Butterfly Effect - Mackey's story

It’s not easy to move a malamute if he doesn’t want to be moved.  Mackey is my recent rescue.  He’s actually a malamute and husky mix.  We think he’s probably three or four years old and he’s a big baby.  

Our Tasmanian foster, Max was running zoomies around the living room last weekend and Mackey had enough of it and ran to me for comfort.  He fell into my lap on the floor and just wanted to be petted and protected from the big, bad Max.  He sat there with me for what felt like hours or until my foot went to sleep.  It occurred to me what a special, sweet boy he is – how sad that he almost died in a shelter.  He failed him temperament test. 

The butterfly effect, according to Mackey… 

I suppose it started when I told my soon to be husband that I was a cat person and I didn’t want a dog.  The only exception to this would be if we got a Siberian husky (don’t ask, I have no idea why).  That was just my rule. 

We started researching Siberian huskies on the internet.  Getting an idea of what we were in for.  We looked for hours and marveled at the differences in fur length, size, color, eyes.  Then we found a social networking site called Dogster.  We started communicating with huskies from all over the globe; that’s right, dogs, not people.  Each dog had his own page and his own voice.  From this, we learned the ins and outs of husky ownership.    Butterfly effect #1 – Learning to love dogs and connecting with husky lovers like Nicole, Margie, Tesa, Sasha and Tammi. 

At my job, I had the opportunity to work cross functionally with another employee and we hit it off immediately.  We both had dogs in common so that is always a great ice breaker.  He had just started volunteering as a dog walker for the Nebraska Humane Society and he encouraged me to volunteer also.  Once I went through the training, I decided that I wanted to do adoption counseling.  I was excited to help people make good decisions about adopting a pet.  I was trained by some of the best volunteers any shelter could have; they instilled in me a love for homeless animals and the mission of saving lives.  Butterfly effect #2 – Blasé (I miss you), Kris, Nancy, Chet, Nancy and Tim. 

I had just passed my training at NHS, but I still didn’t really know my way around the building.  I was there earlier than usual on a Saturday morning and it wasn’t busy yet.  My new friend and trainer, Nancy was there early too.  I mentioned to her that I had never really been in the back areas of the shelter and she took it upon herself to give me a private tour.  Butterfly effect #3 – Nancy, my personal tour guide.

It was on that tour that I found Taysia Blue (formerly Princess), the namesake and now mascot of Taysia Blue Siberian Husky Rescue.  Taysia Blue was scheduled to be euthanized because she was old and not very healthy.  Mike and I made the decision to adopt her, we didn’t plan on such an education!  Mike and I learned more than we ever dreamed of – we learned about integrating a non socialized dog, we learned about dog triggers and fighting and calming signals, we learned about managing energy. 

We also learned that great dogs die every day in shelters – more than 13,700.   We also learned about managing numbers in shelters; if a shelter has one available kennel to house a dog, they need to chose most ‘adoptable’.  Certainly not the nine year old dog that was dumped off for the third time who happened to have a seizure upon arrival.  Butterfly effect #4 – Taysia Blue

Taysia Blue and my young female, Jambalaya fought terribly almost every day.  It was extremely stressful in our home to keep the dogs separate.  I was referred to Roberta as a possible resource to help me “re-home Taysia Blue”.  I really had no intention of re-homing Tay, but I contacted Roberta for help.  Roberta came over to help us work through the management.  She shared with me that she always wanted to help rescue dogs and I filed that away in the back of my mind.  Butterfly effect #5 – Roberta

Every day when I looked at my sweet Taysia Blue, my heart ached knowing how close she was to dying.  I realized that the shelter made the right decision, with all her health and behavior issues.  Nonetheless, I just felt like there might be a need for a rescue. 

Then one day at work, my phone rang.  I recognized the number of my vet’s office.  It was one of the receptionists calling about a family she met who needed to get rid of their seven year old epileptic husky.  She knew if they took her to the shelter, she would probably be euthanized so she thought maybe I could help.   I got on the phone to the family and heard their story, I met the dog, I tested the dog with my own dogs and I networked until I was able to facilitate an adoption between the old owner and the new owner!  That was a great feeling… and then I got the next phone call. 

This was a husky in a very small town animal control facility that was out of time.  They were to have euthanized her a week earlier, but they just didn’t have the heart.  Now they were full and had no choice.  An employee at the office got my name and number and called me.  The only thing I could do at this point was to pick her up and take her to a safe place where she would be evaluated the placed for adoption. I picked her up; they had bathed her and put little pink ribbons behind her ears.  She looked adorable.  I brought her in as a ‘stray’ and hoped for good things for her.  She never made it to the shelter’s ‘adoption kennels’.  I was never able to find out the whole story.  I hope that a staff member or volunteer found her and fell in love and adopted her.  I hope that she wasn’t ‘aggressive’ with her food dish…  Butterfly effect #6 Maya and the husky with the pink bows.

