When you bring a pet into your life, you begin a journey. A journey that will bring you more love and devotion than you have ever known, yet will also test your strength and courage. If you allow, the journey will teach you many things, about life, about yourself, and most of all, about love. You will come away changed forever, for one soul cannot touch another without leaving its mark.
Along the way, you will learn much about savoring life's simple pleasures -- jumping in leaves, snoozing in the sun, the joys of puddles, and even the satisfaction of a good scratch behind the ears. If you spend much time outside, you will be taught how to truly experience every element, for no rock, leaf, or log will go unexamined, no rustling bush will be overlooked, and even the very air will be inhaled, pondered, and noted as being full of valuable information.
Your pace may be slower, except when heading home to the food dish, but you will become a better naturalist, having been taught by an expert in the field. Too many times we hike on automatic pilot, our goal being to complete the trail rather than enjoy the journey. We miss the details: the colorful mushrooms on the rotting log, the honeycomb in the old maple snag, the hawk feather caught on a twig.
Once we walk as a dog does, we discover a whole new world. We stop; we browse the landscape, we kick over leaves, peek in tree holes, look up, down, all around. And we learn what any dog knows that nature has created a marvelously complex world that is full of surprises, that each cycle of the seasons bring ever changing wonders, each day an essence all its own, each day a gift from God.
Even from indoors you will find yourself more attuned to the world around you. You will find yourself watching: summer insects collecting on a screen; how bizarre they are; how many kinds there are or noting the flick and flash of fireflies through the dark. You will stop to observe the swirling dance of windblown leaves, or sniff the air after a rain. It does not matter that there is no objective in this; the point is in the doing, in not letting life's most important details slip by.
You will find yourself doing silly things that your pet-less friends might not understand: spending thirty minutes in the grocery aisle looking for the cat food brand your feline must have, buying dog birthday treats, or driving around the block an extra time because your pet enjoys the ride. You will roll in the snow, wrestle with chewier toys, bounce little rubber balls till your eyes cross, and even run around the house trailing your bathrobe tie with a cat in hot pursuit, all in the name of love.
Your house will become muddier and hairier. You will wear less dark clothing and buy more lint rollers. You may find dog biscuits in your pocket or purse, and feel the need to explain that an old plastic shopping bag adorns your living room rug because your cat loves the crinkly sound. You will learn the true measure of love. The steadfast, undying kind that says, "It doesn't matter where we are or what we do, or how life treats us as long as we are together."
Respect this always. It is the most precious gift any living soul can give another. You will not find it often among the human race. And you will learn humility. The look in my dog's eyes often made me feel ashamed. Such joy and love at my presence. She saw not some flawed human who could be cross and stubborn, moody or rude, but only her wonderful companion. Or maybe she saw those things and dismissed them as mere human foibles, not worth considering, and so chose to love me anyway.
If you pay attention and learn well, when the journey is done, you will be not just a better person, but the person your pet always knew you to be. The one they were proud to call beloved friend.
I must caution you that this journey is not without pain. Like all paths of true love, the pain is part of loving. For as surely as the sun sets, one day your dear animal companion will follow a trail you cannot yet go down. And you will have to find the strength and love to let them go.
A pet's time on earth is far too short, especially for those that love them. We borrow them, really, just for a while, and during these brief years they are generous enough to give us all their love, every inch of their spirit and heart, until one day there is nothing left. The cat that only yesterday was a kitten is all too soon old and frail and sleeping in the sun. The young pup of boundless energy now wakes up stiff and lame, the muzzle gone to gray.
Deep down we somehow always knew that this journey would end. We knew that if we gave our hearts they would be broken. But give them we must for it is all they ask in return. When the time comes, and the road curves ahead to a place we cannot see, we give one final gift and let them run on ahead, young and whole once more. "God speed, good friend," we say, until our journey comes full circle and our paths cross again.
And bless their souls for sharing their lives with us... and adding so much to our very existence.
(Posted this day in memory of Lucy)
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Greenville Euthanize List - Greenville, S.C.
Look at these sad little ones - scheduled to be put to sleep unless someone helps them. Website: http://www.noahs-arks.net/RESCUE/Greenville.html
Most young and heathy. As of this post date, there is one-year old Chloe and her 9 puppies, surrendered by owner and were scheduled to be put to sleep on 3/26. There is no update on their status.
"Greenville County Animal Care Services in an open admission shelter, which means that it accepts animals regardless of their adoptability. An average of 1,500 stray and unwanted pets is turned into their facility each month. Approximately 55% of the animals entering our facility are found homes through adoption and animal rescue services. Unfortunately, as long as there are more dogs and cats than responsible pet owners, the animal shelter will need to euthanize animals." http://www.greenvillecounty.org/acs/
Most young and heathy. As of this post date, there is one-year old Chloe and her 9 puppies, surrendered by owner and were scheduled to be put to sleep on 3/26. There is no update on their status.
"Greenville County Animal Care Services in an open admission shelter, which means that it accepts animals regardless of their adoptability. An average of 1,500 stray and unwanted pets is turned into their facility each month. Approximately 55% of the animals entering our facility are found homes through adoption and animal rescue services. Unfortunately, as long as there are more dogs and cats than responsible pet owners, the animal shelter will need to euthanize animals." http://www.greenvillecounty.org/acs/
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Backaches, Heartbreak and Hope in Mississippi
Backaches, Heartbreak, and Hope in Mississippi : The Humane Society of the United States
PRESTON, Miss. — The Humane Society of the United States and the Mississippi Animal Rescue League assisted the Kemper County Sheriff's Department in the seizure of 165 dogs and cats who were found living in deplorable conditions in Preston, Miss. The animals were removed from Raven's Hope, a non-profit organization that claims to offer animals for adoption. The seizure is the largest known animal rescue in Kemper County. . . .
MERIDIAN — Raven's Hope Animal Sanctuary in Kemper County garnered statewide attention early last week as more than 150 dogs were taken from a labyrinth of outdoor cages surrounding an otherwise unassuming house. . . . "We found seven dogs deceased already when we arrived," said Jordan Crump, a spokesperson for the Humane Society of the United States. "There were an untold amount of skeletal remains all over the property." The remains were presumably of dogs, she said. "I've been on about 30 rescue missions," Crump said. "This is probably the worst I've seen. . . . (Read more here.)
PRESTON, Miss. — The Humane Society of the United States and the Mississippi Animal Rescue League assisted the Kemper County Sheriff's Department in the seizure of 165 dogs and cats who were found living in deplorable conditions in Preston, Miss. The animals were removed from Raven's Hope, a non-profit organization that claims to offer animals for adoption. The seizure is the largest known animal rescue in Kemper County. . . .
MERIDIAN — Raven's Hope Animal Sanctuary in Kemper County garnered statewide attention early last week as more than 150 dogs were taken from a labyrinth of outdoor cages surrounding an otherwise unassuming house. . . . "We found seven dogs deceased already when we arrived," said Jordan Crump, a spokesperson for the Humane Society of the United States. "There were an untold amount of skeletal remains all over the property." The remains were presumably of dogs, she said. "I've been on about 30 rescue missions," Crump said. "This is probably the worst I've seen. . . . (Read more here.)
Friday, February 19, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
A Great Valentine's Day for Murphy
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Rosie may become a prosthetic poodle
RACINE - If you don't look at her back half, Rosie looks like any other miniature poodle - cute, petite, with bright brown eyes.
It's her back legs - just like her back story - that are horrific.
Rosie was seized July 23 by the Hot Spring County Sheriff's Department and an anti-cruelty group in Rockport, Ark. She was one of 34 dogs rescued from an unscrupulous breeder's filthy trailer.
The Malvern (Ark.) Daily Record reported, "Many of the dogs were in poor health, covered in feces and urine, and living in cages that in some places were stacked up to the ceiling of the residence."
Rosie - who'd been bred to produce litters of puppies - had arrived with a skin condition, fleas and an ear infection.
Besides all of that, she had a special problem, says Dr. Brian Ray of Belle City Veterinary Hospital in Racine. She had a congenital problem: kneecaps that slide in and out of their joints.
Because that was never surgically corrected, and in view of her caged existence, her hind legs are now horribly twisted. Ray called her problem a "severe grade 4," with 4 being the highest level. She cannot defecate or urinate without soiling herself, and hobbles around on her rear knees.
"The amazing thing is, they bred this dog. Can you believe it?" said Mary Palmer as Rosie was being examined Wednesday. She said Rosie's case was being used to prosecute the breeder.
Palmer is president and founder of Northcentral Maltese Rescue, a Racine-based nonprofit. She accepted Rosie from the Arkansas anticruelty group which had too much on its hands without having to deal with Rosie's special medical problem.
Palmer plans to find a way for her group to pay for whatever comes next. She knows it will likely get very expensive but said, "It's in rough shape, but this is a happy little dog.
"You can't save all of them, I understand that," Palmer said. "But there are some that come along that touch your heart so deeply that you can't turn away.
"We're just jumping in with both feet."
The "both feet" metaphor is ironic considering that Rosie is highly likely to lose two of hers to partial amputation of her deformed limbs.
What comes after that could get very interesting. Joining Ray Wednesday in examining Rosie was Doug Reichert, a licensed prosthetist with Reichert & Kelsey, Kenosha. They are considering having Reichert make Rosie two prosthetic, removable legs.
At one point Rosie tried to thank Reichert for his concern with two air-licks toward his face.
Reichert has never done prosthetics for a nonhuman before, but he thinks he could help. After amputation, he told Ray, "If I have a femur, that's all I need."
If they choose that route, the dog's prosthetics could be something like the leaf-spring prosthetic feet that South African runner Oscar Pistorius has, Reichert said.
Another option being pondered is to get Rosie a cart - essentially replacing her useless rear legs with wheels. By day's end Wednesday, after talking to a cart manufacturer, Ray was leaning toward trying that first.
"If we can avoid surgery it would be best," he said.
"I think it would be the quickest route to having her running around and having some fun."
Posted in Local on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 5:25 pm Updated: 7:34 pm. | Tags: Belle City Veterinary Hospital, Northcentral Maltese Rescue,
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Cherry Blossom & Pepper - ADOPTED!!
