HoundsGood: Chronicles of a Virtual Volunteer

At left, these two pups recovered from mange and are now ready for a family.

Saving Shelter Pets, Inc.’s, latest rescue effort features 41 dogs and pups that are waiting for a chance.  Most of the puppies are enrolled in the Puppy Promises program.  They were intercepted before their owners dumped them at county pounds. They have received necessary shots and their mothers and housemates have been spayed and neutered.  There is a pair of two pups that were at the county pound. The litter broke out with sarcoptic mange and the two pups are the survivors.  In a shelter environment, dogs with mange are euthanized to prevent the spread to others.  Luckily, SSP found out about them and took them away from that noisy place. They were nursed back to health so that they can mix with other dogs and can be placed in rescue.

$2,069 has been raised to rescue, quarantine, spay and provide for the health needs of 41 dogs and puppies.  The cost also offers transport to rescue.  Unfortunately, there is $461.00 to go.  They have made it this far.  ALL of them would like to go, including the pit mix pups who were previously featured ($75.00 is the balance for them).

TOTAL NEEDED: $2,530
RAISED SO FAR: $2, 069
STILL NEEDED: $461 

Every dollar helps…Can we find 50 people to give $9.22 each?

Breed Specific Legislation, or BSL, is an all too common phrase these days. Some communities ban dogs, not on a case by case basis, but by breed.  The most common breeds listed are Pit Bulls and Rottweilers.  Some areas do not allow other guardian and working breeds such as the Doberman and the German Shepherd.  As I am sure many of my readers can attest, there are many dogs of these breeds who are trusted family companions and suffer unnecessarily when they are lumped into a category of dogs unfortunately led astray by neglectful or ignorant owners. As they say, “Ban the Deed; Not the Breed.”

If you would like to help dogs who have had it rough get a break, and are not in the position to adopt, there is a chance to give some deserving Pitbull pups a good start in life. They will be vaccinated, spayed, and neutered and placed in a rescue known for carefully matching each dog to just the right family for them.  These Pit Mix puppies just need a little help from you. By donating to Saving Shelter Pets, Inc., you help these kids and pups like them get a good start. You see, they have been targeted for help because they are an unexpected, unwanted litter.  They were headed to a rural Georgia animal control facility where they don’t stand a chance.  On top of that, Mom and the other housemates will be spayed and neutered, making them easier dogs for their family to take care of.

If you want to specifically donate to help the pups you see in the picture, note in your donation that it for Rescue #82, and you would like the money to go to the Pit Mix pups. To donate, you may use the paypal address fundraising @ savingshelterpets.com or follow additional instructions on the SSP donation page.  There are 5 of them. For a donation of $50 per pup, they are vaccinated, quarantined, and transported to a rescue where a home is waiting (of course they will be payed or neutered at the appropriate time.)  Their mother (and other adult dogs and cats at the home) is spayed as well.  $75.00 has been donated so far, with $175.00 left to go!

I read much of my current events on the internet, but I revel in curling up with a good magazine.  Magazines take my blurry eyes away from the computer and often cover a subject more in-depth.  Occasionally, a magazine is interactive with coupons to cut or lines to fold to make patterns or templates right from the pages.  I often clip out the best tips and keep them in a binder when I am working on a project.

If you order your magazines or renewals through THIS LINK, up to 40% of your subscription price is donated to Saving Shelter Pets, Inc. The fundraising goal is $1,000.  At the time of this writing, donations have reached the $600.00 mark.  If you are looking for a way to help an organization with proactive programs to help save lives, or were going to renew your subscriptions anyhow, please consider renewing them this way.

Saving Shelter Pets, Inc., has a blockbuster group of 40 dogs and puppies that are eagerly awaiting rescue.  These lucky canines have places to go.  Several affiliated rescues are able to place dogs just like them, but there is one hurdle.  The rescue effort needs just a little more funding to make it possible.  SSP selects dogs from deathrow at rural shelters that do not receive much foot traffic.  They never, ever rescue a dog that has interested adopters or a local rescue is in the process of helping.  Unfortunately, there are an infinite number of dogs that are not lucky enough and are sitting at the shelter on their last day before euthanization. While SSP cannot help them all, they are able to help who they can.

Dixie is one of those lucky dogs.  She is a large hound and is severely overlooked with the high number of “lost hunting dogs” that populate out of the way shelters.  Luckily, a volunteer recognized Dixie’s sweet nature, even temperment and beauty and was able to point her out to SSP before it was too late.

