All volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit military and veteran service organization cares for soldier’s pets.
Gatesville, TX – Effective January 1, 2018, Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet announced the 2018 Board of Directors for the organization as follows:
President: Linda Spurlin-Dominik Vice President: Victoria Scott Secretary: open Treasurer: Major Nancy Emma, US Army (Retired) Director: Tonya Phipps Director: Major Randall Baucom, US Army (Retired)
ALL volunteer 501c3 nonprofit “Military & Veterans Service Organization” (MVSO) supporting our active duty Military, Wounded Warriors, homeless Veterans, and their beloved Pets to ensure the pets are reunited with their owners following a deployment related to a combat or peace-keeping or humanitarian mission or unforeseen medical and/or homeless hardship situation through various programs/services/projects. For more information on providing a foster home, becoming a volunteer, or making a donation to Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet, please visit www.guardianangelsforsoldierspet.org.
We are looking for interested parties who are able to contribute $5 or more on a monthly basis to the Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet mission of serving our Military and Veteran communities.
If interested, we have an easy way to assist. Join our group of monthly givers, to be known as: Patriot Supporters.
Donations made by our “Patriot Supporters” will be allocated between our Pet Foster Home “MPA Fund” and our MVP Sanctuary programs.
Patriot Supporters are very important to our efforts and mission. In fact, they’re the backbone that helps to sustain our work. And these generous folks are more than just kind, they know that giving monthly allows our organization to spend less time fundraising and more time serving our Military and Veteran Communities.
To begin the process of your monthly recurring donation visit ww.guardianangelsforsoldierspet.org and click on the PayPal Donate Button on the left hand side.
Be sure to click the box at the PayPal screen that this is to be a “monthly donation”.
Great news! Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet (GAfSP) just earned the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar, the world’s largest source of nonprofit information. By sharing these metrics, we’re helping the sector move beyond simplistic financial ratios to assess nonprofit progress.
We’re proud to use GuideStar Platinum to share our full and complete story with the world.
To reach the Platinum level, GAfSP added extensive information to its Nonprofit Profile on GuideStar: basic contact and organizational information; in-depth financial information; qualitative information about goals, strategies, and capabilities; and quantitative information about results and progress toward its mission. By taking the time to provide this information, GAfSP has demonstrated its commitment to transparency and to giving donors and funders meaningful data to evaluate GAfSP.
We encourage other nonprofits to take advantage of GuideStar Platinum to share key metrics with the world and highlight the changes you’re making. Updating is free. To learn more about GuideStar Platinum please feel free to visit www.guidestar.org/platinum. To learn more about GuideStar, feel free to visit www.guidestar.org
Have you ever thought about rolling up your sleeves and getting involved with a national 501(c)3 nonprofit? Well now you can, from the comforts of your own home, with the skills you already have!
Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet like many “All Volunteer” 501c3 nonprofit organizations is only able to operate and accomplish its mission due to the generosity, time, and energy provided by those who wish to make a difference in our society – volunteers.
The organization is looking for national, regional and state volunteers to fill key positions within our organization. If you have skills such as administration, bookkeeping, marketing, or project management – then we want to talk to you!
Learn more about all the opportunities, the qualifications and how you can get involved – click on the page below.
Since Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet began in January 2005, our “day-to-day operations” have been handled in the CEO’s residence (55-60% of home). Now in 2017 it is time we are working toward establishing an official “national office” to handle these operations with an actual volunteer “Admin Staff” to assist the organization’s CEO.
Today though we are waiting from an estimated cost for a 14’ x 30’ Leland “Chisholm Trail Cabin” from what we know we feel we are at the point that we can officially establish an official “Capital Campaign” to make this project a reality in order to raise $35,000.
Besides being able to have an “Admin Staff” having a separate building, we can meet with other volunteers involved with fundraising in Central TX for the other MVP Sanctuary projects; meet with members of the military and veteran communities and other interested parties. In addition we can plan for activities/events at the MVP Sanctuary.
Full details can be found on our website, including how you can get involved.
Make a donation to the Campaign, by clicking here.
ALL volunteer 501c3 nonprofit “Military & Veterans Service Organization” (MVSO) supporting our active duty Military, Wounded Warriors, homeless Veterans, and their beloved Pets to ensure the pets are reunited with their owners following a deployment related to a combat or peace-keeping or humanitarian mission or unforeseen medical and/or homeless hardship situation through various programs/services/projects. For more information on providing a foster home, becoming a volunteer, or making a donation to Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet, please visit www.guardianangelsforsoldierspet.org.
Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet is partnering with H&R Block this tax season (thru April 15, 2016)!
Click on pic provide,
print copy, and
take it to the office when you have your tax return prepared.
It’s that easy!
