Phil Needs Your Help

It takes a special sort of person to work in animal rescue.  

I couldn't do it because I'm too soft hearted in all the wrong ways; I'd cry every single day for all the starved, abused, and abandoned animals that you see.  I would want to take every single one of them home with me, and face it, you can't do that.

We are fortunate in our area to have several dedicated animal rescue organizations and the best most of us can do is to try to help them in whatever way we can.  Some of us can, and do, volunteer time and others of us can donate money.

The rescues need both.

Local animal lovers responded in a huge way when the story of Braveheart broke.  Braveheart today is a testament to the love and support of animal lovers.

Now there is another need.

Lumberjack Rescue in Springhill, Louisiana introduced Phil on their Facebook page this weekend. Phil was found starving and abandoned in Monroe, Louisiana.  Go here to see a video of Phil.  Justin Thomas, owner of Lumberjack, is having Phil vetted and evaluated; until he is able to get to a vet they are not sure of his age just yet or his medical issues, but clearly malnutrition is an issue.  Many dogs found in this condition are heart worm positive although we don't know about Phil yet.

I've made a donation to Phil and to Lumberjack Rescue. 

I know it's just after Christmas, everyone is clamoring for your money, and we're all broke or tightening down our finances, but please consider digging deep and donating to Lumberjack for Phil and for all the other dogs Thomas and his volunteers are working to save.  You may already have a favorite rescue organization for your donations, but consider this poor dog.  

Phil needs your help.

You can make a donation via Lumberjack's Facebook page:  there's a "Donate" button just under the cover photo, although use a browser other than Chrome to donate this way.  When I tried it with Chrome the PayPal window didn't open, but when I did it through Firefox it worked fine.  You can also donate straight to Lumberjack's veterinarian:  McMahon's Veterinary Hospital, 318-539-5114.  You can also donate through this blog via the Donate button on the sidebar; all donations received through January will go straight to Lumberjack for Phil's care.

Remember, no amount is too small.  

(I'll update this post once the vetting information comes in.  Check back.)

Joseph the Dog

Via The Dead Pelican, this one touched my heart:

A dog's journey to recover from a terrible case of neglect has captured the hearts of people across Baton Rouge. 

Joseph, a mixed-breed dog, was found roaming the streets on Plank Road back at the beginning of MarchApril. His condition was beyond emaciated. To many, it was a wonder that he even survived. 

“We were shocked that he could even stand,” Jessica Card, Director for YELP, recalled. “He weighed in at 22 pounds when he was found. He should have weighed probably between 45-55 pounds.”

Read the whole thing.  There's video at the link, too.

When I got through crying, I went to the YELP site and made a donation for Joseph.  Then I signed up for a small monthly donation for YELP's other animal rescue efforts.

Please consider doing the same.

There's a Facebook page for Joseph here where you can follow his progress.  He already looks better than he did in this picture.

Because There Are No REAL Problems in San Francisco...

Not content with just banning sales of dogs and cats, San Francisco recently expanded that proposed legislation to include fish.  I tried and tried to ignore the story and wrote it off.  I mean, if they'll elect Nancy Pelosi over and over again, this is par for the course. 

I actually get their initial logic behind the thing - puppy mills are awful.  However, now the proposed legislation that began with puppy mills, then went to "anything with fur or feathers," now includes all pets.  Fish, turtles, snakes, all of it.  I suppose it is still legal to own one of these creatures, you just won't be able to buy one in San Francisco.  (So what's the point?)

There are arguments on both sides:  some criticize the law for putting small businesses, like pet shops, out of work.  Others argue for the animals.

But when we get to statements like this...

"Why fish? Why not fish?" said Philip Gerrie, a member of the city's Commission of Animal Control and Welfare and a coauthor of the proposal. "From Descartes on up, in the Western mindset, fish and other nonhuman animals don't have feelings, they don't have emotions, we can do whatever we want to them. If we considered them living beings, we would deal with them differently.… Our culture sanctions this, treating them as commodities and expendable."

...I must disagree.

There's no way on earth you'll convince me that my dogs "don't have feelings" or emotions.

The argument over the legislation at the SF Commission meeting got rather heated as they debated the humane aspect of selling live rodents as snake food:

"If a snake is caught with a rodent in a box, the rodent can scratch its eye and cause an infection," said Hemphill, who noted that reptiles on display at the California Academy of Sciences eat dead, frozen prey. "The snake can't escape, and the rodent might be stuck for one or two days in the box with the snake because the snake's not hungry right then.

Good grief. 

I'm glad they don't have any other real problems in California to worry about.

Looking For a Home

This cat needs a good home.  He's a "free spirit" - i.e., outside cat and is not neutered.  The cat has been a "neighborhood cat" for a long time and Steve had been feeding him along with some other neighbors, but then the cat disappeared for months.  Everyone feared the worst but then the cat reappeared this afternoon.  Sadly, someone had taken the cat, put him in a cage inside their house, grossly underfed him, and let him become infested with fleas.  They either turned him loose or the cat made an escape, but he showed up this afternoon, asking Steve for help.

