The Timeline
Henry (aka Irving)
The Bichon at Irving A.C.
Log of Linda Kilby (Linda.Kilby@comcast.net) from
Thursday 8/24 - Saturday 8/26
Thursday, 8/24 Arrived at Irving Animal Shelter at approximately 4:10 pm. Noted a Bichon in Cage #17 Labeled Poodle. He was very skinny, his hold body was trembling and he was dripping urine. I spoke to Leticia and told her he was dripping urine and appears to be very ill. I also mentioned that I know of a Rescue that would take him. ("Small Paws Rescue"). She said that he would be available for adoption on Wednesday 8/30/06 and for rescue on Thursday 8/31/06. I asked her to come and look at the dog with me. She did and she stated that he did not appear to be sick in her opinion. At that time I told her he was a Bichon and that he may have some Poodle as well, but he is definitely a Bichon. She changed his card to read Poodle/Bichon. I asked her if they could make an exception to their "Rule" and let this dog go into rescue. She said, "No, we are pretty firm about that unless they are sick and this one is not sick". She also said their vet has not checked him out yet, but she will tomorrow. At that time I assumed that the vet would say we could take him into rescue as surely she would be able to tell that he is sick. I then went home and emailed the Executive Director and both Team Leaders of Small Paws Rescue to advise them of the dog. At that time I mentioned that we could probably get this dog tomorrow after their vet examined him.
Friday, 8/25 Telephone call to I.A.C. at 12 noon. Spoke to Leticia - she stated that their vet has not checked out Henry yet. I told her I would call back in a few hours.
2:30 pm - Spoke to Leticia. She stated the vet did check him out. Leticia read the notes on the back of his card. It read: "HW neg, Administered Capstar & Strong Tee. Appears to be in good health." I inquired about the constant urine dripping from him and Leticia stated that the vet did not write anything down about it so she is assuming there is not problem there. She also stated that when I saw him dripping - he might have just gone tee tee. The vet was gone for the day so I was not able to discuss this issue with her. I was told again that he is not available for rescue until Thursday 8/31.
2:45 pm - Telephone call to Leticia. I asked her if there was any way we can get the dog into rescue b/4 Thursday. She said I would have to talk to Susie and she will not be in until Monday.
Sat. 8/26 - Arrived at I.A.C. at 10:15 am. Bichon in Cage 17 - Appeared very lethargic and also appeared to have gone downhill. He also had a brownish looking stain on his whole side ½ way up his side and from the front logs all the way down to his hindquarters. I asked Leticia, "What is the brownish color all over him?" She said "I don't know, I'm not a vet!! I went back to Cage 17. As I was walking back there - one of the employees said that he was going to get him some food right now. I waited until he cam back with the food. The dog was not at all interested in eating. I went back to the front desk and Leticia said I can call Susie and she gave me her card with her cell phone number included on it. I contacted Susie at approximately 10:35 via her cell phone. I explained to her that the Bichon in Cage 17 was very sick and we would like to get it into Rescue. She said she can't let a rescue pull a dog until she has the proper documentation ie. 501.3 ( c) form and a list all volunteers authorized by the rescue to pull an animal for that rescue. I told her that I fully understand that they can't let the dog go until she had this documentation. I also told her at that time that I will contact the appropriate people and have them fax the information and email it to her if she would prefer email. She said she will be able to access the information on her Blackberry. I immediately when home and emailed Robin Pressnall, Executive Director of Small Paws Rescue, Vicki Furstenberg, and Marilyn Brewster the Team Leaders for Small Paws in No. Texas. I advise them of Susie's request for documentation. I also gave then Susie's contact information (telephone numbers and email address). (Robin's Note: Paperwork was emailed immediately to Susie.) I mentioned that the shelter was open until 1 pm today and if we can get this documentation before 1 pm, we would be able to get the Bichon out of there today.>
Then from Marilyn Brewster:
Subj: FW: Course of events re: Irving from Irving
Date: 8/31/2006 11:11:21 PM Central Standard Time
From: mnbbnb@charter.net
To: Pup3@aol.com
Here is my account of what transpired with Irving from Irving on Saturday, August 26, 2006:
12:00 noon: Vicki called me and said that there was a dog at the Irving city shelter that Robin wanted someone to pick up before the shelter closed at 1:00 that same day. Robin’s urgency stemmed from the fact that the dog was dribbling urine and she suspected he had bladder stones and was, therefore, in considerable pain. Vicki said the shelter had named him “Henry,” but SPR was calling him “Irving.” I immediately called the shelter and spoke with a gentleman at the front desk (I believe it was Joseph Soto) who said that the dog would be available to the public on Wednesday, August 30, 2006, and then available to rescue groups on Thursday, August 31, 2006. The gentleman was very friendly and helpful, but he said that Susie Williamson was the only person who could release the dog early and she wouldn’t be back at the shelter until Monday morning.
