Everyone has known that special kitten that just grabs your heart and runs with it. That is our dear Fabio. Coming to Wishbone at two weeks old, Fabio and his siblings were nursed to health by one of our amazing foster moms. At only 16 weeks old, our little Fabio has brought such joy and hope to everyone he meets. Unfortunately, he’s become sick and we have exhausted all avenues with our regular vet and now need to move onto a specialist. We want Fabio to have the best chance at a full life, so we need to have further expensive tests done. Please help us provide Fabio with testing to save his life. A donation of any amount is needed and appreciated. Thank you from Wishbone and from Fabio, for giving him a second chance in life.

Your donation via PayPal will help us to continue the search for the answer to his illness.

Hello Friends,

Well, it’s been almost a year since we lost our amazing little friend, Chancey.  To be exact, it will be 1 year on this upcoming Monday August 29th.  And there is not a day that goes by that we don’t think about how much this handsome little guy has changed our lives forever!

A few weeks after Chancey’s death, a new fund came to life through the Wishbone Pet Rescue, known as the “Second Chance Fund”.  A fund that would be there to help out other sick dogs with medical needs.

Along with the Second Chance Fund coming to life….we also rescued two black lab puppies from the Allegan County Shelter, and have named them River & Mystic.  Today the puppies are both a little over one years old…and have been a wonderful addition to our family

Mystic has a LOT of Chancey in her…she is a crazy girl who loves her swimming pool and loves to play fetch, and enjoys having the 3 boys chase her around!  River is a big cuddle muffin, but also loves a good game of tug a war with Mystic!  Bear & Bronco have accepted the new family members into the house with open paws

Today, we received a phone call with regards to a request for help.  A little 12 week old puppy, named Alli who had been poisoned this past weekend, subsequencely because the puppy had got into some medication, and she ate 54 pills.  Her vet bills are very high, thankfully it appears that she will pull through her ordeal.

Once we received the phone call, we knew what we had to do, we knew that Chancey would want us to help out, and today we helped out Alli, our first receipient of the Second Chance Fund!

Paying it forward today, sure feels good on the heart! Together we can change the world, one good deed at a time.

Love,

Chancey’s Parents

October 1, 2005 – August 29, 2010

I lost a treasured friend today
The little dog that used to lay
His gentle head upon my knee
And share his silent thoughts with me.
He’ll come no longer to my call,
Retrieve no more his favorite ball
A voice far greater than my own
Has called him to His golden throne.
And though my eyes are filled with tears,
I thank Him for the happy years
He let him spend down here with me,
And for his love and loyalty.

 

Saying goodbye to a Faithful Friend is difficult.   Chance was a loyal companion, a best friend and a giver of unconditional love.  Chance was an amazing little man, he had the will and the strength to live, and he overcame and survived so many battles he endured during his short little life time.  Sadly, on August 29, 2010, after a long, courageous battle with kidney disease, our friend and family member, Chance, passed away at home in the loving arms of his mom & dad.

For the 20 months while in our care, Chance stole our hearts and he stole the show.  His never give up attitude and energy level brought smiles to all that knew him.  From the very first day of meeting him, we left that interview showered with his love; we knew in our hearts that he had picked us to be his parents.  And we would in return love him unconditionally, and protect him always. 

Chance would play ball for hours at a time, only taking breaks to splash around in his pool or to mine for smooth stones.  While playing ball, he always had to perform a show, with his leaping like a fish on a hook ball or his great surfing style as he slid across the grass.  It was always a show!  A show that made us smile from ear to ear every day, A show we never got old with, A show that we are going to miss so terribly so, A show that will forever be in our hearts & memories.

At bedtime he needed to sleep on 2 pillows as near to your head as he could be.  He was mama and daddy’s pillow buddy.

Chance will be sadly missed and will remain in our hearts forever.

We thank Wishbone for allowing us to adopt Chance.  And would also like to thank all of the many wonderful doctors who took such great care of him, from the beginning and through the end. 

We also send our sympathy to Jeff and Karen, the foster parents that loved him as we did.

Sincerely,

Brian and Stacy

Thank you all so very much for all your kind words and continued thoughts and prayers for Chance while he continues to fight this horrendous chronic kidney disease, that he never deserved to have.

Chance is an incredible little man, he has such an amazing strong will to survive and is trying his best to fight this horrible disease.  During the past few weeks we’ve had some good days and also a few not so good days.  Yesterday was a GOOD Day!  It was nice to see him smile and be so happy to go for a car ride and to also play with his toys outside with his big brother Keith!!  He’s by far not out of the woods yet, but at this time we are all just taking it one day at a time…thank you all again for your continued support and ongoing thoughts & prayers for our little man…

Love,

Mom & Dad

As of today, August 18^th  

Chancey is home from the hospital.

