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Oh my
- this is awful! There should definitely be a
statement/agreement in the adoption agreement that
if for whatever reason
you can't handle the dog you have asked for that we
get him/her
back...period, end of discussion. I am heartbroken
over this. Ralph
wasn't even given a chance - if I could quit crying
long enough I am then
going to get angry!
Dottie in Jax
TO THE LIST: Although we are very careful about
screening our applicants,
the process is not foolproof. As a result of what
has happened to Ralph, we
are instituting changes in how this is done and our
screening process will be
even more diligent with all future adoptions. The
applicants we approve are
normally very good people and wonderful adopters,
however, we want you to
know we CANNOT allow this to happen again.
This story made me cry for that poor little guy. Who
can blame you for being
stricter, after this sicko got through all your hard
efforts. How selfish.
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
Marsha
Delaware
DOTTIE CULBREATH wrote:
Oh my - this is awful! There should definitely be
a
statement/agreement in the adoption agreement that
if for whatever reason
you can't handle the dog you have asked for that we
get him/her
back...period, end of discussion. I am
heartbroken over this. Ralph
wasn't even given a chance - if I could quit crying
long enough I am then going to get angry!
You know, why was the vet so agreeable to putting
Ralph down? He should have
put brakes on that, I would have thought. Doesn't
make sense.
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
Marsha
Delaware
We would like to establish a Special Veterinary Fund
in Ralph's memory. All
contribuations to this fund will be earmarked for
the dog's who have suffered
the most in the mills: the Older Ones, the Maimed
and Wounded, those like
Ralph , who need a little more help. These dog's are
taken care of
regardless, but this a way to Honor Ralph's memory.
We'll provide details
later in another post, and his story will be on the
Web-Site.
*****Please for any member who has adopted a PMR
dog, and finds that they are
unable to cope, take the time or the dog doesn't
work out for their family,
PLEASE, PLEASE contact a TEAM MEMBER so we can have
a chance to bring the dog
back into Rescue. These dog's deserve this
chance.******
This has GOT to be the lowest of the low! What a
thoughtless, heartless individual to do such a
thing. I know that people are sometimes (actually
most times) anxious to find out about adoptions
after applications, but this just points out the
need for extra care in placing this babies. Perhaps
this will enable the prospective "moms and dads" to
be a bit more patient. My prayers are for Ralph!
---
Cindy E.- Farmington, NM
I
actually remember reading that post about Ralph
finally getting home.
This woman seemed so happy to finally have him. As
I sat here reading what
she had done to him, I couldn't help but think "what
makes a person do
things like this?", and "did she actually think she
had no other choice than
to have him put down?". I am curious as to why her
vet even out Ralph down
(what with the mandate and everything). Is it
possible that charges can be
brought against her and her vet for doing this? If
she signed a contract
stating that she would not have him put down, I
would think this is a
possible route for PMR to take. Who really cares if
she is going to leave
the list?! That won't bring Ralph back so he can at
least have a real
chance at life (like he was supposed to have with
her).
It's people like her that make it harder for the
good-hearted people to
adopt. Because of her, these dogs, who are in
desperate need for new,
loving, forever homes, will now have to wait even
longer. More rigorous
screening must be done, and therefore, the wait will
be longer. I've seen
how hard the waiting is on the new mommies and
daddies... imagine how hard
it is on the rescues!!
Dana
When I
adopted Dancer last year their is a
statement/agreement in the
adoption agreement that if for whatever reason you
cannot keep the dog you
are to get back to PMRescue. I thank that that
would still be in the
agreement. If so that means that she broke the
agreement. I can't see anyone
doing that to anything. I have took furbabys in so
this would happen to
them. I had a Boston terrier to live 7 years after
the Vet said it would be
best to but to sleep. She had Heart worms real
bad. I had a cat that lost
all her hair and stop eating. The Vet said sleep
and I wouldn't give up on
her so I force feed her and she came back and live a
long life after that.
The Vet could not believe his eyes when he look at
her. So I say try
everything you can to save them because you don't
know what Love and tinter
care can do for them. I love my babies and I can't
see anyone doing this to
one. I don't know what she was thanking about. She
new what Ralph was like
and the care he would take to care for him. I am
sorry that this happen you
everyone one the list I know that we do everything
we can to help these
furbabys. I know that now to adopted will take a
longer that before. So
please be passion will them they want the best for
you friends. I know how
hard it is to wait you your baby. I have been their
and it not easy to do.
I keep Gail going with Email to fine everything I
could on Dancer. The wait
was worth it he is the love of my life. Right now he
is on my desk with me.
Dancer has to with me everywhere I am. I know that
PMRescue does their best
to fine the best home for the furbabys.
I can't tell you how sorry I am that Ralph wasn't
given a chance to
live life to the fullest after what he had been
through.
That "person"????? would probably put her children
on the street if
they didn't live up to her expectations. Our Coco,
who has AKC
papers a mile long, looks a lot like Candy. We
wouldn't trade her
for the world and have had her for 6 1/2 years and
hope we will have
her many more. I spoke to Anita the other day for
my interview and
can't see that anyone would have any problem with
more and deeper
investigation. Anita by the way is a wonderful
person and I enjoyed
my talk with her. I am waiting to hear where Max
will be going and
looking at some of the new yorkies. As they say on
the Yorkie Fun
Board "All paws crossed here for Ralph".