My friend Renee (located on Mississippi Gulf Coast) has rescued two poodles. If I recall the story correctly, the owner died and heirs were going to put these two sweet ones to sleep to “rid themselves” of the problem. The real estate agent and my friend intervened. She is trying to find a new home for them; meanwhile, they are living with her. I’m her backup in case she needs help or a place for them to be for short period. They are both seniors and are healthy. One is the mother, the smaller one, and her name is Cherry Blossom. Her son is Pepper. We think they are about 11 and 13. They have been together for life and need to stay together. They love each other very much. They are housebroken and have adorable personalities.
Please pass this information along so we can find these two precious ones a home for their remaining years.
Please pass this information along so we can find these two precious ones a home for their remaining years.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Emie and Sunny - Looking for Loving Home Together
Location Racine, Wisconsin: Emie and Sunny are a bonded pair of 4-5 yrs olds. We are spay and neutered. We just got our teeth all cleaned and sparkling too. We weigh about 7 & 8 pounds respectively. We have had a pretty rough year. From living in a loving home to a drug home, life was not always so good. Even though our Mom had problems she loved us enough to get us to rescue. We have been through so much, but are still as sweet as can be. We love to snuggle and cuddle and be close. We give kisses, just want to be loved. Sunny is very aware of any dogs that appear on TV and he will run to the tv and bark at them to tell them to get out of his space. Our foster Mom says that she cannot believe how well behaved we are. Although things have been kind of crazy we are still pretty much housetrained and do enjoy going outside and do really well on a leash. We just got a bath and new hair cuts so we look and smell pretty good now!! Please call Mary if you would like to give us a forever home. 262-633-9371
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
MURPHY NEEDS FOREVER HOME
I am a foster mom to rescued Maltese dogs. I do this for Northcentral Maltese Rescue. At the moment, I have one permanent foster, Rosie, who is blind but otherwise healthy, and then Murphy.
Murphy was left him in a shelter in New Orleans and rescued by a tender-hearted young girl who adopted him. She brought him to her grandmother who released him to me and Maltese Rescue.
Murphy is a jewel. He has a sweet disposition, is very devoted and bonded quickly with me. He is healthy, likes to take walks, and is very good on a leash. He enjoys snuggling and sleeps very close in bed with me at night. He has been fully vetted and weighs about 13 pounds. The vet says he is about 5 to 6 years old, a Maltese, maybe a little mix. He’s a little shy occasionally and probably would enjoy the company of another easy-going dog to play with (not a dominant one) or would do well as only dog. He is housebroken but does need to be taken out on a timely basis.
Murphy was left him in a shelter in New Orleans and rescued by a tender-hearted young girl who adopted him. She brought him to her grandmother who released him to me and Maltese Rescue.
Murphy is a jewel. He has a sweet disposition, is very devoted and bonded quickly with me. He is healthy, likes to take walks, and is very good on a leash. He enjoys snuggling and sleeps very close in bed with me at night. He has been fully vetted and weighs about 13 pounds. The vet says he is about 5 to 6 years old, a Maltese, maybe a little mix. He’s a little shy occasionally and probably would enjoy the company of another easy-going dog to play with (not a dominant one) or would do well as only dog. He is housebroken but does need to be taken out on a timely basis.
Application to adopt Murphy is made through Mary Palmer, Northcentral Maltese Rescue. For more information or go to the website at http://www.malteserescue.homestead.com/ or call Mary Palmer at 262-633-9371
Monday, April 20, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Bogart - One Happy Puppy
Located 
in the Milwaukee Wisconsin area: Bogart is a 7 month old 5 1/2 pound Maltese. Born in a puppy mill, Bogie is free from a sad future there. He is happy and learning what it is like to run and play. Bogie is neutered, current on shots and ready for a bright new future. He needs a home that can keep up with his puppy energy and a buddy would be nice who is close to his age and energy level. Bogart is working on his housetraining so will still need a little help in that area. Please call Mary if you are interested in opening your home to this little bundle of love. 262-633-9371
in the Milwaukee Wisconsin area: Bogart is a 7 month old 5 1/2 pound Maltese. Born in a puppy mill, Bogie is free from a sad future there. He is happy and learning what it is like to run and play. Bogie is neutered, current on shots and ready for a bright new future. He needs a home that can keep up with his puppy energy and a buddy would be nice who is close to his age and energy level. Bogart is working on his housetraining so will still need a little help in that area. Please call Mary if you are interested in opening your home to this little bundle of love. 262-633-9371Cuba - The Social Butterfly
Located in Mil
waukee, Wisconsin, Cuba is a delightful little 7 months young Havanese. He loves to play, he loves to leap in the air and he is a social little butterfly too. Cuba came from a puppy mill but he's already forgotten that life, or lack of life. He's just so happy to be free. He loves to play with his little foster sister Mindy and to cuddle with his foster parents. Cuba is one perfect little angel boy, oh except when he sleeps then he tends to snore. Cuba is doing quite well on his housetraining, he still has an accident now and then but he's only been working at it for a week now, shouldn't take too much longer before he completely understands the process. Cuba is neutered and current on his shots. He weighs 9 pounds. If you're looking for an Angel, no need to look further. Please call Mary at 262-633-9371
waukee, Wisconsin, Cuba is a delightful little 7 months young Havanese. He loves to play, he loves to leap in the air and he is a social little butterfly too. Cuba came from a puppy mill but he's already forgotten that life, or lack of life. He's just so happy to be free. He loves to play with his little foster sister Mindy and to cuddle with his foster parents. Cuba is one perfect little angel boy, oh except when he sleeps then he tends to snore. Cuba is doing quite well on his housetraining, he still has an accident now and then but he's only been working at it for a week now, shouldn't take too much longer before he completely understands the process. Cuba is neutered and current on his shots. He weighs 9 pounds. If you're looking for an Angel, no need to look further. Please call Mary at 262-633-9371Mindy the Pom
Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Mindy is a 6 month young Pomeranian. She came from a puppy m
ill and is so excited to be out! She weighs a whopping 4 ¾ pounds. Mindy is a playful little girl, she plays with her foster brother Cuba, when she's not interested in playing with Cuba anymore she has no problem telling him to back off, she may be petite but she doesn't let that stop her! On the softer side, she is a cuddler and will brighten anyones day. Mindy is spay, and current on her shots. She is working on her housetraining at this time, but is still a pup so training will have to continue.
ill and is so excited to be out! She weighs a whopping 4 ¾ pounds. Mindy is a playful little girl, she plays with her foster brother Cuba, when she's not interested in playing with Cuba anymore she has no problem telling him to back off, she may be petite but she doesn't let that stop her! On the softer side, she is a cuddler and will brighten anyones day. Mindy is spay, and current on her shots. She is working on her housetraining at this time, but is still a pup so training will have to continue. Mindy is a sweet confident little girl anyone would be lucky to have her in their life. Please call Mary at 262-633-9371
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Bruser - Loaded with Puppy Fun
Located in Milwaukee Wisconsin, Bruser is one of the most adorable puppies you will ever see. He is loaded with fun puppy energy and loves to be held and give puppy breath kisses. Bruser is a Maltese/Yorkie mix, he is neutered, current on shots appropriate for a 12 week old pup and Micro chipped.. He will not last long so please don’t wait to get your application in. Please call Mary at 262-633-9371Tina - Just a Puppy
Located in Milwaukee Wisconsin, Tina is one of the most adorable puppies you will ever see. She is loaded with fun puppy energy and loves to be held and give puppy breath kisses. Tina is a Maltese/Yorkie mix, she is spayed, current on shots appropriate for a 12 week old pup and Micro chipped.. She will not last long so please don't wait to get your application in. Please call Mary at 
262-633-9371
262-633-9371Shasha - Pretty As A Princess
LOCATED IN MUSKEGO, WISCONSIN: Hi, my name is Sasha. My foster mom gave me that pretty name and I know it very well. I am approximately 4 years old and was recently rescued from a puppy mill. Luckily, I am in good health. I have been spayed and am up to date on all my shots. When I entered my foster home, I was a frightened little girl who didn't trust humans at all. In fact, I feared just about everything. Oh...how my life has changed since then. In the last several weeks, my personality is really beginning to blossom. I am trusting humans more and more. You see, I had never experienced a kind human touch until now, and I really like it! I love being petted, pampered, and massaged. I also feel very secure with other small doggies around me. I snuggle with them while sleeping, & we play together when I'm awake! I weigh only 7 pounds, but am a very good eater and must be careful not to overeat. Plus, I have learned to go potty on a pad like a good little girl. I am adjusting nicely to my new life outside of a puppy mill, and what a wonderful life it is! My tail just won't stop wagging...I am so happy!
Guess what? My foster mom thinks I'm as pretty as a Princess. Just see for yourself! Yes, I really do feel pretty in my new red dress. But, I'll let you be the judge!
My new forever home must be a family who will have patience with my progress, show me the compassion, love, and the understanding that I deserve. These are the things I will need in order for me to continue to blossom into the loving little Maltese girl that I was meant to be, and will be, when the right family comes along to adopt me. Could that family be yours? Please call Mary at 262-633-9371 for more information on how you can adopt Sasha.
"The Oz Man" - Little Ozzie - Looking for New Home
Located in Orange County, California; Meet little Ozzie. We call him the "Oz Man". This little boy is 18-months-old. He is full of love, and life. He gets along well with the other fosters, and even enjoys snuggling with a few of them. He loves to lay, and play, in the big bed with his foster mommy. He's a good boy, from a good home, which the original owner, sadly, has health problems. So she made the, very hard, decision to surrender him.The "Oz Man" is fully vetted. He's doing well with housetraining, but will need a little extra attention, in that area. Whomever adopts this sweet angel,will be VERY lucky, indeed. Please call Mary at 262-633-9371 if you are interested in this little angel.Loving Life and Smiling - Cagney Waits for a Home
Location Milwaukee Wisconsin. Did someone say play? I'm an expert! Cagney may have spent the first seven m
onths of his life in a puppymill but that has not dimmed his zest for life. He's an adorable 8# Maltese with personality plus. He's a curious, smart, happy, fun-loving puppy who will make a wonderful addition to your home. This little bundle is neutered and current on his shots. Cagney gets along great with other dogs and people and loves to play chase in the yard. Being a puppy, Cagney is still working on his potty training skills. He needs a home with an active playmate. Cagney's love of life shines through. Just look at that smile!
onths of his life in a puppymill but that has not dimmed his zest for life. He's an adorable 8# Maltese with personality plus. He's a curious, smart, happy, fun-loving puppy who will make a wonderful addition to your home. This little bundle is neutered and current on his shots. Cagney gets along great with other dogs and people and loves to play chase in the yard. Being a puppy, Cagney is still working on his potty training skills. He needs a home with an active playmate. Cagney's love of life shines through. Just look at that smile!Please call Mary Palmer at 262-633-9371 for more information on how you can adopt Cagney.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
The Journey
When you bring a pet into your life, you begin a journey - a journey that will bring you more love and devotion than you have ever known, yet also test your strength and courage. If you allow, the journey will teach you many things, about life, about yourself, and most of all, about love. You will come away changed forever, for one soul cannot touch another without leaving its mark.
