PACT for Animals Annual Report 2013

PACT | 2013 AnnuAl RepoRt IEmergency Pet Foster Care Programs2013 annual rePort

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Founder & PresidenTMelvin “Buzz” Miller, esq.

BoArd oF direCTorsMichael ArmsPresident & CEO, Helen Woodward Animal Center

Jane BibermanAcclaimed Journalist

Alvin J. Chin, MdAttending Cardiologist, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP); Professor of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

Kathryn “Kit” levy FeldmanAward Winning Freelance Writer & Author

Major General John l. GronskiJoint Staff/Commander, US Army, Pennsylvania National Guard

Jennifer F. Johnson, dvMOwner, Stoney Creek Veterinary Hospital

Sabina louise pierceDistinguished Photographer

AdvisorsAsi lavonTechnology Consultant

Catherine MarchandSpeech and Language Pathologist

Gerald B. ShreiberBusiness Consultant

sTAFFdeborah BedollAssistant Director

Meredith BurgerProgram Assistant & Volunteer Coordinator

Andrea parraDevelopment & Operations Manager

Marianne M. SrnikSenior Administrative Assistant

Sarah Casey ZangrilliSocial Media Coordinator

our MissionPaCt for animals is a champion of the human-animal Bond. PaCt gives peace of mind to hospital patients and military personnel by placing their pets in temporary no-cost foster homes until their owners can be reunited with the companion animals they love.

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Front cover photo courtesy of Aimee Davis;Photo for this page courtesy Straight 8 Photography

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every year, thousands of Americans join our nation’s military, and when deployed many of them who have pets are faced with a difficult problem: Who will care for their pets while they are away protecting our country?

Since our founding in late 2011, our main goal has been to prevent the permanent separation of beloved pets and their owners during personal emergencies. thanks to the support of hardworking volunteers and loyal donors, our Military Pet Foster Program has helped save the lives of many companion pets belonging to service men and women in our nation’s military. the success of our first emergency pet foster program has been remarkable; our military foster placements have increased by over 50% per year since the program’s inception!

through the dedication of our supporters we give our beneficiaries the peace of mind they truly need. once a pet is placed in a pACt foster home we are available 24 hours a day to provide emergency services, transportation, and assistance to the foster family. the same high quality free foster care service is provided to the beneficiaries of our Hospital Pet Foster Program. A program designed to help pets belonging to patients in acute care at hospitals, who are temporarily unable to care for their pets due to a healthcare emergency.

More than just a network or website listing of volunteer foster homes, pACt is an animal loving community of pre-screened volunteers and fully vetted foster homes, approved and ready to care for foster pets at no cost to the owners. pACt’s programs are entirely hands-on; we offer a supportive foster care approach, visiting every foster home, perfectly matching a pet with the best foster family and directly facilitating foster placements. pACt is there every step of the way, until the safe and joyous reunion of animal owner and pet. It is a true labor of love and last year our volunteers and foster families donated more than 200,000 hours of their time!

In 2013 we facilitated 50 foster placements and reunited 44 fostered pets, saving these pets from an uncertain future and preventing them from being needlessly surrendered, lost and separated from their owners. However, we still face a huge challenge: last year we received over 226 applications! pACt needs your help to gain more volunteers, foster homes, and donations to keep our programs going. As the need for our emergency pet foster programs grows throughout our country, we need continuous support to help us reach the increasing number of animals who need an emergency foster home.

We are exceedingly grateful for the current support of individuals, local businesses, and foundations that are helping us grow a nationwide framework for our emergency pet foster care services. PACT focuses on the relationship between the owner and the animal. . . not just on the animal; we are here to protect the Human-Animal Bond. We exist for both human and animal welfare. I hope you will join us and support pACt in spreading the word about our unique mission!

Sincerely,

Buzz Miller Founder and Executive Director

from the

exeCuTive direCTor

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PACT ProGrAMs

military Pet foster ProgramMany of us do not realize that when a soldier is called to serve our country they have a limited amount of time, resources, and support to fi nd long-term foster care for their beloved pets. Boarding a companion animal can cost thousands of dollars, and not everyone has family members or friends who can offer care for their furry friends. pACt is committed to helping those who serve our country by fi nding safe, loving and stable foster homes for their pets during their time of need.

PACT’s Free emergency Pet Foster Programs provide:• Fully vetted foster homes for companion pets.

• Best fi t foster placements ensuring foster families and foster pets are as compatible as possible.

