Woman seeks reimbursement for dog's surgery; shelter claims no negligence
BRISTOL — A Warwick family that adopted a Bristol Animal Shelter dog claim they were given a pet that had tape worms, an infection from a tick bite, and a “gaping hole” in its mouth from a gunshot wound. Michelle Paquette-Canning is seeking reimbursement for the cost of surgery to repair the dog, which had come from Arkansas to Bristol as part of a rescue effort, and has implored the town to review the shelter’s adoption policies and standards when they take out of state animals.
Bristol Animal Control Officer Dyanne Gibree said the dog was given a clean bill of health from the Arkansas shelter and every procedure was adhered to regarding the adoption process. She said the Bristol Animal Shelter has tried to remedy the situation, but the dog’s owner has been uncooperative.
The town council voted last Wednesday to reimburse the money, pending the outcome of a Bristol Police Department investigation.
“It’s not about me,” said Ms. Paquette-Canning. “It’s about helping the town and state so this type of thing doesn’t happen again — and to have my costs covered. I just want them to do what’s right.”
The dog, an eight-month old Lab mix named Holly, was adopted by the family Nov. 30 after it arrived from Ozark Humane Society, an animal shelter located in Harrison, Ark., that has partnered with the Bristol shelter in the rescue program.
Police began investigating the complaint when they were made aware of it the day of the council meeting and has interviewed and contacted the people involved, including staff at the Arkansas shelter. Police Chief Josh Canario also suspended the rescue program until the investigation is complete and has made it mandatory every animal leaving the Bristol shelter receives a veterinary examination.
“This is disturbing. I'm very concerned,” said Chief Canario after Ms. Paquette-Canning told the council her story at the meeting. “I have many questions that I need answers to from both sides.”
Deputy Chief Nick Gurcia, who oversees the animal shelter for the department, is investigating the matter.
Town Administrator Diane Mederos addressed the council members and said “there's a lot to this that perhaps you need to hear. There is other information that you need to hear before you make an assessment.”
The adoption of Holly
Ms. Paquette-Canning’s family initially had gone to a shelter in their Warwick community but were unable to find a suitable dog. After hearing about the bond for Bristol’s new shelter facility, she said to her family, “Lets take a ride to Bristol.”
“We had no intent of adopting a dog from out of state,” she told the council. “But we wanted to help a community that wanted to build a shelter.”
Officer Gibree said it’s not unusual for the Bristol shelter to occassionally accept animals from out of state through their rescue program, which is supported by a youth volunteer group, Explorer Post, and their fundraisers. The animals often come from areas such as Louisiana after catastrophes like Hurricane Katrina, she said, and they are accepted only if there is space available and under stringent health requirements.
“Arkansas was decimated by the tornados and floods last summer,” said Officer Gibree on Friday. “Our commitment is to the Town of Bristol first and foremost. They needed to send animals anywhere they could — we had room at the time.”
When the family visited the shelter they found Holly, who had recently arrived from Arkansas and appeared healthy. Within a week of taking her home, Ms. Paquette-Canning said she brought the dog to her veterinarian at Hope Veterinary Clinic to get checked because she seemed to have some complications and chewed only on one side of her mouth.
Family says Holly had many health issues
“The dog sneezed a lot and her mouth smelled funny,” said Ms. Paquette-Canning. “The vet said there was a lot of tartar on her teeth, which was unusual for an [eight-month old dog].
“Then my vet said, looking further into Holly’s mouth, ‘What the hell is that?’”
She said they discovered a hole going into her sinus cavity and that a piece of skin had grown over the cavity. They thought perhaps it might have been a birth defect. After the corrective surgery at Ocean State Veterinary Specialists a week later, the surgeon told her, “Your dog was shot.”
“They said they had never seen anything like it,” she said. “They found bullet fragments in the jaw bone.”
Ms. Paquette-Canning called the Arkansas shelter and spoke with staff member Diane Ferguson, who said it was common practice in that part of the state for owners to shoot dogs they didn’t want.
According to an e-mail Ms. Paquette-Canning sent to Ms. Mederos and members of the council, her vet also discovered conjunctivitis in the eyes, Ehrlichiosis (infection from tick bite) and tape worm, in addition to the bullet hole. She also wrote that it is “incredibly hard to believe that Ms. Gibree and Arkansas were unaware of such significant trauma, particularly when according to Ms. Gibree Holly received a ‘full vet check.’”
“A simple vet check to determine the dog’s age by looking at the teeth would have revealed the missing teeth,” said Ms. Paquette-Canning.
She told the council she was met with resistance from Officer Gibree when she sought to remedy the injury through the Bristol shelter.
“There was no offer to help and I was told I signed the paperwork and I was now responsible for the dog. They said I could return the dog to Arkansas but they might euthanize her. This dog became part of our family — we have children 8 and 5 years old. This is unconscionable. Who goes to a pound and expects to pay $1,300 on a pound puppy? Dogs should not be coming to our state like this.”
