*
Dodging Drool
Roberta "Bobbie" Beach

NO VACANCY - THE SAD TRUTH

Posted Tuesday, August 10, 2010, at 4:21 PM

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  • How dare you question the Christians in this community when you are not even one yourself.

    God is not a woman. End of discussion.

    -- Posted by WisdomSeeker on Tue, Aug 10, 2010, at 5:42 PM
  • God is all in one - male and female - it's in your Bibie: "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them" Genesis 1:27. And I would not feel so free to question the Christians of this community were I not one myself. Also, please re-read most of your Wisdom literature: Wisdom and the Holy Spirit are often portrayed as female.

    However, we digress. I hope you are not one of those despicable persons who does not care for nor spays/neuters your pet. My reference to God in the feminine form was a very small piece of this article. I find it odd and very sad it is the only part to which you responded.

    -- Posted by silverwalk on Tue, Aug 10, 2010, at 6:54 PM
  • I am only to assume that WisdomSeeker is not an animal lover anyway, since there would be no question of Silverwalk's dedication to God and all of God's creatures. Ms. Beach's work is steeped in God and Christianity.

    I would not fret as I doubt you hear from this person again.

    It may be good to remind those who have unaltered animals that the Humane Society has a low-income spay/neuter program available. For qualifying owners/pet lovers, it is only $25 for cats and $35 for dogs and it covers two pets per family. Some people spend that much in gas driving litter after litter to the humane society to drop them off as if they are doing the pound a "favor." Some favor that is...

    It is my suggestion to WisdomSeeker that he (am I assuming correctly here?) stop by the Humane Society in Cape and ask to watch the euthanasias that are performed all too frequently on healthy dogs and cats. Maybe he himself will begin to question God's presence and work on this earth, as opposed to Silverwalk's.

    -- Posted by buschpetproducts on Tue, Aug 10, 2010, at 7:35 PM
  • As I started reading this blog, I did feel the compassion there. I am an animal lover, have received 7 cats & 2 dogs from either the Humane Society or took in strays and every one has immediately been taken to the vet for shots & spay/neuter. When I got to the part where silverwalk says "God doesn't work alone - She uses human beings", I completely lost interest in reading the rest of her blog.

    If you want to make an impact on your readers, or those who just stumble upon your blog for the 1st time, make your point, keep it short and leave your personal religious beliefs out of it. Otherwise you wind up sounding like a completely whacked out individual and cause readers to tune out the point of your story and focus on the "weird ramblings" of the writer.

    -- Posted by semogirl66 on Tue, Aug 10, 2010, at 8:27 PM
  • I wish you luck, but spitting out asinine accusations is ridiculous and IS NOT the way to get help from people.

    -- Posted by crackpot on Tue, Aug 10, 2010, at 9:02 PM
  • I applaud semogirl66's taking in and being responsible for her animals; I choose to share my whole self in my entries; to do less would be dishonest on my part. Pronoun use is not the issue here.

    The issue is the house-cat taken to Safe Harbor because the woman no longer wanted cat hair in her new home; the issue is the kittens found in a closed and taped box on the side of the road, left to die horrible deaths. The issue is people calling and dropping off animals right and left without offering to help. The issue is the person who, when told there was no room, dropped of his dog at a nearby home to be found drowning in the pool - he did make it to SH, THANK GOD. The issue is a county and cities who need to step up and help - if you choose not to help the animals, please help Chaplain Terry and the homeless. Where are you volunteering to make a difference now, crackpot? Do you have pets? Are they spayed and neutered as semogirl66's are? I agree w/bushpetproducts - if you are offended by "asinine" accusations, watch a healthy animal die because too few will help or be responsible...take some time to volunteer and work at Safe Harbor or Bollinger County. You may think differently - what is the saying? "Walk in another's moccasins?"

    -- Posted by silverwalk on Tue, Aug 10, 2010, at 9:54 PM
  • Uncle. I have changed the pronouns in reference to God only because they interfered with the message I am trying to convey.

    -- Posted by silverwalk on Wed, Aug 11, 2010, at 2:03 AM
  • I read your column and love your work. I think you are a wonderful person. Unfortunately I feel you may have been out in the sun too long this week. Ranting and raving like a disturbed person and accusing others is not a way to either get your message across or convince others to participate in your mission. Calm down and take a deep breath. I am sorry that you don't have enough volunters, but the way you are presenting your message is not winning over anyone.

    -- Posted by ParkerDaws on Wed, Aug 11, 2010, at 5:24 AM
  • The saddest truth is out of sight, out of mind.

