3 legged dog helps special boy

http://bit.ly/SgkSxi
Here is a great story about a dog most might have considered putting down.

Skinny kitty needs a home

Look who showed  up and howeled at my sliding door last night. This baby is about 10-12 weeks old with shoulder blades and hip bones showing. I have never seen a cat eat so hungrily as this little girl did last night. She cried, purred and gobbled all at once. She has not stopped purring since. She trusted me for a bath, and does not appear to be affraid of the big kitties dispite thier spitting and cursing at her. If anyone wants an adorable new kitty let me know, I need to find a loving home for her. Downsy Dude Rescue will help pay for spay and first shots if need be.

 

Contact: Merilee Dodson

merdodson@yahoo.com

Would you trust this man with your dog?

Hello fellow animal lovers. I am writing today to make a clear statement. When I opened my blog page this morning, I was appalled to see that Mitt Romney, a well documented dog abuser, had purchased adds from google which ended up on my animal rescue blog. Apparently he is trying to do some damage control to the knowledge that he strapped his own dog, in a carrier, to the top of his family car and drove twelve hours. He apparently  thought the fact that he had to stop half way at a car wash to hose down the diarrhea from the windshield that resulted  from the dog's terror was a funny story to tell, which has now backfired on him.

I want to make it crystal  clear that I do not support any person who is an animal abuser and then tells of it as if it would be an amusing story. I do not have control of the adds that go on my blog and if I find a way to report it as offensive I will certainly do that.

For those of  you who may doubt the truth about this, here is just one of the articles that appeared in well established and credible magazines such as TIME.

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1638065,00.htmlr

Please look your dog in the eyes before you go to vote on Tuesday.

Free spay or neuter for cats

 

Please pass this forward to anyone who has a cat that needs this.


Did you know that two unaltered cats and their offspring can add up to the following statistics?

1st year =12
2nd year=66
3rd year=382
4th year=2,201
5th year=12,680

Cat with a Crinkled ear

In June I discovered a frightened  black cat hiding in the corner of one of the cat suites at the shelter. She was clearly terrified and was very shy. She resisted coaxing for a few weeks but each time I would go in, I would make a tiny bit of progress with her.  She was eventually moved to an individual cage to see if this would decrease her stress. Well, it did reduce her stress but she continued to hide. This is the type of behavior that makes adoption very unlikely. In addition this kitty is named "Krinkle" because one of her hears is collapsed. Needless to say, she may not appear as cute to most people as some of the other kitties. She has, however, recently gotten over her hiding behavior. The the last few visits with her indicated that she was ready for adoption. She greeted me at the front of the cage and even flopped onto her back  and purred as a stoked and doted on her. She has turned out to be just a little sweetheart now that she trusts people.  She does still have one strike against her  in regard to her adoption potential. That ear! For this reason Downsy Dude Rescue Ranch Project will be paying large portion of her adoption fee. She will be available for only 10% of the regular adoption fee.We are so thrilled that our project is beginning to able to afford to help in ways other than the volunteer hours we have been putting in.

If anyone knows a family in the Lansing area who would love a  kitty with a "special ear". Please forward this information to them.

Tragety, Serendipity, and Love = A heart touched

As we were leaving the shelter today, we paused in the lobby to pet a lucky dog named Gus who was being adopted. His new owner's were setting in front of the desk filling out the paper work and telling a story of how they had just lost their beloved German Shepard to an illness that took it very suddenly. My hear ached at thought  of it. We chatted a bit and I learned that they always had German shepards. They had actually come to the shelter to adopt one that was on the web site, but by  the  time they arrived someone else had adopted it. On the way out they noticed Gus, an Australian Shepard. As they filled out paper work, I could not help noticing that Gus was leaning on the leg of one of his new owners. In fact when I walked into the lobby I thought Gus was there dog and had come with them to the shelter. He seemed to know that these were "his people" that he had been waiting for. 

