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October
2005 NOLA Volunteer Trip Journal
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here to view photos with captions.
Our
Favorites
During
our time there, we pampered each and every animal in our charge.
Keith liked to give them biscuits and extra walks and I made
sure they all had soft, clean bedding for their bony frames
and a toy to help fill their idle time. There were a few who
desperately needed to RUN -- off-leash -- for about twenty
minutes a day. I tried to make sure they had an extra walk
or two and would run along with them as best I could given
that every muscle in me ached.
 We
both loved a little Terrier/Maltese mix
we named Jacques (pictured right with Keith)
who had a whole host of problems including an eye condition,
heartworm, and matted fur that had to be completely shaved.
He was sedated at one point which caused his heart to stop.
The vet gave him a shot of adrenalin to bring him back. It
is not lost on us that Jacques was found on Hope Street.
The time needed to devote to see him through all his treatments
would have been too much for Keith to handle, so instead Keith
will be sponsoring the cost of his medical care.
My
favorite included a very shy hound dog / pitt mix. When I
first met her, she was afraid to come out of her cage crouching
low and cementing herself to the dirt floor. By the time I
left, she would excitedly claw at the door when she saw me
and race to get out to the open field to give me a hug and
sniff my ears. She wouldn't relieve herself until we had our
moment of affection together. My last night there, I tucked
away a big, cushiony dog bed in a corner of the barn. After
our last walk together, I took the bed out of its hiding spot
and placed it in the back of her cage with a brand new rope
toy. She gave me a lick then proceeded to make herself cozy
for the night. I wonder who walked her in the morning and
if they noticed her luxury item. Perhaps they did and noted
accordingly what a special girl she is.
My Favorite Girl
I
also spent time with pit bull puppy around four months old
who required the attention a boy of that age demands. Needles
for teeth and razors for claws, my boy needed a lesson in
how not to bite and scratch and jump! I took him aside one
night and spent about 30 minutes teaching him some patience
using sign language. In 20 minutes he learned to sit, another
10 minutes later he was shaking paws on command. The next
day he learned to lay down and wait which he eagerly did without
my asking for the next few days. I hope those lessons stuck
with him. He is so eager to please and be rewarded.
In this photo I'm
giving my boy the "sit" command using
American Sign Language and he's looking for his reward for
doing it properly.
Reunited
Much to my disappointment, reunions were few and far between.
During my week there I witnessed one and participated in another.
In the latter case, two young girls drove all the way from
Birmingham to pick up their 10 year old chow. The chow, Peaches,
looked terrible because of a very large bite she sustained
on her left ear. I worried about their reaction to seeing
the dog they referred to as their "sister".
 I
brought Peaches into the barn just as they were coming out
of an office to greet her. I was expecting Peaches to go ballistic
with happiness and for the girls to burst into tears of joy.
Much to my surprise, Peaches seemed barely fazed and the girls
were a little hesitant. After a minute of discussing Peaches'
last few days, I fetched the vet to have the shunt (a tube
in place to help drainage) removed before they took her home.
I held Peaches still and the vet went to action. It was then
that girls started realizing just what Peaches had endured.
The shunt and its resulting hole were not pretty. After the
procedure, Peaches came to life. Her tail was wagging rapidly
and she was pulling on her leash to go out. Previously, she
hadn't shown that much energy in the days and nights combined!
She was smiling, her tongue was ready to lick the girls' faces
and the girls were overcome. We all held back our tears and
gave each other big hugs before the three sisters headed towards
Birmingham to be a family again.
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