Hello SARA Friend. I hope this newsletter finds everybody well and happy and en-joying the summer. We’re super busy here, as usual, and lots of good things are happening. Summer has become much less challenging since we started using Bravecto. We have absolutely no dreadful ticks or fleas. We still have the brutal temperatures to contend with, but it hasn’t been all that bad just yet.

New Enclosures/Lexee’s Legacy Last fall we started the process of tearing down and rebuilding the place. After 20 years, the wooden structures and metal fences needed a major makeover. We have completed a new “wing” of 25 spacious dog enclosures. We were able to reuse a lot of the old materials: the corrugated aluminum and lumber were repurposed for new shelters and the old wire was utilized as a liner to keep dogs from digging out. (We line the inside perimeter of the pens with the wire, bury it under a couple of inches of dirt and eventually the grass grows over it and dogs forget about trying to dig under the fence). Most of the enclosures are shady with thick hackberries, live oaks, and gnarled mesquites; some are covered in wild grapevine, but eight pens are completely devoid of any trees, so we erected pergolas- again repurposing whatever lumber we could and creating shade on top with native foliage. We will plant a fast climbing vine and trail it up the posts, but for now, the harvested leaves and branches work just fine. They’re pretty- they look like Chuppahs. We can start having weddings here!

We started this project at first to accommodate dogs we planned to accept from another shelter that was going to shut its doors. You may remember the near crisis we faced with the IRS a couple of years ago and Jody O’Donnell came to our rescue. He paid off the huge bill and fees for us.

He has always been there for SARA and as you can imagine, he’s a huge animal lover. During the latter 1990s he rescued so many dogs that he decided to build his own shelter and create a non-profit to help those dogs and others that were to come. Founded in 1999, he called it Lexee’s Legacy after his

IT’S ALL GOOD.Letter From The Director, Tracy Frank

UNCONDITIONAL LIFESOCIETY FOR ANIMAL RESCUE AND ADOPTION

2ND QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER

Inside This IssueLetter From The DirectorNew PensLexee’s LegacyNo Rancho Grande

News & Upcoming EventsLive The Dream - Interns WantedBigGive17!Austin EventsClosed For The Summer

Help Us Help ThemWays To HelpWish List

FeatureCompassion For All AnimalsSad News - Mona and Norman

Adoptable AnimalsPermanent ResidentsHappy Endings

beloved dog. For over two decades Lexee’s Legacy rescued and re-homed over 2000 dogs, 250 cats and more than a few stray people!

The number of dogs had been whittled down through adoptions to just 25 at the end of last year. Those remaining dogs made the journey here in April from Celina, Texas, 30 miles north of Dallas. The incredibly sweet assortment of mostly older dogs, some with dog-aggression issues, a couple with special needs, have fit right in and are thriving. Most had lived in individual kennels at Lexee’s Legacy, but we’ve paired them with dogs already here, and now, all but 4 have a buddy. Sadly, we’ve already lost one to cancer: Willie, a 14 year old lab mix with the biggest, most expressive eyes, and a coat that was brown, but looked black until you really saw him up close.

O’Donnell Investments has generously provided a brand new mobile home which we plan to use for interns and long-term volunteers to help care for all our animals, as well as the construction of the new section. We also received a generous donation from Systems Control, Inc. for the project.

No Go On The GrantThe grant proposal for the West Texas ranch I mentioned in the last newsletter was unsuccessful. I got a polite letter from the DJ&T Foundation telling me they decided to pass. I didn’t really think it was going to happen, but as the saying goes hope springs eternal. I’ve certainly come to understand the meaning of that phrase. It was a lot of money: $1,834,000. I guess if you’re going to dream, dream big!

The same foundation gave another non-profit $5 million to buy a boat, so I didn’t think I was too far out there with my proposal.C’ est la vie.

Ever ForwardSo, there you have it. We’ve got a lot going on and things are better than ever. I don’t need to drone on, but please read on about some of the exciting things happening here and check our website, Facebook page and Twitter for more news, great photos, and information.

Literally every donation counts, so please, if you can, make a contribution today. We cannot do it without you.

Words can’t express my gratitude for your support and generosity. All my best,Tracy

Tiernee Stamper, Primrose, Chris Kowaleski and Kylie Goetzke escape the searing sun under one

of the newly erected pergolas.

A collared peccary and her baby pause in aclearing in far West Texas.

Meet Some Of The Lexee’s Legacy Dogs

SedgwickIt’s hard not to love this big lug of a dog! He’s lumbering and slow, but sweet and friendly.

