Mary Martin, the humane society’s executive director, announced the tragedy Monday via Facebook:

“I am devastated to share with you that the respiratory distress that Meow was experiencing last week took his life,” writes Martin. “Although four different veterinarians worked with Meow, we were unable to stop the progression of what turned out to be pulmonary failure.”

Meow came to the Santa Fe Shelter & Humane Society in April after being surrendered by his 87-year-old owner, and the shelter was working closely with Meow’s foster family and local veterinarians to improve Meow’s diet, and help the larger-than-life kitty learn to be more mobile. And although his giant size made him an instant celebrity — Meow made appearances on both Today and Anderson 360 – his condition was nothing to celebrate.

Unfortunately, the epidemic of obesity that continues to plague our country is not limited to humans; many dogs and cats, including those living in pet shelters, also suffer the effects of poor diet and insufficient exercise. So if you’re looking for an idea of how you can help the dogs at your local shelter, why not volunteer your time to help walk dogs or spends some quality play time with the cats? Walks and one-on-one play time not only provide exercise to keep pets healthy, they also provide much needed mental stimulation and socialization – something that can help make animals happier, calmer, and more adoptable.

For more information on what you can do to help pets — your own, your fosters, or those you spend time with at your local shelter — fight the battle of the bulge, check out some of the great information from the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention website. And in the meantime, take a look at these helpful charts and see where your pet stands!

The incredible breadth of knowledge, expertise and vision represented in this list of individuals will be an invaluable asset to our organization as we work to spread the word about the importance of supporting local shelters and rescues, and develop new and exciting programs, like our Shelter Assistance Grants Program, to help get pet shelters across the country the help they so desperately need.

In selecting our Advisory Board members, we looked for individuals who would collectively offer HSSP a diverse perspective on shelter pet welfare at the local level. We settled on a combination of shelter professionals, animal control experts, seasoned dog trainers, veterinarians, educators and fundraising gurus with plenty of practical expertise.

Without further ado, we are proud to announce The Humane Society for Shelter Pets 2012-2013 Advisory Board:

1. Anne Doyle Anderson — Anne Doyle Anderson is a long-time rescue worker and current director of the St. Francis Rescue, in Nacogdoches, Texas, a private, no-kill rescue organization dedicated to reducing the number of abandoned or mistreated pit bulls and American bulldogs.
2. Jennifer Karschner – Jennifer Karschner works for the County Police in Montgomery County, Maryland. Jennifer also teaches at UVA and is a former instructor for the Humane Society of the United States.
3. Christopher Hawkins-Long — Christopher Hawkins-Long is the Executive Director of ART, an arts education non-profit in Chicago, Illinois, and is an expert in grant writing and fundraising.
4. Dr. Wendy Blount, DVM — Based in Nacogdoches and Lufkin, Texas, Dr. Blount sees patients at several rural clinics throughout the area while working with the City of Nacogdoches Animal Shelter and the Humane Society of Nacogdoches County to operate a low cost spay-neuter clinic.
5. Dr. Melinda Mayfield, DVM — Along with her work as a veterinarian at the Animal Care Center in Columbus, Kansas, Dr. Mayfield runs All Gods Creatures Rescue (AGCR), an all breed animal rescue in Southern Kansas.
6. Judy Reisman — Judy Reisman is founder of Guanecaste Province Animal Welfare Foundation (G-PAW) in Costa Rica. Judy is a professional photographer and animal welfare advocate who established G-PAW in 2006 to bring low-cost and free spay/neuter clinics to low-income rural communities in northwest Costa Rica, and help educate the local people about responsible pet ownership.
7. Robin McFarlane — National K9 School for Dog Trainers graduate Robin McFarlane is owner and training director of That’s My Dog!, Inc. in Dubuque, Iowa. In early 2011 Robin was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation for Patriotic Civilian Service by the Department of the Army for her assistance with military working dogs in North Afghanistan.
8. Larry Hostetler — Larry Hostetler is the executive director of the Animal Shelter Society of Muskingum County, Ohio.
9. Larry Kacmarcik — Larry Kacmarcik runs the Blue Moon Cat Shelter in Witter, Arkansas, the largest no-kill in the state. Blue Moon takes in cats and kittens from county facilities around the state and the region, and works to find them loving, forever homes.
10. Shannon Nachajko — Shannon is the Coordinator at Catahoula Rescue Inc. New England. Along with her background in dog rescue, Shannon has also worked extensively with equine rescue groups and is an expert in science education and experiential learning.
11. Ann Linton — Ann is a volunteer at Paws and Claws Pet Rescue in Mayflower, Arkansas. Paws and Claws Rescue is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization made up of a small group of people who devote and dedicate their love, time, and personal resources 7 days a week, 365 days per year to care for homeless, abused, and abandoned animals.