The Arkansas shelter offered to treat the animal at no cost, according to Officer Gibree.
“Arkansas said they would have someone arrive at her front door to transport the animal back to Arkansas for their vet to do the surgery — and bring her back — for free,” said Officer Gibree.
Ms. Paquette-Canning said she did not want to traumatize the animal again by putting it back on a truck for the long trip and separate her from the family.
“I have no faith or confidence in [Arkansas],” she added. “Would you trust somebody that missed something so obvious?”
Instead, she sought to have Arkansas pay for the dog’s surgery at an animal clinic in R.I., but after numerous phone calls to their shelter she felt her efforts had met a dead end.
“That’s when I contacted the people at Bristol Town Hall,” she said.
Officer Gibree, Arkansas defend shelters and rescue program
Officer Gibree says that neither shelter has done anything wrong and followed protocol, procedure and more.
“We go way, way beyond what is required for a vet check before we accept the transport of an animal from inter-state rescue,” she said.
Ms. Gibree said all dogs are screened before they leave the Arkansas shelter and given a battery of other tests. The tape worm, she said, could have been contracted anytime after having left Arkansas from a flea. An infection from a tick bite would only be detected through a blood test and such a screening is rarely, if ever, performed during any shelters’ routine veterinary examination. Regarding the “gaping hole,” Officer Gibree said Ms. Paquette-Canning had initially “told us it was a small hole that a skin flap had grown over the opening.”
Officer Gibree made a small circle with her thumb and index fingers, and said a routine examination would not have revealed an injury that size in the roof of an animal’s mouth.
“If it had been a gaping hole into her sinuses the dog would have had food coming out its nose,” she said. “This dog looked normal, acted normal, jumped, played and ate normally.”
Rescue dogs stay at the Bristol shelter between four and 10 days before they find homes and are sometimes gone before the shelter’s veterinarian has the opportunity to examine them during his weekly visit, according to Officer Gibree. She said this was the case concerning Holly, who arrived on a Wednesday and was adopted by the family a few days later on Sunday, Nov. 30. She said they signed a contract stating they accepted and assumed all responsibility for the animal.
“It’s a really redundant practice to have an additional inspection,” said Officer Gibree. “One was already done — it would’ve been unnecessary. We even offered to take the dog back and refund her money, but she was afraid the dog would be euthanized.”
Officer Gibree emphasized that they have a ‘no kill’ shelter, but if the dog was determined to be beyond saving, euthanization was a possibility.
“I couldn’t say ‘no’ without knowing the condition of the dog, but she wouldn’t provide us with her vet’s information or who the vet was to validate the complaint — and she wouldn’t tell Arkansas, either,” she said.
Ms. Fergerson of the Arkansas shelter corroborated that account during a phone call on Tuesday.
“We have asked for her vet’s information, but she’s yet to provide it,” she said. “She was nice enough, but then she became uncooperative and rude. We were just wondering how we could have missed this injury if it were true.
“She started to make threats to shut us down because we were having northerners pay our bills — we loved Holly, she was a doll, we all knew her and we stand behind our dogs 100 percent.”
Ms. Ferguson said she was “astounded” at hearing the news something was wrong with Holly because they hadn’t seen anything out of the ordinary with her.
“Our dogs get the best of the best,” she said. “It would be very unfortunate if it were true.”
When asked if they noticed any missing teeth when a staff member checked her age she said they hadn’t seen anything abnormal.
“The first time Ms. Paquette-Canning called us there was never any mention of missing teeth,” said Ms. Ferguson. “We didn’t hear about it until your town had its council meeting. There was never any missing teeth at the beginning of this.”
She said she tried to explain to Ms. Paquette-Canning that they could not afford to pay for Holly’s surgery if it were to be done outside their shelter, but that they would take care of Holly in Arkansas for free and return her.
“We’re a small shelter. There is no money and we’re all volunteers,” said Ms. Ferguson. “We’d have to have bake sales and ask for donations — we don’t have that kind of money.
“We told her that and she said it didn’t matter, she was going to go after Bristol anyway.”
Officer Gibree said this recent rescue effort began in July, and because of the Bristol shelter’s strict health requirements for the animals the first delivery didn’t occur for a month.
“We’ve made countless families thrilled with those pets,” she said. “We are not horrible people and they are not horrible people in Arkansas — this is a good thing we’re doing here.”
What’s next?
Chief Canario has said that he expects to have an answer soon once the investigation is completed and, depending the outcome, the town will reimburse the family for surgery costs.
“I don’t want this to turn into a ‘she said, she said,’ remarked Ms. Paquette-Canning last week. She said she has spoken with her state senators to get legislation changed to “prevent this from happening again” with out of state animal adoptions.
Phone calls to Chief Dep. Gurcia were not returned.