I started thinking about what a lucky dog this was. If his owners had come earlier in the day, he would still be back in a cage waiting for somenone to notice him. If the new owners had not just lost a dog, he would not even have met these folks. In my mind, it kind of gave a sweet meaning to the death of the other dog, as sad as that was. So many times I have seen the universe work this way. There is always a gift in every tragedy, and I stood there looking at the threesome  in awe.

I was so moved by the fact that these folks we so willing to love again so soon after their hearts were broken, and how Gus looked so happy to be going home. They said they had been told that Gus had live outside, .but at their house he would live inside. They live behind a big park were they planned to take him to play. The woman reached down and kissed the dog's back and said "we love you." My hear broke wide open and I cried in front of complete strangers.

What an upgrade for this dog, and what a demonstration of the fact that there are so many loving people in the world. Also a demonstration of how sometimes hard things turn out good. Not to mention the luck of being in the right place at the right time. This was true today for Gus, but it was also true for me. I got to see serendipty  in action and was very touched by it.

That sweet kiss on the back of that shelter dog is something I will always remember.

192 shelter cats

Lewis and I have a goal of giving comfort and lap time to 300 shelter cats this year. Our list so far consists of 192. We spend time with kitties to make their wait for a home more bearable. Lewis likes the playful ones and I am a magnet for the fearful or hard to adopt ones. We both love what we are doing and look forward to each visit. The goal is to make the kitties look forward to human interaction. It makes them more likely to be adopted if they are friendly and engage with  guests. Many of them have good social skills all ready and just want a comforting lap or a brushing and some love. Others need trust building and a patient trainer. Some kitties hate being there, but for  many it is a step up from where they were when they were brought in.

Each week on our drive over we discuss who might still be there and who might have gotten lucky and went to there forever home. There is nothing more gratifying than discovering one of kitties on your list is not in there cage when you arrive. It means they have connected with a human in a positive way and been given a second chance for a free and happy life.

 If you love animals please consider volunteering or donating to your local shelter. There is a cool dog walking program at Capital area Humane Society. After a short orientation you can walk a dog of your choice on a very nice trail out behind the facility.  The program is so popular that they expect each caged dog to be walked 3 times a day. What a wonderful thing for the  pups waiting to find their forever humans. The other great thing about being there is that you are surrounded by a small army of animal lovers.

We get way more out of it than we give, and it also demonstrates how one special needs guy can make a very positive impact on animals who are experiencing trauma.  At the same time, Lewis' life is so enriched by the experience and he knows he is achieving something wonderful. This is the foundation of what Downsy Dude Rescue Ranch Project is all about.

A bit of humor for balance

http://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play;_ylt=A2KLqIQb70NQDRIAkEb7w8QF;_ylu=X3oDMTBrc3VyamVwBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDdmlkBHZ0aWQD?p=funniest+dogs+youtube&vid=18B7C6132F1BBC16702D18B7C6132F1BBC16702D&l=1%3A20&turl=http%3A%2F%2Fts4.mm.bing.net%2Fvideos%2Fthumbnail.aspx%3Fq%3D4876162973302795%26id%3D904b8294a27cf4ed4dc16dd77012d783%26bid%3DLXAWvBsvE8a3GA%26bn%3DLargeThumb%26url%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252fwww.youtube.com%252fwatch%253fv%253dnGeKSiCQkPw&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DnGeKSiCQkPw&tit=Ultimate+Dog+Tease&c=0&sigr=11aq6gflc

Loyalty

Wolf rescues in the wildfires

I read this article bawling my eyes out. Thank God for good people!


http://www.wildanimalsanctuary.org/news/newletters/fall2012/page12.html?utm_source=Fall+2012+Newsletter&utm_campaign=fall+2012+newsletter&utm_medium=email

Dogs and Babies= better health

Here is a good read for anyone who ever thought a dog would add to much burden to a family.
http://news.yahoo.com/babies-dog-owning-families-may-healthier-041915748.html

Angels!

