Plethora of Everything

    The neighbor across the street from me is big.     For the first couple of years we lived in our house we'd only see him about once a week, when he'd put the garbage out, which was always overflowing or, when he'd get the mail.      His size was hard to ignore; religiously shirtless, his belly hanging inches out and over his shorts, and always barefoot, no matter the temperature.    We thought poorly of these neighbors, with visions of them living on welfare, LG &E paid for by the city, heat cranked up to 80 degrees during the winter months. And we shouldn't be (entirely) blamed for making those assumptions since big boy was always half naked, even in the dead of winter. He nor his house-mate, who happened to be his mother, worked or owned a car. Food was delivered to the home weekly. Sometimes we would speculate whether or not these were some kind of feed-the-hungry volunteers or family members delivering groceries to this duo...

August 31, 2016 Dear Ms. Kane-Redmon,     I'm writing to you as a former KHS volunteer and a former employee of Miami Dade Animal Services and Louisville Metro Animal Services. Currently I'm a full time mother, part time dog walker, e-commerce entrepreneur and still volunteer at LMAS' Animal House.     The Kentucky Humane Society is seen as a model shelter; an innovative adoption facility hosting a variety of animal-welfare and adoption events, holding behavior classes for new pet owners, running an impressive pet-help-line for pet parents, starting and running the S.N.I.P. Clinic, offering kid's camp to educate young ones on sheltering and how to be a responsible pet parent.     For all of these reasons, I was surprised to see the changes that began occurring at your main campus several months ago. It started out with an email from then-volunteer-coordinator, Whitney Hobbs, politely informing volunteers we were no longer to walk or vi...

    Revised 1/3/18     Chachi arrived at Animal Services with her mother in late October, 2013.     I didn't, and still don't know, if I can do these 2 dogs justice with words alone.     But I'll try... simply by telling their story. A Bonded Pair     Have you ever seen 2 dogs so bonded... so bonded they sleep together, curled up, one using the other as a pillow, they eat together, with one always just a step behind the other, ready to play, to gently jump on its buddy, to mouth, roll around and have a lot of good ol' doggy fun?     This is how Chachi and Chichi were, extremely bonded .     Chachi, the daughter, was always gently bouncing on her mom to provoke play, and her mom delighted in the love and attention of her daughter!     I'll never forget the first time I saw them- they were sleeping together in a kennel about half way down the long row of full large-dog-runs, Chachi using her mom...

Llorón was "my dog."     A year and a half ago I owned 2 dogs, Llorón and Thalia.     I always referred to sweet Thalia as "everyone's dog."     Of course she was my dog but her easy going, lovable disposition often made it feel like she belonged to everyone. She would make herself right at home at the neighbor's when we lived in a duplex, sometimes staying over there for hours. A year later when we moved to an apartment in Miami Beach she would also spend a lot of time with an upstairs neighbor. She was content just sitting with the elderly gentleman upstairs as he watched TV. With Thalia I'd always have to go next door or upstairs and 'get her' to come home, or, when at the dog park I always had to call her to leave.      Llorón was the opposite. He wouldn't let me out of his sight.            Where mommy went, Llorón went. Special Memories...      I'll never forget the first time I ...

This is just a bad dream wake me up wake me up It can't be you, not you, it's too soon. My shadow, my sweet, smart, funny boy the one that has brought me so much joy Please don't let it be his time please let there be a miracle let him be fine Please, please please let this be just a bad dream my sweet boy merely hugging you calms the panic in me now the thought of losing you won't let me be I love you beyond time and space but please, here and now, a little mercy, a little grace Don't let it be the end I'm not ready to say goodbye to my special friend.   

Updated 01-04-18        If you're not involved in pet rescue you may not understand the title of this blog.     So read it, so you can understand.     Over the years I've heard about friends of rescue friends buying a dog from a breeder oppose to adopting . Over the years I've heard about this action breaking up friendships or driving a wedge between people.     I've also experienced this on a personal level and it has converted once-lovely-friendships into an abyss of separation a time or two.     A few years ago while working at Animal Services I had a girlfriend that wanted a dog, a puppy.     On various occasions I showed her pictures of adoptable pets, I spoke to her about how rewarding adoption was , how she had the power to save a life and asked her regularly, "When are you going to adopt?!" Adoptable dog, municipal shelter     The next thing I know she's posting pictures on facebo...