How You Can Help

Spring 2008 NEWSLETTER

Our current edition of PAWS Press newsletter is now available on-line. The newsletter contains "Happy Tails" of adopted pets, biographies of special friends who are in need of homes, news of upcoming events and more!

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WISH LIST

Meal time at PAWS is something like the army - LARGE amounts of food passed out to hungry troops! As you can imagine, our food bill is one of our biggest expenses of our daily operating budget. You can help stretch our budget by donating food to feed all our homeless pets.

The only reason we ask for specific kinds is that we find the the more consistent we are in feeding one type of food, the better the overall health & nutrition of our pets. Too many diet changes can cause stomach problems & you can imagine how unpleasant it is to have 20 cats who have upset tummies after dinner!

We know some of these items aren't very glamorous, but every item we get donated, is that much more money we have to spend on our great pets to get them the care they so desperately need!

If you'd like to donate food (or any other items), we are open from 12 noon to 4:00 pm Monday through Saturday. If you'd like to come during other hours, please call ahead at (203) 750-9572 or send us a message so we can make other arrangements.

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SCOUTS & TROOPS

While we are not allowed to have volunteers under the age of 18 work directly with our animals there are still many things junior volunteers can do to help pets in need.

• You can organize a collection of items from our wish list, hold a can & bottle drive and the money earned from redeeming the cans could be donated to PAWS, or you could host a bake sale and donate the proceeds to PAWS.
• You can also help us advertise our pets by hanging up flyers and helping us put our newsletters in public places like the library.
• Your troop can help sew toys or beds. Or pehaps you can make us some of the traps we use to catch feral (wild) cats.

If you are part of a scout, school or church organization and would like to help homeless pets in your community, please call PAWS at (203) 750-9572.

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VOLUNTEERING

PAWS is only able to extend our hands to so many pets in need because of the tireless effort and dedication of our volunteers. There is always SO much to be done - whether it is snuggling a shy kitten, walking a dog, fundraising or doing those dirty jobs like laundry & cleaning kennels. It all has to get done and it has to get done every day without fail.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to insurance restrictions, PAWS currently cannot have volunteers under 18 years of age work directly with our animals. However, there are lots of other ways that you can still help - everything from collecting food donations, to hanging flyers to holding a bake sale.

The first step in becoming a volunteer is to come to the shelter for an orientation (address below). Here you will learn about our volunteer programs and the commitments involved in each area. Orientations include: an overview of the history, mission and organizational structure of PAWS, a tour of the facility and details on program descriptions and purposes.

Orientations are held by appointment only. If you would like to schedule an orientation, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator Lisa DiDonato at (203) 750-9572 x 120 or via email at lisad@pawsct.org. Upon acceptance, training dates will be assigned with the appropriate program coordinator. Most volunteer positions require a minimum commitment of 8 hours per month.

If you would like more information on becoming a PAWS volunteer or directions to the shelter for an orientation, please use our contact form to send a a message to our volunteer coordinator, Lisa DiDonato.

You may also download and complete our Volunteer Application Form and email it to Lisa DiDonato at lisad@pawsct.org. Once she receives your application, she will contact you to schedule a meeting and orientation.

The volunteers of PAWS are a vital and intregal part of our ability to help pets in need. Without your help, we can't help them! Thank you!

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DONATE ON-LINE

PAWS is now equipped to accept on-line donations through Click & Pledge, a service that enables you to make secure donations to PAWS using your credit card. There are several funds you can donate to. They are:

GENERAL OPERATING FUND: Donations made to this fund are used for a variety of operating expenes including (but not limited to): Purchasing food, Providing medical care such as vaccines, routine medical care (such as vet exams) and medications, and operating costs such as electricity, water and heat.

THE COSMO FUND: This is a dedicated fund to help us provide medical care "above and beyond" the normal or routine medical care that most of our pets need. Donations from The Cosmo Fund are used to help seriously ill or injured pets. In many other shelters, pets with serious illnesses or injuries that are treatable are destroyed because the shelter does not have the financial resources available to help these pets.

The Cosmo Fund was created in honor of a small kitten named "Cosmo" who came to PAWS. Cosmo was critically ill & he failed to grow. We learned that he suffered from a liver shunt that required corrective surgery. Without the surgery, he would basically starve to death. We raised the funds to provide the surgery and Cosmo grew up to become a wonderful cat who has used up 1 of his 9 lives but still has 8 more to enjoy. The Cosmo Fund was named in his honor and because of him, we are able to help other pets who, like Cosmo, needed some extra help in order to get a second chance at love.

SPAY/NEUTER FUND: Donations to this fund help us to provide spay/neuter surery to both the pets at PAWS and the pets of low income members of our community.

