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My goal in life is to be as good of a person as my dog already thinks I am. - Unknown

Cocker Spaniel Update

By now I am sure you have heard about the twenty-seven cocker spaniels that we seized in an animal cruelty investigation. The animals were living in what is called a “puppy mill.” They were living in deplorable conditions and their basic needs were not being met. Some had no water and no shelter. Pregnant dogs were living outside in the mud and in their feces, and one was in an outside crate with other dogs. Almost all of dogs were underweight, and the majority of them have eye problems and/or ear infections. One dog is completely blind in one eye and another one needs surgery for a condition called cherry eye. All needed to be groomed and bathed. Several of the dogs are scared of people and need socialization. The owner of these dogs was breeding them for money, but she was not taking care of the dogs. Fortunately, someone who went to purchase a puppy saw the living conditions and immediately contacted authorities. The owner, Nadine Weightman, is facing twenty-seven counts of animal cruelty and must appear in court January 8, 2008.

Fortunately, we have placed almost all of the cocker spaniels in foster homes where they can get a lot of love and attention. They are also getting the medical attention that so many of them needed. Petco groomers graciously donated their time to groom and bathe every single dog, and the difference in the dogs’ attitude afterwards was amazing. They were so happy and playful! Merial is also donating medicine to treat the heartworm positive dogs, as well as donating heartworm prevention pills and flea and tick prevention. Doing this for twenty-seven dogs will save us so much money! We are truly grateful to them as well as the fosters who are opening their homes to these dogs. We also want to thank the many volunteers who have come to the shelter to help socialize the dogs and help us in many other ways during such a busy and hectic time. A lot of people have made donations to help us with the cocker spaniels, and we are truly appreciative. If you would like to volunteer and help the cocker spaniels, or any of our other wonderful rescues, please contact us. We would love to have you and you will find the work very rewarding. Thank you.

Mail your tax-deductible contributions to FCAR, P.O. Box 44, Rossville, TN  38066 Tax ID# 62-1836008.

FCAR Seizes 27 Cocker Spaniels from Breeder

On December 12th Fayette County Animal Rescue and Fayette County Animal Control responded to a complaint about a breeder in Whiteville, TN.  Upon arriving on site, we found dozens of dogs living in extreme filth with severely matted fur and an assortment of medical issues.  Dogs were being kept in small crates and puppies were being kept in a dark shed in cages packed with feces and urine.  After further investigation, 27 cocker spaniels were seized from the residence and the owner was charged with 27 counts of Animal Cruelty.

The animals are currently being cared for by FCAR at our shelter in Rossville, TN and are under the care of the veterinarians at Animal Care Hospital.  Local Petco stores (Cordova, Germantown & Highland) donated grooming services and cut pounds of mats and feces from the animal’s coats. The animals are in the process of being re-examined by the veterinarians now that they have been groomed and the actual animal’s body is visible.  There are 2 pregnant dogs, the possibility of 2 additional pregnant dogs, 7 dogs with heartworms, and a myriad of eye and ear infections, abscessed wounds, etc.

The cost, space and effort to care for these dogs are significant.  If you are interested in donating or volunteering, please contact our shelter at 854-2565 or fayettefcar@hotmail.com.  Our biggest need right now is for financial donations to assist with our mounting vet bill.  If you prefer to donate supplies we especially need donations of Science Diet Canned Puppy Food, laundry detergent, large dog houses and 6’ dog kennels.

We would like to thank all of our supporters during this time.  A seizure this large could have been overwhelming however with the help of our volunteers, supporters, Animal Care Hospital and Petco we have been able to tackle this event while continuing to care for our existing rescues without missing a beat.

An Update on Charlene

If you can remember way back to 2004, we wrote an article about two of our elderly rescues, Stanley & Charlene. They were both in their teens and we considered them to be permanent residents at our shelter due to their age (unfortunately not many people are willing to take on a senior animal these days).  The good news about those two was always how happy they were. Stanley was deaf as a doornail but loved to bark for his food or attention and the Charlene hop was legendary to show her excitement when it was time to play.

