October 2009 Newsletter
Hello All!
October is here and with that comes the winding down of our 2009 season. Yogie is closing for the season earlier than we have in the past. Our last day for the 2009 season will be October 31st.
With all the upcoming local festivals in the area starting this month we don’t get as many people visiting the sanctuary. Our board decided that it wasn’t as effective to be open during this time and that we should dedicate our volunteer time during the off season to do the much needed fundraising and community education. Also, it just gets so rainy and cold during this time. We do plan to have some special activities at the sanctuary during our off season and hope you will come and visit for these special events.
| Critical Finances:
We are asking that our supporters dig a little deeper in their pockets. We realize with the current economic climate that donations are down for non-profits all around the country. Yogie and Friends typically gets its food for the big cats from local cattle ranchers as an in-kind donation. Two of our cattle suppliers have gotten out of the cattle business and just last week we had to begin purchasing food again. The smaller cats are easier to purchase food for because they don’t eat as much, but the lions, tigers, and other big cats are voracious eaters and we feed them a whole prey, natural diet. Part of the problem has been the increase in utilities, fuel, and other operating costs. For example Valley Electric increased its fees and our electric more than doubled. It cost $550 for our electric and we don’t have many things needing electricity at the sanctuary. We also had to pay our liability insurance this month and that took a big chunk out of our account. Then there is the cost of the facility upgrades required by Wildlife and Fisheries. We have no choice. They have to be done and they are costly. We will continue to try for materials donations, but we have not been successful in this area as of yet. On August 3rd I went before the Desoto Parish Police Jury and requested a grant for $250,000. The Police Jury has received more than $27 million from the Haynesville Shale sign on bonuses and since Yogie and Friends offers a unique presence in the Parish both educationally and as a tourist attraction (the only one of it’s kind in the entire state), we felt this would be an opportunity for us to be an even greater presence in the community and be able to complete the upgrades even sooner. I was told last week that they don’t usually give money to non-profits. We are still waiting to hear a decision about our request. As of this writing our bank account is $878.74. We know that things will get better with a little help from our friends and hope you will make that little extra effort to help us through. The winter months are always difficult, but this hit us much earlier than in the past. We appreciate your help. |
Facility Upgrades: We have completed one of the required upgrade projects with the help of a group of volunteers from Barksdale Air Force Base. Five members of the 608 AOC Squadron came out on September 30th and completed the concrete footers around the bottom of our big cat pens. This was a lot of work. They had to dig ten inches down, mix concrete and poor it in wheel barrels, then push that to the trench and poor the concrete into the trench. This was over 9000 pounds of concrete. They want to make Yogie and Friends a monthly volunteer project. We thank them for their hard work and dedication.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Upcoming Events:
17 October – Fall Festival and Car Show, Barksdale Air Force Base, 10 A.M. – 4 P.M.
17 October- Belk Charity Day, Belk Department Store, 70th St., Shreveport, 5 – 8 P.M.
24 October – Fall Festival and Car Show: First Baptist Church, Ockely Dr., Shreveport 9 A.M. – 4 P.M.
31 October – Yogie and Friends Pumpkin Roll, at the sanctuary Noon – 5 P.M. (season finale)
6 November – Belk Charity Day, Belk Department Store, 70th St., Shreveport, 5 – 8 P.M
28 November – Pancake Breakfast, Applebee’s, Bert Kouns, Shreveport 8 A.M. – 10 A.M.
5 Dec – Natchitoches Christmas Festival, Natchitoches, Louisiana TBD
19 Dec – Holiday Bake Sale and Fundraiser, Petco, Youree Drive, Shreveport 11 A.M. – 4 P.M.
On-line Shopping: Yogie and Friends is constantly adding items to the on-line shopping. Check out our newest products from the Paul Cardew collection. Cardew collectible ceramics make wonderful gifts and we now have them at a price that is more competitive than most. With the holidays coming up we wanted to have another way of helping the Yogie cats and this is it. Check out the on-line store.
We want to remind everyone that the 2009 season will end on 31 October 2009. Hope to see you before then.
Volunteers of the Month: 2 Lt Heidi Kaufman, TSgt Martin Jackson, SSgt Brian Levo, A1C Taylor Buckley and A1C Benjamin McRae of the 608 AOC at Barksdale for finishing the concrete work.
