Paws for a Moment

An ACC Gratefulness List for 2007

By Bonny Corbeil

A new year passes and one of the most important things we can do is take inventory of all that we are grateful for in 2007.
The St. John Animal Care Center has many people to thank on behalf of all of the animals that we serve who are abandoned, homeless, sick, and abused. Because they cannot speak, it is our purpose to be their voices.
To those volunteers who make time to walk dogs and visit our animals, we say a deep thank you. We always need animal lovers to come to the ACC and help out. If you have spare time, please come in to volunteer. There are never enough hands to help us with the numerous challenges of caring for animals in need.

To our ACC Manager Connie Joseph, we say “You are the best!” It is a difficult job that you do, and we certainly hope you know how appreciated you are by the community and the ACC board of directors. To our ACC kennel techs, Joey Danishessky and Pirate Bill, your day to day hands-on commitment to the dogs and cats at the ACC is obvious. Thank you!
To ACC shelter chair Diana Ripley, your dedication to the ACC for so many years now is awesome. You have been the glue that holds our center together. Never a day goes by when you are not walking dogs or giving constant support to the center. Thank you Diana.

The ACC board of directors has worked very hard at identifying the many challenges of keeping our center operational with little funding. This year alone saw us scrambling to organize numerous fundraisers to meet our financial obligations. To our ACC board of directors — president B.J. Harris, vice president Diana Ripley, treasurer John Fuller, secretary Sheila Karcher, Bill Dove, Dr. Elaine Campbell, Dean Baldwin, Nancy Louis, Susanne Kirk, Oriel Smith, Jen Dale and Jennifer Troisi — a heartfelt thank you for your selfless service.

Of course, without you — the animal lovers of this island — we could not have organized and manned these fundraisers without your volunteer help, and of course your generous donations and contributions.

Lucy Portlock has taken over the time-consuming task of “coin coordinator” from originator Anne Marie Porter. Lucy is assisted by both Monica Munro and Toni Laser, both animal advocates. These ladies collect those canned coins and give them to Connie Joseph to count, with the help of her grandchildren, and deposit so our ACC bills can be paid.

There are also those St. John businesses who allow us to put those important ACC collection cans in place so that we can do all of the important tasks of feeding feral cats, spaying and neutering, taking care of medical animal emergencies, as well as a host of other costly necessities that enable us to keep the ACC’s doors open.

And to those businesses which allow us to put those cans in prime locations to encourage your donations, we say bravo and thank you!

At Mongoose Junction they include Big Planet, Bamboula, Sea Leathers, Deli Grotto, Sugar Birds and Hurricane Alley. At The Market Place: St. John Hardware, The Mail Center, Kaleidoscope, Baked in The Sun and Chelsea Drug Store.

At Wharfside: Dreams and Dragon Flies, Freebird Jewelry, Cruz Bay Photo, Low-Key Watersports, Pink Papaya and Connections. Thanks as well to Every Ting at Gallows Point, Pine Peace Mini-Mart and Canines, Cats and Critters. We have to mention that Pine Peace is our “most money” winner, and we have to empty our can there two to three times per week because they put their ACC donation can right in front for all to see!

This gratefulness list would not be complete without personal thanks to St. John Tradewinds for allowing our ACC bi-monthly Paws column as well as the continual ACC coverage they provide for our organization.

To everyone who supports the ACC through either their time or donations, a deeply felt thank you. You are the ones who “Help Us Care.” We look forward to your continual support. You, the citizens of St. John, are the ones who truly put the “Love” into Love City. The very best from all of us at the ACC to you and yours in 2008. You are cordially invited to our annual meeting on January 16 at the Gifft Hill School (lower school) great room at 7 p.m.

You can e-mail me at bonnycorbeil@vipowernet.net.