Saturday Night November 12, 2005

Gem of the Day: Good things come to those who wait...


"Claire" was nine months old when we rescued her from a puppy mill auction. Little did we know the horrors we would uncover. At 9 months old, she appeared to be deaf, blind and completely mentally disabled. Today we scored a HUGE victory. We went undercover and bought all of the Bichons that her "breeder" had. An illness is prohibiting them to continue. 21 Bichons came on home to Small Paws, today. These Bichons need your help. Please read. This situation is definitely of the utmost urgency and this may be one of the most important newsletters you will ever read.

Vet Bills Paid by Small Paws Rescue in October of 2005 totalled $39, 224.83

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The Heart Murmur Reunion Page

Dear Small Pawsers,

Welcome to the newest members of our online mailing list, especially if you have recently seen us featured in one of our recent media articles or read about us in the book "Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul."

Small Pawsers everywhere welcome you with open arms! We sincerely hope that you enjoy "Small Pawsing and reading Small Paws!"

If you are new to Small Pawsing®, this may look as if it is coming only to you but really it is going out to fellow Small Pawsers all across our country and in 17 foreign countries as well.

Adoption information is posted below. Turn up your speakers!
We have music for you!

If you missed our last newsletter, here it is. http://www.smallpawsrescue.org/pup3/nov0905.html

Something big happened here today. There was no time to come and tell you and I couldn't have come and told you if there had been time. We had to make sure this was completely undercover until our mission was complete.

At some of the Bashes recently, some of you have heard me talking about three breeders from Missouri,...the three, who in our opinion were the "worst of the worst". You heard me tell how we used our Small Paws attorney to file formal charges of abuse and neglect with the USDA, regarding these three breeders.

The USDA flew down here from Colorado, and met with us at our vet's office, about a year ago. They documented the abuse, took pictures, made reports, and we REALLY thought something would happen to these three breeders.

Imagine how we felt when we learned that each of them, had received only a letter and small fine as their punishment. I told Bonnie and Dale that it sure looked to me that the fox was clearly guarding the hen house here.

I remember feeling so deflated...and asking God that since there was nothing more that we, here at Small Paws could do...I was going to have to put this into His hands, and prayed somehow that we could get these Bichons away from this kennel, and get him out of the Bichon business.

Fast forward to yesterday morning. Cheri Cisco, one of our Team Leaders, saw an ad in a small local paper that read...
Breed sell out. 21 Bichons. 17 females and 4 males. Must sell due to illness. $4000.00 takes all. And the name and phone number,

GUESS WHO'S KENNEL IT WAS THANK YOU JESUS AND BINGO WE GOT HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today, we used one of our underground auction bidders from Missouri, to make the deal, (These people would not answer the phone to call coming in from the 918 Tulsa area code. I think they knew it was us trying to call about their ad. Trust me on this one. They know FULL WELL WHO WE ARE and would have sooner cut of their right thumbs than have sold these dogs to Small Paws.

We even had another commercial kennel owner, one of our buddies who helps us, waiting to come in as a back up to purchase these dogs if anything had gone south today.

After the deal was made, we sent another one of our underground auction buyers on an all day trek to pick them up and today...oh God my heart is singing as loud as it can....we recovered 21 Bichons and brought them on home to Small Paws!

Now the bad news is this. They look to be in the worst of the worst shape. The good news is that they are still young. Our driver says he thinks there is one born in 1999, and the rest are VERY YOUNG. Born 2003, 2004, and 2005, this year.

I want to tell you why we were so focussed on getting this particular kennel out of business. For years we had been buying Bichons from this kennel at auctions.

For years we had seen tumors, cherry eyes, spayed feet and teeth that were hanging by nerves, but until we purchased CLAIRE...we didn't have anything out of the ordinary, that the USDA would see as neglect or abuse.

I want to tell you about "Claire", who today resides with Small Pawser Linda Rossetti. She is missing some of her brain functions and will never be normal. (Claire, not Linda Rossetti.)

Claire was also featured in one of our media articles. There is a picture of her here, right after she came into rescue.
http://www.smallpawsrescue.org/pup3/newstulsaworld.html

I'm rejoicing and thanking God that Cheri caught the small town paper ad, and that we were able to make a deal and bring these babies home,today.

In the commercial kennel industry, many of the dogs have been bred with their mothers, their father, their sisters and their brothers, There is a lot of inbreeding that goes on. (I can tell you that I meet some of the puppy millers who have this same look, and I'm not saying that to be funny. I am serious here.)

Inbreeding is most probably what caused Claire...to be the way she is. Folks...meet Claire. She saved a whole lot of badly bred puppies from ever being bred and born today. Because of CLAIRE...this line will stop right here.

Bonnie Ferguson, our Executive Assistant, fostered Claire, and she can tell you what we began to uncover.

From Bonnie:

"When we purchased Claire's freedom back in March of 2004, little did we know how horrific the health of this group of dogs would be. Mammary tumors, teeth falling out, neurological damage, splayed feet that would never be normal and the list goes on.

Claire was among a group of some of the worst mill dogs we have ever seen.

When Claire was at our vet's office in a kennel with three other dogs, her problems were not that noticeable. It wasn't until we took her out of the kennel and had her by herself that we were shocked to find she was blind and deaf! Or so we thought......since we thought she may be blind and deaf, we thought that Claire was functioning by scent and that when she had the other dogs around her she was following their lead and acting seemingly "normal" for a puppy mill dog just released from misery.

Sadly we came to realize that Claire was probably blind and deaf. She had a blank black stare and no amount of sound or motion could get her attention if another dog was not around. When she was taken out of the kennel and put on the floor to be observed, she just laid there. She didn't move other then to slowly sweep her little head from side to side. Sort of like those old statues some of us may remember that went in the back window of a car. Side to side, slowly....sort of bouncing....side to side. We put her back in the kennel with her friends and she went back to being a somewhat "normal" little fluff (well not that little, Claire is a pretty tall/large bichon!)

I left Claire at the clinic that day, she hadn't been spayed yet and wasn't ready to begin her fostering journey. I couldn't stop thinking about her though, that little head swinging from side to side with those blank black eyes :( I couldn't get her out of my mind.

A few days went by and I went back to see her again. Nope, no miraculous change in our Claire. In the kennel with her friends she was sorta ok. Take her out of the kennel and she laid on the floor, swinging her head slowly from side to side with that blank stare.

She had been spayed and vetted and so what else could I do? I took Claire home never dreaming what would happen next.

Claire and I drove home with Claire in a crate in the seat next to me and not a peep out of her. I put my fingers through the gate, nothing. I talked to her, nothing, just that black stare.

Claire and I got home and I took the crate and set it down in my yard with the gate closed so she couldn't get out. Who was I trying to kid? This dog wasn't going anywhere. I went to the house, and let my guys out. They all came running out, sniffed the crate through the gate, tried to say hello but Claire was in her own little world, no response.

I opened the gate and lifted Claire out of the crate and laid her down in the sunshine. My dogs all sniffed her and then ignored her. I guess they thought she was some weird stuffed animal since she didn't move. I sat there and just watched her. She didn't budge. Every now and then her head would swing from left to right.

And then the most amazing thing started to happen. It was like watching a butterfly metamorphosis. I had snapped my fingers and Claire's ear twitched. I clapped my hands and her ears twitched again. I got down in front of her face and her eyes focused on me and stayed.

Nothing more happened for awhile, I sat on my porch step and just observed. Slowly, ever so slowly Claire's feet and legs moved and she tried to stand. I sat there in awe as I watched this seemingly blind, deaf and mentally challenged dog, slowly get to her feet and stumble. She again laid there for quite awhile but her head was UP and it was NOT swinging aimlessly from side to side.

To make a very long story short, over the next 5 or 6 hours, Claire stood up, and tried to walk, I clapped my hands and she looked at me. I shouted and she looked at me again. I waved my hands in front of her face and her eyes followed my hand! It was like a switch flipped in her head that said, I'm awake, I'm alive, and out of misery! By the end of a couple of weeks, this gangly gal was running across the yard without falling over too often and she could see and hear just fine. She didn't process information correctly but we were making some incredible progress. It was very obvious though that this poor waif had some serious neurological problems. And sadly there was nothing we could do for her to change that.

I kept Claire with me for awhile and then brought her back to the clinic since I really wasn't intending to foster her. I was all excited about showing Kathy and Crystal (our vet techs) the miraculous progress that Claire had made. And guess what?? I took Claire out of the crate and set her on the floor and she laid down and wouldn't move. Her eyes blanked out and she started swinging her head from side to side. That switch had flipped in her head and Claire had taken herself back to another world. She was "blind and deaf" again. Not responding to anything I or the vet techs did.

So what did I do? I couldn't leave her at the clinic after she had made so much progress. I got Claire, put her back in the crate and picked up another little fluff that was Claire's friend at the clinic and brought them both home until we could find them both a longer term foster home.

Claire has since been adopted by Linda Rossetti and though she'll (Claire) never be "normal" Linda and her husband will love her and just let her "be" Claire."

And from Claire's Mom, Linda Rosetti. We asked Linda for an update on Claire today...and she is only now, with the rest of you guys, finding out why! Linda...we got him! We got all of Claire's breeder's Bichons!!!!!

<From:lrossetti@comcast.net
To: Bonnie
Sent: Saturday, November 12, 2005 11:21 AM
Subject: Claire

As far as her "progress" goes........ Claire hasn't.

She isn't housetrained and probably never will be. She loves to spend time outside, but then comes in and does her duties. She has to be bathed several times a week as she sits as she squats.........if you get the picture!

When taken out of the house (Vet, Groomer, etc.) she is terribly frightened. Just getting in the car is traumatic for her. She had to go the Vet last week for an ear infection and she was inconsolable, even when I held her. She sort of locks her jaws open (looks like she is going to bite) and just hangs her tongue out. Definite sign of retardation.

Getting the medication in her ear is a joy as you can not "restrain" her. She doesn't understand this at all and fights like crazy, so I just have to get the tube in her ear and squeeze and hope all "10 drops" make it!

When she eats, it's one morsel at a time.........needless to say, meal times take forever and she's on a small bite crunchy! I did have her mouth checked and her Vet says it's just the way she functions.

I consulted an animal communicator for both she and Annie. As far as Claire is concerned, the communicator feels that she processes information backwards. This makes sense when you watch her.

The long and short of it is.............she is a very happy girl..........living in her own little world. She runs and jumps and loves life. She's just never going to function as a "normal" dog.>

We are on the way up to the vet's office to meet them now. I'll take pictures and get them to you as soon as I can. It may be tomorrow.

In the mean time, we desperately need to begin to raise funds for these 21 Bichons. We paid $4000.00 for them today. This was money we were supposed to pay our vet bills with on this coming Monday. I figured you guys would have wanted us to do this...use this money and recover it after the fact. I sure hope this is what you wanted us to do.

It will take at LEAST $10. 500.00 to vet them and quarantine them all. These Bichons are in very bad condition, and getting them healthy is going to be expensive, even with our 30% rescue discount.

We will also need 21 foster homes and money to help fly them to these foster homes.

If some of you want to drive to Tulsa and help us to do a transport cross country to waiting foster homes, we need that too.
Last Monday night, we paid $7320.34 in vet bills for one week's worth of vet bills.

In the month of October, we paid $39, 2224.83 in vet bills.

Vet Bills Paid by Small Paws Rescue in October of 2005 totalled $39, 224.83

If you can help us to care for the over 250 Bichons (115 of them are ready for adoption on our Petfinder's page. The rest are in different stages of treatments and surgeries) that Small Paws has in rescue at this time, this is how you may do that.

If you are new to Small Paws Rescue and have any questions about who we are, they may be answered in the following links.

Guidestar.com

Small Paws Rescue Mission Statement

Before and After Pictures

You may use your major credit card securely, at this site. This is our own credit card server. It is secure.
Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover Cards.

Use your credit card securely here (http://www.cyberwealthautomation.com/app/netcart.asp?MerchantID=16318&ProductID=426742)

You may also call your credit card donation in to Janet at 508-717-1841. She is on Eastern Standard Time.

If you can't find a way to make your credit card work online, and we have your credit card on file already, please email Jill Kakahi at jillkakehi@comcast.net and let her know the amount of your donation to help these Bichons. Please, at the same time, copy me at pup3@aol.com so we will know what is coming in for these 21 Bichons.

You may also send a check or money order to:
Small Paws Rescue Inc.
3316 S. 72nd. W. Ave.
Tulsa, Oklahoma, 74107

Another way you can help is to become a monthly supporter with an amount of your choosing. This is how to do that, securely, with your major credit card.
Make a recurring monthly donation here.

Another way you can help is to shop on our Small Paws Ebay Page! where we have a 100% Positive Feedback Score!

Subj: Small Paws Rescue Ebay Page
From: spr.ebay@comcast.net
To: pup3@aol.com

Here's an update for the Small Paws Rescue Ebay Page!  

New Items Added Wednesday 11/9, Ending 11/16!

Bichon Sleigh	Hand Painted Pill Box

 Here's that Fiat Spider, Graciously Donated by Bill Adams! Ending 11/14!

The first batch of HOLIDAY ITEMS, added 11/06, ending 11/13!
Click an Item to Get a Description

Bichon Ornament!	Bichon Stocking	Pet Massage!	Christmas Assortment!	Bichon Decorated Purse!	Reindeer Socks	Glass Blown Rose	Holiday Blanket!	Bunny!

Robin, please thank everyone for their generosity ... both for donating items and for bidding on those items.  We have been able to maintain a fabulous selection on the Ebay page!  We're always looking for items to sell on Ebay!  Email spr.ebay@comcast.net with donations.

MISSION FISH

Small Paws Rescue is a member of MissionFish, the non-profit arm of eBay.  Ebay sellers may now designate a portion of their sales to go to Small Paws Rescue.  You will be able to donate between 5% and 100% of anything you sell on Ebay to Small Paws, and it will automatically be deducted from your profit and given to SPR!  They will also keep track of it for you for tax deduction time!  You can go here and sign up, and you can also specify donations at listing time.  Additionally, as a non-profit, ebay will now donate some of our smallpawsrescue lister listing fees, thus reducing the cost of our doing business!

FAVORITE SELLER

If you specify smallpawsrescue as one of your Favorite Sellers (left hand side of the page, light blue box), you will get automatic updates as we add some special items. We're a "Favorite Seller" because at least 5 Ebay members have selected us. 

THANKS!
Debbie Corkindale and Patti Newlin, the SPR Ebay Team

Got Bichon?

Robin,

We have some great new bichon decals!!!!!

This decal is clear with a white design, when you place it on your window all you will see is the white. (the black is just so you can see the image on this white back-round)


This is what they look like on a car!

The Decals are 4” round. They are made out of vinyl for the outside of a window and show up best on tinted glass. They are also easy to apply!!

They are available on the new items page, along with some cute rag quilts by Linda Gonzales and some new and unique doggie quilts from Rose. Also a limited number of Proofs of the bichon painting picture are available until we run out!!

And, look what we have for you for a donation of $50.00 along with a user review!

"Hot Pink Fedora"

Good news Small Pawsers! You've seen the note cards with Susanne Renaud's precious painting, "Hot Pink Fedora". Well, here is your chance to own a print! Each 8 x 10 print is done with a Giclee Printer (to capture the highest quality in the original) and each comes with a card of authenticity signed by artist, Susanne Renaud! We are excited to announce that with a donation of $50.00 to help our heart murmur puppy, one of these beautiful prints will be mailed to you!
Just be sure to let us know in the remarks section of your credit card order that you want one of the Bichon prints!

Subj: Hot Pink Fedora
Date: 7/4/2005 1:59:39 PM Central Daylight Time
From: CynLynJ@aol.com
To: Pup3
Hello Robin,
I received my numbered print of Susanne Renaud's " Hot Pink Fedora" and I am thrilled to death!!! I have several Bichon paintings and numbered prints but I can't believe how beautiful this print is! It is the nicest print I have ever seen. It can honestly pass as an original. For Small Pawsers that are undecided on buying a print, I have to tell them to buy one quick before they are gone!! Don't miss out, it is absolutely gorgeous!! I am so happy I can't wait to take it to the framers!! Susanne Renaud really outdid herself on this painting! The colors are breathtaking!!! If you Love Bichon paintings don't miss this one!!
Happy "Hot Pink Fedora" Bichon print owner,
Cindy Jones and the Fluffy Flour

Come on over and check out the new items... I am adding new merchandise often!!!