12:05 pm: I called Robin to clarify the discrepancy between her understanding that Irving could be picked up that day and what the shelter worker told me. Robin said that her information had come from an email from Linda Kilby and she gave me the cell phone number for Susie Williamson. Robin further stated that she had already emailed our 501(c)3 paperwork to Susie Williamson.
12:12 pm: I called Susie Williamson from my cell phone as I pulled out of my driveway to go pick up the dog. I introduced myself as a volunteer with SPR, and told her that I understood they had a dog at the shelter they were calling “Henry,” and that they thought he was a poodle. Susie confirmed that fact and then I told her I understood that we could pick up the dog that day. She said that was a “misunderstanding,” and that what she had told Linda Kilby was that if we sent her our 501(c)3 paperwork that day she could get it processed by the time the dog was available for rescue to take him on the next Thursday, August 31, 2006. I told Susie that not only had Robin emailed the paperwork to her already, but that I had copies of it in my car and that I was headed to the shelter as we spoke. I further explained to her that I was told that the dog was dribbling urine and in much need of medical attention. Susie sarcastically stated that their vet had examined the dog the day before and that he was not in need of any veterinary services. Susie then pointed out that she wasn’t working that day and she was on her cell phone, so she wasn’t even sure that we were talking about the same dog. She seemed quite bothered that I had contacted her on her day off.
12:50 pm: I arrived at the Irving animal shelter and went straight to the back to find the dog (the gentleman at the reception desk was completing a kitten adoption for a woman with four wild children). I found the dog and was horrified by what I saw. He was shivering and dribbling urine, and he was emaciated beyond belief. There were two cards on his cage: one stated that he had been examined by a veterinarian and was ready to be adopted. The other one had boxes checked on the front for sex, breed, etc., and it stated that the dog was available for adoption on Wednesday, August 30, 2006 and available to rescue on Thursday, August 31, 2006. There were also notes hand-written on the back of the card that stated that the dog was heartworm negative, that he had been bathed, and that he had been given a Capstar. Since the information on the front of that card disagreed with the other card that said he was ready to be adopted, I stopped one of the shelter workers who was going from cage to cage feeding the dogs. He said, “That dog can’t be adopted until August 30th.” He wasn’t terribly pleasant.
1:00 pm: I went to the front desk and waited for the gentleman to complete the kitten adoption. I identified myself as the woman who had called him about an hour earlier to inquire about Henry the poodle, and I gave him one of my SPR business cards. I told him that I had spoken with Susie on my way to the shelter and he asked if Susie had agreed to release the dog. I told him that she had not agreed to it, but that I noticed that the dog was obviously in dire need of medical attention. I promised him that I would take the dog to my veterinarian immediately upon leaving the shelter if he would agree to let me have him. He said that he, too was quite worried about the dog because he hadn’t eaten since he was at the shelter. He offered to call Susie to try to convince her to release the dog to me.
1:15 pm: Susie told him I could have the dog and the gentleman at the front desk took my 501(c)3 paperwork and business card and asked me to fill out a short form with my name and address. He said it was needed in case the prior owner wanted the dog back. I completed the form and whisked the dog out of the shelter in order to arrive at my vet’s office before they closed at 2:00.
1:55 pm: I arrived at my vet’s office and they immediately went to work on stabilizing the dog. >
Small Paws® Rescue Inc. is 501-C3 Tax exempt charitable organization. All donations are tax deductible.
Return to Small Paws® Rescue's Home Page
Help Support This Effort
