Where I Wasn't Looking

Sometimes you're looking one place and out of the corner of your eye you see something. So you turn, and there's this face.... unexpected... with sad eyes so clear and pure it's like they are staring straight into your soul.

Seeking Meaning?

Do you feel there's little meaning to your life?



Contact your local Animal Shelter and find out how you can volunteer or help. You can make a difference.

Little Fluff

Here is just one one example of what you can find at a shelter!
There are lots of Maltese at the Lancaster shelter. All ages and sizes...



Ooooh!!!! Purebred Maltese baby! Well, maybe a mix... but looks purebred!!! This dog did get adopted, but there are always more just like this one that end up in the shelter system...

Desperate

Running Out of Time writes:

It saddens me to have to put a post up like this, but after much consideration, I have to do what is best for my family. I need to rehome my husband, as him and the dog do not get along. My husband has tried to get along with the dog, but it's just not happening any time soon.

Therefore, I have had to make the toughest decision of my life and I am asking someone to help me rehome my husband, because there is no way I am letting my dog go.

He is basically a good husband, he sleeps all day, the only time he bothers you is when he cant find the remote control. He will come with his dirty magazines, his tools, his own beer mug and a brand new pack of wife beater tank tops. He also comes with his own dog house where he spends a fair bit of time due to his bad manners.

We will miss him. This is not easy for me.

Pls respond by telling me a bit about yourself and your family, and why you think this useless man who no animal can get along with would be a good fit for your home. I can drop him off at your place anytime. Must go within one week, or I will have to take him to a homeless shelter. Pls respond by telling me a little bit about yourself, and what type of home you will be providing.

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

Response to post:

Hi Running out of Time,

Is there an adoption fee for your husband or is he free? Is he neutered? Is he housetrained? Does he obey commands?
If so, I might have someone who would love to meet him.
Give your dog a hug from me.

C.

Bag of Food Tied to Him

Did you hear that noise just now?
It was a piece of my heart crashing to the floor
Rest in Peace Sweet boy...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was at the shelter when this guy came in.

FRIENDLIEST GUY ON THE PLANET!!!!

His tail was wagging and he seemed to love everyone, and seemed to want to connect with every person he saw.... Just a gentle guy. Amazingly relaxed, and well-adjusted. I imagine he was probably well loved at one time... or just has a naturally great disposition...



He was found on the streets with a bag of food tied to him.



Impound Number: A4040908
Impound Date: 10/2/2009
Euthanisia Date 10/10/2009
Sex Male
Primary Breed: SHEPHERD
Age: 7 Years and 0 Months
Location: Heaven

The Story of Lucy and Ethel

Lucy and Ethel had been together their whole lives.

Two old ladies who can hardly believe they've made it to the ripe old age of 10. Where did all the years go? Of course, for you and I this is not old, but for a dog it's almost forever. It's almost a lifetime. Lucy and Ethel can't understand why their bodies have been slowing down as time passes more quicky, and how life ever became a small kennel and a concrete floor.

Slowly they've been losing everything.

First it was the speed and strength in their bodies.... ever so slightly, a gradual thing barely noticed. Next it was the clearness in their eyes... slowly filling with clouds and dreams. And then it was the person. And this is the loss that hurt the most. They still remember the voice, and the arms, and the words. And the exact moment their person left for good, and they wonder... will he come back for us?

Lucy and Ethel would look for each other because it's all they had left. All that was familar. They held onto moments... which were shorter then they realized. Even though they seemed to sense time was almost up... that they had been there too long, and the person wasn't coming back. Little by little dogs would disappear. They already knew that sometimes loss never ends, and the next thing they would lose would be each other.

One day Lucy was gone.

Ethel looked for her. And that night she laid on the concrete floor, and wondered why everything disappears. The next day someone came. They didn't pass by her cage . The door opened, they touched her fur and spoke warmly, and then they walked outside of the shelter and left....

Between Here and Heaven

A little blind, a little
arthritic...

She'd rather sit in your lap and avoid a walk. No dog parks. No play dates.... just quiet, and gentle moments left. There was a time when she was lovely, and her owner proudly displayed her like rare china. But now she's old, her fur sparse, skin rough and thickened like the hide of an elephant.

Someone with a kind heart saw her wizened little face and just wanted her to have more time and a loving home for the last moments of her life. The person offered to take her if no one else would. When I called to check I was told the little dog was scheduled for euthanasia. They couldn't find her. After searching, she was found. So I asked the supervisor to please hold her. He put in an IP for me, I said I'd pick her up the next day... There was a home that wanted her.... someone was interested... someone cared....

