Mews & Barks

MONTHLY NEWS

FROM

THE STANLY COUNTY ANIMAL RESCUE LEAGUE

SCARL

Down to Two!!!

For the first time in a very long while, we can proudly say, that we were down to only two animals in foster care!  One dog and one cat!  Of course we can only enjoy this number for a few days, but what a wonderful world it would be if that number were to be the norm.

 It gives us time to reflect on our spay and neuter efforts and think, just for a little while, that what we are doing is truly making a difference in Stanly County.  That perhaps, one day, no pet will need to be in a foster care situation, that all pets born will be loved,  that no animal will be dumped on the side of  the road, that even the mention of a pet-foster home will seem as old fashioned as parasols and high button boots.

We press onward, always looking towards that bright future.

It is times like these, when there are only 2,  that make it all seem possible.

MARCH EVENTS

6 - Adopt-A-Pet in Albemarle at PetSense 10am-12noon

20 - Adopt-A-Pet in Albemarle at PetSense 10am-2noon

APRIL EVENTS

3 - Adopt-A-Pet in Albemarle at PetSense 10am-12noon

17 - Adopt-A-Pet in Albemarle at PetSense 10am-12noon

Our adoptions to date.

February 2010

9

Total for 2010

23

Total Since We Started

2,427

Thank You!!

What Happened in February?

3.  Brought in 2 puppies abandoned in Norwood.

5.  Brought in 2 puppies found in the snow.

7.  Midge was adopted by a lovely family from Smithfield.

13. A great family from Davidson braved the weather to give Barbie her forever home.

14. His foster mom just couldn't get enough of Julius so she made it official - he will live out his days with her.

15. Brought in a dog found with plastic wrapped around his tongue.  Jake & Tessa will be staying together along with their new family from Denver NC.

16.  Scooby scooted right around the corner & will be staying in Stanfield.

17.  Brought in a kitten found in a toolbox.

20.  A very nice Ridgecrest couple were kind enough to give Emily a loving, permanent home.

26.  Longtime foster resident, Corky, was adopted by a wonderful lady from Albemarle!

27.  Salisbury is now home for Tessie as she left with a 2nd time SCARL adopter.

Our Adoptable Pet Listings on Petfinder

A Big Pile of  Doggy Doo to Food Lion!

We are no longer able to receive funds thru the MVP Rewards Program thru Food Lion stores.  Below is a copy of the email reply sent to Jane from their offices after they changed their program and asked participants to reapply to the program.

Date: 2010-02-02 Organization: STANLY COUNTY ANIMAL RESCUE LEAGUE App #: 62772 Dear JANE MURRAY: Thank you for submitting an application to participate in the MVP Rewards program. Upon review of your application, we have determined that your organization does not meet the criteria established to participate in the program. As explained on our website, qualifications to participate are 501(c)(3) organizations that as your primary focus provide hunger relief, improve children’s health, offer nutritional education or operate and maintain a free standing animal shelter in your community. If your organization’s primary focus is to provide hunger relief, improve children’s health, offer nutritional education in the community, or operate and maintain a free standing animal shelter in your community, please respond to this email explaining how it meets these criteria. Please include your application number, listed on the of this letter. While we admire your organization’s worthy cause, we do not feel that your organization meets the criteria for participation in our MVP Rewards programs. Thank you for considering Food Lion as your fundraising partner. We wish you well in your future endeavors. Sincerely, Food Lion MVP Rewards Program Team This editor finds it quite horrible that Food Lion apparently finds it more acceptable to have animals kept in cages than in foster homes with loving people. SHAME ON YOU FOOD LION!

If cats could talk, they wouldn't.  ~Nan Porter

Hi Jane,

I hope all is well; things here are just fine...

Scout  (Rollo) is doing great and he’s seems to be pretty smart too. One thing for sure is he’s eating well - He now weights about 25 pounds.

We also enjoyed seeing him in the update section of the news letter.

I remember someone said this dog didn’t care much for the cold… I think he got over that.

Enjoy the pictures of the most handsome dog I know, playing in the snow.

Best regards,

                    Dan                    

Did you know?

