Straydog, our Happy Home for Strays
(The hexagon is "The Big Play Yard," which we usually refer to as "the park")
(Photo taken May 2002)
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!)
Bill Arnold's Daily Straydog Log
SUNDAY JULY 13 2003
A very sad day at Straydog
It's been a very hot and sunny day today, and everyone worked extra hard out in the weather caring for the dogs. We've all been feeling very, very sad about the loss of Little Lassie.
See the complete story of yesterday's events below:
Yesterday
...
Straydog UPDATE posted SATURDAY 7/12/03 at ~9:00 p.m. CT
Bill Arnold's Daily Straydog Log
SATURDAY JULY 12 2003
SATURDAY MORNING UPDATE ON LASSIE:
Shannon took the overnight shift with Lassie
I sat with Lassie for the first part of Friday evening and went to bed about 11:00. Erin sat with Lassie from 11:00 till about 1:30 a.m. Saturday morning, at which time Erin went home to take care of her own three dogs--all former strays.
Shannon took over and lay down in the kitchen kennel with Little Lassie for the next four hours when Bill got up to take over. Shannon reported that Lassie urinated a lot throughout the night and would wake up each time and would try to get up. Shannon would hold Lassie to comfort her and would change the puppy pads and replace them with new, dry ones.
I took over Lassie duty at 5:30 a.m. and Shannon prepared food and insulin for (diabetic dog) Julie's six a.m. meal and insulin injection, which Shannon took care of. Then Shannon went to bed.
Dr. Morton called to check on Little Lassie at 7:00 a.m.
After I told the doctor how the night had gone with Shannon plus during the time since I'd taken over, he said he would call us again around noon, and we'll probably make a decision then if she hasn't improved any. I asked Dr. Morton about pain or suffering, and he said that Lassie was too depressed for there to be suffering. I also asked Dr. Morton if he thought it would (or might) do any good to take Lassie to the veterinary diagnostic center in Dallas, and he said no. We know what's wrong. It's just a matter of waiting to see how much brain damage there may be. There is a chance she could snap out of it, but she probably won't.
Adoption Day is on
After Guy gave Lassie a very emotional last visit, he and his wife, Kim, loaded up the van with the dogs going to Adoption Day at PetsMart on 75 at Parker Road in Plano, Texas, and they pulled out of here a little before nine o'clock.
Juana, our newest employee, arrives before 9:00 a.m.
Today is Juana's day off, but she was so concerned about Lassie that she came in on her own to see if she could help. We thank you very much, Juana.
Daughter Erin arrives back at Straydog at 10:00 a.m.
Erin and Juana took over Lassie duty, and I got ready to drive the 81-mile trip to my 94-year-old Dad's house to visit with him for a while, which I try to do every Saturday at noon. I was just getting ready to call Dad to cancel when Erin arrived to take over my shift with Julie. I usually make one trip to Dallas every week to see Dad and get special diatary supplies for various special-needs dogs at Whole Foods Market. So I always have lunch with Dad and my older brother, Pete, then get the things we need at WFM, and then I head for Gun Barrel City to stop at the post office to get Saturday's mail. I usually get back to Straydog just after Guy gets back from adoption day, and then I go to work on the evening update on this website.
ERIN'S LOG ENTRIES:
11:00 a.m.
Lassie doesn't seem happy at all when she wakes up. She seems paralyzed on the right side.
Our caregivers who have known Lassie for a long time began coming into the kitchen one or two at a time to visit with Lassie. "Lassie will be with Miss Pat soon," one said. Lots of tears are falling.
11:30 a.m.
Michael is talking to Lassie now (and to me, Erin) about Lassie. "She was always the picky one," Michael said. "During final caregive rounds she'll make you toss two toys out of the toy box for her to play with, and then she'll decide which one to pick up. But she'll make you throw them both." Michael also said that Lassie was Star Kitty's friend. Star, the feral cat, who came with the property, always hangs around Sandy and Lassie's kennel, and Lassie was always going over to the fence to sniff Star.
11:45 a.m.
We took Blackie and Toby (Mom and Dad's in-house dogs) to the park so that we could bring Lassie's long-time kennel mate, Sandy, in the house to see Lassie. Sandy we know will miss Lassie, but he seemed to want to sniff the boxes of dog biscuits more than sniff or talk to Lassie!
