Remembering the Holidays and Our Trip to the League

Ms. Sherk and 4th graders at the League

Sometimes it takes me awhile to get to everything on my "to do" list.  Today I'm catching up on reading journal entries that students in Ms. Sherk's 4th grade at West Education Center wrote.  Here are excerpts from three of them.

If I were a rescue dog who had to spend Christmas in the animal shelter, I would feel happy because I will be with my dog friends and will be with people and dogs and cats that really, really, really care about us.  TREASURE

The cat room was like a world just made for cats.  JORDYN



Rylie tells Kara  and students what a dog says!



Girls in the cat-room!



My trip to the Washington Animal Rescue League was awesome.  I had a great time and saw  a lot of animals.   I played with Momo, he jumped on my back.  It was the best trip ever.  RAHLEK

Dissection is Not Good Science

The other night I was driving my son, Max, and his friend to a party.  Max's friend mentioned that he was sorry that the unit on dissection was over.   When I asked why, he told me how "cool" it was -- that one group had a pregnant frog, and that they got to see all of the eggs when they opened her up.  He said, too, that he could tell that his frog died while jumping; he knew that to be true by the position of the frog's legs.  Maybe Max's friend will grow up to be a scientist -- maybe not.  My guess is that 99.9 % of the kids in that class learned nothing of real importance from dissecting the frog, the sheep's heart or the chicken wing.   The one sure message that middle school dissection projects continue to give is that animal life is unimportant --  killing thousands of frogs so 12 and 13-year-olds can poke at muscle could  be worth an A.  

Today, Max and I spent a the morning in the cat room at the League.   He's working on a science project trying to determine whether or not gender has any bearing on which paw -- right or left -- is dominant.  The complete results aren't in, but as the official project photographer, I got some cute pictures!

Dogs & Guns -- A Sad Search

I was told that a D.C. police officer shot a Labrador Retriever yesterday.  Apparently the officer felt threatened -- the unleashed dog, Russell, rushed toward him; several shots were fired severely wounding the dog.  While searching for that article http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/dc/dog-shot-by-dc-police-officer-021511# I found this one -- Kyrgyzstan aims to shoot 10,000 stray dogs in 2011 -- on the WTOP website, reported by the Associated Press  http://www.wtop.com/?sid=2272573&nid= .  This is where I am supposed to write something profound -- my fingers are frozen.

Catapalooza -- A Success!

Owl catching up on her winks.

WOW!!! 27 out of 38 cats received applications during our Catapalooza event. Here's a photo of one of the kitties still waiting for someone to pick her. Maybe one of the new adopters will visit again and take Owl, too. There was so much excitement yesterday; this chubby calico spent a good portion of her day hiding safely in her condo. Today she's comfy and catching up on her beauty sleep.

I think what she needs is a purple bedspread to nap on -- her lovely calico markings will look stunning on a the royal color.  Any empty purple bedspreads out there?  How about royal blue?  Pink might be nice, too.  Or green.

Sampson's Happy Progress Report

When Sampson, an incredibly handsome and sweet dog, came to the League we asked  local emergency responders if they might be interested in adopting him as a working dog. 

Even though Sampson proved to be all play and no work, the team who came to see him recognized his potential.  An all points bulletin went out --

Sampson would make someone or some family an amazing parter for life. He is so willing to please, calm and sure of himself, but not in a pushy or dominant way. He is not high drive enough for detection, but loves to retrieve tennis balls and has a bomb proof temperament. He is gorgeous, inside and out, neutered and healthy except for a very, very slight heart murmur. This dog is special. He needs a great home!!!!!!!! If you know someone looking for an amazing GSD for their home--HERE HE IS.

Sampson has been with us for about a month.   He has graduated to Lacrosse balls. Tennis balls proved to be no match for his powerful jaw! He LOVES to be outside. The snow and cold weather don't seem to bother him at all. He likes the snow a lot! He gladly shares his new bed with Amber (Yellow Lab). He  loves to please. I took him to work with me. He was like the king. EVERYBODY loved him. He spent hours playing with all the officers at the station. 

Magnificent Merlin!



Compfy Merlin?

