Dear new employee,
Your 322,762,018 bosses welcome you and wish you well on your challenging new job. Let me introduce you to those who you work for.
Half of us are women. Please remember that more than 3 times the number of people that showed up to celebrate your first day came out to tell you that women matter. Those same people told you that people with disabilities matter. LGBTQ people. People of color. People that belong to the same church as you and people that don't. People that believe in a higher power, and people that don't.
And you also work for people that didn't show up to march in the streets. The people who just want a job. The people that want unborn lives to be protected. Some people that want to get richer, even if it means destroying the earth for their grandchildren. You work for them too.
Please make wise decisions that will help all of people you work for, not just some that think like you, look like you, or are as rich as you. Please remember that your words matter. Evil dictators are listening and just might pick a fight with all of us because of what you say.
And more than anything, please remember the rules. You have the freedom to speak your mind, but remember, we do too, and you work for us. The press will be watching you - they have the right to report on what you say and do, honestly and fairly. ALL the press - not just the media outlets that agree with you. We, your bosses, have the right to performance reviews, and if some of us don't like what you're doing, we have the right to tell you. That might take the form of removing some of your buddies and replacing them with new employees. We also have the right to take to the streets if we disagree with you.
This is a temporary position, and we will be watching.
Sunday, January 22, 2017
Saturday, January 21, 2017
Trump – Best Thing That Ever Happened to Us?
It's no secret I'm not a Trump supporter. Even if I was a conservative (I'm not), I would abhor his character. As a frequent world traveler for work, I hear what other countries say about us; how we've become a laughing stock at best, and isolationists on the brink of nuclear war at worst.
But today, as I watched the hundreds upon thousands of people worldwide march in solidarity, peacefully, with love and grace, I felt hope. Not because they were marching, but because they were awake and paying attention. If this movement continues, perhaps people will start to believe that they too can make a difference.
This change isn't easy. It isn't comfortable. Friends you've known for years unfriend you because of your views. Things get heated; fake news is treated as gospel if it fits your idea of how things are.
Today, while millions marched, Trump visited the CIA. In front of a wall with stars signifying men and women who died in service of our country, Trump first praised Fox News. Then he said how much he liked the Intelligence community, claiming that he was never against them, and nobody loved them more than Donald J. Trump. The rest of his speech he spent talking about the dishonest media, and how reports of the low attendance at his inauguration were untrue. And how many times he's been on the cover of Time.
This was day one. Meanwhile, North Korea is planning to test us. Meanwhile, ISIS is watching. But let's focus instead on the HUGE crowds The Donald saw - had to have been 1.5 million cheering him on.
And Trump tweeted while Washington burned.
But today, as I watched the hundreds upon thousands of people worldwide march in solidarity, peacefully, with love and grace, I felt hope. Not because they were marching, but because they were awake and paying attention. If this movement continues, perhaps people will start to believe that they too can make a difference.
This change isn't easy. It isn't comfortable. Friends you've known for years unfriend you because of your views. Things get heated; fake news is treated as gospel if it fits your idea of how things are.
Today, while millions marched, Trump visited the CIA. In front of a wall with stars signifying men and women who died in service of our country, Trump first praised Fox News. Then he said how much he liked the Intelligence community, claiming that he was never against them, and nobody loved them more than Donald J. Trump. The rest of his speech he spent talking about the dishonest media, and how reports of the low attendance at his inauguration were untrue. And how many times he's been on the cover of Time.
This was day one. Meanwhile, North Korea is planning to test us. Meanwhile, ISIS is watching. But let's focus instead on the HUGE crowds The Donald saw - had to have been 1.5 million cheering him on.
And Trump tweeted while Washington burned.
Sunday, January 1, 2017
New Year, New Goals, Give Back
It's a new year, and many of you might have written resolutions for 2017, like lose weight, pay off bills, or get in shape. Here's a thought for you. How about adding some volunteering to that list? The only thing it costs you is your time, and what it gives back is absolutely priceless.
