Jenna & Snickers

Jenna & Snickers Promote Humane Education and Responsible Dog Ownership

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Rescue

When most people think of "rescue," they think of shelters and all-breed rescue groups, both of which save as many animals as they can - both mixed and pure breed. Often, when a person wants a particular breed of dog instead of a mix, they automatically turn to a breeder or a pet store, not realizing there is another option. Purebred rescue groups tend to be run by people with a passion for, and in-depth knowledge of, a specific breed. These groups can provide expertise and assistance to anyone seeking a dog of a particular breed, but many people don't even know they exist.

These posts are about rescue in general and my experiences starting and working in a purebred rescue group.

Jenna Gates July 30, 2013

From Street Dog to Easy Street

kaylaI recently received this updated photo of the first dog I ever rescued. The note that arrived with the photo said “Kayla is doing fine! We just had to have her knee replaced. She is recovering well. Otherwise, she is a happy, healthy dog!”

Kayla’s Story (the synopsis*)

In NYC in July 2006, Snickers and I met a homeless man named Benedict with a six month old puppy named Kaos. He had stolen her from a dog fighter and was managing to take excellent care of her, considering they were living in the streets. In August, I took them to my vet and got her shots updated, rabies tag, checkup, etc. and then applied for her city license tag using my contact information (so she wouldn’t get taken away from him as a "stray"). People who followed my blog sent donations to help pay for that visit. People from the neighborhood sort of adopted Benedict and Kaos – giving them dog food, etc. In November, Bettina, one of their neighborhood angels, bought them a plane ticket to Florida (where Benedict had family) and a pet taxi trip to the airport. Another good neighborhood friend, Mary, donated her dog’s kennel for Kaos to travel in. A few days later, we heard from Benedict that he and Kaos were safe and warm in Florida, although apparently still homeless.

About three months later, February 2007, I got a call from my vet’s office. They had just received a call from Miami Dade Animal Services, trying to locate Kaos’s owner. (She was still wearing her tags, so the trail led to me, luckily.) Benedict was nowhere to be found**. My blog followers and my sister Debbie came to the rescue – everyone started spreading the word – and we were able to find volunteers in Florida to claim Kaos from the shelter for me. First, we boarded her at a vet for a few days to make sure she was healthy and then she was fostered by Jeanette in Orlando while I began the search for a home for her.

A friend in Pennsylvania asked to adopt her, so Kaos said goodbye to Florida and was transported, through a series of volunteers, to Ami in Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, that home didn’t work out and Kaos went into boarding in PA. She stayed in boarding for THREE MONTHS. (Thanks again to donations from my blog followers – especially my sister, who footed the majority of the PA boarding bill – for making this all feasible.) Everyone kept sharing Kaos’s story and a new adopter was found, this time in New Jersey. (And to think, all this sharing and networking was pre-facebook!) Kaos made the trip and her new mom Erin loved her tons, but this home didn’t work out either. However, Erin introduced her to Rick & Colleen and, a couple weeks later, Kaos was finally adopted by her FOREVER FAMILY… 14 months after I’d first met her as a homeless street dog in NYC. She was renamed Kayla, which fits her temperament much better and has been living the good life down the shore for almost six years now! It was a long, involved journey, but it put her in the right place at the right time to meet her perfect forever family. 🙂

*All the original blog posts and photos are online in my previous blog.
**Ten months after Kayla found her forever home, Bettina heard from Benedict. He was alive and back in NYC.

Jenna Gates January 21, 2013

Book Review: Misfits by Deborah M. Guske

Misfits: Tales of a Dog Rescuer
A Handbook for Dog Rescuers

by Deborah M. Guske

[rating:2.0]Misfits, a dog rescue handbook

Several people have suggested that I should write a book about rescue – a dog rescue handbook or manual on how to start a non-profit rescue organization. I decided to look for an existing book that fits the bill. I purchased the Kindle Edition of Misfits as the first possibility for review.

The first 40% of Misfits didn’t interest me at all, as it was simply a compilation of personal stories about some of the author’s various foster dogs. The stories do contain some good medical info (sourced from other books and websites) however, which could be very useful to some readers.

The next 20% of the book has excellent information for volunteers new to rescue. Although the author’s writing style is disorganized and the book was apparently not proofread before being e-published, the information contained in the center chapters is valuable enough to justify purchasing and reading the book. It gives an overview of, and sound advice regarding, owner surrenders, transports, fostering, adoption applications, home visits, insurance and inevitable euthanasia.

