Pamper Them While You Can

Posted by Brennan on August 12th, 2008 filed in Furbaby Family
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Plush & Comfortable Pet Beds

I know people think we are crazy about our furbabies, but I don’t care!

I was grooming and cleaning several of our ‘nursing home’ babies and sighing to myself about how old and fragile they are getting.  Eye drops every morning and special grooming needs take extra time but they are well worth it. My babies love the special attention and it makes for a precious few moments of care and attention I can devote to them daily. Snuggling and cuddling is just as important for our oldsters as for the babies.

As I cleaned and put the drops in CoCo’s eyes this morning, I remembered how strong and active she was as a young Poodle.  And I remembered how special she and her sister ChaCha were to me from the day they came to live with me as puppies, 15 years ago.

You see, Don & I used to sleep in a beautiful and ornately-carved, four-poster ‘rice bed’. These are famous in the South as they were used on plantations because they allowed the owners to sleep set high up off the floor, to keep them up & out of reach of creepy crawlies (back in the days before air conditioning and exterminators). I loved that rice bed, but the day that CoCo fell off it as a puppy, was the day I packed it up and changed our bed to be closer to the floor. I have never regretted it and I’ve never had to worry about any of our kids falling off from that great height again.

NOTE: I still have the rice bed and if there is ever a time when I don’t have little doggies in my life (can’t imagine it!), I’ll have my rice bed set back up with crocheted canopy & coverlet, mosquito netting and the works.  Otherwise, I’ll just leave it to my granddaughter. No big deal!

As I look at some of our ‘veterans’, I realize I will soon lose many of them. From experience, I know I will be sad for each loss, but I know it will be easier to bear knowing I have made their lives as wonderful as I can while they are with me.

I started this post with pictures of some cuddly dog and cat beds, and even some over-the-top models. I have to admit that the pink chiffon and blue satin is a little too ‘froufrou’ for my bunch BUT it is comforting to know that I make my babies as comfortable as I possibly can.

Today, I’d like to encourage you to take the extra time to tell your four-legged loved one just how much they mean to you.  Maybe you don’t want to go buy a fancy cuddler bed, but you can add an extra cuddle blankie to their sleeping place if the weather is cold where you are.

Believe me, time goes by so fast in a dog and cat’s life. Make the most of it!

I’ll share a thought that a dear friend used to end all of her emails with:

“Dogs lives are too short! It’s their only flaw really.”

And the same holds true for our feline companions, as well.

 Enjoy and treasure them while they are with you.

PuppyLove

More About the Heartaches & Horrors of Puppy Mills

Posted by Brennan on May 21st, 2008 filed in animal rescue
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Hope, Carmel, Telly and a glimpse of a puppymill!

DON’T buy puppies from pet stores!

When we buy a pet or even shop at a store that sells puppies, we contribute to a heartless underground industry that forces dogs to spend their entire lives in cages constantly breeding to support consumer demand for puppies. These dogs are never groomed or handled, fed just enough to stay alive. And the breeders don’t care if they are blind, or injured or suffering, just as long as they produce puppies (which are taken from their mothers too young).

The pictures above of are three lucky puppy mills dogs - they escaped the horror!

Hope is a Maltese and weighed less than 2 pounds when she was rescued. She is now happy and a little more healthy, but her health is still very fragile. But she made some beautiful Maltese puppies for the mill owner, who made the money while she suffered.

Carmen is a Shitzu! Hard to believe from looking at her. She put out litter after litter of this popular breed while her hair fell out from malnutrition and she lost her teeth. She has been on the slow path to recovery, although she will never be healthy, at least she is now well fed and happy.

Telly is a blue Dachsund who is permanently paralyzed because his injuries were never treated as he was used for breeding for five years. Blue Dachsunds are a defect and almost never have a normal life span, so they should not be bred. But puppy millers breed them anyway, because they are rare. When Telly was rescued, his skin was peeling off his body and he was encrusted in ‘poop’, because he couldn’t get away from his cramped cage. He is now safe, but he will be paralyzed for the rest of his short life.