Every year, over 6 million companion animals are destroyed because they didn't have a home. For every 1 person born in the USA, 7 kittens & puppies are born. There simply aren't enough homes to go around. Experience has shown us that we cannot adopt our way out of pet overpopulation. The only way to stop the needless killing of so many pets is the spaying/neutering of all companion animals.

To make a donation to one of the funds above, click here or on the icon below to make a secure, tax-deductible donation. The donation form has a separate line for each fund. THANK YOU!

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DONATE CARS & OTHER VEHICLES

Have a vehicle or boat that you no longer want but the thought of placing a classified ad & having people call you all hours of the night is making you greeen around the gills! Maybe your husband bought that "collectible" car with every intention of fixing it up and well, that never quite happened. PAWS has the purr-fect solution - DONATE IT!

Through "Donation Line" you can donate Cars, trucks, motorcycles, vans, commercial vehicles, jet skis, snowmobiles, motor homes, buses, and even boats. It doesn't even have to run - BUT you must have clear title in your possession.

You just contact Donation Line via the internet or by phone and they do all the work - they pick the car up and make arrangements for it's sale. Once the car is sold, PAWS receives the donation and you will receive a receipt for the amount that the car sold for at auction. What could be easier?

If you have a vehicle you'd like to donate, please contact Donation Line
via the Internet or by phone at (888) 448-3345.

Your donation helps put PAWS pets on the road to a new home!

Thank you!

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ON-LINE SHOPPING HELPS PAWS PETS!

We all hate going to the mall. OK. Some of us hate it. Others, well, they live for it! If you fall into that "hate it" category then you've come to the right place. Why leave your house? Why even get dressed? You can do all your shopping right here & you'll be helping PAWS at the same time.

My personal favorite is iGive.com (link below) - it is an on-line mall and just about all your favorite mall stores can be found by the click of the mouse! Everything from The Gap, to Illuminations to JC Penney.

Remember, a portion of all your purchases made at all of our affiliate partners on our site earns money for PAWS! The more you shop, the more you help PAWS! So, start shopping!

Each time you shop at one of these sites, please be sure to enter the sites through the PAWS link or we will not be eligible to receive the donation.

WEB SITES & MERCHANDISE:

Austin Cotton
Austin Cotton is a t-shirt company that has lots of wonderful and fun designs for people who love pets. They also have a selection of shirts that helps spread the message of spay/neuter and helping to end the plight of homeless pets. By using the link above you will ensure that PAWS will receive a $5 donation from Austin Cotton for every shirt sold.

Helping Udders
Helping Udders is a great site with cool dog stuff not found anywhere else! As an added bonus 10% to 50% of every purchase is donated to animal rescue! When checking out, please be sure to select "PAWS of CT / Pet Animal Welfare Society" as your chosen charity!

Bonzo Beans Pet Shop at TRIPSwithPETS.com
Sniff No Further! Unique Pet Travel Gear, Treats, & Novelty Items...like pet car seats, organic dog treats, and airline approved pet carriers. At Bonzo Beans, we help to ensure that your pet is happy and safe whether traveling cross town or cross country!

E/The Environmental Magazine
If you're concerned about the future of our planet, and want to know "What Can I Do?" to make a difference for the environment, you'll love reading E/The Environmental Magazine.

E's provocative mix of features, news and lifestyle stories will keep you up to date on what's happening in the world of environmental advocacy and the work of key organizations, large and small, local and national.

E covers all the key and emerging issues - all with contact information to help you investigate issues further or get active yourself on efforts to turn the tide.

Plus, E's six "GREEN LIVING" departments will provide you with loads of practical ideas and resources to help you live more lightly on the Earth. NOTE: If you subscribe to E/The Environmental Magazine by following the link above, PAWS will receive a $10 donation! You can also get a free trial issue before you subscribe.

GiveLine.com
Giveline.com is a revolutionary online store created for the community-minded shopper. Every transaction in our store generates a financial contribution to your favorite charity, school, religious organization, or any other cause you support. And with our unique supplier relationships and efficient new technology, this contribution is significant and truly makes a difference. Giveline contributes between 7 and 33 percent of product sales to the selected organization, with a store-wide average of nearly 16 percent per transaction. The amount to be donated to your cause varies by product; however, our "open book" policy includes displaying the exact amount on every product page as well as throughout the checkout process. NOTE: Another great thing about GiveLine.com is that you can purchase gift cards that the recipient can use at any store in the mall! They also have options where you can increase your donation to PAWS with a simple mouse click!

