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Thanks for reading the EBHS
Insider! This column will be updated frequently with news and stories about
the shelter, our staff, Well-Bred Bargains, and interesting and important animal
related information from our community and beyond. If you have any comments or
questions for the Insider, send them to ebhsinsider@ebhs.org.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Recently, a cat made national news
(from CNN to Regis and Kelly) from a local shelter in the state of New
Jersey. I think everyone heard about this cat, not because it was a stray,
but, because it weighed in at 44 pounds. Which, for a cat, is a lot. My dog is
only 30 pounds. The suitcase I brought on my flight home was under 44
pounds.
What really amazed me about this
situation was not that this cat was grossly overweight (so much so that they
initially thought it was a female because the fat covered his naughty bits), not
that he was 10 years old, and certainly not his average markings or personality,
but that over 500 people applied to adopt this cat. Even people from England had
contacted this shelter to adopt the cat. I could not get over it. Five-hundred
people. 5-0-0 people. For one cat! Who is 10 years old, and in serious need of a
diet! People can be pretty grumpy on a diet, I imagine a cat on a diet is no
picnic to live with.
I have a shelter full of cats and
kittens, who are all unique and special individuals. Some with amazing markings.
Some with fun personalities. Some young, some old. Some were even brought here
as strays and victims of the economy (like Mr. 44 pounds).
Sadly, the part of the story that
did not make the news is that not one of the 500 people that applied to adopt
this cat offered to take home one of the more than 200 other cats and kittens
that were housed in this very same shelter at the time. The shelter said that
they had to euthanize about 1/3 of the approximately 1000 cats they take in
every year.
Since we are located in Wisconsin,
I cannot get our cats booked onto Live with Regis and Kelly. I thought about
creating a fat suit, or making a cardboard cutout of the fat cat and having
their photos taken to look like they were enormous so that people might be
interested in them. I do not know what I can do to make our cats more appealing
to adopters. In fact, I think all of our cats are pretty darn appealing all on
their own!
My time here at the shelter has
taught me that people find cats pretty easy to part with. Certainly we see all
kinds of animals surrendered here for many reasons, but cats really seem to be
the ones people can walk in and say "He is 12 years old, and a wonderful
cat, but I would like to travel now, so you should find him a nice home" or
"Yes, they are 10 and 11 years old, but I am pregnant now, so I should not
have a cat anymore". When we ask for a donation at the time of the animal
being surrendered we get people that will respond "I will let him out on
the side of the road before I give you money to take him. You are just going to
make money on his adoption, so why should I give you anything".
We have so many cats and kittens
at the shelter at the moment, we have cut our adoption fees in half to help get
them adopted. They are no less valuable to us. It is just that we want people to
be able to use the money they save on making sure their new best friend gets the
best food, and necessities to get them started on the right paw in their new
family.
Even though our cats were not on
TV, and none of them are grossly overweight, they are all celebrities to the
staff and volunteers here. More than anything else, we want them to find great
families that will always love them and give them a home forever - not just when
it is convenient, or when it provides 15 minutes of fame.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Your prayers and kind wishes must
have helped because the puppy that I wrote about yesterday has made a miraculous
recovery. She was bright eyed this morning, had eaten and taken water on her own
during the night, and was wagging her tail like crazy. When I went to check on
her this afternoon she had eaten all the food I left for her in her crate and
wanted a bunch more. She seems like she will make a complete recovery. A happy
ending! Thank you for all of your well wishes! Now she just has to get over her
upper respiratory infection and she will be able to be made available for
adoption.
Now, I am going to wish for some
more happy endings, like tons of people coming to our event this Thursday night!
If you are free, you have to come to our Giggles Fundraiser this Thursday night.
Giggles Comedy Pub in the Sendik's Towne Center is hosting a fundraiser for us,
doors open at 5:30 and the show starts at 7pm. I will be at the door greeting
our guests. Tickets will be available at the door! We are going to have a great
time!
Also, I need you to vote for us
for the WISN A-List. It is not as simple as just clicking a button, but it is a
really easy registration process. I get turned off immediately if there is a
bunch of blanks to fill in to do something, but it was easy to do. You get an
email to confirm that you are a real person, and then you click the link and you
are done. We have been working really hard to get the word out about how great
EBHS is, and this is just another way to have more people recognize our name and
help support our beloved shelter. Here is the link to vote:
http://wisn.cityvoter.com/contests/a-list-on-wisn-com/1858/pets/animal-shelters
If we win, we will have a big
party at the shelter to celebrate.
Some more great news is that we
are welcoming the kids from Lad Lake back to the shelter. Lad Lake is a great
organization out in Dousman that provides positive learning experiences for
at-risk young men in our area. We have had some wonderful experiences with these
kids and are looking forward to working with them again. They will be back on
August 26 when school starts for them. The kids help us with cleaning in the
morning and then work with the animals who need training and socialization. It
is a win-win for all of us. It will be nice to have some more men around the
shelter, as for some reason, most of our staff and volunteers are women.
This has been a great day! Thanks
again for all of your wishes! I will post a picture of Minnie, the Parvo puppy
as soon as I can!
Monday, August 11, 2008
On Friday, I did something very
few shelter or rescue people would do. I took home a puppy with Parvo.
Parvo is a deadly disease that
mainly affects puppies, but is deadly to all dogs without a vaccination. This
little dog was transferred in from another shelter. She is about 9 weeks old.
Some kind of golden colored mixed breed. We sent her into foster care when she
seemed to have an upper respiratory infection. The next day she started vomiting
and we knew even before the test came back positive what it was going to tell
us.
Many puppies, if treated early
enough, can recover from Parvo. She is so little, so weak, so emaciated. She was
that way when we got her, but she is now just a whisper of a dog.
I am usually very pragmatic in
situations like this. Irish people are genetically pragmatic, it is in our
DNA. To quote one of my fellow Irish-Americans, the late Tip O'Neill,
"To be Irish is to know that, in the end, the world will break your
heart". Maybe that is how I am able to work in a shelter and not cry myself
to sleep every single night. Because the world is supposed to be this way. Bad
things happen to good people and innocent animals all the time, for no good
reason.
Many shelters would not have given
her a chance. It is dangerous to have a dog with Parvo in a shelter. Maybe she
should have been euthanized when we found out how bad it really was. I do
understand what other shelters would do in this situation, and why it should be
done. But I could not do it. She seemed like she wanted to fight. So I figured
that I should let her.
I took her home and have set up a
makeshift hospice where she could be isolated from my dogs and family to
minimize the risk of her infecting other dogs and the environment. I have been
administering subcutaneous fluids, as an IV was unable to be inserted due to her
weak condition and collapsing veins. I have been keeping her warm, clean and
dry. I have been giving her nutritional supplements. I have been trying to keep
her spirits up. Every time I think she is done for, she seems to read my mind
and gather up all of her strength to get up and walk around so I can see she is
not ready to go, yet.
Somewhere along the line I became
a person who cannot bear a sad ending. I am not sure when this started, but I
will not read a book or watch a movie anymore unless I can be certain of a happy
ending. After living a pessimistic life where not only was my glass half-empty,
but the liquid left in it was arsenic, I have turned into a believer.
I am the person who watches the
wildlife shows on TV who roots for the wildebeest crossing the river with the
crocodiles waiting nearby. I shout encouragement to the baby seals in South
Africa, as they dodge the teeth of the Killer Whales. I know all about the
circle of life, I saw The Lion King. But, while in my world, the zebra escapes
to run another day from the pride of lions who are now happily munching on a
dead animal they took from the hyenas off camera. I root for the underdogs. I
root for the lowly and meek. Heck, I even root for the Mets.
I believe that this little puppy
will somehow make it, and pull through this disease. Despite her weak condition.
Despite her bad odds. Despite everything. I have done all I can do for her. It
is up to her now. She has to be strong. She has to accept my medications, and
needle pricks. She has to want to live as badly as I want her to.
I am praying for one more happy
ending tonight.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
The other day I wandered out into
the reception area and was greeted by a young lady, about 9 years old, armed
with a notebook and a pencil. She told me she had a couple of questions for me.
I thought maybe she was a young, budding reporter or journalist, and I was not
going to take any chances on a bad press story in a school newspaper so I
immediately sat down and prepared myself to be grilled.
See, I have met the budding Tim
Russerts and Barbara Walters from our community before. Unlike a seasoned
reporter, who will try and gently gain your confidence and get you to spill your
information about a certain topic, these youngsters immediately ask the tough
questions about euthanasia, declawing, and adoption policies without giving you
a nice warm up question first.
Fortunately for me, this young
lady had only one question for me "How old do I have to be to
volunteer?" I get this question a lot, too. Most elementary school
kids, especially the girls, would love to spend every hour of the day here. The
catch is that if you are between 10 and 15, you must volunteer with a parent.
Now, I work at the shelter, so it is easy for me to have my kids involved here.
But most parents work a 40 hour work week and do not get excited at the thought
of coming in after work or on weekends to clean, do laundry, or socialize
animals.
Since this young lady was not old
enough to volunteer, I did give her an application to hold on to for her
birthday, and asked if she would like a tour of the shelter. Not just the
viewing areas, the whole building. She was excited so we went to find her mom
and sister to get permission and to invite them along. I cannot tell you how
much I enjoy giving tours to kids that are really interested in the shelter.
I took them first to the laundry
room which before looked like a regular old laundry room, but through the eyes
of these two young ladies it became this exciting hub of domestic activity. Then
we went and saw where we house the stray animals, and the animals that will be
coming up on to the adoption floor in a few days. They were full of questions
about where the animals came from, how they are taken care of, and were excited
to see so many animals that they could have never guessed were even in the
building.
