CHAT NOIR

October has been my favorite month for as long as I can remember. Not only is it my birth month, but I happen to love HALLOWEEN! This year however, has been the worst October of my life. Not only did I lose my beloved NIGEL, I just learned that my adopted cat CHAT NOIR has left this earth as well. Chat came into my life about 2.5 years ago. He just appeared one day, I'm guessing he was dumped off. He was about 5 months old, and the most gorgeous pure black kitty I had ever seen. My neighbor at the time had been feeding him and told me that they wanted to keep him. I was thrilled to arrange getting him neutered and up to date on all of his vaccinations, I even provided the trap. Yes, CHAT was a funny little bugger, he would only let the neighbor touch him. Everyday I would ask the neighbor, did you catch him? Finally after about a month of badgering him, he told me that he caught another neighborhood cat. He said that Chat was too smart to go into the trap. I of course knew that was complete bullshit. So one year later the neighbors were getting ready to move and I'm having a conversation with the wife, she admits to me that in fact they did catch CHAT, but the husband felt so guilty that he released him immediately. I was really not surprised by this. First of all, they had an un-neutered dog, as well as a declawed cat that lived outside, they were clearly irresponsible pet owners. Their cat CASEY had become best friends with CHAT, they were always together. This is why my heart was broken when I learned from another neighbor that they had left CHAT behind. They said they were unable to catch him, again, I say BULLSHIT! I decided on that day that CHAT would become part of my family. I provided food and fresh water every day. He eventually began to trust me, he would even let me give him MAD LOVE! Now, one year later, he is gone. Ron, the other neighbor that I mentioned earlier had been looking after CHAT as well. I'm not sure exactly how all of this came about, I just know it ended with CHAT at the Veterinarian diagnosed with FELINE LEUKEMIA! A FATAL disease in cats that is highly contagious. I also want to mention this disease is 100% PREVENTABLE. I blame the idiot former neighbor, you remember the one that "felt sooo guilty" for trapping CHAT. Had he actually taken him to the Vet two years ago when I set it up (FREE) my little CHAT would still be with us. I will miss you terribly, my hansom CHAT NOIR. PLEASE VACCINATE YOUR PETS! THEIR LIFE COULD DEPEND ON IT!

DOUBLE EXPOSURE!

I had the extreme pleasure of shooting two shelters this past weekend. First up was the Humane Society of Manatee County, what an amazing group. I had them on my show back in March so I knew several of the staff/volunteers. The lovely Denise called me and asked if I could help promote the adoptions of several of the LONG- TERM RESIDENTS. HSMC is a NO KILL SHELTER, which is fabulous of course, but unfortunately they have SEVERAL dogs and cats that have been there 1-3 years. This is a very sad situation, some have literally lived at the shelter their entire life. I am specifically going to mention PEPSI, I know the name is ridiculous, and he doesn't even come close to resembling a pepsi. He is very REGAL in fact. He is a Great Dane mix with impeccable manners. I think he is more of an Arthur. KELLEY is another angel that has been at the shelter for a really long time. She is such a sweet girl, it just breaks your heart. Hopefully, someone reading this blog or watching my show will go down and meet these lovely creatures. After my wonderful experience with HSMC, I was on to ANIMAL SERVICES SARASOTA. Sarasota in Defense of Animals were sponsoring their HOWL-O-WEEN ADAPTATHON. They had quite a full house, I can't remember the last time I saw the shelter that packed. There are some wonderful dogs and cats available for adoption. I hope anyone looking for a new family member will go down and meet these wonderful furries. I am happy to report 17 cats and 3 dogs were adopted that day. I also want to take a moment and honor all of the FABULOUS VOLUNTEERS that showed up to help with the adoptathon..YOU ALL ROCK!

MONEY IS NO OBJECT!

