Non Profit Animal Rescues…. definition of no kill

My thoughts, all lives matter and all lives deserve the chance to have the life that was intended for them.  Clifford’s Army Rescue has been around for about 8 plus years now.  We have pulled some dogs with many different issues but we took the responsibility to take care of them and that is what we do.

One of the first long timers we had was Noble. Noble came to us on his last day he would have lived at the local county shelter.  A gorgeous boy, who went into foster,  where he did not fair very well.  He had a bit of a prey drive and got a chicken and a cat.  He was deemed by the foster as aggressive toward others and he went into rescue boarding where he stayed for about a year.  He then came to my house, where he was taken care of, loved as much as I had time for, which was not near what he deserved , my house was full at the time, but he still flourished.   By year two, Noble had no interest that we would approve to adopt him.  Are we picky? Well define that, a dog that came out of who knows what type of living environment. Yes, we are picky.  We do an application, we do an interview, we do a home visit, vet and reference checks.  We discuss any and all issues the dog may have to make sure the home and family are a good fit.   Around the two and a half year mark, Noble and myself along with a friend and their dog were taking walks on the trails and I was trying to figure out just how to get this boy a home, he so deserved it.

Out of the blue came the application.  It was perfect.  The couple came and met Noble.  Love at first sight.  Noble hung in there waiting for his forever home through foster, boarding, foster, and hit the jack pot!   His mom tucks him in every night.  His dad takes him hiking.  He loves other dogs, kids, everyone ( well except the chickens, they are kept separate )  Yes they even have chickens and worked it out for Noble not to be able to get to the chickens.   He is loved beyond compare and lives such a wonderful life.  Was it worth the wait?  Yes!  You can look at the photos, you can see the love!  Noble( who now has another name) is so so very happy and he has many years to enjoy himself with his human parents.

Next there is Harlow.  Harlow was at the local county shelter, demodex mange, secondary infections, and so anxious he was chasing his tail and actually bit a piece off.   We got him out, and he had so much anxiety we had no clue what to do, but we researched, we talked to our vet, we worked with him.  If you crated him, he would get super anxious. If you left him he would go round and round and would be soaking wet from licking himself.   I fostered for awhile but I was working long hours then, and when one of our awesome fosters, who also had kids that Harlow loved came open, she took on Harlow.   Harlow shined at his foster home, waking the kids up, helping with foster pups, he still had some separation issues, but he was happy and things were better.   He got adopted, he got returned.  The adopters had a camera on him and could not understand his anxiety.  ( Harlow might have had a bed or two explode, but he never damaged anything in the house, only ran in circles)  He went back to his foster family and I really think they were not sure if he would ever find his forever family.

And then here it came.  The perfect fit.  The family who had dealt with a similar dog that chewed on herself when left alone.  Another that was very food aggressive with the kids.  They dealt with some major issues and they fell in love with Harlow.  Harlow’s human mom is home most times so he is not left alone much at all.  They had already consulted a behaviorist to help them with him.  Harlow is living with his human parents and two human siblings and is very happy.   Four years after pulling from AC, Harlow is finally home.

Did we ever ever think of euthanizing either of these two boys or any of the other dogs we have had for extended times?  The answer is a resounding no.  The dogs were healthy and like humans suffered from some issues that could be treated and dealt with.  They could be loved by compassionate people until the right family came along.  Sometimes the situation is not the most perfect, sometimes they may be in boarding for awhile but you make their lives the best you can, you go the extra mile to keep working with them, loving on them, and hunting that family that is for them alone.  Some say boarding is terrible. While I would much rather our dogs be in a family setting, we make sure the ones we have in boarding, we go walk, we interact, play with them, take to events, to the parks, the trails.   We get a trainer when needed.  Its about saving lives, not killing them.

We took Kaleb from a DOT supevisor after found in a ditch.  Both legs broken, hip messed up.  7K just to fix that not counting the other vetting he needed.  We raised close to 10K for this boy and he now walks, runs, plays and is thriving, still in a foster home.   He is with one of our fosters who is also a trainer as he has some cattle dog in him and he would nip a tad too hard.   Now he is good, and his home is out there and we will find it.   ( and he will be adopted out for the same adoption fee we have for all dogs) Again its about finding them the right home.  Its about saving lives.