Could someone PLEASE tell me why we (Bristolians) are housing and caring for OUT of STATE animals!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now I think people in this town should WAKE UP to see we were sold LIES, LIES and mistruths in NOVEMBER !!!! If the FACTS were put forth the Bond would have failed !! Get back to the BASICS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The people at our shelter do good thing's. I also feel they do have the best intention's of their animal's. However, I may be wrong, but I feel that 2 place's mishandled the transport of that dog. One, I feel that Arkansas gave us an animal that was a "lemon" . With budget's being tight everywhere, I could see them saying, ship this one, we can't swing the money to get this dog back to health. Then Bristol took in this animal,gave it a very minor check-up. The rest is history. As I said earlier, our team at the Bristol shelter does work hard and I know they care. Mrs Gibree should do what a person who has a major responsibility should do " INSPECT WHAT YOU EXPECT".
Ah yes, I saw this woman beating her breast repeatedly proclaiming
she had no intent of adopting a dog from out of state, but she wanted to 'help a community that wanted to build a shelter'. Righto.
What an intriguing line considering her shelter had no dogs and she wanted one No Matter What. She also adopted this dog for the convenience of her family because waiting wasn't an option, lets get real.
I feel confident also that this dog savvy person knows full well the origin of animals isn't often known to *begin with, whether they come from out of state, or whether it was a local hound from her own shelter.
Her story seemed well rehearsed, but it seemed she was rather gleeful to first and foremost slam the shelter, because several times she precedented sentences with that line. I began to wonder.
Lastly, just when I thught maybe she wasn't an extortionist out to hang the council by referring to our community reputation, she backpatted herself for not going to Turn to 10, Projo, and other equally potentially damaging venues to complain about a community as sterling as Bristol whose only mistake was giving her airtime.
Webmommy, I disagree with you
She did her homework, plain and simple.
That's really smart, shut down a program that saves 100s of dogs. These dogs don't come just to the Bristol shelter, other communities, including Potter's import these preciouse lives that would have been killed otherwise. Do you realize what shutting down this program will do? First, it will kill 100s of dogs. Second, t will make families who want a dog or puppy now go and seek them through the pet stores which inturn supports puppymills! This program is definitely a good thing and I am confident that Bristol followed all protocols. The dog is a shelter dog, not a pure bred from a breeder that came with papers....who knows what kind of life this dog had before it was saved by the shelter. This is one negative story, when there have been 100s of positives.
My parents got a dog from the Bristol Shelter that was from Nebraska, they have had nothing but good experiences with him. As someone who lives in Atlanta, I think it's great that there are shelters up north willing to take animals in from more rural parts of the country where people (for one reason or another) don't get the spay/neuter concept. On any giving weekend in the Spring/Summer/Fall, you will see people outside walmart with boxes of puppies and kittens marked "free to a good home" down here. I feel terrible that this ANIMAL had been treated so poorly, which is something she rarely mentions, it's all about her money and her feeling of being wronged. When you adopt an animal, you adopt everything that comes with it. My "pound dog" needed a knee replacement and eye surgery, no counting the worms, the neuter, etc. He was part of my family, we paid it, and we didn't try to blackmail the shelters into covering, or even help defraying the costs. Everyone wants a bailout...
The thing that had me hooked on this story is that loveable face looking at the camera. That dog is absolutely so cute.
Now to the crux of the matter. Having just watched a re-run of the council, I was perplexed as to why the dog in question was in Bristol's care for 15-days and nobody, not the ACO's nor the volunteers noticed the problems that Ms. Paquette-Canning described. I understand that the dog had a "clean bill of health" from Arkansas. My thoughts on this process is that any area that allows a homeowner to kill a dog for no reason what-so-ever and ships a "Bill of health" with the dog definately needs investigating.
1. Why is the Bristol Animal Shelter importing animals from out of state when a Bristol taxpayer that can no longer care for a pet because of financial reasons or what ever the matter be told "It is illegal for us (the Bristol Animal Shelter) to take in pets? Bristol taxpayers pay more than enough in taxes to fund that shelter, If the importation of out of town animals, even those that Providence dumps here were to cease, then the shelter would have adequate funding and space to necessitate rehabilitation & adoption.
2. I understand that ANY dog/cat that is rescued has a special bond with their owner, my dog was rescued, and I would walk a mile on broken glass barefoot for his well being, and he is just the most special loyal dog that I ever have had the opportunity to have in my life.
I have faith that the police department will right this wrong, but my underlying question is this.
How many people have adoped pets with ailments from Bristol and not come public?
In reading this story, I am just heartbroken for this dog. I feel that Ms. Paquette-Canning is being a steadfast advocate for her dog. All of the comments on her "beating her chest" and "an extortionist" are very unjust and rude. Just look at the picture of that cute dog that her family had bonded with and tell me if you would put that dog back in Arkansas. I can not imagine how this could have gone unnoticed at the shelter. I also feel that it is very fortunate that we have a family like the Paquette-Canning's who would come forward to adopt a pet into their home. I have full confidence in the Bristol Police Department that they will find a fair resolve to this matter.
We support ilegal's, out of state dog's! What is next for us in this high taxing state/town. People are moving out due to cost, but others come here on freebies!
