Texas Unites Recap: 2016

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Six True Blue Animal Rescue members went to Texas Unites for Animals in Austin on April 22 – 25. We learned about fundraising, marketing, animal care, rescue management and so much more. Not only did we learn we had fun and won prizes too. Dale won a cat catcher (bottom left) and Linda won a cat carrier with other pet goodies inside. (bottom right). This fabulous event was brought to you by all the sponsors on the center bottom poster. We can’t thank them enough for helping the people of Animal Rescue learn more so we can help more animals!

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From Melanie:

One of the sessions I attended at Texas Unites for Animals was called ‘Take the Time to Save Time’ and the presenter was Carl Youngberg.

Rescuers spend countless hours helping animals in addition to other jobs and taking care of family. Time management is something we can all benefit from. This slide really struck me though because we feel like we’re spinning our wheels sometimes and wasting time but we love what we do so it’s never a waste!

It is important to prioritize what we’re doing to make sure that we focus on tasks that contribute toward a long term goal. For rescuers that’s helping animals but it’s also sustaining a viable rescue that can maintain and continue to rescue animals for years to come. After prioritizing tasks we need to evaluate and be sure we are doing those tasks. To help with this we can ask ourselves questions at the end of the day such as:

  • What went right today? What went wrong? Why?
  • What time did you start on your top priority task?
  • What stopped you from getting to your priority task?

Write down the answers on a log and adjust your day so you can get to your priorities the following day.

A final slide presented said it all: “Plant a Thought, harvest an act. Plant an act, harvest a habit. Plant a habit, harvest a character. Plant a character, harvest a destiny.” Rescuing is such a worthy cause and we need more people standing strong for animals. It’s very important to balance rescue, family and fun time so we don’t burn out and can stay in it for the long haul!

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From Amy Hemsell, recap on Social Media for Crisis Communication, Presented by Rebecca Poling.

Social media can go in one of two directions, good or bad. Social media is where people turn to for information now. Statistics show that 76% of adult internet users are now active on social media, 72% of those use their smart phones instead of computers. There are 342 million active Twitter users & 1.49 billion active users on Facebook.

Bad news travels fast, but people will listen if you are out telling your story. News media sources are just one sided. There are two types of crisis, man-made such as PR & natural disasters such as weather, fire, etc. There are four steps to take 1. Prepare/Anticipate 2. Buy Time-assess the situation 3. Disseminate Information 4. Wrap Up

For step one know who is talking about you, establish notification & monitoring systems, identify and know your stakeholders, make friends with the media especially ones that cover animal stories, identify your team & spokesperson ahead of time or your Point of Contact/Public Information Officer, & build a good offense. The best defense is a good offense. Show how hard the group is working & the good you are doing. Post things to identify the agency/group such as staff, vehicles, uniforms, etc. People get agencies confused so add graphics of various agencies with contact information.

In step 2 buy time, gather information and assess the situation, Release a holding statement or a generic statement which are careful calculated responses. Assess the situation online, or gauge the temperature. Holding statements are messages designed for use immediately after a crisis breaks. They can be developed ahead of time, can be used in a variety of scenarios, & don’t require hard factual information. Basically they are bland, factual, show empathy, action, & transparency. Get the holding statement out quickly after a crisis. Do not let media find other sources for news since this is how rumors get started. If you must respond to comments do so without being defensive or releasing details. Like comments that are supportive of the organization.

Step 3 is disseminating information, get the facts out. This is the opposite of the holding statement. Use social media as your “bulletin board.” Create a phone message that states refer to Facebook or other social media sites used. If there is a media release explain who, what, why, where, & when.

In step 4 it is time to wrap it up. Include “about us”, “contact info”, “additional information.” Never respond negatively or to something you do not understand.

Another thing to watch out for is if you have Facebook posts set for scheduled times to be posted, be careful of past events. For example, a website for guns & ammo scheduled a post that was released the day after the massacre shooting at the movie theater in Colorado that stated “Happy Friday shooting” This would be an example of a man made crisis. Always be vigilant and proactive and this should be your best offense.

Buccaneer Blackout: Dec 2016

We were invited to bring TBAR rescue dogs to an event at Blinn College in Brenham on December 10th, 2015. The purpose was to give the students something fun to do that would releive stress. Knowing that animals are great stress releivers David Michener, the director of student leadership and activities at Blinn, came up with the great idea to bring rescue dogs to the college for an event he called ‘Pets for Less Stress’. It was something new and we weren’t sure how well it would be received so I never imagined that when we got there we’d see over 100 students waiting to love on some rescue dogs. This turned out to be one of my favorite events. It was good for the students and good for the rescue dogs too. Just look at all the smiles in these pictures. We look forward to doing this again in the spring when exam time rolls around again and this time we’re going to bring a lot more dogs!

