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Our Autumn Leaves theme for this year was Hollywood Legends and Their Pets.

It was a grand and glorious fundraiser on Saturday, September 23, Springfield Country Club thanks to so many wonderful local people and especially to some really important people in Hollywood, like: Doris Day, Bob Barker, and Kirk and Anne Douglas…our tribute was to them!

• Doris Day blessed our group with two grants back-to-back years: 2013 and 2014
• Bob Barker (DJ&T Foundation) supplied our group a grant for this year
• Kirk and Anne Douglas offered our P.U.P.S. auction, an autographed copy of their new book!

This is how the “real” Hollywood rolls…with compassion and kindness! Nonetheless, as Director of this group, I was so caught up in “the moment” I forgot to take pictures or have pictures taken of the wonderful ambience of all the room that day.

As usual, the auction line-up was terrific with donations from many great companies, organizations, and small businesses, such as: Woeber Mustard; Cheryl’s Cookies; Meijer’s; Panera Bread; Bobby Fisher Distributing; Northside Vet Clinic; Springfield Country Club Golf; VFW 1031 Post and Women’s Auxiliary; Jeff Wyler’s; Windy Knoll Golf Club; International Harvester Credit Union; Spend-a-Day Marina; Rudy’s; Reid Park Golf Club;  Sheehan Brothers; Chakeres Theater; Taco Bell (Bechtle Avenue); Guild Galleries; Harmony Farm Market; Possum Woods Nursery; National Trails and Recreation; Designs by Deb; and so many individuals who kindly donated their talents, financial support or time in making this event a wonderful success! We are thankful and appreciate every one of you! And, last, but not least, our own Pets Uniting People Society board members: Dave (Dottie) Smiddy; Stacey Picolo; Judy Benning; and Susan Pike (and her husband Andy).

Rick Benning, Ambience, decorated the room with the elegance of Oscar and the movie legends we dearly love! Shirley Campbell along with Netts Florist and Ethel’s Flowers (Urbana) supplied the centerpieces for each of our dining tables. Outstanding!

Our Autumn Leaves Restaurant & Entertainment Tree is always a hit! Value: $295, Successful Bid: $200

In this Director’s opinion, this was the item of all items in the auction line-up, an autographed copy of Kirk and Anne…Letters of Love, Laughter, and a Lifetime in Hollywood. If anywhere else, this book would have gone higher than anyone in this town could afford! However, it tallied out at only $90 and this Director’s husband was the successful bidder! Hooray! And…

Hooray for Hollywood! Again… helping Pets Uniting People Society in its mission to assist in the needs of pets and the people who love them. In addition, we keep the forgotten feral cat population in-check and not to multiply with our voucher program for neuter/spay.

So this closes the curtain on another Autumn Leaves fundraiser. Next year’s date is Saturday, September 15.

Respectively submitted,

Carolyn Hayes, Director

It’s summertime and the funding is lean! Yeah, it’s like this every summer, after a hard-hitting spring season, Pets Uniting People Society is low with funding and cannot help as many people and pets. Grants are few and far between and the ones we do receive we try to stretch the dollars as far as they will go until we host our biggest fundraiser of the year, Autumn Leaves in September.

This year, Autumn Leaves is on Saturday, September 23, 10am, Springfield Country Club, our usual lovely setting. We are so appreciative to Susan and Andy Pike to sponsor our group at Springfield Country Club each year. This is our 6th year!

Our Autumn Leaves theme this year is Hollywood Legends.
In particular, we are honoring Doris Day and Bob Barker. We are hoping to add another star or two to the list before our September hosting date.

Tickets will go on sale soon. It’s a wonderful, full menu breakfast at the Club.

It’s a fun time and surely one you will not want to miss. What a wonderful way to help contribute to the community of animals that Pets Uniting People Society has a calling to care for. Watch for our Ticket Selling Link soon.

In the meantime, could you offer a donation to help see us through to September?

Thanks for caring…

Signed: Carolyn, on behalf of the entire Pets Uniting People Society Board: Susan Pike, Judy Benning, Stacy Picolo, Dave (Dottie) Smiddy.

Message from Carolyn Hayes, P.U.P.S. Director

Our spay/neuter numbers were down from last year. We believe numbers were down due to the free-roaming kittens/cats that came into our care for whatever reason were ill or injured and needed medical attention. We can only use our grant funds for the neuter/spay surgeries. PUPS’ cats’ medical expense continues to rise. That’s why our group constantly fundraises to ensure that there are enough monies to carry us through from month to month, year to year.

Even though it appears most people are more caring these days about their pets than in years past, the fact remains that there are still many people who fail to see the importance and responsibility of neutering or spaying their animals. With all the resources that are available throughout the country, and especially in this area, there is no excuse for an animal not to be altered, unless one is a reputable breeder. Even with reputable breeders, there is a fine line as to when an animal should be altered. All across this country, one can find many registered breeds in rescues and shelters.

