My name is Simon And if you are reading this, your community 100 miles from Cumberland, Maryland, where I was born, gave me back my life. I was a frisky puppy who landed up in bad hands. My puppy years were robbed from me, as I landed at the Allegany County Animal Shelter when I was only six months old. I never left. My cage was my home, and I became adept at jumping as high as I could to wear away the hours. The hours became long years, and I was nearing my fifth birthday, hearing whispers that I was unmanageable and unadoptable. I never understood what I had done wrong, and I became despondent. Then a miracle happened. Potomac Md-based Friends of Allegany County Animal Shelter (FOACAS) found me and raised funds to send me to a trainer. The trainer made a video with me and pled for someone to give me a chance. The trainer said there are not too many opportunities in life to make a home run, but saving me would be a home run. A kind man responded to FOACAS’s plea on my behalf, and he drove all the way from Falls Church, Virginia, to the Allegany County Animal Shelter in Cumberland to pick me up and keep me all summer. I don’t remember ever being in a house before. And I don’t remember ever receiving all the loving attention that he and his wife showered on me. Then FOACAS raised the money to send me to a positive boarding and training school in Middleburg, Virginia. In my first few minutes there, I showed that I really did like other dogs, and within a week, I graduated with honors. On the day of my graduation, a sweet lady from Bethesda who had heard about me from FOACAS drove to the school, hugged me, and decided that she was going to adopt me. She is my mom now and I love her so much. And she loves me back. The whole time that FOACAS was working to save me with the kind people at the shelter, your community helped us in so many other ways. • Your community bought us our first new animal control truck that goes around at all hours of the day and night to pick up lost, abandoned, mistreated and hungry dogs and cats. • Your community ran the largest cat and dog food drive in the shelter’s history. • Your community saved 110 of my friends and found them good homes near you. • Your community raised thousands of dollars to pay for vet bills and supplies for us shelter dogs and cats. I hope with all the hope I clung to in five years of waiting and waiting that you will help the Potomac-based Friends of Allegany County Animal Shelter continue to support its adopted shelter again this holiday season. Thanks to what your community did for us this year, we could look up and see a bright star over our heads. Thank you for thinking of us again this holiday season so that soon, all of my friends at the animal shelter can be free. Just like you freed me. My name is Simon, and I write this finally loved and wanted. You saved me, I am your local neighbor now, and I know you will save so many other of my needy friends with your continued generosity. Simon Allegany County Animal Shelter Management Foundation P.O. Box 566 Cumberland, MD 21501-0566 From our Founder My husband John Camp and I conceived of FOACAS in September 2020, during the worst days of COVID, to help one struggling animal shelter in a city we had only passed through. But we knew we wanted to help the voiceless dogs and cats in our state, and beautiful Cumberland needed our help. It is gratifying to know that we have found homes for more than 100 animals once living in cages. After four years at the shelter, we all shed tears to see Simon take his first steps to freedom. When the shelter tentatively asked if we might help them purchase a new animal control truck to pick up abandoned and mistreated animals at all hours of the day and night, we rolled up our sleeves and pleaded the case to our community. We bought them their truck within 60 days. We have provided three tons of dog food and the largest supply of cat food the shelter has ever received. We were elated to organize spay and neuter cat clinics at the shelter. Forty of our most engaged neighbors joined FOACAS. Everywhere we go in our community, everyone now seems to know of the needy shelter in Cumberland. We will never stop trying to help. We aim to hire a part-time adoption coordinator. We hope to build an agility park. We will keep pushing to find accessible vet care. Thank you for helping us help the Allegany County Animal Shelter. We cannot change the whole world, but together, we can change the world of many helpless creatures in a difficult world only two hours away. Your Friends and Neighbors, Mindy Farber and John Camp of Potomac, MD 20854 Help us bring Christmas to the animals with pet food, pet toys, pet care and cleaning supplies. www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3AW6WC5FRRO5U/ Visit us on Facebook @FOACASCUMBERLANDMD