Monthly Archives: September 2010

I had an email today from the staff at Noah’s Ark Vet Hospital and when I first saw the photo in the message, I was horrified. What appeared to be some type of unidentifiable dead animal at the bottom of a metal trash can was, in fact, a living puppy. 

Tova, a six-month-old Pit Bull/Great Dane mix, was found in a trash can suffering from severe demondex and skin infection (thus, the horrible loss of hair and red coloring to the skin). Tova is safe now at Noah’s Ark and is being fostered by two of the vet hospital’s staff members. 

Who can put animals in trash cans and act as if they are garbage? We had the same type of thing happen with the two kittens, Tiny and Fat Boy, that Emma Davies rescued from her apartment complex’s trash dumpster. The two survived while their other siblings did not. If Emma had not found them in time, the four-week-old boys would have also died.

I just do not understand this mentality. How can someone treat living, breathing creatures as if they are old coffee grounds or used tissues?

Tova will be staying with her fosters at Noah’s Ark until she is better. However, her vet care is being taken care of by Measle’s Animal Haven in Dublin. Measle’s is a charitable organization that focuses upon helping pit bulls. They could definitely use your help with a donation for Tova’s vet care. To make a donation, visit their web site and donate online: Donate for Tova

Or you can also mail a donation to Measle’s Animal Haven, Inc. at P. O. Box 4142, Dublin, Ohio 43016

We’ll keep you updated on Tova’s progress. Please keep this sweet puppy in your thoughts. 

Enter your rescued pet in a photo contest to show people how super rescued animals are. This contest, which is being sponsored by The Animal Rescue Site, ends tomorrow, September 8 at 11:59 pm. So you still have time to enter, but not much. I know all of you have super pictures of your rescued cats and dogs (many of the cats are former B and O rescues).

So download your photo now for a chance to win a $150 Reward Certificate to The Animal Rescue Site Store for the Grand Prize; a $100 Reward Certificate for 2nd Prize; and a $25 Reward Certificate for the 3rd Prize, 8 Runner Ups.

Check out the contest and submit your photo here: Rescued Pets Photo Contest

A friend of mine sent me a text yesterday because she was in the same situation I had been in with the little girl and the lab at the vet’s office: she was facing a conundrum and she didn’t know what to do.

My friend, Jeni, was driving down Brand Road when she passed a car and saw something that horrified her. She said as she passed the car, she realized that the dog in the car was about to fall out the open window. She slowed down and looked in her rearview mirror and, sure enough, she saw the dog tumble out of the window and roll into the ditch by the side of the road.

Jeni, of course, stopped, panicked that the dog was dead or gravely injured. Four other cars also saw what happened and stopped, as well. Jeni jumped out of the car and ran over to see if the dog was okay. She said the dog was shaken, but before she could check on the dog any further, the man driving the car grabbed the dog and threw it back in the car. Jeni said he didn’t even look the dog over to see if it was okay or bleeding. Jeni told him he needed to get the dog to a vet and he told her to “Mind her f***ing business.”

As Jeni tried to decide what to do, the man began calling her every foul name he could think of. The dog, Jeni noticed, had a rope tied around its neck.

Jeni wrote down the license tag number of the car and called 9-1-1 as the man drove off. She reported what had happened and asked the dispatcher if someone would please stop by the man’s house and check on the dog. She sent me a text right after that because she was not sure if the police would go see about the dog. She wasn’t sure if that was something they were allowed to do or would have the time to do. She wanted my opinion on what she should do next.

I told her to try calling the Union County Humane Society to see if a humane agent would stop by and see if the dog was okay. So far, I haven’t heard back from Jeni to know how this story ended, but I feel very sad, too, wondering if that little dog was harmed. As I told Jeni, even at thirty-five miles per hour, a tumble from a car could cause a broken neck or a concussion that could lead to death if not treated.

A part of me wishes Jeni had just been able to snatch the dog up and take off with it. I know Jeni would have rushed it to a vet.

I always worry about dogs riding around in the backs of pick up trucks. It is just so easy to be in an accident or stop too suddenly and have the dog tumble on to the pavement.

Please keep this little dog in your thoughts. I doubt if the man took it to the vet and I only hope it is not suffering. If I hear any more from Jeni, I will keep everyone posted.

Here are some nice articles about keeping dogs safe when they do ride in cars: Sit, Stay, Ride Safely and Restrain your Dog

I was picking up a cat yesterday from the Spay Neuter Clinic (another one of super trapper Allen’s catches for an elderly woman on North Avenue) when I encountered a conundrum. There was a lady already in the clinic with two basset hounds. Another lady arrived with her daughter, who was probably only five to six years old, and a young lab dog. The lab was only past puppy stage and like any lab was bouncing all over the place, wanting to visit the basset hounds and just generally excited about everything.

