Hope is Fuzzy and Yellow, it Turns Out


A few years back, as Lori was playing tennis one day at Gleneagles Country Club in Plano, she came across two of the staff members who were about to dispose of the unusable balls.

"Wait - can I have those?" she asked.

"Sure, but what for?" they asked.

"I'd like to give them to area dog shelters that I'm involved with - for them to use as toys for the animals and to give away with each adoption", she replied.

And that's the day that seed was planted that has now blossomed into Linens for Animals as we know it.

The pros at Gleneagles started saving their unusable balls and Lori started taking them to the shelters where, although grateful for the thoughtful gift, the rescue teams began educating her on what they REALLY needed more than anything - clean linens to comfort the animals in their care.

Now she was on a mission!

After six months of creative thinking, pounding the pavement and making the right connections, she was able to source and acquire linens on a weekly basis to share with all the rescues she'd met along the way and many more that would be coming as soon as the word got out.

So, you see, the Gleneagles Tennis Staff is really where Linens for Animals began - but it goes much deeper too...

The balls that they have donated have been spread to shelters in FOUR states and one of the shelters began using the balls in a unique and wonderful way: they would bounce the balls down the corridors of their shelter and the animals that were most reactive to the bouncing tennis balls were then recruited into working dogs programs such as police K9 units and drug-detecting dog teams!

And the circle is completed as the dogs who were rescued with the aid of these tennis balls are now serving the very community that supported their rescue by keeping the streets of that community safe and secure.

We call that a WIN - WIN!!

We are forever grateful to Gleaneagles Tennis Staff for the spark that set ablaze our mission to Provide Comfort to All Animals in Need and their ongoing support.

Thank you!

Linens for Animals

Lori,

Thought you might like to see where some of this goes.

This baby was almost froze to death when she was found. She was really weak and couldn't stand so once we got her into the shop we used the underpads and warmed them over a heater and placed them on her warming her temp up slowly so as to not put her into shock.

The picture was taken about 6 hours after we first started treating her and you can see that she has perked up alot.

Thanks to all you do.

 Dusti Fletcher

Red River SPCA

www.rrspca.petfinder.com

Lori,

I couldn't have made it last summer and this spring with my sanity if I didn't have all the puppy pee pads from Linens for Animals. Since March 2008 I have had 14 rescue pyrenees puppies through my house. I currently have 4 puppies and 1 adult rescue. The puppy pee pads help with house breaking the puppies, by teaching them to pottty on the pad until they have the maturity to be able to hold it till they go ourside. And makes the clean up go so much faster, cleaner, and easier. Since I just rinse the soiled pads outside, run through the washer with Chlorox and hang dry outside. It saves me time, paper towels, and keeps me from going crazy!

The large blankets are perfect for covering furniture to prevent devastation from puppy playing and chewing. And the towels are great for puppy baths, paw prints, or quick cleanups. Their is always a load of "puppy laundry" in the washer at my house. Linens and bleach are my 2 best tools in keeping my house clean while doing dog rescue work!

Thanks for your help!

Charmaine Barton
Richardson, Texas

Volunteer
SPIN ~ Saving Pyrenees in Need

http://www.spinrescue.org/

An addition to the list of those that have benefited from the linens you all provide... Rusty and Lobo are 10 years old, been together since they were pups. Lived on 10 acres their whole lives and pretty much had free roam of it all. Their owner went into the hospital several weeks ago and is now in an assisted living home and is not going to be able to go back home. His dogs were brought into the clinic I work at with instructions to euthanize them. We asked permission to re-home them and that was ok'd by the owner. After weeks of no luck, their time was up, no one wanted a 60# mix and his underweight 80# buddy who have some health issues and are old...

I am working on ridding them of a variety of parasites and happy to announce that these 2 old boys have found a home here with us. They are both loving having blankets to sleep on, a new treat for them and I am sure it will make them feel better to sleep better on the cushion the blankets provide... These 2 boys will be living out their days as pampered as I can make it.

Kim

Here's what our friends at Texas Ferret Lovers Rescue had to say:

For this ferret rescue, with trying financial times to blame, there's no end to the need for comforting,
clean linens to help these furry little frolickers! At the time of the above video, Millie is caring for 90 ferrets...
Thanks for letting us be a part of your efforts, Millie!

You can reach her here:
Texas Ferret Lovers Rescue
www.Txferretrescue.org

Linens for Animals assisted in the rescue of a grayhound and her 7 pups. This story just goes to show what one concerned person taking action on an animals behalf. Many people, state agencies and other non-profit organizations really came together to save these 8 dogs. Here's the story.
Katie Anne and her Magnificent 7 pups

A story by Officer Garlanda Hempstead

Last summer I was notified by a co-worker that a stray greyhound was running around in east Ft. Worth and needed to be my next project pup. He advised me that she was located in the area of 1900 Ash Crescent. I drove around the area and did locate her. She was very shy and did appear to have an injury to her hip. I began bringing food with me, but she disappeared for several months and I wasn't able to locate her again.

Approximately 3 months ago, I observed that she had returned to the area. I began taking dog food and some table scraps with me each morning. I would drive through the neighborhood until I located her. I would walk toward her without looking at her. Each day, when I got as close as she wanted me to get, she would stand up. I would then lay the food down and return to my car. On my days off, Officer LA Jones would try to locate her and feed her. Between the two of us, we had the week pretty well covered. There were days in which we could not locate her. On those days, the wonderful people that lived across the street from Katie's favorite alley would keep the food and give it to her later in the day when she returned to the area.