The need was becoming clear and I decided that we needed to form a real organization, a corporation that was a registered charity.  I sought out a lawyer to help me with the by-laws and filing the paperwork.  I got quotes for liability insurance and started a husky playgroup in order to meet other husky enthusiasts that might be willing to help with the rescue.  I honestly thought we’d help about 8 or 10 huskies a year.  I contacted Roberta (butterfly effect #5) and asked her to be on our board of directors.  Tammi (from butterfly effect #1) reached out and offered to help; she now is also a board member and is the leader of our Kansas City initiative.  

Throughout the first year we continued to meet people and we were amazed by their compassion, commitment and love for homeless huskies.  We never counted on making friends.  Butterfly effect #7, too many volunteers and friends to name! 

Kristen with Santa Mike

Denise with Kaisha and Sasha

Matthew & Wiley

Let the Fur Fly Dog Pack!

Amanda and Maggie at the CB Library presentation

Koyuk and Chelsea

Back to Mackey…  he came to us as we were concluding our first year.  Those 8 or 10 huskies I thought we’d save were actually 47.  Our foster families were completely full when the e-mail came in.   I had no where to put a dog and are you kidding me?  He failed temperament testing in three aspects of their test?  What was I supposed to do with that?  I hit ‘reply’ to the e-mail to sadly let them know I couldn’t help and saw his face.  

Instead of sending my response I picked up the phone and called the woman on their behavior staff.  I learned that he failed, but they had just removed burrs from him for hours before his test so he might have been a little grumpy or in a bit of pain.  I could read between the lines of the behaviorist, she believed this dog could be saved, but technically he failed – and failed on multiple counts.  She had to move him out to an organization that could work with him or euthanize him.  This was a shelter in a town of just a few thousand people.  There was only so much they could do.  Instead of hitting ‘reply’, I drove a couple hours to pick him up and decided I’d foster him myself.    Butterfly effect # 8 – that picture. 

There are days when I’m discouraged, there are days where it all kind of piles on… but inevitably, someone – volunteer, friend, family member or even a stranger will leave a word of encouragement or share a happy story… someone will pick up the phone and say, ‘let’s go grab dinner or a glass of wine’, someone will offer to take a foster or coordinate & work an event.  Butterfly effects #9, 10, 11……..2,394,384   

A lot of things happened as I map Mackey’s journey to another chance.  Mackey would have died that weekend in that small town shelter; he would have been just another statistic getting to 13,700 for the day. 

Everything you do matters and everything you do has an effect on your life and on the lives around you.  Thank you for the butterfly effect on my life – thank you for joining me in my journey and for helping along the way. 

Mackey thanks you too. 

Please understand, I am moving...

 I am moving.  I found a great house in a quiet neighborhood at a good price...and well, the mortgage rates are so low right now it just makes sense to move.

Certainly my huskies will pose a bit of a problem and something will have to be done, and quickly.  I need help!

                                                                                                                                                                  
Sound familiar?  


I got my first pet, a cat named Elsie when I was just out of college.  She had been abandoned as a kitten at Disney World.  It was my birthday and my manager thought I should take her home - and I did.

When my "no pet policy" apartment complex found out we had her, they decided we needed to get rid of her.  My roommates and I moved instead, seeking out a rental that would allow for a cat.  Getting rid of her was not ever something I thought about.  


A few years later, I eventually was offered a job out of state and found an awesome apartment downtown in the new city.  It was a single girl's dream place, but the landlord said "no pets".  So I opted for a basement apartment way out in suburbia.  


I didn't know that people made other decisions...  The sacrifice of not living in the killer apartment paled in comparison to not having my feline best friend with me - and she was for nineteen years!

But this time, I really do need help!  I have five huskies and I need to move!

Can someone recommend a good fence company?  The house has a 4 foot chain link fence and that won't work.  We close on April 10th so I'd like to schedule the work for that week.  The yard is huge so it will cost a bloody fortune, but we just can't delay, we can't possibly move our dogs unless the six foot privacy fence is up.  We have huskies and this is just what we have to do.

Can someone help us move right away?  You see, we realize that we can't show our current house with 5 huskies living here so we are waiting to sell our house until we can move in to the new one.  Between the constant scooping in the back yard and the never ending fur not to mention loading up five huskies in the car to accommodate a showing seems a little crazy.    Obviously we want / need to get out from under 2 mortgages as quickly as possible so time of of the essence.

We will do our best to show our current house while we are still living here, but it won't be easy.  Can you imagine my husband - who luckily works from the house getting that phone call at 2:00 in the afternoon?