Marilyn Flores, Chip, Coco & Copper
Kissimme, Fl
I was
so upset when I read the post concerning Ralph. I
love all dogs, but
have a special place in my heart for yorkies. My
first two yorkies were far
from perfect, but they are beautiful to me.
How could someone do something so terrible? Every
dog deserves a chance no
matter how old. I hope in the future that I will be
able to give a senior
yorkie a home. Just to know that they will be
treated well, if only for
awhile.
I'm sorry that Ralph couldn't offer the perfecton
that this woman was looking
for. I hope that PMR is able to find a way to
prevent this from happening
again. I know you all work so very hard to find good
homes for these dogs. By
adopting to people all over, you have to put a lot
of faith in people, since
it is difficult to actually tell about people
without meeting them and
getting to know them.
Please keep up your wonderful work of finding these
dogs a new home. I know
that the members of the PMR team will find a way to
prevent this from
happening again even if it means putting even more
of their own personal time
into it. If there is anything I could do to help her
in my area, please let
me know.
Kristan
Kayli, Cody, & Gabi
Well I
think something should and must be done this is not
acceptable
behavior. Someone should lock her in a cage and made
to see how Ralph felt.
And made to feel like it was when he finally arrived
home then only to treat
as badly as the final result. Yes I'm angry very
very much so, too the point
that I can not see straight. My poor husband is
beside himself seeing how
angry I be. GRRRRRRRRRR spitting nails
Ruth M.Henthorn
Oh my
goodness ....I just read the story about Ralph.
That
woman
has "issues". I got a chill reading it.....how very
very sad for
Ralph. How very sad for PMR. How very sad for us
all.
~Beth
How
terribly sad :((( The only consolation is that Ralph
probably received
more love and attention in the last week of his life
than he had his entire
life, and at least he is no longer suffering under
the hands of the miller.
It's such a shame that Linda felt she had to lie
about all this--He's better
off out of her hands too!!!!
Heidi
This
makes me very sad, for both my little guys are old
puppy mill refugees.
Poor Ralph deserved so much more. I know that it
will make everything
more complicated and will make the adoption process
take longer, but I
don't see what else you can do. I just hope that it
doesn't happen again,
and that the one-day mom is disgusted with herself.
Linda Lirette, Sam & Buster
Subject: [PMRescue] A Story That Needs To Be Told-
*** Hankie Warning***
Kathy, you took the words right out of my mouth. We
should be twins - we give
our all to our furkids, and pray for those miracles.
I am devistated when it's
time to let go. They are then cremated and buried in
my backyard pet cemetary,
with a large engraved headstone. They deserve to be
memorialized, as they gave
me so much special love. I am appauled at the idea
if this uncalled for
euthanasia, but beyond words at the thought of
leaving his body. She probably
didn't even tell him goodbye or hold hime. Ralph,
you really had several hundred
forever moms who loved you from this list!
Carol in Toledo
This just sickens me. Poor Ralph, he endured so
much and obviously had such hope for his final days,
only to be destroyed. This is as big a tear-jerker
as the puppymills themselves are. What a travesty of
justice.
~Sara & Darcy in MN~
http://www.puppymillrescue.com
Rescue one....until there are none.
It is
a shame that she didn't contact PMR, I'm sure
someone could have been
there that day to pick him up, or even leave him at
the vet's office for one
of us to pick him up.
Linda Lirette, Sam & Buster
http://www.puppymillrescue.com
This
just goes to show us all that you can NEVER take too
long in screening
for these babies. And even as careful as we are you
can never even imagine
how someone (a current pet owner) could do something
as horrible as this.
What I don't understand is why wasnt PMR notified?
All of us have read the
messages from people anxious for new pups, there
were plenty of prospective
parents awaiting adoptions who would have gladly
taken Ralph. I was one of
them. This just breaks my heart! As I'm sure it does
everyones. Please let
us all keep Ralph in mind when it seems to be taking
awhile to get our
applications processed, our pups home, and answers
to our questions on
specific pups from the rescuers. These pups ARE
worth it! And our
commitments to them should be NO LESS than the
commitments we make to our
families, in sickness and in health, they love us
unconditionally, we should
do the same. (Linda Bowman.... that's also a name I
will always remember.)
Cheryl, Dee, Sammie, Dandy & Melissa(Gidget)
One Dog At A Time....
http://www.puppymillrescue.com
A Big Hello To All The PMResuce Members,
I have actually been on this list of a while, but
wasn't sure how to
introduce myself. But today when the post about
Ralph
came I decided to say something. I originally
applied for Bucky the
Toy Fox Terrier. I was interviewed by both Rhonda
Ross and Marilyn
Crook about him. I had several email exchanges with
his foster
parent
Gail and determined that he would not be comfortable
in my home. It
was a hard decision since I know Toy Fox Terriers
very well, but in
the end I was more concerned for Bucky than my own
feelings. When I
read about Ralph, I didn't cry I just felt very sick
to my stomach
and
then I got mad...really mad. How dare this woman
think that a dog
living under unimaginable conditions for most of his
life think that
she was getting a "beauty" of a dog. All of these
dogs come with
some
kind of problem. Is there any way possible when
interviewing the vets
to find out if that person has ever had senior
dogs/ones with long
term illnesses and how they managed these
situations? If there is a
place in heaven for people who truly care for
animals, then there
must
be a place in you-know-where for the woman who was
given the
opporunity to give Ralph a better forever life.
