This dog was born on Christmas Eve in the year 2002. He was born with 2 legs. He of course could not walk when he was born. Even his mother did not want him.

His first owner also did not think that he could survive and he was thinking of ‘putting him to sleep’.  But then, his present owner, Jude Stringfellow, met him and wanted to take care of him. She became determined to teach and train this little dog to walk by himself.  She named him ‘Faith’.

In the beginning, she put Faith on a surfboard to let him feel the movement. Later she used peanut butter on a spoon as a lure and reward for him for standing up and jumping around.

Even the other dog at home encouraged him to walk. Amazingly, only after 6 months, like a miracle, Faith learned to balance on his hind legs and to jump to move forward.
After further training in the snow, he could now walk like a human being.  

Faith loves to walk around now. No matter where he goes, he attracts people to him.
He is fast becoming famous on the international scene and has appeared on various newspapers and TV shows. There is now a book entitled ‘With a Little Faith’ being published about him. He was even considered to appear in one of Harry Potter movies.

His present owner Jude Stringfellew has given up her teaching post and plans to take him around the world to preach that even without a perfect body, one can have a perfect soul’.

In life there are always undesirable things, so in order to feel better you just need to look at life from another direction. I hope this message will bring fresh new ways of thinking to everyone and that everyone will appreciate and be thankful for each beautiful day. Above all it shows us not to dismiss that which seems imperfect because sometimes it can be the most perfect thing in the world on the inside!

When you are considering adoption, don’t dismiss the special needs animal. On the outside they might appear imperfect, but they still have so much to give! The depth of a soul has nothing to do with the package it comes wrapped in!

Until Tomorrow Remember

BE THE CHANGE YOU SEEK!

Janette

Last Thursday and Friday we discussed summer safety for your dog. In both posts I made sure to tell you never to leave your dog in your vehicle on a hot summer day. You know the standard cars become ovens speech. Seems I would have done better to have given that lecture to police officers in Sterling Virginia. On May 31 they arrested Stu Grimes. Grimes had been out at a party the night before and in the small hours of the morning stopped at a diner to have breakfast. But Grimes partying caught up with him and he reportedly fell asleep at the table. Diner staff called the police and Grimes was arrested for being drunk in public.

Stu Grimes dog Rex died when police refused to return to the scene of Grimes arrest and let the dog out of his parked car.

Grimes however was not traveling alone at the time of his arrest. His dog was waiting in the car for his master to return. Only Grimes did not return because he had been arrested. Grimes claims that he begged and pleaded with arresting officers to go and get his dog out of his car. His pleas were ignored, and when he was finally released from custody his worst fears were realized. His dog Rex, who had been locked all day in his car, was dead on the floor in the back seat. The temperature outside had reached 100 degrees that day, the conditions in the car were unsurvivable.

Grimes is understandably heartbroken, his beloved pet is gone. My biggest question is this, who should be held responsible for Rex’s death? According to Grimes he told police many time there was a dog in his car. The panic alarm was reportedly set off during Grimes arrest, yet arresting officers claim they did not know Grimes had a vehicle. Grimes claims he begged so vehemently for officers to save his dog that they teased him and laughed at him but no one bothered to check out his story. Did these officers let an innocent dog die for spite?

Now it could be easily said that Grimes should not of taken his dog with him when he went partying, but there is no law against visiting friends with your dog, and last time I checked it wasn’t illegal to take your dog with you wherever you went. What disturbs me most about this story is simply the fact that grown men allowed an animal to die a slow and horrible death because they did not do their job. They saw a human being whom they felt was drunk in public and decided to dismiss anything he said as unimportant. What if Grimes had left his human baby in the car? Would police have taken action then?

If what Grimes is claiming is the truth then Sterling Virginia police knowingly allowed an animal to suffer a slow lingering death, I am pretty sure that isn’t protocol. Will these officers be called to account for their actions? That remains to be seen, one thing however, seems abundantly clear to me, police in Sterling Virginia seriously need some sensitivity training, they also need to learn to take action when an animal’s life is at stake. Rex may have been “just a dog” to these officers, but he was a living breathing being until they locked up his best friend and left him to die alone not understanding why no one came for him.

The officers involved should be charged with animal cruelty, and Grimes should sue the city for everything they are worth! Unfortunately for Rex, any action taken against the arresting officers in the case will have come too late to save him.

Until Tomorrow Remember

BE THE CHANGE YOU SEEK!

Janette

Yesterday we talked about dogs and summer back yard safety. So today all of your backyards should be dog safe! But what about when we hit the road for that camping vacation or to head to Grandma’s house in Florida? If you are driving this summer to get to your vacation destination, and Fido is traveling with you, there are a few things you need to know before hitting the road! Watch the following short video, it will tell you what you need to know for a happy and memory filled trip with your pooch this summer!

Remember these tips when traveling with Fido:

1.) Be sure to get veterinary phone numbers for clinics in the area you are traveling to. That way if there is an emergency involving your pet, you know who to call.

2.) Be sure to get a tag made up with your cell phone number as well as the number of a relative not traveling with you. That way if your pet becomes separated from you, you can be contacted by anyone finding him.

3.) Be sure to use a pet seat belt. That way in the event of an accident your pet will not be thrown around the inside of your vehicle or escape through an open window.

4.) Pack a cooler for meal times, or use a drive through window. NEVER leave your dog in the car while you have a leisurely lunch at a roadside diner. Remember your car acts like an oven even with the windows cracked open.

Have a safe and happy summer everyone! I want to see LOTS of fun happy summer memory pics!

Until Tomorrow Remember

BE THE CHANGE YOU SEEK!

