BHS Adoptables of the Week: Alex and Martina

Kittens? We’ve got those! Alexander and his sibling were found hungry and alone, motherless at four weeks old. We believe he was born at the end of February. His sibling ran from their finders. We don't know what happened to him. But Alex was brought to me to be part of our foster program. Terrified at first, he hissed at me, but never attempted to bite or scratch. I gave him toys, but he seemed to have no idea how to play. My son spent time working with him and within days, Alex was purring and playing and cuddling. Now Alex fears nothing, even attempting to play with the 100 lb. Rottie mix. He's a bit mischievous, refusing to back down from anything. But his favorite thing is to curl up in my arms and stare up into my face as if to say, "Thank you." If you are interested in Alexander, download an adoption application from our website and submit to info@bhsva.org

Puppies? We’ve got those, too! Meet Teeny Tiny Martina. But don't let her name fool you- this girl is a fireball! There is nothing small about her personality! She can hold her own with her big brothers any day. Martina is one of the smallest puppies and has an easy to care for smooth coat. Martina has very unusual markings- lots of speckles on her face. She is irresistable! Martina will be available for adoption on May 5th. If you are interested, download an application from our website and submit to info@bhsva.org.

Foster Spotlight: Pumpkin

You know that really beautiful girl who is a little mean to other girls, but you know it's just because she is so insecure herself and she just needs that one person to give her unconditional love to help her learn how amazing she really is?

That's my Pumpkin. Only Pumpkin doesn't quite fit her personality here, so we call her Punky.

I brought Punky home to foster over a year ago and she was terrified upon arriving in the chaos that is my home. She was so terrified that she hid in the basement for over a month refusing to come upstairs with the rest of us. When she did finally venture upstairs, she made sure to immediately establish her dominance over every other animal in the house. This was easy enough for her since none of my animals have any desire to hold any type of leadership position. They, like me, prefer to just do what they are told and avoid any kind of drama.

Unfortunately for Punky, however, I foster quite a bit. So, new cats and dogs, kittens and puppies, come in and out of my home regularly. And not all of them are willing to acknowledge her superiority to them. I recently toyed with the idea of just adopting Punky, knowing that she struggles with change and a new home would be a big change. My eldest son, wise beyond his years, pointed out that I was being selfish. "Punky cannot be happy here, mom. She wants to be an only child and she can't ever be that here. Wouldn't it be better for her to deal with the change of going to a new home one more time than to keep going through the changes of new fosters here every other month?"

Yes, the young man is much smarter than his momma.

So, I am reluctantly renewing my push for Punky to find her forever home. It will have to be the perfect home for her if I am to continue sleeping at night. Here's what you need to know about my Punky Brewster.

She doesn't care for other animals. She will tolerate them if they will allow her to control the relationship. She may even play with them every now and then. But I suspect she would be happiest as an "only child."

She really seems to love people, especially men. She is the one cat in my home that will not run and hide when company comes over. In fact, when potential adopters come to meet one of my other fosters, Punky will rub up against them trying to convince them that she is the best choice, not that little dog thing they are considering.

She hates the vet. She will start out cowering and crying a bit, but as soon as the vaccinations come out, she turns into a rabid lion and you might make it out alive if you take care to shield your face. After the visit, however, she will return to her sweet little self.

She doesn't like to be picked up (unless you are my youngest son who can pick her up whenever he wants with little complaint from her). But you can pet her anytime you want.

She is very concerned that her breakfast be served on time. She will sit by your head in the morning staring at you until you wake up and go make her breakfast.

And it may take her a year or so, but one day, when you least expect it, she will walk quietly to your room, tentatively crawl under the blanket, and curl up next to you to drift off to sleep. When she does, let her know that she is safe and you will love her forever. She deserves that.

If you are intersted in my beautiful Punky Brewster, download an adoption application from our website (www.bhsva.org) and submit it to sunshine@bhsva.org. If you are the perfect home for my Punky, please understand that when you take her home, I will break down sobbing like a small child. Not to worry. I've got plenty of tissues to wipe away my tears.

BHS Adoptables of the Week: Maggie and Sissy

Love big dogs you can cuddle with? This young beauty has such a soft, luxurious coat that you just want to wrap your arms around her.  Maggie is still under a year old and loves to play with children and other dogs. She is housetrained and seems to be ok with cats, as well. This sweet girl would do well in a home where she can run and play. If you are interested in Maggie, please download an application from our website at www.bhsva.org and submit it to our office at info@bhsva.org.