Many shelters and rescues have embraced this brave new world of social media by creating active Facebook pages full of photos and video updates on adoptable animals, or insightful blogs with regular posts about shelter events and activities. The best thing about social media is that, unlike a website, it is 100% free to use, and doesn’t require any advanced training in order to update.

But despite the accessibility of these social media platforms, it can sometimes be hard to know exactly how to use each one to its full advantage to spread the word about your shelter or rescue, search for volunteers or donors, or simply connect with the local community. So here are few tricks to help give your social media skills and, by extension, organization, a big boost.

1. No matter the platform — Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Foursquare or your own blog — if you aren’t already up and running with at least one form of social media, now is the time to start. You can always change, modify, or switch platforms later on.
2. Make it a habit. Whether you’re updating a Facebook page, writing blog posts, tweeting, or all of the above, make sure to post regularly, every day if you can manage it.
3. Keep the quality up and the voice consistent. If possible, make one or two volunteers responsible for social media updates. That way your page, blog or twitter feed will have a unique voice that will keep your fans coming back for more.
4. Anytime anyone mentions your organization in a post or responds to something on one of your sites, take the time to respond and engage with them. By doing so, you will be on your way to step 5…
5. Create community. Give people a way to interact with your content, and don’t be afraid to ask them to comment, share, like or retweet. And be sure to tell them why they should do so.

In the past few weeks we’ve mentioned a wide variety of ways to get involved and support your local shelter or rescue. You can adopt a new canine, feline or equine family member, volunteer your time to help walk dogs, play with cats, staff adoption or educational events, or simply donate a few items from your local shelter’s wish list. If you feel like thinking bigger, you could organize a creative fundraiser — a “dog jog,” take your dog to work day, formal “fur ball,” or even a poker tournament! When it comes to helping local shelters, the sky’s the limit.

In that spirit, The Humane Society for Shelter Pets is proud to announce our new Shelter Grants Program. We thought long and hard about what we could do to help pet shelters across America concentrate their resources on caring for the animals in their facilities, and decided that one of the best options would be to create a program to help reduce some of the overhead costs associated with running a successful shelter operation.

Through this program, HSSP will provide eligible non-profit shelters with fundraising ads, credit card processing, and website design and hosting free of charge. While these essential services help shelters interface with the local community, increase the rate of successful adoptions and boost donations, we feel it is important that shelter personnel spend their organizations’ limited time and money on providing the essential hands-on animal care services that are the backbone of their work — and not on necessary evils like credit card processing fees and web design services.

With our Shelter Grants Program, we are offering these and other services free of charge to qualifying shelters that apply for assistance. It is our hope that this will give shelter personnel the opportunity to refocus on doing the lifesaving work that makes them pillars of the community, instead of bogged down in the minutia of running a successful organization.

Current funding opportunities fall into three categories:

1. Free Fundraising Ads: The Humane Society for Shelter Pets will use its marketing expertise to place high-visibility online fundraising advertisements in local markets for qualifying shelters. Google AdWords ads appear just to the right of Google search results, and are a good way for shelters to target individuals in their area who are already searching for adoptable pets or volunteer opportunities. Shelters or rescues selected for the program will be able to choose from a variety of pre-designed ads. The Humane Society for Shelter Pets will develop, place, and pay for the ads.

