What a way to end the Tour For Life. Our last stop in Syracuse, NY was our finish line for Route 2. It was a beautiful day, sunny and hot. We were working with Wayward Paws and the Tompkins County SPCA. Both of the groups brought some cats with them. All the cats were sitting comfortably in the air-conditioning waiting for their turn to find their permanent home. We also had a couple of other groups join us on this day. There was a Basenji Rescue, French Bulldog Rescue Network, and a Pug Rescue. We had some live entertainment with some volunteers who also doubled as musicians. There was quite a crowd all day. People were stopping by, and if they couldn’t adopt, they were willing to donate to the local groups, which is always helpful in every way. By the end of the day, there were 6 kittens and 1 cat who found their new homes.

As the event was ending, we were packing up the unit to make our way back home. We had to make sure everything was secure since we had a few extra passengers for the ride home. Wayward Paws and Tompkins County SPCA are groups we work with on a normal basis. They bring us cats and kittens so we can put them up for adoption and find them loving homes. Both groups brought us some animals to bring with us to our Port Washington shelter. On our final day, we were able to rescue 67 felines, 26 cats and 41 kittens.

What a great way to end this Tour For Life. We believe this was the most successful one to date. Let’s hope next year will be even bigger.

Glad to be home
Jen and Deb

Well what can we say about the second stop in Ohio? Better weather? New group? The number of adoptions? We would have to say all of the above. It was a bright sunny day with a very light breeze, a good start to a promising partnership with the Northeast Ohio SPCA. This was this group’s first time working on the Tour For Life.

When we arrived at the shelter they came out and greeted us with open arms. We parked right in front of the shelter, set everything thing up and loaded a bunch of puppies on our Rescue Unit. The shelter was open for a little while before we got there and were already processing adoptions. They had rescued some puppies and dogs from Tennessee that needed to be rescued.

The day was nonstop all day. From the time we placed puppies on the unit to the end of the event, we couldn’t keep the puppies in the cages for very long. Every time we cleaned out a cage there was another puppy to be placed in it. Most of the adult dogs were kept in the shelter, but throughout the day we saw them being walked by potential adopters. A great sight.

By the end of the day there we were all amazed at the number of adoptions. A grand total of 42 adoptions. Someone said this was a new record set for a single day of adoptions. What an inaugural event for the Northeast Ohio SPCA. We hope this becomes a permanent stop on the Tour For Life.

Well one more stop on Route 2 in Syracuse and then back home just in time for Pet Adoptathon.

See you in Syracuse, NY
Jen and Deb

The winds sweeping across the plains certainly apply to Ohio. It was one of the craziest weather days we have encountered on Tour For Life. The day started out sunny and a bit breezy, it then turned to high winds and rain. There were even a few moments where the mobile rocked back and forth. All in all it was an OK day.

There were people who stopped by and seemed to be interested in what was happening, but we all thought the weather kept others away. Even with the weather as it was, we still managed to adopt out 1 dog and 2 cats. The Humane Society of Madison County was a ray of sunshine on this day. They posted the event on their website, made sure an announcement was in the local paper, and even invited a local news crew to come down and take some video. The segment was to air on their nightly broadcast. Hopefully it will draw people in to adopt this weekend.

The Humane Society has a bright future ahead of them. During the day they were informing us of the many plans they had for renovating a trailer on their shelter grounds to fundraisers in the near future. The renovations for the trailer include a spay/neuter clinic, cleverly named “Neuterville - A Great Place to Spay”. Also they are making changes to their rooms which house the cats. They are now going to make two separate rooms, one for healthy cats and one for sick cats. A fundraiser which sounds like it is going to be a lot of fun, “Slobberfest” is going to be held in June. It is going to be a big adoption event with the Humane Society and other local groups.

It was great to catch up with this little shelter. Every year they welcome us with open arms and the give an all out effort for the events. We believe this partnership with the Humane Society of Madison County with be a long lasting one.

