These two sweethearts have been waiting a long time for their own loving family. We would love to give them their Christmas wish. If you’re in the market for a little love from two of the sweetest cats, contact us at SilverRescue@gmail.com to meet them. Merry Christmas! Read more about Bailey and his mother Raven at www.silverrescue.org.
These two sweethearts have been waiting a long time for their own loving family. We would love to give them their Christmas wish. If you’re in the market for a little love from two of the sweetest cats, contact us at SilverRescue@gmail.com to meet them. Merry Christmas! Read more about Bailey and his mother Raven at www.silverrescue.org.
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When Buster came to us, we had no idea whether he would ever find his forever home. Despite a sweet personality and handsome looks, Buster is mostly black and he limped on a congenitally crippled front leg. Black dogs are always the last to be chosen, and a medical condition does not help. We didn’t mind that he was with us for years – he is a true force of nature and ambassador for the bully breed – but like all of our dogs and cats, we wanted him to have a home of his own. Throughout repeated injuries to his deformed leg that eventually led to amputation, he maintained his happy outlook, loving everyone he met including cats and other dogs. He became a celebrity in the community. Then, right before Christmas, we received the dreamed-about perfect adoption application. Buster went home to a family that doesn’t mind loving a tripod dog and he gained a cute pittie little sister in the bargain. Just like that, Buster became our first adoption of the New Year. You helped support Buster during his long sojourn at Silver Rescue and paid many of his medical bills. Thank you! Boomerang came by her name honestly. Not only did she excel at bounding back after fetching a ball, but she also bounced around from pillar to post as the companion of a homeless man who had rescued her as a tiny pup. I first encountered him when he was staggering in an alcohol haze on a very hot day, begging car to car for money to feed Boomerang. When I saw him again from time to time I replenished his supply. Slowly we formed a sort of friendship and learned where he lived. For a “home” under a bridge, it was cozy: he had running water for her flea shampoo baths, a little stash of food and a nook for sleeping. A sweet, happy girl, Boomerang would soon be old enough to get in trouble and have pups. My new friend allowed me to take Boomie for spay surgery despite his fear that she might die or that I might not return his companion to him. I was tempted, but he was good to her and I knew I had no right to deprive him of his beloved friend. Just in case I had her microchipped so she could make her way back to me if she got lost. That day came sooner than I expected. Drunk, the man stayed away from their camp too long. Lonely and hungry, Boomerang went looking for him, dragging the plastic crate the man had filled with river rock to tether her in place. A Good Samaritan spotted her trying to cross a busy street and tracked me down. Thank goodness, that kind person agreed to foster Boomerang and eventually adopted her – but true to her name, she bounced back to me once more when her new family changed its mind. To increase her chances of a solid adoption, she went for obedience training and became a model citizen. Soon afterward, she found her forever family who took her home to live in doggie seventh heaven with another adopted street dog. Boomerang had stopped bouncing around. By helping pay for her medical care and microchip, you helped her find security and love for the rest of her life. Thank you! Like so many pitties, Freckles had the deck stacked against him. After surviving abandonment and starvation, he thought his troubles were over. Then he realized that the welcome his adopter extended was not shared by the family’s other dog. Freckles is a good dog who tried hard to please his guardian, but fights with the other dog landed him at Animal Control where a pittie’s life is not worth much (the other dog, not a pittie, was allowed to serve his quarantine at a private vet clinic). Try as we might, because of his history, we could not find a foster or permanent home for him. While Freckles’s life hung in the balance we searched for a sanctuary to accept him, and we found it in the care of the trainer who works with all of Silver Rescue’s dogs. There, he has been a model citizen, socializing peacefully with his doggie friends. All it took was proper training and intelligent management of dogs living together. Freckles is doing fine but he longs for a home and family of his own and hopes you will keep him in mind and spread the word about a dog who is making the most of his second chance. Your support makes it possible for Freckles to have a happy, safe place to wait. Thank you! Turtle was a pitiful sight. Her poor eyes glowed a devilish cherry red in an otherwise lovely face. She was the sad, lonely dog of a neighbor who left her tied her out day and night. When we met her, she had freed herself from her tether and was excited but a little scared to explore the big world. We got her out of the street and asked the neighbor why she had not been spayed or gotten medical care for her eyes. The answer: “No money”. When we offered to get Turtle the help she needed, he surrendered her to us. Her diagnosis was severe “cherry eye”, a treatable condition that, if neglected, can cause permanent vision damage or blindness. She was a little trooper during two eye surgeries, spaying and doggie boot camp. Her good attitude and progress was rewarded by an offer from a young couple to foster her while they waited to finalize a work assignment in China. They promptly fell in love with Turtle. Knowing they would not be able to take her with them, their hearts were heavy as their departure time drew near. They were not at all disappointed when the call came telling them the China assignment was off and their jobs would remain in the US. Today, Turtle lives happily, hiking in the Montana mountains with her forever family and playing with her doggie siblings. You helped pay for Turtle’s surgeries and training, ensuring her story had a happy ending. Thank you! A darling white puppy should have been an easy rescue assignment. Sure, Dusty was rambunctious, but aren’t all puppies? We’d just take care of his vetting, send him for obedience training and list him for adoption. Piece of cake. Before long, though, we realized that part of his heedless unruliness was because, like many white dogs, Dusty is deaf. He has been living with the trainer for a while now, learning obedience and sign language. Because of your help with his medical care and training expenses, he will soon be back at the rescue with much improved manners, ready to look for that special person who doesn’t mind that he can’t hear. Thank you! Loving and caring for animals means that we eventually have to say good-bye – either to adoption, our hoped-for happy ending, or to death. We said good-bye to Boots more than once as we watched his struggle with two kinds of cancer. Although this fearless feline had no chance for recovery, he rallied time after time. Despite his frailty, he loved sitting in the window, watching with interest the outside goings-on. When he tired of watching squirrels romp in the trees, he would stroll over to lie in my lap or for some serious petting. Recently when he refused to eat for several days, we thought it was time for the final good bye, but on Thanksgiving Day, he decided he wanted his own feast and ate like a horse. And, just a few days ago, he crawled into my lap, ignoring the laptop already there, making himself comfy and stroking a couple of keys. This is not the best photography but it’s a precious memory. Boots died this morning. He was a tough little guy who did not want to give up the fight. It has been hard watching his decline and this is a sad day. We take some comfort in knowing that, despite illness and waning strength, for a street cat, these past months during which he found safety and love have probably been the happiest in his too-short life. The chance to know this calm, loving cat has more than made up for the high cost of his medical care and the pain of his passing. He will rest in our little cat cemetery with other Silver Rescue cats who have gone before him. Hilary is a sweet, loving, spunky girl with a soft, pale orange coat and a little pink gumdrop of a nose. It doesn’t take much to get her purring. Read more… CAPI was discovered as a tiny youngster, crying, alone and abandoned, on the grounds of the Tennessee State Capitol. We named him Capitol for that, Capi for short. He was barely the size of a hand. We thought growing up with other kittens would help his normal development so we put him with three orange girls about his age and hoped they would adopt him. Read more. Blue Birds for the Holidays? Eastern Bluebirds are one of America's best-known birds, but they are not seen as often as they used to be. That’s probably because they have to compete with non-native species like starlings and sparrows for nest sites. People help by building bird boxes and in turn, Eastern Bluebirds help people by eating insects and by dispersing seeds of desirable fruits, such as blackberries and blueberries. This stunning image of Eastern Bluebirds was captured this summer in an East Nashville backyard by Silver Rescue’s Karina. You can enjoy it all year and benefit Silver Rescue animals by purchasing this 2013 wall calendar or note cards. They also make wonderful gifts for the bird lovers on your holiday list. Each Calendar is signed by the photographer. Enjoy it throughout the year as the calendar and at the end of the year cut the calendar off and frame the photograph as the art piece it is. Order your Calendars, or Note Cards (12 cards per set) by December 15th to get them in time for Christmas. $20.00 for Calendar or Cards (add $5 for shipping and handling) Send your orders with payment to: Silver Rescue, P.O. Box 111888, Nashville, TN 37222 Or send your orders through PayPal to SilverRescue@gmail.com. Sweet Boots Update Thanks so much for helping us pay for the care of sweet Boots, the very ill cat we wrote about last month. (see: link to Boots’ Oct report) After surgery for removal of his spleen, he recuperated for a few weeks and was starting to enjoy getting around, snuggling, and napping in the sunshine. Then, suddenly, he stopped eating. The poor little guy had developed an infection in a dead tooth and a sore on his rump the size of a nickel he had licked raw. Under anesthesia to remove the tooth, the veterinarian examined him for causes of the skin irritation, and more