Adopt-A-Pet Events:

WAG Animal Rescue

is at the Livonia PetSmart

(Middlebelt & I-96) every Saturday from

11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Stop by and say hi!

HelpmefindMYPET 2

Volunteer info 3

Membership info 4

Paws in the Park 5

Pet afghans 6

Adoption updates 7

Donations 8

Bookies & Cookies 9

Wyandotte Art Fair 10

Garage sale 11

Contact info 12

Inside this issue:

Winter 2006

WAG Animal Rescue

Vito’s Pizzeria

The afternoon and evening of September 20th was a great one for WAG! Our friends at Vito’s Pizzeria in Lincoln Park had planned Paws at the Pizzeria, a wonderful evening dedicated to animal welfare, at their restaurant. WAG and another local rescue group were benefici-aries of the hard work of Vito’s staff and owners. Between the hours of 3 and 10 p.m. that day, Vito’s donated 20% of all bills to the cause. In addition, Vito’s organized a raffle and bake sale to benefit the rescue groups. They also had encouraged the community to bring donations with them when they came to dinner that night.

WAG supporters loved it! The Vito’s staff had done all the work – all we had to do was show up and enjoy the delicious food. And when it was all over, WAG walked away with two carloads of donated supplies for our animals, and almost $800 in cash donations from Vito’s, the bake sale, and the raffle!

Our deepest thanks to Vito’s owners Gus and Sharon Skarlave-kis. Thank you, too, to Joe and Shannon Skarlavekis for their generous support. A special thank you to Vito’s employee Stephanie McKeith who worked so hard to make the event the huge success it was. We’re very grateful to all of you for helping us help the animals.

Ho Ho Ho!

Pet Pictures with Santa at PetSmart in Livonia, Middlebelt just south of I-96. Dec. 2, 3, 9, 10 and 16. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

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HelpmefindMYPET

HelpmefindMYPET is the Amber Alert for lost animals. This Michigan-based company works closely with shelters, rescue groups, and communities to photograph and log family pets. Should an animal registered with HelpmefindMYPET become lost, the organization will send a notice to all mem-bers in the area with a picture and description of the animal. Instead of a few pair of eyes searching for the lost critter, now hundreds of eyes will be looking for the lost family member.

This wonderful organization generously participated in WAG’s first annual Paws in the Park fund-raiser. Blair Ganske, Director of Operations, and Nick Acosta, President of HelpmefindMYPET, spent the day photographing furry attendees and signing them up for free membership in their ser-vice. Blair and Nick also provided collar tags for those four-leggers who didn’t have identifica-tion. And they collected cash donations on behalf of WAG. Pet Supplies “Plus” owner Scott Schallop also generously helped WAG by donating all the treats given to our canine participants at our aid sta-tions. Mr. Schallop is a consistent and very generous supporter of animal welfare organizations.

A few weeks after Paws in the Park, WAG was treated to a special surprise. Helpmefind-MYPET had collected $150 for WAG at Paws in the Park, and then arranged with Scott to have Pet Supplies “Plus” match that amount. WAG members were invited to a fun shopping spree at the Pet Supplies “Plus” store in Dearborn, where we had a great time choosing food and supplies for our foster animals. It was like Christmas in October!!

Our sincere thanks to Nick Acosta, Blair Ganske, and Rachel Cullen, Shelter Outreach Director of HelpmefindMYPET, and to Scott Schallop of Pet Supplies “Plus”. We loved our shopping spree and are so grateful for the generous and ongoing support of both HelpmefindMYPET and Pet Supplies “Plus.”

Volunteer Information Form

Name: ____________________________ Email: _______________________ Address: __________________________ City/Zip: _____________________ Home Phone: ______________________ Alternate Phone: _______________

I am interested in volunteering in the following areas (check all that apply)

Providing foster care __ Cats __ Dogs Assisting with adoption events

__ PetSmart in Livonia (11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays) __ Major events (scheduled throughout the summer)

Fund-raising __ Wyandotte Street Art Fair __ Bookies and Cookies (book and bake sale) __ Garage sale __ Pictures with Santa __ Koeze Nut sales __ Other events as they arise Crafts (for sale at our events)

__ Sewing __ Knitting __ Crocheting __ Other (please indicate your talent) _________

Local animal pounds

__ Cleaning cages __ Transporting animals

I have the following skills that I can offer to WAG (e.g. computer, writing, public speaking, etc.) ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________

Animal Rescue P.O. Box 222

Wyandotte, MI 48192-0222 (734) 782-5768

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION / RENEWAL FORM

Name: ______________________________________________________________________________________

Address: ___________________________________________________________________________________

City, State, Zip: ____________________________________________________________________________

Phone: ( )

□ I wish to become a Member □ I wish to Renew my Membership

□Student Member .............................$ 10.00 (18 years or younger)

□ Individual Member .........................$ 20.00

□ Family Member ..............................$ 30.00

□Patron Member ...............................$ 60.00

□ Beneficiary Member ......................$110.00

I wish to make a Donation* in the amount of ________________________________________

□In Memory of ___________________________________________________________________

□In Honor of ___________________________________________________________________

□In Celebration of ___________________________________________________________________

*All Contributions Are Tax Deductible

Your support is greatly appreciated and is crucial for our continued ability to provide assistance to the homeless animals of our communities.

