Check out our website in the coming weeks for new and exciting changes for our adoptable dogs!
Very recently, a story aired on ABC-40 that featured a local young man whose dream is to start a Pit Bull rescue. You can watch the story here:
Our rescue was contacted by the reporter to give our thoughts on what running a rescue is like and how we got started. I gladly accepted the offer for an interview because publicity is always appreciated in helping our dogs and cause get exposure.
We were not completely aware of what the purpose of the story was other than “Pit Bull Rescue” and had no idea that Continue reading
A severely burned Pit Bull Puppy was recently dumped like trash in our city.
An older dog was also abused, fought, burned, and discarded.
If the recent rescue of two severely abused and dumped Pit Bulls by Aggieland Animal Health Center’s Second Chance Veterinary Medical Rescue has horrified, shocked, saddened, and/or enraged you, you have come to the right place.
Long Way Home Animal Sanctuary is home to Continue reading
Oh, to hold that girl and hear her voice again...
My Clarabelle is gone. My heart is broken and my house is quiet. Gone is that Schnauzer yodel that permeated any barrier and could erupt at the slightest hint that a rule from the other dogs had been breached. I called her my Continue reading
Kulow is our protector...
His name is Kulow, and he’s our protector at LWH, big, attentive, territorial, and, yes, aggressive. We do not celebrate the aggressiveness, it just came with him. In fact, much time and energy has been spent on managing the aggressiveness that was innate and part of his breed. He is very protective of his yard and will not tolerate large dogs or bossy little dogs. We still love him immensely… Continue reading
Herman sitting, miserable, in the shelter
This was my first introduction to Herman. I received a request for a “depressed, elderly” Chihuahua rescue from a shelter in another town. I could tell from the picture that he had inflamed, itchy skin and yucky teeth. My heart was indeed touched as I am a lover of Chihuahua’s independent natures, preference for a deep attachment to one person, and their tiny little lap-perfect bodies. I am not a fan of their horrible teeth issues and overall health issues that require lots of vet visits, and, at that moment, I was elbow deep into Blue’s rescue and simply could not be involved in taking in another rescue. I was seriously considering a “No” on this one because I simply did not have another ounce of myself to give toward while I was caught up in the whirlwind of getting ourselves ready for Blue and getting him transported from Florida. Continue reading
Bitsey Panda surveying her land.
Our rescues are the “unadoptable” animals that would be killed because their prognosis is not good. They will eventually die from what they have been diagnosed with. The reality, though, is Continue reading
Fresh from the beauty shop with pigtails.
I want to introduce a special member of Long Way Home, so that you can begin to meet and get to know all the animals that share our lives. Bernice is a senior Pekingese that came to another rescue after having been found in the middle of Highway 6, an eight-lane, 80+ per hour freeway. Please keep in mind that Bernice is Continue reading
*Notice to all those persons involved in this rescue project: I’ve changed all the names of persons and cities in this post because I have not received express permission to make them public. If you would like to be acknowledged, you may contact me.
For me, Blue’s story starts late Wednesdady night, 6/8/11, as I was lying in bed drowsily scrolling through my email. I was just about to drift off to sleep when this email caught my eye:
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We said goodbye to Clementine this week after the decision that her quality of life was taking a serious downturn. She had been hanging on and living rather comfortably as we watched her body become weaker and weaker and her world become smaller and more simple. Her once robust build, diminished and shrunk and she became less active, but she still moved around and enjoyed eating and “remodeling” her cardboard box house, all the things that make our bunnies happy.
Clementine in her prime, a robust girl, moody and quick.
We adopted Clementine from the local animal shelter along with our bunny, Funny, who inspired us to be life-long rabbit lovers. She was estimated to be 2-3 years in 1999 when we adopted her, so that made her life long and memory-filled for us. The irony of her name, Clementine, which connotes a sunny disposition, was that she was anything but. Her nickname was “Inclement” as in inclement weather, rainy and moody, just as she was. Who knows what her life was before the shelter. Often rescued rabbits have been thrown outside, mishandled, or frightened by human touch. Whatever her story, she didn’t like to be touched or held and wanted simply to be left alone. A couple years with us found her living with her companion, Jimmy, who preceded her in death by 4-5 years. We tried to bond her with another male rabbit, but she preferred to remain alone and be the widow that she was.
As time passed, she softened and as her mobility decreased, she learned to like a brief petting session each morning and evening, and we actually became closer. I knew it was time, though, because having been through this too many times, I saw that she was not using her back legs at all, and she had trouble maintaining a sitting position. In the past, I’ve held on and hand fed and rotated them trying desperately to avoid the urine scald associated with them lying in their urine all day. Bunnies intensely dislike the vulnerable feeling of not being able to get away from danger and I believe they suffer mentally when they lose their mobility, so I knew better this time than to let her situation progress to the stage where the handling and suffering became intense. It was the hardest thing to bundle her up and put her in her carrier with her mind still sharp, but her body failing her. I cleared all her things away as she looked at me in the confinement of the box that would take her to her passing. After we let her go, it was excruciating to pass her empty stall and not see her in it, lounging and munching her favorite Orchard Grass hay. I told myself how nice it was to not have to clean another area and that we would avoid another rescue rabbit for awhile. Still, it didn’t seem right to have a vacancy. I couldn’t stand seeing her not there…
Of course, as circumstance had it, I found myself on the shelter website two days later completing a task for work. Front and center, the first thing I saw was Mr. Carrot, staring at me needing a home.
Thank you Clementine for gifting Mr. Carrot with a home...
I truly didn’t want to go get him, but I called anyway just to tag him before they euthanized him. I spoke with their foster coordinator and the conversation went like this:
Me: Hello! This is Gwendolyn from LWH. I see you have a bunny for adoption.
Coordinator: Yes! We’ve had him for two weeks now.
Me: Well, I wanted to let you know that LWH would be willing to take him when his time is up. Could you call us before you euthanize him?
Coordinator: Oh, you can come get him.
Me: No, I just would like to be called before you let him go. He’s really cute. I’m sure you’ll find a home for him.
Coordinator: No, we’ve had him two weeks and everyone who is interested wants to house him outside. We try to screen against outside homes. You can come get him.
Me: Oh, I’m so glad you screen against outside homes. They don’t live very long or have good quality of life in outside homes.
Coordinator: Well, you can come get him. He’s so old that he probably doesn’t have much time left.
Me: Old, really? The description here says he’s three years old.
Coordinator: Yes, they only live about three years old. You can come get him.
Me: Well, I would like to let you know that we just euthanized our bunny we adopted from you almost twelve years ago. She was at least thirteen, so they can live a long time.
Coordinator: Thirteen!? Really? Well, he’s a young bunny to you then. You can come get him.
Do you see a pattern here? Well, I came and got him, and Clemmy’s stall is not painfully empty anymore. I want to say thank you Clemmy for your gift to Mr. Carrot. We will never forget our girl that hung on for so long and lived life her way.