The LaStraw, Inc. Animal Rescue Initiative

09/05/2026

Empty Shelters = Lives Saved

saves two lives – the adopted pet and the one who takes their place in the shelter.

As the nation’s largest funded adoption event, helps find families by making adoption affordable for prospective pet owners. We do this by supporting participating organizations with reimbursement for each pet adopted.

This lifesaving reduced-fee adoption event is a Win-Win-Win:

Adopters win because BPF helps offset adoption fees, making it possible to take home a spayed or neutered, fully vaccinated, and microchipped pet who’s ready to be loved for $70 or less.
Shelters win because the event brings awareness and foot traffic, helping pets get adopted.

And, most importantly, every pet wins by finding
a loving home!
https://www.bissellpetfoundation.org/programs/empty-the-shelters/ #

09/05/2026

THE 5 MAJOR MARKER CATEGORIES OF

1. Economic Distress Markers
These signal instability in household and neighborhood economic conditions.
• High poverty concentration
• High unemployment/underemployment
• Low labor force participation
• High housing cost burden
• High eviction rates
• High rates of informal/unstable work
• Low business density or commercial disinvestment
Interpretation: Economic distress reduces stability, increases stress, and weakens community resilience.

2. Environmental & Built Environment Distress Markers

This is the category where and sit.
• Stray animals, abandoned pets, animal abuse
• Vacant homes and abandoned buildings
• Blighted lots and illegal dumping
• Poor housing quality
• Environmental hazards (lead, mold, air quality)
• Unsafe pedestrian infrastructure
• Lack of green space or safe outdoor areas

Interpretation: Environmental distress reflects unmanaged stressors, instability, and declining neighborhood conditions.

3. Health & Behavioral Health Distress Markers
These reflect unmet medical and mental health needs.
• High rates of unmanaged chronic disease
• Low primary care access
• High preventable ER visits
• Low insurance continuity
• High behavioral health need with low service availability
• Substance use indicators
• High trauma exposure
Interpretation: Health distress signals systemic barriers to care and chronic stress.

4. Education & Youth Development Distress Markers
These reflect long term structural barriers.
• Chronic absenteeism
• Low literacy and math proficiency
• High dropout rates
• Low early childhood readiness
• Limited after school/youth programming
• High teacher turnover
Interpretation: Educational distress predicts generational economic and health disparities.

5. Social & Community Context Distress Markers
These reflect the social fabric and safety of a community.
• High violent crime exposure
• High rates of trauma and grief
• Weak social cohesion
• Residential turnover
• Caregiver burnout
• Limited safe community spaces
• Low civic engagement
Interpretation: Social distress undermines mental health, stability, and community trust.

19/09/2023

who's name is actually Christine came over with one of her little kitties today. 🥰

10/09/2023

We meet Dante at Franklin's Cider Mill. He is a handsome boy❤️

08/09/2023

Hi again. I was looking out the window watching these two and was struck by how much both of these two have changed. Jax disappeared 😕 March 6, 2021, Mister believed never to be seen again.

If anybody had told me that I would've cried about a missing dog ever in my life, I wouldn't have believed. I'd never spent every day of my life for 5 years with any animal before Bert and I was pretty sure I didn't like Jax.

He disappeared and I don't know if it was genuine love or guilt but I mourned that dog like he never got in my last nerve ever. To Mister. the solution to a missing dog was a new puppy - girl puppy. No. I wanted my dog.

She was cute, little and spoiled rotten before we received the call from the Humane Society that Jax was found definitely the worse for wear. I will never forget going to identify him and literally falling out like a white woman in the movies when I saw him.

I👏🏾HAD👏🏾NEVER seen an abused dog (I don't watch them commercials and don't move in circles where that's the norm). Jax was such a sweet dog, annoying at times but I couldn't imagine what he could've done to make somebody think treating him the way they did and leaving him in the state they left him in was ok.

The Humane Society staff told us if he wasn't chipped they would've put him down. Oh that just hurt me too my heart. It's been over a year now but today I realized just how far both of them have come.

Tia doesn't look like she was ever that tiny. They are the reason my hair is gray but I wouldn't trade either of them even though I threaten it daily. Dogs really are a gift of you let them be❤️

05/08/2023

17/07/2023

has an actual name, she's Christian and belong to the little children that live on the corner. Their mom had a baby and they put her outside ❤️

16/07/2023

The rain is doing a number on the carrier was in. I just went ahead and wrapped it in a lawn and leaf bag and lined it with some folded puppy pads. I'm going to do something different tomorrow 😌

13/06/2023

miscarried her last litter March 6, 2023. Here we are June 12, 2023, she and her 🌈 rainbow litter are looking good ❤️

07/03/2023