Nutmeg, who is called Red Prince by his fosters, is a very sick boy today.  A couple days ago he ate an entire nylon harness…yes, the whole thing.  He seemed fine and had been eliminating little chunks of it the past couple days.  Up until last night we thought everything would work it’s way through.  Then he started getting very sick and vomiting.  He would eat mouthfuls of grass and just keep erping them up….over and over again.  Nothing would stay down, not even water.  This morning he wasn’t any better to a trip to the ER was warranted.

VCA Northwest Veterinary Specialsts/ER Hospital is his current location and  Dr.  Amanda Veach is at the helm.  She saw a very sick boy today.  A boy who is usually much perkier and will at least look up at you with those beagle browns.  Not today.  Today he is extremely dehydrated and has that look of “someone get me a bucket…quick!”   His tummy is all sucked in for some reason, exposing his ribs as if there’s a vacuum inside there.   Dr. Veach recommended the following:  Blood tests, IV fluids, and an ultrasound…..but first…..a trip to the front desk to pay a $1,067 deposit, the low end of the estimate.  If the ultrasound reveals a blockage caused by one beagle eating a harness…the estimate jumps to $3,500.  OUCH!   We paid the deposit and now we wait.  Meanwhile, Nutmeg is outfitted with a heart monitor and an IV pump and fluids begin to flow.  Hooray…at least the dehydration issue will be resolved.  For a moment, I thought his two wonderful fosters were going to climb into the ICU bed with him…but they just wanted him to know they were there and told him softly he’d be alright.  I did the same.

An hour later we got the call.   It is confirmed that the blasted harness is wadded up and stuck in the opening of his stomach where it empties to the intestines.  To make matters worse, there is an attached long piece that got thru the opening and is hanging a long ways down into the small intestine.  Poor Nutmeg is on the surgery list for late this afternoon.   Poor Nutmeg….damn that harness!  Some of the hardware passed thru him, but not the bulk of the harness itself. Drat!  Why, oh why do beagles do this stuff.  I guess because….they ARE beagles!

Supporters…we need you now.  Nutmeg needs you now.  We are faced with a $3,500 bill that we didn’t have yesterday and that is a hard pill to swallow.  Together we can help Nutmeg!

We just got a call from the surgeon and Nutmeg got through it ok!  He had quite a wad of harness and string (?) in his stomach that was wrapped around the stomach and intestines cinching them all up together.  They had to cut his stomach open and also his intestines in two places.  He tolerated anesthesia and surgery well.  He will remain in ICU tonight and possibly tomorrow while they try to see if he can hold any food down.  Your good thoughts are still needed  

Their story

9 Beagles and 4 rabbits living in filth, thirsty and hungry.  They wait and wait for help as hope fades.  When the authorities finally were able to confiscate all of them, their first call was to CBR to reach out for help.  How could we not?  We exist to help these very souls.   Our coordinators met another one of our volunteers at the shelter to meet the group of 9.  They were in various conditions and ages.  None of them were spayed or neutered.  Some were starving.  There are 4 girls and 5 boys.  Five of them tested positive for Lyme Disease, but all are negative for heartworm..thank you very much!

There is a lot of legal paperwork that has to be done before we can legally take claim to them.  That was all completed late into the wee hours on 1/30/13.  It was touch and go for a while because there was a process that had to be followed in order for the dogs to be released to us.  The accused had to sign them over.  If he refused, there would be a court case, legal proceedings and delays.  The worst part is that unless they were signed over, the dogs would have to stay in the shelter until the entire legal case was over…which is an indefinite amount of time.  He was supposed to report to the shelter 1/30 to sign these sweet Beagles over, but he didn’t show.  He said he would, but he didn’t.  Animal Control Officers did not give up…they tracked him down late into the night and got the needed paperwork.   So, we are happy to say that these 9 sweet souls are now CBR dogs!

Here is what we need to help them!