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After many months of talking, plan-ning, coordinating, seeking sponsors, order-ing merchandise, requesting donations, etc., Sept. 9 finally arrived -- the inaugural Paws in the Park. Although rain was in the forecast, we woke up to a beautiful, mild temperature morning. Starting at 7:30 a.m., the event started to build. First the tents, then the tables and chairs, followed by the signs. Then more and more volunteers re-ported for duty. Vendors began arriving and the huge grill was moved into place. The stage opened up and our disc jockey, Wayng Productions, came alive with music to the morning. Everything started to take shape. It was pretty exciting.

After pledges were turned in and peo-ple registered to walk, the event was kicked off with the announcement of our grand marshal, Anne Sokolowski, and her pals, Pierre and Gabriel. Anne, who works for De-troit Edison’s Trenton Channel Plant, col-lected $1,025 in pledges to become the 2006 Grand Marshal. Our thanks go out to all the entrants who collectively gathered more than $4,300 in pledges. This money will go a long way to helping many animals.

Another highlight of Paws in the Park was the award contest. Categories included best dressed, smallest, biggest, most spots, best hair, biggest ears, pointiest nose, looks most like guardian, best wiggle, best smile, cutest and best trick. Our judges included Riverview Mayor Tim Durand, Joe Lambrix, Jody Chansuolme, Jerry Agrusa and Eula Grooms. They not only performed their du-ties as judges, but also created an award of their own titled “The Judges Award”. Win-ners were: Lisa Spencer and Akina of River-view (Looks Most Like Guardian), Lauren Buckho and Oscar of Wyandotte (Biggest

Nose), Kay Ross and Romeo of Southgate (Best Hair), Shelley Presnell and Jake of Woodhaven (Most Unique), Kaitlyn Digna and Winston of Brownstown (Biggest Ears), Courtney Eaton and Lucy of Trenton (Best Smile), and Andrea Bolton and Riley of Windsor, Ontario (Best Trick).

A huge thank you goes out to all our sponsors — City of Riverview, Soroptimist International of Trenton Area, Downriver Veterinary Associates, P.C., Riverstone Screenprinting, Zanglin Downriver Run, Animal Care Hospital, Heritage Newspa-pers, AAA Pet Services, PetSmart, Animal Aunt Pet Sitting Service, Bow Wow Bou-tique, Mayor Tim Durand, Gibraltar Veteri-nary Hospital, Aulo I. Gonano, GQ’s Mobile Pet Salon, HelpmefindMYPET, Hills Science Diet, Invisible Fence, Kuschel Studios, The Ritz-Carlton Dearborn, Wayng Productions, and Riverview Councilmen Andrew Swift and James Trombley.

There wouldn’t be an event of this size without the help of its volunteers. We owe thanks to those who did work prior to the event and also the day of. Those people include Kris Jordan who helped with months of planning, writing and coordinat-ing this event; Eve Howell who created the event and saw it from beginning to end; Kim Skidmore who coordinated the raffle and did such a great job at preparing them for display; Karen Pigott who helped with the raffle, coordinated the volunteers and helped with other pre-event jobs; Vickie and Rodney Taylor who headed up the heart of our event, our adoption area; Ja-son Alley who took charge of the entries and pledge getters; Rita Forintos who man-aged our micro-chipping area, Sue

Paws in the Park

(Continued on page 6)

Pet Afghans — They Make Great Gifts

Page 6

WAG has a large supply of pet afghans in various sizes, colors and patterns for sale. They range in price from $15 to $50. All of the afghans were made and donated by WAG members and all of the money received from them go directly to WAG. They are perfect for cats and dogs to lay on so not to get fur on your furniture, bed or wherever they choose to sleep. The afghans are warm and wash-able. They make s perfect gift and come with a gift card that states:

We hope your pet enjoys the warmth and comfort of this handmade pet afghan for many years to come. Your entire donation goes to support WAG Animal Rescue in its effort to find ‘forever homes’ for homeless cats and dogs. WAG’s mission is to find permanent homes for homeless animals similar to the warmth, comfort and love you have for yours. Your donation helps make this possible. Thank you for your support.

