In typical Southwest Virginia fashion, someone decided yesterday that caring for the real live, flesh and blood puppy they owned was too much trouble, so overnight, they dumped him out on the road near my rescue. Anyone who follows my blog knows this is an ongoing issue in this region of the country. Dogs are abandoned without thought or care, either for the dogs themselves, or for the people who inherit the responsibility of making a choice: do I save this puppy, or allow it to starve to death or be squashed by a coal truck on the highway.
The manifestation of this problem is all the stray dogs that become the county's responsibility to euthanize. The root of the problem is social irresponsibility and moral decay. This is the U.S.A. We have the means and resources to spay and neuter enough community animals to prevent this ridiculous black eye on the face of our society. Many, many communities across America have demonstrated how possible it is to get the homeless pet situation completely under control. So this is no pipe dream. Yet in regions like Central Appalachia, the knee-jerk reaction of so many people is this: "I have a problem. The quickest way for me to get rid of my problem is to make it your problem instead." So today, I inherited some asshole's problem. A sick puppy, eaten up with sarcoptic mange, infested with worms, incubating what may turn out to be an upper respiratory infection. Now he is my responsibility, and I won't fail him.
"Bailey" is a Great Pyrenees mix, probably around 10-12 weeks old. He is very friendly, and very heartbroken. Scientific studies using PET scan brain imaging have shown that dogs respond to stimuli with the same emotional patterns as humans. Imagine dumping a six-year-old boy out on the side of the road with no food or water and leaving him to fend for himself. This puppy went through the same gamut of emotions last night, and he will never forget that experience.
He needs to see a veterinarian immediately. My rescue does not have the funds to pay for it. That's why we've been closed to intakes for almost six months. There are limited rescue options in my area. The local kill shelter would most likely put him down rather than provide veterinary care. That is a legal option for them. So what are my choices? The initial vet bill for Bailey will likely be at least $300. This does not include follow-ups. He will need antibiotics and ivermectin injections for the mange mites, plus topical flea treatment. I've started him on oral dewormer (fenbendazole) tonight. He's a sick little boy. He came to me for help, and somehow, I will give it to him.
In the past, when I've posted on Facebook for help, locals attack. "If you can't support a rescue on your own, don't start a rescue" is the prevailing sentiment when we ask for donations. That's a direct quote, by the way. See another post on the problem HERE and other articles on my Steemshelves page. I no longer post about these situations on Facebook. But I'm going to give Steemit a try, and see if we can raise my 501c3 state-reporting rescue enough funds to provide proper veterinary care for this puppy. If we can pull him through this and get him healthy, Bailey's journey from this sad beginning to his new life in a New England furever home can be chronicled on Steemit so all his fans and supporters can follow along.
So please--give Bailey an upvote. Give him a resteem. If you want to donate FIAT to help (unlikely in a crypto community, but nevertheless possible,) our PayPal address is [email protected] . Please put "Bailey" in the memo. Since we are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we are also able to offer a tax donation receipt.
Let's make Bailey a pup that Steemit saved!
NOTE: Bailey is currently in quarantine due to the presence of contagion. Our quarantine kennel is not very pretty. Who cares. If we save his life and protect the health of other dogs in our care, it can look like refried shit and still be the most beautiful kennel in the world for pups like Bailey who are out of options. With funding, we can make it as pretty as our sponsors want it to be.
I just put Bailey to bed for the night. So far, not a peep. He is so grateful. I think he's feeling a little better. I started his dewormer tonight, plus he had another good meal and fresh water. I feel like he might've been dehydrated. He is itching terribly and I can't wait to get him to the vet.
These little guys like Bailey can make me very sad when I watch them sometimes. I can tell he's been traumatized. When I turned the light off in his room, I could tell he instantly became very anxious. So I left the light on in the main area. It's important for dogs to have darkness for several hours every night. But it doesn't have to be complete darkness. The stress of that would be far worse. Bless his little heart. So young, and already been through so much. But tomorrow will be a brighter day for him. :-)
This breaks my heart. I have two Great Pyrenees. Please contact me via MSP if you hit a wall with Bailey. I may be able to help with more extreme measures.
