DREAM Dachshund Rescue

Rescue week - Luke's Joys and Nash's Pain

2008-05-16T11:14:00.006-04:00

We have had an eventful week!

Our joys this week include Luke's adoption. Many of you have followed Luke's story, from his surrender by his owners when he was injured, through his surgery, physical therapy, and swim therapy, and when he started to walk again. I am so proud of him! Last weekend, Luke went on a "sleepover" with a potential mom and dachsie brother. They are all in love -- Luke has found his forever home. Thank you Kim and Marvin!
We had a very scary time with our foster Nash, one of the dogs we got from the breeder a couple of weeks ago. He came down suddenly with HGE (Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis) -- an often unexplained condition that strikes fast and can be deadly. (My own dog had this last year, and it was terrifying). Nash's human foster brother, Nicky, found him near death, and acted quickly. They got Nash to the vet for stabilization, IV fluids, and antibiotics. His bloodwork was terrible, his body temperature dropped and we were afraid we were going to lose him. Then the vet had to close and his foster mom Theresa took Nash to an emergency clinic for overnight care. In the morning he was much better. He spent the second day back at the normal vet, and went home that evening. It looks like he is going to be fine, but DREAM had a scary time of it there, especially Theresa, Nicky, and Sarah. They had to do all the shuffling from vet to vet to make sure Nash had professional medical care round the clock for a couple of days. He is much happier to be back in his foster home! We don't have the final damage yet, but just the emergency vet part was more than $900. If anyone can help with Nash's expenses, please send whatever you can. Even $10 makes a difference. Our website www.dreamdachsierescue.org will tell you how, and all donations are completely tax-deductible.

The Next Generation

2008-05-14T09:21:00.007-04:00

Two things have happened this week to give me special hope. When we started DREAM, one thing we didn't even think about was the children in the foster homes, and how fostering would affect them. But these kids are AMAZING... they see first hand the suffering caused by overpopulation and breeding ... and they are going to DO something about it!

First, Grace. Grace had her 8th birthday party last weekend. Instead of presents, she told her mom that she wanted her friends to make donations to DREAM. And they raised more than $100, which DREAM will use for much-needed veterinary care for the three puppymill dogs we just took in.

Second, Sydney. Sydney had a video project for her school, and she chose the topic "Puppy Mills." It's a terrific video, and you can see it here: www.Myspace.com/arsenalmom13 (click on "Videos"). As if the video isn't fabulous enough, her film won at the "Darlington Oscars" awards! Many of the kids at her school told her they had never even heard of puppy mills. Can you imagine the impact this has on that group of kids -- they will never contribute to the breeding industry. They have an early awareness. Her mom Sherri sure must be proud of her!

And I am so proud of Theresa's teenagers, Nicky and Sarah. Theresa is one of our long-term foster homes. When one of her foster dogs had a medical emergency, both kids jumped in and figured out how to get the dog to emergency care. He would have died without their resourcefulness.

I don't think my generation will be able to fix our problems, but their generation just might. I'm proud to know em!

Update on the 24

2008-05-14T09:06:00.004-04:00

Thanks to everyone for your outpouring of ideas and support on the 24 dogs we received. I am still hoping to get more dogs from the situation, with the help of animal control, by the end of the month.

The saddest part is, the AKC had recently inspected the breeder, and she "passed with flying colors." What does that tell you about inspections?

Here is where we currently stand, thanks to excellent collaboration from several rescues. Other groups also stepped up to help, and I plan to call on them when / if we get additional dogs. (Thanks Kentucky!)

DREAM pulled 24 dogs, including 7 young puppies, from the situation. 9 more dogs were in the outdoor kennels, and we don't know how many more were inside.

Southern States Dachshund Rescue (http://www.ssdr.org/), bless them, took 3 adult dogs and all 7 puppies, including 2 longhairs and one wirehair. Special thanks to them for actually driving to meet us, saving those puppies the stress of additional transport.

Dachshund Rescue North America (http://www.drna.org/) took 3. One longhair piebald, one smooth piebald, and one smooth red.

Two rescues in New York arranged transport within 2 days for 8 more adults.

DREAM has 3 of the dogs, and they are all precious. Please check our petfinder listing for Spanky, Sweet Pea (pictured), and Nash.

The dogs were all in reasonable health. I was shocked that all were heartworm negative. They all needed vaccinations, and, of course, spay/neuter. All needed dentals, one significant -- the removal of both upper canines. All were very dirty and smelly, but good natured, if hand-shy.

I had a terrific experience working with Murray County animal control, thanks to the amazing efforts of the 2 women there who move heaven and earth to help so many dogs with so few resources. THANK YOU Pauline and Lisa for all that you do. Generally the rescue community feels that they must "battle" animal control, but at Murray County it is a true collaboration. Those two manage to save more dogs than most of the larger counties, much better funded. DeKalb could learn a lot of lessons from you.

For the dogs, always for the dogs.

Dachshund Exhaustion

2008-04-30T22:57:00.002-04:00

We saved 24 dogs today. Too tired to blog. More tomorrow. Thanks for all your words of encouragement. They help.

At least 12 dogs are still there. It is cold tonight again.

The latest. It ain't the greatest.

2008-04-27T14:15:00.002-04:00

The current challenge: 18 dogs at a breeder who is retiring. Where can they go, so that we can ensure that other disreputable breeders don't get them and continue that sad life?

DREAM is coordinating with DRNA, SSDR, and other groups yet to be found, to save these 18 dogs' lives. Unless we can do it, they will go to animal control next week, where they will surely be put down. (I refuse to use the word "euthanized" anymore. It translates to "good death." Let's call things what they are.)

Their county has only a tiny AC facility with 5 cages, already full. And owner surrender dogs are always euthanized first, since the holding period does not apply (AC already KNOWS the owner isn't coming to find them).

It's no easy task to find foster spaces for 18 dogs. Then we also have to find 18 vetting appointments, coordinate all of the logistics of getting them vetted, and getting them back, and getting them back to foster homes, and paying the bills, and figuring out how to get them transported the longer distances to rescues outside of the Atlanta area. All assuming they do not have health issues, which they probably do.

Wish us luck, and send us ideas.

Jackson County Georgia Puppy Mill

2008-03-17T12:30:00.002-04:00

Many of you have seen on the news about the puppy mill bust that occured in Jackson County, Georgia recently. Tonight, March 17, the county commissioners will meet to decide the fate of 300 plus dogs, including dachshunds, who were being held in terrible conditions. They may be returned to the owner. If you can attend tonight (Monday) at 6 pm, please show your opposition to large-scale breeding practices.

If you cannot attend, please email the people at the bottom of this message. Even a short email or phone call may be enough to help, telling the commissioners that there are many people out there who do not condone this type of treatment.

Many county officials do not understand what animal cruelty is, how animals in this type of breeding mill suffer from the effects, and how important it is to make sure the owners of the LD Farm are held accountable for their treatment and that they should not get the dogs back.

It is a real possibility that they MIGHT get them all back if the powers that be (below) don't understand the implications of this type of treatment of the animals.

One of our DREAM foster homes has seen the dogs in question personally; she reports that "it would be very unfortunate for these animals if they were to return to the owners."

