The Answers You Seek

Dana 

As you come in to the outside entrance of the Donation Center we have a sign that’s states.

“ All Priced Tags Are Voided. We Set The Donation Amount So We Can Feed The Kitties. “.

We do not put stickers on any item in the Shop. All price stickers that are left on any item came in that way. All priced tags are voided. We set the donation amount so we can feed the kitties. We set the donation amount verbally for each item. We even have a second sign that explains this verbal fact.

Here is a picture of the signs in one shot at the entrance

The reason for the sign “ All Priced Tags Are Voided. We Set The Donation Amount So We Can Feed The Kitties. “

We have had problems in the past with price tags left on items in the Shop because of the volume of items that come in.

So we made up two signs and put them were everyone can see them before they come in.

I do not have the time or the manpower to take off or cover up the all the stickers in the Shop.

So we made the signs and put in front so everyone can read it, before they come in.

At the Donation enter we specialize in Old School Video Games and systems .

We have the largest selection in Englewood and nearby area.

Video Gamers have always support the kitties at Puffy Paws by getting games and systems at the Donation center for a fair market value

Every week I go out and buy old video games and systems to fill the shelves.

From yard sales, Goodwill, other Thrift Shops and the like.

Like I said I do not have time to take price-stickers off each and every game that we get.

Our Video Games start out at $5 bucks and go up according to the game itself and what they are going for on-line.

I go on-line to find the fair market value of each game. I never have charged anyone the full on-line price at the Shop.

I always came up with a happy medium at the Shop One game she wanted was Surf Riders.

Check out what Surf Riders is going for on-line. From $2.97 to over $23.00

CLICK HERE - SURF RIDERS

I paid $1.50 at a yard sale to resell it at the Shop. And I asked her for a $5 bucks donation.

Their were two price tags left on the game $1.50 & $1.79 Which I did not have time to remove.

When she got upset - I showed her the sign.

“ All Priced Tags Are Voided. We Set The Donation Amount So We Can Feed The Kitties. “ - .

I asked for a fair market value for two video games she wanted.

I go on-line to find the fair market value of each game, we have games that are worth over $25 dollars and I can not sell them all for $5 bucks or even under.

With all of the positive news that surrounds our work, I am disappointed that this incident is what seems to be deemed newsworthy. I wish we would get as much attention for the positive aspects of our work in the community.

Thank You

Rick Kingston

Co-Founder Puffy Paws Kitty Haven

Prelude To - " The Summer Of Love at The World's Grest Cathouse"

Are You ready For The Summer Of Love !.Prelude

In these hard  economical  times, when gas prices are rising everyday, food is going up to all new record levels and  more and more people are finding themselves out of work

We all know the personal sacrifices  each and everyone of you make when you donate to the kitties at Puffy Paws Kitty Haven and for this we will always be grateful.

Please only give what your hearts and budget can afford in these trying times.

But something has to “Give”……

Its harder and harder in asking for funds for the kitties from the same 200 donors.

We are in the off-season here in Florida and their will be more bad days than good at the Thrift Shop.

We now have the eBay Store  up and ongoing which will bring in additional funds.

Everyday we have always made it by the skin of our teeth only because of the kitty lovers through the World donating….

But the day is coming when the incoming on-line donation are drying up cause the,  $25 - $50 - $100 donors are sick and tried of us asking for help so much and they just don’t have the funds to give.

It is getting down to the wire everyday.

The 3,000 a month operating expenses are coming due once again.

The $250 dollars a day for the kitties daily needs is harder and harder to come up with.

The begging is wearing thin on everyone nerves.

Chrissy is getting physically ,mentality and spiritedly exhausted in taking care of the 230 special need kitties by herself without any help.

