Lil Miss No Name

Well, I did it again............
I saw this poor little girl running in the middle of alto road in the snow on my way to work today and just HAD to stop and help her.

With all the snow on the ground, she was blending right into the background as people were flying past her. I don't think most of them saw her. The car in front of me had slowed down and started honking, but it didn't help get her out of the road. I think it just confused her even more. She kept running back and forth in between lanes. By the time I got close to her, I just couldn't take it any more, so I flipped on the flashers and jumped out in the middle of the road with her.

She came right up to me when I got out of the car. She was trembling party from fear, but also from the cold. Bless her little heart....she had ice frozen in between her toenails, so I know she had been out for awhile. I stopped at a couple houses in the general area and asked if anyone recognized her or would claim her, but that didn't happen. Deep down, I'm kind of glad it didn't, because even if she does belong to someone, they weren't taking very good care of her.Of course, it was one of the few days that I was actually running on time to work, and this little doll totally blew that out of the water for me.....I am so bad. But anyway, I turned back around to take her home, called my boss and told him what I was doing ( I don't think he thought it was a very good excuse for being late) When I got home, Ryan came barrelling out of the bedroom wanting to know what all the chaos was about. Our dogs always go nuts when I first bring another animal in the house.As soon as he saw her, he knew. I felt kind of bad because I had to turn around and leave right away to get back to work, but Ryan fell inlove right away, so it was no problem at all. I'm just getting ready to leave work and go back home to see how the day went. Ryan dropped her off at the groomer's to have her bathed and get her nails trimmed, so she has hopefully had a nice day of pampering. We will be trying to find a home for her on our own like we have the last few dogs we have rescued, but if we don't find something within a couple weeks, we will turn her over to the Companion Animal Association. We have just found it easier to place dogs in homes without the huge adoption fees. Of course, we're only providing very basic care for these dogs while we have them. We have not had any costly vet visits with the rescues yet, so we have been fortunate.Once again, I'm throwing a line to everyone who reads this: If you know anyone who might be interested in giving this little girl a new home, please let me know. We think she is a chihuahua and it's a female. That's about all the details I have at this point. I'll know more after tonight.

A Puppy Mill Puppy's Story

Ryan and I are planning on attending and helping with a protest in Indy next month for puppy mills.

Puppy mills are where dogs are bred purely for profit. The conditions in these places are awful. Multiple dogs are often placed in kennels together without enough space to even turn around. Most females are bred during each and every heat cycle. The dogs are left to lie in their own excrement and some even have excrement falling from cages above them from other dogs. Most of them can't even walk on grass or walk at all because their feet are so badly deformed from standing on wire cages all their lives.

The dogs are sometimes inbred and it is very common for dogs to have congenital abnormalities because of the breeding habits of the owners. The dogs with the congenital abnormalities are sold off as quickly as possible so the new owners will have spent their money before they even realize it. Many pet stores, especially large chains such as Petland and Uncle Bill's in Indy, get a good majority of their dogs from puppy mills. This is why people are so often suckered into buying a sick dog without even knowing it.

So after doing a little research. I came across this story that I found very touching. As I get more specific info about the protest we are particiating in, I will let you guys know. In the mean time, please take the time to educate yourselves and anyone you may know who is considering a new pet. Adoption is the best answer, but there are plenty of breeders out there who are not in the puppy mill business. All you have to do is research the breeder a little. Two of the main things to consider is: are the breeders willing to let you see the conditions the dogs were born into? And are you able to see the parents? If the answer to either one of these questions is no, then there is probably a reason.

Some of the photos after the story are graphic, so watch the little ones as you scroll down. There may be images you don't want them to see.

A PUPPY MILL PUPPY'S STORY

I don't remember much of the place where I was born. It was cramped and dark, and we were never played with by the Humans. I remember Mom and her soft fur, but she was often sick, and very thin. She had hardly any milk for me and my brothers and sisters. I remember many of them dying, and I missed them so.


I remember the day I was taken from Mom. I was so sad and scared, my milk teeth had only just come in, and I really should have been with Mom still, but she was so sick, and the Humans kept saying that they wanted their money and were sick of the "mess" that me and my sister made.


So we were crated up and taken to a strange place. Just the two of us. We huddled together and were scared, still no Human hands came to pet or love us. So many sights and sounds and smells! We are in a store where there are many different animals! Some that squawk! Some that meow! Some that peep! My sister and I are jammed into a small cage. I hear other puppies here. I see Humans look at me through the glass. I like the "little humans", the kids. They look so sweet, and fun, like they would play with me! All day we stay in the small cage, sometimes mean people will hit the glass and frighten us, every once in a while we are taken out to be held or shown to humans. Some are gentle, some hurt us, we always hear "Aw they are so cute! I want one!" but we never get to go with any of them.