2. Free credit card processing: The Humane Society for Shelter Pets will offer cost-free online credit card processing to selected shelters. This gives shelters the important advantage of offering their supporters a convenient way to donate, without the financial burden associated with setting up a merchant account and paying credit card processing fees (typically 2 to 4 percent).

3. Free website design and hosting: The Humane Society for Shelter Pets will offer selected shelters a professionally designed (or redesigned), user-friendly, and easy-to-update website that will help shelters build an online presence and ease the burden on staff and volunteers. Shelters will have the option of choosing from several clean, professional templates, which can be further customized to suit the organization’s needs and individual style. The website will automatically interface with PetFinder. Once up and running, these sites will require minimal attention from shelter staff, and can be easily updated with just a few clicks of the mouse. (We regret that at this time we cannot provide content management or technical support services beyond the original deployment of the site.)

In addition to these opportunities, we are also pleased to offer free of charge a series of educational seminar videos on animal shelter best practices to any sheltering organization. During these difficult economic times, when more dogs and cats are coming into shelters and fewer donor dollars are going into the bank, we think it is unconscionable to ask shelters to pay for these essential educational materials as some national organizations do.

With these grants and educational services, the Humane Society for Shelter Pets is beginning what we hope will become a long tradition of providing logistical support to local humane organizations. By taking away a few of the headaches inherent in running a functioning operation, the money shelters save and raise can now be put to its best use: helping homeless pets until they find “forever homes.”

Click here for more information or to apply for a grant.

In my town, spring is also the season for the annual “Dog Jog,” a fundraising benefit for the local humane organization coordinated by the local dog obedience club, canine search and rescue corps, and running club. Comprised of both a 3.1 mile competitive run, and a 2 mile non-competitive fun walk/run, the Dog Jog is open to all participants — with or without a dog. Entry fees range from $5 (child) to $20 (adult), and all the proceeds go to the local pet shelter. It’s a fun-filled day of exercise and activity for the whole family, and it’s also a perfect example the kind of creative fundraising ideas groups and individuals across the country have come up with to help raise money for local rescues and animal shelters.

From bark balls and yard sales to poker tournaments and “take your dog to work” days, the options for furry fundraisers are limited only by your imagination, time and energy. And while individual contributions are always appreciated, why not use some spring momentum to organize an event that will benefit your local humane organization in a slightly bigger way?

To help inspire your fundraising frenzy, here are a few awesome events and programs put on by shelters, and friends of shelters, all across the country:

• In Atlanta, Georgia, the Homeroom for Hounds program pairs elementary school classrooms with pets at the local no-kill shelter. While raising donations of pet supplies and spare change for their “adopted” dog or cat, students also learn important lessons about pet care and civic responsibility.
• In Bellevue Iowa, pet lovers can gamble for a good cause at the no-limit Texas Hold ‘em poker tournament benefiting the The Jackson County Humane Society.
• Holland, Michigan’s Harbor Humane Society is hosting a Blues Benefit Extravaganza featuring local blues bands, comedy performances and door prizes.
• In Tuscon, Arizona, the Hermitage No-Kill Cat Shelter is combining education with fundraising by offering $10 community classes for dog and cat lovers on such subjects as “Basic Cat Care,” and “Pet First Aid and CPR.”
• The Seattle Humane Society is helping kids beat the summer blues while learning all about companion animals with their Animal Adventures Camp program.
• Pet Sitters International makes fundraiser organization a cinch with their “Take Your Dog to Work Day” program.
• In Port Jefferson Station, New York, the Save-A-Pet Animal Rescue and Adoption Center, Inc. is putting on an “out there” fundraiser — a psychic night featuring pet psychics, clairvoyants, tarot card readings, numerology, astrology and more.
• And if psychics aren’t “out there” enough, the The Spring Equinox Rites of Rebirth Bellydance Fundraiser to benefit the Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem, Massachusetts is another excellent example of creative fundraising.

Bellydancers, psychics, poker tournaments — when it comes to fundraising for pets, the sky’s the limit! So gather your friends and family for a good brainstorming session and spring into action. After all, ’tis the season!