Sadly, Stanley passed away earlier this year from natural causes. We found a new roommate for Charlene and they got along great but it just wasn’t the same… but then we came up with the perfect match. Charlene went to a new foster home last month and became one of the ‘inside crew’ and is living in the lap of luxury.   

Charlene now runs with a litter of puppies and 6 other dogs during the day, and even at her age she can sure hold her own!  In the evening she curls up in the dog bed next to the fireplace that she commandeered for herself (see picture) and spends her nights snuggled up to her foster family. With winter coming she will have to stay inside so she doesn’t get too cold, however she does now have a beautiful pastel sweater to keep her warm.  Charlene has the best personality and is so loving.  This situation has turned into not just a great life for Charlene but she has added a tremendous amount to her foster families’ lives as well.

When you are ready to adopt a new canine or feline friend into your family, please consider adopting an older animal.  Once an animal reaches 1 year of age we find it very difficult to find new homes for them because they are not “cute and cuddly” anymore.  However there are dozens of great reasons to adopt an adult dog, such as: they are most likely house trained, over the chewing and destructive phase, mellower, etc. If you are interested in adopting please contact us at 901-854-2565 or visit us on the web at http://fayettefcar.com. 

Bike Race a Great Success for FCAR! 

            Memphis Velo Smith & Nephew Cycling Club and Memphis Motorwerks/CARVE held their annual bike race at Fayette County Animal Rescue on Saturday, June 30. There was a huge turnout, which helped Fayette County Animal Rescue raise a lot of money. Last year there were about 140 bikers that participated. This year, over 200 men, women and teenagers raced. The junior race had to be divided into two races because the limit is 50 bikers and over 50 people registered for it. Memphis Velo Smith & Nephew Cycling Club and Memphis Motorwerks/CARVE organize the event every year and bring many volunteers to assist with the races. Fayette County Animal Rescue provided donated food and drinks (thanks to Pepsi, Kellogg’s and the Oakland Kroger!), and set up a shower under an umbrella where the bikers could cool off. FCAR raised several hundred dollars at the event, and will also receive a percentage of the entrance fees from the bikers. “This is the biggest fundraiser for FCAR every year. The bikers really enjoy coming to Fayette County. We receive so many compliments from them each time the race is held. They love coming here and we love having them. It’s a win-win situation. We all have a lot of fun, and I wish more people would come out to watch the races,” said Gina H. Thweatt, President. “I think they would really enjoy the event.”  

Mail your tax-deductible contributions to FCAR, P.O. Box 44, Rossville, TN  38066 Tax ID# 62-1836008.

Rabbit Cages aren’t for Puppies!

            A couple of weeks ago I got two calls within five minutes of each other regarding someone’s puppies. The callers told me that here were two black lab puppies being kept in one rabbit cage. The puppies were barking constantly, and the callers were concerned that the puppies would suffocate because there was a plastic covering over the top of and all four sides of the cage. 

            I went to the house and saw the rabbit cage and heard the puppies barking. When I pulled back the plastic covering, I saw how crowded they were. They barely had enough room to stand up. They had a water bowl, but there wasn’t much water in it. When the puppies saw me they started jumping around so much that they almost knocked it over. The puppies weren’t underweight. They were obviously being fed and watered, but they definitely needed better shelter.

            First of all, the puppies could have started chewing on the plastic covering. If they swallowed any of it, they could have choked or gotten blockage in their intestines. The plastic covering was laid across the top of the cage and it covered all four sides, preventing any air flow. This is also dangerous for the puppies. The temperature was in the eighties that day, so I’m sure they were miserable in that cage.

            Secondly, there was no padding on the bottom of the cage. The puppies were standing on the metal bars of the cage. This can damage the pad of their paws.     

            Also, there was so little room in this cage that the puppies probably had to stand in their own feces, which can cause coccidia infection, leading to diarrhea and dehydration. If dogs are left in crates, there should be ample room for them to stand up, turn around and have an area where they can use the bathroom and not have to stand in their own mess. This cage certainly did not meet those criteria.

