BHS Adoptables of the Week: Sherry & Paintbrush

Sherry is a very friendly and loving girl we met when we pulled her from the Bedford County Animal Shelter (Pound) a few weeks ago. She walks well on leash and would love to find a forever home of her own. Email info@bhsva.org or call (540) 586-6100 for more information.

Paintbrush came to BHS when the shelter contacted the group about a litter of kittens that had been turned in without a mother. The litter was too young to survive on their own, so Bedford Humane Society took them in. Her unique name comes from her foster parent (who is an artist). She has an orange tip at the end of her tail, that looks like she dipped it into a jar of orange paint. Maybe Paintbrush will grow up to be a famous painting cat! She is playful, but also loves to spend time getting as much attention and petting as she can manage. This beauty is now ready to find her loving family, and is hoping that you will consider her to help color your world. Email info@bhsva.org or call (540) 586-6100 for more information.

BHS Fosters of the Week: Laney and Petie

Laney's personality is as beautiful as she is. She was rescued from the Bedford Animal Shelter after she gave birth to three kittens and has enjoyed her time in foster care. Laney's goal in life is to be in a home where she can be appreciated not only for her looks, but also for her loving ways. She is currently with several other foster kittens, who she spends countless hours grooming and caring for. She is also very calm, even when interacting with the three active dogs in her foster home. If you are looking for beauty and a calm and loving personality in a kitty then Laney is the girl for you! Email info@bhsva.org or call (540) 586-6100 for more information.

This smart boy is an active and inquisitive sweetie. He loves children & other dogs, but should probably be placed in a home without cats. He came to us from a home where he lived primarily outdoors, but he has done exceptionally well with housebreaking. Although he is athletic, his perfect home would be one in which his lifestyle would not be extremely active due to an old injury to his paw. It does not bother him now & restricting him to gentle running in a fenced yard or walking on a leash will keep his paw healthy. Petie says that he can still be champion trick performer & couch warmer! Email info@bhsva.org or call 540-586-6100 for more information.

Don't Shop - Adopt!

Chester Scruffy Garcia: A Special Life

Remember Chester?

 

Chester was one of the eight dogs pulled from the pound on January 31st. He was on the list of dogs that would to be euthanized to make space. We pulled him thirty minutes before he was set to die.

 

He appeared to have some medical issues, so his foster family took him to Smith Mountain Lake Animal Hospital (SMLAH) to have him tested and microchipped. Before administering his chip, however, SMLAH found that he was already microchipped.

 

Unfortunately, Chester's microchip information wasn't up to date, so we were unable to call his owner. That didn't stop his foster family. Determined to find out if this boy had a family looking for him, they did some true detective work and found a current address for the owner. We sent a letter giving the owner seven days to contact us, not truly expecting to get a response. His family called as soon as they received the letter.

 

Now we know that Chester's real name is Garcia. His dad saved him from being euthanized in 2006 after visiting the Roanoke Shelter as part of Police Academy training requirements. (Candidates are required to witness an animal being euthanized during their training.) Garcia was on the list to be euthanized and his dad asked that he be spared and adopted him a short time later. He was 8 years old at the time and had some medical problems even then. That did not deter his new dad from adopting him.

 

What happened: Garcia is an indoor dog, but does like to go outside and lay in the sun when its warm. It probably feels good on his aching bones. He had recently tried to wander away and his dad thought it best to tie him out. Sadly, about two months ago, he broke free. His dad contacted both Roanoke and Bedford shelters and described Garcia fully, but he wasn't at either shelter. After a month of missing Garcia, his dad thought he was gone for good. His friends said that Garcia probably went off to die, as dogs will sometimes do when they are old and sick. But his dad refused to believe it. He kept all of Garcia's stuff and refused to get rid of it. When he and his wife received our letter, they called us immediately.

 

What went wrong: Animal Control does scan for microchips when strays are picked up or brought into the pound. The problem is that not all scanners can read every microchip. Chips can also be missed, as not every vet implants in the same area of the body. Microchipping your pets is a great way to help them find their way back home when they get lost, but it is not a guarantee.

 

What we learned: If your pet goes missing, VISIT your local pounds regularly. Don't rely on a phone call or a microchip to get your baby back home. BE PERSISTENT, as sometimes concerned citizens may hold an animal for a period of time hoping they can find the owner themselves before finally taking them to the pound or the animal wandering off again. It may take time for your baby to end up at the pound. In this case, it took 2 months. File a LOST AND FOUND report via our website and MONITOR our Lost and Found Facebook page at facebook.com/bhsvalostandfound. Post FLYERS in the area where your baby went missing.

 

In the end, Garcia made it back to the family that loves him thanks to the practices of Smith Mountain Lake Animal Hospital and the detective work of Paul and Pat Greier. This sweet boy has been saved from death at least twice now. He is truly a special life and we are so happy we could be part of his story this time.

 

This is why we do what we do.

 

Happy Forever After, Garcia!

 

BHS Adoptables of the Week: Bart and Max

Bart is an extremely friendly 28 lb. Beagle Mix. We estimate him to be about 1 year old and is a complete lovebug. He was at the pound for several weeks where he earned his nickname Wigglebutt. When we would visit him to take our weekly photos, his whole body would immediately start wiggling in excitement to see us. He is doing great today after being neutered, being quiet in his crate and walking nicely on leash.  Please call 540-586-6100 or email info@bhsva.org to find out more about this love bug.