• Foster pet updates via foster parents’ regular correspondence through social media, email, video chats, photos, text messaging, and phone.

• Complete peace-of-mind 24/7. emergency foster pet support is offered to all foster families; including food, supplies, training, veterinary care, and transportation, when needed.

PaCt up-Close: ARES & ADAMadam had more than enough to deal with when he was called away from his wife, twin girls, and his beloved Great Dane ares to do a 12-month tour of duty in south Korea. While in south Korea adam learned that his wife was unable to care for ares due to a personal emergency. luckily, with the help of his parents adam found PaCt. In turn, PaCt found the reynolds family and their two teenagers who were ecstatic to open their doors and hearts to ares, who is one of the sweetest and best-behaved dogs PaCt has ever seen — and defi nitely the biggest! adam’s parents drove ares all the way from Illinois to Philadelphia. the reynolds had a blast with ares and kept adam updated on the funny antics ares was doing stateside (far left). When adam came home, he was thrilled to fi nd ares happy, loved and cared for — their reunion was caught on video and posted on Youtube (below).

photo courtesy of Aimee davis


hospital Pet foster Program

PACT ProGrAMs

PaCt up-Close:LUNA STARS & SARAMARIEone year ago, saramarie had life-threatening leukemia and complications. luna stars is the puppy of her dreams that always bright-ens up her days. When saramarie was moved to the Children’s hospital of Philadelphia (ChoP) to be in a 24-hour care ward, her family moved to the ronald mcDonald house near ChoP. after learning that the house did not al-low animals, her family was faced with a tough choice: live 45 minutes away from their critically ill 4-year-old daugh-ter, or surrender saramarie’s best friend to a shelter and never see her again. luckily, saramarie’s family contacted PaCt, who found luna stars a wonderful foster home with elizabeth (above, left) at her retirement community, where the little dog quickly became everyone’s favorite. on saramarie’s birthday PaCt gave her a super birthday party, presenting her with over 500 birthday cards and many gifts from PaCt supporters who had followed her story. In sep-tember of 2013, saramarie was released from the hospital and fi nally able to hug her best friend luna stars again.

pACt also provides hospital patients with quality foster homes for their companion animals during a hospitalization. In cases involving the hospitalization of a child, often families temporarily relocate near special care children’s hospitals — most of which unfortu-nately do not accept pets. When patients of any age have no one to look after their family pets during a health emergency, pACt is there to help. The Hospital Pet Foster Program is the fi rst and only emergency pet foster program of its kind designed to help critically ill hospital patients with companion pets.

PACT is proud to have worked with and assisted patients from:• Children’s Hospital of philadelphia (CHop)• Coatesville veterans Medical Center • Friends Hospital, philadelphia• Jefferson Hospital, philadelphia • nemours-dupont Children’s Hospital• Ronald Mcdonald Houses in philadelphia

and Wilmington, pA• St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children• temple university Hospital• veterans Hospital, Wilmington and

philadelphia

Companion animal education Programour emergency pet foster programs are all about protecting the Human-Animal Bond — that special connection we make with our pets. through free educational programs, workshops and student-run projects, pACt expands children’s knowledge of companion animals.

PACT’s educational Program provides:• Free, age-appropriate Human-Animal Bond lectures and

workshops.• Organized activities and events for children to interact

with and learn about caring for companion animals. • Breed specifi c education to promote the humane

treatment of bully breeds.• Humane education promoting advocacy against dog

fi ghting and animal abuse. PACT’s Board of Director member, Dr. Johnson, and her rescue dog Van Gogh, teaching Humane Education at the Community Academy of Philadelphia.


PACT’s Free emergency Pet Foster Programs provide:

2013 PACT hiGhliGhTs

• Built and released a new professional website. Check out our new site! (www.pactforanimals.org)

• Developed new organizational management systems to receive foster applications, track and evaluate our programs.

• Received our fi rst “fl y-in” foster animals from Florida.