See you Parma, Ohio.
Jen and Deb

There is a saying which goes “Don’t Rain On My Parade,” but alas it did rain on the day of the event. We thought it might turn people away from the event. Once the gates open for the event there was a parade of people which came through to adopt animals that day. We were all very happy to see the amount of people who showed up. Since the weather was not on our side, instead of being on the front lawn we were moved into the truck bay. We made the most of our accommodations and had a great day anyway.

There were a few rescue groups there with us. There was Kentuckiana Pug Rescue, Chihuahua Rescue USA, Indy Homes For Huskies, Love of Labs Indiana, GRRACE (Golden Retriever Rescue and Community Education, Inc.), and even Ferret Rescue and Halfway House, Inc. Another group called ARPO, which stands for The Alliance for Responsible Pet Ownership. A relatively new group, their main goal is to promote responsible pet ownership and to decrease the number of animals that are turned to the shelters. They are funded solely on donations and only have volunteers as their staff. Starting small can really turn into something big and we wished them luck on their journey.

Another group which joined us was Rescue Farm. This was the second year this group joined us for this event. They did really well with their adoptions. They adopted out 10 dogs and three puppies. There was one gentleman who had driven for three hours to come to the event to adopt a Schipperke. There was another family who drove from Chicago to adopt one of the boxer puppies. We could not believe how fast their dogs were being adopted. Every group did really well, even if they did not do adoptions, they got their name out there.

Also, we are glad to report the Indianapolis Animal Care and Control had a great day in adoptions. They adopted 13 puppies, 4 kittens, 14 dogs, 4 cats and even 2 ferrets. That brings them to a grand total of 37 adoptions. With the weather as it was, rainy and cloudy, there was a ray of sunshine when we counted how many adoptions for the day, the grand total for all the groups was 50.

Hopefully we get some better weather for our next stop.
See you in Ohio.

Jen and Deb

Hey all — glad to report another successful adoption event in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Today we were working with the Cedar Valley Humane Society. This was the first time working with them and wow what a start to a great relationship. The Cedar Valley Humane Society chose a great spot outside a mall on a main street with lots of traffic. They were so into the whole event. They had tons of volunteers helping with all the adoption applications, walking the dogs and taking care if the cats.
The Humane Society had asked a couple of local animal organizations to come and take part of the festivities. There was one called AniMeals. Their cause was a great one. We all heard of the Meals on Wheels program for people where they provide food for people in need. AniMeals does this but for families who need help feeding their animals. They also help provide assistance to the elderly, disabled, and families in need with either spaying/neutering or transportation to and from the vet office.
There was the Iowa Humane Alliance who does a lot of promoting for local TNR (Trap, Neuter, Release) program. The last group that had joined was Witty Kitties, Inc. They are a shelter for special-needs cats and exotic reptiles. Their cats range from FIV positive to Feline Leukemia positive to cats with neurological problems to cats who have had a tough start to life.
Before we even opened our doors to start our event there was quite a crowd that had gathered. The event did not stop for a minute. People kept coming and going. Dogs were being taken out of cages like they were a hot commodity. I don’t think they spent more than 10 minutes in the cage at a time. The Cedar Valley Humane Society takes applications on the animals and brings them back to the shelter to make sure they are spayed and neutered and up to date with their vaccinations before they are sent home. They also make sure they match the right animal with the right family. On this the inaugural event for them they had taken 22 applications. With this kind of turn out and success I hope Cedar Rapids, Iowa becomes a staple in the Tour For Life.

See you in Indianapolis,
Jen and Deborah

Glad to be back on the Tour For Life®. Mike and I switched out in St Louis. I am glad to be back for my 4th Tour For Life and to work with the groups that I have worked with for the last few years. Deb has caught me up on all the previous events. Can’t wait to get started!

Well, the event in St. Louis was a success. This year, the APA of Missouri brought along their Mobile Adoption Unit to the event with their animals and that gave way to invite a new group to join us at the event. The group’s name is Vet-Pet Rescue. They are a group that was put together by a local vet in the community and it runs through foster homes. They have no shelter to speak of.

