OES in Kill Shelter in Charleston WV.--URGENT
Hello, My name is April Coleman, and I’m a volunteer for Dog Bless, a rescue advocacy group for the Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association, a high-kill shelter in Charleston, WV. I’m writing about an Old English Sheepdog named Oscar, who’s 4 years old. I’ve been working with Oscar for a little over a week and am the liaison with his former owner’s sister. I apologize in advance for the length of my email, but I feel it’s vitally important to relate what facts I know in order for you evaluate Oscar’s potential for rescue. The following is background information and history of how Oscar ended up in the shelter. In March, 2009, he was adopted by a couple from a pet shop in Pittsburg, PA. Oscar was 4 months old, and quickly became the apple of his parents’ eye. He was raised in a country setting in Follansbee, WV, growing up a big house and a large yard with plenty of room to romp and roam. His “person” was the wife, and from all accounts he was spoiled rotten. The husband was a minister and they had no children. Almost a year to the day Oscar was adopted (2010), the wife became suddenly ill and passed away. Oscar went into mourning, but gradually pulled out of it and became best buddies with the husband. He was groomed regularly by a local lady, learned basic obedience, and was crate trained. He appeared to be happy and well-adjusted. In 2011, Oscar’s dad became ill and had to have his leg amputated. He found himself on disability and was wheelchair bound. He was forced to move from the parsonage where he and Oscar resided. His sister stepped up, and found him a place close to her home near Charleston, WV. She related that Oscar had always been “picky” about who touched or handled him, and seemed “temperamental.” He had, on occasion, growled at people, didn’t seem to care for children, and wasn’t well socialized. She said her brother dealt with this by crating Oscar as soon as people visited, and letting him out when they left. Anyway, he and Oscar ended up moving into a small house with a tiny yard. The sister said he didn’t seem to be happy and didn’t adjust well to his new environment. She said her brother continued to have the same groomer take care of Oscar, and paid her to drive an eight hour round trip on a regular basis. Unfortunately, in the early fall of 2012, the lady could no longer travel to Charleston, due to family issues and illness. Sadly, he wouldn’t allow his dad to brush or groom him, and when a friend tried to muzzle him and help, Oscar bit him. Further efforts to groom Oscar came to a halt. This brings us to about two weeks ago when Oscar’s dad died suddenly and unexpectedly. His sister was faced with trying to find somewhere to place Oscar on a Saturday afternoon. Her initial plan was to board him, and she actually made arrangements with a local veterinary hospital on the day of her brother’s death. She was unable to find anyone to transport Oscar, and a neighbor suggested she contact the Humane Officer, which she did. The Humane Officer arrived and was able to load Oscar into the truck. However, the vet’s office had closed by the time all of this was accomplished, and Oscar had nowhere to go for the night. The Humane Officer suggested the animal shelter, and without other recourse, the sister agreed. I can honestly say I’ve never seen a coat in such terrible condition as Oscar’s. It was matted, and huge chunks of fur were evident all over his body, He appeared miserable and hot, and was grumpy and growled at shelter personnel. They were, however, able to feed him and carry out daily care without incident. He was transported to a local vet for his rabies shot and vaccinations, as the shelter was unable to find an area on his body to administer the injections. I took Oscar to my vet last Thursday, who’d agreed to shave his coat under general anesthesia. It was a difficult process. Oscar was obviously terrified, and did try to bite anyone who approached him. Finally, we were able to sedate him, and shave his coat. I’ve attached before and after photos to give you an idea of the transformation. I’ve continued to work with Oscar daily, walking him, and turning him loose in a large area next door to the shelter. I’ve been trying to get a handle on his temperament, and allow him to settle a bit before actively pursuing rescue. Obviously, his entire world has been turned upside down. He’s happily let me handle him and touch him without a warning growl or any type of resistance. He heels beautifully, knows sit and stay, and goes in and out of his kennel willingly. He tries to half-heartedly herd me, nudges my hands to pet him, and gives me kisses. Last Friday, the day after his grooming session with anesthesia, he bit a shelter worker who walked up to him and vigorously rubbed his head. The wound was minor, but the skin on his hand was broken. The worker didn’t require medical treatment, and we attributed the incident to Oscar still being somewhat groggy and irritable. Other people had handled him besides me that day without any problems, and he seemed basically ok. Today, after walking