Sadly, the plight of animals caught in the wake of disasters — both natural and man-made — is something we’ve seen a lot of in the past decade. There was Hurricane Katrina, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the Haitian earthquake, the tsunami and earthquake in Japan, and now the March 2 tornadoes. In every case, relief for the non-human victims of these tragic events has come from individuals, communities and a wide variety of organizations, both big and small.

The biggest of the big, and the most visible in each and every case is the Humane Society of the United States. In the Gulf, in Haiti, in the storm-ravaged states of Alabama, Mississippi, Missouri, Kentucky, Ohio and Illinois — the HSUS team is often the first to arrive, and the first to capitalize on tragedy in order to boost their bottom line.

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the HSUS raised $34 million — supposedly to help reunite lost pets with their owners. But when all was said and done, when the waters receded and the Humane Cavalry in their bright blue shirts had long since gone home, questions arose about how the donations were used. The Louisiana Attorney General even opened an investigation, closing it 18 months later after HSUS agreed to contribute $600,000 to construction of a shelter at a correctional facility.

It’s true that when disaster strikes, any amount of help is appreciated. But what happens when time passes and the photo opportunities (and, by extension, the opportunities for extra fundraising) disappear? More often than not, the big-name organizations soon disappear, taking their ample disaster funds with them and leaving the long-term reconstruction and relief efforts to small, under-funded local nonprofits.

Last week the HSUS released a new, tear-jerking video of their Animal Recue Team swooping in to tend to a dog buried in the rubble of a tornado-ravaged home in Kentucky. Never mind the fact that the dog had already been dug out of the debris by a private citizen, or that the first group on the scene was not the HSUS team, but a local rescue group, Fur Ever Friends. Clearly this dog could not have been saved without the heroic actions of the HSUS.

While there were many lessons to be learned from both the successes and failures of relief efforts in the wake of disasters like Hurricane Katrina or the March 2 tornadoes, one of the most striking is the potential for the utter mismanagement of funds by large, national organizations. These past experiences should serve as fair warning to anyone looking to help animals when disaster strikes: instead of helping big organizations with deep pockets who are here today and gone tomorrow in times of crisis, why not support the local groups that will carry on rescuing, rehabilitating and rebuilding — long after the HSUS “cavalry” sounds their retreat?

If you’d like to help animals displaced by the March 2 storms while supporting local shelters and rescues, please visit one (or all!) of these local organizations’ websites to see adoptable pets, supply wish lists, or simply make a donation:

• Southern Indiana Animal Rescue
• Kentucky Humane Society
• Monroe County Animal Shelter
• Fur Ever Friends
• Spay Neuter Indiana Pets, “SNIP”

But what, exactly is Black Dog Syndrome? Well, it’s not a disease. And it’s not contagious. What it is is a sad and surprising statistic: black dogs in shelter and rescue situations often take significantly longer to be adopted than their lighter-coated counterparts.

Although official statistics on the plight of dark-colored dogs are hard to find, shelter professionals everywhere know that black dogs are frequently the last to be adopted and the first to be euthanized. Visitors looking for pets tend to prefer animals with white, cream, brown or specked coats. And while it’s anyone’s guess as to why this is, theories are abundant:

• Black dogs are difficult to see in their crates and cages at shelters.
• Black dogs don’t photograph as well as those with lighter coats, so pictures for online listings aren’t as eye-catching.
• Many breeds of dark-coated dogs are often labeled as “dangerous” such as Rottweilers, Doberman Pinschers, Pit Bulls, Chows, and even black Labradors
• People are less comfortable around black dogs because their expressions are harder to read.
• Black dogs are often portrayed as aggressive and dangerous in popular culture and media.
• The color black has associated with evil and misfortune since the beginning of recorded history — these sorts of superstitions easily become ingrained in our collective subconscious.

This inequality isn’t limited to dogs; cat adoptions often turn out similar statistics. But sadly, whether feline or canine, black animals in our nation’s shelters and rescues face an uphill battle to finding loving, forever homes.

Thankfully, organizations everywhere are beginning to implement programs to help undo the stigma of the black dog.

