 | Lucky Star Spay Neuter Program News
A Publication of the Lucky Star Spay Neuter Program
12 Birch Lane Morristown, NJ 07960 Email: luckystarprogram@att.net
Volume 88 October 2018 |
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| Our Mission: To gather, recognize and celebrate the continuing annual commitment of each of our member veterinarians to provide some level of absolutely free spay neuter services to the needy animals of their choice, along with any other free services they choose to provide. |
Our Lucky Stars
We are proud to present this roster of Lucky Star Veterinarians. Together these 14 professionals have generously pledged 708 absolutely free spay neuter surgeries & other free services for needy animals of their choice in 2018, for which they have our admiration & thanks:
Dr. Ohad Barnea, Tenafly Veterinary Center
Dr. Sarah Barnes, Eleos Veterinary Service
Dr. Erno Hollo, Dr. Kelly Vex, Dr. Jessica Redin, Dr. Melissa Rotella & Dr. Sue Bliesath, Basking Ridge Animal Hospital
Dr. Harvey E. Hummel, Andover Animal Hospital, Newton
Dr. Danci Mock, West Caldwell Animal Hospital
Dr. Maritza Perez, West Orange Animal Hospital
Dr. P. Picone, Audubon Veterinary Associates
Dr. Sandra Stalder-Frey, Alpha Veterinary Care
Dr. Carolyn Wooley, MCSNIP, Pennington
Dr. David Croman, Medical Director, People for Animals, Inc., Hillside, Robbinsville & Clayton
CURRENT JOB OPENINGS!
The Lucky Star program is and always has been an Equal Opportunity Program! We are now seeking applicants for the vacant positions of: Lucky Star Program Spokes Cat, Spokes Dog and Spokes Rabbit. Applicants should explain how a free spay neuter by a Lucky Star Vet has changed their circumstances for the better. Please snail or e-mail photo (if available) and nomination to the address at the top of this page. This is an honorary designation. No travel, interviews or public appearances required. Multiple nominations welcome.
“Personally, I’ve always felt the best doctors in the world are veterinarians. They can’t ask their patients what is the matter—they just have to know!”
……Will Rogers
OUR 15th ANNIVERSARY
We’re breaking our 1 pg. rule for this special occasion! Our Lucky Stars are a loyal & generous group. Because of each of them, Lucky Star Pledges have helped many animals all through the economic, political & environmental upheavals of the last 15 yrs. It has been a priviledge for me to have contact with this group & to have the opportunity to learn about such an important topic in the process. All prior newsletters are available at the bottom of the Home Page of our website which SGA Business Systems, Inc has designed, hosted & maintained for us almost from the start & at no charge. I enjoyed picking my favorite photos, topics & quotes. Sometimes it was the photo, sometimes the message, sometimes the good deed & sometimes the valuable still FREE info available that made the cut! My choices follow in no particular order. I hope I’ve picked some of your favorites too! This issue is a light-hearted celebration of a serious mission fulfilled by a group of committed professionals helping to make a better world for animals. Now………
AS 1st REPORTED IN JUNE OF 2013:
“It was July ‘03 when Betsy, who was to become & still serves as, the Lucky Star Spokes Cat, was trapped. In Oct.’03, Drs. Hollo & Vex signed on as the 1st Lucky Stars & a mailing went out to >500 NJVMA members thanks to Braunschweiger Jewelers. Drs. Barnea, Hummel & Picone responded to that mailing, followed soon by Dr. Stadler-Frey. Also in 2004, Vet techs Gail Stock & Ilene Katz recruited Dr. Perez & Dr. Mock & People for Animals joined,”… Dr. Croman now pledging on their behalf… “supporting a program they saw as helping the S/N mission. In 2012, Dr. Barnes & Dr. Wooley joined after we read about each of their separate donations of S/N surgeries for charity.” …Drs. Redin, Rotella, & Bliesath are our new 2018 Lucky Stars!
15 yrs. & 5,273 pledges from Start, we could not be more proud of ALL of R Lucky Stars!
“You have not lived today
until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.”
…………………….John Bunyan (1628-1688) GREAT GRAPHIC- SOURCE UNKNOWN
This makes me smile! Some of you will recall the bandaids enclosed with one issue to enable you to fashion your own “S/N” band-aid “ad” to wear on your white coat lapel!
Why WAS this dog smiling?
Because the San Antonio clinics of the Spay Neuter Assistance Program (SNAP)were celebrating Mexican Independence Day with a special FREE S/N day for Chihuahuas!
LOVE his photo!
