I know you have quite a few rescue animals that are now part
of your family. Can you tell us about
them?
I’d love to… Considering all my
children have fur, I could talk about them all day long! My pack is almost a manageable size these
days, although much smaller than in the mid-90s. There was a time in our early years when we
had over a dozen dogs and several dozen cats.
That’s the point at which I realized the line between helping &
hoarding had become far too thin!
We currently have 2 donkeys, 5
dogs, and 5 cats, along with 2 foster dogs and 2 foster kittens; all of which
are rescues. Although each one has an
amazing story of rescue, I’ll just give you just the basics here.
Dominick is 12, and was our
first donkey saved from a farm in north FL where he was being bullied by their
horses. He was very well cared-for, but
the family knew he’d be better off on a farm without equine. Dominick is a very sweet & sensitive boy
who loves affection. Shortly after he
arrived, we realized Donkeys are pack animals and he needed a friend, so we
sought out a 2nd donkey to keep him company. A local family with over 100 acres goes to
the auctions every month and buys all the pregnant female donkeys and sells
their offspring to afford to save more moms.
Jasper came to us at only a few months old and is now almost 5 years
old. Although he’s far less affectionate
with us, he & Dominick are best-buds.
Little did we know then that donkeys can live to be 40+ years old and
will likely outlive us!
Amos is our oldest dog, a 14 yr
old flat-coat retriever, chow mix. At a
few months old he was found outside a convenience store with an old man hugging
a bottle of wine. The dog was begging
everyone for food. Alan asked the man if
the dog was his, and the man said “You can have him for $5.” Alan gave the man $5 and named him after his
grandfather, Amos Starnes.
Mai Peanut (Pnut for short) is a
puppy-mill puppy and at 12 years old has always been the most sickly of all the
dogs I’ve ever had. She has Discoid
Lupus disease, incontinence, and a severe obsession with tennis balls. She is also the love of our lives! Pnut is the sweetest, most sensitive and
loyal dog anyone could ever hope for, and we have been very lucky to have her
in remission – for almost 2 years now!
Bella & Luna are twins and
are my 3 year old Echo Dogs. Rescued
from a neglectful home in Nebraska, they are the reason I volunteer to help the
white shepherds of Florida. In 2009, I
completed Echo Dogs’ adoption application stating that I wanted a bonded pair
of young females. I didn’t care of their
color, or if they were mix-breeds, but preferred sisters. Our first two
shepherds, Barkley & Tasha were sisters and after they died – well into
their “teens”, we wanted another bonded pair.
I was warned it could take a long time to find such a pair, but I
assured them I was patient. Six long
months later, Laura with Echo Dogs contacted me about “the twins” and we jumped
at the chance to get them. Laura drove
from Chicago to Tennessee, and we drove from FL to meet her and bring our girls
home. Bella is also known as Sugar Belle
– the sweetest, smartest southern belle you’d ever meet. Unlike her sister, Luna is about as loony as
they get, and has limited eyesight.
She’s very untrusting, reserved, and skeptical, but loves me with her
entire heart.
Willow is the newest addition to
our pack – and also an Echo Dog. She and
her sister were incarcerated at a FL animal control together and Echo Dogs
agreed to pull them both on a Sunday night.
By 8 am Monday morning her sister was already dead, so a fellow rescue
angel rushed to the kennel and got Willow out immediately. Willow’s foster had to leave town for a week,
so she came here – and never left!
Despite her foster’s willingness to take her back, and then finding the
“perfect” adopter, Alan decided Willow was HIS dog, and so she is.
As for the cats, they mostly
just “show up”. Leo’s mom was a pregnant
stray and we chose to keep Leo and adopted out his siblings. He’s 13, and a long-haired orange tabby. His mom, Baby Doll lived out her life here as
well. Tigger is 7 and Sissy is 5 and are
both long-haired orange tabbies. They
simply arrived at our home looking for food – probably from being dumped in the
orange grove next door. Tater-Tot is 5
years old and is a short-haired orange tabby.
I’ll get into his rescue story shortly. Truffles (sweet as chocolate)
was found trying to cross a busy road at 3 weeks old. He was so tiny, he took up residence in a
Kleenex box and still had room to move around.
