“Sometime” has come for an item I found tucked away in our “pet cupboard.” Yes, we have an entire cupboard area devoted to pet items: Extra food bowls, the dogs’ current boxes of heartworm preventative, vitamin supplements, treats, etc. I’m sure we’re not much different from other pet owners in that regard.

I’m not sure how many pet owners have an unopened box of Cosmic Kittygrass lurking in their pet supplies area, though.

I discovered it for the umpteenth time when looking for something the other day and decided it was time to get rid of it. After all, I don’t remember when or how we acquired it (probably in a gift basket at some point), and we haven’t had a house cat in years.

Sure enough, when I turned the box over to search for a date, I saw it was “tested” in 2002. But rather than throw it in the garbage, I decided to see if it would still hold up after all these years.

Thus begins the Great Cosmic Kittygrass Experiment. This is the first of a few posts I’ll make to let you follow along with the unscientific science project.

PLANTING THE SEEDS

I followed the simple instructions, which seemed a little more complicated than what I expected. I figured you dump the seed packet in and add water. Wrong!

I didn’t have a nail handy to poke holes in the bottom of the little plastic container. Note: The lid is kept on when the container is turned over to poke the holes as there is a dirt-like substance inside. Like any good do-it-yourselfer, I did manage to locate a screw and made my holes with that. We’ll see if that makes a difference.

When it came to planting the little seeds into the container, there seemed to be an abundance of seeds for such a small container. While is said to push the seeds down into the mixture, there were too many seeds to get them all underneath the mixture.

Once again improvising, I decided to experiment further and plant the remaining seeds in soil. Two experiments in one!

The extra seeds reside in our home-made plant stand on our patio, where they’ll get plenty of sun, heat and water.

Back to the “real” experiment. I added two ounces of water and then “floated” the container in a bowl of water to absorb through the holes in the bottom (it didn’t seem to absorb too well … maybe it was the screw vs. nail problem).

The final step in the first part of the experiment was to put it in a warm, dark place. Our basement isn’t exactly warm, so I chose to put it in an antique cooler we purchased at a yard sale a few years ago that resides on our sun porch. It will stay dark inside, while the sun blazing in the sun porch should provide enough heat.

My Great Cosmic Kittygrass Experiment is underway. It must remain in the warm, dark place for three days, at which point I’ll check back in. I’m prepared for failure … can I really expect 11-year-old seeds to sprout … but I’m hopeful it works.

Stay tuned… I’ll report back in a few days!

Mary Ullmer is editor of Dogs Unleashed, a lifestyle magazine for dog lovers. Contact her at info@dogsunleashedmag.com. To subscribe to Dogs Unleashed, visit dogsunleashedmag.com

By CINDY FAIRFIELD

The goal, of course, is to save more cats and dogs. The idea is to find them the loving homes every pet deserves.

Our dog, Truman, is ready for the party scene. Are you? Bissell Blocktail tickets are $55 today and go up to $65 Tuesday. The event is Wednesday at Mangiamo! in Grand Rapids. (Grumpy Pups Pet Photography photo)

The problem, of course, is that too many pet owners are irresponsible, avoiding the simple steps of spaying or neutering that can make a real difference in curbing the exploding population of unwanted cats and dogs.

Enter the BISSELL Pet Foundation and the annual BISSELL Blocktail Party, set for June 12 at Mangiamo!, 1033 Lake Drive SE, Grand Rapids. Tickets are available for $55 until Tuesday, when they increase to $65. Go to the Blocktail website to order them online today.

Last year, the event raised $187,000 to help pets in West Michigan. But beyond the dollars, it sparked a united front among the agencies and charitable organizations that tend to pets’ needs, creating efficiencies and surely saving more lives along the way.

That’s because Cathy Bissell, founder of the Bissell Pet Foundation, required those seeking grant monies to exercise collaboration with other pet non-profits to eliminate overlap and ensure that each dollar granted went as far as it possibly could to make a pet’s life better.

“The Blocktail Party has really fostered collaboration among organizations that love and want to help animals,” said Shannon Reinecke, foster care/adoption coordinator at Vicky’s Pet Connection in Ada. “I think that has made a bigger difference, even beyond the dollars. The grant process has inspired all of us to work together to see how we can best help pets.”

