The secret is no more!

Promptly after announcing the much needed break I was going to take from rescue, an alleged puppy mill was raided in our community and we were asked to help.  Due to the fact that this is an on going criminal investigation, we are unable to adopt the dogs to new homes at this time, but at least we are able to acknowledge that we have them in our care now!  We were able to bring 6 dogs into the rescue and I am happy to report that they are adjusting well to their new life.  We are in desperate need of donations as explained in the letter below, and where I have never asked for donations before on this blog, if you are able to help us out with a donation of any size, it would be much appreciated.

Without further ado, let me introduce you to the "Maplewood 6 Pack!"

Marty

Freddie

Archie

Benji

Emma

Cera

Dear Friends,

                On Saturday, November 17, 2012 the Ohio SPCA and Shelby County Sheriff’s Department raided an alleged puppy mill in Maplewood Ohio.  In this raid 241 dogs were pulled to safety.

                We at Lost and Found K9 Rescue were able to admit 6 dogs from this raid into our rescue program with the hope of rehabilitating and adopting these dogs out as an end result.  Sadly, these dogs all came into rescue in poor shape, mentally and physically.  They had not been vaccinated, altered, and several had terrible ear infections, dental problems, and urinary tract infections.  The estimated cost of vet care alone to care for the “Maplewood 6 Pack” is $2306.00, which is a taxing amount of money for any rescue and especially a small rescue.

                We know many of you have dogs that share your heart and home, and we are asking a favor of you.  (No, we are not asking you to adopt a dog …)  What we are asking for is a monetary donation to a wonderful rescue organization that is busy saving lives.  A rescue that is allowing these dogs to experience grass under their feet for the first time in their lives, warm beds, full bellies, and human kindness. 

                Any amount that you could donate would be appreciated, and no donation is too small!  Rest assure your donation is going to a registered Ohio non-profit organization and your donation is tax deductable. 

                If you are able to donate to this cause feel free to do so one of 2 ways:

1)       Make checks payable to:   Lost & Found K9 Rescue

                                                        1890 Old Staunton Rd.

                                                 Troy, OH 45373

2)       Make a secure donation using your credit card  to our Paypal account at lostandfoundK9@gmail.com

Thank you,

Christie Remy,  Andrea Pindell, and Emily Browning

Lost & Found K9 Rescue 

www.lostandfoundk9rescue.com

Damaged Beyond Repair?

On occasion in rescue, and maybe more than I care to admit, I get discouraged and just down right mad.  Tonight as I write I am sad and very angry.  Being involved in dog rescue and able to foster means that often I have "extra" house guests around.  One of the rescues I foster for asked me to foster a Papillon that was originally a stray at a high-kill shelter.  He was pulled by a rescue and then the rescue that I am involved with took him.  From there he was adopted very briefly by a family that was very excited about him, however he showed some aggressive behaviour and was returned to the rescue.  After working with him for a bit longer, he was adopted out another family.  Again, he came back after exhibiting aggressive behaviour.  So now we are at a cross road.... 

The general rule in rescue is that dogs that are aggressive are euthanized because the rescue is responsible for the dog if it bites someone, especially if the dog had a known aggression problem at the time of adoption.  However difficult this may be, it just doesn't make sense to ever endanger someone's child, family, or home with a dog who is a known biter.  I understand this, and usually agree with it.

The only time this really bothers me is when it is evident that the dog in question has been damaged beyond repair by a human.  I believe this is the case with Pip.  This little dog is truly a Papillon.  He is smart, funny, bouncy, and true to this breed's nature: a very delightful and charming little dog.  The problem?!  Some jerk, somewhere in this poor creature's life has broken his spirit and he has NO reason to trust anyone.  Bottom line:  This dog is afraid, and he is using his teeth to put on a show.  When he is afraid, he bites, which makes people leave him alone.  He accomplishes his mission: to never be hurt again.  Unfortunately  Pip doesn't speak our language.  He doesn't understand that he is safe, has people that only want to help him, and he will never be hurt again.  (I have told him several times tonight and my rescue friends have mentioned this to him as well!)  So the question remains: What do we do with this little dog?  Do you take the chance that he will bite again?  Do you euthanize him because he is a known bite case?  