Along the way, you will learn much about savoring life's simplep leasures - jumping in leaves, snoozing in the sun, the joys of puddles,and even the satisfaction of a good scratch behind the ears.
If you spend much time outside, you will be taught how to truly experience every element, for no rock, leaf, or log will go unexamined, no rustling bush will be overlooked, and even the very air will be inhaled, pondered, and noted as being full of valuable information. Your pace may be slower - except when heading home to the food dish - but you will become a better naturalist, having been taught by an expert in the field.
Too many times we hike on automatic pilot, our goal being to complete the trail rather than enjoy the journey. We miss the details - the colorful mushrooms on the rotting log, the honeycomb in the old maples nag, the hawk feather caught on a twig. Once we walk as a dog does, we discover a whole new world. We stop; we browse the landscape, we kick over leaves, peek in tree holes, look up, down, all around. And we learn what any dog knows: that nature has created a marvelously complex world that is full of surprises, that each cycle of the seasons bring ever changing wonders, each day an essence all its own.
Even from indoors you will find yourself more attuned to the world around you. You will find yourself watching summer insects collecting on a screen. (How bizarre they are! How many kinds there are!), or noting the flick and flash of fireflies through the dark. You will stop to observe the swirling dance of wind blown leaves, or sniff the air after a rain. It does not matter that there is no objective in this; the point is in the doing, in not letting life's most important details slip by.
You will find yourself doing silly things that your pet-less friends might not understand: spending thirty minutes in the grocery aisle looking for the cat food brand your feline must have, buying dog birthday treats, or driving around the block an extra time because your pet enjoys the ride. You will roll in the snow, wrestle with chewie toys, bounce little rubber balls till your eyes cross, and even run around the house trailing your bathrobe tie - with a cat in hot pursuit- all in the name of love.
Your house will become muddier and hairier. You will wear less dark clothing and buy more lint rollers. You may find dog biscuits in your pocket or purse, and feel the need to explain that an old plastic shopping bag adorns your living room rug because your cat loves the crinkly sound.
You will learn the true measure of love - the steadfast, undying kind that says, "It doesn't matter where we are or what we do, or how lifetreats us as long as we are together." Respect this always.
It is the most precious gift any living soul can give another. You will not find it often among the human race.
And you will learn humility. The look in my dog's eyes often made me feel ashamed. Such joy and love at my presence. She saw not some flawed human who could be cross and stubborn, moody or rude, but only her wonderful companion. Or maybe she saw those things and dismissed them as mere human foibles, not worth considering, and so chose to love me anyway.
If you pay attention and learn well, when the journey is done, you willbe not just a better person, but the person your pet always knew you tobe - the one they were proud to call beloved friend.
I must caution you that this journey is not without pain. Like all paths of true love, the pain is part of loving. For as surely as the sun sets, one day your dear animal companion will follow a trail you cannot yet go down. And you will have to find the strength and love to let them go. A pet's time on earth is far too short - especially for those that love them. We borrow them, really, just for awhile, and during these brief years they are generous enough to give us all their love, every inch of their spirit and heart, until one day there is nothing left.
The cat that only yesterday was a kitten is all too soon old and frail and sleeping in the sun. The young pup of boundless energy wakes upstiff and lame, the muzzle now gray. Deep down we somehow always knewthat this journey would end. We knew that if we gave our hearts they would be broken. But give them we must for it is all they ask in return.
When the time comes, and the road curves ahead to a place we cannot see, we give one final gift and let them run on ahead - young and whole once more.
"Godspeed, good friend," we say, until our journey comes full circle and our paths cross again.
~ Crystal Ward Kent
Along the way, you will learn much about savoring life's simplep leasures - jumping in leaves, snoozing in the sun, the joys of puddles,and even the satisfaction of a good scratch behind the ears.
If you spend much time outside, you will be taught how to truly experience every element, for no rock, leaf, or log will go unexamined, no rustling bush will be overlooked, and even the very air will be inhaled, pondered, and noted as being full of valuable information. Your pace may be slower - except when heading home to the food dish - but you will become a better naturalist, having been taught by an expert in the field.
Too many times we hike on automatic pilot, our goal being to complete the trail rather than enjoy the journey. We miss the details - the colorful mushrooms on the rotting log, the honeycomb in the old maples nag, the hawk feather caught on a twig. Once we walk as a dog does, we discover a whole new world. We stop; we browse the landscape, we kick over leaves, peek in tree holes, look up, down, all around. And we learn what any dog knows: that nature has created a marvelously complex world that is full of surprises, that each cycle of the seasons bring ever changing wonders, each day an essence all its own.
Even from indoors you will find yourself more attuned to the world around you. You will find yourself watching summer insects collecting on a screen. (How bizarre they are! How many kinds there are!), or noting the flick and flash of fireflies through the dark. You will stop to observe the swirling dance of wind blown leaves, or sniff the air after a rain. It does not matter that there is no objective in this; the point is in the doing, in not letting life's most important details slip by.
You will find yourself doing silly things that your pet-less friends might not understand: spending thirty minutes in the grocery aisle looking for the cat food brand your feline must have, buying dog birthday treats, or driving around the block an extra time because your pet enjoys the ride. You will roll in the snow, wrestle with chewie toys, bounce little rubber balls till your eyes cross, and even run around the house trailing your bathrobe tie - with a cat in hot pursuit- all in the name of love.
Your house will become muddier and hairier. You will wear less dark clothing and buy more lint rollers. You may find dog biscuits in your pocket or purse, and feel the need to explain that an old plastic shopping bag adorns your living room rug because your cat loves the crinkly sound.
You will learn the true measure of love - the steadfast, undying kind that says, "It doesn't matter where we are or what we do, or how lifetreats us as long as we are together." Respect this always.
It is the most precious gift any living soul can give another. You will not find it often among the human race.
And you will learn humility. The look in my dog's eyes often made me feel ashamed. Such joy and love at my presence. She saw not some flawed human who could be cross and stubborn, moody or rude, but only her wonderful companion. Or maybe she saw those things and dismissed them as mere human foibles, not worth considering, and so chose to love me anyway.
If you pay attention and learn well, when the journey is done, you willbe not just a better person, but the person your pet always knew you tobe - the one they were proud to call beloved friend.
I must caution you that this journey is not without pain. Like all paths of true love, the pain is part of loving. For as surely as the sun sets, one day your dear animal companion will follow a trail you cannot yet go down. And you will have to find the strength and love to let them go. A pet's time on earth is far too short - especially for those that love them. We borrow them, really, just for awhile, and during these brief years they are generous enough to give us all their love, every inch of their spirit and heart, until one day there is nothing left.
The cat that only yesterday was a kitten is all too soon old and frail and sleeping in the sun. The young pup of boundless energy wakes upstiff and lame, the muzzle now gray. Deep down we somehow always knewthat this journey would end. We knew that if we gave our hearts they would be broken. But give them we must for it is all they ask in return.
When the time comes, and the road curves ahead to a place we cannot see, we give one final gift and let them run on ahead - young and whole once more.
"Godspeed, good friend," we say, until our journey comes full circle and our paths cross again.
