Spring Regeneration

Well spring is right around the corner! I must admit, I'm looking forward to everything turning green and blooming with all the beautiful colors that come spring. It's a time of regeneration for all things living. Unfortunately, that includes many unwanted puppies and kittens.

Just this last week we have had 4 newborn puppies come in, maybe a week old. They were discovered under a shed when one of them came wobbling out, the mother was no where to be found. The ones that called thought she had probably been killed. The pups were dehydrated, hungry and already getting cold from their tiny bodies shutting down. I'm sure they would not have survived one or two more days, at the most.

In this same week, a little puppy came in. Adult dogs had attacked this little, helpless stray. No one knew where she even came from. Her jaw was broken, and she was very scared. Once taken to the vet her jaw is now set and taped. We are hoping for a full recovery but she has to eat only 'puppy soup' for the next three weeks and then we can see if she is healing once we remove the wrapping from her tiny mouth. She's a real little trooper though, no whining or fussing and laps up her 'soup' with great enthusiasm!

We also have an adult cat that came in expecting. We couldn't have her spayed, so we are expecting kittens any day now. In that same week, two female cats came in after being found in a dumpster along with a kitten. One had an injured back leg, all were hungry and scared.

My point to all this is, I cannot stress enough how important it is to have your pet spayed or neutered. The cost is no more than what you might spend on a trip to the mall, going to a movie and eating out one weekend. Please consider the results of not doing this; just go back to the above. This constant cycle of unwanted puppies and kittens needs to be stopped. I can't tell you how defenseless, helpless and lost these babies are when they come to AGC. It would tear your heart out if you saw the look in their eyes and their tiny, skinny, trembling little bodies! And all is completely preventable if we just made the spaying/neutering of our pets our top priority.

So for now, we'll bottle feed, nurse and love these little cast-offs until they are strong and healthy and ready to go to a loving home that will care for them for the rest of their lives.

Spring is a wonderful time to celebrate new life, I just pray that it is life that will be loved and cared for and not one that will be thrown out, ignored or simply not wanted.

Easter Baskets

Easter will be here before we know it! With that come Easter egg hunts, baskets full of candy, baby chicks and little bunnies. Those little chicks and bunnies are SOOO cute and fuzzy. I know because I fall victim to the ahhhh every time I see them!

Having just had an abandoned rabbit come into AGC a few weeks ago, I realized that there will be lots of baby bunnies being given at Easter, as well as, chicks and baby ducks. Now comes the dilemma; they all grow up and become a real responsibility. The novelty wears off and now they are a major chore to take care of.

Some will just be turned loose to try to survive on their own. After some research on domestic rabbits, I have learned that they do not have the same instincts that their wild cousins have. These bunnies are really dependent on their human to care for them. As for the little chicks and baby ducks, once grown, and if put out on their own, they will more than likely become prey for larger animals. We had a call last spring from someone that had given baby ducks to their children for Easter. She said they wanted them because they looked so cute in the family photos with the children. Guess what, they are now very large, making major messes that no one wants to see or clean up and they were looking for a farm or rescue group that would take them. It just didn't seem fair to the ducks or the groups that were being asked to take one someone else's seemingly selfish decision.

If you choose to give any of these small creatures as Easter gifts, please make sure you are prepared to care of them for a long time. Rabbits can live many years. All can be messy if not in the right environment. The chickens and ducks truly need to be in their proper setting to live the life that was intended for them.

As of this writing, Niles, the rabbit, is living at my home. Whether he was the product of a bad choice, I don't know. What I do know is that he was left on someone's porch, someone that did not make the decision to have him but took on the responsibility to find somewhere safe for him. By the way, Niles is a great little guy and doesn't mind sharing the yard, when he's out for his daily romp, with Conner and Radar (my dogs).

All can be wonderful, loving pets if they are acquired with the acceptance of all that comes with them.

Until next time though, I need to go get some carrots!