If you're parents, what a great gift to give your kids. If they're old enough, they can volunteer too, and learn a lifetime of lessons. Just an hour a week playing with the cats (we call it socializing), means that we have information to give a prospective adopter, like does it get along with other cats? Is it a lap cat? Playful, or a 'sit in the sun' kind of cat?
At The Marshmallow Foundation in Detroit Lakes, our volunteer needs are many. There always seem to be folks that want to work with the dogs, but the cats struggle, as they do in shelters all over the country. There's the manual labor of cleaning the kennels of course, but there is so much more needed. For example, we need a list of foster parents, who are willing to take a kitty home with them that otherwise won't survive in a shelter environment. Someone that we can teach to administer fluids if necessary, syringe feed, or just give love and warmth. When we get a cat that has been injured or is obviously sick, we seek out a rescue to take them, and have transported as far as Wisconsin to get them the necessary care. But this time of year, the rescues are as full as we are, and sometimes have to say no.
Maybe you want to help, but are afraid of getting attached, or have an allergy. Another volunteer opportunity that we struggle with is grant writing. We miss out on thousands of dollars simply because we don't have the time to research the available grants and apply for them.
Maybe you're a sales person - how about helping us fund raise? We are ALWAYS raising funds. It might be as simple as selling raffle tickets or calendars, or more involved like organizing one of our fundraisers or putting together our annual calendar for 2018.
Are you creative? We'd love to sell t-shirts, but again, who has the time? I took a stab at designing one, using the Bonfire.com service. I KNOW you can do better than I can!
Now see, I just gave you a bunch of great New Year's resolutions, and none of them cost a cent. If you're in the Detroit Lakes area, please check out the website for The Marshmallow Foundation, and fill out a volunteer application. Call or Facebook us to set up a time to have a tour of the facility, or talk about volunteer opportunities. We'd love to have you on the team!
If you're parents, what a great gift to give your kids. If they're old enough, they can volunteer too, and learn a lifetime of lessons. Just an hour a week playing with the cats (we call it socializing), means that we have information to give a prospective adopter, like does it get along with other cats? Is it a lap cat? Playful, or a 'sit in the sun' kind of cat?
At The Marshmallow Foundation in Detroit Lakes, our volunteer needs are many. There always seem to be folks that want to work with the dogs, but the cats struggle, as they do in shelters all over the country. There's the manual labor of cleaning the kennels of course, but there is so much more needed. For example, we need a list of foster parents, who are willing to take a kitty home with them that otherwise won't survive in a shelter environment. Someone that we can teach to administer fluids if necessary, syringe feed, or just give love and warmth. When we get a cat that has been injured or is obviously sick, we seek out a rescue to take them, and have transported as far as Wisconsin to get them the necessary care. But this time of year, the rescues are as full as we are, and sometimes have to say no.
Maybe you want to help, but are afraid of getting attached, or have an allergy. Another volunteer opportunity that we struggle with is grant writing. We miss out on thousands of dollars simply because we don't have the time to research the available grants and apply for them.
Maybe you're a sales person - how about helping us fund raise? We are ALWAYS raising funds. It might be as simple as selling raffle tickets or calendars, or more involved like organizing one of our fundraisers or putting together our annual calendar for 2018.
Are you creative? We'd love to sell t-shirts, but again, who has the time? I took a stab at designing one, using the Bonfire.com service. I KNOW you can do better than I can!
Now see, I just gave you a bunch of great New Year's resolutions, and none of them cost a cent. If you're in the Detroit Lakes area, please check out the website for The Marshmallow Foundation, and fill out a volunteer application. Call or Facebook us to set up a time to have a tour of the facility, or talk about volunteer opportunities. We'd love to have you on the team!
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
The Christmas Controversy
You've all seen them - the posts on Facebook that proclaim the right to say Merry Christmas. The same posts that say that we're not allowed to say Merry Christmas anymore, but have to instead say Happy Holidays. The outrage!
Oh please. There is no one stopping you from saying Merry Christmas if you want, and no one that will judge you for doing so. Get over yourself!
