Advocating and Supporting Shelter Animals and Wildlife. Bringing Rescues, Rehabbers and Conservationists Advice to you from Personal Interviews and Outreach. Rob's Rescues Inc is a Section 501(c)(3) company.
The Woodstock HIgh School Honor's Society made a huge collection of pet food, toys and blankets to Rob's Rescues. We took all of this to Cherokee County and Cobb County Animal shelters for their pantries that help people who cannot afford to feed their animals and who rely on the shelter pantry for help.
Alan Fowler from the Louis Lloyd Golf Company reached out to me to donate pet food to Rob’s Rescues. He was invited to give a motivational talk to the Woodstock High School Boys Golf Team and the whole WHS team did a community outreach project collecting pet food for those in need in our community. This food will go to the Cherokee County Animal Shelter for its pet food pantry and will be used to help seniors in the Meals on Wheels program who struggle to afford to feed themselves and their pets. This is part of the shelter’s PAWS program. If any other teams or companies want to collect pet food for people in need let me know.
I was invited to be a guest of the Cat Club at the Holbrook Retirement Community in Acworth by Ms Cheri Sherrill. I went to meet them and I enjoyed talking to everyone about their cats, and a bird in one case, and about the importance of spay and neuter, and opportunities for volunteering in the community. I told them about volunteer opportunities at Cobb County Animal Services and Furkids. They were very nice people and I enjoyed meeting them.
Every quarter I go up to Rome, which is in Floyd County, with some rescue groups. You see things like dogs on chains and animals living in very poor situations. We basically go up with pet food, toys and other supplies to try and help out. We lay out straw and cedar and dog houses because the dogs have to sleep outside in all sorts of weather. Donations are always needed for vetting, spay and neuter and food. We take up food donated from people here as well as from Frida’s Foundation, Pet Buddies Food Pantry and Bridgemill Pets. Funds 4 Furry Friends provides a lot of money for helping Rome dogs too.
My friend, Keeton Nelson, has come up and volunteered the last 2 times. This is what he says about the experience. I like being able to go out to help my community and help animals and people taking care of their animals. I have seen many animals that are in dire need of assistance and help and I have learned that it is always important to help because of the happiness that it brings people and how it helps the animals.
I was invited to come and speak to a group of cub scouts. I talked to them about what I do and how to help shelter animals and community cats and I told them about Dr. Good’s Homeless Pet Clubs which is something that they can think about forming.
If you are a teacher and would like me to come and talk to your class I can do that. I also have a Classroom Video on my website that you can show to kids to tell them about shelters and how they can help shelter animals.
The cub scout talk was filmed by Dreampost Productions for the Dr. Good Unleashed Video series. Have a look at that as well.
I had friends over to build feral cat shelters for a project to help feral cats by Hope Lewallen in Dalton, GA. We built feral shelters and then I took them to Dalton and helped put them in places where feral cats live to hopefully give them some shelter over the winter. This was filmed by Dreampost Films for the Dr. Good Unleashed Video series. You can watch it on Episode 1.36.
Deputy Amy Chapman of Cobb County Animal Services had some good advice for what not to do when you adopt a cat: This cat in the picture, Riley, was adopted from Cobb as a kitten. He was then declawed, fed bad food and became very fat. Then he was returned to the shelter. Please don’t declaw your cat. Declawing means removing the tip of the cat’s toe. If a cat is front declawed it will walk on its wrist. As they get older their wrists can develop arthritis, which is painful. It is uncomfortable to cover litter so some will start not using the litter box. As they are in pain they are more likely to bite. Being overweight and declawed causes even more discomfort and arthritis. In a lot of countries front declawing is illegal. Cats generally don’t scratch because they are trying to file their nails down. They scratch because they have scent pads in their paws and like putting scent on their favorite places. The solution is often to give them a scratch pad and to trim their nails. Being overweight and front declawed is a double whammy for cats. Overweight cats are much more susceptible to liver failure, arthritis in joints, back and hips. Fat around their heart can lead to heart attacks.
Mr Jay Patouillet is an organizer of the Golf Fore Charity tournament. He invited me to speak at the lunch for the tournament. The Golf Fore Charity always raises a lot of money for local charities. I also was invited to the Bridgemill Sixes Service League meeting and they did a food drive for me which I gave to Must Ministries. They do a lot of good work in the community.
Every year Ms. Debi Fife holds a Chicksgiving party which collects a bunch of food, toys, blankets and money for Rob’s Rescues and Must Ministries. It was held at the Terrace at Bridgemill and all the supplies went to Cobb County Animal Shelter, Cherokee County Animal Shelter, The Grey Project, Fridas Companion Animal Foundation and Meals on Wheels Atlanta.
If you are in the cat room of the shelter don't pick up a cat while it is resting, or eating, or drinking, or playing with another cat. Wait until it connects with you or it is not doing anything else. Don't be loud and annoying to the cats or other people. Respect the cats and don't add stress.
Rob
Please do not take animals out of cages. If you would like to meet with an animal then ask an officer or a volunteer. When cats are in cages and not free-roaming please be quiet in cat rooms because they don't like noise especially when they are stressed. Sanitize your hands between touching cats so you don't pass germs because diseases can spread very quickly in a cat room. If a cat jumps out of your arms in a cat room then immediately close the door or shout for someone to close it so the cat can't escape into the rest of the shelter.
Rob
We held the first 5k Run With Rob on Saturday, November 9. it was very cold but also very fun. It was a race through the golf course at Bridgemill which was wonderful and I think everyone enjoyed their run. I ran with my friends and my dad. It turned warm and I think everyone was probably thankful for that. I usually play golf and ride on a golf cart on the course, but running it is extremely hard as there were a bunch of hills which made it very tough.
The run raised $1,100 for The Grey Project who was the beneficiary of the run. The Grey Project does TNR and feeds free-roaming cats in Cherokee County. I interviewed them a few years ago and you can read that interview on my website. The sponsors of the run were: Freshens Fresh Food Studio, eBryIT Computer Services, Vanessa Mullen Premier Homes, Prestige Medical Group, GSI Inc., Fun-Fare, Bridgemill Dentistry, McStatts Printing and Aroundabout Local Media.
Classic Race Services did all the timing and these are the winners in the different age groups. Overall male winner - Brent Harris. Overall female winner - Caroline Olvin. Overall Master's male winner - Doug Mulkey. Overall Master's female winner - Amy Krumrey. These were the other winners in their age categories: Todd Henry Marovich, Brent Hohn, Peyton Cummings, Breanna Washam, Tiffany Fletcher, Sarah Short, Cassie Bartz, Marie McMichael, Matt Taylor, Gordon Macmillan, Melinda Eubanks, Mike Hohn, Judy Hohn, Gary Lineback and Ernest Smallman.
I thought next year we might do a golf tournament and another 5k.
Rob Macmillan