            The puppies were eventually surrendered to Fayette County Animal Rescue. We named the two females Bunny and Thumper. Bunny was just recently adopted into a home with two young boys who hopefully can keep up with her energy level. She and Thumper are the most hyper puppies I have ever seen; I think they are making up for lost time in their tiny environment.

Mail your tax-deductible contributions to FCAR, P.O. Box 44, Rossville, TN  38066 Tax ID# 62-1836008.

Baron’s Story

A couple of weeks ago we got a call from a lady named Donna who was extremely upset about her missing dog. The dog’s name was Baron and he was a 112 pound Rottweiler, wearing a red collar with tags. We documented all of the pertinent information on our lost and found list and had her email a flyer to us so that we had a picture of Baron.

Last week a man called us about a rottweiler lying in the middle of the road that appeared to have been hit by a car. He was very concerned about the dog and said he needed medical attention right away. We asked him if the dog was wearing a red collar and he said yes and we just knew that it had to be Baron. We called Donna right away and reached her husband, Rick and gave him the caller’s number, who was going to stay with the dog until he could get there.

We followed up with Rick to see if the injured dog was his. It turned out that it was Baron, but he had to have him humanely euthanized. Baron had not been hit by a car but rather someone had shot him in the face. He couldn’t understand why anyone would have shot his dog. Baron was a very gentle and sweet dog who was great with kids. When Baron was just 6 weeks old, Rick took him to obedience classes. Baron placed first in two different levels of obedience classes! (He was the youngest dog ever to place first.) Donna and Rick’s nieces and nephews could ride Baron and pull his ears, and Baron didn’t mind. Baron was described as a “friendly family pet” and stated that he has a “very mellow personality.” He was eleven years old and “walked slowly.” So why would someone shoot such a nice dog? Unfortunately we’ll most likely never know the reason but after speaking with Rick at length, there is little reason to believe that this dog he spoke so affectionately about was going to attack someone.

Please be aware of the Animal Laws of Tennessee. According to annotated code 39-14-205, “A person who intentionally or knowingly unlawfully kills the animal of another, with the intent to deprive the owner of the right to the animal’s life and without the owner’s effective consent commits theft of that animal and shall be punished. A person is justified in killing the animal of another if such person acted under a reasonable belief that the animal was creating an imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury to such person or another or an imminent danger of death to an animal owned by such person.”

Baron was one of the few reported missing dogs that was actually wearing a collar with tags. If you see a stray animal please call Animal Control to pick up the dog. You can reach Animal Control by calling the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department at 466-3456. The Animal Control officer will attempt to contact the dog’s owner by calling the number on the tag. If you have lost your animal be sure to check with Animal Control and with our shelter. We attempt to match lost and found dogs based on calls from the community.

We felt compelled to write Baron’s story because we he died so unnecessarily. It was the first time in eleven years he had wandered away from his owner’s yard. He was wearing identification and did not appear to be anything but a mellow older dog that had wandered away and couldn’t find his way home. Too many dogs in our county are shot for no reason. The only good part of this story is that some very kind hearted people who saw Baron suffering took the time to contact our shelter to try to find his owners.  Baron has been buried in Donna & Rick’s backyard and although they will never know who shot their baby they do know that his soul is in heaven and he lays at rest back at his home.

Mail your tax-deductible contributions to FCAR. P O Box 44, Rossville, TN 38066 Tax ID # 62-1836008