He follows everybody around. Someone left a gate open and Sedgwick got out and tried to chase a chicken. The rooster was never in any danger. It was like watching a slow motion

video. Afterwards, Sedgwick was so exhausted that he laid in the mud for 4 hours.

WinnieSo cute! Winnie had a bad case of distemper when she was a pup which resulted in some neurological damage, but that hasn’t slowed her down. Even though she’s over ten years old, she still looks and acts like a puppy and tends to run everywhere, actually, it’s more of a gallop due to her bout with the awful disease.

PearlThis gentle girl is a little shy until she gets to know you. When she first came here, she would hide in a dog house or sleep most of the time. Now, Pearl enjoys the company of other older dogs like her and comes out to greet staff and visitors. She has a soft, medium coat and loves to be brushed.

Internship Program And New Mobile HomeWe are pleased to announce our new intern program. We now have housing, so we’re excited about getting started with eager people who are here for the right reasons. We’ve had interns in the past, but they’ve had to rent a place to live. Now, they can just walk to work! Interested? Check out our internship page on the website: www.sarasanctuary.org.

#TheBigGive17! A Whopping SuccessThanks to all of our wonderful supporters who participated. We raised almost $8K, falling just a little shy of our $10K goal, but raising more than the two previous years. We also received a $500 bonus prize for “Most Unique Donors” in Guadalupe County. And while we’re grateful for everybody’s generosity and participation, we plan to raise more next year. Another rescue group called Tracy’s Dogs in San Antonio raised $178K!

Shaping Young LivesSpecial thanks to author, Kelly Grettler, for creating a wonderful book about animal awareness and compassion just for us which was featured at Texas Veg Fest in Austin!www.kellygrettler.com

Closed To Visitors For The Hot Summer MonthsIn anticipation of the extreme temperatures, we will be closed from July 15th to September 1st.

May Was Volunteer MonthSpecial thanks to all the folks who came out to lend a hand during the month of May (and every month). Unity Church of New Braunfels brought a large group of over 40 kids and adults to lend a hand, and Rackspace sent over 15 caring “Rackers” to help out, too. Laurence Dusaulx and Stephanie Kehas came for an extended volunteer week and Stephanie transported two of our dogs back to New Hampshire to waiting homes.

Memorial Day Friend-RaiserDoggie Style Vegan Hotdog PicnicThank you to Dustin and Meara for having aFUNdraiser for SARA at their wonderful restaurant. It’s all vegan, and all good!

Potluck- Great Food and Great FriendsOur Potluck back in March drew lots of great volunteers - some old friends, some new - and some not even born yet!

News & Upcoming Events

Kelly Grettler, with help from Alison Hom of SAVE (San Antonio Vegetable Eaters), reads to kids at

Austin Veg Fest.

Tucker and Erin Dewitt are expecting their first baby this fall.

• Gift cards from Target, HEB, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, etc. • Dry dog food• Dog beds• Cat beds• Towels• Blankets• Rope toys and Kongs for the dogs• Fur and feather free cat toys • Cat furniture• Tree loppers• Lawn mowers• Weed eaters• Small paper boxes (for disposable litter pans)• Newspaper• Mobile home needs: Furniture, human bedding, and housewares

Wish List

Big Ticket Items• Tractor• Pickup Truck• Barn/Clinic

Insulation And Ceiling MaterialsWe need to purchase new insulation for our main house. Rats got into the ceiling and everything had to be ripped out. We want to try recycled denim insulation because it’s healthier, better for the environment and easier to install. No messy, irritating fiberglass and who doesn’t love jeans?! Let us know if you can help with this purchase of about $3,000.

There are all kinds of ways to help and we are grateful for all your support and efforts. Recently, a supporter held a Yahtzee tournament for her birthday as a fund-raiser for SARA! Another supporter asked that donations for her Bat Mitzvah be given to SARA. Several kids and adults have turned their birthdays into fundraisers asking their guests to give to SARA in lieu of gifts or asking that they buy toys for the animals! Couples have asked for donations to SARA as wedding gifts! An artist regularly gives us a percentage of the profits from her beautiful paintings…

Now it’s easier than ever to help us raise funds through social media. You can create fundraisers for nonprofits and personal causes on Facebook. To create a fundraiser for a nonprofit:

1. Click Fundraisers in the left menu of your News Feed.2. Click + Create Fundraiser.3. Select Nonprofit4. Search for a nonprofit, then choose a cover photo and fill in the fundraiser details.5. Click Create.