On to the surgery room and
recovery area which in reality is nothing like the really cool operating rooms
on Animal Planet, but showing the space to these two kids, it suddenly seemed
like it. They were fascinated and interested and asked more questions than most
adult visitors to the room. I took them to our outside kennel areas, and they
were really impressed with how much time the animals got to spend outside, and
loved that they all had their own pool to hang out in.
I had a great time with my new
friends, Rae and Anna, and even though I was totally swamped when I ran into
them, I genuinely enjoyed every minute I spent with them and was thankful for
the respite. Seeing the shelter through the eyes of a visitor is always
interesting, but seeing the shelter through their eyes proved to be much more
exciting. My place of "work" suddenly became the coolest place in
Brookfield, and I was all the more proud to be here.
I was in a meeting the next day
when they stopped in, though I would have gladly stepped out for a second to say
hello. Instead, I was greeted by two beautiful pictures drawn by them with
really nice notes on the back. I hung them on my office door as a reminder of
the fun I had that day, and a reminder of how cool the shelter really is for the
people we serve.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
I was unable to write yesterday,
as I had to run out to take my kids for back to school hair appointments, since
they have to take class pictures in August. I also just had my dogs to the
groomer last weekend. I would like to share my top 10 reasons why taking your
companion to the groomer is much more pleasant than getting back to school
haircuts:
10. Your dog cannot ask for their
hair to be styled like their favorite Disney teen celebrity, or cartoon
character after you return to the waiting area.
9. You can drop your dog off and
come back in a little while and not have to fear your dog telling the groomer
things like "Mommy likes wine in the morning" or "Mommy does not
wear pants to bed"
8. Often your groomer has a nice
selection of things you actually will buy and use, unlike the hair products at a
salon that they recommend to make your child's hair look like they do when you
pick them up and will invariably age like fine wine under the sink until they
dry up on their own.
7. Your dog cannot tell the
hairdresser that you would love it if they had a permanent pink stripe of hair
like Avril Lavigne.
6. Groomers sometimes make
housecalls.
5. Your dog does not get mad at
you if they get a haircut they do not like. Heck, they are just so happy to see
you they could care less what their hair looks like.
4. The mani-pedi is included with
the grooming - they will even brush your dogs teeth! Try getting the stylist at
Master Cuts to brush your kid's teeth!
3. Your dog usually is on their
best behavior at the groomer. Unlike my 14 year old who perfected her dirty
looks in the mirror each time the stylist tried to engage in lively chit-chat.
Gotta love teenage girls!
2. Your groomer does not judge you
for your bad interim "trim jobs", but your child's stylist looks at
you with pity upon seeing your amateur bang trim job on your young child.
1. When you get home from the
groomer, your dog will not hog the bathroom for 3 hours rewashing and styling
their new do.
Thanks to all the groomers out
there who put up with us fussy moms and dads! I suppose I should thank all the
stylists too, as they sure do a better job cutting my family's hair than I do.
Although, I did marry a man who cut his own hair right before a job interview
and he kind of looked like Pee Wee Herman when he was done. He did get the job,
but that is a story for another blog...
Thursday, July 31, 2008
We have had several birds
surrendered to the shelter in the past few months, mostly finches and parakeets
(who are awaiting adoption right now!). We had another parakeet surrendered
today. "Domestic" birds are fascinating to me. Part of me thinks that
all birds belong in the wild. Then I see many happy birds living with loving
caretakers and wonder if this isn't such a bad thing after all.
Parrots, such as the African Grey
are truly amazing animals. They are super smart, engaging, and affable
creatures. They can live up to 70 years. I always thought about bringing such a
bird into my life, but by the time I was able to afford it, I figured the bird
would outlive me, and who would take care of it after I was gone? Many birds are
only really attached to one person.
We sometimes get calls from people
that have lost a bird and would like to report it as a stray. It is the rare
bird that we get in as a stray. Typically in this climate the weather proves too
much for a bird that is used to living in a home. Wisconsin is not a state known
for a feral parrot populations.
Oddly, there is a feral population
of Monk Parakeets living in Chicago and New York City. Both places are not known
for their warm weather, but these birds have proven hardy enough to survive. San
Francisco has a thriving population of feral Cherry Headed Conures. It was
amazing to be in this urban area and then see a flock of tropical birds flying
overhead and landing on the grass. A book and a movie have been made about these
birds, so they are now San Francisco celebrities.
Domestic birds can make wonderful
companions. They do have specific needs in the food, housing, and care
departments. But their lively chattering, singing, and talking do seem to
brighten up a dreary day. That is something Wisconsin is known for.
Consider adopting a parakeet or a
finch today! We have several to choose from, and they are sure to entertain you
with their playful antics. If you are interested in a larger bird or parrot,
there are several rescues in the area that have great birds looking for homes.
Be sure to do a lot of research before you make a commitment to a bird, so that
you are fully aware of all of the pros and cons of each bird, their requirements
for staying happy and healthy, and their life expectancy.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
The other day I had to accept that
I am getting old. Surely the expanding waistline and the growing crow's feet
were a sure sign of that, but I am usually able to hide those things with clever
outfits or cosmetics. But this week is the 20th anniversary of Shark Week on the
Discovery Channel. I cannot seem to comprehend that I have lived long enough to
have done something 20 years ago.
As with most animal lovers, I not
only occupy myself with the trials and tribulations of the family companions. I
have a thirst for knowledge about all kinds of animals. I often amaze friends
with a plethora of facts such as the gestation period for an African Elephant
(22 months), the top speeds of emus and ostrich (30mph), and which types of
sharks lay eggs or have live births. This type of knowledge might be useful on
Jeopardy but has otherwise not gotten me very far in life.
I have loved sharks since I was a
kid on Long Island. Back when I was growing up there were still fish and a
thriving fishing industry in the area. There were always fish tales about sharks
getting stuck in nets and ripping holes in them, or sharks eating a hooked fish
right off the line. Many a child from Long Island was threatened with becoming
"chum" for shark fishing when we were naughty. I did a science project
for school on sharks when I was in 7th grade which got me a 2nd place ribbon for
a state science fair competition.
So, naturally, when the first
Shark Week came on 20 years ago, I was rapt with awe at the amazing discoveries
in the world of sharks since the time of my 7th grade triumph. I lived with my
Aunt and my Grandmother at the time, and me and Gram would watch Shark Week
programming all evening. I have watched it faithfully every year since. It has
never gotten boring.
It is hard to remember what my
life was like at the time.
I was still in school. I was
working in an animal hospital as a Vet Tech. I was fostering "Lincoln"
for a local shelter, he was a Lab mix with a stump for a tail. I also was the
proud owner of Pete the cat, who became mine when my Grandfather passed away. If
someone told me then that I would be living in Wisconsin and working in an
animal shelter in 20 years, I would have told them that they were crazy.
Twenty years is a long time. I
think back on all of the animals that I have had the good fortune to become
acquainted with and the people who loved them. I can remember all of the dogs
that I have fostered and helped find new and permanent homes, the many kittens I
bottle fed. It can almost be discouraging to know that I have worked so hard on
behalf of so many animals, and I know so many people who have worked so much
harder and it seems like there is still so much more to be done.
At the end of the day, I am pretty
happy that life took me to Elmbrook Humane Society. It is hard work, the hours
are long, and I will not retire a millionaire. But I am really proud to be a
part of something so special. The staff and volunteers amaze me every day. The
animals are always wonderful. The work we do is so important, and so necessary.
Today we had a couple of great
adoptions, Bailey the Lab went to a new home with a super nice couple. Paddy the
Standard Poodle got a great new home. I even got to take a puppy and a kitten to
a photo shoot for an animal health product that will be in veterinary magazines.
I will be here a bit longer finishing up a couple of projects, then go home to
my kids and dogs, and Shark Week!
Have you purchased your Waggin'
Wheels Car Raffle tickets yet? Call me! I have plenty!
Monday, July 28, 2008
First of all, I would like to send
a really big thanks to Bob and Stephanie Soerens, the father-daughter team who
own, and put all their passion into the family business, Soerens Ford right here
in Brookfield. We spent the day with them on Sunday selling raffle tickets for
our Waggin' Wheels Car raffle on Sunday. They helped us put up our tent, they
kept our spirits up, they auctioned off a hat for us, and at the end of the day
helped us raise about $1,700 for the shelter. Not only is Soerens a great
dealership, but they are longtime supporters of EBHS and animal lovers as well!
Second, I wanted to ask for the
help of everyone who reads this. We are trying to sell raffle tickets to raise
money for the shelter. The winner will get to pick their choice of a brand new
Ford Mustang Convertible, or a brand new Ford Edge. Each ticket is only $20 (my
church car raffle tickets were $50!) and we need to sell 5,000 of them by
November 8, 2008. We have the drawing that day at Soerens Ford at noon.
We need help selling tickets! If
you are having an event where we can sell tickets, call me! If you will let me
come up to your place of employment at lunch time and sell tickets, call me! If
you would like some tickets to sell to help us reach our goal, call me! I always
hear how it takes a village to raise a child, or train a dog. It will take
several villages, towns and cities to help EBHS reach this goal. I keep going
over the math in my head - it will take 100 people to sell 50 tickets - or 50
people to sell 100 tickets. That does not seem so impossible, does it?
If you are interested in buying a
ticket - call me! I do make house calls (within reason - gas is pricey you
know!).
