Pet Gazette

A Publication for Rescue Pets

Published by Anne Thomas      e-mail:  petgazette@onebox.com     website: www.petorphans.com

Welcome to Adoption Day

We are glad you stopped by! Whether you came to look for a pet or to visit, the dogs appreciate the attention & the opportunity to socialize. Beagles and MORE is a volunteer, non-profit, independent rescue organization. We are funded through donations, adoption fees and volunteer foster homes. Our goal is to find just the right permanent home for each of these special, unique dogs, most of whom have experienced trauma prior to coming into our care. It is of utmost importance to us that each dog’s adoption be the last significant change and trauma he will experience.

What does this mean to you? It means that all potential adoptive humans will be carefully screened and that we will do our best to match the right dog to the right person, but matchmaking is not easy. We know a lot about dogs in general and a good deal about each dog you see, but we don’t know you. So, we’ll have you complete an application and we’ll ask questions. You may not understand why we ask some of them, but we are trying to get an overall look at you and the life you and the dog would have together.

We’ve known these dogs several weeks, sometimes longer. We’ve observed their behaviors in various situations. As you tell us what you’re looking for and answer our questions, we begin to process all of that information to point you toward a companion that will be good for you because we know that one sure way to have an unhappy dog is to have an unhappy guardian!

It is not unusual to have a particular dog catch your eye and it’s love at first sight. But looks don’t tell the whole story with any animal. We may discourage you from that dog and toward another. Or, we may tell you to come back another week because we don’t have the right dog for you today.

Sometimes, we must refuse to adopt any dog to a particular person. This is difficult for everyone because we want homes for the dogs and we can appreciate a person’s desire for a pet. Unfortunately, we are aware of the various factors that contribute to a higher than average chance for a dog to be returned, passed on from one home to another, neglected, etc. If those factors show up in your application or interview, we will refuse to adopt a dog to you at this time. We mean no harm and our refusal is not meant to be taken personally. We can only make decisions based on information available to us. The emotional and physical health of the dog must be our first concern because we are advocates for the dogs.

Feel free to ask questions and we’ll do our best to answer! Or, you may fill out the application if you’re ready. If you’re “still thinking” about it, please take your time. Adopting a dog needs to be a commitment for the lifetime of the dog.

Thanks again for stopping by!

INDEX

• What Happens To Your Donations by Leslie Carroll of Beagles and More
• How You Can Help Put A Stop to Pet Overpopulation by SPOT
• Thank You Everyone by Leslie Carroll of Beagles and More
• Exciting Opportunities for Volunteers
• In Memorium
• Paralegals Looking For Animal Rights Pro Bono Cases
• Crossing Rainbow Bridge Together
• A Puppy’s Plea, a Poem by Chazmyn

What Happens to your Donations

Sometimes when people decide to adopt our dogs, they are surprised that the adoption fee is $175 or $200. I’m sure that some of them think we are out eating and drinking and living it up on their hard-earned money, but nothing could be further from the truth. The only funds that Beagles and More receive are from adoption fees and from individual donations, which are often few and far between.

The dogs that we rescue are seldom ready to be adopted. We must take them to the veterinarian for all their shots, which usually run over a hundred dollars. We spay or neuter them, which costs from $75 to $100. Other routine costs are for baths, grooming, flea control, antibiotics, fluids, deworming, etc. If they are heartworm positive, which is becoming much more common, they will cost between $300 and $500. We’re always short of foster homes and must often pay boarding which is around $10 a night. We’ve had dogs that we paid boarding on for months, but we can’t wait until we have a home for them because the shelters won’t hold them until we have space. So we have to act, even if that means paying board. And if it was a dog you fell in love with, you would appreciate that fact. We recently adopted a dog to a young woman for $175 that we had boarded for 10 months ($3,000), paid for heartworm treatment ($300), shots and miscellaneous ($100) for a total of $3,400. His new guardian didn’t worry about the adoption fee. She fell in love with him. No shelter would have kept him for 10 months. We’ve also had several dogs lately who required some sort of surgery which has cost us hundreds of dollars.

