BIG Dream

There has been a particular theme here at the daily dose blog this week (and last week, too).  I have been pushing for homes for my newest Winnie’s Wishers.  I’m back to bigger numbers in the cathouse so getting wonderful homes moves to the top of the list of priorities around here.  When I returned to blogging after my mom’s heart attack, I mentioned that I wanted to ask a favor of you.  It involves a BIG dream of mine.  Some of you who have been reading this blog for a while know that I had a dream to expand my cathouse.  It was very small when we first built it, and I wanted to expand it so I could more than double the number of cats and kittens I could save.  With the help of my wonderful family and friends (YOU!), I was able to realize my dream of more than doubling the size of my cathouse.  I had another dream.  This one was to get the stories from my blog into book form.  I knew that if I could ever do it, a book could provide another source of income to keep the rescue work going and still pay the bills.  And now the book is in print.  So . . .    I have another dream - a big one.  HUGE, in fact.  But hey - I’m gonna go with the saying  “Why wish for a loaf of bread when you can wish for the grocery store?”  I’m going for the grocery store this time.

I need to continue to be able to cover the high costs of rescue work.  That takes more income.  If I sell more books, I will have more income.  SO - I need to sell more books. But it doesn’t stop there (remember I’m wishing for the grocery store here).  If I could sell LOTS more books, I could keep up with the current costs AND I COULD DO MORE.  Here’s the dream.  Sell enough books to replace my kennel business income.  I could stop boarding and use the kennel as continuous foster care for dogs.  It would be perfect for that!  We do it anyway during the Winter when I have less business and open runs.  If I could sell lots and lots of books - enough to replace my kennel income - I could stop boarding and start fostering year-round.  If I could sell LOTS and LOTS of books - I could help Older Daughter save the dogs from the pound who have no place to go because the shelter is full and can only take so many.  I would have the perfect building and enough income to save the dogs who end up being euthanized because they have no place to go.   Wait.  It gets better.  If I could sell LOTS and LOTS of books, that would mean LOTS and LOTS more folks would learn about Winnie’s Wish which would increase the chances of wonderful homes for the kitties here.  And even though I would be “fostering” the dogs in my kennel building, I could invite folks who read about my work to adopt a foster dog from here.

I’ve looked at this logically.  My blog has anywhere from 100 to 150 readers during the week.  With only that small number of readers, in two years FIFTEEN homes have opened their doors to Winnie’s Wish kitties.  FIFTEEN readers of this blog have adopted from us (sometimes more than once)!  What if book sales suddenly took off, and one thousand readers became aware of Winnie’s Wish?  What if FIVE thousand did?  The more people who become aware of what I’m doing here, the bigger the pool of wonderful people who could become potential adopters.

OK.  You probably weren’t reading that with the same urgency with which I was typing it.  I’m nearly out of breath.  So let me calm down here for a minute and say this.  You guys have been the best support system and cheering section a person could ever have.  You have been on this journey with me sharing not just the pain but also the joy, the mountain-high joy when some furry creature is saved from a life of struggle and brought to a life of love.  I know you guys have ideas and I know the lengths to which you will go in order to make something wonderful happen for the little lives we save here.  SO - I need to sell more books.  It is the key to the dream.  My book has to come to the attention of someone of influence who is willing to announce it, tweet it, review it, something.  I know the book I wrote is not amazing or life-altering or anything of the sort.  But I know there are animal lovers out there who would read the stories of rescue and want to help.  I just have to reach them. 

I have emailed and written letters to some people of influence and asked them to read the book and discover private animal rescue.  I know that sounds silly.  Obviously, people of influence aren’t going to pay any attention to mail from (very small) me.   Mine is one of thousands of emails and letters for sure.  But maybe if you join me and the name of the book keeps showing up over and over - someone in an office somewhere will say - “Wait - this book daily dose . . . it’s sticking in my head for some reason.  I should look into it.”  There are plenty of animal-loving people of influence - Ellen Degeneres, Bob Barker, Betty White, Oprah Winfrey, Anderson Cooper, Jada Pinkett Smith, Rachael Ray to name a few.  Anybody got any ideas about how to grab the attention of an animal-lover of this stature?

It was actually my wonderful mother who said I should ask my blog readers for help.  She said by reading your comments of support over the months, she feels certain that you guys would go the extra mile and help me any way you could to get the book noticed enough to bring more readers . . . .  (and with them more income and more homes which means saving more animals).  I want to save more.  Knowing of the demise of the pound dogs and leaving behind the Florida feral cat colonies, I realize I WANT TO SAVE MORE DOGS AND CATS.  I could just leave it all to chance and continue to wish I could save more.  But I believe in “going for it” because you never know if you don’t try.     So that’s the BIG dream.  Some of you who read my blog seem to want my work to succeed as much as I want it to.   That by itself is inspiring.  To those of you who continue to ask me what you can do to help . . . 

Anybody willing to send a letter or an email?       

Here are some physical addresses and email addresses of some (very) influential people who love animals.  Or maybe one of these people is a close friend of yours - put in a good word for me, would you?

Rachael Ray
132 E. 43rd St., PO Box 543, New York, NY 10017
showcomments@rachaelrayshow.com


Ellen Degeneres Website is:
http://ellen.warnerbros.com/  There is a place to “email ellen”.

