___________________________________________________________________________
 

HOW FAR ARE WE WILLING TO GO FOR AN ADOPTION? 

(or How Miss Barbie Found her "Furever" Home)

Michael found two of the cutest puppies on the SouthEast Beagle Rescue website and decided to fill out an Adoption Survey with haste.  He spotted Ms. Barbie and Mr. Kissy Face on SEBR's front page and he felt he just had to meet them.  One little "not so insurmountable problem" did come up.  Michael lives in the Miami area and Miss Barbie and Mr. Kissy were being fostered in Tampa.  So on a rainy, windy Tuesday afternoon, I set out to meet Jack and Sue in the parking lot of Winn-Dixie in the Seffner area, to pick up Miss Barbie and Mr. Kissy Face, who climbed in for the long ride to Naples.  Michael agreed to meet me about half way between Miami and Tampa.  We were scheduled to meet at the Cracker Barrel at 4 o'clock.

I was expecting a long ride with a lot of howling and perhaps even a stop or two to clean up a few "accidents" on the way. But Miss Barbie and Mr. Kissy Face were taught very well by their foster moms ... I did not hear a peep, nor did any unpleasant smells waft from the back seat! The only obstacles for me were the many drivers with out-of-state license plates driving in the left lane at a leisurely 60 miles per hour. The pups weren't growling, but I was!

When the dogs and I reached our destination, we were all more than ready to stretch our canine and human legs alike. We raced for a nice patch of grass and waited anxiously for Michael.  When Michael met the pups, he did not know which one to choose.  As soon as I saw him with Miss Barbie, I knew she was the girl for him. They seemed to find an instant bond. (But I kept quiet and tried very hard not to influence the outcome of the trip!)  Well, decision time came and Miss Barbie hopped into the car with Michael to her "furever" home. And I hit the road to Tampa so Jack could drive Mr. Kissy Face back to his foster mom.  It was a very fulfilling day!

And now back to the original question ... How far are we willing to go for an adoption?

(Drum roll please) About 352 miles round trip!

________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

EASTER CANDY SAFETY FOR YOUR DOGS 

Candy may be more prevalent in your household during holidays such as Easter. So if you have pets, it is important to keep candy out of their reach. Easter is an extra special time to be cautious as you may have hidden candy around your house for the kids to find. You wouldn't want your dog to find any by accident.

While candy, for the most part, may be harmless to your pet, too much could cause upset stomach, vomiting, and/or diarrhea. Even little bits of candy given over a long period of time could lead to obesity or even Type II Diabetes - Yes, dogs can get diabetes too.

Not only is candy bad for a dog's health, certain candy such as chocolate could be deadly. Dark chocolate is even more potentially harmful than milk chocolate. But if your dog ingests any form of chocolate, it is best to consult your vet immediately for proper treatment.

Eating candy wrappers or basket grass could also be harmful to your pet. Such things could cause intestinal blockage in your dog's intestines, which in turn could lead to death.

Be careful of your dog eating hard boiled eggs as well. While the eggs and the egg shells may be relatively harmless, there is a danger of choking. This applies to the plastic eggs with hidden goodies as well. If your dog happens to eat a hard boiled egg with its shell without choking on it, he is probably okay. But it wouldn't hurt to contact your vet just to make sure. However, if your dog eats a plastic egg without choking, get your dog to the vet immediately as an object of this size is very likely to cause blockage in your dog's intestinal tract.

To keep your dog from getting into any candy or other Easter stuff, keep it out of your dog's reach or in cupboards which have child safety latches. If you hide candy and other Easter stuff for your children, keep the dog in their crate, in another room, or outside during these activities (or inside if the Easter hunt for the kids is outside). Make a list of how many and where you hid each item so that you can be sure all are found before you allow your dog back into that area.

To have fun with your dog as well as with your children during Easter, hide dog biscuits. But keep your dog's event separate from your children's. Your children will have just as much fun helping your dog find their treats as they did finding their own eggs and candy.

And the final Easter candy safety advise we have is that you keep your dog at home when you go to an Easter event. Candy and other Easter stuff will be everywhere and your dog may find something a child missed. Or someone who doesn't know the dangers of chocolate to dogs may accidentally give your dog a deadly treat.

Easter is supposed to be a special event for your family. Practice these safety tips and everyone, including your dog, will have a good, safe, and happy holiday.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

SEBR VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH

Sylvia

Banks, Sylvia, Taffy

 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
 

SEBR BEAGLE OF THE MONTH

Shelby

ABANDONED - REJECTED - DISCARDED - SAVED   

It is always sad when we learn of an owner who abandons their dog, but some stories are much sadder than others. 

I first met Shelby about a year ago while I was volunteering for another rescue group and we were contacted by her owner because Shelby was suddenly not able to walk and was in extreme pain.  The owner said she had Shelby since she was a pup and that she did not know what she would ever do without her.  Shelby was diagnosed with a ruptured disc.  The owner said she could not afford the surgery so the rescue agreed to pay for the surgery with the understanding the owner would provide the follow up care,  required rehabilitation and, when possible, repay the rescue the cost of the surgery.  The neurosurgeon advised us that the rupture was in a difficult location.  If the focus of the surgery was to relieve Shelby's extreme pain then it was a great success.  However, the hope that Shelby would fully recover would not be realized.  It seems that Shelby's rear legs were still a little weak and she had times when she was incontinent.  The neurosurgeon was confident that with a regimen of exercise, therapy and training Shelby could recover to 80% of her former self. 

