Luminosities

We Did It!

2008-09-19T08:02:00.000-07:00

Not Without My Pet's first fundraiser was a success! We exceeded our goal by almost $200. After a long, hard day of hawking donated items to shoppers, we packed up what remained and donated it to Goodwill, who was kind enough to come and pick it all up.

NWOMP wishes to express it's gratitude and appreciation to all those who made our event possible. Linda of Linda's Claws and Paws allowed us to use her parking lot for the sale. Thanks, Linda! The bar next door, The Benchwarmer, allowed us to use their, um, facilities. Thanks, Benchwarmer! Heather, an Arbonne representative, brought her wonderful skin care items and held a raffle. Thanks, Heather!

The delightful ladies of the Blue Thong Sisters helped in so many ways. They donated items, they helped us set up, they stayed for the sale and provided assistance, companionship and occasional comic relief. Thanks so much, BTS!!

Here we are in front of Linda's Claws and Paws. Look at all that stuff!

Heather with her products and her charming family.

The Blue Thong Sisters!!! Gail Cullins, Deane Reed, Sharon Reed, Nina Rubin, Marlayne Bellenson and Shari Markwith. Additional help from, (not pictured), Rosemary Wilde, Sue Crespo, Dusty Miller, Gaby Flores, and Denise Viau

Sue Crespo flagging down passersby, with the Benchwarmer in the background.

Are we having fun, or what?

I'm so happy! What a great day.

Marlayne considers leather; Shari apparently disagrees. hehehe

Shari, Deanne and Sharon...shopping?

Etsy for Animals Birthday Bash!

2008-09-10T14:09:00.000-07:00

The EFA Artists Helping Animals Team has been working hard pulling together our first year anniversary Birthday Bash Extravaganza, a celebration where buyers and sellers all WIN!
We are so excited about this party!

Make a note of the dates : September 15th to September 30th In honour of the Birthday Bash, during this period, I will be accepting the 20% off Coupon in my shop. My code is LUMIN. Just put that code in the 'Notes to Seller' box on your order and DO NOT pay for the item. I will send you a revised invoice! You can visit my shopLuminositiesto receive your discount on all of my items!
PLUS! there are over 170 shops that are currently signed up to accept the 20% off coupon here at Etsy including the EFA TEAM STORE.For a complete list of those shops stay tuned at the EFA website. You can use my code LUMIN in any of those participating shops.

It's time to start thinking of early Christmas presents so check out the Birthday Bash.

Not Without My Pet Weekend Update

2008-09-07T17:27:00.000-07:00

I just created an event on MySpace and invited 40 of my "friends" to next Sunday's fundraiser, including the following famous people:

Don-Henrie (the vampire)
Social Distortion
Exene Cervenka
Caitlin Kiernan (author)
Christopher Penczak (author)
Adeline Records (Billie Joe and Adrienne Armstrong’s label)
Aaron Leitch (author)
Ellen Dugan (author)
Konstantinos (author)
Panpipes (store in HW)
Green Day

Wouldn't it be a hoot if some of them came?? hehe

My fabulous chiropractor, Dr. John Craviotto donated $100 to our cause on Friday!

This weekend, I put up flyers advertising our fundraiser around town, including in all the major grocery stores. Everyone goes to the grocery store, right? I spoke to random strangers about our event and gave them flyers (who am I and what have I done with the real Nicole?)

I took a load of stuff for the sale over to Linda’s and put it in her storage space. There’s plenty of room in there!

Raquel got a canopy and a cash box for us. She is also working on NWOMP thank you cards we can send to donors! Raquel has a list of facts she’s used to create a handout for our event, too.

Debra is working on putting up a simple splash page for us at our domain, nwomp.org. Just something to have up there now so people can see we’re legit. When she’s finished, the page will be more comprehensive, but we needed something up there in the meantime.

Raegan is working on getting us a bank account. I dropped off a letter for the bank and a check last Friday, so we’re making progress!

Tina has agreed to hand out flyers to the other water polo moms and whoever else she comes across in her travels. She already has one on her office door at work.