My sister died last night, when the store was dark. I lay my head on her soft fur and felt the life leave her small thin body. I had heard them say she was sick, and that I should be sold at a "discount price" so that I would quickly leave the store. I think my soft whine was the only one that mourned for her as her body was taken out of the cage in the morning and dumped.


Today, a family came and bought me! Oh happy day! They are a nice family, they really, really wanted me! They had bought a dish and food and the little girl held me so tenderly in her arms. I love her so much! The mom and dad say what a sweet and good puppy I am! I am named Angel. I love to lick my new Humans! The family takes such good care of me, they are loving and tender and sweet. They gently teach me right and wrong, give me good food, and lots of love! I want only to please these wonderful people! I love the little girl and I enjoy running and playing with her.


Today I went to the veterinarian. It was a strange place and I was frightened. I got some shots, but my best friend the little girl held me softly and said it would be okay. So I relaxed. The vet must have said sad words to my beloved family, because they looked awfully sad. I heard Severe Hip Dysplasia, and something about my heart... I heard the vet say something about back yard breeders and my parents not being tested. I know not what any of that means, just that it hurts me to see my family so sad. But they still love me, and I still love them very much!


I am six months old now. Where most other puppies are robust and rowdy, it hurts me terribly just to move. The pain never lets up. It hurts to run and play with my beloved little girl, and I find it hard to breathe. I keep trying my best to be the strong pup I know I am supposed to be, but it is so hard. It breaks my heart to see the little girl so sad, and to hear the Mom and Dad talk about it might now be "the time." Several times I have went to that veterinarians place, and the news is never good. Always talk about Congenital Problems. I just want to feel the warm sunshine and run, and play and nuzzle with my family.


Last night was the worst. Pain has been my constant companion now, it hurts even to get up and get a drink. I try to get up but can only whine in pain. I am taken in the car one last time. Everyone is so sad, and I don't know why. Have I been bad? I try to be good and loving-what have I done wrong? Oh if only this pain would be gone! If only I could soothe the tears of the little girl. I reach out my muzzle to lick her hand, but can only whine in pain.


The veterinarian’s table is so cold. I am so frightened. The Humans all hug and love me.They cry into my soft fur. I can feel their love and sadness. I manage to lick softly their hands. Even the vet doesn't seem so scary today. He is gentle and I sense some kind of relief for my pain. The little girl holds me softly and I thank her, for giving me all her love. I feel a soft pinch in my foreleg. The pain is beginning to lift, I am beginning to feel a peace descend upon me. I can now softly lick her hand.


My vision is becoming dreamlike now, and I see my Mother and my brothers and sisters, in a far off green place. They tell me there is no pain there, only peace and happiness. I tell the family goodbye in the only way I know how-a soft wag of my tail and a nuzzle of my nose. I had hoped to spend many, many moons with them, but it was not meant to be. "You see," said the veterinarian, "Pet shop puppies do not come from ethical breeders." The pain ends now, and I know it will be many years until I see my beloved family again. If only things could have been different.


(This story may be published or reprinted in the hopes that it will stop unethical breeders and those who breed only for money and not for the betterment of the breed)
Copyright 1999 J. Ellis

Another Puppy in Need

I always thought Ryan got frustrated with me for the whole dog rescue thing, but I realized I was wrong when he rolled up in his truck after work with this sweet little angel two nights ago.

It's the first time he has been solely responsible for bringing a dog into our home.
This dog, who we're calling Nina, was turned over to Ryan at work by a friend of his. This guy's sister got her a couple months ago and decided she couldn't handle her anymore. She left for Texas for a month and chained the dog to a chair on her front porch. Then she called her brother and told him she was there two days later and to get rid of her. She said she didn't want her there when she got home, and she didn't care what he did with her, so he called us.
Ryan was totally appauled when he got to the house to find her chained up with no food or water. She had gotten herself tangled up around the chair she was tied to and only had a couple inches to move. It looks like she may have gone hungry for more than just two days. Just look at her little ribs poking out....bless her heart.She ate so much the first night that she puked. I felt bad for her, but I had to take the food from her so she wouldn't make herself sick anymore.

