It's A Girl!

After 7 months of fostering Star is Rising, we've decided to adopt her! Star is a quirky girly-girl, and a real sweetie-pie. She's a big 75-lb. girl, and we suspect is not all greyhound -- she's just too atypical. Star is very vocal, loves to jump into and lay in the water and in the driveway and mud. I think she'd be greyt for camping! And, she loves to sniff and smell everything and everyone very thoroughly. Silly girl!

Star Is Rising - Our Latest Foster Girl From Michigan ReGAP

This is a photograph of our new foster girl Star Is Rising. She's 71 lbs. and currently up for adoption by Michigan Retired Greyhounds As Pets.

We've had her about 3 weeks now. She's a truly wonderful girl, and deserves a real forever home. She knows hand signals for "sit" and "down." She knows her name very well, loves to go for walks, is very playful and loving, and has just learned to go up and down stairs quickly yet carefully. She's a dream to have in the car, and she walks great on leash! She's just a very loving girl -- and she's very well adjusted.

Unfortunately, as you'll notice in the photo, her tail has been amputated (bit by another dog). So she wags her butt! She's a very happy girl.

Michigan Animal Care Network & Michigan Animal Adoption Network

Informative article in today's Detroit Free Press about the nonprofit Animal Care Network of Pontiac and Inkster (a sister group of the Animal Adoption Network).

Click on this post title to visit their web site.

Read the article Prowling the streets for pets in distress for information about the groups, how to care for dogs and cats, and what you can do to help.

According to the Freep, low-income Pontiac and Inkster residents can request pet supplies or assistance from the Animal Care Network. For Pontiac, call 248-678-2756 anytime. For Inkster, call 248-545-5055 weekdays from 9 a.m. to5 p.m.

100+ Chihuahuas Found in Dearborn Home; Dogs Rescued From Dearborn, Michigan, Home

OK, this is sad.

A 50+ year old Dearborn, Michigan, man is in psychiatric care after police responded to a foul odor complaint at his home, and discovered it overrun with chihuahuas in what appears to be a case of animal hoarding. At last count, according to The Detroit Free Press, 112 live chihuahuas and 150 dead dogs have been found in the small home, and more are expected to be found alive as the house continues to be cleaned out by the authorities.

The Dearborn Animal Shelter is caring for the chihuahuas, and is asking for donations to help with the sudden influx of these dogs (monetary and/or supplies appreciated).

For related articles and link for a Dearborn Animal Shelter adoption form, read the Freep article More Chihuahuas found dead; dozens wait to adopt survivors. This page will also have links to a photo gallery.

UPDATE: Here's a follow-up Freep article, titled One kitten led to a case of 110 dogs, that appears to give the real sequence of events leading up to the finding of all these chihuahuas in the Dearborn home.

TigerLily Finds Her Forever Home

Dana (TigerLily) comfy with a new toy in her new home.

Our foster greyhound TigerLily (racing name Stormy Dana, aka Shanna) was adopted this past weekend by a wonderful family. We will miss her big floppy ears and her incredibly long waggy tail, and her gentle demeanor.

Last Sunday we heard from Michigan ReGAP that a family was interested in meeting Dana, so we called them on Monday and set up a time for them to meet Dana on Tuesday.

MP and wife PP and 9 year old son RP stopped by our house last Tuesday evening to visit with Dana for close to an hour. We talked about her - and them - and then went outside to play with her, then AR and Quasar went for a walk around the neighborhood with Dana and the family. It was a wonderful visit, and I must say that I was impressed by the family. Dana is their first dog, but they've been looking for well over 6 months, and have been researching the breed, and were just very conscientious that the adoption was the right thing for all concerned -- dog and human.

We liked the family and they liked Dana, so paperwork was taken care of, and on Saturday the P family stopped by to pick up Dana and take her home. We packed some treats, her blankie, and a few toys she'd come to like, as well as her vet and racing records, gave her a kiss and said goodbye. We were a little teary-eyed.

Dana has moved pretty far north of here (there's still snow), but she's with a wonderful and loving family in a very big home, with four acres (!) to romp, and a little boy with lots of love. We should all be so lucky!

