Get out the kleenex for this story....if anyone can help, please do!!
Hello all,
My name is Liz Vincent and I am the sole ACO for all of Warren County, Indiana. Some of you know me well and have helped me out of many pinches before, some have helped me out with a single dog and we have never talked again (although it was greatly appreciated), some of you have provided a wealth of knowledge, advice and cheerleading and some of you just ended up in my address book and I don't even remember why! So, first of all, if you have received this from me and have no idea why, then I apologize. If you are an individual (maybe you just inquired about a dog once and automatically got into my address book) and have no idea who I am or why I contacted you and want me to delete your name from my address book just let me know. However, if you are a rescue, I'm afraid you are stuck with me. =)
For the people who aren't familiar with my situation here, I will try my best to explain it as briefly but as thoroughly as possible. When I first became involved with the "shelter" it had a kill rate of close to 100%. The ground around the building was littered with the ashes of the dogs who had spent the last days of their lives in that building. The building itself is a polebarn that sits on a former landfill.
It has 6 kennels inside and is miserable in summer and in winter. My boyfriend, Cory, became the ACO in January of 2004 and was made aware of the fact, prior to taking the job, that dogs that were brought there pretty much always died there. He reluctantly took the job anyway and I told him not to expect to see me out there EVER. I didn't want to see the dogs or even hear about them if they were just going to die. We both love dogs and figured that if they are going to die anyway then at least during their last days they will be taken care of by someone who cares. I just didn't want to have any part of it.
How long do you think that lasted? His first week out on the job he started telling me about this neat dog he had out there. At first I reminded him that I didn't want to know about it. Then one night, as he was on his way out the door to feed and clean he asked if I wanted to tag along. He had asked me in the few days before and I always said no but for some reason something told me to say yes this time and I did. Little did Cory know at the time but he was taking me to a place where I would fall in love with another man.
I walked into the building and there were 3 runs with dogs in them. It was so cold you could see their breath and their water had frozen solid. They whined, happy to see us, but their whines wavered as their bodies shivered in the extreme cold. As Cory was feeding and cleaning (hard to do on frozen concrete) I met the other man. He was a rott mix, not very big, but there was something about him. To this day I'm not quite sure what it was but I knew I would not let this dog die. I named him Rocky and he began the journey I am still on today. Rocky got out alive. I drove him a long way on frozen roads to be sure he would be safe. He went to a rescue, was renamed Gabe and was adopted into a loving home. Maybe, if I hadn't met him, I would still have eventually gone down this path, but if I had stuck to my guns for a few more days, the story would have ended for Gabe up on that cold hill among the ashes of the ones who went before him.
You've all heard the Starfish story, I'm sure. (If not, I've pasted it at the bottom of this email.) Well, he was my first starfish and it was something that empowered me to believe that I can make a difference to some of these dogs, I just had to try and not say, "I don't want to hear it."
So much for being brief. Anyhow, here I am today. Cory was the ACO for a year until he became too burnt out. I have a regular job and I'm a full-time student, so I wasn't looking for another job, but I knew that if I didn't do it, it would revert back to how it was. We did good at getting as many as we could out to rescues and managed to have a few adoptions as well. We even got the county to buy heated water bowls. There's even been talk of getting heat in the building but I'm not holding my breath. I doubt it will happen. At every turn we're told that the county doesn't want to spend money on the place and they don't want a Humane Society.
I've been the ACO since January of this year and little by little I'm making more improvements. I do the best I can with what I have and thankfully have been able to keep a good reputation with the rescues I work with. I take the health of my dogs very seriously. We have had a Petfinder site for over a year and recently, I have gotten the okay to buy dewormer and our first vaccine order is on the way. I can't tell you how excited I am about that. I've been doing it out of my own pocket when I have been able to. My biggest accomplishment, in my opinion, has been getting the okay to switch to a humane form of euthanasia. If I can do nothing else for one of these dogs, now at least, I can give them a "good" death. I can also proudly say that I will not have a dog saved at any cost. If it is going to a private adopter, it is ALWAYS spayed/neutered and up on shots first. That is their adoption fee. I also will only release to rescues that have strict spay and neuter policies with no exceptions. I will not get a dog out only to have it contribute to the pet overpopulation problem.
This brings me to today, I am full and overflowing. Now, even though we are using a humane form of euthanasia, I still want to avoid it, if at all possible. I have 8 wonderful dogs I am working with now to try and get them out alive. I have all 6 runs full and 2 offsite. I have no where else to put a dog if I get called to pick one up. Someone will have to be euthanized. Six of these dogs appear to be purebreds. I have a long-haired Akita pup, a Rottweiler, a Catahoula, a Treeing Walker Coonhound, a Golden Retriever pup and an Am Staff. I also have two adorable mixes that must not be forgotten: Blossom and Skippy. They both are smallish and may both be beagle mixes though I have Blossom listed as a Shep mix, due to her coloring. I had some hit and miss offers to help some of the PB's but nothing definite. I have had no interest in the mixes at all. As of right now, all 8 still have no where to go.