Kroger Neighbor to Neighbor Program: The Neighbor to Neighbor program is back on line. Please download one of the customer letters from our website and have the cashier scan it with your Kroger Plus card the next time you shop. Yogie and Friends will receive one percent of the sales. It is a great way to help the cats. The program is only available in Texas and Louisiana, but that’s still a large area of coverage. Please share this with your fellow Kroger shoppers. Accumulation for linked cards will begin July 1, 09 – April 30, 10. 
Volunteer Help Needed: We can really use some carpentry help to finish the admissions/gift building. There are just a few minor things to be completed such as installing a window and doing the finish work around the doors. If you can do this then please let us know. We can also use volunteers for our upcoming events and fundraisers. Let us know if you can help.
A few ways to help financially:
An easy way you can help the cats is when you do your shopping on-line is by using iGive. If you do your shopping on-line then you can contribute by shopping through the iGive tool. Everything helps. Visit www.iGive.com and select Yogie and Friends as your cause when you shop. It’s so easy.
Combined Federal Campaign. It is that time of year again when Federal and Military personnel can donate to Yogie and Friends through payroll deduction under the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) program. If you are interested in contributing this way our CFC number is 42427.
Coins for Cats! I recently emptied a little piggy bank I throw all my change in when I come home. It wasn’t even full, maybe half so. It added up to $106! That little bit of effort ended up being a nice chunk of change. I gave it to Yogie and Friends. This is a neat way for kids to be able to help the animals with very little effort. Cans for Cats! Kids can also help by collecting cans and taking them to the local recycling center for cash and this can also add up to a nice piece of change for the cats. It’s something kids can do to help go green and help the big cats all at once.
Check out the programs being offered at Yogie and Friends. There is the Yogie and Friends Membership Program , Sponsorship Program, and Corporate Sponsorship Program . These are programs that help us support the animals and another way that you can get involved. Program packages are available here on our website. Go Green with our ink jet and cell phone recycling program. Details are listed on our website.
We have several programs for you to help our animals: http://www.magfundraising.com/GroupPage.aspx?e=1058061, http://www.igive.com/, Cause ID 19883, http://www.networkforgood.org/, http://www.goodsearch.com/, just to name a few. They are all listed here on our website.
Please remember to spay and neuter your pets.
Please make sure you provide all your animals, inside and outside, fresh, clean water and shelter from the elements. Change their drinking water often and make sure the water hose has been running cool water before you fill their bowls.
Be good to your animals. Be good to people! Be a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves.
Jenny and the Yogie Cats!
Posted in Monthly Newsletter and tagged Monthly Newsletter, October 2009 Newsletter, Yogie and Friends News
August 2009 Newsletter
Hello All!
We hope everyone made it through the recent storms without any damage or flooding. We certainly needed the rain, but it never seems to fail that we will get more than we bargained for. Fortunately Yogie and Friends did not have any damage.
Yogie and Friends was featured on Wonderful Day in the Ark-La-Tex. This is a half hour morning show and we were on the August first broadcast. Stan Stava and his crew did a really nice piece on the sanctuary and we just want to thank them for coming out and doing this. It’s always nice to have the opportunity to showcase the sanctuary on television like that. 
Facility Upgrades: Yogie and Friends had the opportunity to present a proposal to the Desoto Parish Police Jury. As a result of the Haynesville Shale bonuses the parish received several millions of dollars and we felt this was the time to ask for assistance for the sanctuary. I went to Mansfield on Monday August 4th and presented our case to the jurors. We feel that Yogie and Friends offers a unique educational opportunity and attraction for the area. If we receive the requested funds from the jury it will get us well on our way to making the upgrades that we need to do much sooner than planned.
Thank You! We want to extend a very special thank you to the folks at Dan-Inject North America. This is the company that we get our dart supplies for the animals. They have a unique product and they recently built us a pneumatic dart gun that holds a specialized dart for the animals. But, the best thing is that they donated the gun to us. So, we thank Paul and Carol Koretko for this kind donation. Upcoming Events:
Bake Sale and Fundraiser – New Location: Our next bake sale is scheduled for 12 September from 11 A.M. – 4 P.M. at Petco on 6596 Youree Drive in Shreveport.
We want to remind everyone that the 2009 season will end on 31 October 2009. Hope to see you before then.
Kroger Neighbor to Neighbor Program: The Neighbor to Neighbor program is back on line. Please download one of the customer letters from our website and have the cashier scan it with your Kroger Plus card the next time you shop. Yogie and Friends will receive one percent of the sales. It is a great way to help the cats. The program is only available in Texas and Louisiana, but that’s still a large area of coverage. Please share this with your fellow Kroger shoppers. Accumulation for linked cards will begin July 1, 09 – April 30, 10.