These three dogs were saved from their lives of horror, but thousands more die in the squalor. And puppy millers make money off their suffering and degradation. The puppies are taken from the cages and shipped to a clearing house where they are cleaned and shipped to pet stores, where unsuspecting consumers buy those poorly-bred babies for exorbitant prices that make money to continue this cruelty.

PLEASE, don’t be a part of this! Adopt a rescue, don’t buy a puppy from a pet store!

PuppyLove

P.S. Because of the continuous breeding, female dogs are old and worn out within just a few years, at which time they are discarded or killed and their latest daughters start breeding.

Don’t Encourage Cruelty

Posted by Brennan on May 19th, 2008 filed in animal rescue
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Dogs Caged for Life!

My friend Dan Beaty who is an enlightened veterinarian, published an important post on his site today about the horrors of puppymills, which is where all those cute little puppies in the pet stores come from. I had to comment on his site, but I feel it is also important to share this valuable information with you. Don’t buy a puppy at a pet store and encourage this cruelty. If you want a puppy (or a kitten, dog or cat) for Christmas, adopt one from a shelter. You can save an animal that would otherwise be killed. And you can help to stop this cruel industry.

Please read Dan’s article and my comment. You’ll be glad you did.

E-Vet Clinic - Dog Health Care
Straight Talkin Information about the Health of your Dog

Buying a puppy from a store?
By Daniel Beatty, DVM
Ok we all have done it, gone into a pet store and just loved the puppies. But would you ever buy one from a puppy store?

I have to admit I have purchased a puppy from a pet store; but I considered it a rescue. It was a 4 month old Aussie that just needed to get out of that cage and run. It had been there for 2 months. I was in vet school at the time and my vet school friends can attest to the fact that that dog was certifiably crazy. Very ill tempered to men, she bit a few and not out of fear. I was able to train her fairly well but I just could not get her broke out of the aggressive behavior towards men. Oh well that is what you get when you buy from a puppy store which buys from puppy mills.

Too bad many people still do not understand that buying from a pet store perpetuates a horrible cycle of puppy mill breeding. What astonishes me is the lack of understanding of the general population of puppy mills. Here is a story from my alma mater’s paper, the Daily Illini. I was really excited when I caught the headline about this story –>Puppy store at mall faces criticisms

I was thinking all right a pet store that is going to be called out on buying from puppy mills; unfortunately this was not the case. It is obvious to me and several others that the student reporter did absolutely no research and did not even know what a puppy mill was. She got caught up like the rest of us in how cute the puppies were. It is a shame. The biggest red flag in the whole story is that the place where the pet store owner purchases here puppies from, Puppy Haven Kennels, had its certification pulled from the AKC. Unfortunately no good explanation in the story at all as to why it was pulled.

However here is the explanation –> I-Team: Puppy Mills

Thats right it is a puppy mill. A television news station in Milwaukee did a report back in April of this year and then updated it in September telling viewers/readers that Puppy Haven is a puppy mill of the worst kind. If you read this story you will know why you should not buy puppies from pet stores; any pet store. No reputable breeder will ever sell a puppy to a pet store…period. They are all puppy mills or disreputable breeders trying to dump their puppies.

SO I publicly apologize for my purchase many years ago, even though it was a rescue. Just now that you are informed - don’t do it! No matter how cute they are, don’t buy from a pet store.

My response:

You said it so well! I was guilty of buying puppies from pet stores until I learned the sad truth about puppy mills.

Although I loved each of those doll babies passionately, I now realize that they were:

1) VASTLY over-priced (so you think you’re getting a special breed, when in fact it is to make a huge profit for the store & the puppy brokers), and

2) Animals with unhealthy breeding conditions for their parents & no attempts to produce healthy offspring. Every puppy purchased (except one) had health problems, major vet bills and died too young.

It’s all about GREED, exploitation of helpless animals, and lack of knowledge on the part of the American consumer of the barbaric methods by which those puppies are produced & marketed.
And, meantime, millions of dogs & cats are killed every year because they can’t find a safe home.

