There is an organization I think every animal lover and animal rights activist should be aware of and its called the "Best friends animal society". This shelter/animal rights organization has made significant progress already in one of their main goals to reduce the numbers of animals killed in shelters annually. They have succeeded in bringing that number down to five million but that number is still terrible. More ideas and initiatives are going to need to be brought to attention and put into action so that this organization and anyone wishing to help can bring this ugly number of 5 million down to 0. :)

It will continue to show through that anyone who abuses an animal or is not kind to them will most definitely be willing to commit a violent crime against humanity. We need to identify this correlation and make a difference not only for the animals affected but for our communities. This is not only about one kind of abuse or danger. This is about protecting every living breathing thing that should never have to endure such torture and disfortune. We are protecting our communities in ways we never have before with this concept. If you ate curious about getting involved here is the website explaining any question you could possibly have!http://www.bestfriends.org/aboutus/

I'll leave you with the philosophy of the best friends animal society: "Kindness to animals creates a better world" I could never say it better myself!

Here is a picture of some of the food I collected. Im trying to get the picture of the group who held the contest as well but my phone confuses me a little lol. So that will be up on here by the weekend hopefully. I have the cute little pink hair strand in for breast cancer awareness! October is a good month :p I have delivered the food to Helping Paws and I now need to find time to get out to the animal shelter in Herkimer :p I am joining a sorority on campus called sigma delta tau. Theyre pretty awesome! No hazing and no nonsense! We just volunteer and make new friendships. :) its a really nice group. I cant wait to see what our next projects are going to be. This weekend Ill be going home to see my cousin in albany and then next weekend is the veterans day parade and the informational mixer for Miss Fulton County! It's gaining on us! I have pretty much everything I need and now Im just putting the last touches on my application.

We are just starting the food vs fuel project which is an effort to provide the elderly with food for the winter so that they don't have to choose between being warm and being fed. So many of our elderly in communities cannot afford to heat their homes and buy groceries at the same time. so we are going to change that for 16 families this winter :) Ill have an article update up by tonight. Stay warm!

http://thepageantplanet.com/blog/how-to-reduce-pageant-interview-anxiety.html
if anyone has anxieties in pageants during the interview portion this might help you out! I know a lot of my friends have trouble not being nervous and I certainly do. But I love this article. It is very helpful and very true.

I have finally got some supporters and it looks like the food/supply drive is going to be a huge success! Tomorrow I will be going to the Reslife meeting on campus to propose putting bins in all of the residence halls. I explained to them already what I am planning to do and what I am asking and they seem very open minded and welcoming :) Only one bin is out so far. Now I need to get the rest out and ask the grocery stores to donate if possible.
I have my animal rights group meeting at 5:30. They should be able to help me with some new ideas! Ill be volunteering at the animal shelter in Delhi on october 15th and we might start a dog walking service! All of it is right up my alley lol

Im starting my interview studies early. But I dont even like to call it studying. It gets so interesting and involved lol. As I'm going through articles online I get led to another interesting article and then I'm just on the computer forever :p Pageant Planet on facebook is my new addiction! Later on I will list some of the articles I loved today if anyone is interested :)

Updates yay!

I went to wal-mart today and got all of the supplies I need to start the food/supply drive. I got permission to conduct the drive in Alumni Hall at SUNY oneonta and asked permission to attend the resident life meeting at 9am tomorrow morning to make a proposal to place bins in the residence halls. I hope they say yes! I think a lot of students will pay attention and want to help these animals have food. Apparently the dry dog food goes bad quickly so they have asked for canned dog and cat food, treats, purina kitten and puppy chow, and the nonexpensive/nonclumping cat litter. Anything is welcome though. EVERYTHING helps. I am also planning on donating to "Helping Paws" in Broadalbin because they run their shelter out of their home. They can probably definitely use dry dog food so if you want to donate it that will still be extremely helpful! The next step is notifying them that I want to help them haha thats what I'm going to attend to now :)

Hurricane Irene

Hurricane Irene has not only affected the citizens of our communities. The damage and hardship has been extended onto our pets and companions. The Humane Society is taking in any displaced animals that have been seperated from their families as a result of Hurricane Irene.
http://www.globalanimal.org/2011/09/02/hsus-havens-for-irene-displaced-pets/50374/
here is an article that explains in depth

There are contributions that can be made big or small! Buy a case of water for 6 dollars and leave it at a collection site for a family that may have lost power, water and are not in posession of other supplies they may need. You can make this easier for someone else AND their animals.

