Welcome to Episode One of the Community Animal Rescue Effort Pawdcast! Your source for all that wags, sniffs, barks and meows at the Evanston Animal Shelter. In this episode we’ll give you a short history of the shelter, give you some great information on a special animal looking for a special home, spotlight one of our many volunteers, and share some tips on animal care. Feel free to send along comments about our podcast to [email protected]. Alright – let’s get barkin’! Click Here to listen to the Pawdcast A Brief History of C.A.R.E. Originally organized under the name “Friends of the Evanston Animal Shelter”, volunteers have been working in partnership with the City of Evanston's Animal Control Strategic Services Division of the Police Department at the Evanston Animal Shelter for several decades. In 1987, under the leadership of Edwina Cowell, then President of the organization, The Community Animal Rescue Effort (C.A.R.E.) was officially incorporated by the State of Illinois. On a day-to-day basis, C.A.R.E. volunteers’ primary responsibilities were to conduct adoptions, assist the animal wardens with the care of the animals and the operation of the facility. The volunteers are credited with increasing the adoptions of animals from 56 during the first six months of 1987 to 166 during the second six months. Prior to that time, most of the animals brought to the Evanston Animal Shelter that were not returned to their owners were euthanized. In 1992, C.A.R.E. came under the direction of Linda J. Gelb, who remains C.A.R.E.’s President to date. At that time, there were approximately 40 in-shelter volunteers who were making important strides in placing shelter animals into homes. Nonetheless, there remained a high euthanasia rate. Consequently, Ms. Gelb and other C.A.R.E. board members recognized that a state-of-the-art adoption program would require additional, well-trained volunteers, greater local recognition and enhanced fund-raising. C.A.R.E. became recognized as a 501(c)(3) charitable humane organization in 1993. Today there are nearly 150 in-shelter volunteers, and C.A.R.E has very active fundraising and community awareness and outreach programs. In fact, C.A.R.E. is recognized as a leading humane organization in the Northern Chicagoland area. Over the past 15 years C.A.R.E. has been responsible for the adoption of thousands of dogs and cats that would have otherwise been euthanized.Upcoming Pawdcasts will include information on C.A.R.E.’s volunteer Medical Director, the volunteer fostering program, behavior evaluations, adoption and post-adoption counseling, obedience training, school outreach programs, and more!A Special Pet Looking for a Special HomeBurleyUPDATE 7/18/07: Burley was adopted just prior to going to "print" - please check out the shelter or www.care-evanston.org for more special animals looking for special homes This month’s special needs animal is a calm, collected and cool cat, aptly named Burley – he’s big and he knows it! At the shelter, Burley showed himself to be a friendly, couch-potato sort of guy. Burley was originally adopted from CARE in the summer of 2006 to an older woman who spends most of her time at home. She was looking for a cat that would be a nice companion and wanted lots of attention, and with what was seen in Burley’s temperament, C.A.R.E thought this was a match made in heaven!Once he was in his new home, Burley wanted to be alone and let his caregiver know it! After working with the CARE adoption counselor for several months, the owner made the tough decision to bring Burley back in exchange for a more suitable cat.Burley will be a great cat for the right kind of home. His ideal placement would be in adult male home with a single guy or a couple of roommates. Burley prefers hanging out with men and he would be purrfectly happy to kick back on the couch, watch ESPN and crack open a couple of beers. Burley is a four year old neutered male with striking brown tabby markings.
