SUNDAY JUNE 9 2002
A most unbelievable day! - It begins with Arthur digging out of his kennel!
The day had already begun very badly with three employees out (due to one reason or another), leaving us really short-handed. Not good.
Then around 9:00 Randy's booming voice came over the walkie-talkie loud and clear, "Arthur is loose! I'm by the house! Someone get me a leash!" Within seconds Duane, Bobby and I reached Randy with leashes in hand. Randy was sitting on the ground holding Arthur next to him. This fellow is one mighty strong dog, and he wanted to play!
"How'd he get out?" was our next question, and as we all walked the fellow back to his kennel, we saw the huge hole he had dug beneath his kennel fence. Randy said that he had just walked a pair of dogs to the play yard when he heard all the dogs barking by Arthur's kennel, and when Randy glanced that way to see what the commotion was about, he saw Arthur headed full speed toward the play yard. Randy hurried out of the play yard and knelt down to grab the big fellow as he tried to fly by. We never make a big thing of an escape. We can never let the dogs think we've lost control.
When we put Arthur in his kennel, Randy kept Arthur occupied while Duane filled the hole and put several large 18"x18" square cement blocks on top, but we knew this was just a temporary fix. Arthur needed a friend to keep him happy.
Arthur meets pretty, year-old, Retriever-mix Candy!
The reason Arthur dug out is that he is lonely and needs a friend. He sees all the other pairs of dogs playing happily together, and he needs a companion too. He is out of quarantine now, and we were going to introduce him to one-year-old Retriever-mix Candy later today but figured now (immediately after the escape) would be the best time for the introduction. If the two dogs got along, Candy could go back to Arthur's kennel with him, and he'd have a very playful playmate, and therefore he wouldn't try to get out again. (We've found this to be true with every dog we've rescued. They all need a companion, unless they are extremely dog aggressive and are aggressive toward any and every dog we try to introduce them to.)
Arthur and Candy were introduced in the park, and they instantly became best friends. How beautiful for both of them. They ran and chased each other all over the park. We gave them about 15 minutes, and then back to Arthur's kennel they both went, and Arthur was so happy! Candy too.
Little pup Amber is back with Dallas now. Dallas is a quiet, older fellow, but this is good for Amber since she needs to remain quiet for the next few days because of her recent spay surgery.
Corey, new employee, falls and injures his knee!
After the Arthur incident everything was going along sort of okay (other than being so short-handed) when suddenly we heard Randy's voice over the walkie-talkie: "Man down! Mary's kennel. Hurry!" Geesh, I wondered as I hurried out the door: What does this mean? From the way Randy had said "Man down," it just sounded as if a "man was down in so-and-so's kennel." This happens all the time around here, and I wasn't sure what he meant by it. We've never had a "man down" before.
But this was serious. Corey, a new employee, had been working in Mary and Michael's kennel, and he tripped and fell hard on his knee. Randy had been walking another set of dogs to the park, and as he passed by Mary's kennel, he saw Corey take the fall.
We all rushed to Corey's aid and could instantly see that something was definitely wrong with his knee, and that Corey couldn't move. Bill called 911 for an ambulance and it didn't take long before the ambulance and the five EMTs (emergency medical technicians) arrived.
Corey told us that probably his knee cap had popped out of place, because this had happened to him before years ago when he was riding in a rodeo, so he seemed to know exactly what the problem was, and the EMTs agreed that it was his knee cap.
The four men and one woman lifted Corey onto the gurney and it took a bit of manuvering to get the gurney out of the dog kennel. (Bill took some photos.) I was just worried that one of the attendants would slip or trip in one of the many dog holes, and we'd then have another injury to deal with!
Duane went with Corey to the hospital, and the latest report is that Corey is fine, he has a leg brace on to keep his knee cap in place, and he was released just a few hours after his arrival at the hospital. This was great news to hear. He may even be able to come back to work (with leg brace on) in another few days. We will definitely keep him off kennel duty for a while!
Job interview came to a halt
It was just shortly after the ambulance arrived and we were in the middle of helping Corey when a perspective employee came for a scheduled job interview. What a scene for a job applicant to walk into--ambulance lights flashing, all of us and five EMTs hovering around one of our employees lying on the ground in a dog kennel.
I explained to the potential employee what had taken place and asked if he could come back tomorrow--this just wasn't a good time for an interview. Hopefully he will be back. [We never heard from him again.]
Back to a skeleton crew!
With Corey out now and Duane going to the hospital with Corey we were left with Randy and Bobby and hobbly ol' me to finish up all the dog duties of the day. (Bill was inside updating this website and working on the upcoming newsletter, which we've GOT to get out ASAP, cuz we're running out of money, AND Bill has to pay all the Straydog bills and keep up with all the financial and fund-raising part of this mission, and Bill has only Saturday and Sunday to do the office work that should take a person a five-day workweek to do.
