IDA Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Cats’

Due to the hard work and dedication of local animal advocate, Brandon Yanak, Ohio has its first Guardian Community. Not only did Brandon convince the Parma City Council to change their animal related ordinances, but he also convinced the Parma Animal Shelter, and the Middleburg Heights Animal Foundation to make the choice to use “guardian” instead of owner as well. See this great 30 second news clip from Tuesday’s victory here!

For more information on how you can make this happen in your city check out IDA’s Guardian Campaign.

Thanks to Mississippi State University’s (MSU) student surgery team, Hope Animal Sanctuary was able to spay/neuter 4 cats and 27 dogs this week.  Deedra and Bryce Booker brought the dogs they’re fostering for us , Cindy Shaw brought the dogs Debbie Young is caring for, Arlin Arco brought the Winona Animal Shelter dogs we could fit on the list and there were 6 others, besides a few at the sanctuary.  It’s fantastic when so many people pitch in on surgery day.  Mike Martin came up just to help.  It was a long drive for him.  He and Lisa are devoted and appreciated volunteers.

Phoenicia and her pups were spayed yesterday.  They were abandoned in Montgomery County, Mississippi.  Little Bit too was found abandoned on the road.  Ronnie and Raymond were discovered with their 4 sisters on HWY 82.  The wonderful thing is the people who found them were willing to bring them in to IDA’s Hope Animal Sanctuary. IDA has done what we came to Mississippi to do – set up an oasis of hope for animals in one of the poorest states in the country.

My friend Theresa alerted me to a Wyatte, Miss. case of a 86 year-old man who lives in a gutted school bus.  John is a squatter who’s really fortunate that the man who owns the property feels compassion for him.  Theresa helps him and has helped the hoard of dogs he kept.  You may remember we took 19 pups our first 2 visits.  Sadly many of the pups suffered from distemper and didn’t make it.

Monday evening Theresa brought John’s remaining 3 female adults to be spayed. I was absolutely heartsick to think they would go back. They were covered in ticks and their feces was disgusting and parasite ridden.  We made a deal Theresa could take Daisy back but she would see that she gets all the preventive medicines she needs. Daisy is fond of John and sleeps with him in the school bus.

I was relieved that we would keep Iris and Rosie and Theresa would insure that Daisy was cared for. That was a deal I could live with. Iris and Rosie loved sleeping in with the sanctuary’s other dogs last night. They think this new life is pretty cool.

A huge thanks to MSU’s Dr. Busby and his team.  Without their help we wouldn’t be able to help all the animals we rescue and care for.

Please click here to donate directly to Hope Animal Sanctuary. The “double your donation” offer is still good – a very generous IDA supporter will match any donation you make through this link.

We completed our first transport of the new year.  At this moment I can’t recall a more grueling test of my wits, patience, and courage.

The day we returned from our Dec. 15^th transport, 19 puppies showed up as we were unloading crates, towels, and supplies. No problem, Lisa and Mike Martin said yes to one family of pups.  Deedra and Kirk Bookout, were just a phone call away. Challenge handled.  Then there were the hoarder Theresa’s dogs and the stray Enid dogs I told you about yesterday, and Ollie, abandoned at our interstate exit. I rescued Norwood on the side of Hwy 7 as I headed for Yalobusha County to aid with dogs whose guardian passed, and the list goes on. Hope Animal Sanctuary (HAS) and our foster guardians were filled to capacity. There’s nothing new about this, but it just shows how vital the transports are. The new ACO for the city of Winona is awesome and the WAAG team, Winona Animal Advocacy Group, got busy preparing dogs for transport.

PetSmart’s Valentine Adoptathon is a wonderful opportunity for adoptions. We worry that some adoptions are impulsive, but our adoption partner in Colorado, Every Creature Counts, doesn’t fold to impulse adoptions. Our goal was to get 70 dogs to ECC in time for the Adoptathon.

