Rescue Journal

i am tired....

Carol  ·  Aug. 2, 2009

i don't want to go to work today..i want to go back to bed. it ia well after 11pm before i am finished putting barn guys to bed, poking diabetics, giving meds, final floor cleanups, washing out huge baby calf bottles and walking watson for his last time. and reggie is driving me insane...he has the worst barking habit of any dog alive... with the worst sounding bark that there is. and with the heat he has decided to sleep under the bed...right at the edge so twice last night i accidently stepped on his toes with my toes (in my bare feet...it didn't hurt him) so he freaks out and starts biting my feet. he doesn't hurt me either cuz he does have really good bite inhibition, and while i appreciate he doesn't like his toes stepped on, if he moved back a few inches, he wouldn't have to go nutz on my feet.

i cannot keep track of dogs i can't see and i have a hard enough time trying to find an empty place for my feet.

anyway..the whole freak out thing just annoys me.

and i am tired of the whole rat pack, over reactive, unison thing. there is a group of those little dogs playing tough gang watchmen which is also starting to really irritate me.

big dogs are better...they are quieter, smarter, lazier and more settled...AND they are way easier to see.

why people want small dogs is way beyond me.

wellll.....watson needs a pee....the diabetics need a poke..emily needs her bottles...and i need to get dressed for work and quit thinking about my soft, warm bed....with all of the fans and air conditioners churning away..it is down right chilly this early.

Comments

Sheila

And then there are the rescues that say they do reference checks and home visits but DON'T.
Good thing the rescue got lucky and are giving the dog to a good family.

Heidi

Lea, I am so sorry to hear of your loss...and of your plight...hang tuff...someone will come through for you.

Colleen

Lea...are you open to a puppy? I happen to know of a blind 9 1/2 week old male German Shepherd baby who is needing a responsible guardian.

Would end up being over the weight of your condo agreement I guess. Putting it out there anyway!

Carol

the car thing is because folks out in the valley think no car equals poverty but in the big city, no car means no stupid parking/traffic hassles...everyone walks or takes public transit...it is much greener too.

Rae

Wow, I never would have thought that having a car was relevant. Probably because everything here is pretty much within walking distance and if not thats what friends are for. Good luck Lea I'm sure there is a dog out there just waiting for you.... fingers crossed.

Carol

well lea..if you change your mind and want an oldie...or a younger psycho-but cute phoebe..let me know. other wise..tell everyone that saints has approved you...we would be honored to have one of our dogs loved by you.
re: red dog...that dog was a legend around the sans circle way back when!

Lea

Hi, there. This is Barbara's daughter, Lea. My mum let me know that she had posted a comment here on my behalf.

Carol, I'm glad to hear that someone remembers Red Dog, he was a beautiful dog who had such a rough start. He was very well loved and never anything but sweet despite his past.

Barnacle (or Barn) was another SANS rescue that I loved and cared for since I was 10 years old. I trained him and looked after him from day one and he was the best dog in the world. Part of the reason I am so eager to adopt another dog to fill his shoes is because I don't know how to live without basing my life around a dog - walks, dinner time and making sure they are never alone too long. Every job I've had I've arranged around being home for the dog, every place I've moved I've been adamant that they accept dogs. Despite expressing this to the shelters I have applied to adopt from, they are responding to me as if I woke up one morning with the whim to own a dog, without thinking the concept through or considering what it would take. It doesn't seem like anything I say will penetrate that initial first impression. I have assured them that we have a good relationship with a local "pet taxi" and have had no problem arranging vet visits in the past. I have assured them that the dogs we are considering adopting are no larger than the dog we previously cared for. I have even offered to feed only raw if they'd prefer that! Nothing seems to break the mindset that I am just a silly kid with a silly idea who is inevitably going to wind up over her head.

It is frustrating especially considering how incredibly hard losing Barnacle was for me - I am still grieving the loss of a dog I would have done anything for, and having to defend myself against people who want to inspect my home and pick apart my lifestyle to find me somehow lacking in what it takes to care for a dog.

Sheila, my mother forwarded an email you sent her about my situation. I am trying one more time to "pass muster" with a local shelter - we are meeting the dog tonight. If they reject us again for not having a car (which seems likely given the interactions I've had with them so far) I will definitely be in touch. Thank you for your comments and advice.

Carol

i remember "red dog!!"...not everyone in rescue views adoptions the same...i personally get more nervous over the double income, nice house in the subdivison, mini van family with 2.5 kids in soccor, dance and hockey than most other potentials...i just worry they have too much going on and the animal might get forgotten.
over-vetting is relative...lot's of times you don't know how far you are heading til you are more than half way there...then what do you do? stop in mid-stream or try to see it thru to the end?
it is one of those slippery slopes.
try the pounds barb...chilliwack always has a ton of great dogs waiting and kennels too full and so does hope...she might find a great new friend there.
the only younger one i have is watson and he is already well on the way to being a train wreck.

Sheila

Barbara I am going to email you. I think Leila and I can help you.

Sheila

Barbara DeMott

WHY MY DAUGHTER IS BUYING A DOG INSTEAD OF A RESCUE
Last week I helped my daughter to help her 16 year old SANS rescue very mixed breed pass. He had cancer that was everywhere; she is devastated.
She wants to get another rescue to fill Barnie's shoes; she doesn't want anything special: one of those lab mixes of average size and capabilities that is dog friendly for the park and hopefully likes cats too. She doesn't mind a shy or fearful dog: she helped Barnie with that. she would like a younger or adult dog as in the last ten years she has cared for three elders including a blind dog of her Dad and the crippled, infamous Red Dog, from SANS. She wouldn't mind an ugly one either.
She has applied to three rescues and has been turned down. My daughter who petsits, has worked in a petstore and is way more patient and savvy about dog issues than me. My daughter who has deeply loved a very imperfect rescue dog for 16 years.
Why? because she doesn't own a house with a yard, she OWNS a condo and has stipulated in the purchase agreement that she can have a 60 pound dog. She walks every morning for two hours in Queens Park instead of a yard. Why? because she is 25 years old, not 50 and rich. Why? cause she has a couple tatoos? Why? because her vet is around the corner and so is her groceries so she doesn't need or own a car.
I really wonder what the purpose of this over-vetting is for animal over-population? All these dogs ae dying without love because rescues deny adopters totally imperfect pets because the adopters may be a little imperfect (meaning they don't fit a mold of middle-aged and rich home owner)
so we will buy her a dog that she can love as much as Barnie for another 16 years.