Animals, Bridges and a Pint Sized Community

I think my blogs keep getting further and further apart! Anyone in rescue will understand why updating a blog easily falls to the bottom of the "To Do," list. We have taken in seven new dogs in a little over three weeks. Four of these are from the hoarding case in the Delta. Three of them needing immediate vet care and extra attention. Two, from the Senatobia Shelter, needing socialization which, thanks to our volunteers, now LOVE humans, know how to sit on command, and are walking on leash! And our newest one from the Hernando Shelter I've dubbed, Little Bit, also needing a little guidance.

Our very first Kids Camp was Saturday! Several weeks of planning and preparation went into this four hour day camp. What a wonderful experience, not only for the campers, but also for our volunteers who served as Camp Counselors.

The camp was full of educational, hands on activities and opportunities. It was fun and heart warming to watch these kids go from quiet, standing around, not sure what to do, children, to smiling, laughing, making new friends Campers! Their love of animals quickly brought them together into a sharing, pint-sized, community of caring individuals. It was all about the animals for four straight hours!

Also heart warming was the volunteers who came together to make this happen. Being our first Kids Camp, there were a lot of uncertainties... Will the kids be bored?, Will we have enough supplies?, Will the weather cooperate?, Which animals would enjoy the interaction?... But thanks to these awesome ladies, who put so much of themselves into it, and also some awesome rescue pets, the Camp was a HUGE success!

The weather was a little warm and muggy, but we'll take that over stormy or what we had just a couple weeks ago - heat index over 100! The kids were NOT bored! Just the right amount of supplies. And a good choice of dogs and cats - they loved all the attention.

Watching the kids interact with the Counselors was very rewarding in the least. The animals were the bridge that, almost immediately, closed all generation gaps. All ages, from 7 - 79, had a great time working together.

We sometimes call our Sanctuary, "Our little piece of heaven." It's a place where, for just a little while, all other cares are put on the back burner, the animals replenish our souls, giving us so much love and appreciation, add fresh air, trees, wild birds singing and new friends... Rescue gives us a purpose - always good to have a purpose in this life. And the volunteers quickly become a community of good friends.

If this sounds like a wonderful place, that's because it is. Animals come here to heal from neglect, abuse and illness. Sometimes they simply have no place to call home. Little mommas come to us, heavy with pregnancy, or young pups or kittens in tow, looking for a safe place to raise their little ones.

Not unlike the humans who volunteer their time here. They come here to leave the stresses of work behind. Just for a little while, they're not worried about that project that's due tomorrow. And some come with kids in tow... Working with their young, together offering a healing touch to these deserving pets.

Just as, today, we watched these young campers come out of their shells and show their own, distinctive personalities, we also watch these dogs, puppies, cats and kittens come out of their shells. And they definitely have their own, distinctive personalities!

Today, bringing the two, kids and animals, together, and adding in some hard-working, dedicated adult volunteers... A recipe for success!

See more pictures & video of Kids Camp at: https://www.facebook.com/sfaspets

Really... look at your dog

     I don't know how this happened, but somehow I've become the "handy man," at the Sanctuary. I'm not naturally talented when it comes to fixing things, but I'm not afraid to try either. I've learned a lot about repair work since we opened  just a little over a year ago. I can now use tools (I still don't know their proper names) that I never held in my hands before. But I do set my foot down on certain things. I won't climb more than two rungs, maybe three, on a ladder, and I won't use certain power tools. Power saws creep me out. 

     It's a rare moment when I have time to just sit in a run with the dogs, but I happened to have one of those moments yesterday. I was still working, searching through a bucket of nails, bolts, screws and washers, for a particular bolt I needed for a dog pen. I was hot, and tired, so I just sat down where I was, in the middle of a run under a shade tree, and started my search. 

     Trail and Norma, two of our incredible dogs, both thought this was the most awesome thing ever! At first, they were curious about what was in the bucket. Hard to search for a small bolt with two big muzzles in one small bucket! Once their curiosity was satisfied - no treats or toys in the bucket - it was time to give Tara lots of kisses, again making it kind of hard to search for the needed bolt. 

     Finally through with the kisses - my face was now perfectly clean - they moved out of the way and I got busy at the task at hand. Bolt found, I decided to just take a minute to rest. Sitting there under that big ole tree, a slight breeze bringing a tiny bit of relief from the heat, I realized my two helpers had not left, they were still right there with me. 