Quick!  Drop what you are working on and get the dogs in the truck, scoop the back yard, get out the vacuum and now try to find room to sit in the truck... drive around until it's safe to go back home again.

No, that probably won't work.  This will mean investing in daycare for all five dogs so they can be out of the present house during the week - the above sounds like chaos!  Okay, so let's consider that...  $25 for each dog is $125 times five days each week... um, no.  I think we'll be better off paying the mortgage!

We also need to invest in wood flooring - while the existing carpet in the new house appears to be really good quality and looks great - it's just so much easier with five huskies to have hard surfaces so we will have to install wood floor.  Do you see now why we are desperate for help?  Does anyone know how to install a wood floor and can anyone help Mike with the installation?

But won't it be fun for awhile with the carpet?  Can you see how the dogs will enjoy zoomies in this large open space?  We promise to post some videos!

So... why are we moving?  We're moving for the dogs, of course.

We want them to have fewer stairs to navigate as they age - Taysia Blue is going to be thirteen years old and Badger's hips are giving her problems already.
Our current house is all stairs!

We want them to have a back yard that resembles a dog park - large enough for them to run and play.

Isn't this how family moves are supposed to be?  Aren't they supposed to be for the entire family - four legs and all?

Please understand, I am moving...

 I am moving.  I found a great house in a quiet neighborhood at a good price...and well, the mortgage rates are so low right now it just makes sense to move.  Certainly my huskies will pose a bit of a problem and something will have to be done, and quickly.  I need help!


                                                                                                                                                                     
Sound familiar?  

 




I got my first pet, a cat named Elsie when I was just out of college.  She had been abandoned as a kitten at Disney World.  It was my birthday and my manager thought I should take her home - and I did.  


When my "no pet policy" apartment complex found out we had her, they decided we needed to get rid of her.  My roommates and I moved instead, seeking out a rental that would allow for a cat.  Getting rid of her was not ever something I thought about.  


A few years later, I eventually was offered a job out of state and found an awesome apartment downtown in the new city.  It was a single girl's dream place, but the landlord said "no pets".  So I opted for a basement apartment way out in suburbia.  


I didn't know that people made other decisions...  The sacrifice of not living in the killer apartment paled in comparison to not having my feline best friend with me - and she was for nineteen years!

But this time, I really do need help!  I have five huskies and I need to move!

Can someone recommend a good fence company?  The house has a 4 foot chain link fence and that won't due.  We close on April 10th so I'd like to schedule the work for that week.  The yard is huge so it will cost a bloody fortune, but we just can't delay, we can't possibly move our dogs unless the six foot privacy fence is up.  We have huskies and this is just what we have to do.

Can someone help us move right away?  You see, we realize that we can't show our current house with 5 huskies living here so we are waiting to sell our house until we can move in to the new one.  Between the constant scooping in the back yard and the never ending fur not to mention loading up five huskies in the car to accommodate a showing seems a little crazy.    Obviously we want / need to get out from under 2 mortgages as quickly as possible so time of of the essence.

We will do our best to show our current house while we are still living here, but it won't be easy.  Can you imagine my husband - who luckily works from the house getting that phone call at 2:00 in the afternoon?   Quick!  Drop what you are working on and get the dogs in the truck, scoop the back yard, get out the vacuum and now try to find room to sit in the truck... drive around until it's safe to go back home again.  No, that probably won't work.  This will mean investing in daycare for all five dogs so they can be out of the present house during the week - the above sounds like chaos!  Funny, but perhaps for someone else!
We also need to invest in wood flooring - while the existing carpet in the new house appears to be really good quality and looks great - it's just so much easier with five huskies to have hard surfaces so we will have to install wood floor.  Do you see now why we are desperate for help?  Does anyone know how to install a wood floor and can anyone help Mike with the installation?  But in the interim, can you see how the dogs will enjoy zoomies in this large open space?



So... why are we moving?  We're moving for the dogs, of course.

We want them to have fewer stairs to navigate as they age - Taysia Blue is going to be thirteen years old and Badger's hips are giving her problems already.
Our current house is all stairs!

We want them to have a back yard that resembles a dog park - large enough for them to run and play.

Isn't this how family moves are supposed to be?  Aren't they supposed to be for the entire family - four legs and all?

Letter to a Frustrated Applicant

This letter was originally written by a friend and colleague of ours, Tara Lord, founder of Mile High Siberian Husky Rescue.  I found it to be so profound I borrowed it, changed it up a little to make it our own...  

Dear frustrated rescue applicant,

I do understand your frustration, and I am truly sorry that you are so upset.  I ask one last favor from you.  Please consider putting yourself in our shoes before you get so upset with our process.  

