BWAR Holiday Newsletter 2011

31 GLENDALE AVENUEASHEVILLE NC 28803828-505-3440 • WWW.BWAR.ORG

Brother Wolf Animal Rescue is a North Carolina 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and enhancing the lives of companion animals and the people who love them.

Gary is a lucky boy, but it didn’t seem like it at the time. When it was discovered that the sweet little kitten has a grade 5 out of 6 heart murmur, the shelter where he had been left would not put him up for adoption with such a birth defect.

At just 6 weeks of age, Gary, otherwise healthy, happy, energetic and full of love, was scheduled to be euthanized. That’s when Brother Wolf Animal Rescue stepped in.

Taking the utmost care, Gary (previously Vincent) was neutered with no complications and soon after found a fantastic home with a big brother named Flaco. His new parents sent photos and an update not long after his adoption:

“We would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts! Gary has adjusted from day one. Here’s a picture of him sharing Flaco's space - he would much rather lay with him than in his own bed. Thanks again, we couldn't ask for a better little fella to love.”

With your help, we can give kittens like Gary that one chance to find a great home!

No one should be alone for the holidays. For a homeless animal, the greatest gift they hope for is a family to care about them and a place to call their own. Losing the people they loved and the home they knew can be

confusing and scary for a pet. Your support and donations help replace that confusion and fright with hope. A full belly. A walk around the block with a friendly volunteer. A toy filled with something tasty. A cozy bed and warm blanket.

You bring countless dogs and cats, kittens and puppies hope for a bright future!

Olivia, found in a ditch on the side of the

road scared and alone, couldn't find her

way to safety. Already missing one eye and

with the other badly damaged, she couldn't

see a thing. Can you imagine how scared

she must have been?

Once rescued and taken to safety, Olivia

eventually had to have the remaining eye

removed, leaving her sightless forever.

But please don’t pity her. True to the

spirit of our canine companions, Olivia

knows no boundaries when it comes to love

and having fun. Waiting patiently for her

forever family to come along, Olivia stays in

a loving and nurturing foster home until that

moment arrives. We know her perfect family

is out there waiting to meet her. Olivia steals everyone’s heart in an instant!

You can save and improve the lives of

special needs and older animals who deserve a

home the most.

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Brother Wolf Animal Rescue works with you and our community and with other shelters and rescue groups to bring about a time when there will be no more homeless pets.

Over 1,500 sick and injured pets given a second chance at life.In addition to vaccines, microchipping, blood testing and spay or neuter, the majority of the dogs and cats we rescued needed help for serious conditions. They come to us starved and dehydrated, with broken bones and trauma, heartworm disease, congenital defects, heart failure, and cancer. The many senior pets who find themselves homeless at a time when they most need and deserve a safe place are given the specialized care they require to be adopted. Sometimes an animal remains with us until it is his or her time to cross the rainbow bridge; we are their ‘forever family’ and vow to give them the care, love and respect they deserve for as long as they have.

You give them hope during a time when they need it the most.

A record 2,600 dogs and cats placed in loving homes in 2011. Cardboard boxes aren't supposed to move. But this one did, sitting dangerously close to the traffic off interstate I-26 near Candler. A Good Samaritan

named Gina backtracked to see if her eyes were playing tricks on her. She never thought in a million years she would find three tiny black puppies inside. It was late that Sunday afternoon when Gina reached us at BWAR; we agreed to take these little bundles of fuzz, even though we were tight on space.

They were hungry, dehydrated and covered in fleas; the staff went to work administering medications and fluids to help them on the road to recovery. After spending time in a foster home where the pups were nursed back to health, all three were adopted. Brother Wolf Animal Rescue guarantees a safe place for the lifetime

of the animals we bring into our organization. So when months later the people who adopted Leon (at left) could no longer care for him, he was welcomed back into BWAR and will stay with us, safe and

loved, until that special new person comes along.

We make it easy for people to fall in love! With numerous events held in the community each week, and an adoption center open Monday through Saturday from 8am-8pm and Sunday from 8am-6pm, we’re available to people when it’s

convenient for them. Our friendly volunteers and staff work tirelessly to create great matches between adopters and pets.

Your support makes adoption - versus pet stores or breeders - the first choice for thousands of people looking for a new furry family member.

