Amy’s brother came to Plano and picked up linens for his sister’s rescue in Pennsylvania and shipped them on her behalf. WOOHOO!!

Subject: Sharing some pix of the good you have done in Pennsylvania for the cats! Thanks for the linens!!!!!!!!

Click here to see the pictures!

Click here to see more pictures!

Thanks to you we had a successful trap week, fixing 103 cats on Thursday!

You were truly the HERO because the heat in the building went on the blink and cats Must be kept warm after surgery/anaesthesia!

While the plumber worked his magic with the heater, your warm blankets and towels and sheets kept the cats warm until heat was restored.

Thank you for what you do!!!

A donation is on its way via US postal mail

Amy

Steelton Borough Community Cats

It all started with tennis balls.

Several years ago, Plano resident Lori Birdsong was playing tennis at a local club and noticed that staff members were discarding tennis balls deemed too worn for use at the club. Birdsong asked if she could have the balls, then packaged them up in baskets to deliver to local animal shelters. She figured each adopted animal could go home with a new “toy” as part of an adoption.

But while visiting shelters to drop off the balls, Birdsong was told that toys were fine, but what shelters really needed were linens for the animals. Shelter workers said there is always a shortage of sheets and blankets to line cat and dog cages, and towels and incontinence pads to help with messes and cleanups.

And with that, the idea for Linens for Animals was born. Birdsong did some research and discovered that regional laundry facilities usually handle all laundry services for hospitals, nursing homes, and other care centers. Birdsong started making phone calls and pounding the pavement looking for donations. Birdsong has since built relationships with linens services ensuring a steady supply of much-needed items. She takes linen orders from shelters and rescue groups via her website—linensforanimals.org—then places orders with her linen facilities contacts each week. Then, once per week, those needing linens either meet Birdsong at a linen facility or come to Birdsong’s Plano home to pick up their orders.

“We have acquired and donated almost 2 million pounds of hospital sanitized linens to date,” she said. “Almost 2,000 wildlife rehab facilities and rescue groups in 19 states have benefited. Our mission is to provide comfort to animals in need.”

In addition to her work in the North Texas area, Birdsong is passionate about serving animals across the country, and she’s eager to teach others her process of collecting and distributing linens in communities nationwide. She said that the dedicated involvement of large laundry facilities across the United States will help change the lives of hundreds of thousands of animals in only a few short months.

“Nineteen states have our linens today,” said Birdsong, “and because word is spreading, we have the opportunity to educate groups in at least 10 other states, teaching them to do what we do. It is our wish to be in every community in the United States. I recently had a conversation with one of the largest laundry facilities in the country. It disturbs them greatly to see used linens go to the dump or to see linens sold for pennies on the dollar. Companies like this have even had to pay to have their linens taken to the dump. But when you show them the benefit of donating their linens to help animals in need, they are so eager, so happy to help!”

Birdsong grew up in the Dallas area, then lived in New York and Los Angeles. There, she acted and ran an event production company, but then she met someone that changed her life and the life of her Doberman pinscher, Lakoda—Certified Veterinary Chiropractitioner Dr. Mark Bussan. After Lakoda had a negative reaction to medication following major surgery, Birdsong contacted Bussan—whom she’d only met once —and begged him to save her dog...and he did. Birdsong and Bussan were married shortly thereafter.

“He is an angel with wings the size of an airplane,” enthused Birdsong. “I am so in love with the most amazing man that God ever created. He puts up with me and the things that I come up with, and he works with me on this mission every day.”

Shortly after they married, the couple moved to Texas and now live on three acres in East Plano that allow them to run Linens for Animals out of their home and pursue their passion. Bussan also continues to travel around North Texas serving animals with his veterinary chiropractic skills. “He specializes in equine work and also dogs and cats,” explained Birdsong. “But he has also worked on does and other various types of animals. He uses modern modalities and nutrition therapy that is just amazing. I have seen him take animals from a paralyzed state, to just fine and running around.”