He’s now 4 years old and is a grey tiger-stripe tabby. All touched our hearts and became part of our
family instead of being adopted. And as
you can see, it helps to be an orange tabby if you’re a cat looking for a home
in our neighborhood!
Two Foster Dogs: Gee is a long-coat, pure-bred white German
Shepherd Dog. He’s 5 years old,
neutered, micro-chipped and up to date on shots. Gee is a very strong-willed dog and will need
an experienced handler that can continue his training. Snoopy is a German Short-Haired Pointer,
Beagle mix. She’s 2 years old, spayed,
micro-chipped and up to date on shots.
Currently going through heartworm treatment, Snoopy will be available
for adoption on May 1st. She
is a very sweet girl who loves belly-rubs, playing with balls and runs like the
wind. She is great with kids & dogs,
but should not be in a family with cats or birds.
Two Foster Kittens: As of March 25th are about two
weeks old, found in an abandoned home and currently with a loving foster being
bottle fed around the clock. They will
be available for adoption on 4/28, or got to my vet for adoption. Both long-haired, one is white with a few
charcoal spots and the other is a grey tabby.
Sometimes it’s a tough call on
who to keep and who to adopt out. I
often think it would be better for them all to go to a family where they’d be
#1 or #2 rather than having to settle into such a large pack here with us. And that’s what happens most often; we end up
keeping the “unadoptables” and letting the most balanced and friendly pets go
to other homes. But every now and again,
some just worm their way into our hearts and we find a way to spread our love
just a little bit further.
One of the
many benefits of adopting Tristan is that we’ve become friends. You’ve told me some amazing, unforgettable
stories about the animals that you’ve rescued over the years. Could you share a few of your more memorable
experiences with us?
I’ve often said that some of my
most treasured friends were brought to me by strays. And that was certainly the case with you and
that big, goofy boy of yours! Aside from
Tristan, one of my most memorable rescue experiences was my own kitty,
Tater-Tot; mostly because it gave me the opportunity to impact a young human
life as well as a pet. So often as
rescuers, we get fixated on “saving the pet” and sometimes forget the human
aspect that goes along with it. Or, we
become so hardened to humans because of all the abuse to pets we see at the
hands of humans. But Tater-Tot was
different…
In 2008 I received a call from a
young girl about a cat she’d found while here on vacation with her family. They were staying in the neighboring city of
Kissimmee at her aunt’s house and this orange tabby cat showed up, weak &
hungry. Hannah made it her mission – on
her summer vacation – to help this kitty find a home. Her call to me was to see if I’d take him
into Catnip Trails and get him off the street.
Keep in mind that I receive hundreds of calls & emails like this
every month, and cannot take them all in.
So, I told her that the right thing to do was to first see if he was
merely lost and try to locate his family.
I created some flyers and had her post them in the neighborhood and drop
them off at their local vet. I had
spoken to her mother who agreed to help and urged me to guide her daughter
through this process. Hannah was about
10 years old.
She spent the next week
interviewing her aunt’s neighbors and vets offices to see if she could find his
rightful owner, but sadly, no one who knew the cat she was calling Chester. Throughout the week, she emailed me with
updates on her progress, letting me know all the steps she’d taken to find him
a home. She was determined to not leave
Florida without this cat being safe.
The night before her family was
to go back north, she called me in despair.
Her aunt would not continue caring for the cat and was going to turn it
loose once they left. She was
heart-broken. We realized we had an
opportunity to not only save a cat’s life, but to make a positive impression on
a young girl’s life. If she left here
defeated at trying to help an animal in need, she’d possibly never try to help
again. If she left here knowing all her
hard work paid off, maybe – just maybe – she’d be a rescuer one day.
