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Paws in Print

May 2005

Golfers “Par” for Pets

The 6th Annual Golfing for the Animals Golf Tournament was a great success! On Friday, April 8, fourteen teams played eighteen holes at the Brookhaven Country Club.
Many businesses and individuals sponsored holes at the tournament. We appreciate you all so much. Our sponsors are listed here.

A total of $6,180 was made for the animals. Half of this money goes towards vet bills and animal upkeep while the other half goes into BARL’s building fund.
Special thanks to Shirley Johnson for again doing a fantastic job at organizing this fundraiser, and thanks to Ronnie Ross at the Brookhaven Country Club.

Look for the 7th Annual Golf Tournament next Spring!

Beth Adcock

Dogs and Cats

(The letter below has circulated on the Internet for long enough that its original author is unknown. We present it here with sincere appreciation to the unknown author.)

Dear Dogs and Cats:

The dishes with the paw print are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Please note, placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Beating me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn’t help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is not a secret exit from the bathroom. If by some miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge and try to pull the door open. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years–canine or feline attendance is not mandatory.

The proper order is kiss me, then go smell the other dog or cat’s butt. I cannot stress this enough!

To pacify you, my dear pets, I have posted the following message on our front door:

Rules for Non-Pet Owners Who Visit and Like to Complain About Our Pets:

1. They live here. You don’t.

2. If you don’t want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. (That’s why they call it “fur”niture.)

3. I like my pets a lot better than most people.

4. To you, it’s an animal. To me, he/she is an adopted son/daughter who is short, hairy, walks on all fours, and doesn’t speak clearly. Dogs and cats are better than kids. They eat less, don’t ask for money all the time, are easier to train, usually come when called, never drive your car, don’t hang out with drug-using friends, don’t smoke or drink, don’t worry about having to buy the latest fashions, don’t wear your clothes, and don’t need a gazillion dollars for college–and if they get pregnant, you can sell the children.

Unsung Hero: Carole Bennett

(The following story appeared in the Brookhaven Daily Leader on April 29, 2005, as part of the Unsung Heroes section of Focus. It is reprinted here with their permission.)

Carole Bennett's community and church involvement draw the praise and admiration of her fellow residents.

Bennett is the wife of the Rev. Gene Bennett, rector of Brookhaven's Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, and within her church family is recognized for her superb vocal and organizational talents.

“She is a dependable and talented member of the adult choir and an assistant with the children's and youth choirs,” one person who nominated Bennett wrote. “She is an active member of the Episcopal Church Women, working tirelessly in all its endeavors.”
The nominator called special attention to Bennett's hard work in editing the church's recently published cookbook and preparing food for the church's Mardi Gras Gumbo supper.

Bennett also was instrumental in founding the Angel's Attic thrift shop, run by the Episcopal Church Women.

"Angel's Attic was Carole's brain child," the nominator wrote. "She worked to get it established and volunteers her time several days a week in sorting donated items, stocking the ship and clerking when the store is open. She has been instrumental in seeing that the profits from the store have been shared with many worthwhile organizations in the community."

In addition to Bennett's volunteer efforts associated with her church, she participates in a number of community activities.

She serves on the boards of the Brookhaven Trust and the Brookhaven Little Theatre, for she is directing the this season's third play.

Bennett also is a member of Matinee Musicale, with which "she generously shares her beautiful soprano voice in performances for the community," her nominator wrote.
Bennett has recently begun to volunteer for the Brookhaven Animal Rescue League–no surprise, her nominator says, as "she brings her joy and love for all of God's creation to everything she does."

Happy Tales

Be a part of the “IN” crowd...the few, the proud, the adopters!

Send us photos of your family with the precious pet you adopted from BARL and we’ll run the photo in upcoming newsletters. We love to see photos of happy pets with their happy families. Have you had your BARL pet a month, a year, 5 years? It doesn’t matter...we want to hear (and see) your happy tails!

Rusty and Beth Adcock adopted Daisy (on left) a year ago and added Marmaduke to the family in the fall. Both dogs are black Lab mixes which are the most common type of dogs BARL takes in. Rusty and Beth own the Country Fisherman in Brookhaven.

Money: Where does it come from...where does it go?

