Life without Satchmo

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Merry Christmas!

This is the cutest video. I just had to post it here for you to enjoy. These dogs certainly have a knack for decorating. I hope you and yours have a wonderful and happy holiday season!

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

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Pet dog recovers from H1N1
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CBC News

A dog in New York has been confirmed to have the pandemic
strain of H1N1.

The pet, a 13-year-old mixed breed, seemed to have caught
the virus from his owner, Michael San Filippo, a spokesman
for the American Veterinary Medical Association, said Tuesday.

It is the first reported case of H1N1 in a dog, but other
pets, including cats and ferrets, have caught the strain
from humans, veterinarians say.

In theory, the strain could be transmitted from a pet to a
human, "but so far it's really looking like a dead end in
pets," San Filippo said.

The dog came in for a checkup Tuesday and is "getting back
to his old self" but has not fully recovered, said veterinarian
Julie Steffens.

It is rare for pets to spread flu viruses, and people should
not be afraid to enjoy the animals, said Dr. Anne Schuchat of
the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
___________________________________________________________________________________

Okay, I knew that the ferret and cat had contracted the H1N1, but now I have to worry about my little man getting the Swine Flu?

Great! This comes in my email today after I have dropped Satchmo off at the vet's office for his yearly teeth cleaning and to get that ugly thing taken off his front leg. Now, I have to worry if his immune system will be depressed after this procedure and keep him away from all other dogs!

Sometimes, it just doesn't pay to be a nurse because you know too much about how these things work. The only good thing for me to focus on is that I got both flu shots and so did my sister, so the chances of him catching the "flu" from us is nil.

If it's not one thing, it is millions of others!

By the way,

MERRY CHRISTMAS

AND

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Monday, December 21, 2009

Satchmo is going to the Vet on Wednesday--Oh boy!

Well, I finally broke down and made the appointment for my little man to go get his teeth cleaned. He has started not wanting to eat crunchy foods, which usually means trouble. The last time that happened, he lost 9 teeth with the cleaning. Anyway, I am mildly excited because he will have the growth on his foreleg removed at the same time. I am so happy because that growth is really worrying me. It is ugly and is still growing. He won't stop bothering it, either, so the hair around it is constantly wet and grey and looks disgusting!

So, wish us luck--we want this to go smoothly so my little man can get back up to snuff soon!

Here is the latest on the Foster Dog situation: I think that Austen will be staying with me indefinitely. My sister is really attached to him and I think my neighbor wants to give him to her for Christmas. I'll let you know when I find out. It's okay with me either way, but he does need some additional training if he is to stay here. Also, he needs to go to the vet for some Prozac to deal with his separation anxiety!

Christmas is upon us, but let's not forget our treasured pets or the unloved animals out in the world. If everyone would do something good for just one stray, the world would be a much nicer place. For my part, I am feeding two beautiful feral black kittens who seem to be living on my front porch. Hopefully, in the near future I will be able to capture them and get them neutered and get their shots--then I will let them return back to my porch.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Here is the most amazing video of a rattie and a rat playing! I have watched this several times now and each time I am still amazed. The sad thing is that this wonderful dog was lost during Katrina and never found. If you know where she is, let the video owner know, or let me know & I will forward the info to the owner.
Such a loss! I don't know how you get past such a devastation.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Foster a dog for the Holidays?

Cover of 101 Dalmatians

Here's a great idea. I found this article and decided to post it in time for the Christmas holiday. As a foster dog mom, I can tell you that knowing you are preventing a pet from the horrors of a cage in a shelter really is worth it. I can also tell you that this author is quite right when she points out that you need to think ahead before you begin to foster, not all dogs are the same. You need to think it through and get a foster animal that will fit in with your life and your lifestyle.

If you work all the time, or you are gone quite a lot, then you may even think about fostering a cat. There are so many animals in shelters that would love to spend time with a real family, even for a short time. This is preferable to spending days on end locked away in a cage with other frightened animals.

So Happy Holidays! Think about this, won't you?

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The last time I wrote about Valerie Kennedy, the movie "102 Dalmatians" was a holiday blockbuster and Kennedy wanted to spread a message to shoppers:

Do not go out and buy a Dalmatian just because you like those movie dogs. That cute dotted puppy could turn into an unhealthy, hyperactive hound you'll soon discard.

Kennedy got in touch a couple of days ago with a different Christmas tune: Why not adopt a dog, even if it's just for the holidays?

Kennedy isn't suggesting giving pets as presents. Shelters are filled with barking Christmas gifts the recipient didn't want or couldn't handle.

But a foster dog is different from a gift dog. It's a gift you give yourself, maybe just for a while.

