Two years ago, a Coastal Pet Rescue foster mom and her neighbors called the police and animal control on a horrible situation in their neighborhood. Two Pit Bulls were chained, no food, water, feces everywhere, and no suitable shelter. The male had open sores in several places and the female was down to just her ribs. Animal Control relinquished the pets to us for protective custody. We provided all the veterinary care and placed them into loving foster homes, both of which chose to adopt their foster pets. The owner was arrested and charged with cruelty, but thanks to a lax justice system, you'd hardly know anything happened.
Over the last year, we've appeared five times in court. Why? Because the judge continued to make exceptions. The last time we were there in November was the first time the guy actually showed up for the appearance. But because he came without an attorney, the judge held the trial over for jury trial and appointed the defendant counsel. So today, we appeared again, hoping that we'd finally have closure. Why we even bothered to show for what we heard, I'll never know.
The defendant entered a plea bargain. Instead of jail time and hefty fines, he will have 24 months probation, 200 hours of community service, and restitution to us for our vet costs. Oh, and he can't have any pets during that 24 months. The Animal Control officer who was on the scene left court furious, and confronted the defense attorney in the hallway. She said everything I wanted to but couldn't muster. I don't feel like we really got justice, and I'm saddened still that the Assistant DA accepted the terms. But then again, none of them were there to see these pets, the actual conditions, the smells.
I ran into another Animal Control officer that I used to work with before we went into the courtroom. His case was from October 2005, and he had made just as many appearances, if not more, as we had. He told me that while the state charges for cruelty are supposed to be harsher, he gets better results in recorder's court with lesser charges of animal neglect. How sad is that. But I can attest that what he says is true; this officer and I were in recorder's court last month for Rusty. The judge reviewed all the materials I presented, the photographs, vet's documentation, our adoption contracts that had been violated. The judge even apologized to me for not being able to issue a harsher penalty, but he did give her the maximum sentence allowed. He made it known that in his courtroom, ignorance is not an acceptable excuse. I watched him issue verdicts several times over before our case was heard. I had become so disenchanted with state judges that I never expected someone on a lower court to be so compassionate and willing to uphold laws. Maybe there is some hope down the line for others.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
A Warm and Fuzzy is Best Served Unexpected
Last night, I was driving to meet someone for dinner when my phone rang. I really love caller ID as I have over 300 numbers to help me identify people, and allow me to take a message and get back to them later when I'm in no mood to talk. Last night was one of those nights that I just wanted to get to dinner and get back home and deal with things later, but the number looked familiar, though I didn't have it stored in my phone book. So I took a chance, and I couldn't be more glad.
The caller was Charlotte, an older woman I had met last year while I was working at animal control. She called about a little Husky puppy that was found in one of the mall parking lots. She didn't know what to do. I put her on hold and asked for permission to take it through Coastal Pet Rescue rather than submit the pup to the already overcrowded kennel space at animal control. So I made arrangements to meet up with her after I got off work and take the pup, which I named Tyler.
Tyler was a bundle of energy and already the hit of his neighborhood when I arrived. I was actually greeted with a warm welcome from one of Charlotte's neighbors, Sonny Dixon, as I have known Sonny for many years. His approval of me really seemed to help her feel better about turning over Tyler to us. She really liked the puppy's personality, but wasn't quite ready to raise another puppy on her own. She hadn't had a dog in many years, and Huskies aren't exactly a breed for everyone. So I placed Tyler into a crate in the car and closed the door. Charlotte hugged me and made me promise to let her know how things went with him.
For the next week, Charlotte called every few days. I gave her progress updates on how he was integrating with the rest of the pack, what he had chewed, how he was howling. But then we had a bad day. I knew the signs and immediately got Tyler to our vet where it was confirmed... he had parvovirus.
I have dealt with many puppies and parvo in the last seven years. I can count how many we've actually lost on one hand, which I consider a phenomenal success rate for treatments. But what makes the difference is getting help immediately at the first sign. Our vet has worked with us so much with these puppies and is very patient and considerate with us as we wait out the treatments. I was so thankful that Charlotte hadn't called because I didn't want to give her any bad news. She always was so happy when we'd get off the phone, and I didn't want her to be upset. But four days into Tyler's stay at the hospital she called, and I couldn't bear to lie to her.
