It's been a busy few months at the rescue ranch since our last update. Here's a quick overview of what's been going on:96 animals have been adopted to date from Starlight Outreach and Rescue this year, including Alfredo, a FIV positive cat who had been at the rescue ranch for more than a year, Eloise and all 6 of her puppies, and Chewy, a YorkiePoo, plus many cats and kittens. See highlights of some of our recent adoptions below! We've added the capacity for 12 more animals by expanding from our "Cat Bunkhouse" and converting our house garage into another cattery. The garage has been insulated and has it's own A/C and heating to keep everyone comfy! Thanks to the volunteers and spouses who came out to the rescue ranch to assemble the new cat condos- Lisa Moguel, Joann Bowes-Taylor and her husband Doug, and Paula and Joe Matranga! We're officially now partners of the Pet Supplies Plus store in Friendswood Texas. The store has a 4-unit cat condo that we keep filled 7-days-a-week. We've also hosted several adoption days there where we've brought additional animals and invited rescue partners such as Bayou Animal Services. Our "Working Cat" program is up and running with processes in place to help find forever jobs and homes for feral and semi-feral cats who aren't adoptable as house cats. Our board made the tough decision to NOT hold our Howl-O-Wine in-person event this year out of an abundance of caution for the health of our friends, supporters, and volunteers. We hope to bring the event back next year. Finally, we have two big events coming up before the end of the year: Our Virtual Halloween Costume Contest which kicks off October 18, and our second annual Purrs and Paws for Santa Claus event, November 28-Dec 4 (details below!). Be sure to follow us on Facebook for the latest on both of these events!  Our second annual pet costume contest is not only fun for everyone involved, but a great fundraising opportunity for the rescue. To participate or vote for the competitors, visit our Facebook Page for more information. Need help setting up your pet for the competition? Reach out to our president, Amy Castro, at Amy_Castro@ictstexas.com, send a photo of your pet and your fundraising goal ($100, $500, $1000) and she'll help get you started! "Purrs and Paws for Santa Claus" virtual event is back!
How can you help? Check out our list of donation needs for our event. If you can provide any of the items listed, please type your name in one of the cells to the right of the item, then send us an email to coordinate pick up. You can also purchase select items needed for donation on our special Purrs and Paws Amazon Wishlist. Your Donations at Work
Lee was found by a citizen on May 2nd of this year. He had a compound fracture in his back leg with about 2 inches of bone sticking out. The finder could not afford medical care for him, so she began reaching out to rescues for help. Despite multiple offers, the finder refused to accept help because she didn't want to surrender him. For nearly 3 weeks he suffered without pain medication or antibiotics until his leg became so infected it began to smell. By the time the finder reached out to us, she agreed to surrender him so he could get the help he needed. Unfortunately it was too late to save him leg. Your donations helped us provide life-saving care for Lee who recovered quickly from the infection and subsequent amputation and has now been adopted to a loving home. Pet Supplies Plus Friendswood - A Great Adoption Venue for S.O.A.R. We have 4 kennels of adoptable animals at the Pet Supplies Plus in Friendswood located at 1720 S. Friendswood Drive. Adopters can fill out our application online and a volunteer can meet them there within 30 minutes or less to finalize the adoption process. In the 4 months since the store opened, we have nearly doubled our adoption rate for cats and kittens. A HUGE thank you to our volunteers who are working to keep the cats at PSP happy, healthy, and clean! Thank you: Tara Abraham, Amanda Lohec, Cindy Hart, Joann Bowes-Taylor, Lisa Moguel, Pamela Towery, Paula Matranga, Kristal Reeves, and Shelley Hyde. Do You Know Teens or Pre-Teens Who Need Volunteer Hours?
Long-Time Foster Cats Finally Find Forever Families
Come Cuddle Kittens, Play with Puppies, and Chat with Chickens |
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Eloise had 6 puppies on March 10th! 4 boys and 2 girls who will be available for adoption around the end of May. Want a chance to name these cuties? Go to our Facebook page on March 23rd to vote on names! We will be posting each puppy throughout the day and tallying votes in the evening.
 Serenity had 4 kittens on March 22nd, two tuxedos, one black, and one orange tabby. |  Verity had 5 kittens on March 21st, four black and one white. |
All 9 kittens and both moms will be available around mid-May. Verity came to us with a badly infected tail that will need to be amputated, but she will be ready for her own home as soon as her kittens are weaned.