After spending the day with Pip, I am hoping that there will be some hope for him.  He is eager to please his humans.  He is food motivated, and he appears very forgiving.  He has spent his entire day in his crate because that is where he wants to be.  He has NO confidence and is scared of everything!  I attempted to lure him out of his cage with a little garlic sprinkled chicken, and that worked briefly.  Today in his training session we accomplished "charging" the clicker, and worked on sit.  We will see what the future holds for this little guy.  I hope and pray that it is all good!  I will keep you all posted!

Greatful Beings....

Sometimes I just look around my house and wonder what goes on in the minds of these dogs.  All of them are rescue dogs from one bad situation or another, and they are all so amazing!  People frequently ask, "Do all of those dogs get along?!"  Well the answer is yes, and as I sit here watching them I realize that this is because they are greatful to be here.  Each and every one of them....  This is apparent in the way that they interact with me as well as the way they interact with each other.  For example, the dog pictured above is Suzy.  Suzy is a pitbull mix that I got from the animal shelter.  Suzy was a cruelty case.  She was owned by a woman who left her out in a wire cage with flood water up to her stomach, and no food or clean water to drink.  When Suzy got here she was possesive of every resource we gave her including water!  This was because she had never had even basic care before, and she wanted all of the other dogs to know that the food and water was hers!  Sure enough though, Suzy has learned that there is no reason to act like that here.  Here Suzy is a dog who can just be herself.  She doesn't have to worry about her next meal.

Then there is Hazel.  Hazel was one of the dogs from the "Jeff Burgess House of Horrors".  She too was very possesive when she got here.  She didn't like dogs.  (Not a huge surprise to me...) She was cage aggressive and possessive over her food and water.  She is adjusting beautifully though.  She loves the other dogs, and has completely stopped resource guarding.  She is so greatful!  Today Hazel and I took a walk, and she looked so happy!  Her head was up and her tail was wagging.  It was so nice to see her like this.  A far cry from the scared dog that paced around my house and wouldn't even walk on leash 2 weeks ago.  Hazel is a wise, old soul and I have no doubt that she is greatful that she has been rescued.  The thing that I realize even more is that I am greatful to have rescued her.

A Fairytail of Epic Proportion!

Once upon a time in a land far away, there was a princess.  Her name was Hazel.  Hazel spent all of her days and nights locked in a dungeon.  It was dark there, and damp.  There was no heat, and seldom any food.  Hazel was a peaceful little girl, about 10 years old.  She only wanted to be loved, and to love in return.  She meant no harm to anyone she met, not even to the evil toothless ogre that kept her locked in this dungeon.  (The evil toothless ogre's name was Jeff.)  Hazel paced around her 4 foot by 6 foot cell, just praying that she would escape one day.  She remembered a life where she once was loved, where she lived inside, where she ate good food.  She remembered what it felt like to have the sun hit her face!  Oh, how she would give ANYTHING to feel that again!   Hazel couldn't understand why she was here.  What had she done?  Hazel was frustrated, so she prayed.... and she prayed.... and she prayed. And as everyone knows, prayers do not fall on deaf ears!   And finally, one day Hazel's prayers were answered!  Angels came into the dungeon and freed her!  They said, "Hazel you are such a pretty girl!  You are so kind, and you never gave up believing that one day your life would be different!"  And oh, how different it was!  Two of the angel's took a great liking to Hazel, actually it was more like love.  They said, "Come with us Hazel.  Let us love you, and you will never want again.  You will be loved, and cherished and you can live the rest of your life doing what you want to do!"  Hazel thought this sounded like a pretty good idea, and that is what she decided to do!  So, off Hazel went.  Into the sunshine!  Never to look back at that dungeon again, and she surely wouldn't miss that toothless ogre!  Hazel was now going to live: HAPPILY EVER AFTER!    

It made a difference to that one!

    

This blog post is dedicated to Amy Welker at the Piqua Health Department, Dr. Lisa Nadasi DVM, the Miami County Animal Shelter, ALL of the volunteers at the Piqua facility (there have been a bunch!),  the Clark County Animal Shelter, The Clark County Health Department, the ASPCA, the Montgomery County Resource Center, the Franklin County Humane Society, and anyone else who has worked on this project.  Without everyone of you, Jeff would still be abusing these poor animals.  Please sleep well tonight knowing that YOU have made a difference in the lives of animals who had no voice.  Because of you this animals will now be able to LIVE!