She's only about six months old, but seems to do pretty well going potty outside. We've had one accident in her kennel since she came to stay with us a few days ago. She gets along really well with all the other dogs. We even have my friends Mandy's dog right now because she's in Cancun. So, that means we have six dogs in the house!!!!!I know, I know, that sounds completely crazy....but it makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Ryan and I were sitting on the kitchen floor the night he brought her home with all six dogs with us and I looked around and said "we really are crazy, aren't we?" His reply was a stern and defensive "NO!!!!!!"

I knew I married this man for a reason!!I mean, how could you look at this face and call him crazy?!?!?!? He's just as sweet as she is!!!These pictures are all before we had a chance to get her cleaned up and groomed. Our neighbor, Marcus, took her yesterday and clipped her hair and nails and gave her a bath. She looked like a different dog when I got home last night. I'll have to post some "after" pictures when I get a chance.We may have already found a home for her. I'm really hoping things will work out with the girl who has her tonight. Marcus knows a girl who is looking to get a puppy, so she took her home with her for a few days to see how it goes. If it doesn't work out for some reason, I'll be hitting you all up to help me help her.

I love her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another Happy Tail.....soon

Just wanted to share a few pictures of our latest rescue effort. This is Guinness, or that's what we called him until the Companion Animal Association renamed him. He seemed to like Guinness while we had him, so it stuck for about a day :-)

He was found roaming on the eastern side of Howard county out by Greentown. There had been a few reports of a stray running across state road 22, and nearly getting hit. So, a lady who works at my doctor's office picked him up and called me. Sometimes I hate getting those phone calls. It always seems to be at an inconvenient time, or when we're getting ready to leave town. But, that's just the way it goes. If I want to make a difference, I can't expect it to always be convenient for me, right? So, I met Guinness and his rescue mama at my house at 11:30 after I got off work one night last week.

Luckily, we only had to keep him for one night before the Companion Animal Association found a new foster home for him. He was really sweet, and got along really well with all the other dogs, but Guinness made five, so there's no way we could keep him. Even just for a short time. It's just too much to have five dogs in the house.
He's got a pretty smile, and almost seemed to pose for the camera. I hope he finds a wonderful family who will love him forever and ever!!!
This was my big kiss goodbye. I took this picture right before we left to have him boarded until his new foster mom could come get him. As far as I know, he is still up for adoption through the CAA. He has a great temperament, and gets along well with other animals and people of all ages, so if you know anyone who wants a medium sized male....send them to http://www.petfinder.com/ or http://www.companionanimalassoc.org/ so they can take a peek at him. We believe he is a Shetland Sheepdog Sheltie mix. Here is a direct link to his ad:http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=11077591 . Apparently, they renamed him Theodore Grumley and call him Teddy for short. There are more pictures an info on the website.

Another "Baby" Who Needs a Home

I've think I have possibly lost my mind. I now have five dogs in the house, but hopefully not for long. After deciding to keep Mickey, the big fat beagle we rescued, I vowed to Ryan that I would NOT foster another dog for more than 48 hours......and I have already failed. This little girl named Baby (puke) came to us through a friend's grandmother. Baby is only about 9 months old, so she is still really hyper. But the up side of her age is that she is still very trainable. With some patience and some time, I think she will be a great dog for someone. Unfortunately, Justin's grandma just couldn't handle her. Ryan and I are trying to find a home for her without officially putting her into the CAA. Sometimes it's just easier to give a dog away than it is to put them up for adoption. It bypasses all the fees and paperwork and whatnot. We have actually had good luck with the last four or five animals we have rescued just by doing it ourselves.
Baby gets along really well with all the other dogs. I think Franklin will miss her when she's gone. They have been playing and running around like crazy for the last week.
I actually have a girl at work who is interested in getting a wire haired terrier, but she is on vacation now. That's really the only thing I'm waiting on to see if I'll put her into the CAA. I'll know more when she gets back.
Until then, if anyone knows a good family or someone who would have the time for a sweet little puppy like Baby, please get ahold of us!!!!

Happy Kitty Tails Too!!

Even though we have flunked our foster job with Mickey, meaning we're keeping him :-), we have still managed to keep a good tempo going with the whole animal rescu stuff.

A lady I work with had a sweet little calico cat named Patches that she had to get rid of because of her daughter's allergies. I felt really bad for the family, because her daughters are both very attached to Patches, and they didn't realize until recently that the oldest was allergic to her. When they dropped her off at our house, the youngest little girl sat down with her and read her a story and left the book there for us to read to her at night. She said it helps her sleep. It was so sweet.