So it's like giving a person two gifts — the afghan as well as a donation in their name.

If you are interested in purchasing one, please contact Eve Howell at 1-734-282-4327. Eve also is looking for a location to sell them prior to the holidays. If you know of a business who might be will-ing to share some space by allowing us to set-up, please give her a call.

Many thanks to Compuware Corp. for inviting WAG to participate in its inaugural Pet Adop-tion Day on Oct. 4th. WAG had a successful day, with four cats and kittens finding loving new homes. Compuware also sponsored a supply drive and set up monetary collection canis-ters to benefit several local shelters and rescue groups, including WAG. All told, WAG made more than $450 that day in donations and merchandise sales. It was a fun and profitable day for WAG, and we hope to make the Compuware adoption day an annual event.

Czarnecki and Jo Navarre who brought smiles to young and old by clowning and balloon twists; Jerry Agrusa and Rob Dyszewski who headed up our food tent along with helpers, Marhea Fay, Nichole Breece, Emily Solomchuck, Ericka Whitney, Samantha Moyer and Kristen Slifka.

What started out to be a fund-raiser for WAG Animal Rescue and also a fun day for our furry, four legged family members, turned into a terrific, first-class event which called people’s attention to WAG Animal Rescue and to its mission. Not to mention, it also brought in more than $7,000!

Plans are already under way for the 2nd annual Paws in the Park on Satur-day, Sept. 15, 2007, at Riverview’s Young Patriots Park. Mark your calendars!

(Continued from page 5)

Precious is so much fun and still the sweetie she was when I adopted her. There is never a dull moment! When I went to a baby shower re-cently, I put her in the bathroom. When I came home, she was sleeping in the sink. My vanity above the sink was open and my contacts case was on the floor. I couldn't believe she got up to the second shelf, so now I’ve moved everything up higher. She also loves water. Every time we turn the sink on, she wants to play in it. She is eating well and always uses her litter box. She still purrs as much as ever and loves to be kissed and cuddled. I sleep in the living room because my bed is so uncomfortable for my back. She starts out laying in the bay window, then she snuggles on top of the couch above me and sleeps there all night long. My daughter, Brianna, really loves her. My husband, Mike, adores her, too, and wanted the three of us to pick out a unique name for her. But Bri wants to keep her as Precious, so that will be her name. It sure suits her. Our biggest concern around the house now are our two recliners. She is crawling up inside them from the back all the time. We’re careful

Adoption Updates

Page 7

not to sit in them unless we see where she is at all times. She is so much fun. She loves to play and has to be wherever we are. She runs around the house purring and chirping at the same time. We still have her blocked off from the upstairs and basement, but will be kitty proofing those rooms soon because I can tell she is close to bailing over the gates. I can't thank you enough for letting us adopt this wonderful kitten! She has brought us so much joy in the short amount of time she has been with us. We couldn't love her more and I am sure she will live a long, happy, healthy, and much spoiled life. Cindy Wood

Just a note to say Buddy is adjusting well. He's learned to negotiate the pet door that leads to the back yard and has adjusted well to all the toys Ringo has left untouched for so long. Unfortunately, Ringo has taken a sudden interest in these dormant items, but as soon as Buddy brings one out, Ringo becomes intent on getting it back. And when he does, Buddy retrieves another. So goes the cycle and Buddy wins through perseverance. He's a joy to have with us and both Nancy and I wish to thank everyone for the opportunity to have finally found Buddy a home. God bless and keep up the fight. John & Nancy Stewart

To the team at WAG Animal Rescue: My husband and I adopted Molly on April 29th and wanted to send some pictures to show how well adjusted she is. We now call her Miss Molly and we absolutely love her so much. She is such a great cat and we are so very fortunate to have her. I wanted to thank everyone at WAG for everything. I wanted to personally thank volunteer Brenda Walker who sent me the picture from the adoption day. It was such a nice surprise to receive. Stacie and John Giocomarra

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Individual Joanne Morgan Betty Britz Emily Solomchuck Jackie Potoski Cynthia Turgeon Dianne Paul Emily Witberg Gayle Koan Karen Kowalewski Emily Kort