Christmas Vacation

Grant and I went to Indiana for Christmas this year to visit family. This is the first time that I've made this trip without at least one of my dogs. Since we were going to stay in a hotel this year, we decided that it would be easier without having to worry about snowy footprints (mixed, of course, with good, black Indiana dirt!) getting on my mother's white carpet, not to mention a brother-in-law that will not allow pets in their home. I know, it’s pretty hard to believe that I would actually have someone in my family like that. I'm still not sure how it happened!

I have to admit that after just a couple of days I was starting to miss my "children" and all that comes with them. I even missed the messes and sometime squabbles between all of them. You know how it is; they always want what the other has!

The weather was typical Indiana December weather. .... COLD and WINDY! We were stopping by our hotel to check on something so while Grant braved the weather, my sister and I stayed in the truck. We were talking and laughing as usual and my sister said, "What was that? It sounded like a dog or something." I heard it as well so I turned around to look out the window. I saw a black and white young cat trying her best to get into the hotel lobby. She was crying out and bumping into the glass as if she were trying to get someone to open the door. Well that was it, I told my sister as I was bundling up to get out of the truck, that if the cat came to me then I would take her home. I stepped out, slipped on some ice, got my balance, and started toward the crying kitten. She saw me and came to me without hesitation. I picked her up and got back in the truck. She was shivering, hungry and dehydrated but strong and very appreciative. Grant came back to the vehicle, stepped in and looked at the cat. For some unknown reason, he wasn't surprised at all to see a cat sitting in my lap. It was like business as usual. Indiana, South Carolina, location didn't mean anything when it comes to bringing in whatever I might find that may need help.

Now, it was getting late, and did I mention, it was also Christmas night? Ever try finding a store at 6 pm on Christmas night that might possibly sell a litter box, cat chow and some litter to put in that box? Well, it's not easy. We went to different stores and finally found one that was open and had some cat food and litter. We had to improvise on the litter box but a gift box was the perfect size and once lined with some bright Christmas wrapping paper, it actually was quite festive considering its use!

Our new friend was all set, now she had to make her debut at my mother's house. Once the surprise wore off (my mother has never really been a fan of cats) our 'Christmas rescue' made herself right at home. And, of course, the only lap she wanted to sit on was my mother's. I did have to get a picture due to the rarity of the occasion!

Ella, short for Cinderella, settled in nicely at the hotel as well. She rode in the car with no problem, sleeping in whichever lap suited her. She is now here at All God's Creatures and is awaiting a new, permanent home. She has gone from hunting for food and shelter to lounging on my desk, having a nice, warm bed and all the food she cares for.

My family joked about my usual behavior saying, 'some things never change' when it comes to animals! As usual, my mom, sister and Grant were very accepting of the rescue and the inconvenience that came with it but also enjoyed being part of Ella’s new beginning. Seeing her eat and drink and be warm for the first time in probably quite some time, made all of us feel a sense of gratefulness for all that we have.

It was a wonderful Christmas. It’s nice to know that no matter what my age or location, I can still be me, accepted for who I am and my calling for caring for the animals in need. My prayer for all of you in this New Year is that you will discover your true self, if you haven’t already and find your mission in life.

We can all make a difference for one another and for the animals, even if it’s just one pet at a time.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Denise

"Lola"

Lola arrived in the nest one cold January day. She was so tiny, no bigger than a mouse. She had no hair, couldn’t see or hear & her skin so new & thin that you could see right into her little body. Lola lived with her family for only a few days maybe a week when a hunter shot at her nest. He was a good shot & Lola fell through the limbs, scratching her tiny, bare body & hit the ground.

The hunter realized what he had done & quickly scooped Lola up in his hands trying to keep her warm. He needed help for Lola so he called his wife. The hunter’s wife then called All God’s Creatures to see if we could help the tiny newborn squirrel.

Lola’s chances weren’t good but AGC said they would try to keep her alive, at least for a while.

Lola slept in a warm, fuzzy blanket on a heating pad. She learned how to eat from a syringe that was gently put in her mouth. Every day she got a little stronger, started to grow and pretty soon Lola actually grew some hair!