Approved Foster Homes

experienced Animal trainers

trusted veterinarians

emergency Care

24/7 Support

pet updates(email, phone, Skype, photos)

Animal Care Supplies

transportation to Foster Homes

Dogs67.3%

Cats28.6%

Other Animals

4.1%

Program Intake

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80Program Breakdown

Hospital Program Fosters

61.2% 38.8%

Military Program Fosters

Photo courtesy of Dana Kozokas


MAP KEYAPPLICANTS PER STATE

1 40loW HIGH

STATES FROM WHICH PACT HAS RECEIVED FOSTER ANIMALS

TOTAL # OF ANIMALS FOSTERED: 50 (from all states)

o ne of our greatest challenges is our limited ability to transport animals that need us from other states to the approved foster homes in our region. Currently, pACt is able to visit and approve foster homes that apply in the philadelphia tri-state region (pennsylvania, new Jersey, delaware). Since our volunteers make

personal home visits to every foster home before they receive a foster animal, most of our homes are located in the philadelphia region, and thus we are limited in offering foster homes locally to those in other states.

PACT’s goal is to preserve the human-Animal Bond.

our ProMisepACt foster homes are open to All approved foster applicants as long as they are able to transport or fl y their animals to our foster homes. last year we received many companion animals from across the united States that were driven or fl own to local pACt foster homes where they received all program benefi ts for free. We are proud that we have never failed to fi nd a wonderful foster placement for a foster pet that could be transported to PACT.

looKinG ForWArd In 2014 and beyond pACt plans to establish a transportation fund for companion animals that need our help but are having a hard time reaching our local foster homes. In addition, we plan to develop additional foster home opportunities locally, and create a new framework to help us recruit and check homes for pACt across the united States.

Please consider donating to PACT — your donation can help us meet this challenge.

photo courtesy of Aimee davis

arizona

ColoradoDelaware

missouri

florida

new JerseyPennsylvania

new

Virginia

south Carolina

north Carolina

tennessee

York

2013 FosTer ProGrAM deMAnd


TesTiMoniAloWner: Kellie foster anImals: Kato & Karmen

When I found out I was going to deploy to Afghanistan, I was totally surprised and distraught. I had to move out

of my home and do all the preparations in order to leave in a short period of time.

Even more stressful was the lack of a home for my two Pit Bulls, Kato and Karmen. They are my family and have been with me for over 10 years. My family and friends were unable to help and I didn’t know anyone at my new unit that could assist. I even looked at kennels, which would have cost thousands.

I was so relieved when I found PACT. The fi rst thing I noticed was the attention they put into fi nding loving and safe homes. Second, it would be at no-cost to me for boarding them with PACT. Third, and what gave me the most peace of mind was to know PACT would check on my pups

in my absence and the Foster Family would maintain a close relationship with me to provide a status on their well-being.

My pups are spoiled. They are used to belly rubs, cuddling like lap dogs, and a safe place to play outside. I met the Smith Family days before my departure, so my fi ngers were crossed it would work out. I could not have found a better family for my babies. They took care of my pups for the 9 months of my deployment like they were their own children.

Max and Patrice sent photos, videos, and emails to let me know of their little adventures and vet visits. A few months before I was to return home, Patrice found a lump on Karmen, which proved to be cancer. They took her to treatments and

cared for her the way I would have if I were there. It was defi nitely a relief to know that she was loved and in good hands.

PACT and their foster families are amazing; they care for their foster animals as if they were their own pets. Holding Karmen and Kato again was an amazing feeling and PACT made it possible. Abandoning them to a shelter before my deployment would have broken my heart and theirs as well. I’m so thankful PACT came to the rescue!

- Major Kellie Harris

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“I’M SO THANKFUL PACT CAME TO THE RESCUE!”

Captain Kellie Harris receiving her promotion to the rank of Major.

Kato and Karmen

In Loving Memory of PACT foster dog, Karmen.

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Our 13-year-old lab mix succumbed to liver failure in the spring of 2011. When pACt for Animals was featured in the philadelphia Inquirer that fall, we were discussing if we were ready for another dog

and if we wanted another 10-15 year commitment. Committing to 6-12 months of foster care for a pet of a deploying military service member sounded like a good way to fi nd out.

We had misgivings: How will the dog behave? What if we don’t get along with the pet? What if we don’t get along with the owner? What if we need a veterinarian, for shots or an emergency? We had a lot of questions. Still, we knew we would be doing a favor for somebody that is away from home and risking his or her life for our country…we took the chance and made the call. turns out these were all good questions—which pACt for Animals had thought of already.

pACt interviews all prospective fosters, surveys their property, sends them a complete description of a prospective pet guest and its owner, then convenes a meeting with the service person, the pet, and the potential fosters. At the Meet & Greet everyone can decide if the match is good; that the fosters and the pet will get along and the owner can rest assured that his/her pet will be happy, healthy and well treated while they are away. As fosters we always know the behavioral and health background of pACt foster animals.