Julie has a flyer on her office door too. She’s also invited me to speak to her marketing classes this week, so I’ll be giving out flyers to them as well. I’ve already spoken to my Psych class about us and our instructor is allowing me to give out flyers to that class, too.

I learned something important this weekend. Kinko’s may not be the best place to make copies on a budget! They came out really nice, but they were pricey.

Speaking of pricey, ads for our event have been put on craigslist, in the PennySaver, Ojai Valley News and the Ventura Star. (the SB Independent won’t do it because we are not in SB.)

Next Sunday is the big day!

Fundraiser for Not Without My Pet

2008-08-31T13:33:00.000-07:00

Our very first official fundraiser!! Come visit us and shop great deals!

If you are interested in donating items or volunteering to work the sale, e-mail me at ngilbert@nwomp.org

Not Without My Pet has a Logo!

2008-08-24T11:15:00.000-07:00

Our Director of Development, Raquel Griffiths, has designed a logo for Not Without My Pet! It's lovely! Thanks and kudos to Raquel!

Big Doings at Not Without My Pet!

2008-08-10T12:52:00.000-07:00

Last week, I met with the members of the local chapter of the Blue Thong Society, who have adopted Not Without My Pet as their charity. What a fun evening that was! We met at Black Angus here in town. Over dinner, drinks and appetizers, we discussed what they'd like to do to help NWOMP.

The first event we are doing together is a tag (rummage) sale in the parking lot of Linda's Claws and Paws. Linda's Claws and Paws has been voted Best Pet Store in the local area 4 Years Running! Linda has generously offered her parking lot as a place to hold our sale. We are in the process of raising the $500 we need to file for tax exemption.

In the course of my evening with the women of the BTS, they had a thing they call "Lucky Buck." This involves everyone pitching in a buck or two and a drawing to see who wins the pot. The winner then splits the pot with the charity. I drew the winning name and the winner, Sharon Reed, co-director of the local chapter, gave her half to us as well! Lucky buck, indeed! And there's more...they had some other sort of challenge while I was away from the table and presented me with even more money when I returned!! All in all, they donated $65 to NWOMP! Yay, BTS!!

Added to the $100 Raquel Griffiths, NWOMP's Director of Development, has raised, we are now on our way to being able to file!

Yesterday, the board of directors met at my house. The board is comprised of me, Nicole Gilbert, President; Raquel Griffiths, Director of Development; Julie Brown, Secretary; Tina Kistler, Treasurer and Debra Fondren, board member, grant writer and webmistress! Tina couldn't be present physically, but she called in and joined our meeting via speaker phone.

At the meeting, we ratified our bylaws, confirmed our officers, chose our logo and picked a date for our tag sale.

All that discussion was hungry business, so after the meeting was adjourned, we feasted!

Debra, Julie and Raquel.

Debra and Julie.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-08-04T10:17:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday was my birthday and I milked it for all it was worth! For the past several days I've been doing things I rarely do, as birthday treats.

I went to Lu Ross Academy and had a mani, pedi and facial. Not only was it all luxurious and pamper-y, but I met some interesting people and had some fun conversations. Laura, who did my facial, is a professional makeup artist. She recommended I use Prescriptives foundation, so I vowed to check that out later.

After my Lu Ross adventure, I went to The Massage Place to get a massage. I met a woman named Geneva who makes pasties for Pastease. They have skull and crossbone pasties! Ha!

Later that night, my friend Erika took me out to dinner at Kyoto Sushi. It's a little hole in the wall place in a strip mall. It doesn't look like much, but, man, it was excellent! We've both decided it's our new favorite sushi place. It was recommended by my hair stylist, Maureen. Thanks, Maureen!

Friday, I made a beeline for Macy's to check out Prescriptives. A totally cool guy named Saul did my makeup using their products. Like me, he used to live in Hollywood, so we ended up talking about our old neighborhoods and comparing tattoos. I loved the makeup, so I bought it. I've been through this before and ended up not liking the makeup a few days later, but this time I still really like it.

