pets

Taking refuge

aspecht — Fri, 19 Feb 2021 20:38:57 +0000

Taking refuge

February 19, 2021

A full-figured pig named Baby lounges, unruffled, in a puddle of mud at Sunrise Sanctuary in Marysville. A lone duck waddles past, oblivious to the prodigious porker to its left.

As the afternoon sun breaks overhead, more and more animals emerge from the grounds’ timeworn structures — a red barn, a small house, a rickety flatbed truck.

Here, such nonchalance is not only widespread among the denizens, it’s a welcome sign of contentment. Sunrise Sanctuary is a permanent refuge for more than 170 discarded farm and companion animals, a collection that includes rats, bunnies, cats, dogs, pigs, goats, sheep, llamas, cows, horses, donkeys, chickens, ducks, peacocks, and turkeys.

“Our babies are all unique and special souls that are loving, thoughtful, and funny individuals,” says Sandy Horvath, the animals’ primary caretaker. “They’re not just numbers. They are special beings deserving of our love and respect.”

All around Ohio, animal sanctuaries provide respite and relief for misfit animals, whether they’ve been abused or neglected or simply moved on to greener pastures after their working days ended.

All kinds of styles

Ohioans can pay many of these fine friends a visit — sometimes by appointment, as visitation and admission policies vary. Some sanctuaries and rescues allow animals to remain for life. Others rehabilitate wild animals and release them back into nature. Others socialize animals and prepare them for adoption.

Mindy Mallett founded Sunrise, a nonprofit charity, in 2001 to provide a dash of dignity for animals that had been forgotten. Here, they freely roam the spacious grounds, where they meet up with picture-snapping visitors on select Saturdays during “Open Barn Days.”

Volunteers such as Horvath operate the farm, which depends on donations from the public.

“We hope that once they get to know these animals, they see them in a different light,” Horvath says.

Offering hope, offering homes

Most sanctuaries offer a place where animals can be loved and respected. It took one pot-bellied pig named Janice to convince Annette Bragg to establish Happy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary, in Ravenna, in 2001. Bragg caught wind of the pig and decided to rescue her. She later adopted Janice’s buddy, George, and built a log cabin to house them.

Happy Trails now is home to about 130 animals that roam an 11-acre track. Out of the 190 animals the sanctuary rescued last year, 170 were adopted. They include Amish horses, which stewardship coordinator Lissy Kuhn says often are rescued from the auction block, which can spell an uncertain future.

“They’re really sweet horses,” she says. “The farmers feel a lot better when they can retire their horse versus taking them to auction.”

Finding some-bunny to love

The Ohio House Rabbit Rescue in Columbus specializes in bunnies, helping them to socialize with the ultimate goal of going to a new home.

That’s important, because there are hundreds of unwanted pet rabbits that emerge each year in the Buckeye State. Rabbit Rescue is all about giving them a new life, one that includes regular meals and lots of love.

The shelter has been around since 2013 and houses about 40 rabbits in private pens that contain all they need. Staff are happy to match visitors with the perfect bunny companion to welcome into their home.

Animal sanctuaries around Ohio

Ohio Wildlife Center, Powell: Visit the state’s largest wildlife hospital just north of Columbus. You’ll encounter about 50 animal ambassadors that represent a small percentage of the more than 6,000 patients the center treats yearly.

Ohio Bird Sanctuary, Mansfield: A 90-acre, wooded retreat where you can encounter birds being cared for after suffering mishaps or illnesses, including several eagles and various species of hawks.

Butternut Farm Wildcat Sanctuary, Johnstown: Homeless wildcats and related species find a home in a rustic abode 25 miles northeast of Columbus, which runs solely on donations.

Southern Ohio Wolf Sanctuary, Chesapeake: A haven for about two dozen wolfdogs — crosses between a dog and any of a variety of wolf breeds.

Forever Safe Farm Animal Education Center, Salem: The rolling hills of eastern Ohio are a forever home to more than 100 rescued and retired animals. You’ll see a range of animals including camels, horses, alpacas, raccoons, and wallabies.

Island Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary, Port Clinton: An appointment-only rescue center near Lake Erie that provides a healthy environment for animals that are old, sick, or even terminally ill.