It has allowed the organizations to specialize in many areas, ensuring that no dog or cat is left behind. From spaying and neutering, to caring for the needs of at-risk senior dogs and cats, monies raised at the annual Blocktail Party are making a difference in West Michigan.

“It’s amazing,” said Carly Luttmann, program supervisor of the Kent County Animal Shelter. “I can’t say enough what it means to all of our organizations around here to not only have the Blocktail Party but to have the Bissell Pet Foundation.”

And it means a lot to plenty of cats and dogs, too, who have been saved from euthanasia and/or placed in loving homes.

“It is amazing to have an organization right in our backyard that recognizes the unheard voices of the millions of homeless animals,” said Trudy Ender, executive director of Humane Society of West Michigan. “Bissell Pet Foundation is a wonderful resource not only in West Michigan, but beyond.”

To illustrate BPF’s reach in West Michigan, here’s what the grant money from last year’s Blocktail Party did for area organizations.

KENT COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER, $41,000

With 7,500 animals per year coming through the Kent County Animal Shelter, workers have focused on increasing the save rate of unwanted dogs and cats. Of the $41,000 in grant money received, $25,000 was used for spaying and neutering with the adoption program; $11,000 was used to underwrite adoption fees for low-income would-be pet owners and $5,000 was used to spay and neuter stray dogs and cats.

“Spaying and neutering is the most important thing,” said Luttmann. “If people realized that a simple act has such a positive repercussion on the animals saved because of it, they would do it more.”

Luttmann hopes to change the culture in West Michigan to align more with areas like Denver, Colo., where it is unusual not to have a pet spayed or neutered.

“Our goal is to increase live release all the way,” Luttmann said.

KCAS, which is funded primarily through county government, takes in about 7,500 animals per year and has a save rate of about 30 percent. It completes about 300 adoptions per month.

In the spirit of collaboration, the shelter has worked with other agencies, such as Vicky’s Pet Connection, to place animals and give them the best chance for adoption.

“We work a lot with other agencies in the area,” Luttmann said.

COMMUNITY SPAY NEUTER INITIATIVE PARTNERSHIP (C-SNIP), $30,000

C-SNIP’s mission is “fixing” pets so they don’t reproduce, and last year’s grant helped the organization focus primarily on its Big Paws Project, which spays and neuters dogs 50 pounds and bigger.

“Larger animals will have larger litters,” explained former executive director Pat Schoen, who retired in February. “We have never turned anyone away for lack of affordability and we offset the costs of what the client cannot pay.”

C-SNIP, which has facilities in both Muskegon and Kent counties, opens its doors to anyone throughout the country and has spayed and neutered more than 95,000 cats and dogs. A fully staffed operation, C-SNIP’s funding comes from donations, surgery fees and grants. Schoen said about 96 percent of C-SNIP’s clients are low-income.

“Our mortality rate is probably the lowest in the country because of the skills and attention of our staff,” said Schoen.

Still, she is particularly concerned about the “overwhelming continuing explosion” of cats in West Michigan and grant money not used for the Big Paws project has helped with spaying and neutering cats.

C-SNIP partners with the Humane Society of West Michigan two days a month to provide vaccinations for low-income pet owners. It also waives fees for active military personnel and women who are entering a shelter situation and need help with their pets.

VICKY’S PET CONNECTION, $27,000

Older dogs and cats present special challenges, Reinecke said, because their needs are greater and they are more difficult to place in homes.

So Vicky’s Pet Connection used $15,000 of its Blocktail grant for its Golden Paws program.

“We pull at-risk senior dogs out of shelters and provide them with medical attention and try to get them adopted,” Reinecke said.

They include dogs like Franny, a Beagle taken from the Allegan County Animal Shelter and then Wishbone Rescue, who was in critical shape by the time she reached Vicky’s. Franny had extensive dental work as well as a three-inch tumor removed from her paw.

“These animals are remarkable,” said Reinecke. “Most of the time they can be rehabbed into very loving family pets.”

Vicky’s also takes in and adopts out about 600 cats a year, but focuses primarily on aging and special needs dogs.

