SUFA Board President, Larry Hirsch, (center) withJames “Ding” and Patrice “Treecie” Schoonmaker

Letter from the Board of Directors

This year, we have much to be thankful for. In July we

opened a new state-of-the-art facility. With the help

of this great community, we have built a welcoming

place to house our animals and now must continue to

provide for all their needs while they await adoption by

a loving family.

For our animals, the shelter is a safe refuge. It is a

place where they will not suffer and where their medical

needs will be attended to with compassionate vet-

erinary care. Our volunteers and professionals work

tirelessly to establish a sense of well-being while helping

animals transition into their forever homes with their

newly adopted families.

In order to care for those who are granted a second

chance at life, SUFA needs to achieve sustainability. We

must now focus on our true purpose: to promote the

health and welfare of lost or abandoned pets and to

educate and assist those who care for them.

As the season of giving approaches we hope that you

will think of our four-legged friends who depend on us

for quality of life. Your support can help them find a

loving home, not only for the holidays, but forever!

The SUFA Board of Trustees wishes you and yours a

happy and safe holiday season.

Schoonmakers’ benevolence generates happiness

Stand Up For Animals and its Board of Trustees are extremely grateful for the

astounding generosity of James “Ding” and Patrice “Treecie” Schoonmaker, who

contributed the funds necessary to purchase and install a generator at the new

animal shelter and adoption center.

With the generator

in place, the facility

can now be an

emergency shelter

for the pets of area

residents who have

to evacuate their

homes during

natural disasters

such as hurricanes.

During a tour of

the shelter, which

includes a room the Schoonmakers are having named in memory of the six dogs

they have owned between them, Ding asked what would happen if electricity to

the facility went out. The tour guide for the Schoonmakers, Board President Larry

Hirsch, said officials would attempt to rent a generator until a permanent one

could be purchased.

Realizing a shelter without electricity would put the animals at risk and could not

serve as an emergency facility, Ding and Treecie told Hirsch a donation for the

generator would be made through the James M. Schoonmaker Foundation.

The Schoonmakers are full-time residents of Naples, Fla., where Patrice operates

an interior design business, and they have a summer home in Watch Hill. James

WINTER 2009 • VolumE I , IssuE 3

Happy TailsThE off Ic Ial NEWslETTER of sTaNd up foR aN Imals

Continued on page 2

retired after operating a private investment business

for several years. An accomplished sailor, he was on

the u.s. olympic sailing team in 1952 and 1964,

and he captured the Bacardi cup seven times. he

also volunteered to serve as vice president of the

International Sailing Federation.

commenting on the schoonmakers’ decision to buy

the generator, Howard Thorp, first vice president of

the sufa board, said: “It’s just mind blowing that

there are people in the community who step forward

to do things such as this.”

peter Kaschuluk, chairman of sufa’s Building

committee, said the generator is a self-contained,

diesel-fueled unit powerful enough to give the entire

shelter electricity.

“This will provide us the capability of weathering the

storm,” he said. “The Schoonmakers are the type of

people who made it possible for us to build this

shelter with donated funds.

“one is not born into the world to do everything but to do something,” Henry David Thoreau, poet, writer and philosopher, stated about volunteering.

Helping Stand Up For Animals (SUFA) is something you might want to consider doing so the organization can continue to operate a state-of-the-art animal shelter, adoption center and regional outreach facility to promote the health and welfare of abandoned or lost pets and to educate and assist those who care for them.

“We couldn’t survive without volunteers,” said larry hirsch, president of sufa’s Board of Trustees, explaining there are many opportunities for people who want to assist the group.

Volunteers can aid the town’s animal control officers with tasks such as walking the dogs at the shelter and the upkeep of the facility. The Board of Trustees, Hirsch said, needs people to help with one of its many committees that handle tasks such as public relations, planning and running events, applying for grants and formulating policies and procedures.

In addition, Hirsch said, volunteers, who are trained at the center, might want to eventually join the board and take an even more active role in sufa.

Those interested in volunteering should call (401) 348-9595 or download an application online at www.standupforanimals.org. To access the application, click on the word “Support” in the blue bar near the top of the home page. completed applications must be mailed to stand up for animals, p.o. Box 1706, Westerly, R.I., 02891.

Remember what the late Nelson Rockefeller, a politician, philanthropist and businessman, once said, “You can’t leave footprints in the sands of time while sitting down.”

To volunteer at the shelter contact them at 401-348-2558. To assist at the SUFA office, or to serve on a committee, please call 401-348-9595 or go online to www.standupforanimals.org.

Lend a hand to Stand Up For AnimalsContinued from page 1

OSCAR ALERT Send us your email address, so we can notify you of missing animals in our community

In loving memory of

a beloved pet of Board

member howard Thorp, we have started the “oscar

Alert.” Anytime a pet is missing, we will send out a

blast email with a picture and description. Hundreds

of people who care about animals will be

empowered to look for a missing pet. Please send

your email address to info@standupforanimals.org.

