animal rescuers - resources - support

[violaine]

http://www.community-paper.com/Archives/AnnYoung.html

[Sachita]

Originally Posted by violaine

http://www.community-paper.com/Archives/AnnYoung.html

any amazing woman. Thank you for sharing this

[AtLast]

The other night, a little pooch was abandoned at the dog park I go to. An older, pug et. al., mix. Another regular park visitor found her and took her home and posted flyers which made me happy.

There has been an increase of abandoned pooches at our park during the recession. It seems people leave dogs here because they figure there are many people that will try and do something for the critters. It makes me mad on one hand, but then, this logic does indicate some caring from these people.

I saw the woman that took this little sweetie home with her and her own dog yesterday at the park. my guess is the little pooch has a new home! Everyone looked OK with this. Such a sweet little dog, she is. I'm glad she didn't spend one night in a shelter.

[betenoire]

I've found a home for Mamma! A friend of mine is taking her and one of the babies. They're only 5.5 weeks old, so it'll be another 3 weeks until I can rehome them - but I feel a thousand times better knowing that Mamma (who I anticipated having a great deal of difficulty rehoming) is going to be safe AND with someone I have known for years and trust.

I've gotten quite a few calls and emails since I posted the kittens online last night, and one person sounds very promising for the one female kitten. She called from her workplace (which is a pharmacy) and she sounds trustworthy. She likes the female kitten because apparently she looks a great deal like the cat that she had for 18 years who passed away recently and who she is missing. She told me a bunch of stories about her old cat...and I figure anybody who tells total strangers "kitty stories" is probably a good pet-parent.

I haven't returned any of the other calls or emails yet, but will be doing that this evening.

I wish that there were (or if they do exist that I knew how to access them) services in my area that could have made this process cheaper for me. Total vet bills between Mom's initial visit when she was pregnant, and getting the kittens checked out, and first sets of shots and deworming for everybody is going to total to nearly $400. Add on top of that all the extra kitten food and litter and the trip I'm going to be taking to Toronto to bring Mamma and the spotted belly kitten to their new Daddy....oy.

Not that I am complaining. I am glad I did it - it needed to be done. And if I had to do it all over again I would - except maybe next time I wouldn't burst into tears at the vets office when she tells me that Mamma is pregnant. (Seriously, I was a sniveling mess.)

I seriously tip my hat to people who do this frequently. To foster families and people who do rescue work on a volunteer basis and pay for so much petcare out of their own pockets and with their own time.

Much love to you all. <3

Pictures of Mamma and Babies

[lipstixgal]

Originally Posted by betenoire

I've found a home for Mamma! A friend of mine is taking her and one of the babies. They're only 5.5 weeks old, so it'll be another 3 weeks until I can rehome them - but I feel a thousand times better knowing that Mamma (who I anticipated having a great deal of difficulty rehoming) is going to be safe AND with someone I have known for years and trust.

I've gotten quite a few calls and emails since I posted the kittens online last night, and one person sounds very promising for the one female kitten. She called from her workplace (which is a pharmacy) and she sounds trustworthy. She likes the female kitten because apparently she looks a great deal like the cat that she had for 18 years who passed away recently and who she is missing. She told me a bunch of stories about her old cat...and I figure anybody who tells total strangers "kitty stories" is probably a good pet-parent.

I haven't returned any of the other calls or emails yet, but will be doing that this evening.

I wish that there were (or if they do exist that I knew how to access them) services in my area that could have made this process cheaper for me. Total vet bills between Mom's initial visit when she was pregnant, and getting the kittens checked out, and first sets of shots and deworming for everybody is going to total to nearly $400. Add on top of that all the extra kitten food and litter and the trip I'm going to be taking to Toronto to bring Mamma and the spotted belly kitten to their new Daddy....oy.

Not that I am complaining. I am glad I did it - it needed to be done. And if I had to do it all over again I would - except maybe next time I wouldn't burst into tears at the vets office when she tells me that Mamma is pregnant. (Seriously, I was a sniveling mess.)

I seriously tip my hat to people who do this frequently. To foster families and people who do rescue work on a volunteer basis and pay for so much petcare out of their own pockets and with their own time.

Much love to you all. <3

Pictures of Mamma and Babies

The cats are adorable!!

[CherryFemme]

Aloha,

I have a quick question for those of you who rescue and try to find homes for the rescued animal.

Do you have a questionnaire that you use when seeking out potential families?

BB and I have turned into a "Cat/kitten Rescue" by default. We live at the end of a street where people dump their cats before moving back to the mainland.
The dumpers are mostly military families, but some non-military. Unfortunately, this has been verified...meaning, our neighbor who watches the dump the animals runs out to them and asks WHY they are doing it and if they are military. Funny how people do not lie when they get busted.