Vicky’s used $5,000 of its Blocktail grant for its Buddy’s Big Fix Fund, which focuses on spaying and neutering larger dogs, while $7,000 has been used for microchipping pets.

HUMANE SOCIETY OF WEST MICHIGAN, $21,600

The bulk of HSWM’s Blocktail grant has been used on adoption specials, including its Silver Paws Program for senior dogs. The remaining dollars were spent on microchipping for low-income pet owners and providing animal transfer subsidies.

With an annual operating budget of $1.5 million funded primarily with grants and donations and an intake rate of about 3,500 animals per year, every dollar is critical to helping animals in West Michigan, Ender said.

The oldest help agency for animals in West Michigan — the organization was founded in 1883 — it works closely with other organizations to provide homes and care for cats and dogs.

“The grants fueled by funds raised at the Blocktail Party have such a positive impact on Humane Society of West Michigan’s mission, enabling us to improve and extend the care we provide to animals, increase the number of animal adoptions, expand opportunities, and launch new initiatives that benefit the community’s animals and pet owners,” said Ender. “The Bissell Blocktail Party is another philanthropic testimony that as a community, we are in it together — we are joined together for life-saving measures for animals in our community.”

Specifically, the grant allowed the Humane Society, located in Walker, to subsidize six months of adoption specials and to provide reduced-rate vaccinations and free microchipping for low-income pet owners.

CAROL’S FERALS, $12,000

There are plenty of behind-the-scenes costs that go into helping animals, and equipment is just one of them.

Carol Manos, founder of Carol’s Ferals in Grand Rapids, said the Blocktail grant was instrumental in purchasing a washer and dryer and dishwasher to help clean the bedding and dishes for the thousands of cats passing through the organization on a yearly basis.

“These purchases have really helped us provide more sanitary conditions for our cats,” said Manos.

Remaining Blocktail grant funds have been used for the shelter’s spay and neuter program, the top priority at Carol’s Ferals.

CRASH’S LANDING AND BIG SID’S SANCTUARY, $10,000

A cat rescue placement center in Grand Rapids, Crash’s Landing doesn’t aspire to be the biggest shelter in West Michigan.

“We never set out to be the biggest shelter,” said Kimberly Grant, vice president and director of communications for Crash’s Landing. “We are more than happy and satisfied to, as the motto states, ‘help our little corner of the world, one cat at a time.’ We firmly stand by the ideal of quality over quantity and do not apologize for that.”

Yet, the Blocktail grant allowed the shelter to increase its capacity by 8 percent to 130 cats. Other monies have been used to publicize the facility, which has resulted in more than doubling the number of adoptions per month, from an average of 7 to 19. An added bonus: Volunteer numbers also have more than doubled.

“We’ve worked very hard in 2012 to alter the public perception of Crash’s Landing,” said Grant. “I believe we were perceived as difficult to adopt from — even standoffish.”

Crash’s has used $7,000 of the grant to promote adoptions and community outreach and $3,000 for food and supplies.

MACKENZIE’S FOUNDATION, $10,000

Mackenzie’s takes in out about 100 dogs per year but was unable to provide some of the on-site care needed to prepare them for adoption.

The Blocktail grant has been used toward purchasing laboratory equipment to assist with diagnostics. “We are not able to do in-depth eye exams, run more accurate fecal samples, urinalysis, etc.,” said Jorel Davis, assistant general manager of Mackenzie’s. “This was the first step towards the future.”

Davis said he’s excited about what Mackenzie’s, located in Lake Odessa, will be able to do to help homeless dogs with an on-site veterinary clinic.

“We will be able to impact a greater number of deserving animals relinquished to animal control facilities, humane societies and other types of facilities that euthanize,” said Davis. “Through this, we will be able to show our community that these dogs are not to blame; given needed attention and some time, they are great companions that just need to find their forever home.”

SAFE HAVEN HUMANE SOCIETY, $5,000

Located in Ionia, Safe Haven has used its grant to create a dog-training program for people who adopt their dogs, in addition to supporting a free spay/neuter program for female cats and their litters.

Safe Haven focuses on rescuing cats and dogs from abandonment situations.

REUBEN’S ROOM CAT RESCUE, $4,000

Reuben’s has targeted its grant for helping with the needs of its senior cat population.

