Below is the latest news on my beauties Traer and Laila who are at Smiling Dog Farms in Texas. As you can see by Jay's email below, they are doing fine and are happy - though not human-loving - girls. But you can also see that the sanctuary is in desperate need of funds. They had to actually make a special enclosure for my girls because I warned them that Traer was an escape artist and could jump over fences with amazing agility. So they built up an extra few feet of the fence angled in towards the kennel. And darned if that little rascal didn't decide that if she couldn't go over - she'd go under! She dug herself free and run amok on the property for a day or two until the staff was able to lure her back into the enclosure - using Laila in a crate for bait. But they then had to bolster the entire enclosure at ground level with concrete. So as sweet and lovely as the girls are, they have cost quite a bit extra for Jay and the sanctuary. If just a few people could subscribe to donate just $5 or $10 a month, it would help so much in being able to provide the care needed for the girls. Please go to DONATIONS and donate whatever you can.
layla and traer are doing great here... we gave them an equally feral friend, Mr. Moose, a very small chocolate lab who came here for same reasons... they seem to enjoy each others' company, although we have to monitor them at feeding time... traer is definitely in charge, and we have to make sure that layla and mr. moose get enough to eat... but other than feeding time, they do great together...
i cannot imagine them anywhere else BUT here... they are not even close to tolerant of humans... traer is pretty aggressive, and will charge the fence when our personnel come to care for them... sometimes mr. moose will, as well... sweet little layla hides out in the cottage a lot, especially if she thinks there is trouble brewing and traer is going to fuss at someone... or if a human gets too close!
they are starting to play with their toys, now... and they have a prime location right next to the main driveway that goes up to the house, so they get to watch and bark at everyone who comes and goes!! they also have a front row view of the donkeys' pasture and watch them play...
there is not a chance in the world that either traer or layla could ever be placed in an adoptive home... they are far too feral and just not interested in human companionship... i do not see The Dog Whisperer or anyone else making sufficient change in their personalities that they would ever be comfortable with much human contact...
these girls are quite happy to be left to their own devices with their new friend, mr. moose... these are dogs who like dogs, not people...
we definitely need some help on funding... our cost is now up to $80/mo per dog, for personnel, dog food and vet care and until we can get 1000 Smiling Dog Partners, we really need every dog who comes here to come fully funded...
i will shortly be sending out a "form letter" for you or someone else whom you make "point man" for the girls... this letter will work if you will send it to NON-rescue people you know -- friends, family, business acquaintances... for every ten you email, three will sign on as partners...
we are pretty much at a complete halt for taking on new dogs, unless they pay the money up front -- not because we want to do it that way, but because we cannot afford to continue to bring in dogs without funding... it just stretches our precious resources even tighter than they already are stretched, and that is unfair to the dogs who are already here...
i am hoping the day is not too far away when we will have our 1000 Partners making regular, monthly tax deductible donations so that we will not have to have complete funding for every new dog who comes here...
i will send you a copy of that letter, and hopefully we can get some monthly partners signed on to help cover the costs of traer and layla...
Poor little man wasn't too happy about it at the time but he sure is happy now! Thanks to Rosina Fabbo, Dexter found a wonderful home in Boston and though I'm sure he's freezing his little rear end off right now, he is in a loving and stable environment that he has always wanted. Here are the last pictures of his days in Florida. Sorry, buddy, I forgot to pack your parka!
Ellie was adopted a couple of months ago to a fantastic couple who loves her more than I could have ever hoped for. Ellie is the girl who was found at the beach with a fish hook through her lip. Her family took a big chance on her since she was still so shy when they first met her at my home. When I took her to their house she was too shy for me to even get a picture with her and her new family but I knew she would come out of her shell soon and that she was in the perfect place for her. And she did and she was! I got to visit with Ellie for a week while her family was away for the holiday and finally got a family portrait of her! There she is with her little back leg hiked out to give easy access to her belly for much-desired tummy rubs. Thank you Neil and Andy for taking a chance on Ellie and giving her such a wonderful life. (Oh, and you'll notice my Ellie (the calico kitty) making sure she gets in the picture too!)