It was a beautiful sunny day on a busy street, so we had a lot of passer-bys come in and take a look at all the animals we had for adoption, and because of that, we had a few go home. Even the Pet Supplies Plus was grateful to be part of the event. They were handing out flyers and had posters and notes in the store stating when the event was occurring. To top things off, the manager was offering 20% off anything in the store to whoever adopted that day.

The animals were really great – friendly and sweet. I couldn’t believe how many people showed up to the event. Compared to last year where there was hardly any foot traffic and only 1 adoption, this year, it was packed and we had a total of 10 adoptions between both groups! The APA of Missouri worked really hard in setting up all of this and as always were really glad to participate again in the Tour For Life.

This year, they adopted out 2 puppies and a 9-month-old Pit Bull mix. They had a few other people that were interested and hopefully will go back to the shelter and adopt. The Vet-Pet Rescue had a great day. They adopted out 2 puppies, 3 dogs, and 2 cats. Oh…did we happen to mention that one of the dogs was an 8-year-old Shih-Tzu rescued from a puppy mill and one of the cats was a 7-year-old who had lost her home and found herself in a shelter? These were our top adoptions of the day. One of the volunteers for Vet-Pet Rescue told us when they hold adoption events, they are lucky if they can get one of their animals adopted and on this day. they adopted out 7. Like we said…the event was a success.

Till we meet again in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Jen and Deb

Upon arriving at Precious Pets Rescue in Clarksville, TN we were met by the most gorgeous Rottweiler named Bear, a year-and-half-old bundle of mush masquerading as a big, tough, macho dog. What a face – what a personality – what a success story! Once at our event – it was not long before Bear had several suitors seeking his companionship for their families. In the end, he found his perfect family and new home with a young couple who had recently lost their Rotty. When they met Bear, it was impossible to NOT adopt him. He has it all, looks, charm, intelligence and snuggle factor (he thinks he is a lap dog) – Bear is a great dog!

There were many other participants there with us besides Precious Friends Puppy Rescue. In addition there was: Second Chance & Happy Tails Rescue, Leader of the Pack dog trainer, Dale McCluskey, Clarksville/Montgomery County Humane Society, Cats R Us and Gracie’s Doggie Boutique.

A highlight of the day for us was watching a female Bulldog making her social rounds at the event in one of Gracie’s handmade doggie outfits; a bright yellow dress covered in bees, fashionably tied at the “waist” with a black ribbon tied into a bow. She really was the cat’s meow. Wait, no that can’t be right…well anyway, she was so adorable and entertaining.

We head out to St. Louis next. Mike will be heading back to New York and Jen Lewis is flying in to join me for the remainder of the Tour For Life® 2009. Jen and I will have more news from the Tour ready for you from our next event, so be sure to come back and join us.

Deborah and Mike

We began our day at the Huntsville Animal Services facility and were well stocked with pets looking for their new families when we set off to Wal-Mart in Huntsville for our event. We met up with the other groups – A New Leash on Life, North Alabama Spay Neuter Assistance Association, Valley Animal & Pet Resort and Petco and began setting up. People, some dressed in their Sunday best, all wanted to visit with the pets even before we had the chance to finish getting ready. Adoptions began almost before the event itself!

As it was a nice afternoon, many of our pets were able to be out along the path in front of the mobile in large crates while the others sat in our window on the world – so as people passed by, they were surrounded by many happy tails and sweet, flirty eyes.

Speaking with Frank Ranado, Director of North Alabama Spay Neuter Assistance Association, Inc., I was further educated to the paths being taken to get as many animals as possible spayed and neutered in this state. It is really amazing to realize how many people have dedicated their lives to both saving the lives of animals as well as bringing a positive quality of life to them as well.

