Sandy is one of the more than 50 dogs awaiting help at the Anderson Animal Shelter. This cat with no name is one of more than 90 cats awaiting help at the Anderson Animal Shelter.

Friends,

Tonight, we at Indiana-PAW have our toes crossed, and we're holding a horseshoe in one hand and rubbing a lucky penny with the other. That's because we're sending you this plea with great hope that you'll come through for the 140 animals whose lives hang in the balance at the Anderson Animal Shelter - a shelter that's asked us for help. And to encourage help, Indiana-PAW is offering two incentives.

Terri Kelley, the newly appointed Secretary/Coordinator at the Anderson Shelter, tells us more than 50 dogs and 90 cats at the shelter are in dire need of help, with the cats at the greatest risk for euthanasia. New shelter leadership has been appointed, and while the new administration is getting up to speed and attempting to improve the shelter's operations, urgent help is needed for an unrelenting and unusually high flood of animals.

At the request of the Anderson shelter, Indiana- PAW is asking that ALL Indiana rescue agencies with ANY capacity for animals PLEASE contact Terri as soon as possible if you can take even ONE animal. As an incentive to encourage rescue agencies to help, Indiana-PAW has committed ourselves to do two things:

1. Indiana-PAW will give a $200 donation to the first five rescue agencies who step up to the plate to help the Anderson shelter by pulling animals, and who the Anderson shelter approves. We're doing this out of recognition for the fact that many reputable rescue groups have manpower and heart to help, but inadequate funding to do so. We hope $200 will allow rescue agencies to pull animals from the shelter who might otherwise have had to be left behind.

2. Additionally, Indiana-PAW will offer transportation to animals from the Anderson Animal Shelter to rescue groups. We don't want geographic distance to prevent lives from being saved. So if your rescue group can pull an animal, but can't come pick him/her up in Anderson, we at Indiana-PAW will help.

If you're able to help, please contact Terri Kelley directly by leaving her a message at the shelter at 765-648-6305 or at her home at 765-374-3361, or e-mail her at pawsitivedirections@yahoo.com.

For citizens who wish to help, there are two things you can do:

1. You can send donations to help these animals to Animal Protection League, P.O. Box 2242, Anderson, Indiana 46018. Be sure to write in the memo area: Anderson Animal Shelter.

2. You can volunteer at the shelter to help socialize and care for the animals. To volunteer, contact the Anderson Animal Shelter at 765-648-6305.

The Anderson shelter is working to bring about brighter days for the animals they serve, and we at Indiana-PAW encourage everyone reading this to help them achieve this.