 Merlin was one of those cats who lived at the League for a long time.  A big bruiser, who liked to hang out, Merlin went unnoticed by potential adopters, but not staff and volunteers.  He was always a favorite.  So, when a loyal League volunteer offered to foster Merlin we all celebrated his move to a temporary home. An appeal on the League's Facebook page struck a chord with a potential adopter, and in no time Merlin moved on to his forever home where he is "doing great," reports his new person.  Being a foster home is not easy -- it's hard not to become so attached that it's impossible to give the animal up.  But, when fosters end up becoming adopters, we lose those foster homes.  Merlin  was lucky to be offered a foster home, and lucky for the League that Merlin's foster person was able, with reservation, to let go.  Maybe she will open up her spare room to another foster cat soon!

The Case of the Missing Earring

I lost one of my very favorite earrings yesterday.   I was walking Nigel and the earring must have slipped off my ear.   I discovered it was gone as soon as we got home.  It's not the end of the world, but I did think -- that given that we walked only two blocks -- Nigel should be able to track the lost earring.  After all, Steven Reinberg's Health Day article Trained Labrador Can Sniff Out Colon Cancer,   http://consumer.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=649419 details how "specially trained 8-year-old female Labrador retriever named Marine is able to detect colorectal cancer among patients with up to 98 percent accuracy."   I showed Nigel the remaining earring.  I put it right under his nose, and then we retraced our steps -- twice.  No earring.  He stopped several times spending a little extra time sniffing leaves and tires, but the green and orange glass earring was never located.

Catapalooza
Sunday, February 13th
for more info
http://www.warl.org/news-events/events/catapalooza/

Meet Maraschino!
at Catapalooza.

 Our third annual Catapalooza is a celebration of cats. Cats are the number one animal companion these days. Stop by the League from 12 noon to 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 13th and meet all of the wonderful cats available for adoption.   On second thought, come by and visit before Catapalooza; the cats are anxious to move  into their forever homes, no sense waiting another 10 days!



What Did You Do Without Electricity?

In our dark, cold  house, during the nearly 48 hours without electricity after the mega-snowstorm, the one warm spot was right in front of the roaring fire in our living room fireplace.  Charlotte figured Merl needed more than fire heat.  Look closely, she's perched on top of her buddy, Merl.  I'm happy to report that the furnace has worked splendidly since 5:08 p.m. Friday and is cranked up as we wait for a "small" mixed precipitation storm. 

Stuck in the Storm -- Emergency Plans Needed for Animals

Like thousands of drivers, I was stuck in the snow storm on Wednesday night.  Max & I  picked up Natalie from a dance class in Rockville, Maryland around 5:30 p.m. and pulled into our Silver Spring neighborhood well after 2:00 a.m. on Thursday morning.    We made one  pit stop during the trek home.  At around 9:45 p.m. we  arrived at friends' house, about 6 miles from our home; we could have spent the night there, but Nigel and the cats were home alone.   The cats had food, water and clean litter, but Nigel had not eaten dinner and does not use a litter box.  We decided to keep traveling.  So, close to midnight we set out for the final leg of our long journey. 

Charlotte insists on
experiencing her first
real snow fall from the
screened in porch

You hear about what you should have in your car for such emergencies -- food, water, shovel, cat litter, a scraper, and something to keep you warm.  But, I never thought of having an emergency plan in place so Nigel and the cats would be safe and comfortable if I could not get home  When we finally opened the door at that early morning hour, Nigel rushed outside, happy to see us, and lifted his leg for what seemed like 5 minutes!   We went into our dark house -- like thousands of others in the area our power was out -- fed Nigel a meal that was neither breakfast nor dinner and fell into bed with cats cuddling close.  

Nigel greets Max and Rachel
after they return from sledding



The next day, still no power, but we were safe at home.  Nigel went outside several times and Charlotte insisted on seeing the snow from the screened in porch. 

As soon as the snow melts,  I will venture back on the road to get my next door neighbor a key for such emergencies.  

