April is Heartworm Prevention Month and the start of the annual ORHS Heart -to-Heart campaign.  Over the last year, we have rescued 15 HW positive animals.  Heartworm treatment can cost over $500 per animal.   You can help us ensure that these animals go to their adoptive homes ready for long and healthy lives.  Can you please help us? 

Your change can make a change for homeless pets!  All proceeds will go toward providing the basic necessities for the animals at our shelter.

• Grab any empty, clean container.
• Download, print and tape a label onto it.
  
• Fill the container with your loose change.
• Drop off the filled bottle at ORHS on or after August 1st.  Or, better yet, simply make a donation of the collected amount online. (Your donation is tax-deductible!)
  

This is a great project for your whole family!  It's also great for kids, scout projects, and church groups.

Thank you for your support!  Please contact us with any questions.

LAKE OCONEE DENTISTRY PATIENTS CELEBRATE “MUTTS” AND HELP RAISE MONEY FOR ORHS

Lake Oconee Dentistry presented members of The Oconee Regional Humane Society with a donation to  help them continue in their mission of improving the lives of animals in the community and finding loving and permanent homes for the cats and dogs in their care. Throughout the month of July, the dental practice offered free x-rays to anyone who scheduled an appointment and made a $10 or more donation to the ORHS. Lake Oconee Dentistry also matched every donation, dollar for dollar, up to the first $1,000 raised.

Celebrated on July 31st, National Mutt Day was created in 2005 by animal welfare activist Colleen Paige, to help highlight the many mixed breed dogs in need of homes. According to national statistics, approximately 80% of all dogs in shelters are mixed breed. Mixed breed dogs end up in shelters more frequently, and they tend to wait longer in shelters before getting adopted due to the higher demand for pure breeds. Despite this, there are many advantages to owning a mixed breed dog, as they tend to be healthier, better behaved, and live longer than pure breeds.
 
"The Oconee Regional Humane Society provides a great service in our community but that also requires a lot of volunteer power and financial assistance,” says Dr. David Bradley. “We wanted to do something special for National Mutt Day that would help support their mission."
 
ORHS is most grateful to the Bradley’s and Lake Oconee Dentistry for initiating this special outreach fundraiser and for the support they share with the community.

by Lynn Herbert

Who knew we could paint??
43 dog, cat, chicken and rooster lovers got together at The Iron Fork in Eatonton one night in August to do just that. Many thanks to Katie Bragg, owner of The Iron Fork, for opening up her restaurant to us for the evening. Thanks also to Kate Cook, owner of Artini’s Art Lounge in Athens, for spearheading the event. While guiding us on each portrait and lending a “small” amount of true artistic tweaking, we each went home with a picture of our fur baby! Some might hang over the fireplace, while others in the bathroom… but we all had a great time! Best of all, we raised money for ORHS! It was a sell-out, so look for it next year and book early!

This past Memorial Day weekend 9-year-old Celia O’Shea and her 7-year-old  brother,  Harrison, held  their fifth, yes, FIFTH “LEMONADE FOR PAWS”
event at Paper Soiree. And it was a smashing s u c c e s s and raised $1,111.00 for ORHS.
 
This year they were joined by friends, Emerson and Sidney Thurmond and Rylie Kirk. To date, they have raised close to $3,500.00. Bravo to all of you!  ORHS is  so thankful and proud of you for taking the time and using your talent to help our furry friends.

Highlights on our new Mayor …

• I am a mixed breed…. maybe cocker poodle or schnauzer poodle. It’s really OK to call me a doodle mutt.  I was 1 when a large foster group in Atlanta placed me in a foster home. It wasn’t long that this became my “forever home”.  And now I am 5 years old.  Time flies !
• I have a sister named “Chrissie” and she is 3ish.  She too was adopted from Another rescue in Atlanta.
• My favorites:  Long walks on the golf course; any kind of ball that I can flip in the air and go chase.  And I love to go over to my grandpa and grandmas place who live at Reynolds landing. My parents love to play golf and tennis and even pickle ball.  They also love to travel.  My mom, Tracy is a board member of ORHS, Oconee Regional Humane Society.
• I am quite proud that I raised over $1,000 for our Humane Society.  I ran against some great competition and in total we raised $6,000+.  Everyone needs to know that we have a great Humane Society here at the lake.  ORHS !  ORHS does much more than saving animals.  They do low cost spay and neuters, food programs for needy dogs in our area and also helps  out people in our community who can’t afford medical emergencies for their cats or dogs.
  

And to do all this, ORHS needs volunteers !  Volunteering is so much fun and there are lots of opportunities - so come over to the ORHS Center and fill out a volunteer application.   The folks there are really nice too!  The address is      
1020 Park Ave, Suite 101.  Phone # 706-454-1508.

by Sharon Crosby

 The Tuesday Tees Golf Group, headed by Sharon Crosby, celebrated Halloween on the National course at Reynolds.  “Our Golf Game Has Gone To The Dogs” was the theme and the players arrived in dog costumes.
 A cardboard picture of “No Fuss Gus” and the “Dog Catcher” (Dennis Crosby in disguise)  greeted the players as they arrived the course. Carts were decorated with signs stating, “Who Let The Dogs Out?” and “Beware Of Dogs!”.
 After a round of golf, a Hot Dog Lunch Buffet was served at Oconee Regional Humane Society in Greensboro.  A tour of ORHS led by Jill Schurig ended the event. 

 $450.00 was raised for ORHS due to the generosity of the golfers.   
Such a novel idea and such great fun !

Saturday & Sunday September 22nd & 23rd
9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Donation drop offs are between 11-3 p.m. Monday through Saturday at ORHS Adoption Center located at 1020 Park Ave., Suite 101 (behind Pickle Barrel on Hwy 44)

Pick up is available for large items or furniture.

Call 706-454-1508 to arrange for pick up. Tax receipts for donations will be available.  Please no clothing or books
 
The Furniture and Accessory Sale will be on July 21st !

The SPAYghetti Dinners were such outstanding successes.  There were two Mondays that ORHS held them in February at Corrado’s Restaurant.  A big thank you goes to Corrado and his staff for delicious food and great service. We also thank Ann Foster, from Coldwell Banker, who was our sponsor as well as the many businesses and friends that donated items for the raffle.
 
And it goes without saying … a shout out thank you to those who attended to support ORHS’ efforts to spay and neuter cats and dogs in our community!  Last year, ORHS provided S/N procedures to almost 900 animals through our low income, mobile, Trap/Neuter/Release programs and of course by spaying or neutering all of our own rescues.