Your Kindness Brought Compassion and Care to Dogs in Need
It is a heartbreaking scene our investigators encounter all too often … filthy living conditions, inadequate shelter, little-to-no food or water, and suffering animals. Twice in early May, HSMO’s Animal Cruelty Task Force (ACT) was called to two separate southwest Missouri sites. Twenty-three dogs and puppies were found in horrendous conditions.
The first call was a hoarding situation. Ten dogs, including five-week-old puppies, were barely surviving in putrid, inhumane conditions. Our ACT rescuers had to dig through piles of trash and debris and underneath a dilapidated trailer in the woods to get to the frightened dogs. They also discovered an older dog who was abandoned and chained without any food, water, or shelter.
Just two days later, 13 dogs were rescued from unconscionable neglect. All had sarcoptic mange, a highly contagious disease caused by mites burrowing through the dogs’ skin resulting in unrelenting itching, infection, and hair loss. These dogs were suffering horribly.
Thanks to you and every donor, all 23 dogs are now under the watchful care of HSMO’s veterinary and shelter staff. They are receiving emergency treatment, including medicated baths and oral medications. The puppies are receiving special nutrition to help them gain weight. All will receive vaccinations and be spayed or neutered. And very soon, thanks to your generosity, all 23 will find the loving, forever homes they deserve.
Thank you for making second chances happen.
Main Number 314-647-8800
hsmo.org
Report Animal Abuse and Neglect 314-647-4400 or 800-383-9835
Headquarters 1201 Macklind Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110
Macklind Adoption Center 314-951-1562
Best Buddy Adoption Center 11660 Administration Dr., Maryland Heights, MO 63146
Best Buddy Adoption Center 314-951-1588
Longmeadow Rescue Ranch
480 Josephs Rd., Union, MO 63084
Longmeadow Rescue Ranch 636-583-8789
Animal Medical Center of Mid-America All locations 314-951-1534 or amcma.org. Patients seen by appointment.
Donations 314-951-1542
Mission: Since 1870, the Humane Society of Missouri has been dedicated to second chances. We provide a safe and caring haven to all animals in need—large and small—that have been abused, neglected, or abandoned. Our mission is to end the cycle of abuse and pet overpopulation through our rescue and investigation efforts, spay/neuter programs, and educational classes. We are committed to creating lasting relationships between people and animals through our adoption programs and our shelter pet training program. We further support that bond by making available world-class veterinary care.
The Humane Society of Missouri is an independent, non-profit organization not affiliated with any national animal welfare organizations. We do not receive tax support or United Way funding. We rely on the generosity of individuals, corporations, foundations and fees for services.
Dear Friends,
This past year tested us in ways we could not have imagined. I am proud to say that your Humane Society of Missouri has risen to those challenges just as we have every year in our 150-year history!
We have remained resolute in our mission to give second chances to abused, neglected animals and strengthen the animal/human bond. HSMO implemented procedures affecting all aspects of our operation.
• Staff adjusted to curbside adoptions and visits to our veterinary centers. Our clients did as well, adopting more than 7,631 dogs, cats, critters, horses, and farm animals and making more than 29,000 appointments to ensure pet health.
• Our Education staff devised a fun, at-home Mission Possible kit to keep kids engaged in animal welfare activities and issues.
• Fundraising events were presented in new ways and were successful.
• Our Animal Cruelty Task Force continued to investigate reports of animal abuse and neglect.
• Staff at Longmeadow Rescue Ranch continued to care for hundreds of animals and managed to find wonderful homes for many.
Thankfully, YOU, our wonderful donors, continued and even increased your support. THANK YOU!
And now, finally, we are open again.
We want adopters to interact in-person with dogs and cats they may welcome into their homes. (See article/www.hsmo.org/adopt)
We want our veterinary clients to consult with their pet’s doctor in person. (See article/www.amcma.org)
We want children back in our buildings, having fun at camps and interacting with our adoptable pets. (See article/www.hsmo.org/education)
Welcome back! We and the animals we care for can’t wait to see you again!
Kathy W. Warnick President
You Made Ace Number One!
When Ace came to the Humane Society of Missouri’s Macklind location, we honestly weren’t sure he was going to make it. Ace is a 3-year-old Yorkie mix who arrived with an indentation and matted fur across his face that had dug all the way around his face into his mouth. The Animal Cruelty Task Force agent described his injury as “gruesome.” Dr. Brinker, one of our shelter vets, commented at the time, “We are going to try and treat him. There are no guarantees with him. It is pretty bad.”
After Ace was sedated, the team began cleaning the wound. After the initial debridement, they
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Our work can only happen with the support of our generous donors who believe every animal deserves a second chance!