If we sell more than 3,000 tickets
(we only have 5,000 to sell) we can give away the car - if we cannot get to
3,000 we will split the money 50/50 with the winner instead. I am not above
begging, so if you can help us - please call me! I can be reached at
262-754-6597.
We have been doing so many
adoptions lately, for which we are very thankful! It is so great to be finding
homes for so many wonderful animals. This has to be the best summer ever for
EBHS in the adoption/animal department. We have one of the best groups of
animals we have ever had available lately. We have also had some really great
new families come into the shelter looking to expand their families.
One dog I am really hoping to find
a new home for soon is Remmington. Remmington is a super loving Australian
Shepherd mix. He does not like to be left alone in a kennel, and is quite adept
at escaping from them. It is kind of cute to be sitting at my desk alone one
minute and then the next minute find our Remmington curled up at my feet. He
seems super sweet, and very eager to be around people. He should be up on the
web page with a picture soon so you can see a photo of this loveable dog. If I
had room at my house, and did not have a husband to keep me in line, I would
love to bring that sweetie home with me, myself!
We still have many kittens
available for adoption, so I hope if you have been thinking about a new kitten,
you will stop in and see us. We have two black and two tortoiseshell kittens
right in our lobby that would love to meet you!
Remember - think Waggin' Wheels
raffle! It is a great opportunity to win a new car and help out the animals we
take care of here at the shelter. Heck - even if you do not need a car, you can
win it and sell it, and with better odds than the lottery - it is worth taking a
chance. Don't you think?
Thursday, July 24, 2008
I am sorry faithful readers! I
have been incredibly remiss in my postings. There are just not enough hours in
the day lately, it seems.
The shelter has been a whirlwind
of activity, which has been excellent! We are finding homes for many animals,
and we are able to take in many more animals that may not have had a chance
anywhere else, and we have been meeting lots of people in the process.
Many of you have been hearing
about different shelter activities in the news, both at Elmbrook Humane Society
and the Wisconsin Humane Society. Since we have been taking many calls about it,
I wanted to let you know what the situation is in regard to the WHS puppy mill
dogs.
Yes, Wisconsin Humane Society was
able to purchase the puppy mill business of Wallace Havens, the self-proclaimed
"inventor" of the Puggle. They purchased not only his facility, but
his breeding stock and remaining "inventory" as well. This of course
is an excellent development for the almost 1,200 animals that called Puppy
Havens home.
Wisconsin Humane has now set upon
the daunting task of rehoming all of these animals. The young puppies will be
the easiest to place, as they were the least traumatized by the experience. The
adults, however, will be a much harder endeavor.
Supporters of Elmbrook Humane
Society already know how hard it is to rehabilitate an animal that has had
little human contact, no proper socialization, and years of neglect. The adult
dogs rescued from this facility have a long road ahead of them. Fortunately,
most dogs from puppy mills can lead relatively normal lives, if not fully
recover. They will need to be in homes with no small children, with another dog
already in residence to help them learn to trust people and help them learn how
to be a family member instead of a breeding machine. They are also very
difficult to housebreak and can have food aggression issues.
There are a few that never recover
enough to be what we consider "normal" pets, but they still deserve a
chance to try and live a life that most of our own animals enjoy. A life full of
love, food, treats and a warm place to call home.
We will be taking animals from
Wisconsin Humane Society as we can, and as they need assistance. They will be
placing most of these animals directly through their own shelter. The puppies
will be easily adopted. Some adults will also be easy to place. Some adults will
go to breed rescues. Others will be in long term foster care. They are all safe
now.
Just remember these animals are
not the only animals in Wisconsin in need of a home. There are shelters all
across the state with wonderful animals who need a home to call their own. Some
of these animals reside right here at Elmbrook Humane Society!
Friday, July 18, 2008
I love public speaking. I am, in
real life, a very gregarious person who is always the life of a party, and never
at a loss for words. However, my bravado was taken down several (hundred)
notches at a recent meeting at Brookfield City Hall.
I was invited to speak to the
Licensing Committee in regard to some shelter statistics on complaints we had
received in regard to the number of pets people had living in their home. The
first item on the agenda was in regard to "animals at large". I was
taking copious notes on the story of an unhappy citizen when she uttered the
words "So, I called the Humane Society". What followed was very
audible snickering, rumbling, laughing and the person behind me said "What
a joke". I could feel my face turn red with shame. I had no idea what
people thought of Humane Societies. Or maybe I just thought that people loved
Elmbrook but thought other Humane Societies were not as great as we are.
Surely I am biased, as I spend
about 60 hours a week here, and I know all the good we do for the community, and
the animals here. But, it was very hard to hear, and I started praying that they
would forget to call me up to the podium. Unfortunately, they did not forget me,
and the walk up to the podium seemed to take about 20 minutes. Once up there,
all of my saliva dried up and I had a cracking voice while trying to mutter out
the statistics I came to present. I prayed for one of those large vaudeville
hooks to creep in and yank me out a side door. I stumbled through a few
questions, then returned to my seat.
After some more discussion, I was
again asked to come up to the podium. Fortunately, my genetics had kicked in and
I got my Irish up, and was able to return to the podium and speak more
eloquently about the subject at hand, give more information, and hopefully my
input will lead to a fair resolution of the question of animal limit laws in the
City of Brookfield. I have to add, that I work and live in the City of
Brookfield, and would never leave the city limits if not for the draw of Mayfair
Mall and the occasional Brewer game.
But, the meeting did leave me
rattled after taking in the public perception of what a Humane Society is. In
fact, we even had an adopter refer to us as "dog jail" the other day.
Now, if we are going to compare Elmbrook Humane Society to a prison, it would
surely be one of those nice white collar prisons up in Connecticut, not one of
those horrible ones on MSNBC's "Lock Up".
The animals here are confined for
a portion of each day, no doubt. However, you will not find a cleaner, odor free
establishment in Wisconsin. Plus, the dogs, cats and rabbits here get more
outside time than any prisoner in any jail in this country! We have dog walkers,
and even dog runners who take the dogs out for plenty of play time. The cat
socializers spend countless hours playing with the cats in a playroom. Even the
rabbit volunteers make sure the rabbits get plenty of floor time and set up
ramps for them to climb and explore play areas.
When I was a kid, the local humane
society was a sea of chain link fences, barking dogs with dirty cages, and
lethargic looking cats. Those days are over. Elmbrook is a happy place, with
happy animals, happy employees, and happy endings each and every day. Even if
you are not looking to adopt a new family member, I strongly encourage you to
come to Elmbrook Humane Society and see for yourself what a great place we
really are. I am very proud to work here, and I know you will be proud to know
how much the people in your community care about the animals here as they helped
us build this place and their support allows us to continue this work.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
As a child I remember summer as
being the lazy time of the year. We got to ride bikes, swim, chase fireflies and
the days seemed so carefree. Flash-forward to adulthood. Summer is the craziest
time of the year! I am busier in the summer than I am the whole rest of the
year! I feel like I could work 24 hours a day and never catch up!
The shelter is very active, which
is a good thing. We have lots of dogs, cats, and tons of kittens all looking for
new homes! We have 6 parakeets, and three finches waiting for new homes as well.
If you are looking for a small bird to keep company with, we are sure to have
one that will be a great fit for you!
I do have good news to share! The
rats and guinea pigs are starting to find new homes. One adopter, a sweet kid
named Molly came in to adopt 2 rats with her family. She said she had waited
months and had to talk her parents into it. While rats may seem like an
unorthodox choice, they actually make excellent companions. Molly told us she
did her research into small animals, and had to choose between rabbits, hamsters
and rats, and rats won paws down! She decided that since rats were extremely
intelligent and loved to be held and interact with people, that a rat would be
her best bet! She sure looks pretty happy, and we are happy to know that
our rats are going to a great home! What is cuter than a picture of a girl and
her rats?
We are in need of foster homes for
kittens! Kittens under 8-10 weeks of
age need a mother or human surrogate to care for them.
They are very vulnerable at this age in a shelter environment and have
the best chance of survival in a foster home setting. Fostering is
hard work but caring for a life in need can
be a wonderful, rewarding experience.
A few things to
keep in mind before considering fostering:
- A foster
animal could potentially carry illness into your home. Therefore
foster kittens
must be kept separate from existing pets in the home. A
safe isolation
area is necessary for the kitten’s safety. Toys, bowls and
living areas
should not be shared with current pets.
- Foster kittens
must be fed every 4-6 hours so cannot be left alone for
extended
periods.
- Current pets
in the home must be up to date on required vaccines.
- Current cats
in the home should be up to date on distemper vaccines AND
have been tested
for BOTH FIV and Feline Leukemia.
- A commitment
of 2-8 weeks (depending on the kitten’s age) is required.
If you are interested in
fostering a kitten, or three, or four, please contact Carol Sumbry at
262-782-9261 or via email at carol@ebhs.org.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
How many years have people been warned not to
smoke? I am sure since the 1970's at least, yet I see young kids at the shelter
starting to smoke all the time. Humans are the only creatures on earth that can
have the knowledge that something is a bad
choice, that this action will cause an early death, and choose to do that thing
anyway.
How many years have we heard not to lock a dog
in a hot car? I have been hearing that since childhood as well, yet I see dogs
locked in hot cars all the time. We got a call for one today, in fact. This
enterprising person thought that cracking the windows and leaving the dog a bowl
of water while they were at work for 8 hours would be a good idea. The morning
was cloudy, but this afternoon got sunny and hot fast.