It would probably be practical to leave behind the dogs who are old, who have heartworms, who limp, who need grooming and only take those dogs who are young and strong and desirable. But we won’t because making money is not our goal. And some of the most undesirable dogs have gone on to become beloved members of families who appreciated our saving their best friend. So we will go on begging for donations, borrowing when we must, occasionally losing our homes and maxing out our credit cards to save these dogs whose only crime was being born into a world that didn’t want them. And yes, sometimes we do rescue a dog that has had his shots, is already neutered, gets adopted immediately and costs us much less than the adoption fee. And when we do, we don’t go out and have a fancy meal or celebrate at a bar or pay off our credit cards. We do back to the shelter and rescue another dog that we had to leave behind on our last visit and hope that he is still alive. And if he isn’t, then we’ll find someone else because we never leave empty handed.
Do we believe in what we are doing? You bet. Do we think about quitting? Everyday. Do we wish there were no homeless dogs and cats available if it meant we would be out of a job?  That is our dream.

Now that you know how your adoption fee is used, I hope you feel more comfortable about it. After all, the fee on another dog may someday be the money that saves your best friend.
I’d also like to commend those wonderful people who adopt our rescue dogs and not only happily pay the adoption fee, but add a donation to it. We also could not save as many animals as we do without the help of the angels on earth who give us donations whenever they can, such as the woman who pays the board on one dog every day of the year.

Below are some of Beagles and More’s recent rescues that will cost us much more than we will ever get in adoption fees. Some of them will never be adopted, but will live out their lives in their foster homes.
 

Julius & Creampuff—Costs to date over $1,500.
Sadie needs orthopedic surgery which will probably cost over $900.
Darlene is heartworm positive and she is being treated.
Lucy—Over $500 for eye surgery.
Frank—Over $300 for heartworms.
Lizabeth— She and five puppies (only one survived) have cost over $900.
Sir—an old Beagle turned in by caretaker. Will probably never be adopted.
Ellie– abused German Shepherd that cost us over $500.

How You Can Help Put A Stop To Pet Overpopulation

You probably are as heartbroken as we are that wonderful dogs, cats, puppies and kittens are killed every day due to homelessness. The reason is simple — too many pets are born and there are no homes for them. This is the reason SPOT pays for the spays and neuters of pets whose caretakers cannot afford to have the procedure done, but will not give up their pets. We even provide transportation, if necessary.  But donations have been down and we cannot continue without funds. Any contribution is appreciated, as without your help we cannot help prevent the needless suffering that is caused by unwanted litters.

If you would like to contribute to our spay/neuter fund, please send tax deductible contributions to:
SPOT, P. O. Box 801012, Acworth, GA 30101.

We can also accept cash contributions made through PayPal by credit card or checking account debit. Make the payment to info@spotsociety.org, and be sure to specify in the memo text box what it's for.

THANK YOU EVERY ONE

We want to thank all  the angels who came through Petsmart this year and reached deep into their  pockets to provide funds to help us rescue and treat the dogs and cats that others have forgotten.

SPECIAL THANKS TO:
 

Jaydene Moralee for the box of food, treats, toys, etc. They helped make it a Merry Christmas for our little orphans.

The two ladies who bought all the collars and leads from Old Navy for us. We have the best dressed dogs in town.

The wonderful angels who bought our gift baskets and bracelets in a silent auction. We were able to save several more dogs because of these funds.

Kathy Benson, who donated two of her beautiful handmade bracelets to be auctioned off. Not only are two ladies wearing these lovely bracelets, but many dogs are safe because of her.

The two ladies who donated $100 each for the heartworm treatment for Darlene Beagle. She is doing wonderfully, thanks to you.

Elaine Lichter who pays the boarding on one dog every day of the year. She has saved several dogs that otherwise would have died .

All the people who put money in our jars, sometimes donating $1.00 and sometimes $100.  It all helps.

All the wonderful people who have given homes to our dogs. Sometimes, we are not the easiest people to deal with, but, like you, we have only the interests of the dogs at heart and hope you don’t take our tough questions personally.

I’d like to thank my volunteers and friends, like Sue Cole and Charity Jones, for helping Beagles and More play Santa this year. Petsmart appreciates it, the real Santa Claus appreciates the help, the Dogs with Beagles and More certainly appreciate the assistance.

I’d also like to say a special thanks to volunteer Nancy Jacobs for creating the beautiful Christmas baskets and personally getting several hundred dollars in donations for them. Thank you, everyone.

