February 2023 Newsletter
Union, Missouri
636-583-4300
Shelter Honors State Farm Agent Jim Feighery
For Paying Adoption Fees for 50 Dogs
FCHS shelter employees and volunteers recently honored Jim Feighery for a most unusual gift. Since 2019, he has paid the adoption fees for 50 dogs that were in our care and then adopted into permanent homes. The poster photo below lists the names of all 50 dogs.
 
"We appreciate so much Jim's generosity," said Laura Amlong, Director of Development, who has worked with Jim on this project. "Many of the dogs Jim has sponsored are large dogs, which typically stay longer at our shelter than smaller dogs. As everyone knows, the cost of feeding a large dog is not a small expense these days, so when an adopting family learns that the average $180 adoption fee has been paid, they are very grateful." Jim has also paid the adoption fees for several cats.

In addition to paying an adoption fee each month for a dog, Jim wanted to expand his donations to FCHS because he now has an office to serve State Farm clients in St. Clair, Missouri, as well as his office in Washington. Jim's Washington address is 1401 Jefferson Street (636-239-4746); his St. Clair address is 70 North Main Street (636-629-1789). Jim's newest project for our shelter is donating chew toys for large dogs, and leashes and collars that say, "Adopt me."
 
"Our dogs like chew toys, and toys for big dogs can cost up to $15 apiece," added Shelter Manager Allison Mitchell. "Cheaper toys don't last long. The toys Jim is giving us are high quality and we never have a surplus of good toys for big dogs."
 
Jim has been employed by State Farm for 35 years and has been a State Farm Agent in Washington since 2013. Paying the adoption fees for so many dogs has been formally recognized by State Farm Companies Foundation, which matches grants of qualifying nonprofit organizations. Jim's donation of $2,160 last year to FCHS was matched by the Foundation, and FCHS received a check for $4,320.
 
To State Farm and Jim --- we salute you!
Honoring Jim Feighery are, from left, FCHS Director of Development Laura Amlong, FCHS Office Manager Caity Zweifel, FCHS volunteer Pat Foan with dog Vienna, State Farm Agent Jim Feighery, FCHS Board Member Ron Foan, and FCHS Shelter Manager Allison Mitchell.
Ron Foan (left) and Jim Feighery pause to enjoy some celebratory cake at the shelter.
ECC English Student Volunteers To Write
Biographies of Adoptable FCHS Pets
With the increased number of pets in our care, writing biographies of our dogs and cats for our website and Petfinder became a challenge several months ago for our staff. "So I reached out to Josh Stroup, the chairman of the English Department at East Central College," said Laura Amlong, FCHS Director of Development. "He referred me to Leigh Kolb, Assistant Professor of English and Journalism, who selected Emma Thomas to be our volunteer biography writer."

"Emma has been a rock star on this project," added the professor. "Her love for cats and dogs shines through the bios she's written. I'm so thankful we have been able to work with Franklin County Humane Society and help provide biographies for these precious adoptable dogs and cats. The work of FCHS is so valuable and to be able to support them in any way is an honor."

Emma Thomas is a senior at Union High School and a second-year Early College Academy student at ECC. She has earned enough credits to graduate from both schools in May. "I've always loved animals and our family has had many dogs over the years, all adopted from shelters. Currently, I have a dog named Hooch and a cat named George. We adopted Hooch from FCHS in February 2020. When the opportunity arose to write pet profiles, I saw it as a way to help the animals find forever homes. So far, I have really enjoyed this project."