After that, I went to my nemesis, Barnes and Noble. I can spend hours in there, browsing. This time, though, I found several things I wanted within the first few minutes. I bought ten books and two magazines!

My friend Erika wanted to see the new X-Files movie, I Want to Believe, so I went to rent the first movie. I had a helluva time finding it, but I finally did. But first, that night, I went to see The Dark Knight. Loved it! Heath Ledger's performance lives up to the hype. We saw I Want to Believe the next night, and I liked that, too. There are some sad dog things in that one, but I'd been warned by my friend Debra, so I knew when to look away.

On Sunday, I went to Riverside to visit my friend Jessica Black of Primalx. We had a truly fabulous lunch at Yard House. The food was really, really good and I had two pomegranate martinis! Jessica's husband, Larry had a Hpnotini and Jess had an Espresso martini. They let me have sips and theirs were just as good as mine.

Today I'm tired but happy. What a fabulous birthday I've had!

We're in the Local Newspaper!

2008-07-23T09:50:00.000-07:00

Nina Rubin, of the local chapter of the Blue Thong Society, did a write up for the Ventura Star about her chapter. She mentioned Not Without My Pet as the charity they've adopted!

Check it out:

It's Official, We are Incoporated!!

2008-07-16T09:27:00.000-07:00

I got the articles of incorporation for our nonprofit back from the Secretary of State! I used Attorneys Corporation Service to file. It cost me more, but their turn around time was only a few days, compared to two to four weeks or longer if I'd mailed it in myself. I used their FaxIt Corporation Filing Service. It's not that expensive and it's quick and easy.

And now, what you've all been waiting for...drum roll, please...the name of our nonprofit corporation is....Not Without My Pet.

We have a registered domain name, nwomp.org, but no actual website just yet. I do have a new e-mail address, though, for e-mail relating to Not Without My Pet - ngilbert@nwomp.org.

We Have a Winner!!

2008-07-14T08:28:00.000-07:00

After consulting little kitty, together we have chosen a name for her from all the wonderful suggestions that were submitted.
Chris at IdeaSign was the first to submit "Poppy" and that is the winning name!!

So many wonderful names were suggested that I'd like to thank each and every person who participated! It was great fun.

I've decided to post a list of runner-up names and the Etsians who suggested them.

First runner-up was the name "Wednesday" after Wednesday Addams, submitted by Greenfingers

Other honorable mentions include, in no particular order:
lostinfaerieland - Jezebel
thelittlereddoor - Hepzibah
CoraMarieBoutique – Eclipse
DanishMade - Sarafina or Tilda
GirlyGirlBags - Matisse
JazziesJunque - Etsy (Jazzie was the first to suggest it, followed by designsbyvanessa)
KarmaRox - Karma
ArgentTadpole - Luz or Luzia which means light; or Aurelia.
artbarkers - Acacia
ravenwolfgallery – Pauper
daisytoad says: daughter says soot

Sugarberry suggested some cute names, too, but I love the name of her shop itself as a kitty name! So, Poppy did come close to being named Sugarberry!

I would encourage everyone to check out the shops of these wonderfully creative Etsians!

Thanks again to all who contributed to the Name the Kitty contest!

Name the Kitty to Win!!

2008-07-09T15:17:00.000-07:00

I have this kitty I rescued and I'm having some trouble naming her, so I'm having a contest!

Whoever submits the name I choose, wins his/her choice of this lovely hand crafted copper, Swarovski crystal, aventurine, malachite and class necklace

OR

This wonderful healing magnet

You can see more pictures of the prizes in my shop, Luminosities

Here are some pictures of the little kitty. She's about a year old and still quite playful.

You can see more pictures of her here and here

Go HERE to submit names and may the best name win!!

Exciting nonprofit news!

2008-07-08T11:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I sent our articles of incorporation off to be filed with the Secretary of State! Again, I used Attorneys Corporation Service to file. It costs a little more, but their turn around time is way, way shorter than what you'd have if you sent it directly to the Secretary of State yourself.