Memberships

Family Mr. & Mrs. Richard Chasey Sandy Cunningham Roberta & Brianne Kujawa

Beneficiary Michael John Sullivan Wanda Corbin

Patron Mary Ann Hay

Student Marhea & Katelin Fay

Youth Group at Downriver Family YMCA Gina Smith Wendell Kennqn Mary Evans Sally Dumke Joyce Mickel Kathie Tuyo Marcia Johnson Debra Buhagiar Brian Forintos Todd, Michon, Rhye & Brennan Lince Donald & Joyce Erickson Eric & Nancy Erickson Joe Buckenberger Richard & Rita Gosselin Peter & Kelly Steyaert Gary & Martha Vartanoff Comerica Check Services Charity Committee Karin Simpson Kathleen Damian Susanne Bender Deborah Schornack Helen Hightower Jackie Potoski Crystal Woodside Credit Card Holders of 5 Star Bank Aleta Sill Melanie West Marcia Alther

Service-Learning Students at Wolfe Middle School Emily Solomchuck Sandra LaFrance The "Penny Warriors" at Brake Middle School Wendell Kennan Shabana Mohamed Debbie Romans Mr. & Mrs. Richard Chasey Ben Adler Terri @ Specialty Pet Supplies Lou & Anne Gmoser Brigitte Sabadash Walter Bill Diane Schuler Kathryn Kalder Donna Miles Norma Bentley Tamber Moore Dave Lixey Elizabeth LeBlanc Norm & Diane Johnson Frank & Janis Zueski Kevin Stempein Linda Counsel Reggie Talbe Sally Dumke Toni Volante Candice Tennis, Heritage Bark

Donations

Greta, dear companion of Sue Czarnecki, from Karen & Bryane Kowalewski Lawrence Maule from Yvonne Keller Lawrence Maule from Mildred McCampbell Lawrence Maule from the Law Offices of Elissa V. Ray Lawrence Maule from Cyril Weiner Patricia Stoneburner from Betty Stoneburner Molly from Joanne Morgan Tat, beloved cat of Donna Miles, from Gayle Koan Marney Lang, beloved cat of the Lang family, from Kathie Chantres Sugar Chantres, much loved dog of the Chantres family, from Kathie Judie James from Frances Halliday Monster Taylor - "we miss you" - from Vickie & Rodney Taylor Mattie Cudworth from Vickie & Rodney Taylor Winston Jordan from Vickie & Rodney Taylor Chumley Forintos from Vickie & Rodney Taylor Big Mills, Medium Mills & Little Mills Taylor from Vicki & Rodney Taylor Tat from Donna Miles Beverly from Machelle Maxwell Red and Anna from Douglas Miles Ariel from Kevin Gennaro Angellotti from Karla and John Ring

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Donations in Memory Of

Sponsorships

Cookie, the dog, fund Deirdre Goss Elizabeth Ferns Betty Salazar Kristina Feikema Suzanne Christian Dudley, the dog, fund Tom & Jill Maskeny, with a match- ing donation from his employer, Merrill Lynch

Donations in Celebration of ...

Stella Ronda (Tansy 7/03) from Sylvia Foley Winston's 10th Birthday from Mike & Cindy Turgeon Kayla from Emily Witberg Sophie from Lauren Mosley

3rd Annual Bookies & Cookies Fund-Raiser

On Oct. 7th, WAG Animal Rescue held its 3rd annual Bookies & Cookies fundraiser at the Taylor Community Library. Used books and fresh baked goods were donated by the public for sale with very favorable financial results. This year we grossed $1,234, with very minimal costs. Last year, we made about $900; so we bested that by more than $300. A big thank you to all who donated books and baked goods, attended the event, or helped with the sorting, the signs, the transporting, or the set-ting up and/or tearing down. It was a lot of work and many kind souls pitched in. An especially BIG thank you to Shelley Belinc for offering her empty two-car garage in Lincoln Park for storing and sorting all the books. Without Shelley's help, this fund-raiser would have been history. Every two-legged and four-legged friend of WAG appreciated her generosity. Again, thanks to all of the helpers. We couldn't have done it without each and every one of you!

Donations in Memory of ...

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In 1988, Sue Czarnecki was a founding member of Wyandotte Animal Group (now known as WAG Animal Rescue). She and several other caring women wanted to stop the selling of pets for research from the Wyandotte animal pound. Not only did they later accomplish that, but several other pounds in the area also stopped that procedure, which is known as pound seizure. For the last 18 years, Sue has worn many hats in our group— secretary, cat adoption coordinator and volunteer coordinator, to name a few. She also has served many terms, at different intervals, on the Board of Directors. Wanting to free up some of her spare time, Sue recently left the board. But she certainly has-n’t retired from WAG. She continues to organize our annual Bookies and Cookies fund-raiser, as well as volunteers at a number of our other events throughout the year. She also works part-time as Soodles the Clown, often raising money for animals. You can see her in action on her Web site, www.soodlesclown.com. On behalf of the many animals who have benefited over the years from her hard work and dedication, the WAG Board of Directors takes this opportunity to thank Sue for the immense contributions she’s made to our organization.