~ Crystal Ward Kent
Monday, March 16, 2009
Meet Winter - Ready to Love a Family
Scottsdale, Arizona: Meet Winter,the handsome little love bug who is just full of love to give to the perfect family. Winter is between 4 and 5 years-old. He is initally a little shy and takes a little time to warm up to new people and new situations. Once he does though, look out! Winter is still learning the doggy door but is fully potty trained and has had zero accidents in his first week w
ith his new foster family. Winter would do well in a family with no other dogs or one with dogs who are quieter. He's a good boy, and loves nothing more than being held. He'll wrap his paws around your neck, and nestle his little head on your shoulders. But more important he will wrap himself around your heart. He is current on shots and neutered. Please call Mary Palmer if you think your heart needs some warming from Winter. 262-633-9371Sunday, March 15, 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Spencer Is Looking for a Home
LOCATED IN SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA: Spencer is a very happy little guy, with a terrific personality. He was in really bad shape when picked up in Phoenix as a stray. His ears were full of dirt and a serious ear infection. The vet estimates that he is approximately 9 years old; he is a little har
d of hearing as a result of his previous ear problems, but this does not take away from anything he does. Spencer is neutered, has had a dental, is up to date on his vaccinations. He looks and feels like a totally different dog than when he was picked up. His tail is always wagging and he gets along well with his other doggy brothers and sisters, although he is not quite as rowdy as they are. He is perfect on the potty training and would do great either in a home as an only dog or a home with other quiet dogs. If you are interested in a great companion please call Mary at 262-633-9371.Sunday, March 8, 2009
Tinkerbell - Give This Girl Your Heart and A Home
Located: St Charles Illinois. My name is Tinkerbell. My story has a pretty rough beginning. I was one of 125 dogs living in a little house with just one human. Someone came and took all of us away. I went to a vet and he said I had a really bad heart problem. My tummy was swollen and I was not feeling well at all. Then I took a long ride to Wisconsin to a place called rescue. They took me to a vet who said my heart was just fine, but I was full of parasites. They gave me some medicine and wow did I start to feel really good. Today I am 4 1/2 pounds of puppy energy. They think I am about 11/2 to 2 yrs old, and boy oh boy do I love life. I have so much energy that I ne
ed a home with someone who can keep up with me. Take me for walks, and play, play, play. Don't get me wrong I LOVE my cuddle time too. I love sleeping in a human bed and knowing I am safe. I would really like a buddy, but one that is young enough and has enough energy to play with me. Unfortunately I lost the hair on my ears and part of my tail because of the trauma to my system from those nasty parasites. There is some fuzz starting to grow back, I do look a little silly right now but then I am a silly little girl. Please call Mary (262-633-9371) if you want to adopt me, I would be so happySweet Tessa Looking For Her Forever Home
Located in Racine, Wisconsin; Tessa is a 1 ½ yr old female. She has been spay and is current on all of her shots. Tessa is a Maltese /Shih Tzu Mix we believe. She weighs about 7 ½ pounds of bounding energy. She will win anyone over with those huge sweet eyes. Tessa was picked up as a stray, limping in the cold. When no one claimed her at the shelter she was transferred to Maltese Rescue needing veterinary care. While we suspected she had a broken leg we were surprised to find that the leg could not be repaired. Tessa had to have her rear leg removed. Now, here she is just a few weeks since her surgery and she is running like the wind. She does not know she only has three legs. Shhh don’t anyone tell her. She is a snuggle bug. But so full of energy, so a home with enough energy to keep up is necessary. Please call Mary for more information about Tessa. 262-633-9371
Another Tucker
Located in New College Pennsylvania; Tucker is a wonderful little Maltese. He has been in my foster care since February 1, and is an absolute joy to have in our home. Tucker is a 5 year old, neutered Maltese and weights about 12 lbs, and could stand to lose a pound or more. He loves to go on walks, and will walk well on a leash. He gets along well with other dogs, but would prefer a home without other dogs or a home with a submissive dog, just like him. Tucker loves to cuddle up on the sofa next to me or rest on my lap, and most of all at bedtime he wants to crawl into bed with us and our two other dogs. Tucker seems to prefer woman over men and children, but would do well with a man in the household who took his time getting to know Tucker. Tucker is 98% potty trained, but needs to be fed and walked on a regular-daily schedule. I take Tucker out frequently during the day to remind him it is potty time. We haven’t had any potty incidents since he has been in my care. Tucker has been to obedience school and understands basic commands such as: Sit, Stay, Come, Leave it, Shake, Dance and is extremely eager to please. Tucker will certainly be missed in our home when he goes to his Forever Home, as he has been my constant shadow since the day we met. He is without a doubt a bundle of joy, and would be a loyal, playful and wonderful companion to his Forever Family. Please call Mary at 262-633-9371.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Rocky Needs a Home
Located in Lowell Indiana: Rocky has not had an easy life. He was part of a family with his siblings, but because of bad times they were relegated to an outside porch in crates. A wonderful friend came along and convinced the family to put them into rescue. Rocky is a sweet soul and loves to play. He is house trained, neutered and current on all of his shots. He is 3 years old and loves to cuddle. He would like to become part of a loving family who has time to let him know what family life is all about. Rocky had to be completely shaved down when he came into rescue. He was so badly matted that he had trouble walking. His hair is growing out now and he is going to be a very handsome boy. If you are interested in a great companion please call his foster mom in Indiana. Alice 219-696-3258 Or Mary 262-633-9371
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Russell & Macy - Will You Be Their Forever Mom?
Located in Blairstown, NJ: Russell & Macy - We were given up for adoption because our mother is in a nursing home with terminal cancer. We are 8 years out and have been together since we were 5 weeks old. We are looking for a forever home with lots of love and no young children. We have settled in quickly with our foster mom and love to follow her around the house. When she’s sitting we enjoy being on her lap or right next to her. Don’t think we’re old, we love to play. We enjoy giving kisses and love to snuggle. We are good with other dogs and cats. Russell is 7 pounds, neutered and current on shots with a recent dental. Macy is spayed, up to day on shots and dental, and is a whole 5 pounds. These dogs will not be separated, but ONLY adopted together. If you are interested in adopting this loveable pair please call Mary at 262-633-9371You will find more of our avaliable dogs on our website . http://malteserescue.homestead.com/
Trixie Is Looking for a Loving Home
Located in Germantown, Wisconsin: Sugar and Spice and all things nice. That’s Trixie!
Trixie is a sweet, spunky little 7# Poodle-Maltese mix who spent the first years of her life as a breeder in a Wisconsin puppy mill. She was freed from that life just after her second birthday. It was discovered that she had hip dysplasia so she underwent surgery to correct this and is now doing great. She also has been spayed and brought up to date on her immunizations. Trixie gets along very well with other dogs. She loves to run and play tug of war with the dogs in her foster home. She enjoys chewing on bones and you will usually find an assortment in her bed. Due to her start in life Trixie is still cautious around people but is improving every day. She loves to sit next to you to be pet and will roll on her belly in delight. She is completely potty trained if kept to a schedule. Trixie needs to go to a loving home with another playful, well-trained dog.
If this little girl captures your heart please call Mary Palmer at 262-633-9371.
Northcentral Maltese Rescue: http://malteserescue.homestead.com/
Friday, February 20, 2009
Tucker is Looking for a Home
Located Kenosha Wisconsin: My name is Tucker now. You know I never had a name before. Really I don't even know it is my name or what a name even is. You see I am out of a puppy mill. I am only 3 1/2 yrs old. I have not had much of a life before rescue. It has been about 1 1/2 months since I left the place that use to be my home. It was cold and not a nice place to be. No one ever scratched my ear or rubbed my belly. No one ever told me I was cute or that I was a good boy. I am still a little afraid of people, because I have never before had any human be nice to me. But today I am doing so good. I will wander around the house with the other dogs, and go outside when we are called. I still have not learned about housetraining completely, but I am smart and they say I will learn. I know when we come in from outside if I go straight to the big white box in the kitchen with the other dogs I will get a carrot for being so good. I love carrots. I get to sleep in a real bed with my foster mom, and I love that too. I have to wear a belly band until I learn that house training thing. I have been neutered and have had all my shots and even my teeth cleaned sparkling white. I sure look good. I need a home that has allot of love,a home with another dog in it to help me learn all that a little guy like me has to learn. Please, how can you look at this face and not want to cuddle me and teach me how to be a real dog.Please call Mary at 262-633-9371 to see if I am the dog for you.
Northcentral Maltese Rescue: http://malteserescue.homestead.com/
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
Sophie
Sophie is darling and demur, a quiet, devoted and very sweet little girl. She’s perfect. She likes to play and run. She faithfully follows her foster mom, always wanting to be near. She gets along well with other Maltese in the home and adjusts easily. She is house trained and will signal when she wants to go out by standing by the door. Sophie was born on 10-3-01. She was AKC registered by her prior owners and had five litters of puppies. She weighs 7.3 pounds, has had her annual shots, her dental and is spayed.
I am Sophie's foster mom for Northcentral Maltese Rescue. If you would like to adopt her, call Mary Palmer, Northcentral Maltese Rescue, 262-633-9371.
(On February 15, 2009, Sophie was adopted and has gone to a wonderful new home with a great mom and dad. She also has a big sister, Missy. See Missy's picture on this page.)
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Nikki
Nikki came to me as her foster mom through Northcentral Maltese Rescue in June 2005. Sadly, she had to leave her home because her mom had a new job, requiring travel, and could no longer take care of Nikki. She was quickly adopted by a friend who has spoiled this little princess.
When Nikki, was my foster, this is what I wrote about her before she was adopted:
Nikki is adorable - a beautiful little girl - as you can see. She is very tiny and so sweet. A Maltese angel. She has excellent manners and a very gentle spirit. She loves to snuggle and sleep on my lap and is very compatible with Poppy, Tashee, Juniper and Pal. Tashee seems to really enjoy having a sister, and the two have become very good companions, sharing my lap and affection. I have enjoyed having her with us and will miss her greatly when she goes to live with her forever mom. She deserves the very best!!
And she's unforgettable.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
Poppy
Dear Poppy went to rainbow bridge in May 2008. I have not been able to write about his last days on Poppy's Page because of the great sadness my husband and I continue to feel about the loss of our dear Poppy. I have wanted to make a great tribute to Poppy for all the joy he brought to us and others. Perhaps the following paragraphs, from an e-mail I wrote to our closest friends, will describe some of our thoughts and feelings during Poppy's last days.
From the e-mail -
Dear Ones:
I am overwhelmed right now with great sadness and sorrow. Tom and I are going through difficult times, and we cry lots. I suppose I just need to write about it - to express my grief. I have scheduled Poppy for Friday to put him to sleep. He is our first Maltese. This afternoon, after work, I decided that I would take him outside for a walk, wanting to give him something that he always enjoyed. How he used to love his walks, going at a fast trot. He loved to explore the neighborhood and visit with other folks on our rounds. He always greeted others, humankind and doggies, standing on his hind legs, waiving his paws in the air. He was always very outgoing and friendly.
So this afternoon we began to walk. I didn't put a lease on him because there was no point. We walked very slowly side by side, going the route we always took. I didn't let him walk a long way before I picked him up. We stopped at the house of one of his friends, a dear lady who also has a Maltese dog. He was so pleased to see her, and she gave him many kisses. Then we walked slowly home again.
Poppy brought unconditional love and total joy into our home. He has been a ladder for me to God, and I shall be eternally grateful for the gift of his presence in our lives. So many good memories. How adorable he was as a puppy.
Poppy has a liver problem and has lost lots of weight, down from 15 pounds to 6.3. He has gotten much worse the last ten days. He eats well but his body is not using the nourishment. Nothing we have tried has succeeded in giving him quality of life or helped to stabilize his health. Please pray for Poppy and for Tom and me.
Love & Prayers, Ouida
From the e-mail -
Dear Ones:
I am overwhelmed right now with great sadness and sorrow. Tom and I are going through difficult times, and we cry lots. I suppose I just need to write about it - to express my grief. I have scheduled Poppy for Friday to put him to sleep. He is our first Maltese. This afternoon, after work, I decided that I would take him outside for a walk, wanting to give him something that he always enjoyed. How he used to love his walks, going at a fast trot. He loved to explore the neighborhood and visit with other folks on our rounds. He always greeted others, humankind and doggies, standing on his hind legs, waiving his paws in the air. He was always very outgoing and friendly.
