Many animal-friendly folks often ask us the same question,
"How can I personally get involved in animal rescue?"

The answer is that there are many, many ways in which you can get involved! Find out just how by joining the Happy Trails crew on...

Saturday, January 17th, 11:00am
Reed Memorial Library (downtown Ravenna) Haymaker Room...

for a short presentation and the opportunity to speak to the folks in charge of our various programs, and to sign up to get involved in 2009!

Due to limited space available, an RSVP would be appreciated, either by email to annettehorse@earthlink.net or by phone at 330-296-5914.

Do you have talents to help out with...

• FUNDRAISING/GRANT WRITING: Our fundraising committee is what enables us to generate the much-needed income to continue our rescue work each year. Medical and veterinary expenses, shelter upkeep and repairs, nutritional needs such as grain and hay, and transport costs definitely take up the majority of our meager budget. If you are willing to donate some of your time to helping us plan and carry out some of our fundraising efforts for 2009, we would welcome the extra sets of hands! (Annette Fisher)

• ANIMAL TRANSPORT/HAULING: If you own a truck and trailer and are able to help haul animals to or from vet appointments, pick them up from a cruelty location and transport them to either Happy Trails or another safe facility, haul loads of hay and straw, or take an animal to their new home, your ability to help us haul would be most appreciated. A reliable, safe truck and trailer is a must when hauling rescued animals, and at this time, Happy Trails does not own a truck. Folks with one-ton or heavy-duty trucks are especially valuable for our draft horse rescues. (Rob Willard)

• VOLUNTEERING AT THE SANCTUARY: Adults at least 18 years old or teens that are at least 16 years old, are welcome to sign up to volunteer at the sanctuary itself. These volunteers handle the daily care of the facility and of the animals by mucking out stalls, scrubbing water buckets, mending fences, making repairs, cleaning piggy shelters, providing the aniamls with fresh bedding, etc. It's all outdoor/barn work, so our volunteers dress in layers and boots to prepare for our unpredictable weather. We care for the animals 24/7 whether it's raining or snowing or doing anything in between. (Sue Buttermore)

• EMERGENCY ANIMAL-RESCUE CREW: When Happy Trails is called to assist any Ohio county in an animal emergency, our animal emergency crew tries to respond as quickly as possible to provide animal transport, arrange foster homes, facilitate the arrival of a vet, catelog and photograph the animals on the property, and work in cooperation with local enforcement for a good outcome for the case. Though it is always important that volunteers are able to follow instructions safely and efficiently, it is especially important to be able to do so at a cruelty scene. We are hoping to plan a seminar for our emergency crew volunteers later this spring. (Rob Willard)

• ANIMAL FOSTER HOMES: Happy Trails is realistic in that we ourselves cannot afford to pay for an unlimited amount of animals in our foster home program. However, in the event of an emergency, many other counties call on Happy Trails to provide a list of folks available to help them out in an animal emergency, and you would be working directly with other counties and other rescue groups. We are always helping them find foster homes for horses, pot belly pigs, goats, sheep and cows. The ideal foster homes have safe fencing, a knowledge of the type of animal they wish to foster, and an ability to quarantine a new animals or herd of animals away from your other farm pets. In many cases and depending on the county requesting assistance, foster homes may be responsible for the cost of the animals in their care. (Mary Bittence)

• TOUR GUIDES/GREETERS:  Attention senior citizens and folks who do not feel drawn to do manual labor! This spring, Happy Trails will once again be scheduling tours of the sanctuary throughout the nice-weather months. If you have the gift of gab and enjoy meeting people, giving personal tours or acting as a weekends greeter at the sanctuary might be just the way you can get involved! Tour guides are taught the stories of the animals and trained to give our visitors an enjoyable, pleasant visit with the rescued animals. (Cari Ludrowski)

• RECYCLE FOR THE ANIMALS:  Happy Trails collects aluminum cans and ink cartridges regularly. The funds collected from our recycle program have helped to fund quite a number of sanctuary projects. Find out where you can help us set up can and ink cartridge collection sites, and how to go about doing that! (Sharon Barnard)

• SPECIAL PROJECTS/SKILLED LABOR:  The sanctuary is ALWAYS under constructions somewhere, with repairs to be made, fencing to be installed and buildings to modify. If you would like to dedicate your special skill to assist the rescued animals at the sanctuary, we are especially in need of the following skilled labor for this spring: painters, electricians, dry-wall workers, concrete folks, construction workers, and professional tree-trimmers. We are attempting to complete our new sanctuary office, run electric to the animal-areas in the back of the sanctuary, finish construction on the farm pig feeding pavillion, get a concrete aisle poured in the horse barn, and get dirt and stall mats put in the horse's stall, amoung a host of other projects too! (Alex Hale, Jason Wolboldt)

• MONTHLY SPONSORS: Our monthly animal sponsors become a big part of the animal's lives, and the sponsors often visit their sponsored animal regularly to pet and bestow special treats on them (and not to mention, take lots of pictures)! The animals most in need of monthly sponsors are the ones who may never be adopted, due to health or age issues. Your sponsorship helps to provide them with the needed medical care, nutritional needs and safe and warm shelter to help them have a peaceful and comfortable life at the sanctuary. (Sharon Barnard)

• FARM ANIMAL VISITATION PROGRAM:  Petting and visiting with farm animals often brings great joy and happiness to the senior citizen residents of area nursing homes. Natasha the goat, Nacho the rooster, and an assortment of rescued farm animals created a program where they can visit with the folks in nursing homes. You will learn how to handle the visiting animals as well as visit safely and comfortably with people in wheelchairs. Our volunteers help with keeping the animals and their areas clean during their visit, and help with passing out bookmarks or other memorabilia about the animals. (Cheri Rider) 

• ADOPT A RESCUED ANIMAL: How do you go about adopting a rescued animal and adding them to your farm pet family? Choose the type of animal you are seeking, and then meet with an adoption counselor to visit the animals in need of homes. The adoption counselor can help explain how to fill out the adoption paperwork, and what we look for in an adoptive home! Each animal that leaves the sanctuary and finds a permanent home, opens up space for Happy Trails to bring in yet another abused or neglected farm animal! (Mary Bittence)