Cockers In Need
Our spotlight dog is RAGS. Sad story about Rags. He was tied up outside in his previous home. He was in constant pain with glaucoma. Now that he's here, he's getting vet care and we'll have his eye removed (he's blind in that eye) and he'll be neutered. Perfect home for him should have a fence and lots of love.
CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR HAPPY TAILS!
Mary Ellen, thanks for being our transporter to get him from our home, to Janne's home in Ohio. Oh, and thanks for not tossing me out of the van when I got spastic on the LONG ride.
Melinda, thank you for all that you did, all that you donated, all that your school kids did and for listening to me when I was having an anxiety attack.
ALL his supporters ~ Too numerous to name, but Skippy really really really appreciates everything you all did for him. From the prayers, to the donations, to the well wishes and offers to adopt him.
Last but not least ~ Thanks to Garry, my husband and partner in this venture. Skippy was here over 6 months, racked up some huge bills, and ate like a PIG. Garry helped me by not complaining, and always having a knee or a lap available for him. He also carried him outside, when he could not or would not go out. He so hates to get his paw paws wet.
THANK YOU ALL - Love, The Ackermans
Cocoa is now in the arms of God's Angels. The shelter she was dumped in, neglected to give her proper vet care when she became ill. Please, don't dump your dogs in a shelter.
Our adoption fees help to offset the medical costs, however, many times, the fees are much more than the donation. We rely on fundraisers, donations & getting on our hands and knees and praying for money to fall from the sky. Unfortunately, this never happens. If you can't foster, and would like to help out, please consider a donation for our needy baby's. We are now set up to accept paypal donations. Just click on the donate button below if you can help us help the Cockers in Need.
We require a home visit, a vet reference, as well as an adoption fee. The fee is used to offset the vet bills that we incur getting our cockers up to date on shots, neutered/spayed, heartworm tested and on preventitive.
No matter how bad my day is - my foster dogs days before this were so much worse than my days will EVER be. I have never been chained to a wall in the middle of a snow storm or heat wave. I have never had to eat poop and mold and fight for my next meal. I have never been hit with a broom or kicked in the side. The dogs somehow have a way of dealing with so much more than we do. Most of us would never survive the same treatment.
Patience; well, I've learned that I was lacking in this area. Patience is when you have a dog with ears that are completely shut, calcified and petrified of your hands. You need to apply the treatment 2 times a day, for several months. Patience is when your little rescue dog looks up at you with the medicine in your hand and licks your hand. Almost as if they know I don't want to put them through this - almost as if to say - it's OK mama, I will learn to be a good girl while you do this. Patience is when you have a dog that is almost dead from pneumonia. Listening to the constant hacking and wondering if he will awake tomorrow, to continue with his hacking. Patting on his back to help the fluids come out. Wiping up the fluids that are coming out. Him willingly taking his medicine, even though it makes him gag. Patience is when the other pups in the litter let the sick baby lean on them and use them as a pillow for his very heavy head.
One very pitiful little foster boy taught me it's OK to just sit around and do nothing at all. Sometimes, in our hurry up world, we need to get on the floor and just go belly up. Lay on the couch and hug and kiss and just enjoy each others company.
You see, what I have learned is that THEY taught me how to have patience. If they can put up with some of the things we need to do to them and for them, then I can certainly learn to deal with a small line at the post office, or the traffic jam I am stuck in, or the people that call me at work with stupid questions.
Every one of the fosters have taught me something. Sometimes, it was things I never wanted to know about. Mange, stress colitis, pneumonia, kennel cough, dry eye, all interesting subjects.
Ok, I did teach them about manners, and living in a home. I taught them there will always be food available. There will always be hugs and warm beds. It's not polite to pee on someones indoor plants, however it's perfectly acceptable to do so on the tree outside. Training them is actually the easy part of fostering. I learned that several of my dogs like to participate in the training process. Joy will scream at the foster dog (if she likes him) to make sure he wakes up and gets out of his crate and herds him to the back door. Once at the door, she will scream at him again, so he knows to get all excited and go out back. At this point, it's show and tell. She shows him to pee in the grass, and then afterwards it's play time. She will scream and run and make them chase her around the yard. She's a good mommy dog. I never new she liked teaching. I learned they really do have a language all their own. This lesson taught me that I should pay more attention to others around me.
