Planned Pethood Inc

eNewsletter June 28, 2011

2011-06-29T12:47:00.000-07:00

UPCOMING SUMMER HAPPENINGS

Shop Our Boutique Foster Business Partners

Donate About Us Our History Update Your Kroger Card

Sweat Shirts Available

Hooded sweatshirts that read "It's All About The Cat" are available in almost all sizes. Get yours while they last.

Made by Gildan in the Ultra Blend. This hoodie will have no zipper. Available in dark grey to read "It's All About the Dog" or "It's All About the Cat" with our website address below.

Only a few sizes remain in the "It's All About The Dog". If you are interested in pre-ordering one, email ed@plannedpethood.org. A list will be compiled and a subsequent order placed.

$30.00

Save Your Books - Come Shop for Books

We will be hosting a book sale September 17 & 18. Please save your books for this sale.

You can also come shop at our sale. We will be at the 577 Foundation the entire Third quarter: July, August and September.

Thanks to Karen Ash, Kelli Manrow, Sarah Rodgers, Bob Oates, Kim Kearns, Paula Baker and Missy Dell for helping at the Book Center.

Looking For A Designer

Planned Pethood would like to try a new fundraiser of making and selling handmade dog beds and cat perches. We need someone to design them. Ideally, they would determine how much wood would be needed, what kind of wood, finishing materials, what kind and the quantity of hardware needed, etc. From there Carpenter Apprentices would create the beds and perches from the design.

If you think you can help, email ed@plannedpethood.org.

Can you help haul books?

We need someone to haul books from our storage unit in Maumee to the 577 Foundation in Perrysburg on September 16. It is enough to fill a pick up truck bed. It will not all fit in an SUV with folded down seats.

Contact ed@plannedpethood.org if you can help!

Thank You

We want to thank everyone who signed and showed up to help at the Harley Davidson concerts. It was a lot of work, but well worth the time. We made quite a bit of money and impressed a large group of people. THANK YOU!

Thank you for those who baked, toted tables, soda, tents, shirts and crafts to sell at the Old West End Festival. Thank you for those who donated their time to help set up and take down. Thank you to Mona Guinaugh for handling all the details of the event. We made over $300.

Thank you to the people who are faithfully transporting animals to adoption events. Derby got adopted Saturday by a couple who saw him at an event at West park Place Assisted Living Facility. They were there visiting her mother and saw him and had to have him because he looked like their other two dogs. They told the foster that one of their dogs died in December and they were thinking they would get a third dog in 5 years or so...until they saw Derby. They were one of those homes where they can pick any dog they want and we would be happy to let them have it. And because Galla was transported to the event on Saturday, she got two applications. One hand-written there and one online when the people went home. Thank you transporting team. Thank you Theresa Grimes for coordinating it week after week.

We are having another bake sale on September 17 & 18. If you can donate something- that would be wonderful! Contact ed@plannedpethood.org if you can help with baked goods and/or working the event.

Who's Answering The Phones?

Ever wonder what happens when someone calls our phone number?

Several volunteers answer the phones all day long, seven days a week. Those volunteers return calls to help those in the public with their questions or when asking for help. For some calls they can't answer the message is passed on to the volunteer that can answer the call.

Mail box 1 is for cat spay/neuter. Mail box 2 is for cat adoptions. Mail Box 3 is for other calls regarding cats. Mail box 4 is for Dog Spay/Neuter calls. Mail Box 5 is for dog adoptions. Mail Box 6 is for other calls regarding dogs. Mail Box 7 is for calls regarding membership, volunteer, fundraising, donations etc.

Our volunteers keep a notebook of all their calls to refer back to in case there is any question later of what was said to the call. Our volunteers also follow a manual and use the FAQ section of our website to answer general questions.

Thank you to Karen Latta, Barb Costilla, Shirley Moran, Diane Denis, Bernadette Michaux, Amy Craig, Bob Oates, Nancy Davis, Tonya Bradstock, Sarah Folger and Mary Bennett.

Our phone number is 419.826.FIXX.

Items For Sale On Craig's List

We have a few items for sale on Craig's List. Perhaps you are interested or know someone who is. Check them out! All the money goes right to PPI.

Mirror with 2 sconces $60 http://toledo.craigslist.org/hsh/2457044426.html

Leather La-Z-Boy Couch $60 http://toledo.craigslist.org/fuo/2467532224.html

195/30R15 Tires $60 http://toledo.craigslist.org/pts/2467533501.html

Casio Keyboard $40 http://toledo.craigslist.org/msg/2467535383.html

Credenza $60 http://toledo.craigslist.org/fuo/2467536851.html

Marshmellow

Marshmellow is a 1 year old white female cat. She is deaf, but healthy otherwise. It has taken sometime for Marshmellow to adjust to her foster home. This beautiful girl would be much happier in a home as the only cat. Marshmellow can be seen any day at her foster's home, so please contact her foster at 419-464-2458 to meet her.

Silver Citizens

Silver citizens are dogs that don't get a lot of attention from people looking to adopt. In reality they are the ideal dog. They don't chew on furniture anymore. They are well past potty training problems. They are mellow and don't require much exercise. The seniors are comfortable in their own skin, know the ropes of family life and get along well with others. Through no fault of their own, they find themselves homeless. Please one of these oldies but goodies. Buddy Beagle, Freckles, Bailey and Shehkina are looking for homes and still have lots of life and love left for you and your family.

If you aren't in the market for another dog, please consider making a donation toward their upkeep. For example, Buddy Beagle is on thyroid medication. The others are on special senior food.

Dog Wash Fundraiser

Join us this summer to get your dog washed at one of the Anderson's General Stores. We will also have our usual Adoption events at the same time.

*NEWLY ADDED* Friday, July 1 @ Anderson's in Toledo 4:30- 7pm
*NEWLY ADDED* Wednesday, July 6 @ Anderson's in Toledo 4:30- 7pm
Saturday, July 16 @ Anderson in Maumee (Come see the Air Dog Show while there) 11am - 3pm
Saturday, August 13 @ Anderson in Toledo 11am - 3pm
Saturday, September 3 @ Anderson in Maumee 11am - 3pm

Free Will donations for every dog we wash.

Toe nail trims: $5

Anal gland expressions: $10

Sorry no cats! It's too dangerous if they get loose.

No rain dates if raining at the time of dog wash.

Anderson in Toledo at 4701 Talmadge Rd. 43623

Anderson in Maumee at 530 Illinois Ave 43537

Volunteers By Proxy

Oftentimes a person signs up to volunteer with Planned Pethood. Soon we start to see their other family members lending a hand too. Thank you for rolling up your sleeves and helping the mission. Whether it's the spouse of a board member helping us at the 577 Foundation, a daughter of a foster who makes goodies for our bake sales, a son who tags along to help clean out litter boxes at Petsmart, or like one foster who now has his mother and sister fostering for PPI too; we love the family spirit.

When talking about what you do to help PPI, perhaps you are talking to a potential future volunteer. As you know, we always have opportunities- large and small- for almost everyone.

Darby

Sadly, Darby had to be put to sleep this month. It was discovered she had a tumor on three internal organs. Thank you Mona Guinuagh for her care while she was a dog within the Planned Pethood adoption program and who ended up adopting Darby. Thank you to all the people who have loved Darby and supported her throughout her time with us. Thank you to St. Francis Vet and SylvaniaVET for her care while recovering from her burns. Thank you Paws & Remember who cremated Darby and hand delivered her to Mona.

You can read Darby's entire story here. You can make a donation in her name here.

Host Your Next Event Here

We have a non-refundable deposit we have not been able to use at the Knights of Columbus on Secor Rd. This is $250 we could use to rescue unwanted cats and dogs. You can write a check to Planned Pethood for $250, which would be a tax deduction for you, then we move our deposit from our name into your name for your event.

Contact ed@plannedpethood.org if you are interested.

Items We Always Need

Kitty Litter (always need it and there is never enough)
Dog Collars with sturdy metal buckles
Dog leashes
Crates of all sizes
Puppy training pads
Paper towels
Bleach
Gas Cards
Printer Ink
1st class stamps

You can drop off these items at any adoption event.

Keith Urban Raffle

You and a guest can enjoy an evening out on the town and help the animals in your community. This package is valued at over $500.

Planned Pethood presents a raffle featuring Keith Urban at the Huntington Center.

Friday, July 29, 2011

Your evening includes:

Limo service for the evening
Dinner for two at Nagoya ($100 gift certificate)
A night stay at Hilton Garden Inn
Two tickets to see Keith Urban
(Section 122, Row K, Seat 11 & 12)

Tickets can be purchased online or from volunteers.
Watch our Facebook page or come to one of these events
to purchase your chance to win.

$20 per ticket

Tickets may also be purchased from a volunteer at one of these events:

July 2 Anderson's Talmadge from 11-3

Drawing will be on Saturday, July 16 at 2pm at The Anderson's in Maumee.

Contest rules can be viewed on our website.
Thank you to Nagoya and Hilton Garden Inn for generously donating to Planned Pethood so we may save more lives.

Pet Photography

2011-05-15T17:36:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have seen me at Planned Pethood events. I'm the one with a camera or two hanging off of my shoulder, and usually holding on to a dog (or two) with my other arm. I take most of the pictures for the website and have become the "official" Planned Pethood photographer. I've never taken any formal photography classes and have learned through trial and error, reading on line, a photography club and from books. By trade I am a pharmacist, although if I had it to do all over again I think I would seriously consider photography (although I have to wonder if the love of it would be gone if I had to earn money doing it) I'm going to give you some hints on how to take better pictures of your dogs, cats (and even you kids).

1. Turn off your flash. Try to take your pictures in natural light if possible. No one likes a picture with glowing eyes. Get out your manual and learn how to adjust the ISO on your camera. Even point and shoot cameras have this adjustment. The brighter your area the lower the ISO (indoors I like to use a ISO of 400 or higher)

2. Get down on the animals level. Get your pet up high and shoot from below. Try different angles. Pan with the camera while the animal is moving.

3. Photograph your pet where they are comfortable, doing what they like to do. It you try to take them somewhere unfamiliar to them they will usually sniff around and all you get are pictures of them with their nose to the ground. Get in close. Keep the background simple.

4. Don't wait for the perfect moment. Take lots of shots (digital "film" is cheap). Many times when I'm taking even portrait shots of animals sitting I will turn on the burst mode (where I take one shot right after another) because even though the animal is sitting there they are moving their head back and forth or blinking their eyes or twitching their ears. If you try to wait for that perfect time when they are sitting perfectly still and you hit the shutter then many times they'll move by the time the camera takes the shot. You end up getting right and left profiles but never that perfect shot where they are looking right at you. So turn on the burst mode. Many times on cameras that have automatic settings the sports mode will have burst shooting.

4. Shoot in the morning or late afternoon and stay out of harsh direct sunlight. Besides for causing a lot of squinting when shooting in harsh sun you can get some unflattering shadows. Cloudy days can be great for taking pictures. Early morning, late afternoon and early evening before sunset give some of the best light besides for being cooler for your pet.

5. Edit yourself. Learn how to down load your pictures in to your computer. I can't believe how many people never load their pictures in to their computer. They'll hand me their camera to look at their pictures. They just keep their pictures on their SD or CF cards and just keep buying cards when they fill them up. Learn how to crop your pictures and do simple editing too.

6. And only show your best photos. Remember the difference between a good photographer and a bad photographer is that you never see the good photographers bad photos.

Sequoia update (April 14, 2011)

2011-04-14T06:39:00.000-07:00

Bad news. It's the tumor coming back for Sequoia. 3 weeks to 6 months is the outlook.

The tumor can grow a different way than the way it grew the last time. So it can go around his windpipe or into his lungs which will make it a shorter time frame. Or it can stay on the surface and make it a longer time frame. His foster mom had heard him rasping to breath a few days in a row a few times throughout the day but not constant. It could be the tumor of just a little hay fever. The vet has given us a list of signs to look for. He lost 2 pounds in the 2 weeks since his last visit.

He's on pain meds and antibiotics. So we will just hang out and chill with each other until the end is near.

In rescue work you meet so many dogs and some you click with and some are "meh- just ok". His foster mom says, "He is a great dog that is right up my alley. Thank you for letting him come to my house and letting me get to know him." Thank you to Molly LaMountain for spotting him at the Fulton Co. Dog Pound and alerting PPI of him. She drove him the vet and got kisses from him that first day. It was a sure sign he was a great dog.

But ultimately it's just about quality of life at this point. We're hoping the pressure doesn't burst his fresh skin where the incision was and fillet him open. We plan on enjoying the sunshine together. At this moment life is pretty good as long as we are enjoying the moment. And that's what the love of a good dog can do- make you enjoy the moments.

An Editorial

2011-04-06T07:09:00.001-07:00

Editorial

I am a dog. I am a living, breathing animal. I feel pain, joy, love, fear and pleasure.

I am not a thing. If I am hit - I will bruise, I will bleed, I will break. I will feel pain. I am not a thing.

I am a dog. I enjoy playtime, walk time, but more than anything, I enjoy time with my pack - my family - my people. I want nothing more than to be by the side of my human. I want to sleep where you sleep and walk where you walk. I am a dog and I feel love...I crave companionship.

I enjoy the touch of a kind hand and the softness of a good bed. I want to be inside of the home with my family, not stuck on the end of a chain or alone in a kennel or fenced yard for hours on end. I was born to be a companion, not to live a life of solitude.

I get too cold and I get too hot. I experience hunger and thirst. I am a living creature, not a thing.

When you leave, I want to go with you. If I stay behind, I will eagerly await your return. I long for the sound of your voice. I will do most anything to please you. I live to be your treasured companion.

I am a dog. My actions are not dictated by money, greed, or hatred. I do not know prejudice. I live in the moment and am ruled by love and loyalty.

Do not mistake me for a mindless object. I can feel and I can think. I can experience more than physical pain, I can feel fear and joy. I can feel love and confusion. I have emotions. I understand perhaps more than you do. I am able to comprehend the words you speak to me, but you are not always able to understand me.

I am a dog. I am not able to care for myself without your help. If you choose to tie me up and refuse to feed me, I will starve. If you abandon me on a rural road, I will experience fear and loneliness. I will search for you and wonder why I have been left behind. I am not a piece of property to be dumped and forgotten.

Sequoia update

2011-04-04T10:24:00.000-07:00

Sequoia gained 4 pounds. And the mass appears to be a bit smaller. Things are looking hopeful. YAHOO!

