Walk for the Rescues
Walking the dogs? Did you know, just by downloading a free app and loading it up when you head out, you could be raising much-needed funds for the rescue? Check out these apps to get started!
Raffle/Auction Items Needed
We will be hosting several raffles/auctions in the coming months, both online and in Georgia. We could really use some items to help raise funds for the rescues. We need everything from small items, to big prizes, to handmade goodies.
Angel Tree 2018
We have officially kicked off our 2018 Angel Tree Drive! We will begin posting each rescue dog and his/her needs. If you live in the Atlanta area, you can purchase and leave these items at Dog City II, 6309 1-D Roswell Road in Sandy Springs. Our elves will pick up the goodies in time for Santa’s delivery.
Angel Tree 2017
We have officially kicked off our 2017 Angel Tree Drive! We will begin posting each rescue dog and his/her needs. If you live in the Atlanta area, you can purchase and leave these items at Dog City II, 6309 1-D Roswell Road in Sandy Springs. Our elves will pick up the goodies in time for Santa’s delivery.
Angel Tree 2016
We have officially kicked off our 2016 Angel Tree Drive! We will begin posting each rescue dog and his/her needs. If you live in the Atlanta area, you can purchase and leave these items at Dog City II in Sandy Springs. If you are outside of Atlanta, you can shop using our Amazon Wish List.
Attention: Jack Russell Artisans
We are in need of unique Jack Russell items to auction at the Summer Classics Trials in July. We will promote your works on our social media outlets and at the event.
Help Us Help Spuds
Spuds (fka Raleigh, now affectionately called “JD”) ended up at Walton County Animal Control last week. His owner was contacted, but had to surrender him because he is going through cancer treatments.
Scents(y) Year Round
We had a great response to our Scentsy fundraiser in February, so we’ve decided to keep it available year-round.
Tipsy Terrier: Wine Label Photo Contest
It’s time for some fundraising fun again! We’re bringing back our Benefit Wines from 2014 and, this time, we thought we would put your dogs on the labels.
Earn Kroger Rewards for Rescue
Want to earn money for the Jack Russells just by shopping at Kroger? Now you can!
Year in Review: December
Thank you all for another wonderful year; another year we’ve managed to keep the doors open to rescue, rehabilitate and re-home so many beautiful dogs and to provide a sanctuary for seniors and special-needs. It may be a cliche’, but we honestly could not do this without you.
Angel Tree Drive 2015
We are officially kicking off our 2015 Angel Tree Drive today! Woohoo! You can pick up items for a special dog or any of the dogs in Atlanta at Dog City II or online via our Amazon Wish List.
Toys for Spot Kicks Off
City Dog Market kicks off its Toys for Spot donation drive today! Between now and Dec. 23, you can purchase a toy to donate to our rescue for 20% off. They’ll put it in Santa’s sack, and Santa will deliver the goodies for Christmas. Visit their store at 4244 Peachtree Rd NE in Atlanta or call in a donation from anywhere at 404-816-8050.
When It Rains, It Pours
We thought it was time for an update on everything at the ranch. When it rains, it pours … and we mean that both figuratively and literally!
Buy a bed. Save a life.
Today through 11/12/15, order any fabulous bed(s) from urbanpawpet.com, use the discount code “JRT” at checkout and 50% of your purchase will be donated to the rescues!
We Have a Winner!
They don’t call her Boudica, the Warrior Queen for nothing! She came, she saw, and in the final hours of our first Year of the Jack Calendar Photo Contest, she “conquered” the top fundraising spot! This beautiful senior will now be the featured photo on our calendar cover and have her own month inside. She’ll also be bringing home a lot of toys and treats with a PetSmart gift card.
Sweet Dreams are Made of This
We just wanted to give a very special shout out to Sweet Cream Co. of Columbia, South Carolina. They recently surprised us with an amazing donation check of $315 for the sales of their doggie pops in March and April.
Get Cabin Fever with Your Canine
Want to escape to the Great Smoky Mountains for a couple of nights with your dog(s)? Even better, want to do it for the possible price of a $5 donation, which goes directly to the rescue? Well, here’s your opportunity! We are thrilled to announce the return of our annual cabin raffle. A couple of our amazing volunteers/supporters are once again donating a two-night stay at their luxury cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains.
Are you ready for a challenge?
Are you up for a Challenge? On May 4, CrowdRise will kick off a special fundraising challenge for animal shelters/rescues and other groups focused on benefiting companion animals. They are giving away a $50k(!) grant for the team who raises the most during the challenge, which ends June 5. There are also offering incredibly generous grants for second-fifth places, as well as bonus challenges and prizes along the way that total over $25K. Holy vet-bills-paid, Batman!
Kennedy Project: Mission Accomplished
Happy Thanksgiving! We are thankful for so many things today, but especially for all of you. Because of your concern and generosity, we surpassed our original fundraising goal for Kennedy in just a matter of days! Not only did we raise enough for his wheelchair and laser treatments/pain medications, he will be getting a much-needed dental/extractions and some paw protectors. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again — we could not do this without you.
Kennedy’s Progress
Kennedy had the sixth laster treatment on Saturday. This is the final treatment of our “trial” period suggested by Dr. Smith, and we wanted to share an update … not to mention these adorable photos. He has managed to woo every vet and vet tech he meets.
Eddie’s Successful Surgery
Our brave Eddie boy is back home at rescue and doing very well following his perineal hernia surgery last week … almost too well, in fact! He is his happy-go-luck self, ready to play and explore. Thank you for all of the support, prayers and donations.
Sell/Shop on eBay for Rescue
We are psyched to announce that we have been added to ebay’s Giving Works program. This will not only give us a way to sell some of the donated items we receive for rescue but anyone who sells on ebay can help as well!
Eddie Needs Our Help
Here we go again … We have another major medical issue with one of our rescues. We haven’t fully and financially recovered from Ernie’s snake-biting fiasco a few weeks ago. Now it’s Eddie. We noticed his little bum was swollen the other day and took him to the vet. It’s a perineal hernia … and he needs surgery immediately.
Ernie: The Mighty Snake Killer
If you follow our Facebook page, you already know this week was a bit of a stressful one for all of us … especially little Ernie. On Sunday night, Donna heard Ernie barking up a storm. He’s a laidback kind of guy, so she knew something was wrong. She walked up to discover a Copperhead had made its way into Ernie’s kennel, and they were both bowed up at one another. Yikes!
Heartworm Help Auction Kicks Off Tonight
Join us for our latest online auction, Heartworm Help. This auction includes tons of great Jack Russell collectibles (mug, plate, statue, pin, books, etc.); several pieces of beautiful, hand-crafted jewelry; a swag bag for dog lovers; and a Keurig Vue V700 Brewing System with more than 130 pods for coffee, hot cocoa and tea. All proceeds help us cover heartworm treatment costs for our rescues.
Dog City Celebration
We would like to thank Dog City Bakery for letting Jax, Cobb and Team Russell meet and greet customers at their Sandy Springs location last weekend. We had such a wonderful time! Join them this weekend to celebrate their one-year-anniversary of the Sandy Springs location opening!
Paradise Ice Done Doggone Good
Thank you so much to Joe and Jessica Kastner of Paradise Ice in Columbia, SC. Paradise Ice is a small mom and pop shop that makes artisan sorbets and frozen custards, but also offers frozen doggie pops for their furry visitors.
The Wine Wall Returns
The Wine Wall, a smash hit at last year’s Jack/Chow Fundraiser, is returning this year! For a $10 donation, you could pick the mystery number for a yummy $10 wine (minimum) or a fine wine priced at $50 or above! It’s a grab bag of fun – all for the rescues!
Big Bucks from BarkBox
This April only! Support our rescues and get $5 off when you use our special code: GJRRBBX1. Help us raise some serious bones – we get a $15 donation with every order and a chance to win $2k each Wednesday!
Rock On, Sweet Jerry Lee
Our hearts are heavy tonight as we say goodbye to our sweet senior boy, Jerry Lee. He was close to Mama Donna’s heart for years and was a very special dog to his “forever foster” family. Rock, on, sweet Jerry Lee. Rock on.
Fling into Spring Photo Contest
We would like to invite everyone to join us in our online “Fling into Spring” photo contest. Whether you are an amateur or a professional, a contestant or a voter, your efforts will help us raise some much-needed funds to keep doing what we do: Rescuing those rascally Russells. (Say that 5x really fast!)
Team Russell Needs You
We are in full swing, planning for our 2nd Annual Paw Over Some Jack and Chow Down fundraiser! The event is scheduled for Saturday, June 14, in Decatur, and we need plenty of help in getting things up and rolling. Last year’s event was a smash with all proceeds going to the dogs at Chap’s Chow Rescue and our rescue.
What a Difference a Year Can Make
It was a year ago that we heard the news no one ever wants to hear: An out-of-state rescue was busted and more than 50 neglected dogs were seized. Many of them were Jack Russells, and the local shelter was desperately reaching out to all rescues across the country to save some of them.
Don’t Got Jack? Keep Calm
L-R: Keep Calm, Got Jack, Jack Life
We made these cups for giveaways and our fans on Facebook wanted more. So … we’re making them available to everyone. All proceeds from the sale of the cups will go to rescue.
The cup on the left can be personalized to say “I have a Jack Russell,” “I have Jack Russells” or include a number you specify when ordering. The cup in the middle is a spinoff of “Got Milk?” and says “Got Jack?” The one on the right is a takeoff (they claim they like those) of “Salt Life” and says “Jack Life.”
When ordering, please select which one you want from the drop down menu below. It will take you to the Paypal site, where you can select quantify and “Continue Shopping” if you want to order additional types.
If you select “Keep Calm,” please enter the number of Jack Russells you would like printed on the cup in the “Special notes to seller” area of Paypal.
Please note that these are custom-made as we receive orders, so allow a couple of weeks for delivery.
Jack Flashback 2013: December
‘Tis the season for a month of miracles. December was amazing in all aspects – from incredible fosters/adoptions, to an outpouring of donations and voting support, to an awesome and much-overdue party. It ended a year that we will never forget at rescue.
Jack Flashback 2013: November
November simply blew us away and gave a whole new meaning to the word “Thanksgiving” for us. We have never, in our history, had such an incredible month of donations, volunteer help and support, locally and across the country and globe.
Jack Flashback 2013: October
October was the beginning of what would become three solid months of good stuff – miracle adoptions, fantastic fosters and donations by the dozens! And, of course, we had to have a little Halloween fun …
Angel Tree Donations
How do we say thank you? With a lump in our throats and happy tears in our eyes, that’s how.