Veterinary care/surgeries/vaccinations/microchips – estimated cost for all 9:  $2,000
Transport expenses/supplies – estimated cost: $1,800 (includes kennels, air, ground, etc)

Folks, we understand this is a lot…but they’re worth it.  If you can help, even a little bit, it will make a huge difference in these Beagles’ lives!

Thank you!!

PICTURES COMING SOON!!!

Newly arrived at our new home, barely four months old ourselves, my sister and I were taken to a nearby pet shop to have our picture made.  It did smell nice there and people loved us. The truth is, we were scared to death and behaved poorly. We couldn’t help but notice two Chihuahuas at this same photo shoot. They behaved like angels; their owner called them ‘Therapy Dogs.’  We heard that twice a month, they visit patients at a local hospital.  Their Mom told ours that the patients love it. Mom decided to check our People and Animals Love (PAL); she learned that we must be a year old to join.

In our early days, we were shy and unsocialized–we didn’t know better.  Once Mom decided that PAL would be good for us, we had some time to work on our social skills. So, she signed us up for School.  Now, I have to tell you–the best thing about going to school is all the treats the teacher has; the smellier, the better.  One special time–slow baked pork liver; I drool just thinking about it.

In the beginning, my sis Grietje was mostly hiding under tables. She is shy and a bit nervous, more like her Dad, a Pointer.  I am more the Beagle-character of my mom, not so shy.  Why, I’d do anything teacher asked, earning me the rightful name–“Teacher’s Pet.”  More classes, great treats–in class, and at home every day. Soon we were that magic number One for PAL.  Mom took me to the introduction meeting–just me, not Grietje.  We felt she still was a bit too shy.

So, on a mild morning in Spring, Mom and I drove to the ‘Army’s Retirement Home.’  (I’d had a dreaded bath the night before, but felt clean and shiny with this new day.)  The winding road left me a little carsick, but we arrived in time for a little walk and fresh air.  Mom and I walked to the check-in desk; I immediately noticed a whole pack of dogs and owners.  I let them know right away that I was there; giving a little grrrr.  (The Pal people later told my Mom that I had to be a little less outspoken.) We all showed off our basic manners–sit, down and stay.  One dog did amazing tricks, like dancing!!  He even faked his own death! Boy, was I impressed!  Then, we started on the real work.  We met some older men, most of them in funny chairs with wheels. The only thing I needed to do was to be friendly—not hard, I’m a Beag.  I had learned to make eye contact, so who wasn’t going to fall in love with my big, soulful, brown peepers?!  And, they loved my floppy, silky-soft ears.   Shall I say that I passed with flying colors?!

Next step was for Mom to choose a place we would visit regularly.  She found a home for older folks in our neighborhood, so I wouldn’t get carsick.  For this regular visit – with five other dogs – we just went from room to room for a chat, a hug, and a look into my beautiful eyes. The staff really liked us, too. They told Mom that people are healthier and happier when exposed to pets–especially dogs. I like to add, “especially beagles, especially me.”  I love my new life.  Making people happy, and me getting treats. Maybe someday, Grietje will give it a try. I’m so happy we met those Chihuahuas.

Love, Hansje

“Hello?  I’m calling about my Jack Russel.  She jumped out of the car and we lost her.  Her name is Sadie.”  I assured her Sadie was fine and safe and that she could come and get her….”Oh, and you might want to get a collar and ID tag on her!”

I’m home now after a long day and I’m hungry!  Time for lunch/dinner combo.  But I will rest knowing little Sadie is safely back home tonight!

AROOOOO,

Beagle Slave

Through the months he became more and more comfortable with his Portland foster mom, Denise Sproul (me!).  River received gifts from Vicki Sommers, who is a long time supporter and owner of The Pet-Boutique.com.  Donations poured in from others in almost every state to help us cover the thousands of dollars in vet bills.  He has his own crate, his own bowl, and his own bed…and, well, anything else he wants.   We worked on house manners, potty training, and we’re still working on his case of seperation anxiety which is not the worst we’ve seen, but it’s there.  I honestly think it’s more of him having abandonment issues than anything.