The Extraordinary Stories of Waffle and Journey
Waffle, a bright, adorable mini-horse, and Journey, a 20 year old bay Standardbred mare, arrived at Longmeadow Rescue Ranch in fall 2020 under very different circumstances but with several things in common. They both had a dire need for healing and rehabilitation, both were pregnant and both benefited from your generosity.
Along with two stallions, Waffle and her colt arrived at Longmeadow, suffering from severe neglect. The burrs in their manes and especially in the colt’s fluffy coat were so thick that the colt could not lay down comfortably. After several weeks of care, grooming, and medical attention, the horses began to thrive. The colt was weaned and soon found a forever home. And, we discovered Waffle was pregnant with another foal due in the spring.
Looking forward to the May arrival, we wanted you and others who so generously support our work, to be able to witness and celebrate the arrival. We installed a baby cam in Waffle’s stall on May 6. Within a week viewers were rewarded with the first view of a precious filly, now named Maple. But the story doesn’t end here. Over the next few days Longmeadow staff became concerned about the filly. Veterinarians at Homestead Veterinary Hospital recommended both Waffle and her filly be transferred immediately to the University of Missouri for emergency care. Fortunately, with antibiotics, blood transfusions and excellent care, the filly quickly improved. They are now thriving at Longmeadow and will be available for adoption after the baby is fully weaned. This high quality care is possible because of you.
Journey’s story is still unfolding. She was rescued from a horrific, rainynight accident on Interstate 44 in late October. Roughly two dozen horses were being transported to slaughter in Mexico when the accident occurred. Sadly many horses died and those that survived needed lots of veterinary and Longmeadow staff care. While treating Journey, we found she was in the early stages of pregnancy. The trauma she experienced from the accident put Journey’s pregnancy at high-risk. With extensive care, Journey has recovered from her injuries and we are very hopeful she will deliver a healthy baby in late August or early September 2021.
Both extraordinary tales of survival, rehabilitation and new life are possible due to your support and to the expertise and dedication of everyone associated with Longmeadow Rescue Ranch. Their work can only happen with the support of our generous donors who believe every animal deserves a second chance! Thank you for making this possible.
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slowly discovered a rubber band wrapped around his muzzle. They performed surgery to carefully remove it and cleared the skin and jaw of additional signs of infection. Over the next few weeks, additional surgeries were needed to repair several dental issues. As he recovered, his personality began to come through, showing a sweet, loving pup, who despite the horrible mistreatment he’d endured, showed a gentleness to everyone he met.
As soon as he was well enough, had been neutered, and had completed all his medical treatments, Ace was offered for adoption. Not surprisingly, he quickly found his furever home and was taken there — to Florida! — by his adopter’s daughter. Thank you for supporting Ace through his lengthy recovery. Now he is living his best life near the beach with a new human who is giving him all the love and attention he deserves!
Second Chances
Big Lou’s story is nothing short of a miracle. A miracle your generosity helped make happen. This sweet girl went from being a once-loved mare to being severely underweight and heading to slaughter on a trailer loaded with other horses. The tractor-trailer was involved in an accident, but Big Lou was among the survivors that were taken to Longmeadow Rescue Ranch for care. Clearly the trauma from the accident was a lot for this sweet girl.
After she arrived at Longmeadow, all she wanted to do was lay down in her stall. But, as her injuries healed, so did her spirits. She soon recovered, gained weight, and found her new forever home.
Thanks to you, Big Lou is now living her best life and sharing her pasture with two beautiful Clydesdales! Consider yourself a miracle maker.
A New Day for Dolcie
It was a brutally cold winter day when we rescued Dolcie from an owner who left her tied to his front porch day after day. You responded with generosity. Dolcie weighed only 26 pounds when she was rescued. The black lab mix had no food, water, or shelter. She was so skinny from hunger, her ribs showed through her fur. When she arrived here at HSMO, our veterinarians found she had tapeworms and was heartworm positive, both costly treatments. She required extensive medical care. And it took months for her to gain weight and go through heartworm treatment. Your support helped make that possible.
Despite being neglected for so long, her sweet demeanor still shone through. She gave our shelter veterinarian, Dr. Brinker kisses during her initial exam. Her sweet disposition was on full display when she was healthy enough to be placed in a forever home. When her adopters came to HSMO for a meet and greet, Dolcie gave them hugs and laid her head in their laps. It was love at first sight!
Thank you for giving sweet Dolcie the second chance at a happy and healthy life!
Made Possible by YOU!
Your gifts ensure that there is always room at the shelter, even for returned animals. Due to her owner’s unforeseen illness, Penne the cat was returned to the shelter. She waited patiently for a new adopter who would notice her sweet personality. It did not take long for Penne to find a forever home and now enjoys her days as the only cat in her family. She shares her castle with two dogs, but Penne is the princess! She enjoys lots of snuggles, playing with toys, teasing her dog sisters, and even welcomes belly rubs!