In addition to operating Linens for Animals, the duo built a no-kill animal shelter in McKinney about a year and a half ago after Birdsong met animal rescue activist Dedra Shaver, who at that time was doing rescue work out of her home. “We purchased five acres of raw land in McKinney, then developed and built the most amazing shelter. We have an indoor/outdoor dog kennel, a two-story lofted cat barn, a small isolation barn, and a mobile home,” said Birdsong. “I have been doing rescue for 19 years and could not imagine myself doing anything else,” added Shaver, who is now the manager for the Linens for Animals no-kill animal sanctuary. “I would like someone to carry on when I can no longer do it. That is why I want to teach the kids of tomorrow how to care for animals and learn what joy these animals bring.”

Volunteers of all ages are always welcome.

“Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, but we have something for everyone here,” said Shaver. “You can walk, water, feed, brush, and bathe dogs. We have five play runs so people can have one-on-one time with a dog of their choosing. In the cat barn, the cat lover can play with the kitties and be calmed by their purrs. Laundry is never ending...the washing, the drying, the folding. And last but not least, there is ‘poo’ to pick up!”

The sanctuary has also partnered with the Collin County juvenile probation department, allowing youth to fulfill community service hours by volunteering at the sanctuary. “We have really cute kids walking [our shelter] dogs,” said Birdsong. “The animals are helping the kids, and the kids are helping the animals.”

Birdsong is quick to sing Shaver’s praises. “She is taking care of more than 100 animals on a daily basis. We have no sponsors, no grants, no donors—we just put in a lot of hard work.”

“I didn’t start doing this for people,” added Birdsong. “When people come here to do a pick up, they just start bawling. They could never imagine that there is such wealth available for these animals. I have never seen such gratitude, such humanity. I see it every day. There are a million ways people can help. Sometimes people are scared to get involved. Fostering is a wonderful way to help animals, but if you don’t want to do that, you can do pet food drives, collect funds. Community service used to be a way of life. Neighbors used to help each other. What happened to that? What happened to neighborly love? It’s time to get back to that. We’re part of this community and we care about this community. We’ll do whatever we can to serve in every community in the United States, but it all starts right here in Plano.”

And the tennis balls? They’re still a part of the picture. Birdsong said they still give away tennis balls every week with their linen deliveries…but the picture has just gotten a whole lot bigger than that.

Interested in volunteering? Want to know more? Birdsong is on a mission to provide comfort to all animals in need. For her, that means spreading the word about her program and assisting others in starting their own Linen Recycling Program. Here are a few steps you can take to start one:

• Recruit volunteers with time, vehicles, and physical strength for linen pickup.
• Identify a central location with parking for linen distribution.
• Establish or partner with a nonprofit organization so the linen source receives a tax deduction.
• Request donations from the rescue organizations that receive linens to cover gas expenses.
• Be creative in seeking linen sources, such as hospitals, nursing homes, and hotels.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help!
• Be sure to thank the linen donors and provide them with stories and photos showing the linens benefiting animals.
• Publicize the program; make your truck or van into a rolling billboard.
• Remember: It’s all about the animals!

Contact Lori Birdsong at 972.509.9393 or visit linensforanimals.org.

Linens for Animals: Unique Organization Offers Comfort To Animals

A Houston Lab rescue just rented a giant van and went up to pick up a load of "stuff" from Linens for Animals in the Dallas area.  I was told that they have a load of pee pads meant for the Rescue Ranch, too! 

Rescues, fosters, people with disabled pets--take a look at the order form on the LFA website and get some of the great things that Lori and Mark are getting recycled.  All you have to do is make a donation--and arrange for a way to get them from Dallas to you. LFA is now servicing 14 states, I believe!

My introduction to this organization has kind of a chuckle behind it. 

I saw a posting on one of my rescue message boards that there were pee pads available and did anyone want any.  Just a few days before, conscious of the ongoing expense and the environment (the waste we were producing), I said a prayer--just in passing as I was cleaning the puppies' pen--asking for a better alternative.


With all of the puppies and incontinent/injured animals at the Rescue Ranch (our little animal sanctuary just north of Houston), I asked the group, Linens for Animals, for 200 pee pads--trying to be conservative.  We use at least 12-15 a day...I figured this would last about two weeks.  (Any donation really helps and saves our resources for another project.)


Within a few days, we had been granted 277--and they were the washable pee pads not the disposable kind!  You could have told me that I had just won the lottery!  This was an incredible gift.  I realized right away that more people needed to know that this organization exists--and both to get help and/or how to help them in their mission.


