“A person once told me that they had never met anyone as passionate as I am about spaying and neutering. Kind of a weird thing to be known for but I will take it.
It is hard for us to see when other groups work in a community but don’t do spaying and neutering and returning.
If they are not doing it BUT are taking puppies (and kittens and dogs and cats) then they are basically part of a large puppy mill type operation.
Zoe’s has our SNR program – Spay Neuter Return, and it also stands for the Saner way to Rescue.
And it is.
And it works.
We still have some work to do in one of our first target communities. There is a roaming pack of dogs that we are going to start fixing as soon as the weather is consistently warm enough. It will be tough on us emotionally. We will be trapping dogs (between 8 and 20 or more) at the dump and fixing them and releasing them – unless we can find fosters and other rescues to help us take them in – but many of them may be feral and in reality that is a very difficult animal to place in foster or in adoption. But it must be done. It will prevent so much suffering.
Because we have been so effective in this community there is only the one group of loose dogs left. We get requests to help with spaying and neutering before problems start and people know to call us for help. Our reputation is good. We are seen as honest and we don’t ever judge people. We help. It has taken time and dedication but we have won people over. Suspicion and fear is turning to trust.
Our rules are simple on the face of it.
We don’t steal animals – we build relationships – if an animal needs help we see what we can do first to improve that animal’s life by offering vetting, fixing, food, dog houses and by sharing what we know.
We are respectful – always. No matter what. It is a basic human decency and we do not run people down to their faces or in public or almost anywhere – if we need to decompress about a tough situation we chose private ways to do that. It is foolish to do work when you dislike the people that you are serving anyway, you always catch more flies with honey.
We remember the big picture. We are here for the long term and to change the world. That takes time and often short term pain.
We help so much more than by just taking some animals out, we have actually reduced the problem and are not needed there nearly as much.
This means we have been able to move into a new rural community.
We are also becoming more active in areas of Edmonton itself, usually inner city or trailer parks – where feral and abandoned cats are a problem and cat overpopulation can be staggering.
The fostering and adoption parts of Zoe’s are very important – they are for the animals that have no alternatives. If not for us – they would have no where to go – equally as important is supporting communities to become independent and able to prevent the problems that lead to SO many animals needing our help.”
From the Heart of a Rescuer
Tippy`s Fairytale
Tippy`s foster mom shared a lovely fairytale starring Prince Tippy!
Once upon a time, there was a shy Prince called Tippy.
By unhappy fortune, much of his childhood was spent captured in a lonely tower.
One day, the tower was entered by strange women and men wearing ‘Adopt don’t shop’ tshirts. They took Prince Tippy away to another castle, where he was put into a room, this time with treats and toys aplenty. However, the humans weren’t to be trusted and subjected him to repeated ear cleanings. Poor Tippy was very frightened. For 7 days and 7 nights, he cowered under a desk.
Then, on the evening of the 8th day, he decided that maybe his new fortress wasn’t too bad. So Prince Tippy then deigned to receive pets, which are of course his princely due. As he begins to be happy and trust humans, shy Prince Tippy is looking for an adoptive home, where his tale can end happily ever after.
If you are interested in reading more about Tippy or adopting him, you can visit his bio.
If you`d like your very own foster animal to write fairy tales about, consider applying to foster.
A Word from Rocky
Hi! Remember me, Rocky? I’m one of the three dogs rescued from the Milk River hoarding case a couple months ago. And although it looks like I have impeccable manners in this photo, apparently I still have a little bit to learn about being inside a house!
According to my foster mom, Kaitlyn, I’ve progressed a ton though. At first I was really timid and guarded, hiding in corners and was frightened by humans approaching. I also wasn’t trained at all or house trained, and my foster mom has trained me on all of that! I can even sit on command. Now that I’ve relaxed a bit, everyone can see that I’m a super outgoing and playful cuddle bug who just can’t wait for my forever home.
My foster mom also says that her favorite thing about me is the way I howl and it seems as though I am talking. That’s because I’m a happy pup now and I want to tell the world! I get along with the whole family, including the other dog, but I think I’m definitely a mama’s boy.
Those who have gotten to know me think I would do my absolute best in an active home with a big yard, and a family willing to work on my training and obedience further. But of course, I’m just hoping for lots of love and cuddles. If you think you’d be the right family for me, consider filling out an adoption form!
Puppy kisses, Rocky.
Adoption Event – Sunday 22nd March
An adoption event will be taking place this Sunday, 22nd March between 11am and 1pm on Sunday at the Rabbit Hill Pet Valu. It would be great to see you there if you can make it along.
Rabbit Hill Pet Valu
5116 Mullen Road
Edmonton
T6R 0S9
Kicking Horse Coffee Fundraiser
Want to help puppies and kittens while you sip your coffee? Now you can!
Photo by Yours For Good Fermentables.com.
Zoe’s Animal Rescue is running a Kicking Horse Coffee fundraiser.
Your purchase of 1 lb bags of whole beans will bring money directly to Zoe’s so we can continue our important work.