Here's Ollie (adopted by Elaine in Jupiter) and his buddy Tinker sporting the most fashionable doggie-wear available! They came to visit us at the reunion last month and little Ollie sure has come a long way from Dead Dog Beach! He and Tinker look great in their shirts. If you're interested in buying a shirt for your pooch - or for yourself - go to our t-shirt order page. The shirts are $12 for dogs and $15 for humans.
Oh boy, this one's gonna be a tough one to give up! This little boy is so stinkin' sweet!!! Dexter is leaving tomorrow morning to fly to his new home in Boston, MA and I'm sure I'll cry when they wheel him down to the plane. He's been a total joy to have and is a serious cuddle-monkey and has a fantastic attitude. He's a charmer! I feel so lucky to have had him for the couple of weeks I did. Bye-bye Dexter-dog - you'll be very missed but I'm soooooo happy for you!!!
Pati and the Dalmatian Rescue in Miami, Florida. She is amazing! Since I've been doing rescue - only about 2 1/2 years - she has taken in 11 dalmatians from Puerto Rico and will be taking in yet another one next week! She has never turned us down when we've come to her for help - not just Hands For Paws but other groups and individuals as well. Though we know how tough times are right now for everyone, Pati has been incredible with "making it work" whenever there is a dal in need. Pictured here is the new dalmatian that will be coming to Pati next week and also Pepper, Coco, Quijote, Alana, and Rocco. As with all rescues, Pati's group is in desperate need of funds. If you'd like to help out by donating, you can go HERE to donate.
Take a look at this before and after!!! Bobby was rescued from the beach by Sid who took such fantastic care of him and found the perfect home for him. I received an email from Bobby's new family telling me how wonderful the placement is. This is really thanks to Sid and I can't thank him enough:
First let me tell you about Bobbie. What a wonderful animal!!! He has filled a void in our lives that has been there since last January when we lost our family member "Kramer" after 14 years. My son Ryan especially is a boy that needs a dog and Bobby has fit the bill perfectly. He is very playful gentle and kind. He fit right into the family and it already seems like he has been here forever. His adjustment (at least to this point) has been quick and relatively without problems (only about 4 accidents in the house and one was our fault for not recognizing his request to go out!!). He is very intelligent and is quickly understanding what we are saying (much faster than we are figuring his language out!! LOL). Sid obviously did a great job fostering him. Thank you and the organization for all you do. Without Hands for Paws, Bobby would still be out on that beach and we would not have him in our family. I would also like to commend Sid for his work, dedication and skills with dogs. He is a good man!
Terry and her son, two of our supporters, have put up an ebay auction with 100% of the profits coming to Hands for Paws! You can designate the percentage you would like to go to a charity using ebay auctions and it's a great way for us to take in a little extra cash. And there are some people who may be particularly interested in purchasing an item specifically because it's a charity auction. Go HERE to see Terry's auction.
Ariadne, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Apollo, Alexander, Marley and Mikey left for Chicago today! The awesome Katie Block of Island Dog arranged for their flight and placement! Megan, the third of Meredith's puppies, will be traveling to a new home in Tampa, Florida as soon as a flight comes available.
JustGive.org is a way to give the gift of giving at the holidays. Manos por Patas is a registered charity with JustGive.org and you can purchase a gift certificate that the receiver can redeem giving the funds to their charity of choice. Here's the information from the website:
I wanted to tell you about a great way to help the charities and causes you care about. Through JustGive —the destination for online giving—you may donate to nearly 1.5 million charities working throughout the world.
JustGive provides unique ways to support your causes:
* JustGive Guide - A unique database of over 1,000 charities in 19 categories to make it easier to select a charity dedicated to a chosen cause. * GiveNow gift cards or Gift Collections – Personalize these meaningful gifts for your family members, friends and colleagues for any occasion. * Monthly recurring donation – It's easy to make giving a part of your everyday life. Online, you can conveniently set up a monthly charitable donation to your charities of choice and spread giving throughout the year. * Create a Registry for a Wedding, Special Occasion or Fundraising – In lieu of traditional gifts, you can thoughtfully ask for charitable donations through an online registry. JustGive manages and tracks all the donations for you.
JustGive.org is the place to find comprehensive information about all aspects of giving: donating money, volunteering, learning about the tax implications of charitable giving, reading inspiring stories about how giving makes a difference—and so much more. JustGive.org even tracks all donations made through the site in your Giving History, an online record you can access and print at any time.