I woke up this morning feeling a bit melancholy. Today is the day I pick up my beloved Nigel's cremains. I was horrified when I checked my phone messages from the day before, and there was a message letting me know that Nigel was back from the Crematory. My poor baby had to spend the night at the Vet's office. Not to be a drama queen, but honestly that was very upsetting to me. I arrive at the Vet's office and one of the Vet tech's told me that he really needed my help with a dog that had come in. Basically there was a 7 month old pitbull that had been hit by a car and her leg was broken. The owners were unable to pay for the surgery, and if he did not find a home for her by the end of the business day they were going to euthenize her. Well as you can imagine I was a bit taken aback. I was already mentally drained, now I have to figure out a way to save a puppy's life, and by the way, I had about 2.5 hours! First, I agreed to pitch in $100 for the surgery. One of the vet tech's talked the Dr. Into giving the employee discount for the surgery, which is significant. Everyone at the office pitched in the remainder of the money. Ok, now we come to the hard part, finding a foster home to care for an active puppy with a broken leg. I decided to call the ultra fabulous JULIE ROYAL, she agreed immediately, without hesitation. Can I just say, I love this woman, she is so dedicated to saving the lives of shelter dogs and cats. She and her husband Michael have already fallen in love with the ADORABLE MICHELLE!
Yes, that's right Julie decided to name her after me, I'm extremely honored. Michelle is recovering beautifully, and will be available to go to her new forever home very soon. I do want to mention to those of you feeling badly for the former owners; they were unfit. I will not be able to elaborate, just trust me it was not a healthy environment. In the beginning of this post I mentioned that I started my day feeling melancholy, then I realized by the end of the day that it was NIGEL that made all of this happen. He brought Michelle to me so I could help save her. When I finally met her, I knew that the $100 that I contributed, was the best $100 I have ever spent!

IN LOVING MEMORY

I am sad to report that my little guy NIGEL, has lost his battle with Heart Disease. He had been doing so well, I was lulled into believing he would be around a bit longer. He had a really alarming seizure on Monday morning. I knew in my heart what was about to go down. I rushed him to Dr. Holland, and after what seemed like a lifetime of waiting, he finally came in. He checked his vitals, and even though he had not completely come out of the seizure, he said everything was NORMAL, well except for the MASSIVE heart murmur. Well folks, I have to tell you, at this point I was ready to have a complete MELTDOWN. What do you mean NORMAL? I had resolved myself to the fact that TODAY was the day, now your telling me maybe not. Now this is the part that is MIND BLOWING. Just as I'm ready to lose it, my little ANGEL goes into another seizure, as if he were letting me know, HEY MOM, IT'S TIME! I told Dr. H that I could not allow this to continue. He left the room for a brief moment, and came back with a Vet Tech and the NEEDLE, you know the one with the PINK LIQUID. He told me that once he actually had the vein that he would go within 20 or so seconds. I thought I would have the HEART ATTACK, I was physically ill. I told my angel how much I loved him, and how much joy that he had brought to my life for 15 fabulous years. I held him tight, and just like that... HE WAS GONE..I think that was possibly the saddest day of my life. I look around my home, and even though I have three amazing furies, the house does feel quite empty. Nigel was such a PRESENCE. YOU WILL BE WITH ME FOREVER MY DARLING NIGEL......