When I got there, Chester was in
a carrier on the back porch and Hannah was beaming from ear to ear. Her mother took me aside and thanked me for
teaching Hannah the responsible way to help this cat, for making her “stick
with it”, and for showing her that hard-work pays off. As I was loading Chester (soon to be
Tater-Tot) into my car, Hannah gave me the biggest, little-person hug ever,
with tears flowing down her face. She
reached into her pockets and pulled out 3 one-dollar bills and a handful of change. She told me it was what she and her sisters
had left over from their vacation money and she wanted to donate it to
Chester’s care. Knowing I was about to
refuse the money, her mother put her hand on mine and said “I wish we could do
more – please take it. You are the only
one who responded to Hannah’s plea for help.”
While Tater-Tot’s rescue had a
positive impact on a little girl’s life, it’s also had a huge impact on
mine. “Toot” as he’s affectionately
called is the most awesome, loving, and special kitty we have. And by special, I mean he’s my “Forest Gump”
of kitties.
One more story is of Red – a
senior golden retriever I found tied to a pole at the post office on a hot
Sunday afternoon. I had just flown into
town and stopped to check my mail on the way home. I didn’t see him on my way in, but coming
back out the door, there he sat, panting & frothing, parched from the
heat. There was also a sheriff sitting
in his air-conditioned car in the parking lot.
I walked up to the dog and he
wiggled and whined. I checked his collar
for a tag – none. The officer got out of
his car and asked if I was his owner which I declined. He told me the dog had been there all day and
he had come back to wait for animal control who was called in to pick him
up. I said “You know at his age, they’ll
just kill him.” He nodded in
agreement. I asked if he’d had any water
while he was there “all day”, and he replied that since animal control was
coming and we knew the inevitable, he saw no need to give him water.
I unhooked his leash and led him
to my car. The sheriff asked if I was
claiming the dog, to which I replied, “No, but I am taking him for a drink of
water.” I put him in my car, drove home,
and never looked back. Red River, as we
learned his name to be, was microchipped to a woman in NC. Unfortunately, the contact information was
more than five years old and she never kept it up to date. The phone number listed was no longer in
service and there was no forwarding number.
Sleuth that I am, I took his picture and faxed it to every vet in my
county and to the county where she used to live in NC. No one knew this dog. I did a white pages search for her name and
called every listing – but no one claimed poor Red. So, being that we live in one of the most
popular retirement areas of FL, I forged on to the obituaries, and there she
was. She had died earlier in the week in
a neighboring city, and evidently her family decided they didn’t want her
dog. I didn’t bother tracking them down,
and instead advertised him for adoption.
Red River, although a senior at
9 yrs old, adopted out very quickly to a wonderful family who still sends me
updates. I’m so thankful that he’s now
being shown the love & respect he deserves.
I’m sure it was very confusing for him to lose his mom, and then his
home, but dogs are so forgiving of us humans.
They love unconditionally even after abandonment or abuse. Red River is one of the lucky ones – he will
be cherished for the rest of his life!
Joan, I’ve
said this so often to you and my friends in Echo Dogs, but I have so much
admiration for what people in rescue work do.
I think most of us feel sympathy or sadness when we see a lost animal or
encounter a dog that is being neglected or abused. How do you keep from utter despair when you
see so much suffering on a daily basis?
Do you have any suggestions how the rest of us can help animals in
need?
Unfortunately, Sharon there is
no magic potion to ward off the despair, and ultimate burn-out all rescuers
experience from time to time. I feel it
in my heart, and sometimes it takes its toll on my health as well. Stress is very powerful, yet that’s what we,
as rescuers all feel when we look at the hundreds of faces we know we can’t
help in time. I sometimes feel like I’m
having a heart attack, but know it’s merely my heart breaking… once again. But that’s not what it’s all about. If we focused on the “RIP” albums (yes, there
are RIP albums to pay our respect to those we were unable to help), we’d never
be able to continue our work.
It takes a great deal of strength
and courage to forge past those albums and onto creating the “Success Stories”
that keep us going. And Tristan is a
prime example of one of my most triumphant rescues. Not a week goes by that I don’t look at
pictures of him, Oliver, Riley, Baroness, Josie, Lucy, Ginger, Bear, Buddy,
Sugar & Spice, Peaches, Kodi & Gracie, Zorro, Muffin and hundreds more
that were saved because we force ourselves to continue – despite the
losses. I can only hope that those whose
help didn’t come in time, did not expire in vain; that somehow, someone’s life
was touched enough to make a difference in the life of another pet.