Abby, blind, frightened and in pain

We’re not just a “rescue” or a faceless corporation; we’re people with good hearts that go way beyond the average person to help a defenseless animal in their time of need. The adoption fee that we ask doesn't begin to cover what we spend on each dog.  We neuter or spay, groom, de-worm, heartworm test, vaccinate, microchip, treat injuries, illness, fleas, buy quality dog food, bowls, tags, collars, leashes, heartworm and flea preventative, crates and anything else we need. The $300 adoption fee doesn't even cover one healthy dog that comes in, let alone all the ones with major health needs.  Just this summer, one young, healthy boy went in for routine neuter surgery, complications arose and the fee was almost $900.  If you still think $300 is high, please call your vet and price out all those things I listed above and see what it would cost you.  Now add on operating costs of insurance, website, hosting, phones lines, business cards, etc., and I think you’ll agree that this isn't out of line.  

We are an all-volunteer based organization.  Everyone is donating their time; no one is paid a salary.  We don’t have a facility; the dogs live in volunteer’s homes.  100% of donations and adoption fees go to run the rescue and help save the lives of orphaned dogs.  Furthermore, think of all the personal donations made by our volunteers – food for longer term dogs, gas used to drive back and forth to the vet office, home visits, events, going to shelters, doing behavior evaluations, training, etc.  This week alone, one volunteer drove over 36 hours to pick up three homeless pups that we were able to bring in to rescue.  She drove her own vehicle, paid for gas with her own money.  


Not only do these amazingly generous volunteers spend money on gas and incidentals for the dogs, not only do they give up their time and space in their homes for these dogs, but they also at times give their hard earned money as a donation to the rescue just to keep it operational!! 

Abby after her surgery, happy and alert and pain free!

Many the dogs come in sick and stressed because they’ve been in a shelter and lost their family. They don’t understand what’s going on.  We nurse them back to health, comfort their emotions, spend our OWN money on them and turn them into adoptable dogs.  The last thing we want is for them to end up in the same situation again.

Have you ever had a job where you had to work with the ‘general public before?  It’s not always pleasant or easy.  Have you ever placed an ad online to sell something?  Sometimes you find that people will lie and try to cheat you – you don’t know if they are honest from an e-mail or quick contact, I doubt you would trust the first Craigslist response you receive.   


People will say ANYTHING to get a dog from a rescue.  Most are honest and good, but some will lie and manipulate. They’ll waste our time and say they have a fenced yard and then when we ask for a home check, we find out they live in an apartment. Or, we’ll do a vet check and find out they never vaccinated or spayed or neutered their own dog.  Or they make up references just to take the 'easy' route.  The list goes on and on… Even with all our screening, sometimes dogs are still returned to us by people who promised us that they would  "never give up a dog…” 

If all breeders would screen better, the way the rescues do, maybe we wouldn't have such a problem with homeless pets. There wouldn’t be Siberian huskies dying daily in shelters because someone chose to breed them irresponsibly.  If you buy from a breeder, (we do hope it’s a responsible one and we’ll be happy to make some suggestions), you’ll pay hundreds, if not thousands on a puppy.  If you buy from a pet store, and remember those cute puppy's parents are living in deplorable conditions in a puppy mills, you have no idea what health and behavior problems you’ll have.  And you'll spend around $800 or more for that privilege.   After you buy the dog, you’ll still have to pay to have them spayed or neutered and vaccinated.  

Did I mention to you that we take our adoptable dogs back in to rescue?  Many breeders (again, we're happy to recommend good ones) and certainly no pet stores will say that, so if you have a life change and can’t keep your dog because of death, divorce, job loss, allergies… you’ll be on your own.   

A happy, healthy Abby at the dog park with her adoptive family

Our gorgeous and many times pure bred Siberian huskies are typically adopted in a matter of a few weeks, we take care of their needs and make sure they are behaviorally sound and as healthy as possible – we owe it to them to do everything in our power to make sure that they aren’t going to be homeless again.  


We don't give up on our long term dogs either.  Some stay with us for months because they are so under socialized from living as breeder dogs that they need this time to learn how to not be afraid of stairs or tile floor let alone to function as a pet.

Imagine this:  Pretend you are out for a walk in a park.  You find a scared, beautiful but very thin Siberian husky.  She has no collar and leash.  You take her to the vet and find out that she is micro chipped.  You call the number, but the phone line is out of order.  You post flyers in the neighborhood and place ads on facebook to try to find this dog’s owner.  No one comes.  You then take it to your own vet and make sure that she has everything she needs.  You spend your own money to bathe her, feed her… you housetrain her, work on that food aggression issue and teach her how to play.  You love her and let her sleep with you at night.  You clean up her messes and accept the damage when she chews up your favorite pair of shoes.  You make sure she is spayed and has her vaccines.  You love her like your own dog and go about trying to find her a good home.   Will you give this dog, who you’ve loved and cared for, to the first stranger that sends you an e-mail?  Probably not – and neither will we.

