Hallie Hill News | Hallie Hill Animal Sanctuary

Animals Benefited By Your Laps For Love Donation

Aug 17, 2023

With our Laps For Love fundraiser just a few days away, we wanted to share our special animals that your donation benefits.

Lolly is a chubby little beagle mix who, through no fault of her own, was surrendered to a local county animal shelter. The shelter was so overcrowded that Lolly was being held in a crate until a spot opened up for her. She was likely a candidate for euthanasia, being a senior with skin rashes and a neurological issue that gave her an unsteady gait. When a shelter worker contacted Hallie Hill asking if we would accept Lolly into our program, we could save her life because of your support. Lolly waddles daily around the sanctuary and really enjoys sniffing in the open fields. She hopes to one day catch a squirrel, but the squirrels don’t look worried by her latest attempts. Someone may adopt Lolly despite her age and unsteady gait, but if not, she is promised a home here at Hallie Hill for as long as she needs it.

Dolly was found as a stray by a family who brought her to us for care as they already had a few dogs. Dolly was very feeble to be only about 2 years old because she had painful, swollen joints on all four legs. She also had an abscessed tooth. Dr Badger at West Ashley Veterinary clinic did an amazing job diagnosing and treating her immune-associated arthritis. After proper medication, her joint swelling was down and she was a happy comfortable girl. Dolly’s infected tooth was removed and the wound on her cheek was repaired. She now is quite the character with a beautiful voice and is safe at the sanctuary awaiting someone to choose her to take home.

Leigh, a long-time volunteer at the sanctuary, spotted a small grey tabby kitten on the edge of a rural road. She was surprised when he did not run away as she bicycled past him. She stopped her bike and spoke softly to him. That was all the encouragement the little guy needed to start dragging himself as fast as he could toward her as if his life depended on him getting to her before she left! Leigh brought him to the sanctuary because he could not stand and seemed to have no use of his hind legs, which were atrophied from lack of use. We named him Max- since he put forth “max”imum effort to survive and be rescued. Max was cleaned up, given plenty of food and water, and examined by our vet, who x-rayed him to determine his little spine was badly broken. Max later visited a neurologist who gave us a good prognosis: Max could possibly walk again once his spinal injury had time to heal. A strict regimen of crate rest was prescribed. Max has been adopted by his foster care-givers.

Alfredo is about a 10-year-old yellow tabby cat that came to us as a found stray. He was thin and seemed to be hungry all the time. After only a day with us, we knew he would have some medical issues, and he was quickly diagnosed as a diabetic. Alfredo receives an insulin injection every 12 hours and is gaining weight nicely. Alfredo has a winning personality and is the most adorable little guy! We hope an adopter will consider him even though he requires extra care.

Volunteer Spotlight: Joan Race

Aug 10, 2023

Joan supports Hallie Hill in so many ways! The cats are thrilled to see her coming on a weekly basis. Her energy is limitless as she helps at events and she is never without an encouraging word and her bright smile that spreads so much cheer! She and her husband, Jack, adopted Linus, a deaf Staffie whom they have given the most wonderful home he could wish for, complete with his favorite activity, limitless golf cart rides! The Races are generous with their monetary support as well—Joan recently gave 100% of her 50/50 winnings at Putting for Paws back to the Sanctuary! We are so happy that she is part of our Hallie Hill family for all that, and much more!! Joan, we love you!

Meet our Laps for Love Swimmers

Aug 4, 2023

Head to Laps for Love to meet these amazing people who will be swimming their hearts out for the animals of Hallie Hill! Choose your swimmer and make a single or per lap donation to support their efforts and show your love and support for the over 200 animals that call Hallie Hill their temporary or permanent home. New swimmers are joining the ‘Laps for Love’ swim team every day, so be sure to check the website for the latest and support their efforts!

Laps for Love Swimmers:

Daniela Schneider

Erin Howell

Chad Singer

Chuck Shoemaker

Jake Howell

Susan Chase

Joan Race

Josh Tabor

Karen Kuhn

Lamar Smith

Caleb Jackson

Brian Laughlin

Tyler Klemmer

Logan Gilreath

Support Our Swimmers

Ralph is Famous: Rescuing Ralph

Aug 4, 2023

Rescuing Ralph is the story of a puppy mill breeder dog, named Ralph, who found a better life with his rescuer. Told from Ralph’s point of view and based loosely on his experiences, the story is educational and very moving. It is about learning to trust and the power of friendship, both human and canine.

And a bonus- sweet Ralph is available for adoption at Hallie Hill! He is 14 years old, and has really blossomed while in our care. We have found him to be cautious at first, but he warms up quickly when he finds you worthy. Ralph has come to love the other little dogs he lives with. He would do best in a quiet, adults only home. Yes, you can ‘Rescue Ralph’, or consider one of the other Hallie Hill residents waiting to find their fur-ever home!

Volunteer Spotlight: Susan Bedard

Jul 30, 2023

Susan Bedard is an amazing lady. We have too many good things to say about her! Her only fault is that she doesn’t want us to use her picture! Susan is one of those behind the scenes people who make sure the job gets done. She volunteers in the cattery making sure everything is clean and the cats are well fed and socialized. She volunteers to work the table at public events, telling everyone who will listen about the mission of Hallie Hill.