     No longer wiggling with delight that a human had joined them at eye level, convinced that the bucket contained nothing of interest, and Tara's face thoroughly smooched, they were both lying next to me, Trail at my side and and Norma at my back. 

     What made this moment so special was not the fact that they were there, instead it was the way they were there. Both dogs were touching me ever so gently. 

     So very much was being conveyed through this small, but very powerful, offering. I could feel their contentment... bodies very relaxed, breathing slow and steady. Their eyes were half closed... total trust... peace. 

     Our runs are large, 50'x100', with lots of trees, cool dirt to dig in, shade trees to rest under, dog houses and even elevated beds. They could have chosen to be a lot of different places, but instead, they wanted to be next to me.

     I found myself relaxing into this moment... The gentle touch of the dogs, the trust and loyalty they were giving me... the comradery between the three of us was so powerful. The stresses of the day melted away, worries about tomorrow got shoved aside. I sat there for a few more minutes. I don't know who was enjoying it more, the dogs or me!

     I was reminded of something I once read in a book about training dogs. A man was having a particularly rough time with his out of control pooch, so he sought help from a professional trainer. The trainer observed the man as he tried to get the dog to obey. As the dog became more and more distracted, the man became more and more frustrated. After a few minutes, the trainer told him to stop and asked him to do one simple thing, "Look at your dog," she said. The man "looked" at his dog, shrugged his shoulders, and then turned back to the trainer. The trainer said, "Now, really look at your dog."

     I took this rare moment of quiet to really look at Trail, and then Norma. Wow! How special both of these creatures are! What we humans miss... when we don't take the time to really look at our dogs. 

Trail

Norma

Life so beautiful

     I have spoken of "life" in previous posts. This past week, I witnessed life in a way I never had before. Our newest little rescue, a petite, very pregnant, Beagle went into labor and delivered her first pup at my home. Sadly, this first baby, a beautiful little boy, never took a breath. He was beautiful... perfect in every way visible.

     Charlotte, the little mama, came to us in poor health. She was unable to deliver the rest of her pups and had to have an emergency C-section. Another little baby didn't make it, but thankfully mama and three of her pups were saved.

      Mama Charlotte, and our three little princesses, Alice, Amelia & Sophia, are all doing well. I celebrate these four lives saved, and at the same time, mourn the loss of the two little ones.

     We do not know Charlotte's history. She came up to a lady's house as a stray, very pregnant, malnourished, and obviously had had many past litters. It is apparent that she has not had an easy life. Her health is poor, and her little body is worn. Yet she takes care of these babies without complaint. She keeps them fed, clean and warm not leaving their side except for bathroom needs. She doesn't mind when they climb all over her... on her head, under her tail... She is patient and tender with these tiny new lives.

     Memory of the two little lives lost will not fade quickly. But what makes it just a little easier, is every time I take a moment to observe this new little family, the first thought that comes to mind... "Life so beautiful."

     Please join us in helping with Charlotte's vetting. Your help makes it possible for Southern Friends to continue rescuing and saving these precious lives. Here is a fundraising page set up just for them:  http://www.youcaring.com/southern-friends-animal-society-puppy-care-360610


Thank you,
Tara

Little Amelia and Mama Charlotte

Alice

Amelia

Sophia

One Day Old



Lucy, also a rescue dog, gave life saving blood
 for a transfusion to save Charlotte's life.

No one came looking

     It's been a while since my last post. This is such a busy time for Southern Friends with activities and events most every weekend of April and May. I just haven't taken the time to sit down long enough to write.

     This past Saturday, we had an Adoption Event in the morning, a camp-over at the Sanctuary in the evening, followed by a work party all day Sunday.

     Saturday night, at the camp-over, we had a weenie roast and a surprise graduation celebration for one of our special volunteers, a young lady named Leah. Leah just graduated high school and has been a wonderful volunteer with Southern Friends for a year now.

     Around midnight, we crawled into our tents, hoping for a few hours sleep, knowing we had a lot of work to get done on Sunday. The Sanctuary dogs had been so excited with all the activity but were finally settling down... Well, except one. Logan is new to the Sanctuary and he continued to bark even when all the others were in their dog houses snoozing the night away.