Hope she won't be
able to look herself in the mirror ever again
without thinking about
him. Thanks all for letting me vent, it doesn't
happen very often but
when it does--look out.
Kathy Stump
and the Toy Fox Terrier gang
Vicki,
how tragic! How very discouraging!
All the dogs' stories are heartbreaking, but this is
the worst of all.
Please, please bear in mind that every rescue has
made a bad placement. There are no guarantees in
this life. Every once in a while a candidate will
look perfect on paper and sound great and have
superior housing. And still be a heartless idiot
with the moral commitment and brains of a flea.
You do the best you can. There are no foolproof
systems.
As for the adopter, there are no words for my
contempt and loathing for this creature. My heart
goes out to her family.
" YES, The PMR Contract does state all of this, I
know we will be re-working
the contract to state more specifically and spell
everything out in even
more detail."
Vicki,
What about adding a stiff financial penalty to the
contract if the applicant
fails to perform as stated in the contract? I know
it won't help in Ralph's
case because no amount of money will bring him back,
but perhaps it would
put more emphasis on the words. Maybe the
applicants would really
understand how important it is to abide for all
aspects of the contract, and
maybe they would realize that we also stand behind
the contract. Ready to
enforce it! ??
Cheryl, Dee, Sammie & Dandy
One Dog At A Time....
http://www.puppymillrescue.com
I just read the sad story about Ralph and I am
balling at my computer. I had
to put my yorkie to sleep on May 5th. He was almost
16. It was the hardest
thing I have ever done. I held him tight as he took
his last breaths. He is
buried in the back yard under a hydragena bush.
After all the heartache I went through, I am
nauseous thinking that someone
could so easily put a pup to sleep and leave it for
the vet's disposal.
Ralph had a horrible life and she gave up on him
without giving him a chance.
And, with the resources that PMRescue provides I
find it unforgivable that
she didn't give you all a call.
My thoughts and prayers are with Ralph..... Andrea
I cannot believe someone would go through what it
takes to adopt a dog from PMR - knowing PMR is
trusting them with the saved dog already tourchured
for years in a mill - to be put to sleep one day
after finally getting him.
This women is a loser and possibily a miller
herself. Maybe she bought him thinking he still had
some good sperm left??
I
am telling you...........the more I read the more I
hate people. !! How do these people sleep at
night. Not even a phone call to PMR - not even a
decent buriel??!!
She is the animal.
I am sick with disguest.
Denise from Carmel
I found myself wanting to reply to so many posts
about Ralph
tonight, so I thought I'd just combine them into
one.
As heartbreaking as this situation has been, I felt
an
overwhelming gratefulness, reading all the sensitive
&
caring posts about little Ralph tonight. He was a
precious,
& innocent victim. It hurts to think of that poor
little guy
& what he had to experience , but the comfort I take
is
remembering all of you & how deeply you love & you
give of
yourselves to these babies. I'm so thankful that we
can all
share in this time of grief & hopefully of healing
also.
If only we were able to heal precious Ralph. Well,
he is a t
the bridge & I know of a particular person that will
not be
crossing it!
Jeannine McCollum
Adoptme application processor
http://www.puppymillrescue.com
I remember the day that she posted the message about
Ralph medicalcondition and I know I prayed to help
her and little Ralph for aspeedy recovery. I
thought to myself how lucky she was to be grantedthe
gift on having another dog in her life. I only wish
we could haveknown.Seeing Ralphs picture tore me up
inside, I can only take comfort inthe fact that Jean
really provided his happiest days!! He did get
tofeel the ground, he did get to see the sunshine,
he did get to sleepin a warm bed and he did feel
love!!Heather
I just
don't understand what goes through peoples heads?!!
I have spent
many hours crying my eyes out over these little
creatures, but now I'm to
the point of always getting angry. I made the
decision to rescue/adopt my
Missy (yorkie) last July. She was almost 10 years
old, very malnourished,
flea infested, and had no love given to her. After
getting her all fixed up
(spayed, tested for everything, shots up to date,
and a little love), she
acts like she is the same age as my other 2 yorkies
(3 years old). She was
the ugliest little thing then, but with all the love
I have given her, she
has become such a beautiful little thing.
I know that when I am ready to adopt a PMR baby, I
will be ready. Right at
the moment I'm living in an apartment, but as soon
as I get the opportunity
to buy a home (with a huge yard), I want to start
looking into
rescuing/fostering a little one. Right now all that
I can offer is my mouth
to spread the news of PMs and a little extra food.
By the way, who do I
send extra food to?
Karen@SAN ANTONIO
<< Is there a picture of Ralph somewhere so that we
new members could see
him? >>
I do not know if I got one of him while he was here
or not. I will
definitely get all these rolls of film developed so
that we know. I am so
behind on getting film developed but will make sure
to get it all caught up
ASAP and if there is one of him in there, I will get
it to the list. He was
a sweet boy and it has broken not only my heart but
my whole families, as we
all played some part of tending to him and his no-so
"huge" wound. If I am
not mistaken his new mom was a nurse, she should
have known this boo-boo
would heal in time with a LITTLE bit of TLC. I am
so sick over this, I
helped get him to her. There was NO WAY anyone
could have known she would do
this. She called me several times just to check on
how his transport was
going and exactly when he would be here and then
home to her. What a CON!