We have fostered and loved fi ve pACt dogs so far, but there will always be a special place in our hearts for Kato and Karmen and their “mom,” Major nancy (Kellie) Harris. For our Meet & Greet we were impressed that Kellie drove several hours from her home in new Jersey in the snow just so she could meet us and we could meet her and the dogs. Within minutes we were friends. Within months we were family, and we remain so today.

Kato and Karmen gave us the opportunity to teach our friends and family about the misinformation circulated about pit Bulls and pit Bull mixes. It’s hard to take the bad media press seriously when you are being licked from head to toe or when your legs are in the air because two dogs are hiding from the thunder under your desk. they were fabulous ambassadors,

and we were never afraid to have them in our home or near our granddaughter.

the dogs came to live with us in January 2013. In late July, we took Karmen to our vet, dr. ellen Fitzgibbon, because of a lump in Karmen’s throat. It hit us hard when we heard Karmen’s diagnosis: lymphoma. How were we to tell Kellie? Kato and Karmen are her babies.

As hard as it was to do, we broke the news to Kellie and with her approval we started taking Karmen to see dr. Kathy Kazmierski at the veterinary Specialty & emergency Center. We learned a great deal about chemotherapy for dogs as Karmen started months of visits and medications at our home. Karmen was the “poster dog” for remission and was ecstatic when Kellie was given some time off to join us at an appointment in September.

When Kellie returned from her deployment in november, Kato, Karmen, and Kellie joined the rest of our family for thanksgiving. By that time Karmen’s health was beginning to take a turn for the worse. on december 11th 2013, Kellie knocked on our door, and with tears in her eyes hugged us and gave us the news that Karmen had passed. It took us a while to feel like we could foster another dog through pACt, but because of our attachment to Kellie and her babies, we knew we had to keep going. So along came Bella and now Solstice.

there are many ways people choose to support our troops; they are our sons and daughters and they deserve all we can do to help. the day Kellie dropped off Kato and Karmen to live with us, I asked her if she was going to cry going home. She said “yes, but I’ll be able to sleep tonight.” Kato and Karmen are family to Kellie. that’s why we do this. We keep a family member safe for a service member.

After fi ve fosters, we have also learned something about dogs. they are pack animals. they want to belong, and they live in the now. they have all immediately bonded to us and, just as quickly, joyously embraced their owners when they came back. What’s the drawback for fosters? We grow attached to sweetheart dogs, and then we have to give them back. So now we’re hooked. the only way to get over our loss is to open our home to another one.

– Patrice and Maxwell Smith

A FosTer FAMily’s sToryBy maxwell and Patrice smith PACT Foster Family Since 2011

(L-R) Maxwell Smith, Captain Kellie Harris with her dogs Kato and Karmen, and Patrice Smith

“WITHIN MINUTES WE WERE FRIENDS.

WITHIN MONTHS WE WERE FAMILY,

AND WE REMAIN SO TODAY.”

In Loving Memory of PACT foster dog, Karmen.


PACT for Animals is a tax-exempt charitable organization as defined by Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The 2013 Financial Summary above is extracted from the 2013 Financial Statements and Independent Auditor’s Report complied by Shulman, Kurtz, Turer & Topaz, LLC., CPAs. A copy is available on request. The official registration and financial information of PACT may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free, within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.

FinAnCiAls sTATeMenT oF FinAnCiAl PosiTionASSETS CuRRent ASSetS Cash and cash equivalents $9,977 total Current Assets $9,977

pRopeRty And equIpMent office equipment $4,419 less: Accumulated depreciation ($108) $4,311 TOTAL ASSETS $14,288

LIABLITIES AND NET ASSETS CuRRent lIABIlItIeS Accounts payable $2,852 Accrued payroll taxes $5,136 $7,988

net ASSetS unrestricted $6,300

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS $14,288

sTATeMenT oF ACTiviTiesCHANgES IN UNrESTrICTED NET ASSETSSuppoRt And Revenue Grants $46,095 Contributions $120,328 donated Services $515

TOTAL SUPPOrT AND rEvENUE $166,938

pRoGRAM SeRvICeS Animal Care $91,931

SuppoRtInG SeRvICeS: Management and General $47,451 Fundraising $12,032

TOTAL ExPENSES $151,414

Increase in unrestricted net Assets $15,524

unReStRICted net ASSetS (deFICIt) Beginning of year $(9,224)unReStRICted net ASSetS end of year $6,300