Aside from opting to adopt,
there are so many ways people can help animals in need. Fostering is probably the single, most-valued
service rescuers need. Without foster
homes available, rescues cannot pull a pet without putting him/her in
boarding. And saving one from death just
to have him/her sit in a kennel for months is not rescue. Foster homes provide a temporary residence
while a permanent home is found. They
further evaluate the pet’s behavior with humans and other pets, and provide
training when necessary. Mostly, they
provide a loving environment for a pet to blossom in, and cash-in on lots of
sloppy kisses! Most rescues (Catnip Trails
and Echo Dogs included) pay for all medical expenses while the pet is in
foster, so the only expense is usually food.
Many people say they could never foster because it would be too hard to
let the pet go to a forever home. I find
that curious, and although I too am a “failed foster” by adopting Willow, I’d
much rather see a pet leave me to go to a good home, than never have had a
chance in the first place.
Other ways to help include:
- Always opt
to adopt instead of shop for your next pet; and remember a pet is a
lifetime commitment. Almost 40% of
the pets in shelters are pure-breds.
Not all shelter pets come with problems – many are there due to the
unfortunate circumstances, or ignorance of their former families. - Always have
your pet spayed/neutered to stop reproduction. Having just one litter increases your
female pet’s chance of cancer. Not
having a male pet neutered increases his chance of cancer by an astounding
90%. And with over 4 million pets
being put down every year in our country, over-population has become an
epidemic. - Ensure your
pet always has a microchip or wears a tag. - Volunteer
your time at a local facility or no-kill shelter. Most shelters won’t ask you to scoop
poop or clean kennels – many just need dog walkers and people to play with
the pets to further their social skills.
What’s more fun that playing with dogs & cats? Others could use help posting animals in
need, providing transports (usually 60 miles or less), or simple office
work. - Take your
dog to obedience training. He
doesn’t understand the rules until you show him, and an abundance of dogs
are surrendered for simple obedience issues that could have been avoided
with just one obedience class. - Never, ever
offer pets as “free to good home”.
Ask for a donation, find a rescue, or use your local SPCA if you
have no other choice in surrendering your pets. Free to good home pets often meet a fate
worse than death. - Teachers: Invite a Humane Education speaker into
your classrooms. If you’re in
central FL, I’d be happy to speak at your school. - Vote! Support legislation that protects
animals. - If you find
a lost pet, stop and pick it up.
Then contact a local rescue for resources on finding its rightful
owner or a shelter to take it to.
Although shelter-life often has a bleak outcome, it certainly
offers better odds than starvation, traffic, or worse. - Teach your
children the humane treatment of animals. - Report
abuse, chaining/tethering, and neglect to your local officials. - Keep your
donations local! The Humane Society
of the United States shares less than 1% of their donations with shelters
that actually house animals. Find a
local chapter or a no-kill rescue – we are all over-extended with pets and
vet bills, and short on funds. If you cannot afford to donate money, bring
them an extra bag of pet food, towels, collars, leashes or pet toys. - If there’s a
family in your neighborhood or social circle with pets and you know they
are financially struggling, bring them an extra bag of pet food. Help your community keep their pets in
their homes and out of shelters.
Seniors are most often in need of a little extra help – and need
their pets more than ever in their golden years. - Become
familiar with the “No-Kill
Equation” and other shelter reform documents through the No Kill
Advocacy Center. Don’t be afraid to
ask your county animal facilities if they follow such protocol, and help
promote the No Kill vision when possible. - Remember,
you don’t have to adopt every pet to make a difference, just join the
village and get involved on some level.