Ok, off my soapbox, I can feel my blood pressure
rising!
Amy Davis
Chattanooga, TN
Moderator and Transport Coordinator
I'm so
sorry that this happened. Sometimes people fall
through the cracks
when screening. It's impossible to be airtight. I
know you have an intense
screening process from what I see on the site. I
think that the only thing
left to do would be require rescue have the vet's
signature on the contract
that they acknowledge the animal can not be
euthanized unless it is first
discussed with the rescue. I know people can always
go to another vet and
change pet names, but it might help. You've probably
already been on this
train of thought, but you know I always have two
cents waiting.
Take care,
Eilleen
When I
got home this evening, I had 258 emails in my box,
which has
taken me 2 hours to read. By the time I had read the
majority ( I
started with the most recent), I already knew what
happened to Ralph.
I had made up my mind that I could not read the
actual story itself.
But when it came up, I felt I owed it poor Ralphie
to read it. Now I
am crying so hard that my heart is broken. I'll not
be able to sleep
tonight, as I can see this poor aching face, looking
at the vet who
put him to sleep with eyes that must have begged for
one more chance
to love somebody, anybody. Just one more chance. I
personally hold
this vet as responsible as this woman who promised
to love and care
for him forever. He must have had a clue that this
baby would have
been loved by someone else! Even one of his vet
techs or customers, or
even his home until someone could be contacted.
I know that he probably has many animals that are in
need, but what
does 1 phone call take? Once she left Ralphie with
him, he was his
owner, she gave up that right. Yet he chose to go
thru with the
euthanasia. I pray that not all vets are like this
one. He had a
choice, and in my book, he made the wrong one.
God speed Ralphie. We'll all meet you at the bridge
someday, be ready
for hugs and kisses that you never got her on earth.
Nan (Alias Ms. Magoo)
Please Support Macular Degeneration
And Other Vision Loss Research
www.puppymillrescue.com
I am very saddened about Ralph. He basically had no
time. I had been wishing
to adopt him myself, but his adoption was already in
the process when I came
on the scene. Poor little guy.
Nellie
Christ, my all <><
I was
sadden to hear about Ralph. Linda made a bad
mistake and she will have to live with it. The
problem wasn't Ralph was old. He was sick, tired
from the trip. He need time to adjust in a quiet
place, sleep, some strained meat baby food, plenty
of water would have helped. She should have never
taken him if she wasn't ready for the commitment.
The messages tell it all. There are no surprises.
Health, fear and strangeness can try these dogs. You
have to give them space, time and love - from a
distance if necessary. We all hope that anyone who
pushes that button understands that. It won't be
easy but it can be done and Boy! the rewards are
well worth it. PLEASE. If you take one of these
babies, do as Cindy did for HB when she found that
it couldn't work and contact PMR and return the
dog. It's not that you or the dog are bad, it's
just the combination doesn't work. Maybe by taking
and returning the dog you have helped by adding new
information about that dog and thus help to get him
into the more perfect home. This relates to
puppies as well as seniors. When an animal has
lived under bad conditions. Things take time.
Joyce & the Seniors (I won't be without them.)
Vicki: I am sitting here shocked, and disgusted,
not to mention
very sad after reading the message about
Ralph/Alex. I remember her
posting the message about him being a very sick dog,
and I did not
like the sound of her message at that time. What a
awful thing to
do, I just can't believe it, it is beyond my
comprehension to think
someone would do this, but I also know there are
those that do just
this sort of thing. I don't blame you a bit for
having to make
changes to the adoption process. Again I am
outraged!!!. Is there
anything that can be done about what she did to poor
Ralph? I
thought there was a written agreement when adopting
referencing not
giving away or disposing of Etc. I am so very sorry
this has happened
here at PMR, I thought everyone was one the same
page, and never
dreamed anyone would do this sort of thing here with
one of these
poor babies. Poor little Ralph, he was set free just
to be sent to
his final demise....God it makes me sad. I won't
forget this one
ever.
Vera Milton
Carmin, Ginger and Tara
I have been heartbroken for the last Two weeks,
since I discovered the awful
unthinkable truth about our Ralph, and I do mean OUR
Ralph.
This tiny dog belonged to everyone here on PMR
list, since the day his
picture went up on our website, it has been the most
difficult time for me
loosing our baby.
I thank all of you who have responded to his story,
your words will be a
memorial to him, this cute little dog who deserved
so much more.
Ralph we all loved you, and we would have done
anything anything to save you
if ONLY we had known.
I am so sorry Ralph.
Jean Jones
I don't think you have any reason at all to feel
bad. I agree with
Mary, Tom & Liz, and everyone else. At least you
know enough that you still
have PMR to help you. I remember reading your posts
about how anxious you
were to her her, and how happy you were once you got
her. All of us on the
list know how much you love her, and we know you
only want what's best for
her as well as your family. I'm sure I can speak
for all of us on here when
I say "thank God you didn't pull a Linda Bowman!".
