Animal Talk/News

Toward that end, Fran and I recently dropped in to the Dawg Haus over in the Eastgate Shopping Center on Tusculum Blvd. to make an appointment. We wanted to insure that Deanna and Rhonda would be able to handle our two miscreants without sedation. As it is, all of our brood are already heavily into catnip and we don’t ever want them to graduate to the “hard” drugs. They’re hard enough to handle as it is.

Prior to the big day arriving, I had to minutely plan each step of how I was going to get the two little monsters into their carriers. If they had the slightest inkling that they were going to go to the groomers, the task confronting me would have been impossible. Knowing Winston would be the worst, I decided to leave his carrier in the kitchen. To fool Oliver, I’d just resort to lying.

Up the carriers came and sure enough, there was Oliver standing in the entrance to the sun room. “And just who is going to jail and what did they do?” Oliver demanded to know. “No one did anything.” I responded . Then in a much quieter voice I added, “Winston and Jennifer are going to the groomers.” Of course Jennifer heard that and was off like a pocket rocket under the sofa. Oliver just chuckled. After getting Winston from the bedroom, I deposited him, kicking and screaming, into his carrier. Then, as Oliver was rolling around on the kitchen floor laughing at Winston, I scooped him up and before he could turn his head, he was in his carrier. Oliver lunged at the carrier door. They both crossed the line and their mother told them that if they kept acting in such a manner and using foul language then she’d just never come pick them up. That did the trick. I’m only glad Deanna and Rhonda didn’t hear that remark.

Of course when they returned home the two of them were absolutely gorgeous! The girls made me feel so good when they said that neither of them had been a problem (even though I knew they had to be lying). When released, both cats, wearing the most adorable bandanas imaginable, took off with Big Winston heading straight for his food bowl in the bedroom and Oliver for parts unknown. Within an hour, Oliver had forgiven us. It did take Big Winston a day and a half before he waddled across the bed to his normal spot but now he too is back to his standard routine.

I learned long ago that the aroma of grilling and the promise of “cheap eats” always attracts even more folks so, to capitalize on last year’s success, we’ll be offering BOTH breakfast and lunch! Because the economy’s been so rough of late, we’ve held down our prices, too. Yep, in the morning we’ll be offering piping hot ham and/or sausage biscuits along with fresh coffee and even juice to start your day off right. From lunchtime on, we’ll have our world famous flame broiled hamburgers/cheeseburgers with all the fixin’s and of course hotdogs along with chips and soda. And since we don’t want people to wait anymore in long lines we’re going to have two grills running!

Just think, you don’t even have to worry about whether it’s gonna’ rain or not as it doesn’t matter because everything’s inside! This really is a golden opportunity for you to have that yard sale you’ve been planning but haven’t got around to because all of the hassles. For more information, just call our own yard sale expert, Linda Gail Kirk at 639-9151 and she’ll fill you in on all the details.

It’s really going to be a huge event as well as a marvelous way, whether you’re selling treasures or hunting for them, to help our animals. Just so you don’t forget, please go mark your calendars now!

All of which begs the question, “What type of human being could subject any animal to starvation or death from thirst?” Despite wanting to call such poor excuses for human beings “animals,” I refrain simply because I believe it’s a huge insult to the four legged variety. These idiots are often the very reason for our having to expand our jails and prisons. Simply mind boggling not to mention so very unnecessary.

To learn more about this program and how you can help, please call our Low Cost Spay Neuter Clinic at 639-7949 and one of our staff will be pleased to explain the particulars

But we are so very proud of our Facility Manager Amy Bowman, her Assistant, Wendy Palmer and all of our volunteers and Meritan employees who worked their tail ends off this past weekend in case we would have been needed to help animals who belonged to evacuees. Because any dogs we might have had to take in may not have had their vaccination records with them, Amy was frantically hunting a Veterinarian to assist us in this potential emergency as our own Vet, Dr. Barbara “Bobbie” Hodges was herself out of town. This was no small task given that last weekend was a holiday weekend. But as he has done countless times before, Dr. Doug Woolsey made himself available and said we could call him at any time should his services be necessary. Doug is certainly a treasure but then agin, many of us have known that for a long time.

While Amy was conducting her hunt, Wendy was marshaling our volunteers while along with our wonderful Meritan employees, cleaning and stacking food bowls, blankets, pet carriers, containers of pet food and a lot of other necessities, not to mention even some pet toys, should a worst case scenario occur.

Now with Hannah scheduled to probably hit the South and/or North Carolina coast either last night or this morning and Ike beginning to pose a more serious threat, we remain prepared to assist animals suffering as a result of these storms, should the necessity arise. I think this week’s column especially, highlights the importance of your continuing support of our efforts by documenting our commitment to assist animals in distress, even those that are forced to flee to our area.

Yet again, we thank you for your wonderful and continuing support.