Do we ever have to make that horrible decision to euthanize?  Yes we do, but look at the definition of euthanize.  To kill painlessly to relieve suffering from an incurable illness.  To kill painlessly when there is irremediable suffering.   Unfortunately that decision had to be made just this week but we did all we could to give a sweet boy a chance.   The boy had been at our vets three weeks prior with his owners and had to have a corn cob removed out of his large intestines.   When brought back, owners did not have funds for more surgery, the dog had lost tons of weight, and was very sick, throwing up, and without surgery, the only option was euthanasia.  Thanks to a very generous donor, we were able to try to help this sweet boy.  I actually was able ( thanks to our awesome vets) and watch the surgery.   Before it was over  three vets were trying everything they could think of, but at the end of the day, the boy would barely have any small intestines, his small intestines had went into his large intestines, and there was not enough due to the previous surgery to be able to fix it.  He had a intussusception .  He would have suffered terribly if they had even tried, never being able to digest his food, running straight through him, ( he was already 20 plus pounds underweight).  All three vets said if he were their dog, they would let him go as he would suffer daily and there was no way to fix it.  We did the humane thing, and let him go.

As a non profit rescue we will never give up on a healthy animal, nor we let one that is suffering irremediably, continue to suffer.    When one puts down healthy animals it is killing not euthanizing.

It should never be about an adoption fee, or making more profit, or having the most adoptable dogs.  Rescue is about saving those that others may not give a chance.  Rescue is saving the abandoned, the sick, the injured and showing true compassion to help them.  Rescue is knowing that all lives truly do matter.

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GILES… FRIGHTENED TO FANTASTIC

I am not sure I can put into words this rescue story.   Giles has come so very far and he is still on his journey but it is one truly worth sharing.  We got a message that there was a dog at our local open intake county run facility that was completely feral and literally climbing the walls.  We also heard that he would not make it out alive.  Then came the picture from AC in his kennel. Standing in the corner, with fear in his eyes.  All we saw was fear.    The picture is the type that pulls at your heart, that makes you know you have to help.  It did not matter if we had funds, or how we would do it, we just had to do it.

The next day, I went to visit this boy.  He was literally trying to climb the walls to escape from everyone.  I asked the employees to leave me alone with him to see if I could get him to trust me and get him out.   The first 45 minutes, he would not respond to me at all.  Check the next picture of him curled in the corner, trying to go through the wall, and notice uneaten hot dogs in front of him

Then he began to finally eat the hot dogs.    Dogs seem to go into fight or flight mode, and Giles had been in the flight mode but had no where to go.  When he was not eating the hot dogs, I knew he was still in flight mode and no way I would get through to him.    Working with fearful dogs I have learned that you ignore them, do not make eye contact, and let them come to you.  So sitting on the end of his kuranda bed, back to him, answering messages on my phone, sending emails, I sat.   Once he started eating, he came closer and closer and finally took a piece out of my hand.

You can still see the fear in his eyes in this video, but he finally decided he wanted the hot dogs.  I was so excited, only to hear the remark from the shelter was something to the effect, ” so he ate a hot dog”, and I was constantly reminded his stray hold would be up in 72 hours.  I focused on Giles, on his life, not the side drama, and the fact that some people do not understand that all lives truly do matter.  I visited daily to gain more and more trust.  I  went to Mickey D’s picking up chicken nuggets, sausage and egg biscuits,  making his food choices more appealing to where he would come to me.

We progressed.. he started eating out of my hand and I slowly started touching him under his chin when he would get his food. We began to bond, but if anyone came by the kennel, he would regress back to the corner.  The following two pictures show how his eyes and body changed when someone walked up on his kennel .

I spent five days working with him until we sprung him from the local shelter.  We then had a wonderful sponsor to help with his training and hired an awesome trainer, Dana Van Sickle, who taught me and Giles the wonders of Cream Cheese.   Giles will do anything for Cream Cheese and we have discovered many other dogs will too!  Dana worked with him and then I worked with him.   While he was not trusting of any stranger, with time spent, letting him decide to come to you, he made a couple new friends.    I think again the key is to not treat frightened dogs as if they are normal, everyday dogs.   The straight on, eye to eye contact, the come her boy, etc.  does not work.   Sitting down with back and/or sideways, no eye to eye, pretty much ignoring and letting him decide the food is high value enough to come to you.  Another great thing I learned is to toss a treat back so he could go back and have his space for a few and then bring him back up to me.

We progressed as Dana got his collar and leash on him.