I have updated my investor with links to this story. Upvotes pending.
Thank you for everything you're doing to help Bailey. :-)
Please contact me via discord, I would like to help further. I am always logged into MSP.
Bailey did well last night. He slept all night long and woke up this morning loaded for bear. LOL my guess is that the dewormer has done it's job and he feels better than he has probably felt in his entire life. He will be on a seven day regimen of that dewormer in hopes of killing all of the encysted juvenile parasites as well. But at least I think maybe his biggest problem was a parasite load and not an infection as I had feared. He's not even sneezing this morning. Eyes are bright and clear. And he's bouncing around like a Mexican jumping bean. :-)
Another reason to party!
Yay!
@lexiconical suggested i post this notice that my votes in this thread are intended as a donation to help bailey.
please dont flag these comments for over reward.
If someone flags them I will smack them with a water balloon full of dog pee. LOL
Yes. I confirm this is all in the name of charity for our 501c3 animal rescue. You and Lexiconal are godsends for Bailey. Thank you so much for stepping up in this way. :-)
Bailey looks like a total sweetheart, I hope he gets better soon under your care. I used to volunteer at a city shelter, mostly full of pitbulls, and it's frustrating seeing these animals hurt and stressed because other people couldn't handle them. Thank you for all your efforts to help them! I'll also send some money your way that I, poetically enough, earned walking a dog yesterday.
Paypal sent!
I did get it!!!! Thank you sooooo much. Yes, in other parts of the country, things are very different. We send most of our rescues to New England states for this reason. Bailey will most likely end up in Vermont. :-)
Rhonda only has her phone right now because her computer crashed--someone is helping her with one but it takes some time to get to her. She can see she has received some donations and asked me to pass on her copious thanks for your generosity. She'd prefer to write to you herself, but everything is really difficult with only the cell phone. I want to thank you from myself as well. People like you make such a difference and it helps give hope back that she has a chance to make a difference in her area. THANK YOU!
Thanks for helping out, @bex-dk! I live in a very different part of the country where the shelters are much better funded, so I'm happy to direct help where it's really needed.
I am pulling for Bailey, and hope that my small donation is able to help! Thank you @Rhondak for all you do on Steemit and in the world.
Thank you so much, Jessica. You are awesome. :-)
I grew up poor. I've been without. Giving money costs me far less than what you give of yourself costs you. Thank you for making it easy for someone like me to feel like I've helped.
I am so glad you turned to Steemit for these guys! I have been thinking this would be a good place for all rescues or rehabs to turn to!
I've upvoted and resteemed. This article will be featured at the bottom of my next post, like one of your last articles is featured in my most recent post. I hope it helps. I upvoted your comments as well! Good luck Bailey boy!
I appreciate it very much. I intend to blog about Bailey until he is safely in a home. There is some risk associated with this, seeing as how he is a bit ill. However, whatever the outcome, we're going to share it. I'm pretty optimistic at this point. Stay tuned for updates! :-)
Upvoted and resteemed.
Thank you, Tiny! :-) So glad we've gotten to know each other. Love having you in the workshop with us. LOVE love love your Rainbow stories.
It's the least I can do, really. I love being in the workshop and how welcome everyone has made me feel. And I love everything I'm learning there. It means a lot to me that you like my rainbows, it really does.
Upvoted, resteemed, and shared to MY facebook. Yours might be full of jerks, but maybe others of us have real life contacts who would help. You forgot to mention option of tax receipt for money donations!
Not one bit of this situation is funny. But I had to laugh anyway reading your comment, with nostalgia, with irony, and with relief. You have been here through it all and seen exactly what I'm talking about on my Facebook page. This is definitely the turn of a corner and the dawn of a new day. Thank you so much for everything you have already done for me and for the animals. We are all so lucky to have you in our corner.
I have not forgotten a Danish friend who sent to me through Mobilepay, so I sent it through PayPal to help with the puppy with the butchered tail dock. But part of my thought was also that others here might have contacts who would take pity on Bailey if he showed up on their FB and get a little chipped in. Also if anyone has refunded money floating around on their paypal accounts they don't really need, this is a great way to use it. When it's on your account already, there aren't credit card fees, so even a few cents can actually make it to Tazewell ARC.
