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Getting Ready to Go to Abaco!

and to get in the mood, we are listening to Seawall Radio Show: "fine Bahamian and Island music for de whole crew!"

http://www.seawallradio.blogspot.com/

Puppy feeding time at Nancy's house, with assistance from our mom. The boxer mix puppies are the little ones (one has blue eyes). You can also see Peanut, and Potcakes Jammy & Julep. All available for adoption! The other dogs are Nancy's keepers.

One of the best things that we’ve realized as we’ve gotten deep into the rescue world is the cost savings on various drugs/low cost spay and neuters/low cost vaccinations and we love to share the information with others because really this information should be readily available to everyone. Surprisingly we have gotten this information from vets we’ve worked with over the years, but it may be that some vets do not know about the low cost services/products out there because they have no need to. We firmly believe that all animals should go to the vet for injuries and sickness but there isn’t the need to go there to get flea and heartworm preventatives and annual vaccinations when there are so many cheaper alternatives for you. There are also places you can get low cost spay/neuters along with some basic services (rabies, heartworm test, etc.) and lately there are some animal controls that are doing free spay and neuters. Looking for ways to help with feral cat colonies? Lifeline Animal Project loans out traps and charges a negligible amount to Trap-Spay/Neuter-Release and there is tons of info out there on the benefits of controlling a cat colony.
Low cost vaccinations: www.animalhealth.cc
Low cost spay/neuters and TNR help: Lifeline Animal Project
Low cost flea & tick meds: Deadfleaz.com

Reflections On My First Year by Sir Cooper Potcake

As I look back on my first year on this earth, I am so grateful to the wonderful Potcake Rescue Group and my new parents for giving me a wonderful life. I was born April 30, 2008 and was found on a chicken farm in Abaco, Bahamas. I was first named Freckles by the rescue group. I liked riding in Janie’s boat with her when I was so little. I always like to see what is going on around me! On August 24, 2008 I came to live with my new parents, Marty & Michelle. When they first came to meet me, I trotted up to Michelle and put my paws around her neck and gave her a big hug. It was love at first sight. She had lost her pointer-lab mix in July and that left a big hole in her heart. I was more than happy to help her through that. It was that day that I became known as Sir Cooper Potcake.

I have been on many trips and seen many things this year. I’ve been to Blue Ridge, GA where we got to stay in a cabin that was on a stream…

Then, I got to go to Nashville to meet my Mom’s mom. She really liked me. They think it’s funny that I when I play I HOP around the yard and then POUNCE on my toys. They wonder if all Potcakes do that, but I’m not telling them.

For Thanksgiving, we went to Harpers Ferry, WV where my Mom’s brother and sister-in-law live. That drive took me through the wonderful states of South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. My parents say that I’m a very good traveler. I’m happy to go in the car anytime that they give me the chance, which is frequent. While we were there I got to go on a hike with my parents and my Uncle Chris. It was fun! I saw some deer and other wildlife that I wanted to chase. We also got to go to Annapolis, Maryland one day. That’s when I learned that I was a US Naval Academy fan … Go Navy, Beat Army!

For Christmas, we went to visit my dad’s family in Binghamton, NY. That was a trip I’ll never forget. I added to my list of states to visit Pennsylvania and New York. As we got closer, it got colder, but I liked it! When we got to the house, there was this white stuff on the ground. I later found out that it was snow, but I wasn’t scared of it. We even found me some fenced in areas where I could run free in the snow. I will have to admit that even though I’m an island dog, I am a big fan of playing in the snow.

Since then, I have been on many trips – some just to run errands with Mom and some to Nashville to see my Grandma. One trip that I didn’t enjoy too much was when I had to have a little eye surgery at the vet. I did not like that cone around my head but it didn’t stop me from trying to play!

I’ve made some wonderful friends that helped me to celebrate my birthday. They also come over and see me for play dates. One is a lab-chow mix named Lacey. She’s a few months older than I am, but she’s my girlfriend. The other is a 7-year-old Weimeraner named Max. He is trying to teach me to be obsessed with the tennis ball like he is, but it hasn’t caught on yet.

All in all, I’ll have to say that I have a very wonderful life and I’m so happy to have been adopted! Now my days are filled with playing, chasing birds and squirrels, disemboweling stuffed animals, and naps!!!