We will be promoting the “oscar alert” system to

the community, encouraging people to email

“oscar@standupforanimals.org” when they learn of

a missing pet. Together, we can help locate missing

pets and return them to their homes.

The holiday season is an extremely busy time of year, presenting many time management and safety challenges for most of us. However, we can still take precautions to ensure our pets are not one of the thousands that are injured or become fatally ill during the holidays.

Here are some tips to assist you with keeping your pets safe during the holidays: • Holiday treats, alcoholic beverages, rich food, fatty food scraps and bones can be harmful or toxic to pets. Maintain the regular diets of pets and tell visitors not to feed your pets. • Do not leave candles unattended. Pets can knock them over, causing serious burns, igniting a fire or spilling wax on carpets and furniture. • Hang and place decorations so pets cannot reach them and tear off pieces that could be ingested. • Do not give pets chocolate because it contains theobromine, which can be toxic to pets. • several christmas plants are harmful to pets. all parts of ivy are moderate to very toxic; holly is moderate to very toxic, especially the berries and leaves; mistletoe is very toxic, especially the berries; traditional christmas greens have a low level of toxicity; and poinsettias are low in toxicity. • Tinsel is not toxic, but it should not be used in a home where pets reside because it can cause an intestinal obstruction or choking if swallowed. • Hang treasured ornaments with knotted fabric or yarn high on trees, which should be secured so animals, especially cats, cannot knock them over. • You might think it’s humorous but do not tie ribons around the neck of your pet. The ribbon can tighten or become hooked on an object, choking the animal.

Keep your pets safe during the holidays

Now that an emergency generator (see related story) is installed at our shelter, the next goal is to equip and open the surgical suite at the facility. The suite will serve as a clinic for animals at the shelter so they can be neutered, spayed, administered shots and be treated for fleas and worms.

To operate the suite, SUFA needs equipment such as an operating table, operating lights and surgical instruments. At least one veterinarian is committed to providing services on a pro bono basis, and we hope others will come forward.

People thinking about making a contribution to SUFA should know there is a naming opportunity available for the suite. Besides monetary donations, SUFA will accept veterinary equipment that is in good condition.

The suite is vital because all shelter animals must be neutered before being adopted and because a component of sufa’s mission is preventing the proliferation of abandoned animals. As stated many times in the past, our organization is in the business of facilitating the adoption of healthy animals, not euthanasia.

If you are interested in contributing in any way to make the surgical suite a reality, do not hesitate to call us at (401) 348-9595. other options for reaching us include going to our Web site at www.standupforanimals.org and clicking on contact; and sending correspondence to stand up for animals, p.o. Box 1706, Westerly, R.I., 02891.

Board MembersPresidentLarry Hirsch

1st Vice PresidentHoward Thorp

2nd Vice PresidentDebbi Bammer

TreasurerGail Quattromani

SecretaryPeter Lewiss

Immediate Past PresidentLori Harrison

TrusteesAlcino Almeida Pam Ezyk Diane Kinney Kristen Weber Betsy Dotolo

Reaching our next goal would be very “suite”

carol amedeo Betty-Jo cugini Peter Kaschuluk Jill Kass lina o’leary

po Box 1706 Westerly, Rhode Island 02891 401-348-9595 www.standupforanimals.org

Grand Opening of New Animal Shelter

August 1, 2009

Open 7 Days a Week 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

As the season of giving approaches,we hope that you will think of our four-legged friends.

NoN-Profit orgUS PoStage

PaiDProviDeNce, ri Permit # 1899

Donated bricks make a great holiday gift!• Help support the animal shelter on Larry Hirsch Lane.

• Honor a beloved pet, family member or someone special

with a personalized brick.

• Create a permanent memory.All bricks will become a permanent part of the grounds of the new animal shelter. Stand Up For Animals has raised over $2 million for the shelter but more is needed to finish paying for construction costs and to cover operating expenses.

Order Your Bricks HereYes, I want to help SUFA by participating in the Buy-A-Brick Campaign.

o $150 will reserve one 4”-by-8” brick engraved with up to three lines of lettering and a maximum of 18 characters per line.

o $250 will reserve one 6”-by-9” brick with up to three lines of lettering and a maximum of 20 characters per line.

All bricks will become permanent fixtures on the grounds of this great community’s animal shelter and adoption center.

Thank you for your support.

Please return this form to: Stand Up For Animals, PO Box 1706, Westerly, RI 02891 If paying by check, please include it with the form.

o Check o Mastercard o VISA Please make checks payable to the SUFA Buy-A-Brick Campaign.

Account Number ___________________________________________________

Name ___________________________________ Exp. Date ________________

Signature __________________________________________________________

Address ______________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

Telephone_________________________Email ______________________________

Please engrave my brick as follows:

All engravings are subject to the approval of SUFA. Text will be centered unless requested otherwise. Stand Up For Animals is a nonprofit 501 (c) 3 organization.

6 x 9”4 x 8”

Help SUFA achieve its goals one brick at a time.

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