Doing What We Can

Since childhood I have been raised to advocate for what I believe in. My mother's idea of rebelling against her parents was to wear a seatbelt and be a non-smoker, and she let everyone know it. She stood up for what she believed in, and the world followed. I hope to do the same with my passion for animals.

My awareness for animal welfare was instilled at an early age, as my mother also made a point to adopt our family dogs from the local humane society. I think I was the only kid in town who refused to go into the pet store, because it made me sad. And I was sad for more than one reason. I could already comprehend at a young age on my own that the living conditions were awful in the pet store. I could also see that so many of those puppies and kittens would end up at a shelter later on. So giggling about how cute the little furballs were didn't come naturally to me.

Then I grew up. My mother was going to let me take home a pug as a high school graduation present, and even though I wanted the dog, I knew I wasn't ready to take care of it, so I declined. If only I could have been as responsible and wise with so many other decisions in my life!

After several years on my own as an adult, I was finally ready for a dog of my own. I bought dog books and researched the breeds that would best suit my lifestyle. I fell in love with the papillon. I was referred to Petfinder.com by friends to find my new family member, but was having trouble finding a papillon puppy nearby. Finally another friend found a breeder, Bell Kennels in Northfield, MN with a litter of papillon puppies, so I hopped in the car with my dog savvy friend, Tracy, and picked up my new dog, Olivia. I got so caught up in finding the perfect dog that I actually lost sight of the fact that there were so many more dogs out there that needed a home. It is hard for me to admit that, but it is the truth.

I wasn't able to deny what I had done for long at all. The experience at the "breeder" was horrible. Tracy had brought her first dog home from a breeder and the circumstances were nowhere near the same. Her perspective on the different establishments helped to identify what kind of a facility we were in. Tracy's dog Frankie, a boxer from Brewster Boxers in Brewster, MN, was romping happily on the property with his litter mates and parents. Mine was swapped out of the viewing kennel in a dirty concrete building by an unorganized woman smoking cheap cigarettes who had a litter of bichon frise puppies waiting for me instead of the papillons I had asked about. Both litters of puppies were standing in their own waste and in a cramped kennel. There was a heavy metal door with a "Staff Only" sign on it that was opened when the woman switched out the litters, and we caught a glimpse of the rows of kennels with so many more dogs and puppies in the same disgusting conditions.

I bought my dog from a puppy mill. Me, the girl who wouldn't go into a pet store as a child. I bypassed the middle man and went straight to the source. It was a wake-up call that I have refused to ignore since I brought Olivia home.

(http://m.startribune.com/local/?id=131830988)

To counteract what I had done by giving money to that puppy mill operation 3 years ago, I have thrown myself into animal advocacy, as loudly and proudly as I possibly can. I first began by volunteering with the Small Dog Rescue of MN on behalf of my little girl Olivia. We started by bringing rescued dogs to adoption events and volunteering for other miscellaneous tasks. We soon began fostering dogs for the rescue and even adopted our first foster, Boy. He came from a barn in Tennessee that had over a hundred other dogs living in it.

I was also asked by SDR's president at the time, Dallas Rising, to be her administrative assistant. Being involved with the Small Dog Rescue of MN and Dallas Rising opened up a huge network of animal rescue opportunities to me. I said yes to everything I could possibly do. Before I knew it, Tracy and I were taking weekly road trips for Mobile Mutts Rescue Transports hundreds of miles throughout the Midwest to pick up all types of dogs being saved from certain death from all over the country to bring back to Minnesota to different rescues that were ready and willing to do whatever they could to find a forever home for these helpless dogs.

I am proud to live in a state that has so many rescue organizations and so many citizens willing to help. Small Dog Rescue of MN, MN Boxer Rescue, and Secondhand Hounds are just a few of the rescue organizations that Tracy and I have been able to help by transporting their dogs to them. Our experiences with these dogs is all the motivation either of us need to keep getting back on the road to transport, open our homes to fosters, and raise awareness and funding for animals in need.

Every day I ask myself what else I can do for these animals. One answer to that question has led me to my career. I want to be able to help these dogs in any way I possibly can, and therefore I am in school to be a veterinary technician. Another way I help is through community activism. On one of my mother's visits, she and my sister joined me with the Minnesotans Exposing Petland group to hold a peaceful demonstration outside the Petland store in St. Paul. I am also a card carrying member of the ASPCA.