I explained to Charlotte exactly what Tyler had and reassured her that he was in good hands. I visited him every day to check on him and let him know I cared. And so did Charlotte. I was so touched by this. It is very rare that we ever hear back from anyone that we help take an animal. I can probably count those people on less than two hands. But Charlotte cared. Her heart went out to Tyler, this weak little puppy that she had rescued herself. So she went to the hospital to see him, too.
A few weeks later, Tyler was home from the hospital permanenlty and doing well. He no longer had to have the catheter, and he was back to playing with the pack. We made arrangements for his shots and neuter, and he was on the road to being adoptable.
I went back through our adoption applications for previous husky puppies and found one I really liked. I called the young man who came over and instantly fell in love with Tyler. We made arrangements for Tyler to go home after his neuter, and that was the last time I saw or heard about Tyler.
During this time, I had taken in another dog, a Collie/Golden Retriever mix I named Dante. He was beautiful and had an incredibly sweet face. He was incredbily smart, enjoyed the company of my other dogs, and followed me all day long, always wanting to have my attention. I had an appearance scheduled on Sonny Dixon's show a few weeks later, and I took Dante with me. When we walked in the studio and saw Sonny, he looked at me and said he was going to have to call Charlotte, she just had to meet this dog. As it turns out, Sonny had told Charlotte the night before that I was going to be on, and she taped the show to watch when she got home that afternoon. That night, I had a call from Charlotte wanting to meet Dante.
It wasn't the easiest adoption by far. In fact, Dante was with Charlotte as a foster mom before she finally signed the adoption papers nearly three months later. She knew she wanted a dog, but she wanted to be completely sure she was ready. I had regular phone calls with updates, and finally one that she was ready to make the adoption official. I couldn't be happier.
About a month later, I had a letter from Dante, who had been renamed to Charlie. It started out, "Dear Momma Lisa," and told me of how much his new mommy loved him, what a good boy he was being, and all the new friends he was making. It ended with a thank you for saving him from animal control and a promise that his new mommy would always be good to him. I have the letter on the fridge in my kitchen so I can read it every day.
So the phone call started out with Charlotte telling me, "something happened today and I just had to call you!" She told me that I'd been on her mind lately, but what happened at the dog park compelled her to call. She had taken Dante Charlie (that's what she calls him now) to the Savannah Dog Park. She was sitting on a bench when a young couple came in with the most beautiful Husky. They sat down next to her and sent their dog off to play. Charlotte remarked to them about how beautiful he was and asked his age. The young woman told her, "We're not sure; we got him from Coastal Pet Rescue." Charlotte said she was excited and immediately asked if his name was Tyler... and it was. So her she was, almost a year later, watching a now-50 pound, happy and energetic dog that she had picked up in the parking lot of a mall. It really just made her day as she watched Tyler and Dante play like old buddies, reunited through the kindness of animal lovers.
Now, who wouldn't be able to feel warm and fuzzy about that?
The caller was Charlotte, an older woman I had met last year while I was working at animal control. She called about a little Husky puppy that was found in one of the mall parking lots. She didn't know what to do. I put her on hold and asked for permission to take it through Coastal Pet Rescue rather than submit the pup to the already overcrowded kennel space at animal control. So I made arrangements to meet up with her after I got off work and take the pup, which I named Tyler.
Tyler was a bundle of energy and already the hit of his neighborhood when I arrived. I was actually greeted with a warm welcome from one of Charlotte's neighbors, Sonny Dixon, as I have known Sonny for many years. His approval of me really seemed to help her feel better about turning over Tyler to us. She really liked the puppy's personality, but wasn't quite ready to raise another puppy on her own. She hadn't had a dog in many years, and Huskies aren't exactly a breed for everyone. So I placed Tyler into a crate in the car and closed the door. Charlotte hugged me and made me promise to let her know how things went with him.
For the next week, Charlotte called every few days. I gave her progress updates on how he was integrating with the rest of the pack, what he had chewed, how he was howling. But then we had a bad day. I knew the signs and immediately got Tyler to our vet where it was confirmed... he had parvovirus.