Last week, two of CBR’s extraordinary fosters, Sydney & Kate, contacted us wanting to adopt River!  Wow!  I never thought the day would come.  They would be the absolute perfect home for him.  I packed his bags, his bed, some food and treats and delivered him to the waiting arms of these compassionate beagle lovers.  Odie, their other beagle, greeted him with  a welcoming tail wag.  We decided we would officially call this a short-term foster rather than an adoption to see how it went due to their work schedule keeping them away from home for long hours.  I wasn’t sure this would work for River only because of that one issue…but maybe…just maybe.  River managed to steal their hearts and soul with his adorable face and his gentle spirit…but as predicted, he was not settling in as we had hoped.  He was pacing, howling, confused about where he was.  It was hard on Syd and Kate and River and all of us.  When I picked him up, there were tears all around….I held him in my arms and told him it would be ok.  Kate and Sydney waved goodbye, brokenhearted.  I  told them they could come and visit him any time.

When I got him back to my place, all of my resident beagles aroo’d with joy and encircled him, all tails wagging.  It brought tears to my eyes…their “brother” came back and all was right with the world.  River ran around the yard checking to make sure all of his favorite spots were still there, then he did the same inside the house.  I brought his bed back in and he flopped down in it and took a long nap.

I picked him up and whispered in his ear…”Welcome home, honey.  You have been adopted.  By me.  Forever.”  I got to move him from the “Adoptable” category to the “Recently Adopted” category and am smiling!  Today we will have ice cream.

Bugs is a real character who wags that tail of hers as if she knows you.  Sure, her lifetime of neglect may still show through if you really look for it, but if you look into her eyes you will see her soul…if you dare.  Once you do, she’ll be yours…guaranteed.  She is a happy go lucky girl who is ready to move in with you and show you what a beagle is all about.

Beagle lovers, Bugs needs you today.  She needs to find her perfect fairy tale home and we’re asking each one of you to share this post with the hopes that her journey will finally end up in someone’s living room in a big cushy bed.  Can you help us find Bugs a home before her hopes diminish?  To view her entire adoption profile, please click here.

Arooooo,
Beagle Slave 

The next morning  Mara proceded with the usual routine.  Betty’s  vision was clear, her meds were given and off to work she went.  When she walked in the door after work, she noticed that Betty didn’t come runing but was sitting there tilting her head as if trying to listen…a coping technique common in blind dogs.  She dropped everything and ran to Betty, placing her on the bed to see what was going on.  She tried moving a cookie back and forth in front of her eyes.  No response.  She tried the menace response test.  Nothing.  Then Betty walked right off the edge of the bed and fell.  Through tears and sheer panic, Mara managed to reach Cornell and they said to bring her in.  We were devastated to learn that at some point both retinas had detached causing permanent blindness.  How could this be possible?  Were they sure?  Could it be a mistake?  Unfortunately, no.  It was all true.  Betty is blind.  Forever.

Mara and all of us at CBR have been in utter shock and disbelief and have shed many tears.  Tears for Betty.  Tears for Mara and Jimmy..and just tears of sorrow for the situation.   If you are reading this, you are probably holding back the tears too.

Sometimes when we think we are on the right track, we aren’t.  You see, the plan for Betty was to be flown to Portland, OR after she was fully recovered, for adoption.  Little did we know that Mara and her entire family had fallen deeply in love with Betty and every time they imagined her leaving it was as if someone punched them in the stomach.  Mara says she simply could hardly breathe thinking about it.  Although we asked her several times throughout this process if she was still OK letting her go, Mara held back her true feelings because she was trying to convince herself that Betty was to be her “foster dog”, not her adopted dog.  Bravely, she pushed forward, helping Betty through surgery, recovering, and now helping her learn to be blind again.  How could she not be attached to her by  now?

The day we found out her retinas had detached, we received a very, very long and heartfelt email from Mara.  In a nutshell, she asked if there was any way she could be “considered” to adopt Betty.  She revealed how much she loved her and always has loved her and how she just simply couldn’t let her go.  At this moment, Betty was home from Cornell but Mara was still at work.  She spent her entire lunch hour in her car sobbing.  We told her that OF COURSE she could adopt Betty, but we wanted her to discuss it with her husband and make sure it was what they wanted.  After all, they had two other special needs beagles.  It was only a few minutes later when we received another email with the following message:  I sent Jimmy a text saying I get sick to my stomach everytime I think of Betty leaving us and Jimmy answered back, “Me too.  She belongs with us.”

When Mara got home from work that night, Betty was waiting at the gate, tail wagging and wiggling.  She picked her up and held her and spinned in the yard telling her how much she loved her and that she was HOME.  FOREVER.

In the same day, we went from tears of sorrow to tears of joy.  We now realize that Betty got to actually see the only person in the world who truly loved her.  Mara was the first and last person Betty saw with her eyes.  But now she sees with her heart…as does Mara & Jimmy Burns.  A huge heartfelt congratulations to Betty for finding her forever home that was right in front of her the whole time.

Below is a short video of the first time Betty saw Mara after surgery.

Arooo,

Beagle Slave

The estimated cost for this surgery is $2800-$3000.  If you are able to contribute for Ripley’s surgery, he would be sooo greatful!

Special needs dogs are….special!

If someone were to ask you if you would consider adopting a special-needs pet, you might shake your head and say with genuine regret, “I really admire people that adopt them, but I just couldn’t do it”. If this is the way you feel, I understand, because I used to feel the same way. But seven years ago, when I allowed myself to finish reading the posting for a blind shelter dog named Duncan, my life changed forever.

Duncan was the cutest beagle I’ve ever seen. He was tiny, only 12 pounds, and had the longest, silkiest brown ears. His head was cocked to one side and his big brown eyes were looking straight through me. I froze when I saw the words, “SPECIAL NEEDS”, in bold, at the top of his description. My hand hovered over the mouse but I couldn’t look away this time-I just had to know about him. As I read his description, thoughts buzzed in my mind. Perhaps you have the same reservations that I did back then.

“Will we have to make modifications to our home?” That depends on the needs of your pet, but could certainly be a possibility. Duncan quickly showed us just how “normal” a blind dog can be. Things we never thought he could do – go up and down stairs, find his water and food bowl, navigate through the house without help, and play with other dogs – he did with ease. We did make modifications to our house, but they were minimal. We learned that it helped Duncan if we didn’t re-arrange the furniture too often, and we pushed in our chairs and put our shoes away so he wouldn’t trip over them. We bought stairs for our couches and beds so it was safe for him to climb up and down as he pleased. He constantly amazed us at his ability to adapt, even when we traveled and were staying somewhere new to him. Nothing seemed to faze him.

“What if I can’t handle their special needs?” When we decided to adopt Duncan, I will admit that I was scared. I’d never adopted a special-needs pet before and I didn’t know what to expect; at first I felt alone. I never imagined that I’d make so many new friends when I adopted a special-needs dog. Thanks to technology, you’re never alone! There are many online support groups, and I happened across a blind-dog owners group and decided to join. I got great tips from fellow members, and it was comforting to share stories with dog-lovers who understood my situation. When we took Duncan out for walks, if someone stopped to pet him, I would explain that he was blind. Their reaction was almost always one of surprise-surprise that he looked and acted so “normal”. I found that I enjoyed telling people his story, and answering any questions they had. For a shy person like me, it was a way for me to come out of my shell. I had many friendly conversations with strangers when I had Duncan with me, and I’d like to think I may have planted the seed in their minds to consider adopting a special-needs dog as well.