If there is any chance you or your group could help me, I would appreciate it more than you would know. Please email me ASAP. I could get another dog call anytime and that will be it for one of these starfish. I am ALWAYS willing to help with transport. I have a few days off coming up soon and I will gladly devote them to driving.
If I have already emailed you once (or twice) about one or more of these dogs then I apologize for the trouble, but you know how it is when time is up.
Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter.
-Liz Vincent
Warren County Animal Control
[email protected]
www.warrencountyanimalcontrol.petfinder.com
Elvis:Male Treeing Walker Coonhound- This is a real nice young dog and gets along fine with other canines. He has lots of energy and is very affectionate. He seems to be in good shape and has a very happy personality.
Skippy:Beagle mix-Poor Skippy is one of my mixes no one is interested in. He is a great size, not much bigger than a beagle and he is quite young. He is always cheerful and seems to get along fine with other dogs. The pictures really don't do him justice, he is adorable and would make an excellent child's companion.
Blossom:Beagle/Shepherd mix-Blossom is my other mix. She has been here the longest and would probably have to be the first one euth'd if I get a call to pick up a single dog. I'll have to pick another dog also if I have to pick up two or more. I really want to avoid that. I've grown quite fond of this little clown. She isn't very big. She's slender and just a bit taller than Skippy. She seems to be under a year. I should have gotten better pictures of her because she has the kindest expressions and would make a great family dog. She doesn't usually jump up and is quite gentle. She's another permanently happy dog.
Rainy:Catahoula Leopard Dog-I'm not overly familiar with this breed and I imagine not a lot of people are. I can tell you what I know about little Rainy though. She isn't especially dominant. As new dogs come in she likes to let them know she was here first, but she isn't nasty with them. She loves people and will trot up to you and sit on your feet with her back up against your legs while looking up with an expression that says, "Well, pet me silly." She almost seems to crave the human touch. She is graceful and quick but not hyperactive.
Gentle Ben:Rottweiler-He's a big grizzly bear of a dog. He isn't ancient, but he isn't a pup either. He is a distinguished gentleman with just a touch of gray around his mouth. I had to give him an appropriate name and so I am calling him Gentle Ben. He is about as happy and mellow as they come. He's a big quiet boy and would make someone a great pet. He was found in an area that is notorious for dog dumping and he almost got hit a couple of times before being picked up. He seems to get along just fine with most other dogs.
Isabella:Long Haired Akita pup-This baby girl is just the absolute sweetest thing! She is so gentle even though she is well on her way to being a big girl! She isn't much over 6 months old. She never jumps up and just wants to give lots of little puppy kisses. Even her kisses are gentle! She does have lots of hair and will require plenty of grooming to keep her healthy and happy. She deserves a family that will love her and brush her and not just leave her in a yard to be forgotten. She is one in a million.
Domino:Am Staff/Pit Bull-Domino is a very friendly and playful boy. He would be best in a home without small dogs or cats but might do fine with a more submissive female his own size or larger, or as an only dog. When he was picked up he was running with a male husky mix that he seemed to get along with fine. He is absolutely beautiful. He will sit for you on command, especially if you have something edible! He is smart enough to know whether he can get something out of the deal. He is a fun dog with a lot of energy but he isn't overwhelming. I fell in love with him the first time I saw him and would keep him myself if I could. He belongs next to a loving owner on a couch. He's a good boy, quite affectionate toward people and, in my humble opinion, I think it would be an honor for anyone to adopt such a great guy. It just has to be someone special because he's a lot of dog and quite special himself.
Duke:Golden Retriever pup-In animal control we see so many dogs and puppies come through our shelters and for some reason some of them touch you a little more than others. Duke is a special pup (under 6-8 months old) that has been joy that I look forward to seeing every day when I go out to animal control. He is one of those rare "mellow" pups that you just want to love on all day. He wags his whole body in slow motion and bats his beautiful eyelashes at you while giving you his VERY charming golden smile and that's it! He's got you, you're his.
The Starfish Story
The story, told countless times with various changes of characters, is originally from the book "The Star Thrower" by Loren Eisley (1907-1977)
One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean.
Approaching the boy, he asked, "What are you doing?"
The youth replied, "Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die."
"Son," the man said, "don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make a difference!"
The boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said, "It made a difference to that one."
