Frequently people say that a handful of individuals can not bring about any changes. Well, here is a true story to dispel this myth. Perhaps this story will motivate others to start such a program in their own communities.
YESTERDAY . . . SAVE-A-WHAT? SAVE-A-PET? What's that?
Never heard of it! The wording drew me as I glanced at the newspaper. DEDICATED TO THE PRESERVATION OF LIFE! SAVING THE ANIMALS FROM THE POUNDS OF 15 COMMUNITIES! WE NEVER PUT OUR ANIMALS TO DEATH! How is that possible? Surely they must be very well endowed to exist!
I'll send a letter and a donation. Great! Tax Deductible. Non-Profit. Hey Ed! Mail this for me on your way out, will you?

What's this? a letter from SAVE-A-PET? Call me! I'd like to speak with you, signed Mrs. Maxwell. Can I bear to get involved with lost and abandoned pets? I know it would just tear me apart. Yet I say I love animals, but what do I do to help these unfortunate ones? Send a donation? Oh well, I'll call. I don't have to commit myself.

Gertrude Maxwell. Founder. Appalled that the animals in her local pound were going to their death after five days impoundment. Determined to stop the slaughter, she promises the Highland Park (111.) Board of Trustees, headed by the Mayor, that she will find homes for the community's lost animals through her newly formed group. The City Fathers vote that no dog or cat in Highland Park will be put to death. Rather, they will be handed over to the new group known as SAVE-A-PET. Who are we? What do we do? Let me share some of my daily thoughts with you.

SAVE-A-PET. Dedicated to saving animals from unnecessary death. Committed to rescuing the animals from the pounds of 15 suburban communities. Saving them from certain extermination. Volunteers called. RUSH! HURRY NOW! Impoundment time is up. We must pick up the animals.

How can I not get involved? The faces. The purebred. The low-bred. The handsome. The ugly. The old and arthritic. Even a one-eyed dog. Please God! Let there be enough donations this week to meet our outstanding boarding and medical bills. Send us a very special person to give a home to our elderly arthritic dogs who look at us so trustingly. Help 'one eye' too. We are really going to have to work hard to find him a home. Not like this handsome fellow. He should find a home right away.

Will a miracle ever happen? Day after day, striving, worrying, financial concern. If only we had enough money to build our own shelter. The Highland Park Board has donated land for a shelter, but we will need at least $10,000 to get a minimal pre-fabri-cated shelter erected. Might as well be ten million at this time. But just think how much it would mean to these helpless ones.

A Rummage Sale this weekend! A booth at the Dog Show! A Bake Sale! That will help, but not enough.

There goes 'one-eye'. Leaving the kennel with his tail held high on the way to his new home. And yes, our little 13-year-old arthritic dog got a home yesterday. She left sitting ever so quietly in the arms of her new mistress. There are some wonderful people around.

I wonder why the communities whose animals we save, refuse to help us? They handed the euthanasia fee over so promptly to the authorities for the animal's destruction. Why do they turn away when we ask if they can even spare the euthanasia fee to aid the animal's survival?

Wish we could have continued spaying and neutering of our animals. But the bills were crippling. Still, we have made spaying a condition of adoption now. How I wish people would spay and neuter their pets to stop the mass slaughter of the innocents;
Another pet went back to its owner yesterday. Luckily we featured their pet as DOG OF THE WEEK in their local newspaper, and they recognized it. What did they say? Thank goodness for SAVE-A-PET. What a touching tear-filled reunion that was. Yet how many times does it happen that people call their local pounds and are told "No—he's not here." After which, the journey of a loved pet to the decompression chamber.

How's this little fellow getting along! He had been tied by a short rope, unable to sit or lie down, at a deserted railroad siding. The veterinarian said he had been there for at least three days. Lucky for him, some people heard his howls. Said they called us because they knew we would not put him to death. If only they knew how many calls for help we have to refuse because of lack of funds. If only we could help all these victims of man's inhumanity to dumb, helpless creatures.
Doctor Schweitzer was right when he said "that all who have a respect for life must help animals to make up for the great miseries that men inflict on them."

Let's hope something wonderful turns up tomorrow. When people get to hear of us, I know they'll want to help. Adoptive homes, donations, volunteers, new members, a shelter of our own . . .
TODAY...
A good samaritan has helped us again. A donation large enough to erect our own pre-fabricated shelter on our donated land in Highland Park. Initially it will hold around 20 dogs and several cats. Even though we will still need funds for essential comforts and to meet our bills, it's a wonderful start. It will be called SAVE-A-PET's Maxwell-Goldman Pet Adoption Center. Has a nice sound to it. It's hard to believe, our very own shelter.

And there's Jack, one of our newest volunteers, joining us just when we needed him most. A Vice-President in a building company, he knows construction work inside out. How would we ever have cut through all that endless red tape, if it were not for him?

Finally the go-ahead. Who said someone up there doesn't listen. Our animals presently being boarded in a spotless kennel located in Deerfield. Volunteers out there daily to adopt out animals. Over 2,000 animals saved from needless slaughter, to date. How much better things are than they used to be. We're gradually managing to pay off past and present bills. And when our new shelter goes up it will lessen financial strain. Perhaps we can again rescue the animals from the several communities we were forced to drop through lack of funds. How we hate to think of those animals being destroyed because we do not have funds to sustain them until adoption. Well that's ahead of us, and our affairs are improving daily. It's all so wonderful. Like a dream come true . . .
AND TOMORROW...
Let's think about spreading this concept of animal rescue to other communities. A SAVE-A-PET in each township. What a marvellous achievement that would be.

Yes, our shelter's up, and with enough room for building expansion, to double, or treble our intake of pets. Donations coming in for maintenance and expenses. More volunteers joining and staying, because of lessening stress. Perhaps, one day, an endowment or donation large enough to set up our own spaying and neutering clinic, as well as expansion. And why not? Miracles are always happening to us. ...
Joan M. Walter