JustGive has generated over $100 million for tens of thousands of great causes - together we are making a difference! To register with us and make a gift to charity, please visit us at www.JustGive.org.
Appropriate for any occasion, gift cards are a thoughtful, meaningful gift.
You can also use JustGive's unique wedding registry which allows couples to encourage their guests to make charitable donations to their favorite cause in lieu of traditional gifts.
Scooter is the disabled kitten rescued by Amigos de los Animales. He has an offer of a wonderful home in California but needs to get there. We are looking for someone who to escort him in the cabin to his new home. He needs to be in the cabin with a passenger because of his disability and it's a very long flight. If anyone can help with escorting him, please contact Liz at elizabeth_kracht@yahoo.com. She also needs help with funds for the flight - donating miles would work as well. (photos from Liz Kracht)
We are now a recognized charity on EntirelyPets.com! You can purchase all your pet needs through them and designate us as your charity so we can receive donations from entirelypets.com. Here's the info from the webpage:
EntirelyPets.com's devotion to your pet's health and well being extend further than just our commitment to providing you with quality pet products at the best prices. By contributing to various charitable causes and organizations, EntirelyPets.com continues to work towards building stronger human animal bonds. We are proud to have and continue to support organizations that work for the benefit of pets and the larger community as a whole. Your pet's health and well being are only as great as the environment they live in.
Join us in the support of these causes and help create a positive impact in the lives of our animals as well as our own.
From Sandra's blog: Ariadne, Artemis, Athena, Ares, Apollo, Alexander, Megan, Marley and Mikey are safe at the vet clinic. Most of them will fly to Chicago on saturday--except Megan, who will stay here in foster care until her potential family comes to meet her in December. Sandy and Helen took them to the vet today. Unfortunately I had something else to do in the afternoon and I couldn't see them leaving but I said goodbye in the morning. I missed them already! Here's what Sandy said:
"The kids (pups) are all doing great! Helen and I got to the beach around 2pm and pulled the back of the car up to the make-shift Puppy Room. They were all very excited to see us, but I'm sure not as excited as when they see you! I couldn't even get my feet over the metal gate without practically stepping on one of the puppies as they surrounded my feet like a bunch of ants as you well know. Two by two we put the six pack into the large kennel then put Meredith's three pups into the small kennel. All made the 35+ minute drive to the the doctors office without a peep. They did so well! I was so proud and so proud of the way you and Katie taking such good care of them. I called ahead to the doctors office when we were about 15 minutes away just to let them know to expect the large crowd. They were ready with open arms, thank goodness there was nobody in the office when we arrived! The six pack went first, we brought them in two by two and weighed each one, then took them into the exam room! Of course they couldn't wait to relieve themselves so by the time I got the last pup weighed the mop was out in full force. They looked so great with their new hair growing in so quick thanks to you and their Paramyte dip, your love, nurturing and medical care saved their lives! The doctor was so surprised to see that they were in such great shape."
Beautiful Ellie was rescued in July and found a wonderful home in Florida. She was a very sweet but shy girl when I took her to her new family. The family was so happy to have her and were not at all put off by her shyness. Looks like they knew what they were doing because look at her now! Ellie is a very happy, sweet and definitely not shy girl! She's staying with me for the week while her family is out of town for the holiday.
This is an easy way to collect money for our rescues. Just get a quart jar, cut a slit in the top for the coins, and decorate it with stickers, ribbons, etc... Just sit it on your counter and toss your change in it when you get home from work. Kids could go door-to-door and collect from the neighbors - people don't seem to miss a few coins and they definitely add up quickly! I thought it would be a fun thing for a classroom to do and maybe offer a prize for the most collected.
These puppies need a foster home until Saturday. They are newly vetted and are all very sweet and pretty small. They are flying to Chicago on Saturday but need a place to stay for just these next few days. Please contact Sandra if you can help - wgundamz@yahoo.com.
This little angel, who is blind, has a home in Baltimore, MD and needs and escort to take him from Puerto Rico to his new home. If you can help, contact Ingrid at ingridingridcaribenet8@gmail.com
Freddy and Tyler are a priority to get off the beach. Freddy has horrible mange and appears to have been hit by a car (or person) badly at his hip. Tyler has a serious wound on his leg that has all the muscles and tendons exposed. We are about $5,000 in debt right now and there is no way I can commit to taking in any more dogs until I get all the debt cleared up. But I'm hoping someone will be able to make a financial commitment for these two dogs.
