It’s all in how you word something. Nothing about Rosemary’s posting on the DD was diplomatic. It was nasty and directed at me and my efforts to help Molly. I do agree with you. It made me very defensive.

When someone offers me help, I take it and say thank you. I NEVER make that person feel dismissed or try to make some point that makes me look like I know it all.

This would have been a great chance for you to use my blog to network some of the hounds you are overwhelmed with. Instead, a different path was picked. One that created more work for your rescue and offended a potential helper.

My sister lives in GA. I consider it my sister state. I will continue to do what I do best. Fundraise and network homeless bassets regardless of what state they are in.

A kind word goes a long way. So, in that vein – I accept both of your apologies and I wish you good luck with Molly.

Cat

Please understand that none of us is trying to flame. Sometimes we just get overwhelmed – 70 dogs in our care now and 5+ set to come in this week. Our e-mails may sound or seem short just because we have so many to respond to and we’re trying so hard to save lives. It’s not a contest about who does what or how much. Sometimes e-mails and posts are misunderstood and I’m sorry if I have offended you or anyone here.

Rosemary and I have both apologized and shared with you all the info we have. I sure hope we can all go forward together and continue to do what’s best for the bassets.

I saw that post on the drool as well. You do help hounsd Cat and I would like to say Thank you for that.

I love your blog!

M

I am a big help to Basset Hound Rescue, and somehow it gets turned into this. It’s not a competition. That is what I referred to in my last comment.

I work just as hard as you do in rescue, maybe even harder.

Obviously, this hound has been lost for months and it is just now coming to everyone’s attention. All Rosemary had to do was e-mail me personally and tell me you guys were taking over. Instead she chose to slam me on the drool.

I immediately e-mailed her when I saw her nasty post and took the high road and then what? She does not have the decency to answer me?
Here is what I said.

“HI Rosemary:

Do you want me to quit looking for the owners? It sounds like you
think I am doing the wrong thing. Just let me know. Cat”

Stacey, did you have the entire story before you marched over and accused me of not trusting you. Did you have all of the facts?

Again, I will not stand for your people picking me out of the pack and slamming me. NOPE. Not going to happen.

You have your opinion about the matter and I have mine. We could have worked together, but no. It boils down to pointing fingers.

Individuals can help in rescue Stacey. It does not take a big group to do it. I do it every day.

Do you read my blog? Obviously not. You just rush over to try and prove your point.

Not every family can live up to your standards and perhaps the hound is missed and loved. Not everyone can afford heartworm medicine. Not everyone has a phone. Not everyone can live up to your 4 strike policy. (Chaps and Emma don’t wear collars, you can see that in the zillion pictures I take of them on my Blog.)

Obviously, the woman who has her now thinks differently than you.

Sincerely,

Cat, Chaps and Emma

P.S. I have missed heart worm treatments in the past. I am not ashamed to admit it. I also know people who are no longer giving it because they lost their job.

(update) this comment was made when I was fuming last night. No one wins in this situation.

http://heartwormsociety.org/
http://heartwormsociety.org/article.asp?id=48#primary%20diagnostic%20screening

Primary Diagnostic Screening

Test Timing for Optimal Results

The earliest that heartworm antigen and microfilariae can be detected is about five and 6.5 months post-infection, respectively. Depending on the sensitivity of the particular heartworm antigen test, antigenemia may precede, but sometimes lags the appearance of microfilariae by a few weeks. In low worm burdens or with animals on macrocyclic lactones chemoprophylaxis, antigenemia may be delayed to approximately nine months post infection. The interval of time between infection and the expected first appearance of microfilariae is the prepatent period. To determine when testing might become useful, a predetection period should be added to the approximate date on which infection may have been possible. A reasonable interval is seven months. Thus, there is generally no need or justification for testing a dog for antigen or microfilariae prior to about seven months of age. To detect an infection occurring any time during the preceding transmission season, the predetection period should be added to the approximate end of that period. Indiscriminate testing at any time of the year in an effort to distribute the workload may put the date of testing within the predetection period and waste the test, as far as determining if infection occurred the preceding season. Puppies born during periods when no heartworm transmission is occurring do not need to be tested before starting chemoprophylaxis the following spring. In the cooler regions, transmission may cease in time to allow infections occurring late in the season to mature before transmission resumes. If so, testing late in the spring is likely to detect infections from the preceding year. However, where transmission continues late into the year, the predetection period may overlap the beginning of the next season. If so, monthly chemoprophylaxis should commence (or continue if never interrupted) within 30 days following the start of the new season. If the possibility of an infection occurring late in the preceding season is a concern, testing should be delayed until such time when a positive result is possible.

Yes, the microfilaria can enter the blood in the first month. However, it can take 6 months for the test to reflect a positive result. We have had a few hounds go to forever homes, kept on HW prevention, but the HWs show up 4 to 6 months after adoption.

The fact is that whoever lost this sweet girl should be looking in the immediate area for her. She was adopted in the area and was apparently living close to where she was lost. Four strikes – 1) There was not an up-to-date tag on her, 2) They are not looking in the local shelters for her – if they were, they would have found her since she’s been there over a month, 3) She was not given HW prevention, 4) They did not register her microchip. Ok, any 1 of these could be overlooked. But all 4? Doesn’t she deserve better?

We DO get a ton of e-mails on bassets in GA that are publicly advertised. Anytime a basset shows up on Petfinder or an e-list, EVERYONE on there forwards the info to any GA basset e-mail they can find. I have several BHRG e-mail addresses – bhrg@bhrg.org, webmaster@bhrg.org, info@bhrg.org, petfinder@bhrg.org, etc. And the same goes for other BHRG volunteers who have a public e-mail address. I’m sure the e-mail made the rounds and wound up on the Drool – not the first time. It happens a lot! I got 2 more today – from Jim Willis and from Afox1313@aol.com. I forwarded the e-mails I received (complete with photos) to our president and to our Intake Coordinator (I still have it – I sent it 10/26 at 11:25 pm). Our Intake lady – Cathy Bates – replied that she was in touch (see e-mail below).

Come on Cat – you know us! You’ve been a wonderful BHRG supporter! You’ve met us in person and come to ur events. Do you not trust that we’ll do what’s best for this girl if/when she comes into our care? Can’t you see how frustrating it can be when we’re out there moving bassets to Atlanta from all over the state and then posts show up on national e-mail lists that cause folks to think we’re not involved and taking care of this girl as best as we’re allowed by the people who have her?

If someone finds her owners and she is returned to them, let’s hope & pray they wake up and take better care of this girl before she winds up dead from heartworm or from being hit by a car. She deserves better.

Stacey

I hope you can see what we’re up against in just 1 day.

+++++++ CATHY’s REPLY +++++++

Called this lady and gave her our contact info. Dog is in hospital now with a staph infection they are trying to get under control. Told her to call us if she needs help with this dog at any point. Dog in Albany will come to Braelin on Wednesday. Will have dog coming in from Catoosa that Pat Flammini is pulling and will know which day later. Still have Coweta dog that Norma Carpenter is checking on and have one from Milledgeville in Rockdale Kennel and have left a message for a new volunteer in Valdosta about the other 2 dogs there.
–
CATHY BATES
MY PASSIONS DO NOT REPLACE MY
RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD BUT ARE
INSTEAD A REFELCTION OF IT.

Cat