Animal House: What's Mine is Yours

"All thing bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful, The Lord God made them all."
Cecil Francis Alexander

"Shoo!" I continued a futile battle to make the stray pooch leave us alone. My kids and I were visiting the neighborhood park when this slobbering mass of affection intruded on our day. The kids were seven and ten...just old enough to develop persuasive arguments, and they fought valiently to keep this sweet pit bull. I allowed them to give her water and half a sandwich but when we headed home, the love affair was over. Or at least that was my plan. In spite of my best efforts (angry shouts, clapping hands and furious arm waving) the dog followed us home--at a distance.

It was hot outside so I sprayed her with the hose--she thought it was a game. I noticed she had full bags of milk. Wondering about her puppies and feeling really sorry for them, I put her in my car and drove her back to the park, hoping she'd go find her babies. Half hour later, she was sitting by the front door. My husband drove around asking if anyone was missing a dog, put up signs and we all searched for her babies. We took her to the vet only to discover that she had not given birth yet. (Yeah, we're city people) "She's really young and this is surely her first litter," he told us. "She'll probably only have one or two."

There were already two dogs and two cats in our family, and we didn't need more, but we figured any dog this persistant deserved a chance. We decided to let her deliver her pups, keep them until they were old enough then find good homes for mom and babies. We called her Brinny in honor of her brindle coloring. A couple days later that dog popped out a dozen puppies. Despite her sweet, caring nature, she was simply unable to meet all their needs. After another trip to the doc and the pet store to buy formula and bottles we created a schedule for each of us to take round-the-clock shifts to feed the new family.

We only lost one baby (who was accidentally smothered by mama), soon our house looked like a scene from 101 Dalmations...puppies everywhere. They thrived and were adorable in every shape, size and color combination. (I think Brinny was a bit of a free spirit!) Every puppy was adopted, followed by their mom. They each had been given shots, good food and lots of TLC. It cost us a small fortune and disrupted our lives for a couple of months but it's still a favorite memory we frequently recall and re-tell to others.

There are many homeless and mistreated dogs and cats in every community. You may not have the time, money or desire to invest as fully as we did in Brinny and her clan, but there are lots of ways to help. Donate a dollar when you buy food at Pets Mart, volunteer a little time at the Humane Society or other "no kill" shelter and don't forget about the local pound. You may not like the idea of supporting this government agency because they do have to euthanize some of the animals and are funded by the tax dollars. But keep in mind that this is a necessary endeavor as long as people don't take care of their animals. You might not like the
"Shoo!" I continued a futile battle to make the stray pooch leave us alone. My kids and I were visiting the neighborhood park when this slobbering mass of affection intruded on our day. The kids were seven and ten...just old enough to develop persuasive arguments, and they fought valiently to keep this sweet pit bull. I allowed them to give her water and half a sandwich but when we headed home, the love affair was over. Or at least that was my plan. In spite of my best efforts (angry shouts, clapping hands and furious arm waving) the dog followed us home--at a distance.
It was hot outside so I sprayed her with the hose--she thought it was a game. I noticed she had full bags of milk. Wondering about her puppies and feeling really sorry for them, I put her in my car and drove her back to the park, hoping she'd go find her babies. Half hour later, she was sitting by the front door. My husband drove around asking if anyone was missing a dog, put up signs and we all searched for her babies. We took her to the vet only to discover that she had not given birth yet. (Yeah, we're city people) "She's really young and this is surely her first litter," he told us. "She'll probably only have one or two."
There were already two dogs and two cats in our family, and we didn't need more, but we figured any dog this persistant deserved a chance. We decided to let her deliver her pups, keep them until they were old enough then find good homes for mom and babies. We called her Brinny in honor of her brindle coloring. A couple days later that dog popped out a dozen puppies. Despite her sweet, caring nature, she was simply unable to meet all their needs. After another trip to the doc and the pet store to buy formula and bottles we created a schedule for each of us to take round-the-clock shifts to feed the new family.
We only lost one baby (who was accidentally smothered by mama), soon our house looked like a scene from 101 Dalmations...puppies everywhere. They thrived and were adorable in every shape, size and color combination. (I think Brinny was a bit of a free spirit!) Every puppy was adopted, followed by their mom. They each had been given shots, good food and lots of TLC. It cost us a small fortune and disrupted our lives for a couple of months but it's still a favorite memory we frequently recall and re-tell to others.

There are many homeless and mistreated dogs and cats in every community. You may not have the time, money or desire to invest as fully as we did in Brinny and her clan, but there are lots of ways to help. Donate a dollar when you buy food at Pets Mart, volunteer a little time at the Humane Society or other "no kill" shelter and don't forget about the local pound. You may not like the idea of supporting this government agency because they do have to euthanize some of the animals and are funded by the tax dollars. But keep in mind that this is a necessary endeavor as long as people don't take care of their animals. You might not like the pound, but if you ever visit one, it will break your heart. The animals are left in small cells with concrete floors...very hot in summer and cold in winter. They don't have blankets or chew toys or even human affection because the budget is so limited. Consider giving to the pound or volunteering there as well.

Assuming you already have favorite places to spend your "giving back" money, a tiny bit more won't likely be noticed and will save the lives of countless animals who contribute so much to the quality of human lives. Any good rescue stories to share (how you saved an animal or one saved you?) Comment on the link below.
Diane Markins
Here is another simple (FREE) way to help per a reader's comment www.theanimalrescuesite.com