President's Message
CFC United Way and Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign
Events/Fundraisers
Please Help Anya!
Purina Labels
An Amusing Story
Special Thanks

President's Message

Sorry it has been so long since my last news update, but I’ve been really, really busy! Recently SADSAC has been helping to spay and neuter many cats in at least three different colonies. We were able to take in nine kittens and a momma kitty from a man in Brentsville and turned them over to the Prince William division of Animal Allies. There are still a few kittens left and the mom, named Skitter who is also still available.

We took in two adult cats from a gentleman with Alzheimer’s who was no longer able to take care of them. These cats, Haley and Harley are also with Animal Allies. Haley is all white, but her name may be changed to Salmon because she definitely has pink points. She is very unusual and obviously a very pretty girl. Her brother Harley is all black and definitely a ham. He tries everything to be adopted, even rolling over on his back to get the attention of passers by. I sure hope he finds a forever home soon, maybe even with his sister!

Another hard luck story was one of Hope. A woman accidentally ran over the entire litter of kittens with the lawnmower before realizing they were even there. It was unbelievable she ever survived. We were afraid she would lose a leg and need several surgeries, but she turned out just fine! Again, Frankie from Animal Allies to the rescue--she found a foster home for her and she can still be seen at pet adoptions. Hope was only about three weeks old when she came in to the clinic, so she is still just a kitten awaiting adoption. If you are a tortie fan, perhaps she is the one for you.

A little less recently we were able to take in a litter of abandoned kittens and a small feral family who all went to Animal Allies to be fostered, rehabilitated and hopefully adopted. The momma of the ferals was about to give birth so we were lucky to find anyone to take her in. Two of her older kittens were re-released as we just plain ran out of foster homes, but the other two may become adoptable soon. Paws crossed.

On the dog side, SADSAC has provided financial aid to a few other rescuers so they can take in another dog and get it fully vetted before adoption. Since we are so limited, at least we can help whenever we can. Some chocolate labs and maybe a black one come to mind, but I may have forgotten a few others.

Having just recently lost my remaining dog to renal failure, I adopted two seven-year-old Border Collies who are currently decorating my feet. The man who gave them to me had adopted them years ago as littermates from a Border Collie rescue group that was no longer willing or able to take them back. I guess they knew the chances of finding a home for two seven-year-olds was like finding a needle in a haystack. Personally I love the older ones, and I just LOVE Border Collies! I found them through a courtesy listing on Petfinder.com.

Have a safe and fun holiday season. Enjoy!

Sherry Meier, President SADSAC

CFC United Way and Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign

SADSAC's United Way CFC designation number is 7768 if you would like to make a payroll deduction contribution. We have been able to collect approximately $300.00 per quarter, thanks to your generous contributions!

We have also been added to the Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign. Our designation number with CVC is 3551.

Events/Fundraisers:

We are still microchipping at Independent Hill Veterinary Clinic. Please call (703) 791-2083 to make an appointment.

Please Help Anya!

Anya is a beagle puppy, about five or six months old. Her owners allowed her to run loose, and poor Anya was hit by a car. Both forelegs were badly broken and required extensive surgery to repair.

We'd be grateful for any contributions to her medical care. Please help this little girl if you can.

Save Those Purina Labels!

Check your dog and cat food bags for weight circles from Purina Proplan and CNM Rx diets for donation to SADSAC. You can drop them off at the clinic any time. Just tell the receptionist to give them to Sherry. We thank you in advance.

Skunk Story

As some of you know I have just recently moved. My husband and I bought a small farm. It has been a lifelong dream. You know, up before the sun, still out in the barn way after the sun has gone down! Anyway, since I have a little extra space, I thought I'd share this is story with you, one of my many adventurers!

We have many creatures here on the farm. By far, the most annoying types are the rats. I decide to set a live trap for my rats. The rats crawl in and out, and no one seems to be big enough to trip it. So I put in more bait - a hot dog this tim - and set the trap in front of the feed room.

Well, 5 AM rolls around and I start off to the barn in the pitch dark. It is haunted castle dark once you step into the barn and walk several feet to the light switch. So, in order to do this I straddle the trap (heck, can't catch anything in there anyway) and I start running in and out of the feed room to get the various feed containers to feed each horse in the barn. I've been in and out of the feed room (and OVER the trap) at least 4 or 5 times by now when I turn around to bring the last of the empty containers (at a slower pace now) back to the feed room to refill.

