Volunteer Spotlight:
Rhonda Reeves

Rhonda with "Otis"

Rhonda Reeves, a professional liability insurance underwriter, is no stranger to the Humane Society of Greater Kansas City. Four years ago, Rhonda adopted Zoë, a Cocker Spaniel, from our shelter. Rhonda gushed, “Zoë is an example of what a quality dog you can find at the Humane Society.” Zoë stepped into the spotlight as a success story for the 2004 Pet Telethon. It wasn’t until June of last year, however, that Rhonda began volunteering regularly. When one of her pets recently passed away, it broke her heart. Rhonda couldn’t bear the thought of replacing her beloved pet, so she decided to help the animals here at the shelter instead.

Cats have a tendency to make her sneeze, so it’s no surprise that Rhonda prefers the company of dogs. You can find Rhonda playing with the dogs every Saturday afternoon. She makes a special effort to work with the dogs and puppies in need of a little extra training and socialization. In addition, she assists with the photography sessions for animals on the website and lends a hand with the mailings.

Her favorite part of volunteering is simply “being with the animals, and knowing that they stand such a very good chance at getting a good home here.” Recently, Rhonda decided to adopt a little friend for Zoë, an adorable Westie named Otis. Playful and energetic, Otis loves playing fetch and will bury his face in the snow all the way up to his eyes! Zoë, however, is still in the process of adjusting to her new buddy. Apparently, she preferred the perks of being an only child!

"Shirley" and friends at last year's parade

Come join us for the Brookside St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The Brookside Business Association is hosting their annual St. Patrick’s Day Warm-Up Parade on Saturday, March 15. This fun, family event will begin at 2 pm at 65th and Wornall. We will be walking 10-12 adoptable dogs with Brookside Barkery and Bath.

If you would like to help out by walking a dog in the parade, e-mail Jo, or give her a call at 913.596.1000 x 22. For more parade information, visit www.brooksidekc.com.

The numbers are in! It’s official: 2007 was one of the best fundraising years in shelter history. The countless hours you donated to help with our events and acting as ambassadors for the animals in our community has resulted in a 27% increase in fundraising revenue last year. This increase in fundraising revenue helps us save and improve even more lives.

Dont' Forget to Tune In!
The Kansas City Pet Telethon

Sunday, March 9
6:30pm to 9:30pm
Channel 38 the Spot
KCPetTelethon.org

• Telethon Watch Party: The Telethon is coming up soon, and we need all the support we can get! Invite your friends and family over to your house and have a Telethon Watch Party.

"Shirley & Gabby" at the `07 telethon

Ask guests to bring a bag of dog food, or some cat toys (especially wand-style toys) to donate to the shelter. You could even set up a donation bowl, and have each guest donate a few bucks on their way out. A watch party is a great way to have fun and help out the shelter at the same time. For more event information, visit KCPetTelethon.org, or call 913-596-1000 x 22.

• Last Call: A great idea to help raise money for the shelter would be to organize a company-wide event. Last year, a couple of volunteers contacted their employers and arranged a “Leave Work an Hour Early” and a “Jeans Friday” event. Employees that donated $5 to the HSGKC were allowed to leave work early or wear jeans on a Friday afternoon. Companies that raise $500 or more will be invited to come on air and present their “jumbo check” during the Pet Telethon.

If you would like to organize an event at your work, please email Robin or give her a call at 913-596-1000 x 14.

"Arty"

Spay Day, a national campaign for the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), is on February 28. Every year in this country, over 4 million dogs and cats are euthanized in shelters because there are not nearly enough people to adopt them. In honor of our commitment to reduce the number of homeless pets in Kansas City through our low-cost spay/neuter program, we will be celebrating Spay Day throughout the months of February and March. Since the program’s inception in 1995, the number of homeless animals euthanized in the U.S. has fallen from 13.5 million in 1973 down to 4 million today.

Our dogs are rough on toys! They just love to gnaw on Nylabones and chase tennis balls in the exercise yard, but they often end up destroying their toys! We need help replenishing our supplies.

The next time you are out shopping for your own furry pals, lend us a hand and pick up some Nylabones (all sizes), heavy-duty tennis balls, tug-o-war ropes, or anything else you can think of!

For a list of other items and services we need, check out our Sit Up and Beg Wish List.

We've Been Adopted!
Here are some of the dogs and cats who've been adopted since our last enewsletter:

Bernard & Sam (together!), Frannie & Kingsley (together!),

Cosmo, Hattie, Newton, Raisin and other kittens not pictured!