Chrissy hauls in 660 pounds of cat litter around the Haven daily & takes in back out. She washes over 20 cat litter boxes daily. She puts out the wet cat food at 10 feeding stations, She vacuum & mops and dust daily. She gives out meds. She brushes the kitties. She tends to the sick ones. She runs to the Vet and the store for supplies too. She does this day in and day out. She does the work of a paid staff of 10.

Chrissy can not take care of the kitties without funds.

I’m running around in circles always raising the funds for the $250 a day for the kitties daily need and  3,000 in operating expenses which is taking away my ability to upright the Ship for smooth sailing into the future.

As for me everyday. I need to run the Thrift Shop. Still raise funds on-line. Take care of the Media. Run to the Vet. Update the Web site. Do all the graphic art work. Update on fb everyday.

Pick up the kitties daily supplies in the evening.  Pay the bills. Pick up donations for Thrift Shop. Put out the SOS's for help. Take pictures and create videos of the kitties and  the operation of Puffy Paws . Put out all the fires that pop out daily and list items on eBay.

I’m running around in circles always raising the funds for the $250 a day for the kitties daily need and  3,000 in operating expenses which is taking away my ability to upright the Ship for smooth sailing into the future.

BUT THERE IS  QUICK AND EASY SOLUTION ONLY IF YOU GET INVOLVED

Are You ready For The Summer Of Love,,,,  Details coming soon.....

Their Should Be 29 Hours In A Day !

Their Should Be 29 Hours In A Day !

I just received this email and I wanted to respond and explain our situation. I hope I I covered it all !

You wrote !

“ I know you said that you weren't in a position to do big fundraisers, but what about a yard sale at your house or outside Puffy Paws or something? I've seen where alot of animal shelters, rescues, etc have done yard sales & they have been successful. I don't see why you couldn't do that. I just checked & I see that your eBay store is still empty. I don't see where you've done a chip in either. You beg for money all the time, but you don't seem to be doing anything to help yourselves. If you'd show people that you are helping yourselves, then more people would be willing to help you. I can't wait to see if you address this in the next email that you send out. “

My responses is:

I'm not sure if you are aware of the fact.

My job is to raise the $250 dollars a day to take care of the kitties daily needs, plus the operating expensive, every single day.

On most days I work up to 15-20 hours a day to accomplish this.

I run the Thrift Shop. I raise funds on-line. I take care of the Media. I run to the Vet. I'm our Web Master. I do all the graphic art work. I update on fb everyday. I pick up the kitties daily supplies in the evening. I pay the bills. I pick up donations for Thrift Shop. I put out the SOS's for help. I put out all the fires that pop out daily. I'm my wife's venting post. I'm the fixer.

Now my wife works harder than me…

My wife takes care of the 230 kitties.

She works up to 18  hours day because Sarasota Code Enforcement banned all traffic at the Haven.

Chrissy hauls in 660 pounds of cat litter around the Haven daily & takes in back out. She washes over 20 cat litter boxes daily. Every four hours she puts out the wet cat food at 10 feeding stations, She vacuum & mops and dust daily. She gives out meds. She brushes the kitties. She tends to the sick ones. She runs to the Vet and the store for supplies too. She does this day in and day out. She does the work of a paid staff of 10.

Check out the story to see why she has to do it alone.

http://www.englewoodedge.com/2009/11/25/life-has-changed-at-puffy-paws/

Yard Sales are great but we have one better ! It's called our Thrift Shop......

http://www.puffypawskittyhaven.com/id299.html

We are know as Englewood's Strangest Store

http://www.puffypawskittyhaven.com/id319.html

Here are some great pictures of the Shop inside and out….

So as you can see we have enough stock to put on line.

I spent a good portion of the day today, watching eBay videos so we can do it right…..

Joe is with me right now so we can work some more on getting things going on this….

I will not list, and take people money unless I’m 100% sure of what I’m doing……

Now we are trying to find the time to put the stuff at the kitties Thrift Shop on-line.

And do it right…..

And its only after midnight and we are still working at the Thrift Shop  and I only have been going since 5am this morning.

