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The LIVE FUNDRAISER is scheduled for THURSDAY, MARCH 2ND from 10AM-1PM! We are partnering with Jordan's Way for this fun FUNDRAISER! It will be live on FACEBOOK so check out the BAM Facebook page. Please INVITE, TAG and SHARE this to everyone you know to help us reach our goal of $20,000!!! We are raising money to help with the daily operation costs of Because Animals Matter and your contribution will make an impact, whether you donate $5, $100 or $500. Every contribution helps. Thank you for your support. BAM is a non-profit organization located in SW Utah, dedicated to helping homeless animals through fostering, adoption and community outreach. BAM is dedicated to reducing animal abuse and neglect in the community through education. Facebook takes care of the donation processing with no fees. https://www.facebook.com/donate/518585820407331/555419933286466 If you are in the area, come by and see us at the Adoption center at 44 W State Street in Hurricane. We will have a raffle, bake sale and The Corndog Truck will be there if you want to grab some lunch! You can also donate by cash, check or Venmo @BAM-84737 or PayPal BAMcares

If you're reading this in SW Utah we can bet you have already heard about the recent incident of a K9 officer being shot in the face while in the line of duty. In case you haven't: K9 Tess survived her injuries thanks to quick action and emergency surgery after being life-flighted to Las Vegas. She is now recovering with partner/ handler Officer Graf. To learn more about the Tess we recommend watching a video put together by one of our mission partners, Bone Appetit. Washington County Sheriff's Department K9, Tess, in recovery after life-saving surgery was performed. Trauma to her head and neck occurred when she was shot in the face while entering a vehicle to aid officers with a suspect. Bernie Green is a supervisor with the Department of Defense's Military Working Dog Breeding Program. Experts say dogs can suffer from PTSD-like conditions that can affect their military capabilities later on. Ryan Loyd/KSTX Since the incident BAM reps have been repeatedly asked if there are any updates on Tess and what happens to working dogs who go through such horrible trauma on the job. Being dog lovers it is natural to question what is next for Tess and similarly injured dogs. So we did a little research. Though the science on canine trauma is relatively new, there is research being done and a growing understanding of what can best be understood as "Canine PTSD". Most of the research is being done with combat dogs, though similar findings take place with search and rescue dogs, those in bomb detection, and, of course, police dogs. Luckily it is rare for search and rescue dogs to be physically impacted, though it is tragic nonetheless. In mass devastation (floods, landslides, earthquakes, bombings, etc.) dogs who are trained to find survivors can experience extremely high stress when unable to recover people, etc. I certainly cannot imagine being placed back in the same high-stress environment I was traumatized or injured in without extensive therapy and even re-training. Anyone who has worked with or adopted a rescue dog may even be familiar with the remnants of physical or emotional trauma a dog may have gone through before being rescued. Why should working dogs be expected to be any different simply because they are trained? So what is expected of a K9 after an injury in the line of duty? It would seem that the answer isn't very cut and dried. Older dogs (like Tess is) who are already approaching retirement age are often retired early and not forced back into service. Some dogs, like some humans, seem to work through their trauma whether or not they are given supportive emotional and occupational therapy. The most common denominator in a successful traumatic recovery, however, seems to be maintaining the bond with their handler throughout. Some people don't realize how much co-training takes place with every new K9 unit, and may not know that the dog lives with their handler/partner thus reinforcing their partnership and trust. These bonds are extremely hard to break, so it makes sense that the healthiest way to recover a working dog from a traumatic injury or work fatigue is to maintain their partnership, no matter where the road leads. As a pet owner (ok, self-labeled dog mom) I certainly hope that Washington County Sheriff's K9 Tess and Officer Graf (shown right, at one of Tess's many post-op appointments) get to do just that; spend their futures together whether on duty or retired! We will be sure to share any updates when we learn more.