Intown Healthy Hound in Atlanta offered to host our Angel Tree in their store for the second year in a row this month. Every day in December, we posted one of our dogs and his or her special needs or wants on our Facebook page. We accompanied the local request with online requests via our Amazon Wish List … and you guys came through ten-fold!
We have been posting all of the amazing online donations and in-person/mailed donations on our Facebook page and now we would like to recognize IHH for their participation.
Not only did our local supporters help our rescue this season with tons of food, treats and toys, you also supported a wonderful local business that offers natural food and treats that are unbeatable.
Thank you to IHH and to all of our local supporters for doubling the cause this season. You are amazing, and we thank you!
Billy Stalker, IHH employee, with the Angel Tree and some bags of food that were donated.
Your awesome lot of toys, treats and food!
Jack Flashback: August 2013
After running wild at fundraisers and other events over the spring and summer, we stuck close to home in August and did what we love to do best: Spend time with the dogs. It was cooler than usual for August in Atlanta … and we were thankful for that.
Jack Flashback: May 2013
After a crazy April, we were relieved to get a break from the chaos in May. We spent most of the month, vetting and caring for the big intake in April. That didn’t, of course, keep us from saying no to a special boy who needed us. Enter, Skip.
Jack Flashback: February 2013
February was a relatively calm month at rescue. Those are very rare and we are always thankful for them. Donna celebrated her birthday … and we celebrated her and the rescue by putting together our “Home” video as a gift. Haven’t seen it yet?
The Angel Tree Returns
December has arrived, and we are excited to announce that Intown Healthy Hound is hosting another angel tree for us this year in their store. Beginning tomorrow, we will feature a dog or two a day on our Facebook page who is looking for an angel like you this season. Some like toys or treats, while some could use specialty foods or collars.
Amazon Smiles … and So Do We
Shopping on Amazon this holiday season? Sign up with AmazonSmile and .5% of every purchase you make will go the rescue! Just sign out of Amazon, then go to AmazonSmile. Sign in and search for Georgia Jack Russell Rescue. You will see our name pop up, then click Select. That’s it! You’re all set to shop now and give without giving another penny.
Newspapers Needed
Remember when having leftover newspapers around the house was a regular thing? Well … thanks to technology (which we love because we’ve “met” you!), that’s not the case anymore … but rescues like us still need them for boys like Skip (as well as wee pads available on our Amazon Wish List).
If you’re old-school and still “get the paper,” save them up after your Jack has read them and send them, deliver them or drop them off with a volunteer for us to give to the dogs.
Also, if you have old towels and/or blankets you no longer need, we will definitely need them for winter when the dogs are inside in their warm crates more. Laundry runs are no fun …. as several of our vols know …
Ready to donate? If you’re in the immediate Atlanta area, email us and we’ll give you our address and/or schedule a pickup with a volunteer. If you’re outside the area, email us for the address to ship them. We can’t pay for shipping, but we will send you a tax letter for your costs.
Thank you, everyone!
Paw Prints: Memorial Donations
We know several of you have donated to our rescue in honor of your babies at the Rainbow Bridge over the years. We are thankful for everything you have given in their memory and would love to honor them on our website in a new section we are working on. If you are one of […]
Win an iPad at Suwanee Day!
We will celebrate the last day of summer this Saturday, Sept. 21, by participating in Suwanee Day. This is a little different venture for us, but it’s a huge event with a great way way to meet people and spread the word about our dogs and our rescue efforts. We can’t bring any dogs with us, but we will have our usual merchandise for sale, along with some gorgeous custom- and hand-crafted items made just for us by supporters. We will also be raffling off a brand-new iPad Mini!
This festival is always a hit, and this year promises to continue that legacy. There will be arts and crafts exhibitors, inflatable rides, children’s activities, and free entertainment with a parade to kick things off and fireworks and a concert by Fastball to end the day. Woo-hoo!
If you live in the Atlanta metro area, please come out and enjoy the day. Drop by our booth, say “hi,” pick up a sticker or tattoo, and enter our iPad raffle. You’ll find us in prime real estate to the left of the stage and along the center circle. The festival will take place in Town Center Park in Suwanee.
>> Get directions and parking information.
How to Enter the Raffle
We are absolutely floored to receive an incredible, last-minute donation for this weekend’s event: An iPad Mini! Yes, you read that correctly and, yes, we are absolutely blown away and so thankful to our donor, who prefers to remain anonymous. (Can we just say we love you?!)
The iPad is new-in-box, 16GB, and white with WiFi compatibility. Cost to participate is a $5 donation for one ticket or a $20 donation for 5 tickets. 100% of the proceeds will go directly to the rescue to cover vet and food costs. Please, stop our the booth before the drawing at 4pm to get your tickets.
Can I still play if I can’t make it out on Saturday?
We know that not all of our Georgia supporters can make it out to the festival this weekend, but we don’t want to leave you out of this opportunity! So … If you would like to participate, you can donate using the button below to secure your ticket(s). Before you do, though, be sure to read on …
Only Georgia residents can participate in this raffle. Although we are a 501(3)c nonprofit group and have a license for this raffle, it is for a physical product and, therefore, all participants must reside within our state. We apologize to our friends outside of Georgia, but we have to keep everything completely legal to protect you and, of course, Donna and the dogs.
Also, because this is such a wonderfully-unexpected circumstance, we are literally in the process of designing and rush-printing tickets right now to have on hand by Saturday. As such, we cannot physically email/mail you your numbered raffle stubs as we have in the past. What we can do is take down your information provided by PayPal and fill the tickets out for you at the event on Saturday when we have them printed and in our hands.
If you need a little extra assurance, the volunteers can take photos of the populated tickets with our smartphones and email them to you from the event before the drawing. It’s obviously not as ideal as putting those tickets in the drawing bucket yourself and walking off with the stub in hand, but we want to give you some kind of proof that your donation truly went to the raffle and you have been entered to win.
We definitely do not want to dissuade anyone from donating, but if you are not comfortable with this, then please do not participate. If it sounds fine to you and/or you don’t need a photo/email (we are fortunate that our friends, family and co-workers tend to trust us), please let us know in the PayPal special comments. We expect the festival to be hoppin’, so we will need all hands on deck to greet people.
We will draw the lucky winner around 4 o’coock. You do not need to be present to win. If you are present, the iPad goes home with you then. If you are not, we will contact you to arrange pickup or shipping. And, of course, we will announce the winner on our Facebook, Twitter and Google+ pages immediately.
Good luck and thank you for your continued support!
Please click the button below, then enter $5.00 for one ticket or $20.00 for five (5) tickets!
Auction to Help Hartley’s Hearing
The shelter photo that broke our hearts …
Dale and Regi Polk delivering the special care package from the shelter to rescue …
We are kicking off our newest online auction tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. All items (mostly jewelry, handbags and JRT items) have been donated and every penny raised will go directly towards the $5,000+ vet bill we owe towards Hartley’s surgery, cleanings, treatments, medications and special diet.
Hartley’s History
We all knew there was something very special about Hartley the first moment we laid eyes on him in his shelter photo back in August of 2012. Maybe it was his gray mask. Maybe it was curled-over nails. Maybe it was the fact that he was sick with a terrible ear infection; had been hit by a car on his leg, which was never treated; and had arthritis.
Maybe it was knowing that this sweet, old man had very little hope to make it out of the shelter alive at his age and in his condition.
Somehow, someway, everyone was determined not to let him spend his last days in the shelter. He deserved better than that in this lifetime.
Our sister site, Georgia Jacks, posted him on their wall. The shelter had him listed as a Jack Russell (every brown and white dog seems to be a Jack Russell these days), but he was really a Blue Heeler/Cattle Dog/Terrier/anything-else mix. We just could not stand to see this boy suffer anymore. Immediately, the shares began to blow up. Within days, he had more than 200(!) people stepping up to spring him, transport him and sponsor him
We were already flooded with dogs at the time after a huge intake over the summer … and, of course, the last thing we needed was another sick senior. (You know we say that with all the love in the world; we were just over-budget and struggling to take care of our sanctuary dogs.) Several options came up, but as it was, nothing panned out. Neither Mama Donna nor the volunteers could stand to see him suffer, soooo … Dale and Regi Poke stepped up to pull him from Warner Robins at the last moment and brought him to us.
We knew it was going to be a long road to recovery for this little man … We just didn’t realize how long … or how difficult for him … or how expensive for the rescue.
A New Hope
Those nasty nails were cut and what we thought was just an ear infection was immediately treated. Unfortunately, it never went away. We tried several things, for several months, with little improvement. His ear canals were closed. Finally, the vet recommended ear canal surgery as the end-all to his woes. We knew it was risky, but he was such a spunky, sweet guy with a smile that just killed us. We hadn’t rescued him just to let him suffer more.
After ear canal surgery … It hurt us as much as him …
The surgery took place in December 2012 and was pretty intense. It required parts of his ears to be cut and reshaped. Restitching of the inner ear to the outside of his ear was also required. He was quite miserable in the days and even weeks following the surgery, but started showing improvement, thanks to antibiotics. Unfortunately, the latter were taking a toil on his liver and kidneys and we had to stave off on them. He had another laser treatment in February and, once again, he seemed to be showing improvement. But, once again, he started scratching at his ears and crying by early spring.
Thinking it may be allergies, we had him tested for those. Unfortunately, he had plenty, including barley and potatoes. Intown Healthy Hound worked with us to find a diet free of all of these things and, once gain, he seemed to improve considerably … but continued scratching. No more crying, though … thank goodness.
The next recommendation was to close/remove his ear drums. We know it’s been done with success, but it just seemed too drastic to us. So we took him to more vets for more tests.
One vet started him on a low dose of steroids to help with the swelling and a low dose of antibiotics to stave off the ongoing infections, but spare his other organs. He also went in for a thorough cleaning of both his ear canal and his teeth. He came back home, bright-eyed and ready to eat!
The Road Ahead
This time? We are keeping him on his special, allergy-free diet, deep cleaning his ears once a week and keeping him on his low-dose steroids/antibiotics. Once again, it seems to be working … and we hope, more than anything, this truly is the end of suffering for this poor man. We really don’t want to think about removing his ear drums.
That brings us to the here and now … and the incredible financial strain it has put on our already-strained budget. We, of course, would have it no other way. We’ve had many “million-dollar dogs” before … We’ll have many more.
If Hartley is, indeed, stable now (and we think he finally is), we would love nothing more than to find him a foster or forever home. If you are interested in either, please complete our foster application or our adoption application.