him, I sat with him in the shelter lobby, being careful not to let anyone who he perceived as a stranger touch him. However, a lady walked in and unexpectedly approached him, and tried to pet his head. Oscar reacted by biting her on the index finger, drawing a small amount of blood. There were two tiny puncture wounds. The lady was upset with herself, saying she knew better than to pet a strange dog – and I was upset with myself, for not being hyper-vigalant. As you can imagine, the shelter personnel were extremely upset and had her complete a form and documented her name. He’s now been officially labeled as a “biter.” State law requires that Oscar be quarantined for 10 days because of the biting incident. I fear greatly that after this time period he will face euthanasia. The shelter will NOT actively pursue adoption to the general public. I’ve contacted the sister and she is aware of the gravity of Oscar’s situation. Although I have no personal experience with the Sheepdog breed, I feel that Oscar could be easily worked with and rehabilitated with minimal effort. He appears to be anxious at times (paces at intervals) and somewhat fearful (seems bothered by loud noises and strange objects), although he tries to hide it. He doesn’t lunge or behave aggressively without provocation. He seems to be fine with other dogs, and has no interest in cats. He loves his toys and treats, and doesn’t seem to be a resource guarder. He’s been neutered, and is up to date on all of his vaccinations, including 6-1, rabies, bordatella and worming. I had him heartworm tested when he was under anesthesia, and it was negative. He weighs approximately 98 pounds. Prior to the shaving he weighed 102. He appears to be slightly overweight and is in need of exercise. His teeth look good with minimal amount of tartar. His skin is in wonderful condition, with no areas of infection or redness. His eyes and ears are clear. He displays some tenderness of his front left paw, and the sister states “it’s always bothered him.” There’s no obvious injury or deformity. No pull fees would be involved, and I’d be willing to help, or work with you on transportation. I know Oscar could be a wonderful companion to the right person. I am desperately trying to place him before he’s deemed as vicious and unadoptable by the shelter. Thank you for considering Oscar for rescue. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or need further information. April Coleman Cell: 304-206-7003 april@congodreams.com Dog Bless Promoting Rescue Advocacy at KCHA Charleston, WV www.dogblesswv.org |
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| Thank you, Karen for posting - I'm April, and am desperately trying to find placement for Oscar. Please if anyone can help, feel free to contact me by phone or email. |
| That is really sad. I hope Oscar will be okay. I worry about if something happened to me what would happen to my muppets. I told my Mom to contact my breeder for sure and perhaps go on here and get help. Poor Oscar to lose both owners.  |
 I hope somebody gets him quickly. He has had some major life altering changes in such a short time.  Wish I were closer and could help. |
| I am close and would help transport to any rescue interested in Oscar. Just PM with any details. Thanks Karen for passing this on. |
| We are fostering a girl that came from a family where she lost her person and the wife did not want her. She was a train wreck after losing her person and spending time in a shelter. I have a couple scars from her lashing out from fear, but all you had to do was look in her eyes and you knew her bites didn't come from aggression. She has been with us just over 5 months and she is finally ready for an understanding home. I hope Oscar is given a change. Send him to Texas rescue, I/we will help. |
| Devra!!!!!!!!!!! If you can help I will get the boy to you somehow! I have been brain storming all day on this kiddo! He is adorable! Thank you and let me know if you can take him  Kathy Carolinas OES Rescue |
| I did get an email from April that there is a possible adopter for this sweetie.... Will update when I hear anything! Thank you April for taking a chance on this baby! |
| Kathy, I will standby to see how things go for Oscar. If he finds a local home I will be happy to share how we worked with our girl. |
| So happy to hear he may have a home!! Keeping fingers crossed! |
| Hello everyone - April here. Sadly the adoption fell through and I'm back to square one with Oscar. Devra, can you help? I have no idea how we could get him to Texas but I'm open to figuring it out! I spent time with him again today and he's feeling better. I found a couple of magic words! Easy enough...you hungry? He practically danced! He's such a good boy for me! Please if you can help email me or call. Thanks so much, you're a great group of people. April Coleman 304-206-7003 april@congodreams.com |
