In Warwickshire, England, the police opened a garden shed and found a whimpering, cowering dog. The dog had been locked in the shed and abandoned. It was dirty and malnourished, and had quite clearly been abused. In an act of kindness, the police took the dog, which was a female greyhound, to the Nuneaton Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary, which is run by a man named Geoff Grewcock, and known as a haven for animals abandoned, orphaned, or otherwise in need. Geoff and the other sanctuary staff went to work with two aims: to restore the dog to full health, and to win her trust. It took several weeks, but eventually both goals were  achieved. They named her Jasmine, and they started to think about finding her an adoptive home.

Jasmine, however, had other ideas. No one quite remembers how it came about, but Jasmine started welcoming all animal arrivals at the sanctuary.  It would not matter if it were a puppy, a fox cub, a rabbit or, any other lost or hurting animal. Jasmine would just peer into the box or cage and,  when and where possible, deliver a welcoming lick. Geoff relates one of  the early incidents. “We had two puppies that had been abandoned by a nearby railway line. One was a Lakeland Terrier cross and another was a Jack Russell Doberman cross. They were tiny when they arrived at the centre, and Jasmine approached them and grabbed one by the scruff of the neck in her mouth and put him on the settee. Then she fetched the other one and sat down with them, cuddling them.” “But she is like that with all of our animals, even the rabbits. She takes all the stress out of them, and it helps them to not only feel close to her, but to settle into their new surroundings. She has done the same with the fox and badger cubs, she licks the rabbits and guinea pigs, and even lets the birds perch on the bridge of her nose.”

Jasmine, the timid, abused, deserted waif, became the animal sanctuary’s resident surrogate mother, a role for which she might have been born. The list of orphaned and abandoned youngsters she has cared for comprises five fox cubs, four badger cubs, fifteen chicks, eight guinea pigs, two stray puppies and fifteen rabbits – and one roe deer fawn. Tiny Bramble, eleven weeks old, was found semi-conscious in a field. Upon arrival at the sanctuary, Jasmine cuddled up to her to keep her warm, and then went into the full foster-mum role.  Jasmine the greyhound showers Bramble the roe deer with affection, and makes sure nothing is matted. “They are inseparable,” says Geoff. “Bramble walks between her legs, and they keep kissing each other. They walk together round the sanctuary. It’s a real treat to see them.” Jasmine will continue to care for Bramble until she is old enough to be returned to woodland life. When that happens, Jasmine will not be lonely. She will be too busy showering love and affection on the next orphan or victim of abuse.

Pictured from the left are: “Toby”, a stray Lakeland dog; “Bramble”, orphaned roe deer; “Buster”, a stray Jack Russell; a dumped rabbit; “Sky”, an injured barn owl; and “Jasmine”, with a  mother’s heart doing best what a caring mother would do…and such is the  order for God’s creation. Feel free to pass this story on and maybe make someone else’s day a little happier.

“The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world it leaves to  its children.”  Emily Eikner-Austin

Knowing what to avoid is more important than knowing what should be in the food. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER use any food with any kind of by-product meal. It is made of old, out-of-date meats from the grocery stores (usually the wrappers aren’t removed before processing) and it gets much worse from there. NEVER use a food with canola oil. 100% of America’s rapeseed crop is Monsanto’s Genetically Modified Franken food and every day more evidence comes out that GMO “food” is very bad for us and our pets. The oil is then processed so it is palatable but so overprocessed the body recognizes it as more a toxin than a nutrient.   I am also an advocate of grain-free. Cats have ZERO need for carbs and the only time a dog need carbs is the last 3 weeks of pregnancy and the first 3 weeks of whelping. Grains are cheap fillers. If you get a food with grain, avoid at all costs wheat and corn. The gluten in those grains can cause digestive problems.