If you want to put Christ back in Christmas, great! Do it! Instead of celebrating what began as a pagan holiday anyway to celebrate the winter solstice, give to your church. Instead of spending thousands of dollars on gifts for your kids, buy blankets and coats and distribute them to the homeless living on the streets. Instead of spending hours in the kitchen cooking that turkey, spend the day volunteering at a woman's crisis shelter.
THAT's what Christ would do, not proclaim in angry memes that he's not allowed to say Merry Christmas in this politically correct world. And by the way, Christ was Jewish. So Happy Hannukah.
Oh please. There is no one stopping you from saying Merry Christmas if you want, and no one that will judge you for doing so. Get over yourself!
If you want to put Christ back in Christmas, great! Do it! Instead of celebrating what began as a pagan holiday anyway to celebrate the winter solstice, give to your church. Instead of spending thousands of dollars on gifts for your kids, buy blankets and coats and distribute them to the homeless living on the streets. Instead of spending hours in the kitchen cooking that turkey, spend the day volunteering at a woman's crisis shelter.
THAT's what Christ would do, not proclaim in angry memes that he's not allowed to say Merry Christmas in this politically correct world. And by the way, Christ was Jewish. So Happy Hannukah.
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Cats and Kids Don’t Always Mix
You see that cute little kitten at the shelter and can't resist. Visions of Kitty growing up with your kids dance in your head, and look forward to years and years of playtime and cuddles.
And then reality hits. Your two year old can't resist grabbing the kitten by the tail. Your four year old gets scratched or even bit because they just wanted to pet Kitty's tummy. Your ten year old that promised to take care of Kitty every day leaves the litterbox until it's overflowing, and you end up feeding the cat instead.
Kitty isn't so cute and playful anymore. Kitty has started destroying the furniture and peeing in the bed. So you return the cat to the shelter thinking that you got a bad deal.
That's the nightmare scenario, and unfortunately, it happens all too often at The Marshmallow Foundation. You can't say we didn't warn you, and try to teach you how to introduce Kitty to your kiddo and to the other pets successfully. We told you to put Kitty in a small room by herself for a few days to let her decompress, and to slowly introduce her to the family over a two week period. We told you how to work with your child to respect Kitty and how to recognize when she's had enough.
The problem isn't Kitty. It's you. Yes, look in the mirror and see who is responsible for this mess. Having a pet is a great teaching moment for your kids. You can teach them respect for all living creatures, and teach them responsibility. But it doesn't happen just by plopping Kitty in the living room and walking away. You need to invest some intense time with Kitty and your kiddo to be successful. You need to teach that two year old that pulling an animal's tail is not alright. If you do it right, you will achieve your vision of a lifetime of cuddles and unconditional love. If you do it wrong, we have to try once again to find a home for Kitty, and this time it's a lot harder because Kitty has "behavioral issues".
So please don't adopt an animal unless you're willing to be a parent first. Your kids learn the important stuff at home, like how to be kind. How to show compassion. Respect. Be the parent you're meant to be.
And then reality hits. Your two year old can't resist grabbing the kitten by the tail. Your four year old gets scratched or even bit because they just wanted to pet Kitty's tummy. Your ten year old that promised to take care of Kitty every day leaves the litterbox until it's overflowing, and you end up feeding the cat instead.
Kitty isn't so cute and playful anymore. Kitty has started destroying the furniture and peeing in the bed. So you return the cat to the shelter thinking that you got a bad deal.
That's the nightmare scenario, and unfortunately, it happens all too often at The Marshmallow Foundation. You can't say we didn't warn you, and try to teach you how to introduce Kitty to your kiddo and to the other pets successfully. We told you to put Kitty in a small room by herself for a few days to let her decompress, and to slowly introduce her to the family over a two week period. We told you how to work with your child to respect Kitty and how to recognize when she's had enough.
The problem isn't Kitty. It's you. Yes, look in the mirror and see who is responsible for this mess. Having a pet is a great teaching moment for your kids. You can teach them respect for all living creatures, and teach them responsibility. But it doesn't happen just by plopping Kitty in the living room and walking away. You need to invest some intense time with Kitty and your kiddo to be successful. You need to teach that two year old that pulling an animal's tail is not alright. If you do it right, you will achieve your vision of a lifetime of cuddles and unconditional love. If you do it wrong, we have to try once again to find a home for Kitty, and this time it's a lot harder because Kitty has "behavioral issues".
