Heartache and Hope

Sometime yesterday, a dog was abandoned. How do I know this? Experience. Living out in the rural area of Troup County for 19 years, I have seen over and over pets – some brand new to the world, some in the late
years of their lives, some sick, some perfectly healthy wandering the back roads – and it breaks my heart each time. I don’t understand it.


Last night on my drive home from work, I watched the sun set, a brilliant scarlet against a darkening sky, until close to home I was enveloped in the blackness of night. On a long stretch of Rockmills Road not too far from
the Alabama border, I saw in the distance a car on the side of the road, headlights on. My first thought was that I could not stop to help in today’s world being alone on a not so traveled area; but when I passed by and saw a
woman bent at the waist with her arm outreached toward an area covered in brush, I knew, and I pulled over.


I turned my lights off since the other car’s were bright and walked toward the woman while saying, “Hi, I’m Elizabeth. Do you need help?” And as I suspected, this kind person was trying to convince a beautiful black lab
mix to trust her enough to take a treat from her hand. The dog appeared to be in good shape. Not really skinny, shiny coat which told us both that she was recently dumped. Why were we sure she was dumped? There is a difference between a dog who is just wandering; those usually display a wagging tail, a nose to the ground, perked ears, a purposeful walk. An abandoned dog sits and watches every car that passes hoping that the person they love unconditionally has realized the mistake and is back to take them home. If a car stops, the pup will come forward hesitantly and when realizing it is not who they thought, they tend to retreat.


My new friend and I stood for about 15 minutes and talked as we let the pup assess the situation. Occasionally, my friend would extend her hand again to see if the pup would come close. Like a few of my other friends, this
lady carries food and water in case she sees a dog in need. After a while the pup came forward slowly head down, walking close to the ground, tail wagging cautiously, and softly whining. As cars passed, the pup still
looked up to see. Eventually, the pup agreed to get into my friend’s car. That night, a post was made on a few sites for lost and found pets in Troup County. That night, this beautiful creature who may or may not be
pregnant, had a warm bed and food and was safe.


My friend will try to find her owner, but told me that if she could not, the pup had a new home. I have three dogs who were abandoned. I will never get over the fact that someone decided to leave them. If I were a millionaire, I
would pick up every abandoned pet and give them a home. I believe that if a dog were sick, and the owner didn’t have the funds to care for him, one of our local vets would help. I know there are spay and neuter events which are free or very reasonably priced. I also know the person who left this baby, will not see my post. I want to believe they hoped with all their being that someone with the heart and the means would see her and stop and take her to a loving home. I want to believe that so badly…

by Elizabeth Sullivan

Passing Through

As a volunteer with the LaGrange Troup County Humane Society, there are many joys; having new dogs available for adoption, playing with the dogs, welcoming new volunteers, seeing the eyes of a child light up when they get a new forever friend, and seeing how the dogs react when they realize they found a family.  Many dogs and people pass through my world through the Humane Society.

Recently, a little dog by the name of Beanie passed through. Beanie was surrendered after her owner died. This little dog was buried under a mass of hair and was so sad. She would not even lift her head to look at us from her temporary crate. Beanie was grieving. She was lost without her life person. Her situation was breaking my heart. As I relayed her story to my big hearted husband, he asked if she could spend the weekend with us at home. As an authorized medical foster home, she joined our pack until she could go to her new adoptive home.

My three little dogs (including a foster fail) were very accepting of this new addition to the pack. She spent some time exploring the house and the yard. Right away it became apparent Beanie had some special needs. Something was definitely wrong. While working to get her to the vet, she had a spa day. When she returned from the groomers she was clean, soft, and smelled wonderful. Without all the mass of hair, it was easy to see her full skeleton. No dog should ever be this thin.

During the coming days we both doted on this little ball of fur. I continued to discover how sick she actually was. She spent the evening first in my husband’s lap being petted and loved and later next to me. She was growing weaker. Something was wrong, very very wrong. Our dogs let her be the main focus of their humans. They knew she needed us.

As the house settled in for the night, I made the decision to spend every moment with Beanie. Beanie and I settled in one of the beds and soft blankets she liked. I continuously petted and spoke softly to her assuring her she was a sweet, good girl, and loved. At 1:57 a.m. Beanie left my home to cross the rainbow bridge and be reunited with her human Momma who left this earthly world before her.