Saw a huge copperhead in the street yesterday, smushed by a car. Watch out for your pets, and learn how to recognize the signs of a snake bite! Our dog Gracie was bitten about 5 years ago, and we didn't know what to look for. (She's fine now, after antivenin, 3 nights at the emegency vet and $1500.) At first limping, then the snake bite area starts to swell. Then there's a dark red oozing of blood. At first I thought she broke her leg, but the oozing blood alarmed me! Rush to vet immediately and tell them you suspect a snake bite! And always, always, always know where your nearest emergency vet is located, because these things always happen after hours! Our nearest one is DeKalb-Gwinnet Emergency Vet located on Mountain Industrial and Lawrenceville Highway. http://dekalbgwinnettanimalemergency.veterinarycenterassociation.org/

Ambulance service gets sick pets to emergency care

By JAMIE GUMBRECHT
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Monday, May 11, 2009

Andrew Zbeeb’s ambulance will never be mistaken for those diesel-powered boxes flying toward Grady Hospital, lights blazing, sirens howling. It’s smaller, first of all, a Chevy Tahoe with the words “Emergency Vehicle” painted in red. Andrew Zbeeb started the service for owners unable to drive their pets and vets moving patients. His van has an amber light like wreckers’. And then there are his patients: Roxy, with her bum shoulder, and Oliver, bloodied and woozy after an attack. Stymie could hardly breathe on his own and little Peanut just couldn’t stop vomiting. The pit bull, the Chihuahua, the one-eyed Solomon Island Eclectus parrot and the short-haired gray cat all needed Zbeeb’s speed and equipment. His ambulance is animals-only. The survival rate on those four: 100 percent.

He started the service for owners unable to drive their pets in times of need, for vets transferring patients into specialized care and animals who might need more than a soft blanket and a chew toy. Things furry, feathered and scaly are what Zbeeb knows best. He’s 28 and has been running Frogs to Dogs, a pet-sitting and training service in Kirkwood, for six years. In the span of a few weeks in 2007, two dogs in his care needed emergency treatment. Pemba, a 13-year-old shepherd mix with white fur and a twisted spleen, lived. Rocky, a boxer with a similar malady, got stuck in Atlanta traffic. As the dying pup whimpered in his back seat, he thought, “I can do better.” She survived only an hour after arriving at the vet.

“Better” cost Zbeeb $20,000, plus emergency vehicle insurance. He bought the Tahoe and retrofitted it with a mastiff-sized steel cage, muzzles, first aid supplies, GPS, oxygen tank and animal-shaped masks. His team doesn’t administer drugs but is trained in CPR and first aid, and veterinary technicians are available to ride along. He’s on-call around the clock, at $50 to $150 per hour.

Among his clients so far: a dog hit by a car, a cat fallen ill while its owner was stuck at work and Stymie, the parrot with an upper respiratory problem. He needed steady oxygen to make it from a Cobb County ER to an avian vet in Decatur. They realized a cat-sized oxygen mask fit nicely on his green feathered face. “We’re all learning,” Zbeeb said, “even the vets.”

Nobody has exactly asked for animal ambulance service but local veterinarians have long struggled with home-care and pick-up requests from car-less pet owners or older clients who couldn’t lift their large animals. So far, Zbeeb says it’s gotten four to 12 calls per month. “Quite honestly, I didn’t think there was going to be much of a niche for it,” said Will Draper, a veterinarian with Animal Emergency Center of Decatur. But he was surprised by the number of clients they have referred to the ambulance and the variety of ways pet owners found it useful.

One Saturday night last summer, Anthy Petropoulos walked her Chihuahuas, Oliver and Elvis, a few blocks from home in Kirkwood. She spotted a loose pit bull moving toward them at a fast clip and within seconds, the larger dog snatched Oliver by his neck and shook him like a toy. Petropoulos screamed and smacked the big dog but it wouldn’t let go. Zbeeb, who lived nearby and heard the commotion, ran outside to help. After they caught the frantic little black dog in a towel, Zbeeb drove to the nearest vet’s office while Petropoulos held an oxygen mask on Oliver’s white snout. “Meltdown,” is how she describes it but she remembers that Zbeeb stayed calm. Her dog was in surgery for hours, as a surgeon cleaned eight puncture wounds to his 10-pound body. “I was in no shape to be driving. I didn’t even know where the emergency vet was,” said Petropoulos, who now keeps the ambulance number in her phone. “It just happened so quickly, there was blood everywhere. When something like this happens, you don’t have common sense.”