So please don't adopt an animal unless you're willing to be a parent first. Your kids learn the important stuff at home, like how to be kind. How to show compassion. Respect. Be the parent you're meant to be.
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
A Day in the Life of a Pound Dog
The Marshmallow Foundation is, in addition to being an animal shelter, a city pound. What's the difference, you ask?
While both take in homeless dogs and cats, a pound is compelled to take those animals when brought in by city or county officials. They pay a small amount for the services we offer. Here's one example of a dog that was brought in this week.
6:30 pm - a dog is brought in as a stray. The dog is logged into the system and assigned a unique ID and a name.
6:35 pm - the dog is scanned for a microchip; a valuable tool in finding its owner, but only if it was registered. Most animals going through the pound/shelter system to be adopted out are microchipped, and the new owner is given the information on how to register. Sadly, most owners never get around to it. In this case, the dog has a microchip, and is registered to a shelter in Northwest Minnesota.
6:55 pm - the one and only employee working at night sends a Facebook group message to other kennel staff and volunteers, along with a picture of the dog and details about where the dog was found.
7:00 pm - the microchip info is sent to a volunteer who happens to live in the Northwest Minnesota area, and she immediately reaches out to the shelter where the chip is registered.
8:03 pm - the shelter in Northwest Minnesota confirms that this was their dog...adopted out in 2010. The immediately attempt to contact the owner.
8:13 pm - the owner is found! She had just moved to the Detroit Lakes area and didn't know that we were the city pound. She'd been posting lost dog notices on Facebook rummage sale sites to no avail. She tells us that she will be in first thing in the morning with proof of vaccination and license for the dog.
This story had a happy ending; I wish that they all did. Sadly, imagine if the dog had not been microchipped and sat in our pound in quarantine for a week or 10 days. The owner, who couldn't afford veterinary care for their animal, never got them spayed/neutered, nor did they think they needed rabies shots. So we, as a representative of the city we service, must take the dog to the Vet for its rabies shot before we can legally release the animal. Even if we can get an appointment with short notice, that's an extra day in the shelter. There's a $20 boarding charge per day, which barely covers the cost of keeping the dog. And depending on what city brought him in, there could be a fine assessed by the city that we must collect in addition to a license.
So now, with charges over $200, the owner says that they can't afford to get their dog. They go on Facebook, including public group sites and say that we are holding his dog hostage for the money. They claim that no effort was made to find them right away. Sometimes they even threaten legal action.
Being able to afford an animal doesn't just mean buying them dog food, just as owning a car doesn't just mean being able to afford the gas. The workers and volunteers at The Marshmallow Foundation really care about your animal, and really, really, want it to find a good home. That Facebook group message chat chimes all day, every day, sometimes until late into the night.
So please, spay or neuter your pets, microchip them even if you think they'll never run away, and register that microchip. We'd all cheer for just one day where Facebook remained silent.
While both take in homeless dogs and cats, a pound is compelled to take those animals when brought in by city or county officials. They pay a small amount for the services we offer. Here's one example of a dog that was brought in this week.
6:30 pm - a dog is brought in as a stray. The dog is logged into the system and assigned a unique ID and a name.
6:35 pm - the dog is scanned for a microchip; a valuable tool in finding its owner, but only if it was registered. Most animals going through the pound/shelter system to be adopted out are microchipped, and the new owner is given the information on how to register. Sadly, most owners never get around to it. In this case, the dog has a microchip, and is registered to a shelter in Northwest Minnesota.
6:55 pm - the one and only employee working at night sends a Facebook group message to other kennel staff and volunteers, along with a picture of the dog and details about where the dog was found.
7:00 pm - the microchip info is sent to a volunteer who happens to live in the Northwest Minnesota area, and she immediately reaches out to the shelter where the chip is registered.
8:03 pm - the shelter in Northwest Minnesota confirms that this was their dog...adopted out in 2010. The immediately attempt to contact the owner.