Giles became better and better with us.  He met more friends.  And then the day came when I came by the kennels and did not know Dana was outside with him.   Once he saw me, here he came.  The following video shows how much this boy can love!

Giles still has work.  We are starting to take him outside his comfort zone in small increments.  Walking trails when the trails aren’t super busy.  Meeting new people slowly.  This sweet sweet boy who was frightened to death at the shelter, now only wants to please and love.    Just check out the last video we took.

While this story is already on the way to a happy ending.  Giles escaped death at the shelter, he has escaped much of his fears, and he is a happy  boy who loves us.  Now on to finding his forever home.  Once that is accomplished his story will be complete.

This should teach everyone that truly all lives do matter.  He was scheduled to be killed as soon as his hold was up, but he survived and he will continue to thrive.

He is currently with me at my home and we are working on more and more of his socialization skills.    He is a wonderful happy boy and I am hopeful he will continue to accept more and more people into his life.

 

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3 minutes of your time

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Animal Advocacy & Social Media, the good, the bad and the ugly

 

Being involved ( and founding) a rescue for almost nine years now, I have learned a lot, but realize there is always more to learn.   I make an effort to read articles from reputable sources, listen to reputable trainers, ask advice from those who have been doing this much longer than myself and arm myself with facts, figures, and truthful information.

Social media is an awesome way to get people involved, let people know the truth, connect with people who share your same passion, and in the case of animal rescue connect with new rescue partners, new volunteers, new fosters, supporters, and donors.   Because of social media and animal rescue, I have met some really awesome people from all over the world.  I feel honored to have friends in the Netherlands, England, Ireland, along with the USA and Canada.  ( and yes some of us have even met in person)  We share a common bond of saving lives.  We are passionate about our mission and we speak up for those with no voice.

My philosophy is simple.  Find the issues and/or problems, and get them fixed.  I don’t expect to sit back and let everyone else do the work.  I will ( and have) worked to help fix many many problems.  When one does not get answers, or when things continue down a bad path, then the public needs to be aware.  Not just to be commenting on social media, but to take a stand to fix the issues. To help fix the issues. To make sure it never happens again. To speak for those with NO VOICE, after all that is what animal advocacy is.

As a rescuer, I personally have went down 40 foot ravines to get a senior lost dog ( and the fire department had to chunk me a rope to get out while carrying the dog).  I have spent hours lying on the ground, through ditches, in the mud, whatever it took to save a life.  I have stopped in the road to keep animals from getting hit, and yes, I move turtles too ( but through education have learned to move them in the same direction they were going and as little as possible to get them safe)  One of my friends and fellow rescuers saved a falcon freeing from fishing wire and after he was still and let us unraffle it, watch him look at us before flying away.  We have trapped dogs, cats,  and even saved a 200 pound pig. ( we are a dog rescue).  Lives matter, every single one of them.  Once its in your blood its in your blood.

My point is the people who rescue and advocate do not do it for attention, for stirring the pot, for spreading ” fake news”  or just to sensationalize.  We do it for the animals. We do it because all lives matter.  When needing to reach people to help speak up, social media is a powerful tool.

We also do our research.  I do not ever make posts without facts.  For those of you who do not know, you may request and receive public records through the F.O.I.A. ( Freedom of Information Act).  I receive many many weekly reports and when I have questions, I request what information is needed to find the answers.

While social media is powerful and can be very helpful, but I would encourage people to not make comments like, ” fake news”, “why don’t you go volunteer”  or  ” how bout you go adopt”  just to name a few.   I don’t answer those comments because the posts we make are for the welfare of the animals, we have the facts or we would not have posted it, and if you are  in doubt, if you really care about the animals, you would and should either message us, or  ask for the information yourselves. The very people you make these remarks to many many times spend their lives saving animals, make sure they have the facts and are completely frustrated watching animals die.

Everyone should always remember, ” its about the animals”.   It is not about us.  Those very animals that have no voice, other than humans speaking up for them.   Those very animals that end up dead, tossed in a hole in a landfill through no fault of their own.

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How Many Times Have We Stayed Home Because We Can’t Take Our Four Legged Family?

IMPORTANT INFO IF YOUR DOG (CAT)  IS YOUR FAMILY!

