Excerpts from Pat's Daily Dog Log:

MONDAY AUGUST 7 2000 Raven is hurt and takes trip to clinic with Puppies Pixie and Dixie, who go for their spaying surgery

This morning I had a scheduled appointment with the vet for Pixie and Dixie, the big pups who joined our Happy Home for Strays last week, to go into the clinic for their spaying surgery. We ended up also taking along new arrival, Raven (the black Lab mix who had been abandoned at our local vet clinic) because she appeared to have hurt herself and wouldn't stand up this morning during breakfast.

By 7:15 a.m. Randy had the pups in their car travel crates ready to go to the clinic and then he carried Raven to the car. We decided at the last minute that Randy would go with me to help carry the frightened, big pups (we guessed these big fellas' weight at about 30 pounds or more now) and to carry Raven, who couldn't walk.

Once at the clinic we took the pups in first, and the technicians took them to get them ready for their operations. Raven was next, and the doctor examined Raven's back and legs very carefully and decided she needed x-rays taken. We were becoming a bit worried wondering what the problem was.

Raven's diagnosis came back: A slightly separated pelvis

This news sounded terrible to me, but the doctor assured us it was nothing serious and that a few weeks quiet time in a kennel by herself would have her up and running around again. The doctor said she could have "done the splits" while she and her kennel companion, big, playful Jake, were chasing each other around their kennel, or maybe Raven had been bumped too hard by Jake. The vet gave us some pain medication for Raven, which he said would help a lot, and by the time we got back home, Raven was up and walking again.

When Raven came to our Happy Home for Strays last week, we introduced her to Jake, and they became instant friends. They are both very playful dogs and had a great time playing together during their introduction in the park, so we made them kennel companions. Now in order to help Raven heal her separated pelvis, she will need to stay quiet for these next few weeks, so she'll have to be in a "recovery kennel" by herself. And I guess since Jake may be a bit too powerfully playful for her, we'll put Raven with a less rowdy fellow once she is better.

TUESDAY AUGUST 8 2000 Mike comes again to visit his "kids"

Today's visit went great. We took little Pete and Stevie to the park to visit with their new dad, Mike, and all went just fine. Stevie is gradually getting to know his new dad, and little Pete gets along well with everyone, right from the start. Mike spent lots of time with his boys, and will be back again next week for another visit.

The attempted rescue of a Husky mix is going on in Dallas

This is still part of an ongoing rescue being carried out by Betty, an animal lover and stray rescuer in Dallas. She has rescued many animals, brought them back to good health and has tried to find them good homes. Betty has 10 dogs right now which she is caring for in her home and is trying to rescue a Husky mix who apparently had been dumped, along with two other dogs, at a wooded area near a highway, which seems to be a "dog dumping" zone.

Betty goes to this area of abandoned dogs, tries to befriend the helpless animals and then rescues them. Now she was "out of homes" in which to place any more dogs and called me several days ago hoping we could take in new Husky mix--if she could catch the dog. She had exhausted all possibilities to place the dog, if caught, and has nowhere else to turn and cannot possibly take in another dog at her home. Her dog-care financial situation was at a dangerous low (as ours often is), but I told Betty that Straydog would help cover veterinary expenses for the dog.

Also hanging out with this Husky mix stray are two Pitt Bulls, which she has been trying to find homes for. This has become a desperate situation, Betty said, because the Pitt Bulls attacked another stray that had joined the pack recently, and now that the Husky had joined the pack, Betty feared that the Pitt Bulls would attack the Husky too. Betty had called animal control about this problem but had no positive response so took it upon herself to try and rescue the animals.

Betty said that she finally found help from a man who will try to rescue the Pitt Bulls and care for them, and Betty is going to try to rescue the Husky mix, whom she needed to place, if caught. I told Betty that we would take the Husky. (Last night the "rescue of dogs" was to take place.)

A dog is rescued, but it's not the Husky!

The phone call from Betty early this morning filled me in on last night's rescue, which did not quite go as planned--yet we are taking a dog from this rescue:

Betty and her friend went to the densely wooded "dog dumping area" yesterday afternoon, and called to the dogs who finally appeared from the woods. Her friend was able to capture the two Pitt Bulls who came up to them and were very friendly to the man, and a few minutes later the Husky appeared, along with a new little friend, a black Lab mix.