We wish all the best for Dana and her Forever Family.

Get Your Dog Microchipped!

yeesh!

This past Sunday evening, my friend TT's two greyhounds -- Cinnamon and Bella -- escaped her back yard. (It's supposed that the neighbor came into the yard to adjust the Christmas lights along the fence and did not close the gate on the way out.) Cinnamon was found a block over about an hour later, but Bella was not found until about midnight Wednesday.

For days, TT and friends and caring people in the ReGAP list serve that live nearby, searched the area and put up posters, called local vets and rescue groups, walked along the local railroad tracks, searched through the nearby cemetery and, in my case, searched at local shelters. No Bella to be found. Wednesday night a neighbor mentioned that someone he knew had found a lost dog on the street and had her at his home in a nearby town. Anyway, long story made short, Bella was brought home.

But during the time that she was away, several rescue groups sent out emails to their members asking them to be on the look out or help search for Bella. Many people came to help. And we got our first "real" snow of the season of about 3 or 4 inches, complete with freezing temperatures.

Bella, who was never microchipped, was found without her collar and tags. I cannot tell you how upset I was about that.

On Monday and Tuesday, I searched for Bella at the Michigan Humane Society in Detroit, the Michigan Anti-Cruelty Society, and the Oakland County Animal Control. Talk about depressing. It's sad enough to know that pets go unwanted, but many also remain lost and perhaps "put down." Michigan law requires that city animal control/shelters keep dogs for only 4 days; after that they can be either euthanized or put up for adoption. Roughly 15 -25% of animals that walk in to shelters actually walk out alive (adopted). So that's roughly 75 - 85% that are destroyed. (Read my April 2007 post Surrendering Your Pet.)

How to make a difference for you and your beloved pet? Get your pet microchipped. It's simple and very inexpensive (less than $20) and takes only several minutes. Your vet will inject a tiny microchip into the area between your dog's (or cat's) shoulder blades. If your pet is lost but somehow finds its way to a veterinarian or shelter, or even police department, a special microchip scanner used on your dog can read the i.d. #, they can then call the product supplier and find out the contact information for you - the pet owner.

Please, get your dog microchipped. It could save us all some heartache.


If you're considering making a donation to help dogs at year's end, please consider the Michigan Anti-Cruelty Society in Detroit. They are small, in a not well-trafficked area, and the dogs there look in particular need. Send your donation to Michigan Anti-Cruelty Society, 13569 Joseph Campau, Detroit, MI 48212-1648.

Some random items from their wish list: blankets, towels, laundry detergent, postage stamps, dog and cat beds and toys, and dog collars.

It's A Boy!

We didn't know we were expecting, so imagine our surprise when we fell in love with "Quasar."

He's now the brightness at the center of our galaxy!

Quasar is keeping his racing name; he knows it, answers to it, and it suits his quirkiness. He's nothing like our dear departed Bastet --in looks or temperament; we didn't think we could ever find another girl like her and, indeed, we did not. He is all boy. He's 66.7 lbs. of love, and dressed in a tux! He loves to fart and burp (it's a love fest with Dad), he barks (unusual for a greyhound), loves to "roughhouse," plays fetch with his squeaky hedgehog, chases squirrels, loves to be outside, and is quite the extrovert. At 4 years of age, he's still his puppy-self, but very well-mannered -- especially with "sit, stay" (treats help).

This past summer, we thought about the possibilities of adopting, but still weren't sure. In August, we received an email from Michigan ReGAP asking for additional foster families for some greyhounds coming out of the Second Chance At Life Greyhound & Inmate Prison Partnership Program. AR & I decided that we would foster as a way to figure out if we were ready for a dog. We completed our foster paperwork, and the next day I showed up at Dapper Dog Wash to pick up a dog. Quasar was assigned to me, and off we went.