FREE TO A GOOD HOME?....DUBIOUS

Has anyone been on this FREECYCLE_SARASOTA website? Great concept, you can put anything, and I mean ANYTHING on the website..as long as it's FREE. So maybe you have a fax machine or DOG that's taking up too much space and you need to get rid of it ASAP. You can place an ad on this website. I am appauled at the number of animals that are showing up on this website. What the hell is wrong with people. I'm not sure that people really understand the danger of placing your pet in an ad (FREE TO A GOOD HOME). I will explain. First, our local University( you know who you are) will give anyone that shows up with a dog or cat $35. They will then be used for LABORATORY TESTING. That's right folks, your beloved pet that you just had to get rid of because you are moving, or whatever BULLSHIT excuse you want to give, could possibly become a test animal. THAT IS NOT A GOOD HOME! Secondly, pitbull fighting is RAMPANT! Guess what you need for pitbull fighting? BAIT. That's right, your beloved pet could become pitbull bait. Normally these losers are looking for small dogs or cats, but I'm sure anything will do. There are humans, and I use this term loosly, that actually do nothing but scour the Newspapers and Internet for animals that are free to a good home. These folks are very good at what they do, trust me. They will make you believe that they want to take your pet and love them forever, when infact their plan is much more sinister. I will just give this advice, for what it's worth (YOUR PET'S LIFE) If you must get rid of your pet, GOD I hate that term....please please please try first to find them a new home with people you trust. After all, you made a CHOICE to get your pet in the first place. The least you can do is make certain that they have a fighting chance to have a HAPPY HOME If this is not possible call your local shelters, and if that doesn't work then place an ad, but NOT FREE TO GOOD HOME. Charge a small adoption fee. That's my 2 cents.

NEVER A DULL MOMENT

This is my life.....Never a dull moment. Yesterday I had to go to my Vet to pick up meds for my little NIGEL, which by the way is still hanging in there. He is a tough little guy. I thought two weeks ago he was checking out, and low and behold, he comes back. He has an amazing will to live. Anyhoo, back to the story..I leave the office and head down the road, 2 miles later what do I see, a dog in the middle of the road, coming very close to getting run over. I quickly pull off the road and call him over. He comes right up to me, I open the back door, and he loads up. I couldn't believe it. He sat in my back seat like such a gentleman, you would have thought he had been there before. I took him back to my Vets office, and they gladly took him in. Just another day in the life of ANIMAL RESCUE GIRL....And by the way, I'm grateful to have the privilege to assist in saving an animals life.

SMASHING SHELTER!

Sarasota Humane society was on tap this weekend. What an amazing show. It was "Seniors for Seniors", a new event which places Senior pets 7 years of age or older, with Senior Citizens. There is no charge to the Senior, a fund has been established that pays for the adoption. Can I just say..Older dogs and cats RULE! No potty training, or trying to pluck your shoe out of their mouth, unless of course you give them the shoe. HA They are mostly mellow,and just want to be your BEST FRIEND. I am happy to report that they had several adoptions. YEA BABY! Barbara Goodfriend was on hand to do some animal communicating, she is unbelievable! Let me just tell you non- believers, don't knock it til you try it. She did a reading with my beloved, Nigel, and I was blown away. There are simply some things that you cannot fake. So on to the best part of my show, besides the animals of course...The staff/volunteers of the Sarasota Humane Society, what a truly GROOVY group of people, I especially want to give a shout out to KERRI KOPPIN... You are awesome! This is a well oiled machine, and these guys take this shelter very seriously! If I could describe them in one word it would be TEAMWORK! I was very impressed. Keep up the good work guys......

KISMET BABY!

I have to say, I was absolutely put on this earth to rescue animals. If there is an animal in need, they will find me. Let's take the most recent encounter..This week to be exact. I was on my way to work listening to Nina Simmone getting ready to start my work week, and low and behold, the most amazing little pitbull sauntered out in front of my car. I, of course pulled over and the little guy came right up to me. He looked like Petey, of Our Gang. What a complete DOLL BABY..Not only was he a sweetie pie, but had the most stunning underbite, which for those of you that know me, know that is a prerequisite in my household. Ha ha. I took him to my office waiting for Animal Services to open, and within 20 minutes he had a home. There were three people actually fighting over who would take him. Just to let everyone know, I have been looking in the newspaper to make sure his owner was not looking for him. 5 days later, no sign. I must say that I had a feeling that no one would claim him. What a throw away society we live in. I don't understand how someone could dump/abandon, whatever the case may be, such an incredible creature. I am thrilled that his amazing personality was not effected by the carelessness of his previous owner. I just heard today that BO'S new family adores him and what a wonderful addition he has made to their family. Hey, I am always happy to help...

