Dizz

No matter how long I'm involved with pet rescue, I'm always amazed at the cruelty of some people. This little girl was thrown from a moving car last week. A good Samaritan happened to see the incident and turned around to go back. When she got there, Dizz was still setting on the side of the road, with a bloody nose, waiting on the owner, (cruel as they were) to come back and get her.

The kind lady scooped her up and took her to the Cleveland Animal Hospital, the vet the ARK of Cleveland uses, and they called Bob Caylor, ARK President. Bob was able to find a foster care giver for Dizz, the 7lbs, 4 yr. old teacup chihuahua, and took her in after she was vetted and spayed.

Dizz is a sweet girl who needs lots of love and affection. She is docile and gets along with children and other dogs as well as cats. She's spayed and house broken. You can make her part of your family but dropping by the ARK of Cleveland and paying the $125 adoption fee for her.

Ocoee the lucky dog

Saturday, the ARK of Cleveland took possession of this wonderful dog. He had no collar and was exhausted from looking for help when ARK President, Bob Caylor, took him to Community Animal Hospital that evening. “He actually put his head in my lap and went to sleep on the way,” Caylor said.
Ocoee has been diagnosed with scabbies and is heart worm positive. He’ll be in quarantine for two weeks and on restricted movement for a month while he recovers.
This is a perfect example of what sets The ARK of Cleveland apart. “This animal would have been euthanized if he’d been taken to Animal Control or other local animal rescues. We are truly a no-kill shelter providing catastrophic care when necessary,” Caylor added.
Ocoee’s veterinarian bill will be over five hundred dollars. “This kind of bill is always unexpected and hard to plan for in addition to our usual overhead. We are totally donation driven,” Said Jeanne Hagar, ARK volunteer.
If you are interested in making a tax free donation toward Ocoee’s veterinarian bill, you are welcome to drop by the ARK at 2183 Ocoee Street or mail a check to: PO Box 1514 Cleveland, TN 37364.

Grieving the loss of a pet

Anyone who has lost a pet knows the emotional pain associated with it. So many times grieving pet owners are overlooked by others who may not understand that loss. If you find yourself dealing with the loss of a beloved pet, here are a few things that will help deal with your loss.

How to grieve:
*Pay attention to your feelings. Understand that you may deal with physical problems as well as emotional pain. Allow yourself to feel the pain of loss.
*Be creative. Write a poem, blog about your feelings, paint a picture.
*Get moving. Strap on those walking shoes or take up Yoga. Do something physical to get the endorphins stirred up.
*Spend time with others who have lost pets.

Create a Memorial:
*Create a memorial in your own home. Place pictures of your pet, favorite toys etc. anything that helps you pay remember your pet.
*Give a donation to the ARK of Cleveland or your local humane society.
*Create a poem or piece of art that expresses your love.
*Share stories and memories with friends and family.

When should you get a new pet?
Most experts agree that you need some time to grieve the one you've lost. Pets are not easily replaced.
Sometimes volunteering can help ease the pain and deal with the grief.

If you've lost a pet, we at the ARK of Cleveland understand that pain. We have volunteer opportunities available if you're ready. Please feel free to stop by the ARK and visit with our furry friends anytime.

Here's a link you may find helpful:
http://www.pet-loss.net/resources/TN.html

Georgia Brown finds a home

Our Sweet Georgia Brown was adopted today by some wonderful folks named Hugh & Nancy Keatley from Beckley, WV. They found her on The ARK of Cleveland's Petfinder.com page and called about her. After hearing that she was still available, they made the five hour trip to pick her up.

When asked if they were just "Labrador people" they laughed and said, "We're chocolate Lab people."

Thanks to the Keatley's for caring about Georgia Brown so much they made the long trip for her. I think they'll agree, she was worth the trip!

ARK Volunteer Jeanne Hagar

Jeanne has been a faithful volunteer for about five months now. She's an avid runner, who ran the San Fransico Marathon in 1997. She has a deep love for animals and the environment. Here's Jeanne holding Miss Kitty, one of her favorite cats at the ARK of Cleveland. Miss Kitty has had surgery on her foot to correct a birth defect. The foot unfortunately has not healed properly, but that doesn't stop her from playing and giving lots of love.

Why spay/neuter is so important

Here are some interesting facts I've picked up lately. According to, Rescued, Saving Animals from Disaster, by Allen and Linda Anderson, and un-spayed female cat can generate up to 420,000 descendants in 6 yrs. An un-spayed female dog can give birth to 67,000.

Those are startling stats!

An interesting tid-bit I saw in the informative magazine, Animal Wellness, (Aug./Sept 2008) warns about the dangers of not spaying young females before their first heat cycle. They have an increased risk of breast cancer. In dogs, the risk is almost zero if spayed before their first heat. It rises to about 25% for dogs spayed after the first heat.

You can read more about this in the above mentioned book and magazine.

Bridgett has found a home

It's always nice to report that an animal has found their forever home. Bridgett was picked up a few weeks ago by a lovely couple who drove 5 hours round trip to make her part of their family. She has a new beagle brother named, Buddy who adores her.

Thanks for making room in the family for a little girl who's had a really hard life until now.