Delta Gets a New Leash on Life

Delta didn't start out as Delta. At first she was called Lucy, a frisky yellow lab that followed me while I was walking near the Delta Reservations center one day. Skinny and collar-less, she looked like she had been lost a long time. Worried that she might get hit by car, I decided to try and coax her back to my building, which was about a mile away.

Fortunately a painter was working on a house nearby and lent me a nylon strap so I could use it as a leash and get her safely across a very busy intersection. The local police rolled up at that point and told me he had seen her roaming for most of the day and she was new to the neighborhood. He offered a ride, and while some women like men in uniforms, Lucy isn't one of them. She wasn't about to get in the patrol car with this guy, so we continued our journey on foot.

The police stopped by again, this time with several cans of Vienna sausages for Lucy from the local convenience store. Juggling the treats, a bucking pup, and my cellphone was no easy task, but we made it back to Delta Headquarters in one piece. The guards at the gate seemed a little surprised that I had picked up a companion, but didn't ask for her i.d. and waved us through. After wrestling this 60 pound bundle of energy into the car, I took Lucy home with me, and that's when the fun began.

Being an animal lover (as you can probably tell), I already had a full house with 3 dogs and 5 cats. I couldn't take another dog in permanently, but I could try and find a home for her. The fates were working against us, however. It was the end of the year when most people were enjoying the holidays and not looking for a dog to adopt, especially an older one. The shelters were full and not taking in any new residents. I wasn't panicked yet -- but I soon would be.

Having worked with many rescue groups across the country after Katrina, I had a long list of people I could contact who might possibly help. We frequently ship dogs out of the South to other areas of the country that do not have the homeless pet problem we have here. I contacted every single group I knew, and some I didn't know, and no luck. Lucy's prospects were looking pretty grim.

In the meantime, Lucy was not the grateful guest you would expect after being rescued from the streets. As soon as I brought her home, I let her run outside in my fenced back yard, and she immediately started climbing the fence to get out. Uh-oh, flight risk. She never went outside again without a leash.

My pets are very accepting of just about anything that walks in the door, so I knew they wouldn't have a problem with Lucy. This was not a reciprocal agreement, however. If anyone even looked in the direction of her food or rawhide, she quickly put them in their place. Buster, my dog with a death wish, would routinely steal Lucy's rawhide as soon as we left for a walk. How he hauled a bone as long as he was into his favorite chair, I'm not sure, but it's a good thing Lucy never caught him.

Not trusting her alone with the rest of my crew, I made the mistake of leaving her in a bedroom while I went to lunch with a friend. In just 2 hours, she managed to chew the side of a desk, some woodwork, a wooden blind, and was working on the comforter. Lucy would make the Dog Whisperer throw in the towel. At that point I gave up and packed her in the car for a trip to a shelter that will keep animals until they are adopted.

I had donated lots of time and money to this organization and thought surely they would help me out. I went there with Lucy to plead my case, while she was quaking in fear. They refused to take her, so I ended up packing her back into the car and driving home. At this point, I had pretty much run out of hope. We were stuck with each other, at least for awhile.

Despite her mischievousness, Lucy did earn her keep one morning. On one of our daily o'dark-hundred walks (she's an early riser), we were headed down a street and I heard someone say "hey baby". At this hour of the morning, the only people you usually run into are fellow dog walkers and runners, and they usually don't greet you with "hey baby". Lucy knew something was up and wasn't about to lose her meal ticket. She started barking with a fury that would wake the dead -- along with everyone on the street. She made her point, and the pair took off running. It was tempting to let her off leash so she could go after them, but they'd already had enough of a scare for one day. Very proud of herself, she pranced all the way home.

What to do with this dog? In desperation, I made one last call that was going to be a long shot. I had read a story several months earlier, about a prison in Colorado that takes in rescues and companion animals and trains them. I called the manager of the program and explained the situation and asked (begged!) her to take Lucy into the program. She said she'd give it some thought. In the meantime, she called my vet, where Lucy had day boarded for free, and they vouched for her. Lucy was fine with people, and with a little socialization, she could be a good citizen. The Colorado Prison finally agreed to take Lucy. I was so thrilled, I booked her on the next available Delta flight before they could change their mind!

Though Lucy was a handful, we bonded over the month that she lived with me. She was a sweet, loyal dog that was going to make a great companion for some lucky family. It was very hard to send her off, but I knew this was best for her. And my house could return to normal again.