At the time, Zbeeb had a temporary emergency light permit, which allowed him to roll through intersections and speed through traffic, just like an ambulance for humans. Then-DeKalb County CEO Vernon Jones signed off on the permit, certifying he believed it was in the community’s best interest. The state commissioner of public safety subsequently denied it. Instead, Zbeeb got a permit for an amber light, a caution signal also found on wreckers and salt trucks. “I’m sure it’s a good cause and I know people love their pets but at the end of the day, it’s a dog or it’s a cat. It’s not like another human being,” Georgia State Patrol Lt. Paul Cosper said. “It was not a proven need. They don’t just give these things out willy-nilly.” [Not very compassionate, Lt. Cosper -- ed.]

Few animal ambulances exist in the United States and owners said they’d be surprised to find even one that’s classified like a human ambulance. Andy Berg owns 12 ambulances that serve Southern California’s dogs, cats, llamas, miniature horses and once, a dead Sumatran tiger. Expenses and state restrictions prevent him from seeking out a emergency vehicle permit, he said, and it’s not necessary most of the time. Ben Brainard, an assistant professor of critical care at University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine, said it’s not clear yet whether time spent finding a veterinary ER, loading an animal into the car and driving can mean the difference between life and death. “Until [more ambulance] services exist, we may not have a good idea,” Brainard said. “In the context of … having a trained driver getting you there 15 or 20 minutes faster, veterinary studies are too sparse.”

Zbeeb hasn’t appealed the state’s decision but still believes his experience and equipment keep pets and their owners safer — they don’t have to handle injured animals, drive frantically along unfamiliar routes or find hospitals they’ve never seen. “We’re talking about life, a form of life,” Zbeeb said. “I did prove a need — the state doesn’t agree with my need.”

http://www.frogstodogs.com/

The Potcake Formerly Known as Avalon

We have not spoke in awhile, not since we saw you at Christmas time, and I wanted to update you on Gussy Mae [Avalon]. She is doing great and has definitely grown up. She is about 50 pounds right now but I think she is at full size now. Her health is great and she is doing fine. She is slowly getting adjusted to the heat, however, I believe Atlanta can actually be hotter than South Florida along the coast. Again, since I work part-time out of the house she is usually inside with me and the A/C during the day. She comes and go as she wants but I have to open and close the porch doors for her. We have a doggie door off the porch but not into the house.

We are slowly getting her used to our boat. She loves the ride and her face into the wind but doesn’t like getting picked up on the dock into the boat. I guess she is afraid of being dropped. The interesting thing on the boat is that after about 15 minutes she falls asleep like a baby. We are planning to take her to the Bahamas on the boat this summer when we go. We have applied for the paperwork for her to come with us. We will be there in late July for a week.

Oh, I almost forget, I have included a recent picture of her. This was taken at the house my wife is temporarily renting in Ft. Myers while she is working out of town. We don’t allow her on the furniture but she got up there when we weren’t looking. Also, she seems to know the difference between our house and the rental.

I will try to continue to keep you updated as she is a sweet girl.

Douglas & Carine Bullock

Spring has sprung and kitty season is starting up with a vengeance. As I write this, Judy already fell for an abandoned kitty story and took in two little 4-week old kittens (just two so far). Just as we even think about it, they appear on our doorstep – must be karma. If you haven’t had a chance to get a warm fuzzy baby kitten fix, check out this picture of the “stubbular stage” (and read how people dissolve into baby talk). http://cuteoverload.com/2009/01/18/rule-of-cutenes/

