Continued Articles from Index

"But right now we are going backwards. Instead of having more puppies, we are trying to stop the coming puppies. Which is a kind of nonsense."

It was Lourdes Garcia-Navarro and I who decided we had to neuter Nunu. Garcia-Navarro is a correspondent in Baghdad. Nunu kept getting lost — slipping out to gallivant with the pack of stray females who roam the street outside our bureau. "The snip," as she called it, seemed like the only solution.

On the day of Nunu's appointment, I tried to slip out the door quietly with him. But the staff caught me on the way out.

"Everyone is sad about Nunu," Ghasson said to me. He explained that for Iraqis, having a big family is a great achievement — a basic right that we shouldn't deprive man or dog.

Another translator, Isra, went so far as to say that Nunu would be the scorn of the neighborhood. Before this, she said, she always thought that the stray dogs outside envied Nunu for his posh indoor lifestyle.

"But now that he will stop being a male dog, I think no stray dog will think of envying him anymore," Isra said.

I assumed the Iraqi vet would — like U.S. vets — be an advocate of population control.

But this is the first thing the veterinarian, Leith Jacob Sabah, said to me: "This is the season of breeding. I prefer to find him a girlfriend. What do you think?"

Sabah explained that veterinarians in Iraq are basically matchmakers. Sabah proudly told us about hundreds of arranged dog marriages. He'd even brokered a few international unions.

Ghasson and I stood by and whispered as we watched Sabah and his assistant do the surgery.

"I think from now on, he's going to be fat," Ghasson said. "Because he will focus on eating only. Only desire left for him."

When we brought Nunu home later that day, I admit he looked pathetic, all bandaged up. Isra and Nada, two translators, were horrified.

"I believe you should give him asylum now in the United States," Isra said. "He doesn't fit here anymore."

Nunu has pretty much recovered. We're glad we don't have to worry about little baby Nunus showing up on our doorstep. The staff seems to have moved on.

"I think it's one of the things that you grapple with here all the time," she said. "Whether you're imposing your own system on an alien culture ... and you always end up questioning yourself."

And of course no single one of us can say for sure if it was a good decision — except for maybe one dog. (Back to top)

Grady the puppy deserved better (Continued from front page)

Thus began six weeks of intensive care last fall for a scrawny, 16-pound mixed-breed mutt —- a little guy, about 4 months old, who charmed my wife Anne and me by resting his weary head on our feet and cuddling in our laps as we felt every crackling breath inside his compromised lungs.

Using a crate borrowed from our vet, Paul Averill, Anne set up a vaporizer for Grady each night, then woke him early for daily nebulizer treatments. Because of the threat of distemper and other potentially infectious diseases, Grady was always treated by Dr. Averill in isolation, often in the front seat of our Grand Cherokee. He went through several rounds of antibiotics, each stronger and more risky than the last.

He had good days and bad. Anne fed him by hand, using an oral syringe filled with special dog food. The vet staff was great. Friends and neighbors joined our “Save Grady” campaign, donating time, love and —- in the case of one special person —- a significant contribution to offset bills that mounted for his care.

When Thanksgiving arrived, we decided to take Grady with us to a condo on Pensacola Beach, with our family and friends. He walked around the balcony and slept quietly in the sun. He began eating and drinking on his own for the first time. We thought he had finally turned the corner.

But on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, he crashed. The emergency vet in Pensacola said he wouldn’t make it back home, and was astounded he had survived as long as he did. We knew it was time. We asked them to put him to sleep.

I relate Grady’s story to you now because Carroll County’s animal shelter was placed under quarantine by the state on May 8. A few weeks later it had to euthanize every animal in its care.

As bad as it is, Carroll County’s shelter isn’t all that unusual in Georgia. Many counties spend the bare minimum on animal shelters, with the bulk of what little money they do appropriate going to animal control, not the safe keeping of the animals they pick up.

Infections at many shelters run rampant. Last week the Hall County animal shelter euthanized 77 animals after an outbreak of kennel cough.

Because of the distemper outbreak —- and persistent nagging of the county humane society —- Carroll County commissioners are considering more money for the shelter. Originally, the county planned to spend just $5,500 for medical services for the animals it takes in, most of which would go for euthanization. The new budget calls for double that amount. Additionally, the county has set aside more funds for cleaning and sanitation supplies for the aging shelter, which is due to be replaced in the next year.

Still, the Carroll shelter destroys an estimated 6,000 animals a year, the humane society estimates. No on-site vet services are available. It doesn’t provide vaccines or treatment for obvious health problems when it takes an animal in. It doesn’t scan for microchips that might help find the owners of strays. At a minimum, those services ought to be required of every shelter in the state.

Pet owners do have a responsibility to get dogs and cats spayed and neutered. It starts there. But Georgia residents should demand that county commissioners run shelters that treat animals humanely and give them a fair chance to live and be adopted, not just caught and killed. The cost of spaying and neutering can be built into adoption fees, as could reasonable costs for immunization. Counties will claim they can’t afford it, but they can.

It always bugged the hell out of us that for want of about $1.85 worth of vaccines, Grady could have been saved. Maybe now, months later, something good will come of it.

After weeks of petitioning by the Carroll County Humane Society, officials plan to add tens of thousands of dollars into the budget for the county animal shelter to help what critics say is a disease-ridden and miserable environment for the animals.

“It’s unbelievable … It’s just a real breakthrough,” said Tina Buechner, president of the Humane Society. “And I think it’s just a breakthrough for having commissioners look at the whole animal control budget, and how long they’ve been so understaffed and underbudgeted.”

