On August 2nd and 3rd, the GBHS held its 5th annual telethon to raise money to help care for our homeless pets. The event was broadcast LIVE from our adoption center onWBRC Fox 6 and featured local celebrities, adoptable pets, and the GBHS mascots.
Thanks to the generosity anf kindess of our community and friends, we were able to raise $72,172, exceeding the $70,000 fundraising goal.
The gifts provided to GBHS during the telethon will be used to further the mission and operations of our facility and programs.
Join the Greater Birmingham Humane Society for a family fun day, Sat., Aug. 2!
Join us from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a free community festival event. The event will include music, food, children’s activities, face painting, pet photos, animal rescue partners, pet supply vendors and more!
We are looking forward to having these great groups join us!
As the 4th of July approaches, the Greater Birmingham Humane Society wants pet owners to be prepared and aware of the dangers associated with the fun and festive activities that occur this time of year. Summer holiday activities and fireworks can cause a great deal of stress for all animals. To help pet owners keep their pets calm and safe, GBHS and ASPCA recommend the following tips:
BBQ wants you to have a safe and happy Independence Day!
Ensure your pet is wearing proper identification tags that list their name, your name, home address and phone number.
Loud fireworks scare many animals, and festivities including visits from friends and family can often create extra distractions for pet parents. It’s best to make plans for your pet before guests arrive. If your dog is anxious, consider keeping them in a quiet but cool room indoors and make it a point to check on them regularly.
Keep matches, citronella candles, bug sprays, sunscreens and lighter fluid out of your pet’s reach. These products can all cause serious health problems for animals.
It’s not a good idea to give your dog (or your kids for that matter) free roam of the yard when the grill is on. Burns can happen in an instant.
Never leave alcoholic drinks unattended where pets can reach them. Alcoholic beverages have the potential to poison pets.
Brush up on your dog’s training. Your dog should have basic obedience training, and should easily respond to you.
“We want to make sure your pets stay safe, not only on the 4th of July, but throughout the year,” said Karen Peterlin, Executive Director of the Greater Birmingham Humane Society. “Educating pet parents and the community is a major focus of animal welfare organizations like us.”
Have questions? Contact the Greater Birmingham Humane Society at (205) 942-1211 for more information. To report animal cruelty, please call your local Police Department.
The Greater Birmingham Humane Society’s mission is to promote the humane treatment of animals and people through education, advocacy, and services.
Cumberland’s website says, “According to tradition, Rascal faithfully attended classes at the law school’s former campus in Lebanon, Tennessee, beginning in 1933. In 1937, he was awarded the rare degree of doctor of canine jurisprudence. Legend states the diploma was awarded in recognition of the hundreds of classes and mock trials at which Rascal’s attendance had been difficult to ignore.”
We were invited to celebrate the life of Rascal and this fun tradition with the students at Cumberland. We hope you’ll join us from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at Samford University. We’ll have adoptable dogs with us, too!
McAdory Elementary Art Show
McAdory Elementary School art teacher Shelly Bailey contacted us this past fall. She said that her second grade students had been learning about pet care, and she wanted to do a corresponding art lesson.
She had the almost 200 students draw pictures of pets and then delivered the artwork to the GBHS to get a very special “paw-tograph” on each drawing.
Wall-E had been at the adoption center for a quite a while, but he made the perfect candidate to stamp his big paw on each child’s artwork while getting lots of love and encouragement from GBHS staff.
Here we are, many months later, and the artwork is ready to be sold with proceeds benefitting the GBHS.
Come join us and the McAdory students at their school on March 13, from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. at the art show. We’ll be there with our mobile adoption unit, TARA, and adoptable dogs.
Wall-E and staff hard at work to “paw-tograph” almost 200 pieces of artwork.
Wall-E left his mark on the students’ artwork.
Wall-E definitely needed a bath after stamping all that artwork.
By Hailey Rogers, Events and Communications Coordinator |
House Bill 141 passed through the Senate Health Committee meeting, but there is still much work to be done!
The bill must be chosen by the Rules Committee as a special order. If that happens, it will then be put on the Senate floor for a vote. We need your help to make this happen!
Please click here to see which senators are on the Rules Committee and access their contact information. (This can also be found at the bottom of this post.)
Rep. Todd speaking to the Senate Health Committee.
Today marks progress that has been years in the making. Representative Patricia Todd stood at the podium to present HB 141 to the Health Committee. Senator Bussman made a motion to vote on the matter, which Coleman seconded.
Eight senators voted in favor of passing HB 141 on to the Rules Committee, while four voted against it.