That means, in just a few short days, I'll be announcing the official name of the brand new organization!!

I'm working on the bylaws now. That's pretty complicated, but I'll get it done. Off the top of my head, I think I have to send those with my tax exempt application to the IRS. I've also registered a domain name for a future website and created e-mail addresses for all my board members.

Stay tuned!

Little Kitty News

2008-06-15T10:32:00.000-07:00

I've had that little kitty locked in my bathroom for two weeks. She's been sneezing and had a runny nose the whole time. She's been to the vet twice. They gave me antibiotics so it doesn't get worse and those little kitty nose drops.

Here's the thing...
No symptoms when I first grabbed her or for several hours afterwards.
No fever.
No loss of appetite.
The other cats didn't catch it (which the vet said they would have, despite the extraordinary measures I've been taking, and I do mean extraordinary)
It's hung on for two weeks and will not go away.

So we decided she was allergic to something in my bathroom and had never actually been sick at all. Linda, at the pet supply store, said it was probably the silica in the clumping cat litter I'm using, combined with kitty being shut up in such a small space. I google'd silica and kitty respiratory problems.

Turns out, the silica in clumping cat litter may have deleterious effects on both cats and people. It's a bit controversial. You can read about it here:
The Cat Site
Pet Care Tips

I don't know if that's what's causing the problem or not, but now I'm using a different kind of litter, Feline Pine. It's all natural, biodegradable, organic and chemical free. There's no odor, no tracking, no mess, no silica dust and you just scoop and flush solids. When it's time to change the box out completely, you can use what's left as mulch or compost. How cool is that? So far, I'm really liking it.

Since the kitty is allergic to something in the bathroom, it's clearly time to get her out of there. Cats aren't pack animals like dogs and they're territorial, so introducing a new kitty needs to happen gradually. She's been in there for two weeks, so both Ophelia and Grainne are aware of her, and she of them.

Ophelia:

Grainne:

Yesterday, I put Ophelia (aka "Fuzz Butt") and Grainne, (aka Binky) in the bedroom and closed the door. I let little kitty out to explore the rest of the place. She was out for several hours, long enough to investigate every nook and cranny and get comfortable enough to take a nap on the couch.

Then I put her back in the bathroom and let the other two out to sniff her scent all over the apartment. That went on for a couple of hours and once they settled down, I let little kitty out. Well, I opened the bathroom door, anyway.

There was a little hissing and growling, but no actual fighting. Little kitty decided she was safer in the bathroom, so she stayed in there, curled up on her towel. Not exactly what I had in mind.

I closed her up in there again last night when I went to bed. I didn't want to wake up in the middle of the night to a cat fight on my head!

This morning, I've opened the door again. There was some eyeballing and sniffing from a distance, but no growling or hissing. She won't come out, though. She's still in there, curled up on the counter. Every time I walk by the bathroom, she meows at me, but she won't come out. Grainne and Ophelia will go up to the door, but they won't go in.

When she was out yesterday for several hours, she stopped sneezing and her nose dried up, so I think we're on the right track with the allergy thing. Now if I can just get her to come out of there for good!

Stay tuned!

Updates

2008-06-09T09:48:00.000-07:00

It's been over a week since I posted anything new. That's because I've been really sick. I had a fever of 103, which shocked me! I'm still sick, but not nearly as sick as I was.

The little kitty I found is still sick, too. We went back to the vet and now I have nose drops to give her. Little kitty nose drops. Who knew?

As might be imagined, I haven't made much progress on the non-profit thing. I did receive confirmation from the Secretary of State that the name has been reserved. It will be held for sixty days. I have until then to submit my Articles of Incorporation and whatever else is required.

I did manage to get a few more pictures of the little kitty, though! Here she is:

Look What I Found!

2008-05-31T16:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was at work and went outside to smoke. I heard a kitty crying and crying, then I spotted her sitting under a bush. I called her, but she wouldn't come to me. She just kept crying and crying. So I used a little trick I'd learned reading The Man Who Listens to Horses by horse whisperer Monty Roberts. I went closer, then sat down with my back to her. Sure enough, within seconds, she was right behind me.

