The Heart of Rescue

What is the heart of rescue?

Everyday, since beginning to volunteer as a rescue transporter (and general supporter of a rescue group) I  see pictures of loving animals sitting in shelters, waiting for something to happen.

There is one outcome, someone will come for them.
That's right, every single dog. There is a catch however. The catch is whether that the person who comes for this dog works for the shelter or not. If they work for the shelter, this poor person has to take the dog on their last walk, this is shelter life.

 
Shelter life doesn't care if the dog is healthy or not, it doesn't care if they are 8 weeks or 8 years. Shelter life operates on one thing, Time.


It is the one gift and curse each dog is given, Time, and in shelters it is a VERY limited commodity. Dogs are either adopted or rescued in the time they have, or their time runs out, and in a story repeated hundreds if not thousands of times per day, the dog is walked out of their cage, and never returns.


Here I must apologize, because I have given your name, your identity, to a thief. Well, perhaps not a thief, but all the same, this thing now knows you as it has known me for a while now. It is the heart of rescue.

Either by reading this, or seeing a picture of a dog in need, or just by visiting a shelter while looking for a pet, the heart of rescue will find you and will ask for one tiny piece of your heart. Not a lot mind you, just one little piece. 

It might be in the form of a donation to a shelter, or adopting your next pet instead of buying them, or transporting a pet to a rescue, or fostering one, or maybe simply by reposting the picture of a dog in need (or any of the other animals waiting for homes) or passing on an email, but all the same, you will feel, deep in your heart, a tiny pain. 

A twinge of pain about the suffering our best friends are facing. This pain is the heart of rescue preparing to collect it's tiny piece, all you have to do, is one thing. Just one. Share the picture, drive an hour in the car, open your home or maybe your wallet but there is some, single, special way you can help and it involves giving up this one little resource, and a little piece of your heart.

This one little piece, from each person, will come together, and with all those little pieces it forms one heart. This is the heart of rescue, and it is incredibly powerful! 

It is the force that helps thousands of dogs escape the shelter, sometimes with seconds to spare. It is that voice in your head screaming to pull over when you see a lost dog on the side of the road. It can rescue a dog from near death in Georgia, bring them to Florida, and then send them to Canada where one person is waiting to give their one piece of the heart and a home to a dog who will never be abandoned again.

The heart is like a bank loan. You give it your little piece, and it takes it for a while, but then it pays you back. You see photos of the dog in their new home, you hear how your donation helped a dog escape in the nick of time, or you know, deep down in your heart, that your one little piece, for one little life, mattered.

If you are anything like me, at this point, you might be reaching for the hammer and chisel because after I experienced this for the first time, I was ready to give about a thousand pieces of my heart. To some extent I have and some of them... some of them will remain holes in my heart.

I gave a piece of my heart to Elvis, a puppy who never made it out and whose face I can still see every time I shut my eyes... to a litter of puppies who were never born because the shelter aborted them all, within days of their impending birth. Those little holes will remain, and I am thankful for that.

The holes remind you that the problem still exists. Thousands of perfectly adoptable dogs will die this month because there was simply not enough time, not enough homes, not enough pieces to help the heart of rescue pull them from the shelter. The holes push you to give just one more piece. One more "share" on Facebook, one more mile in the car, one more bit of love. Lives hang in the balance, waiting, holding on to what little time they have left. Maybe you can feel the twinge, it hurts, and sometimes it can hurt a lot, but it is worth it, they are worth it.

This year as we make our Christmas lists, 

Please, remember that a shelter dog has only one thing on his or her list... 

......

To Live.

....

I'll donate a piece of my heart to that.

