Archive for the ‘rescue’ Category

During Twitter chat yesterday a Corky puppy pal had a wish list to pick just one fun thing for the weekend that included: dog park, bacon, long nap, long walk, or cheese. Dad decided we could try to do all in one day, and almost did.

The photo above was taken earlier today at Mill Slough Dog Park in Kissimmee, Florida, and shows Corky the shelter dog peeking over a tree stump. The long nap, long walk, and cheese were a snap. I’ll get bacon tomorrow to complete the weekend quadfecta.

Any day is a good day going to the dog park, and after days and days of rain today was perfect. The wish list and Dog Park Weekend Challenge will be a huge success even if we miss that bacon tomorrow. With so many pals still in animal shelters waiting to be adopted, I really am a lucky dog.

Thinking of adding a pet to your family? Visit your local animal shelter to rescue a cat or dog today.

It’s my birthday! How time flies when you’re a rescue puppy in a forever home! I have nearly forgotten those distant memories of being dumped on the street at 4 months old, being scared about finding food and shelter, and then doing time in doggy jail including a jailhouse tattoo.

The photo below shows my new pal Beauregard met outside the groomers today on my birthday. He’s a rescue dog like me. I’m 2 today and Beauregard was born a day earlier only 3 years ago. If I’d asked “What WERE you… born yesterday?” his reply would have been “yes”.

That’s me (top left) and Beauregard (right) touching noses, and then two circle photo inserts of him showing off two more views in the lower corners with his BIG puppy eyes. He’s a rescue puppy and his parents live in Jacksonville, Florida. That’s hours and hours away yet they were in Kissimmee on business, and took Beau with them!

Besides the two puppy birthday boys, @PrincessGwenie my Twitter puppy gal pal and cutie patootie was 3 today! Happy Birthday to Beau and Gwenie!

The critter corner of Twitter is filled with pawty (lolspeak for party) animals each month for the benefit of animal rescue. Donations during the online events are given to a different rescue organization each month as selected in advance by the participants. It’s a fun way to help rescue pets in need.

Sometimes other special events are held and at 2pm US Eastern today a pretend adventure over Area 51 in the Nevada desert began with tweeting animals worldwide. Here’s an illustration of Corky and his pal squirrel in his attack helicopter. View a different large wallpaper Corkster Copter here.

Want to follow real time or review results later? Use the online resource at TweetGrid for #Area51 to see all tweets. To participate just add the #Area51 hashtag to your tweets for other pals to follow. Note: Pet owners often tweet in first person as their pet (like me), so take no offense to the silliness, okay?

This week marks one year in my forever home since being rescued from doggy jail. The photo shown is me just over a year old and my favorite for 2009 and was originally taken in color. Who could imagine that cute face being dumped on the street and discarded like yesterday’s newspaper?

It happens to pets every day worldwide. The economy nosedive to rock bottom and the worst conditions in nearly 100 years explains why.

Humans are forced to cut costs and choose between paying bills for basic necessities and that unconditional love and loyalty from their dog. Cats get dumped, too. I get it. Being a responsible pet owner means if you must surrender your pet in the face of unforseen and extreme financial difficulties there’s a right way to do it.

A year ago my groomer was telling my guardians that people bring pets to their grooming business, open the door, toss the pet inside, and then close the door and run. Why? They know pet groomers are pet lovers and will have a slightly better chance than just being tossed on the street (like I was). The situation is worse when the pet is let loose outside the business and must be chased down in a parking lot or traffic!

If you must surrender your pet, take it to a pet shelter or rescue organization. When you voluntarily give up your pet you can at least share health or other issues so caregivers know what is needed. PLEASE. Do not dump your pets. They were family members and have a better chance of survival to find a forever home and family if you do the right thing.

This past week of interacting with animal and human pals in Twitter has created an unexpected emotional toll of pain building up as pet parents type news about pawpals crossing the Rainbow Bridge. Perhaps this pretend Pet Letter from the Rainbow Bridge will help you or someone you know who has lost a pet.

Yes, it is a person behind those tweets typing for their pet and sharing that unique personality from their perspective, yet that persona becomes as real as if that pet could actually talk and type. Here’s a letter they might write if they could.

