Posts Tagged ‘acc’

Take a Penny, Give a Penny

Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011
Story submitted by Emily Gilbert, a Bobbi and the Strays volunteer.
Penny was a used as a “bait” dog in illegal dog fighting. Most people know what this is. If you do not – the bait dog is usually chained, muzzled, and/or confined in some way so that another dog (the fighting dog) can attack it freely for what some cruel people deem as “sport”. Sometimes the bait dog will be used as a kind of prop in order to train a fighting dog to become even more aggressive during an actual dog fighting match.
Penny was seized by police during a dog-fighting raid and sadly, soon found herself on the euthanasia list at NYC’s Animal Care and Control – not that she hadn’t already been through enough. (At least her “owner” went to jail for animal cruelty.)
Luckily, Bobbi and the Strays pulled her from the ACC and gave her a second chance. While Penny did not bear physical scars, her emotional scars were very much apparent. She was extremely timid, yet sweet – never aggressive! She would cower in her cage seemingly afraid of the entire world. It always took her time to come out of her shell for newer people or newer places – but once she did she was all kisses and love. Being so shy for new people – she was repeatedly overlooked by potential adopters. Poor Penny went two years at the shelter without any interest.

Penny at an adoption event

When I met her, I knew immediately that she was special and just needed a patient person to draw out her personality and make her feel safe. 

Penny meeting some children at an adoption event

Six years prior to that my family had put our dachshund of 17 years to sleep. My mother said that she could never go through that again and swore she would never have another dog because of it. But recently she had started talking about possibly adopting a dog. When she said this I told her that she had to drive up to New York and meet Penny.
She and my stepfather drove from Baltimore and sat in Penny’s run with her for an hour, earning her trust. They threw tennis balls for her to fetch and patiently waited until she felt comfortable enough to come near them. By the end of the hour they were able to take her for a walk and then she jumped into the back of my car and left the shelter for good. My mom and Tom were in love. 

Penny with her new mommy and daddy

That night, just over a year ago, they took Penny back to Baltimore and she’s been with them ever since. She loves to play fetch in the backyard and go for car rides. And she’s taken over their queen-sized bed, in which she spends her afternoons napping. She’s a happy dog. She wiggles her butt and wags her tail with excitement. Every day she’s a little less shy and lets more and more people, things and experiences into her world.

Penny - home at last : - )

As happy as she is, it’s even more amazing to see how happy she’s made my mother and stepfather. We can’t imagine our family without her. She’s proof that an overlooked shelter dog can turn out to be a very special, amazing companion. If Bobbi and the Strays hadn’t given her a chance and cared for her during her long wait for a forever family, our family just wouldn’t be the same.

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Posted in Happy Tails, Rescue Stories, Shelter Stories, Volunteer Vittles | 5 Comments »

Answer to Nightly Heartbreak

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

I was on the internet last night on the Bobbi & the Strays’ web site because I’m a big supporter of what Bobbi does to rescue dogs. I like to check the web site from time to time to see if there are any fund raisers that I will be able to attend. While clicking around, I found an old article in the archives from June of 2009 called “The Nightly Heartbreak”. The name of the dog ‘Lacey’ that Bobbi wrote about caught my eye so I kept reading. It’s all about this scrawny little Pit Bull that was on the Animal Care and Control’s euthanasia list. Needless to say, Bobbi was heart broken. Lacey was due to be put down that night. Bobbi couldn’t get Lacey out of her mind but had no room at the shelter to take her in and was troubled about not being able to save her.

Bobbi got the ACC’s list two days later and there was Lacey’s name on the list again. In Bobbi’s own words from the article, “I am hardly ever delighted to see an animal on the Euth list but that night on June 6th 2009 when I saw Lacey back on the list, I was ecstatic. For some reason or another, they hadn’t euthanized her two nights ago but here she was again. I immediately picked up the phone to call the hotline to pull her off the list. In my message I told them I would pick her up Monday morning.”

When I got to the end of the article I saw the picture of Lacey from the ACC that Bobbi had included in the article. I sat in front of my computer and cried. The dog that Bobbi was writing about was the same dog that I adopted from Bobbi, officially on September 1st 2009.

lacey 

‘Lacey’ has now been renamed Maggie. She is such a wonderfully happy, healthy dog. She never lets a day go by without letting us know that she loves us. A shake of her tail when we walk into the room usually winds up shaking her whole body in a frantic ‘hi mommy’ kind of a way. So, who rescued who? Whether it’s with a lick on the face or that way she tilts her head when you ask her if she wants to go for a walk, Maggie has brightened a place in our hearts that was dark from the loss of our beloved dog Harley from cancer. Harley was a Pit Bull also and had the sweetest demeanor of any dog I’ve ever known.

Unfortunately, Pit Bulls have been stereotyped as vicious fighting dogs but what most people don’t know is that Pits are just the opposite. They are among the most loving and affectionate breeds I know. Since we adopted Maggie, I have met many Pit Bull owners who agree that the breed is misunderstood because there are people out there that breed and raise them specifically for fighting.

