Remembering Quincy by Helping Smokey's Fund

Quincy...my furry best friend for 16 years on Earth.  A furry best friend for eternity in heaven.

My dad found him living in a concrete machine shop, locked in over the weekends.  Though he had food and water, he wasn't let out for sometimes 3 days at a time.  Living in the dark, made him shy, but his love of people never wavered.  :0) When I went to look at him after school one day, I knew that I couldn't leave him there.  He had to come home with me.  Lucky for me, my parents let me bring him home....not many parents of a senior in high school, who was going away to college the next year, would let her do that.  But my parents, well, they knew that a dog was as necessary to me as breathing. 

For the next 16 years, Quincy and I were inseparable....well, except for the months at college...but he was always in my heart or by my side.  He still is. 

I can't think of a better way to remember Quincy than helping other aging dogs live out their elderly years in comfort.  Good thing that I'm not the only one who thinks this...Thank you Fences for Fidos for doing the difficult work, that I am not strong enough emotionally to handle.

What is Smokey’s Fund?

Information from http://www.fencesforfido.org/smokeysfund

Hope for dogs suffering from long term chaining

Chained dogs suffer mental and emotional abuse, but their physical suffering and the chronic and degenerative illnesses that result from living most of their lives chained, is unbelievably cruel and unjust.

Thanks to the family of an amazing dog named Smokey, Fences For Fido now has a special memorial fund committed to freeing, and providing much needed veterinary care for dogs who have been chained and neglected for many, many years.

Smokey's Fund is dedicated to the big spirit and enduring love of a dog who was chained for more than 9 years, before he was rescued by a dedicated animal advocate and adopted by this loving family. Smokey was left with physical disabilities, chronic pain, and a multitude of other conditions requiring costly medications and veterinary care. In honor of this brave dog, who lived a horrific life for many years on a chain and yet was able to accept and give love, Smokey's Fund will focus on freeing these older dogs and providing the funds to alleviate their suffering.

Smokey's Fund

• Builds fences & provides houses for dogs who have lived for more than 5 years chained.
• Provides comprehensive veterinary care and medications for these physically suffering dogs.
• Helps facilitate the rescue & adoption of these dogs by a loving family.
• Supports educational efforts about the physical suffering and illnesses that result from dogs being chained.

Smokey's Story When Smokey was found chained, he had mats the size of softballs hanging from his long fur. Poor nutrition, constant exposure to the elements, no exercise, untreated infections and lack of veterinary care, had left him deaf, with a paralyzed larynx, and severe arthritis and degenerative joint disease. Once rescued, Smokey received much needed veterinary care and constant love and attention – but he suffered for the rest of his life from being chained and neglected all those years. His hips, spine, legs, ears, and larynx had all deteriorated. He couldn't walk up or down stairs, run, and he had trouble lying down and getting up. His condition worsened over the three years with his new family, and required increasing therapy and pain medications. His paralyzed larynx caused him to pant even in mild temperatures, during short, slow walks. For this reason he needed to have his coat clipped frequently and grooming was painful because of the arthritis in his legs and hips and spine. One eardrum disintegrated from infection, and he couldn't hear well at all. To communicate with Smokey, one needed to touch gently his back or bend and motion in front of him. His mistreatment also affected his mind, and behavior. He often would walk up to a door or wall and stand staring at it for minutes. He paced back and forth for no apparent reason, and was unusually anxious to receive each of his meals. Smokey needed someone with him throughout the day, to help him; he could not be left unaccompanied by a person for longer than a few hours, despite the ever-present companionship and aid of his "big sister," Skippy, a black Labrador retriever mix. But Smokey's personality survived his long ordeal. He taught his rescuers about perseverance and patience. He taught them how to accept what is, no matter how awful, and to look forward to what may bring us comfort and joy. Smokey's story is about HOPE. This is how a dog's life should ALWAYS be.  Will you help me?! Please donate...your gratitude is unmeasurable!

I will be hosting a silent auction of Thanksgiving Desserts for this cause

at my school for staff members on Wednesday, November 14th. :0)

 

Nowzad- Helping to Reunite Soldier's & Dogs

I couldn't love this more! In my goal of spreading awareness of charities that do AMAZING WORK for pets and their humans, here is one of my favorites.  Pets provide comfort in all situations and for our soldiers in other countries, pets not only provide comfort, but a sense of home.  We can all help them with continuing that family unit when they return to the United States.

 

Murphy and I are a bonded pair.  I would be devastate to leave Murphy somewhere and not know if I would EVER see him again.  Will you help me reunite these bonded pairs? 

 

 

Nowzad's Mission

"To relieve the suffering of animals, predominantly strays and abandoned dogs in need of care, attention and to maintain rescue facilities for the care and treatment of such animals, especially the animals of Afghanistan.