The protein should be a high-quality “single source”,i.e., chicken or salmon or duck but not a blend. The #1 allergen for dogs is beef, so it should be avoided. I like to see at least 30% protein in the food. Our pets also need a lot of high quality fats. Some petfoods are down to 10-12% fat which is WAY too low for a normally active dog or cat.I get the fat percentage up to approx. 20% by supplementing with olive oil.  If your pet is a couch potato, a normal level of fat may contribute to pancreatitis, so get out there and have a good walk! All ingredients should be “human grade” or “fit for human consumption”.  If it is not stated on the label, you must assume the worst-they are using “4D” carcasses, carcasses the FDA declared unfit for human consumption at the slaughterhouse. They arrived Dead, Dying, Diseased or Disabled, were slaughtered and taken out of the human food processing chain and things like refrigeration come to an end.

As a reference, I feed mostly Nature’s Logic. Nothing in this food was made in China (don’t forget the melamine poisonings a few years ago) and it has been processed at the lowest possible temperature. EVO is another good food. Both are grain-free. Fromm Family makes very good foods, albeit with brown rice. All kibbles should be rehydrated for 60 minutes with an equal amount of water-it maked digestability MUCH better.

Now we come to my favorite part of the petfood debate-RAW! I feed my one Doberman and 3 cats what I have come to call the “1/2 raw” diet. They get 1/2 rehydrated kibble and 1/2 raw chicken necks, a very good, inexpensive source of good protein (the necks are pounded down to about 1/4″ with a kitchen mallet). The rules for raw chicken are: 1) Young birds, no old roasting chickens 2) NO weight-bearing bones-NO legs or thighs 3) embarrassing as this is to state: KEEP IT RAW at no point do the necks get cooked. That will harden the bones. I have been feeding this diet for over 4 years and have had no problems at all. It was a pain in the butt for the first few days, got better slowly and now is an ingrained habit-stick with it and your pets will love you all the more.

Special Thanks to Doug Richardson, Synergy Pet Wellness Center, LLC for submitting this informative article.  Synergy offers a variety of alternative/complimentary healing arts chosen to restore and maintain the vitality of our four-footed family members.  They offer:  Cold Laser Acupuncture, Massage, Shiatsu, Chinese and Western herbs, Reiki, Bach’s Flower Remedies and Radionics.  You can contact Doug at 970-576-0278 or by email at doberfolk@hotmail.com

Greeley, CO -  The ongoing renovation of Denkai Animal Sanctuary’s Greeley Adoption Center is making strong progress.

Please view these wonderful photos taken this weekend by Amy Roy:
http://www.letmetakeyourpics.com/AddlProgramsLinks.html

Items still needed to finish this renovation include:120 Tons Pea Gravel or Squeegee.  Estimated cost (retail) is $1,800.  We are still seeking quotes, but need help funding this.

Shade structures for the outdoor play yards for the dogs.  These can be as
simple as a small metal or wooden three sided shade structure or a pop up
tent.  We currently need a total of 13.  Use your imagination on this one!

Please visit:   http://www.denkaisanctuary.org/  for more information or to see animals available for adoption.

Neatorama: “Shelter dog Edie was schedule to be euthanized. She was fearful, aggressive, and hard to control. Then Bronwyne Mirkovich gave her another chance as he and Eldad Hagar recorded the process on video. -via reddit”

HolyKaw:  “Shelter dog Edie had a date with the grim reaper, but a caring soul decided to give the frightened pooch a stay of execution and discovered all she really need was a hug. Fair warning: you might want to grab a tissue before watching.”

It’s 6:00 on a cold October morning in the backyard at a home in Loveland, though the same scene is unfolding in Fort Collins, Ault, and Windsor.  A crew of volunteers sits quietly in their cars, or crouched down in the back porch. A lucky few sit comfortable in a living room watching through oversized windows …and waiting.  No one speaks unless it’s in low tones or whispers, not wanting to reveal their presence.

Suddenly something is moving and headed to a line of traps that have been set up since the night before with cans of cat food and other delicacies. As swift as these cats enter the trap and inhale the food, even swifter is the door that slams shut, capturing these feral cats that back up against the trap and stay frozen with fear. A volunteer covers the trap with a blanket hoping to relax the captive.