Finally, the hardest lesson learned is letting go. The fosters take huge chunks of our hearts with them. If they can let go of us and learn to again adapt to another home and a new set of rules, then we can learn to be happy for them and not dwell on them no longer in our homes. They leave huge pawprints on our hearts, to replace the chunks they take with them. And, occasionally, when we least expect it, we find that book they gnawed on while they were in our care. Or that sandal with little teeny teeth marks. We smile, realizing that sandals and books can easily be replaced, but the lessons we learned can not.
I have always had trouble with changes. Change is not necessarily a bad thing. Dogs adapt to almost any change if it's done with love and patience. If we could all take a lesson from our dogs, life would be so much easier to deal with.
And if you ever get the chance to foster a dog, you will learn some things that cannot be explained on paper. You have to do it to experience the emotions that flood your body when a little cocker looks up at you, wondering if you'll hurt him or love him. Teaching one to love again is something I will never be able to explain, nor will I ever forget the lessons they teach me.
Written by Foster Mom Linda
OLLIE'S STORY
Linda has fostered many cockers, always transforming them from once pitiful throw-aways, to happy and healthy dogs who will get that second chance at life. It was she who alerted me to Olivers plight. His picture and bio were posted on the Petfinders website, and Linda had been keeping an eye on him for a few weeks. I think she sometimes enjoys torturing me, so she decided to send me the link to his picture and bio. Once I saw his picture, it really hit me. Oliver looked so very sad and bewildered. His eyes said it all, and it broke my heart. So after discussing it with Linda for a few minutes, I volunteered to take a look at him the following weekend, and if we decided to take him, Linda would foster him. Pattie, who has also fostered for Home of the Homeless, wanted to spring the little guy too, so the both of us were going to make the trip that day. So it was all set. Barring anything short of a nuclear war or an asteroid impact, Olivers' chances of a new life just got a lot better.
RESCUE DAY
Armed with a new ball, some treats, some homemade "puppy stew" that Pattie prepared, and a collar that turned out to be too big, we arrived at the shelter the following Saturday. As expected, we could hear the usual sounds of both the barks and cries from the unseen multitudes inside the building. We went inside and told them we were there to see Oliver. Someone went back and TRIED to find him. The woman came back out a few minutes later, without Oliver, so all three of us went back, and they finally located him. He emerged from his run, pulling hard on his leash. It was obvious that he did not like it there, running by everyone and veering his way into the lobby. They turned him over to us, and we took him outside for some fresh air. It was immediately apparent to the both of us that Oliver was severely neglected. He was very thin, his grooming days appeared to have ended when Nixon was the President, and he had several large lumps on his body. His ears were red and swollen inside, and he would cry if we tried to touch them. However, despite all of his misfortunes, little Oliver was also a true delight. His personality completely contradicted his appearance. He was such a friendly little guy, and it was also evident that he knew some commands. It simply amazes me how these gentle little souls can suffer untold abuse and neglect at the hands of humans, yet through it all, still possess a loving spirit.
We continued his evaluation by taking him to an open grassy area where he could get some exercise. Of course, he brought his new ball with him. He loved that ball! We would toss it and he would bring it back to us, gently allowing us to take it from his mouth. Of course, he would not let his new toy get more than a few inches away from him. But most of all, Oliver was simply content just being next to someone he could call his friends. As we sat in the grass, Oliver sat between us, finally knowing what it was like to be happy again. It was at that point when Pattie and I decided to take him out of there, and start him on a new life that he very much deserved. We got up, and after devouring all of his treats and stew that day, he releived himself. But that's when the trouble began. His stools were coated with blood, and he seemed to develop a slight limp when he tried to walk. Our hearts sank. One of the techs from the shelter retrieved the stool and ran a quick test to check for worms and the possibility of parvo. We waited in the lobby while they ran the tests, not saying a word, but thinking the worst. Parvo is deadly, and the possibility of little Oliver suffering from it would be more than we could bear. We phoned Linda to tell her the news, but in my mind, we WERE taking him, regardless of the results. There was absolutely no way that I was going to leave him there, and I'm sure that Pattie felt the same way.
While we were waiting, I noticed a woman who had been in the lobby for awhile. She had a crate with her, and was smiling and talking to several different people. Naturally, I assumed that yet it would be someone elses lucky day as well. Another life would be saved! A few minutes later, the tech came out of the examining room with the results. The test came back negative! So all that was left to do was to sign a few papers while Oliver was taken back one last time to receive his distemper shot. When he came back out, we followed him to the car. I opened the door and he hopped right in. His ball in his mouth, of course. Little Olivers new life had begun. Oh, and the woman with the crate was seen leaving minutes before Ollie was officially rescued. Tears were in her eyes. The cycle continues. ~Written by Mike & Patti
OLLIE ARRIVES
Ollie is finally here. It seems like such a long time ago that I started worrying about him. His eyes told me he was in pain. Now, I will get to see for myself, what it is that is bothering him.