Thank You for Your Support
We know this is long-winded (especially for “Jack people”) and we apologize. But we wanted to truly explain and show you why we have to charge a $250 adoption fee (every dog costs us at least $150 in pull, spay/neuter, vetting and food – and that’s only if they stay a month or two) … and why we have to continually beg for money, put together fundraisers and launch auctions like this one.
We aren’t one of those rescues who “picks and chooses” the creme of the crop to turn an easy buck. Hartley is just one of many senior and/or special needs dogs in our care. We knows it’s not practical or economical. We also know that the life of any dog, of any age or any disability, is priceless.
Speaking of priceless … You know we prefer to focus on the positive, so …. Check out this little man’s smile now …
Hartley feeling good … for the first time in a long time …
Update on Hartley’s Health
We sure hope to see less of this (taken before his procedure) from Hartley in the near future … and more of his funny smile.
Sweet Hartley went for a teeth cleaning yesterday. (Thanks for taking him, Debbie!) It was a two-fold procedure as Dr. Sewell wanted to thoroughly check out his ears as well. The sweet, old man lost four teeth and his ears were thoroughly inspected and cleaned out. We were elated to hear that his ear drums are still intact and not ruptured, but they were definitely full of gunk.
We are going to try a once-a-month antibiotic maintenance/preventative to see if his condition improves. Although it’s not ideal, it’s still less drastic than our other alternative of completely removing his ear drums.
Aside from that, we are happy to report that he is doing well. Losing teeth has not slowed down this little man’s appetite in the least, and he seems to be feeling better … of course, that could be the pain pills. 😉
We are putting together another online auction, which will be devoted entirely to Hartley and recouping some of his extensive vet bills over the past year since he’s been in our care. So, get ready to bid!
If you would like to donate now, you can do so by visiting his profile.
Rescue Photos for Sale
Our volunteer photographer, Soccer Dog Design, has snagged a few keepers of our rescues throughout the years. Some folks have asked for prints, so we are making them available now. Pick out and order yours now!
Bid to Win for the Dogs
Now that our major Jack/Chow event has been put to bed for the year (thanks again, everyone!), we can turn our attention to our next round of fundraising fun: Online auctions!
We have received so many wonderful, donated items throughout the years to benefit the dogs. We sell many of them at our various adoption events throughout the year, but our target participation is obviously limited just to Atlanta, Georgia, when we do that. We have so much amazing support from our online community around the world that it only made sense to start auctioning off some of these items online.
Auction Kicks Off Friday
We will be kicking off our first round of 20 auction items entitled “Support Our Seniors” on Friday morning at 9. They will run through Thursday, June 20. We have a wonderful selection of items, including purses (two of them are genuine Coach, baby!), pet items (collar, hemp bed, toys, etc.), jewelry, home decor and more. Every penny after shipping costs will go straight to the dogs to help with food, medications and, of course, that ever-rotating vet bill.
Although bidding doesn’t start until Friday morning, you can take a peek at all of the items here.
Donate Auction Items
We are always looking for items to “go to the dogs” and are open to donations of all kinds to auction off or sell at our events. If you have something you would like to donate, please contact us.
Seniors for Seniors Program
If you are a senior interested in adopting one of our seniors, we have a special Seniors for Seniors program. Learn more about it. Want to meet our sexy senior dogs? Here they are.
In Memory of Nipper
Nipper Herzig
We want to thank Gene and Debbie Herzig for their wonderful donation to help us keep doing what we do. They made it in memory of their beloved JRT, Nipper, shown here in this adorable photo.
Mom says, “Our lives were truly blessed when a tiny little Jack Russell became part of our family in 1997. Nipper, who was named after the RCA dog, was the sweetest, smartest baby we’ve ever had. She made us laugh and touched our hearts each and every day. We were constantly amazed by her agility, stamina, and intelligence. Nipper could talk to people on the phone, open Christmas presents, loved to search for critters, and had an impressive vocabulary. She was our baby and the center of our universe. There will never be another Nipper, but we want to thank God for the close to sixteen years that we had her.”
Thank you, Nipper, for making such a difference in your family’s life and, now, in the lives of homeless Jack Russells. RIP, sweetheart.
Tough New Beds for Teethy Terriers
Animal Rescue Aid has done it again! They have managed to offer a top-rate dog bed at an affordable price.
Many of you donated more than 20 beds back in 2011. Thank you again! The dogs absolutely love them. Some have loved them so much, they have made snacks of them and chewed up the corners. No problem – ARA offers affordable replacement toppers for those beds. A couple of our dogs, however, have unfortunately had to “lose” their beds altogether (don’t worry, they all have doghouses with straw and blankets) because they simply won’t stop chewing on the corners, potentially harming themselves.
Once again, ARA has the answer to that. They have designed and are offering some new “heavy-duty” beds to detour even the toughest terrier. The material is durable PVC nylon (the same kind Kuranda uses) and the frame includes “corner caps” to prevent the chew fiends from getting at them. They are offering these upgraded beds for just $22.50 each (includes shipping).
Check out the great design below:
ARA’s new heavy-duty pet bed with corner caps.
How to Donate a Bed
Donate Online
It takes a couple of steps, but it’s online and it’s easy. Go to ARA’s donations page and note the big Paypal button in the righthand corner. Click the Donate button. Once Paypal takes you through the sign in, just type in special notes that “This donation is towards a pet bed for Georgia Jack Russell Rescue.” That’s it. Done.
Donate by Check
If you are not comfortable making a donation online, you can email a check or money order to the following address. Please, put “pet bed” in the memo line:
Box 305
Avondale Estates, GA. 30002
Donate a Crate Instead
ARA also has a wonderful donate-a-crate program. We picked up our first donated one (thank you, Linda Lange, for this wonderful donation) and we’ll be sure to share a photo with you soon. We can always use more as our older ones begin to wear out.
Hartley Needs Hearing Help
Our poor little Hartley has struggled a lifetime with issues. Now he needs an ear canal surgery.
Our poor little Hartley – trouble just seems to find and follow him, despite his wonderful disposition, huge heart, gratitude and love for humans and animals.
He was neglected his entire life and inevitably ended up in a kill-shelter in August. Several wonderful people stepped up to raise the funds to sponsor and vet him and transport him to our rescue. He has been battling ear issues since his arrival and, after many treatments, it’s official: His canals are closed and need to be opened. This will happen within the next week after a round of antibiotic shots and rest to battle his current infection.
What’s that mean? You guessed it! Another surgery and vet stay … After this procedure, however, our little man will (hopefully) not know what suffering means … ever again. He is so spunky and vivacious, despite his hearing problem.
If you originally helped Hartley or have just met him and want to help us help him, we could use your help … once again. Our vet bill is already enormous. Just visit his profile and scroll down to the Donate button. If you want to sponsor him on a monthly basis on your budget, you can do that, too …
Hartley Needs Hearing Help
Our poor little Hartley has struggled a lifetime with issues. Now he needs an ear canal surgery.
Our poor little Hartley – trouble just seems to find and follow him, despite his wonderful disposition, huge heart, gratitude and love for humans and animals.
He was neglected his entire life and inevitably ended up in a kill-shelter in August. Several wonderful people stepped up to raise the funds to sponsor and vet him and transport him to our rescue. He has been battling ear issues since his arrival and, after many treatments, it’s official: His canals are closed and need to be opened. This will happen within the next week after a round of antibiotic shots and rest to battle his current infection.
What’s that mean? You guessed it! Another surgery and vet stay … After this procedure, however, our little man will (hopefully) not know what suffering means … ever again. He is so spunky and vivacious, despite his hearing problem.
If you originally helped Hartley or have just met him and want to help us help him, we could use your help … once again. Our vet bill is already enormous. Just visit his profile and scroll down to the Donate button. If you want to sponsor him on a monthly basis on your budget, you can do that, too …
If We Had $550 Million …
Everyone is abuzz with Powerball fever tonight, but we can only think of one thing: Imagine what that money could do for homeless dogs everywhere! Alas, we aren’t millionaires and don’t forecast becoming one overnight. As such, we must publicly address something that has, unfortunately, been coming for some time and can no longer be avoided.
Adoptions & Sanctuary … for now
This was not an easy decision for us, but one that we, unfortunately, can no longer avoid. We are being forced to suspend the “rescue” part of our rescue, adoption and sanctuary mission for the time being. It’s not something we want to do this (quite the contrary) and we hope it’s very temporary, but it’s something we must do for now in order to survive and continue doing what we are doing. We still have a couple of dogs in holding, though, so don’t expect the new arrival photos to end any time soon. 😉
Why are we doing such a horrible thing?
Winter is almost here, and all of our kennels are full. We received a huge intake of dogs over the summer, while only adopting out a few. We are not a business by any means (and, if we were, we would be bankrupt), but we are practical and know there must be a balance in order to move forward.
We are very low on operating funds at the moment after incurring a massive amount of vet bills in recent months. Our vet is wonderful and very thorough, but he cannot work for free and we would never expect him to. We have openly shared the trials that Chloe and Pippa endured in October, but there were many more we didn’t talk about a lot or at all, including several respiratory infections, an emergency abscess removal, an unforeseen tiff between a couple of dogs (it happens) and (surprise, everyone!) the delivery of a litter of beautiful puppies to one of our latest arrivals. (We’ve been keeping that under wraps in respect of Mom, but will have news and photos for you soon!)
With dropping temperatures in the evenings, all 25 dogs currently in our care must be moved inside to the indoor kennel to be kept warm and safe. We want to make sure that everyone gets outdoors and exercises as much as possible during the day, so you guessed it: That means all 25 dogs must come back out in the morning. Sometimes we have help, but oftentimes we don’t—and our owner and almost all of the volunteers work full-time jobs.
Most importantly, though, we need to focus on the beautiful dogs we have committed to right now. They are and must remain our first priority, and we will not do anything to risk their care. They have each been through so much already. It is our hope that all of them will eventually find forever homes, but we are aware that several of them will probably spend their golden years in our sanctuary due to health or behavioral issues.
Nicki is one of our “lifers” at rescue. As gorgeous as he is, he came from a hoarder situation and has a lot of trust and fear-aggression issues. Many people said to put him down, but we refused – and don’t regret a moment with him. He is comfortable with our volunteers, but we cannot adopt him to just anyone. He (along with Rocket, Eli, Elanor, Slick, Hartley, Jackie and others who have behavioral or health issues) must be our first priority.
Any threat to the priorities listed above can shut down a rescue in a heartbeat. As much as we would love to save every homeless Jack on the planet, we simply cannot take that risk right now.
