Same Ole Same...

Is this dump your dog week?  The reality of it is, this is my daily life.  When I decided to take on a dog rescue, I did know 'the big picture'...I had been volunteering for another breed rescue here for oh, 5 years in advance. But I never really had to deal with it all.  All I know is you are wasting everyone's time if you are nice and give everyone false hope.  People need to understand we do the best we can.  The public is our audience.  The public are who come to us for a companion dog.  If we adopt out aggressive dogs, it is a reflection on what sort of an organization we are.  I have to draw the line somewhere...

 

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From: Rachel

To: lisa

Sent: Tue, February 15, 2011 10:58:58 AM
Subject: GSP in need of a loving home

Hi Lisa,

I got your email address off the GSP Rescue website.  I am sending this email on behalf of my friend, Jim, who is not so computer savvy.  He has a GSP named Dotty that is going to be 3 this year.  He has had her for about 1.5 years, and has had many issues with her.  She is a great dog around Jim and his family, but reacts very differently to other people.  She can be anything from shy to aggressive, to loving then back to aggressive within a very short time.  Jim got her for free from another person that gave her up and she has had these behavioral issues since he got her.  She is a great hunter (I have hunted with her numerous times) and Jim has spent a lot of time and money trying to fix Dotty’s issues, but all have failed.  After an incident the other day, he was faced with the choice of having her put down, or contacting the GSP Rescue. 

There is a lot more that you should know about Dotty, and Jim would like to speak with you.  I did not see a phone number on the website to contact you, so do you have a phone number that he could reach you at?

Thank you in advance,

Rachel XXXXX

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To which I replied:

Just from reading the basics here, I think she is probably not adoptable.  I would not want to take on an unstable dog, because if he doesn't trust the dog, how can I trust it?  I would not put a dog like that out to the public.  We are only a non profit dog rescue, we cannot afford liability insurance, and we cannot afford to take on problematic dogs.

 

I think Jim needs to do the responsible thing here.  Don't make me have to take on a responsibility that is not mine.

 

Please understand!  I deal with the public...I have to do what's best for this rescue and our volunteers and adopters. 
 

Lisa C. Rossman
Founder of:
http://www.wgspr.com
Wisconsin German Shorthaired Pointer Rescue, Inc.
& Miracle's Corner

The Responsible?

Ahhh, finally a long week is over, and I could pour a glass of wine, and turn on my fav tv shows Friday night, when the phone rings.  So I grab it...and it's a guy who wants to tell me all about the dog he needs to find a new home for, because the dog is nippy with the baby and now they have twins on the way.  About then, everything else he said in my mind was, yes...you know it...blah, blah, blah...  he got the dog from a bad situation oh 6-7 yrs ago, the vet thinks she was 2-3 yrs old then, but with them having kids now, the 10+ yr old dog cannot be trusted.  I told him put her down.  He said "can I finish"?  Why certainly..he already destroyed my night so what's the difference?  Then he offered to 'sweeten the deal' paying for her food, vet work, boarding... WTH?  Since when do I have a stamp across my forehead that says I can save all dogs?  Who made me the "responsible"?  Just because I volunteer to save purebred german shorthaired pointers in Wisconsin, does not make me responsible for everyone else's problems!  My first priority are to shorthairs in Wisconsin's shelter system.  Adoptable dogs!  I don't need broken dogs!  The dude eventually just hung up on me, but not before dropping me a short, nasty email...so I let him have it back....who made me responsible for his problem?  Damn it.  Perhaps now you see why I don't have a real life anymore?  Ok, I assumed some of the responsiblity all on my own...but I'm drawing the line here.  If I can help an owner surrender I will.  If, after doing this for sheesh, how many years?  I know a dog is not highly adoptable, or even a little adoptable...why should I stick my neck out?  By doing so to save a dog's life, I could be endangering someone elses?  I am not a boarding facility, nor do I have time to fix a broken dog.  I know it's not the dog's fault.  But it's not mine either.  It's pretty exhausting, and never ending, and all consuming.  And if people don't want to hear what I have to say?  Don't bug me man.  Take responsibility for what you created!  Take care of your own dog.  Don't lay your problem on me and proceed to make me feel guilty about it too?  Ok, that's all, I'm done.  But I think you know what I mean?  

