With Distinguished Doberman Rescue: "Mission 6 - Your Help is Needed"

I found this story via a thread on Doberman Talk, and the DDR, inc. Facebook page:

(picture from Distinguished Doberman Rescue,inc. Facebook)

MISSION 6 - YOUR HELP IS NEEDED
"On Wednesday we received notice about a family that could no longer care for their dogs. After speaking with this family we learned they were seeking help from a rescue due to their current financial situation. At that time we only knew there were several Dobermans as well as some Mastiffs in their care.

Upon arrival on Friday, we were introduced to six sweet Dobermans. 5 females – Stormy, a 10 year old female, Abby, a 9 year old female, Princess, an 8 year old female, Lady, a 6 year old female, Trampoline, a 5 year old female and Red, our lone male who is 6.

Each dog was gone over with a fine tooth comb and notes were recorded regarding their medical needs. The first night we took home three of the Doberkids who we felt were most in need – Stormy, Abby and Red. Stormy will be seeing a vet tomorrow. We believe she may have a thyroid problem and this is the reason for her excessive weight. Abby and Red saw our vet on Saturday morning and received fluids, bloodwork and 4DX tests. Unfortunately Abby and Red both came back positive for Lyme disease which in turn means they will need to be on Doxy for 30 days.

Today, we were able to go back and bring home the remaining three. Lady will need to see a vet for a possible skin infection along with a potential thyroid issue. Princess and Trampoline do not seem to have any immediate health issues, but we will also have 4DX tests done on them as well.

Stormy, Lady, Princess and Trampoline all need spays and dentals. Red needs a dental and neuter - and, we suspect all of the other dogs could potentially turn up positive for Lyme as well.

We estimate the cost per dog is in the area of $500 or more with the Doxy needed to treat their Lyme Disease.

While these dogs need medical care and tlc, we feel as though this was a successful rescue mission because we were able to make a difference in the lives of six dogs also educate the former owners and in turn prevent this situation from happening again.

Our immediate need is financial for these our Mission 6 babies. Prior to taking them in, we had a total of 30 dogs in our care. There are several major medical cases that were already in our care prior to the Mission 6 dogs. Our rescue was already overwhelmed financially and in need of funds. Now we find ourselves in dire need. We are asking for donations in any amount. Please, no amount is too small. As you all know, we operate solely on donations and without your help we cannot help them.

We would like to sincerely thank all of our volunteers for stepping up immediately in this time of need. When the situation arose you were all willing to drop everything and help. Your commitment to the dogs is a true blessing to DDR.

Donations can be sent via paypal to donations AT ddrinc DOT net or paid via credit card by clicking the donate button on our website."

Intersex Aggression in Dobermans

A big huge flag in the Doberman community is when a male puppy is sold to people with another male dog in the household already. Why?

Well, the stories say that Dobermans can be same sex aggressive. Two males, two females, there is a chance that when the second dog reaches sexual maturity (or both dogs, if you're making the equally dubious choice to raise them together), there is a chance that the dogs will become aggressive to members of the same sex and want to fight.

This is problematic, as we do not typically want dogs to fight. Not unless you're a scumbag.

Sayreville, NJ Animal Shelter closing, Adoptions Free

While I've heard of Sayreville, New Jersey, I've never been there. It's north of my New Jersey point of origin. It boasts an animal shelter that is no kill, The Sayreville Pet Adoption Center, but it's closing after December 31. As a result, with 80 dogs and cats still in residence, they're having free adoptions to try and get everybody safe and home before those doors close for the final time.

(Brutus, a dog listed on the Petfinder page at the time of this blog)

From their Petfinder page:

We're right next door to the Sayreville Police Station.SHELTER HOURS: Monday through Friday: 12 Noon to 7 PMSaturday & Sunday 12 Noon to 4 PM The best and most greatly loved cats and dogs live at SPAC - come and see!It is with heavy hearts that we announce the closing of Sayreville Pet Adoption Center effective December 31, 2012. Unfortunately like so many others we have fallen victim to the economy. Providing and caring for over 120 animals on a daily basis is no easy task. We have always strived to provide a clean and safe facility along with the best veterinary care for our shelter pets in a warm and nurturing environment. This endeavor has been a joy and a labor of love. The loss of our municipal contracts combined with the rising costs of vaccines, medications, supplies, utilities, maintenance and upkeep of our shelter has taken a toll on our budget as well as the impact of events relating to Hurricane Sandy. Although it is difficult, we are forced to think with our heads instead of our hearts and to face the fact that even with the overwhelming outpouring of donations and support from our many friends, we simply cannot sustain operations any longer. The staff of SPAC would like to extend our sincere gratitude to all of our faithful supporters for your kindness and generosity. Thanks to you we were able to remain open throughout 2012 and to find homes for an additional 450 pets who would have otherwise had nowhere else to go. We still have over 80 dogs and cats with us at this time who are looking for their forever homes. We are deeply honored to have been touched by the lives of these precious animals and by our many volunteers and friends. Thank you. PS - It should be noted that the operations of SPAC have been subsidized by Sayrebrook Veterinary Hospital since the time SPAC opened. In today's economy, it is no longer possible for Sayrebrook to do so. We are grateful for everything.

If you're near Sayreville, NJ and looking to add a new family member, this might be a good fit for you. The Petfinder page also cautions that they do no same day adoptions, and that adoption applications may be completed via email. Other important information is that all dogs and cats are spayed or neutered, all dogs are tested for heartworm, and all cats are tested for leukemia.

(Shiraz, a cat listed as available for adoption on the Petfinder page at the time of this blog)

Edited December 15 2012: Apparently, as of December 8, all of the animals at the Sayreville Shelter have found homes! It's a Christmas miracle!