You have enough love in
your heart, and enough brains in your head to know
that you have other
options open to you (and to Honey Bear).
With the option you've chosen, you can look at
this in a way that Linda
Bowman never can... if it comes to Honey Bear being
placed in a new forever
home, at least you'll still be able to see her and
pet her, and bring her
presents. Linda, on the other hand, has to deal
with the guilt of her
reprehensible actions (IF she is even capable of
feeling at all), and from
what I've read, she will be loathed by everyone on
this list. She has done
exactly what we are all trying to prevent, and did
it while stabbing us all
in the back. You have not. You're doing the right
thing.
Dana & Abby
> it
was obvious this woman had a hidden agenda, or maybe
agenda isn't the
> word, but she was probably more into looks than
personality.
I'm just wondering if she was all there. It seems
very strange that she
speaks of her anguish for several sleepless nights
when she had him less than
a full day it seems. I, too, wondered at her posting
of the supposed bad
condition he arrived in. It just didn't seem logical
that he traveled like
that without someone noticing something before. I
feel angry and cheated of
what should have been a better time for him and that
such a person treated
him so crudely.
Nellie
Christ, my all <><
In a
message dated 6/14/00 7:09:48 AM Eastern Daylight
Time,
binsmom1@aol.com
writes:
<< I, too, wondered at her posting of the supposed
bad
condition he arrived in. It just didn't seem
logical that he traveled like
that without someone noticing something before. >>
Nellie, that is one good point, since Ralph was seen
by several people on
this Transport, and even was with several list
members along the way and not
one time did anyone see a real danger for him. Yes
all of PMR was cheated,
but most especially the other's who had applied for
him .
I can't even imagine someone doing this...he never
even had a chance...some
people have no heart....it would be nice if she
could be held liable???
Donna Bentley
I am dealing with this right now on
my own. I do any/all breed rescue here in WI. A
shelter I have a great working relationship with
called me last Thursday. A pup was adopted from
there about 6 months ago. "Copper" was fully
vetted, but a car accident claimed the life of his
beloved mommy, and his dad could not deal with the
care of Copper AND the 3 other dogs (all seniors).
Copper was brought back to the shelter, as Dad felt
he was most adoptable. I helped Dad place 2 of the
others safely into breed rescue, and the 13 y/o
Doxie/Yorkie stayed with him. I have been paying
50% of "Nickers" insulin for his diabetes, because
we agreed he was pretty unadoptable with his health
issues.
ANYway.... Copper was adopted out
again from the shelter to people who should not be
allowed to breed, much less have a pet, IMO. Well,
Copper was "being obnoxious" and they were
drinking... they let him out of their trailer (NO
SUPERVISION, NO FENCED YARD), and he got hit by a
car... the owners were passed out. Copper was taken
back to the shelter the next morning. His pelvis
has 4 fractures, and a hernia that was severe enough
that he could have had strangled intestines at any
moment if he moved wrong. The shelter staff could
not come up with the funds to "fix" him up, but they
knew someone would want this sweetie. This is where
I got my call.
Copper is now a member of my rescue.
He had surgery this morning. After speaking with
the vet yesterday, I could have had him put down....
it was bad. I asked the vet specifically "Does
Copper stand a chance of living a healthy, close to
normal life?" His answer was, "with the hernia
surgery and rest and love, he will be just fine.
Not "perfect", but a great dog for a family." I got
some flack, as he is a mutt. Who cares.... he is a
sweetheart. He deserved a chance.
Mill dogs are in a similar
condition... they have been through hell, and they
wear their battle scars not only on the outside, but
inside as well. When someone applies to adopt, they
are told UP FRONT what ailments/quirks/deficiencies
a PMR dog has. If they choose to follow through
with the adoption, they are accepting that.
It just boils my blood when someone
pulls the stunt that was pulled on poor Ralph. As a
new mommy about the same time, I knew PRETTY MUCH
what Mavis was like.... I just left my mind open to
the fact that my preconcieved ideas might not be
what the actual were. I was right... she was taller
than I thought, and more springy than I thought....
but she is still here. We deal with it.... and she
is calming down..... she is not going to go
anywhere. I was told she was "bouncy". If one were
to adopt a child, and that child had something wrong
with it, would they send it back or have it killed?
I somehow doubt that.
**This house is protected by killer
dust bunnies.
Being
the Mom to 8 mill rescues(all mini schanzuers), I
can't IMAGINE not
accepting each and everyone of them with their
little quirks, issues etc...We
never know upfront what baggage these animals carry,
but once we have agree
to open our hearts and home to them, I could never
forsee "throwing in the
towel" at any point let alone after 24 hrs. These
guys/girls that I hae kept,
have been the severe cases..major medical issues,
temperment etc, and they
were deemed "unadoptable" by the average group...and
so they came here to be
our beloved children..II have been bitten repeatdly
by mill dogs who can't
trust, had floors ruined because they had difficulty
housbreaking
etc...Barnaby our "oldest senior" is 15 yrs and
diagnosed 4 wks ago with
kidney failure.. My own vet looked me in the eye and
said, this can be
expensive..My reponse was..How much time (and
quality of ) life can we get
him...The vet responded with perhaps 6mth..perhaps 5
more yrs..Then treat
him..I would sell my very soul to the devil to save
one of them...