The holidays are always bad at the beach. Lots of dogs get dumped and there are a lot of people enjoying the beach during their time off - the more people there, the more danger the dogs are in.
The beautiful Kerr was adopted yesterday! Kerr has been in boarding/foster care since he was rescued in July. He first had to be cured of heartworm and then it took a while for him to find the right home because large adult dogs are more difficult to place. But he found it and I think he struck gold!!! He's got a great family, complete with his own boy who absolutely adores him, a big backyard and all the love and attention he can handle! It's a beautiful thing. I cried. It's so hard to let them go once you've had them for so long but easier when you know what a great life they will have.
From Sandra's blog: The dog i saw monday--the one that i stopped to feed when i saw Angela, the small emaciated puppy--was wounded on his front leg today. Looks like a bite or something like that. He is limping and you can one of see his tendons sticking out of the wound.
I posted the story on Allison Trazzera's big heart and big fundraiser yesterday morning. Allison sent me the link to the original story which you can read below.
ABSECON – Normally, Alison Trazzera said, she would turn off a show like “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” she watched in September about Island Dog Inc. – an organization that strives to help the animal overpopulation and cruelty problem in Puerto Rico. Some lucky dogs should be happy that she didn’t.
“By the end of the show, I was in tears and on my laptop making a $100 donation,” Trazzera said Monday, Nov. 10. “I haven't been the same since. I didn't know what more I could do. My husband would get ticked if I donated any more. I felt helpless.”
Feeling that she wasn’t doing enough, Trazzera made a three-day trip to Puerto Rico to see Dead Dog Beach in the village of Yabucoa Wednesday, Nov. 5 to Friday, Nov. 7.
Dead Dog Beach Bash 6 p.m. Nov. 29 Fundraiser to benefit Island Dog Inc. and the Atlantic County Humane Society Rifici’s Ristorante, 308 W. White Horse Pike, Absecon Free munchies and a cash bar, dancing, giveaways, a Chinese auction and a regular auction Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the event – available at Rifici’s or call (609) 705-4294
You can see the SLIDESHOW here which shows scenes of strays in Puerto Rico and some of the wonderful rescuers who give everything they have to saving them.
The emaciated puppy died this morning. This is what Sandy wrote:
"...I went in the back of the vets office with her new sheepskin bed and the cage was empty, my heart just sank to my stomach and my eyes welled having this worst feeling. The staff looked at me knowing how upsetting this was but didn't have the heart to tell me. The vet was busy with another client then he came to tell me that she had died this morning. They had done everything they could for her but she was too far gone. I was at least comforted in knowing that she had died with dignity, some food in her tummy, love from us all and a warm bed rather than the slow agonizing death if you hadn't come across her".
"The doctor said she passed quietly this morning. She gave up eating yesterday afternoon and they continued to give her liquids through her mouth along with the nutrical and other oral vitamins. They wanted to do an IV drip to give her liquids when we first brought her in but since she was so dehydrated they couldn't even find a vein..."
This is part of the reason I get so angry when these things happen. That people like Sandra and Sandy, who love these animals so much and do everything they can to save them and give them good lives, have to bear the emotional burden of these tragedies. And the person/s who let this baby get into that condition in the first place does not deal with the sadness and horror and hurt. Those with the hearts to give the animals the love they deserve suffer the emotional pain forever. But the little innocent animals that are left to die are the ones who bear the physical pain as well. It's just wrong and always will be wrong. Thank you Sandy and Sandra for allowing your hearts to be affected by this little angel - for not walking away from her. You are heroes to us all.
Look at this little guy! Liz from Amigos de los Animales and her boyfriend made a ghetto scooter for Scooter and he's getting along great! Take a look at the posting from Liz' blog:
Scooter had to go to Dr. Ramos today. He was all swollen in the back end. Turns out he had a massive abscess. Exploded all over. Quite gross really. But he is a.o.k now. Enjoying his wheels like never before.
Diaz Martin made his wheels for him--a prototype, really. We put Scooter in the wheels--hotwheels that is--and he acted like he'd known them intimately, forever!
Ginny from Manos Por Patas is committed to finding Scooter a forever home. We've had several bites. Dr. R says he has to heal his wound first, and then he's safe to travel.