Prefer a small lap dog? Sissy is looking for a lap where she can feel safe and loved. We met a confused and frightened Sissy in the pound where she was caring for her two puppies. Her puppies are now old enough to find homes of their own, so Sissy is ready to find a family to spoil her. She is partially housetrained, but will go on puppy pads inside. She has been spayed, microchipped, and updated on her vaccinations. If you are interested in Sissy, please download an application from our website at www.bhsva.org and submit it to our office at info@bhsva.org.

His Life Will Not Be Forgotten

I'm filled with mixed emotions right now. I am still mourning the loss of Frankie, that sweet, big head of a dog who melted into my hand when I scratched his ear, gave kisses freely, and said more with his soulful eyes than most people can with an entire arsenal of words. What he had to say was powerful, not filled with the empty promises we so often offer to one another. He offered the very real promise of unconditional and lasting love to whoever might save his life. His eyes also said he knew that person would not find him in time...and that he forgave us for our inability to save him.

Frankie is one of the precious lives that we couldn't save. We are still a small organization and it took the loss of his life for me to realize how small. Some may recall the recent post about the ones we can't save. The ones we have no place for, no resources for, no hope of adoption. I put out a plea then, hoping someone might be willing to help us increase our adoptions and networking so we CAN save their lives, the unfortunate ones. The ones labeled Pit Bull or Hound by Animal Control so that they languish in the pound until their time runs out, no hope of the same rescue that Chihuahuas or Puggles are nearly guaranteed simply because of their breed.

The response to that plea was overwhelming. Within hours I was on the phone with one of the most passionate and dedicated animal rescuers I have known. Chaz Bousman eagerly offered to take on the role of Adoption Coordinator and began laying out a very clear, very exciting, very impressive plan to increase adoptions and ensure that we can begin saving the unfortunate ones. Shortly after that heartening conversation, Dani Tyree offered to be our Network Coordinator, reaching out to other rescues and expanding our network of breed-specific contacts so we can save even more. This team will be a force and I cannot wait to watch take hold.

You can see, then, why I am filled with a mix of regret and hope. Regret for not having asked sooner, soon enough to save Frankie. Hope that someday soon we can save them all, because there will be so many more.

So I am dedicating this next phase in the life of BHS to Frankie, that his life will not be forgotten. THANK YOU, Chaz and Dani. You make me smile through my tears.

Yeah, I Wasn't A Cat Person Either

I'd like to introduce you to my cat family. Wait! Before you skip past this story thinking "I'm not a cat person," give me a moment. I used to think that way, too. Then I met Gracie.

Most of my cats had a rough start in life, which is the standard for cats in this part of the country. They have so few supporters, possibly due to the misconception that they have no personality, that they're not real pets, that they're not...dogs.

This is Alexander. My boys call him Lil' B. He and his sibling were found hungry and alone, motherless at four weeks old. His sibling ran from their finders. We don't know what happened to him. But Alex was brought to me to be part of our foster program. Terrified at first, he hissed at me, but never attempted to bite or scratch. I gave him toys, but he seemed to have no idea how to play. My son spent time working with him and within days, Alex was purring and playing and cuddling. He's a bit mischevious, refusing to back down from anything. But his favorite thing is to curl up in my arms and stare up into my face as if to say, "Thank you." Unless someone local expresses interest in him, he will be headed on to Last Chance kitten railroad in a few weeks to be adopted in Maryland. That will hurt because fostering is so much easier when you know the families your babies are going to. But I trust those at Last Chance to find him a wonderful home.

This is Mariah. We found her at the pound where she had just given birth to a litter of kittens. She was skin and bones then, too young to be a mother and barely able to feed her babies. We brought her to our headquarters and made sure she had plenty to eat. When space opened up at my house, I brought her home to foster. Today, you can see she is in no danger of starving. This cherubic girl can be very chatty and spends much of her time lying on her back. She loves to play with the other cats and will even play chase with the big dog's tail. But make no mistake. She is not to be trifled with. Her first month here, she was bullied by another foster cat, Punky. I warned Punky that there is something in Mariah that says she won't be pushed very far. I was right. The tables have turned and Mariah now takes great pleasure in chasing Punky into some precarious position and sitting back to watch her bewilderment. Mariah subscribes to the "Don't start nothin, won't be nothin" mindset...and Punky started somethin.