Ok, so some of you need some straightening out. First, us taxpayers DO NOT pay for this program, it is run by their youth volunteer group....kids are raising the funding to save these dogs, but you must have missed that part in the article. Second, us the taxpayers are the ones who will be paying this woman's vet bills. If that is where you want your money spent, then pay her. Why should we taxpayers pay a Warkick's womans vet bills. When does it stop, are we going to be paying everytime the dog sees the vet? If she couldn't afford the dog, which obviously she can't, she shouldn' have taken on the responsibility of being a pet owner. Yeah, I'l like to know how many of us have adopted a pound puppy with issues too. It's a POUND PUPPY, a STRAY, a DUMPED animal...guess what people, they can't speak to tell their stories or thier lmedical problems. Not everything is an obvious health concern. Did you not read that no one knew what had happened to the dog till the surgeon did the surgery on her and found the bullet fragments? Personally, she took responsibility for the dog and she now needs to set an example for her children, be a responsible pet owner and own up.
I'm glad that Holly has a new home with someone who cares about her, and I understand that in tough times it's hard to find the money to help abused and abandoned animals, but I think that making a lot of noise about this incident will only serve to hurt other animals in desperate need of a rescue. I can't even count the number of animals our family has rescued over the years, and I could tell some pretty horrific stories about their conditions. We'd love to have all the money back that we spent on making them well, but in the final analysis it was money well spent. We never had cause to regret snatching an animal from the grim reaper. Perhaps a reasonable compromise could be reached in terms of payment here, but to threaten to bring an entire program down because this poor dog needed more help than anyone realized serves no one.
Good God people...The idea of animals coming to Rhode Island is not illegal. It's something the shelters have been doing for years! Has anyone ever heard of Puppies with Wings? We exchange dogs/puppies we have had at our shelters for dogs from other shelters...it gives the dogs a larger group of people to possibly find homes with and decreases the number of dogs being euthanized because they simply couldn’t find a good home in the state they were in.
Yes, this dog obviously had health issues that the shelter’s vet should have found with a proper exam…that is, if the dog was, in fact, examined by a vet. Maybe this dog didn’t get the attention it needed because someone wanted to adopt it so soon upon its arrival. That’s wrong…any dog coming into the shelter should have a waiting period before anyone is permitted to adopt it. This ensures that the animal was checked by a vet. Who is the shelter’s vet? Where are the dog’s medical papers? Why not ask those questions instead of endlessly droning about the taxes? WE ALL pay taxes and YES, it stinks that they are so high. MOST of us are on a fixed income…this isn't limited to retirement age anymore. I’m thankful I have a job and a home to live in. I’m not complaining about ANYTHING…nowadays things can change WAY too fast to grumble about things that are JUST GOING TO BE…at least for now. Be thankful for the good things in your life and before you know it; the bad things won’t matter so much.
First of all, I would like to commend this family on two levels. One, they could have spent the money to get a dog from a breeder and had a pure bred dog (as evidenced by the $1300 they needed to spend on Daisy) but they didn't. They went to the dog pound and set an example for their children that saving an animal was the right thing to do. They paid the adoption fee and expected to get a healthy dog. I don't believe that one should "expect" to get a sick dog or a dog with issues when they come from the pound. You are paying to get a dog that is healthy. So they take this poor dog home and are so attentive to the dog they recognize it is chewing on only one side. This leads to a look in the dog's mouth and eventually a vet appt. This poor dog was suffering from a gun shot wound! and for how long before somebody finally cared enough to find it?? Now let's get to the issue of money. How can anyone be upset that she would like the cost of the surgery reimbursed. Maybe if Arkansas and Bristol had to pay the bill they would be more careful the next time they took in dogs to adopt. And lastly, this family doesn't just want their money back this family wants legislation changed. They are willing to go the extra mile for the sake of other families and their animals to be sure it isn't going to happen again. Can I ask what new procedures Bristol and Arkansas have in put in place since this incident? If no new procedures have been put in place then shame on them. If new procedures have been put in place then it is ONLY because of the attention this story has received. Nice job familly adopting an animal from a pound and making her part of your family
Webmommy, I disagree with you
She did her homework, plain and simple
..............She sure did, and she cheated in her premature 'testimony'. She knew the dogs were coming in from out of state, despite claiming otherwise as if it would somehow mollify the general listener. She definately aced the test in lying on that deal.
She has yet to produce a bill to either party (Arkansas or Bristol).
dog. I feel that Ms. Paquette-Canning is being a steadfast advocate for her dog. All of the comments on her "beating her chest" and "an extortionist" are very unjust and rude. Just look at the picture of that cute dog that her family had bonded with and tell me if you would put that dog back in Arka
..............Not being rude at all, just honest in my opinion. Yes the dog is cute, but it doesn't change the facts. This was hearsay. There has been no outcome of the investigation. She unjustly slammed our system, ourpound and utilized a strong play on defaming the good name of Bristol as leverage and collatoral tempered with some smarmy mumbo jumbo on changing laws and so forth.