In January 2011, after many months of hard toil, Nowzad opened the very first and only officially recognized animal shelter in Afghanistan. To date Nowzad has reunited more than 200 soldiers from all over the world with their much loved adopted cats and dogs and we continue to be inundated with rescue requests on a daily basis.

As well as rescuing soldiers pets we also assist the local people by way of providing vaccinations for their cats and dogs and education on how to care for their pets. We meet a lot of Afghans each week who care deeply for their pets and are thrilled to bits that there is finally a place they can take their pets to show them off and have them vaccinated against disease and neutered."

Poppy's Story
Nowzad

"Spina [Pashto for 'white'] and Poppy turned up in the summer of 2012 on a gravel helicopter pad at a military base in southeastern Afghanistan, in Paktia province near the Pakistani border. When the puppies joined a small pack of dogs that already inhabited the LZ, they appeared to have been only recently weaned, and out on their own for the first time.

Spina came first, in early July. She was first spotted hiding under a parked military truck. She was very timid at first, and it soon became obvious that she was suffering from a bad case of conjunctivitis - there was so much pus draining from both eyes that she could barely see, and consequently she hesitated to leave the shelter of the truck. A few doses of antibiotic eyedrops kept on hand by an experienced contractor swiftly cured her. Within days she was gamboling about the helipad, teasing the older dogs and scrounging table scraps from the Gurkha security guards at the adjacent contractor facility. When she sliced open her left foreleg on some of the ubiquitous razor wire around the base perimeter, the medic sewed up the wound.

Poppy joined the pack in mid-August, just about the time that its patriarch died. 'Bohtey' [Nepalese for 'big guy' was a fierce-looking but friendly old dog to whom Poppy bore a striking resemblance. Poppy appeared to be a few weeks younger than Spina, but grew rapidly and soon overtook the white puppy in size. The two became fast friends and playmates, chasing each other and their elders across the LZ, lounging around the compound's heavy steel gate and occasionally trying, without success, to sneak inside in pursuit of their favorite humans. The contractors' security team was as happy to see Poppy as they were saddened by the loss of her presumed father. The base security chief described the helipad dog pack as 'a great early warning system.'

With their NATO-backed project drawing down, the contractor facility is set to close in a few months. Moreover both pups were close to sexual maturity, raising the prospect they would breed even more pups to be abandoned in Afghanistan ... always a cruel fate. So one autumn day, a contractor scooped them up -- not without some reluctant squirming and two chewed-through leashes -- and sent them on the 3 hour road trip to the Nowzad shelter.

Poppy wants to stay with Spina and go home to America. Their contractor is going to fund the cost of getting Spina home from his own pocket but in order to be able to keep these gorgeous girls together we need your help to fund Poppy. Please spread the word about these girls and consider a small donation to help them on their way home!"

http://www.nowzad.com/

Yellow Dog Project- Curious?!

Good.  Be curious. 

Want to know new things...expand your knowledge base. 

Today, I learned something new too.

Did you know that October is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month? 
Best month of the year to change the life of a pet! 
Actually, every month is the best month, but heck, I'll pick any month to encourage adoption.
It's the best decision that I've made...each time...every time.
I love my shelter, abandoned, abused...
amazing...loving...joyful...best friend a girl could ask for. 

Shelter dogs are the best, but sometimes they come with baggage...but don't we all have a little baggage to carry?  Murphy is constantly teaching me new things, and today I found a way that I can help others understand him.

I can't even express how much I love this idea. 
Murphy has always been scared of new people...especially if those new people reach for him. 
He doesn't trust people easily. (Which I totally support...trust is giving too easily sometimes.)
In fact, it takes a very, VERY long time and it takes a very patient person to wait for him to be ready for new hands.  Murphy's best friend IO, and her human best friend, Kathy, met with us for play dates for about 5 months before he asked her for a pet.  Yes, five....months.  Fortunately, she knew this and waited...and waited...extremely patiently for him to be ready.  Now, he asks for pets every time. 

Believe me, the wait is worth it, but most people aren't willing to put in the time. 
Plus, they feel that EVERY dog should love them.  Immediately.
Murphy is not every dog, he's a Murph.

It's really difficult to explain to people that he needs space because most people think that he should be super friendly and love them.  I try to explain to people that it's not about THEM, it's about the comfort of my dog...some people get it...some don't....and some are just idiots.  Nevertheless, it's my job to protect my Murphy and now here's another way to communicate that to others...a yellow ribbon. I wanted to make him a vest, and I still might, but now I have an organization to promote, that is trying to get the word out too.

We're a great pair and I love him unconditionally and he loves me unconditionally back. 
Murphy is a shelter dog. He has issues...but so do I. 
He has a yellow ribbon. 
I need one too...There are many days that I need some space. 
Now, I just need to spread the word and inform people. 
Boom.  Done.  :)

Remember, if I were talking about a child, people wouldn't look at me so bizarre about a stranger touching a child. Ever heard of "Stranger Danger"? Well, my dog obviously has...strangers = danger.

