Animal Cruelty

 

Bandit is one of the most dramatic "poor body score" rescue cases that we have taken in. The picture to the left reflects what she looked like when she arrived here at Our Critters Kennel. She weighed a stunning 39 pounds. The picture to the right reflects what Bandit looks like today after some of our special TLC. At her last vet visit she weighed 60 pounds.

Bandit was placed with someone whom we all thought was reputable. His father in law was in higher ups in law enforcement in NC and he had great references.  A concerned mutual friend went to visit with Bandit at her new home a couple months later. She was found very attenuated and with rancid sores all over her face. My friend was very upset and heart broken that Bandit had been allowed to get in that putrid condition. When they asked the person why he allowed her to get in such a state of deprivation, he said his other dogs would not allow her to eat and they fought with Bandit over the food. My friend removed Bandit from the neglectful situation. She called me in tears asking if I could help Bandit. So, of course I said yes. She was  not in the position to keep Bandit at her home. So Bandit came to our rescue kennel to live.

My husband and I were really fond of Bandit even before she was re-homed. I spent many days at my friend's place playing with her. Bandit was some what a "community dog" My husband and his boss were re modeling my friend's home in the development where Bandit lived. Bandit would find her way to the job site everyday to visit with my husband. He and his boss man would often share their lunch with Bandit. Although Bandit proved to be a "thief". She would steal hammers and other things off the job site and amuse her self with them. She always did things to keep up laughing. I loved hearing about the daily "Bandit Antics". Bandit was and still is so full of personality.  

My question is, would you consider Bandit's ordeal "animal cruelty" or simply "animal neglect"? I would think it would be considered animal cruelty. The guy KNEW she was not getting enough to eat, yet he did nothing to remedy the situation. He KNEW that the other dogs were fighting with her. Yet, he did nothing about that. The sores on her face were very bad infected  and with her drastic weight loss she should have been seen by a vet. Yet he did not take her to the vet. I honestly believe that if my friend had not visited with Bandit to check on her well being, she would have been expired within 2 weeks. Bandit was vetted when she was brought back home. The vet was stunned and appalled at her condition. 

We have helped many dogs like Bandit over the years. Some come in literally looking like a bag of bones. They are normally so thin their homely hip bones protrude, their eye sockets are sank in, and you can count every distended rib. What makes the over all appearance of these animals so heart wrenching, is the helpless, hollow look in their saddened eyes. To anyone who has just the smidgen of a soul and any amount of compassion in their heart, it would be like driving a calloused stake into their still beating heart.

I will continue to help the "Bandits" of the world as long as my heart still beats and my breath divulges from my earthly body!

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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

Cool Blog On Moonshine Stills That I found

I wanted to take the time to share a very interesting blog I discovered. The name of it is “Moonshine Heritage Exploring the History of Moonshine in the Appalachians”.  Anyone from my back woods area of Patrick County VA would have to appreciate the time and effort this person has put into their blogging masterpiece. It is well written, and abundantly illustrated.  My favorite by far is the blog titled “Apple Pie Moonshine“.  Check it out today, and tell the author that Betty Sue Haynes sent you!

Betty Haynes's Dog Rescue Adventure In Campton KY

 
    This is just one of the many adventures my husband and I have had doing animal rescue in the past couple of years. This story, is one that makes me laugh now that I think about it. Then it was not funny in the least.

    Kenny came to be at Our Critters in an odd sort if way in 2010. We did a transport to Lexington KY to help get a rescue dog to his new family. One the way back our car decided to “give up the ghost” and die on us. We ended up in a small area called Pine Ridge in Campton KY. If anyone knows this area they know it is very remote. We made it to a store off the parkway before the car died all the way. My husband and I had to actually push it in to the parking lot to get it out-of-the-way. We determined the car had extensive problems that would not be worth fixing. It would cost more to repair it than the car was worth. It would have costed a fortune to have it towed the 6 hrs home as well. So, I went inside the store and asked someone if they knew anyone that would buy scrap. Some nice fellows hooked us up with a friend who had a garage and bought junked cars.

The nice gentleman and his wife arrived and we made a deal and ended up selling our car to them for junk. While we were standing there talking a lady in white mustang pulled up in the parking lot in front of us and shoved this little dog out of the car. She then took off down the road. The dog ran straight to the out stretched arms of my husband Barry. He scooped him up and placed him in the car with me. We could not believe what we just witnessed. I asked about reporting the lady but the gentleman who bought my car said it would do no good. They do not even have an Animal Control officer there. The game warden takes care of all the strays. What ever that meant.

    We hitched a ride to the only overly priced motel in the county. I was praying all the way that they accepted pets, and they did thankfully. We were so happy to finally be in a room with some air. It was very hot that day. We decided to name the little dog Kenny. Since we found him in Kentucky. Kenny is a suitable name. Kenny, turned out to be a VERY SWEET AND LOVING little fellow. An added bonus is that he is house trained.

    Sunday was spent trying to figure out how to get back home. All the car rental places were closed until Monday. Not to mention we had not eaten a meal in over 24 hrs. There was no restaurants that delivered to the remote area. The nearest store was 2 miles away. To get to it walking meant we would have to cross over traffic barricades and fight very heavy fast traffic. My husband decided that I was not going with him. He said there was no way I could crawl over those concrete barricades as short as I am. Not to mention I had flip-flops on and I have a leg issue due to a fall off a ladder a few years ago that required some extensive surgery to correct. I can’t stand or walk for any length of time without being in severe pain. So, by chance I was talking to one of the house cleaning staff and she volunteered to take me to the store. She was able to do so with the managers blessing. I was able to get some sandwich stuff and some snacks and drinks and dog food for little Kenny. I was very happy to do so. I was so thankful for the nice girl who helped us.