Money. Something a non-profit group often doesn't have! Over the years at the Brookhaven Animal Rescue League we have compared our bills to our income and come out crying. It takes so much money to provide quality care for animals. We've sold everything from cookbooks to bug spray to chances on a doggie Easter Basket. Anything we can sell to make a dollar for our animals. We hold fundraising events...celebrity dinners, pet photos with Santa, and Rabies clinics. We send out quarterly newsletters pleading for dollars to keep BARL up and running. And last, but certainly not least, we send out dozens of grant applications. Last year alone, BARL applied for twenty grants. Most of these grant applications aren't a one page item–most applications run at least 15-20 pages. Of these grant applications, we received funds from eight organizations. There are so many worthy organizations requesting funds from the same groups. We were blessed to have received this grant money. So what did we do we these funds?

First and foremost we implemented a spay/neuter program for low-income families. As part of this program BARL spayed and neutered 460 dogs and cats in our community. These were companion animals that were already in homes. Add this number to the BARL dogs and cats that were spayed/neutered in 2004, and the League was responsible for spaying or neutering a total of 530!! How awesome is that!!! We are working hard to put an end to unwanted litters of puppies and kittens.

Another portion of this money went to vaccinate every dog and cat the League accepted. All League animals are current on shots when they go to their new families.
A portion of this money was allotted to BARL's heartworm prevention program. BARL gives monthly heartworm preventive to every dog it houses. This is an expensive program but a necessity in Mississippi. In this area up to 45% of untreated dogs can be heartworm positive, a potentially fatal disease.

The League has no paid employees. Volunteers do everything—answering phone calls, bookkeeping, handling adoptions, photographing animals, mending fencing, ferrying animals to vets’ offices, giving medicines, even scooping poop. We are proud of how far we can stretch precious donation dollars. Over 90% of BARL’s budget is used directly to provide care for the animals.

The need is great. If you can help, we welcome your donation.

Beth Adcock

No Leaping Lizards: Getting Control of Your Dog’s Jumping Problem

Do you find it necessary to lock Bouncing Bowser in another room before inviting in friends and relatives so their clothing remains intact and their hips and wrists remain unbroken? Do you walk Raucous Rover at odd hours of the day and night to avoid meeting another living soul on the sidewalk? If so, it sounds like you have a jumping problem.

Jumping problems are most often found with adolescents (dogs 6-18 months old). Toy, terrier, and sporting breeds such as Italian Greyhounds, Poodles, Jack Russells, and Labrador Retrievers are notorious jumpers. And belligerent, dominant dogs such the Rottie that puts his feet on your shoulders to better stare you in the eye or the Pit Bull that uses you like a basketball backboard also cause jumping mishaps. Dogs jump up because they want to get closer to someone’s face.

For most, peak jumping behavior is observed around the high points of your dog’s day — mealtime, your homecoming, walk time (you pick up the leash and the bouncing begins), out on the walk itself, and when friends and relatives come to call. This problem can be solved by calm, consistent training. The proper amount of exercise for your dog’s breed type is of great help, too! Lack of exercise results in out-of control whirlwinds who lack the ability to focus.

What to do: Since a dog jumps in order to solicit attention and to get nearer to your face, when you see him rev up to leap, say “No, off” and turn away from the dog. Removing your attention (a reward to the dog) is a gentle, effective way to correct the dog. As soon as he has settled either with four feet on the floor or in a sit/down-stay, turn back around, drop to your knees, and quietly praise the dog.

• Give the jumping behavior a name, so you can turn it on and off. At my house, it’s called “leapin’ lizards” but “paws up” or “feet up” can suffice. Teach your dog how to jump up on command, then add “no” as in “no paws up” to let the dog know when you don’t want him to jump up.

• More importantly, give the dog something else to do. Obedience training is a strong plus when trying to get a jumping problem under control. A dog holding a sit or down-stay is not a jumping dog. When attempting the sit or down-stay, avoid pushing, shoving, flapping your arms or other fast, excitable movements. Use a lure-reward method rather than physically manipulating the dog. Avoid raising your vocal tone or whining. All extra movements and excited vocalization will incite the dog. Here is a situation where the old Bauhaus motto, “Less is More,” really applies.

• To aid the dog in holding his sit or down when visitors arrive, put him on a leash before opening the door; this way, you have a means of control at your fingertips.

