February 2021
Monthly Newsletter
Your news & updates from
Animal Care Sanctuary
New Year, New Families
We're up to nearly 150 forever homes found for cats and dogs in need!

The first two months of 2021, typically quieter because of the winter blues, continue to carry our positive trends forward!

And our clinic! WOW! Our amazing vet team just keeps getting better and better! They've already completed nearly 100 more spay/neuter surgeries than this time last year -- a rate of more than 10 surgeries per day, and that's as if they were at it 7 days a week!

Spring is on its way soon, and we can't wait for the weather to break so we can keep supporting our communities!
YEAR-TO-DATE
STATISTICS 

As of March 1, 2021:

Adoptions: 144

Fosters: 24

Fosters-to-Adoptions: 19

Spay/neuter surgeries: 613

Clinic appointments: 319

Total Clinic Visits: 932
Donate to ACS for March Muttness!
Animal Care Sanctuary is a competitor in this year's annual March Muttness!

This play on the popular NCAA college basketball tournament known as March Madness pits 32 shelters from around the nation in a friendly competition to see which one can raise the most money. Each round lasts from 10 a.m. from 10 p.m. over the series of a few days throughout the month of March. And the first round starts TODAY!

Simply head over to the March Muttness website and click on the ACS logo to donate! Let's show these big city shelters that the "shelter on the hill" in rural Pennsylvania can keep up, too!

The brackets will be updated throughout the tournament until two champions emerge for the final showdown in March Muttness!

Last year March Muttness™ raised thousands of dollars for participating shelters! You can follow a running total of each shelter's total fundraising and how your favorite shelter is doing in the competition at www.marchmuttness.org
Mental Health Benefits of Owning a Pet
Guest post by Granite Recovery Centers
Most people can say they have experienced the joy of having a pet, or have been able to share a kinship with one owned by a friend or relative. Animals provide companionship and comfort and have now been known to help humans deal with depression, anxiety, social disorders, and more. It’s no surprise that these benefits would one day be backed by science; after all, humans have been turning to animals for relief for centuries—some research suggests dogs were first kept 12,000 years ago.

In the age of COVID, everyone is adapting to the new and unusual norm that requires little social interaction with others, staying home far more than usual, and isolation. Beyond that, many are struggling with unemployment and unexpected financial worries. Does having a pet help with the difficulties we are facing amid the pandemic? How can they help people with different mental health issues?
Give FeLV and FIV Cats a Chance
Reassessing what these viruses mean for felines
Revolutionary innovation has always been a key part of what makes Animal Care Sanctuary special. As one of the first no-kill shelters in the nation when we were founded over 50 years ago, being on the cutting edge of new ideas to save more lives is a part of our roots.

We’ve carried that with us over the years by working hard to be on that forefront. Nearly 10 years ago, we launched our own low cost community veterinary clinic, which has been a vital part of our operations and still relatively uncommon for an animal shelter. Additionally, our pre-vet intern program is one of extremely few in the country.

And now, we’re looking to be on the cutting edge to save more lives once again.
Over the last couple of years, our cattery began looking at FIV and FeLV positive cats more closely. FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus) and FeLV (feline leukemia virus) are similar retroviruses that only affect cats. In years past, a cat that tested positive for either of these viruses was essentially euthanized automatically – partly because many shelters generally don’t have the space to quarantine sick felines with contagious viruses. These viruses affect a feline’s immune system, making it easier for them to get sick – at least theoretically.
Fortunately, ACS had the space in our then-recently renovated cattery, so we started taking in these supposedly ill cats and housing them in their own area. However, after months of caring for these cats, not only did our staff notice that the felines seemed perfectly healthy, they showed no symptoms of any illness at all.

So we slowly started looking for adopters for these cats. Being as transparent with potential adopters as possible, we informed them honestly about their conditions – that the cat tested positive for FIV or FeLV and what that means. But because of the stigma surrounding these viruses, finding homes for these otherwise extremely sweet and adoptable felines was proving difficult.