Here’s a list of some tried and true ways to Help Us Help Them: Let us know inadvance and we’re happy to provide brochures and information: fundraisers@sarasanctuary.org

• Ask friends and family to donate.• Put out a SARA collection jar in your place of business.• Ask your favorite restaurant to hold a percentage dinner night and invite your friends to eat there. • Hold a food drive for the animals.• Have a dog wash or a car wash. • Buy our stuff: tee shirts, caps, bandanas, gift cards, etc. • Adopt your next dog/cat from SARA.• Be a SARA Sponsor- see website for details: www.sarasanctuary.org/sponsorship.• Make a direct payment to our veterinarian: China Grove Vet Clinic 210-648-1940. Ask for Nadine.

Help Us Help Them

Old Clunkers Welcome! Donate that old car, truck, boat, motorcycle, or airplane anywhere in the USA and we’ll use the funds for operational costs!

Charitable Auto Resources Or CARSwww.charitableautoresources.com, 888-634-7227.Contact us for local vehicle donations: donations@sarasanctuary.org.

YOU SPEND, WE SAVE! AMAZON SMILE FOUNDATIONNot only can you order great items for SARA with no delivery fee, any purchase you make through Amazon.com’s charitable foundation, Amazonsmile, can help support us. Just select Society For Animal Rescue and Adoption as your charity of choice when you shop.

Planned Giving - Leave A Legacy Of Compassion For Years To ComeWill you consider leaving a planned gift to SARA? Your planned gift will help with capital improvements and help build financial stability. Contact us and we can give you all kinds of options to explore. There are even ways to give during your lifetime so you can see the results! Shoot us an email or give us a call for more information. Tracy@sarasanctuary.org, (830)401-0280.

Wilbur is actually a girl with a boy’s name, and she’s a beast! Wilbur weighs over 300 pounds and is gentle and sweet, having been bottle raised. She is what we call a “tame feral pig.” Yes, it’s an oxymoron- so is the scientific name: Sus scrofa domesticus.

We have a lot of not so wild, semi-domesticated hogs here. They started showing up over ten years ago. They just came out of the woods and they keep coming. All the males are neutered and a third of the females are spayed. It would be a costly endeavor to spay the remaining females, and it’s risky. But so long as they’re contained, no breeding takes place.

Feral hogs or pigs (the word is interchangeable) are reviled because they destroy crops and root up the landscape. Because they are considered an “invasive species,” they are subjected to terrible cruelty which goes unchecked. Just Google “feral hogs,” and you’ll see all sorts of horrors. Whole festivals are created around terrorizing these animals: hog/dog rodeos, hog penning, hog catching- all describe events where the terrified animals are tormented by dogs and/or people to the delight of huge audiences. It’s all perfectly legal and considered good, wholesome fun. Children are often involved.

Pork Choppin’ is the oh-so-clev-er name given to “hunting” pigs by helicopter with machine guns, and as of May, you can now kill pigs front hot air balloons. Pigs are blown up with an explosive called tannerite. Hog hunting in Texas is a $4 billion dollar industry. Last year a bill was passed to start putting out poison to control the pig population, dubbed “the hog apocalypse” by our state agriculture commissioner, Sid Miller, who was quoted as saying “We’re now going to send those little piggies to heaven.” - with a modified rat poison made with the anticoagulant, Warfarin, called Kaput Feral Hog Lure.

The flippant names and discussion just goes to show the deep disdain for these animals whose num-bers have reached over 2 million in the state. The Warfarin baiting has been put on hold because of concerns that people might eat poison tainted meat, and that it will likely kill other animals and wildlife. Australia tried it and later banned it for the those very reasons.

So, we have a large number of these pigs at SARA and they’re happy. They eat and sleep and root around as pigs do. We are often told that they could be fed to the homeless or given to an orphanage. That’s not our mission. SARA seeks to help any animal regardless of species. There are other ways to address the feral hog problem: bait that sterilizes the animals. This has been successful with other unwanted species. tIn the 1970s, screw worm flies, whose larvae will literally eat cattle alive, were eradicated by releasing sterilized males which then mated with females causing them to die out. One wonders if a true hog apocalypse is actually the desired goal with all the revenue generated around these “fierce, destructive and dangerous” animals.

“Killer feral hog,” Wilbur, rolls over on her side when pet!