A 19 year old girl was brave enough to turn these scumbags in after witnessing the abuse first hand. Let's help finish the fight she began for these babies. Here is her original testimony, retyped from the county documents (uncorrected):

***************************************************
Jackson County Code Compliance February 18 – 19, 2008

I Tiffany Butler was looking in the newspaper last weekend for a job when I ran across a ad that said Kennel Help Needed. I called the number 706 247 2180, spoke with Jennifer and set up an interview the next day (Sunday) at 10:00 am.
After the interview she told me that the position was filled but that if things didn’t work out I would get the full-time job, be paid $6.00 an hour under the table NO TAXES. Monday morning, 2-18-08 Jennifer called me a little after 8:00 am wanting me to come and word ASAP, I arrived around 8:30, and clocked in at 9:00. Shortly after clocking in another employee proceeds to “train” me. The first place I went into was the “puppy” room, This is a room built onto Marie’s house that they put puppies into before a customer comes, Its’ the only “clean” room….while in this room, I saw cock roaches, infesting the walls, After leaving the “puppy room” I went up the hill into the puppy barn.
This is a place full of mom dogs with there new born pups. This room was also infested with roaches, the “barn” smelled horriable, to the point where it was hard for me to breathe. The other employee showed me how to clean the pans under the cages. She told me to do that whole room of cages, there was at least 10 – 15 dogs in the room (not pups) in the same “barn” where the mom & pups are together there are 20-30 moms & pups, this room too was filled with roaches, they were falling off of the ceiling into my head.
After leaving that room I went into a trailer that too was filled with dogs (10 – 15) I proceeded to do my job, that afternoon in the room where the mom & pups are, I notices a shi-tzu pup try to stand up, but she had no energy to do so, she fell over and laid there. I proceeded to call Jennifer, to tell her about the pup, she said she already knew about the pup, that it had been that way for a few days. I asked her if they were going to take the pup to the vet. She said “no” I asked why, she said it “cost too much” …
So I asked if I could take the pup home and try to force feed her to keep her alive. She said, “you don’t have too, it’s up to you, it’s going to die either way.” So I took the puppy home and force fed it throughout the night and next morning. The next morning I went back to work, however the night before I had a LONG discussion with my boyfriend (Adam Casper) who also worked at the kennels, after discussing all the problemes we found we decided to try to do something about it. I had not seen the worst part.
Tuesday morning I went into work, the first thing I saw when I walked into the room beside the house was a tiny black and whit Chiva-pup, almost dead. I took the pup out of the cate it was in, put gloves on and briskly rubbed the pup to try to stimulate him. The pup had already lost control of it’s bodily functions. I rubbed the pup for over 45 minutes, Brandy and Jennifer walked into the room and asked if he was “down” I told them yes and that I had been trying to revive it for about 45 minutes. Brandy took the pup from me and rolled it up in a towel.
She put a heating pad into the cage and laid him on it. I then asked if they were going to take the puppy to a vet. Jennifer said “No, they wont do anything for him and it cost too much anyway.” Then I asked her “if they could go get a whot to put him to sleep.” She said “we don’t want to do that either because if he does make it I don’t wont to be the one that killed him, and if he makes it we will sell him” Then Brandy and Jennifer left the room. At that time the other employee told me “I’ve seen worse, it only gets worse. But the won’t do anything b/c this is there money” After leaving that room, we walked up to the room with all the moms and pups. I told the other employee I was going to get Adam, my boyfriend and Another employee to show me the boxers on the hill, she said OK. Adam then drove me up the hill, That’s when I decided to quit. On the hill there is 2 rows of pit-pulls, no food, no water. In the kennels there was mud, water, urine, and feces, that these dogs are living in. The dogs have open sores covering their bodies. There are horses that you can count every rib in there body. IN one cage in the barn there are 10-20 dogs in what looks to be 6x6 cage. All of these dogs too are sick and have wounds covering most of there bodies. All in all this place is a puppy mill, they breed dogs until they die…the other employees stated to me that when something is mentioned to the authorities they have to clean up extra good …
When I left the property today Jennifery and Brandy were gone, they both have been calling wanting the shi-tzu pup back…I have ignored there calls.
*************************************************************

Here's a link to the story: http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/022408/news_20080224085.shtml

Please help if you can.
'I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something.'
~ Helen Keller

Board of Commissioners Meeting
Date: 3/17/2008 6:00 PM
Location: Jackson County Courthouse - Jury Assembly Room
5000 Jackson Parkway
Jefferson, Georgia 30549
(706) 367-1199

Pat Bell, Chairperson pbell@jacksoncountygov.com
Tom Crow, Commissioner tcrow@jacksoncountygov.com
Jody Thompson, Commissioner jthompson@jacksoncountygov.com
Bruce Yates, Commissioner byates@jacksoncountygov.com
Dwain Smith, Commissioner dsmith@jacksoncountygov.com

Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight. ~Albert Schweitzer

YOU can help! Three bills to help dachshunds (and all dogs) in Georgia

2008-02-14T11:55:00.012-05:00

Folks, there are 3 animal-welfare related bills in the Georgia Legislature this session. I hope all of you will contact your state Senators and Representatives to ask them to support or co-sign the bills. I have information at the bottom of this post that will tell you HOW to find and contact your representatives. It is amazingly easy and quick.

Now, these bills aren't perfect. I don't like the way they worded every point. But if passed, they will make a huge difference from where we are now. And that's how this stuff works -- step by step. The Humane Society of the United States helped with the writing. Let's not let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

The first bill is HB 1060. This would ban the use of the gas chamber. Animals would have to be euthanized via injection. It also requires public shelters and AC to furnish reports/stats of their euthanizations, which would make all of our grant writing efforts easier. This is a way to get PRIVATE money, since Georgia is reluctant to spend PUBLIC money.
****When talking to your senator / rep, emphasize 3 points: 1) gas chamber is an unnecessarily cruel way to dispose of our unwanted animals from overpopulation, 2) the gas itself is obviously toxic and a hazard to the shelter workers and the environment, and 3) enforcing the reporting enables our state to get access to private funding sources since we have more accurate statistics about the extent of our problem.***

The second bill is HB 1194, the "Consumer Protection Act for Pet Owners." It is essentially a "pet lemon law" that would apply to pet stores and breeders (not shelters or rescues). I am especially excited about this one because it attacks the puppymill problem from financial perspective and a consumer protection perspective, which even non-animal lovers can get behind. It provides for the right for a person to go back to the petstore and get reimbursed for veterinary expenses for certain health issues that existed at point of sale. It also mandates certain vaccinations. Think about what would happen to the puppymills if petstores stopped buying from them because the pups with health issues came back and started costing them money. And think about what would happen if a puppymill had to vaccinate before even SENDING the puppy to the petstore.

Now, I don't love all the language of the bill, but we can work on tweaking that next year once we have some experience with it on the ground.
****For this one, ask your representative to make sure this bill gets out of committee and gets its chance at a vote on the senate and house floors. Emphasize the points about protecting consumers from greedy breeders and petstores.****

If you think you know about the scale of puppymills in this country, read this: http://network.bestfriends.org/truth/news/22676.html. Many of the pups in petstores in Georgia come from Missouri.

And of course, there is the dogfighting bill, HB301, which is in its final stages of passing overwhelmingly. All you need to say on this one is how much you appreciate the support it has gotten across the house and senate and that you expect them to work out the final details to pass it. (They are quibbling now about what happens to the dogs that are seized.) But I think your messages should focus on the other 2 bills, since this one will pass.

Here is what I'm asking you to do.

Go to this site to figure out who your state senator and representative are. You need your zip +4 code. http://www.votesmart.org/ When your search results come up, scroll down to "State Legislative." There should be 2 names - a senator and a house representative. (If you don't know the +4 part of your zip, use this site first -- http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/welcome.jsp)

OK, now that you know who your guys / gals are, here's what you do. Go to this site and look them up to get phone numbers, office locations, email addresses, or whatever you want. http://www.legis.state.ga.us/ (See "Fact Sheet" on each.)