tissue went to the lab. Unfortunately, the lab report showed that in addition to Spleenic Lymphoma, Boots has a second diagnosis: Skin Mastcell Tumor, a lethal type of feline skin cancer. We briefly considered chemotherapy but decided not to put him through that ordeal, knowing at best it would extend his life for only a few weeks. For now, three different medications are keeping him comfortable. He hates the pills but forgives and forgets as soon as he gets his bowl of liver and chicken. There’s no telling how much longer Boots has left but until he becomes too tired to snuggle or lounge in the window watching birds, he will get whatever he needs. Our promise is love and comfort for however long he is with us. Although the poor boy seems unable to catch a break, his situation is a good reminder that rescue is about more than finding homes. It is about valuing the life and meeting the unique needs of each creature that comes to us for help. Boots is one of the sweetest cats we’ve ever known. He is gentle, loving, and non-confrontational with other cats. He is always happy to see us and he purrs up a storm to prove it. That alone is reward enough. However, there are bills to pay. Your generous donations reduced to the total bill significantly and our vet kindly donated some of his services, but we still need $600 to settle Boots’ account. We know you shared our hopes of saving Boots’ life with the medical care you have helped with so far, and you share our sadness and disappointment. We still need your help. Please make your tax deductible donation for Boots via: -PayPal.com to SilverRescue@gmail.com -Call or send in your donation to: Grassmere Animal Hospital 3926 Nolensville Rd Nashville, TN 37211 615-832-6535 -Snail Mail to: Silver Rescue P. O. Box 111888 Nashville, TN 37222 Thank you so very much! Boots and Karina In partnership with Best Friends Animal Society, the world's largest rescue organization of its kind, Silver Recue is proud to take part in the 9 Lives for $9 promotion as a way to help our healthy adult cats find forever families. Until November 18, qualified applicants who can provide a safe, loving inside home can adopt a new friend for just $9. Silver Rescue cats have been tested, neutered, vaccinated and microchipped and are reliable litter box users. There’s just one problem: our cats have just 8 lives left. That’s because they each used up one when they were born on the street or abandoned by uncaring people. Cats have good memories, keen eyesight, and exceptional senses of smell and hearing. Combined with their swiftness and agility, they are often able to stay out of danger. However, alone in the world, they can’t do it by themselves. Luckily, Silver Rescue stepped in to provide a secure haven, vet care, good food and of course, plenty of love. Cats can live well into their teens or beyond, providing a lifetime of companionship, affection and fun. We think 8 lives for just $9 is still a great bargain. View photos and read about Silver Rescue cats at www.silverrescue.org. Request an application by November 18 to get in on this special offer at silverrescue@gmail.com. _ A Good Samaritan first saw Boots flying across a driveway from the force of a basketball hurled at him by a neighbor trying to protect her own cat’s food from this hungry stray. When he landed, he lay warily under a bush, meowing ever so softly for help. She picked him up, took him home, and called him Boots. He purred and settled onto her lap and over time gained weight, grew stronger, and savored his safety. Then he stopped eating. His caretaker suspected depression and tried to entice him to eat. By the time she reached out to Silver Rescue, help, Boots was thinner and frailer than he had been when first rescued. When we met him, we knew he was a sick boy. His skull and spine protruded from his thin body but his belly was severely distended. He tested negative for FIV and feline leukemia but was found to be severely anemic. An appetite stimulant helped him regain weight but his red blood count continued to plummet. X-rays revealed a shockingly enlarged spleen and a little body riddled with birdshot. The birdshot was not a health problem but the enlarged spleen spelled trouble: either cancer or an effort by his body to rid itself of unhealthy blood cells. Leaving it was a death sentence; removing it might save his life. A normal feline spleen is nickel to quarter-sized. The surgery revealed a spleen the size of a fist, and the lab report came back with the verdict: lymphoma. Boots is recovering well from surgery, eating and gaining weight without appetite stimulants. We play a waiting game, watching for swelling in his neck or legs, which will indicate lymph node involvement. Soon we will introduce him to the other cats so he can begin to enjoy the safe, well-fed life of a house cat for whatever time he has left. Boots’ vet bill is nearly $900.00. May we count on you to help us? If 900 of our 3000 newsletter readers each send a dollar, we can pay this expense in no time. Will you help us? Please make your donations via - -PayPal.com to SilverRescue@gmail.com -Call or send in your donation to - Grassmere Animal Hospital – 615-832-6535 3926 Nolensville Rd, Nashville, TN 37211 -Snail Mail to – Silver Rescue, P. O. Box 111888, Nashville, TN 37222 Thank you so very much! Boots and Karina |
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