I am also hoping one of my US border collie contacts might know a Pyr group who could take a look or someone looking for a Pyr mix who could sponsor him for later adoption.
rhondak, it is with my greatest admiration and respect that I say THANK YOU for your kindness.
If only all humans would understand that the Sun does not shine only to warm humans, that the rivers do not flow only to quench the humans thirst, nor do all the living things exist only to feed humans...............billytwohearts
Upvoted, resteemed and very proud to become a follower.
You are so right about all of that. So many people don't understand the purpose of animals on this earth, and part of that purpose is to teach us compassion.
When we lived in Texas people treated dogs the same way. We were taking in strays at least once a month. Breaks your heart but you do what you can.
You are absolutely right about that. Texas most definitely has some of the same problems. The stray issue in Dallas has made international news. The advantage Texas has over Appalachia is the population base is large enough to support relief efforts and those relief efforts are growing. Appalachia does not have the population base, but I'm hoping that the same thing can happen here on a broader scale if we can just raise awareness. This is possible. It can be done. We can absolutely change this paradigm. And this is a great way to start. Thank you for your comment. You have brought a great discussion to the table here. :-)
Thank you for doing this for Bailey!
I don't "get" people. When I lived in Texas, not only did we have a problem with people dumping dogs and cats in our neighborhood... we had a hell of a time persuading a.... ummm... "certain ignorant element"... of the local populace that neutering a male puppy didn't constitute "cuttin' his manhood off!" (direct quote)
Thankfully, there are good people in the world.
Had to upvote and resteem the new Steemit pup💜
Thank you so much! I'm going to keep blogging about him. I believe he has much to teach us all. :-)
Please give him a big fat hug from me <3
Cute little puppy, i wish i could donate more but i dont have the means #saveBailey
Your participation in this post counts for a lot. That's the beauty of Steemit. It gives everyone a voice and a vote. :-)
Hello @rhondak, hope everything is great on your side. Say Hi to Bailey for me! Upvote 100% Support! Thanks for sharing and cheers from Mexico!
Very much appreciated. I will be sure to tell Bailey that he has friends in Mexico! :-)
I`m so sad about Bailey, cute dog. I love dogs !
At least this story is going to have a happy ending. I'm about to make an update post with a video of Bailey feeling much better and much happier about life. :-)
I hate that people would do this to a pet. I recently lost my dog, and its the worst feeling ever. You have my full upvote! Wished I could do more, but I am hoping Bailey makes a full recovery and makes someone a great friend.
Thank you so much. I can't understand how it's possible for people to do this either. I grieved so deeply for every pet that I've lost, that to think someone would just throw one away like trash hurts my head and my heart.
So sad that people do this, I really hope you get all the funds you need and Bailey gets the help needed! Following so I can hear of a success story! :)
Thank you. I'm looking forward to this success story myself!
Good luck, Bailey. :)
He seems to be feeling the luck and the love today. Happy puppy!
What a freaking cutie!
Oh, he's absolutely adorable. :-) Thank you.
No problem :)
Baily has my nickle!
Thank you! :-)
Amazing work you're doing Rhondak. Upvoted to show my support. Glad to see Bailey is getting better.
Thanks for sharing.
We are in bali at the moment and 1 month ago we found a puppy on the street.
We went with him to the doctor. At the moment he stays at a dog hotel because we are not allowed to take him in our house. but soon we will move to another house were we can stay for him :)
Looking forward to see more about your dog :)
Hi @rhondak, I caught the end of your interview on MSP Waves last night. Hope all goes well for Bailey. Upvoted with all my modest upvote.
Good luck from the UK.
That's awesome that you caught the show. :-) We should have a recorded version soon and I will resteem it. I talked about Bailey in the interview.
I will look out for that.
@rhondak, Bailey is indeed a cute little boy.
I send him all my love ❤️
You have all my respect!
Thank you so much, @abigail-dantes!
Upvoted, resteemed. And if I had the space, I'd just take the dog. Seriously. I already have a 105 pound mut at home.
