A Beautiful Moment

It's a beautiful moment...when you realize what you want to do with the rest of your life. I am going to spend the rest of my life working with canids. This has only been staring me in the face for, well, forever. 

This morning was my second time participating in "doggie play groups" at the Humane Society of Tampa Bay. This has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my time at the shelter. Here are two examples of rewarding stories. 

1. Fair: A 2.5 year old hound mix. Fair was new to the shelter floor this week and was extremely nervous and scared. This is a dangerous place for dogs to be, mainly because it can escalate so easily into aggression. She participated in our play group this morning and was scared at first. After setting her boundaries with the dogs already in the yard, Fair took her place right next to the gate. She remained there, snapping at any of the dogs that got to close, for a solid 15 minutes. Eventually though, she moved away from the gate and into the middle of the play yard. She even started to play with the other dogs!!!!! This is something that a human alone could never accomplish with a dog in this short of a time span. Just another example of why dog interactions are a pack lifestyle are so important for the well being of not only domesticated dogs, but wild species as well. 
2. Rooster & Sadie: They come together. :) Rooster is a 3 year old shepherd mix. Sadie is a 2 year old akita mix. Both of these dogs are mouthy, energetic, and difficult to handle. Most people wouldn't even imagine putting these dogs into a run with other dogs.... but it has a happy ending. Rooster and Sadie attached to each other the moment we brought them in the run. They have the same personality and love to romp and chew on each other. The perfect match. After mere minutes of interacting with each other, we introduced a smaller dog into the mix, approximately a third the size of these two large dogs. The three of them did wonderfully together. Yet another thing a person could never achieve working with these dogs alone. They even played in the pool together and shared resources (the water dish) without any signs of aggression. Beautiful!

I'm not exaggerating when I say that HSTB is my home and I will love it forever. The people who work for/volunteer at/adopt from this organization are doing amazing things. HSTB saves thousands of lives every year, and they aren't just the lives of animals. We sell tags now that say "I rescued my human." This statement could not be more true. Animals have an affect on our hearts that is immeasurable. Open your heart to an animal and you'll never be the same. Dogs done more for me than any person has or will ever come close to doing. 

Whatever capacity it may be (hopefully rescue and rehabilitation), I will be working with multiple canine species for the rest of my life. :)

I may just move in to the shelter and stay forever!!

Today was a successful day. Adoptions. Play groups. Spreading smiles. Eating dog cookies. Doesn't get much better than this.

The first dog to ever show me what it means to fully dedicate your heart to the rescue/rehabilitation of a forgotten and neglected dog. 

Riley

    Riley Biley is a beautiful Brittany Spaniel mix. The vet estimated his age at 5, although we thought he was much older when we found him. Here is this handsome boys story.

     One night, we were getting ready to lock up the bunkhouse and go to bed. I went to the front door to check if it was locked. The type of door knob in this house was the kind that always opened form the inside regardless of being locked or not, so I opened the door to twist the outside handle and check. When I opened the door, I noticed a dog curled up on our front rug. I immediately closed the door and calmly announced to the group that there was a dog on the porch. Without hesitation, I opened the door a crack and let him sniff my hand. Upon deciding he was friendly, I let him inside.
    A few people were nervous and told me not to let him in, but I blatantly ignored them and ushered him in the door. The temperature outside was in the 30s. This poor baby looked like he had stiff hips and took small, painful steps. His eye sight was poor and he was definitely tired.
   I put this baby (temporarily deemed "Bubba") in the laundry room and gave him some water and a tortilla with peanut butter on it (we were limited in dog friendly options). I called one of the kennel employees and let her know we had found a dog. We posted this sign on the laundry room door for the night.

    The next morning, I took Bubba out to go to the bathroom and I noticed he was a bit reluctant to stray far from my side. Soon after, Lindia and Bob (an employee and her husband) stopped by to pick up Bubba and get him settled in at Villa Too before we arrived for the day. Once we arrived, I made sure to run and see this precious baby.
    Bob began to tell us how he noticed this dog 5 miles outside of town heading in a few days earlier. A day later, he saw the same dog 3 miles from town. This poor dog traveled for days through the cold weather and showed up on OUR door step. Of all the places he could have chose, he chose us.
    Bubba had perked up since then and looked more like a five year old dog. His teeth were in decent shape and he was running around like nothing happened. He was still a little fearful of being alone, but overall he was doing great.
    Horse Creek names their incoming animals based on alphabetical order. "Bubba" was an "r," thus he was deemed Riley. Riley is apparently too boring for me to say, so I call him Riley Biley. Riley is now living comfortably at Horse Creek waiting for the day he gets adopted. His information should be on the website soon and hopefully he finds his forever, loving home.

Marty

Marty on Day 1. 