Max came into foster with his identical twin, Mulligan and the rest of his litter after being rescued  from the animal shelter. Some of his litter mates have found their forever homes, but Max, Mulligan and their sister Matilda are still waiting.
Max is a very personable kitty, who still believes that he is a little kitten. He loves to play tumble with his twin Mulligan, and enjoys exploring every nook in his foster home. Although he is an indoor kitty he loves to be outside in the enclosed area where he can play with the leaves and chase the sunshine. He would love to find a home with his brother Mulligan, but could be happy to have a home by himself also! Call 540-586-6100 or email info@bhsva.org for more information.

BHS Adoptables of the Week: Lady May and Salty

Lady May is a 2 year old Border Collie mix that came to BHS because her pet sister would attack Lady and would not let Lady eat. Because of that, Lady came to us underweight. She is people friendly and loves to play catch. Due to her bad experience with another sibling it may be better for Lady not to go to a family with other animals. She knows commands come, sit, back and she loves to give kisses. Contact 540-586-6100 or info@bhsva.org for more information.

Salty is a super personable big declawed short-haired male kitty. His glossy black coat has a few scattered white hairs that we guess gave him his name as his personality is only sweet. Not much upsets this big guy---not other cats, dogs, children nor changes in his life. He came from a shelter so we don't anything about his history except that he is a very healthy boy. We estimate he was born about 2006. We've had him long enough to see he is always a lover. To meet this easy-going SaltyDog, contact 540-586-6100 or info@bhsva.org.

No Longer Terrified

Amidst yesterday's whirlwind pound rescue, we received this heartwarming email update on Gracie Lee, now Angel Grace, the sweet little Rottwelier puppy with severe head injuries and leg issues...

"Hello there... my name is Beth and I am the LUCKY one who got to adopt Grace (her new name is Angel Grace).  

I wanted to thank Becky and Scott for rescuing her, getting her to PawSafe and to all involved in bringing her home to me.  I couldn't love her more!  

We begin each day with a constitutional around the park so we can get some exercise and Angel Grace can "do her business".  After our walk, it's home for breakfast and some relax time in her crate while I get ready for work.  Then it's time to get in the truck and come to the shop where she is gated behind the counter with me all day (She is quite the popular girl here!).  We take a lunch break and go for another walk around the park and common where Angel Grace is able to socialize with other dogs (we met 2 new friends today :) before closing up around 6pm and heading home again.

Last night we worked on coordination and played a great game of fetch in the living room with a small ball.  

At night, Angel Grace sleeps in her crate in my room before we get up and do it all over again the next morning :)

I just wanted you to know she is doing very well - she already goes up and down the stairs on her own!

She has an appointment with her new Vet and we will see what we can do for her with regard to her jaw and eye.  

I just wanted to say thank you again for what you do and giving this girl a second chance at life.  Some might say Angel Grace is lucky, and she is, but I am also lucky, and blessed to have her.

I thought you'd like to see a photo or two of Angel Grace in her new home and at the shop...

Thank you again :-)

~Beth"

Thank you for the update, Beth! These are the stories that keep us going!

Too Many To Thank

We're full.

Those are the words you never want to hear from the pound. We hear them way too often here in this part of the country.


We are lucky to have a pound that reaches out to us when they are full and have to begin euthanizing. There are many municipalities that are not so lucky. This openness allows us to save more lives.


Sadly, the pound can fill up overnight if too many strays are picked up by Animal Control and too many animals are surrendered by their owners. When that happens, we get a call from the pound advising us that they will have to start euthanizing at a certain time if we can't get some dogs pulled. Sometimes we have as little as thirty minutes.


When that call comes in, we switch into panic mode. We drop whatever we are doing (usually working) and begin emailing, messaging, Facebooking, and calling whoever we can to try to find foster space. The problem is that we rarely have open foster space. Our regular foster homes generally pull whenever they can, so they stay full. So, often, when these calls come in, there is little we can do. We generally pull a few and place them into already overburdened foster homes, but that is rarely enough to save lives.

Yesterday we got the call at 2:30pm: the pound was completely full and we had until 3pm. Those of us too far to make it to the pound in time began emailing, Facebooking, texting, and calling. For two solid hours, I was in constant communication with other volunteers and rescuers via all of these methods. Michelle and Annette headed immediately to the pound where they were joined by folks from Solstice Sanctuary and All-American Mutt Rescue. Our Lost & Found Hotline Coordinator, Shawne, and her husband also jumped in their truck to head to the pound and help transport whatever babies we might find space for. Kelly left work as soon as possible and drove straight to the pound. They took the list of names - those that were scheduled to be euthanized - and walked through the kennels taking photos, temperament testing, and responding back to those of us at home.

By 4:30pm, we had pulled 8 dogs between our 3 organizations. No adoptable dogs had to be euthanized due to space. Yesterday was a good day.

I'm not sure any of us can ever express how grateful we are to the staff and volunteers of Bedford Humane Society, All-American Mutt Rescue, Solstice Sanctuary, and the Bedford County Animal Shelter (BCAS). Thank you to everyone who reached out to us for help, everyone who drove to the pound, agreed to take on yet one more foster, sent out emails, cross-posted on Facebook. We say thank you.

All that we really need, however, is the gratitude in the eyes of the babies that didn't have to die yesterday:

Pearl

Meka

Chester

Holly

AJ

These babies are safe, but there are many more still waiting. If you would like to be a part of this amazing and rewarding work, email sunshine@bhsva.org.