"I keep seeing stories in the news -- and in e-mails that I get -- about dogs who are dumped at the shelter these days because the economy is so bad," Kennedy says. "I can't imagine what it must be for them to go from the arms of a child, or the dog bed on a kitchen floor in someone's home, to a shelter. In the spirit of Christmas kindness, maybe folks could consider fostering a homeless dog."

Kennedy owns four dogs. She's drawn to mutts, rejects, orphans. The dog rescue service she founded was once featured in People magazine and though she gave up the business when she got breast cancer, she never gave up the cause.

One of her dogs, until his recent death, was Lucky, the paraplegic, incontinent son of the dog who played Pongo in "101 Dalmatians." Lucky, who had been abandoned in a house in Malibu, wore a diaper and ambled around attached to a wheelchair. Kennedy adored him.

Since we talked about dogs nine years ago, Kennedy's life has changed. She has moved from Chicago to Wilmette; left her job as Midwest media director for Humana to work with her husband's TV production company; survived cancer, lost Lucky and acquired Wrinkles, another Dalmatian.

One thing hasn't changed. She hates to see a homeless dog.

"I had my son at 41," she says. "People said, 'Oh, when you have that baby, you're not going to care about those dogs.' That might have been somebody's truth, but it's not mine."

Helping dogs, Kennedy says, doesn't mean you don't help people too. And vice versa.

"There are a lot of sad things in the world," she says. "There are people who have different passions. And these guys, they bring me joy. Whatever I do for them, I get back in spades."

I'm not a dog person, but I admire passionate people who act on what they love, which is why I think Kennedy's message is worth airing.

And she's not alone in advocating a foster dog. Petfinder.com, an online consortium of more than 13,000 pet adoption agencies, including many in the Chicago area, is running a program this year called "Foster a Lonely Pet for the Holidays."

If you do it, Kennedy warns, think about it first.

Does your mother-in-law who hates big dogs baby-sit for you? Don't get a big dog. Do you work all day? Don't get a puppy. Consider how much dog hair you can tolerate.

Then give it a try.

"It's like test-driving a car," she says, "or going on a date."

You may fall in love, but if it doesn't work out, you haven't lost much.

"If someone's looking for an easy Christmas kindness," she says, "this is such an easy kindness."

Here is the link for the original article

Friday, December 11, 2009

Oregon Humane Society stretched to care for record influx of dogs

Here is the third article about the rescue of rat terriers in Oregon. Look at those faces! I wish I was rich because I would take them all and play with them. This particular story has a relatively happy ending, thanks the the Humane Society. Not all puppy mill puppies have any fairy godmother.

If you can do anything to help these adorable ratties, please respond to the address below.
If you want to adopt any of these babies, notify the Humane Society.

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By Lynne Terry, The Oregonian

December 10, 2009, 8:50PM

Motoya Nakamura/The Oregonian

Nearly 100 rat terriers were taken away from an overwhelmed breeder in Tillamook. These are 7-week-old puppies at the Oregon Humane Society.

To donate or adopt

Visit the Oregon Humane Society at 1067 N.E. Columbia Blvd. in Portland. The agency is open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday. Adoption hours end 30 minutes before closing time. Call 503-285-7722 or visit the agency's Web site for more information.

The agency, which depends entirely on private donations, needs crates, long-shredded paper and cash contributions.

Dog adoption rates vary from about $85 to $300 depending on the age and health of the animal.

The Oregon Humane Society snapped into battle mode. Kennels were cleaned. Vaccines were lined up. Volunteers were called in, and staff stood ready with collars, leashes and paperwork in perhaps the agency's biggest influx of dogs in its 141-year-history.

This week, the organization in Northeast Portland took in about 185 dogs in two rescue operations. Big dogs, small dogs, puppies and 10-year-old dogs, friendly and frightened dogs arrived in vans stacked with carrying crates. They were whisked inside, weighed, given shots and examined for obvious medical problems. Each was named, given a collar and trotted to clean kennels with food and water awaiting.

These dogs, which had been chained up, crammed into cages and left in the bitter cold, have never had it so good.

But the intake of so many animals in such a short period has taken a toll on the humane society.

"There's a lot of exhausted people here today," Sharon Harmon, the nonprofit's executive director, said Thursday.

Half of the humane society's canine capacity is now filled with dogs from the two rescues. Nearly 100 rat terriers came from an overwhelmed breeder in Tillamook, who was living in a trailer while dogs overran her barn and house, the kitchen covered in feces.

"She didn't have the time, resources or money to care for these rat terriers," said David Lytle, spokesman for the humane society.

The rest of the dogs came from a property about 20 miles south of Burns in Harney County. A couple, now facing allegations of animal neglect, kept the dogs in subfreezing temperatures outside, some of them penned up and others tied to posts and farm equipment. Mostly border collie, Australian shepherd and Shiba Inu mixes, they were fed cattle carcasses that the couple obtained from a meat processing plant.

