Born in Wisconsin, raised in Illinois, I’m no stranger to cold and snow but this winter has been hard even on the most seasoned Eskimo. For dog owners, salt, snow and cold can quickly become a deadly combination. Here in Milwaukee, we hit an all-time low, literally, with a wind chill temperature of 30 below. My amazing two dogs are so well behaved/trained that there was no going inside… we still had to take our poop and pee outdoors.
I quickly developed a system. It started with a lot of layers for me and the dogs. I went out and bought Mister a kick-butt, rad blue puffy coat with a hood. He hates it. Missy’s winter coat still held up. I tried to take them out together but that wasn't working. I think for the first time in his life Mister didn’t pee. I’m confident if Mister were to list his three favorite activities peeing would be on that list. It’s like a bad joke: How cold is it? So cold Mister won’t pee. So we had to revise the system. I decided to take them out one at a time. I bundled up Mister, carried him to a snow pile, put him down, let him do his business, and then carried him back home. Then with Missy, a very similar system except she would walk herself to the snow pile, do her business, and then I would carrier her back home. And Missy HATES to be carried. Again, how cold is it? So cold Missy wouldn't walk. I think it took us longer to get ready to go then it did to actually go.
Trip, after trip, in the cold, over two days made me realize something. Through the tears running down my face from the cold and working on breathing into my scarf so my nostrils wouldn’t freeze while carrying a shivering dog, I laughed. I would look at these two helpless creatures and just think “no one else would I do this for.” I thought “this is true love”. The kind of love a parent has for their child. It’s deathly cold out. I have no reason to be outside. I could think of a million places I rather be at but there I was, making the rounds with a smile on my face and a laugh in my head. My mom instincts just took over and I just stuck to my “let’s go, let’s do this attitude.” It wasn’t even a choice. As much as we all hate the cold the good news is it helped me to re-discover love on a very cold winter’s night.
The Missaroo
Ready to Take on the World
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Dogs are Pets, Not Science Experiments
As we enter the season of giving, I’m going to make my yearly plea for you to please read the labels of the products you buy and read up on the companies you support. Many companies that produce cosmetics, perfumes, shampoos, ect test on animals. And by animals I mean Beagles. Most people probably think of a rat or mouse when they hear animal testing ((not that I think this makes it any better)) but we are actually talking about Beagles locked in cages who never get so much as a bathroom break. I’ve made the switch myself and it is not easy. As someone who wears makeup every day at work and has a regular appointment with the salon, it was extremely difficult, time consuming, and expensive to make the switch but not impossible. It took a conscience effort but I can now tell you with great pride, from my hair color to my lotion every product I use in my bathroom was only tested on willing participants, not caged dogs. But this was a very long journey as well. I’ve never had the money to ditch all of my products and run out and buy more expensive ones. I did it one foundation and shampoo bottle at a time. I challenge you to replace just ONE item in your cabinet this holiday season and tell ONE friend about it. I would also encourage you to read up on the Beagle Rescue Project and see just how you can save a life this Christmas without even having to step foot in a shelter.
The Numbers Game
I cannot believe it’s been months since we last blogged! I’ll spare you the details for once, but basically my laptop wasn’t functional for a while. But the good news is we are BACK!
Of course our first blog back I have to use to attack MADACC. The September numbers recently came out. Although the month by itself is a bit better, the year to date numbers are truly heartbreaking. Basically, the “shelter” has increased its lifesaving capabilities by 2%. At last check in July, they were on pace to save 6% more animals. I cannot tell you how defeated I feel and how sick this makes me. THOUSANDS of animals are being KILLED in the “shelter” every year! Outrageous.
Some might think, hey 2% increase is better than 2% decrease. Well here’s the thing. There are 200 No Kill communities currently across the country. These communities went No Kill virtually overnight. They didn’t start by decreasing the killing a couple of percentage points at a time; A couple of dozen animals at a time. They went from killing to not killing. MADACC is not on the No Kill path. In fact, MADACC doesn’t even seem to know where the No Kill path is located. My frustration level is at an all-time high and my heart is overwhelmed with dread for all of the animals in Milwaukee County. It’s almost enough to give up….. and then there’s Sinatra.
Sinatra is still alive. He was rescued, fostered, and adopted. He is my own personal experience with survival. Beckham was rescued and is being fostered. I cannot wait for him to get adopted. I will probably sob when that day comes, but yet I still look forward to it so we can open up another space in our apartment, our lives, and our hearts for another animal in desperate need of rescue. Life is greater than death and that is what keeps me motivated to continue to take on the system. Fostering is only one portion of the No Kill equation but it’s what allows me to continue to fight for all of the other pieces to come together. Again, I will desperately plead with you to find a small portion of the equation for you to start implementing in your own life and in your own community. For those of you who already adopt, volunteer, foster, or call for action THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU. Please don’t give up. Together we can and WILL save them all.
Of course our first blog back I have to use to attack MADACC. The September numbers recently came out. Although the month by itself is a bit better, the year to date numbers are truly heartbreaking. Basically, the “shelter” has increased its lifesaving capabilities by 2%. At last check in July, they were on pace to save 6% more animals. I cannot tell you how defeated I feel and how sick this makes me. THOUSANDS of animals are being KILLED in the “shelter” every year! Outrageous.
