Dear Friends,

I recently created Fund to help support the ASPCA. The ASPCA works hard every day to prevent animal cruelty, to care for abused and abandoned animals, and to find homes for all of America's adoptable pets.

As someone who cares about animals, I wanted to do something special this year to help. So I've created this special fund called Audry’s Gift to see how much money I can raise to protect animals. Please help me make a difference!

Audry was found wandering the streets of Nashville TN in the winter of 2007. She was picked up by a motorist and brought to his home; she spent two weeks with his family, finally having a warm place to call home.

Having decided to keep her the family brought her to the Humane Society to have her checked out and fixed; they did a great job and in a few days Audry was all cleaned up and ready to go home... but no one came back.

Audry spent the next 4 months alone in the good care of the loving people at the humane society.

When I met Audry in February of 2008 she was scared and very quiet, she did nothing but stay curled up on her blanket all day. The people who worked there said she was one of the most loving animals they had ever met, but she had begun to give up on anyone taking her home. Everyone came in looking for a bouncy puppy, not a 2 year old beagle with bowed front paws. I must confess I too had come in looking for a bouncy puppy but something in her eyes struck me. She was beautiful.

I spent the remainder of the afternoon sitting on the floor of her room petting her head. After about 20 minutes she suddenly stood up, walked over, and curled up in my lap as if to say "alright, I'm going to give this one more try...".

I was in love, she was brilliant and after one walk around the Societies dog park and a few signatures she was mine! We went home to my apartment and she fell asleep immediately, and did little else for the next few weeks. But then! Suddenly this morose little beagle was a big ball of fun, running around the dog park and picking out her own toys at Pet Smart! She had found her home.

Since then Audry has not wasted a day moping, and we have adopted a stray kitten named Minerva whom she adores. Together we hope, through telling her story and by helping the ASPCA, to find loving homes for all animals like Audry and Minerva, and to assist in one day having a world free of lost and unloved animals.

Whatever you can give will be appreciated, and everything helps. Thank you for your support!

You can go to http://www2.aspca.org/goto/audrysgift  to donate