On a chilly January morning, we drove to the Delta Air Cargo facility for the flight to her new home. I was like a nervous mother making sure her crate door was secure and her sedative for the long flight was kicking in. Lucy was taking this all in stride and was ready for a new chapter in her life. I tracked her progress online to be sure she was loaded on the right flight and that she arrived safely at the cargo center in Denver. Her chauffeur from the Denver prison called me as soon as she picked up Lucy to let me know she was okay, although a little surprised at all the white stuff on the ground in Denver.

Since there were already a lot of Lucys in the program, she was renamed Delta, Colorado Inmate #881. Delta adjusted quickly to her life behind bars and was happy to have a steady stream of affection and 2 squares a day. She bonded quickly with her new handler. Once she completed her training, she was ready for adoption. Her profile was posted to the adoption site and described her as "charismatic, very gentle, with loyalties that run deep". Some lucky family appreciated those qualities, and she rode off with them to her new home.

Dogs can teach you valuable lessons if you are willing to listen, like how to give unconditional love and to revel in the simple joys of life, like a long nap in the warm sun. Delta taught me to have patience. No matter how insurmountable a problem may seem, things always seem to sort themselves out. Wishing you many long naps in the warm sun Delta!

Read the USA Today article about the Colorado Prison Trained K9 Program, "Dogs do time to earn good behavior"

Visit the Colorado Prison site. Click on K-9 Companion

Tybee Island Road Trip -- Day 4

We woke up to the sound of rain falling on the tin roof. If you've never heard that comforting sound before, it is the silver lining to a rainy day at the beach. The storm also made it easier to leave that morning, which would have been hard to do if it had been a brilliantly sunny day.

Before we hit the road, we had to check out a Tybee icon, the Breakfast Club, which only serves breakfast. It is the place where glitterati and locals rub elbows, deals are made, and gossip is exchanged. The Breakfast Club has an eclectic assortment of great food, some that you may not expect for breakfast, like the shrimp with eggs and grits or the home-made chorizio burrito with eggs.

What is so charming about Tybee is that everything about this island is eccentric. If you are looking for a 5-star resort experience --keep looking. If you like fun, off-beat destinations that are laid back and unpretentious, then Tybee is the place for you. Tybee is an island where residents keep their Christmas decorations up year-round, and you can walk your dog in your pajamas, which I did just this morning. I'm sure there are covenants against these things at some of the tonier islands south of Tybee.


Before heading back to Atlanta, we took one more drive around the island to check out the other Mermaid Cottages. There are close to 30 to choose from, several which are on the historical register, and others that have been featured in Coastal Living and Cottage Living. All are decorated in a colorful signature style that is comfortable and laid back -- a perfect complement to the Tybee experience. And most of the cottages are pet-friendly.




Tybee Island is easy to get to by car or by air. The island is 40 minutes from the Savannah airport. If you need a city fix, like a Starbuck's latte, downtown Savannah is just 20 minutes away via the Islands Expressway. Savannah is a charming city with lots of great boutiques, restaurants, and fine art galleries.

Tybee is truly a diamond in the rough, and a destination you must check out. A coalition is working to make the island more pet-friendly, which will be a bonus to people like me who can't wait to return.

For more information about Tybee Island, check out these links:

Pet-friendly Mermaid Cottages

Charlotte Observor story on Tybee Island

Purchasing or investing in real estate on Tybee

Tybee Island Road Trip -- Day 3

It was another beautiful, sunny day on Tybee, and we set out for the Dog Park. Lily and Buster were excited about seeing Pogie, Louie, and other friends they made the day before. Though it was 10 a.m., not a soul was at the park yet, so we decided to come back later. We're just going to have to adjust to Tybee Island time.

Just down the street from the park is Seaside Sisters, a fabulous shop for vintage collectibles and beach-themed gifts for your shabby chic cottage or home. The store is run by a collective of 10 women with a passion for all things quirky and fun -- just my kind of place! I started chatting with Susan, one of the owners of the store and mentioned by blog about Tybee. She shared a lot of insight on the island's lifestyle and graciously gave me a book on the history of the island from one of the shop's shelves. "Tybee Island", by Robert Ciucevich, is a fascinating read and is full of wonderful vintage photographs.