Joan, thank you so much for
agreeing to this interview. You are an
amazing person and I feel proud to call you my friend. Tristan is sleeping right now on his bed,
utterly relaxed with all four feet in the air, and you made this possible for
him—and for dogs and cats (and donkeys) beyond counting. My readers interested in learning more about
Joan’s rescue, Catnip Trails, and Echo Dogs White German Shepherd Rescue can
visit their websites here. http://www.catniptrails.com/ http://www.echodogs.org/
May 5, 2012
You are an inspiration Joan! Through Sharon’s face book page and other posts I learned about the difference between ‘shelters’ and ‘no-kill shelters’. I had been making donations to a local rescue group, but when I enquired further I learned they euthanase most of their ‘rescues’ and when not doing that they frequently have ‘free to a good home’ specials. I stopped the donations and began the search for a good, local ‘no-kill’ shelter. I found a place called Ingrid’s Haven. I now make a monthly donation and have my own sponsor cat called Benny. I hope someone will adopt Benny one day, but until then I know he will be well cared for. Right now, one of my adopted fur kitties, George, is sleeping on my lap. And my adopted bunnies are busy eating their breakfast.
I wish other people were like you, Paula.
The other big inspiration for me changing where I donate was some of the posts by Annalori Ferrell. She helped me to understand that ignorance is no excuse, so I educated myself. The statistics on the numbers of animals euthanased is horrific and I tell all the pet owners I know and everyone thinking of getting a pet to adopt. Having said all that, my oldest cat Patty is shop bought. I was living with my boyfriend at the time and we were going through a difficult patch, so he bought me a kitten as a surprise gift. The sort of action that would lead to many of the horror stories we hear about! Luckily it was me he bought her for. I left him, took the cat with me and Patty and I have had 14 happy years together so far :). She is so important to me that another boyfriend who was allergic to cats did not stay my boyfriend for long!
I know we are not supposed to buy pets from pet stores since that encourages puppy mills; do they have them in Australia, Paula? And I agree intellectually. But those puppies and kittens in the pet stores need homes, too. If your boyfriend hadn’t bought Patty for you, maybe she would have been purchased by someone who wouldn’t have given her the safe, loving home you have given her.
Simply amazing. Even better than the first part of the interview. Today, Sir James Tyrrell was executed. And I mentioned this on the previous blog post, but in case someone missed it: Yesterday, (5th of May) the rebel barons renounced their allegiance to John, proclaiming themselves ‘the Army of God and England’ with Robert Fitz Walter at their head, and marched on London, beginning the preliminary conflicts to the First Baron’s War, eventually leading to the Magna Carta first being signed at Runnymede on June 15.
Sharon, what Joan does and what you do is really praiseworthy, and I agree with Koby: an amazing interview. I will also follow in Koby’s footsteps and write one more time what happened yesterday in Poland.
One of my favourite Polish kings died on May 5th in 1194, namely Kazimierz II Sprawiedliwy (Casimir II the Just- the honorific title wasn’t contemporary; it only appeared in the 16th century). I’m going to write a book about him and his elder brother Duke Henryk Sandomierski (the only Polish crusader of the Piast dynasty) one day.
At first nothing heralded Kazimierz’s bright future. The last son of Bolesław Krzywousty and his wife, Salomea of Berg, born already after his father’s death, provided with no suitful inheritance, he was brought up by his elder brothers, and used as a political pawn by them. In 1157, as a part of the treaty between his brother Bolesław and Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, Casimir was sent to Germany as a hostage in order to secure the loyalty of his brother to the Emperor. He spent four years there. Although Kazimierz himself could not have been happy with the arrangement, I think it must have been the most extraordinary experinece for the young Duke. The German court was far more sophisticated and cultured than Polish one (still in his „cradle”) and Kazimierz must have seen and learned a lot. Later he used that knowledge in ruling his own country, first as the Duke at Wiślica (1166-1173) and Sandomierz (since 1173) and later as the High Duke of Poalnd (in 1177). The evidence? He launched a project of establishing the first university in Poland but it all came to naught after his sudden untimely death. Had he managed to finish his project our university would have been the first in Central Europe, before the University of Prague. Unfortunately it had to wait 160 years for another Kazimierz (the Great this time) to materialize.
You may laugh but I have even managed to trace back a link- although a very indirect one, I admit- between Kazimierz and Hal. Namely- attention please- Marguerite! In the course of his Russian campaign (1180-1189), Kazimierz had to deal with his powerful neighbour King Bela III of Hungary, Marguerite’s second husband, whom she had married four years after Hal’s death.
