We were the Shelter Spotlight in the Greg Biffle Foundation's August 2010 Newsletter!!!

August 2010
Volume 5, Issue 8

2011 NASCAR Pets Calendar
The new 2011 NASCAR Pets Calendars are here! The Greg Biffle Foundation has produced the widely popular NASCAR Pets Calendar for the past five years which features NASCAR drivers, their families and pets. All proceeds from the sale of these calendars help animal welfare agencies across the United States.

The drivers featured in the 2011 calendar are Greg Biffle, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Kurt Busch, Clint Bowyer, A.J. Allmendinger, Elliott Sadler, Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Michael Waltrip and Miss Sprint Cup. The calendar also features members of the media including Chocolate Myers, Claire B. Lange, Wendy Venturini, Jimmy Spencer and John Roberts.

Check our website store today and get your 2011 NASCAR Pets Calendar! www.gregbifflefoundation.com.

Win Biffle’s Golf Cart
Get your $20 raffle ticket today for Greg’s suped-up, custom-made golf cart! This four-passenger 2002 Honda golf cart is one-of-a-kind and features 20 horse power with nitros, custom flame paint job by Formula One Customs, a carbon fiber dash, sparco steering wheel, custom-made seating, chrome wheels and a cover.

Purchase your tickets today at www.winbifflesgolfcart.com or www.gregbifflefoundation.com.

Foster Homes Needed
If you are interested in helping the abandoned pets in your area, you should consider being a foster. Shelters across the county are in need of foster volunteers to help care for the animals. If you can offer a safe, loving indoor environment for an animal, contact your local shelter and lend a hand.

Shelter Spotlight – The Last Resort
The Last Resort located in Hewitt, NJ, is dedicated to saving the lives of homeless, neglected, abandoned and abused animals. Their mission is to provide a safe refuge, rehabilitation and permanent home for all the animals they rescue. By working collaboratively and utilizing their combined skills and expertise they have been successively rescuing animals for seventeen years.

Last year, they placed over four hundred animals and hope to increase those numbers this year. They are proactive in educating the community and they offer many outreach programs as well as work closely with schools to raise community awareness of rescue animals.

For more information on this great rescue, please visit them on-line at www.thelastresortrescue.com.

Be a Responsible Pet Owner
The Greg Biffle Foundation is a proud supporter of pet adoption and spaying and neutering. Please be a responsible pet owner and help stop the overpopulation of unwanted pets. For more information on spaying and neutering, please visit www.nsalamerica.org. Spay and neuter your pets! You CAN help make a difference.

Quote of the Month

"When I play with my cat, who knows whether she is not amusing herself
with me more than I with her." ~ Montaigne

Our Mission
The Greg Biffle Foundation was founded in 2005 by Greg and Nicole Biffle to create awareness and serve as advocates to improve the well-being of animals by engaging the power and passion of the motor sports industry. Financial support for the foundation comes from a variety of sources including individual contributions, NASCAR Pets calendars, and the sale of various racing and other sports memorabilia. Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded funding to more than 300 animal welfare groups across the county. For more information on the Greg Biffle Foundation or to make a donation, visit www.gregbifflefoundation.com.

P.O. Box 4359 • Mooresville, NC 28117 • 704-658-8751 • 704-663-5416 fax
www.gregbifflefoundation.com • support@gregbifflefoundation.com

August 22. 2010 From Lehigh Valley Live

Bethlehem resident inspired after adopting dog from Bowling Green, Kentucky

To view this article online click here

By SARA K. SATULLO

The Express-Times

 

 

The dog Janice Kulischenko adopted from Bowling Green, Ky., is the best she's ever had.

While the Bethlehem resident isn't positive the dog came from Bowling Green-Warren County Humane Society, she can't rule it out, either.

After the adoption, she got involved with helping save animals from shelters.

On Saturday, she drove a Saint Bernard from a kill shelter in Hamburg, Pa., to the dog's new home in Bushkill Township. Brandy will live with Jon and Jenny Masel, their three children and their mixed-breed Rhodesian ridgeback named Kobe.

Brandy landed at a shelter in York, Pa., when her family lost its home in foreclosure and could no longer care for her. The Last Resort Rescue arranged the foster and paid all the costs of getting Brandy to her new home.

Kulischenko said her yellow Labrador retriever, Daisy, was nearly euthanized.

"When I think about how close she got to getting put down, I think, 'What a waste,' " she said. "And now she is a therapy dog."

The Last Resort Rescue is holding a dinner and dance fundraiser Sept. 17 at Nancy Run Firehouse in Bethlehem Township, Pa.

