BCSP Report – Week 8

Eight pups were dumped one mile from Highway 51 on Highway E along side of a green abandoned hunting cabin.  These pups look to be from two litters but their teeth are those of 5 to six week old babies. Three clones of the black and tan smaller pup were already dead. The five small pups look like Fiest's, squirrel dogs. The others look like Lab or Rottweiler mixes.   One of the larger female pups is black and tan and two other large pups are black. Call 573-722-3035 if you know who had owned or dumped these puppies. 

Eight pups were dumped one mile from Highway 51 on Highway E along side of a green abandoned hunting cabin.
These pups look to be from two litters but their teeth are those of 5 to six week old babies. Three clones of the black and tan smaller pup were already dead.
The five small pups look like Fiest’s, squirrel dogs. The others look like Lab or Rottweiler mixes. 
One of the larger female pups is black and tan and two other large pups are black. Call 573-722-3035 if you know who had owned or dumped these puppies.

February 17-23, 2014 (written by Marilyn Neville)

This week I am donating my time as a rescue volunteer in the memory of William (Bill) Wright of Zalma. Bill was my closest neighbor, just up the hill going towards Zalma. He lost his battle with cancer just as the storm hit Zalma on Thursday and hail pounced on his roof. This handsome man had a powerful and delightful singing voice and a smile that will not fade from the memory of his friends.

Saturday night was Bill’s wake, Sunday his funeral. I told Edith, his wife, I would see her either day depending on whether I had any emergencies with the dogs.

I walked in the house to prepare to leave for the wake and checked caller ID for new messages. One had come in from Tammy Beck, another from Mary Ann McCain and her sister Katelynn Wheetley. They were calling about a group of puppies they found beside and under an abandoned cabin on Highway E, about a mile from the junction of Highway 51.

The tone on the phone was of urgency and despair. “We found at least three dead puppies,” 17-year-old Katelynn said. “There are at least 5 more but some are under the house, and we can’t get to them.”

“Could you take the puppies? They are so weak and one may be dying,” she continued.

Katelynn called her father who picked her up with the two weakest puppies. Her sister Mary Ann would ride her horse and pony Katelynn’s by the reins about two miles. I would meet them at Tammy Beck’s house and test the pups for Parvo before taking them to our home.

They were Parvo negative. The two pups in Katelynn’s arms were less than a pound each. They were so dehydrated and boney. She wondered if they could survive.

“I have never lost a starved pup or dog,” I told her. “I can save them.”

They were so cute: black and tan with an extra long muzzle. Teeth were as long as a typical 4.5 to 5-week-old. They could be 6-weeks. I was not sure. I had the IV bag, formula, feeding tube and experience. I knew I could save these babies.

When the horses were put up we piled in my truck. It was already getting dark, after 5:00pm. I would need a flashlight and fortunately had one in the Silverado.

When we pulled up to the abandoned cabin I noticed that the driveway did not show any signs of recent tire tracks on the grass. A metal gate closed the drive so the person or two families who dumped the pups had to park “in the open” and walk to the cabin to dispose of the pups.

I wondered if they felt the least amount of compassion for the pups while they made the trek to the old green cabin. Did they plan to starve them to death? Did they think the pups would find their way to Highway E and stop traffic, leading to their rescue?

Did they plan for the babies to die? Think nothing about them or care about their fate? Are they of the mind that they can drive by that spot on the highway and not give a care or thought again about the litter of five and the other litter of three [that they would unload and walk away from]?

What kind of people were they?

As we walked up to the house an old box spring lay in the yard, no cloth, just wire and frame. In between the coils lay tangled the body of a matching tiny baby, an apparent sibling of the two already rescued. On the east side of the cabin laid another littermate, facing to the east, about 6 feet from the cabin. She had crawled as far as she could then dropped from exhaustion and dehydration. She succumbed to the environment and empty belly.

“Next to this puppy’s body is where the weakest pup had laid,” said 17-year-old Katelynn. “I wish I could find out who did this to them.”

Yes… what kind of person is it that can walk away from such young babies…?

Mary Ann and Katelynn pointed out the spot of the third dead puppy. It had died under the house directly under the porch door. It laid spread across a rock with plenty of room to move to a more comfortable location, apparently too weak for another struggle over a minor hurdle. Maybe the rock pushing on his belly took away some of the cramps of hunger. Maybe the cold night and cold rock took him faster by freezing him to death.

Three lab mix pups remained. As I reached into the pockets of which they were hiding the girls stood holding thick blankets to wrap them. No one would get bitten. Unlike the two smaller pups that were already rescued, the three Lab pups were terrified, thinking we were there to hurt them. They had little fight left in them and once wrapped, they submitted.