Thank you for making Penne’s life purrfect!
Replacing Loss With Love
Harriet’s beloved rescue dog, Boo, died peacefully last June. Harriet missed her 14-year-old chocolate lab companion, but she felt it was too hard to love a pet so fully and have to let it go. She didn’t want another dog.
Then, she saw Ralph advertised as the Best Buddy pet of the week. As Harriet tells it, he jumped out of the newspaper and into her heart. She called immediately and met him that day! It took just minutes for Ralph to fill the spot left vacant by Boo, that place reserved for the unconditional love only a pet can provide.
Life with Ralph is an adventure. While he thinks he’s a lap dog, at 70 pounds, he’s not. And he is anything but calm. He bounds over the four-foot fence in their backyard for playdates with Luna, their neighbor and an HSMO rescue. Ralph has brought laughter and love back into a family who thought their dog days were over.
Alps’ New Leash on Life
These are the very happy endings that you help make happen. Alps was rescued from a neglectful situation where she received no socialization. When she arrived at HSMO, she was very shy and fearful of people. It was apparent she had never lived inside or walked on a leash.
Since she was not thriving in the shelter, she went to stay with an HSMO foster family where she soon learned to trust people. After lots of compassionate care, love, and of course treats, Alps was ready for her next adventure … a furever home. As soon as she was made available for adoption, she was matched with a perfect family!
Thanks to your support, Alps got her second chance at a happy life!
Animal Medical Center of Mid-America
Reitz Endowment Fund Backs
New Integrated Pain Management Center Location
Pets from throughout the St. Louis area can now benefit from a second Integrated Veterinary Pain Management Center at the St. Louis City location of the Animal Medical Center of MidAmerica. Located at Humane Society of Missouri headquarters, 1201 Macklind Avenue, the Center’s services provide multiple, effective treatment options for our veterinarians to improve the quality of life for many pets.
This new Center was funded entirely by The Reitz Endowment Fund, honoring Henry Reitz and Edna F. Reitz, Alma K. Reitz, Eileen A. Reitz and, Henry M. Reitz. “Our Pain Management Center in Maryland Heights has made a huge difference for so many dogs and cats and their owners. We are very thankful to the Reitz Family and thrilled we can now offer those lifechanging services to even more of our companion animal clients,” said Dr. Travis Arndt, director of HSMO’s Animal Medical Center of Mid-America.
AMCMA veterinarians employ a variety of approaches to treating pain to achieve the best possible outcome for each pet. Our Integrated Veterinary Pain Management Centers use stateof-the-art equipment, often in combination with supplements or medications to reduce pain and improve a pet’s quality of life.
Pain management services include:
Underwater Treadmill
Rehabilitation Services
Laser Therapy
Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy
PainTrace® Monitor
Ultrasound Therapy
Nutrition Counseling
Chiropractic Care
Humane Society of Missouri shelter animals also benefit from our Integrated Veterinary Pain Management Center services. Recently, Bruno, who was hit by a car and suffered a broken pelvis, received laser therapy to reduce inflammation and underwater treadmill therapy to hasten his recovery from surgery.
Donate Your Schnucks Rewards to HSMO!
You can now donate your Schnucks Rewards to help support all the animals at HSMO! Learn more at schnucks.com/donate or on the Schnucks app.
Save the date for HSMO’s first in-person event of 2021 … Glow in the Park! Our annual Glow in the Park Balloon Glow Dinner is scheduled for Friday, September 17, 2021 under the auspices of the Great Forest Park Balloon Race. Registration and event details will be coming soon to www.hsmo.org/glow. Shop at Schnucks. Earn Points. Donate.
Give Our Animal Friends a Ride
Did you know you can donate your old car, truck, motorcycle, boat, or even an airplane to HSMO!?! Donating is super easy, pick-up is FREE, and most intact and complete vehicles are accepted. As a bonus, your donation could be tax deductible! For more information, please visit hsmo.org/vehicle-donation or call 314-951-1542.
Glow in the Park Balloon Glow Dinner September 17th!
Saturday, November 6, 2021 Ritz-Carlton in Clayton Save the Date
Celebrating the Humane Society of Missouri’s 150th Anniversary
• Cocktails, Hors d’oeuvres, Dinner, and Dancing
• Creative CockTAIL Attire Encouraged!
• Tickets On Sale Now at www.hsmo.org/gala
• Purchase now through July 31 and receive 20% off with promo code HSMO150
Celebrating 150 Years and Counting of Providing Second Chances to Pets in Need.