True Blue Animal Rescue is pleased to begin offering Educational Riding Experiences at our Foster Homes! For $20 an experienced rider and TBAR volunteer will help you with the riding basics while you ride for an hour. Donations go toward food and health care for the TBAR and ABLE horses. Email [email protected] for more info!
True Blue Animal Rescue would like to take the time to feature two amazing members today. Thank you Amy Hemsell for donating a picnic table for our Able Camp and to Diane Deitz for donating horse feed, dog food, horse treats and dog treats. Rescue is stressful, heartbreaking and exhausting work but when members take the time to make special purchases for our animals it reminds us that we are not alone! Having the support of volunteers and members makes all the difference in the world. A great big thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
Today’s feature is a young lady who asked for donations of pet food and treats for rescue animals instead of presents for her Birthday! Here she is presenting some of what she received to one of our rescue dogs, Eddie. As you can see, Eddie was surprised and very happy to partake. Emily’s birthday wish came true when she got to come out and meet the animals she is helping at True Blue Animal Rescue and to give some of the treats to Eddie. I am so happy to know there are such good hearted children out there who are willing to give rather than receive! Thank you Elizabeth Price for raising such a wonderful young lady!
When possible, TBAR works with the community to network animals on our RAIN (Rescue Animals in Need) Facebook page. This posting also goes out to our networking email list, and is normally used for personal rescues when the person is able to pay the vet costs and provide shelter for the animal.
However, we do work with people who choose to volunteer their home (or find someone who is able to volunteer theirs) to take in an animal in need as a personal rescue. Sometimes there is a very time-sensitive window for people to pull animals from a shelter before they are euthanized, and the shelters will only release to an approved rescue. TBAR has the following established procedures to work with community members with their personal rescues (but please note that the TBAR officers must vote and approve the intake before this process begins):
APPROVED FOSTER HOME: The person agreeing to take in the animal must have a Foster Home application on file and have standing as a TBAR approved foster home. TBAR is a no-kill animal rescue, and this means we have limited space and depend on our foster homes having availability or a new one opening before we can take in a new animal. New foster homes have to be approved by our officers because when TBAR takes in an animal we are committing to said animal that they will go to a good home that is willing and able to give them proper care and treatment while they wait for their forever home.
INTAKE FEES: There is an initial intake fee of $150 for each new dog or cat. This covers the basic vet care (including intake evaluation, shots, worming, and other needed attention). Puppies or litters of puppies cost an additional $50 per puppy for their initial shots and worming. You can donate the fee yourself, or do your own online fundraising event and ask for pledges on sites such as Indiegogo or GoFundMe (and if you raise more than the fee for that animal it can go toward existing bills or future personal intakes). All donations made to TBAR are tax deductible. Those that participate in TBAR fundraising events throughout the year do not have to raise the initial intake fee as they have already contributed.
LISTINGS AND NETWORKING: Animals taken into TBAR will be listed on our website, Petfinder and other Pet Networking sites. They may also be listed as “Pet of the Week” to gain exposure on local radio , in local newspapers, and on our Facebook page. You can also submit photos and story for the pet to be posted as a “Foster Feature” blog on our website and Facebook.
ADOPTION APPLICATION: Prospective adopters for EVERY TBAR animal must fill out and submit an application before meeting the pet so we can check references.
MEET AND GREET: Once an adopter is approved a meet-and-greet is set up. The foster home can work with the adopter to set this up and help decide if it is a god match.
ADOPTION FEE AND CONTRACT: Adopters must pay $110 adoption fee for dogs (and puppies) and $75 for cats (and kittens). This fee covers spay/neuter costs (if the pet they are adopting has not been spayed/neutered then they will be issued a certificate to cover the expense when the pet is old enough). Each adopter must sign a contract promising to care for the animal.
TBAR operates entirely on donations and solely out of foster homes. In order to continue to make a difference in the community we must adhere to our intake and adoption guidelines to provide the best care for our current and future animals. This ensures that we do not go over capacity and end up creating an unhealthy situation for our organization. As much as we’d like to save them all, we can only do so much, which is why we need community members to step up and become foster homes and help us with fundraising efforts!
TBAR is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and is a no-kill animal rescue operating in the Brenham, Texas area. Please consider donating, fostering or adopting. Every little bit helps us to help another animal in need of safety and rehabilitation. Save a life: adopt instead of shop and spay or neuter your pets!
TBAR Selected as Semi-Finalist for Community Program Improvement Funding
Vote for TBAR to reunite them with Ty Pennington!
