Bill Arnold's Daily Straydog Log

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 30 2003

Three new arrivals force us to board one dog and move now-healthy Henry back into a hospital kennel till we can find him a spot outside again

     We couldn't say no this time, though we're way over our self-imposed limit of 65 dogs and we did have to say "no" to more than 10 rescued dogs people called about this past week. The people who rescued those 10 dogs are going to have to take care of them. The water is up to the gunwales of our Straydog Lifeboat. We can take no more until several are adopted out. We cannot afford to build more kennels, and we cannot afford to hire more help to care for more dogs. We cannot afford more dog food to feed more dogs. We cannot afford the vet bills that always accompany new arrivals. We've only got enough money to get through the next week and a half, so we're once again working frantically on another desperation newsletter.

Why we couldn't say no this time

     Many of our long-time supporters are elderly people who themselves are caring for rescued stray dogs. Many times Pat showed me letters from these people, whose biggest dread was that their dogs would be euthanized when the time came (due to old age, illness or death) that they could no longer care for their rescued pets.

     Pat made room for dogs in these kinds of situations in the past, and when the son of a woman called last week saying that his elderly mother was having to be moved into a nursing home immediately, I, recognizing the name as being a long-time supporter of Straydog Inc., said I would do everything I could to find a place for his mother's dogs.

     We were hoping some of our adult dogs would be adopted at Adoption Day yesterday, but only the two puppies, Madison and Robbie were adopted, and this opens up only the small, puppy kennel.

     So now, as I said in the headline above, Henry, who's regained his health, is residing in a small kennel back inside our "hospital," and Kerry, the new rescue Tina found along the highway last Wednesday is staying at the vet clinic (which is costing Straydog more than $20 per day) till a spot opens up here.

     Please continue to send your financial support to Straydog. There will be no end to this situation we find ourselves in at Straydog (which is the same situation all no-kill shelters find themselves in) until we get all dogs (and cats) (except those belonging to legally authorized breeders) spayed and neutered.

*Bill Arnold's Daily Straydog Log

LAST WEEK

SUNDAY November 23 2003:

* Weather is the story of the day;

MONDAY November 24 2003:

* You may not believe this, but it's true: I was just about to post, when the homepage file went blank.

TUESDAY November 25 2003:

* Another frozen morning [PHOTO];

* Sasha (now Star) was officially adopted, picked up by her new family and is on her way to her new home [PHOTOS].

WEDNESDAY November 26 2003:

* A new volunteer, Kerry Sullivan, spends the day with us [PHOTOS];

* We welcome anyone who might want to volunteer to come out to Straydog for a day;

* While Kerry was doing dog walks and caregiving, Tina (on the way back from taking Robbie to the vet for his final puppy shots) rescued a stray dog along the road feeding on carrion [PHOTOS].

THURSDAY November 27 2003:

* Rudy's spending Thanksgiving in our "hospital" with a bruised leg muscle [PHOTOS];

FRIDAY November 28 2003:

* Adoption Day tomorrow at PetsMart on Central at Parker in Plano (Texas) [PHOTO];

* Ofelia volunteered again today, and she finished up all the mailing labels;

* Labels are now printed out on label stock;

* Our December newsletter is almost ready to go to press.

SATURDAY November 29 2003:

* Adoption Day went very well: five dogs went, and two were adopted [PHOTOS].

 

WEEK BEFORE LAST

SUNDAY November 16 2003:

* A beautiful day in the low 70s after the fog cleared [PHOTOS].

MONDAY November 17 2003:

* Great news about Nikki: NO MORE HEARTWORMS! [PHOTO];

* Nikki's still a very timid dog;

* Nikki smiles now.

TUESDAY November 18 2003:

* Another roadside rescue by Erin: Sasha, a Golden Retriever [PHOTOS];

* Sasha goes to the vet;

* Stray dogs everywhere out in the country.

WEDNESDAY November 19 2003:

* Ofelia comes to volunteer for the day, and after dog walks we put her to work on the computer [PHOTOS];

* Sasha (the newly rescued Golden Retriever) comes home to Straydog [PHOTOS].

