A Closer Look

It's no secret that Small Dog Rescue of MN (SDR) prides itself on taking in any and all dogs in need that are 20 lbs and under. Most other rescues turn dogs away due to behavioral issues, age, or increased veterinary needs. SDR does not. It is not only important to give the best care possible to the dogs in SDR foster care, but to educate our followers on what we do and why we do it. As a way to understand what exactly SDR takes on when accepting these dogs, here's a closer look at a dog currently being fostered…

Meet Dori. She is an 8lb, 8 year old, red min pin. The first years of her life were spent being used by a backyard breeder to produce puppies for profit. In addition to putting Dori through excessive breeding, the breeder also had Dori "debarked". By the age of 7, the breeder decided Dori was no longer of use to her, and chose to have Dori euthanized. A kind and concerned neighbor caught wind of Dori's fate and intervened by offering to take Dori into her own home. This Good Samaritan reached out to SDR for help with finding Dori a suitable home. After almost a year on the intake waiting list, Dori was finally able to be placed in a foster home with SDR.

Once Dori arrived at SDR, she was seen by a veterinarian for a general health exam and routine dental cleaning. There were immediate complications with trying to place an endotracheal tube for anesthesia in order to perform the dental cleaning, creating a very touch and go procedure. Upon further examination by a veterinary specialist, it was determined that Dori's trachea had suffered major trauma from the debarking procedure that the backyard breeder had chosen to have done. The fibrous tissue that grew from the scarring had webbed across Dori's trachea, blocking her airway. She had a raspy sound when breathing and also choked a little when eating and drinking. Because of the blockage in the trachea, her oxygen intake was restricted, causing her heart to compensate by working harder to pump more blood. Because of this, her heart had increased in size and was very stressed.

Debarking is a heated topic in the dog world. It is an extremely risky surgery with no health benefits, and many health risks. It is solely performed for behavior modification, nothing else. Many breeders or hoarders will have this procedure performed on dogs in an effort to keep the noise of such a large number of animals contained in one place to a minimum. Families will also choose to have a dog debarked simply because they don't want to hear it. To go to the lengths of performing a surgical procedure on a dog for behavioral modification purposes only is simply inhumane. Surgical specialists that work with SDR agree that debarking is cruel and dangerous. The long list of side effects include compromised airway, dysphagia (problems swallowing), adhesions, formation of granulation tissue, stenosis (hardening) of the windpipe, infection, cutaneous fistula (hole in the windpipe), bleeding, aspiration pneumonia, gastrostomy tube dependence (relying on a feeding tube), tracheotomy
dependence (relying on a breathing tube, cardiomegaly (enlargement of the heart), and even death.

Dori was experiencing many of the common risks of debarking, and was referred to the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center to have surgery to help alleviate the suffering she was going through. The surgeon working with Dori was able to remove excessive amounts of scar tissue from her trachea with the use of a laser. Because of all the trauma her throat had suffered, a large amount of swelling occurred, and a tracheotomy tube was placed to assist Dori in breathing while she recovered. Dori was kept in intensive care overnight and woke up very panicky. The staff at the U of M helped to keep her calm by taking turns holding her while she recovered as this is how Dori felt most comfortable in her unfamiliar environment, a measure that was very appreciated by SDR.

Thankfully, Dori is now back in the loving arms of her foster mother and recovering very well from her surgery. Dori's medical costs are currently totaling $2,200.00, and she is worth every penny. Her adoption fee is a mere $300. This fully-vetted, house-trained, sweetheart of a dog deserves so much to find her forever family where she can continue enjoying the safe, happy and loving lifestyle that SDR has been able to introduce her to. For more information on Dori or other dogs currently needing homes, please visit www.smalldogsminnesota.org.

Happy Tail

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Ruby's continued progress

More on Ruby ...
Photo 1: Ruby enjoying a day at the apple orchard.
Photo 2: Ruby trick or treating on Halloween!
Photo 3: Ruby hanging out with friends.
Look for more Ruby adventures in the near future!

Ruby's Progress

I adopted Ruby August 2009. Here are pics of some of her experiences.
Photo 1: Ruby on the day of her adoption.
Photo 2: Ruby in the unemployment line.
Photo 3: Ruby at her new job!

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