13 Dogs & 33 Cats in Time Critical Situation!!

Some Help Still Needed

2008-01-16T09:23:00.000-06:00

I almost forgot!

Bobby and Barker, our two senior chihuahua-type brothers, are in need of some serious dental work that will run several hundred dollars. If anyone feels they can donate a little bit of cash to help defray the cost to the wonderful people who have taken these two guys in it would be so very helpful. You can contact me at julieis@gmail.com and I will put you in touch with appropriate parties.

Also...
The three sickly kitties:
Elton -- the black & white cat who was very thin and so wonderfully affectionate, is diabetic. Elton need a home in the D/FW area where he can live with someone who has the time and resources to treat and maintain a diabetic cat. If you, or anyone you know might be able to take him in you will get a wonderful cat who just wants to be loved and petted and snuggled.

Emory -- the orange & white thin cat, has had nothing come back in any of the extensive blood work that was done. The vet thinks he just was not aggressive enough in his old age to get enough food at the other house. He is eating well and is already putting on weight. It is yet to be determined if he can be adopted out or not, but may need a "special household".

Ginger -- the beautiful dilute calico with the lip problem turns out to have a simple case of kitty acne! She is very friendly and Peggy plan to trade her to an adoption group.

All three of the cats are currently very happy and getting healthier by the day. If you know anyone who might like to adopt one of these wonderful kitties, especially our diabetic Elton, please let me know!

Everyone Safe & Sound -- Many Thanks to you All!!

2008-01-16T07:50:00.000-06:00

Many of you have probably heard by now, but I wanted to let everyone know that, thanks to the amazing and generous assistance of so many selfless folks, ALL of the 13 Dogs & 33 Cats were saved! The final batch of cats were extracted in a last minute, late-night rescue the night before the utilities were being shut off and the state was taking over the house. Thank you Rhonda and Peggy -- we could never have done it without you!!! I'm posting a list of all the amazing people and organizations that took in one or more of our little guys, in the hope that those of you who can will contact them and make a donation of some sort (financial, supplies, or time) in the name of the Clifton animals. I can't begin to thank everyone who helped us save these sweet animals' lives. To all of you who send us good wishes, who forwarded on our e-mails, who told family and friends, who suggested new contacts and, most of all, who took in some of the cats and dogs who had no where to go and not a friend in the world,
Thank you
from 13 dogs, 33 cats, Jim, Mary Lou, Eddie & Julie.

The People and Organizations who Helped us, and who could Always use some Help from You!

Smiling Dog Farms -- took in Hillary, who is making incredible progress and will actually allow herself to be touched! You can contact Jay & Ricky, or donate to this incredible "last chance" sanctuary, through their website.
SARA Sanctuary -- accepted our two labs, Goldie & Whoopie, and the two older dogs, Pride & Joy. SARA is always looking for volunteers to help out at their facility outside of Austin.
Homeward Bound -- Foxy (the chow mix) and 6 cats went to Lisa with this all-volunteer organization in Bedford.
Siamese Rescue -- There were 3 Russian Blue cats in the mix, which were taken in by this group.
Animal Allies of Texas -- Four more of the cats, including the 2 kittens, were rescued by these fine folks in Garland.
Feral Friends -- Came to our rescue several times, with a couple of their group taking 2 cats, and then our last-minute angel, Rhonda, taking in Bobby & Barker and coordinating the rescue of the last batch of the 14 remaining kitties after their placement fell through at the last minute, helping to catch them, and transporting them all up to Barn Cats late into the night on the last day the house had utilities. We couldn't have done it without you!

Barn Cats -- Peggy was the first person to contact us and the last person to take in the remaining cats. She took 2 of the feral cats into her own program, and worked with Rhonda to get the last of the cats vetted and to their new homes. She also took in the 3 sick-looking cats, but it turns out that none of them are as bad off as we feared! More on them later.
Daydreams Ranch -- Took 3 of the feral cats onto their property to give them a safe place to live and plenty of food and water, and as much or as little affection as they are willing to take.