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Nova was taken from a bad situation where she was kept tied up or caged all the time. While in foster, we discovered she was pregnant. Her puppies are almost 8 weeks old now and will be ready to find their forever homes soon!
2020 in Review
A Happy Ending
Ronnie (now Milo) was found on the side of the road in Alvin in September of 2019 when he was just 4 weeks old. It took 6 months for him to find his forever home, but it was well worth the wait. His new family sent us an update in December of 2020.
"Milo is doing very well, he is one of the most affectionate cats that I have ever had and he loves his little brother Butters and his older brother Sammy. He plays and plays and loves to cuddle and as you know, is into absolutely everything! We love these qualities about him and are very grateful that we were blessed to have found him and were guided to him."
"Milo is doing very well, he is one of the most affectionate cats that I have ever had and he loves his little brother Butters and his older brother Sammy. He plays and plays and loves to cuddle and as you know, is into absolutely everything! We love these qualities about him and are very grateful that we were blessed to have found him and were guided to him."
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Support us while you shop!
 Shop at smile.amazon.com and select Starlight Outreach and Rescue as your charity of choice. |  Add Starlight Outreach and Rescue to your Kroger Community Rewards on your Kroger card. |
Due to COVID-19, we will not be holding our Howl-o-Wine 2020. However, we will have a week-long celebration beginning November 8th.
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Oliver's Transformation
We love happy ending adoption stories, but we especially love receiving photos from adopters. These before and after photos are of Oliver, now Otto. He came to us emaciated and burned from someone likely pouring motor oil or kerosene on him (an old wives tale remedy that's supposed to cure skin conditions, but usually just results in burning the dog and melting his hair). You can see how "orange" he is in his before pics and look at him now with his new fur! Such a happy boy with a great new family!
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Before we know it, 2020 will come to an end and for most of us, we'll be glad to see it go. However, the animals in our care aren't aware of COVID, the economy, or unemployment, they just care about a warm bed to sleep in, food to eat, and someone to love. Without generous donors like you, we could not continue to provide any of these things and we greatly appreciate your support in the past, present, and future. We know we can count on you to continue to help us make a difference and be part of the Starlight Outreach and Rescue team. If you would like to get a jump start on submitting your year end donation so you don't miss the December 31st deadline, click the donate button below.
Speaking of transformations....
Autumn was found in a parking lot severely dehydrated and emaciated, crawling with fleas, and mostly unresponsive. She was about 7 weeks old when we picked her up and only weighed 10 ounces (about a third of what she should have weighed). With subcutaneous fluids, hand and syringe feedings, and a little TLC, Autumn now weighs about 32 ounces and continues to grow every day! She has an adopter lined up and will be going to her forever home next weekend.
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Our cat bunkhouse got a much-needed renovation after a water leak caused significant damage in two of the walls.
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Our cat bunkhouse renovations are finally complete and it was well worth the wait. Not only have we increased our capacity a bit and brightened the place up, but we have made it more healthy for cats and people alike. All that is left to do is to install our new light switch covers, hang some artwork, and we'll be all done...oh yes, and we also need to move the cats back in. Thank you to all who donated toward this project. We couldn't have done it without you.
We took in 3 major medical cases in September from Galveston County Animal Resource Center.
| Queen (now loving referred to as Grandma) is 14 years old and was surrendered by her owners because she had an open mass on her side they believed to be cancerous although she had not seen a vet in over 10 years. Her mass was removed and she remained with us as a hospice foster for two months and truly enjoyed life here at the rescue ranch. Unfortunately, her arthritis in her back end caused her bones to become very brittle and she ended up breaking her leg just through normal activity. We and our vet decided that the only humane option was euthanasia. However, we were glad to have rescued her from a life of living outdoors covered in fleas with inadequate care, and provide her love, comfort, and companionship in her final months.  |  Willow is about 3 months old and when we took her in, she had a compound fracture in her back leg that was so bad, her entire leg was twisted around facing the opposite direction. Her leg was amputated and her recovery went very well! She quickly adapted to life on three legs, and was adopted shortly after becoming available.  |  Willa is only 14 weeks old and came to us with both her top and bottom jaws broken. Her top jaw healed well on its own, but her bottom jaw required additional time and care to allow the pieces to heal back together. Unfortunately she came in with an upper-respiratory infection and eye infection as well so her surgery had to be postponed until those cleared up; however, she is now happy and healthy and ready for her forever home!  |
Intake is up, adoptions are down, and cats aren't social distancing, so we're up to our ears in kittens.