Scooter was found by my friend and neighbor Wesley in a box in a garbage can across the street just two hours before the garbagemen were due.
This is part of what Sandy wrote to Sandra: "She ate today and had a hard stool, good news. He said she had four diarrhea's during the night and big worms. But, she hasn't really been able to stand on her own...". Let's hope she gets better. At least she's eating and no longer has that nasty diarrhea.
Then I went to feed other dogs and stopped to feed a new dog that I saw at the side of the boathouse. While feeding him, I saw a bundle at the end of a structure that looks like a garage. When I got close, I saw it was a puppy--a dead puppy covered with newspapers--but then I saw her breathing and she raised her head. She was severly emaciated and dehydrated--all bones and skin. Inmediately I brought her food mixed with water, gave her liquid vitamins and Pedialyte--she was weak, but she ate a lot. She had a diarrhea that looked like black oil. I wonder for how many days she had been there... She resembles so much to Kieran! She's very small, weighing maybe no more than 2 pounds. She has to be more than 4-5 weeks old because she ate by herself--but I'm not sure.
In the afternoon, Sandy Soroka called me saying she wanted to visit the pups. She helped me vaccinate Meredith's 3 puppies and I showed her the weak new pup. She was already more alert and more willing to walk. She ate some more and we gave her a little more Pedialyte. Sandy took the puppy to a vet in Fajardo. I'm awaiting news about her.
I'm so angry right now I cannot even see straight. How long had that little baby been there? Who put her there? How could they see a living creature in that condition and not take her in for medical care?
Many of you will remember the precious Riley. She and another dog, Lannie, had been long-time beach residents (over 4 years) and Christine from Amigos de los Animales and I decided that was just too long for these poor girls to have to bear. Lucky girl ended up with Jules and Chris who have an equestrian training center in Massachusetts. Here is the latest email on how Riley is doing:
I want to give you an update on Riley, in just another month it will have been a year since that wonderful girl entered my life. She is doing phenomenally!
Initially she was very hesitant about meeting new people, although always friendly, she would never just go up and say hi to the other dog walkers in the park. Now, after a quick sniff anyone can give her a pet, and man does she ever love the attention! We've been working with the children at the barn, as she is most afraid of kids. She would never let kids near her, she would hide behind my legs, or if at home or the barn run to another part of the property. Now if the kids go slow, she is certainly appreciating the love!
I was shocked to find out she LOVES babies. Friends of Chris and mine came with their 3 month old daughter, Riley was a little confused, she didn't understand why it made noise, but after a little while Riley just wanted to lay with the baby and even give her kisses! Now whenever they bring their daughter over, Riley is always by the baby, and if she hears it crying immediately goes running over and gives it kisses. I think she thinks its a puppy!
She has learned how to open my sewing cabinet and will take out the soft fleeces, or quilt batting, and pull it to one of the corners of the room to take a nap. She has three dog beds, but of course prefers my sewing materials. Additionally she and Christopher have taken over the couch. After dinner Riley is always laying on top of Chris on the couch watching TV. She really loves watching Cesar Milan, the Dog Whisperer. Chris and Riley seem to agree that at 55lbs she is still a lap dog... She is the princess of the house for sure.
Once a week Riley and I have started taking some Agility Dog classes, she would always jump over the fences following me when I was riding my horse. She thought jumping was a great game, so I figured we would learn some real agility. She can jump ridiculously high. Sadly she doesn't see the point in chasing a Frisbees, although Chris wants to teach her, because we both think if she chased it, she would really love the game. Squirrels are way more exciting than Frisbees however.
Although Riley loves her two ferret friends, Pandora and Zareh, as we are thinking about moving to a house with a bit more land (not that we don't have more than most around us, but I think someday we're going going to end up in the middle of nowhere NH or something similar) and she wouldn't have the neighborhood dogs to hang out with, we've been thinking about getting her a friend after we return from a three week trip to Mexico in January.
This is the first time I've ever been away from Riley, we only go to hotels where she can come (or just sneak her in wrapped up like a baby.... I mean we've certainly never done that... and we don't rent a room with an extra bed just for her...) and of course she loves camping. Luckily my dog loving parents will be taking care of her, and she gets to visit her good friend "Pretty Lucky Girl" my mothers german shepherd rescue, and her Sheltie puppy "Roonie". I swear Riley and Pretty have bonded over their pasts, as they were immediately glued to each other, and usually Riley takes a little bit to warm up to new dogs.
