Well it’s terribly bad news today, partially expected yet still totally shocking. Theodore has andeocarcinoma, a very rare type of cancer and the vet did not remove all of it when he took the tumor and gall bladder out.

Theodore went severely downhill this weekend and could barely move this morning when I found him hiding behind the toilet in the bathroom. His temp was below 98 degrees, his eyes were sunken in the back of his head, and he couldn’t walk on his own he was so weak.

The Dr said he could try a feeding tube and steroids but with the metastisizing cancer cells, there was only a 20 percent chance Theodore would make it.

So – around 3:20 p.m. this afternoon Theodore was humanely euthanized and will be FOREVER LOVED, MISSED, and HONORED by his mother and all who knew him.

There was no cat quite like Theodore. He enjoyed the outdoors so much, running freely through the woods in the wind, chasing chipmunks, playing on his cat post at home, and snuggling at night time with whoever had open arms. He also knew how to open the crunchie cabinet and did so quite frequently. He slept by my side every minute when I was sick over the last 3 months, never leaving me alone…

Please do say a prayer for him and me, his mom, as I am a total wreck. Theodore was with me through some of the worst parts of the last 11 years of my life (as well as the good parts). I have never been bestowed such a loving and joyful gift as him and he will never be forgotten.

I love you Theodore, and I can’t wait to see you again someday.

Love, Mom

Well the exploratory surgery did not go well yesterday. First, the Vets found a HUGE blockage in his gall bladder, they cut it open and found it was quite a large tumor. They cut the tumor out and part of the connecting small bile duct, all which were infected with cancerous tissue.

Pathology on the cancerous tissue was sent out immediately and we won’t know til Monday or Tuesday if all the cancer is in fact gone from him, or what type it is, etc.

For now, Theodore is at the hospital until Sunday at the earliest. He looks so pathetic. I went to see him this morning and when he smelled me and felt me pet him and heard my voice, he started to very lightly purr but he’s so doped up it was hard for him to even move.

I am still a wreck and am now praying that all this nasty cancer is gone and
WILL NOT come back.

Thank you all so much for all your lovely encouraging comments. I will keep everyone posted as I find out more.

Jaime

My dear sweet Theodore, my 11-and-a-half year old Tabby/Maine Coone mix that I so often talk about is desperately ill right now.

He is currently undergoing exploratory surgery at the ER vet because the Dr thinks he may have cancer. He has lost two pounds in a month, has suffered severe vomiting and constipation, and this is his third vet visit in 6 days.

I will find out about 4 pm EST what they find — chances are its cancer though.

Please send all your love and prayers to my dear sweet baby who is suffering so badly right now…and to me – I am a WRECK.

Thank you friends,

Jaime

I found this on a blog called Everyone Deserves a Special Friend and had to share it with you all. This should be posted in every shelter, pound, city council building, police station, dog park, pet store, pet rescue, library, and utility pole across the country. Sure puts BSL in its place…

 A Pit Bull’s Prayer

Spirit in the sky, who watches over all animals: it is my prayer and my request that you grant greater understanding, and acceptance to humans; those who love us, and those who hate us.

That they will know how loyal we are, how brave we are, and how loving we are.  Help them to accept us as a breed in whole and not let the few tragedies shine brighter then the many great traits that we have.

And those who would kill me, let them know, I forgive them even though I don’t understand their hatred.  And those who would beat me, let them know I still love them, even though it is not the honorable way (to treat me).

Thank you for all the strong traits that you have given to me and my breed.  Help those to know that I stand for courage, strength, loyalty, and bravery, and as my master already knows, let those who would come against my family know that I would surely die defending them.

And just one thing that I would ask: let my master know, that if you should call me away, that I will wait patiently at those pearly gates until the one who chose me comes home.

Amen.

Author Unknown

PERCEPTION

By Jim Hughes
Kennel Spotlight Magazine, December 2009

* Thanks to Mary O’Conner Shaver of Columbus Top Dogs, a well-known and respected animal advocacy group, for sharing this article with us on Facebook. I recommend to everyone you join her Facebook Group, “Ohio Voters Against Puppy Mills and Dog Auctions,” by clicking here or on the previous Facebook link. You can also Google both Mary and Jim’s names and find a wealth of articles, information, and education materials about everything from puppy mills to dog auctions and animal welfare legislation.*

*Please note that this is an article promoting responsible breeders. I know you readers are used to hearing me talk about rescue, but, bottom line, there ARE in fact good breeders out there…*

So here’s Jim’s article:

In the human physic, there are two realms, actual facts and perceived facts. The perceived facts can get so imbedded into the mind that all of the actual facts to the contrary will not change that perception, even when seen with one’s own eyes. Our dogs do not care if we paint the kennel or not. It makes no difference to them, either way. But, it certainly makes a huge difference to John Q. Public. And TV news commentators are a part of John Q. This magazine (Kennel Spotlight) has preached to the choir for five years now. I have preached to the choir for 50 years; dang it! if it don’t beat all, but the choir ain’t listening.