I have dispensed the same amount of money in rescue dogs over the years, but more in depth than the typical dog ownership
Webmommy123 you are correct that the dog being cute does not change the facts that you obviously don't have either. Perhaps you should do your research before commenting further on this matter. Also maybe you should stop hiding behind the webmommy persona as it seems that you have a personal agenda here!! At least Ms. Paquette-Canning went to the meeting and addressed her concerns in person. I do not see her comments as slamming your system or defaming the good name of Bristol, instead I see a concerned dog owner that is advocating for what is right and just in the system as a whole not just in your Bristol dog pound! It appears that you are also a very concerned dog person and if that is correct you should want the same laws to protect these vulnerable animals that you are helping.
You know, I have two labs - both abandoned. One had a broken leg the other was just 4 weeks old and full of worms. I got them fixed, paid the vet bills and have two great friends. To me, that is all that really matters. Holly has a home, you have an incredible addition to the family. Isn't the vet bill really a small price to pay for that?
Also maybe you should stop hiding behind the webmommy persona as it seems that you have a personal agenda here!! At least Ms. Paquette-Canning went to the meeting and addressed her concerns in person. I do not see her comments as slamming your system or defaming the good name of Bristol.
...................Then your very gullible.
It doesn't take a smart person to deduce that if someone has not presented a $1300.00 vet bill to either party (Arkansas/Bristol), and that an invesitigation is incomplete as of this time that this is *'hearsay'. If *you consider the above facts to be part of my agenda for my 'persona' (laughable comments), well, your not all that smart then. The black helicopter is landing soon!
Let's just sit back and see what the investigation reveals.
Folks, should we not look at this for what it is and try and remove the antagonism. A dog needed a home and a family needed a dog. Everyone meant well and should be commended for that accomplishment. Who know's what would have happened if the events had not transpired the way they did. I offer the following, I overheard my office manager speaking on the phone to one of our office tenants when she said Animal Control will be there shortly. I asked her what that was about and she said they had found a dog that appeared to have a broken leg and were holding it in the office. I knew that the dog would probably be euthanized because of the injury and told her to call Animal Control and cancel and I went and got the dog (with the intention of getting her fixed and finding her a home) and got her repaired. Everything went according to plan except the finding her a new home part. She is now going on 14 and has been the best investment I ever made. Had the events not transpired the way they did, neither of us would have known what we had missed and an opportunity would have been lost. Had Arkansas discovered the injuries, it is conceivable that Holly might have been euthanized. It is unfortunate that decisions like that have to be made but if the resources needed to fix her would mean that a number of other dogs would be denied shelter services due to fiscal constraints then, sometimes those types of heartbreaking decisions have to be made. The events, as they occured resulted in a sweet dog getting another chance and a family getting a wonderful addition. If Holly's injuries would have been discovered, she would not be where she is now. That should be the story and resorting to "blame games" and snipeing really devalues a very positive result. It seems everyone tried to act honorably and with best intentions, the shelter offered to pick up the dog and fix its medical problems and the adopter did not want that because she felt the best interests of the dog would be jeopardized. It is unfortunate that a negotiated settlement could not have been realized with a contribution from each party but as so often becomes the case, emotions got in the way. Personally, I hope that Holly lives a long, happy and healthy life and brings the love and loyalty and happiness to the family that I benefit from because of a lucky series of events.
This 'webmommy' is the same degenerate that supports the queer 'church' of Daniel Randall in Bristol.. Not to be trusted; don't believe anything it says.
JerryBlair....well said.
Iusticia,
Your the reason group homes shouldn't let their residents use computers. Go take your medicine and watch wheel of fortune.
vette1979 says:
Iusticia,
Your the reason group homes shouldn't let their residents use computers. Go take your medicine and watch wheel of fortune.
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What are you, a third-grader? Your grammar and spelling is at about that level. You're the reason Spell Check was created. You couldn't even spell my name correctly, although it's right there on the screen in from of you.
Let me guess....ADD? Try to focus on the topic at hand, son.
Iustitia, you can't use spell check on this site and it should be "in front of you" not in from of you. You should practice what you preach. You're also the one that started on the "church" of Daniel Randall.
jallen says:
Iustitia, you can't use spell check on this site and it should be "in front of you" not in from of you. You should practice what you preach. You're also the one that started on the "church" of Daniel Randall.
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INCORRECT....my Firefox browser DOES have spell check in forums.
Sorry for the typo. BUT, it was spelled correctly.
Yes, we ALL have a DUTY to speak up when there is an attempt to normalize deviant behavior that affects us.
Anything else off topic you want to use to distract from the issue at hand?
The conversation has devolved to a ridiculous level. Can't people intelligently and politely discuss issues or does anonimity breed uncivility. It just does not seem necessary to resort to name-calling or derogotory comments. Just my opinion.
