www.Straydog.org Update - POSTED EVERY DAY BY NOON

Bill Arnold's Daily Straydog Log

MONDAY JANUARY 26 2004

Jordan and Baby Girl go to the vet clinic for their new arrivals checkup

     I called the clinic first thing this morning to make an appointment to take the two abandoned Black Labs, who are mangy and malnourished, to the vet clinic. We'll report on their condition after Dr. Morton calls us. As is the case with most (if not all) labs, these two fellas are the sweetest dogs you could ever imagine.

Yesterday afternoon we had to find a kennel for Macy, who was displaced by the dumped dogs

     First we tried Macy with Kerry, who was left a single dog with the adoption of Henry. The two girls didn't get along, so Kerry's alone, and Macy's without a kennel, and had to spend part of the day in a hospital kennel.

We quickly refurbish the old, unused barn kennel

     Years ago Pat had a kennel constructed enclosing the front of our barn, where Fritz and Misty spent one winter. I can't remember for sure why we stopped using that kennel, probably because we had to get in and out of the barn so often that having dogs in that kennel made it too difficult. But now we had only one other choice: spend $1,000 to build a new kennel. Our first priorities are: (1) dog food; (2) medical expenses; and (3) the meager wagers we pay our excellent, dedicated employees. For a long time now we've tried to avoid building more and more kennels. We're already way too big, and we must wait till we adopt out dogs before we take in more dogs. That's why yesterday's criminal dumper put us in such a bind. But we got the old barn kennel "up and running," and Macy is settling in nicely, so we're still able to operate.

Security cameras are in place down by the road and on the roof

     My (and Pat's) son, Joe, spent his Sunday installing security cameras, including a rotating camera on a poll on the roof of the hospital trailer (aka "headquarters"), which rotating camera gets a 360-degree view of the Straydog campus. Check it out via the link below.

Occasionally someone calls wondering why we don't advertise our location

     The tone of the voices of these people indicates that they suspect we're trying to avoid scrutiny by remaining as hidden as possible to the public. "Why don't you put a big sign out front and publish a map on your website?" It usually doesn't take long to explain to them that if we did that, we would be inundated by hundreds (if not thousands) of dumped dogs, probably within the first day or two, and we'd be finished. And I shudder to think how serious that word "finished" might be. The neighbors with their automatic weapons would probably make our entire area look worse than Gettysburg after the Civil War battle there. The fact of the matter is that we really need to move Straydog to a much more remote location, but I don't know how we could do that unless we somehow receive a very large grant from someone.

     After Saturday night's dumping I am becoming very, very nervous about our situation.

Email from Blind Stevie and Little Pete concerning SJ and Dewey, the paralyzed dog

Poppa Bill and Erin,

Please send our deepest regards & admiration to SJ for what she is doing. We especially know what it is like to be a little soul that no one wants, but then finds our forever home. As always, GOD bless you guys & people like SJ.

Stevie & Little Pete