I was standing over in one corner of the waiting room while the woman held on to the dog and tried to fill out paperwork at the counter. She finally got the dog (I’ll call her “Maggie”) to sit quietly beside her while she finished the check-in papers. The woman was standing so that her back and Maggie’s backside were to the little girl. She could not see what the girl was doing. The little girl proceeded to go up to Maggie and pull back her arm and hit the dog as hard as she could right above the tail. She did this several times and after each time, Maggie would begin to bark and jump around again and the mom would yell at Maggie. After each smack, the little girl would move up beside Maggie’s head so her mother could see her and not know that she had caused Maggie’s distress. At one point, the mom seemed to think that Maggie was doing something to the little girl and asked the girl if she was alright, if the dog had hurt her.

I watched all of this in horror along with another man who was standing beside me. I thought, isn’t the mother going to stop her from attacking this dog? But, of course, the little girl was being sneaky and doing it where her mother could not see her.

I also thought, “Isn’t someone going to do anything?” Then, finally, I realized that if someone was going to intercede, it would have to be me.

As I was trying to figure out the best thing to do in such a public place, the little girl then moved back again to Maggie’s tail and began kicking the dog as hard as she could. After the kicks, she started stomping on the dog’s tail. At that point, I could no longer remain a silent observer (in fact, I couldn’t even figure out the correct response at that point–I just acted) and as the child was pulling her hand back to hit the dog again, I grabbed her arm and said, “No, don’t do that.”

Well, Maggie was barking and the mom still had her back to us, so I don’t think she heard or saw the exchange. Or maybe she did and just didn’t care. She did not say anything to me even though I had raised my voice and disciplined her child. The little girl looked up at me as if she suddenly knew she had done something wrong. I stood there trying to decide if I should approach the mother and tell her what happened. I stood there trying to think of the right words. What were they? How do you tell someone that their child is torturing an innocent animal?

The little girl then changed her behavior completely and began petting Maggie and even said aloud, “I’m giving her kisses,” and proceeded to kiss Maggie on the nose, all the while watching me to make sure I saw her. At the time it seemed so manipulative, but this was a small child. Did she have that capability or was she just mimicking things she had watched adults do? Harm Maggie when her parents could not see, love her when someone was watching.

At that point, as I had made my mind up to tell the mother what had happened, the technician came out with my trapped cat and we hurriedly proceeded out the door to keep the kitty from getting stressed with so many dogs in the waiting area.

As soon as I left, I felt that I did not do enough. The whole time I was thinking, is this how the little girl is treated at home? Just the way she pulled back her arm to hit the dog reminded me of a child doing something in imitation of an adult. Had she observed other adults do the same things to the dog and was she just doing what they had done? I can bet that she is hitting and kicking Maggie at home where no one can see and then, perhaps, even claiming the dog has harmed her.

The whole ride home I kept thinking about Maggie and the little girl, wondering if one or both of them went home to an abusive atmosphere. I berated myself for not doing more, for not calling the mother’s attention to what was going on, for not telling her that she needed to teach her daughter to love and respect animals, not beat them.

What if, because I didn’t speak up, Maggie someday bites the child and is euthanized for being a “vicious” dog? What if the child’s abusive nature was the result of her own abuse at the hands of the adults around her? What if, not only Maggie, but the child is in danger?

I have gone over and over all the scenarios in my head and I just keep wishing that I had said something to the mother, even if she did hear me and chose to ignore my confrontation with her daughter.

As I write this, I am worried about Maggie and sadly, about the little girl, too.

In the future, I know that if this happens again, even if I am not sure how to handle the situation, not sure what words to use, I will say something.

I wanted to take a moment and tell everyone about one of the best cat trappers in central Ohio (and probably the state)–and he volunteers with Black and Orange Cat Foundation.

Allen Young first started helping B and O with trapping cats a few years ago after we took a cat in that was hanging around his mom’s apartment. Allen asked if he could trap cats for our weekly clinic appointments and, of course, I said yes. Allen finished trapping the cats out at Crager Brothers Trucking (I had dropped the ball on that because I got too busy with other projects). He also took on the small burg of Arnold since his dad lived there. Additionally, Allen has tackled some of the most heavily cat populated areas in Plain City, including North Avenue, Converse, and Shepper (where he is working right now with his friend, Robin Clay). Allen keeps a running tab on the number of cats he has personally trapped. You’d have to ask him what number he has reached, because I’ve lost count. I am sure he is in the hundreds by now.

Allen does all of this in between working. Sometimes, he will drop cats off to me for clinic appointments late at night when he is getting off work or while he is on a pizza delivery run. I can call Allen any time and ask him to trek around Plain City to help a little old lady trap a cat and he never says no. He just takes off with his traps and some tuna and within hours (sometimes only minutes), he is calling me to tell me he caught the cat. He uses his own gas and his own car to do all of this.

