Those of you that have been following the label for a while know that my partner Cari has dedicated herself to a lifesaving mission at our local animal shelter, the Oshkosh Area Humane Society, a certified non-profit. Through her tireless efforts over the previous years the OAHS has achieved a live-release rate of 95%+, this year as high as 97%. This is absolutely amazing. And it's only possible because of donations from animal loving supporters.
About 2,500 animals enter the organization's care each year, and the vast majority of those require some medical care or a behavior modification program in order to become healthy and adoptable, and ultimately find a home. This department is the one overseen by Cari, the intake and assessment of every one of those 2,500 animals. And the committment to giving them another chance at life.
In September the OAHS will hold it's single largest fundraiser of the year, Walk for the Animals, where they raise the majority of their yearly medical budget to help these animals. Those like Pinky, pictured above, who arrived as a helpless puppy with her five littermates. Pinky and her brother, The Brain, both have open fontanelle on their skulls, meaning their plates have not closed. Fluid was able to sit on Pinky's brain stem, resulting in seizure activity and balance and coordination issues. Both she and her brother suffer from developmental delay, but they don't let that get them down and OAHS believes in their ability to be good companions for someone even though their needs may be a little specialized. The medical fund paid for both puppies to receive multiple examinations at a vet clinic and helped pay for the necessary ultrasound that diagnosed their condition. Both puppies are now growing up healthy and strong and based on how active and playful they are we expect they'll be able to be placed in loving homes in the next couple months.
I am constantly in awe of Cari's resiliency and dedication to her work. If you have the means to help with her life-saving mission, you can donate at the link below. As they say, every little bit helps bring care to an animal in need.
https://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/cari-tetzlaff/Walk-for-the-Animals-2018