Change focus: rescues don't need money

We don't. What we need is vet care. Medicine. Transports. Kenneling. Foster homes. Dog food.

Money is how we're used to getting those things.

But what if there were another way?

Another grant program for your list

Interesting new grant source for rescue groups:

http://dogtime.com/dog-shelter-grants

Ben Hur Lampman on Where to Bury a Dog

Someone on one of my Airedale lists just posted this to a friend who has just lost a dog. I haven't run across this before but it's well worth sharing. It was originally published in 1926.

"For if the dog be well remembered, if sometimes he leaps through your dreams actual as in life, eyes kindling, questing, asking, laughing, begging, it matters not at all where that dog sleeps at long and at last."

"On a hill where the wind is unrebuked and the trees are roaring, or beside a stream he knew in puppyhood, or somewhere in the flatness of a pasture land, where most exhilarating cattle graze. It is all one to the dog, and all one to you, and nothing is gained, and nothing lost -- if memory lives. But there is one best place to bury a dog. One place that is best of all."

"If you bury him in this spot, the secret of which you must already have, he will come to you when you call -- come to you over the grim, dim frontiers of death, and down the well-remembered path, and to your side again. And though you call a dozen living dogs to heel they should not growl at him, nor resent his coming, for he is yours and he belongs there."

"People may scoff at you, who see no lightest blade of grass bent by his footfall, who hear no whimper pitched too fine for mere audition, people who may never really have had a dog. Smile at them then, for you shall know something that is hidden from them, and which is well worth the knowing."

"The one best place to bury a good dog is in the heart of his master."

Ben Hur Lampman"

For more on this remarkable writer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Hur_Lampman

Share the Pain -- filling out 501(c)3 paperwork.

Well, we had a great live workshop on filling out the 501(c)3 paperwork and were able to solve a number of problems for a couple of rescues. I am really surprised at what bad legal advice some folks have gotten. In one case, a group was told that they could form an LLC and get 501(c)3 status for it.

A simple reading of the IRS instructions would have save them a ton of money. First, yes, an LLC can apply for tax-exempt status – but ONLY if ALL MEMBERS of the LLC are 501(c)3 themselves. And since an individual can't get 501(c)3 status individually, neither can an LLC composed of individuals. (Something had struck me as odd about that whole setup from the git go, but it took this workshop to get me off my duff to actually look at the rules.)

The second situation involved untangling a morass of poor recordkeeping. I'm hoping that this particular group will be able to resurrect their status without having to refile, but that remains to be seen.

All in all, it was a great evening. Once I found my mysteriously-missing handouts and instructions, it went very smoothly and I know that at least two of the attendees have already sent off for grants for the filing fees or have actually filed their paperwork.

We'll have to do another workshop soon. As a matter of fact, I'm planning one on fundraising right now and that may be the next one we actually put on.

I'm committed to making all live workshops available in internet class format, too. So if you missed the live workshop (with, I might add, a TREMENDOUS CD just FULL of information!) you can take the class online. Just sign up on the website at http://atriskintervention.org. There's a small user fee for some of the courses – that's what supports our work – but there are also a ton of free courses, like the Five Minute Grant Writer.

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Want to start something?

TIRED. Just finished uploading the online course to get your nonprofit status. About time! http://dogbooks.org/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=9&Itemid=44

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Blog Roll for At Risk Intervention

So what are your favorite animal rescue blogs? I want an awesome list for http://atriskintervention.org. I especially want hard-hitting expose-abuse bloggers and creative solutions. Help me out? Nominate a blog!

Top Foundations for Animal Rescue Groups

This is an old list/not as good as my Top 100 report, but is a place to start.

http://foundationcenter.org/findfunders/statistics/pdf/04_fund_sub/2006/50_found_sub/f_sub_d_06.pdf

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I've just finished developing an online course for folks who need to get their tax exempt nonprofit status, i.e. fill out the forms for 501(c)3 certification. WHEW! We're doing a live course in Knoxville TN next week and the online course is live NOW.

Community -- a good thing

When's the last time you got together with a bunch of other rescue people? Not at a meeting and greet or other dog event, but just the two-legged components? To talk over area rescue issues, share resources, brainstorm solutions?

Knoxville area rescue groups started doing this a few months ago and it's been a great thing. We have the occasional guest speaker but even when those don't show up, we find plenty to talk about. Big snaps to Pattye Elliott of East TN Bloodhound Rescue for getting all this started!

