|
Journeys, Ticks and Tails
Journeys, Ticks and Tails contains stories
and articles about the lives of people and animals. Whether
dealing with the loss of a pet, being reunited with one or
taking an animal from misery to bliss, we can learn from their
journey. "Ticks" are the wrong decisions we make, the pain of
errors in judgment or simply happenstance. "Tails" are their stories, often similar but
never identical. Our own journeys through life are filled with
experiences both good and bad. Hopefully we learn from them and
our animals lives are all the better because of it.
Monsoon, the cat with 9
lives
Some time ago, Anne Mueller and a friend of hers found a very skinny
and super-pregnant cat outside of Port of Call. Anne was not a huge
cat lover, having two 65+ pound dogs at home, but somehow her friend
convinced her to take in the thin cat.
Meeting Rusty
We met Rusty in January of 2008. A handsome, rust-colored rogue with
a deep bass ‘mrreow’, Rusty occupied one of the upper cages in the
cat room with a window view of the dog play yards and the busy
street beyond. When looking beyond the LA/SPCA walls, Rusty always
had this faraway look in his eyes as if waiting to explore the wide
outdoors.
THE STORY OF HERSHEY: A
Microchip is Important, but a Registered Microchip is Crucial
If you ever doubt the importance of microchipping, when you hear the
story of Hershey you’ll be a confirmed believer in the importance of
having proper identification on our furred friends at all times and
why microchipping can make all the difference in the world. On
October 6 of this year, a scrawny, very matted cocker spaniel
arrived at the LA/SPCA as a stray. Animal control officers had
responded to a call concerning a friendly dog that has been living
own its as a stray and was wandering around a Gentilly neighborhood.
When officers found the dog and brought her to the shelter, we
realized that she was not only alone and wandering, she was also
blind.
BLACKIE: THE MOST REMARKABLE
CREATURE I’VE EVER MET
Giving, devoted, comforting, and longtime companion – these are all
the qualities that are inherent with man’s best friend. But when you
encounter service dogs you’re taking all the qualities and elevating
it to the ninth degree. Service dogs play an amazing role in the
lives of their humans and ultimately define the human/animal bond.
But what do you make of a canine companion that is displaying all
the signs of a service dog but has never been trained as one,
especially one that arrived at an animal shelter as a traumatized
stray – his magical gifts unknown.
Mr. Duncan's Second Chance
From behind the chain link gate one hot humid day, I saw her prance
across the cement floor like a freshly groomed poodle in a show
rink. I sensed her confident air as she sashayed past me. Our eyes
met briefly. I fell in love with her at that instant! My abandoned
life now had renewed hope.
Tinkerbell and
Lacey - it so good to be home!
For
Hurricane Gustav, Melody Cashion and her 8-year old daughter
Sydney, participated in the City Assisted Evacuation Plan and
evacuated with their two Jack Russells, Tinkerbell and Lacey.
They were accompanying a disabled family friend, whose dog had
also been evacuated, and because they went to a special needs
shelter with her, they were separated from their dogs.
Tinkerbell and Lacey ended up at the LA/SPCA.
Bill's New Canadian Adventure
Jan Hannah works for the International Fund for Animal Welfare which
improves the welfare of wild and domestic animals throughout the
world. Jan, as an Emergency Responder, was deployed to New Orleans
during Hurricane Gustav to help with the pet pre- and
post-evacuation. While in New Orleans, Jan was sent to the LA/SPCA
to help prepare kennels and unload owned dogs at the LA/SPCA.
Tippy and Christopher,
together again
Tiparue, affectionately called Tippy by his family, is living proof
that a hurricane experience can change someone’s life and take one
on journeys both painful and bittersweet.
Hurricane Gustav Update from
Our CEO – Ana Zorrilla
(09/06/08) Starting in the early hours of yesterday morning, we
worked all night (quite literally) to receive and unload about
225 owned animals that were evacuated to Shreveport. It was so
nice to walk around and hear the sound of barking in our building
again!! After having worked all day to clean and prepare the shelter
for the animals, the first group of animals arrived around midnight
and our team finished unloading the last group at 6AM just as the
morning cleaning team was reporting into work. I was expecting the
smell in the kennels to be quite intense given the number of
animals, the heat (no A/C) and the shortness of kennel staff (we
have them split between Baton Rouge and New Orleans), but I was just
amazed to see how efficiently and effectively they had the entire
facility cleaned this morning.