In case you missed it, BAM's 7th annual Dog Day Spectacular was held just a little over a week ago and it was just what y'all have come to expect, and more! I want to take a little time to mention the tremendous support the event received from our own network of volunteers, without whom the event could not take place each year. Dog Day was started to show the public the many ways you can interact with your dog, all of which improve the bond of pet and owner. Thanks to the entire BAM network of volunteers, this year's Dog Day offered all that and more. Their dedication to seeing the event and its fundraising efforts succeed ensures that our community programs, including BAM's Homeless Animal Rescue Team (BAM's H.A.R.T.), will continue to make a difference in the lives of pets and people in need each year. THANK YOU! Event volunteers also came from the Celtic Crusaders. For the second year these guys grilled their way into our hearts, not just donating their time, but also donating much of the food that was sold at BAM's food booth! Beyond the grilled food, this year introduced an absolute hit with a complete vegan meal, thanks to BAM's own Beth Lock. Beth is a founding Director for BAM and after seeing her meals sell out this year I think we are all expecting/hoping for her to start her own vegan restaurant. ​​Beyond the typical ​​food booth we also expanded our offerings this year with a bake sale by BAM's own ​​Beverly Evers! ​​Her talent as a pastry chef extraordinaire was a tremendous treat, pun intended. ​​ Beyond the food I owe a huge shout of thanks the students of Diamond Ranch Academy! For the fourth year in a row, BAM had pre- and post-event set-up help from a handful of young men and their supervisors! They make the heavy lifting look easy and save our network of volunteers from a ton of extra stress! The weather held many participants in our annual Walk for the Animals at bay this year, but we were happy to see the turnout after a very rainy day before the event, and spotty rain overnight. Thanks to Walk leader Robin Kirker, owner of Tails Off Trails, any number of participants is bound to get some great advice while exercising with their favorite dogs! Beyond starting the day with the benefit Walk, each year it is our pleasure to feature FUNgility, dog sports demos, and a fantastic UpDog Challenge disc dog competition. This year we were lucky enough to add to the mix a North American Diving Dogs dock diving AKC trial! This year's competitions by pros and trial runs by novices were great fun to watch, with or without a dog in tow! A big round of thanks goes out to all the volunteers and representatives of Zion Disc Dogs, Atomic Dogs, Zion Dog Sports/Team Zion Flyin Dogs, Red Canyon Kennel Club, NADD, and Doggy Dude Ranch. They made the events within the event possible and so much fun! ​ ​And an enormous thank you to this year's vendors, raffle and silent auction donors, and sponsors! The vendors (some of whom also sponsor) are a key component to a successful Dog Day, offering a variety of products and services to the many event attendees. We hear for months after the event about their great products, and get questions about how to get in contact with them. Thanks to BAM's Morgan (and helper and BAM foster mom Michelle and family) the tremendous raffle and silent auction tables took in over $500 this year! But our biggest thank you of all has to go to our event sponsors . . . their financial support allows Dog Day's profits to support BAM's ever-evolving community programs. Their generosity and partnership in our mission truly is making a difference one pet at a time. Please click through the slideshow of sponsors below and thank them for their support of BAM the next time you see them or visit their businesses! Thanks to our Dog Day Spectacular Sponsors! Visit the event page to see more photos from this year's Dog Day Spectacular.

Special thanks to one of BAM's longest supporters, Natalie Brown, owner of Bone Appetit Natural Pet Pantry in Washington, for her article all about BAM in the current August/September issue of St. George Magazine. Features like this really help expand our reach in the community and start the dialog with people interested in our community programs and our adoptable pets. If you haven't picked up your own copy of the magazine yet, The Spectrum has a digitized version online. Read the issue here BAM founder J. Schilling with Natalie Brown at an adoption event in 2015.

It is my pleasure to announce that BAM has a great new look online and lots of new information to share! Since our founding in early 2006, Because Animals Matter has been steadily growing and improving – both in our impact on pets in need and how we accomplish that work. The last couple years have led to our most tremendous changes yet: purchasing a building in Hurricane that has become a very successful thrift store, That BAM Place, and it is soon to share joint space with our Hurricane Office, hiring our first paid employee to see yet more dedicated financial development and program support, the absorption of H.A.R.T. of St. George, and the expansion of our operations with The BAM Center in H.A.R.T.'s St. George office and warehouse space. All this growth deserved a new face online! Please take the time to browse through the new site. You might learn about a program or service you weren't aware BAM offered, or even about our volunteer staff or corporate supporters. There are many ways to show your own support of pets and people in need, whether you offer your time at events or one of our facilities, aid in marketing or fundraising, give needed supplies or saleable items, open your home to a foster pet for long-term or respite care, or make a monetary donation. ALL support to BAM makes a difference to pets and people in need. Thank you for sharing in our dedication to make a difference! September Smith President