Reuben’s Room facilitator Jeanine Buckner is convinced that cats make a difference in senior citizens’ lives and she has focused on matching her older cats with elderly men and women. Her program is called “Worry Free Adoption for Seniors.”

BELLWETHER HARBOR, $2,050

This dog and cat shelter in Fremont, has used its grant to purchase 200 Avid microchips in hopes that animals can be reunited with their owners sooner than Bonnie and Clyde, two elderly Beagles who came to the shelter in 2011.

Carmen Froehle, facilities manager at Bellwether, said the elderly dogs stayed at the shelter for nearly a year when a young boy showed up after seeing photos posted online. They were the boy’s dogs, named Daisy and Gunner, and “the family was overjoyed” to get their dogs back.

Had the dogs been microchipped, they would have been reunited much sooner. With the Blocktail grant, Froehle said they can now ensure every cat and dog is microchipped before they are adopted.

MIDAMERICA BORDER COLLIE RESCUE, $1,000

MidAmerica Border Collie Rescue serves the Michigan, Illinois, Kentucky, Wisconsin and Indiana areas and has used its grant to microchip its border collies before putting them up for adoption. There is no facility for the rescue. Instead, adoptable dogs are housed in foster homes.

Crates of Jack Russells arrive via the ASPCA truck at Kent County Animal Shelter on Wednesday.

The Jack Russell terriers rescued from a suspected puppy mill operation in Lake City arrived at the Kent County Animal Shelter and Humane Society of West Michigan this afternoon.

The ASPCA’s Animal Cruelty Investigation Disaster Response truck pulled into KCAS around 1:30 p.m. and unloaded 15 Jack Russells. Six additional dogs, also JRTs, were then transported to HSWM. No Shiba Inus, also rescued from the puppy mill, were brought to West Michigan.

Dr. Laurie Wright, staff veterinarian at KCAS, said the dogs are in good shape, given what they’re going through. Some dogs had vomit and diarrhea in their travel crates and were given baths upon arrival.

“Most of the dogs are a little bit stressed because they’ve had a long car ride, but they’re really in pretty good physical condition,”  Wright said. “One I just processed had some evidence of flea dirt,  but no fleas. The ASPCA had already pretreated everybody, and  they’re all vaccinated heartworm tested, microchipped, fecal tested and dewormed, so we’re basically just getting them to the point where we can get them settled comfortably.

“They’ll get reassessed probably in the next 24 to 48 hours and we’ll see how they’re settling in. The bandanas you see us putting on them are sprayed with a pheromone to help calm them down. The bandanas aren’t just for cuteness, but also for de-stressing.”

Carly Luttmann, adoption program supervisor at KCAS, said the Jack Russells could be ready to be adopted as early as tomorrow.

“I think we need to do more behavior assessments on everybody tomorrow morning just to see how they’re going to fit in our adoption program, but I anticipate we’ll be ready to have them available,” Luttmann said.

The KCAS dogs all have familiar temporary names to anyone who follows the Detroit Tigers. They’re named after Tigers players and manager Jim Leyland.

“Our marketing and media manager, Lisa LaPlante, came up with Tigers’ players names,” Luttmann said. “It’s always a challenge to name a big group of dogs that comes in at once.”

Because there was just one male dog in the group of 15 at KCAS, Luttmann’s staff had to come up with solutions for the females.

“(The Tigers) have masculine names, so we had a to change a few things,” she said. “For instance, we changed Victor Martinez to Victoria M. We had to get a little creative.”

The dogs at HSWM will undergo behavioral testing before going up for adoption. Nicole Cook, marketing director at HSWM, said the dogs appear to have better temperaments than her staff expected, but they definitely are a bit fearful.

In addition, one HSWM dog is heartworm positive and another has a heart murmur. Cook said a grant from ASPCA will be used for medical treatment on those dogs, and said they should be fine with treatment. There’s no timetable for the adoption availability of the dogs in HSWM’s care.

