HoundsGood: Chronicles of a Virtual Volunteer

Immediately after the earthquake in Haiti, First Lady Michelle Obama, as well as a host of celebrities appeared on television and various other media urging us to text to donate to charities for Haiti. It was simple and easy. However, for some folks, its a little too simple and too easy.

Over at the Freaky Frugalite, the tragic story of a young girl with a cell phone bill approaching $2,000 was told. Click here to read the sordid tale. Of course,”sordid” is not the proper vocabulary word, but I do think that the parents in control of said cell phone bill won’t have a warmed heart.

Please stress to your children that it is not a case of a company donating per the amount of texts, but that the money actually is charged onto the cell phone bill.

A January 10th episode of the PBS Newshour revealed that the donation process isn’t as instantaneous as people think.

TOM BEARDEN: Unfortunately, the whole payment process isn’t quite as quick as punching a few buttons on a cell phone. Charities don’t usually receive any money until people pay their cell phone bills. Sometimes, that can be as long as three months.

TONY AIELLO: In this case, we’re facing a disaster of epic proportions. And I think everybody within the mobile giving ecosystem, including the carriers, recognizes the need to get dollars down there as quickly as possible.

TOM BEARDEN: Some of the carriers have said they will now advance the money before the bills are paid. As for questions of accountability, mGive says it only handles reputable charities, which must also be approved by the phone companies that process the transactions. Plus, texting doesn’t involve giving out credit card information.

TONY AIELLO: Think about it. You’re sending the word “Haiti” to 90999. That’s much different than communicating critical financial information over the digital network.

I recommend that if anyone wants to make the biggest impact with their donation, contact your local church to find missions groups that regularly work in Haiti. These folks already have a network in most cases to reaching people in neighborhoods and on the streets. I know of one church that raised money to send tents and other needed equipment. The American Red Cross is another legitimate charity on the ground. Be wary of charities that suddenly pop up out of nowhere until you do proper research.

I recently received an email about a pup named Bear. The story has been making the email rounds about a puppy in Afghanistan who was befriended by a US Marine. The pup, dubbed Bear, was found hungry and dehydrated in a bombed out building. The Marine has been caring for the pup and would like to bring the orphan home to the United States to be a member of his family. According to the report, the costs for rabies, shipping to an Afghani shelter, and then shipping to the Eastern United States, would be between $2,500 and $5,000. Any money above and beyond would go to another family trying to bring a dog home.

The Chip-in Widget has been put up by the marine’s wife. An address for checks has been posted. I am not really sure why, if an organization is helping them, funds are not directed to the organization to protect the home address of the Marine. It would also encourage people to donate as their gift would be tax deductible.

There is a page that shows a photo of Bear on the NowZad dogs website. However, there is no mention of the names so I can’t corroborate the validity of the Chip-In.  Hopefully upon further investigation, or through contact by involved parties, I can verify it. For now, please direct inquiries to NowZad dogs in the U.K. until I can sift out some more info.

These servicemen and women who are caring for abandoned animals deserve help, but please verify before giving if the information contained in an email is valid before opening your pocket, which I am looking to sort out.

The pads on the brakes on my car are about a millimeter or two thick. It’s not great, but its enough to prolong the next brake job just by a little bit. I should really go right now, but sometimes I’m cheap. I kind of like seeing a few dollars in my bank account and I like to have a little extra cash to be able to help someone or an animal less fortunate than me. Since I went carless for awhile, it is easy to remember what life was temporarily like without a vehicle, which makes me a bit more motivated to spend the money to keep mine in working order.

So many people who stretch themselves thin for good causes tend to put their personal maintenance last. It is one thing if you have a brand spanking new Chevrolet Silverado that’s under warranty, but it still doesn’t make life easier than having a beater truck if you don’t make the time to take it in. Then, when it is in the shop we scratch our heads and say, “why me?”  That’s exactly what someone I know said when they pushed their van into a Dallas auto repair shop.  It would seem like not such a big deal, but she was from South Carolina!  She was driving across the country to take a dog from a county pound to a rescue that had an opening. When a relayed transport could not be organized, she stepped in.  While at the shop, she sent a message to others involved and asked them for “donations” to get her back on the road.  In other words, money that would have gone to the rescue of other dogs and horses went to fixing her car that she should have been maintaining in the first place.