| Hello again- April here. I wanted to give you all an update on Oscar…and it’s all good news. In the past 4 days he’s made some remarkable progress. No longer acting like the sad, frustrated, depressed fellow of one week ago. Last Friday I saw the most amazing change when he FINALLY barked. He hadn’t made a peep since he entered the shelter other than a few growls here and there. When I entered his kennel on Friday, he barked excitedly – big woof woofs and danced and wiggled like crazy. Over the past 4 days I’ve witnessed him trotting, running full speed, rolling in the grass with joy, and “giving paw.” The transformation has been remarkable. He actually seems happy! I’ve walked him daily, and he so enjoys being on a leash – doesn’t quite know what to do when’s he’s loose and on his own. The pacing has stopped, the panting is minimal, and he’s slowing losing weight. No further growling has been witnessed by shelter staff. He’s eating well (I switched him to quality weight management kibble), and the shelter has been allowing me to feed him in the evening before they close. Normally it’s just once a day there. His coat is beginning to grow back in and it’s nice and thick. Several have asked me if he is deaf or blind. I definitely know he is NOT deaf, but I’m not convinced his sight is that great. I’m at a loss to figure out how to accurately test that. If I throw a ball he will try to go get it – so I know he can see it. However, he seems to sometimes semi run into things and lose his bearings. Not sure if that’s excitement or difficulty seeing. He has several toys that he seems to cherish – a kong, a stuffed duck, and a bright orange crab. He keeps his toys neatly in the corner of his kennel – like he’s hoarding them! He allows me to pick them up and take them out of his mouth. No food aggression, either. Now I’m beginning to wonder just how bad his situation was before he arrived at the shelter. I attempted to reach the sister of his deceased dad without success today. My plan was to ask her for his groomer’s number and previous vet, just to see if I could find out any more information. I’ve been given some fantastic advice from members of this forum and rescues. Every piece of advice I’ve tried to follow and I so appreciate it. I’ll be posting some pictures of before and after, just so you can see his amazing progress. At least I think it’s amazing! Oscar is giving me a lot of hope – I thinks he’s slowly regaining his confidence and pulling out of his depression. Please continue to network him in any way you can. He’s still on very shaky ground at the shelter. I’m buying him time by being there and giving him extra attention. |
| Happy news and great news here at OES, with people like you April. You make me feel like I am and was a small part of Oscars being. I'm still sorry for the landlord problem or I would of witnessed those changes myself. I've seen many times with rescues of Sheepies, as I told you of the time I got nipped in the finger in the evening, and in the morning i got kisses. So, It's been brought to evidence before that they want to be sure someone cares about them, treats them right, shows a little love, to feed, water and walk them, and then you'll see the trust begin to be given back. Enjoy all the time with Oscar you can......learning from a OES can be very enjoyable. I've never seen the love they can give back from any other specie. As things changed with the possible trip to Texas for Oscar ? If so, let me know if he gets closer to danger at the facility. I can still help get him out. Keep up THE GREAT WORK !  |
| I really hope someone can help this poor boy. It seems that time is running out and there has not been any success with a rescue willing to pull him from the kill shelter. Fingers crossed that someone will help. Oscar...   |
| poor boy... I hope they find him somewhere to go |
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| Has anyone tried contacting Fiona with OES Rescue of the South East? I realize this might be out of her area, but maybe she knows someone that can help? |
Darth Snuggle wrote: Has anyone tried contacting Fiona with OES Rescue of the South East? I realize this might be out of her area, but maybe she knows someone that can help? Allison--I contacted her first through FB--she indicated she could not help because of the distance. Actually April did get my information off their rescue website --It was there because of the Nashville play date. So I think she contacted them as well. I think he has about 4 days left if no one pulls him.  |
| WV borders Ohio. Could Madeline Erickson help? She covers into Ohio. What about Nita and Midwest OES rescue? Or Cindy (4dognight)? She's kinda close in MD. Would they give him a stay of execution if his bills could get paid? |
| If a rescue can take Oscar, I am ready to transport him and have offered to pay for his needs. April is working so hard to spring him. |
| Yes I can help with money to spring him too please. |
