Eileen Pierson
Request No. 1: $$$$ Support
Like all other animal shelters, Apollo Support & Rescue right here in Justin, just the next town over, is in financial trouble to the tune of $15,000 and is at risk of shutting down after 12 years. This is due to low adoptions and people returning dogs after COVID-19. There are now often two dogs per kennel, and they have had to put a lot of cages in their office trailer and turn down new intakes, which they have never done before. If they shut down, all animals will have to be euthanized. I have begged all 33 cities that comprise Denton County for help, but I can’t even get a reply from one of them, even though it’s Apollo that takes in their citizens’ abandoned, sick, abused, injured, old, and pregnant animals.
I am asking for your help. Go to www.apollosupportandrescue.org. There are links to their wish lists on Amazon, Chewy, Kroger, Tom Thumb, and Kuranda. They take Zelle or PayPal – [email protected] or Venmo @asrpets.
Request No. 2: Lawn Maintenance Crew at the Shelter
I am looking to form a team of men and women who would volunteer to be on call as needed to mow and weed whack at the shelter (it’s about two miles west of Ace in Justin) and inside the outdoor play yards. How it would work is I would request your email and, when we see cutting is needed, call the team together to see who can help on a particular day. You would be joining my friend Dave Odle here in Robson Ranch who can “show you the ropes,” as he has already helped in the past. The shelter has weed whackers, riding mowers, and push mowers in the new shed, and we have a wonderful volunteer named Steve who, if we let him know equipment needs to be fixed, is on it. But I do need some better-quality weed whackers, a zero turn radius riding mower, and a walk behind string mower donated. They just need to be working please or in need of small repairs. So if you want to donate a new one or have a working one you no longer use, let me know.
If you want to help me with supplies to continue making the shelter dog beds, which I’ve done for the past three years, plus other shelter needs, here is what I need: Call, text, or email me (Eileen Pierson at 214-923-9391 or [email protected]) to arrange delivery or, if in Robson Ranch, I can pick up if needed. Please make sure to pay attention to the “No” list and that all items are clean and in fairly good shape. (Please don’t deliver in plastic bins or boxes if possible. Plastic garbage bags are best, and they can be reused at the shelter.)
Here is what I do want:
Bedspreads, comforters, quilts, blankets (no bed skirts, please)
Mattress pads (no mattresses or foam)
Sheets (flannel or strong cotton—no jersey)
Towels
Old tablecloths
Drapes/curtains (no valances)
Cleaning supplies: bleach, paper towels, laundry detergent, Lysol, 3 Mil black trash bags, industrial mop heads
Leftover fabric: minimum 1.5 yards (no jersey or silk)—cotton, fleece, and decorator fabrics are best
Purina One or Purina Pro Plan in all varieties for dogs and puppies (they try not to switch food so they don’t upset tummies)
Cat and kitten food for foster cats and cat litter
Slip leashes, Martingale collars
Disposable, three-pound paper food trays (the kind food trucks use)
Leftover dog/cat medications, i.e., insulin, pain management, seizure control meds, heartworm, and flea/tick supplies; dog shampoo, etc.
Dog food for fosters (any variety), but if not in the original bag, make sure you label what brand and type it is for those dogs on special diets. They also help needy families in the area who want to keep their pets but need help.
Working lawn equipment: Riding mowers, weed whackers, walk behind string mowers
Here is what I do not want:
If you can’t wash it, I can’t use it.
No old mattresses (includes no foam mattress “pads”)
No packing blankets (they shred in the wash)
No carpet
No dog kennels
No feather anything
No napkins
No clothing of any kind, including hankies, scarfs, and coats
No afghan blankets
No throw pillows
No jersey or microfiber sheets
No dust ruffles
Also, if you love dogs and want to volunteer, go over to Apollo Rescue in Justin on Dove Hill Road and speak to them after first applying at their website online. You can help walk the pups. They love the attention. Also check them out on Facebook at “Apollo Support & Rescue for Abandoned Dogs” and “Apollo Support and Rescue for Cats.”