This post was inspired by the following Video:

Shelter Life: Parvo - VIDEO

Musical Inspiration - The Change - Garth Brooks

The Change - Garth Brooks

 
One hand
Reaches out
And pulls a lost soul from harm
While a thousand more go unspoken for
They say what good have you done
By saving just this one
It's like whispering a prayer
In the fury of a storm

And I hear them saying you'll never change things
And no matter what you do it's still the same thing
But it's not the world that I am changing
I do this so this world will know
That it will not change me

This heart
Still believes
The love and mercy still exist
While all the hatred rage and so many say
That love is all but pointless in madness such as this
It's like trying to stop a fire
With the moisture from a kiss

And I hear them saying you'll never change things
And no matter what you do it's still the same thing
But it's not the world that I am changing
I do this so this world will know
That it will not change me

As long as one heart still holds on
Then hope is never really gone

I hear them saying you'll never change things
And no matter what you do it's still the same thing
But it's not the world that I am changing
I do this so this world we know
Never changes me

What I do is so
This world will know
That it will not change me

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Are Shelter/Rescue Pictures really that important?

So what did the last 5 Shelter pictures you looked at look like?
Did the dog look like one you'd want to take home? Did they look like a tiny terror in prison? 
This is a GREAT video on the importance of Good shelter pictures.

Transport/Rescue Images

I'll be plastering this on my back windshield on future transports.

A second version with 2 paw prints

A third version with lots of paw prints

Another version

E-Day, D-Day, It's time to face the truth about our shelters.

Today I stumbled upon a picture on "Urgent Dogs - Palm Beach County's" Facebook page which sparked some debate. The picture shows the dark side of rescue and shelters, the massive amount of life that is snuffed out of existence.

Palm Beach updates this board to let people know what happens there.

In the picture (shown right) there is a whiteboard with a date and a number, presumably the number of animals put down since January 1st. This theory is bolstered by one comment stating that last winter, before the new year the number was around 14,000.

On the board are pictures of some of the lives lost. In this picture You see Jigga, a pit-bull mix, and Dusty, and unknown mix. Their faces are adorable, ears up, tongue out, ready to live life. They were not awarded such a chance and they never made it out of the shelter.

It seems a gruesome tribute, pictures of dead animals and ever increasing numbers, but Jigga and Dusty are just two  of the 4 to 5 million dogs and cats euthanized in our shelters every day in the US.Because I believe this number is limited by just saying "5 million" that is 4,000,000 to 5,000,000 animals out of the 6,000,000 to 8,000,000 animals who enter the shelters each year.

Of the dogs that enter shelters 61% are euthanized 
                              (only 39% leave the shelter).
Of the cat's that enter the shelter 75% are euthanized 
                             (only 25% leave the shelter).

Even more disturbing is the uphill battle we are fighting. Approximately 70,000 puppies and kittens are born each day. 70,000 more lives which need homes, food, vet care, exercise, time, and love. In one year's time this number skyrockets to 25,550,000 NEW lives joining the already monstrous population of animals in the US. Please remember that there is only about 307,000,000 people in the United States.

A single female cat, and each of her offspring can produce 
        420,000 new lives in 7 years.
A single female dog and each of her offspring can produce 
         67,000 new lives in 6 years.

In 10 years the amount of new lives would match the number of people in the United states, not to mention the number of animals existing right now (note that around 100 million cats are believed to be stray right now (that doesn't even consider how many are living in homes or shelters right now.))

The only way of putting a dent in this massive population, aside for killing millions of animals each year, is to stop the growth of the population, or at least slow it down is to get a hold on the birth rates. This can be done through a simple procedure, a spay or neuter. Remember the earlier statistics about how many new lives one dog or cat can produce in a life time (along with each of their offspring reproducing)? By spaying one dog we could prevent 67,000 dogs from needing homes and give the millions of animals in shelters a fighting chance to get a home. One cat would prevent 420,000 cats from needing homes and give the cats currently in shelters a slightly better chance.