   

One by one...



Blizzard 2011

 Well, since I was here last, we shovelled ourselves out from a blizzard!  My dogs didn't know what to make of all those snow drifts well over their heads. 



Kirby works the Great Lakes Pet Expo

 Kirby got returned for attacking another dog in his adoptive home.  We did not have any problems with him in our foster home, we even worked him at the recent Great Lakes Pet Expo.  Of course he was always on watch!  Kirby leaves for his hopefully, last new home tomorrow.

I can't believe we still have Hunter!  He is an awesome boy.  He worked the show too! 

I have a Homeless Vets Rehoming project place interested to place a dog in one of their group homes to check out.  That might be a good option not only for the dog, but for the vets trying to get back on their feet...  something to be responsible for, to go home to, to keep them grounded to real life, is to have a dog!
 


Greta



Today we are pulling off another two GREAT SAVES!  Maureen is driving to get 7 yr old retired breeding momma, Greta from her breeder.  We are told she is a very tiny girl, nice disposition.  Let the potty training begin...

Our photographer, Peggy Morsch is on a road trip to bring home 9-yr old Dixie.  Save #2 for the week!  Yeah! 

We are no huge shelter organization.  All these dogs are fostered in our homes, one by one. 

One by one we get them out of shelters, figure out what makes them tick, find out what their adoptability factors are, let them rest up, perhaps toss a little training at them, always crate train and potty train them, and get them all vetted, cleaned up and ready for a new home.  It's our passion!  These dogs deserve that, rather they are a puppy with so much life ahead, or a senior with one foot on the banana peel.  It is, what it is...  And we do our best to do the best for them. 

9-yr old Dixie



We are riding high here in Wisconsin this week, since our Green Bay Packers took the Super Bowl!  It's a pretty big thing here.  They even let the kids outta school for a day and half in Green Bay!  In Wisconsin, we like our football team, our beer, and our German hunting dogs!  Ok, that's my perspective anyhow. 

So, on this very cold day in Wisconsin, two more dogs are saved.  That makes six this year so far, and it's only the beginning of Feb.  I have the first outdoor Super Rally of the year planned for May, location is not determined yet.  Before we know it the snow will have melted, the we can get back out there again to show off our dogs!   It's what we live for!

Things That Make You Smile...

Buried Alive

Ok, enough with the snow...  I'm so tired of being buried alive in snow, in darkness, in dogs, without a job, not knowing what tomorrow will bring me.  My back is tired of shoveling snow, thankfully my neighbor is addicted to his snowblower, and helps us all out, especially in the alley, where you have to stragicially place the snow, or it just gets in everyone's way.  I did rent 1/2 my garage to a car renter, for snow removal, and her car is burned under snow, behind some other guys vehicle but she's still helping out with snow in the alley, cuz I could have gotten another renter for shoveling, had she not screwed me on this deal.  But most the time the neighbor gets it done before the defunct renter shows up.  And then she merely text's me "it is, what it is".  WTH? That was not our deal.  Whatever...I'm not gonna complain.  

Cocoa

We were able to pull Cocoa out of WI shelter this week, and she looks pretty relieved to be out herself!  She needs some vet work, so I'm lining all that up, cuz her foster home is in MN, so I have different networks to utilize in that location. 



MI Lady




At the same time, we have another female we saved from MI shelter, in a foster home in Canada, with adopters fighting over her!  Everyone needs to chill.  The answer will come to us once all the potential adopters have been checked out! 

And we have a couple going home this week...MN Kirby made it home last weekend...looks pretty good to me!  

MN Kirby and his new buds...