Fewer cats are adopted. Though every cat is tested before being introduced to our cattery, one came in negative for FIV and then became ill and tested positive, along with several other cats.  A mother cat test positive for AIDS, and a cat we’d had for years became ill with FIP.

We decided the cats with us deserve to live their lives. If they become ill, we’ll address their illness, but we do not place for adoption cats who have been exposed to incurable disease, and we do not euthanize cats who are still enjoying their lives. Some spend the rest of their lives with us, some are placed in foster care until we can place them for adoption.

As transport time approached we were faced with seemingly insurmountable hurdles. MSU’s “Fix ‘em” team would not be able to make their appointed surgery day. The mobile clinic generator went out. Rescue friends had steadily aided animals they hoped would make the transport. Half the animals for transport hadn’t had surgeries and the shots and heartworm tests would have to be arranged. Money was now an addition obstacle.

Never fear, Hope Animal Sanctuary is here – along with a team of awesome friends. Debbie Young took our Polly under wing and had her heartworm treatment performed. Our foster guardians and Arlin, our ace ACO in Winona, took dogs for rabies and heartworm tests. Dr. Tim Lloyd of Cleveland, Miss. neutered 10 males for us and gave rabies and heartworm tests.  And Doc came out to help us, saving us the transport of animals to Veterinary Associates.

The day before, I went to Kenner, LA to pick up Velvet, a dog banned from a California county for herding joggers. On the way back I picked up 2 dogs from another group who would join the transport, and got back after midnight.  I took care of our older, younger, and challenged dogs, and hit the sack.

Dr. Tim is fantastic. Surgeries and paperwork were done by 1:00. I headed for Winona, and Arlin unloaded our precious dogs. I headed for supplies from our feed store, came back, unloaded, headed for general supplies and dog food, came back and unloaded, took care of the dogs back at HAS, did laundry, paperwork, and computer work. Simple days here are rare.

Transport day neared. The documentation of the animals was put together by each foster guardian and Debbie and Deedra were inputting the data onto our Petpoint site – right up to departure. Yes, there are always last minute changes. There were several adoptions, a couple of dogs just weren’t ready, other friends heard about the transport, and the most challenging factor was carting that many animals humanely. This transport we had so many large and adult dogs going we had to insist that everyone come to the sanctuary to load. I’d gotten the transport truck Friday and Mike and Lisa came Sunday to insulate it, load the crates, insert bedding, and sticker the crates for identifying occupants Monday morning.

Tune in tomorrow to read the rest of the story!

We apologize for the no-news span – there was plenty going on here in Mississippi. A quick recap does little justice to the events of the past 6 weeks, but I’ll fill you in a bit and then get into this week’s news.

So much has happened. Horses Eric and Roscoe were adopted into a wonderful family with lots of animal smarts and compassion. Eric and his 3 companion horses were rescued from a Yalobusha County man who claimed to feed them well with his lawn trimmings. Eric’s companions were adopted soon after their recovery. Eric required a home with greater understanding for his mistrust of humans. Roscoe too was rescued from neglect and indifference, thin with overgrown hoofs and a dull, unhealthy coat.

Six of our emus were adopted by a wonderful man and his family who love to care for and watch over animals. Over the years this man has reported multiple cruelty cases to us and we’ve had the opportunity to know him and become acquainted with his care for his animals.

Theresa, the hoarder who we’ve seized animals from twice before, was back at it. The blessing was there were only 7 dogs with her this time. We seized 28 dogs from her previously in Yalobusha County. We’re confident that this will be our last dealings with Theresa as a hoarder.  Tallahatchie County Deputy Patrick Tribble, who aided us with this seizure, is well-respected and people in the area have vowed to inform him if Theresa gets even one more dog. He is The Man when it comes to animal issues. In December, we placed for adoption nine puppies he rescued and Maury, the Chihuahua.