We’re sure each applicant is a good person, but please remember, we don’t know you yet.  You are just an e-mail address and a piece of paper.  This is why we call your references and talk with your vet.  This is why we need to speak to your landlord.  This is why we want to see your home and meet you before we say “yes, you may adopt one of our dogs”.  

Adopting from a rescue will give you amazing satisfaction of knowing you’re part of the solution to the animal over-population problem. You get the satisfaction of giving a home to an animal in need and in turn your new family member will give you unconditional love.  We hope our adopters don’t think of the adoption fee as anything more than their contribution to paying it forward, and giving us the ability to help and save another dog.  If all you can see if the price tag and hassle, then maybe we’re just not a good fit. 

Here’s where the rubber meets the road.  If an applicant is not willing to go through our process, we’re sorry, there are plenty of other families out there willing to endure our scrutiny in order to save a life so we will move on.  We do understand that our adoption fee may be out of your budget, if that is the case, we would like to suggest that you go to a shelter and adopt a dog, the cost is less and you can still be part of a homeless pet solution – and we applaud that!  

Abby celebrating her birthday at HOME

We have our policies because we know they help us place our dogs into wonderful homes with good hearted people who understand the breed they’re adopting and are well educated on what it takes to be a responsible pet parent.  We also have our policies in place because we know we owe it to dogs that are not yet homeless and puppies that haven't been born yet to still be operational when they are discarded and need our help. We have to be responsible to the dogs first.  That is our mission and the basis of our organization.  

We have been told that adopting from us is about as hard as buying a car or as rigorous as adopting a child (that is absolutely not true).  As a response – I will proudly say “yes!”  This dog will potentially be a member of your family.  If you can't see the importance of that, then perhaps we both need to move on and go our separate ways.   

Our job is to advocate and protect the dogs that are in our care, not make it easy for you to make a snap decision to get a dog.  Once you open yourself up to our process, we hope to welcome you with open arms into our rescue family and call you friend.  But we need to KNOW you first, we already know and love the dogs. 

Keep on keeping on.....

Can I go on?

speaking to kids at the Council Bluffs Library

It seems as if I’m always tired, my muscles and joints ache more and more, I walk up the stairs like a woman older than my age.  There was a time when I felt younger than my 46 years, now I feel older.  I could have had some work done to hide my tired eyes with the money I’ve spent on dogs that are not my own in this last year.  

The time I spend on e-mails about huskies in need consumes what used to be my free time; I’m tethered to my phone night and day.  On a rare day when I start the day with no pleas about a dog that is out of time, I can rest assured that it won’t last through the day. 

I’ve neglected my family and friends.  I can’t remember the last book I read and I no longer have the Cornhusker football team roster memorized.  I used to live for finding tickets and going to the games on football Saturdays, but now those Saturdays are filled with dog events, meetings and other rescue work. 

I’ve spent days reaching out to help a husky, trying to secure a transport or a foster home only to run out of time and to learn that he had been euthanized in order to make room for the next lost soul. 

Hope was given a couple hours to find a rescue.

I walk away from my desk to steal a shoulder massage and sympathetic ear from my very understanding husband.  I let the dogs out and come back to find another husky in desperate need.  There are times I really dread checking my e-mail and voice mail.  How will I find the money?  Where will I find another foster home to save yet another dog? 

I save one dog and two more take its place.  There’s always an owner who is overwhelmed by the antics or the energy, there’s always one who escapes, requires too much attention and exercise, the puppy that somehow became a dog and got too big, the husky who chases a cat.  I’m moving and chose to move in to an apartment where I can’t have a dog (even though other options exist).  

one of the shelter dogs we couldn't help

My inbox fills with picture after picture of sad tormented faces that plead to me.  I see them in my sleep; their sad eyes fill my dreams. 

Pet stores don’t want to hear about these dogs.  They either don’t realize or just don’t care that 13,699 are dying in shelters every day, they don’t realize or they don’t care how many behavior problems exist within the breeding stock that they continue to perpetuate. 

Jackie with Badger, Blue Taysia and Jambalaya

And yet, my dog Jambalaya curls up next to me on the sofa, Blue snuggles with me in bed, Badger nudges me wanting to be brushed and Taysia dances for me and makes me giggle.  They comfort me; they make me smile and laugh every day.

The thought of others suffering moves me, tugs at my heart.  I owe it to them; they are counting on me to make things better. 

And then I get another e-mail, this time from a volunteer offering to foster or suggesting a fund raising event that they will manage!  And then I get another e-mail with pictures, this time of a happy dog in their new home, the e-mail tells me how they can’t imagine their life before they adopted their dog and are so grateful.  