Rescue Alternatives
Although we cannot accept any dogs at this time, we can’t stand the thought of any Jack being put down for being, well, a Jack. If you have arrived at our website looking to surrender a dog, below are some online alternatives to try while we are embargoed from rescuing. We may eventually try to put together a forum/posting of our own for third-party rescues, but we are busy getting things done in other areas right now.
- Our Facebook Page
You may post the dog to our page, but please be clear that you have the dog and include your contact information. It must be clear to visitors that the dog is not at our rescue; otherwise we could both face legal issues. Please, do not spam our wall. We are trying to find homes for many dogs as well. - Georgia Jacks
This wonderful Facebook page is run by one of our volunteers, who spends her free time (after taking care of rescues and children) posting available Jacks in shelters throughout the state of Georgia. If you came here to ask us to save a shelter dog, please check Georgia Jacks. He or she may already be listed. If not, you can post on their wall and share the information with the group. - RescueMe.org
This far-reaching website is open to everyone (not just rescue groups) to post dogs needing homes. We have had a couple of adoptions from here ourselves and highly recommend it. - There are also several of other Jack- and terrier-oriented rescues in our state, though we cannot speak for their ability to take dogs in, either. Please check with them individually.
If you know of other places online, please feel free to comment below and share. If you need tips for listing a dog, please read this article. You must be perfectly honest about a dog’s temperament.
How You Can Help
If you want to know how you to help us through our current challenges and help us keep our doors open to keep on rescuing, here are some of the things we need.
Donations/Contributions
Yeah, we know: Rescues are always asking for donations. Beggars! It’s sad but true. Yes, we are a 501(3)c nonprofit, but, no, that doesn’t mean we receive any type of funding. (Just so you know, all the stuff you see online is “pro-bone-o”; our web designer /photographer works for puppy kisses.) We rely completely on donations from supporters and friends like you. We have managed to make it for 10 years and hope to do it for another, but we literally survive month-to-month based on donations and contributions.
You can donate to the dogs online using Paypal or directly to our vet (please, note that payment is towards Georgia Jack Russell’s outstanding bill).
If you can’t afford to give much or don’t like to give money, we have plenty of other options. And, of course, we live with Jacks who are pretty rough ‘n tough on everything, so we are always in need of goodies. The less we have to buy/replace, the more we have to spend on vet care and the well-being of our dogs. We firmly believe that all dogs need toys and activities to develop and stave off kennel depression; unfortunately, those “fun” items often get moved to the bottom of the list for bigger priorities.
Winter jackets and sweaters don’t just make our rescues eye candy for photo ops. They really do help keep them warm during the cooler days outdoors.
Help Us Find Forever Homes
As simple as it sounds, adoptions are the key to our survival. Although we do have some sanctuaried dogs, it is our mission and hope to find all of our dogs (regardless of age) the forever homes and second chances they deserve. Even if you can’t adopt, you have a powerful tool: Your computer. Sharing our adoptable rescues on your own network also helps us reach a larger audience and increase our adoption rate as well.
Susie and Pumpkin were both neglected, high-risk rescues. Thanks to the power of the Internet, their mom found us – and we found an amazing friend/volunteer.
You can find a complete listing of all of our adoptable dogs at the following links. They should all have the same information, but some have more photos or sharing options than others.
- Our Website (Includes all of our rescues, including ones not currently adoptable – but can be sponsored)
- Petfinder
- Adopt A Pet
We would really like to spread word of our Seniors 4 Seniors program. We have some wonderful dogs who do not have any “issues” besides a little less spring in their step. Jacks being Jacks, this can be a good thing, i.e. they have a “normal” dog energy. 😉
Sponsor a Dog
If you can’t adopt, you can sponsor one. This money will go to cover food, vetting and care for the dog(s) of your choice. You can sponsor to any dog and we will put it towards the most needy dog or you can donate to an individual dog by visiting our available dogs on our website.
Foster a Dog
If you aren’t in a position to adopt but have a dog-friendly home, consider fostering. Freeing up our kennels right now will allow us more time to dedicate to urgent needs of others. Many of our foster parents take on the cost of their foster dog (this is not standard practice, but it has happened many times), providing us the opportunity to save another dog. Most important, however, it gives our babies what they need most: Daily interaction and guidance in a home, making them much more adoptable than life in a kennel.
Volunteer
Last but not least, we are always in need of volunteers. We have a wonderful group on board right now, but as mentioned before, most of us work full-time jobs during the week. We are always in need of help during the weekdays, including moving/walking dogs, making vet trips, writing grants, helping with fundraisers, doing yardwork – you name it! It’s not always glamorous, but it’s the reality of rescue and every bit helps.
Thank You and Good Luck Tonight!
Sorry for the novel, but we wanted to make sure we addressed our situation with everyone. We have not stopped rescuing because we don’t care; it’s quite the opposite and we hope it’s very temporary.
Thank you for your continued support … and, hey, if you do happen to win the Powerball tonight, you know where to find us! 😉
If We Had $550 Million …
Everyone is abuzz with Powerball fever tonight, but we can only think of one thing: Imagine what that money could do for homeless dogs everywhere! Alas, we aren’t millionaires and don’t forecast becoming one overnight. As such, we must publicly address something that has, unfortunately, been coming for some time and can no longer be avoided.
Adoptions & Sanctuary … for now
This was not an easy decision for us, but one that we, unfortunately, can no longer avoid. We are being forced to suspend the “rescue” part of our rescue, adoption and sanctuary mission for the time being. It’s not something we want to do this (quite the contrary) and we hope it’s very temporary, but it’s something we must do for now in order to survive and continue doing what we are doing. We still have a couple of dogs in holding, though, so don’t expect the new arrival photos to end any time soon. 😉
Why are we doing such a horrible thing?
Winter is almost here, and all of our kennels are full. We received a huge intake of dogs over the summer, while only adopting out a few. We are not a business by any means (and, if we were, we would be bankrupt), but we are practical and know there must be a balance in order to move forward.
We are very low on operating funds at the moment after incurring a massive amount of vet bills in recent months. Our vet is wonderful and very thorough, but he cannot work for free and we would never expect him to. We have openly shared the trials that Chloe and Pippa endured in October, but there were many more we didn’t talk about a lot or at all, including several respiratory infections, an emergency abscess removal, an unforeseen tiff between a couple of dogs (it happens) and (surprise, everyone!) the delivery of a litter of beautiful puppies to one of our latest arrivals. (We’ve been keeping that under wraps in respect of Mom, but will have news and photos for you soon!)
With dropping temperatures in the evenings, all 25 dogs currently in our care must be moved inside to the indoor kennel to be kept warm and safe. We want to make sure that everyone gets outdoors and exercises as much as possible during the day, so you guessed it: That means all 25 dogs must come back out in the morning. Sometimes we have help, but oftentimes we don’t—and our owner and almost all of the volunteers work full-time jobs.
Most importantly, though, we need to focus on the beautiful dogs we have committed to right now. They are and must remain our first priority, and we will not do anything to risk their care. They have each been through so much already. It is our hope that all of them will eventually find forever homes, but we are aware that several of them will probably spend their golden years in our sanctuary due to health or behavioral issues.
Nicki is one of our “lifers” at rescue. As gorgeous as he is, he came from a hoarder situation and has a lot of trust and fear-aggression issues. Many people said to put him down, but we refused – and don’t regret a moment with him. He is comfortable with our volunteers, but we cannot adopt him to just anyone. He (along with Rocket, Eli, Elanor, Slick, Hartley, Jackie and others who have behavioral or health issues) must be our first priority.
Any threat to the priorities listed above can shut down a rescue in a heartbeat. As much as we would love to save every homeless Jack on the planet, we simply cannot take that risk right now.
Rescue Alternatives
Although we cannot accept any dogs at this time, we can’t stand the thought of any Jack being put down for being, well, a Jack. If you have arrived at our website looking to surrender a dog, below are some online alternatives to try while we are embargoed from rescuing. We may eventually try to put together a forum/posting of our own for third-party rescues, but we are busy getting things done in other areas right now.
- Our Facebook Page
You may post the dog to our page, but please be clear that you have the dog and include your contact information. It must be clear to visitors that the dog is not at our rescue; otherwise we could both face legal issues. Please, do not spam our wall. We are trying to find homes for many dogs as well. - Georgia Jacks
This wonderful Facebook page is run by one of our volunteers, who spends her free time (after taking care of rescues and children) posting available Jacks in shelters throughout the state of Georgia. If you came here to ask us to save a shelter dog, please check Georgia Jacks. He or she may already be listed. If not, you can post on their wall and share the information with the group. - RescueMe.org
This far-reaching website is open to everyone (not just rescue groups) to post dogs needing homes. We have had a couple of adoptions from here ourselves and highly recommend it. - There are also several of other Jack- and terrier-oriented rescues in our state, though we cannot speak for their ability to take dogs in, either. Please check with them individually.
If you know of other places online, please feel free to comment below and share. If you need tips for listing a dog, please read this article. You must be perfectly honest about a dog’s temperament.
How You Can Help
If you want to know how you to help us through our current challenges and help us keep our doors open to keep on rescuing, here are some of the things we need.
Donations/Contributions
Yeah, we know: Rescues are always asking for donations. Beggars! It’s sad but true. Yes, we are a 501(3)c nonprofit, but, no, that doesn’t mean we receive any type of funding. (Just so you know, all the stuff you see online is “pro-bone-o”; our web designer /photographer works for puppy kisses.) We rely completely on donations from supporters and friends like you. We have managed to make it for 10 years and hope to do it for another, but we literally survive month-to-month based on donations and contributions.
You can donate to the dogs online using Paypal or directly to our vet (please, note that payment is towards Georgia Jack Russell’s outstanding bill).
If you can’t afford to give much or don’t like to give money, we have plenty of other options. And, of course, we live with Jacks who are pretty rough ‘n tough on everything, so we are always in need of goodies. The less we have to buy/replace, the more we have to spend on vet care and the well-being of our dogs. We firmly believe that all dogs need toys and activities to develop and stave off kennel depression; unfortunately, those “fun” items often get moved to the bottom of the list for bigger priorities.
Winter jackets and sweaters don’t just make our rescues eye candy for photo ops. They really do help keep them warm during the cooler days outdoors.
Help Us Find Forever Homes
As simple as it sounds, adoptions are the key to our survival. Although we do have some sanctuaried dogs, it is our mission and hope to find all of our dogs (regardless of age) the forever homes and second chances they deserve. Even if you can’t adopt, you have a powerful tool: Your computer. Sharing our adoptable rescues on your own network also helps us reach a larger audience and increase our adoption rate as well.
