A REMINDER -

THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF LA

LIVINGSTON CHAPTER

MONTHLY MEETING

TUESDAY, JAN. 31

6:30 PM

Bass Pro Meeting Room

Denham Springs, LA

There will be a brief business meeting followed by a Pet First Aide presentation.



SOOKIE - A SPECIAL LITTLE CAT

About two weeks ago I received a call from the Livingston Parish Detention Center.  A sweet little cat showed up with a badly mangled hind leg. They had called several agencies and no one would help them so they turned to the Humane Society of Louisiana - Livingston Chapter.  I was not able to get to the cat and the vet before closing, so I asked if of one of them would take the cat to the vet for me.  Ofcourse, this was a Friday afternoon at 4 pm!  A wonderful lady deputy took the cat to Dodge City Animal Hospital for us.  The news wasn't good.  The leg was in such bad shape that it needed to be removed. Dr. Einck wanted to stabilize her over the weekend, start antibiotics and perform the surgery the following Monday.  I didn't hesistate to help this injured animal, but it did wipe out the money we had raised in 2011.  Sookie's initial exam and surgery was $438.00.  So, we are back to a zero balance!!!!  But, just hearing her purr and seeing her able to walk pain free was worth it.  We will just have to work harder and have more fund raisers.

 It will be two weeks tomorrow since the surgery and "Sookie" is doing great thanks to her foster mom, Joi.

Because she is now a "tripod" she will need a special environment without dogs and a home that will keep her inside and safe.  She isn't having any difficulty with jumping and normal activities, but we want to cautious.

Sookie is a young kitty, probably less than a year.  She is still recovering, so her spay date is 3 months away.  However, she can go to her new home at any time.

From Abused to Awesome !!!!

Just 3 months ago today poor Buster was a walking skelton.  He had such a sad face.

BUT LOOK AT HIM NOW!

Buster is ready for his new home.  He is an outside dog, but sleeps inside in a crate at night.  He craves attention and does well with our female dogs and laid back older males.  Because we do not know his history and he is such a powerful breed, we have not given him free roam with our other large young male dogs.  If you would like a great companion and can give Buster love, attention, and training, then please contact me. You must have a fenced yard to adopt Buster.



YOU CAN'T FIX S T U P I D!!!!!!

There are days when I just want to shake some sense into people.  Yesterday was one of those days.  I received a call about a puppy on a chain - in the rain - no shelter -

It was one of those neighborhoods that has a bad reputation for drugs, theft, etc.....  We had seized 5 dogs from a house in the same neighborhood just a month or so ago, so I knew that complaint was probably valid.  As always, I had the sheriff's department send a deputy to meet me at the location.  When I arrived it was raining.  This is what I saw.

This poor little puppy was all curled up in the leaves.  He was soaking wet and shivering.  He was chained to a tree.  There was no collar, just a chain around his neck with a double ended clasp. 

Once the deputy arrived, he agreed the puppy needed help.  He knocked on the residence and after a 5 minutes or so, a man came to the door.  He said the dog wasn't his and that he was just keeping it for someone who didn't have a place for it.  The man said his landlord would not allow pets inside the trailer so he had to chain it to a tree.  When told that he had to provide a dog house, the man said he wasn't the owner and he could not provide a house. The deputy instructed the man to call the "owner' and have him come get the dog or release it to the Humane Society.  A teeneager showed up, but after a bit of questioning, the deputy finally got them to admit the truth.  The puppy was the homeowner's.  The man released the dog to us in order to avoid going to court. 

This is when an alert neighbor saved the life of an animal. The neighbor had given the man several days to make accommodations for the dog before he reported the neglect.  Fortunately the owner was feeding the dog, but I have no doubt that this puppy would have met a disasterous fate if it was left in the care of this heartless man.

When the deputy had completed taking photos, I released the dog from the chain, dried him off and placed him in a dog bed I had in the car.  The poor little fellow immediately fell fast asleep.  He didn't move for two hours!  His vet check came back great!  He is about 8 to 10 weeks in age and is up for adoption!  He needs a name!  Any suggestions???

A New Year and New "Guests"

Well, we have placed some of our friends in great homes over the past few weeks!  Play found a home and Blaze is in a foster home.  Three puppies are now with families so we are about as happy as can be!!!  We still have two of the little ones that need homes, but I am sure that will happen quickly.

The mama dog, a beagle/jack russell mix, and 5 puppies were abandoned along the side of a rural highway.  We received the call and just couldn't believe these sweet dogs were dumped! 

Just this week, an injured young female cat was found by the Livingston Parish Detention staff.  They took the kitten to Dodge City for us and on Monday the poor little thing had to have a hind leg amputated.  I am happy to report she is in her new foster home now and is doing quite well.  She will be put up for adption in a few months after she has had a chance to heal.  She is scheduled for spaying in 4 months.  We will have pictures soon.  This is the sweetest cat ever!!!

On a sad note, we found an abandoned Walker hound that was unable to stand.  After a series of xrays, our vet determined the dog had some type of bone cancer in her hips.  The very hard decision was made to end her pain.  Lady, our Walker hound here at the farm has bone cancer, so I was hopeful we could manage this dog's pain and help her live out her life in a safe environment.  Unfortunately that was not the case.  The vet recommended a humane end to her suffering.

The life of a rescuer is full of happiness and sadness.  We do the best we can, but sometimes it is not enough.  Our little Ebony, the German Shepherd puppy, had a genetic problem that just could not allow her to grow properly.  She was a dwarf and it caused her front legs to grow in a very painful way.  She also had the beginnings of hip dysplasia.  We spent 4 months trying to find an answer.  Our vet recommended an specialist in Mandeville.  His diagnosis was not good. There was no surgery or therapy that would fix her.  He recommended we end her life of pain in a humane way.  So we have posted a picture in loving memory of a sweet little dog who never complained about swimming therapy or having pills pushed down her throat.

Ebony

Many of my friends ask how I can keep going when I deal with such sadness.  My answer is always the same - God has blessed me with the ability to help these poor animals.  If I let man's inhumane actions, disease, or accidents keep me from helping then I will miss out on the blessing of giving a family their new best canine friend!  When I see a child's face light up with joy or an adult's loneliness cured by a canine companion, then I am happy and content!