Sharon, we do have puppy mills Australia. Thousands of perfectly healthy animals are euthanased every year due to the overbreeding.
Kasia, I hope you do write about Casimir one day–hopefully both in Polish and in English so we can read it, too.
Today’s Facebook Note.
May 5, 1191 was the day of one of Richard’s most dramatic rescues. For five days, his wife and betrothed had been trapped on a ship off the coast of Cyprus, desperately fending off the enticements and then the threats by the Cypriot despot, Isaac Comnenus, who wanted to get them ashore to hold them as hostages. Knowing he could take them by force, they’d stalled for time by promising to come ashore the next day. This is how one of the chroniclers
who’d accompanied Richard on crusade describes it:
“While the queens were burning with gnawing anxiety, God sent them prompt help. On that same Sunday, while they were gloomily discussing and bewailing their situation to each other and gazing out across the sea, two ships appeared in the distance among the foaming peaks of the rolling waves, sailing rapidly toward them, tossing about like little crows. The queens were still doubtful as to what this was when they caught sight of some other ships following them. An enormous number of ships were heading directly toward the port at great speed…They were overjoyed, the more so because help is all the more welcome to those who have despaired of it.”
The author of the Itinerarium and the second major crusader chronicler, Ambroise, were clearly writers at heart, for their chronicles are much more lively and colorful than the usual staid, dry accounts we get from medieval monks. I enjoyed writing my Cypriot scenes, for the chroniclers showed Joanna to be her mother’s daughter in the way she matched wits with Isaac, finding excuses to avoid leaving their ship. And at the risk of a little immodesty, I think my account is even more dramatic than those found in the Itinerarium and Ambroise:
“It happened with such suddenness that men were not sure at first if they could trust their senses. There was nothing to the west but sea and sky and those two ships tacking against the wind. And then the horizon was filled with sails, stretching as far as the eye could see. A moment of stunned disbelief gave way almost at once to pandemonium, and for the rest of their lives, there would be men who vowed they’d never experienced an emotion as over-whelming as the joy of deliverance on a May Sunday off the coast of Cyprus.
“The sharp-eyed sailors spotted it first. ‘The Sea-Cleaver! The king’s galley!’ But Richard’s women needed to see it for themselves, scarcely breathing until it came into focus, looking like a Norse long-ship, its hull as red as the sunset, its sails catching the wind, and streaming from its masthead the banner emblazed with the royal lion of England. “
This may be the most visual book I’ve ever written. It was certainly the one in which I had the most detailed contemporary sources to draw upon, chronicles written by men who were eye-witnesses to the events I was writing about. For a writer, it doesn’t get any better than that. Sadly, I am now back in the real world for Ransom, where the chroniclers are often at variance with one another and offer more confusion than clarity. I found that so frustrating while writing Saints that afterward I was in danger of burning out, an exhaustion that gave birth to Justin de Quincy, for I decided I needed a break, a chance to give my imagination free rein for a change. There are definite advantages in writing of people who actually lived. It means I always get to start out on my journey with a road map. The drawback is that the map often takes me places I do not want to go. So I really do hope Justin and company get to ride again!
I have one brown tabby cat, Daisy, and two standard poodles, Bingley and Lizzy. Both Daisy and Lizzy are rescues. Daisy was found on the streets, hungry and sick, after having had stillborn kittens. She was socialized, so my theory is that her owners didn’t bother to get her spayed and dumped her out somewhere when they found out she was pregnant. Lucky for her that she ended up in our local Humane Society shelter, and was advertised as being up for adoption on our public access channel on a day when I happened to be watching. I got Lizzy from a rescue organization, which in turn had rescued her from a ‘kill’ shelter in Alabama. I don’t know much about how she ended up there except that she had been severely neglected with malnutrition, matted hair, worms & giardia, and sores on her rear end from being kept crated in her own feces and urine. She was 4 yrs old & had been spayed, so she obviously didn’t come from a puppy mill. One can only assume that her own family treated her that way. It just boggles my mind that someone could own a beautiful purebred dog and neglect her to that extent. I will never understand people who take pets into their homes and then neglect or abuse them.
