Dear Friends,
I would like to wish everyone a healthy and Happy New Year, 2011!! This year S.T.A.R.T. celebrates our 20th Anniversary, time truly does go by too fast. We have been fortunate throughout these years to have so many friends and supporters, many animals have survived because of you. Many of you passed along our cries for help, others attended our fundraisers, some donate to animals in need, and others provide a safe, warm home for our rescued animals. Thank you.
This past year was extremely difficult. Our office is currently on the selling market, leaving us to wonder every day what our future holds. The amount of adult cats returned this year has been overwhelming and the worst we have seen in our 20 years. Most of our 130 plus fosters are adults cats which have come in to our organization through families suffering from financial hardships. More animals than ever before have been abandoned by those who once loved them. The number of colonies we support has grown larger and become more expensive to care for and feed. The unwanted animal population seems to have blossomed out of control, while the adoption rate has diminished significantly.
S.T.A.R.T. can only help the animals we have foster care for, foster care is always needed, once in foster care these animals are maintained by S.T.A.R.T until they are adopted to a forever home. Foster homes are what help to carry out the organization's mission, but a forever home is what is needed to help decrease the vast number of homeless animals. S.T.A.R.T. is reaching out to you as caring, responsible animal lovers, to open your hearts and your homes to one of our abandon homeless companion animal.
Sadness came this year on May 5th, our beloved E-Scoop Mascot Jackson, passed over the Rainbow Bridge. He passed over peacefully in my arms, in the comfort of his home, surrounded by his human and furry friends. Jackson's story is that of a feral cat and the reason we work so hard, please take a moment and read his story on our website.
On a positive note dreams come true. S.T.A.R.T. remains dedicated to reduce the overpopulation of feral cats in our community. Through the dedication and compassion of our volunteers, doctors and staff at Rutherford and Little Falls Animal Hospitals were able to have our second Spay Day for feral cats. Over 100 feral cats were trapped, all were examined, spayed or neutered, given their shots and returned to their colony or placed in foster care. This numbers represents 1000's of unwanted kittens from facing a life of uncertainty. All of us want to thank those that donated their time to make this day happen. We can only dream to have this as a yearly event.
Totowa Animal Hospital, doctors and staff also help in our dedication to reduce the feral population offering weekly low cost clinics for feral cats. Our area animal hospitals make it possible for us to help the helpless, injured and abandoned animals. Thank you to all the doctors and staff that make it possible to continue our rescue efforts and realize our mission.
Iam proud of the ever-dedicated group of volunteers and freinds that surround me. Their time, efforts, and skills are ehat makes S.T.A.R.T. stand out from other rescue groups. Our volunteers juggle full-time jobs and famililies, while helping S.T.A.R.T. concentrate on many areas of rescue work. A simple "Thank You" never seems to be enough.
Help us make our 20th year the best ever!! We hope that we can continue, with your help, to reduce the overpopulation in our communities while diminishing the homeless and hungry animals. Again we thank you, our friends and supporters, for your continued and lasting support, our animals count on each one of you.
Sincerely,
Annette Lamberti
S.T.A.R.T., Save The Animals Rescue Team
The original "S.T.A.R.T". established in 1991
Founder and President
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