The Husky and the Lab both appeared to be very friendly dogs. While the man was putting the Pitt Bulls in his car, Betty said she attempted get the Husky, but when she tried to put a leash around the Husky's neck, the dog suddenly became frightened, bolted away from Betty and took off running back into the wooded hiding area. The Lab ran too, but then turned and came right back. Betty picked him up and took him to the car for safe keeping.

The Husky was nowhere in sight by the time Betty got back from her car. She looked all over for the Husky, but she couldn't find the dog.

Now Betty had an "unplanned for" pooch with her, and it was beginning to get dark. Assuming that we would take this dog in place of the Husky, she went ahead and followed through with our "Husky Rescue Plans," which included taking the rescued dog to a vet in Dallas (who is open all night), board the dog for safe keeping and begin any needed treatment, which for this fellow would be an immediate bath (or dip) for fleas and ticks. It was near 11:00 p.m. by the time she got back home from the rescue mission and vet visit.

When she called this morning, she hoped what she had done was okay, and I assured her that it was. Betty named the dog "Champ," and he will receive his vaccinations and a much needed dip for fleas and ticks. Betty said that his ears were literally covered with huge ticks as well as having ticks all over his body.

"Champ" will be joining our Happy Home for Strays this Saturday. I've already made an appointment for him to be neutered next week (the earliest I could get him scheduled).

[UPDATE on the Husky: Betty found and rescued the Husky two days later and found a foster home for the dog.]

THURSDAY AUGUST 10 2000 Little Prince has hip dysplasia

This precious dog was just diagnosed with hip dysplasia this morning during our early morning vet visit. Yesterday Prince began limping, and we could tell his back left let was really hurting him, so I took him to the doctor first thing today. (Hip dysplasia is an inherited deformity of the hip joint. )

After carefully examining Little Prince, the doctor said that he has hip dysplasia pretty bad in both hips and gave me some pain medication for Prince.

Poor Little Prince is really hurting right now. We'll fix him up tho! We have quite a few dogs at our Happy Home for Strays with hip dysplasia: Fritz, Teddy, Pup, Sandy, Bishop, Danny Boy, Bobby, Briar, Pokey and now Little Prince. They are all on a special diet and are all doing fine .

(Someone once asked me why so many of our dogs have hip dysplasia. The fact is that hip dysplasia is an epidemic throughout the United States. One by one we found out about our dogs' hip problems when we suspected something was wrong by their unusual gate. Whenever we notice this, we have the dogs checked right away so that we can begin treatment.)

FRIDAY AUGUST 11 2000 Major doggie "moves" going on!

Because the three big pups (Buster, Pixie and Dixie) had re-formed into their little family pack and were seeming to be satisfied that no one else in the world could come near them, we decided to separate them and move each in with a happy adult kennel companion. We also had to move Little Prince to a quiet recovery kennel, and all this involved lots of rearranging and took most of the day to accomplish!

The results:

Bailey now has Big Pup Pixie as his companion in his big kennel. Pixie loves him! This was a perfect match. Both are very playful dogs. All went very well with this move.

Tommy now has Big Pup Dixie as his companion, and all went very well with this move. These fellas are both pretty laid back doggies and should get along fine.

Tipper now has Buster as her companion. She's letting this big pup know right from the start that she's the boss, and that's okay with him. The move went very well.

Moving the pups turned out to be a very good idea. Now each pup is in with a happy, well adjusted adult dog. As soon as these three "people fearful" pups become people friendly, they will be available for adoption. So far every time we even try to pick one of them up, they squeal as if we're hurting them.

Prince has moved into his "recovery kennel," which is right beside Raven's recovery kennel, and this is close to our house so Little Prince is happy.

All of today's above-mentioned moves were a big success! Plus: (1) a much needed new kennel went up, and Jake moved into this new kennel; (2) many doggie swimming pools were patched; and (3) we're worn out!

Tomorrow Randy will disinfect the quarantine kennel (where the pups had been till today), and this kennel will then be ready for the new fellow, Champ, the rescued Lab who will be dropped off at Petsmart during our adoption day, and brought home tomorrow night.

