A Tail of Christmas Love and New Life for Molly, Maxine and 23 Others

When we last talked about the Parvo Puppies, Molly and Maxine, they were back at the stable with Tom and Peggy, enjoying the freedom of a large stall and great walks on the Horse trails with Tom and Peggy.
These are the two puppies home from the vets and recovering rapidly.

Christmas is closing in on us as it does every year at this time. This year, I am acutely aware there are a lot of dogs that will not make it to enjoy this Christmas or any other unless some miracles happen and in a hurry.

We were down to about a week before the transport to a new life in the North.  As time drew closer for them to leave I suspected that there would be some additions to the transport knowing that Tereasa liked to rescue as many as possible when setting these trips up.

As the fates would have it, on that quiet afternoon I got a phone call.  Low and behold Tereasa is on the other end from Michigan, breathlessly telling me "we have a situation".  I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I am learning that when she calls and says "we have a situation", What it really means is "I have been on the phone for hours talking dog rescue, funding for the transport and vetting".  All of that now translates to a simple list of "things that need doing in an expedited manor and guess who the local expediter is??

The "new situation" started with a hurried call to Tereasa from one of the Angels of Mercy at the local kill shelter.  They had several small dogs whose time had run out and the weather and shelter are getting dangerously cold. If she cannot get them on transport to LDDR, they will be destroyed.  Tereasa had contacted LDDR and they have put plans into action to take 3 more of our local dogs who are freezing at the shelter.  She then put out feelers for funding for the trip while making arrangements for the local shelter to get the dogs vetted and ready for transport.  The last item on the list is to find local fosters for the 3 little dogs that need to come out now or freeze in the shelter in the next two very cold nights.

At this point, Tereasa called me to explain what "the situation was that WE had."  The 3 dogs were small, had short hair, were freezing and needed to come out ASAP.  The smallest was Tiny Tim a tiny Chihuahua who was scared to death and was not fairing well in the freezing cell that he was in.  There was also an adorable Beagle/Terrier mix Tagged Jingles and her cell mate a tiny puppy of the Chihuahua mix called Prancer.  The first priority was to evaluate little Tiny Tim to see if his fear was going to preclude him from being adoptable.

I decided to take the Hamburger Approach.   We stopped at the local Hardees and purchased a hamburger with nothing on it.  Tiny Tim had a cell mate and I figured that a warm hamburger in a cold cell would lift the spirits of both dogs and hopefully win Tiny's confidence.  Tiny's cell mate was a really cute terrier mix who wanted nothing more than to be held and loved.  Tiny on the other hand was so scared he would only cower in the corner by the freezing doorway to the outside.

I slipped into the cell and sat down on the floor Sleigh, as she was later called, bounced right up on my lap and wanted that hamburger.  I unwrapped it and tore it in small pieces feeding Sleigh while Tiny watched very intently.  Finally he could not stand it anymore and eased up to get his bite and then fear be damned he wanted more of that hamburger.  I scooped him up when the hamburger was gone and once on the leash he was ready to go anywhere that was warm and safe. I held him the 20 miles to his foster moms place and within minutes riding on my lap in front of the heater I could feel him relax and start to take interest in what was going past the window.

Once there he walked around the yard for a few  moments, watched their dog in the back yard and decided that this place and person was okay.  When his foster turned to walk into her house he fell in right behind her and went right in like he lived there.  He made a quick inspection of the home, barked once at the cat who promptly ignored him and settled in with these loving folks for a very happy week prior to transport.


While we were in route I placed a call to Tereasa and informed her of the loving dog that was sharing the cell with Tiny and how it would be a real loss not to take her also.  By time we had Tiny settled at his foster we got a call from Tereasa to tell us they would take Sleigh also.  We went back to the shelter to retrieve jingles and her cell mate Prancer as we had another foster set up for the two of them.  They loved the idea of someone taking them out of there and really did not seem to care as long as they did not have to go back.  I was surprised at how quick these dogs accepted the foster homes with great enthusiasm.  Prancer saw the fosters Daughter on the couch covered with a blanket and went flying across the room, leaped into he air and landed right on her lap with Jingles right behind.

