Mentoring New Shelters – A New Bill Coming up to Help Rescues:

Animal Welfare Services (AWS) is the umbrella non-profit that the Animal Protection and Education Charity (APE) works under. AWS helps grass-root organizations get up in running. To date, AWS has helped more than eight organizations get started. Many people do not understand all the laws involved to start an animal shelter. For instance, only shelters and pounds are allowed to have foster homes. However, some organizations cannot get a shelter license due to zoning. Therefore, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDLAS) lumps these rescuers into the category of “dealers”.

A dealer according to the United States Department of Agriculture is a person or organization engaged in the business of buying and selling animals. This description doesn’t seem to fit since rescues are charities which find homes for animals through adoption.

AWS is happy to have helped with the language of a new Bill to change all of this. We want the State of Iowa to define what a rescue is, and to allow rescues to have foster homes! One colleague that is licensed as a dealer stated that it is working for them and they do not want to “rock the boat.” The problem with this is, yes, it is working for them, but for other groups the state is requiring each volunteer acting as a foster home to be separately licensed. A dealer license is $175. One shelter license of $75 would cover the main location and up to 20 foster homes.

Additionally, the state veterinarian is responsible for regulating dealers and shelters. It is possible, the state veterinarian would decide to follow the letter, rather than the spirit, of the law. This would mean rescues, who are licensed as dealers, would be required to license each foster home as a dealer. The cost of these licenses would prevent most rescues from operating.

It just makes more sense to have rescues defined and written into law to allow them to operate as they should be, as a shelter with foster homes, but without a standalone facility. We will provide you with more information on this bill once it becomes available.

 

 

Lobby Day 2015:

Iowa is the country’s second largest puppy mill state!  It is, sadly, true that Iowa has more dogs locked in horrid conditions than 48 other states! You can help change all this by being a voice for these dogs!!

Your have an opportunity to make a BIG difference for dogs in Iowa.

Lobby Day 2015 is on Monday, February 9, 2015.

Make plans to come to the Capitol between Noon – 4PM. Look for the Iowa Friends of Companion Animals information table on the 1st Floor Rotunda. They offer instruction on how to effectively lobby your state legislators.

For more information please visit the Iowa Voters for Companion Animals website http://www.wp.iowavca.org/

 

APE is Now Spaying and Neutering Dogs:

Along with our mobile cat clinics, APE is now doing dogs spays and neuters in select locations. The sizes allowed will vary from location to location based on the availability of holding crates for the dogs as they await their turn. If you need a dog to be spayed/neutered please contact us. As Iowa’s largest mobile non-profit clinic. APE covers 14 counties in Central Iowa. Let us help you find a location near you!

 

 

Slater Cat Update:

This past weekend APE pulled another pregnant momma and eight more kittens from the Slater Colony. Thus, making the total count thus far, 54 cats & kittens. We will be spaying and neutering more animals on Wednesday the 11^th.  Funds are still needed for supplies for this case including future clinics for the cats involved in this situation. The APE is still about $600 in the red from the last clinic. This amount only for supplies needed to care for these cats.

Thus far, the veterinarian and technicians at Slater Animal Hospital, along with APE technicians, have volunteered their time to do the vet work.  More is needed though as we estimate there is still 100 cats on this acreage.

Time is short!!!  The Sheriff’s office attempted to serve the notice of foreclosure last week. We have four to six months  (maybe less) to get all of these cats vetted and re-homed!

Please, if you can donate food or litter for foster homes it would be greatly appreciated.  We use pellet pine horse bedding, as litter, and Diamond Adult Maintenance Cat Food (both regular and “Natural”). Donations can be dropped off at the Slater Animal Hospital.  We are also in need of monetary donations to pay for medical supplies. Monetary donations can be sent via PayPal or mailed to APE  PO Box 65 Paton, IA 50217.

In addition to donations, we need anyone willing to foster or adopt a house or barn cat to please contact us! All of the cats that we have seen are clean; none have had ear-mites or fleas. They are all well fed. There is just too many of them for one person. All of the cats taken out of the situation have warmed up to their new care providers within a few days. Despite having over hundred cats, the owner has been taking the time to socialize all of the cats. A vast majority of these cats will go on to make wonderful family pets. Please consider adopting a cat!! Applications to adopt and foster are found on our website.

Please remember we are up against a ticking clock and need safe places for these cats to go!!

 

 

Clinic Donations:

In addition to the supplies needed for the Slater Colony Case, we are always in need of clinic supplies for our numerous mobile clinics. Below is  the information from our website on donations that are needed.  In addition to the locations below, donations can be dropped off at the Jewell Animal Hospital in Jewell, IA, and the Slater Animal Hospital in Slater, IA

Please note we are a non-profit charity and donations are tax deductible. We are always in need of the following supplies:

Printer Paper, Trash Bags (Kitchen size), Distilled Water, Rubber Bands, Duct Tape, Envelopes, Bleach, Laundry Detergent (for a HE machine), Fabric Softener, Rubbing Alcohol (70%), Hydrogen Peroxide, Cotton Balls, Cotton-Tip Swabs, Wooden – spring loaded clothes pins, Paper Towels, Printer Ink for HP 1000 ink jet (61 or 61xl both black and color), Casey’s Gift cards for Gas to keep us mobile.

Donations can be dropped off during a clinic or during an educational event. If there is not an event or drop off location in your area, feel free to contact us and we will arrange for a volunteer to meet you for the donation.