The moral of the story? Before volunteering to make a long haul drive, check the logistics.  Is your car road worthy?  In addition, if you skip maintenance, you are not saving money.  It is like preventative medicine for humans.  A little money now can save a lot of money in the long run.

There are a few of my friends that are involved in charitable causes who feel downright not so charitable this year.   There are some folks who are self employed, so benefit from making donations throughout the year to help offset their taxes. That is not why they donate, but it sure helps.  Then, there are other folks who find that charitable works gets in the way of their ability to make money.  They take time off of work, or they purposely find a part time job to be able to volunteer the rest of the time. 

While it may be noble, the big issue is that they don’t spend money on themselves at all, or more importantly, their vehicles.  When you neglect your vehicle and don’t get a simple oil change, it may cause problems later.   The price of a tune up may seem like a big chunk of change, but it is a small investment compared to paying to rebuild an engine or transmission down the road.   A friend of mine, who has an Acura Integra, found out very quickly that foreign made cars are more costly to repair than domestic cars due to the cost of parts.  However, basic maintenance, such as break pads and fluid changes are the same or about the same as domestic.  It prompted her to pay attention to her car more.

There are other challenges that are induced by the weather changes.  I am sure a Houston auto repair shop doesn’t see quite the same weather damage to cars as a shop in Maine would.  Salt damage causes a body to rust much more quickly.  The remedy is to wash your car regularly to avoid salt damage.  I know, as a new owner of a “late model” car myself, cleaning it is important.  I have a great engine, but quite frankly, the car is only going to be good so long as the body doesn’t disintegrate.  It may not matter in the day to day, but I am hoping to get another two years out of my car by protecting it from the road salt. In the southern states, humidity and heat can be more of an issue, so don’t leave your plastic comb where it can melt to your dashboard.

I know, I know: an oil change may equal so many pounds of dog food or a tune up may equal winter coats for kids for the local shelter, but you aren’t going to be able to go to the store to buy them with a dead vehicle, nor will you be able to help the injured wildlife on the side of the road.    When you are figuring out your monthly expenses this winter, remember your car.  It may prevent you from donating as much this week, but in the long run, it will make you available to volunteer more time, as it will get you where you need to go.

I recently came across a site that sold baseball radar guns and thought of an idea for a fundraiser. People always seem to like to compete against eachother, and one could run a fundraiser where there is a competition for the fastest pitch. It would work well as a fundraiser to purchase uniforms for the school baseball team, but it could also be used as a booth for just about any group. There are people who go to golf tournaments for causes they don’t support. They agree with the cause, but aren’t regular supporters but decide, “Hey, I get to golf,” and they go for it. I suspect this would be the same case. If you were worried about a competition, then people could give a donation for their pitch speed to be recorded. Not everyone has a baseball radar gun, so the novelty of the thing might win people over.

The details of the event are up to you,  but you surely would be the only group in town, or one of the few, who would be doing it.  I am invited to so many “Jail and Bail” events and asked to purchase so many charity cookbooks that its refreshing to see a new idea that you don’t begrudgingly participate in because you support the charity. I think the idea would attract parents of the little league team, hot shots who want to impress their friends, and just the plain curious.

As far as procurring the radar, perhaps you could recruit a sponsor to purchase it.  Later, you could donate it to the baseball team.  A lot of folks wonder why instead of having sponsors fund it, that the sponsors just couldn’t donate money and then you wouldn’t have to have the event?  Some groups and companies are limited in what financial donations they can give, and an “in kind” donation may be more possible.  Also, if a variety of sponsors get together on it at your rcruitment, it would only cost each a little.  It is like seed money to generate more donations.

