Oct 27, 2014

BCSP Report – Week 42

October 13-19, 2014 (written by Marilyn Neville)

Winterized your kennel and dog house yet? Stuffed that house with fresh straw or wood chips?

Are you tired of replacing your kennel roofing [or don’t you use any]? Want some “long term” and practical solutions to keep your dog dry, shaded, and protected from wind?

This is the time to get-er-done and do it right: before it gets colder and more difficult to make improvements.

Those of you who must kennel your dogs: do you use a tarp for a roof or wall-windbreak?

Are you tired of replacing rotten or torn tarp or tired of your tarp leaking water or ice water on your dog below?

I had had enough of the “low solution” tarps and the labor and cost to replace them. I was sick of the predictable gapping and filling of rain water that would then drip into the kennels or turn to ice overnight during the winter months.

Billy Minter was volunteering here when I complained of the tarp roof on one of our kennels. He asked me to pick up for some metal barn roofing, 3” screws, 3”x ¼” bolt sets, a 1 x 4, two 2x4s and a 4×4. Then he attached a roof to one of my troubled 10×10 kennels.

It worked so well, even with snow build up, that the next fall I attached a roof on another kennel all by myself. Collecting the supplies and installing took about 2 hours of my time.

IF I can do it you can too!

Cost effective: no more shopping time to replace tarp and tarp straps, no more replacement labor of tarps two to three times a year. No more caved in roofs. No more water dripping in the dog pens.

No more worries.

To see how we did it get on our FB page and see our posted examples.

For a 10 x 10 kennel get roofing 12 feet long so you have a foot extra cover front to back and make sure you have enough sheets to get a foot overhang on each side as well.

Make a SLANT by having one end braced with a 4×4( I used two 2×4 pieces) and a 1x 4 on the other end with a 2×4 in the middle section. These should be 2” wider than your kennel to accommodate extra hangover coverage too.

I anchored the lumber by drilling through my boards and through the kennel’s pipe frame. Then I bolting them using ¼ size bolt sets. I screwed the two 2×4 boards on the high end with 3” wood screws after I bolted down the support board. Bolting them keeps strong winds from shifting the roof.

Both my small kennels sit on Pavestone Company block. That block sits on 2” of ½” minus gravel which is framed with 4×4’s donated to us by Marble Hill Lumber (Thank you so much Marble Hill Lumber!!!).

I purchased extra roofing to lay against the sides of the kennels during the winter for a more secure wind break and to protect the tarp I use to wrap around ½ to ¾ of the dog kennels. The dogs tend to become bored and will try to pull the tarp through the wire at the bottom so the metal sheets work a double duty as a windbreak and tarp guard.

The Missouri Department of Agriculture was here a few days ago and wrote me up with a $100 fine for not completing the sealing the outdoor kennel floors which have plain cement or block floors. My excuse is that when we tried to reduce the numbers here, there were always cases that we could not just offer solutions, but needed to step up and take them. I then have more work, less time in the day and nowhere to move the dogs to group them while finishing the pens. I currently have three empty pens thanks to the EPIC foster program and adoptions. Now I have little time to complete requirements before it is too cold to apply the sealer material..

I realize no one is perfect, especially me! However, if you can get motivated to winterize your pet’s house and or kennel, don’t wait until it is too cold or we get hit with an early snow storm when your pets will suffer the most.

I don’t see the logic of sealing an outdoor kennel floor when the dogs are not exposed to diseased or possibly diseased new arrivals. Those new dogs are put in isolation pens or handled with special protocol to keep from spreading disease. I do it because I am forced to do so whether it is expensive and time consuming or not.

We all know the logic of keeping our pets dry and as warm as possible. It is part of basic pet care, simple to accomplish, reasonable cost, and the right thing to do.

I could use more volunteer help the next two-three weeks to get these tasks completed. If you want to help call 573-722-3035.

Accepted strays and relinquished dogs (Facebook FB):

… … FOUND 10/6/14, Marble Hill Town and Country Store: female German Shepherd mix that was running thorough store’s automatic doors while I was shopping there late afternoon. FB

Adoptions, return to owner or placed in other rescues:

… Fleetwood Mac, Pit mix red youngster, former MH stray, donated to an Illinois group who train dogs to be therapy or service dogs. IF he doesn’t work out he will be returned.
FB

… Treats: Great Pyrenees and Hound mix pup went to Villa Ridge Illinois family, he electrician, she receptionist for a medical office.FB

… Clarabelle Hovis: adopted by foster family with small kids in Marble Hill.

