Help the shelter

I am writing in praise of the Cullman Animal Shelter for their efforts to improve adoptions and the quality of care for the animals in the shelter. Two-and-a-half years ago you could adopt a dog for $25 and a cat for $15 from the shelter. Those animals had no veterinary care whatsoever and no guarantee of being neutered. You were merely admonished “you must neuter this animal.” Seventy percent of the time it didn’t happen and every six months the same dog was having a litter that was taken back to the shelter. Every three months a litter of kittens was returned. That never ending cycle is exactly the reason 5,000 euthanasias were being done yearly.

The shelter is now vaccinating all adoptable animals. Dogs are being tested for heartworm disease at the appropriate age, vaccinated and dewormed as well as being put on heartworm prevention. Adopted cats are tested for Feline Leukemia and Feline Immuno Virus, when money is available for those tests and vaccinated and dewormed. In addition, when animals are adopted they are transported to a veterinarian’s office to be neutered and the new owner picks up the animal 2 days later. The shelter has an organization called the Friends of the Cullman Animal Shelter, comprised of volunteers that take shelter animals to Pet Depot every Saturday for adoption. Adoption numbers have doubled due to these efforts. No other organizations within the county take animals from the shelter to outside adoption sites. All of this is done for an adoption fee of $65 for cats and $90 for dogs. This is easily a 50 percent savings over nonshelter adoptions. How are they doing this? Strictly through donations. All money donated to the Friends of the Cullman Animal Shelter is used to buy supplies the county does not pay for, such as vaccines, medicines and testing supplies.

Janice Lee is the director of Volunteer Services for the shelter. She may be reached at (256) 841-0648 or at (256) 338-2936. Janice can tell you what is needed and how you can help. Another contact is Sonya Graham at (256) 338-0328. Both of these women, along with Christi Patterson, work tirelessly for the shelter. Mitch Smith helps with monetary donations regularly. Truman Borden has helped with testing supplies and veterinary bills for almost two years. The veterinarians have donated medication, discounted rates for their services and offered endless advice. The volunteers, Janice and Ronnie Lee, Sonya and Les Graham, Ronald and Donna Saylor, Ceisha and Gary Thomas, Christi Patterson and Trina Laney — all of these people make this possible. Is this perfect veterinary care? No! All adopted animals still need to be examined by a veterinarian and receive more vaccinations and care. But within the limited monetary means of the shelter this is a huge, huge step in the right direction. Does the shelter still have to euthanize animals. Yes — they have “X” number of cages and 10 times that number of animals being brought in. Is that their fault? No, it is the fault of irresponsible pet owners who do not neuter their pets. If the shelter did not take in animals running at large, imagine how many would be filling the streets. Neutering is the answer to the problem. A shelter is merely treating a symptom of that problem. Until we solve the problem, we should applaud the shelter for their efforts to improve. They have come a long way and I congratulate them.

Here are some examples of ways to help: sponsor a neuter, donate testing supplies, flea products and foster care and donate your time on Saturday at Pet Depot. Please help any way you can. Vaccines are desperately needed as are testing supplies, these may only be bought through “friends” at a special shelter rate.

To see how you can help, contact the numbers listed in this letter.

Debi Yarborogh



Officers deserve more

I’m highly tempted to run for mayor of Cullman. It would be better than what I’m planning to do: become a cop.

What is this county coming to? The mayor pulls in $62,500 a year, where the average certified cop pulls in between $12.26 and $17.08 an hour, roughly $25,500 to $35,526 a year. I wouldn’t blame every cop in the county if they sat down one morning on the courthouse steps, ordered pizza, talked about football, and refused to get up until they got the raises they deserve.

These officers respond to all types of calls, and they never know which call could be their last. Pick the day, officers, and I’ll bring the pizzas.

Amanda Ellis

Berlin



Schools should notify parents about staph

As a parent of a Fairview School student and of a Cullman Area Career Center student, I’d just like to say that I feel that when a school has something as serious as a staph infection going around, they should inform all of the parents of the children in that school to prevent an even worse spread of infection.

This year both of these schools had at least one case of staph infection. Neither school’s faculty took the time to inform the parents that the children may be in danger of this serious infection. Football player or not, our children are important and need to be protected. This has become a very serious problem in our schools and it needs to be taken care of properly! Schools should have to make parents aware of things like this so that the proper precedures can be taken to protect our children.

Sandy Maynor

Fairview



A wonderful finale

The grand finale for Oktoberfest was the historical drama of the founding of our city by Colonel John Cullmann. We can thank Dr. Sylvia Morris for researching, writing and producing this story for our information and enjoyment.

For a moment Sunday afternoon it seemed the good colonel may have crossed the street from his home to join the festivities then stayed on to perform, but no, it was Larry Rowlette in the role of the older colonel. Larry is very familiar with this part having done it for a number of years. Tom Morris as young Colonel Cullman, embodied the enthusiasm, leadership and vision of our persuasive founder. Tom is also familiar with this role having done it for five years. He also directed the play.

Although I’ve seen the play on other occasions, each year is better because the author adds additional information. This years cast brought to life the vigor of the Finks, Stiefelemeyers, Buettners, Drehers, and Dinkelbergs. They and others on stage told so well the story of these hardy people who brought their skills, family values and good humor from Bavaria to North Alabama.

Jean Holt and the Sportsfit dancers provided a bit of old country culture. Shiloh and Tekoa Walker, young sisters we could all identify with, sang and danced their way into our hearts along with the youthful dance troupe performing the chicken dance.

Laura Walker’s backdrop sent me down memory lane with her depiction of Stiefelmeyer’s Department Store. My mother bought my brown Girl Scout oxfords there every school year. And I wanted loafers like everyone else!

If you missed Sunday’s performance, put it on your calendar for 2008. Thanks to all on stage and those behind it. And thank you Dr. Morris for reminding us it all happened.

Becky Davis Henderson

Cullman