This gift did more than eliminate an expense--and allowed RR Angels to check this item off of their lists of our much needed supplies--it allowed us to use pads more freely and to change them more often. It feels like such a luxury to use 20 when I would have squeezed by with less than half of that. (We just use a whole lot more laundry soap!)


I was expecting a box or two of pee pads and instead, got a car load of them--specially transported from the Plano/Dallas area to the Rescue Ranch--over two hundred miles away--with help from a couple of caring volunteers!



This is the back of their newly "decked out" donations trailer--it was ad-wrapped courtesy of Crest Cadillac in Plano, TX--with the Linens for Animals logo and photo which sums up perfectly who they are and what they do! Lori, her husband Mark, and their dogs all work hard to help other animals.


When I first spoke to one of the founders of Linens for Animals, Lori Birdsong, I knew that I would like her right away.  She was on the phone talking to me and supervising her seven dogs at the same time. 


Just chatting for a few minutes to get to know her, she told me that they had three beds in their bedroom--all pushed together--so the dogs could all stretch out and sleep together with her and her husband.  (Hmm...that sounds very familiar!)



When Lori told Mark that she wanted to move, Mark walked over to his office and locked the door/closed it on the spot (he is a chiropractor). Now, he uses his gift to help animals, too--he has even worked on a doe and an owl!


It started with tennis balls!

Lori (a Texas native--born in Midland) and her husband, Mark, moved to Texas from California almost four years ago.  They wanted to buy a house with land for their animals (they now have three acres) and found their way to Plano, a suburb of Dallas. 


"I wanted to do something for the animals.  I can't do what people do in rescue--but I wanted to do something to help." Lori was playing tennis one day when she noticed that the pros at the Gleneagles Country Club were throwing out the used balls.


"I said "STOP!" I collected the balls and then bought cute baskets. I took them to the shelters.  All dogs getting adopted got a ball. Eventually, the shelter workers told me what they really needed were linens to get the animals up off of the cement floor."  It took her six months to figure out what to do next.




A load of linens was just picked up and will be sorted and distributed to help animals.


Linens For Animals Was Born

"I found two facilities in Dallas which process all of the laundry for the hospitals.  They would throw out or "rag them out" for pennies on the dollar.  By donating to Linens or Animals, they not only do a good deed but also get tax benefits," said Lori.

They had to figure out how to get the linens from the laundry facilities to her home.




"We bought a ginormous trailer to transport everything.  Every week now, we pick up over 10,000 pounds of pee pads, sheets, blankets and other linens."  People would line up outside her house at 1 PM on the day of pick-up and can take what they need until the trailer is empty. 


As of early October, things are a little different--orders are filled and the meeting place is not at her house any longer.  Organizations place orders, too, from Houston and other parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and even Missouri.  There is a four week wait. "People find all new uses for the things we get donated--they make slings for injured animals, throw-aways for distemper cases at the vet..."


April 19, 2009 Linens for Animals became a certified Texas not-for-profit organization. Congratulations!

Since they adopted an animal sanctuary, in Cleburne, TX, people now bring them all kinds of things for the animals--and leave them at their front door!


Their Good Works Don't Stop With Linens

"Mark and I saw dogs needing help (especially in a nearby neighborhood) and we were paying thousands of dollars in other people's vets bills."  Then, they met Dedra Shaver.


"We met Dedra on the first day.  She was one of the first pick-ups of linens.  She has a canine/feline Rescue & Sanctuary in Cleburne, TX. (They now have 55 dogs and 100 cats).


Lori continued, "Dedra never had the money to file as a 501(c)3 to be a non-profit. She continued to amaze me--she was feeding, vetting, adopting...all on two nickels.  She was taking care of feral cats--doing TNR (trap-neuter-release) in three counties, too, and managed her own animals.  She is like an angle with wings."


"Mark and I decided to "adopt" Dedra Shaver and her rescue/sanctuary is now a part of Linens for Animals.  Now on Wednesdays, when we give out linens, people bring us stuff!  For nearly four years we did the collections/gave out everything and now we have 155 mouths to feed.  We get dog food, cat food, crates, collars, leashes...