The last portion of the book contains a toxic plant list, a list of internal parasites, and the reference list (mostly for the medical info quoted in the first portion). This could be a handy reference for someone new to rescue and fostering to have on hand.

Misfits can’t be used as a guide for starting a rescue organization, but it IS a very good introduction to the rescue world and a decent quick-reference for health issues. Reading this book could help prepare new rescue volunteers and also help them understand some of what is involved in the “business” of rescue.

Misfits is available from Amazon as a Kindle ebook.

Jenna Gates August 2, 2011

Starting a Rescue: Six Important Considerations

Four years ago, myself and seven other dedicated Shiba lovers came together in the Skylight Diner in midtown Manhattan and started NYC Shiba Rescue, Inc. (NYCSR). I’ve occasionally considered taking everything I’ve learned since then and writing a manual on how to start a grassroots rescue group. Maybe someday I’ll have time for a project of that size. In the meantime, here is a list of six important items to consider when starting off.

  1. What exactly do you want to accomplish?
    A mission statement not only informs the world of what your organization is all about; it also shines as your guiding light. The world of rescue is complicated and emotional. You will be bombarded with pleas for help – many more than you could ever take on. Your mission statement will make future decisions much easier. It should clearly state WHAT you do, HOW you do it, and WHERE you do it. Write at least your first draft before you bother doing anything else! Remember, once you are a non-profit, you will have to follow your mission statement to the letter, so make sure it is precise but also covers everything you want to do. (For an example, see NYCSR’s Mission Statement.)
  2. Do you have any idea how to do it?
    Don’t laugh! When I founded NYCSR, I had no idea what was involved in rescuing animals and finding good homes for them, much less how to actually do any of it. Lucky for us, I had access to several people with rescue experience who were willing to share their experiences and offer advice along the way. Make a list of all the things you’ll need to do to accomplish your mission – raise money, pull dogs from shelters, understand local and state laws regarding fostering, find foster homes, write contracts, deal with people, deal with potential legal issues like dog bites and ownership disputes, make medical decisions for dogs, etc. Start researching and reading up… you need at least a basic understanding of everything your group will need to do.
  3. Who will help you accomplish your mission?
    If you’re starting a rescue group you must want more than just you running around saving one animal at a time. In addition to experienced rescuers to tap for advice, think about where you will find Board members and volunteers who will get involved and be passionate about your cause. Look at that list you made in #2. Try to gather whatever experts you can into your Board and core group – a vet tech, a trainer, a lawyer, a book keeper or accountant; you probably have "dog friends" from all walks of life and that can be very useful!
  4. Where will you raise the initial funds?
    Raising money for a small charity is hard, even in a good economy, and it’s almost impossible before you have your 501(c)(3) status. In addition to basics like transport costs and vet bills, you’ll need money to cover organizational costs like getting incorporated and filing for non-profit status. Have some starter money lined up before you make any promises you can’t keep. Suggestion: It can be hard when the time and the money are all put in by the same small group of people. Look for a few benefactors who want to see you get started but don’t have time to volunteer themselves.
  5. How will decisions get made as the group grows?
    One of the most important things you can do as you get started is put your policies and procedures into writing. Beyond the basics (adoption contract, foster application, volunteer agreement), put your medical policies into writing, define how you make intake decisions, record your policy on blogging about foster dogs… just about any important decision that comes up in the beginning should be written into your policies and procedures to help make future decisions easier and more consistent.
  6. Eventually, you may want to back away from daily involvement. Make it possible!
    Build your group so that it isn’t too dependent on any one or two people. Trust me, this can be HARD to accomplish, but it is worth it. When the organization becomes self sustaining, you’ll feel like a proud parent. 🙂

Obviously, this isn’t everything you’ll need to know or do to get started, but hopefully it will help guide you in getting started. Feel free to leave questions or additional suggestions in the comments!

Jenna Gates December 8, 2010

Question: How To… Rescue, Volunteer, Start A Group, etc.

This is a question for anyone successfully involved in rescuing animals, regardless of animal type and whether working with a rescue group, with a shelter or independently. If someone asked you to give a speech or write a blog post or write a book about how to start doing what you do, plus some key points about keeping up the momentum, what would you include?