• For an unfocused bouncing maniac, give him just enough leash to do a sit or down-stay and step on the rest. When the dog attempts to move, he will correct himself. (This may not work for a 100 lb. person with a 200 lb. dog, but it works well for most handlers.)

• Be consistent. Never let the dog jump up without being directed to do so. A dog cannot distinguish between dirty, old blue jeans and a designer suit. He cannot tell which days it is okay to jump on you by what you are wearing or what the weather is like. (“If it’s cool and dry and I’m wearing my jogging suit, jump away. If it’s raining and I’m wearing my white Chanel suit, don’t you dare lay a paw on me!”)

• Be consistent with strangers, too. Do not let someone confuse your dog by stopping you in midcorrection by their crooning, “It’s OK, I just looove dogs,” while kissing and stroking your dog and rewarding him for his misbehavior. There is nothing wrong with not allowing people to pet your dog unless he is on a stay command. Guests to your home are no exception. Warn them beforehand. (“I’m training my dog not to jump up unless commanded. I could really use your help. Please don’t pet him or even acknowledge him unless he’s holding his stay.”)

For the Slow-Learner, jumping set-ups are in order. On a week-end or vacation day, arrange for a friend, neighbor, or relative to ring your doorbell every 10-15 minutes for a couple of hours. Each time, put your dog on a leash, command him to down or sit-stay, and open the door and greet your visitor. Sometimes giving the dog a distinct place, such as a small foyer rug, helps him to focus on his job (go to your place and lie down). Your visitor can give your pup a treat or a tickle if he is behaving, but should ignore him if he is not.

Once the dog is under control, the visitor leaves, only to return again in another 10-15 minutes. This goes on until Rover understands that his job is to stay put until he is told to do otherwise.

What NOT to do: Remember that your dog is your friend and companion. There is no need to knee him in the chest, hit him on the head with a children’s book, squeeze his front paws ‘til he is frantic (this often leads to mouthing), or step on his back feet — solutions you may come across in out-dated literature. By teaching him the acceptable behavior and rewarding him for carrying it out, you become the fair, humane leader every dog needs.

© ASPCA 2001

Grey Boy’s Tale

I would like to take this opportunity to tell a story. There was little food, a place to call home and the possibility of anything better just wasn’t there. I was lost and thrown away. I was older and scruffy looking, so people tended to judge me as not very good to have around. I wasn’t the friendliest thing either. I hadn’t had a lot of reason to trust anything or anybody.

I did, however, notice that there were a few people that were determined to help. I noticed one gentleman in particular and a blonde-haired woman that seemed determined to get involved with my situation. The man actually would bring leftovers from his lunch or supper. The lady always managed to sneak in bi-weekly snacks and spent a little time to talk about the weather or such things.

I still didn’t want to be a bother, so I avoided the contact that they wanted with me. However, as time went on I realized that they just wanted to be my friend.
As it turned out, I eventually gave in to the desire for other company. The meals became more regular, and I submitted to helping hands.

During my time on the streets I had gotten heartworm disease and a bad skin disease. Another nice lady sponsored my heartworm treatment, and now I have a family of my very own. I am healthy, happy, and belong. I have been called “Brother,” “Schultz,” “Old Man,” and finally answer just to “Grey Boy.”

I am a dog and I thank my Creator of all things Great and Small for the people that have been and are still involved in my rescue. Thanks for the Brookhaven Animal Rescue League for saving my life and the volunteers that have taken me into their lives.

Jan Allison

Heave Ho!

If you haven’t heard, BARL has begun the construction process on their new building. We just recently completed the dirt work needed to start the building. Many thanks go out to Roger Dale Herrington for getting the ground work laid for the new facility. It took some kind of dirt, too. But, it looks like we’re getting somewhere now.

We still have such a long way to go, though. Toward the end of the summer we should be able to start working on getting a slab laid. Between now and then, our plans are to get the water and sewer to the front. Also, we will be coming to a consensus on the final layout. Then we will be able to have the plumbing laid out for the slab to be laid.
The volunteers at BARL can’t begin to thank our donors enough. To date, we’ve received $40,000 for the building fund. Only through your generous donations and participation in our fundraisers have we been able to accomplish what we have. We still need to raise $135,000 to fully complete the shelter we need. Together, this community will have a top-notch shelter for these homeless animals.

Remember…spay or neuter your pet.

Thank you.

Rusty Adcock