So this afternoon we began to walk. I didn't put a lease on him because there was no point. We walked very slowly side by side, going the route we always took. I didn't let him walk a long way before I picked him up. We stopped at the house of one of his friends, a dear lady who also has a Maltese dog. He was so pleased to see her, and she gave him many kisses. Then we walked slowly home again.
Poppy brought unconditional love and total joy into our home. He has been a ladder for me to God, and I shall be eternally grateful for the gift of his presence in our lives. So many good memories. How adorable he was as a puppy.
Poppy has a liver problem and has lost lots of weight, down from 15 pounds to 6.3. He has gotten much worse the last ten days. He eats well but his body is not using the nourishment. Nothing we have tried has succeeded in giving him quality of life or helped to stabilize his health. Please pray for Poppy and for Tom and me.
Love & Prayers, Ouida
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
Whoever said "Let Sleeping Dogs Lie" didn't sleep with dogs. The first thing you discover when you bring a dog onto your bed is the striking difference in weight between an alert, awake dog and a dog at rest.
Rule Number One: The deeper the sleep the heavier the dog. Most people who sleep with dogs develop spinal deformities rather than rent the heavy equipment necessary to move their snoring canines to a more appropriate part of the bed. Cunning canines steal precious space in tiny increments until they have achieved the center position on the bed - with all covers carefully tucked under them for safekeeping. The stretch and roll method is very effective in gaining territory. Less subtle tactics are sometimes preferred. A jealous dog can worm his way between a sleeping couple and, with the proper spring action from all four legs, shove a sleeping human to the floor.
Rule Number Two: Dogs possess superhuman strength while on a bed. As you cling to the edge of the bed, wishing you had covers, your sweet pup begins to snore at a volume you would not have thought possible. Once that quiets down, the dog dreams begin. Yipping, growling, running, kicking. Your bed becomes a battlefield and playground of canine fantasy. It starts out with a bit of "sleep running", lots of eye movement and then, suddenly, a shrieking howl blasted through the night like a banshee wail. The horror of this wake-up call haunts you for years. It's particularly devastating when your pup insists on sleeping curled around your head like a demented Daniel Boon cap.
Rule Number Three: The deeper the sleep, the louder the dog. The night creeps on and you fall asleep in the 3 inches of bed not claimed by a dog. The dog dreams quiet slightly and the heap of dog flesh sleeps - breathing heavily and passing wind. Then, too soon, it's dawn and the heap stirs. Each dog has a distinctive and unpleasant method of waking the pack. One may position itself inches from a face and stare until you wake. The clever dog obtains excellent results by simply sneezing on your face, or they could romp all over your sleeping bodies - or the ever-loving insertion of a tongue in an unsuspecting ear.
Rule Number Four: When the dog wakes - you wake.So, why do we put up with this? There's no sane reason. Perhaps it's just that we're a pack and a pack heaps together at night - safe, contented, heavy and loud.
Rule Number One: The deeper the sleep the heavier the dog. Most people who sleep with dogs develop spinal deformities rather than rent the heavy equipment necessary to move their snoring canines to a more appropriate part of the bed. Cunning canines steal precious space in tiny increments until they have achieved the center position on the bed - with all covers carefully tucked under them for safekeeping. The stretch and roll method is very effective in gaining territory. Less subtle tactics are sometimes preferred. A jealous dog can worm his way between a sleeping couple and, with the proper spring action from all four legs, shove a sleeping human to the floor.
Rule Number Two: Dogs possess superhuman strength while on a bed. As you cling to the edge of the bed, wishing you had covers, your sweet pup begins to snore at a volume you would not have thought possible. Once that quiets down, the dog dreams begin. Yipping, growling, running, kicking. Your bed becomes a battlefield and playground of canine fantasy. It starts out with a bit of "sleep running", lots of eye movement and then, suddenly, a shrieking howl blasted through the night like a banshee wail. The horror of this wake-up call haunts you for years. It's particularly devastating when your pup insists on sleeping curled around your head like a demented Daniel Boon cap.
Rule Number Three: The deeper the sleep, the louder the dog. The night creeps on and you fall asleep in the 3 inches of bed not claimed by a dog. The dog dreams quiet slightly and the heap of dog flesh sleeps - breathing heavily and passing wind. Then, too soon, it's dawn and the heap stirs. Each dog has a distinctive and unpleasant method of waking the pack. One may position itself inches from a face and stare until you wake. The clever dog obtains excellent results by simply sneezing on your face, or they could romp all over your sleeping bodies - or the ever-loving insertion of a tongue in an unsuspecting ear.
Rule Number Four: When the dog wakes - you wake.So, why do we put up with this? There's no sane reason. Perhaps it's just that we're a pack and a pack heaps together at night - safe, contented, heavy and loud.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
I Rescued A Human Today
I rescued a human today.
Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her.
I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn't be afraid. As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage. I didn't want her to know that I hadn't been walked today. Sometimes the shelter keepers get too busy and I didn't want her to think poorly of them.
As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn't feel sad about my past. I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone's life.
She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me. I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her. Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship. A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well.
Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms. I would promise to keep her safe. I would promise to always be by her side. I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes.
I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So many more are out there who haven't walked the corridors. So many more to be saved. At least I could save one.
I rescued a human today.
http://rescuemedog.org/dog-blog/i-rescued-a-human-today-by-janine-allen/
Written by Janine Allen CPDT, Rescue Me Dog's professional dog trainer. Janine's passion is working with people and their dogs. She provides demonstrations for those who have adopted shelter dogs, lends email support to adopted dog owners that need information beyond our Training Support Pages, and aids shelter staff and volunteers in understanding dog behavior to increase their adoptability. Copyright 2008 Rescue Me Dog; www.rescuemedog.org
Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her.
I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn't be afraid. As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage. I didn't want her to know that I hadn't been walked today. Sometimes the shelter keepers get too busy and I didn't want her to think poorly of them.
As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn't feel sad about my past. I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone's life.
She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me. I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her. Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship. A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well.
Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms. I would promise to keep her safe. I would promise to always be by her side. I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes.
I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So many more are out there who haven't walked the corridors. So many more to be saved. At least I could save one.
I rescued a human today.
http://rescuemedog.org/dog-blog/i-rescued-a-human-today-by-janine-allen/
Written by Janine Allen CPDT, Rescue Me Dog's professional dog trainer. Janine's passion is working with people and their dogs. She provides demonstrations for those who have adopted shelter dogs, lends email support to adopted dog owners that need information beyond our Training Support Pages, and aids shelter staff and volunteers in understanding dog behavior to increase their adoptability. Copyright 2008 Rescue Me Dog; www.rescuemedog.org
Monday, August 4, 2008
Friday, August 1, 2008
Mississippi Child Abuse and Puppy Mill Case
FROM RESCUE DOG CENTRAL
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Mississippi child abuse and puppy mill case gets worse: details released describe horrific conditions
New Albany, Mississippi
We wrote about this case yesterday. Since our original posting, more details about this case have been released in the news. The details are disturbing and horrifying for both the children and the animals. The truly evil couple who ran this horrific puppy mill and severely abused their Internationally adopted children are now facing homicide charges and multiple counts of animal cruelty.
Here is what investigators found after looking further into the heartbreaking and needless death of the two-year old little girl.
Beyond the deceptively normal yard lurks the site of indescribable child abuse and severe animal neglect, a case so horrible that many officials who deal with such cases said it's the worst situation they've ever seen.
"The people that did this should be shot, or at least when we come to spay and neuter these animals we should spay and neuter these people along with them," said Mississippi State University School of Veterinary Medicine Professor Phil Bushby.
That might not be necessary. The Barretos face homicide charges after their 2-year-old adopted daughter died Monday at Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center in Memphis. Doctors who treated the girl had notified authorities that the couple might have abused their daughter. In their follow-up investigation, law enforcement agents also discovered a mass puppy breeding operation on their property.
As a result, the Barretos also face animal abuse charges from the Tupelo-Lee Humane Society, which was granted custody of the more than 185 dogs and 25 cats found stuffed in filthy cages behind the house.
One duck also was found dead in a cage with no food or water.
Eight other Guatemalan children adopted by the couple are in protective custody. It's unclear at this point how the Barretos were able to pass mandatory home visits required by the Department of Homeland Security to adopt international children.
On Tuesday morning, the house - located about five miles south of New Albany - was sealed off by yellow police tape. But the front door remained open to allow air to circulate through what law enforcement officers had described as a stuffy and dirty environment.
Some even talked about cockroaches falling from the ceiling. A peek through the open door revealed clothes and toys strewn across the floors, piles of junk on the dining room table, and the happy faces of dark-haired children smiling from photographs hung on the wall.
A heap of children's shoes - mostly pink - lay abandoned by the front door.
Behind the house, sealed from view by a homemade fence covered in opaque plastic, were more horrors: Hundreds of animals in tiny, raised cages made from chicken wire. They were made to breed time and time again, their babies snatched and sold for profit at flea markets.
They included cocker spaniels, poodles, Lhasa apsos, rat terriers, English bulldogs, Chihuahuas, schnauzers and other popular breeds - many that would fetch between $300 and $800 apiece, according to Debbie Hood, TLHS director.
"If you buy at the flea market, this is where your puppy was raised," said DeAnn Massengill, a volunteer and animal expert, who spent the day caring for the animals there.
There were nearly 70 cages in all, most containing five or six pets who shared a few feet of space and a bucket of brown water. Urine and feces had fallen through the wires and accumulated in vast piles beneath the cages. Some of the excrement had become matted in fur and stuck to the wire inside the cage, where it formed large piles the animals had to maneuver around.
In one cage Tuesday morning, a small dog birthed two pups atop a mound of feces. In another cage, the furry waste became so heavy it ripped the floor, causing a hole the animals took care not to fall through.
Flies buzzed incessantly throughout the enclosure, feeding mostly on the feces, but also the pus running from some of the animals' eyes.
In a larger enclosure, a cocker spaniel's fur became so matted that the clumps prevented it from walking normally. Most of the animals there also had matted fur - in some cases, the problem was so bad even the veterinarians couldn't identify the breeds.