Jackie & Mike working the Four Legged Food Drive

I am not alone in this.  I am so blessed with a husband who not only supports and encourages, but who also rolls up his sleeves and jumps right in with me.  I am blessed with volunteers who I can call friends, who offer support, encouragement as well as their homes, their hearts, their time, their mileage and their car.   

Taysia Blue volunteers at a birthday party

I am blessed with amazing friends who don’t always understand why I do what I do, but cheer me on and help support my cause.  

I am blessed with a mom who wants to be at events and to help in any way she can, I am blessed by my dad’s smile when I drop by to visit him in the nursing home with yet another foster dog.  I am blessed with fellow husky enthusiasts from all over the world who share their stories and advice, their wit and wisdom and urge me to keep going.  

Nikita smiling with her new 'dad'

I know we can’t save every husky in need, but we can save one at a time.  My efforts are a tiny ripple in a huge sea of amazing people and organizations.

Yes.  I get tired and overwhelmed, but I know I won’t quit – I can’t quit.  I know because Jambalaya, Blue, Badger and especially Taysia count on me and remind me that one has become almost 30 in a matter of months.  I can’t quit – there’s another 3 e-mails in my inbox and another voice mail on my phone. 

By Jackie Roach,

inspired by a poem written by Joan Fremo,  I Want to Quit

Pet Stores and Puppy Mills - The Truth

There it was...an email with a poignant question.  I love my dog, I bought her from Tully's and now people have told me Tully's is bad, they have made me feel for getting my sweet dog there.  Is Tully's bad?

How do I answer this?  Tulley's is a business  A business with owners and employees just trying to make a living, there is no ill intent, only the American dream.  Ten or twenty years ago, there wasn't a shroud of negativity around pet stores...but now with awareness, there is.  Tulley's sells puppies.  Lots of puppies.  There are a lot of stores that do, but probably none as big in Omaha as Tulley's.  

Let me start off by scolding the insensitive person that made this young woman feel like her dog was bad in some way.  For making her feel ashamed.  She loves her dog and would go to the ends of the earth for her dog.  All dogs should be so lucky.  Six years ago when I got my first husky, I may have done the same thing.  Had I known they had Siberian husky puppies, I would have gone to check them out, I may have been wooed by their cute faces, their beautiful eyes.  I wouldn't have been bad, just uneducated, unaware. 

Since starting Taysia Blue Siberian Husky Rescue, I have encountered many a store bought husky.  Some are the resident dog of an adoptive family, some are currently in our rescue looking for a second chance.  Those needing a second chance are because the owners were not adequately prepared for the antics and energy of a husky or due to behavior problems, presumably because of either a lack of socialization during a critical age or due to careless breeding, or due to leaving the litter mates or mom too soon. 

I am not going to preach to you that you shouldn't buy a puppy, I am going to simply attempt to educate anyone willing to learn so then an informed decision can be made.  Personally, if you want to buy a puppy, let me know and I will point you in the direction of a good breeder.  They do exist, just not on Craig's list or in the newspaper.    

A pet store owner will never tell you that their puppies come from puppy mills.  Most are bought through a broker that sells dogs that come from USDA licensed breeding kennels.  Some store owners will try to tell you that they know the breeders and will lead you to believe they have visited the facilities. 

Let's break this down into smaller chunks:

1.  Can a puppy mill be a USDA licensed breeding kennel?

2.  What do pet store owners know, really?....and how to probe effectively.

3.  Doesn't the puppy need saving anyway?

Can a puppy mill be a USDA licensed breeding kennel?

Both Hearts United for Animals and Best Friends Animal Society estimates that 90 to 98% of all pet store puppies come from puppy mills.  This is the proverbial pig with lipstick.  Puppy mills can and do have USDA licenses. 

There are roughly 5000 puppy mills in business in the US.  Some are small, others have as many as 1,000 dogs.  These mills produce about 500,000 puppies for sale each year while 5,000,000 are euthanized each year because they find themselves homeless. 

The USDA has just 120 inspectors to enforce the Animal Welfare Act.  That averages out to 2 or 3 per state.  These inspects are required to inspect 15,000 licensees which include breeders, brokers, stores, zoos, circuses, and research facilities.  Considering the math and geography, I'm not sure how that occurs. 

Puppy mills are essentially factory farms that thrive in Pennsylvania and in the Midwest, Kansas, Arkansas, Nebraska, and Missouri being the puppy mill capital. This is a livestock mentality that is attributed to dogs and breeding. 