Reporter Sara K. Satullo can be reached at 610-867-5000 or ssatullo@express-times.com. Talk about issues in your town at lehighvalleylive.com/forums.

8/21/10

July 9th, 2010 (From The Alternative Press)

	Hundreds of Animals Find Loving Homes at Livingston Mall

Hundreds of dogs, cats, puppies and kittens found loving homes when Simon’s Livingston Mall recently hosted the Best Friends Super Pet Adoption event. "Every animal deserves a warm, loving place to call home and we were proud to collaborate with Best Friends Animal Society to make this a reality for these wonderful pets," said Elizabeth DiDuca, area director of marketing & business development for Livingston Mall and Rockaway Townsquare. "The Best Friends Super Pet Adoption event is just another example of how the mall aspires to bring valued and significant events to our surrounding community."

Presented by Best Friends Animal Society, the two-day event was a huge success, with over 300 cats and dogs from approximately 30 Tri-state-area shelters and rescue groups finding permanent homes. Also during the event, families had the opportunity to consult with skilled representatives to learn about the background of each animal and discuss adoption opportunities. Over 7,500 local animal lovers attended the event.

"The Best Friends Super Pet Adoption event found homes for more than 300 dogs, cats, puppies and kittens in one weekend," commented Beth Mersten Cruz, NYC programs events specialists for Best Friends Animal Society. "Best Friends Animal Society worked with more than 30 rescue and shelter groups towards our common goal of No More Homeless Pets. The goal of No More Homeless Pets is achievable and everyone can be a part of this movement! Be a hero and save a life by adopting or donating today."

For more information about upcoming adoption events, please visit http://www.bestfriends.org/

Best Friends Animal Society is a nonprofit, membership organization building no-kill programs and partnerships that will bring about a day when there are No More Homeless Pets. The society’s leading initiatives in animal care and community programs are coordinated from its Kanab, Utah, headquarters, the country’s largest no-kill sanctuary. This work is made possible by the support of a grassroots network of members and community partners across the nation.

Livingston Mall is located at the intersection of Eisenhower Parkway and South Orange Avenues in Livingston, New Jersey and managed by Simon Property Group, headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. A two-level, super-regional shopping center, Livingston Mall is anchored by Lord & Taylor, Barnes & Noble, Macy’s and Sears and has more than 103 specialty stores as well as a new food court. Additional Simon Property Group information is available at http://www.simon.com/ 

June 2009 (From The Connection Magazine - Bridgewater - Somerville)

 June 2010 (From Fayson Lakes Fax)

4/20/10 (From The Harrisburg Examiner)

Dog transporter cited for multiple violations

April 20, 1:22 AMHarrisburg Pet Rescue ExaminerJan Gilmer

Successful transports include plenty of water & walk breaks for the dogs.

Jan Gilmer

A major lifeline for many animals is the animal transport and many of the transports travel through the northeast. Unfortunately, not all transports are a successful event for the animals involved. Those transports that usually fall into questionable acts are the paid transporters who tend to over pack their vehicles and spend no time during the transport to provide 'potty and water breaks' for the animals they are moving.

Recently, the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement found 17 dogs crammed into a van in Delaware County. The dogs were sitting in dirty conditions inside the panel van. Two dogs were not contained, and the others were jammed into undersized crates with inadequate ventilation. There was no food, water, leashes, bowls or bedding of any kind for any of the dogs.

The transporter, Anne Marie Wessel from Lillington, N.C., was transporting eleven of the dogs to New York and Vermont. The additional dogs had been taken to other locations. Agents from the PSPCA (Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) were contacted by the dog wardens about the transport and they arrived to intercede. Wessel surrendered the dogs to the PSPCA and was cited with five transport conditions violations including failure to have health certificates, which are required for interstate transports, for the dogs. The certificates are required for incoming dogs to protect Pennsylvania dogs from contagious diseases carried by other animals.

Special Deputy Secretary for Dog Law Enforcement, Jessie Smith, admitted that "this was not a typical rescue transport. This was a paid transporter who made no effort to follow Pennsylvania's requirements for humane transport. These dogs were suffering from the conditions they had to endure during this trip." Smith added, "the bureau appreciates the efforts of groups that rescue and find new homes for dogs in a responsible manner. But this enforcement action is about a transporter who violated the Pennsylvania dog law and, more importantly, did nothing to safeguard the dogs under her care."

There is a provision that was added to Pennsylvania's new Dog Law to aid rescues by exempting transfers between rescue network groups from the ban on dog transfers in public places, but because this was a paid transporter the exemption did not apply.

If you would like to find out more information about the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement, please visit the PA agriculture website.

If you are living in Pennsylvania and would like to become involved in legal rescue transports to help those animals in need find safe homes, please contact The Last Resort Rescue.