Steve has taken the poor fella to the vet to be checked out, bathed, and will board him through the weekend so he can rest up, eat, and recover a bit.  He has lost a lot of weight compared to this picture, and some hair.  His fur will grow back now that the fleas are being treated.

He's a very loving and affectionate cat and would prefer to be outdoors.  If you have a safe place, some land or a farm, maybe, and can help save this animal, please leave a comment.  The only other alternative is for us to put him back on the street and hope the same people don't recapture and mistreat him again. 

We've researched some no-kill shelters, including PetSavers, but they're full. 

Spread the word, if you will! 

This is Theodore

This is Theodore, or Teddy to his friends; he lives at The Glen, where my mom is undergoing rehab and physical therapy.  Teddy lives in the office and is always there to help you after hours...

He's very serious about his work and sees everything that goes on and everyone who comes in and out!

Java is Reunited With His Family!

Java was freed from the Animal Shelter this morning shortly after 8 a.m.

If you've been following the story, the home where Java lived with his people caught fire a couple of weeks ago and so Java had no place to live.  While his owners were relocating and finding another home, the animal shelter came out and captured Java.  Due to be euthanized the next day, a "caring neighbor," aka Steve, went down and paid for his rabies shot and boarding for ten day to spare his life.

Steve got in touch with Java's family and told them Java had been saved and as it turns out, they have found a place to stay where they are able to keep Java.

Steve met them at the animal shelter this morning and returned Java to them.  The photo is Java in the arms of his owner; I can't tell you why they shaved his head.  No explanation for that.  But he's happy tonight and so a special thanks to Red who chipped into the tip jar to leave a donation for Java.  Thanks to you, he's got no worries about rabies for at least a year!

Thanks also to those who expressed concern and who tried to find a home for Java in the event his owners couldn't be located.  If you're looking to adopt a pet, please consider your local animal shelter.  There are lots of loving pets there waiting for a home.

Java Needs a Good Home!

Hey, Shreveport/Bossier:

This is Java.  Java's house caught fire, his owners moved, and now Java has no place to live.  Bossier Animal Control came and captured Java after the fire and took him in.  Java was scheduled to be euthanized tomorrow, Thursday,  until a caring neighbor went to Animal Control and rescued him by paying for boarding and a rabies shot.

This caring neighbor has dogs that don't like cats, and can't keep Java.  This is a very sweet, affectionate cat who enjoys living both inside and outside.

If you know of someone who could provide a good, safe home for Java, please contact me via e-mail and I'll put you in touch with the caring neighbor.  Java will be in quarantine at Animal Control as a precaution and can't leave until May 19.

He really is sweet!

Friends

DoggieScopes

Need a break from politics? Check out your dog's horoscope! Since I don't know for sure when Checkers was actually born, I'm calling her a libra. The horoscope fits.

Man's Best Friend

Steve left a comment on my 9/11 post in which he mentioned the rescue dogs at Ground Zero. This evening I came across this article on therapy and rescue dogs and what they did during those sad days. You should check it out; it's a great little story and will warm the heart of animal lovers everywhere. I love my little dog, whatever she is. I don't know if Checkers is more Boston Terrier or more French Bulldog, but she's a sweetie. Steve's dog Abby is a white German Shepherd and is a sweet dog, too. I have a neighbor down the street who has the most beautiful male German Shepherd in shades of black and brown; a most majestic looking dog. His name is Mojo. And Nikki's Bailey; how adorable is Bailey!

Honestly, lots of the time I can promise you that I like dogs more than I like most people!

(Photo credit: Peter Cihelka: The Free Lance-Star)

Stupid Pet Tricks

It's raining today which is quite a welcome change. I love long, lazy rainy days. My dog Checkers, on the other hand, isn't so crazy about rain. When we get up in the morning of course she needs to go out. So we go to the back door, the one that leads into the backyard which is HER territory; she takes one look at the sodden deck, the soggy grass and locks her little Bulldog legs. Uh uh. I'm not going out there. Are you crazy? She looks up at me with huge round eyes in stubborn determination.

I'm all Come on puppy! Let's go! Nope. Locked legs.

So I learned this trick long ago. If it's raining out the back door, there's nothing to say that it's raining out the FRONT door. I grab the leash and give the old You wanna go for a walk?! and she's all crazy and hyper and Of course I do! I snap on the leash, pop up the umbrella, and off we go. It takes her to about the end of the driveway to catch on that she's been duped. It works every time.

Dog Crack

Checkers has a new love. She used to go crazy for Iams dog treats which I keep in a cookie jar on the kitchen counter. Lately, however, Steve has been buying Schwann’s Dog-Zerts for her, and she goes crazy. She has even begun to recognize the Schwann’s truck when it pulls up. The treats are advertised as a “high-protein snack for your dog” but I think it’s more like crack for dogs.

This evening, Steve went to the freezer and got a Schwann’s ice cream cup (not a dog-zert, a people-zert). Checkers stared him down until we figured out that she thought he was eating her dog treat. I finally got a Dog-Zert out for her and she began to quiver with excitement, hardly able to let me peel the cardboard top off the plastic cup. Once she begins eating the thing, she never comes up for air until it’s done.