Tombstone Small Animal Shelter

AZ Give April 2nd

Invest in AZ! We are excited to announce that Tombstone Small Animal Shelter is joining this year’s Arizona Gives Day, a statewide, 24-hour online giving campaign. Please consider giving on April 2.

www.azgives.org/tombstonesmallanimalshelter

Tombstone Small Animal Shelter needs your help. We are a small no-kill non-profit shelter in rural southeast Arizona.  We are privately owned and operated.  We receive no funding from any city or other government agency.  Tombstone Small Animal Shelter has been incorporated since 1977. We are run by volunteers and supported by donors, just like you, people that believe in the welfare of abandoned cats and dogs. Through no fault of their own these pets  find themselves at the shelter, many scared and confused and some in need of medical. We believe that every pet that comes to us is treated with respect, kindness and compassion.  That they are given  a safe, warm, dry bed and food and attention.  All of our volunteers are dedicated to these animals. We are not paid to take them to veterinarians 20 miles one way and pick them back up. We receive no pay to take them 16+ miles for offsite adoptions 3-4 times a month to get them better exposure.  We are not reimbursed for our many hours on the computer making sure they are out there for the public to see, or for the many errands we run.  We ask no pay for doing laundry and the day to day care they need.  We do this because we believe in these cats and dogs.  In 2018 our medical expenses, including spay and neuter, for shelter animals was 46%.   Our total adoptions for the year was 208.  Considering we only have 7 cat kennels and 12 dog kennels, 2 of which we try to keep open for local animal control, this was a big accomplishment.

If you are asking “How would my donation help?”  Here is an example:  In March of this year we took in 8 cats whose owner had passed away. They were all 8-10 years old.  Good news is they were all spayed/neutered.  Bad news is 6 of the 8 needed major dental and some minor surgeries, testing for feline leukemia/aids and all vaccinations updated.  At the same time we had two small dogs needing dental.  All in the first week of the month.  All cats and dogs that come to us are spayed/neutered, given all age appropriate vaccinations and any other medical they need before going to their new homes. Of course medical expenses  for shelter animals are not our only expense but the largest.  We also help local low income families with spay/neuter and food so that they can keep their beloved pets and we don’t get them at the shelter.  We need to buy food  for shelter animals and other necessities when donations run low.  Your much needed donation and continued support will help to allow this small rural shelter to continue for many years. Thank You! TSAS.

2019 Fundraiser Newsletter

Tombstone Small Animal Shelter

2019 FUNDRAISER Newsletter

Send a Donation Today!        “Non-profit, no-kill”*

www.tombstoneanimalshelter.org       email: emayperry@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/tombstonesmallanimalshelter

Open most Saturdays 2-4pm or by appointment Sunday – Friday – call 520-457-2545

1037 S. Landin Park Way;     Mailing Address: PO Box 1085, Tombstone, AZ 85638

www.petfinder.com       www.adoptapet.com            www.rescueme.org

Highlights for the year 2018:

• Participated in 3rd Annual Celebration of Animals – Sierra Vista
• Replaced original cat room roof
• Partially Repaired septic system- will complete in 2019
• Participated in Special week-end events in Tombstone
• Participated in Arizona Gives and Giving Tuesday
• With  grant from Ryan Meile- we had pull down door installed on all outside dog kennels, rat proofed the laundry room, removed cooler in old cat room and replaced with smaller energy efficient ac unit and covers over entry gate and smaller outside puppy kennel.
• adopted  129 dogs and 79 cats 208 total adoptions
• spayed/neutered  122 cats and dogs before adoption
• Posted  statistics to Shelter Animals Count https://shelteranimalscount.org/
• Updated Information on www.Guidestar.org  for Gold  Level in transparency

Christopher’s Story

From Christopher’s new family:                                       

“On 8/31/2018 we brought home our new kitten, Christopher, from the Tombstone Animal Shelter. We renamed him as Christopher Boaz Stevens. My grandson chose the name Bo (Boaz) after the donkey from the movie “The Star”. Bo is special – he is blind.