Some might think, hey 2% increase is better than 2% decrease. Well here’s the thing. There are 200 No Kill communities currently across the country. These communities went No Kill virtually overnight. They didn’t start by decreasing the killing a couple of percentage points at a time; A couple of dozen animals at a time. They went from killing to not killing. MADACC is not on the No Kill path. In fact, MADACC doesn’t even seem to know where the No Kill path is located. My frustration level is at an all-time high and my heart is overwhelmed with dread for all of the animals in Milwaukee County. It’s almost enough to give up….. and then there’s Sinatra.
Sinatra is still alive. He was rescued, fostered, and adopted. He is my own personal experience with survival. Beckham was rescued and is being fostered. I cannot wait for him to get adopted. I will probably sob when that day comes, but yet I still look forward to it so we can open up another space in our apartment, our lives, and our hearts for another animal in desperate need of rescue. Life is greater than death and that is what keeps me motivated to continue to take on the system. Fostering is only one portion of the No Kill equation but it’s what allows me to continue to fight for all of the other pieces to come together. Again, I will desperately plead with you to find a small portion of the equation for you to start implementing in your own life and in your own community. For those of you who already adopt, volunteer, foster, or call for action THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU. Please don’t give up. Together we can and WILL save them all.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
6% Of The Way There
At the last MADACC Operations Committee meeting, the year to date death numbers showed more than a 6% increase in lives saved ((although they didn't phrase it this way)). I’ll stand on my soapbox once again to say a 6% increase is better than any decrease but come on Milwaukee; we can do better than this. The one positive I have taken away from the last several meetings is there always seems to be at least one life saving initiative mentioned. Even something seemingly insignificant to the casual attendee, will make an impact in the long run. This month it was the initiative to ID all cats and kittens upon admission to the shelter. Keeping a closer tab on all cats and kittens will make it easier to reunite these pets with their owners if they are lost or it will make it easier to move them into adoptive or foster homes.
Another item discussed that probably seemed not only insignificant to some but also down right boring was the addition of a second washer and dryer. Again, this will help save lives! How? A clean shelter is essential to the lifesaving process, something I learned first-hand as an intern at Found Chicago. The majority of my work there involved cleaning the facility. The cleaner the shelter, the less disease, less disease means healthier animals and less time, money, effort spent on nursing sick animals back to health. This all leads to being able to move more animals out to homes and fosters creating more space within the shelter: a true trickle-down effect.
6% is a start, but it certainly is not an end. However, I continue to applaud the work of the executive director. She manages to leaves me feeling as though she is slowly but surely starting to turn this backward, old, rusty ship around. 6% down, 84% to go to achieve a safe haven for Milwaukee area pets.
Another item discussed that probably seemed not only insignificant to some but also down right boring was the addition of a second washer and dryer. Again, this will help save lives! How? A clean shelter is essential to the lifesaving process, something I learned first-hand as an intern at Found Chicago. The majority of my work there involved cleaning the facility. The cleaner the shelter, the less disease, less disease means healthier animals and less time, money, effort spent on nursing sick animals back to health. This all leads to being able to move more animals out to homes and fosters creating more space within the shelter: a true trickle-down effect.
6% is a start, but it certainly is not an end. However, I continue to applaud the work of the executive director. She manages to leaves me feeling as though she is slowly but surely starting to turn this backward, old, rusty ship around. 6% down, 84% to go to achieve a safe haven for Milwaukee area pets.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Besties
Beckham, Missy, and Mister are three peas in a pod.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
And Then There Were Two
I often feel this blog is my one woman island. I jump up and down and wave my arms for help and the people on the planes that fly overhead wave back but the planes keeps on going; and I'm still stuck on the island. Right when I start to question it all, when I realize my foster has been with me for almost two months without interest, when animals are still being viciously killed at the hands of the local shelter a single comment can keep this blog going. That comment came a few days ago from a co-worker. She said "did I tell you I'm going to foster cats through Milwaukee Pets Alive? The lady is coming over in a few hours to talk it over with me." Wow! Someone was listening, and better yet someone took action. Someone joined me on the island.
As much as I would love to change the world, change PETA ((or better yet get rid of PETA)), and change MADACC, changing one person's world view is a pretty amazing consolation prize. My co-worker was always an animal lover and already a cat owner, but now she is a life saver! She has also saved my passion and my blog. One pet parent, one foster, one life saver at a time.... the animals and YOUR stories keep me going. WE CAN DO THIS. WE can save lives. WE can be the change we wish to see in the world.... And then there were two.
As much as I would love to change the world, change PETA ((or better yet get rid of PETA)), and change MADACC, changing one person's world view is a pretty amazing consolation prize. My co-worker was always an animal lover and already a cat owner, but now she is a life saver! She has also saved my passion and my blog. One pet parent, one foster, one life saver at a time.... the animals and YOUR stories keep me going. WE CAN DO THIS. WE can save lives. WE can be the change we wish to see in the world.... And then there were two.
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