God bless Bobbi for being the person that she is. She doesn’t think twice when rescuing any dog, (most of the time Pit Bulls). Did you know that Pits are the number one dog breed in shelters across the US due to over breeding? Bobbi should be commended for trying to break the stigma associated with Pit Bulls. She has truly found her calling and does a wonderful job bringing strays into her heart, her home and her shelters and eventually to their forever home. She never gives up on a dog, never.

Bobbi, thank you for saving ‘Lacey’ from certain death. In just about a week it will be Maggie’s one year anniversary with us. I can never repay you for the happiness she has brought into our home and our hearts. You are a special person for caring so much and for doing what you do.

Here is a new and improved picture of Maggie. She has come a long way since her days at ACC.

lacey-now

Thank you for everything,

Chris Elf

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Posted in Happy Tails | 2 Comments »

Never Say Never

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

Sam was a yellow lab/shar pei mix that came to us from Animal Control in Staten Island. Their shelter was full and they were going to euthanize him and another dog named Tickles. Did we have room, they inquired? We, of course, are always full. There are more dogs needing rescue than people adopting but sometimes we are able to raise the funds to pay for two extra cages in boarding and that is what we did for Tickles and Sam.

The day they came in, I found Sam to be shy but friendly. His tail was between his legs and he stood there quivering. I eased him into the shelter and brought him back to the cage we set up for him.  He looked at me with uncertainity but followed me in. I left him alone to examine the comfy bed and new chew toys I had left for him.

Tickles was more outgoing. She covered my face with kisses and was very excited to be at our shelter. It was like she knew she was safe. She somehow knew she had escaped an early death. 

When I was leaving for the night I made an extra stop to Tickles and Sam’s cages. They were both on their beds all curled up. I had already turned the lights out so I couldn’t see them too well. I went into their cages and sat with them for a moment and pet them, telling them everything was okay now.

I never dreamed that either of them would be a “hard adoption.”   Sam was a cute lab mix and though he was scared, he was calm and friendly. Tickles was an adorable dog and though some people have prejudices against pits and pit mixes she was extremely freindly and outgoing, full of love and charm. Plus she was only 35 lbs and very short. The smaller dogs are easier to place in the city where many people live in cramped spaces.

However as the days wore on, Sam’s fear kept him from trusting new people. He was very in tune to body language and if someone leaned over him the wrong way or stared too hard, he felt he had to protect himself. His sensitivity to this suggests he may have been abused in his previous home. This broke our hearts and we were determined to do everything we could to help him. We took him to obedience classes. The first time I took him he refused to go down stairs. In fact he was petrified of them! It took me 15 minutes to get him down the steps to the class.

Another volunteer named Donna fell in love with Sam and continued classes with him. He picked up commands very easily and he mastered “sit’, “stay”, “come” and “down” very easily. He graduated the beginners class without a problem. However he didn’t do as well in his CGC class. Because he was very afraid of some strangers it was difficult for him to accept the touch of a stranger during certain tests for the CGC.

Sam seemed to withdraw more and more. Fewer and fewer volunteers were willing to walk him. People became afraid of him. With the volunteers and staff who knew him and who he trusted he was a loveable, playful puppy. He loved playing fetch, practicing his commands and just cuddling on your lap. But the people he didn’t know or trust saw him differently. “That dog will never get adopted!” someone once said.

But at Bobbi and the Strays we never say never! We never gave up on Sam. We continued to work with him and advertise him. We were committed to finding him the right home

Not long after, Sam’s angels came to meet him. They were a lovely couple that lived in Westchester county. They just moved to a home with a spacious grassy yard. They loved hiking in the beautiful Rockefeller State Perserve and planned to take their new dog with them. It seemed an ideal life for Sam. 

When they came to meet Sam, Sam loved them right away. He trusted them right on the spot and they didn’t let him down. They wanted to adopt him! It surely was the happiest day of his life so far!

We knew that there would be an adjustment period and Sam’s new parents understood.  He was always good with them and showed them nothing but love and gratitude. He can still be weary of some strangers but they continue to work with him to build his confidence.

The happiest moment for us was getting updated photos of Sam in his new home. He looked like a different dog. So happy and relaxed! The weight of the world seemed to be lifted off his shoulders!

Here are some photos that his new parents have sent to us. Doesn’t he look wonderful?

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sam-cats

Meanwhile Tickles, the petite outgoing pit mix is still at our shelter. This completely baffles us because she is an adorable, well behaved dog.  She goes out on day trips with volunteers sometimes who say she is great. She is housebroken, walks well on the leash, loves learning basic commands and playing with her toys. When I took her to Rockaway Beach a couple of times she was so happy to be there. She loved sniffing the sand and she stood at the waters edge taking in the salty air and the scenery.  She doesn’t give us any problems at the shelter. Its heartbreaking for us to see her stare out through the cage bars when we put her back in the cage for the night. She seems to be wondering, “Why hasn’t anyone come for me?”

Recently a volunteer made a video of Tickles in hopes that it would help her find a home.  Please click here to watch her video:  Tickles still needs a home!

