Straydog, our Happy Home for Strays
(The hexagon is the "Big Play Yard," which we usually refer to as "the park")
Straydog is a "lifeboat" (and sanctuary) for rescued dogs. A vacant spot in a kennel is an empty seat in our "lifeboat," so please, if you're interested in adopting a dog, see our "Dogs for Adoption" links below, or call to inquire about dogs you may have seen recent photos of but who may not yet be included in our "Dogs for Adoption" links. And please continue to support us. We will continue to row this "lifeboat" to shore, dropping off rescued dogs into the arms of good adopters, and we will continue to fill the space left vacant by each adopted dog with another desperate homeless dog for as long as we can hold on (financially). We believe that our example (and the example of all other no-kill shelters) must be publicized to wake people up and make them aware of the necessity to SPAY and NEUTER their pets so that homeless dog-rescue "lifeboats" will no longer be necessary. (Ditto for cats!)
Pat's Daily Dog Log
SUNDAY APRIL 27 2003
A friend of Straydog, Cher, and her friends hold garage sale for Straydog
Cher emailed me several days ago mentioning that she and several friends were going to have a big garage sale Saturday, April 26th, and the proceeds would be donated to our Happy Home for Strays. What a nice thing to do for us!
Garage sale proceeds of $265.00 are donated to our shelter, and a couple make generous contribution too
This morning we received a happy note from Cher saying the garage sale they had yesterday was a big success and brought in $265.00 for Straydog. In addition Cher said she was really surprised that evening when a couple they had dinner with wanted to make a contribution to Straydog too, and they gave a very generous donation of $250.00!
Thank you, Cher and friends, for helping Straydog so much, and we'd like to thank the couple who made the generous donation to our shelter too.
Sally and Alice have a grand time back at their Happy Home for Strays
Alice and Sally, who were adopted on March 21st and were returned to our Happy Home for Strays yesterday, seem to have adjusted to their life back here with us without a problem. Yesterday when we brought them back to our shelter, they remembered their kennel, and all of us, and today they knew right away when it was their turn to go to the big play yard for their outing.
Sally and Alice had a grand time running all around the big yard, chasing each other and stirring up the dogs who reside in the kennels surrounding the park. It is nice to know that their failed adoption has not adversely affected them.
Little puppy Rex , who was also returned yesterday, is doing just fine too
This little 10-week-old fellow, who was returned because the person who had adopted him thought he was too aggressive, is just as sweet, loving, affectionate, playful and mischievous as his six brothers and sisters. There is no "aggressive behavior" problem with little Rex, and he's ready to try another home.
Nikki continues to be watched closely
The heartworm disease treatment is being taken much more seriously than usual for Nikki (as it is for Laura) because the disease is in an advanced stage, as is the case with Laura. Serious complications could develop because of the treatment, and the scare we had with her last Friday makes us all continue to keep a very close watch over Nikki. Dr. Morton has called us several times this weekend to see how his patient is doing, and we are very relieved that so far she has had no recurrence of the coughing episode that caused her to be rushed to the clinic Friday.
Yesterday
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Straydog UPDATE posted SATURDAY 4/26/03 at ~9:47 p.m. CT
Pat's Daily Dog Log
SATURDAY APRIL 26 2003
Jack and Jill dig over to see Chubs and Cassie
As I went outside to take something to the van for our trip to Adoption Day in Dallas, I happened to glance at Chubs and Cassie's kennel, and what a surprise it was to see Jack wading around in Chubs' swimming pool, and Jill was just crawling through the hole Jack had dug to get into Chubs and Cassie's kennel. It seemed that Cassie and Chubs, who were snoozing, didn't even notice the intruders until Guy and I went into the kennel to get Jack and Jill out. (Sorry, no photos of this event.)
Guy filled the doggie hole with concrete blocks, and I decided we'd introduce all four pups to each other in the big play yard later today when we had more time. (Remember, Jack [we think] is totally blind and totally deaf; Jill is totally deaf but has some vision in her right eye; Chubs can hear but he was born with no eyes; and Cassie is a normal Black Lab.]
Later Jack and Jill meet Chubs and Cassie in the play yard
In the afternoon Danielle and I took Chubs and Cassie and Jack and Jill to the play yard for the puppy introduction. It didn't go so well. Jack and Jill, even with their handicaps, did fairly okay, as nothing phases these little Aussie pups (tho Jack did look concerned occasionally), but Chubs and especially Cassie are just too big to play with Jack and Jill. Cassie is just as sweet and gentle as can be and she was very playful, but because of her big puppy-dog size she really overpowered the little pups as she tried to play with them, which wasn't fair to the smaller fellas. Chubs didn't know what was going on, and he became very cautious and tried to stay away from the action. (It's hard to imagine what images Chubs had in his brain from the sounds of these other two pups in the play yard with him and Cassie, and then it's even harder to imagine what images Jack might have in his brain receiving only smell and touch to make a "picture" of his world.)
Maybe when Jack and Jill are a little bigger we'll try again.
No dogs adopted today, and the expected three returns are returned
Another slow Adoption Day today. None of our pups was adopted, and the three fellas who were expected to be returned to our shelter are back with us now.
