I know I haven't written much this year and I took a few years off but as anyone who has been reading this blog since the beginning I had a lot of issues with my neighbor harassing me. He then started to use this blog against me.... well he tried, it back fired horribly.
The case was "over" early in 2014... the 5 years of harassment were finally over. In late 2014 the man had some health issues and has since been in a nursing home. His wife, a very nice lady is now living alone and I worry about her. She has sent a few cards.... the first in March 2015 for my son's birthday and I have invited her to a few parties we have had at the farm. I feel bad for her because I know it was all her husband being mean and I most certainly am not going to hold it against her.
I have helped her with a few things and will continue to keep an eye to make sure she is ok. I have often thought her husband was probably not so nice to her either...
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Monday, December 21, 2015
Neurological Puppy
Rescue most definitely is not for everyone. We had a litter of puppies born and to make a very long story short one of the puppies we discovered was blind. Ok, so no big deal. Well as the weeks went on the puppy was developmentally slower in progressing then her litter mates. Ok, no big deal, she is blind. WRONG!
The puppy was moved to a new foster home away from mom where she could receive some one on one attention. After 4 hours of having the puppy the foster home called me and said "something isn't right." At 13 weeks she was evaluated by a very well known vet office with excellent vets specializing in all sorts of things. We use this vet office a lot! The prognoses was not good and the vet recommend immediately taking her down from the adoption website. This was not a health dog and she had zero chance of a happy life. The puppy has neurological issues, she was pace non stop until she got so tired she just collapsed from exhaustion. She was blind, which we knew. She has sensory disorder meaning sometimes you touched her and she didn't mind other times you touched her and she would growl and snap. She was only 13 weeks at this point but she was going to be a 60 pound dog soon enough and that is a scary though.... a blind dog growling and biting! To add to that the older she got and the more she grew she was going to eventually be unable to walk at all. She was already high stepping (sign of neurological issues), she was walking in circles, unable to balance so always had to lean against something and her back end would just give out from time to time. She had started flying biting the air which is a type of seizure and with time would get worse. She did not have the ability to understand she had to potty so would never be house trained. AND she had no sense of smell.. you could put a treat the smelliest treat you can find under her nose and if she wasn't hungry she wouldn't eat it. She also never wagged her tail and didn't respond to voices, maybe for a second but then would turn away and this was all the time only randomly.
Basically she was a heartbeat in a puppy outfit. She only did what she needed to survive... eat and drink.
So at 13 weeks old I had to make the decision to put a puppy to sleep. That was not on my top one million things I want to do list.
Of course when this decision was made I had people contacting me saying they were take her, they could handle all of this. To those people I want to say YOU ARE SELFISH! And that would be the most inhumane thing that could ever be done. To be honest I am pissed that she went through a spay surgery and was microchipped and given 2 rounds of shots. There was no reason to put this poor dog through any of that. And this is why rescue isn't for everyone. YOUR HEAD NEEDS TO MAKE DECISIONS NOT YOUR HEART. Would it be easier to keep her alive... easier emotionally, yes. Physically no but emotionally yes. But the truth is you are doing it for YOU not for the dog. And that really makes me mad.
Am I sad yes, am I devastated no. I feel like if a dog is suffering putting it down is the right thing to do. Am devastated over the dog that was perfectly healthy that someone was mean to and I have to put to sleep because they are no sick from the abuse, I am devastated over the puppy that gets parvo and dies because some a-hole didn't vaccinate their dog. Those thing devastate me. Putting to sleep a sick dog that was no fault of anyone's doesn't devastate me.
The puppy was moved to a new foster home away from mom where she could receive some one on one attention. After 4 hours of having the puppy the foster home called me and said "something isn't right." At 13 weeks she was evaluated by a very well known vet office with excellent vets specializing in all sorts of things. We use this vet office a lot! The prognoses was not good and the vet recommend immediately taking her down from the adoption website. This was not a health dog and she had zero chance of a happy life. The puppy has neurological issues, she was pace non stop until she got so tired she just collapsed from exhaustion. She was blind, which we knew. She has sensory disorder meaning sometimes you touched her and she didn't mind other times you touched her and she would growl and snap. She was only 13 weeks at this point but she was going to be a 60 pound dog soon enough and that is a scary though.... a blind dog growling and biting! To add to that the older she got and the more she grew she was going to eventually be unable to walk at all. She was already high stepping (sign of neurological issues), she was walking in circles, unable to balance so always had to lean against something and her back end would just give out from time to time. She had started flying biting the air which is a type of seizure and with time would get worse. She did not have the ability to understand she had to potty so would never be house trained. AND she had no sense of smell.. you could put a treat the smelliest treat you can find under her nose and if she wasn't hungry she wouldn't eat it. She also never wagged her tail and didn't respond to voices, maybe for a second but then would turn away and this was all the time only randomly.
