From Robin. From My Heart. Please Read. The Ordinary Everyday Lives of The Bichons of Spring. South Texas is Exploding With Bichons.

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Gem Of The Day: “ Determine that the thing can and shall be done, and then we shall find the way.”

~Abraham Lincoln~

From Robin, from my heart.

There are times when there are just more broken Bichons than there are funds to fix them. It’s spring. School is about to be out for the summer. People are moving and everyone knows you can’t take your Bichon with you so it’s time to dump them at the local shelter. Sometimes in pairs. 

When we have a hit by car Bichon, or canine flu, or one has been thrown out of a car on a highway, it’s easier to want to donate to help emergencies like those.

I’ve been trying to figure out how to come and tell you what’s happened for the past three weeks.

Normal, regular Bichons have been coming in from shelters and owners. No broken legs. Nothing more than the everyday, mundane things we do at the veterinarian’s office for each Bichon that we rescue.

It still costs us an average of about $1000.00 every single day.

See Vet Bills Paid by Small Paws Rescue for April, 2019 coming to $32,860.36 which is an average of $1,095.35 per day.

See Vet Bills Paid by Small Paws Rescue for the First 13 Days of May, 2019 coming to $8,674.71 which is an average of $667.29 per day.

I’ve been struggling with ideas of how to cut costs.

What about the ten day quarantine we do for shelter dogs to prevent possible shelter diseases from going home to our Foster Parent’s own dogs? That costs us an average of $200-300 per dog.

Then it comes to me, “OF COURSE WE CAN NOT STOP QUARANTINING. THE HEALTH OF OUR FOSTER PARENT’S OWN DOGS HAS TO COME FIRST.”

Then I wonder if we really need to clean teeth on the dogs where it is recommended by the vet? That is our highest veterinary expense. Have you had your own dog’s teeth cleaned lately? It is expensive!

Then it comes to me, “BAD TEETH CAUSE HEART ISSUES AND CAN BE THE DEATH OF A DOG.

WE CAN’T ASK OUR ADOPTERS TO PAY $400.00 TO ADOPT ONE OF OUR BICHONS, WITH THE ADOPTION FEE OF $150.00, $175.00 FOR AIRFARE, $40.00 FOR AN AIRLINE APPROVED CRATE, AND $35.00 FOR A HEALTH CERTICATE TO FLY AND THEN ASK THEM TO CLEAN THEIR NEWLY ADOPTED DOG’S TEETH.

May 31, in just about two weeks, marks our 21st Anniversary. So in 21 years we haven’t raised even one of these fees.

The reason is this.

For adopters who need their new Bichon flown to them, which is most of the time, they are paying $400.00.

If we raise that price point enough to where it would really make a difference, we would be raising it to $500.00. I think we would lose adopters and I wouldn’t blame them. I feel it so strongly in my spirit that we should not raise our fees.

It costs roughly $1,200.00 a year just to maintain a healthy Bichon, with Heart Worm Preventative, Grooming, Vaccinations, Heart Worm Tests, and if needed, add a dental onto that and you’re now over $1200.00 yearly. You guys know this if you have a Bichon, or one, or two, or more.

Then there are our Hospice dogs. These are Bichons who are not placeable due to cancer or other diseases, but they are still having a good quality of life and it’s not “time” yet. Many times these are dogs who have come back to us at age 13-15 after an owner has gone into a nursing home or has passed away.

“Maximus”

I’m coming to you today to ask for help to pay for the ordinary everyday veterinary expenses of these Bichons that we rescue, before they are adopted. For instance, six year old Maximus was an owner surrender to the shelter due to bladder stones.

The owner couldn’t afford to have them removed. We received a real blessing that day when the shelter veterinarian removed the stones at no charge to us. We are still responsible for the rest of his vetting including teeth cleaning and quarantine since he was in general population and exposed to shelter diseases like parvo, distemper, kennel cough, etc. 

In South Texas alone, under the direction of our South Texas Team Leader Extraordinaire, Karla Carter, at kcarter759@sbcglobal.net, we have 16 Bichons in rescue. 10 are in foster homes. And two more transports to North Texas are planned for this weekend.

Of the 16, FOUR have Heartworm Disease. CHA-CHING!! Karla has her hands completely full. And the vet bills will be coming soon.

Karla is driving them two at a time to waiting foster homes. The last picture was taken just this morning. 

As soon as we get one out of quarantine, another one is at the shelter, needing to come in and no, I am not kidding. This is from a South Texas shelter this morning. On May 14, 2019, at 9:11 AM, Animal Services Rescue Program wrote:

<Hello all!

This fuzzy guy came in as a stray yesterday, 5/13. He is incredibly matted and unthrifty! If not reclaimed, he will become available on 5/17.

Very friendly! Do you have a place in your program for BJ Sammy?

Dog, Neutered male

Intake Date: 5/13/19

Intake Type: STRAY

AVAILABLE DATE: 5/17/19

As an AAC approved rescue partner, you are welcome to evaluate and confirm now. > 

Now, do you really think an owner is going to show up for him.

DO YOU REALLY WANT THAT OWNER TO SHOW UP?

Before we can authorize any more to come in, we need to raise at least $10,000 to help make up for the last three weeks of ordinary vet bills. With so many of us, if we all help a little, we can do it. I know we can!

Maybe you helped last time. Maybe someone else can help this time. If it’s been a while since yu were able to help, maybe now is the time that you can.

Thanks for listening to a very concerned Robin. I’m here and will issue all matching challenges for the

Small Paws^® Rescue Bichons of Spring.

All My Love, Robin

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