T- Minus 21 Days

Training for the Boston Marathon has coincided with perhaps the busiest time in my life thus far, but I am very grateful for this entire experience.  Running has been my therapy at the end of a long, stressful day. It is my treat to myself to just go hash out my thoughts over a 6 to 8 mile run.  And I have been able to reconnect with an old teammate and friend over early Sunday morning long runs.  While I am exhausted, the final weeks of training are here!  And the taper is actually one of my favorite times prior to a race.  Most of the mileage work is logged and all I need to do is maintain my fitness, increase my confidence, and stay healthy.  Last week I received my race number and was so excited to realize that this is really gonna happen.  And I am very grateful that I am going to be able to support BTRNC through this race.  It certainly makes all those 2 to 3 hour runs worth it.  In fact, towards the end of my 20-miler when my muscles didn't seem to want to go any further, I had my husband remind me of the Bostons that potentially will be helped.  My grandmother added the comment to her pledge form, "Think of all the Bobbys you'll be helping!" 

And as if I didn't need an additional reminder of the cause of dog rescue, after yesterday's long run a little Jack Russell terrier followed my husband all the way back to the car.  He let me know that after searching for an owner, no one knew where she came from and she had no identification on. The IM fields in Athens are notorious for dog dumping due to the high traffic of dog lovers and owners. She was in heat and from the looks of things she looked like she'd  had pups once before.  Her little tail whipped back and forth as we drove her to the shelter, and during the drive I started calling her Raisin.  Raisin is going to be held for 10 days to see if she is claimed, and then we are going to call about her and start recruiting a good home.  Sadly, our little abode does not have room for another pooch, though she requires little space.  And my feelings about the local shelter were somewhat put at ease when I saw about 8 to 12 volunteers there socializing with the dogs.  But, needless to say, she is still on my mind.  I know how many dogs are homeless out there, and how much of an uphill battle rescue is, but at least one dog placed in a good home, is one dog not suffering. 

On that note, there are a million things I need to be doing right now.  3 weeks till I'll be toeing the line in Boston!!

This One Tugs At My Heart Strings

Hi friends!  I am attaching a recent rescue situation that the BTRNC.... Be prepared to tear up.  I think the best point of the story is the end... even when these sweet creatures can't recover from an injury or illness, at least the kind people of this rescue (and all pet rescues) grieve for an animal otherwise forgotten.  And at least these babies get one glimpse of human compassion....

 

Hello everyone. This is Maggie Mae. Sadly, her story doesn't end well on this earth.Please see below what our transport coordinator shared with her transport angels that had lined up to help get this sweet one all the way from Va to Charlotte.We thought she was pregnant,but what we thought was a precious Mom and her babies,turned out to be devastating news. I think Jan puts Maggie's story beautifull...y.

" The "pregnant" female - her name was Maggie Mae - turned out not to be pregnant at all but full of worms and fluid, stage 4 heartworms, and more. Rose went ahead and picked her up Thursday instead of waiting till Saturday (still thinking she was fine, just very pregnant), took Maggie Mae to her vet, and that's when this was discovered. I am so grateful for that - otherwise, Maggie Mae would have probably died in that shelter before Saturday, all alone. Turns out, the owners who took her to the shelter had said she was sick. Heartbreaking that they just turned her in like that because she was sick.

Anyway, the vet said she was suffering so they decided to let her go on God's transport last night, so we cancelled ours, which was all arranged already - everyone all ready to transport a very pregnant girl and hope she didn't go into labor during the trip. We were all a bit nervous, I think.

Shortly after I heard and was still crying for the poor girl and what she had been through (while I walked Fred around in the yard), I realized that I guess this is another function that rescue serves - we grieve for those who would have had no one to grieve.

Sorry the news is so sad on this girl. "

Jan Ramsey
Transport Coordinator
Boston Terrier Rescue of North Carolina,
a 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to the rescue and
rehabilitation of Boston Terriers in NC, SC, VA and GAwww.btrnc.orgSee More

To end on a happy note.... The stray dog that my friends and I found last weekend is recovering from her injury.  She had a spider bite which was very infected.  The veterinarian had to do some minor surgery, but with love and antibiotics, she is going to be just fine.  A rescue has taken her in and a foster family is giving her care while the leg heals.  They believe that a forever family is already lined up for her!!  We are very happy that "Baby Girl," which we affectionately refer to her as, will end up in a home with the care she deserves!

Hitting Close to Home

Over the weekend, my fabulous group of high school girlfriends and myself were able to have a long awaited get together.  5 of us are dog parents, and all of us are animal lovers. We had a fantastic time catching up, and part of our weekend included seeing this IMAX movie about orphaned elephant and orangutan rescues in parts of the world.  Eyes welled up beneath those 3-D glasses. 