The most effective way to contact your representative / senator is in person. This is amazingly easy to do, and makes a huge impression. These guys WANT to see you and meet you. They LOVE IT when constituents come see them. You can call and ask for an appointment, but it's easy to just go down to the Capitol -- it's simple on MARTA -- or find the office in the district itself. If the senate or house is actually in session, you can go to the desk and ask them to go into the chamber to get your guy / gal. They send a page in (kids!) and the rep comes out to see you in the hall. Yes, they come out of the session just to talk to little old YOU. Introduce yourself as someone in their district and say your piece about the bills. If possible, tell a story about your personal experience and why this is important. (For example, I told my senator yesterday about puppies I have gotten from people after they found out they had birth defects that couldn't be seen at the young age they got them. And he was shocked to find out that I have dogfighting in my neighborhood. That really woke him up). Make sure you mention the bill number and key words from the bill's name. If possible, leave a card with a little note on it, with the bill numbers. If you get there and your senator / rep is away, ask to talk to his / her staff person.

The second best way is by phone. Call and leave a message with the bill numbers and names, and your request to support them.

It is also effective to send a snail mail letter or card, this way you can tell your story. This is also great to do as a follow-up to visiting your representative, like a thank you note.

Email is okay too, although makes less of an impression. Same deal, make sure the bill numbers are in the subject line.

Contact the governor's office, ideally by phone, and ask Sonny Perdue to rally his people around these excellent pieces of legislation, and to sign them when they get to his desk. 404-656-1776, or you can go to the website and fill out a little form. http://gov.georgia.gov/00/gov/contact_us/0,2657,78006749_94820188,00.html . Or you can write a note and fax it to 404 657 7332.

It takes only 3 contacts from constituents to wake up a senator / representative about an issue and get it on his / her radar screen. Imagine what an effect we would have if everyone who read this made a phone call or went down to the Capitol.

Two of the bills are still in the Agriculture Committee. The emails of the committee are below; please send a personal message to each member urging them to move the bills forward so they can have their vote on the House Floor.

We have a chance to make a difference! Let's not blow it! These guys need to know how important this is, and the only way they will know that is if people who are passionate tell them about it.

jon.burns@house.ga.gov, carl.epps@house.ga.gov, englandhomeport2@alltel.net, lynmore.james@house.ga.gov, tommccall@bellsouth.net, billy.maddox@house.ga.gov, gene.maddox@house.ga.gov, reptonysellier136@msn.com, kevinlevitas@bellsouth.net, jay.roberts@house.ga.gov, blackellis@bellsouth.net, penny.houston@house.ga.gov, winfred.dukes@house.ga.gov, dubose.porter@house.ga.gov, dawg4116@aol.com, chuck.sims@house.ga.gov, tommy.smith@house.ga.gov

If you want to see the full language of the actual bills, go to this site http://www.legis.state.ga.us/ and use the "Legislative Search" feature at the top right.

THEN, forward this post to every Georgia animal lover you know. Ideally, copy and paste it into your own email message and add your own spin.

If after all of that, you have even more energy, email Representative Pat Gardner pat@patgardner.org and Stan Watson stan_watson@matria.com to thank them for their leadership in bringing these bills to the General Assembly.

Viva democracy!

Hal's foster mom remembers his last months

2008-01-17T08:14:00.000-05:00

The volunteers of DREAM Dachshund Rescue mourn the loss of each dog that we cannot save.
There are always dachshunds who get euthanized in shelters when we are not notified in time or all our of foster homes are full. We cry because the rescue system doesn’t always work in time.
There are some dachshunds who are too sick to save even though we try our hardest through the best vet care the Atlanta area has to offer. We cry because we weren’t able to show them what true love was.
And then there are the dachshunds who we bring into our homes as fosters and grow to love, only to become sick and the only option is to euthanize. We cry because we lost a family member who didn’t get a chance to find a forever home.

Elori, Dupree.

And last week we lost a family member named Hal.
For those of you who follow the blog, you already know Hal’s story. His terrible condition when he came to DREAM. But you haven’t heard how he lived and his wonderful, steady personality that made him such a great dog.
Hal loved to chase squirrels. They are small and furry, just like cats, and both species need to be banished from his world. Hal’s hip injury did not slow him down one bit as he raced around the backyard and stared up at the trees. His true hound bark made sure everyone around knew he was outside protecting his yard.
Hal loved to tear up stuffed animals. He seemed to take such delight being surrounded by the “fake snow” and sleeping on top of his “kill”. His foster granddad gave him a stuffed duck at Christmas that he loved to throw for himself and give chase. I would sit and watch him for several long minutes and call him the “self-entertaining” dog. See the video of Hal playing with his duck at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g19rjUtT8lM .
Hal loved to cuddle under a blanket by a crackling fire. He would wrap up so tight that he would look like a plaid dachshund, complete with plaid nose and wagging plaid tail. He would protest being put in his crate at night by doing a half grunt-half sigh that sounded like a grumpy old man. He wouldn’t go to sleep until he knew his humans were in the bed with the lights out.
He loved food as if he hadn’t had enough in his lifetime.
He always wanted to be in the same room as his humans.
He would nose your hand if it wasn’t petting his head.
He loved to have his face mushed so he looked like a wrinkled old man.
He loved to wrestle with the other dogs in the house.
He would spin in circles when he was excited.
I have the knowledge that Hal lived a better life while he was in DREAM’s care. And that he was loved until he passed to the other side. That we knew we were there to mourn him. That he was not alone.
There will always be another dachshund who needs rescue, but Hal will always hold a special place in my heart.

---Ashley

PETA's videos about breeders and rescue

2008-01-16T16:57:00.000-05:00

You know, I'm not always the biggest fan of PETA, although I think they play an important role in animal welfare generally. It's not my style to be so confrontational (at least most of the time, when I can help it).

People learn through stories, though -- and these 2 videos tell good stories, with a fresh approach. I hope people will watch them. They have a twisted sort of humor about them.

http://www.peta.org/feat/abc/index.asp

I don't believe breeding dogs is inherently immoral. I do believe it is immoral to breed dogs at the same time we are killing so many that are homeless. As soon as we've taken care of the homeless dog problem, I'd like to breed little dachshund babies myself.

And you gotta love the suburban mom's quip at the end: "Little girl's gonna get some!" Priceless.

Hal is at the Rainbow Bridge

2008-01-11T22:09:00.000-05:00

Hal went to the Rainbow Bridge tonight.

Ashley and David were there to hold him, kiss him, and tell him it was okay -- there would be plenty of squirrels and cats to chase, and ribeye steaks to eat that wouldn't hurt his tummy. He knew that they were there, and wagged his tail.

From George E. Odell:
We need one another when we mourn and would be comforted.
We need one another when we are in trouble and afraid.
We need one another when we are in despair, in temptation, and need to be recalled to our best selves again.
We need one another when we would accomplish some great purpose, and cannot do it alone.
We need one another when we come to die, and would have gentle hands prepare us for the journey.
All our lives we are in need, and others are in need of us.

Ashley and David were Hal's "gentle hands" tonight.
He has had other gentle hands along the way: Debbie, who got him out of the shelter, Theresa, who fostered him and first identified the chronic bowel problems, Heather and Derek, who brought Hal down to Atlanta, and all the people at Village Veterinary Hospital in Decatur.

Sweet gentleman Hal - now a waiting game

2008-01-10T21:29:00.000-05:00

Our sweet foster dog Hal, who has captured every heart in DREAM, came to us from an animal control facility in LaGrange, Georgia. He had been struck by a car and found by the road. Although he had a friendly, gentle personality, he limped from a dislocated hip, and the shelter didn't think anyone would adopt him. They also had him tested for heartworms, and he was positive. Not a good result for a limping, frightened dog in a shelter with limited space and resources. He was a prime candidate for being killed to make room for other lost or abandoned dogs, with better “adoptability.”
A kind woman who works in LaGrange, but lives in Atlanta, knew about DREAM and asked if she could bring Hal to us. We took one look at those soulful eyes and said yes!
When Hal arrived, he was in sad shape with several health issues. He was extremely thin, and every vertebra in his spine poked out. He had a lopsided gait from the hip injury. And, of course, the heartworm infection.
But his face -- his dear, handsome, richly red face. His eyes: clear and trusting. His tail wagged in greeting, even though he felt terrible -- sick, weak, and frightened at so many new places and people in only a few days. We can only imagine that he thought feeling terrible was normal!