We've got to get more help!
Guy is out with kidney problems. Tina is out with a sprained ankle (injury incurred at her house). Beth quit due to the hot weather. Corey is out now for possibly a week, and he will be on "light" duty here when he does comes back.
What
else could possibly go wrong today?
Snowflake gets sick!
As I was walking back to the house, after explaining to the perspective employee to come back tomorrow for the interview, Bill (who was working on this website update and our upcoming newsletter) opened the kitchen door and called to me to "Hurry! Snowflake is throwing up!" For Snowflake to vomit could be a sign that she is very sick again.
I rushed into the kitchen where Snow stays in a large open kennel that takes up the entire trailer dining area, and I picked Snowflake up. While I held her, Bill removed her messy bedding and put down fresh clean sheets. I gave Snow a natural tummy-soothing remedy and took her outside for a little fresh air. Her bowel movement was good earlier today (always a good sign), so hopefully this is just a case of an upset stomach and will pass. We'll be keeping a very close watch on her.
SUNDAY EVENING:
Arthur and Candy have been having a ball together!
Arthur is so happy to have his new little playmate in the kennel with him that he has been acting goofy, and extremely playful with her, all day! Candy finally got tired of running all around their big kennel playfully tussling with her new friend and she stretched out in the cool damp sand beneath their porch top to take a snooze. Then we could hear Arthur "talking" to Candy as he danced around her trying to entice her to get up and play with him some more!
Seeing how happy these two dogs are together, is the one bright spot to our very lousy day.
Maybe tomorrow will be better.
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*Pat's Daily Dog Log - LAST WEEK - June 2 - 8, 2002
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*Pat's Daily Dog Log - 7 WEEKS AGO - April 21 - 27, 2002
*Photo Pages - 7 WEEKS AGO - April 21 - 27, 2002 - POSTED
*Saturday Adoption Day: June 15, 2002
*Dogs for Adoption - Shannon's page
Candy needs a loving family to adopt her
Candy is a Retriever/Shepherd mix with pretty, soft, Golden Retriever fur, and she is just a little over a year old. She has been spayed and has had all of her vaccinations. Candy weighs about 38 pounds and is fully grown.
Candy was found with her four siblings when she was a small puppy. The pups had been abandoned along a roadside and left to fend for themselves. There was no one to feed them or take care of them, no human contact for possibly months. This is the reason Candy is shy when she first meets new people, but once she gets to know them well, she becomes a bouncy, happy, playful puppy dog.
Candy's brothers and sisters were rescued with Candy, and they all have found good homes. Candy is happy here but she wants to be adopted by a loving family too.
Candy wants everyone to know that she is a sweet, affectionate little dog, and she has much love to give if just given a chance.
Candy's Health Notes: Her little hips are not perfect, but they cause her no trouble, and her doctor said that she should live a normal life, just like all other little dogs.
If you would like to adopt Candy, please call me (Pat) at our Happy Home for Strays at 903-479-3497.
Contributor/Adoption Day Volunteer Mary Anne is planning a Garage Sale
Mary Anne, one of our Straydog volunteers, who has donated her time on many Saturdays to help out with our adoption days, is planning a Garage Sale for Straydog to help raise funds for our shelter.
Excerpts from e-mail from Mary Anne to Straydog:
GARAGE SALE
Date: Saturday, June 29
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Where: 5451 Richard Avenue in Dallas
To contribute items for the
garage sale, please call Mary Anne at (214) 525-2078 or e-mail
at MaryAnne.Hifler@iesg.com no later than Sunday, June 23. Donations
include anything you would typically find at a garage/yard sale,
such as clothes, knick-knacks, collectibles, some small furniture,
etc. Rule of thumb is that items must fit in a Mustang, as leftovers
will be taken to Goodwill.
Volunteers to help staff the sale would be appreciated. I will
coordinate schedules and those interested can reach me at the
above number/e-mail address. I will bake some goodies and have
lemonade, soda, etc., on hand, so refreshments will be taken care
of!
Directions to 5451 Richard Avenue: From I-75 Central Expressway,
exit Mockingbird Lane. East on Mockingbird Lane about .5 mile
and turn south (right) onto McMillan (has a stoplight, Burger
King will be to your right). South on McMillan about 1.5 miles
to Richard Avenue. West (right) onto Richard Avenue. 5451 Richard
is the third house on the right (yellow & white prairie).
(Map to be included later.)
One more thing: Does anyone have any long tables that I could
use? That's the only thing I would need that I lack now.
Thanks!
Mary Anne
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HELP MARY ANNE, please give her a call.
and she continues to
run the shelter via walkie-talkie and phone in addition to hobbling
around on (and off) crutches both outside and inside throughout
the day.
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