Two Neighbors Save an Injured Dog's Life

I received a cruelty call one day regarding a dog who had been hit by a car. The caller said the dog was limping terribly and his tail was skinned. She was very concerned about the dog and said he was in terrible shape. She gave me the address of the house where the dog lived and I went there immediately. I did not see that dog, but there were two others on the property. One was limping, but not terribly. I left a Notice to Comply which informed the owners that they needed to take that limping dog to a vet. The next day, I received another call about the same dog, but from another neighbor. He described the dog exactly as the first caller did, and he was also very upset about the condition of the dog. So, I went to the house again but didn’t see the dog. No one answered my knock at the door, so I decided to walk around the backyard and look for the dog. I felt that I just had to find that dog. Well, I saw a shed in the backyard and looked underneath it. There he was! As soon as he saw me he came out from under the shed and ran to the front yard. He slipped through an opening under the porch before I could grab him. The opening was too small for me to fit through, so I decided to return the next day with a trap. However, I left another Notice to Comply for his owners explaining what I needed to do. When I returned the next day, I found the owner outside with the injured dog. She knew he had been hit by a car, but she said she could not afford to take him to the vet. I told her that she had two choices: take him to a vet or surrender him to Fayette County Animal Rescue. She could no longer keep the dog and let him suffer as she had been. That is a violation of Tennessee Animal Cruelty Laws. She decided to surrender him. The dog growled at me at first, but most dogs do when they are injured and in pain.  I immediately took him to the vet. His tail had to be one of the most disgusting things I have ever seen. It was completely “degloved”, meaning all the skin and hair had been removed. The car that hit him must have driven right over his tail. One hind leg was also broken, and he had some gashes in it. He was heartworm positive, covered in fleas, and had a few ticks. Once the staff at the hospital started to work with him, he became relaxed and never growled again. I named him Carlos and he is very sweet. He weighs about thirty pounds and is a black and white adorable border collie mix.

The veterinarian had to amputate his tail because there was nothing that could be done for it. He also inserted some pins in his broken leg. Carlos will have to be crated for about six weeks while his broken leg heals. Once he is healthy, he will be treated for heartworms which can take four to six months. Therefore, it will be awhile before this cute dog will be available for adoption.

Without the calls from concerned neighbors, Carlos surely would have perished. Maggots would have infested his tail and he would have no antibiotics for infection. He could have died from heartworm disease and even tick disease. He was not confined, so he may have even run in the street again and gotten killed by another car. He also had no shelter or water. The summer weather could have given him a fatal heat stroke. This sweet dog was neglected in the worst way; he was left to suffer with some terrible wounds. Again, this is against the law! The owners of this dog should have acted immediately after he was hit by a car. If they could not afford to take him to a vet, they should have contacted someone else for advice on what to do. How could they look at their dog, in that condition, for two days and do absolutely nothing? I have no idea. If you cannot meet the basic needs of a pet, (water, food, shelter, heartworm prevention, flea and tick prevention), then you need to seriously consider if it would better to not own a pet. I see a lot of people in this predicament, and I wonder why they got a pet in the first place. Feel free to call Fayette County Animal Rescue if you need advice regarding your pet. We will glad to help.

If you would like to help with Carlos’ medical bills, please send your check to Fayette County Animal Rescue, P.O. Box 44 Rossville, TN 38066.

Fayette County Animal Rescue Shelter Work Day a Success!

This weekend over 30 volunteers joined together to hammer, paint, clean and fence our shelter into shape.  Fayette County Animal Rescue was started 10 years ago and the wear and tear of hundreds of animals was starting to take its toll.   With the help of dozens of volunteers and donations from the community, we have made a huge dent in our repair and improvements list. Our volunteers worked Saturday until the rain came and some even came back Sunday and worked another 8 hours.  Now that is dedication!

We accomplished the following this weekend:

• Expanded 2 yards, enlarging them from 10'X10' to 12'X65'. Big improvement!
• Expanded 2 additional yards, doubling them in size
• Cleaned and renovated 3 yards, removing debris and laying out pallets, concrete and bricks to get them out of the mud
• Cleaned up around shelter - we filled the dumpster and have another pile to fill another one ready!
• Washed, prepped and painted the outside of the shelter (thank you Porter Paints of Oakland!)
• Started priming & sanding the new building
• Bleached and scrubbed dozens and dozens of crates
• Moved & leveled the huge dog house into the big yard and painted it
• Put chicken wire over 4 of our holding pens so our climbing dogs can't escape
• Laid out 3 new large yards, marked all posts and dug half of them
• 2 professional tile guys are tiling our cat house and isolation rooms for us so the dogs can no longer eat the window sills and baseboards

We were thrilled to see so many people from our community pull together to improve the quality of life for our rescues. Whether it was a few hours or the whole weekend, we are extremely grateful for everyone’s contribution to this effort. At the end of Sunday we moved the dogs into their new expanded play yards and they all ran around playing like crazy – that is what this day was all about…

We still have a lot of work to do around the shelter and would like to have a few more work days in the evenings or weekends before it gets too hot. If you can volunteer for a few hours, please contact us at 901-854-2565 or email us at fayettefcar@hotmail.com. We would love to have you. If you would like a tour of the shelter to see our beautiful painted building and expanded play yards just give us a call as well.