We cannot emphasize this enough. If you are aware of or have knowledge of ANY form of cruelty, please tell someone immediately. Alert the authorities. Call the police! There are tip lines and crime lines dedicated to allowing people to make anonymous reports of cruelty and abuse so that the individuals will not have to fear retaliation from the abusers.
Despite the fact that far too many people believe that worrying about the treatment of animals is a waste of time, animal cruelty is a SERIOUS crime that has not only been taken far too lightly by the bulk of society for far too long, but it often an indicator of accompanying abuse towards weaker human beings. The link between animal cruelty and human abuse, as is demonstrated in this Mississippi case, is very real and has extremely serious and painful implications for the victimized people and animals. Ignoring the link only results in the continued infliction of cruelty and abuse towards the vulnerable humans and defenseless animals that so desperately need others to make the cruelty stop.
As this investigation continues, it is possible that authorities will find out that other people were aware of the abuse inflicted on the children and the cruelty inflicted on the animals, yet did nothing to intervene on their behalf. Such a devastating discovery would be followed with a myriad of excuses as to why reports of cruelty weren’t made or, if there were reports of cruelty made, why those reports were never followed-up on. Excuses are worthless now, as any lack of reporting by individuals who knew something was wrong and any lack of follow-up by appropriate entities will have contributed to the death of a two-year old child. Excuses won’t bring this poor little girl back. Excuses won’t undo the harm done to the eight other adopted children who were abused and forced to live in such filthy and horrific conditions. And, excuses won’t undo the physical and behavioral damage done to the defenseless animals that these people unscrupulously over bred and abused to make money.
On behalf of the defenseless among us, both human and animal, we need to learn from this case and understand that we have a moral obligation to do something to stop the cruelty that we know exists. We cannot sit on our knowledge and do nothing with it, in hopes that some one else will do something to make the cruelty stop. It will be a devastating and horrible shame if it is learned that there were people, in this Mississippi case, who knew about the abuse to the children and/or the animals and did nothing, in hopes that some one else would do something, given that the extreme abuse in this case resulted in the excruciatingly painful death of a little two-year old girl.
Please learn from this case. If you are aware of cruelty, do something to make it stop! Don’t wait until it is too late.In the meantime, the Tupelo-Lee Humane Society needs help, and homes, for the dogs. Please, help if you can!
Posted by Rescue Dog Central at 9:37 AM 0 comments
Labels: Human Abuse, Mississippi, Puppy Mills
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Child's death in Mississippi shows link between animal and human abuse; immediate help needed at Tupelo-Lee Humane Society
Location: New Albany, Mississippi
Yes, there is a direct link between animal cruelty and human neglect and violence. Common sense should make this easy to understand. If a human has the capability to abuse and neglect an animal, a weaker being of lesser “status” that is completely dependent on that human being for it’s existence, then it is, sadly, easy for that cruel and abusive capability to extend towards other dependent and weaker human beings, especially children, the elderly, and vulnerable adults.
An example of this link can be found outside of New Albany, Mississippi, where a case of a two-year child dying of extreme child neglect led to the discovery of a puppy mill being run by the same child abusers.
A case of extreme child neglect here Sunday night led to one death, two felony counts and the discovery of a mass puppy breeding operation that has animal officials stunned.Union County Sheriff's deputies raided the home of Janet and Ramone Barreto, 824 County Road 87 near New Albany, after receiving a tip from doctors that the couple might have abused their adopted daughter.
Once at the home, law-enforcement agents also found more than 180 dogs, 25 cats and several ducks in various conditions. The animals' numbers are expected to increase, because some of them continue to give birth.Sheriff Tommy Wilhite said the Barreto's 2-year-old daughter was brought from a local hospital to Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center in Memphis for an unspecified reason. Doctors there suspected child neglect and tipped off Wilhite on Sunday night, when he obtained a warrant and raided the property.
The 2-year-old died Monday morning, but a cause of death was not yet available.
All but one of the couple's nine children now are in protective custody, Wilhite said, although he did not give the whereabouts of the remaining child. The animals are being taken care of by the Tupelo-Lee Humane Society, which was called by the sheriff's department Sunday night. The couple has been charged with two felony counts of child neglect and could face more charges as the investigation continues, Wilhite said. Tupelo-Lee Humane Society officials say they might press charges, too, for animal neglect.In the meantime, the humane society has filed a warrant for order of protection on the property to allow staff to enter the property and take care of the animals. It also filed a seizure warrant to take the animals from the property, said shelter director Debbie Hood.
Both have been granted. All of us should be taking the link between animal cruelty and human abuse seriously. In far too many cases, where there is a discovery of animal neglect, there is the discovery of harm to humans, and vice versa. Because of this link, social services and animal rescue organizations should develop and wholeheartedly utilize a policy of communication, whereby the discovery of one form of abuse is reported to the other. Direct and constant communication will not only prevent further abuse of the victims involved, both the human victims and the defenseless animals, but the communication will also prevent the abuse and neglect of future victims.
Understanding the link between the abuse of animals and the abuse of other defenseless human beings is not difficult; it is common sense. Those who are fully capable of abusing and neglecting one weaker living being will abuse and neglect other weaker living beings, be they human or animal. And, the abusers will not stop their cruel and harmful behavior on their own. To stop the abuse, other people who suspect or become aware of the abuse must not ignore the information, but must report the abuse to appropriate individuals that can do something to intervene on behalf of the victims.
To learn more about the connection between animal cruelty and human violence, go here.
We cannot repeat this often enough. If you are aware of a cruelty situation, do something! Tell someone! Do what you can to prevent other children, like this little girl, from enduring such tremendous pain and neglect. Where there is animal abuse, there is likely some form of human abuse as well, as this heartbreaking Mississippi story shows. Animals and children cannot defend themselves and cannot save themselves from the horrible and painful abuse of cruel human beings. Therefore, the responsibility to prevent and stop the abuse belongs to others to do so. Take your responsibility to ensure that all living beings are treated humanely and are not abused seriously. When you discover abuse, do something to make it stop!
In the meantime, the Tupelo-Lee Humane Society is in need of help to care for the animals confiscated from these child abusing puppy millers. Debbie Hood, the Tupelo-Lee Humane Society Director, is asking for much needed assistance.
If you can help in any way, please do! Go here for more information on how you can help the puppy mill animals.
Posted by Rescue Dog Central at 9:56 AM 0 comments
Labels: Animal Cruelty, Human Abuse, Mississippi
SOURCE: Rescue Dog Central and Rescue Dog Central
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Mississippi child abuse and puppy mill case gets worse: details released describe horrific conditions
New Albany, Mississippi
We wrote about this case yesterday. Since our original posting, more details about this case have been released in the news. The details are disturbing and horrifying for both the children and the animals. The truly evil couple who ran this horrific puppy mill and severely abused their Internationally adopted children are now facing homicide charges and multiple counts of animal cruelty.
Here is what investigators found after looking further into the heartbreaking and needless death of the two-year old little girl.
Beyond the deceptively normal yard lurks the site of indescribable child abuse and severe animal neglect, a case so horrible that many officials who deal with such cases said it's the worst situation they've ever seen.
"The people that did this should be shot, or at least when we come to spay and neuter these animals we should spay and neuter these people along with them," said Mississippi State University School of Veterinary Medicine Professor Phil Bushby.
That might not be necessary. The Barretos face homicide charges after their 2-year-old adopted daughter died Monday at Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center in Memphis. Doctors who treated the girl had notified authorities that the couple might have abused their daughter. In their follow-up investigation, law enforcement agents also discovered a mass puppy breeding operation on their property.
As a result, the Barretos also face animal abuse charges from the Tupelo-Lee Humane Society, which was granted custody of the more than 185 dogs and 25 cats found stuffed in filthy cages behind the house.
One duck also was found dead in a cage with no food or water.
Eight other Guatemalan children adopted by the couple are in protective custody. It's unclear at this point how the Barretos were able to pass mandatory home visits required by the Department of Homeland Security to adopt international children.
On Tuesday morning, the house - located about five miles south of New Albany - was sealed off by yellow police tape. But the front door remained open to allow air to circulate through what law enforcement officers had described as a stuffy and dirty environment.
Some even talked about cockroaches falling from the ceiling. A peek through the open door revealed clothes and toys strewn across the floors, piles of junk on the dining room table, and the happy faces of dark-haired children smiling from photographs hung on the wall.
A heap of children's shoes - mostly pink - lay abandoned by the front door.
Behind the house, sealed from view by a homemade fence covered in opaque plastic, were more horrors: Hundreds of animals in tiny, raised cages made from chicken wire. They were made to breed time and time again, their babies snatched and sold for profit at flea markets.
They included cocker spaniels, poodles, Lhasa apsos, rat terriers, English bulldogs, Chihuahuas, schnauzers and other popular breeds - many that would fetch between $300 and $800 apiece, according to Debbie Hood, TLHS director.
"If you buy at the flea market, this is where your puppy was raised," said DeAnn Massengill, a volunteer and animal expert, who spent the day caring for the animals there.
There were nearly 70 cages in all, most containing five or six pets who shared a few feet of space and a bucket of brown water. Urine and feces had fallen through the wires and accumulated in vast piles beneath the cages. Some of the excrement had become matted in fur and stuck to the wire inside the cage, where it formed large piles the animals had to maneuver around.
In one cage Tuesday morning, a small dog birthed two pups atop a mound of feces. In another cage, the furry waste became so heavy it ripped the floor, causing a hole the animals took care not to fall through.
Flies buzzed incessantly throughout the enclosure, feeding mostly on the feces, but also the pus running from some of the animals' eyes.
In a larger enclosure, a cocker spaniel's fur became so matted that the clumps prevented it from walking normally. Most of the animals there also had matted fur - in some cases, the problem was so bad even the veterinarians couldn't identify the breeds.
We cannot emphasize this enough. If you are aware of or have knowledge of ANY form of cruelty, please tell someone immediately. Alert the authorities. Call the police! There are tip lines and crime lines dedicated to allowing people to make anonymous reports of cruelty and abuse so that the individuals will not have to fear retaliation from the abusers.
