By Laura Kelly
My friends John and Kelly contacted my Schnauzer rescue group about a dog who was going to be surrendered to the shelter where they were volunteers. The dog, named Jenny, was 6 years old and blind, and the owner was moving and couldn't take her. My colleague and I discussed it, and decided to give the little girl a chance.
A couple of days later my friend emailed me -- Jenny, along with her two year old daughter, Tiny, had arrived. Kelly wasn't sure if Tiny was all Schnauzer or not. Mentally groaning about taking in a blind dog and a possible mixed breed we'd have a hard time placing, I arranged for them to be transported to us.
It turned out that Tiny was indeed tiny and appeared to have somesort of toy breed in her bloodline. Jenny seemed to be completely blind. She couldn't see dog toys in the floor right in front of her and would cringe if she stepped on them and they squeaked.
It was immediately evident that Tiny took care of Jenny.
Somehow she knew not to let Jenny walk into walls or down the stairs without knowing they were there, and would block Jenny with her little body. She also didn't want the other dogs to bother Jenny and would get between them and Jenny if they approached. She also made a complete nuisance of herself if I did anything Jenny didn't like, such as grooming or nail trimming. She would wiggle in between us or jump up and down and scratch at my legs. In a busy house full of Schnauzers, she was on the job constantly, buzzing around trying to intervene in something Jenny was doing or something being done to her. She seemed to never sleep. She made me tired just watching her.
We put them our adoption website, looking for both a home and for donations to help with the expensive surgery. A few people had the nerve to apply for Tiny and not Jenny. I deleted them without a second look. Anyone willing to do something as cruel as taking away the only thing Jenny had going for her wasn't getting a dog from me.
We arranged for Jenny to see a dog eye specialist, who said she was a good candidate for cataract surgery. He gave us one bottle of drops to begin dissolving the cataracts, and another to dilate her pupils so she could partially see around the cataract.
That night, I got out the drops and tried to put them in Jenny'seyes. She resisted and Tiny drove me nuts, trying to crawl all over me and lick the drops out of Jenny's eyes. Finally I succeeded, and Tiny took up her vigil beside Jenny in the middle of the floor, where Jenny insisted on sleeping.
A short while later I looked up when Jenny moved. She stood up and moved her head back and forth. It appeared she was looking around!
My suspicion was confirmed when she walked over, stuck her head under the ottoman and grabbed a toy that was under it -- something that she never could have known about without seeing it. She lay back downand began to contentedly squeak the toy duck.
Seeing this, Tiny did something that amazed me just as much... She got up, walked away from Jenny, and, for the first time, curled up in a dog bed several feet away and went to sleep. She seemed to just know her services were no longer required and she could relax.
The two were adopted together, and the new family got Jenny her eye surgery.
She could see perfectly afterwards, and Tiny got to be her own dog, reportedly re-living the puppyhood she missed out on being Jenny's seeing eye dog..
-- Laura Kelley [lek1 at bellsouth.net]
Monday, July 27, 2009
Fifteen Legs
Below is brief clip from award-winning documentary Fifteen Legs - written & produced by Bonnie Silva and directed & edited by Russ Barry - profiles rescue transports.
For more information about the documentary that will air on PBS this summer, please visit:
http://www.fifteenlegs.com/
For more information about the documentary that will air on PBS this summer, please visit:
http://www.fifteenlegs.com/
Move for a 5 Year Ban on the Sale of Pets
The following is a petition on Care 2 site. Please visit the page below and sign the petition if you agree:
While in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, filmmaker Tom McPhee witnessed atrocities and senseless killings of many helpless animals. Part of McPhee's work is to shed a light on those atrocities. However, the fight is far from over. Millions of animals die each year because there are simply too many animals without homes. It is estimated that sixteen million animals are euthanized annually in the United States. That number is rising because of the economic downturn.
The business of selling pets is built upon the breeding of them. Every pet up for sale has been bred for that sale. Every time a pet is sold in a store, one dies in a shelter. Millions of animals are bred for sale and millions of animals die each year. It is that shocking and simple.
McPhee has called for a five year ban on the sale of pets in order to aid the efforts of controlling the pet overpopulation. Pet animals should not be bred while pet animals die. We believe that good breeders will get behind this initiative because it will clean up the industry from backyard breeders, puppy/kitten mill owners, and bunny/ferret farms. We are not looking for a permanent ban on the sale of pet animals but in these extraordinary economic times, it is absolutely necessary. We should not be okay with sixteen million animals dying each year.
