Goldberg and Biscuit
It was one year ago today that we first got in a rented cargo van and started the long journey to Harlan, Kentucky that started Safe Hands Animal Rescue. We went to save a dog named Goldberg whose picture tore out our hearts. We went to save Helena and Buster and Biscuit and Savannah. We did not make it in time to save them all. We filled our vans though and brought back tiny baby Emma Dot who was dropped at the shelter that morning in a cardboard box. We brought back Oliver who had been shot and had a bullet in his side. We brought back Gracie and her six babies, happy, goofy Jake, big sweet loverboy Chance, scared Nissa, World’s Cutest Puppy Louis, fluffy Bowie, Faith & Hope. We can’t forget the bathroom girl Izzy or Harlan who found his way to our van without us knowing and we didn’t have the heart to take him off and so many more
We were so optimistic, idealistic and full of possibility. We didn’t know what we didn’t know and we didn’t know we couldn’t do what we set out to do, so we did it. Along the way we learned so much. We were constantly amazed at the generosity and kindness of people we’d never met. It was many of you who dropped everything with little notice to bring donations of crates, blankets, collars, leashes, dog food and more so that we could make this trip. You took time out of your busy schedules and hard earned money out of your pockets to help these dogs whose pictures touched you too. We were also regularly dismayed by the depravities of which humans are capable and by attitudes we cannot comprehend. But that was yet to come.
One year ago this weekend we arrived back in Minneapolis with 34 dogs to an outpouring of support from strangers who became family who gave their hearts, time and energy to some raggedy dogs from a shelter in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. The dogs were bathed, vetted, fed, watered, walked and for the first time in a very long time, loved. These were the first Safe Hands kids.
We worked hard to set up protocols, spay and neuter days, our Petfinder site, adoption day events and to find these guys all the forever homes they deserved. Goldberg, now Eli Goldberg, was fittingly the first to be adopted into his forever home with two of the most amazing humans I have met and their son. I remember Faith’s family walking into the adoption event and straight to her, knowing she was meant for them and how she took right to them. Izzy’s foster family adopted her so she was Home from Day One. Gracie was our first heartworm positive dog. After a failed adoption attempt (she kept vomitting in the home, a clear sign she disapproved) she went to a fabulous foster home and by the time she was cleared from heartworm treatment it was clear she was also Home to stay. Chance also tested heartworm positive and was successfully treated.
With many of the first kids making new beginnings in new homes we had another first, our first transport via the underground doggie railroad. We received a 911 call from the shelter and six tiny puppies who were not fully weaned but had lost their mother joined us. Madison and Pixie Pixel8 Pixie Stick also hitched a ride. They arrived on the eve of my birthday and I rang in the day bathing tiny babies. It was a fabulous gift to be able to help save their lives. Janine took the six tiny babies home, her first time fostering, and began the sleepless nights and syringe feedings that would save them. It was only one of several “firsts” these pups would provide.
Maddie’s siblings, including my Lexington Jane Tiny Peanut Monkey Girl, would arrive the following weekend.
That time was so busy (when hasn’t it been?) and everything was so new. It is hard to remember it all. One thing we cannot forget though is the next “first” - our first case of parvo and sweet baby boy Tucker, the first puppy we lost to the dreadful disease. We had no idea then just how familiar we would be with parvo, what a formidable enemy it is, how fierce our battles with it would be, how hard won the victories and how devastating the losses.
Shortly after we lost Tucker our final “first” with these pups; they started losing hair and tested positive for sarcoptic mange. We learned a big lesson about treating every dog with Revolution which is not only the cure for sarcoptic mange but also a preventative.