Unlike the dogs that I help rescue, I have a voice that can be heard by other people. I keep doing what I do in the hopes that one day I won't have to anymore. The human race can get ugly, everyone knows this. And in this case, without rules and regulations, the animals suffer because of it. From the community of animal rescue I have found in Minnesota, I know I am not alone in how I feel. The No-Kill rescue movement is sweeping the nation and making major strides for animal welfare. Please help keep the momentum going by educating others on puppy mill practices, and by volunteering, donating, fostering or adopting a homeless dog from a local rescue group.

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Foster Dog Photo Appreciation

An SDR volunteer found this excellent video about a professional photographer's passion for photographing rescue dogs. We thought it was so in tune to what we try to do with our SDR foster dogs that we wanted to share it with everyone! Please take a few minutes to check it out.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7381500n&tag=contentMain;contentBody

It's wonderful to see that the rescue movement is really taking hold of the entire country. We'd also like to take this opportunity to thank all the generous photographers that have volunteered their time and talents to our SDR dogs. Much appreciation goes out to Studio Seven Photography, Emily Griffith Photography, KME Photography, Kloud Cover, Courtney Church Photography, J.A. Photography, all the other photographers that have helped us out through the years, and our own SDR foster moms Leah Scholl and Tracy Turbak. What you are doing really helps make a difference in the lives of our foster dogs. SDR is forever grateful for your help!

Haley Dawn

My dog Foxie (on the left) is very personable and seemed lonely so I decided to seek out a sister for her. My sister had previously adopted from Small dog rescue and highly recommended the organization. I selected Haley on the website and inquired and submitted an application. I adopted her on the home visit. She has been renamed Gena and after some adjustments in food switching she has settled in to the family unit quite well. She is a very loving and gentle dog and my more active dog and her get along beautifully and have genuine concern for each other. Another major bonus is that they are both housetrained and neither one sheds. I am truly blessed with two wonderful furry companions....Becki Winslow St. Paul, MN

Oliver and Finn Reunion

I forgot to add that Oliver and Finn are brothers - born from the same litter. Their adoption pictures are on the SDR Happy Tails year 2009 section of the SDR website.

Oliver and Finn Reunion - SDR Adoption Story

Dear SDR and Friends,

Oliver and Finn were rescued the same day from a puppy mill in Milwaukeein 2009. They have been apart for 2 years. I adopted Oliver and always wondered what happened to Finn. SDR led me to the lady that adopted Finn.

Well, Oliver and Finn had their reunion yesterday afternoon at my home. It was the most wonderful, joyous occasion I have ever witnessed. When Finn came in the door, I was holding Oliver and he started squirming in my arms when he saw Finn. Immediately, and I mean immediately, when Lea Taylor and I put the two dogs down on the floor, they ran to each other. I have never seen such a reaction in my life. They frolicked, they jumped on each others backs, they sniffed and licked each other, their tails wagged nonstop. It was so evident that they immediately knew each other. They chased each other and wouldn't leave each other's side. They did not need a few minutes to warm up to each other at all. Like I mentioned, their reaction to each other was instantaneous. Both Lea and I agree 100% they knew each other immediately. Lea said she has never seen Finn act that way and show such emotion nor have I seen Ollie get that excited since he is quite reserved.

Facially they look alike. My Oliver is heavier and a little bigger than Finn, partly due to the fact that Oliver still has his teeth and eats more and gets his share of treats. After they left, my little Oliver seemed almost depressed and down and out and kept going to the door, hopefully I guess to find Finn.

We took pictures of the reunion. We will continue to get the dogs together time and again. We both have fenced in yards so it works well. To think we only live a few miles from each other.

My other yorkie dog Bubba, who is the youngest but the biggest joined in the fun. Bubba is 3 years old and we got him from a home breeder as a pup. Bubba and Oliver get along great and Bubba liked Finn as well. Bubba is the spoiled brat of the family and played hearty with his two brothers. The three babies had a great time. Lea tells me that dogs get along best with other dogs of their own breed. That certainly was the case yesterday.

What a glorious day! Thank you SDR for your help in reuniting these two babies.

Mary Franson!!!!!