If he continues to improve we will get him neutered in a few weeks and offer him for adoption. The big guy was at a foster meeting on Saturday with mostly all small dogs and was a peaceful, friendly dude. He was happy to get attention from humans but laid down and was quiet throughout the whole meeting while the little dogs were busy bees. Sequoia is at an ideal weight of 84 pounds and we will be maintaining that.

Sequoia update- Monday 3.21.11

2011-03-28T19:24:00.000-07:00

Sequoia, aka Pat, makes us smile. He was bouncing around the kitchen today giving his foster mom the play "break down". He likes to be pet by the 3 yr old and likes to sit by her chair hopping she will drop some food. Today he had a giant smile when his foster mom came home and gave her a slurp. Today he also played chase with his foster mom. He is full of joy and is a great dog.

Sally Wehner came to take pictures of Sequoia today. He barked at her and let us know he was " on alert". But he quieted down shortly thereafter. He then trotted outside for his photo shoot and posed nicely. Looking forward to seeing those!

In two days, according to the vet, his swelling and scar tissue will be at it's largest. After Wednesday it should start to go down. If the mass stays the same size or gets larger, we will have a good idea if it's scar tissue or the tumor returning.

Please send your good vibes to Sequoia for a healthy recovery.

Sequoia: the big, red dog

2011-03-26T10:13:00.000-07:00

Monday, March 7, Planned Pethood was made aware of a dog in the Fulton County dog pound with a huge mass on the side of his neck. He had been found dragging a chain behind him but his people never came looking for him.

After some discussion, we decided to take him into our program if only to provide a warm spot in his final days if he needed to be euthanized. This was a better option than having him wait at the pound for the day to come for him to be put to sleep. This big red dog was named Sequoia. Despite feeling poorly with a mass on his neck Sequoia gave out an occasional kiss and seemed a gentle boy.

Sequoia was taken to Anthony Wayne Animal Hospital to be examined the very next day. He was negative for heartworm and otherwise seemed in good health and spirits. Thursday, March 10 Dr. Reece removed the tumor that weighed 3 pounds and was the size of a cantaloupe. It was something he'd never really seen before. He had two drainage tubes placed and it required 17 staples to close the area. The pathology reports that this mass could return.

Sequoia continues to recover slowly but his prognosis is guarded. We are waiting to see if the mass returns before we make any decisions if he can be made available for adoption. He is a happy, friendly dog who is mostly quiet. It seems as though he likes children and other dogs. But until he is recovered we aren't introducing him to everyone in the family yet.

You can make a donation to Sequoia via PayPal by clicking here or on our website by clicking here.

Below are the emails between Planned Pethood volunteers regarding Sequoia's progress.

----- Original Message -----

From: ML

To: NM ; CK

Sent: Tuesday, March 08, 2011 3:37 PM

Subject: Sequoia

N, I assume Reese will call or has called you but he believes the growth is cancer. The prognosis is not good. If it's removed it comes back and it's fast growing. I'm not sure if you would go ahead with a biopsy and make sure or not. I guess let me know what you decide. I asked how much time he would have if not treated, he said maybe a few months at best but realistically he is suffering now. He limps and pants and was laying in the pound and barely wanted to get up. If you decide to have him put down let me know and I will go back and be with him.
He is very nice dog. We were nervous about getting him out but once I put a leash around him he was fine and walked out, gave me a kiss in car, and was perfect the whole time Reese was examining him. Thanks for getting him in. I'm very sad for him but at least we know.

M

----- Original Message -----

From: NM

To: ML ; CK

Sent: Tuesday, March 08, 2011 6:43 PM

Subject: Re: Sequoia

Reece thinks it's hemangiosarcoma. Which would mean a short life after tumor removal. Usually they grow back faster and larger after removal.

They can send blood from the tumor for testing but it usually comes back inconclusive. Rather than send a section of the tumor for testing in which he would have to endure surgery, we are going to have the tumor removed in whole and send it out for testing.

Reese says we won't know for sure until surgery or after the testing comes back. It could be a foreign body trapped in there and becomes "an easy fix". I have discussed after care of Sequoia regarding wound management, drainage tubes, etc. Or it could be a fibrous tumor within that is roped around and he needs to be euthanized on the table. He is scheduled for surgery on Thursday. Afterward, he will come home with me. They want to make sure he has plenty of fluids, since this will be a surgery where he probably uses a lot of blood. They will be giving him IV fluids to get ready for surgery.

Afterward, he will come home with me since I am home all day and can monitor him, give meds and clean up the drainage as needed. If things get out of control, I may ask for help.

If you wish to visit him tomorrow prior to surgery, you may. Then if he has to be euthanized while on the table you had the chance. I'll be there in the evening saying hello.

----- Original Message -----

From: ML

To: NM

Cc: CK

Sent: Tuesday, March 08, 2011 6:16 PM

Subject: Re: Sequoia

OK guess all we can do is hope for a miracle. He's a good boy. I will probably stop by tomorrow and see him again just in case. If you had decided against surgery I would have just gone with him. I guess it's best to know for sure.

thanks, M

----- Original Message -----

From: NM

To: ML

Cc: CK

Sent: Tuesday, March 08, 2011 9:02 PM

Subject: Re: Sequoia

Reese said it wasn't without hope. it could be a stick or bit chain stuck in there

it would be a shame to assume and at least not give him a chance

--N

----- Original Message -----

From: NM

To: ML ; CK

Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2011 3:41 PM

Subject: Re: Sequoia

Good news and bad news.

The tumor was removed and he did well under the anesthetic. The surgery took an one and a half hours. Parts of the mass stripped away easily while other parts were whorled into muscle tissue. There was an outer part, with a cavity filled with dark material and had a strange pod at the center. There was no foreign material within to make him think this was due to a chain or prior injury.

Two sections will be sent out for testing, a part of the center pod and a part of the edge. Reese has never seen of anything like this. Histopath might be back next week. Reese is hoping because of his young age it will just be some fluke mass and not cancer. They are icing his shoulder right now and he will be coming to my house tonight.

He was not fixed because of the length of the surgery.

--N

----- Original Message -----

From: ML

To: NM

Cc: CK

Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2011 2:49 PM

Subject: Re: Sequoia

Glad it went well and that you went ahead and checked it out. I hope there's good news.
At the pound I put leash over his head said " come on" and he walked out with no problems and was fine from then on, gave me kisses in the car when I got him out at AW and when Reese was handling him he had no problems at all. I repeat my offer to bring him here for recovery if need be. I assume he would have to be kept away from other dogs and isolated for the most part for a while anyhow. Once he was better we could do a fair evaluation and move him if he passes.
thanks again for taking him in,
M

----- Original Message -----

From: NM

To: ML

Cc: CK

Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2011 4:12 PM

Subject: Re: Sequoia

He's going to recover in the office where I am most of the day. Even without him here, children and dogs aren't allowed in here. Thanks for offering again Molly. I'll for sure let you know if I can't handle it.

----- Original Message -----

From: NM

To: ML; CK

Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2011 10:30 PM

Subject: Re: Sequoia

So far so good. In pretty good spirits. Wants to be with people badly. So when I leave the room he's right behind me at the door. When I return, he's right at the door waiting. I can see his nose under the door too. Rode in the car pretty well. Blood POURING out of the drainage tubes. Not acting weird about the other dogs either.

----- Original Message -----

From: NM

To: ML ; CK

Sent: Saturday, March 12, 2011 3:19 PM

Subject: Re: Sequoia

He's acting like a typical chow. Kinda cautious of new people. Reminds me of how Blackie was when he first started hanging around our house.

He's taking some time to warm up to Mike. But takes food from your hand so gentle. Would love to find a spot in the fence to escape from. He really is looking for a way to leave. Listens maybe a bit too well. When I shouted at my dog to stop fussing at him through the gate. He flinched and backed up. Loves hot dogs, can catch them in his mouth. When he goes in to get staples removed I have to get his nails trimmed. They are curling under they are so long. And he walks funny bc of it. But I don't like to trim nails on my dogs and I sure as heck am not doing it to Sequoia. He wants to follow Mike up stairs and came inside when he called to him. We think we are stumbling onto his former name bc he perked up when Mike called him Pal.

----- Original Message -----

From: ML

To: NM

Cc: CK

Sent: Saturday, March 12, 2011 2:26 PM

Subject: Re: Sequoia

And yeah definitely chow, I wonder if newfie too? His head is huge. although I bet part of the 90 lbs was that tumor. I never saw his tail up. it definitely has curl to it but it's short too. He's a creative mix of traits for sure.
and the food thing was what won me over at pound. I didn't want to mess with him because he was obviously in bad shape. All they had was milk bones but I broke those up. He took every piece as gentle as a baby, then laid them all on the floor. I know Sequoia isn't all that easy to yell but I wanted him to have a strong name and he is red. ;)
M

----- Original Message -----

From: NM

To: ML ; CK

Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2011 10:33 AM

Subject: sequoia

They didn't remove the drains. It's still draining so they want them to stay in until it stops. That could be another 5-10 days. He was not happy about them messing with the area. He has a section that is collecting fluid and leaking out bw the staples. It looks like they squished some of the fluid in that pocket out. So I can only imagine why he wasn't pleased about that. Wouldn't get in my car to leave the house, but jumped right in to leave the vet. Smart dog! I had a guest over on Sunday and he followed her around the kitchen and let her pet him. Like most dogs we all see, he's more afraid of men than women.

----- Original Message -----

From: CK

To: NM ; ML

Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2011 10:54 AM

Subject: Re: sequoia

well good to hear, it sounds like this is probably going to be a happy ending...i hope....

----- Original Message -----

From: NM

To: MT

Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2011 9:31 AM

Subject: Re: sequoia

He bounced into the house yesterday and wanted me to pet him, soft body, tail neutral, a little wag. Chows don't wag their tails fast and furious like GSDs do. Coming when called by Mike and me. Coming inside without hot dog trickery. Making progress. I think his physical recovery time will be a good time to take social skills nice and slow.

----- Original Message -----

From: NM

To: ML ; CK

Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2011 2:20 PM

Subject: Re: Sequoia

Mike picked up the paperwork this morning. According to pathologist: "prognosis- guarded . . . severely infarcted/inflamed nerve sheath tumor, low grade malignancy. Slow to metastasize but highly locally infilrative and very high recurrence rates in cases of incomplete excision" It is impossible to tell if excision complete. According to Reece: "I advised that despite above, I see very little recurrence with these masses."

He had to go in yesterday morning and again this morning to have the area lanced and drained. Sub-q area is filling and not draining. But under the muscle is draining well but still at a steady flow. I'm supposed to put him in the bathtub every night to squeeze fluid out of the lance site. And hot pack it twice a day.

AKA Pat, AKA Patty, AKA Knick-knack patty whack give your dog a bone, knows sit, down and shake. He wagged his tail at HG and bounces around once and while. His neck bothers him but is meeting new people well and not nervous. Rode in the car today without shaking and nervous like he did the previous times.

----- Original Message -----

From: NM

To: ML; CK ; MT

Sent: Saturday, March 26, 2011 9:32 AM

Subject: Sequoia update

As you know, the void started filling up with fluid last Sunday. We took him to Anthony Wayne on Monday. Reece made two incisions,one at the top or the void and one at the bottom, lateral to the staples. I was instructed to express the area to get fluid out of the void through the new slits.

So I was doing it once a day like they told me. But it was filling up just as fast as I emptied it. Then I was doing it 3-4 x a day. Then I noticed the fluid was getting thicker and more red. It should have been pink and thin like water. So I started measuring what I was expressing out. Yesterday I called AW to ask what's normal because it seems abnormal to me. I was getting 100 cc of fluid per expression. And 250 first thing in the morning.

Talked to Reece yesterday and he wanted to see him. Mike dropped him off this morning. Caudal to the staples, which were removed, the area is firm. When Reece looked at it, it's either scar tissue or the mass growing back. Hard to say at this point. He is also concerned that the fluid is thick and red with damaged red blood cells like he found when removing the tumor. And Sequoia has lost 10 pounds.

Reece put in two new drains, removed the old drains. We are going to wait and see. I'll boost his food portions, maybe offer him an open bowl of dry all the time and give him some table food too.

So we are still guarded about how this will play out.

The good news is that he is a charming, pleasant dog. He doesn't bark unless he needs to. He seems happy to see the children and wags his tail at HG. Sits wonderfully on command, knows shake and down. He is a great dog. When he wants to come back inside he give a low howl that you can barely hear. He & I were playing tag in the kitchen on Friday and he had a huge smile. Then we sat on the floor and talked to each other. When he looks at me I sometime see our chow mix Champ looking at me in giant form. Pat will make a great family dog for someone. He's never had a potty accident in the house. And most remarkable is that he was letting me press on his wound to express the fluid out without a peep or fuss. I can't say enough good things about Pat.

I have hope and I'm redoubling my prayers for him.

--N

2011-03-07T09:03:00.000-08:00

March 6, 2011

Show your support in style

Hoody Sweatshirts For Sale
You can purchase this sweatshirt for $30 by clicking here. Made by Gildan in the Ultra Blend. This hoodie will have no zipper. Available in dark grey to read "It's All About the Dog" or "It's All About the Cat" with our website address below.

Orders must be placed via PayPal by Sunday, March 13.

More Animals Saved

Adoption Figures for 2010
When the market crashed in 2008 followed by raising unemployment and foreclosures, rescues across America felt the pain. It's only been recently, adoption numbers have started to creep back to "normal". Whatever that is. This year is the first year since 2008 we have not seen a decrease in our adoption numbers. There is hope. Thanks for enduring the tough times with us.

836 cats adopted
405 dogs adopted

Muddy Backyard? Indoor Doggie Play Date

Wanna Play?
We are hosting another doggie play date on Sunday, March 20th at Poco's Playhouse from noon to 3pm. Free admission for humans, $5 per dog.

Poco's Playhouse is at 12726 Eckel Junction Road Perrysburg, OH 43551.

Come on out and have some fun.

_______________________________________________________
We need a few volunteers to check in guests at the door. If you can help please contact ed@plannedpethood.org.