The oldest reliable age recorded for a dog is 29 years, 5 months for a Queensland 'heeler' called Bluey in Victoria, Australia. The average dog lives to around 15 years of age.
 

Rylee (Bobbie)

According to the papers from the vet, Feb 7 was Rylee's first birthday. We allowed her to eat "junk food" when we bought a container of "fillet mignon" dog food and put a candle with an "R" in it. Our camera chose to be obstinate, but I took some pictures with my camera phone and wanted to share with you.

She is such a special girl. She is super smart, but very demanding. Luckily, Patti spends all but 3-5 hours a day with her and they are very attached. She is a very solid 42 pounds and absolutely gorgeous. For Christmas I purchased one of the canine dna tests and we got quite a surprise. You might remember we told you about our Troi who was a mix of Border Collie and Eskimo Spitz. Well, guess what - Rylee is 70% Border Collie and American Eskimo Dog. We had quite a few tears on Christmas day. (She is 25% Parsons Russell Terrier and Scottie and the remaining 5% is German Shepherd!). She is very much like Troi in her intelligence, but very feisty and more engergetic than our memories of Troi at that age. We still cry about Troi, but Rylee's similar traits bring us so much joy, and the differances  keep us on our toes!

We are still considering another dog to add to our family. Rylee gets along well with her "cousin" the Jack Russell and the neighbor's new pup that is a lab (even though he drives her to distraction!) . The timing is tough as Patti's dad has cancer and she needs to spend a lot of time with him, and we don't have as much time as we would like to start another pup right now, but Rylee needs a playmate. We have a confirmed vacation in early June and her brother will be letting Rylee sleep in his room that week, but after that we will be looking very hard at another pup. Patti is already looking at your website weekly to keep up on available adoptions.

Thank you so much for letting us meet Rylee and fall in love with this (now) 40 pounds of muscle and teeth! She is a very, very important part of our lives and our daily and weekly schedule revolves around her.

Don and Patti Karriker
 

I finally got a picture or two of Homer. He is so timid and was sure the camera was very dangerous. I had to love on him quite a bit afterwards and assure him that he was just fine. :)

Scout, (Violet) on the other hand, thinks everyone is her friend and has never found anything that could convince her otherwise. She is so sweet and we are very glad we added both of them to the family.
Kathy

SCARL Wish List

Kitty litter (scoopable), puppy food, kitten food, small collars and harnesses, pet toys, paper towels and, of course, monetary donations are always welcome.

Volunteers needed to provide foster homes. 

Ongoing Fundraisers

SCARL T-shirts  $10.00 

SCARL Sweatshirts $20.00 

*********

Thanks for your support!!

Handkerchief Alert!!!!!

Copyright Jim Willis 2001, all rights reserved

When I was a puppy I entertained you with my antics and made you laugh. You called me your child and despite a number of chewed shoes and a couple of murdered throw pillows, I became your best friend. Whenever I was "bad," you'd shake your finger at me and ask "How could you?" - but then you'd relent and roll me over for a bellyrub.

My housetraining took a little longer than expected, because you were terribly busy, but we worked on that together. I remember those nights of nuzzling you in bed, listening to your confidences and secret dreams, and I believed that life could not be any more perfect. We went for long walks and runs in the park, car rides, stops for ice cream (I only got the cone because "ice cream is bad for dogs," you said), and I took long naps in the sun waiting for you to come home at the end of the day.

Gradually, you began spending more time at work and on your career, and more time searching for a human mate. I waited for you patiently, comforted you through heartbreaks and disappointments, never chided you about bad decisions, and romped with glee at your homecomings, and when you fell in love.

She, now your wife, is not a "dog person" - still I welcomed her into our home, tried to show her affection, and obeyed her. I was happy because you were happy. Then the human babies came along and I shared your excitement. I was fascinated by their pinkness, how they smelled, and I wanted to mother them, too. Only she and you worried that I might hurt them, and I spent most of my time banished to another room, or to a dog crate. Oh, how I wanted to love them, but I became a "prisoner of love."

As they began to grow, I became their friend. They clung to my fur and pulled themselves up on wobbly legs, poked fingers in my eyes, investigated my ears and gave me kisses on my nose. I loved everything about them and their touch - because your touch was now so infrequent - and I would have defended them with my life if need be.