Yes, I’m compiling a list for use elsewhere and I need lots of input.
Feel free to say as little or as much as you want.

Jenna Gates December 5, 2010

So… You Email and You Post But No One Saves That Dog?

Rescue is hard work. It’s disheartening, frustrating and heart breaking. You don’t get to choose when dogs need you and you have to see some of the worst of humanity. Luckily, there are heartwarming moments and just enough warm fuzzies to keep most people going.

Online Tools Benefit Rescue

The Internet, email, World Wide Web, sites like PetFinder.com and now, even Facebook, have added a whole new set of tools to the process of finding homes for shelter dogs. When I founded NYC Shiba Rescue in 2007, I never could have accomplished it without email, Google Docs, meetup.com and nycshibarescue.org. I have enormous respect for the “old school” rescuers – back when you just went to the shelter, loaded up with all the dogs you could take, took them home, and then tried desperately to find homes for them. I will admit, I couldn’t do it that way. With electronic communications, digital cameras, and websites though, the process is a lot more streamlined. NYCSR, for example, finds out almost instantaneously about Shibas and Shiba mixes in shelters all over our region of the country. We can coordinate with far flung volunteers to save those dogs. We can campaign for foster homes and solicit donations online. We post our available dogs on our website, petfinder.com and other sites. We get adoption applications electronically. It’s all good.

All of that online work is communication and coordination though. The real WORK still has to be done in the physical world. Shelter dogs have to be evaluated. They have to be transported to foster homes, taken to the vet, moved between homes, and taken care of by foster families. They have to be taken to meet potential adopters and eventually taken to their adoption day! Supplies have to be carted around. Events have to be attended. All of the online tools and social networking make the communication, coordination, and “advertising” part of rescue so much easier, but they don’t take the place of the actual rescue work.

Armchair Rescue Through Social Networking

One activity that email and social networking has given birth to is what I call “armchair rescue.” There are few things more frustrating to many people I know than armchair rescuers. Mostly they just forward emails and post information about dogs in need on sites like Facebook. I’m sure these good-hearted folks truly believe they are providing a useful service, but for the most part they aren’t accomplishing much of anything. They “network dogs” with a zeal and passion that I would love to see funneled into action instead. At its best this “networking” brings dogs to the attention of people who may not have seen them otherwise (although usually these people aren’t able to help because the dogs being posted are frequently not adoptable by the general public). Most of the time, I suppose it is essentially harmless, but it’s still extremely frustrating.

Why, You May Ask, is it Frustrating if it is Harmless?

It’s frustrating because if they really care, we would like their help! Many armchair rescuers will inundate rescuers with fb posts and email asking “how can we help this dog?” When given an answer that involves any real world effort on their part though, they always have reasons why they can’t do anything. If/when the dog is saved, they say how happy they are that “we” were able to help. If the dog can’t be saved, they blame the rescuers. Either way, they feel good about themselves, feeling as if they’ve “done their part.” Well, here’s a newsflash… rescue groups already know about these dogs. Posts and emails by armchair rescuers aren’t telling us anything we don’t already know. They are however wasting our time by making us respond to email, block spammers on Facebook, and explain to the 20 OTHER people who saw the post or email that we already know about the dog and that we’re doing what we can, etc.

One of my Shiba rescue friends voiced the frustration best a few days ago when she said “If you aren’t going to step up to the plate, then get out of the game!“

It May Not Always Be Harmless

So many times I’ve read where people on facebook have made up fantasies about “the sweet angel of a dog” and how all they need is love, when, in reality that dog has a Level 3 or 4 bite record and really should only go into a very experienced foster home. It worries me that all this networking may result in dogs ending up in inappropriate homes.

Even when you go into a shelter and evaluate a dog hands-on, you can’t be absolutely sure that you’re getting a valid read on its temperament. You definitely can’t tell from one photo that a dog is a sweetheart! (PS That sweet “smile” you are all commenting on, is a reaction to stress… not an indicator of temperament.)

Ways For Anyone to Step Up

Here are a few hints on how to really help save dogs. Whether you have a lot of time or a little, whether you can foster or not, whatever your circumstance, if you really care, there is something you can do to help.

Volunteer with a local shelter or rescue group!