I have dealt with many puppies and parvo in the last seven years. I can count how many we've actually lost on one hand, which I consider a phenomenal success rate for treatments. But what makes the difference is getting help immediately at the first sign. Our vet has worked with us so much with these puppies and is very patient and considerate with us as we wait out the treatments. I was so thankful that Charlotte hadn't called because I didn't want to give her any bad news. She always was so happy when we'd get off the phone, and I didn't want her to be upset. But four days into Tyler's stay at the hospital she called, and I couldn't bear to lie to her.
I explained to Charlotte exactly what Tyler had and reassured her that he was in good hands. I visited him every day to check on him and let him know I cared. And so did Charlotte. I was so touched by this. It is very rare that we ever hear back from anyone that we help take an animal. I can probably count those people on less than two hands. But Charlotte cared. Her heart went out to Tyler, this weak little puppy that she had rescued herself. So she went to the hospital to see him, too.
A few weeks later, Tyler was home from the hospital permanenlty and doing well. He no longer had to have the catheter, and he was back to playing with the pack. We made arrangements for his shots and neuter, and he was on the road to being adoptable.
I went back through our adoption applications for previous husky puppies and found one I really liked. I called the young man who came over and instantly fell in love with Tyler. We made arrangements for Tyler to go home after his neuter, and that was the last time I saw or heard about Tyler.
During this time, I had taken in another dog, a Collie/Golden Retriever mix I named Dante. He was beautiful and had an incredibly sweet face. He was incredbily smart, enjoyed the company of my other dogs, and followed me all day long, always wanting to have my attention. I had an appearance scheduled on Sonny Dixon's show a few weeks later, and I took Dante with me. When we walked in the studio and saw Sonny, he looked at me and said he was going to have to call Charlotte, she just had to meet this dog. As it turns out, Sonny had told Charlotte the night before that I was going to be on, and she taped the show to watch when she got home that afternoon. That night, I had a call from Charlotte wanting to meet Dante.
It wasn't the easiest adoption by far. In fact, Dante was with Charlotte as a foster mom before she finally signed the adoption papers nearly three months later. She knew she wanted a dog, but she wanted to be completely sure she was ready. I had regular phone calls with updates, and finally one that she was ready to make the adoption official. I couldn't be happier.
About a month later, I had a letter from Dante, who had been renamed to Charlie. It started out, "Dear Momma Lisa," and told me of how much his new mommy loved him, what a good boy he was being, and all the new friends he was making. It ended with a thank you for saving him from animal control and a promise that his new mommy would always be good to him. I have the letter on the fridge in my kitchen so I can read it every day.
So the phone call started out with Charlotte telling me, "something happened today and I just had to call you!" She told me that I'd been on her mind lately, but what happened at the dog park compelled her to call. She had taken Dante Charlie (that's what she calls him now) to the Savannah Dog Park. She was sitting on a bench when a young couple came in with the most beautiful Husky. They sat down next to her and sent their dog off to play. Charlotte remarked to them about how beautiful he was and asked his age. The young woman told her, "We're not sure; we got him from Coastal Pet Rescue." Charlotte said she was excited and immediately asked if his name was Tyler... and it was. So her she was, almost a year later, watching a now-50 pound, happy and energetic dog that she had picked up in the parking lot of a mall. It really just made her day as she watched Tyler and Dante play like old buddies, reunited through the kindness of animal lovers.
Now, who wouldn't be able to feel warm and fuzzy about that?
Georgia Finally Getting Tougher on Dog Fighting
It's not news that Georgia has had very lax laws when it comes to animal cruelty and dog fighting, but it looks as if the state is finally ready to catch up to the rest of the country. There's no doubt in my mind that the Michael Vick case finally lit a fire under their butts to do something proactive and prevent a similiar media blackeye for allowing these types of activities to continue.
Now the catch is will law enforcement officials actually enforce the new regulations? I know from personal experience that it is not easy to get someone to do anything about a situation without threatening going to the media. Hopefully, officials are learning that people care what happens to animals, and when nothing is done to help those in need. If nothing else, officials can at least be afraid of the bad publicity. Just ask Michael Vick.
The House voted 165-6 to allow prosecutors to charge spectators of dog fights with a misdemeanor penalty which carries up to a year in jail and a maximum $5,000 fine.
The bill also allows prosecutors to charge people who host dog fights or train their canines for dogfighting with a felony.
The Senate passed a similar bill last year, but it failed to reach a vote.
