Anietra Hamper, former TV News Anchor, now award-winning travel writer/photographer & corporate consultant

2003 conference at Cedarville University

Yeah…I know it can be scary participating in a conference/vendor fair and wonder if it’s the right fit for your business. Maybe you’re thinking what’s in it for me?…Let me put you at ease. First…here are some details about our upcoming Spring conference/vendor fair. Our theme is “home, health, and happiness”. Isn’t it true that everyone needs these elements in life? Not only do people, but also pets. Pets deserve to have a home, be healthy, and be happy as well as we do.

And, our speaker, Anietra Hamper, will give us insights on her new career with her presentation, ”Your Someday Starts Now!”

2007 Sisters’ Boutique, before the sisters retired

Event attendees browsing the displays

If your business has anything to do about the life and health of pets or people, then you need a spot at this conference. I’ve included some snapshots of conferences from the past to let you know we are experienced in event hosting. Attendance varied from 100 to 300 (Cedarville conference was the 300 total). The Courtyard Marriott, Downtown Springfield, Ohio, is a larger venue than our fall event setting and we plan to fill it up!

2012 Event Sandy Zinger, Mary Kay

On behalf of our Pets Uniting People Board of Trustees: Susan Pike, Rosemarie Benning, Dave (Dottie) Smiddy, Stacey Picolo, Judy Benning, and me, Carolyn Hayes, we hope you will participate in some manner with our conference/vendor fair. Save the date: Saturday, May 23rd, 10am – 2pm, Marriott Downtown.  ”What’s in it for me?” Business opportunities shared with others in our community, an event for you and your business to shine!

As an attendee, one will see the various displays and businesses that offer a service he/she is looking to use, know more about, obtain information, or enter various prize drawings! You can shop too at many of the vendor table locations! There will be a motivational speaker to make all of us ready to take on days ahead and be supercharged each and every day. Everyone will enjoy the delicious breakfast buffet that will be served by the Marriott. Cost to attend is only $25. Not only are you gaining information about many businesses, but also you are helping lives of animals and many low-income families that live in our community. Save the date, Saturday, May 23, 2015, 10am – 2pm. Tell others about it. It will be a great day!

*Business Participation Fee:  $100, includes: one breakfast ticket, one table (covered, decorate as you choose), program ad, and a one-minute infomercial at the event itself. Half of fee due on participation acceptance, other half due on April 16, 2015.

**Ticket for attendee: $25.00 per ticket

Specify how you wish to participate, send your check to: Pets Uniting People Society, c/o Spring Event, Box 49, Tremont City, OH  45372. Questions or need more information, call Director, Carolyn Hayes, 937-244-4604.

NOTE: There will be one business representing each category, ie, one veterinarian, one funeral home, one realtor, one beauty salon, one beauty product line (Mary Kay), one vitamin supplement (Juice Plus)…we have one of the previous mentioned reserved. We need reserves for a:  pet groomer, mortgage banker, pet food supplier, home healthcare provider representative, hospital or urgent care, or bank. We have room for at least 14 more businesses. Call Carolyn today at (937) 244-4604, reserve your spot!

Here are the winners drawn by basketball player from Urbana University, Matt Csuhran, Panera Bread, December 13, 2014. Congratulations to: Kathie Coy and Donna Shepherd!

Kathie Coy and her Dog…Kathie first basket winner

Donna Shepherd (left) second basket winner 2014

Matt Csuhran drawing first winner

Matt drawing second winner

Cole Young and Auctioneer Curtis Mumma

Sally Ingle (left); PUPS Board Member Susan Pike (right)

William Arthur Ward wrote: “Gratitude can transform common days into Thanksgiving, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” At Pets Uniting People Society (P.U.P.S.), they live this quote. Oftentimes, one might think an organization must be huge to have an impact in our world. This is just not true.

Board of trustees for Pets Uniting People Society are: Susan Pike, Judy Benning, Dave (Dottie) Smiddy, Rosemarie Benning, Stacey Picolo, and Carolyn Hayes. Thanks to everyone who assisted with “Autumn Leaves 2014” and special thanks to Andy and Susan Pike. Without assistance from so many, they could not have reached their objective for this year. Not only did they achieve their goal, but they surpassed what they thought was possible. No doubt…”with God all things are possible.”

In this blog post are some pictures that were taken on this truly, remarkable day of Thanksgiving, Autumn Leaves 2014. Their hope is that they can continue to help not only the animals, but also, the people who love them.

Display Tables

Donna Shepherd’s Book Display

Dottie Smiddy along side Raffle Table

Lyn Hardman and PUPS Board Member Stacey Picolo

Susan Young and PUPS Co-Director Judy Benning

Michelle Adams, Dottie Smiddy, Marsha Tiffner

PUPS Board Member Dave Smiddy

Mrs. Dave Smiddy (Dottie) presenting Volunteer of Year Award to Sue Ellen Kelly

In Charge of Silent Auction Table: Michelle Tittle (right)

Guest Speaker: Donna Shepherd

Appreciative for the outburst of support from the Springfield, Urbana, and Yellow Springs area for our “Autumn Leaves” fundraiser…It is the third year to host this event and everyone can see it becoming better and better each time.

So many people to thank and each individual is dear for making this event happen, especially those praying for us. God has definitely shown us favor.

Here are a few pictures of the baskets for the auction and raffle. We hope you bought a ticket to join in the festivities, Springfield Country Club, Springfield, Ohio.

23 theme-baskets for auction, 10 raffle baskets, and several silent auction items. Plus we have paintings, artwork, homemade quilt, and many door prizes!

We are ready!