Irene Schilling told me one day she was going to foster a dog for BAM, so on September 15, 2014 she and I went to the St. George Shelter. We picked out Tater Tot who was believed to be about 8 years old and whose owner had died. As you can see he seemed like a happy, healthy little guy. As it turns out, Tater was about 12-14 years old and wasn't in good health at all. Irene only had him a week or two when she wrote to say she thought there was something seriously wrong with him. A vet check revealed he had untreated Diabetes which started him on a long road of treatment to try and get it under control. At the end he was getting insulin twice daily. Further tests were done on Tater and it was also discovered he had Cushing's Disease. Irene went on an internet search and found holistic ways of treating his Cushing's. Casey Wittwer, DVM and other staff members at Zion Veterinary Clinic often remarked on how much his health had improved over the years under Irene's care and how wonderful a care giver she was. Tater wasn't always easy. In fact, quite often he wasn't. He had to be carried in and out (although eventually he got the getting back in the house down so only had to be carried out), was underfoot often but didn't take kindly to being crated, and in the beginning he fought a lot with Irene's dog Morkie who was adopted from BAM years before. But Tater continued to thrive and Irene continued to provide for him. Age takes its toll however and no matter how good our care is, age catches up with us. Today, Irene said good bye to Tater and wrote: "I took Tater in this afternoon and let him pass on. He has obviously not been feeling real well and leaving poop and pee all over the place even after he has been packed outside. He didn't eat this morning, and it seemed like it was time to let him go. It was much harder than I expected. At the same time, I am thankful we don't have to let them go to the bitter end the way humans are forced to do. He wasn't the most agreeable little guy, but at the same time all he wanted was to be loved." Words cannot thank you, Irene, for all you did for Tater and we know how much Tater appreciated everything you did for him. Although he was never adopted, he had the best of care until the end and we know he will be waiting at the Rainbow Bridge for you.

The recent story of Dixie and Duncan, two littermates living with a medical condition known as Megaesophagus (ME), who were reunited after about 15 months apart has warmed all our hearts within the BAM family. We hope you enjoy watching just the highlights of their story here. And to give you a little more backstory that could've made for a short film rather than a 6-minute video, read on: We continue to be floored at how many instances of luck or divine intervention and parallels these two sweethearts have lived from the start. One of BAM's volunteers happened to be visiting a local vet clinic when she overheard a family discussing their sick puppy. Trying not to be too pushy she interjected and offered BAM's contact information to them. You see, after weeks of having their new puppy, Dixi,e be sick and throwing up nearly every meal, the veterinarian had officially diagnosed her as having ME. For Dixie that means that she has an enlarged pocket on her esophagus. It traps food and water before it makes it to her digestive tract. It is almost constantly sloshing and making her want to regurgitate. And that can be very scary because aspirating any of that food or fluid can lead to pneumonia. Dixie's first owners were gracious enough to realize Dixie's life still had value and with proper care she would have the quality of life we would all hope for any puppy. But they also knew they weren't able to support those needs and that's why they decided to reach out and relinquish her to BAM. What we didn't know at that time is that her brother Duncan was suffering from his own version of ME and had nearly been put down my his first family. The poor pup had been so sick they didn't think it was right to make him suffer. But like Dixie's first family, Duncan's veterinarian thought there may be hope for him and suggested Best Friends Animal Sanctuary and their experienced staff might intervene with his care. The parallels continued in that Dixie was transported across Utah to her new foster-to-adopt home on the exact day Duncan's new family, Harold and Debbie from Missouri, announced they were officially adopting him. Another twist of fate was that BAM's Program and Development Coordinator, Aggie, was on vacation (out of the country!) when she spotted Dixie posted online as a stray hold in a Northern Utah shelter. We'll never know if anyone else would have had the timing and knowledge on their side to put the details together, but we are so thrilled to have found Dixie in her time of need. Because BAM had posted Dixie's story online and created a Facebook page for her as a puppy Duncan's mom Debbie had been aware of BAM having had her boy's sister. And she wanted to know more about the other littermates. Debbie contacted BAM to learn about Dixie's adoption status and wellbeing only two weeks before Dixie was posted as a stray. Because of that contact, BAM's Foster Care Coordinator (and Founder and VP and Dixie's former foster mom), J, sent a quick mesage to Debbie as soon as we knew Dixie was returning to our care. What had been missed in all earlier communication is that Harold and Debbie weren't in Utah and couldn't easily foster Dixie. The distance from Missouri to Utah hadn't phased them with Duncan's adoption, however, so within about 15 minutes of hearing about Dixie needing a new home they had already decided they would be making the days-long drive out to Utah one more time. This time to pick up their new little girl. Harold and Debbie adopted Dixie one year and 2 days after having driven to Utah to adopt her brother. Though it is now clear the ME has manifested uniquely to each pup, the treatment and attention to care is much the same. What we hope people will learn from their story is that careless backyard breeding can lead to tragedy in the blink of an eye. Whatever power it was that got Duncan into care at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary and Dixie into BAM's foster program, we have no idea what came of the other two puppies from their litter who were also struggling with this disorder and we hope they have not suffered. Thank you to everyone who has been so supportive of BAM's pet welfare, adoption, and community programs in the past and as we move forward. Your support makes "Happy Tails" like this one possible!