Now the catch is will law enforcement officials actually enforce the new regulations? I know from personal experience that it is not easy to get someone to do anything about a situation without threatening going to the media. Hopefully, officials are learning that people care what happens to animals, and when nothing is done to help those in need. If nothing else, officials can at least be afraid of the bad publicity. Just ask Michael Vick.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Because Who You Are Matters
This morning, I stumbled upon an excellent PR blog by Tiffany Monhollon. Her topic intrigued me, so I borrowed it to make my own post. Normally, I'd be adverse to this type of thing as I get dozens of those "surveys" through the MySpace bulletins each week. But I thought I could have some fun with it, so here it is: 8 Crazy Things for 2008:
1. Growing up, I wanted to be a dolphin trainer at Sea World. Maybe it isn't that far-fetched, seeing as how my family has been doing dolphin tours since the early 90s. At Girl Scout camp, I even had mail addressed to Lisa "Dolphin." But it didn't pan out... I didn't do well in Biology in high school, particularly with dissection, so I went the communications route instead.
2. I used to spend part of my summers in Boston in middle school. Most people who know me hear me say, "I'll never move north of the Macon-Dixon line." I have an extreme dislike for cold weather, so if I ever move, it will be south or west. My dad's sister and her family lived in Bedford, so I used to go spend two weeks up there with them. I can remember my cousin's friends making fun of the way I talk and always asking for a "Coke" instead of a "pop." My aunt taught me how to do arts and crafts, and I tried my hardest to continue that over the years. She also made the best Oreo cookie pie.
3. I'm the youngest of four siblings, they all being 14 and 11 years older than me. I've been an aunt since I was in 3rd grade, and now have six nephews in total, ages 7 to 20.
4. My favorite TV shows growing up were Murphy Brown and Cheers. I wanted to be a journalist by the time I got to high school, and I had a crush on Woody Harrelson.
5. I own every Disney animated film up to 2003, including Song of the South. I love cartoons, and my favorite is The Lion King. My junior year of high school, I wrote a thesis paper correlating The Lion King to Hamlet.
6. My favorite book of all time is Kate Chopin's The Awakening. I read it for the first time in sixth grade for school, then had to read it again in high school and again in college for my Southern Literature course. I turned in my high school paper and got an A in the class as it was the same book I had used for my Senior AP project. I'm all about recycling.
7. I consider my maternal grandfather my ideal role model. I spent a great deal of time with him growing up. He was a man who always kept his family first as he took care of me when my parents were working as well as raising two of my cousins. He never asked for anything in return, and was never hesitant to teach me a lesson. I can still remember being sent to the tree to fetch my own switch, but I can tell you, I didn't have to do it often... I was a quick learner.
8. The person I most want to meet is Jimmy Buffett. Probably not new information to most of you who know me. I've been listening to his music since I was a young child. The first song I learned to sing in the car was A Pirate Looks at 40. I can still remember sitting in the front seat with my mom and dad, the music playing on the tape, and my dad actually smiling as I sang along. One of my favorite memories.
So, there's my 8 random facts about Lisa. Hopefully, you're able to see there's more to me than just the crazy pet lady.
1. Growing up, I wanted to be a dolphin trainer at Sea World. Maybe it isn't that far-fetched, seeing as how my family has been doing dolphin tours since the early 90s. At Girl Scout camp, I even had mail addressed to Lisa "Dolphin." But it didn't pan out... I didn't do well in Biology in high school, particularly with dissection, so I went the communications route instead.
2. I used to spend part of my summers in Boston in middle school. Most people who know me hear me say, "I'll never move north of the Macon-Dixon line." I have an extreme dislike for cold weather, so if I ever move, it will be south or west. My dad's sister and her family lived in Bedford, so I used to go spend two weeks up there with them. I can remember my cousin's friends making fun of the way I talk and always asking for a "Coke" instead of a "pop." My aunt taught me how to do arts and crafts, and I tried my hardest to continue that over the years. She also made the best Oreo cookie pie.
3. I'm the youngest of four siblings, they all being 14 and 11 years older than me. I've been an aunt since I was in 3rd grade, and now have six nephews in total, ages 7 to 20.