Pet-Friendly Travel with Extended Stay America

As any animal lover knows, pets aren’t just pets, they’re family. When it’s time to take a family trip, it can be hard finding affordable and pet-friendly accommodations. Thankfully there are companies out there like  EXTENDED STAY AMERICA  that understand this love for pets and will welcome your cat or dog with open arms.

With over 600+ hotels across the U.S. that have pet friendly suites,  you can say ‘no’ to boarding fees and bring your family  on your next family vacation. Very  affordable rates, you can bring up to two pets per room, and service animals are even exempt from additional fees. That means no more worrying if your furry family member is being cared for correctly or if the stress of being gone might cause health issues. Instead, give yourself peace of mind and enjoy an experience with the ENTIRE family.

EXTENDED STAY AMERICA suites also have kitchens, so you can prepare  meals for your baby too!

One more thing, if you’re not sure how long your vacation should be, Extended Stay America offers weekly, biweekly and monthly rates.  Depending on your length of stay, you can save up to 31%!  

STAY MORE, SAVE MORE… click the link below to start planning your next trip with the entire family!

http://extendedstayamerica.7eer.net/c/1384477/285025/4500

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Fourth of July Info

Hello!
Fourth of July is an excited holiday, filled with fun, BBQ, and fireworks. However, what might seem like a good time for you could be a horrible time for pets.

Did You Know? More pets go missing on Fourth of July than any other holiday due to distracted pet owners and scary fireworks.
To help you enjoy your holiday while your pets stay safe, we wanted to offer top safety tips to follow…
  • Animals are drawn to the delicious smell of what’s on the BBQ as much as we are. Keep an eye on your pet and make sure you keep them away from matches, lighters, and BBQs to avoid fire hazards and burns.
  • Never leave alcoholic drinks unattended. Alcohol is very toxic to animals and their curiosity might get the best of them with an unattended drink.
  • If outdoors, make sure any sunscreen or insect repellent is safe for animal use before applying – not all are.
  • Don’t put glow products (i.e. sticks, necklaces, etc.) on your pet. Yes, these products aren’t highly toxic, but ingestion can result in excessive drooling and gastrointestinal irritation, and intestinal blockage could occur from swallowing large pieces of the plastic containers.
  • Regarding the main event: Fireworks
    • Keep animals away from all fireworks.
    • When going to a special Fourth of July event, keep your pet at home.
    • Give your pet a safe, quiet place inside the house for shelter. Putting the T.V. on or playing soothing music can help too.
  • In case your pet does get out without you knowing, make sure they have a collar on with your information and/or their chip information is up to date.
For helpful products like a Thundershirt or other calming aids, shop 1-800-PetMeds. Not only are they the affordable choice for pet medication and supplies, they also care about shelter animals and will give our shelter a generous donation when you shop through our special link.
In the end, while some animals do better with the festivities than others, it’s still a stressful time for your pet. Keeping the above tips and product options in mind will help alleviate any issues that might arise while you enjoy your time.
Happy Fourth of July!
Thank you,
Clifford’s Army Rescue
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Unchain Cleveland County

The above video is photos from different areas in Cleveland County.  The video is 4:45 long and we could have made one over an hour long.  That is truly how many photos we have of dogs in this condition in our area.

Above is reason after reason not to chain your dog.   Dogs are social and need to be with their humans.  So the next question seems to be, how many dogs will die if tethering is banned?      It’s a hard question to answer, but with a non profit, working with the people who really want to keep their dogs, having a resource to get fencing, ( and their dog vaccinated, altered, chipped), having supervised tethering for a short period of time ( those who may tether their dogs to go to the bathroom), and having ACO’s not go out and immediately take dogs, but talk to owners, give them options, and allow time to pursue those options,could not only eliminate the suffering these dogs are enduring, but also help with the unwanted animals being born by some of these dogs.   Also included in the plan should be good relationships with all rescues, so that if there is a time that an unusually large number of dogs would be scheduled to come in, rescues can be made aware, with all details, ahead of time.  That way a plan can be in place to get dogs out before the shelter is full.

Austin Texas, with a population as large as the whole state of Florida, one of the largest open intake shelters in the country, not only has a ban on tethering, but has  95 percent live release rate.

We need to educate our county on the horrors of chains and the reasons this is not healthy for the dogs.  We truly need to be the voice of the voiceless and help those who cannot help themselves.  Please do not profess your love of animals if you do not want to protect them.   While they may be “considered” property, they are living creatures who deserve to be treated as such.