I will be conducting a supply drive at my college campus as well as a couple other places in the town of oneonta. Food for both people and pets are welcome. Animal shelters and The Humane Society will greatly appreciate the supplies due to taking in more animals that have been dislocated. Any kind of blankets, canned goods, and other accessories that may be necessary are welcome as well! We will take everything! I will update the locations of these drives when I get it all set up. Thank you!

February 5th was the well known and well loved Miss Fulton County Pageant =)It was the 40th anniversary and a really special year! Heather Shaffer was Miss Fulton County 2o1o and did an outstanding job representing the Miss Fulton County organization throughout the year and at the state level =) It was a great learning experience as always and the friendships formed among the other girls is irreplaceable. I am always so excited to compete with these confident and talented individuals and this year was no different! The dress rehearsal was a blast as usual. Even though we were there for 8 hours the time goes by so fast because "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" haha and we make it that way. The opening number was to the song "Telephone" by the amazing Lady GaGa! We were some foxy ladies strutting out stuff in our silver dresses!

For the Miss Fulton County Pageant we are assigned amazing hostesses who are always so helpful. Every year they manage to leave us with great memories and permanant imprints on our hearts. I know mine did! They are assigned with the sometimes grueling tasks of making sure our swimsuits dont ride up and helping us with wardrobe malfunctions LOL My hostess was Jessica Fliegal Fielding and she put everything she had into making sure I had everything I needed to compete to the best of my ability. Thanks Jess! Im so glad to have your friendship! love you <3

The competition categories were well organized and it was very easy being a contestant. Onstage question was nerve racking as always but it is important to remember that you are intelligent and its about having an opinion. My question happened to be my opinion on who was one of the most popular people in the world. I loved it =P

Although I LOVE being onstage and showing em what Ive got on the stage, one of the best parts of competing is the unforgettable memories you gain just from being backstage! lol Every one of us has a different but fun personality. We are always there for eachother and we always help eachother when someone needs it. I think if there was a point to be added to the crown it should be "sisterhood" because thats definitely what we have developed over the years. I love you girls!

and finally the winners were announced! Colleen Gagne, Misty Lynn Hilts, and Kieren Sheridan tied for Miss Congeniality. =)

Amanda Boyer won BOTH talent and interview and was also placed in the standing of 2nd runner up! you go girl love youu<3


















I took first runner up, and our Miss Fulton County 2011 is Kieren Sheridan! Good luck this year kieren love you!

Miss Mohawk Valley is going to be held at Herkimer High School at 7 pm on April 2nd. Try to come out and support the contestants! It is going to be a great show!

YOU are their voice. YOU can be a difference.

Hey everyone! So it has definitely been awhile since I have been able to catch a breath and get on here to update everyone. If you have read my last posts you are aware that I am extremely passionate about animal rights along with a variation of other issues that are well known throughout our communities, societies and even our entire country. My platform for the Miss Fulton County pageant was " The Prevention of Animal Abuse and Neglect" and it will continue to be my platform throughout my pageant career.Through the Miss America Organization and simply by just being a contestant I am capable of representing this cause and making a difference. It is very important for people to realize that animal abuse does not only concern animals. It has actually been proven that criminals in our jails and anyone who has harmed another human being has also been guilty of some form of animal abuse. These animals have no voice and it is one of my goals to be that voice for them and to distribute an education throughout the public as to how they can do the same.

The ASPCA stands for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals". They are an outstanding non proft organization with plenty of knowledge as to how you can help animals within your own community, making a difference at your local shelters, how to support the ASPCA, and how to actually become an ambassador yourself! One thing they prominently promote is the concept of "Learn-Report-Fight" which explains that the right thing to do when learning about an animal abuse case is to report it. Dont be afraid to report what you have learned or what you have seen! The well being of a defenseless animal is at stake and YOU can make the difference between life and death for that animal.

There are rather simple actions involved in aiding the cause of protecting animals. Any skill or talent you happen to have can be used to help an animal or prevent the abuse. The top ways to help in your community include being aware of abuse, spreading the knowledge throughout your community with attention grabbing events such as fundraisers or fliers, volunteering in some way at a shelter, starting a neighborhood watch, promoting spaying and nuetering, bringing the high cost of spaying and neutering to attention, and also keeping in mind that wildlife need our protection as well.