Voluteers Needed for Rummage Sale

Bring A Friend To Help
Volunteers needed for all dates listed

- - Set Up For Sale - -
Saturday, April 30 > 10am - 5pm
Sunday, May 1 > 11am - 5pm
Monday, May 2 > 11am - 5pm
Tuesday, May 3 > 11am - 6pm
Wednesday, May 4 > 11am - 5pm

- - Last Day to Drop off Donation Items - -
Tuesday, May 3, 2011 > 11am to 6pm

- - The Sale! Come & SHOP! - -
Thursday, May 5, 2011 > 9am to 6pm
Friday, May 6, 2011 > 9am to 5pm
Saturday, May 7, 2011 > 9am to 3pm

- - WHERE - -
Lucas Co. Fairgrounds Â· Jr. Fair Building
1406 Key St. Â· Maumee, OH

Please save your plastic bags and
dry cleaning hangers for us too

Sign up to volunteer at:
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/rummage15

or email ed@plannedpethood.org

Vote for OUR Darling Darby

IAMs Home for the Holidays Contest

Remember our Darby? The Rottweiler who was found with chemical burns over most of her back? Her adoptive/former foster mom entered her story in a nationwide contest for Iams' Home 4 the Holidays. We have learned that Darby is among four finalists. The public will get to vote for the winner. Planned Pethood could win national recognition and $500. Yeah Darby!!! The photos below are of Darby's injury and then her happily recovered. The photo of her burn is actually after significant healing time. It was much, much worse when PPI first got her.

Voting will begin on Tuesday, March 8^th, at 10:00am (PST), at Helen Woodward Animal Center's blog (link below). The contest will run for two weeks and end at 5:00pm (PST), Monday, March 21^st. There is a limit of one vote per email address, so make it count! We will officially announce the winning animal organization on Tuesday, March 22^nd, at noon (PST).

Planned Pethood needs you and your friends in order to win the prize for best adoption story. Only you can ensure that your favorite organization gets selected, so spread the news, tell other animal lovers, and win the prize for your favorite! Thank you for your interest in making the world a better place for animals!

Vote by clicking here.

oger's Community Cares Program

Time to Re-register your card
or become a Brand new user

Planned Pethood received our quarterly check from Kroger in the amount of $678.65 thanks all to our volunteers that have been using their Kroger cards.

When you register your Kroger card on their website, selecting Planned Pethood as your charity of choice, every time you swipe your card, Kroger gives money to Planned Pethood.

Re-enrollment for your Kroger card begins April 1, 2011. Your re-enrollment ensures we will get the greatest rewards possible. It only takes a few moments of your time.

Instructions here.

Prom For Paws

Help young woman, cats and dogs of our community

We are taking donations of gently used/clean prom dresses and formal wear, shoes, purses, earrings, necklaces, shawls, etc. to be sold back to the community. Please donate your used dresses to help the dogs and cats in NW Ohio.

Drop off your donations during regular business hours at any of these locations:

First Federal Bank
1077 Louisiana Ave Perrysburg, OH 43551-2342 419.872.8326
(corner of Louisiana and W. South Boundary)

Maumee Tireman Auto Service Center
532 Illinois Ave Maumee, OH 43537 419.891.7973

Salvatore Capelli Salon
114 W. South Boundary Perrysburg, OH 43551 419.873.5483

Prom For Paw Sale is:
Saturday, April 9th 10am to 4pm
Sunday, April 10th noon to 4pm.

Sale at & Space donated by: Salvatore Capelli Salon , 114 South Boundary Perrysburg OH 43551

Browse our impressive variety of dresses in all sizes, colors and style
Try on the dresses
Great bargains with NO DRESS OVER $25
Enjoy several raffles for great prizes donated by local merchants

eNewsletter from Planned Pethood - December 10, 2010

2010-12-09T17:29:00.000-08:00

Please remember Planned Pethood during this holiday season. We need your help to continue the work we do the rest of 2010 and into 2011.

You can sponsor a snowflake in honor of or as a gift to someone special. Your donation will go directly to helping the dogs and cats of northwest Ohio enjoy the greatest gift of all, another chance at life!

Thank you for all you do to help us to help them! Donate Now!

Toledo's "Pit bull" Laws Repealed- New Ordinance Enacted

Toledo City Council voted to repeal the (Toledo Municipal Code) TMC 505.14 regarding the dog breed known as "pit bull" and "pit bull mixes". To replace these laws, Council enacted Ordinance 389.10 to create TMC 1706 regarding the ownership of all dogs regardless of the breed.

This ordinance goes beyond beyond those of the Ohio Revised code for any dog within the Toledo city limits. These laws cover items like barking, tethering dogs outside, leaving a dog alone and how a dog is defined as a public threat to safety. The ordinance also outlines penalties, broken down into different levels of threat. You can read the Toledo ORD 389.10 by clicking here.

Many thanks to those citizens serving on the Dog Warden Advisory Committee for crafting this important law. Thank you to the citizens who worked without end to see justice be served to the canines and their owners in our community.

3rd Annual Rescue Reunion

Winters in Ohio are cold, snowy, and LONG!!! Not the kind of weather you want to excercise with your dog. So, we have decided to move our 3rd Annual Dog Rescue Reunion from October as usual, to the beginning of 2011.

January 23, 2011 from noon to 4pm

We hope this will give you something to look forward to during the dark, deary days soon to come. It will still be held at a doggie day care facility so the dogs can play, while we enjoy each others company and eat.

Bark Ave Dog Day Care Inc.
4641 West Bancroft Street
Toledo, OH 43615-3945

Tiny Fred

Tiny Fred's story isn't all that unusual.

Someone has a cat that had kittens. They feel the kittens are a pain in the neck so they start handing them out to anyone (even if they can't care for the cat) at the first chance.

Fred and his litter mates were ripped from their mother at the tender age of 4 weeks old. Kittens and Puppies should stay withtheir mothers until at least 8 weeks.

Tiny kittens and puppies taken from their mother too soon miss out on essential nutrition from nursing and vital socialization from each other. Dogs can become very unbalanced and dangerous if separated too early.

Our volunteers often bottle feed and care for these tiny darlings until they are ready to be spay/neutered and then placed for adoption.

Planned Pethood also gets litters of kittens and puppies that are already weaned from their mother and only require a foster home for a short time.

Who Doesn't Love Puppy Kisses?

Our dog program is in desperate need of puppy fosters.

Several of our volunteers regularly search sites such as Craigslist and the area newspapers for people giving away puppies. They contact the owners and offer to take all of the puppies, and then Planned Pethood will spay/neuter all of the pets in their house, at no charge, in order to prevent more litters. Sometimes, we are contacted by the owners who request our help. Our involvement may prevent the puppies from landing in the wrong hands with bad intentions, and assures that they will be vetted and spayed/neutered before adoption.

The owners are usually anxious to rid their home of the youngsters and will surrender them as young as 5 weeks old. Our volunteers know the importance of keeping the litter together in the same home. This allows the puppies to learn socialization skills so that they become loving, well-adjusted adult dogs. There are some things that can only be taught in the dog world.

Without puppy-ready foster homes, we have had to turn away the needy litters. Fostering several puppies at a time, or even a whole litter, is not as difficult as it seems. Having more than one puppy assures that they have each other to stay entertained, and settle in easier for bedtime. Usually young puppies sleep the majority of the time, and their awake time can be spent getting puppy kisses. We have several volunteers who have been doing this for a long time and would be happy to offer their guidance. One of our foster homes even has a specially designed puppy room.

Do you have room for the makers of the Fountain of Youth? Puppy breath, mmmmmmm.

And we need people for litters of kittens too. Or just one dog or cat.

Visit our website to read about fostering and to complete an application to foster in your home by clicking here.

Good Bye Vienna

Vienna's first Heartworm treatment was as usual, tough on her. Her foster family felt helpless watching her suffer in pain knowing that there was nothing they could do for her. Vienna had a severe reaction to her second treatment. She experienced trouble breathing, foaming at the mouth and seizure activity. Her quick-acting foster family rushed her back to the vet's office for treatment.

Unfortunately, Vienna never recovered and she passed away shortly after being returned to the vet's office. All of the volunteers are very saddended by the news and her foster family is taking it extremely hard.

We feel it necessary to point out that Heartworm disease is completely preventable. A one-time a month pill, year round, at a cost of about $6 a month for Vienna is all it would have taken. Are your dogs protected? One mosquito bite is all it takes. Mosquitoes CAN travel inside houses, so even indoor dogs should be given preventative.

Working dogs

2010-11-29T05:57:00.001-08:00

by Mary Torio

People meet my Okette(aka "Monster")
and tell me "Oh, I want one JUST like HER!" I usually reply:
"No, you really don't." Don't get me wrong, she's a perfect fit for
me;I wouldn't trade her for love or money. But she REQUIRES 6-10 hours
of exercise, 5-7 days a week.
...Literally.

Here's an example of why I don't recommend working-line GSDs
to most people: due to my being busy, Okette only got "normal dog"
level exercise since Tuesday, other than an
hour of swimming on Sat. When I got home last night & the dogs
crowded the door Kona growled at someone for jostling her. This happens
every single day & Okette ignores it. But last night intensity girl
was out of her head with unexpended energy so she
attacked Kona and had her pinned down as I came through the door. It
took two hands for me to pull her off, and she tried to go back for
more. This is NOT typical! I have no doubt this only happened because
she
hadn't had enough exercise or mental stimulation for the past 4 days.
Keep in mind she DID get walked and played with the other dogs here all
day! When she's had enough
exercise she completely ignores being growled at and even nipped. But
missing
only 4 days of 6-8 hours exercise she was off her head.

Working line dogs are
bred to DO stuff, and their energy requirements are off the hook. How many dogs wind up in rescues or even put down
because of "behavior problems" that are just due to boredom or lack of exercise? People get
so offended when I try to talk them out of getting one like her. Lemme
repeat, I LOVE this dog, wouldn't trade her if I could. I LOVE her
energy & drive. But most people aren't up for all that. And
there's no shame in that! I just want people to recognize what they are
and are not up for, and get their dogs accordingly.

Why we have an application to adopt

2010-11-10T07:21:00.000-08:00

by Mary Torio

People often ask why we have such an involved screening process to adopt a dog from PPI. Perhaps this story will shed some light on that.

I got a phone call this morning around 8:30 am. It was my sister-in-law, in tears, on her way to the vet. She had witnessed a puppy being hit by a car. She and another Good Samaritan stopped. The car that hit him did not. She put the pup in her car and raced to the vet, while the other person grabbed a second puppy that was running loose in the street. He found the owner of the pups who told him: "Just let the damn dog die, I ain't payin' no vet bills." She had not gotten the contact info of the guy who took the other puppy, but we're hoping he kept that pup. My sister in law then called me to see if Planned Pethood could take the pup she was taking to the vet. I could hear the poor little guy crying in her car.

She took him to Temperance Animal Hospital, where they found he had two broken legs, a broken pelvis and internal bleeding. She called me again to check in, and was very upset. She kept repeating what this guy had said about the dog and asking "How can anyone be so cruel? At least end his suffering humanely!" While we were on the phone they came out to tell her he was bleeding from his nose and mouth, and they were not going to be able to save him.

All I could offer her for comfort was the knowledge that at least the pup had someone who cared for the last half hour of his life, because it sure sounds like he didn't for the rest of it. The staff at Temperance Animal Hospital were loving with him and very kind to her. But she was very shook up by the callousness of the owner and of the person who hit the pup and kept driving.

Unfortunately we in rescue see that sort of callousness every single day. We screen potential adopters because we want to get to know something about you, so we feel confident that you are not one of those who discards canine or feline lives when they are not convenient. Please understand it isn't about you in particular, it's about what we see so much of every single day. We've taken these animals in and promised to find them homes where they will be loved and cherished, and that the home we place them in is one that fits their personality and energy. That's our priority.

So please, when you find yourself rolling your eyes at our application, remind yourself that not only are we trying to make sure you get a pet that fits you, we are also making sure your new pet has a safe and loving new home.

It Is not my cat

2010-11-05T08:44:00.000-07:00

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Elected officials in Toledo have made some wise and meaningful decisions for the dogs of our community.

First, the Lucas County Commissioners have hired a Chief Dog Warden who is not only committed to public safety but also to responsible care for the dogs in her custody. Julie Lyle quickly implemented policies that have been standard in many communities across Ohio but were ignored in Lucas County. In just six months, the euthanasia rate has been reduced to about 45% compared to 70% under the previous warden. She is working with Planned Pethood and other rescues to place adoptable dogs and lower the rate even more. A volunteer program is underway which is intended to augment, not replace, the work that goes on at the pound. If the need arises to call the dog warden, feel comfortable in doing so – times have changed.

Secondly, Toledo City Council recently passed a new dog ordinance that holds owners responsible for the behavior of their dogs. I'd say it's about time! Just impounding a biting dog and killing it does nothing to educate the owner. Further, dogs are to be judged by their behavior, not their breed. Planned Pethood's board recently revised our policy on pitbull types – the new policy is that provided we have the fosters available, we will accept puppies of ANY BREED at the age of 12 weeks or less.

What's up for the future?

It seems to me that a dog park – at least one! - is needed and on the horizon possibly at the site of the South Toledo YMCA. Let your voice be heard.

Cats, cats, cats are everywhere and while my Mother might have said it about mice, it's true of cats, “IF there's one, there's another one and then there's more”. TNR(trap, neuter, return) has been practiced by PPI volunteers for a number of years currently in conjunction with Humane Ohio, a non-profit spay/neuter clinic. We have led the way in this endeavor and urge you the reader to participate. It's easy to say it's not my cat but the reality is that soon the statement will be THEY are not my cats. We have grants and bequests to assist the public and it's really is very easy to trap cats. When you see a cat with the tip of its left ear gone, it probably has been fixed. If it's around your house, those mice my Mother talked about will be gone and all you need to to is feed the mouser. Then send us a donation to perpetuate the activity.

2010-11-05T07:31:00.000-07:00

Planned Pethood eNewsletter October 1, 2010

FUTURE EVENTS
Rescue Reunion- January/February 2011

Prom for Paws - March/April 2011

Rummage Sale - April/May 2011. Donation drop off will begin in January 2011.

Paw Hoorah - April 30, 2011

Quick Links... Spay/Neuter FAQ for Cats FAQ for Dogs Donate

Holiday Greeting Cards

You may purchase 25 Planned Pethood Holiday Greeting cards for $8 on our website, via PayPal. The cards are blank inside for your personal message. You are showing your support of Planned Pethood by purchasing the holiday cards. And by promoting an organization that is important to you to your friends and family, our message reaches a wider audience. Click here to make your purchase today.

Updating The Website

The website will soon have the majority of its static pictures totally changed. The information remains the same. But to keep it fresh and new, the photos were all updated. The website committee said they all felt it was important to make those changes at LEAST once a year. The opening slide show on the home page will be changed as well. And the Scrapbook page will be updated to include our most recent events. Stay tuned!

