Jack Flashback 2012: December

The year ended as busy as it started with big changes, an adoption for someone who really needed it, the arrival of a couple of darling bookends … and the loss of a little one who we will always remember. Thank you to everyone for helping us through this wild ride of ups and downs. Let’s hope for a positive 2013.

Volunteer Day

The month licked off with a super-busy volunteer day at the ranch. All hands were on deck to weatherize the kennels, work on the inside kennel runs, teach some of the dogs agility, clean kennels and enjoy some chili and adoption stories. We made some major strides in creating an indoor safe haven for some of our special-needs “house” dogs in the indoor kennel. We hope to complete the attached outdoor runs soon, so the dogs will have indoor/outdoor access.

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Thank you to everyone who showed up and worked so hard – and to some of you who show up and work hard like this every weekend.

Our next volunteer day is tentatively scheduled for the spring. We’ll keep you posted.

Hartley Heals

What would a monthly update be like without another major vet bill? After months (years before arriving here) of wrestling with ongoing ear infections, Hartley finally got some relief with an extensive ear canal surgery in mid-December. He is still recovering (and has definitely not enjoyed the inconvenience), but once he is over this, he will hopefully never suffer again.

Eli’s Holiday Wish List

We asked Eli to re-review his Amazon Wish List for the rescues and update it. He did and we have been promoting it. We have received a few goodies from the list. Thank you. If you would live outside of Georgia, would like to donate something to the dogs they need and know it will go directly to the rescue, this is the way to do it. Check out the list and see what fits your budget. Every little thing helps.

Operation Maggie

Maggie began showing signs of kennel “frustration” a few weeks after her arrival at the ranch in July. It had risen to a point where she had began to chew on the bars and had cried so much, she was straining her trachea. We had to get her out of the kennel and into a foster home until her forever family showed up. Meanwhile, the perfect forever mom in Oklahoma found her. This one really hit close to home and, within days, we had put together a transport to get her there. She is loving her new life, rocking in the chair with Mom and exploring every inch of her acreage. No more tears for this little girl.

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Katie and Gracie arrived

Katie and Gracie finally arrived at our rescue. They had been all over the rescue boards after both their mother and father died within a few months of one another. Their family could not keep them and was desperate to get them together and into a loving home. They had been in foster care with Linda for several weeks because we didn’t have any space for them. They finally arrived in mid-December and we absolutely love them. We are absolutely going to love sending them to their forever home even more. They have had a few inquiries; we’ll keep you posted.

Abigail

Christmas Eve brought us a round of heartbreak. It has always been a difficult night as Jimmy, our co-founder, passed away on Christmas Eve in 2008. This year, one of his favorite rescues, Abigail, decided she wanted to join him and left us that afternoon. She had not shown any signs of cancer until the end. When we discovered how far it had spread, we quickly let her go. We are still healing and will be for some time. Thank you to everyone for the outpouring of sympathy and kind words.