    -- Posted by voyager on Wed, Aug 11, 2010, at 7:03 AM
  • Hard times have shown that if people can't make ends meet, they downsize. Sadly, that often means their pets. Providing for your children, bills, gas in the car, etc is hard enough. Adding the expense of a beloved pet makes things even more difficult. I have dogs. I have adopted from the Humane Society. I would never leave a dog chained up and abandoned. But, that's me. Perhaps just 'leaving' a pet and hoping that someone can provide for it is all a person is emotionally equiped to do. I HATE that any animal is abused, neglected or harmed. It sickens me. It hurts my heart that these groups are now filled and can't care for any more animals. It saddens me that there aren't enough volunteers. But, in the meantime, please know that those of us who do care about animals may not have the time, extra money or emotional ability to volunteer, donate money or take in another animal.

    -- Posted by kcgirl1 on Wed, Aug 11, 2010, at 10:23 AM
  • bushpetproducts-you're a FB friend of mine. I totally agree with what you said. Walking into the HS is heartbreaking. I often take extra paper towels, bleach and 'change for their collection jar' out just because I know it's appreciated. Spaying or neutering is the only thing that makes sense. For some reason, people just don't get the message that the pet population and unwanted pets is out of control. For those of you reading these responses today, please, if you can sort through the yelling and understand that some people are very passionate about this topic. Just try and be kind to each other and to those who are doing what they can to help.

    -- Posted by kcgirl1 on Wed, Aug 11, 2010, at 10:31 AM
  • For those of you who are attacking or criticizing Ms. Beach for 'accusing' people, you have obviously never done this type of work on any long-term basis. You have obviously never tried, and tried, and TRIED, day in and day out, to make a difference, to help save innocent lives, to stop unnecessary cruelty, only to have evidence thrown in your face time and time again that there's no end to it, there's no solution. Maybe the accusations hit a little too close to home for some of you, and that is the reason you've become so defensive? Suck it up people. Ms. Beach's extremely justified disgust with society can't be anywhere near as painful for you as the heat to those kittens taped up in that box, or to the dog left chained with no water, or the animals people have thrown out car windows going down the highway. If you would all stop being so high and mighty for a moment and read the message instead of picking it apart, maybe you'd be moved to do something other than whine about having your feelings hurt.

    -- Posted by MusicMaker on Wed, Aug 11, 2010, at 12:21 PM
  • Yep...thanks musicmaker

    -- Posted by kcgirl1 on Wed, Aug 11, 2010, at 12:34 PM
  • What are the hours of operation at Safe Harbor?

    Would someone with a 9-5 job be able to help in the evenings or is it just during the day?

    -- Posted by all_i_hear_is_blah_blah on Wed, Aug 11, 2010, at 12:38 PM
  • I am not in a position to adopt a pet currently. I have 3 dogs and a cat. (all spayed or neutered of course :) But I am curious if there is a cost to "adopt" from Safe Harbor

    -- Posted by all_i_hear_is_blah_blah on Wed, Aug 11, 2010, at 12:40 PM
  • I looked the prices up on SH website. All I can say is WOW! $100 for a dog? $50-$75 for a cat???

    I am beginning to understand why the INNs are full. I know that there are expenses to be considered, but I would think that getting the animals good homes would justify a lower price and also would cut back on the costs incurred by keeping them so long.

    -- Posted by all_i_hear_is_blah_blah on Wed, Aug 11, 2010, at 12:47 PM
  • The days have been long and miserably hot for all of us but especially someone that works as hard and diligently as Bobbie does at Silverwalk. Those of us that face the same indifference and apathy from the public, feel her pain at this moment.

    Some of this commentary is typical of the general public that is either trying to justify their actions or trying to shift the focus off an unpleasant subject. After all, if you can attack the messenger and show them to be suspect, you do not have to acknowledge the truth in the message.

    Here's a little something else for you to ignore. The Humane Society of Southeast Missouri took in 476 animals in June, 406 in July and as of this past Saturday, 54. With the lack of suitable fosters, the no-kills and rescues being full, the surplus will come to them which means regardless of age, health, species or breed, something will die.

    I have walked in the shoes of these organizations. I can tell you why Bobbie is upset right now. It is because too many people waste their time and energy trying to make excuses for not being part of the solution. We are all having a rough time but this does not excuse any one of us from ignoring our responsibility for the lives we have allowed to come into this world.

    Bobbie, my friend, I hear the despair in your words. God never gives us more than we can handle. You fight the good fight, God bless!

