Sunday, January 31, 2010

SUPER BOWL DRAWING POSTPONED A FEW DAYS!

****DRAWING WILL BE HELD FRIDAY, FEB 5th at 4:00 pm!!!****

Good news: you have a few more days at least to buy raffle tickets for the Flat Screen TV and Blu-ray Disc Player just in time for the Super Bowl next Sunday! Due to inclement weather , we were unable to pick up all of the tickets for the drawing (businesses were closed). That, coupled with the fact that you could go ice skating in the parking lot of The Cedars where the drawing will be held, solidified our decision to postpone a few days. The President of PAWS will be calling first thing Monday to reschedule for later this week (we will post the date as soon as we find out).

You can still buy tickets, so call Allison at 901-240-9848 if you are still interested. If you live in St. Louis, Missouri or near Ripon, Wisconsin (where several our our friends/family have graciously agreed to sell tickets), we have contacts there that will continue to take orders if needed and email them to us in time. Email Allison at allieot98@yahoo.com if you need the contact information. Don't miss this opportunity to help out a great cause AND hopefully win the Grand Prize! We have a few "bonus" drawings as well so even if you don't win the TV, you may get a call that you won something else!

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

BACK TO REALITY...PUPS IN NEED OF YOUR HELP

If you follow our blog - you know we have had a lot of happy beginnings lately to share with you - our wonderful supporters.

You also know that we have had a lot of misfortune in a short period of time. With our adoption coordinator and foster mom of many being out of commission - many of our dogs found themselves homeless with no foster homes in site.

We thank everyone who stepped up to help - by fostering, donating time, supplies and funds. With the help of old rescue partners and a few new ones as well - we have made great progress in getting our dog numbers back down to just slightly overwhelming:)

At any rate - now that the smoke has cleared, we have realized that we have a large number of adult dogs in our rescue who are Heartworm positive and are in dire need of sponsorship funds in order to start treatment.


These dogs are stuck in limbo and cannot go to rescue or adoptive homes until they treated for Heartworm. This also means that we are unable to take in new dogs until the Heartworm dogs are healthy and placed.

On average - Heartworm treatment costs between $250 - $300 per dog (depending on weight). Last year we treated approximately 200 dogs for Heartworm. Needless to say - we could not do it without your help - but we need your help again.

Below are just a few of the dogs waiting for treatment and funding right now. Please consider donating $5.00, $10.00 or $20.00 to help these dogs move forward in their quest for permanent loving homes.


Eddie





Nate




Chloe & Mandy (waiting since June 2009)



Thank you so much for your ongoing support - without the dog lovers in this world, we would not have as many amazing happy tails to share!

Monday, January 25, 2010

YEY FOR ALISSA!



The happy tails are coming in left and right this week - which keeps our hope strong for some of our remaining long termers.

There are many days when rescuers ask themselves "how did I get here? why should I continue?" Alissa's happy ending reminds us "why" we spend day after day cleaning up dog poop, covered in dog hair, running to the vet, begging for money, owning nothing that is new or without teeth marks...

Alissa was with our rescue for over a year - with no interest at all. But this lucky girl was chosen to go North by one of our rescue partners - and thank goodness!

Here is the first update from Alissa's new mom (who started as her foster mom):

Well, Miss Alissa has licked her way into our hearts and has found her forever home! She is staying with us and is not going anywhere. We have changed her name to Bree, which means 'exalted one' in gaelic. (it is another way of saying princess!!).

She has a new coat to keep her warm when she is outside playing. For a southern girl she LOVES playing in the snow as you can see and eating the snow and icicles off of the trees. She loves her squeaky toys and taking naps on the couch (which she is doing right now -- snoring away!!). She has started going to doggie day care one day a week to play and run with other dogs - boy is she tired after that. She plays really well with a male pit bull, a german shepard, and a snauzer -- they just run and play from the minute they get there -- until it is time to go home!

We love having her in our lives - thank you for sending her to us!

Mary MacLennan

Thank you Mary for seeing what a special girl Miss Alissa is! Awfully happy she is a snow dog:)



Sunday, January 24, 2010

UPDATE ON BO - ANOTHER LONGTERM RESIDENT HOME AT LAST



Check out sweet Bo! This pup was with us for such a long time and went through so much to finally find his forever home.

