Happy Thanksgiving to our Missouri Lost & Found Paws community.  Every day, our community is growing larger and stronger thanks to animal lovers like you.

I would like to take a moment and give thanks to so many individuals and groups that enable Missouri Lost & Found Paws to continue growing and helping our communities across Missouri.

Thank you to every shelter employee and animal control officer that we have been fortunate to partner with over the years. We absolutely could not do this without you.  Your partnership allows us to often reunite pets very quickly.  You allow us to tag you, you allow us to contact you, you support us.  You get it.  You get that we can achieve so much more by working together.  Each of us brings a different strength to the table.  Together, we are unstoppable.  Thank you for believing in our mission.  Thank you for helping to spread the word to your communities about the service that Missouri Lost & Found Paws provides.

Thank you to every local business that has allowed us to get the word out about Missouri Lost & Found Paws via our packets of info. Many of you have hosted our Check the Chip clinic, which allows us to educate owners on proper microchip registration.  You have enabled us to help your community.

Thank you to our business sponsors who help us when we need help. Your contributions to help your community does not go unnoticed.  We are so blessed to have you believe in our mission.  Any time we ask for help, you don’t say No.  You say, how can I help?  Thank you so much for believing in us.

Thank you to the amazing individual and company that graciously prints all of our brochures, microchip ID cards and tip sheets for free for us (you know who you are). We couldn’t be making the impact we are today if it weren’t for you.  There is no way we could spread the word as we are without your support.  We are so extremely grateful and appreciative.

Thank you to the veterinary clinics that believe in the mission of Missouri Lost & Found Paws. Thank you for helping to spread the word to your clients.  Thank you for understanding the service we provide and how we can help your clients.

Thank you to our volunteers who come out to our events to help throughout the year.  We could not service our community without you!  Your time is so very much appreciated.

Thank you to our local police departments with whom we are making friends. Their friendship and devotion to our communities enables us to work together to make a sincere difference not only for the humans but the furry community members as well.

Thank you to our communities for welcoming us to hold our Check the Chip Clinics in 2017. They have been highly successful and have allowed us to help owners ensure their pets are properly registered with their microchips.

A very special and personal thanks to the following individuals:

Tina Roe and Skydoe Elfrink, I look back on these last few years of our partnership. Our friendship formed via FB. We finally got a chance to meet, face to face, as a team after years of working together.  There is a very special bond between the three of us, from the moment we met on FB.  We had a trust amongst us which I feel is so unique, considering we didn’t even get to meet as a team until years of working together virtually.  We message each other with thoughts and questions, and *ding*, someone responds.  I am so proud to work beside you. I am so proud to have such hard working, dedicated, strong and influential women as my partners in this journey of Missouri Lost & Found Paws. I treasure our friendship and support of one another. Thank you for all that you do to help grow our organization. I could not do this without you.

To our newest members of our family, Jan Krekeler and Tracy Lynn, ladies, I don’t even know where to begin.  You inspire me every day.  Every single day.  Jan, you have taken on literally a second job in all you do to post the animals shared with us.  Your dedication to help others is remarkable.  So is your memory, OMG! (I really need to take the vitamins that you and Tina take, wowie!).  Thank you for joining our team, Jan.  It has been an incredible year, and I am so glad you are part of our team.  Tracy, you do so much behind the scenes.  You spent countless hours going back through our 2016 records to update who has been reunited, and who remains missing.  This is not an easy task.  Not easy at all.  I am so appreciative of all you do, and I am so glad you are part of our team.  We are a small team, but boy oh boy, are we mighty.  Thank you for believing in our mission to help others across Missouri.  I am so very proud to work with you both and have you on our team.

Annisa Wileman and Kammie Wileman, every time we have an event, you both are there. Your dedication to helping lost and found animals is incredible. You continuously bring forth new ideas of how we can help our communities. You are a powerhouse team, the two of you. I have enjoyed getting to know you both, and can’t imagine this journey without you. I also want to thank Kristian Wileman who gives his time and support freely to help. He probably doesn’t realize this, but I am often lucky to hear about how he has accompanied Annisa on trapping excursions or recovery excursions. He is working hard behind the scenes, and your efforts do not go unnoticed.  You three are a very special family We are very blessed to have you as part of our Missouri Lost & Found Paws family.

To our incredible volunteers who give their time freely to go and scan found pets, your contribution of time and kindness is so very special. This has been an incredible service we have been able to bring forth to our communities, to scan found pets after hours when shelters and animal control facilities are closed. Thank you to Tina Roe, Skydoe Elfrink, Tanya Hicock, Christina Pratt, Jolene Patience, Tony Nichols.

Thank you to each of our trappers who give their time to loan their traps and help lost, scared fur babies find their way home: Tony Nichols, Theresa Pagliai-Didion, Tina Roe, Annisa Wileman, Ken Hebb, Cathy Jaeger, our animal control officers and #teamteddy.

Thank you to my very special mentors, Bev Kreinbrook, Holly Lawder and Laurie Metzger that gave me the courage to start this journey to help lost and found animals. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you.

Thank you to Sue and Harold Prouhet who taught me so much a long, long time ago – ten years ago to be exact. My journey into animal welfare began because of these two lovely individuals. Harold – we shall always remember you and keep you close within our hearts.

I would also like to take a moment to remember a special man, a man I was blessed to have as a colleague at my place of employment and then so very fortunate to consider you a good friend, Keith Turner. I lost my friend Keith so very suddenly in September. Keith was helping me develop software that was going to help Missouri Lost & Found Paws continue to grow. Keith, you were just one of a kind. I miss your friendship a lot. You will never be forgotten as you left so much of an imprint behind…

LAST but absolutely NOT least…

I want to thank our Missouri Lost & Found Paws community.  To have watched my vision and dream of developing a network of animal lovers across Missouri grow over the last seven years, the feeling is indescribable.   The compassion, support and assistance you provide to those with lost pets or those with found pets is astounding.  This network of animal lovers PROVES daily just how much people working together can impact their communities.  I watch as our community celebrates those who have been reunited and I watch as you provide support to those families who have experienced loss.  I believe so strongly that when we work together, no one can stop our momentum.  Missouri is known across the US for some not so great things.  My dream is to put Missouri on the map as being one of the most compassionate states that has community members working together to make a difference for lost and found animals.  And friends, you are making this dream a reality.  I cannot thank you enough for your support as Missouri Lost & Found Paws continues to grow.

WE ARE MISSOURI LOST & FOUND PAWS.