People Who Abuse Animals Rarely Stop There

The lead sentence from Tricia Bishop's (a Baltimore Sun reporter) January 9th article reads --
Seven months after Baltimore prosecutors dropped gun and drug charges against teenage twins accused of setting fire to a pit bull puppy, one of the young men was arrested again — this time on attempted murder charges.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-johnson-20110109,0,4976118.story

In her article in today's Sun, reporter Bishop explains that the animal cruelty trial, including jury selection, begins today.  The accused, now 18-years-old, are not going to find many sympathizers.  When the heinous crime was committed, and then publicized, people across the country were outraged; they responded with reward offers and verbal lashings.  The criminals need to be punished to the fullest degree of the law.  The pain that they inflicted on the dog was unimaginable.  They committed a crime, and from the looks of the January 9th article, they are still involved in criminal activity.  It may be hard to find an impartial jury, but one must be seated and allowed to hear and see the evidence so the maximum penalty can be imposed.

See right hand side of the blog, about 1/2 way down, for more information on the case of Phoenix, the dog who was burned alive.

Nature provided a a mega slip and slide during the night. It's a good day to stay inside, but dogs still have to go outside for quick bathroom breaks.  Cats don't.  Keep your cat indoors, especially in the cold. 

Remember to thoroughly wipe off your dog's legs and stomach when he comes in out of the sleet, snow or ice.  Unknowingly your dog can eat salt, antifreeze or other potentially dangerous chemicals while licking his paws, and his paw pads may also bleed from snow or encrusted ice. Do something inside with your dog or cat.   Read them a good book.  For ideas, check out the book selection on the right hand side of page.  You'll need to scroll down a bit.  Stay warm.

Army dog handler based at Fort Belvoir dies in Afghanistan

The link to the story mentioned above is on the right side of the page below the Friendship Hospital for Animals' Dr. Hughes' blog.  

Every day we learn about death and tragedy.  Last week the nation was grief stricken over the horrific massacre in Arizona.   In today's paper the death of 28-year-old  Sergeant Zainah Caye Creamer is buried in the local section.   Death in war is an every day occurrence.  All the violence needs to end.  Too much hurt, too much suffering. 

A Sick Day for Amos McGee Wins Prestigious Award

I have not read A Sick Day for Amos McGee, so I am not in a position to criticize.   But I will --  sort of.  This book, illustrated by Erin E. Stead and written by her husband Philip C. Stead, won the Caldecott Award for 2011 -- that puts it in the same company as Officer Buckle and Gloria, one of my very favorite picture books.     I am opposed to books depicting zoos as happy-go-lucky places.  Even whimsical drawings that bear no resemblance to actual animals can subliminally give the impression that caged animals are happy.  I do not believe that to be true..

Long Time League Resident Relocates to Forever Home

Relaxed at Home for the Holidays

Visitors to our cat room often remarked on the beautiful long-haired cat who spent most of her time on the floor rather than her kitty condo.  It took Daytona, now named Misty, a long time to choose her forever home.  However, a recent after-the-holidays-update confirmed that Misty chose well.
Her personalty has really come out. She seeks attention and loves being scratched around her ears and neck, but doesn't like being picked up and isn't a lap cat. She's very friendly with everybody and will sit right next to you, but not on you. Sometimes she sleeps on the foot of our bed, but most of the time in her sleeping box I made for her.

New Year's Resolutions

New Year's Resolutions are meant to be kept. 

So I'm making only two :

Ike, agrees wholeheartedly with my resolutions

• To write about the antics of Charlotte no more than once a week
• Tell everyone who walks into the cat room that they should adopt Ike, Antoinette, or any one of the other wonderful cats patiently waiting for forever homes.

Well., I made a third -- no chocolate before 12 noon --  but that one was broken on New Year's Day.

Happy New Year -- Read & Enjoy

Toby and Cody -- an inseparable pair!