Thank you to Pam Underwood and Lou Pratt for their contribution to changing the photos. Thank you to Sally Wehner for the use of her fabulous photos.

Make your United Way Go To Us!

Select your payroll deducted United Way donation to go to Planned Pethood. Just write our name in and we will start getting it in 2011.

Opportunities for Improvement

If you ever have a complaint or concern, you can always contact me or anyone on the board. Complaints are supposed to come to me, but if you are uncomfortable with that, you can make your concerns known to anyone on the board. Board members are listed on the website.

One of the duties of an Executive Director is to resolve complaints and address conflicts. When a complaint is made about a volunteer, our process or our program, I take it very seriously. Complaints are good. They are opportunities for improvement. They are ways for us as a group to learn and grow.

Sometimes I have a hard time ascertaining what is idle crabbing versus a formal complaint. If you think I have not taken your complaint seriously, please feel free to contact me to make sure I understand you are making a formal complaint. If I have done that to you, again, please do not think I am dismissing what you have considered to be a complaint. I might have thought you were just crabbing.

--Nikki Morey
Executive Director for PPI
ed@plannedpethood.org

Small & Large Needs

We always need supplies. Perhaps you can help? Right now the Dog Adoption Program is in need of a folding 6 foot table. Or two folding card tables. We also always need the following:

Crates, all sizes

Clay kitty litter

Litter boxes

Paper towels and other cleaning supplies

Medicines like heartworm and flea preventative

Gas cards

Printer ink cartridges (HP 33, HP 34, HP 36 & HP 37)

1st class postage stamps

Contact ED@plannedpethood.org if you can help. That's ED as in Executive Director, not Edward.

Planned Pethood Recipient of Litter Patrol Grant from PetSmart Charities

We are very happy to report that Planned Pethood has been chosen by PetSmart Charities to receive a 2-year, $15,000 per year, Litter Patrol Grant. Litter Patrol is Planned Pethood's innovative program developed by Kathy Kozak and Karen Latta in 2005.

This program utilizes volunteers to contact people giving away "free" puppies and kittens. Spay/neuter assistance is then provided for these animals as well as any other dogs and cats in the household that are not fixed. As space permits puppies and kittens are taken into Planned Pethood's adoption program. We believe that spay/neuter is the ultimate rescue. Our Litter Patrol program often breaks what has been an ongoing cycle of uncontrolled breeding. As always there are strict guidelines in order to qualify for assistance.

In the past Litter Patrol funding has been sporadic. This generous grant from PetSmart represents a significant step forward in funding these efforts for the next 2 years and will provide spay/neuter assistance for approximately 1,000 animals.

Appreciation goes to Jane Holman for preparing and submitting the grant proposal and Nikki Morey for designing and implementing the necessary reporting procedures. Anyone interested in working on grant writing for Planned Pethood, please contact Jane at jholman072@aol.com.

Fund Raising Successes

Many thanks to all those that have helped make money for PPI. Our bake sale and craft sale at the Dog Days of September was a huge success. Thank you to those who contributed baked goods and who worked the sale.

Thank you to BGSU students who put together the Wag N' Tailgate party which raised $193 for PPI. Go Falcons!

Thank you for the volunteers who orchestrated the Euchre Tournament and to those who attended. They raised money that will get several animals off the streets and into warm homes.

How and where we get our animals
It's a balancing act.
And no one is ever happy with the results.

A stray dog and an owner surrender dog play fight. Scrappy & Rain have since found happy homes.

Was it the phone message left on our FIXX line? Was it the email directly from A dog pound or an animal shelter? Or maybe the text from a fellow rescue, that they are also full but have a great animal in immediate need, but only 24 hours to get it out! Oh, no it was the co-worker or was it the death in the family.......no, no I remember now it was the dispatcher at the hospital. I got it, how could I forget it was the post from Face Book!

One could laugh at all the above scenarios but they are all the communication tools in which the public, other rescues, dog wardens, animal shelters, and volunteers use to let Planned Pethood know on a daily and sometimes hourly basis, that the animal they have is in immediate need of rescue. How do you choose, who gets rescued first, or next?

Planned Pethood follows a protocol and balance that has been maintained for years (not easily). First priority are animals being returned to us. Second, strays. Talk about risk, there are no controls in place to help these dogs maintain their safety- no food, no water, no shelter, no medical treatment, and no love and kindness. Third, the nearest surrounding counties, our own backyard! You see them in the paper or on the website and unfortunately, some you never get to see. Strays, owner surrenders, abandoned, and lost aniamls all end up with no where to turn but pounds and shelters. So, that is where we go next, #3 local (to Northwest Ohio) pounds and shelters. Fourth, owner surrenders. These animals usually have food, water, shelter and a loving home but for some reason must go, mostly due to no fault of their own, sometimes just an inconvenience. So that is how Planned Pethood does intake, a risk ranking based on the need and ability of the organization's foster base.

The priority order is the easy part. It is the balancing act of foster homes that is the harder part. Now, only 2 of the 40 or so families in the foster base do not have other dogs or cats. That is significant because if we have a great animal but they can not live with another dog or cat, where can they go, where can everyone get along? A balance must be achieved.

Not to mention personal preferences of the foster base; breed specific preferences (or none of a certain breed or I only want and will foster cocker spaniels), size requirements (nothing over 25 pounds, please), age (I only foster kittens), sex (only females), and simply- what a person can personally handle as well as the what the dynamics of their household or pack can handle.

Do not forget about vetting, emergencies, ability to get the dogs to adoption events, what the spouse will tolerate, vacations, responding to applicants, writing bios and filling out cage cards, and what behavior issues or disputes that may arise due to the new addition.

Whew, did we mention them all......no wait; exercise requirements, no long haired cats/dogs, must be housetrained/litter box trained, must like children, no jumping, must tolerate the daughter's dog she brings over every weekend.

So now, you have the order of intake, then you have the balance of foster homes-now, couple that with real life. For example you save a dog that appears would fit in his new temporary home but when he gets into foster care does not like the resident dog with no other available foster homes he goes to boarding. Do you leave that home vacant? Or do you roll the dice and save another life? Do you stop all intake, or just stop rescuing adult dogs? Then suddenly you get a return, but no adoptions from the weekend, another animal sitting in boarding, oh my! What about that call regarding the stray mother and her litter living under someone's porch? Then you get an owner surrender of a beautiful cocker spaniel, do you place him with the foster that only takes cocker spaniels or do you pass him by?

Our volunteers might see a sign for a free dog or cat and want to help it and foster it themselves. But the Intake coordinator already has a similar animal lined up to come into the program? How do you juggle that without offending the foster family?

Decisions, decisions all with precious lives at stake. All decisions and actions are made with the very best of order, balance and intent to save as many animals as possible. Remember we also do this while maintaining a non-profit organization that is dependent on public donations and our fund raising efforts, without this we have no rescue.

House Bill 79/55

House Bill 79 was introduced by Representative Barbara Sears (up for re-election in Ohio) of the 46th district. The bill is co-sponsored by Representative Michael Skindell, Representative Gerald Stebelton, and Representative Lynn Wachtmann. The bill would remove the term "pit bull" from Ohio's statutory definition of vicious dog. Ohio is the only state to have enacted statewide breed specific legislation. As of May 28, 2010; House Bill 79 was added to House Bill 55 and went before the full House for a vote. It was overwhelmingly passed and has moved to the Senate.

H.B. 55 encourages judges to include companion animals in domestic-violence protection orders and anti-stalking protection orders. H.B. 55 also emphasizes the need to counsel convicted animal abusers and contribute to a safer society by lowering recidivism. This would be accomplished by requiring courts to order psychological evaluation and counseling, if necessary, of minors convicted of animal abuse, and by requiring the state psychology; medicine; and counselor, social worker, and marriage and family therapist boards to approve at least one continuing-education course on counseling individuals who abuse animals. Lastly, the bill would help ensure that Ohio treats animal cruelty crimes seriously by making additional acts of torture to livestock and wildlife misdemeanors of the first degree (punishable by up to six months imprisonment and/or a $1,000 fine).

HOW YOU CAN HELP!
1. Contact your senator, http://www.ohiosenate.gov/directory.html, and ask him/her to support passage of House Bill 55. Written letters have the most impact. In all correspondence, please be polite and respectful and stick to one or two talking points.
2. Contact the Ohio Senate Judiciary Committee on Criminal Justice Committee Members and ask them to support House Bill 55.
- Senator Tim Grendell (Chair), 1 Capitol Square, Ground Floor Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: (614) 644-7718 Email: SD18@senate.state.oh.us
- Committee Members:listed at this website and denoted with ***
3. Follow up with a phone call to each Senator's office a week after sending each correspondence.

For further details, click here.

Fallen Starr

2010-08-26T09:14:00.000-07:00

by Mary Torio

Two months ago Planned Pethood lost Starr, an alumnus of the rescue, and Planned Pethood’s original “Ambassadog.” Starr came into my life after I applied for a Golden Retriever(as a friend for my current German Shepherd(GSD), who was partially paralyzed due to a disease called degenerative myeleopathy, and used a doggie wheelchair), and received a reply asking me to please consider a scared, abused GSD who was not warming up to humans or other dogs in the foster home, and needed someone who understood special needs Shepherds.

I agreed to meet her, but with no plan on taking her in. Riiiiight, famous last words! I brought my other GSD, complete with wheels, to meet the little lady. She was a beautiful, little girl, just as lovely as can be. When the foster opened the car door, this dog who had not gone up to anyone voluntarily since being surrendered marched over to me, sat on my foot, leaned on my leg and looked up at me with those beautiful, sad eyes. I didn’t stand a chance! My other GSD went right to her to give her a kiss. She came home with me as soon as we could get the paperwork done.

Starr had obviously been abused. She was terrified of people and new situations. If you came up behind her too suddenly she’d flinch as if expecting to be kicked. She hid if people came to my house. But she and I were best pals from the day I brought her home. She not only loved me, but whenever we’d go outside she would stay very close to my GSD with the wheels, as if standing guard over him, be it at home or at the barn where my horses were. She was silly and playful and developed a true joy for life.

With love and patience, Starr came out of her shell of fear of humans. I started lessons with her in order to build her confidence, and we quickly realized she had the perfect temperament to be a therapy dog. Just a couple months past our one year anniversary together, Starr (along with her adopted GSD mix sibling Emma) passed the test to become a Therapy Dog International certified therapy dog. I was so proud! My scared little girl wasn’t scared any more! Indeed, she now sought attention from people!

Starr and Emma became “Ambassadogs” for Planned Pethood, assisting me with presentations about PPI. We visited scout troops, senior centers and schools. Starr had a very serene, quiet way about her that seemed to draw out the scared or abused children. On visits to special needs classrooms we had some absolutely amazing experiences.

One of the first and most memorable visits involved a very special young boy in my sister’s classroom. He twirled his fingers in Starr’s fur, patted her, looked her in the eye and told her all sorts of things in his own verbal language only the two of them understood. He spent 35 minutes with her, occasionally leaning over to hug her and press his cheek against her fur. He event got a book, and holding it upside down “read” to her from it, holding it up to her nose so he could point out the pictures to her. She stood rock-still the entire time, just being. Radiating calm and love.

This child’s grandma came to pick him up and exclaimed that he was afraid of dogs. My sister shushed the grandma and asked her to just watch for a while. Finally she called out to him that it was time to go. As he left he looked back at Starr, waved and said as clear as day “Goodbye Starr! I love you!” I didn’t understand Grandma’s tears or my sister’s gasp of shock. Later my sis explained that this little boy was autistic. He did not speak or like to make eye contact, nor did he allow anyone to touch him. He typically avoided touching things. But with Starr he did all those things on his own initiative.

When we visited again, he was allowed to hold Starr’s leash on the condition that he speak to give her commands (sit, stay, come, etc.). He did so with confidence, but in a voice so quiet I had to stand behind him and give her the corresponding hand signals. But oh, this little guy was SO proud when she did what he asked! He was so excited he even spoke a couple words to me! My sister told me that Starr’s visits seemed to have prompted a permanent breakthrough with this little boy. I can still see his big eyes shining up at me while smiling a huge beaming smile in his joy being with Starr.

Starr developed a disease called Degenerative Myeleopathy which causes gradual paralysis and eventual death. My first GSD, her buddy in the wheels had died of it already. There is no cure- it is fatal. She gradually lost the ability to walk on her own power. But that didn’t mean she was done living! We got her a wheeled cart so she could stay active. She took to her wheels like gangbusters, and would happily roll around visiting when we’d go give our presentations. At the barn she would run with the other dogs and try to chase bunnies. I have pictures of her following the other dogs into huge puddles with her wheels. I was often amazed by how extensive her wheel tracks were in the dirt. She certainly got around! She was like a little furry ATV out there, rolling over stumps and rocks and even railroad ties on occasion. When she’d get stuck she’d patiently wait for me to come get her unstuck, then off she’d roll again!

The first presentation we gave after she got her wheels was to a girl scout troop. After my talk I had let the dogs run free in the gym with the kids. A mom came up to me acting very shaken up. I thought “uh-oh, Starr ran over someone’s foot with her wheels and scared them or something”. Nope. This mom told me her daughter had been mauled by a dog several years prior, and been terrified of dogs ever since. The mom watched her little girl walk over to Starr (who was off leash and not near me), put her arms around Starr’s neck, and gave the dog a hug and a kiss. The mom was just so happy to see her daughter, voluntarily, not merely go near a dog, but wrap her arms around one and not be afraid.

Starr had a similar impact on seniors who were unsure around dogs. At one senior center a woman told me she was afraid and just wanted to look at the dogs. I told her not to worry, I wouldn’t let them touch her. Starr had her own ideas about that. She just walked over and stood close the woman, but looking away from and not touching her. She waited patiently as if to say “take your time, I’ll be here when you are ready.” Sure enough the woman eventually felt safe enough not only to pet Starr, but then to pet Emma and Herbie( the other two “ambassadogs” that were there with us that day).

I could go on and on about the people Starr touched:the children who are normally behavior problems who were absolute angels when Starr was in their room, the children who were victims of abuse and wouldn’t talk to adults, who would talk to Starr, the kids who didn’t like to read who would take a book and read it to her. I think of the wheelchair using adults and children who could relate to Starr’s need for wheels and what it said about living life to the fullest, even if your legs don’t work… the grandfather at PPI’s birthday party who told her “It’s hard isn’t it old girl, but we’re doing ok” as he patted her on her head with tears in his eyes.