Mail your tax-deductible contributions to FCAR. P O Box 44, Rossville, TN 38066 Tax ID # 62-1836008

Happy Tails – Animal Adoption Really is the Best Option!

After each successful adoption, our volunteers make follow phone calls to check in on how things are going.  We ask the new pet parent how things are going and if they have any questions or concerns. Recently, our responses have been so heartfelt and we wanted to share a few of those “Happy Tails!”

“Thanks for checking in. Trixie (kitten) is growing up to be a big girl. She now fetches a feather toy, like our other cat fetches his ball. She has really been a blessing in our lives. I tell everybody how we adopted her. She really has influenced our 11 year old cat. He’s a kitten again. Thanks for the great work.”

“Molly (dog) is doing great. She adores Greg, he walks her every day. She gets along great with our cat, Rosie. She has taken her first road trip with us – went to Illinois.”

“Trinity” (puppy) is doing great! She and my other dog Faith are getting along like sisters. They play all the time. She is a loving dog with Justin and me. Justin likes to lay on the couch with her and put his head on her. She has the softest fur in the world. Because of Trinity, my other dog Faith has gotten over her fear of her water bowl. They often drink water together. She has been a blessing in all of our lives and we love her very much. Thank you so much for what you do for animals. May God bless you all!”

“Hey guys. Emma (puppy) is doing GREAT! She really is the BEST dog and perfect for me. She is SO UNBELIEVEABLY cute and smart. I took her to Franklin, TN, for Christmas and she was a HIT! Everyone LOVED her! Thanks for checking on her. She is doing wonderful and really seems to love us, her new family.”

“Thanks for checking on Katie (dog). She is doing great. She has adapted to our family routines and always seems content and happy. She enjoys her walks outside and the boys keep her occupied with a variety of activities. She made our Christmas card this year.”

“I just wanted to write you a note to let you know that Honey (puppy) is doing GREAT! She instantly became a beloved member of our family, and we don’t know how we lived without her! She is the perfect dog for us! She is always sweet with the boys and loves to be loved. She plays outside with her neighborhood friends Lil’ Angel, Dixie, Gilligan and Tessie. Thank you to her foster Mom for getting her on a schedule and having her almost completely house trained. She is a joy to have in our family, and we have told everyone where she came from and how to find you. Thank you for your great work.”

We know the families above are so glad that they chose adoption. If you too are looking for a new companion animal, we encourage you to always consider adoption first.  Each day, 41,000 animals are euthanized in American animal shelters.  You can contact us at www.fayettefcar.com or at 901-854-2565.  All animals at FCAR are spayed or neutered, current on vaccinations and on heartworm, flea and tick preventative. Animals are also micro-chipped.  Adoption fee is $95.  

Fayette County Animal Rescue Shelter Work Day

On March 31^st Fayette County Animal Rescue (FCAR) will host our largest work day of 2007. With over 100 rescued animals our maintenance and improvements list is never ending, so with the help of volunteers in our community we will be tackling a variety of projects. We will start the day at 8am and will break into teams to work on the following tasks, to name just a few:

·         Paint the outside of the shelter (HUGE thanks to Porter Paints in Oakland for donating the paint!)

·         Fix gates and kennels

·         Expand yards

·         Build new play yards

·         Work on our ‘honey do’ list fixing all of the smaller items throughout the shelter

·         Install tile in isolation rooms

·         Install shelving

Our success will be directly related to the number of volunteers that we have so bring a friend and come out and join us. We hope to have at least 50 people working to improve the shelter for the animals.

