January 10, 2018 Page 3C
it orter
By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
Save A Pet invited the
community to an Open
House to tour its facility
at 618 Maynard Church
Rd Forsyth and meet
some of its lovable canine
residents and dedicated
human volunteers. It
held open houses on both
Wednesday, Dec. 6, and
Saturday, Dec. 9 to give
those who could best
attend during the week
and those who could
come on the weekend the
chance to participate.
Save A Pet volunteers
have worked diligently
over the years doing
everything from clean-
ing kennels, transporting
dogs for medical atten-
tion, patiently showing
attention to animals
reluctant to return affec-
tion to creatively finding
ways to generate funds
to support the shelter.
They are proud of the
new shelter that can now
house up to 36 dogs and
has safe, healthy accom-
modations both inside
the shelter and on the 10
acres around it.
Kellen Lancer was
one of the volunteers
who guided visitors on
a tour of the Save A Pet
shelter. She began work-
ing with Save A Pet at
its temporary facility in
Bolingbroke when she
moved to Middle Georgia
from New York five years
ago. She now volunteers
at the shelter once or
t e:a mor th. She said
there are only two dogs
still at Save A Pet from
among those she met
five years ago, Peavy
and Meeka. One dog was
recently adopted after liv-
ing at Save Pet for seven
years.
During Open House
on Dec. 9, there were 19
dogs at the shelter, with
a schnauzer and border
collie due to arrive on
Monday. Lancer said
Save A Pet averages 25
! !
residents. Every morning
volunteers let the dogs
out onto their runs, usu-
ally in groups of two or
three, so that they can
clean the pens and feed
everyone. The shelter has
two quarantine rooms
where new arrivals stay
for 7-10 days before being
allowed to mix with the
other residents.
Lancer told the story
of one dog who was sup-
posed to be in quarantine
but kept meeting the vol-
unteers at the main door
each morning. Since one
must turn a door knob to
exit the quarantine room,
Lancer questioned herself
and others about who
did not close the door
tightly. Surveillance cam-
eras eventually disclosed
that this dog was able
to open the door itself.
It was quickly adopted,
and its new owners were
given a warning about
its extraordinary escape
skills.
Save A Pet has a Dog
Spa with an industrial
size bath for volunteers
to use in grooming the
residents. The facility
office is also the domain
of two of the older dogs
who are permanent resi-
dents and special friends
of one another. A storage
room holds donations
like towels, bowls, toys
and other supplies and
food. Plans are to obtain
an insulated storage unit
for food, some of which
comes from Pet Smart
donations.
: ' Ne have great vol-
unteers, but we always
need more," said Pat
Corley, President of Save
A Pet, Inc. She said an
adult must be present
with volunteers ages 16
and under. Young vol-
unteers are especially
being recruited to become
a part of the Reading
Rescue program, in which
the volunteers read to
the dogs. It is a calming,
socializing influence on
the dog and good read-
ing practice for the child.
Corley said that plans are
to turn the present stor-
age room into a lounge/
reading room for the pro-
gram after the insulated
unit is ready for food.
Volunteers are needed
to staff Fido's Closet, a
gift shop in the front of
Save A Pet that is open
from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
seven days/week. It is
filled with the many
donations given to Save
A Pet, including collect-
ibles, dolls, purses and
art. Other volunteers are
needed to work on build-
ing more trails on the
property, where visitors
and dogs can walk.
"It's a pretty area, per-
fect for a picnic," said
Corley. "Fido's Closet
has some really unusual
items, very unique. I did
some shopping myself
[for holiday gifts], espe-
cially for animal lovers in
the family."
Alicia Frese-Klenk and
Bill Klenk were at the
Save A Per open houses
signing copies of their
book, ' Rescue: A Dog's
Journey," the story of a
rescue from the perspec-
tive of a dog they adopted
in Monroe County. To
purchase a copy, visit
rescuepoohdog.com. The
Open House included
complimentary lunch
and a chance to purchase
bake sale items, especial-
ly cheese straws. Gene
Franklin of Bolingbroke
was the lucky raffle win-
ner at the open house for
a large wicker crate.
For more informa-
tion about Save A Pet,
call 478-994-5223 or 478-
994-3882.
Above, volunteers show
Open House visitors some
of the fenced areas where
dogs can enjoy sunshine,
exercise and socializing with
other dogs on suitable days.
(Photos/Diane'Glidewell).
Left, Save A Pet volunteers
tell a young visitor about the
Reading Rescue program as
they show her the inside of
the shelter where dogs stay
at night.
Below is a view of the Save
A Pet shelter fTom Maynard
Church Road.
'S
Bolingreen Health & Rehabilitation Center in
Bolingbroke entered a contest held by Ethica, a not-
for-profit consultative and support organization for
nursing homes, in December. The challenge in the
contest was to build a gingerbread house that looks
like your facility.
Lolieta Nunnally, Bolingreen activities director,
recruited a nurse, her two children who frequently
volunteer at Bolingreen, and two Bolingreen residents
to create a Bolingreen gingerbread house. Here are
pictures of the the work in progress and the result.
(Courtesy of Lolieta Nunnally)
Central Georc ia Wildlife Control
Bryan Rooks (478) 973-1838
Melinda Rooks (478) 973-2966
Full nuisance wildlife control services
including:
armadillos bats, beavers bobcats
chipmunks coyotes, foxes, muskrats, opossums
otters raccoons rodents, skunks, squirrels wild hogs
Specializing in the trapping and
removal of nuisance wildlife in or
around residential or commercial
buildings, farms, ranches and
hunting clubs.
centralgawildlife@gmail.com