As I mentioned in my earlier blogs, finding pet-friendly restaurants on Tybee is a challenge. Susan suggested that we try Fanny's on the Beach, which is near the 14th Street Pier, and had outside seating. We received a warm welcome at Fanny's and had a great table overlooking the dunes and pier. Besides being pet-friendly, Fanny's also has great food. I mentioned being stalked by the beach police to one of the locals, just as a Tybee patrol car rolled to a stop in front of us. He told the police to send out an APB to the beach patrol to quit following the lady with two dogs from Atlanta. It must have worked. We never saw the beach patrol again.

Just around the corner from Fanny's is the Atlantic Beacon, run by Debbie, who grew up on the island. The shop has a great assortment of artwork. I was intrigued by the large collection of vintage photographs of the island and its famous icons. Rich in history, the island has lost most of its landmarks, such as the Tybee Inlet Club, the Hotel Tybee, the DeSoto Beach Hotel, and the Central of Georgia Railway station, to fire or development.

Though it is not as pet-friendly as other beach destinations, Tybee residents love their pets and take them everywhere. On the drive to the Dog Park, we passed owners cycling by with their dogs in their bicycle baskets, and dogs headed out for a day of boating.
By mid-afternoon, the Dog Park was hopping, and Buster and Lily enjoyed socializing with their canine buddies.

After the park, it was time to go home for a siesta, while mom headed out for a walk on the beach.






For a small island, Tybee offers a great selection of seafood restaurants. We were going to try Sundae Cafe, which is supposedly the best on the island, but unfortunately it was closed on Sunday. So it was back to A.J.'s on the back river, which has a great dock that overlooks the marsh and is a fabulous place to enjoy the Tybee sunsets.



The area is very proud of its seafood, which is fresh from the local docks. There's even a billboard in Savannah that scoffs at farm-raised shrimp from China. I have eaten so much shrimp from China, that I had forgotten the wonderful taste of shrimp raised in this coastal area. The fresh, salty water off the coast of Georgia produces a much sweeter type of shrimp than the China variety. We are heading home tomorrow and will miss the laid-back pace of this little isle.

Tybee Island Road Trip -- Day 2

We piled into the car for a quick tour of the island to help us plan our day. Our first stop was the Tybee Visitors Bureau, where we collected a map and some other brochures. The nice lady at the desk was a little vague on what restaurants and attractions welcomed pets. She did warn us, however, that dogs were definitely not permitted on the beach, and the fines were stiff if you were caught. The last time I was in Tybee several years ago, I took my dogs to the beach even though it was posted No Pets, and no one said a word to me. They were now cracking down on scofflaws like me.

Our next stop was for breakfast. Outdoor dining is rather scant on the island, although I hear that will be changing soon with the revitalization of downtown. If you have ever traveled with your pets, you probably know that flexibility is the operative word. Your dining options are usually limited to takeout, drive-through, or restaurants that accept pets on the patio. And in some destinations we've traveled to, restaurants will let you sneak a small pet into the restaurant if it is in a pet tote and very well-behaved. Be sure to leave a generous tip for the staff. If you prefer to dine out and not take your pet, check to be sure that you are allowed to leave your pet in the room. We've stayed in several hotels where you either had to take your pet with you or hire a petsitter, which most pet-friendly hotels can provide if you let them know ahead of time.

The island only has one fast food restaurant, which is Arby's and our next stop. As I was walking toward the restaurant entrance, one of the arriving employees informed me that they didn't open until 10 a.m. Coming from a 24x7 city, I was a little surprised that I couldn't get a sausage biscuit at 9:45 in the morning. Meanwhile all the liquor stores nearby were already open for business. I could get a martini before 10 a.m. but not a biscuit from Arby's. Maybe I needed to change my priorities.

Just down the street from the Arby's-with-banker's-hours is the Sunrise Restaurant. As the name suggests, they'd been serving since 6 a.m. I ordered biscuits to go -- one for me and one for my dogs. Our next stop was the 14th Steet Pier and Pavillion to eat our takeout breakfast. The pier is the all-purpose hot spot for everything from fishing to weddings, with a memorial ash dusting scheduled at noon that day for a long-time resident. The visitors bureau thought I should be able to take my dogs on the pier, since it was privately owned, but advised me to check the signs.