November 2009 the League took in 13 huskies who had been the victims of a bankrupt sled dog operation in Northern Quebec.  None of the dogs had ever been inside.   Placing the dogs in permanent homes was a challenging task.   Most of the dogs went to foster for a period before finding their forever homes.  A recent adoption update from Manitoba's person was signed by "Leader, Wolfpack".   Last spring I adopted 7-year-old Husky, Manitoba, from WARL. I seriously can't overstate how perfect a match Toba is for my other Husky, Cody. Like Toba, Cody was also rescued from really less than desirable living conditions and as a result had developed a tendency  to have stress-trigger seizures. He also suffered from tremendous isolation anxiety and the destructive behavior that resulted got to a  point where it was physically harming him. I had tried literally everything the Husky experts had suggested and the only other option was to adopt him a buddy. Since he's 8 and slightly arthritic I wanted a dog that would match his temperament and energy level, which brought me to Toba. I have always been drawn to the dogs with the hard luck  stories as I like to give homes to animals who aren't likely to find  an open door elsewhere. Toba's story tugged at my heart strings, and I knew that even though she's a young, spirited 7 yrs most people in the  market for a Husky are looking for young fuzzy-faced pups.The first time Toba and Cody met they instantly fell into step with each other, literally.  They bonded like an old married couple. A week after bringing Toba home, people at the dog park remarked that they seemed like they'd  been together their whole lives. 9 months later, Cody's anxiety has  not made a single appearance and he's as playful as he was five years ago. Toba's fear of jumping into cars has been replaced by boundless  excitement and she will actually shoulder Cody's 80lb frame out of the  way to be first in. She no longer flinches when pet and is actually quite insistent about receiving head rubs from all visible hands.      So glad that Toba gets to ride in the car and enjoy endless head rubs.  We, at the League, are happy for the whole wolfpack.

 

 

No Snow in Washington, But Bitter Cold and Wind are Cruel Reminders that Not Every Animal is Safe Inside

Doesn't Magda look cozy?  In her curled cat position snuggled up against a warm blanket, hers is a picture of a perfect life.     Mgada's  adopter wrote of her her first couple of days  in her new home, "just wanted to let you know that Magda is doing well at her new home.  She seemed to adjust really well; she ate right away, explored the apartment, used her litter pan immediately,and spent the night snuggling with me on the couch. She is such a sweet and smart girl! Thank you so much for the opportunity to meet and fall in love with Magda."  

What does Magda's perfect report have to do with extreme weather?   Nothing, except to remind us that not all animals are so lucky as to have a person to cuddle with.  Strays are obviously in need of immediate help, even when the weather is not freezing.  But, sometimes animals who appear to have "homes" should be reported to the authorities, too.   In the District of Columbia it is against the law to chain a dog and all dogs outside for an extended period of time in a fenced in area MUST HAVE a proper dog house.  That means, the structure needs to be off of the ground, have a door flap to guard against wind, and have adequate dry bedding inside.  Cats should not be outside. They constantly seek warmth and sometimes they find it under the hood of a recently parked car.  Those temporary shelters can turn into death traps.  Report animals in distress to District Animal Control, 202 576-6664.  To report animals in need outside of D.C.find your local animal control agency through 411 or google search. 

All animals should have a doting guardian who takes photos and writes emails just like Magda's.

A Holiday Treat -- Another Happy Adoption!

From Lelani's adopter

I re-named her Mika, and she is doing great! She and my pug Tank get along splendidly! They love to play and then crash...always makes me laugh. You would have to see the two goofballs in action to truly appreciate it. She is extraordinarily loving and sweet. She is just a big goofy couch cushion! She is a wonderful dog!

Read & Relax -- Paul Public Charter School Students Share Stories With Dogs & Cats

 As part of a student service learning project, students from Paul Public Charter School are spending a couple of hours each month at the League.  They help out in lots of conventional ways -- stuffing kongs, cleaning kennel cards, folding laundry -- but they also spend time reading to the animals.   Daniel came prepared with the all-time favorite, Green Eggs and Ham.  The little dog in the distance may not have been ready for belly rubs, but she was a good listener, probably identifying  with Sam I Am. 

I could not, would not, in a house. I would not, could not, with a mouse. I would not eat them with a fox. I would not eat them in a box. I would not eat them here or there. I would not eat them anywhere. I would not eat green eggs and ham. I do not like them, Sam-I-am.

                                         A pat

and a story makes for a perfect afternoon!

Lots of Labs & Laughs



Cordelia, a recent WARL adoptee,
and her buddies are
decked out for the holidays!

