If you would like to bid on an item, contact jill@trioanimalfoundation.org. Please indicate:

1. Item Number

2. Item Name

3. Your bid (take into account the minimum bid)

4. Your credit card number, expiration date and the security code from the back of your card

5. Your name, address and email

Bids must be received by 5 pm FRIDAY May 20, 2011.

The silent auction rules are below and you agree to be bound by those rules when you place a bid. We will enter your bid at the event and let you know if you have won after the event is over. Your bid is binding and your credit card will be charged if you are the winning bidder. We will add any delivery charge or excess postage to your bill for your winning items.

Thanks for bidding and supporting TAF!

SILENT AUCTION AND RAFFLE RULES

All bids made at Trio Animal Foundation’s (“TAF”) Rockin For Rescue silent auction are binding and no refunds will be issued. Please read the following procedures carefully. By bidding in the silent auction, each bidder agrees to these auction rules.

SILENT AUCTION

A display card will be placed near each item listing the item number, item name, description, opening bid and minimum bid increment. To place a bid, guests must legibly write their names, cell phone numbers, and bid amounts in dollars on the first available line of the bid sheet. To qualify as a valid bid, each new bid must equal or exceed the minimum increase amount stated on the bid sheet. No bid sheet may be removed from the Silent Auction table except by a silent auction official.

The Silent Auction categories will close according to the schedule indicated in the catalogue and/or on signs at the event. Last calls for bidding will be announced during the evening. Trio Animal Foundation reserves the right to adjust the closings of categories on the night of Rockin’ For Rescue.

Bidding for items in the silent auction sections will close at the times posted. No bidding on items in a category will be allowed after the category is closed. A silent auction official will circle the top bidder’s information. A copy of the closed out bid sheet will be left at the silent auction table. The winning bidder for each item will also be available at the Registration table. In collaborative bidding efforts the person who bids for the group is ultimately held responsible for payment in its entirety before item can be claimed.

Invoices will be prepared shortly after the closing of the Silent Auction.  If you have won, please proceed to the Registration table to complete your payment and pick up your items anytime before the event ends.  Once your payment has been processed, please take your paid invoice to the auction pick up table to claim your merchandise. Upon presentation of the receipt indicating payment, the bidder will receive purchased items.

In the event of any dispute between bidders, Trio Animal Foundation shall have sole and final discretion to determine the successful bidder or to re-offer the item in dispute. In the event that an item or package becomes a collaborative effort, the bidder accepts full responsibility for payment. Payments must be made in full on May 21, 2011.

PAYMENT AND MERCHANDISE CLAIM

Payment for items purchased must be made in full on May 21, 2011 before the event ends. Payment can be made using cash, check made payable to Trio Animal Foundation, Visa, or MasterCard. Any bidder not making arrangements for payment in full will forfeit the right to purchase the item at the discretion of TAF. This does not limit other rights TAF may have. Bidders should retain all receipts for their records.

Any bidders who have pre-registered a credit card authorize TAF to bill the amount of their winning bids to their pre-registered credit card.

The purchaser must pick up all items or arrange for the removal of all items before the end of the evening on May 21, 2011. Winners are encouraged to carry with them all items of manageable size. In the event merchandise is too large to be transported that evening, winners may make arrangements for delivery of merchandise at their own expense. TAF will not incur any shipping and delivery fees on behalf of purchaser. Any item left unclaimed at the close of the event will be sold and proceeds will go to TAF unless prior arrangements with TAF are made.

INFORMATION ON TAX DEDUCTIBILITY OF AUCTION PURCHASES

Purchases made at Rockin For Rescue on May 21, 2011 are tax-deductible as provided by law only to the extent that the purchase price exceeds the fair market value of the merchandise. The purchase price and fair market value of silent auction items you have won will be shown on your Registration Form and Receipt. This form will be provided to you when you pay for and pick up your items after the silent auction closes.

GENERAL RULES

TAF has attempted to describe and catalog items correctly. TAF, however, neither warrants nor represents and in no event shall be responsible for the correctness of descriptions, genuineness, authorship, provenance or condition of the items. No statement made in this catalog, or made orally at the auction or elsewhere, shall be deemed a warranty, representation, guarantee or assumption of liability. All property is sold “as is.” Values of merchandise donations shown in this auction catalog or other auction materials are estimates of fair market value, as stated by the donor or determined by TAF, and are not warranted by TAF for tax or other purposes.