Sorry, that should have been incivility, I think, and I'm not sure if name-calling should be hyphenated - I don't have spellcheck (one word or two?).
name-calling? ?/?ne?m?k?l??/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [neym-kaw-ling]
–noun the use of abusive names to belittle or humiliate another person in a political campaign, an argument, etc.
Apparently, Jerry it does require a hyphen ( from dictionary.com but it also has the same meaning without the hyphen)...either way, I think you're OK. How's that for staying on topic!
Iustitia comments:Anything else off topic you want to use to distract from the issue at hand?
This blog is about a dog not your hateful anti-gay agenda.
Your FIRST quote:"This 'webmommy' is the same degenerate that supports the queer 'church' of Daniel Randall in Bristol...."
Please stop calling people names because they don't agree with you. You lower yourself and the validity of your opinion when you do that.
Yes, Iustitia, we know you hate gays, the church that accepts them, etc. And yes we know you claim, in other blogs, to be a christian.
I'm continually perplexed by you. You have successfully taken on the voice of negativity on this site and its blogs while indignantly looking down your nose at others, repeatably loosing focus of the topics.
Well...... at least your consistent.
Iustttai,
You like to remind everyone that your family came to the new world in 1652. After all this time, you would think the family ideology (I learned that word in graduate school)would change a little. It was people like you that burned witches at the stake. I hope you enjoy the inauguration on Tuesday. BTW, watch out for flying houses from Kansas.
Lgfire
Thanks! Seems to me that people should be focused on whether they understand the idea that the poster is trying to convey rather than whether they spelled, puntuated or hyphenated correctely. Their vs. They're may be incorrect use but it sounds the same and people know what is meant. Using it as an opportunity to degrade someone doesn't advance the discussion, it is simply a tool to devalue an opinion based on communication, educational background or simple inattention. I have to say that I have heard some of the best ideas from people who didn't know the difference between their, there and they're due to limited education but certainly knew what opinion they wished to convey.
Many people jumping to conclusions: Something that failed to be reported is that MS. PC refuses to show ANY documentation of her vet expenses NOR provided the name of the vet to anyone involved.Everything she says is her word without any corroboration. Why is her vet not interviewed? Why would anybody consider handing over $1300 to this woman who has not provided a shred of documentation and whose sole purpose seems to be (1) get free money (2) get attention for herself and (3) libel and slander 2 licensed, reputable rescues that have saved THOUSANDS OF ANIMALS AND PLACED THEM IN GOOD HOMES!!
I do not know this woman, but with experience in rescue work, I have seen about all there is to see and my gut feeling is that something happened to this dog AFTER Ms. PC got it and they want somebody else to pay for it. Been there, done that.
Finally, as soon as someone votes to hand this woman this money, you will need security for crowd control to handle all the scam artists out there lining up for free money without any documentation.
Many people jumping to conclusions: Something that failed to be reported is that MS. PC refuses to show ANY documentation of her vet expenses NOR provided the name of the vet to anyone involved.Everything she says is her word without any corroboration. Why is her vet not interviewed? Why would anybody consider handing over $1300 to this woman who has not provided a shred of documentation and whose sole purpose seems to be (1) get free money (2) get attention for herself and (3) libel and slander 2 licensed, reputable rescues that have saved THOUSANDS OF ANIMALS AND PLACED THEM IN GOOD HOMES!!
I do not know this woman, but with experience in rescue work, I have seen about all there is to see and my gut feeling is that something happened to this dog AFTER Ms. PC got it and they want somebody else to pay for it. Been there, done that.
Finally, as soon as someone votes to hand this woman this money, you will need security for crowd control to handle all the scam artists out there lining up for free money without any documentation.
While we live in Massachusetts, we visit our daughter and her family in Bristol frequently. In December we adopted a dog from the Bristol Animal Shelter who had been transported up from Arkansas. This was the first time we had adopted a rescue dog, and we were very impressed with the entire procedure. Dyanne Gibree was very helpful in describing the dog's personality and behavior traits. She also gave me the phone number of Diane Ferguson at the Ozark Humane Society Shelter, who was equally helpful. When we decided to adopt the dog, Dyanne furnished us with the Arkansas documents showing that that shelter had had surgery performed (because the dog's collar had become embedded in his neck), had neutered him, and had given him the essential vaccinations. After adopting the dog, we took him to our regular vet, who found he was in excellent physical shape. We feel very grateful to both shelters for enriching our lives with this dog. They are performing a critical service in rescuing animals in need and finding loving homes for them. They need our strong support.
To me, that is all that really matters. Holly has a home, you have an incredible addition to the family. Isn't the vet bill really a small price to pay for that?
...................I think so too, 100%-, but for some it may not be as easy, JB, to leverage a bill such as that up front. A $1,300.00 bill might pit some against paying utilities, a mortage, etc....
I write my dogs into my budget though.
I assume this couple wanted a youngish dog for their young kids to grow up with. They weren't able to afford a pedigree, and liked the idea of 'saving' something close to a good breed.
