Dogs

Posted by Joy Butler

It's been almost three years and the devastation of Hurricane Katrina continues. A news article at statesman.com informs that a black female Cocker Spaniel was finally returned to her New Orleans owner yesterday.

In 2005 Jazz/Hope was rescued in Katrina's aftermath and adopted by a Texas woman several months later. When the original owner showed up, a long and bitter legal battle ensued involving claims of wrong dog, neglect, abuse, and an assault in 2006 by the New Orleans woman on the Texas woman. After court appeals and thousands of dollars in legal fees, Jazz/Hope was returned to her original owner. However upon arrival to pick up the dog, the woman was arrested on an outstanding warrant for the 2006 assault. Her supporters took Jazz.

I feel sorry for all involved in this lose-lose situation. Both owners love this dog very much and both, through no fault of their own, have had her companionship torn from them. I'm sure Jazz/Hope loves them both and has missed each of them in turn. For almost three years, the dispute has been hashed, chopped, diced and scrambled and still no painless solution could be found. In my opinion, it all goes back to poor disaster preparation and poor emergency management. In addition to better government preparation, we should all have individual disaster plans. Hopefully we've all learned something from the catastrophe that was Katrina.

Posted by Joy Butler

The little Chihuahua/Dachshund cross that I've been fostering for several weeks has carved out a niche for herself in my home and I've decided she has to stay. I can't imagine adopting her to anyone else after all this time and the way she so confidently takes her place with my three terriers. The other three are my constant companions and always find a place near me but Coco is the one who is always on my lap. At bedtme, she's the one who tunnels under the covers and sleeps nearest. She's also been going to work with me, riding in on my shoulder and sitting on my lap at lunchtime. Her little "tiny hiney" is so easy to pack up and take anywhere. My German Shepherd was 112 pounds and It seems each dog I adopt is a little smaller than the one before but this time I think I've reached the bottom. Can't get much smaller than 4 pounds! Even so, she's very energetic and is a good playmate for Cassie who could never seem to get the other dogs to play enough. We're all happy to have her here so...welcome home, Coco!

Posted by Joy Butler

Those lazy, hazy days of summer are well under way here in the South. Although for me they're more busy and hot than lazy and hazy. My grandson is visiting for several weeks and we're trying to find time to do fun things together. He's an animal lover just like me so fun for us usually involves animals. He loves helping me at the shelter. Although he pitches in with some of the dirty work, his specialty seems to be comforting the lonely animals like the Dachshund who is newly relinquished and missing his former home. The little red Doxie with sad eyes who had been whining incessantly, quickly became content lying on his back getting belly rubs in my grandson's lap. A little extra attention always helps dogs adjust.

On our days off, we relax the pace a bit and try to find time to go to the pool, read, play games, or watch movies. It's good to go back and watch some of the older movies that we haven't seen in awhile. They always seem new again. How long has it been since you saw the Shiloh movies? A cold fruit smoothie and a plate of cookies and you've got good summer entertainment with the kids!

Posted by Joy Butler

In this weak economy it's understandable that more people are cutting corners in the budget. However, these cuts should be made wisely. In recent months, folks have been turning dogs in to the shelter, giving the reason that they can no longer afford grooming. While I wouldn't recommend cutting quality on pet food or medical care, the issue of grooming falls much lower on the priority list. Shelter life is upsetting for dogs, especially older ones, who feel abandoned and miss home and family. Many of them get depressed and stop eating and some never find another home. A few of them suffer a general decline in health and seem to never adjust to such a life upheaval. A good bath and an amateur trim with scissors would be a much kinder option than traumatizing a long-time family member with the loss of home and everything that is familiar. Most veterinarians and shelters want to help. Consult with them for ways to keep your pet in tough economic times.

Posted by Joy Butler

We've had a newcomer in the household again these last few weeks. A female Chihuahua/Mini-Dachshund cross was relinquished to our shelter. The tiny, little thing came in underweight and continued to lose weight because shelter life upset her so much she would not eat. After a day of force feeding, I could not leave her there; I had to bring her home. It took several days for her to settle in but the third day she finally ate a chicken nugget. That same day she began scampering in the yard and has continued to blossom ever since. My dogs have accepted her and she especially made friends with Cassie who loves to roll and play-wrestle with her. She's even begun to think of herself as a little watchdog, running to the fence to bark like the other dogs. Typical of both Chihuahua and Dachshund, she loves to burrow under the covers when we sleep. She sits quietly and contentedly on my lap while I work on the computer. She's a sweet pet but a suitable home may be difficult to find for her fragile structure and sensitive personality. However, I'm not in one bit of a hurry!