Five dogs rescued from a suspected puppy mill in Lake City will arrive at Humane Society of West Michigan today, where they’ll work with behavior specialists until they’re ready for adoption. (Roscommon County Animal Shelter photo)

A press release from HSWM said the five dogs are the last remaining from the more than 150 dogs seized and are the toughest to place, according to the ASPCA, because of their behavior challenges. The ASPCA worked in conjunction with law enforcement officials to find temporary shelter for the Jack Russell terriers and Shiba Inus rescued from the suspected puppy mill.

The HSWM release said the five dogs headed their way today are fearful and unsocialized and some suffer from medical issues, including heartworm and a heart murmur.

“We have a fantastic behavior specialist and veterinarian on staff who are ready and skilled to help in dire circumstances like this,” Trudy Ender, HSWM Executive Director, said in the release.  ”We are pleased to be able to help these dogs and give them the care and attention they deserve.”

When the dogs arrive at HSWM, they will immediately get medical care and begin working with the behavior staff to acclimate them. The dogs will be evaluated upon arrival and will be placed up for adoption when they are ready for their new “forever” home, HSWM said.

More than 150 dogs, mostly Jack Russell terriers and Shiba Inus, were rescued from this outdoor kennel, a suspected puppy mill.

You may have seen a story on the television news last week regarding the seizure of 150 dogs, mainly Jack Russell terriers and Shiba Inus, from a suspected puppy mill operation near Lake City, Mich.

Wednesday, 20 of those dogs will arrive at the Kent County Animal Shelter and will be available for adoption. And because of grants earlier this year from the Michigan Animal Welfare Fund and “George’s Fund,” KCAS will make available all the dogs  for a $50 adoption fee, plus the $12 to license them. The adoption fee covers spay/neuter, vaccinations and microchipping. Check out the “How to Adopt” section on the KCAS website to make sure you’re prepared when you visit the facility.

Animal Shelter Program Supervisor Carly Luttmann said the dogs should be arriving sometime before noon on Wednesday. They’ve already been evaluated for behavior and medical issues and will be immediately available. The dogs will need to be spayed or neutered before being released from KCAS, but that process shouldn’t take more than a few days, Luttmann said.

A Shiba Inu gets a medical evaluation after rescue. (Roscommon County Animal Shelter photo)

The dogs were taken from two locations: JRT John’s Jack Russell and Shiba Inu Kennel, as a result of civil action prompted by violation of Michigan’s Dog Law. The Missaukee County Sheriff’s office and the Roscommon County Animal Shelter led the way and called on the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) to help in the removal of the dogs.

The ASPCA said in a news release that the dogs were discovered living in outdoor enclosures with little protection from the elements. Many dogs had no access to clean drinking water or proper shelter, with plastic carriers being their only refuge from rain, snow or sun, the ASPCA said. Many of the dogs were unsocialized and fearful when handled by humans.

For that reason, Luttmann said those planning to adopt any of the dogs should realize that patience and training will be required. KCAS will offer information on Jack Russell and Shiba Inu breeds in addition to recommendations on training.

“We’re hoping people will come out (to KCAS) and help us find these dogs homes,” Luttmann said. “They lived in outdoor conditions at a puppy mill, so they might be shy at first and need training to adjust to their new lives. These Jack Russells are very smart, but they’re not all like the dog from ‘Fraiser.’ They will need training.”

A Jack Russell rescued from the suspected puppy mill who will be looking for a new home. (Roscommon County Animal Shelter photo)

Luttmann added that the dogs may need dental work, not entirely uncommon for smaller breeds and terriers older than 2 or 3 who have never had dental care.

If you’re interested in taking advantage of the $50 adoption special and giving one of these dogs (or any other dog at KCAS) a loving home, be sure to stop by the animal shelter Wednesday afternoon or later.

The rest of the dogs seized are being housed at various locations, the ASPCA release said. They’ve undergone medical examinations and those that are medically and behaviorally sound, like those headed to Kent County, will be immediately placed by Roscommon County Animal Shelter with ASPCA response partners. Those response partners also include Medina County SPCA (Medina, Ohio) and Animal Humane Society (Golden Valley, Minn.), which are also supporting the sheltering operation and will help provide daily care for the animals.

Aside from KCAS, other agencies in Michigan assisting the operation include Michigan Humane Society (Bingham Farms), Kalkaska County Animal Control (Kalkaska) and Clare County Animal Shelter (Harrison).

