I would like to introduce myself to you.  I am Sister Marianne Nehus (yes, there really are some Catholic nuns still around) and am the executive director of Animal Aid Humane Society, a “no-kill” not-for-profit animal shelter in Moline, IL.  I will tell you right now that this won’t be a letter filled with horrible and heart-wrenching stories of animals we have saved from being run over and left near dead by the road side or that we have saved from puppy/kitten mills and animal “hoarders.”   I could tell you plenty of these terrible, but true, stories, but honestly, I can’t even bear to read these letters and they end up in my “round file” most still sealed.  Those letters are looking for donations- and this one is too- but I would rather tell you about Animal Aid and some of the happy memories I have. I use the word "we", as I will always be a part of Animal Aid. I will always hold dear the great memories, and what can be with a little help from all the good people. I do have memories,

 

like the little girl who came into our shelter looking for a kitten, but left with her Mom and their two adopted full grown cats.  (We had kittens but they selected adult cats instead.)  Or the man who met me after my evening shift ended at the local hospital where I  worked as a nurse and we drove to Animal Aid at midnight to finish putting together his hand made cat trees that he was delivering from his business in Texas.  I also remember being impressed by a disabled woman who came to the shelter looking specifically for a disabled cat and left with our mascot, “Emitt” who had badly deformed ears from frostbite after trying to survive on his own in freezing weather.  Now that’s a hear trenching story I could tell!  We (the volunteers) so loved Emitt that we decided he would remain at Animal Aid as our mascot and not be put “up for adoption.”  We later decided this was selfish of us and not fair to Emitt.  Actually, we figured nobody would want such a homely cat anyway.  When the woman came looking for a “disabled cat” to adopt, she was thinking possibly we had of a “three-legged” animal that needed a home.  She fell in love with Emitt and left with him that day.

 

There are also all of the volunteers, who give so much of their time and energy caring for our animals- fostering, cleaning (you can imagine the number of litter boxes that need “scooped”,) feeding, holding, brushing and exercising.  But I am getting ahead of myself.  Let me first tell you a little about Animal Aid Humane Society...

 

Animal Aid Humane Society was incorporated in 1998 and is a not-for-profit 501©)3 volunteer organization.  For many years we were that little storefront shelter in downtown Moline and in 2000 we purchased the current “little white house with the dark shutters” and began to fulfill a dream of having a larger area to house unwanted animals.  It has a large fenced in yard, which is the subject of many more of our dreams and conversations.  We are licensed by the city of Moline as well as the State of Illinois Department of Agriculture.  Animal Aid is governed by an elected board of directors and officers who provide guidance for the shelter.  We are funded by donations, fund-raises, bequests and grants.  We  receive no city, county, state or federal funds

 

We are a cageless and no-kill animal shelter run entirely by volunteers.  Nobody receives a salary.  NOBODY.  Any money we have goes for the care of our animals, which also, of course, means the care of their “home.”  Sometimes an animal that has been born and spent his whole life at Animal Aid gets adopted.   The volunteers are always so happy that a “long-termer” has found a home, but the animal is always terrified leaving what might be the only home he has ever known.  Often if the animal was born at Animal Aid, the day it is adopted is only the second time he has been through the front door (the first time being when it was taken for neutering.)
We have always been a cageless shelter.  The only reason that an animal would be in a cage is if it is a newborn,  it is a new arrival or if it is sick.   We also take animals to various sites for adoption and they are in a cage when they are there.  Any dogs we have are in good sized kennels, not cages.

 

Speaking of dogs...The picture of the wide-eyed kittens was taken by me and is a personal favorite.  I used it to announce that Animal Aid does have dogs- though their number is limited, because of space.”  If you have been to the shelter you have noticed the large fenced in area.  The dogs who are at the shelter love to run in this area. 

 

“No-kill” does not mean that we never, ever have an animal euthanized.  It does mean that we’d better have an awfully good reason if we do.  Mainly this is related to an incurable illness that will most likely result in death and it is an act of kindness towards the animal. You can bet that if an animal has to be “put down” it has become a favorite to one or more volunteers and is done only through the advice and expertise of a veterinarian.  All animals brought to the shelter are checked for possible problems and are monitored in our “Containment Room.”  We then vaccinate and spay/neuter the adult cats before they are released into the adult cats or kitten rooms.  A favorite past time of the volunteers is socializing the animals.

 

Since the shelter is entirely run by volunteers, we are always in need of people who love to work with animals and have time to volunteer.  Call and leave a message at Animal Aid (309)797-6550) or call Vickie our president at (309)235-1196.  You will learn that there are many possible ways to volunteer.

 

If you cannot volunteer, won’t you consider a monetary donation?  Please believe me, your donation will help Animal Aid Humane Society continue to care for many homeless and helpless animals.  If you do not have time to volunteer and are not able to contribute, thank you so much for the time you spent reading this.  Instead of following my example and tossing it into your “round file” would you instead pass it on to a friend who may not know about them?

I am no longer physically active for Animal Aid Humane Society, but mentally the animals and the volunteers will always be a visual part of me, yes they are, and I will do what I can to help.

 

Sincerely,

 

Sr. Marianne Nehus, Executive Director

 

PS: If you have never been to Animal Aid Humane Society, consider this a personal invitation to stop in when they are open and you are in the area.