Anyway-- I am writing today (and hoping I can find this thread later) because we are not allowed to keep animals at our house. We already are "stretching" the rules-- but the rejected cats keep coming.

We are getting rather good at getting the tamed, fixed, and fostered-- but I feel like I should do heavier screening before I place the kitten/cat with someone who contacted me via Craigslist.com.

Any ideas? I usually ask the basics like: Have you ever had a cat/kitten before and How long are you going to stay on Oahu-- but I feel like I need to expand my repertoire. If anyone on this site uses a script, I would love to see it.

Thanks, BB + CF

PS I am really bad at finding my old posts, but BB is better at it. I look forward to people's ideas and responses.

[Diavolo]

Get a load of this story. The local shelter had a "Doberman" up on their site. I called. She was on quarantine and I couldn't see her until 9/24. I called then. I still couldn't see her. I called four more times. No dice. Finally they called last Wednesday and said she could only be released to rescue and if I didn't come and get her by 5pm on Thursday it was all over for her. She came in as a starvation case. So at 4pm on Wednesday I got there and found this dog that was a lot of things but not a Doberman. Probably a German Pinscher. She's to their standard size wise. I couldn't leave her there to face the needle so I took this little shithead home. She's in heat. And she won't shut up and she's so damned cute, but Ike is intact so she can't roam free. And she attacked Rita so she can't roam free. Rita will kill her. If I don't first for the barking. Meet Sister, aka shithead.

[las68]

About 5 months ago, I picked up what I thought was a black Lab mix puppy off the interstate. Turns out he is a full Lab. I named him Dodge because he was dodging traffic on a busy Monday morning. Lol! I hadn't planned to keep him, but fell for his big brown eyes. I have never had a Lab. Is it common for them to chew on everything? Yesterday, while he was in his pool, he decided to chew on it and almost "ate" one side. He pulls rocks out of the flower beds to chew as well as solar lights.Silly pooch even chewed a small tree in half and was carrying it proudly around the backyard. He has a plethora of chew toys and I give him rawhide dental chews every day. He's about 8 months old now, will this ever end?

[Semantics]

With Hollywood once again glorifying horse racing I wanted to bring attention to what a cruel and inhumane sport it can be.




PETA on horse racing:

Horse Racing

They weigh more than 1,000 pounds, are supported by ankles the size of a human's, and are whipped and forced to run around tracks that are often made of hard-packed dirt at speeds of more than 30 miles per hour while carrying people on their backs. Racehorses are the victims of a multibillion-dollar industry that is rife with drug abuse, injuries, and race fixing, and many horses' careers end at the slaughterhouse.

Racing to the Grave
Horses begin training or are already racing when their skeletal systems are still growing and are unprepared to handle the pressures of competition racing on a hard track at high speeds. One study on injuries at racetracks concluded that one horse in every 22 races suffered an injury that prevented him or her from finishing a race, while another estimated that 3 thoroughbreds die every day in North America because of catastrophic injuries during races.

Strained tendons or hairline fractures can be tough for veterinarians to diagnose, and the damage may go from minor to irreversible at the next race or workout. Horses do not handle surgery well, and many are euthanized or sold at auction to save the owners further veterinary fees and other expenses for horses who can’t race again.

When popular racehorse Barbaro suffered a shattered ankle at the beginning of the 2006 Preakness, his owners spared no expense for his medical needs, but as The New York Times reported, "[M]any in the business have noted that had Barbaro not been the winner of the Kentucky Derby, he might have been destroyed after being injured."

Drugs and Deception
Trainers and veterinarians keep injured horses racing when they should be recovering by giving them a variety of legal drugs to mask pain and control inflammation. This leads to breakdowns because horses are able to run when, without the drugs, the pain would otherwise prevent them from trying.

Illegal drugs are also widely used. "There are trainers pumping horses full of illegal drugs every day," says a former Churchill Downs public relations director. "With so much money on the line, people will do anything to make their horses run faster." One trainer was suspended for using a drug similar to Ecstasy in five horses, and another has been kicked off racetracks for using clenbuterol and, in one case, for having the leg of a euthanized horse cut off "for research." A New York veterinarian and a trainer faced felony charges when the body of a missing racehorse turned up at a farm and authorities determined that her death had been caused by the injection of a "performance-enhancing drug."

