The ARK of Cleveland invites everyone to join them for their Grand Reopening, Saturday, November 22, from 2-4. ALIVE 105 will do a live broadcast while you enjoy refreshments and register for drawings. Prizes donated by Petco and Happy Tails will be given away at 4 pm.The ARK has moved two doors down from their previous location into a spot better suited to their needs and want to show it off. "We can keep our dogs at this location making it easier for potential adopters to view the dogs during business hours," Bob Caylor, ARK President said.We even have a quiet room, where adopters can take the pet to get better acquainted with it, undisturbed.

The ARK has also started collecting donations from the Christmas Tree of Hope. ARK supporters can purchase paper ornaments to make donations in the name of a former or current pet. "Our 2009 budget is $25,000 and our goal for the Christmas Tree of Hope is $5,000," Caylor said. "This will make it possible for all donations to be kept local," he stated.

Please make a point of dropping by The ARK, Bradley County's No-Kill shelter, Saturday the 22nd to see the new location and say hi to our highly adoptable pets.

You can make your tax deductable donations by dropping by 2163 N. Ocoee Street or by sending it to: PO box 1514 Cleveland, TN 37364-1514




Rachel Stephens, Austin, Ashley and Avery Tate invite you to donate to The ARK of Cleveland's Christmas Tree of Hope

The ARK of Cleveland is now taking donations through their Tree Of Hope. The ARK's budget for the
coming year is, $25,000. "Our hope is that we can raise, at least, $5,000 from the Tree Of Hope," said, Bob Caylor, ARK President. "Anyone can donate in the name of a pet, another person, or themselves," Caylor said. You can make your tax free donation to ARK of Cleveland by stopping by the shelter or mailing it in to: The ARK of Cleveland, PO Box 1514 Cleveland, TN 37364-1514





Rachel Stephens along with Austin, Ashley and Avery Tate invite you to be a part of the Tree Of Hope.

As mentioned in an earlier post, Sherry Black, a valued support member of the ARK lost her mother last week. As a result of this unfortunate event, Sherry must step away from her position here. The loss of her mother has brought so many new responsibilities into Sherry's life, she must now redirect her energies toward settling her mother's estate while working seven days a week.

We, along with the cats she loved so much, will miss Sherry terribly. The loss of her presence will be deeply felt. Sherry, our hearts are with you as you grieve and do the things so necessary to settle all the matters at hand.

On a happier note, Johnathan Howard has been volunteering at the ARK for many months now and has agreed to step into Sherry's place. Johnathan will go on a regular basis to clean and feed the cats we have on the premises.

Johnathan is a student at Lee and a very important volunteer at the ARK. Getting young people involved in volunteering is so important if we're to continue keeping our doors open.

Thanks Johnathan for stepping up!

Ocoee Update: Ocoee completed his heartworm treatment last week at Community Animal Hospital. His skin issue is completely resolved, and his fur has grown back. All but $54 of his veterinary bill was provided by compassionate private donors!

When I picked Ocoee up yesterday morning at Community Animal Hospital, he was eager to make the transition to the next chapter in his new life. "He's such a happy and curious dog!" the staff remarked. He sat by me in the front passenger seat and looked over at other drivers with a big smile as if to say, "Hey, look at me now!" After arriving at the new Ark Adoption Center, Ocoee quickly learned to sit, and made friends with the other dogs available for adoption. While on kennel rest the past month he was neutered, vaccinated, and is already housebroken.

Ocoee can be adopted during regular Ark Adoption Center hours. Thanks to the compassionate donors, who made Ocoee's catastrophic veterinary care, a life saving dream come true for him!

Don't panic, the ARK is only moving a couple of doors down from the present location.Volunteers worked hard today cleaning cages, floors, walls and moving cats.




Mavis is hard at work cleaning the old location.

The cats were happy to have a bright new room to investigate. Below, Bob Caylor, ARK President and Jonathan help the cats get comfortable in their new home.

"We're proud of the new space," Caylor said. "We now have room for potential adopters to play with a cat or dog in a separate area to get to know them other better"






The open house for our new location will be Saturday November, 1. We invite all of our friends to come by to see the new digs.

On a sad note, one of our wonderful volunteers,Sherry Black's mother passed away today. Sherry has been a faithful friend of the ARK for many years and gives unparalleled behind the scenes service, feeding and cleaning up after our cats.

No matter how long I'm involved with pet rescue, I'm always amazed at the cruelty of some people. This little girl was thrown from a moving car last week. A good Samaritan happened to see the incident and turned around to go back. When she got there, Dizz was still setting on the side of the road, with a bloody nose, waiting on the owner, (cruel as they were) to come back and get her.

The kind lady scooped her up and took her to the Cleveland Animal Hospital, the vet the ARK of Cleveland uses, and they called Bob Caylor, ARK President. Bob was able to find a foster care giver for Dizz, the 7lbs, 4 yr. old teacup chihuahua, and took her in after she was vetted and spayed.

Dizz is a sweet girl who needs lots of love and affection. She is docile and gets along with children and other dogs as well as cats. She's spayed and house broken. You can make her part of your family but dropping by the ARK of Cleveland and paying the $125 adoption fee for her.

He thought he would get away with it. Sorry Buddy, you can't go this time. Maybe next time. Good boy!

1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation from you is likely to be painful.


2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.


3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being.


4. Don't be angry with me for long and don't lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainment, but I have only you.


5. Talk to me. Even if I don't understand your words, I do understand your voice when speaking to me.


6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.