8:13 pm - the owner is found! She had just moved to the Detroit Lakes area and didn't know that we were the city pound. She'd been posting lost dog notices on Facebook rummage sale sites to no avail. She tells us that she will be in first thing in the morning with proof of vaccination and license for the dog.
This story had a happy ending; I wish that they all did. Sadly, imagine if the dog had not been microchipped and sat in our pound in quarantine for a week or 10 days. The owner, who couldn't afford veterinary care for their animal, never got them spayed/neutered, nor did they think they needed rabies shots. So we, as a representative of the city we service, must take the dog to the Vet for its rabies shot before we can legally release the animal. Even if we can get an appointment with short notice, that's an extra day in the shelter. There's a $20 boarding charge per day, which barely covers the cost of keeping the dog. And depending on what city brought him in, there could be a fine assessed by the city that we must collect in addition to a license.
So now, with charges over $200, the owner says that they can't afford to get their dog. They go on Facebook, including public group sites and say that we are holding his dog hostage for the money. They claim that no effort was made to find them right away. Sometimes they even threaten legal action.
Being able to afford an animal doesn't just mean buying them dog food, just as owning a car doesn't just mean being able to afford the gas. The workers and volunteers at The Marshmallow Foundation really care about your animal, and really, really, want it to find a good home. That Facebook group message chat chimes all day, every day, sometimes until late into the night.
So please, spay or neuter your pets, microchip them even if you think they'll never run away, and register that microchip. We'd all cheer for just one day where Facebook remained silent.
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
Pippi’s Miracle
Pippi is a cat that was brought to The Marshmallow Foundation in late August in really bad shape. She was painfully skinny, and the shelter suspected that she had been hit by a car. Knowing that the shelter doesn't have the funds for expensive emergency treatment, we reached out to Cat's Cradle, a rescue and shelter in Fargo. They immediately got her to the emergency vet, who confirmed that indeed, Pippi had likely been hit by a car. Her hip and leg was severely broken, and it was doubtful that the hip fracture could be fixed.
As with all street cats brought in, Pippi was checked to make sure she was pregnant. The Vet said that she wasn't, which was a good thing, since she'd never be able to deliver with her injuries.
So Pippi was brought in for surgery, and her leg was repaired. Her hip was already healing, so it was decided to leave it as it was. Pippi was sent to a foster home to recuperate, and passed her two week post-op check with flying colors.
And then, a month after her accident, she was brought back to the emergency Vet, who discovered a full term, live kitten inside her. How that kitten survived the trauma of the accident, surgery, and X-Rays is a wonder. An emergency C-section was done, after which the kitten had to be resuscitated. But the kitten made it!
That's a miracle in itself, but it doesn't end there. A few days after Pippi gave birth, two orphaned kittens the same age as Pippi's kitten were brought in. Pippi has now become the adopted mother of two more kittens, and the entire family is doing well.
Money was raised for the orthopedic surgery, but the emergency C-section cost Cat's Cradle another $2000. If you'd like to help with Pippi's care, donations can be made here.
As with all street cats brought in, Pippi was checked to make sure she was pregnant. The Vet said that she wasn't, which was a good thing, since she'd never be able to deliver with her injuries.
So Pippi was brought in for surgery, and her leg was repaired. Her hip was already healing, so it was decided to leave it as it was. Pippi was sent to a foster home to recuperate, and passed her two week post-op check with flying colors.
And then, a month after her accident, she was brought back to the emergency Vet, who discovered a full term, live kitten inside her. How that kitten survived the trauma of the accident, surgery, and X-Rays is a wonder. An emergency C-section was done, after which the kitten had to be resuscitated. But the kitten made it!
That's a miracle in itself, but it doesn't end there. A few days after Pippi gave birth, two orphaned kittens the same age as Pippi's kitten were brought in. Pippi has now become the adopted mother of two more kittens, and the entire family is doing well.
Money was raised for the orthopedic surgery, but the emergency C-section cost Cat's Cradle another $2000. If you'd like to help with Pippi's care, donations can be made here.
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