Basically she was a heartbeat in a puppy outfit. She only did what she needed to survive... eat and drink.
So at 13 weeks old I had to make the decision to put a puppy to sleep. That was not on my top one million things I want to do list.
Of course when this decision was made I had people contacting me saying they were take her, they could handle all of this. To those people I want to say YOU ARE SELFISH! And that would be the most inhumane thing that could ever be done. To be honest I am pissed that she went through a spay surgery and was microchipped and given 2 rounds of shots. There was no reason to put this poor dog through any of that. And this is why rescue isn't for everyone. YOUR HEAD NEEDS TO MAKE DECISIONS NOT YOUR HEART. Would it be easier to keep her alive... easier emotionally, yes. Physically no but emotionally yes. But the truth is you are doing it for YOU not for the dog. And that really makes me mad.
Am I sad yes, am I devastated no. I feel like if a dog is suffering putting it down is the right thing to do. Am devastated over the dog that was perfectly healthy that someone was mean to and I have to put to sleep because they are no sick from the abuse, I am devastated over the puppy that gets parvo and dies because some a-hole didn't vaccinate their dog. Those thing devastate me. Putting to sleep a sick dog that was no fault of anyone's doesn't devastate me.
Friday, December 18, 2015
I Found Him, Mom (Heaven Sent)
My son, Brandon Austin, loved all animals. There was a special place in his heart for dogs, and he wanted to save every stray with which he came in contact. We dubbed him "The Dog Whisperer" because he had a way with even the most unapproachable dogs. He said, “You just have to love them enough, and they will love you right back”. Had I given in to him, we would have had more animals than people in our home!
His dad had a golden retriever m...ix that lived until he was sixteen. We had gotten divorced when Brandon was seven, and "Puppy" went out of state to live with his dad. From that moment on, Brandon began with his endless pleas to find another one "just like Puppy". We started our search, but until we had a stable home in which to live (rather than an apartment), I kept saying, "Soon, Brandon, soon."
Due to a tragic accident, I lost Brandon last year. I was, and still am devastated, as he was my heart. To honor his memory, I have spent hours helping whatever animal rescue groups I can. I am very active online, with Facebook being one of my key ways to find out about various agencies. It has brought me comfort, and hope, to carry on my son's legacy in this way.
One day, while scrolling through my news feed, I came upon the Multiple Breed Rescue (MBR) Facebook page. I was shocked to see ‘Brandon Austin likes this page’. Was this a sign? The picture, of course...a golden retriever/Chow mix!! Nothing like that had happened before in all of my months of online searches. What were the chances that I would happen across this rescue? MBR is based in Ohio, and I am from Rhode Island, so I wasn't sure how that was going to work. But I could not ignore what was happening. It was like my son was showing me what he wanted me to do.
I filled out an application online, and held my breath. I remember thinking, ‘well, if it is meant to be, it will all work out’. I got an email reply within 24 hours. Within the next few days, references were checked, and I became the "mommy" to Little Austin. I was ecstatic! I flew to Ohio, met his wonderful foster mom, and then drove home to RI with my new, very nervous, fur-baby! One of the requirements of Multiple Breed Rescue is that you have to register the microchip within a certain time frame. When I called to do this, the man on the phone told me Little Austin’s birthdate, as he had been registered before: Little Austin has the same birthday as my son, Brandon! It's as if Brandon was reaching out to me. He knew I needed saving and someone to whom I could give my love! From heaven, Brandon said, "I found him, Mom!" And I believe with all my heart, he did!
**** This was written by an adopter of the rescue I run. She submitted to PetCo to help us win a grant. WE DID! And I wanted to share the story***
One day, while scrolling through my news feed, I came upon the Multiple Breed Rescue (MBR) Facebook page. I was shocked to see ‘Brandon Austin likes this page’. Was this a sign? The picture, of course...a golden retriever/Chow mix!! Nothing like that had happened before in all of my months of online searches. What were the chances that I would happen across this rescue? MBR is based in Ohio, and I am from Rhode Island, so I wasn't sure how that was going to work. But I could not ignore what was happening. It was like my son was showing me what he wanted me to do.