We took care of Hal's standard vetting first (vaccinations, fecal test) and discovered that he also had an infestation of almost every intestinal parasite you can think of. He was dewormed three times and pooped out mounds and mounds of various worms. Whew! What a mess (and what a parasitology lesson!).

It was time to address Hal's more difficult problems. We decided to take care of the heartworm first. Hal stayed at the vet for three days, enduring the painful injections. Luckily, his side effects were minimal, and off he went to his foster home to recover. While he recovered from heartworm treatment, we had to keep his heart rate down so that the worms would not break off as they die and cause further injury or death. So: strict crate rest for 60 days. We wanted to use this time for him to gain some weight and fully heal from all the invasions to his heart and tummy. We planned to take care of his hip injury after he was generally healthier. It did not seem to be causing him pain.
Our well-laid plans did not come to pass. Hal had trouble with diarrhea. We originally ascribed this to all the worms, but even after the worms were gone, he still had issues and sometimes did not seem to know that he was "going." The vet diagnosed a neurological issue, probably related to the injury that hurt his hip. Somehow the nerve signals were not always making it through their pathways, and although Hal was housetrained, he sometimes could not control himself and small amounts would leak out. The vet said this was probably permanent. We decided to try to control this with diet, so that his stools would at least be firm. His foster mom tried several different foods, and some worked better than others. Hal seemed on the road to recovery again. Through it all, he was loving, gentle, cuddly, and (when he felt well) very playful! What a spirit.
On Christmas Eve, Hal had a severe bout with diarrhea and became dehydrated. His foster mom rushed him to the emergency vet, where Santa gave him fluids and kept him warm until he could regain some strength. The vet now wondered if Hal also had food allergies that were complicating everything, so Hal began a bland diet. He went home Christmas Day and did well for a couple of weeks. We all breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe we had finally found the solution for Hal's tummy troubles, and we could get him healthy enough to address everything else.

Not yet.
On January 7, Hal's foster mom returned home from work to find him unable to walk. He had vomited several times and had lost all of his food to vomiting and diarrhea. His gums were pale, indicating dehydration. Most frightening, his body temperature was cooling. Foster mom and dad rushed Hal back to our wonderful emergency vet, with Hal cradled in Ashley's lap and David battling the rush hour traffic at breakneck speeds. They arrived, covered in Hal's "liquid souvenirs" and breathless with worry for our handsome gentleman. Hal's temperature was too low to register on the electronic thermometer, and he had lost 3 pounds. He lay on the table awake, though, accepting our kisses and reassurances that we'd do everything we could to make him feel better. The vet advised a night of fluids, a heating pad, and antibiotics to stabilize him, and a reassessment in the morning. As they carried him into the back room, he watched us over the vet tech's shoulder.

Sometimes I just hope that our foster dogs can sense that we have their best interests at heart, even when what we humans do doesn't make any sense to them. Surely what happened that night couldn't have made sense to Hal.

In the morning, the vet reported that an X-ray revealed what might be a foreign body in Hal's stomach. Possibly a partial fish skeleton. We were horrified and gave the go-ahead for surgery to remove it. Maybe this was the answer -- he had somehow been carrying these bones around all these weeks, and they had caused all these problems, perhaps even perforations, a vicious cycle keeping him from ever getting well.

Hours passed. We waited for word.
The vet called with surprising (and weird) news. The "foreign body" wasn't foreign. Part of Hal's intestinal tract was necrotic -- dead -- and had begun to calcify, so it showed like bones on the X-ray. There could also be a rare, but deadly, fungal infection going on, but only a biopsy would confirm that. And of course, cancer is a possibility. We had a decision to make while Hal was still under anesthesia.
Poor boy is only 4-5 years old, and has never had a break. Yet he is one of the most gentle souls I have ever known. If he weren't so thin, I'd think he was the Buddha. We said, "Do what you need to do. He deserves his chance."

Dr. Miller and Dr. Stacey removed the dead pieces and sewed the remaining ends back together. They cleaned out all the leakage in his abdomen. Hal made it through surgery, and he made it through the night. We became cautiously optimistic.

Samples of the offending parts were sent to UGA for analysis. Hal woke up and wagged his tail.

When you volunteer with rescue, it is inevitable that you will lose a few dogs in your care. Sometimes they come to us with such advanced disease, we cannot help them. Luckily we have had only a few of those in the past 7 years. Each one broke my heart. I don't want to add Hal to that list. But if we do, I know that we gave Hal a few months of feeling safe. A few months of feeling loved. A few months of not worrying about where dinner would come from.

Without DREAM, Hal would have suffered alone. And I am proud, I am honored, I am GLAD to be a part of Hal's not being alone, even if it is painful.
Albert Schweitzer said, “Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight.”

Today, Hal's foster mama visited him. He wagged his tail and he rolled over for a tummy rub.
Now we wait. We wait to see how Hal will respond, and we wait for the results from the lab. Apparently, days 3 - 5 are critical days.

And we keep our eyes wide open, along with our hearts.

From 2007 to 2008 ... and beyond!

2007-12-30T18:35:00.000-05:00

Just before the holidays, DREAM's board of directors went on our annual retreat. We're lucky to have a member with a cabin in the mountains, so we head up there and do a lot of eating and a lot of talking, a lot of laughing and a lot of crying. We reviewed the year and dreamed about the future.

DREAM adopted out more than 40 dogs this year. Not bad for a tiny group in only its second year of existence! We've built a strong network of dedicated foster homes, and our financial standing is solid (although of course money is always a challenge, we are very careful with our money and can make a little go a long way). More than 90% of our expenses are related to vetting or other therapy. (And not for therapy for us! :-) ) I am very proud of what we've built.

We are all-volunteer run, so I believe there is a limit to how large we can grow, but I hope with some new process improvements this year we can double our adoptions by doing them faster in 2008, while maintaining the same number of foster homes (which is really all we can manage as volunteers).

Of course, there will always be the ones we can't get to in time, or don't have the right foster space to help, or don't have enough foster space to help. One that haunts me from this year was Paprika, a little "down" dachshund. Her owners asked us to take her in. They had been caring for her special needs (paraplegia, bladder expression) for a couple of years, but the dad of the family had to move into assisted living. None of the foster homes who are able to take care of a special needs dog were available. I asked them to wait, and they said they would. But eventually they put her down, without coming to me for a "last chance." I am still sick about that one. I have 3 disabled dogs in the house, and I know that taking care of them is very do-able.

Our longest term foster dog, Fella, is still with us. We've had him 3 years. After his terrible abuse / neglect, he is unlikely to find an adoptive home. (Not many folks out there looking for an older dog with behavioral issues.) But he is safe with us until that happens, and if it never happens, he will live out his life in foster care. The picture is of him, "celebrating" (although I doubt he enjoyed the outfit as much as I did). He did like the basket of toys though, and he is happy, even with his limitations.

I am reading a wonderful book that is really getting me hopeful about the overpopulation issue in general. It's called Redemption: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation and the No Kill Revolution in America. I bought 20 copies, and I plan to give one to each of our board members AND to each of DeKalb County's commissioners. (I guess I just ruined the surprise for the board members.) It challenges some deep-seated assumptions we have (like euthanization is inevitable, or that there are not enough homes). If what the author says is true, there really is hope for our companion animals, who give us the purest form of love I've ever known. Hope is not something we hear about often in animal welfare, but between DREAM's small successes this year, being able to help dogs like Fella, and this book, I have hope.

Happy New Year to you all.

Tough week! And it's only Wednesday!