I have been a "lurker" listening and learning from
everyone here...I can
attest to the fact that I am sure this adopter was
told of Ralph's problems
ahead of time..She filled out the paperwork...SHE
paid the adoption fee...SHE
swore she wanted him...and then she "threw him away"
like a dirty pair of
socks...My sympathies go out to each and everyone of
you whose lives were
touched by Ralph..For no matter how short their time
is with us, they always
take a little piece of our hearts....
Dear
Friends of PMRescue, I am brand new to the group
and do not know what
horrible circumstances surround the tragedy of
Ralphie, but my heart breaks
for him and all of you who cared for him. Sincerely
and sadly, Cathie Heird
Thank you for wake up call to any prospective
adopter(s) to the serious nature of adopting an
animal. Please take this horror stories very
seriously. I can't image why anyone would be so
negligent. Please evaluate why you want to adopt a
pet. Then do reach on the breed that you are
interested in, and consider whether this breed
matches your life style. Because, if your only
reason for adopting is the look of a pretty face,
then you seriously question your motives for
adopting. I am not saying this to dissuade anyone,
but to make you aware that precious lives are at
stake. Wanting to adopt an animal in need is
wonderful thing and we need more people willing to
adopt. Let all be responsible adopter after all, we
are vowing to save a life.
Lisa and Glory-(Maltese angel)
--- In
PMRescue@egroups.com,
doggiehaven@a... wrote:
> I have never had this happen(thank God) in the 12
yrs that I have
run
> rescue..My heartbreaks for little Ralphie and ALL
the members of Pm
rescue
> who fight on a daily basis to rescue these little
babies. It is
hard enough
> to lose one, let alone a death that may have been
preventable. this
woman
> does not deserve an animal for IMO, she sees these
creatures as a
disposable
> commodity to "rid herself" of at will when they do
not confirm to
her
> expectations. An idea here that perhaps can
prevent something like
this in
> the future..We all screen adopters as well as we
can, but nothing
is
> infallible...perhaps there would be enough of us
willing to have
a "follow
> up" network..Volunteers from differnet states that
are willing to
call vets,
> do home visits etc within their local area...and
in case of
emergency be
> willing to go and get the baby and provdie
temporary sanctuary
until the
> board of PRRscue has time to act.Here at
Doggiehaven, we do
unannouced follow
> ups at the adopters home to see the animals, call
after 24 hrs to
see how
> he/she is, and if there is a problem that we are
notified of, we
call the vet
> and issue a strict No euthanise mandate(that is in
our contract)..
We here at
> Doggiehaven would be more than willing to be a
follow up/contact
person for
> Upstate NY...Let us know!
>
>
> melissa ferraro
> founder-Doggiehaven
I am
so sorry to here about this poor creature. Ralph
deserved more from his forever Mother. I just
adopted a dog from another rescue organization. I
have had her for a month and already I can't image
living without her. I can't believe that this woman
had so little disregard for life. I think the vet
should have advise here on how to care for this
animal or offered to give the animal up to another
locate rescue organization. My Glory didn't come
home perfectly groomed and smelling of roses. I had
to take time with her. She had a infection from
surgery just days after I got her. I knew she would
not be ill forever. I advise anyone who is seriously
considering adopting a dog to really think, before
making the committment. These animal are not always
in perfect condition, but if you are willing to that
the time to properly care for them, you will have a
friend for life. This type of beliten disregard and
lack of patience should not be the norm. These
animals need TLC and should be treated in life the
way we would like; with love, respect and kindness.
I hope Ralph find his eternal life to be everything
is mortal life was not. My God carry this angel on
heavens wings.
Lisa and Glory (Maltese angel)
I have
not been able to stop thinking about poor Ralph.
What would this
person(?) have done with children or parents if they
were not perfect or
got old - just have them disposed of, cast them off.
I really hope she
is a perfect (ha, ha) human and will not age. I
hope she gets just what
she deserves. I know this is not very nice but she
was not very nice.
Ralph certainly deserved much better than he got
from her. I know people
are screened and it is no one at PM's fault - as in
anything people
fall through the cracks. She was obviously a good
actress - just a
rotten person. Ralph is now in much better hands
than hers.
Marie
I have been more of an appreciative
listener than a talker on this list, but I have to
add my voice this time to the others expressing
their grief/outrage over poor little Ralph!
Some time ago, I was working as a receptionist at my
vet's office when a woman brought an 18 year old
Siamese cat in to be euthanized because she was
"old". The vet couldn't bring himself to do it, and
Mish Mish came home with me. With our love and care
she had 6 additional wonderful years of life!
Finally at the age of 24 her kidneys began to fail,
and the vet gently advised us that the time had come
to make a decision. We decided to
spend one last weekend with her and send her to the
Bridge on Monday. It's as if Mish Mish sensed the
agony we were going through over this decision, and
passed peacefully on her own Sunday night. She lies
buried
underneath an oak tree in the shadow of a St.
Francis statue we bought for her.
I
cry everytime I think of her, and now I cry for
Ralph who had to spend his last moments in the hands
of such hateful, insensitive people-and didn't even
receive a decent, loving burial!