Hounds are particularly challenging to place in loving homes - even though they often make wonderful family dogs, many people only want them to live outside and hunt or mistakenly think they will be too loud and rambunctious to have as indoor companions.

Bo is an example of what special family members hounds can make. We are just thrilled to receive this update from his adoptive mom:

I have been remiss in sending you guys an update on Bo (now Beau) who is doing fabulous. I can't believe he's been with me for three months. He's such a good guy and has settled in nicely.

The hotspot on his leg has almost entirely cleared up which is great. I think it was likely a contact allergy of some sort because as soon as I stopped using detergent to wash his bed and the towels I use for him, it started to clear up.

He's going to day care at Fetch on Wednesdays and next week will add Mondays since the weather is so lousy and he needs the extra exercise. We've been going to the Kennebunk dog park on the weekends and meeting lots of other rescue dogs. It's amazing how many of the dogs there are rescues from somewhere. A very good thing.

Patti and Beau


Thank you Patty for giving Bo/Beau the chance at love and life that he deserves! Bo - don't get up on our account:)

Sunday, January 17, 2010

LOTS OF LUCKY PUPS GET THEIR CHANCE!


Josh - one of the very lucky pups!

As most of you know - we have had a very difficult month due to our Adoption Coordinator landing in the hospital after a car accident. This meant that on top of our usual overload of dogs - we also had to intake all of her foster dogs at once (25-30). Most of these dogs are still with us because they need to be treated for heartworm - and there is no heartworm treatment available at our vet due to production problems with the pharmaceutical company. This has caused quite a back log/space crisis for our rescue.

However, this week we were overjoyed to make a little room and send many of our pups to rescue up North.

We are so thankful to our rescue partners (Janet and Sue) for stepping up during this critical time. We also appreciate the fosters (Teresa, Julie, Lisa, Leanne, Bobbie) who took in just one more dog or kept a dog longer than anticipated - when they were already full to the brim. A special thanks to Julie who ran around getting health certificates and making sure that Josh and Daisy made it to transport on time.

Below are just a few of our dogs that will now have the opportunity to find loving forever homes through our rescue partner. Ladybird and Angie are particularly exciting placements, as they have been with us for quite some time.


Cindy


Cindy on her way!


Ladybird is ready to go!


Daisy is a bit daunted


The "B" puppies


Angie wants to drive!


Angie

We wish all of our pups great success in their new lives!
Thank you to Kyle, Pam and Glenda from PETS Transport for going above and beyond to make sure our pups travel safely.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

HOW TO MEND A BROKEN HEART


It is always a dilemma whether to get a new dog after losing one. There is no right answer as you know...it always depends on the person and the situation. For our volunteer's sister, Kelly (who recently lost her sweet Pug), welcoming a new member to the family might just be the answer. PAWS tried to find her a little dog, but to no avail (we seem to only have medium and large dogs at the moment). Not a problem since there were lots of needy dogs in our area. Kelly spotted this sweet girl at an adoption event in Memphis and just couldn't resist!

Tinkie is her new name. She is a precious little Chihuahua mix with a bit of an overbite you just have to see. She bonded immediately to Kelly and is quite the snuggler. Congrats to Kelly and Tinkie (Tinkie has no idea yet how spoiled she will be!). Even though we couldn't find you one in our foster pool, we are just grateful that you rescued a pup in need. So for Kelly, you mend a broken heart by opening it up to someone else :)
Perhaps that might work for you too!




Thursday, January 14, 2010

UPDATE ON CAROLINE - WHAT A DIFFERENCE A GOOD HOME MAKES!

Sweet Caroline was a sickly little pup that came to our rescue last Spring. We thought that nobody could possibly want to adopt her - because she was suffering from Demodex and just looked so homely. We knew she was a loving pup - who deserved a chance - but would anyone else feel the same?

Lucky Caroline was scooped up by a rescue in Maine that saw her inner beauty. She went to a wonderful foster home that nursed her back to health and then to a loving forever home.

Just looking at Caroline's before and after pictures - you can see what a difference a little love and a good home can make. We cannot believe it is the same dog!


Caroline before


Griffin & Caroline today!

Here is the update sent in by Caroline's adoptive family:

Here's an update on our rescue pup, Caroline: We adopted her in May 2009.

She's just over a year old now and right at this moment she's running around our home like a mad-woman and getting out just a tiny bit of her ENDLESS energy.