Purchasers are bound by restrictions specified by donors. Terms are not negotiable or changeable. Most certificates and merchandise are not exchangeable for cash in part or in full and are non-transferable. Most certificates have specific restrictions, such as expiration date or usage limits, included on the certificate and the bidder is responsible for following the listed restrictions. Items and/or services purchased at Rockin’ For Rescue are not intended to be sold or auctioned at a later date by the buyer. All sales are final. Trio Animal Foundation is not liable for any refunds or exchanges. All provisions listed in the certificates are subject to availability.

By making a purchase, the buyer waives any claims for liability against either Trio Animal Foundation or the donor of the item or service. Neither Trio Animal Foundation nor the donor is responsible for any personal injuries or damage that may result from the use of items or services sold at Rockin’ For Rescue. Trio Animal Foundation reserves the right to (a) withdraw any item at the time before actual sale and (b) reject a bid from any bidder. Trio Animal Foundation officers will act as the final authority on any bidding disputes.

ABSENTEE BIDDING

Absentee bids must be confirmed with a credit card.  The credit card of the highest bidder on a package will be charged no later than Monday, May 23, 2011.

Above: Sue Naiden, TRIO Founder/President and Jill Cahr

Sunday volunteer days are busy times at the Animal Welfare League intake facility on Chicago’s south side. Animal lovers fill the halls, walking dogs or cuddling cats. Outside, dogs romp happily by the new dog runs, enjoying the sun and the human company. The dog runs and the increase in volunteers are both thanks to the Trio Animal Foundation (TAF).

TAF is a nonprofit organization that helps pay the medical bills of homeless pets and promotes animal welfare awareness. But the organization’s impact extends beyond this mission statement. TAF also wants to unite the animal advocacy groups of Chicago.

“We’ve done a lot of good, and I’m really proud of what we’ve achieved in such a short time. Not only do we pay bills, but we bring together a bunch of groups that otherwise would not have worked together,” says Jill Cahr, the Vice-President and Co-Founder of the Trio Foundation.

TAF wants to promote resource sharing between animal shelters and other nonprofits, but it’s not always an easy job.

“People are incredibly skeptical in Chicago. There is not a lot of collaboration between the animal groups. There is a lot of animosity…We’re really about bringing groups together to get animals healthy and adopted,” says Cahr.

In the divisive world of Chicago animal welfare, collaboration is key. This is the principal that brought the AWL and the Trio Foundation together. Diane Spyrka, director of the AWL intake facility says she’s grateful for the partnership with TAF.

“I’m just elated people want to give their time and resources,” says Spyrka. “Being a nonprofit is not an easy thing, and we don’t get resources from the community. Our outlook is that it’s all about the animals; it’s not about the politics. It’s about putting egos aside and staying true to your passion. The animals should always come first.”

That’s the philosophy the TAF volunteers bring with them when they come to work at intake facility. From holding a timid kitten, to walking (or being walked), by a boisterous mutt, it’s clear the people who come to volunteer at the intake facility love animals.

“They give me more than I give them,” says Jaque Sabian, a volunteer at AWL. “The most rewarding part is that I might have made a difference in a dog’s life.”

Getting the message out there is the first step to bring the different groups together. Using social media such as Facebook, TAF promotes animal awareness and offers ideas and opportunities for people looking to make a big impact on the lives of animals without a big time or money commitment. For more information, check out the website at TrioAnimalFoundation.org. —Axie Navas

Next step, raise more money for astroturf and faux-greenery. To donate: click here. Once the project is complete, we will have a celebration.

By pooling our $10 donations, we can accomplish BIG THINGS! If every fan of our Facebook page donates one day’s lunch money to TAF, we can raise enough money to:

* Pay for 62-85 spay/neuter surgeries at a low cost veterinary clinic;
* Pay for 20-43 dental procedures, depending on severity of the decay;
* Sponsor 425 microchips for shelter dogs and cats;
* Purchase 283 heartworm or flea preventatives;
* Sponsor a vet exam and vaccinations for 85 shelter dogs or cats;
* Purchase 567 instant heartworm tests; or
* Treat 17 heartworm positive dogs.