If you don't have area rescue meetings, consider starting one. I know, I know -- Rescue Groups are legendary for fragmenting. But if everyone can just remember why we're all into this, it can work. I has to work. Unless you really like wasting time and money -- and dog lives -- over human ego issues. Not good. Very not good.

Be as good as your dog. Play nice with others. Don't be a special needs case and don't make me get the muzzle out.

Cyn

I find it very hard not to hate some times....

With great sadness, I must report that Mitzi, the Saint Bernard pictured below, underwent an emergency C section on Saturday, resulting in ten healthy pups. Tragically, Mitzi herself, weakened by the neglect and strain of carrying her pups, did not survive. They were unable to stop the bleeding and lost her on the table.

Some may call it sentimental foolishness or unwarranted anthropormorphism, but I want to believe that on some level, she cared about her pups and knew they would be safe.

During her last week, which might have been her first week as an inside dog, Mitzi began to relax in her safety. Her foster mom reported that Mitzi often came over and just looked up at her, sighed happily and tentatively asked for a pat. She was just beginning to trust and become the Saint she was meant to be when we lost her.

Mitzi was willing to give people another chance. I'm not so sure I'm that good of a being. I look at a case like Mitzi's -- and let's face it, we've all seen more horrible ACTIVE abuse than the simple gross neglect Mitzi suffered -- but I look at a big, gentle dog like Mitzi and I know that there is evil in the world. What kind of miserable human being allows so many litters to be produced and does not provide basic medical care? To be pregnant and covered with filthy and fleas? To be so thin and weak? And then to be turned in at a kill shelter, left outside in an uncovered cement run while a week away from giving birth?

How do I wrap my mind around the concept of a person who could do that? It is so far from what I think of as being a human being that I just don't get it. I understand desperate circumstances, I understand poverty -- but was there no other way? Nothing else at any point in time that this sorry excuse for a human being could have done?

I don't know, people. I just don't know. I. Don't. Know.

Such sadness.

Thanks be to doG we were able to help.

A few days back, Smokey Mountain Saint Bernard Rescue got a call from a shelter -- a pregnant SB had been owner-surrendered -- could SMSBR take her?

Of course they could. They never turn away a dog if they can help it.

They went to the shelter. THis sweetie was in an outside run living on concrete, no dog house. VERY pregnant. VERY.

But the new momma was going to need medical care. And the county shelter had a $100 pull fee unless the rescue has 501(c)3 status, which SMSBR doesn't have.

Enter ARI. I got the call and after talking it over with SMSBR, we decided to accept this gorgeous petite (125lbs!) girl as an ARI teaming project. We provide the 501(c)3 coverage and some case supervision, as well as help fundraising, and the group gets to spend that money on medical care.

Of course, she's had no vet care that we know of. She was examined last week and is carrying 12-14 puppies. In the vet's opinion, she's around six years old and has born lots of litters. Lots.

Well, no more. She will never have to worry about medical care, warm blankies or food again. She is getting used to being a house dog. She is finally starting to seek out human attention instead of cowering. At 125 pounds, probably 22-25 pounds of that is PUPPIES. She is a very small Saint and is underweight even for a small one. After the puppies are weaned, she'll probably be available, unless her foster family decides to keep her!

She's due any day. I'll keep you posted.

With your help, ARI is able to be there for groups like SMSBR, to help them do the frontline rescue work. Thank you.

And one last thing....

I seem to have this magnet stuck on my forehead that attracts borderline personality disorder folks. If you are one such individual -- diagnosed or simply constantly convinced that the world should orbit about you -- I would seriously encourage you to leave me alone for the rest of the week.

Seriously.

Because I personally am done wasting time over things that accomplish nothing and that would include dealing with borderlines. There are people who are trained to deal with borderlines. Go talk to them. You'll get further. Trust me on this.

Molly update

Well, as it turns out -- Molly's name is actually Mandy. And now, almost two week post-surgery, she's doing very very well. The bones remain perfectly aligned and we are waiting for an Xray tomorrow to confirmed that a callous is forming between them. (At least I think that's what it's called. Will ask Dr. Andrew tomorrow to confirm that.)

I want to give serious props to Governor John Sevier Animal Clinic for taking her in and fixing her up. Dr. Andrew in particular. This gorgeous young girl has a chance for a wonderful life thanks to Dr. Andrew and his boss, Dr. Deny Ryan. If you run into either of them, tell 'em thanks.