But more is being learned around the country about these viruses. And the biggest takeaway is how little is actually known about the viruses. A recent research article published by the Humane Society of the United States helped us confirm what we were already learning: that these viruses are not necessarily deadly, not exceptionally contagious, and infected cats are capable of living long, happy lives. In fact, even the testing process itself is not reliable in diagnosing these viruses.

Armed with this new information, we’re setting out to battle the stigma that FIV and FeLV cats are deathly ill and unadoptable. In fact, the three FeLV felines that we’ve had up for adoption for months, have all found homes in February, including 10-year-old Pawdme and seven-year-old Lando, the latter of which was with us since August of last year and even spent time as our office cat.

So if you’re out looking for a new feline friend and come across a cat that is FIV or FeLV positive, don’t pass them by. In our experience, FIV and FeLV kitties have been some of the sweetest felines that have come through our doors. Give them a chance. 
Get to know ACS!
Becca Morgan - Animal Services Director
How long have you been a part of ACS? Why did you get involved?

“I’ve been at ACS for 4 ½ years, starting in the cattery. My sister was working here at the time and said it was a great place to work. I’ve always wanted to work with animals so I thought it was perfect for me.”

Are you a dog person or a cat person?

“Cats all the way. I love dogs, too. But I got my start here in the cattery, and they’re just so quiet and sweet. I love them.”

What’s your favorite part of your job?

“Bringing in animals that have no other options left and watching them go home. Even if they’re here for a while, providing them with a better life than they had before is so rewarding.”
SANCTUARY STORIES
Bella & Freyja
Bella
Freyja
Bella and Freyja are two brave ladies who are getting a second chance at life.

Bella is a one-year-old German Shepherd mix who was surrendered to ACS after her owner had passed away. Upon her surrender, it was quickly discovered that she was severely underweight and malnourished.

But while she's a bit hesitant and shy, Bella is an absolute sweetheart who loves people. She's currently on a special diet to get her back up to a healthy weight, and we hope to find her a forever home as soon as she's ready.

Freyja was brought to ACS after a nearby local resident discovered her abandoned on her property. Like Bella, Freyja was badly underweight, but she also had pressure sores and discolored fur from being neglected.

Since this two-year-old lady has gotten more comfortable and healthier, her personality has really started to shine! Freyja is a playful girl who is extremely sweet and friendly, despite her difficult past. She continues to make a strong recovery and we're optimistic that she'll find a new home once her rehab is complete!
Kal-El
Kal-El is a young cat who's on a long road to recovery that ACS has had since late January.

Kal-El was surrendered to ACS after being found with terrible wounds to his neck and face. We won't share the most graphic injuries here, but from this pic you can partially see his healing injuries.

Our cattery and vet team deduce that Kal-El sustained the wounds during some kind of fight with another animal. While our staff has been treating the injuries with constant cleaning and honey, Kal-El has been growing a bit impatient with his rehab -- a sign that he's feeling better!

He's the sweetest guy you'll ever meet, and he even loves making biscuits with his paws! He's still got a lot of rehab ahead of him, but he's expected to make a full recovery! 
SUPPORT ACS BY DONATING VIA OUR AMAZON WISHLISTS!
Click on the buttons below!
As a Monthly Donor, you are providing a gift that can be used for animals in their hour of need. Your donation will help ACS rescue pets from overcrowded kill shelters, inhumane conditions, hoarding situations and puppy mills. Your support will help us make more future animal rescues possible, as well as give us the resources we need to provide those animals with the attention and medical care that they need to be adopted. Monthly donations provide security to assure that ACS always has the resources needed to provide for animals at a moment’s notice. To become a monthly donor, please sign up online at www.animalcaresanctuary.org or contact Terry McKendry at tmckendry@animalcaresanctaury.org.