With our signatures, we are hoping to institute the five year ban of the sale of animals on August 30, 2010: the five year anniversary of animal rescue efforts in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/5-year-ban
While in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, filmmaker Tom McPhee witnessed atrocities and senseless killings of many helpless animals. Part of McPhee's work is to shed a light on those atrocities. However, the fight is far from over. Millions of animals die each year because there are simply too many animals without homes. It is estimated that sixteen million animals are euthanized annually in the United States. That number is rising because of the economic downturn.
The business of selling pets is built upon the breeding of them. Every pet up for sale has been bred for that sale. Every time a pet is sold in a store, one dies in a shelter. Millions of animals are bred for sale and millions of animals die each year. It is that shocking and simple.
McPhee has called for a five year ban on the sale of pets in order to aid the efforts of controlling the pet overpopulation. Pet animals should not be bred while pet animals die. We believe that good breeders will get behind this initiative because it will clean up the industry from backyard breeders, puppy/kitten mill owners, and bunny/ferret farms. We are not looking for a permanent ban on the sale of pet animals but in these extraordinary economic times, it is absolutely necessary. We should not be okay with sixteen million animals dying each year.
With our signatures, we are hoping to institute the five year ban of the sale of animals on August 30, 2010: the five year anniversary of animal rescue efforts in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/5-year-ban
Friday, July 24, 2009
Doug & Katie Are Doing Great
Here is another update on how wonderfully Doug and Katie are doing in their new home! To read previous posts about Doug and Katie, please visit Spotlight on Rescuers.
Hello Everybody,
Doug and Katie are doing VERY WELL in their new home!
Katie loves the other dogs in the home, and they love her.
Doug is slowly starting to learn to deal with the "stress" of a life off the streets. We have a lot of appointments with Social Services and the hospital coming up. Tomorrow, we are meeting again with his social worker in West Los Angeles. He will get an assesement of temporary disability because of his hernia. Next week, we have an appointment at the hospital to see the surgeon. From then on, it can still take up to 1.5 years to get a surgery appointment. Then he has an appointment at the hospital to see a dermatologist because the doctors are suspecting skin cancer below his nose and on his scalp. Then he has a full physical exam in the beginning of August.
ARE THERE ANY DRIVERS out there? (Just kidding).
Anyways, it is very exciting to see how Doug keeps the house organized and clean, and how he continues to make improvements.
He is very happy there.
I accompanied Doug to his first AA meeting on Saturday (we will go every Saturday). It was great, and he really liked it. Two guys at the meeting, who have been sober for over 30 years, gave Doug their number. I hope he can make some friends that will also support him. We are also looking into counseling to battle his anxiety and to overcome his childhood and adulthood traumatic experiences.
Katie stayed at home with the other dogs during the AA meeting, and she did great! She is SUCH A GOOD girl.
We took Katie and her 3 new siblings for a little walk in the park. You will see Doug & his gang in the pic. I had the pleasure to walk 2 of them but for the pic, I asked Doug to hold onto all of them. IT WAS SO CUTE!!!
The dogs are so in love with Doug! They follow him around the house EVERYWHERE and sleep on his bed.
As you can see in the picture above, Doug is also a great cook! He insisted to cook me lunch, and it was Tortellini with a Mushroom/Creme sauce. VERY GOOD!
You all might remember that we had found a black Pit Bull last week on our way to the Social Services in West LA. She is still at WEST LA SHELTER. I am waiting for better pics from one of the volunteers.
I AM ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN, because on Saturday, when I was visiting Doug and Katie, I was in their living room and all of sudden, I see 2 Pit Bulls running by the house. I ran out and caught both of them, they jumped right into my car that was parked there.
Male and female, between 10 months and 1.5 years old. NOT FIXED, NO COLLAR/TAGS, NO MICROCHIP, a bit skinny, dirty, FLY strikes on ears. EXTREMELY FRIENDLY.
I begged my friend to hold onto them until tomorrow morning. I have networked them out like crazy because I am BEYOND full with the dogs that I have for adoption.
If no rescue can be found by tomorrow morning, they will have to go to the shelter.
PLEASE NETWORK THESE AMAZING DOGS! My trainer evaluated their temperament and they passed with flying colors.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT! Special Thanks Again to our 2 VERY special ANGELS (you know who you are)!
Please continue to make donations as Doug still needs to cover expenses. The medical exam will show how soon he can start looking for a job but until then... WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!!
Ingrid Hurel
4818 W. 136th Street
Hawthorne, CA 90250
or
PAYPAL
pajade@yahoo.de
Thank you!
Ingrid
310 480 6030
pajade@yahoo.de
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