Animal Hoarding: When
guardians lose their grip on reality, animals pay a horrific price
Ten years ago, Dr. Kimberly Barron found herself in the throes of a
sickening situation that no veterinarian would envy. A friend had
just purchased a house dirt cheap from an 80-year-old woman, but in
the process, he had also inherited its contents: 175 feral cats who
were locked inside. The house had become so uninhabitable that even
the animal hoarder who sold it to him had moved out years earlier.
She swung by just once a week to drop off two 40-pound bags of
kibble and some buckets of water for the cats.
Sweet PAWS of Success
There’s nothing more gratifying at an animal shelter than witnessing
the joy that an adopted animal from the Louisiana SPCA brings to the
lives of those who open their hearts and homes to give them a better
life.
Jackson’s Tale: Not Even an
Injury Can Keep a Good Dog Down
A dog full of energy at the LA/SPCA isn’t an unusual sight, but when
you consider that Jackson came back to the LA/SPCA as a return
adoption just last month with a severely torn ACL in his rear left
leg, his jumping, running and playing is an amazing sight to
witness. It’s also a testament to the way that individuals and
organizations step up to the plate to make a
difference in the lives of animals.
In memory of Opie,
my first love
I just got the call that Opie will be put down at 6:30pm Eastern
time this evening. She would turn 13 next month. Opie was my
first rescue – back in 1995 when I was 12 years old. In many
ways, adopting her has changed the course of my life ever since
that point. I still remember like it was yesterday… how tiny she
was… how much I adored everything about her. If she hadn’t come
along when she did, who knows where I would be now. There’s a
chance I might not be around today at all if I hadn’t had the
joy of raising her to keep me going every day.
Annie's Story
Beginning: July 15, 2004
Happily Ending: May 6, 2005
Final Farewell: March 15, 2008
Thank you, Kate, for the dance.
In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, thousands of
individuals and hundreds of organizations came to the aid of the
Gulf Coast region to help with the rescuing of animals, and a
few have remained to aid in the long term recovery of
organizations like the Louisiana SPCA with little fanfare and a
desire to remain behind the scenes. For two years, the LA/SPCA
had the opportunity to experience such long-term aid with a
shelter professional that is regarded in her field as the “best
of the best.”
Duncan, a “once in a
lifetime” friend
Sometimes we receive wonderful notes from people who have
adopted animals from the LA/SPCA. This one is particularly
special, as we hear about Duncan who was adopted in 1994 and has
given his guardian the gift of a life with a “once in a
lifetime” friend. Duncan truly shows us that a person hasn’t
truly lived until they’ve experienced the amazing friendship
that comes from sharing a life with a companion animal.
Rescue Rider
"I have always said I was born 'addicted to horses.' I truly do
not remember a time in my life that I was not in love with these
beautiful and wonderfully noble animals. I met my first best
friend riding my stick horse down the sidewalk. She too was just
as much of a horse nut as I was."
Give Me Shelter: Second
chances are a gift for abandoned animals
In their seven years, Brewster and Brandi’s biggest crime was to
miss their human guardians too much. Left alone in the backyard
most of the time, separation anxiety set in for the Beagle
brother and sister. Craving the companionship of the pack, the
Beagles bayed in the sharp timbre that earned their breed a
history of hunting duty.
Allison Raynor - In he Show
Ring
Meet Allison Raynor, affectionately known as Alli by friends and
colleagues, a long-time LA/SPCA volunteer and a member of the
LA/SPCA Capital Campaign Committee. Alli is working behind the
scenes to help realize the Dorothy Dorsett Brown Louisiana SPCA
Campus to its complete vision. As we embark on a new journey
with the recent opening of the Animal Rescue and Care Center (ARCC),
we are so thankful for the people who believe in our mission and
support the work we do; people like Alli.