I'll have to post more photos soon, and there is lots more to tell (his father was an Australian champion, he's an IVF baby, and he has over 5,400 siblings), but in the meantime, here is the letter Quasar will be mailing to his former handlers at the prison in Coldwater:


Hi,

I am writing to tell you that I have just been adopted! It is a case of "foster failure"; that is, after all these weeks my foster parents decided that I must be their forever dog. They tell me that is so because I am such a good-looking and well-behaved dog and there is probably not another one like me out there and they feel so lucky that they just can't believe it! (And did I mention because I'm good-looking?)

So let me tell you about my new digs and my new family.

I am just crazy about my new Dad; he is my best buddy. We go for 2-mile walks almost every day, and he is a firm believer that life is not worth living without peanut butter treats. I like to race up and down the driveway when he gets home from work. I love to play with Mom, and if I bark at her, she will roughhouse with me. Mom and Dad do not have kids, so I am an only child. They are creative types, though, and come and go throughout the day, so there is almost always someone home with me.

There are lots of beds here! I have one in the basement so I can be with Dad while he practices guitar, and a bed on the first floor so I can just hang out (usually looking out the front door at the neighborhood), and another really comfy bed upstairs. At night I like to sleep on my back with my legs up in the air. We go on day trips, and I've already been to the cider mill and to State Parks. I've come to love car rides, and yesterday Dad took me around the block just for fun. It was a blast!

We have a small but nice home, and the yard is fenced so I can run free to chase the squirrels. I have a favorite tree which I will stand under for long periods of time just waiting to see those squirrels come out of their nest. We have discovered that I am quite the watchdog -- a real surprise to all of us. I patrol the house and windows, and I bark at squirrels, people, and strange sounds at night.

When I first came to live here, I really missed you guys, so much that I didn't eat for a few days and really worried everyone. But they got the idea to mix some canned food with my dry food, and now I eat two big meals a day.

Mom and Dad want me to give you a special "Thank You" for having spent your time and energy training me and letting me know what love is all about. It's a big exciting world out here, and I really appreciate your having prepared me, and I will remember you always for it. I hope there are other lucky dogs out there that will get to know you, too.

Best wishes forever,

Quasar

Michigan ReGAP Greyhounds at Waterford Oaks

Join Michigan ReGAP (Rescued Greyhounds As Pets) this Sunday afternoon for a greyt time!

There'll be lots of greyt dogs there, and it will be a wonderful opportunity to meet many available for adoption. To see them via the internet, and/or find out more about this and other upcoming ReGAP events, click on this link.


September 28

MI - REGAP's 12th Annual Walk For Life Pledge Drive Fundraiser

What: FUNdraiser
When: Sunday 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m..
Where: Waterford Oaks, an Oakland County Park. 2800 Watkins Lake Rd., Waterford, MI. (Between Pontiac Lake Rd. and Dixe Hwy, just west of Telegraph
Park Info: 248.858.0906

Pledge Drive & Hike/walk to help save greyhound lives! Ask friends, family and co-workers to help greyhounds find their way from the track to the safety of REGAP and sponsor your "Hound Hike" in Waterford Oaks'

NO PARK ENTRY FEE! Greyt trails- wooded or paved! All walker-hiker hounds completing their route receive a memento greyhound pin.

FALL FUN! 2 Hike routes: Let your hound sniff til heart's content on the Nature Trail in the woods & over bridges or on a Paved Path along-side marshes, ponds and the woods. Large Playscape for the human kids! Relax under the large gazebo shelter, nibble on a Hotdog fresh off the grill. Annual Greyt Fall Raffle, Vendors, and some special guests to be announced at a later date!

Kansas City's Woodlands Greyhound Track Closes

Kansas City's Woodlands Greyhound Track has announced it will close August 23.

The Woodlands track manager Jayme LaRocca estimates there are about 900 dogs at the track (14 kennels have the capacity for 66 dogs each.) As with most track closings, some of the dogs will move on to other tracks, some will go to greyhound rescue groups, and the remaining dogs will return to the custody of their owners (as pets or, more likely, to be put down).

The good news is that the track is closing. The bad news is that there will be a great strain on rescue/adoption groups around the country: 1) to arrange for relay transportation of the dogs to other parts of the country; 2) to find additional foster/adoptive homes during these difficult economic times; 3) to raise the funds necessary to provide medical care for dogs coming off thee track (spaying/neutering, and in many cases acute-need veterinary care).