I'm sorry to be a little long-winded-I just had to
say my piece. Bless you, poor little Ralph.
Nancy in Ivanhoe, NC Along with 3
pups&5 kitties, my babies for life!!
Hi
the photo of Ralphie never came through. But its ok
I think it would
only make me feel even worse...I am begining to
think that this list is
getting too sad -- I hate to ignore too many letters
but so many are
heartbreaking. Reminds me of when I eas a little
girl and dogs were put to
sleep all the time - if they curled up their lip at
some ones kid -- just
"destroy" them...if they get sick -- just destroy
them, no sense in getting
a lot of vetbills. I thought things had changed but
obviously I was wrong
same as I had no idea there were such horrid places
as these terrible PM.
Wow I sometimes can't figure it out.
My son gets upset when Jackson has to have his
heartworm checkup and thinks
Jackson should be sedated so as he does not get
worried about himself. I
won't even tell him about Ralph.
June
Hello everyone. Niles
mom here. Like the rest of you I just had to
express my feelings about the tragedy that happened
to little Ralph. It makes me sick inside. I just
want to know why, why, why she did not call PMR and
let them take Ralph back???? I want to say alot
more...but I had better hold my tongue. Ralph, we
love you. I am going to save his picture so I can
always remember him. My husband looked at his
picture and said, "Poor little guy." Pat
Hi,
the story I read about the cat was so sad. I wonder
if the owner would
have put her mother down!!!! This is why I have
ALWAYS said, ''that my
doggies would have to ''tell me'' it's time''.
Sorry, not even a vet. Great
the Siamese had another few years left in her and
you there for her mommie.
Take Care.
Tom, Liz, Corky & Moose.
Save Their Souls
I am
late in getting this down but....
Ralph-My heart cries for you. I am sooo sorry that
this person felt the need
to be so decietful to you and to everyone at PMR and
on the list. I am angry
that *** felt that you were to be disregarded and
discarded, like your life
meant nothing at all! I cannot find the words to
express my sadness at what
you have had to go through your whole life, and to
have it ended this way! I
only hope and pray that you know that you were loved
by many and that we
sincerely tried to offer you a better life than the
only one that you had
ever known. I can only take comfort in the fact
that you are now running
FREE and that no one will ever hurt you, abuse you,
starve you, neglect you,
or disregard you ever again! Rest in peace, sweet
baby!
What a
nice-looking little guy, how sad that he is not
with us anymore. I know many people here would
have taken him in a minute.
Linda Lirette, Sam & Buster
http://www.puppymillrescue.com
You
know I was very mad and upset when I got the email
first talking about
Ralphs story... I hadn't seen his picture and I had
wanted my Navy Seal Hubby
to go hunt her down... Now that I have seen this
beautiful little guy...Im
asking myself... How this woman is still alive.. I
have always thought that
meanness will eat you alive.. and this woman must be
FULL of it....There is
nothing I can do to make her suffer, but I feel
wonderful in knowing that her
Little cage is waiting in H*ll for her!!
I'll
second that! PMR goes out of their way to find
loving homes. It's hard
for any person to see through a mask. If she wanted
to make it look very good
she could have. But one day, not even that, for
Ralph. That upsets me very
much. I know that right now as much as would like
to take all of the babies
home with me I'm not in a position to do that, money
or property. I want to
be able to provide for the worst of ailments if I
get one, not to be put in a
position where I am stuck between food or my
babies. It's very disturbing to
see that some one else does not feel the same. I
kind of considered putting
down to go under the need to get rid of line but
apparently she didn't!
Amy Poulson
We will all miss you Ralph.... :`(
All I can say is thank you for taking care of that
little guy.
It is scary that those jerks got to adopt him. I
guess with
so many animals being adopted, just as in anything
else,
there will be mistakes. At least you were there
this time to
help "pick up the pieces". You are right about
everyone
knowing up front about the challenges they will
face.
It is made very clear when you first subscribe to
PMR.
It is comforting that so many people here feel
personally hurt
by this, it only shows how many caring people there
really
are here and why it is such a great group.
Linda
Lirette, Sam & Buster
http://www.puppymillrescue.com
I was
telling my hubbie this morning (before he went to
work) about
wee Ralph. He couldn't believe someone could do
that. He was real
ANGRY,INFURIATED infact. He left the so called NURSE
without a name.
My hubbie is the shy type and doesn't say much, but
this disgusted
him to no end. Yes our hubbies care too.
Tom, Liz, Corky & Moose
I have
read so much about Ralph, and felt so sad about him,
then I thought
today about something that brings much peace to my
heart. My dad died just a
few weeks ago and his nickname, since he was a kid,
was "Rainbow." If ever
there was a man waiting with the animals at Rainbow
Bridge, it is my dad. He
so loved every living creature and they in turn
loved him. So Ralph has a
buddy already, and together he and my dad are
waiting at the Rainbow Bridge,
watching all our sadness but sending us a message to
let us know there is no
pain for them now. What message, you ask? From now
on, look for the
Rainbows in life. When you see one, think of Ralph
and be thankful that he
had at least a brief moment of freedom. Just a
thought to help the healing!