Pinky is a beautiful and sweet girl who was rescued by Gina in Puerto Rico. Pinky came to me last April and I have not been able to find the right home for her. She's a lovely girl but has some "issues" (not aggression). I'm not sure what the perfect home is for her but I haven't been able to find it yet. And unfortunately I cannot keep her any longer because I am having to pay boarding/day care for her and just can't afford it (I don't have any dogs of my own - the idea is that they come in and out quickly). Gina's daughter lives in Gainesville, Georgia and has agreed to take Pinky and continue searching for the right home for her. I now need to get Pinky up to her and it's about 9 hours away from me. If there is anyone who is heading north for the holidays or wants to take a weekend jaunt up to the Atlanta area and wouldn't mind having Pinky ride along, please contact me. I would of course cover your fuel and expenses. I know I'm going to cry like a baby to see her go.
This is Cassie. She was rescued from the beach about a month ago and has been in vet care in P.R. since that time. She was picked up yesterday to be sent on a trip to a shelter in the states but she looked so horrible that we decided to keep her in foster care for a while until she is healthy. Like I said, she had been at the vet for a month and she came out looking like this - so skinny you can see her ribs and hip bones and with some horrible wounds on her sides that we can't even determine what they are. The poor girl looks almost worse than the day she was rescued. The wonderful Mary Eldergill is keeping her to get her healthy and beautiful. She's got a great personality, very sweet despite the unhappy life she has had so far - and look at those ears!
Shakira's 6 puppies sprouted wings and flew to the Sterling Animal Shelter in Sterling, Massachusetts where they will be put up for adoption. They are so gorgeous and sweet that I know they will go to homes very quickly! Shakira will stay in Puerto Rico for a little longer and then come to Florida on our next flight up. (photos courtesy of Liz Kracht of Amigos de los Animales)
These little darlings went to their new homes this weekend! Kieran was adopted by a young couple and they just think he's the sweetest thing ever (and they're right!). Little Elsie has a big sister to love her and will have a wonderful life. Hurray for these sweethearts! And I want to thank Sandra for all her work on raising Kieran and his brother and sister - she took them in when they were only 8 days old and that's a lot of work! And also to Kerry and The Contented Canine for boarding the pups off-and-on when I needed it. She's been amazing with our rescues.
I went to the St. Lucie County Humane Society yesterday to check on the pups we'd brought in recently. Everyone is out and adopted except for little Dexter. His brother Derek just got adopted last Thursday and I just couldn't leave the little guy there alone so, of course, I brought him home with me (the shelter just did a transfer to me). He is FABULOUS!!!! I love this dog! He is just the perfect size and his attitude is so wonderful. We may have an adopter in Boston (brrrr!), thanks to the lovely Rosina. But for now, he's here playing with my Ellie-kitty and annoying the other four.
Sandra went back to the gate at the Shell plant today, where Mededith's puppies have been for the past couple of weeks, and found a nicer guard - he got 2 of the puppies for her, a girl and a boy. She put them at the beach with the 6 pack. The guard said that someone took one of the others and the fourth was around but not in sight. He said they were anemic and another week there would have killed them. It was obvious that they were not eating well so Sandra gave them some Lixotinic and dewormed them. She's going to try to get the other one tomorrow.
Scooter is a kitten rescued by Liz Kracht of Amigos de los Animales. He was found by her neighbor in a box in a garbage can. Scooter is disabled and doesn't have use of his back legs and needs placement with someone who can provide him with the extensive physical therapy he needs. He's a special placement, requiring a special person. Please read the text from Liz' blog posting below and contact her at elizabeth_kracht@yahoo.com or 787-455-6058.
Scooter is disabled and doesn't have use of his back legs, but we aren't so sure that they wouldn't work with extensive therapy--someone who could spend the time with him to move them...His legs are hyperextended forward right now, but he can extend out his claws, and when he stretches he can wiggle his toes. Scooter needs someone with a lot of patience and a lot of time that can attend to his needs as a disabled kitten. Scooter will need a routine of stimulation to use the bathroom and some kind of wheels or pouch to keep him from dragging himself too much across the floor to prevent ulcers from developing on his skin.
