Moving to a new chapter of my life . . .

After ten years feeling so blessed to come to work every day, I am embarking upon a new chapter in my life. My husband and I have been invited to join the Best Friends Animal Society team and will be relocating to Kanab, Utah. I am thrilled to continue working in the No More Homeless Pets movement, and I am excited to take my knowledge of the amazing work that this organization has achieved and use it to help other communities throughout the country save more lives.

I cannot express how deeply I will miss my No More Homeless Pets in Utah family. Since I was a young child, I dreamed of doing precisely what I do today--helping save dogs and cats. And in saving these lives I have been fortunate enough to interact with the most amazing people. Our donors, our volunteers, our board of directors, our staff, our sponsors, our shelter partners and rescue friends have enriched my life so very much. Every time I look at our 10th anniversary logo, I tear up--no kidding. It says "10 Years, Over 100,000 Lives Saved." I cannot thank you all enough for making this happen, and I am so grateful to have made this journey with you all. I am confident that under the new leadership at No More Homeless Pets in Utah the rest of the cats and dogs, kittens and puppies, WILL be saved....and there are many, many more in need. The talent, dedication, and sheer will of this team will surely make it happen--along with your unwavering support, of course.

Kalinda Solbes, current NMHPU executive team member and spay/neuter director, will lead the team as interim executive director. Kalinda has been a major force in supporting the vision and in fulfilling our mission here for the last seven years, and she will be a tremendous leader during this transition. Lydia Beuning, current NMHPU executive team member and administrative director, will be at Kalinda's side. I have worked very closely with these two talented women and know the organization is in good hands.

Thank you for the last ten years, thank you for your support of one of the best organizations ever, thank you for your continued support so that No More Homeless Pets in Utah will soon become a reality.

With love and a firm belief that together we can indeed save them all,

Holly Sizemore
No More Homeless Pets in Utah

Numbers and inspiration at NMHPU

As an employee of NMHPU, numbers are a significant portion of my job: The e-metric rate is discussed and is a good way for us to measure the success in the state in association with the shelters’ euthanasia rate. The adoptions department updates staff on weekend adoption numbers. After one of our fundraising events everyone eagerly awaits the amounts raised. As a non-profit we are reminded to turn lights off or run the air conditioner sparingly to stick to budget.

Specific to the program I coordinate (spay and neuter vouchers for qualified applicants), I track my spending and payments to vet clinics, I keep tally of how many dogs and cats the voucher program has fixed and how many applications are coming in from each county; I pay attention to certain shelter intakes, euthanasia rates and adoption rates.

Numbers are spoken of throughout the NMHPU office, and I’m quite keen to the conversation. I majored in Economics and have a slight zeal for statistics, graphs and organization, so tying numbers in with my love for animals is a delightful way to make a living.

As with most jobs, there is always a boss thrown in the mix, and this individual can be the key element in the evolution of each staff member and their duties. The boss can also be a detrimental part of any advancement and a cause for staff to dread their job and put their frustrations in place of their passion for an organization’s goals. My boss, Holly Sizemore, is nothing of the latter; she is mostly comprised of the leader that makes me recognize the tangible change in my work when the numbers don’t.

She assesses personalities, as a boss should, and customizes her approach to each employee, thus she captures the attention of her employees and their trust. She uses my statistical skills to evaluate my program, better it and discuss it with the public and with me. She’s a prime example of a director who is extremely knowledgeable in all aspects of the animal rescue world, statewide and nationally, and she keeps herself updated daily. She’s passionate, personable, firm, intelligent, spicy, respectful, inspiring, funny and visionary; she sees the best in her staff and has an elegant humor towards their imperfections. She is the only supervisor I have had that makes me feel important because I am important, because the dependency that falls upon NMHPU is a need that falls on me. With this awareness, I put my best foot forward every day of work--even on the days where the hopelessness of homeless animal realities are heaviest.

After ten years with NMHPU, Holly has resigned and taken a position to assist animals on a broader level; I commend her achievements. Though I am sad to see her leave, I look forward to the statistics she’ll be improving and the great save rate numbers to come out of NMHPU from the legacy she leaves behind.

