A Little Rant

If you were hoping for an uplifting and inspiring post, this probably isn't the day to read my blog. But, if you love animals and are sick and tired of what people do to them, you might be glad someone else feels the same way.

It is hard not to get burnt out doing rescue work. There are times you want your naivete back. There are times you are tired of shedding tears and times you worry why the tears don't come as easily as they used to, and wonder if it is because you've just seen too much.

The reality is, one cannot just do the fun part of rescue work. Most foster people are not fortunate enough to have an animal in need delivered to them, find them the perfect home and then sit contentedly back and bask in the happy ending. The work usually sucks one in wholly and completely and then, along with the rewarding experiences, you must also suffer through the unbearable ones. You must walk into animal control facilities and know that any animal that doesn't leave with you will die, alone and scared. You most certainly will have to take an animal you love on his last trip to the vet so that you are there to comfort him as he passes on, because he is just too sick or because neglectful or abusive beginnings damaged him too much. You will have to witness animals lingering too long in their foster or shelter placements and face the resulting conflict of your heart and mind, wondering if he is, indeed, glad to have been saved or sad to still be waiting for a home. You must deal with the reality that not all endings are happy; that sometimes, what you were certain was the right home, was the wrong home, as you add that animal to the list of those you will worry about forever.

Once you begin this job, you become the person your extended circle of acquaintances call upon when an animal needs help. Daily, you listen to the voice mails and read the emails (and picture text messages - damn, you, iphone!) that plea for help for dogs and cats, each with a story that breaks your heart, knowing you cannot help them all and saying "no" more often than "yes", feeling guilty about it even though your house is full, you are exhausted and there is no longer enough of you to go around.

Sadly, those relinquishment stories aren't very varied. It is actually a rare occurrence to hear a reason for giving up an animal that compels you to sympathize with the people involved. And that is when it gets frustrating and you begin to wonder if it will ever change; if you are really making any kind of difference at all. While there isn't an answer to those questions, sometimes it helps to rant and rave a bit and then get back to what you are doing, which is the intent of this post. So on with the rant . . .

-No, your dog did not need to "just experience birth one time before getting spayed." The ten black puppies you "can no longer deal with" will not be easy to find homes for because they will grow to become big, black dogs, the most frequently euthanized dogs in shelters all across the country. Dogs have an innate desire to be part of your family, to be cared for and loved. Giving birth is not on their list of must-haves.


-You can both move and keep your pets. They are not furniture you can simply replace once you get settled, they are part of your family. It isn't easy to move with children, but you aren't "getting rid" of them because it is difficult, or because you can "just get another one later."

-You say, because you've had a baby, you can no longer give your pet "the attention it deserves, so have to find it a new home." Is it really that difficult to find time to pet the dog or cat every day? To pour a bowl of food? To let your pet sit next to you on the couch as you feed the baby or watch Sesame Street? They ask for so very little and it does not take much at all to make them happy. If you are that stressed out, you should probably make an appointment with a therapist.

-Speaking of your new little munchkin, did it not dawn on you that you would eventually have children when you committed to take home a pet that can live almost 20 years?

-Did you ask your dog if he wants to go "live on a farm where he has room to run?" Maybe he would rather stay with the people he loves and go for a walk once in a while. If you needed exercise, your family would probably not leave you at the gym and never return.

-The guy who answered the "Free to a Good Home" ad you posted online may not be providing a good home. Your dog might be sold to a lab to experiment on, be used as a breeder dog to make "bait puppies" for illegal dog fighting, might become a bait dog itself, or could be "flipped" for a profit to someone else with ill intentions.

-Same thing for the person willing to take the whole litter of "free kittens" off your hands. You should ask if they also have a large snake. Some people have no problem using kittens as snake food. Yes, really.

-By the way, this is off subject, but affectionate cats do not "suck the breath from newborns."

-Because your child/husband/great-aunt/canary sneezed, does not mean s/he "suddenly developed allergies" to your pet. And did you know you can buy allergy meds over the counter, breathe easy and keep your pet?

-Just for the record, do you really think the future is bright for the dog or cat you tossed from your car on the rural road? That fantasy you have of someone scooping him or her up and loving your pet forever is just that. A fantasy.