She didn’t just touch people. Starr’s being in wheels helped dogs as well. So many people who had no idea there were options out there for their physically disabled dogs after meeting Starr were able to help their own dogs in ways they had not known were possible. I can’t tell you how many e-mails we’ve gotten to PPI from people who met her in her wheels asking for info for their own dogs.

I have so many beautiful, heart-touching stories from the too few years I had her with me… there were just so many people whose lives she affected. Part of the beauty of Starr was that she drew as much benefit from them as they did from her. Even after the disease had stricken her to such a degree that she could only manage an hour visit, she’d come home from that hour just glowing. And she’d be noticeably more pleased with life for days after.

It was my privilege and honor to have her in my life. She was a gift of such magnitude that words can’t do it justice. I am so grateful that I was able to share her gentle serenity with so many people. As the disease progressively ravaged her body she lost more and more physical ability, but she never lost her loving, silly, sweet spirit. She stayed proud and happy until the end.

On June 12th 2010 she let me know that she was done fighting, and needed me to let her go. We go to Banfield in Rossford, and they were so kind, you could tell they loved her too. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

Even in her death Starr continued to give, as we donated her remains to the University of Missouri where they are doing research on DM, trying to find treatments and a cure. The staff at Banfield took care of that for us, and I can’t thank them enough. It was very important to me that her death not be for nothing. Hopefully her contribution to the research will help find a cure for this horrible disease that took her way too soon.

Starr left behind a legacy of love that Emma, Herbie and I are trying to live up to. We continue with our program of educational presentations and therapy visits without her physical presence, but with her close by in spirit.

Goodbye Starr, I love you!

A dog named Lacie

2010-07-18T07:29:00.000-07:00

Lacie was tied outside of a local dog pound when the dog wardens came into work one morning. Three 1 week old puppies were left in a box nearby. The dog warden picked up 2 of the puppies to bring them inside and when he turned around, she was walking behind him, carrying the third puppy in her mouth.

The first day I went to see her, she had some sort of infected wound on her shoulder. By the next day, that had broken open and was seeping. We couldn't tell how it occurred but it looked like a large scrape so we wondered if perhaps she'd been hit by a car. Fulton County has a pretty nice pound compared to some I've been to and they had her in the quieter "vicious dog" room, but the pound is still no place for tiny puppies, and so I brought her home. She was uneasy the first few days. Who wouldn't be? All those protective mom hormones, whatever discomfort she was in from her injuries, being one place, then at the pound, then finally here. Who knows what she thought would come next. In a short time she settled in and was a good mama to her babies and bonded with us as well. I named her Lacie.

It's clear Lacie's life before she ended up at the pound wasn't easy. She's around 6-8 years old, and undoubtedly lived as an outside dog, perhaps tied up somewhere, having litter after litter of puppies. Who knows why someone finally "got rid of" her but at least then she was able to get the love and care she deserves.

Lacie and her puppies stayed here for almost 2 months. Her puppies (Leon, Lavender and Lilac, all adopted) were very friendly and good-natured. She is good with the other dogs but prefers her own space. She mostly ignores the cats although sometimes can't resist a chase across the room when one of them runs. (Don't worry, my cats are very dog savvy and she isn't interested in hurting them, just wants to play.) Her wound healed up quickly and her coat's gotten shiny and thick. She loves all of us and seems happy to be here.

When her puppies were 8 weeks old, everyone went to Humane Ohio to be fixed and vetted. I hadn't even gotten all the puppies in the door when the vet came out to talk to me about Lacie. When they did the initial exam they found a mammary tumor. While they recommended that be removed when she was spayed, it was beyond their capabilities at the clinic to do so. And so Lacie came back home again. Later she was seen by another one of our vets who found the tumor was malignant and had already spread throughout her mammary chain, and her heart was enlarged as well. The decision was made to keep her comfortable for however much time she has. It's been a couple of weeks now and she seems to be doing fine. She's not an active dog and she doesn't like being handled much, so I assume she does have some discomfort, but she still loves attention, loves a romp through the yard and seems happy, so we're hoping she has a lot of time left to be loved.

Unfortunately Lacie's story isn't uncommon. Dogs everywhere are kept outside with no medical care, not spayed so they have multiple litters of puppies, who end up perpetuating the cycle with more puppies as well. Canine mammary cancer rarely occurs in dogs who are spayed before their first heat and even if she'd been spayed as a young adult, her risks would have been substantially lower. By its very nature, rescue deals with the consequences of irresponsible pet ownership, and Planned Pethood always has dogs and cats who are being treated for preventable injuries and illnesses. If you adopt a puppy or dog from us, they will of course be spayed first, thus reducing their risk for mammary cancer. If you know of an unspayed dog, please talk to their owners about getting her fixed. We of course care about proactively solving the pet overpopulation by preventing litters but they will also be greatly reducing the chances of their dog ending up like Lacie.

Why Planned Pethood ALWAYS takes our animals back

2010-07-14T11:49:00.000-07:00

Heather first entered the Planned Pethood Dog Adoption Program as an eight-week-old puppy, with the rest of her litter-mates, as part of the Litter Patrol program(in this program we respond to free kitten/puppy ads, offer to take the entire litter to place for adoption, then spay/neuter the pets remaining in the home to ensure no more unwanted litters). She was soon adopted as a puppy.

The following summer, the family that adopted Heather called to say they had to return her to PPI.. They said she wasn't house-broken, had chewed up their above-ground pool, and had to spend most of the time outside because she was so awful.

By this time, Heather was over 100 pounds of Bloodhound mix. The foster parents had the opportunity to speak to the former owner at that time to get the whole picture. From what they was able to piece together, and from the behaviors Heather showed, we realized the living conditions for Heather had been less than ideal.

Heather was left outside, alone, the majority of the time. Bored with nothing to do and no one to interact with, she did indeed chew stuff she shouldn't have and dig an occasional hole. Once in the foster home, it was obvious that Heather was now also scared to death of men. She wanted to have nothing to do with them and growled at the foster dad for almost three weeks. It's not unusual see this type of reaction in abused dogs, but Heather was above and beyond any we had ever seen. But true to her good nature Heather not only got over her fear of the foster dad, she was shortly thereafter in love with him.

Another thing we noted very quickly was that Heather was indeed housebroken but was having incontinence issues. The vet confirmed she did not have a urinary tract infection. The foster mom often would rub Heather's tummy and think, "Something isn't right with this picture. Something is off". Come to find out, Heather had an inverted vulva, that was corrected with surgery.

We discovered what a sweet clown Heather was. She would smile at you by flipping her nose up and her lips back. It's like a dog version of Mr. Ed. She throws her head around with glee, makes weird elk noises, and is the sweetest baby. Her nickname in the foster house became Baby Hey-Hey. Heather has always been the model dog and family member. Her pitiful Bloodhound eyes peeping up at you, followed by lots of energetic kisses is a heart-melter. How can you not adore a dog that is a small pony and wants you to hold her like a baby?

That fall, another family adopted Heather, but although they assured me they would follow my care instructions to the letter, it wasn't long before they had to return her. As it turned out, they didn't care for Heather as instructed they weren't even giving the girl her medicine! We had told them that to overcome her fear of the father in the home, for him to feed her. But they couldn't even do that. Despite our best efforts people tell fibs about how well they will care for the dog.

When the foster dad went to pick Heather up, she jumped into the van and looked at him like "I'm outta here , man!"

Heather stayed with the same foster family for another year. A family with another dog were interested in giving Heather her forever home. They were devoted to Heather and loved her dearly. However, their Schnauzer mix was not a fan of Heather. After a year of the two dogs taunting each other without incident, a minor error caused a big problem: an accidentally open door gave Heather her chance to get even to the Schnauzer, and she inflicted serious damage. Hence, Heather was given her walking papers.

The family cared enough about Heather that they contacted the same foster family, wanting Heather to only come back to us. The wife had even gone to www.plannedpethood.org to count how many dogs that foster family had listed under there name to make sure there was room for Heather again.

For the fourth time Heather was back with Planned Pethood, and she strolled right in and got herself a drink of water from the toilet. It was as if she'd never left.

A few months ago Heather and her foster mom, with the rest of the PPI crew, were at an adoption event at the Anderson's Maumee. The mother of Heather's litter-mate, Howie, was shopping there that same day. She saw Heather and saw the many similarities between the two dogs. Heather was eventually adopted by Howie's family. The mother later said that, as she went back to her car, she felt like she was walking away from Howie. They had always called Howie "How-How" as a nickname. So now they have How-How and Hey-Hey. That was 3 years ago.

If this home somehow doesn't work out for Heather, all of us are comforted to know that PPI will be there for her. PPI has been the harbor she can rest in. And really isn't that what Planned Pethood is all about? Doing whatever we can to help an animal in need, in our own community?

Each time Heather returned back to that foster home, her unsinkable spirit heartened them. They are honored to be there for her and be her only advocate.

We all play an active role in helping dogs like Heather. If you send us a check once a year, maybe you'll be the one who bought Heather some medication or a bag of food. If you volunteer with PPI, you're giving animals like Heather a second, third, or fourth chance. Your help is what makes these kinds of miracles happen every day through PPI.

Keep up the good work PPI volunteers and supporters.

July 4, 2010 eNewsletter

2010-07-07T01:56:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July from Planned Pethood, Inc

eNewsletter

July 4, 2010

Iams Pet Food Donation

In February, Planned Pethood received a generous donation from IAMS in the form of 33 pallets of dog and cat food. Two volunteers drove down to Leipsic to pick it up and many volunteers met at the Lucas County Fairgrounds to help unload it.

Since then, PPI has moved most of the food into the homes of volunteers so it is readily available when needed. And, of course, much of the food has been eaten by the animals in our adoption program.

We don't often get donations like this. In the lean times, fosters supply the food for the foster cats and dogs. It can be expensive. So we were eager and excited to get such a huge shipment.

By the end of May, we had to remove the remaining 8 pallets from the fairgrounds to a warehouse offered to Planned Pethood by Bennett Enterprises. Alas, this meant we had to rent a truck and beg a couple volunteers to pallet jack the remaining food on board. Luckily, Rich, an employee at the Lucas County Fairgrounds took pity on us and forklifted the pallets into the truck. Phew!

By August, Planned Pethood must have the food removed from the Bennett Enterprise warehouse. These last 8 pallets will be placed into homes as we can find space.

Thank you to all the volunteers that have hauled 1,000's of pounds of food, stored food all over their house and moved the food from location to location.

50 Volunteers Needed (badly)

We are still looking for 50 volunteers to help us Friday, July 30, 2010 for the Jackel Concert at Toledo Harley-Davidson on Central near Centennial. Only 26 days to get 50 volunteers. It's a ton of fun! You can read more detail here. Email ed@plannedpethood.org to sign up.

Vote to win $500,000 toward a Toledo Dog Park

The City of Toledo and Ottawa-Jermain Board have managed to throw up enough road blocks and complaints to ensure that a Toledo city park WILL NOT be the location for the first park, says Toledo Unleashed.

Meanwhile, according to Kevin Mullan at Toledo Unleashed, Lucas County Commissioner Ben Konop has opened some doors for us with the Metroparks and the Lucas County Rec Center. We are exploring these options and will provide you an update as SOON as we have more information.

Mullan goes on to say, "While we are trying to figure out WHERE the park can go, Dani (my wife) and I, and more importantly our pug-pomeranian, Elvis, submitted an application for Purina's WagWorld Dream Dog Park contest. We are one of 60ish entrants."

The ten Finalist videos will be revealed on the Beneful WagWorld Web Site on or about July 14, 2010. The Finalists' Entries will be posted for the public to vote for their favorite Entry at www.benefuldreamdogpark.com starting on or about July 14, 2010 at 12:00:01 pm ET and ending on August 11, 2010 at 11:59:59 am ET ("Voting Period"). Limit one (1) vote per person, per day. A "Day" is defined as the 24 hours between 12:00:00 am ET and 11:59:59 pm ET throughout the Voting Period. The public voting will be tallied as a numbered rank between 1 and 10 with the Entry that receives the most votes receiving 10 points, and the Entry that receives the least votes receiving 1 point. A new panel of judges will also judge the 10 Finalist Entries on the same judging criteria listed above. The public voting rank will account for 10% of the final score and the judges scores will account for 90% of the total score.

If we WIN, we'd be able to bring a $500,000 Dream Dog Park to NW Ohio - hopefully Toledo. Please send this to all of your friends, family members, neighbors, co-workers and even people you don't know.

View Elvis' video and voting details can be found here.

Vote Daily! Get others to vote with you!
Make our dream a reality!

First Dog Wash Fundraiser a HUGE success

Jacob Dilworth dries off a customer.

We made over $400 in our first dog wash fundraiser. Most of the money was made by doing the anal gland expressions so it wasn't all that pretty.

Thanks to all the volunteers that helped wrangle, lather, dry, perfume and shine up all the dogs. It was back breaking work. Thankfully, we have plans for the next dog washes to make it easier on ourselves.

Don't miss our next ones: July 17 @ Anderson's Maumee (Come see the Amazing Air Dog Show while you are there), August 14 @ Anderson Maumee and September 11 @ Anderson Talmadge. Many thanks to the Anderson Stores for making this a possibility.

Good Search & Kroger Cares

Don't forget to use www.goodsearch.com as your search engine. Every search earns us money.

Don't forget to sign your Kroger card into the Kroger Cares Program. Everytime you swipe your card you make money for PPI. More details here.

Darby Update

Lots of people have been following the progress of Darby. We think she was purposefully burned with a chemical over her back. It has burned down to the muscle and covers a 8 x 11 inch space in ONE of the two spots.

We are very pleased to report she is doing wonderfully. As you can see by her happy Rottie smile, Darby is not only healing but in fine spirits.

It's only been a two and a half weeks but the recovery is amazing. The swelling is almost completely gone. She is growing hair in a few spots. The oozing has all but stopped. And we can see new pink skin all along the edges.

On Thursday, July 1st Darby had surgery to prepare for getting a honey wrap as part of a wet to dry dressing process. If you have ever had a large wound or known someone with a significant burn like Darby's, you know how painful and tight the scar tissue can be even years after the injury has healed. This process will allow for Darby to have loose skin, as any dog is supposed to have, and not suffer from the pulling and adhesion pain scar tissue can cause. Darby will continue with laser treatment to assist in the healing thereafter. And Darby will have a pain management program available to her.