     When he continued to bark I decided to put him inside my tent to see if that would settle him down. Success! It didn't take long before he was snoozing beside me. I soon fell asleep. I awoke about an hour later and realized Logan had crawled into my sleeping bag (I had left the top 2/3 unzipped). His little body was so warm and relaxed, snuggled right along side me. I smiled, put a protective arm around him, and we stayed that way until morning.

     Logan was picked up as a stray by a local shelter. He was posted as found, but no one claimed him. He is a dream dog... Sleeps all night in his crate, appears to be house trained, only about 8 months old, healthy, loves all people and is awesome with other dogs.

     I would say he was once with a family, living inside a home. He's completely comfortable with all the goings on of a household and totally happy to be with humans. He's a handsome young man... so how in the world did he end up as a stray with no family out there looking for him?

     I will never forget our first Sanctuary camp-over... Having little Logan, by his own choice, snuggled to my side all night was such a heart warming experience.

     Logan.... maybe your last family didn't come looking for you. But we promise, your forever family will find you soon! And if you were ever to be lost again... they will leave no stone unturned to find you again.

Tara

Logan at the Sanctuary

Camping at the Sanctuary!

Simple pleasures bring smiles to volunteers

     If you love animals, especially dogs, there is always something to make you smile at the Sanctuary!

     I was working on one of the dog pens today and kept hearing this noise, but couldn't figure out what it was. I turned around and looked in the direction it was coming from... nothing. A few minutes later I heard it again. I turned and looked again... nothing. This went on for quite a while. Curiosity finally got the best of me and I left the run I was working in and entered the one I thought the noise was coming from. I wasn't imagining things! It was Ike, snoring!!! He was in his igloo, sound asleep, and snoring so peacefully... and loudly!

     If you haven't met Ike and Annie you've missed out on an adorable pair of Beagles. They are seniors, 9+ years old, and are the most adorable canine couple in the world! They are so loyal to each other. They don't want to go anywhere without the other, and they readily share their igloo. They are gentle and eager to share human affection. No one sits down with these two without a smile on their face!

     If you follow our FB page, then you are familiar with the six puppies that came to Southern Friends back in the winter. They are now 14 weeks old! We have had the best time with these guys! Lorien, the only fuzzy furred one, is quite the character. She brought a grin to my face yesterday when she discovered dandelions. Several of the dandelions had already turned to fuzz and she bumped one, accidentally, causing the fuzz to fly away. She chased it and thought this was grand fun.

     Within a couple of minutes she bumped another one with her nose and happily chased it too. Then another, and another. I thought when she bumped the second one it was just another accidental nudge. But no, not this smart little girl. She definitely knew what she was doing and enjoyed several minutes of chasing dandelion fuzz.

     I enjoy each dog that comes into our care. And just when I think my heart couldn't be more full of love for these guys, here comes another one tugging at my heart strings. Each one is special, each is soulful, and nothing makes me happier than when they go into a wonderful, loving home.

     On a serious note, we cannot save these pets without our community behind us. Please help us make a difference in the world of abandoned, homeless and shelter pets. Our current fundraiser to donate an engraved, memorial brick (paver) to the Sanctuary is a great way to show your support, and at the same time, honor or remember a special pet, person, or even just leave your name or business name to show your support of our cause.

     Click here to order your brick! And thank you for caring for the animals as much as we do!
     Tara

   

Lorien

The face of Rescue

   A week ago today, I travelled to a local shelter to possibly pull a couple of dogs to come live at the Sanctuary. I left with one pup, labeled "male" on the kennel card, but actually is a little girl.

   This sweetie has captured the hearts of everyone who has met her, including her run mate, Charlie. She's the sweetest dog I've ever come across. After a couple of days at the Sanctuary, her spay was scheduled where it was discovered that she has a very bad bronchial infection. She has not shown any symptoms of being sick at all, so it was a big surprise to find out that she is so ill.

  I brought her to my home to foster until she recovers. Charlie is not happy about that, but "Smokie" really needs to be indoors during this illness.

   Smokie was an owner surrender. Reason: "Dad can no longer care for the dog." Her intake form also states that she is a 1.5 year old, house trained, dog-cat-kid friendly, not spayed, not UTD on shots.

