Middleburg Humane Foundation Gets a Little Help from Their Friends

The Iams Friends for Life Fund, through The Greater Cincinnati Foundation, recently made a $5,000 grant to the Middleburg Humane Foundation for their efforts to aid and rescue animals separated from their families and injured in the aftermath of this past fall's Hurricane Katrina.

The Fund was started by the Iams Company, a division of Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble, "to give pet lovers worldwide the opportunity to assist with relief efforts for our four-footed family members." It was designed to support the efforts of qualified, not-for-profit organizations assisting pets separated from their families by the disasters.

"Our deepest, heart-felt sympathies go out to all affected by the hurricanes," said Kelly Vanasse of the Iams Company. "We've established the Iams Friends for Life Fund as a way for our employees and pet-passionate people worldwide to contribute to the cause."

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Hilleary Bogley, a dedicated and life-long proponent of animals and animal rights, gathered a team of MHF staff and local volunteers, and headed south to Mississippi with three horse trailers filled with animal food and supplies that had been donated throughout the local area. Tri-County Feeds, located just down the road from the Middleburg Humane Foundation, acted as a drop-off point for supplies.

Hilleary organized a second trip to the affected region, this time to New Orleans; this time, she and her team were accompanied by three members of the Middleburg Animal Hospital.

All in all they managed to rescue 58 animals and bring them back to their headquarters in Marshall to continue the long process of rehabilitation and reunion or adoption.

Word of MHF's heroic efforts spread throughout the local area and another good Samaritan, Kate Bland of Wrapped in Kindness, got in touch to see if she could help in any way.

"The work Hilleary and her team were doing, and continue doing to this day, is remarkable. I just wanted to help them help," said Bland.

Kate had lost two pets of her own, labs Sammy and Maddie, in 2003, both to cancer. The Iams Imaging Center in Vienna, Virginia, was instrumental in the diagnosis of Sammy's spinal cancer.

Since then Wrapped in Kindness has worked to raise money, through the sale of handmade scarves and wraps, pet beds and flip-flops, for "animal-related charities to support their efforts to provide pets and their families the funds necessary to pay for their veterinary care."

As Bland puts it, "Iams always puts pets first, and given the remarkable work being done at Middleburg Humane, it only made sense to put the two organizations together. I'm just glad I was able to contribute in my own, small way."

The $5,000 recently received by Middleburg Humane will go to defraying the costs of supplies and transportation during their Katrina operations.

Of the 58 animals rescued from the Gulf Coast region, approximately half have been adopted to date, and 5 have been reunited with their owners.

Rescue and rehabilitation work continues today, as every day, at MHF. Volunteers and donations are always in demand, and much appreciated.

"It's great to support large, national organizations, but it's important not to forget your local groups," reminds Bogley. "Please remember how important it is to support your local, grassroots organizations."

With two groups like the Middleburg Humane Foundation and Wrapped in Kindness, it would be difficult to forget.

For more information, please visit:
www.middleburghumane.com
www.greatercincinnatifdn.org
www.wrappedinkindness.com