GOOD DOG @ “SOUL DOG RESCUE”
What a “patient” patient! This dog photo is a favorite of mine. Soul Dog is an all volunteer non-profit founded in 2012 to humanely control pet over-population via focused & aggres-sive S/N in rural under-served communities on Native American reservations. Soul Dog works w/volunteer veterinarians to provide S/N’s. Donations defray other costs for clinics. www.souldog.org
TURNING OFF THE SPIGOT
A veterinarian who reports S/N’ing more than 180,000 animals (that is not a typo!) in the last 20 yr & has served on numerous humane society boards, was an animal control officer before becoming a veterinarian, who speaks & consults on companion animal overpopulation issues all over the world, has established full service training hospitals in Bratislava, Slovakia and Merida, Mexico & has trained more than 350 veterinarians in efficient & safe surgical techniques makes a blunt, fervent & likely controversial plea for totally shifting priorities from sheltering animals to turning off the spigot. Very interesting reading: http://www.animals24-7.org/2017/03/04/we-cannot-adopt-warehouse-or-rescue-our-way-out-of-dog-cat-overpopulation/
HAIR TODAY GONE TOMORROW
From Dr. Philip Bushby, DVM,MS, DACVS: Use an adhesive roller to pick up any fine hairs missed by a vacuum after shaving S/N site. Hairs can interfere with sterility & complicate closure. After use, remove adhesive tape & roller is ready for next patient. http://www.aspcapro.org/tip-of-the-week-hair-today-gone-tomorrow
 When life gets intense, get out your toys and bat them around.”
From the book:“What My Cat Has Taught Me About Life” by Niki Anderson
AN EXCELLENT FREE TNR RESOURCE
Per Animal Sheltering magazine (Sept/Oct 2013), Neighborhood Cats TNR Handbook is "the most comprehensive resource for educating caretakers on all aspects of colony management.” This FREE 168 pg guide at http://www.neighborhoodcats.org/resources/books-videos-more
CROSS BREED DOGS
…a tiny bit of humor, courtesy of the Summit Animal League:
Pointer+Setter=Pointsetter, a traditional Christmas pet.
Pekingese+Lhasa Apso=Peekasso, an abstract dog.
Malamute+Pointer=Moot Point, owned by…oh, well, it doesn’t matter anyway!
“Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach.”
…..Clarissa Pinkola Estes
“CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE?”
What looks to me like a blanced look at the conflict between private & non profit clinics: https://www.animalsheltering.org/magazine/articles/caught-middle
“Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” .........Unknown
GUIDELINES FOR THOSE SEEKING HELP
These can also be found on the Website @ top of Pledges Page. The hope is that they can help Lucky Star veterinarians respond to any requests they might receive for free S/N surgeries & other free services.
“The Lucky Star Program was established to help needy animals. Please do not seek a veterinarian’s help under this Program for animals that can be helped under other programs, or that you can help with available financial resources.
To obtain help for a needy animal, please contact a Lucky Star Vet directly. The Lucky Star Program makes no decisions as to which animals are helped. That difficult decision rests solely with each Lucky Star Vet.
As you seek help from a Lucky Star Vet, please understand that he or she might not be able to help you for various reasons, such as (1) they may have already fulfilled their pledge for the year, (2) they may have pledged their services only for a particular rescue group or shelter, (3) they might limit their services to animals of a particular category or (4) they might choose to ration their full year’s pledge throughout the year and be unable to help you at this particular time.
If Lucky Star Vets are deluged with requests for free services, they might be driven to withdraw their pledge and opt out of the program. More help will be available as more Vets sign up. Let’s applaud those that have signed up and be considerate of their generosity!
THANK YOU!
THE 1st LUCKY STAR SPOKESCAT
Betsy, the tiny kitten rescued from a NJ super-market lot on July 7, 2003, named for Betsy Ross, & the impetus behind the Lucky Star S/N Program, died in April 2016. The “Lucky Star Spokes Cat”, a title she bore with much grace, lived her 13 yrs. in the care of her wonderful “Foster Mom” & that family’s wonderful group of rescued dogs, cats & horses. But because I trapped her I will always think of her as “mine”! PS. She was born to be a Star! She came with permanent eye liner!
WE LOVE OUR LUCKY STARS!
Program Highlights
Custom Tailor the Pledge that Works for YOU
A One Page Annual Pledge Form
NO REPORTING!
Customized Framed Certificate
“PROUD TO BE A LUCKY STAR VET” Button
Gratitude for your Generosity
Recognition for your good work
*
Your Participation is so Important,
Your Pledge so Appreciated
MAY THIS BE YOUR LUCKY STAR! |
Lucky Star” PLEDGES- A History
2003: 4
2004: 202
2005: 222
2006: 222
2007: 226
2008: 226
2009: 226
2010: 226
2011: 226
2012: 376
2013: 456
2014: 456
2015: 381
2016: 408
2017: 708
2018: 708
Total: 5,273!!!
CELEBRATE SPAY DAY EVERY DAY!!
Hoping the artist won’t mind us sharing his syndicated cartoon (again) on this special occasion! http://www.worldspayday.org/
PDF Version
 15th Anniversary Edition Lucky Star News Volume 88 October 2018.pdf |