A big hearty “Thank You!” to everyone who donated for Gracie’s surgery. She was operated on at K State on August 18 and received a bone plate graft affixed with 7 screws to her tiny tibia. Over 20 people donated towards her medical care and one especially benevolent couple donated the lion’s share of the up to now cost of $1525.00. She is now in the process of enduring 7 more weeks of cage confinement, only going out on a leash for 5 minutes at a time several times a day for potty breaks. She has had a radical transformation in her personality since her surgery. Before she was very hesitant to let anyone pick her up and if she didn’t know or trust you, would try to bite due to her pain. Since the surgery she loves everyone and is very eager for human contact. She will have to return to K State again in 7 weeks for a postoperative recheck and xrays. If you have not yet donated and still wish to, donations still gratefully accepted. Finney County Humane Society, P. O. Box 2031, Garden City, Ks. 67846, a 501c(3) charitable organization.

How much do humans love their pets?

In the United States, 63 percent of households have one or more pets sharing their homes and 42 percent of those animals sleep in the same bed as their owners. 58 percent put their pets in family and holiday portraits and 70 percent sign their pet’s name on greeting and holiday cards.

An estimated 1,000,000 dogs in the U.S. have been named as the primary beneficiaries in their owners’ wills. Leona Helmsly left her dog Trouble $12 million! In 2008, people spent more than $40 billion on their pets. That breaks down to more than $17 billion on food, $11 billion on medical care, more than $3 billion on grooming and boarding expenses and over $10 billion on miscellaneous toys, clothing and over-the-counter medicines.

Too much? In my opinion, no! Pets love us unconditionally, give us companionship, and in my house, make us laugh every day. Science says that people who own pets live longer…probably because of the aforementioned reasons.

However, we must also remember that not every animal is a cherished, pampered, family pet. Shelters are filled with former pets who were once loved, but due to circumstances they can’t control, now find themselves in a scary and lonely situation. Just as we donate our time, money and resources to people who are less fortunate, we should always remember those who are unable to speak for themselves. Become a foster home for animals, donate food and supplies to the local shelter and take part in fundraisers that benefit homeless animals. Most importantly, adopt your next pet from a shelter or rescue….they deserve a little pampering, too!

A group of us have been attending weekly meetings and putting plans together for our upcoming Paws For a Cause – Dog Jog and Pet Expo 2009 on October 17th. We have really gotten excited because this has been coming together very nicely.
The dog walk part is going to be really fun. The full walk is 2 miles but of course we want to make it enjoyable for everyone so we will be marking where you can just walk 1 mile. A big portion of the walk will be through the park. What a fun thing to do on a Saturday morning! And that’s just the start of a fun day because the Pet Expo will be next. I’ll tell more about that in a later blog.
We can still use some helpful ideas for this event. You can either blog your thoughts or attend our planning meetings. We meet every Monday, 7 PM, at the Comfort Inn.

Gracie is a 10 weeks old Yorkie mix puppy with a broken rear leg. It is not only broken, but twisted at the knee joint. She will require an expensive surgery to lead a normal life. Donations needed! If you can help, send a donation in any amount to P. O. Box 2031, Garden City, designated Gracie’s fund. Or, visit our website www.finneycohs.org and use our paypal button. No amount too small. Finney County Humane Society is a 501 c(3) corporation. All donations are tax deductible.

The Wizard of Oz’s Toto was played by a female Cairn Terrier named Terry. She was reportedly abandoned by her original owner and adopted by a Hollywood trainer. By the time she was cast in the Wizard of Oz, Terry had already starred in other movies with Shirley Temple and Spencer Tracy. Terry lived with “Dorothy” for several weeks, and Judy Garland was so taken with the dog that she wanted to keep her, a plan that was nixed by the trainer. Terry earned $125 a week for her work. During filming, Terry was accidentally stepped on by one of the Wicked Witch’s guards and had to take a few weeks off to recuperate. She returned to finish filming and after the movie’s success, her name was officially changed to “Toto.” She died in 1944 after performing in 13 films.

Websites dedicated to the Cairn Terrier proclaim this breed a good watchdog, affectionate and loving, and naturally patient with children.

Another success story for adopted dogs!