Well, we had to let yet another senior dog go.  We pulled her and her daughter from a shelter in North Carolina.  Several dogs were dumped there by their owner, they could no longer hunt and "were not worth feeding".  Thank goodness the owner did this.  The mother, Rose, was in horrible shape, mammary tumors, serious organ issues and of course little or no teeth.  The male that was brought in was in good shape and rescued quickly, the females, Rose and daughter Violet were not.  They we brought to us by some very kind people and were taken to the wonderful people at the Virginia Beach SPCA clinic.  The mother was in such bad shape we could only offer her a few days of love, good food and time in the sun.  The daughter, Violet, is heart worm positive and has serious dental issues, but we can take care of that.  We are happy to give what we can to the ones we can't save and grateful that they leave peacefully and surrounded by people that truly care.  Of course none of this could be possible without the kindness and generosity of fellow animal lovers.  The people that make donations so rescues can save the animals, are an amazing group of people, each person has their own reason for wanting to help, and all of their donations, no matter the amount, help save so many animals.  Foster parents are the backbone of many rescues, like ours.  They give of their time and love to help these dogs, from unknown circumstances, live in a home environment and learn what it means to be a valued member of the family.  We at Bay Beagle Rescue are humbled that these groups of people believe in our cause.

Today is one of those days in a rescue that you know are inevitable, but you don't want to think about.  We were contacted about a little senior beagle in a shelter.  She had huge tumors, almost as large as she is, and was probably going to be put down when her hold time was up.  She and another beagle were found on the side of the road.  We named her April and Myra took her home.  We contacted Andersons Corner Animal Hospital, and they agreed to operate on her.  They also offered to board her until the surgery.  I took her up there and the surgeon examined her.  During the exam of her many and very large tumors, he noticed her cough.  She was taken in the back for Xrays, there was an area Doc Rob was concerned about so he sent her Xrays to a radiologist.  Today Doc Rob called with sad news.  Little April has nodules on her lungs in addition to the huge tumors she has literally been dragging around.  If she had surgery and survived the surgery, she would have little quality of life. So the hard decision was made to let her go.  BUT she was surrounded by kind, caring and compassionate people that will feel the sting of her passing.  I have to wonder why whoever had her did not turn her in before her tumors grew so big.  To be dumped on the side of the road like a bag of garbage because she has health issues is something I can't understand.  I do understand that sometimes people can't help their animals with health issues because of financial reasons, but taking them to be humanely euthanized is a far better option that April's fate. I am always surprised at how emotional I get when an animal I have barely known has to be let go.

Rescuing special needs and senior dogs is not about finding them a home, but rather finding them the perfect home.  Sometimes it ends up being the foster that has the perfect home.  Ruby is an example of this. Ruby is a little senior girl that was at the Chesapeake Animal Shelter, turned in by her owner because she barked.  Myra took her in and it was found that she had massive dental issues and many mammary tumors.  After many visits to the vet, she was finally cleared for surgery.  Ruby had all her tumors removed and needed twenty teeth removed.  Ruby will spend the rest of her life with Myra, a tiny little backyard dog has been rescued and will live the rest of her life being loved and cherished, as all dogs should be.
Sometimes we are able to find the perfect home for a special needs dog.  Myra was called by the VB SPCA about a young beagle that was picked up.  She didn't walk right, but bunny hopped instead.  Myra took her to Doc Murphie and he thought she could be helped, but because she was young, surgery would have to wait.  After recovering from a bout with kennel cough, I brought her to my home last July.  Doc has a friend that is a premiere orthopedic pet surgeon and when he came down to work with Doc, I took Murphie up to Doc's so they could both look at her. At the initial visit it was determined that her growth plates were not complete and we would wait.  Murphie's injuries are extensive, one hip bone is out of the socket and the other hip bone had been broken and healed crooked.  Despite all this,  Murphie runs and plays with the other dogs in my house.  To see her play, you would never know she had such injuries.  During this time a woman, Suzanne, had seen Murphie on Petfinder and fell in love.  Suzanne lives in Northern Virginia and has traveled many times here to Va Beach to see Murphie.  Recently I took Murphie back to Doc's for another consult, and he and his friend determined that because of her injuries and the way her bones had healed, anything they might do could cause more harm than good, possibly even taking away her mobility.  Suzanne drove down to see Murphie and to speak with the both doctor's about Murphie.  Suzanne is an orthopedic nurse, who understands the things the vets had to say better than any of us.  She knows more than anyone the issues Murphie has and will have, and yet she still wants her.  It still brings tears to my eyes thinking about all that Murphie has endured but knowing that the perfect person loves her and will care for her the rest of her life.  These are the kinds of endings that drive those of us in rescues to continue to work so hard to save these discarded animals.

