Noah’s Ark Animal Foundation
NOAH’S ARK • PO BOX 748 • FAIRFIELD, IOWA 52556 • 641-472-6080 • WWW.NOAHSARK.ORG
Celebrating Miracles at Noah’s Ark
“Where there is great love there are always miracles.”
—Willa Cather
Winter 2007
With your help, we at Noah’s Ark are working towards creating
the greatest miracle of all: the time when every animal has a loving home. But, until we reach that awesome goal, we give thanks
for the miracles—large and small—that each and every one of you
were a part of, whether you
are adopter, donor, volunteer or in some other way a
friend. For this our sincere
gratitude and our best wishes for a wonderful 2007!
Your friends at
Noah’s Ark
Fifteen-year-old Aslan finds a wonderful new home through
our partnership with the Clive PETsMART.
M
iracles happen every day at Noah’s Ark. Take the
case of Aslan, a 15-year-old cat with long golden
hair, who lived mostly on the streets, without much
care from his owner. When Aslan finally made his way to Noah’s
Ark, there was so much medical work to do, the vet said it was a
miracle that Aslan had survived. When his health was restored—
another miracle—Aslan was taken to the Clive PETsMART. There,
Helen, a librarian in Des Moines, who thought Aslan gorgeous—
and relatively young compared to her previous cats who lived to be
18 and 21—adopted him to be her very own. Now Helen and
Aslan’s love for each other is creating miracles for them both.
There are always small miracles to celebrate, like the rescue of
a box of kittens by the side of the road or the adoption of a previously unwanted animal into a loving home or simply the daily gain
in health and strength of the dogs and cats in our care.
And all these small miracles add up! In 2006 approximately
375 dogs and cats were rescued and found homes with loving families. Another 725 dogs and cats were altered by their caring owners, with the help of Noah’s Ark’s spay/neuter programs and promotions. And countless animals were helped by our food bank
program, pet-retention counseling and other support services.
And of course we still are amazed at the miracle of our new
shelter which opened in 2004 and was completely paid for by 2005.
It is and will ever be a miracle that Miss Kitty and her Trust chose
to support this small shelter which accomplishes so much.
Linus is transformed from a scared,
neglected dog into a much loved
family member.
Our two 20-year-old
vans were finally
replaced with reliable
transportation!
Another Miracle!
Lucky Lindy, found
running down the
street, was rescued
and taken to the
local Vet Clinic. She
had an old break in
her back leg. After
extensive medical
care she is now on
the road to recovery!
W
Happy Endings
hen my 16-year-old dog, Libby passed away last January,
I decided to wait a while before adopting another dog.
When I was finally ready, I went to the Noah’s Ark adoption event at
the PetSmart in Clive to take a look. Arriving at the store, I saw
“Santana” (now Gus). He was one of two dogs left and I fell in love
with him! I was hesitant because I had never owned a male dog
before but I couldn't have asked for a better dog. At first, there were
some challenges getting used to the kennel—and the cat—but Gus
has adjusted well and fits right in with Lucy, our other dog, and our
cat, who actually likes him now. He’s even gotten to love his kennel!
Gus has many favorite things to do, so I will just share a few. He
spends a lot of time playing with his doggy “sister”—they especially
enjoy running “hot laps” throughout the house. Gus also loves to be
outside: he sits on the deck and spies on the neighbors, just to make
sure all is well in the neighborhood. He enjoys walks, does nicely on
the leash, and isn't at all bothered by other dogs, even when they
bark at him. Since I usually take the dogs everywhere with me, Gus
is quite the traveler, though I am not sure that he sees a lot of the
countryside because he’s usually sacked out by the time we get out
of the driveway. Still, he always seems eager to get in the car.
If I had to guess what Gus’s most favorite thing is, I’d say it
would be cuddling with me on the couch. He is a happy, laid-back
boy, and I feel truly blessed to have him as part of the family.
Is it possible for dogs to smile? If so, Gus is always doing just
that! Thanks again, Patti Elliott
W
e adopted Sissy—now Sadie—on a weekend when our two
pre-schoolers were out of town, visiting relatives. Our plan
was to give them a nice surprise! We brought Sadie home on a
Saturday afternoon and spent Saturday evening and all day Sunday
getting Sadie settled. By Monday her fun personality was starting to
come out. On Tuesday we had a friend come over and “dog-sit” while
we went and picked up our children at the airport.