While Beanie was only passing through our life, she touched our hearts deeply. I grieve not only for her passing, but also for the grief she endured. She was 9 years old. She may have had a serious illness or maybe she simply grieved herself to death. We will never know. What I do know is the last six days of her life were filled with love and pampering. I would do it all again, and will continue to help the dogs and cats that are simply passing through my life through my time spent at the Humane Society. Some will bring sadness, but many more will bring joy. Embrace the experiences you gain from those passing through your life.

Old Dogs Learning New Tricks

Life can throw you curve balls. What you thought would be your constant can change in the proverbial blink of an eye. During the time of adjustment, when you are struggling and dealing with a new way of doing things, guess who may be struggling right along with you?

I am in a current transition. Some days are great and positive and full of an “I can do this!” attitude. Some days my mind whirs with everything that needs to be done and the urgency of the thoughts is overwhelming. My three pups are right there on the roller coaster with me. It’s good to have them near.

They have gone from having someone with them for most of the day, to my departure early in the morning and late return 5 days out of 7. That may be what has changed their everyday over-the-top enthusiasm when I come home to an extreme “YOU CAME BACK!!!” greeting. We are all adjusting.

One of the biggest changes for them is that no longer is the door left slightly open for easy nose-opening access. One day about four weeks ago, my middle-aged pups were given the daunting task of figuring out how to use a dog door. I had thought that my pack leader, Waylon, a speckled coon hound, would be the first to conquer the heavy plastic flap….and I was correct. Next came Cash, my happy-go-lucky Boxer mix, but it was not immediate. He would dash right behind Waylon, almost as if he were going to try to fit next to him as he exited through the one-dog sized opening. It took a few “are you kidding me” looks from Waylon before Cash took a leap of faith and made it through on his own. Now he dances back and forth through the opening just for the heck of it.

And then there was Harper Lee. Many repeats of me holding the flap open so she could see the yard outside. Many moments of her standing just outside whining as she tried to figure out how Waylon and Cash made it though the scary entrance. Many nose pushes as I sat on the inside coaxing her. Only her snout making it through until she pulled back frustrated and began her barking. And one day, right at dinner time, she decided getting to her bowl of food was worth possible injury and in one swift movement, she burst through the door. It was quickly followed by much praise and dancing to the tune of her elated barks.

I was thrilled. No more worrying about coming home to a mess in the house! No more worry that Harper Lee had been sedentary in the house for sometimes 12 hours. The problem was, Harper was okay with coming in to the house where she would be fed, but going out was still an issue.
For four weeks, I would come home and round the curve in the drive to Waylon and Cash and no Harper; but, I heard her in the house barking to come out. And then one day, three pups met me. And there was dancing, and laughter, and joy.

The pups and I are learning new tricks together: how to move on, how to try new things, how to take on challenges … proving that, with patience and time, old dogs can learn new tricks.

by Elizabeth Sullivan

Disaster Preparedness

“Hope for the best, prepare for the worst”; a phrase many of us have probably heard many times in our lives, but how often do we really practice it?

When it comes to our pets are we practicing the same level or preparedness as we are for ourselves? Are we practicing at all? The importance of practicing preparedness for our pets is both vital to their health, and our responsibility as pet owners.

Preparing for disaster for our pets isn’t much more than preparing for disaster for ourselves, with a few extra things we need to do:
1) Just as we need to make sure we have food and water for ourselves, let’s make sure we have food for our pets, and enough water to support them, too.
Dogs should be drinking approximately one ounce of water per pound of body weight each day. (link)
Cats typically need between 3.5–4.5 ounces of water per 5 pounds of body weight per day. (link)
For food, keep enough on hand for however much they east per day, per the number of days you’ve building a kit for. Make sure to rotate dry or canned food, and don’t store fresh food, it won’t stay fresh for long.
Also, pets don’t react well to stress, either, so keep that in mind as you monitor their food and water intake and know that it will fluctuate.

2) Make sure you have any required medicines on hand for your pets, just as you would for yourselves. Whether it’s Rx, over the counter, or just additional stuff they need to be comfy, make sure to have some stored for disaster prep.