An Enid, Mississippi family began feeding 6 dogs who wandered to their neighborhood. The dogs took up on the family’s porch furniture for warmth. Nervous neighbors talked of shooting the dogs, fearing posed a danger. We got a call and rescued them. Five were already transported for adoption and Sugar Bear will be heartworm treated next week. Gay and Larry Evaldi, our treasured friends who moved from here to Florida, have paid for her treatment. They fostered or adopted 4 of our dogs, and she aided with animal care and cruelty cases while he babysat and rushed to our aid when needed.

We were so busy during our blog absence that the summary seems trite, but I hit on some important things. Tune in tomorrow for details on our first adoption transport of the year.

In warm and tropical Palm Springs, there is a no-kill animal shelter in need of funding for a major remodeling. So some folks in the community got together, and, with good intentions to help animals, held a fundraiser. The Lobster Fest, nicknamed “Claws for Paws” took place back in December. This event, where scores of lobsters were boiled alive, shows our disconnected and confused relationship with animals. Some are to love and some are to kill and eat. Why?

Fish and crustaceans seem to be viewed in a separate category than other non-human species; no more than a swimming protein for most with little consideration for their welfare. But scientists are now confident that fish not only feel pain, but posses a complex emotional life as well.

Scientific studies found that when fish, prawns and other sea life were exposed to pain, they try desperately to escape. If the pain is chronic, they show typical behavioral signs like fear, anxiety, loss of appetite, rubbing the painful area, and are defensive. When given painkillers their behavior normalizes. And like other animals, they learn to avoid places and actions that inflict pain.

To be thrown into boiling water alive would be an excruciating death for anyone. Lobsters have a complex nervous system and thrash about trying desperately to escape the painfully hot water. How can we justify killing one animal to help save another? Why do we put a higher value on one life over another? We have evolved to understand that all humans deserve equal treatment and that one race should not be discriminated against or considered superior to another. When will we learn to extend this compassion to all species and treat them equally?

Please contact Jensen’s Finest Foods, the sponsor of the Lobster Fest, thank them for supporting the shelter, and politely request that a compassionate vegetarian meal be offered for future fundraisers. Go to the Jenson Finest Foods Website to leave a comment.

Hope Animal Sanctuary's Doll Stanley at work giving these guys another chance.

It’s so exciting to share the news of the transport finale. Seventy dogs and a cat arrived at our friends at Every Creature Counts in Ft. Lupton, Colo. Over the past year, ECC received nearly a thousand animals from us. Wow! A thousand animals who didn’t die on roads, in the woods, in dismal backyards, in shelters.

I’d like to say that without Every Creature Counts placing these animals would be nearly impossible. Without MSU’s student surgery program the cost of providing spays and neuters would break us. Without Debbie Young, Sheri Norquist, and Loretta Ford I would have been up all night preparing paperwork for the transport, and then ECC would still have had to put the data in its PetPoint system.

Lisa and Mike Martin not only fostered pups and bottle-fed them for us, they made the journey with me. Mike insulates and readies our rental truck for the trips and then he and Lisa put the crates on and tag them. The morning of the transport Mike, Lisa, and our Hope Animal Sanctuary Team load our precious animals.

On this transport many of the animals were fostered by Deedra Booker and Loretta Ford, who performed miracles, even bringing their fosters for S/N day and then making the trip to pick them up.

Sherri Norquist’s niece, Rebecca, cared for Sugar and Lady Bug (from the Wyatte hoarding case) up until they were altered. Loretta then added them to her fostered babies to make it easier for us to hook up on transport day.

Fay Welch of the Winona Animal Advocacy Group made certain the dogs rescued from the Winona Pound were cared for until we got them to our sanctuary for S/N day and she kept up with their shots, worming, among other necessities. Melissa Weed Greenlee, of WAAG, aided with transport, and her mother and the Mortimer’s aided with the cost of caring for and moving the dogs. The Weeds have sponsored the heartworm treatment of Speck, who will very likely be on our next transport.

