Notes from a rescuer...
When considering giving
it is the time of the year to consider your blessings and what you have done for the past year, what you are going to do for the upcoming year.
When pondering these heavy thoughts, please remember ARF in your contemplations.
We are a struggling, young organization with very little support. Our current (today) rescues number over 70 and there are more out there needing our care. it costs us approximately $1,000 per week to keep the doors open and to tend to our current level of rescues. If we take in more, the cost goes up accordingly.
Donating to ARF is a tax deduction and the work that you will be supporting is very needed in our area. We are set up to take paypal funds or you can donate the old fashioned way by sending a check in the mail. Our board of directors makes no money from the work, we have two hourly employees and the rest goes to food, medical care and shelter. We are extremely frugal with our funds and greatly appreciate all donations.
Thank you for your support, we are very grateful for the support we receive as are our rescues.
R. I. P. Martin
one of our rescues came to us at our home, he wasn't exactly a rescue, but a reverse adoption.
Martin was an older cat when I moved to my home in the 1980's. he lived next door to us and spent many days on my porch eating with my cats.
you see, martin was overweight, clocking in at a whopping 33 pounds. the neighbors had rescued this scrawny, half dead kitten from the coast and he never quite got over being half starved. Martin LOVED to eat. and eat. and eat. so, when his weight hit 33 they put him on a diet.
not to be detoured from his quest for a full belly, he just trotted to our porch and ate with my cats. my cats didn't argue with him. who is going to argue with a 33 pound cat?
about 5 years ago, the neighbors moved to the country and asked us if martin could stay with us. he was older and they thought he would be happier staying where he knew. We agreed and martin moved in with us.
shortly thereafter, martin was diagnosed with
fibroid sarcoma. he developed a huge mass on his side. we had it removed and hoped it wouldn't return. It did return, several times over. This summer when it returned, he was also diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, diabetes and a thyroid condition. we knew it was just a matter of time, and just wanted to keep him comfortable and happy until it became decision time. The mass returned quickly this time, we were pretty sure that this was the last time we could remove it.
but martin kept his personality, never missing an opportunity to chase a butterfly or stalk a squirrel. last
thursday morning he was stalking some particularly interesting butterflies out in the front garden, content with his life in general. but I noticed that his tumor had opened up and was not looking good at all.
I scooped him up and took him to our handy dandy vet and asked if it were possible to try to remove the tumor once more. after all, if he were chasing butterflies and squirrels, he certainly wasn't in distress.
the vet agreed and performed the surgery. martin made it through the surgery but not the recovery. he just gently slipped away. a pretty good way to go, chasing butterflies one minute and going to sleep and gently crossing the river
jordan.
so. the handy dandy vet placed him in a casket for me to pick up. we were having a particularly busy day with work and I didn't have time to bury him. so, my wise husband suggested putting martin in the fridge until we could bury him. we never have much of anything in our fridge except some vaccines for dogs and cats, cream for coffee and maybe an old jar of jelly.
that night I went to a cooking school at The Everyday Gourmet taught by Robert St. John.
robert kept talking about his philosophy in life which included: food, family, friends and fun. he kept suggesting you invite a bunch of friends over, open the
refrigerator and have a party with what you have in there.
all I could think of was "I don't think my friends and family would like it if I tried to make a party with my dead cat".
when they get a forever family
rescue work is bitter sweet sometimes.
i so love the work and it makes my heart sing when one of our rescues gets adopted and joins a forever family. i love the feedback we get when they tell us of how well the pet is fitting within the family dynamic.
but i miss them all the same.
i bond with all our rescues, they love us and are joyful to be around us. when we enter the shelter, they are so happy to see us, they give us kisses and jump for joy upon our arrival and the attention we give them.
rescue animals know from whence they came. they remember what it was like out there on the streets, they know the difference between love/affection and disdain/indifference/anger. therefore, they truly love us.
but when they leave the shelter to go to a home, I would like to think that they miss me, even if they don't want to live in the shelter.
usually when they go from the shelter to a home, they won't bark for the first three weeks. studies suggest that is because they are not sure if they are in THEIR home for about that long, so they won't bark until they are comfortable with what they know is THEIR family and home.
this past weekend one of our rescues was adopted by a family who had adopted from us previously. they had adopted one of our waveland mississippi - hurricane rescue dogs. BUDDY. Buddy is a large silly black lab. he has been so very happy with them, but he wanted a playmate. they listened to him and came back to us to find him the perfect playmate. GIZMO won their heart.
so. gizmo left on saturday when i was out of the shelter. he spent the weekend getting to know them and understanding cats. he loves everyone; espicially the child and BUDDY. he follows buddy everywhere and is learning very quickly when and where they are allowed to play. which is everywhere.
ANYWAY. to make a long story longer.
he went in for his wellness check up we do for all our rescues on monday. I happened to be in the vets on monday and since i had not had a chance to tell him goodbye when he left the shelter I went to speak to him. he was resting comfortably in his cage and when I walked in and spoke his name he looked up, stood up and looked down at the ground.
I got him out of the cage expecting him to greet me happily as he had so many days in a row at the shelter. however, instead, his tail was down, and when I tried to hug and love on him he just started walking toward the door with his tail down.
THE DOG WAS THINKING I WAS TAKING HIM BACK TO THE SHELTER.
he had gotten comfortable in his home, he was happy there and i think that he thought that they had returned him and i was picking him up to take him back. I got a bit teary eyed, put him back in his cage and gave him one last kiss goodbye. told him i loved him and wanted him to have a fine life with his new family. i know he will, it is the perfect home for any pet.
last night I got an email, he was so happy to be back home, he barked happily.
our URGENT NEED
was met.
the little dog who we named Sophie was adopted to a GREAT, FABULOUS family. she was one of the most wonderful dogs we have ever rescued and was one that had I not had too many already I would have kept her. she was just that special.
all our rescues are fabulous and wonderful, but some just touch a deeper part of your heart. different people are touched by different characteristics and are whatever it was that touches my family - she had it.
she is now happy in her new home and doing what a new dog or cat does when it finds it's forever home. loving every minute of it.
we still have over 80 urgent needs in that all our babies need homes, because as a no-kill shelter if they don't find homes, we can't take in more until that pen is opened through another great adoption.
we are now doing adoption days at the RAINBOW WHOLE FOODS GROCERY at the intersection of Lakeland Drive and Old Canton Road in Jackson (for locals reading my blog). and will be there at least one saturday a month with companion animals (dogs and cats and the occasional pot bellied pig or other odd man out) ready for new homes.
we don't do same day adoptions in order to not do impulse adoptions and in order to have time to do our checks on the applications. but if you are in the market for a new family member, please come join us and check out our rescues needing a new home outside of the shelter.
we are having a gold tournament on November 13th if you play golf. the proceeds go to a great cause (US) and the weather is fabulous for golf. come play and help the animals.
donations are always gleefully accepted in that we REALLY REALLY NEED THEM. so if you wish to donate, go to the "donation button" found all over the site.
thanks
e