Good thing I did, because the sign clearly stated "No Pets". I saw a woman walking her dog nearby and asked her if they enforced the rule. She confirmed that they did and told me not to even go near the beach with Lily and Buster. She had just paid a $275 ticket for her daughter's dog. Though the dog was on private property, it was in a dune and "too close to the beach". So it's $200 if you dog is on the beach, and $275 if it's near the beach. While this may not seem logical, it was just another Tybeeism. Since I had two dogs, it would probably be a double whammy. So we were staying clear of the beach and the dunes. Just at that moment, one of the beach police pulled up, ready to whip out his ticket book if we set one paw on the pier. So we dined on one of the benches near the pier. After all, Buster and Lily were more interested in their sausage biscuit than the view.

Tybee boasts a small dog park on Butler Avenue, its main drag. We stopped there to meet some of the locals and other guests on the island. One of the dogs we met, Pogie, was visiting from Atlanta too. Pogie is Filipino for "handsome", and he was a dashing little schnauzer.

After we finishing with the doggie bonding, we drove over to the Tybee Lighthouse and Officers Row. Originally built in 1736, the lighthouse is a Georgia icon. At 154 feet, it is the tallest lighthouse in Georgia and the oldest. Dogs are not allowed inside the museum grounds but can be walked outside the fenced area. The beach police were on site (same patrol car) to make sure that Buster and Lily knew their boundaries.
Just opposite the lighthouse is Fort Screven, which was built in 1885 and was part of the East Coast defense system until it was decommissioned in 1947. A few streets over from the lighthouse is Officers Row, which is somewhat hard to find and has some forbidding signs about Residents Only. Since it's a public street, we took a cruise down this impressive venue, with the park police tailing us.

The stately homes lining this street were used by high ranking military personnel stationed at Fort Screven. The homes had fallen into disrepair after the fort was decommissioned, but a revitalization effort has restored many to their early splendor. The dramatic restoration of one of the homes was featured in Coastal Living in January 2008. I was surprised that just in front of these gorgeous mansions, were newer homes that were now blocking the mansions' once magnificent vistas.

If I owned one of these grande dames, I would have been a little miffed. I asked a local how something like that could have happened? According to the Tybee native, the land in front of Officers Row was originally a parade ground for the military stationed at the fort, and the mansions were in a severe state of decline. After the fort was decommissioned, the parcel was sold off without much thought to preserving the character of the area. The people who owned or rented the mansions at the time did not have the resources or inclination to mount a campaign to block the development, that essentially blocked their unrestricted view of the water. This seems to be an all too familiar theme on this island, which has lost a lot of fabulous structures to the wrecking ball and developers.

It had been a full day and was nap time for the pups. While they napped, I headed to the beach for a long walk. Tybee is a barrier island with wide beaches of packed sand, which are great for walking, running, or biking. Despite the glorious weather and the long holiday weekend, there were relatively few people on the beach. I was not complaining.

Tybee Island Road Trip -- Day 1

ROAD TRIP! Those words are music to every dog's ears. And this road trip would not be our usual excursion to the grocery store -- or worse -- the vet. We were headed off for a long- awaited trip to Tybee, one of the islands off the coast of Georgia. It would be a nice break from the 5 cats we share the house with. Buster and I know our place in the pecking order: they rule the roost.

The car was packed and we were ready to roll, but mom had to do one last tail count before we left town. She was missing one tail belonging to Mackie. After searching all his favorite hiding places, Mackie was M.I.A. Though he is our chief tormentor, he's family. He might be sick, and we couldn't leave town without knowing he was allright. The can opener and tuna fish did not roust him from his hiding spot, so mom cooked up a stinky brew of shrimp and anchovies, which the other cats loved but still no Mackie. Now we were all getting worried. Several hours later, mom gave up and left to run some errands. When she got back, Mackie sauntered down the steps like nothing happened. As the saying goes, "Cats were once worshipped as gods. Cats never have forgotten this."

It was a beautiful, sunny day in Atlanta and great weather for a trip. We were finally off! Backseat territory squabbles are not confined to children. Buster, the little squirt, hogged more than he needed. It's a terrier thing. Once we settled on our dog beds on the back seat, we watched the view for about the first 10 miles. The Georgia scenery doesn't change much from Atlanta to the coast. It's a steady line of pine trees, plus it was nap time. Buster and I dozed off. After several blissful hours, we woke up just outside of Savannah to the fresh scent of salty air

Fifteen minutes later, we were on the wonderful island of Tybee and ready to start our adventure. We were staying at one of the many colorful Mermaid Cottages scattered throughout the island. Ours was just 2 blocks from the dog park and had a great fenced in yard that we could check out from the back porch.