We do not refuse treatment to our animals based on cost of treatment, or on the age of the animal once it is in our care. When we take in a dog or cat we take that commitment seriously. Frankly, we treat the animals in our adoption program just as we would our personal pets. Any one of us would have elected to have this done to our own pet. Thanks to Sylvania Vet for helping with the cost. The total bill (all inclusive) is $500.

If you are interested in following Darby's story, watch her on our Facebook. You can read her back story on our website as well by clicking here. If you would like to make a donation to Darby, you may do so here.

We Don't Have An Office . . . On Purpose

Many are surprised to learn Planned Pethood doesn't have an office. It's been a long time philosophy that the money donated to us is best used going to our animals rather than the upkeep of a building, utilities, etc. When you make a donation, you can be assured it's going toward our mission to save lives.

We also do not have a large paid staff. PPI only has one part-time employee, the executive director. All the day to day work it takes to make the massive machine of Planned Pethood work is done by volunteers. Some are fosters. Some help with paperwork, data entry, paying bills, moving animals and supplies around and organizing events. Some do it all.

Should we ever be so lucky as to be leased a space for $1.00 a year, utilities included, for a long term contract we might consider having an office. But until then, we proudly say we do not have a facility.

Extraordinary Animals With Extraordinary Vet Bills

Coopette will be available
for adoption soon

This 5 week old kitten was found inside an enclosed chicken coop cowering in a corner, eyes matted shut with several not so nice chickens around her. Luckily she was found before the chickens could do her any harm, but she has a severe and untreated eye infection in both eyes. Her right eye suffered irreparable damage and will need to be removed once she is a little bigger and healthier. Her rescuers thought she was a boy and so the name Cooper was given. Once taken to our wonderful vets, Cooper was a 'she' and is now affectionately referred to as Coopette. She is a friendly and sweet kitten that weighs just a pound and needs some TLC and groceries before her surgery. We need financial help for little Coopette's veterinary care and surgery and we are asking for donations to provide her with the care this tiny kitten needs.

Robert Nubbins, the cat without a tail, has been adopted. Thank you for your support and care for Robert.

In the last newsletter we introduced you to Chelsea, a dog with a broken leg. Many thanks to West Suburban Animal Hospital's Dr. Thompson for the wonderful work he did on her bone plate. They also gave us a significant discount. Chelsea is supposed to be kept quiet and rest her leg for the next several weeks. It's hard to keep a good dog down. It's harder to keep a frisky dog, like Chelsea, contained. Chelsea's total bill to her surgery is $667.00.

If you would like to make a donation to any of these animals, you may do so here or at the PayPal logo below.

Open Volunteer Meeting

From time to time we offer an open volunteer meeting. This is your chance to bring up your concerns and good ideas. This is also the best opportunity for new volunteers to learn more about Planned Pethood.

Handouts will be available.

Tuesday,
August 10, 2010
6:45 - 8:15pm

Sanger Library
3030 W. Central Ave 43606

Your time is valuable, therefore we will begin promptly at 6:45pm.

Quick Links

Upcoming Special Events

Our Calendar

Shop Our Boutique

Make a Donation

Become a Foster

Celebrity Wait

Read all about it in this pdf file.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010 at Georgio's Cafe 426 N. Superior St. 43604.

Your servers will be Bob Esplin, Ben Konop, Randy & Janna Lake, Amy Davis, Greg Bilazarian, Doug Kearns, Justin Micheals, Beau Harvey & Tom Stebbins.

Your $50 can spay/neuter two feral cats or go toward saving one dog from a life on the streets. One hundred percent (100%)of the "tip" you give your celebrity server will go directly to Planned Pethood.

You will have four dinner selections (which is made the night of the event) and a selection from the dessert tray. You and your party will be seated at a private table and will not be seated with strangers.

Please join us for a delightful meal and support the cause.

Don't forget PPI's Blog

For longer stories or daily updates we use our blog. Sign up for it and be inspired.

You can read our blog by clicking here or visiting:

http://plannedpethood.
blogspot.com/

Upcoming Events

July 17- Dog Wash @ Anderson's in Maumee
July 18- Air Dog Show @ Anderson's in Maumee
July 18- Parking Lot BBQ @ Big Lots in Perrysburg
July 25- Craft and Information show @ Browning Care Center
July 30- Volunteers work Jackel concert at Toledo Harley Davidson
August 10- Volunteer Meeting @ Sanger Library
August 12- Emergency Preparedness @ UAW Local 14
August 14- Dog Wash @ Anderson's in Maumee
August 14- Bark for Life @ Bass Pro Shop
August 24- Celebrity Wait @ Georgio's
August 29- Road Rally
September 10 - 12 - Petsmart 3 day Adoption Event
September 11- Dog Wash @ Anderson's on Talmadge
September 18- Dog Days of September
September 25- Euchre Tournament @ UAW Local 14

Possible Craft Shows

We are taking into consideration participating in several festivals with our crafts and/or bake sales.

To determine if we will participate, it will depend on what help we can get from volunteers for these specific days. Please refer to the list below and send us an email if you can help out with any of these shows. Because there is a cost to be at these events, it's important we have enough reliable help.

We need help with the following:
* Set up before the event
* Pick up craft and/or bake sale items from other volunteers
* Man the table, make change, sell, answer questions
* Take down and repack inventory.

We have an inventory of crafts but need a wider variety for people to select their treasures. If you want to donate craft items, please contact us at ed@plannedpethood.org. We have a list of specific items that sell well and others that do not.

We also would like to have a bake sale at many of these events. If you can contribute baked goods to one please email us your offer. We have figured out the items that sell well, transport well and those that do not.

Considering:
Polish Festival
July 9 - 11
$200
Maumee Summer Fair
August 20 & 21
$65
Sylvania Arts & Crafts Festival
September 12
$135
Harrison Rally Days
September 18
$100
Roche de Boeuf
September 25
$30-65
MacQueen's Apple Butter Festival
October 2 & 3
unknown cost
Grand Rapids' Apple Butter Festival
October 10
unknown cost
Main Street Sylvania
October 17
$40

June 18, 2010 eNewsletter

2010-06-29T18:48:00.000-07:00

June 18, 2010

Some Good News
From Planned Pethood, Inc

Summer time is a busy time for Planned Pethood. We get 1000's more calls a week asking for help. The cat adoption program goes up to 5-6 adoption events a week. Volunteers are hitting more community events to promote Planned Pethood. We also are guests at events like MetroBark, Dog Days of September and the Anderson's Air Dog show. Adoptions go up. Volunteers and neighbors are out catching as many feral cats as they can from sun up to sun down.

When we are busy, we are also successful and fulfilling our mission. This newsletter is full of good news and positive stories we wanted to share with you.

Warm Regards,

Planned Pethood, Inc

P.S. Please check us out & become our friend on Facebook.

Old West End Festival & The Pooch Parade

Made $531 and some new friends
Planned Pethood supported the Pooch Parade as part of the kick off parade to the Old West End Festival. Last year 25 humans walked their dogs in the parade. But this year, 45 humans signed up to participate in the parade.

Planned Pethood alumni, Freddie, at the Pooch Parade.

Planned Pethood volunteers handed out thousands of brochures (and we didn't see very many on the ground) and handed out hundreds of bagged dog biscuits with more PPI information attached. Thank you to Barb & Sylvia Costilla for putting those together.

With the generous donation of a yard by volunteer, Mary Bennett, Planned Pethood had a primo spot right in the middle of the home tours. We sold bake sale items and bake sale items. By noon on Saturday we had sold almost 75% of the bake sale items and still had Sunday to sell too. Thank you to Barb & Dave Garrett and Mona Guinaugh for heading up this venture and dealing with the setting up and tearing down both days. They arranged the tents, tables, pricing and all the details. Thank you to Paula Baker, Carol Dunn & Sarah Rogers for helping sell, manage the tables, help customers and help setting up and tearing down. Tables and tents from Janna & Randy Lake were appreciated also. Thank you to Deb Gring for hauling the craft items to and from the storage unit.

We sold water thanks to the generous donation from Gail Sypeand Mike Servo. Judy DeWitz made gorgeous mini loaves of banana bread with paw print ribbon wrapped around each one. Janet Delikat contributed three different kinds of cookies her daughter made in a toaster oven, 6 at a time, while their kitchen is under construction. Judy Waddington's ranch oyster crackers and Nikki Morey's yeast breads were a hit. Barb Garrett's cupcakes in an ice cream cone were well received. Homemade dog biscuits by Mona Guinaugh are always a hit. Caramel corn & chocolate dipped caramels from Joan Wuest were gobbled up. Sarah Rodgers' coffee cakes were sold out. And everyone loved Paula Baker's snickerdoodles.

Thanks to those that participated in the Pooch Parade. Thanks to those that stopped by and bought goodies from us. Thank you to those that passed out brochures. And thank you for those that contributed their crafting and baking skills. Together we made $531 in those two days of brutal sun and humidity. That's 21 feral cats we can spay/neuter.

Ideas For More Craft Shows?

Ways to make more money?

Do you know of any place or anyone that is involved in a craft show or a festival coming up where PPI can have a presence. Of course, we aren't interested in paying booth fees, etc. Let us know by emailing ideas to the E.D. at ed@plannedpethood.org.

Extraordinary Animals

Darby was found as a stray Rottweiler. A client of Sheila Ortman; from Sham-pooch Grooming Salon and long time PPI supporter; contacted her to help save this sweetie. Sheila was alarmed to see the condition of the dog to be named Darby. PPI asked Sheila to take her to the vet immediately. St. Francis Animal Hospital has identified that some corrosive had been poured onto the dog's back, burning the hair and flesh away. Darby is recovering after several de-brining treatments and is on a pain management program. Once she has recovered, we will be able to make her available for adoption.

Robert Nubbins has been adopted

Robert Nubbins was found by three ladies on the east side of Toledo with a horrible wound in April. It is unclear whether or not he ever had a tail or if it sustained an injury and then abcessed. The wound was extensive and required reconstructive surgery to repair. For ghastly photos of the before and after click on Robert's photo to go to the Featured Cats page. Today he is thriving and his wounds are healing very nicely. You can also read about Smokey and The Bandit on the Featured Cats page.

Last year Planned Pethood got a call from a man asking for help with his dog with a broken leg. Turns out he allows the dogs to run loose and this one, Tinkerbell was hit by a car. The man decided he didn't want Tinkerbell anymore so he surrendered her to Planned Pethood. Her broken leg was repaired and she was adopted to a loving family. At the time we were speaking to the man it was discovered he had another dog he allowed to run loose as well. PPI's offer to have this second dog, enter our adoption program. But the man declined because he "loved her". Even though the dog wasn't allowed in the house, didn't even have a dog house and was running all over the neighborhood. His neighbors had called the Dog Warden several times, but each time they came to investigate they saw no dogs at the home. That would be because the dog was running in traffic. Now we have this dog in our care with a broken leg from getting hit by a car. Neighbors called Nancy Fisher with the dilemma. The man is denying he owns the dog so as to avoid fines and citation. Thank goodness Planned Pethood could help, made possible by you and your generous support. The dog, Chelsea, had a break high on her rear leg. It required a bone plate and will require LOTS of rest. Her foster reports that Chelsea is ready to zoom around the yard but must stay in the kennel to rest her leg. As photos and details to the story become available we will share them with you on the Featured Dog page. You can also read about Harmony, a dog that came to us Heartworm positive AND pregnant (ugh) on the Featured Dogs page.

These extraordinary animals have extraordinary vet bills. Can you make a donation to Planned Pethood so we may pay the vet bills? You may do so by clicking here.

Are you Up-To-Date (UTD) on your tetanus?

Often we discuss animals being UTD. But are you?

Adults should get a booster tetanus every 10 years. You can replace one Td booster with a Tdap to protect yourself against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis. Those handling animals with unknown vaccines histories, ferals and rusty, metal cages this is especially important. Talk to your doctor for details.

Voluntold: verb. When one volunteer of an organization informs a friend, spouse or family member they will be helping at an event without prior consent or discussion. "Patty voluntold Albert's help at the PPI bake sale"

Great White Concert a success. PPI gears up for Jackel Concert.

Our participation in the Great White Concert garnered Planned Pethood a significant donation, positive feedback from the 50 volunteers that helped and positive feedback from Toledo Harley Davidson.

We have been asked to be the volunteers for the upcoming Jackel concert on Friday, July 30. Of course, now that we know what to expect we will be better than before and have any kinks worked out. Very specific, detailed volunteer times needed is posted on our website. It's very important that if you sign up to help that you actually show up. You can read more about what is needed by clicking here.

Thanks to those that worked the Great White concert.

You Are Invited To . . . Committee Meetings

Budget & Finance Committee
This committee discusses the finances of Planned Pethood. They watch for trends, budget constraints, how to allocate our investments and the spending needs Planned Pethood has. If you are interested in coming to the next B&F meeting, please contact Kory Kaintz. Kory will extend an invitation to those interested.

Policy & Personnel Committee
This committee creates written policies for the day-to-day functions and the policies that uphold the mission of Planned Pethood. The created policies and/or procedures are submitted to the board. The board reviews the policies and decides if it will be included into official PPI policy. If you are interested in coming to the next P&P meeting, please contact Nikki Badman. She will extend an invitation to those interested.

Fundraising Committee
This committee assists in & approves fundraising efforts to benefit Planned Pethood. If you are interested in coming to the next Fundraising meeting, please contact Chriss Liskai. Chrissa will extend an invitation to those interested. Do you have an idea for a fundraiser you wish to share? Please complete this form (pdf file) and return it back to Chrissa.

Emergency Preparedness

Getting ready for emergencies with your pets

Car accidents, major illness, natural disasters, etc are all things we never think will happen to us but we should prepare for as if they will happen to us. If you were in an accident with your family, would authorities know what to do with your pets? Would they even know you have pets? If you are a single person, do you have a plan for what will happen to your pets at the time of a major accident or your death?

You are invited to an Emergency Preparedness discussion on Thursday, August 12 at 6pm. We will meet at the UAW Local 14 at 5411 Jackman Toledo 43613. This is a free, informational discussion, open to the public.

We will present ways you can prepare for emergencies as it pertains to your pets. Handouts from leading experts, planning materials and helpful tools to make your emergency plan will be made available.

Kroger Community Cares sends PPI another check

Planned Pethood received another check from Kroger. This time our check was $454.52. That's nearly 6 dogs that can enter the dog adoption program with that money.

However, everyone that signed up in 2009 to the Kroger Cares program must sign up again for PPI to continue to get donations from Kroger. Alas, Kroger reports that only 31% of those that enrolled in 2009 have re-enrolled for 2010.

