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LET’S GET READY TO RUMMMMBBBLLLEEE.
I hear the dump trucks in
the distance. Trucks with dozers will be here soon. Can you guess why?
Yes. BARL is about to get
the dirt work started on the new facility. Our executive committee has
approved the expense of moving dirt in for the foundation. Once the
dirt is packed in good, we’ll get the plumbing laid out. After that,
it’ll be time for that most important part…the firm foundation.
Excited is an understatement
for how the BARL volunteers feel at this point. The need for a new facility
has been so great and so needed for so long. Now, through the wonderful
donations over the past several years, we have the money to get the
foundation laid for this facility.
Our vision is that once we
have this foundation set, we’ll have some momentum going to push a fundraising
campaign into top speed. That is when our generous community will come
to our aid and get us to the point we need to be. By the way, that point
where we need to be to complete the facility is about $125,000.
So, please keep BARL in mind
when you’re wondering what you can do to help the community. Help BARL
become a better place so BARL can better help those unwanted animals.
Thank you.
Rusty Adcock, Treasurer
Protecting
Pets from Heatstroke
by Dr. Brigid Elchos,
D.V.M.
Heatstroke affects humans
but affects pets much more often. If heatstroke isn’t prevented, pets
may be seriously injured or killed from exposure to extreme heat or
the inability to cool themselves fast enough. This condition can happen
in as little as 10 minutes in a hot car, like when dogs are left in
cars "for a minute" while someone runs in for milk and remembers
a few other things they have to pick up. Even if the car is left in
the shade the animal can get hot enough in 10 minutes to be near death.
When an animal is unable
to cool down faster than it is getting hot, cells in the body begin
to lose function and can die. If an animal’s body temperature is 106̊F
or over and it is panting, then suspect heat stroke. Act quickly at
this point because if the body temperature reaches 107̊F to 109̊
F, permanent cell damage and ultimately organ damage occurs. Signs of
heat stroke include intense rapid panting, wide eyes, salivating, staggering
and weakness. If the heat stroke is advanced the animal may collapse
and become unconscious. The longer an animal’s body temperature is above
107̊ F the less likely it is to recover.
Treatment
Treatment of heat stroke
is aimed at immediately reducing the elevated body temperature. Immediately
take the animal to a veterinarian, if possible. If it will take more
than a few minutes to get to a veterinarian, wet the animal down with
cool water, making sure the water gets down to the skin and is not just
running off the coat. Do not use ice baths because you want to bring
the temperature down slowly. Monitor the animal’s body temperature rectally,
if possible. Wet the belly and the insides of the legs. Run cool water
(not cold) over the tongue and mouth.Rubbing alcohol can be used either
alone or after the water bath to wet the ears, legs, and chest. As alcohol
evaporates quickly it takes heat away from the body. Stop cooling the
animal when the rectal temperature gets to be 103̊F and take the
animal to the veterinarian. It is important to provide this initial
care quickly, but it is not enough—head to the vet quickly.
The veterinarian will give
the animal additional treatment, such as fluids, oxygen, and steroids
to help the pet’s cells fight the internal heat damage.
Risk Factors
There are many factors that
increase an animal’s risk for heatstroke. Although sweating is a means
of dissipating heat, some animals sweat a lot but others sweat very
little. Dogs lose very little sweat and rely on panting to lower body
temperature. Panting is not very good for cooling though and can actually
raise the temperature in a small space. The expiration of a dog has
a temperature of about 102̊ F and 100% humidity. Heavy fur coats
of some breeds of dogs increase the risk of heatstroke. Short-faced
breeds such as Boxers, Pekingese, Pugs, and Boston Terriers are also
at higher risk for heatstroke. Other factors that increase an animal’s
risk for developing heat stroke include: water deprivation, enclosed
space, excessive humidity, obesity, exercise, age extremes, heart disease,
previous episodes of heat stroke and lack of acclimation to a new environment.
Heat strokeoften occurs in the early summer months before pets become
used to higher summer temperatures, especially after heavy exercise.
Prevention
The good news is that heat
stroke can be easily avoided. The following tips will help prevent heat
stroke in your pet.
- Never leave pets in cars
on warm days
- Exercise during the cool
part of the day
- During warm weather, clip
the coats of dogs with thick fur
- Always provide animals
with plenty of fresh water
- Try to maintain your pet
at a healthy weight
- Rapid breathing, loud
panting; or staggering may indicate heat stroke
- Professional help may
be needed, but in the meantime quickly get the animal to a shady ventilated
area, and sponge off with cool water
- Transport the animal to
a veterinarian as quickly as possible
Brigid Elchos is a State
Public Health Veterinarian with the Mississippi State Department of
Health and serves on BARL’s Executive Committee
Volunteers
Needed
Do you ever see photos of
BARL animals and think "I’d like to help the animals, but I can’t
adopt an animal now"? Well, you can do something. There are dozens
of tasks needed to care for our resident animals. We need volunteers
who would like to do what we do: help find homes, educate the public
about spay/neuter, care for the animals, clean the pens.
Volunteers are needed for
bimonthly medication days to give medicines, clean water bowls, spread
gravel, mow the grass, scoop poop, socialize the dogs, and so on. It’s
not glamorous work, but you get to play with the animals.
Do you have a fenced-in yard
or an open pen? BARL animals frequently need special attention while
recovering after medical care. You could be a foster parent for a few
weeks.
Love to talk on the phone?
BARL volunteers man the League cell phone on a rotating basis. You could
help take calls and answer questions.
Are you a good organizer?
Every BARL event needs someone to coordinate the activities, sweat the
details, and keep everyone organized.