I only spend over 15 -20  hours of my day at the Thrift Shop with limited help from the community.

Here is a letter to the editor that was published last month begging this Community for help and the only help we get is from the Court order Community Service Personal .

____________________________________________________________________

Editor

My wife and I are only two people running Englewood, Florida's "World's Gr...eatest Cathouse." Puffy Paws Kitty Haven is a 501(c) (3) non-profit, no-kill cat hospice & rescue specializing in providing quality a...n...d loving care to special needs cats; we have 100 adoptable kitties that need homes.

Our current help consists of a few volunteers and the court ordered Community Service Personnel. These people are folks who got into trouble and are trying to pay their debts to society.

We have been begging this community for help for years with adoptions , PR, and fund-raising events.

We finally have a handful of volunteers who put on a monthly adoption event but that is not enough; we need more people.

While the Humane Society and other rescue groups in the area enjoy paid employees and a host of volunteers, we do not.

We do not get paid; 100% of all donation goes to the kitties and the operating expenses. Are books are open to the public.

Last year I raised $95,000 by myself, just by asking for help and $46,000 of that came from kitty lovers from around the world donating through Paypal.

The very sad reality is that the only ones who suffered were the community cats that we could not help because we could not take them in and find homes.

You can change all of this by volunteering your time.
For more information call 941-623-8904 or go to our website.

Rick Kingston
Co-Founder
Puffy Paws Kitty Haven

____________________________________________________________________

If you like to volunteer you can from the comfort of your home..

Check out our on-line project data base….
http://www.puffypawskittyhaven.com/id365.html

___________________________________________________________________

Do you need a set of business cards ? I’m a graphic artist  and I  have put in hours of work ,designing each card. That’s how we were able to support he kitties before we went non-profit with 70 cats under our care at the time.

When I can I go business to business looking for new customer ,if someone is watching the Shop.

http://www.puffypawskittyhaven.com/id193.html

__________________________________________________________

Here is a solution you can help us with by spreading the word on-line….

We’d like to invite you to join our Monthly Pledge of Love program…a unique opportunity to make an ongoing monthly commitment to the kitties at Puffy Paws Kitty Haven. Our goal is to seek 2500 new kitty lovers who like to donate on a monthly credit card subscription basics of starting at $10 a month.

Your monthly donations will give us enough funds to take care of the kitties and working monthly capital to properly fund the entire operation at Puffy Paws and put much needed funds in reserves to guarantee the success of Puffy Paws  Kitty Haven future.    The kitties thank you from the bottom of their little hearts.

http://www.puffypawskittyhaven.com/id362.htmlhttp://www.puffypawskittyhaven.com/id362.html

___________________________________________________________________

When I have time when someone is watching the Thrift Shop.  I’m cruising neighborhoods locally looking for junk and unwanted cars.

http://www.puffypawskittyhaven.com/id240.html

We supported the kitties in the summer of 2009 on junk cars alone .

So if you have a car to donate we will take it and have it picked up were you live…
Because we have to send off the final paper work for a national pick up program..
So that will be ready soon….

http://www.puffypawskittyhaven.com/id240.html

_______________________________________________________

Need a job. I’m also a professional telemarketing . We supported the kitties this way through 2006 -2009.

You can work from home also….

http://www.puffypawskittyhaven.com/id265.html

___________________________________________________________

How about buying a T - Shirt showing your support for Puffy Paws..


http://www.puffypawskittyhaven.com/id361.html

__________________________________________________

I can go on and on ……

The bottom line is this…. it about about time and not having enough hours in the day......

My wife and I are only two people doing the job of 25.

The kitties are alive cause I beg.

We need help from volunteer any where in the World -  so I will not have to beg !

But until we get the help we need…

" I will beg for the kitties till the day I die so they will be alive and taken care of…."

Please go to our front page of our Web site and facebook page ( See Above ) for  more information that you need or please call me at 941-623-8904

In Youe Debt !