Dusty and Jigga are only two dogs. They undoubtedly spent their last days sitting in the shelter, watching a few people walk past their cage each day, wagging their tails and wiggling in hope only to watch them walk past and head to another animal's cage, or possibly an exit. They may have been afraid of all the noise, hide in a corner shaking, howled for someone to come play with them. One day someone stopped in front of their cage and picked up a leash. Dusty and Jigga may have been excited,thinking they were finally getting out, or may have been afraid, some animals just know. One way or another, they would take that long walk. It was their D-day or E-day, and this would be their last walk, last wag, their last moments.

We come up with shorter names for it like D-day (death day) or E-day (euthanization day) because it is too hard to say "the day where dogs and cats, both old and young, are killed because no one wanted them or could come in time."  The cost of spaying or neutering a pet is less than the cost of raising puppies or kittens for a year and could give a fighting chance to many of the animals in shelters.


The majority of the animals up for adoption are not old, or ugly. They aren't vicious or diseased. Many are adorable puppies and kittens, 25% of which are purebred, which are just out of time. Some get two months, which is generous, others get less than 2 weeks.
Full-term litters of puppies and kittens are aborted when they could easily survive outside of the womb. Grace was one of our rescues who faced this horrible procedure, and she is in no way alone in facing this. Lilly lost 12 full-term puppies. She is in the picture just bellow, before and after the loss of her puppies.

Here is Lilly, on the left she is pregnant with 12 healthy puppies, and on the right she  has been spayed, the pups aborted.

All of these thoughts are horrible, and as disturbing if not more so as the pictures posted on Palm Beach's board, but until we face the FACTs of shelter life and do something about it, nothing will change.

Please, spay and neuter your pets, help end some of the senseless deaths this year.


"The time is always right to do what is right"
- Martin Luther King, Jr. -

 Rest in peace Jigga and Dusty, you didn't deserve this...

Statistics were acquired from: The Humane Society, The ASPCA,  and The Google US Population Counter.

The Rainbow Bridge

Often, when someone is facing the loss of a pet you may hear some well-wisher or sympathizing individual say something about the dog crossing the "Rainbow Bridge."  It took me a while to get what they meant by the Rainbow Bridge but once I heard it had to be shared. Here is what one site says about the Rainbow Bridge.

 The Rainbow Bridge Story

"Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. 

When an animal who has been especially close to someone dies, that pet goes to the Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food and water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

Animals who were ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them from days and times gone by.

The animals are happy and content, except for one thing: they miss someone very special to them; the person they left behind.

All of the animals run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; his eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to break away from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. Happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together…"

Retrieved from New Rainbow Bridge

There is also a poem version of the tale which is simply beautiful. It brings tears to my eyes each time I read it, and comfort, knowing that one day we will see our pets again.

The Rainbow Bridge        inspired by a Norse legend

"By the edge of a woods, at the foot of a hill,

Is a lush, green meadow where time stands still.

Where the friends of man and woman do run,

When their time on earth is over and done.

For here, between this world and the next,

Is a place where each beloved creature finds rest.

On this golden land, they wait and they play,

Till the Rainbow Bridge they cross over one day.

No more do they suffer, in pain or in sadness,

For here they are whole, their lives filled with gladness.

Their limbs are restored, their health renewed,

Their bodies have healed, with strength imbued.

They romp through the grass, without even a care,

Until one day they start, and sniff at the air.

All ears prick forward, eyes dart front and back,

Then all of a sudden, one breaks from the pack.

For just at that instant, their eyes have met;

Together again, both person and pet.

So they run to each other, these friends from long past,

The time of their parting is over at last.

The sadness they felt while they were apart,

Has turned into joy once more in each heart.

They embrace with a love that will last forever,

And then, side-by-side, they cross over… together."

Retrieved from New Rainbow Bridge

There is also an addition to the Rainbow Bridge which applies to all those dogs who die without a family, without ever knowing what it's like to be loved.

"They Say that only after an owner appears their dog can enter the rainbow bridge,

and if a rescued dog never has an owner, they must wait.

But when  rescuer arrives, they are allowed to perform one, final act  of rescue.

