Friday, August 25, 2006

Please Help If You Can!


Today I am sad to report that a very special rescue group in Chicago is closing its doors. After many years of hard work placing many many grateful dogs, cats and guinea pigs, the organization is planning to be done by October 15 of this year. The link to their site is http://www.furryfriendsfoundation.com/Frames.htm and if you know of anyone who wants to adopt a great dog or cat, please pass this post about!

My sister and her fiance adopted their sweet Mason dog from this group and he is just the most wonderful dog! (that is his picture and I thought the sentiment would fit today too!) They also adopted a Great Dane mix just about a month abo from this group and Mason and Livi are fast becoming best friends.

This group rescued many many pitbulls and crosses from sad situations, often re-training and re-directing their little lives onto a more happy path. It is a very sorry thing that this breed or type of bully breed takes such a beating in the press. The dogs have every ability to be wonderful, safe pets, IN THE RIGHT HANDS! Unfortunately, they are often in the hands of people who brutalize them in order to make them fight. The torture they endure is beyond comprehsion and the ones who should be punished are not the poor dogs, but the people who continue to get away with abusing them. Stronger animal abuse laws should in my opinion be directed at the owners first.

No dog is adopted out lightly from any reputable rescue group, this group has fostered many of the dogs themselves to get be able to say to a future owner that they should not have a cat in the house, another dog or whether the dog is just agreeable to anything! Most are adults but please do not over look them--they are often over looked in shelters and such because most people go for the undeniably cute puppies! However, an adult dog still has wonderful love to give and would love to be in the perfect home to live out their lives.

A dog was recently adopted from this group and the new owner could not figure out why the dog seemed so blue. He had everything he could want, was spoiled, loved, walked but still seemed sad. A young neighbor boy walks each night with the dog and its new owner. He asked if the dog could do any tricks and the answer was 'not yet'. He asked if the owner had tried a Spanish word for 'shake' and guess what--that dog knows TONS of tricks and commands! That boy unlocked the mystery of that dog, who had been trained within the Spanish language--a fact that changed the dog's attitude instantly! He is now a happy, well adjusted, very smart dog who has had lots of great training from someone in his past--now that he knows his owner is on to the whole thing, his life is the best! Funny how that all worked out.....

We lost our friends at the OohMahNee Farmed Animal Rescue farm in Pennsylvania who closed their doors last fall. We hope that if you have a favorite rescue group, no matter what the critter, that you will help to support them through donations of not only money, but time too! It is a tough world out there for everyone and donations have become increasingly hard to come by for these little groups--anything you can do is always appreciated. A bag of pet food, treats, collars for newly adopted pets, walking dogs once a week or helping to care for any critters in the shelter would be a great start.

Not up for the emotional attachments involved with time donation? Most shelters need help posting fliers for events, creating advertising campaigns and maybe even some accounting services so if you are like me and would take every animal home each night, there are lots of ways to help--just call and ask/offer! Anything you can help with, no matter how small it may seem, will be greatly appreciated by both the staff and pets waiting for their forever home......

No comments: