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| Trooper's Saga
 After 9 days of running up and down HWY 64, Trooper was lured into a dog trap by 2 Hardees sausage biscuits, 2 McDonald's double cheeseburgers, 3 or 4 fresh bones, a pack of chicken hot dogs, one NY strip steak and the prayers and positive thoughts of the many people who saw him, called about him and tried to catch him, after he was dumped from a truck at an intersection near the city animal shelter. This loyal dog, went 8 miles from that intersection all the way to the Nashville/Castalia exit, looking unsuccessfully for his family. The Nash County Shelter spent 3 1/2 hours trying to catch and help this terrified pooch with no luck. He then went back the 8 miles to the intersection where he was dumped, finally working his way over a period of days to the hospital exit . After it was established that he was staying around this exit, a feeding station was set up with a doghouse and other things to try and gain his confidence. Someone went 4 times a day to man this station and just to let him see the same people over and over again to establish his trust. Although he would come off the HWY to eat, getting near him was impossible. He would see us and run under the hospital fence back into the traffic on 64. It was horrible to hear the brakes and horns of the cars and trucks as they tried not to hit him day after day. It was a wonderful Sunday afternoon for everyone whose hearts had been won by this loyal dog, when he was at last caught and taken to a safety. In only a matter of hours, he was playing with other dogs and licking the faces of the friends who had rescued him.
We would like to thank The Rocky Mount Telegram for the wonderful articles and pictures they showcased of Trooper, not only helping him to get a loving home but to educate people about the senseless "dumping" of animals on our roads , when it only takes a few minutes to take them into a shelter where they are safe and have a chance of being adopted. Friends of Rocky Mount Animals, another local rescue group that centers on moving shelter animals, comes once a week to take pictures of the animals and places them on Pet Finders as well as sending them to numerous out of state rescues to get them homes.
We would also like to thank PETCO, especailly Maggie Stuart for the Meet and Greet she helped us have for Trooper and 5 other dogs who were looking for homes. Their continued support of everything Animal Crackers undertakes is greatly appreciated.
Zoe's Story Zoe is a young female Pit Bull who was purchased for breeding purposes only. When first seen by an animal lover named Sally, Zoe was chained outside and her uterus had prolapsed, as you can see in the picture. She had been this way for over two weeks when Sally and her son went up to the house to inquire about the dog. They told the owner that he must take the dog to the vet and he replied that he was just waiting for her to die, since he could not breed her. They took her that very day and partnered with Animal Crackers to get the urgently needed surgery. Zoe now has a wonderful loving home as an inside family dog.
Bristal's Story Bristal's story began when she was found in the summer of 2010 along the side of the road. She had been injured severly, probably hit by a car. It was very hot and she was bleeding and dehydrated. A good samaritan happened to be driving by and spotted her. She picked her up and knew that she needed to see a veterinarian immediately, but she didn't have the funds to pay for the emergency vet on a Sunday. She called me and asked for help. We were able to send her to the Emergency Veterinarian and thankfully she was going to make it. Her left front leg was paralyzed and she was unable to straighten it. When she walked, she would put a lot of pressure on her leg and the swelling began. You can see it in the picture on the right above. During this time, Nicole fell in love with Bristal and decided to keep her. She had such a rough start out in her short life and needed stability. Bristal went to see Dr. Wendy Simpson at Morrisville Cat Hospital to see what could be done. Dr. Wendy determined that she would never be able to use her leg and it needed to be amputated before it became infected from all of the swelling. This surgery usually costs over $1000, and we knew that we didn't have that kind of money to help her. Dr. Wendy gave us a very generous discount and we began raising money for Bristal. Many generous people in Rocky Mount and beyond donated money to help pay for Bristal's surgery. Finally in September, Bristal had her leg amputated and she was microchipped as well. Bristal is now doing wonderful and enjoying her life with her brother, another kitty named London. Hats off to Nicole for stopping when she found Bristal on the road and to Dr. Wendy and her team for saving her. Lastly, a big thank you to all of you who donated money so that Bristal could have her surgery and lead a normal life in her new home. Animal Crackers would not be able to do all the good work that we do without the generousity of all those who donate. Through our Pet Assistance program, we continue to help out pets when we can. If you would like to help the Pet Assistance Program, please donate on the Pay Pal icon and specify where you would like your donation to be used. Animal Crackers Happy Story Church Street Fence Project