I have had a spiritual epiphany. I have been working hard to return to my spiritual roots. Part of what I have been asking the universe is how I am to fund Downsy Dude Rescue Ranch. As I was meditating the answer came to me, but I was unsure if the answer was the path I should take as it involves some work with breast cancer victims and I was not sure if I should linger there.


Those of you close to me know that I have won a 3 year battle with breast cancer and have had a pretty nasty case of PTSD due to the experience. As a mental health practitioner, I had lots of tools in my arsenal but was still overwhelmed with fear. I went looking for help and could not find it. In the end, I created my own program, which I am being lead to share with others. I was resistant to think that the answer to funding the Downsy Dude Rescue Ranch was somehow attached to breast cancer. I wanted nothing to do with it and have worked hard at distancing myself from it, and focusing on wellness.


On a whim one day recently I called into a radio talk show on Hay House radio. There was a man by the name of Kyle Gray who is well known as "the angel whisperer". Not even knowing if I really believed in angels, for some reason I decided to call and ask him how I was to fund my project. He blew me away by not only telling me that the arch angle Ariel is with me, but describing the courage I had to use to get through the past 3 years. Next he had a vision that described the key elements of my PTSD program and told me that this was going to be key to funding Downsy Dude Rescue Ranch.


I had not shared with him what the rescue project was about nor, the PTSD program I have been putting together. After I hung up, I googled the arch angel Ariel. I was shocked to learn that she is considered the guardian of the animals and nature. Within few days, I was offered a chance to use my PTSD program with a prominent medical practitioner in my area. I did not solicit this invite and it took me by complete surprise.


When I first got cancer, and over the 3 years of beating it back, I have continually ask the universe "why is this happening to me?" It seemed so wrong. I know in my heart I am a good person and I felt very picked on and devastated by the whole situation. Could it be that it's purpose has now been revealed to me?


I would love to hear your thoughts about this if you are willing. I also need help naming thePTSD program. I welcome feedback and suggestions. Breast cancer and animal rescue.....does this add up?



Merdodson@yahoo.com

Lost pets, Lansing area

While looking for places to post a photo of a dog that found me and needs help getting home, I have discovered that there are no good local forums for posting a lost or found pet in the Lansing  area. The Michigan humane society has a page but no contact numbers included (only an office number) and they are closed on the week end. The dog that found me  is a match to one listed on their page but I have no way of contacting anyone about the dog.

So I have decided to include a free service on the Downsy Dude Rescue Ranch blog for people who  have either lost or found a pet in the Lansing area. Anyone can email me with information about a lost or found pet and I will share it with my extensive network of animal lovers, post it on the main page of the Downsy Dude blog, share it on facebook and put it on Craig's list in Lansing.

Please share this with your network of contacts. Information can be sent to me at merdodson@yahoo.com.

Thank you helping me with this, and for helping those sweet little lost pets find their way back home.

                                          I am lost and afraid, please help me find my way home.

Do dogs have emotions?

If you are a dog lover you all ready know the answer to this question. What about a memory? How long do they remember things or people? Ever hear anyone say "ah, it's just a dog, they don't know what's going on?  If you are a person who has said something similar, here is a convincing  video that illustrates a dog experiencing joy. Dog lovers, I'll warn ya, it may require a tissue or two.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xZSrLyWzxVI

Cat courage

Volunteering at the shelter returns my efforts ten fold with adorable moments of animal behavior that I am privileged to witness. Today I arrived to find two new kitties, hiding behind one of the play structures. They are 4 1/2 year old litter mates and almost identical twins. Both raised in the same home by the same owner. Yet It was very clear that Della and Rock each  had a unique role in their relationship.

I knelt on the floor next to where they were hiding. They were backed into a corner each one looking in a different direction as if playing sentry duty. I approached Della first as she seemed to be the less frightened of the pair. I am never certain about whether my approach will be welcomed or  not so I always offer the back of my hand for a sniff first. Della allowed me to touch her, and within a few minutes she was accepting pets and chin rubs, all be it, still in the hiding place. She could not be coaxed out.