Dedra is an amazing kind of person to do what she does..." Lori gushed.  She was clearly amazed--and grateful--for all that Dedra was doing to help so many animals.

To see Dedra's Wish List, Click Here.

Update: LFA's new animal sanctuary just had their grand opening in June, 2010! Congrats!  Dedra's animals were all moved to the gorgeous new facility where Dedra lives onsite as the manager.

Some of those linens above, wound up at the Rescue Ranch!  This is the back of our car--stuffed with all 277 washable pee pads! What a blessing!


...And They Can Help You, Too

From the Linens for Animals website...

Our Motto: If you can see out your rear-view mirror...YOU NEED MORE!

We obtain a large trailer full of linens from local hospitals on a weekly basis. They are professionally washed and sanitized twice and are ready to bring comfort where needed!

Our clients range from cats and dogs to beavers, opossums and even calves and chimpanzees!

We also accept donations of dog food, cat food - any animal feed, in fact - plus toys, tennis balls, litter, etc.

We redistribute everything we receive to deserving rescue groups, sanctuaries, shelters, independent rescuers and also the pets of Meals-on-Wheels recipients who need meals too!

If you are a rescue group, shelter, or independent rescuer we would be honored to include you in our donations.

A full view of the newly wrapped trailer...a proud testament of really good works!

More Good Works

Before we said good-bye, Lori shared a little bit about her efforts to help chimps.


"Two and a half years ago went to give out linens to chimps.  We don't normally visit, but I was enthralled to see the chimps, so I went. The state had stepped in and the sanctuary was under receivership.  What I witnessed, killed me for two years...


Chimps were eating kibble. Chimps don't eat kibble--they eat fruits and vegetables!  When a volunteer arrived carrying a donation of fruits and vegetables, which was very rare for them to see, the chimps, at great physical harm to themselves, were swinging their bodies hard against their cages--just to get attention.


I contacted Labatt Food Services in San Antonio--who is donating a truckload every week of fresh foods!  The chimps now carry around their blankies from Linens for Animals!" 


(As a writer, I am supposed to remain objective but after hearing this, and envisioning these chimps eating good food and having blankets to call their own, I just wanted to hug Lori right then and there--but we were on the phone!)


In our last minutes together, Lori told me about "three ginormous puppy mill busts" that  had taken place in Dallas in the last few months.  "Six hundred dogs were pulled out in one day. Linens for Animals had two trailers there and for the first time in their lives, the dogs were on blankets."

Thanks for stopping by, for listening and for caring.
Especially for caring. 

Linens For Animals' Founder Enlists 911 To Save Dog

On Memorial Day weekend, Lori Birdsong and her husband, Dr. Mark Bussan, founders of Linens for Animals, were going to take a three day weekend off and enjoy their "kids"--their dogs--and boat, when one of the dogs started acting like something was wrong. 

Thankfully, acting on a gut feeling that something was really wrong, they rushed their dog, Shawnee, to get help--and the way they handled the emergency drive was brilliant--and something I thought we could all learn from.

Shawnee had life-saving surgery and is thankfully, back home with her family and recovering. 

Linens for Animals founders, Lori and Mark, and lots of volunteers, will be at the Dog Bowl today (Sunday, June 6) at the event's main entrance in Dallas. Just look for their beautiful trailer and cute dogs for adoption!

Lori Birdsong and Mark Bussan, with BB and Sophie, show off their trailer that hauls thousands of pounds of donated (and laundered) hospital linens each week to give to rescues, shelters, fosters...They have been a tremendous blessing to the Rescue Ranch.

I continued to gush for 30 minutes about how last year when Shawnee was sick, 10 doctors and 10 hospitals didn't have the chutzpa to lay their hands on her because of her Von Willebrands.

So folks, the moral of the story is. NEVER give up on your critters and ALWAYS use 911 !!!!!!!!!!

Signed, your new partners in crime, Dr. Mark and Lori.
Have a great weekend, may ours be filled with nothingness.

Lori Birdsong
Lori@linensforanimals.org

Also, for all donations--and to order linens--please visit our website at:

www.LinensforAnimals.org 


Lots of washable pee pads are just waiting for you to come and get them.  Lots of rescues from eight states caravan or split the cost of a trip to Dallas to get a car--or truck--load of them.  (It takes six pads to cover the bottom of a puppy pen and every foster should have at least two or three changes of pads...)