Your Donation Saves Lives
Please spay and neuter  . . . there are not enough homes for them all.

EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES FOR VOLUNTEERS

You love animals, but you just can’t stand to be around all the homeless animals without wanting to take them all home. You can’t foster for the same reason and  you don’t have a lot of money to make donations. So you figure there is nothing you can do to help. Well think again. We need all kinds of help and we are constantly looking for people with all kinds of skills.
 

1. New fundraising ideas and the skills to execute them.
2. Public relations type people to talk to schools, businesses, recruit volunteers, get donations in both money and goods, find new places for adoptions, organize special events, etc.
3. People who can bake dog and people cookies and arrange attractive and inexpensive ways to package them.
4. People who can sew and make things such as dog bandanas, etc.
5. People who can come to Saturday adoptions, arrange the fundraising table and man it, who can help with the dogs, talk to potential new guardians, walk the dogs, etc.
6. People who can pick up the dogs and bring them to adoptions or transport them to the vet or for showings.
7. Computer people who can help screen applicants, update and improve forms, etc.
8. Help groom dogs for adoption day, help with repairs on the kennels, etc.
9. Photographer with digital camera to take photos for website and a Polaroid camera to take pictures at adoptions for fundraising.
10. Trainers who would like to perfect their training skills on our dogs.
11. Someone who can organize our volunteers and our organization.
14. And just about anything else you can think of. Surprise us with ideas.

As you can see, we need volunteers with people skills, organizing skills, public relation skills,, baking skills, artistic flair, sewing skills, ideas.  You can spend as much or as little time as you like. So, if you see something that you would like to do or have another idea of how you can help, then talk to one of our volunteers or fill out the volunteer form below and start earning your doggie kisses today.

Name_________________________________________________________________________________

Address_______________________________________________________________________________

Phone _____________________e-mail address______________________________________________

Petsmart location you prefer ____________________________________________________________

Give form to a volunteer at Petsmart on Saturday  or email info to petgazette@onebox.com and we will forward it to the proper group.

The Georgia Association of Paralegals is starting a pro bono program in animal rights and are looking for the aeas where their services can be used, such as lobbying for changes in laws and help with 501 (3) © filings for starters If you have ideas, please e-mail them to petgazette@onebox.com and they will be forwarded on.

Crossing Rainbow Bridge Together

 
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills and streams for them to run and play in together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and they are warm and comfortable.

Any animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just the way we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. They are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, someone who had to be left behind.

It is a carefree place, where they all run and play together. Then one day one of them suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent, his eager body begins to quiver. Suddenly, he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

He has seen you, and when you and your pet finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands caress his beloved head and you look once more into his trusting eyes, so long gone from your life, but never absent from your heart. Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge together . . ..




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A Puppy’s Plea by Chazmyn

 
I just wanna run
And jump and play
I don’t want to go
Why can’t I stay?

I promise I’ll be good
I’ll be your best friend
I’d be the best puppy ever
I don’t understand…

Why am I in this cage?
I wanna run in the sun
I wanna chase cats
I wanna have fun

What did I do wrong?
Did I bark too loud?
I was just trying to tell you
Pick me – you’ll be proud

I don’t need a fancy doghouse
A cardboard box will do
Can’t somebody tell me
What did I do?

Where is my family?
Where’s the little boy or girl?
Was I born to just
Turn around and leave this world?

I know puppy heaven will be fun
But I’d rather stay here
Pick me, pick me, pick me
I’ll protect you without fear

I’ll bring back the stick
I promise I will
And I’ll learn to roll over
And how to sit still
I’ll stay and I’ll fetch
I’ll always come when you call
I don’t want to leave so soon
What a waste of it all

I won’t eat much
And I won’t chew your shoes
Just please give me a chance
To show what I can do

I’m not alone right now
There’s a bunch of us here
Waiting and wondering
And filled with fear

Something is wrong
Something’s not right
We never got a chance
We lose without a fight

There are two doors here
One good and one bad
Puppy’s going out one are happy
The other door makes me sad

I don’t want to go in there
Please, please rescue me
I’ll be the best puppy
Just you wait and see

You’ll never regret it
Give me a chance to prove it to you
All I know is how to love
Tell me what did I do?