In a future issue of this newsletter, we will feature FCHS volunteer Mary Lenau, who writes our pet biographies that are published in the Washington Missourian newspaper and the Sullivan Independent News.
FCHS kitty Annalisa had never met Emma Thomas, but she warmed up to Emma in about 10 minutes and was soon climbing on her lap.
This is Niamh (pronounced Neeve), a young female who was recently adopted at our shelter. To see the information provided to writer Emma and how she then created a short bio for the Missourian newspaper, click here.
Emma offers a treat to senior dog Phyllis, who at press time was available for adoption. Emma writes the bios from the pet's point of view, and personally meets as many adoptable pets as possible with her busy student schedule.
We Love Our 74 Volunteers Who Collected
Donations at Walmart By Ringing Bells in 2022
It's official! Walmart customers in Union and Washington donated $11,111 to FCHS last year during our annual holiday bell ringing in front of both stores. (The previous grand total of $10,281.71 as announced in our January newsletter increased with some last-minute donations.) Thank you to all the volunteers and the many dogs who greeted customers. Volunteers in Union collected $3,798 and volunteers in Washington collected $7,317. Special thanks to FCHS Board Member Ron Foan, who coordinated the Union volunteer schedule, and to FCHS Board Secretary Mary Lovern, who coordinated the Washington volunteer schedule. To see the impressive list of youth and adults who rang bells for us click here.
FCHS volunteer Kami Farrell and her son Augustus rang bells on December 18, 2022, with their dogs Winnie (top) and Kringle.
Stella the Great Dane once again stopped traffic on December 18, 2022, at Walmart with her owner FCHS volunteer Jessica Donaldson.
Shelter Manager Speaks to Eighth Grade
Veterinary Medicine Class in Washington

FCHS Shelter Manager Allison Mitchell (left) presented a program about shelter operations to the Veterinary Medicine Students (Area of Career Interest) in November 2022. In an earlier classroom session, teacher Stefanie Virgen photographed one student (right) who was identifying internal feline/canine parasites in a pathology lab.
When Allison Mitchell visited Washington Middle School in November, she asked the students in the Veterinary Medicine Class how many of them owned a dog or cat. Nearly every hand was raised. They were eager to share their pet stories. Few students, however, knew that heartworm in dogs---if not treated---can lead to heart failure. And there was an audible gasp when Allison explained that heartworm treatment can cost almost $1,000. "You can prevent heartworm," she advised them, "by simply giving your dog monthly heartworm prevention pills. The medicine is highly effective and much less expensive than heartworm treatment for an infected dog, But even dogs taking regular heartworm prevention pills should be tested for heartworms once a year at a veterinary clinic. As a responsible pet owner, you want to keep your pet as healthy as possible."

About 60 eighth graders each year are enrolled in Stefanie Virgen's Veterinary Medicine classes, which she developed five years ago as part of the school's Areas of Career Interest program. "I teach introduction to the skills, problems, and critical-thinking-based solutions involved in medical animal care and office procedure," she stated. "The students learn how to wrap and suture a wound, go on a field trip to the Humane Society of Missouri, work with veterinarians to analyze and interpret radiology results, and practice running an office that requires triage skills." Stefanie Virgen teaches the 7th and 8th Grade Gifted classes, 7th Grade Introduction to Outoor Education, and the 8th Grade Outdoor Academy.

Allison spoke for almost an hour about shelter operations and the joys and challenges of caring for more than one thousand pets in 2022. FCHS is honored to have a manager who represents us so well with public speaking.
Gus visits Holly in her crate. Below, Max Brown, age 7, carries Gus.
Maple is comfortable in her new home.
The Happy Home
Stories of Happy Homecomings

Nikki Brown: We adopted Gus in July 2022, and to describe him in one word we would say opinionated! Gus gives us unsolicited feedback by always being involved in every family activity by purring, climbing, cuddling, playing, licking, speaking, etc. This cat is a little Houdini by carrying things in his mouth that are twice his size, and he has also managed to make two collars disappear. He LOVES his three doggy sisters so much! We truly believe they think Gus is their baby as they lick him and cuddle him. Gus is a great addition to our family and allows our son Max to carry him around like a rag doll.



Jacque Stanfield: My husband and I have owned many cats over the years and were looking online for an older cat to adopt when we found Maple's photo on the FCHS website. We visited her at her foster home and learned about her special circumstances. Because of Maple's abnormal thyroid and kidney functions, she needs medication and special food. She is also deaf. We've had experience with a special needs cat so this didn't deter us. Maple was fostered almost seven months by a very caring FCHS family and we adopted her in December 2022. She is settling in nicely with us. We brush her coat every day and she seems to enjoy that. We kept the name the shelter gave her because she really is as sweet as maple syrup!
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