Recent coverage of the Memphis Animal Shelter

Things continue to move in what seems to be a positive manner with resolving issues at Memphis Animal Services. Here’s a link to a recent Commercial Appeal story about a report of the conditions at the shelter and some of the positive changes made.

Whitley, now Daisy, is living THE life

Whitley is a Poodle, Terrier mix who came to Real Good Dog Rescue along with her buddy, Emeril. She was a real sweetheart in her time with us, even though she tested positive for heartworms and had to undergo that treatment.

Jan and Dave Stevens adopted our Whitley. They renamed her Daisy. And they sent us this update:

I’m pleased to report that Daisy has achieved two milestones:  She is heartworm negative on her follow-up test and she has logged her first hundred miles in power walking. Thought that you would like to hear the good news on both accounts.  The good life continues for all of us.

We are so pleased to hear of Daisy reaching these milestones. This is wonderful news! Thanks for taking the time to let us know!

Dave and Daisy - no doubt relaxing after one of their power walks

Updates about Memphis Animal Shelter

Chris Peck wrote an important editorial in The Commercial Appeal today. He describes the need for responsible pet owners – people who don’t merely view animals as objects to be bought and discarded at will. He points to the responsibility of the public for the more than 13,000 annual euthanasia’s at the shelter. He reminds us of the poor city management that couldn’t properly run the Memphis Sexual Assault Resource Center … and how that same management was responsible for the animal shelter.

Peck reminds us of these important points:

Feed your dog. Care for your dog. Spay or neuter your dog because we don’t need more puppies.
And cheer on the new mayor as he takes on Job 1 in City Hall — cleaning up the mess.

Take time to have a look at the letters to the editor about the animal shelter situation. Today’s Hot Button reader responses were interesting.

Please convey your continuing concern to the Mayor, Sheriff, and District Attorney (contact information for each of these people in an earlier blog post).

Thank you for reading and caring about the situation of defenseless animals at the Memphis Animal Shelter.

Mayor Wharton Makes Major Changes at Memphis Animal Shelter

Ernest Alexander, Animal Services Director, is OUT. YAY!

Darrell Eldridge will be a temporary facilities manager.

Lucy Shaw, prior CEO at The Regional Medical Center at Memphis, is a consultant.

Mayor Wharton says that the level of care at the shelter will be comparable to the care given at hospitals.

High level of care AND high level of oversight is promised. The Mayor has communicated with members of the city council, especially around a need to reinstitute funding for an operations manager that had been cut from the budget.

The Mayor says he is very hands on, he loves pets, and he loves details. He says this is the difference in why things will improve with his administration versus in the efforts of other administrations.

The Mayor describes how he had never received a threatening telephone call during any of his court cases – until he defended a person charged with animal abuse (he never had phone calls when defending murderers, assault cases, etc.).

Links to coverage of Mayor Wharton’s press conference:

• WMC TV 5 story & video
• WREG TV 3 story & video
• ABC 24 Eyewitness news

Want to see the live cameras at the Memphis Animal Shelter? Here’s the link!

Thank you, Mayor Wharton, for your actions on behalf of our vulnerable animals.

Updates on Memphis Animal Shelter

Last evening many of the Good Dog Rescue volunteers participated in the candlelight vigil at the Memphis Animal Shelter. Pictures are never good at dark with a phone, but we’ve got a couple below. Attending (that I saw) for Good Dog Rescue was founder Lisa Trenthem, along with volunteers Julie Clark, Vivian Lowder, Julie Russnogle, Anna Russnogle, Cheryl Kent, Sylvia Cox, & Cindy Russell (no doubt more were there, but it was dark!).

Reports vary from 100 to 200 to 300 participants at the vigil. Many people brought memorials that were left at the door to the shelter. The crowd made a loud statement that conditions at the shelter MUST change.

Here is some of the local coverage about the vigil (stories, videos, pictures):

• WMC TV 5 video reporting the candlelight vigil held Thurs 11/5 @ 6pm http://bit.ly/2eLYqb
• WREG TV3 video about animal shelter vigil & link to related information about this story http://bit.ly/2mWJIm
• Nov 6 2009 story in The Commercial Appeal about candlelight vigil & Mayor Wharton’s upcoming press conf today @ 10am http://bit.ly/1vore1
• The Daily Buzz | Memphis Flyer http://bit.ly/2pb3BR

We have aggregated our stories and you can easily follow updates by using this URL: http://bit.ly/RGDR_mas – please share this with others.

Do you have updates we’ve not yet posted? If so, please comment to this story and let us know.

Good Dog Rescue participates in Memphis Animal Shelter candlelight vigil

Good Dog Rescue volunteers participate in candlelight vigil at Memphis Animal Shelter

Keely settles in with Karyn and Bree

A while back, Real Good Dog Rescue rescued a sweet little Shetland Sheepdog Sheltie mix by the name of Keely. She had been picked up as a stray by a local animal control facility. When we got her, she was none the worse for the occasion, as her sweet and loving personality made her an instant hit with all who met her.

Vivian lovingly fostered her and Keely continued her outgoing ways. She particularly loved to play with toys and also enjoyed her grooming visits.

Karyn adopted Keely and recently sent us this note to update us on how Keely is doing.

Just a quick note to say Hi and let y’all know that Keely (now Cally) is doing great! She and my older girl, Bree, are good together and where Bree is not a real cuddler – Cally is! She loves to be on her back, stretched out on my lap getting her belly scratched. She also likes to pull my arm out of socket tugging on her rope toy!

Anyway, I just thought you’d like to know she is settling in pretty well and we will probably do an obedience class this fall.