Caroline's new favorite activity is chasing a laser around the livingroom...this keeps her entertained for a long time, and it keeps me and my husband laughing, too.

We adore her and we're happy to report that she's a very healthy and happy dog today.

Caroline is "daddy's girl" - my husband Tim is simply in love with her.. She went through so much before we adopted her: abandonment at a very young age, rescue to a shelter, mange and other health issues, losing most of her fur and developing sores all over her body, rescue, transport, and a wonderful foster family with Sherry Moody, etc.

Unbelievably, she's now an incredibly well-adjusted dog who loves all people and all other dogs, too.

My husband and I are expecting our first baby in April and we're sure Caroline will love our daughter. We're just a little concerned that she'll love her SO much that she'll want to lick her and jump on her! One of our new year's resolutions is to invest in some dog-training for Caroline so that we're all better prepared for the arrival of our child.

Caroline and our other dog, Griffin (who we adopted from a shelter a few years before Caroline) are great friends. Griffin is very mellow, so Caroline keeps him on his toes, but they enjoy playing together and they fight like brother and sister, too.

Thank you so much for considering our Caroline deserving of life - most organizations would have overlooked her and we're especially thankful this New Year.

Blessings, Jenny and Tim Carpenter (and Griffin, Caroline, and Baby Girl Carpenter)

Thank YOU Jenny, Tim and Griffin for giving Caroline the life she deserves! It is happy endings like these that keep us rescuing dog's just like Caroline.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

RAFFLE TICKETS ARE IN!

We finally have the tickets for the drawing! Please call Allison at 901-240-9848 if you can help sell tickets. We need as many people as possible because we only have 2 weeks. Remember...a prize will go to the top 2 sellers! How about bringing them to your Church, work, school, or bunco group! PLEASE...we need you!

Sunday, January 10, 2010

ANOTHER SAD GOODBYE...CHRISSY


Chrissy came to the Marion Shelter last year through no fault of her own. Similar to Cajun's story, Chrissy's owner found himself in some trouble and was sent to jail (and is still there to our knowledge). One of our volunteer's sisters, Kelly, decided to foster sweet Chrissy last March so that she wouldn't have to spend her last days in a shelter (she was visiting from St. Louis one weekend when she spotted her at the shelter).


You see Chrissy was 17 years young when Kelly and Dave took her in! This was their first foster pup ever. Chrissy was incredibly spoiled in their home. However if you speak to them, the joy was theirs. Chrissy was a love bug...the light of Kelly's life for sure. She would bark over and over with her hoarse little voice until she convinced Kelly and Dave to share some of Dave's culinary delights! Persistent that girl was!


We wanted to thank Kelly and Dave for giving that precious girl a "home". It takes special people to agree to help a senior dog, so for that we are truly grateful. Chrissy went to Heaven this past Saturday. Those that knew her and loved her are the lucky ones. We will miss you dearly ...

GOODBYE TO SWEET CAJUN


This past week, one of our longterm residents, Cajun, lost his battle against many heath issues.

Cajun came to our rescue after his former caretaker was in a car accident while traveling through Marion. His owner was thrown in jail, and Cajun was sent to our local shelter. When his owner was released, he left town but did not bother to free Cajun from his cell on his way out.

Cajun has been with our rescue for almost two years. In that time he has faced heartworm, cancer, leg amputation and congestive heart failure.

Through it all, Cajun was a trooper. He had such a positive outlook and a loving demeanor.

One of Cajun's favorite things to do was to play with plastic coffee containers. He only liked the blue ones - not the red ones.

He spent much of his time out on "the farm" with "Uncle Joe" in Earle - where he was very loved. When Cajun had his leg amputated due cancer, and then started showing signs of congestive heart failure, he moved into town, where he spent his remaining days sleeping on a soft dog bed at Leanne and Lisa's home.

We thank everyone who loved and cared for Cajun during his time with us - Especially Uncle Joe, Lisa and Leanne. He was very special dog and we will miss him greatly. We also thank our rescue friends, Janet, Sue and Sherry for making every effort to give Cajun a retirement home up North. We wish he had been well enough to travel - and warms our hearts to know how much you all cared.

Read more of Cajun's blog entries


Rest in Peace Sweet Boy!




