I wonder. . . .

Michael Vick raised, fought, tortured, brutalized and killed pit bulls. He was arrested, tried, convicted and sent to prison for 23 months. He was released from prison, given a second chance to play professional football and the Humane Society of the United States did their best to white wash his actions.

I've never read or heard anything from any of his interviews suggesting he understands why what he did was wrong and why his behavior was so abhorrent. Recently he indicated that he wanted a dog and that a lifetime ban on pet ownership was not fair to his children. . . .what would he tell them? How could he explain this to them?

Well, he could tell them that at one point in his life, Daddy raised, fought, tortured, brutalized and killed pit bulls. He  could say Daddy was arrested, tried, convicted and sent to prison for 23 months.  As part of his sentence, he forfeited the right to own a dog for the rest of his life.  He could tell them that sometimes, even when you say you are sorry, even if you are sorry, even if you go to prison to pay your debt to society, the harm that you caused can be so great and so damaging that the impact lasts a lifetime.

I wonder why it doesn't occur to Michael Vick to simply tell his children the truth. . . . .

What's happening with the Spoiled Royals this week:

The Spoiled Royals  are sending birthday wishes to two of their Aunts. Elizabeth, who rescues German Shepherds had a birthday over the weekend and Carol whose birthday coincided with Martin Luther King day and resulted in her having her birthday off!

Moving right along, Sweetie and Gaylin were outside earlier playing in the snow. Their little feet were cold so they came inside after just a few minutes.

 Gaylin nestled into my jammies and took a nap on our bed earlier today. Isn't he the cutest little guy?

Sweetie, Punkin, Prince and Oscar jumped on the love seat and took a nap with their dad over the weekend. They are great little nap buddies.




Done for the day, stop back later in the week to see what the SR's are up to.



Laughs & naps

Around our house, it's very important to have a treat jar handy.  This one is on the sun porch. When someone actually potties outside, their treat is immediate. Maybe someday some of our mill dogs will "get it!"

Oscar and Gaylin thought it would be nice to try to grab a little sunshine while they napped. They love hopping on the back of the sofa and taking a nap. It also lets them look outside so they can keep an eye on the street outside our home. LOL

A gift from our youngest daughter Heidi. It's funny but oh so true! Here's a tip, buy stock in those sticky rollers, we go through them like candy!

Another Heidi gift. . . . yes, she is a happy and funny young lady. The dogs all love her too.

Nicki loves curling up on the sofa with her foster dad.

Do you think we need a larger sofa? Oscar, Gaylin, Nicki, Sweetie & Jim all conked out.

This gives you an idea of what it's like, "Goin' to the Dogs" at our place.

I want to save a rescue dog. . . .

I'm on several email lists that discuss various topics in rescue. Groups of strangers across the country join together to share thoughts, ideas, and suggestions to help pets in need. There are email lists that deal specifically with fundraising ideas, others that help transport pets from one end of the country to the other. Animal lovers share food recipes, medical information, and shoulders to cry on. Whatever your question, someone, somewhere on an email list can help.

For me, one of the challenges of finding a forever home for a foster dog is dealing with the applicants who are not the best choice for that particular dog. A rescue takes dogs into their hearts because the dog came from a sub-standard kennel or they were strays fending for themselves. Perhaps they were surrendered by an owner who could no longer afford their care or they had been tied outside for years. Or, their beloved owner could have died and they have no place to go. Most dogs in rescue have had a difficult time at some point and we want the rest of their lives to be better. For my fosters, I want the adopted home to be a great fit for both the adopters and the foster because I want the foster to be safe, loved and happy. Finding that home is often a process- kinda like the saying "you've got to kiss a lot of frogs before you find Prince Charming."

The poem below was emailed on one of my dog lists and included permission to share.  I've never met Marti Hough, the author of the poem, but I think we are sisters of the heart. . . .

I Want to Save a Rescue Dog

I want to save a rescue dog that no one else would pick.
But please... I couldn't handle one that was too old...or sick.


I want a dog with fluffy hair that's silky to the touch;
A dog I wouldn't have to groom (the work would be too much!).

My allergies are bad, and so the dog must never shed
or jump up on my velvet couch or sleep with me in bed.

The size is not important, but the dog can't be too tall.
And while I'm not being choosy, I'd prefer he not be small.

Cute and cuddly, sweet and smart and one who doesn't chew.
Of course he must be housebroken (my carpeting is new).

A dog who's quiet in his crate (I work twelve hours a day);
A dog who isn't hyper, and yet one who likes to play.

Of course all vetting must be done (it's easier for me).
And I don't want to pay a lot for an "adoption fee".

Ah, yes...it truly warms my heart to save a dog in need.
I'll pick a dog that no one wants: a noble choice indeed!


A dog that no one else could love: a homeless dog that's needy....
I only wish those rescues weren't so fussy--and so greedy!

Marti Hough
One Starfish Rehoming Connections
www.onestarfish.petfinder.com

30796 - the dog in the back room

I wrote the blog below on December 22, 2008 for a group I used to work with. Sadly in the 2 years since this was written little had changed for the thousands of dogs who are still suffering in sub-standard kennels in Ohio. 30796, the dog in the story below, could be Mason, Prince, Oscar, Holly, Punkin, Myla or Callie - they all came from sub-standard kennels and anyone of them could be the dog below:


Hello, is anyone there? I thought I heard someone, I guess not. I am so lonely. There are other dogs here but I am in a cage all by myself in a back room in this building. There are no windows so I cannot see very much. I do not know if it is day or night but it is dark and cold. There are cracks in the walls and the snow and wind are blowing. I'm so cold I cannot stop shivering.