We picked ourselves up and trudged along. We began our tradition of having a transport on or near almost every holiday. Thanksgiving eve brought in Angel who wasn’t the “real” Angel but was truly an angel nonetheless, Ariel and Scooter. Early December brought in the “polar bear” cubs Roxie, Rumor, Ryder and Coco, little Max and his sisters Lulu & Violet, Riley, Abby, Maggie & Kenzie. This is one of those times when people were truly amazing in a good way. We arrived back in Minneapolis at 3 am and showed up at Laura’s basement to bathe all these pups, volunteers Diane and Nicole also showed up at that unholy hour and stayed until 6 am when all the pups were feeling better and ready to go. Trooper Diane even went home with an unplanned baby in foster dog Maggie.
It was nearly Christmas and we had most of our dogs in Homes and planned to wait until after the new year to take in new dogs. We got the 911 call. There was a baby boy at the shelter. He had been hit by a car. He couldn’t stand. He’d been there since just after our last transport. He was going to be put down. Could we, would we possibly, help. Enter our Moses Man - arriving to my house at 3 am Christmas Eve morning. More amazing moments as this group pulled together to show Moses what love was and a stream of visitors made their way through my home, sitting with Moses in his room, feeding him, bathing him, playing with him and just sitting with his head in someone’s hand while he slept. Moses transformed from a scared boy who I was told might not be able to form attachments to a sweet, goofy little guy who loved toys, his and everyone else’s, loved his bed - a gift from Tris and Michelle, and hated to sleep alone. Moses remains in my home where he eases in each new foster puppy as he plays with them. watches over them and lets them sleep next to him. He recently graduated from Junior High. He may still develop complications from his injuries and his crooked legs but whatever happens Moses is Home to stay.
Ace (Angel who also was not Angel) and Misty Mystery Girl also joined us on the “Moses Transport”. Those of us who were there will never forget Mr. Ace sitting on the toilet in Kalen and Steve’s bathroom somewhere post 1 am, post bath, and acting as if it were his throne. My mom will not forget me showing up at 2 am with Misty Christmas Eve morning. I will not forget how she smiled and told me it was no trouble at all, really.
January brought our next trip to Harlan. Steph T. drove with us and was tireless and a very valuable addition to our road team. We coordinated with several other rescue groups to bring a total of 46 dogs from the shelter to safety. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Last Hope, Homeward Bound, Happy Tails, One Life at a Time, Puppy Porch, St. Francis and the many other groups that have at various times taken in the dogs of Harlan, provided them a safety net and a future. People once again showed up with food and supplies for the shelter which they were grateful to receive. Gus, Cricket (bless you Jenni for your work with this scared, shy girl), Rip and Raven, Charlie, Ally, Moxie, Marlie, Kelsie, Rosie, Calvin and Hobbes and six shepherd pups - Boo, Tag, Rex, Lily, Iris and Edison came Home. Gentle old soul Serena followed a few weeks later.
Our year started off rough. First Edison came down with parvo. He had it bad and we admitted him to the E Clinic where he had a platelet transfusion among other things but it was all to no avail. Our next transport brought in Dexter, Spencer, Mandy, Juliet, Theo and Domino among others. All six of those puppies would come down with parvo. It looked very grim for Theo and there was a long night we thought would be his last. The next morning he started eating, Everything! He recovered speedily and with a vengeance. But just days later the next kids got sick. When it looked like they would all pull through and the worst was over my heart baby boy, Baby Dex, left this world for what I sincerely hope is a better
These losses were beyond painful, there are no words. We considering ceasing Safe Hands Rescue. Instead we decided to take action and we started the Dexter Dollars fund to raise money for vaccines at the shelter which we hoped would eliminate or reduce the amount of puppies at that shelter that suffered from this despicable disease. I sent you an email when my heart was breaking and I thought I could not possibly take any more.
Somehow we kept going though and we were able to take in dogs and coordinate rescue and transport for dogs and managed to aid the shelter in going three months without having to euthanize, a first for them. March saw an emergency trip up to Minneapolis when the shelter had an influx of dogs, was overrun and euthanasia was imminent. Mandy and her husband loaded a van full of dogs and drove all the way to Minneapolis and on three days notice you once again came through bringing puppy food and other supplies to Mandy so she could return to the shelter with her van full.