I filled out an application online, and held my breath. I remember thinking, ‘well, if it is meant to be, it will all work out’. I got an email reply within 24 hours. Within the next few days, references were checked, and I became the "mommy" to Little Austin. I was ecstatic! I flew to Ohio, met his wonderful foster mom, and then drove home to RI with my new, very nervous, fur-baby! One of the requirements of Multiple Breed Rescue is that you have to register the microchip within a certain time frame. When I called to do this, the man on the phone told me Little Austin’s birthdate, as he had been registered before: Little Austin has the same birthday as my son, Brandon! It's as if Brandon was reaching out to me. He knew I needed saving and someone to whom I could give my love! From heaven, Brandon said, "I found him, Mom!" And I believe with all my heart, he did!
**** This was written by an adopter of the rescue I run. She submitted to PetCo to help us win a grant. WE DID! And I wanted to share the story***
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Rescue isn't as easy as you think it is
A lot of people think "I love animals" I can rescue animals.... it's easy, right?
WRONG
There is a lot more to being a responsible rescue person and running a rescue operation then loving animals. You have make decision with YOUR HEAD not your heart. You have to know when to say no, you have to balance life.... your paying job, your family, your friends, every day life chores like laundry, cooking dinner - heck just eating, etc. There are some that can and some that can't and you have to go into rescue knowing what you can and can't handle. If you aren't an organized person, if you can't separate your head from your heart then this isn't for you.... I mean volunteer by all means but please don't do it on your own it seems to always end in disaster FOR THE ANIMALS!
I just shake my head in disbelief when I hear of yet another rescue with too many dogs, dogs being in shelters / boarding / foster homes for YEARS, dogs not getting all the vet care they need, the dirty cages, the aggressive dogs they are spending thousands of dollars on because all dogs deserve a home. It just never seems to end. They put on such a good front, you think they are doing good stuff, they attend events, fundraisers, etc. Then you get close to them and learn the truth.
If you are going to run a rescue, take a business class. Learn what it is to run a business, then maybe you will be able to run a successful rescue.... maybe. The second part is using your head instead of your heart to make decision. I have many many times had to put an animal to sleep that I loved so much but the truth is the dog wasn't safe, wasn't healthy, wasn't happy and me keeping it alive was making ONLY ME feel ok not the animal and in some case most certainly not the person that dog could potential hurt because of it's aggression.
Rescue isn't for everyone that is for sure
WRONG
There is a lot more to being a responsible rescue person and running a rescue operation then loving animals. You have make decision with YOUR HEAD not your heart. You have to know when to say no, you have to balance life.... your paying job, your family, your friends, every day life chores like laundry, cooking dinner - heck just eating, etc. There are some that can and some that can't and you have to go into rescue knowing what you can and can't handle. If you aren't an organized person, if you can't separate your head from your heart then this isn't for you.... I mean volunteer by all means but please don't do it on your own it seems to always end in disaster FOR THE ANIMALS!
I just shake my head in disbelief when I hear of yet another rescue with too many dogs, dogs being in shelters / boarding / foster homes for YEARS, dogs not getting all the vet care they need, the dirty cages, the aggressive dogs they are spending thousands of dollars on because all dogs deserve a home. It just never seems to end. They put on such a good front, you think they are doing good stuff, they attend events, fundraisers, etc. Then you get close to them and learn the truth.
If you are going to run a rescue, take a business class. Learn what it is to run a business, then maybe you will be able to run a successful rescue.... maybe. The second part is using your head instead of your heart to make decision. I have many many times had to put an animal to sleep that I loved so much but the truth is the dog wasn't safe, wasn't healthy, wasn't happy and me keeping it alive was making ONLY ME feel ok not the animal and in some case most certainly not the person that dog could potential hurt because of it's aggression.
Rescue isn't for everyone that is for sure
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Application processing
You might think that rescuing a dog that is abused, neglected, starved, beaten, missing hair, broken bones, list goes on is the hard part. But I will be honest with you it isn't. The hard part is applications........ deciding what family would be the perfect or close to perfect match for dog X. I basically have to predict the future. UGH it sucks. And then like with the puppies I had 20 applications........ 12 that were approved 100% but there were only 4 puppies. Going over every scenario, reading what the references had said over and over again........... my head hurts. We selected 4 homes but what about the other 8 people?? They are so great, I want them to have a puppy too. Then I worry about them being angry, taking it personally. It seriously keeps me up at night when I have to make these decisions.
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