MONDAY JULY 12 2004

NOON UPDATE

My daily focus has to remain on raising money to keep Pat's dream alive!

     We must constantly remind ourselves that the BIG GOAL, Pat's REAL dream, is much more than just raising the necessary money to provide our 80+ resident dogs with a decent life while we try to find them good homes.

     The BIG GOAL, Pat's REAL dream, is to raise awareness (through reporting on our daily activities, struggles and sacrifices) of the necessity to achieve and maintain a sustainable population of dogs (and cats) via spay and neuter rather than continuing to allow 15,000 dogs and cats to be put to death every day in the animal pounds and kill shelters in this country alone.

     Reading the many letters accompanying recent donations, I find myself in tears when contributors say things like, "If there were only more people in the world like you!" and "God bless you all for all that you do!" and "Keep up the good work!" and "When will everyone wake up about spay and neuter?!"

     We've reached those of you who are reading this website update. We've reached those who read our newsletters. How do we reach the millions and millions of others out there who are not even aware that an overpopulation problem exists?

     I believe that if everyone in this country knew about what's happening at Straydog (and at the many other no-kill shelters all over the country) and how expensive it is to care for as many of the "surplus" as we are now caring for and what a struggle it is just to continue to raise enough money to stay afloat and keep our operation going, everyone would say, "Let's get strict mandatory spay and neuter laws in place, and until the overpopulation problem disappears, let's provide enough funding for Straydog (and the other no-kill shelters) to take care of the surplus until there no longer is a surplus."

     So how do we get everyone to read what I just wrote above and to know about Straydog?

Email from last week about flea control

Date: Wed, 07 Jul 2004 16:04:07 -0500
From: Raelene Maez
To: straydog@straydog.org
Subject: Flea control

I had a terrible problem with Fleas that Frontline, 7 Dust, all kinds of shampoo, dips, sprays, etc. wouldn't eliminate. Then I heard Howard Garrett talk about a remedy, which I tried three years ago and have been flea-free since then.

Mix a regular bottle of shampoo (any) with orange peel of two oranges. Let it sit for about a week, then bathe the dogs with it. Of course, you'd have to use larger amounts but adjust accordingly. The orange oils keep the fleas off - maybe the ticks too? I tell you we haven't had a single solitary flea since I started using that mixture. People don't believe it, but it really does work!

How's Patch doing?

Thanks for all you do.

Raelene Maez

Erin's reply to the above email

Flea recipe

Thank you for this recipe for fleas! I tried something like this at home, but I didn't let it sit for a week. The recipe called for lemon peels and orange peels and some drops of certain flea repelling oils like penny royal oil. I didn't let it sit, so I will try it again (or try
your specific recipe) and let it sit for a week as you suggest and see if it helps my dogs at home!

We're really crossing our fingers that the tick collars will help with the ticks at the shelter. We put all 24 collars on one quarter of our dog population at the shelter today!

Update on Patch

Patch is doing great! We talked to Dr. Arnold right before Patch's second surgery had been tentatively scheduled (June 23rd). I think our computers weren't working well at Straydog when I wrote Dad the email about this, and I don't believe that it got on the update so thank you for reminding me about this by asking about Patch!

As you might remember, Patch bumped his leg about a few weeks ago and began limping. When I was at the Sherrill vet clinic to have Dr. Arnold x-ray the doggie, we saw his pins were still in place (yea), but the doctor noticed that Patch's fracture wasn't healing very fast. Dr. Arnold suggested that we wait three to four more months before the surgery on Patch's other leg in order to really make sure the first leg heals well. Since Dr. Arnold had to go to Tennessee, he recommended Dr. Turner, a surgeon who comes to the Sherrill Vet Clinic once or twice a month, to do the surgery. Dr. Arnold said that Dr. Turner regularly does these types of surgeries, perhaps dozens of similar surgeries every year where the knee cap is on the inside of the leg, and three or four a year where the knee cap is
like Patch's, on the outside of the leg. Dr. Arnold said it would cost more money (around $500), but this probably is not as much as the surgical center in Dallas would charge. He said that he had no doubt that we would be happy with the surgery as Dr. Turner is excellent and experienced. He does not promise that Patch will ever be 100%, but it will be a large improvement for the dog.

Patch is happy, but he would love to run and really play. We are still trying to keep him quiet at Straydog. We wish we had a small kennel outside with grass, because Patch loves to stretch out in the grass.

I wish we had a foster family for Patch who had a swimming pool so Patch could have leg therapy during his recovery period! Certainly the folks would fall in love with this sweet boy. When he was at my house overnight for a couple of days, he was perfectly crate-trained and fell in love with my chow, Rosie. I had to keep him in the crate, though, because he would really get in trouble with things he thought were toys. He's a real chewer! And he is just so lively and exuberant he
could really hurt his leg I imagine with just one wrong jump.

I wonder if Patch's leg is well enough so we could take him to Adoption
Day, if we are careful with him. [We did take him this past Saturday and he behaved very well.]

Thank you again for asking about Patch, and for your suggestion about the flea repellent!

Erin