The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Telepictures Productions, 3000 West Alameda Avenue, Suite 2700, Burbank, CA 91523


Bob Barker
The DJ&T Foundation, 200 North Larchmont Boulevard, Suite 3, Los Angeles, CA 90004


Opray Winfrey
O Magazine, 300 W 57th Street, Floor 36, New York, New York 10019-3741.

Oprah Winfrey Harpo Studios, Inc. 1058 West Washington Blvd. Chicago, IL 60607

Oprah’s website is     www.oprah.com


Jada Pinkett Smith has a Facebook page.


Betty White, P.O. Box 491965, Los Angeles, CA 90049
OR
Agency for the Performing Arts L.A., 405 S Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, CA  90212-4425


Anderson Cooper has a website for his show.   www.andersoncooper.com

 

I know everybody in the world is so very busy.  But I also know that a bunch of you people are crazy about animals and take real satisfaction in knowing you've helped to save the scared, sick, and homeless ones.  So I'm asking for your help.  I want you to help me set up a future that increases the number of dogs and cats that can be saved.  You guys are the team around the core of this thing.  You've been with me through thick and thin.  Now we need a bigger pool of help and homes.  Thanks for anything you're willing to do.

Have a great weekend!

Comments

[Random Felines]

I have another idea - email http://www.catsparella.com/ - I did to ask her just a dumb question about her website and she was WONDERFUL. She has quite the audience as well.

[Ginny & The F'ur Family]

This is a great idea. I would love to write letters and send e-mails to famous people in fact I am going to print out the .coms you listed and or write a letter. Every one loves animals who is going to benefit by reading what you want to do with the kennel. Wonderful Idea. I will mention names can we give out your e mail address? let us know. Your book has your physical address listed and what you do ... sell books - buy books and the answer will come ... Ginny & The Fur FAmily

[candace nagle]

Also you might want to give a copy of your book to Ingrid at http://consciouscat.net/ She does book reviews on her site quite often. Another celebrity to contact would be Doris Day http://ddaf.org/dd/
Doris Day gave a grant to Muttville in S.F for their rescue of elderly dogs http://www.belladogmagazine.com/humane-hearts/746-doris-day-animal-foundation-provides-grant-to-muttville-senior-dog-rescue-of-san-francisco-for-their-work-in-rescuing-senior-dogs

I will keep thinking and dreaming with you! Candace

[Andrea and the Celestial Kitties]

That's a great idea! They're bound to take notice if a bunch of people send them the same message! Or even the book itself. Anyone got a few extra dollars to buy the book and send it to a celebrity listed there? That would do two things, get the book in their hands and give Chrystal the profits! (I'm vet billed out at the moment, or I would jump on this for at least one book) Or maybe we can pool together for a few books? Think about it, lets see what we can do.

While you're thinking about spreading the word, if you are on facebook, when Chrystal posts about kitties needing homes or her daily post, hit share, then all your friends get the message. Add a note asking your friends to share it, even if only one or two do, that's another group of people who see.

Oh! And think about homes for those kitties! Oh! And donate if you can! Oh! If you don't already have a book, please buy one! Oh! I love you guys too! :D

[Julie]

Chrystal, how would you feel about being nominated for CNN Heroes?

[Ginny & The F'ur Family]

I sent a long letter to Ohrah and one to Rachael Ray and also e- mails - I figure someone out there must read their letters and e-mails for them - I am sure they don't have time to go through all the comments word by word but yet just maybe they will - tomorrow I go on down the list - great idea and Andrea is right about getting the book actually in their hands - I told them how to buy the book at both places and that is trusting they will or at least get a copy - If only we knew an address where they would see a book if one was sent. - keep working gang - the Force be with you ... Ginny & The Fur Family

[Kat & the Teenage Mutant Ninja Kitty Horde]

Of COURSE I'm on the bandwagon!! Not only that but I'm reposting your post on my facebook so that my friends will join in! This needs to happen! You have the VERY BEST rescues in the world and I feel so very lucky and honored to have one of your cats!!

Kat & the Teenage Mutant Ninja Kitty Horde

[Cat's Cats]

Big dreams can come true!!!

[Ginny & The F'ur Family]

HAPPY FRIDAY 13 th to all. I just sent an email to the Doris Day animal foundation and also a letter to her California address asking for a mention or Chrystals book in her news letters and asking if she could be put in the running for a grant to help save the homeless animals - Me and thousands of others- but Hey! our chances are as good as any and better than most because we have a genuine star rescuer and book Author behind our inquires. keep up the march to victory - we must not give up the good fight for book sales that make money to save more furies . love to all and have a good night -- Ginny & The Fur Family

[Ginny & The F'ur Family]

Found a place on Ellens web site for the show to leave a message or comment for Ellen's show. I do think she will get it or some of her loyal staff will read it. Portia her wife or other half loves dogs and that is where Ellen gets a lot of feed back about animals. Sunday is damp and humid here in Fur a Way land but the farmers sure need the rain. Happy Sunday and keep writing and e- mailing,twittering and face booking and some where some one will put our promotion of the book on the air.... Prayers for that cause... Ginny & The Fur family

[Bellen]

Have you talked to bookshops in your district? They may be receptive to spotlighting a local author, especially one dedicated to helping animals. People may be interested in a writer who come from their area.