Susie and Pumpkin were both neglected, high-risk rescues. Thanks to the power of the Internet, their mom found us – and we found an amazing friend/volunteer.
You can find a complete listing of all of our adoptable dogs at the following links. They should all have the same information, but some have more photos or sharing options than others.
- Our Website (Includes all of our rescues, including ones not currently adoptable – but can be sponsored)
- Petfinder
- Adopt A Pet
We would really like to spread word of our Seniors 4 Seniors program. We have some wonderful dogs who do not have any “issues” besides a little less spring in their step. Jacks being Jacks, this can be a good thing, i.e. they have a “normal” dog energy. 😉
Sponsor a Dog
If you can’t adopt, you can sponsor one. This money will go to cover food, vetting and care for the dog(s) of your choice. You can sponsor to any dog and we will put it towards the most needy dog or you can donate to an individual dog by visiting our available dogs on our website.
Foster a Dog
If you aren’t in a position to adopt but have a dog-friendly home, consider fostering. Freeing up our kennels right now will allow us more time to dedicate to urgent needs of others. Many of our foster parents take on the cost of their foster dog (this is not standard practice, but it has happened many times), providing us the opportunity to save another dog. Most important, however, it gives our babies what they need most: Daily interaction and guidance in a home, making them much more adoptable than life in a kennel.
Volunteer
Last but not least, we are always in need of volunteers. We have a wonderful group on board right now, but as mentioned before, most of us work full-time jobs during the week. We are always in need of help during the weekdays, including moving/walking dogs, making vet trips, writing grants, helping with fundraisers, doing yardwork – you name it! It’s not always glamorous, but it’s the reality of rescue and every bit helps.
Thank You and Good Luck Tonight!
Sorry for the novel, but we wanted to make sure we addressed our situation with everyone. We have not stopped rescuing because we don’t care; it’s quite the opposite and we hope it’s very temporary.
Thank you for your continued support … and, hey, if you do happen to win the Powerball tonight, you know where to find us! 😉
Slick Needs Some Love
Little Slick … hating every moment in the cone of shame.
What would a week be these days without rushing one of our babies to the vet? (sigh)
Our precious boy Slick was showing signs of dehydration the other day and feeling a little nippy and warm, so off he went to Lithonia Animal Hospital. It appears he may just have a bronchial infection, but is still running a fever, so he is staying under Dr. Wright’s care with antibiotics, fluids and TLC. We will keep you posted, but wanted to ask everyone to send this special boy some love. He wants to go home!
If you would like to donate towards his/our ever-growing, slowly-shrinking vet bill, you can do so on his profile page or by making a donation directly to the following:
Lithonia Animal Hospital
2015 Rock Chapel Rd.
Lithonia, GA 30058
770-482-2966
Slick Needs Some Love
Little Slick … hating every moment in the cone of shame.
What would a week be these days without rushing one of our babies to the vet? (sigh)
Our precious boy Slick was showing signs of dehydration the other day and feeling a little nippy and warm, so off he went to Lithonia Animal Hospital. It appears he may just have a bronchial infection, but is still running a fever, so he is staying under Dr. Wright’s care with antibiotics, fluids and TLC. We will keep you posted, but wanted to ask everyone to send this special boy some love. He wants to go home!
If you would like to donate towards his/our ever-growing, slowly-shrinking vet bill, you can do so on his profile page or by making a donation directly to the following:
Lithonia Animal Hospital
2015 Rock Chapel Rd.
Lithonia, GA 30058
770-482-2966
A “JReaT” Gift for Mom
We are still in awe at the outpouring of support and donations we have received lately, especially in special deliveries. They just keep coming and we are so blessed.
Amanda and Devin Dannemiller stopped by yesterday with a trunk load of goodies, including towels, bleach, harnesses, collars, food and toys. It wasn’t just a fantastic donation to us, it was a wonderful way to honor her mother for her birthday. Her mother has two beautiful Jacks (see/click photo below).
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Amanda’s story of her mother was too great not to share verbatim, so here it is:
“I would be remiss not to include a picture of my mom and her dogs. We hired a photographer to take family Christmas photos last year and Mom insisted that she get one with her little guys (you’ll notice my brother and I were not allowed in the picture!). Mom’s name is C. Ann Gittings and her dogs are Shalom (the JRT) and Pax (the mutt who thinks he’s a JRT). You may not be able to tell from the picture but Shalom has a crooked smile. Both of Mom’s dogs were rescued from Metro Animal Services in Louisville, KY; we’re not sure what exactly happened to Shalom, but we know he was removed from an abusive home and was stuck at the shelter almost two months before Mom got him. Now he is in an extremely loving home and getting all the loving he missed out on with his former owners. :-)”
Thank you, Amanda, for seeking us out and giving not only your mother such a great gift but us as well!
How This Helps
When we receive items we are always in need of like food, detergent, leashes (these seem to mysteriously disappear a lot … hm), toys and blankets/towels, it allows us to use monetary donations to pay off our lingering vet bills and focus on the ongoing needs of our special-needs babies without worrying where the next dollar is coming from for other things. Amanda also made a good point: She and Devin spent all weekend hunting down clearance sales to get these supplies. They were able to stretch their dollar and double their donations without breaking their budget.
Want to help?
There are so many ways to help our rescues that meet any budget or schedule. In fact, we have more than a dozen ways to make a difference! Check them out!
A “JReaT” Gift for Mom
We are still in awe at the outpouring of support and donations we have received lately, especially in special deliveries. They just keep coming and we are so blessed.
Amanda and Devin Dannemiller stopped by yesterday with a trunk load of goodies, including towels, bleach, harnesses, collars, food and toys. It wasn’t just a fantastic donation to us, it was a wonderful way to honor her mother for her birthday. Her mother has two beautiful Jacks (see/click photo below).
[nggallery id=134]
Amanda’s story of her mother was too great not to share verbatim, so here it is:
“I would be remiss not to include a picture of my mom and her dogs. We hired a photographer to take family Christmas photos last year and Mom insisted that she get one with her little guys (you’ll notice my brother and I were not allowed in the picture!). Mom’s name is C. Ann Gittings and her dogs are Shalom (the JRT) and Pax (the mutt who thinks he’s a JRT). You may not be able to tell from the picture but Shalom has a crooked smile. Both of Mom’s dogs were rescued from Metro Animal Services in Louisville, KY; we’re not sure what exactly happened to Shalom, but we know he was removed from an abusive home and was stuck at the shelter almost two months before Mom got him. Now he is in an extremely loving home and getting all the loving he missed out on with his former owners. :-)”
Thank you, Amanda, for seeking us out and giving not only your mother such a great gift but us as well!
How This Helps
When we receive items we are always in need of like food, detergent, leashes (these seem to mysteriously disappear a lot … hm), toys and blankets/towels, it allows us to use monetary donations to pay off our lingering vet bills and focus on the ongoing needs of our special-needs babies without worrying where the next dollar is coming from for other things. Amanda also made a good point: She and Devin spent all weekend hunting down clearance sales to get these supplies. They were able to stretch their dollar and double their donations without breaking their budget.
Want to help?
There are so many ways to help our rescues that meet any budget or schedule. In fact, we have more than a dozen ways to make a difference! Check them out!
Hope for Chloe
Please, bear with us: This one is going to hurt a little, but it has to be done. We would like to believe the worst is over now. No sooner did a kennel open up this afternoon with Pongo’s adoption (yay!) than it was filled.
This little girll, who we are calling Chloe, is a very special case and needs a lot of help. She was dumped at the shelter and was going to be put down this week. Weighing only five pounds (yes, five pounds!) from malnutrition and neglect, she didn’t stand a chance at being adopted. Several volunteers saw her photo and couldn’t stand the thought of her dying like this. They rallied with the shelter (thanks to Gwinnett for working with us) and she was pulled today. She is now safe at our rescue. They took some photos of her journey to share.
As you can clearly see, she is in terrible shape. We are hoping the malnutrition is due to the fact that her teeth are nothing short of horrible and it’s too difficult for her to eat. That can be addressed. We gave her some fluids and baby food, which she ate with gusto. She was also peeing and pooing, which is a very positive sign. We are taking her to the vet this week for a thorough check-up.
If you would like to help us help this little girl get well and find the life every dog deserves to lead, please visit our donations page. State in the special notes that it’s for Chloe. Thank you for all your support and prayers. This little one is going to need it. You know we will keep you posted on her progress.
All Jack’ed-Up on Donations!
We are overwhelmed by the wonderful donations we have received in the past few days.
The monetary donations have been wonderful. You should all be receiving letters or emails confirming receipt of the donations and records for your taxes. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Did we say that enough? Nope!
Shirley Terrier really went above and beyond with a trunk load of goodies, including toys, treats, grooming supplies, towels, blankets, winter apparel, leashes and more. Wow!
The Gay family also donated a large batch of very-much-needed laundry supplies for crate blankets.
Lisa Matthews of Pawsitive Practice and her awesome team donated a couple hours out of their Sunday to assess Rocket, one of our fear-aggressive dogs.
Last but not least, Nylabone sent us several boxes of amazing bones recently. Our rescues are absolutely loving them! We hope to have some pics of the dogs devouring them soon. For now, we just wanted to give a huge shout out and thank you to Nylabone for a fantastic treat – literally!
Thank you for everyone who has reached out to us recently with donations of money, time/skills and items. You don’t know how much this means to us in such tight times. Thank you so much!
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Pippa Deserves Her Puppyhood Back
We know we ask for your help a lot, but we don’t apologize: It’s always for the dogs. And this one really has our hearts heavy with concern.
Pippa arrived at our rescue last week and we were able to take her in, thanks to an open kennel left by Matilda’s wonderful adoption (yea!). This little girl is simply precious. We can’t think of another word more suitable for this pint-sized body of love and affection—which is amazing given the way she has been treated.
Her owner pretty much ignored her, her first few years of life. She was thrown into a concrete kennel with other dogs who traumatized her and was never given the fundamental things every dog deserves, including play time on grass, human affection and, yes, heartworm preventative. This neglect has left her little feet deformed (although it doesn’t slow her down) and, yes, her tiny body ridden with heartworms.
The Situation
We had her vetted the other day and the forecast isn’t good: She literally has a heart the size of a baseball because of heartworm disease. We have rescued and treated more than one Jack with this condition, but this is the most advanced—and the scariest—case we have ever faced.
The good news is she’s fairly young: Only 5 or 6 and has an awesome fighting spirit. She was coughing incessantly when she first arrived, but is doing better on some beta blockers. We are trying to get her healthy enough for the vet to consider heartworm treatment.