    -- Posted by Melanie Coy on Wed, Aug 11, 2010, at 1:23 PM
  • The hours for Safe Harbor are 8-12 noon, 4-6 PM Monday through Saturday and 4-6 PM on Sunday. "all_i_hear" we really need help on the weekends - thanks for asking. Silverwalk can indeed use help in the evening as I currently work on the weekends. Thanks, too, for having your pets fixed. The adoption costs for Safe Harbor and Silverwalk animals includes spay/neuter, all shots including rabies and bordetella, heart worm test and if necessary, treatment, monthly heart worm medicine as well as flea/tick prevention. I suggest you run what you get with your adopted animal and compare it to what it would cost you for a "free" dog or cat. Never hurts to check with your vet. Some of both Silverwalk and Safe Harbor dogs participate in and pass the AKC Canine Good Citizenship class, earning their CGC title before being adopted. Shiloh at Silverwalk is a CGC certified dog. Both Jedi (sponsored and virtually adopted) and Justus, a foster dog listed with http://coonhoundrescue.com, are currently working on theirs.

    Something else to consider is our mission. Both Safe Harbor and Silverwalk are sanctuaries - meaning animals never adopted or who become unadoptable (though that is a very personal decision and we have had adopters who embrace those cats and dogs others deem unworthy), are welcome to stay their entire lives. We don't throw any animal away due to age or length of time at the sanctuary. Yes, it is a luxury; yes, it is a cause of being so very full but we have been called to this type of animal rescue; to do less would demean the spirit in which these sanctuaries were born. They, however, were not born to be dumping grounds for those who no longer choose to be inconvenienced by their pets or will not take the responsibility to spay and neuter them. ATTITUDE is crucial - yes, I recognize and understand people who are unable to help in any way other than prayer; at the risk of unleashing another backlash, prayer is very much appreciated by us all. Bollinger County deals with a different situation in trying to help keep as many pets in homes as possible, passing on food and supplies as able and available. A number of animals dealt with by Bollinger County Stray Project are those hit by cars - some can survive, others are sent lovingly to heaven. Yet, still there, too, dogs and puppies are rampant :(. All of us try to never let an animal die alone. When it is time, my dog, rescue or personal, will, if at all possible, die in my arms, whether at Silverwalk or at my vet's.

    I will address the "rest of the story" on Friday. My thanks to those who saw through the pain, anguish and despair in my post to uphold the real need for a sea change of pet and working animal care, compassion, management and responsibility in our region.

    -- Posted by silverwalk on Wed, Aug 11, 2010, at 2:21 PM
  • Now THAT was very well said silverwalk! God bless your work and dedication to these abandoned animals.

    -- Posted by semogirl66 on Wed, Aug 11, 2010, at 3:56 PM
  • I am so glad you have kept reading, semogirl66 :).

    -- Posted by silverwalk on Wed, Aug 11, 2010, at 10:26 PM
  • THANK YOU FOR SAYING WHAT NEEDED TO BE SAID!

    I am a bit late in commenting but this subject is something I am truly passionate about.

    Roberta, I applaud everything you have said. As an active volunteer at both Safe Harbor and the Humane Society I understand and feel that same frustration that you expressed in your blog. Thank you for saying what needed to be said and THANK YOU FOR DOING WHAT YOU DO. Some people may not have liked the honest, non-sugar coated words... but sometimes the truth doesn't go down easy... we are in a desperate situation and action is needed. I feel confident in saying that anyone who has a problem with this blog is ignorant to the true extent of this heartbreaking problem. Knowing that healthy animals are going to be euthanized or die a painful death because their owners have failed to take responsibility for them breaks your heart... everyday. If you work in the trenches like the people of these animal welfare groups do you UNDERSTAND this problem.It is not pretty. If you have not been in the trenches you are not qualified to speak on this topic or judge those who speak passionately about it.

    The harsh truth is that many people view animals as disposable. They forget (or maybe were never taught) that animals are living breathing creatures that bond strongly with their care takers. Animals trust, love, and depend on their ¡*people.¡* When neglected, mistreated or abandoned they feel genuine fear, sadness, loneliness and pain. ¡K if you disagree with this¡K come work in a shelter you WILL then see what these poor animals go through when their ¡*person¡* surrenders them.

    Taking an animal into your home is a commitment... you are committing to be the care taker of a helpless creature who is dependent on you for their safety and well being... sadly some people take this responsibility lightly or take no responsibility at all¡K this is disgusting to me.

    However, I applaud and thank those of who take their animal¡*s care seriously, your pets are truly lucky to have you and you are a friend of mine! ƒº THANK YOU!