To fight the overpopulation problem at the shelters they work with, the Puppy Promises program intercepts pups before they enter a shelter environment.  If the owner who is dumping the pups agrees to take them home for another 14 days, SSP vaccinates them and at the end of the quarantine period, places them in rescue.  In addition, the mother of the pups as well as the other adult dogs and cats are spayed or neutered at SSP’s expense to prevent additional unwanted litters.

For more information on the current rescue effort, please visit their official post here.

The spring Saving Shelter Pets, Inc., auction was a success. It was exciting to watch the flurry of bids on the iPhone.  All in all, a lot of nice people got some great items and a great cause netted almost $1400 after fees.  The funds go directly to the cause, not some third party fundraiser.  SSP rescues, vets, and transports deserving pets that are on deathrow at shelters with little foot traffic and almost no chance of adoption.

However, the more important programs are the ones that help pets stay out of the shelters in the first place.  Spay and Neuter clinics prevent unwanted litters, as well as curbing nuisance behaviors that often cause pets to be dumped at shelters, including wandering the neighborhood, aggression and stains caused by the heat cycle.  The Puppy Promises program intercepts young puppies when their families consider dumping them at the pound, where young ones contract parvo or face a similar fate to their adult counterparts.  The pups are ultimately placed by rescues that carefully screen adopted families and all of the adult pets in the house are spayed or neutered to prevent additional unwanted litters.

Stay tuned for news on how you can participate in the Fall 2010 auction as well as other opportunities to contribute with items, monetary donations, or good old fashion spreading the word.

The Saving Shelter Pets, Inc., spring auction is under way. A total of 49 items have graciously been donated by friends and supporters from across the country ranging from handmade items to hotel stays, apparel, pet supplies and more. Bidding takes place online and concludes May 10th.

One of he many highlights of the auction is a 4GB iPhone.  The item has been gently used and bidding starts at only $65.00.  If you have priced iPhones, you know what a bargain this is.  A quick search reveals this model being offered in the $200-400 range refurbished or gently used, and up to $500 brand new.

Bidding is red tape-free.  Simply register your credit card and the amount of your maximum bid.  At the conclusion, when you are the lucky winner, the winning bid will be charged and a volunteer will ship you the iPhone and additional items you might win.  I have participated before.  It’s so simple and easy…and secure.  All proceeds minus site fee goes directly to helping the animals.  Saving Shelter Pets is a grassroots organization with no employees.  Additional fundraising is done to cover administrative costs such as webhosting and tax filing fees.  Bid with confidence!

Click here to bid or inspect.

Saving Shelter Pets, Inc., has their 80th rescue effort underway.  While this is a milestone, funds are still desperately needed to make rescue a reality for 36 dogs and puppies.  Many come from the Puppy Promises program, where puppies about to be dumped at a county pound are intercepted. Instead of contracting parvo and not making it out at a crowded animal control facility or facing euthanization, they are vaccinated by SSP if the owners agree to keep them 14 more days after their shots.  Then, they are transported to a rescue where a screened family awaits. Afterwards, SSP spays all the adult dogs and cats in the home to prevent future litters.  Adult dogs come from death row at an animal control facility with very low foot traffic.  These dogs would be highly adoptable anywhere else.  They are spayed or neutered, given vaccinations, quarantined and then transferred to a rescue who has an open spot and qualified adopters.   Except for Sissy.  Her story is unique.  There is no county pound in her county. To some, that is a good thing, but not for Sissy.

Sissy is very sweet, but she doesn’t have a home. She was a stray. Normally, a stray would be taken to an Animal Control facility. However, since the northern Georgia county has no such facility, authorities can dispose of strays as they wish. And we mean by any means.  Saving Shelter Pets has a laundry list of dogs that they hope to rescue for rescue effort #80, but need a sponsor for Sissy.  Actually, she needs a partial sponsor.  If you can spare a few dollars to help this sweet girl, donations are tax deductible, as Saving Shelter Pets, Inc., is a 501(c)3 non profit organization.

For more information on this rescue effort, visit the SSP blog. Donations may be made via Paypal to info @ Savingshelterpets .com For more literature on prior SSP rescues featured on this site, CLICK HERE

The Youtube video outlining the Puppy Promises program administered by Saving Shelter Pets, Inc., has drawn over 51,000 views to date.  This pro-active program intercepts puppies from owners who are about to dump them at a county pound, where they have a likelihood of contracting parvo, or in many cases, face euthanization when the shelter is full.  The owner is given a better option. If they agree to keep the pups at home for 14 more days, the babies will receive vaccinations right away.  The time at homes acts as a quarantine period.  Then, all unspayed dogs and cats in the home are spayed at the expense of Saving Shelter Pets, Inc., to prevent future unwanted litters.  The puppies are then transferred to a rescue and placed in screened homes.