With 3 settled and one more to go, I went to our local "Big Box Home Repair Store to talk with some of the people who work there to see if any of these kind souls would share their homes with little Sleigh who was in need of a loving foster.

The first person I ran into was an acquaintance from my years of working there.  I was amazed when she listened to my tail of doggies in need and she told me she would foster Sleigh.  She wanted me to meet her at five when she got off work and she would take Sleigh home and introduce her to her dog.
Sleigh getting some loving while waiting for her new foster to get off work.

The four dogs had warm and loving homes for the week prior to their trip North for a happy doggy Holiday.

We had to round up all the dogs for the trip to their new fosters at LDDR and meet the Transport at Lebanon, Tennessee.  Tereasa did not waste any time either.  LDDR at her urging, took 6 Dogs from Georgia, over 14 emergency rescues from Lebanon, TN and our six dogs from Athens.   Tereasa and all dogs arrived safely in Michigan after a long trip and a lot of hours.

We received some feed back from one of the fosters who is taking care of Tiny Tim and Sleigh.  The foster is really taken with Tiny Tim and may keep him and become his forever mom.  She also informed me that Sleigh had a meet and greet with a prospective new family and by now may already be enjoying her new forever home and family. Hopefully we will hear more on the other wonderful dogs we had sent on their way to a new life. 
Sleigh, with new friend and Tiny on couch at new foster getting a nap.

Dropping our six dogs off was hard as the fosters and I have become very emotionally attached to them.  Knowing that this Christmas transfer means a new and better life with new and loving families makes it easier to see them off.  Especially, knowing that if they stayed here they would never have seen Christmas.  Thanks to the efforts of a lot of folks here and in Michigan and all that Tereasa has done, these dogs & puppies are receiving the most wonderful gift they could receive for Christmas.  Life, Love and a Forever Human Pack of their own.  What more could a dog want other than maybe a hot Hardees Hamburger and hold the onions.
Merry Christmas to you all From the Third Hill
Roy and Gang

A Christmas note from a Brittany Rescue/Transport person

This just in as a reminder of why we do what we do for the wonderful dogs in our lives.  The Brittany Rescue group is one of the rescues I have had the pleasure to transport for.   Everyone I have meant in this incredible network has been some wonderful folks.  Thank you Connie and Happy Holidays to you all and safe transports for the New Year.

 Roy and fur babies From the Third Hill

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Happy Holidays and Thank You from the Brittany Transport Team!

The Holiday season traditionally is a time for giving to others and reflecting on life’s blessings.  In the spirit of the season, we send a heartfelt THANK YOU, for freely giving your TLC, time (and gas dollar) to transport & overnight rescued brittany dogs.  With your compassionate help, many brittanys were rescued in 2010.  (At last count, NBRAN & NEBR were on pace to adopt out 500+ brittanys in 2010!)
We are grateful to the many transporters who have made it an astoundingly successful year for rescuing & transporting … we could not be so successful without your compassionate help.

We’ve started a blog about some of the Happy Tales of the brittanys we’ve transported at http://brittanytransporttales.blogspot.com
Below is a special story from the blog … shared by Connie, who fostered Peyton.

Wishing you all the best in 2011,
Nancy Walker,  Kathy Boje,  Jan Skrocki

NBRAN / NEBR Brittany Transport Team
www.nbran.org          www.nebrittanyrescue.org
_________________________________________________________
"To the people who foster, transport, donate, campaign or look out for dogs in need, thanks to all of you. To the people who are thinking about how they might make a bit of difference, go for it."

NOTE:  Peyton was pulled by Connie from a WV shelter, fostered by her and then went on transport to the northeast in November.  Peyton now has a "fur-ever" family of his own.
  This is Connie's story ... 

This is my story, I would encourage anyone in the least bit interested to give fostering or transporting a try.  Please feel free to edit, I know I tend to get windy!!

A year ago I lost my Gypsy, a little liver and white "Brittney" girl. About that time I started looking at Petfinder, and the rescues, NBRAN included. I heard a lot about "other peoples problem dogs, something wrong with them for them to be at a shelter, you don't want to get involved."

Within 2 weeks we bought a little Britt boy, different color, different sex, from a breeder, great pedigree, champion stock.