 It's Christmas every day when we get updates like this one.
Cordelia's a great dog -- with her own very strong personality (greedy, stubborn, energetic and loads of fun).  She joined this household, and its established dog routine very successfully, and contributed positively to the energy.

• Camden (Cammy/Cam Cam), a 14.5 year old black Labrador retriever;
• Ce Ce (Chi Chi) a six-year old chocolate Labrador retriever and
• Cordelia (Co Co), a five-year old yellow Labrador retriever -- all "C" names (none named by me) and all adopted!

Now that there are 3 of them, they're a true pack, and they do what they want -- including seeking me out wherever I'm located in the house and scolding me, if I am late or diverge in the slightest from their established routine.  'And I have no better sense than to laugh at everything they do. 
I started this blog so I could write about animals.  But, in recent days our adopters'stories have been coming fast and furious.  Sharing our successes is so much fun.  If the weekend weather predictions hold true, I may be sharing photos of dogs enjoying a romp in the snow.  Check back soon!

 

A Holiday Letter to Warm Your Heart

Dear Friends at Washington Animal Rescue League,


On the three month anniversary of being rescued from the horrible abuse at the PLRS "research" lab, Sweetie Pie (formerly known as "Cyclone") would like you to know he is thoroughly enjoying the holiday season and is looking forward to his first Christmas with presents and treats from Santa Paws.

Sweetie Pie is such a happy cat! I had the privilege to adopt him two months ago today. Within less than 8 hours he was exploring his new home and playing.within two days he was allowing me to pet him all over.  After only ten days he re-gained his purr; in three weeks, he started sleeping on the bed all night with me; and as of yesterday, he let me pick him up and hug him (briefly, but it was the first time he didn't struggle immediately).

He is an excellent companion. He is extremely curious, very polite, loves to talk and to demand attention. And he has a great appetite. At long last, he is able to be a cat and do all the things felines are supposed to do. Other than the blue tattoos in his ears, there is virtually no sign of the trauma he experienced and adopting him has been 100% easy!

Warm wishes to everyone at WARL for a happy new year,

Cynthia  & Sweetie Pie

Happy Ending Thanks to a Young Hero

Just before the Arctic cold gripped our area a 
hungry, dirty teeny kitten surely would have died had it not been for the heroic action of Daven, a teen who, not only picked up the kitten and fed her, but brought her to the League so she could be adopted into a forever home.  Daven wrote on the intake form, "I am surrendering this animal because I found her not fed, dirty, running in the street, and I felt I needed to do it."  Many people -- teens and adults -- would have walked right by the kitten figuring rescuing a six-week-old kitten was not their responsibility.  Not Daven.  Thank you Daven for doing the right thing!   The kitten, named Peppermint by shelter staff, has been adopted and will be home in time for Christmas!

Who Needs Cable?



Nigel in the office figures
he will need to share his bed with
Charlotte

I never thought I'd adopt a kitten.   After all there are many wonderful adult cats at the League -- all waiting patiently for their forever homes.   And, every time I walk through our cat room, I imagine taking one of them home.  Since my best cat, Bruce, died in August I've thought about how Merl might like Harley, Antoinette or Tom.   But it didn't seem quite right to throw an adult cat into the chaos of my home -- busy schedules, two older male cats who don't like each other, and Nigel, a gentle, but still 75 lb dog.  Max, on the other hand -- ever the optimist, thought a kitten was just what Merl needed.  Merl was yowling all night and sedentary all day.   No doubt he should have a buddy, but a kitten -- I didn't think so. 
Things have a way of working out.  I brought home an adorable Siamese mix around Halloween.  Merl acted like the teeny kitten, Nugget (AKA Bo) was just another hairball waiting to be vacuumed.   The kitten went back to the League and was adopted with his sibling (More on Nugget later).   I started thinking that Merl would eventually adjust to living without a best friend.  And then came Charlotte -- the cutest kitten ever.   As Max said, she was what I was looking for -- a female with a round face.  Well, I had other criteria, but that face definitely got me.  I brought her home shortly before Thanksgiving.  And, for whatever reason, Merl decided that he could be friends with Charlotte.  After a few days he pounced back when Charlotte got in his face.  And, a week into her residency he took to chasing her up and down the stairs and pinning her in the center of the living room rug.  



