Harsh Winter!
The employees at the shelter have been overwhelmed with problems associated with the cold. Like many of you we have no water and since we are on top of a hill it will take awhile for our water to be restored. However, our animals are warm and toasty and we scoop and mop the runs and cages. So the shelter animals are fine.

We did have to purchase a few portable heaters to help keep the staff and animals warm. Some areas were just too large for our regular heaters to keep up with the cold.

We sent out a call for fiberglass dog houses and hay and you really came through. Thank you. Debra, along with other members of our staff, worked constantly putting out doghouses and hay for animals left in backyards without any shelter. At 2:00 a.m. the other night Debra and a Hinds County deputy seized a Chuhuahua that was tied to the front porch without shelter. NO THE OWNER WILL NOT GET IT BACK! Our veterinarian said it would have been dead in another hour. NO, WE CANNOT SHOOT THE OWNER, BUT WE CAN PRESS CRUELTY CHARGES. NO!, I do not know when it will be available for adoption. It will be at least a couple of weeks and don't worry it will be adopted.

This time of year I always worry about the homeless people and animals. In my opinion pets belong in bed with me and I wish more could be done for the people. No one should be homeless regardless of whether they have four feet or two. Sometimes we just should take the time to count our blessings. I know I count mine everyday and you are a large part of them. You help us speak for the voiceless.

Our Wildlife Friends
As most of you know, I started my career in animal welfare at the Bronx Zoo in New York, then the Jackson Zoo. So I am always concerned about the wildlife as well as domestic. Remember, when driving that most wild animals are most active at early morning and at dusk and evenings. Deer and raccoons particularly. Also try to add some warm water in your bird bath or a small shallow container for our feathered friends. Roll a pinecone in some peanut butter and birdseed for an entergy treat for our birds. Buy a bag of peanuts and just scattered them all over the yard. The squirrels and birds will love it.

Additional treats are little pieces of stale bread and cheese, leftover cooked pasta or rice are a great source of carbohydrates. It also helps with recycling rather than throw-a-way. Lessoning our carbon footprint on the earth. We all need compassion for all creatures great and small. They add so much to our lives.

Spay/Neuter
Did you know that cats can start mating as young as six months? The average number of litters a fertile cat can produce in one year is three. The average numer of kittens in a litter are four to six. Thats just an average! The average number of litters a female dog can produce in one year is two. The average number of puppies in a canine litter is six to ten.

Needed at the Shelter
Operating the Mississippi Animal Rescue League is an expensive operation, over $850,000 a year to care for the nearly 15,000 animals that come through our doors, plus cruelty investigations, etc. Every donation counts. No amount is too small or too large. We pinch our pennies in order to ensure you that we do our best with your donation.

In these economic times, money can be hard to come by. Another way you can help MARL is by saving alluminum cans. We can then turn them into cash. And re-cycle those newspapers, we use them to line our cages.

• Hay
• 12% Sweet feed for our horses
• Oval toilet seat covers for our cats, they love them.
• Adams dog shampoo
• Dawn liquid soap
• Toilet paper
• Paper towels and more paper towels
• Postage stamps
• Gas cards so we can continue our cruelty investigations and deliver supplies to those that love their animals
• Washing powder (Tide or Cheer)
• Fiberglass dog houses

If you would like to donate you can go to our web site www.msarl.org and click on the Guidestar button or you can mail donations to: MARL, 5221 Greenway Drive Ext., Jackson MS 39204

Thank you for all you do for the animals in our care. We are truely blessed.

MARL
Aileene Maldonado
Programs Manager
aileenem@netdoor.com
www.msarl.org