I started transporting a few months later, got questioned about WHY are you spending your time and money to drive dogs when you have a farm full of your own animals and not enough time for yourself?

I didn't know WHY, but it made me feel good. I did it because I could, I guess.

Not long ago I got approached by NBRAN / NEBR, could I pick up a lost Britt from a shelter near my home and take him to boarding? It was Thanksgiving week, but the shelter wanted him out, but he didn't have a foster home yet. I picked him up, and he came home with me for the week. He was skinny, he jumped at every noise, cowered all the time and if he had a tail it would have been between his legs.

My two boys (the hunter, our Britt boy and the herder, our shelter Border Collie mix) welcomed him, shared their toys and home, and a couple days later he was not so scared, he was playful and getting confident. He had some accidents in the house, but learned quickly to be a good house dog.

A week later he had a foster home, and I transported him on his first leg of his journey. My husband was so attached to him by this time he couldn't go. I cried a lot that day.

Just two weeks later I learned his fur-ever family found him. I'm glad now to have been a part of his life, even though it was sad to let him go.

My point?

There are a lot of dogs out there that are not problems, or trouble, just down on their luck. Or their first people didn't know how to care for them. Or couldn't afford the chow any more.

In just one week I watched a dog change, saw him start to bloom. He is every bit as special and good as our pedigreed champion, actually perhaps better behaved!

This kind of thing wouldn't happen without the network of ordinary people who help out here and there when they can.

So to the people who foster, transport, donate, campaign or look out for dogs in need, thanks to all of you.

To the people who are thinking about how they might make a bit of difference, go for it.

You won't be sorry.

If I knew then what I know now, I don't think I would have agreed to buying our little champion. Not that he isn't a great boy, but he would have gotten a great home.

I would have jumped right into fostering the ones that got lost in the shuffle of life, and would now have a bunch of tearful days behind me, but would have also helped others find their best friends.

And along the way I think I would have been found by mine. 

CONNIE

A Tail of Christmas Love and New Life

About 3 weeks ago I received a call from Tereasa in Michigan.  She is a dog transporter/rescuer I had met during my short span of dog transfers and had made a couple of transports for her.  She had arranged for the Last Day Dog Rescue of Michigan to pull and Foster 17 Puppies and Dogs from our local Kill Shelter here in East Tennessee.

Once these dogs are vetted, Spayed or Neutered, they would be put on transport to a New Life in Michigan with the Last Day Dog Rescue and their new foster parents.  Once the puppies arrive at the fosters they evaluate each  dogs/Puppy's behavior, temperament and other characteristics to help matching individual dogs with the best possible adopters available.

When Tereasa called she related the tale that was unfolding around us.  Last Day Dog Rescue had committed to take the 17 puppies and a few of the smaller dogs.  They would go on transport in about two weeks.  The local pound wanted 3 puppies out ASAP as they were over crowded and these three had been there too long.  They were on Death Row and scheduled for extermination on Saturday morning only two days hence. She was "wondering" if I could possibly help get them out and find them a safe foster home until they could go on transport??

I once had tried to tell Tereasa that I was a  transporter but not a rescuer per say.  I have learned working with Tereasa, that, in her book, if you like dogs then you PASS!!  It is really difficult to say "no" to this demure woman with the heart of a Mastiff.  When it comes to rescuing dogs etc. she is driven and I have never heard her to say "I can't", only "how do I do this??".

So saying I couldn't was not in the cards, besides, I had been to our pound and I know how bad the conditions are.  It is like a WWII Concrete Bunker for Dogs.  It is hard and cold. 

I have to say, like in most shelters around the South there are a lot of very dedicated people trying to do a gargantuan humane job with limited to no government resources other than the gas chamber.  Ours is no different.  There are some real angels working tirelessly to get dogs adopted locally or move the excess pups and dogs on transports to rescue/homes in the North or West.  I found out that these Angels of Merci have the cell phone number of a certain Michigan Resident by the name of Tereasa. 


I quickly ran down a short list of folks in my head that would be likely to say yes that they would take these 3 puppies into their homes for a week or so.  I was surprised to find that the two folks I thought of both said yes!