Here's a link to the story Greyhounds Need Homes After Woodlands Shutdown @ KMBC-TV in Kansas City.

I'll be updating this post today with more information and greyhound rescue group links.

River Rouge Animal 'Shelter' : Animals walk in and don't walk out

Here's an article forwarded to me by the people at ReGAP (Retired Greyhounds as Pets). It's about the fact that the so-called animal shelter in River Rouge, Michigan, destroys each and every animal that comes through its doors; there are no volunteers at this shelter, and no effort is made to adopt out the animals.

In fact, the animal control officer for the city, Ernest Bowling, seems to have taken it upon himself to make it a policy to not adopt out any animals. This after being told by the city to not sell animals to research (he had previously been selling all of them, it seems, to a specific licensed "breeder" that in turn would sell them to research).

Why the reactionary response by Mr. Bowling? Is he angry about not making a buck on the sale to one specific 'breeder'? Is he just an angry and spiteful person in general towards his employers? Does he just not care to put any effort into his work? My own feeling is that the guy should be fired and a new animal control officer hired, and at least make an effort to find homes for the animals; they should not sell to breeders or to research. If breeders are taking in stray stock, then they're obviously not concerned with genetics or characteristics or qualities, just with popping out another pup to sell.

Read the May 18 Detroit Free Press article Animal shelter is criticized. The original story, by Justine DePalma, is printed below the following update.

--------------------------------------------

UPDATE: May 21, 2008

Changes were made by the River Rouge City Council. Click on this link to watch a video at Fox News about the situation and the City Council meeting.

Read the Detroit Free Press article Animal shelter to stop using poisonous gas.

Here's an excerpt from the Freep story:

Officials also said at Tuesday night's meeting that they will consider getting a scanner to read pet identification computer chips and will talk with Dearborn's animal control about creating a volunteer system for the local pound.

Approximately 60 people, many of whom were pound volunteers from other cities, filled the second-floor courtroom in River Rouge City Hall to voice their concerns about the city's high euthanasia rate and the carbon dioxide used to kill strays.

Except for animals that died in their cages, escaped or were stolen, River Rouge has a 100% euthanasia rate, according to the city's file with the Michigan Department of Agriculture.

------------------------------------------

The Worst Shelter in Michigan
Written by: Justine DePalma
Published May 2, 2008

One Michigan animal "shelter" does not need volunteers. Services such as petfinder to increase adoptions are useless at this shelter. City of River Rouge runs a no frills animal "shelter". The rules are simple, if a stray dog or cat enters the River Rouge shelter, he/she will die at the end of the stray time. There are no reprieves. The sweetest poodles, the most stunning purebred Afghan, the great family mutt all have the same fate when they enter that building, death by
gassing. Animals entering the River Rouge shelter have drawn the worst shelter in the state of Michigan. It is the only shelter that killed every single animal unlucky enough to enter its doors.

Why does River Rouge kills all of the animals that enter its pound?

Ernest Bowling is the animal control officer for River Rouge and he is just following orders. In 2001, Fox2 News reporter, Fanchon Stinger aired an undercover investigation of Hodgins Kennel, a USDA Class B Dealer. River Rouge sold dogs and cats to Hodgins at that
time. Because of the public uproar, the River Rouge City Council commanded that its animal shelter stop selling to research. According to Bowling "the only way I can 100% guarantee that I'm not adopting out an animal to research is to not adopt them at all". It
seems that Bowling takes things literally and he claims Fred Hodgins told him that about 1% of the animals the shelter would adopt to the public would end up in research labs, so Bowling decided the only way to comply was to not adopt any. So for all these years Bowling gassed
every single dog and cat that entered his shelter. Every single one.

Call to Arms

River Rouge's Mayor Michael Balder and its City Council have some explaining to do. However, they will not change a thing unless people stand up for the animals. Humans must be their voices. Quick action is necessary to end this hideous slaughter. This project will take a little effort. River Rouge is still in the dark ages without email or even a web page.