LIVE AND LET DIE

I truly apologize for my lack of posts. You see, this has been a very tough couple of weeks for me personally. I know most of you out there have been through this exact heartbreaking scenario. It goes something like this...Your beloved pet finally becomes a Senior Citizen, for some that day comes a bit earlier, say 9 to 13 years. For the lucky ones you get 14 to 18 years... I, feeling incredibly fortunate, have had 15 amazing years with my darling NIGEL. Then, one day you go to your veterinarian for a routine check-up, and find out the bad news. In my case it was an enlarged heart. You are then given the bleak prognosis, along with a cocktail of drugs. My rollercoaster ride began October of 2005, and now almost 1 year later, we are near the end of the road. My heart is broken, and I know it's about that time, you know the one...The time when you have to decide what day to send your baby over the RAINBOW BRIDGE. I don't know about the rest of you, but this is absolutely killing me! He's not suffering, but the quality of life is just not there. You look in their little eyes and they are trying to tell you it's ok, let me go, we have had a wonderful life together and it is now time to say GOODBYE...We will meet again. My head knows this, I just wish my heart could let go......

PUSS' S........GET THE BOOT!

Yes, it's true. These three amazingly beautiful cats were dumped off at Animal Services by their owners. Even though they had owned all three since they were kittens, they decided that their life was no longer worth living. I really don't know how some people can live with themselves. I'm befuddled, how the hell do you send your FAMILY off to a certain death. I mean come on folks, let's put a little effort into finding them a new home. There is absolutely NO EXCUSE for the way these losers handled the situation. They were all three scheduled to be euthanized on Tuesday. Thankfully, the very lovely Darlene, came to their rescue. She picked them up Monday evening and brought them home with her, even though her home is overflowing with her own furries. These babies are in need of a FOREVER HOME, not a ONLY WHEN IT'S CONVENIENT HOME! Please contact me if you can help find a home for these beautiful animals.

LIGHTS, CAMERA.......ADOPTION!

GIMME SHELTER started in early January 2006. I am very happy to say we just completed the 11th show. My mission is to use the power of television to get the shelter animals out of the shelter and into loving homes. I also want to help the (LITTLE KNOWN ) shelters, get the attention that they so much deserve. Unfortunately, the "majority" of animal shelter/rescue groups do not have deep pockets. Many do not have the resources or manpower to get the much needed funds to run a shelter the way they really need to. HELP HAS ARRIVED! Myself, along with a small group of volunteers have made this show a priority. We have just begun this journey! The BRILLIANT sponsors have made this show possible, and I must give props to the man that basically saved the show....Mr. KEN SLAVIN! He is FABULOUS. I totally appreciate that he could see my vision. Now as I mentioned earlier,this is a work in progress. We still are in need of sponsors. The show only exists through sponsorship. The airtime is incredibly expensive, and my goal is to run the shows 7 days a week. I am so honored to be able to say that this show is WORKING! I know that animals are getting adopted, and donations are being given. That is so amazing to me. Our lovely community is responding! Please visit the website at: www.gimmeshelterpets.com.

Daisy Needs a Home....

This is the lovely DAISY. She just gave birth to 12 puppies about 9 weeks ago. She and some of her puppies may have ended up as bait dogs. Thankfully someone intervened, and now I am happy to report that many have been placed in loving homes ...including mine! Yes, one of those beauties - his name is Shakespeare totally melted my heart. He has the most intense eyes and is ridiculously smart. Now we have to find a home for his beautiful mother.

DAISY is so sweet, she really just wants to be loved. She is probably around 1 year old, gets along great with other cats and dogs, and is pretty much house broken and crate trained. I will also note she is unequivocally the Alpha. Please open your heart and come get your new forever companion. She is waiting...

Please contact me if you can help find a home for this beautiful animal.