Paws for a Cause II: Pet Care Rejuvenates the PAWS Animal Shelter
Last Thursday, we left a skeletal crew at the our HQ in Dayton and most of us headed to Middletown Ohio to spend the day rehabbing a no-kill animal shelter that needed our help. This is the 2nd year that we’ve taken a day away from our jobs to Paws for a Cause (see October 2008) and rebuild an animal shelter in our area. My teammate, Jen, wrote up this report, with LOTS of photos!
Ken & Jen
When I heard that PAWS Animal Shelter in Middletown Ohio had been chosen as this year’s “Paws for a Cause II” shelter rehab sponsored by P&G Pet Care, I was thrilled. Not only is it a great shelter that has been in existence since 1979, but I used to volunteer there when I was in college! I met Ken Rhoads, Executive Director of the shelter; he was delighted to have the support of Iams/Eukanuba.
We arrived at the shelter, and it was like stepping back in time- exactly how I remembered it 15 years ago. Soon, over 150 Iams employees arrived, ready to take a break from their regular work and help improve the lives of more cats and dogs, our vision at Iams and Eukanuba.
Paws for a Cause
Organizing the crew
Orange shirts designate crew chiefs
Ready to start!
Ken Rhoads, Dan Rajczak, John Goodwin
John is outgoing VP, Global Pet Care & Snacks, Dan is incoming VP, Global Pet Care & Snacks
Dan talks about what this day means to us.
Ken tells us about the shelter.
There was a lot of work put into this–even before we showed up. Garden tools, paint, rollers, pavers, mulch, shingles, organizing working teams, music to motivate us, and food. We arrived by bus–one from Cincinnati and one from Dayton. And we got right to work!
Kim & Amy
Pricilla, a bundle of energy!
Michele & Emily
Tools & Supplies
- Tools & Supplies
Before...
...After!
Stacks of sod waiting to be placed!
A dog play area needing new grass.
Laying sod in the rain.
...after!
Vicki just finished laying sod!
A corner of the lot....
...becomes an attractive doggie garden!
The side of the building gets some attention.
A lovely flower bed leads up to a bench where dogs and dog walkers can enjoy the sun!
Setting up the fence frame.
Setting up the fence frame.
Fence king, David from Marketing!
Putting the fence together.
The fence crew!
The new fence is finished!
Inside, new cat walks for the kitties, fresh paint, lotsa cleaning, and beautiful murals:
- Lori paints.
Painting a cat room.
Yeechin helps with the masking tape.
Painting and cleaning.
Scrubbing the pet bath.
Fresh paint for cleaner-looking walls!
Christine and Paige
One cat room, before....
...and after.
Before....
...and after!
The kitties like their new perches!
Cutting new shelves for the kitties! Before...
...after!
Decorating a door to one of the cat rooms.
Once the picture is done, the rest of the door will be painted white.
One cat room door completed!
Decorating the wall.
More mural work.
Done!
Dave can't believe how good the murals look!
Eukanuba presented PAWS with dog agility equipment, to be used by shelter dogs and also dog-owners within the community.
The ribbon cutting on a new agility course!
And Iams brought in a load of food!
Unloading the food.
Unloading the food.
Nice clean shelves!
More food!
We took a lunch break.
Yummy food!
A nice break for hard workers!
And did I mention our DJ, Kris? He kept us groovin’ even when it rained!
Kris plays DJ!
UGH! We were right in the middle of all the rain!
More painting, painting and a whole lot of elbow grease…..
Mud everywhere!
The fencing looked much better after a coat of silver paint.
Fence painting went on all day, even in the rain!
Some people brought their own tractors.
Pawprints, spray-painted on the parking lot.....
...showed the way....
...to the shelter and great pets!
There is always the unexpected. On the day of this event, 2 dogs were dumped in the parking lot. I am happy to report, both were taken home that same day!
By the end of the day, we were tired, wet from the rain and very, very muddy. I bet, if you asked anyone that volunteered that day, they would all say, “It was worth it.“
Dr. Melody and Dr. Amy -- two of our veterinarians
Tired, but happy.
Everybody was muddy!
What a great day!
Come adopt a pet!
Good work. A beautiful transformation. This place is now a brighter spot for dogs and cats before finding *forever* homes.
You guys do amazing work. It’s so nice that these animals will be well cared for in a beautiful facility. The place is so inviting that I’m certain people will love to come and pick out their new best friends, Well done!
Wow! It looks so bright and cheery now! Not only will the staff and pets enjoy the new changes, but it will be so much more inviting to the people who visit. Hopefully it will encourage more visitors to stop by more often to look for a new addition to their family.
I am so glad to see a company that gives so much back the community. It is amazing what a transformation you made to PAWS in one day. I hope as visitors come they will be more likely to adopt a pet from such an inviting place.
GOOD JOB!
It was really nice how everyone really pulled together. It really looked like hard work, but everyone looked so happy doing it. Looks Great. I hope everyone in the Community realizes how hard everyone has worked and really appreciates the development of everything, and how clean and fresh everything looks. This place
looks so inviting folks should drop in and hopefully if not being able to adopt may contribute for the care of the animals. Great Job to All. Great Team Work…
Congrats! Thank you for sharing your ideas and actions. I hope anyone who sees this site will share it with the local shelter. You might just be saving a lot of other adoptees.