That little squirrel was bound & determined to grow up & be somebody! She teethed on Cheerios & eventually started to eat some solid food like pecans, sunflower seeds & raisins. Pretty soon Lola was a beautiful, sweet young thing, smart too. She learned her name & the sound of my voice whenever I came into the room.

It’s now been 7 months & Lola is my constant companion along her best friend, Conner, my dog. Use see, Conner would gently lick her & keep her clean just like her squirrel momma would have done. He protects her & plays with her too. It seems Lola has a strange family but we love her & she loves us.

Lola’s first trip was to Indiana in May. She stayed busy in the car shredding newspaper in her travel cage (actually it’s a bird cage!). She has a ferret hammock that hangs from the top & Lola loves to tear up paper & take it to her ‘bed’ then she will knock it all out & start over. She also has some oak tree limbs to climb on & get her exercise.

Lola really liked it in Indiana. She made everyone smile & they all laughed at her antics. She would run around the living room, jump on someone’s arm & then up around their neck, back down the arm & then run to someone else to tickle them. A couple of times she thought it would be fun to run up my brother-in-law’s pant leg. He didn’t feel the same way! What fun she had up there. She had lots of pictures taken with her new friends & family too. She even helped her ‘dad’ with some of his work on the computer. Actually, Lola just likes to run over the keyboard. One day I was working on the computer, as fast as I could type I saw the words disappearing. What in the world? I looked down to see Lola standing on the backspace button! She thought that was a really cool trick!!

Lola went to the mountains with her ‘people’ family in June. She is becoming quite the traveler! Once again she was the life of the party. Having the run of the dining room table was so much fun, all the while Conner kept a good watch over her. When she got lost in one of the bedrooms, it was Conner that sniffed her out & showed us where she was. Boy was she glad to get back on the table after that! I think that was the first time she had ever known what being scared was like. She was shaking & very glad to be safe in her own ‘room’! Lola didn’t want to venture too far after that.

So for now, Lola is out on the screened porch getting some exercise & we’ll go home in a little while but I’ll keep you posted on her adventures.

Denise

FROM PRINCE TO PAUPER

He had been a horse accustomed to being somewhat pampered, at least for a horse. You see, he’s a Thoroughbred, one of the most athletic, elegant, money earning breeds & owned by kings even today.

He came to be owned by a polo player & was good at the game until a small injury to a back hoof took him out of play for a short while. Once this beautiful athlete couldn’t work, even though it would be for just a short time, he was sold.

He came to a place that was to be called home. Unfortunately, out of no malice or intentional cruelty, the horse was slowly starving to death. The owners just had no idea what was required to care for this big guy.

His stomach growled for food all day and night. He stood in the hot sun, bleaching out his dark gleaming coat. His once flowing mane and tail became brittle, sweating out what little body fat he had and every day he became thinner and thinner. But his luck was about to change. A nice lady was at the place where he lived and she noticed his plight. After speaking with the owners, explaining all that this horse needed to live, they decided they would let her find somewhere to take him. That’s when AGC was called and I told her we would take the horse. We picked him up on July 22, 2010.

This once strong, beautiful animal has a long way to go to get healthy but this ‘pauper’ is well on his way to being the ‘prince’ that he was meant to be.

UPDATE: Keldar has been adopted and is enjoying the good life with his new family in Aiken. The picture of Keldar above is after his rehabilitation.

Recently All God’s Creatures has received calls concerning horses in our area so here are some things you will want to consider when owning a horse, after all, they can live well into their 30’s when properly cared for.

First you need approximately 1 acre per horse if you are going to use grazing as your main source of feed. If you have a smaller area then you will need to supply the feed that will give your horse what he needs nutritionally to maintain good body condition & weight.