If we say "Please" will you stop
locking your dog in a hot car? Even in 70 degree weather the inside of a car can
get up to 90 degrees. In the sun, a car's temperature can reach 160 degrees in
just 15 minutes. Even in the shade. I can barely handle getting into my car on a
hot day and waiting for the air conditioning to kick in. Imagine how hot it
would be for you to sit in a hot car for 15 minutes. Today when I left work I
sat in my car with the windows cracked to see how long I could stand it. It was
6:30pm, and I will tell you, after 7 minutes I had to turn on the air.
I am sure if you asked your dog if they would
rather stay in the comfort of their home, or sit in a searing hot car for half
an hour while you ran in to get some groceries, they would opt to stay home. I
have dogs that live to ride with me in the car, but I do not take them anyplace
during the summer where they would have to be left alone. I only use
drive-through places in warm weather with my dogs in the car. Or, I leave them
home.
There have even been cases of people leaving a
dog in the car with the air conditioning running and the car will turn off the
air after a certain amount of time when the car is left in idle leaving the poor
animal to roast while their humans think they are taking care of them.
Let's all make a pact and not bring our dogs on
every errand. Let's leave them home, and safe. I know they miss us. But better
to miss us for a little while than to bear losing them in such a painful way.
Dogs do not have the ability to make safe choices, so they are counting on us to
make these choices for them.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Backyard carnivals? I had never
heard of one before, but some really enterprising kids from Brookfield held one
and donated the proceeds to EBHS, so I wanted to give them a special shout out.
They collected about $275 in cash and wish list items for the animals here at
the shelter. Thank you so much to Sam, Linnea, Soren and Saige! They are
obviously real animal lovers, and now a special part of the Elmbrook Humane
Society family, too! Next time they have a backyard carnival, I hope I get
invited!

Monday, July 7, 2008
If I were a Beagle, I would devote my life to
ending anti-Beagle propaganda.
If I were a Beagle, I would not be able to
count how many times guests came to the shelter and looked at me and said
“How cute! But too noisy!” or “They are good for hunting, but they do
not make good pets”.
If I were a Beagle, I would walk over to my
kennel door and call over these misinformed people and tell them that not only
am I cute, but I am no noisier than any other dog in the shelter. The thing
is, when a Beagle has something to say, we want to make sure that everyone can
hear. Us Beagles do not make small talk – if we are barking, there is
something the whole neighborhood should be aware of.
If I were a Beagle, I would further explain
that there are few dogs that are better suited for life in a family. Beagles
are devoted, loyal, brave and loving and make excellent companions for most
families. We are the perfect size for children to pal around with. We love to
take walks and be part of your life. It is common (and heartbreaking)
knowledge, that Beagles are among the most desired breed of dogs to be used in
laboratories because we are compact, adjust easily to confinement, and no
matter what you do to a Beagle, our temperament is such that we will still
give you a lick on the nose. We have never given up on people because Beagles
are the eternal optimists of the dog world.
If I were a Beagle, I would readily admit
that we do have some quirks. Once we get our nose on the ground and pick up
the trail of a squirrel or rabbit, we can excitedly run to find them, even if
our person might be calling our name. We tend to gain weight easily, so if you
are a couch potato, a Beagle might be an early warning sign that you need to
get up and get some exercise. We also shed, but not as bad as some breeds.
Fortunately, we love to sit on your lap for a good brushing.
If I were a Beagle, I would sum up our
conversation by saying that Beagles spend way too long in the shelter because
people believe the bad press about Beagles. If you see a Beagle in a shelter,
take a few moments to take a look into our trademark big, brown and beautiful
Beagle eyes. These eyes were specially developed to be so deep and expressive
that you might decide to give me a chance to prove what a great companion that
I would make for you.
If I were a Beagle, I would not let you down,
because a Beagle exists only to make people happy.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
There are lots of places that have
the busiest night of the year, like the mall on the day after Thanksgiving, or
the local Irish Pub on Saint Patrick's Day. For animal shelters, it is July 4th.
This is the day that your average, well-adjusted, family companion goes crazy
with fear because of the celebrations starring fireworks courtesy of your
neighbors.
Dogs that before could barely jump
onto a couch suddenly become able to leap over high fencing in an effort to
escape the bombs bursting in air. I have a close friend who had a dog jump out
of a second story screen window due to the extreme terror it felt from the
fireworks on the street below. Fortunately the dog survived, but had two broken
legs and needed to be sedated each subsequent Fourth of July for fear of a
repeat performance.
This Fourth of July, there are
precautions you can take to make sure your four-legged friends are safe and
comfortable:
-- Keep
your animals indoors in a secure area during peak fireworks times, and make sure
you've
removed any items that might be harmful if
chewed.
--
Having a television or radio playing at low volume can help calm an animal.
--
Check with your vet in advance if you know your animal gets distressed on the
4th as they may
be able to offer some medications to keep
your companion's anxiety to a minimum (this is a last
resort!).
--
Don't leave your animal outside unattended, even if your yard is fenced! Debris
from falling
fireworks can be fatal if ingested, and your animals can be burned by out of
control rockets, or
worse, become a target for someone who might think it was funny to aim a bottle
rocket at a
living creature.
-- Make
sure your animal is wearing identification tags.
--
Leave your dog home if you're going to a fireworks display.
It is
best to take the necessary steps now, rather than have a animal injured, or even
killed on the road if they escape your control and run into the street.
This is
another example of how important it is to expose your puppy or dog to as many
things as possible so that they do not develop fears of everyday things, and
even unusual things. There is a saying that each puppy should be exposed to 100
different people before it is 6 months old. You should also make sure that you
bring adult dogs out for as much socialization that is possible, depending on
their personality.
The
best advice a vet friend gave me was to make sure your dog got a lot of exercise
during the day on Fourth of July so that they can try to sleep through the
festivities and fireworks show. I think that is what I will be doing myself!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Things I have learned since last
Thursday...
CarMax really does care! The
CarMax Cares volunteer team came out to work with me bright and early Sunday
morning. I have to give a shout out to the whole group - Meaghan, Shelley, Nick,
Sandra, Andrea, Cheryl, and Bridgett. These nice folks not only came out to the
shelter early on a Sunday AM, they worked so hard cleaning, weeding, scrubbing,
sorting and assembling a small kennel with absolutely no instructions
whatsoever. Not only did they make the place look awesome and get us caught up
on some chores that we let get away from us, but they also brought in a bunch of
items from our wish list, and then made a very generous donation on the first
big check I ever got! They also got to socialize a bunch of the animals and take
the dogs for walks. I cannot tell you what a great time I had working with them.
A big EBHS thank you to the whole group!
Wisconsin needs more bats! I had
to do yard work this weekend, and I am fairly sure that I have contracted either
Malaria or West Nile virus right on my front lawn. Where are they treating for
mosquitoes? I am going to paint a target on my roof for the next time they fly
over with the larvicide! I have no standing water on my property, yet I am
covered by mosquitoes from head to toe as soon as I walk out my front door. I
had to cover myself with "bug dope", as my husband calls it, just to
get the newspaper! I hope my neighbors understand that I will not be doing any
yard work until the first frost. I am going to hang some bat houses up in the
woods in my yard to attract more of Mother Nature's natural mosquito control to
my yard.
Guinea Pigs do not really like
strawberries! We have been low on fresh veggies at the shelter lately, so a
neighbor gave me a bushel of strawberries and someone else told me she liked to
feed them to her guinea pigs. So naturally, I brought them in this morning and
gave them to all the small and furry animals - rabbits loved them, rats loved
them, mice loved them, guinea pigs did not touch them. Lesson learned! I have to
hope someone in the neighborhood is growing some greens for the guinea pigs.
People are always surprising! We
had a feral cat brought in recently that was to be spayed and given to a foster
family to live in a barn. After this cat was spayed we waiting for the foster
and then found out that this person had changed their mind. This poor cat had no
options and we did not know what we were going to do with her - until someone
came in to have a feral cat spayed for them to release in their barn. This nice
gentleman was asked if he would like two cats for his barn, instead of just
getting the one he brought in and he said YES! So he not only saved one life
with his kind gesture, he has now saved two!
Wall-E was a great movie! I highly
recommend this movie. As I suspected, cockroaches will survive on the earth no
matter how badly we mess it up. Then they get to co-star in a Pixar movie! The
little cockroach was cute in the movie, and he made a great companion animal
though I do not expect that trend to catch on. As an adult, I loved the movie
probably more than my daughter who I took to see the movie (it was all a ruse, I
really wanted to see the movie myself and I made my husband take her to Kung-Fu
Panda so I could see Wall-E).
EBHS will have a lot of Chihuahuas
available in 6 - 9 months! One of the trailers before the Wall-E movie was for
another animated movie starring about 500 Chihuahuas. Typically, when an animal
is featured in a movie (101 Dalmatians, Air-Bud) people run out and get that
breed of puppy and then when the animals are not as charming as the one in the
movie they will bring them to a shelter, or try to re-home them personally.
Chihuahuas are a great breed of dog, but they are not for everyone. I heard
several children, including my own ask to get one right in the theater...Ay
Carumba!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Atticus is a beautiful 4-year-old
cat that came to us as a stray from the Milwaukee County Domestic Animal Control
Center. He is a really striking cat, very large, and fearless. He also seems to
not realize that he is a cat. He also happens to be our current front office
mascot.