Thanks, Karyn, for letting us know how sweet Keely is doing! We’d love to post some pics of Keely and Bree. Sounds like they balance each other out!

Missouri Max Brings Joy to His Family

Max

Late last year we got the most adorable petite Yorkie Shih Tzu mix we had seen in a long while. Max was his name and attaching himself to a person was his game! He was so adorable, Founder Lisa had a hard time letting him go.

But go he did … to Patsy Shelton and her family. She recently sent us this update:

On January 3,2009 we adopted little Max. He is the most incredible little sweetie we’ve known. He plays and has a very special toy which is a duck which he carefully places under the end of our bed every night. Of course he sleeps with us. He licks this duck’s hair as a cat would clean her kitten. He has made our life happier and even has helped to get our cocker spaniel up and around more. He has not had an accident in the house from the day we brought him home. He doesn’t like to get his feet wet. He loves to go for a walk, loves to ride in the car and even the people at our bank and drugstore always give him a treat when we go thru the drive thru. Thanks for allowing him to come to Missouri.

We are so very pleased that Max has settled in with the Shelton’s. He is so very representative of our typical “good dog” … adorable and looking for lifelong love with a forever family. Thanks for letting us know how he’s doing. We’d love to post some recent pictures of this sweetie.

Tiny’s gone from rags to riches, say the Smiths

Sarah Smith sends this report in about Tiny, who they recently adopted.

This story is about a little dog who has gone from rags to riches.  She lives like a little princess now and will never want for anything.

We found Tiny online at Petfinder.  After filling out paperwork and contacting Lisa Trenthem at Good Dog Rescue, we decided to drive from Enterprise, MS (near Meridian) to Memphis on June 20, 2009 to look at one of the little rescues they had.

She is a Shih-Tzu who was turned over to the humane society along with her two sisters Lina and Honey who are still there.  When they were brought in they were all matted and covered with fleas and in very bad shape.  The man who surrendered them said he had taken good care of them and they were spoiled rotten but he just couldn’t afford to have them groomed or spayed.  In their descriptions it said they could hardly put one foot in front of the other when they were let out of their cage.  What does that tell you?  But they soon found the back yard and found out what it was like to run and play.

We chose Tiny because she was so sweet and we just fell in love with her.  You could tell she was shy and a little withdrawn.  We had taken our black male poodle mix, Barkley with us to make sure they would get along.  We had adopted him from someone who didn’t want him, 14 months ago right after we lost our beloved Maltese to congestive heart failure.

Barkley is very smart, loves to play and has been a very sweet dog, but we thought it was time to get a buddy for him.  He and Tiny seemed to get along alright.

Boy do they get along now.  They run and tumble and sometimes she gets the best of him.  She has gained from 7 lbs to almost 10 and he weighs 13.  She has some house training issues but is making great strides every day.  She loves to be praised when she does outside business.

If you are wanting a pet, get one who really needs you and will also give back nothing but unconditional love.  You will not regret it.

Good Dog Rescue thanks the Smith’s for opening their home and their hearts to a great dog like Tiny. There are many more discarded and lonely pets like Tiny who are waiting for their special person. If that could be you, please visit our website and search for which dog or puppy would best fit your situation!

Ollie returns for a visit

Ollie and Anne

We rescued Ollie, a Border Collie/Golden Retriever mix, from the Memphis Animal Shelter about 9 months ago. She then weighed about 35 lbs. Founder, Lisa, said it was love at first sight when she spied Ollie at the shelter.

Ollie was adopted by Anne Bass in May 2008 and has found doggie heaven! Anne stopped by Hollywood Feed @ Union Avenue yesterday with Ollie to show us how she was doing.

As you can see, Ollie is slightly more than 35 lbs now! She is a very happy young dog who loves to give hugs and kisses. According to Anne, Ollie’s favorite evening position is when her person is on the couch, Ollie gets up beside her and gets on her back, placing her head in Anne’s lap.

Ollie loves romping in her large backyard and enjoys finding squirrels to meet and greet! She and Anne go on walks and Ollie has play dates with a neighbor’s dog, Diogi.

We were excited when Ollie got adopted (read here) and we were so excited to see Ollie yesterday again. Thanks, Anne, for staying in touch.

We invite all of you who’ve adopted dogs or puppies from us to send us your pictures and updates or to stop by any of our upcoming adoption events. We’d love to hear about how all in the family are doing.

Timid Lolly finds forever happiness in her new home

If you’re an extremely quiet and excruciatingly timid young dog, what do you most want?

Someone who’ll understand your quirkiness and realize that you’re not saying THEY’RE not good or nice, but who’ll realize that you just need time and patience.

Our young Dachshund/Spaniel mix, Lolly, needed a very patient and dedicated home that would understand she is not a dog that was going to run to greet you the first day she was in your home.

She found her forever home with Delaine, where she’s now best buddies with doggie siblings Olive and Casi.

Delaine recently sent us an update and new pics of Lolly, who’s had a name change to Lily.

While visiting the grand opening of the Hollywood Feed in Cordova, I was taken by the one little timid dog just lying quietly in her kennel.  Cute little black dog with tan eye brows, nose and feet.  After a half hour of “bonding” in the store, she finally let me walk her around a bit … so I agreed to foster her.  Now she’s happy in her forever home with sisters Olive and Casi.

Thanks Good Dog.

Thanks, Delaine, for fostering … and then failing Fostering 101 … and adopting our Lolly. She looks to be enjoying herself in your great home!

When Lily was Lolly with Good Dog Rescue

Lolly, now Lily (on left), with Olive and Casi

Lily still enjoys playing hide and seek