A New Year, A New Start

With the holiday season upon us, it is a good time to reflect on the year that is almost past us, and the new year that is fast approaching. For so many of our rescued friends, it has been the best year of their lives... being rescued and adopted after perhaps after the worst possible situation that could happen to a pet occurred - left at a pound, abandoned as a stray or given away by its owner. However, just like the little HSP dog who we rescued after he was dumped in a ravine in a state park, that night he spent alone in the ravine had to be the worst thing that loving little dog could imagine to have happen to him. Abandoned by his owners, left to fend for himself in the wild, his future still uncertain when found by animal control officers, how could that little dog know that if all of this had not happened to him, there is no way that he would have found himself living in his new forever home, not only rescued but now pampered and loved so much... I guess that little dog's story has been a life lesson for me, and one that I hope all of us can embrace when times get tough. We may not know why we have to go through rough times when they happen, but eventually they do come to an end. We find that we can persevere, and hopefully, grow and become stronger, or a better person, because of it.

We ALL have these periods to go through - whether from a personal standpoint, or as an organization, some lasting longer than we care to, certainly, but the bleak periods do pass, the sun comes out again, and life goes on, one way or another. I will be honest with you, things have been tough in the rescue world these last few years, tougher than they normally are because of the poor economy, the failed jobs, the lost homes, and the lack of new adoptive homes. Yet HSP is still doing what we do best - helping those most in need of us, and finding a way to make it happen, no matter what. And we have only been able to do this because of YOU and your support of our work. Whether you volunteered your time, gave a monetary donation, or hosted an event to help us raise funds, what we do is only possible with your assistance, and we at HSP wish to thank you, and let you know how grateful we truly are that you believe in us and the work that we do.

I am hopeful that things will be even brighter for everyone, including the animals who need us, in 2012. It is my wish this holiday season that all of HSP's cats and dogs find themselves in a loving home in time for the holidays, and that we can continue our mission to help those that cannot help themselves for many more years to come. From all of us at Help Save Pets, best wishes for a safe, peaceful and HAPPY holiday season to you, and the very best wishes for a terrific New Year to come as well!

Meg Kremer, Director HSP

Sharing some of our messages from our Appeal Letter donors.

"We adopted the best dog in March 2010. Her name was Gretchen (now Daisy). We love her so much."

"We adopted our friend 3 years ago. She gives us much joy and happiness and our grandchildren love her."

"My wish is that every animal could find a loving home to go to."