At the shelter we typically keep
one cat up in the front office for company and for the cat to get some extra
attention from potential adopters. We have had a quite a few characters in the
front office, like Gomer, who did not like dogs and would attack them like a
lion would attack a water buffalo. He loved people but anytime a dog would
happen to be in our reception area, Gomer went into predator mode. He did not
care if the dog was a tiny Chihuahua or an enormous German Shepherd. In Gomer's
mind, they were going down.
Another cat was Charlie. Charlie
really liked people food, and if he heard any kind of wrapper or cellophane
noise he would be on your lap in seconds. My favorite Charlie episode was once
when I heard one of the front office gals shout the name "Charlie" and
I looked up from what I was doing to see Charlie run past me with a sandwich in
his mouth. He somehow managed to unzipper a lunch bag and remove the chicken
sandwich inside that was right at the feet of this gal without her even knowing
it. That is pretty talented for an animal without opposable thumbs!
We had another cat named Christy
up front and she was the clumsiest cat ever. She had access to the whole front
office at the shelter and thought nothing of jumping up onto your desk and
walking around, drinking out of your coffee, then slipping on papers which would
send everything on your desk flying onto the floor. Or she would run across your
keyboard and close files that were not saved, or send incomplete emails. She
knocked so many coffee mugs down that we are still finding broken bits from them
under things when we clean.
Our Atticus has already proved he
has a very unique personality as he was a model for a recent photoshoot with
other EBHS shelter animals. He was a natural at working the camera, despite
other cats and dogs around him, flashes going off and all kinds of commotion
around him. He was so good that he will appear in some animal health
advertisements for Abbott Labs. A star was born that day, and Atticus is not
letting any of us forget it!
Atticus has had a very full first
day up here in the front office. Like I mentioned, he is super friendly, and
follows us all around like a dog would. He forced me to relocate my Guinea Pig
maternity ward as he was relentlessly trying to get past the gate that I keep
across my office and was making the guinea pigs afraid. Then someone came into
surrender a dog, and he thought he should go say hello and try to play with this
dog who was very stressed and did not appreciate Atticus' attempts to engage in
friendly play. He has been at our side answering phones, stamping mail, doing
data entry and even kept a handyman company while he was fixing the toilet in
our lobby area today.
We had to move a bunch of birds
into a front office where they would get some sunshine and hopefully more
exposure to potential adopters. Atticus wanted to get a better look at the
finches and he knocked down a water bowl and caused fur and feathers to fly.
While there were no injuries, Atticus lost a little dignity as he had a wet head
for a little while and the birds got a good laugh at his expense.
Atticus is available for adoption,
and he is waiting for a new family that will appreciate his unique outlook on
life as a person in a cat suit. Many people feel like a cat is a cat, but I can
assure you that every cat is has their own well defined personality and can add
so much to your life.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Today I received a call from a
gentleman who wanted to know how much money another animal charity gave to us
from the money he sent to them each year. He stated that he sent money to an
animal welfare organization based in New York, and that he received appeal
letters from them every year, and he sent money to them thinking that these
funds would be given to animal charities in Wisconsin, specifically to Elmbrook
Humane Society. He also said that they mailed him return address labels and he
felt he needed to pay for them by sending money to this charity.
Many of us receive lots of mail
from charities all over the state, and even the country. I seem to get a lot
from animal welfare organizations, which I presume is in response to getting on
mailing lists from products I buy or places I sign up to go to with my dogs, and
through my professional affiliations. I also see a lot of television commercials
on at night with sweet little animal faces, and sick puppies for national animal
charities. The sad music plays and there are slow motion shots of sick, injured
or sullen dogs it is hard for you not to run over to your check book or grab
your credit card and call the number on the screen.
I want to set the record straight
for all local animal charities and rescues. We do NOT get any funds from any
national, regional, or state animal welfare organizations. If you send money to
a charity based in New York, that money will go to further the mission of that
group in New York, and it will help animals, just not animals in Wisconsin.
Also, if you send money to a state animal welfare organization, it does not get
distributed to the other smaller organizations in the state. Make sure you
donate DIRECTLY to the animal welfare organization of your choosing. If you want
to help local animals, donate directly to a shelter or rescue near you!
Now, this is just my own personal
opinion, but I feel that if a charity can send you something in the mail
like labels, or magnets, or other goodies in a solicitation letter they might
not need the money as badly as another charity who cannot afford to send an
expensive mailing like that. Trust me, just mailing a plain old bulk letter
these days is pretty pricey. If there is an additional goody in there - that is
the Cadillac of solicitation letters.
I am a big fan of the old slogan -
"Think Globally, Act Locally". I try to shop at local businesses
instead of big chains. I try to support local school and youth organizations and
local civic charities. Since there are so many ways that charities can reach out
to people now (internet, television, direct mail, phone solicitation), make sure
you know who you are donating to, and exactly where and how the money will be
used.
Because of the current economic
climate, there will be pleas from many organizations this year so you should be
extra vigilant to make sure your donation dollar will do the most good!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
It is raining cats at EBHS. Today
we took in 10 cats from a hoarding situation in a home where there were 180
cats. The cats are stinky, and some have ear mites, but they are all friendly
and once they have been cleaned up, and are spayed and neutered and receive
medical treatment, they will be made available for adoption. This hoarding
situation was bad, but since the animals seem to be placeable this tragedy will
not be made worse by having to euthanize the animals, which is the unfortunate
result of many similar cases.
Many people are quick to condemn
animal hoarders. It is very difficult for most of us to understand how someone
can go from one or two animals to 180, while living in the conditions that 180
animals create in a home. There has been extensive research done on people who
hoard animals and there are three types of personalities found in hoarders:
1. The Expert: This is a person
who feels that they are an expert in animal care and need to be in control of
the animals they have in residence. These people tend to reject outside concern,
help and intervention.
2. The Rescuer: This is an individual
who feels that they are the only person capable of providing the proper care and
home for an animal in need. Often these individuals start off with one animal in
the hope of rescuing and then rehoming the animal, but find that they are unable
to let that one go, so they get another and the same situation arises which
leads to a cyclical bringing in of animals and none are ever let go.
3. The Overwhelmed Caregiver:
These are the most common type of hoarder, and they tend to be more socially
isolated and the animals fill up the void in their lives. The hoarding in this
situation is usually triggered by a change in circumstances, such as the death
of a spouse, or retirement.
Animal hoarding situations are
very emotional on so many levels, and it is not the job of a Humane Society to
judge people that hoard. The people and the animals in these situations need our
help, and that is what we are committed to doing. If you have a relative or
neighbor that you are concerned about, please first understand that hoarding is
a type of obsessive compulsive disorder, and they honestly cannot help
themselves. Simply removing the animals from a home is just the first step in a
long path that a hoarder must take and they will need support and care so as not
to repeat the cycle again. There is an extremely high rate of recidivism
with hoarders, so it is critical that there is ongoing support and monitoring by
family and friends.
We can all do our part to protect
animals and help hoarders by notifying the local humane society and authorities
if you suspect someone might be hoarding animals. Also, if you are considering
surrendering your companion animal to a private rescue, make sure to visit the
residence where the animals will be kept to make sure it is not a hoarding
situation.
Hoarding situations prove that it
is all too possible to love animals to death.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Mondays are such a busy day at the shelter!
We have had a ton of visitors, lots of phone calls, and one really upset lady
with a fox problem. It seems that a family of fox had taken up residence in
the yard of a neighbor who was out of town, and she wanted us to come and
remove them immediately. She also said that this fox family had eaten all of
the cats, squirrels, chipmunks and other small animals in the neighborhood.
She had been on the phone all morning with the DNR, and the police, and felt
that someone ought to come out and remove these animals and could not
understand why no one would. She hung up on me and I felt badly that she was
so frustrated and felt like no one would help her.
Elmbrook Humane Society will
always respond to phone calls about injured wildlife. It is out job to pick
those animals up and make sure they receive the proper medical care. Often
times, we will transfer injured wildlife to our good friends in Oconomowoc,
Wildlife In Need. We will also come over and remove an animal if a resident
finds a wild animal inside of their home. This occasionally happens with
raccoons down chimneys, and sometimes bats.
However, when we get a call from
a resident saying that wild animals are living near their home there is
nothing that we can do unless the animal is injured or exhibiting visible
signs of disease. We are not permitted by state law to trap wild animals and
relocate them, which is what most people would like us to do. In fact, simply
removing one wild animal, such as a fox only creates the opportunity for
another fox to move in on the territory. In the spring and early summer we
actually discourage residents from trapping wild animals. Trapping and
moving a wild animal during this time often creates a family of orphaned
babies left to die, or to need hand rearing until they can be rehabilitated
and released by a professional animal rehabilitator.
We are so lucky to live in an
area that is so rich in wildlife. When I was a kid, I lived in suburbia on
Long Island and I never saw any wild animals other than bird, squirrels, and
the occasional deceased raccoon on the side of the road. Living in Brookfield,
I routinely see deer, turkeys, fox, coyotes, all kinds of raptors, reptiles,
and the occasional skunk or opossum. Wild animals are around us all the time,
probably many more than we are even aware of. Most will pass through our yards
without us even noticing.
Now, other than my dogs rolling
in deer droppings, and the occasional raccoon ripping open my trash, I have
not had any real problems with wild animals. But I know that many residents
are not as charmed by the sight of a family of fox, or coyotes in their yard.
The best way to avoid having wild animals decide to take up residence near
your home is to make it as unwelcoming as possible. Here are some tips:
1. Make sure the exterior of
your home has no holes, cracks or broken attic/basement windows where a wild
animal might be able to gain access and start raising a family.
