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Happy Endings
I have done volunteer work with Happy Endings, a non-profit, no-kill animal
shelter, for many years. They find permanent homes for strays and abused or
unwanted animals that are either brought in to the shelter or rescued from the
street. When I met the director of the shelter, Jean, it was in the parking lot
of a grocery store and she had, in the back of her van, a German Shepard she'd
just rescued. The owner had been beating it in the street. Jean went over there
with ownership release papers and the man signed the dog over to the shelter.
She opened the back of the van up and the dog stood, tail wagging. I approached
him cautiously, thinking he could be a fear biter. Jean told me to avoid the
back end where he'd been hit, but that he otherwise loved attention. I let him
smell my hand and started to scratch his neck. He buried his beautiful face in
my hair, gave me his paw and grunted his doggy approval of my actions. This dog
did find a new home. In fact, in the year 2001, Happy Endings placed almost 400
animals into new and loving homes. They are dedicated to finding homes for each
and every animal, no matter how long it takes.
The shelter is funded by donations, an annual fundraiser, merchandise sales and
adoption fees. Last Thursday, November 14, was the Fifth Annual Fundraiser. It
took the form of an auction with tables loaded to overflowing with donations.
Area business's donated gift certificates and merchandise to the cause. An
artist donated a beautiful stained glass piece and stayed to bid on many other
items. Even the Green Bay Packers got in on the action. In this instance, they
were winners. The volunteers who worked this auction, including my mom, worked
their collective buns off this  year.
It was months of mailing out requests for donations, follow-up phone calls,
pick-ups, listing donations, finding an auctioneer, renting a hall, advertising
and on and on. For quite a while, my mom had a phone almost permanently affixed
to her ear. She and a group of other women, spent hours sorting through
everything and listing it for the auction. On the thirteenth a small group of
people that can move heavy things (that would include me) met at the shelter. We
loaded up a truck full of stuff that had been stored and sorted and categorized
and listed and labeled. In between loading sessions, there was a lot of heavy
petting. The cats there are very demanding of affection. My attention was drawn
to what looked like a familiar face among the crowd. I knelt down and looked
into the lovely yellow-green eyes of a tortie. "I know you, don't I?"
I asked. She responded by stretching a paw out and giving me what I swear was a
wink. I reached in, held her head in one hand and rubbed her neck with the
other. Soon, I had drool dripping off the holding hand. Her nametag said Annie.
"Is this my Annie?" I was very curious. Years before we had a cat that
looked just like that named Sweet Annie. She escaped into our house from a
carrier mid-delivery to a new home. We couldn't find her anywhere. A month
later, Jean was over updating vaccinations on our fosters. She looked under the
couch and there was Annie. She was very stealthy. We got her out, vaccinated her
and put her in a cage for some serious human attention. With ferals and cats
that are shy of hands, we cage them and gradually acclimate them to humans. We
help them associate people with food, water, toys and lots of petting instead of
capture, pain and fear. Some animals take years, some just weeks. For me, it's
kind of a Dian Fossey approach. When you watch animals, or people for that
matter, notice how they react to different stimuli. Note what is positive and
negative for them. It's different for every animal and every person. I take
things very slowly and earn their affection on their terms. Annie came around
quickly and we were able to place her, again, within a few weeks. I asked if
anyone knew where the cat I was snuggling with came from. All that was known was
that she had arrived with her pal, Molly. Next door, Molly sat at the edge of  her
cage, giving me the eye. She's a beautiful longhaired diluted calico. And she is
very sweet. My mom approached and I asked, "Is this Annie?" Indeed, it
was. Her people moved and couldn't take her and her fuzzy friend Molly with
them. I looked into her eyes again. "I knew I knew you." She responded
by stretching her paw to my face and stroking my cheek. She knew me right from
the beginning. Animals have surprisingly long memories for people.
Unfortunately, I had to move more stuff so move I did. It took us a bit, but
with determination and the immense organization abilities of my sister, Dianne,
the truck was loaded. Somewhat precariously, but loaded. Tomorrow, we needed to
be at the rented hall by 9:00 a.m. to unload and begin a very long day. I said
goodbye to my wonderful, Sweet Annie and left.
