Heart Like a Dog

The Good, the Bad, and the Oh My God of living with dogs!

Tuesday’s Tails – April 30, 2013

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Lisa over at Dogs N Pawz had an awesome idea for a blog hop that features shelter animals.

The idea started when Lisa and her son went to their local shelter to adopt a dog and realized some dogs end up in the no kill shelters for a very long time.  She wanted to do something to help showcase these animals so she started the blog hop.

You can join too by grabbing the badge and linking up.

Dogs N Pawz

The dog I’ve chosen to focus on today is a senior.  Sadly this senior was dropped off at the shelter along with his brother when his dad was deployed.  His brother a younger French Bulldog mix was quickly adopted, but poor sweet Bullwinkle has been passed over.

Bullwinkle

When Bullwinkle’s time ran out, the shelter employees moved him to the lobby where he proved to get along with every person and every dog he met.

American Lab Rescue (where my own sweet Delilah came from) currently has him in boarding.  Here’s what his petfinder profile says about him, “Bullwinkle is an easy-going boy who has a way of endearing strangers to him- he has a loveable, goofy personality, and he is looking to spend his golden years with a very special family! He has only known love in his life, and we want that to continue!”

Bullwinkle is 10 years young, weighs in at 99 pounds and has known nothing but love his entire life.  He’s neutered, up to date with his required shots and house trained.

You can read more about him on his petfinder page and the rescue’s contact information is there as well.

So many times when people are looking for a dog they overlook the seniors, for the obvious reason as time with them is limited. I used to think that way too.   Until I started reading Life at Golden Pines.  Kim takes in so many seniors and while I know her heart is sometimes broken when she loses one, the love she receives from these very grateful, loving dogs is immense.

If you’re in CT and looking for a four-legged companion, won’t you consider Bullwinkle?  I know he’d be ever so grateful and you’d also be putting a deployed soldier’s mind at ease, knowing his beloved friend was being loved and well cared for.

This is the Tuesday’s Tails blog hop, hosted by Dogs N Pawz.

Dead Dog Walking

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For the dogs of  Cartwright Street, there’s only one way out.

If it’s not an illness or injury that kills them, chances are they’ll wind up in a plastic bag tied to a machine that gases them to death.

This is what happens in a city, over-populated with dogs.   Animal control works 24 hours per day trying to round up strays.  Shelters are over-flowing and the Humane Society is filled to capacity. Local vets have helped as much as they can, but there’s only so much they can do.

There are laws on the books regarding spaying, neutering and breeding,  but they are seldom enforced. When they are the fines and punishments are minimal, and so the dog population in Dallas, Texas continues to rage out of control. 

Dogs that do get rounded up, have 72 hours before someone claims them. When the 72 hours are up, they are euthanized to make way for the next dead dog walking.

With the shelters full and nowhere to take the dog, a conscious choice is made to drop the unwanted animal somewhere.  So they choose a remote place, like Cartwright Street. It leads into an industrial park, and the odds of the dog finding its way back to the main street are slim. If it does manage more than likely it will get hit by a car or picked up by animal control.

Some of the animals dropped there are not altered, they will continue to breed and bring more and more unwanted dogs into the area.

For some of the lucky ones, workers in the area will pitch in to help buy food.  But some of the dogs aren’t so lucky.  Companies in the area are frustrated with the dogs, and the mess, so they take matters into their own hands.  They capture the dogs and tie them into plastic bags and gas them to death.

Not a pretty picture is it?

Pup-4 Dogs like this little guy.

What’s the reason for the dog over population in Dallas?  Truthfully, it’s greed.  Greedy back yard breeders and puppy millers trying to make a buck.

Let’s just spell it out, there are responsible breeders.   You know them and I know them.  They will make sure every puppy has a home.  They will take the puppy back if for any reason you cannot keep the puppy.  They will retire a bitch or sire with health issues,  they will help you with unexpected health expenses with your dogs. 

They are responsible breeders.

The people responsible for the dog over population in Dallas, are not responsible breeders.  They are puppy mills, they are people who care only about one thing, and that is making money, they care nothing about the animal itself.  They use a dog up and then toss it aside like it was a candy wrapper.

Pup-3

I’ve been reaching out to people I know that do animal rescue in hopes that one of them will know someone who can help. 

Will you help?  Will you share this on your social media sites?   Will you share it with people you know that do animal rescue?

Pup-2 Will you be the change for these animals?

Be the Change for Animals is a quarterly event, where bloggers unite and raise our voices in hopes of making real change for animals in this world.

Please join us.  Please be the change.

 

Wild Heart Ranch

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Blog the Change is an event, where bloggers from all over the globe focus on animal causes that are near and dear to our hearts.

Blog the Change

 

Today I’d like to shine the light on someone who works tirelessly in the field of animal rescue.  I’ve been following her efforts on my facebook page for the last few months.

Annette King Tucker is the owner and operator of a 10-acre ranch located in Claremore, Oklahoma.  Wild Heart Ranch is an animal sanctuary that rescues, and rehabilitates wild animals, who are injured by either natural causes or the cruelty of man.

Picture copied from Wild Heart Ranch Website.

Picture copied from Wild Heart Ranch Website.

 

I copied her mission statement from her website:

  • Provide medical or infant support to any indigenous wild animal in need of assistance and release it into suitable wild habitat once care is completed.
  • Refrain from imprinting the animal to its human caretakers during its stay in captivity
  • Educate the public about wild animals in our area and teach a genuine appreciation and respect of their needs and characteristics
  • Educate ourselves in the care and needs of each species that we experience so that all animals receive complete, professional and individual care
  • Maintain our facility in the most stringent of cleaning and organizational standards to prevent errors, disease, infection and hazards to both humans and animals
  • ALWAYS respond with patience when faced with ignorance and remember that not all the world has seen through our eyes or cared with our hands
  • Lend assistance, instruction or advice to anyone trying to assist a wild animal in need of care
  • NEVER cage a wild animal a day longer than necessary, and always euthanize if release will never come

On her facebook page she shares pictures of wild babies that have been brought to the ranch along with the circumstances surrounding their injury or illness.  The photos show staff tenderly caring for the delicate lives they’ve been intrusted with.

When she can’t save them, she will help them find peace and freedom from pain in the only way she knows how. That’s when you see her mad, especially if the injury has resulted from something evil, like a leg trap.

What I love about this woman is her passion.  Not only will she take in, help and rehabilitate any form of wildlife, but she works hard at educating the public. Her posts will explain to you why the cute orphaned deer should NOT be brought into your home and made into a family pet.

Wild Heart Ranch doesn’t normally take in cats and dogs, but they will assist them in other ways, or provide another resource to assist the animal.

Annette King Tucker talks the talk and walks the walk.

But she’s got a little problem, her wonderful ranch is quickly outgrowing the small ten acres that surround it. Recently 40 acres across the street from the ranch went on the market, Annette is working hard to raise the needed funds to purchase the land in order to expand the ranch.

She has a chip in widget on her website, and through her website you can connect with her on her social media sites.

I’m not asking you to donate money to WHR, I’m asking you to take a moment and check out Annette King Tucker and if you (like I) think she’s making a difference, can you please share her story.

Together we can be the change.

(Author’s note, the ‘cat’ you see in the left side of the picture is Kira, a cougar that had her claws removed by a man with a pair of wire snippers.   Annette rescued her and Kira lived her life at Wild Heart Ranch, until a few months ago when she passed away.)
(I did send a message to Annette asking her to contribute to this post, but she did not respond.  If she would like the picture to be removed I will do that. )

 

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