When I got them home they all received IV fluids, a B-12 shot, iron shot and were dewormed a half-the-regular dose. Then they were fed a small amount of ProPlan Puppy food mash with raw egg yolk.

Every two hours until 2:00am they were fed again and the three weakest received another IV.
Sunday my day was consumed with the litter. I would miss Bill Wright’s funeral too. I gave two more IV’s to the weakest. The rest were already thriving, wagging their tails when they saw me.

By 11:00am I told my husband I was unsure the weakest little girl would survive. I thought she might be shutting down. By 1:00 I was fairly sure she was leaving me. By 8:00 her heavy laden breathing and dull dark eyes were asking me to end her suffering.

IF you know who it was that refused to call me to take their unwanted litter or litters please call 573-722-3035. It is so simple to just call us. We have several resources to take pups as young as these were. There was no excuse for what was done to these little pups: none what-so-ever.

Accepted strays and relinquished dogs:

… Eight puppies dumped: this week’s report story.
… Yellow Lab and Golden Retriever male named Dexter, age 2: owner lost her home.
… Black Lab mix female from Bloomfield area.
… Husky type mix, pet of the week last week, with a foster family.

Adoptions, return to owner or placed in other rescues:

… Louise EEE Anna, Beagle Min Pin mix: in EPIC Program, Cape Girardeau, adopted by her foster famiy. See our FB site to read about her and the EPIC Program. New owners are a Lawyer family with two small children.
… Jolee aka Sandi, Australian Shepherd female, going to fly with volunteer pilot Tim Winters, half way to Oklahoma City. Owner is age 82, grandson lives with her and son will take ownership should his mother become unable to enjoy her pet at home.

Cat calls:

… FREE kittens age about 8 weeks Hwy B area.
… 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, Erlichia, special needs, or that were euthanized:

… One: see report story.

Calls requesting assistance for dogs we did not admit:

… Two dogs need homes, age 1 and 2, owner in nursing home. Pit/Boxer mix and Malamute mix daughter. All spayed.
… LOST 2/17/14 Co Rd 238 and Hwy K: tall, yellow neutered young male, 4 white legs.
… LOST end of January, male beagle Brian Hagler 768-0008
… LOST first of February Palmore Church on H: two mix breed malamute dogs, white faces, gold coats, wearing red or blue collars.
… LOST 2/6/14, near Arab Stone on Hwy 51: Heeler/Lab mix male, chain and dog.
… LOST 2/6/14 was 8-9 wks old, OO and 51- 3 miles: black Lab male puppy.
… LOST REWARD 2/4/14 Co Rd 710 south of Zalma school: Black, tall, slim, German Shepherd and Lab mix neutered male, might be wearing a collar / tag for St. Louis area.
… Three dogs from Patton area, disabled owner’s home burnt down. Owner: please call

Miscellaneous and contact info:

We had 48 dogs at our home 2/24/14.

Dumping dogs is a form of abuse and against the law. We want to find out who dumped the two litters of pups who are the main subject of today’s story in this report. We either accept or find other rescues to take young puppies in hours to 3 days from the call in most cases. Young puppies are in high demand in the rescue world because most callers prefer puppies, thinking older dogs are harder to adjust to a new home. Actually older dogs are easier to train and you already know their temperament and personality.

Please report animal abuse or neglect. Please help us find out who the dog owners were that dumped these two very different groups of pups at the same location on Highway E, about a mile from the junction of Highway 51, south of Zalma.

Coyotes are mating and lots of dogs are missing. This is typically a season that dogs are killed by coyotes and you won’t find leftovers. They will kill any size dog. Please assist any strays that come to you for help.

Cats need shelter too. Deworm to help them so they cat maintain a layer of fat to help keep them warm. Supplement with the best quality food you can afford. Many of the cheaper foods can cause urinary problems in some cats. Dog food is especially dangerous to feed cats often causing stones which can lead to death. Dog food has a lower protein and fat level than most cat foods too, and it not otherwise nutritionally adequate for cats to thrive.

Please give your pet shelter with 4 sides and a roof, liquid water and food to maintain body weight and heat in this cold.  Shelter needs proper bedding to keep pets warm.

Please do the following when you 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 dewormed 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.

Offer strays water on day one and food day two or three. Call if missing a dog or you have a stray.

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

We LOVE Buchheits!  Donate a buck or more at the Jackson store for dog food and supplies when you shop. Also, Second Time Around in Marble Hill is taking donations for the Stray Project. Monetary donations are accepted at the Bollinger County Veterinary Service, Marble Hill Coop, Buchheits, and the MH Town 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.