At the Winnipeg Humane Society, a non-profit organization and registered charity in southern Canada, the recently launched “Black Dog Club” gives special benefits to anyone who opts to adopt a dark-colored companion. People who visit the shelter and adopt a black dog are automatically made a member of the club and receive discounts on everything sold by the WHS for life. Any dogs whose coats are at least 50% black are eligible for the special offer, and even pet owners who already have a black dog are eligible for membership into the club.

But there are plenty of other, simple ways to help make black dogs more appealing to potential adopters. Something as small as a bright collar or bandana around the neck or even a few colorful toys or blankets in a kennel can help catch somebody’s eye. Taking dogs and cats outside, or into a well lit room for photo shoots can help make dark-coated pets much more photogenic — and their online listings much more effective.

Of course, these kinds of special programs utilize extra resources, and for shelters that are already struggling to provide a basic level of care for their animals, going the extra mile to help combat Black Dog Syndrome is simply not an option. So if you want to make a difference in the lives of homeless pets with dark colored coats, contact your local shelter and ask them how you can help. Perhaps they need assistance whittling down their “wish list” of goods and supplies. Perhaps they need volunteers to help run adoption events — dressing up those black dogs and cats with eye-catching collars and brightly colored bandanas.

By working together at the local level we can find a cure for Black Dog Syndrome, and a home for every dog and cat, regardless of their breed, size, or the color of their coat.

But according to a story in NorthJersey.com:

Ellen Ribitzki, president of the Bloomingdale Regional Animal Shelter Society, said the non-profit organization has been cash-starved for years. Donations were down and until September the society hadn’t been paid by the borough to manage the shelter since 2006, when its contract expired, forcing the society to spend its savings to afford upkeep and improvements.

Unable to reach a contract agreement with the Bloomingdale Borough Council that would have provided the municipal subsidies necessary to continue their work, BASS had no choice but to close up shop before facing the significant influx of new animals that generally accompanies the spring season.

“Knowing that kitten season is right around the corner and we would be inundated with little lives we couldn’t afford, we were forced to make the extremely difficult decision to keep the animals currently in our care safe and vacate our flood-prone shelter,” said Ribitzki.

Thankfully, staff and volunteers have been able to place the shelter’s 100 cats and dogs in foster homes and with other shelter agencies, and will continue to facilitate pet adoptions through www.bass.petfinder.org. However, since the borough is now without a shelter or rescue organization to help provide adoption service support, there is some concern that this parting of ways will lead to an increase in euthanasia rates:

“This is not hardball. This is reality. We can’t afford to take any more animals in. We want to make sure the shelter does not become a high-kill shelter and that the borough does not add any more towns [using the Brandt Lane shelter] without checking with us,” said Ribitzki.

Though unfortunate, this story brings the gravity of our mission into sharp relief. Without local, grassroots support, any pet shelter in Anytown, USA, could be facing the same fate as BASS. Had this shelter not been entirely dependent on municipal subsidies to manage their local shelter, it’s possible that the homeless dogs and cats of Bloomingdale would now have a more certain and secure future.

Thankfully, you can prevent your local shelter from having to make such a difficult decision. All you have to do is click on the “Find a Shelter” button on our homepage, type in your zip code, and choose a local organization to support. There are plenty of them out there, and every single one will be eternally grateful for any help you can afford to offer.

Aside from its undeniably heartwarming nature, this miraculous story highlights the extraordinary lengths local shelter professionals and animal control workers go to every single day to save abandoned, abused and neglected dogs and cats. These heroic efforts are made possible, not as a result of donations given to national charities, but thanks to local, grassroots support of independent pet shelters and rescues across the country.

Local groups are dependent on donations to help cover the cost of providing vital care in the form of food, housing, and veterinary services, while keeping the lights on, paying staff salaries, running adoption events and recruiting volunteers for programs like The Michigan Humane Society emergency rescue team. When you make the decision to give locally, you are contributing directly to the hands-on care and sheltering of homeless animals in your area while helping ensure that the volunteers and staff at your local animal rescue, pet shelter or government agency can continue their lifesaving work.

