I first saw this video on The Long and Short of it: A Dachshund Dog News Magazine . Currently they are featuring the Texas Dachshund Rescue video (VERY CUTE TOO!).
Rescue groups are a special group of people who have huge hearts for animals. Doing all they can to find these little doxies homes. Sometimes there are sad endings, but most often, these little ones find amazing homes because of rescue groups. Below is from Dawn Janz, Wisconsin Rep for Midwest Dachshund Rescue that explains the Midwest Dachshund Rescue 2008 Year in Review. THANK YOU MDR for all you do!!
"The life I touch, for good or ill, will touch another life, and in
that turn another. Until who knows where the trembling stops or in
what far place my touch will be felt." Frederick Buechner
We have all felt the tremblings of the economy this year! And we have
also touched the lives of many in a positive way, thanks to all who
are a part of MidWest Dachshund Rescue's mission. It has been a
challenging year for dog owners and we have been seeing that through
the increasing number of homeless dogs in 2008. We were never once
less than full and will have helped over 185 dogs this year by the
close of 2008. That is a record! Each year the need grows and we take
in more doxies than the year before. Especially impactful recently
has been the foreclosure crisis which leaves some dogs unable to go
with their family to an apartment. Financial stresses, job loss,
illness, conflict in homes, these factors all lead to the eviction of
the most vulnerable member of the family.
Every year, a handful of doxies stand out in our mind as real
fighters who overcame tough circumstances to find their forever
homes. Early in the year, Chuck came to us with a badly broken leg.
The accident happened on Christmas Eve. His owner had no money for
the vet and by the time we got him in January we weren't sure the leg
could be saved. After specialized surgery, Chuck spent weeks in a
cast and ultimately stayed in his foster home as permanent family.
Then there was Dino, who dragged himself along the side of the road
near O'Hare after being hit by a car. Organized chaos in the wee
hours of the morning saw him passed through multiple hands to get him
to MWDR and Vet Specialty where he began his long recovery from a
broken pelvis. Dino also found his forever home with his loving
foster mom.
Nash left a shelter with a genetic condition that causes fluid build-
up in his brain. He suffers from brain damage that left him unable
to interact normally with dogs and people. MWDR discovered that the
condition is not reversible and is ultimately fatal. We are committed
to him living out his short life comfortably in his loving foster
home. Nash has touched us all with his resilience and positive
attitude and we strive to take that and share it with others.
The group affectionately known as "The Doxie Dozen" were a
surprise and a logistical challenge for MWDR. A breeder downstate
was in hospice with cancer and there was nobody to care for the
12 doxies in her kennel. A dozen dogs were loaded into the van
for the trip north and ultimately to their new homes.
All of these dogs landed gently in a web of rescue that is comprised
of people like you. Each act of a rescue supporter links to others
and creates an interdependency that allows us to serve the animals.
From the person who identifies a needy dog and connects them into the
network of animal services to those who transport the animals many
miles. Foster homes, veterinary specialists, fundraisers, adopters,
and those who otherwise donate their time, money and talents all are
critical threads in the net that grants these doxies a gentle landing
into a new home.
Last year, we asked for the universe's continued support to reach
even more dogs. We did reach more dogs, but the heartbreaking truth
is that the need was greater as well. Our net is only so big. But
each loving act, each new supporter, each dollar for vet bills – all
help us to widen the net and lengthen our reach so that more doxies
can be saved. Although we hug them and let them go, each MWDR
dog remains in our hearts forever- all of us who are linked in the
web of rescue. Let's see how far we can make our gentle touch
be felt in 2009. Thank you for being a part of Rescue.