7. Before you hit me, before you strike me, remember that I could hurt you, and yet, I choose not to.



8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I'm not getting the right food, I have been in the sun too long, or my heart might be getting old or weak.



9. Please take care of me when I grow old. You too, will grow old.



10. On the ultimate difficult journey, go with me please. Never say you can't bear to watch. Don't make me face this alone. Everything is easier for me if you are there, because I love you so.




Take a moment today to be thankful for your pets. Enjoy and take good care of them.

Life would be a much duller, less joyful experience without our critters.

Saturday, the ARK of Cleveland took possession of this wonderful dog. He had no collar and was exhausted from looking for help when ARK President, Bob Caylor, took him to Community Animal Hospital that evening. “He actually put his head in my lap and went to sleep on the way,” Caylor said.
Ocoee has been diagnosed with scabbies and is heart worm positive. He’ll be in quarantine for two weeks and on restricted movement for a month while he recovers.
This is a perfect example of what sets The ARK of Cleveland apart. “This animal would have been euthanized if he’d been taken to Animal Control or other local animal rescues. We are truly a no-kill shelter providing catastrophic care when necessary,” Caylor added.
Ocoee’s veterinarian bill will be over five hundred dollars. “This kind of bill is always unexpected and hard to plan for in addition to our usual overhead. We are totally donation driven,” Said Jeanne Hagar, ARK volunteer.
If you are interested in making a tax free donation toward Ocoee’s veterinarian bill, you are welcome to drop by the ARK at 2183 Ocoee Street or mail a check to: PO Box 1514 Cleveland, TN 37364.

Anyone who has lost a pet knows the emotional pain associated with it. So many times grieving pet owners are overlooked by others who may not understand that loss. If you find yourself dealing with the loss of a beloved pet, here are a few things that will help deal with your loss.

How to grieve:
*Pay attention to your feelings. Understand that you may deal with physical problems as well as emotional pain. Allow yourself to feel the pain of loss.
*Be creative. Write a poem, blog about your feelings, paint a picture.
*Get moving. Strap on those walking shoes or take up Yoga. Do something physical to get the endorphins stirred up.
*Spend time with others who have lost pets.

Create a Memorial:
*Create a memorial in your own home. Place pictures of your pet, favorite toys etc. anything that helps you pay remember your pet.
*Give a donation to the ARK of Cleveland or your local humane society.
*Create a poem or piece of art that expresses your love.
*Share stories and memories with friends and family.

When should you get a new pet?
Most experts agree that you need some time to grieve the one you've lost. Pets are not easily replaced.
Sometimes volunteering can help ease the pain and deal with the grief.

If you've lost a pet, we at the ARK of Cleveland understand that pain. We have volunteer opportunities available if you're ready. Please feel free to stop by the ARK and visit with our furry friends anytime.

Here's a link you may find helpful:
http://www.pet-loss.net/resources/TN.html

Georgia Brown finds a home

Our Sweet Georgia Brown was adopted today by some wonderful folks named Hugh & Nancy Keatley from Beckley, WV. They found her on The ARK of Cleveland's Petfinder.com page and called about her. After hearing that she was still available, they made the five hour trip to pick her up.

When asked if they were just "Labrador people" they laughed and said, "We're chocolate Lab people."

Thanks to the Keatley's for caring about Georgia Brown so much they made the long trip for her. I think they'll agree, she was worth the trip!

ARK Volunteer Jeanne Hagar

Jeanne has been a faithful volunteer for about five months now. She's an avid runner, who ran the San Fransico Marathon in 1997. She has a deep love for animals and the environment. Here's Jeanne holding Miss Kitty, one of her favorite cats at the ARK of Cleveland. Miss Kitty has had surgery on her foot to correct a birth defect. The foot unfortunately has not healed properly, but that doesn't stop her from playing and giving lots of love.

Why spay/neuter is so important

Here are some interesting facts I've picked up lately. According to, Rescued, Saving Animals from Disaster, by Allen and Linda Anderson, and un-spayed female cat can generate up to 420,000 descendants in 6 yrs. An un-spayed female dog can give birth to 67,000.

Those are startling stats!

An interesting tid-bit I saw in the informative magazine, Animal Wellness, (Aug./Sept 2008) warns about the dangers of not spaying young females before their first heat cycle. They have an increased risk of breast cancer. In dogs, the risk is almost zero if spayed before their first heat. It rises to about 25% for dogs spayed after the first heat.

You can read more about this in the above mentioned book and magazine.

Bridgett has found a home

It's always nice to report that an animal has found their forever home. Bridgett was picked up a few weeks ago by a lovely couple who drove 5 hours round trip to make her part of their family. She has a new beagle brother named, Buddy who adores her.

Thanks for making room in the family for a little girl who's had a really hard life until now.

Bridgett

Three weeks ago today I took possession of a scared, underfed little lemon beagle named Bridgett. She had been rescued from the man who owned her who tied to a tree with no dog house. She was un-spayed at the time and was allowed to breed with any dog that came along. When she had pups (just before she came to us) the man killed them and left her with milk. He was planning to kill her too when the neighbors talked him into letting them have her.

They brought her to the ARK of Cleveland, where I volunteer, swarming with fleas, full of milk and hungry. She was given a flea dip and bath, then taken to our vet to be vaccinated and spayed. When I picked her up at the vet, she was scared and confused, but as sweet as pie. I let her rest for several days, intro. her to my three dogs and she started to come to life.

She's been with us long enough for me to absolutely fall in love with her. It will be bittersweet to see her go to her forever home. They will be a lucky family to have Bridgett. Good girl!