People and pets helped. Think of the expense, time, and care you put into your furry family members; then multiply it by a hundred! Every day we provide nourishing food, a warm, safe place to stay, and medical care to over 250 dogs and cats. The support of an amazing community makes this possible, and with that support we can also help families who may need assistance to keep their beloved pets.

Over the last year, Brother Wolf gave out vouchers for individuals to spay or neuter their pet for free, as well as helping owned dogs and cats receive routine and emergency veterinary care. Our pet food assistance program provided thousands of pounds of dog and cat food to our community so pets would never go hungry. Thanks to Pet Behavior Aid (a local non profit organization), we were able to assist people with low- or no-cost behavioral aid to prevent them from relinquishing their pets to shelters.

But it’s not only physical needs that are met. Recently we received a desperate email about a cat and her kittens who were being threatened with mutilation by the caretaker’s partner. The caretaker refused to leave - risking their own safety - until the mom and her kittens were safe. We were able to take the little feline family in and help the individual regain their own freedom in the process. BWAR is not only about helping animals in need, but the people who love them as well.

With your help, our programs touch the lives of thousands of people and animals every year.

JonasFound wandering in an

RV park limping on a badly damaged leg. Adopted

shortly after recovery from amputation surgery.

Indy11 year old Ragdoll who was turned in with his sister when his senior

caretaker could no longer keep them. Both adopted!

TevinA stray found matted in over

1.5 lbs of 6” long hair clumps, pulling painfully on his skin.

BeforeBefore

AfterAfter

LeonLeon

Each pet given the time he or she needs to find their forever home. When you’re a kitten trying to find a home, being fluffy and adorable is a major plus. But Angelica was special. She had tested positive for FIV. Cats with FIV have suppressed immune systems, but with good care they can live long, healthy lives. Angelica stayed in a loving foster home for several weeks with her buddy Danica (who also tested FIV positive). Since testing at a very young age can result in a false positive, the kittens were later retested and, happily, both came up negative and were soon adopted. Had the results been positive again, we have no doubt we’d have found them perfect homes, just as we have for other FIV positive cats.

With the exception of a handful of sanctuaries, very few groups accept FIV or Feline Leukemia positive kitties. But at Brother Wolf Animal Rescue, we believe each dog or cat is an individual and deserves every chance we can give them to lead a happy, healthy life, regardless of how long it might be.

Please help us care for special animals like Angelica, who have nowhere else to turn.

Dozens of animals rescued from life-threatening situations. Most of our dogs and cats come from shelters or from individuals who need to rehome their own pets. But then there are the times when we’re called to come to the aid of animals in urgent need, when no one else will help.

As the area's largest no-kill rescue group, we at BWAR believe that destroying helpless animals in a misguided attempt to achieve population control is cruel and inhumane.

We are paving the path to a kinder, more humane future.

Sanctuary provided for pets in urgent need. The truck pulled up to the Adoption Center with six crying dachshunds in the back. The ‘owner’ threatened to set them all loose if we didn’t take them immediately. These poor dogs had been used for breeding and were in poor physical and emotional condition. Some had their toenails growing into their feet, and all were in pain from dental infection.

We couldn’t let them go back to what would surely be a terrible fate, but it was a leap of faith. Our finances were stretched thin and our shelter was at capacity. Then in an amazing show of goodwill, our Facebook friends stepped up to open their hearts by becoming foster families, pledging funds for medical care (dental bills alone cost thousands), and sending prayers of support.

Our worst fear is that, after years of living in pain, without a warm, safe place to sleep, good food, or gentle words spoken, an animal simply gives up. But again and again we are blessed with that first hesitant wag of a tail or a tiny purr. They give us hope with their capacity for love and forgiveness.

You give animals who have suffered a lifetime of neglect or abuse the chance to be part of the loving family they’ve only dreamed of.

The adoption center phone rang - four tiny kittens were heard crying from inside a storm drain, out of reach and with nobody to help them. Rain was in the forecast, and the nights were chilly. Unable to find anyone

to help save the kittens, three BWAR members grabbed supplies and rushed to the location where the kittens, wet and hungry, clung to life waiting to be saved.

Without thinking twice, a BWAR volunteer climbed down in, under the sidewalk, to rescue these tiny, helpless beings. One by one, they were pulled to safety, given the emergency medical care they needed and placed into a qualified and loving foster home. Michelango, Donatella, Leonardo, and Raphaela recovered fully in a foster home over the course of a few weeks before adoption.