Needless to say, when this beautiful coon hound began to hang around our cabin all weekend, we were quick to give her attention.  The second day we were there, we noticed some sores and she had begun to limp on one of her back legs.  I asked the neighboring cabin if they knew her parents, and sure enough, they admitted that where they lived was a common "dumping ground" for unwanted dogs, and that was more than likely what had happened to her.  Through all this she continued to wag her tail.  The day we were leaving she was still around, her leg was swollen, and she wasn't putting any pressure on it.  We decided to get her out of the "wilderness" and get her some medical attention.  Here she is below... Soooo sweet!!

It is so easy to get angry at humans for situations like this.  After all, dogs depend on us for care, and she is probably a case of another dog that simply became unwanted.  It is tough to understand how people can let this happen.  My dogs do not go without a warm place to sleep or a meal, much less a lack in medical care.  As I am writing this, my friend is on her way with Birdie, as we've begun to affectionately call her, to the vet.  She is going to get the medical care she deserves and eventually a wonderful forever home with people that will appreciate her.  This isolated situation reaffirms how glad I am that I will be able to give back to a rescue that assists dogs like her that are injured and left behind.  And how grateful I am for compassionate friends.

Quick Hello

Hi Friends,

In taking a quick study/ work break I wanted to say thank you to all of the donors so far.  Some of you I am very close friends with, and others I have never even met.  The support is amazing and I know it'll help me stay motivated when my legs are screaming at me around mile 20! :) Training is going well, and we are officially 9 weeks away from the marathon.  Long enough to gain more preparation and more mental stamina. If you are just reading this blog for the first time, the very first post explains why I feel compelled to give back so much. 

To put it simply, our dogs bring us great joy.  And for the time being, they are the closest thing we have to children.  Rarely does a phone conversation with my best friend go by where we don't share a story about our dogs (hers also being a rescue). Often we discuss dog health issues, or funny things that happened recently.  Apparently Finley, my BF's dog, has learned to open the back door to let herself in (clever little thing).  And it is after these conversations that I realize the impact these little furry animals have on us.  In being able to assist the rescue efforts of BTRNC, I hope to aid in making this joy of dog parenting happen for a few other humans, as well as Bostons.  This morning I was telling my husband that I am glad we were the lucky family to get to "recycle" Bob, and I am sure like most other rescue families you always wonder about the previous life your dog led. The one thing that is for certain is that these "recycled" dogs are able to find caring homes because of BTRNC.  And to me, that is a very worthy cause. 

Proud Mama

Hello All,

I kinda can't help myself.... and I have to brag a bit.  Bobby was entered into cutest pet contest at Mike's work, and took the gold.  I can't say I am too surprised, but I accept that not every person sees the beauty in Bostons like I do.  Supposedly he beat out a corgi by one vote... it probably helped that we put a camo bandana around his neck and Mike's dog tags (Mike has a job in the military).  His prize was a paper mache trophy and a UGA dog jersey that he will proudly sport come August. 

And I have to brag on Chloe too. For those of you who know Chloe, you would agree that she is the "crazy" one.  So to let her get some of that energy out I have begun to take her on 1.5 mile runs.  It seems to help, and she seems to really be enjoying herself (just like Mama.)  Not to mention with her turning 6 soon I have started to worry about her staying in good physical fitness. 

All that being said, Boston4Boston forms are coming in and I can't thank the donors enough!  The wonderful part is that these pledges are being made on behalf of other dogs that have touched the donor's lives.  Dogs are perhaps one of the most forgiving creatures and despite being another species, they find a way to connect to humans.  For those who are interested look for the BTRNC on facebook or visit their website for a continuous supply of uplifting stories of rescue.  Some of those babies have come through hell and back, and the wonderful people that help to give them a second chance are fearless and beyond compassionate.  Often you can find funny little videos as well... like the one I will share below! So friends it is back to work for me, but thanks for the continued support... I am gonna need as I get further along in the training!

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D1Ol1NE2SSrQ%26feature%3Dshare&h=oAQHDz_otAQGohFK2DexTyEo4Ily2WJ2ii2fGY1AEtREN-w

Stories from BTRNC

Hello Friends,

I don't have mush time to write, but wanted to share another website of interest that is part of the BTRNC.  http://www.btrnc.blogspot.com/ .  Here you will find stories of various rescue dog and how they came into the rescue.  The blog shares heartwarming stories about dogs finding their place in their forever homes, and reports stories of the remarkable recoveries that some of these babes have to endure. 

That being said, the training has been going fairly well... a brief cold held me back a few days last week, but the excellent weather has been quite welcome (I mean, running in shorts and a tee in early January, yes, please!!).  I have a feeling that eventually my good weather luck will run out, but I have been loving it so far.  Thanks again for all the support that I have received so early in my efforts.  I truly hope that this will be able to make the difference in some lucky Bostons life! 

Pledge Instructions

Hi Everyone! Happy New Year!!
After much effort to try to post a link of the pledge form, this is the best I could do.... I even have my little brother on it trying to help me out! So for now, if you are interested in donating to this cause, simply copy and paste the pledge form portion into a Word document and email your info to me at mcconnellwj@gmail.com. Sorry for the confusion!  I suppose this will have to work until we work out this technical difficulty!!