Feral Cats and Dogs: The problem with feral cats and dogs is ever growing. Last month I mentioned some statistics. We have received several requests for assistance particularly with feral cats. The problem is that they produce much faster than dogs and the city pounds are overloaded with adoptable cats and kittens. One solution is to Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR). There are some animal groups working this issue. They trap the cats and kittens, get them surgically altered to prevent anymore babies, have an ear clipped for identification they have been spay-neutered, then return them to the area they were trapped. Feral kittens are very difficult to tame. Not impossible, but not easy. There are positive aspects to having local strays in the area. They do help keep the rodent population down, but it isn’t good when you have colonies of 40 – 50 cats and kittens who are trying to survive and find food. So, please do your part. Spay and neuter your pets. You can contact the Krewe of Barkus and Meoux about their feral cat program.
Volunteer Help Needed: We can really use some carpentry help to finish the admissions/gift building. There are just a few minor things to be completed such as installing a window and doing the finish work around the doors. If you can do this then please let us know.
A few ways to help financially:
An easy way you can help the cats is when you do your shopping on-line is by using iGive. If you do your shopping on-line then you can contribute by shopping through the iGive tool. Everything helps. Visit www.iGive.com and select Yogie and Friends as your cause when you shop. It’s so easy.
Combined Federal Campaign. It is that time of year again when Federal and Military personnel can donate to Yogie and Friends through payroll deduction under the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) program. If you are interested in contributing this way our CFC number is 42427. 
Coins for Cats! I recently emptied a little piggy bank I throw all my change in when I come home. It wasn’t even full, maybe half so. It added up to $106! That little bit of effort ended up being a nice chunk of change. I gave it to Yogie and Friends. This is a neat way for kids to be able to help the animals with very little effort.
Cans for Cats! Kids can also help by collecting cans and taking them to the local recycling center for cash and this can also add up to a nice piece of change for the cats. It’s something kids can do to help go green and help the big cats all at once.
Check out the programs being offered at Yogie and Friends. There is the Yogie and Friends Membership Program, Sponsorship Program, and Corporate Sponsorship Program. These are programs that help us support the animals and another way that you can get involved. Program packages are available here on our website.
Go Green with our ink jet and cell phone recycling program. Details are listed on our website.
We have several programs for you to help our animals: www.magfundraising.com, IGive.com , Cause ID 19883,www.networkforgood.org, www.goodsearch.com, just to name a few. They are all listed here on our website.
Please remember to spay and neuter your pets.
Also, do what you can to prevent flea and ticks causing serious illnesses to your animals. They deserve your care and kindness. Pest control is a big issue this time of year. Mosquitoes are carriers of the heartworm disease that we see in so many animals. You can help avoid some of this by making sure you don’t have stagnant water around your property, which is a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Give heartworm preventatives to your animals. Get regular checkups for your pets. Also, please make sure you provide all your animals, inside and outside, fresh, clean water and shelter from the elements. Change their drinking water often and make sure the water hose has been running cool water before you fill their bowls.
Be good to your animals. Be good to people! Be a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves.
Jenny and the Yogie Cats!
Posted in Monthly Newsletter and tagged August 2009 Monthly Newsletter, Monthly Newsletter, Yogie and Friends News
July 2009 News
Greetings All!
We hope everyone had a safe and happy July 4th holiday. I am late in writing this because we are working so hard at Yogie and the heat has been so bad. As I write this we are actually seeing the first rain we’ve had in weeks. It feels great and we hope we see more.
Funds for Facility Upgrades: With the new requirements we have to meet in regards to cat den houses and other concrete work at Yogie and Friends we can really use your financial help. Any money you donate is tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law and we are a 100% volunteer driven organization. Nobody receives any compensation whatsoever. It’s all about the animals for us. So, please help us with any financial assistance. There is no gift too big or small to help. We are looking at costs of $100,000 or more and really need your help. We will post the projects on our website once we get the design and costs figured in order for you to see the projects.
Kroger Neighbor to Neighbor Program: The Neighbor to Neighbor program is back on line. The bar code from the old letter will still work, but you still need to bring the letter with you to Kroger the next time you go shopping and have them scan the bar code at the register when you check out. They will then put Yogie and Friends on your Kroger Plus Card and every time you shop at Kroger and use your Plus Card Yogie and Friends will receive one percent of the sales. It might sound like a small number, but it adds up more than you can imagine. The new Kroger customer letter is on our site for you to print out and bring with you the next time you shop at Kroger. The program is only available in Texas and Louisiana, but that’s still a large area of coverage. Tell all your friends about this. Accumulation for linked cards will begin July 1, 09 – April 30, 10.
