Volunteers, Progress and Rescues   

by Jane Dewar, Sunday 21 October 2001

The next Volunteer Day is Saturday November 3, 2001.  We’re going to try to have at least one or two volunteer days a month – one weekday and one weekend day, so that everyone who has indicated they’d like to help, will be able to join us.  Rain or shine, there’s always plenty of work to do!

Meanwhile, Silverback Villa continues to get details added, like the squeeze cage with its weigh-scale, doors, windows frames, etc (photo left).  The barrier is being constructed – metal sheeting at the top of the outside of the villa cages (photo right), to prevent a gorilla from climbing to the top, and soon the roofing of the outside cages will begin construction.  We’re going for AZA (American Zoo and Aquarium) accreditation, which will require more delays as we re-work our veterinarian clinic to include not only a surgical room, but also necropsy facilities.  We had previously thought we’d use facilities of other zoos for necropsies, but new, upgraded AZA regulations will require us to have even more state-of-the-art facilities than we initially thought we’d have.  Of course, I had set down a firm and fast rule that no gorillas could die while at GH, but it’s been pointed out to me that that is not my call to make – harrumph!   We’re still hoping the Spring of 2002 we’ll be ready for our first gorilla resident/s …

Friday morning September 28^th I went to let out all the dogs and noticed our collie mix, Juliet, had trouble standing.  She’d lost a lot of weight in recent months and her behavior had drastically changed, so a couple weeks earlier we’d brought her to the vet, who suspected several ailments, from cancer to liver failure.  I woke up Steuart to have him help me as we rushed Juliet back to the vet’s, fearing the worst.  It was her kennel-mate, Ginger’s, annual vet visit date, so we brought her with us, hoping she’d provide comfort to a very-stressed and very ill Juliet.  Even the doctors agreed Juliet’s bloodwork and physical shape were in such bad condition that she was definitely dying and in great distress.  So we had a vet tech take Ginger out of the room, so she didn’t have to witness what was about to happen, and I sat on the floor as Steuart sat in a chair near by and held Juliet, as we had her euthanized.  We both cried, but also both knew she was going to finally be at peace and out of her pain. Juliet is shown left/right in spring of 2001 just before/after her spring "coif", or summer haircut to help her deal with the heat.

Juliet was part of the original Humane Society rescue of May 1997, and her death leaves Soakie as the only remaining dog still with us from that rescue.  She and Romeo (who was stolen by hunters in the fall of 1997) were Steuart’s choices, and Kari and Soakie (the poodle mixes) were mine.  Juliet had been severely abused before we got her – her jaw had been broken and she fear-snapped at people – especially kids – although she never actually bit anyone.  Her “job” at GH was to guard my car and follow it everywhere, on tours around the facility, including running behind the car on Tebe’s Trail (over a mile plus!), huffing and puffing and foaming with excitement, but determined to keep up with her “home”, my car.  Earlier in the week I noticed she stopped chasing my car when I left and I knew something was wrong, but the antibiotics we’d given her seemed to be working, and we were hopeful she’d pull through.  But Kari - our "love sponge"- must have been calling her home.  They are now buried side by side in our Critter Cemetery.

As we were waiting with Ginger for Juliet’s body to be prepared for burial at GH, the reception staff was tending to a 2 week old kitten who’d just been brought in, dehydrated and the only survivor of a litter apparently tossed in a ditch by the road.  She was screaming her tiny head off and the staff jokingly asked if I’d take her home … I still had 17 cats and 8 dogs, so this was definitely a joke … so I thought.  I looked at the tiny bundle of fur and her coloring and coat were virtually identical to Juliet’s.  I’d just turned down 4 kittens someone wanted homes for a few days earlier, since we were at capacity already.  But when they said the kitten was a girl, I instinctively knew Juliet’s soul, en route to heaven, was telling me to take this one, even though at such a young age and in such bad shape, it wasn’t clear it was an “intelligent” thing to do.  I called Steuart back in, who was walking Ginger outside, and he agreed, the similarity of this tiny kitten and Juliet were remarkable.

                                  
"I fit in the shoe here!"   

Oops! - getting a bit tight now -

So JULICAT came home with us and I haven’t had a full night’s rest since, as she gets bigger and more confident and playful with each passing day.  She couldn’t walk when we brought her home Friday 28 September and now she’s running in spurts and  learning how to climb out of the laundry basket I keep her in at night, warmed by a hot pad and blankets, etc.  She needs feeding each 3 to 5 hours and has a healthy appetite and has more than doubled in size in the 3 weeks we’ve had her (middle top photo is Sep 29th,and the middle bottom photo was taken Oct 25th.)  Since no one knows for sure when she was born, we’re calling her birthday September 11, 2001 – that way that day will have some positive meaning to us, as we watch the miracle of her survival and growth in the days, months and years ahead.  Photo on the top left shows Julicat and Belle getting acquainted; photo on top right shows Julicat receiving her first email from a friend, welcoming her to our family.

The day after Juliet died and we brought home Julicat, we were worried about Ginger living by herself in the kennel, so I went looking for an older dog to share the kennel at night with Ginger (the 5 other outdoor dogs live in kennels in the play yard near the cabin, which is at capacity).  There’s no local Humane Society in Fannin County at this time, but it was Saturday, which is when Gateway Pet Rescue displays cats and dogs up for adoption at the local shopping center.  While looking there, they mentioned I check out Fannin County Animal Control, and that’s where I found ROSEMARY.  My specifications for another dog were quite basic:  They had to get along with other dogs, live outside,  and tolerate and not hassle cats.  I wanted an older dog, since Ginger is 9 years old and she wouldn’t want a playful puppy to supervise, but Rosemary, at 1 ½ years, was perfect.  The plan had been for me to scope things out first, then bring Ginger and Steuart for inspection before taking home any dog, but once again my “gut” (for which I’m famous!) told me this was the dog and I called Steuart announcing I found a dog for Ginger.  I brought her home and she was instantly a part of the pack … no barking or aggression from anyone, and she clearly thought she’d died and gone to heaven, seeing all the toys to chase, the large yard and lake to run around and plenty of food and treats to enjoy.

Monday we had her spayed and Wednesday, the Animal Control officer visited GH to see our progress and recognized Rosie as “Lady” – the name she was called at the shelter, where she’d been since early August.  We found out then, that Rosie was on the list of animals to be put down that Monday, and thus once again serendipity had been on our/her side and she had a new chance at life.  Rosie barks at night, but we think she’ll stop once she gets used to the routine of life at GH.  She’s very bright and responsive, sticking close to the cabin and alerting us to strangers with barks, but quieting down as soon as we tell her “it’s ok.”  The perfect dog and everyone, cat and dog alike, adore her as much as we do.

Photo left shows Rosemary resting near Benny, about 15 minutes after arriving at her new home.  Middle photo shows Rosie meeting baby Julicat. Photo right is Rosemary greeting Ginger, her new room-mate.