During the Adoption Day session Guy went to pick up little puppy Rex from the woman who wanted to return him, and Guy brought the adorable little tyke back to Canine Commissary to be reunited with the four of his siblings who were themselves trying to get adopted out at Adoption Day. Rex and his brothers and sisters were all happy to see each other again! Everyone noticed that Rex (thought to be a very aggressive pup) is just as sweet and playful as ever. Perhaps his puppy playfulness was misunderstood as aggressive behavior. I think all puppies show the wolf aggressiveness in their genes while they're very young. Just look at the photos and videos of Jack and Jill, who are purebred Australian Shepherds. (See yesterday's Dog Log entry.)
On the way home from Adoption Day Guy and Kim stopped to pick up Sally and Alice, who were being returned to us from the family who had adopted them on March 21st because the father's allergies had become really bad recently.
Sally and Alice had been very well cared for, and they are as beautiful as ever! When Guy and Kim arrived back at the shelter, Sally and Alice were brought to their kennel first. The dogs remembered us and seemed happy to be back in their old kennel as they investigated their wooden shelter with its two dog houses within and their kennel yard.
After getting Sally and Alice situated, we took Rex and four of Rosie's other pups, who had made the trip to Dallas today, back to their kennel. We wanted to see how Rex's mommy would accept her little son who had been away from her for two weeks.
Rosie rolled the little fellow over as she sniffed every inch of his small body
As soon as we put Rex in the kennel with his mom and siblings, Rosie rolled her little son over and over sniffing every inch of his body. I guess she finally realized that Rex was her son, and she was content and let Rex play with his brothers and sisters. What a fun rough-and-tumble time the seven puppies had!
Ricky (Rosie's other previously adopted puppy) will be staying with his new family
We thought that Ricky (Rex's identical twin brother) might be returned to our shelter today too, but I just spoke with Puppy Ricky's dad, and he said that when they took Ricky for his second puppy vaccination recently and asked the vet about the possibility of Ricky having Pit Bull blood, the vet said that the only Pit Bulls who are mean and aggressive in this world are those who are raised to be that way and left chained to a tree most of the time. Ricky's new parents realize now that if they raise the little fellow in a loving, happy family atmosphere, he will grow up to be a happy (non-aggressive) adult dog. (I believe this is true of all puppies.) The new mom and dad love little Ricky and will be keeping him.
They took Ricky to a gathering this morning where there were other puppies and dogs, and Ricky loved all the socialization with the animals as well as with the children and adults.
So, it seems as if this little tyke has found his forever family after all. We are very happy for the little fella.
A Note from Bill ...
Pat's above statement that if a pup is raised "in a loving, happy family atmosphere, he will grow up to be a happy (non-aggressive) adult dog" is true, but it does not necessarily mean that dogs of the more aggressive breeds (even though raised to be docile) can be taken to a dog park and released to run and play with dozens of other dogs. Dog owners must be much more careful with more aggressive breeds. Please see the article in the April 25, 2003 Dallas Morning News entitled "The Pooch playground has a few too many bully dogs."
It continues to amaze us that so many people remain ignorant of the possibly tragic outcomes of allowing their dogs to run free in a dog park not knowing the personality and upbringing of every other dog in the park. And it's a shame that it takes the horror of a dog fight (along with hundreds of dollars in vet bills to patch the dogs back up) to educate many people about the ever-present possibility of a bloody skirmish anytime two or more dogs who don't know each other are suddenly let loose together.
As we've said before, we have never had a dog fight at our shelter because we take great precautions to avoid dog fights--not letting them happen. We learned to be extra careful after witnessing and having to break up a total of three dog fights between two of our family dogs 20 years ago. Needless to say, after the third fight we split up the two combatant dogs, and they had to stay separated for the rest of their lives. We should have learned this lesson after the first fight, because once two dogs fight, they will never again be compatible.
*Pat Arnold's Daily Dog Log
LAST WEEK:
* Heather has visitors, but no adoption [PHOTO];
* Border Collie Billie adopted and picked up by new dad [PHOTOS].
* I visit new arrival, Redd, and bring Lassie home [PHOTOS];
* A bunch of pups and dogs go to the vet clinic;
* X-rays show Heather's hips okay;
* Rosie's six remaining pups get their exams and second puppy vaccinations.
* Redd goes to live at Joel's home;
* Puppy Rex is being returned;
* Nikki coughs up blood; rushed to vet;
* Rosie & six pups go to park 1st time [PHOTOS];
* Rex's brother Ricky may be returned too [PHOTO];
* Border Collie Billy is doing great at new home!
WEEK BEFORE LAST:
* The vet removes the kirschner from Betsy's healing broken leg;
* UPDATE on Stevie and Little Pete, adopted by the Nicholsons over two years ago;
* Blind Dog Stevie "himself" writes Pat an email message [PHOTO].
* Visitors come to meet and visit with Blind Chubs and Sister Cassie;
* Elaine and Mel Munch visit and donate a riding lawn mower.
*Adoption Day Saturday, May 3 - PetsMart on Central at Parker in Plano (Texas)
*Our Dogs for Adoption - Volunteer Shannon's page
*Our Mission & How We Got Started
*"Goodbye, Danny Boy." - An example of the only acceptable use of euthanasia
If you would like to help with our ever-growing vet bill, donations can be sent directly to:
A Note from Bill ...
We want to thank those who have already donated to Straydog after receiving (via regular U.S. mail) our April 2003 Newsletter. For those of you who are not on our mailing list (which we would be glad to add you to if you would like to receive hard copy in the future) we provide the following links:
*Click here to go to the HTML version of our April 2003 Newsletter
*Click here for continuation of our homepage with no changes to the continuation in several weeks