-When your lease says "no pets" it actually means "no pets." It does not mean "buy a $600 designer dog from the mall pet shop on a whim", then call it a bad dog when it barks, as dogs are want to do, and your landlord busts you.

-Your kitten can make babies as early as five months old. Six weeks later, she can make them again. No, the shelter does not have room for the population explosion in your house that you seem so perplexed about.

-Ditto for your puppy.

-By the way, spay or neuter your kitten or puppy before it's sixteenth week.

-Dogs and cat are animals. Animals are covered in fur. Fur covered things shed. Why does this surprise you?

-Yes, your pet probably does miss you while you are away from home because your work schedule changed. Do you really think she'll miss you less while living in a cage at a shelter, wondering why you disappeared and if you are ever returning?

-Different breeds have different needs. Why are you surprised it is difficult to accommodate a Mastiff in your studio apartment or that your Yorkie isn't happy being a "farm dog."?

-Don't fool yourself. Your senior cat or dog is not "highly adoptable." There is no waiting list for older animals with pending medical expenses. It doesn't matter how sweet or cute your critter is. Relinquished senior pets do very poorly in shelters and those very special people willing to adopt them come along infrequently.

-Puppies and kittens grow and you cannot always predict their adult size. A pet getting "bigger than we expected" does not justify "getting rid" of them.

Pets are not commodities one can throw out or recycle when one tires of them. You are the center of your pet's world; your presence is what she breathes for. He would lay down his life for you. They will stay by your side until your last breath, no matter what life has thrown your way. They deserve no less than the same in return. Please. If you don't have 18 years to give, the resources to care for, the tolerance to tough it out when times are hard and the flexibility to accommodate the unexpected, do not add a pet to your life. And, if you do have those things to give, please find your next pet at your local shelter or through a rescue group, because the world is full of animals whose human's have failed them . . . and they need you.

End rant.

Expecting . . .

Her name is Ava and it took three rescue groups and several volunteers to save her. She's a little scrappy looking for a purebred German Shepherd, but with proper nutrition, medication for her ailments and a good bath, she'll soon be a beautiful girl. Ava has lived outdoors all her life. She has never been vaccinated or given flea or heartworm preventative. Of course, she's had puppies before because she hasn't been spayed. Her last litter all died because she had them outdoors, in the winter. Her owners did not want to deal with puppies again, so when she became pregnant this time, they called a rescue group. The rescue, however, was full. They called another rescue that was also full. That rescue called Heartland. Heartland, too, is full, but because I love Shepherds and because her story touched me and because she had nowhere else to go, I said "yes," when asked if I could just make room for one more.

With little notice and a dog on the way who could give birth at any time, the last 24 hours have brought a whirlwind of preparations. Nature designed its creatures to instinctively know what to do when babies arrive. More than likely, I'll need none of the things I stocked up on. I might miss the birth entirely. Then again, emergencies never happen when it is convenient and only very, very expensive veterinarians are available at 3am. So, I wanted my bases covered for the things that might go wrong that I can handle on my own, the things that will make Ava more comfortable and the things that will help her puppies if they need it.

That handled, I headed to Lowes for the materials to build a whelping box. I read many ideas on the internet and ended up sort of hodge-podging those ideas together based on the supplies I could find in the lumber, hardware and plumbing departments. It all looked simple enough until I was staring at this big pile of stuff in the middle of my living room floor. A lot of drilling, sawing and cussing ensued and, sometime around 4:00am, I had a whelping box assembled. It isn't pretty, but I think it'll do its job.

My visiting Grand-Puppy, Blue, models the finished whelping box

Just a little time in rescue can really suck the enthusiasm for cute puppies right out of a person. I look at any litter of whoops puppies now and know the odds each pup will have a wonderful life are abysmal. It is simply a reality that irresponsible breeding directly correlates with the senseless neglect and suffering rescue workers witness daily. It is times like these I sort of miss my naivete.

Today was the big day; I went to pick Ava up at the vet. The news on her condition is mixed. She is due, with 5-6 pups, any time. She also has a uterine infection we await the lab results on. Bad news means the babies wont make it and good news means the antibiotics she's taking will clear the infection and all will be well. The odds are in favor of all being well.