Andrea Torre
Free Fix Director

We are family

Whilst driving home from a TNR (Trap, Neuter Return) job an industrial area, I noticed the tell-tale signs in a vacant property by the train tracks . . .a makeshift shelter covered with a ratty tarp, a couple of blankets getting soggy in the rain and some food dishes blown about by the wind. These were the remnants of someone’s efforts to care for a group of stray cats. The humans were long gone but of course the cats, survivors in the face of adversity, were still there.

I began visiting them, caring for them, with the intention of sterilizing them to prevent further expansion of the colony. Clearly none were fixed as there was a mix of adults and juveniles. Within a few weeks and with the help of traps, donations and a vet, that had all changed, and over the next few months as they learned the routine the younger members of the now-stabilized colony would come to greet me as I drove up. One group of siblings in particular, led by a male with his three sisters, came to accept my affection as would any house pet, but for these cats home was the harsh reality of an unforgiving industrial zone. So brazen did they become that I would have to slow my car to prevent running them all over in the parking lot. I wondered if the cars of the neighboring auto repair business employees drew the same attention from the cats. Regardless, the cats were endangering themselves with their growing trust of humans.

Then, after having greeted me every day for over a year, the male stopped showing up. Several weeks passed. I had to accept that something had happened and that I would never see him again. Did someone take him home? Perhaps, but it was not likely. Did he misjudge the wheels and end up crushed on the road? That was more believable. Was he poisoned by the antifreeze which was sometimes left in uncovered buckets? Certainly that was a possibility. Did he get locked in a storage shed and starve? Possibly, since this group of cats was living in an unusually dangerous area. The siblings had developed a trust in me and I a bond with them, and the loss of one was a severe blow – another hole in the peppered armor I have fashioned around my heart to allow myself to continue this necessary work in the face of similar losses. The possibility of the other three sisters suffering the same unknown fate one by one was something I was not willing to passively stand by and witness. They were tame to me, so I took them home with no plan in mind except ensuring their immediate safety.


After some time at my house I learned their true personalities. Wendy, the black one, is unashamedly gregarious. Trish, like her disappeared brother, is a gorgeous silky long haired tabby and white, shy at first but a good friend once you have gained her trust and as feminine a cat as you’ll ever meet. Serena is a patchwork of black and white, a gentle sweetheart who simply prefers the company of her sisters. The three of them have been together their whole lives and are perfectly content. Wendy and Trish, though happy with each others company, are not particularly amused by other cats, and though they would adjust to life in a single cat household this would leave Serena alone, shy and unadoptable, her family gone, an unacceptable injustice to a delicate and deserving soul.

So, we are looking for a family with a pet-less home willing to jump in and start an entire family all at once! Darlings all, Wendy, Trish and Serena each have distinctly different personalities and make a diverse, low maintenance trio who will give warmth to any household willing to give them a chance. After the disappearance of their brother, they have become as tight as any sisters could be. It is a bond to be honored and preserved. If you listen carefully you can hear them sing: “We are family. I got all my sisters with me.”

If you believe that you're the family for these sisters, email adopt@utahpets.org!

Jonny Woodward
Feral Fix Coordinator

Reflections on the 15th Annual Strut Your Mutt

The very first Strut Your Mutt was 15 years ago. I remember the day well, even though at that time No More Homeless Pets in Utah didn't even exist and I had no idea what Strut Your Mutt was.

On that day 15 years ago, I was traveling down 700 East, transporting cats to an adoption event for CAWS, a small non-profit rescue group founded by myself and Susan Allred. The day was dreary to say the least; a downpour of rain battered my car as I drove past Trolley Square and noticed a big "Best Friends Animal Sanctuary Strut Your Mutt" banner. I knew of Best Friends, and had volunteered with them on a couple of occasions back in those days. I remember feeling deeply sorry for them. "What a bummer," I thought, imagining that the event was rained out.

These days I know a lot of people who participated in that first annual Strut Your Mutt. Gregory Castle, a founder of Best Friends Animal Society and President of No More Homeless Pets in Utah was there. Julie Castle was there, as well. In fact, Julie created Strut Your Mutt in Utah and was a major force in growing the event from a few hundred to a few thousand participants. She helped start No More Homeless Pets in Utah and made the event a major brand for the organization.