    HELP NEEDED: CALLING ALL ANIMAL LOVERS!!!

    ¡*If you believe in something, do something.¡* I volunteer because I believe in what these rescue organizations do¡K I believe that animals should be treated fairly and should be cared for. One day I realized that it wasn¡*t enough for me to just state that ¡§I love animals.¡¨ There is a HUGE problem out there with homeless and neglected pets¡K and being an animal lover I am called to do my part to help with that situation. Maybe some of you out there will resonate with this¡K

    As far as the volunteer situation goes that Roberta spoke of... it is a frustrating one...There are SO many needy animals but so few helping hands to care for them. ƒ¼ If anyone reading this has even ONE spare day a month... a few hours a month... you could become part of a solution to this problem.

    I saw a statistic the other day that really shocked me¡K 'The average American family watched 7hrs of TV/day' ... WOW! That is sad ( I am guilty at times myself!). Think of all the things we could do... or the people we could help if we gave up even 2-3 hr/wk to help a good cause. We as Americans are tremendously blessed... if you have an able body and an able mind... you are well equipped to serve ANY ORGANIZATION. There is a place for you!

    That being said I KNOW time is a huge issue for everyone... I understand that! :) Kids, husband, family, full-time jobs... I understand this all. But what kind of message are we sending to our family... AND our KIDS by not instilling in them the need to help and serve others...? Hey¡K fun idea¡K why not bring your kiddos with you to volunteer! ƒº So many positive things can come out of that kind of experience! Its amazing to think of what could be done if we could just recruit 30-40 people in this area who were dedicated to volunteering even just 1-2x/ month... just some quick math: there are 720hrs in a month...with that being said maybe 3-4 hrs dedicated to serving such a wonderful cause would is something even a busy family could commit to¡K I would love to see the directors of these wonderful sanctuaries get the help they so desperately need.

    Again- a big thank you to Roberts, Safe Harbor, Bollinger County Stray Project and the Humane Society for doing what they do¡K it is a huge service to the community and the animals in this area.

    This is where the ¡*rubber meets the road¡*¡K if you believe in the work of an organization get involved¡K THEY NEED YOU!!!

    -- Posted by 16 legs on Wed, Aug 11, 2010, at 11:25 PM
  • THANK YOU FOR SAYING WHAT NEEDED TO BE SAID!

    I am a bit late in commenting but this subject is something I am truly passionate about.

    Roberta, I applaud everything you have said. As an active volunteer at both Safe Harbor and the Humane Society I understand and feel that same frustration that you expressed in your blog. Thank you for saying what needed to be said and THANK YOU FOR DOING WHAT YOU DO. Some people may not have liked the honest, non-sugar coated words... but sometimes the truth doesn't go down easy... we are in a desperate situation and action is needed. I feel confident in saying that anyone who has a problem with this blog is ignorant to the true extent of this heartbreaking problem. Knowing that healthy animals are going to be euthanized or die a painful death because their owners have failed to take responsibility for them breaks your heart... everyday. If you work in the trenches like the people of these animal welfare groups do you UNDERSTAND this problem.It is not pretty. If you have not been in the trenches you are not qualified to speak on this topic or judge those who speak passionately about it.

    The harsh truth is that many people view animals as disposable. They forget (or maybe were never taught) that animals are living breathing creatures that bond strongly with their care takers. Animals trust, love, and depend on their "people." When neglected, mistreated or abandoned they feel genuine fear, sadness, loneliness and pain. If you disagree with this, come work in a shelter you WILL then see what these poor animals go through when their "person" surrenders them.

    Taking an animal into your home is a commitment... you are committing to be the care taker of a helpless creature who is dependent on you for their safety and well being... sadly some people take this responsibility lightly or take no responsibility at all.

    However, I applaud and thank those of who take their animals care seriously, your pets are truly lucky to have you and you are a friend of mine! THANK YOU!

    HELP NEEDED: CALLING ALL ANIMAL LOVERS!!!

    "If you believe in something, do something." I volunteer because I believe in what these rescue organizations do. I believe that animals should be treated fairly and should be cared for. One day I realized that it was not enough for me to just state that, "I love animals." There is a HUGE problem out there with homeless and neglected pets, and being an animal lover I am called to do my part to help with that situation. Maybe some of you out there will resonate with this.

    As far as the volunteer situation goes that Roberta spoke of, it is a frustrating one. There are SO many needy animals but so few helping hands to care for them. If anyone reading this has even ONE spare day a month, a few hours a week, you could become part of a solution to this problem.

