rescues

by

The Urge to Adopt a Dog

I was walking in the fields the other day when I was overtaken by a strong, intruding thought: I want to adopt a dog. Wait, what? said I to myself. I’d already decided two years ago not to adopt another dog. I tried to put the thought aside, but it stuck with me.

My last rescue dog, Finn, passed suddenly in 2023. Finn’s death deeply saddened me—he was a sweet, special needs dog rescued from horrible conditions in Alabama. He had survived distemper as a puppy—the survival, a rarity—and had gait issues because of it. The “owner” of the 300-dog place from which Finn was rescued was jailed for animal abuse—another rarity. Finn was leery of everyone but family and close friends. There was no meanness to him. He was a gentle presence who emanated kindness and got along fabulously with my two cats.

At the time of Finn’s death, I was in the midst of helping my partner navigate a terminal illness. Overwhelmed by hospital visits, the impending trajectory, and care for my partner, I decided that I would stick only with my cats, who are loving, entertaining, and easy to care for. So sure was I that I had the ugly chain link dog fence, which came with the house when I bought it, removed.

Rescue organization – https://hindeanimalrescueteam.org/ – photos (above and below). Her fur has mostly grown back now.

Two years later came the inconvenient, unbidden recognition that I wanted to adopt a dog. After fighting the urge for a good week, I looked on petfinder.com at rescue dogs known to be friendly with cats. I perused hundreds of adoptable dogs (my god, there are so many rescue animals, including purebreds, that need homes; please consider adoption rather than buying from a breeder). I kept coming back to one and only dog, who met none of the criteria I had in mind. This particular dog is 9 months old (I wanted an older dog), much smaller than I had in mind (I wanted a dog the size of a pit bull or lab), and she was missing patches of hair from neglect, a bacterial infection, and exposure to the winter elements in West Virginia where she and her sisters were tied up, without shelter I believe. But there was something about the pup—maybe the look in her eye?—and I felt some ineffable connection with her. I called the rescue, talked at length to the foster parents, and arranged a “meet and greet” visit at my home. It went very well, and she was very respectful of the cats.

I pick up the pup in less than two weeks. I already have the vet appointment lined up, a new fence in the process of installation, and I repurchased all of the dog necessities I had donated two years ago. I cannot wait to welcome her into the family!

She made herself quite at home

by

Gracie and the reversal of feline kidney disease

IMG_0862Gracie is an extraordinary being—calm, content, intelligent, and sweet-natured.  All this despite a rough beginning.  She came to us at eight months of age after having had a litter of kittens and being thrown from a car window by her forearm.

A man and woman found her and took her in while searching for a home for her.  Through a circuitous path, she came to us.  We’ve had her for thirteen years now.  She has been devoted and loving presence, almost Buddha-like, through moving more than once, kids, and a few rescue dogs and cats.  I love her completely.

Several years ago Gracie was diagnosed, as many cats are, with kidney disease—thought to be untreatable.  A savvy DVM  with alternative medicine training put Gracie on a Chinese herb (Ba Wei Di Huang Wan–see below), which improves blood flow to the kidneys (and therefore optimizes functioning of the undamaged parts of the kidney).  Much to the surprise of mainstream veterinarians, repeated blood work revealed that much of Gracie’s kidney disease was reversed, improving her prognosis beyond 6 months/1 year.  In addition, I also put her on low-phosphorus, low-sodium, high-protein (not low-protein) food. She regained weight and resumed a full life.  It’s been four years now, but she’s starting the inevitable decline. The herbs have done what they could.  I am resigned and heartbroken, grateful for the time we’ve had together and for her benevolent presence through these years, and I’m dreading the coming goodbye.  Gracie is nearby as I write this, snug and drifting in and out of sleep.

Info on herbal treatment of feline kidney disease:
Ba Wei Di Huang Wan ( https://www.google.com/search?q=ba+wei+di+huang+wan+1+g+buy&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8 )—500 mg. 2x/day or 1/4 teaspoon 2x a day— available online and through your vet via Natural Path Herb Company. I use the Natural Path ( http://www.nphc.ca/tips.php ) vet-ordered, high-quality version.  Gracie refused to eat it sprinkled on her food, so I bought size 4 empty vege capsules ( http://emptycaps.com/size-4-vegetarian-capsules-quantity-1000.html ) (larger-size capsules are difficult for cats to swallow) and an inexpensive capsule-making contraption that makes filling it relatively easy.  The effort has been worth Gracie’s quality life extension: https://www.herbaffair.com/cap-m-quik-capsule-filling-machine/