Despite her past, she is an absolute doll who loves everyone, human and canine. She is starved for TLC and a chance to be a puppy … and that’s exactly what we intend to give her.
How You Can Help
We truly need everyone’s support in giving this baby the fighting chance to survive, overcome and go on to make someone an amazing forever dog. We are still overwhelmed with vet bills and know this one is going to be huge. Someway, somehow, we will make it happen, but must once again turn to our incredible support system to help us.
If you would like to donate to help us help Pippa recover from her past and start over, please donate using the ChipIn below. If your device does not display Flash, you can visit our general donations page and note that it is for Pippa. If you would rather donate directly to our vet, you can send a check or money order to the address below. Please make sure to note on the check or MO that it’s for Pippa.
Lithonia Animal Hospital
c/o Donation to Georgia Jack Russell/Pippa
2015 Rock Chapel Rd.
Lithonia, GA 30058
Lola Needs our Love
Blind Baby and Her Foster Family Need Our Help
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This sweet baby was only 7 months old last month when she was surrendered by her owner to Paulding County Animal Control. The wonderful volunteers at Georgia Jacks discovered her in early August and began blasting her on their page, hoping to find her a home and avoid her being put to sleep within days. She was a young, gorgeous Jack Russell. Why on earth was she given up?
Within hours, volunteers and our ally in rescue rallied together to pull her. She was picked up on Aug. 10 and it quickly became apparent that this little baby may have been abused. She was way too timid and shy. She was too young developmentally to go to either of our rescues, so she was placed in foster care with a family who was interested in adopting her. Unfortunately, the family noticed and began to fear from her actions she was blind from brain damage. This sweet, shy girl also began to show some signs of aggression, mostly around small children, so they could not keep her.
She was moved to the Mitcham family on Labor Day. These wonderful dog lovers are no strangers to dogs with disabilities, but this is a whole new ballgame for everyone: She’s a puppy, she’s a rescue and she’s blind. Lola loves her canine pack, but barks, cries and doesn’t relax much. She bumps into things, cannot climb stairs and is very distressed when crated, despite positive associations. Being a baby and not being able to do what babies do (i.e., run like the wind!), she is showing anxiety and frustration, which inevitably projects as aggression.
We have already had a couple of people step up for in-person/phone guidance, donations of essential relaxation methods such as a Thundershirt, relaxation CDs, etc. Even though she was originally vetted, these issues were somehow not found or disclosed. We are now working with a couple of vets to conduct a full examination and assessment of her situation, including a brain scan. This will not come cheap and is not something any of us have budgeted for. One way or another, it will happen, though.
In the meantime, we are reaching out to all of our networks for help with this baby and this wonderful foster family, not just with donations but also with recommendations and experienced help in dealing with such matters. We want Lola and her fosters to know they are not alone in this ordeal and that Lola has a wonderful life ahead of her.
If you would like to donate to the vet bills, please use the ChipIn box below. If your device does not display Flash and you cannot see it, you can use our general donations page. Please, be sure to note that it’s for Lola in the Special Notes in Paypal. If you prefer to send a check/money order to us or to the vet who does her examination and tests, or if you would like to offer your advice or experienced skills in helping, please email us for information.
Bed Toppers Needed
First and Foremost – Thank You!
We recently received some more pet bed donations and wanted to thank everyone who gave. For those who haven’t heard about the program, Animal Rescue Aid is in a partnership with a manufacturer of dog beds, who allows them to purchase their beds at cost for needy rescues and shelters. They are $17.50 and have a rust-proof aluminum frame and polyester topper, which can be hosed down with disinfectant. If you own dogs or have ever worked with rescue, you know how important that is. Most importantly, it gets them off the ground or the crate and gives them a comfy, dry place to lie.
We could still use a couple more beds for winter, but what we really need now are some replacement toppers. As you know, Jacks are tough little guys and gals and can cause a lot of wear ‘n tear on anything. This includes these wonderful semi-indestructible beds. Fortunately, the aluminum frames are holding up great, so we just need to replace a few polyester toppers … and, fortunately, they are only $3.95 each. But, of course, multply that small amount times several dogs and, well? Vet bills and food must come first.
Photo: Tasha is one of several of our dogs who lies on her bed a lot. As you can see, the corners of the bed are starting to fray because of it.
Donate Online
To donate a bed or a topper, simply go to ARA’s donations page and scroll to the end of the page. Fill in the amount you would like to donate and put Georgia Jack Russell Adoptions in the Comments field. The last part is very important, so they know who to ship it to. If you are buying replacement toppers, please multiple $3.95 by how ever many you want to donate and note that in the Comments box as well. Then click the Donate button, which will securely take you to the Paypal website, where you can pay with your Paypal account or with a credit card. Walk through the process like any purchase and woof! You have made a major difference in a little dog’s life.
Donate by Check
If you are not comfortable making a donation online, you can contact us and we will email you a form to print and mail with a check.
Thank You, Thank You
Thanks to everyone who helped out the first time. If you have been wanting to help the dogs, but don’t feel comfortable just giving money, this is a way to know it’s going to the right place. We will continue to share photos of the dogs enjoying their beds (and toppers), so you can see exactly where your hard-earned money is being used.
Treat yours. Help others.
We are excited to partner with another pet-related company who aims to help rescues. Pawlee’s Treat Co. offers all-natural, U.S.-made, wholesome treats at affordable prices online. On top of that goodness, they give 10% of each purchase to the rescue of your choice.
How to Help Our Jacks
If you would like to help our homeless babies, simply visit their site and choose from a variety of snacks for your Jacks. When checking out, you will be given the option to donate 10% of your purchase to our rescue. Just look for it at the bottom of the registration or checkout page. It looks something like this:
Buy a Bed, Give a Bed
Need to buy a new bed for your baby? Want to help “buy one get one free” for one of our homeless Jacks? Here’s the perfect opportunity!
We are honored to be part of another pet bed donation program after such a wonderful response a few months ago with the Animal Rescue Aid program. (We are, by the way, still accepting outdoor beds through that program. After all, we have Jacks and, well, you know – they will destroy the indestructible … and some have.) These beds are provided by Alphapooch for Petfinder shelters/rescues. The beds are “shelter certified” and will work perfectly for the crates in the indoor kennel, which we are still working on. Right now, our rescues are sleeping on whatever blankets or towels we receive as donations. (Those donations are wonderful, though, so please keep them coming! What is trash to you is a warm blankie for a rescue.)
To participate in this program, please go to Alphapooch’s website and click the “Click here to purchase a pet bed now” link in the Buy One Give One section. Pick the bed you want to buy for your forever pooch (or, if you want, yes, we will gladly accept a paid-for one as well!), add it to your cart and then select Check Out. You will receive a notice telling you that your purchase qualifies for a free bed donation to a shelter. Proceed to Checkout and then select us from the drop-down menu that says Petfinder:
That’s it! They’ll take care of the rest. Your baby will get a new bed and so will one of our needy sweeties.
Thank you to all of you who do so much for us. We could not do it without you. Please share this with your friends and let’s get some babies some new beds!
Buy a Bed, Give a Bed
Need to buy a new bed for your baby? Want to help “buy one get one free” for one of our homeless Jacks? Here’s the perfect opportunity!
We are honored to be part of another pet bed donation program after such a wonderful response a few months ago with the Animal Rescue Aid program. (We are, by the way, still accepting outdoor beds through that program. After all, we have Jacks and, well, you know – they will destroy the indestructible … and some have.)
These beds are provided by Alphapooch for Petfinder shelters/rescues. The beds are “shelter certified” and will work perfectly for the crates in the indoor kennel, which we are still working on. Right now, our rescues are sleeping on whatever blankets or towels we receive as donations. (Those donations are wonderful, though, so please keep them coming! What may be trash to you is a warm blankie for a rescue.)
To participate in this program, please go to Alphapooch’s website and click the “Click here to purchase a pet bed now” link in the Buy One Give One section. Pick the bed you want to buy for your forever pooch (or, if you want, yes, we will gladly accept a paid-for one as well!), add it to your cart and then select Check Out. You will receive a notice telling you that your purchase qualifies for a free bed donation to a shelter. Proceed to Checkout and then select us from the drop-down menu that says Petfinder:
That’s it! They’ll take care of the rest. Your baby will get a new bed and so will one of our needy sweeties.
Thank you to all of you who do so much for us. We could not do it without you. Please share this with your friends and let’s get some babies some new beds!
Weluvya, Weruva!
We are so thankful to Weruva for their recent donation of food. We are rarely able to give our sweethearts such high-quality soft food, so this was a wonderful and welcome contribution! Nom, nom, nom.
Weluvya, Weruva!
We are so thankful to Weruva for their recent donation of food. We are rarely able to give our sweethearts such high-quality soft food, so this was a wonderful and welcome contribution! Nom, nom, nom.
Mom and Babies in Need
The story of this precious mama and babies was circulating the rescue boards and, of course, made its way to us. They were at Elbert Co. Animal Control and on the list to be put down. We weren’t about to let that happen, so – breathe a sign of relief. She has been pulled! Mom and her five babies are now in foster care.
We are still finding out more information from our foster, but already know Mom is malnourished and has worms. We are working on ways to take care of this. We are also trying to find a puppy-based rescue to work with on finding the babies homes when they are ready to leave her. We know little about them at this point, but should have more information soon.
If you are with another rescue and would like to work with us on finding these babies homes, please call us at 770-918-8582. We will try to get more pictures and information soon.
If you would like to help us help Mom and her babies through this difficult time, we could sure use everyone’s help. Funds are already tight and we weren’t expecting this  … but we weren’t about to let them go, either. We are so thankful to our foster, Terri, for taking them on, especially with her own pack of rescues to take care of. If you cannot view the ChipIn below (Flash-based), you can visit our general donations page. Please leave a comment that it’s for the mother and puppies.
Pet Bed Program (Round 2)
We had such a wonderful success (thanks to you!) with the dog bed donation program the first round, we’re shooting for a second one. We’ll be finishing up the indoor kennel and runs this spring, which means concrete floors. We will, of course, make sure, one way or another, the dogs who need to stay indoors are not stuck lying on them without options, but the best way to do that is these fabulous beds. You helped us purchase 20 in the winter. They are now in the outdoor kennels and the dogs have been loving them.
Lelah Chilling on Her Comfy Bed
About the Program
Animal Rescue Aid is in a partnership with a manufacturer of dog beds, who allows them to purchase their beds at cost for needy rescues and shelters. They are $17.50 and have a rust-proof aluminum frame and polyester topper, which can be hosed down with disinfectant. If you own dogs or have ever worked with rescue, you know how important that is. Most importantly, it gets them off the ground or the crate and gives them a comfy, dry place to lie.