A Carnival of Optimism
[Editor’s Note: Working and volunteering in an animal shelter is
one of highs and lows. Published writer and LA/SPCA volunteer
Susie Folkes shares a candid piece on the lows and ultimately
the highs that come with giving your life and time to help
shelter animals find a home and the love they so deserve. Seeing
adoptions happen and not happen is an emotional rollercoaster
ride that takes place in shelters and humane organizations
everyday all across the country. But because of all those who
have been adopted there remains, as Susie writes, “a carnival of
optimism.”]
THIRD TIME’S THE CHARM
One of the most difficult things to experience if you’re part of
the adoption team at the Louisiana SPCA is seeing an animal
returned after being adopted. When it happens a second time your
heart literally sinks. This was the case with a beautiful, black
cat named Billy.
THE MAGICAL SULLY
Kris Pottharst and her husband Grant Cooper have welcomed many
dogs into their homes over the years, but when they were looking
for another animal companion after the death of their beloved
Daisy, they made the decision to adopt a large, black dog. They
learned that large, black dogs were less likely to be adopted
than smaller dogs with lighter coats, and they wanted to make
sure they gave a home to an animal that may not have a chance
otherwise.
LIVING THE GOOD LIFE --
MAINE STYLE!!
Over the past year, the Louisiana SPCA has given our animals a
“second chance” at finding forever homes with our Caravans of
Love. These caravans have actually been managed transports where
some of our adoptable animals have been transported to shelters
such as the Houston SPCA, SPCA of Texas and the Humane Society
of Knox County in Maine.
“I see animals given not
only a chance, but every chance possible.”
If you’re lucky enough, you may find yourself in a place where
you can look back on a
moment that was not only an experience, but an eye opening,
life-changing one. Call it your ah-ha moment.
For Susie Folkes, a Louisiana SPCA volunteer since November
2005, her experience with the LA/SPCA has been, in her words,
both “gratifying” and “wonderful,” and in just thirteen months
she’s experienced quite a few ah-ha moments that have changed
her views dramatically about what life is really like for
animals cared for at an animal shelter. Especially an open
admission shelter like the LA/SPCA where no animal is ever
turned away; and which, in turn, translates into hundreds of
animals always in need of homes at any one time.
Bella's Story
Bella’s Story is one of a chance meeting. A chance meeting
between a woman and a dog and how in helping to heal a
physically damaged creature, the journey changed both their
lives for the better.
WHEN LASSIE CAME HOME
The story of Lassie and Lassie’s return to New Orleans in late
June 2006, more than any other we’ve encountered, touches many
of the issues that have evolved from the Katrina animal rescues.
"Pet Photos makes life
seem normal"
Neither Gulf Coast Doberman Rescue nor the Louisiana SPCA knew
just how important Holiday Pet Photos had become to people in
the Greater New Orleans Area.
Love Inspired Support
A couple of hours ago I returned to NY from a trip to Louisiana.
Like so many of my friends, I had donated to the Red Cross and
other charities but still felt I needed to do something more. I
tried to contact my longtime favorite New Orleans organization,
LA-SPCA (Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals) to find out what I could do to help them. LA-SPCA is
where I had adopted Zigaboo in 1988, Pocky Way in 2001, and
where Funky Tchoupitoulas got his start somewhere in the late
'80's. I was unable to reach them.
The ASPCA: Angels In Our
Midst
Many of us are familiar with the parable of the footprints in
the sand. Able to review the moments in his life, a man sees the
best and the worst and he notices two sets of footprints except
at the lowest periods. He questions this and ultimately learns
that he was never alone. He was being carried.
SHEBA’S STORY: Reunited At
Long Last
For a pitbull that was being cared for in our shelter for almost
three months, her brief exposure on a local news segment led to
more than just 15 minutes of fame. After being rescued by the
Louisiana SPCA on November 9, 2005, she finally found her way
home.
Laura Maloney on
Hurricane Katrina
On a recent Thursday afternoon, I called a staff meeting as I’ve
so often done. It’s a time to share updates with the staff as
well as give them the opportunity to ask any questions they
might have. But on this late afternoon we were not cramped
tightly in our small back office on Japonica Street. We weren’t
shooing away flies that had become permanent fixtures in our
well-worn building. I didn’t look out a gathering of 60 or more
faces of vet techs, adoption counselors, animal care attendants,
animal control officers, and other office staff. The ever
present sound of 400 plus dogs and cats didn’t bounce off the
walls...