Event Recap: Read to Ride June 2015

TBAR-Read-2-Ride-June-2-2015The rain finally subsided and we were able to have our third grade Read to Ride day at True Blue Animal Rescue. These students from Alton Elementary School in Brenham read a book and wrote a report over Christmas break in order to come out and ride a horse and enjoy a hay ride. This reading incentive is also a wonderful opportunity to educate children about animal care and to help them develop compassion and empathy for animals. The horse that had the biggest impact was our biggest horse, Roman. This beautiful senior boy teaches the students how kind and gentle such a big horse can be. As a senior horse he requires a special diet and the children learn about that too. They learn about teeth floating and hoof trimming as part of horse care and needs too. While some of the children are riding and interacting with horses the others enjoy a hay ride. This allows a great opportunity for nature watching and just silly fun and laughter. As you can see from the pictures the students and volunteers had lots of fun. Stay tuned for more read to ride camps this summer and next school year too. Our goal is to increase these educational programs each year so we can reach more students every year.

Upcoming Events: May 2015

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We have quite a few events coming up this month, and would like to share them with you!

Upcoming Events:

May 8: Read to Ride (School Field Trip – volunteers only)

May 9: Carnival in the Park (open to the public), visit http://www.animalfriendstexas.org/pet-carnival/ for more info!

May 14: Read to Ride (School Field Trip – volunteers only)

May 16: Training Clinic with Juan Vendrell (Rescheduled due to Rain, open to the public for a $20 auditor’s fee)

For more info on any of these events, or to become a TBAR volunteer, email [email protected]

A Cat Named Tiger

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Tiger is a cat who has left a legacy. He disappeared around April 16, and since then has made waves in the world, sparking a debate about the importance of feral and outdoor cats.

Not many know Tiger’s whole story though, and his good friend Amy has shared with us his biography. Amy was a pet sitter and caretaker for Tiger and his farm friends for over three years.

Tiger was abandoned at a farm home when he was just a kitten. The couple that lived there never turned down a “dumped” animal as they love all animals. They named him Tiger because he was a beautiful orange & white tabby.

Tiger stayed by the house until he was old enough to live at the barn and rid it of mice that would get into horse & cattle feed and tear up other various important wires. Before taking him to the barn, his owners made sure he was old enough and got him neutered, fully vetted, and up-to-date on vaccinations.

Tiger had a routine over the course of his 6 years at the farm. During the day and late night after dinner he would either be in the barn protecting the horses, who became his best friends, or he would spend time in the pastures with them – sitting right next to them while they grazed. In the evening before sunset he knew it was dinner time so he would come up to the house for his cat chow and wet food mix. He looked forward to this every evening and would talk to you about it. He would even show you where you were supposed to set it down for him to enjoy.

Over the course of 3 years of taking care of him (half of his life), I witnessed very interesting things with him. For example, he loved to ride on the Gator tractor with me to the barn and back to the house, he never left my side…no matter where I was on the property he was right there next to me as my protector, so in a sense I became part of the farm he watched over. On the property there were cattle, horses, dogs, goats, a kitten, jack rabbits, baby birds that had fallen out of nests, frogs hopping around, spiders building webs and he never once caused harm to anyone or anything. He had a pure heart of gold and is one of the best coolest cats I have done pet sitting for. He was in a class all his own.

Unfortunately the couple had to move away due to health reasons. They gave Tiger to the next door neighbor to keep him in familiar settings, plus the neighbors were given the horses that Tiger used to hang out with. It took some adjusting, but Tiger would spend the day at the old barn and would make the trek across the fields to get to the neighbors for his dinner. He would eat and then make the trek back to the old barn. This went on for a couple of months and it seemed to keep everyone, including Tiger, happy.

Then Tiger went missing. The first couple of nights of untouched food was dismissed as bad weather since it was almost nonstop rain and storms in the area. Then came the horrible night I saw the infamous posting of a vet holding up a cat at the end of an arrow…..the cat was identical to Tiger. I continued putting food out until the end of my time for pet sitting at his house, but he never showed up to eat. It has been almost 4 weeks, and although we all still have hope, he has never returned for his dinner and we all miss him dearly.

Amy and Tiger’s owners have set up a donation fund in Tiger’s memory with us at True Blue Animal Rescue. We are working with different groups, including Alley Cat Allies, and will be creating an educational and assistance program to help springboard a Trap-Neuter-Return program that will strive to inform Washington and Austin County residence about the options for stray, wandering, and feral area cats. This program is beginning this year in Tiger’s name, and will continue for years and generations so that Tiger’s legacy will live on to save the lives of other cats in the area and worldwide.

If you would like to donate in Tiger’s name, you can do so from our Paypal Donation link, or you can purchase a “I Am Tiger” shirt from Amy’s Booster fundraising page! Thank you for choosing TBAR to Remember Tiger!

People can also “like” Tiger’s memorial Facebook page.