Private Adoptions -- Several private individuals stepped forward to take many of the cats and one of the dogs into their own families. We can't thank you enough!

Hope took in our dust mop dog, Alex (see how much better he looks after his bath in the photo below)

Laura is snuggling with Tazo (the third kitten)

Ellette made room in her barn for the last 8 feral cats, 6 of whom are doing very well and enjoying exploring all over their new acreage! The other 2 have turned out to be quite friendly once they got out of the craziness and are in a safe shelter in Elgin waiting to be adopted.

And of course, Jim & Mary Lou, who spent so much of their time and energy caring for these animals when no one else would, keeping them safe and holding them in readiness for the rest of you to come to their rescue. They also adopted 4 of the dogs into their own home, and I can tell you that Bingo, Franki, Sally and Opie and all doing so well, and blossoming wonderfully in their new home. A special thanks to you guys for holding on, for not giving up, and for fulfilling the last wish of good man.

I've said "Thank you" so many times and to so many people throughout this process that I fear the words have lost their meaning. Please know that all of us, from the bottom of our hearts, appreciate everything that you all have done to help us place these guys and find them safe places to really live for the first time in a very long time.
THANK YOU!!!

In Their New Homes

2007-12-14T10:37:00.000-06:00

I'll post a list of all of the wonderful organizations who helped out by taking in some of our animals, along with contact info, but in the mean time I wanted to share some of the photos we've received from folks of a few of the animals in their new homes. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to see them bathed, trimmed, and in a safe and clean environment!

This is a photo of our very first transport team. They came down from Dallas to adopt one of the kitties for their own home and take back four other cats and one dog. Thanks guys!

This is them with the kitten they adopted... Tazo. She was my special favorite -- every day when we arrived at the house, within 30 seconds of stepping in the door this little sweetheart was at my side, purring and begging to be picked up and snuggled. I'm so thankful she found such a wonderful and loving home!

Here's Alex, who left the house with dirty, matted fur, nails in desperate need of trimming and hair so long over his eyes he could barely see. Look at this beautiful boy now!

These two tortoise shells (now named Shelby & Cayenne) found their way to home in Dallas where they've been settling in nicely, and even started playing! What an amazing change from their previous circumstances.

And here are a couple of pictures of two of the dogs that Jim and Mary Lou adopted into their home. Bingo (the big black Lab-cross "puppy") had previously been kept in the kitchen with Hillary (who is doing amazingly well at Smiling Dog Farms -- she'll even allow herself to be petted once or twice now!) Frankie used to spend her days and nights confined to the bathroom all by herself. Now she has buddies to play with, lots of room to run, and is always ready for a thorough petting!

Christmas Miracle!

2007-12-14T10:05:00.000-06:00

I know many of you have been following the story of these sweet dogs and cats, and I wanted to let you know that we had our very own Christmas miracle! At the very last minute, the night before the heat and water were going to be turned off in the house, an amazing woman named Rhonda came down from Dallas, helped Jim & Mary Lou catch the remaining 13 cats, take them up to Barn Cats where, through KittiCo they were able to get spayed/neutered, have their shots updated, before being taken to their new homes near Houston and south of Ft. Worth. How can we ever find a way to thank all of you who came to the rescue of these pups and kitties? So to all of you who read and forwarded my e-mails, who wished us luck and sent us prayers, who told your friends and checked with your neighbors, who helped us find new homes and placements, who assisted with the transport, and who took in animals and gave them a second chance for a new life,
Thank you and Bless you.
You are all extraordinary!!

KITTENS!!!

2007-11-21T19:54:00.002-06:00

We still have two 11-week-old kittens in the mix that need to find a home!
(The third was adopted last week, and after a much needed bath, a nail trim, a trip to the vet and some ear cleaning, is settling in to her new home very well.)