They are allowed to escort the animals they couldn't place on earth across the rainbow bridge"

Gisele - TDL

 Here is the Extended version:

Rescuer's Rainbow Bridge

"Unlike most days at Rainbow Bridge, this day dawned cold and gray, damp as a swamp and as dismal as could be imagined. All of the recent arrivals had no idea what to think, as they had never experienced a day like this before. But the animals who had been waiting for their beloved people knew exactly what was going on and started to gather at the pathway leading to The Bridge to watch.

It wasn't long before an elderly animal came into view, head hung low and tail dragging. The other animals, the ones who had been there for a while, knew what his story was right away, for they had seen this happen far too often.

He approached slowly, obviously in great emotional pain, but with no sign of injury or illness. Unlike all of the other animals waiting at The Bridge, this animal had not been restored to youth and made healthy and vigorous again. As he walked toward The Bridge, he watched all of the other animals watching him. He knew he was out of place here and the sooner he could cross over, the happier he would be. But, alas, as he approached The Bridge his way was barred by the appearance of an Angel who apologized, but told him that he would not be able to pass. Only those animals who were with their people could pass over Rainbow Bridge.

With no place else to turn to, the elderly animal turned towards the fields before The Bridge and saw a group of other animals like himself, also elderly and infirm. They weren't playing, but rather simply lying on the soft green grass, forlornly staring out at the pathway leading to The Bridge. And so, he took his place among them, watching the pathway and waiting.

One of the newest arrivals at The Bridge didn't understand what he had just witnessed and asked one of the animals that had been there for awhile to explain it to him.

"You see, that poor animal was a rescue. He was turned in to rescue just as you see him now, an older animal with his fur graying and his eyes clouding. He never made it out of rescue and passed on with only the love of his rescuer to comfort him as he left his earthly existence. Because he had no family to give his love to, he has no one to escort him across The Bridge."

The first animal thought about this for a minute and then asked, "So what will happen now?" As he was about to receive his answer, the clouds suddenly parted and the gloom lifted.

Approaching The Bridge could be seen a single person and among the older animals, a whole group was suddenly bathed in a golden light and they were all young and healthy again, just as they were in the prime of life.

"Watch, and see.", said the second animal. A second group of animals from those waiting came to the pathway and bowed low as the person neared. At each bowed head, the person offered a pat on the head or a scratch behind the ears. The newly restored animals fell into line and followed him towards The Bridge. They all crossed The Bridge together.

"What happened?"

"That was a rescuer. The animals you saw bowing in respect were those who found new homes because of her work. They will cross when their new families arrive. Those you saw restored were those who never found homes. When a rescuer arrives, they are allowed to perform one, final act of rescue. They are allowed to escort those poor animals that they couldn't place on earth across The Rainbow Bridge."

"I think I like rescuers", said the first animal.

"So does GOD", was the reply."

Original post by Gisele

And a video to go with it:

So now you know about the Rainbow Bridge.

Puppy Pools!

So the summer is hot and so are the people and pets. Many humans will be retreating to their favorite pool to cool off and escape the summer heat but unless you own your own pool, chances are you best-four-legged-friend isn't exactly welcome to swim with you.

Now what?

My first general suggestion is this... if it looks like a squeaky toy it IS a squeaky toy, so all those fluffy cute inflatable ones? Skip it. Dogs have teeth and toenails and will need to get in and out, the chances of a puncture (or shredding) is HIGH.

That being said, go for a hard plastic one.

3ft Wading pool

Next thing is Size which is based on Size. Strange concept? nah. Pool size = dog size. So if you have a Dane, a 9x7x2 inch pool, is NOT going to work. Good news? you have options!