If you can assist please let us know so that we can plan the day by calling us at (901) 854-2565 or email us at fayettefcar@hotmail.com.  The shelter is located off of Highway 194 in Rossville, directions can be found on our website at fayettefcar.com.

Geisha’s Story

            Geisha is a beautiful furry Akita. She has a head like a bear, complete with dancing eyes. That is how I like to describe her now. However, when we rescued her she was not much more than a skeleton with very sad eyes that you couldn’t see because she always hung her head.

            Geisha was surrendered to us, along with two other emaciated dogs, because her owner “couldn’t afford to feed them.” I found that interesting because there was plenty of food available for their numerous cats, kittens and their fat horse. But, that’s another story. All three dogs had been chained up and two of them had no water. (The cats and horse had plenty of water.) At the time of her rescue, Geisha weighed 45.7 pounds and had major muscle loss. She was wasting away. She was also anemic and heartworm positive. She walked so slowly, as if it were a struggle. The tip of one of her ears was missing. When asked about this, the owner said that he cut it off because flies kept biting at it. Her ear was all crusty and infected. It looked just awful. Akitas have a double coat of hair, so it was just amazing that we could see all her bones.

            When we took her to the animal hospital they told us that Geisha was in such bad shape that we might want to consider putting her down. There would be a lot to do to get her healthy, and then she would still have to go through heartworm treatment, which can cause many problems for even healthy dogs. Treatment for her could be dangerous. But we always try and give our animals a chance if possible.

            Geisha was fed three times a day with prescription food. We put special cream on her ear to help it heal, and she took several medications. She was just such a sweet, gentle dog, and our hearts went out to her. Plus, we gave her tons of love and affection; it was obvious she craved it. She had lived her life outside on a short chain. How many hugs, if any, did she ever get at her former home?

            Geisha gained twelve and half pounds in five days. That alone is testament to how malnourished she was! She then gained an additional six pounds in another week. Eight days later she had put on an additional seven pounds. So she gained a total of over twenty-five pounds in about three weeks.

            Once Geisha gained enough weight and became healthy, she was treated for heartworms and spayed. Her ear healed nicely, even though the tip is still missing. Her transformation was phenomenal. She is just one of those dogs that tugged at my heart and I was crazy about her since the day we got her. I loved playing with that big head of hers and seeing her smile. She really enjoyed being with people, but I was afraid she would have a hard time getting adopted due to her size age and her age. (She is seven years old.)

Well, we got lucky. Six months after Geisha was rescued, she got adopted by a wonderful family who also has two other beautiful Akitas, which is great because they understand the breed. Geisha has a large house and a large yard in which to play and explore, with no chain keeping her confined. Her new mom takes her for walks every day and said that out of all three dogs, Geisha is the best one on a leash. I just know that Geisha hangs her head high now and those eyes are dancing like crazy.

For more happy endings and ways you can help financially or volunteer, check out our website at www.fayettefcar.com.  Donations are desperately needed and you may mail your tax deductible gift of any amount to P.O. Box 44, Rossville, TN 38066.

Steeler & Seahawk

We rescued Steeler and Seahawk almost exactly a year ago. (We got their names from the two teams playing in the Super Bowl.) They are beautiful shepherd/chow mixes and were part of a group of eleven dogs that we got from one lady who could no longer care for them after her husband passed away. Actually, she only had a few dogs to begin with, but none got spayed or neutered, so the amount of dogs kept increasing.

The dogs stayed in a large field by her house and frequently they would run into the road to chase bikers and cars. Several of the dogs had broken hips and legs. The injuries had self-healed but still had severe limps. In addition to the physical injuries these dogs had, there were emotional problems. The dogs had no significant human interaction; they had never seen a veterinarian. Strangers would leave food for them (not dog food, but leftovers from their dinner), and leave them water, but there was no shelter provided to them . Steeler and Seahawk were very afraid of all of us. However, they didn’t growl at us or try to bite, but they would not even make eye contact with anyone. Both dogs were underweight, covered in ticks and Steeler had an injured leg. As we expected, they were both heartworm positive. We had to wait until they were healthy enough to treat for heartworms, as well as spay and neuter them.