“This case has been years in the making and we felt strongly that something had to be done to protect these animals,” Missaukee County sheriff Jim Bosscher said in the ASPCA release. “The ASPCA’s resources and sheltering knowledge, combined with the support of the Roscommon County Animal Shelter, will finally allow these dogs the chance to have a happy life.”

The free event was sponsored by the Lakeside District Association.

HSWM’s free annual event, which features games, events for kids and adoption specials, begins at 10:30 a.m. and runs until 10:30 p.m. Visitors can find great prices on animal adoptions, including $5 for cats older than six months and for small critters, and $25 for kittens from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

From 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., dogs can be adopted for just $45, while it’s “name your price” on cats, kittens and small critters. Other adoption specials will be worked into fun games, like “Guess the Weight of the Dog” and “Spin to Win with the Wheel of Savings.”

And while the goal is to get animals into forever homes, there also will be plenty of fun and educational opportunities. There are carnival games, an adoptable animals parade, “Rockin’ Rovers” and Zumba class.

At 4 p.m., the world’s tallest dog, Zeus, will be on hand to greet visitors. Zeus, a Great Dane from Plainwell, this fall was named the World’s Tallest Dog by the Guinness Book  or Records. The gentle giant visited a kid’s camp at HSWM over Christmas break and was so popular, the staff is bringing him back for Saturday’s event.

At 7 p.m., former Army Captain Luis Carlos Montalván, who wrote the New York Times bestseller “Until Tuesday: A Wounded Warrior and the Golden Retriever Who Saved Him,” will talk about his book and his experiences. His best friend, and service dog, Tuesday, for whom the book is named, also will be on hand.

The evening with Montalvan requires tickets ($20) and copies of his book also will be available for purchase and signing. To order tickets, click here. .

Here’s a schedule of Saturday’s 12 hours of fun:

Adoption Specials:

George Lewis and his dog, Sheba.

It told readers the native of Port Washington, N.Y., was a veteran of US Navy, Vietnam Era. It gave the usual details of funeral services, and said he would be buried in Westbury, N.Y.

What Lewis’ obituary didn’t say was that he had a soft spot for animals, particularly dogs. It didn’t say that when he died, he would leave behind a $9,000 gift to help hundreds of animals in Kent County.

Lewis’ brother, Brett, contacted Kent County Animal Shelter program supervisor Carly Luttmann not long after George’s death. He explained that he had a donation he wanted to give to KCAS on behalf of his brother. But he wanted to make sure the gift would go to help animals. Luttmann assured him it would.

“When I found out how much the donation was, I was blown away,” Luttmann said. “It was a very generous donation, more than we generally get.”

Starting Monday, because of “George’s Fund” and a $9,956 grant from Michigan’s Animal Welfare Fund, KCAS will kick off a campaign that offers adoptions of dogs and cats at a reduced fee.

Dogs can be adopted from KCAS for just $50, plus the $12 licensing fee, and cats will be just $5. All animals will be spayed or neutered and up to date on all vaccines prior to adoption.

Mouse has been at Kent County Animal Shelter for two months and is available for adoption.

“I talked to Brett about how we used our grant from the Bissell Blocktail Party last year to offset the cost of adoptions and how much it helped us and the animals,” Luttmann said. KCAS was able to offer the same reduced adoption fees last fall during the ASPCA/Rachael Ray Challenge and ended up with hundreds of animals finding forever homes during the three-month challenge.

“I told him we could use the donation toward reducing the fees in the spring, when animal intake rises,” Luttmann said. “He said that sounded like a good way to use the money and that he’d be in touch in the spring. He called me back a couple weeks ago.”

Luttmann said she could hear Brett Lewis get a bit choked up over the telephone when she suggested the name “George’s Fund” for the donation and adoption drive.

“We’re estimating George’s Fund will cover the balance of the adoption fees for at least 150 animals,” Luttmann said. “Our goal is to encourage people looking for a pet to think about adoption first, before going to an alternate source. And we’re trying to make sure the animals in Kent County are vaccinated and spayed or neutered right off the bat.”

The reduced fees will be in place until the fund runs out, Luttmann said.

Otto, back at our house the day after surgery.