What difference does it make? It makes a huge difference on how many animals and people Pets Uniting People Society can help during the year in grants and fundraising efforts. We need people’s prayers for what some people consider the “small stuff” as compared to what’s going on in our world. Although this may be true, we here at Pets Uniting People Society have our own jobs in our own organization’s mission, to help as many people and free-roaming cats as possible. In addition, we sometimes help dogs, but usually just cats because our local animal control helps more with the dogs and cannot assist much with our community’s cats overpopulation.

Our county of over 100,000 people has a population of over 5,000 feral cats based upon our people population. And, this number is much higher with free-roaming/loosely-owned cats that people may feed once-in-awhile, but by no means do they offer cats veterinarian care or get them neutered or spayed. That’s why they are called “community cats” (as illustrated in the one graphic provided by an Indiana cat group)…it takes all of us to care for them. We need more people to step up to take responsibility of community cats. Cats that are loosely-owned fend for themselves, just like their feral counterparts. Our society can make a difference and take on the responsibility where many citizens fall short. God mandates (Genesis 1:28; Proverbs 12:10) us to be good stewards of what we are given on this earth…let’s start now to be good stewards. The kittens in these pictures are being taken care of and have received forever homes. They are the fortunate ones. However, there are many out there in neighborhoods and in city and county fields that need our help. Please…let’s continue to make a difference for so many that need it.

To offer a donation or for more information about how to help in our cat overpopulation, contact Pets Uniting People Society, Box 49, Tremont City, OH  45372. Or go to our donate link on this website to offer a secure online contribution. Your donation is tax-deductible.

Would you help us? This September 20th, Pets Uniting People Society will be hosting its 3rd Annual “Autumn Leaves” Brunch/Auction. We hope you will be able to attend this fundraiser on Saturday, September 20, 2014, Springfield Country Club. More details about this event are coming up as the date draws near, check back often.

Yes, unfortunately, it’s kitten season. They seem to come out from everywhere. Please check with Dottie (937) 244-0852 for any available kittens.

Here are a few pictures of some.

These little babies are just a few weeks old. They need to be 8 weeks old before adoption.

These little ones are ready for homes and a few have already been adopted.

As Director of PUPS, oftentimes, I think we could write a book about all the happenings that goes on within our organization, especially stories told by Dottie Smiddy, our volunteer foster care director. Every spring, she receives phone call after phone call about kittens in distress that are without their momma cat. She takes on what she feels she can handle, which, believe me, is quite a few!

Flowers (black and white) and Miss Whiskers (tiger)

Although her latest contact was from a lady who had two stray momma cats that she rescued along with sixteen other homeless cats from a neighborhood that was demolished in order to build our new hospital. She found homes for the others. She named one momma cat Flowers and the other Ms. Whiskers. Flowers had six kittens and Ms. Whiskers had five. She liked them well enough to keep, but she couldn’t care and keep their kittens…this is when Dottie enters the scene. Did I say a book? It’s more like a remake of the Doris Day film, “Send Me No Flowers!”

Momma Flowers Litter

In the midst of kitten season, the message was staged: “Send Me No Flowers!” No one would help. No one! No one, but Dottie. Dottie came to the rescue, again! She agreed to take them all until the kittens were well enough and old enough to be adopted. Then, Momma Flowers and Momma Whiskers would be spayed…this is when the Doris Day Animal Foundation (DDAF) enters the picture. There was an important role for everyone. The Doris Day Animal Foundation was the producer that helped with the funding, P.U.P.S. directed the scenes played over and over again, and Dottie, the casting director, was the one who affectionately named and cared for the kittens.

Lil Rosebud, only one that didn’t make it

During the convalescent time, Dottie found that Flowers’ little garden needed the most attention. While caring for the kittens she gave them these names: Sweet William, Chrysanthemum (Chrys), Poppy, Laurel, Lark, and Rosebud. Even with the wonderful, round-the-clock care that Dottie gave, little Rosebud didn’t make it. Flowers rejected her right from the start…usually momma cats know when something isn’t right. Dottie (bless her heart) said, “If Rosebud makes it, I’m going to rename her Blossom”. Well, folks, this is when I lost it and broke down in tears (In private, I am sure Dottie does this many times, but, with me, she always plays the strong one. She knows how weak and emotional I am.)

So thank you, Doris Day Animal Foundation for this new and important production of “Send Me No Flowers”! P.U.P.S. is dedicating many pages in their organization’s scrapbook with titles of movies that Doris Day starred in, i.e. “Pillow Talk” – kittens in slumber and play; “The Thrill of It All” – neuter/spaying free-roaming cats in two zip code areas of Clark County, Ohio; “With Six You Get Egg roll” – a blended family of pets; “It’s a Great Feeling” – helping hundreds of free-roaming cats in the small community of Clark County, OH…thanks to the generosity of The Doris Day Animal Foundation! Pictures are worth a thousand words and we will have plenty of pictures to support these themes.

Please visit this site from time-to-time to see the development of our presentation scrapbook. Thanks to everyone who plays a role in the continuous production of “Pets Uniting People Society” (P.U.P.S.).

Raffle for May is over.  Raffle was for a shabby-chic 2-piece wall décor, beautiful planter, and gift certificate for Bonnie’s Garden Center.

Raffle winner: John Ormsbee, Navistar, Dept. 59, Springfield, Ohio.

Congratulations! And, thanks for everyone’s participation. Proceeds total: $202

Pets Uniting People Society (P.U.P.S.) is gaining on obtaining the goal of neuter/spaying 300 or more cats in 2014.

News was received about another grant for our neuter/spay program. We thank The Ohio Pet Fund for their continued support.

NOTE:This grant stipulates assisting low-income recipients according to the guidelines set up by The Ohio Pet Fund.