Our foster families are able to care for over 150 animals in their homes daily because of the generosity of people like you! Many fostered animals are very young, ill, or need that extra special care before they can be placed up for adoption.

With your support our adoption center is open late hours - seven days a week, 365 days a year - to answer emergency calls.

Kitten far backin the pipeKitten far backin the pipe

Volunteer down in the drain pipeVolunteer down in the drain pipe

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Imagine over 2,600 dogs and cats all together in one place: running, jumping, and frolicking about in a giant green pasture. �en, imagine those same animals gone and the pasture is empty; silent and lifeless. When I try to wrap my brain around the fact that more than 2,600 animals got to live this year because of what we accomplished together as a team, I am speechless.

It is because of our volunteers and our supporters that we are able to do the amazing things that prompted our community to vote us Best Shelter, Best Rescue and overall Best Local Non-Pro�t in the 2011 Mountain Xpress “Best Of” this year. Whether you donated your time, your money, brought us supplies or have adopted your best friend from us - we are eternally grateful. Brother Wolf Animal Rescue's shelter and adoption center is your community no kill shelter and adoption center. We have built this together.

I know in my heart: you’re aware - you feel - that BWAR is more then the sum of its parts. We are not just a building or a group of foster homes, or a place to come to if you need help caring for your companion animal. �ere is something there that you can't touch or even see - but still you feel it. It is hope. We bring hope to those who can't help themselves. To the sick and the scared, the old and the young. We give them a second chance when they need it the most. You allow us to do this. Words will never be able to fully express how thankful we are for you.

�is year I had to say goodbye to my two best friends. My faithful and loyal companions of 15 years both left me within two months of each other. I tried to prepare myself for their departure but I wasn't ready. I don't think we are ever ready to say goodbye. In the shadows of their passing waited a funny little beagle named Clyde.

Knowing that I have a special a�nity for beagles, my sta� strategically placed this sweet little guy in my o�ce to recuperate after someone witnessed him being hit by a car. True to the nature of the beagle, Clyde was willing to risk his life for some grub. Just before the car clipped him, he was seen running across the highway with a hamburger bun in his mouth. (I bet he heard beagles cheering him on from all over the world!) It was a miracle that he survived. Luckily the amazing people who saw this all happen scooped him up and got him the emergency medical care he needed and then brought him to us. �ey knew we would take over from there, and give him all that he needed to get back on his feet again (literally).

As I write this, Clyde is laying next to my desk, curled up in his favorite dog bed, snoring like an 80 year old man. Even though he endured so much pain and su�ering and will always walk with a limp, I know he would do it all over again for a darn hamburger bun. Actually, I am pretty sure he is dreaming about that right now.

�ank you for being a part of our family, and Happy Holidays!

- Denise Bitz, Executive Director, Brother Wolf Animal Rescue

As the largest No-Kill rescue in Asheville, North Carolina, Brother Wolf Animal Rescue will have found homes for over 2,600 dogs and cats, kittens and puppies this year. Many stay at our adoption center until they find their perfect family. That's where kennel sponsors come in! Their support helps provide care for the many dogs or cats who stay in their sponsored kennel. It’s a great way to truly improve the lives of homeless pets, while honoring

a loved one or showing the community your business cares. We thank the individuals and businesses below who are currently sponsoring a kennel! To learn more about sponsorship go to www.bwar.org/kennel-sponsorship or call 828-808-9435.

Our generous Kennel Sponsors

Mayfel's Restaurant and Loretta's Cafe

Best Friends Pet CemeteryVW Specialties, LLCHolly Aracich, Realtor Lost Pets of WNCFestival Network OnlineCanine Shear Heaven Mike Pressley Landscaping

Brian and Debbie ShropshireThe Lawrence Cook FamilyIn honor of Sue

In Memory of Beloved Companions:Carolina Cook, by Tyran Carter CookShirley, by Jason HertzbergLola Elias, beloved dog

Computer AmericaS&S Home Improvement and

Asheville Trees and BeesBiltmore Iron & Metal Co.WingbeanCurbieDutch Girl LaundryAsheville 4 Seasons Realty

Greetings friends and family of Brother Wolf Animal Rescue,

ClydeClydeP.S. Without you, the future of countless animals is uncertain.

Your gift helps us continue the fight for those who don’t have a voice. Please give generously.