Scooter is about three or four months old. He's extremely playful and fun. He can move quickly! He likes having a cave to rest in, and likes going behind the couch too. He loves the cardboard cat scratcher and has a nice loud set of vocal chords to let you know when he's hungry or has to go to the bathroom. Scooter likes a good neck and body massage, probably because he spends a lot of time using his upper body. And he likes to be held and petted.
Unfortunately, Scooter requires more for his quality of life than anyone that we know can give. When looking at this situation through the big picture lens in being able to provide Scooter quality of life, the obvious choice would be to euthanize him--and still might be, because we don't have the resources or time to give him what he needs. But we have hope that there might be someone out there willing to go the distance with Scooter. When I look into his eyes I can see that he wants to live (I think he also might have something going on with his vision too--maybe farsightedness). But on the other hand, as another friend puts it, "there are worse things than death"; meaning, without quality of life, Scooter would suffer without the right set of hands taking care of him.
If you know anyone who might be able to help, please let me know at elizabeth_kracht@yahoo.com (put "Scooter" in the subject line) or pass this story on to someone you know that might be the right fit for Scooter. Again, Scooter may require one or more of the following, depending on the miracle worker who takes him in:
1. Regular stimulation to urinate and defecate, probably six times a day. He can go on his own, but we think he stimulates himself when he moves across the floor.
2. Possible rehab of his legs, or amputation. His legs do fold into position, but his muscles can't support them. Dr. Ramos thought there might be a way to get the muscles to develop to hold the legs in the right position, and encourage some use of them.
3. A set of wheels or some system of attention to keep him from scooting across the floor too much on bare skin.
Petey was rescued in Florida and is a very lucky dog to have survived. He was found tied to a tree where his owners just left him when they moved away. He is a gorgeous and loving bulldog. It was just discovered that not only is he deaf but he has a serious hip problem and will have to have major surgery that will run about $3,000. His rescuer, Barbi, is working on raising the funds. They are going to operate on one side and then the other once he heals from the first surgery. Petey needs a home with room to run and a human who will give him lots of time and love - and who can work with his deafness. If you are interested in adopting Petey, please contact Barbi at sirbear@bellsouth.net.
Oh, and that precious little girl romping with Petey is Elsie and she's up for adoption! See her profile HERE.
Can you believe how beautiful Pumpkin is now?! The first picture is of her at the beach and the second is in her Pumpin pumpkin costume. Hurray for Pumpkin!
Here's what her mommy had to say:
Can you believe how happy and beautiful Pumpkin looks now!? The first picture is of her at the beaIt was great to finally meet you yesterday and what a joy to see all of those beautiful, happy, healthy dogs. How can any of us even begin to show our appreciation for all that you do?
Pumpkin is a fantastic dog and we are so thankful to you for saving her and bringing us together.
For our first Halloween together, we simply couldn't resist the temptation to dress her as a pumpkin. Surprisingly, she seemed to like it. She would stick her nose out toward me so I could slip the shirt on her.
We had some really nice dog beds donated this weekend and apparently Mr. Kerr has claimed one as his own. Check out this from Kerry who is boarding him right now:
"he loooooooooves his new bed! he doesn't really want to get off of it. i brought his food this morning (usually he's jumping around trying to knock the bowl out of my hand) and he gave me a look like he didn't want to get up. so i put the bowl next to the bed so he wouldn't have to walk too far to get it. this is not an exaggeration...he remains lying on the bed, stretches his neck out as far as he can, grabs the edge of the bowl with his teeth and slides it toward himself so he can eat without getting up. i was laughing for like 10 minutes. he's so lazy! i got a picture of him eating while still on the bed."
WOW! What a fabulously special day we all had! It was a very happy occasion for me to see so many of our little rescued angels that are now in their happy and loving homes. They all looked so fantastic and so happy!
Everyone got their pictures taken with Santa or as a family portrait - that's thanks to Sherry of Santino Photography who volunteered her time and equipment to do the beautiful portraits! She will be posting an on-line album of the photos she took and I'll post the link on the blog.
The t-shirts looked fantastic thanks to Adam of Adam's Artwork in Palm City. They were a big hit - but we still have lots for sale in case anyone wants one!
Dr. Bressman from All Creatures Animal Hospital in Stuart came to microchip everyone - well, the dogs at least - so now more of our special ones will be much easier to find if they are ever lost.
