WHAT’S INSIDE:

UPDATE: ZOE IS ADOPTED! PAGE 2

103 SMALL DOGS TRANSPORTED TO LOVING FAMILIES PAGE 6

TOGETHER, WE SAVED 8,072 PETS IN 2015! PAGE 8

Winter 2016

Paw Prints HALO FACES AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE

At the beginning of the year, I often reflect back to years past and marvel at how much HALO has accomplished and grown. This past year was no exception: 8,072 pets’ lives were forever changed for the better by HALO! This year is bringing some uncertainty that we want to share with you in the hopes that you’ll be able to help, as you have always come through for our homeless pets in times of need. April 30, 2016, marks the end of HALO’s current contract with Maricopa County Animal Care and Control (MCACC). While we are hopeful we can negotiate a revised contract in order to continue the outstanding forward momentum we’ve achieved during the last three years, it is uncertain whether we will be successful. Since July 2015 our organizations been having conversations about our futures. As we draw closer to the expiration date of our current contract, we need to consider the possibility that HALO may become homeless, and will need to call on you, our supporters, to ensure we can secure enough funding to have a suitable location for the animals. We have a small nest egg in savings, but we have been focusing our funding on providing the care that the pets so desperately need, so there is not nearly enough for us to obtain a suitable home. Prior to us moving our headquarters inside MCACC’s West Side Shelter, the live release rate was 55%. HALO’s addition of 53 staff members, hundreds of volunteers and animal welfare expertise was instrumental in seeing the live release rate jump to 78% in just three years! With the successes of our partnership, in our opinion, the best option is to continue moving forward in this direction, but that option may not be available to us, so we must be prepared. If you have been wanting to make a significant impact in the lives of Phoenix’s homeless pets, please consider doing it now! We do not want to lose the amazing forward progress for the animals. With you by our side, we will continue Helping Animals Live On! It would be my pleasure to speak to you about this personally. My office number is 602-506-2257, and email is [email protected]. Thank you and happy 2016!

Heather Allen President and CEO

HALO Animal Rescue

MORE HALO PETS FINDING HOMES THANKS TO NEW TRANSPORT VANS Getting pets out to pet stores and local events is a key to helping them find homes. After HALO lost two vehicles in one year, the Petco Foundation, the Arizona Community Foundation, and PetSmart Charities all stepped forward to help us purchase two new, upgraded vans! The new vans are larger and equipped with refrigerator units that will keep our pets cool even on the hottest summer days. With the new vans, we can move cats and dogs to our offsite locations more quickly and take more animals to local adoption events.

UPDATE: ZOE IS ADOPTED! You helped Zoe recover from a broken jaw, and now she has found a home Zoe had a long and painful journey, but we are happy to report she has been adopted! Zoe came to HALO with a severely broken and infected jaw. Thanks to supporters like you, we were able to get her the urgent and specialized medical care she needed to start healing. After months of treatment and many setbacks, we partnered with All Valley Animal Care Center in Idaho where she received two more surgeries and many weeks of intensive care. She joined her new family just in time for the holidays. We are so thankful to everyone who helped make Zoe’s care possible. Zoe’s new family says she is like a new dog – bouncy and excited to be home!

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Nymeria had four tiny puppies when she came to HALO. So she was sent to a foster home. Her pups grew big and were quickly adopted. But Nymeria didn’t get adopted right away.

HALO Animal Rescue

MAMA DOG GETS A FOREVER HOME AFTER 11 MONTHS! Nymeria was picky about living with other dogs, so it was hard to find just the right family for her. But on her own, she was a lovable goofball and great with children! Her foster family loved her dearly and stood by her the whole way. For 11 months, Nymeria met different families. Finally, just the right one came for her. Nymeria is doing great in her new home. She loves playing fetch with the kids. Nymeria’s story shows how foster families can truly save lives! Most foster pets only need a few weeks of care. Nymeria just needed a bit more. If you want to know more about fostering, email [email protected] to contact us.

BLIND KITTEN FINDS CARE AND LOVE AT HALO When Steven was abandoned at Maricopa County Animal Care and Control, it was clear that something was different about him. The tiny 4-week old kitten had holes where his eyes should have been. Steven had a condition called microphthalmia, which meant he was born with very tiny and useless eyes. We took him under our wing, knowing he might require some special care. Alone and blind, Steven still trusted and loved everyone he met. He was always happy to be held. Since he was so small, we sent Steven to a foster home where he could grow, and we could closely watch his health. Steven grew so slowly. When he was ten weeks old, he was still skin and bones. Then he started losing weight and feeling sick. We were afraid his eyes might not be the only thing different about him. With a few trips to the vet, some medication, and some TLC, we were luckily able to keep his growth on track. Steven was adopted by his foster family who says he has become a happy, chubby kitty who likes to climb in the fridge. Sometimes the pets that come to us are not whole, but we don’t love them any less.