During this time, we worked on their socialization skills and tried to eliminate their fear of people. We did this by giving them extra attention and speaking to them every time we passed by their runs. We also had volunteers sit in their runs and talk to them and brush their hair. What amazed me was that as scared as they were, they didn’t mind us sitting close to them in their run, and they actually seemed to enjoy getting brushed. They were both so good natured, and all of us felt they would come out of their shells and eventually day by day we did see progress. One good sign was when I walked by Seahawk’s run and spoke to her as usual and she wagged her tail for the first time.

Steeler had a more difficult time coming out of his shell. He still has a limp from a broken leg, but now he is on daily medicine to relieve the pain. What really helped Steeler was going to a foster home. One of our employees took him home and in no time he made amazing progress. He was soon walking on a leash well and playing with her other dogs. All that the dogs needed was some love and attention. I don’t know how many times I have said that to people when they see dogs like Steeler and Seahawk.

Both are now heartworm negative and healthy. They are in a large yard with two other playful dogs. They run and play all the time. They are completely different dogs from a year ago. To see such a transformation in these two dogs was so exciting for all of us. I am so thankful for the volunteers, staff and foster mom who worked so hard with these two precious dogs. We just now need to find them a forever home. If you are interested in adopting one of them, check them out on our website at www.fayettefcar.com.

2007 is a new year, but the need is greater than ever!

As the new-year begins, let us renew our commitment to abused, neglected and unwanted animals.  For each animal that Fayette County Animal Rescue (FCAR) provides shelter, comfort and care, there are hundreds who we are not able to help in time.  Each day, thousands of animals are killed in shelters across the United States, almost 41,000 each day!!

We cannot help them all, but we can make a difference in the lives of the animals that FCAR assists each year.  And in 2006 we did just that!  FCAR took in 178 animals and adopted out 177 of those animals.  But as I write this letter to each of you, we have over 100 animals at the shelter now that need loving homes.  Your tax-deductible gift will help us give them care and shelter until they do find their forever home! 

Founded in 1997 as a no-kill shelter, Fayette County Animal Rescue has placed over one-thousand pets in loving homes.  Each animal is vaccinated, provided medical care, given flea and tick preventative medication, micro-chipped and provided food, love and shelter by FCAR. 

But there’s much more work to be done, it is only through the generosity of volunteers and donors that our work can continue.  Please consider a gift in any amount today, speak up for those who do not have their own voice. 

January 22, 2007

Puppy Cruelty at its Worst 

It’s always hard for us to see dogs and cats that have been abused physically. Some of our volunteers can’t event bear to see the pictures we have to take in cases of abused animals. Since I started volunteering with Fayette County Animal Rescue three years ago, I have seen dogs and cats in pretty bad shape, and just when I think I’ve seen it all, we see another case that is worse. “Nubbins” was one such case.

A very kind lady called the shelter and said she and her husband found a puppy in a ditch near her house. She said he had an injured leg and needed immediate medical attention. When I picked up the puppy I was amazed and horrified at what I saw. His little paw was dangling from his leg. It reminded me of a loose tooth that needed one more tug to remove. I thought his paw would fall off any minute. I was so grateful to this wonderful lady and her husband for taking him in and keeping him until I could get there. The puppy had a really nasty wound and it could have easily gotten infected if he had been left outside.

I quickly took the puppy to the hospital. We all knew his leg would need to be amputated, so we named him “Nubbins.” (We get a little desperate for pet names since we have taken in hundreds of pets over the years and we try not to repeat names for record keeping purposes.) Everyone fell in love with Nubbins right away. He is one of the most interesting and adorable puppies I have ever seen. He has funny shaped ears that point forward, almost parallel to his snout. He has a beautiful brindle color and sweet, loving eyes. Every time I stopped by the hospital, one of the staff was holding and loving him. Everyone became so protective and concerned for Nubbins.