But these cats have nothing to fear, they are part of an effort by a newly-formed group of volunteers from northern Colorado who re-enact this scene once a month in an attempt to capture a few of the 20,000 – 30,000 feral cats roaming Larimer County, according to sources from the Larimer Humane Society. These cats are then sterilized; vaccinated, treated if possible for other medical issues then returned to their colony where a caretaker has chosen to feed and care for them. Young kittens are sent to foster homes to be adopted as are the semi-tame cats that exhibit sociability with humans granting them the possibility of sharing a home with a loving caretaker.

Back in February of this year, Leslie Vogt, owner/manager of Edwards House Bed and Breakfast in Fort Collins, was listening to one of her employees tell her about a feral cat she was feeding and the kittens she kept having. As a seven-year veteran of the Larimer Humane Society’s Board of Directors, Vogt knew that there had to be an answer. She confesses, “I knew nothing about the TNR (Trap, Neuter & Return) efforts that communities across the country have put into place.”

Her first inclination was to go on to Alley Cat Allies website where she learned to create her own TNR group. Vogt then published a notice in the Meetings sections in the Coloradoan, asking for volunteers and anyone interested in being part of what would eventually be called Northern Colorado Friends of Ferals. Over twenty-five people were at that first meeting and nearly all are still part of the group.  Within weeks they had their first TNR event, borrowing traps from the Larimer Humane Society and Fort Collins Cat Rescue and trapping 25 cats. All the veterinarians, vet techs, trappers, drivers, and the people who sit with the cats post-surgery, watching their vitals and placing warmed towels against their bellies are volunteers, over fifty in all who have participated in the TNR events held over the last few months.

After an article was published in the Loveland Reporter-Herald about a colony caretaker on the outskirts of Loveland who was participating in the TNR events, a number of readers sent money to the group to help with the purchase of traps, surgical supplies, vaccinations, blankets and gas. Vogt was overwhelmed with the response and was able to keep the effort going especially with the free services offered by the participating vets and the vet hospitals that offered their spaces on Sundays for the surgeries. But they are running out of money and are looking to set up as a legal non-profit and apply for grants. But according to Vogt, “We will have to slow down our pace because we just don’t have the funds.” The TNR events scheduled for November and December and possibly January have been cancelled which frustrates Vogt because those are the coldest and most difficult months for ferals.

The ferals they have helped number 330 in just one year; 55 kittens have been fostered and 24 cats have been relocated as barn cats who now spend their time chasing mice and sleeping covered in hay; protected from the worst of the elements and slowly forming a bond with their caretaker who provides food and water.

There have been some really good moments like the time a hoarding situation was brought to their attention in Ault where the elderly caretaker finally called to ask for help, thinking that he had only 12-15 cats. It turned out that there were more than 45 cats with 25 kittens. Medically they were compromised with urinary tract infections, ear mites; thin and dehydrated. The kittens were adopted, 12 barn homes were found for the older cats, and the few left were sent back to their original colony with some help for the elderly caretaker.

The volunteers of Northern Colorado Friends of Ferals hope to start up again in early spring in order to find all the new born kittens and adopt them out to good homes. Vogt will be spending the winter fundraising for the spring efforts. The public can call Leslie Vogt at 970-224-1467 or email her at edshouse@edwardshouse.com or send a check made out to Animal Rescue Connection, Inc., c/o Leslie Vogt, Edwards House Bed & Breakfast, 402 W. Mountain Ave. Fort Collins, CO 80521.  Please write NCFF on the memo line of your check.

‘I saw the car, Dad. Please don’t yell at me  when I’m driving.’ My voice was measured and steady, sounding far calmer than  I really felt.

Dad glared at me, then turned away and settled back. At  home I left Dad in front of the television and went outside to collect my  thoughts. Dark, heavy clouds hung in the air with a promise of rain. The  rumble of distant thunder seemed to echo my inner  turmoil.

What could I do about him?