2013 supportersdiane l. ActmanBonnie Bakerestate of Jack H. Bates /

Frank M. Brown, exec.trisha Bednarczkelizabeth BottiJohn & Kim CastnerAlvin J. Chin, MdJacqueline Cipriani Allison l. ConnorBrian e. daggettIrma danieldarryl B. deaktor

in Memory of Cookie KnappJoseph easterlingdara n. espinozapatricia & Harry FludHilda Fox

in Memory of Cookie KnappBethanne FriedmannJill GoldbergJudi Goldstein

in Memory of Selma Krontheresa d. Gormanvirginia GrahgamMina GrecoMajor nancy Kellie HarrisClayton S. JasonWendy Kaplan Michael Kinglinda M. Knapp trustM. Jean Knapplisa & Harry leffKathryn levy FeldmanMartha lipshitzArthur J. MargolisMichael e. Markovitz, esq. linda McIntyreCathy McKernanB. Franklin Miller

in Memory of Cookie KnappMelvin B. MillerJay & pam MoffittArmana Rehmanedward H. RosenHerb & Gail RosenMichael SalmansonB & J Schusterphilip Seasock

in Memory of Cookie Knapppamela Seymour

in Honor of Max and Patrice SmithMark A. Shveima, CpA

edward & Barbara SkoczylasChristopher SlatteryBrian SmithCarol SmithJoan p. SnyderMarilyn Spitofsky Cohen Janie SpringerBonnie S. Squires

in Memory of Cookie KnappMarianne M. Srnik

in Memory of Cookie Knapplinda S. StraussRobert d. thalerellen thompsonClaire R. Weinerellen v. Weisbergdebra WeversRenee WhieldonJohn WinstonSarah Casey Zangrillideborah Zateeny, esq. Holly Zugthomas v. Zug, Jr.

vFW Posts American legion post 268Beirne Webster vFW 1568Bunton & Malek vFW post 3368Cape May vFW post Capt. phillips post 4129 -

Saxton vFW ClubCleo Bargerstock vFW post 1424 Col. J. porter Adams post 7463Congdon-Bailey vFW post 8675Crawford-Brubaker post 5863edward J. Smith post 3428Ford City post 4843Fort Richetts post vFW 8317 Gettysburg vFW post 15Greene County post 3491Harry t. Clunn Memorial post 9220

- ladies AuxiliaryJames J. patterson vFW post 813James Stoner post 6233Jamestown vFW post 5424Jesse G. Greer vFW post 1835John J. Michael vFW post 5207lansdale vFW post 32 latrobe veterans Home Assn. Montour valley vFW post 7714, Inc.Musa-Stiles vFW post 6223p. J. Bair II post no. 7418Reynolds vFW post 7599

Richard H. Weber post 8023Richard J. Gross vFW post 8896Standing Stone vFW post 1754Stephen Kandrach post 6321Stroup-Alexander post 5935thomas Brill vFW post 1532veterans of Foreign Wars post 813vFW post 315 vFW post 3491

organizations & FoundationsBryn Mawr CollegeBurket-plack Foundation Inc. Chesapeake & delaware Brewing

Holdings llC d/b/a Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant

doggyality llC edward Jones Gerald B. Shreiber FoundationJohn W. & Margaret G. Bertsch

Charitable FoundationKatie’s Fund c/o the philadelphia

Foundationpioneer Care Management

Consultants (Kristen torchia)Rescue ChocolateSunshine Farm trust Fund

c/o Jewish Federation of Greater philadelphia

Swarthmore presbyterian Churchthe ASMBA StAR FoundationWomen in the Wind -

Jersey Girls Chapter

in-Kind donationsAcquire visual, llCBuzzy’s Bow Wow Meow david W. Kutz, CpAJoe Goch (off leash

K9 training, llC)larry Fine (doggyality llC)Madden Animal Hospital Stoney Creek veterinary Hospital the Barker lounge the Spayed Clubyour Mannerly Mutt Inc.

ThAnK you!

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PACT for AnimalsP.O. Box 590

Gladwyne, PA 19035

Tel. (610) 581-4141

[email protected]

D o n at e f o s t e r V o l u n t e e r

@PaCt4animals www.pactforanimals.orgConneCT WiTh us on:

PACT is a registered 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization

photo courtesy of Sabina l. pierce

Documents

PACT for Animals Annual Report 2013