I was very apprehensive to take on this responsibility. See, he and I have something in common and I felt compelled to adopt him. He’s blind and I am visually impaired. I can see most things, but I believe he cannot see ANYTHING. When we first brought him home, we kept him in our master bathroom so that he would not be overwhelmed. We brought in his litter box, his food and water and a few toys. After the first night, we were pleasantly surprised that he used his litter box, found his food and water and even found himself a new toy…the toilet bolt covers!”

Within 5 weeks Bo had mastered the layout of his new home, was becoming quite brave and confident.  He made friends with the dog and could jump on and off furniture.

Christopher aka Bo is in a great home.  He still faces many challenges that he is overcoming slowly.  At first he did not like to be picked up. He ran into things constantly,  He had to learn to go up and down stairs.  This adopter took a chance on a sweet blind kitten and we are so happy she did. Bo is now growing into a confident cat in a loving forever home.

We’re thankful for our wonderful grant providers:

Ryan Meile Animal Welfare Endowment grant

The Arizona Community Foundation

Petco Foundation Grant

Tombstone Small Animal Shelter is a non-profit, no-kill shelter, dedicated to finding homes for unwanted and abandoned animals in the Tombstone area, and educating the public on the benefits of spaying and neutering. We proudly comply with national no-kill standards.  We don’t euthanize except when injury, disease, or temperament makes other options impossible.  All animals are spayed or neutered and vaccinated before leaving the shelter.  Animals re never given or sold for research.

TSAS would like to thank all our supporters for their generous donations!

Stories:   Because space is limited we are only able to print a few of our wonderful Happy Tail Stories.  However, if  you have a story to share, please post it on our facebook page at:           www.facebook.com/tombstonesmallanimalshelter

or send it by email (with a picture) to: tombstoneshelter4animals@gmail.com    

             It will be put right here on this website.

Mikey’s Story

                  As a puppy, Mikey lived with a young couple who loved him very much.  But they had   to   move  to  a place that did not allow American Staffordshires (aka Pitt Bulls).                                             Mikey was left at a local kennel for almost a year when they reached out to us to help find this beautiful sweet dog a home.  Mikey was smart and loveable. But he also was untrained, extremely strong, and very energetic. A dog trainer was consulted.  Mikey learned quickly to follow directions.  He just needed the right person to be the pack leader.  Mikey was at the shelter for 67 days when he was adopted to a couple in another city.  He is doing great and integrated into their family and other dogs quite well.  He just needed a chance and the right person to understand him.

                    Snow’s Story

Hello, I’m Snow. I’m pretty with one green eye and one blue eye.

When I came to the shelter February 17,  I was scared. My teeth  needed cleaning. Then I got sick. I got better, but still no one wanted me. No one could understand why. Finally 125 days later a wonderful   a  sweet lady came and took me home.  I am truly lucky.

My new owner said,  “Snow came home with me on June 22nd and he’s quickly become my best friend. He follows me around everywhere and has decided I make a comfy pillow. I am so thankful to have found such a sweet furry little friend at your shelter. Thank you so much for helping us to meet! What a team we make !!!!”

TSAS sells t-shirts with the shelter logo at Special Week-end Events in Tombstone.  During the off season we have them available for sale upon request.  Short Sleeve t-Shirts are $16.  We also have by pre-order long sleeve t-shirts $18 and sweatshirts $20. Call 520-457-2545 or email emayperry@gmail.com  for order and shipping information.

 Rose’s Story

              My name is Rose.  I was left at the gate to the shelter in December of 2017.  I was a big scared puppy. The volunteers at the shelter tried to comfort me and tell me it would be okay. A nice lady visited and took me out of my kennel.  She sat quietly and let me get to know her.  I was  sad when she left.   But she returned  with her husband! They spent hours letting me get to know them.  I went to the vet and afterward, I woke up at their home!  I had a soft warm bed and a  calm and peaceful place recover. I even had a little piglet for a new best friend.  I made friends with the other dogs and all the farm animals.  I even learned, much to the dismay of my new mom and dad to open peanut butter jars.   They caught on pretty quick and put them away after that.  I liked to curl up with my new dad and sleep.   I was still a pup and did all kinds of “puppy” things.  One day I ate my mom’s Combos snack, she even posted a shaming picture of me on Face Book.  But you know what she told all her friends ” Rose is awesome, if I could only have one dog ever it would be her.”  WOW guess even when I misbehave they love me.  We now live in New Mexico and  even though I miss my farm animal friends I still have the best forever family. The shelter is full of awesome dogs like me. They just need someone like my new folks to give them a chance.  I am one LUCKY DOG!!!

