What an amazing year it has been

On October 22 last year, I announced the launch of http://dalmatianrescueofpugetsound.org I was hoping that by launching a web site I might connect with a few like minded Dalmatian lovers and save a few dogs. On October 31, I sent an e-mail to 3 acquaintances, telling them that I was forming a rescue. Within 30 minutes, I had referrals for 2 Dalmatians in need of rescue. The next day, Pepper arrived at my house, skinny and scared.

She had a terrible case of diarrhea, and became increasingly hostile toward our dogs. We spent 2 weeks nursing her back to health, while keeping her confined in our laundry room. Sneaking her out for bathroom breaks was a challenge. Everything was a challenge, but sweet Pepper deserved a chance for a good life. Two weeks later, she got that chance when a very nice couple from the Puget Sound Dalmatian Club offered to take her into their home. It takes a very special person to adopt a 15 year old dog, and Pepper has been blessed with 2 of them. Time is catching up with her, and we don’t know if Pepper will make it to her one year anniversary with them, but their time together has been a blessing for all of them.

After Pepper came a trio of dogs in Oregon that were losing their home. Two were able to find homes through friends and family, but Sparky needed help fast. I was able to find him a foster home in Oregon, but he didn’t get along well with their young dogs. We found a second foster home and made plans to bring him to Washington, without knowing where he would go when he arrived. Fortunately, a woman who recently lost her Dalmatian contacted a Dalmatian rescue group in Colorado. They directed her to me, and she adopted Sparky. It was another wonderful match.

After that things took off, which is why I haven’t had time to write a blog post since March 15. We’ve rescued a total of 49 dogs in less than a year. When I launched the web site, I was just hoping to find homes for a few local dogs. Then I met Beth White from Dalmatian Rescue of Colorado. Beth suggested that there was a need for Dalmatian rescue in Idaho and Oregon as well. She gave me her contacts in the area, which helped me get off to a good start.

I rescued a number of Oregon dogs, including Bongo. Poor Bongo lost his home of 14 years when his family lost their home. He was given away, but the people who took him didn’t want him. He ended up wandering his old neighborhood as a stray. He was thin and in bad shape when he got to the shelter. We transported him up from Oregon, and introduced him to our dogs in the front yard. A dog we were fostering, grabbed him by the neck and tore a huge hole from shoulder to shoulder.

Bongo recovered, and we tried him in a foster home for a while, but he likes it at our house, so he moved back. He’s had a variety of ailments, but at 14 1/2, he is still cruising along.

In June, I heard about a 14 year old Dalmatian that had been surrendered to a shelter by her owners, after recently giving birth.

Princess story really touched a nerve in the rescue community. I offered to bring her up from California, and was amazed when people across the country donated enough to fly her up. Princess was a very sweet girl, but we didn’t realize that she had a huge mass growing in her abdomen until a few weeks later when she stopped eating. Her time with us was brief, but her impact was huge. After rescuing Princess, people started asking me to help other Dalmatians from California. Before I knew it, I had 4 Dalmatians waiting for me, and I was jumping in my new Ford Escape Hybrid and driving to Turlock, California to pick them up.

The trip down was easy. The trip back was much harder, and the week after wasn’t much easier. One of the dogs needed emergency surgery to remove bladder stones. I was lucky to find good homes for all of them. Before I could get all of the California dogs into homes, a beautiful girl named Dolly was found wandering as a stray in Oregon. Dolly is blind, but a really nice dog. The shelter staff loved her and wanted a better life for her than they could offer. I was not ready for another road trip, but got a call one day from a couple who had helped rescue other Oregon dogs. They said they were taking a vacation to Canada, and that they would bring Dolly to me. I wasn’t sure I could take care of a blind dog, but Dolly is a very independent girl. The only thing she needs me for is to warn her not to run into things when we are out walking. I could be better at my job.

There have been several trips to California. Most recently we rented a cargo van and drove to Turlock to bring back 7 dogs. Here is a 41 second sample of our 19 hour journey.

Things don’t always work out perfectly. We had home lined up for all 7 dogs, but 4 of the dogs lost their foster homes in the first week. Fostering isn’t easy. Rescued dogs are often stressed and sometimes not in the best condition. Not everyone is willing to put up with the stress and problems. We ended up bringing Cocoa to our house because she didn’t get along with the cats in her foster home. She isn’t great with our cat either, but we are making it work. Shelby and Boogie, 4 year old brother and sister lost their foster home after getting in a fight with another dog. They spent a nice evening at our house before I took them to a boarding kennel. Two days later I got a call from the kennel. Boogie was coughing. He had to leave. We couldn’t bring him without Shelby, so they are both living with us now. We had to send Friday to the kennel to make room for them.

Rescue life isn’t easy. The dogs require a lot of time and attention. Finding homes, arranging transportation and doing the paperwork take a lot of time. I haven’t had much time for friends and family, or for anything but work and rescue. I know that I can’t keep going at this pace, but I am thankful for the 49 dogs I have been able to help.