Almost all the Mermaid properties are pet-friendly, which is hard to find in many beach destinations. We even had a large welcome basket waiting for us when we arrived, stuffed with treats and everything we needed to stay perfectly coifed at the beach. We love this place already!

Pet First Aid Kit

Every home with animals should have a pet first aid kit. It is very easy to put one together and will come in handy for emergency treatment until you can get your pet to the vet.

I also recommend taking it with you when you travel with your pets, especially if you are traveling to a remote location with no animal emergency clinic nearby or store where you can purchase first aid supplies. Treating your animal immediately will help minimize his discomfort and could reduce the threat of infection or uncontrollable bleeding -- which can also lower your vet bill if he needs professional treatment.

Here is what you will need for your kit:

• Hydorgen peroxide -- for cuts, wounds, and poisonings


• Betadine solution -- a non-stinging iodine for cleaning wounds


• Neosporin ointment -- antibiotic for burns and scrapes


• Pepto Bismol liquid -- for vomiting


• Milk of Magnesia -- for constipation


• Thermometer -- rectal type


• Bandages -- telfa coated gauze pads, flexible gauze roll, and elastic tape


• Cotton balls


• Q-tips


• Scissors -- for cutting bandages


• Antiseptic wipes -- for personal clean-up


• Latex gloves -- to reduce the threat of infection

And if you want to go the easy route, you can always buy one at VSI Pet Care Products, which has a complete line of kits for dogs, cats, horses, birds, and barn animals. The kits also include step-by-step instructions on how to administer first aid to animals.

What to Do If You Have Lost or Found A Pet

If you have lost or found a pet, here is a handy template for creating signs in PowerPoint that can be printed from a color printer. Best places to distribute the flyers are:

• the neighborhood where the pet was found or went missing
  
• local veterinarians' billboards. Have the pet scanned while you are at the clinic to see if it has a microchip


• neighborhood association email distribution lists (many pets in my neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods have been happily reunited through our email list)


• animal shelters and rescues in your area
  

For added durability, laminate flyers that will be posted outdoors at a local copy shop, which can be done for less than $2.00 apiece.

Be sure to keep the phone number very large so readers will be able to easily jot it down as they drive by.

I hope no one ever has to deal with the trauma of a lost pet. To ensure that you don't, keep a current id tag with your phone number on your pet's collar at all times and have your pet microchipped. It is also a good idea to be sure that your pet sitter has a current photo of your pet.

The Perfect Valentine for a Pet Lover -- or Your Pet

Best Friends Animal Society is offering e-Valentine cards for a donation of $25 or more. You can sponsor just about any type of animal, from a dog or cat, to a rabbit, horse, or duck.

Located in Kanab, Utah, Best Friends is home to over 1,500 animals that have been abandoned or are unadoptable. They are a no-kill shelter, and because of their size, are called upon to help in every natural disaster that displaces animals.

So give a Valentine's Day present this year that will make a difference and delight the pet lover or pet on your list.

Check out Best Friends' mission, and their National Geographic series, "Dogtown".

What You May Not Know about Greenie Treats

I was chatting with several dog owners recently about what they feed their dogs after the pet food scare from a year ago, and someone mentioned Greenies. These popular treats are still on the store shelves, but veternarians have raised some alarming concerns about feeding these treats to dogs. Though they are labeled as "fully digestible", that may not be the case, and a number of pet owners believe the treats were responsible for their pet's death. If you feed your dogs Greenies, you may want to check out this story on CNN, "Dog Treats Killed Our Pets".

Dalmaitian and Clydesdale Vingnette Takes Top Spot in Super Bowl Ads

Here is the link for the heart-warming Clydesdale Team ad of how an underdog (or Clydesdale in this case) triumphs over all.

Simple Simon's Birthday Bones

These easy-to-make pet treats are a favorite of my crew and make a great present for the pet birthday party or a unique hostess gift for the animal lover.

To make these tasty treats, you will need:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 cup natural peanut butter*
• 1 cup skim milk

*Note: Most brands of natural peanut butter do not contain sugar, which is an ingredient that is not recommended for canine diets.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, combine flour and baking powder. in another bowl, mix peanut butter and milk. Add wet mixture to dry and mix well.

Turn out dough on a lightly floured surface and knead. Roll out to a 1/4-inch thick and cut in shapes.

Place on a greased baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until lightly brown. Cool on a rack and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Makes 24-30 treats.

From: Three Dog Bakery Cookbook, 2001.