2007-11-28T16:55:00.000-05:00

Wow, it's been a tough week in the dachshund world. There are just so many in need, we cannot keep up. We've gotten several out of terrible conditions in animal control in the past few weeks, but we keep hearing about more. When will people stop the breeding? Stop the pet stores?

I have 9 dachshunds on our waiting list...it breaks my heart not to be able to help them all. We have more foster space than ever, but it is all full. Gwinnett, Clayton, and Walker County all have dachshunds in danger of euthanization.

One of our foster homes is going through a difficult time personally, and we're scrambling to find alternative space for 2 of her foster doggies.

We had someone request an owner surrender, who then seemed to think she was doing US a favor by giving us her dog, and wanted door to door delivery service at a time of her choosing. It is times like these that I invoke the mantra "it's for the doggies, it's for the doggies, it's for the doggies." Dogs I can help, but people...doesn't seem like there is hope for many of them.

Two of our newest, Rambo and Sambo, are a sweet pair of 8 year old black and tan males who were turned in by their owners, who had to go into assisted living. They had never been anywhere but their own home, and never met any other dogs or people besides family. R&S had a difficult transition through 2 failed adoptive homes that the family tried, but neither worked, so they came to DREAM. They are learning to trust other people and dogs at Jabula right now, and will transition to long-term foster homes in early December. (Exactly where, I don't know yet! That's one of this week's challenges).

We just got Shine, a red male mix, is a young, energetic boy about a year old. Very handsome! He loves wrestling with other doggies, sitting on laps, snuggling and hugging. He is a bit of a submissive personality and will give up his food if any other dog even looks in his direction. He came from Thomas County Animal Control. We thought Shine was heartworm positive when we took him, but our GREAT NEWS this week was that he does NOT need hw treatment!

Betsy, our other brand new foster, is NOT a dachshund. I was fooled by a picture! Her face looks just like a wirehaired dachsie, and when I emailed the Murray County Animal Control "Is 021 a dachshund?" (in response to their panicked plea for help) I received the response "She could be!". Well, she isn't....she actually looks like a small, long-legged deer with a dachsie face. She is only 9 months old, so sweet and scared, and she would have been put to sleep on Wednesday, so it's hard to regret it (or her stress diarrhea I have cleaned up about 20 times). I am trying to find another rescue to take her, perhaps in exchange for a dachshund.

Bella Bella had 2 wonderful applications and is going to her forever home on Thursday. Her foster mom has really brought her around after she was found stray, obviously an ex-breeder dog.

Jerry Beasley and Snuggles continue their retirement in the capable hands of their foster mama in. Two old grumps, she will take care of them as long as they need it.

VERY HANDSOME Hal is recovering from heartworm treatment, but has several other issues we are dealing with. I hope it is not too serious. He came to us in pretty bad shape, including an old injury from being hit by a car, and a belly full of every worm known to veterinary medicine, but we were hoping the heartworm treatment was the worst of it. He goes in for more blood work this week.

I have a houseful. Fella Fella is doing very well with his aggression (he was severely abused), as long as his buttons are not pushed. Luke continues to improve daily from his IVDD surgery, and is amazing to see running around the yard almost like a normal doggie. Murchu, our last puppy, was adopted on Sunday evening. Princeton, our little resident attitude, will be getting a UGA Veterinary Behaviorist assessment in the next couple of weeks (as soon as I get a minute to make an appointment).

Our Savannah contingent has a new foster, Betty Jo, who by all accounts is an absolute DEAR.

Tosca, a very special sweetheart, is learning every day to trust people again. She has an application, but we have not heard from them in a couple of weeks. I need to follow up with them again. And Pooh, who had a GIANT hernia removed (so big the vet originally thought it was a herna AND a tumor), is recuperating nicely.

Matilda came into DREAM after a good samaritan found her after being hit by a car. She is lighting up the lives of her foster parents, and her foster brother Gus.

Spencer, another little heartworm boy, is finishing his convalescense with the wonderful women at Jabula. www.jabuladogs.com THANKS GILL AND KATE! We hope he'll be adopted when that is over.

We took in Fritz from his owner this weekend. She asked if we minded driving 2 and 1/2 hours to her home to pick him up at her convenience. (Where do people get this idea?) We ended up meeting her halfway. Fritz is terrified, away from home for the first time, but his foster home says he wagged his tail yesterday when she got home from work. Good sign Fritz!

It's good work we do. We have an amazing group of loving foster homes, and a talented and committed board. All volunteers. We just try to keep our finger in the hole in the dike, and not let too much water rush through. This week there is a lot of water, and the dachshunds are rushing through the hole, and we can't save them all. But we can save some. We can save some. And we will save as many as we can.

Tabby racing at Howl-O-Weenie

2007-10-25T10:55:00.000-04:00

Check out my little girl racing across the field at Howl-O-Weenie. The best part is the facial expressions on the crowd. She can fly! I will race her again at DRNA's picnic on 11/3. She is such an ambassador for "down" doggies. Her injury doesn't slow her down one bit. If you have not checked out her video on YouTube, please do. Just search for Adventures of Tabby and you'll see it.

Howl-O-Weenie!

2007-10-21T10:35:00.000-04:00

My feet hurt. My legs hurt. My back hurts. My triceps hurt. But my heart is full of gratitude and my head is abuzz with ideas for next year.

We howled yesterday!

Our 5th annual festival and picnic was a huge success! I am so tired I can't put together a coherent narrative, so I will just list for you some of the memories that stick out.

Spotting the peacock as it strutted around the grounds. What an engineering feat that costume was!

Meeting Gloria, who told me this was the best day she'd had in years, and now she wants to adopt a dachshund.

Seeing the alumni dogs, the fosters who we loved and cared for until their forever homes found them, looking so happy and well-loved by their new families. I know I will leave someone out, but here's a try: Midnight (Murphy), Giacomo (Murphy), Patti (Erica), Bart, Lacey, Teddy, Ande, Bobo, Lorelei, Beans, Tracy (Amber), Sydney, and Doc-a-doodle.

The shards of mirror from the beautiful mosaic dog beds and highchair, reflecting the sunlight.

Carol's amazing dachshund trophies.

The hotdog line, moving fast, full of people who looked happy to be spending an afternoon of glorious weather outside watching the crazy weiner dog people.

So many people wearing the 2005 and 2006 T-shirts! Cool!

The MAD-MUG Dachshund meetup group giving the IQ tests.

Kerry from Lifeline Animal Project saying next year she was going to get someone else to run her booth so her dachshund can race.

The race! Man do those dachsies fly!

My little Tabby crossing the field to her mama while everyone cheered.

All the people who came by to meet the 3 "down" dachsies and learn about them and their high quality of life. Tabby, Luke, and Jack enjoyed all the attention.

The doggie whose nail clipping hit the quick and his mama holding him while they applied pressure.

The lady who scolded me about not having recycling bins, right after I made a note to myself to make sure to have recycling bins next year. Oy!

Walking around the ballfield holding RLand's weirdly beautiful dachshund art over my head for the auction.

Trish and Paul arriving out of breath, just in time to enter Darcy and Panzer in the last heat of the dash, because they made Paul's parents leave the game at halftime.

Realizing during cleanup that I hadn't gone to the bathroom since 7 AM.

Seeing my work colleague Bill crossing the picnic with his family and 5 longhairs.

Talking to Heather and Derek about how far Lorelei has come in her shyness.

I'm sure I'll come back and add more over the course of the day.

(By the way, this pic is of a little guy who arrived too late for the costume contests. As you can see, "The Fuzz" was out in force!)

Oh, how we howled!