2. Keep brush piles and wood
piles far from your house, as these can make attractive places to hide for
denning animals such as coyotes and fox.
3. Wild animals prefer quiet,
secluded places to have and raise babies. Make sure that your backyard is well
used and well lit in the evenings to discourage wild animals from lingering
around.
4. Feeding birds and squirrels
in your yard will attract predators such as coyotes and fox, who live off
small animals. If you stop attracting prey, you will also be less likely to
have predators in your yard.
5. Make sure your trash is
always secure. Nothing delights a wild animal like a buffet of table scraps!
Wild animals are here to stay in
Brookfield and our neighboring communities, and while it can be trying
sometimes, we have to learn how to live with each other. Please do not
hesitate to contact EBHS if you need some tips on your own special issues with
wildlife. We will do all we can to help keep your family, and family companion
animals safe, and tell you the best ways to deter wild animals from becoming
homesteaders on your land.
One last reminder - Please keep
your cats indoors and do not let your dogs roam around unattended. They can
easily fall victim to a wild animal!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Milez
went home today! Many of you are already familiar with the plight of Milez. He
is a 5 year old Husky that was recently surrendered to the shelter when his
owners could no longer afford to pay for his seizure medications. On top of
everything else, poor Milez is about 30 pounds overweight. Fortunately, a super
lady came in today and fell in love with this beautiful dog. She is committed to
maintaining his medications, and exercising him and we know that he has found
the perfect forever home. A few tears of happiness were shed when he left today.
Shelter animals already have so many things stacked against them, and to be in
poor health, with a weight problem would definitely be a hindrance to most
adopters. We love people that can love an animal the way our animals love us -
with all of our faults, problems, and bad habits. There are no perfect people,
and no perfect animals, but there sure are many people and animals that are
perfect for each other!
My office at the shelter has now
turned into a Guinea Pig maternity ward. We recently had a few young guinea pigs
surrendered here to the shelter, and today our vet who comes in once a week
advised us that two of them seem to be in the family way. I will keep everyone
apprised on when the stork arrives here. I have never spent much time around a
Guinea Pig, but they seem to be nice office mates. They do not mind being stared
at by my foster dog, and they make all kinds of little happy noises when I give
them hay.
Do you have a dirty bird feeder?
Have I got the opportunity for you! This Saturday volunteers from Elmbrook
Humane Society will be at Wild Birds
Unlimited at 19555 W. Bluemound Avenue washing out bird feeders just in time
for the summer feeding frenzy. We hope to see you out there.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
If this is the first time you are
reading EBHS Unleashed (or the EBHS Insider) we welcome you to our shelter blog!
This blog helps keep the community involved in the day to day goings on at
Elmbrook Humane Society, your local animal shelter. We have some happy stories,
some sad stories, but we always have animal stories to share. We hope all animal
lovers will enjoy being a part of world!
Today was a rather exciting day
for a few of our animals. Three of our cats, and one of our dogs were asked to
participate in a photo shoot for Abbott Labs Animal Health Division. O'Malley,
Atticus, Ginger and Larry were photographed at the Saturn Lounge Photography
Studio, and all of them did very well. They all seem to know that they are stars
now!
If you are interested in adopting
a kitten, we hope you will come in to see us on Friday. We will have many new
cuties available for adoption this Friday.
We were happy to see Ferris, a
West Highland Terrier go home with a new family today. We are still hoping to
find new homes for three parakeets and a pair of cockatiels. We also have
several Guinea Pigs looking for new families. If you know of anyone looking to
add a small animal or a bird to their family, please tell them to come visit us!

Atticus
O'Malley
Ginger
Monday, June 16
Today we had some good news! Our
peahen has found a new home in an existing flock of peafowl.
She has already left for her new home and we are hoping she enjoys many happy
years with her new group of friends.
Unfortunately, Milez, our seizure
Husky is not going to be adopted by the potential adopters that were interested
in him due to a health concern with the adopters. We are very upset about that
(as was his potential new family). Adopting out a seizure dog is never easy.
Milez has not had a seizure here, as he is on medication, but many people are
hesitant to adopt a dog with a health condition. Here
is some information about seizures in canines. Maybe you would consider adopting
Milez, who is a big, loveable dog despite his condition and his medical needs...
The EBHS Insider will be getting a
larger audience in a few days. Soon you will be able to read the Insider (under
the name EBHS Unleashed) on Brookfieldnow.com and ElmGrovenow.com. I am looking
forward to having more people know about the great things that go on here at
EBHS every day.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Friday the 13th today, and we hope
that our streak of bad luck is over. The floods have receded, our Memorial
Garden Dedication was a little soggy, we have been inundated with stray cats and
kittens, and we have been super busy with guests and road calls for stray and
injured animals. But I have to say that even the worst day working in a shelter
is better than a good day working any place else.
We have had some good adoptions
this week, and a staff favorite named Phoenix went home just a little while ago.
We are also expecting Milez, a large Husky with a seizure disorder to join his
new family today, too (update - Milez adoption fell through, so he is still
here).
We have gotten a new business
sponsor for our Wag Fest, which is very exciting! Thanks to FISERV for showing
their support for the animals at Elmbrook Humane Society! Do you think your
employer or a business you frequent would like to be a sponsor for our Wag
Fest this year? If so, have them contact Karen at the shelter by calling
262-754-6597. 
If you know anyone interested in
adopting a peahen - please call the shelter! Our peahen has come off of stray
hold and is now available to be adopted into the right home. We will have to be
very careful in making sure she will be going to a home that has enough room and
experience with peafowl. Preferably, she will be able to join an existing flock.
We have so many baby rats, Guinea
pigs, and parakeets and cockatiels available for adoption at the shelter. If you
know anyone looking to add one of these fun and unusual animals to their family
- please send them here!
I wish everyone a happy father's
day weekend! Let Dad get some extra rest this Sunday!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Today I installed 15 new bricks
into our Memorial Garden, which will be dedicated tomorrow at the shelter at 6pm
- Brookfield Mayor Jeff Speaker will be on hand to say a few words, and we will
have shelter tours and some treats to commemorate the occasion. I understand
there may be some nasty weather - but this will go on rain or shine, so please
join us.
We had a person bring their dog
into the shelter today because they needed help with the dog. It was a large
working breed dog, and the person owned a townhouse. Because this person was
like many of us, working full time, and then having a child to tend to, the dog
did not get enough exercise, was not socialized enough, and had several
behavioral issues that made the dog difficult to live with.
This was a sweet lady, with great
intentions, who obviously loved this dog very much. So many people love a dog
breed because of looks, size, and perceived temperament, and make bad decisions
that will affect them for 12 - 15 years or so. She did adopt this dog as a puppy
from an out of state shelter. Many people do not like to go through an adoption
counseling process, and sometimes are even offended that we ask questions about
what their expectations are when looking to add an animal to their family. It is
because we do not want a dog to come back to the shelter in a few years because
a family may have changed, through marriage, divorce, children being born, or
children moving out.
Please make sure to think long
term when you bring a dog into your life. My favorite breed of dog is German
Shepherd Dogs. I know that I cannot have a dog with that level of intelligence,
and training requirements in my life right now. I love everything about them,
but when I cannot find enough time to blow dry my hair, I know that I should not
have a dog with those needs.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
The great flood seems to be over
for now. There is still some water on the street but by tomorrow we should be
back in business. We did manage to do some adoptions today and were most happy
to see that Stanley and Winnie, our Beagles went home, as did Louie, and Calliou!
There have been many companion
animals separated from their families during this storm. It is imperative that
your dog or cat have ID with current information on them. We can bring them
right home if we know where they live. Several guests have commented that there
will be another big storm on Thursday, so you still have some time to get an ID
tag if you do not already have one!
Monday, June 9, 2008
Well, we did not need to build an
ark, but it would have helped getting into the shelter this morning!
Elmbrook Humane Society has a lovely waterfront view today, which I hope will
ebb for business tomorrow. We are closed to the public today, it is too
dangerous and risky for the public to come down Enterprise Avenue. These photos
were taken from our front window - that body of water is Enterprise Avenue.
I have to give kudos to the
intrepid Animal Care Staff who are all here this morning. Crystal, Cassie,
Jeanette and Katie (who actually waded quite a long way to get here). We were
all worried about the animals, and rather than just getting here and going home,
these gals stayed and we worked out a plan to get to the building through a back
way. The animals and building are fine, there is no water close to the building.
We are just working hard to make sure everyone is fed, exercised, medicated and
dry. Thanks to Marge and Carol in the front office for coming in and helping
hold down the fort, too. We are very lucky to have such a dedicated staff.
We are getting many calls for
injured, abandoned, and stranded wildlife, and a few calls for stray animals.
From stranded snapping turtles, abandoned baby bunnies, bird nests that have
crashed to the ground, we are running around trying to make sure that everyone
is taken care of!
Friday, June 6, 2008
I hope to see as many of you as
possible at Hal's Harley Pet Day tomorrow. Not rain, wind, or the
sale at Boston Store will keep us away from Hal's tomorrow. We will have
adoptable animals, and the staff at Hal's makes sure there is lots of fun to do
and see so be sure to stop in between 11am and 3pm tomorrow.
Have you lost a Peahen? If so, she
may be here at our shelter. We have a lovely Peahen that was a stray, and we
will be holding onto her for a typical 7 day stray hold, and then we will be
looking for a new home for her. If you have lost a Peahen, or might be
interested in adopting one, please contact the shelter.