OneYoutube commenter left the following remark:

So? all someone has to do to get a free spay and vaccinations for their pet is let her pop out a load of unwanted puppies for someone else to take care of? This is just promoting irresponsible pet ownership and is enabling. Then you take the cute puppies and leave mom with an owner who doesn’t give a crap.

Oftentimes, the family is able to adequately care for their initial dog, but are overwhelmed with an extra one, three, or even nine or ten extra mouths to feed. If the owner is unable to keep and care for the mother of the pups, SSP will assist her in finding placement and getting the care she needs.  However, once the newly spayed dog is returned to the owners, they often find that prior negative behavior, such as neighborhood wandering, curtailed by the spay make the dog easier to care for and keep.

336 puppies were rescued in 2009, and 149 adult pets, including mothers of litters, were spayed or neutered the same year as part of the program. This does not include pets spayed or neutered through clinics or rescued through other programs.

You can sponsor a single pup today for $50.00.  That includes vaccinations, transport to rescue and that pup’s “share” of the cost of the spays of mom and other four legged friends.  At the present time, a pack of over 30 pups is waiting for sponsorship.  To donate, visit The Saving Shelter Pets, Inc. donation page ( CLICK HERE ) and allocate your donation for “Puppy Promises.”

There are still a few Saving Shelter Pets, Inc., 2010 calendars up for grabs. At the last update, there were only 48 left. They are being offered at a discounted rate to help you get these wagging tails into your home. The first calendar is $12.00, the second is $11.00, and if you purchase three, the third is $10.00 Not only do the calendars help out a great cause immediately and financially, they raise awareness throughout the year.

All of the pets pictured were either rescued from a highkill shelter when their time was “up,” or were rescued through the Puppy Promises program.

Q:  What is a Puppy Promises Puppy?

A:  A Puppy Promises puppy is a lucky pup who has been enrolled in the Puppy Promises program.

The puppies are intercepted from being dumped at the shelter, sometimes even at the shelter door!  Their owners are given another option.  If they will quarantine the pups at home for another two weeks, SSP will give them their shots on the spot.   In two or three weeks, pending they are deemed healthy by a vet, they will be transported to a reputable rescue where a family is waiting to adopt them.

As for “mom dog,”  she gets spayed after the pups are well on their way so that there are no more accidental litters.  What’s more, is that all the other adult dogs and cats at the house are spayed or neutered by SSP as well. It was noticed that the same last names and addresses would come up, and is more proactive to spay everyone than hope there will not be another litter.  Some of these families take good care of their pets, but just cannot financially handle a litter of puppies or are not allowed to have so many, and feel powerless.   On the other hand, many other families do not care what happens to the pups, but have been convinced to give Puppy Promises a try instead of the alternative (dumping pups at the shelter, drowning, leaving them to fend for themselves).

It costs $50 per puppy to save them.  This includes, but is not limited to:

Age appropriate vaccinations
Transport to rescue
The Spay of the mother dog and other family members

Q:  How Can I Order a Calendar?

It is simple.  Go to the Saving Shelter Pets homepage and click on the smiling puppy, or go directly to the calendar order form here:  http://www.yearbox.com/ssp/

I have a few relatives and friends from across the miles that are hard to buy for. I always hunt for something on the smaller side so I don’t incur severe mailing charges, and I can buy them all something similar because they are not going to run into each other. Last year it was photo keychains. Everyone loved them, but I can’t repeat myself.

This year, I am thinking of sending Saving Shelter Pets 2010 calendars. It is a great way to “catch up” because many of my friends know I am a big fan of SSP. They can read information about the group and see some of the happy faces that are grateful to be alive.  Of course it would be nice if they got involved, but even if not, a generous percentage of the calendar cost goes directly to Saving Shelter Pets, Inc., to rescue other hopeful cats and dogs, to operate the proactive Puppy Promises program, Trap Neuter and Release program and more.

To order, just follow the link from the Saving Shelter Pets homepage (http://savingshelterpets.com).  The price is $17.95 + $3.95 shipping and handling.  I believe you do get a break on shipping on multiple orders if they are going to the same address and are ordered at the same time.   Hurry and order to receive them in time for Christmas and Hannukah.