Sad day in a joyous week

2007-10-16T21:24:00.000-04:00

In the crazy hustle bustle hurly burly of getting ready for one of the happiest days of our year, HowlOWeenie, we've had a sad day at DREAM. Our sweet foster Dupre, who came to us 4 months ago with a severe heartworm infestation, died last night.
Dupre was about 9 years old. He had lived a life of neglect, kept outside in a pen in the Georgia heat and cold, all of his life. He had never received vaccinations or heartworm preventative. When he came to DREAM, he didn't know what a pillow was for. (Although it must be said that he figured that out quickly.)
Dupre weathered his 3 months of painful heartworm treatment, and the necessary crate rest, bravely and with aplomb. (This is where he figured out the pillow part - he had lots of time in the crate!) He had one scary episode in the last month of treatment, in which he vomited blood and was hemorrhaging. With quick action by his vigilant foster parents, he survived. A month later, he was given a clean bill of health and pronounced ready for his much-needed dental cleaning and neuter. In the days before his surgery, he felt great and spent his time playing in the yard with his foster brothers and sisters for the first time.
He lost 10 teeth in his dental procedure, severely rotted because he had been on poor quality food and, of course, had never had his teeth brushed.
Two days later he began having seizures. Although we do not know what exactly happened, the best guess is that he had a history of seizures, and one had just not come up before now. (Many dogs with seizure disorders, including one of my own, have only 1-2 seizures a year.) Perhaps the stress of the surgery, or the anesthesia, or the dental, brought it on. The seizures would not stop, no matter what the vet tried. In desperation we decided that injected phenobarbital might allow Dupre to sleep and get enough rest to heal. We tried it, and indeed he did better and was able to sleep peacefully. In the middle of this needed rest, though, his heart stopped in the night and he died in his sleep.

I truly believe that Dupre died knowing he was loved for the first time in his life. That evening, before he had the injection, his foster mom held him and talked to him and made sure that he knew he was not alone, and that we were doing everything we could for him. I saw his eyes clear, and he did not look afraid.
We are very grateful for our foster homes, the heart of this organization.
This is why we do what we do -- because sometimes no one else will take care of these dogs, and their hearts are pure.

We look forward to seeing all of you on Saturday at HowlOWeenie. Our hearts will be a little heavier than usual.

Another little black and tan guy begins his heartworm treatment tomorrow. It never ends.

Always busy in dachshund rescue

2007-09-26T16:28:00.000-04:00

Good heavens. How can it be 2 months since my last post?

What is going on with DREAM? I'm glad you asked!

1. Howl-O-Weenie planning! The board is busy busy busy getting ready for our annual dachsie festival on October 20, 2007, in Decatur at Glenlake Park. Getting T-shirts made, recruiting (begging!) volunteers, finding sponsors, organizing contests, finding tables, figuring out a fence, making trophies, making certificates, all for the best day of our year! (And the most exhausting!)

2. Getting Delia's puppies adopted! Our 6 precious babies, born just one week after their mama, a dachshund mix, was rescued from animal control when she was due for euthanization in 2 hours, are going to their forever homes. This picture is Nessa, one of the little ones. So DEAR!!!

3. Trying to get 2 chocolate dachsies out of a puppy mill in Alabama. This breeder has changed her mind 4 times about turning over her dogs, even though she cannot care for them. Countless phone calls and emails between her and Dixie Dachshund Rescue in Alabama, with whom we are collaborating to help these babies.

4. Communicating with people who have found stray dachshunds. Strangely, there has been a small "rash" of lost dachsies the last 2 weeks. I've been coaching several people on what to do when they find a lost dog. All have found their homes again except one, who we think was abandoned. She is coming to DREAM tonight and going for her vetting tomorrow morning.

5. Working with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund (Atlanta) to see if we can find a family with diabetes who would like to adopt our sweet Meagan, a longhair dachsie with the same disease. This has been a heartwarming experience!

6. Writing a grant mini-proposal to Maddie's Fund for a video camera so we can post videos of our adoptable dogs, hopefully speeding up adoptions.

7. Taking Jack and Luke to swim therapy.

8. Feeding, cleaning up, and the usual administrivia.

9. Getting lots of weiner dog love. And that's why we do #1 - 8.

Did you know:

There are 45 cats and dogs for every 1 person born.

Only 1 out of 10 dogs born ever find a permanent home.

Every hour, 800 dogs and cats are destroyed the U.S. because there are not enough homes for them.

Please do not breed or buy your next dog -- adopt a dog who needs you.

Luke the down dachshund speaks for himself

2007-07-25T16:03:00.000-04:00

This is Luke. My foster mom is really busy, so I told her I'd write the blog for this week. I thought I'd tell you about a typical day for me. In the mornings, I can hear my foster mom's alarm clock going off in the bedroom. Luckily, she's a snoozer so I don't have to crawl out from under the covers just yet. I can stay burrowed under them in my crate until I hear her really get out of bed. When I hear that bedroom door open, I pop my head out from under the blankets! She sings out, "Good morning, Luke," and I kind of hop up and down in return. She gets me out of my crate and takes me into the bathroom, where she squeezes my bladder so I can pee, and holds me over the toilet while I poop. I usually yawn and give her a little kiss when I have the chance. All of that takes about 20 seconds, and sometimes I think she is still asleep when she's doing it. Then she puts me down, and I go into the bedroom where I can climb up the ramp and get into bed (that's my special morning treat, to nap in the bed while she gets dressed for work). Now that I'm walking, I can climb the ramp all by myself, and I am very proud.

Pretty soon after that, I listen very carefully from the bedroom when I hear my foster mom go into the kitchen. Sometimes she feeds me before she goes to work, and other days my foster dad feeds me a little later. If I hear the metal can with the food open, I fly down the ramp and through the house to the kitchen, because it is really important that I am there to cheer them on when they are scooping out the food. They give me my bowl (they put some water on my food to make sure I drink enough) and I eat as fast as I can so I can check out the other dogs' bowls when they finish. My foster mom gives me another squeeze before she goes to work. I know that I can't go with her to work (even though I type very well), so I don't follow her to the door in the morning. Most mornings I decide that is time for a NAP! I climb back up the ramp and snooze in the big bed for most of the day. If there is a new stuffed animal around, I might rip it up to get the squeak out. Those squeaks are a menace to society and it is my job to make sure they are disposed of with great dispatch and enthusiasm. Otherwise I get under the covers.

My foster dad is waiting for his new job to start, so he's working around the house right now. Still, I sleep most of the day. I have to be ready for whatever happens in the afternoons and evenings.

When my foster mom gets home in the afternoon, I am at the door to greet her - I know what her car sounds like. I spin around in circles on the floor until she picks me up. She lets the other dogs outside and gives my bladder a squeeze in the bathroom. Then we usually hang out for a while. She sits at the computer in the dining room and makes all kinds of comments that I don't understand, about dachshunds in shelters, organizing transports, euthanization, spay and neuter, and puppy mills. Sometimes she cries. When that happens, I go sit on her feet. Sometimes she calls people for references who want to adopt one of DREAM's dachshunds, and she always sounds really happy when that goes well.

If she decides to go out in the afternoon, I know there is a chance I get to go too, so I make sure I keep an eye on the door. If I see her start to put her shoes on, pick up her purse, or get her keys, I do my spin around in circles thing. Often that trick works - she will take me with her. Some days I go swimming with my therapist. Other days I get to go to the pool and watch my foster brother do his swim therapy, but I don't actually swim myself. Those are my favorite days because I get to show off to the people sitting around the pool with their dogs. They all cheer for me when they see me run around the pool, because they knew me before I learned how to walk again. My foster brother Jack ruptured a disc too, just like me, and we are all hoping that one day he will walk again, like I have learned to do. I really like to go to the pool and see the other dogs swim, because the people there say I am an inspiration and they let me get away with all kinds of show-offy behavior that I can't do at home. I like to bark at Jack from the sidelines and tell him what he isn't doing right.