   Did I mention that I had no black berry service at the location? My cell barley worked to get calls out. There was no telephone books in the motel rooms. I had to really work to get numbers to call to research on how to get out of the little hick town we were stuck in. I called Greyhound which would have been our ticket out of there but only one thing, They did not accept dogs. So, even if it meant us WALKING HOME that is what we would have done. No way no how was I ever going to abandon that little dog the way he was abandoned in front of us. So, I began calling every car rental place I could think up starting at 7 am Monday morning. No one would do a one way rental. The ones that would do a one way rental required a major credit card in the driver's name, which we did not have. All we have is a debit card. Some would not rent without a KY license. I found one that would rent a one way but in order to do that I had to rent the car for 5 days and that was $1200.00. No way no how could I afford that. So finally after some suggestions from a dear friend and my brother we called U haul. They agreed to rent us a one way 10 ft moving truck to get home.

     Now, we had to get to the U haul rental place 30 miles away. We ended up getting a ride there with 2 Nuns from a near by Catholic Church. They were very happy to help Barry and I and little Kenny. Kenny was a hit with them. They said their Parish was under Saint Francis who was the Patron Animal Of Saints. I will never forget Sister Ann and Sister Amy. They were really our angels in disguise. Without them I have no idea what we would have done.

     It is amazing to think how God works things. Even though our simple “Go There, and Come Back” trip costed us over $700 when it was said and done, that is where we were meant to be. We were meant to find little Kenny. He is such an awesome little dog. He has long since gone to his forever home, but his memory will linger in my heart forever.

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.

Picture Documentation In Animal Rescue

     We have been doing animal rescue for several years. We take mainly dogs and cats, but we have helped horses, goats and other animals when we could. It is foolish to think that most animals arrive here in good flesh and healthy. Although some do arrive needing only a home and a second chance, most need extensive care to get back on track health wise and emotionally. We are going to discuss why you should always document your rescues with pictures.

      Documentation is so very important in animal rescue. The first aspect of documentation should always be pictures.  Pictures will be verification of the animal’s condition when it arrived as well as a way to measure how the animal is improving in your care. You don’t have to have a fancy camera to take pictures. Any digital camera will do. You can also use a traditional film camera. When an animal arrives at the rescue the first thing you should do is take several pictures of it. You need to take pictures from each side, and front and back. Also, please consider that you need to get as close up to the subject as we can. You want good clear, easy to see pictures. You should always make sure that the date function is working on the camera, so that the date stamp and time stamp is showing.  If you are using a traditional film camera, you will need to make sure to get the date in the picture. What you could do is write the date on a large sheet of paper and place it in frame. 

       It is a good idea to take pictures at least every 2 weeks if the animal was in very bad shape when it arrived. Not only to serve as proof that the animal is improving in your care but to serve as a guide for you. Sometimes just physically looking at an animal you can’t really see progress especially if it is subtle. Observing pictures in a timeline, you can easily pin point if your animal is improving or if it is regressing or simply if it is status quo.

      Taking pictures to document the animal’s physical well being is very wise for another reason. We touched base on the first reason. The second reason is to serve as evidence. Often times a well meaning person might not know that the animal arrived in dire need at your place.  It is human nature to automatically think the worse.  People will often assume things without knowing the whole story. When an ill informed person sees a thin or neglected animal they may think you caused the decline in health and physical well being for that animal. What is common to us in rescue, may look really bad to the outsiders. So, be prepared for surprises. One day you may get a knock on your door from Animal Control or Police Officers. You later find out that someone reported you for animal cruelty or neglect.  That is when you pull out your well documented photographic evidence to display in your defense. Your time line should prove what the animal looked liked when it arrived. It should prove that the animal as in fact improved in your care. To make the photos more convincing to the public officials , show them supporting evidence that the animal has been seen by a vet. Beware though, sometimes they like to press charges first and ask questions later. Don’t be caught off guard if this is the case. When you have your day in court present all your evidence to the Judge. Trust the he or she will be fair and see the truth that you evidence permeates.

         A rescue can never have enough documentation on the animals that they take in. Good record keeping is an absolute must. Good records back up rescues and support their intentions.






BELOW IS SOME EXAMPLES OF BEFORE AND AFTER SHOTS THAT I HAVE DONE!


The pictures above is of Bandit. She came to us weighing only 39 pounds.  The first picture is of her when she arrived. The picture on the bottom shows what Bandit looks like at her current weight of  60 pounds. Bandit had been allowed to fight with other dogs, she had sores all over her face. She was very under weight. Bandit, is a  forever resident of our rescue.

Speckles was abandoned in an apartment for 3 weeks with her puppies. Her owner had moved and left her to fend for her self and her babies. The picture to the right reflects what Speckles looked like after being with us for a while. Speckles was adopted by a retired couple in Richmond VA. Speckles takes trips with he humans and her canine sisters. They go to the beach together. 

These pictures are of Mocha. We took her in when her owner could not afford treatment for mange. She has scabies. We took her in without question, and 6 weekly trips to the vet all her hair grew back. Once that complication was almost over she developed rickets ( see the 2nd picture of her crooked legs). Rickets is caused when the body does not metabolize the calcium and phosphorous in food. Dr Boyce, got her on the right track with supplements. The last picture is what Mocha looks like today.