It had to happen sooner or later, although owning a pet supply store provides one ample time to have offers of puppies and kittens that need temporary shelter for one reason or another. Usually we are stoic in our ability to not take them in, but in truth, when I hear of an injured pup I know the chances of finding good fosters goes down dramatically. That is how Titus entered our sphere at 5 days old………..Feeding8days

I had gone to the Washington Humane Society to talk to the staff about nutrition and Titus had just come in that day, with a bad gash at the juncture of his right hip and belly. Apparently his mother had killed the rest of the litter, and he was rescued and brought into the shelter by a good Samaritan. Of course they asked as soon as I came in and I said no……that is, until they said he was injured. So I called home to let my partner know we had a new foster that was very young, eyes and ears still closed, and he needed special care.

We started him on Answers Additional raw frozen goat’s milk, and he started to thrive. I felt bad that he did not have any other pups with him, so of course I let the good folks at WHS know we would take another orphan if one came in about that was about his age.

Wouldn’t you know, it was only a week that passed and we got a call that there were 8 puppies that had just been brought in by their ‘guardian’ to be euthanised. He would not give up the mother, and wanted them gone at two weeks old because they were mixed Pit Bull and Boxer. Fortunately a nursing mother was at the New York Avenue shelter and she took 5 of the orphaned pups, when left 3 others to be placed somewhere. They also did not yet have their eyes open, nor their ears

Of course we said we would take one, and when the remaining two were not taken by any other fosters we took them also. So here it is, a tale of 4 orphaned pups, who have had a wonderful micro-community galvanized around their story and their care. We have had people doing round the clock bottle feedings until they could eat from a dish, and the pups have had constant contact with humans, other dogs, and cats.

They are about 4 1/2 weeks old now, running, playing and growing, and we are preparing to let them go to their new forever homes sometime within the next month. We wanted to share a little about them and their personalities now that they have their milk teeth, and are playful, rambunctious, sweet and curious about everything in their world. If you want to know more about them or want an application for adoption, please contact Pennye or Julie.

Titus at 4 1/2 weeks

Titus (named by the wonderful WHS humane Officers)

Titus is a wanderer, curious about everything, with a calm and engaging personality. He is not afraid to be alone but definitely wants to be with his people and can be very vocal about wanting that type of attention. He is happiest being near us and explores every crevice, open door and bag he can find. He is strong, and while there may be a bit of residual scarring from his injury, he compensates for it well. He has a very upright and proud walk and is a lover.

Weezer @ 4 1/2 weeks

Weezer (named for the Shirley MacLaine character in Steel Magnolias)

Her name was simply RUNT when we got her, and her ribs were showing because she was always pushed away at feeding time. The universal donor’s milk (goat’s milk) and as much bottle feeding as she wanted, and she started to thrive in a matter of two days. Now she is an unstoppable force, who runs faster than any of the other pups, and is more determined to have her say. She will always be a small dog in comparison to Frankie and Johnny, but she has a very sweet disposition, loves to play and demands that you hold her so she can snuggle down to nap. She is a cuddler who is always squeezing in between the other pups, or knocking them over to say ‘let’s play!’. She is very taken with our pit Yaya and is constantly running up to her and pouncing. Oh yes, and she is faster than a speeding bullet!

Frankie @ 4 1/2 weeks

Frankie
(named for the ballad Frankie & Johnny)

Frankie is the surprise, she is a big pup, with lots of strength and very attentive to everything going on around her. She watches us and often I will find her sitting at my feet, waiting for a cue to let her know what is expected from her. She is a very playful and happy go lucky type of girl who loves her food and toys with equal passion.

She is a brave little soul who will make a great companion and appears to be very athletic. She loves to stay up past her naptime and is on the more active side. Definitely a keeper…….

Johnny @ 4 1/2 weeks

Johnny (named for the ballad Frankie & Johnny)

If you are looking for a sweet, big lug who adores you this is your guy. He is very playful and loves to get into things, but when you call him he halts whatever he is doing and comes running! He loves to cuddle and wants to be with his people.

He is the little soulful guy who is very comfortable in his own surroundings but can be a bit shy and timid in unfamiliar places. We are working on exposing him to a lot of different elements right now. He is also intrigued by Mr. Kitty and does not understand why Mr. Kitty won’t play with him yet.

A special thanks to the following raw food companies who have contributed to the feeding of these pups: Answers Pet Food, Bravo Raw Diets, Stella & Chewy’s, and Ziwipeak. All the pups know their names, come when called, and are learning paper training.

In mid-June I was privileged to work as an EARS volunteer in Point Pleasant, West Virginia in the service of 49 horses, mules and donkeys. HSUS asked for UAN volunteers to help temporarily shelter these animals as part of an animal cruelty case.

It had been years since I had worked around horses on a daily basis and I had forgotten the primal emotions I always experience when around them. I had always felt a kinship with them that was different from any other species. I was amazed at how quickly I adapted to working with them again, my ‘horse sense’ had lain dormant but returned immediately when working on the Fairgrounds daily.

Temporary sheltering is a very hard and gratifying experience. Many of the workdays stretch into double shifts, and with larger animals there are multiple rounds of feeding, watering and mucking. The days are long and the work physically hard, but most of all, the day to day gratification in seeing these animals improve with proper vet care, dental care, and basics like food and water. Even the most fractious animals start to improve in behavior, temperament and physical condition.

As of July 2, 2010 twenty-one of the horses were transported to Maryland to await adoption to their new homes. I was fortunate enough to see Sara Varsa of HSUS yesterday and she said the horses are doing very well and continuing to improve. Resilience, that is key and the caring and thoughtful consideration of the numerous volunteers and donors that make rescues like this happen.

Horses have been with us throughout the centuries, and continue to work along side us today, in the fields, as police and military , as companion animals, sport, and yet we have people in our society who are capable of such extreme neglect without thought of the service these animals give with their hearts, bodies and minds.