Despite the fact that far too many people believe that worrying about the treatment of animals is a waste of time, animal cruelty is a SERIOUS crime that has not only been taken far too lightly by the bulk of society for far too long, but it often an indicator of accompanying abuse towards weaker human beings. The link between animal cruelty and human abuse, as is demonstrated in this Mississippi case, is very real and has extremely serious and painful implications for the victimized people and animals. Ignoring the link only results in the continued infliction of cruelty and abuse towards the vulnerable humans and defenseless animals that so desperately need others to make the cruelty stop.
As this investigation continues, it is possible that authorities will find out that other people were aware of the abuse inflicted on the children and the cruelty inflicted on the animals, yet did nothing to intervene on their behalf. Such a devastating discovery would be followed with a myriad of excuses as to why reports of cruelty weren’t made or, if there were reports of cruelty made, why those reports were never followed-up on. Excuses are worthless now, as any lack of reporting by individuals who knew something was wrong and any lack of follow-up by appropriate entities will have contributed to the death of a two-year old child. Excuses won’t bring this poor little girl back. Excuses won’t undo the harm done to the eight other adopted children who were abused and forced to live in such filthy and horrific conditions. And, excuses won’t undo the physical and behavioral damage done to the defenseless animals that these people unscrupulously over bred and abused to make money.
On behalf of the defenseless among us, both human and animal, we need to learn from this case and understand that we have a moral obligation to do something to stop the cruelty that we know exists. We cannot sit on our knowledge and do nothing with it, in hopes that some one else will do something to make the cruelty stop. It will be a devastating and horrible shame if it is learned that there were people, in this Mississippi case, who knew about the abuse to the children and/or the animals and did nothing, in hopes that some one else would do something, given that the extreme abuse in this case resulted in the excruciatingly painful death of a little two-year old girl.
Please learn from this case. If you are aware of cruelty, do something to make it stop! Don’t wait until it is too late.In the meantime, the Tupelo-Lee Humane Society needs help, and homes, for the dogs. Please, help if you can!
Posted by Rescue Dog Central at 9:37 AM 0 comments
Labels: Human Abuse, Mississippi, Puppy Mills
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Child's death in Mississippi shows link between animal and human abuse; immediate help needed at Tupelo-Lee Humane Society
Location: New Albany, Mississippi
Yes, there is a direct link between animal cruelty and human neglect and violence. Common sense should make this easy to understand. If a human has the capability to abuse and neglect an animal, a weaker being of lesser “status” that is completely dependent on that human being for it’s existence, then it is, sadly, easy for that cruel and abusive capability to extend towards other dependent and weaker human beings, especially children, the elderly, and vulnerable adults.
An example of this link can be found outside of New Albany, Mississippi, where a case of a two-year child dying of extreme child neglect led to the discovery of a puppy mill being run by the same child abusers.
A case of extreme child neglect here Sunday night led to one death, two felony counts and the discovery of a mass puppy breeding operation that has animal officials stunned.Union County Sheriff's deputies raided the home of Janet and Ramone Barreto, 824 County Road 87 near New Albany, after receiving a tip from doctors that the couple might have abused their adopted daughter.
Once at the home, law-enforcement agents also found more than 180 dogs, 25 cats and several ducks in various conditions. The animals' numbers are expected to increase, because some of them continue to give birth.Sheriff Tommy Wilhite said the Barreto's 2-year-old daughter was brought from a local hospital to Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center in Memphis for an unspecified reason. Doctors there suspected child neglect and tipped off Wilhite on Sunday night, when he obtained a warrant and raided the property.
The 2-year-old died Monday morning, but a cause of death was not yet available.
All but one of the couple's nine children now are in protective custody, Wilhite said, although he did not give the whereabouts of the remaining child. The animals are being taken care of by the Tupelo-Lee Humane Society, which was called by the sheriff's department Sunday night. The couple has been charged with two felony counts of child neglect and could face more charges as the investigation continues, Wilhite said. Tupelo-Lee Humane Society officials say they might press charges, too, for animal neglect.In the meantime, the humane society has filed a warrant for order of protection on the property to allow staff to enter the property and take care of the animals. It also filed a seizure warrant to take the animals from the property, said shelter director Debbie Hood.
Both have been granted. All of us should be taking the link between animal cruelty and human abuse seriously. In far too many cases, where there is a discovery of animal neglect, there is the discovery of harm to humans, and vice versa. Because of this link, social services and animal rescue organizations should develop and wholeheartedly utilize a policy of communication, whereby the discovery of one form of abuse is reported to the other. Direct and constant communication will not only prevent further abuse of the victims involved, both the human victims and the defenseless animals, but the communication will also prevent the abuse and neglect of future victims.
Understanding the link between the abuse of animals and the abuse of other defenseless human beings is not difficult; it is common sense. Those who are fully capable of abusing and neglecting one weaker living being will abuse and neglect other weaker living beings, be they human or animal. And, the abusers will not stop their cruel and harmful behavior on their own. To stop the abuse, other people who suspect or become aware of the abuse must not ignore the information, but must report the abuse to appropriate individuals that can do something to intervene on behalf of the victims.
To learn more about the connection between animal cruelty and human violence, go here.
We cannot repeat this often enough. If you are aware of a cruelty situation, do something! Tell someone! Do what you can to prevent other children, like this little girl, from enduring such tremendous pain and neglect. Where there is animal abuse, there is likely some form of human abuse as well, as this heartbreaking Mississippi story shows. Animals and children cannot defend themselves and cannot save themselves from the horrible and painful abuse of cruel human beings. Therefore, the responsibility to prevent and stop the abuse belongs to others to do so. Take your responsibility to ensure that all living beings are treated humanely and are not abused seriously. When you discover abuse, do something to make it stop!
In the meantime, the Tupelo-Lee Humane Society is in need of help to care for the animals confiscated from these child abusing puppy millers. Debbie Hood, the Tupelo-Lee Humane Society Director, is asking for much needed assistance.
If you can help in any way, please do! Go here for more information on how you can help the puppy mill animals.
Posted by Rescue Dog Central at 9:56 AM 0 comments
Labels: Animal Cruelty, Human Abuse, Mississippi
SOURCE: Rescue Dog Central and Rescue Dog Central
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Quote from Jana Kohl, Baby's Mom
"I've done a lot of things in my life that I felt were important, including working for the Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies, but adopting a puppy mill survivor has been the most important and meaningful experience I've ever had. To give a loving home to an animal who was abused is a life-altering, soul-fulfilling experience. I believe our mission in life is to ease the suffering of others, and the animals in our midst who are so cruelly abused have the fewest advocates. I'll never be able to rest so long as a single one is being mistreated."
Source: Website of Humane Society of the United States
Source: Website of Humane Society of the United States
Senior Love
One by One, they pass by my cage,
They say, "Too worn, too broken, too old of age.
Way past his time, he can't run and play.
"Then they shake their heads and go on their way.
A little old man, arthritic and sore,
It seems I am not wanted anymore.
I once had a home, I once had a bed,
A place that was warm, and where I was fed.
Now my muzzle is grey, and my eyes slowly fail.
Who wants a dog so old and so frail?
My family decided I didn't belong,
I got in their way, my attitude was wrong.
Whatever excuse they made in their head,
Can't justify how they left me for dead.
Now I sit in this cage, where day after day,
The younger dogs get adopted away.
When I had almost come to the end of my rope,
You saw my face, and I finally had hope.
You saw through the grey, and the legs bent with age,
And felt I still had life beyond this cage.
You took me home, gave me food and a bed,
And shared your own pillow with my poor tired head.
We snuggle and play, and you talk to me low,
You love me so dearly, you want me to know.
I may have lived most of my life with another,
But you outshine them with a love so much stronger.
And I promise to return all the love I can give,
To you, my dear person, as long as I live.
I may be with you for a week, or for years.
We will share many smiles, you will no doubt shed tears.
And when the time comes that I must leave,
I know you will cry and your heart, it will grieve.
And when I arrive at the Bridge, all brand new,
My thoughts and my heart will still be with you.
And I will brag to all who will hear,
Of the person who made my last days so dear.
by Leslie Whalen
They say, "Too worn, too broken, too old of age.
Way past his time, he can't run and play.
"Then they shake their heads and go on their way.
A little old man, arthritic and sore,
It seems I am not wanted anymore.
I once had a home, I once had a bed,
A place that was warm, and where I was fed.
Now my muzzle is grey, and my eyes slowly fail.
Who wants a dog so old and so frail?
My family decided I didn't belong,
I got in their way, my attitude was wrong.
Whatever excuse they made in their head,
Can't justify how they left me for dead.
Now I sit in this cage, where day after day,
The younger dogs get adopted away.
When I had almost come to the end of my rope,
You saw my face, and I finally had hope.
You saw through the grey, and the legs bent with age,
And felt I still had life beyond this cage.
You took me home, gave me food and a bed,
And shared your own pillow with my poor tired head.
We snuggle and play, and you talk to me low,
You love me so dearly, you want me to know.
I may have lived most of my life with another,
But you outshine them with a love so much stronger.
And I promise to return all the love I can give,
To you, my dear person, as long as I live.
I may be with you for a week, or for years.
We will share many smiles, you will no doubt shed tears.
And when the time comes that I must leave,
I know you will cry and your heart, it will grieve.
And when I arrive at the Bridge, all brand new,
My thoughts and my heart will still be with you.
And I will brag to all who will hear,
Of the person who made my last days so dear.
by Leslie Whalen
Monday, July 14, 2008
A Rare Breed of Love
COMPASSION
The quality of understanding the suffering of others
and wanting to do something about it.
By hurting these defenseless creatures, we are hurting ourselves just as much -- damaging not just our soul, spirit, psyche, or whatever you choose to call it, but our society as a whole, which becomes contaminated by this kind of legalized cruelty. If it's acceptable for a business to abuse animals, it makes it easier for us as a society to abuse the environment, the poor, women, minorities, children, or any voiceless and vulnerable group. I had come to understand that the abuse of animals wasn't an isolated event that can be shrugged off as a necessary evil, or an unavoidable by-product of big business. It's something that sends shockwaves through everyone and everything, from the factory farmer or the puppy miller to the consumer and even the investor who buys stock in an animal-abusing company. It promotes a culture of abuse and destruction that impacts the quality of our lives on every level. SOURCE: A RARE BREED OF LOVE BY JANA KOHL
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
My Heart
"It came to me that every time I lose a dog they take a piece of my heart with them. And every new dog who comes into my life gifts me with a piece of their heart. If I live long enough, all the components of my heart will be dog, and I will become as generous and loving as they are."
