In the beginning, there were two stray dogs…
Dudley was the first dog saved by AWF.
In the summer of 2002, two stray dogs wandered onto the property of Mike and Nancy Crist in Oxford Mills, Iowa. New to the area, the couple asked the neighbors if Jones County had an animal shelter. One neighbor said they should shoot the dogs and another suggested they call the sheriff’s office. “We were disgusted at the suggestion of shooting a dog,” said Mike Crist. So they called the sheriff’s office and learned that the nearest animal shelter was in Jackson County. They loaded the dogs into their van and delivered them to the shelter, where the owner claimed them several days later. The Crists went about their lives, focused on completing the Oxford Mills house and moving in before winter. But in the back of their minds, the seed had been planted.
They hunker down and get to work for the strays
In January 2003, having moved into their home in November, the Crists were ready to find a way to help Jones County’s homeless animals. They were appalled to learn that nearly every stray dog picked up was euthanized. While each dog was held for seven days at one of three vet clinics in the county, which acted as dog pounds, people rarely came forward to claim a dog, resulting in the death of many. And while the county paid to have the dogs euthanized, they put no money or effort into finding homes for the stray dogs. Cats fared even worse--when someone called the sheriff’s office to report a stray cat, they were told the county did not pick up cats. “So the animals were left to starve or be shot or hit by a car,” said Nancy Crist. “My husband and I are by nature problem solvers, so we set out to do just that—find a solution for helping the homeless animals.”
On March 30, 2003, the Crists incorporated Animal Welfare Foundation of Iowa (AWF) to help stray dogs and cats in eastern Iowa, with an emphasis on the homeless pets of Jones County. “We had a long list of names we considered for the organization,” explained Mike Crist. “But we quickly eliminated the names like ‘Wapsi Animal Rescue’ that implied our activities were strictly limited to placing animals in homes.” “From the beginning, we wanted to build a safe haven for animals, but also provide a place for education and programs that celebrate the bond between animals and people,” said Nancy Crist. On March 30, 2004, AWF became a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
Bonnie and Stella were among the 32 dogs saved by AWF its first year.
Setting a procedure to save lives
At the time AWF was founded, Jones County had a procedure in place for picking up, holding and euthanizing dogs. So this is the place where the Crists first focused their attention. Working in cooperation with Sheriff Mark Denniston and the county’s three vet clinics, the couple established a procedure that is still in effect today. When a stray dog is picked up by the county, an AWF volunteer takes digital photos of the “Urgent Dog” (so named because the dog may have only seven days to live), evaluates his/her personality, and sends the photos and written description to a volunteer who makes a flyer. The flyer is routed by e-mail to a group of over 200 people who print the flyer and post it in vet offices, grocery stores and businesses in four counties in an attempt to find the dog a home by the end of the seven day holding period. At the same time, an Urgent Team of volunteers networks via e-mail and phone to find an AWF foster home or a reputable animal shelter or rescue to take the dog in the event he/she is not adopted at the end of the seven days.
And Cats, too
While AWF was able to help a limited number of Jones County cats the first few years, the numbers were restricted due to difficulty in recruiting people willing to foster cats. That eventually changed, however, and the group was able to save 40 cats in 2007 and 50 cats in 2008, thanks to the efforts of a handful of cat-minded volunteers who joined AWF’s ranks. “In the absence of an animal shelter, we use a network of state-licensed foster homes for dogs and cats,” explained Nancy Crist. “Without the dedication and commitment of our foster parents, we could not save the orphaned animals of Jones County. We have saved nearly 600 homeless dogs and cats. This is an amazing accomplishment when you consider we have no paid staff and no building,”
AWF announces shelter campaign
In May 2006, the Crists announced that AWF was embarking on a campaign to raise funds to build an animal shelter in Jones County. Over the past three years, the organization has raised $64,000 towards this goal. “We know this is a tremendous accomplishment, but we still have a long way to go,” said Annie Locher, Monticello resident and AWF board member. Locher donated $11,000 in stocks to AWF last November.
In March 2009, AWF’s board of directors knew it needed to re-energize the organization’s shelter campaign. It hired Community Services Group in Omaha, Nebraska, to conduct a feasibility study on building an animal shelter in Jones County. In April and May 2009, over 40 community and business leaders were interviewed to determine whether there was support for a shelter and if so, identify individuals and businesses who are willing to lead or help in the effort. On June 25, a meeting was held at the Anamosa Library and Learning Center to present the findings to the public. “The results were overwhelmingly positive, and we are very pleased,” said Nancy Crist. “Our focus now is on finding land. We can’t move forward until we have that locked in.”
Visit our Shelter Campaign page for the latest news on our building effort.