Ripley (the Chicago pointer) goes home tomorrow, and so does Nikki, finally.  Owner surrender Axle has a looker and a visit to intro dogs in a couple weeks...so no matter what the weather, no matter what goes on from day to day, how buried alive I feel... there is always a dog or two needing me.  And thankfully we have volunteers to help catch the dogs, and dogs who need catching, by adopters who have open hearts and minds.

Off to shovel more.  Frees my mind...one might say.  tehe.

It's All Relative...

MN Kirby

The new year zipped on in without any fanfare for me.  Same ole same. Still need a job.  It's still cold outside, the heat bills are rising, the price of gasoline is rising, I'm using every blanket on every cold, drafty window in this house, to hopefully keep bills down.  But it makes me feel like a mole, like I'm living in a dark mole hole...which makes me also feel depressed.  Not a day goes by that another dog seems to find it's face onto my computer or another story into my ear via my cell phone.  Since I wrote last, ummm, December's "Foster a Dog for Christmas" deal worked out NICE.  We pulled in five new dogs in Dec, four are home.  Of course, not any of those folks want to foster a dog, because they adopted the dog of their dreams, but we did get some new blood, and so we can continue to bring in new dogs in this new year.  We got some pretty nice donations over the holidays to fluff up the check book to pay more vet bills, get more supplies, save more dogs.     



Chicago Animal Control Male

 More males...urgh...  OK, I do have a couple females that need us too.  I'm continually amazed by the folks that come outta the woodwork to save a dogs life.  And even more amazed at other rescue groups who dicker back and forth creating drama over a dog's breed, and why they can't or won't help the dog in question.  The way I see it, we are saving a dog here... do I look like I need addl drama?  If I have space and I have the money, and the adoptability factors are intact...well then, I'm saving the dog! 

I'm presently doggie sitting a couple for several weeks while their adopter is on vaca.  They are pretty easy dogs, and it brings me a couple bucks to help with the bills.  All the Christmas decos are put away, and Valentines looks like it came to town.  Cheers me, cut me some slack.  And you know it never ends.  I'll be seeking a foster home for this nice, older girl who's in prison in Michigan shelter, where they do not have a very long stray hold period.  If you can help, please contact me.

Christmas Eve

The holidays are all about friends and family.  Many years ago, I got hats for our service guys at Weller.  Dan P. wears his, but the other guy never did, so I got it back...the bahhumbug one I wear in this blog...  I love Dan and his family, he is one of those guys that can't help but cry when you cry, or hug you when your lip is quivering.  He knows.  He is a wonderful man, and I'm proud to know him.

And during the holidays, I try to get out and see as many friends, family and doggie people as I can. This year my dear friend Rebecca made picture ornaments for some of the other rescue dogs, and I have been out delivering them all week.  Everyone just LOVES THEM.  A true gift from the heart from yet another giving soul, who many, MANY times holds me up emotionally to continue saving dogs and heck, just SURVIVE!

There are surprises and dear friends and volunteers who come bearing gifts for rescue.  And a "new-to-us" computer is heavenly.  Peggy is our official WGSPR volunteer photographer.  She's also working on a fundraiser book, that I was proud to participate in.  So Peggy also brought me my photo.  It is the most beautiful thing, and the most precious of gifts anyone could ever give me.  When you are busy saving dogs, you are rarely thinking of photo ops.  But Peggy took the time to do that for me.  I so appreciate this...

And to continue my Christmas celebrations, I met with my old friend Judi last night for MEXICAN.  It's become our new thing, and I'm not complaining. We always gab the night night away. She is another one of my soul sisters, we can talk about ANYTHING, we can reminisce about omg....ummm, ok, I won't elaborate, but trust me, we have been places, done things, met folks in high places, well, you would be safer not knowing.  Needless to say, it's always a GREAT time when Judi and I can sneak away for some fun time.  I'm not sure what the rest of the holiday season will bring me, but I am praying in it is a JOB.  One with health insurance.  I'm not getting any younger you know.  So, I'm off to chill out, maybe crack some wine, watch Christmas movies...there isn't a dog out there to worry about today, thankfully.    http://santa-tracker.com/