Lately I’ve seen so many emails pleading for help with overflowing shelters – it is just so sad. Especially for the babies who haven’t even had a chance to know anything outside a cage. But then what about those senior citizens who get booted out without a look back and are so confused and frightened at the shelter? We only have so many foster homes and openings to take them in – the same boat as every other rescue operation. We could save more if we had more foster homes – perhaps you would consider this if you are reading this. Foster homes are so important for the puppy or kitten/dog or cat because the experience makes them more adoptable. They are happier and healthier and are more inclined to be housebroken and a bit more “settled” because they haven’t been cooped up in a cage. People tell us all the time that they don’t know how we can foster so many and not want to keep them all – well, if you can see all the emails and the happy faces of those who just adopted one of your “special fosters”, it is just so worth it. Plus the puppy kisses! The short term nature of fostering also can suit your lifestyle especially if they are little ones that only require your love and regular meals and perhaps a lesson in housebreaking. Also if you have two legged little ones, it can be a great educational experience as well as a social one. Children need to be taught early to contribute to the community in a positive way so they can be great adults. (We have three teens that help us out regularly at Pet Smart who all want to be vets but volunteering is a blog entry for another day.) Please consider fostering for us or another rescue group – we promise that you will be hooked just like we are and you can really make a difference for one little dog or cat.

So I’m halfway through the Beginner training class for my little Hershey Bar and what can he do? Sit, Down and sometimes Leave It. We need to practice more! Something totally unexpected is the way he “speaks up” in class just to get a little more attention! It is a peculiar whining vocalization that I never hear him do anywhere else. What a showoff! He also seems to like the down position and rolls over on his own, so that may be an easy trick for him to learn after class. I really advocate clicker training and although you might not always have a treat and/or clicker around, these are tools that you eventually do away with. But to see a dog all of the sudden “get it” is amazing. Then the sky's the limit! My sister and I once attended a weekend seminar about clicker training given by an English woman, and one of the exercises was to see how long it took for humans to “get it” – to respond correctly to the clicker. The final goal was to flip a light switch, but there were successive steps to get there. Click and treat for each right step (our treats were M&Ms). Every time, the dogs got the idea quicker than the humans! I’ll post a picture of Hershey’s graduation photo soon – he is just so darn cute! And his fur is like velvet.

ABC Nightline Investigates Puppy Mills

Well friends, once again, the cat is out of the bag - or should we say the dog out of the hutch! This Friday night, March 27, ABC's Nightline will be investigating puppy mills! ABC Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi and investigators from Nightline travel the byways and back roads of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania - visiting numerous puppy mills and filming Main Line Animal Rescue's volunteers as they rescue breeding dogs and puppies from Lancaster County's notorious Amish commercial breeding facilities. This promises to be a very special program. If you are involved in rescue, advocate on behalf of the millions of puppy mill dogs interned in our nation's commercial dog breeding facilities, or if you just simply love animals, you will not want to miss this. Sharyn Alfonsi interviewed, on camera, an Amish breeder while touring his facility - a first for network television. With approximately 500 dogs housed on his property, this commercial breeder speaks openly about an industry cloaked in secrecy and suspicion - the cruel factory farming of man's best friend. PLEASE tell your friends, your family, your coworkers - ABC Nightline investigates puppy mills - this Friday at 11:35 pm (Eastern Standard Time). Please take the time to forward this to all the rescues, shelters, and legislators in your area. It has been almost one year since Oprah's puppy mill show aired. That program received the highest viewer response of any Oprah Show in years. Now we need to spread the word about this very special Nightline. Only by educating as many people as we can, will we be able to help these animals. And after you watch the program, please don't hesitate to contact ABC and Nightline to thank them for casting such a strong light on the plight of our nation's puppy mill dogs.

We had another good adoption weekend, but as soon as one goes out another comes in. It is so hard to take a break from the torrent of needy animals – how can we say no? Especially to little Caramel who supposedly was 6 weeks old on the phone, looked more like 3 months old when we got her, but she's actually closer to 6 months when we checked in on Monday with Dr. Ruth of Whiteway Animal Hospital. Caramel is evidently so malnourished that her growth stunted, plus she has old and new injuries – a back leg she can barely put weight on (old), a bit up broken tail (new), and a couple of scabbed-over bite marks. Yes, she is a pit bull but she is a love -- now so happy she wags her stump, and has shown no ill feelings to anybody. My pack has already accepted her and is taking care not to hurt her. She is also starting to play a little but decided her tail is something to chew on... so back to the vet today for a clean amputation.

