All in a Day's Work

April 26, 2015

Upon arriving home after a long day at school, Pam informed me that she had received a pleading call from a woman who needed help with two Pomeranians.

"Do you want to go with me to rescue these dogs?" she asked.

I was so tired that I could barely carry in the groceries.

"Maybe I will pass on this one," I replied. "I will put up the groceries while you go and get the dogs."

Pam left and picked up our two neighbors, Susie and Charlie. As soon as she pulled out,I began to have second thoughts. I called her cell phone.

"I am waiting for you in the driveway," Pam said. "Hurry up!"

The four of us headed to Gosport to search for Carmella and Diamond.

The dog's mother was living in Indianapolis and was currently unable to care for the dogs. Her husband died a couple of weeks ago and the dogs had been running loose for the past ten days with no food or water. We did not know what condition the dogs would be in or if they would even be alive.

We were lucky.  When we pulled up at the house, the mother and daughter dog team came toward us, growling and barking in an attempt to protect their home. Pam put down some dog food and they eagerly snapped it up.

Carmella was the friendlier of the two. I easily picked her up and placed her in the truck. Diamond was a little leery of us. She would come up to grab some food and then run off. Pam sat down in a chair close to the house. Diamond came and lay at her feet.

Pam nabbed her and placed her in the truck. Diamond quickly jumped out of the truck before Pam could close the door!  Pam started the whole routine over. Diamond, again, lay at her feet and gave them a tiny kiss. Pam grabbed her and climbed into the truck while holding onto the dog.

"Let's roll!" Pam said.

The four of us were excited that we were able to rescue the dogs for a woman we didn't know and had never met. The dogs seemed happy to be in the company of humans.

They were matted down to their skin, covered in ticks, and hungry. We gave them several bowls of food on the first night and made a very comfortable bed in a huge kennel.

The next day Pam and I spent several hours shaving all of the mats off .  We bathed them two times each in an attempt to get rid of the ticks. We then put Sanctuary tee shirts on them to keep them warm. They slept like babies!!

We are taking good care of Carmella and Diamond until their mom is in a position to come and get them. Until then, they have won our hearts. I think the feeling is mutual!

Susie wth Diamond and Charlie with Caarmella

Pam with Diamond

Barb with Carmella and Diamond after their baths! 

April 18 - Hoosier lives to see another day, Pam and Barb do not go to jail!

 

Hoosier - contemplating a getaway!

 What started out as a normal day at the Sanctuary, turned into a scary, event filled  fiasco.  Pam and I collected the recycling and headed out to the recycling center  and to breakfast at Chambers.  We both settled in for a nap so that we were ready to attend the Bloomington Graduation School's prom later that night.

Upon awaking, Nancy informed Pam that Hoosier, (the black sheep of the family) was lying down in the field and could not get up.  Pam called me to inform me that we were going to put Hoosier in the back of the Subaru and take him to Ken and Susan at Farmstead Veterinary  Services on the south side of Bloomington.

I backed up the Subaru and Kevin loaded the 300 pound plus sheep into the back of the car.

Hoosier  stayed down the entire trip, occasionally letting out a  bellowing baaaaaaaa! every few minutes. Pam  climbed in the back seat - singing to Hoosier in an attempt to comfort him.   This made for a relatively peaceful trip to the vet.

When we arrived at Farmstead, Ken and Susan opened the hatchback to examine Hoosier.  Ken had, earlier in the day,   put down an older mare of his.  His decision was based on the condition of the mare and the fact that it was a beautiful sunny day.  His decision seemed fitting.

The vets offered us the option of medicating Hoosier for a case of some pretty severe arthritis, or of putting him down.  Pam was stroking Hoosier's head and decided that if we took Hoosier out of the car and he couldn't walk, that we would have him put down and allow him to go to heaven.  If Hoosier could walk, then we would try medication and see if it helped.

Pam and the vets pulled Hoosier out of the back of  Subaru and onto the floor of the clinic.  Hoosier wobbled around for a few seconds and then took off running for the barn.  Ken quickly closed the gates to the highway While we chased down the sheep to put a dog leash around his neck.

Ken  laughed, "I guess Hoosier didn't want to go to heaven today!"
Hoosier was given a  shot of cortisone, a tube of medication to take daily for the next few days, and instructions to give him aspirin twice a day. Ken and I created a sling with our arms and loaded him back into the car.  Pam sat in the back seat so that she could talk to him on the way home.  We were   relieved that we didn't have to make the decision  that day to end Hoosier's life, although we were both fully aware that his time was limited .

With prom time nearing, I pulled into the CVS in Ellettsville to pick up Hoosier's aspirin.  While pulling out of the parking lot, Hoosier decides that he is done with the car ride.  With the cortisone kicking in, he stood up and tried to exit the car through the back rear window.  BAAAAAAAAAAA!  Pam was now on her knees, trying to get Hoosier to lie back down.

"He is ruining your headliner!" she screamed.      

With  Hoosier's head pushing against the top of the car, his shifting weight rocking the car from side to side, his bellowing BAAAAA, and Pam screaming in the background,  I shoved the pedal to the metal and sped for home.

With less than a mile to home, I glanced in my rearview mirror to see a police car's flashing light.

"Pam, " I said, "we are being stopped by the  police."

I pulled over and a police officer came to the window.

"Do you realize that you were going 45 mph in a 30 mph zone?" he asked.

"No, I was just trying to get this crazy sheep home from the vet." I replied.

"Officer, Barb is a good person.  You can check, she has never even gotten a speeding  ticket in her  life!" Pam yelled from the  backseat while attempting to hold her seatbelt on.

The police officer stuck his head in the window and took  a look at Hoosier.  Hoosier stared back at the officer.  BAAAAAAAAA!

"Wow!" the officer exclaimed.  "Let me see your driver's license and I will be right  back."

He checked out my license, handed it back to me, and told me to be careful  driving the sheep home.

"Thank you very much!" I said as I pulled off.

"Honey, have you ever gotten a ticket before?" Pam asked me.

We arrived at the farm, pulled a wobbly, wide eyed Hoosier from the back of the Subaru, watched him tentatively walk across the field to greet his mate then drove home to shower and headed out to the prom.

Just another day on the farm!

Hoosier and Pam - happy to be home!

  

  





                        

Sanctuary News

April 7,  2015  UPDATE

Maverick is back  in Indiana and looking for a great home.  Apparently he is able to leap tall buildings in a single bound!  He will need a  secure (very tall) fence and humans who love hounds!!

Rain rain go away!  A stormy night and Pam's bad cold saved Maverick from being operated on today.  The neuter surgery has been postponed until Thursday. I am sure that Maverick isn't looking forward to the surgery, but it will make him a better dog for it. He is excited to be going to his new home in Ohio!

Hopefully we will be able to cross the bridge on Thursday!!

Pam and Maverick sharing the love!!