When we got to the hall the next day, the truck stood open and ready to be
unloaded. A severe lack of caffeine kept me from jumping for joy, but it was
time to unload. I think that's all we did for about three hours. After the
original truck, a  truck
of donated furniture showed up. That meant moving chairs and arranging
everything in some semblance of order. Once again, Dianne took charge. I get an
Oliver Cromwell in a former life vibe from her at these times. That girl has
boss in her blood. As she directed the troupes, I went to the tables and
"merchandised". I will admit I've received training in this activity.
The importance of reverse pyramids, negative and positive space, blah, blah.
Yes, I am quite the arranger. At this point, I was coffee enhanced and the hours
passed quickly. Somehow, Dianne got all that furniture to fit. We ended up
moving the chairs about a billion times, but it was all in. I can see her now,
hands on hips, flaming red hair in a haphazard bun, wondering where the next
piece would go. Our two major movers, Victor and Nicolas, deserve a lot of
credit for their patience, strength and ability to tune out the frantic chatter
around with snotty humor. Time for a quick break before the countdown to
insanity.
 When
we got back, everyone went into berserker mode. The auctioneer was there and had
a confab with the runners. Copies of all the gift certificates needed to be
tacked to the walls and everything needed to look wonderful. The p.a. system
needed to be set up, and you get the picture. The prince among men, Jon Jordan
showed up to do security. He got to wear a cool hat and everything. Very
imposing. I know I felt very secure.
People started coming in for the viewing. Nicolas proved himself invaluable with
his ability to show furniture. Things were almost literarily flying out the
doors. As people won bids, the items were taken to them and they could have it
rung up and take it outside. Some of these people had a lot of stuff. Two women
I helped had purchased items for dogs, cats and ferrets. I spoke with one woman
while her daughter brought the car around. They needed everything they bought.
Over the years, they had accrued their menagerie due to the neglect of
neighbors. The people next door to her had a dog they kept outside all the time.
They rarely fed it and paid no attention to it. She would sneak over to give him
food and water at least once a day. As her neighbors left  for
vacation, the dog tried to jump into the truck to go with them. They kicked the
dog out of the truck and the father tied it to a tree. No food, no water. Then,
they left. She waited a bit to see if they'd come back. They didn't. She went
next door and untied the dog. He was covered with fleas, ticks and the requisite
bites the aforementioned give. She took him to the vet, had him shaved down and
bathed and took him home. The neighbors never missed him. One of her cats was
found amongst a bag full of kittens at the bottom of a dumpster. The dog led her
to them as the were walking one day. These are the kinds of stories everyone at
the shelter has heard many, many times. One woman brings us numerous animals
from a very poor area of town she lives in. The children there kill and maim any
strays she doesn't get to. They leave them hanging from her fence and have even
strangled them in front of her. When human life has so little meaning to so
many, the lives of animals mean nothing. For everyone volunteering at the
shelter and everyone who comes in to adopt the animals there, animals are a
driving force. We all know we can't save every animal, but we try. The effort
that went into the auction was for all the animals that have yet to be rescued.
Today, another pregnant mother was left in a box by the front door of the
shelter. And are always more.
 The
grand total from the auction was over $13,000. This helps towards vet bills over
$25,000 every year, over 250 pounds of dry cat food, 1,000 cans of moist food ,
120 pounds of special diet food and 700 pounds of litter used every month. There
is rent for the shelter space, office supplies, medication, bedding, cleaning
supplies, toner for the copier and more that I don't remember.
And volunteers do everything. Happy Endings is providing a safe haven for feral,
stray, abused, neglected and/or critically injured animals. Those that are sick
and/or injured are nursed back to health. Some of the animals need medications
once or twice a day. Some have to be given injections. Every cage needs to be
cleaned, every littler box changed, all food and water bowls cleaned and filled.
And every animal is given one on one attention. Because many of the cats are
strays or have been  mistreated
during their life, some of them are quite shy and considered 'unadoptable' by
other shelters. The shelter has developed a socialization program in which
volunteers work with these felines daily to build a trust of humans, offering a
secure environment until they are ready to be adopted. All of this is work done
by volunteers. Some of them come in once a day on lunch breaks or after work.
They are all extremely dedicated people. It is an honor working with every one
of them and I am a better person because of them.
Jennifer Jordan
If you are looking for a pet or if you want to help this shelter and shelters
like it, please use the following links:
http://www.petfinder.org/ and http://www.happyendings.us/
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