HER RESCUE:
I was running my own small rescue in Toledo,Ohio at my
900 square foot cottage and five acres of fenced yard,
trees and a two car heated garage. I did what I could
working with the main cat rescue in town which I was
on the board of and the other large group for whom I
did fundraisers. Between the three of us we were able
to get lots of animals placed....read full story
My reputation for my bravado in rescuing animals in
peril was getting around town. Java was saved from
one of these types of situations.
One cold bitter winter night, a gentleman friend from
Columbus Ohio made the two hour drive one way to take
me to dinner at a lovely expensive restaurant. Both
dressed up, we drove to the restaurant in his BMW for
a nice evening out.
Dinner was just ordered when my cell rang and I was
told there were a mother and five puppies living
under the porch of an abandoned house in the not so
nice neighborhood of Toledo starving to death.
I could not sit and eat a nice meal in a warm place
while the pups starved. I told my date to take me back
to home to get my rescue gear, flashlights, blankets,
carriers, etc.
My "friend" informed me no way were we going to put
puppies and dogs in his car particularly since he had
on a suit. We had to drive back to his hotel (with
his dinner wrapped up that he was NOT HAPPY ABOUT) he
had to change and get his weapon (he was the Vice
President of the largest pharmaceutical company in the
U.S. that sells drugs to prisons and shelters so he
was used to going into challenging situations) and
then back to my house to change and use my car which
car I AM STILL USING FOR MY RESCUE NJAFA 10 YEARS
LATER. I digress.
We drive to location, pitch dark and freezing. Friend
(also ex football player who could not fit under the
porch) is covering me with his weapon as I slide under
porch to assess situation. Mother runs away (whom we
never did catch despite traps and our best efforts
although I left food for months and months), and
I crawl under porch with flashlight.
Two are alive...one little pup (promptly named
Java cause all I was thinking about was a warm cup
of black coffee) and one we named "Mouse:" for mouse
under the house. Sadly, Mouse died very suddenly
about six months after going to its new home. One pup
had been half eaten by its sibs. I scooped them all
up including the dead ones to cremate.
A very nice lady named Kari and her husband adopted
Java.
HER LIFE:
Java soon becomes enrolled and is tested to be a blood
donor for the local vet in Sylvania.. They were
starting a new donation program. They had a moral and
distance problem with the place where they were
getting their blood from in Michigan. If they needed
blood for a dog, it was a four-hour round trip to get
it. The place in Michigan keeps dogs for the sole
purpose of bleeding them. The dogs have no life or
loving families. Just the facility. The vet hospital
thought it would be better all around if they could
start their own program and use dogs from their loving
clients.
The first class of dogs consisted of approximately 13
dogs, of which Java was one.of them. More were
tested, but did not meet the appropriate donor class,
such as our other dog Allie. Java is not a universal
donor, but about 90% of dogs can take her blood.
Greyhounds tend to be universal donors, but other dogs
do fall into this class. The vet hospital initially
thought the most demand for blood would be from
traumatic cases such as dogs being hit by cars, but
they soon found out otherwise.
They said that the most blood used was for dogs who
had ruptured abdominal tumors. The dogs were
literally bleeding to death internally right before
your eyes and could not wait four hours for the trip
to Michigan. This program has been running
successfully for years now.
Many dog lives have been saved by this group including
a local police dog. Every year, they have a picnic
and they get to meet some of the dogs and owners who
have been saved by this program. They also retire
dogs who are too old to continue in the program and
have a little ceremony for them. They have also
started a feline program that is run a little
different, but it has also been successful. Java's
owners were very proud to be part of this program,
and glad that they could pay it forward by letting
their dog do this to help others.
HER ENDING:
This week of December 10, 2008, Java was rushed to the
hospital and died on the table of the exact medical
condition for which she has been volunteering her
blood her entire life.
Java crossed the Rainbow Bridge due to a spleenic mass
that burst. It was inoperable.
I am deeply saddened by this news but know that Java
had a purpose in life like we all do, whether human or
animal. To touch the lives of others and to pay it
forward. What are you doing to pay it forward and
won't you consider your animal to be a blood donor
like Java?
Kathy King McGuire
President
As an aside to this story we wanted to share with you
some information about blood donation program in your
areas:
Hey Kathy -
Thanks for forwarding the story and the beautiful
picture of Java! What an amazing story...and what a
great dog! How sad to read of her passing though.
That would be great if you could share our info.
The biggest thing that I like to tell people
regarding the canine blood drives is that it is a
win-win-win-win program. The blood
recipients obviously benefit greatly, the blood
donor receives many benefits when enrolled in
the program, shelter/rescue dogs benefit
from dog food that is donated by Penn at each
drive. And finally, I hope that dogs housed in
commercial blood bank kennels benefit, by
reducing the demand placed on them for their
services. The idea of dogs housed in these kennels
really horrified me (like most animal "enterprises"
or businesses.) I think it would be great if more
people had their own well-loved pets donate rather
than have involuntary donors do it.
In any case, many people are still unaware of the
concept of dog donation. My dog needed blood ten
years ago (at Penn) and I never thought twice about
where the blood came from. It wasn't until several
years later that I learned about canine blood
donation. So I think it's fantastic that you're
promoting it.
We do have info. on our upcoming drives, as well as
the requirements for donation and the blood donation
procedure itself on our website,
www.burlingtoncountypetaid.org Also, I guess
you already have the number for the Penn Animal
Blood Bank (PABB) for those people who would like to
find other nearby drives. But just in case, Penn's
number is (215) 573-PABB.
And just FYI, the Willingboro Veterinary Clinic in
Willingboro, NJ now has a blood bank and recruits
donor dogs. Their number is (609) 871-1600.
Thanks again for contacting me
- Elaine
P.S. I'd be happy to add your blood drive info. to
our site as well.