I also want to give a big shout
out to some special volunteers, a local Garden Club, and Mavroff the Mulch Man
have turned the front of the shelter into a beautiful garden, and we could not
be more thankful. We will be formally dedicating this garden on Thursday evening
here, so if you would like to come, stop in between 6 - 8pm and join us.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
The foreclosure crisis seems to
finally be making an appearance here in southern Wisconsin. We have had several
animal surrenders from people that were unable to keep their homes due to
expenses and foreclosures. I even read an article online last night about a man
who is torn between the cost of his own prescription medication and that
of his dog, as they are both expensive, and he can no longer afford both due to
increasing costs of living. Shelters across the country have the potential to be
flooded with animals people can no longer afford to keep. Vet care is expensive,
food prices for people and animals continue to climb, and gas and energy prices
are squeezing everyone. It is a very scary thought...
I have also been made aware that
at 7pm this evening there will be a Licensing Committee meeting at Brookfield
City Hall where they will be discussing instituting limits on the number of
companion animals a resident of Brookfield may own. If you have a strong opinion
on this issue, please make sure your voice is heard.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Happy Monday! I cannot believe
that it is already June! Where is this year going?
We have several Guinea Pigs and
fancy rats at the shelter waiting for homes. Guinea Pigs and rats both make
excellent pets for responsible children. Rats are especially fun to have, and
they can be trained to do lots of tricks as well. A friend taught his pet rat to
work his TV remote for him! Even my husband cannot figure our remote out.
We also have many small dogs
available at the shelter for adoption. I cannot remember the last time that we
had so many small dogs!
We have a lot of fun things going
on at the shelter this month. This coming weekend on Saturday, we have the Hal's
Harley Davidson Pet Day which is always a lot of fun. Come on down to Hal's
Harley Davidson on Moreland Road in New Berlin between 11 and 3 on Saturday to
meet the EBHS Crew. We will have adoptable animals and car raffle tickets
waiting for you. Then next week on June 12 we are going to be dedicating our
Memorial Garden. This consists of a brick path and a lovely garden with benches
created by a local gardening club.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
I have been so busy this week
preparing to take a day off tomorrow, that I have neglected the Insider. Here is
a little scoop to get you through until Monday.
Have
you seen that we are raffling off a brand new car to raise money for the
shelter? I hope you will buy a ticket to help the animals at the shelter. They
only cost $20 and the winner can choose between a brand new Ford Edge or Ford
Mustang convertible. I love the Edge, personally. Lots of room for driving the
animals around to the dog park, and on trips.
Also, we got to meet a real Indy
car driver. No, he was not the guy who tapped Danica, but he is an up and coming
star, and he stopped up at the shelter because he loves animals and really wants
to promote shelter adoptions. Andrew Prendeville is a great guy, and we were
very happy to have him here.
I hope you all have a great
weekend, and I will be posting again on Monday, so stop back to see me!
Friday, May 23, 2008
What an exciting day! I started
off with two great groups of kids at High Interest Day at North Shore Middle
School in Hartland. We talked about puppy mills and why they are so horrible and
how a pet store is NEVER a good place to buy a puppy. We talked about growing
up, and the big decisions in their life, like where to buy a house, and what
kind of car to buy. When they do both of those life changing things they will do
a lot of research and take a long time to think about it before
committing.
You should do just as much
research when you decide to bring an animal into your home, too! When you buy a
big ticket item like a car, you can get a consumer report, get tangible facts
and figures, and make your decision. When you choose to bring a new puppy home,
usually there is not the same thought process involved. You see a cute puppy,
you buy it, and hopefully, it turns out OK.
We talked about thinking about
their lifestyle, and what kind of time commitment they could put into a new dog
or cat. We talked about doing research about breeds, as everyone has a favorite
breed. Not all breeds are for everyone. Not by a long shot. People react to
certain breeds the way they do to cars. Like the looks, want to be seen around
town with the hottest breed, and being practical is out the window. Those
relationships can end badly.
I had a great time, and I really
thought the kids got some good information out of it. Hopefully later in life
they will remember what we talked about, and how much responsibility there is in
adding a life to your home.
Also, Mr. Chips went home today!
He is a senior Pomeranian, who has some hair issues, but he found a new mom that
is going to spoil him. We were all excited to see him go home and we know he is
going to be well taken care of. We will miss you, Mr. Chips!
Remember the fallen this Memorial
Day!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Sorry I have been remiss! I have
been very busy with shelter events and have missed writing here. I have lots of
things to talk about...
First of all, I hope you will all
come out on Saturday AM and help us clean up the Mitchell Park Dog Exercise
Area. We will be out there with the folks from Petlicious making the park a
cleaner place and erasing the sins of the winter.
Another thing is the amount of
wildlife we have been getting in. A steady stream of injured or abandoned baby
birds, geese, and ducks have been coming in. We are again trying to get the word
out that trapping wildlife this time of year is not a good idea. Many people
feel that the nuisance raccoon, squirrel or skunk is best to be trapped and
released in another area and nothing could be further from the truth. Some local
folks trapped a raccoon that had taken up residence in their yard, and thought
that capturing it and releasing it in a park would be a good idea.
Unfortunately, the next morning they discovered four abandoned baby raccoons
that now have to be hand reared and released into the wild later in life. This
will rob those little guys of the skills that they would learn from their
mother, and reduce their chances on their own. Please try and get through the
early spring and summer and most wildlife that has been hanging around your home
because of young ones will move on to enjoy thier freedom once the babies have
left the nest.
I also got to help out with that
large Italian Greyhound seizure in Kenosha. I helped organize a group of 20 dogs
(out of
57!) so they could be spayed or neutered and then sent to foster homes. I just
cannot imagine what a home with 60 dogs in it must be like, and I hope that I
never do! The dogs were hand shy, and skittish, but they seem like for the most
part that they can be rehabilitated into loving companions some day. Situations
like this always sadden me. Every puppy, like every baby, is born with so much
potential. To see a life squandered by neglect, and being used solely for
breeding stock makes me feel angry, and upset, and more resolved to being a part
of the solution to puppy mills and breeding for profit. Nothing is worse than
seeing a dog that should have a wagging tail, and friendly nature simply
cowering in fear, or running away from people. I have said it a million times -
humans have such a responsibility to the animals that we have chosen to
domesticate and live with. I would not want to be kept in those conditions.
Cramped in a small cage, no love or affection. I look down as I am writing this
and my dog is sleeping at my feet, surrounded by chew toys. That is what we
domesticated dogs for. Not to be used as money makers. Ooh - I will stop now,
but man, seeing those dogs was painful.
We will be participating in the
Elm Grove Memorial Day Parade on Monday, so we hope to see you there. After the
parade we will be setting up a table near the food and hope to meet some new
friends and catch up with old friends. Please be sure to come by and buy a
raffle ticket for some amazing gift baskets that will raise funds for the
animals at the shelter.
Then on Tuesday evening we will be
having a special visitor - Andrew Prendeville, part of a Best Friends Pet Stop
event coming here to meet his fans and fellow animal lovers.
I will also be spending my morning
tomorrow at North Shore Middle School doing a High Interest Day presentation
about puppy mill dogs and where you should look to find a companion animal for
your family. I hope the kids will be bright eyed and eager to see me!
Thanks for your patience this week
- I know many of you come here every day to read stories about the shelter, so I
hope that you will keep coming back for more.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
I wanted to share with you a story
about someone very special to me. This person is a 65 year old man who lost his
wife to cancer almost two years ago, and his 13 year old dog within 6 months of
her death. As a result of these losses this man became somber, depressed, and
very lonely, even though he was surrounded by loved ones. He is not a
demonstrative person, he never complains, and never opens up to people about his
feelings. 
At the shelter, we came across a
puppy who had an illness that would require a lifetime of expensive medication.
It was a breed of dog that this man loved, and as it turned out, he felt ready
to bring a new dog into his life. Since he had spent so much time taking care of
his sick wife, he did not mind the challenge the health issues of this dog
presented. He picked the dog up in the middle of March.
I spoke with this person last
night, and the change in him was remarkable. He was so talkative, positive, and
he seemed so happy. He told me a bunch of funny stories about his new dog, about
vet visits, about training classes, about how the dog never left his side, and
how he was out meeting people in his neighborhood. He bought a brand new pick up
truck with a bigger cab in it so his new dog would have more room on the road
trips to visit relatives that he liked to take. He seemed like a new person.
The reason this man touches me so
much, is because he is my father. The man who instilled in me my love for
animals, and who raised me to be a decent human being. The man who spent his
whole fatherhood trying to make his children happy. Now, I was able to help make
my dad happy. After all he has been through, it was so nice to hear him like
that. This is just another example about how animals are so much more than just
a "pet". For many people, they are a critical part of their happiness
and well being.
Late last night my dad sent this
to me. I am sure many of you have seen it before, but I wanted to share it for
those who may not have:
A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the
scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead. He remembered
dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He
wondered where the road was leading them.
After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the
road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by
a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight. When he was standing before it he saw
a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the
street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the dog walked
toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side.
When he was close enough, he called out, 'Excuse me, where
are we?'
'This is Heaven, sir,' the man answered.
'Wow! Would you happen to have some water?' the man asked.
'Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water
brought right up.' The man gestured, and the gate began to open.
'Can my friend,' gesturing toward his dog, 'come in, too?'
the traveler asked.
'I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets.'
The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and
continued the way he had been going with his dog.
After another long walk, and at the top of another long
hill, he
came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never
been closed. There was no fence. As he approached the gate, he saw a man
inside, leaning against a tree and reading
a book.