4/14/10

The story of Sampson: The I-40 dog who touched the hearts of many

To view this article online click here

April 14, 3:19 PMNashville Dog Rescue ExaminerLauren v.

Samspon observes the world with a renewed faith in humanity. Three legs have not slowed him down.

Kate, Sampson's adopted family

Rescuing dogs isn't just a task left up to animal control. We can all have a hand in helping homeless pets; all you need is a big heart and willingness to volunteer your time, energy, and possibly by opening your home to foster a pet in need. Not every dog can be saved, but there are plenty of rescue miracles happening right here in Nashville. One of those miracles was a dog named Jovi and this is his story.

It was almost evening one chilly, rainy night when a dog-lover named Lisa packed up her car and children to drive from Memphis to the outskirts of Nashville. It was a long trip and barely still light out, but the radio soothed the passengers as they drove past open fields that dotted the drizzled landscape.

Not even two hours had passed however when Lisa spotted a dark blotch in the grassy median. Could it really be a dog? She thought. Out here?? Lisa immediately pulled over to the side of the road and got out to try and coax the little guy over to her car. That's when she noticed the frightened animal was limping.

The basset hound/black lab mix was terrified and tried to run from her at first, but cried out in pain. He turned back and hung his head in dispair instead, willing himself into the hands of a stranger he didn't know; Trusting she might offer relief from his broken leg and pelvis.

Lisa held out her hand and gently caressed the dog who would later be called "Jovi." He was only a few years old and very alone out in the dark rain along Interstate 40. The dog may not have known it then, but his luck was about to change the night he met Lisa. Many dogs are abandoned, killed or injured when on their own outside the city limits and to this day no one knows how the dog ended up out there. Jovi could have easily become a statistic, but instead he was going to survive.

Gently, Lisa lifted the 40-pound ball of fur into the back of her vehicle and he only cried out once to let her know of his sad story. The children took over the rest of the drive, caressing his head and telling him he would be okay.

Lisa quickly made some phone calls, desperately trying to find a rescue that could help the injured I-40 dog and give him the medical help he desperately needed. One phone call led her to the next before Samantha at the Last Resort Rescue  stepped forward.

If you believe in miracles, Jovi's story was one miracle that led to another. Not only did he survive this one night-- and possibly more-- on the roadside, but he was put in Lisa's path, miraculously seen in the darkness and rain, by a woman who couldn't bear to leave him out there alone. The final step to Jovi's miracle was the rescue that agreed to sponser him was not even located in Tennessee, but in New Jersey.

The only catch for Jovi was that he needed a foster home before the rescue could agree to cover his expenses. The truth was that rescuing this dog would be for nothing if his medical needs were met but not his care. He could then end up in a city shelter if no one could temporary watch over the dog during his long recovery.

Jovi was taken to a veterinary clinic and waited while his guadian doggie angels got to work. Thankfully, a temporary foster family agreed to take care of him immediately following his amputation surgery and for the following few weeks until a permanant foster could be arranged. Yes, Jovi would be a three-legged dog but at least he was alive and very much loved by those who stepped in to save him.

Jovi's name was later changed to Sampson. He was adopted on February 5th by a new loving family that has fallen hopelessly in love with him. I recently caught up with them while writing Sampson's story and they shared this update:

"Sampson is a complete joy! To know him is to fall hopelessly in love with him. Everyone is amazed that he gets around so well without a leg. We say, 'Don't tell him he's handicapped!' He has adapted so well and his leg is getting so strong now that he can stand supported on just his back leg. He is learning to sit up and can do it if he puts his front legs on something. I'm sure it's only a matter of time. He also runs very fast. He slows down to let Dale keep up with him when they are chasing deer off the property. Apparently, he doesn't appreciate sharing 64 acres with them.

We wonder every once in a while how he wound up on that highway. I have made up a bunch of scenarios, any one of which could be true. No matter what brought him to us, we couldn't be more grateful. He is very trusting and can't understand why you wouldn't want to scratch his belly when he flops on his back at your feet...

Next weekend, Sampson is going to be a demonstration dog at a Canine Physical Therapy Workshop. I can't wait to see the reaction from the observers to him!"

This special dog had a guardian angel that night on the road. Some cases can never be forgotten and Jovi/Sampson will always be remembered by those who met and supported him during his journey to adoption.

If you are interested in becoming a foster family for a dog in need, please contact Samantha Grieves at echo0195@gmail.com or Tammy Woods at storkwoods@comcast.net. Homeless dogs are waiting for you and foster care does make a difference.

Don't forget you can subscribe to more articles by clicking the tab above. New stories will be sent directly to your email address.