Some of my family members have artificial trees, due to pine allergies.  A few readers have also mentioned foregoing a real tree and going with plastic because it prevents them from chopping down a tree.  When you think about it, that is a little foolish considering a plastic tree can end up in a landfill. Real Christmas trees may be cut, but they provide many benefits for the homestead.

A real Christmas tree, especially a Frasier fir, fills the home with fragrance. It eliminates the need for candles in the house. Of course, one might still choose to buy candles for the look of them, but the soot level will be reduced by not lighting as many. Of course, soy candles do not generate soot, but traditional wax candles are more accessible.

The objection to a real tree sometimes comes from folks who have a large collection of ornaments. They believe that they will weigh down the boughs of a tree, and that an artificial one supports them better. A noble fir Christmas tree has dense needs, and a nice layered look that is perfect for many, many ornaments. Also, the needles sometimes have a two toned appearance. You can see shades of dark and medium green throughout the tree. The upturned needles compliment ornaments very wekk

When the tree fades and it it is time to throw it away, the tree can be wrapped in popcorn and seed garland to feed the wildlife that has stayed behind in the north and has not traveled south. The last few branches can provide just a last dash of fragrance as well. Needles can be placed in a decorative dish in the house. When all the needles are gone, the tree can be turned into mulch. If you are not that handy or don’t have the need, you can be confident when a tree is carried away that it will decompose and provide nutrients to the next generation of plants and trees.

Do you feel better about choosing a real tree this year? If you are too busy to look, you can even order them through mail order. Greenvalleychristmastrees.com has a selection of handpicked trees that can arrive right at your door. If you are unable to get out this Christmas due to an illness or not having a large enough vehicle, this may be a thought.

Last year, most of the folks I buy gifts for lived several hundred to several thousand miles away.  The trip to the post office was always a big ordeal, and often, the least expensive gifts cost the most to mail.  I switched to buying gift certificates as they were so much easier.  Most of them liked them.  However, my siblings and I always had the traditional of exchanging a physical item.  What I have never really given a thought to is sending ebooks, but since my cousin suggested them I am giving them strong consideration.  I sure wouldn’t have to wait in line at the post office!  In fact, I was against the idea for a long time because I love books. I love the idea of pulling myself away from the computer, curling up in a chair with a dog or two and reading.

Then I looked at my book shelf. There are a lot of old friends there. I get out my Collected Works of Poe on Halloween, there are history books, a Bible, a giant dictionary, favorite cookbooks and more. There is also a small stack that keeps getting cycled out. I read books about management, organizing non profits and the like. There may be one I hang on to because I really like it, but for the most part, once I have read it, the next book just builds upon what I read and replaces it. I was surprised to find that there are books like that available in ebook form that I can read on my computer.  I found about ten titles right off the bat just about nonprofit organization. It doesn’t take up the same amount of clutter on my shelf. If I really like it, I suppose I can get it in print form if I want.

One of my other objections on ebooks was that they are cheap and they take away from the authors. Many ebooks are priced similarly to regular books, so no royalties were cut. In fact, there are many authors that have ebooks out that aren’t in print. Some of them are new writers that have not landed a publisher, or they are books where the information changes rapidly and could be obsolete next year. In those regards, an ebook, or at least an addendum to a book in ebook form may be something I can get used to.

I was kind of excited to see all of the good reference books that are available in ebook form.  What I was surprised to see was all the romance titles that were available.  When I think about it, that is pretty genius.  My aunts used to read romance novels by the bagful when I was younger and it seemed like 50 new ones came out every month.  I would imagine that this could help their habit.  They wouldn’t be able to read their ebook sitting in a bubble bath and eating bonbons but a whole wing of their house may be able to be reclaimed.

Have you thought about buying or publishing an ebook?

PETA has launched a Christmas campaign, running something they call the “Santa Clause” ad. It encourages children to leave soy milk out for Santa this year, as they claim cow’s milk causes impotence and would leave Santa not so jolly. Some see the ad as controversial or in poor taste, but it may be one of those cases where any press is good press.