I talked Dad into adopting Otto, an adorable 10-year-old, from the Muskegon Humane Society. Dad already has a 12-year-old JRT, so he knows the breed. He wouldn’t have to go through usual trials and tribulations of raising a puppy: biting, chewing, “accidents.”

And Otto needed saving. He had been pulled from one of the few shelters in Michigan that still uses a gas chamber to euthanize dogs. He was rescued the day before he was scheduled to meet this horrible fate.

Otto also needed extensive dental work. We knew that going into the adoption, so I scheduled an appointment with Dr. James Moore at Harborfront Hospital for Animals in Spring Lake, who specializes in oral procedures for pets.

Otto’s surgery went well. Dr. Moore’s work included extracting several bad teeth, saving Otto’s one remaining canine tooth, reparation to areas of his gums and roots and, well, too much more to go into detail (since I can’t pronounce half of the words anyway). Dr. Moore himself was amazed that little Otto lived in such pain for so long.

We said our thank-yous and goodbyes, and Dad brought Otto home. All was well in Otto’s (and Dad’s world) until last week, when Dad left for his annual 10-day “trout camp.” No one brings rods, and no one fishes, but the trip is a good excuse for Dad and his friends to get together and camp up north. I had agreed to watch Otto at our home, since adopting him was my idea.  Pup, his other JRT, was headed to my cousin’s house.

Otto met Gabbana Huffington during his first visit to Harborfront, when he required oral surgery.

The morning after Dad left, Otto appeared quite sad and a bit nervous. I was sure he was just missing Dad, who is retired and spends almost every second with his dogs.

Otto told me differently. He had an “accident” on our hardwood floors, just seconds after coming in from outside to do his business. When I went to clean it up, I noticed blood in the stool. I called Dr. Moore’s office, since it was nearby and they knew Otto’s brief medical history (there were no previous records, since Otto had been picked up as a stray).

They got me in within an hour and ran the stool sample to start eliminating what it might be. No intestinal parasites or typical problems related to blood in the stool appeared. Temperature was normal, heart and lungs sounded fine. But when Dr. Moore examined him further, pressing gently on areas of his body, it was clear Otto was in pain in the lower areas of his belly.

Dr. Moore instructed me to leave Otto … this would take X-rays and time. When he called an hour later, he said X-rays revealed a mass, likely on the spleen. He hoped it was the spleen, he said,  because it’s an organ dogs really don’t need. If it was the liver or kidneys, we’d be in bigger trouble. Either way, surgery was required.

Dr. James Moore and his greyhound, Gabbi, at home.
(Patti Eddington photo)

Dad couldn’t be reached. He’s 75 years old, doesn’t have — or want — a cell phone, and doesn’t know how to use a computer. He trusts me to make the right decisions whenever I’m watching his dog or home.  I, of course, told Dr. Moore to do whatever was necessary.

Otto, it turns out, had all sorts of issues. He was anemic. His red blood cell count was very low, his gums were beyond pale. He needed blood, pronto. Without it, he wouldn’t survive.

As fate would have it, Dr. Moore and his wife, Patti Eddington, happen to own a rescued greyhound, Gabbana Huffington, who hangs out at Harborfront every day. Greyhounds, I learned, are universal blood donors. That’s not why Dr. Moore and his wife got her, but I’m incredibly thankful they did.

Gabbi gave her blood, and Otto stabilized. Dr. Moore was able to remove the spleen, which was twice its normal size because of the massive tumor on it. I still don’t know whether the tumor is cancerous or benign, but I’m not concerned with that right now. The spleen, and the tumor, are gone.

Had he not been brought in that morning, Otto’s spleen would have ruptured by the end of the day and he would have died from internal bleeding, Dr. Moore said. Had Gabbi not donated her blood, Otto wouldn’t have made it through surgery.

When Gabbi’s not being a heroine, she’s a couch potato.
(Patti Eddington photo)

Otto is recovering at our home now, three days removed from surgery, and doing incredibly well. He clearly is in some pain from the surgery and whines a bit, but his color is great (his gums are nice and pink) and he prances around the yard as if nothing happened.