And the same thing holds true for all the other “pets” produced commercially.

Brennan Kingsland
http://rescue4furbabies

Prayer Works!

Posted by Brennan on April 28th, 2008 filed in Furbaby Family
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My great-grandson, Brendon, has wanted to have his very own doggie for a long-long time. We all understood that his Mommy and Daddy have a very hectic schedule. PLUS his Daddy was not really a fan of keeping dogs in the house.

Brendon has played with our pups and said very little about having his own doggie for some time now. But finally, the perfect match has been found. This furbaby, who is going to be VERY BIG, was on his way to doom, when Brendon’s Daddy saved him and brought him home.

Miracle of miracles, this young pup is already house-trained and perfectly behaved. Daddy and Mommy love him almost as much as Brendon and his little brother Garrett do. As a matter of fact, puppy has his own cage to sleep in, but Daddy got him out of the cage and brought him to the bedroom on his very first night, after everyone was asleep.

Brendon is a very happy young man. Rather than continuing to complain about wanting a puppy, he prayed for the “perfect dog”. Brendon is happy, family is happy and puppy is happy.

I’ll keep you posted when I find out what name they have all agreed on.

PuppyLove

Animals Feel Love & Loyalty!

Posted by Brennan on April 28th, 2008 filed in Furbaby Family
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It’s Sunday morning and I still have a couple of hours before I leave for church. Furbabies are all taken care of for the moment, so I have enough time to tell you the story of Precious and Irish.

Precious is the white cat on the left. She was the daughter of Mary, the very first cat we rescued when we moved to the rural South - before we realized how early young female cats must be spayed. Precious and her sister Princess arrived before we ‘dumb ol’ humans’ even knew Mary had been socializing.

Nowadays, ALL of our animals get spayed or neutered ASAP. Fewer puppies and kittens mean we can help more animals. O.K. O.K. Enough about spay n’ neuter. Back to the story.

Precious was a good and loving addition to our family for 16 years before Irish came to us. (He is the black cat on the right. Pure black with beautiful green eyes - what else could we name him? HeeHee!)

What I should explain is that Precious became blind about a year before we found Irish. In addition, she had developed cancer in her right eye and lost the eye shortly before Irish came to live with us. During that year, we kept Precious in a protected environment so she could get around safely, but she spent most of her time sitting by the door, attempting to get outside numerous times daily.

When Irish joined our happy throng as a baby, he immediately latched on to Precious as a substitute Mommy. We watched her groom him and train him. They slept together and became totally bonded. What was amazing, was that as Irish grew to adulthood, he became Precious’ “seeing-eye” cat. We could let both of them out into a protected back area outside and Irish would use his body to guide her safely from place to place. Irish never tried to leave the yard. In fact, he never left Precious’ side. They became an inseparable pair.

About two years after Irish joined our happy clan, Precious (now 18) suddenly weakened and passed away. We couldn’t find Irish. Frantically, Don & I searched for him, even as we were preparing Precious’ little body for her funeral. We finally found Irish, about 8 hours later, curled-up in the top shelf of a bookcase, inside a basket. He was gone to be with Precious!

We checked his beautiful body and there were no marks or damage. We were stunned! There was no rational explanation for a healthy young cat to just die. But we are convinced that he had a broken heart.

Precious and Irish were buried together in our little private cemetary. Their memorial says, “Together in Life! Together Forever!”

PuppyLove

Charley the Cat!

Posted by Brennan on April 28th, 2008 filed in animal health
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I was browsing the internet, when I came across a video that every animal lover, especially those of us who adore cats should see.

I have embedded the video here for your viewing and I have placed a smaller version in my left-hand sidebar, so that you can see the video as many times as you choose after this post fades into the sunset.

Heartwarming and very informative, I introduce you to my new-found friend, Charley the Cat!

(Just double-click on the word “Play”)

Maybe we can all learn to help kittens and cats like Charley!

Have a WONDERFUL Day!