    I saw a statistic the other day that really shocked me... 'The average American family watched 7hrs of TV/day,' WOW! That is sad ( I am guilty at times myself!). Think of all the things we could do... or the people we could help if we gave up even 2-3 hr/wk to help a good cause. We as Americans are tremendously blessed! If you have an able body and an able mind... you are well equipped to serve ANY ORGANIZATION. There is a place for you! There is place for anyone who has has a helping hand to lend.

    That being said I KNOW time is a huge issue for everyone, I understand that! :) Kids, husband, family, full-time jobs... I understand this all. But what kind of message are we sending to our family... AND our KIDS by not instilling in them the need to help and serve others...? A fun idea might be to bring your kiddos with you to volunteer! So many positive things can come out of that kind of experience! Its amazing to think of what could be done if we could just recruit 30-40 people in this area who were dedicated to volunteering even just 1-2x/ month... just some quick math: there are 720hrs in a month...with that being said maybe 3-4 hrs dedicated to serving such a wonderful cause would is something even a busy family could commit to! I would love to see the directors of these wonderful sanctuaries get the help they so desperately need.

    Again- a big thank you to Roberta, Safe Harbor, Bollinger County Stray Project and the Humane Society for doing what they do... it is a huge service to the community and the animals in this area.

    This is where the rubber meets the road, if you believe in the work of an organization get involved... THEY NEED YOU!!!

    -- Posted by 16 legs on Wed, Aug 11, 2010, at 11:40 PM
  • I hear your frustration. I have taken in several animals from my neighborhood that have been abused or neglected. I would like to know what kind if dog food you feed them so I can donate some. Are there any other things you NEED for these precious animals? Though I am not in the position to adopt, I would like to help by donating some supplies to you.

    -- Posted by honeybee on Fri, Aug 13, 2010, at 2:25 AM
  • I just now saw this blog and am absolutely stunned at some of the early responses. Bobbie, you can use any pronouns you want, God knows you and your good heart. Anyone who has an issue with this blog can visit Bobbie at Silverwalk and see just how much she gives to these dogs. Shame on all of you who critisize the presentation of this blog, can you not see the anguish she is feeling?

    -- Posted by doggone on Fri, Aug 13, 2010, at 4:26 PM
  • @ honeybee - thank you so much for wanting to donate: we can always use Purina Dog and Puppy Chow; Bollinger Cty has a lot of puppies who need a decent puppy chow - Ol Roy and Kibble & Bits just don't do it :(. As I note in the following blog, laundry detergent (HE), bleach, cleaning supplies; right now we are looking for a shop vac for Safe Harbor. Silverwalk needs flowers for the fence & for the memorial labyrinth (hopefully, I will put that in next year) and dog houses. We all use those bed pads used at hospitals on patient beds for incontinence - they are a true godsend on couches :). Thanks so much.

    @ hootyhoo - thanks for your validation - I greatly appreciate it. God is good, isn't She?

    @voyager - the most succinct true sentence I have heard lately. Thanks for encapsulating the sad truth.

    @16legs - wow - you are truly in the trenches and know of which you speak. It is always both heartrending and uplifting in rescue but boy, this summer we have all been over-taxed. thank you for sharing so clearly and with such compassion.

    @ParkerDaws - sometimes one has to shout to be heard. I have politely made the same requests and offered the same information in previous entries w/o effect - so this time, I felt the real need to ramp it up STRONGLY. Thanks for reading and do keep doing so :).

    @kcgirl1 - yep, I get the economy and how it breaks people's heart to have to part w/their beloved pet to feed their family or pay the bills. We do need to be kind. Thank you for your comments.

    @buschpetproducts - thank you for sharing more about the snap program at the humane society and for understanding of the deep gravity of this situation.

    @MusicMaker - I like your style! Thanks!

    @MelanieCoy - thanks for sharing more specific stats from the Humane Society. No one has room and the need is even greater!

    -- Posted by silverwalk on Fri, Aug 13, 2010, at 10:22 PM
  • Another option for a future blog silverwalk:

    I know there are many animals in shelters that need loving homes, but there are also many that are abused & neglected that are advertised in newspapers as "Free to good home". I have taken in a couple dogs from newspaper ads and after the 1st vet visit have found these animals are very sick and were neglected and abused. It is very costly, but people - please do not ignore newspaper ads! These animals deserve a loving, caring home! I was absolutely appalled and the animal's health, but very thankful that I was there to help them to become happy, healthy animals.

    -- Posted by semogirl66 on Wed, Dec 8, 2010, at 7:23 PM