There are different types of linens available and they are all FREE to any rescue/r--Lori just asks that you make a donation to Linens For Animals so they can continue their own rescue work. Her dream is to see a LFA in every city!


Sgt. Andrew Hampton, Lori Birdsong, and Jerry Reid from Operation Military Embrace.  This photo was taken the night before Andrew went to M.D. Anderson for a consultation regarding his stomach cancer.

More from Lori--and an invitation to their Grand Opening!

In gratitude -

lori@linensforanimals.org

PS Everyone is invited to our grand opening of the new facility on June 26, 2010.  There will be live music, activities for the kids, animals to adopt and so much more.  Anyone who wants to sponsor a kennel door--an $80 donation (we need 20 donors)--will get their name or company's name on a brass plaque! 



Dr. Mark and the couple's dogs, on a happier, less eventful weekend.  Shawnee is sitting up front, making sure Mark steers the boat toward the nearest family with a lakeside bar-b-que!


One More Thing...

Would you mind clicking on the "Recommended" button above this story?  Everyone gets just one vote per blog--and I would appreciate it if you would give me yours.  Thank you kindly!



www.chron.com/rescuevolunteer

I write another blog (almost) every day
about life at the Rescue Ranch
www.firststop-laststop.com/myblog





Please forward this to your contacts/friends in the Dallas area so they can enjoy the Dog Bowl today, too!

Pink Heals Truck Comes to McKinney Fundraiser

There is nothing like a car show to bring out the crowd for a Grand Opening or a Fundraiser. Even in the Texas heat. Add a Pink Fire Truck supporting the Pink Heals Tour and you have a very good reason for people to brave the nearly triple digit temps.

Linens For Animals, founded by Lori Birdsong and Dr. Mark Bussan, has branched out and opened a No Kill Cat and Dog Shelter in McKinney. Way Out in McKinney (almost Princeton), but nevertheless McKinney. To assist them in their fundraising efforts, they enlisted the help of Mouse Prosen, a man with about the fastest Mustang anywhere and Bill Corville, the person you definitely want organizing your car show (or any other event).

On Saturday, June 26, all their efforts came together for the Grand Opening. A number of classic cars showed up for the event, along with the Pink Heals Fire Truck under the able direction of William Robert Longo, a big man who is not afraid to wear a pink t-shirt. The Pink Heals Tour consists of several fire trucks around the united states, traveling the roads and collecting signatures of cancer survivors or family members of cancer victims / survivors as they make their way across the country. All of this is done for the purpose of raising money to assist women fighting this frightening disease and raise awareness in men of the terrible threat women are facing all over the world.

Read the article on Neighborsgo.com

The USCA identifies companies that excel in their business category and successfully market their business to the public and the local community. Each year, the "Best of Local Business" Award Program offers recognition to local businesses throughout the country based on the results.

Follow the simple steps on the 2010 Best of Plano Award order form. Simply copy and paste this link into your browser to access the order form:

http://plano.uscomasoc.com/AC44-LFU6-9BG

You can also access the press release regarding your selection using the following link:

http://plano.uscomasoc.com/PC44-LFU6-9BG

To place your order over the phone - please call us at: 646-355-0637 and select option 1. Sincerely, Kelly McCartney Board of Review US Commerce Association

Download the pdf

By Gail Bennison

Lori Birdsong can’t walk the concrete halls of overcrowded animal shelters. She knows that a large percentage of the animals will never find permanent homes and walking the halls is too upsetting for her. Even so, Birdsong has found a way to help.

“I’ve grown up my whole life knowing in my heart that I was born to help animals, but I never could figure out how to help without actually being involved with the animals. I can’t even watch Free Willy,” she said.

Five years ago, Birdsong collected old tennis balls from a country club to give to an animal shelter.  She thought it was a great idea. The shelter supervisor told her they needed linens, not tennis balls. Birdsong figured out a way to get them – to the 
tune of about 25,000 pounds of linens a week.