The 15th annual Strut Your Mutt had a couple of things in common with that very first walk: The weather was horrible and Julie Castle was foremost in the minds of event organizers. Julie currently works for Best Friends Animal Society as the director of community programs and services. Though Julie is usually at the event, this year her absence was notable-- she is battling stage 3 breast cancer and could not attend the event. The event committee strutted in her honor, though. Castle's Canine Cohorts we called ourselves and we proudly wore pink for Julie. Despite Julie's battle, she is still actively advocating on behalf of animals and isn't letting cancer deter her from her determination to end the killing of cats and dogs across the nation. We know Julie will strut next year, and for many years to come!

In this year of reflection, I would like to also honor the following individuals, who have meant so much to us here at No More Homeless Pets in Utah in our 10th anniversary year and beyond:

Jared Matkin: Also recently diagnosed with cancer. Jared is an amazing volunteer for both No More Homeless Pets in Utah and Salt Lake County Pit Crew and we wish him the best during his recovery.

Forrest Hillie: Devoted adoptions volunteer who lost his mother Anita Lee Benson way too early.

Julie Memmott: Amazing contributor to our mission since the beginning, who also lost her dear mother, Margaret Johnson, this year.

Johannes Steinvoort: A supporter we never met in person, he was a devoted animal lover throughout his life, and cared for feral cats. He left us a generous bequest that we are so grateful for.

Susan Coulter: Susan was in the midst of helping to raise funds for this year's Strut when she died unexpectedly. We feel so blessed to have know Susan, who so poignantly shared with us what her little rescue dog Gizmo meant to her. Here is an excerpt from Susan's Firstgiving fundraising page:

"Strut Your Mutt 2010 on 22 May will be the 3rd time Gizmo and I have participated in this Walk. It is our way of saying 'Thank you!' to No More Homeless Pets in Utah/The Utah Coalition for Animals--Gizmo was in one of their shelters. Gizmo was an abused dog. With a lot of love, patience, and hard work, he overcame his background to become the cheerful, loving dog he is now. The Veterinarian estimated that he was 2 years old when I got him; he's now a healthy, happy, energetic 6-year old. We are a terrific team. I was looking for a companion, but Gizmo showed me that he can warn me before I have a Grand Mal seizure. He also guards me during and after a seizure, while I'm unconscious. Now Gizmo is my Service Dog, and rides on my lap wherever I/we go. (I am in a specialized power wheelchair.) We are also trained as an Animal-Assisted Therapy Team."

These are just a handful of the dedicated individuals that put so much of themselves into the cause of saving homeless cats and dogs. I offer my sincere gratitude to every one of you who are working towards a time of no more homeless pets in Utah--and across the country.

Holly Sizemore
Executive Director

Meet Kristiina, Our Interim Volunteer Coordinator!

Hello everyone, I’m Kristiina Stromness! I’ve been filling in for Maranda Hawkes, our regular Volunteer Coordinator, while she is out on her maternity leave. It has been a busy first month for me as we moved our office, opened our Cat Adoption Suite and held our Spring Pet Super Adoption. I’m really excited to be working here, especially with so many fantastic volunteers.

Volunteering has been a part of my life since high school but a year ago, it became absolutely central to my existence. I started volunteering for Ching Farm Animal Rescue and Sanctuary in November of 2008. In the beginning, I was feeding pigs weekly on Tuesday mornings, but it didn’t take long for me to get more involved in fundraising--and in early 2009, I found myself as Race Director for Ching’s 5K run. I was completely in love with all of the animals at the sanctuary and was determined to make their first 5K-fundraiser a success.

Without the sense of purpose my volunteer job gave me, I would have been devastated when I was laid off from my job of 5 years last May. As my boss told me what my last day would be, the practical part of my brain panicked but my heart soared--I would have so much more time to volunteer!

I was able to spend my summer caring for the farm animals I loved and raising money for their food and other needs. The donations received through the 5k were able to buy hay and grain throughout the summer; it was so much more fulfilling than the fashion industry I was used to.

When all of the work is taken care of at the sanctuary, I love to just hang out with the animals. Sometimes I can convince a miniature horse to let me take them for a walk. In the picture you can see two of my favorites, Big Ben the miniature horse and Burt the miniature donkey. Ben is the most reluctant of the mini’s, but once all the others have had a walk he can’t wait to go. Every one of the animals has his or her own personality quirks that come out as you spend time with them. That has been the most rewarding part of my work there, to be able to see all the animal’s individual personalities.