We are sorry to report that we lost Mona and her son, Norman. Over ten years ago, they came to us starving and in terrible shape. Norman had open “pressure sores” all over his body and at two years old, because he was so undernourished, he was the size of a six month old colt. They quickly healed and rebounded, with plenty of good food and care. They were happy and healthy, although Mona was already 22 years old back in 2007. Hors-es typically live to be about 30.

During the fall of 2015, Norman began to bite and scratch a spot on his back, just above his tail. He would get under a tree and rub it until it bled or contort himself in order to bite it. The wound kept growing larger in spite of our herculean efforts to keep him from harming himself. He was on oral antibiotics, injectable antibiotics; we tried sprays that

taste bad, strange devices and collars that were supposed to keep him from reaching the wound, blankets...Short of shocking him as negative reinforcement to try to stop the behavior, it seemed like we did everything we could. We had to make the terrible decision to have him euthanized. He was suffering and the wound had become extremelypainful. The behavior had become a compulsion.

After the vet gave him a shot, his mother stayed by his side all night. We wanted to try to let her process what was going on and understand what happened. After we buried him the next day, she stayed by his grave. Mona would wander off a little to go get water or graze, but she stayed near his body for days. Eventually, she started to recover and joined the other horses. She was over 30 at this point, so she was a little slow and kept back somewhat from the herd. She would come up for her feed every day, though, like clockwork. One day, just after she finished eating, she became unsteady and stumbled and fell. Before the vet could even get here, she was gone. We buried her next to Norman.

Farewell To Our Beautiful Leopard Appaloosas

Compassion For All Animals

Norman

Mona

“Sow” happy!

#AdoptDon’tShop

Petite Pup PlethoraSay that fast three times! Back in December a woman showed up with a family of small dogs she was forced to give up - three scruffy, super-cute and super-friendly Jack Russell mixed adult dogs and four adorable puppies, all white with brown spots except for one solid brown female. All of the adults appeared to be siblings, two females and a male, and the pups were a product of intergenerational inbreeding.

For the last 6 months our large, communal dog yard has become a frenetic puppy playground. As mentioned in the last newsletter, we’ve taken in numerous small, energetic dogs that were abandoned at our gate. All of those cute Chihuahuas, poodles, and terriers have created a pack of running, jumping, rolling, frolicking forces of nature!

The pups even had their fifteen minutes of fame (well, maybe more like five) on KVUE-TV in Austin when two of our volunteers, Erin and Tucker DeWitt, went on the morning show to promote SARA and show them off. Many have found wonderful homes.

Tiny Dog, Big HeartLittle Sweet Pea weighs 4.4 pounds soaking wet. An elderly neighbor dropped her off stating she had been “dumped” at his gate. We soon discovered she had a condition which caused her to shriek in pain called Atlanto-axial subluxation. In short, nerves are pinched due to a misalignment of the vertebrae that connect the head to the neck.

We were told she would need a costly operation to correct the problem to live a normal life. She went to a specialist who confirmed the diagnosis, and we scheduled the appointment. While waiting for the surgery date, she recovered on her own! Apparently, lots of TLC and R&R did the trick and she no longer has the problem. A miracle? Probably not, possibly her condition mimicked the long named disorder. She may have suffered trauma from a fall or possibly had been hit by a car.

If you can give her the happy home she deserves please contact us Adoption@sarasanctuary.org. You won’t find a cuter, sweeter dog.

We literally have hundreds of wonderful animals that are just waiting to find that special, forever home.

Garfield & BubbaGarfield (L) and Bubba have both been here for almost 10 years. In that time, as evidenced from the photo, they’ve become very close. Both were unwanted and unloved until they came to SARA. Bubba was rescued from a tiny cage left out in the sun with no food or water and Garfield was dropped off by our gate. They would make anyone’s home brighter and we’d love to see them get adopted together.

RoxanneSuch a sweet girl! Roxanne is a three year old, dark tabby. FYI- A tabby is any domestic cat that has a coat featuring distinctive stripes, dots, lines or swirling

patters with a mark that looks like an ‘M’ in the middle of the forehead. She was left here by a former employee who didn’t want her anymore. She is super af-fectionate and likes to “make biscuits” or knead the air (or your leg) when pet!

PaulineThis lovely girl was brought out to us last summer by a former employ-ee’s friend who claimed that she just showed up at his house. He said his son was calling her “the Beast” which didn’t seem very nice. There’s a silly vampire movie called “What We Do In The Shadows,” and in it, there’s a character called “the Beast,” but her real name is Pauline, so that’s why she got the name! She’s a hound/cattle dog mix of some sort, about 2 years old. She’s very sweet and loves kids. Probably not good with cats.