“Will it be expensive?” Depending on the pet’s disability or medical situation, it could involve an increased cost of care (special food, medication, additional vet appointments, for example). You should do your research into a pet’s condition so you can be prepared, as much as possible. As part of Duncan’s care, we took him to an eye specialist called an Ophthalmologist. Although a specialist is more expensive than a regular veterinarian, these appointments were necessary to monitor his eyes, as blindness can lead to other complications.

“Will caring for them take more of my time?” The answer to this question is probably, yes. If the pet needs medication, extra time needs to be allotted during your day. This may be an important consideration if you travel often or have children. Depending on their needs, the pet may extra care, such as help with eating, or additional time given to go potty. A special-needs pet depends on you solely for their care and it is a responsibility that should not be taken lightly.

Adopting a special-needs pet is not entirely without sacrifice. However, the reward that comes from those sacrifices is a precious gift, and one that will change you forever. The bond that formed between Duncan and I was immeasurable. He needed me, and I loved that feeling. I was his voice, his advocate, and I took that very seriously. When we were met with an obstacle, we made it through together, and he made me so proud that I felt my heart would burst. Through our challenges grew a great love. Without words, Duncan thanked me every day for saving him. When I was having a bad day, one look at him and the challenges he overcame on a daily basis filled me with humility. I am a better person-more patient, more thoughtful, more “whole” because of him.

"Oliver" – CBR Alum – Auto Immune Hemolytic Anemia

Duncan was not with us for nearly long enough. His loss was devastating. But we carry his legacy within our hearts. After Duncan passed away, my husband and I made the decision to always have a special-needs dog in our home. Our current pack includes blind Charlie, and Oliver, who has an auto-immune disease called Auto Immune Hemolytic Anemia; both through Cascade Beagle Rescue. There are challenges, but I would argue that could be a possibility for any pet. As with people, you never know what will happen – disease, accidents -over the course of someone’s lifetime. Sometimes people ask me, “How do you do it?” And to that I say that all I have to do is look in my dog’s eyes. They are looking at me, they need me, and the truth is, I need them just as much. I consider their care to be a small price to pay for the gift of their love. I am honored to receive the love of my dogs.

If you do find yourself considering a special-needs pet, I urge you to take that leap of faith. If you have a little extra time, money, and love in your heart, there is always a cute face waiting for someone like you. Special-needs pets are often the first pets to be euthanized in shelters. The theory is that most people don’t want “broken” pets. Blind dogs, deaf dogs, dogs with medical conditions or abnormalities, don’t go as fast, or at all, and shelters can’t keep them all. It breaks my heart when I think that Duncan, Charlie, and Oliver would have certainly met that fate if they were not rescued. To me, they are beautiful, and just as deserving of a loving home as any other dog. They’ve all taught me life lessons that have enriched my world and touched me in ways I can’t even put into words. Will adopting a special-needs pet change your life? Absolutely. You will never be the same, and trust me, you wouldn’t want to be.

To inquire about some of our special needs beagles, please contact us at:  adopt@cascaderescue.org

A huge thank you to Kristen Gose, CPA  & Partner –  Anderson Group, Certified Public Accountants!  Kristen has prepared CBR’s tax returns, including federal and multiple states, since the beginning and has done an excellent, professional job for us pro bono.

Kristen has been in public accounting for over 15 years. She is managing partner of the firm. Kristen grew up in Corvallis and earned her B.A. in Business Economics with an emphasis in Accounting from UC Santa Barbara. After starting her career in Santa Barbara, she returned to her hometown in 2002 to join Anderson Group.

Kristen is experienced in a wide variety of industries, and enjoys working with both individuals and businesses in meeting their tax and audit needs. Kristen is a member of the Oregon Society of CPAs and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. She also serves as the Treasurer for Leadership Corvallis.

She enjoys being active in the community and spending time with her husband and her two young children.