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Confession: I love animals. I once saved an abandoned kitten dangling in a bush outside of a restaurant in Rhode Island because I just couldn’t help myself. My husband, Bob, made me swear we wouldn't keep him, but I quickly changed his mind and, eight years later, my feisty little kitty still lives with us. My Golden Retriever, Milo, even kind of likes him. Kind of. It's experiences I've had with adopting pets that made it extra special when readers of my newsletter, New England Real Estate and Interior Design, voted for Baypath Humane Society of Hopkinton to receive our first quarter donation to a local organization. Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote for your favorite organization! Our Goal One of the kitties ready for adoption at Baypath. Our goal at Trina Macchi & Co of William Raveis in Hopkinton is to give $500 each fiscal quarter of 2017 to a local charity, and I am happy to announce that I delivered our first quarter check to Liz Jefferis, Baypath's Executive Director, on May 4th. It's Money Well Spent! Liz decided to use our donation for Spay and Neutering because she considers this to be the single most important thing the organization can do to prevent animal cruelty. She said they will be able to spay or neuter approximately ten cats and five dogs with our donation. This is awesome because just six years ago, 25% of cats in shelters in Massachusetts were being euthanized for time and space That is no longer the case because the spay and neutering program in the state is working! The Bigger Picture - A Capital CampaignAt Town Meeting on May 9th, Baypath received overwhelming resident support to establish a new facility on Parcel A of the Fruit Street complex. Liz and her staff have been operating the amazing Baypath Shelter from a small structure on a parcel of land at 500 Legacy Farms North leased from the utility company and it doesn't do their service to the community justice. They have some work to do before they'll ready to start a capital campaign to build the new facility, but I promised Liz to be a part of her efforts. I'd love to ask you, my clients and blog readers, for suggestions on how we can hold a campaign that would raise the money needed to build the best Humane Society the country has ever seen right here in Hopkinton. What do you think? I am open to suggestions! What We Can Do Right NowLiz was telling me that she is always in need of foster families to help care for the over 1,200 animals who get love and medical attention at the Shelter each year – Baypath needs foster families to offset the fact that they only have 18 kennel runs for dogs and only enough space for about 15 cats. If you think you might be able to bring a sweet dog or cat into your home for a little socialization and patience, you should consider applying on the Baypath website to be a foster family. Not ready to foster? There are other ways you can help too: Donate food, toys, blankets, treats, kitty litter, and cleaning products. You can also donate your time. I plan to volunteer to walk the dogs the shelter has on site a few hours each week. The sweet pups they have there are recovering from being abandon or malnutrition and watching their eyes light up when you come strolling over with a leash is enough to melt your heart. Of course, the best way to help Baypath Humane Society is to consider them when you are thinking of adopting a pet. The animals at Baypath have rigorous health screenings, are very social, and are in much need of a loving forever home. We Love AnimalsDuring my visit on the 4th, I played with two dogs from the Black Dog Rescue in South Carolina and watched the shelter nurse a few sweet pups from Boston Animal Control back to health. One of the most amazing stories was Ralph, a boxer mix who had suffered from neglect, was severely malnourished, and undergoing a feeding program at the shelter. All skin and bones when I saw him, Ralph had already gained seven pounds in the ten days he'd been at the shelter. The volunteers there must feed him a bland diet every four hours until he recovers. It was hard to see him so thin and weak, but his sweet, hopeful and trusting face helped me understand that he's not a quitter and that he's going to find a loving home one day - I can't wait to help him with walks and belly rubs when I am volunteering. There was also little Laurel, the adorable six-month-old black lab-mix who just curled up for a quick nap on my lap and I had to pry myself away from her when it was time to leave by repeating over and over; "Milo would kill me if I brought her home. Bob probably would too." - She's available for adoption! And... Sheldon the three-year-old cat who talks! This little guy is stunning. His markings are gold and brown and he looks like something you might spot in the rain forest - Check him out below! He is so friendly, he followed me all around the kitty house, chatting me up with meows as he rubbed his head against my legs, back, hand – all over - He's available for adoption!
It's Our Way of Saying Thank YouThe way we decide how to donate each quarter is pretty simple - I include a short survey for readers to take in my news letter. We share three local organizations that are making a positive impact in our community and readers can pick which organization they want us to donate to. We tally up the votes at the end of the quarter and then I reach out to the organization. I've gotten help from so many people in this community - testimonials, referrals, business advice, and well wishes, I wanted to find a way to help give back and letting my clients select where to give makes all kinds of sense. I'd like to thank Liz and her staff and all the volunteers at Baypath for giving us a tour of the Humane Society and for doing such amazing work for the town of Hopkinton and surrounding communities. Your dedication to helping animals in need has such a positive impact on all of us – thank you for being part of our community.  This is sweet little Laurel napping on our laps! Sign Up To HelpIf you would like to sign up for my newsletter to help select our next fiscal quarter donation, please click here. If you have ideas about how to help with the Baypath Capital Campaign or have questions about real estate or interior design, never hesitate to contact me at 508.509.4236, [email protected], or stop by my office at 85 Main Street in Hopkinton.
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