Positive results from social media aka Face Book

A BIG Thank You to everyone who has clicked on the “Donate” button on our Face Book page.  And to those that have created birthday fundraisers, shared fundraisers and created fundraisers. These donations are extremely helpful to the shelter and like all donations help provide needed medical and other necessary services to our pets.

Social Media aka Face Book has been instrumental in helping us with a great majority of adoptions, including sending 28 dogs and 2  cats back to their grateful owners in 2018  For those of you that have a FaceBook account please “like” our page.  “Follow” our page for up to date information regarding available pets, adoptions, lost/found pets and Happy Tail stories from adopters.  “Share” our page so that the information we have is out to more people.  We strive to keep this a positive and informative page.  This page is “public” so those of you that do not have Face Book can also see all the comings and goings. If you find a pet you would like more information on CALL, do not text.  We answer all voice messages. Do not wait to see if a pet is “still there tomorrow” as most likely the answer will be “no”. Thank you to all of you that “like, follow and share” our pets and information.

A Donation in Honor of Someone is a Wonderful Gift !

A donation to the Tombstone Small Animal Shelter is a wonderful gift for many special  occasions: in memory of a loved one, a birthday gift for a pet lover, to recognize an accomplishment, for any reason really – or “just because.”

The “Honored Someone”  or their family, will be sent a note notifying him or her of your gift. They will be happy knowing the gift will provide a homeless pet a second chance at a wonderful life or medical treatment for a pet in need.

Thank you to all of you that sent donations in honor of a loved one, their pet or even their birthday!

Please sign-up for our Rewards Programs!

Frys Community rewards – www.FrysCommunityRewards.com

Amazon Smile- www.smile.amazon.com

Walk a dog – http://www.wooftrax.com

We need your donations!

        Please make out a check today!

      We also accept American Express, Discover, Mastercard and Visa.

Guidestar Gold Seal of Transparency

Tombstone Small Animal Shelter was recently recognized for our transparency with a 2018 Gold Seal on our GuideStar Nonprofit Profile!

GuideStar is the world’s largest source of information on nonprofit organizations. More than 8 million visitors per year and a network of 200+ partners use GuideStar data to grow support for nonprofits. In order to get the 2018 Gold Seal, Tombstone Small Animal Shelter shared important information with the public using our profile on www.guidestar.org. Now our community members and potential donors can find in-depth information about our goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress. We’re shining a spotlight on the difference we help make in the world.

Send Love to Shelter Pets

Be a part of the world’s largest virtual valentine to shelter pets and help us win big!

Be a part of the world’s largest virtual valentine to shelter pets and the people who care for them! Submit your photos and videos to the Petco Foundation’s online valentine mosaic for the chance to win some great prizes while also giving us a chance at lifesaving grant awards!

To participate, upload a photo or video valentine message at www.petcofoundation.org/love. Valentine messages can be:

• A message of love to your adopted pet about sharing how they have changed your life for the better.
• A thank you to Tombstone Small Animal Shelter
• A note of encouragement to shelter pets who are looking for loving homes.

Help us win Big
The organization with the most submissions is eligible for a $10,000 grant award. By uploading your photos, you are giving us a chance to win this lifesaving grant. When uploading your photos, please spell out our organization as Tombstone Small Animal Shelter and our website address as: www.tombstoneaanimalshelter.org  so your submission is tied to our organization.

Submit your photos and video by February 13.

Daily Prizes

You can win big too! Each day, one entry will be selected randomly and will receive a $50 Petco gift card, a signed print from MUTTS, a Petco Foundation apparel item, a tote bag from BOBS from Skechers and a coupon for a free bag of WholeHearted pet food. If you’re selected as a winner, Tombstone Small Animal Shelter  will be eligible to receive a $1,000 grant award. Remember: the earlier you submit, the more chances we have to win!

Get the Most Likes

Prize packs will also be given to the top 2 most liked photos, and the adopter with the most liked photo will win a $100 Petco gift card and one year of WholeHearted dog or cat food.

