Our Pal’s Place Animal Rescue and Education

Sunday, Sept. 14th is National Pet Memorial Day

September 12th, 2008

Did you know that we have a day set aside for remembering our beloved pets that have gone to the Rainbow Bridge?  I sure didn’t.

Click here to read more and for creative ways to remember your pet.
Thinking back on all the pups we’ve had come through OPP, I remember losing Sniffles, Amber, Jackson, Betty and a few more.  So lets remember them.  Lets also remember all the poor animals across the nation and world who would have made great pets that were unable to be saved.

I wanted to offer this space up for people to tell us about and honor the great pets that have gone to the Rainbow Bridge.

Lucy and Brinks Updates

August 25th, 2008

Brinks’ Arrival Story
“From Shelter to Shelter”

Beginning in the summer of 2004, several of my family members and I began backpacking short sections of the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina.  My uncle Brant (now in his early eighties) and my father Lane had talked about doing this for at least 20 years, but only until Brant’s son Gene brought the idea back up in ’04 did we realize that we should start planning for it instead of just talking about it.  Sadly, my father had passed on several years before, but he was remembered and honored during our hiking adventures.

For the next couple of years, we would plan more sections of the AT; Brant always being the one spearheading each trip.  In the spring of ’06, a trip was planned that included a short section in the Nantahala National Forest (Land of the Midday Sun) from Deep Gap to Bly Gap near the GA/NC line.  As the date approached, we all, for different reasons, decided to cancel the hike but I decided to try and do this short section on my own as an overnight trip.  After camping at Standing Indian Campground on a Wednesday night, I was up and driving a short distance on Thursday to the trailhead at Deep Gap.  I could not have asked for more beautiful weather and I was looking forward to the solitude and peace that only comes from hiking alone in the mountains.

The Appalachian Trail/ Nantahala

From Georgia to Maine, the AT has evenly spaced shelters about every 15 miles.  These are modest lean-tos built by local hiking clubs and provided primarily for thru-hikers.  Thru-hikers are individuals that have the brave ambition of making the entire 2100-mile trek over the course of several months.  Shelters help lighten the load in the hikers’ packs since a tent is not required.  During certain months, they are generally crowded and always rodent infested so I typically stay clear of them.  The only shelter in this section that I would encounter is called Muskrat Creek Shelter.

Muskrat Creek shelter

It’s funny how the significance of two events occurring within a short amount of time can be ignored and overlooked, but only until later do their relationship become apparent.  As I passed by Muskrat Cr. Shelter, the persistent barking of a dog shattered my quiet headspace.  Although I did not stop there, I noticed a backpack leaning against a tree and wondered to myself why a hiker would bring their dog on the trail. Although I am all for taking your dog for a walk in the woods, I am generally in agreement that the AT is an exception.  Dogs can attract wild animals such as bears and they can also be a distraction to other hikers.

Upon arriving at Bly Gap, I set up a new tent of mine and prepared my usual gourmet meal of dehydrated noodles (with flavor pack) and boiling water; it’s amazing how good this can taste after a days hike.  After that, I took some fun pictures in the glowing light of dusk and sipped myself to sleep from a flask of my favorite whiskey.

Bly Gap

Hiking out Friday morning was a mild challenge since the first climb from Bly Gap is fairly straight—opposed to the switchbacks that can be easier on the legs.  By midmorning I was feeling warmed up and in awe of the incredible views and the spring growth.  I stopped often to take pictures to share with Brant and the others.  When I reached Muskrat Cr. Shelter, I decided to stop this time and check it out while taking a break.  The hiker and dog had long since gone and I was soon back on the trail headed toward Deep Gap.

After a short distance, three ladies approached me on a day hike from Deep Gap.  They asked if I had lost a dog or knew of anyone that had.  The ladies informed me that a dog had been tied to a tree at the parking lot with a note.  The note was left by a thru-hiker explaining that this dog had taken up with him the day before and since he would be on the trail and unable to care for the dog, could someone please take him to the authorities.  I exchanged contact information with one of the hikers and continued on my journey.

Nantahala National Forest

From this moment, I must tell you, all I could think about was getting to this dog as soon as possible.  Being a dog lover and having rescued various animals before, I not only knew I could find him a home, but I wanted to be the one to do it.  What if someone less capable came along?  Would they care for him the same?  Before I could see the parking lot, I heard a familiar voice in the distance, except this time it was more of a bay than a bark.  At this point I knew I would have some company on my drive back to Marietta.

Twenty feet from my Jeep stood a Black-and-Tan coonhound tied to shady tree with a bootlace.  I had seen pictures of this breed, but had never encountered one.  His pads were worn and he looked thin, but otherwise he seemed reasonably healthy.  Beside him was an overturned bowl of water and a few soft tortilla shells.  I quickly cut his tether and lifted him into my Jeep then offered him some fresh water, but he refused it.  Before leaving, I amended the note, explaining that I had taken him.  I named him Bly.