Well, I turn around and behold... the skunk. Every hair on the back of my neck stands straight up. Then I think to myself, HA, where's the hidden camera, then I realize there probably isn't one, so I had better start thinking about every single bit of info I have ever heard about skunks, which I freely profess to know NOTHING about. I think I remember something about them having poor eyesight -- this is a good thing...BUT I CAN'T BELIEVE IT DIDN'T SPRAY ME ALREADY!!! Then I remember Clair, the animal warden, said she had picked up several skunks and had never been sprayed. I CAN'T BELIEVE IT DIDN'T SPRAY ME ALREADY!!! Then I think, "if Clair can do this, I should be able to do it, too." Well, at least getting it the heck out of the barn, anyway. I CAN'T BELIEVE IT DIDN'T SPRAY ME ALREADY!!!

I slowly and painfully tiptoe past the little thing to get out of the barn and go get Mark. As luck would have it, he's still home in bed. Whew! So I HOOF it up to the house and start shaking him gently at first, then violently. "You wouldn't believe what I just caught! I just caught a skunk! What the heck do I do now?" After much repeating, and much "You're #$(^&&#%@* me"s from my disoriented husband, I inform him that he is going to come out and help me, and he had better hurry up. After more "No way, not today, I have to do a job on Capitol Hill today"s than I want to hear, I finally leave his butt behind and start plotting my course of action.

Now the sun is starting to come up--better hurry if I want to do something before the skunk can see me. Hmmm. I cover ferals when I trap them to lessen their stress--better get some towels. So I dig around madly and find two small ones. Sheesh. I trudge out to the barn and I look at the cutest little varmint I have seen in a long time. You wouldn't believe how cute they are close up. Anyway, I realize to my horror that I have to get almost nose to nose with the thing to gently put the towels over the trap. Heck, can't throw 'em--might startle the little guy. Wouldn't want that.

Then I hear the loudest crash! It's Poppers (my horse) banging on her door to be turned out. NOT NOW!!!! I back up slowly and decide to take all the horses out of the barn first. Two of them need to walk right by the trap-- Poppers walks less than 12 inches from it. Finally, that ordeal over, Mark appears about 20 feet from the doorway to watch me. Lovely. He announces, "I've dealt with skunks before." I think, "Hallelujah!" I say, "What'd ya do?" He says, "Shoot 'em." UGH! He is NO help. There is NO way I'll shoot this amazingly cute little creature that still hasn't sprayed me yet!

I VERY slowly, painstakingly and shakingly walk up to the trap and gently place the towels, one at a time, over it. Whew! He shows no signs of startling! Lucky me!!!! Then I have to go back and pick up the trap and carry it out of the barn. I have trouble grasping the handle with the towels in place--it seems like it takes 5 minutes. Finally I get the handle and walk out of the barn with it on complete tip toe and at holding it at arm's length. I set it in front of the barn, a little toward the pasture on a stack of stall mats. Then I walk away. At this point I am sweating profusely.

Mark decides he can't let me get all the action and walks up to the trap and slowly lifts one side and stands there with his eyes closed and head turned away. So the poor little dear pokes its head out of the trap and sniffs the air (I am doing a running commentary for Mark who is still standing there holding the trap door with his eyes closed). Then to my horror the skunk walks out of the trap and doubles back toward me, walking across Mark's shoe and between his legs. He's got those huge work boot things on, so I know he can't feel it. So I say to Mark, "You're doin' great hon he's starting to walk out of the trap toward the pasture." I'm lying. I know if he sees it walk across his feet he'll panic and get sprayed.

Thankfully the little skunk simply toddles off toward the back pasture and doesn't even look back. Needless to say, I no longer use hot dogs for bait and I put the trap away.

So that's the story of the skunk. Whew!

Special Thanks

As always, a few special thank yous are in order:

Frankie and her foster home army at Animal Allies
Tama Breeden and her family for fostering Haley
The Purnells for continuing to sponsor Belle
Angie Talaber who took SADSAC materials to a CFC fund drive
Jo Kinnaly who continues to help SADSAC tirelessly
The staff at Independent Hill Vet Clinic for helping care for these guys and alerting me to the next needy dog or cat

Thanks to everyone who brings us stuff and drops it off at the clinic, whether I get your name or not. If I can’t use it for SADSAC I will pass it on to another rescue group. Thanks also to all who donate money. We will continue to use it to save lives. Without your support we couldn’t help any.