Hi Everyone!
As usual, it seems that more time passes between my updates than I would like. As usual, we’ve got all kinds of stuff going on! First off, we are still in the Nationwide Shelter Challenge. This contest allows shelters in the USA and Canada to compete for grants up to $100,000. The shelter that gets the most votes between now and July 14 wins the $100,000. There are $10,000 prizes for the shelter in each state that gets the most votes. Right now we are in 5th place in Maryland… we need more votes! You can vote once a day, every day. To vote, goto to www.theanimalrescuesite.com and click on “Shelter Challenge” on the right side. From there just type in Rude Ranch Animal Rescue, and MD for the state. Follow the directions from there.
June is also “National Adopt a Shelter Cat Month”! During June adopt any cat from Rude Ranch for $20! We will spotlight different cats on Facebook.
Lastly, I have to talk about Boomer and Scruffy’s big adventure to Wisconsin.
We were scheduled to do a book signing in Wisconsin. Boomer, our fundraising miniature pinscher has been having weird health problems so we decided to take him along. Then Scruffy (aka Sir Barks aLot) tore the cruciate and minincus ligaments in one leg and the cruciate in the other leg 6 days before we were scheduled to leave. Thanks to Dr Harrison at Belair Vet, (Dr H agreed to surgically repair both legs on a really busy day) the Scruffinator was patched up enough to walk again. However, he needed extra supervision, had to be carried up and down steps, extra pain meds (yeah we wanted some of them for our backs after schlepping him around at least he’s not a mastiff), and the infamous conehead to keep him from messing with his incisions. Ergo, he was going on the trip with us. We just needed to figure out a way to transport him as he was only supposed to walk 100 yards or less a day. This also meant alot of rearranging before we were even out of the driveway. For one thing we needed a bigger car. Ok we had the bohemoth, the 15 passenger Rude Ranch van. However, that was loaded up for our next event. However, that car needed an oil change, general check up, and help for the transmission that didn’t like to go into reverse. (We figured reverse might be helpful at some point during the trip) Fortunately, our mechanic (promotional hype: Phipps Automotive) fit us in, let us bring the van back to load it while he was waiting for parts, and fix the transmission. Now we just had to get everything else ready, pack, hope we remembered stuff, etc, etc, etc.
On the day of our departure, Bob woke up a little after midnight. Normally this is kind of a bathroom run, but he figured what the heck, we woke the dogs up (all were very confused except Scruffy, who is normally confused anyway, and with the meds, was just knocked out) got ourselves dressed and headed out. Scruf settled in right away. (The meds probably helped with that) Boomer was a pain in the a$$. Fortunately, he conked out by the time we hit the big tunned on the PA turnpike. Rest stops were interesting: we pottied ourselves, the dogs, then gassed up the car and took off. Both dogs had a hard time hitting all the trees they felt necessary at each stop.
Things were going good until we hit Chicago. Just when we were in the heart of downtown, navigating around “The Loop”, our cell phones went crazy, Boomer decided he had to be held, and both our bladders hit thier limit. Fortunately, we all survived and 7 hours later arrived at our destination.
Both dogs got unloaded and settled reasonable fast: Boomer promptly marked the corner going into the kitchen. (Did I mention we were staying in Bob’s sister’s condo and she wasn’t thrilled with the whole dog thing?) Scruf was just confused.
The next morning I was a little confused. After all we were staying in a condo complex, which was next to an apartment complex. There was a housing development on the other side. The whole neighborhood backed up to a really nice lake. There were lots of geese and baby geese there. The squirrels were delightfully playing. I even was ok with the chipmunk. It was the other animal that showed up that had me doubting my sanity. It was in the middle of Boomer’s 6:30 am walk that it happened. I looked up towards the the apartment complex next to ours and saw it coming toward me…. a 300 pound black bear decided to pass through. At this point I grabbed Boomer (even if the bear was interested in him, at 7 pounds, Boomer would hardly be an appetizer) and stood looking at the bear, not quite believing I was standing there looking at a wild bear. Then I started to think that no one was going to believe that I saw a bear loping along the edge of the lake. Fortunately, at that point Bob noticed a large black animal and realized it was a bear. I was hoping he would back me up on this one. Fortunately, the bear loped along and didn’t even realize he had an audience.
We solved Scruffy’s mobility problem with a baby stroller. Turns out Scruffy loved it! Afterall, normally he is about the height of everyone’s knees. In the stroller he was at waist height. Everyone thought he was really cute, except one guy thought Scruf was the hairiest baby he’d every seen. Scruffy and Boomer when to the rose gardens in Duluth, MN, the Chippewa Falls Zoo, and the Rice Lake WI parks. Here’s a picture of is a recreation of our encounter with the bear!
Scruffy and Boomer visit the bears at the Chippewa Falls Zoo