Dr. Abernethy, Dr. Reece, and staff (of Veterinary Associates) assisted with the care of many of the animals as they recovered from the neglect and abuse they experienced before we rescued them. A few of the dogs came from the Winona Pound, others from the Winona region so they wouldn’t end up at there. We worked with the Bolivar County/Cleveland Animal Shelter to take 12 of its dogs, along with the four puppies from a rescuer from Carthage, four from a woman in Kilmichael, Miss., and five abandoned pups from the amazing Anita Tribble, of Yalobusha County, who found these sweet babies on her property. Hope Animal Sanctuary rescued all the other dogs we transported from the hoarding case in Wyatte, Miss., and the ten puppies and Maury, a chihuahua/miniature pinscher, who were saved after a Tallahatchie County Supervisor packed up and moved on, deserting them. (I sobbed when I left Maury at ECC. He was my constant companion after I saved him, begging me to get him away from the puppies who adored him.) Even William of HAS brought four puppies—Rita, Katlin, Antoinette, and Lindy—who were dumped at his house in Daiden, Miss. We’re still working the Wyatte hoarding case, where the remaining animals have a big barn to sleep in and a lovely Tate County resident, Tricia, who is feeding and overseeing them until we can fit them into our program.

One of our passengers, Boy, a rottweiler mix, was a favorite of the man squatting in the school bus (the story was covered previously on our blogs about the hoarder in his eighties who had at least 30 dogs where he lived in community of Wyatte, Miss.). While I was working the case, the hoarder refused to allow me to get Boy neutered (he said it wasn’t natural), and I discovered that Boy had an ear infection, so I packed him up and drove him away as the man was screaming at me. I knew at that moment I was not bringing him back, even temporarily, where he wouldn’t get the care he needed. The other dogs had been fighting amongst themselves, and, Boy, smaller than the rest, was terrified, and I would not have him ruined for life. He’s gone to Every Creature Counts, where on adoption day, someone will meet him and determine that this endearing, shy young man deserves a guardian to protect him forever.

Hats off to the wonderful people who joined us in saving these extraordinary individuals—abandoned, hurting, in need—and to all of you who have participated in sponsoring our efforts in making these fantastic events a reality.

Stayed tuned: In just a few days you’ll hear more about the activities at Hope Animal Sanctuary.

Please support our Animal Rescue Fund – So next year we can save even more!

Hope Animal Sanctuary Director Doll Stanley and volunteer Lisa Martin departed the sanctuary this past Sunday afternoon and proceeded to pick up animals from all over northern Mississippi. In addition to the animals on this transport from Hope Animal Sanctuary and the Winona, Mississippi city shelter, animals were pulled from shelters and individual rescuers from Carthage, Clarksdale, Cleveland and Indianola. The final tally of animals on this transport was a mind-blowing 85 dogs and 11 cats. By far our biggest and most ambitious transport to date.

Everything went smoothly, including the unexpected roadside rescue of a dog found wandering alongside a busy highway in north Mississippi. Delta Dawn, as she’s now named, joined the transport and was welcomed with open arms by the good folks at Every Creature Counts. Many of the animals from this transport will be adopted this weekend at a adoption events held in and around the Denver area.

We’re so grateful to our rescue partners, Every Creature Counts, for their continued support in helping us find homes for dogs and cats who otherwise would have no hope of finding a good home. We want to thank Dr. Phil Bushby and his team from Mississippi State University’s vet program who spayed/neutered most of the animals on this transport. Finally, thanks to HAS volunteers Debbie Young and Sherri Norquist for hours of data entry work that made this transport go so smoothly.

One of the lucky fellas.