| Hello again! I'm not sure exactly what rescues are connected to the above names - if anyone could contact these people or give me an email address I certainly will. Madeline Erikson was intitally contacted by the sister and she was unable to take him due to the report of his aggressive behavior. Oscar is in quarantine technically until Thursday. If I'm unable to secure a rescue by then I'm going to beg that they hold him until I can. I'm worried that if they do that, they'll insist on putting him up for public adoption - again, not a good option. I believe he really needs to go to an experienced dog owner, preferably a Sheepie owner. There's no screening method there, and they'll give him to whoever says they want him... As far as bills, he has none. I've paid for everything so far and will continue to do so. He can be pulled by a rescue with absolutely no charge. The only money that would be helpful is if we need funds to transport him somewhere. Thanks to everyone for their concern and willingness to help. I'm not giving up. |
| I have been following this situation everyday, feeling helpless. Then when I saw the photos, it made me just cry, he reminds me so much of my own Muffin. The overgrown fur and obvious neglect. As April said, no telling what this poor guy has had to endure. The fact that he is "happy" in a shelter speaks to that. As soon as Oscar starts feeling loved and secure, he will no doubt be a completely different "person". You guys were my godsend when I needed financial help for Muffin. I have a little now and will be willing to also help with transportation costs. If I didn't already have 3 big dogs I would take him gladly. Just tell me how April. I don't know much about this. April, you are wonderful and you are among some of THE most loving and caring people in the world here. |
| Hi April. Here at the links to some forum members' PM inbox. These folks may be able to help. Marilyn (ChSheepdogs): ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&u=3062 Marilyn is in Ohio Nita (Maggie McGee IV): ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&u=832 Nita is in Indiana and is part of Midwest OES Rescue. Their web address is: http://www.midwestoesrescue.com/ Cindy (4dognight): ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&u=1223 Cindy is in Maryland I don't know if they can take him, but it's worth it to contact them. |
| Devra or Kathy, Can either of you help? Another thing to consider is that there will be a lot of OES.org members travelling on Memorial Day Weekend for Sheepie Shindig, probably going relatively near Oscar's location. Might be a good opportunity for transport. |
| April, I just sent you an email at april@congodreams.com Ellen |
Mark--thanks so much for gathering that info for April--that was my next task this morning and you had already taken care of it!  I know April is tirelessly working to help this little man--thanks to all that have offered to help!! |
| I talked with Fiona; unfortunately the South East rescue can't help. We're overwhelmed as it is, with not enough fosters and too many aggressive dogs we are currently unable to place. Dogs with bite histories are tough to find the right situation for; and we're sitting on several at the moment. So we have no where to put Oscar if we took him. Fiona and I both wish it were otherwise. |
| Mark - thank you for the links - I've written each person and hopefully someone can help. Ellen - got your email - thank you for your generous offer to help with transportation costs Karen and Kathy - you've both been a godsend for spreading the word on Oscar - so appreciated! Brenda in WV - thank you for your call this morning along with your offer to help in any way! Devra and Fiona - I understand - I really do. Thank you for all you do! Mike - I sure wish you could've taken Oscar - but I understand the landlord situation fully. Everyone else - THANK YOU! I feel your compassion and love for the OES breed. I'm still in hopes for finding Oscar a home - he inspires me...he's been through so much, but every day he's fighting his way out of the fog. We're not giving up! |
| How is this boy with other dogs?? and if folks are willing to pitch in maybe pilots and paws will fly him to texas.....sometimes gas money is appreciated. If someone could get him to me (since I am closer) and the texas OES rescue could get a transport up..maybe we on the forum could do it Like a pony express..I have started my own rescue Black Dogs and Company Rescue and of course the company is OES See us on face book and give us a like or two and webpage is in the making.... |
4dognight wrote: How is this boy with other dogs?? and if folks are willing to pitch in maybe pilots and paws will fly him to texas.....sometimes gas money is appreciated. If someone could get him to me (since I am closer) and the texas OES rescue could get a transport up..maybe we on the forum could do it Like a pony express..I have started my own rescue Black Dogs and Company Rescue and of course the company is OES See us on face book and give us a like or two and webpage is in the making.... Cindy--thanks for responding. I know that there are several people willing to donate to help Oscar find a home. I am not sure that the Texas OES Rescue is willing to take him. I know April is busy with her other job today and probably won't be available to answer the question until evening--she will most likely check here when she can. The urgent situation as I understand it--is to get a Rescue to pull him from the shelter. It is a kill shelter and he is on quarantine until Thursday--after that I think her concern is they will either put him down or put him up for adoption to anyone. April feels strongly that he needs someone with experience with OES. I am willing to donate funds for transport and I know that Brenda and Lisa also offered funds. If he can just get into a Rescue--then I am sure there will be people to help transport or pay for transport. Thanks again for your response. |
