We have a great group of kids spearheading a
fundraising drive to provide Marshall County Emergency Responders
with Pet Oxygen Kits, donated through Iowa CARES, as we have
recently received our official Non-Profit 501(c)(3) status!!
Sadly, we do not have a facility or land to
operate on. We will gladly entertain any offers to donate
farm land, or even real property to sell, so that we may purchase
the land we had originally picked out. However at this time, we
will consider all offers!
Meanwhile, DiDi is attending her first
Cruelty Investigator class in Louisville this week. Many
thanks to the anonymous donor who flipped the $1500.00 to make
this possible. Her next class will be in Dubuque in October and
the third class will be in November. At that time she will be
certified.
I found some old photos, one particular of
my donkey Jenny from the 1970's, Dad brought her home from a
livestock auction, as he did with many of our farm critters.
I remember, she looked somewhat sad. I had no idea what she had
been through, but at our house she was loved, even though she was
the stereotypical 'stubborn.'
Here is a photo I found of her.
I
miss her dearly and cannot wait until we can begin rescuing farm
animals. If you have never had a rooster roost in your lap,
been wetly nuzzled by the snout of a cow or a calf, ever been
greeted by a "Baaaaah," been chased by an arrogant honking goose,
held a newborn baby lamb in your arms, or had your lunch begged
for by a spoiled Billie goat, you simply haven't lived!
Farm animals matter too and so do
wildlife!
By the way, if you want to keep up on ALL
current animal issues in our world today, please visit the top
link on our home page, which takes you to the Care2 News.
We also have a private group for discussion
at www.care2.com. Please come
join us there!
Let us pause and not forget that the dog is
not a stray but driven homeless due to betrayal of an ancient
trust.
From Tribune India, December 4, 2007
While humans and animals began their journey together, yet
in due course of time, animals like dogs, cats and house sparrows
have been rendered homeless. Just as homeless human beings turn to
begging, stealing and plundering for survival so do the homeless
animals out of similar compulsions. Much as the civilised society
will never contemplate eliminating its homeless fellows or neuter
them for being homeless, it behoves that we understand the plight
of stray dogs with comparable compassion and responsibility.
November 26, 2007
Dogs lost to Food Aggression and How to
Build Winter Shelters for Feral Cats:
Please check out How
to Build Winter Shelters for Feral Cats, and help some
strays living outside this winter. Try to help spay and
neuter them and get them vaccinated too, if you really want to
go the extra mile for them! :)
Many dogs across the US are
underfed, underweight and dumped in shelters. Many dogs are
teased with food in the "bad" homes they were in
before they came to shelters, so when someone tries to take
their food away, they may get possessive of it and growl... but
wouldn't you too? Sadly all across the US, these dogs get PTS
(euthanized) because of "food aggression" - I read a
very good article on it but its not posted somewhere that you
can read without a user name and password, so I was just going
to copy some of it here:
I’ve
Been So Hungry - A Tribute
By Melissa
tribute to dogs that have been euthanized for ‘Food
Aggression’. Please take the time to read this carefully and
learn from it. It’s a harsh lesson but one that needs to
learned by everyone!
~****************************************~
I’ve Been So Hungry
When I was an older pup the boy where I lived would bring a bowl
with a few morsels of leftover human food in it. I was so hungry
I hurriedly started eating, then the boy would snicker, reach
down and yank the bowl away. My tummy would rumble because I was
still hungry, but I would get nothing else to eat that day.
At times the people who lived there brought other dogs home and
we’d get our food all at the same time. I tried to eat my
share fast but the other dogs were quicker and they would growl
and try to shove me away from my food. I tried to fend them off
with a snarl or a nip. Sometimes it worked and I got to finish
my meal.
Most of the time I was chained to a tree and teenagers would
come around kicking and teasing me. One day my collar rotted
through and the chain fell away. I was free! I got as far from
that place as possible.
I ran until I could barely move. I heard honking. I turned my
weary head toward the sound and the car covered me. My back leg
snapped and I tumbled to the roadside. Something was also wrong
with my hindquarters. I could not crawl; the pain was
overwhelming.
In the gutter I fell into a deep sleep and awakened when hands
gently picked me up. The man holding me was murmuring softly. He
laid me in a metal cubicle, in the back of the vehicle.
I was taken to a place that smelled of medicines and other dogs
and put in a cage. The next day I was carefully carried to a
room, put on a metal table. An alpha human shaved my front leg,
stuck something into my arm and I drifted away.
I rested and healed. One day I was given a warm bath and toweled
dry. My fur shone and no more bugs pestered me, it felt great!
Soon the people who were there during the day began to take me
out and we would play fetch, run and jump. I was given toys and
treats and I have never been so happy. I was held, cuddled,
given affection!
After I was better a lady took me into a room. She made loud
noises while watching me. I didn’t understand, but I was okay
with it. She opened an umbrella near my face, all the while
studying me.
I guess she was proud of me because all I did was wag my tail,
grinning happily, and when I could I’d reach up, put my paws
on her and give her kisses. She clapped her hands, and then
gathered me to her in a big hug, saying what a good boy I was.
Lastly, she got a bowl and filled it with food. I got excited, I
never tired of getting a meal, having had so few good ones in my
short life. She added water to the kibble and stirred it up
some. Oh, it smelled so good!
When she set it on the floor I went to it eagerly. While I was
eating, out of the corner of my eye I saw what looked like a
hand on a long pole. The hand came up to my bowl. I nudged the
hand away from my food, stepping around to block it.
The hand kept coming so I growled when it took my bowl and
pulled it away from me. I stepped over to get my bowl so I could
finish and, again, the hand was thrust at me.
I was remembering how the boy would tease me, how the other dogs
would come over to me and steal my food. I was now filled with
that same need to protect my meal. I snarled and snapped at the
hand.
With a broken sigh, the woman called me to her. I trotted over,
panting my smile. I then rolled over, submissively, for a belly
rub. But, the lady was shaking her head, her face scrunched up.
Something was wrong, she’d been crying, was still crying.
She gave me a big hug and I licked her face. She had been so
good to me since they brought me here.
Early the next morning two of the workers came to my kennel.
They pulled me out tenderly, but I could sense something was not
right for them and that scared me. I shivered when one of the
women held me her arms.
I was taken to that same room I had been in when they made me
better. The alpha human was waiting inside. The lady holding me
sobbed and I whined because it all felt wrong.
So scared I felt I was going to wet myself, I wagged my tail. Is
everything all right? I wanted to ask. There was no answer. The
workers held me on the table. I struggled against their warm
hands.
One of the humans bent over and snuggled close to my head,
pressing me close, holding me tight. The other lady held my
front leg out, away from my body and I felt a sting. A feeling
poured through me, like it did the first time they brought me
here, but it was strange and different. I yelped weakly.
And then I was gone.
I
miss her dearly and cannot wait until we can begin rescuing farm
animals. If you have never had a rooster roost in your lap,
been wetly nuzzled by the snout of a cow or a calf, ever been
greeted by a "Baaaaah," been chased by an arrogant honking goose,
held a newborn baby lamb in your arms, or had your lunch begged
for by a spoiled Billie goat, you simply haven't lived!