PuppyLove AKA Brennan

The Further Rescue Of Pepper & Rex

Posted by Brennan on April 28th, 2008 filed in animal rescue
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Do you like to read? Do you find it is a stress-reliever to immerse yourself in a book? I do!

In fact, I rummage through thrift stores, second-hand stores and consignment shops, in order to always have a ’stash’ of paperback books ready for reading. All kinds of topics and all genres are stacked on the shelf above my bed, ready for instant retrieval when I have some spare time, or when I’m trying to let my inner mind work on another problem or solution. I have become expert in finding top quality books for 10 cents to 39 cents. If I pay much more than $1.00, I feel obligated to read it right away.

My last post was about puppy-proofing from Pepper and Rex, two enormous young furbaby rescues who are going through their ‘terrible teens’ right now. Did I mention how energetic they are? Yes? Well, did I mention how tall they are? No? I don’t think I did because I don’t think I was fully aware of just how much those two can get into.

Yesterday, I walked into my allegedly puppy proofed bedroom and found a treat. NO, not that kind of treat!

What I found was a brilliantly colored mound of shredded-paperback-book-confetti. They were standing on my bed having a good ol’ time, gaily tossing bits of pages and parts of covers around on the comforter, the pillows and the floor. As nearly as I can tell from the damaged evidence, they only shredded 5 books.

Here’s where the rescue part comes in:

I started to get irritated, even though they were obviously having a great time, when I suddenly remembered destroyed books from the past. Yes, the image of the newly-released best-seller library book that Wizard destroyed, just after his sister Rhonda completely chewed-up my $300 bifocals, sprang into my mind. That book cost me $24.95 to replace and new glasses were MUCH more expensive.

During that period of time, about eleven years ago, I had a number of good-sized energetic puppies who demolished so many library books (no matter how I tried to hide them) that the library revoked my card. Which was stupid, when they were making so much money off of me! As a matter of fact, my Multiple Sclerosis had progressed to the point that I had ample time to read and no energy to do anything else. I checked so many books out of our little local library that they DOUBLED the number of hours they paid a librarian to stay open.

Then, after my library card was revoked, I discovered the fascinating world of CHEAP second-hand books, and I never looked back.

Later still, about five years after my library card was revoked, my MS got really bad. Whenever I fell down (poor balance is a classic symptom of MS) Wizard and Rhonda, already mature, stable and ENORMOUS, would come to me so I could pull myself back up over them, then they would guide me to a seat or bed.

Wizard and Rhonda, almost as large as Wolfhounds, are now twelve and a half years old. I am in remission from my MS, so I don’t have to lean on their old tired bodies, even if they were still strong enough to pull me up. I don’t know how much longer I will have them with me, but I’d give anything to have those two be young and feisty and into everything again, like in the past. What’s the cost of a few books, or even eyeglasses, compared to happy and healthy furbabies?

All of these thoughts went flashing through my mind as I viewed Rex with a lavender-colored book cover in his mouth. He was playfully holding it just out of Pepper’s reach, and looking very proud of himself. Yes, I should have disciplined both of them more firmly. All I did was take the cover from his mouth, tell both of them “NO!” in a stern manner, then proceeded to shoo them off the bed while I picked up and swept up the ‘confetti’ all over the room. After I moved all the books to a higher, safer position, I reviewed the incident and what a terrible disciplinarian I’ve become.

Yes, friend, Pepper and Rex were both ‘rescued’ by my memories.

PuppyLove

Puppy Proofing!

Posted by Brennan on April 28th, 2008 filed in animal rescue
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Doesn’t she look beautiful? Doesn’t she look regal? Composed? Gentle?
Nah! Pepper’s a bouncing bundle of energy and has trouble slowing down. She speeds through rooms so fast that the other dogs just stare!

Look at this handsome guy! Doesn’t he look calm?
It’s all an act! Rex has more energy in his front paw, than some dogs have in their entire body!

I’m pretty proud of both of these youngsters, at the same time that I’m frantically putting important papers and belongings out of reach.