The power of a community working together is significant! All donations to TAF are tax deductible and can be made ON LINE:

TAF’s website www.trioanimalfoundation.org, click DONATE

Here is the direct link:
http://trioanimalfoundation.org/howhelp.shtml or

Donate by MAIL: (make checks payable to Trio Animal Foundation)

Trio Animal Foundation
516 North Ogden Ave. Suite 199
Chicago, IL 60642

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!

The Animal Welfare League’s Intake Facility accepts all animals that are dropped off at its door, regardless of age, health, temperament or anything else. This also includes the animals that some “no kill” shelters do not want to euthanize themselves.

Until TAF started publicizing the animals at AWL Intake, there was virtually no way for other shelters and rescues to find out about the animals at the facility (other than through phone calls by Diane Spyrka, the Shelter Manager). TAF’s Facebook page has changed that and we are proud to bring together shelters and rescues to help the animals at AWL Intake. If you scroll through our Facebook page, you will see many examples of TAF joining with multiple organizations to transfer and adopt AWL Intake dogs and cats.

The AWL Intake facility is not set up to adopt out animals. Its main organization, Animal Welfare League, however, does adopt out animals. AWL is just as overcrowded as every other shelter. It is also very expensive to cover the medical bills of sick animals. This has made many shelters go into the red and eventually have to shut their doors.

This is why TAF helps AWL Intake. Simply, is it one of the neediest shelters in Chicago. Diane and her staff are incredibly dedicated and we are pleased to assist. TAF has had many happy endings since we started working with AWL Intake:

1. South Suburban Humane Society, another open access shelter, has truly stepped up and helped out. SSHS has taken numerous dogs and adopted them out. SSHS has also shared their most precious resource–volunteers. For example, SSHS’s volunteer groomer Maureen visits AWL Intake regularly and grooms dogs. Here are photo’s from a recent visit.

The pile of nasty, matted fur was carried by the dog for years. When Maureen shaved the dog down, she discovered he was missing a leg! TAF is helping pay for this dog’s medical care.

2. The dog runs are here! The dog runs are here! TAF and its generous donors raised enough money to purchase and install 5 desperately needed dog runs. Now, the dogs at AWL Intake will spend quality time in the fresh air each day. Previously, the dogs were only out of their cages for short periods of time.

We will be announcing a special dedication ceremony shortly. We are still hoping to raise funds to spruce up the yard with trees and Astroturf.

3. TAF’s Facebook page has raised awareness of the AWL Intake Facility and the dogs housed there. Many rescues and shelters have now transferred dogs and cats after hearing about them through TAF. Rescues and shelters, such as SSHS, Puppy Love-Love Cats, ALIVE Rescue, Project Rescue, Hyde Park Cats and others have transferred dogs and cats and we heartily thank them. We have also been the beneficiary of incredible kindness and assistance from Tree House Humane Society and its veterinary clinic.

4. TAF brings a group of volunteers to AWL Intake approximately once a month. We play with, socialize and cuddle the animals, walk and groom dogs, clean, pack food for the pet food bank and perform other needed tasks. We have fun and the animals are incredibly relaxed and happy as a result of our efforts.

Of course, all these great works need volunteers and funding. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact: jill@trioanimalfoundation.org. Donations can be made online our TAF’s website.

Harley the  miniature poodle mix is a sweet young guy who likes other dogs and loves to cuddle. Don’t let all that fur fool you, he’s only about 15 pounds. He’s waiting for his new home.

Spending time at the facility is emotionally challenging. However, the change in the animals is so intense and wonderful, it’s worth a few tears. Besides, there’s nothing like a furry hug to remind you of why you are there!

Princess Leia spent the first few years of her life as a test animals in a Medical Laboratory. Despite her rough beginning, she is one of the sweetestand most gentle dogs you’ll ever meet. She loves to cuddle and is available for adoption right now!

Check out the photos from our visit on Trio Animal Foundation’s Facebook Page. Volunteers are always welcome at the AWL facility. Trio Animal Foundation organizes a monthly visit to the shelter. If you are interested in volunteering or in meeting Harley, Leia or any of the dogs in the photos, please contact Sue: sue@trioanimalfoundation.org or Jill: jill@trioanimalfoundation.org.