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HALO Animal Rescue

YOU HELPED GIVE THESE ANIMALS HAPPY HOMES! Hi! I just wanted to send this photo to HALO of three of our rescue babies - all from HALO! Baby Jiro (in the middle) is doing wonderfully, and the animal ophthalmologist says his vision in his only eye will not get any worse with age - such great news! They are the sweetest little boys who adore each other, and they bring us so much joy! Thank you to everyone at HALO for all that you do - our lives wouldn’t be complete without these sweet creatures. -Erin Wilkins & family

Hard to believe another year has passed. I am forever grateful for all you do at HALO Animal Rescue. Maple continues to win the hearts of pitbull skeptics everywhere. Maple was adopted two years ago and has brought balance into my life that I never knew I needed. Thank you! Judi

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HALO Animal Rescue

Thank you to Purina and Tidy Cats for providing all the nutritious food and clean litter that our shelter pets need!

HALO and Midwestern University Team Up to Fix Pets and Teach Students At HALO, all our pets are spayed or neutered before they go home. That’s a lot of surgeries! Now, a new partnership with Midwestern University is helping us get it done. The program started in the fall of 2015, and in just a few months Midwestern University’s veterinary students performed more than 90 spay or neuter surgeries for HALO pets. The partnership will continue in 2016. The surgeries take place at Midwestern University’s animal hospital or on their mobile unit. Each spay or neuter is done by a team of veterinary students. A professor is also there to oversee the surgeries. Thanks to their teamwork, the animals and the students have all done wonderfully!

Thank you to all our grant sponsors who helped support the animals in 2015!

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HALO Animal Rescue

103 SMALL DOGS TRANSPORTED TO LOVING FAMILIES Transport programs help pets find homes and open up kennels to save more lives

Rosemary and Gaston were average Chihuahuas here in Phoenix. It was hard for them to stand out from the crowd, especially for timid Rosemary. But in Calgary they were exotic and sought after. In 2015 HALO teamed up with multiple organizations to transport 103 small dogs through a series of road trips and flights. The dogs were taken in by shelters and rescue groups in Boise, ID; Jacksonville, WY; St. Louis, MS; and Calgary, AB where they quickly found new homes. Small dogs are not commonly found in shelters in colder regions, which makes them highly adoptable. The transports also helped open up kennel space, allowing HALO to take in more homeless dogs in need.

SPECIAL THANKS TO: Dog Is My Co-Pilot Pawsitive Match Rescue Foundation All Valley Animal Care Center Animal Protective Association of Missouri (APA)

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HALO Animal Rescue

ADOPT-A-BULL PROGRAM HELPS SAVE THE LIVES MOST AT RISK Lancer and hundreds of other dogs have been saved by waived adoption fees In Maricopa County, bully breed dogs are one of the groups most at risk of euthanasia. HALO is working to change this with our Adopt-A-Bull campaign. The campaign aims to increase adoptions by waiving the adoption fees for bully breed dogs over six months of age. Puppy adoptions also receive a boost thanks to increased marketing of the breed. After a successful pilot in 2014, we set out to bring this life-saving campaign to as many dogs as possible. In 2015, we ran the promotion for six months, July through December. During that time, we found homes for 344 waived-fee adults and 104 puppies. That’s a 35% increase in bully breed adoptions compared to the same months in 2013! Our 2015 Adopt-A-Bull waived-fee promotions would not have been possible without our amazing sponsors: Best Friends Animal Society, Maddie’s Fund, the Petco Foundation, and Fix. Adopt. Save.

Lancer, a high energy, adolescent male, would’ve been at especially high risk in our county’s shelter system. Thanks to Adopt-A-Bull, he was saved and adopted into a loving home.

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HALO Animal Rescue

TOGETHER, WE SAVED 8,072 PETS IN 2015! 2015 was a BIG year, and we couldn’t have done it without you! Every dollar you donated, every hour you volunteered, every blanket you dropped off, every adoption special you shared - it made all the difference.

In 2015, HALO adopted out 7,969 pets and transferred 103 pets out-of-state to find homes, for a total of 8,072 lives saved! In 2015, you helped save 6,590 dogs like Lucky! When Lucky came to HALO, one of his legs had an old break that was causing him a lot of pain. We amputated his leg, so he could get around pain-free. Lucky was full of spunk after his surgery. He loved to roll on the grass and get belly rubs. Thanks to a generous donor who sponsored his adoption fee, Lucky quickly found a home.

In 2015, you helped save 1,482 cats like Spottie! Spottie was 9 years old when she was turned into the county shelter as a stray. Her teeth were in bad shape. She had a runny nose and a urinary tract infection. We took her in, treated her with antibiotics, and cleaned her teeth. Now, this old gal is healthy and happy, living in a home, instead of on the streets.

To learn more about our life-saving programs, visit our website at halorescue.org

15-HLOAZ-0216-N

Main Shelter 2500 South 27th Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85009 (602) 971-9222

HALO Pet Adoption Center 9617 North Metro Parkway West Phoenix, AZ 85051 (602) 997-HALO (4256)

Thrift Boutique 11649 North Cave Creek Road Suite F Phoenix, AZ 85020 (602) 274-3444

PetSmart Everyday Adoption Center 2901 West Agua Fria Freeway Phoenix, AZ 85027 (623) 492-9045 Option 5