If you are a new H&R Block client, Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet will get a $20 contribution. Please feel free to share with others – Another way to support our mission and efforts without costing you a dime.
Many thanks to all who support us now and it the past. Without your help we can do what we do!
ALL volunteer 501c3 nonprofit “Military & Veterans Service Organization” (MVSO) supporting our active duty Military, Wounded Warriors, homeless Veterans, and their beloved Pets to ensure the pets are reunited with their owners following a deployment related to a combat or peace-keeping or humanitarian mission or unforeseen medical and/or homeless hardship situation through various programs/services/projects. For more information on providing a foster home, becoming a volunteer, or making a donation to Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet, please visit www.guardianangelsforsoldierspet.org or http://www.mvpsanctuary.org.
How many of you adore your dog and treat him as if he were your child? I know I do. I talk to him, I feed him, I walk him, I hug him and I generally spoil him rotten. In return he follows me wherever I go, he licks my face, sleeps next to me, protects me and loves me unconditionally.
Now imagine that you have to decide whether to give your dog up or become homeless to keep him? How many of you would choose homelessness?
Zeus
For veteran Airman, Clarence, the answer was clear. Go homeless. He would not leave Zeus behind no matter what. “We’d been together for 8 or 9 years and basically he’s the only friend I got.”
Clarence had fallen on hard times after being injured on the job as a corrections officer. “I got injured in Lebanon prison. I was a CO (corrections officer) up there for a couple of years and I got into a fight in a phone booth with an inmate. And what happened when I came out? I got two vertebrae’s touching a nerve and I got another chipped vertebrae.”
Despite being unable to return to work Clarence was denied disability. “If I get in an accident or if I slip and fall I could be paralyzed for the rest of my life.”
After losing most of his income Clarence moved in with his sister for a short time, but she wasn’t allowed to have dogs in her apartment so he eventually got kicked out. “We stayed down the street in an open field in a tent for a couple of days.”
Clarence had been working with Gentry, a case worker with the Veteran’s Affairs office so he gave him a call. “I told him what was going on and he hooked me up with you and Martha and a few other people. And we put him (Zeus) in a kennel for a while.”
Victoria S., the Northeast Regional Director, put Jamie M., the Pennsylvania Foster Coordination Liaison in charge of finding Zeus a foster home. According to Jamie, “It was fairly urgent that we got him (Zeus) out of there just for the cost and for Zeus’s well-being. Unfortunately Clarence thought Zeus needed to be an only pet so that limited our search. It was even harder in that a lot of people shy away from Akitas.”
And so the search began. “So I called I think every single person in the Ohio workbook. I reached out to VA’s I reached out to VFW’s American Legion, you know, all types of veteran organizations in Ohio. I sent out flyers.” Jamie got a couple of responses but each family already had other pets. “I opened up the search to Pennsylvania as well as New Jersey and I thought that if we found the perfect place we’d figure out how to get Zeus to his home.”
According to Jamie, “It wasn’t just me. I had an army of people.” Some of those most involved include Liz D., the New York Foster Coordination Liaison, Victoria S., the Northeast Regional Director, Jamie even recruited her mom and dad into helping.
Putting the word out finally paid off when a friend of Jamie’s recommended a friend of his who was a veteran himself who loved dogs. Thinking this was the ideal solution Jaime sent her husband, David, to Dayton, Ohio, to pick up Zeus while she went to do a home visit. What she discovered was shocking. “It turned out that he was a hoarder and there was not even one path through his rooms, he lived alone and things just unfortunately got out of hand. So I was panicking. I would not leave my dog there; it was dangerous. It was dangerous even for him (the hoarder) and I didn’t feel comfortable.”
Meanwhile David was almost to Columbus and thankfully Jamie’s father lived there so David was able to put his trip on hold and stay the night in Columbus. Once again Jamie was in a panic. “I called everybody I knew, every single dog person I knew…got the word out there because we needed a home right away.” Luckily Jamie found a woman in New Jersey who had just signed up to be a foster and although she wasn’t 100% comfortable at first knowing that Zeus was such a large dog, she finally came around when Jamie explained that Zeus was an older dog and he was a big teddy bear and a couch potato. For the first time in a long time Jamie was finally able to sleep easy without worrying about where Zeus would go.
Clarence, Zeus and David
“So I called my husband and said instead of coming back home with him you’re going to Cape May, New Jersey with Zeus. He said yup that’s fine.” About an hour later disaster would strike once again. “Like an hour later I get a call from the woman in Cape May in tears.” It turns out she lives in a community where they can’t have dogs that weigh over 50 pounds. “So at that point we’re back to square one and Zeus is in the truck.”