One of the highlights of this event for us was when our BISSELL representative, Krystal, stood in front of us, beaming, as she held her new Chihuahua pooch, Pepsi. Another match made in Heaven…well, OK, it was really made on the Tour For Life®, but it may as well have been Heaven for Krystal and Pepsi.

So, we packed up another successful event and hit the road to our next destination, Clarksville, TN. Don’t forget to come back because we shall return soon with our tales from Tennessee.

Deborah and Mike

Our Florence, AL event had a lot of participation from different groups. North Shore Animal League America headed up the event with Florence County Animal Control. Also included were Colbert County Animal Control, Pets are Worth Saving (PAWS), Southern Star Min Pin Rescue, Jerry’s Rescue, NW Alabama Herding Dog Rescue, Little Bits Rescue, Pet Depot and Petco. We set up in the parking lot of the Books-A-Million, whose owner is an avid supporter of shelters and rescue organizations. There was an air of festivity with the bouncy house for the children and with all the people and animals milling about the lot. As always – the pets for adoption were doing their best flirting with potential adopters. Groups had lots of giveaway gifts for participants and it seemed everyone had a bag or two of goodies filled to the brim with dog and cat related items. Many found that using the Mutt-i-gree backpacks that we were giving to guests was a great way to carry all there booty as they made their way throughout the event.

PAWS foster co-coordinator, Michelle Ray and I spoke at length about efforts being made in Alabama via PAWS, other rescue groups and spay-neuter programs such as, North Alabama Spay Neuter Assistance Association, to get the word out to the people that spaying and neutering saves the lives of thousands of animals each year. Groups are working in concert with one another to develop the unified message to the people of Alabama. For now, it is an effort that is seeing its reward developing at a slow but steady pace toward its goal.

Once again, many animals made their way to their permanent homes – and their new families were excited and filled with love as they carried and walked their new family members towards their new lives. We will be travelling to Huntsville, AL for our next event and we will be sure to continue sharing our ”Happy Tails” with you from there.

Deborah and Mike

Birmingham, Alabama – the first of three stops for our events in this beautiful southern state. Once again, we worked side by side with devoted people, staff and volunteers preparing to present the Greater Birmingham Humane Society (GBHS) pets for their window on the world debut in our mobile unit. As always, people can hardly resist the happy faces, wagging tails and demure feline glances inviting all to come aboard and find their next family member (aka pet).

But, sometimes there is one animal in particular who grabs your heart strings and does not let go of them. For us, and apparently all of the staff and volunteers at GBHS, it is Calvin, the three legged Beagle. No one knows if Calvin had a family or if he was always a stray or how he came to have only three legs. It appears he probably had his left front leg surgically removed, which implies he had someone who had cared enough about him to see he was tended to for this procedure. The only other thing we can be sure of is that Calvin is an affectionate sweetheart, a food hound (he was caught sniffing in the trash several times for scraps) and stubborn as a mule. When Calvin decides he is not ready and willing to return inside from his walks, he lies his chin and chest down on the ground (including the entire area where his left leg would have been), places his front right leg firmly along its length on the ground as well, keeps his rear end stuck in the air with his rear legs in a slightly splayed stance and digs in – refusing to move or to be moved. Short of being picked up and carried, Calvin becomes a real challenge to who ever is walking with him to get him to reconsider his position. Looking into those big brown eyes and you really have to remind yourself who is the boss and stay the course, for in those eyes one sees his warmth and his determination. Being the pack leader with Calvin is constant though, ultimately rewarding, work.

Each animal has its own personality – its own story – the desire and need to find their very own permanent home. Our mission is always the same – come adopt from your local shelter or rescue group – help these wonderful creatures to live the full lives they deserve and in the process, reap a reward greater than you can imagine – the gift of love. It is said, “Give and you shall receive back tenfold.” BELIEVE IT!

And now, from one successful event, we prepare for our next stop in Florence, AL. We’ll be sure to keep you updated on our continuing southern adventures so…”Ya’ll come back now, hear?”

Deborah and Mike