We are excited to launch the Five Acres Animal Shelter Top Five - a bi-weekly newsletter dedicated to giving you a closer look at what's happening at Five Acres and offering opportunities for you to be a part of our mission. You can look forward to having this newsletter in your inbox every other Saturday morning for five new stories, opportunities, and shelter highlights. Our mission is not possible without the incredible backing of our community, and we are excited to share more with you about the impact we are making together!

HAPPY TAILS, PONGO!

After 403 days in care, Pongo has finally found his forever home! Pongo came to us in February of 2022 and has had quite the journey since being in our care. After showing some real frustration about being in the shelter environment and some growing reactivity, a plan was made for Pongo to attend a board-and-train at Sorenson Kennels where he could learn some good dog manners and how to use his playful energy in a better way. However for this training to be successful, Pongo would need to go into a foster home with a family who was willing to continue his training. 

Thankfully, the perfect foster home came forward who fell in love with that goofy Pongo smile and was able to see past his tough-guy exterior. The difference in Pongo's demeanor between the shelter and his home was night and day, and after a few weeks the foster decided to make it official and adopt Pongo. 

Pongo's story is a great illustration of the life-saving impact of foster homes, especially for dogs who need a little extra help. If you are interested in being a foster, you can read more about the experience and sent in an application on our website. 

2023 IS OFF TO A GREAT START!

In the first quarter of the year, Five Acres Animal Shelter has already been welcoming in and placing a large number of animals in our community! Our animals come from two main sources: owner surrenders, and transfers from other rescue groups and shelters. An "owner surrender" is when a pet-owner is facing circumstances that cause them to need to find a new caregiver for their pet and need to surrender them to a shelter facility. A "transfer in" is when Five Acres welcomes animals from other shelters who may be running thin on space and resources to care for animals. With the growing trend in overcrowded shelters, we are proud to be able to welcome in many animals from other shelters so they may make room for more. 

With your help, we are confident we can continue this great trend of welcoming in and placing even more animals into their forever homes! 

ERNESTINA: A SPECIAL CAT IN NEED OF A SPECIAL HOME

Ernestina is a senior cat who survived outside during the winter after her family abandoned her at a motel. She is an older gal at 14 years old and is just shy of six pounds. She also has some "bonus toes" (known as a polydactyl) and no tail - just another thing that makes her so special!

We've also recently learned that Ernestina is diabetic - an unfortunate diagnosis for a feline her age. She will require daily insulin injections. 

This sweet girl has her own condo at Kitty Cottage, and we've made her as comfortable as we can, but it's not the same as being in a home. We would like to place Ernestina in a hospice foster or adoptive home - a quiet place where she can sleep in peace, get some love when she wants it, and bathe in the sun on a window ledge. Could you be the home for her?

Ernestina is available for a foster or an adoptive home. Five Acres Animal Shelter provides everything you need to be a foster, and we will walk you through her medical care needs. You can learn more about fostering here. 

If you are interested in adopting Ernestina, Five Acres will continue our support for Ernestina by covering the cost of six months of insulin. You can fill out an adoption questionnaire for Ernestina here, or you can reach out to our Feline Manager, Liz, at liz@fiveacresanimalshelter.org. 

THANK YOU, VOLUNTEERS! 

This upcoming week is Volunteer Appreciation Week, and at Five Acres we have much to appreciate! Every single day volunteers spend time doing so many things that help serve our mission - walking dogs, doing enrichment activities with cats, answering phones and greeting customers, fixing things around the shelter, taking animals to community events, and so much more! In the past three months alone, volunteers have donated an amazing 4,386 hours of service! 

Five Acres could not do what we do without them and we are continuously grateful for their hard work, passion, and dedication to the animals. 

Interested in becoming a Five Acres volunteer? Click here to learn more! 

THANK YOU TO OUR CURRENT GOLDEN PAW GALA SPONSORS!

Five Acres Animal Shelter's 50th Anniversary Golden Paw Gala is only a few short months away, and it would not be possible without the support of our community partners! A sincere thank you to each of our sponsors who make the event possible and help raise much-needed funds for the dogs and cats at Five Acres. Tickets are on sale now! 

Interested in participating in the Golden Paw Gala as a sponsor? Each level offers unique benefits to highlight your company as a champion for animal rescue, and participation in the event. You can learn more by clicking below, or by contacting our Development Director, Madeline, at madeline@fiveacresanimalshelter.org. 

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