FOUND in Chilton County

This poodle is in need of help:

First, we’d like to find out whether he has a family who is missing him. He has likely been on his own quite some time … possibly even since the 4/27 tornadoes.

The woman who rescued him cannot keep him, so he will need a temporary foster while waiting for his family to find him.

If the original owners cannot be found, he will need a good, loving, permanent home.

To help this sweet pup, contact Saxon Collins at: saxoncollins@gmail.com

Little Man, a 10 pound intact male, was found Wednesday night, March 7 in northern Chilton County, AL in Saxon Collins’ driveway. According to Saxon, this pup would have had to traverse acres of forest and pasture land in order to approach her house.

She continues to tell us that …

He had long nettles, sharp briars, and rank feces embedded in his hopelessly matted coat. I could not see his eyes or nose, nor even determine whether he had a tail. He only hesitated briefly when I knelt to call him to me, but he permitted me to remove what nettles I could and to crate him. After eagerly eating dried dog food, he slept soundly for the night. I took him to the vet I use the next morning, who estimated his age at 10+ years and reported to me the following general exam results:
– no fleas or ticks (they had to shave the poor fella)
– no heart worms, but presence of an intestinal worm for which he was treated
– cataracts
– arthritis, mostly in the hind quarters

He has been at the clinic since Thursday morning for eval/treatment and to allow me time to look for the owners. I feel that he must have been a frequently handled/socialized pet for him to be so accepting of his current treatment. I also wonder if he had been on flea/tick and heartworm prophylactics to have tested negative for these when he had obviously been exposed to the parasites for a good while. I guess the intestinal worms may have been due to his wilderness diet. He has been as good as gold at the clinic: very calm and quiet.

I believe he has quality years remaining, but I have absolutely nowhere to take him. I have asked friends, family, co-workers, and small-breed rescue shelters. I asked my vet about the Humane Society, but he felt they would likely euthanize the little fella in short order.

I own two dogs, one of those being a rescued dog from an abusive home. I work days, so my mom babysits the two, and I just can’t add to the menagerie.
If you will not take the little guy, please tell me other options, as in names and numbers of places to call. I don’t mind making a day trip to drive him to a good shelter. I obviously can’t set him free on the streets, and I dont want him to be euthanized if he can have a quality life, but the funds to board him are limited, too.

If you can help, please contact Saxon Collins at:
saxoncollins@gmail.com

More ‘tornado cats’ found in Pleasant Grove, AL

Two new kitties have started showing up at Joni Crowe’s feeding stations in Pleasant Grove, AL. If you know someone who lost a pet in the April 27 tornadoes, please share this link with them; we’d like to reunite them with their families!

This small kitty has light grey fur underneath his body and on his legs and paws; his flank has darker grey stripes. He is young and neutered with green eyes. Joni says he is very sweet but still afraid.

The second kitty is a large, intact male who is solid grey in color with big round eyes.

Kitty returns home 92 days after the 4/27 tornadoes!

Barbara Miller lost everything she had during the 4/27 tornado that swept through Pleasant Grove, AL. Imagine her excitement, then, to be reunited with both of her cats!

Kit Kat, a grey/blue kitty, was found a few days after the tornado, but “Trouble” was, well … a bit more difficult to find. He was first sighted over a month after the tornado but it -understandably- took some time to gain his trust. With the help of Joni Crowe, who has been faithfully setting up feeding stations for pets in the Pleasant Grove area, Trouble the kitty was captured in a humane trap a full 92 days after the tornado!

Trouble’s first stop? To the vet, of course! After spending a couple of nights at McAdory Vet Clinic and receiving a clean bill of health, Barbara took him to their new residence where he’ll be reunited with his pal, Kit Kat.

Reunited! 78 days later

Meet Jack … thanks to Joni Crowe, he’s now enjoying the company of his people!

Jack’s family lost their home in the April 27th tornadoes that tore through the state of Alabama. Efforts to recover their belongings were fruitless; even their furniture was never found. Although Jack was inside the house when the storms hit, everyone assumed he was dead.

Joni Crowe set up a feeding station across the street from the home, which is now a mere concrete driveway. Seventy-eight days after the tornadoes struck, there was Jack – waiting for Crowe to replenish the food and water!

“I had never even met Jack and he ran to me and started purring and meowing,” she said. “After a good meal, we called [the family] with the good news.”

First up on the agenda was a visit to the veterinarian for a check-up. The owner’s son, Jimmy, kept the news a secret from his dad. He picked Jack up from the vet, took him home, and let him out in the house where his dad was reading the newspaper.

According to Crowe, Jack walked straight over to the dad and jumped in his lap. He was so excited that he cried; he just couldn’t believe Jack was home!

The family had two more cats in addition to Jack. His sister, Kitty Kat, was found last month, but his other sister, Blackie, is yet to be found. The family is asking for prayers that she will find her way home as well.

Banjo!

This photo was sent to us on our Facebook page. It is a sweet story about the kindness and generosity demonstrated among strangers …

Before and After

The devastating tornadoes that hit the South on April 27th, 2011 destroyed Banjo’s owners home and most of their belongings. Banjo was found three days after the storms and she was traumatized! She still had her long winter hair, even though the temperatures were reaching near 90 degrees, and it was matted with burrs.

Banjo was taken into foster care by a family member who sought for help to get Banjo groomed so she would be more comfortable. After a request was sent out on Facebook asking for suggestions on where to take Banjo to get her the care she needed, a generous stranger offered to sponsor Banjo’s grooming needs. The check sent was enough to have Banjo bathed and clipped and to get her a flea/tick treatment. There was even enough left over to buy her a new doggie bed!

Below you will see the before picture of Banjo after the storms and the after picture when she was reunited with her grateful owner after her grooming at Summerhouse Boarding Kennels in Bridgeport, AL.

A special “Thank You” to all the angels that have played a part in Banjo’s life to help her get through this traumatic experience!