Even the 'Winners' Lose
When they stop winning races or become injured, few racehorses are retired to pastures, because owners don't want to pay for a horse who doesn't bring in any money. Many end up in slaughterhouses in Canada, Mexico, or Japan, where they are turned into dog food and glue. Their flesh is also exported to countries such as France and Japan, where it is considered a delicacy.
Most horses who are sent to those facilities endure days of transport in cramped trailers where there is no access to water or food and injuries are common. Horses are subject to the same slaughter method as cows, but since horses are generally not accustomed to being herded, once together, they tend to thrash about in order to avoid being shot by the captive-bolt gun, which is supposed to render them unconscious before their throats are cut.

What You Can Do
Help phase out this exploitative "sport":

Refuse to patronize existing tracks and lobby against the construction of new tracks.

Support PETA's efforts to ensure that racing regulations are reformed and enforced. While horse racing should be eliminated entirely, the horses would benefit from a zero-tolerance drug policy, turf (grass) tracks only, a ban on whipping, and competitive racing only after their third birthdays.

Educate your friends and family about the tragic lives that racehorses lead.

http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-i...se-racing.aspx

[diamondrose]

I firmly believe animals have the short end of the stick in life. There should be more laws protecting animals. It amazes me how animals can go through hell and back , yet they are the true example of unconditional love.

I always adopt from animal shelters and always older animals. I adopted a pair of senior chihuahuas. The boy of the two sadly passed away janurary 2009. I had him 3 short years, yet I wouldn't have done a thing differently. He left knowing he was loved. I still have his companion.

For all those out there who help shelters in some way or another.. thank you. Animals can't speak for themselves, but we can speak for them . They have feelings just like any living thing!

[betenoire]

Originally Posted by las68

I have never had a Lab. Is it common for them to chew on everything?

I'm not an expert on Labs or anything...but. My parents have had three labs (one yellow lab when I was in highschool, and currently they have two chocolates) and all three of them were big-time chewers up until somewhere between a year and a half and two years. And even after they stopped chewing stuff they never stopped stealing stuff. Shoes, whatever is in your purse, the socks right off of your feet, dish towels, rocks from the garden. I don't know what that is all about.

I am pretty tempted to think it's a breed thing, because none of my parents non-lab dogs have been chewers (so it can't be something that my parents were or were not doing). They've had German Shepherds, Dalmatians, Rotties, and a Doberman and none of those dogs chewed up everything on the planet.

Despite the chewing - the labs are my favourites out of all of the dogs my parents have had. Such lovers!

[violaine]

he was six, and had been battling a recent medical condition, but grew fatigued; i was there with him during his transition, and know that he'll be busy for a while [chewing, bossing, popcorning, designing, et c]. thank goodness the other two pigs have bonded. star, made of mohawk and boar ways, always the love and light in my world. you're the best pig in the whole wide universe.

[Corkey]

Oh Belle, we will send Corkey and Socks to meet Star at the rainbow bridge.

[chefhottie25]

i have 2 rescue dogs and a rescue cat. they have been the greatest addition to my life. i volunteer sometimes at the humane society here. i really enjoy doing that. recently, my mom has adopted a retired seeing eye dog. he is a good old golden retreiver. i don't know how to get hooked up with that program. but maybe someone else does.

[Kenna]

Sadly,
I need to find homes for 2 adorable kittens and their playful, sweet Momma calico... (I'm so sorry Abby!! I wish it would have worked out about your landlord's pet policy. .... I'll do everything I can to make sure Harley is taken care of, promise.)

We rescued these babies and their very skinny Momma after a big rain storm...the kittens were so tiny and Harley was so sick. But they have THRIVED and have outgrown their indoor create.

I'm finding the shelters here are VERY different than in Pennsylvania. I've been told they would automatically put them down. Thank goodness winter isn't so bad here, since I had to make them an outdoor kennel and play area. I can't afford to get them "fixed" yet, and don't want a barn-yard full of feral kittens.

I'm really frustrated at the people who've been dumping off their pregnant Momma cats.... leaving the helpless kittens to fend for themselves against wild animals and other feral male cats.

[betenoire]

Originally Posted by Sweet

I'm finding the shelters here are VERY different than in Pennsylvania. I've been told they would automatically put them down. Thank goodness winter isn't so bad here, since I had to make them an outdoor kennel and play area. I can't afford to get them "fixed" yet, and don't want a barn-yard full of feral kittens.

I'm really frustrated at the people who've been dumping off their pregnant Momma cats.... leaving the helpless kittens to fend for themselves against wild animals and other feral male cats.

Best of luck to you, Sweet. You're doing a good thing.

I also found that the big shelters ("humane" society and the spca) were incredibly unhelpful. I get that they are overcrowded - but jesus!

What I found worked for me was I got everybody their first set of shots and THEN looked for homes for them. I advertised them on a local free classified site here and highlighted the fact that they had had their first set of shots, costing me $40 per kitten, and that I was asking for $20 for each kitten. My catchphrase was "It's a savings for you since you would have had to have gotten the kittens their shots anyway, and peace of mind for me knowing that they are going to live with someone who cares about them!"