Dad will be shocked and amazed at the ordeal his little dog went through. By the time he returns from camp, Otto should be mostly recovered and have his stitches removed. Finally, little Otto can live out his years (hopefully he has a lot left) the way he should — in a loving home on 10 acres of woods, running and exploring things like a true terrier.

And, in my book, Dr. Moore and his beautiful greyhound Gabbi are heroes. I’m convinced that had they not done what they did, little Otto wouldn’t be sitting on the couch next to me right now. I am forever indebted to them.

And had Otto not “spoken” to me by doing his business in our dining room instead of outside, Thursday surely would have been a very dark day. Sometimes, instead of scolding, we just need to listen and pay attention.

The latest wolf population figures in the U.P. went from 687 to 658.

Well, it’s happening again. This time, the protection of wolves in Michigan is at stake. Despite more than 250,000 signatures gathered by state residents to get a referendum on the ballot in November 2014 to repeal a bill that adds wolves to the list of game species, a bill introduced in the state senate may undo the efforts of citizens fighting to protect wildlife.

Jill Fritz, Michigan state director for the Humane Society of the United States, sent me a fact sheet of what Senate Bill 288 means.

SB 288, introduced by Sen. Tom Casperson (R-38, Escanaba), allows the Michigan Natural Resources Commission (NRC), in addition to the legislature, to add animals to the list of game species (animals that can be hunted), Fritz’s explanation said. If the NRC makes such a designation, Michigan voters would be unable to reverse that decision because it is an act of a regulatory body and not the legislature. Sen. Casperson also included a $1 million appropriation in SB 288 for game and fish management. State law prohibits appropriations bills from being overturned by a voter referendum.

“The problem with SB 288 and the actions of the NRC is that they cannot be undone by voters,” Fritz told me. “We are working as hard as we can to get legislators to vote no. Despite the appalling lack of basic understanding of wolves, including their population, and behavior, and committee testimony that was overwhelmingly in opposition to it, the bill passed easily through the Senate Natural Resources, Environment, and Great Lakes Committee and will go to the Senate floor. While we hope that reason will prevail and that the Senate will reject SB 288, if they do not it will go to a House committee and eventually the House floor.”

Fritz said she’s holding out hope that, ultimately, legislators will have the good sense to listen to Michigan’s citizens and not allow the NRC to designate animals as game species.

In late March, a coalition of Michigan citizens, conservationists, Native American tribes, scientists and animal welfare interests turned in more than 253,000 signatures from Michigan voters to place Public Act 520, listing wolves as a game species, to a referendum vote. SB 288, introduced just two weeks after the submission of the signatures, would basically render those signatures useless.

“It’s a slap in the face to the many Michigan volunteers who stood out in the cold winter weather and spent their time collecting these signatures,” Fritz said. “It says their voices don’t count.”

Allowing wolves to be hunted as game species simply doesn’t make sense. Wolves just last year came off the protected list, and their population in the Upper Peninsula actually has dropped, from 687 to the most recent count of 658. Leading wolf scientists predicted that after decades of protection the state’s wolf population would stabilize on its own, which appears to be the case.

The wolf population is not exploding, and current laws already provide rights to farmers and dog owners to shoot and kill wolves attacking their pets or livestock. So why make killing them a sport?

A Department of Natural Resources proposal regarding the hunt set a quota of 43 wolves, down from its original proposal of 47 because of the estimated decrease in the wolf population. Does the DNR, the NRC or the state legislature see the purchase of licenses to kill 43 wolves for recreation as a money-maker for Michigan?

Remember back in 2006, when Michigan voters overwhelmingly said no to the hunting of mourning doves? All 83 counties voted against a ballot measure that would have allowed for sport hunting of mourning doves. Well, SB 288 would give the NRC the power to reverse that decision as well and include mourning doves as game species.

I’m not sure of the reasoning behind SB 288. But I do know that I’m against it. Not only am I anti-wolf hunting in our state, the bigger picture is even more disturbing. Using end-around tactics to get laws in place, and adding appropriations to ensure it never reaches voters, takes away our right, as citizens, to have our voices heard and our votes counted on the issue.

If you feel the same, contact your legislators and tell them so. Perhaps inundating them with phone calls, letters and emails will have an effect. Because clearly, something needs to be done.