It's easy to get discouraged. I guess it's been that kind of day for me, and maybe it's just a reflection of a tough world out there. Today, I heard a lot of folks saying, "We just don't have funding," or "We're redeploying resources," or "We can't commit to it."

For instance -- I can't understand why every animal welfare agency in this region isn't just insanely rabid about getting a Maddie's Fund grant. Why are we not all putting aside personal crap to work toward eliminating euthanasia in our region in the next ten years? Are we really that much more petty than the dogs and cats we protect? Would we rather kill them and stew over past grievances instead of doing everything in our power to make sure that this STOPS? Is that really who we are?

I'm past being annoyed, folks. I simply cannot understand why anyone in this rescue world is willing to tolerate putting down so many animals. Now, let's give major snaps where they're due -- the Spay Shuttle, Animal Works, Fix-A-Pet -- all doing great work with low/no cost spay and neuter. And to the generous folks who fund those programs. That's righteous stuff.

But as for the rest of us -- I tell you, some days I simply do not have the strength left to fight the insanely petty and human-centered controversies that surround rescue. No. I don't. Not at the moment. It's like yelling that the Emperor has no clothes on. Seriously. Does the rest of the world simply put on blinders and walk past this?

But tomorrow will be another day. I'll get up, make it to the Knoxville Geek Breakfast, leash walk my recently-neutered Greypup, and start in on it again.

I havea new project in the works, by the way. Something to accompany the Model Medical Clinic. It's an Animal Advocacy Clinic, to provide legal advice and counsel to rescue groups, and to perhaps work on some legislation. We need this. We need battle-harded legal talent to take this war to the streets of the courtroom (to really mash up a few metaphors.) We need people in there swinging for the fences, maybe even getting held in contempt occasionally. Because isn't that part of the reason most of us went to law school? To protect the helpless? To even the playing field? To do justice and good? To make a difference?

Yes. It is. For far more people than will admit it. I come from a generation that was going to change the world. And we can still do it.

So -- be on the lookout for funding opportunities for us. Stand up with us and be counted. Let's make a difference. We can do it. We can.

This is Molly, a Basset Hound (look at those GORGEOUS EARS!). She is two years old.

Her owner brought her into my vet's office to be put down. She'd been hit by a car and her leg was broken. Her owner was unemployed and had just moved to Knoxville in search of work. He could barely afford to feed her, much less take care of her other needs.

Dr. Andrew at Gov. John Sevier Animal Clinic convinced the owner to sign Molly over to clinic so they could fix her and find her a good home. She's now recovering after surgery.

Isn't she just gorgeous? She's going to make someone a great friend. Here's a picture of her cast.

At Risk Intervention is pioneering a program to make sure the Mollys and Boomers of the world have a chance to live. No, we can't save them all. But with your help, we can put unused capacity to work to help save lives. Please consider a small donation to At Risk Intervention, a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization.

I've put up a donations page at First Giving. Enough is ENOUGH.

http://www.firstgiving.com/cynmobley

Enough is enough.

“Unless someone takes financial responsibility for him, the only thing I can offer is humane euthanasia.”

I never want to hear those words again.

The pup had been hit by a car. A Good Samaritan picked him up and took him to the nearest veterinary clinic. I happened to be there, picking up a rescue Airedale, and overhead the conversation.

No collar, no tags, no microchip. One vet tech said the pup looked familiar, that she’d seen him running loose.

I went out to the car to look at the dog. He was a hound mix of some sort. Young. In pain. We brought him in to the clinic and the staff stabilized him. It was late in the day. They didn’t want to keep him or treat further.

I took him to an emergency after hours clinic. The X-rays showed several serious breaks in his legs. Bruised lungs. Fractured pelvis. Broken tail. The X-rays showed he was probably less than a year old. You can see from his picture his nose was banged up, too. The clinic staff had given him a heavy dose of painkillers. He was okay. Right after this picture was taken, he licked my hand.

The estimate to help him was around six grand in surgery. They could not even attempt it until his lungs cleared some.

Nobody should die without a name. I named him Boomer and sat with him as he left the world. Then I wrote the check to the emergency clinic for the Xrays and euthanasia.

This is unacceptable. On so many levels. Please remember him.

I am going to put a stop to this. There is no reason for it. Enough is ENOUGH.

http://www.firstgiving.com/cynmobley