Learn more and submit your entry at www.petcofoundation.org/love.Encourage other adopters to send their #sheltervalentinetoo to help us earn grant awards! Thank you for adopting and choosing LOVE!

Tombstone Small Animal Shelter Volunteers

Video of the shelter Jan 2019

Thank you to Todd and Sophia of Spindrift Empire for shooting this video of the shelter when they were visiting Tombstone.  And thank you for volunteering and walking the dogs.

Septic Repair

TSAS has been informed that the septic system is in need of a major repair. This system is part of the original building installed in 1995. The beginning estimate was $2000 but as worked progressed and more issues were discovered it has grown to $4800.  We currently have a fundraiser going on our Facebook page hoping to raise the funds

https://www.facebook.com/pg/TombstoneSmallAnimalShelter/fundraisers

Thank you to all of you that have donated and shared this request. We appreciate any and all help as this unexpected expense has taken a toll on the limited finances of this small shelter.

We will be forever grateful to any amount you can donate to this unexpected expenditure. Remember we are a 501c3 non-profit and all money donated is tax deductible.

If you would prefer to send a check please send to

Tombstone Small Animal Shelter

P.O. Box 1085

Tombstone, AZ 85638

Annual Potluck and Election of Officers

Tuesday, December 11 the Tombstone Small Animal Shelter held their annual Volunteer and Family Potluck and Election of Officers. Everyone had a great time with good food, prizes and games and welcoming new volunteers.

The following  were elected to the 2019 Board:

President – Tonyia Hallen

Vice President – Elaine Perry

Treasurer – Marcia Spitler

Member at Large – Mary Ellen Atkins

Secretary – still to be filled

Thank You Ryan Meile

As a volunteer for many years at the TSAS I have seen lots of physical changes to the shelter buildings.  I tend to get very excited when major changes occur, all due mainly  to Grants from the Ryan  Meile Endowment  for Animal Welfare. These grants  over the last several years have allowed the shelter to install large outside dog play yards and have them completely graveled. We currently have eight , along with two smaller enclosed puppy pens that were previously there.  They have improved the irrigation system to the trees in the play yards to allow for shade in the summer heat. Improve two thirds of the dog kennels, all the inside kennels and all on the west side due to deterioration of the previous product used and time, causing unsafe conditions for dogs and people. They have also provided the funding for the new kitten room which allowed us to now have  the original cat room with four kennels and the new kitten room with three larger kennels for litters.  This also opened up the main room for supplies, a desk and better and safer working conditions for the volunteers.

The largest part of this year’s grant was for pull down doors over the outside of the dog kennels. My husband and I used to do custodian duty every Sunday morning.  Driving from Sierra Vista to Tombstone to feed and clean the shelter.  That first winter we were shocked to see the temperatures sometimes in the low to below 20 degrees.  With winds blowing like crazy. We had a pretty full kennel that winter and some pretty active dogs.  The outside of the corner kennels were just chain link.  For those that remember Miss Ruby she was in kennel #1 and had decided to chew up her heavy dog flap.  Which meant it was open to her outside run. Someone before us had put up a tarp on the outside of the kennel I believe with clothes pins.  Anything to hold it in place.  Later each winter we would put up the tarps with zip ties. in 2014 we installed some old poly vinyl siding we had and recycled.

These outside walls were later replaced with a solid material when we renovated the dog kennels. The following year Mr. Jeremy did the same thing on the other side of the kennel . One of our volunteers brought a light weight  piece of   board and it was put over the door with clips so that he did not chew the blankets we had first tried.  Until today blankets were put up over the  outside doors.   NO MORE !!! Thanks to Bob Radcliff and his crew at Eco Strada Construction we now have pull down doors to protect the dogs from inclement weather.  When I saw this picture I was so excited! Not sure if it was for the current custodians (as we no longer live in the area) or the dogs!!!!

Tombstone Small Animal Shelter is a very small shelter.  All our donations go to keeping the dogs and cats in our care safe, and as healthy as we can.  We also need to keep good working conditions for our volunteers.  It is grants like this that make all the difference.  We still have other smaller projects to be completed with this grant, but this was a biggie!!  Thank you again Ryan  Meile Endowment  for Animal Welfare  and the Arizona Community Foundation, that manages this fund.