RustyA rooster for a pet? Absolutely! Chickens are intelligent, friendly animals

whose lifespan is 5 to 8 years. Rusty will eat out of your hand. He also chases dogs which is pretty funny. Of course, there are ordinances against roosters in most cities because they crow. We also have 3 “very quiet” Rhode Island Red

hens available for adoption.

XenaWe rescued this happy, playful girl last year when she was found running down a remote country road, after most likely being dumped there. She’s about 4 years old and loves everybody, she’s a lab/beagle mix. You can see that one of her eyes has been permanently damaged, but that hasn’t affected her one bit! She’s very energetic and loving. Xena was featured in one of our mailers last year and she’s still waiting for that special home.

Happy Endings

Donkeys Find Forever HomesJosefina, Jesusita, Aurelia and Rosie, four of our favorite girls, got adopted earlier this year. Josefina and Jesusita now live just down the road from us, directly across the street from two other SARA donkey alumni and a zebra! Aurelia and Rosie went to Pleasanton, Texas to a very pleasant ranch.

A Home For OseeYou may remember Osee from our last newsletter or if you’ve visited lately. She was always in the middle of everything and never met a stranger. She finally got the loving home she deserved when the Gibbs from Wimberly took her home last month. Now named Roxy, she has the run of the house which she shares with the couple and one other dog.

Permanent ResidentsLarryLarry is one of our official greeters! He falls in love with every visitor who comes out to SARA and follows guests and volunteers around all day, always happy waiting for a pat on the head, a treat, or maybe part of an unfinished peanut butter sandwich! Larry has been with us for about 10 years and the only impediment to his adoption is the fact that he can climb any fence. He never leaves our property on his own, but we would worry if he did go to another home that he might get into trouble or lost. He’s a lab mix, good with everybody. Just the best dog.

GünterIf you’ve ever visited, then you’ve no doubt met Günter or his brother, Axel, two of a litter of seven, 4 month old, pit bull puppies abandoned at our gate on December 7, 2006. They had been left in a large metal kennel in the rain on a rare cold day. The flimsy wire kennel was demolished and they were hiding across the road in the brush. One brother was adopted right away, but all of the others were scared of people and two were (and continue to be) a little aggressive. Axel became friendly and trusting of people and discovered he could climb the fence, so he was always a fixture at any events or volunteer days. Fast forward eleven years and we’ve sadly, lost Axel and Newt, one of the sisters, to cancer. The whole family routinely has to have tumors removed. After Axel, who had been the star that everybody loved died last year, Günter, who had always been a bit shy and standoffish, suddenly blossomed. It’s as if he has taken over Axel’s role of greeter dog and even all of Axel’s little dog friends have fallen in love with Günter.

RosaleeSweet little Rosalee was abandoned at a low water crossing near us called Scull’s Crossing. It has been a literal dumping ground for not just animals; garbage and junk litter the beautiful natural creek. We had to trap her because she was terrified of people. Rosalee had no hair due to a case of sarcoptic mange (scabies in humans) and was very malnourished. She has been with us for over two years and is still wary, but will sneak up behind people that she knows and lick their hands! Despite her shyness, she is very happy here and has lots of pals.

CaramelThis beautiful boy is a Beefmaster steer, a breed developed during the 1930s, for, you guessed it, meat production! He’s about 4 years old and was brought to us by a woman who saved him in Lampasas, a town north-west of Austin. Caramel was born a twin and often, cows will reject one baby, and that’s what happened here. The rancher didn’t want to deal with him, so he gave him to his new mother who cared for him round the clock. All was well until Caramel became aggressive and started chas-ing and knocking people down. He doesn’t have any horns, but he weighs over 2000 pounds and could really hurt somebody. He loves the oth-er cattle and we make sure that he keeps a safe distance from visitors.

Friends come in all sizes!Rosie (L) and Aurelia

That’s Mr. Sheep to you!

MisterThis handsome boy is a Suffolk sheep, a breed developed in England during the 19th century for meat. He was spared being sold for slaughter after the stock show by the family who raised him. Instead, he was brought here to live out his days with our goats. Like our puppies, he also appeared on K-VUE TV in Austin.

• There are over 1 billion sheep in the world.• Sheep have very good memories.• Adult female sheep are known as ewes.• Adult male sheep are known as rams.• Castrated adult male sheep are known as wethers.• A group of sheep is known as a herd, flock or mob

All About Sheep!

What Would “Ewe”Like to Know?