A horse needs good, fresh, clean hay. This is the roughage that they require therefore you must make sure that the hay they eat is light green in color & smells fresh. There should never be any mold or stale odor to it. A good way to see if your hay is free of molds is to pat it or shake it, if you see dust or powder coming out of it, please don’t feed. Along with your hay, a horse needs other nutrition. That will be the reason why you will supplement your hay with some sort of pellet feed or grain that is specifically made for equines. This will ensure that your horse will maintain good body weight, healthy coat & bright eyes.

Your horse will always need fresh, clean water as well as a mineral salt block. This is vital to his health. He requires some shelter & shade as well.

Deworming is also very important; this should be done about every 8 weeks. This will also be a good time for your blacksmith to come out & keep your horse’s hooves in good condition. If a horse has over-grown hooves & should become lame, you will be sentencing him to a life of pain. A horse just can’t survive without good, sound feet & legs. This is another reason for good feed.

If you can see his ribs or back bone, hip bones or over-grown hooves then you have a horse that is not getting what he needs to be healthy. They cannot fix these things by themselves. As a responsible animal owner you are the one that this animal is trusting to take care of him in the best way possible. There are several reasons why your horse may be looking poor; even teeth can be a source of problem for him, especially as he ages.

A horse can be your best friend, I know mine was growing up & still is today along with my dogs. They are intelligent, graceful & loving animals. Help them to be all of those things if you choose to include a horse in your life.

Until next time, happy trails! Denise

A few days ago I received a phone call from a gentleman stating that there had been a small white dog out in one of his fields just running in circles for the past several hours. Obviously, there was something wrong with the animal but he wasn’t sure what to do. He couldn’t get close enough to see what the matter was because the dog would just run in a bigger circle and move away. I must admit I was a little skeptical but I loaded up a crate and slip lead and headed out. When I got there, sure enough a little white dog was out in this huge field just running like there was no tomorrow! I have to say I had never seen such a strange site. I walked out in the field and could not get in catching distance of him. It was obvious that the little dog was blind and very frightened as well as exhausted. On my way back to the truck, the gentleman asked me how I thought I was going to catch him. My response was that hopefully I can get in front of him and he will run into me! Well, putting away any thought of what this might look like from someone passing by, hobbling, since I had sprained my foot two weeks earlier getting up in the middle of the night to feed a baby squirrel someone had brought to AGC, I went back out to the field to see if I could somehow get the little dog to run to me and then I could just slip the leash over his head as he passed by. Fortunately, the good Lord was looking down on me and on the first try was able to get the leash over his head at which point, the dog just collapsed! He never made a sound, just laid there panting, covered with dirt, wet and scared. I picked him up and went to the vet.

Derrick is now sporting a new hair cut and is adapting amazingly well. We have started him on some eye drops twice a day and it looks like he might be able to have some limited vision. For now though, Derrick is staying with me and comes to the shelter every day with Conner and myself.

For this little guy to be put out on the side of the road (there was no other way he could have gotten to where he was alone) is one of the cruelest things that could have been done to Derrick. Imagine how he must have felt being somewhere not being able to see or was even remotely familiar, just running, running, trying to get home but couldn’t. We should all try to put ourselves in this position and by doing so, know that this not the way another living thing should be treated. After all, we are all God’s creatures.

Dear Friends,

I lost my best friend recently due to cancer. He came into my life just two weeks before I lost another best friend. Jasper was an exceptional friend. He always put my needs first; his patience would make Job blush! His love and loyalty was without question.

Jasper came into All God’s Creatures one August day, found on Old Stage Coach Road, chasing horses and waiting for his people to pick him up again. When my phone rang and my friend said, "I have a Jack Russell Terrier that showed up. Can I bring him to you?" What could I say?

Once he was with me, we went to see Dr. Rauton. Jasper needed to be neutered and one back leg had been broken along with his tail. Those injuries could have been easily fixed but ... Jasper lived with a crooked back leg and tail. But, he didn’t hold a grudge.

I tried to place him once, a few weeks after he came to AGC. The person brought Jasper back the very next day saying he had stood at the window and cried all night (and she did too)! When I met her to retrieve Jasper, she said, "Do not try to place him again, he’s yours!" As they say, the rest is history.