They're very feisty -- as 11-week old kittens will be -- and love to run and play and jump.

We'd love to see them go to a loving home where they'll get lots of attention and human contact. There hasn't been anyone living in the house since they were about 3 or 4 weeks old, so they don't even know what a great thing it is to fall asleep on a lap or curl up on a computer keyboard while someone is trying to type on it!

If you know anyone that might like to make some very young kitties very Thankful let us know. (I am holding both kittens in the picture above -- you just have to look a bit harder to see the little black one against my hair!)

Bobby and Barker

2007-11-21T10:57:00.000-06:00

These are the two senior gentlemen who have lost their placement.
:-(
However, if someone would be able to foster them until after Christmas their original rescuer would be able to take them again at that point.
If you can foster for a month or so please let us know.
Or even better, if you or someone you know would have a place these silly old men could come and stay for good, and go back to being the sweet lap dogs I know they long to be, please let us know!

Placement Lost for 2 Senior Dogs

2007-11-20T20:28:00.000-06:00

Sad news. I just got an e-mail from the group who had offered a home to Bobby and Barker, our two older brothers that look to be chihuahua crosses. Due to unforseen circumstances they can no longer take these little guys.
So we need to find them a new home!
They're both very energetic and love to play and, aside from a few missing teeth that cause Barker's tongue to hang out the side of his mouth (which makes him look ridiculously cute!) they both appear perfectly healthy.
If you or anyone you know might be able to give these old guys a place to go please let us know as soon as possible.
And huge, giant thanks to all who have been passing along the word -- keep it up!!
I can't seem to upload photos just now -- keep getting a cryptic error message. I'll try again later and get them up tomorrow for sure!

The Cats

2007-11-20T13:55:00.000-06:00

I took these photos this morning when we went in to feed the cats and dogs, and give them fresh water. This will give you a bit of a better idea of the conditions they are, and have been, living in for at least the past year. Believe it or not, the floors are cleaner now than they were when the old couple was living there with all these animals.

About half of the remaining cats are now at least semi-feral and would do well, I think, in a barn cat type of environment. We have not found any that are declawed, nor have we discovered any intact males, so it appears that the majority of these guys have at least been neutered.

There are still several that are very affectionate and always coming up to be petted and stroked and given what attention we can. If you can help even one of these guys please let us know. You can e-mail julieis@gmail.com.

Photos of the Animals

2007-11-20T01:07:00.000-06:00

Many of you have asked to see photos of the animals, so I thought this would be the ideal place to begin posting them!

This is Frankie. Before Jim & Mary Lou brought her home to their ranch she spent all her time confined alone and in the dark in this little bathroom. Even then she was sweet and desperate for attention and affection.
Since they've brought her home Frankie's true personality has begun to blossom. She's smart, curious, affectionate, and an incredibly quick learner.
Just an all-around wonderful dog!

This is Hillary, in the corner of the kitchen where she used to spend most of her time. She was confined to this space, which she shared with Bingo, an 18-month old, 100 lb lab-cross that Jim and Mary Lou also brought home. Hillary is a beautiful dog. I think she looks like Healer cross, but that's just a guess. We don't know what happened to her in the past, but she so distrusts humans now that she won't let anyone near her. After a great deal of work, she has begun to take treats out of my hand before dashing off to safety, but only if the other dogs are nearby or if we are separated by the fence.
Since being moved out of the house and into the front yard she has begun to appear more relaxed and her inquisitive nature has begun to show itself. Unfortunately she is just too damaged by past experiences to let her guard down enough to be touched. She's never aggressive, she just won't let you near her, and I never press the issue. Hillary has plopped herself right down in the center of my heart and I am eternally grateful to Jay at Smiling Dog Farms for offering her a nice little condo of her own with a doggy friend to keep her company and plenty of space to run around if she decides one day she might like to do that. Thank you Jay. And take good care of my sweetheart!