I scooped her up and went off to find my friend Debra to get some help. Little kitty was skin and bones. Her black fur is bleached out from being in the sun and she had stickers and burrs in her hair. She didn't struggle while I was carrying her, but lawdy, did she make a fuss with her caterwauling.

Debra was on her way out and I'd just missed her, so I went running around the third floor of her building yelling for her, accompanied by kitty distress signals. She heard us and came back. I was like, "Help me." We took little kitty into the bathroom so we could set her down and get a better look at her. I didn't want to abscond with someone's pet, so I wanted to be fairly certain she was really a stray. We decided she was.

On a Friday night, it can take me up to an hour to get home and I had nothing to put the kitty in for the drive. Debra kindly offered to let me borrow her carrier, so we left for her house. I put little kitty in the back seat of my car, where she stayed for the ride. Seriously, she didn't move a centimeter! She was clinging to the back seat for dear life.

On the way home, I called my vet's office to make an appointment to get her seen a.s.a.p. After I'd dropped little kitty off at my house, quarantined in the bathroom, it was off to the pet supply store. I have two cats of my own already, but I needed a litter pan, etc., for the newbie. I got her settled in for the night to await her vet appointment this morning.

I took her in this morning to see Dr. Edgar Church at All Cats Clinic. Dr. Church gave her a thorough exam. The very first thing he did was scan her for a microchip. We needed to be certain someone wasn't missing their beloved pet. There was no microchip. She has fleas, no surprise there, so we treated her for that. She also has a respiratory infection, so I have medicine to treat that. She tested negative for both Feline Leukemia (FeLV) and Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP). Yay! We're waiting for test results to see if she has parasites. Her respiratory infection is contagious so I'm glad I was able to get her seen right away. I'm being very careful to keep her quarantined and wash my hands and even, on the recommendation of Dr. Church, change my clothes after I've handled her.

The good news is, she's already been spayed! I would have had that done, too, if she wasn't, but I'm glad I've been spared that additional expense. Poor little kitty just needs some TLC. She's really sweet and cuddly, purring away when I pet her. She gets in my lap and she lets me pick her up and cuddle and pet her.

Since I have two cats of my own already and I'm a renter in a one bedroom apartment, I'm hoping to find a forever home for her. She's not going anywhere until she's healthy, though. With treatment for her infection and a good diet, I figure she'll be good to go in a week or two.

Stay tuned!

More Nonprofit News

2008-05-29T08:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I spoke on the phone to Maya Gupta, President of Ahimsa House. We talked for about an hour and she answered a bunch of questions I had as well as sending me tons of resources via e-mail! I've been stunned by the kindness, generosity and willingness to help of many people, and Maya is no exception. I really appreciate her taking time out of her busy day to provide me with information and sources of further information.

Ahimsa House is one of the very few organizations that specifically helps pets of domestic violence victims. Please consider donating to them, which you can conveniently do through PayPal.

Making Progress

2008-05-27T10:04:00.000-07:00

Friday I applied to reserve the name of our nonprofit! It's so exciting to have something concrete done. I went through Attorneys Corporation Service. They were recommended to me and it seemed easier and less intimidating to go through them and let them deal with the Secretary of State's office. I believe it's faster this way, too.

Once I get confirmation that our name has been reserved, I've got my Articles of Incorporation ready to send in. I'll be using Attorneys Corporation Service for that, too. They say they can get that all settled much sooner than I could.

As soon as we're officially incorporated, I'll be revealing the name of our organization!

Stay tuned!

Speaking of Nonprofits...

2008-05-22T11:06:00.000-07:00

I have the pleasure of working with a wonderful woman named Jenn Mueller. Jenn is the coolest! In fact, her fiance, Tony, did one of my tattoos.

Jenn has Type I diabetes, which, in her case, is particularly severe. She experiences life-threatening drops in her blood sugar levels on an almost daily basis. Jenn has done and continues to do everything medically possible to manage her condition, but it's not enough.