During the Wyandotte Street Art Fair, a very special little girl came up to WAG’s booth. Holding a paper bag full of coins, Victoria Kill of Brownstown told our volunteers how she had been saving money to help animals. Her parents encouraged her and agreed to match penny for penny what she earned. After Victoria handed over her bag, her father, John, wrote a check to WAG for the same amount. Thanks to Victoria for thinking of the animals and thanks to her parents for raising such a sweet, heartwarming child.

WAG once again had a booth at the Wyandotte Street Art Fair this summer. A number of new volun-teers came out and helped us staff the table during the four-day show. Each shift usually is for four hours and has at least two volunteers working. It’s a great time to let people know about our group, check out the merchandise we have for sale and sign up to be a foster home or a volunteer. This year, WAG raised $6,290. A number of volunteers helped make that possible. Thanks goes out to: Jason Alley, Erin Beard, Lynne Bieniek, Sue Czarnecki, Ruth Dastie, Stephanie Dorris, Rita Forintos, Eve Howell, Kris Jordan, Deborah Knight, Gayle Koan, Ginny Maule, Liz McClain, Mary Moran, Jo Na-varre, Dianne Paul, Mark Ratynski, Karla Ring, Chrissy Romano, Kim Skidmore, Emily Solomchuck, Vickie Taylor, Val Valopi, Pam Wagner, and Joni Winegarden.

Thanks for the Memories

Wyandotte Street Art Fair

Thank you to everyone who donated items for WAG Animal Rescue’s 4th annual Garage Sale. Every year, Eula Grooms, opens her garage and home to support WAG’s efforts to help home-less animals. With Eula’s hard work, she was able to earn nearly $2,500 for WAG! With the sup-port of everyone who made donations and everyone who shopped at the sale, WAG was able to help a few special needs animals, including some dogs who needed parvo treatment and a cat who needed a leg amputation. All the animals are doing well now and are in their fur-ever homes. A special thank you to all the workers: Eula Grooms, Donald Lozon, Jason Michael, Brenda Abbruzzino, Vickie Przybylski, Lou & Anne Gmoser, Eve Howell, Emily Solomchuck, Mary Moran, Jo & Cathy Sikora, Linda Polich, Gina Gambicki, and Rick, Kelly, Adam, Richie, and Josh Pinkowski. As a reminder: Please, do not drop off donations for the garage at Eula’s house without speak-ing with her first. Several times, she has come home to find items left in her driveway. Some things had to be thrown out because it had rained and ruined those items. Please give her the consideration she deserves and call before dropping off your donations. Eula can be reached at 1-734-282-2947. Thank you!

Your Junk Is Our Treasure

Katie Lyons celebrated her 9th birthday this year. Most 9-year-olds are dreaming of clothes, accessories, and iPods for their birthday. But Katie, who wants to be a veteri-narian when she grows up, always puts the animals first. Instead of making her own wish list, she asked everyone at her birthday party to bring gifts to benefit the animals in WAG’s care. From her generous and unselfish act, WAG received much-needed dog and cat food, treats, and toys. Katie, you’re a special girl and a true friend to the ani-mals. WAG applauds your selfless and generous spirit.

Stay up-to-date with WAG news and events by subscribing to our email newsletter. To join, send an email to blackwater37@comcast.net.

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WAG Animal Rescue was voted No. 2 Best Nonprofit Organi-zation in an online poll conducted by The Detroit News earlier this year. Readers voted on their favorites in an array of catego-ries, including best reason to live in Michigan, best jewelry store and best Chinese restaurant. In the nonprofit poll, WAG came in second to the American Red Cross. To check it out online, visit www.tinyurl.com/yy447v

P.O. Box 222 Wyandotte, MI 48192-0222

WAG Animal Rescue

Phone: 734-782-5768 Email: waganimalrescue@care2.com

Let’s Keep Those Tails WAG’n!

We’re on the Web! wag.petfinder.com

WAG Animal Rescue wishes you and yours a joyous holiday season and a prosperous New Year!

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage

PAID Wyandotte, MI

48192 Permit No. 175

BREAKING NEWS !! BREAKING NEWS !! BREAKING NEWS !! Please mark your calendars for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 16. WAG will be hosting its first membership meeting of the New Year. We plan to discuss upcoming fund-raisers for 2007. There also will be a social hour for people to interact with one another. Light refreshments will be served. The meeting will take place inside the board room of the Wyandotte Boat Club, 1 Pine St. Hope to see you there! Bring a friend!