Posted by Joy Butler

I recently heard that a California biotech company has successfully , after 10 years and 20 million dollars, produced 3 dog clones.. These dogs appear to be huskys or husky mixes. The process is hailed as a godsend for dog owners who want to keep their friend forever. An egg from a donor dog is stripped of its genetic nucleus and DNA from a mouthswab of the dog to be cloned is injected into its place. A surrogate dog then carries and gives birth to the clone. One man says it's a new way of producing life. I think we can all agree to that. However, this view seems to reduce life to a mere body without regard to the soul within. What seems to be forgotten here is that a clone is another animal who simply looks like your beloved pet and may even behave a lot like him. But the unique soul of a dearly loved pet can not be reproduced. The clone is merely a replica and a beloved family member can never be replaced by a replica.

Posted by Joy Butler

Don't you just love happy endings? A simple flyer tacked on a pole was the key. I listened to the phone message and the voice on the other end described her 17 year old dog who had wandered away. I returned the call and the lost dog I found is now safely home. It was a happy reunion that had beaten the odds. Most dogs without id never make it back home. Being a runaway is dangerous for any dog but is even more so for an arthritic dog who doesn't hear or see well.

The lady told me all about how her dog was 17 years old and had been in the family since she was very young and how they fed her nothing but the highest quality dog food. Granted the dog was arthritic and exhausted when I found her but for a 17 year old dog who had just wandered across several brushy lots and spent a night out alone, she was doing quite well. You just don't see that many 17 year old dogs. How wonderful that she avoided an unpleasant end and can now live out her days in the loving home she has known for so many years.

Posted by Joy Butler

My dogs find lots of stuff to bark about when they're outside. A few weeks ago, it was the possum, but this time it was a lost dog. Sometimes neighbor dogs, out on potty break, stop by my fence to say hi but this dog was obviously lost. Clearly arthritic and old, the poor thing seemed exhausted and confused. I put a leash on her but she would not get up so I carried her to my gate, gave her water and set out around the neighborhood to try to find her owner. I reasoned that she couldn't have come very far in her condition but no one I talked to had lost a dog or recognized the description. So off to the shelter we went, where I cleaned her up and made her comfortable with a bed and food. At the shelter we keep a list of descriptions of dogs whose owners are looking for them, but she was not on it, so I tacked up flyers around my neighborhood and have a free found ad coming out in tomorrow's paper. Many times dogs without id are never reunited with their owner but I have some hope for her because a pound worker said someone had called looking for a dog of her description that was lost just a couple of blocks from me. However, the pound had failed to get contact info. Grrrr! But I gave them my contact info and am hoping the owner does not give up searching.

Posted by Joy Butler

Summer is creeping up and the temperatures are as well. Several days in the last week we've seen the mercury reach into the 90's. A few days ago, it was time once again to pull out the wading pool for the dogs. Several of them headed straight for it and some of them have never been interested. One Pointer and one of the small terrier mixes are especially happy with the return of the pool. Of course Jake, part Schnauzer and my favorite, seems to get the most enjoyment out of jumping in and out of the pool which, before long, tends to splash and drip all the water out. He's also a digger and since dirt and water make lots of mud, Jake manages to turn the water into a nice, rich coffee color in just a few minutes. Sometimes he retrieves toys and deposits them into the muddy water and then lies in the water himself cooling his tummy. Then he picks the toys out of the water, sometimes slinging them over his back. Yes, Jake gets very creative when it comes to fun. Most of us enjoy a dive in the swimming pool but perhaps only a happy dog can appreciate a half-empty muddy pool.

Posted by Joy Butler

With Mother's Day coming up, I'm reminded of all the tired little mother dogs who come through the shelter. Some are abandoned by owners simply because they had puppies. Some are strays struggling to find shelter and enough food to keep their little family alive. Life for these mothers is not easy. Their special nutritional needs are not met, leaving them malnourished and tired. With puppies climbing all over them they have to scrounge for food in garbage, find shelter in bad weather, dodge traffic, and watch out for other animals and cruel people who have no sympathy for a mother dog and her babies. The puppies, with immature immune systems, sometimes suffer and die from preventable diseases. Overfilled shelters find it difficult to take in entire litters. This Mother's Day, please remember all the homeless dog mothers out there and spread the word about spay and neuter.