While there are benefits to drinking soy milk, except in the case of folks with soy allergies or women with certain aggressive cancers, PETA is making a very wide assumption here. The underlying aim is to scare people into abandoning animal products, but the campaign is not surrounded in complete truth. I am not entirely surprised given PETA’s sensationalistic nature.

The truth is, that hormones and antibiotics added to dairy products are not good for us, but not all milk contains it. If conventional milk is consumed regularly in large doses, it can contribute to weight gain, early onset of puberty and other issues. It is not good for anyone.  However, when an organic, hormone and antibiotic free milk is consumed, none of these risks remain. So, in other words, if you are giving your children hormone free, organic milk, you have nothing to worry about. It is available at health food stores, and also check around for local dairies. Due to the popularity, some mainstream grocery stores stock the brands with larger circulation.

Some small scale dairies run by local families sometimes still sell cream on the top milk. In fact, one small local dairy runs and ice cream stand, and you can see their cows roaming around in the pasture, gazing away, behind a group of picnic tables. These farmers use selective breeding to increase a cow’s milk production or are just happy with what the cow produces rather than feeding the cattle antibiotics and hormones. Some small farms who cannot afford to process their own milk join up with others, too. It is a great way to support local farms.

Lactose intolerance is another issue that is sometimes brought up.  I was considered lactose intolerant, and then found I was reacting to the hormones rather than the actual milk. By drinking organic and local milk, I can drink some milk, though I don’t often, or more so eat ice cream again.  Another good bet is goat’s milk.

So, I am sorry to PETA that they will not have to be peddling an ad implying that Santa Claus needs to surf for Viagra online to hide the side effects of his habit from Mrs. Claus.  I know that there underlying message is that using any sort of any use of animal products is negative.  I suppose spreading half facts versus the truth gets people more in an uproar and that is probably what they prefer.  I will drink my chocolate soy milk AND eat shovelfuls of double chocolate milk based ice cream.

It is a good idea, especially if you have children, to switch to hormone free milk.  While you are at it, keep an eye out for your local farm stands and find out who sells cream on the top milk.  It doesn’t last very long as it is not heavily processed, but is much healthier.  And the farmer will know all the cows by name, too.

I discovered another new dog site, DoggedHealth.com. This one has the niche of canine health.  There are all sorts of articles about senior and puppy care.

One article suggests tips for selecting a vet.

When you meet the vet, is he or she welcoming and patient? Does he or she take the time to make your dog feel comfortable? Does he or she communicate well with you – offering clear explanations and diagnoses, listening and taking into account your concerns, and anticipating potential issues?

There is one particular vet in my life that I was particularly impressed with.  When I was in college, my family adopted a puppy.  Truthfully, we failed at fostering and he became a permanent family member.  He had a long fight with parvo but ultimately survived.  He was a little scared during his first vet visit and he hid under my chair.  The vet came out and sat on the floor, talking to the little guy.  He told him there was nothing to be afraid of, that he was going to grow into a very handsome dog, and there would most likely be a treat in his near future.  Even though I have moved around, so it would be impractical for him to be my vet, I still think about Dr. M and the impression he made.   I have considered looking up to see if he is still in practice, even though it had been quite a few years ago now.

In general, there is a lot of good information on the site.  There isn’t anything very earth shattering, but that’s okay.  I think the more sound medical information is out there, the better, so a person may be alerted to when they should take their dogs into the vet. It may be a matter of life or death that they could be missing. What I was a little disappointed with was the placement of ads.  I don’t mind seeing ads on a site, but the Google adwords in the middle of the text is a little cumbersome.  The site does talk about adoption, which is good.   It does talk about selecting a breeder and states that good breeders check all kinds of references and do rescue also.  Unfortunately, there are backyard breeders and puppymills that know that rescuing is on the checklist for a good breeder, and therefore they state on their websites that they rescue, sort of as a marketing ploy, which is unfortunate.   In my opinion, there should be more encouragement to choosing adoption as the site is especially geared towards a general audience.