GiveNik.com-Discount Theater Tickets!
Givenik gives you great entertainment at great value while benefiting the causes you care about. We provide you access to special savings and added-value offers for a variety of Broadway and Off-Broadway shows. For every ticket you purchase through GiveNik PAWS will receive 5% of the ticket price.

iGive.com
iGive.com is a virtual mall! It has everything the mall has without the screaming kids! iGive has 141 stores that donate anywhere from .5 to 15% of your purchase to PAWS. Plus, if you are a new member to iGive, your first purchase nets us an extra $10! A small sampling of the stores include: etoys, J.Crew, Gardenstore, American Greetings, drugstore.com, Hammacher Schlemmer, Magazine.com, Auto Accessory, The Baby Center, Cooking.com, Fragrance.com, Coffe.com, JC Penney, Microwarehouse & LandsEnd. The only bump on iGive is that since the stores operate independent of iGive, once you place an order & receive a receipt back from the store; you MUST forward that receipt over to iGive so we can receive proper credit for your purchase.

Modern Dog Magazine
is a celebration of the contemporary canine and our relationships with them. It also is a celebration of life in general and how our loyal and loving companions have become an inextricable part of our daily pursuits.

OFFER EXTENDED! Modern Dog Magazine will make a donation to PAWS for every subscription purchased through our dedicated link. They will donate $5 for each 1 yr subscription & $7 for each 2 yr subscription purchased.

If you would like to purchase a subscription; you must use the following link to ensure that PAWS receives the donation: Modern Dog Magazine

Thanks for shopping on-line with the PAWS affiliates!

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Fresh Step, Purina & BeechNut Label Redemption Programs

There are several label redemption programs that PAWS participates in. They include dry cat food, litter and believe it or not - BeechNut Baby Food.

PURINA WEIGHT CIRCLES:

PAWS is collecting the weight circles off an any Purina Brand cat or dog food product. Each weight circle we collect is worth a certain number of points. We can then redeem the circles for free food.

FRESH STEP CAT LITTER:

PAWS is collecting the "PAW Points" off the bags & boxes of cat litter so we can redeem them for free litter. Please be sure the complete serial number/bar code appears on the back of the portion you are sending in. Without it we can't collect our points!

BEECH NUT BABY FOOD:

We often have kittens or adult animals who are experiencing stomach problems or other illnesses which require us to feed them easy to digest baby food. We are collecting from Beech Nut Baby Foods proofs of purchase for the following lines of their products: Beech Nut Naturals, Beech Nut First Advantage and Beech Nut Table Time. When we reach a certain number of proofs of purchase we can redeem them for free baby food.

We have been participating in various programs like these for about 5 years now and the savings we realize on our overall food budget is a huge help! Every bit of money we save on food or litter frees up more monetary resources for other items such as medical expenses, training and the hundred and one other supplies we need!

A free bag of food here, a couple of free cans here and a bed to sleep in can make all the difference in the life of a homeless pet! Thank you for your help in collecting these symbols & bar codes!

Please send points, circles or proofs of purchase to:
PAWS
Attn: Alexis
504 Main Ave
Norwalk, CT 06851

Many, many thanks from all the pets at PAWS!

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DONATE OLD CELL PHONES

Got an old, deactivated cell phone buried at the bottom of your underwear drawer? Donate it to PAWS and help us raise much needed funds!

PAWS is accepting donations of any deactivated cell phone in any condition! They don't have to work or even have all the parts!

For every cell phone that we turn in to the company collecting them, we receive a donation anywhere from $1 to $10. Of course, the newer the cell phone & the better the condition, the larger the donation.

The cell phones are in turn reconditioned & given to eldery people living alone, women in battered womens shelters and used for victims of natural (or unnatural) disasters.

This is one of those rare instances that EVEYONE wins - you get rid of your old cell phone, PAWS gets donations, people in crisis get a way to get help when they need it most and the environment gets a break from all those old phones & batteries being dumped in landfills. What could be better????

With the influx of cell phones being traded in, recycling the phones through our program is needed even more.

If you have a cell phone(s) to donate, please drop them off at:
PAWS
504 Main Ave
Norwalk, CT 06851

Phones may be dropped off Mondays thru Saturdays. There is a collection bin in our "atrium" area. Tax deduction receipts are available for your donation.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE- no car phones, cordless phones, traditional home phone, pagers, beepers, walkie-talkies, two-way radios or other commercial radios. None of these are eligible for the program.

If you are a local business or apartment complex and have rounded up more than 20 cell phones, please let us know & we will send a volunteer over to pick them up. Thank you!

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DONATE OLD INK LET CARTRIDGES AND DVDs

Turn trash into cash! PAWS is proud to partner with a company that accepts empty ink jet cartridges and DVDs! In return, for every empty cartridge and DVD we send to them, they send us the green stuff and we don't mean catnip!

Have a pile of empty ink jet cartridges sitting in a bag waiting to go to Staples to be returned? Did you receive the complete DVD set of "F-Troop" that you never really wanted but yet Aunt Hilda swore you loved the show as a kid? Bring those empty cartridges and castoff DVDs to PAWS and help us raise much-needed cash to support the pets in our care.

ELIGIBLE ITEMS: