Editor, Times-Union: I am writing this letter to voice my disdain with the practices of the Animal Welfare League of Kosciusko County. On Dec. 20, I arrived at the shelter in hopes of adopting a puppy. Our longtime pet, a dog named Lady, had passed away in November. I felt a new dog for my husband and son would be a wonderful Christmas surprise.
Upon entering the shelter, a horrendous stench assaulted me at the door. However, it did not deter me from completing my mission, so I headed to the dog cages. The floor was wet and there was a drain in the middle that appeared to have raw sewage bubbling out of it. The volunteer working that day was wearing rubber boots, and I now know why.
There were cubicles with gates that held all the dogs. I picked out an adorable Australian Shepherd puppy, gray and black speckled and brimming with personality. I paid the $50 adoption fee and received a paper stating the puppy had received its first shot and worm medications.
We all fell in love with the puppy, which my son named Lucy. We enjoyed Lucy's cute antics for three days. On the fourth day, Lucy became horribly ill. I took her to our veterinarian and was ushered into an isolated room through a back door. The vet suspected Lucy had a virus called parvo. After another $52 and a test, our vet confirmed that Lucy did have the virus.
Parvo is a virus to which dogs and puppies are susceptible, and it's highly contagious. There is no cure, however it can be treated. The sick dogs are placed on IVs to stop the dehydration that will eventually kill them. The cost of the treatment ranges from $500 to $800. Short of that, euthanasia is the course of action. The parvo virus lives for up to nine months, even in harsh winter conditions out of doors. We would not be able to get another dog for nine months unless the dog was 6 months old and had the full series of three shots guarding against parvo. The only cleaning agent that kills the virus is chlorine bleach.
I called the animal shelter to inform them of Lucy's illness. They commented that several of their animals had been ill over the weekend, and they suspected that they all had parvo. I asked them what I should do and they replied that I could bring Lucy back to them, and they would have her put to sleep. We agonized over our decision, but finally decided to take Lucy back, since the treatment of parvo has no guarantees. It was a gut-wrenching ride from our home to the shelter.
I was not offered my $50 back, even though Lucy had parvo when we adopted her. But far worse than the monetary issue was the realization that every dog at the pound carries that virus unless they have had the series of three immunizations. The only way to wipe out the parvo infection would be to isolate all the dogs and scrub the whole building down with bleach. Bleach would also need to be poured in the surrounding grassy areas outside.
I just wanted the citizens of Kosciusko County to be aware of the cruel fate many of these animals will face whether they are adopted or not. While the volunteers at the shelter all seemed like caring individuals, the shelter is not meeting the health needs of these canines. The existing dogs need to be tested and treated for parvo and the facility sanitized to provide a safe environment for these helpless animals. These dogs are being misrepresented as healthy animals and sold to unsuspecting owners.
Dana Clark North Manchester
Grateful For Donors
Editor, Times-Union: I am pleased to report that a total of eight bloodmobiles were held during the month of December, and the residents and employees working in Kosciusko County combined to donate a total of 343 units of blood! This was a great effort, and I am delighted to report that the total number of units of blood donated during 2003 surpassed 3,400 units (a total of 3,061 units of blood were donated in 2002 in Kosciusko County).
I am grateful for every donor who was able to participate in our blood program during 2003. We have had wonderful support and cooperation from our area churches, communities and citizens, and from many industries and corporations who regularly sponsored blood drives and encouraged their employees to participate as donors by permitting them to be away from their job responsibilities for a short period of time. In addition, our high schools in Kosciusko County (Wawasee, Warsaw and Tippecanoe Valley), along with Grace College students, all made us very proud of their dedicated support as blood donors!
As we enter the year 2004, we have much to be proud of across our county and 2003 gave us a solid foundation upon which to expand our blood donor program. I want to encourage those individuals who have thought about becoming blood donors to become involved in 2004!
During January we will host three bloodmobiles according to the following schedule:
Tuesday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Center Lake Pavilion, Warsaw.
Thursday, 2 to 7 p.m., Syracuse United Methodist Church.
January 27, North Webster American Legion, 3 to 7 p.m.
Each of these blood drives is open to the public and we welcome all eligible donors to participate. Our national blood supply continues to remain at critical levels for several blood types. Please call 800-GIVE-LIFE (800-448-3543) and schedule an appointment to donate during the month of January. Of course, you are always welcome to walk in at any location.
Your gift can save a life, quite possibly several lives. Thank you for your generous support!
Larry Peppel, Executive Director
American Red Cross - Kosciusko County Chapter
Wreath Of Hope
Editor, Times-Union: We would like to thank everyone who responded to Cardinal Center's Wreath of Hope. Although this year's Wreath of Hope was canceled, we would like to extend our appreciation to those who donated monies, gifts and time so that the children of Head Start would still have a wonderful Christmas.
This year we had 82 children who were touched by our community through gifts at Christmas. The expressions on each child's face as they received these gifts before the holidays was more than words can describe. Thank you to everyone who participated from giving cash donations, to going out and buying gifts for individual children to donating your time and efforts to wrap and take each child their gift. This was a wonderful time of year not only for the children who received the gifts, but also for those of us who were touched by watching what our community can do for those who need it.
Sheena Whitaker Community Relations Manager
Cardinal Center Inc. via e-mail
Adopt-A-Family
Editor, Times-Union: There are not enough ways to say thank-you to everyone who made our Adopt-A-Family a success - to everyone who donated items for the raffle, to everyone that made our bake sale turn out to be the best one ever.
The staff of Warsaw Fiesta says thanks and congratulations to all of the winners.