Meanwhile I just read about another good rescue – do any of you know Abigail Breslin of “Little Miss Sunshine”? Apparently she was in Roswell filming a movie and it just so happened the filming took place near the Southern Hope rescue facility who happened to put cute little puppies outside to get some sun. The cast and crew came over to make friends… and Abigail went home with one of the puppies! Check out the story and pictures in AJC: http://projects.ajcpets.com/gallery/view/pets/adoption/abigail-breslin-dog/?cxntlid=aa-movies-rtr

Little Caramel:

Calypso & LIbby Say Hello!

Hi Royal Potcake Rescue!
Calypso (Captain) and Libby (Bianca) got to visit with each other during my spring break a few weeks ago. They love each other, and play nonstop... when they get tired, they kick us off the couch to watch TV. They like being together so much that Calypso snuck inside Libby's not-so-spacious crate while she was in it! They definitelyknow they are potcake cousins, and they are depressed for days when they have to leave each other. We love our potcakes, and Calypso and I can't wait to come visit y'all at Petsmart whenever you get new potcake puppies. Thanks for such great pups!
Marcy

Not too long ago, I discovered that some of my dogs' favorite soft chews has sugar added! Why is that? Dogs don't have a sweet tooth, they just love to eat. So now they only get an occasional soft chewy treat and the rest of the time they get frozen carrots and marrow bones. Now I know why dogs need dental cleaning - for cavities! Then what did I see the other day while treat shopping & reading labels - 50 calorie snack pouches for dogs with lean beef and 90% Fat Free! Had to get that, of course, and they can't tell the difference!

Check out this website for some cute, cute pictures!
http://www.dailypuppy.com/

Fox5 Story on Low-Cost Veterinary Care at WellPet Humane
Tune in tonight to Fox5 and see a report on low-cost veterinary care provided at WellPet Humane. Reporters interviewed Dr Amy Orlin, and answered questions about the critical need for affordable veterinary care in our community. They also talked to clients. Wellpet's nonprofit veterinary services are there to help pet owners who are experiencing financial hardships. WellPet was launched in August of 2008 to end "economic euthanasia." WellPet's affordable, low-cost service is needed now more than ever. WellPet serves low income pet owners, rescues, feral cat caretakers and referrals from veterinarians as well as students, retired and those living on social security. Everyone can take advantage of special pricing on vaccinations, spay/neuter. Often we get pet owners who were given estimates for surgery or treatments from clinics or hospitals that they just could not afford. It's a tough situation. We are proud to be able to respond to those needs. Most of all we the staff takes great pride in sending an animal home, fully recovered from it's life-threatening situation. If you know of anyone who lost their job or has a current financial hardship please tell them about the WellPet program. Any support you may offer would be welcomed! Go to www.wellpethumane.com for more information.
Regards,
Bob Christiansen
President

Hello! I just wanted to let you know how well Firefighter Teddy is doing.. We renamed him Leo (short for Leopold) and he already responds to his name. He is doing great with housetraining and crate training (he is only crated overnight, from 10:30-6 or 7 when he wakes up). The first few days with a puppy and 3-year were a bit chaotic, but everyone has settled in very well over the past week. Oso [black lab] and Leo get along very well... they are starting to play together. The cat has introduced herself to Leo very, very slowly over the past few days (she finally got tired of hiding upstairs by herself and has ventured downstairs on her own a few times). Leo is a lot of fun, and a smart little guy. We are enjoying him very much! We'll try to bring him by Petsmart for a visit soon.

A good day at Petsmart today! The weather was spectacular, and lots of people were looking at all our cuties. Noah had a fun cart ride on the way to his new home....

I thought I'd share what I learned about at my neighborhood meeting last night. Rob, a librarian from the DeKalb County Public Library, told us about all kinds of things about our library system including the huge new building they are building in Tucker. Wow - it not only has meeting space for non-profits like us (150 seats), but they offer computer classes, book clubs and authors' talks, three times as many computers, new DVDs and free magazine subscriptions. Even self check out is coming! A new feature of their webpage is a list of subject guides, and I suggested Pets would make a great category. Check out the new and improved website at www.dekalblibrary.org. They even have their own blog (perhaps I'll see what they have to share for next time)!

