FACE Looks to the Future with Strategic Planning Retreat

FACE Foundation Board at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.

The FACE Foundation Board recently returned from a strategic planning retreat, hosted by the Best Friends Animal Society at their Sanctuary, which is in beautiful Kanab, Utah.  Best Friends operates the largest no-kill sanctuary for companion animals in the U.S.  Best Friends was founded thirty years ago by a small group of dedicated animal advocates who united together in the mission to save abused and abandoned companion animals, and end the euthanasia of these animals in our nation’s shelters.  They serve as a testament to what can be accomplished when people work together for a greater cause, and are a great inspiration to the members of the FACE team.

FACE Board President Cini Gannon Robb getting kisses from a furry friend.

This strategic planning retreat was completely underwritten by the Board so no FACE funds were used.  These sessions are generally held every 3-5 years, so there are always plenty of important topics to discuss.  They revisited FACE’s mission and vision, and friends of FACE can expect to see a fine-tuning of our vision statement soon.  The Board also discussed a revamping of our marketing and fundraising strategies.

FACE Board Member Dr. John Hart with a Best Friends pup.

Other exciting news to come out of the strategic planning retreat?  We plan to revisit our granting process to put more trust in our valued veterinary partners when it comes to determining how FACE grants will be distributed to pet owners facing financial hardship due to emergency and critical care veterinary services.

FACE Executive Director Brooke Haggerty and a fuzzy little friend.

We also are very interested in finding ways to help cases that might not be “immediately life-threatening” but the animals’ quality of life would be drastically and negatively impacted without veterinary care.  This would potentially broaden our criteria for determining what kinds of cases we can help…with the ultimate goal of saving more lives!  At FACE, we remain united in the belief that no beloved family pet should be euthanized because of lack of funds to pay for critical veterinary care.  Thanks to all of our friends and supporters, we are working hard to make this goal a reality.

FACE Board hard at work!

 

“Words of Thanks” Video on FACE YouTube Channel

Hey, did you know that the FACE Foundation has its own YouTube channel?  We get so many wonderful letters from the families of pets saved with the help of FACE grants that we decided to make a video to share some of their kind words.  Hope you enjoy this heartwarming video as much as we do!

 

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

We think all pets are Irish on St. Patrick’s Day!

So kiss your fur kids, feed them some Greenies, and enjoy these pictures of some recent FACE success stories!

 

Proposed Legislation Gives Hope to CA Pet Owners Facing Large Vet Bills

Here’s some good news for California pet parents…a bill introduced by State Assemblyperson Devon Mathis (R-Visalia) seeks to provide assistance to pet owners seeking help for large veterinary expenses. The proposed legislation, Assembly Bill 942, would provide for an income tax credit that would let California pet owners write off half of the money spent on veterinary care, up to $2,000 per year.

According to an article in the Sacramento Bee, this tax credit would be for dog and cat owners only, and would cover expenses like vaccinations, check-ups, surgery, X-rays, and prescriptions.

Mathis was inspired to introduce this bill based on the sad fact that pet owners sometimes have to euthanize a seriously sick or injured animal because they cannot afford treatment. The FACE Foundation was founded to end the tragedy of economic euthanasia by providing financial assistance to qualified pet owners for life-saving veterinary care.

We applaud the effort by Assemblyperson Mathis to help end economic euthanasia across California. As he says, “It helps everyone across the state, every family and every pet lover out there.” We couldn’t agree more!

 

Senior Dog Adoption Rate is On the Rise

Senior dog advocacy group The Grey Muzzle Organization has released the results of a survey on the adoption of senior shelter and rescue dogs. There’s been a growing interest in the adoption of senior dogs over the last few years, and the numbers prove it. Once considered virtually unadoptable, senior shelter dogs (and cats) are now benefitting from a senior pet “trend” across the U.S.

Why the growing interest in senior dogs? Grey Muzzle reports that more people are open to the idea of adopting an older dog, and they recognize the benefits of bringing a calm, well-trained, and adaptable dog into the family.

Grey Muzzle provides grants to organizations that assist at-risk senior dogs (including the FACE Foundation!) and they surveyed 30 grant recipients that helped dogs in 2016. Here are the key findings:

• Two thirds of respondents reported that the situation for homeless senior dogs has improved over the last 2 years.
• 80% of the respondents said they have seen positive changes in the public’s perception of senior dogs.
• The majority of senior dog adopters choose older dogs for altruistic reasons…to provide them with a comfortable home for their remaining years.

• One half of the respondents said that more younger people are seeking out senior dogs. Social media may be a factor…seeing pictures of dogs they want to help, and also the “trendiness” dynamic.
• Two thirds of survey respondents report that senior humans are still the most likely adopters of senior dogs, since a low-key pup is just the thing for humans who have slowed down a bit.
• Most respondents agree that the main factors in not adopting a senior dog are fears of the dog passing away quickly, and also high veterinary bills. Advocates note that the word “senior” can be used for dogs as young as 7. For many, that’s just middle age. As for vet bills, Grey Muzzle notes that they and their grantees (like FACE) provide assistance for veterinary care to qualified pet owners.