I cannot understand that, either, Mary. And every rescue cat or dog I’ve had has been so grateful to have a safe, loving home. Animals, especially dogs, are remarkably forgiving.
Re my comments above about Cyprus–Oops, a sharp-eyed reader has queried Richard having a “wife and betrothed” at the same time! It should read, of course, “his sister and betrothed.” I really have to start proof-reading these posts before I hit the enter key.
Thank you to everyone who has embraced the rescue mentality and helps to spread the word about the plight of homeless pets! I appreciate the words of praise, and thank each one of you who have rescued pets in your homes (and on your laps). Sharon – you have been such an inspiration to me in many ways, and bringing rescue to the masses by posting this interview was by far the most supportive act of kindness. I’m sorry that Bad Melusine wouldn’t allow you to post any photos of my pack, so anyone interested in peeking at my pics can go to http://www.facebook.com/catniptrails and click on the “Photos” link.
Sharon, I agree with you about the pet stores. We usually got our dogs from kennels, but before my mom died I bought a little Chihuahua that she wanted from a local pet store. She was way over priced, but so cute. When I got her home I took her to the vet because her eyes and nose had drainage and for six weeks did not know if she had distemper. I know if we had not taken her when we did she might not have lived.
It is such a catch-22, Evelyne. I understand and agree that if people stopped buying from pet stores, maybe the puppy mills would eventually die out. But the puppies already born need homes too. So many of them are sickly, too, and then break the hearts of the people who buy them in good faith. It is truly a lose-lose situation.
Thanks so much, Joan, for posting the link. I was very disappointed that I could not insert any photos into your interview–I love the ones of all five of your dogs and of your donkeys. But Melusine was really intent upon living up to her name yesterday.
And today, Joan of Arc ended the siege of Orleans, pulling an arrow from her own shoulder and returning wounded to lead the final charge against the English, marking a turning point in the 100 Years War.
Here is today’s Facebook Note. I posted a photo of Trifels Castle where Richard was held in April of 1193, but unfortunately I can’t do so here. Maybe later I’ll do a blog so I can show it to my non-Facebook friends. Richard had a bad time of it at Trifels, where he was–in his own words–loaded down with chains so heavy that a horse or mule would have struggled to move. Here is the Note:
I’d asked if you all would be interested in my quoting from the chroniclers from time to time, and got an emphatic yes, so here is one relating to Richard’s captivity in Germany, from the German chronicler Otto of St Blasien, translation by G. A. Loud.
“Hearing of the capture of the King of the English, the emperor sent envoys to the duke,ordering him to hand over the king, and, once the latter had been handed over at Worms, he ordered him to be taken away and laden with chains, treating him thus to make him wish to be ransomed.”
This, by the way, is one of the few German chroniclers to give any details of Richard’s imprisonment, which we get from the English chroniclers. The Germans seemed rather discomfited by the whole episode, either because Heinrich was so blatantly defying the Church or because they were embarrassed by his treachery in constantly going back on his word.
With pleasure I read the second part of Joane’s rescue work.
Her love for animals is so evident in each one of the stories about her pack.
I just want to say thank you Joane.You are an inspiration and an example of what rescue and caring for your animal friends is all about.
Today’s Facebook Note.
Sorry I was incommunicado yesterday, but there is no Facebook access in the dungeons of Trifels. I do have an amazing rescue story to share today, though, about a Boston police officer and the dog that saved his mother’s life. Here is the video. http://www.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_c3#/video/us/2012/05/09/dnt-ma-dog-pulls-owner-off-train-tracks.wcvb
Oops, the link didn’t come through. Trying again.
http://www.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_c3#/video/us/2012/05/09/dnt-ma-dog-pulls-owner-off-train-tracks.wcvb
And what happened today in history, Koby?
This is, I have to say, one of the loveliest blog posts I’ve read.
Today’s Facebook Note.