We know that just like with Sam, there is a home out there for Tickles.  We just have to find it! Please spread the word about this wonderful dog so soon we can post updated photos of her happy and relaxed in her new home as we did with Sam.

To adopt or foster Tickles please email Adopt@bobbicares.org

For more info on this wonderful dog please see her bio on our website: Tickles Adoption Page

Here are the most recent photos of the beautiful Tickles taken at our shelter.

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Posted in Happy Tails, How To Help, Rescue Stories | 2 Comments »

The Nightly Heartbreak

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009

June 4th,  I received the Euth list from the ACC.  The list was full of beautiful, friendly, adoptable dogs that only landed on the dreaded list because of space or because they had come down a cold. Yes, a simple cold can land a dog on the euth list these days. This was the reason that Lacey, a beautiful chocolate brown pit mix was to be euthanized the next day.  She was only 30 lbs. From her photo she looks very underweight. I could see her ribs. Her tail was tucked so far underneath her body, you culd barely tell she had a tail at all.  An animal control volunteer wrote she was friendly with people, other animals, no aggression noted… However our shelter was full. I had a waiting list a mile long of dogs that needed to come in. Where was I going to put Lacey?

I tried to put her out of my mind… but sometimes there are dogs that just won’t leave. They haunt me. There was another dog named Lucy that I had wanted to save off the euth list awhile back but I had already pulled another dog… and I had no space, yet something about Lucy just grabbed me. “You can’t save them all,” I told myself as I went to sleep with an uneasy feeling in my chest…  I never forgot Lucy. For some reason she stands out in my mind. I know if we don’t have space and I can’t find a foster there isn’t much I can do. I had already pulled another dog that I really didn’t have room for and was going to foster myself…  Yet I felt personally responsible for her death even though I had nothing to do with Lucy being in Animal Control in the first place. Once you make that connection, its hard to forget.  This is just one example of what goes on for many rescuers in our city. This nightly heartbreak that the euth list brings…  It hurt to know Lacey would join Lucy and the rest of the dead that live on in the back of my mind…

Then on June 6th we had a very successful adoption event. Two dogs ended up going home and we had some great applications for some others. In addition to that, another dog went to foster in the morning. In my mind I am always trying to figure out a way to “make room” at the shelter and once I had mentally filled the empty cages and potentially empty cages with the waiting list dogs it looked like there still may be room. I had a beautiful Rottweiler that had been thrown out on the street by his owner coming in on Monday ( a kind neighbor was holding the dog for us) and two pit bulls abandoned by their owners coming in later in the week.  By miracle another dog on the intake list had been reunited with his owner… It looked like there may be some room now… some pressure was lifting…

I am hardly ever delighted to see an animal on the Euth list but that night on June 6th when I saw Lacey back on the list, I was ecstatic. For some reason or another, they hadn’t euthanized her two nights ago but here she was again. I immediately picked up the phone to call the hotline to pull her off the list. In my message I told them I would pick her up Monday morning.

I hung up the phone and looked at my own dog, Horatio who was lying in bed looking at me. Horatio was also on the Euth list twice before I was able to save him. The first time, a volunteer pulled him off in hopes that rescue would take him. No one did and he ended up back on the list a couple of days later. He was only six months old at the time. We just had a dog adopted that day and I was able to pull him. It was the best decision I ever made.

Horatio was staring at me with his dark eyes. “This one was for you,” I told him. I can’t imagine my life without Horatio. He brings me so much happiness everyday. He is loyal, devoted and affectionate. He is so full of life, loves to run and play and inspires me everyday. I knew that Lacey could also bring this to someone’s life.  Its easy to just say, “Oh another pit bull on the list” but if you know a dog that has survived the euth list… know their personalities and look into their eyes… you can’t imagine that they almost lost their lives because they are so beautiful, so alive, and you can’t imagine that there are ones just like them about to be put to sleep right now… yet tragically,  there are. Beautiful dogs that could be someone’s pet, someone’s best friend are being put to sleep everyday in NYC.

I felt ecstatic that I was able to save Lacey. I love the feeling of picking the dogs up from Animal Control and telling them they are safe now.  I love when they hop into the car and stick their noses out the window and sniff the fresh air…  Its a wonderful feeling to be able to rescue a dog!

Then I open my email the next night… and as there is everynight, there a euth list there, full of dogs waiting for rescuers to come get them… and my heart sinks as I look at the photos… where can I make room…? Where can I make room? If only I had a huge shelter or a waiting list of foster homes just waiting to help rescue a dog off the euth list… or even an extra room in this apartment…  All of these things swirl through my mind…

While I am grateful they give us a chance to save these dogs, I can’t wait for the day when there are no euth lists. It will take more than rescues pulling dogs for this to happen (spay/neuter, humane education, the closing of puppy mills etc) but we can’t stop pulling the dogs, rescuing them one at time.  It may not seem to make a dent but for the ones who survive it means everything.

Here is Lacey’s ACC photo.

lacey

For more information of adopting and fostering please visit our website www.bobbiandthestrays.org

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Posted in Rescue Stories | 5 Comments »