In order to keep up with the demand for pet neuter/spay surgeries of families and individuals in our community, we need to continue seeking grants and fundraise. However, we realize our community can only do so much with donations and assistance; that is why we hold to one big fundraiser a year which is our September event, “Autumn Leaves Auction/Breakfast”. The 2016 Spring Health Fling at the Clark County Fairgrounds did not prove successful enough for it to continue.

I’d like to ask each person reading this article to consider giving a donation at least one time per year to our cause. You might say, “Carolyn, it’s not that I don’t want to give, it’s our budget is too tight to squeeze another dollar out.” I understand completely, believe me. How about this? Do you shop at an area Kroger Store? Why not place our name or NPO 82712 into the Community Reward link of Kroger.com/community rewards? This way it doesn’t cost you anything, but just a few minutes of your time to sign up. Look over our Kroger Community Reward ad here on our site.

Even though it’s not about numbers, numbers still enter into nonprofit scenarios. We help so many families/individuals and animals each year. And, we want to continue to make a difference and the only way we can is by receiving every person’s willingness to help in some way. We hope we can count on you in the coming year! Visit our facebook page: Pets Uniting People Society or website: pupsunite.org periodically to receive the latest P.U.P.S. news. I thank you on behalf of all the board of trustees of Pets Uniting People Society – P.U.P.S. – Susan Pike, Stacey Picolo, Judy Benning, and Dave (Dottie) Smiddy.

Here are our numbers for 2016:

221 Neuter / Spays

6 Small to Medium Dogs

140 Adoptions

Check out some of Dottie’s kitties that are available for adoption on Adopt-A-Pet.com through this site as well.

Please take a peek at our 2017 Edition of “PUPS Digest” which can be read online through this site as well. Click onto picture of PUPS Digest on the side banner.

Thanks and visit this site often for updates.

Our Christmas Raffle Baskets are always pretty ones!

This year’s winners are: Helen Benning, Coach Basket; Julie Maes, Toy Basket. Thanks for everyone purchasing tickets. It helps our Neuter/Spay Program…Total: $1,124

Basket winners were drawn on Tuesday, December 20th, Panera Bread, Springfield, Ohio, 6pm

One does not need to be present to win.

Special thanks to:
Susan Pike for the Coach Women and Men Items
Dottie Smiddy for designing baskets
Willow Group Baskets
Hometown Hearing, Springfield, OH
Guild Galleries, Urbana, OH
Lola & Josh Walters
Andy Richard – Jeff Wyler’s Auto Mall
Harding Road Pharmacy
Rural King
Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken
Christine Boysel, Mary Kay Representative
Castle’s Family Restaurant, Mechanicsburg, OH
The Market Place, West Liberty, OH
Marie’s Candies, West Liberty, OH
Ann Kallal
Brenda Priest

It’s a constant…thinking of ways to keep the ball rolling! How do we help more animals and the people who love them? How do we continue to fundraise to move our mission forward? These are just a few questions we continue to ask ourselves.

We have one BIG fundraiser a year – it’s our “Autumn Leaves” held each September. “Autumn Leaves” is an Auction/Breakfast that is held each year at the Springfield Country Club, Springfield, OH. Springfield Country Club does a fine job in showcasing our event. The food, the service, and the atmosphere are top-notch.

We thank the leader of our group, Susan Pike and her husband Andy for inviting us to Springfield Country Club every year for our biggest fundraiser. They are great supporters and we don’t know how we could continue without them! A HUGE Thank You!

Andy and Susan

The menu we chose was fresh fruit; assorted pastries; smoked bacon and sausage; hash brown potatoes; scrambled eggs. It was delicious!

Auction team: Ron Denney, Staci Shaffer, Tim Lile helped tremendously and did an excellent job!

Dottie Smiddy

Marcia Lyons

Dave Smiddy and Mike Picolo

Dave Smiddy and Stacey Picolo selling tickets

Marcia Lyons lead the 5-for-a-prize trivia which is always fun. Dottie Smiddy spoke about our Volunteer-of-the-Year, Jeannie Harshbarger, who could not attend as she was in the hospital battling cancer. Dottie also gave a report on the importance of educating people regarding Trap-Neuter-Return and how P.U.P.S. and other like-groups are combatting animal overpopulation.

Dave Smiddy, Stacey and Mike Picolo were our raffle ticket sellers. They did an excellent job!

There were a variety of items available for auction and silent auction. In addition, there were a fabulous array of raffle items as well as a 50/50 raffle.

Cole Young volunteered to assist with auction line-up

Bobby Tittle and his wife Michelle are great to help at our auction! Thank you!

Dottie, Cheryl, Shirley, and Kathy enjoying the auction. Shirley Campbell was in charge of the table centerpieces and did a lovely job!

