Save Money on Pet Costs: Splitting Larger Doses of Frontline Flea Medication

Save Money on Pet Costs: Splitting Larger Doses of Frontline Flea Medication

Betty Sue Haynes Rescue Dog Adopter Review

The cute little dog above was known as Spunky at our rescue. He was pulled from a high kill shelter in TN. Spunky had a few quirks, as with any dog none are perfect, just like us humans are not perfect. His adopter understood that he had flaws and she was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and adopt him. She understood the risks of adopting an adult rescue dog, because you often inherit the bad behavior the dog learned in his prior life before being adopted. I am up front with all the people who adopt that no dog is perfect.  Rescue dogs often have many flaws. If they expect a dog to be perfect then they really have no business adopting. When they have unrealistic expectations they are setting themselves and the dog up to fail. Most of the time our stories end up like this one. We love committed and educated adopters who know what to expect, and how to uncover the best in their rescue dog. We admire the tenacity of a devoted human who is determined help a dog succeed. Those types of adopters are the ones that keep the wheels or any creditable rescue turning.

Sent: Monday, January 9, 2012 1:53 PM
Subject: Spunky (now known as Benny)

Hi Betty,

I've been wanting to write to you to give you an update on Spunky/Benny, hereinafter referred to by his forever name, Benny.

He is proving to be a wonderful family member and lives up to all you said about him - well, at least most of the time. He is laid back and humble too but he does have great amounts of energy at times. What fun !

Everyone who has met Benny falls in love with him. Those eyes of his just look straight into one's heart; how could anyone resist? I could not. Now, as for the one we call Daddy, he took longer to convince. First the issue of Benny thinking one of the cats was some sneaky creature that came out at night (he did). We are still working on that one but Biff Cat is getting braver and I keep introducing them to eachother. Slow but sure; I have faith.

Benny walked great on the leash from the beginning but I did get a Gentle Leader head collar for safety's sake around the cat and found it good for walking Benny at certain times when I know he is full of the surplus energy. The G. Leader is wonderful and calms him right away. Vet and sister both recommended it. If anyone asks they can see it on www.gentleleader.com

For awhile I thought Bob was going to make me part with Benny. I had many friends supporting me and got me through the rough patch, especially friends at the vet's and groomer's. It helped by taking Benny to doggie-day-care at the groomer's twice a week. He loves it there and definitely needed time with other dogs. He has a best friend who looks like he could be Benny's brother. Same coloring and near in size. They greet each other as best friends do and I am told play together the whole day. This gave, and gives, Bob and I two days to do whatever we want - go further afield, etc. and not worry about dog walks etc.

I also had a professional trainer come to our home one day to help with suggestions about the "mouthing" that Benny was doing, cat relationship and general suggestions re: training in obedience. By the time the day arrived for the visit, I had Benny's "mouthing", meaning grabbing me at times when he decided to play rough, mostly under control. I liked my method much better than the trainer's and am sticking with my firm but more gentle approach.

I have spent lots of time, treats and praise in working on every-day obedience. I don't know how much he already knew and is just re-learning or what is new to him but he does learn very quickly. He shakes (paw) regularly. Of course he is very food motivated and still prefers to perform for the treats and sometimes ignores commands that don't have a treat attached. But he is learning and will do just fine. The treats are part of the daily ration of food so his weight is staying very steady after gaining about two pounds when he first came.

Finally I must say what truly made "Daddy" come around. We have an 8 acre dog park near us (12 miles, which is near in our rural area). We took him there on a beautiful 50 degree day - New Year's Eve. He was ecstatic when he was turned free in that big area among about 12 other dogs of all sizes. He makes friends with all dogs and people. But the thing that opened my husband's heart was to see Benny run. He could out-run all of those dogs no matter how big. He ran in great, four foot, leaps and at full speed. Truly awesome to see. Other people were all asking us what breed of dog he is. The paper work said beagle/terrier but the first time our vet saw him and his long legs she said she thought he could be part Italian Greyhound. After seeing him run we could almost believe that. Bob was a runner (NYC Marathon) for many years and still hikes regularly on the Appalachian Trail. He still hikes at least 25 - 30 miles a week. Anyway - Benny impressed him. That afternoon I heard Bob say to Benny, "Benny, we're going to keep you." That took a long time to come for me but it was pure music to my ears. The miracle I asked for at Christmas was my New Year's present.

