Adopt Archives: Animal Alumni: 0000-00-00
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A Star Is Born: Peanut Debuts In "Annie"
It was late January when HSPC volunteer Nancy Wyatt got the call. The caller said "the puppy was back." She was referring the last remaining sibling of a litter of puppies abandoned at the caller's house. Three of four puppies had been rescued and placed in good homes through the HSPC. Nancy and fellow volunteer Debbie Love had been trying to capture the last puppy for over a month and were anxious to get the puppy to safety (Later they would joke that when they went on a rescue, they always got a dog -- even if it was the wrong one!).It was a cold, dark, rainy night when Nancy and Debbie drove to southern Pulaski County to rescue "the puppy." With heavy gloves, flashlights, and BBQ chicken (it works!) they looked around the surrounding woods for signs of the puppy. Soon, they heard the "you-are-invading-my-territory" bark of the pup. They both dropped to the ground to look under a mobile home and saw the outline of a dog. They belly-crawled under the mobile home through the mud to reach the puppy. Then Nancy realized this was not the puppy they came to rescue. Regardless, it needed to be rescued, too!
After much maneuvering they were able to extract the puppy who was malnourished, dehydrated, cold, wet, and very miffed about the whole situation. Nancy immediately called him "Peanut" and, somehow, the name fit. Peanut's first stop for foster care was Nancy's house where he had a bath, dinner, and a warm bed. Not only did he eat the food in his plastic bowl, but he tried to eat the bowl, too!
The next morning, Peanut was on his way to Bellevue Animal Hospital, where he was fostered for three weeks. Of course, "Aunt Nancy" and "Aunt Debbie" visited daily. He was so traumatized that it was five days before he even wagged his tail. With the help of Dr. Marvin and his staff, Peanut became socialized and housebroken. He learned to play with other dogs in the vet's office. It was the most wonderful sight. May he never stop playing!
Soon, Peanut was ready to go to the Humane Society. Nancy and Debbie paid his vet bill with money from a benefit garage sale they had to raise money for that very purpose. Thanks to the kindness of Dr. Marvin, they even had a little left over. Once at the shelter, Peanut adjusted well. He made a trip to PetsMart where it was noted that he looked like a Basenji mix.
In March, Sally Struthers and the cast of "Annie" came to Little Rock to perform at Robinson Center. Peanut was selected to play the part of "Stray Mutt" in the March 10 production. A few days prior to his appearance, Peanut was adopted. His new family agreed to let him be in the play. The evening began with a trip to Channel 11 TV for press coverage. He behaved well (while on camera), then made his arrival at Robinson Center. Peanut went back stage and met the cast and Cindy Lou ("Sandy" in the play). He played his part perfectly. When the evening was over, he went home with "Aunt Debbie" to spend the night. He was so exhausted that he fell asleep in her lap and snored all the way home, with his head hanging over the console in the car.
Today, Peanut lives a happy life with his new family. He came from humble beginnings and went all the way to stardom. It's been quite a journey for this "surprise" rescue. And, just in case you wondered, that last puppy from the abandoned litter was rescued about a month later. But that's another story!
A Story To Warm Your Heart
In April, 1996 we saw Kora featured on Channel 7's Daybreak and then went to PetsMart to see her where we fell in love with her. On May 1, 1996, Kora joined our family, which included a great 12 year-old calico cat named "Callie" who had come from a farm in north Arkansas when she was only 8 months old, a Christmas gift for my wife Dee.Kora was really shy and withdrawn when we adopted her. She was 4 years old and weighed only 33 pounds. Today she is 6 and weighs 47 pounds! Kora has really settled down and plays all the time. She is a very good close friend and companion; we enjoy her very much. Thanks to HSPC, Tillman Putman, Cindy Alberding, and the entire staff.
With Callie and Kora, we thought our family was complete -- until I was running my weed-eater in the backyard about 9:15 A.M. on June 22, 1997. That's when I noticed a small white ball of fur on the ground right in front of me. He was covered in flies. When I brushed them off, I discovered a newborn kitten covered with blood and membrane, his umbilical cord wrapped around his back leg. I rushed him into the house, and Dee took a warm wet washcloth and cleaned him up. He started moving and getting more active. I cut the cord off to about an inch long and wrapped him up, but had no clue how to feed an animal that small.