Nicole Bodem - Contributing for the Greater Good

Nicole Bodem‘s volunteer experience is impressive. She has taught conversational English to people new to the U.S., volunteered at orphanages in India, and started a lung cancer walk in honor of her mother-in-law.” For me, personal growth comes from contributing to the greater good,” says Nicole. “I’ve truly become a better person through volunteering”.  A lifelong passion for animals led Nicole to seek out a volunteer opportunity at SDR. Her first experience was being a foster guardian for a miniature poodle named “Ty.” “The same name as my son,” she laughs. “It was a fun few months in my house!”

Her next foster, Cody, stole her heart. Her family ended up adopting the dappled Doxie after meeting him at a foster event. Cody’s entry into the family was not problem-free. Cody had experienced a harsh life in a Missouri puppy mill, but once he had a clean bill of health his unique being” began to shine through. “Cody is so loving and loyal. During the day he is best buds with me (I work from home) and at night you can find him sleeping nose to nose with my husband. He has the typical Doxie traits he is very strong-willed and stubborn at times, refuses to go outside if it is raining, windy or too cold as deemed by him etc. but these are also the things we love so much about him. It’s hard to look into his eyes and think about how awful the first 5 years of his life were.  I hope Cody knows he is safe now and will be spoiled and loved to pieces for the rest of his life.”

Though Nicole’s volunteer duties have shifted to other areas, she and her family still make time for SDR. She stresses that volunteering doesn’t need to involve a lot of time. "Even if you have 1 hour a month, that 1 hour can change the life of a dog forever. There are so many volunteer activities that require zero commitment: Donate proceeds from your garage sale, knit/crochet something we can sell at a fundraiser, donate a bag of dog food, or just help spread awareness about the importance of adoption.”

We agree, Nicole! Thank you and Cody for helping SDR in so many ways.

Aegina

My wife and I had been considering adding another dog to our family. We already had Molly, our 8 yr old cocker who we got as a puppy. After reading and hearing of all the dogs needing adoption from programs on the Animal Channel, we decided to look into adoption.
I started cruising all the dog rescue sites and found it pretty exhausting trying to decide where to adopt, what to adopt, how to adopt and so forth. A short time before this we had been visiting a shop in Red Wing where the proprietor had her dog with her in the store and this is the first time we saw a Papillion. My wife immediately fell for the breed. I started looking for Papillion's to adopt. The first search I did brought me to Aegina and SDR.
She looked so cute and her markings were so beautiful. We emailed SDR and got set up for a home visit right away. By coincidence, Aegina's foster mom worked with my wife so Aegina was already in our city. When she arrived, her foster mom told us about Aegina being a rescue from 8 years in a puppy mill and she was starting to house train and re-socialize her. I'm not sure we fully understood what we were getting into. We liked her looks, she got along with Molly and we just figured she would come around and become a family member (a pet). Besides, we knew how to house train a dog…………..
She came to her forever home! It hasn't been the same in our house since…..LOL
Anyone who has taken in a mill survivor will know exactly what we were facing. I'm almost positive it should be a firm rule that there already be a resident dog when getting a mill dog. I won't bore you with all the details of house training, but our resident dog was instrumental in helping. I'll just say it took a while and a lot of hit and miss trials but she is fully house trained now and allowed the run of the house 24 hrs a day.
One and a half years later, she still isn't the pet we thought we would have, but she is our little girl and we couldn't think of being without her. She isn't a lap dog or doesn't seek a lot of attention. Although sometimes she feels the need for petting (for a minute) and wants to be on your lap when its storming but for the most part, just being by you in the same room is enough for her. That's OK though with us. We know she's now in a safe place, a loving place and she will be as happy as she can be for the rest of her days. She has developed a personality and we get a kick out of her.
She loves walks and is great on a leash. She roams all over the yard now after accepting that stepping in grass is not all that bad. Her favorite time of the day is bedtime. She gets up on the bed, makes a nest in her own blanket and settles in for the night. In fact, I think she tolerates us more than we her. We not only adopted her, she adopted us.
I'm not sure we would have adopted Aegina if someone had told us she wouldn't be the PET we were looking for, but I do know we would do it again. The satisfaction we get from seeing her get as far as she has and the feeling we get, knowing we have given her a good safe home is more than we ever expected.

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