I was devastated when, last month, we found that the owner had abandoned Shelby to a rescue organization in the Tampa area, telling them she was moving out of state and could not take Shelby with her.   After they took her in, the rescue found that Shelby was incontinent and had limited mobility.   Their vet advised them that Shelby had neurological problems and would never improve in her mobility and would always be incontinent.   The rescue decided that they had made a mistake in accepting Shelby and contacted the rescue group that had arranged for and paid for her surgery.  But that group rejected Shelby and said they had no interest in becoming involved with her.  They gave them SEBR's email.

The day after we were contacted, I visited that chubby little bright eyed Beagle girl at her foster home.  Of course, when she saw me she became very excited and just peed on the floor.  I told the other rescue group I would like to take Shelby to be examined by the neurosurgeon that performed her surgery and, on the appointed day, met them to pick her up.  Standing in that parking lot they asked me why I was bothering to take Shelby to the surgeon since she would never improve, was not adoptable and the best for Shelby may be to euthanize her.  I remember thinking to myself "they want to kill her because she pees too much?".  But I said nothing and Shelby and I just drove away in disbelief that they were not even willing to try to help Shelby.  The neurosurgeon found her recovery acceptable and believed there was a good chance she could improve with some home therapy and prescribed some medication to help strengthen her bladder muscles.   On the drive back I phoned the other rescue group and told them that I would not be retuning Shelby to them.  They did not object.

Over the past few weeks we have discovered that Shelby's mobility has improved dramatically since she was removed from that extremely stressful environment.  She is able to climb some steps, walk up a ramp and, with just a little difficulty, maneuver herself through the doggie door.   Shelby is far from "incontinent".  She is able to urinate on her own.  She does however, still have some accidents, especially when she first awakes and is trying to get to the door.  This problem had originally been managed by placing a pee pad right outside her crate but lately we have been successful by keeping her in a diaper overnight while crated and until she can get outside in the morning.   We are hoping with the medication and additional training her "accident rate" will continue to decrease.

Shelby is living in a foster home with several other larger dogs and has had no problem with the other members of the pack.  She enjoys spending lots of time outside with her Beagle nose to the ground or chasing squirrels, lizards and butterflies.  But Now what?  How do we find someone with a heart as big as Shelby's smile to adopt her and continue to work with Shelby to improve on her limitations just a little bit every day? 

Shelby requires a stable and loving environment where her rehabilitation can continue, where she can feel safe and where she will never have to worry again about being discarded like an old piece of jewelry.  Yes she will require some special care but you will receive in return the unconditional love of a happy Beagle.  This sweet little Beagle girl has already been abandoned, has already been rejected, has already been discarded, has been saved and it is now her turn to be loved!

If you are interested in learning more about adopting Shelby, speaking to the Neurosurgeon or speaking to me, just phone , toll free, 1-855-4ABEAGLE (422-3245) or email us at saveabeagle@sebr.org.  And yes, I will deliver!!

Shelby needs YOU!

 
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 

HAVE A HEART AND PREVENT HEARTWORM DISEASE IN YOUR PET

 The Florida Mosquito Control Association has warned that we should expect one of the worst mosquito seasons in many years in 2011, here in the Sunshine State.  Normally the season begins in May, but this year the pesky mosquitoes have already arrived due to  all the heavy rains we have had.  While mosquitoes can be very annoying to humans, they can be deadly to our pets.  The deadly heartworm disease is spread only by mosquitoes.  So one of the most important things you can do for your canine friend is to protect them NOW from the mosquito bite that could be deadly.  Most of us already know the importance of protecting our dogs from heartworm disease.  But there are still some folks out there that find every excuse in the book to avoid the subject.  Have you heard any of these?

UPDATE ON SILLY SWEETIE

SEBR's First Featured Beagle of the Month 

All of Silly Sweetie's four puppies have now found their new forever homes and momma Sweetie continues to make progress getting use to living in her new world where she is safe and is loved. 

We actually put together this video for the group of transporters that saved them all and were able to move them from Georgia to Florida on very short notice.  In the video the first pup she meets is actually Mr. Waggy Tail, one of her male pups.

To see this wonderful video just click here. 

Please click below for articles on our past events...

GALLERY OF DOGS

Please visit our website to see all the available dogs looking for their "furever" homes.  Or click on a picture below for more information . 

Emily

Ava

Bouncer

Banks

Ally

Heidi

Ruger

Nicole

UPCOMING EVENTS 

 PLEASE JOIN US ON FACEBOOK 

To become a FAN of SouthEast Beagle Rescue please click on the Facebook Button:

____________________________________________________________________________________________ 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________ 

Mission Statement  

The South Beagle Rescue Inc.dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating and finding new loving homes for unwanted, abandoned and abused Beagles and Beagle mixed dogs.  We strive to reduce pet overpopulation by spaying/neutering our Beagles prior to adoption.  We shall also be a resource to the community for information on the Beagle breed.  We are an all volunteer and foster based not-for-profit organization.

 _____________________________________________________________________________________________