No matter what you’ve heard, donations to national organizations do not cover these costs.

But this incredible story underscores another important aspect of the local humane movement: teamwork. Just like the old saying about how it “takes a village to raise a child,” saving homeless pets is a group effort, and even if you can’t afford to make a donation, there are still plenty of ways to support your local shelter.

Adopting or fostering an animal is always a great idea, but if adding a furry friend to your household isn’t an option, volunteers are always needed to help socialize animals, assist with adoptions, or simply tend to various tasks around the shelter. And even if you can’t be the plumber or the excavator who helps rescue a tiny puppy from an underground pipe, it’s likely that your skill or area of expertise can be put to good use helping save the lives of local animals.

Finally, you can also help out by donating household products and pet supplies. Most shelters keep an up-to-date “wish list” of items they can use on a daily basis — everything from kitty litter to paper towels to old bedding and office supplies. These items can help make life more comfortable for shelter pets while reducing the need for organizations to spend their limited budgets on these types of basic supplies.

While these small gestures may seem rather mundane when compared with the valiant efforts of the volunteers in the video above, just remember that every little bit helps. And whether you donate money, time, professional services, or ordinary household goods, you are part of the heroic team of individuals working to help give companion animals a better life.

Since I’m there almost every day, I’ll tell you why the sadness is mostly myth.

First of all, well cared-for dogs and cats have been to the vet. Sometimes they have to spend the night. The average beloved cat or dog has likely also spent a week or two in a kennel while their family traveled, moved to a new house, or had construction work or complicated guests. This means that many pets have already experienced a stay in a kennel before they ever arrive in a shelter. While they may miss their families, this is one experience they take in stride.

Second, a large number of dogs and cats in shelters were found neutered and walking around a neighborhood. Not only might they have kennel/vet experience but they also have the new added experience of being outside at night with predators, rain, hunger, cars and sometimes scared or angry people. These pets find the blankets, toys, fresh water and regular meals a welcome relief from life on the street. Do they miss their families? I bet that they do. But many are visibly glad (wagging tails, purring, recognizing caretakers after only a couple of days) to be safe again.

Third, there are some animals that arrive in the shelter in bad shape. They are afraid, they are hungry, they may not trust or want to be near people. While I will not say these animals are always relieved to be in the shelter, they were not always happier in the wild, either. These shy dogs and cats are not feral and could not care for themselves on their own. It can take days and even weeks in a foster home before they feel they can allow a person to approach or give them medicine. This is hard on them. But as a human watching what other humans will do for an animal who is temporarily ungrateful and even a little mean, it is far from sad. Watching these relationships take shape is heart-warming and reaffirms my belief in the resiliency of the spirit.

Truly feral or wild animals are tremendously frightened when confined in any manner, especially when surrounded by domesticated animals they perceive as hunters. The shelter is large and loud. It’s no place to house animals who were not actually lost at all. They were living the only lives they ever knew. But experienced shelter workers have TNR partners, rescue groups, and wildlife rehabbers and veterinarians to help minimize the time these animals will spend inside walls. Since these animals end up in shelters because of some sort of trouble with humans, it’s not as if they were doing just fine on their own. A temporary stint in a shelter is hard, but it is a gateway to a more sustainable situation after neutering or rehab.

Am I just trying to sugarcoat things? Not at all. I’m opening a door for you to see for yourself. There are young puppies and kittens who would do much better in foster homes than in colony rooms or cages. So sign up to foster. There are shy dogs who take a couple of days to adjust to the noise and activity of a shelter. So volunteer to walk dogs and wash bedding and toys. There are feral cats who should never be in the shelter in the first place. So get in touch with your local TNR programmers and see if you can help.

Animal shelters are only sad because we need them at all. But if you actually go inside, you’ll meet the most caring, giving humans you’ve ever known, and you’ll see some really great companion animals getting through a rough time on the road to a better life. Be part of it. Donate, volunteer or adopt locally.

Didi Culp
Director, Humane Society for Shelter Pets