Dad had  been a  lumberjack in Washington and Oregon.  He had enjoyed being outdoors and had reveled in pitting his strength against  the forces of nature. He had entered grueling lumberjack competitions, and had  placed often. The shelves in his house were filled with trophies that attested  to his prowess. The years marched on relentlessly. The first time he couldn’t  lift a heavy log, he joked about it; but later that same day I saw him outside  alone, straining to lift it. He became irritable whenever anyone teased him  about his advancing age, or when he couldn’t do something he had done as a  younger man.

Four days after his sixty-seventh  birthday, he had a heart attack. At the hospital, Dad was rushed into an  operating room. He was lucky; he survived.

But  something inside Dad died. His zest for life was gone. He obstinately refused  to follow doctor’s orders. Suggestions and offers of help were turned aside  with sarcasm and insults. The number of visitors thinned, and then finally  stopped altogether. Dad was left alone.

My husband,  Dick, and I asked Dad to come live with us on our small farm. We hoped the  fresh air and rustic atmosphere would help him adjust. Within a week after he  moved in, I regretted the invitation. It seemed nothing was satisfactory. He  criticized everything I did. I became frustrated and moody Soon I was taking  my pent-up anger out on Dick. We began to bicker and argue. Alarmed, Dick  sought out our pastor and explained the situation. The clergyman set up weekly  counseling appointments for us. At the close of each session he prayed, asking  God to soothe Dad’s troubled mind. But the months wore on and God was silent.  Something had to be done an d it was up to me to do  it.

The next day I sat down with the phone book and  methodically called each of the mental health clinics listed in the Yellow Pages. I explained my problem to each of the sympathetic voices that answered.  In vain. Just when I was giving up hope, one of the voices suddenly exclaimed,  ‘I just read something that might help you! Let me go get the article.’ I  listened as she read.. The article described a remarkable study done at a  nursing home. All of the patients were under treatment for chronic depression.  Yet their attitudes had improved dramatically when they were given  responsibility for a dog

I drove to the animal  shelter that afternoon. After I filled out a questionnaire, a uniformed  officer led me to the kennels. The odor of disinfectant stung my nostrils as I  moved down the row of pens. Each contained five to seven dogs. Long-haired  dogs, curly-haired dogs, black dogs, spotted dogs all jumped up, trying to  reach me. I studied each one but rejected one after the other for various  reasons, too big, too small, too much hair. As I neared the last pen a dog in  the shadows of the far corner struggled to his feet, walked to the front of  the run and sat down. It was a pointer, one of the dog world’s aristocrats.  But this was a caricature of the breed. Years had etched his face and muzzle  with shades of gray. His hipbones jutted out in lopsided triangles. But i t  was his eyes that caught and held my attention. Calm and clear, they beheld me  unwaveringly.

I pointed to the dog. ‘Can you tell me  about him?’ The officer looked, then shook his head in  puzzlement.

‘He’s a funny one. Appeared out of nowhere and sat in front  of the gate. We brought him in, figuring someone would be right down to claim  him, that was two weeks ago and we’ve heard nothing. His time is up tomorrow.’  He gestured helplessly.

As the words sank in I turned to the man in horror. ‘You mean you’re going to kill  him?’

‘Ma’am,’ he said gently, ‘that’s our policy. We don’t have room  for every unclaimed dog.’

I looked at the pointer  again. The calm brown eyes awaited my decision. ‘I’ll take him,’ I  said.

I drove home with the dog on the front seat beside me. When I  reached the house I honked the horn twice. I was helping my prize out of the  car when Dad shuffled onto the front porch.

‘Ta-da!  Look what I got for you, Dad!’ I said excitedly.

Dad looked, then  wrinkled his face in disgust. ‘If I had wanted a dog I would have gotten one.  And I would have picked out a better specimen than that bag of bones. Keep it!  I don’t want it’ Dad waved his arm scornfully and turned back toward the  house.

Anger rose inside me. It squeezed together my  throat muscles and pounded into my temples…

‘You’d better get used to  him, Dad. He’s staying!’ Dad ignored me. ‘Did you hear me, Dad?’ I screamed.  At those words Dad whirled angrily, his hands clenched at his sides, his eyes  narrowed and blazing with hate.