When we arrived home, our son, Robby, who is four years old
and very perceptive, immediately spotted the new dog toys scattered around the living room.
“Mommy, why do we have dog toys?” he asked.
“Are those dog toys?” I replied. “Now why would we have dog
toys?”
At that moment, my husband Bill rounded the corner with
Sadie and Robby squealed, “Because we have a dog!?” It was a
combination question and exclamation—and we all laughed.
Since then, we have had fun getting everyone acquainted.
Sadie is fitting in well and we are all learning how to get along
with one another. Sadie has taken Bill as her “pack leader” and the
kids are her pals. Sadie and the kids are already taking naps
together and watching Saturday morning cartoons. I think Sadie
considers me her cuddler and feeder. We all take turns walking her
and teaching her to go potty. (Of course, the kids don’t do this
alone yet.) We are trying to train her to ring a bell when she wants
to go outside. We’ll let you know how it goes. I have attached a few
pictures of everyone. Thanks again for a wonderful experience.
Sincerely, Bill, Natalie, Robby, Melanie and Sadie Burchit
H
Jesebel’s Miracle
i, Jesebel here. I’m looking for a bit of a miracle myself.
I’ve been here at Noah’s Ark for a few months now, and
I’m getting along okay, but I see new cats and kittens
coming in every day, and then quick as a wink, leaving for PETsMART.
Virgo, one of the labs over on the dog side of the shelter, told me that
at PETsMART Noah’s Ark dogs and cats find their own special people
and get to go home with them. Now I like the sound of that and I’m
putting in my order for one of those kinds of miracles: a home this
holiday. Does anyone out there know how I could manage that?
There’s been a rumor floating around here that I am unpredictable
and can nip. I tell you, that story is totally overblown; I am quite affectionate and if you’ll just pay attention to when I’ve had enough, you
won’t have to be reminded. If any of you have ideas for getting me into
one of those permanent homes, write me here at Noah’s Ark. Just put
Attention: Jesebel on the envelope and I’ll get it.
Noah’s Ark’s Note: Jesebel came to us when her owners were
at their wit’s end trying to deal with her unpredictable behavior
around their young children. Rescued as a one-day-old kitten,
and hand raised, Jesebel lacked normal kitten socialization and
grew up playing too rough. In an attempt to ensure safety around
the children, Jesebel was declawed, which only resulted in her
becoming a nipper. In a recent foster home, Jese did great with
the adults, dogs, and cat. She was very affectionate. And she
would have been able to go to PETsMART long ago if she did not
get so upset at being in a cage. She currently has the run of the
shelter and is no longer confined to the cat area; you’ll see her in
the community room and greeting visitors in the lobby. She is
quite happy in this role, but we’d like to see Jesebel get her miracle too— there’s nothing like a home of your own.
What is TNR?
TRAP-NEUTER-RETURN (TNR) is a full management plan in
which stray and feral cats already living outdoors in cities,
towns, and rural areas are humanely trapped, then evaluated,
vaccinated, and sterilized by veterinarians. Kittens and tame
cats are adopted into good homes. Healthy adult feral (unsocialized) cats are returned to their familiar habitat under the
lifelong care of volunteers.
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YES, I WANT TO HELP SAVE THE LIVES OF STRAY AND HOMELESS ANIMALS.
Please clip this coupon and return:. I am enclosing:
❑ $500 (Founding Sponsor)
❑ $250
❑ $100
❑ $50
❑ $15
❑ Other
100% of your donation goes to helping the animals we rescue or to spay/neuter programs.
Please indicate if you have a preference as to how your donation is used:
________ Food, medicine, shelter, and care of rescued dogs and cats
________ Community spay and neuter programs—because there aren’t enough homes for them all
________ New shelter building improvements
Checks are made payable to Noah’s Ark Animal Foundation. Mail to P.O. Box 748, Fairfield, Iowa 52556.
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Noah’s Ark is a 501(c) (3) tax-exempt corporation and donations are tax deductible. The Foundation’s officers for the year 2006 are:
David Sykes: President, Janet Teeple: Vice-President, Michael Moore: Treasurer, and Monica Mathias: Secretary.
a Happy New Year!
Holiday Cheer &
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Noah’s Ark Animal Foundation
P.O. Box 748
Fairfield, Iowa 52556
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