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For example, we’ve already received this story from Melissa K:

11109191_10202851996459958_2194082487116646805_nThis cat has been around the house for about a 1.5 months and I have chased it off my patio because it was eating my cat’s food and has been squirting Dave’s shop, but after [Tiger’s Story] it made me change my attitude with this cat. I started going downstairs when I would hear it meow because he was hungry and I would feed it. Of course he didn’t want me to touch him or come near him, and after 7 times of feeding him he brushed up against my foot!! It took sometime but this is where we are at -YES we have bonded! Now I will get him fixed and try to find him a home because our cats would not like him because they are selfish!! So I took a bad story and changed my thoughts and made sometime positive for another CAT!!

And here is the picture of this very cat in his new home! Thank you Melissa, for making Tiger’s legacy mean something beautiful!

Microchip Your Pet!

This week we shared a story about Oliver and Opal. If it weren’t for the fact that they were microchipped, the terrible person who took them from a rescue just to dump them in a shelter would have gotten away with it. Thankfully, the shelter scanned them and were able to take action to ensure they could have a happy ending!

To follow up on their story, we wanted to discuss microchipping. In some cities, microchipping is either mandatory or strongly encouraged. In rural areas, it is not as common, but the benefits are the same. Think about the RFID ear-tages that farmers use on their livestock to ensure their safe return if they ever get loose. Microchipping your pets is just as important!

A microchip is an electronic device that contains information connected to a database that helps to identify your pet if it lost or stolen. Unlike collars, which can be lost, removed, or worn down with age, a microchip is an identification tool that lasts the life of your pet and gives you the unquestionable ability to prove your pet is yours if you need to. All pets can be microchipped, including cats, dogs, and horses. People also regularly register their birds, and it is possible to microchip animals as small as fish or as large as whales.

Microchipping is done most commonly at your veterinarian’s office, although some shelters and rescues are able to do it as well. When your pet is chipped you must complete an enrollment form. You will receive a registration certificate which serves as your ownership document, similar to an automobile title. This document must accompany the pet if it transfers ownership. You also must keep your contact information up-to-date if you move.

It is not difficult or expensive to get your pet microchipped. The chip itself is about the size of a grain of rice and is inserted under the skin of your pet (on the side of the neck or between the shoulderblades). It usually costs between $25-50, is not invasive, and requires no anesthesia. Your pet will experience no lasting pain or irritation, and while you will be able to feel a small bump where it is located, they will not notice.

The chip can then be scanned with a hand-held device (many vets run this scan at each annual exam to ensure it is still working). Pets who are found (or turned over to a shelter or rescue) are routinely scanned on intake to ensure they do not have a chip that is registered. If a stray is chipped, their owners are immediately notified. Registrations usually not only have the owner’s information, but also an emergency contact (sometimes the vet). This ensures that there is a network available to help work at getting the pet back to the rightful owners.

For such a low cost and small bother, it is more than worth it to chip your pet and live with the peace of mind that they can and will be returned to you if you ever get separated!

Riding Lessons with Juan

When Dale and Melanie aren’t busy taking care of rescue animals they enjoy taking lessons with Juan Vendrell of TC Ranch Ventures and riding them. Before the lesson Juan spent some time with rescue horses, Comanche and Rock, in the roundpen getting them ready to ride. Riding lessons with Juan are $55 an hour. Juan is a horse trainer too so he’ll work with you and your horse so you can both learn together. For more information go tohttp://www.tcranchhorsemanship.com/
We also have a clinic planned for Feb 14 with Juan at Tbar ranch so mark your calendar and watch for more info on that coming soon!

Educational Riding Experience

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True Blue Animal Rescue is pleased to begin offering Educational Riding Experiences at our Foster Homes! For $20 an experienced rider and TBAR volunteer will help you with the riding basics while you ride for an hour. Donations go toward food and health care for the TBAR and ABLE horses. Email [email protected] for more info!




Fall Family Fun Day 2014!

Another one of our Animals Bridge Love and Educations (ABLE) days was Family fun day on Nov 1st. The kids enjoyed horse rides, a hay ride and feeding and petting animals. Nothing brings us more joy than sharing our rescue animals with children. This opportunity for a family to come out and enjoy a few hours at Tbar Ranch is one of our favorites! These pictures say it all!

Kids Who Read Get To Ride a Horse!

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TBAR is proud of the advances our Animals Bridge Love and Education (ABLE) program. Each season we offer incentives for children to earn an animal experience through reading their choice of books. This October we hosted students from Alton Elementary (in Brenham, Texas) who read 30 picture books or 50 pages of a chapter book while they were on summer break.

In total, seventeen students met the challenge requirements by handing in their list of books, endorsed by their parents. They were all so exited to embark on their special reward: a field trip to the home of one a TBAR foster family (and a teacher at Alton), Melanie!TrueBlueAnimalRescueReadToRideCampOct2014

Melanie and her husband Dale work hard to organize these trip and ensure there are plenty of TBAR volunteers on hand to help the students meet and pet the animals while learning about care and compassion for the animals. The kids got to tour the ranch, feed animals, ride a horse, and go on a hayride!

TBAR will continue to support the ABLE program and spread love and compassion for animals throughout Washington County and beyond. Thank you to the parents and teachers who support the program, and the TBAR volunteers that make it possible!

 

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