All is Well

Hot water came gushing back about 9 o'clock last night. I immediately went to work stomping my carbon footprint into the earth by running a load of laundry, the dishwasher, and taking an unnecessarily long and hot shower.

I've got a lot going on for a Sunday. There's an Animal Protection Society (www.apsrc.org) meeting this afternoon where I'm being voted onto the Board. I'm going to dive in and assume Secretarial responsibilities because, frankly, it seems the perfect match for my anal-retentive tendencies.

I'm VERY excited about the work the group has done and is doing. When they formed a year or so ago, GAS CHAMBERS were still being used to kill animals in our county (that's illegal in most states). The Euthanasia rate was close to 90% for animals at the "shelter" -- the tarp-covered building with cement floors where animals were stuffed in not-so-good conditions.

The euthanasia rate is now down around 58%, a new shelter director just came on staff and--best of all--the county has agreed an animal shelter is desperately needed and has put up $800,000 toward the 1.6 million dollar facility. The new facility will have a spay/neuter operating room, seperate spaces for dogs and cats, dog runs for exercise, a "meet and greet" room where people can spend times with animals they're considering adopting and more.

We have to raise $800,000 which is daunting in a rural county already suffering but I have hope. One couple just donated $50,000 (bless them). I think it's possible to raise the rest. So many people understand the love an animal offers and don't want to see animals suffer. Rather, they want to offer them a chance at a real home with people-parents who love them. I think shelter animals know how lucky they are when they find a a forev er home. Any one who's ever adopted a shelter dog or cat always says the same thing, "He/She is the BEST pet I've ever had."

We'll get there. Even if it's one dollar at a time.

Kylah Needs A Home

This is Kylah. Here's her story:

She is about 9 years old and is originally from the Guilford county animal shelter. She started out being an inside/outside dog and was only chained up a few hours a day. Now, her guardians have a new baby and can't devote time to Kylah. She is currently spending the majority of her time alone and chained up in their back yard. After receiving a DDB brochure in the mail, her guardians finally believe she does indeed deserve better and want help finding her a new home.

She has no behavioral problems. She is house trained, spayed, up-to-date on shots, does not chew on anything, does not bark uncontrollably, or anything bad. She gets along well with other dogs, cats, and kids. She is the best dog.

From her guardians: "We are not providing Kylah the home she needs or craves for anymore. I can tell she is not as happy as she used to be. She really needs a home where she can be primarily inside. She is pretty much a big lap dog."

If you, or if you know of someone, that can take her/foster her please, please use the contact info below. She needs to be off the chain and in a home where she can be loved.

Contact: Shari Strader / sdstray40@yahoo.com / Greensboro/Triad, NC DDB Rep /dogsdeservebetter.org

Please Help the Animals In My County

Please take just a MOMENT of your time and vote for the Rockingham County Animal Shelter at this link. If our animal shelter wins this contest, they'll will win a much needed $10,000 donation! Our shelter at the moment is... a joke. Wonderful coordinator, but only so much she can do with limited space and funds. We have an average 80% euthanasia rate and it's been as high as 98%, due to lack of space and funds. Please, please... every vote helps promote the need for pet adoption to save homeless animals' lives. Help my shelter win and save homeless pets by voting today.

Thank You!

Animal Rescue Workers - All Heart

Yesterday I interviewed an amimal rescue worker for an article I'm writing for a Purina publication. This woman and her husband have basically turned their home into a shelter, rehabbing and finding homes for over 2000 (think about that) dogs and cats so far. I asked how she got started in animal rescue and this is her reply:

"My husband and I were driving down a a road and we saw some kids throwing firecrackers at a dog. We chased them away and saw the dog was a shepard - bloody feet, 45 lbs, and completely hairless except for a narrow stretch down his back. We loaded him in the car and drove home."

She went on to describe how--not knowing what to do--she called a number of animal shelters and the humane society but "No one would even donate a bag of food to help us." Given the dog's far gone medical condition and needs, she was told it was probably best to put the dog down.

And here's my favorite line of the interview: "I thought that was ridiculous advice. You wouldn't put a bald man down, so why would you give up on this dog?"

Wouldn't put a bald man down. That needs to be a bumper sticker.

Anyway, she cooked and cared for the dog, he did a complete turnaround, and she found him a home with a couple who owns a Miata and a sailboat, giving the dog a true rags to riches story.

I'm always so humbled when I interview people like this. Would I put a bloody, diseased-looking dog in my car? Probably not. But this couple did and then went on to take in every hard luck stray they ran across. They don't get paid for this. They do it because, as this woman said of another abused animal she rescued, "There was no way I was going to let this dog die without having him experience a happy life."

Humbled, humbled, humbled before them.