Good Citizens And Police Officers Save A Severly Injured Dog Found Along The Highway

On her way to work one late January day, Holly Bunyard spotted an injured dog on the side of 350 Hwy in Raytown. Being an animal lover (and previous adopter of Furry Kids!), of course she could not just drive on by but had to stop to help the dog. Another good citizen stopped to help and they were able to get close to this scared, severely injured dog. Several police officers stopped and helped to get the dog to safety and into Holly's car - and safe she was. She had no identification, no collar and was helpless. Deemed "Isabella", she had an open compound fracture in her left front leg. Isabella seemed to know she was rescued, showing no aggression because she was in pain - only gratefulness to those who saved her life there on the side of the road. Holly vowed to care for the dog, and made a call to Furry Kids for help.

We asked Holly to take Isabella to our vet where she would be evaulated and treated - whatever she needed. Dr. Epsey of Crain Vet Center in Grain Valley was able to reset her leg and she was given strong antibiotics to help prevent a bone infection since it was a compound fracture that had broken the skin on her leg. Thankfully, she didn't appear to have any other injuries.

Holly took excellent care of Isabella in her home but because she already has 3 dogs which is the city limit, she was moved to another foster home where she is now being cared for. Isabella is making weekly trips to the vet to have her leg examined.

Laura Moritz of Channel 9 interviewed Holly and Dr. Epsey at Crain Vet Center in Grain Valley which brought several donations and offers of adoption! Several wonderful families applied for adoption which made it very tough for Furry Kids to select the right home. Always a difficult process when more than one great family is interested in a dog, we thoroughly thought about what kind of home would be best for Isabella. She has displayed nothing but a fantastic temperament thoughout her time with us - never displaying an ounce of aggression though she must be in so much pain! One of the police officers, Donald Ebert, who was at the scene and helped to save her life just fell in love with Isabella - as did his wife and children. We met with the Ebert family at the vet's office and we think their home will be the forever home Isabella deserves. She has a wonderful life ahead of her with the Ebert family. Christy, Isabella's future "mom", is making a calendar for the children counting down the weeks until Isabella can come home with them. They are being as patient as possible waiting for Isabella's leg to heal completely - and for the day she gets to come "home".

Isabella didn't deserve what happened to her on the side of 350 Highway - but she does deserve the life she has ahead of her.

Addressing Strong Prey Drives In Our Pets~

When House Pets turn into Predators

As we look at our cuddly dogs who shower us with kisses in the morning, fling themselves upside down for tummy rubs and contently curl up at our feet as we tap away at our computer key boards, it can be difficult to imagine them as “cold blooded killers”. But we often don't have to look very far to see the heritage of predator in them. Just throw a toy, walk your dog by a squirrel, or have a cat quickly run past and the “animal” inside of Fido will quickly appear.

Like all carnivores, the eyes of a dog are on the front of his head. This is very different from prey animals like deer, rabbits, squirrels and even birds, which have eyes on the sides of their heads so they can see not only what is in front of them, but also what is following behind. A predator must see only what is in front of him, and be able to lock focus and follow quick movement which is what leads him in a chase. People too, are social predators and are very effected by movement. Just look out a window at any scene. It will be the moving objects that attract your eye.

In some dogs this predatory legacy is more prominent than in others. Certain breeds were created upon the very fundamentals of this principle for the benefit of man. Terrier breeds were bred to hunt quick moving vermin that live under ground. It is very difficult to encourage a Jack Russel Terrier to ignore that mouse in the house! The hound breeds too, are especially attracted to movement for this same reason. Herding breeds are bred to notice even the slightest muscle twitch on a cow or sheep so they can control that movement. So a car zooming by on a road or a pet cat running through a house is to them quite “chase worthy”. Guard breeds are bred to notice the slightest movements of human strangers, so they can be at the ready when trouble arises.

It is important when adopting a new dog to take a close look at the other animals you may already have in your house. Not all dogs have strong prey drive. And some dogs just like a good chase. It is the dog who is in true predator mode that can be dangerous to the small animals who already reside in your home. Finding an appropriate balance between your animals can save a lot of heartache for you later on.

The good news is that some dogs can be trained to leave your other furry little pets alone. Dogs who like to chase movement, but are not wanting to kill as the end product can be modified. This starts with good leadership by you, the pack leader. It is imperative that your dog first views you as Commander and Chief if you are to be successful in modifying this behavior. We can often distract a “chase oriented” dog away from the family cat with a toy or food reward that is better or more fun than chasing that cat.. We can redirect his attention onto something more to our liking by controlling the situation with the dog on a leash. It is important to give a special “reward” for a dog who is learning to ignore the fast movement of the “prey” animal.