We stood glaring at  each other like duelists, when suddenly the pointer pulled free from my grasp.  He wobbled toward my dad and sat down in front of him. Then slowly, carefully,  he raised his paw.

Dad’s lower jaw trembled as he stared at the  uplifted paw. Confusion replaced the anger in his eyes. The pointer waited  patiently. Then Dad was on his knees hugging the  animal.

It was the beginning of a warm and intimate  friendship. Dad named the pointer Cheyenne. Together he  and Cheyenne explored the community. They  spent long hours walking down dusty lanes. They spent reflective moments on  the banks of streams, angling for tasty trout. They even started to attend  Sunday services together, Dad sitting in a pew  and Cheyenne lying quietly at his  feet.

Dad and Cheyenne were  inseparable throughout the next three years. Dad’s bitterness faded, and he  and Cheyenne made many friends. Then late  one night I was startled to feel Cheyenne’s cold nose  burrowing through our bed covers. He had never before come into our bedroom at  night. I woke Dick, put on my robe and ran into my father’s room. Dad lay in  his bed, his face serene. But his spirit had left quietly sometime during the  night.

Two days later my shock and grief deepened  when I discovered Cheyenne lying dead beside Dad’s bed. I  wrapped his still form in the rag rug he had slept on. As Dick and I buried  him near a favorite fishing hole, I silently thanked the dog for the help he  had given me in restoring Dad’s peace of mind.

The  morning of Dad’s funeral dawned overcast and dreary. This day looks like the  way I feel, I thought, as I walked down the aisle to the pews reserved for  family. I was surprised to see the many friends Dad  and Cheyenne had made filling the church.  The pastor began his eulogy. It was a tribute to both Dad and the dog who had  changed his life. And then the pastor turned to Hebrews 13:2. ‘Be not  forgetful to entertain strangers.’

‘I’ve  often thanked God for sending that angel,’ he said.

For me, the past  dropped into place, completing a puzzle that I had not seen before: the  sympathetic voice that had just read the right  article.

Cheyenne’s unexpected appearance at the  animal shelter . . . his calm acceptance and complete devotion to my father. .  and the proximity of their deaths. And suddenly I understood. I knew that God  had answered my prayers after all.  Life is too short for drama &  petty things, so laugh hard, love truly and forgive quickly. Live While You  Are Alive..  Tell the people you love that you love them, at every  opportunity.  Forgive now those who made you cry. You might not get a  second time..

And if you  don’t send this to at least 4 people – who cares?  But do share this with  someone. Lost time  can never be found.

Thanks to Bruce S., Branch Manager with United First Financial for sharing this story.  Originally published on Louisiana SPCA’s website. 

 Kenai will be awarded the Hero Award at Colorado’s Animal Heroes, held Thursday, October 8^th, at Saint Cajetan’s on the Auraria Campus in downtown Denver. Kenai is a Bernese Mountain Dog who started whimpering in the early morning hours alerting her sleeping owners to a dangerous situation. Several people in the house were feeling nauseous when they woke due to dangerously high levels of carbon monoxide in the home. If it were not for Kenai’s whimpering, the owners may not have woken up to discover the dangerous situation and get everyone to safety. Kenai embodies the spirit of a Colorado’s Animal Hero because of her heroic actions in saving the lives of her owners and the others in the house. This is just one story that will be shared at the Colorado’s Animal Heroes ceremony which will feature eight award honorees. There is still time to reserve your seat for this extraordinary event.

When: Thursday, October 8, 2009

7:00 PM – Awards Presentation

8:00 PM – Celebratory Reception

Where: Saint Cajetan’s on the Auraria Campus

900 Auraria Parkway, Denver

Tickets: Tickets are complimentary but you must RSVP as seating is limited. All donations are appreciated! Ticket reservations and donations are made at www.blacktie-colorado.com.

Animal Rescue Connection in Greeley, Colorado is working to raise money to equip a mobile spay/neuter unit to provide low cost services in Weld and Larimer Counties and Southern Wyoming.

Please vote for us daily through December 20, 2009 (click image above). Help us put an end to the pet overpopulation in our community and beyond!