The reason I did it that way is that it was stressed to me by both my vet and local rescue people that I spoke with that you NEVER offer up free kittens to strangers. Ever. People who take free kittens often treat them like free kittens. Having to hand over even $20 is a deterrent for anybody who has bad intentions (dog fighters, etc).

I just rehomed the last of the five who I was looking for homes for this morning (Mamma and four babies). It's absolutely doable, I promise.

EDIT - I just wanted to add that what I also found to be a smart move on my part was that I never let anybody come over right away. People would often call me and want to come over to see the kittens that very second - but I wouldn't let them. I always said that I was on my way out the door and made an appointment to have them come over the next day.

I ended up getting stood up a lot - but that was a good thing. I didn't want anybody to take one of my kittens on an impulse. I wanted them to be sure that this is what they wanted to do. If anybody still wanted a kitten after a day or two they would show up - the people who didn't end up showing up I know had thoughts things through overnight and had decided that they weren't really serious anyway. The woman who took the little girl kitten I actually started speaking with two weeks before she brought the kitten home (I had started advertising them before they were old enough to move out) and I felt VERY good about her because I had gotten to know her some and it was clear when she came to pick the kitten up that she was just as excited about it then as she was the first time she had called me.

People who impulse adopt animals are a big reason that we have the problems with unwanted animals that we do have. I didn't want to feed into that at all.

[Diavolo]

Originally Posted by Sweet

Sadly,
I need to find homes for 2 adorable kittens and their playful, sweet Momma calico... (I'm so sorry Abby!! I wish it would have worked out about your landlord's pet policy. .... I'll do everything I can to make sure Harley is taken care of, promise.)

We rescued these babies and their very skinny Momma after a big rain storm...the kittens were so tiny and Harley was so sick. But they have THRIVED and have outgrown their indoor create.

I'm finding the shelters here are VERY different than in Pennsylvania. I've been told they would automatically put them down. Thank goodness winter isn't so bad here, since I had to make them an outdoor kennel and play area. I can't afford to get them "fixed" yet, and don't want a barn-yard full of feral kittens.

I'm really frustrated at the people who've been dumping off their pregnant Momma cats.... leaving the helpless kittens to fend for themselves against wild animals and other feral male cats.

Try talking to Alley Cats they might be able to point you in the right direction. It's a good organization. I worked with them to Save Private Hammer. I'm the volunteer who met PFC Hammer in San Francisco, ran his little cat butt through Customs and handed him off to the volunteer who went to Denver with him.

[suebee]

Anybody have any suggestions how to encourage kittens to suckle? Have four new charges, two weeks old - mother died this morning. They really aren't showing much of a suckling instinct. Maybe it's just the rubber nipple on the bottle, but haven't had this much trouble actually getting kittens to suck before. Suggestions? Resources?
Any help would be much appreciated.
Sue

[FeminineAllure]

Originally Posted by suebee

Anybody have any suggestions how to encourage kittens to suckle? Have four new charges, two weeks old - mother died this morning. They really aren't showing much of a suckling instinct. Maybe it's just the rubber nipple on the bottle, but haven't had this much trouble actually getting kittens to suck before. Suggestions? Resources?
Any help would be much appreciated.
Sue

Hi Sue.

I hope this helps some.
http://www.hdw-inc.com/tinykitten.htm

http://www.feralcat.com/raising.html

First try finding a foster feline mother; breeders, veterinarians and animal shelters may know of nursing cats in your area. Try calling any "cat people" that you know for leads as well. Cats will very often feed kittens other than their own.

[suebee]

Originally Posted by FeminineAllure

Hi Sue.

I hope this helps some.
http://www.hdw-inc.com/tinykitten.htm

http://www.feralcat.com/raising.html

First try finding a foster feline mother; breeders, veterinarians and animal shelters may know of nursing cats in your area. Try calling any "cat people" that you know for leads as well. Cats will very often feed kittens other than their own.

Thanks for answering F.I.! Actually I guess I AM the cat person! lol Me and my partner and one of our closest friends. I raise kittens for both area shelters and my partner works at the vet clinic, so I guess I'm in touch with all the local expertise. The woman who has the other half of this litter is having a hard time getting them to suck too, and she's raised well over 300 kittens in the time she's been at this. So we're feeding them by syringe for now and will see if they take to the bottle tomorrow. Thanks for the links. I'll take a look at them tomorrow. For now - it's bed, cause that 4 AM feeding isn't far away. No need to set an alarm clock. Two of my dogs let me know when the babies are crying! Canine kitty-sitters, they are!