I know that I shouldn’t use a site’s stance on breeding as a litmus test all the time, but I guess I am not going to quit until the shelter problem is under control, that there are not hundreds of thousands of pets killed for lack of a home or someone who loves them.

Have you tried out DoggedHealth.com?  What did you think?

Reba is a golden retriever mix in a county pound whose time is up. There is a way to save her, and that is by transporting her across the country to someone who wants to provide a home for her. Volunteer drivers each drive an hour or two and pass her off to the next, as no one who can drive the whole way can be found. Can you help? Can you drive an hour or two to save this girl’s life. If you are along this route, please contact Emily.  If you have ever driven with a dog in the car, you are qualified to help.  By getting Reba out of the shelter, you are saving not one life, but two.  Another dog may have a few more days because there is room in the shelter freed up.

TRANSPORT COORDINATOR:
Emily Cherry Goff
cherryharleysavinganimals@yahoo.com (no spaces)
(334) 744-5590
15 minutes has been added to each leg for water/potty breaks

**Route and Legs**

SATURDAY Oct 17, 2009

Leg 1 filled, thanks Karen!
Depart: Franklin GA
Arrive: Atlanta GA
1 hour 15 min
9:00 am - 10:15 am

Leg 2 filled, thanks Carolyn!
Depart: Atlanta GA
Arrive: Chattanooga TN
1 hour 45 min
10:30 am - 12:15 pm

Leg 3 FILLED
Depart: Chattanooga TN
Arrive: Nashville TN
2 hours 15 min
12:30 pm - 2:45 pm

Leg 4 filled, thanks Judy!
Depart: Nashville TN
Arrive: Bowling Green KY
1 hour 15 min
3:00 pm - 4:15 pm

Leg 5a NEEDED
Depart: Bowling Green KY
Arrive: Elizabethtown KY
1 hour 15 min
4:30 pm - 5:45 pm

Leg 5b filled, thanks Mary!
Depart: Elizabethtown KY
Arrive: Louisville KY
45 min
5:45 pm - 6:30 pm

OVERNIGHT NEEDED IN LOUISVILLE KY - filled, thanks Gail!

SUNDAY Oct 18, 2009

Leg 6 filled, thanks Gail!
Depart: Louisville KY
Arrive: Indianapolis IN
1 hour 45 min
7:00 am - 8:45 am

Leg 7 filled, thanks Sarah!
Depart: Indianapolis IN
Arrive: Lafayette IN
1 hour 15 min
9 - 10:15 am

Leg 8 NEEDED
Depart: Lafayette IN
Arrive: Gary IN
1 hour 30 min
10:30 am - 12:00 noon

Leg 9 FILLED Depart: Gary IN
Arrive: Elgin IL
1 hour 15 min
12:15 pm - 1:30 pm

Leg 10 filled, thanks Michael!
Depart: Elgin IL
Arrive: Madison WI
1 hour 45 min
1:45 pm - 3:30 pm

Leg 11 filled, thanks Renee!
Depart: Madison WI
Arrive: Tomah WI
1 hour 45 min
3:45 pm - 5:30 pm

Leg 12 NEEDED
Depart: Tomah WI
Arrive: Eau Claire WI
1 hour 30 min
5:45 pm - 7:15 pm

Leg 13 Filled by adoptive family!
Depart: Eau Claire WI
Arrive: Balsam Lake Wi
2 hours
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
End of transport

———— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— -

PASSENGER INFO:

Dog or Cat (s): 1 dog

NAME: Rheba
BREED: retriever mix
SEX: F
AGE/WEIGHT/SIZE: medium
SPAY/NEUTERED: spayed
SHOTS UTD: yes
RABIES VACCINE & TAG: (MUST BE ORIGINALS NO COPIES!!): yes
HEALTH CERT (MUST HAVE FOR TRANSPORT NO EXCEPTIONS!! ): yes
DHLPP: yes