But when it all got out of hand, they were just to eager to finger point and blame because Officer Gibree's Telepathic Bullet Finder wasn't working that day, nor was the one in Arkansas. We went from a 'flap of skin' to a 'gaping hole'. We went from no one taking responsibility, to find that both shelters offered options that were within their parameters, and that mirror the parameters of other policies in other towns.
For me personally, I pay at least a few grand a year when all is said and done, on just basic vet costs (shots, worm meds,). This doesn't include boarding when we go on vacation.
That in mind, my dogs are my best friends, and they have seen me through the worst of times, unconditionally, and the best of times. (sounds corny to the non dog lover, I know, but you will understand this with your two labs)
They pre clean my dishes in the dishwasher too.
A big price to pay, but worth every penny.
webmommy - I do hope that they have the resources to have a lab. Out of my two labs four knees, 3 ACL's have been replaced @ $2K each. Hopefully, they have the resources for those types of emergencies labs just seem to attrack!
My wife and I adopted a dog from the Ozark Humane Society this past May 24th. I have spoken with Ms. Ferguson many times both before and after we received our pet. Although I've never met her in person, I can say that I've never known a person so dedicated to saving animals as this lady! When we got "Marcy", she came from a high kill shelter and her time was almost up. In the short time between then and now, Ms Ferguson and the people with her have turned that shelter into a NO KILL SHELTER. They're also having success with spade and neuter programs that were very rare in that area before these people came along.
They still need help to find good homes for these animals.
One more thing, our dog came to us with a limp. We saw this on the shelter web page for her and also told about it beforehand via telephone by Ms. Ferguson.
To stop this program would be wrong. Too many animals need homes and too many people want them.
Our family adopted one of the Arkansas dogs from the Bristol shelter in July 2008. We could see that the dog had a lovely and loving personality, but was thin and had very dry skin. We called Diane Ferguson in Arkansas and got ample background on the dog from the time she arrived at their shelter in Harrison. We knew that we were adopting a dog that had been dumped along a roadside - not sure of her actual age, health history or whether she had been abused before being rescued. That's really the mindset you have to have when you 'rescue' a dog. We took her to our vet right away and she had developed some allergies in her eyes due to her new surroundings here in New England. She also had giardia and very dry skin with some scabbing underneath. These were all treatable but we did incur some considerable vet bills for the visits and meds. It has all been worth it and she is a wonderful healthy dog now.
Three months later we adopted another puppy from a different part of Arkansas thru petfinder.com. This dog and her littermates as very young pups were dumped in a school playground in the summer heat and rescued by a kind man. She also appeared healthy to their vet and our own vet here, but after a few weeks she developed signs of localized hair loss. This is a hard-to-treat medical problem and again expensive for the care and meds, but she is coming along well. These 2 Arkansan dogs are now best friends, soulmates and playmates who adore each other. They have been such a blessing to our family and every penny we have spent has been worth it. They have brought us unconditional love and it brings me to tears to think they may not have made it except for the caring of many good people.
I hope this program can continue to save beautiful and innocent out- of-state dogs that families around here want to adopt! I would just caution potential owners to have a reserve fund of money for these dogs in anticipation of health care they may need. It is not just about feeding and walking the dogs - they need medical care to make up for the possible poor nutrition, abuse and stress they may have suffered before being rescued by the Arkansas organizations. Adopt beautiful sleek black dogs - those are usually the last ones to be adopted down South due to local prejudices. Our dog has a shiny black coat now due to fish oil supplements and gets compliments from everyone who sees her.
One last point, before we had these dogs, we had bought a pedigreed dog from a local pet store. She was a cute puppy but at the vet's they diagnosed her as very underweight with an eye infection and persistent giardia among other things. The pet store did reimburse us eventually for most of the cost of her care but we worked around the clock to nurse her to health. Although she was very ill, she also recovered and was the best companion ever. I was more outraged at this happening from a 'reputable pet store'. I never expected all those problems. Also a little investigation of her 'breeder' on the internet showed she was from a puppy mill in Missouri and she never appeared to be the breed she was listed as.
All in all, adopting a homeless shelter dog is a wonderful selfless act and there is only one guarantee - that the dog will be ever grateful and loyal to you for saving its life and giving it a loving home. PLEASE KEEP THIS PROGRAM ALIVE!
This story breaks my heart, not only because of the injustices done to this dog, but the injustice this family is doing to the Bristol Animal Shelter and their fellow Rescue/Shelter Programs. I have personally volunteered at the Bristol Animal Shelter as part of a College Work Study program, I have seen many animals of all shapes and sizes come from the poorest of circumstances into the arms of loving and caring individuals. I have seen the wonderful work the shelter staff and volunteers do and have done for these animals. I applaud their efforts and truly view them as heroes.