Those wonderful Small Paws Rescue Blanketeers sew faster than I can type the stuff in!!!

This is the link! http://www.smallpawsrescue.org/pup3/sub4.htm or... it can be accessed by going to the first page and clicking on the license plate frame.

Now available in The Online Gift Shoppe of Small Paws Rescue! , brand new darling Bichon note cards! (5 1/2 " x 4")
The original of this print has been painted especially for Small Paws Rescue, with all rights reserved, by Suzanne Renaud, the famous painter of many precious Bichons!

(Limited Time Introductory offer on Bichon notecards...FREE SHIPPING!)

Linda

We also have a new fundraiser for you! Lonestar Shih Tzu Rescue is our of our dear friends in rescue.

LOOK what they have done! If you click on this link, and purchase one of the many beautiful BICHON items, 50% of your purchase will come right back here to Small Paws! The picture they have used is of one of our heart murmur babies, Remember baby Daisy?!

They have everything from Bichon mugs, to Bichon T-shirts, to Bichon Tote Bags to Bichon Coasters....and they also have them in other breeds as well! (ARE there really any other breeds than Bichons?? HAHA!) Thank you Teresa for this ingenious and helpful site for rescue! They do guarantee that you will be satisfied!!
http://www.cafepress.com/dogsdogsdogs

Still yet another way you can help us is to Sign Up As a Small Pawser With IGIVE.COM! A portion of your purchases from major upscale retail stores will then come back to Small Paws and the Bichons! See their most current stores and sales! iGive.com Newsletter for Thanksgiving, November, 2005 Help Small Paws Rescue Inc.

Another way you can help Small Paws AND give a Birthday or Anniversary gift, is to make a donation in that person's name or honor. Please be sure to include a note so that person or family can be sent notification via a beautiful Small Paws Rescue card!

Here's another way to help SPR....donate shares of stock! This is a win-win situation for everyone. No taxes on the donation (for either you or SPR) and no broker's fees. This is a great way to dispose of those miscellaneous shares of stock you've been holding on to and put them to good use!

And, if you can contribute to charities at work, through United Way...how about choosing Small Paws as your charity at your place of employment?

I hope you can sense the utter joy we are feeling today at the home office. Claire, we got your relatives out today. Back when we heard about the small fine your breeder got, we felt as if we had lost the battle.

Today...we won the war. All My Love, Robin

Prayer Request

Subj: Update on Lou
Date: 11/11/2005 10:22:39 AM Central Standard Time
From: shawne@icfinc.com
To: Pup3@aol.com

Good morning Robin,

Yesterday I sent you an email for a prayer request for the mighty prayer warriors for my father in law, Lou. Last night we got the results of his bone marrow test. The bottom line is, at best , he's got 3 good weeks left...after that hospice will come in.
What the dr's found is that his white cell count *is* rising, but it's rising with the bad cancer cells instead of good....he just doesn't have any good ones left. The dr's said he's got 2 options: they pump him full of antibiotics and send him home OR he could stay in the hospital for 5 more weeks for more chemo and be miserable and go thru the quarantine wait again...but with only a 10% chance of it working. Lou has opted to do the antibiotics, go home and spend 3 good weeks with his family and letting the Lord lead the way. None of us blame him....we'd opt for the same. The chemo has just weakened him and made him sick...
My prayer request has changed in that, please pray for all of us strength and grace to get thru this. He has 3 young grandchildren, and one on the way that he'll never know that I'll be having in March. My niece and nephew already know, but we have yet to tell our son Trace. We will be doing that tonight. Please pray that we have the right words to tell him....to help him to understand....he's only 7 yrs old (niece is 9 yrs old and nephew is 6 yrs old).

Shawne>
Shawne Pennington>

Always remember...
No matter what you have done, or where you have been, God loves you more than anyone else ever has and more than anyone else ever will.

Robin Pressnall
Executive Director
Small Paws® Rescue
Gospel CD: It's A God Thing!
Singing for Small Paws®
The Heart Murmur Repair Bichons Reunion Page
Small Paws® Rescue: Bichons Available for Adoption
Small Paws® Rescue: The Gift Shoppe
Small Paws® Rescue: Visa, Master Card, American Express, Discover Card

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