Pet Letter from the Rainbow Bridge

Dearest Friend,

I crossed the Rainbow Bridge much sooner than you or my guardians expected. It happens to human pals and their friends or family, too. Please don’t be sad or disappointed, at least not for long anyway. There are reasons I left that you may not understand until it’s your turn to pass over.

For now I have permission to let you in on a secret. Truth is there is no secret because God has already revealed words of comfort in the bible for us to find. Perhaps this verse will help you understand why I left so soon.

The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. Isa 57:1 (KJV)

See? As much as you wanted me there, the path my life was taking may have been an even more painful experience for you to witness. Besides being “taken away from the evil to come”, I have work to do making people happy on this side of the Rainbow Bridge. While waiting for you I greeted a human baby, very old kitty, and a grandmother this week. Here’s another secret that’s not really a secret.

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 1 Cor 2:9 (KJV)

Either me or someone you love will be waiting. For now, read that last verse again. You cannot imagine the joy on this side of the Rainbow Bridge, yet the details are not yours to know until you have completed your time on earth and it’s your turn to cross over, so I can’t elaborate.

Time will heal your sorrow. As a parting message, consider one reason behind the short lives of animal friends. You cannot replace me or our special relationship. However, most humans will outlive their pets and the loss of one is an opportunity to rescue another. When the time is right, please search your heart to make room and adopt a shelter pet.

The real forever home awaits on this side of the Rainbow Bridge where there is only joy and no fear or pain. However, there is no limit on pets or people to share your love for eternity. Until we meet again I forever remain…

Lovingly,

Your Faithful Friend

To all my fans, and especially my friends on Twitter, hopefully this pretend pet letter will help ease the pain of losing a loved one and sharing the grief of bad news. If nothing else, understand that life is truly fragile and unpredictable, so make the best of each moment to love and appreciate those around you.

Cat and dog owners can safely assume a person in reasonable health will outlive their pet.

The facts don’t change the feeling of loss when your senior pet dies, yet there’s more to consider when letting go of aging pets. My guardians were enlightened by their veterinarian in a discussion about the elderly dog who was in our family before me.

The dog was near her natural end of life with serious health complications due to aging that could not be reversed. Besides vital functions shutting down she was incontinent. Within weeks she stopped eating and could not walk.

After a thorough examination and comparing notes from recent visits, the vet advised a humane and peaceful end.

The facts about pets and pain which the vet shared helped the guardians in their decision. Dogs are stoic meaning they tolerate pain without letting you know. This is true of cats, as well. Here’s a quote with a link to more information about how dogs and cats handle pain.

Dogs’ responses to pain vary. Some dogs are very stoic, and will show few outward signs even when in extreme pain.
Source: Dr Barchas, DVM http://drbarchas.com/pain

Letting go of aging pets is not easy. Seek professional advice from your veterinarian to know the right thing to do and when. Understanding the stoic nature of pets, extending their life by all possible means may not be in their best interests if they’re in agony.

Appreciate your pets every moment of every day while you can. Supress selfish feelings and let them go peacefully with dignity when the time is right. Finally, as you heal and consider another pet, please adopt from a local shelter. Millions of abandoned yet healthy cats and dogs are waiting.

The photo below from January 2009 is me, Corky the Shelter Dog, shown held in my wire cage before being adopted and joining my forever family, and now my mission is to promote pet rescue.

The insert shows me cleaned up and groomed 9 months later, and much much happier.

The number of unwanted pets in animal shelters worldwide is alarming! Those that don’t become adopted like me are euthanized, and not all get a full week waiting period. Sometimes it’s just days! Those euthanized in the USA are estimated upwards of 6 million loving animals each year, so imagine how many pets are lost worldwide.

Unless you have the mindset to look into the facts behind those numbers, you cannot appreciate the risk to perfectly healthy pets.

As my website grows, the plan is to add more and more content about pet rescue efforts and little things people can do for animals, and not just cats and dogs. For now we are studying how to implement a database of adoptable pets, so our website visitors may search real time for a pet to adopt near where they live.

Stay tuned for progress updates on adding pet adoption search, and as we continue our mission to promote pet rescue.