Judy and Susan taking a break from all festivities

Dottie Smiddy was presented with this Cat Print by P.U.P.S. for her compassion and work with animals. Dottie is pictured with Debra Smith from the group CALICO who does work with T-N-R (Trap-Neuter-Release)

Brenda helps at registration and does a fine job!

P.U.P.S. Board of Trustees (L to R): Carolyn Hayes, Susan Pike, Stacey Picolo, Judy Benning, Dottie and Dave Smiddy

Look for our year-end newsletter PUPS Digest for a complete listing of event sponsors.

We thank all our sponsors for this wonderful day at Springfield Country Club! We are truly blessed beyond measure. We serve a mighty God!

Photo credits: Bonnie Pugliese and Julie Shaffer

Dottie, wife of one of our P.U.P.S. board members, doesn’t need more kittens! At this time, she needs to find homes for 28. That’s a bunch of kittens! Many need medical care before they are healthy enough to be adopted. It’s been said that spring is “kitten season” but Dottie knows that every season is “kitten season”. She does the best she knows how to save as many as possible that she and her husband Dave find that come across their paths.

So many people hear about Dottie and her works with the kittens that they want to bring more cats or kittens for her to care for. What’s needed is more people to be a “Dottie” when stray cats or kittens come into their lives for whatever reason. They need to think about what they can do individually to help in an emergency cat or kitten situation.

Dottie and her network of caregivers will find homes for all the kittens when each one is age appropriate. It’s amazing how everyone works together to do what’s best for each kitten. How thankful we all are at P.U.P.S. that we have such a great network of people and other like-organizations!

I read Dottie stories and it’s heartbreaking to learn how some of the kittens are found, from trash cans to bushes to underneath porches.

Dottie writes the best posts for facebook to tell about the kitten ordeals. However, she doesn’t have much time to write stories, only short ones of how she acquires each little ball of fur. Here is just one of her facebook entries that she wrote about a kitten found in a trash can along with its siblings:

By Mitch Aultman

We don’t trap-neuter-release (TNR) these cats that need us without knowing that one day the day we dread to face will be realized. We know that each day we spend with these mesmerizing creatures could, at any time, be the last.

We always hope it will never happen, but we know that their lives are not long by house cat standards; and, some live extraordinarily long lives by feral standards. That makes us happy because it gives us more time. They make us happy as our relationships develop. A whistle and four legs spring out of their hiding places as they recognize our signal, or the sounds of our cars, just a cat, just vermin, not worth anything, so, so very untrue. Love abounds between us and them. Trust is a measure of success, especially, when we’ve reached one and they respond to us, so contrary to their nature. We each have those little heart flips when something new happens. Each achievement, each new level of trust is important to us than any milestone in the average person’s life. Because we are doing the extraordinary, the unexpected work of reaching the lost hearts and souls of those who are abandoned. They aren’t just cats. They are the special ones we’ve chosen to dedicate ourselves to.

None of this comes lightly, we sacrifice in many ways, none of which we complain about because it is our nature. It is what gives meaning to our lives. It is also what will make the difference one day when people finally understand what it is that this insane and crazy person is actually doing. One day, it will all make sense to them. In the meantime, we celebrate our successes, we look forward to each visit we make with our special friends. Our hearts lift when they venture into new territory with us and finally break the barriers. We know we’ve made a difference and we know without a doubt that we matter. We know that they love us, when they trust us. We know the bond is there. We may never touch them, but still the love is there, the trust as well. That’s important.

We’ve achieved something that we never dreamed in our early years would matter so greatly to us, but it does. And then one day, the day we know will come, the day it ends, our hearts break, our tears flow, and pieces of our soul remain with them as they make their way to their everlasting home. Their memories, their stories, their presence in our lives are what makes us different, what makes us “not crazy”, but compassionate in extraordinary ways.

Rest in peace, my beautiful and wonderful little man. I don’t know why you were where you were, why I found you there or why it ever had to be in the first place, but you were. You gave me joy, love and trust and it changed me. It changed me greatly. I never wanted this day to come, but it did. I will never forget you. I never touched you, but I loved you and I know you loved me too in your own way. Your eyes told me every time we met for all the years I was lucky enough to be your person and caretaker. I can see that love shining brightly from your eyes in all my pictures. You were a street cat by circumstance, but no less important because of it. You mattered. You were important. And now you are gone, but will always be in my heart.

This story’s author, Mitchelyn Aultman, is Director of a nonprofit organization in the Albany/Leesburg, Georgia area called CatNappers. Facebook/Catnappers

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR

Board Members (L to R): Dave Smiddy, Dottie Smiddy, Carolyn Hayes, Stacey Picolo, Rosemarie Benning, Judy Benning, and Susan Pike

All of us at Pets Uniting People Society want to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year! If you would like to make a year-end donation to help our programs, including Dot’s Connection, please donate at the link provided or by sending to: Pets Uniting People Society, Box 49, Tremont City, OH  45372.

A litter of kittens adopted via Dot’s Connections