No More Homeless Pets in Utah has been very understanding of my commitment to volunteering and Holly lets me come in late on Tuesdays so that I can still work at the sanctuary.

I’m very excited to be working with an organization that has such a strong volunteer base and is so dedicated to Utah's dogs and cats. I was thrilled with the turn out we received at Super Adoption, even though it was pouring rain and sometimes snowing. Everyone that I have met so far has been awesome. I can’t wait to meet the rest of you at Strut Your Mutt!

Kristiina Stromness

Aslan, the Dog With the Irrepressible Smile

It was a good day for me when sweet-natured Henry got adopted in the May of 2007. He, like so many other cats and dogs, had ended up at the shelter but his family never came for him. The staff didn’t know his former name, but thought that Henry suited this energetic and loving lab mix. A few weeks later, another family signed adoption papers agreeing to love and care for Henry. Henry had an air of positivity that emanated from his two-year-old smile that made even the cynic in me believe that it would all work out for him. I smiled as he jumped into the car and rode away to his new life with his new family. In the animal rescue business, you are so excited at each victory, but rarely have time to enjoy it, as there are more neglected or abused animals that need help.

That is why when I got the call from the shelter about a family that had moved and dropped off a dog that they adopted from us two years prior, I did not make the connection. If he were not microchipped, I wouldn’t have thought it was Henry. You see, microchips don’t lie, and that Monday was not such a good day. I remembered that day he went off smiling to his new life. Though this dog—now known as Aslan—still had the hint of a smile, he looked like he’d been through a little more than he could bear.

After I picked him up, I took Aslan to an “interview” to see if he would get along with other dogs at Camp Bow Wow, where we occasionally board some of our dogs seeking foster homes. I crossed my fingers as I watched how he reacted to the pack of dogs that rushed up to him when he entered the dog play room. This must be something that parents feel as they watch their children walk into the school yard on the first day of kindergarten.

His tail was straight up and wagging nervously as the pack checked him out. I held my breath, but soon exhaled in relief when he went down on his front paws with his bottom in the air. The simple action is known amongst dogs as a “play bow,” which is a clear and friendly invitation to play. He passed, and I saw that same smile of his that let me know that everything would work out for him. His smile is contagious and so is his bright, can-do spirit. He is still looking for that family that will keep him for the rest of his life, but he has a certainty that is infectious. I’m convinced that this happy-go-lucky fellow will find that loving family soon, and will keep that positive outlook of his until it happens!

Autumn Wagner
Adoptions Director

Lydia's Film Picks for Cat and Dog Lovers

Being the resident film geek of the office, I'm always telling my co-workers about the best flicks to watch. Because one of my favorite parts of my job is hearing all the great adoption stories from our adoption department, volunteers and supporters, I started thinking about my favorite films that feature cats and dogs. Next time you're at the video store or updating your Netflix queue consider checking out these flicks. You won't be disappointed!

Coraline (2009):
This animated film features a little girl named Coraline that discovers a hidden door to a parallel world where everyone has buttons instead of eyes. All her dreams are coming true in this world, but this world is not as happy as it may seem. There is a feral cat in this film that guides Coraline through the alternate world. He even has a tipped ear!
Rated PG.

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981):
The Mad Max trilogy stars a young Mel Gibson and is a must-see for any movie geek. Mad Max 2 stands out because of Max's companion, referred to as Dog. He's a Australian Cattle Dog who is super smart and loyal--the perfect companion to help Max navigate the post-apocalyptic world in this action film.
Rated R.

Up (2009):
This has to be one of my favorite Pixar films. The film centers around an widower named Carl who flies his house to a remote and beautiful location in South America. He has an unexpected guest, Russell, who goes on a wild adventure with him. One of the best characters is Dug, a dog who wears a special collar that allows him to speak. A hilarious and thoughtful film.
Rated PG.

Wizard of Oz (1939) and Cats the Musical (1998):
I'm a sucker for musicals. I usually watch Wizard of Oz once a year. The film stars Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale, who travels to the magical Land of Oz with her lovable dog Toto. Toto helps Dorothy and her friends multiple times, a loyal friend the whole way through. Cats, the musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber is another must-see. If you can't see it live, you can rent the filmed musical version directed by David Mallet.
Rated G.

What's your favorite dog or cat film? Leave a comment!