Naming a Pet

I adopted 'Murmur' from the shelter in 1999.  He had a patent ductus arteriosis (PDA) that could be heard as a murmur through a stethoscope.  Hence the name. 

An adopter named her dog Shi Thead.  Now if you take away the space....You get the picture.  When I talked to her about it, she told a story of a young man named Shi Thead and she liked the sound of it.

Then we had a dog that was missing half of its fur due to flea bite allergy and he received the moniker-Itchy.

Then there is Cocoa or Hershey for brown dogs, or Velvet for black dogs.  My dad named his dog Boozer because he loved to lap at a beer.

A young boy, about five years old, wanted to name his dog Bark.  He found it amusing that a tree was covered in bark AND it was the sound a dog made.

Then there are the names I don't care for:  Demon, Chaos, Trouble, etc.

But one of my more memorable moments occured when I was walking my dog when another dog came charging at us.  A huge man was running after the dog yelling for 'Precious'.  When he caught up with the dog he was quick to say, "It's not my dog, I'm watching her for a friend."

October 23, 2023

It might seem crazy, but I've already decided on my retirement date.  I know people who are retired and see how much they are enjoying life.  Not that I'm not enjoying my life.  I just want to enjoy it on my own schedule. 

How much fun would it be to volunteer at an animal shelter rather than work at one?  As Executive Director I have plenty on my plate.  Often, I will wake up in the middle of the night and make lists in my mind of my priorities for the week.  It never includes taking the shelter dogs for a walk or playing with the cats.  Sometimes I will have a shelter dog in my office but then I feel guilty if I take time away from my work to take the dog out for potty breaks or stop to pet it and give it treats.  I know I shouldn't feel guilty because, after all, animals are why I do what I do.

So why do I feel guilty, and why have I set my retirement date?  Because I never feel like I have enough time.  All of my work needs to be perfect.  There are goals to make and meet.  Should I be having fun while I work?  Absolutely!  Should I look forward to more fun?  Absolutley!  So, I have something to look forward to in a big way.  But for now, I have a grant to apply for, paychecks to sign, a fundraiser to prepare for, and so forth and so on........

Beautiful Day for a Walk

Imagine yourself walking through the woods with leaves crunching beneath your feet, the smell of freshness all around you, and a rescue dog walking by your side. 

Remember, October is adopt a dog month and we have many wonderful animals for adoption.  If you are not in our area, then visit the shelter in your area.

Archie 3 Mice 0

Archie, our newest employee (housecat/mouser), is doing a good job.  So far he has dispatched 3 mice.  As a humane society employee I feel a little pang of guilt.  But as a former registered nurse, I am also concerned about health concerns related to mouse droppings and the spread of disease.  Plus, it is a cats nature to hunt.  No wonder Archie sleeps all day!

Longtimer of the Week

 

Cherokee and Sugar Bear are sisters.  They were surrendered by their owner at six months of age on June 20, 2012.  They were very shy when they came to the shleter and not socialized.    Becasue they are timid and unsure on themselves were are recommending them to an adult family.  They have been going out on runs with staff members and having been enjoying meeting new people. Won't you give these shy, little girls a chance. They have been here for 115 days!  Help them find their new forever home.  They are spayed and  up-to-date on their shots.  You must meet them in person to see how cute they really are.

Adopted!

14 year old Baby Bushy was adopted today.  I'm happy about it on many levels.  On one level I'm happy because I know how difficult it is to find homes for elderly dogs.  On another level, I'm happy because I did not have to take her home!  Every time I looked at her I thought about it.  She was deceivingly active and very loving.  I'm not sure how my dogs at home would have felt about another addition to the family and I kept delaying bringing in my dogs to meet.  Apparently I waited long enough.  Whew!

The Mooch

We have discovered that our newest co-worker is a mooch.  It isn't possible to eat anything, even yogurt, without him trying to mooch food for himself.  He has a bowl full of food, plus he gets a can of wet food every day, but he still wants what anyone else is eating.  Yesterday it was my salad!  And it was just vegetables with vinegar and oil! 

I'm going to write to Miss Manners and see how she would handle a mooch.