There are many things that members of Animal Crackers do to help out the community as a group and on their own. This story is what happened when Rocky Mount Animal Shelter, Friends of Rocky Mount Animals (a local rescue who works with the shelter) and Animal Crackers came together for a common goal, to help 2 dogs stay with their family:
The Rocky Mount Animal Shelter called Laura Gearhardt, head of Friends of Rocky Mount Animals, and she in turn called Connie, about an elderly couple (The Grants) who had taken their dogs to the shelter because their dog pen was beyond repair and they kept getting out. They hated to give up their dogs, but they live on Church Street and feared they would get hit by a car every time they got out. The dogs JoJo and Blue Eye, are border collie mixes and as you can imagine, very intelligent and active. Mr. Grant kept trying to make adjustments to their pen, but they continued to get out. Sadly, the Grants made the decision to give up the dogs. They loved their dogs, but just couldn't afford to give them what they needed, a fence.
Here is an update on the Church Street fence project that we started this past Saturday morning. Connie, Katy, Michael, Jean, Jon, Nikki, Dan and Mr. Grant worked together using a gas powered hole digger to dig 8 post holes, then set 8 wooden fence posts in concrete. On Sunday afternoon we started nailing the fencing to the posts for 3 hours in the heavy rain..
On Tuesday afternoon I was at the Grants, trying to find a way to keep JoJo and Blue Eye in their pen, as they had escaped again that morning into the traffic on Church St. Because of the weather forecast, we knew we could not work on it again until next week - we also knew there was a good chance something terrible could happen to the boys in that time. Our Head Dogcatcher, Jean Wood, called her son, Jon and told him I was at the house trying to, once again, pile enough cinder blocks, wood, wire, pallets and rope to keep the houdini's from escaping. Unexpectedly, Jon, his wife Nikki and Jean all arrived and said they were ready to work until the fence was completed . So from 5:30 until 10:15, that is just what we, along with Mr. Grant did, while Jean's granddaughter, Destiny, babysat the dogs. At 9:30 pm, Nikki brought the dogs into their new fence, where they immediately started running all around sniffing new boundaries and playing with their toys. We continued to work with the dogs in the pen until 10:00pm. When we cleaned up, we were thrilled that the fence was, for the most part, finished. It was wonderful to see not only how happy the dogs were, but to see how excited and overwhelmed the Grants were to have their dogs home, happy and safe. These are the people who Animal Crackers strives to help, responsible pet owners who are not only appreciative, but are out there working side by side with us. Mr. Grant carried more bags of concrete on his walker than Katy and I did put together, and also put his cane to use as a fence stretcher!
Thank you to everyone who offered to help - I am sorry that because of the weather and schedules of the Grants, we were unable to give people more advance notice to come help with the project. We hope we can get help with the next fence when the time comes, so plese be on the lookout for old fencing and pens that can be reused. (We already have a family desperately needing help with a fence or pen, as their dog was attacked by 3 neighborhood dogs because he was chained and could not get away from them.) Thank you to everyone who gave cash donations to buy the materials, you made it all possible and a huge thank you to Lowes, who gave us all our materials at half price. Also, thanks to Peggy for supplying us with the Jeep, fully equipped with a cooler of drinks and Scooter Hedgepeth, who marked the area and made the materials list. All we have left to do now is to get a doghouse large enough to fit both dogs. They love each other and try to fit into one house. Besides, they will need to snuggle together for body heat when the temperature gets frigid outside this winter. Katy and I also are looking for ways to make the fenced area less muddy by adding river stone in places and trying to put a little guttering up. If anyone has any rock or gutter connections, please let us know.
JoJo and Blue Eye thank you and invite anyone who wants to meet them and see their new fence to stop by Church Street anytime!!
Connie Lilley
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