I haven't read this post yet. I heeded the warning.

What happened to our happy go luck post on backyard birding? You take away a happy post and replace it with a teary post?

Birds flew off but more importantly- these stories of individuals and neighborhoods coming together to protect these dumped animals brings a tear to my eye in a good way :-)

Yesterday I received an email from Julie Nelson. She has become a sort of contact for people who see or know of stray or abandoned pets. Her business Coldwell Bankers Nelson Realty are the kind people who place the pictures of animals in the shelter or in rescue that need homes in the Daily Times.

"Someone told me there are 3 black lab puppies that have been dumped off and hang around the Kinzel Springs entrance gates (probably waiting for the jerk to come back). There was a mother dog but she disappeared a couple days ago. If anyone can do anything to help…. (the neighbor lady is putting out some food for them but she’s worried because it’s been so cold."

One of the people who I passed this information to, went out to check on the pups and possibly take them home (even though she has a housefull including a stray that came with a broken pelvis which she is still paying from fixing). This is what she found:

"OK, I drove down there and while walking around looking for the pups met several of the neighbors who filled me in on the situation....sounds like there's quite a communal effort going on to care for these dogs! One woman and her husband have put straw bales under a porch of a vacant vacation cabin outside the Kinzel Springs development, so they have a place to stay fairly warm....also they and several neighbors are feeding them. I asked them if they could borrow a large igloo doghouse or two that all pups (there are 2 pups that aren't black and aren't labs, and one adult lab mix who is apparently not the pups mother) could fit into and they said they're already working on it.

Not sure who contacted Julie about the dogs but it wasn't the woman I spoke to (Hazel)....I don't think the dogs are in any peril at this point....they seem quite healthy and are really cute and friendly and hopefully adoptable. (And, btw, several neighbors chipped in to have them spayed and vaccinated) I got Hazel's email address so I can get pics from her and pass them on to you and Rick....she's also interested in joining SMACF so I'll forward her all the necessary contact info. More on this later....need to feed hubby and my own pets!"

It really makes be so happy to see neighbors pulling together to help these lab puppies. (even if they aren't labs or all puppys).. It will take people like this to change Blount County and truly reduce the euthanization rate. Not like the person who set them out by the side of the road.

We have some people ready to take the dogs in for fostering, but with them being taken care of by these neighbors, I, for one, think they are better off where they are. This is community action at it's best. Let us be there if they need help. And perhaps some of us can help with the food cost and the spay and neuter cost.

I hope I can get some more information on the people taking care of them as well as the pups.

But as I said, this happens every day in Blount County. Whole litters left by the side of the road. There was just a case of 7 puppies and mom left this past weekend. People actually saw the car dropping them off. But it was gone before they could tell what kind of car.
Let's see people are educated that this is not the way to treat our pets.

Terry

There were fortunately not as many animals turned in this week as last week. Last week, they had a several litters turned in. But I took some pictures of really sad faces asking for a home.

Many of the people turning in these animals have tears in their eyes. They really do not want to lose these animals, but because of hardships in the home, are no longer able to care for the animals.

One sad case was the lady who was attacked last year trying to keep her puppy from two big dogs. (link...) What the article in the paper does not say, the woman received major damage to her hand and cannot use most of her fingers. She now is going in for physical rehabilitation and is no longer able to work. Her husband is working 12 hour shifts, and now they just can not care for the puppy she risked her life for. She was heart-broken.

Another girl was sobbing away, and I couldn't help but think there were family reasons why she was being forced to give up her puppy.

Many of the people leave the collars and leashes and even toys for their surrendered pets. They asked again and again if we thought their pets would find a new home.

Unfortunately there are not enough homes to go around. But at least the animals have one last chance. At least these people did not dump them by the side of the road, to be hit, to starve, or to freeze. They took them to a place where people would see them and perhaps take them home. It would have been nice if they could have found a new home for them. But at least they did not just kill or have them killed themselves.

Terry

I have started a blog to show off the pictures of the animals going from Blount County to the Loudon Shelter. These are just a few of the drop offs from the last two Fridays. These were brought in to animal control at the old Hubbard School. Come look. Some of these are animal surrenders and some are strays. So another place to check if you have lost a dog or cat.

(link...)

Terry