Though good food and plentiful wine are typically all it takes for me to have a good time, throw a few native East Texan celebrities in there and you’ve got a surefire recipe for a great evening.  Miranda Lambert deserves so much credit for all she does to help the HSOET.  She lends her name, her money, her time and her talent to the event, and it’s touching to know that despite her fame and success she is willing to come home and support this worthwhile cause.  Before Miranda took the stage, both the Whiskey Myers band and Kacey Musgraves put on great performances, then Mark Scirto traded his meteorologist’s hat for his auctioneer’s hat and engaged the entire audience while the dollars rolled in.   The food was provided by Villa Montez, and the wine was provided by Kiepersol Estates and Red 55 Winery.

When the time for Miranda to come on stage rolled around, everyone had taken their seat or camped up front in the standing room only area, and all eyes were on her as she delivered a thoroughly awesome show.  As ending time neared, she warned those who were leaving early that they really should stick around…  Even though we should have seen it coming, it was such an exciting surprise when Miranda’s new fiance’, Blake Shelton, joined her on stage for a couple of songs.

It was getting late, and though I was sad to see Miranda and Blake call it a night, I was more upset that this fabulous night was almost over.  We hiked back to the truck and headed for home.  I still smile when I think about what a fantastic time I had last weekend, and am excited about the wonderful friends I met while I was there.  Only 51 weeks to go until next year’s Cause for the Paws!

The Discovery Science Place, named one of the Top 25 Science Centers in the Nation, is a hands-on family science museum that provides cool and exciting educational experiences for kids of all ages.  I think the place is super cool, and I don’t even have kids!  Sweet Discoveries is the major fundraiser for the science center, so as many people as possible are needed to come together for this great cause.  If the tickets are a little steep for your budget but you still want to help, volunteers are always needed at the Discovery Science Place.  More info on that, where to purchase tickets, and other DSP related info can be found on their website,  http://www.discoveryscienceplace.org.

I will admit, really the only thing I was previously aware of the Tyler Jaycees doing was hosting a really cool Halloween haunted house every year.  However, the Jaycees are active in many more community projects and activities, including an Easter Egg hunt for special needs children, the Lindsey Park 4th of July Fireworks show, and the Tyler Christmas parade just to name a few things.

Anyone ages 21 through 41 can join, and being a member of the Jaycees comes with several perks, including social and networking opportunities, both personal and professional growth through leadership training, free subscriptions to magazines such as Newsweek and Self, and the recognition that comes from being involved with a group as large as the Jaycees which is recognized in 82 countries.

Please check out the Tyler Jaycee’s website for a wealth of information on the Tyler Jaycees and the entire Jaycees organization.  Any Tylerites readers out there who are Jaycees, please comment and tell us why we should join!

As we walked into the adoption room entrance, we were greeted by the friendly staff, then Gayle Helms, HSOET Director, came to lead us on a tour of the shelter.  First up was the Cattery.  The Cattery is the cat room, obviously.  I was expecting to see a cold, gray room with wire cages lined up on either side of the wall filled with pitiful faces of sad, lonely cats with eyes pleading to take them home.  What I saw instead was down right shocking.  The cats have what I can only describe as a kitty-cat fantasy play land.  It’s an open room with places for the cats to climb, hide, jump, play, or lay in the sun.  The cats have free roam of the Cattery, and are able to interact with each other as much as they please.  There is room in the Cattery for 25 cats, but there were only about six cats during our visit.

Next, Gayle led us through sort of an over-flow room which houses the small dogs.  Since the dog kennels are at capacity, HSOET did a little creative re-arranging to make room for a few smaller dogs inside.  Past the over-flow room is the main dog kennels.  There are enough kennels to house about 100 dogs.  Each dog has its own bed, and the kennels are all heated.  HSOET employees do a great job keeping the kennels clean, and all the dogs seemed so happy.  Each animal has a name, and is treated with loving affection by the staff members.  Though the goal is to find loving, forever homes for these dogs and cats, Gayle admits that it’s impossible not to form connections with the animals, especially those who stay for awhile.

Revenue for the shelter comes from adoption fees, surrender fees, donations, and Cause for the Paws, HSOET’s annual fundraiser held by Miranda Lambert and her Humane Society adoptee, Delilah.  Adoption fees are $130 for dogs and $115 for cats, and the fee includes spay or neutering and full vaccinations.  The Cause for the Paws event is held annually at Villa Di Felicita, and features great music, wine tasting, delicious food, and live and silent auctions.  The proceeds of the event go directly to the shelter and make up a huge portion of the Humane Society’s revenues.  Last year the fundraiser brought in $120,000!  Gayle says the event is absolutely imperative for operations to continue at the shelter.  Without it they would be forced to close their doors.  Much of the Humane Society’s revenues used to come from city and county animal control contracts, but in early 2008 when the shelter decided, because of ethical reasons, to become a no-kill facility, they were forced to forego the near 40% of their revenue that came from these animal control contracts.  In addition to the revenue lost by the non-renewal of these contracts, it seems our dwindling economy is also making an impact on animal adoptions.  For the month of October, the shelter had 63 adoptions, down from an average of about 100 a month.

Though monetary donations are always greatly needed and appreciated, there are other things the shelter needs to run smoothly.  These items include dry adult dog food, dry puppy chow, dry kitten chow, dry laundry detergent, liquid dish soap, bleach, fabric softener, sheets, paper towels, blankets, large bath towels, and dog leashes and collars.  Luckily, local big box retailers Walmart, Sam’s Club, and Target are kind enough to donate all broken bags of dog food and litter to the shelter, but even so, more food is always needed.  Arguably the single most important thing we can donate is our SUPPORT as individuals and as a community.  Please, go take a look at the shelter.   Take a moment to meet the staff and the animals.  It is a far cry from the heartbreaking scenario I was envisioning.  It is a warm, loving shelter that provides either temporary homes, or in some cases forever homes to animals who are not adopted.

The Humane Society of East Texas also offers opportunities for volunteers to come out and help.  The first Sunday of every month is volunteer orientation, and volunteers are encouraged to come out and help exercise the dogs and interact with the animals.  One of the cool programs Gayle told us about is Hearts and Harmony, which is a program for at-risk teens to work with at-risk dogs and together they can teach each other valuable lessons in obedience, discipline, and respect.

We would like to say many, many thanks to Gayle and all the others at HSOET for inviting us in and showing us around.  I feel like I learned SO much from visiting the shelter, and I hope I am able to pass on this knowledge to others.  After our visit, I left feeling good knowing there are such wonderful people in Tyler doing such wonderful things for our four-legged Tylerites.

Donations can be made online at http://www.hsoet.org/donate/index.php

Members receive an East Texas Striders technical tee or singlet, a 10% off discount card for Racquet & Jog, and discounted entree fees for local races.  Members also get to enjoy various group activities, like the recently held Prediction Run which took place at the South Tyler Trails.  Perhaps the most valuable perk of membership is all the helpful knowledge and insight from some of East Texas’s most highly acclaimed runners.

Anyone interested seriously needs to check it out.  ALL runners whether beginners or veterans are welcome and encouraged to join.  Visit www.easttexasstriders.com for more info, and we hope you join us for a run next weekend!