Other evenings, people come over to our house to eat dinner in the back yard. My foster dad likes to cook on the grill. I love those days, because everybody sits outside together, and I can run to the fence to bark if anyone walks by with their dogs in the neighborhood. Even though I can't fully use my back legs like other dogs do, I CAN run and I have learned all kinds of little tricks to help me get around really fast! I can even jump up the 2 steps from the back yard into the house.

At night is my favorite time. Most evenings, my foster mom and dad watch a movie and I get to cuddle with them and the other dogs. I am a champion snuggler. I get to stay in the bed until lights out. I follow my foster mom back out to the bathroom when it's time for bed, so she can give my bladder a last squeeze. Then I follow her to the dining room, where my crate and my blankie are. She gives me a little treat and a chewie, and I hop right into the crate to enjoy them. If they leave the bedroom door open, I can see that mom & dad are still awake, and I will bark because I do not like to miss anything. But if they remember to close the door, I go right to sleep like a good boy. I know that the next morning I will get to do all my favorite things again.
I am really happy in my foster home, but one day I know that I will be adopted by someone who isn't afraid of expressing my bladder. Then I might get to cuddle and sleep in the big bed every night. My foster mom says that I am ready, and what she says, goes. I love her very much, and I know that she gave me another chance at life when my first family couldn't take care of me when I was hurt. But I am ready for my real life to start, and I know it will contain lots of love, snuggles, stuffed toys, blankies, chewies, and everything else a dachshund needs. People don't have any reason to be afraid of my disabilities, because I can teach anyone how to adjust for them. It isn't hard at all, and I promise to reward you with more love than you have ever known.

Georgia Shelters still using Gas to euthanize, with Dept of Ag support

2007-07-12T09:19:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe, but some Georgia shelters still use gas to euthanize groups of dogs. Although new shelters cannot do so, an old shelter with a gas chamber got a "grandfather" exception. In March, this was supposed to be stopped. Gas euthanization is an extremely cruel practice, with dogs panicking and sometimes attacking each other in their last moments. The below is the case file (I removed some of the legal case reference numbers and such for easier reading). See Georgia Legal Professionals for Animals for more details.
www.georgialpa.org. And I hope you'll let our Department of Ag Commissioner, Tommy Irvin, know what you think. It is bad enough that we euthanize so many animals. Do they also have to endure terror, pain, and attacks while it is happening? And while our state legislature has been abundantly clear on their feelings, the Department of Ag circumvents them?
I am in shock that Cobb County is doing this. I thought it was only poor, rural counties.
------------------------------------------------

Report on the status of Chesley V. Morton and Jennifer Robinson v. State of Georgia Department of Agriculture and Tommy Irvin, in his Official Capacity as Commissioner, In the Superior Court of Fulton County, State of Georgia, Family Division

Background
On March 26, 2007, the Honorable Cynthia D. Wright executed an interlocutory order. The Order noted that in 1990, the Georgia General Assembly enacted a law that specified that sodium pentobarbital was the exclusive method of euthanasia of dogs and cats in animal shelters, with certain exceptions. The exceptions included shelters in counties of less than 25,000, dangerous animals, and gas chambers in use as of July 1, 1990 provided that the shelter filed their notice of exemption with the Department of Agriculture by August 1, 1990.

The Department of Agriculture is the exclusive agency to inspect and license animal shelters, including insuring compliance with the euthanasia provisions of the law. While the Commissioner contended that the 1990 law was unclear, Judge Wright held that “[t]he legislature could not have been more clear in prohibiting euthanasia using gas chambers for dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens except in very limited circumstances." The Court also noted that at the hearing “[i]t was abundantly clear…that the Commissioner and the Department employees have virtually ignored the clear statutory mandate.”
On March 26, 2007, after the submission of extensive evidence, the Court ultimately issued an interlocutory injunction “enjoining and restraining the Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Agriculture and employees of the Department of Agriculture from advocating and sanctioning violation of O.C.G.A. §4-11-5.1 by state-licensed animal shelters.”
Current Status of the Case
Both parties engaged in extensive briefing regarding and leading up to the injunction. More importantly, on June 6, 2007, the Plaintiffs filed a Motion for Contempt, claiming that “Defendants have intentionally violated the Court’s Order and attempted by their conduct to circumvent the effect of the Order.”
The Brief in Support of the Motion for Contempt contends that the Cobb County Animal Shelter has been operating a gas chamber in direct violation of the Humane Euthanasia Act for the last twelve years. The Department of Agriculture received complaints about Cobb County Animal Shelter’s allegedly unlawful conduct after the Order was issued.
An April 25, 2007, letter from Leana Stormont of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (“PETA”), asking the Department of Agriculture to “undertake appropriate investigative and enforcement action to ensure swift compliance with the law” is attached to the Brief in Support of the Motion to Compel. John Hennelly, Senior Assistant Attorney General, responded on April 30, 2007, requesting that correspondence be directed to his attention and noting that the Order was “aimed at maintaining the status quo,” and that “the effect of the order is to prohibit, rather than compel, action.” This letter is also attached to the Brief in Support of the Motion for Contempt. Ms. Stormont replied in a May 10, 2007, letter, requesting certain public records related to the Cobb County Animal Control facility and noting that PETA interprets the Order as an “expectation that the Department will take some action in response to violations of which it is made aware” and that it “prohibits the Department from standing idly by and acquiescing when violations are brought to its attention…” The letter is also attached as an exhibit to the Brief in Support of the Motion for Contempt.
On May 25, 2007, the Department of Agriculture sent an inspector to the Cobb County Animal Shelter. The inspector gave the Cobb County Animal Shelter a passing grade for its euthanasia program, and the inspection report did not address the facility’s use of a gas chamber. The Department of Agriculture responded to PETA’s Open Records Act request that afternoon, enclosing the inspection report.
Plaintiffs argue that the Defendants are in violation of the Order and thus, should be found in contempt. They request that the court “fashion a remedy that compels Defendants to follow the Order…and prevents the harm that has been caused by Defendants’ attempts to both violate the Court’s decision and provide a shield for the illegal gassing of dogs and cats occurring in Cobb County on a daily basis.” Brief in Support of Motion for Contempt, p. 6. Plaintiffs seek that the Court “compel Defendants to undertake enforcement activities with respect to the illegal gassing that is ongoing at the Cobb County shelter, and to award Plaintiffs the costs of filing and preparing [the Motion for Contempt].”
Defendants have not yet responded to the Motion for Contempt, nor has the Court issued any ruling.

Evidence at the hearing even showed that Commissioner Irvin personally encouraged shelters to build new gas chambers, which the Court noted was “a clear violation of the law.”

Cobb County’s gas chamber was first purchased in 1995, arguably making its use a violation of the statute, which only allows continued use of a specific gas chamber if it was in use prior to July 1, 1990. Cobb County contends that they were merely continuing use of a gas chamber after moving to a new location, an act it contends is consistent with the law. See Exhibit B to Brief in Support of Motion for Contempt.

Bad, bad, bad couple of weeks

2007-06-25T23:08:00.000-04:00

I am not even sure how to start. We have had such a bad couple of weeks.

Not DREAM as a group -- the organization is healthy and doing well. All foster dogs are well-cared for, thanks to our wonderful foster homes all over Atlanta.

Our own dog, Jack, went down in the back with a disc rupture on June 11 when I came home from work. It happened in seconds. After our experiences with fosters Luke and Tabby, we luckily knew exactly what had happened, and only a few hours later, Jack had his surgery. He has had a rough recovery. He was in the hospital at UGA for a week. When we brought him home, he was listless. We found out later he was dehydrated. He probably also was reacting to the pain medications. He wouldn't eat. Those issues took 2 days to resolve. It was like he gave up on life. We cried so much. We thought we would have to euthanize him, which we could barely even consider. He still cannot walk, but we know we can deal with that. As long as he is not in pain, and happy, that is enough. If he is meant to walk, I will get him there with swim therapy and whatever he needs. We express his bladder 6 times a day, along side of Luke and Tabby. His cart comes in about a week.