Ava has gone through a lot the last couple days. Three rescue groups were involved in her transport to Heartland. The life she knew disappeared and she's been surrounded by strangers. She doesn't feel well and is very frightened. Ava isn't familiar with the inside of a house. Doorways scare her and stairs terrify her. She is, however, a gentle girl, and obediently followed me into her new room, where she jumped right into her whelping box and snuggled in. I check on her often as she becomes accustomed to the sounds in her new home. She doesn't greet me with enthusiasm yet, though when I crawl into her box, she will put the very tip of her nose on my knee and let out a big sigh. It will take us a couple days, but we'll be fine. And we'll wait together for nature to take its course. Hopefully, I wont miss the big event.

A BIG Thank You to Impact for Animals and SNUGGLE, who went out of their way to find Ava a safe place to have her babies and made sure she reached her destination. And, thanks to each of the volunteers who participated in her transport. You've changed Ava's life for the better!

Back!

What happens when you work at an animal shelter, foster dozens of cats and dogs, spend every moment of your free time running around doing something associated with the above and then, on top of it all, buy a home and move? You can't find the time to update your blog for two months! My apologies. I am trying to get back in gear!

Coming Out of the Animal Closet:

I've moved away from suburbia and the land of close neighbors and three pet limits. My critters now have a roomy home, three acres for leash walking and a large, fenced yard for running. I am no longer in fear of neighbors peering over the fence, counting fuzzy heads and making a call to authorities. I now can take in an emergency foster because I have the space. And, I can openly share the number of animals currently being cared for at my home . . . if I want to, which I don't, for fear of being committed. In a nutshell, me and the critters are loving life where we are. It is a blessed relief to be free of the worry that accompanies fostering where pet numbers are limited. The move was a great decision.

Happenings Since Patch and Rags' Adoption:

Several animals have come and gone since we celebrated the adoption of Patch and Rags (who are doing terrific in their new home!). Dylan, an Aussie mix who stole my heart, found a wonderful home with a couple who spoils him rotten beyond belief. Tess, my puppy-mill Shih-Tzu found a family willing to tolerate all the scars her past left and love her just the same. Wilson, who had his own warts, lucked out like Tess and found a new person who loves him with patience and compassion . . . and he even gets to come visit at my house when he needs dog-sitting so I don't have to miss him so much.

And, since the move, I've brought home and said goodbye to some terrific dogs. Gizmo, a Japanese Chen, was one of my favorite doggy guests ever; a fun little dog with a great personality, would have been easy to keep and was hard to part with, but his new family updates me and he's come to PetSmart to visit during adoption events. Coal, a three-legged Pomeranian, who slept on my pillow every night, went home with his new Mom yesterday. And Murphy, a black lab mix pup who took a long time to find a home, left Petsmart yesterday with his very own boy at his side.

The most recent adoptions couldn't have come soon enough because the house is FULL. Wednesday, I took a drive to pick up a Husky and Husky mix whose future was destined to be the city pound, where their age may have brought upon an unhappy ending for them. Beautiful dogs, they are slowly adjusting to their world turning upside down and, probably, grateful to have each other.

Beautiful Sterling

Adorable PJ

It seems I always have a puppy mill dog to work with and, for now, it is Gretchen. Gretchen appears to be a Shih-Tzu/Cocker mix. She is cute, sweet and complete with some of the usual puppy mill personality glitches, but is slowly learning how to be a house dog. She LOVES toys, which is something we usually don't get to see with breeder dogs from puppy mills, but she is always carrying a toy around in her mouth. It's adorable. Gretchen has been to the vet and is ready for adoption.

And then there is my dear, sweet Olivia. Whoever adds Olivia to their family will be getting such a wonderful, loving dog. I love her to pieces. Totally housetrained, all she wants to do is be with her people, doing whatever they are doing. Livvie is truly happy just to be loved; you just look at her and her tail wags while her eyes light up. She too sleeps in my bed every night. I don't know why I torture myself so. Inviting a foster into your bed makes it all the more difficult to say goodbye when the time comes, but the reality is that she deserves it. Before coming to foster care, Olivia was an outside only dog. Seeing her settled on her dog bed, chewing on a bone, makes that really hard to believe!

And, as soon as I can get him to hold still for a photo, I will introduce you to Grover, a scrappy Boston Terrier who joined the menagerie here a week or so ago. Grover is quite the character and has found a way to make me laugh daily.

More soon . . . promise!