Meanwhile Serena’s story unfolded and came to a happy conclusion and a new beginning. She, a dignified lady, a malamute mix, had been at the shelter for some time. She had been found stray having been shot in the face with a bb gun. She was sweet, proper, well mannered and a truly great dog. She arrived looking old, seeming almost arthritic, with a mammary tumor. The tumor was removed and was benign and we celebrated big. As she was provided with good food, love, a warm home, a family, the years seemed to peel away, she moved better, her coat turned lusterous, she played with her foster dog siblings, she was happy. After several months in foster care whether by happenstance or kismet Serena met the people that would be captivated by her spirit and a very special forever home. Serena now lives with two college professors. She spends days in their office and is visited by students who like to take her for walks around campus. She summers in Maine.
The year flew by and there are way too many things to remember and mention. There were the holiday “puppy presents” drives where you collected donations at your office or through holiday parties for our orphan dogs and those still at the shelter. There is the Moses Medical Fund established for special medical needs dogs. There were the Moses’ fundraisers, Kalen’s homemade dog biscuits, the Team Moses bracelets, the Rollergirls events, the many individual donations, Twyla’s spectacular silent auction, Sassy Lu Salon’s donation drive, Glo Skin Spa’s benefit for Safe Hands day.
There were new friendships made. There is Tess who came to foster the shepherd Nissa and now helps run Safe Hands. There is everyone who shows up in the middle of the night giving up sleep to help settle in new Safe Hands kids upon arrival,and ease their way. There is Susan & Marianna and Mike & Stephanie, Vyto & Kelly (doubling as special needs nurse maid extraordinaire), Steph and Shari, Kim & Wally, Terrilea and niece Haley and many more. There are tireless fosters like Valerie, Deb, Terrilea, Karen, Susan, Cathy, Annie, Leah, Amy & their families and so many more there too. There is Dr. Charlie meeting our transports to provide medical care for our new arrivals. There is Michael who keeps us clean and green. So many more who deserve to be mentioned but it’s 3 am and my brain is growing foggy.
There was Eden with the broken leg, Twiggy who needed surgery on her eyes, Nora with the eye infections and bad skin condition, tiny Cashew with her anemia and strange blood problems and tiny Mimi who arrived fitting in one hand with an eye so damaged it had to be removed. There was the April transport with the arrival of 34 puppies and the amazing number of people who opened their homes to foster these pups so their lives could be saved. And there was Minnie. Minnie with her indomitable spirit and will to survive. Minnie who’s survival is as close to a miracle as I’ve ever seen.
There were Tucker, Edison, Dexter, Ava, Maisy, Pheobe, Piper and Shayna who’s spirits are now free and who I hope are in the arms of angels resting easy now. We will never forget them.
How do you sum up a year like this?
Amid the chaos lives were saved.
Thank you to each and every one of you who has made this possible. I hope today you will feel good about the contributions you have made to give the gift of life to these canine castaways.
Next week we venture forth to Harlan again. If you have ever considered opening your home to a foster dog I beg you to consider doing it now. We are extremely short on foster homes. We have never faced a transport with so few homes to take in dogs. The transport we hoped for last week did not happen because we had only one home open. Lives were lost. I know we can’t save them all, truly I do. But the shelter is overflowing with great dogs just waiting and hoping for a chance. I’ve said it a million times over this last year but the simple truth is, this can’t be done alone. This thing, saving lives, it’s hard work. It takes us all pulling together to make it happen. If you can help with these dogs please let us know. (see some of the dogs currently at the shelter and needing resuce here: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AbuW7ds4bNWLoY&emid=sharview&linkid=link4) If you have a friend, neighbor or co-worker who’s considered helping please give them a nudge. If you can’t take in a dog to foster please spread the word about the plight of homeless shelter animals, spay and neuter and responsible pet guardianship.
On behalf of all the Safe Hands pups we thank you.
Lynne and Janine