Fortunately for Jenn, an amazing organization called Heaven Scent Paws has put her on the fast track to getting a companion medical alert dog who has the ability to sense dangerous alterations in blood sugar. These dogs are very expensive to train. The organization isn't asking Jenn to pay for it, but they do ask the people who receive these dogs to engage in fundraising activities.

To read more about Jenn, her situation and her fundraising efforts, go here. Please consider making a tax deductible donation so that Jenn and people like her can have the life-saving companionship of a medical alert dog.

Thanks.

Nonprofit Update

2008-05-21T12:55:00.000-07:00

Before I talk about where I am in the process, I want to be sure to say that none of what I post is meant to be legal advice. I am not a lawyer! My intention is merely to share my experience. If applicable, please seek legal advice from an actual lawyer.

With that out of the way, things are moving right along. I picked a name! I'm not going to tell you what it is, though, until we're incorporated. Everyone will have to wait for the big reveal.

I've also drafted a Mission Statement. I'm waiting to hear from one of my Board members before it's official. Next up, Articles of Incorporation.

I've found some more online resources, too. Foundation Center has some good information. On the Nolo site, there is a little checklist of steps to take in forming a nonprofit. These include the following:

Choose a name.
File articles of incorporation.
Apply for IRS tax exemption.
Apply for state tax exemption.
Draft bylaws.
Appoint Directors.
Hold a Board meeting.
Get any required licenses and permits.

Also needed are an employer identification number, supposedly even if you are not going to have paid employees, a bank account, a fundraising plan and a (groan) budget.

Stay tuned!

Every Little Bit Counts

2008-05-19T09:42:00.000-07:00

So far, I've read the first seven chapters of the For Dummies book about starting a nonprofit. My little highlighter is about dried up with all the things I'm highlighting!

We're still working on the name thing. You can't do much until you have a name for your organization. Incorporating and filing for tax exemption require a name, after all.

Part of my desire to create this new organization stems from my experiences with trying to help so many other organizations. There are so many issues in the world that need attention that trying to decide who to help and how can be overwhelming. I've mentioned some of the things I do on a regular basis in a previous post.

I receive and respond to e-mails from several groups or organizations. These range from animal rescue, environmental protection, endangered species, civil rights and human rights groups. I sign petitions and send e-mails to policy makers.

Bringing all this up isn't intended to brag about what a good person I am. Rather, it's to point out how much needs to be done and how many sad and unjust things are going on in the world right now. Of course I would like everyone who reads this to help me with my project, but more importantly, I want everyone who reads this to help someone with something. It's simply not okay to do nothing.

If all you can do is go to The Animal Rescue Site and click once a day to help feed shelter pets, protect the rainforest, promote literacy and more, (all at the same site), then do that. If you can give a little money to the charity of your choice, then do that. If you can give a little of your time to volunteer for the charity of your choice, then do that. Just do something, no matter how small. Even the tiniest action counts!

It's easy to get overwhelmed with all the issues that need to be addressed. While I intend to continue my e-mailing and petition signing, I have more of a focus now. I'm on a mission!

Stay tuned!

Nonprofit Quest, Day Three

2008-05-15T11:36:00.000-07:00

Starting a nonprofit is a lot more complicated than I realized! That's okay, though, I'm up for it. Part of my hope in posting blog accounts of my experiences is that other people will benefit from what I learn as I go along.

Yesterday, I focused on researching what I need to do to make this happen. About.com has a whole section devoted to starting a nonprofit, which can be found here. While I found the site very informative and helpful, I also found it confusing and cumbersome. I had something like 12 different tabs open, all from links to the various first steps. I was frantically taking notes and trying to organize what I was taking in, when I realized this might not be the best approach for me.

Instead, I decided to visit my friendly neighborhood Barnes and Noble bookstore. There is just something about having all the information in one tangible source. A source I can highlight and write in as needed.