I would sneak into their beds and listen to their worries and secret dreams. Together we waited for the sound of your car in the driveway. There had been a time, when others asked you if you had a dog, that you produced a photo of me from your wallet and told them stories about me. These past few years, you just answered "yes" and changed the subject. I had gone from being "your dog" to "just a dog," and you resented every expenditure on my behalf.

Now you have a new career opportunity in another city, and you and they will be moving to an apartment that does not allow pets. You've made the right decision for your "family," but there was a time when I was your only family.

I was excited about the car ride until we arrived at the animal shelter. It smelled of dogs and cats, of fear, of hopelessness. You filled out the paperwork and said "I know you will find a good home for her." They shrugged and gave you a pained look. They understand the realities facing a middle-aged dog or cat, even one with "papers." You had to pry your son's fingers loose from my collar as he screamed "No, Daddy! Please don't let them take my dog!" And I worried for him, and what lessons you had just taught him about friendship and loyalty, about love and responsibility, and about respect for all life. You gave me a goodbye pat on the head, avoided my eyes, and politely refused to take my collar and leash with you. You had a deadline to meet and now I have one, too.

After you left, the two nice ladies said you probably knew about your upcoming move months ago and made no attempt to find me another good home. They shook their heads and asked "How could you?"

They are as attentive to us here in the shelter as their busy schedules allow. They feed us, of course, but I lost my appetite days ago. At first, whenever anyone passed my pen, I rushed to the front, hoping it was you - that you had changed your mind - that this was all a bad dream...or I hoped it would at least be someone who cared, anyone who might save me. When I realized I could not compete with the frolicking for attention of happy puppies, oblivious to their own fate, I retreated to a far corner and waited.

I heard her footsteps as she came for me at the end of the day and I padded along the aisle after her to a separate room. A blissfully quiet room. She placed me on the table, rubbed my ears and told me not to worry. My heart pounded in anticipation of what was to come, but there was also a sense of relief. The prisoner of love had run out of days. As is my nature, I was more concerned about her. The burden which she bears weighs heavily on her and I know that, the same way I knew your every mood.

She gently placed a tourniquet around my foreleg as a tear ran down her cheek. I licked her hand in the same way I used to comfort you so many years ago. She expertly slid the hypodermic needle into my vein. As I felt the sting and the cool liquid coursing through my body, I lay down sleepily, looked into her kind eyes and murmured "How could you?"

Perhaps because she understood my dogspeak, she said "I'm so sorry." She hugged me and hurriedly explained it was her job to make sure I went to a better place, where I wouldn't be ignored or abused or abandoned, or have to fend for myself - a place of love and light so very different from this earthly place. With my last bit of energy, I tried to convey to her with a thump of my tail that my "How could you?" was not meant for her. It was you, My Beloved Master, I was thinking of. I will think of you and wait for you forever.

May everyone in your life continue to show you so much loyalty.

The End

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Contact Info:

Stanly County Animal Rescue League

P.O. Box 1676
Albemarle, NC 28002
Phone: 704-983-8626

 SCARL Email: jjmurray@ctc.net   or debrasprayberry@yahoo.com

Email for Newsletter:  foxy22@carolina.rr.com

JUST ABOUT ANYONE CAN BECOME A FOSTER PARENT...

EVEN EWE!!

Thank you to Fairview Veterinary Clinic, North Stanly Animal Clinic, West Stanly Animal Clinic, and Albemarle Animal Clinic for all the services you provide to these foundlings.  Thank you to Locust Animal Clinic for reminding your clients about us.

Thank you to the Stanly News & Press and the Weekly Post for posting notices of our adoptable animals.

Thank you to all the businesses in the county who let us leave our donation jars, newsletters, raffle tickets, and flyers.  A special thank you for those who allow us to hold our Adopt-a-Pet events on your property.

Thank you to all our volunteers who give so unselfishly.

Thank you to those in the community who come out to support us, those who donate, and those who keeps these precious animals in their prayers.

Thank you to all the people who are responsible & compassionate enough to spay and neuter their animals.

Because we've ALWAYS loved them....

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