Jamie immediately began calling more people in her Pennsylvania workbook including calling people that had pets. With little hope of finding a home that would work, Jamie made one more call to a woman named Martha. “She’s a brilliant doctor that does a lot of volunteering with different humane societies and her local shelters. She has horses and goats and dogs and cats and I said no way it’s gonna work there and she said yea drop him off it’s fine. She (Martha) just stepped up, like there was no thought involved. I told her this whole desperate story and she was like yea drop him off, no big deal. Like “well” you don’t understand he’s an Akita. Yea that’s fine. You don’t understand he’s 8 and he doesn’t get along with anybody. Yup that’ll work.” So once again Jamie called her husband and had him change directions. He was now headed away from New Jersey and toward Pennsylvania.
Zeus finally arrived at his new foster home and the big test was going to be seeing how he would get along with all of the various animals that lived on Martha’s farm. As Martha so eloquently put it, “I knew it was a big risk because I didn’t know anything about this dog because he’s big and potentially he could have eaten me and eaten everybody else here but he was a lovely dog.” (I have to say I was relieved to hear that Zeus didn’t eat anybody or any of the animals at Martha’s farm!)
Back in Dayton, Clarence tried not to worry about Zeus as he moved into transitional housing at Volunteers of America. He was working at Kroger as a greeter and saving up money so that he could get back into an apartment or house where he could keep Zeus. He would periodically make calls to Martha to check on Zeus and they would exchange emails, but he said it was emotionally difficult to have Zeus so far away.
But despite missing Zeus, Clarence needn’t have worried about Zeus’s care. Martha was making sure that all of his veterinary needs were taken care of and he had plenty of pals to play with. “He (Zeus) and the goat and sheep played a lot. The sheep and goat would chase him and then he’d chase them.” Zeus was also a gentleman when it came to the chickens, horses, cats and other dogs. According to Martha, “He was probably the best trained dog that I’ve ever had. So even though he was huge he was very nice which made it much easier.”
Jamie also stayed in contact with Martha and made sure to send her heart-worm and any other supplies she needed.
Gentry, Clarence and David at the Volunteers of America
What was originally supposed to be a 4 month stay turned into 10 months. But eventually the day came to take Zeus back home and Jamie was determined to get him there. “So finally when he got an apartment, I thought, whatever we need to do to get Zeus back home let’s do it and Martha’s like I’ll drive him out, no big deal. And she did. She drove him 5 hours one way and met him, did the whole reunion thing, drove back all in one day. She is awesome.”
Martha told me that she wanted to drive Zeus home. She wanted to meet Clarence and let him know about some health issues that he (Zeus) developed and make sure he had food and any other items he might need.
When she arrived she said, “I was like totally excited and just almost in tears when I saw he had a lovely quiet little cottage with a little nice yard around it and trees and, oh my gosh, Clarence is a wonderful man, beautiful man.”
When Zeus got out of the car Martha said, “He just jumped on Clarence’s shoulders, put his paws up there and danced around at his feet!” After that she jokingly said he was so excited he had to stop and do his business! Clarence described his reunion like this. “I thought it was great! A week later I became a granddad for the first time and it’s kind of like the same experience.”
Martha and Clarence both experienced something special from this arrangement. Clarence said of Martha, “Can’t ask for a better friend and I just don’t really know why people do things for you like that; it’s just amazing.”
But Martha shared a mutual respect for Clarence. “He’s a real gentleman, nice guy, and I really was just amazed and thankful that everything’s gonna…I think he’ll be okay.”
As for Jamie, she still keeps in touch with Clarence to make sure he’s doing well. She has even helped Clarence with some vet bills for Zeus when he didn’t have the money because he’d just paid his rent. She told Clarence, “I don’t want you to have to worry about giving him up again because of some silly $200.00 thing.” She added, “It’s Clarence’s dog, he’s had him since he was a puppy. They need each other at this point.”
Clarence says he will be forever grateful to Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet, Martha and Jamie. “It kept me from losing him (Zeus) and we reunited and I’m passing the word on to other people at the VA.”
I would like to personally congratulate Jamie, her husband David, Victoria, Liz and all of those who assisted Jamie in getting the word out, Martha and Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet for a job well done and giving Airman Clarence and Zeus their happily ever after!
And to Clarence, God bless you for serving our great country!
Great news! Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet (GAfSP) just earned the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar, the world’s largest source of nonprofit information. By sharing these metrics, we’re helping the sector move beyond simplistic financial ratios to assess nonprofit progress.
Since Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet began in January 2005, our “day-to-day operations” have been handled in the CEO’s residence (55-60% of home). Now in 2017 it is time we are working toward establishing an official “national office” to handle these operations with an actual volunteer “Admin Staff” to assist the organization’s CEO.
Guardian Angels for Soldier's Pet
Kristen Lucarelli
Tails from the Front Line 