THURSDAY November 20 2003:

* Sasha proves to be quite a challenge [PHOTOS];

* Ofelia comes again to volunteer for the day and works on the computer [PHOTO].

FRIDAY November 21 2003:

* Sasha is behaving better [PHOTOS];

* Sasha meets Colby in the park [PHOTO].

SATURDAY November 22 2003:

* Three dogs went to Adoption Day, and we have three pending adoptions [LOTS OF PHOTOS];

 

3 WEEKS AGO

SUNDAY November 9 2003:

* Something new for the dogs with hip problems;

MONDAY November 10 2003:

* More shelter work, getting ready for winter;

* Excerpts from an October 27th email from Blind Chubs and Sister Cassie's new mom, Jana;

* Thank you for your well-wishes for Bill, who's slowly getting over the flu.

TUESDAY November 11 2003:

* A nice day today;

* Juany and Tamara brush and clip mats off Muffy, Fluffy and Fluffy [PHOTOS].

WEDNESDAY November 12 2003:

* I thought I was almost better, but I'm not;

* Feverish dreams tell me I have to rescue 75 more dogs in order to be able to sleep;

* Technical problems updating homepage.

THURSDAY November 13 2003:

* Today I've been feeling better but still not near 100%;

* Tonight temperatures are supposed to dip into the 30s, so the crew hurried to attach the balance of the shelter front panels, and we had 15 more bales of hay delivered (at $5 per bale) and stuffed all the dog houses with hay, fluffing up nature's simplest heater so the dogs could burrow in to form their beds [PHOTOS].

FRIDAY November 14 2003:

* Puppy Madison, Rosie and her two sons, Benny and Rudy are slated for Adoption Day;

* Juana rescues a pup along the road on her way to the vet clinic with two other dogs [PHOTOS].

* Now that the shelters have all been "winterized," the temperatures have gone back up and will stay in the 50s and 60s for a few days.

SATURDAY November 15 2003:

* No adoptions today! How sad! How depressing!

 

 

4 WEEKS AGO

SUNDAY November 2 2003:

* With Amigo adopted yesterday Rosie is once again alone, so we try Rosie with Colby, the gigantic Rottweiler we took from the closed-down foster home in Plano [PHOTOS];

MONDAY November 3 2003:

* Emily, who's pictured on Pat's lap in the photo above on the day Emily went in for surgery to repair the ACL of her right knee, has now hurt her other knee;

* Colby and Rosie get together once again in the park, on leash;

* Foxy Yatzee and Russell met yesterday and spent less than 24 hours together [PHOTOS].

TUESDAY November 4 2003:

* Emily's leg seems somewhat better today [PHOTO];

* Jacquielynn Floyd visited us today gathering information for a story to be published this Saturday in The Dallas Morning News [PHOTOS];

* Email from Amigo's new mom, Claire;

* No Adoption Day this Saturday.

WEDNESDAY November 5 2003:

* Juan Garcia, photographer for The Dallas Morning News, visited today [PHOTOS];

* Julie gets some exercise playing with Puppy Madison [PHOTOS].

THURSDAY November 6 2003:

* Dad is sick with the flu;

* Dogs were too excited today;

* Puppy Sadie is doing fine at her new home [PHOTO].

FRIDAY November 7 2003:

* I'm still too sick to write anything;

* Be sure to read Jacquielynn Floyd's Metro column tomorrow morning in The Dallas Morning News.

SATURDAY November 8 2003:

* Jacquielynn Floyd's column was really nice!

* We're grateful for offers to help!

* A quiet, damp, gray and cool day.

 

5 WEEKS AGO

SUNDAY October 26 2003:

* Cooler weather, and the dogs love it, and TONIGHT'S UPDATE LOST!

MONDAY October 27 2003:

* New dog Russell is having problems after his neuter surgery [PHOTOS];

* Big Boomer bites his kennel mate, Foxy Yatzee, in a rough skirmish [PHOTOS];

* Pleasant weather again today, just a little warmer than yesterday due to more sun;

* The change back to Standard Time leaves the dogs wondering where dinner is.