Ohio Pet Sanctuary, Cincinnati: A combination pet supply store and rescue center that focuses on small animals including birds, rabbits, guinea pigs, cats, ferrets, small rodents, and reptiles..

Glen Helen Raptor Center, Yellow Springs: Learn all about raptors, including hawks, kestrels, and owls, at the center, part of Glen Helen Nature Preserve, which helps broken birds and provides education about their role in our lives.

Lasa Sanctuary, Wooster: There are more than 130 farm animals living peaceably in a bucolic Wayne County spread that promotes kindness to animals and a vegan lifestyle.

Hero dogs

aspecht — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 14:14:40 +0000

Hero dogs

January 26, 2021

Margaret Buranen

Features

Golden retrievers are beautiful and affectionate dogs. They’re great with children and get along with other dogs and, usually, cats. Those characteristics make them among the most popular dog breeds. Sadly, more than half of them develop cancer, which is in fact the leading cause of death in all dogs age 2 and older.
That’s why, in 2012, the Morris Animal Foundation launched one of the largest, longest-running animal-health studies in history. The Golden Retriever Lifetime Study (GRLS) enrolled 3,044 dogs to be followed for their entire lives.

The researchers’ aim is to discover nutritional, environmental, and other risk factors for cancer and other major health problems in all dogs. The owners and their veterinarians collect health and behavior information on every dog for the researchers.

In Ohio, 102 golden retrievers were enrolled in the study. Among them is Montana, now 9, who lives in Oberlin with his owners, Kim and Scott Faulks, members of Lorain-Medina Rural Electric Cooperative.

Montana was a full brother to Ryder, the Faulks’ first golden retriever. “Ryder gave us three wonderful years,” says Kim Faulk. “He was never upset or angry, always loving and trusting.”

The Faulks were devastated when Ryder died of cancer at only 3 years old. Ryder is the reason that Montana is a “Hero,” which is what GRLS participants are called.

“We thought it was a great idea to enroll his full brother in the study,” Faulk says. “We wanted to see if we could get some answers.”
The Faulks’ third golden retriever, Spenser, was a GRLS Hero, too. Sadly, Spenser (named for the Spenser: For Hire mystery series) also died of cancer about a year ago.

“Spenser was a joy,” Faulk recalls. “He had the cutest puppy face until the day he died.”

“We’ve lost two retrievers to this horrible thing,” she says. “My husband and I — and Montana — are giving back, and that’s all we can do.”

Besides Montana and their golden retriever puppy, Jake, the Faulks have three cats: LuWeeze, Inky, and Rambo, who, incidentally, all adore Montana.

The GRLS dogs’ owners must keep detailed records about the dogs’ diet, behavior, sleeping habits, and more. They fill out an annual questionnaire that Faulk says takes two to three hours to complete.

“They want to know about chemicals you use at home, whether or not you put chemicals on your lawn, and other environmental information,” she says.

The owners’ other major commitment is to make sure the dogs get needed medical care and a thorough annual physical from a veterinarian, who also contributes to the study. The Faulks’ animals are cared for by Dr. John Douds of Douds Veterinary Hospital in Oberlin, where Faulk works as a pet groomer.

“I really feel like it’s a privilege as a private practitioner to be able to make a significant difference in the future health of our pets,” Douds says. “I wasn’t able to go into research after graduation, so at least this may help make up for a part of that.”

Since the GRLS began, Douds has cared for four golden retrievers, owned by three different clients. Two of the dogs succumbed to cancer.

Douds says the participating veterinarians submit multiple samples of hair, nails, urine, and blood. There is an extensive questionnaire to fill out online after every visit, and many owners find it easier to leave their dog at the office for part of the day, since the process takes a while.

“The study requests seem to change a little from year to year as the scientists keep learning new facts,” he says.

Douds describes the GRLS as “the first large-scale prospective study of dogs.” Instead of looking at past records to try to find answers (a retrospective study), this 3,000-dog investigation follows the health of the very young all the way through their end-of-life changes.

Douds adds, “Goldens are prone to many types of cancer and are an ideal breed to monitor, because of their size and temperament. Although cancer is the prime target, some very smart people working with the information we send may be able to uncover the genetics and risk factors for many other illnesses in multiple canine breeds.”