Dear Friends of the Kitties

Thank you for all what you do for the kitties.

There are two matters at hand I would like to address.

1. On Monday I spoke with the State office over the checks and the lady I spoke to said we have to have the May payment, of 622.04 in on time and than they will take it from their with the April miss payment. It looks like we are on track to make that happen.

2. No matter what situation we find ourselves we have always adapted ,improvise and overcame.  No one can ever say we have not been honest and open in all of our endeavors in the situations we face each and every day in keeping the doors open at Puffy Paws.

Sometimes our truth is brutal if we do not come up with the funds for the kitties and the consequences of our past indiscretions.

Chrissy does not want to be arrested for doing what she had to do for taking care of the kitties. And yes we knew it was wrong and it is very tough time for her.

Yes.  Chrissy and mine lives are a open book. It's a hard life in struggling in coming up with the funds in taking care of the kitties, along with us working over 15 hours a day. day in and day out.

Yet we do it by your love for the kitties.

We have our faults. We rob Peter , to pay to Paul to pay Mary.
We have wrote checks with no funds in the bank, as you know.
We beg for money, week after week.  WHY !

Because Puffy Paws is all about taking care of the 230 kitties under our care. Plain & simple.

We do have limited local support and we are grateful for this.

We do not have the means to put on huge fundraisers like the other groups do.

We can not host cocktail parties, golfing tournaments and fancy fundraisers. We are not in the right social circles locally to make this ever happen.

Our hearts are pure are actions are open to all and we pay the price for this.

When someone gets sick and tried of us ,they simple take their name off the emailing list and unsubscribe from our facebook page.

We are not for everyone. We know that . We appreciate everything that these folks have done for us and when it their time to go and leave us, we just want to let them know will always be grateful for their support and love, they had for the kitties.

We have grown thick skins over the past few years. People are going to say what they want. They are going to make up rumors, lies , gossip about us.

Yet the proof is the way the kitties are taken care of.

Newspaper reporters , TV Crews, other rescues groups all have been in the Haven. The Haven is always spotless thanks to Chrissy hard work.

The cats are taken care of thanks to you and me begging for funds all the time.

We knew that years ago we had turned to the internet to raise funds for the kitties because local support was just not their.

Business and people in our Community seems to treat their favorite rescues group like a NFL football team. They support one and they seems like they have disdain for the rest. Its just a fact that I have lived with for over fours years and have tried to accept this.

Each day we face a new and different set of challenges, the only way we all have been able to overcome these life obstacles, is being 100% honest, no mater how embarrassing the situation is for us personally.

I have see other local rescues groups that hide behind a front. Their misdeeds are kept out of the local paper. With high euthanasia rates and payment of  enormous salaries now and in the past,  by their Board of Directors to the upper management

The Community we live in is smarter than that. They know the truth. It is a small community we live in. Word spreads fast and furious.

Our community does not need a local paper to expose the truth, the Community knows the truth about the groups in the area and this community finally has let it be known of their dissatisfaction with their checkbooks, by not supporting these other local groups.

Why  ! Because they were not honest in their endeavors and hide behind the statement 'Its All For The Animals ' ! It has finally caught up with them all.

Now on the other hand we are a open book and always have been with the Community and our donors. You all know personally by the emails you all receive from us.

If it was not for World Wide awareness about Puffy Paws and your love and the power of facebook & care2.

Puffy Paws would have been closed down last year.

And we will always be in your debt.

I just revamped the front page of our Web site so we may reach out to new kitty lovers from around the World and added more options to raise funds for the kitties.

CLICK HERE - To Check Out The Web Site

Click Here - Too Advertise Your Business On Our Web Site

Do you Need Business Cards ? -Click Here



In closing I want to say thank you for sticking by us after all these years of hardship and keeping the kitties safe , alive and well.

Rick & Chrissy & Da kitties