Charlotte settled in
the minute she moved in.



We don't have cable TV.  Definitely no need now.  When we aren't watching Merl and Charlotte wrestling, we are playing with Charlotte, throwing toys toward her, dragging, a cat dancer for her to chase, or saving her from precarious places like the center of a huge house plant.  Sometimes we just watch her sleep.  She is very cute when she sleeps.   Charlotte is more entertaining that 120 television channels and she snuggles!

One Picture is Truly Worth a Million Words!

Every dog needs a couch and person to call his/her own.  Cammie's new guardian reports "I've really enjoyed our first month together". 

More updates coming -- this is truly a joyous holiday season for many of our canine and feline alumni!

A Very, Very Heartwarming Update

In September, the League took in 30 of the more than 200 dogs and cats surrendered to officials after the USDA began an investigation into allegations of neglectful living conditions and cruel abuse of the animals at Professional Laboratory and Research Services, Inc. in Gates County, North Carolina.   While people may disagree on whether or not there is a need for animals to be used in research, no one can justify the way the North Carolina lab animals were treated.  An undercover investigation by PETA documented horrible incidents of blatant cruelty.  The dogs and cats were were force-fed some substances and subjected to having others smeared on their skin—one such smear test caused seizures, blindness, and bleeding from the nose in 57 cats—but they were also allegedly routinely abused by their caretakers who screamed at them, sprayed them with water and chemicals, dragged them through the facility, and threw them into cages.  Thankfully, all of the horror is now past history.  

Muffin and Cookie lounge comfortably
on the sofa in their forever home

The update from Cookie and Muffin's person proves that animals are extremely resilient and forgiving. Why would a once tortured animal trust a human being?

From their new home --

"....Cookie is such a loving little thing, she is my dream cat and Muffin is not far behind. Cookie likes to sleep on my neck with her little face right next to mine. Her whiskers tickle my nose. Muffin also comes around and wants loving but she is my explorer and my guard. They both follow me around. They play together and are so funny and I enjoy playing with them. Muffin jumps on top of Cookie and "grooms" her followed by rough and tumbling play...."

All of the lab cats were placed in homes and most of the dogs have been adopted, too.  A couple rat terriers are still waiting at the League for their forever homes.

Oh Cyrus -- the Great Recycler

Two updates in one day -- more good news to be thankful for. 

There is a book in this one, maybe a series.   This update is in fact excerpted from a much longer tale called "Oh Cyrus!".  

I have began to refer to Cyrus as the "Great Recycler". Clearly, he gets just as upset as I do about the constant junk mail arriving at the house everyday. In fact, he dislikes it so much that he has developed a very firm position on it.


Each day the mail comes after I get home from work. As I hear the sliding door on the mail truck I feel a cold chill down my spine. Cyrus-who is normally watching me (watching him) lolls his tongue to dare me to get the the mail slot first. We wait each other out...

Tension is building....

I bolt for the door and he bolts first-EVERYDAY. Personally, I think 4 feet vs 2 is an unfair contest. I should at least get a head start! As Cyrus runs for the door, the other animals panic and try to get out of the way. I have seen one of the cats actually try and climb drywall to keep from being mowed down.

Once Cyrus gets to the mail slot he takes it all in his big mouth (slobber and all) and starts to shake it back and forth. At this point, I have to take it-and he knows it. My only goal is to get the important mail (usually bills so I should really just skip it), but Cyrus likes to keep it and demolish it. Minutes pass as we are locked in this daily tussle. Eventually (being the good dog that he is) he relents and gives me the mail. In return, I give him the junk mail to tear up. Once it is torn into tiny little pieces, it breaks down into garden compost easier. Even while Cyrus is having a good time he is respecting the environment-that's great recycling!

Prescott Update

Remember Prescott, my office buddy?  Well,  he is still keeping up-to-date with the latest technology.  This picture, sent by his forever person, shows Prescott, the computer geek, cat-napping on the job.