Here are a few photos of some of the cats, who all stay inside the house. The air is thick with the searing smell of ammonia from years of cat pee on counter tops and floors. Until Jim & Mary Lou took over caring for these guys there were only 4 "litter boxes" (plastic tubs with some newspaper in the bottom) for 33 cats, which where emptied every few days. The smell... lingers.

Well, it's just after 2am now and I have got to get some sleep. It's been another long day and tomorrow the quest for homes begins again. I'll post more pictures tomorrow.
As always, if you know anyone who may be able to take in even one of these little furry friends, we have about 20 cats that we still need to place by SUNDAY! So pass the word along!
All help is appreciated!
Sleep well,
Julie

Working Overtime to Save 13 Dogs & 33 Cats from Needless Destruction

2007-11-19T22:12:00.000-06:00

I have set up this blog in the hopes of finding assistance for the victims of this hoarding situation.

13 dogs and 33 cats were living in the disastrous and filthy house they all shared with the elderly couple who had accumulated them -- one of whom recently passed away and the other of which has been placed into permanent care in a nursing home.
My in-laws have been doing their best to provide at least basic care for these poor souls for the past several months while they sought help from local and state authorities, but none has been forthcoming. As they are in their 70's and on a fixed income they cannot continue in this futile endeavor much longer. They have taken 4 of the dogs into their own home, which left 9, but can not take any more.

As of Sunday the state will take possession of the property and whatever animals we are not able to remove by then will be turned over to the county, at which time they will most certainly be killed.
Eddie and I have driven down from New Jersey to do our best to find homes and save the lives of these poor souls who did not ask to be the victims of this situation.

The animals are located in Clifton, TX (Bosque County), but as it seems there is no SPCA or Animal Control or Humane Society has jurisdiction over this area, I am now casting a wider net in the hope that something can be done. The one local animal rescue group has been unable to offer any assistance, so I have spent the last week contacting every no-kill rescue, shelter and foster group I can find in the DFW and Austin areas, in the hopes of finding enough people and places able to take in or foster 1 or 2 or a few of these blameless pups and kitties, that we can save them all from their imminent fate.

So far in this past week, thanks to the incredible outpouring of best wishes and assistance, we have been able to find placement for ALL of the dogs and at least 14, perhaps up to 18 of the cats.

We've come farther than I ever dreamed, but still have a lot of work to do and we need help!
There are still about 20 cats that need a place to go, so if you, or anyone you know, can take even one of these furry friends into a facility, or foster them while we get them posted on internet pet sites in search of Furrever Homes, PLEASE contact us ASAP. We are dealing with a seriously time-critical situation and must move as quickly as possible.

There are no fleas, bugs or worms to be seen -- a real blessing considering the filth in which they have been living. Many of the cats are a little wheezy in their breathing -- no doubt from the terrible, ammonia-rich air that fills the incredibly dirty little home. Fresh air and clean surroundings would do wonders. These beautiful, charming and wonderfully friendly kitties are a quilt-like mixture of colors and breeds. There are calicos and tortoise-shells, gray tabbys and orange ones, black, orange, gray and patchwork cats, mostly short-hair, though a few with medium-length coats. Even one tail-less blue. The 2 youngest kittens, one black and one orange, where born in late August.
All of the animals are obviously used to being around both dogs and cats, and show only the normal amount of caution around me as a stranger in their midst.

We are all desperately hoping that there are places out there for these wonderful, friendly and loving creatures, and that we will hear back from you shortly. I know that everywhere is stretched tight, and space is always at a premium, but if you are able to take in even one of these sweet souls, please call or e-mail right away.
As I already mentioned, we are quickly running out of resources, and these pets are quickly running out of time.

Thanks so much for reading this. We hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,
Julie Martin Lowe
(on behalf of Jim, Mary Lou, Eddie, 9 dogs and 33 cats)
254-675-2921