To give you an idea of USDA requirements of space for an animal, a dog 40 inches long is required to live in a cage roughly the size of a bathtub.  Many facilities are filthy and females are bred every time they come into heat, over and over until their bodies give out.  Cages often have wire bottoms so the urine and feces has somewhere to go, the wire causes pain and discomfort for the dog's feet.  These dogs don't ever know what grass feels like, or what it's like to run or walk or play or bond.  When they can no longer breed, they are destroyed or sold at auctions.  Sure, fines for violations are handed out, but the facilities continue to operate, even after repeat offenses.  

What do pet store owners know, really?....and how to probe effectively.

Pet stores vary from small independent boutiques to large franchised stores, most will claim they don’t get their puppies from puppy mills.  The truth is that most get their puppies from brokers who are distributors licensed by the USDA to buy and sell puppies at wholesale.  The brokers buy their puppies from mostly USDA licensed breeders.  Now it's a matter of interpretation.  Some people can sleep at night believing that a USDA licensed breeder or kennel is not a puppy mill.  I have heard first hand pet stores claim that they visit and know the breeders personally.  I believe in the goodness of humanity, and I also believe that if that were true, they would no longer be in the business of selling puppies.  

Here are some things to probe with the store employee that can help you make a more informed decision:

1.   How many dogs did the breeder of this puppy have?

2.  Can I have a copy of their USDA inspection?

3.  Did the puppy’s parents live in the house or in a kennel?

4.  Can you give me the breeder’s phone number so that I can call them?

I highly doubt you’d get completely straight answers to these questions.

Pet stores typically have a health guarantee, how about probing further as there are many things to watch out for before you buy a puppy from a store.

1.   Will the guarantee cover ALL medical expenses regardless of the cost? 

2.  Will the pet store only let you use their vet? And if so, what if you don’t feel that your puppy is being properly cared for, will they cover the cost of a vet of your choice?  If not, why?

3.  If your puppy dies from a disease such as parvo, will the pet store refund your purchase price or require you to get another puppy that might also be sick?

4.  If your puppy suffers from hip displaysia two years after you purchase, will they cover the cost of the surgery?  Will they refund  you the price of the puppy or will they require you to bring the 2 year old dog back to them for a new puppy? 

Read the guarantee very carefully, you will likely find that your choices should your puppy become ill, are not an option for you and your family. 

 

Doesn't the puppy in the store need saving anyway?

It is so sad to see puppies in the pet store cages, I am flooded by emotions when I see those roly poly husky puppies behind the glass.  I have known people who have bought a dog from a pet store in order to "rescue" him, and I get it... I understand this feeling.  These are good intentions, but by financially supporting pet stores with puppy sales, this kind of rescue adds to the problem. 

Puppies are nothing but inventory to these stores, a source of revenue just like Wal Mart.  If there’s an out of stock, they will order another to replace it.  The sad reality is the millions of dogs and puppies who are still in the mills, living in a small cage for their entire life.  They only way puppy mills will go out of business is if we stop buying from puppy stores. 

Just like products that don’t sell at Wal Mart, pet stores have inventory that doesn’t move too.  The store will clearance the dog and mark down the price as it grows larger and larger and has no opportunity to learn how to bond.  We have seen examples in Taysia Blue Siberian Husky Rescue of just this situation and we spend much needed resources working to rehabilitate dogs because of this. 

Don’t take my word on puppy mills, but please do your research before you choose to shop instead of adopt.  There is a wealth of resources available, please read more about the Best Friend's Animal Society's Puppies aren't Products campaign. 

Will I be able to say "good bye"?

Just before Thanksgiving, a call came in from our local animal shelter asking if we could take a blind husky. They thought the blindness might be due to a head trauma because of a small scar above her missing eye. From my research, this would have been the better cause. The other cause to be concerned about was glaucoma...which can be painful and expensive to treat.  

We went to meet this sweet dog and fell in love. She was so scared - walked with her tail between her legs and laid down on the floor rubbing her one eye that was left.  We agreed to take her into rescue.  Almost immediately, she perked up.  The shelter environment was so stressful for her.  We took her to a specialist and discovered Abby had been a former patient!  At last we had her medical history!  The bad news was that Abby was blind due to glaucoma.  Tests were done and confirmed that Abby had no vision in her remaining eye.   The doctor confirmed that she was in constant pain and discomfort, sort of like you and me having a migraine.  We had no other choice than to have that eye removed also. With less than $100 in the rescue account, we began a fund raising effort.  We posted the need for Abby's surgery, we started looking in to our personal accounts and calculating our pay days, and we elected to do a raffle on some donated jewelry - just in time for Christmas... and we hoped for the best.

I couldn't believe the generosity - people, friends and strangers, from all over the country opened their hearts and wallets to help. We raised $800 in just a matter of a week or 2! We applied for 2 grants to cover the balance and both came through. Abby had her eye removed the week before Christmas.

