Straydog UPDATE posted THURSDAY 3/20/03 at ~9:37 p.m. CT

Pat Arnold's Daily Dog Log

THURSDAY MARCH 20 2003

Pit Bull caught in bait trap at Tenison Gulf Course in Dallas

      All of us were very sad yesterday because of Davey's passing, and then to get a call about a Pit Bull female who desperately needed help didn't make the afternoon go any better.

      This stray dog, whom Pam had inadvertently captured in one of a couple of bate traps set out near the barn at Tenison Golf Course in Dallas to try to capture/rescue Jesse-Bear's father and sibling (still on the loose at the golf course), had been picked up by Animal Control and taken to the pound a few days ago. Pam, a rescuer of dogs (including The Tenison Golf Course Stray Dog Family), had tried unsuccessfully for days to find a safe haven for this sickly looking Pit, but no person wanted her, and no rescue group would take her. The dog's last day to live was up yesterday, and this morning she was scheduled to be euthanized if no one could be found to take her.

Straydog to the rescue

      Though we're full and running very low on funds, we told Pam we'd take this dog.

"Nikki" went straight from the pound in Dallas to our vet clinic in Athens

      At 8:00 this morning Guy went to rescue the sickly dog from the pound, and Straydog immediately became the guardian of Nikki.

      After Guy picked Nikki up from the pound, he took her directly to our vet clinic. I met Guy there with another dog, Duke, who was going in for a checkup, so both Guy and I were at the clinic when the doctor examined Nikki.

      Nikki is a very sweet dog and appears to be about two years old. She appeared to be just plain worn out and is much too thin, and from the scars on her face, ears and body it is obvious that she has had a terribly rough life. She is about 20 pounds underweight, the doctor said, but we can solve that easily with good nourishing food. Nikki looks sick, and just as both the doctor and I suspected Nikki tested positive for heartworms, which she will be treated for after she regains her health, probably a month or so from now. The doctor will give Nikki her vaccinations and make sure she has a nice bath right away , and then this afternoon she is scheduled for spay surgery, and the doctor will also x-ray her hips to determine the extent of her injuries. Nikki will stay at the clinic tonight, and the doctor will call us tomorrow to fill us in on the results of the rest of her examination.

Several strikes against Nikki

      This unwanted stray dog had several strikes against her. To begin with she was born a Pit Bull, a sweet Pit Bull. Unfortunately many people don't understand or appreciate the individual personality of each individual dog. If you say "Pit " to most people, they don't want to have anything to do with the dog.

      Being a Pit Bull is also reason enough for many shelters not to accept a dog. The shelter directors I spoke with said that Nikki would be put down immediately because of her breed.

      Nikki also appears to have some sort of injury to her back or her hips, and according to many people this makes her "defective," and not many people want a dog who is not PERFECT.

      Nikki had been a very unwanted Pit Bull stray dog, who was sickly and injured. Thanks to Pam Nikki was rescued, and now she has a home here with us, where she will be loved and well cared for until the day some understanding person falls in love with the wonderful dog that she is and wants to adopt her.

Yea! Sally and Alice, two other new arrivals (rescued from Tenison Golf Course in Dallas) are going on a home visit tomorrow (Friday)!

      We are so excited and happy for these two new arrivals, Sally and her companion friend, Alice. A wonderful family read about them on our website, and their little seven-year-old daughter fell in love with their pictures, and now the family is interested in adopting them both! They understand that the dogs have a very strong bond between them, and the family wants them to be kept together. Tomorrow Guy and I will take Sally and Alice to meet the family. If the two dogs are as gentle with the child as they are here with grown-ups, they will have a wonderful new home.

Mama Laura goes to the big play yard for the very first time!

      This was the day to take Laura and her son, Jesse, to the play yard, fitting them into our dog-walking schedule now that they are out of quarantine. Laura is very friendly and now lets all of us pet her, and she was only a little hesitant about having the soft cloth leash slipped over her head to be walked the short distance to the play yard.

Tina leads a somewhat reluctant Mama Dog Laura from her and Jesse's kennel. Note Jesse standing in the background wondering where is mother is going.

Jesse says, "NO! I don't want to go!"

      Jesse has been much more cautious than his mom around all of us. He will let me pet him when he chooses to be petted, and I thought that when he saw his mom trotting happily to the play yard, he'd want to follow. But I was wrong. He wanted no part of a leash being put over his head! He kept walking away from me, and around, and around his shelter we went, with Jesse staying just a few steps ahead of me, occasionally barking his displeasure at seeing his mom leave him!

      I opened their feeding gate, which is at the corner of their kennel facing the play yard, anticipating that Jesse would go inside to get a closer look at his mom, and that's exactly what he did! When he went in, I was right behind him and quickly shut the gate! The fellow was stuck with me close to him now. With Jesse seeing that there was no way for him to get away from me he just sat still and hung his head. I slowly slipped the leash over his head and opened the gate hoping he'd walk with me to the play yard, but he was a very stubborn fellow and did not move an inch.

      Realizing that it is going to take Jesse quite a while to get used to the leash, then a longer while to be walked with someone Holding the leash, I just sat beside him (leaving the leash hanging loosely around his furry neck) and I petted him and talked to him, and gave him treats until his mom was brought back after her nice outing in "the park."

      Laura had a good first trip to the park with caregiver Tina, and as soon as Tina brought Laura back to the kennel Jesse came out of the feeding gated area, the leash was removed, and the dogs had a few more treats, pats on the head, and I assured Jesse that we'd be back tomorrow, to try again. ... And life goes on.