Since it was Sunday, I went to the emergency clinic and got a small bottle and some milk for him. While I went to get the milk, Dee called our daughter Vicki, who had helped to raise a four-week old kitten before, but nothing that small! Our vet weighed him at only 4.5 ounces.
We dripped warm water on his mouth and he would lick it off. He took about a teaspoonful from his first bottle. We fed him every two hours, taking shifts-- 1 tablespoon for a couple of days, then he started taking 2 then more and more, sucking longer each time. We had to stimulate him with a warm wet cotton ball to get him to do his "chores" and he got better the more he ate.
We borrowed our grandson's small pet taxi (that he'd used for two pet rats) for the little one's bed. Our daughter helped us tend him a lot and on weekends would keep him at night. It was a real family affair!
We put a small towel and heating pad around him for warmth. The ticking of a small alarm clock kept him company. We were told by several people that we would lose him in about 72 hours. Our vet, Dr. William Tulley said that we were doing all we could for him. We had some pretty tense moments from 48 to 72 hours. He didn't want to eat and we had to force him. Sometimes he had trouble going to the bathroom until we tried laxatives. If you're wondering why we can be so precise, we've been keeping a daily diary since that very first day. We noted when he opened his eyes and tried to move around. That way we could remember every detail.
He came through it all just fine, so we named him "Samson, Man of Great Strength." After what the little guy had been through, he had to be very strong. Since he didn't know his family, my wife became MamaCat and I'm DaddyCat and my daughter is MamaCat II.Samson started baby food at four weeks and moved on to solids soon after. Samson is now five months old and weighs a whopping five pounds. He's been neutered and declawed and is doing fine now. He likes to filch his yarn ball and is very playful.
We have enjoyed him so very much and our pleasure in him grows every day. We are his Mama and Daddy and he loves us a lot. He loves to ride and goes many places with me -- every time I can take him! Sometimes in the evening I get a lump in my throat and teary-eyed just thinking where he had been and where he is now. God sent us a miracle and we recognized it. We are thankful for him. Dee and I love him very much, as does our daughter Mama II.
Dee and Tom Thomasson
Kate Is An Alum To Remember!
This is a picture of Kate (Katherine Hepburn is her full name). She is an alum of the Humane Society of Pulaski County. Kate does not belong to me, her spirit is too independent for that, but she has deigned to live with me for the last eleven years as my friend and companion.
When she first came to me, she was five months old and scared of everything around her, especially people. She still is very wary of anyone she does not know but once she becomes your friend she is always glad to see you. She is not a watchdog and very seldom barks, but she does alert me if anything strange goes on either in or out of the house.
She has never been disciplined or had my voice raised to her as she seems to understand everything I say to her. When she moved into the house, I don't remember having to tell her more than once what the rules were. She has always been a polite, well-behaved lady, and much more intelligent than a lot of people I know.
Her presence has been a comfort to me in all the ups and downs of my life in the past few years, and I hope that she will be with me for a long time to come!
Jo Renshaw
Sasha, A Special Friend
Thirteen and one-half years ago, my wife and I picked up a tall, ratty-tailed, undernourished German Shepherd from the Pulaski County Humane Society. She had been abandoned by the human who had bred her mother. Her mother and all her siblings had died. Only the odor of the decaying bodies of her mother and siblings brought her to the attention of the Humane Society and saved her life. Her spirit to live and love was so incredibly strong that she survived distemper and viral and bacterial pneumonia. The skill and love of Joan and Larry Nafe also helped our Sasha live through puppyhood to maturity.
She came to her new house in a cardboard box with her tail-end split because it was so long it dragged the ground, wagging. During her first couple of nights with us we watched the movie "Moscow on the Hudson". While watching the movie we decided to name her after one of the characters -- Sasha. It turned out to be the perfect name for a great and noble dog with a great and noble spirit.
Sasha lived and made homes in Arkansas, Utah, Louisiana, and Florida. She protected, loved, and generally attended to her family, which included a cat who adopted us named Watson. Watson and Sasha both passed away this week, and Dennie and I wanted to offer a memorial to your organization in their names -- Watson Sparks and Sasha Sparks.
As long as we live we could never repay the Humane Society for the gift of Sasha Sparks. HSPC will always have a place in the hearts of the Sparks family no matter where we are or where we call home.
George and Dennie Sparks