One of our young volunteers, Veronica, is good with Photoshop & created this image of our foster puppy Amos:

We had a very busy weekend (8 dog adoptions!!!) topped off with snow! It was quite the first time experience for our Potcake puppies or any of the puppies for that matter!

I wanted to briefly touch on two important meetings coming up Tuesday and Thursday this week if you can attend (and please give us a report). Often folks ask how they can help support animal rescue and don't have the means to foster or adopt - well, check out these events where you can make a difference in a BIG way.

· The Humane Society of the United States is hosting a free grassroots meeting in Atlanta on Tuesday, March 3. Please join in to learn how to make a tremendous difference for animals in Georgia. Go to the website https://community.hsus.org/humane/events/meeting_AtlantaGA_March3/details.tcl to R.S.V.P., or just SHOW UP! Cheryl McAuliffe is the Georgia State Director of The Humane Society of the United States and is eager to meet other animal advocates in our state. These events are an opportunity for you to engage in the many exciting efforts to improve life for Georgia's animals. Please attend this meeting to become part of the grassroots movement for animal protection in Georgia. And feel free to bring friends and pass this information on to others who might like to join. Location meeting is to be held: Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta - website for directions: www.uuca.org 1911 Cliff Valley Way, NE, Atlanta, GA 30329 She will be discussing current issues affecting animals. The meeting will provide attendees with citizen lobbying techniques and ways to take action for animals, and aims to enhance Georgia's growing grassroots efforts to promote animal protection. Current animal protection legislation in front of the Georgia state legislature will also be discussed.

· ATTN Fulton county residents – Fulton is one of the last counties in the metro area that still allows chaining of dogs 24/7. Denise Pajak and her group have worked tirelessly for a year to bring this issue to the commissioners and this coming Wednesday, March 4th, at 10am there will be a vote (Place: Fulton Co Govt Bldg, 141 Pryor St, Atlanta 30303//Parking at Underground ATL at Martin Luther King Dr. and Pryor, $4). Numbers show force, so if you are interested in this issue, please attend the meeting if possible. There will be VOCAL OPPOSITION from distorted-thinking dog owners at this meeting. Wear something red and there will be signs to hold. If you can speak, contact Denise at 678-799-4167 or denbhl@yahoo.com. Another way to help if you cannot attend the meeting -- contact your Fulton County Commissioner and express your concern. Chaining is not only cruel to dogs, it is dangerous for humans because it causes aggression. This is also an issue of PUBLIC SAFETY as well as animal cruelty.

THANK YOU in advance for being a voice for those who cannot speak.

Wilbur Adoption Report

Judy and the Potcake team,

We just wanted to let you know how much we have fallen for little Wilbur. We decided the name Wilbur best suited him, so Sir Wilbur the Magnificent it will be!

Today, we introduced him to our horses and others in the barn with great fun! The horses were quite enamored with him—I was surprised! He enjoyed visiting there, but the snow—oh the snow absolutely thrilled him!

He begged to go back out all afternoon. He ran a played and truly enjoyed himself.
Thank you so much for all you do for the forgotten animals.

May God bless you and keep you,
Cyndi, Allen, Caitlin and Nicholas Simmons

PS: We’ve attached a couple photos

Adoption Reports

Potcake Rescue Team,

We just wanted to share some pictures of Mia (now Roxi) during her first day/night with us...we are so glad we found her through your rescue. She's fitting right in just as we knew she would!

Thank you for allowing us to adopt her!

Debra and Gary and Family

_______________________________________

Judy and all at RPR,

Our new puppy "Irish" is enjoying his new home after 24 hours. He is very inquisitive, playing with everyone and everything, gets along wonderfully with Josie our Border Collie and even the old cat.

Kids love him as you can see from the pictures. Did his brother find a home yesterday?

God Bless the Potcakes and the we pray for homes for all fosters.

The McGregor family

From Carol, now a 2-Potcake Owner:

Carol adopted Abaco (now Abby) a year ago, and adopted Polly Potcake (now Cooter) on Feb. 7. They also own Boomer, another rescue dog:

"Well, I had been protesting that the name Cooter was a tad redneck for an island dog. But I went to a gym meet on Saturday afternoon and when I came home David announced that she liked the white bread/mayo tidbit from his sandwich, loved licking beer off his fingers, and had figured out two ways to escape from the front yard. So, Cooter it is . . .She seems to be fitting right in. By the way -- hasn't Abby grown up to be a beauty???"