Please visit this link to read a City of River Rouge Animal Shelter 2007 State of Michigan Shelter Report.

Please consider attending tonight's River Rouge City Council Meeting TONIGHT.

Residents and River Rouge city officials will hear from animal activists Tuesday who claim the city's shelter euthanizes animals at an alarming rate and uses poisonous gas to put them down, versus cheaper more humane methods.

Send letters to or call by telephone:

Mayor: Michael D Bowdler

City Council: Patty Campbell, Karen Ward, Derek Perry, Malcolm Moulton, Mark
Pruneau, Anthony Laginess

City of River Rouge
10600 W. Jefferson Ave.
River Rouge, MI 48218

Telephone: (313) 842-5604

Shame on the City of River Rouge, Michigan. They can go live in The Dog House.

Detroit Zoo Dog & Pet Adoption 2008

Meet Your Best Friend at The Detroit Zoo this next weekend, May 3 & 4, 2008.

From the Zoo website:

Join the Detroit Zoo and the Michigan Humane Society on May 3 and 4, 2008 for Meet Your Best Friend at the Zoo. Now in its 16th year, Meet Your Best Friend at the Zoo is the largest off-site adoption event in the country. Held in the Zoo's small parking lot, underneath the landmark water tower, hundreds of dogs, cats, puppies, kittens and rabbits will be available for adoption. Parking and admission for the event is free and does not include regular Zoo admission.

Over 20 adoption/rescue groups, including the Detroit City Animal Shelter will have rabbits as well as dogs, cats, pups and kittens up for adoption at the two day event, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Please remember that adoption fees and policies vary by adoption/rescue group; do not bring your other pets to the zoo.


List of participating Michigan pet adoption & rescue groups:

1. Adopt-A-Pet
2. Alliance for Spay-Neuter and Pet Rescue
3. Animal Rescue Connection
4. Animal Welfare Society
5. AuSable Valley Animal Shelter
   
6. Backdoor Friends Purebred Cat Rescue
7. Battle Creek Animal Shelter
8. Detroit Animal Control
9. Faerie Tales Cat/Maine Coon Rescues
10. Feline Friends
11. Greater Hillsdale Humane Society
12. Home Fur Ever
13. Homeward Bound Rescue
14. K-9 Stray Rescue
15. Last Chance for Animals
16. Metro Area Animal Adoption Association
17. Michigan Greyhound Connection
18. Michigan Humane Society
19. Mid-Michigan Cat Rescue
20. Mid-MI Small Breed Rescue
21. Oakland County Animal Care Center
22. Precious Animal Welfare Society
23. ReGAP (Retired Greyhounds as Pets)
24. Roofs for Woofs
25. Roscommon County Animal Shelter
26. Sanilac County Humane Society
27. Tigerlily Cat Rescue
28. WAG Animal Rescue

Be sure to check out these and other adoption/rescue groups links in the blog sidebar.

Dog & Pet Rescue and Adoption: Detroit and Michigan Shelters & Rescue Groups

Looking to adopt a dog, cat, or any furry friend?

Then click one of these links, or one of the many more listed in Bastet's Pet Adoption Links in this blog's sidebar. While you're there, check out Bastet's Greyhound Adoption Links.

• Petfinder.com (type in your zip code anywhere in the U.S. and find animals in your area - cats, dogs, horses, rabbits - you name it
• Michigan Pet Shelters and Rescue Groups at Petfinder.com
  
• City of Detroit Animal Shelter
  
• Grosse Pointe Animal Adoption Society
• Michigan Humane Society (centers in Detroit, Westland, and Rochester; animals include hamsters, ducks, and the like)
• A True Blue Rescue (wonderful "foster to adopt" program: foster the dog for a short time to make sure that you are right for each other, if so, then adopt!)

Also in the sidebar are links to animal welfare and animal law sites, and detroit dog's (animal) site suggestions.

Links are updated frequently. See detroit dog's post of April 27, 2008, for a links listing of over 20 Michigan animal adoption/rescue groups at the 2008 Meet Your Best Friend at the Zoo event. Or, click on the Adoption label in this blog's sidebar.