The majority of our furbabies are past the puppy stage. Well, a couple of them are just one year old, but they aren’t as BIG as Pepper and Rex. Lily and Barrett are both Beagle Pointer mixes. (Sounds weird, but they’re beautiful!) But beautiful as they are, as teenagers they aren’t as big or tall as Pepper and Rex, so I was pretty complacent about being puppy-proofed around here. I WAS WRONG!

Pepper was three months old and extremely timid on her way to the gas chamber when we got her. We knew she’d be a pretty good size, because at three months, her greyhound heritage was already showing. She’s a Pointer Greyhound mix. (We have some extremely active Pointers around here! And people won’t get them neutered. GRRR!) She made a quick and quiet adjustment to our family and immediately decided she would sleep with Lily and Barrett in their bed. All is well!

About a week later, my grandaughter tearfully brought me a teensy little puppy. She reported that a lady with a basket of puppies in her van threw this puppy out at the gas station where Cassie was fueling up. When Cassie picked the puppy up and tried to return him, the lady said she didn’t want him. “He’s the runt!” GRRR! GRRR!

Well, Cassie is her grandmother’s girl, so she got as much info as she could. This little fella was four weeks old and a Chow German Shepherd mix. He fit in the palm of her hand. She brought him to “Grammy” to nurture. Papa and I took turns feeding Rex around the clock, and he thrived!

Soon, he was big enough (read HUGE!) to interest Pepper, and be interested in return. Thank goodness we’ve had both of them altered, because the house will never be the same.

PuppyLove

Our Newest Bundle of Joy!

Posted by Brennan on April 28th, 2008 filed in animal rescue
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We have a new member of our family. He’s not a baby actually, he’s 13 years old and blind in his right eye.

His name is Muffin and he came to us because of some health and financial issues of his previous alleged “caretakers” (and I use the term loosely). Muffin is a living example of how good intentions can go wrong.

Muffin is a purebred Pekingese. When he was a young man of 5, his first owner died. The deceased owner’s daughter gave Muffin to a lady who had become disabled. Apparently she felt Muffin would make a good companion for the newly-house-bound woman. Therein lies the problem with giving a living creature to another person without proper investigation. No matter how good our intentions may be, things can backfire.

Muffin’s new “owner” didn’t like dogs in the house, so Muffin (all 10 pounds of purebred Peke) was consigned to a running lead in the side yard and kept outdoors year round. In all fairness, he was allowed to sleep in a side porch after dark. Neighbors report that he howled and howled when he was left outside. He was matted to the skin and crawling with fleas. Somehow, during his eight years of outdoor exile, his eye was injured and never treated.

My neighbor learned of his plight, upon the eviction of his owners, and asked if I could take him. What a question!

So now, Muffin is all cleaned-up, bathed and groomed. His skin sores have been treated and healed, even though there is nothing we can do for his eye. We have a happy little ’senior’ camper sleeping at my neck at night. He loves tummy rubs and kisses and he REALLY likes staying indoors in our temperamental weather.

He adjusted to our furbabies RAW diet within ONE DAY! He likes it much better than what was left of the forty pound, stale bag of ’stuff’ that arrived with him.

He is such a little lovebug and quite a cuddler. We don’t know how long he’ll be with us after the rough life he’s had, but I intend on making every minute of it love-filled for him. This handsome boy was bred to be a lap dog and he does it very well!

I’m a Happy Mommy!

Puppylove AKA Brennan

JUST A COUPLE OF NOTES:

Dogs and cats do not make good gifts unless you know that the intended recipient WANTS that particular dog or cat, and is prepared to give the furbaby a PERMANENT loving home. Too many people get tired of taking care of a totally-dependent living being, or putting up with puppy antics, don’t know how to train, etc. Sometimes it’s the litterbox that’s the last straw!

In a couple of cases, we got 1) a purebred Shitzu, and 2) a Peke-a-Shi, after the girls broke up with their respective boyfriends and “didn’t want any reminder of him”. In the case of the Peke-a-Shi, the girl had transferred her anger at her boyfriend to the helpless dog. Honey had been locked in a room with food and water and given no attention for weeks when she came to us. When Don held her in his arms the first time, and whispered baby talk to her, she just cried and cried, while she gave him big kisses. It’s hard to think what her poor little heart had been through.