It is our responsibility as humans to manage our animals correctly and ensure safety for everyone under our care. In most cases, it is when defined leadership within a home is in question that chaos occurs.

Written by Joni Johnson-Godsy, International Association of Canine Professionals, http://training.godsy.com/

2nd Annual Breakfast With Santa Claws - Huge Success! ~

Thank you to everyone who attended our Breakfast With Santa Claws - it was the most fun and the most successful Applebee's Flapjack Fundraiser to date! The weather cooperated (much better than last year!) and we had more attendees than ever. Santa joined us and mingled with all the kiddos. We had so many wonderful donations for raffles and also had items donated for us to sell. We raised a total ofalmost $3300 from tickets, raffles, donations and items sold and then Santa and Mrs. Claws gave us an amazing gift of $700 to raise us to al total of $4000! This money will be used for veterinary expenses this winter as adoptions tend to slow down but animals still need to be rescued.

Most of our dedicated volunteers were on hand to help out and we had a great time. Even little Sweet Marie got to come in and enjoy a breakfast, she was a good sport when we decked her out with raindeer ears! Sweet Marie has since then found a wonderful forever home :)

We are very grateful to the Lee's Summit Applebee's for allowing us to hold our Flapjack Fundraisers in their restaurant. They were there bright and early preparing and they work so hard when all our wonderful supporters fill all the tables!

We'll look forward to another Flapjack Fundraiser this spring!

Georgia is a beautiful, 1 1/2 year young, female Beagle mix weighing about 25 pounds. She is full grown! You may remember George from a past newsletter when she was so very sick and fighting for her life. Georgia has came through so much in her short life. She was dumped in the mean big city streets to starve and she almost did. When we rescued her from the shelter she was in horrible shape. No sooner did we get her home then she broke with the deadly parvo disease. After weeks of getting her over this and upper respiratory infection with intensive care and lots of TLC, she finally started putting on much needed weight. Georgia is very healthy now and ready for her forever family. Georgia is very gentle & loving and she really likes other dogs after she gets an opportunity to be a little bossy at first :) You can't help but fall in love with her darling face!

Read more about Georgia on her Petfinder page!

Talulah is such a sweet heart! She needs a loving home. If you'll notice, both our featured dog and cat have black coats. So many times, black dogs and cats are overlooked because their coats don't stand out. We hope you'll notice these two wonderful animals, though! Talulah will make a wonderful companion - she just needs to be noticed by that special person who will fall in love with her! She's just a few years old, uses her litter box and loves attention! She has gorgeous eyes and a sleek black coat.

Read more about Talulah on her Petfinder page!

Call us or come by an adoption event and we would be happy to microchip your pet with a 24PetWatch™ microchip for just $20. 

Registration is free and easy and easy to update from the internet!

Time to get your spring cleaning done - and save what you don't want for us!

Our 3rd Annual Spring Rummage Sale will be the first weekend in April at the VFW Post in downtown Lee's Summit. Soooo, gather all the items you'd like to donate (tax-deductible!!) and save them for us! Donation drop off's will be Wednesday-Friday, April 1-3! Please call 816-853-9360 for more information!

Ruff, Ruff, Ruff and the dogs go wild, as you walk by they just want to be let out. The reason I like Furry Kids Refuge is I fall in love with dogs, learn about dogs, and get to save lives.

first, I fal lin love with a lot of great dogs. I get to meet dogs tha tare nice, sweet and smart. I also get to foster as many dogs as I want until they get adopted to their new family.

Next, I learn everything there is to know about dogs and cats such as their breed and what they do. When I learn about their breed, I learn what type they are, their growth, and their size. Knowing everything about dogs helps me to know what they like to do.

Finally, I absolutely love to save lives. You get to give animals in need the medical care that they need. My very first foster was a cat that we saved. The vet said, "If you had't had her spayed she probably would have died." For this reason I love saving lives.

In summary, I am thankful to spend quality time with dogs, find out more about them, and I also get to find the animals new loving homes

~Jonathan Graham, foster

Saturdays from noon - 5pm at the Petco in Lee's Summit. Visit our website for up to date information!

Please visit our website and send us your story and pictures if you can and we’ll post them on our Happy Furry Kids Page!

Thank you to all who have sent their stories – it is so heartwarming to see our Furry Kids in their forever homes!

INTERESTED IN ADDING A FURRY KID TO YOUR FAMILY?

What if Furry Kids earned a penny every time you searched the Internet? Well, now we can! GoodSearch.com is a new search engine that donates half its revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. You use it just as you would any search engine, and it's powered by Yahoo!, so you get great results.Just go to goodsearch.com and be sure to enter Furry Kids Refuge as the charity you want to support.

He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog.
You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours,
faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it
to him to be worthy of such devotion.