| Texas is unable to take him.. Devra was going to try but, they are not able to at this point. |
| I am unsure of the current status of Oscar, but I might have a couple of ideas (looking for OES has taught me well). #1 Tarheels OES Rescue (I am not sure how far away they are). #2 Purrs, Paws, & Claws Rescue. #3 Throw away pups Rescue. The reason I bring up Purrs, Paws, and Claws is the same people have Wishes to Wags Transport going from South Carolina to the northeast weekly(? Maryland, Pa, NY, New England), and Throwawaypups rescue also has a transport, also to the northeast. I believe there is a website associated at least with throw away pups. I am not familiar with that area so I do not know if this information even helps. |
| I have no room if texas cannot take him... I have no where for him to go... I am not 501c3 yet If there are enough funds maybe someone can pay to get him transported to someone, willing to foster if texas pulls?? I cannot take another dog on now |
| I can throw money in for transportation and other bills. Let me know where to send money. |
| What about New England OES Rescue? Has anyone contacted them? Here's their info: http://www.neoesr.org/ http://www.neoesr.org/contact.htm If they would take him, and the route comes thru Syracuse, NY, I can help with transport. |
| They can not take him either...(NEOESR) All OES rescues have pretty much been contacted. Texas Rescue can not take him. They do not have a foster home available for him. Kathy COESR |
| Are all the rescues full? Or is it because he has some kind of bite history now and so no one wants him? |
| I can only speak for myself... I would take him in a heartbeat but, I currently have 4 fosters and one more coming that is in critical/senior condition (on top of my own) Just ran it across April (she may not post tonight) Bless her she is drained and discouraged Can the folks willing to donate, donate towards a thyroid test if she can get it approved? Also, if they are able to get blood from him. It is hard to place a possible biter so, although it can be done it is a longer placement than most rescues have openings for. |
| [quote="Donner's Mom"] Can the folks willing to donate, donate towards a thyroid test if she can get it approved? quote] I will help in anyway I can, just like you guys helped Muffin. Just say how... Ellen |
| Hi everyone. I've exhausted all OES rescues. None can take him because of space issues or his history of biting. I've also tried Dogs XL and Big Fluffy Dogs with no response. I know I can figure out transport, my rescue advocacy group (Dog Bless) has had the plesaure of working with Pilots for Paws. Most of the dogs from our shelter go to northeast rescues such as See Spot Rescued, Paw Safe, Burlington County Rescue, Badass Brooklyn and a couple of others here and there. None of these rescues can accept a 98 pound dog. Our shelter population is varied, we have a lot of purebred dogs that are OS, plenty of mixed breed hounds, and believe it or not lots of chi's. poms, terriers and the like. We are completely OVER populated by bully breeds, lots of pittie mixes with absolutely nowhere to go, and they are the dogs that are put down most often. We haven't had an OES for as long as shelter personnel can remember. Apparently they aren't popular in our area, or those that are here are well taken care of and loved. As far as how long Oscar has -- I'm really not sure. The shelter does not have a scheduled "euth day" that's announced. The dogs are PTS arbitrarily. I'm sure I'll be told when his time is up with a couple of days notice at best. I'm going to actively pursue other avenues now - I'm going to contact my vet again and a couple of kennels that might have some ideas. Brenda in Huntington is continuing to network him locally. My greatest hope was to find him a home with people that know the breed. I certainly have no experience whatsoever with an OES, but I've made tremendous strides with him in a week's time. He's just scared and lacks confidence. something that can happen to a dog of any breed as you all know. I now understand why you love your Sheepies so much  Thanks for everyone who tried to help - I really, really appreciate it. I guess it just wasn't meant to be, or the timing was off for him to find a home or foster. considering his issues and the short window for finding a rescue. April |
| April...you are going above and beyond! Let's not give up hope yet!!! Hang in there sweetie! |
| I'm still trying April. If I didn't have a full foster house, I could do more. |
| A long shot, but what about Charlene up in Michigan? She nursed Sophie back from the brink, maybe she could do the same with Oscar? |