I planned to pick her up after work.... at around 3:00. I had everything ready.... I had pulled out the small crate, and picked out a little blanket. It was one of my softest.... pink with little black puppy paws.... I figured pink for a little girl. At noon her new mom-to-becalled to check on her. She was told that she had been euthanized.

So now I'm holding this little blanket to my face and I can't stop crying. I know it sounds silly. Some people would say it's only a dog, and it's only a little old dog at that... she would have died anyway....

But she still had time, and someone that would have loved her until the very end.



Impound No: A4023240
Impound Date: 8/21/2009
Euthanized: 9/2/2009
Sex: Female
Primary Breed: YORKSHIRE TERR
Age: 12 Years, 0 Months
Location: Heaven

Dalmation tries to Steal Vehicle

Dalmation Beauty Attempts Shelter Break
________________________
By Ima Chi
Reporting from Kern County
August 8, 2009
________________________

In this sleepy little farming community, shelter personnel said that there didn't seem to be anything particularly unusual about the attractive Dalmation nicknamed "Spot" who had been brought into the shelter earlier that day. "We didn't notice anything funny about her," said one officer who wished to remain anonymous. "She was quiet and well-behaved. Seemed to take a big interest in the ham sandwich I was eating, but other then that she seemed like a nice girl."

So, little did they suspect the pandemonim that this brillant little beauty was about to unleash...

According to canine sources who observed the scene, when the officer strode over to his desk to answer a phone call, Spot stealthy unclasped the pink rhinestone leash she had been wearing. Next, she quietly picked up the keys to the Shelter's vehicle, and then sprinted out of the building. Reportedly, the officer had left the vehicle's door open, so Spot leaped in. As she was pawing the keys to find the one that would fit in the ignition, she barked out to the dogs in the back "Hang on hounds, we're busting outta this joint!!!"

But before Spot could get the key into the ignition, officers surrounded the vehicle and shouted, "Paws in the air!" Upon hearing this Spot, who obviously had a background in obedience, quickly dropped the keys and looked sadly at the officers. Caught red pawed, this booking photo was taken. This lovely girl currently waits for someone to post bail, and take her home.

Help!!! SOS! SOS!

HELP!!!!! I'm in some weird office.
I've found a computer here and have been
trying to contact anyone to help me...
but I need someone to "spring me"
from this place. Please come and get me!!!!

Here's a photo of me and information
on where you can find me.



HOPI - ID#A001293
My name is HOPI.
I am a female, white and black Rat Terrier.
(what they forgot to add is I'm extremely smart
and would make a good computer buddy!)

The shelter thinks I am about 6 months old.
I have been at the shelter since Jun 22, 2009.

Sad Senior ~ ADOPTED!!!!!

I'm sure about the "poor," and the "sad," and the "senior"....
but I'm not certain about the "purebred"....

But it doesn't matter because chances are no one cares.

I see a dog someone once loved, but who grew old so they decided he was no longer worth keeping. Maybe his eyesight is gone, or in senility he started soiling the carpet, or maybe he's ill so they decided his medication was too expensive.... I guess all those years he waited at the door for his owner to get home, with tail wagging and barks of excitement ... or those times when his owner was sad, and he stared in their face with soft liquid brown eyes, and licked their hand...

just wasn't enough....



Impound Number: A3970126
Impound Date: 5/9/2009
Sex: Male
Primary Breed: COCKER SPAN
Age: 16 Years and 0 Months

5/14: UPDATE!!!!!! Someone (an angel masquerading as a "stay-at-home mom") is going to adopt this senior, and another dog from the shelter. A volunteer contacted the shelter to arrange this, and will be picking the dogs up on Saturday and helping transport them to their new home. I want to extend a huge thanks to everyone who expressed interest in this senior dog.
There really are angels on Earth.

5/17 UPDATE!!!!! This message was sent to me:

Today my friend & I went to the Downey Shelter to bail out the infamous 16 y.o. Spaniel. I am happy to say that the rescue went very well and all the employees were very nice and helpful at the shelter. Everyone we spoke to there seemed to know which doggie we were picking up, and they were all very happy that Balin (that's his name!) was going to a good home to live out his twilight years in peace and comfort.