As you may recall, $5 million is at stake through this program, with Kroger awarding money every quarter based on how many households have signed up and used their Kroger Card when checking out. Since we are already into the second quarter of 2010, please take the time to sign your family up to make money for Planned Pethood. It costs you nothing by a few moments of your time to make this monetary donation.

Our website home page has a link to learn more about this. You can read about it here.

Application for Transfer from the Lucas County Dog Warden

In another positive step forward, the Lucas County Dog Warden is asking area rescues to submit an application to be considered as a rescue the Lucas County Dog Warden (LCDW) office will transfer dogs to directly.

Planned Pethood has submitted their application and awaits to hear if we will be selected. Of course, there are details to be worked out with the LCDW as to how transfers will occur.

New Board Members

During the June board meeting, four new board members were voted into working with Planned Pethood. We welcome the unique skills and help they can offer.

As a C.P.A. and tax auditor for the State of Ohio, Craig Jacobs will lend his expertise to PPI's budget and finances. Jennifer Taylor is an attorney for Ohio Job & Family Services who has a wide knowledge of general law. Greg Bilazarian is an reporter for 13 ABC and is interested in grant writing. Douglas Kearns, Group General Manager for Yark Automotive Group, will be adding his experience fundraising with Make A Wish to our efforts.

Upcoming Fundraisers

Celebrity Wait
Tuesday, August 24th, at Georgio's at 426 North Superior Street in downtown Toledo. Guests may begin arriving at 6:30 and dinner will be served at 7pm. Should we sell over 70 tickets we will add a second dinner sitting after the first sitting at 7pm.

Read more about it here.

Tickets are $50 per person. You may select from four tasty entrees that evening: Vegetable pasta el tonte, beef wellington, Norwegian salmon or chicken cordon bleu. Dinner comes with a greek salad and coffee/tea. Your dinner select does NOT have to be made in advanced. Questions? Contact Nikki Morey at ed@plannedpethood.org.
You can purchase your tickets by clicking here.

Dog Wash Fundraisers
Stop by to get your pooch cleaned up at Anderson's on Maumee Saturday, July 17th from 11am - 3pm. Free will donations for each dog we wash. We suggest $8-10. Toe nail trims $4. Anal gland expressions $10. Sorry no cats- it's too risky. No rain date. More dog wash dates: August 14 @ Anderson's Maumee and September 11 @ Anderson's Talmadge.

Volunteers Needed

Website
Need reliable volunteer to help maintain the website. It's super simple and you don't need website experience. You just have to be on the ball. This should take you about 2 hours a week.

Organize the Storage Unit
We outgrew our 10 x 10 storage unit and have moved into a 10 x 30 unit just a few doors down in the same complex. All the boxes and supplies have been moved from the old unit to the new unit, due to the hard work of Ron & Julie Brown. As the supplies were moved over, like items were placed with like items. However, the shelves need to be labeled so as to promote continued tidiness. We need someone (or more) to help organize and label the boxes and shelves.

Vouchers
Need a volunteer to manage the database we log vouchers into. This includes a mail merge which will produce the vouchers people use to get their animal fixed at Humane Ohio and paid for by Planned Pethood. It should take about 2 hours a week at the most. Postage, paper and envelopes will be provided to you. This is a very important part of the PPI mission. Therefore, it's imperative the volunteer is trustworthy and reliable.

Transporting PPI's Truck
Twice a week during the summer the dog adoption program needs help shuttling our truck from one adoption event to another. The person volunteering for this will need to submit their personal information to Planned Pethood to determine if you can be carried on our insurance policy. It would only take the time it would take you to drive the truck from one location to the next. Usually we are at the Franklin Park area, Rossford/Perrysburg and Maumee.

Grant Writing
No experience needed. Planned Pethood has a large list of grants we would be eligible for but need someone to submit the applications and supporting data. Guidance and suggestions have been provided to PPI by experts.

>> If you are interested in any or these or have any questions, please feel free to contact ed@plannedpethood.org.

Contact Information
419.826.FIXX
pets@plannedpethoo.org
www.plannedpethood.org

Join our mailing list!

Rescue is not the impossible dream

2010-06-29T08:17:00.000-07:00

Musical "Man of La Mancha" - The Impossible Dream Lyrics

Lyrics by Joe Darion
In this song, Quixote explains his quest and the reasons behind it.

To dream ... the impossible dream ...
To fight ... the unbeatable foe ...
To bear ... with unbearable sorrow ...
To run ... where the brave dare not go ...
To right ... the unrightable wrong ...
To love ... pure and chaste from afar ...
To try ... when your arms are too weary ...
To reach ... the unreachable star ...

This is my quest, to follow that star ...
No matter how hopeless, no matter how far ...
To fight for the right, without question or pause ...
To be willing to march into Hell, for a Heavenly cause ...

And I know if I'll only be true, to this glorious quest,
That my heart will lie will lie peaceful and calm,
when I'm laid to my rest ...
And the world will be better for this:
That one man, scorned and covered with scars,
Still strove, with his last ounce of courage,
To reach ... the unreachable star ...

2 escaped dogs

2010-03-29T20:31:00.000-07:00

From Deb Gring:

This morning on my way to work while on Monclova Road near St Lukes I spied 2 dogs standing in the middle of the road. A car stopped on the other side of the road and the dogs wagged their tails and ran up to it. Oh no I thought, someone dropped these guys off and they are looking for someone. I pulled over and rolled down the window, “are these your dogs?” I asked the lady. “Yes, they got loose and I have been driving around for a half hour looking for them!” she replied. She was out of the car and coaxing the dogs to get into the car when they bolted across Monclova and up into the parking lot of a medical building. I pulled in as the owner was facing the other way on Monclova to see if we could capture them.

They ran up to a lady going into the building and she was able to grab the collar of one for the dogs and walked back towards me. I grabbed its collar and their owner was getting the one dog into the car. As soon as she turned towards me to get the other dog, the first dog jumped out. What a mess! Finally we got them both in the car and she headed home.

I couldn’t help but think about those dogs, the situation could have been so much worse. I don’t know her situation, I don’t know if they bolted from the door, if they dug under or went over their fence or what. The sad story is too many dogs like these get loose from their homes and their owners cannot find them or do not try to find them. They end up wandering the streets. Many get hit and killed or injured. Many end up at the pound. Some end up in rescue organizations such as Planned Pethood.

We need to remember dogs are like children, if they see an open door they run and follow their noses. We need to protect them from danger by providing them a safe place to play, run, eliminate and explore. These two very nice friendly dogs could have easily become statistics. Thank goodness they didn’t. Of course we have all had dogs get out of their yard or homes unexpectedly. If you own dogs just keeping your fences patent and teaching your dogs “back” at the exits to your house will help immensely. If you don’t have a fenced yard for them to play in, please be sure to walk them with leashes or utilize tie outs for your beloved companions. “COME” is a good command for your dog to know too. Just think of these two dogs and how much worse this situation could have become. The best behaved dogs in the world can still become roamers at the drop of a hat.

Vigilance! Training! Patience and Love!

The trouble with Heartworm

2010-02-15T11:48:00.001-08:00

Our featured dog, Rain is recovering from Heartworm treatment.

Here's a dog that might have had people love her. But they didn't love her quite enough. She was found as a stray (strike one against her former people). She was matted and soaked to the skin from being left in the cold January rains (strike two). Planned Pethood took her in and tried to find her people. Not that they deserved to get her back. But it's the right thing to do.

As part of her visit to the vet, we discovered she had heartworms (strike three). It's hard to understand how people still don't understand heartworm and the importance to prevent it. I just don't get it.

Rain took the treatment like a trooper. She felt lousy the first day and even WORSE the second day. Her usual perky self was laying on the floor panting heavily in pain. Her usual greetings of kisses were replaced with a moan as she lifted her head off her pillow.

But you can't keep a good dog down. Rain is pretty much back to her perky self. This is when the recovery process is agony. This is when it becomes painful for everyone, not just Rain.

Rain wants to frolic in the yard. She wants to race up and down the stairs. She wants to wrestle with her dog friend. She wants to have you chase her. But we can't. If a dog recovering from heartworm treatment is allowed to get overly excited they can throw a blood clot. This means she can have a stroke from a brain embolism. Rain can have a heart attack from an embolism. Or she can just drop down dead. Scary stuff, huh?

She has to be kept away from her doggie friend so they can't get each other wound up. Instead, like Lady and The Tramp they touch noses through the baby gate separating them. Rain has to go from room to room escorted by a human to stop her from leaping and jumping in glee. When she brings her humans a ball and wants you to play with her, the ball must be put away. Sorry gal, we can't play today. Poor Rain. Her doggie friend doesn't understand and it breaks her humans' heart as well.

Meanwhile the agony will continue until Rain is released from medical care. We have March 18th written in red on our calendar. That's when we think Rain will get the thumbs up from the vet.

Give your dog heartworm preventative, please.

Why I love Planned Pethood

2009-11-16T13:59:00.000-08:00

Taken from those that voted for PPI to win a $10,000 grant. Thank you for the kind words.
____________________________________________________________

Jill Borkowski says,

Why do you love Planned Pethood Inc? Planned Pethood is so dedicated to finding permanent, loving homes for abandoned animals AND focusing on the bigger picture and spay/neuter. They have a great relationship with other animal welfare organizations in our community, including Humane Ohio's low-cost spay/neuter clinic, and understand the importance of everyone working together to make an impact on pet overpopulation. This summer, when Humane Ohio had grant money to lower their already low-cost spay/neuter rates even further, Planned Pethood went door-to-door in the targeted zip code to make sure pet parents knew about this, and to offer free transportation to and from Humane Ohio's low-cost spay/neuter clinic. As they were going door-to-door spreading the news, they rescued several stray and abandoned animals, some of who needed immediate medical attention. That's just one example of why I love Planned Pethood!

Kymm DeRose says,

I can't say enough good things about this organization. Not only do they do a lot of adoptions, but they are really making a BIG difference in the community. They will go door to door to find pets that need to be fixed! That is one dedicated Rescue group! You deserve to win PPI!!

Tamara Ernst says,

Their willingness to be at the forefront of rescue in our community

Heather Tessler says,

PPI is an all-around WIN for animals in our community! Their volunteers are a tremendous resource and are always willing to help. PPI has placed cats and a dog that I've rescued with loving homes. Thank you!

Anonymous says,

They care about the local dogs.

Cindy Belka says,

Because they are out there in the community and always willing to help! I just adopted my second best friend (dog) from them in the last year. They are always available for help and advice even long after the adoption process, and always have events open to the community as a whole and most of them are open to dogs as well as their human companions.

Anonymous says,

The best and most comprehensive rescue group in Northwest Ohio, that also fund spay/nueter services

Michael Brooks says,

Low-cost spay/neuter programs and pet adoption programs are the best in the area.

Linda Boyle says,

Being very proactive in spay/neuters and taking care of sick/injured animals.

Marion Risk says,

I like their plan of addressing the problem by offering adoption and low-cost spay/neuter

Nikki Morey says,

They focus on local dogs and cats rather than ship (broker) them in from out of town. We have animals that dies daily so where's the logic in that? They also are PROactive in the overpopulation problem by aggressively getting spay/neuter into our community. Planned Pethood ROCKS!

Catherine Buchanan says,

They truly believe in taking care of the animals and preventing more unwanted animals.

Nicole Eppstein says,

I got my puppy from there and she is the best!

2009-10-29T13:00:00.000-07:00

I would love to help, but I can’t foster!!!

People often tell us that they would love to help us, but they aren’t able to foster. There are so many ways that you can help that don’t require fostering. Just like most businesses, companies, organizations, etc., it takes people with different talents, performing lots of different jobs, to be successful. And because Planned Pethood operates on a volunteer only basis, you decide how much time you can invest. All of the jobs listed below allow us to help our area’s homeless cats and dogs, and provide our community with low-cost spaying/neutering services. Many jobs can be performed from the comfort of your own home. If you are interested in helping with any of the jobs, or would like more information, stop by any event, or email us at pets@plannedpethood.org.

VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR - communicates with new volunteers about opportunities and manages a list of volunteers. From the comfort of your home.
DOG EVENT COORDINATOR - Schedule volunteers to drive the truck and set up adoption events on Saturdays. When available, Saturday adoption events.
EVENT VOLUNTEERS - Load and unload our truck; set up and take down the crates, tables, chairs, etc.; talk to potential adopters; keep an eye on the dogs, etc. When available, Saturday adoption events.
WEBSITE UPDATERS- Updates one page of our website as needed. Usually takes about 15 mintues a week. But sometimes, it's more involved.
FIXX LINE COORDINATOR - offers support to FIXX line volunteers and manages the instructional guide. From the comfort of your own home.
FIXX LINE - Check our voice mail lines and return calls and/or forward information to the appropriate individuals. Online access with e-mail is recommended. One day a week, several hours a day, or as a substitute.
From the comfort of your home.
RESPITE CARE - Because we try to save as many dogs as we can, our foster homes are always full. Our dog fosters need a break from time to time, even a few days a couple times a year makes a huge difference. Our foster homes are sometimes in need of temporary care for their foster dogs. If you can keep one, two, or more of our foster dogs in your home for a day, or two, or more, that would prevent us from having to pay to keep the dogs in boarding, which will allow us to save more of our area's homeless dogs, or offer more low-cost spaying/neutering services to the Community. Also a great way to try your hand at fostering to see if it is for you. At your convenience!
CAT CARE VOLUNTEERS - Care for the cats and kittens at our Petsmart adoption center at Spring Meadows. Make sure they have food, clean litter boxes, and a lot of love and attention! One day a week, 1-2 hours.
TRANSPORTATION - Transport dogs to and from events; help get the general public's cats and dogs to spay/neuter appointments; transport Planned Pethood dogs and cats to various veterinarian appointments, etc. As needed.
CRAFT SHOW COORDINATOR - Arrange for PPT to appear at various craft shows and community festivals. Organize other crafters to pool crafts and items to sell to the public. At your convenience.
CRAFTERS - Create dog- and cat-themed craft items for Planned Pethood booths at local festivals and craft fairs. At your convenience.
SPECIAL EVENTS VOLUNTEERS - Help with fundraisers, information tables, festival booths, etc. As needed. And many more!

WHAT ELSE DO WE NEED?
Blankets
Dog and cat beds
Collars and leashes
Crates, all sizes
Food, all kinds
Dog and cat treats
Clay kitty litter
Litter boxes
Puppy training pads
Bleach, paper towels and other cleaning supplies
Medicines like heartworm and flea preventative
Gas cards
Two pocket colored folders
Printer ink cartridges
Copy paper
Colored paper
Card stock
1st class and postcard postage stamps

2009-10-27T10:06:00.000-07:00

This post is probably gonna be rambling. Sorry no map provided.