At only $14/bag, the varieties available are 454 Horse Power (dark roast), Kick Ass (dark roast), Smart Ass (medium roast), Three Sisters (medium roast), and Z-Wrangler (medium roast).
Contact [email protected] to purchase your coffee today! Fundraiser ends April 19.
And, if you’re looking for a cute mug to enjoy that delicious coffee in, one of our photographers, Christie Jones, is running a mug fundraiser. Visit her Facebook page for more details.
A New Limb on Life: Groot`s Story
It was late afternoon on my day off, when I received a message asking me if I was willing to help someone trap a cat that they had been feeding near their home. The usual knot appeared in my stomach, but of course I said yes. Rescue is full of trials and errors, mistakes and conflict. What if I couldn’t do it? Where would he go if I did catch him? What if he refused to be helped? What if he had an owner? My days with rescue are always full of uncertainty and self-doubt. It’s that familiar pain of knowing you are needed, but being helpless to do it.
Nonetheless, I sent a message to the wonderful woman who had been feeding the ginger cat. We discussed meeting the next day, when he would be around for food. He wasn’t friendly, but he ate near her window. She suspected he had been dumped or abandoned a few months ago. The idea didn’t stick – soon after, I received a plea for help – “bits of skin hanging… huge damage… please please try to help me with him”. It was worse than we had expected; the ginger cat appeared to be missing a large portion of his face, yet he wasn’t ready to be picked up and whisked away to a vet. The hunt for a humane trap began.
The character Groot has an interesting background, full of good and evil, rebirth and emotion. Groot is able to communicate with other plant life with his mind, a power that our cat seemingly had over his wonderful caretaker as he looked her in the eyes and said “help me.”
It didn’t take long- the ginger cat was trapped that night, set up in a little room of his own as his caretaker read softly to him all night. He is certainly captivating, telling us all with only his mind that he is so grateful for our help. Groot, in the Marvel world, is a tree-like being with the power of regeneration. Groot, the cat, faced us with a plant-like mass caught up in an open wound on his face, but his power of regeneration has already begun to shine through as his face heals more every day. 
Groot tells his foster mom how happy he is to be inside and healing. His body tells a story of survival and determination, marked with scabs and cuts, memories of fights and attacks. Like his cartoon counterpart, Groot has fought his way through his trials and landed himself in a world where he can begin to heal both physically and emotionally. He is a gentle giant, purring and head-butting as his bandages are changed. Like the Marvel Groot, our boy is of few words. He is Groot.
As Groot heals (regrows?), the hunt begins for his happy ending. We hope that one day, our Groot will find his Rocket Raccoon, a best friend that he can get into all sorts of mischief with – but indoors only!! Groot has lived through more than many young cats ever will, and he deserves a life where he is safe from the dangers of the outside. Rocket, we know you’re out there, and Groot is waiting for your application to give him his forever home.
Groot is in need of the following:
- A Sponsor!! Are you interested in sponsoring Groot’s remaining surgeries? Monthly sponsorships are available.
- Canned Food! Groot likes Pate, especially the HALO brand.
- Soft Cones, as the plastic ones can be hard on his exposed skin.
- Litter! Clumping- he uses clay but wheat or corn based is also great. You can even purchase this item in our estore.
- Lots of prayers and happy kitty vibes!! Let’s send our own positive mind messages to Groot and tell him he isn’t alone! He is Groot. We are Groot.
Tawnya Summers
Cat Lady, BA (Hon.)
Here is a little video showing just how sweet and loving Groot is. WARNING: It is a little graphic as you can see his open wound.
An Update from Frenchie
Well hi! Frenchie here, the lovable fluffy orange cat. I thought I should keep everyone posted on how my life with my amazing foster family is going. My paws are still crossed that I will find my forever home soon. Although I am a cat with some street credit, I am loving my new life indoors. I am pretty much the king at laying around, and I always love a good cuddle. I have made some new friends here too! I love my other cat buddies, and my foster family. There are no dogs here so I am safe. (phewf, they really freak me out) You see I pretty much love humans of all sizes and cat friends but I definitely cannot handle dogs. *shudder*
So I have a confession to make…you see, I was adopted once and, well, I had a few accidents, so I was returned. But. my foster mom will totally vouch for me, I haven’t had one since. Yes sir, you are looking at an accident free cat, never miss the pan, it’s all litter. My foster mom told me it`s a common, and often treatable, problem. Ooo you know I was checking out a blog on the Zoe’s website about litter box issues, you can read it here:
www.zoesanimalrescue.org/correcting-common-litter-box-issues/
Super helpful and informative for anyone else with a cat who may need some direction for their…well, uh, pee. Well there you have it folks, I am doing well, and getting lots of love while I patiently wait for my forever home. Thanks for checking in!
Frenchie
Ten Things to Know about Fundraising for Zoe's!
Fundraising is arguably one of the most important parts of running a rescue, but it is often one of the most underutilized resources we have!