Bake Sale Change of Venue: Our ever popular Yogie and Friends bake sale and fundraiser will be moved to Petco on Youree Drive in Shreveport. Sadly, Courtyard Coffee sold its business and it is no longer conducive to us holding our bake sales there. Petco has offered their store for us to do our next bake sale, which is scheduled for Saturday, September 12th from 11 A.M. – 4 P.M. Watch for details.
Energy Cost Increases: Well, we got an unpleasant surprise in the form of our electric bill this past month. We were told that prices were going up, but imagine our surprise to see our already high bill increase by more than $200. In the overall scheme of things you wouldn’t think that we use much electricity, but we do run filter pumps to the tiger pools and have food storage freezers for the specialized diet. Those are our big expenses for electricity. Obviously we don’t have heating and air conditioning to worry about. The only time air conditioning is an issue is in the admissions building and that is just once a week and the cost is minimal to run it. This is just one of the expenses that comes with caring for the cats.
Feral Cats and Dogs: We cannot stress enough on how important it is for people to spay and neuter their pets. Some people let their cats be indoor/outdoor pets, but they don’t always spay or neuter them. Well, there seems to be an increase, as usual around spring and summer, of feral cats. There are some feral dog colonies, but more cats. Cats breed much faster than dogs and you’ll typically see more feral cats. The problem is that one litter of four kittens can produce a minimum of 52 cats in just 14 months. That is a big problem. All of this to say, and I cannot stress it enough, please spay and neuter your pets. It’s the kindest thing to do. We are working on a rescue as I write this and will list the family of mom and her four kittens on our website for adoption, but please note. We do not do same day adoptions.
Parties: We get several requests to do parties at Yogie and Friends. If this is something you are interested in doing, then 
please contact us. The parties will be held after we close at 5 P.M. This will give our party goers a more private opportunity.
Volunteer Help Needed: We can use regular volunteers to act as tour guides and someone to work in the admissions/gift shop on Saturdays. We are open Noon – 5 P.M. You must be 16 or older (with reliable transportation). We ask that you are able to drive yourself to the facility so you aren’t depending on someone else to get you there.
Other ways to help us help the cats:
Yogie On-line Store: Our on-line shopping is up and running. We will be adding items as we get them. All the money you spend goes to the animals. It’s a great way to help.
Combined Federal Campaign. It is that time of year again when Federal and Military personnel can donate to Yogie and Friends through payroll deduction under the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) program. If you are interested in contributing this way our CFC number is 42427.
Coins for Cats! I recently emptied a little piggy bank I throw all my change in when I come home. It wasn’t even full, maybe half so. It added up to $106! That little bit of effort ended up being a nice chunk of change. I gave it to Yogie and Friends. This is a neat way for kids to be able to help the animals with very little effort.
Cans for Cats! Kids can also help by collecting cans and taking them to the local recycling center for cash and this can also add up to a nice piece of change for the cats. It’s something kids can do to help go green and help the big cats all at once.
We have several programs for you to help our animals: www.magfundraising.com, www.igive.com, Cause ID 19883, www.networkforgood.org, www.goodsearch.com, just to name a few. They are all listed here on our website.
Check out the programs being offered at Yogie and Friends. There is the Yogie and Friends Membership Program , Sponsorship Program, and Corporate Sponsorship Program . These are programs that help us support the animals and another way that you can get involved. Program packages are available here on our website.
Go Green with our ink jet and cell phone recycling program. Details are listed on our website.
Please remember to spay and neuter your pets. 
Also, do what you can to prevent flea and ticks causing serious illnesses to your animals. They deserve your care and kindness. Pest control is a big issue this time of year. Mosquitoes are carriers of the heartworm disease that we see in so many animals. You can help avoid some of this by making sure you don’t have stagnant water around your property, which is a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Give heartworm preventatives to your animals. Get regular checkups for your pets. Also, please make sure you provide all your animals, inside and outside, fresh, clean water and shelter from the elements. Change their drinking water often and make sure the water hose has been running cool water before you fill their bowls.
Be good to your animals. Be good to people! Be a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves.
Jenny and the Yogie Cats!
Posted in Monthly Newsletter and tagged July 2009 News, Monthly Newsletter, Yogie and Friends News