In favor:
Greg Reed
Slade Blackwell
Linda Coleman
Harri Anne Smith
Cam Ward
Jabo Waggoner
Jerry Fielding
Del Marsh
Opposed:
Paul Bussman
Billy Beasley
Gerald Dial
Tom Whatley
“The passage of HB141 out of the Health Committee was a great victory in the fight to keep the non-profit spay and neuter clinics open. They need to remain operational to help reduce Alabama’s pet overpopulation,” said GBHS Executive Director Karen Peterlin. “The overpopulation creates both a public health and safety issue. Alabama does not need to remain one of four states that do not have spay and neuter legislation.”
Rules Committee
Jabo Waggoner (Chairperson)
16th District (Jefferson, Shelby)
Jimmy Holley (Vice-Chairperson)
31st District (Coffee, Covington, Dale, Houston)
Scott Beason
17th District (Blount, Jefferson, St. Clair)
Roger Bedford
6th District (Colbert, Fayette, Franklin, Lamar, Lawrence, Marion, Winston)
Clay Scofield
9th District (Blount, Madison, Marshall)
Paul Bussman
4th District (Cullman, Lawrence, Winston)
Room 304 at the Alabama State House was filled with constituents.
GBHS Executive Director Karen Peterlin thanks Pro Tem Del Marsh for supporting HB 141 in the Health Committee meeting.
GBHS Auxiliary President Tricia Preston, Senator Slade Blackwell and GBHS Auxiliary Membership Chairman Donna Hightower pose for a photo after HB 141 passed through the Health Committee.
Spaying and neutering is critical to overcoming pet overpopulation in our area and worldwide. “Spay and neuter is the first step towards reducing homeless pets in our area,” said GBHS Cruelty Prevention Officer Phil Doster, “Educating the public on this important aspect of responsible pet ownership is just as important as feeding and caring for a pet.”
World Spay Day is an international effort to do just that. According to WSD’s website, more than 800 events have been held in the U.S. and abroad in February to further spay and neuter efforts.
The GBHS, FCDF and AL SNC are all partnering to offer $20 s/n certificates to the first 100 people who come to the GBHS. It all kicked off at 9 a.m. this morning, but there are still certificates left! Once we run out, they will still be here offering s/n services for the regular, reduced fee (price varies depending on pet), until 4 p.m. today.
Dixie’s Group will meet Tuesday, July 15 at 5:30 p.m. at Homewood Library. Please e-mail Mary-Grace to register at mawilson@gbhs.org.*
If you’ve struggled with losing a pet in the past year, we invite you to join Dixie’s Group. This is a weekly meeting program dedicated to helping people through the process of losing a beloved pet.
The group will be lead by Dr. Larry Michael, an experienced grief coach who understands the impact of loss. He served as a pastor for over thirty years, and more recently served as director of a local grief agency. In addition to helping individuals who have lost loved ones, he is a pet lover and has a desire to help those who are grieving the loss of a pet.
Dixie’s group will be a six-week program that meets on Tuesday nights from 5:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m., at the Homewood Library. The group is open to those who have lost a pet in the past year. While there is no charge for being a part of Dixie’s Group, donations will be accepted for Dr. Michael’s time and commitment.
To register, e-mail Mary-Grace at mawilson@gbhs.org. In order to properly serve attendees, space is limited to 20 participants at this time.
Why “Dixie’s Group?”
I received a phone call from Randy a few weeks ago. He said his sweet yellow lab, Dixie, had recently passed away. He searched the area for a grief support group, and when he couldn’t find anything in Greater Birmingham, he contacted us and volunteered to help get the ball rolling. In loving memory of the pet who inspired this program, we have named it Dixie’s Group.
Just in case you haven’t heard yet, we wanted to give you an in-depth look at Operation Silent Night. This project is very near and dear to our hearts, and we hope it will be to yours, too. It all started Dec. 2, with #GivingTuesday, and lasts through Dec. 25.
Imagine Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the adoption center. Can you hear the barking? Can you envision the cats peeking out from their favorite hiding spots? The cute puppies napping on their brothers and sisters?
Now imagine that the dogs are barking along while you sing Christmas carols. See the cats poking their heads out from around your sofa, then strutting over for you to pet them. Think about that snuggly puppy toddling over to you and falling asleep on your lap.
That is what Operation Silent Night is all about–ensuring that each adoptable pet has a safe, warm home to love them for at least one special night. The goal is have every pet in an adoptive or foster home by Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, making a night of silence at the GBHS.
Please consider adopting a pet this month, one that you will love and cherish for the rest of his or her years.
If you can’t commit to a lifetime of love, we’d love for you to foster a pet on December 24.
Send an e-mail to contactus@gbhs.org and be sure to include your name, address and phone number. We will get into contact with you and arrange your foster experience! Don’t worry, we provide everything you’ll need, including pet food, collars, leashes and more.