We have lost the war. This war we have been raging against the Humaniacs of the world has been lost. We know that the message being delivered to the newspaper and television media personnel are, in the most part, outright, vicious lies. But John Q. has heard it so often, and with no rebuttal from our side, that he now believes that all puppy breeders are bad, somewhat lower than a child molester. We must take our message to the public at school fairs, county fairs, church functions, political rallies, PTA meetings, etc. Anywhere that sells booth space. Business Expos are an excellent place to display your kennel. But people, we must have something to talk about. We must put our best foot
forward and that is not the old status quo.

If you plan to save this dog breeding business, you must:

1. Get legal. Get a license, ALL licenses, USDA, State, County business, tax number etc.

2. Paint your buildings, fix your pens, wash your windows, repair your equipment, fix your hair, paint your face, take a bath. Look the part of the professional image you must present to old John Q. Public.

3. You must groom your dogs. They must look professional also. And socialize them. Give them some attention. It will be hard for the H.S. to convince a judge that you are abusing a well groomed, well fed, healthy, friendly little ball of energy.

4. Invite your public officials to inspect your facilities. Get your Veterinarian to write you a clean bill of health. Publically display any clean inspection reports. Have your Sheriff stop in and make him aware of the harassment the H.S. is sending out to all breeders.

5. Post NO TRESPASSING signs at every entrance to your property.

6. Allow no strangers onto your property until you have identified them, but then make them feel welcome and that you have nothing to hide.

7. Make sure that you have a lawyer already aware that when you need him, it will be on a minutes notice. Pay him a retainer if he needs one.

8. Volunteer to help at your local humane shelter. Get to know those people and become friends with them. “Know thy enemy”. Many of these people don’t even know you are the enemy.

9. Join your local breeder club. If you do not have one, form one. We, here in the Midwest, have many, too many, but the east coast has almost none. Most of the kennel raids take place on unlicensed, unorganized, east coast breeders.

10. Re-educate yourself. Change your thinking. Imagine yourself as John Q. Public. You know nothing except what the Humane Society tells you. Accept the fact that the public now expects you to raise your dogs in scrumptiously clean, well lighted, good smelling conditions. Somewhat like a retail Pet Shop.

11. Post a bulletin board with pictures and letters from satisfied customers. Resolve, within reason, any customer complaints before they hit the courts or the media.

If you refuse to adjust to the new way of thinking that H$U$ has forced upon you, you either need to get out of the business or you will be forced out, either by raid and confiscation or by legislation. Senator Durbin is too busy right now selling Obama ideas to the public, but he has a new Pups Bill ready to spring on Congress. As soon as he gets the time, he will introduce it and fight for its passage. Just look what Ed Rendell has done to Pennsylvania. People in power can and will make your life miserable. Those of you who think you are immune to USDA inspections because you only sell through the internet will find that the new bill was written with YOU in mind.

My crystal ball tells me that this bill will pass, even though we will fight against it. It will then become the duty of USDA to inspect these new licensees, but because of lack of manpower, they will be unable to do the job. Because of our current economic distress, they will not be allowed to hire more inspectors SO, guess what, the H$U$ WILL VOLUNTEER TO DO IT FOR THEM.

Am I being overly pessimistic? Possibly! But I find that the concerns I am voicing today are the same ones that I was voicing 20 years ago. The difference is that the enemy has gotten stronger, more determined, and better financed over the years. Sure, we win a battle, but the threat of next year is always hanging over us. We wear out, and we are just trying to make a living but they have a CAUSE and the zeal to pursue it to completion.

Shape up breeders, big brother is watching you!!!

It seems more holiday pet tips are coming my way from all differnt directions, so I thought I’d post this one too. This one is about some great holiday pet gift ideas that are nice and easy. It’s from my good friend John at Guideposts.com.