Donate Online
To donate, simply go to ARA’s donations page and scroll to the end of the page. Fill in the amount you would like to donate and put Georgia Jack Russell Adoptions in the Comments field. The last part is very important, so they know who to ship it to. Then click the Donate button, which will securely take you to the Paypal website, where you can pay with your account or with a credit card. Walk through the process like any purchase and woof! You have made a major difference in a little dog’s life.
Donate by Check
If you are not comfortable making a donation online, you can contact us and we will email you a form to print and mail with a check.
Thank You, Thank You
Thanks to everyone who helped out the first time. If you have been wanting to help the dogs, but don’t feel comfortable just giving money, this is a way to know it’s going to the right place. We shared the photos from the first delivery and installation and we will do so again, so you can see exactly where your hard-earned money is being used.
Happy Birthday, Donna
If you have recently stumbled across Georgia Jack Russell Adoptions via one of the websites or social networks, you may be wondering who “we” are. If you have been there from the beginning about a decade ago, then you know quite well who that “we” is: It’s actually a she. Her name is Donna Durham, and she is an inspiration to all of the volunteers and supporters who have ever had the opportunity to work beside her.
She celebrates her birthday with the presidents on Monday and, if she cared about publicity, we would support her campaign to be one. As it is, she cares very little for that kind of stuff. Anyone who knows her knows she’s outspoken, feisty ‘n fun, but she doesn’t want or like attention or recognition for what she does. She just wants to help dogs. Period.
That being said, “we” (referring to the volunteers/supporters in this post) can’t help but acknowledge her and her genuine love and compassion for dogs, not just for her birthday but on any given day.
We hope she’ll forgive us for this little post, but hey: We’ll ask for forgiveness, not permission. That’s the Jack Russell way.
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Dog is Her Co-Pilot
We never cease to be amazed by Donna’s compassion and loyalty for dogs. Even after losing both her son and her husband within a couple of years, she never stopped or even slowed down with her dedication to the rescue they founded together. She kept the family’s love of dogs going and has given up almost everything to take care of them. If you’ve tried to get ahold of her, you know it’s not easy. That’s because she works two jobs to support the dogs.
Although she has a soft spot in her heart for Jack Russells (don’t we all?), she loves all dogs and it’s hard for her to say “no” to any of them. She takes in dogs that other rescues won’t touch because they’re difficult to get adopted. She doesn’t see age, illness or issues when rescuing a dog; she only sees a dog who needs help.
It’s not just her compassion and loyalty to these dogs; it’s her absolute, unconditional love for them and desire to help them. We can’t count how many dogs we have seen arrive with their spirits broken and their ribs showing. One week with Mama Donna and they are thriving! Another week and, well, they are puppies again, living the life on the JRT college campus. 😉 Even those who have been adopted into loving homes for years still come back to visit for a boarding stay or just to say “hello” at an adoption or fund-raising event. They all still literally light up when they see her. They never forget.
And neither do we.
So, thank you, Donna, for all you do without even thinking about it. Thank you for saving so many wonderful lives and for giving them a second chance. Thank you also for giving all of us a way to help and to genuinely make a difference in a dog’s life. We love you.
Wish Her Happy Birthday
If you would like to wish Donna a happy birthday, please scroll down to Add a Comment. An email is address is required, but it will not be displayed with the comments. You can also automatically Connect with our website now using your Facebook or Twitter account. Just click the applicable logo below to sign up.
Send Her Something
Donna never wants anything for herself. She only cares about the dogs. If you want to give her a birthday gift, there’s nothing more she could use and appreciate than a donation to the dogs. One of the rescues ate a Kong this weekend and had to receive emergency treatment; that single incident racked up a huge vet bill at a time when she is desperately trying to help the rest of the dogs at Flashpoint Kennels.
To send a birthday gift online, please use our online donation page. Please, mention her birthday in the Add special instructions to recipient box so she knows what it’s for.
Flashpoint Update: The Road Home
We know some of you are wondering about the Flashpoint dogs, so we wanted to give you a quick update.
The Remaining Girls … and That Cute Boy
There are still 12 Jacks (11 girls and 1 boy) at Flashpoint. Actually, they’re not at Flashpoint right now. They all went to the vet last week and are currently being boarded in a warm, wonderful place. Thank you so much, Jennifer Smith at Clippers ‘n Bows, for providing that opportunity.
We still have some spays to complete, but the word is that Logan (the boy) and a few of the girls with fear-aggression issues are already showing improved temperaments. Yea! We are scrambling to make room to take several of these sweethearts in ourselves, but we would love nothing more than to see them go to good homes instead. So please view their profiles on our website or Petfinder and share, share, share.
We will try to get updated photos as we know most of the pics we took of the dogs last month were soon after the fire and they were still suffering from post-traumatic stress. If you’re a fan of our Facebook page, you’ve already seen the incredible transformations the older girls who went to Florida have made. We are expecting the same beauty make-overs with the rest of the girls here in Georgia.
It’s Because of You
We can’t make any post about this effort without mentioning you and your generosity. Donna is putting together an official thank you list, so we can share with everyone. Please, don’t think we’re not thankful because we haven’t mentioned you yet. We absolutely are – beyond words. You stepped up when others wouldn’t touch this and you did it for the dogs. Donna just wants to make sure she includes everyone who has made this insurmountable task somehow surmountable. Your outpouring of concern, compassion and help has been overwhelming for her … but that’s a wonderful problem to have.
Want to Help?
If you want to be a part of this effort and help give a wonderful dog a second chance, it’s definitely not too late. You can help easily and effortlessly without leaving your chair by contributing to the online Flashpoint ChipIn. There are still plenty of things that need to be done for these sweet babies and, of course, plenty of bills that accompany those things. We have two dozen dogs of our own to feed and shelter, so every penny towards this “side effort” is significant.
Triumph Over Tragedy
What a whirlwind couple of weeks it has been! Since the Jan. 3 fire, which took the lives of 30+ precious dogs at Flashpoint Kennel in Rome, Ga., things have really snowballed at our rescue. It sounds strange and ironic to say, we know, but this horrible tragedy is quickly becoming a story about triumph.
Thank You, Thank You
First and foremost, we cannot thank you enough for the outpouring of donations, networking and overall support in the efforts to find the surviving 23 Jacks new homes. The donations alone have blown our minds. We have plans to thank each of you individually (don’t worry, we’ll keep it meaningful but cheap, so every penny goes to the dogs as intended). We know most of you will say that’s not necessary because that’s just who you are, but we believe it is. Whether you have given $5 or $100 to our From the Fire ChipIn or to our own rescue fund, you have made a direct impact on the life of a dog in need. As such, we will make every effort here and on our social networks to show you that impact, so you can see the difference it made. We know economic times are difficult right now, and your generosity during them is appreciated beyond words.
For those who have ordered calendars, we are quickly printing up more and they should go out to you soon.
We would like to ask everyone for your patience as we are a very small “Mom-sans-Pop” rescue. The volunteers are helping out as much as possible, but if you know Mama Donna, you know she likes to thank everyone personally who helps with not only her dogs but dogs in general. She sees something special in every dog she meets (not just Jacks) and she literally works night and day to make sure they are happy and healthy between their home transitions. That doesn’t leave a lot of time to answer emails, field phone calls, mail thank you cards, etc.
Mama Donna assures Lorelee the worst is behind.
A Second Chance
Second, thank you for understanding this sensitive situation and not stirring the angry pot on our websites. We want to reiterate that the Department of Agriculture visited this kennel many times and never found any violations. We know it’s hard to be silent when breeding (responsible or otherwise) affects us all so greatly. Many of you help with rescue and you know firsthand the horrible impact that large-scale breeding has on dogs. It’s heartbreaking. Try as we might to save them all, it becomes insurmountable at times and it’s just one more challenge we face.
There are no “sides” in this situation. This is one of those circumstances in which a horrible tragedy did what it often does: It changed lives and opened eyes. The kennel owner, who lost her home in the fire as well, has publicly announced that she will never breed again. She says she is dedicated to not only making sure these little girls and guy find forever homes but to helping existing rescues as well. She is working tirelessly with us and three other rescue groups to spay/neuter all of her dogs and prep everyone for free adoptions.
We will never condemn anyone who wants to make things right for dogs and we want to keep this goal positive and in motion without ongoing judgment of how we got here. Let’s practice what our puppies teach us everyday and stay in the moment. The past is done; the present and future are here. We must make sure that none of those precious puppies died in vain, and that the survivors find the homes and lives they deserve.
In short, we need to focus all of our energy on a positive outcome instead of wasting it on anger, frustration and judgment.
Keep Moving Forward
As mentioned above, we are no longer alone in this effort. Almost Home Rescue in Florida (check out their cool movie trailer!), Misfit Animal Haven in Rome and Last Chance Rescue in Waco have all stepped in to help. In addition, we have received enormous networking support from a plethora of Russell groups, including a story in the Savannah Examiner. Three dogs have officially been adopted, and arrangements are being made to transport more to other rescues.
As wonderful as all of this sounds, of course, the ultimate goal is get all of them out of there and into good homes as quickly but as cautiously as possible. The indoor kennel is completely burned; the survivors are currently in outdoor kennels, and winter is here (yes, Georgia has winters). We know that many of these dogs are older and/or have never been around other dogs, cats or kids. This makes it difficult to place them. We are realistic, but not detoured. We all love our senior babies and we believe there is someone out there for each and every one of these dogs. They just haven’t met one another yet. On that note …
Network, Network, Network
If you don’t have the financial funds or physical ability to volunteer but want to help with this effort and have a computer, you can make a potentially significant impact. Networking has been the biggest catalyst in this effort so far and it’s something we can never get enough of.
If you are on Twitter, Facebook or any other social network and know Jack lovers, prospective pet parents and/or other rescues who could possibly help, please visit our Adoptable Dogs page and click on any of the profiles that call to you. There are share buttons located at the bottom of each profile to make it easy. We are pushing adoptions for the Flashpoint dogs first, of course, but please donít hesitate to share and promote our dogs as well. If we are able to find some of our dogs homes, then we can resolve the “at-capacity” situation we have right now and take some of the dogs at Flashpoint. Win-win!
You can also visit our Tumblr blog and share from there as well.
Again … Thank You
Sorry to be so long-winded. We just can’t express how much everything everyone has done so far means to us and to Donna. We still have a long way to go, but the wheels are definitely in motion. We’ll continue to keep you updated as things transpire.