TUESDAY October 28 2003:

* Four dogs get together every morning in the park soon after sunrise [PHOTOS];

* New dog Russell is taken back to the clinic late this afternoon.

WEDNESDAY October 29 2003:

* Old Sassy Katie has a good day, prancing around the park like a young puppy dog [PHOTO];

* The kennel crew begins to put the shelter fronts on in preparation for winter [PHOTOS];

* Also in preparation for the coming winter we ordered 10 more bales of hay [PHOTOS].

THURSDAY October 30 2003:

* Russell comes home, and our Straydog hospital is overflowing [PHOTOS];

* Henry loves his new life here, tho he spends most of his time in his hospital kennel [PHOTO].

FRIDAY October 31 2003:

* Summer's back, and the dogs don't like it!

* The roster of dogs going to Saturday Adoption Day is still not decided, as Erin is still working on the roster of volunteers, at least one of which we have to have throughout our stay at PetsMart for each dog we take [PHOTOS]

SATURDAY November 1 2003:

* Erin's Adoption Day Report:

* Sadie's adoption [PHOTOS];

* Amigo's adoption;

* Puppy Madison's home visit--no adoption;

* Potential adopter comes to visit Jack and Jill;

* 7 pages of photos from Adoption Day

 

 

6 WEEKS AGO

SUNDAY October 19 2003:

* Erin emails to me a phone-in report from Chubs and Cassie's new dad, Charlie Harris [PHOTOS].

MONDAY October 20 2003:

* Foster home with 15 dogs in Plano must find new homes by Wednesday;

* Meanwhile our two new arrivals are on hold at the clinic [PHOTOS];

* Henry's on hold too until tomorrow;

* Tomorrow will be a big mix and match day;

* Jesse Juderman volunteers to groom our dogs [PHOTOS].

TUESDAY October 21 2003:

* The dogs from the foster home in Plano are coming Wednesday to see if any are compatible with any of our singles;

* Henry and Russell to stay another day at the clinic;

* Tomorrow's going to be some mix and match day!

WEDNESDAY October 22 2003:

* Straydog takes in six new dogs! [PHOTOS]

THURSDAY October 23 2003:

* How the new matchups are going

* Everybody barked at the new dogs today as they walked to the park;

* Henry and Russell are home [PHOTOS];

* Volunteer Jessica (and her mom, Judy) came today for a couple of hours [PHOTOS]

FRIDAY October 24 2003:

* Several people emailed offering to help out with fund raising after yesterday's big, bold, blue headlines, which were inspired by my own panic.

 

7 WEEKS AGO

SUNDAY October 12 2003:

* Amigo's all alone now with Freddy gone, so we try him with diabetic Julie [PHOTOS];

MONDAY October 13 2003:

* Two tiny pups found in a garbage bag inside a dumpster join us [PHOTO];

* Three other people called today wanting us to take dogs they had rescued.

TUESDAY October 14 2003:

* More calls today from people who are trying to place dogs they've rescued;

* Why we don't take 40 or 50 dogs to adoption days.

WEDNESDAY October 15 2003:

* Flash! - Late rescue of a dog named Henry;

* Puppies Madison and Sadie come in the house for a bath in the bathroom sink [PHOTOS];

THURSDAY October 16 2003:

* The rescue of Henry [PHOTOS];

* So now we've got two new dogs coming (both males);

* The golden-tan Pit/Lab mix will be dropped off at Morton Small Animal Clinic tomorrow; the other new dog, Henry, will probably be released to come home tomorrow.

FRIDAY October 17 2003:

* Henry does not have a broken jaw, but an abscess, which is draining while Henry stays at the clinic;

* A large, soft lump is discovered on Misty's belly, and Juany takes her to the vet [FILE PHOTOS].

* The new golden-tan Pit/Lab mix (we've named Russell after his rescuer) is at the clinic, and we'll pick him up Monday.

SATURDAY October 18 2003:

* No adoptions today, but Straydog receives $96 from the proceeds of a raffle [PHOTOS].

 

8 WEEKS AGO

SUNDAY October 5 2003:

* It's been raining all day with temperatures in the low 70s [PHOTOS];

* Newsletter is almost ready to stuff into envelopes.