Allen has to be the best cat trapper I know (even better than me and I am pretty good). He gets so excited when he catches that elusive cat. He has such passion about stopping the overpopulation problem and helping feral cats have a better life. I wish we had more cat trappers like Allen.

Not only does Allen trap cats, however, he also gets involved with other activities that B and O participates in (and even things we do not–he is just a good person). Allen helped Carol and Chuck Gaul with the clean up of their burned house and then the very next day attended the Blessing of the Animals in Goodale Park to honor their kitties that were killed in the fire. He also attends our fundraisers and has gone out of his way to help us in any way possible. Additionally, Allen twists a few arms to get donations for us. If he wasn’t a B and O volunteer, he could easily be a Mafia member–people seldom tell him no.

Allen has dropped off pamphlets to people with “Free Kittens” signs. He has lectured people about giving kittens away to people they don’t know. He can tick off a list of why you should get your cat spayed or neutered. He is the walking poster child for the benefits of feline sterilization.

And he loves dogs, too!

Allen has also been a volunteer with the Union County Humane Society, walking dogs, running errands, and just being there whenever they needed his help.

So if you are looking for the best cat trapper and animal lover in the state of Ohio, you don’t have far to look. We have him on the streets of Plain City, watching over our ferals and helping B and O make a difference in the lives of hundreds of cats.

 

SK9 Scottish Terrier Rescue and OSU Buckeyes for Canines are inviting everyone to hear Dr. Temple Grandin speak on Tuesday, November 30, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. There will also be a book signing from 4:30 to 6:30 pm, prior to the talk. The event will take place at the OSU Fawcett Center, located at 2400 Olentangy River Road in Columbus.

Here is the agenda for the evening, provided by Ohio Voters Against Puppy Mills and Dog Auctions:

Presented by SK9 Scottish Terrier Rescue and OSU Buckeyes for Canines, we invite you to meet and hear world-renowned Dr. Temple Grandin speak about horse and dog behavior, including the effects of puppy mills and abuse issues. (Both groups are also working with Representative Cheryl Grossman, R-Grove City, on HB 570 – proposed legislation to regulate dog breeding kennels, and collecting signatures in support of the Ohio Dog Auctions Act.)

 

“Dr. Grandin obtained her B.A. at Franklin Pierce College, her M.S. in Animal Science at Arizona State University, and her Ph.D in Animal Science from the University of Illinois in 1989. Today she teaches courses on livestock behavior and facility design at Colorado State University and consults with the livestock industry on animal welfare.

“Dr. Grandin has appeared on television shows such as 20/20, 48 Hours, CNN Larry King Live, PrimeTime Live, the Today Show, and many shows in other countries. She has been featured in People Magazine, the New York Times, Forbes, U.S. News and World Report, Time Magazine, the New York Times book review, and Discover magazine. She has also authored over 400 articles in both scientific journals and livestock periodicals. Her books “Animals in Translation” and “Animals Make Us Human” were both on the New York Times bestseller list. “Animals Make Us Human” was also on the Canadian bestseller list.

“In 2010, Time Magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people. Her life story was also made into an HBO movie titled “Temple Grandin,” starring Claire Danes, which received five Emmy Awards.

“SCHEDULE:
4:30 – 6:30 PM: Book Signing
6:30 – 8:30 PM: Presentation

“TICKET PRICES:
$35 – Tickets purchased prior to November 9
$50 – After November 9 – Day of event

“BOOK PRICES (reserve when ordering your tickets):
$15 – Animals in Transition
$16 – Animals Make Us Human

“Order tickets via PayPal: info@zaronsdogforum.com (you can order directly on the web site: sk9scotties.org) or mail your check payable to SK9 Scottish Terrier Rescue, P.O. 21304, Columbus, OH 43221.

“(When ordering, total the price of your tickets and books. Your receipt will be your entry ticket to this event.)

“MEDIA CONTACT:
For more information on this event, please contact
sk9scotties.org or 614-579-8421.”

I had a posting to Facebook today from Mary O’Connor-Shaver who is working to end the puppy mill dog auctions here in Ohio. As many of you know, Mary and her friends at the Coalition to Ban Dog Auctions are trying to get an initiative on the 2011 ballot to prevent dog auctions in Ohio. Volunteers are gathering signatures before the December 1, 2010 deadline to introduce this measure to Ohio voters. 120,700 signatures are needed. As of June 30, only 19,358 signatures had been collected.

We collected signatures at the garage sale we had in July and we’ve also been collecting signatures at our adoption events.

You can read a very nice article in USA Today about “Animal Activists,” including Mary O’ Connor-Shaver: USA Today article

A meeting at BarkPark on Saturday, October 2, will allow people from Delaware and Franklin counties, as well as the surrounding areas, to learn more about the initiative to ban dog auctions and how to go about gathering the signatures that are needed to present this to voters in 2011. The meeting is being hosted by Lenny and Marcia Perry Rhoades at BarkPark from 1-3 pm. If you would like to attend, you must RSVP by Friday, October 1.