Each day she would allow me a little closer. As we became somewhat familiar with each other, I decided that she needed a name. I asked my daughter what a good name for a greyhound would be. She told me Katie, because she had long legs like a katydid. I began trying to get her familiar with the name Katie and continued to try to feed her daily. When I was able to get within approximately 2 feet of her without her trying to leave, I decided It was time to locate a home or rescue group for her. I contacted a friend with Ft. Worth Animal Control and asked if they could send me in the right direction.

I almost immediately got a call back from David with the Greyhound Adoption League of Texas. I told him Katie's story and he met me in the area to get an idea of Katie's habits. By this time, we knew that Katie was pregnant and due pretty soon.

Then she disappeared again! We determined that she had probably gone off and hidden to have her pups. I figured that David probably thought she was a figment of my imagination. We continued searching with no luck.

Last week, as I was leaving a call, I observed a dog crossing E Allen. I turned my lights on to slow down traffic, and then it hit me. It was Katie. I had never seen her in this area before, but it was definitely her. She saw me, but kept right on traveling across the street and down the sidewalk. I began to follow her. She led me straight to an empty residence on E Myrtle. She ran into the back yard, then disappeared. I immediately called Officer Jones over and contacted David.

We had animal control make the scene. We soon determined that Katie had given birth to her puppies underneath the house. We determined that the best action at that time was to secure the fence and provide her with plenty of food and water. I returned later that day and fed Katie again, and determined that she was still in the back yard.

Times get tough for everyone. This "down on his luck" man had recently lost his wife and job and was no longer able to take care of the 48 dogs on his property. Linens for Animals supplied sanitary linens in the rescue efforts for these animals. Although the story is sad, we are all glad that the animals are safe. Here's what the good people at Happy Tails had to say:   

Tina with Happy Tails was alerted about a gentleman struggling to feed 28 Labs he had housed in several single-wide mobile homes using chain link gates as doors. The man had lost his wife and his job, was without electricity and water - so times were tough and we all know how labs never just have one or two puppies... With that things got out of hand.

During the short time it took to investigate, get homes and rescues lined up to take some of the dogs, 28 turned into more like 48 dogs and puppies - all needing food and care. Many people donated and made this rescue possible.

The food and linens from Lori and Linens for Animals was used to sustain the dogs till they could be placed in forever loving homes and rescues.

Happy Tails still has a few of these good dogs needing homes! 

Tina & The Pack @ HappyTailsofGBC.org

Foster Care Adoption Rescue Education

903-880-4124

Linens for Animals provided sanitary linens for Della & David Wallace whom rescued 5 adorable day old puppies.

Here's what they had to say:

Lori,
We rescued ten  5 day old Lab puppies that were on their way to the pound.  We used pee pee pads, blankets towels and of course the baby blankets all day long.  I don't think I have ever done so much laundry.  When they were adopted we sent a baby blanket with each one of them and we continue to send baby blankets out with each rescue when they find a forever home.

Thank you so much for the linens, I do not know how we managed before without them.  Here is Ziggy one of the pups taking a nap in his food bowl which is on his baby blankets.  

Della and David Wallace

KAUFMAN, Texas — The Humane Society of the United States, in conjunction with the Humane Society of Cedar Creek Lake and the Kaufman County Sheriff's Department, rescued more than 500 dogs and approximately 15 cats from deplorable conditions at a Kaufman County puppy mill.

"This day marks a new beginning for these animals, who are suffering from a variety of serious health conditions and have been kept in constant confinement their entire lives producing puppies for the profit of the mill owner," said Scotlund Haisley, senior director of Emergency Services at The HSUS. "We applaud the Kaufman County Sheriff's Department for taking a stand against this abusive behavior, and allowing us to come in and rescue more than 500 animals."

The HSUS and HS of Cedar Creek Lake deserve great credit for bringing this tragedy to light and ending the suffering of these animals.

Linens for Animals is honored to have been able to quickly provide comforting linens including towels and peepads that were used througout the rescue and even in the ICU during and after surgery.

Your support makes these kind of "quick-response" scenarios possible - THANK YOU!

Linens for Animals is proud to have facilitated a relationship between Labatt Food and Primarily Primates. Labatt Food donates produce to animals to supplement their dietary needs. Through the efforts of Lori A. Birdsong of Linens for Animals, Primarily Primates and Labatt Food were able to establish an amazing relationship that is now saving Primarily Primates over 50% on monthly produce costs. Anytime an organization is able to rid of those types of costs and overhead, we all here, at Linens for Animals, would consider it a massive success. Congrats to Primarily Primates, Labatt Food and Linens for Animals on this newly found relationship! Here is what the good people of Primarily Primates had to say:

Lori,
Primarily Primates would like to extend a gracious thank
you to Labatt Food Industries and Linens for Animals for coming to the
aid of the animals at PPI. Recently, PPI received a truck load of
blankets and hospital pads from Linens for Animals that PPI uses in
the medical care of our residents!

In addition [through Linens for Animals] PPI has been working with Labatt Food Industries which [donates] produce supplies to help supplement the existing animal diets.

Sincerely,

Stephen

For more information about Primarily Primates please visit - www.primarilyprimates.org