When Balin was brought out to me, I noticed one of his eyes was gunky and asked what was wrong. The shelter employee said, "Let's go to the clinic and find out" and we went there and the vet checked him out and showed me a growth on the inside of his upper eyelid. He said it's irritating his eye, cleaned the eye and gave me two tubes of ointment to put in his eyes and showed me how to apply it. He said the growth could probably be removed, but sometimes vets are hesitant to sedate an older dog, but it can be done. Otherwise, Balin had some arthritis that they treated with Rimadyl.

We left not only with Balin, but with a 3 y.o. lovely female Chihuahua mix who is just as sweet as can be. She immediately got very attached to my friend, watching his every move. Balin and the Chi girl were very happy to get sprung from the pokey!!
We made the long trip to the adopting mom's home. Neither Balin nor the Chi girl got car sick on the winding roads (although I got a bit queasy!!). After trying different positions, Balin got very comfortable and fell asleep. We arrived at Balin's new home. His new mom and her three (!) daughters are all beautiful and sweet. They were thrilled with the two new additions to their family, and Balin and the Chi girl were just as thrilled with their new family!! They had some water and explored their new digs. Balin got around just fine and made the rounds of his new home. One of the girls got out a brush and gently started to give him a much needed brushing, which he appreciated. His new mom said she would take Balin to the vet for a check-up and to look at his eye.

My friend and I had a great experience today, and it made us feel so good to save these two doggies. We want to thank this family for giving these dogs a good home and the care that they deserve...pics to follow :)

Just An Injured Dog

He was just a number, an injured Great Dane picked up and brought to the South LA Shelter. He was never viewed for adoption, not once, because his long front leg bone was disastrously broken and his eye was injured. The shelter figured that the damage to this big boy was too much, and so they euthanized him before I could pull him. He never had a chance, like so many in the shelter. Shelter dogs are dying so often these days that's its unbearable, and if there's a way for the universe to impart to this big boy that died alone, hurt, on a steel table that he was loved and that people were trying for him---I hope so much for that message to make it to him in his final home over the Rainbow Bridge.

If you know someone looking for a dog, PLEASE SEND THEM TO A SHELTER. There are puppies, furry little full breed lap dogs, big beautiful noble guard gods, and everything in between. There are no reasons to keep the breeders in business when they are the ones fueling the overpopulation issues. Please become, instead, a Backyard Activist by steering people in the right direction. If you took the time to read this you already are!!!

Comforting Canines & Friends

When my daughter was 9 she wanted to be a surfer, and asked if I would redecorate her room in a beach theme. So I bought some hula skirts, tied them together, and trimmed them down to create a "hula bed skirt." Then I found a bright, pink, and green comforter with a 50's style Hawaiian beach theme. It was quite unique and colorful. Her room looked great.

She had that comforter for many years, but eventually, she grew older and decided she wanted something different. So... I folded the comforter up, and put it in a bag with other old comforters, quilts, blankets and towels. These sat in my garage for awhile, but then about a year ago I decided to donate them to the shelter.

You are probably wondering why I am writing this...

Well... the other day I had some paperwork to drop off at the shelter (liscence renewals), and I decided to take a stroll through the shelter. As I was walking past one of the cages I had to stop. There it was! My daughter's comforter!!! It was draped on one of the dog cots, and laying on top was a dog who looked so cozy and comfortable I had to smile.

And I thought, this is a comforter that has truly been just that. For years it brought comfort to my daughter who used it to stay warm and dream though the night, and now these dogs at the shelter would have a chance to do the same. During their stay this blanket would bring them some extra warmth and comfort.... and I pray pleasant dreams...

So.... if you have any old blankets, comforters, or towels. And these can be worn out, stained, and even have holes. Please consider donating them to your local animal shelter. The animals there will appreciate the little bit of extra comfort that a bit of fabric, something soft, something warm... can bring.

About two years ago I visited an animal shelter for the very first time in my life. I remember feeling very uncomfortable. I didn't know what to expect. What kind of animals would be there? Would I feel overwhelmingly sad and break down crying? Would I find it impossible to leave without wanting to adopt every animal there?

Yes, I did have those feelings. There was a tight, twisty feeling in my stomach and a heavy sadness inside. But walking up to each cage and stopping, even for just a short time, to talk with the animals... well... it felt good. I could tell they appreciated it because they'd come up to the bars, seeking my face or hands, tail wagging... and even if it was just a few moments, and merely a handful of kind words, it was something small and reassuring... just a tiny piece of love.