Pets Across USA

Thanks to everyone who helped make Pets Across USA a success.

All the FOLCAS volunteers
Live 95 for doing a live remote the night the dogs arrived and providing a fun party atmosphere
The Chronicle for all the wonderful articles
Lewis County Abate for providing a motorcycle escort into town
The Olympic Club in Centralia for giving us a wonderful meal after we had all the dogs settled in
King Oscar Motel in Centralia for providing the crew from Texas a place to stay
Kaija's, Del's Farm Supply, The Farm Store and Walmart for providing wonderful goodies for each dog
Bev Huu for making snuggly dog blankets for each dog and puppy
Our puppy foster families who took puppies in and helped raise them

and most of all to Paws of Austin, Texas and all the volunteers who came along to help for taking an idea and making it a reality.

These dogs are in forever homes thanks to you all.

Prima Mosi and Patty Kaija

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPRqNbUGKlg

Terry Butler with Mona

Barbara Stewart with Daisy

Heather Bertels with Addy

Ruth Gillaspie with Bella

Pat Green with Fiona

Teri Blankinshipwith Lily

Barbara Burley with Mercy

Angie Hibbs with Miyah

Anita Holt with Patches

Charlotte Lopez with Texas

Ernestine Thayer with Scooter

Pets Across USA

FOLCAS (Friends of Lewis County Animal Shelter) is currently working with P.A.W.S. of Austin (Protection for Animal Welfare Services) on a new innovative rescue program called Pets Across USA. We will be bringing little dogs from shelters in Texas to rescue organizations in Washington where there are waiting lists for little dogs.

From August 1st-13th you will see many little dogs up for adoption as part of the Pets Across USA campaign. You may pre-adopt these dogs by filling out the paperwork and sending the adoption fee in. These dogs will be arriving from Texas on Monday, August 13th at 6pm. They will be delivered to NE 2660 Kresky Ave. in Chehalis (the future site of Almost Home). They will already be vaccinated, spayed or neutered and many of them will be microchipped and ready to go home with their new families.

While rescuing the animals is the main purpose of this program, this operation will be filmed and documented from start to finish to air later on Animal Planet. We hope to create an amazing film which will help educate the nation about the pet overpopulation crisis and what animal rescue is all about. "More and more, rescue organizations are learning to think outside the box and come up with new ways to find unwanted pets new loving homes. We hope that this is just the first trip for Pets across the USA". said Patty Kaija, President of Friends of Lewis County Animal Shelter".

Patty Kaija from FOLCAS and Prima Mosi of Paws of Austin first made contact after a post-Katrina pet rescue seminar at Pasodo's Safe Haven. "With the number of small dogs that Texas was having to euthanize and our area's desire to adopt small dogs who don't usually end up at our shelters it was fate that we met" said Kaija. "Every day thousands of animals are being euthanized in shelters across the country. For example, the city of Austin's shelter receives over 25,000 animals in a year. Although Austin has a strong adoption program, unfortunately over 12,000 animals don't make it out of the shelter. It is a very sad and devastating fact. When we discovered that shelters on the West Coast do not have as many little dogs available for adoption as our area does and that in fact fact, there is a waiting list for such animals. It made me think that maybe we can find a solution for all the small breed dogs that are being euthanized in our shelters. I believe that if we combine efforts and become partners with shelters and rescue organizations on the West Coast, we can transport small breed dogs to them and they can find them new loving homes. We named this partnership PETS ACROSS USA!. We decided to purchase a bus which will be customized to transport dogs. Once the bus is ready, we will be picking up dogs and puppies from shelters in Texas. Volunteers will drive them to meet with our rescue partners on the West Coast" said Prima Mosi of Paws of Austin.

While the first trip will focus on bringing these pets to Lewis County, other rescue organizations in Washington have also agreed to take Texas dogs in the future. At this time, Humane Society of Cowlitz County in Longview is scheduled to receive the next available dogs.

For more information on this project, please contact Patty Kaija at 360-508-0151 or pattyk@folcas.org or Prima Mosi at petsacrossusa@yahoo.com.

FOLCAS (Friends of Lewis County Animal Shelter) is currently working with P.A.W.S. of Austin (Protection for Animal Welfare Services) on a new innovative rescue program called Pets Across USA. We will be bringing little dogs from shelters in Texas to rescue organizations in Washington where there are waiting lists for little dogs. From August 1st-13th you will see many little dogs up for adoption as part of the Pets Across USA campaign. You may pre-adopt these dogs by filling out the paperwork and sending the adoption fee in. These dogs will be arriving from Texas on Monday, August 13th at 6pm. They will be delivered to NE 2660 Kresky Ave. in Chehalis (the future site of Almost Home). They will already be vaccinated, spayed or neutered and many of them will be microchipped and ready to go home with their new families. While rescuing the animals is the main purpose of this program, this operation will be filmed and documented from start to finish to air later on Animal Planet. We hope to create an amazing film which will help educate the nation about the pet overpopulation crisis and what animal rescue is all about. "More and more, rescue organizations are learning to think outside the box and come up with new ways to find unwanted pets new loving homes. We hope that this is just the first trip for Pets across the USA". said Patty Kaija, President of Friends of Lewis County Animal Shelter". Patty Kaija from FOLCAS and Prima Mosi of Paws of Austin first made contact after a post-Katrina pet rescue seminar at Pasodo's Safe Haven. "With the number of small dogs that Texas was having to euthanize and our area's desire to adopt small dogs who don't usually end up at our shelters it was fate that we met" said Kaija. "Every day thousands of animals are being euthanized in shelters across the country. For example, the city of Austin's shelter receives over 25,000 animals in a year. Although Austin has a strong adoption program, unfortunately over 12,000 animals don't make it out of the shelter. It is a very sad and devastating fact. When we discovered that shelters on the West Coast do not have as many little dogs available for adoption as our area does and that in fact fact, there is a waiting list for such animals. It made me think that maybe we can find a solution for all the small breed dogs that are being euthanized in our shelters. I believe that if we combine efforts and become partners with shelters and rescue organizations on the West Coast, we can transport small breed dogs to them and they can find them new loving homes. We named this partnership PETS ACROSS USA!. We decided to purchase a bus which will be customized to transport dogs. Once the bus is ready, we will be picking up dogs and puppies from shelters in Texas. Volunteers will drive them to meet with our rescue partners on the West Coast" said Prima Mosi of Paws of Austin. While the first trip will focus on bringing these pets to Lewis County, other rescue organizations in Washington have also agreed to take Texas dogs in the future. At this time, Humane Society of Cowlitz County in Longview is scheduled to receive the next available dogs. For more information on this project, please contact Patty Kaija at 360-508-0151 or pattyk@folcas.org or Prima Mosi at petsacrossusa@yahoo.com.

F.O.L.C.A.S is a 501(c)3, non-profit corporation, and is supported solely by donations. All monetary and in-kind contributions are tax deductible as allowed by law. Mailing address: P.O. Box 1421 Chehalis WA 98532 Copyright . FOLCAS. All rights reserved.