SATURDAY AUGUST 12 2000 Another Adoption Day in Dallas

Five dogs traveled to Dallas for the day (in a used van Bill bought last week, the use of which Bill is donating to Straydog Inc.), and six dogs came home!

New fellow "Champ" joins our Happy Home

Around 2:30 in the afternoon Betty brought Champ to us at Petsmart. She had just picked him up from her vet clinic, and she was bringing him to join us for the ride home from Adoption Day at Petsmart. We had brought an extra travel kennel for him.

What a sweet dog Champ is! He appears to be a Lab mix, about a year old and full of energy! This abandoned little dog had had a rough time (as all abandoned dogs do) after being left to fend for himself . About a third of his right ear had been bitten off and the huge ticks that had covered both ears left big lumps all over his ears, which were now dry and brittle, split and scabby.

Champ received good care while at the clinic where Betty had taken him and was on medication for the dog bite and had been treated for hookworms. I'm going to take him to our vet this Monday morning to see if there is anything more we can do to help treat his ears. He is already scheduled to be neutered next week.

It was a fairly quiet adoption day, and all the dogs received lots of attention from the many nice people who came over to pet and visit with the dogs. No dogs, however, were adopted today.

One man seemed very interested in adopting Jake, but he needs to think about it.

By 6:30 p.m. we arrived home (after being stuck in a huge traffic jam on LBJ, the eight-lane divided highway that goes around Dallas). We finally got all the dogs settled in their kennels, including the new fellow, Champ. Then I fed Champ a good meal and gave him his medication.

Next I treated his very sore ears and stayed with him for a while to help him feel loved and comfortable in his new home.

It's been a busy day and a busy week.

If any of you would like to volunteer your dog-caring services to help us out on our Saturday Petsmart Adoption afternoons, we'd love to hear from you. Please call me if you are able to help. Thank you. Pat (903) 479-3497

We continue to thank all of you for you financial and moral support, which has made it possible to save the lives of these wonderful dogs, give them the care they need and adopt them into good, loving homes.

Not only is it the morally higher choice to spay and neuter before more puppies and kittens are conceived rather than to euthanize millions of healthy young dogs and cats after they are born, but it is also a stupid waste of taxpayer money to deal with the overpopulation problem using the catch and kill method.

Year after year after year we Americans spend more money catching and KILLING surplus dogs and cats than it would cost us to put an end to the overpopulation problem of companion animals in one fell swoop by way of a massive spay and neuter campaign. In fact, with adequate funding we, as a society, could achieve companion animal population control--WITHOUT KILLING--before the next reproductive cycle is upon us.

The war on unplanned dog and cat pregnancies can end almost immediately if WE collectively decide to make it end!

Straydog's Proposed Plan of Action:

• FIRST: We must educate the millions and millions of Americans who are still unaware that there IS an overpopulation problem. With newspaper, radio and television ads we must immediately bombard the unaware portion of the public, and we must keep up a massive media campaign until we finally DO make everyone aware of how dire the situation is and how simple the solution can and will be.

 

• SECOND: Once everyone has been made aware of the overpopulation problem, we must, as a society, perhaps for just a limited period of time (possibly no longer than the length of one reproductive cycle in dogs and cats) make available free spaying or neutering for any dog or cat taken to any of the (yet-to-be-established) program veterinary clinics throughout the country.

 

• THIRD: With a drastic reduction in puppy and kitten births, the population of animal shelters will diminish rapidly. A solid plan must then be implemented to maintain the population of dogs and cats at a low enough level to ensure no more surplus, no more killing.

 

Straydog Inc. hopes to begin a SPAY & NEUTER campaign in our local area ASAP. We plan to run the above "Plan of Action" as an advertisement in our local papers, in which we will be asking that those who cannot afford to have their pets spayed and neutered apply to the "Straydog Spay & Neuter Fund" for financial assistance. Would you please consider implementing a similar campaign in your area?

Please continue to support Straydog (our Happy Home for Strays) AND please also contribute to the "Straydog Spay & Neuter Fund." Let us together end this horrible overpopulation problem the humane way: via spay and neuter rather than euthanasia.