Thursday night, Buechner met with Commissioners John Wilson and Vicki Anderson, as well as Lee Gorman, director of the county’s Department of Community Development, which oversees the shelter. Buechner reiterated to those present many of her concerns about quality of care for animals at the shelter, and everyone agreed something needed to be done. “I had at least twice as many calls or e-mails about this as anything else that’s going on,” Wilson said. “But I think we got it straightened out. I had no idea; I don’t think most county residents did. If we can work that out, it (the shelter) would be a lot better place.”

Buechner had expressed her concerns to the commission once in public, and has since been urging people in the community to contact their commissioners before the county’s public hearing June 3 on next fiscal year’s proposed budget.

Chairman Bill Chappell and County Comptroller Don Johnson sat down on Friday and added money to the line items concerning Buechner the most.

“I talked with a number of folks who had great concerns out there, and I sat down and looked where we could move some money around and get more into that category,” Chappell said.

Chappell has bumped up the animal food budget from $1,500 to $15,000. About 8,000 to 9,000 animals pass through the shelter’s doors each year, and the shelter had been relying upon volunteer donations to provide enough food for the animals.

Part of the reason why the shelter’s food budget was so low was that the average animal there was euthanized within three business days. The shelter takes in thousands of animals each year but is only about the size of a McDonald’s, and it runs out of room quickly. A new shelter almost four times the size will open about this time next year, which means the shelter will likely be able to hold animals longer.

Chappell has upped the “medical services” line for animal welfare from $5,500 to $10,500, Most of that $5,500 was just euthanasia solution. He also added more for non-office supplies, like bleach and paper towels, from $500 to $3,000.

An animal shelter advisory committee will also be formed and charged with recommending policies on the shelter and animal control in general.

Gorman said he thought the idea was “superb,” as did Buechner. Chappell said he expected the advisory committee to be formalized by the county commission in the coming weeks. Buechner said she would still likely go before commissioners on Tuesday to show a petition she had passed around the community, but said now she thought her tone would be substantially different.

Anderson said she was pleased with the way the situation seemed to have been resolved.

“I think we have some very informed and wonderful people in community who came up and identified issues, and brought them to our attention,” said Anderson, who came up with the idea for an advisory committee. “I don’t believe we were all aware of the issues, and having a task force looking at the process would be great for community input and community involvement.”

The county budget breezed through its penultimate hurdle Tuesday night, a public-comment hearing meant to give residents an opportunity to express their concerns.

“I want to thank the commission and chairman for increasing some of the line items that were so sorely needed. ... This is a great first step,” said Tina Buechner, president of the Carroll County Humane Society.

Buechner and several other residents came to the hearing to talk about the county animal shelter, funding for which they had been trying to increase for several weeks, particularly for the food and animal medical supply line items.

The county had originally budgeted $1,500 for food for the upcoming year, at an animal shelter that sees about 8,000 to 9,000 animals a year. The proposed budget for animal medical supplies would have been $5,500, the vast majority of which would be used on euthanization solution. Animals at the county’s shelter are euthanized on average after three business days.

At the end of last week, however, commission Chairman Bill Chappell agreed to increase the food funds from $1,500 to $15,000, and the medical supply funds from $5,500 to $10,500.

Buechner and others still showed up at last night’s meeting, but mostly to thank the commissioners.Margie Williams, who recently moved to Carroll County, and began volunteering at the shelter, said she was surprised at the condition of the current shelter.

“I’m new to this community. ... I did not know how bad it was,” Williams said.

But, Williams said she agreed with Buechner that she was very happy with the shelter’s new money. Much of the problem at the shelter right now is its size: for the thousands of animals a year, it’s about the size of a Waffle HouseA new shelter will open about this time next year, and when finished will be three to four times the size of the current shelter. It will also be built in “pods,” so diseases can’t spread as easily, a major problem at this current shelter, which was just lifted from a state quarantine on new dogs.

Cheryl McAuliffe, the Georgia director for the Humane Society of the United States, was also in attendance. She agreed with Buechner and Williams that the increase in funding was a big step forward, and offered the Humane Society’s assistance if the county were to ever need it.

The next step for the county budget is for the board of commissioners to approve it, which they are expected to do at their next meeting on Tuesday, June 17. Back to top

Yet Nugget survived. More than once cars veered around him as he lay basking in the sun on the warm road. Certainly he contended with the elements, predators, and illness. Yet he survived. So did Mouse, who was born in a hoarder’s home, where conditions were appalling. The house, filled with (the number) animals was filthy with feces and urine and flea infested. So like Nugget, Mouse survived out of sheer will and luck.

When Nugget came into foster care, he was very observant of his new home, taking his time to know it so he would not bump into things. His superior sense of smell helped him to learn quickly. In no time he knew where his food dish and the litter box were located. Keen hearing alerted him to the presence of someone to pet him, love him, and scratch him in his favorite spot on his back near his tail. But, the other pets in the home shunned him. Sensing his vulnerability, another foster attacked him. Nugget was the odd cat out….no friends among the other animals.

Then Mouse came. At first they were kept separate until Mouse was cleared as disease free. Then they met at Petsmart adoptions. Scarce cages for all the animals caused them to be put in the same cage. Almost immediately Mouse lay beside Nugget. Mouse enclosed nugget with his paws. They had found comfort in a friend. When they went back to their foster home, they stayed together. They were pals.

These are two special cats who need a home where they are protected and loved. They have survived the unthinkable; yet they opened their hearts to each other. Their example should teach us all that not to give up, to be strong in the face of adversity, and to always keep our hearts open.

Consider Mouse and Nugget. Please give them a home. Let them be an encouragement to you to ever be open to friendship even from the most unlikely places. Be a part of their journey. Adopt Mouse and Nugget. And if you can’t, please consider contributing to the fund for eye surgery for Nugget.

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Neutering Nunu: A dog-Culture Clash in Iraq (Continued from front page)

Grady the puppy deserved better (Continued from front page)