Airmen collect donations for local animal shelter

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  • By Mike Molina
  • Editor
DENVER --  Two Airmen at the Air Reserve Personnel Center here are leading the way to save homeless pets by collecting donations for a no-kill animal shelter in Denver. 

Tech. Sgt. Lee Feldhausen, JA, and Staff Sgt. Sean Byerly, SC, of the Junior Enlisted Advisory Council are heading the group's annual pet food and supply drive at ARPC through May 16. 

Collected items will be delivered to MaxFund, a nonprofit animal shelter in Denver that doesn't euthanize any animals it takes in. 

"I'm a big animal lover," said Sergeant Byerly, who has three cats and two dogs, all of which he has rescued. "I was pretty impressed with what they do at MaxFund. We appreciate any donation people can get us." 

MaxFund director and co-founder Nancy Suro said the efforts of people like Sergeants Feldhausen and Byerly are critical to the shelter. 

"Donations are what we survive on," Ms. Suro said. "If we didn't have donations from kind-hearted people, we wouldn't have a shelter." 

According to the Humane Society of the United States, about 6 million to 8 million dogs and cats enter animal shelters every year. About half of those are killed. 

"Being a no-kill shelter, we know they go through supplies quickly," said Sergeant Feldhausen, JEAC president and who also has two dogs. "Anything we can do to help them out is a huge benefit." 

The JEAC has been running the pet food and supply drive annually at ARPC for more than six years. 

"Part of our mission is to give back to the community that supports us," Sergeant Feldhausen said. 

The JEAC is a private organization made up of junior enlisted Airmen at ARPC.

Needed items include: cat and dog food, paper towels, blankets, cleaning supplies, cat litter and pet toys. Donations can be dropped off at Post 2-C-15 or by contacting Sergeant Byerly at Ext. 6-5879, or Sergeant Feldhausen at Ext. 6-6494.