Bella, an adoptable spayed female Keeshond/Border Collie blend, is being recognized as Because Animals Matter’s first “Spokesdog”. Everyone who meets Bella, but especially the BAM volunteers, comments on her gentle friendliness and her ability to express love with her eyes. This quality is surprising because Bella spent the first six years of her life on a chain, neglected, troubled by insects and injury. Her loving nature has made her a star, and she will begin her duties as Spokesdog by presiding over Because Animals Matter’s upcoming Pet Food Drive & Adoption Event outside Lin’s market in Hurricane on Saturday, October 27th. Proceeds benefit BAM’s "Kibbles on Wheels" program, providing pet food to seniors and homebound individuals who receive Meals on Wheels. September Smith, President of BAM says, “Bella came to Because Animals Matter by way of a rescue organization in New Mexico. She had been relinquished to a kill-shelter and was just one day away from being euthanized when a call for rescue reached Utah and a BAM foster home was offered as her sanctuary.” When she was brought here with 16 other dogs, Bella's condition was much worse than anyone expected. In addition to the known problem of a weak and crooked back leg, Bella had two broken and abscessed teeth and was covered in hundreds of ticks and thousands of fleas. Professional help from Dog Works Mobile Pet Grooming was the answer. After the initial treatment, Bella underwent four more treatments under foster care and had constant attention over three days to fully remove the ticks. A final problem, anemia, resulted from the infestation. Far more than the normal effort was expended in saving Bella's life, but no one who meets her questions whether it was worth it. Many hands came together from multiple groups in order to save this wonderful dog. This is only one recent example of animal welfare organizations working together for the benefit of pets in need. Please look through the website to learn more about how you can help dogs (and cats and other pets) like Bella. At this time, Bella is fully recovered from her anemia and her problem teeth have been pulled. She simply awaits her forever home. “All the volunteers from BAM agree that Bella has the sweetest nature of any animal we’ve had in care,” says September Smith. The most obvious sign of Bella's history was and remains her crooked back leg. At some point in her life Bella suffered a significant leg fracture that went untreated. The crooked leg, however, does not slow her down or bother her in any facet of her life and it would cause unnecessary pain if treated at this time. Bella likes all dogs, but loves people and would most enjoy becoming someone’s “shadow”. She is such an extraordinary pet she deserves an extraordinary home. To reflect how highly Because Animals Matter thinks of her, Bella’s adoption fee has been raised to $500. This story has been updated to reflect that Bella has since been adopted and is no longer listed on Petfinder.com. Thank you for your interest.

The final Hurricane City Council meeting of 2013 marked a milestone for local pet welfare organization Because Animals Matter (BAM), and the City of Hurricane. BAM presented the donation of two sets of pet oxygen masks to city officials; one set of masks for each Hurricane fire station. Because Animals Matter President September Smith made the presentation, commenting that BAM has been experiencing an almost exponential impact with the community’s growing pet population since the organization was founded in 2006. BAM saw the growth in pet ownership and wanted to respond in a way that could lend support to the City and its residents. When BAM initially began researching the pet oxygen masks they looked to local veterinarian Allen Bice of The Desert Vet. He has a history as a volunteer with the Hurricane Fire Department and offered to train the Fire and EMS crews on the proper use of the masks. Smith mentioned that the Fire Department is one group all residents appreciate yet never want to see. “We hope these masks never have to be used,” Smith said, “but we wanted them to be available if the need arose.”