  • Provide a foster home if possible
  • Conduct home visits
  • Conduct shelter dog evaluations
  • Help coordinate and/or drive transports
  • Answer email inquiries
  • Help with recruiting other volunteers
  • Help with bookkeeping and other administrative tasks
  • Help with fund raising
  • Write press releases, blog entries, descriptions for petfinder.com, grant proposals, etc.
  • Volunteer at events

(Can’t do any of those things? MAKE A DONATION.)

Transport!

Have a car? Check out the numerous rescue transport groups and start volunteering to drive a leg of a rescue transport when you can. Help a dog get to safety. (Don’t have a car? MAKE A DONATION.)

Donate!

Last, but not least, MAKE A DONATION. Rescue isn’t cheap and a lot of the people involved in rescue and transport are working hard to make ends meet. If you can’t donate your time, donate your cash, because they could sure use the help.

Jenna Gates October 11, 2010

Lil Bee Has It Made Now

Remember Weatherbee? Well, it has been one month today since he was transported from the shelter to his new home where he will be spoiled and doted on for the rest of his life. Although he’s definitely an old man, his new mom’s vet doesn’t believe he’s in renal failure so hopefully his "last days" will last longer than we initially thought!

Thank you Nancy for wanting this lil guy, taking him in and giving him such a wonderful home for the rest of his life.

Here are some photos of Weatherbee a.k.a. Lil Bee living the life…




Jenna Gates September 8, 2010

Who Will Love Weatherbee In His Last Days?

A few days ago, I got an email from a shelter about an old Shiba Inu. At the time, NYC Shiba Rescue was already in the process of helping arrange transport for two or three other old Shibas in shelters, so my first thought was “surely this isn’t another older Shiba needing a home.” But, yep, it was, and this guy is particularly in need of rescue’s help because he can’t be made available for adoption by the public. He’s dying. Renal failure. 🙁 His kidneys are failing, he has Lyme disease, some dental disease and corneal scarring. Apparently he’s so sweet and cute though, that the shelter workers can’t bear the thought of putting him to sleep. They want to release him to NYCSR for hospice care.

Weatherbee only weighs about 15 pounds. According to the shelter, he sleeps most of the day. He walks a bit, but slowly. They say he eats pretty well. His vision is bad. He was found as a stray. I can’t fathom how a dog in that condition ends up stray. *sigh*

Who will love this sweet, old boy in his last days? Will you be the one to give him a soft, warm place to sleep, healthy food and snuggles? Who will stroke his face in his last minutes and let him know he was loved and cherished?

I’ve already told NYCSR that I will take him if necessary, but I hope I won’t have to. That would mean a 1,000 mile transport for this little guy. Plus, I’m really not sure either my or my daughter’s hearts can handle the pain of loving and losing another old soul so soon after losing our sweet Brandy.

Is there someone out there with love and compassion for Weatherbee?

If you can be that person, please let me know.

Jenna Gates January 16, 2010

Just One Dog – A Rescue Story

This video says so much. Just watch it.

This is what we do in rescue. I wish more people would help so less dogs would suffer and die. If you help, thank you. If you don’t… well, suffice to say, I just don’t understand.

Jenna Gates July 1, 2009

Interesting News Story Regarding HSUS

WSBTV in Atlanta aired the following expose’ regarding the Humane Society of the United States.

Apparently, they’ve removed it from their website after pressure from HSUS and they’ve posted a clarification. Note the clarification only addresses one small piece of the story. Apparently, the rest of the story stands.

Jenna Gates October 29, 2008

Why Do [insert breed name] Need to be Rescued?

One thing that took me by surprise when I founded NYC Shiba Rescue, was how often people would ask me "What’s wrong with Shibas? Why do they need to be rescued?" At every event Snickers and I attended representing NYCSR, numerous people would ask this!

What’s wrong with them? I didn’t even understand the question at first, but I soon realized that many people don’t realize there is any such thing as purebred rescue. Often, when a person wants a particular breed of dog instead of a mix, they automatically turn to a breeder or a pet store, not realizing there is another option. This is unfortunate and I want to do whatever I can to spread the word about purebred rescue.

Recently, I had the honor of being interviewed for a Shiba Inu breed profile page on woofpatrol.com. One of the topics we discussed was purebred rescue and WHY purebred dogs end up in shelters. Part of my response was:

Purebred dogs get dumped at shelters, abandoned at vet’s offices and dumped by the side of the road, just like mixes. Others run away without IDs and then aren’t claimed at the shelter. Many purebreds are dumped because people buy them at pet stores on impulse and then decide they don’t have the time or patience to care for a dog. Others are dumped because people don’t take the time to research and select a dog that fits their lifestyle and activity level.