Bob walks Benny at least once a day and I do the rest. Benny now jumps into Bob's lap and I wish you could have seen the look on Bob's face the first time he did that. Joy. Otherwise Benny is where I am and always very close - as in touching me if not on my lap. He is a lap full at the computer.

Benny entered my heart at the first kiss (right out of the crate from his trip to NJ) and yes, he has also joined me in bed. How could I resist?

I love him - totally.

'

Thank you for your part in bringing Benny into our lives. God bless you and the work you do.

Mary R, Benny's forever Mom

Why & How To Document Health & Behavior Of Rescue Animals

Merry Christmas From Us To You. The above picture is Buddy. He is a rescue from TN. He was found by Animal Control tied to a tree. His family moved and left him behind. He had so many trust issues. I managed to win him over, and he is a forever critter of our rescue kennel.


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It is very important for anyone that does animal rescue to document the health and behavior of each of the rescue animals in their care. It is just as important to have a detailed written time line as it to have a in-depth photographic time line. This serves as a more detailed guide for the care giver. It also serves as evidence if you ever need it for what ever reason.

There are a couple of ways to keep written documentation. You can use a free open source service called Animal Shelter Manager. It is a data base program that stores the info on all your animals in one spot. There are other similar programs that you can buy that would make record keeping less tedious.

Even if you use a computer or data base program for record keeping it pays to back everything up with hard copies of your records. You never know when the technology we depend on can fail. A disastrous crash of a much relied on computer can be enough to send any rescuer in to a feverish panic. You can simply use plain manila folders and file your documents in regular filing cabinet. Inside the folder you can use a simple form that allows you to document, vaccinations, de-worming, vet visits and behavioral notes for that animal. You should include in the folder all hard copies of any vet visits that the animal may have had. You can customize and tweak your manual filing system to fit your needs.

It would be a good investment to back your information up a 3rd way. A rescuer should give considerable thought to also backing up all records with a removable flash drive or saving their info to a CD or floppy disks.

Things that need documented via a computer program, hard copies and removable storage and are the following…

A: Basic Info:
1- Animal’s Name
2- Birth Date or Estimated Birth Date
4- Breed, or Estimated Breed
5- Sex
6- Color & Markings
7-Length Of Coat
8- When the animal arrived at your place and how you obtained it!
It is a good idea to include a current up to date picture of the animal to place in it’s file.

B: Behavior/Training
You should note things that indicate if the animal is over all good-natured, has fear aggression, likes people, gets along with other animals of other species. If you are dealing with dogs, note if the dog is good on a leash and if he/she is well-behaved if restrained. Note if the animal has any known destructive behaviors. You should also mention if it is small companion animals you are documenting if they are house trained etc.

C: Health Notes
1-Date Of Vaccinations
2-Dewormings Should Be Documented
3-Any special Test, and when last done( ex: Heartworm Test For Dogs)
4-Note Any Medical Treatments given at home or ordered by the vet.
5-Date Of Spay/Neuter for small companion animals.
6-If the animal dies or you had to have it euthanized that needs to be recorded on the animal’s file.

D: Miscellaneous Notes
Here you can document anything that you have not covered other wise. For example you can make a note in this area if the pet requires a specialized diet.

As with any record, it is important to put the date on it when any new information is entered. It is very important to keep everything current and dated. This applies even if you are just jotting down a note that takes a mere 2 seconds to write.

Having detailed written documentation coupled with in-depth photographic records can greatly benefit the rescuer. A rescuer can review the evidence at hand and determine if their current program is working or not. Having all your plentiful detailed information will also provide you something to fall back on if you ever need to reveal it as proof. You may have to use it to present a case against someone. When trying to prove neglect or abuse it’s good to have all your ducks in a row. There is also a chance you can use it as proof to support many arguments if you are defending your actions in a court of law. You can never have enough documentation if you deal with rescue animals. As stated in the previous article it pays to keep in mind that what is NORMAL to the people who deal with rescue animals may not appear that way to outsiders. It is human nature to want to demonize others and assume the worst.