Barnes and Noble had several books on starting a nonprofit to choose from. I carried about five over to a table to decide which ones to purchase. I wanted to just get them all, but that was neither practical nor financially feasible. I compared the Table of Contents in all the books and also looked at publication dates and edition numbers. I wanted something thorough and recent. I also looked at the qualifications of the authors. I wanted to be sure they were well qualified to write about the topic and not end up with Joe Schmoe's Nonprofit Startup Guide. Besides which, these books are not cheap. I wanted to get my money's worth.

It took me about an hour of careful consideration before I decided on my purchases. I'm a fan of the "For Dummies" series, so I got Nonprofit Kit for Dummies. The authors have extensive experience with nonprofits. The book includes a CD with worksheets, checklists, links, samples and more.

I also bought Starting and Building a Nonprofit, A Practical Guide That one was written by a woman with a law degree. It also comes with a CD that has "all the forms you need." This book was published by Nolo, "Your legal companion." For those of you unfamiliar with Nolo, they have lawyers writing books and creating software and downloads to help with legal issues. Their website is fantastic, check it out Nolo.

I also spent some time yesterday brainstorming possible names with Debra. We came up with quite a few, everything from the practical to the ridiculous. We're in the process of weeding them out now.

I've checked the ones we're considering with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and searched for them at my state's Secretary of State website under both corporations and limited liability companies. I didn't find any of them, so all we have to do now is pick one.

Stay tuned!

Non-Profit Quest, Day Two

2008-05-14T09:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I got the ball rolling on this non-profit thing. I e-mailed every person and organization mentioned in the original article. It’s amazing how responsive, helpful and supportive animal lovers are!

Allie Phillips of American Humane sent me a helpful manual and put me in touch with a friend of hers for more information. Phil Arkow, also of American Humane, sent me some useful links. Barry Yeoman, who wrote the article, also responded with sources of further information.

Christine Hartline of Rancho Coastal Humane Society, Jenison Silva of Humane Society of Southern Arizona, Lanie Anton of the ASPCA, Scott Delucchi of the Peninsula Humane Society, and Lara Bruce of American Humane all responded and sent information, links, encouragement and support.

I am grateful to all these people for taking time out of their busy days to respond!

I also received support and assistance from several of my Etsy buddies. Melissa of Muddy Horse Gallery was full of advice and support. She has a horse rescue of her own, where she rescues and rehabilitates abused horses.

Veronica of Surrender Dorothy and Her Royal Majesty Bags heard what I was doing and immediately thought to put me in touch with Melissa. Michele of Pandys and Griffin Gear, offered her accounting assistance.

Professor Tina Kistler and Debra Fondren of Santa Barbara City College have both offered help and support. Jessica Black of PrimalX offered the same.

As per usual, the members of the Etsy street team EAST have been supportive and encouraging. Specifically, Liz Staley of lizstaley, Michele of Greenfingers, Kari of LuckyLibra, Rachel of Indigo Luna and Melody of Melodys Unchained.

If you helped me yesterday and I have not mentioned you, please let me know! I was happily deluged with assistance of all kinds, so I may well have forgotten someone. If you’re reading this and you’re inclined to help, don’t be fooled into thinking I don’t need you. I absolutely need all the help I can get!

Right now, I’m working on reading the enormous amount of stuff I need to read to learn how to start a non-profit. So far I’ve discovered that I need a lawyer, and accountant and a Board of Directors. I also need a name for the organization, a mission statement and ugh, a business plan.

Stay tuned!

Helping Both Domestic Violence Victims and Their Pets

2008-05-13T11:03:00.000-07:00

I just read a magazine article about battered pets and how fear for them can prevent victims of domestic violence from leaving. That article, and further research, show that abusers typically use violence or threats of violence against defenseless pets as a means to terrorize and control their human victims. The article was written by award-winning journalist Barry Yeoman. The full text of the article can be found on his website, here.

According to an article in the Washington Post, 48% of victims of domestic violence have delayed leaving because of a pet. The article further points to both Hurricane Katrina and California fire victims’ refusal to evacuate to safety without their animals as examples of how devoted to the care and well-being of their pets some animal lovers are.

Studies have unequivocally shown a link between the torture and killing of animals and violence against humans.