Rescue is full of long hours, hard labour, driving, and paperwork, so we rely heavily on the support of our volunteers and our followers to help aid us in our fundraising efforts. Fundraising is an invaluable gift that you can give to any rescue, whether you sell your handmade crafts, or put on a small-business event, your contribution to helping us raise money is a much appreciated gift of time and effort!
Zoe’s has the ability to help you make your fundraisers as successful as possible. We have a team of media experts, waiting on the side to tweet, share, and sell your event! We have experienced fundraisers, ready to give advice and helping hands.
What we don’t have, however, is a fundraising team at our disposal. Ultimately, we want to make your fundraiser effective, successful, and easy for you, but we don’t have the manpower to do it for you.
This being said, we have come up with a list of ways that we can help you help us! Here are some things to know when you decide to give us a helping hand:
- You are responsible for your fundraiser. From beginning to end, you are in charge of the whens and wheres and hows. We do not have the manpower to run your fundraiser for you, though we are here every step of the way to support you.
- Timing is so important! We know you want to help – and we want your help!! In the past, we’ve seen too many fundraisers running at the same time, or two fundraisers of a similar nature, and the public can get overwhelmed. Check with our media team to see if any fundraisers are in motion and when, and set yours up so it has it’s own time to shine.
- Marketing is essential. We do have a media team who can promote your event and help with some advertising, but you need to provide us with content and pictures. Use your networks to help you create posters and graphics, and then let us know what you want and when you want it. Telling us you’re doing a fundraiser doesn’t help us help you – we need to know what to share with the public and how to direct them to you.
- Online is more effective than offline. Create a Facebook event or a website we can direct people to. Sell products using an online ordering system, or provide an e-mail option to order products. Don’t expect the public to show up to fundraiser nights, rather, give them the most opportunity you can to get their business.
- Consider possible legalities and stipulations. Raffles and similar fundraisers often require a license from Alberta Gaming and Liquor, as well as age minimums surrounding who can purchase tickets. There are ways to avoid having to get a license, but they are relatively easy to get and may be necessary. Look into how to protect yourself before starting a fundraiser.
- Realize that what you can offer greatly impacts how likely you are to be supported. While we, and the public, appreciate and want to support all fundraisers, knowing that 40% or 60% of a small business purchase goes to Zoe’s is a lot more inciting than 10%. Every penny helps, and we want all those pennies – but the majority of people want to give as much as they can from a fundraiser. It’s just one of those facts that we want you to know.
- Sell at events! Our adoption events aren’t huge- but they are an opportunity to draw in a completely different crowd who is often looking for alternate ways to support rescues. Sometimes you aren’t ready to foster or adopt, but you’d love to purchase that dog print to hang in your living room, knowing 100% of it went to our animals!
- If you are a volunteer, look to expand your audience. There is a huge network of over 6000 supporters on Facebook alone, and thy are often an untapped resource for help! Keeping fundraisers to the Zoe’s volunteer group can at time be relatively disappointing. We are often exhausted from rescue work, and broke from the last fundraiser! Use these tips to expand your customers and clientele.
- Run everything by us first. We appreciate the help and want you to know how grateful we really are! However, you don’t know what is going on behind the scenes in terms of fundraising, marketing, or even ability to promote your fundraiser at the time. Using an example from a previous experience, we had a volunteer do a small-business fundraiser within the volunteer group only. As soon as she finished, a supporter told us she was doing the same small-business fundraiser for us and asked us to advertise. We did, of course, as she had already set it up and had posters and events on Facebook. Sadly, her fundraiser was ineffective as a core group of fundraiser supporters had already purchased her product a week before, behind the scenes.
- Join us! If you are interested in helping us kickstart a huge fundraiser like a silent auction or a festival, put in a volunteer application or ask to join the events team. We do a few large fundraisers a year, put on by and for Zoe’s Animal Rescue, and are always looking for more hands and ideas!
Vendor Event in Beaumont
Looking to pick up some neat items and support Zoe’s at the same time? This Saturday from 10am to 4pm there will be a HUGE vendor event at Beaumont Composite High School. There will be lots of shopping with prizes to be won!
The vendors confirmed so far are:
Arbonne Products
Silpada Designs
Zoe’s bakery goods
Steeped Tea
Discovery Toys
South hill designs
It Works Wraps
Spikerdog Woofware
Tupperware
Parklane Jewelry
Partylite
Passion parties
Sparkle Tattoos
Hidden City Imports
Avon
A convenient way to get some shopping done all in one place and support Zoe’s!
Save-A-Stuffie Adoption Event & Fundraiser
This Saturday, Zoe’s is breaking all the rules and having an on-the-spot adoption event – for stuffed animals! Stop by North Town Petsmart from 1 to 3pm to adopt a new friend for you, your children, or even your pet. Hey, stuffies deserve loving homes too!
There will also be a few adoptable Zoe’s dogs at the event. Rocky and Prince William may make an appearance.
Rocky
Prince WIlliam
Stop by and say hello!
