Doggy Days

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When I opened The Blade a few weeks ago, I found two pages of doggies that were available for adoption from Emanuel County Humane Society. These homeless doggies were blessed to have reached the Betty Gambrell Animal Shelter and have a chance for a forever home. I wanted to reach out to pet each one and say, “Someone will love you and give you a home.” The next week there was a display of twenty- nine doggies whose owners know that “Dogs leave paw prints on our hearts” (copied from Blade) and had donated to the Dog Cause contest. Believe me when I say each dog was smiling, and I am sure wagging its tail. I was filled with thankfulness to find that of the twenty-nine doggies shown, eleven were rescues. That is a good score that will go higher thanks to donations to the Emanuel County Animal Shelter. I have always loved having animals in my life and wanted to take in strays who were usually large and of no identifiable breed. These usually gathered in packs on vacant lots and were a threat for rabies. Swainsboro did not have even a semblance of an animal shelter until Betty Gambrell provided. I hesitate to think of the fate of these sad doggies. Dogs with owners had much better care. Most were inside/outside pets and lived comfortably with good food. These were the lucky ones. There was a veterinarian in town, Dr. Trout, who treated mainly farm animals and horses. He did not have an animal hospital, but annually set up an outdoor spot to give rabies shots. That was usually the only health care. The lives of feral cats were even more horrible We cannot rescue all the homeless animals, but we can donate to help. My current pet is a rescue kitty that I can give a good home in my small apartment. She is also one of the lucky ones. I honor and give many thanks to the staff and doners of the Emanuel County Animal Shelter for making the lives of our four-legged friends livable. Write to Shirley at sptwiss@gmail.com