At the November 21st Hurricane City Council meeting Best Friends Animal Society presented BAM with a certificate for the support we have given to the region's shelters in an effort to support their move toward no-kill status. The municipal Hurricane Animal Shelter and it's staff we're also honored, having achieved a 90% no kill status over 2012. A big thanks to all our fosters, volunteers and donors who support BAM's foster program and our mission to reduce animal abuse and neglect, and a big thanks to Best Friends for their acknowledgement in all of those efforts!!

Once neglected and on death row, Bella supports Because Animals Matter’s mission and gains a family As a pet welfare organization Because Animals Matter regularly takes dogs into foster care before placing them in their forever homes. Bella, a female Keeshond-blend, spent nearly seven months in her foster home. During her stay with BAM she became a bit of a dog celebrity, gaining many fans with her eye contact and pawing requests for attention, even earning money for the organization with custom paw print artwork. In October 2012 Bella was named Spokesdog of BAM. It is hard to believe once you meet Bella, that she was ever neglected, but her story is like many BAM works so hard to prevent. The great news is that Bella has finally found her forever family. July 15th last year was a milestone for Because Animals Matter. While BAM occasionally assists in transferring and relocating pets from high-kill shelters throughout the Southwest, this trip assisted 17 dogs and puppies into safety. That day turned out to be a milestone for Bella too. You see, Bella was not offered the job of a loving pet in her early years, but rather spent the first six years of her life on a chain. Many dogs become aggressive when chained, but Bella remains all love. From her life on a chain, neglected, Bella went to a shelter and eventually wound up on their death row. September Smith, President of BAM says, “Bella had been relinquished to a kill-shelter and was just one day away from being euthanized when a call for rescue reached Utah and a BAM foster home was offered as her sanctuary.” Unfortunately, BAM was unaware of how bad Bella’s health was until her arrival. Bella had two broken and abscessed teeth and was covered in hundreds of ticks and fleas. Professional help from Dog Works Mobile Pet Grooming was sought at the awareness of her condition. After the initial treatment, Bella underwent four more treatments under foster care and had constant attention over three days to fully remove the ticks. So many bugs had plagued Bella she was found to be anemic. Clearly Bella had undergone years of neglect. The most obvious sign of her history was and remains her crooked back leg. At some point in her life Bella suffered a significant leg fracture that went untreated. The crooked leg, however, does not slow her down or bother her in any facet of her life and would cause unnecessary pain if treated at this time. Since July 15th Bella has been well cared for by a dedicated foster parent. Three weeks ago Bella was offered a bit of a respite or doggy vacation, but the placement was such a successful match between humans and dog that Bella has become an official member of the Kaiser-Greer family. They recently adopted another BAM dog, Molly. It turns out that Molly and Bella shared their foster home and were previously inseparable. You may be able to tell for the photographs that this is once again the case in their home. BAM board member Beth Lock said, “BAM is so excited for Bella to find the perfect family. Like so many pets from shelters around the country, Bella is a fantastic pet that simply needed the right home to come along. While we can’t help them all, our volunteers and foster families make a difference to as many in-need pets as they can; Bella was just one of many who happened to find a special place in our hearts.” Many hands came together from multiple groups in order to save this wonderful dog and this is only one recent example of animal welfare organizations working together for the benefit of animals in need. As mentioned, Bella came to BAM with many other dogs from another state. Transports like this are common in pet welfare as some communities are overrun with certain breeds/types/sizes of dogs that often have a history of low adoption rates. Transports like Bella's offer greater survival for pets in shelters everywhere. If you would like to donate your time to pet transports, either short or long distance, please call us at 435.773.5209 or visit our new Volunteer page and sign up today to become a BAM volunteer. You can also make a monetary donation to support BAM's programs - we cannot do what we do without your generous support.

Cliff Holt, 2012 Hurricane Valley Chamber of Commerce President, introduces Jeff Hunt and passes the Presidential Gavel for Jeff's induction as the 2013 Chamber President. Congratulations to Jeff Hunt and the Chamber! Jeff has been BAM's Treasurer since 2011 and also represents his accounting firm as a member of the local Rotary Club. BAM has been a member of the Hurricane Valley Chamber of Commerce since 2010.