4. My favorite TV shows growing up were Murphy Brown and Cheers. I wanted to be a journalist by the time I got to high school, and I had a crush on Woody Harrelson.
5. I own every Disney animated film up to 2003, including Song of the South. I love cartoons, and my favorite is The Lion King. My junior year of high school, I wrote a thesis paper correlating The Lion King to Hamlet.
6. My favorite book of all time is Kate Chopin's The Awakening. I read it for the first time in sixth grade for school, then had to read it again in high school and again in college for my Southern Literature course. I turned in my high school paper and got an A in the class as it was the same book I had used for my Senior AP project. I'm all about recycling.
7. I consider my maternal grandfather my ideal role model. I spent a great deal of time with him growing up. He was a man who always kept his family first as he took care of me when my parents were working as well as raising two of my cousins. He never asked for anything in return, and was never hesitant to teach me a lesson. I can still remember being sent to the tree to fetch my own switch, but I can tell you, I didn't have to do it often... I was a quick learner.
8. The person I most want to meet is Jimmy Buffett. Probably not new information to most of you who know me. I've been listening to his music since I was a young child. The first song I learned to sing in the car was A Pirate Looks at 40. I can still remember sitting in the front seat with my mom and dad, the music playing on the tape, and my dad actually smiling as I sang along. One of my favorite memories.
So, there's my 8 random facts about Lisa. Hopefully, you're able to see there's more to me than just the crazy pet lady.
BlogSavannah UnCon 08
On Friday, I attended the second annual BlogSavannah UnConference. I was very critical of the event last year, mostly due to the cold building and one person who refused to let a presenter present. This year, we were at the very plush AASU Center on Abercorn. Wow, what a facility. It's hard to believe that used to be a Publix. Even the bathrooms were phenomenal.
It was nice to see familiar faces and catch up with people I mostly talk to online. Josh Hallett joined us again from Orlando, and the infamous Drew made an appearance later in the morning. I attended a session on "Blogging and Life," though I got pretty much nothing out of it that I expected. I was even surprised that the session leader didn't know who the opening speaker (Josh) was or even his name. Little details that I would have thought someone might have picked up on, especially since his name was on the big screen in the auditorium during the opening session and the discussion leader is a producer in radio. Oh well. I took a small hiatus and walked in late to Joe Steffan's discussion on legal issues in blogging. Pretty good stuff considering some folks' opinions of my work that had been posted in a local forum earlier in the week. I made sure to get Joe's card at the end, in case I might need him in the future.
Lunchtime gave me a chance for fellowship with the Crees and Dr. Judy. Having missed the last eWomenNetwork meeting, I enjoyed the time to catch up and get my monthly dose of coaching. I was really surprised to learn just how much alike Chris and I are, and how we use the Internet as a primary means of connecting to others. Unlike most female stereotypes, I don't like to talk on the phone. It is not uncommon for me to send a caller to voicemail so I can formulate an answer to return later. I can write an entire novel in an email or MySpace message, but I have such a limited vocabulary on the phone. My parents wouldn't believe it though, primarily because I loved being on the phone in middle school, but now that I have to be on it so much for the rescue, it just gets draining.
So, back to the topic...
As a big fan of the PR Super Woman, I attended Marjorie Young's session on Internet PR. Not much information was new as Marjorie has been coaching me in PR for several years to help the rescue, and I've been a very intent student. But it was nice to be able to listen to other people and what they are doing and make sure I'm following some of the tips that were presented.
All in all, not a bad conference. I thought there'd be more folks like last year, but perhaps the Southside location wasn't as convenient as the downtown freezing SCAD building last year. But I was so thankful to not have to set the alarm on my cell phone to repeatedly run out and feed the meters in the cold. I know a lot of effort went into this event, and I hope they decide to do it a little more frequently than just once a year, especially considering how much online technology changes daily.
It was nice to see familiar faces and catch up with people I mostly talk to online. Josh Hallett joined us again from Orlando, and the infamous Drew made an appearance later in the morning. I attended a session on "Blogging and Life," though I got pretty much nothing out of it that I expected. I was even surprised that the session leader didn't know who the opening speaker (Josh) was or even his name. Little details that I would have thought someone might have picked up on, especially since his name was on the big screen in the auditorium during the opening session and the discussion leader is a producer in radio. Oh well. I took a small hiatus and walked in late to Joe Steffan's discussion on legal issues in blogging. Pretty good stuff considering some folks' opinions of my work that had been posted in a local forum earlier in the week. I made sure to get Joe's card at the end, in case I might need him in the future.