From the Fire …
UPDATE 1/20/12: All dogs have been posted to our Adoptable Dogs page.
Accepting What We Can’t Change
We can’t paint a pretty picture this time. This is the reality. On Jan. 3, the indoor kennel at Flashpoint Kennels in Rome, Ga., burned to the ground.
More than 30 Chihuahua and Boston Terrier puppies and their mothers perished. A few of these beautiful babies were able to escape to the outside runs, where they were scooped up and saved. We have visited the kennels twice and brought back a couple of females who were in heat to prevent any more pregnancies. They are being spayed. The Boston has a home; the Chi is looking for one. We will be posting her beautiful photo soon.
Although our priority is rescuing Jacks, we love all dogs and these visits were heartbreaking. We were all fighting back tears while we were there. The smell of smoke and carnage and the site of charred crates and bowls was almost too much to bear.
The remains of crates and bowls leave haunting reminders of what happened here.
You may have heard or read different stories in the news, so we’ll set the record straight: This was a licensed breeding facility with no violations from the Dept. of Agriculture. All dogs had food, shelter and daily care. In fact, many perished because they were trapped in their whelping pens with their heat lamps and toys.
Before we get bleary-eyed or angry over something we cannot change, let’s move on to something we can change and make sure none of these precious souls died in vain.
Changing What We Can
Jack Russells have not been bred at this kenel in years. We know this for a fact and have actually been working with the owner to re-home the retired breeders and non-adoptable puppies over the past several years. This has come with some backlash, of course, but we cannot stress this enough: We are not and never will promote large-scale breeding; we are making sure these dogs find the homes they deserve with warm beds, fresh grass and an endless supply of toys and treats, things most of them have never known. Our mission is and always has been about the dogs. Period.
Right now, that mission is more important and crucial than ever.
What Lies Ahead
The kennel will be closing. The rest of the Chis and Bostons will be spayed/neutered by a separate group and adopted out. We are helping with the Jacks and we have a huge task ahead.
There are 23 Jacks who survived the fire: 22 girls and one lone male. They are all retired breeding dogs with ages ranging from 5-10. Five have fear-aggression issues. All of them need foster/forever homes or other rescues immediately. We would take each and every one of them if we could, but we are already at capacity right now. We are working hard to make more space, but it takes time and we know these dogs do have shelter, food and water right now. They have all lived at the kennel their entire lives, so they only know their kennel mates. They have never been exposed to cats or other small animals. Some have met children; some have not.
We are talking with some other rescue groups/transports on ways to get these dogs out of there, but it’s not enough. We need individual help with adoptions, fosters, transport, etc. To assist with this, we will begin posting updated photos and bios on all of them to Petfinder and our Facebook page today. The five with fear-aggression issues (who are all gorgeous, by the way) will need to go a safe environment/rescue with someone who can work with them to overcome their fears.
"I still scared ... Can I go home with you?"
We are working closely with the owner to make sure any who aren’t spayed/neutered are fixed and are in good health. They all appeared to be healthy when we visited this weekend, but they are also suffering from post-traumatic stress. You may notice some boo-boos on their feet and legs and some worn-down claws in the photos; this is from stress-induced licking/pacing after the fire and will easily heal once they are removed from their current situation.
What You Can Do
If you are interested in helping with this monumental task in any way, please call us at 770-918-8582. No help is too small, especially given the fact that we are still trying to help our own 20+ Jacks find homes. And, of course, our own phones never stop ringing with surrenders and re-homing needs.
If you would like to donate to help with the preparation (spaying, neutering, etc) of these dogs or to provide food for them while they are still at the kennel, Regions Bank has set up a fund: 2101 Shorter Ave., Rome, GA 30165 and make the check to the Flashpoint Kennel Fund.
We have also established our online ChipIn dedicated to this effort.
Jacks in Need after Kennel Fire
We just posted three available dogs at Flashpoint Kennels to our Facebook page. This is the kennel in Rome, Ga., where the indoor kennel burned down last week. We visited last weekend to bring them some much-needed food, blankets, etc.
We will be making the trek to Rome again this weekend with our photographer to take more photos and get information on all of the adoptable ones.The remaining area of the kennels will be closing and these guys and gals need to find foster or permanent homes ASAP.
If you are a rescue (or individual) and would like to help, please call us at 770-918-8582. We are coordinating as many of these efforts as we can while they take care of immediate matters. Regions Bank has also set up a fund: Send to 2101 Shorter Ave., Rome, GA 30165 and make the check to the Flashpoint Kennel Fund.
In Honor of Those Who Were Lost
This post is from Donna, who wanted to express her condolences and sympathy in light of yesterday’s tragedy in Rome, Georgia:
As some of you may know, Linda Nash of Flashpoint Kennels lost her home yesterday, along with her kennels and more than 30 precious, innocent dogs. I talked to her today and she is devastated.
Regardless of whatever opinions some may have about her, we would ask that you put yourself in her place. She lost so many lives and years of precious memories that can never be replaced; all of the dogs’ records and those special memories of the dogs. She has cared for some of them for 18 years.
She is more upset the dogs did not make it than she is about her home, which was destroyed. She risked her life to pull them out of the building; the firemen would not let her go back inside after they arrived. She said the fire spread very quickly. She had to go back inside today and face all the poor innocent ones who did not get out. She took dogs that got out to the vet to make sure they would live. Some of them were not doing well today.
Linda has picked up stray cats and stray JR’s that people have moved off and left. Please, remember, none of us are perfect, so let’s just try to think about what we would do if it was us.
Regions Bank in Rome is setting up a account that people can make donations to. Please check with them if you would like to help. She still has outside kennels and will need food for those dogs. All the food she had was inside the kennel that the fire destroyed.
Thank you for thinking of the dogs!
It’s a Holiday Miracle … Literally
Do you still believe in holiday miracles? We definitely do after today!
We recently lost our somewhat dependable source of food donations. It was a huge blow and one that left us scrambling to make decisions we didn’t want to make.
As many of you know, we take in a lot of “unwanted” Jacks: Ones with medical issues who come from hoarders, breeders and/or abusive environments. And, of course, not all of them are purebreds. These are the Jacks no one (allegedly) wants. (Our adoption records by amazing people prove otherwise, but we digress.) We simply hate to see a terrier put down because they’re “inconvenient” or “undesirable” to some. We believe every dog has a purpose and, if we had unlimited funds and time, we would help them fulfill that.
Unfortunately, we don’t have either. Very few rescues do. With our supply of food dwindling and our kennels at full capacity, we were in a tough situation in which we would have to start forgoing some medical attention to make sure everyone was fed. That horrible dilemma has been appeased for now.
Several of our dedicated volunteers stepped up in a major way this past week and began making a ton of phone calls to find food. It was Daffy’s Pet Soup Kitchen and its wonderful founder, Tom Wargo. who made the miracle happen. He donated almost 500 lbs(!) of food, including high-quality Blue Buffalo needed for several of our highly-allergic dogs. The food was delivered to us this morning in two SUVs! Suffice to say, we are in absolute awe and gratefulness.
In addition to the Daffy’s donation, we also received a truckload of food, toys, treats, Martingale collars and laundry detergent (always needed!) from Kim Davis and Sally Hall, a couple of our amazing volunteers!
Please consider making a monetary or food donation to Daffy’s. It’s not really about helping rescues like us; it’s about helping to keep dogs whose families have fallen on hard times help them afford to keep them until things improve. We have all been hit in one way or another by economic challenges the past few years, and this program has helped so many jobless pet owners keep their babies during them. This means they stay in their forever homes, where they belong, and out of rescue or, worse yet, death row, where they don’t. Every rescue worth its salt knows that this is the ultimate dream: No more homeless pets.
Here are a few photos for now; more to come on our Facebook page.
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Bed Donations Deadline is Today!
Today is the last day to donate a bed! If you haven’t heard about it and would like to help, you can find all of the details here.
The ARA website is showing we have 14 (our goal is 20), but we were informed someone donated 3 over the weekend that may not have shown up yet. That means we just need 3! (Don’t hesitate if you want to donate; we can always use more.)
Because a third party is handling this, we do not have the donor list. Donna would love to know who gave, though, because she likes to thank everyone in traditional ways. Please don’t hesitate to use our Contact Form to let us know your names(s) and how many beds you donated in the Comments section. Also, if you wouldn’t mind, your snail mail or email address. We will never use this information to solicit anything; it is strictly for her to thank you personally. If you would rather not give out that information, we completely understand.
Also, if you don’t want to be acknowledged on the website as a donor, let us know and we will simply list the beds in the Anonymous Donor category.
ChipIn for Jackie
We have started a ChipIn for our sweet, little Jackie. If you’re not aware of her story, please take a moment to read it. She is still fighting allergies that are tearing up her skin. She is the only rescue we have not been able to help yet, but we are determined to do so. Unfortunately, that means more vet bills … and more money.
Give a Dog Long-Lasting Comfort for the Price of One Dinner
We won’t beat around the fire hydrant: We need your help. We know, we know: Everyone needs help these days. But this is easy, cheap and will make a huge difference in the life of a dog.
About the Program
Animal Rescue Aid is in a partnership with a manufacturer of dog beds, who allows them to purchase their beds at cost for needy rescues and shelters. They are $15 and have a rust-proof aluminum frame and polyester topper, which can be hosed down with disinfectant. If you own dogs or have ever worked with rescue, you know how important that is. Most importantly, it gets them off the ground or the crate and gives them a comfy, dry place to lie.
We have been working to get our indoor kennel ready for the winter, so our guys and gals will be safe and warm on cold nights and on days when it’s too chilly to go to their outside kennels. As you know, we also have a lot of senior dogs and/or pups with illnesses who deserve to be comfortable during any season.
Although $15 apiece is a sweet deal, it gets a bit expensive with more than 20 dogs and, unfortunately, we have more urgent needs like medications to purchase right now. So we are turning to our friends, fans and family to help us procure them while they are available.
Donate Online
If you can afford to spend a single dinner out to provide comfort to a deserving dog, we would appreciate it more than words. (And you know us: We will make sure to share your gifts with pictures, so you can see the impact your donations made.)
To donate, simply go to ARA’s donations page and scroll to the end of the page. Fill in the amount you would like to donate (each bed is $15) and put Georgia Jack Russell Adoptions in the Comments field. The last part is very important, so they know who to ship it to. Then click the Donate button, which will securely take you to the Paypal website, where you can pay with your account or with a credit card. Walk through the process like any purchase and woof! You have made a major difference in a little dog’s life.
Donate by Check
If you are not comfortable making a donation online, you can contact us and we will email you a form to print and mail with a check.