3) ID. Make sure your pets always have some form of ID on them, preferably both on their collar, and in the form of a microchip. Having both means they’re much more likely to be reunited with you if they get separated, and they’re more likely to be identified as pets, and not strays.

Whatever your disaster preparedness plans are, make sure you include your pets, and if you have to leave your home, take them with you; if it’s not safe for you, it’s not safe for them, either.

More resources to help you plan:
https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/make-disaster-plan-your-pets?credit=web_vanity_disastertips
https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies.html



Of Mutts & Meditation Part II

During our early morning ritual, I speak quietly and murmur endearments to each of the pups. Then comes the best part. The time when I do nothing but listen. To the crunch of canine teeth on dry dog  food. To the whirr of the ceiling fan. To the tree frogs and crickets who have not yet decided to sleep the day way. To the songbirds slowly waking and testing their voices with a solitary note which hangs in the air. To the jingle of tags as the dogs release some of the pent-up energy stored from the long night inside.

Eventually the dogs become still and they make their way to me pretending to need head scratches, but in their dancing eyes I always find impatience and eagerness and joy as they send me telepathic messages to move it and get my walking shoes on! 

Our walks begin down the same familiar path past the cherry tree and into the wooded trail that leads to open pastures and eventually to the lake for a swim. The dogs thunder down the path and all I see are a variety of tails bouncing and wagging as they taste complete freedom. Once in a while one of my companions will remember I cannot keep up the pace and will pause and turn, looking back over a shoulder to make sure I have not perished in the wood before springing forward again and leaving me in the dust.

Eventually I will catch up to the pups who are no longer so full of pent up energy and I will admire their beauty from a distance. The tilt of their heads as they lift their snouts to pick up a scent. The magnificence of their canine musculature. Their complete and utter appreciation of nature. And I realize how precious a gift they provide me by affording me the opportunity to drink in the tranquility and clear my mind in preparation for the upcoming work week.

Throughout a walk, the dogs race back and forth, dashing in and out of the underbrush to let me know that my protectors are on alert. Occasionally, one will give me a quick head butt to let me know my safe procession through the trails can continue.

Once when making our way back home, in the distance a limb snapped and fell with a crash to ground. My brave and strong companions flew to my side, tails under and heads down, a little glimmer of worry in their eyes. In turn, I placed my hand on each of their heads and assured them all was well. There was a time when I was the hero and defender of a red-headed toddler whose arms circled my leg and whose head was hidden against my pants from anything startling. With these pups, I feel my role as guardian once again.

I have considered studying the art of meditation, but I think I may already be a master of my own style of deliberate contemplation. I was taught to take time to drink it in, the world in its quiet moments before the chaos of the day unfolds. I was taught to experience joy, to relish a good nap, to appreciate a cool drink, to stop and enjoy the warmth of the sun on my face…by some of the greatest four-legged teachers in the world.

Elizabeth Sullivan

Of Mutts and Meditation

Sunday mornings are my time to just be. Although there is the rare morning I might luxuriate under the covers till 6:00 am, truth be told, I am usually wakened by the snuffle and sighs coming from the top of basement stairs way before the crack of dawn. No sleeping in for this fur baby mom.


Following a stumble through the dark to the kitchen for my wake up cup of coffee, I turn back toward those stairs that lead to the basement and begin my morning routine. Catching a whiff of the corn chip scent of puppy paws as I open the door, I start my day with one or two of the most loving looks ever bestowed upon a human.

Over the years, I have opened that door to Bo, our precious Boxer mix; Cali,
our smiley, low to the ground beagle-basset mix; Waylon, our coon hound; Cash, another Boxer mix and one who we call the happiest pup in the world; or to Harper, our beautiful retriever mix who came to us a bit older than our others. Down the stairs following an ungainly canine descent to the garage I go and round the corner into what is known as the Dog Cave. Amidst the wagging tails and prancing feet I make my way to the door to the outside and set the pups free for the morning constitutional before heading back in for my feeding chores.

The pups and I live away from the city and next to a lake where there are acres to explore and no fences. At night it is not uncommon to hear a pack of coyote circling close to the house, howling and foraging in the wood, seeking sustenance. Our first dog, Bo, would stand in the open doorway, his eyes piercing the darkness, ready to let the scavengers know he would not put up with intruders. He would growl menacingly then let loose what I called his “big boy bark”. It was deeper in tone and carried much more
weight as it traveled through the air. After each warning, Bo would look pointedly at me as if to say, “Never fear, you are safe”.