   I try really hard not to be judgmental. I have no idea what was going on in this man's life to cause him to surrender this precious pup. But why he took her to a high kill shelter... I'll never understand. Smokie is beautiful, young, no other obvious health issues, HW negative, with a great temperament. She's the perfect package. I'm sure, with a little effort, a home, foster or rescue could have been found.

   Thank goodness I made that trip that day! She probably would not have made it at the shelter. A shelter is no environment for ill animals.

   One, hopefully, saved... out of so many.

Bad hair day and mud in place of makeup - the dogs don't care

   Fingers, and paws, are crossed that we have finally made it through the Winter of 2014-2015. We began construction, and opened, the Sanctuary in early July last year. Though I can't say that anything that has happened this winter has been a surprise, I can say it has been packed full of first time experiences!

   I am a true Southerner! I don't like cold weather (I wear sweaters in the summer), and I especially don't like damp, cold wind-that-goes-right-to-your-bones weather. And, oh my, please don't ask me to drive, or walk for that matter, on ice!

   I have also never been that much into fashion. I, as a rule, don't follow the trends, don't take much time with my hair, etc., but I have always cared enough to make myself presentable. And never did I go somewhere without at least a little makeup on.

   Then, along came the Sanctuary, in July! I learned quickly that makeup immediately melts away with the sweaty work. Clothing - you don't want to wear anything that you don't mind getting really, really dirty. Hair - Ha! Naturally curly hair in our moist climate, outdoors, several hours a day... Doesn't matter if it's hot or cold outside... just don't bother!

   Summer was crazy, but the sunshine, green grass, beautiful leafy trees, happy dogs, new friends, the excitement of a dream come true... all made the experience absolutely awesome.

   Winter... I've been rained on, sleeted on, snowed on, slipped down - more than once, had days where every pair of shoes I own were all wet and/or muddy (just flat ran out of shoes), peed on (yes, peed on), got mud up my nose and in my eyes... And with these past few weeks of ice, snow and freezing temps... Wrestled with gates that wouldn't open, broke ice on water buckets only to have them refreeze while I'm standing there, toted heavy water buckets because the outdoor faucet was frozen, drove on ice, and had fingers get so cold that I couldn't grip the doorknob to get back inside to the warmth.

   I'm sure I'm leaving out some other unpleasant experiences, but the bad memories of winter are already fading. And it's been less than a week since we had ice and snow! Yes, we're still dealing with about 3" of mud in the dog runs, replacing tarps completely destroyed by the ice, and repairing damage to the runs and pens.

   But taking a lesson from the dogs, I'm learning to live in the moment. The dogs don't care that last week we were living in a frozen world... the nights long, cold and lonely and the days boring and event free. Today, the temperature is warm, the daffodils are blooming, the gates open easily, the water is unfrozen, and we have an extra hour of daylight in the afternoons! Time to play a game of fetch!

  And another lesson, the dog's don't care that, before I come visit them, I don't bother with my hair, my makeup, and I have the same old stained jeans and tee-shirt on that I wore 3 times last week. I do wash them, but you'd never know that by looking at them. They don't care about all of that, they just want what's most important... time with their humans.

   And taking lessons from our first Sanctuary winter... better shelter for our outdoor pups (the tarps kept our dogs protected, but didn't hold up to the ice. Work on drainage for areas where the runs and pens are holding water. Work on gates. Buy better insulated, waterproof boots! Wear rubber gloves OVER  my "waterproof" gloves. Buy heater strip for outdoor water faucet. There's more, but I'll stop there.

   The biggest lesson of all that I learned this winter is how appreciative the dogs are of our care... Fresh straw in the dog houses - doggie excitement! Take a moment for a belly rub, thick winter gloves and all - doggie gratitude. Slip and fall - doggie kisses. Bad hair day and mud in place of makeup - doggie admiration. We humans are very special to our canine companions.

   Please don't overlook these abandoned and homeless pets. They have so much love to give!

   And please join us in caring for these extraordinary beings. We rescues can't do this work without the whole community behind us.

   We currently have an important fundraiser for the Sanctuary and ongoing construction of Hissy House. Please see details at www.facebook.com/beyondfriendsmemorialgarden and help us save the animals!

Tara