Faulk is grateful for the GRLS. “Too many people are losing precious pets to cancer,” she says.

Dogs' best friend

sean.walker — Fri, 03 Jan 2020 19:50:02 +0000

Dogs' best friend

January 3, 2020

Margaret Buranen

Features

On 28 Mondays a year, Greg Mahle climbs into his semitractor-trailer in Zanesville and heads south on a mission through Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi to give formerly homeless dogs the loving homes they deserve.

One of his first stops on the weeklong, 4,200-mile journey is Shaggy Dog Rescue in Houston, where he finds dogs waiting for him that have been saved from overcrowded shelters across the Lone Star State.

Mahle gets the dogs into kennels, which are then secured — three shelves high — along the walls of his custom-built, air-conditioned trailer. Though they don’t realize it, the dogs have taken their first step toward much better lives, thanks to Rescue Road Trips, the nonprofit organization Mahle founded.

From Houston, Mahle and his relief driver travel to shelters and veterinary clinics in Louisiana and Mississippi to pick up more dogs. Mahle says that a typical run carries “80 to 100 dogs and sometimes a few cats.”

All of the dogs are healthy and attractive. Labs, assorted terriers, German shepherds, Chihuahuas, beagles and other hounds, and mixed-breeds large and small all get quick goodbye hugs from shelter volunteers or foster parents who have cared for them, and Mahle continues on his way.

He drives the dogs to Connecticut and other northern states, where adoptive families or foster parents will be waiting for all of them.

On Thursday evening of mission week, the big white truck — emblazoned with “Rescue Road Trips Saving Lives Four Paws at a Time” on its sides — stops near Birmingham, Alabama, where volunteers are waiting to ease the stress of the long journey with a walk and cuddle for each dog. They get another walk, treats, and attention from more volunteers on Friday evening in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

From both stops, volunteers post photos of the dogs on the Rescue Road Trips Facebook page. Social media lets the dogs’ former caretakers in the South see how the dogs are doing on the trip, while giving a sneak peek to the people who will foster or adopt them in the North.

The dogs are never left unattended. Mahle and his relief driver take turns sleeping — Mahle sleeps in back with the dogs. Finally, on Saturday morning, the truck rolls in to Rocky Hill, Connecticut, for “Gotcha Day,” which is livestreamed on Facebook. People shed happy tears as Mahle announces each dog’s name to the waiting crowd and Facebook viewers all over the country. Kids grin and hold “welcome home” signs they’ve made for their new dogs.

“I get most of the glory and recognition, but it’s not just me,” Mahle says. “Adella [his wife] is every bit as invested as I am. So are Debbie [his mother-in-law] and the office staff and the volunteers. Rescue is a big chain with the final link being the adopter. We all have to pull together to get this dog to its forever home.”

Mahle started transporting rescued dogs from southern states to the North in 2005, when he received a distress call from his sister. She operates Labs4Rescue in Connecticut, a group of volunteers who foster Labrador retrievers until carefully screened families adopt them.

When the group’s driver couldn’t finish a trip, Mahle stepped in to drive the van full of Labs the rest of their way. He began driving more often and eventually started transporting dogs for other rescue organizations, too.

For Mahle, the most difficult part of each trip is “the grueling labor. I leave on Monday and don’t get home until Sunday. Walking dogs, taking care of them, lifting them in and out of kennels, loading supplies — it’s hard work.”

That’s balanced, though, by the best part of his long week: “the thousand dog kisses I get on every trip,” he says. “Just getting to put my hands on the dogs, to feel their love. You build attachments. They have feelings for me, and I have feelings for them.”

The days between trips are busy, too. Cleaning and sanitizing the trailer, booking dogs from various rescue groups, and paying endless bills (salaries, license fees, supplies, truck maintenance and fuel, etc.) takes a lot of time.

Mahle says that despite the thousands of dogs he and other groups have transported from overcrowded southern shelters to loving homes in the North, the problem of homeless dogs isn’t decreasing and “won’t be solved in my lifetime.” Because that’s too overwhelming to think about, Mahle explains, “I focus on the small victories, not the large problem. I think about how rescues are making a tremendous difference to the individual dogs.”