Susan is also an exceptionally talented person whose skill at baking has probably put 20 pounds on our Executive Director with all her delicious pound cakes, brownies and fudge. We are so fortunate that Susan is also a very skilled at sewing because she embroiders bags, keychains, koozies and even the many hats needed for our golf tournament!

Susan is a recurring donor of money and supplies. She also donates items to our auctions or raffles. She has adopted a dog, but also fosters senior dogs, making their last years very special. We love you Susan and can’t thank you enough for all you do for the animals of Hallie Hill!

Thank You Friends of Hallie Hill: Mount Pleasant Radio Company

Jul 19, 2023

Do you know how we communicated across the large Hallie campus before we had our radios? We used our cell phones! (And y’all know how well those work out there— not at all!)

We are so thankful to the owners of Mt. Pleasant Radio, Wray and Susanne Lemke, for the donation of our wireless radio system! They not only donated the hardware, but they continue to make sure they are in working order at all times!

These radios make a huge difference on a daily basis, giving us the ability to communicate in real-time to keep our staff, volunteers, and animals safe!

THANK YOU, Wray and Susanne! You make a difference in the lives of our deserving animals!

David Graham

Jul 12, 2023

David was born in Canada and moved to Michigan as a young boy. He was educated at Henry Ford College and became a US citizen. In Michigan he was VP of the Jaycees, President of the Big Rapids Chamber of Commerce and was a board member of the Mid-Michigan Alliance for Community Development. David then moved to South Carolina and spent over 35 years working in manufacturing industrial cutting tools for the paper, lumber, steel, and plastic industries. He retired in 2011 as an owner & President of International Knife & Saw and moved to Mt. Pleasant where he delivered Meals on Wheels, volunteered with his wife at Hallie Hill and played a lot of golf!

David and his wife, Margaret, now live in Awendaw where their nearest neighbors are deer, alligators, raccoons, eagles, fish, snakes, and egrets! He has adopted 2 beloved dogs from Hallie Hill and has rescued two beautiful cats, one who will turn 21 years old this summer! David is an animal lover and a man who believes in giving back to others.

Thank You Friends of Hallie Hill

Jun 27, 2023

Preferred Home Services donated over 1,000 pounds of dog food!! Thank you so much, Mike and Ryan, for this special fundraiser and for making this special delivery to the Sanctuary. We are so grateful for your kindness- thanks for caring about our special animals.

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We are pretty excited about a wonderful donation of a chest freezer! Now our pups can have refreshing frozen treats in our hot, South Carolina summer.

Thank you to East Cooper Center for Advanced Studies High School Program!! They collected donations of dog food, towels, treats, and so much more. We know our animals will be very happy.

Fear-Free Shelters: Taking the PET out of Petrified one shelter at a time

Jun 14, 2023

We are pleased to announce HHAS has adopted the methods and philosophies of the Fear Free Shelter Program. Michele Griffin, CPDT-KA, the HHAS Assistant Director, has not only a passion for pets but one for educating people about understanding companion animals and the best methods for working with them. Michele has led our current continuing education campaign wherein the sanctuary staff is completing a course to learn the best practices for working with animals in a way that improves their emotional experiences and reduces their fear, anxiety, and frustration. Volunteers are also welcome to complete this course to better understand some key strategies and techniques that will make a positive impact on the emotional state of the animals in our care. Every month for the next several months, we will highlight what one of our staff members found most interesting or valuable about the program.

“The thing I love most about our staff and volunteers embracing and using the Fear Free Shelter philosophy and techniques is having everyone on the same page with the way they handle and interact with our animals – care, and consistency is so important. So much research has been done in recent years, proving that, like us, dogs and cats are sentient beings with feelings and emotions. Small, easy changes in the way we do things with them makes such a huge impact on their comfort and wellbeing.” -Michele Griffin

Volunteer Spotlight: Lynn Rosato

Jun 6, 2023

This month we want to say a special “Thank You” to Lynn Rosato! Lynn has been volunteering with Hallie Hill since 2016. Many people see her onscreen highlighting our sanctuary residents and promoting our events on multiple TV networks, but many are not aware of all she does behind the scenes.

Lynn singlehandedly puts together our monthly newsletter, The Howler. She donates countless hours to make the newsletter a special compilation that highlights everything that is going on around Hallie Hill. Lynn is always involved with planning and implementation of all the fundraisers for the sanctuary. From AAA to Putting for Paws, she works tirelessly to make each event a success to benefit the animals of HH. She assists with events both in the community and onsite events such as vaccination events. Lynn always has her phone out taking great pictures to share with everyone.

On behalf of the Hallie Hill Board of Directors, I recently had the pleasure of presenting Lynn with an engraved silver tray for her years of dedicated service to the animals of the sanctuary. We are lucky to have volunteers like Lynn who make Hallie Hill the special place it is for the animals we serve! Thank you, Lynn.

–Jennifer