… Male Great Pyrenees from Opossum Creek Rd, Marble Hill, was returned to owner.FB

… Female Pit, black rings around both eyes (stunning dog) was returned to owner. FB

… Boston Terrier male that was missing in Madison Co has been returned to owner.

… Beagle and Heeler type female posted on FB from Advance was returned to owner.

Cat calls:

… FREE, ten cats: age 1 year, all spayed or neutered house cats, litter trained. Well cared for, call 573-495-2033

… FREE, three long hair tabby kittens: one dark tabby semi long, a white with tabby, and a black tabby with white, age 6 months, spayed. Call 573-495-2033

Dogs with Heartworm (HW), Erlichia, special needs, or that were euthanized:

… None.

Calls requesting assistance for dogs we did not admit:

… LOST 9/28/14 Greenbrier/Zalma: male Great Pyrenees, distinct markings on lips and around eyes, plush coat, 18-months old. Keeping this dog is stealing. Please return. 573-321-0104 or 573-820-5020

… FOUND 10/16/14 Co Rd 620 near Arab Station: black with “blue” on chest/ feet. FB

… FOUND 10/17/14 Arab Gas Station: female blk and tan Chihuahua type possible mx

… LOST 10/10/14 north 51 about 5-6 miles from MH, on Co Rd 834: resembles a black and tan coonhound, 5-yr old purebred Doberman, long ears not cropped. He is a family pet for 9 kids. Please help us return him to his kids.

… FOUND 10/8/14 on PP 1 mile from FF: White male Chihuahua or Rat Terrier type mix.

… LOST 10/8/14 on Hwy 51, 3 miles from 91 Junction: Rat Terrier Hound type mix, medium sized, female marked much like a Beagle with large patches call 891-0259.

Miscellaneous and contact info:

We had 48 dogs at our home 10/20/14.

21 pets returned to owner thanks to FB postings. Join us on FB and be part of the solution to return to their homes or re-home strays and unwanted pets.

Do you have cute outfits for your pet for Halloween?  Please share on our FB page.

Need help to find your pet? Do you have a stray camping out in the yard? Don’t wait, call us at 573-722-3035 or email photos at ace@clas. net.

Please, when you shop at Buchheit Farm Store in Jackson, donate some money for the Pounds for Paws promotion this month. You can also donate at the vet office, Coop in MH, and on Pay Pal on our website and FB. THANKS for your support!

Please be advised that the Bollinger County Stray Project is not the county or City of Marble Hill dog catcher. When you have a stray we try to help and can usually offer solutions.  Patience is required of the caller towards our ability to find and implement a solution. I wish we had a magic wand but we don’t and can’t always help the callers in a manner they may demand of us.  Remember, we are volunteers and help as time and space allows.  

Donations needed to help with cost of sealing outdoor kennels to Missouri Department of Agriculture standards. Depending on how much the brick soaks up the surface application, our costs are estimated from $2,500 to $3,500 to complete.

Stray Project monetary donations accepted at the Marble Hill Coop. We purchase de-wormer and other supplies at the Coop and donations are greatly appreciated.

Offer a stray water on day one and food day two or three. Call if missing a dog or if you have a stray. We don’t always have room but we may have a solution to help you and the stray.

Dumping dogs is a form of abuse and against the law. Please report animal abuse or neglect.

Please do the following when your pets are expecting or caring for a litter: offer any pregnant dog small-breed-puppy-food the final 1-2 weeks before delivery and while the pups are nursing. Give those mothers all the food they want: bowls full all day and lots of fresh water available all day.   Cats need kitten food.  Free feed the higher calorie food during the nursing stage to help mom make milk and maintain her own body mass.  Babies need to be de-wormed as young as 1-2 weeks, then every 7-10 days until age 10-weeks or older if in a confined environment with re-infestation concerns.

We LOVE Buchheits!  Donate a buck or more at the Jackson store for dog food and supplies when you shop.  Or, you can donate here directly to “Pounds for Paws”.   Also, Second Time Around in Marble Hill is takingdonations for the Stray Project. Monetary donations are accepted at the Bollinger County Veterinary Service, Marble Hill Coop, Buchheits, and the MHTown and Country.

Thank you to the County Residents who have continued to support the Bollinger County Stray Project. 

Check out our available pets at Petfinder.  Call 573-722-3035 about our adoptable pets.

If you suspect an animal is being neglected or abused, call the Humane Society of Missouri Animal Cruelty Hotline, 314-647-4400 or 800-383-9835 or you can make a confidential report on line at Humane Society of Missouri.

To understand when an animal is being abused or neglected in the state of Missouri read the following link:http://asci.uvm.edu/equine/law/cruelty/mo_cruel.htm