We thought we had found a home for her, who would have thought a blind dog could find and catch a cat? The family, after just 24 hours with her, and a traumatized cat was in tears when they told me they couldn't keep her.  That was mid December.  We have received no other inquiries since then.
We talk everyday that if only someone would give her a chance or at least want to meet her, they'd see that she's a regular dog who can run and play and climb stairs and get around wonderfully.  She wants to be thought of as a dog.  Not a dog with a handicap.  Nonetheless, she isn't for everyone and the days turned in to weeks.

Abby has been living us for about a month now. My house is probably too small for my pack plus the 2 fosters, but I have grown content with the thought that maybe Abby was with us permanently. Maybe no one would want to adopt a blind dog.

Abby is my first smile every morning. Her whole face lights up when you call her name, her entire body wags and wiggles when she comes to you. Everyone who meets Abby, falls in love.

We have found that doing eBay auctions is a nice cash stream for the rescue. We had some antique skeleton keys we put up about a week ago. A man in Kansas bought them. He was curious about the organization that he had just supported and found Abby. It just so happened, he used to have a blind Siberian. He currently has one of the Beruit dogs rescued by Best Friends in Utah. And he wants to meet Abby.

I always hoped Abby would, if she were adopted at all, be a local adoption. If all works out, Abby would be living in Kansas. I would have to say good bye. I will, of course, Abby needs a forever home, she deserves it. It would mean another dog could be saved. It's the right thing to do. I know all this. This is why I started TBSHR. But I think my heart may break just a bit.  I love you little Abigale.

One Life at a Time

I knew when I decided to start Taysia Blue Siberian Husky Rescue that there would be a lot of ups and down and I knew, without a doubt that there would be a lot I didn't know... I had no idea in a few short months how much of an education I would receive.

It seemed like it took forever getting all the ducks lined up - forming the corporation, drafting by-laws, and applying for 501(c)3 status took months and a thousand dollars, then came the insurance, the state license - everyone had their hand out, or so it seemed.

Mike and I started a Siberian husky play group - from there, we were able to meet and network with other people who love the breed and our volunteer base was established.  What fun this has been to have play dates and organized walks and hikes with our wonderful furry friends and we have truly met some wonderful and amazing people through this group.  Some volunteer with the rescue, some have become fosters and some we simply look forward to sharing the latest antics of the huskies that we love.

Once October hit, it seems like everything started to fall in to place.  My dogs were certainly enjoying the cooler weather, the 501(c)3 was official and we had finally raised enough money to pay for our insurance.  Without a day to spare, there it was, our first official request to take a dog, our first decision to say 'yes' and we were official!  We had our first dog in rescue - Maddie was up for adoption!  Another few weeks went by and another dog, Georgia, came our way.  Then Kaisha, then Abby, then Dakota and Nikita.

Now there are days when I dread looking at my e-mail because these days, I have to say 'no' more than I can say 'yes'.  Sometimes I have to say yes to the easy dogs when I really want to help the cases where there is a greater need.  We don't have enough foster families, no rescue group does, I'm sure.  I remember one day in particular, just a few weeks ago.  I received requests to help 7 dogs.  In a span of 5 short hours, I saw their pictures, read their stories and just went home and cried.  I could help one.  Only one.  One out of seven.  Friends will tell you that you can't save them all, but you can save one at a time.  And I KNOW that and tell myself that all the time, but still.... one out of seven.

Then, there are days when I go home to my sweet foster dog, Abby who is blind.  She literally smiles and wags her whole body when I say her name, she bumper cars her way to greet me and I say a silent promise to find her only the best home.  I have days when I'm greeted with soft kisses on my hand from shy Kaisha who makes progress everyday.  They are small baby steps of progress, but she's getting better one day at a time.  I smile as I realize that it will be months before she will even be ready to be adopted and I smile when I count my pack of 4 plus 2 fosters because I know they are safe, healthy and their lives more enriched than before.

And there are days when I jump for joy, when I receive adoption requests from great families with fabulous references and I know this is why I wanted to start a rescue.

My wishlist is long... money to continue giving shelter and care, maybe one day a facility to shelter when fosters can't be found, a wait list of foster volunteers.... not only is this list long, it's probably unrealistic, but it's my wish and dream nonetheless.

I suppose I won't feel like I've made an impact until the requests cease and we, as a nation, stop killing almost 14,000 pets each day just because they are homeless and unwanted.  I will keep doing what I'm doing until pet stores alter their business model to accommodate adoptions which in turn would put out of business the filthy, crowded, awful puppy mill operations who don't respect lives of their inventory.

For now, Maddie, Georgia, Abby, Kaisha, Dakota, Nikita and Serendipity are safe, happy and healthy.  One life at a time and right now, those lives mean the world to me!