*Update Sam's Profile is up -- Saved a life yesterday, and now I need to save my carpet!!

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Update#2: Sam's profile is up. If you know anyone in the Ottawa area please share: http://www.hopefulhearts.ca/adoptables/2013-139.htm

Update with Pictures.

Yesterday I went to a certain shelter to scoop up a sweet boy that was about to be sentenced to the gas chamber (yes that's right, :-(  the gas chamber). Not sure how anyone could deem this sweet special boy as unworthy of being put up for adoption but they say black dogs take too long to get adopted so they don't try.  Other than having black fur, which is apparently a grave crime, he is amazing. Sweet as pie, trained, obedient, cuddly, playful, friendly with my dogs and cat, ... perfect. And when he got home, he was STARVING.

I was told by the rescue I'm fostering him for that when the dogs are scheduled to be euthanized they don't bother feeding them anymore. (They also don't bother walking them it seems as he had peed and pooped in his cage and wasn't cleaned up. So he got a good bath when we got home.)

He ate up a whole bowl of food, and then took all of winston's and sophie's leftovers. I stopped him eventually but man he was so hungry I felt sorry for him. Even after eating some of the homemade chicken parmasean dog buscuits that Sophie and Winston made for him ;-) he was still famished. I tried to offer him Peanut Butter in a kong as a bedtime snack but he wasn't interested in PB. So I popped more of the homemade treats into the kong and put him in his crate. He was fine at first but started making a fuss halfway through the night. I caved and let him out. I kept him in my room instead. He went out in the yard before bed and again at 1am so I thought he should be good till morning.

I woke up this morning to the sound similar to the the last bits of ketchup being squeezed out of the bottle. 'Torrential' is the only way to describe what occurred in my bedroom this morning (and then subsequently all over my back yard).

After going through constant bouts of diarrhea with sophie for her first year or so I know I should have known better, but this guy needed all the love (and food) he could get and I couldn't say no to a little extra food and leaving him in a crate just seemed so mean after all he's been through.  Anyway, he is resting now and feeling much better, but I have a literal 'sh!t storm' to clean up in my bedroom. I am tempted to just brun my bedroom to the ground and cordon it off permenantly. I'm not really sure how I'm ever going to sleep in there again, and I may end up with PTSD when this is all done, but I will go out today and finally buy myself a steam cleaner. I don't think a simple spot bot is going to do as I have a lot of area to cover. I'm thinking of getting a more powerful upright carpet cleaner like the Hoover Power Scrub Delux Cleaner or something along those lines.

I know from previous discussions that the spotbot is well recommended, but does anyone have good bad experiences with upright carpet cleaners? ...anyone know where I can get a hazmat suit? ...

Otherwise, words of sympathy and encouragement are welcome to help me get through the clean up. This is not going to be a fun day (although, totally worth the experience of saving a life!)

[AndySharon BoomerShaynaMariner]

Sorry about the carpet!!  Thank you for saving this dog. 

 

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

:)

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Sherri,

Just my thoughts and it has nothing to do with now.  The ideal situation is to have the rescue vet any dog before they come into your home.

In the 90s when I fostered for G.R.I.N, all dogs were sprung from the shelter and driven straight to the vet.  The dogs were medicated for parasites, bathed,  and only then sent into foster homes.  That is the way it should be now... although I see it done rarely these days.  Dogs come into a home then on to a low-cost clinic by appointment days later.  Much too late. The vet first and foremost.  

An unvetted dog takes a toll on the foster families, the other animals in the homes,and it's dangerous from a medical standpoint for all involved. See if you can't introduce this to the rescue you are working for the next time. It really works so much better.   We have one in my area that works this way.  It's pretty awesome. You pull the dog, drive straight to their clinic.  Techs are there to give all immunizations and tests.  The only thing they can not do is rabies on the immediate visit.   No dog goes into a foster home without vetting first. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I so agree with this. At the very least, every dog should have Capstar before going into foster care. 

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Capstar is easy and any human can get a dose over the counter.  A must have on hand, if you think you will ever be taking in a dog, planned or unplanned in the future! 

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Thanks Joanne. This is how I had imagined it. I think it is a bit harder when the rescue is entirely run by volunteers who work full time jobs.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Yes. It is this way too much.   Some are just starting out and mean the very best but there is an organized way to do this type of rescue and have it not take a toll on YOU,your animals~ your home!    Been there, done that.  It also makes you not want to get into this situation again and many foster families stop rescuing because of the  many difficulties this situation introduces.

So, you have to plan this for yourself.  Have a vet on hand prior to the next dog  :)    Planning for the inevitable now.   Save a tub full of supplies in your cupboard.  Etc.

Rescue and rehome are so different. If you think you will be going into anymore shelters just have a plan.  Even then, it can be hectic, but not as overwhelming. 

Sherri, skip the scrubber and head straight to a vet with a stool sample.  Go on from there. This will last a few days but it will settle down and you will feel some relief.

I'm sorry this rescue does not do ... well what I think it the organized correct way to rescue. No, not all rescues are ideal and sometimes families run into this situation, but there are rescues, locally, that have this setup.

If you want to continue a rewarding life of rescue, find one in your area that has a setup similar to the one I describe. Interview the rescues. You would be amazed how all operate different. I know you will find one you can work with. There is a place for everyone. Just like a job  :)

For now. HUGS.  This will work out just fine.  Busy for a few days, but fine.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Doesn't do you any good this time, but for the future:

The last time I pulled a foster from a shelter, I took him directly to my vet for a bath, and a fecal. If the rescue reimbursed me later, great. If not, it's a tax deduction, and my vet gives a 20% discount to not-for-profits. 

It turned out that he had tapeworms from a previous flea infestation, so he was treated for worms and fleas. I brought him home several hours later parasite free and had the peace of mind that he was not bringing anything into my house or yard that could infect JD. Best $ I ever spent. 

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Karen, you are right. I thought about doing this. I really need to listen to my instincts. I'm now worried that the piles of stuff in my back yard will infect my doodles.  If I don't hear back I think I will bring him in this afternoon or in the morning regardless of the cost.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Be sure to ask if they give a discount for rescues, they might. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

Pour bleach where the piles were. In the spring you can seed : )

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Yep.  Stop and get 5, one gallon containers of bleach and 5 spray bottle containers.   I poured it straight on... just because I was overwhelmed but the correct dilution is 10:1,  leave on for 10 minutes.

Supplies:

Bleach

Spray Bottles

Paper Plates

Plastic Gloves

Many small plastic bags from the grocery

Potty pads

Keep the dog crated then straight to the potty area.

Get organized. Have clean up supplies in many rooms.

Use only one area of your yard. 

His own leash.

You can do this....

Write me if you need more ideas

For your yard, it depends on the parasite as to what type of damage it will cause. Some are long-lasting and effect the yard for years, others not at all.

Chill, take a deep breath and go to the vet   :)   Start there.  Then on to the store for supplies. In 30 hours, I should hear you are organized.