I'm trying to write the holiday mailing that goes to the home of anyone that supports PPI. It's usually the only time during the year some of the people hear from us. The message has to be short and has to show how we have wisely spent our money.

The trouble is that we have too much to say. We have saved so many lives and saved so many from rotten homes. How do I only write about a few? Animals have died while in our care because they were so sick by the time someone called asking us to help. I want everyone to know about those animals. Those cats and dogs deserve to be honored but I can't due to lack of space and lack of attention span of the normal reader.

The trouble is that most people don't want to know all the gory details. They aren't comfortable with that much ugliness. Our volunteers are hip deep in ugliness sometimes.

I also want to write about how our volunteers agonize over the care of the animals. They also agonize about the animals we get calls about and we simply don't have the space to help. To add insult to injury, we usually get a phone call and/or email blasting us for being heartless and cruel for not taking the animal they have called about. Personally, I would like to talk to all those people and ask them why they think they way they do. I wish we could tell all our supporters about more of those stories. So they can better understand that while they are helping us greatly by donating goods and money- others might not have money but instead get spit on for their efforts. Literally spit on. It's happened to me years ago.

I want the people that don't check in on us often to realize how we are sooooo much better than other rescues. But I have to be nice and not mention things like that. I want everyone to see what we are doing and the positive things we are doing for our community in the bright light of day. Then they would be so inspired the people wanting to volunteer would be coming in droves. YAHOO!

But I can only use up a page worth of text. So all those details about dogs like Farrah and cats like Sheegwa get left out. All those ugly stories about dying kittens and puppies don't get spoken about. I wish, I wish, I wish.

Wish me luck we can make it a powerful message dispite the brevity. Fingers crossed we can keep moving in the right direction.

--Nikki Morey
Executive Director for Planned Pethood

more on responsible breeders

2009-09-29T07:53:00.000-07:00

To add my thoughts to the post below on breeders, breeding at all is a controversial subject within rescue. I personally would never buy a dog or puppy but I am not against RESPONSIBLE breeding. Like the post says, responsible breeders show their breed of choice and only breed those dogs that enhance the desired traits of that breed. They have all the recommended health clearances and would never breed a dog that passes on known health problems. Their dogs are sold with strict contracts which include spay/neuter for pets that will not be shown. They always take their dogs back if the original placement doesn't work out, oftentimes at a loss financially. In fact in many cases, responsible breeders make no money at all, not after the costs of shows and vet care and limiting the number of litters to those dogs that meet their requirements. Most of these people show and raise their dogs from a love of the breed, and their dogs rarely add to the problem.

While of course we prefer you get your new dog or puppy from rescue, and just about any breed you prefer has and will show up at a local dog pound, if you want to buy your puppy, then look for a responsible breeder. Yes you might pay a bit more or wait a while longer but you know what you're getting, and you are not contributing to the problem. For more information on finding a responsible breeder, click this pdf prepared by the Humane Society of the United States.
How to find a good breeder (pdf)

Another controversy within rescue is the purchase of puppy mill dogs and puppies, either from auctions or directly from the puppy miller. Yes, those purchased dogs are "rescued" and no longer have to endure the horrid life of a puppy mill dog. Still that puppy miller is making money, no different than buying a dog from a petstore. Not only do some rescues add to their available dogs in this manner, puppy mill brokers have realized that by calling themselves "rescue" they can increase their appeal to the general public and sell more dogs. Like one of the dog wardens I know said, when you look at a "rescue's" list of available dogs, where are the older dogs? The mixed breed dogs and puppies? A "rescue" that only has high demand purebred puppies is certainly lining the bank account of a puppy mill breeder, and accordingly that breeder will continue to breed dogs to sell. They don't care who buys them or why. For more information on finding a responsible rescue, click here:
What to look for in a reputable rescue

While we do have many puppy mill-type breeders in this area and Planned Pethood does get those dogs when they're dumped in local dog pounds, either because they've been replaced with different dogs or because they have health problems the breeder doesn't want to deal with, one of the bigger problems in this area are backyard breeders. These are people with a couple of purebred dogs (probably with AKC papers, which anyone with a purebred dog can acquire) who sell puppies for extra cash. These dogs are sold via newspaper ads or through the internet, with little or no screening, no follow-up or spay/neuter, and those dogs or the puppies they breed DO end up in local dog pounds all the time. I've heard people say only sick or aggressive dogs end up in dog pounds. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Over 6+ years of visiting local dog pounds on a regular basis, I have seen every breed you can find locally, most breeds many many times. Even rarer or harder to find dogs still end up on death row from time to time.

In summary, do your homework. Not only do you have to make sure the breed or dog you want is appropriate for your circumstances, you also need to make sure that who you get it from isn't a part of the problem. It's a lot to undertake but considering your dog will be a part of your life for 10-15 years, and especially considering the millions of dogs who are euthanized every year in this country, most for no other reason than they're "surplus," isn't that bit of extra effort worth it?

GO WASHINGTON STATE

2009-09-24T11:51:00.000-07:00

Growing up in the Midwest I have always been an Ohio State Buckeye fan! Hang on Sloopy! The best dern band in the land...you get the picture. Now I am converted.

Kathryn Meurs, a veterinarian at Washington State University's College of Veterinary Medicine has identified the mutant gene responsible for Boxer Cardiomyopathy. This is an inherited electrical conduction defect that causes an irregular heartbeat. The heart is unable to pump blood efficiently causing side effects from fainting to sudden death. If a puppy receives the gene from just one parent, he or she can be affected. Even a boxer-mix can be effected (that is all me and my girl Stella). Anyway, a DNA test to screen for the gene is now available from WSU, costing approximately $60.00. So the long and short, hopefully breeders will responsibly acknowledge and use the test and most importantly, boxer pet owners can manage the disease.WSU College of Veterinary MedicineVeterinary Cardiac Genetics LabSee vetmed.wsu.edu/deptsVCGL/Boxer/test.aspx or call 509-335-6038.

--Jennifer Herbert

What is a breeder?

2009-09-15T17:16:00.000-07:00

The definitions below were written by Marjorie Simon, relative of a volunteer. Ms. Simon is well known B/F for Brussels Griffon. Some additional information was added to Ms. Simon's explanation as it pertains to our local community.

What is a Breeder?

Breeder Fanciers (B/F) breed for one reason and that is to better the breed and to exhibit dogs in AKC shows and trials [in the efforts to gain comfirmation points]. B/F carefully screen their buyers and agree to buy back their dogs for the sales price if the dog doesn’t fit into the new home. They stand behind every dog they breed for the life of the dog. They test their breeding dogs for inheritable problems by using appropriate screening protocols. They breed primarily for themselves. You may have to wait several years in order to get a dog from a good B/F.
B/F would never sell to a third party like a pet shop where they never get to meet or interview the person buying their dog. They spay and neuter their pet quality pups before they sell them.
Backyard Breeders (BB) breed with the sole intention of selling dogs to make extra money. They do not test their breeding stock for inheritable problems. They usually have breeding pairs and sell their puppies on the internet and classified ads in the newspapers. They do not stand behind their dogs should problems come up. They have no history of their breeding lines, knowledge of breed type, breed in ignorance thus creating health problems and do not hold back puppies not meeting breed standards. Buyer beware!! They tell rescues that they don't have their animal spay/neutered because it's a purebreed. Many purebreed dogs you can purchase through the paper, Craig's List, etc do not have confirmation points or a Champion award.

Puppy Mill Breeders (PMB) supply pet shops with puppies. Pups are picked up by distributors from different puppy mills and are taken from their mothers at a very early age. They are then brought to a warehouse where they are inventoried and packed on trucks for delivery to pet shops or auctions. This brings them to the pet shops by the time they are seven or eight weeks old. Their survival rate is poor and their heath is compromised.
Some PMB specialize in only small breeds. They sell their pups at swap meets to anyone who will buy them. They advertise champions and some do show their dogs at isolated shows that usually don’t have any other of that breed in the competition. These BB or PMB will enter enough of their own dogs so there will be points to make one of their dogs a Champion. We use to call these ‘cheap champions’ but with the price of an entry fee it is not cheap to make a dog a champion this way. A Ch. in front of a dog’s name does not mean it is a well bred dog either does an AKC registration. Pet shops buy from PMB or BB.

Within the NW Ohio area there are "rescues" that purchase puppies at auction from PMB. They claim they have rescued the dog, but really they are supporting an industry. The price they charge is surprising, the animals are often ill and they are not spay or neutered.

Planned Pethood gets lots of purebreed dogs and cats. All those animals come from legitimate pounds and humane societies where the animal would have otherwise been put to sleep. We have reason to suspect many of the dogs in pounds are a PM's breeding stock that have been cast aside for whatever reason.

Instructions for washing a dog

2009-09-02T19:26:00.000-07:00

So tonight, after inhaling the aroma from Kiera for almost 2 weeks now I decided it was time for a BATH. To say Kiera doesn't like bathes is to say Angus is a trite skittish.

Step by step instructions follow:

1. Gather supplies, you will need at least 2 large clean towels, shampoo and something to dip water with.
2. Start running nice warm water in the tub
3. Get Kiera (Huske-German Shepherd mix foster dog) into bathroom.
4. Close bathroom door to keep others out (Are you kidding? They won't come near the room with water running unless its ME in the tub!) and to keep Kiera IN.
5. Try to lift the 50-60lb dog into tub. She promptly gets rubber back legs that gracefully collapse into a very good lay down.
6. Try again. Again, the front legs go up but don't quite go INTO the tub, back legs collapse down. Gosh my back is starting to hurt!
7. With herculean effort we manage to get (her paws are splayed out at this point) the front feet into the tub! HOORAH!
8. Now the back and hindquarters get lifted in to tub. Did you know Kiera can make her back end weigh more then her front end? Well, she can!
9. At this point I am telling her she had best be grateful we aren't outside using the COLD water hose, but in a fairly clean tub with warm water! I don't think she's buying it.
10. Wet down the dog. Yeah, she loves that... NOT
11. Squeeze out a generous amount of shampoo onto said dog's back.
12. Rub briskly, may have to add more water as you go along to get a good lather. Move onto the sides, underbelly, legs, neck, head and tail. Oh yeah, she LOVES getting her ears washed.
13. Use more shampoo as required. The conditioning shampoos work nicely and smells much better then what ever was all over her.
14. Once we are done soaping the dog, begin the rinse procedure. Remember to keep pushing dog back into tub. A body blocking move is required here, just remember to stay in front of the dogs head to prevent escape.
15. With your dipping device, (now why the hell didn't I get something bigger then this little thing?) scoop water up and onto the dog, rinsing away the soap suds. Since the dog may have a thick coat (hell I wish I had that much hair) you will have to scoop enough times to get the soap out down to the skin. So why the heck did I use so much shampoo?
16. Once the dog is rinsed properly, get your bath mat out onto the floor so you can assist her onto it from the tub. Instead, she jumps out and promptly shakes all over everything. By this point I could be a fill in for the wet t-shirt contest, except for the fact I have a bra on because otherwise. . .er-umm. . . hang to the...well you get the idea.
17. Once the darling dog has shaken her self, clean off your glasses and find the towels, sit down on the ceramic floor you so lovingly laid last summer-OH CRAP there is a ton of water on the floor and you are sitting in it! Well you are wet already what's a bit more? Begin to vigorously wipe down the dog. Hmmm remember all that hair? Yep, takes a while. She is being very helpful at laying down like a good girl. Geesh, the bathroom is steamy!
18. Once you have the dog basically, partially, sort of dried off you carefully open the door to the rest of the house. At this point, Kiera bursts out of the bathroom and hauls hinny down the hall.
19. Empty the water from the tub, mop up the floor.
20. Head to living room to observe newly cleaned dog rubbing herself all over your couch. Right where I am about to sit. Did I mention she was still a trite wet?
21. She's resting now from her ordeal, I'm pouring a beverage and in just a few minutes I will jump up and clean the bathroom, then still sipping my beverage I will take a long soaking bath in the gleaming clean tub. And NO Kiera cannot have any of my wine!

-- Debbie Gring

Who's on the phone?

2009-09-02T18:48:00.000-07:00

“My husband just left me and the kids, we have this dog that I just cannot keep right now. . . I don’t make enough money to keep the roof over our heads, just don’t know what we are going to do…this dog is wonderful (her voice breaks) we love him a lot, but just cannot keep him but we want to find him a good home . . . can you help?”

These calls are real, the circumstances are real. When people in the public call us at 419.826.FIXX (3499) they are prompted to leave a message. These are examples of calls from the FIXX line as retrived by our volunteers. FIXX line volunteers are part of the group of heros making up Planned Pethood.

“I have a cat that needs to be spay, I live on $500 a month and can’t afford it…can you help?”

These volunteers retrieve messages from our various mail boxes once a week on their assigned day.

“My vet says that you have a program where we can get our cat neuter done at a discounted rate…can you help?”

The FIXX line coordinator ensures each day is covered to assist with these calls. Often she fills in for someone who is away or ill. We have 1 volunteer for each day but several of them answer more than one line

“I’m really interested in one of the dogs on the website, but would like to know a little more information about her…can you help?”

Some calls are fun, like the people looking for a new pet. What a rewarding job to help them connect with their possible new best friend.

“We found a dog on the expressway just now, he seems really nice but we can’t keep him . . . can you help?” "We found a mama cat nursing a litter of kittens under a bush on our walk tonight . . . can you help?"

Sometimes the animals are unloved and unwanted, sometimes they are “problem children”, sometimes they are truly part of the family who for no fault of their own find themselves homeless.

"We adopted Sassy from you last year. Our house is in foreclosure and we have to move in with my mom who will not allow us to bring Sassy with us. We have to return Sassy back to Planned Pethood . . . can you help?"

We always take our animals back. Always.

The FIXX line volunteers laugh with callers, cry with callers and try to help them all. We are always in need of volunteers, if you are interested please contact debgring@gmail.com.

It feels good to help people even when it hurts- just listening and offering condolences, a bit of empathy, a laugh at a happy time, a tear at a sad time. It's all part of volunteering for an animal rescue organization. Somehow even at the end of the worst days possible, we know we helped. Won’t you help too? If doing telephones isn’t your thing, there are many other jobs that need to be done that don’t require fostering or even much time!