After a bit I moved the play structure just enough to be able to see Rock's face. The poor guy looked so rattled. as I offered the back of my hand for a sniff it spooked him and jetted under his sister for comfort. He crawled right under her and she allowed it, calmly. His face was buried in her tummy. Not being one to give up on a cat, I offered my hand again to Della who gave me a knowing look and a head butt, then began to purr. I continued petting her for a few minutes hoping that Rock would get a sense that it was OK, and that I was a safe person. The side of Rock's cheek was exposed and I gently rubbed it and cooed his name. Next I had his eyes, then much to my surprise, he bolted under me, just like he had done to his sister. So I stayed there, crouched, with him allowing me to give him comfort and pets for a good long time. Someone came in and he darted back behind the play structure, his sister followed and cuddled him like he was her kitten.

I have to say that was one of the cutest exchanges I have ever seen between two cats. Della clearly has more courage than Rock and she also knew exactly how to comfort him-Just adorable!

                                                                     Here is Della

Here is  Rock

Please choose adoption

Free pet Neuter in Ingham County

LANSING, MI --- The Capital Area Humane Society is pleased to announce, thanks to grant funding from PetSmart Charities totaling $120,910 over two years, CAHS is able to offer free spays and neuters for cats living in Lansing zip codes 48910 and 48911.

WHAT:

1. The Capital Area Humane Society Spay & Neuter clinic is offering free spay & neuter cat surgeries for Lansing residents living in 48910 and 48911 zip codes.
2. All cats and kittens must be at least 8 weeks old and weigh two pounds.
3. Rabies vaccines and microchips are included at the time of surgery, if needed.
4. Proof of address is required.
5. People who live in other ZIP codes, but need help, are encouraged to call the clinic to discuss other options
6. Residents in 48910 and 48911 wanting to schedule free surgeries for their cats can call 517-908-0756 be 517-908-0756.

WHEN: Now and over the next two years.

WHERE: All surgeries will be performed at the Spay & Neuter Clinic located at 5919 South Cedar Street in Lansing.

WHY: Spay and neuter is the only effective way to address the pet overpopulation problem in mid-Michigan. According to the Michigan Department of Agriculture, about 250,000 animals end up in Michigan shelters every year.

I am a "lunatic", it's official!

Every Wednesday afternoon Lewis and I go to the local shelter and work with the "shy" cats to try and make them more adoptable. Recently because of one very shy kitty we have been going in twice a week. Oden was brought to the shelter on March first of this year and has spent months hiding behind his littler pan. He was clearly traumatized and very dispirited, to the point he was at first refusing food. He was on the top of every one's concern list. His only comfort was another little kitty named Mittens who was brought in 3 weeks before Oden and also very shy. Much to every one's surprise these two little trauma victims found one another and buddied up. They would curl up together and try to hide behind anything they could find. As time went by it was clear that  these two would do better in a separate cage away from the busy activity of the other cats. They were put in side by side cages with a pass through to each others cage.

Volunteers worked hours and hours to gain Oden's trust. Finally he learned to trust that hands of respectable humans. He would allow petting but still hid as soon as his cage door was shut. Last week Sunday I made a special trip in to the shelter to see Oden. After all, he and mittens had been there in cages  for nearly 4 months. I worried that time was running out. Oden had made great progress, sometimes eating while I had his cage door opening and on Sunday he did not hide when I left. I was able to view him through a window on my way out. I thought to myself " I wonder if my friends would think I am weird if I asked them to pray for a cat to find a home?" I thought, well I have never prayed for a cat, but I think I will try envisioning this kitty with a quiet loving home, that includes his best buddy Mittens.

A few days ago when the moon was full I went outside for my usual spiritual ritual. I use the full moon to remind me to pray for my hearts desire. As I stood there looking up at the moon I said " This one is for Oden and Mittens." What could it hurt to make a wish for them right? After all I have everything I need and time may be running out for these poor little kitties that nobody seems to want.