There is the 3ft wading pool at Toys r us  - It's a whopping $7 but be sure the plastic is smooth at the edge or that you protect any sharp edges (line it with duct-tape or file it smooth)

8ft vinyl

Next up Intex Ocean Reef Snapset Kiddie Pool  (about $28 at toys-r-us, also available at Target)- This is NOT hard plastic, it is vinyl which means it's not as sturdy as the first but it is bigger, 8 ft across by 18inches tall. Remember that vinyl means nails might go through and it might become a chew toy, especially for teething puppies. PLEASE make sure your dog can climb over something 18 inches tall before plopping them in.

LxW = 55x33inches and holds 13 gallons for about $91

If none of these seems like it'd work for you, consider going to your local hardware store, and checking out the preformed ponds to see if they are durable/big enough for your pup. They are more expensive than standard kiddie pools but can go up to 7.5 ft by 5 ft (but that's quite a bit more expensive.)

Examples: The Home Depot,  Lowes, or other hardware/gardening stores          

72x72" round

Could we act a little more like animals please?

We always talk about being human and all the good and bad things about it.... this post is to inspire people to act like animals. A strange concept I know, we generally view humans as the more intelligent and more evolved being.... These videos call that into question.

... the first video is VERY hard to watch, but it is important.

The case Against Humans: Don't blame the dog.

(yes there was a typo (there = their) move on, haha)

I am VERY anti breed discrimination, which means I believe there is not such thing as a bad breed of dog (note the word "dog" not "dog/wolf hybrid"... they aren't meant to be pets in my eyes).

Instead I believe there are breeds commonly owned by BAD OWNERS. Yep, I said it!

I believe breeds like Pitbulls, Rottweilers, and Cane Corsos get a bad rep because the people that choose to own them are often inexperienced, unintelligent about the breed and its temperament/needs, and get the animal because it is an accessory, much like a car or a ring. These people don't see the dog as a being with feelings, but instead as an object for them to use, sell, and dispose of as they see fit. I believe these things lead them to do stupid things with the dog, like train it to fight, be aggressive, etc and cause these people to breed dogs incorrectly, which leads to inbreeding and/or the passing on of genetics not beneficial to the breed.

Again, good dog, stupid owners. You don't have to agree, it's an opinion (even if it is generally right...)

This is the Story of Patrick.

While this story consists of a few humans, the bad owner, the good savior, and all the people rallying behind this little guy,  I have one point to make. Patrick wouldn't have needed a miracle if his owner had been a good one. Major props to all the people who are doing the right thing out there... get well soon little Patrick and all the Patricks out there.


So my thought? Let's take a lesson from animals (our "less evolved" brethren) and act a bit more like animals. Now you must be thinking "has she gone off her rocker?" and yes, maybe I have tilted a little too far but here's the deal. Animals get it right and bellow is a perfect example.

The Case for acting more like an Animal: "The odd couple"


Are all humans bad? Absolutely not. I work with plenty of people who have it right and do what they can to make the world a better place. I'm just saying sometimes there is some steep competition from the "jerk" side of the population against our cause. I believe there is redemption available to everyone. I believe a "dumb owner" can be educated and become a great owner. I believe a "bad" dog can be rehabilitated. Can all of them? No. Is there hope? Yes.

I challenge you today to take a lesson from these videos (hopefully a positive one), and act like an animal. Love unconditionally, see past obvious differences, and show someone a little kindness, even if they haven't done a thing to deserve it.

Inspiration

A few pieces f inspiration for the days when it seems to hard. What we do isn't always easy, but there are many reasons why we do it anyway. Here are a few of those reasons.

