Letter Published in the Shiba E-News
  
 
 
 
 

HOW ABOUT SOME HELP, YOU GUYS ( PART II)

By Pam Peterson

It’s been two months since my article in E News came out I do want to thank the folks who have generously offered to help with donations time and effort. Every little bit goes a very long way.

A special thanks to Mark and Debby who called as soon as the article came out offering to foster and that same night where at the shelter bailing out a sweet little girl, they have saved two more, since then, from the same shelter in Columbus, Ohio.

I wish that was all that we needed!  There is still a lot more to do!

 

Wish list:
Foster homes

Help with transport

Volunteers to help groom and socialize dogs

Gas cards

Dog food

Heartworm pills

Frontline

Dog beds

Toys

Leashes

Cash for vet bills etc.

A couple of people with whom I have talked seem to think I should be asking the National Shiba Club of America’s foundation for funds. I wish it were that simple.

At this writing, Shiba Inu Rescue Resources of America (SIRRA) only has a few thousand in their account, with no regular fundraising efforts.  My vet bills alone were over $2,000 for September and October.  Just those bills would have depleted a good deal of what funds are there. 

Some folks have asked why we don’t just stop taking dogs.  Why we don’t say no.  That kind of defeats the purpose of rescue – rescue is here to say YES.  Many or most of these dogs have already found there way into shelters where they have run out of time.  Rescue was designed to bridge the gap between when shibas “run out of time” at the pound and connecting them to forever homes.  Honestly, it breaks your heart to consider how much more can be done, with only a little more help. 

Joseph, Angela and Kristi have taken in five more little orphans from different shelters across Ohio in the last two months. I personally have taken in five more. Sadly I have turned away about a dozen others because I just do not have space for any more dogs.  Joseph has also turned away two due to lack of space. This is just two months in Ohio - I can only imagine how many more there are nationally.

One of the dogs I rescued from the Amish Mill last August, Squirt a petite little lover girl only 13 lbs. and needs a hip surgery. Little Squirt is as sweet as they come and just adorable. After her surgery she will be able to live a happy pain free life with a loving family. Before coming here she had lived her entire life in a rabbit cage as a pup-maker. She has never had any of the simple pleasures of being a pet and never even had a toy. How can I deny her? Of course I could put her to sleep that would be the cheapest thing to do, but for me it is not an option. She will have the surgery and will stay here until we find that perfect home.

Kathy, a little girl I just got last week, she’s from yet another Amish puppy mill. Like little Squirt, she has always lived in a rabbit cage and never had a warm bed or caring owner.  She is a very sweet loving girl who wants nothing more then to be petted. Even comes when you call her. She has been bred all her life producing countless litters of pups even though she has severe patella luxation in both knees, again I could put her to sleep but she deserves better and will eventually find the perfect forever home.

A couple that I had to turn away where two seniors that their older owner had fallen ill and was no longer able to care for them. It broke my heart to turn them away and kills me to think of what happened to them. But I had no choice.

Joseph has a sweet little boy that came from a shelter in Columbus, Frank had lost most of his hair to a flea infection and was covered in a secondary fungal infection that had turned the skin grey.  “Frank” had first been thought to be “Francine”!

But not all of our rescues are pathetic sob stories that come from puppy mills. More then we want to think about are coming from our breeders who won’t take them back and are not educating their puppy buyers.  Some are happy healthy and young dogs that for one reason or another end up in shelters, or are given up by their owners. 

Patrick is a young boy only about 18 months old. Very sweet, and does not seem to have any vices other then puppy energy. But we found him on death row in a shelter in Tn.

Max was given up by his owner because he did not like cats and was afraid he would turn on his kids. Even though he did NOT even have kids, he was planning to start a family in the future and the dog had to be out by Sun. Also a young happy healthy boy who just happens to like chasing cats. Max was only here for a month before finding a great new forever home where he is doing just fine.  

Mason was found running down a busy highway in Cincinnati. He is a very sweet and loving boy and only about 9 months old. We just took him in today.

This is our breed. They need and deserve our help!