There’s Something about Lily
There’s something about Lily that
stole everyone’s heart. She was not unlike the other animals
that are beginning to fill our new shelter in Algiers. The
strays or the ones that have run away from home; or those
that were found still wandering the streets, the lives they
once knew disrupted by Hurricane Katrina...
St. Bernard Family Deals
With Joy and Sadness
When Sharon and Eugene Nehlig evacuated from their two-story
home in Meraux, St. Bernard Parish on Sunday, August 28, they
made the decision to leave their cats, Kramer, Buster and
Callie, believing like so many others that they would return in
a couple of days...
Humane Officers
still find happy endings
There are still some miracles left in the city.
That’s the mantra that keeps rescue workers at the
Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals continuing daily missions into New Orleans,
searching for survivors in the aftermath of Hurricane
Katrina...
Service
dog rescued and reunited
Imagine being blind, sick, and knowing that while you are being
airlifted to a safe hospital your best friend was left behind in a
flooded New Orleans East apartment. This is what Denise Okojo, a blind
woman suffering from cancer, had to endure when she was taken to safety
and her 6-year-old seeing eye dog, Molly, was left behind...
A Tale of
Animal Rescue by Michele Kleine-Deters
Well.. I am crying while I type this. I cannot begin to
tell you or even describe what I have witnessed. My
heart is shattered and I am feeling as though it will
always be that way. I did NOT want to leave New Orleans
yesterday!! I cried and cried because I knew I was
leaving behind thousands of trapped animals and felt as
though I just hadn't done enough. I can't get the
horrible images out of my head and I can't sleep...
A Tale of
Animal Rescue by Gary Gero
Just arrived home in Washington in a somewhat comatose
state. Stopped in Calif. to hug my kids. Actually, I was
the one who needed the hug after being where I was for
the last two weeks. First thing we found was that the
people that stayed and went through the unbelievable
experience of 150 mph winds and surviving while their
house was submerged under 25 ft. of water needed to
talk. Needed to tell the story of helping old folks into
the attic and...
A Tale of
Animal Rescue by Ann Firestone
(9/22/05) Ann and I have returned home safely from New
Orleans, having delivered 15 dogs, and with two other
volunteers, 25 cats as well to Monadnock Humane
Society...
Causeway Animal
Hospital Evacuation - A Rescue Gone Tragically Wrong
In the many animal rescue operations that have taken
place since Hurricane Katrina there have been many
tearful endings, both happy and tragic. One of the most
painful and tragic moments is that which occurred in the
evacuation of animals from Causeway Animal Hospital in
Metairie...
From The
Field
One of the most emotional aspects of the animal rescue
efforts has been receiving the hundreds of calls that have
poured in from residents who evacuated, voluntary and mandatory,
but were unable or did not leave with their pets. The broad
circumstances are similar, and only the details vary...
To
Those Who Care!
I know the face of danger…I have felt
its terrible blow.
I lie before you fearful…how am I to know...
Working together key for welfare groups
 A dog enticed from the roof of a flooded house
into the arms of boat-born rescuers. Crates of
mewing cats loaded into evacuation vans. Notices
of stranded pets spray-painted on abandoned
house fronts. These are some of the most
widely-broadcast, iconic images of the New
Orleans area's struggle to survive in the weeks
after Katrina. ..
Best Friends Need Shelter, Too
The week after Hurricane Katrina hit, the media covered
the thousands of low-income people trapped for lack of
means to get out. Almost two weeks later, thousands
still hadn't left, in many cases because official policy
would not accept the bond between people and their
nonhuman family members...
Larry and Moe
One day, another volunteer, Ashley Hymel, and I
were walking through the kennels and came upon two wet, skinny,
flea and ring-worm infested, grey, pitiful looking puppies...
Rex the Sweetheart
One day about 10 years ago, I was drawn to the shelter for
reasons that I cannot yet fully explain. I had never been inside
an animal shelter before. I walked up and down the... |