On Tuesday, October 5 Dr. Bushby and his team of veterinary students and technicians from Mississippi State University (MSU) rolled into Hope Animal Sanctuary (HAS) with their mobile veterinary clinic for another busy spay/neuter day. On this day the team from MSU would alter six cats and twenty dogs, most of whom were from HAS, although MSU was able to help the Cleveland, Ms. animal shelter by including seven of their dogs. They also neutered a kitten who was brought in by HAS volunteer Billy Halfacre – a kitten he’d found abandoned.

The MSU team has been coming to Hope Animal Sanctuary once a month for the past couple of years. However, Dr. Bushby just informed us that the team would now come every three weeks instead, because of our extremely high animal save rate.

We are truly grateful to Dr. Bushby and his team from MSU. Without their help and support we wouldn’t be able to save nearly as many animals as we do.

Lisa from ECC and Doll celebrate another successful transport

Just a few days ago Doll and volunteer Debbie McCool (awesome real name) transported 65 dogs and 5 cats from IDA’s Hope Animal Sanctuary to Every Creature Counts in Ft. Lupton, Colorado.

This was our second trip to ECC in as many months. The last transport brought nearly 60 dogs to ECC – all but one of whom has since been adopted.

The majority of the dogs transported came from Hope Animal Sanctuary, but we were also able to help out another couple of shelters in the region. We pulled animals from the Clarksdale Shelter, the Bolivar County Humane Society (BCHS) in Cleveland, Ms. and from the Mississippi Animal Rescue League in Jackson, Ms. We also brought dogs from a couple of our rescue partners and former IDA staffers Debbie Young and Lisa Martin in Jackson. Clarksdale and BCHS helped us with the cost of the transport.

Thanks to everyone who helped make this trip to Colorado a success. It means everything for the individual animals who were on this transport and who will soon celebrate in new loving adoptive homes.

Yesterday I shared with you some of my experiences in New Orleans during the Hurricane Katrina rescue.  It will never be easy for me to revisit these memories. Since Hurricane Katrina, I have been translating some of the most painful and searing memories of my New Orleans experience into paintings. While most of these pieces depict animals I rescued, this anniversary painting is different. The painting above is my reflection on the devastation of the storm, and the region’s efforts to revive its way of life.

It is a reference to the very core of Katrina. The frame is built from wooden boards I salvaged from a dilapidated building in New Orleans and then wrapped in distressed linen. I created an oxidized copper background and affixed a tattered American flag I retrieved from the flood waters of the ninth ward. I then layered the flag with news clippings and pigment mixed with actual Katrina flood water. The flag, like the region itself, is still distressed and rough around the edges but waving proudly. This flag is a survivor.

But what truly lives in my heart can be found in the lower right hand section. This sign represents one gut-wrenching rescue my team performed in the ninth ward.  It was 3 a.m. on September 12^th – nearly two weeks after the storm, and our rescue vehicle was flagged over by an NOPD officer. I thought he might ask for our credentials or force us to turn back to the emergency shelter, but instead he begged us to go into the most devastated area in the city in search of his dogs.  While he was sworn to protect the public during this time of disaster, we were the only people who could help reunite his family.

As I neared the address scribbled on the scrap of paper, the dirty water rose to my chest. When our team finally found his house our hearts sank – it was obvious that water had nearly submerged the entire structure at one point. As we broke down the door we braced ourselves for a grim scene.  Sadly, we found the remains of two dogs floating inside the home. I began searching for a third body when to my surprise I saw a large Shepherd mix balancing precariously on the two-inch ledge of a sealed window. He had obviously been perched there above the water for some time.  A wash of pure joy spread over his face when this canine survivor saw our team and the salvation we represented. Reuniting this dog with his human guardians was a proud moment that will remain with me for the rest of my life.

Through these elements this painting represents both the past, present and hopeful future of a truly remarkable place and the people and animals who survived when the levees broke.

When we look back at Hurricane Katrina, I hope we will remember this German Shepherd and those who never gave up hope that someone would come for them. There are still countless animals out there who need our help. Please think of them and support our IDA Rescue Team today.