Giving a bundle of fur may have seemed like a good idea to those young men, but too many times the “gift” becomes a nuisance or an angry reminder, and it is the animal who suffers. So more animals get discarded and, eventually killed. Unless someone is lucky enough to save them.

To bring a new, permanent family member into your home should be a joint decision, with all caregivers involved in the decision. Research and decisions about the requirements and responsibilities for the care, health and safety of any pet should be agreed BEFOREHAND. Otherwise, the results can be painful and even tragic, and it is ALWAYS the animal who suffers.

Happy Mommy!

Farewell, Good Girl!

Posted by Brennan on April 28th, 2008 filed in Furbaby Family
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It has taken me a couple days to pull myself together enough to tell you about my beautiful furbaby granddaughter, Mai-Li, who passed peacefully in my arms on Saturday.

It’s really Mai-Li and her sisters and brother who are responsible for us even having Shepherd’s Haven. Whenever she got cranky about another kiddo getting into her favorite spot on the bed, I would tell her that she had only herself to blame. If she hadn’t been so adorable, we wouldn’t be crowding so many little bodies onto the king size beds.

Yes! Mai-Li is partly to “blame” for all the love and cuddles we get to share with our rescue babies.

But Mai-Li was not a rescue! Oh, no, she was one of the six grandbabies/littermates born in my bed.Let me tell you how it all happened!

Even though I had been rescuing dogs, cats and turtles since I was a little girl, I usually only had one, at most two, rescued animals at a time. Like any normal, sane person.

In 1992, I lost my beloved rescued Samoyed, Teddy Bear, after ten years and was grieving.

In an attempt to console me, My Darling Hubby, went to a pet store (GASP!) and purchased a Lhaso Apso. This was before we learned about the horrors of puppy mills!

The new puppy, whom we named Sasha Boots, helped me heal. She was such a joy, but she was so attached to me that she wouldn’t eat or drink during the long hours I was at work as a Critical Care nurse.

Brilliantly, we decided she needed a companion, so back to the pet store we went. (Still didn’t know the full statistics about puppymills and backyard breeders.)

Because we thought our Lhasa couple was so exceptional (as they truly are), we decided to breed Lhasas and become rich by selling the puppies. (Purebred Lhasa Apsos are very expensive dogs.)

What a GREAT PLAN! We could help other people know the joy of living with Lhasa Apsos AND we could be “wealthy DOG BREEDERS”. WooHoo!

The plan backfired!

We came home from work to find my beloved Sasha having her puppies in our bed (the big bed Don, I , Sasha & Kaz shared). Immediately after the birth of Sasha’s six puppies (Mai-Li, her four sisters and one brother), we transferred the new puppies to the new, snug and warm padded playpen that we had prepared for them. However, I instantly fell in love with my “grandchildren” and knew I could never let them go. Time for a DIFFERENT plan!

Since that day, we have learned more about irresponsible breeders, puppymills, animal rescue and the millions of animals that are killed each year because there are not enough homes for them. We have never regretted loving Mai-Li and the others too much to let them go, but we also learned the importance of spay/neuter and complied IMMEDIATELY! This is a lesson we stick to, even today!

Mai-Li, while just as famously stubborn as Lhasa’s are notorious for, stayed close by my side all through her life. She was so loving and sweet-natured that she even gave me a big kiss when (years ago) I cried after cutting her leg badly while I was learning to groom and remove mats from her fur. She was more concerned about me than about herself and it was a nasty cut. She got the required stitches, while I sobbed with guilt, yet never complained during her entire life, whenever I groomed her. She kept trusting me, even though I had hurt her when I first tried to groom on my own.

She was born in my bed 15 years ago and she died in my arms two days ago (9/29/2007). She was a Good Girl and I will miss her!

Be happy, Darling Baby Girl!
Mommy