Bly’s ride home

After a few stops and a couple of hours later, I was back home with my precious cargo.  Having three dogs in a home without a yard, and with the two males having a history of turning on each other while also being very territorial, I knew it was not going to work for me to introduce them. Friday night I slept in the living room on the couch while Bly slept on a blanket on the floor.  On Saturday, I was determined to find him a shelter so I took him to my Mom’s where I could search the Internet.  I found several shelters in my area including Our Pal’s Place.  Because OPP generally receives dogs from county shelters, I wasn’t certain that they could help, but I left a message anyway.  I began calling other facilities and was not getting very far.  My Mother suggested a shelter she had seen the day before on Canton Road, which according to their sign, held adoptions on the weekends.  After realizing that this was OPP and very close to my house, she encouraged me to not wait for a reply, but to just take him there and see if they could assist.

Executive director, Gigi Graves, was the first person I saw when I walked into OPP.  She asked me if I was there to see some dogs and, while smiling, I told her I was actually there for them to see a dog.  After Gigi came out and met Bly, she told me that she would like Susan Giordano to see him as well.  I knew this boy had a new home when I could hear one whisper to the other that they had to make room for him.  I took him home Saturday night while they did a dog shuffle and brought him back on Sunday to begin the next, but not final, phase of his journey toward his “forever home.”  They named him “Brinks” to reflect the hardship that he had endured and quickly addressed his health issues to bring his physical health to top form.

I knew that if any group could help him, OPP could.

Brinks’ new home

Brad Barnett August 27^th, 2008

Lucy’s Arrival Story

November 2006, OPP co-founder and professional trainer, Susan Giordano, brought Lucy to OPP out of concern for her life. Lucy was living outside in a pen on property in Douglasville, and Susan had been hired to socialize her. (Lucy had spent much of her life in confinement and bad situations which make her weary of strangers. Susan was trying to socialize her with new people and situations.) One day Susan received a phone call from Lucy’s person stating her son was going to shoot Lucy. Lucy had retrieved a steak bone from the trash and when the grown son tried to take it from her, Lucy bit him. He reportedly said, “No dog is going to bite me” and went for his gun. The mother intervened and called Susan.

In the past 2.5 years, some of our volunteers have bonded with Lucy (see picture!) and people have been interested in fostering and adopting Lucy but back out just as we get our hopes high that Lucy will have a home. This past year, we placed Lucy into a home but she was returned within a couple of days. Why? Lucy - like Brinks - has emotional issues from her past abuse, barrier frustrations from being housed in a run, fear of storms, and food aggressions which make living in a normal home environment difficult and unsafe. We want Lucy to have the freedom of not being confined, the constant companionship of other dogs, and the care-giving and love of people who know how to meet her special needs.

Help Us Get Brinks To A Safe Place

August 20th, 2008

Meet Brinks, one of our OPP dogs. Brinks was found by Brad during a hiking trip at Deep Gap. (Click here to read about how Brad found Brinks). Brinks has led a very troubled life that has left him with severe emotional wounds that has made it difficult for him to bond with many humans. So, after two years of trying every means possible to help Brinks…traditional, homeopathic and osteopathic veterinarian medicine coupled with animal communication and energy healing alternatives…we now are working to place Brinks in a sanctuary that is equipped to handle his special-needs. To place Brinks, we must raise $1500 to cover his sanctuary costs, pet health insurance for 1 year and travel expenses. (Any left over monies will be put into Lizie’s Legacy account to help other special needs dogs.)

We are raising funds through Facebook Causes and FirstGiving.  Please help us get Brinks into an environment that is more conducive to his needs by donating to his fund and sending this cause to your network. No amount is too small to save a life! We must raise this money by mid-September.

Thank you for helping Brinks!

Responses from our Volunteers to Today’s AJC Editorial

June 27th, 2008

OPP has responded to a letter posted in the AJC today in the editorial section.  Many of our volunteers have requested a space to respond to the article.

Please use the comment section here if you would like.

Please note, these comments will not appear automatically– we get 20-30 spam comments per day so they are moderated.

June 20th… Take Your Dog to Work Day

June 20th, 2008

Thanks to KP’s Dog Blog and Beth’s Blog for reminding us that today is Take your Dog to Work Day.

An article in the USA Today newspaper reviews the benefits of having animals in the workplace. They include:

• It helps in recruiting employees
• It helps to retain employees
• Makes it easier to stay late
• Creates connections
• Makes everyone happier

Being fortunate enough to have a had a pet friendly employer, I have to add that having a dog in the office is the best stress reliever. Just think… you’ve just gotten off a stressful, emergency, gotta put out the fire conference call. What better way to allay your ragged nerved than to reach over and give your pet friend a good scratch behind the ears? Honestly— you can feel the stress just melt away.

Sniffles Update: Sad News

May 22nd, 2008

Having a Dog Around the House Is Good For the Immune System

May 12th, 2008

Here is an interesting article that suggests that having a dog around the house may protect children from developing allergies later in life. Click here to read the article

“Just why this should be is unclear but scientists believe youngsters may get beneficial early exposure to germs carried into the house on the animal’s fur, which helps their immune systems develop.

Our results show clearly that the presence of a dog in the home during subjects’ infancy is associated with a significantly low level of sensitisation to pollens and inhaled allergens,” said Joachim Heinrich of the National Research Centre for Environmental Health in Munich.”