Although kitten season in Texas sometimes feels like it runs year-round, this year we've really been hit by a huge influx of kittens at the rescue. We currently have 13 "bottle baby" infant kittens who need round-the-clock care as well as a momma cat and kittens in foster, and 8 older kittens and cats. If you'd like to help us get them adopted, please SHARE this email and also be sure you're a follower and share our Facebook Page posts!
You can see photos and get more information about ALL our available adoptable pets by going to http://bit.ly/starlightadoptablepets. Please share this link with friends as well!
 We continue to retain kittens who are now growing up here in rescue due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. Adoptions have been very slow in the past few months, but are now starting to pick up. Our partner organization Friendswood Animal Control has seen record low intake in the past few months for both dogs and cats, which gives us a great opportunity to show our animals there. This not only helps increase the chance of adoption for our pets who would otherwise only be seen by appointment, but also is beneficial for the facility. Although shelters love to be in the enviable position of having no pets (or very few) for adoption, it can cause the public to stop looking for pets at the facility because the word gets out that they don't have any pets! |  Redd Dog is in foster with us at the rescue ranch. He'd been at Friendswood Animal Control since January without being shown to the public due to perceptions that he was aggressive. However, we've since discovered that although Redd is sometimes fearful of new people and situations, he's a very friendly, obedient, and smart dog who will make a wonderful pet for an individual or family with older children. Redd is also great with other dogs and does well with cats too. We're working with FAC to find the right home for Redd, but in the interim, he'll spend his time here at the rescue ranch instead of in a kennel. |
COMING SOON!!
SHELTER ME: The Starlight Outreach and Rescue Capital Campaign
It has become increasingly obvious that we've outgrown our capacity here at the rescue ranch since moving in mid-March 2018. We currently have cats in what used to be our office and have also converted our garage to a pet facility to make room for more pets.
SHELTER ME: The Starlight Outreach and Rescue Capital Campaign
It has become increasingly obvious that we've outgrown our capacity here at the rescue ranch since moving in mid-March 2018. We currently have cats in what used to be our office and have also converted our garage to a pet facility to make room for more pets.
Our plan is to build an approximately 2300 sf building that will contain a cat room, education/dog training room, and dog room as well as a multi-purpose room for bathing and food prep as well as storage. We currently have just under $10,000 saved for this venture but will need to raise $140,000 more to build the facility. (Note: building photo is just a visual representation - not the actual building)
Please stay tuned for more information about this fundraising effort. If you're interested in becoming a sponsor of the building construction either with in-kind donations of materials or goods, or you'd like to learn more about having a room or area named for a family member or beloved pet, please contact us. Again, more information will be coming soon!
(Actual current draft of the interior layout)
(Actual current draft of the interior layout)
Hello Friends and Supporters,
In 2019, we cared for 158 animals at Starlight Outreach and Rescue. This year we're on track to help many more. To date, we've rescued 126 animals and there's still 4.5 months left in the year. I wanted to share just a few of their stories so you'll know more about the animals you've helped save.
In 2019, we cared for 158 animals at Starlight Outreach and Rescue. This year we're on track to help many more. To date, we've rescued 126 animals and there's still 4.5 months left in the year. I wanted to share just a few of their stories so you'll know more about the animals you've helped save.
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Panda and Pandita came to our attention when a family found Panda chained to a tree without food or water in the yard of a next-door neighbor who had moved out of the home, leaving Panda behind. They were asking for help to give Pandita, the puppy, a home, but we couldn't leave Panda behind when we met her. Despite the family's care, she was emaciated and about 20lbs underweight. We fattened her up and cared for her and her puppy. Both have found wonderful homes!