Coming out of Shelter/Boarding or Foster Care: shelter
Has the Dog(s) been quarantined for 14 days or more: no
WILL A CRATE BE PROVIDED: no
SIZE OF CRATE: n/a
MICROCHIPPED: yes
OTHER ITEMS BEING SENT WITH DOG/CAT: collar and leash
ITEMS NEEDED: bowl and water for stops
REASON FOR TRANSPORT: to adoptive home

SENDING SHELTER:

Name: Heard Co Animal Control
City/State/Province /Zip Code: Franklin GA

In the past few months, I have read a few different pieces where someone famous has talked about a mentor who inspired them. Tom Hanks had his high school drama teacher. John McCain had teacher William Ravenel. Sir Alec Guiness had Sir John Gielgud.  I tried to think of a living person that inspired me, besides grandparents.  One of them was a teacher I had in high school.  I didn’t quite fit in to my new school, but she saw something in me.  While I was behind perhaps some of my peers in some ways, I had grown up already in others.  I thought about looking her up years later, but through a divorce and remarriage, I would never have been able to locate her.   I guess what I would have wanted to say was thank you.

Do you have someone from your past, such as a teacher, pastor, or someone’s cooler older brother or sister that you think about from time to time?  Would you ever want to go back and say “Thank You?” Of course, you can look them up in the White Pages online, but with more people using cell phones or choosing to be unlisted, it doesn’t always work. Plus, you would have to know where they were living. There are always people searches, but I thought that was a little too stalkerish. What if there was a way for you to find people that you couldn’t find, but whom wouldn’t mind being found? I recently heard about a site called MyLife.

When you search, the site extracts information from a wide variety of social networking sites around the internet, including Myspace, Classmates.com, Bebo and more.  Of course, you could look at each of these yourself, but you would have to register and create a profile for each one to be able to look around.  The site first finds people in your address book, and people you may know through your associations and schools.  Even if they have changed their surname, individuals who graduated with you may be found.   There is a dashboard area where you can also find out who is interested in finding you as well.

Of course, there are those nameless people who do something kind and you never even get their name. It would be nice to thank them.  The best thing to do sometimes is to just pay it forward, and help someone out who is in need, just like you were at the moment.

A lot of you have mentioned that you interest in helping others did not only lead you to volunteer or donate, but to follow a career path that led you to a “helping job.” Although it is hard work to get there (not to the website, but studying for the career), there is a site devoted to psychologist careers over at Psychologistjobs.net. You just type in your location and you should find jobs in your area. In fact, I found about a dozen within a few miles of where I live. Of course, this does not replace the value of networking, but it provides some very decent leads.

I reported about this sweet dog, labeled a Basset Hound, but whom I believe is a Beagle / Corgi or a Beagle / Basset. She was given a few more days of reprieve, but is at the top of the euthanization list come Friday. Because of the recent weather conditions in Georgia, she is even more critical as local adoptions are even lower than the low they already are and because of the certain influx of animals.

This sweet dog was already spayed. She was dumped at the shelter by her family because she started urinated a bit more than normal. Instead of seeing accidents in the house and getting her checked for a Urinary Tract Infection or thinking about what may have changed in the home, they decided to pass the buck. Perhaps they thought that by dumping her off at the shelter, she would be someone else’s problem. Unfortunately, since no one has shown an interest in her, she may be euthanized instead of getting another chance at a home.

The shelter does accept out of state rescues and adoptions. Rescues need to produce a copy of their 501(3)c paper work and arrange transportation. Please contact the shelter if you have a waiting list of people looking to adopt a nice “not too big, not to small” family dog. She is a life worth saving.

Contact Info:

Heard County Animal Control Center
11818 Ga Hwy 100
Franklin, GA 30217
Phone: 706-675-3570
Fax: 706-675-3572

Shelter Hours:
8:30-12: and 1:00-5:00 M, T, Th
8:30-12: and 1:00-4:00 Fridays
8:30-1:00 Wednesdays
9:30-12:00 Saturday
CLOSED SUNDAYS AND HOLIDAYS