Sampson enjoying life with his new adopted family.

A special thanks to adopter Kate for sharing these photos.

View Slideshow »

3/11/10 (From the Pascack Valley Community Life)

To view this article online click here

Continued

 3/6/10

Above, although not yet ready for Scuffy's window, here are some additional puppies that owe their lives to The Last Resort Animal Rescue and Sanctuary and will be future candidates for adoption.

WAYNE — Puppies once at the end of their leash of life are now finding themselves in the "window of opportunity" at Scuffy's Pet Store in Wayne in a partnership designed to showcase rescued animals in need of a good home to families who might adopt.

"We get a tremendous amount of traffic here," said Scuffy's owner Stacey Gelkopf, of how she hopes her high-volume store will help make a difference for The Last Resort Animal Rescue and Sanctuary, a West Milford non-profit.

Owner of Scuffy's for almost 25 years, Gelkopf explained that the store recently accomplished a major renovation and decided that a new mission should accompany its new look. That led to the creation of what employees are calling the "window of opportunity" where homeless animals would get a second chance.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LAST RESORT

On this particular day, three adorable puppies are slumbering in the window of opportunity and don't have to do much to draw onlookers at what is indeed a high traffic area next to the movie theater in the Preakness Shopping Center on Hamburg Turnpike. One white and black pup is soaking up water from a spout but his siblings aren't interested. When fully grown, these dogs of mixed descent will be medium to large in stature.

Scuffy's is not charging anything for the puppies but The Last Resort will ask that families meet adoption criteria, fill out an application (available on line) and then provide an adoption donation of about $300, which covers medical needs like spaying and neutering, according to volunteers.

Lisa Rose, a volunteer with The Last Resort, said that she hopes that the window of opportunity at Scuffy's will start a trend where pet stores will become showcases for homeless dogs.

Gelkopf, the store owner, said that she does not expect to lose financially by donating the window to homeless dogs. In fact, she reasons that those who enhance their families with an adoption from the store are likely to frequent Scuffy's for their pet-care products.

Before deciding on The Last Resort, Gelkopf said that Scuffy's researched different animal welfare agencies to find one that would be the best fit for the store's special window.

She chose The Last Resort because of the unique work that it does rescuing dogs that face unnecessary euthanasia by inhumane methods at kill shelters in southern states like Tennessee and Georgia. Samantha Grieves helps transport the dogs from state to state by assigning drivers, from among her 300 volunteers, about a one and a half hour stretch in the journey. The organization exists entirely on donations and volunteer efforts and recently put out a plea for help in getting over one of its toughest funding hurdles. Several dogs came in with health problems – like heart worm – all at the same time and The Last Resort felt like would have to close its doors.

Even today, funding and volunteer foster homes remain the nonprofit's big needs, but Grieves counted down a variety of ways to help, from baking for a sale to inspecting a foster home to driving to Newark Airport to pick up a new doggie arrival.

Since the rescue operation was launched in July of 2008, Grieves said that it has gone from saving two or three dogs a week to sometimes 10 dogs weekly. A total of 320 dogs have been rescued from kill shelters, since Grieves and Nancy Warner, president of The Last Resort, pulled their resources together to benefit the animals, she said.

The number of foster homes ranges from five to 10 and, "all of our fosters are full right now," so more are urgently needed, she said. To meet growing needs, The Last Resort also rents kennels in the Newfoundland area of West Milford along with kennel space down South where animals must pass a health watch before being transported to New Jersey.

It's hard for these volunteers not to take on more dogs and cats because those connected with The Last Resort are well aware of the many kill shelters in the South and how the methods of destroying the animals are cruel, including electrocution and gas chambers.

Although The Last Resort is proud to have saved over 300 dogs, volunteers realize that many more lives are being lost to the kill shelters.

"The statistics are staggering," Rose said.

Grieves added, "Six to 10 million dogs a year are euthanized in the United States."

Although much of the work The Last Resort performs is with dogs, cats are also among the rescues.

To find out more about The Last Resort and animals awaiting adoption, visit on the Web at TheLastResortRescue.com.

10/2/09 The West Milford Messenger

To view an online version of this article click here

7/30/09

 6/10/09

The Last Resort heard about a fundraiser benefit dinner raising money for the military dogs.  We wanted to help out so we made a $100 donation.  See the articles below 

11/2/08

The Last Resort had a booth at the Super Pet Expo where they brought Hercules along.  At the time, Hercules only weighed 85 lbs.  This was only about 3 weeks after he had been rescued from his entire 6 year life on a 3ft chain in a junkyard with only a dripping spicket nearby as he only source of water.  How could the journalist pass him up? Such a sweetheart in such bad shape!