Five Acres Winter 2019 Newsletter

With the holiday season upon us, we reflect on the past year at Five Acres. As with any animal rescue, we had many successes but many difficulties as well. It was a year of amazing highs but also some devastating lows. In 2019, we saved over 1,200 cats and dogs – more than ever before. And, we’re on track to adopt over 1,000 animals again this year. We increased our number of animals saved from euthanasia lists, and while 2019 brought an increase in hoarding cases, so did the numbers we have saved.

Many of you followed the story of Acorn, one of the Havana Browns rescued 2 years ago from a horrific hoarding case. He required extensive medical treatment, including surgery to his legs to allow him to walk pain-free. For the rest of his life, Acorn will require water treadmill therapy which made adoption a struggle. But, we are excited that after a record 711 days in a foster home, Acorn finally found his perfect forever home.

Then there’s Frankie. He was one of our more difficult dogs to adopt because he was selective with his people and dog friends. Dogs like Frankie tend to deteriorate in the stressful shelter environment which just exacerbates their situation and lessens their chances of finding a new home. A dog that is used to being in a loving home has a very hard adjustment to shelter life. After a year being with us and no home in sight, his former owner called to say his living situation had changed and he wanted to take Frankie back home!

He flew from Florida to St. Louis to bring Frankie back where he belonged. Once reunited, it was like no time had gone by! It was beautiful to see the dog who only liked a few people actually jump for joy when he saw his dad again. As with any deep bond, this one remained strong in spite of not being together for one year.

With so many highs, it’s hard to dwell on the lows. But sadly that is part of our everyday life and mission. We lost our beloved Bo to cancer, Frisco to FIP, Ace to bloat, Josh to cancer, and Savannah to complications from FELV+, and so many more. Because we are a no-kill shelter and strive to save every life, it’s that much more devastating when we cannot save one.

As the year draws to a close, we think about what 2020 will bring us and how much we need your help. We will continue on our path to save more lives, treat more medical cases and find loving homes for a greater number of animals. While we work to save more dogs and cats, the cost of veterinary care each year continues to rise. Never do we want to have to decide how far we can take treatment or feel like we have to compromise our mission due to rising costs.

Our important work would not be possible without the amazing support from you – our loyal supporters, donors, volunteers, foster families, adopters and Facebook friends. They say it takes a village, and that has never been more true than in the day-to-day running of an animal shelter. As you decide on your year- end charitable contributions, we hope that you will consider continuing to support our mission at Five Acres Animal Shelter. YOU make all the difference for the orphaned animals in our care!

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your compassion and generosity!

With warmest gratitude from your Five Acres Animal Shelter Family