Here is the information that Mary sent, which includes an agenda for the day:

“Subject: Delaware County – Coalition Meeting on the Ohio Dog Auctions Act

“Marcia Perry Rhoades, who with her husband Lenny, are huge animal lovers and supporters of Central Ohio’s humane community. Marcia and Lenny have graciously agreed to host our Delaware/Franklin counties – Coalition Meeting on the Ohio Dog Auctions Act on their private property, BarkPark.

“Through the generous donations of their members and supporters, BarkPark reached their one million dollar goal in the summer of 2009. 100% of the funds raised through BarkPark were donated to 501(c)3 non-profit animal welfare organizations to aid in their effort to save animals and educate the public.

“(Click here to visit the beautiful grounds of their residence)
BARKPARK Photos

“DATE:
Sat., October 2, 2010
(R.S.V.P. by Fri., October 1, 2010)

“TIME:
1-3:00 PM EST

“LOCATION:
Bark Park
6755 Merchant Road
Delaware, OH 43215

“TARGET AUDIENCE:

“Registered voters in Delaware and Franklin counties who have an interest in supporting the Initiative Petition (Ohio Dog Auctions Act) to ban dog auctions and raffles in Ohio.

“GOALS:
Introduce the team who have been instrumental in leading and supporting the ballot initiative (Ohio Dog Auctions Act) campaign for Delaware and Franklin counties.

“Provide attendees with an opportunity to ask questions and engage in meaningful dialogue on the proposed legislation.

“Provide materials and training for supporters interested in serving as Petition Circulators.

“SCHEDULE:

“1:00 PM
Welcome and Introduction of Committee Members for Coalition to Ban Ohio Dog Auctions and Special Guests

“Marica Perry Rhoades – Founder and Owner of Bark Park

“1:15 PM
Review of Ballot Initiative Campaign – 2009 Results and 2010 Re-Launch

“Mary O’Connor-Shaver – Treasurer, Coalition to Ban Ohio Dog Auctions

“1:30 PM
Review of Initiative Petition – Ohio Dog Auctions Act

“Mary O’Connor-Shaver – Treasurer, Coalition to Ban Ohio Dog Auctions

“1:45 PM
Q&A

“Committee Members, Coalition to Ban Ohio Dog Auctions

“2:15 PM
Closing

“Marica Perry Rhoades – Founder and Owner of Bark Park

“2:30 PM
Training Session for Petition Circulators

“Veronica Dickey – Committee Member, Coalition to Ban Ohio Dog Auctions”

To RSVP that you will be attending this meeting, join Ohio Voters Against Puppy Mills and Dog Auctions on Facebook and become friends with Mary Shaver, so you can send a message to let her know you will be attending this.

So Mom brought me home a new toy today from Pet People. It is a little blue fat cat wearing shorts with an elastic band around the waist. The package said, “Stuff it” on the outside and you are supposed to “stuff” a pre-packed block of catnip into the waistband, making the fat cat look even fatter.

I know what Mom was insinuating with this gift. She was telling me that one fat cat (me) was getting another fat cat (the toy) and that we both closely resembled each other. The more catnip you pack in the pants, the fatter the toy cat gets.

Well, I don’t like Mom’s idea of a joke. She is just picking on me. I do not look like this toy. He is blue and he is wearing pants. See any resemblance? Neither do I.

I will have the last laugh. I am going to chew up this little fat cat, chew the fat and catnip right off his belly, so that all that is left is his polka dot pants.

We have signed up for the Macy’s “Shop for a Cause” event on Saturday, October 16. The tickets are $5 and we keep all proceeds.  The $5 allows you to buy a Shopping Pass for exclusive savings in every Macy’s store on October 16th. You can enter to win a $500 Macy’s Gift Card as part of the shopping events.

If you would like to purchase a $5 Macy’s Shopping Pass, please email us at bandocats@columbus.rr.com and we will make sure to get a ticket to you.  You can also purchase tickets at Plain City Druggist, 480 South Jefferson Avenue, Plain City, across from Der Dutchman Restaurant on Route 42.  The pharmacy is open 9-6 Monday to Friday, closed from 1:15-2:15 for lunch, and Saturday from 9-12.

Additionally, we will be selling tickets at our adoption events in September at the PetSmart on Sawmill Road. So if you’d like to get tickets, stop by and see us and the kitties.

We will also be selling tickets at the Mall at Tuttle Crossing located at 5043 Tuttle Crossing in Dublin on October 16, the day of the event.  We’ll give you more information about where we’ll be located and the times we’ll be there as soon as we know.

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