These articles really struck a chord. Rather than feeling saddened and depressed, I was inspired to make a difference.

My intention is to create a non-profit organization specifically to shelter pets of domestic violence victims, perhaps in partnership with women's shelters. I got up at 5:00 this morning to research starting a non-profit!

I am currently in the info gathering stage. I would gratefully accept any help whether in the form of advice, contacts, raising awareness, or something else I don’t even know I need. You can contact me regarding this issue at a special e-mail address I've set up, pethaven@luminosities.net

Shocking Act of Animal Cruelty

2008-04-29T13:48:00.000-07:00

Last night I was up much later than usual. I was standing in my kitchen with the light off, looking out the window. I saw a man walking and a small animal walking near him. He moved closer to it and was watching it. I thought it was someone taking his little dog out for a late night walk. Then, the man ran over to the animal, jumped up into the air and came down on it. As I stood there, frozen in horror, the man stomped the animal to death. I ran outside and stood on my porch under the porch light staring at the man. I can’t express how horrified and shocked I was. Considering that a link between animal cruelty and violence toward humans has been well established, running outside was perhaps not the safest thing to do, but I wasn’t thinking clearly.

I’ve never seen such an alarming display of brutality in my life. I stood there staring at the man as he turned to walk away. He saw me staring and turned back to say, “Dead opossum.” Still completely shocked, I said, “Oh.” I quickly recovered myself and then said, “So it’s okay to do that to a opossum?” He just kept walking.

I stood there frozen, trying to process what I’d just seen. It happened in an open alley next to my house. It was dark and I couldn’t see the man’s face, what he was wearing or any identifiable aspects. By the time it occurred to me to call the police, he’d already left the alley and I hadn’t seen which direction he’d gone. I wasn’t even sure the animal he’d killed was actually a opossum and not a cat or dog. Would that have made a difference? Maybe a little, because of the trust factor. Dogs and pet cats trust people, for the most part. Stomping any animal to death is an act of extreme violence, maybe more so when it’s totally unprovoked. Doing it to a companion animal who has no reason to distrust or fear humans adds an additional layer of betrayal.

Opossums, on the other hand, have a different handicap when it comes to avoiding dangerous humans. Everyone knows that opossums “play dead” when frightened, which may be a workable strategy to avoid animal predators but is less effective against humans – to say the least. What many people aren’t aware of is that the opossum has no control over it. When they're attacked, they fall over and appear to be dead or to have fainted. They can’t help it. Unfortunately, they remain awake and their cognitive function is not hindered.

Of course, I was trying to make myself less appalled and more able to go to sleep by rationalizing that at least it wasn’t a kitten or a puppy, but it really doesn’t matter. The fact is, that man viciously killed a defenseless animal. I can only hope that knowing someone saw him do it will prevent him from doing it again.

Easy Things to Do to Help the Planet

2008-04-23T09:45:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd share the simple, easy, no- or low-cost things I do to help the planet. I'm hoping to inspire others to do the same things!

What I do to help the planet:

Work from home four days a week, which saves the 35 mile (one way) commute.
Bring my own cloth bags to the store (mine live in my car so I don’t forget them).
Recycle.
Turn the water off while I brush my teeth.
Turn off unused lights.
Unplug unused appliances, including the tv and microwave.
Buy organic.
I don’t eat mammals – no cows, pigs, sheep, etc.
I drive a little car that gets really good mileage (but I sure do miss my Wrangler!)
Click a day to feed animals in shelters, protect the rainforest, etc.
I use Blackle as my home page.
Donate time, money and goods to organizations that protect the environment and/or animals, such as Defenders of Wildlife and The Nature Conservancy.

I get e-mail alerts and then sign petitions and send e-mails to policy makers from such organizations as Greenpeace, The Wilderness Society, and the World Wildlife Fund.

My long distance carrier is Credo, formerly Working Assets. They donate a portion of your phone bill, at no cost to you, to progressive causes. You get to vote to decide who they donate to and how much they send! How cool is that?

What can you do to help the planet?