We made paw-print ornaments and the dogs got a special treat of homemade pupsicles! (that's chicken stock and water frozen in little paper cups) .
And most grateful thanks go out to Robyn, Sam, and Erin who helped getting everything set up, taken down, and to help the day go more smoothly.
Between the raffle, t-shirt sales, microchips and generous donations, we raised $710 that will help get more dogs into safe homes.
And speaking of the raffle, we drew the winners last night and here they are:
Gift certificate from Connie's Flowers ---- Keith Lorigan Gift certificate from Pet Lover's Pet Sitting ----- Linda Weed Gift bag from Treat 4 Dogs ---- Ayn Avery Gift basket from Life's Abundance ---- Elyse "The Dog Bible" ---- The Nevins family Gift basket from The Contented Canine ---- Barb Mueller
I'll be calling the winners this week to get their prizes to them.
Oh, and Sid brought Bobbie and Rex, two of his fosters that are looking for homes. Thank you so much to Kerry and Darren of The Contented Canine who let us take over their facility for the day. It was the PERFECT place to hold the gathering and Kerry and Darren were so gracious to all of us. It was so much fun that we're already thinking about the NEXT event!!!
Here's the list of the angels who were able to make it (please forgive me if I left anyone out - I didn't make a list at the event and am doing it from my feeble memory!)
Keo (Kiyoshi) Patches (Murray) Ollie Eloise (Lana) Pebbles (Katya) Cooper Sophia Lolly (Pecas) Jet (Belle) Joe Laika Pumpkin (Shakira) Duke Rocco Sato (Lulu) Cookie (Giselle) Mini Me (Shilah) Molly (Bianca) Barney (Bradley) Sammy (Frida) Jordan (Sherman)
We had a big scare recently with out beautiful Nadja. She was sent to a shelter in New Jersey where she basically just didn't do well. We don't know what happened but she was deemed aggressive by the staff there and we had to scramble to decide what to do with her. Leslie from Companion Animal Placement in New Jersey stepped in and saved our beautiful girl. And Nadja is doing great!!! She is up for adoption on their website and we're all hoping for her to be adopted soon and into the arms and hearts of a wonderful family. We're also asking for donations to be made to CAP on Nadja's behalf. They jumped in and literally saved her life and as is true with all shelters/rescues, they need money to keep saving animals. Donations can be made to Companion Animal Placement in care of 329 Roycefield Road, Hillsborough NJ 08844. Thank you so much to all who helped make this possible for Nadja!
Elsie and Kieran are in boarding at The Contented Canine and are having a BLAST!!! Little Elsie was a bit of a bossy girl at first but she's gotten really great and is just so playful and sweet. And that little Kieran - he will steal your heart away!!!
Aren't they awesome!?!? These shirts will be available at our family reunion event this Sunday, Nov 9, but if anyone else would like one I'll be happy to send it to you! Our cost is $10/shirt so I think $15 each would cover our shipping costs. And you can also get a t-shirt for your pooch!
Rocco Girone, whose family adopted Cooper, designed the artwork for the shirt. He's just 12-years-old and quite an artist! And Adam from Adam's Artworks in Stuart, Florida did a great job with the artwork - and he graciously donated all his time in preparing the artwork and putting the shirts together. Thanks also to our sponsors: The Contented Canine, CSA International, Inc., Pet Lover Central, and All Creatures Animal Hospital.
Sandra says they are doing okay though one was not eating very well. She's been giving them NutriCal and antibiotics to hopefully get them stronger and to ward off any infections.
This little girl was left at the beach last week. Today she was missing from the make-shift puppy room and Sandra believes someone took her. Hopefully the person will take good care of her but the chances are not good. Here's what Sandra had to say on her blog:
Someone took the new puppy from the beach. I hope she will be ok, despite what I know about people. Usually people that take puppies from the beach is because they don't want to pay at a shelter for one, but they don't take them to the vet either. And vaccinations for a puppy are very important. And sometimes they end back to the streets without any remorse from these people. Usually people take the males because they don't think it's necessary to neuter them, and that way they don't have to pay either--they want everything free.
Look how beautiful Gretel has grown!!! She was just a little baby at the beach but was adopted by her foster parents and has grown into a gorgeous girl! She is very loved!