Washington, Texas — True Blue Animal Rescue (TBAR) has been chosen as one of 50 semi-finalists in the Ultimate Neighborhood Give Back Challenge hosted by Guaranteed Rate! This is a contest that will award five runner-up prizes of up to $10,000 for their community project, and one Grand Prize Winner will get $50,000 for their Community Project AND help for a day from Ty Pennington!
You may remember that Ty Pennington has helped TBAR in the past – back in 2005 he brought his team from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to build a new home for the DeAeth family. When Ty, EMHE, and the Community made-over the DeAeth home they increased the capacity that TBAR had for saving animals, and allowed them to make a bigger impact in the area. Since then TBAR has helped save and rehome thousands of animals (including dogs, cats, horses, donkeys, and more).
In the past five years TBAR has branched out in their efforts to decrease animal abuse by starting the Animals Bridge Love and Education (ABLE). These camps allow hands-on experience to develop compassion and empathy in children toward animals to make them better pet owners and future advocates for animals and people. The programs under ABLE include Foster Family Fun Days, Field Trips, Scout Troop Days, Church Groups Days, and Community Service Volunteering.
In order to continue to expand this program we need to make some improvements, including air conditioning and an accessible bathroom in the classroom area, new fencing, and better walking paths. Being one of the six finalists in this competition will allow us to make some of these improvements so we can reach more children and help even more animals than ever before.
Please vote for TBAR by CLICKING HERE and vote for “Educational and therapeutic equine program improvements – Washington, TX”! Don’t forget to share this link with everyone you know so we can advance our animal education program in the Brazos Valley!
This Round 2 of voting closes on July 8th, and the 6 finalists will be announced on July 15.
About True Blue Animal Rescue: TBAR is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and is a no-kill animal rescue located in Brenham, Texas. If you would like to help their cause please consider donating, fostering or adopting. Every little bit helps us to help another animal in need of safety and rehabilitation. Save a life: adopt instead of shop and spay or neuter your pets!
True Blue Animal Rescue founder, Melanie DeAeth, was awarded one of four local 2014 Jefferson Awards this past Tuesday (May 13). Melanie has spent the last 10 years in TBAR saving animals, leading volunteers, and educating the next generation to have compassion for animals.
According to the Jefferson Award website:
Founded in 1972 by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Senator Robert Taft, Jr. and Sam Beard, the Jefferson Awards is America’s highest honor for public service, a “Nobel Prize for public service”. We are one of the largest multipliers of volunteerism in the country – with youth in communities and in workplaces. Over 41 years, we have recognized a “Who’s Who” of American change-makers and more than 50,000 unsung heroes in grassroots communities. We accomplish that through a network of more than 110 Media Partners reaching into 30 million households.
Starting six years ago, we began to transform into one of the nation’s largest multipliers of volunteerism. Our goal is to Build a Culture of Service. We achieve that in three ways – in communities through our Media Partners, in workplaces with Champions, and with young Americans through Students In Action, our Lead360 Challenge and GlobeChangers.
You can watch the full awards broadcast by clicking HERE
We would like to extend Melanie a huge “THANK YOU” for all the animals that owe their happy life to her, and for all the children she is on a mission to educate. We would also like to encourage others to follow Melanie’s lead and volunteer with animals and children to help build a better future. If you are interested in volunteering with TBAR, please email us at [email protected] or call (936) 878-2349. The world NEEDS great people to volunteer so we can continue to do great things!
Juan Vendrell of TC Ranch Ventures joined forces with True Blue Animal Rescue to hold a horse clinic for people that wanted to further their knowledge in horse training. The focus on Juan’s training is to take the horse’s instincts and make them work for you.
The Saturday was overcast with a cool breeze which made the day easier for those that attended Juan’s class. The range of skilled horse men and women went from low experience to those that have had horses all their lives. The horses themselves included those that had not been formally trained at all, to those that just needed to learn more (much like their owners). The first horse handled by Juan on this day was a TBAR horse named Indy who hadn’t had much training yet. Indy is not a fan of even being touched, but after only a few purposeful minutes in the ring Juan was able to touch him. This amazed pretty much everyone in attendance. Just watching Juan work with Indy was a learning experience for those of us in the crowd.
Juan gave a small lecture on his training style but he also stressed that not all horses are the same. There is not one foolproof way to get a horse to do something. He stressed that the handlers have to clearly communicate to their steed what they are asking the horse to do. According to Mr. Vendrell, the horse wants to do what they are asked and if they fail to execute tasks or exercises, it is always the human’s fault.