 

As we had mentioned last week, Chance was not doing very well due to the chronic kidney disease he has.  His blood levels took a huge spike, which was ultimately causing him a loss of appetite, energy, nausea & weakness.  He had stopped eating and had lost a considerable amount of weight.  We rushed him down to the MSU hospital last week in hopes of one more miracle.  While at MSU all last week, he was receiving IV hydration to flush his kidneys and a blood transfusion to help lower BUN and Creatinine levels. However, with all the best doctors and the best medications given, the values of his blood chemistries have continued to rise, sadly indicating that he has entered into the final stage of renal failure.  Our hearts are breaking, knowing that our time with him is very limited. 

 

We brought him home yesterday afternoon.  And on our way home, we decided to try one more option, Holistic Medicine.  We met with a great doctor who practices in Holistic veterinary medicine.  She offered up some great advice and suggestions for us to try.  She along with all the MSU doctors has agreed that Chance has a VERY STRONG WILL to SURVIVE.  They all indicated that with levels like his, they are surprised to see that he was able to still walk thru the doors on his own, let alone have the energy he has in his condition and still play for hours on end with his favorite squeaky ball throughout the week and yesterday!  He was ecstatic to see Bronco & Bear, and big Brother Keith last night….not to mention the happiness to be back in his own bed again J 

 

We are still praying he has one more miracle left in him.  He is truly a little angel, and we are so blessed to have him in our lives. 

 

So, please keep those prayer chains going for our little man!

 

Love,

Mom, Dad, Bear, Bronco, Keith & Chris

 

Here is the latest update we have on the little man as of this afternoon….today makes day 2 on IV fluids which are being used to help flush out the toxins.  The chronic kidney damage that he has, is taking a big toll on him.  They drew more blood this morning and found that there was a slight decrease in his bun, creatinine & phosphorus levels.   However the levels are still quite high…too high, which is also causing him to have high blood pressure too.   And although all the levels are extremely high, he seemed to have a bit more energy this morning.  And the drs were nice enough to take him off his IV for about an hour so he could have a little play time with mommy & daddy.  Attached are a few photos of the little man from this week

 

We ask for your thoughts and prayers and hope for one more miracle, to be able to have him come home from the hospital very soon.  Bear and Bronco are missing their baby brother too

Sincerely, Chancey’s Mom & Dad

 

Mason, a gentle 12-week old Blue Nose Pit Bull puppy, may have had a rough week, but one local person or family has the opportunity to give him a happy ending. 

Although he’s a good-looking puppy, his story is not quite so picture perfect. An alert neighbor’s call to Michigan Child Protective Services (MCPS) regarding suspected child neglect at a nearby home led to the discovery of Mason, whose ears had just been cut off with scissors by a family member. After the MCPS investigator arrived at the home to check on the children, she heard from the toddler child what had happened to the puppy as well as the puppy crying. The investigator later called the Allegan County Animal Control (ACAC), to report the incident of the puppy. ACAC responded quickly and found that Mason’s ears were in deed removed and infected, so took steps to remove him from his situation. Mason was brought to the Allegan County Animal Shelter, where the owner surrendered Mason to ACAC. Wishbone Pet Rescue has since taken him into their rescue for complete medical care and eventual placement in a safe home.

Wishbone is an all-volunteer nonprofit group concerned with the health, treatment, and quality of life of the many pets in this West Michigan community. Based in the Saugatuck area, Wishbone provides rescue and rehabilitation services to animals in need, as well as public education about subjects such as spaying and neutering, breeding and abuse and neglect such as what Mason has endured. 

“Despite this traumatic experience, Mason is recovering well and has a sweet, friendly demeanor, with all the puppy energy that a young dog like this should have.” said the Wishbone Volunteer/Foster Parent. “We gratefully thank the concerned neighbor who cared enough to take the time to call about the suspected child neglect. This helps our children and families, as well as their pets.” 

 

To all of Chance’s dear friends who have cared so deeply for him over the past several months.  Chances BUN levels have taken a dramatic spike, causing him to have a lack of appetitie, and loss of energy.  We ask that you keep him in your thoughts and prayers.  An update to come later.

Mom & Dad

 

Sir Lancelot

We got the call on a Thursday, the first day of a 3-day blizzard rolling into West Michigan.  There was a 3-year old stallion, stranded from a domestic dispute and he needed help quickly.  A woman in crisis had to leave her home and horse.  The horse’s life was in jeopardy from both weather and physical threats.  Almost a year ago, my wife Ulla and I were introduced to Wishbone Pet Rescue from some old friends.   We were excited to hear about their work, as our compassion for animals runs deep.    Besides enjoying the companionship, of animals, we also engage them an effort to help people, through Ulla’s counseling practice, The Sundance Center.

As you might imagine, this sort of crisis moves fast.  The woman had left the property, and the man was refusing to feed or care for the horse and even threatening to shoot him, if someone didn’t get him out of there, “now.”   Wishbone had negotiated a “stay” for Lance until Monday.  The fact that the horse was a stallion and didn’t have recent shots complicated the matter.   Calls went back and forth as we worked on finding an appropriate home. Few farms are equipped to handle stallions, who must be segregated from mares.

Ulla braved the blizzard to bring him hay and water before we could transport him, but the water was freezing quickly and he was getting stuck knee-deep in muck and ice.  Wishbone had rallied some volunteers to replace water when they could, but we didn’t have much time to spare.