Fortunately, most of the dogs from the two rescues are in good health.

On Thursday, smock-clad vets, veterinary technicians and veterinary students from Oregon State University scrambled in three surgical suites, spaying and neutering rat terriers.

"It's been all hands on deck," said Kris Otteman, medical staff director. "We did more surgeries yesterday than we've ever done."

The total count: 88 operations, with dozens more under way Thursday.

At least 50 of the rat terriers will be ready for adoption this morning when the shelter opens at 10 a.m.

With the rat terriers spayed and neutered, the staff will work through the dogs from Harney County, which could go up for adoption Tuesday.

The sooner they find homes, the better, Lytle said.

"There's a strain and stress if the animals are not adopted," he said. "There's a stress on the animal, and there's a stress on the budget."

Each dog costs the shelter $22 a day. That might not sound like much, but the bill quickly adds up. In March, the humane society rescued 126 dogs from a breeder in Burns. Caring for them cost about $140,000, and the agency could spend $200,000 on the rescues this week.

Lytle hopes the animals will be adopted quickly. Some, including a 3-year-old yellow Lab named Tonka and a 7-year-old German shepherd mix, Wolverine, have immediate appeal. The two dogs, who came from Harney County, wagged madly at visitors, playfully jostling for attention.

But other dogs, which crouched fearfully in their kennels, might have more trouble finding homes.

Besides ensuring that the dogs are in good health, each one is evaluated according to its temperament. A "green" rating means the dog is suitable for the whole family. "Yellow" indicates a dog that would thrive best with an adult or older children.

The agency tries to match each dog with the right owner.

The Harney County dogs are mid-sized and range from a few months old to about 10 years. Many appear to have easygoing personalities.

The rat terriers vary in age as well and include puppies that were born this week. Although short-haired small dogs, weighing 10 to 15 pounds, they burst with big personalities.

"Terriers are not poodles," said Sandra Farnsworth, customer care manager. "They're aloof, independent and dominant. The owner needs to understand the terrier breed."

In a good home, she says, they will turn into "snuggle bunnies" that will love your lap and burrow under your covers.

They will keep your property rodent-free as well.

Both the rat terriers and the Harney County dogs need to be housebroken and trained, and owners have to pay an adoption fee of $85 to $300 depending on the dog.

Prospective owners started showing up Thursday morning along with donors answering an appeal for cash and supplies.

Aram Cartozian, a 60-year-old sound engineer and animal lover in Portland, brought in five bags of dog food.

"I love animals," Cartozian said. "They rely on us to take care of them, and when people treat them like that and they're rescued, I want to reach out and help."

-- Lynne Terry

Go here to read the original article and see related posts.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Tillamook Breeder Surrenders Nearly 100 Dogs to OHS

Here's a follow up on the posting from yesterday. This is about the rat terriers that were surrendered. This is a terrible thing. I know that this person really loved these animals, but everyone needs to understand that there is a limit to the number of animals you can actually take care of. Love is not just food.

If you can help, these little dogs would really love you for it.

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Help Needed: Rescued animals need these supplies: Puppy food Large crates Shredded paper Towels Monetary Donations

OHS volunteer Julie Honse lends a hand as the Tillamook dogs arrive at OHS.

One of the many rat terriers surrendered; seen here with Patty Melnichuk of OHS.

Dec. 8, 2009: A Tillamook dog breeder today surrendered 118 dogs to the Oregon Humane Society, following a lengthy investigation by OHS and the Tillamook County Sheriff.

98 dogs, almost all of them rat terriers, are arriving this afternoon and this evening at the OHS Shelter at 1067 NE Columbia Blvd. in Portland. The dogs will be available for adoption after they are spayed/neutered and get a clean bill of health from the OHS medical team.

Another 20 dogs were also taken from the breeder and will be offered for adoption through other organizations.

"The dogs were living in terribly overcrowded and unsanitary conditions with limited access to food and water," said Dr. Kris Otteman, OHS medical director.

The owner was charged with animal neglect by OHS Humane Investigators and relinquished ownership of the dogs to OHS.

OHS, working in concert with Tillamook County’s Sheriff, responded to years of complaints about the residence. When the owner made the decision to surrender the animals today, the Tillamook Sheriff's office and Tillamook Animal Control department provided vehicles and staff to transport the animals to Portland and assist with their processing. Also Tillamook Animal Shelter was instrumental in helping with this case and took in 20 of the dogs.

The Tillamook rescue is not related a second rescue now happening in Harney County (details here).

Monetary Donations Needed

OHS relies entirely on private donations to to rescue neglected and abused animals.

You can fight animal neglect and abuse by making a online donation to the OHS Animal Rescue and Investigations Fund.

Here is a video of the dogs arriving at OHS today.