In the midst of all that, Delia had her puppies. At risk of sounding trite: what joys they are, and what a good mama she is! She had 6 babies, with absolutely no fuss. They are now 10 days old. We can't wait for their eyes to open. It is strange as a rescuer to whelp and raise puppies -- so much of what we do is intended to AVOID this very situation. But Delia was almost ready to give birth when we got her out of animal control. So, here we are: 6 tiny puppies in the house. But they have doubled in size in the past week.

Jack is now back to something like his old self. He is more cheerful, and such a loving boy. He gives kisses again. He went for a little walk today in Luke's cart. Delia and her babies were a welcome distraction. So far, she does all the work -- but I know that will change soon!

We seem to be out of the woods now. Thank you to all the dachsie lovers who helped us. Here is Delia in a shot I call "Milk Machine." Those babies look like they are bellying up to the bar, don't they?

Our latest rescue addition: a little foster baby with a birth defect: his urethra is external. We're evaluating surgical options now. More on Andy (Andi?) later.

Luke's progress

2007-06-10T11:31:00.000-04:00

It has been a while since I posted about Luke. We have now had Luke in foster care for almost a year. His disc (IVDD) surgery was July 24. He didn't recover much after surgery, so in December we started swim therapy. We go to www.dogpaddle.net every weekend, and it has been like a miracle for him. Where his legs were completely contracted out straight, now they are fairly bendy -- the left more so than the right. He began to take steps. Now he is "UP" about 50% of the time. When he gets out of the pool at therapy, he actually RUNS the length of the pool to meet me! (His favorite part is getting wrapped up in the towel like a babushka.)

Here is a picture of my brave boy standing in the yard. Marna (his therapist) says that he must learn a new way to walk. He will use different muscles in different ways. It is fascinating to watch him learn, figure out new strategies. He plays like any other dog -- loves to tear up a stuffed toy on the bed.

He still needs help with his bladder, but it is really no trouble. I know that one day we will find his new forever home, who will see what an incredible spirit he has, and want to have that spirit as part of their lives.

I am so proud of him!

Delia

2007-06-10T10:51:00.000-04:00

I drove down to Meriwether County Animal Control on Friday to pick up a little girl who was due for euthanization that afternoon. The people at the AC are very active in trying to find rescue. They said that they actually don't have to euthanize very often, but they were very full, and she had been there the longest.

She's a little dachshund shepherd mix, and so sweet. Just wants to please and be loved. But the surprise was -- very pregnant. Craig and I have never whelped puppies before, so we are doing a lot of research on what to do. We will take her to the vet this week to get a better idea of when the big day is. Her belly looks so big, it can't be very long.

We have named her Delia but call her Mama Dog most of the time. Whenever we come into the room, she wags so hard her tail hits both her sides. Then she rolls over on her back for a belly rub. I don't think she has ever eaten dog food before. We have to bribe her by mixing cottage cheese into her kibble. We keep telling her that she is safe, and that she doesn't have to worry any more.

I can see her in the next room as I type, and whenever she sees me look at her, she wags.

The people who turned her into Animal Control are well-known for not caring for (or, obviously, not spaying or neutering) their dogs. So much suffering in this world, for no reason. We can only do our part to alleviate a little of it.

Trust

2007-06-02T15:44:00.001-04:00

I was musing this morning, as I drove Luke to his swim therapy, what a huge role trust plays in the rescue life.

When a dog comes into a new foster home, she has to learn to trust the people (and the dogs) there. Some trust right away. This doesn't necessarily have that much to do with where they came from, or their backgrounds.
I have had dogs leap into my arms right at animal control, while others were shy or even growly. Some crawl out of their cage slowly, and climb into my lap. Or they cheerfully trot outside and hop into my car without a backward glance. (I guess those figure that anywhere is better than that place!)

I have had dogs that came right from their families, who don't trust anyone. We have no way of knowing how they were really treated, or why they might act the way they do. Some are protective of their toys and food, some hide under the bed. Some slot right into our cast of characters without a murmur, as though they were filling in a spot they'd rehearsed for their entire lives. (You can practically see them walk in, look around, and sigh with relief: "Finally! The right script!")

The common principles seem to be stability, consistency, and gentleness. If we provide a stable environment, with a good schedule of food and potty times, behave consistently toward them so they know what to expect from us, and give them lots of affection, almost all come around to trust us. (Some good training techniques help too, as well as positive reinforcement of the behaviors you want.)

Then, we must place our trust in the people who apply to adopt from us. We talk to them. We check their references. We look at the application to see what dog might work (or NOT work) for them. We visit their homes. Sometimes it takes an immense amount of trust on my part to hand a dog over to her new home, when I've seen her learn to trust me again.

It is my greatest hope that these dogs somehow understand that their trust in me was not misplaced -- that I too did not abandon them. I do believe that after they live in one of our foster homes, a dog is able to look at new people and say, "These people must be OK. My foster mom seems to like them, so I can trust them too."

Dachshund Heaven

2007-05-27T15:29:00.000-04:00

One of our foster homes just emailed this to me. I love it....I made a few changes to adapt it for dachshunds (and to make it a woman!). Thanks to Sherri!!!
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A woman and her dachshund were walking along a road. The woman was enjoying the scenery, and the dachshund was barking happily at all the squirrels and chipmunks, when it suddenly occurred to her that she must be dead. She remembered dying, and that the dachshund walking beside her had died of old age many years before. The dachshund was young and spry again, and she noticed that she felt younger, too.

She wondered where the road was leading them. After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. At the top of a long hill, the wall was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight. When she was standing before it, she saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold.

The pair walked toward the gate, and as they got closer, they saw a man at a desk to one side. The woman called out, "Excuse me, where are we?"

"This is Heaven, ma'am," the man answered.

"Wow!" said the woman. "Would you happen to have some water?" she asked.

"Of course. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up." The gate began to open.

The woman motioned down to her dachshund. "Can my friend come in, too?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, but we don't accept pets."

The woman was surprised. She looked at her dachsie, who was looking on down the road, his ears pricked up and his tail wagging. He looked up at her with a question in his eyes. She thought a moment, and then said, "Come on, Moonpie," and turned back to continue the way they had been going.

After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, they came to a dirt road leading through a rusty farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence. As the woman approached the gate, she saw a man leaning against a tree and reading a book.

"Excuse me!" she called to the man. "Do you have any water?"

"Sure, there's a pump over there, come on in."

"How about my friend here?" the traveler gestured to her dog.

"There should be a bowl by the pump." They went together through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it. The woman filled the water bowl and gave it to the dog, and drank several handfuls from the pump. When they were no longer thirsty, she and Moonpie walked back to the man sitting by the tree.

"What do you call this place?" the woman asked.

"Why, this is Heaven," he answered.

"That's confusing," the woman said. "The man down the road said that was Heaven back there."

"Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's Hell."

"Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?"

"No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind."

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I wonder all the time how people can leave their best friends behind, but I am glad that DREAM is able to care for those friends and find them better homes than those that abandoned them.

Moonpie is one of our senior fosters. I hope she will find her new home in this life soon. If not, DREAM will care for her until she moves on to the next one.

Tabby's video - paralyzed dachshund

2007-05-22T23:19:00.000-04:00

I am so excited! Tabby's video, showing the quality of life possible for a paraplegic dog, is finally on YouTube!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Saf_kZvwClE

Big thanks to Rob at Bleeding Edge Studios for his help. If you ever are in need of a corporate video or tv commercial or music video, he's terrific to work with.
www.bleedingedge.tv

Yahoo for Tabby! She amazes me every day with her spirit, love, and boundless energy. My hope for this video is that people will learn how much joy and happiness these dogs can have, really with minimal care. The message many people get from their vets at the crucial moment is, tragically, often very different, and they give up when they might not have to.