Press Release - November 8, 2007
The Iowa Compassion Animal
Rescue and Education Sanctuary (Iowa C.A.R.E.S.) is progressing
moderately. Read full press release...
Check out more progress reports in our Blawg!
Article in Marshall County Sun and First Major Press Release
July 28, 2007
Compassionate Group of Citizens seek
help for new Animal Rescue Farm Sanctuary
We see it every week on shows like Animal
Precinct, Animals Cops and Animal Heroes - Cruelty Investigators
rescuing animals in trouble, whether they are abandoned, abused, hit
by a car or neglected. A group here in Central Iowa is motivated
to start a similar organization complete with a country sanctuary that
would hopefully house ponies to pigs and every type of domestic animal
in between.
DiDi Somers, co-founder of the group says she often
sees animal cruelty and neglect on the job as a delivery driver.
"I have seen a kid kick a tethered dog in the face, a little girl
choking and dragging a kitten and another group of kids hanged a dog
from a tree," Somers said, adding that there are also a lot of good
animal lovers out there too. The group hopes those people will
come forward to help with the project. "In the cold of winter I
see dogs chained out in subzero temperatures with no shelter and just
a can [of food] thrown out to them, and worse," she said.
Somers hope to become a Certified Cruelty Investigator by The Law
Enforcement Training Institute's National Cruelty Investigations
School by 2008. The cost for the training and certification is
nearly $1500 per individual. The group is working on fund
raising for that and for applying for a 501(c)(3) status. Then they
will have the daunting task of finding a large country acreage to
house the project.
Bylaws, Articles of Incorporation and a
project business plan are being drafted by the other co-founder, k.Monroe, with the mission statement "To provide Sanctuary to abused,
neglected and needy animals (domestic and livestock) while working
with Law Enforcement to ultimately end cruelty and raise
community awareness." The documents are not yet approved and
notarized because a formal Board of Directors has not yet been formed.
The group hopes to incorporate as "Iowa (Critter, Compassion or Cares)
Animal Rescue & Education Sanctuary, (I-CARE Sanctuary or
Iowa CARES)." Citizens are invited to vote on the C -
"Compassion," "Cares" or "Critters" via email at
iowacaresanctuary@yahoo.com.
The definition of
compassion, according to
dictionary.com reads "noun - a
feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by
misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the
suffering." This is so true of our group, Monroe said.
Jami
Hougen, President of University of Iowa PAWS (formerly The University
of Iowa Spreading Pet Education and Knowledge or "SPEAK"), a
University-sanctioned student organization, has offered the group
assistance in fund raising, non-profit management, educational
materials on how to report animal abuse, as well as help with building
structures to house the animals.
The project has been primarily
influenced by Animal Precinct,
Farm Sanctuary in
New York and
California,
The Johnson Co. (Iowa) Humane
Society,
pet-abuse.com and
Habitat for Horses.
Pet-abuse.com
documents animal abuse and contains a database and map similar to the
sex offender registry. Monroe visits the
care2.com News Network and notes a multitude of animal
abuse stories daily.
One story she noted was of a horse rescue
outside of
Des Moines that also helps at-risk children. "It was in the
news a few weeks ago," Monroe said. "One boy who was abused as a child
related to a horse who had formerly been abused. Another girl who had
had an abortion formed a special bond with a horse that recently
miscarried."
The link between Animal cruelty and violent crime
is now widely recognized. A Google search on the subject will bring
back overwhelming results from psychologists to universities and
everything in between.
Other states have replaced the wording
in legislation from "owner" to "guardian" as well as making spaying
and neutering mandatory to reduce the euthanasia rate. Monroe
noted that some communities have annual
low-cost or free spay and
neuter clinics that encourage just a small donation. The
group hopes to work with veterinarians and university students and
offer possible future internships. They also want to work with
the Animal Rescue League, other sanctuaries and work toward tougher
legislation.
At this time, the group does not plan on being
city or state funded so they will have to come up with other means of
fund raising. They are looking at possibilities of an ongoing
side business to fund the project which would simply require
additional permits. Some ideas are second hand stores, eBay
sales, auctions, miniature indoor golf or small investments. The
group is inviting ideas from the public.
"It will take a lot of
team work but like any other animal rescue, we will start small and
then hopefully grow," Monroe said, who has experience starting
non-profits. "Ideally, we are hoping to build a large volunteer
base, a community task force and neighborhood crime watch, find a
volunteer webmaster and document each rescued animals' story and keep
an updated "Wish List" of items needed. We also want to support Iowa
hay, feed and produce farmers," she said.