After his amputation, Nubbins had some difficulty walking. We have had several three-legged dogs and cats at the shelter, and all recuperated quickly after their amputations. However, Nubbins didn’t and we all became very concerned for him. So the veterinarian applied a splint to his front leg in hopes that he would learn to walk correctly. After a few weeks, the splint was removed and Nubbins slowly learned to walk without a problem. Now, he is doing great! He is in a foster home and he runs and plays with a group of other dogs. He has had an amazing recovery, and we are so grateful to the wonderful vets and staff at Animal Care Hospital for giving him a new life. His ears are even perking up and looking normal. It’s hard to believe, but Nubbins is now ready for adoption.

Nubbins’ wound was most likely caused by someone tying a string, rubberband or some other constrictive item around his paw. This is usually done to dock a dog’s tail, however, not a paw. (Our veterinarian confirmed that his injury was consistent with that of tail docking.) Why would someone do this?  Who knows? If we spent time trying to find the answer to all animal cruelty questions, we would get nothing else done.

Before I finished writing this article, we took Nubbins to his first adoption day. A wonderful family adopted him and all our volunteers and staff couldn’t be happier. His new sister is a large boxer named “Lola” and she is crazy about Nubbins. She loves to play with him, but she is also very gentle with him. Nubbins is so happy in his new home. His new mom emailed me and said, “I can’t thank you enough for saving him, nursing him back to health and letting us be the ones blessed with this little guy, because that is what he is - our blessing.”

January 7, 2007

Gabriel

Fayette County Animal Rescue acquired Gabriel through a cruelty investigation. He is a beautiful cream colored lab mix. When we found him, he had been shot three times. One bullet went through his right eye and it his eye had to be removed. Another went through this left leg, and that bullet was removed. A third bullet is still lodged in his trachea, and cannot be removed. The surgery would be too risky, and he might not survive it. As a result, he sometimes has trouble breathing, especially when he gets excited. Gabriel cannot run and play, like other dogs, and he is just a puppy.  He’s barely over a year old.  Gabriel’s breathing problem also limits his outdoor activity in the heat of the summer.  When he came to us, he had a terrible case of mange, which has been treated and he now has such a beautiful coat. From the first day we rescued him he always wagged his tail and has been such a happy dog. A common misconception about shelter dogs is that they don’t have outgoing personalities or show scars from abuse.  While this is true in some dogs, the majority of our shelter animals are well adjusted, loving, and so happy to be taken care of.  This sweet dog has endured so much, but he is very loved and well taken care of at the shelter. We just hope he doesn’t have any more complications because he definitely doesn’t deserve it.  Gabriel is still available for adoption at FCAR.

Warren

We receive a phone call from a caring woman, reporting a dog in need of assistance. She said that the puppy was tied up to a tree with no shelter and was left sitting out in the rain for several days. A certified animal cruelty investigator who is a volunteer for FCAR, went to check on him, and found the cutest little German Shepherd mixed puppy with a terrible case of mange.

When confronted as to why they were not taking care of the puppy, the owner of the home said that her son brought him home and she told him to take care of the puppy. One of the first things we noticed was that the puppy had a docked tail, which is not common for German Shepherds. When asked about the tail, the lady said her son put a rubber band around the tail to make it fall off. (The rubber band will cut off the circulation, causing the tail to fall off. This is very painful for animals.) The small puppy was scratching constantly because he had a terrible case of mange and he was very skinny and malnourished. The lady had no desire to take care of him, so she surrendered him to FCAR. We fell in love with him immediately and named him Warren. He was so sweet and so adorable. How could he be so neglected? Fortunately, after being nursed back to health by volunteers at FCAR and given proper medical care, Warren was adopted by a wonderful lady who adores him. What started as a very hopeless beginning, turned into a happy ending for Warren!! 

Fayette County Animal Rescue receives NO government funding and is solely supported by individual donations.  All gifts are tax-deductible. Federal tax ID 62-1836008.  Please consider including FCAR in your charitable giving plans for 2007.  You can help make a difference in the lives of animals like, Warren and Gabriel. Volunteer opportunities are also available.  P.O. Box 44, Rossville, TN 38066; (901) 854-2565.  www.fayettefcar.com