============
Cajun is just one of many dogs with special medical challenges that we have in our rescue, please consider making a donation in his name to help another pup get the medical treatment that he/she needs in order to move forward into a new life.






Saturday, January 9, 2010

VOLUNTEER DRIVER(S) NEEDED THUR, JAN 14th!

We desperately need a volunteer driver or two next Thursday, January 14th to help transport 3 pups to the parking lot in front of the Cloverleaf Animal Hospital in Memphis (the Animal Clinic is NOT affiliated with the transport, so please do not call them- this is just if you need to map it). One of of volunteers already has a vehicle full of lucky pups who get to travel North and our other volunteers cannot get off work. This may be their only opportunity for some time!

The transport meets at 12:45 pm on Thursday in the parking lot (you cannot miss it- it is PETS Transport- pickup truck attached to a large converted horse trailer). The address is 749 North White Station Road, Memphis, TN.

Need number 1: Josh and Daisy are both at the same foster home near Marquette Park (Poplar/Mendenhall area). Their foster mom cannot get off work for enough time to transport them, but may be able to meet someone at noon to pick up the dogs or make other arrangements. They may also need help getting to the vet in Frayser in the next day or two for health certificates.

Need number 2: Old Lamar. This is a precious Pit boy who was taken in by the Wolfchase Animal Hospital in Bartlett. This boy has a second chance at life, but only if he can get on the transport. He is super friendly and won't be any trouble. We need someone to pick him up there and take him to the transport by 12:45.

It would be a crying shame if these 3 precious dogs can't make it to safety because of lack of volunteers. PLEASE...we need a commitment by Monday night, otherwise we will have to cancel their reservations. Please call Allison at 901-240-9848 or email allieot98@yahoo.com if you can help!

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

RAFFLE HELP NEEDED ASAP!

Marion, West Memphis, Memphis, St. Louis, and other nearby people...WE NEED YOU! We are about to launch a very short raffle for a Big Screen TV (min 40 inches) and a Blu-Ray Disc Player for the SUPER BOWL (which is Sunday, February 7th). The drawing will be held at 3 pm, January 31st at The Cedars of Marion.

All proceeds go to PAWS of MARION to help pay our never ending medical bills. If you OR your older child can help us sell tickets, please let me know asap. They will be $5 each. We will give a prize for the top 2 individual ticket sellers! Adults...you can sell them at your work! This is a great cause!

Please call Allison at 901-240-9848 or email allieot98@yahoo.com if you can help! You are welcome to make a donation via Paypal below or via snail mail to PAWS of Marion P.O. Box 584 if you prefer.

PAYPAL DONATIONS CLICK HERE:






Saturday, January 2, 2010

8 MORE PUPS HEAD NORTH FOR A FRESH START!

That's right...8 more precious pups are heading to Wisconsin today to start new lives! Thanks to our Wisconsin Rescue Angels, Stevie Girl (black lab), Layla (boxer), Southpaw (boxer), Charlie (terrier mix), Toby (black Blue Heeler mix?), Miles (Aussie mix), Aiden (JRT/Beagle mix?), and Addison (Chihuahua/Beagle mix?) have been given a wonderful opportunity. We want to thank all of the ladies in Wisconsin for their wonderful work.

Linda- what can we say...you probably know the roads here with your eyes closed bu now (Beth- we missed you this time!). Much gratitude for driving down to St. Louis to pick up these cuties. Thanks to Kelly for meeting our volunteer to transport these guys/gals back to St. Louis (you too always seem to come through for us). Thanks Emily, Nicole, Amy, Beth, Natalie, Corey, Judy, and Donna for all of your efforts in helping us- what a great partnership we have formed! We know that taking in 18 dogs in the last few weeks was not in "the plans", but you came through again when it really counted. You guys are awesome...seriously! We look forward to hearing updates on all of our babies!

Last, but not least...thank you to our FABULOUS foster parents who literally saved these lives by taking them in temporarily when no one else would. Teresa, Vicki and family, and Marguerite...we could not do this without you! We sincerely appreciate those of you who have made monetary donations and/or offered to help in other ways.

If anyone would like to save a dog by fostering one temporarily, please call Allison at 901-240-9848 or Lisa at 901-826-0292. We apologize for the quality of some of these pictures- our volunteer's camera is broken and had to use a not-so-great one in the meantime.