     If you have watched Channel 7 news in the last several weeks, or even if you live under a rock somewhere in Miami County, you have heard about Jeff Burgess and his rescue "One More Chance Rescue".  Jeff operated a "rescue" in Piqua.  (He called it a rescue, the rest of us called it abuse, and the dogs that he owned called it the 7th Circle of Hell.)  Thanks to the help of Amy Welker, the Piqua Health Department, and a whole bunch of volunteers these 108 dogs will make it so see a better way of life. 
     I have been volunteering on the weekends in Piqua: walking dogs, cleaning cages, and feeding dogs.  It has been a very rewarding experience.  One of the most amazing things is the way that everyone has pitched in to help this group of dogs, and every weekend I am reminded of the good in this world because it is reflected in the people that I volunteer with.  What an experience! 
     The first time I went to the Piqua shelter, I was immediately drawn to a little Jack Russell Terrier.  The thing that reached out to me was this dog's resilience.  She didn't care that her fur was stained yellow from sitting in her urine and feces.  She didn't care that she hadn't been fed or watered regularly.  She didn't care that she wasn't loved or protected by her owner.  She was not an abused dog.  She was not a victim.  She was a dog with something to offer.  She was a dog that was going to offer her heart back to the thing that hurt her the most: humans.  Why?  Because she doesn't want to be known as an abused dog.  She wants to move on.  She wants to forget where she has been.  Tonight, I brought home Marla.  Marla will be at my house for a short while until a permanent home is found for her.  While she is here, Marla will be living in the "now".  She will learn how to be a dog.  A dog that is loved.  A dog that is fed.  A dog that is a cherished member of a family.  Marla will be all of this because of all of the people that have helped her thus far and who have given her a new start in life.  Trust me when I say, Marla will not be quietly watching from the sidelines.  Marla will be playing the game! 

     Sadly, Jeff didn't have just one group of dogs.  He had another group of dogs in Springfield, and help came too late for 76 of them.  The good news is, that today the Clark County Animal Shelter, the ASPCA, and Montgomery County Animal Resource Center helped move 376 dogs out of danger and into the Franklin County Humane Society.
  

     When I was little I always loved this story about a boy and some starfish.  It goes something like this....

Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing.  He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work. 

One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer.   He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young boy, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all.  The young boy was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean. 

He came closer still and called out, "Good Morning!  May I ask what it is that you are doing?!"

The young boy paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean!"

"I must ask, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean? asked the somewhat startled man? 

To this the boy replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out.  If I don't throw them in, they'll die."

Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile?!  You can't possibly make a difference!"

At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean.  As it met the water, he said, "It made a difference to that one!"

     I rescue a lot of dogs.  I often have more dogs at my house then most people would consider "normal".  It has always been who I am, and I can't imagine ever stopping.  Many times people say to me: "You can't save them all!"  I know I can't save them all, but I can make a difference to that one!

A Rescue Koi



Timmy Tim the Koi without a tail



     I am afraid of fish.  This is a strange fear and it is totally illogical, however I am absolutely phobic of them.  As you all know though, my need to rescue the helpless creatures of the world is huge as well.  I was at the local pet store when I spotted this little guy.  He was missing his tail, and somehow his little self wormed his way into my life.  I think it went sort of like this:

Solitare:  Let's look at the fish!  I want another one for my big tank.

Emily: But I hate them! (scoffing and huffing....)

Solitare:  I will let you pick out the fish to put in my aquarium! (pleading...)

Emily mopes and shuffles over to the aquarium full of small koi and notices a tail-less fish. 

Emily:  That's the fish for us! (Smiling and proud of herself.)

Solitare:  The one with no tail?!  It will die by tomorrow.

Emily:  No one else will ever adopt it, and it needs us!

Well, he sure did need us and for the record he has been LIVING with us for about 7 months.  He was well worth the $3.99 that Solitare spent on him!  (Please note that I did try to get him at a discount since he was missing some of his body parts, however the salesman said that he couldn't do that since the tail would grow back.)