I looked at all the caged animals in the shelter...the cast-offs of human society. I saw in their eyes love and hope, fear and dread, sadness, and betrayal. And I was angry. "God," I said, "this is terrible! Why don't you do something?" God was silent for a moment, and then He spoke softly, "I have done something," he replied. "I created you."
                                                                                   -- Author Unknown

 PRAYER OF A STRAY

Dear God please send me somebody who'll care!
I'm tired of running .. I'm sick with despair.
My body is aching .. it's so racked with pain.
And Dear God I pray as I run in the rain
That someone will love me and give me a home.
A warm cozy bed I can call my own
My last owner neglected me and chased me away
To rummage in garbage and live as a stray.
But now God I'm tired and hungry and cold.
And I'm afraid that I'll never grow old.
They've chased me with sticks and hit me with stones
While I run in the streets just looking for bones!
I'm not really bad God .. please help if you can.
For I have become just a VICTIM OF MAN!
I'm wormy .. dear God .. I'm ridden with fleas
While all I want is an owner to please!
If you find one for me God, I'll try to be good
I won't run away and I'll do as I should.
I don't think I'll make it to long on my own
Cause I'm getting so weak and I'm so all alone.
Each night as I sleep in the bushes I cry
Cause I'm so afraid God .. that I'm gonna die!
And I've got so much love and devotion to give
That I should be given a new chance to live.
So Dear God PLEASE .. PLEASE answer my prayer
And send me somebody who WILL really care!

                                --Author Unknown

I RESCUED A HUMAN TODAY
Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her. I wagged my tail, but not too exuberantly, so she wouldn't be afraid.

As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage. I didn't want her to know that I hadn't been walked today. Sometimes the shelter keepers get too busy and I didn't want her to think poorly
of them.

As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn't feel sad about my past. I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone's life.

She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me. I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her. Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship.

A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well. Soon my kennel door opened, and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms. I would promise to keep her safe. I would promise to
always be by her side. I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes. I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So many more are out there who haven't walked the corridors.
So many more to be saved. At least, I was able to save one.

I rescued a human today.

                                                        --Unknown Author

Coping - What do you do when your best isn't enough?

All too often, in rescue, you find a sweet animal who has the greatest personality, a gentle temperment, and would make someone the perfect pet... but you soon discover that that dear sweet animal is quietly trying to survive a myriad of painful, and fatal problems.

It is incredibly hard sometimes to accept that such a sweet being, who has been through so much, will die as a result of their mistreatment or just natural defect, despite your best efforts.

Recently Dog Liberator saved a sweet, malnourished dog named Katie who we soon discovered was pregnant. She gave birth to 9 little darlings, one of which had a heart on her butt. She was the 7th of the 9 puppies, and was nicknamed "Seven". She struggled to feed and had to be bottle fed for a good portion of her first few days of life. We too her to a vet to see why she was having such a hard time feeding from her mother, and found she had a cleft pallet, which was basically, inoperable and couldn't be repaired or worked around.
Little Seven was put to sleep, and it broke our hearts.

This little one was innocent and only lived a week. We all hurt for the loss, and that's natural, but we must remember what could have been. If animal control hadn't removed Katie from her original poor conditions, she may have lost her puppies because she didn't have the nutrition to grow or feed them. She could have died in the process. She was almost put down at the shelter before anyone knew about the litter, and we would have lost them all. 

Little Seven had the best seven days of her life with us. She was always loved, valued, warm and cared for. That is what we must focus on when things get dark. This will be true for just about any animal in the rescue.
Remember, when you lose one, that despite the sad end, they were looked on, and cared for (often for the first times in their lives) as someONE (not something) of value, despite whatever their problems or disabilities.

Sometimes the kindest thing we can do for them is end the suffering, even when it hurts us. 

We do our best to love them, protect them, and be kind to them, and this is all they ask.

We give them the best days of their lives, remember that the hurt, when they are gone, is the proof of this. We can't always promise success or health, those are things best left to God. Our job is to make their life, however long or short, the best it can be. You loved them and cared for them, and that's all they ask for.

Today is a gift, tomorrow isn't guaranteed, so do your best to make the best of the time you have together.

To read more about Seven, Katie, and the other 8 puppies, Click Here

Shelter Humor Videos (Satires but the truth)

The typical drop off at the shelter.

Why Spay and Neuter?

Click the picture to see the full size image.