So if you see a yellow ribbon on a dog, you know what to do.  Give the dog some space, and please, please...don't glare.  Especially if the owner reminds you that their dog needs space...this happens to me.  Don't act like the dog will attack you.  Just walk on normally and allow the owner to do their work.  By you just acting like a normal person, it will help the dog.

Just this small act can help a shelter dog trust humans in this crazy world.  We all need help through the crazy, don't we?

Strut Your Mutt- #13

Well, yesterday I completed my first item on my The 13 Project list....

Of course, it was #13 on the list, but heck, who said that I had to complete them in order?

Best Friends Animal Society

Guess what their mission is?

"EVERY DAY, more than 9,000 pets are unnecessarily killed in America's shelters simply because they don't have a home. Each one an individual. Each one a valued life worth saving. 9,000.
That number should be zero. And it can be. Best Friends Animal Society and our No More Homeless Pets Network Partners are joining together to bring that number to zero."
Crazy huh?! 9,000 pets!!
To get involved or learn more about the work of Best Friends Animal Society,

please visit http://www.bestfriends.org/index.htm

Looks like someone I know...

Murphy loves to strut his stuff around town...

Well, kind of...groups make him nervous,

but his best furry friend was there to make his worries diminish.

Miss IO makes him really happy and a more confident dog.

Look of bliss...

There were so many interesting things to look at,

that they needed a little focus to help me snap a picture of both of them...

...a cookie. 

It works every time. :0)

Okay...here we go Murph!

Before we started walking, he became anxious...

Murphy doesn't understand why people are just waiting around. 

He likes to move!

As soon as we started moving,

his tail went up and he had a purpose again.

What's he purpose?

Strutting of course!

Oh, and to keep everyone else moving in the right direction too.

Keep on strutting Murphy. 

Strut for the pets that don't have homes yet.

Together, we can help to make homeless pets a thing of the past. :0)

 

P.S. It was an exciting day for many reasons, but I hope that Murphy's sweet face can help their campaign. Murphy had a special photo session at the walk because he looked so much like their mascot.  They also asked me to sign a waiver to allow them to use his pictures in the future for advertisements.  Wouldn't that be cool?! My rescue boy helping others?  It would be an honor. :0)

See the resemblance?



The 13 Project

 Thanks to one of my favorite blogs,
Pretty Fluffy, for such a fabulous idea!

What a better way to end 2012,

than creating 13 goals for the 13 weeks left in the year

to help my favorite creatures on the planet.

You know what those creatures are, right?!

Now do you remember?

My best furry friends....Dogs.

I can't imagine my life without a dog and thankfully I've never had to. 
When one best friend goes to heaven, God sends me another...

Oh man!  I can't wait to get to heaven and see them all again.  That is going to be an amazing day!

 

This is Murphy's girl-friend, IO. 

We just LOVE HER!

Just another amazing example of the kind of love waiting at a shelter to be adopted. 

IO was given a second-chance home,

and Murphy and I are so lucky that she was adopted into our neighborhood!

Unfortunately, not every furry friend is as lucky as Murphy and IO.

So this is how I'm going to help throughout 2013.
 

1. Promote animal projects and events in my classroom to build awareness and involvement with my students.

2.Volunteer to help at a local fundraiser with DoveLewis Animal Hospital. 

3. Organize a craft night with my friends to cut and sew dog beds for Fences for Fidos.

4. Donate monthly to Charlie Fund, helping abused animals get the care and treatment that they deserve.  Abuse should never, never happen...but if it does we can help them heal.

5. Create an animal events board in my classroom.

6. Sew dog toys and make dog rope toys to donate to a local animal shelter.

7. Purchase a 2013 DoveLewis Calendar- all proceeds go to the DoveLewis Blood Bank.
8. Write one blog post about animal advocacy, events or organization each month.
9. Walk my neighborhood and pick up animal waste, especially in the park. Not everyone picks up the poop.
10.  Leave extra dog waste bags at the park to encourage others to pick up the poop.
(Most do...but some don't.)

11. Use Pinterest to show amazing animals that need homes in my area.
12. Instead of Christmas gifts, encourage friends to bring a bag of dog or cat food to donate to The Pongo Fund.
13. Strut our stuff at Strut Your Mutt walk for the Best Friends Animal Society.

This list makes me so happy!!! I'm not going to wait to get started...Murphy and I walk everyday so today is better than ever to get started in my park. :0)

Don't you want to awake your soul?

Join me and Pretty Fluffy in The 13 Project.

Maybe you can create your own list, or help with mine...

                            W

 

Wagging tails and big hearts will thank you!