(anonymous)
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
How Could You?
Copyright Jim Willis 2001, all rights reserved
When I was a puppy I entertained you with my antics and made you laugh. You called me your child and despite a number of chewed shoes and a couple of murdered throw pillows, I became your best friend. Whenever I was "bad," you'd shake your finger at me and ask "How could you?" - but then you'd relent and roll me over for a bellyrub.
My housetraining took a little longer than expected, because you were terribly busy, but we worked on that together. I remember those nights of nuzzling you in bed, listening to your confidences and secret dreams, and I believed that life could not be any more perfect. We went for long walks and runs in the park, car rides, stops for ice cream (I only got the cone because "ice cream is bad for dogs," you said), and I took long naps in the sun waiting for you to come home at the end of the day.
Gradually, you began spending more time at work and on your career, and more time searching for a human mate. I waited for you patiently, comforted you through heartbreaks and disappointments, never chided you about bad decisions, and romped with glee at your homecomings, and when you fell in love.
She, now your wife, is not a "dog person" - still I welcomed her into our home, tried to show her affection, and obeyed her. I was happy because you were happy. Then the human babies came along and I shared your excitement. I was fascinated by their pinkness, how they smelled, and I wanted to mother them, too. Only she and you worried that I might hurt them, and I spent most of my time banished to another room, or to a dog crate. Oh, how I wanted to love them, but I became a "prisoner of love."
As they began to grow, I became their friend. They clung to my fur and pulled themselves up on wobbly legs, poked fingers in my eyes, investigated my ears and gave me kisses on my nose. I loved everything about them and their touch - because your touch was now so infrequent - and I would have defended them with my life if need be.
I would sneak into their beds and listen to their worries and secret dreams. Together we waited for the sound of your car in the driveway. There had been a time, when others asked you if you had a dog, that you produced a photo of me from your wallet and told them stories about me. These past few years, you just answered "yes" and changed the subject. I had gone from being "your dog" to "just a dog," and you resented every expenditure on my behalf.
Now you have a new career opportunity in another city, and you and they will be moving to an apartment that does not allow pets. You've made the right decision for your "family," but there was a time when I was your only family.
I was excited about the car ride until we arrived at the animal shelter. It smelled of dogs and cats, of fear, of hopelessness. You filled out the paperwork and said "I know you will find a good home for her." They shrugged and gave you a pained look. They understand the realities facing a middle-aged dog or cat, even one with "papers." You had to pry your son's fingers loose from my collar as he screamed "No, Daddy! Please don't let them take my dog!" And I worried for him, and what lessons you had just taught him about friendship and loyalty, about love and responsibility, and about respect for all life. You gave me a goodbye pat on the head, avoided my eyes, and politely refused to take my collar and leash with you. You had a deadline to meet and now I have one, too.
After you left, the two nice ladies said you probably knew about your upcoming move months ago and made no attempt to find me another good home. They shook their heads and asked "How could you?"
They are as attentive to us here in the shelter as their busy schedules allow. They feed us, of course, but I lost my appetite days ago. At first, whenever anyone passed my pen, I rushed to the front, hoping it was you - that you had changed your mind - that this was all a bad dream...or I hoped it would at least be someone who cared, anyone who might save me. When I realized I could not compete with the frolicking for attention of happy puppies, oblivious to their own fate, I retreated to a far corner and waited.
I heard her footsteps as she came for me at the end of the day and I padded along the aisle after her to a separate room. A blissfully quiet room. She placed me on the table, rubbed my ears and told me not to worry. My heart pounded in anticipation of what was to come, but there was also a sense of relief. The prisoner of love had run out of days. As is my nature, I was more concerned about her. The burden which she bears weighs heavily on her and I know that, the same way I knew your every mood.
She gently placed a tourniquet around my foreleg as a tear ran down her cheek. I licked her hand in the same way I used to comfort you so many years ago. She expertly slid the hypodermic needle into my vein. As I felt the sting and the cool liquid coursing through my body, I lay down sleepily, looked into her kind eyes and murmured "How could you?"
Perhaps because she understood my dogspeak, she said "I'm so sorry." She hugged me and hurriedly explained it was her job to make sure I went to a better place, where I wouldn't be ignored or abused or abandoned, or have to fend for myself - a place of love and light so very different from this earthly place. With my last bit of energy, I tried to convey to her with a thump of my tail that my "How could you?" was not meant for her. It was you, My Beloved Master, I was thinking of. I will think of you and wait for you forever.
May everyone in your life continue to show you so much loyalty.
The End.
"The Animals' Savior"
Copyright Jim Willis 1999
I looked at all the caged animals in the
shelter...the cast-offs of human society.
I saw in their eyes love and hope, fear and
dread, sadness and betrayal.
And I was angry.
"God," I said, "this is terrible! Why don't
you do something?"
God was silent for a moment and then He
spoke softly.
"I have done something," He replied.
"I created You."
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Michael
FOR THE UPDATES ON MICHAEL'S STORY GO TO
NORTHCENTRAL MALTESE RESCUE WEBSITE (click link)
Michael is doing great and has been adopted. Read all about it.
NORTHCENTRAL MALTESE RESCUE WEBSITE (click link)
Michael is doing great and has been adopted. Read all about it.
My name is Michael, I am named after the angel Michael. I want to tell you my story and hope that you can help me be all that I was meant to be. I am about 1 1/2 yrs. old. No one really knows my birthday but that is what I hear them saying.
I can't tell you who it was, but someone threw me out on the streets in a small town in Kentucky. I was really hungry and scared. I did not know anyone and it has been really hard for me to run or walk because you see my back legs where not right when I was born. My knees where turned around backwards. I could not walk on my feet like my sisters and brothers could. My knee joints did not stay together either, so I had to learn to move, as best I could. People laughed at me because I was all humped over.
Because my legs where so bad I could not push myself up like other dogs do so that I could walk proud like a real dog does. I got so hungry, and fleas and ticks started to bite me really bad. Then one day someone picked me up and took me to a place that was not so nice. I heard them say I have three days before they would "put me to sleep" if no one came to get me. But gee they did not even answer the phone when people called, it would just ring and ring. What if it was someone for me? But, I don't think so, no one wanted me.
On the second day a very nice lady stopped in to see if she could help any little dogs in the pens. She took one look at me and I had to wag my tail it was so nice someone spoke softly to me. I was sad when she left. What I did not know is she went home to find out if someone could or would help me. She was calling all over the United States too.. She is so smart, she called the nice people at Northcentral Maltese Rescue, Inc. way far away in Wisconsin. And you know what? She came back the very next day and took me out of that place. I was so happy all I could do was give her kisses and wag my tail. The rescue asked her to take me straight to a veterinarian. I have never been to one of those you know. I was so happy, just happy, happy, happy. They took blood from me and checked me all over.
Then I started to feel not so good. I heard them on the phone to the rescue lady in Wisconsin. They told her I had a disease called Parvo and that I was very sick. I was so afraid when I heard the veterinarian tell the lady that he thought they should just put me to sleep because I was so sick. Because my legs where so bad, because I was so thin and in such bad condition. He did not think I would survive. Then he hung up. The next thing I heard was "the rescue wants us to try for 4 days to save this little guy". Well I showed them, I got better in three days after getting all the meds they could get into me. The nice people from the rescue called everyday to see how I was. Then after a few days they did an operation on me, a neuter.. I don't care, I am alive and feeling pretty good.
The next thing I know I am in a car and headed to Wisconsin. I am going to my new life!! I am scared, but I think I am in a safe place. And then I am in the arms of a rescue person who is telling me it will be all right that my life is starting now. She took me home and gave me a bath, I was not too crazy about that, don't think I ever had one before. She took all the ticks and fleas off of me too. Then we went to see another Veterinarian. They have been so nice to me here. I have been here for about ten days now. They gave me an operation on one of my legs. The nice people who work here carry me around all day, what a treat!
Today I get the other leg operated on. They say I will be fine and running like other dogs soon. The problem is now the rescue has this big bill to pay. They say if allot of people send in just a little bit of money it will help to pay for all of this. My bill is about $3,000!! I know it is allot, but I am so sweet, I am worth every penny I promise.
I have come so far, on the street, in a high kill shelter, parvo, and now these surgeries, please will you be part of the team that made this possible? Please send in a donation, no matter how large or small. Thank you from the bottom of my tail wagging heart. Michael
Donations can be made on our website, http://malteserescue.homestead.com/ or you can send a check to:
Northcentral Maltese Rescue, Inc.
% of Trudy Peischl
110 Scenic Lane
Ellensburg, Wa 98926
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Dog Rules
1. The dog is not allowed in the house!
2. Okay, the dog is allowed in the house, but only in certain rooms.
3. The dog is allowed in all rooms, but has to stay off the furniture.
4. The dog can get on the old furniture only.
5. Fine, the dog is allowed on all the furniture, but is not allowed to sleep on the bed.
6. Okay, the dog is allowed on the bed, but only by invitation.
7. The dog can sleep on the bed whenever he wants, but not under the covers.
8. The dog can sleep under the covers, but only by invitation.
9. The dog can sleep under the covers every night.
10. People must ask permission to sleep under the covers with the dog!
2. Okay, the dog is allowed in the house, but only in certain rooms.
3. The dog is allowed in all rooms, but has to stay off the furniture.
4. The dog can get on the old furniture only.
5. Fine, the dog is allowed on all the furniture, but is not allowed to sleep on the bed.
6. Okay, the dog is allowed on the bed, but only by invitation.
7. The dog can sleep on the bed whenever he wants, but not under the covers.
8. The dog can sleep under the covers, but only by invitation.
9. The dog can sleep under the covers every night.
10. People must ask permission to sleep under the covers with the dog!
Monday, May 19, 2008
Friday, May 2, 2008
Oprah Show About Puppy Mills
If you haven't seen the Oprah show about puppy mills, you can download it here. They need very special homes with people who will protect and love them. For information on adopting them, please go to Hearts United for Animals For more information about puppy mills go to Prisonersofgreed.org
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