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VMoose • Vaughn

Covington, LA • 41 years old

images - [view all]

Professional

Gender: Male

About

Shark Tank

My name is Vaughn Maurice, Executive Director of the St. Tammany Humane Society in Covington, LA. Prior to taking on the awesome responsibility of Animal Avenger, I was the Chief Operating Officer in the Greater Palm Beach Area for Red Cross. Working with the Red Cross for 13 years proved a veritable wayfaring vessel, as I’ve lived and worked in Bosnia, Hungary, Croatia, Korea, and Japan (where I met my wife and kindred spirit, Chiyomi). After years of working (and what at times felt more like vagabonding) across the globe, I decided it was time to return to my roots, to feel some semblance of the familiar – of restful homecoming. And so…..come home I did. And felt the winds of change rustling through the worn corners of my travel weathered soul. Job hunting, the bane of all working mans’ existence, began in earnest. Job hunting, abominable though it may be for most, is especially loathsome for the pure of heart. The old adage of “making an honest living” is much more difficult than it sounds, my friend. For what is “honest” in this cynical world of ours today? Very little – as one quickly finds who desires to be a part of something, not only bigger than oneself, but better than oneself as well. Hence, as I initially intimated: My name is Vaughn Maurice, Executive Director of the St. Tammany Humane Society.

My education began. Before one can ever conceive of becoming a harbinger of change, they must first harness an awareness of what that change should be. This is the requisite (and most difficult) hurdle to overcome. The world of humane societies, shelter life, vet clinic, etc… was certainly a new vista in my experiences. I became a sponge and by the graces of my very good friends observation, objectivity, and osmosis, I gained a better understanding of our role in the community and what needed improvement.
Geographically speaking, our shelter is situated in a hub of peppered ignorance regarding animal care and welfare. Love our state though we may, Louisiana is not considered the avant-garde in the world of animal advocacy. It is tragic witnessing the influx of almost a thousand animals per year through our shelter. But in the face of despair, these furry faces of despair beg for salvation. And how to grant their request? I return to the drawing board and ponder the fate of rejected dogs and cats the world over (well, maybe the world over is a bit melodramatic and a tad on the theoretical side…..the parish-over, to speak more literally). What is the most amendable factor in this equation of animal neglect? I posit: overpopulation coupled with a severe lack of public awareness.

Overpopulationl: the problem. How to remedy? The Final Solution (don’t get ahead of me here..): Low cost. “But there are low cost spay/neuter programs out there,” you may counter. Yes, this is true. But funding runs out quickly. The program is limited not only by available funding, but also limited to those who qualify. To be effective, low cost spay/neuter should be pervasive and available to anyone. “How? How? How?” you ask. As I knew you would. You can’t get something for nothing.

Recently the idea was put forward to create a Humane Society thrift shop, as we get so many donations – not all of which we can use here at the shelter. A thrift store yielding profits from our expendable donations back to the shelter was a good idea. A thrift store yielding profits which would be used to fund a local low cost spay/neuter program is a GREAT idea. In theory, the profits would be enough to support a program offering $20 spay/neuter for both cats and dogs of any size. Picture it: Covington LA. 2010. Humane Society Thrift Store: Your unwanted litter helps to prevent our unwanted litter!

Humane Society Thrift Store – this is my idea that will get the cats howlin’ and the dogs growlin’. The animal libs are speaking and we are listening: “We are bitter! No more litters!!” So for just $20, we hope the community listens to what their pets have to say: spay and neuter us today! Of course the initial start-up costs for such an enterprise will be quite substantial, and therefore I turn to you for the help which I so desperately need. I am not so naïve as to believe that there have not been thousands of such stellar ideas that have wasted by the wayside for lack of the mighty dollar needed to give organizations the jump start that they need to catapult their dreams into fruition. Please consider my non-profit Shark Tank plea for all the animals that will most definitely profit in the long run. Thank you.

My Website: www.sthumane.org

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