'Excuse me!' he called to the man. 'Do you have any water?'
'Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in.'
'How about my friend here?' the traveler gestured to the
dog. 'There should be a bowl by the pump.'
They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an
old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it.
The traveler filled the water bowl
and took a long drink himself, then he
gave some to the dog.
When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the
man who was standing by the tree.
'What do you call this place?' the traveler asked.
'This is Heaven,' he answered.
'Well, that's confusing,' the traveler said. 'The man down the road said that
was Heaven, too.'
'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.'
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
I received a lovely email this
afternoon, and I wanted to share it with all of you...
Hi,
I recently visited your wonderful facility and I just wanted to
say what a great facility you have. I am very impressed with all the
compassionate volunteers and workers, as well as the cleanliness and overall
warmth and coziness that you provide for the animals that are there awaiting
for good homes. I am dealing with the loss of my beloved 12-year
old Min Pin who we had to say goodbye to two weeks ago. The loss has
been devastating for me and my husband and when the time is right, we will
adopt from your facility. Visiting your facility today made me realize
the good work that you and so many other shelters do for these wonderful
little animals. If I had time to volunteer, I would love to, however,
due to business and family demands, my time is limited, therefore, I made a small
monetary donation, which I hope you can put to good use (I completed the
transaction thru PayPal online). Today was the happiest I have felt
since the loss of my dog because I know there is hope in finding a
wonderful new family member at your shelter. Thanks for the time you
spent talking to me and answering my questions. Keep up the great work!
Sincerely,
Christy
Christy, your email made our day,
too. Thank you so much for your donation, and for your kind words. We are
looking forward to seeing you again when you are ready to add a new member to
your family.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Good News! Conner, our black Lab
went home on Saturday! I believe that this was the direct result of him living
in foster care, and being out at events with his foster parents. It really helps
potential adopters to know that a dog is housebroken, and behaved in a home
environment. If Conner was still in the shelter, I bet he would still be here.
Thanks to his foster family, Christine and Anil! Good job! Conner's new family
seems thrilled with their newest family member too! Again, please do not
overlook the black shelter animal, dogs, cats, rabbits, etc. All their hearts
long for a home no matter what color they are on the outside.
Are you looking for a Guinea pig?
We have one large male, and four friendly females on the adoption floor. Guinea
pigs are great starter pets for gentle children. While keeping their cage clean
and meeting their food requirements can be hard work, your family will be repaid
in years of fun, love, and snuggles.
We did have a second gosling
brought into the shelter that was separated from its family somehow. It has
joined the other gosling at Wildlife In Need and when they are well, they will
be released back into the wild.
There have been several news
stories coming out of California lately regarding coyote attacks on children.
Early speculation indicates that coyotes are losing their fear of humans. Please
be sure to stay away from coyotes, do not feed them, or create conditions in
your yard that would encourage them to plan a long term stay. Most important,
keep your cats indoors! They can be easy prey to a coyote. Small dogs are also
at serious risk of coyote attacks in our area.
I saw a coyote running across
Lilly Road the other day, and that was the largest coyote that I have ever seen
in my life. I thought it was a yearling initially when I saw something brown
come out of the trees, and then quickly realized it was an enormous coyote.
While I was impressed by the beauty of the animal, I quickly thought about how
easy that animal could take out one of my smaller dogs and got a chill.
Thursday, May 9, 2008
EBHS to the rescue! When there is
an animal in distress, EBHS always does our best to go the extra mile. In this
case, we went underground to save the life of one of our web-footed friends.
One of our brave, and
unfortunately claustrophobic, employees climbed down into a sewer drain in
Butler today to save the life of a gosling who had managed to fall into it. The
good news is that both Jen, one of our Care Staff, and the little goose, managed
to safely exit the sewer and get back to the shelter a little dirty but no worse
for wear.
Sadly, the rest of the little
goslings family were unable to be located, so the little one is going out to our
friends at Wildlife in Need in Oconomowoc where he will stay until he can take
care of himself, and then go back into the wild. A big thanks to Jen, and the
Butler Police Department for their help today!
Monday, May 5 - Special
Edition!
GREAT NEWS! Bandit has found his
forever home! Bandit went home today with a great family, and two furry
siblings. Bandit has been at EBHS since February of 2008, and was at another
animal shelter for a long while before coming here. We know that there is a
perfect adopter for every animal, and we are always willing to wait for that
family to come along. Bandit is deaf, and was not going to be easy to find a
forever home for. Some shelters would have never had the time or space to give
this guy another chance. We are all a little teary eyed with happiness seeing
Bandit walk out with his new family. We will miss him, but judging by how happy
he looked getting into the car for his final trip from the shelter, we know we
did a great thing for him! Thanks to Barb for giving Bandit a second chance!

Monday, May 5, 2008
Over the weekend we received an
email from the family that adopted Marcie (now named Millie), whom many of you
may remember was a puppy mill survivor who needed to have surgery to remove a
growth that was suspected to be cancer. Fortunately, it was not cancer, and she
has made a full physical recovery. This letter offers great insight into the
emotional recovery of a puppy mill dog. I will again turn over today's entry to
an EBHS family member to share this important message:
Dear EBHS:
It is with the utmost appreciation that I write
to you after we adopted "Marcie", now Millie, a puppymill survivor.
I am a very experienced dog owner with all of the dogs in our life being
shelter or unwanted animals. I thought I
had experienced everything from aggression, to shyness, to balance/body issues
to mild fear in a pet. Until Millie. On a fluke, I went to the
EBHS site after fostering numerous cats, kittens and a dog with three puppies
a year before. There I saw the "Lillie" the little Chihuahua
with a hip issue who was in need. I contacted Carol Sumbry at the
shelter and offered my assistance. She told me at the time that the needs
for Lillie were covered but would I consider looking at "Marcie" a
puppymill survivor to foster within a household of other dogs. "Marcie"
needed to learn how to be a pet, a loved animal. It was a few
days later that I met Marcie, a Bichon.
I now have to refer to "Marcie" as
Millie, because we have left Marcie's former life behind.
Never in my life did I expect what I found on that day. Millie did her
best to avoid looking at me, touching me or coming near me. Being the
animal magnet that I am, this took me by surprise. I knelt down next to
her and tried very hard to coax her into my space. I was unsuccessful. Every
once and awhile she would steel a glance a me, almost like a remote flicker of
a flame that burned within her. Carol and I discussed the needs that
Millie would have. Carol asked me to think about Millie and if she would be
a possible "fit" at our house. I didn't even have to
think about it. Yes, I'll take her home today was my answer. For
those who know me, I am very decisive and rule my life mostly by my
"sense" of the situation. There isn't much gray for me.
Please understand that Millie just learned to
walk a few steps on a leash while at the shelter. She learned at the
shelter how to eat out of a bowl and that water was in another bowl
to drink. She learned that the human touch was kind. Elmbrook
Shelter removed the mouth tumor that hindered Millie's eating, she didn't
have to maneuver around the tumor for nourishment. Millie learned that
it was good to be brushed and bathed. Millie learned that being warm at
night was not only in the summer. Millie started her learning to be a
real dog with the gifts of love that Elmbrook Shelter provided for her.
Once home with a new pet, I generally separate
them for safety, health and to decrease the anxiety of all animals in the
mix. My dogs and cats became very quiet when Millie came home. It
was almost as if they knew she had been through "something" in her
life. Needless to say, she didn't get separated, she got the group
hug and huddle.
Since then, Millie has begun to come out of her
shell and will walk with our other dogs. Millie will take a drink
with someone actually watching her now. (This took at least a month and a
half). Millie has had a haircut and grooming (Loved it, what girl
doesn't?). Millie looks at us and jumps up on the couch to sit
with us just because she wants to. Millie is only a little afraid
of the doors now but will not walk outside the door herself yet to go outside.
(We carry her outside but she walks inside herself) Millie will look at us
in the eyes. Millie digs in the dog beds to make them "just
right" and sleeps with some of her dog siblings. Millie is
still trying to figure out what a cat is and is perplexed by the chickens.
(They warrant a sniff through the fence) Millie follows us around and
will run around outside in the fenced dog area. Best of all, Millie
barks for her food now with emotion and excitement.
Millie has begun to experience real dog life in
a home. Millie is still fearful but now a willing partner. In a
moment, we would take another puppymill dog. Although challenging, the
rewards are huge. We still have miles to go with our girl. We
remain confident that she will one day only feel the love that surrounds
her and forget the pain that was the first chapter in her life. The
following poem was written shortly after we brought Millie home.
Millicent’s
Passage Home
~ One Day in the Biography
of a Little Dog
Today
I met the eyes of despair
The
forgotten ones
Those
that spend endless days caged
Not
by choice but by being born
The
pools that reveal man’s cruel hand
Her
soundless cry, cords removed
A
coat of fear cloaks her feeble frame
Crouching
into the shadow unmissed
Branded
with a name of her own
Forced
into submission
Unnoticed
by those who seek her young
Her
pink skin reveals blue ink
A
beast her keeper
Locked
behind a wire door
Cruelty
beckons with every glance
She’s
his until she bears no more
But
what will become of her?
A
loft with wings to freedom
The
human touch so changed
Resurrection
after death of her soul?
Bidding,
war, destiny, assault
An
auction for her spirit
A
body restricted, slight, broken
Bound
once more or cosseted
Sympathy
or horror reveals safety
Only
two paws remain on one
No
eyes, charred teeth, glimpses of insanity
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