 

    Marty is a 7 year old lab mix. He has lived at Horse Creek Wildlife Sanctuary and Animal Refuge since he was 10 weeks old. When they got him from the shelter, he had parvo and was immediately brought to the vet for treatment. Luckily, he survived. He instantly became friends with another rescue who was eventually adopted. This left Marty alone, with no canine partners as therapy.
    Marty is a very fearful dog, whom I immediately worked to gain the trust of. This is the progression of my 7 days at horse creek with Marty.

1. I sat in his kennel for ten minutes and convinced him to smell my hand. 
2. I attempted to leash him up. After almost getting bit, I turned to a slip lead and tried again. We made it out the front door, but no further before Marty began attacking the leash and expressing extreme anxiety. I put him back in his kennel. 
3. An employee has him outside already, so I took the leash without him noticing. We made it to the patch of grass outside the villa. He allowed me to pet him for a bit before going inside. 
4. I leashed up Marty properly for the first time. We made it out the front doors and back to the same patch of grass. I gained enough of his trust that he would east crackers from my mouth. We spent a ten minutes outside, then called it a day. 
5. I leashed up Marty and got him across the yard to the walking path. We only walked for about twenty feet before deciding it was time to go in. 
6. Marty and I made it half way through the walk path before the noise of the fountain became too much for his anxiety.
7. The most successful day. 

    I want to talk about day 7 specifically, because I feel that it was Marty's gift to me. I leashed him up, and brought him outside. I decided to walk the other trail in order to avoid the fountain. Marty made it 1/2 a mile with the assistance of an animal cracker crumb trail before he was confident enough to walk unmotivated. Marty and I a walked an entire mile before going back inside. 

    To most, that doesn't seem like such a success. I, however, notice the behavioral significance of this event. Tears come to my eyes just thinking about it. 

    I remember crying on day 2. I felt defeated the moment he threw himself to the ground. I knew that I was going to keep trying... although I was unsure whether Marty would accept me or not. To go from avoidance to willingness is an amazing improvement for a dog, in less than 1 week. 

Marty and I in the med room. 

    On day 3, one of the employees and I noticed a dark spot on Marty's iris. Day 4, luckily, was the vet visit day. Upon examination, the doctor advised that Marty be taken to an eye specialist to determine what the mass was and he put him on prednisone eye drops to reduce possible inflammation. Hopefully he is alright and won't need any surgery. 

    Marty is another dog I am adding to my canine loves list. This list consists of all the dogs that remind me why I am passionate about animal rescue. I would not be who I am today without the influence these dogs had on me. Every rescue dog/animal I have worked with has inspired me to do more and be better. The list has the ones who broke my heart.... all before bringing me together again and changing my life. 

*Roscoe, Sky, Marty, Rebel, Gizmo*

From the Horse Creek website

Marty arrived at Horse Creek from the animal shelter on July 6, 2004. An adorable little black puppy, we took him directly to the veterinarian's office because he was so sick. We could not leave him at the shelter to suffer.

As a puppy Marty was hospitalized for Parvo virus. But only a couple of days of that and he was ready to come back to Horse Creek. He was stronger than ever.

Marty became friends with one of our rescued dogs who had some pretty tough emotional problems. We left him at Horse Creek to take care of her, rather than taking him to adoption events. He brought her out of her shell, but he also got pretty accustomed to his surroundings. He gets a little nervous still about new things, but he quickly adjusts with a little time and attention. He LOVES people.

This guy obviously has a positive attitude. He deserves a good home. He is now healthy and happy.

Marty is ready for a forever home with a loving family. All he needs is a chance. . . .

Let Things Go

    I'm constantly battling with myself; trying not to run back to you. We're on opposite sides of a string and you've stopped pulling. It's floating life less in the space between us//neither one allowing their hands to reach out.
    I wanted to let you go and to walk away. So, you let me walk away... without a breath of fight, without a word. At that moment, I had the strength. Then you had to go and tap my shoulder. Just enough for me to turn around and forget where I was going. And here we are.... 3 weeks later and I'm still waiting. Even though you've obviously come to terms with my decision.
    I'm done. It was all a selfish game. The last time I saw you//the secret goodbye//the lure on the pole you're not watching. Looking back now, I realize how easy it was to spot. I was reacting to your goodbye with distance. Miles of distance crammed between the embrace, the kiss, the space between our chosen corners.
    One thing I am proud of; I walked away and didn't look back. Maybe the goodbye was mine.

    I embark tomorrow on Alternative Break: Round Two. Spring Break 2012. Savannah, TN. I get to continue saving the lives of abused, neglected, and forgotten animals. All while making friends with the horses next door. :) Expect pictures.... lots and lots of pictures.

I am ready, now more than ever, to start clean and live the life I know I can. I'm applying for dream jobs. I'm saving lives. I'm working toward being the best I can be, and no one can stop me.