Or maybe you’d like to take
on a special project. Several of our dogs have been at the League for
months. They are shy or afraid or have been abused and don’t trust people.
You can choose one dog and work with him or her—give Irvin treats, try
to pet Beau, just talk to Vinnie. You can work with the animal on your
timetable.
We need people who want to
become leaders in the community as volunteers in our organization. We
need people who are fearless about asking for money for our animals
and are not afraid to throw themselves into a sometimes frustrating,
but alway rewarding cause.
A volunteer sign-up sheet
can be downloaded here. Look it over, find your niche, and sign
up.
Unsung Heroes: Ed and Jan Gove and Stacy Walker
(The following story appears
in the Brookhaven Daily Leader on April 30, 2004, as part of the Unsung
Heroes section of Focus. It is reprinted here with their permission.)
Ed and Jan Gove and Stacy
Burgess Walker have a soft spot in their hearts for animals. But as
volunteers for the Brookhaven Animal Rescue League, they are quick to
turn credit of the good things done at the facility away from themselves
and on to the countless other givers.
"There are so many other
people who do the hard work," said Mrs. Gove, who along with her
husband has provided a canine facility for many years for BARL.
However, many in the community
tend to agree that the Goves and Walker deserve a pat on the back for
their efforts.
"The Brookhaven Animal
Rescue League would not exist without the efforts of Jan and Ed Gove,"
according to one nominator.
"They (Goves) have devoted
many hours each week for probably the last 20 years in rescuing, caring
for, and finding homes for unwanted dogs and cats. Because of their
hard work, many animals have been saved and placed in homes where they
are loved and return that love," said another nominator.
An additional nominator wrote,
"Stacy is deeply involved in two organizations in the Brookhaven
area—the Brookhaven Animal Rescue League and the Junior Auxiliary. She
has successfully held leadership roles in both organizations. I can
personally vouch for her willingness to go beyond the call of duty in
rescuing animals in distress."
The three admit that they
volunteer in all of their community projects out of sincere love.
"We love animals and
want to help strays," said the Goves.
"The two things I am
most passionate about are children and animals. Through Junior Auxiliary
and the Brookhaven Animal Rescue League, I am able to be involved with
both," Walker said.
Along with being a homemaker,
wife, and mother of two toddlers, Stacy is the first vice-president
for Junior Auxiliary and on the Board of Directors for the Lincoln County
Mississippi State University Alumni Association.
In years past, she has participated
in the King’s Daughters Medical Center Ladies League, Lincoln County
Chamber of Commerce Competitive Community Program, United Way (division
chairman), and Parents for Public School (past publicity chairman.)
She is a member of First
Baptist Church where she teaches Mission Friends and is on the Wee Care
Committee.
She enjoys playing tennis
and looks forward to becoming actively involved in her children’s classrooms,
PTAs, and other activities when they start school.
She is married to Dustin
Walker. Their children are Alice Anne, 4, and Gatson, 2.
The Goves, who are members
of Faith Presbyterian Church, are the parents of five—Jay Gove, Dianne
Pittman, and Bruce, Brian, and Kim Gove. They have four grandchildren—Jonathan
and David Pittman, and Madison and Robbie Gove. They are the owners
of Hartley Gove Sons, part of which is largely set aside to house animals
until they can be placed in new homes.
Besides helping with BARL,
the Goves are actively involved with French Camp Academy in French Camp
and Chamberlain-Hunt Academy in Port Gibson. Their hobbies are model
railroading and camping.
In the future, as funds become
available, they hope to assist in building a fine animal shelter.
A
Tail of Success: Adopting Stumpie
On Sunday evening, May 2nd,
I received a distress call from my friend Connie Kennedy. She and her
family were at a local eatery where they spotted a badly injured young
dog limping around the parking lot. Upon close inspection, they discovered
that the dog’s left hind leg was dangling at an odd angle, swollen,
bleeding, and totally unuseable, but apparently the dog was in no pain.
Connie and her daughters, Taylor and Laken, bravely agreed to take the
injured dog to the safety of their home for the night.
Early Monday morning, after
medical evaluation at a local veterinary hospital, it was determined
that the severity of the injury made it necessary to amputate the leg.
If the poor dog did not have enough problems, a heartworm test was positive
… both very expensive treatments.
With the financial assistance
of three anonymous sponsors, the surgery was performed and the dog,
minus one leg, returned to Connie’s home for foster care. Only a few
days passed and Stumpy was firmly enscounced into the hearts of each
member of this wonderful family.
"Even through Stumpy
has only three legs, he still wants to be beautiful and loves to be
brushed. He also is quite fond of popsicles, especially green ones!
We all love him, even the cats," reports Connie.
We salute Connie and her
family for their bravery and compassion and for welcoming Stumpy as
a permanent member of their family.
A big thank you to the Kennedys
for helping to make our League’s efforts gratifying. We cherish happy
outcomes such as this one, and we’ll continue to work topward making
our community a better place for our citizens and for our innocent animals.
Susanne Sandifer
Fancy
the Supermom
Soon after a BARL volunteer
began fostering Fancy and her five kittens, the League got a call about
four orphaned newborn kittens. These babies soon joined the foster home.
After a few days bottle feeding the littlest ones, the volunteer tried
slipping one of them in with Fancy’s litter. Then another one. Finally,
all four. Fancy didn’t miss a beat. Although she was badly malnourished,
weighing only about six pounds, Fancy nursed nine kittens, only five
of which are her own. All the kittens have now been adopted, and Fancy
has permenantly joined her foster family.
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