Here are 5 purr-fect budget friendly gift ideas for your pets:
http://www.guideposts.com/story/presents-pets-christmas
1. Buy a great toy: Check out the environmentally-friendly toys at your local pet store, or online. Or go even more simple. A bucket of old tennis balls makes Kelly happy. Try making a toy yourself. If you can sew, create a simple stuffed teddy bear for your pup. Tie a feather or pompon to the end of a string for your kitty. Get creative!
2. Cook  Something Yummy: Find a recipe for healthy dog treats. Try this dog carsomething yummy:rot cake recipe from Sharon Azar’s WOOF! blog or Editor-in-chief Edward Grinnan’s dog food recipe.
3. Frame a picture: For your animal-loving friends and family, frame a special picture of their pet, or create a small scrapbook or brag book. If you’re handy with the computer, print up stationary or note cards, with the pet’s picture in the corner.
4. Make pet books and calendars: Pet lovers will never grow tired of reading about their best friends, and there are so many great options: fiction, memoirs, how-to, and great true animal stories. (Check out Guideposts’ own Their Mysterious Ways) Page-a-day or monthly pet calendars make great gifts, too.

5. Give your time: What’s the best gift to give a pet? Your time! Get down on the floor and play, maybe even invent a new game with your dog or cat. Relish time to just cuddle. Kelly and I like to get wrapped up in a blanket. For your pet-owning friends, offer dog walking or pet-sitting. Or help more pets by donating time or money to a local animal shelter.

(Next one added by me, yours truly….I couldn’t help it)

6. Volunteer. I think that we should all get out and volunteer for an animal charity this holiday season, whether by being at adoption events, writing letters, or answering phones, go into your local pet charity and see how you can help this season!

 
Happy holidays!

Concurrently with the December dog photo contest I was running the PetSmart Holiday Giveaway package. I asked people to let me know how they have helped animals this year and got some pretty amazing entries…it was tough to choose just one winner for the package. It’s so amazing to hear all that people do for animals day in and day out…
I finally decided on the winner being Lauren Egier for all her time and donations. This is what she wrote me:

“Hi, I’ve been busy this year trying to help out as much as possible. When my Bull Terrier passed away last year, we started searching for a rescue Bully to fill the void in our heart and home. We found the perfect Bull Terrier for our family and have been volunteering with Southern Ontario Animal Rescue (S.O.A.R.) ever since.

I baked thousands of homemade dog cookies to raise money at the All About Pets Show. I also baked a bunch for those dogs that haven’t found their forever home and for those that are sharing their homes with fosters.

I’ve volunteered my time at the annual Howl-o-ween Party and at the Christmas Pawty. The rescue group recently got involved with the Ontario Bingo halls and I’ve volunteered for 3-4 sessions.

Today was a very important day as I helped transport a young Lab X with a broken leg to her new foster home. Her new foster mom is a friend of ours that used to take care of our first Bull Terrier when we went away. We had emailed her hoping that she might know someone that could foster and she opened up her home to the dog.

My rescue Bully and I also partook in the Rescue Me Walk-a-thon at Woofstock in Toronto. This walk benefited many rescue groups and also raised awareness as to the types of dogs that can be found through rescue.

I am also a member of the Pig Dogs in the TDot group which gets together to walk our Bull Terriers. Each walk has a different benefactor and we have raised lots of money that goes directly to specific rescues.

Lastly, I’ve attended a couple of protests/rallies at Queens Park in Toronto to get rid of the “Pit Bull ban.”  These have been very powerful events and I have met some great people and their friendly dogs.

For any rescue group looking to make a decent amount of money, try finding a local bingo hall. We run about 3-4 sessions a month for 4-5 hours each and make a significant amount of money.”

Thank you Lauren for all that you do — and thanks to all who entered for everything that you do for animals. You all deserve to win:)

Jaime

Thanks to American Humane for these wonderful holiday travel with pets tips.

Some pets love traveling — while others find it extremely stressful. However, with increased awareness of the risks inherent in traveling with animals, owners can prepare and minimize undue stress on their pets. These travel tips from the American Humane Association can help ensure that holiday trips, and travels year-round, are safe and enjoyable for people and their pets.

1. Properly identify pets with ID tags and microchips — Make sure your pets have ID and current rabies tags and are microchipped. To be extra cautious, give your pets an additional tag with the address and phone number of where you will be staying for the duration of the trip, in case they get lost after you arrive.

2. Train pets to travel in their crates — Whether you’re heading to your holiday destination by plane, train or automobile, getting your pets used to their crates will make the entire traveling experience less stressful. Even when away from home, pets still view their crates as a safe haven from stressful situations.

3. With a crate, size does matter — Crates should be large enough for pets to stand and turn around in comfortably. Remember to keep water inside the crate or allow for breaks every three hours so that your pets can drink and stretch.

4. Never leave your pets unattended — Just as you would never leave a child unattended, never leave your pets alone in a car.