Sharon Kay Penman
I may not be around much until Richard gets out of Trifles, since medieval dungeons have no internet access, as I mentioned earlier. The most intense scenes also tend to leave me emotionally exhausted and I sometimes need a little time to recover. You can imagine what a toll some of my death scenes take. Probably it has been most difficult to write of charcters who died in combat, for then it is a double challenge–a battle scene and a death scene. So that would put Richard III and Simon de Montfort and Llywelyn ap Gruffydd’s deaths on the list of scenes that made me occasoinally wish I’d stayed a lawyer; fortunately that is temporary insanity and soon passes. I have never cried at one of my books, though I do cry reading other writers’ books, but sometimes a scene will make me feel much sadder than I’d anticipated–the ambush death of the poet-prince Hywel ab Owain and Ellen de Montfort’s childbirth death sure did. At least Coeur de Lion is still alive, but the very stones of Trifles had such tragic stories to tell.
Sharon, I’m very busy too (minor family problems) but I cannot resist and have to write that I cried like a baby while reading about Hywel’s death. Afterwards, when I finally came to myself, I was analysing the writing techniques you had implied while creating that scene and came to conclusion that in a creative process there is no place for incidents. I mean Hywel’s dog, a young wolfhound, and how you had build the whole scene by means of the pet, and how it had become a deadly weapon in your hands:-) Of course, the way you had created and depicted Hywel throughout Time and Chance was another reason for such strong emotions.
Thank you, Kasia. Hywel was one of a few characters who claimed center stage and refused to get off. 🙂 Hywel and Maud, the Countess of Chester, and Llywelyn ap Gruffydd’s brother Davydd all ended up with much larger roles than I’d initially intended. I’ve found that when a character gets the bit between his or her teeth like this, the best thing I can do is just hold on and enjoy the ride.
Glad to know I’m not the only one who shed a tear during Hywel’s death scene. I couldn’t believe it! It was truly wrenching. I really wished he had survived!
Hywel was one of my favorite characters, Beth, so it was very hard to have to kill him off, especially because I knew that his death would be such a blow to Wales.
We have 3 rescue animals in our home and all 3 are a joy.
Robbie is a border collie who we got 9 yrs ago as a pup. He had been mistreated by his former owner and was a psychological mess.
He is still mistrustful of strangers but if you take it slow he can be very
friendly.
Bitsy, a cat was abondonned in our church parking lot with her 2 sisters.
They were no more than a month old at the time. All 3 found homes and
we took her. While we were arguing over her name, I was calling her
small cat or Lil Bit. We decided Bitsy fit so her was named. She can be
very affectionate but sometimes just wants to just sit close by.
The really funny thing is she loves Robbie, our dog. Robbie on the other hand could care less.
Our last cat, MD is not a true rescue. My wife’s sister couldn’t keep him so we took him. MD and Bitsy are about the same age and treat each other like siblings. At times they fight like siblings as well. MD is our sweet lovable goof. He is very affectionate but will hide when strangers come into his home.
UK’s feared ‘Torture Gang’ boss dies at age 78
Today, while I was at work, my cousin stole my iphone and tested to see if it can survive a forty foot drop, just so she can be a youtube sensation. My iPad is now destroyed and she has 83 views. I know this is completely off topic but I had to share it with someone!
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ことができます購入様々 な重複 ミュウミュウ財布 と、資金 の本格的な1。さらに人気1 つだけ ミュウミュウ
ミュウミュウ宝石で飾られたクラッチです。PS:くださいスリクルーズ カメオを得ることができますあまり、夫人プラダ ！ホーボー財布通常来ると、広大なは調整可能な支持ストラップと快適な。Miu Miuデザインとスタイルを明確に示すは、特別事件で、招待者のみ。さらに、これのバッグです素晴らしい多様性。
髪をスレッド除去 です本当に も追加有益な対。損傷。この時間を少し支援 から、良い友達 のモトローラ 1 つ のプライマリメーカー の高トップ品質日よけ。
Este dolor a veces es bastante insoportable aun que ponga que no tiene importancia.
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I don’t have any pets anymore. My sesrits, brother and I used to have cats and dogs when we lived in small rural places so they could be outside since I’m allergic. I tried to have fish once but I didn’t do a very good job of keeping them alive. What’s your cat’s name? Why would you describe him as weird? Ms. SimonsenYorkton, SKCanada