CamVal1 wrote: Are all the rescues full? Or is it because he has some kind of bite history now and so no one wants him? South East is full. We have a perpetual problem with not having enough foster families. And a recent influx of aggressive dogs and dogs with bite histories and very specific re-homing needs that have not been placeable have tied up what foster homes we did have. These dogs end up in limbo; fostered forever, tying up those foster homes and keeping us from being able to take on more dogs. |
Darth Snuggle wrote: CamVal1 wrote: Are all the rescues full? Or is it because he has some kind of bite history now and so no one wants him? South East is full. We have a perpetual problem with not having enough foster families. And a recent influx of aggressive dogs and dogs with bite histories and very specific re-homing needs that have not been placeable have tied up what foster homes we did have. These dogs end up in limbo; fostered forever, tying up those foster homes and keeping us from being able to take on more dogs. Agree Alison! It is so hard to place these dogs, although I feel they deserve a chance. We are only so many and without fosters willing to take a chance we can't do it I know many of us are pulling for Oscar and doing all that we can! I want him so bad, as do others but, when you are full, you are full |
Donner's Mom wrote: Darth Snuggle wrote: CamVal1 wrote: Are all the rescues full? Or is it because he has some kind of bite history now and so no one wants him? South East is full. We have a perpetual problem with not having enough foster families. And a recent influx of aggressive dogs and dogs with bite histories and very specific re-homing needs that have not been placeable have tied up what foster homes we did have. These dogs end up in limbo; fostered forever, tying up those foster homes and keeping us from being able to take on more dogs. Agree Alison! It is so hard to place these dogs, although I feel they deserve a chance. We are only so many and without fosters willing to take a chance we can't do it I know many of us are pulling for Oscar and doing all that we can! I want him so bad, as do others but, when you are full, you are full Everyone knows Tonks and Luna have their own issues- I'm all about giving these kinds of dogs a chance. In fact, I've shot an email with Oscar's info off to some trainers I know, as well as some folks that aren't rescue but ARE dog savvy, in the hopes that someone will decide to take a chance on him. Fingers crossed! |
| Mark-that is an idea-Charlene might be willing to help. I don't have her info but aill message Suzi. I will find out from April where to send funds if she can get the thhroid test done. Will post the info here as soon as I have info. Thanks to all for ideas and intrest in helping Oscar--not giving up yet!! |
| If a foster steps up for this special boy I can work on him..... Without a foster I can not do a thing I do not want him put to sleep and I wish I had room. This breaks my heart. If anybody is willing to foster we will take him in. Sorry Kathy Carolinas OES Rescue |
| i have send this to char and to worden i feel so bad .. char right now has alot of puppys on her hands |
Guest wrote: If a foster steps up for this special boy I can work on him..... Without a foster I can not do a thing I do not want him put to sleep and I wish I had room. This breaks my heart. If anybody is willing to foster we will take him in. Sorry Kathy Carolinas OES Rescue Kathy--I have a prospect of someone who might actually want him in Charlotte NC. Waiting for more info right now. Can you PM info so I can contact you directly? |
| charmine is going to take her just talked to her is will get her on sunday |
suzptcruise wrote: charmine is going to take her just talked to her is will get her on sunday That is fabulous news!! Thanks!! |
 ONCE AGAIN SHE CAME TROUGH IF YOU WANT TO HELP ON ADOPT HER DOWN THE ROAD CHARMAINEhttp://www.adoptgoodkarma.org/ GO THERE ALSO TO SEE THE NEW STORY ON MISS SOPHIE OF THE PEOPLE WHO NOW HAVE HER.. HAVE A TISSUE READY. CHAR REALLY DOESN'T HAVE THE ROOM IN MICH ..BUT AT LEAST HE WILL BE SAFE!! AND ONCE AGAIN SHE DOESN'T CARE IT IS AN OES SHE JUST CARES IT IS A DOG IN TROUBLE .. I HOPE WE ALL CAN STAND BEHIND HER THIS TIME !! |
CHAR has always had my vote!!! SHE IS AN AWESOME ANGEL!!!    I was actually hoping MOESR would come through because I would have considered fostering him until the perfect home was found. Obviously, Oscar was meant to go to Char. A VERY BIG THANK YOU to April for sending the email alerting everyone to this boy. Another wonderful loving person! |
| Great news Suzi, Please keep us updated. I won't feel comfortable until he's out of that shelter. |
| ALL of you guys/gals are so amazing! My heros! April, you are just awesome. Congratulations to you and to Oscar!! |
| I just heard from April - an all breed rescue in Michigan will take Oscar, they are arranging transport now. |
Chouser wrote: I just heard from April - an all breed rescue in Michigan will take Oscar, they are arranging transport now. yes i took care of it |