"For animals we
cannot care for, we hope to have a database of others we can call
upon, such as Kim Flanagan's Second Chance Wildlife Rehab,"
Monroe said, noting that there are 3 other highly regarded horse
rescue sanctuaries in
Iowa. "Rescues like this are popping up all over the
country," she said. They also plan to work with qualified homes
for fostering and adoption.
The founders are looking for
members of the community who want to help as board members, advisory
and other committee members with backgrounds in such fields as
veterinary care, hay and feed producers, Animal Caregivers, Retired
Iowa Livestock Farmers, Horse Lovers, Law Enforcement, or
anyone who just wants to help animals. For now, she says, the
entire project will be run by volunteers.
But the group also
needs to find an old farm to fix up, an abandoned country field or
somewhere to operate. The founders plan to live on-site.
I-CARE Sanctuary founding members also invite the public to
participate in a Logo Contest. Entries can be emailed.
To get
involved call
641-753-6720 or
641-485-3104 and leave a message, or email
iowacaresanctuary@yahoo.com.
Co-founder DiDi Somers with
one of her many rescued animals, Hershey. Hershey was found
outside Mesquaki Casino 11 years ago after apparently having been
dumped there for several days.
Article in
the Times Republican Newspaper
September 13, 2007
Local pair’s passion for
abused animals sparks new non-profit organization
By RYAN BRINKS
 |
|
T-R PHOTO BY RYAN
BRINKS
DiDi Somers, right, holds two of the personal
pets she rescued and has rehabilitated and K. Monroe holds a
1985 “Reflection of Marshalltown” print that will be auctioned
Saturday to help the pair start a new non-profit animal rescue
sanctuary.
|
For years
a love for animals has compelled two Marshalltown residents to
personally take in and care for abused and abandoned pets. Now that
compassion is compelling them to go corporate and form the non-profit
Iowa Compassion Animal Rescue and Education Sanctuary.
“We
decided we’re going to do this because its our passion,” said DiDi
Somers, who with K. Monroe has already filed to start the
organization with the Secretary of State’s office and is holding its
first fundraising event Saturday to be able to apply for non-profit
status.
Friends since high school, the pair was reacquainted in
2002 and their mutual interest in rehabilitating neglected animals was
further inspired by Animal Precinct, a cable television show on the
Animal Planet network featuring law enforcement of animal abuse, as
well as growing efforts by animal rescue organizations across the
state and country.
In delivering pizzas, Somers said she has
witnessed dogs hanging from trees, people kicking pets or animals left
in the heat without water. And Monroe once spotted a mother dog that
had been dumped off and was so scared it took days to catch her, she
said.
“I thought about [adopting the dog] for a while and then
decided OK, I’ll do it, but she had already been put down,” Monroe
said.
“It takes time after being abused to trust again,” Somers
said of rehabilitation. “I know it can be done because I’ve done it.”
But organizations like the local Animal Rescue League are
overwhelmed with owner-surrendered pets, they agreed.
“We want
to take a big load off their shoulders,” Monroe said. “It’s hard for
them there.”
Among their aspirations, the pair are hoping to
raise funds to buy an acreage where they can care for animals and
fundraise to offer spay and neuter clinics. They also want to take
calls 24 hours a day and be able to investigate animal abuse
complaints.
“Animal Precinct holds classes [to become a
certified cruelty investigator] and I’m going to take those classes
next month,” Somers said.
Monroe and Somers’ focus is on abused
and unadoptable pets, but they also envision taking in livestock,
including horses, cows, pigs and goats, they said.
“We’ll go to
livestock auctions and buy ‘em their life,” Monroe said.
“There
will be a lot of vet bills too,” she added. “We plan to have
professional fundraisers to get money for that. It’s not that easy to
do, but we want to do it, and if they don’t get adopted, we’ll keep
them forever.”
Iowa CARES, as the organization is acronymed,
will also be forming a board of directors and enlisting volunteers,
interns and community service workers to help fulfill their mission.
Saturday’s kickoff fundraising event will be held at the Moose
Lodge. A rummage sale begins at 8 a.m. and an auction starting at
11:30 a.m., featuring a 1985 framed, signed and numbered Loeschen
Reflection of Marshalltown print.
For more auction items or
more information on Iowa CARES, visit
www.iowacaresanctuary.com
Contact Ryan Brinks at 641-753-6611 or rbrinks@
timesrepublican.com
Live Cam!
We will eventually have
a Web Cam so you can watch our critters on the farm from the comfort
of your own home.
Like this
Ele-Cam!