Janette

I am aware that many of you who are members of Let’s Adopt Canada are also members of Let’s Adopt Global. You would be aware then, that Let’s Adopt Turkey is wrestling with a very difficult decision, to suspend operations in Turkey or continue on? Viktor Larkhil and a few key members of Let’s Adopt Turkey have managed against all odds to do great work there, they have saved many lives. However, they have fought long and hard and still can not gain the support of the Turkish community. Everyone wants them to make a difference, but no one wants to help them do so. Thus they are considering suspending Turkish rescue operations.

Some of you may be asking yourselves why they would give up, but those of us that run other Let’s Adopt countries know. Lack of members willing to step up and provide them with foster homes, and an absence of members willing to be hands on rescuers will eventually end rescue efforts no matter how passionate and dedicated the core group of people is. You can not save the world by yourself no matter how dedicated you are. You NEED others willing to step forward and be a part of the process. When no one steps forward progress grinds to a halt. Once that happens you feel like you are merely spinning your wheels and getting nowhere. You feel like it is time to pack it in and concentrate your efforts elsewhere.

It is this very crossroads at which Let’s Adopt Turkey now finds itself. They want to move on, keep saving lives, but without help the task is insurmountable. Without you Let’s Adopt Turkey will cease to exist. Without YOU, my Turkish friends, no lives can be saved no change can be made. Are YOU ready to let that happen? Are you all ready to give up? I seriously hope not, for the fate of Let’s Adopt Turkey lies with YOU! As does the fate of countless Turkish animals.

Let Viktor know you are with him! Step forward, become a part of the solution. Those who are not a part of the solution are a part of the problem. Do you really wish to be a part of the problem? Is this what you want to say to the world about animal “lovers” in Turkey? That they do not care, that they are not willing to work for change? Perhaps you have been ready to step forward, but told yourself many others would so your help was not needed.  Step forward anyway, there will always be work for those willing. Perhaps you do not understand that YOU are the one standing between rescue and peril. Learn it, know it, your help would make a difference.

Are you going to stand by and watch the death of Let’s Adopt Turkey? Or will this be the day you realize, we must ALL be willing to step up and BE THE CHANGE WE SEEK? Don’t let the rescue end! Show the world you do care, step forward and save Let’s Adopt Turkey, for the sake of the animals.

Until Tomorrow Remember

BE THE CHANGE YOU SEEK!

Janette

Today I am saddened to have to tell you that as of the time I got out of bed this morning, I have no idea what happened to our litter of eight two week old orphaned kittens. On Sunday I was contacted by a woman seeking our assistance. Her female cat had gotten out of the house and been killed by a car, in itself that would not be unusual, but this cat had two weeks previous, given birth to a litter of eight kittens. So now this woman had eight orphaned kitties that needed to be bottle fed every two hours. A daunting task for most pet owners, most of us would seek help in this situation.

I agreed that we would indeed help her out, and went to you our faithful members for help. You responded, and we soon had a solution in place. I have to point out that we had solved the problem in less than twenty four hours, all that was left was to arrange pickup of the kittens. What happened next sent me into a fit of rage the likes of which I have not experienced since an ignorant veterinarian profiled one of my rescues sight unseen. When I called to arrange to pickup the kittens I was told they were gone! This woman had decided that we were taking too long to help her (remember, LESS than twenty four hours had gone by at this point) and had supposedly dropped the kittens off at the nearest vet clinic that would take them in. Problem was, after calling EVERY veterinary clinic in town I still could not locate the kittens! Their true fate is unknown at this time.

Now let me tell you what I read between the lines during my conversations with the pet owner seeking our assistance. She told me this was the SECOND litter this cat had given birth to, and the first thing that came to mind was “why did she not have the cat spayed after she had weened the first litter?” When she first called me she claimed to be devastated by the death of her beloved pet, yet obviously did not love the animal enough to do right by her and have her spayed. She told me that feeding eight kittens every two hours was too much for her and that she only wanted one or two because now she had to “replace the cat that was killed.” She wanted the rest to be taken by others and cared for. I can understand not being able to care for eight practically newborn kittens, but I can not understand anyone who merely “replaces” one pet with another, that does not, to me show loving care for the animal lost.

I may never know what really happened to eight kittens we had agreed to help save, but suffice it to say that I am using all contacts I possess trying to find out. I don’t want to give voice to my dark thoughts on the subject for I fear the worst, but then we all know that my faith in humanity is tried and tested on a daily basis. If ever there was a time where I was frustrated enough to say “I give up” this is it. But I can’t let myself do that, because if I do who will be the voice for the voiceless? I will continue on, but I will have become, just a little more jaded.

Until Tomorrow Remember

BE THE CHANGE YOU SEEK!

Janette

Good morning members and friends. Over the weekend we said we would be launching our summer rescue efforts. What I did not know at the time was that would mean taking in six orphaned kittens who needed bottle feeding. Now I need the help of our members in the Barrie, Ontario area. We desperately need to find foster homes for these kittens. They need to be bottle fed, as their Mom was killed by a car when she got outside. She left behind eight babies born only two weeks ago. As you can well imagine the task of feeding eight almost newborn kittens is a daunting one. The cat’s owner can not possibly handle the bottle feeding of all eight kittens on her own and has asked us to help with six of the eight. She will keep two with her and feed them.

Anyone in the Barrie, Ontario area who can find it in their heart to take on this task and help us save these babies please contact me right away! We can save them, but I need your help! Please contact me right away if you can assist in this rescue.

janettehamilton@bell.net

Until Tomorrow Remember

BE THE CHANGE YOU SEEK!

Janette