Chouser wrote: I just heard from April - an all breed rescue in Michigan will take Oscar, they are arranging transport now. Yes, Suzi contacted Charmine, who runs an all-breed rescue in Michigan, to see if she could help. Thankfully, she can. Charmine just helped another in-danger OES over the last several months. Her name is Sophie. I don't remember the specifics about how Sophie was found, but she was touch and go for a long time. Char rescued Sophie and nursed her back to health. Sophie just went to her furever home within the last couple of weeks. Wonderful story. So it's good to hear Oscar will be going to such a patient, caring person. |
suzptcruise wrote: :clappurple: ONCE AGAIN SHE CAME TROUGH IF YOU WANT TO HELP ON ADOPT HER DOWN THE ROAD CHARMAINEhttp://www.adoptgoodkarma.org/ GO THERE ALSO TO SEE THE NEW STORY ON MISS SOPHIE OF THE PEOPLE WHO NOW HAVE HER.. HAVE A TISSUE READY. CHAR REALLY DOESN'T HAVE THE ROOM IN MICH ..BUT AT LEAST HE WILL BE SAFE!! AND ONCE AGAIN SHE DOESN'T CARE IT IS AN OES SHE JUST CARES IT IS A DOG IN TROUBLE .. I HOPE WE ALL CAN STAND BEHIND HER THIS TIME !! You can read Sophie's story by clicking the link above. Suzi --thanks so much!! You work really fast--I PM'd you in the middle of the night and by 8:00 AM this morning you had an answer from Char!! What an angel she is. More good news this afternoon--my cousin who loves dogs posted a message on her FB page late last night and today we have 3 people who may be interested in adopting him-one is an experienced sheepie owner-so Char may not need to have him long term as a foster. But she has made it possible to know that he won't be PTS. For those that have offered to donate for his tests--April said it would be traumatic for him if the tests were done at the shelter-animal control would need to pick him up and transport him to the vet so he would again be shuffled around by people he doesn't know. It is my understanding that Char does want to do the thyroid and blood test--but WILL need donated funds in order to be able to do the tests. So stand by--if you are still willing to donate. I will give you a heads up when we need to send Char the money. Again--thanks to everyone who has helped--it truly does "take a village" sometimes to save one life!! |
| it would be great for him to find a home since char does have her hands full ! keep us posted karen thanks for pming me last nite i felt i needed to get him help asap .. charmine has already talked to her vet then want him to settle in first he was been through alot .. yes he came from the same area of miss sophie was found.. so char knows the place well and he needs out asap |
| Good Morning everyone! First of all, a HUGE thank you to Karen, who PM'd Suzi, who contacted Char - who agreed to take Oscar in! Char and I talked for quite a while yesterday, and she's one terrific, dedicated lady. I couldn't be luckier to have found her for Oscar, truly. It really does take a village for rescue, and everyone who participated, networked, offered funds, emailed me, called me - KUDOs for making this happen. And I'm not forgetting those of you who posted here wishing they could help in some way - all of you gave me hope in what turned out to be a difficult rescue with a very happy ending. I'm also very thankful for Jane, who will be fostering Oscar. She and Char brought OES Sophie back to life, so I know Oscar is in very capable hands. As I've reported in the past few days, he continues to improve daily. I think he knows something's up and good things are coming his way, finally! I'm transporting him to Logan, WV on Saturday. It's a little over an hour and I'm keeping fingers crossed that Oscar will enjoy his car ride! I was told he liked riding in the past, so we'll hopefully bring back happy memories on our way to foster care. I notified shelter personnel yesterday that he's been rescued, and they were thrilled. As I've said all along, they aren't bad people who wanted to get "rid" of Oscar, but with limited space and his history, he was headed for euth, something he didn't deserve AT ALL. THANK YOU a million times for your support! It's certainly been a roller coaster and at times I was pretty discouraged, but in the end, everything worked out, and for that I'm eternally grateful. I'm also feeling pretty lucky for the opportunity to meet and interact with an OES. Despite Oscar's problems, he showed me what a unique, intelligent and amazing breed he is! Quirky and funny Oscar stole my heart. I consider myself lucky to have met him this late in my life -- and of course I'm lucky I met all of you, too. I've got a couple of busy days ahead of me (work, darn it, keeps getting in the way of my rescue efforts) and I may not have time to check in -- but I'll definitely check in on Saturday after Oscar and I go to Logan. Thanks again from the bottom of my heart, April |
| thank you from me for being his hero you sure are mine |
| Really great news. I am more than happy to donate towards the vet fees. Just post when Char needs funds. Cheers Debs |
| Phew!!! |
suzptcruise wrote: thank you from me for being his hero you sure are mine i told charmine whatever she needs just call me and i will post.. she is paying for transport so that is taken care of |