Ah my Punky. She's beautiful, no? I brought Punky home to foster nearly a year and a half ago. Her momma had become homeless and, instead of carrying Punky from place to place forcing her to live in a crate, she asked us to take her. Punky was so traumatized by all of this that she refused to leave my basement for more than a month. When she did finally venture upstairs, she spent her time tormenting my cat, Gracie. When I brought a litter of 3-week old kittens home to bottlefeed, she laid in wait outside the bathroom growling and threatening them should they ever be so bold as to leave that little room. In time, she established an understanding with Gracie. And when she realized that one of the kittens, Pierre, was here to stay, she learned to deal with him, too. (This was after he smacked her a few times upside the head to let her know he wasn't impressed by her attitude.) A few months ago, Punky came to my room, crawled under the blanket, and curled up close to me. She stayed there the entire night. She was telling me that she is finally ok. (And someone please tell me how I am supposed to let her go to a new home after that?)

This is my Pierre. We call him Stinky Butt. Stinky for short. He had a medical condition as a kitten that caused him to smell really bad. With medication, he is almost normal. Still, I liken him to Pig-Pen. He's always a mess. He is my little cuddler, always wanting to be where I am. Since I bottle-fed him and his siblings from 3 weeks old, he is very attached. He will get into anything, believing that the rules and boundaries I set are only for the cats...and he's not a cat. He's a kid. He loves the big dog, often cuddling up beside him when I am busy. He sleeps every night curled up next to my legs. And he wakes me every morning by pouncing firmly on my bladder to let me know it's time to get up and make breakfast! Quite honestly, he is like one of those annoyingly cheerful morning people, which I am not. (Oh, and he's not available for adoption. He's my baby.)

And then there is my sweet Gracie. She is the little girl that turned me into a cat person. She is the tiny little thing I took home to foster almost two years ago. Within an hour, she had stolen my heart and I knew she had already found her forever home. She is a gentle soul, easily accepting any new fosters into our home, eagerly sharing her food and toys, willingly giving up her spot at the window. She asks for little, but gives love and affection without restraint. She forgives quickly and loves unconditionally. And no, she is not available for adoption either.

Think you're not a cat person? They require little more than a daily feeding and litterbox scooping. They give you all the love, companionship, and entertainment of a dog without the hassle.

Try fostering just one. If you don't fall in love, then no harm done. But I believe you will be converted as quickly as I was. And then you'll wonder why everyone doesn't have a cat!

There May Be A Solution To Saving Them

They are sweet faces, aren't they? Some are sad and confused. Others are hopeless and dejected.

They are certainly worth saving. Most likely they will not be.

We have already shared about our lack of foster space. Several people have stepped up and completed applications to become approved fosters. We appreciate and applaud you for that. We can save so many more thanks to your willingness to help. Sadly, we likely cannot save these.

Here is the issue with the sweet faces shown above. They are not likely to get adopted. If we were able to find a foster space for them, they would likely remain there for years without ever getting adopted. We have experienced this before. It places us in a heartbreaking position.

Do we take them into our foster program, eliminating that spot for other dogs to be saved?
Do we take them into our foster program, committing limited resources to them for years to come?

We, as rescuers, do not want to say no to any animal in need. As concerned citizens, we want to save them all. We simply cannot.

We, as those charged with running your local Humane Society, must make the difficult choices of which lives to invest our limited resources in saving. We do not have the luxury of allowing our hearts to lead us. We must follow the logic that, if we can pull several dogs that will be adopted quickly, we can save more lives than if we pull one dog that may take years to be adopted.

But there may be a solution. There are breed-specific rescues out there for these loveable breeds. There are adoptive homes out there somewhere who would fall in love with them. We just need help finding them.

BHS would love to add two additional volunteer positions that would help increase the number of lives we can save.

A Networking Coordinator would reach out to breed-specific and other rescues to network those animals least likely to be adopted locally. We have a list of organizations that can be used as a starting point. All you need to do is email a photo and whatever information is available to rescues that may be able to help. Follow up with a phone call if the email goes unanswered. Seek out additional rescues to add to our contact list. And call on volunteers to help with transportation, when needed.

An Adoption Coordinator would help highlight our current fosters to get them adopted out more quickly, freeing up foster space to take in new animals. You would reach out to media sources to get them advertised, help screen adoption applications, and help organize adoption events each month.

Are you interested in being part of the solution? Download a volunteer application from our website (www.bhsva.org) and email it to info@bhsva.org.

BHS Adoptables of the Week: Heff & Clarabelle

Looking for a new best friend? Meet Heff, a sweet, smart young boy who loves to give kisses. Call 540-586-6100 or email info@bhsva.org today to meet this handsome guy!

Looking for a cat with personality? Clarabelle loves to play! This sweet, young girl would love a home of her own where she can romp and chase toys. Call 540-586-6100 or email info@bhsva.org today!