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Buddy was pulled from an animal control facility that likely would have euthanized him because he was fearful and could be snappy when scared. After working with him for several months, we found just the right adopter for him and he's happily living in Austin. Titus was brought to our attention by a citizen who found him with a badly wounded leg that had been "degloved" and left without any skin. We cared for Titus for several months and he spent weeks in the veterinary hospital receiving care for his wounds. When he finally recovered, he was adopted by a sweet lady who was willing to work with his shyness (he'd been through a lot and was very wary of new situations) and now he's a beloved family member!
| Baby Dahlia was the runt of her litter and was either born with a deformed leg or lost it shortly after birth. She's a feisty girl who was still trying to get around on the end of her "nub" which was not only awkward, but painful as well. The wound at the end of her nub would not heal and was a constant open wound at risk for infection. We took Dahlia and her 8 siblings in and took her to the vet for evaluation. It was decided the best action would be to amputate her leg. Once Dahlia was healed, she was quickly adopted by someone who adopted a deaf kitten from us previously. They were willing to take on another special needs pet and Dahlia is now living a wonderful life with her adopted brother. |  |
 | Angelina was surrendered to us because her owner lost her job and was losing her home as well. Angelina had issues using her litter box while with her owner as well. After working with her on litter box training for about 4 months, she was reliably using her litter box and is now being spoiled in her new home. |
All these animals and all the others we've been able to help despite all the challenges of 2020 have been because of the support of people like you.
Thank you for caring for the helpless animals of this world. We couldn't do what we do without you!
Thank you for caring for the helpless animals of this world. We couldn't do what we do without you!
Amy Castro, President, Starlight Outreach and Rescue
Since our last emailing in July- things have really been busy at Starlight Outreach and Rescue. In August, we hit our highest headcount ever with 47 foster animals here at the ranch - and that number doesn't include our permanent resident rescue animals. We've had dogs, momma cats with babies, bottle babies, injured kittens and more. Several have been adopted, but we still have 33 in residence who are either available, or not ready to be adopted due to illness, injury, or just being too young.
If you'd like to help us get the word out about our pets, please SHARE this email and also be sure you're a follower and share our Facebook Page posts!
If you'd like to help us get the word out about our pets, please SHARE this email and also be sure you're a follower and share our Facebook Page posts!
 Titus came to us after a good Samaritan found him injured and in obvious pain from a partial de-gloving injury to his leg. He's had surgery to repair the injury and will need several more follow-up vet visits before he will be available for adoption. His medical bills so far have been more than $365 and we've received $125 in donations for him which have helped a lot!  |  We currently have 33 cats and kittens in our care, including these sweeties. Nymeria is actually a rare Albino Siamese mix. She'll need an adopter who understands Albinism and the special care she may need.  Sweet Ella is our most recent intake. She was abandoned with a babysitter by her owner. She's 7-8 years old and is a Chiweenie (Chihuahua/Dachshund mix). We took her to the vet this week and she's heart-worm negative, spayed, and up to date on shots. Her teeth however are in terrible condition and she'll need a dental treatment this coming week. After that, she'll be ready for adoption. She's great with kids, dogs, and cats, so she'd make a great addition to any family. |
SOAR Helps Save Chihuahua "Drop Kicked" For Fun
Abusers Face Charges Because We Took Action
Just a week ago, we were contacted by a pet owner who said her dog had "injured" her ribs while in the care of a "friend". After further investigation, it was determined that the dog was KICKED by the person who was supposed to be caring for the dog. He even bragged about "drop kicking" this tiny 10-pound-dog on social media.
The owner did not have transportation or money to take the animal to the vet, so we stepped in and helped out by arranging for a vet visit and x-rays. It turned out this poor dog had 8 broken ribs and other internal injuries, including blood in her lungs that reduced her lung capacity to 75%. SOAR also contacted animal control in the owner's town and the abusers have been identified and legal action against them has begun.
The dog is recuperating, but will need at least two follow up treatments with the vet before she is fully recovered. Thank you to Family Animal Hospital in Friendswood for providing the medical treatment for this baby!
The owner did not have transportation or money to take the animal to the vet, so we stepped in and helped out by arranging for a vet visit and x-rays. It turned out this poor dog had 8 broken ribs and other internal injuries, including blood in her lungs that reduced her lung capacity to 75%. SOAR also contacted animal control in the owner's town and the abusers have been identified and legal action against them has begun.
The dog is recuperating, but will need at least two follow up treatments with the vet before she is fully recovered. Thank you to Family Animal Hospital in Friendswood for providing the medical treatment for this baby!
Our Most Recent Adoption - Maple!
Maple was returned to us a few weeks ago because her owner found out he was allergic to cats. We quickly put Maple back on our adoption sites and she was just adopted again yesterday! Congratulations Maple!
A big thank you to our sponsors and donors who have contributed toward underwriting our FIRST ANNUAL Howl-O-Wine fundraiser!
