Found Dog and a New Networking Tool - A Photo Page!

I have in my home a new dog again. He was found 9/4 by a woman who brought him to me because her dog had attacked and bit him, but he is not fitting in well here, either, and because he was in good shape and wearing a collar, we are thinking that he belongs to someone. He is young, quite friendly, loves to play (especially with children and other dogs), and even gets along well with the cats. He has a docked tail and the only real "issues" he has are that he chews a bit and he growls at the other animals when he eats (which is the main problem we have with him because we have much bigger dogs here who will attack him for doing that), though he does not growl at people. I can even walk over there and pick up the dish he is eating from with no problem. He is housebroken, but doesn't like to be alone, so whenever I leave or go to sleep, he leaves and goes up the driveway to my mother's. At night, he will climb into the bed with my sister's boys and walk all over them, waking them up when they need to go to school the next day. But all in all, he is a lovable dog and doesn't present any kind of a major problem. We have certainly dealt with worse through all of the decades we have been taking in all kinds of animals with all manners of "issues." But, if he is yours, please contact us at once so that we can reunite him with you.

Also, I would like to announce that we will be at the event in Mt. Ida on the 23rd when the live band plays, bringing with us pictures of the animals available for adoption as well as his picture, hoping to find his home. We will be holding two adopt-a-thons next month as well. One will be held the 7th at Bob's grocery store in Mt. Ida, and the other one will be held at the Quartz and Crystals Festival the following weekend. They were nice enough to donate a booth to us for the event, and we would like to thank them for their generosity and caring. If you would like to volunteer to help at either (or both!) of these events, just let us know. Otherwise, we hope to see you there.

Perhaps you will take home a new companion or would be willing to make a donation to help us further our work. We not only need money for the care and surgeries for all of these animals, but are also always in need of animal food, houses, cages, leashes, and that sort of thing. But, also we are in dire need of foster homes for the animals to stay at until we can find them permanent homes. I can tell you from experience that fostering animals is a very rewarding experience. I can't tell you how happy it makes me when I am able to place an animal in a loving home. It's a great feeling, and there are smiles all around. Animals certainly make great companions, as they are always glad to see you, never judge you, will listen to all of your problems, and give great comfort when you are having a hard day. I can't imagine a life without them around me, enriching it with their presence and frequently making me laugh with their antics and individual personalities.

I'm happy to add that the little dog I took in to foster who had the red mange (I have been calling him Snickers) has grown his hair back and will be neutered and getting his shots on Monday, along with making sure that the mites that cause the mange are completely gone before we adopt him out, but we are pretty sure they are, as he looks so much better and doesn't scratch like he did when he arrived. He is housebroken, likes to play, gets along with the other dogs and the cats, and loves children, so if you are interested in adopting him, he will be ready very soon. His only "issue" is that he likes to chew a bit and jumps on you when you get home because he gets so excited to see you (and he makes this little excited noise when he does it that sounds kind of like he is snickering, which is how he got his name), but as long as I give him something he is allowed to chew on, there really isn't much of a problem with him. I will also be taking in the mother cat to be spayed, as she is in heat, and we certainly do not want any more kittens born! Her two black female kittens and the black and white male kitten I am fostering will also all be fixed before the first adopt-a-thon, so you will see them all there, and I will have their pictures with me on the 23rd. I've decided to keep the mother and the orange kitten along with the gray striped one. I have learned that it is always better to get two kittens so they can play with each other, as they will do less damage to my home that way and are so much more entertaining to watch! Ha ha ha!

Here is the latest picture of Snickers so that you can see the difference a bit of love and proper care has done for him.



He gets along well with the other dogs and likes to play with the cats, yet he chased a rat out of the house through my back doggie door the other night, so he obviously knows the difference between friend and foe! I have two doggie doors in my house - one in the front off the porch and one in the back that is easily accessible for any animal to come in because it is low to the ground and has a ramp leading to it, so that is where the rat comes in. I was just going to have the doggie door in front, but then in the back, where I put all of the food, water, and the couch cushions that I put down for each dog to sleep on, I decided to add the extra one just in case.....I wanted them to have two exits if I wasn't home and this place ever became dangerous to them and they needed to get out fast. Besides, I could have an older or even an injured dog show up who couldn't climb up the steps to the porch and come in that way, so even though an occasional rat might enter, I believe it will be worth it in the long run.

I'll just get the humane trap we use for this purpose and catch the little rat and take him/her back out into the woods and across the river where he/she can live in a more natural setting so that the problem will cease before I get much damage done. We do this often with mice and rats. Hopefully, once the woodpiles of lumber are gone and are up on the house where they belong, there won't be so many of them around since there won't be so many places for them to shelter and nest in so close to the house. But we do have to remember that we moved into their neck of the woods where they live, so it is expected that we will have them show up looking for easy pickings as far as food goes and a nice, comfortable spot to make a nest. It may be annoying, and they may do a lot of damage, but they were here first, and I don't believe in harming them, especially when there are humane traps on the market that work very well in helping us relocate them to an environment more suitable for us and them. They can't help being born rats. And they just do what rats do, just as the kittens do what kittens do when they attack the broom while I am trying to sweep. Annoying, but expected. It is to the rat's benefit, too, because we do have the dogs and cats here, and they do get a certain number of them.

I am also announcing that we have a new way of keeping up with what animals are available for adoption, need fostering, or have just been found. So, if you are looking for your lost animal, want to adopt an animal, found an animal, or are just interested in providing a good foster home for one (or more!) until we can find a permanent home, there is a new page set up just for that. Each animal will have their picture there, along with their personal story, or at least as much as we know of it. Once adopted out to a permanent home, we will simply delete that entry. Hopefully, this central location will make things a bit easier for everyone and help to find more animals loving homes, not to mention to reunite more lost animals with their grieving families.

So, if you find an animal and want us to post it on Warm Hearts' photo page, then just email us with a picture of the animal, the date and place you found him/her (be sure to give that bit of info, too), and how we can get in touch with you if/when we hear from anyone claiming the animal. We will never post your personal information on this site or any other site or give it to anyone else. It will be kept private and only be used by us to contact you in the event that we can help reunite the animal with their family. Then, unless you wish to join us in helping the animals in our county, we will discard your personal information, and you won't hear from us again unless you choose to. Now, if you don't own a digital camera and cannot send a photo by email, then you can snail mail us a regular picture, we can scan it, then post it up there for you. Just send it to Warm Hearts Humane Society, P.O. Box 535, Mt. Ida, AR 71957. Be sure to include the same information asked for above so that we have the best chance possible of finding out where they belong. It's always a good idea to put out signs, too, especially if you can put a picture on them. Sometimes, even if the people who lost the animal don't see it, someone they know who may not even be aware that he/she was missing will see it, recognize the animal, and let the family know where they are.

As you can see, we are really gearing up to be a bit more organized and to help more animals. There are more ideas in the works that you will be hearing about very soon. Let's work together as a community to bring Montgomery County from the bottom of the list for animal welfare to the top and become a bright and shining example for other counties to follow!

I'm willing to do my part to see that happen. Will you?

Do you have a Warm Heart, too????

"Not to hurt our humble brethren is our first duty to them, but to stop there is not
enough. We have a higher mission - to be of service to them whenever they require it."
--St. Francis of Assisi