And, now that I’ve had a couple years practice answering questions about Shiba rescue in particular, I was ready for this next question!

Woof Patrol: What are the top 3 reasons Shiba’s end up in shelters?

Me: 1. Unrealistic Expectations. People don’t do the research. Shibas are incredibly cute puppies, like little stuffed animals. Many people buy them without knowing what their personalities are like. Shibas don’t normally like to be held, hugged or handled excessively. They are high energy and therefore need a lot of exercise or they get into mischief. They are also VERY smart, so training them can be quite challenging for novice dog owners.

2. They Are Runners. Having been bred to hunt for thousands of years, Shibas have a high prey drive and will chase anything that runs. They are known escape artists – they bolt through doors, climb fences, slip collars – and then they’re off and running. By the time they stop, they’re usually far from home. They end up at a vet, having been hit by a car, or in a shelter as a stray. If they don’t have ID, sometimes the owner never finds them.

3. "Having A Baby" This applies to all breeds and mixes: way too many young people get a dog for companionship and/or to keep them busy. Then when they start a family, they dump the dog instead of investing some time into integrating the family.

To read more, check out the Shiba Inu breed profile on woofpatrol.com.

Jenna Gates July 2, 2008

Oh Yeah, We’re ROLLING In It

We’ve now been accused of scamming people to make money on their dogs.

About a week ago, I received the following email. (Please forgive the horrid spelling and grammar. I’m posting it all as I received it.)

I just received a six month old Shiba Ina from a Ohio breeder last Thursday. The dog will not eat or drink water. It hasn’t deficated since we received it. It hides befind my livingroom sofa. I have placed numerous phone calls to her and she refuses to call me back. I just spoke with her vet and was told that the dog was introverted during the exam last Wednesday. I have three children and they are devasted by the behavior of this puppy. Would you be able to take him. I cannot keep him under these circumstances and don’t want him to waste away behind my sofa. Also, do you know if there is a group in Marion Ohio who could visit this breeder. From what the vet was telling me she could be a puppy mill. Many thanks for your help.

I emailed her back, very concerned that the dog wasn’t eating or drinking for several days. I didn’t hear anything from her. A couple days after that, the following showed up on craigslist.

6 MONTH OLD SHIBA INU NEEDS TO BE REHOMED. HE WILL COME WITH ALL HIS VACINATIONS INCLUDING RABIES. HE IS A VERY CUTE PUPPY BUT HAS NOT BEEN SOCIALIZED WITH PEOPLE. I PAID ALOT OF MONEY FOR HIM TO BE SENT FROM OHIO TO NY AND WHEN HE ARRIVED HE WOULD JUST HIDE BEHIND MY SOFA. THE BREEDER WILL NOT TAKE HIM BACK. UNFORTUNATLEY, I DO NOT HAVE THE TIME OR EXPERIENCE TO SOCIALIZE HIM. HE REALLY NEEDS SOMEONE WITH THIS KIND OF TALENT. I BELIEVE IT WILL TAKE A LOT OF PATIENCE AND TIME BEFORE THIS PUPPY COMES AROUND. SINCE HE HAS NOT BEEN AROUND CHILDREN THE BREEDER HAS SUGGESTED HE BE IN A QUIET HOME. HIS ADOPTION FEE IS $50.00 AND YOU WILL GET HIS MEDICAL RECORD FROM OHIO ALONG WITH HIS RABIES TAG. I WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH THE BREEDER’S EMAIL AND TELEPHONE NUMBER AS WELL AS THE VET’S TELEPHONE NUMBER IF YOU WANT TO SPEAK WITH THEM.

Emails were sent. Nothing. Our intake director and another board member managed to get in touch with the poster using the telephone number from the original email. Several long discussions were had. The woman seemed genuinely interested in surrendering the pup to rescue instead of selling him. We had a foster home all set up who was willing and able to work with him for however long it would take to get him socialized, healthy and happy. A transport time was arranged. And then canceled. And then… the board members talking to the owner received the following email from her.