$400 T-shirt Sponsors
Linda Tuck - State Farm
Molly Maid of Greater Clear Lake (Renu and Brett Bonner)
Green and Associates, Realtors - Sharon Green, Broker/Owner
Studio B Fine Art Portraits (Cassi and Richard Beard)
$200 Photo Booth Sponsor
Mickey and Bob Meehan
Family Animal Hospital
$100 Wine Pull Sponsors
Bay Area Pilates TX (Cristie Anton)
Linda Tuck - State Farm
Molly Maid of Greater Clear Lake (Renu and Brett Bonner)
Luna's Mexican Restaurant (Ivonne and Zahid Khan)
Pam Culpepper
Beverly Baldwin
Diane Vest
(Lots of sponsor options still available)
Silent Auction Donors
Radio Systems Corporation
Bark Box
Sandy Davenport
Angelo's Pizza and Pasta (Kathy and Angelo Viscariello)
Beyond Beaute Day Spa and Wellness Retreat (Shirley Terry-Lopez)
If you or your company would like to donate an item or service for our silent auction, please reply to this email!
We hope everyone will be able to join us for the event.
There will be wine and food (of course), a silent auction, wine pull, a pet costume contest judged by Friendswood Mayor Mike Foreman and Dr. Zoo of Family Animal Hospital in Friendswood.
You'll even be able to get your picture taken with a UNICORN!
Whether you want to compete in the pet costume contest or not, we welcome you to bring well-behaved dogs in costume and get their photos taken by a professional photographer!
$400 T-shirt Sponsors
Linda Tuck - State Farm
Molly Maid of Greater Clear Lake (Renu and Brett Bonner)
Green and Associates, Realtors - Sharon Green, Broker/Owner
Studio B Fine Art Portraits (Cassi and Richard Beard)
$200 Photo Booth Sponsor
Mickey and Bob Meehan
Family Animal Hospital
$100 Wine Pull Sponsors
Bay Area Pilates TX (Cristie Anton)
Linda Tuck - State Farm
Molly Maid of Greater Clear Lake (Renu and Brett Bonner)
Luna's Mexican Restaurant (Ivonne and Zahid Khan)
Pam Culpepper
Beverly Baldwin
Diane Vest
(Lots of sponsor options still available)
Silent Auction Donors
Radio Systems Corporation
Bark Box
Sandy Davenport
Angelo's Pizza and Pasta (Kathy and Angelo Viscariello)
Beyond Beaute Day Spa and Wellness Retreat (Shirley Terry-Lopez)
If you or your company would like to donate an item or service for our silent auction, please reply to this email!
We hope everyone will be able to join us for the event.
There will be wine and food (of course), a silent auction, wine pull, a pet costume contest judged by Friendswood Mayor Mike Foreman and Dr. Zoo of Family Animal Hospital in Friendswood.
You'll even be able to get your picture taken with a UNICORN!
Whether you want to compete in the pet costume contest or not, we welcome you to bring well-behaved dogs in costume and get their photos taken by a professional photographer!
Although kitten season in Texas sometimes feels like it runs year-round, this year we've really been hit by a huge influx of kittens both at the rescue and at our partner organization, Friendswood Animal Control. At the rescue ranch alone, we currently have more than 25 cats and kittens in our Cat Bunkhouse. If you'd like to help us get them adopted, please SHARE this email and also be sure you're a follower and share our Facebook Page posts!
 Guinevere, our resident kitten "momma" is great at taking care of the baby kittens at the rescue ranch. She doesn't mind sharing her bed or giving the babies a little "clean up" after they eat! Not only is she a help after meal times, but Guinevere and the other resident dogs and cats at the rescue ranch are great for helping socialize our adoptable pets, which makes our kittens and other rescues more adoptable! |  A big "thank you" to Dr. Zoo and her staff at Family Animal Hospital in Friendswood for allowing us to showcase some of our kittens in their lobby. Two kittens, Charlie and Freya, have been adopted so far. If you'd like to meet the others on display there, be sure to drop by FAH at 1 Oaktree Street in Friendswood! |
Mark your calendar and be sure to join us for our FIRST ANNUAL fundraiser benefiting S.O.A.R., and Friendswood Animal Control! There will be wine and food (of course), silent auctions, a wine pull, pet costume contests, and more. Bring your dog in costume and get his/her photo taken by a professional photographer!