Jasper was my constant companion. He went from elementary schools to do pet care classes to Lowe’s, festivals, meetings and every where in between. He truly was the best friend I have ever had. Jasper’s love was completely unconditional and for five years was the most perfect ambassador All God’s Creatures could have ever asked for.

The hardest decision I have ever had to make came on August 3 of this year. Jasper now rests with my other dear, dear friends in our special place at home. A friend like this is very special so I wait for God to send another one to me. It is difficult and lonely at times but I’m trying to be patient.

For those of you that say "I don’t want to go through the pain again of losing a pet," I say having your heart broken is the price you gladly pay for the privilege of loving a pet. For now, I have a huge hole in my heart and life that Jasper left, but my heart is open, waiting for my next dear friend and what he/she will bring to my life.

Please, if you have lost your 'best friend," don’t cheat yourself or the animal that needs to be loved and is just waiting to be that friend. Open your heart and I promise you won’t be sorry.

Sincerely, Denise Holcomb

"Sweet, Old Mare"

      She had a long way to go but her heart and spirit were strong. Even being in extreme pain, due to lack of proper hoof care, she valiantly hobbled her way to the awaiting horse trailer that would take her to a place that would give her all the care that she needs and deserves. She is extremely underweight and flies biting her legs until they bleed. Her difficulty in walking is due to not having her hooves properly trimmed. So over time, the hooves curled up and she was left to walk on the bone that should have been up inside the hoof. When I looked into her soft, brown eyes, I knew the sweet, old mare had just been waiting for someone to help her. Once we had cut the rusty, old barbed wire and made a gap for her to walk through (she couldn't walk to the gate, it was too far away), it took three long hours to get her from where she had been standing for several months, if not years, to the trailer just 150 feet away, loaded, driven the 9 miles to her sanctuary and then put into her new home. For a normal horse it would have taken 30 minutes, at most. The mare greeted her new roommate with great enthusiasm. You could tell she had been alone for a long time. If she could have jumped for joy, she would have!

We started her on good feed, slowly, she wasn't used to anything but some hay and that was not near enough. After being wormed and getting a steady diet, the sweet, old mare did start to gain weight. That alone told us she had not been getting what she needed to sustain quality life. She was, at least, 200 pounds under weight, all ribs showing, back bone and hip bones and due to her lameness, her muscles had atrophied.

Before the vet could get to see her, the mare went down. All day, I stayed in the lot with her. Twice a friend came and helped me get her up, just hoping she would be able to hang on. I carried water to her and dribbled it in her mouth, begging her to please get up, knowing that that was our only hope of saving her. Unfortunately, her prognosis was not good. The vet stated that she had been so neglected that she would never be pain free even if her hooves were salvageable, which they were not. The sweet, old mare was humanely euthanized that morning.

I ask any of you that are reading this if it even remotely sounds cruel and neglectful? If so, we have a responsibility to demand that this kind of treatment is not tolerated and should be punishable in some form. This horse gave 25 plus years to owners that decided it was easier to stop caring for her and just wait for her to die. This mindset is completely unacceptable for any animal, large or small!

This sweet, old mare is now resting, no more pain or hunger. Unfortunately, it didn't have to be this way for her. Her issues were completely avoidable. It would have only taken normal hoof care and diet for her to have lived several more years. Please, don't let this happen again in our county. Our animals deserve better than this and we are the only ones that can change this kind of treatment.

Denise Lee Holcomb, Founder, All God's Creatures Pet Rescue

ALL LEGAL ACTION WAS DROPPED AGAINST THE OWNER. IT SEEMS THIS SWEET, NEGLECTED HORSE DIDN'T MATTER ALL THAT MUCH.

We have a large problem in our county that I would like to address. The problem is abandoned pets.

The picture you see is that of a dog that was brought to All God's Creatures. She was probably 2 years old. You wouldn't know it to look at her, would you? She had been hit by a car at some point. The accident dislocated her hip, and because she received no medical attention, the injury calcified and therefore crippled her, leaving her in constant pain.

