Tails from the Dogpatch

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Santa Claus is coming......

I've not stopped creating......

I promise. I will be offering a few holiday treasures in the coming weeks.

Thank you for your patience and interest.

(this is a little piece I made special for my TDIPT sister last year for our Holiday swap)

Monday, November 5, 2012

Finally HELP & HOPE for the Voiceless

I truly am busier than I have ever been in my life. I am busy making a difference, and being productive, as I said I would be at the beginning of this year. I just had no idea THIS is what I would be busying myself with.

This emaciated baby sat behind the brick walls and steal door of the pound in my city. Picked up from a home that called her mean. MEAN? This girl could barely lift her head by the time we got to her, and as you will see as you read, she is anything but mean.

For so long now (I'm talking years) I have wanted to get help for the animals in the God forsaken pound where I live. YEP, I wanted help, and I wanted SOMEONE to do SOMETHING, b/c like so many it's just too painful to see the images of sick animals or suffering, and we all want help for them, but we also tend to want to look away and hope someone will do something. After all, this pain interferes w/ out lives, right? This was ME. Yes, I was THAT person who wanted help for these animals, but never saw myself as being the person who would be the one to step up. After all it is VERY painful for me, and I have nightmares about this place, but if I look away, then these images become the symbol of their fate. If I have opportunity to make a difference, how can I look away, w/ the excuse that it is too painful? I have to press on, and work through the pain and have HOPE that eventually, the change that is needed HERE will happen.

The Animal Control Officer in this town has been on the job for over 20 yrs now, and he is a one man show, and no one questions anything there, including conditions, or what is done w/ the animals. I know...SCARY, right?

These images are of a sweet little emaciated dog that we have named Sissy. She sat alone in this dungeon, and she would have died there, but this was not to be HER fate, thanks to opportunity, and acting upon it.

Sissy in the arms of the angel from the rescue who agreed to come and pick her up

This is what sissy looked like......skin over bones. How could her owners say she was mean? how could the cold hearted ACO stick her in a cold damp kennel, and say to me "This one is mean"?

Here is Sissy now. Getting the love she has never known, thanks to the wonderful ladies from the rescue who took this angel. they will have her fattened up in no time and in a loving home.

Today, I am grateful for opportunity, not only to help these castaways myself, but for the help I get from others, b/c I could not do it without them. It takes rescues, and money for these animals to be seen by a Vet, and foster homes to house them until they can be adopted. It takes a village, and I a happy to be a part of it.

We truly can make a difference.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Walking through the Fire

Some of you know that I have been wanting to address the situation in my local city's Animal Control Facility. I prefer to call it "The Hell Hole" or "The Dungeon". I'm sure after seeing these "before " pics you will understand why. To think of walking in there was like preparing to walk through fire.....seriously, I am that scared of what I might see. To witness suffering firsthand and not be able to do something about it is too scary for me. Thank god for the wonderful rescues who heard my pleas for these 2.

I mustered up the strength to go down to the dungeon b/c I had to help a pregnant mama pittie who had been taken from an abandoned house that I was notified about. The animal control officer agreed to give her to me so that I could find a rescue for her. While I was there picking her up (he brought her outside to me) I asked him what was inside. I asked my friend to please go in and take pics of the animals in there so that I could find a rescue for them.

I would be lying if I said I was anything other than horrified by what I saw.

It took every ounce of courage I have in my body but I walked in there, YES I DID! And...I walked out w/ these 2 dogs. Well, I walked out w/ the little one, and contacted rescue for the other one and they came and got her. You can see she had a terrible wound on her tail (pictured above) , and needed medical attention stat!

If you think you cannot make a difference...think again. You can.

Here is Harper in the dungeon. You can see she has a terrible wound on her tail. She was TERRIFIED of the ACO. Of course I am wondering how she got that injury.

Here is Harper after getting out. It took quite sometime to gain trust and get her into the car. She is a sweet dog, but very terrified of men. Clearly she was abused,

She had to have her tail amputated yesterday.

This is LambChop

This is the pitiful sight I saw when I walked into the dungeon.

This dog was paralyzed w/ fear and would not move. She wanted to bite the other lady b/c she was so scared. I had to sit there and talk sweet to her to try to gain her trust. Eventually I was able to reach out and touch her so she would know I wasn't gonna hurt her. I got the leash around her neck, and tugged slightly, but she still wouldn;t move. After about 10 minutes she took her first step, and out of the dungeon we went. She squatted down and urinated on the grass for what seemed like forever.

She looked like she came from a puppy mill. I wrapped her in a blanket and off we went.

Here is Lamb Chop after her second of several grooming sessions. She had layers of matting and some of the fur seemed to be felted to her skin.

The Vet thinks she is about 12 yrs old, and she has a tumor on her belly.

She is now warm and comfy and feeling loved in her foster home. Can you believe the difference?

If you would like to help the rescue that saved these 2 dogs and has made such a difference please consider donating to them so that they can continue to help dogs in need such as Lamb Chop and Harper.

Last Day Dog Rescue
http://lddrvolunteers.chipin.com/help-last-day-dog-rescue

Thursday, October 11, 2012

My sweet boy has gone to the Rainbow Bridge.

Thank you Troy for filling my heart with love, and touching the lives of so many the short time you were here with us.

I will never forget you Pound Puppy extraordinaire.

Run free w/ no horrible cancer to burden you.

Troy's Facebook Page

Friday, October 5, 2012

The Gift

I truly thought the gift was for him.....

This is Troy, a 10 yr old black Lab/Retriever mix found wandering the streets of a suburb of Detroit. He ended up at a local pound where I had been walking the dogs.

I don't know who could throw him away, he is so beautiful and gentle. He also has cancer, in the form of a relentless tumor on his jaw that is growing by the day. I will never understand how he ended up at the pound.

I adopted Troy on August 21, and my life has not been the same. I only adopted him to keep him from being put down by the men in uniforms. I wanted better for this boy. I only intended to take him to my vet for humane euthanasia.

It wasn't so simple.

I ended up bringing him home w/ me for hospice care. The oncologist said it is melanoma. His days are very numbered and the time to take him for his journey to The Rainbow Bridge is drawing near as the monster is on a mission. The cancerous tissue that was once contained to one one side, is now appearing on the other side of his gums.

I now realize the gift is mine to embrace.

Thank you Troy for giving me the honor of spending your last days w you.

Troy has his own Facebook page. Follow along on the journey of this remarkable pound puppy if you are so inclined.

http://www.facebook.com/ForTheLoveOfTroyAnExtraordinaryPoundPuppy

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Hoping to pass a bill here in Michigan

I've been as busy as a bee working to help get dogs from the pounds to safety, and even rescued some kitties this week. I have a VERY special new member to our family, but I will introduce you to him later. Right now, I just wanted to share w/ you a video collage that the wonderful people at "Pure Michigan Pets" made to send to Senator Hune here in Michigan. HE is the one person who is holding up the 2 bills that will end gassing in the shelters here in MI. I hope this will do the trick, and make him sign.

Thus far he has refused. :(

It's a really cute video, made up of pets across Michigan asking the senator to sign the bills. My Nelly, Mia, Missy and Itty Bitty are in it and can be seen at 2:37 and 2:38 seconds into the video!