Bill Arnold's Daily Straydog Log
SUNDAY MARCH 14 2004
NOON UPDATE:
An emailed response to my comments on Steve Blow's column in Friday's Dallas Morning News
From noon till about 2:30 p.m. yesterday there was a short paragraph in the Saturday noon update I had written regarding the probable comments by some people who may have criticized Suzanne Darsey for having stopped to help a dog who had been hit by a car, which attempted rescue resulted in Suzanne Darsey's death after she, herself, was hit by another car. I removed the short paragraph after being advised by an early reader that my comments were possibly too harsh. Later I received the following email from a woman (named Michelle) who may have read the deleted paragraph:
Dear Bill,
After reading your post today I just had to respond. Several years ago I was driving in a horrible storm, and there on the highway ahead of me was a large white dog, running down the center line. I slowed and then stopped, opened my door and the dog jumped in. But about six cars back, they didn't stop, and it caused an accident. No one was injured, but two cars were smashed up. The ones in the accident quickly ran up to my car (again, in this horrid storm of lightning, thunder and rain) and began screaming at me. They asked if this was my dog and I said no. I told them it was in the middle of the road, though. Then they screamed that I should have just hit the dog. I was afraid the situation was going to escalate, so I drove off.
This poor white dog would have been killed if someone had not stopped. But all these people cared about was finding blame for their lack of slowing down.
I would rescue any dog, any time, any place - regardless of the situation. My husband says I'm going to get killed one of these days because I'm always pulling over for turtles, dogs, whatever. But I couldn't live with myself if I knew I could have helped and didn't. I know just how that lady must have felt who wanted to help that dog. I'm so sorry for her, but I know she will have a special place in heaven.
I found my third dog after he had been hit by a car, and the van that hit him just drove off. I swooped him up and took him straight to the vet, where they said the dog was fine - except he had double ear infections and would have soon gone deaf if he had not been brought in for treatment. He's now a happy cocker who romps around joyfully in my home. I often think about where I would be without these gems. People say, "Oh, you never go on vacation," or "Dogs are too much trouble." What these three dogs add to my life far outweighs the minimal trouble.
Bless you and all at Straydog
for all you do!
Take care,
Michelle
FIVE P.M. UPDATE:
Dog Training Event lasted till almost 4:00 p.m., food prep time for the dogs' second and last meal of the day
Our Straydog caregivers and dog handlers learned a lot today from the four professional dog trainers who volunteered their Sunday to work with our dogs and teach us how to do a lot of the dog training techniques that will help us during our daily routine with the dogs. THANKS SO MUCH TO ALL FOUR OF YOU! We snapped about 100 photos and took some video and will be working on processing the "film" this evening and tomorrow morning (if we ever get to it).
Previous Daily Updates
Bill Arnold's Daily Straydog Log
CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF CONTENTS OF PREVIOUS UPDATES
(Click on any day below to see the update of that day)
LAST WEEK
* Benny found his forever home Saturday! [PHOTOS]
* Puppies Holly and Grace are doing okay;
* A recent email to Erin from Jana, Blind Chubs and Cassie's mom.
* Holly and Grace (the parvo pups) are both doing fine;
* Holly and Grace continue to show no more symptoms of parvovirus [PHOTO];
* Puppy William has shown no signs of having parvo [PHOTO];
* Rudy, who's feeling great, is down to 51 pounds; his recent high was 56 pounds;
* Erin snapped a few photos at (and after) dog dinner time last evening [PHOTOS];
* Thanks for the suggestions concerning the post time for our daily update.
* Katie and Teddy get prescribed injections of glucosamine into the leg muscle [PHOTOS];
* Saturday Adoption Day Volunteer Malia and her dad visit Straydog [PHOTOS].
* Becky takes her bandage off herself five minutes ahead of schedule [PHOTOS];
* Today's Adoption Day roster includes Lisa-Lisa, Macy, Rosie and Penny & Scooter
* No finalized adoptions, but Puppy William gets a $5 deposit [PHOTO];
* Another family is interested in Macy.
WEEK BEFORE LAST
* Becky loses half her ear, and we're not sure how [PHOTOS];
* No adoptions yesterday but a few possible adoptions for next week [PHOTOS].
* Shawna goes to the park with Scottie and then back to his kennel [PHOTO];
* Puppy William joins Puppies Holly and Grace in the park [PHOTOS];
* Many thanks to Ofelia and her husband for bringing us four big file cabinets [PHOTO].
* Our son-in-law, Dana (Erin's husband), successfully digitized Pat's video;
* Becky is tolerating all the hospital dogs but Foxy Yatzee [PHOTO];
* Puppy Holly has no appetite and has runny poop with some blood in it.
* Erin reports on yesterday afternoon's vet visit to Dr. Reeves in Tyler:
* Puppy Holly has parvovirus! Now we've got a potential "situation"!
* Katie, Rocky and Julie went along with Puppy Holly to visit Dr. Reeves;
* Bill's Wednesday morning report:
* This morning Puppy Holly doesn't appear sick;
* Poppy Holly seems okay, but her sister, Grace, wouldn't eat this morning;
* Puppy William, alone in his small kennel, has shown no symptoms of illness yet;
* Puppy Grace is a lot better while Puppy Holly continues to improve [PHOTO];
* Puppy William is showing no signs of illness [PHOTO];
* The original mom of Ojay, Macky and Jeannie has died;
* A reader of our print newsletters but not of our website updates writes us a letter;
* Today will be the sixth day that Becky's been wearing a bandage on her torn ear;
* Bad storm hits Straydog right at the dogs' dinner hour [PHOTOS & VIDEO]
* Puppy Grace had bad diarrhea yesterday afternoon; then she got better again;
* Puppy William continues to have no symptoms of illness [VIDEO OF WILLIAM PLAYING IN WATER BUCKET];
* Becky's in the big hospital kennel in the same ward with Puppies Grace and Holly [PHOTO];
Thanks so much to all of our contributors! We couldn't keep this operation going without you. Pat always said you all would continue to support us, and you have. And we at Straydog continue to rescue, care for and adopt out homeless dogs exactly the way Pat would have wanted. Thank you so much for your continuing support! ... Bill Arnold