He's pretty bad, much worse than the picture shows. While trying to groom him, it only gets worse. The more we shaved off, the more filth we uncover. We also uncover 3 tumors. Ok.. time to put the Saint Francis Medal on him. He has one seriously large tumor on his right side.
The fleas were literally sucking him dry. He's thin, his gums and eyes are pale, and he's holding up his left rear leg. Poor Ollie, he is certainly not five years old as they stated.
His ears are another worry. There is green and yellow pus coming out and you can't see any opening. Through all of this, he is behaving like a gentlemen, and relishing in the treats and petting and talking.
After a few hours of cleaning him up - he needs a break. I suspect anemia, from the fleas. Extra supplements for this guy.
The next few days are more of the same. Special time and more cleaning up and he's really become a handsome boy. We've nicknamed him "Jolly Ollie".
Mike and Patti are taking him to the vet, so we can check on his tumors and have him heartworm tested. This is the time where I become very worried. Considering the condition he was in - it was obvious he had been living in the yard.
YES, several of our prayers were answered. He's heartworm negative, and his tumors are just fatty. His leg has a torn ACL and will need some rest and mild exercise.
He just loves being talked to and adores all his new toys. He's doing well with my other dogs too.
We have had several inquiries on Ollie, but not the one I want. I have a certain person in mind for Oliver. She doesn't know it yet, but he is perfect for her family.
Every day that Ollie is here, he proves to me that he was worth all the special baths, the extra special time to work on his ears, his leg massages, and of course, his emotional scars. There are a few, not many, but a few.
Ollie has made so many friends, and everyone just loves his gentle nature and soulful eyes. When will his new mommy see those eyes and call me? Will it be today?
It finally happened. Ollie's new Mom to be, who happens to be a dear friend of mine, has finally realized that Ollie and her were meant to be together. We have talked in detail, and all the signs point to this being the perfect home for him.
The adoption date is set, and we have a little going away party for Jolly Ollie. Mike, Patti and a few other cockers come over for his party. It's always bitter~sweet. There's no other way to put it. We all love him and cared enough to help give him "wings" to fly off to his new forever home. And, I mean this literally. Ollie had to fly on a plane to get to his new Mom & dad. That day was one of my hardest days in rescue. It's never easy letting them go, but this was even harder.
NEW MOM'S STORY
Oliver Peter Francis arrived at our house on June 9, 2001. What a delightful addition he is to our family. He was such a pathetic, sad looking little boy when he first came to his foster home. He now looks like the picture of health. His fur is shiny and his eyes are bright and no longer full of sadness and confusion.
He has ALL the best qualities of a dog who was rescued from a life of not being cared for and loved.
The most obvious of those qualities is that he is eager to please. Having been rejected in his previous life, by being allowed to become a stray who roamed the streets for food and shelter, he tries extra hard to do what we want and to make us happy with him. One of the rewards of adopting a rescue dog is in knowing we are giving a "throwaway" dog a second chance at the life they deserve.
He thanks us daily for the opportunity to have a second chance at a life free of misery and pain. He loves to be with "his humans" and enjoy doing whatever we are doing. He likes to be close, if not laying on a lap.
Since he is a senior dog (approximately 8-9 years old), he is calm and loves to take naps. Unlike a puppy...he is not hyper, constantly having potty accidents (HE IS RELIABLY POTTY TRAINED) nor chewing everything and anything he can get into his mouth on.
He was socialized when we got him, due to his wonderful fostering experience. We have two other cockers, also rescues, and he is eager to get along with them and become a part of our family structure.
We couldn't ask for a more wonderful addition to our family. Rescues love with all their hearts, show you devotion beyond your wildest dreams, and let you know every time you walk in the door from being gone for even the shortest amount of time, that you are the center of his/her universe.
Monetary Donations are always needed and appreciated
Towels and blankets (used is fine)
Gift certificates from pet catalogs or Petsmart, Petco
Frontline topspot or Heartworm meds
Paper towels and Nature's Miracle
Some healthy snacks like Old Mother hubbard Puppy treats or Dick Van Pattens turkey roll
Doggy beds
Grooming supplies
Toys and kongs
Crate or vari kennels
First aid kit
Donated Items for our Rescue Fairs & auctions are always welcome. They don't have to be cocker related.
Click here for a list of pets at this shelter