12:30 p.m.
I'm talking on the phone with Guy, who's running Adoption Day at PetsMart in Plano (Texas). No adoptions yet, but people are donating doggie supplies and other things for Straydog. We thank Karen Smith for the Straydog signs for the van and the nice, large adoption sign. And thanks once again to Consuelo, who donated many doggie supplies.
1:07 p.m.
Lassie's temperature is 103.25 degrees. We've put a little ice pack on her neck. I'm going to lie next to her.
1:30 p.m.
Dr. Morton called to check on Lassie. I asked about her kicking her feet every once in a while, and the doctor said that 'paddling' means she's either coming into or going out of consciousness. He also said that the whines are painful for us humans to hear (though she hasn't whined in awhile) but that Lassie is not in pain, not pain as we know it. The doctor said he would be tied up till after four o'clock (at which time he would call again) and that Lassie would be okay till then. Then we can decide on whether to give her an IV again, or if we are all in agreement, he will put her to sleep.
2:30 p.m.
More stories about Little Lassie from Shannon and Joel: "Lassie would get very jealous of Sir Anthony [who lives in the kennel across the original Central Play Yard from Sandy and Lassie]. When you threw the ball for Anthony, Lassie would run the fence line wanting to get it," Joel said. "We had to hide Anthony's ball because Lassie would 'play' like she wanted to play fetch and would even bring the ball back a couple of times, but then she would confiscate the ball and run off with it to try to kill the squeaker in it."
"And you couldn't get the ball back," Shannon remembered. Then Shannon looked down at Lassie and said, "If you pull out of this, Lassie, I promise I will give you a ball all the time."
Caregiver Joel lies in the kitchen kennel with Lassie, whose eyes open from time to time. Blackie (left) is wondering what's wrong with Little Lassie.
3:15 p.m.
Lassie is not resting comfortably. She's doing more involuntary movements, as if she's snapping at flies. I called Guy, who's on his way back from Adoption Day, and I held the phone up to Lassie's ear. Guy talked to Lassie and Lassie calmed down.
4:30 p.m.
Lassie's temperature shot up to almost 106 again--like yesterday. We gave her a cold bath and got her temperature back down to 104. Then it dropped back to a normal temp of 102.5.
5:00 p.m.
Dr. Morton called and talked with both me (Erin) and Guy (who had gotten back from Adoption Day). The decision was made, and the doctor is coming to release Lassie from her very ill body.
5:30 p.m.
Dr. Morton and his son, who will be going to Texas A&M to begin studying veterinary medicine in the fall, came to help us with Lassie. Beautiful Little Lassie, sleeping deeply, was all clean and dried off fluffy, lying on clean bedding in the kitchen kennel when Dr. Morton arrived. The doctor agreed that it was time to let her go--to help her pass over to Rainbow Bridge, where we are all sure Pat is waiting for her.
No adoptions today
Next week we are planning to go to both the Plano Petsmart and Canine Commissary in Plano.
*Bill Arnold's Daily Straydog Log
CURRENT WEEK
* More vet-visit news as reported by Shannon: Anthony, Buffy and Bobby [PHOTOS].
* Yet another pup rescued, and today the rescuer was ME! [PHOTO]
* They're going to keep Bobby one or two more days at the Dallas Veterinary Surgical Center;
* Another call from a rescuer of seven pups today;
* The black puppy (of the new litter of five) has coccidiosis;
* Bobby, who's doing better, will stay at Dallas Veterinary Surgical Center till Monday;
* Rosie and her son Benny dig from their kennel into Mommy Dog and Briar's kennel;
* Little Lassie has another seizure--a very bad one--and is rushed to the vet;
LAST WEEK
* Bobby is NOT being the perfect hospital recovery room patient Emily has been [PHOTOS];
* Emily continues to be a model recovery room patient [PHOTO];
* Still no word about the desperate puppies from near the Oklahoma/Texas border.
* Nikki is doing better every day [PHOTOS];
* Shannon took Jed and Misty to the vet and brought Benny back with Jed and Misty.
* Jesse-Bear walks from his kennel next to the park across TO the park [PHOTOS];
* At five o'clock a huge swarm of bees flew over the park;
* Bobby's fourth day back home goes a little better [PHOTOS].