| Adam and I donated to Char's non-profit rescue yesterday, to help with expenses. Hopefully we can help make a difference! |
Darth Snuggle wrote: Adam and I donated to Char's non-profit rescue yesterday, to help with expenses. Hopefully we can help make a difference! a few days ago i call char about this she wanted to again thank you and adam for your help with sophie she was wondering if you saw how good she was doing and wanted me to again thank you both for helping with funds she had lost your adress she is not on the computer much .. i am sure she will be happy you are once again helping |
| Scott & I donated to Char through her website as well this morning. We thought she might be able to use some help for "whatevers" right now. It made such a difference to us when you guys did this for Muffin, we wanted to help 'pass it on'. God bless Char, April and the entire village of OES including the 'babies'. Ellen |
| Hi Everyone! I replied to a wonderful NEW topic in "Chit-Chat" titled "Oscar No Longer in Trouble" last night, but this morning it dawned on me that some may come back to this thread to find out what happened on Saturday. I'm going to copy and paste my response here, but let me preface it by saying THANK YOU to the wonderful donors who came through for him and Char. It's truly beyond belief how this entire community rallied for him and helped me. Oh MY GOODNESS! I'm just floored! A thousand dollars to Char and her rescue is just amazing!! I can't thank this generous donor and all the others who've pitched in the help Oscar enough! And today, he made it through the first leg without any major problems. We loaded him up in my 4x4 easily (other than needing a little heave-ho to get his backside in ) and he seemed excited to go - but within seconds he started to cry/bark and pant and seemed really scared. I sat with him in the car for a little bit and he semi-calmed down, but going through busy streets, stopping and starting and traffic seemed to upset him. But he RODE like a champ - no thrashing or craziness, just his helpless little puppy barks. Finally we got on the interstate heading to Logan and he calmed right down...he laid down on his bed in the back and squeaked his toys every now and then and basically seemed to enjoy himself. It was storming the entire trip and it took a little longer than I expected, and of course I got semi-lost (not for long tho). We made it to Jane's about 2:45 and he hopped out just fine. I took him to his kennel and he walked around it a few times (it's HUGE) and then just stood at the door staring at me like "Where are you going?" and it absolutely broke my heart. Poor Jane. I cried and she hugged me and told me he'd be fine and then I cried some more. She's the NICEST person and I know she and Oscar will be best friends in no time flat. My tears were of joy mixed with sadness mixed with love, if that makes any sense. I have a mental picture of him standing there looking so sad and lonely that I can't quite get out of my mind, but it's to be expected....I know. I fell for him harder than any dog I've ever worked with in rescue. There was something so special about him and a strange instant connection we had. I'll never forget him. He definitely stole a piece of my heart. He's a great dog that'll be a wonderful pet to someone once he overcomes his fears and keeps getting his confidence back. I know he can do it - I just wish I could see it happen. Here's a picture I grabbed at a stoplight almost to Jane's. It makes me smile to see his grin. He's always in my heart.... [img]  [/img]Thank you ALL again for everything - it meant the world to me to be able to get Oscar out of the shelter...and I couldn't have done it without you. April and Oscar (no longer in trouble) |
| Thank you April for your tenacity at finding a safe refuge for Oscar. You're a godsend for our world and our dogs, and the animal shelter where you work . I hope Oscar's future owners are able to keep in contact with you. Wendy |
| My oh My ! How we could do with a few more Aprils Would it not be possible for this community to at least begin talking about the possibility of setting something up so that NO Old English Sheepdog EVER finds itself in the same situation as Oscar did ... ? I do not believe it is not possible. It is a very tiny remuneration for the never ending Pleasure and Joy that this breed provides for people. If people really cared there wouldn't be any Old English Sheepdogs in Trouble. This breed is in Dangerous decline, in the UK Sheepie has been placed on a watch list with just 300+ new registrations in a 12 month period compared to 20,000 labradors. There aren't that many around meaning that the setup to ensure that they don't get into trouble should be achievable. |
| There are different rescue groups that help sheepies in need-there are people out there helping! Just as an example, here is a link to rescue information in the United States. Just to reassure you that there are people out there who care. http://www.oldenglishsheepdogclubofamerica.org/Rescue/index.php |
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