Since Tom had a stable set up with some very comfy stalls he quickly made one over and I went in search of three wonderful puppies to rescue.  The volunteers at the shelter were very happy to see we were coming to get them as they all loved these dogs and did not want to see anything happen to them.  I picked them up directly from the vet were they had been sent to be spayed and neutered for LDDR.  The puppies were still groggy but glad to see anyone that looked friendly and would give them some attention.  

I drove them over to Tom and Peggy's stable and we installed them into their stall with dog house bedding and heat lamps "just in case".  They loved their new home and being free from cages.  They recovered from their surgery rapidly and soon were into puppy playing and having the fun you would expect from young puppies.

By the end of Day 5 they were full of play and love for all that came to visit them.  On the morning of the sixth day little Molly, the real little live wire, was not feeling well.  By noon it was evident that she was going down fast.  We took her to the Vets to have her checked out and at that time I learned a new phase, "She broke with Parvo."  The Vet covered the scenario of what we could expect and it was not a real pretty picture.

When we left Molly at the vets office Tom and I both had a heavy heart that we had seen our little Molly for the last time.

Now came the worry of would the other 2 break with Parvo also??

I called the Vets office first thing next morning and was informed that she was still alive but very sick.  A check later that day showed there was no noticeable change.  Next morning was a bit of good news.  She was a live and her temperature had come down, but she still could not eat or drink. When she was able to keep down food and water she would be well on her way. For the next few days it was just wait while she was slowly improved each day.
 
On the second day that Molly was at the Vets, I got a call from Tom telling me that Maxine was very lethargic and had diarrhea.  Once you see how fast Parvo can take a health puppy down to near death you don't waste any time and we rushed her right in.  Maxine went through the same routine and three days later when her temp broke we were so relieved.  Five days after going into the Vets Molly come home to our heated basement.  She was so weak and emaciated that I was still afraid that she would not survive. 

We went through the next few days with small feedings every few hours to ease her bowel back into working.  Short walks outside to potty and then back in for some one on one play time on the floor of the basement. I would find myself setting on the floor with her on my lap while she chewed on a chewy at 12 or 2 in the morning drifting off only to wake when every time she would move.  I would then try to convince her she needed to go back in her cage until the next feeding and I would crash in my recliner chair until such a time arrived in 2 or 3 hours.

On the weekend my partner helped with their care and feeding on a regular basis.  Handling these two recovering "wild child's" was a real handful and he really helped me out with the feedings and outings at all hours. 

Two days later Maxine came home to join her sister.  Molly was improving by leaps and bounds daily and wanted to play with her sister very badly.  Maxine however was in no shape to encourage any such nonsense.

This kept up for a week while they recovered to prime puppy form again.  How I survived their recovery week with them learning to bark every time they wanted to go out or play is still unknown to me.  But to see them gain so much strength, become happy and active, did I say they become very active?  Their daily transformation in health and happiness was totally rewarding. 

While all of this was going on Tom had kept their litter mate Butch by himself until the transport was ready to go.  He never Broke with Parvo and made the trip with the 16 other dogs to Michigan to the rescue in great shape.  Butch stayed with Tereasa and her husband for another week just be be sure he was not going to "break with Parvo" before going to his foster home. 

Tom took Molly and Maxine back to the stable to foster them until another transport could be set up.  They are now enjoying long walks in the woods with Tom and his Family and the company of the horses and barn cats.  Molly thinks it is her duty to spot the cats before they sneak up on her and sound a loud bark.

Little Molly proves to be a leader.  She thinks she is Alpha Female of her little pack and may very will grow into that role.  She did lead the way into a horrible, life taking, disease.  She fought valiantly for her little life for days and finally lead the way back home to us.  Her sister Maxine had no less a trial but at least had her sisters lead to follow and two days after Molly come home, she also returned to us also.

Due to the wonderful professional medical services of our clinic and the love and care of us who have had the privilege to meet these two tough little girls they have survived and will soon be receiving their ultimate Christmas gift of love and care from their new forever families somewhere in their future up North. 
 
God speed and fair sailing little Molly and Maxine.  Your future awaits.

Roy

Butch taking a drink break

 Butch hiding from his sisters

 Maxine checking out new home

 Molly approving of the new housing.

 Molly and Maxine in  back yard fully recovered and ready for their future.