Lunchtime gave me a chance for fellowship with the Crees and Dr. Judy. Having missed the last eWomenNetwork meeting, I enjoyed the time to catch up and get my monthly dose of coaching. I was really surprised to learn just how much alike Chris and I are, and how we use the Internet as a primary means of connecting to others. Unlike most female stereotypes, I don't like to talk on the phone. It is not uncommon for me to send a caller to voicemail so I can formulate an answer to return later. I can write an entire novel in an email or MySpace message, but I have such a limited vocabulary on the phone. My parents wouldn't believe it though, primarily because I loved being on the phone in middle school, but now that I have to be on it so much for the rescue, it just gets draining.
So, back to the topic...
As a big fan of the PR Super Woman, I attended Marjorie Young's session on Internet PR. Not much information was new as Marjorie has been coaching me in PR for several years to help the rescue, and I've been a very intent student. But it was nice to be able to listen to other people and what they are doing and make sure I'm following some of the tips that were presented.
All in all, not a bad conference. I thought there'd be more folks like last year, but perhaps the Southside location wasn't as convenient as the downtown freezing SCAD building last year. But I was so thankful to not have to set the alarm on my cell phone to repeatedly run out and feed the meters in the cold. I know a lot of effort went into this event, and I hope they decide to do it a little more frequently than just once a year, especially considering how much online technology changes daily.
Where did the month go?
Normally, January is a down month for us. We conclude our Home 4 the Holidays with the annual Tybee Island Polar Bear Plunge on New Year's Day, then we have four weeks to recover until whatever is planned for our anniversary. But not this year.
On New Year's Eve, six Siberian Husky mix puppies were delivered to me from Effingham Animal Control. The next day, a volunteer asked if we could take on eight puppies and their mom she found on a construction site. A few days later, seven more puppies arrived. Lucky for us, we had a three-day event at the Trade Center that would help promote the pets for adoption.
The event was the annual Lowcountry Living Home and Garden Show. We were graciously invited for free again by Show Technology. We had earned a reputation for creativity at our last appearance there, so they offered us an additional booth space this year. Great, more room to bring in more people, which is what we need. It took six hours on Thursday to construct the booth, and just over an hour to demolish it on Sunday. But man, did it look sharp!
We also hosted our first volunteer orientation this month. It's fun to try something new, but I never realized just how boring it can be to have to read through a handbook and make sure everyone understands it. Considering I wrote it in school, then Wendy edited heavily for legal issues, you can't really make it as interesting a read as Harry Potter. But I hope it helps people to understand how we work and what they can do to help us in our mission. I hate that we have to have rules now, but there are just some adults who can't behave or have multiple lapses in common sense.
February brings us four more events, and then a big event on March 1st for The Milton Project. If all goes according to plan, I'll have a free weekend again in July. Something to look forward to.
On New Year's Eve, six Siberian Husky mix puppies were delivered to me from Effingham Animal Control. The next day, a volunteer asked if we could take on eight puppies and their mom she found on a construction site. A few days later, seven more puppies arrived. Lucky for us, we had a three-day event at the Trade Center that would help promote the pets for adoption.
The event was the annual Lowcountry Living Home and Garden Show. We were graciously invited for free again by Show Technology. We had earned a reputation for creativity at our last appearance there, so they offered us an additional booth space this year. Great, more room to bring in more people, which is what we need. It took six hours on Thursday to construct the booth, and just over an hour to demolish it on Sunday. But man, did it look sharp!
We also hosted our first volunteer orientation this month. It's fun to try something new, but I never realized just how boring it can be to have to read through a handbook and make sure everyone understands it. Considering I wrote it in school, then Wendy edited heavily for legal issues, you can't really make it as interesting a read as Harry Potter. But I hope it helps people to understand how we work and what they can do to help us in our mission. I hate that we have to have rules now, but there are just some adults who can't behave or have multiple lapses in common sense.
February brings us four more events, and then a big event on March 1st for The Milton Project. If all goes according to plan, I'll have a free weekend again in July. Something to look forward to.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