5. Be prepared — Take your pets’ health records with you, just in case they need to see a veterinarian during your trip. Be sure to ask your veterinarian if she recommends heartworm prevention or treatment for fleas or ticks for the area in which you are traveling. Keep pet dishes in your car, as well as extra water and pet food, in case of car trouble or bad weather.

6. To fly or not to fly — As a rule, puppies and kittens, sick animals, animals in heat, and frail or pregnant animals should not travel by air. If a pet is too large to fly in the cabin with you, perhaps a stay at a boarding kennel would be a safer choice. You should also plan ahead because many airlines have restrictions regarding pets, and your pets may need a health certificate to fly.

7. Visit your veterinarian — Your vet may prescribe a sedative to help reduce your pet’s stress level while traveling. However, sedatives are not always safe for pets so be sure to give your vet the details of how your pet will be traveling and how long the trip will take.
 
8. Boarding is an option — If your pets are too large to fly in the cabin with you, or if a long car ride might be too stressful for them, boarding your pets at a kennel may be a safer choice. Or you could hire a licensed pet sitter to take care of your pets in the comfort of your own home.

9. Try to keep pets on the same “schedule” — Stop when you would normally let your pets out at home and at feeding times.

10. Plan lodging ahead — Research your route, make reservations and carry a list of pet-friendly lodging along the way. Also, ask for a room on the ground floor so it is easier to walk your pets. Don’t let your pets stay in the car.

In today’s economy, many shoppers will be looking for pet lover gifts for the best value for everyone on their wish list, including that furry member of their family.

In fact, according to a national PetSmart survey, 95 percent of pet parents give their pets a gift or special treat during the holiday season. PetSmart expects nearly 155 million pets may receive gifts this year, meaning many of you are searching for the perfect pet gift for under the tree. Well ThoughtsFurPaws to the rescue: I’m teaming up with PetSmart to offer another fantastic ThoughtsFurPaws Contest Giveaway this month. One lucky reader will receive a Good Dog Mailbox Dog Stocking, filled with the following products:

Plush Toy in Prize Package

 
§  Rein-Dog Costume with Lights
§  Plush Snowman with Rope
§  Plush Christmas Squeaker Mat

This exciting prize package is perfect for the holidays, and you can keep all the prizes for yourself or even give some of them away, as they make perfect pet lover gifts! Thanks so much to PetSmart for offering our readers this AWESOME package.

Now for the rules: All you have to do is email me at thoughtsfurpaws@gmail.com and tell me how you have helped the animal welfare cause in 2008. Write a paragraph or write a book – I don’t care. I just want to know what you have done — whether it’s volunteering at a shelter or adoption event, transporting animals, or whatever —  to help our nation’s unfortunate pets this year.

The winner will be announced on December 14th. PetSmart will send the package directly to the winner! Good luck – and don’t forget to send your entries to thoughtsfurpaws@gmail.com.

Imagine 50 Basset Hounds running around a 10-acre park like wild dogs…carousing one another, playing and wrestling, taking unauthorized swims – it’s a sight one will rarely have the chance to see. But that’s exactly what Ohio Basset Rescue’s (OBR) BassetFest 2009 was.

Held in Delaware, Ohio at Columbus Dog Park, OBR’s efforts reach all the way to Cleveland, New York and even further for that matter. Local foster parent and Cleveland pet rescue enthusiast Ashly Smith, who lives in North Olmsted with her two Bassets and two additional foster Bassets, attended the event along with foster parents and potential adopters from all over Cleveland and other parts of Ohio.

BassetFest 2009 was a great success according to organizer and OBR owner Amy Barnes. With raffles, games, prizes, and fun events like a costume contest, and with adoptive families and potential adopters all showing up, it was a chance for OBR to raise funds, screen adopters, and let current foster parents come together to celebrate the short-legged, long-nosed hovering canines that are so beloved by many.

Smith, who ended up bringing one more foster Basset home to Cleveland, said she fosters because of the rewards. “Knowing that I am helping save the life of an animal, and helping them cope with their more often than not violent pasts and learn to trust again is why I do it,” she said. “Seeing that change in them brings out so many others…it’s amazing.”

Smith, who lovingly refers to her Bassets as “howling short-legged wonder dogs,” has been fostering and placing dogs for OBR for about a year now. She personally gathered $150 for the cash prize raffle for the event, of which the winner turned around and gave $100 right back to the organization.

BassetFest 2009 was a howling success, raising about $5,000 for the organization and adopting out four dogs who desperately needed homes. Like so many other rescue organizations across the country, OBR is filled to the brim. Additionally, multiple adoption applications were filled out that will hopefully turn into successful adoptions.

To learn more about OBR, to become a foster parent, or to see the dogs available for adoption, visit www.ohiobasssetrescue.org.