Everyone is complaining about Punxsutawney Phil giving the wrong prediction about spring because it did not come early.  Yesterday we received our own sign of spring.  Everyone knows that tulips are a symbol of spring and we were fortunate to get our own Tulip.  Someone posted on our Facebook page about a little beagle mix in Baltimore in need of a rescue.  She has a really bad eye that needs to be removed.  Dogs like this little Tulip are the reason for our rescue.  I contacted the shelter that had her, Myra sent our paperwork and we were approved to pull her.  In the mean time Shannon made a Vet appointment for her for today.  Sandy, the lady that posted her, offered to meet me halfway.  Her and her husband pulled Tulip from the shelter and met me halfway between Baltimore and Norfolk.  I can not tell you what a privilege it was to meet these two.  The weather was cold, rainy and there was snow mixed in, but they thought nothing of driving three hours to bring Tulip to me so she could be safe and get the medical attention she so badly needs.  They had bought Tulip a collar, leash, toys and a bag of food.  People like them give me such hope for us as human beings.  On top of all this they gave me a generous donation for Tulips medical bills.  They told me that last year they had lost their beloved dog, what a wonderful and touching way to honor his memory and the love they obviously have for him.  Now that Tulip is with Bay Beagle Rescue, she will get all that she needs to be healthy and comfortable and hopefully one day find her perfect forever home.  
We are all happy to have our own sign of spring, tiny Tulip.

Fostering a rescued animal is an awesome experience.  You are able to discover their personality and help them learn the rules and benefits of being a family pet.  Often the animals you bring into your home have never known human love and affection.  Many have been abused in some way or another, some were family pets given up for one reason or another and have been lonely and scared in the shelter. Having rescued many beagles, I am still amazed at how quickly the dogs I have brought into my home have overcome their past and learned to trust my family, my other pets and enjoy the moment. There is a popular pet trainer on TV that says dogs live in the moment, and I have to agree with him.  There is a potential pitfall to fostering, you could become what we call a " foster failure".  I am happy to say that I have become that many times, sometimes the bond you form with certain pets becomes too strong to break and they become your beloved pet.  I am always happy when the pets I have fostered find wonderful loving homes, and it is a wonderful feeling to know that you were a part of that.

Technology is constantly evolving and this presents us with the opportunity to know what is happening all over the world instantaneously. To me this is both good and bad.  It seems that we are becoming hardened to the flood of crime and violence that is presented to us on a daily basis.   Things that would have horrified us only a few years ago, are becoming just everyday news.  Personally,  I seek out the stories about the good things in this world, people that overcome difficulties to achieve their dreams.  Those stories of the kindness and generosity of strangers. Being involved in a rescue affords us the opportunity to witness some of these things firsthand.  The volunteers that run our group give of their personal time and money without a second thought.  We see  complete strangers wishing us well on Facebook, going to our website and reading about our dogs and sending donations, their hard earned money, to help us help these dogs.  I am certain some people have a favorite rescued dog, and while they are unable to foster or adopt they take the time to send a donation so we can continue our work. We even have people from other areas of the country offering their skills to help us promote our cause.  All of this gives me hope that the innate kindness I firmly believe in, is alive and well.

Just as life has it's ups and downs, so does a rescue.  Recently we were able to pull an older beagle girl from the shelter.  She had been turned in by her owner, who apparently kept her in the yard her entire life.  The excuse was that she had started barking.  Ruby, AKA Speck, is a tiny beagle girl, never spayed, probably bred several times and left alone in someones backyard her whole life.  Her immediate apparent needs were food, a bath and dental attention.  Myra took her home, bathed her, fed her soft food and put her in a warm bed.  She wakes up in the middle of the night crying and Myra picks her up and comforts her.  Holding her is a wonderful experience, she is quiet in your arms and although we really have no way of knowing, you can feel that she appreciates your warmth and kindness.  Ruby went to the vet today and we were told that she is 13 or 14 and aside from her severe dental issues, she has bordatella and several mammary tumors that should be removed and biopsied.  The vet said that she is a hospice rescue.  We will make sure she gets all the medical attention she needs to be comfortable and she will live a safe and happy life with Myra.  We will be there for her, whatever she may need.
Although we started our rescue to help dogs like Ruby, we are always heartbroken when we find that all that we want for them is not possible.  But we have accomplished something, Ruby will not die alone in a shelter.