Our Heros

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Our Heros

Meet Daria Benstead:

Volunteer and Special Events Coordinator at Liberty Humane Society

Clays for Strays raised $500 to support LHS

Clays for Strays proudly nominates Daria as its next hero. Daria is someone who loves her job because it allows her to directly help homeless animals. She finds strength in her passion. When we asked her what her typical day is like we quickly realized that it is many things, but it could hardly be described as typical. Thank you, Daria, for all of you efforts to help so many animals.

My name is Daria, and I'm the Volunteer and Special Events Coordinator at Liberty Humane Society. But as with any non-profit organization, your job description is merely a starting point. On a typical day, I'm in charge of recruiting volunteers for adoption events, promotions, and fundraisers. I'm the "go-to" person for anything related to volunteering and fostering! I love my job because it has allowed me to meet fantastic people, and to make friends with the amazing volunteers at LHS. We all have a common goal - to help these homeless animals.

The most gratifying part of working for LHS is not just the great people you meet, but also literally saving these animals from the terrible conditions that they were exposed to before they come to us. When they come to LHS, they get a second chance at a normal life! When I see an emaciated dog walking through the door, or a cat with a broken pelvis, I say to myself "thank God they are here!" because without us, who knows where they would have ended up. LHS will get them to a better life.

It's amazing to me, that despite the bad that you see - the abused animals, and owners dumping their pets at our door - there is always a good samaritan or volunteer that will adopt that animal and care for it for the rest of its life. I see the terrible side of people, but I also see generosity and humanity - and they amaze me with their kind hearts.

In 2010, LHS took in over 1,700 cats and over 800 dogs. We will use the $500 towards everyday supplies that we need: cleaning supplies, food, kitty litter, etc. We are constantly in need of basic supplies like paper towels, bleach, laundry detergent - things that people forget we use frequently through the day, every day.

Residents of Jersey City can help Liberty Humane Society by spreading the word about our shelter. If they see a stray cat or dog walking around on the street, bring them to LHS. It's also important to educate young children that abusing an animal, or raising a dog to fight, is wrong. We are working on getting humane education out to the community and into schools, so that children know from a young age that you must help these animals, not hurt them. Students can collect blankets or do a donation drive at school for the homeless animals. There are a lot of little ways to help!

There have been many experiences at LHS that have impacted me. The most memorable experience for me was fostering a surrendered, male pit-bull type dog, with cropped ears, all black. He looked so intimidating walking down the street, yet he was the most gentle, loving dog that I had ever met. Rescuing him from living in the shelter where he was mentally deteriorating, and finding a loving, wonderful home for him in the suburbs of New Jersey was an exhilarating experience. They still keep in contact with me and send me pictures of the dog and his new "sister dog", living the good life. I smile and cry and say, this is why I do what I do.

For more information on Liberty Humane Society, visit www.libertyhumane.org

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Meet Veronica Henson:

Founder and Director of Helping The Helpless Pet Rescue

Clays for Strays raised $500 to support HTH

Some call her mom, others call her dedicated to a cause, but Clays for Strays would like to call her our hero. With three children, a household to maintain and dozens of animals to care for at any given time, Veronica lets nothing get in the way of her passion and love for animals. Clays for Strays had the honor of watching Veronica in action when we adopted a rescue from her organization to be our family pet. She converted her home into a operational rescue, with constant activity and endless love. No matter the situation, Veronica has never lost sight of her goal... Or that great big grin. Check out our Q&A with her below!

What made you start your rescue?

HTH was founded in an effort to 'pay it forward' after the incredible generosity we received from our friends, family and rescue community for one of our personal pet's extraordinary medical bills several years ago. Duncan was our first rescue dog. I fell madly in love during the 3 hr trip back from the NYC Shelter. Duncan is what turned us on to Pitties :)

How many dogs have you rescued and adopted out since the start of your operation?

269 adopted, and rescued several more. We have probably lost about a dozen to illness in the past 3 years.

What is your daily schedule like - how much is involved in taking care of all the animals you support?

I can't speak for my foster homes or partner who too has had her fair share of rescue dogs and puppies in her home :) But I don't really have a 'schedule.' With 3 children and so many dogs if I tried to have a schedule I'd go crazy! Some of my daily tasks include feeding several times per day which is always a ritual with all of the supplements we feed, cleaning and hosing the dog yard, changing water buckets, cleaning the puppy pen, mopping floors, vacuuming dog hair, cleaning over a dozen dog dishes, several crates and of course at least 3-4 loads of laundry per day. Thank goodness for volunteers and foster homes who devote their time to screening applications, calling references, completing home visits, driving transports and coordinating adoption events!

What has been your most gratifying rescue or adoption experience?

Oh boy, there are so many but there are three that come to mind first: Duncan, Darby and Joey. We learned so very much from Duncan, a stray on the streets, over bred, underfed, rarely loved and ears cropped too short with sheering scissors. We learned about pack leadership, what truly makes dogs happy and what an incredible breed lies in the Pit Bull Terriers. Darby was the most devoted dog I have ever seen, keeping all 9 of her puppies alive for three weeks in an abondoned building near Baltimore, MD. She doted on those puppies, let them nurse to 9 weeks old and graciously allowed anyone to handle them, including my young children, accepting the few moments of reprieve. Joey, found in a dumpster, with lesions on his legs, black, bully and big proved to be an Ambassador of his breed. He is the most loving and gentle, a little dopey :) but full of charm dog I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.

What does it generally cost to care for each dog until he/she has been adopted out?

Oh this varies greatly. The average cost of a 'healthy' dog, in other words one that only needs the basic vetting like vaccinations, preventatives, altering and micro-chipping typically costs about $250 taking into account the above, as well as food, treats, toys and fuel to transport. The majority of dogs come with some sort of ailment whether it be severe like heart worms and parvo or allergies that require various treatments, change in food and testing. These dogs treatments cost anywhere between $300 to $600. We have had several dogs that caused us financial uncertainty and concern as to whether or not we were going to be able to treat their needs. Dogs like Bones who came from the most undesirable living conditions I have ever seen. He required Heart Worm treatment, many mediations and exploratory surgery. A few thousand dollars later we were just happy he found a loving home.

Do you have any advice to those out there that would love to help animals and make an impact in the way you do?

Be prepared! Be prepared for the most incredible heart ache, huge vet bills, uncertainty, grave anger at irresponsible owners, sleepless nights, smelling like puppy poo, spending more time at your Vets then you do at home and a great deal of satisfaction when former adopters show such great support for the work that we do:) Families like yours is what makes our very trying job all worth the while.

For more information on Helping The Helpless Pet Rescue, visit www.helpingthehelplesspets.com

For more information e-mail ariellemorris@claysforstrays.org