Cooter and Boomer:
Boomer's new chew toy:
The gang:

Abby Potcake:

From the latest edition of the Abaconian:
www.abaconian.com

Guest Blogger

A note from Susie McCarthy (cat foster parent, cat trapper, and pet rescue organization volunteer):

Recently, Best Friends Animal Society hosted a special meeting in Atlanta for its members in Georgia and for other animal lovers and supporters. Although I’m not a member of Best Friends – yet – I went to the meeting to learn more about the organization and its work. I thought it would help me in my work as a foster home for cats, as a proponent of TNR (trap, neuter, return) programs for wild cats, and as a volunteer for Royal Potcake Rescue. I couldn’t have imagined just how beneficial the meeting would be for me personally, though! Being in an auditorium of like-minded people who believe in the mission of Best Friends -- that “kindness to animals builds a better world for all of us” was amazing. Even though it was a weeknight and the meeting took place after a long day of work, I left the meeting feeling so invigorated and inspired, and I couldn’t wait to play with my houseful of animals: one dog, four adopted cats, and six foster cats!

Best Friends Animal Society is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and at the meeting one of the founders told the story of how the huge sanctuary that is home to about 2,000 animals in Kanab, Utah was founded. He said that Best Friends is unique not only for the animals but also for the volunteers who visit from all over the country and world. When it began 25 years ago, Best Friends’ “No More Homeless Pets” campaign created a new vision of reducing the number of unwanted pets and animals who are euthanized. The good news is that this number has dropped from approximately 17 million animals euthanized yearly in the 1980s to about 5 million animals currently euthanized each year. The bad news is that this number appears to have leveled off.

At the meeting I learned that Best Friends has four major initiatives going on now to break through the stagnant number of euthanized animals. These campaigns are:
1) Educating people about so-called “bully breeds” and fighting breed-specific legislation, such as passing stronger legislation against dog fighting. Visit http://www.fightdogfighting.com/ for more information.
2) Promoting TNR programs to prevent feral and outdoor cats from breeding, along with helping people to begin to look at outdoor cats as “community cats” that are beneficial rather than as feral cats that are a nuisance.
3) Putting an end to puppy mills: http://www.dontbuypuppies.com/
4) The First Home, Forever Home campaign to help people overcome problems with their animals and keep them instead of turning them in to shelters or abandoning them.

Best Friends works with members and humane groups to set up spay/neuter, shelter, foster and adoption programs throughout the United States. Soon the Society will launch “Go Local” pages to help people connect with local shelters and rescue groups, like Royal Potcake Rescue! Visit http://www.bestfriends.org/ to learn more about the great work of this organization, becoming a member or giving the gift of membership for only $25, or just to feel the inspiration that comes from sustained kindness to animals.

Susie is pictured below with "Obama" during Inaugeration Day!

We had another successful adoption day last Saturday, with 3 pups finding new homes and our rescue buddy Dana adopting out four of her “foundlings”! Because we had such a lovely group of highly adoptable puppies, folks gathered around all day to cuddle and love on them. Although I took my two little adult foster dogs, Lil Sprout and Edgar Allen Poodle, they were mostly overlooked -- which is a shame since they are little lovebugs and only want a warm lap to snuggle in. Both have such sweet personalities and both are housebroken – a big plus! Hmmm, I might just have to keep one… don’t we all need a little dog fixture in our lives???

I am so glad Rusty Potcake and Ashley (one of the firefighter pups) found great homes with two new families who had another dog for them to play with -- they love to play.

I want to tell you about Dana and her in-home businees. Since she lost her job, she has thrown herself fulltime into dog sitting in her home/dog walking/full-time fostering! She comes out most every Saturday to put in a full day of volunteering and brings her foster pups. If you live in the Smyrna/Vinings area and need to board your dog, give her a call! Dana's Doghouse, 404-275-7446

"Conchy" Nancy

Rusty Potcake was adopted today! After he picked out his new doggie bed, he promplty fell asleep in it while it was still in the shopping cart! What a cutie.