Well, today is Wednesday and I made my usual trek straight to Mitten's and Oden's cage only to find them empty! My heart leaped and then sank-I went to the desk to ask where they were, bracing myself for the worst. But much to my surprise I learned that someone had taken them in to foster them, both. I choked back tears and tried to  go find other kitties to work with but I ended up having to leave so I did not burst into tears in front of all of them and leave them to think I am a lunatic, no pun intended.

Here is Oden after much work on trust:

Here is Mittens:

Here is a cute little video the staff made that I think proved very helpful in getting these to long term cage cats, some much needed love and freedom.

http://www.petango.com/webservices/adoptablesearch/wsYouTubeVideo.aspx?videoid=2trwlGJXxV8

So, now I will ask you to pray for these two- that all goes well and a  blessing to the person who took them in. May their good Karma be ten fold! And next time you see the moon, remember this story.

How and why Downsy Dude Rescue Ranch was conceived

This is a story of trauma, joy and enlightenment. I have had my share of "bumps" in the road. In 1989, having a child with Down's syndrome certainly shook my world to the core. At first I was angry. "Why me?" I asked, "why my son?" "Why at all?" "How could a creator who is supposed to be all loving do this to anyone?" I shook my fist at the sky and wept for nearly two years. There is a grieving process that happens when you give birth to a child who is not what you were expecting. I had no prior notice that there were any issues with the pregnancy. "No fair! I am a good person!" I said over and over again. At a time when I most needed my spirituality, all my beliefs about Karma were ripped away from me. I felt picked on by God, and it hurt so bad.

My marriage failed, I lost my house, and I could not function well enough to continue the business I had worked so hard to build. Lucky for me, I had two darling babies at home who kept me going. They, with their never ending sparkle every time they looked at me, saved me. My daughter, with her early development of language, and mobility would dote and kiss on her baby brother several times a day. She was oblivious to his disability. She adored him, and it taught me that love is love, plain and simple. My son, thrived under here tiny leadership, always trying to keep up with her, he strived to obtain the skills she had at 14 months his senior.

As the years went by they quietly, by their very nature, helped me come to realize that I had not been picked on by God after all. I had been picked out by God, and what an awesome life the three of us have had since. I went back to school earned 3 degrees, and bought another house. We raised several rescued animals together joyfully, and I was able to provide a living for us by working with children in one capacity or another over the past 20 years.

Recently another "bump" made me take a step back and really think about what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. Breast cancer reared it's ugly head, and once again I questioned "why does this happen to people?" "What is the meaning of all this?" I did get my answer, but it came a little bit later. After my third recurrence and more doses of Chemo therapy than I care to recall, I decided it was time to take some time off work and get my health in check. It was scary resigning the job I had worked so hard to acquire, but my gut was leading me. Chemo took its toll, and I got a mortality pie in the face so to speak. I was shown clearly that life is not to be taken for granted. It made me think hard about how to spend my remaining days.

I knew I still had goals and ideas that had taken a back burner do to obligations over the years. I also wanted to find a retirement activity that I could involve my son in so that I could spend as much time as possible with him, and also demonstrate to the world what I knew about him. He is a teacher. He teaches love on the highest level.

In his community based education program in high school he had two favorite placements. One was in a daycare, and the other was at a local animal shelter. Epiphany! He loves the same things I do. It was staring me in the face, and I would not have seen it had I not been forced to take time off from work and given myself the luxury of time to think.

Downsy Dude Rescue Ranch will allow me to take all the skills I have acquired, all the therapeutic experience I have been privileged with, as well as all my favorite passions and apply them to the world in way that includes both my children. My daughter holds a degree in Zoology, and is excited about the project as well. She knows she will inherit the project some day and her little brother, who is now 22, will be by her side as a seasoned helper.

Suddenly all the "bumps" made perfect sense.

This is why I love kids!

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/highschool-prep-rally/inspiring-elementary-schooler-cerebral-palsy-runs-amazing-400-154523256.html