Agreeing with TerryBohax I too believe in adopting shelter dogs as they can come from such horrible backgrounds. These dogs (Cats, Rabbits, and other animals) have been RESCUED from circumstances many of us can never understand. Many have been abused, neglected, and starved. When adopting a shelter dog/cat/animal you are not gauranteed anything (their breed, their adult size, their medical records, their current health, or their disposition). It is important to know that adopting a shelter animal is one of the greatest gifts one can give but one of the most taxing acts one can do. This dog was shot. This dog was shot, most likely when it was a puppy, maybe a few days old, maybe a few weeks, but was shot to end its life so that its cowardly owner wouldn't have to pay for it or its vet bills. This dog probably bled for days, in pain for months because of the stupidity and cruelty of its previous owner. I commend this family for wanting to adopt a shelter dog but I think they are commiting a horrible injustice and blackening the name of all rescue efforts across the country.
This dog has suffered, yes, but to make other animals suffer because of your greed is not right. These shelters/rescue programs have barely enough money to feed their animals day to day and in this economy, their cash is even more limited. As an owner it is YOUR responsibility to pay for YOUR animals medical issues.
It is very likely this dog lost its teeth recently as a result of infection spreading from the bullet wound. It is also likely that the veterinarian that did check this dog was unable to find the wound (which I doubt would be "a gaping hole" after months of healing) because of a puppy's growing palate and adult teeth coming through. Also, if this hole is as large as is described the dog would not be able to drink water without sucking the liquid into its lungs as its sinus cavity is not closed off from its mouth.
I hope that many of you have had your eyes open to the problem that exists for our up and coming generation. This is not just an issue for the taxpayers of Bristol, it is an issue that needs to be addressed nationwide. Many shelters down south are HIGH KILL SHELTERS!!! These shelters will give dogs up to two days to be claimed or adopted before euthanizing them. Puppies barely days old, before given a chance at life will be killed because of the horrible over crowding. Puppy mills are a huge contributor to this problem and will sell their "high end" pups to pet stores for large profits, but their dogs are being breed two or three times a year, in poorly maintained facilities, often stuffed into tiny cages with little to no veterinary care. Although here in the Northeast we have spay and neuter laws, many other states across the country do not. This has led to a rise in numbers of homeless cats and dogs. Did you know that two cats can have over 1 MILLION offspring within 8 years. We need to go to our legislation and make sure our animals are being spayed and neutered while making breeder's laws more strict. The Bristol Animal Shelter is trying to do its part, as the FIRST NO KILL ANIMAL SHELTER in the state of Rhode Island, and now bringing homeless animals to the north in hopes of better lives, I commend them and say THANK YOU from all of those people and animals who you've helped throughout the years. THANK YOU!
SPAY AND NEUTER YOUR ANIMALS!
USE PETFINDER.COM TO HELP HOMELESS PETS!!
WWW.THEANIMALRESCUESITE.COM >>> Click to give food!
If you are considering buying a dog, look for REPUTABLE BREEDERS who will let you come to their facilities, look around and meet the dogs they breed. Make sure they are approved by the state and ask for their veterinarian's information!!!
BE A FRIEND TO HOMELESS ANIMALS AND KEEP THIS PROGRAM ALIVE!!!!
Webmommy123:
Instead of being a proponent of the derelict shelter, why don't you keep your 4 Collies IN THEIR PEM instead of letting them terrorize the Narrows Rd, Ursula Drive area?!?!?!
It seems that you are under Dyane Gibree's security blanket and that you are above the law by letting your mangy mutts run amuck in this community!!!!!!!!!!!!
You had the same problem with these mutts when you lived on Clifton Rd..... Clean up your act Vicky before standing up for the dog officer that isnt worth anything/.
you are considering buying a dog, look for REPUTABLE BREEDERS who will let you come to their facilities, look around and meet the dogs they breed. Make sure they are approved by the state and ask for their veterinarian's information!!!
...............Well said Lily, And another thing about *reputable breeders is if there is a problem, you have the option of returning the dog. In all of the reputable breeders I have worked with over the years, most of them stand by their dogs.
Most of these dogs might live out their days 'on the farm' (or whatever property) but will not be used for breeding.
One last point, before we had these dogs, we had bought a pedigreed dog from a local pet store.
She was a cute puppy
but at the vet's they diagnosed her as very underweight with an eye infection and persistent giardia
I was more outraged at this happening from a 'reputable pet store'.
puppy mill
........................We've dealt with 'puppy mill' dogs over the years because their owners found their issues difficult to deal with and handed them in.
Most of these dogs, anecdotally speaking, were usually the ones with the higher vet costs with medical issues, and were least likely to do well with other dogs in the household because of socialization issues.
On the opposite side of that argument, I have a puppy mill rescue dog, a white collie- not too common around these parts, but he has HUGE puppy mill issues.
Danny Boy is one of those rare cases where he didn't do well *alone believe it or not, and was required to be with other dogs because his puppy mill history made him very cuebound.
He would not eat unless another animal 'took the lead', and he had issues crossing from tile to wood. He has come out of his shell and is now a normal happy senior citizen.