* Bright sun and very hot today - 5 new pups get a mini-pool [PHOTOS];
WEEK BEFORE LAST
* Annie and Amy adopted this afternoon [LOTS OF PHOTOS!]
* Today's adoption will open up a kennel, allowing us to bring Archie and Veronica home;
* Jesse and Laura move to make room for Archie and Veronica [LOTS OF PHOTOS].
* Four dogs go to the vets today: Benny, Rex, Rudy and old Rocky;
* Alice and Sally escape from their kennel thru their drain hole [PHOTOS];
* Shannon brings Rocky, Benny, Rudy and Rex home from the vet clinic [PHOTOS OF ROCKY & GINGER];
* Blind Stevie's dad writes us an email on caring for a blind dog.
* A litter of desperate pups will be joining us;
* Bobby had has knee surgery this morning and is doing fine.
* The desperate puppies coming from the Oklahoma/Texas border are a no show;
* Bobby's back home and doing okay (so far) in his kitchen kennel [PHOTOS].
3 WEEKS AGO
* With Pepsi gone his mother, Krissy, needs a kennel mate--Rudy one of Rosie's pups;
* Rex, another of Rosie's pups, moved in with Nikki;
* Jack & Jill digging to China [PHOTOS];
* Pepsi is back, but he has another possible forever home in the works [PHOTOS];
* Emily continues to recover well from her knee surgery;
* Julie goes to the doctor again for a second glucose curve test in as many days.
* Shannon rescues two dogs from being shot [PHOTOS];
* Erin gets a call about a dog fight broken up by a woman who rescues the picked-on dog;
* We get several calls per day from people wanting us to take their dogs;
* Megan was adopted today [FILE PHOTOS];
* Amy and Annie will be going on a home visit tomorrow [FILE PHOTO].
4 WEEKS AGO
* Today our youngest son, Joe, is 38 years old;
* Kennel mates, Julie and Jed, both see the eye specialist in Arlington (Texas) [PHOTOS];
* Tinkerbell and Megan "escape" from their tiny part-time kennel [PHOTO];
* Nikki comes out of her shell a little more with each passing day;
* Four doggies go to the vet clinic [PHOTOS];
* Dr. Morton's done some research on Little Lassies probable pancreatic tumor;
* Rain and thunderstorms followed by blue skies and hot sun followed by more storms [PHOTOS].
* Thunder, lightning and heavy rains continue;
* Alice did very well with the thunder today, but Big Boy showed his fear of the storm;
* For the first time Nikki takes a biscuit from Guy's hand;
* Jed and Julie's eyes look great!
* Pepsi was adopted at Adoption Day today [PHOTO];
* Shannon trimmed toenails [PHOTOS TO COME];
* Blackie keeps staring out the door for Pat.
5 WEEKS AGO
MONDAY June 2 2003: No update
TUESDAY June 3 2003: No update
* Little Lassie has a seizure and is rushed to the clinic; blood test due back tomorrow.
* Kennel crew and dogs moping;
* Lassie's blood test not back yet;
* Bad news about Lassie's blood test results;
* Tinkerbell and Megan go to the park for their second outing [PHOTOS];
* Adoption Day Report: None adopted; one returned (Pepsi, who had been adopted last Saturday).
*Pat Arnold's Daily Dog Log
6 WEEKS AGO - PAT'S LAST WEEK ON EARTH:
* Outdoor shelter work continues even on rainy days [PHOTOS].
* Rex is returned a second time;
* Nikki meets Puppy Rex, and for the first time she comes out of her shell [PHOTOS];
* Little Rex misses his mom and is returned to Rosie's kennel.
* Blackie goes to the vet with Puppies Annie, Amy and Willie [PHOTOS].
* Sweet Sassy Katie goes to the clinic for mat removal and a bath;
* Back at the shelter Katie shows off her "summer-do" in the big play yard [PHOTOS];
SATURDAY May 31 2003:
* No Update; Pat suffered a brain aneurysm
*Our Dogs for Adoption - Shannon's page
*Our Mission & How We Got Started
*"Goodbye, Danny Boy." - An example of the only acceptable use of euthanasia
*When a dog rescuer approaches The Rainbow Bridge
If you would like to help with our ever-growing vet bill, donations can be sent directly to:
*Click here for continuation of our homepage with no changes to the continuation in several weeks