MONDAY October 6 2003:

* First hundred newsletters make it to the post office in time tonight [PHOTOS];

* Diabetic Julie went to the vet clinic for her blood sugar test, and Big Boy went for another blood test too [PHOTO].

TUESDAY October 7 2003:

* Blind Chocolate Lab Chubs and his Black Lab sister, Cassie, are officially adopted and go to their new home today! [PHOTOS WITH MORE PHOTOS TO COME]

WEDNESDAY October 8 2003:

* An email to Erin from Jana (Chubs and Cassie's new mom);

* An email to Bill from Heather's new mom (from last week) [PHOTOS];

* Several hundred mailers go to the post office every day before the 4:30 p.m. pickup;

* Thanks to Ofelia for helping out for several hours on the mailer today;

* We got diabetic Julie one of those blood sugar reading machines.

THURSDAY October 9 2003:

* The newsletters are not all in the mail yet;

*Overcast, gray day with intermittent rain;

*Julie's new glucose level machine is working great.

FRIDAY October 10 2003:

* The balance of the newsletters are in the mail;

* Late yesterday evening we decided to bring Alice in for the night. Then today we had to bring Sally over to be with Alice in Chubs and Cassie's former kennel [PHOTOS].

SATURDAY October 11 2003:

* Daisy and Freddy are adopted together at Adoption Day at PetsMart [PHOTOS];

 

9 WEEKS AGO

SUNDAY September 28 2003:

* I spent the day working on the abbreviated newsletter;

* Sassy Old Katie has a very good day [PHOTOS].

MONDAY September 29 2003:

* Heather was adopted today!

* Julie is rushed to the vet clinic at a little after one p.m.

TUESDAY September 30 2003:

* Blind Chocolate Lab Chubs and his sister, Cassie, go on a special home visit [PHOTOS];

* Julie went for another blood test this morning: normal range!

WEDNESDAY October 1 2003:

* Sally and Alice escape from their kennel this morning [PHOTO];

* Old Pup and Angel chew up an air-conditioner filter [PHOTO];

* Heather's new mom called concerned because Heather hasn't eaten very much;

* We took in two newly rescued dogs today and immediately adopted one of them out [PHOTOS].

THURSDAY October 2 2003:

* I drove to Dallas this morning and picked up the printed and folded newsletter [PHOTO];

* Freddy comes home from the clinic after his new arrivals checkup and neuter surgery [PHOTOS];

* Old Pup and Angel resumed bowel movements;

* Employee Michael reports that his new Red Pit is doing fine at his house.

FRIDAY October 3 2003:

* After a long, barky night Freddy meets Amigo in the park and moves in with him early this morning [PHOTOS];

* Julie's blood sugar is high again;

SATURDAY October 4 2003:

* Chubs and Cassie go for their second home visit;

* Adoption Day in downtown Dallas.

 

 

PREVIOUS WEEKS (TABLE OF CONTENTS of Previous Updates)

*Adoption Day Saturday, December 6th at PetsMart in Plano (Texas) on Central (U.S.75) at Parker.

*Our Dogs for Adoption - Shannon's page

*Our Dogs for Adoption listed on Petfinder.org, kept up to date by volunteer and member of our Board of Directors, Susan Southerland, Esq.

*Our Mission & How We Got Started

*"Goodbye, Danny Boy." - An example of the only acceptable use of euthanasia

*When a dog rescuer approaches Rainbow Bridge

  If you would like to help with our ever-growing vet bill, donations can be sent directly to:

*Article in newspapers across Canada on September 20, 2003 about the Montreal Alouettes' Neal Fort and his Great Dane, Helen, whom the Forts adopted from Straydog. (Links to the articles are working again.)

* The Neal Fort articles upped our readership! Every bit of media exposure gives us a boost!

     We really want to thank Neal a lot for getting Straydog and our website address mentioned. Every mention on broadcast TV and radio and every mention in print is a potentially big step and always increases our audience.

*Click here for continuation of our homepage with no changes to the continuation in several weeks