To date, Linens for Animals, a Plano-based 501(c)3 organization co-founded in 2006 by Birdsong and her husband, Dr. Mark Bussan, a veterinary chiropractor, has acquired and donated more than two million pounds of sanitized hospital linens and bedding to almost 2,000 shelters, wildlife rehabilitation facilities and rescue groups. Animal welfare professionals drive to Plano from 15 states to load their trucks and cars with blankets, wash cloths, towels and bed pads. There’s no charge and no quantity limit. No animal organization is refused.

“Our motto is if you can see out your rear-view mirror, you need more,” Birdsong says. “Linens for Animals has one mission: To provide comfort to animals in need.”

The journey began with calls to local hospitals. The hospitals referred Birdsong to two professional laundry services in the area. She asked the owners what they did with linens that were too stained or worn out to be returned to the hospitals. “They were selling them as rags for pennies,” Birdsong said. “After talking with them about the need, they realized this could be of great benefit – a tax write-off for them, and comfort to animals. We bought a trailer and went to work.”

Birdsong collects a large trailer full of linens weekly, takes them to her headquarters in Plano and redistributes them as they are ordered.

Those needing linens fill out a form on the website (www.linensforanimals.org), indicating what types and quantities are needed. Birdsong sends a confirmation when she has the items in hand, and the group is responsible for picking them up.

And these groups are grateful.

Debbie Poirier, administrative secretary of Collin County Animal Services, has a deep appreciation for Birdsong and her nonprofit business. CCAS has used Linens for Animals for four years.

“The blankets, towels and bed pads are appreciated by our animals as well as our staff,” Poirier said. “I can’t tell you how good it feels to know that each animal that comes into our shelter will be comfortable on a soft blanket. The pads are wonderful for our cats and smaller dogs. These things that might seem so small are certainly not small to the animals. Lori is amazing and has the procedure to request and receive the linens down to a science. Linens for Animals provides a much-needed service in our shelter world.”

Birdsong stores linens for emergencies, such as raids on puppy mills. In 2009, 500 dogs were rescued from horrific conditions in Montague County. Sandy Grambort, supervisor of the Humane Society of North Texas, was a member of the rescue group.

The Linens for Animals program is one of the most beneficial outreach programs available to shelters in North Texas, 
Grambort says.

“Because of the ingenuity and dedication of Lori, thousands of shelter animals can relax in the comfort of warm and clean linens and blankets while waiting for their forever home. The Humane Society of North Texas is extremely grateful to Lori’s program, having used her recycled linens at each of our Fort Worth facilities, as well as in many cruelty cases like the Montague County puppy mill.”

 Linens for Animals recently joined with Rescue Bank to become a distribution partner for animal rescue groups in the Gulf Coast region. The partnership will supply linens to more than 120 Rescue Bank member groups throughout Central and East Texas and Southern Louisiana.

As a result of its partnership with RPAL Pet Donation and Distribution Center, Linens for Animals operates a distribution center in Alba, Texas. This alliance offers a more convenient pick-up location for animal organizations in East Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and surrounding areas.

Birdsong and her husband have 7 rescued dogs of their own, and in June 2010 they decided to open a “no kill” dog and cat shelter in McKinney.

They bought five acres of raw land, installed the utilities and an 826-foot-long driveway, built an indoor/outdoor dog kennel, added a two-story lofted cat barn, and installed a mobile home for a sanctuary manager.

In addition to providing homes for unwanted animals, Birdsong has developed a unique program for juvenile offenders. “The kids help the animals and the animals help the kids,” she says.

“Now we’re developing a Serenity Walk where the kiddos can walk the dogs and are encouraged to ponder their mistakes and perhaps make better choices in the future,” Birdsong said.

Joe Scott, director of Collin County Juvenile Probation Services, said, “Mrs. Birdsong is very well organized. The majority of our kids are required to do community service. It helps her, it helps the kids, and it also gives them the opportunity to work with animals. Some have never had that. She has a good facility that provides a good service for us. I’m just glad she gives us this opportunity.”

Linens for Animals has begun training and educating other groups and organizations across the country on how to acquire their own linens and distribute them in their communities. From this program, 12 groups in South Carolina have come together and are fully functioning and no longer driving to Plano, Birdsong says.

“My hope is for Linens for Animals to be in every city and state in the U.S., and we have finally begun our move. We will not stop until all animals across this nation are being cared for and supported by their communities,” she said.

Read this story on the Collin County Press Website