I'm sending a link to the photo I took of Petunia (AKA Morgan Le Fay Potcake - adopted 11/08) and Milo (AKA Tom Tom Potcake - adopted 2/08). We met on the trail at Stone Mountain last weekend randomly! The pups LOVED each other immediately and ran around like Tasmanian Devils, so the fact I was able to take a photo is a miracle.

--From Michele

We had a very successful adoption day on Saturday -- adopted out 4 Potcakes and two of our long term foster cats! Check out the pictures on the website to see the lucky families. Now how is it that I've added another one to my pack? Judy and I find it really hard to say no when it is a very adoptable animal. Tiny little Edgar Allen
Poodle has taken up residence on my bed and after the initial scuffling, has fit right in. Also take a look at the Inauguration Day photo Judy took of two of our chocolate lab puppies visiting with President Obama - he dropped by Pet Smart the Saturday before! ;-)

Wow – my ‘cakes are doing so well! I don’t trust them on carpet but they are bouncing in and out of the doggy door with no problems and I didn’t have any accidents at all last night when I left them alone at dinner and during the night. They are all now piling into my bedroom and sleeping on various pillows. Just an occasional house shoe is taken outside. We are supposed to have a mob at Pet Smart tomorrow so I’ll report on Monday as to how many went to their new homes.

On Sunday, I am going to a memorial service for my two dogs that crossed the Rainbow Bridge this past year – Rascal passed in August at 14+; he had a stomach tumor and rapidly deteriorated. And then Sadie passed in her sleep in October. She was only 6 but had problems since she was born and I think I was lucky to have her for as long as I did. I had them both cremated at Paws, Whiskers, and Wags on Ponce de Leon, and they hold an annual memorial celebration to honor all pets that passed. I will be attending with some friends of mine who also lost their beloved companion. I also want to commend the DeKalb-Gwinnett Animal Emergency Clinic for their care and concern when I took Rascal there. They provided plenty of privacy and time while Judy, her husband, and I got to say goodbye and hold Rascal while he slipped away peacefully. And when I left, they also gave me a little clay imprint of his paw to take with me. Very sad but it provided closure. I sincerely believe all my companion animals that have passed are still around me and help me choose the next. One of my favorite quotes is “Saving just one dog won’t change the world… but surely the world will change for that one dog” and I intend to keep rescuing until the day I cross over.

Hi! I’m Nancy, Secretary for RPR, and instead of writing a weekly newsletter or report, I thought I’d blog (almost) every day to keep you updated on current events and other items that I think you might be interested in. Judy will add in the pictures, too. Feel free to also send your contributions especially if you want to give us an update on one of our rescued animals! I’m also a foster mom and currently I am fostering 5 dogs and puppies and 3 cats at my house including the latest two potcakes, Rusty and Rosie, brought back this past trip. My animals include Poochi (rescued from PAWS), Gypsy (found neighborhood dog), and Hugo (permanent foster as he is a special case), then Lil Sprout, Hershey Kisses, Ashley and 2 cats, Max and MS Gator Bait. I am really leaning towards keeping Hershey, he is so sweet and smart and is good with all the other animals (very important).

Judy and Jennie spent a somewhat restful week (Jan 24 – Feb 1) on Tilloo Cay on a pet sitting gig with Janie’s crowd (saying how many animals they took care of would make it really scary), and then brought back three little ones on the plane with them and shipped 10 older ones via Delta Cargo, two per crate. The folks in Abaco are trying to get the moms spayed. The first night, Judy kept 8, I took two, and Al & Sandra took the littlest three (Jennie took 4 of Judy's 8 after they were spayed yesterday). As of today already, they have all been spayed (and one neutered) so we are looking for these potcakes to go like hotcakes this Saturday. My two 'cakes have already learned to navigate the doggy/kitty door and are well on their way to being housebroken. Rusty has a little food aggression and picks a little on his sister so he would probably do better by himself or go with an older dog, but he is very trainable. They are also both on Albon as they’ve both been stressed and had a food change. Rusty sure hates the taste of that! They are very sweet and friendly. And I’m very happy to say that they seem to have adapted to the cold weather fairly well (although I can provide sweaters).

Today is Judy’s birthday! She is my sister, and since we're only 11 months apart, we are now twins for a month! I won’t say the age though; we like to say we are ageless…