Not only will you be giving a pet a wonderful night’s (or life’s) stay, you’ll also be helping our dedicated staff. The pets in our care must be looked after 365 days a year, including holidays. By adopting or fostering during Operation Silent Night, you’ll be giving a little break to our staff who clean the kennels and care for the adoptable pets.
The annual GBHS Giving Tree also started Dec. 2! If you can’t help as part of Operation Silent Night, we are always accepting monetary donations to support our other programs. You can give online, at the GBHS, or at one of our Giving Tree locations around town (Brookwood Village, Full Circle Boutique and more).
You can also donate supplies throughout December through YouGiveGoods. Visit our YouGiveGoods.com page, select the items you’d like to donate, pay for them and they’ll ship them straight to us. The best part is, you never even have to leave your couch!
Wondering what we are up to for the holidays? Let us fill you in, because there is something for everyone. We’ve got adoption specials, donation opportunities and an idea that’s going to take the help of many in our community.
Black Friday
On Black Friday, you can bring in any item from our wish list and we will give you $10 off your adoption fees! You can see all our adoptable pets here. They would all really love a warm, loving home for the holidays.
#GivingTuesday
This is a global day of giving, with a healthy serving of social media. See, there’s Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and now #GivingTuesday (#GT) is on December 3.
After shopping ’til you drop in the post-Thanksgiving rush, we hope you will join us on Dec. 3 to help the homeless pets of Birmingham. You can learn more about Giving Tuesday by watching their video below.
You Give Goods is partnering with #GT, and now donating supplies is easier than ever. Visit our You Give Goods page, pick out an item to donate, pay for it, they’ll send it straight to us, and you never even had to leave your couch. This is a great way to donate items even when you’re in the middle of the holiday rush! Our page will be open Dec. 3-31, 2013.
Don’t forget to tag #GivingTuesday and #TheGBHS when you participate!
Giving Tree
Giving Tuesday will kick off a whole season of giving for us. Our annual Giving Tree will begin Dec. 3 at the adoption center.
During December, we will have a Christmas tree in our lobby where you can help us decorate its branches with love. There will also be a tree at Colonial Brookwood Village, Dec. 7-15. Full Circle Boutique will also be participating by having a Giving Tree of their own.
Here’s how it works:
Stop by one of the locations listed above.
Choose your ornament. There are twelve options, and each features a GBHS alumni.
Give a monetary donation for the ornament, either for yourself, as a gift for a friend or in honor of someone.
Hang it on the tree to show your support for our mission.
We’ll give you a card that matches your ornament. Be sure to give it to the person you’ve honored! These make a great gift, especially for the pet lover who already has everything.
We are in the process of creating an entire Giving Orchard across Greater Birmingham. As many of you know, we would not be able to do the live-saving work we do without the help of this amazing community.
As always, you can also donate to the GBHS Giving Tree online by clicking here.
Operation Silent Night
How amazing would it be if every pet in our care had either a forever home or a temporary foster family to take care of them on Christmas Eve?
This year, we are taking on a huge project that we’ve affectionately dubbed Operation Silent Night. We are going to need everyone’s help to spread the word and make this dream a reality.
The idea is that each pet in our center would have someone to call their own by Dec. 24, and that the kennels would be completely silent, at least for one night. This is a huge undertaking, but the thought of the whole community pulling together to achieve the task is astounding. We know that with your help, Operation Silent Night can be a success.
This project will also kick-off on Dec. 3, with #GivingTuesday and Giving Tree. E-mail us to join our efforts for Operation Silent Night. Don’t forget to include your name, address and phone number!
I can’t donate or adopt at this time, but still want to help
You can! We all know how important social media and word of mouth are these days. We’re charging you with the task of sharing our message and goals to your friends and beyond.
Share a Facebook post, Retweet us, follow our Instagram, Repin pictures of our pets, and start a conversation with your friends about the importance of saving the lives of pets in our area. Don’t forget our hashtags: #TheGBHS, #AdoptLocAL, #GivingTuesday and #BhamPets.
There will be a costume contest for people and pets, so put on your thinking cap and try to beat some of the hilarious costumes from last year.
Todd and Greg will be playing live music, CahaBones will have a “treat bar” for the pooches, Jazzy J Designs is bringing some of the cutest collars for sale and Shindigs food truck will be sure to make your tummy very happy. A portion of beer, Jazzy J and food sales will also benefit the homeless pets at the Greater Birmingham Humane Society.
Don’t forget to RSVP on Facebook. We’ll see you there!
On August 2nd and 3rd, the GBHS held its 5th annual telethon to raise money to help care for our homeless pets. The event was broadcast LIVE from our adoption center onWBRC Fox 6 and featured local celebrities, adoptable pets, and the GBHS mascots.
Greater Birmingham Humane Society 