Cleveland County speak up.  Now is the time.

Below is a video from Austin Texas Animal Services.  Also note this video is from six years ago. That is how long they have been protecting those with no voice.

 

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Mack & Grace

 

What happens when two sweet 8 year old dogs human father dies?  The story is all too familiar, with some not so happy endings.  In this case, the human grandmother is doing all she can to help them and reaching out to rescue to help take them in.

Mack & Grace two siblings raised together from pups. Eight years old and precious. Their human father died leaving them alone. Their human grandmother who is an amazing 82 year old lady, took them in, but the two were just more than she was able to handle. She took them to the vets, got their vaccines caught up, found out both were heart worm positive, (treatment has been started), and then found a very nice kennel/day care facility for them to stay at while hunting rescue. Why rescue you may say? Because these babies have had their world turned upside down and need rescue to make sure they are completely healthy before adopting, to vet the potential adopters to make sure they are going to provide a loving, compassionate home and take proper care of them for the rest of their lives, and to protect them until that home comes around. Please take a look at the video and check out how they went from being cautious to coming up to us. ( they weigh around 55 to 60 pounds, Grace is spayed, Mack is not neutered, Grace is the leader, obvious Mack follows her everywhere.)

We definitely would love to help these two especially after meeting them.   We currently have had some major medical expenses, along with getting more dogs ready for Bark and Heal in a new location, and keeping up with all our normal expenses.   We need your help now to be able to continue helping those with no voice, such as Mack and Grace.

 

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Can We PLEASE Do the Right Thing?

A few weeks back our local county run shelter took in several dogs from a hoarding situation. ( total around 30 including puppies)  I am now trying to figure out what in the world this person ( or people) were thinking? How did they think they were helping these dogs? How did they think it was right to let them live like this and to suffer like I am sure many did? ( these dogs were running loose, no vaccines, no one spay/neutered, no vet care at all and very little socialization. None were the least bit aggressive but all were very frightened and confused)

We got a call from the shelter stating that a nursing mom had rejected her puppies so as soon as we were able to that day, we went to check.  Asked immediately about the pups, we asked immediately about the mom.  We found mom in a kennel alone, huddled in the corner, scared to death.  The kennels were loud, lots of barking as the shelter was busting at the seams.  After a few minutes in the kennel with her, we got her moved to a more quiet spot and then brought her babies back to her.   We took the whole family ( as it should be) and a day later went back and got another dog from the hoarding situation.

We named the mom and litter Mae and the force (luke, hans, vader, chewy, and rey) .  Mae had already lost one pup ( that we know about) as the shelter had found one dead in pen that morning.  Rey was very frail and small and we were immediately worried about her.   Mae broke out in a severe upper respiratory infection, green running out her nose, sneezing, coughing, runny nose, horrible.  All went to the vets on a couple occasions, and unfortunately Rey did not make it.   Vader got sick next,  and was rushed to the ER where he spent several days, came home and ended up going back.  Vader had pneumonia, intestinal parasites, ( even though he had been dewormed) anemic, and coccidia .   This poor three week old pup was battling for his life.    Back to Mae, she was some better but not well, and the other dog we pulled, Vikki, also now had a terrible upper respiratory infection.   Luke got sick next, throwing up his milk.   He was taken to Carolina Veterinary Specialists where he remains.  Vader arrested at CVS and we lost another beautiful soul.

Vikki and Mae are both improving and getting much better.  Chewy and Hans are doing great so far too.  The pups are actually starting to eat food and milk blended up.  Luke is still in the hospital and we are hoping for good news today.

Dogs have suffered, have lost their lives, some have survived but if someone had simply had their dogs vaccinated and spay/neutered, those babies would not have went through what they did.  ( some paying the ultimate price of losing their lives) .   IF YOU CANNOT TAKE CARE OF THEM, don’t get them.  They are not able to take care of themselves.   STOP THE MADNESS!  having a dog is a responsibility!  Ask for help, if you are in over your head. Don’t let the dogs suffer because of your lack of compassion, caring and/or income.  People will help.

Rescues clean up where other people neglect.  Its not only emotionally hard.  The tears we shed for all those we lose, is unreal, the lives lost devastating.  The vet bills enough to bankrupt us.  Through all this, we continue to try to clean up where others fail.

So I will ask people again, if you cannot provide for them as they deserve, leave them be and lot those who can, do so.

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