The plan was to pick him up Saturday, and transport him to the vet for vaccinations, gelding surgery and coggins test.  I was trying to prepare for anything, as early reports were that this three year old stallion, neglected in a frozen pasture,  was fairly nervous about people and expressing that concern rather overtly.  Hunger and fear have a way of mustering up anyone’s defense mechanisms.

Handling Lance was a bit tricky.  He’d occasionally position himself defensively, ears pinned and leg cocked.  Alternately, he’d allow some petting, but never looked relaxed.  Ears rotating, eyes shifting, he was fearful and somewhat unpredictable.  Some open-mouth gestures of biting were certainly more aggressive than the occasional, curious barnyard nip we might witness with our calm herd at home.

Leading him to the trailer, he pushed against me, creating tension in the rope and my heart-rate.  A friendly trainer, along to help, skillfully organized the approach to the trailer, and after some patient teamwork and gentle pressure, Lance stepped into the trailer and everyone took a deep breath. 

At the vet clinic, he unloaded clumsily, but without drama.  He looked about, curiously, with wide eyes and an anxious pace.   We got him into the stall with fresh bedding and a few flakes of hay.  He focused intently on the hay, which he began eating. Before leaving him there overnight, I had to change his halter. None too pleased with the prospect of me pulling his head away from his “welcome to a warm stall” dinner; he showed his seriousness with bared teeth and glaring eyes.    I was able to ride the storm with only slight corrections while keeping myself away from his mouth.  I got some practice in, as we went through two halters before finding a fit.   

It was comforting to see him warm, dry and eating.  As we helped Wishbone BOD member, Susan, decide on vaccinations, we were moved by a nearby vet-customer who after hearing Lance’s story, pushed her credit card to the receptionist and paid for Lance’s shots.   Tearful thanks were returned and it seemed Lance was starting to gain a cheering section, made up of people hoping for better things for his future.

We picked Lance up the following Tuesday and brought him home to our farm.  His initial home was a freshly bedded stall inside the barn, within earshot of the other horses, who were at liberty to come and go in a nearby run-in.  We sought to foster Lance in a restorative manner.  For him to lead a productive life as a companion horse, we’d need to assess and improve his overall manners and trust of humans.  This would be imperative in both finding a new home and insuring a good fit.

I’ve worked with Lance almost every day since.  We started simply enough; before every feeding, I’d take him out of the stall and ask him to pick up each hoof.  That progressed to actually cleaning his hooves with a pick.   In a couple of days, he was offering each hoof calmly, if perhaps slightly hesitant.  Confident that he was growing more calm and relaxed, I scheduled a trim with our farrier late in his first week.   He stood for him well, resistance limited to one leg, seemingly related to being a little sore from surgery. 

Once he mastered his hoof-picking manners, we progressed to a more sensitive area, his head and mouth.  Somewhat head-shy, Lance didn’t like people messing around near his face.  In a short period of time, Lance allowed me to hold my hands against his face; the next day, his mouth.  In a few days, he was comfortable enough that I was able to squirt worming paste into his mouth with very little anxiety or protest. 

Lance has been in our barn and pasture for three weeks now, and we’ve enjoyed being part of his transformation.  A significant part of our work with Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) is engaging horse’s natural instincts and communication methods.  We’re trained to observe and pick up on the multitude of non-verbal messages that horses communicate with.  Through this process, I’ve observed that Lance is very present, very “horse” and extremely “talkative.”  He is responsive, adapts quickly and is extremely aware of his surroundings.  He has grown much more trusting of human interaction and developed quite a fan-club with his bright, soft eye and friendly demeanor.

It’s impossible to attribute his shift in health, demeanor and attitude to any one thing, but suffice it to say, that consistent care, attentive communication and a more “gelded” hormonal balance, have all served Lance well.  Many have rallied to support him including a local Reiki master, offering a natural-healing approach, a neighbor offering up their large round pen for his turnout, a nearby trainer who offered insight and placement assistance and our brave farrier who showed patience and calm, further building Lance’s trust in humans with tools. 

Considering his youth and history, we recommend that he receive professional training to complete the transition and engage his natural horse intelligence.  Our current project is reducing his food-centric defenses, as freshly delivered hay seems to be the last consistent trigger for Lance’s protective glances.

I’m encouraged by his progress and feel I have gained personally from knowing him and engaging in raw-horse dialogue with him.   He has great potential, a willing attitude, and is looking less and less like a rescued horse every day.  I believe with patience and consistent natural horsemanship, Lance will make a terrific companion in his next home. 

Wishbone has been tireless in their effort to gather and coordinate support for this special horse.  I look forward to Lance’s placement and imagine visiting him for years to come.   Thank you to all of the people that offered their assistance and support to guide Lance his next home. 

Fred & Ulla operate their farm Red Horse Ranch, in Fennville, Michigan; home of Sundance Center for Personal Growth www.sundancecenter.net.  Fred is also a managing partner in New Holland Brewing Company in Holland, Michigan.