Patches was the best Kitty ever. She was already fixed and declawed in all four paws, so she was really easy to find a home for. She would let the girls wrap her in a blanket and carry her like a baby. I have never known a cat that would do that....not for long anyway.

I felt really bad for her at our house. I think she was pretty overwhelmed by all the dogs. She had never been around dogs before. So, the first two nights, she hid under our bed. I don't think she ever came out to eat or go potty or anything. The third night, Ryan and I put all the dogs in their kennels and moved the bed out to get her. She drank a little water, jumped into her litter box, and as soon as she was done there, she hid under our dresser. We couldn't get her to come out after that. So, I struggled to get a couple pictures of her hiding behind the dresser so you could all see how cute she was.

So, after only a few days, Patches was given to an older lady with a five year old grand-daughter who visits often. It sounds like the perfect arrangement for Patches. I hope everything works out well for her.

She looks kinda mad here, but she was really cute as a button.....promise!!!!

Another Happy Tail

A couple weeks ago, my friend at work, Michelle, asked me if I could help her with a beagle that was found running stray in Indian Heights. It was one of those bitterly cold days, so we had to get this sweet little girl inside and safe somewhere.

The dog was brought to Michelle's mom by a nieghbor boy who visits them often. He had found the dog and asked his mom if he could keep her and she said NO!! So, he took her down to Michelle's mom's house thinking she would keep her. They realized she had tags, so Michelle's mom helped the little boy call the vet to try to find the owners. Unfortunately, the number they had was disconnected. Due to privacy, they wouldn't give out any other info, such as name, address, etc. At that point, Michelle's mom didn't know what to do. She kind of wanted to keep her, but her husband wasn't having it!!

So, I offered to pick this sweet little girl up after work. I really didn't know what would happen since she had tags, but I knew I didn't want her to go to the Humane Society. So, I met Michelle's mom at Speedway on Alto and Dixon at 11:30 after work and picked her up. I loved her as soon as I met her....and so did Ryan!!!

The next morning, Ryan called the vet's office again. He explained that we volunteer for the Companion Animal Association, so they were willing to give us more info. We found out her name is "Spice." Kokomo Animal Hospital is where her tags were from, and they are also the office that helps our organization by giving big discounts andboarding animals when we can't find foster homes for them. So, they were pretty receptive when we told them we were trying to locate the owners. If Spice was mine, I wouldn't have been able to sleep that night. She was so good and adapted so well to our dogs......she was just a good dog!!

Anyway, Ryan got the name and address of the owners and found the house. There was no answer when he went to the door, so he left a note.

After a couple hours, he got a phone call from a woman who found the note on her door. She didn't seem at all happy that we had found her dog, kept it warm and fed overnight, and even returned it. She was more worried about how we got her name and address. I didn't even want to leave Spice there. I'm afraid this may happen again. She didn't say one single word about how she worried through the night or anything. So, it makes me think they let little Spice run free all the time. That makes me furious!!!! She was really lucky that we even made the effort to find her after the phone number provided to the vet had been disonnected. It's her responsibility to keep those things updated. At that point, we just put the dogs in a foster home and put them up for adoption. So, she came very close to losing this sweet puppy, and I don't even think she cares.

Regardless of whether the woman was upset with us or not, I know we did the right thing by returning Spice to her rightful owner. If I just happen to be randomly driving through Indian Heights someday and pick up a stray beagle, I don't think I'll be contacting that lady again........

Ryan and I managed to squeeze in as much lovin' as we could in the short time we had her. It was actually less than 24 hours by the time we got her back home, but it was still long enough for us to fall in love with her.

She didn't even care when I tried to hug her little head right off her body :-)

I miss her already. I hope she is OK and her owners appreciate the fact that she is back with them where she belongs.

If That Were Me

This video is posted on the home page of the Companion Animal Association. Please take a few minutes to watch....this is why we do what we do......

Anybody need a beagle?

Meet Mickey...the latest addition to our family, for now anyway :-)

Ryan and I have our 5th foster dog and are on the hunt for a good home for him. He loves kids and is very well behaved. If anyone knows somebody who's looking for a new pet, he's available!!!! His adoption fee is a little less than most of our animals because he hasn't had to go through a bunch of vet trips since we got him. He's a very healthy boy.

Oh yeah....he likes to pose for the camera too :-)

If you or anyone you know is interested, or if you just feel like you want to help...there are lots of ways. Check out Mickey's link on petfinder... http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=8155118