I AM SORRY BUT I AM NOT GIVING THE DOG AWAY TO YOU. INSTEAD I WILL BE WORKING WITH SOMEONE WHO WILL SOCIALIZE THE DOG. IT IS A GREAT GIMICK TO TAKE A PURE BRED DOG AND GET SOMEONE TO PAY YOU FOR IT AND NOT PAY THE OWNER. I ALREADY LOST MONEY ON THIS DOG AND MY HUSBAND WAS ASTONISHED THAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY GIVE THEIR DOGS TO YOU FOR YOU IN TURN TO MAKE MONEY ON. PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT ME AGAIN UNDER ANY CONDITIONS.

How do you explain to someone like this what rescue is all about? She thinks we’re scamming her and she doesn’t want to hear anything we have to say. Explaining how much time, effort and money we spend on our dogs – and how little of it we get back in adoption fees – won’t mean anything if she thinks we’re liars and crooks. She didn’t research the breed or the breeder before buying the dog, so why would she research rescue in general or our organization in particular now?

The sad part is that it’s the dog who will lose out in this situation. 🙁 If anyone has any ideas, I’d love to hear them.

Jenna Gates March 20, 2008

Rescue Work Takes a Toll

And not just on the humans who do it.

When I speak with one of my partners in NYCSR in particular, the topic of our own dogs comes up a lot. We both have male Shibas that are at the centers of our canine universes. Or, at least, they WERE until we started NYCSR. These days, the rescue seems to be center of everything except the time I spend to earn a paycheck. It has taken over my social time, my SLEEP time, and, yes, my time with Snickers. I notice myself taking shorter and shorter walks with him, working longer hours at the office and at home, and sleeping later in the mornings when I should be walking him.

Yesterday another rescue person that I know was listing all the poor dogs that had been through her rescue in the last few weeks and then said

In all this, my Min Pin was neglected by me – not meaning to – and he died this Friday past… the 14th. Sometimes in rescue you neglect your babies without meaning to. I will never forgive myself… I never will…

Now, he didn’t die of neglect or abuse of course. Today she said

I am still crying and totally heartbroken. He was old, fragile, and very sweet. Had I not been so crazy busy I would have secluded him and given more gentle touch and love….

Now he’s gone and she’s full of sadness and regrets.

This morning I woke up late – again – showered, dressed and RUSHED Snickers through a quick walk. This one was even faster than usual because it was raining outside. When we got home, Snickers was very excited and I realized it was because we normally play in the apartment after our walk if it is raining. I was almost late for work already though and Snick had peed… I had to go. I change clothes, threw on my coat and gave Snick his "bye bye" treats. He was watching me the whole time, like "what are you doing?" As soon as I headed for the door, he started to whimper. When the door closed behind me, he started to howl. It only took a second for me to realize that I had disappointed him and that I’ve been doing that much too often lately.

Well, no more. The rescue can have my sleep time and it can have my social time, but it can not have my Snickers time any more!

Jenna Gates June 1, 2007

A Post for Keiko

This was Keiko. She was meant to be NYC Shiba Rescue‘s ninth foster dog.

One week ago, I received an email… a real estate appraiser upstate had been to appraise a home and while she was there she saw a dog hiding under the house. Keiko was a four year old, female, red "wooly" Shiba. The owner of the home was being put into an assisted living facility by her daughter. The daughter was buying the home and Keiko was slated to be put to sleep. When the appraiser drove around to the back on her way out, Keiko came out to say hello.

Keiko Keiko

Believe it or not, even though this was almost 200 miles away, NYCSR has a shelter contact nearby AND we were about to receive a dog from them. Said wonderful shelter contact agreed to evaluate Keiko for us. We contacted the daughter who agreed to let us help find Keiko a home and she put us in touch with her mother, Keiko’s owner. The evaluation took place last weekend and her owner asked us to “please find her a good home with a big yard.” Keiko was a sweet dog, although a little leery of the evaluator’s dog. The only problem we foresaw was that Keiko had never been leash trained. We were determined to take care of her though and a transport for both dogs was scheduled for tonight. We were making plans to take turns teaching Keiko to walk nice on a leash and then find her a great new home.

NYCSR’s Intake Director contacted Keiko’s owner yesterday morning to confirm the details, only to find out that her daughter had taken Keiko to be put to sleep the day before.

They said they would rather she be dead than not know if she was in a good home. How anyone could be so self-centered and have so little regard for the life of another being, I just don’t understand.

I’m so sorry Keiko. Rest in peace.

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