I'm hungry and thirsty, it has been a long time since The Man came in here. He put water in my dish but it froze before I could get enough to drink. He threw some hard, dry food in my bowl and his hand hurt me when I went to get a drink of water. I don't like hands - they hurt. After The Man left, I ate some food. It hurt my mouth. I heard someone say that my teeth are abscessed, I'm not sure what that is, but I know when I put something in my mouth it hurts.

Everything hurts me. My eyes are so sore and my hair sticks to the corners when the runny stuff comes out. My ears ache and smelly stuff oozes from them and mats the hair together. It hurts. When I try to move to get comfortable, the hair on my belly and neck and legs is all one big, huge mat and it pulls and hurts really bad. I am so cold and hungry and thirsty and I hurt.

I heard the children talking the other day. They were playing in the snow and talking about something called Christmas. They are very excited about Santa Claus. Apparently, this Santa Claus person checks to see if the children were naughty or nice and then he brings them many presents. They make a wish list and if they were nice, Santa fills it.

Later, I heard The Man and The Woman talking and they said that my puppies all sold at the pet store so Santa would be very good to the children this year. Is that you Santa? Can you hear me? Do you care about dogs? Just in case you do, I'm going to send you my wish list:

I wish for a home, a real one, where I can live inside and have food to eat every day and where there is always fresh water (the kind that is not frozen please.)

I wish for a human with a soft voice and a soft touch to love me. Just me. I wish for them to talk to me softly, to love me gently and to protect me from The Man and The Woman.

I wish for a bath and I wish for my hair to be brushed so that it flows pretty like the dogs in the pictures. I wish to be clean and mat free.

I wish to go to the veterinarian and get my teeth fixed. I wish that my mouth would stop hurting, my eyes would stop seeping, and my ears would no longer cause me pain.

I wish to be warm in the winter and cool in the summer with no fleas or ticks or parasites or heart worms to bother me.

I have a lifetime of love I've been saving to give a human, so yes please, I wish for my very own human. I want to give them nose licks and kisses, I want to protect them from strangers and alert them if a leaf falls in the yard. I want to welcome them when they come home every day. I want to share their life in good times and bad and I want to show them how special they are and make sure they know they are the best person in the whole wide world.

I wish for my own name, I think I would like to be called Angela.

Please Santa; take me away from this cold, dark place. I'm a good lilttle dog and I have so much to give, please help me. I'm so very, very cold.

Thank you for considering my wish list,

30796 - the dog in the back room

Nicky is being fostered in Ohio and is looking for a forever home. . . .

Nicky was dumped in the country in Mechanicsburg, Ohio. The daughter of the man who found her is a vet tech at a local veterinarian's office and called asking if we could help her, as all the local rescues were over flowing and no one had room. Just a Touch Rescue out of Rhode Island said they would take her into their group if I could foster her so this little silky came to Camp Spoiled Royals. 

Nicky was brought up to date with her vaccinations, spayed and put on heartworm preventative (all her blood work looks great and the vet thinks she's probably about 2 years old.) She is a playing fool! Nicky gets all the dogs here playing with her from our geriactic Tucker to our pissy, self-important Gaylin.

If you are looking to adopt a Silky Terrier and Nicky appeals to you, feel free to submit an application on the Just a Touch Rescue web site http://justatouchrescue.com/JATR/Adoption_Application.html.

Nicky needs at least one other dog to play with (non-negotiable) and she needs a fenced yard.  She was clearly abused in a past home so a patient, soft spoken, loving caretaker is needed to help her understand that she won't be hit and she won't be yelled at but that she will be loved.  She truly is a precious, lovely little dog who is going to make someone a wonderful companion!

Joey - from KY to MI to OH to KY to TN to KY to OH - he's home for good!

Joey started his life in Kentucky as a much loved little Maltese. Sadly, he developed several expensive medical conditions that stretched his original owner's budget to the breaking point. Joey had severe allergies which resulted in horrific ear infections and terrible skin infections. He was often hospitalized for one condition or the other and of course there were allergy tests, medications, monthly shots, prescription dog food, antibiotics for skin and ears - never ending expenses that sometimes ran several hundred dollars a month. Then he developed Cushings Disease and that medication, along with his continuing allergy issues, broke the bank. As much as his owner loved him, she could no longer afford his medical care. Kentucky is a poor state - a dog with expensive medical conditions had very little chance of being adopted so his owner advertised him on the internet and hoped to find a good home for him.

A rescue friend in Michigan read the internet advertisement and offered to take him.  Joey moved to Michigan and shared his new home with twenty or so other dogs. He was well cared for and quite happy for a year or so until a situation occured requiring Joey's new owner to downsize the number of dogs in her home.

Joey came here for a month or so while another rescue made room for him. He was a cute little guy who did a lot of "growly talking." It sounded like he was growling but when we watched the other dogs, they never reacted - apparently he was just a "growly talker." He did need to be muzzled in order to clean his ears or snip his toenails. We figured with all the ear infections his ears probably were painful and we knew his allergies made his feet sore. Anyway, a rescue friend in Kentucky helped transport him from Ohio to TN to his foster home.

He was in TN for a couple of months when we received a call telling us his foster mom said he was aggressive, had bitten both her and her husband and that he was not adoptable. There was talk of euthanizing him. We've worked with aggressive dogs before so I asked to have him sent back and once again our KY buddy helped get him from TN to Ohio. (Thank you Jeanie.)

Anyway, Joey did come back to OH and he is now a permanent Spoiled Royal. We think his growly talk may have intimidated his foster parents and perhaps they reacted to it.  I'm really not sure.  I suspect that it may simply be the case that Joey was supposed to be our dog and things were going to happen until he came back here.  He's here to stay, he no longer needs muzzled to clip his nails or clean his ears.  He still does his "growly talk" and we just chuckle at it.  We know he is saying "I'm home and I'm the last Spoiled Royal!"