Now let's add to that the fact that she had no vaccinations or heartworm preventative and was not spayed. she led a life of trying to feed puppies, five, all starving and dehydrated when found. . . And that's just this litter!

We couldn't save the mother due to her being crippled and having heartworms. The five puppies are doing well. They have had their first set of shots and have been wormed, along with receiving good food. They are thriving now, a chance their mother was not given due to an uncaring owner.

Please don't put a pet out thinking that they can survive because after all, they are animals. They are totally dependent on us as their caregivers. This is a task that I take very seriously and pray that those of you who read this letter will take this task seriously too.

Dear Friends of All God’s Creatures,

I sit in my living room this muggy August evening and I keep thinking about the recent national news story concerning dog fighting. I’m trying to comprehend just why anyone would do or be involved in, such a cruel activity. To think that making a creature that was put here to help us, comfort us and love us, fight until maimed or dead, is going on in our country and even our own state, is incomprehensible.

To try and excuse these actions as anything less than cruel, heartless and being egotistical, is also absurd. These animals are not born mean or vicious. They are a product of inhumane and ignorant people.

To have such a heartless consideration for a life, whether it is four-legged or not, is more than I can absorb. A so called sport, that involves a trusting, caring, completely dependent creature, is the ultimate betrayal of responsibility and trustworthiness given to us, as caretakers of dependent lives.

Please, please, think before ever considering that this activity is remotely acceptable in our society and in the eyes of the one who created both human and animal.

Sincerely,

Denise Lee Holcomb, Founder, All God’s Creatures

The phone rings, the voice on the other end is shaking and somewhat winded. She has found a dog on the side of the road, too weak to run and obviously in need of help. I told her I would meet her at the vet's office. I walk into the waiting room, I see a fairly large dog consisting of bones (you could see his whole skeleton) covered with a short coat of hair. His eyes are infected and his hip had been knocked out of the socket (the hip was an old injury). He was so weak and looked at me as if to say, "I just want to rest". Once the vet started the exam, I knew it wasn't going to be good. The dog was in the last stages of heartworm disease, too weak for treatment and his injured hip was a constant source of pain.

Needless to say, his life had been full of suffering, but, to know that his last few minutes of life were spent in comfort and being touched and talked to in the kindest way, was all I could give him.

The next day I met someone at the vet's office to get a dog that has been abandoned by her owners. You see, they moved a week ago, their pet was left chained to a car, no shelter but a bush. Food and water were scarce. She was very thin and had never been given vaccinations, preventative medications or spayed.

The solution for these owners was to have someone come by to take the car and turn the dog loose to survive on her own. Thank goodness, a neighbor came over and said they would take the dog. That's where All God's Creatures comes in. I'm on my way to meet that kind neighbor and get the dog. Hopefully, she will have a chance for a good, new life, in a loving home. These days make all the rest worth while.

      Four days before Christmas, the phone rings and a little girl's voice asks me if Maya was still up for adoption. I said that she was, and the little girl put her mother on the phone. We spoke for a while and set up a time for the family to meet Maya. We were waiting in Aiken on the sidewalk when a little girl came running up crying, "My dog, Maya!" She literally dropped to her knees and threw her arms around the dog's neck. It was definitely love at first sight for Maya and the child. I have to say, it brought chills to my arms and tears to my eyes to see such joy. The mother had made a promise to her daughter that if she brought her grades up, she could look for a dog. She went to our website and found Maya, a sweet, beautiful golden lab mix. I'm not sure when I've ever seen such pure joy or complete pride in achieving a goal as I did that Saturday morning standing out on the sidewalk. As I watched the family walk away with Maya, I was once again reminded why rescuing God's creatures is so important not only for the pet, but for the people that receive the unconditional love and loyalty that the pet brings to their lives.Happy New Year, and remember, we are ALL God's creatures.

Denise Holcomb, Founder

"TOBY"

"GRANDPA"