After the lecture came the fun part. When registering, people had the option of auditing the class or bringing a horse to work with. If you brought a horse to work with the day would be a bit longer for you! It was explained that when we ask a horse to do something we do so by using a part of their body. A horse owner should be able to tell a horse to move using any part of their body. The day of the clinic we mostly focused on using the shoulders and head of the horse.
For me personally I can say it was super exciting working with our True Blue sponsor horse, Athena. I have never had my own horse and the only horse I had contact with as a child was a wonderful Welsh pony, that was neck-reigned, that I took care of after school for one blissful year before her owners noticed that I played with the pony more than her kids did and it was sold off. Still one year with a pony hardly goes a long way, and it was so long ago. Poor Juan had to show me basic things, like how to swing a lead line, put on a halter and not to allow Athena to get too close to me. But he was kind about my lack of knowledge!
The exercises we did that day with our horses were basic and hard at the same time. Not to mention they really can make you dizzy. I asked Juan for a tip on keeping the dizziness at bay and he said to focus on only one part of your horse when you are asking them to run around you in a circle. So I picked Athena’s shoulder since that was the body part I was asking her to move with. It did help but being so new I was also trying to watch my feet, my hands and then watch Athena. So I got pretty dizzy, but with more practice this issue for me should go away. Especially when I get my hands working better.
If people had trouble with an exercise given to them Juan had time to go to that person and give them more tips and pointers. I myself asked a ton of questions to make sure I had a handle on what he had told us. Naturally, since a few of the horses were visitors and were meeting new horses, it was hard to get the attention of a few of them. Juan would have to work with the horses himself to get them to settle down, but he also shared the tip that we had to make sure that the horse was paying attention to us and was standing in the right position; not too close, with their heads up and looking at you.
True Blue Animal Rescue provided a lunch of BBQ sandwiches, chips, and drinks. Guests even had their pick of dessert. As everyone sat down and ate, people were excited about what they had learned so far. In between exercises people shared tips and encouraged everyone on their work. Being with other animal lovers made the class feel comfortable. The exercises in the afternoon built off of those that had been taught in the morning. They asked more of the handler’s lead lines, while the horses were still being asked to turn. Attending the class was beneficial to anyone that was there, whether you had a horse with you or were just auditing.
If you missed this clinic, don’t worry, because another one is in the works for the fall. Thank you again to True Blue Animal Rescue and Juan Vendrell!
TBAR Receives Training Grant from ASPCA
$4000 toward training horses to increase adoptions
Washington, Texas — True Blue Animal Rescue (TBAR) announced today the award of a $4000 grant from the ASPCA to assist with training costs.
“This grant will train five horses that are currently in TBAR waiting for forever homes.” said Melanie DeAeth, TBAR President. “This grant is the start of a new training fund, and the adoption fees from the trained horses will go toward training the next ones.”
For ten years TBAR has been saving animals from abuse and neglect, and often the animals return to full health. There are many cases when the horses are candidates for socialization and training (particularly those born after their mothers come into the rescue), and this training fund will benefit them. In the past the only training the horses have received is from volunteers that come out when they have the time, but this program will ensure consistency and better turnover.
About True Blue Animal Rescue: TBAR is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and is a no-kill rescue operating in the Brenham, Texas area. If you would like to help their cause please consider donating, fostering or adopting. Every little bit helps us to help another animal in need of safety and rehabilitation. Save a life: adopt instead of shop and spay or neuter your pets!
Today is Tax Day!
What does Tax Day have to do with Animal Rescue? More than you’d think!
We’d like to take today to remind everyone that donating to TBAR, fostering a TBAR animal, or volunteering makes you eligible for tax deductions!
There are certain things to consider, and you’re best choice would be consulting your tax professional for advice, but in general if you itemize your taxes you can use your donations and fostering or volunteering expenses to decrease taxable income and lower your tax bill. Be sure that you are keeping records of giving, in-kind donation forms, and receipts.
In addition, some counties may allow for an agriculture exemption for equine foster animals (this includes Washington County and Grimes County).
If you are an animal foster parent for TBAR you should keep records of any expenses you incur such as food, crates, or cleaning products. TBAR pays all medical and veterinary bills, but if you choose to pay them you can deduct them. You can also deduct a portion of utilities if the foster animal has a portion of your home dedicated to it. You will need to obtain a note that confirms you are a TBAR foster home if your expenses go over $250.
If you are interested in fostering, an animal, or donating goods or services you can contact us as [email protected] and please remember that PayPal donations are always needed!
True Blue Animal Rescue has been determined a 501(c)(3) non profit organization by the Internal Revenue Service. All donations are tax deductible. You can view us on Guidestar and search our EIN (75-3144975) on the IRS website.
