure that this experience isn't repeated for the other animals who come here looking for safety and love.
Please, donate now.