I look for the Rainbows every day! Kay
When I
read the story on poor Ralph, I could not believe
how callous this
person was. Unfortunately, sometimes shallow people
like this get through
even the best screening processes.
I told Anita this story on the phone the other
night, so I think it would
be fitting here. I have a dog named Charlie. I
will never forget the day
that I saw the little bugger (actually, my husband
saw him and dragged me
back to the pound) and decided that he would come
home with me. I already
had 2 dogs and thought I was "done" until that day.
Charlie was this little scrawny puppy. He was very
withdrawn and hiding
in the back of his cage, and I could not believe all
the fleas on him
(with a horrible case of tapeworm to follow)! It
turns out that he was
picked up as a stray from Robert Taylor homes. For
anyone familiar with
Chicago, these are absolutely the worst public
housing projects in the
city. His ears were black and infected, and did
they ever stink! He
had a benign tumor on his flank, and the usual
garden variety of
intestinal worms. He also had kennel cough and
would spew mucous much
like the girl on the Exorcist did pea soup.
So, we brought Charlie home under the premise that
he was a shepherd mix,
much like our other 2 dogs. WRONG. He grew up to
be a "grizzly" 45 pound
terrier mix. From the start, he exhibited a few
very bad behavioral
problems. He had terrible separation anxiety, and
would scream for hours
in his crate even though he was in the same room
with us while we were
trying to sleep. He would then sleep all day. His
separation anxiety has
mostly been attributed to early separation from his
mom and pack. Looking
back through shelter records, it turns out that he
was found at 5 weeks by
himself, obviously abandoned way too early.
His most serious problem regarded bathroom habits.
We had easily
potty-trained 2 dogs before him, but Charlie just
did not catch on. He
would eliminate anywhere and everywhere, even in his
crate. If we gave
him a towel to lay on, he would just pee in it and
ball it up. While
napping in the kitchen chair, he would just pee
there and lay in it.
Physiologically, there was absolutely nothing wrong
with him- he was
checked for an infection or anything else that might
make him behave this
way. After dealing with 8 months of a 45 pound dog
eliminating in the
house, we were at our wits' end. We didn't know how
much more of this we
could take. When we asked for advice at the shelter
and consulted with
their vets, we were told that he would probably
never be housebroken and
that if we couldn't deal with that, we should put
him down.
Well, I was not going to give up on this bugger.
Miraculously, about 1
month after that, Charlie one day just "got it," as
if I light bulb turned
on in his head that pee and poo go outside. He has
not had a problem ever
since (which was 1997). As for the separation
anxiety, I worked these
issues through with a behaviorist. He has free roam
of the house when we
are gone with the other two big dogs.
I could have given up on my "Chuckles." Even the
vets seemed to support
that. My life would have never been the same
without him, and to this
day, all I can think of is how lucky I am that I
brought this scruffy
little underdog home.
Tatiana
Thank you to every body for sending me pics of
Ralphie---
now I remember seeing him on the puppymill rescue
page --
its such a terrible shame, so many of us are waiting
and then some one gets
a new pal and goes and just kills a beautiful little
guy like that all he
would have needed was a few more days and he would
have been eating and
sniffing around real curious. I feel so sad, there
is just nothing anyone
can do now.
Its so awful.
June" That's what I meant. It would just let them
know so they might mention
it to another Linda B. Then they might notify PMR
instead of really taking
that final step. Though with the $500 penalty in
the contract I don't
think there will be a repeat."
I think that would be a great idea if the vets were
notified; however, how
would we know if they change vets? It is just a
shame that ALL vets just
don't have common sense when a client brings in a
puppymillrescue animal and
realize that if PMR is going to take the time to
rescue these animals, they
would not want them put down. Of course, maybe some
people don't advise
their vets that they have a rescue animal. The more
I think of this, the
more confused I get at how Bowman or the vet could
have done this. P.S. I
think the fine should be higher.
Cheryl, Dee, Sammie, Dandy & Melissa(Gidget) all
PMRs
One Dog At A Time.... << Of course, maybe some
people don't advise
their vets that they have a rescue animal. >>
That right there is so true. I know myself I'm very
proud to announce to my
Vet , that my babies are Rescues and where they came
from. Also in my file
I it stated that anyone who calls and wants to know
info on me and my pet's
give them anything they want to know.
Maybe the next Tee Shirt should be with Ralph on it
- God rest his little doggie soul.
I have
held off writing my comments in regards to Ralph
because my anger and
emotion has been overbearing and my comments for
Linda would be highly
inappropriate for others to read. I am OUTRAGED!!.
As far as I'm concerned
Linda is nothing more than a cruel heartless %!@#$
and that's putting in
mildly. So much hard work has been put into finding
homes for these babies,
who have only endured misery all their lives. Linda
not only betrayed Ralph,
but she betrayed all of us and everything that we
stand for. She is a
parasite that crawled into our wonderful, good
hearted community and
slithered her way to create a tragedy. She's the
one that has to live with
herself and if her conscience doesn't bother her
then it will sure bother her
when she finally crosses over into burning flames.
My heart goes out to
Ralph and all those who cared and loved him. He is
now in a place where he
can run, play and no longer feel the disappointment
of those who have
betrayed him.
I apologize if my post is too harsh, but it is truly
a mild version of how I
feel.
Dorothy and Butter |