Amazing Things Happen

I want to thank so many people for their efforts today that I don't even know where to begin.

We were lucky enough to have several rescues offer to take dogs from Bedford County Animal Shelter today after we received notice that animals would have to die to make space. We put the word out and the response was overwhelming. I don't know if we managed to save enough to avoid euthanasia. After a day like today, I simply can't bring myself to ask. I fear I already know the answer.

But for now, I want to focus on the ones who did make it out. These are the babies who now have a second chance at a happy life and these are the amazing people and organizations that made it happen...

THANK YOU Krystal and all at Southeast German Shepherd Rescue for agreeing to take Baby. THANK YOU to our very own Annette (a BHS board member and this month's featured foster home) for going to get her and hold her until she can go to rescue tomorrow.

THANK YOU Kim and all at Save-A-Lab Rescue for agreeing to take Izzy. THANK YOU to our very own Annette for going to get her and to Lauren (who we are very excited to welcome into our foster family) for fostering her until she can go to rescue in a few weeks.

THANK YOU Makena, Lori, and all at Lynchburg Humane Society for taking Moses, the poor senior Spitz that was at the pound for way too long. THANK YOU to our Office Manager Diane for going to get him and to our Lost & Found Coordinator Shawne for meeting Diane to transport Moses the rest of the way to Lynchburg. This boy would have died today were it not for all of these heroes.

THANK YOU Lisa and all at Angels of Assisi for accepting Daisy Mae into their foster program. This sad girl has been treated so poorly in life and almost didn't even have a chance to make it out until Chaz & Melissa at Solstice Sanctuary pulled her to foster and make sure she will know nothing but love and care and safety the rest of her days.

THANK YOU to Liz & Ryan, Cindy & Danny, and all at All American Mutt Rescue for doing what they could to get the word out and still getting to the pound this evening to save a life.

THANK YOU Becky (our BHS President), Michelle (our Administrative Director), and Leslie (another board member and foster) for all of the texting, emailing, and phone calling that went on behind the scenes to make this happen.

THANK YOU to Michelle and Becky and all the pound staff who reach out to us each time they are forced to begin euthanizing to make space, hoping that we can pull enough so they don't have to.
THANK YOU to everyone of you that shared our blog post asking for help. We received over 183 views at last count. That is 183 chances to reach people we would not have reached otherwise. It is working. I received several emails about fostering or people offering to help anyway they can.

Please keep sharing. This will not be the last time we receive this call from the pound. There are still more who need our help.

These are your animal rescue organizations and we continue to need your help and support. Amazing things happen when we all work together.

We Want To Help Them All...

We want to help them all. Ask a humane rescuer what they would do if they won the lottery and their response will not include dreams of tropical vacations, new cars, or a mansion on the lake. No. Our dream is simple.

We would build a shelter so we can save all of the animals in the pound.

In the future, we will build a No-Kill Shelter in Bedford County. Until that time, we rely solely on foster homes to save homeless pets. We are lucky to have an amazing network of families willing to open up their homes to animals in need.

Sadly, there are more animals that need our help and not enough foster homes able to help them.

We get a phone call asking us to take in a young dog whose family is moving and can’t take him. Someone finds a starving kitten in their shed and brings it to our office. We visit the pound and see this sweet boy who is clearly losing hope of ever getting out.

These are the lives we can't save right now. We know that, as your local Humane Society, you look to us to save them. And we desperately want to. But we need your help.

Do you have a spare bedroom or bathroom that you rarely use? Do you have room in your yard for a kennel? Do you have a little extra love to give?

This may be all it takes for you to save a life.

We will provide the kennel, the litter box, the food, the collar. We arrange and pay for all veterinary services. We handle the advertising. We help screen potential adopters.

You choose when to foster and how often.
You select which animal you want to foster.
You decide whether to foster short term (2 weeks) or long term (2-3 months)

And if your fear is that you will fall in love, well, you will. Time and time again, you will fall in love. And your greatest gift to each life you touch will be the love you give them on their journey to their perfect home.

This knowledge far outweighs any pain you will experience. And really, aren't their lives worth a little heartache on our part? I much prefer to cry watching one of my foster babies walk into the arms of their forever family than to cry over seeing these devastated faces in the pound week after week.

Email sunshine@bhsva.org today to find out how to become part of our very special family of foster homes. Even if you just have a question, please ask. There is never any pressure to foster. But we would love for you to have the option whenever one of these faces speaks to you.

On a happy note, sweet Tyrone pictured above was one of the lucky ones who was adopted straight from the pound after he was posted on our Facebook page. Most are not that lucky.