Oh my goodness! What kind of dog is your 105 pounder? I have an Anatolian shepherd mix who might get that large also. :-)
He's a mut we "rescued" at 2 months from NC. He's a mix of a pit, lab, coonhound and maybe ridgeback. His photo is all over my posts.
I have also sent this post over to @steemvote. It will be resteemed to a couple thousand accounts.
I just want to thank you tons for that! Rhonda is unfortunately without a computer right now, so having a horrible time getting everything responded to. But I know she will be SOO grateful for that.
Congratulations! This post has been upvoted from the communal account, @minnowsupport, by Lexiconical from the Minnow Support Project. It's a witness project run by aggroed, ausbitbank, teamsteem, theprophet0, someguy123, neoxian, followbtcnews/crimsonclad, and netuoso. The goal is to help Steemit grow by supporting Minnows and creating a social network. Please find us in the Peace, Abundance, and Liberty Network (PALnet) Discord Channel. It's a completely public and open space to all members of the Steemit community who voluntarily choose to be there.
Upvoted and resteemed. You know a little of my history @rhondak. I've seen this kind of mentality and this situation far too often. Glad to be able to help a little bit. Take care!
Yes. You definitely have a frame of reference. Thank you so much for the comment, and please don't be a stranger! :-)
Upvoted and RESTEEMED by @fundraisers .
All posts with the TAG "fundraisers" shall be Resteemed by @fundraisers.
No strings attached.
PS. Jack the Aussie says "Hi".
@fundraisers: Real people doing real things to help real causes. Love it! Thank you so much for including Bailey.
My upvote doesn't add that much, but I do hope Bailey's future is bright!
Your upvote does add love for Bailey, though, and based on the way he's acting today, he certainly feels it! :-) Thank you!
I hope he finds a loving home with people that appreciate him and make him happy.
Poor little guy. Have my small 100% upvote and resteem. You do great work @rhondak
Love you to pieces, GMuxx. Thank you for this, and for everything else.
Likewise, my Raccoon Queen.
All my dogs 🐶 always been rescue , good job and some take time to join the family
Thank you so much for doing your part to help the situation. Deeply appreciated. :-)
Such a cutie! I wish I could adopt him! A few years back, we adopted a beagle who had been abandoned by its owners. He had awful wounds on his neck, as someone had tried to choke him with a barbed wire. Thankfully, he is happy and loved by our family now and a lot less aggressive. But every time I read a post like this I remember how awful it had been.. it can really destroy an animal's psyche to be abandoned by its owner. I can't understand why people don't think before they decide to take on the responsibility of a living being.
Sending lots of warm fuzzy hugs to lil B! XO!
You are so right. The abandoned ones always seem to keep that betrayal with them. They recover and move on. But there's always something a little different about them. Breaks my heart.
heavy heart
At least Bailey's story will have a happy ending. :-)
Thank you so much for rescuing animals! Last Saturday our Black Labrador Sweetie passed away after my husband rescue her 12 years ago, she was 14 years old. Upvoted and I am following you.
Thank you so much. :-) I'm so sorry to hear about Sweetie. Anyone who has never loved a dog is missing part of what it means to be human. Dogs are family. And losing family leaves a hole that never completely fills, although you do learn to move on.
Exactly dogs are family! Thank so much for this kind words.
Thanks so much for your kind words.
ahh!! so cute
te invito a conocer la historia de mi mascota https://steemit.com/spanish/@sartigas16/la-historia-de-honey-peyton-la-mirada-de-tu-perro-es-el-mejor-espejo-donde-podras-comprobar-la-grandeza-de-tu-alma
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Upvote, resteem and follow you ❤
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Please do not spam anymoe of my posts and I wont have to take away your 230 cent comments
But i just had to use a 29% downvote JUSt to erase the 20 cents u made off this ocmments, because you must be TAUGHT A LESSON
you CANNOT keep spamming my page and get away with it!
I will keep taking away any money you make on steemit until you STOP posting SPAM comments on my blog posts!
Even steemcleaners warned you yesterday and you MAKE ANOTHER spam post against me! EVERYONE of my posts yoU SPAM