That early in the day, even the summer mornings are cool and refreshing and the pups run forward with abandon only pausing for the occasional sniff and marking of the territory to alert those still lurking
nearby that the canine patrol is back in action to shield and protect. They do not stay out long because they know there is kibble ready to be had.
During our early morning ritual, I speak quietly and murmur endearments to each of the pups.

Elizabeth Sullivan
To be continued

Harper Lee

I live in what some would consider the boonies. My home is surrounded by trees, there are no city lights, and I fall asleep to the sound of cicadas, tree frogs, and the occasional lonely howl of the coyotes. It is heaven on earth. It is also, unfortunately, the area people with no conscience come to dump animals. Mama dogs who have not been spayed and are on their third or fourth litter. Un-neutered males who wander. Puppies, newly born and helpless. Cats who continue to have kittens. It is heartbreaking.

Each of my dogs was brought into the family from a rescue situation. My latest love is named Harper Lee. She came to the Troup County Humane Society because her owners chose to turn her in rather than make arrangements to keep her from going after the neighbor’s chickens. She was approximately 5 years old and showed the signs of having had multiple litters, one very recent. I saw her picture on the TCHS Facebook page and I fell in love. When we met, her name was Daisy. She was skittish and loved to carry in her mouth a stuffed bird which the ladies at the HS called her baby. She would hide that baby in a corner and go back to check on it over and over. Think about it.

Something in her eyes, something in her demeanor and I knew she was meant to be mine. That’s how it happens. You just know. It didn’t matter to me that Harper was a little older, that she obviously had some issues, that she was needy….my heart knew.

That first meeting happened close to a year and a half ago. Harper Lee will always be a little quirky. I have no idea the trauma she endured. But from a shy pup who sat on my feet and ducked her head when anyone approached, she has become an outgoing, loving companion who sets out each morning to visit my father next door. She dances when I come down the stairs with her dinner bowl. She is the first to alert me of someone on the drive and the first to greet the visitor with a kiss. She is my 55 lb lap dog. She has two younger brothers, also rescues, who she joyfully hops around to coax them into play. Every day, she provides me with unconditional love which knows no bounds. Every day, I feel so lucky that I was the one to take her home. Every day, I hope that others will be as fortunate as I and will find their next fur baby with the help of the Troup County Humane Society. Stop by. You may fall in love….

Elizabeth Sullivan

Finances for Fido: The Simple Dollar

Aly over at The Simple Dollar has written up a great article on the finances involved with caring for a pet, and we decided to share it here! I’m not going to copy the whole article, i’d like you to go read it on their site, but it’s a terrific article, and gets into the details of cost of ownership.

Before you decide to adopt, it may be a good idea to sit down with your budget and make sure you have room for a new dependent. We love to see dogs leaving the shelter for a good home, but we love more when they STAY in their good home, and we’d hate to see money be the reason they come back!

Check out the article, and let us know in the comments what you think about it.

HSUS Annual Conference – 2019

Mandi Bono, Executive Director, reporting in to tell you about attending the Humane Society of the United States Annual Expo in April. A grant from Maddie’s Fund made it possible for me to attend! The week long event was packed with classes packed with new information, and a convention center full of vendors sharing information and sample items. I made new connections and now have contacts around the globe.

Officer Natalie Johnson and Officer Chris Bussey with the City of LaGrange Animal Services, also attended. We brought a wealth of knowledge and ideas back to LaGrange. We have new ideas on how to temperament test dogs, how to handle and  alleviate some of the stress of the shelter environment, emergency preparedness for pet owners, ideas for lost/found dogs and options for re-homing dogs. We are most excited about the possibility of bringing Dogs Playing for Life to LaGrange! (Watch the blog for more details.)

How’s this for a tail wagging happening: LaGrange Troup County Humane Society received an additional $500 grant by participating in events at the conference! This was so exciting, as every dollar means so much to us helping dogs in Troup County and beyond.

I look forward to seeing more happy tails, as we implement what we learned.

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